"Vacation?" I questioned the demon laying beside me with suspicion. It's already been about a day since I got back and my hand still hurts from socking Bill in the jaw.

"Yea," He answered. "I was thinking of someplace nice and sunny. Possibly the coastline in Greece." He combed his clawed fingers through my hair that was pulled back in a hair tie. "I figure Mermaid would like to swim somewhere for once."

I gave him an odd look. He wants to bring my family? I learned that it's no use trying to understand his train of thought but I still want to question him. I settled my chin on his shoulder. "I'm sure she'd love that. Everyone has been look fairly pale lately too." I commented.

He didn't respond this time, only continued to comb his fingers through my hair. It felt nice like the past several times that go unacknowledged by us both. He confused me, he knew, but it was my normal now. I'm not running for my life and Marmibelle's from a pack of hellhounds, I'm not forcing my head high in a town that hated my family, I'm not hiding from the monster of a lifetime, not anymore. It was quiet here, peaceful even, humans aren't openly being sold between demons, there are rules to protect, even if most of them are to own. I'm surprised to find myself thinking this but in the Fearamid is safe, despite it's internal hells.

"So, Greece?" I questioned the demon. His eyes were closed peacefully but I knew he was listening. "What's attractive in Greece to suggest a vacation?"

Bill half opened an eye lazily. "Just some old memories of the place. Charming views too." He answered in a wistful drawl.

"Memories?" I asked with perked interest. "Of what exactly?"

He hummed thoughtfully. "Well traveling from city-state to city-state telling stories was fun, telling my tales of travel in hospitality was always the best." His claws strayed from my hair and began gently scraping lines into my back. "A particularly charming and attentive young scholar from Athens was amusing. Suspicious of every detail in my stories." He chuckled softly.

Somehow I felt discontented with the character of his memory. And I knew he was chuckling because of that.

"He wasn't a god believer like his uncle. Never went to the temple even to just marvel at their architecture." Bill continued, his half open eye staring at me tauntingly. This bastard.
"But otherwise the whole country's being was appealing," he sighed. "The weather was constantly mild, the ocean was fairly tame, and the villas with cliff side views were glorious."

I exhaled through my nose heavily, trying not to seem still peeved by the long dead scholar. "Sounds great, Bill." I said finally. "Are we leaving the normal way or are you going transport the lot of us there yourself?"

Bill only hummed again, his claws still scraping shapes on my skin while his other hand laid across his stomach. I sighed and turned my head so my ear was pressed to his chest. I've tried to listen before but I never heard anything beneath the appearance of muscle and flesh, now I heard a ticking like the thin second hand in a clock, counting away to minutes that passed away into hours soon becoming days. It was strange, I didn't hear anything before so why now all of a sudden. At the corner of my eye, I saw the hourglass tattoo on his throat. It was fuller than the last time I saw it, was it not just a tattoo like the rest of them? Or was it a timer for something?

"Transport would be easier," Bill commented finally, disturbing my train of thought. "Faster too. So I guess that would be the best way to go."

I, then, sat up on the bed, getting a curious look. "I better clean up then before we leave." I answered the look, crawling over his form to get off the bed. He hooked his lazy arm around my waist and I found myself hoisted back upward and against the demon's chest again.

"Splendid idea, Pinetree." he purred into my ear. He carried me to the bathing room through the only door that didn't lead to the hall.

The water was at a comfortable temp in the pool-like tub when Bill sat down, leaving me in his lap. He cupped the water in his palm and dragged it up my arm letting drops on the warm liquid to drip down my arm and causing me to shiver from a sudden chill.

Bill nuzzled his face into the crook of my neck when his palm was empty. I shivered more at each exhaled breath on my skin.

"B-Bill," I stammered out. "I said clean up not round three." My words and my head weren't agreeing with my physical reactions as I was leaning into him. I jumped when I felt a nip on one of the many sensitive bruises that decorated my shoulders.

"Will you sing for me, my Pinetree?" He asked suddenly.

I looked at him curiously. "Sing?" I asked. "Sing what?"

He shrugged. "Whatever you can think of."

I looked into the water like it would have the answer as I thought. I don't sing often anymore with the lack of seeing Marmibelle in a concerning state, it isn't necessary. I only sang for Bill once and that wasn't a song I was familiar with.

"So you're feeling tied to a sense of control

And making decisions you think are your own"

I glanced up at the demon, who in turn just raised a brow.

"You are a stranger here, why have you come?

Why have you come, lift me higher, let me look at the sun

Look at the sun and once I hear clearly say

Who, who are you really?

And where, where are you going?

I've got nothing left to prove

Cause I got nothing left to lose

See me bare my teeth for you

Who, who are you really?"

From the questioning expression, he relaxed into his usual confident grin.

"Now you're moving on and say you're alone

Suspicious that this string is moving your bones

We are the fire, we see how they run

See how they run, lift me higher, left me look at the sun

Look at the sun and once I clearly hear them say

Who, who are you really?

And where, where are you going?

I've got nothing left to prove

Cause I got nothing left to lose

See me bare my teeth

Who, who are you really?

And where, where are you going?

I've got nothing left to prove

Cause I've got nothing left to lose

See me bare my teeth for you

Who, who are you?

I felt Bill's hand go through my hair gently. "Interesting." He commented with a chuckle. "You'll bare your teeth for me?" He stroked my jaw with his knuckle.

"And at you." I answered without thinking. I eyed the hourglass on his throat before looking him in the eye. He stared back impressed with my response then he chuckled.

"I look forward to your attack then." He said engulfing me in his arms.

I didn't resist him, I cuddled into his embrace. Promising to myself and to him if anyone were to end his life, it would be me. I swear it.