Blaze's rest confinement had her ready to run up walls by the time Iruma came home on the second day. She had long since memorized her room so she was no longer startled when she woke.
Honestly it was pretty perfect. The large bed was covered in black sheets. They were soft and had a silky aspect to them. She had a large bookcase that sat beside a window with an overly large and thick ledge that had pillows adoring it so she could sit and read while overlooking the barren demonic forest. The walls were a soft green and a desk was situated so that she could do whatever work she needed. A large wardrobe dominated one of the room's corners. Still she had more room to put whatever she fancied as she stayed here.
She tried to occupy herself but the day dragged on for a long time until Iruma got home. He was so excited to see her each day and stayed by her side to tell her of his day in demon school.
Iruma darted into the bedroom tossing his bag onto her desk chair. "Mom, are you feeling better today?" He bounced on the side of the bed while sitting. The boy had taken the adoption of himself with more enthusiasm than anyone had expected. He used the word mom when referring to her constantly. The few times she had called him son the boy had broken into such a wide grin that one would think that he had just won the lottery.
"I've been feeling better. It's you guys who are making the big deal." Blaze scoffed but rubbed the boys head to show her words had no sting to them. "How has your days at school been?"
The boy blushed, happy to be asked about his day. "Well, a lot has happened. I made two friends." He hummed happily.
"Well," she fluffed a pillow and patted the place beside her. "Tell me everything."
Iruma situated himself snuggly beside her. Turning to lie on his side and look at her. "Well, on my first day, I was pretty scared. I was sure everyone was going to eat me. And the anthem for the school didn't make it much better."
"What's wrong with the anthem?" Blaze asked.
"Well, the whole thing is about eating humans." The boy chuckled softly and Blaze frowned at him. That was not exactly something that made you feel safe when in an actual situation where the possibility was higher than was wanted. "It is kinda catchy though."
"Is it now?" The woman threw her head back exasperated. Only Iruma would take a clearly questionable situation and turn it into a positive. "Well, I heard you gave the student greeting."
"Yeah, I didn't know I was going to be giving it but Grandpa changed it from Azz to me. It made Az really mad and he fought me." The boy said excitedly.
"You got into a fight?" She questioned. Then her eyes looked over to the door. "Opera, you better get in her now."
The cat demon slinked in their ears low. "Yes, my lady?"
"A fight?!" She gave him a piercing look. "You didn't tell me about a fight."
"Fights between demons are not uncommon. Besides, the fight occurred because young master Iruma stole the poor boy's spot, however the young master put him in his place while receiving no injuries." Opera's tail began to flick while they pulled out a black book. She had no idea where it came from. He flipped to a page of Iruma suplexing some pink haired boy. It was a newspaper clipping with the title Student representative crushed by honor student. "As I was told he said some very unkind things to the Asmodeus boy."
"What?!" The boy looked shocked to hear such words.
"My Iruma?" The woman questioned.
"Yes, I overheard some kids saying that young master Iruma told the poor boy he was less than a bug."
"Oh, Opera." The pinkette let her eyes fill with big crocodile tears. "My boy is growing up so fast. Just yesterday he was an innocent little boy. Today, he's shit-talking boys." Opera came over to dab at her eyes.
"There, there, my lady. Perhaps his new teacher will straighten him out. No wait. He bullied his teacher too."
"No! I mean I didn't mean to." The boy tried to defend himself.
"You accidentally bullied your teacher?"
"No, I accidentally made him my familiar."
Opera flipped the page to see another clip with Iruma standing over a little owl the title read Noone safe from honor student's revenge.
"You turned him into a bird." the woman laughed. "Why revenge?"
"Kalego does not have a good relationship with Lord Sullivan. He tried to get his comeuppance on young master Iruma. It didn't go to his plan." Opera explained
"No, it didn't." She nodded.
"But then I made a friend. Her name is Clara"
"Oh , a little girl friend."
The boy blushed and whined. "Mom."
"So what's she like?"
"Well, Az told me to run as soon as he saw her, but she was really nice and played with me. We played house together with Az."
Blaze couldn't be happier. Iruma got the friends he had been missing and was going to school. It was everything she had asked for. Was it normal? No. But that was fine. Iruma was finally getting the childhood he deserved.
"Let us not forget that you and said friends forced Kalego to pay for your tabs at the concession." Opera chimed in.
"For why? I've been out of commission for less than a week. What a fast turn around." blaze lamented.
"I didn't mean to." The boy whined. "It was an accident and you know I think we are even since he kicked me off the cliff."
Both demon and witch looked at Iruma while sporting a look that had a touch of crazy to it. "Do what?"
"Ah, I mean, it was the flying race and I didn't take off so.." The boy trailed off under his mother's stern look.
"Bird boy kicked you off?"
Iruma proceeded to explain the whole race in its entirety to the two slightly homicidal people. The fall, the demon bird, the baby, and throwing himself in front of the guardian's attack. Blaze's heart wasn't sure it could handle much more of the story as the boy wrapped up the tale with receiving his new (and permanent) accessory.
"I have no idea how to handle any of what you just said."
"It all worked out in the end." The boy tried to reassure them. Neither of them looked impressed.
"But it so easily couldn't have." Blaze held the boy tight to her. "Any little deviation and you might not be sitting here with me. Do you get that?"
"Yes, ma'am." The boy sank into the only true mother he had ever known. It was a strange feeling. If he had told his bio-mother this, then she would have brushed it off because he didn't get hurt. He had not thought such reactions were abnormal. But he could see on the faces of both human and demon alike that his lackadaisical response was actually strange and unhealthy.
He found himself a bit flustered. How do you respond to something like this? It occurred to him that he did not know.
"I might have to have a word with this Kalego."
"Please don't." The boy sighed as he leaned into her shoulder. He was quiet for a moment before changing the topic "My friends. When I asked them to be my friends, they said yes. They didn't even know what that meant but they still want to be."
Blaze hummed happily listening to him describe the class and each student.
She didn't know it now but those students and their teacher would soon become very important people in her life and everything would change for her. But for now she sat with her son and Opera. Just listening to his gentle prattal.