It was one of those rare nights, one where even I couldn't stand to hurt her. I had seen her broken, I had seen her battered, and I had seen her bruised. But this was the worst she had ever been. By the time I'd made my way into her mind, into that closet, she was already bleeding. It wasn't a new sight, Gracie bleeding on herself with a dull look in her dark brown eyes, but it wasn't welcome. Even someone considered a monster could have a heart.

"Just couldn't help yourself, could you?" She looked up at me, lifting her head in a choppy motion, and just stared. I frowned and dropped onto the floor, crossing my legs beneath me. Still, all that moved was her head. She was out of it.

"Okay, doll. Even I can't handle it when you're like this." She pulled into herself, taking her eyes away from me. My frown deepened and I pulled her closer by her legs. Even when I fixed her arms up, she didn't make a noise.

When she wouldn't respond to anything, I pulled her into my lap. I couldn't remember why humans found this sort of thing comforting but I did remember that they liked it. It seemed to be what she needed. She broke down and pushed her face into my chest, starting to cry. I patted her head gently, waiting for her to stop.

Just this once, I'll be something she needs again. "Talk to me, Grace."

"Please, don't talk. I don't wanna talk. Let me stay like this. Please. Just this once." I ran a hand over her head, giving agreement to the silent act. I could remember when this used to happen a lot more. When I could be close to her without her freaking out.

Thinking of those times was strange. I hadn't thought about them in so long. I thought I'd forgotten. It's strange how things like that pop up when you least expect them. Suddenly, I felt her weight shift and my jacket pull. I looked down to her, watching as she relaxed. Was she always this small?

"Thank you… I think… I'm okay for now." Her eyes were still closed but she looked at least a little better. I thought about asking what had happened but that was out of character, and we both knew that. Instead, I patted her head and stayed quiet, like she had asked. There was no need to make her go back into her crying fit, or worse.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "That this happened. That you dealt with it. I doubt this is what you want to deal with."

"Just be quiet, doll. Don't make me regret this." She cracked a small smile and turned her head again.

"Sometimes, you're really not such an isosceles monster." I ruffled her hair and shook my head.

We stayed that way, just until she woke up, and I watched as her eyes cracked open and she rolled onto her side, facing who I used to be. She gave him a smile I remember I loved at one point. He smiled back and reached around her, squeezing lightly. The gesture was so sweet, so simple, I could have choked on it, but he just cuddled up to her. If I didn't know better, I would feel jealous. But being nice was over now and it was back to the same old. What they did now didn't matter only that she would be mine again, eventually, and they didn't know it yet.

I am, after all, her demon.