Page 51 of My Demon Neighbor
Nineteen
Pythor
It'd been a weeksince our 'sky date,' as Codie had taken to calling it, and it seemed to have unlocked something in my mate. He was lighter and even more determined to get his life back. He'd insisted on spending at least an hour training with me every day, and he was pushing himself more and more, and while I supported his progress wholeheartedly, I was determined to make sure he didn't push himselftoohard.
Case in point, we were at the community center. We'd teleported here, but it was still a big step for Codie, and I was so damned proud of him.
The center ran out of an old six-bedroom house that'd been refurbished for the purpose, with different classes and activities hosted in what used to be the bedrooms, while the living room was used as a communal space.
I'd brought us straight to my class—after making sure it was empty—and just in time, since the kids had started trickling in minutes later, and now the most curious of the lot surrounded us.
"Are you really Pythor's boyfriend?" Peter asked Codie, and my mate grinned.
"I am."
"But you're so pretty!" Katie said, and I raised a brow at her. These kids were being far too friendly with my mate and me, but I didn't have the heart to send them away when they were making Codie smile with their antics.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," she replied quickly, an impish grin on her face that had me narrowing my eyes at her. She was in so much trouble.
"Have you seen how strong he is?" Codie said, jokingly giving my biceps a squeeze. When there was barely any give, he shot me a wide-eyed look, making me chuckle.
"I suppose that's true. He's like theKung Fu Panda," she said sagely, which made Codie laugh. I had no idea what thisKung Fu Pandawas, but I'd seen videos of the animals called pandas, and I did not like being compared to those clumsy creatures, even if they were a little cute.
"All right, enough messing around. Time to start the class. Places, everyone," I called, and the kids hurried around to claim their spots as Codie moved back to give me space. He'd insisted he'd prefer to watch than participate, and I didn't want to push him.
With younger kids like this, my focus was always on teaching them how to escape. No kid their age could fight off an adult, so they needed to be fit, and quick enough to find a way to escape and find someone who could help.
As the class progressed, I was aware of Codie watching, and my attention was split between him and the kids. Luckily, I was a demon and I could do that without compromising the kids' lesson.
Once class ended, the kids slowly drifted out, though Peter and Katie came over to us.
While Peter asked Codie something about art, Katie sidled up to me and waved me closer.
I kneeled down so she could whisper in my ear, curious what she had to say.
"You're really lucky to have a pretty boyfriend like that who loves you so much. Don't mess up."
Those were sage words coming from a seven-year-old, and I probably shouldn't take them seriously. And yet I found myself asking, my voice just as soft, "You think he loves me?"
She made a "Psh," sound, then rolled her eyes at me. "Of course he does! He watched youthe whole time."
Far too pleased with this, I gave her a grin, then made a solemn promise. "I won't mess up."
"Good."
Seeing Peter was done talking, she grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the room as Codie raised a brow at me.
"What were you two whispering about?"
"Oh, she was just telling me you were too good for me and I better not mess up," I said, which wasn't a lie.
Codie laughed, and I stepped closer to him, smiling down at him. "So? Did you enjoy spending time here?"
"I did. I know there's a lot more out there," he said, waving toward the door, "but I don't think I want to brave the adults today."
"That's okay. We can head home if you like. I don't have another class today."
