Hopefully.
Az gave a sigh of relief as the bell rang and the children shuffled out, but as Gabe stood at the door, he realized it just meant another class was coming in. He had newfound respect for high school teachers everywhere.
Gabe taught two more classes before the lunch bell rang, and Az was exhausted. He had gained strength from the lust he’d drawn out of the teens—a gift he rarely got to make use of, since it was much more fun to let people express their lust. However, it had taken far more than that to try to navigate their desires and passions and pull gently on the threads that would lead to their paying attention and focusing.
The last student finally left the classroom five minutes after the bell rang; he had been in a passionate conversation about a book Gabe had apparently recommended. Gabe came over and flopped into his seat after the door shut behind the boy.
“Well, I’m glad he liked the book. Sometimes when I do a book talk, especially about a book with lgbtq+ characters, I just wait for the parent phone call or for administration to call me in. But there are kids who need those books, ya know? It’s awful to be confused about who you are as a teenager. If I recommend something that resonates with just one kid and makes them think, ‘Hey, that’s me,’ then I’ve done a good thing. And if there are kids who are closed minded and that isn’t them, well, they don’t need to read it. I can still recommend it,” Gabe groused.
This was apparently a passion of Gabe’s. That fiery excitement zinged a chord in Az’s mind, and he felt himself getting turned on just looking at Gabe. It was hard not to like and want someone who felt such desire, even if it was a desire to reach teens and make their lives better. Az tried very hard not to think of walking over and kissing Gabe, of hooking Gabe’s leg up around his waist and grinding together their…
“Ok then!” Az boomed, cutting off his own train of thought.
Gabe looked at him a little oddly, but he got up and asked, “Cafeteria ok? I hate leaving the building for lunch. We have an open campus, so every place in town is usually packed with students. I usually bring lunch, but, well, I just didn’t think of it.”
“I can conjure us up something if you’d like,” Az replied. It was simple, really, although Gabe’s look of relief made Az feel quite proud of himself.
“God, yes, that would be wonderful. I forgot about that trick. Not all demons seem to be able to do it. And the cafeteria… well, a lot of the food is sent by the state. I think the french fries and cookies may be the only safe things to eat.”
At that point, they were interrupted by a loud speaker announcement.
“This is Principal Zemeki,” said a bored, monotonous voice. “I would like to remind everyone that doordash and other delivery services arenotpermitted in the building. If you order food delivered to your classroom before lunch, youwillface disciplinary consequences.”
Gabe snorted, rolling his eyes. “Most kids know to tell the delivery person to meet them outside,” he chuckled. “Looks like someone messed up their order.”
The loudspeaker voice continued, “I would also like to remind everyone that there are tables in the courtyard, the history wing, the cafeteria, and the gym. There should be NO consuming of food on the floors in the bathrooms.” Principal Zemeki paused, then obviously her disgust and ire got the best of her, because she announced, “Really, people? The bathroom floor? That’s just gross. Don’t eat in the bathrooms!” Then there was a squawk and the loudspeaker was off.
Az raised his eyebrow at Gabe, who looked faintly amused.
“Don’t ask,” Gabe said. “They’re teenagers. Decision making is not their finest skill. Now conjure us up some sandwiches or something and I’ll fill you in on my afternoon classes.”
Az did just that, enjoying Gabe’s enthusiastic approval of his lunch. He was having a hard time not staring at Gabe’s mouth, but then he’d be off talking about a student or a project he had coming up for the kids, and Az was enraptured by his enthusiasm.
The afternoon passed much like the morning, and when the last student left for the day, Az realized that he would most definitely not be taking over as health teacher. He figured he’d wait on telling Gabe that, because it would be fun to shadow him for the next week either way. They’d decide what could be done after that.
As they left the building and got into the car, Az heard Gabe’s phone ping a few times in quick succession. Gabe took out his phone, groaned, and handed it to Az. “You read it to me while I drive. I just want to get home, and I can’t sit here and muddle through their absurdity,” Gabe grumbled.
Az looked at the text thread Gabe had open and saw it must have come from his siblings, although the names were once again changed. Az vaguely wondered when Seraphina had even had time to hack into Gabe’s phone to switch the contacts. He dutifully read it aloud, however, new contact names included.
Boring, Bothersome Brother:What’s the update on the list demon.
Boring, Bothersome Brother:List demon
Boring, Bothersome Brother:I mean list demon
Boring, Bothersome Brother:LIST
Boring, Bothersome Brother:Dammit!
Boring, Bothersome Brother:L U S T
Sexy, Sage Sister:Hahaha you can’t even type lust. Your phone must know how dead your sex life is. SO BORING.
Boring, Bothersome Brother:Autocorrect! And I’m still mad at you! I am NOT boring! You are an irresponsible brat!
“Uh oh,” Gabe interrupted. “Looks like she really did pick a fight with him last night.” He just shook his head and continued to drive, so Az kept reading.
Sexy, Sage Sister:At least I have fun. And back to the matter at hand. Fill us in, middle brother. Did you sex up your lust demon and send him back to the underworld?
