The Demon-Exorcist

          Night hadn’t realized that his internal thoughts had begun to show on his face, that is, that he looked abruptly dismayed. His mind had wandered off during a lull in conversation to unpleasant territories. It was easy enough to forget what was bothering him when Saburota seemed genuinely concerned about his well-being. That was a welcome surprise. 

     “I don’t.” she said weakly, on the verge of crying. Slowly she sank down onto the floor, not even caring that she was so close to her bed, and yet she decided to be on the hard floor. So Buer was right. She had to face this.And she just had to get this out before it broke her heart even further. So she took a deep breath, and looked back up at Night. 

    “Have you been avoiding me due to the fact that I can’t have kids anymore? I know after we got home, you seemed shocked about that fact. And when it set in you just, seemed to not be here.” She paused for a moment and bit her lip. “I know I have been upset, since I was…..” 

     Monaka had to stop and take a breath, so she didn’t start crying. She promised herself she wasn’t going to do that. “It still hurts to think about, but lately I just miss you, but you aren’t around a lot. So I don’t expect you home anymore, since you are on your missions a lot.” Her voice dropped into a small scared child like tone, “Please don’t get tired of me and leave me Night. I still love you.” 

        “Of course not.” Night said quickly, then realized that his haste must’ve sounded like he was lying and only seeking to reassure her and set about elaborating, “I haven’t been around because I hate seeing you so miserable. I know, I should stay and face it because it’s my fault, so I deserve to have to watch... but I can’t. I can’t watch you mope around. It’s like when your parents died, except this time I can’t do anything. I can’t take revenge for you, because there’s nobody to take revenge on except myself for putting you into this situation.” He knew he was tripping all over himself trying to explain. It was frustrating being terrible with words, despite all his time living as a human. 

        For a moment, he was silent, his hands clenched into fists at his sides so tightly that his knuckles were white. His hair hung in his downcast eyes and he was glad, because he knew she was close to crying and he thought he’d cry too if she let those tears fall, and he didn’t want her to see that. 

     Buer looked at Monaka and nodded at her. He walked past Night stopping right next to him and said softly. “Take my advice Night, stop avoiding her. She was asking me if cat sidhes get tired of their mates.” He walked out of the room, with no answer as to what he had said to Monaka in response, since mate in the demon world is a lot different than what it meant to Monaka. 

     Monaka just stood there looking at Night, still fighting tears going down her face. She didn’t know if she wanted to leave her room or try and talk to Night. She didn’t want him to leave, but it felt like he was pulling away a little at a time, ever since they came back home. She wondered if Night was throwing himself into his work to get away from her. 

     “Night?” she finally said, tears in her voice instead of her eyes. “Are….are you going to leave me?” 

         Night’s hand left the hilt of his sheathed sword and fell to his side noiselessly. For once, Buer had been telling the truth when he said he wasn’t coming around to cause trouble. Now it made sense why Monaka had specifically sought him out--there was no other cat sidhe’s around besides himself, his brother, and Rin’s companion Kuro who chose to live as a cat instead of taking on a human form who likely wouldn’t have any answers. She was sneaking around behind his back because it was something she was too afraid to ask him herself. As always, everything ended up being his fault. 

        “Why would you ever think something like that?” He sighed wearily, much more tired of himself and his inability to confront his feelings instead of attempting to conceal them than of her. The words to express why he’d been avoiding her seemed reluctant to come. Should he lie? She wouldn’t believe him. She saw right through him as easily as he saw through her. They knew each other too well. Maybe that was the issue. From her point of view, he’d tired of Yukio and left him. Did she think he would do the same to her? 

     Monaka flinched at the tone. She felt the urge to cry, but held it back. She wasn’t going to cry right now, breaking down wasn’t going to help things. Telling him the truth would. So she took a moment to look at the blond demon behind her, who nodded, before looking back at Night. “He…..he came here because I asked him to,” she admitted. 

     She swallowed wondering what else to say. She had gone to him, since he was the only other Cat Sidhe she knew, besides Kuro and he was no where to be found right now. Buer had told her where she could find him if she ever needed him, and right now she needed….some insight. 

     “Calm down Night, I am not here to cause trouble,” he said simply. He was for once speaking the truth. Monaka wanted answers. He would give them to her. It was up to Night if he believed him. “She was asking me questions is all, things you seemed to have failed to explain to her.” 

          Night opened his mouth to say something to Monaka, but reconsidered when he saw that she was upset. He could see right through her attempts to cover it up. It was all his fault. Perhaps they both would’ve been better off if he hadn’t come home at all, if he’d taken even longer on that mission. Then he’d never know that she apparently thought it wise to carry on a friendship with his scheming brother when he’d told her not to multiple times, that she’d completely ignored his wishes and was even going behind his back. Was there something between them? 

