I grabbed his arm and yanked him inside, slamming the door behind him and re-engaging every lock before turning to face him.
"You scared the shit out of me," I accused, torn between hugging him and smacking him. "Why didn't you text first?"
"I tracked your location," Ziggy announced, striding into my apartment like he owned the place. He tossed his messenger bag onto my couch and spun to face me, hands on his hips. "You disappeared with a giant demon stranger last night, and I gave you until noon before I activated the 'find my dumbass friend' protocol. I was waiting to see if you were dead, kidnapped, or properly dicked down." He paused, eyeing me up and down. A slow grin spread across his face. "I'm going with option three."
I smacked his arm, but couldn't suppress the laugh that bubbled up, breaking the tension that had gripped me moments before. "You could have texted!"
"And miss this walk of shame ensemble?" He circled me, tugging at the oversized shirt sleeve. "Girl, is this his? It's big enough to be a tent. How tall is this guy anyway?"
"Like 6'8"," I admitted, feeling my cheeks warm. "And yes, it's his. He... sort of destroyed my dress."
Ziggy stopped mid-circle, his eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. "Destroyed? Like, tore it off you in a fit of passion?"
"Pretty much exactly like that."
His squeal of delight was so high-pitched I winced. He grabbed my hands, pulling me toward the couch. "Tell me everything. Right now. Do not leave out a single, solitary detail, or I swear to god I will never forgive you."
"Well," I began, settling onto the couch beside him, "first of all, he's a demon."
Ziggy clutched an imaginary pearl necklace. "Stop. A literal demon daddy? The universe has finally decided to reward you for all those years with Captain Controlling."
I nodded, tucking my legs underneath me. "It gets better. He took me back to his place and proceeded to absolutely ruin me for all other men. Multiple times."
Ziggy fanned himself dramatically. "I'm listening."
I gave him the highlights, relaxing against the couch cushions feeling giddy about sharing the joy I'd felt the past 24 hours.
"He wants me to stay with him," I concluded. "Like, pack a bag and just... be there. With him."
Ziggy studied my face carefully. "And how do we feel about that?"
It was a fair question. One I'd been asking myself since Magnur made the suggestion.
"It feels different," I said slowly, trying to articulate something I didn't fully understand myself. "He's not telling me Ihaveto stay with him. He's not saying my place isn't good enough or trying to isolate me. He just... wants me there. And I want to be there."
A small smile played at Ziggy's lips. "Alright, enough mushy shit. Let's get you packed for your demon honeymoon!" He bounced up from the couch and headed toward my bedroom, where the half-packed bag still lay open on my bed.
"It's not a honeymoon," I protested, following him. "It's just staying over for a while."
"Sure, Jay," he replied, already rummaging through my dresser drawers. He held up a lacy bra, examining it before tossing it into the bag. "This one, because titties."
I rolled my eyes but didn't stop him. This was Ziggy in his element, taking charge was his love language.
"These skirts," he continued, pulling out three of my shorter ones, "for easy access."
"Ziggy!" I laughed, snatching one back. "I need actual clothes too. I have to work, remember?"
"Fine," he conceded, adding some of my more professional tops to the pile. "But the demon gets what the demon wants, and I'm pretty sure he wants access to all..." He gestured at my body, "this."
I couldn't argue with that. Magnur had been pretty clear about his appreciation for my curves.
Ziggy continued his commentary as he packed, moving from clothes to toiletries with the efficiency of someone who traveled frequently. "Chargers," he insisted, grabbing both my phone and laptop cables, "because you are not having a dead phone in a demon's bed. How else will I get the 411 on you getting put through the mattress?"
I laughed, sitting at my small desk to check work emails while he finished. I had a client meeting in less than an hour, and as much as I wanted to bask in the afterglow of my night with Magnur, I still had responsibilities.
"Don't forget your pink vibrator," Ziggy called from the bathroom where he was gathering my skincare products.
"I'm pretty sure I won't need it," I called back, scanning an email from my biggest client.
