Toru was quiet as he ate, glancing at Logan and around the room on occasion. He finished off his own pancakes as Logan addressed him, sitting back.
"Yes." Toru looked around the room as well, then back to the mortal beside him. "It wasn't… pretty." The demon crossed his legs, looking around with a small sigh.
"I'd much rather that didn't happen to you."
"yeah…me too." Logan agreed, eyes growing distant as he wonder what had happened the individual. He took a deep breath and silently stood, taking the empty plates to the sink to be cleaned later. He downed his entire cup of coffee. And stared at the wall for a few moments. "Have you ever tried to take another contract? Like the demon's trying now, do you do the same when there's a contract that's too good to resist?"
Toru followed close as Logan put the plates down, leaning against the counter with ankles crossed.
"No. That's beneath me. I have murdered contracts of opposing demons, but I've never tried to steal them. It's something only the desperate would ever do." Toru nudged the cabinet door closed again, holding his foot to it for a few seconds before lowering it again.
Logan's brows furrowed and he turned to completely face Toru. "So taking other contracts us below you but murdering them is perfectly fine?" He took an intentional step back, making sure he wasn't near any doors. "I guess that's expected from a demon, having no morality and such." He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.
"It seems you don't understand what all taking a contract means," Toru said, staying calm. He took a step himself, making up for the distance Logan had put between them and then some. He took Logan's wrists in his hands, preventing Logan from being able to pull away again.
"Compared to what happens, death is a blessing."
"I barely understand what's going on now! You really expect me to understand demons and contracts and God knows what else?"
Logan whimpered softly as Toru took a step forwards and grabbed his wrists. "Are you saying that as someone who has experienced what happens to taken contracts or as someone Who has done whatever is worse than death to other contracts?" He whispered, trying to pet his hands from Toru's hold
Toru kept a firm hold on Logan's wrists, and if he held any tighter he could possibly end up breaking them.
"I'm saying it as someone who had to watch it happen to one of their own contracts," the demon said, voice soft. "I've seen how a demon trying to change the owner of the contract can tear them to pieces."
Logan stopped resisting, if only to prevent Toru's hold from tightening more. He slowly steadied his breathing and watched Toru carefully as he spoke, looking for any sign that the other was lying. "Why?" He whispered softly "why does this happen? Why let it happen? Why not stop it? Surely it can't be beneficial for demons to kill contracts even if it's not their own."
"It happens, because sometimes they don't get torn apart. Being able to take a contract from someone else is a big power boost…" Toru trailed off, moving to wrap his arms protectively around Logan instead of just holding onto his wrists.
"And by the time someone is able to find the contract that was taken, it's too late. And with the killing… it's to keep others from getting powerful. To make sure your enemies can't destroy you."
"so you're telling me that a demon and their contract can become so attached to each other that it prompts other demons to try and tea them apart?" Lo shook his head, not being able to believe that anyone in their right mind would willingly want to be with a demon. Then again he did make a contract with one. He wasn't too far off. Logan stiffened slightly when Toru wrapped his arms around him, forcing himself not to lean into the comfort.
"Seems to me like a lot more violence then just contracting. Never knew the contracted were a liability. Great." He muttered, looking up at Toru momentarily before nudging Toru back, freeing himself from the hug.
"You're not taking me literally enough again," Toru said softly. "I'm not saying they'll be torn up emotionally- I mean literally, torn up, limb from limb, from the strain of the contract's power." Toru let Logan pull away from the hug, but he did keep close still.
"And it is dangerous, for this first 24 hours. You'll be okay, though. I'm going to protect you."
Logan shook his head and slowly sat down. "If I had known all this happened before, I would have never made the contract." He whispered, knowing it was selfish, after all he was doing this for Suni, but he had no idea at what cost. "So what happens after the 24 hours? Do you just leave or something? Or do you automatically become a roommate I can't get rid of?" He asked rather sharply
"I could leave, if I wanted to," Toru said in turn. It was a pointed remark as he moved to sit with Logan, right by the man.
"And what would your friend think, hearing you'd take back getting rid of their cancer so you don't have to spend some time with a demon?" Toru looked down at Logan, towering over him some even though he was sitting as well. The intimidation of a demon ran cold, after all.
