Closing Time

11.

As he held my stare, I felt the pressure around my chest crack like the vice around it had been broken. Air flooded into my starved lungs, my fingers relaxed on the stool as the cold was dispersed by a gentle heat surrounding me. The lights returned to their original brightness. Warmth infused my body from within. I exhaled softly as I felt colour rise in my cheeks. What was this?

Mike glanced at Lou and broke eye contact with me. "I shall not fall for your taunts, demon. My priority here is the human. I have to make sure that no harm befalls her."

"I'm sure she won't get hurt because of some missing oxygen." Colour rose up his body, veins retracting into his eyes as the black drew back into the iris. Lou turned to face straight as well. "Look, she's fine."

I felt my senses slowly crawl back into me. I moved my head to glance between the two. "What... happened?"

"Nothing that matters to you." Mike replied immediately.

I heard his fingers tap the wood again. A drink. He wanted a drink.

I slid off my stool, and headed to where the gin was. I might not fully understand what had happened, but I did understand that Mike had helped me. He'd released whatever power Lou had over me. That heat was familiar. It was similar to what I'd felt after he'd vanished in my apartment, and to some extent what he'd made me feel while he tried to get me into bed.

"Thanks, I guess." I mumbled under my breath as I slid the tumbler into his waiting hand. The angel didn't reply. He nodded quietly as he raised it to take a sip. "It's... on the house." I added as I sat back down.

Lou raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's all it takes for a free drink?"

"Shut up." I hissed, slightly embarrassed. "You've done nothing but harass me ever since you came here."

"Oh, come on. " He groaned loudly. "Get over it already. I'm here to stay."

I leaned forward, my chin in my hand as I gave him a dry look. "And I'm supposed to be happy about that... why?"

"You aren't really convincing me a lot about your tip tonight."

"Keep it. I'll live." I rolled my eyes, and paused slightly as I realised Mike was staring off into the distance. "By the way... what's going on between you two?"

"Nothing." Mike replied curtly.

I clicked my tongue. "No. I mean between demons and angels. Aren't you guys supposed to always be at war?"

"Who told you that?" His blue eyes slid to the side.

"It's common knowledge... in a mythical kind of way."

"There's a truce." Lou replied for Mike. "And that's all you need to know about that?"

"Oh... has any side ever won?"

"Ours." The two chorussed.

I raised an eyebrow at that. There was a short moment of silence followed by a drop in temperature on the left where Lou was sitting, and a sharp increase on the side Mike was on. I didn't know whether to shiver or strip. It seems like a touchy topic.

"I'd advise you to avoid this topic, human." Mike spoke into his glass. "These are delicate times. You're lucky this bar is empty right now."

I know that. I haven't seen the bar this empty in a while. Makes me feel almost lonely.

The mood had dropped again. The tenseness between the two had returned. Seems like it's up to me to break it.

I pouted, shifting my arm to face Mike. "Hey! You just called me by my name. Why are you calling me 'human' again?"