Prompt: Stare

The next day passed awkwardly; Raven's discovery of Malchior's eating habits seemed to have managed to upset the others, even if she hadn't told them that anything had happened. Everyone seemed more fidgety, Gizmo perhaps most of all. Raven supposed it was because he had been defenseless for too long—his devices were either broken or useless, meaning he had to rely on the others, something that stuck painfully in his craw.

Eventually, the nervous energy exploded into a screaming fight between him and Jennifer while they had been trying to decide where to go. Raven managed to lurch painfully up off the couch to snag Jennifer's wrist, even if she ended up half on the floor. It distracted Jennifer long enough that Melvin practically tackled Gizmo to shut him up.

"Stop it, you two!" Raven hissed. "Or do you want Sladebots just crawling in here in an instant once they hear you two squabbling?"

That was enough to cow Jennifer, but Gizmo was still plenty wound up. "Oh, you shut up, you stinking crud muncher! I've had it with you people! I'm sick and tired of scurrying around like a bunch of sissy mice, too scared to face the cat to get out of this stupid city."

He didn't have a chance to go on; from the shadows, Malchior reached out, his hand glowing green, and grabbed Gizmo by the scruff of his neck. "That will do," Malchior drawled before removing his hand.

Gizmo hung like a limp kitten from his grasp, then dropped to the floor, taking Melvin down with him. Melvin gasped. "What did you do to him?"

"He's just going to take a little nap, sweetheart. Maybe he'll wake up with his temper improved," he added, helping her disentangle herself from Gizmo.

A vision of Malchior, his face covered in sticky blood, raced back into her mind. "Melvin, come here," she snapped.

Melvin looked up in surprise, but Malchior got the problem instantly and released her. "Easy, Raven. We're all just a little tense is all."

The repulsed part of her wanted to cry out "A little?" but instead she bit her lip and glared.

"I'll go keep watch," Jennifer offered, slipping past him.

Malchior nodded and scooped up Gizmo to stick into the nearest bedroom, Melvin trailing dutifully behind, like a baby duck following its mother. When Malchior returned, he shut the door while Melvin remained inside.

For a moment, they shared a stressed look before he loped over to her side. Her nerves were tense like a thread pulled too tight as he abruptly stopped at the other end of the couch.

"Are you going back to sleep?" he asked, pulling off his scarf.

She inched away. "No."

"Good, then move your legs."

She frowned, tucking her legs in quickly when he sat down too close. She watched curiously as he balled his scarf up and laid it on the couch. Next he curled up on the cushion, her spine aching just watching him, and laid his head on the scarf. "…so you actually do sleep."

He made a sleepy noise that unnerved her. It sounded so human. "Mmm. Yes. Please shush."

She glared, half tempted to argue when she realized he was asleep already. She studied his sleeping face, wondering over the apparent humanity it displayed. How much of you is real? Was last night the real thing, or is this real now? What are you, and can I trust you?

Malchior slept on. After an uneasy moment, she reached out and tucked some hair out of his face.

He had been right last night—whether she hated or feared him or not, they needed him. The thought did little to appease her worry. But for then, it would have to do.