        “You’d better not be, because I’m not in the mood for it.” He hissed at Buer through clenched teeth, one hand moving to rest on the hilt of his sword which was tucked into the belt of his coat instead of slung across his back, since he’d forgotten the usual cloth covering back at work. Now, it was a convenience. If Buer said the wrong thing, there would be no time wasted getting his sword out with it so readily accessible. 

     Monaka had been laying in bed when she heard Night call to her. She had been in bed a lot lately. She wasn’t going back to old habits when Pazuzu was here. She just needed time and rest. She had actually gone out to her garden today. But she had to hold back tears when she found her favorite yellow flower. Her heart was starting to ache from being alone all the time. She couldn’t help but wonder if Night had gotten tired of her, and only rescued her since since they were friends. 

     “Oh Night, I….wasn’t expecting you home,” she admitted. She honestly expected him to be gone longer when she was told that he was out on a mission. She got up, and moved to hug him but stopped when she saw him. She wondered if he even wanted him to touch him. 

     “See Monaka, you don’t know do you,” said a voice near her bed. Buer was standing there watching them, looking almost sad for one of them.  

        “You weren't?” That was surprising. Or it would’ve been, some months ago. Before all of this had become so complicated, she was always eager to see him and would have run to hug him before he was even completely through the doorway. Had he ruined things between them? She didn’t even seem happy to see him, she seemed uncertain and even caught off guard. When he caught a whiff of a familiar scent that wasn’t hers, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. 

He looked down to the time on his watch. It wasn’t as late as he thought yet. Strange the day seem to go by slower once he was done with his paperwork. “Your not a slacker.” He noted and then remember he still had homework to mark. Why did they have to give him so much to set? because it was just him to mark it.

“Have they found you somewhere better to live yet?” He asked knowing that the Order had sorted out where Night would be living. 

         “Yeah, I’m in an apartment complex a few blocks over. It’s pretty convenient since I can walk anywhere I need to go. Only problem is my next door neighbor is kind of nosy.” Night chuckled. At least she hadn’t figured out yet that he had an entire herd of cats that he’d rescued off the streets. He had made sure that his apartment allowed pets but the landlord had no idea exactly how many he technically owned. 

     “Hm, I see. I suppose this means that the fact my room being a mess has no bearing on you? Nor the fact that there is cat nip all over the floor?” 

“Rin worse then you. I’m just the type of person who hates sitting and not doing anything.”  He liked to keep himself busy. If if sat down for too long he started over thinking things. He was no good once he started over thinking.

“They are paranoid I’ll end up with blue flames as well.” He snorted a bit. “That’s because I’ve been doing this since I was 7 years old, it helped that my dad was the Paladin and he trained me.” 

       “Yeah, I’ve kind of noticed.” Night remarked. He finished washing the mug and then dried it with a towel, then put it back exactly where he’d grabbed it from in the first place. He turned away from the counter and then leaned back against it, idly crossing his arms over his chest. “You make me look like a slacker.” It wasn’t actual exorcisms that he minded, in fact, he enjoyed them--it was all of the stupid paperwork that resulted.

      “If that is the case, why does it seem I caught you doing something wrong?”

“Rin a good person he just lazy at times.” He struggled a little because his older brother had always been the person he wanted to be when they was younger. He was thankful that his classes was other for today, though it did mean he was stuck sitting around. “Though I still say his only useful skill is cooking. He even admitted it.” 

“Or they will just kill you. That seems to be a threat they like to hand out to the members of their order. I know they trust me right now.” 

        “Aren’t we all lazy sometimes? I know I am, but I can’t help it. I’m a cat demon. Cats are lazy.” Night shrugged his shoulders, then picked up his mug and went over to the sink to start washing it. At least he wasn’t too lazy to clean up after himself when half his coworkers already hated him--not that he was doing it for them so much as out of habit. 

“He is still a huge idiot who has no control and is causing me a ulcer but apart from that he doing fine. No one is out to kill him today.” He knew his brother still had a long way to go. Apart of him also knew his brother wouldn’t give in. He could help but give a small smile at the other comment. “Little over dramatic there maybe?” He asked as Yukio had always like tea over coffee.

“Best thing to do. I think people don’t say it to your face because they fear you. Though I don’t know why that could be.” 

          “Well, I can’t say that I’m surprised. He’s got a kind heart, though. I figure that’s half the battle won when you’re an exorcist.” Night replied in a casual tone. He couldn’t say that he was close to either of the Okumura twins, but he could tell that both of them were good people. Usually, bad people were as easy to pick out as demons. They always smelled like trouble. Or at least, he told himself that. He downed the cold coffee and then set the mug down on the counter top, sighing.