Page 5 of You Give Me Fever

Shiver clenched his teeth, even if he would rather clamp them around Frenzy’s neck. Frenzy spent more time around people and had, annoyingly, picked up on their way of speaking.

“I am not stuck on anything,” he said, shouldering away from the grinning shadow.

“You are. You’ve fallen for this little hot pepper. Oh, this is going to be just awful.”

“Buzz, will you?” he snapped, but he was not too forceful about it. A part of him wanted this simpering boob to keep talking because... what if it was true?

“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone,” said Frenzy, producing a glowing ember from nothing and lifting it to his lips to inhale. He truly had been among these humans too long. “I’ve taken my fair share of them. Delicious little morsels, aren’t they?”

Shiver glanced at the other demon, who blew out a stream of smoke. He had to admit that Frenzy was right. Delicious. Little. Hot. Even now, with such a hateful creature beside him hissing taunts, Shiver could feel that coiling tension in his lower back, the itch of his palms, the ache in his tongue. It didn’t matter how many times he told himself he shouldn’t; he knew he would try again.

“But no matter what I may do with a human, I never forget,” Frenzy poked Shiver in the chest with the hand that held his smoking ember. “What. I. Am. You get me, cousin?”

Shiver turned away, rubbing his chest and trying not to look at Clara, squirming on the couch as she fought to relax. Yes, he understood. He couldn’t fall in love. He was supposed to kill her.

Frenzy sighed, inhaling from his ember again and puffing out more smoke that broke up in wisps in the shadowy corner where they stood.

“Don’t be so boring,” he said, flicking the glowing butt at Shiver before disappearing.

The irritated demon growled in response, rolling his neck and shoulders to relieve some tension, even though the source of it had left the room.

Well... he glanced over at the girl, moaning softly under her breath as she burned ever hotter. Not all his tension.

He approached slowly, taking in her dress, the way it hugged her curves and hitched up her legs. Had she stayed out of her bedroom tonight, kept her clothes on, because she wanted to avoid his touch? Shiver was certainly guilty of leaving every prior intimate encounter with averted eyes and a vague promise to keep in touch, but he wanted this girl to see him, remember him, know that he was real.

Clara opened her eyes and took in the hulking black form in front of her, two glowing eyes set into blackness that waved ever so slightly at the edges, like the road on a summer day. If she had felt like herself, she might have screamed and bolted from the house.

“You’re back,” she said softly. She was not quite smiling, but she didn’t say it with disgust either. She looked at him with curiosity, not fear.

“I’m back.” Shiver matched her tone, trying to keep his thunder soft and low. “You are still sick.”

Clara rolled her eyes, turning away from what she believed to be her dream-thing. “M’not, don’t be such a bunny.”

Shiver frowned. “I’ve been called many things, but I‘m fairly certain I’m not a bunny.”

Clara chuckled. Her time in the city had left an impression on her vocabulary. At least she didn’t sound quite as slurred as she had the past night.

“Not an animal type bunny, a stooge, a mook, a... a dumb guy.”

“Oh,” said Shiver, and then he frowned again. “Wait a minute, how dare you? Listen to me, girl, I have been at this for eons, if I say you’re sick⁠—”

“Yeah, yeah,” Clara waved her hand in dismissal. “Every man in th’ world thinks he knows his onions b-better than every girl in th’ world.”

Shiver crossed his arms, hardly able to fight with her there, but marveling at this obstinate little wench. If he came to tell her the sky was blue, she would call him a moron and run out to inspect the heavens herself.

“I’m just...” Shiver struggled with what to say. Worried? Anxious? Professionally interested?

Clara groaned as those golden fireflies swirled in front of her vision again. They were getting worse, not even waiting for her to stand up too quickly or keep to the edges of her vision. She was far too hot down here, in all these layers, but Clara suspected it might be rude to leave her dream-guest in the middle of a conversation. Besides that, she wasn’t sure she could move.

“Come on,” Shiver said, bending down to lift her into his arms.

“Mm? What, whasswrong?” She tried to lift her head, but that was no good. She dropped it against his chest, fighting to keep her eyes open. “Wha’ya doing?”

“Carrying you.”

“Why?”

“Because you should be in bed.”