"you do not get to use my friends against me. You know nothing about them or me." He stood to put some distance between them but knew he wouldn't be able to get far, not if he didn't want to meet an untimely death. "They'd think I was crazy if they heard I made a deal with a demon but they'd understand…eventually." he tried to reason, hugging himself. "But that can't happen, can it? Not after I bound myself to you." Logan glared down at his hand.
"Why not? I'm a demon, remember?" Toru stood up as well, taking Logan's shoulders in his hands. "Aren't you the one who said we have no morals?" Toru looked down at the mark on Logan's hand as well, moving his hand to run his thumb over it.
"And no one is going to be able to know about this, unless you want to put them in danger from other demons too."
"yeah I did, I just never really expected that to be entirely true." Logan moved out of his hold again, drawing his hand back when Toru took it. "They don't deserve to know demon's exist, that you exist." He whispered, slowly walking over to the livingroom and curling up on o e side of the couch
Toru followed Logan to the couch, sitting down at his side.
"Well, what if I decide to never leave your side, hm? I can do that, you know. They'd have to learn about me then." Toru took Logan's chin in his hand, turning it so the human had to look at him.
Logan looked up at Toru, hand immediately going to the demon's wrist out of instinct, a moment of fear flashing him his eyes. "You're no better than some humans, Hell I'd say your worse." He shoved Toru back and clamored over the arm of the couch. If he could just get to the door, he'd make I outside, neither Toru nor a demon would find him in a crowd
"Wait-!!" Fear flashed through Toru's eyes as Logan took off for the door, leaping off the couch to give chase. He tackled Logan to the ground just as the front door opened, revealing the waiting mass of talons and darkness.
"Fuck off!" Toru shouted. He had Logan held protectively under him as they laid on the floor, blocking any demons from being able to get at the human. Some were bold, though, slashing out. Toru tried to hold back a sound as talons slashed into his back, more focused on keeping Logan safe then himself.
Logan let out a yell as he was tackled to the ground and peeked up, maybe he could still make it to the door…his eyes widened, unable to believe what he saw. It was like something out of a horror movie, was and arms and teeth all reaching g towards him, ready to tear him apart. He squeezed his eyes shut and curled in onhimself as one of them dared to reach for him. He could feel Toru shudder above him as the other demons tore into his back trying to reach him. "I'm sorry," he whispered, peeking up enough to look around the rest of the room. If he could make it to the side wall, he could…he didn't know what he'd do, but he needed way to lure the demons away
Toru's hand shot out to the one that was reaching for Logan, the undeniable sound of bones cracking under his clenched fist reverbing. This dulled the fire in the other demons that were going at his back, and soon enough all had retreated and the door closed once more. Toru closed his eyes, resting his head on the floor a moment and holding back a sound of pain. He moved to sit up, holding Logan close to his chest.
"Are… are you okay?"
Logan scrambled out of Toru's hold, immediately locking the door. He wasn't entirely sure how effective that would be but it reassured him on some level. After making g sure everything was locked and secure, he went to the bathroom and found a first aid kit. He knelt behind Toru and gingerly peeled back the scraps of fabric, a whimper escaping as well as some tears as he saw the Carnage of skin. "I'm so sorry," he managed out, swallowing down a strangled noise. "This might hurt."
Toru kept a close eye on Logan as he got up and about, ready to leap into action in case any others tried to get at the human. The demon let out a soft breath, wincing some as he moved. So, he might not be completely ready.
"It's fine," Toru said softly, looking back at Logan. "Thank you, for helping me clean this up."
"it's not fine Toru! Fine would be a paper it, a bee sting, a limp, this…this is something that needs medical attention." He stammered, trying to keep his hands steady as cleaned Toru's wounds. He took a breath and stood, "stay still for a moment while I find some bandage wraps." He instructed, walking back towards the bathroom to clean the towel he had used.
He eventually came back with more supplies as well as a clean shirt. "Can you lift your arms over your head?"
"Be careful," Toru called after Logan as he left. "There still might be some bold enough to get at you, especially since I'm wounded." Toru watched Logan go with concern, standing up.
"And Logan, please, I'm a demon. I'm more sturdy than a human." To make his point, he took his ruined shirt off on his own. His wounds were deep, but they didn't seem to affect Toru as much as they would a human.