Page 192 of Demons Dig Donuts

Indy much preferred having problems like this as opposed to being kidnapped by demons or swallowed by a dragon.

Speaking of dragons, Murray had a successful recovery thanks to Gammy’s magic. He would be staying in Somerstown until he was back at a hundred percent and remained grateful for everyone’s assistance in the battle. He even wrote handwritten thank-you notes.

The stationery was oddly familiar, but Indy couldn’t remember why.

Probably something to do with Misingno, but Indy would be fine if they never saw him again either. The few whispers Indy had gleaned from Mr. Heiss’s chats with the twins painted a violent picture that had ended with King Zolrya turning Mr. Mitternacht’s mutilated corpse into some kind of citrus tree specifically to harvest fruit to scent urinal cakes.

Yikes.

Indy had plenty of other things to fret about without stressing over faeries, so he stayed out of monster business as much as he could and focused on the future.

Like the terms of his new deal with Mr. Heiss.

Obviously, Mr. Heiss was not going to let Indy die and promised to keep him alive until they were able to reach an agreement. He made it clear he would not create any stipulations to bind Indy beyond the minimum soul requirement in case they ever wanted to part ways, and yet…

Indy hesitated.

He’d made excuses and put it off.

He was aware enough to realize it was likely the last wall built by his abandonment issues putting up a fuss, but he couldn’t tear it down. Even with Mr. Heiss’s pledge to keep the deal as fair as possible, it didn’t feel like simply signing over his soul but far more intimate of an offer.

Like his heart.

This wasn’t like making a deal with Mr. Kalt, who had only wanted a soul and a body he could use for profit. It was Mr. Heiss, who cared deeply for Indy. He had saved his life countless times, ordered his impulsive takeout orders with little to no complaining, and made Indy feel like the most beautiful man in the world with nothing more than a single touch.

More than that, Mr. Heiss had done something that no one else ever had.

He’d made room for Indy in his life.

Not just in his bed, though of course Indy enjoyed that aspect immensely. It was the way Mr. Heiss quietly made sure he was there to eat with Indy for as many of those takeout meals as he could. It was how he often texted to check in and at least offer a laugh emoji or two in reply to the constant flow of memes.

He let Indy be Indy, extra and fabulous and ridiculous and unapologetically himself, and he never tried to make him feel small or inferior or less than.

The only time he’d even come close was telling Indy he likely had no future in baking, but only after Indy had almost burned down Mr. Heiss’s bakery once or twice.

Okay, fine, it was four times, but it wasn’t Indy’s fault that sifting flour near an open flame could create a small explosion or that caramel apparently had to be watched like a toddler in a room full of scissors.

Whatever.

Indy had never been so happy to return to Lovecraft’s.

Trying to make donuts was fun, but he’d missed dancing. He set his own schedule and ran his shows the way he wanted them run. He could choose his clients now, too, and having the power to tell a monster he didn’t want to have sex with to fuck off was glorious. He hadn’t had a chance to flex it, however, because no one had solicited his intimate services since his return to the club.

Mr. Heiss had said he didn’t care if Indy went back into sex work, only that he was safe while doing so, but Indy had a feeling it wasn’t a coincidence Mr. Heiss was more affectionate in public now.

After all, Indy was highly desired and well known for his sexual acrobatics.

Mr. Heiss was better known for being an asshole and performing acrobatics with people’s internal organs when they displeased him.

It really wasn’t hard to figure it out.

Mr. Heiss would never admit it of course, but Indy was never surprised when he caught a glimpse of a glowing crown of fire from the stage during a performance.

Tonight, of course, would be no exception.

But it was special.

It was special because Indy had specifically invited Mr. Heiss to attend because he had a surprise planned for him. It had been a bitch and a half to keep it a secret, but tonight Indy would finally give it to him. As he took the stage for his last song of the evening, Indy looked for Mr. Heiss but didn’t see him.