Work Text:
This wasn’t temptation. No, whatever this is it’s much… softer. Just a gentle sort of nagging. A nagging that nagged and gnawed at Eric’s brain until he was completely unaware of what Muriel was even saying.
He would ask them to repeat everything in a moment, he always loved hearing every little thing they had to say, but this one want was all he could currently focus on. And that’s what it was wasn’t it? A want. Completely of his own.
So he let the want take over, his hand lifting to the side of Muriel’s face, sort of cupping and brushing up and behind their ear. Like moving something out of the way. Of course, all of Muriel’s short hair was miracled down to their face, small soft curls that stayed in exactly the perfect position.
Eric let his hand linger, calloused skin and blunt nails resting tucked around Muriel’s ear. It’s not as if they hadn’t touched before; a brush of hands as they walked or bumping knees under tables. But this was different. Purposeful. It made his skin tingle and his chest tight in a way that was so terrible it was beautiful.
Muriel straightened even more than they already were and paused what they were saying. Their smile faltered only slightly as they glanced between Eric’s hand (Warm. So impossibly warm. Were all demons this warm they wondered?) and his face, which he was trying desperately to control.
He felt as nervous as if he were about to be discorporated, which he knew he was currently safe from, so why did he feel like it? And why did he sort of like it?
“What’s this for?” Muriel chuckled, but a sort of nervous chuckle. It reminded Eric of when they tried human food for the first time.
“I, uh, I don’t know, really.” He blinked and removed his hand, tucking it back against him and rubbing the tips of his fingers together as he tried to speak through his nerves.
“It’s just, it’s this thing I saw humans doing and I just thought… thought it looked… Nice?”
It was still sometimes hard for him to voice things he thought were good or nice, no matter how good or nice he felt around Muriel and wanted to say it. His voice got high pitched and cracked like he was having to physically pull out every syllable.
“Oh!” Muriel smiled, relaxing as much as an angel could and looking very decisive for just a moment before looking to Eric, and reaching their own hand forward. They tried to copy what they felt Eric do, smiling softly as they tucked their fingers behind his ear.
There wasn’t much to tuck, all of Eric’s hair styled up in horns and notoriously away from his face - harder to burn that way. It didn’t really matter though. Muriel’s fingers were cold and soft and he found himself unable to stop as he tilted his head into them and smiled back.
“You were right. I think this is quite nice indeed.” Muriel stated with a nod, letting their hand linger for just a moment longer before pulling back, rubbing the tips of their fingers together much in the same way Eric had.
“Yeah?” Eric righted his head, a large grin stretching across his face, “I think so too.” he chuckled and he felt a heat that rivalled even hellfire rise to his cheeks.