"Hello and welcome to LJ's diner. Today's special is chicken teriyaki noodles. Would you like a menu, or have you been here before?" The small child looked up into my eyes and whispered: "Do you sell peanut butter and jelly milkshakes?" We do sell them, well...almost. It's a rumour, if you need something doing, someone to protect you, or if you want revenge or something similar, come to LJ's and ask for a peanut butter and jelly milkshake. The whole diner is run by around 15 demons, but some are actually on contracts at the minute, because, although the diner's front is an actual diner that really does sell food, the whole purpose of it is for humans and demons to meet and create contracts with each other.
*Flashback*
"Cyr, I have an idea. It may not work, but we could go to the human world, set up a business doing something a normal human business would do, but that's just a cover-up for the business' true purpose, being a place where humans and demons can meet. What do you think?" He waited a while, smiled and looked into my almost hungry eyes.
"Would all the staff be demons?" I nodded, knowing we would have to find plenty of staff before opening because some would hopefully on contracts while some of us worked. "Although we might have to get human chefs so that the food is made right." He nodded, writing notes.
*End of Flashback*
I led the boy across the diner and waited until I knew no one was watching we slipped through the disguised door into the demon section of the diner, where my husband and four other demons were waiting. It was the boy’s job to now explain what it was that he wanted and then to choose which demon he wanted. That demon would then go with him and do anything he needed until the contract was over.
According to Will, this diner has seen the increase of contracts over the last few months, which has meant more paperwork for him. When I asked him if it would, he told me to do it anyway because it would be beneficial for the demon community. As much as Will doesn't like demons that much, humans who come willingly to the diner, looking for a contract are better than random demons contracting with humans for the sake of their soul. For the sake of simply finding them for food. At least at the diner, we are finding humans and giving them a service, a place where they can come and admit that they want a demon's help.
"My mother died when I was born. And my father died of an illness when I was young. I've had to survive on my own, except a few years in an orphanage. But they didn't care, and left me to care for myself when I was 5." I could feel his soul without even needing to touch him; his heart had been lonely ever since then.
"Jess, you should help him." Cyr encouraged and the other demons nodded in approval. I didn't know what to say. "But what about the diner? And you? I don't know how long it would be." Before Cyr could get a chance to reply, the boy spoke.
"You could both come. I don't mind if there's two demons, although I only have one soul..." He looked almost disappointed at this realisation.
"We'll work something out." Cyr smiled at me. "I assume you don't mind me coming?" I glanced towards him. "When could I ever mind you coming?"
Even though it was my initial contract, Cyr (having the most experience) became a butler of sorts; he would cook and prepare things, treating us all to wonderful meals and things to do. My part of the contract was mainly just to be a friend to the child, someone to be there for him and protect him, if necessary. Despite him being a human, I began to care for him more than ever, being worried if he became a slight bit injured.
Eventually, we enrolled him into a school and used our demon forms to keep an eye on him, with Cyr mainly staying at home and preparing something to eat when we arrived home and I would stay at the school, hiding in my demon form. I didn't have to do much protecting during school hours, but I was worried that a demon thief might come along and steal his soul, as it, strictly speaking, belonged to me and Cyr. It never happened, fortunately, and I found myself bored in the class, hiding and sneaking in a practice of my demon power, much to the surprise of the human teacher, who found herself covered in water four days in a row, (it was her fault for getting wet the first day, I just recreate it the other three) much to the amusement of the students.
"I know that was you, Jess. Not that it wasn't funny, but your kinda making yourself obvious, aren't you?" He was right; I was overdoing it a bit.
"Maybe I could try recreating it on to a certain student?" I grinned at him and he returned it. "I'm serious, though, if you're getting bored of watching me, why don't you send your husband to watch me?"
"Don't you think a raven is a little more obvious than a black bird?" He looked up at me.
"Black bird? Is that yours?" He shouldn't really know, but in the future he may be more than just my master, but I'd need to speak to Cyr first. "Yeah...but I'm not really allowed to show you, as your only human...no offense."
I waited until my master had gone to bed before I went to Cyr with my question. "Hey, Cyr, what if I don't want to kill him? What if I wanted to protect him for the rest of his life?" He glanced up, almost surprised, but he'd seen this coming.
"You too?" He questioned. "I could see the way you looked at him and wondered it myself. Will says it would cause a lot of paperwork, but no more than a contract normally does, in fact, less."
"But could we, erm, adopt him?" He pondered for a minute.
"Best run it past Effie; she is the head of the council, after all."
Effie seemed excited. "So, he'd be like my brother?" She asked, beaming a smile.
"Only if he accepts it. I can't force it on him, but I can't bear to kill him either. I know we have a contract and I'm meant to take his soul when the contract has been fulfilled but I don't want to anymore." Effie scrolled through some documents on her computer.
"There are some cases of this happening before. The demons begin to care and the human and the demon mutually end the contract until the human's lifespan ends, at which the demon is entitled to the soul, in the eyes of the demon council, anyway." She paused. "So I guess there's nothing my end that could be against it. So, as your daughter, when can I meet him?!" I smiled at her.
"When he comes home - only if he says yes."
*
He stared at me, unbelieving the question I just asked him. "You don't have to, I mean I'm not going to force you but -"
"I want to." He said simply. "I want to live with you, and you'd be like my adoptive parents." Tears of joy flooded down his face as he jumped into my arms that reached out for him. "I'm so glad" I whispered into his ear. "I could never ever hurt you."
*
Two months later, I started working at the diner again. On his way home from school, my Master, who is now referred to as Christofer, would come by and simply ask: "I'll have a peanut butter and jelly milkshake, please."
