Feather Fall

Changes

Lucy detangled herself from Sebastian with a heavy sigh as she grabbed a robe and ran for the door. She couldn't imagine who the hell would be banging on it. Least it wasn't a dragonslayer, she knew they would easily be able to pick up on the scents and noises of her and Sebastian's activities.

She opened the door, not caring how disheveled she looked, knowing she had feathers all over and her hair had to be a mess. As she opened the door, there was a flash and a giggling sound. Lucy blinked her eyes to clear the stars from her vision before she noticed a young mousy girl.

"Lucy Heartfilia sleeping with the demon that killed Minerva! My readers will flip," she said before turning to run.

A blur ran by her and she saw Sebastian grab the would-be reporter. He was back in his more human form but quite naked and she blushed. The demon let out a soft growl as he pinned the girl to the wall and took her camera.

"I detest rude and have no love for people taking pictures they have no business taking. I had a stalker once, annoying little thing." He said as he grabbed the camera and crushed it.

"Freedom of the press! You owe me a new camera!" she shouted before she started to chant the word help. Sebastian put a hand over her mouth as his eyes glowed red, his darkness seeping out of him. Lucy walked the few steps to him and put a hand on his out stretched arm.

"Sebastian, please," she pleaded, not wanting the demon to kill again.

He gave a dark chuckle, "I won't kill her, but she will not be publishing a word of this."

"You can't stop me," she said her voice shaky.

Sebastian arched a brow, "oh, can't I? You're playing with a demon, child. Do you know what I can do to you?" His voice was low and threatening, enough to make Lucy take a step back.

The girl turned her head, her eyes silently pleading with Lucy. Lucy didn't want the girl hurt, but she didn't need this shit out there in the world. She should have asked who it was at the door before opening it, but hindsight is only twenty-twenty. "Just promise to not say a word about any of this and I'm sure Sebastian will let you go. You may have freedom of the press, but I have a right to privacy, what you did was wrong. You trespassed and took a picture without consent."

"B-but..." she sputtered.

Lucy pinched her forehead, "gossip journalism also isn't real journalism. You don't want to sell yourself short for an article that will be read for a few minutes and then forgotten. Go do something memorable with your life."

The girl closed her eyes as Sebastian traded glances with Lucy. She could feel his pride in her words, a warm comfort wrapped around her senses, it brought her back to his side as she reached out again to touch his arm. The demon smiled at her before returning a hard glare at the girl pinned to the wall.

"Do we have a deal then? You forget all of this, speak of it to no one and I'll let you go to move on to better things and real stories then?" he asked.

"Ummm... okay, I just want to live," she said, and Lucy could see the defeat in her eyes.

There was shimmer in the air as power flowed between her and Sebastian. Lucy didn't quite understand it, it was so much darker than anything she was used to, but it strangely reminded her of the kind of pulse that happens when she makes a new contract. He smiled before dropping the girl and took Lucy back into the apartment. Sebastian set her down and she locked the door before tilting her head to the side.

"She made a contract, right now the contract is removing her memories of the last few minutes and giving her a gag order. She'll have a new drive to pursue real stories," he shrugged, and Lucy blinked.