Demons Are a Girl's Best Friend

7- An Embrace

Suddenly, the stall door was forced open. It dropped on the tiles with a loud crash. Sylvia looked up to see none other than Mephistopheles, standing in front of her with a serious look on his face.

"M-Mephi!" She wasted no time to fling herself at him, burying her face in his chest. He didn't say anything, and simply hugged her back tightly, feeling her small and vulnerable body shaking within his embrace. Her hands were clutching at his back as hard as they could, as though if she were to let go she would sink into a depth she would never resurface from. Mephistopheles patted her head gently while he reassuringly rubbed his head against her.

"You're okay now. I am here. It's okay."

In the back of her mind, Sylvia knew that those were just empty words that he was saying to calm her down. Nevertheless, she chose to believe them, because he was here when she needed someone the most, and that was all that mattered to her right now. Slowly, she allowed herself to sink into the comfort of his body and his scent. His words soothed her and his touch reassured her that she at least was not alone.

"H-how... how did you know?" Her voice was muffled and interrupted by sobs.

"You said I'd know when the time came, didn't you?" His was low and tender. Sylvia looked up at him, her honey-dipped eyes wet and reddish, with smudged mascara surrounding them. Mephistopheles used his thumbs to gently wipe her tears ; Sylvia leaned into his touch and closed her eyes as though to savor it. This reaction puzzled the demon slightly, since he had known her not to like physical contact. However, he chose not to comment on the matter and to focus on making her feel better.

"Look at you, you ruined your pretty ponytail." He added, lifting her head so he'd have a better look at her face. "Even though you worked so hard on it."

"No I didn't... It's just a ponytail." Sylvia muttered, sniffling.

"Yeah, yeah, sure." Mephistopheles moved his hands towards her hazel curls, undoing her hair completely. Again, Sylvia did not seem to mind, and obediently stood still. He wasn't sure what he felt towards this change in her attitude, but he continued to run his fingers through her hair; it was soft and unruly.

"Sylvia?? Are you okay?" A loud shout came from the bathroom door outside, and the two of them turned in its direction.

"It's... David." She whispered in mild surprise. Then, turning back to Mephistopheles, he gestured with his finger for her to not make any sound, and she nodded. The demon thereupon proceeded to retie her hair into a perfect ponytail.

"There you go." He said with satisfaction.

"Sylvia? Is someone there with you? What's going on? I heard a loud crash!"

Sylvia glared at Mephistopheles, who whispered an "oops." However, her frown soon turned into a thankful smile, and she nudged his shoulder playfully.

"You should go now. I'll handle it." She whispered in his ear. The demon lifted an eyebrow, not sure if she was to be left alone in her state. Picking up his cue, she added softly: "I am fine, don't worry." Drawing back from him, she had a grateful smile on her face, lips puffed and pressed together.

"Sylvia?? Please answer me! I am going in!"

"No! Wait. I'll be right out..." She replied, and was surprised at how loud she sounded. In her mild panic, she suddenly felt Mephistopheles' breath near her ear and neck. "I'll see you at home, then." His whispering voice was unnecessarily seductive, earning him a flushed glare from his contractor. Then, with his usual smirk, he vanished as though he was never there.

Sylvia took a few seconds to regain her composure. She stared at the broken stall door and then at her reflection in the mirror.

"Just a second, David. I just need to wash my hands." She said, then washed her face until the smudged mascara was gone. With a final inspecting glance at herself, she turned off the faucet and dried her face with some paper towels. Gulping, she headed towards the door and opened it. She had no idea how she was going to handle the situation, but was willing to improvise when necessary.

"Are you okay?" David was worried sick, his blue eyes occasionally glancing behind her. "What the hell happened?" She turned behind her as well, feigning ignorance as to why he seemed so concerned. "Oh, the bathroom stall door broke down and fell, which gave me a fright."

"What?" He pushed her to the side gently so he could inspect the situation himself. The door did not seem like it had naturally reached its limit and fell down. Its hinges were shattered and there was a deep dent in its handle. Kneeling down, there were even some claw marks. To put it mildly, this door was at least forcefully busted open. He turned back to Sylvia with even more concern. The latter stood there awkwardly with a polite smile.

"Sylvia. What really happened? I heard a guy's voice here. Is he hiding in one of the stalls?" He asked, deeply alarmed.

"What? No! I just told you what happened. Thanks for worrying about me, but we gotta go back to work." Unconvinced, David proceeded to open each bathroom stall, but alas, there was no one there. He approached her until he was standing just inches away. Sylvia instinctively drew back. "You can tell me if you're in danger. Is there somebody threatening you? I can help you Sylvia." His voice was frustrated and sharp. Sylvia was silent. She had a reproachful expression on her face, and David immediately drew back in shame.

"Right. Yeah, I am sorry." He added, looking away apologetically. "I know it's not my place to ask you to depend on me, especially when I was the one to_"

"It's fine." Her answer was succinct and cold. "Let's go back to work; I'll pay for the door's damage." Sylvia walked away, leaving David with his head hung in guilt.

As stressful and overwhelming as it was, the working day was finally over; Sylvia was finally back home. Waiting for her by the door was a seemingly-worried demon named Mephistopheles.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" He said as soon as he laid his eyes on her. This earned him a smile from her; he liked her smiles.

"I am doing better." She removed her coat and hung it behind the door. Her day was ruined by a single harmless conversation, she thought to herself as she walked to the sofa. She basically threw herself atop it, and closed her eyes briefly. But then he came and saved her. She stared at him fondly; this was not a bad deal at all. It had been a long time since she had someone be there for her so unconditionally. Mephistopheles walked towards her, then kneeling, rested his head on her lap as if to further comfort her. Well, it wasn't unconditional per se, since he was doing it to devour her soul later on. But still, Sylvia was feeling calm and relaxed. Still, she really appreciated his presence. She looked at him, with his hair gracefully resting on her thighs and his sculpture-like features all tranquil and peaceful.

"Thank you, Mephi, truly." She said warmly, and caressed his head.