Page 57 of Hollow

“I am not trying to torture Jack.”

“Good, because you’re falling short,” Astaroth replied.

“We’re not fighting, we’re fucking.”

Astaroth scoffed. “Fighting, fucking, it’s all the same if done correctly.”

Dimitri scrunched his face and looked at Jack’s bewildered, shadowy expression.

“As much as I would love to add a little kink to the bedroom, if you ever took tips from the demon dog, I would never have sex with you again.”

“Understood.” Dimitri chuckled.

Jack’s bewilderment washed away, and his trademark smile returned.

“So, how about we try out this wrestling you speak of?” Dimitri said, enthralled by the idea of pinning Jack beneath him before fucking him to celebrate his victory.

“Oh no, mister.” Jack pressed a hand to Dimitri’s chest, holding him back. “We’re not fooling around until much later. Think of it as a reward to ourselves for this evening.”

Dimitri cocked his head, trying to decipher what Jack meant.

“We have a date night, remember?”

Dimitri blinked, attempting to recall.

Jack’s shadowy eyebrows furrowed, and his toothy grin turned into a frown. Dimitri’s shoulders raised, and his neck sank as he nervously tried to figure out what he’d forgotten.

“What is today?” Jack crossed his arms.

“Thursday?”

“What else is today?” Jack’s big black eyes seemed all the more menacing when glaring at him.

Dimitri believed the void of shadows might very well launch out and strike him if he gave the wrong answer.

Biding his time, Dimitri grinned uncomfortably at Jack while he tried recalling what they had planned. It didn’t help that Jack planned many frequent outings, which ultimately did help distract Dimitri. Mostly, it was nice that things had settled in town with the holidays over and tourist season behind them more or less. Plus, like Jack, most humans didn’t enjoy venturing outside in the cold except for holidays.

“Holidays,” Dimitri muttered. His big, green eyes widened with excitement as the answer came to him. “We have Valentine’s dinner tonight!”

Jack’s expression completely changed, his eyes transformed into heart shapes, and he smiled.

“Yes, oh my goodness. I’m glad you remembered.” Jack patted Dimitri on the shoulder. “Otherwise, I might’ve had to kill you.”

“This is a joke, correct?”

“I don’t know, forget an important relationship milestone, and find out.” Jack swaggered away, leaving Dimitri longing for the intimacy they would explore later tonight.

It also left him tingling with excitement. Relationship milestone. Valentine’s Day had never meant much to Dimitri, no holiday had, but with Jack, they all seemed so very special. Jack had a way of making even simple, uneventful days better.

Dimitri considered returning to the library to read. He could get lost in a book for several hours, for the whole night if he didn’t already have date plans, but his mind was still too scattered to read quietly.

Doomscrolling took precedence, and Dimitri watched many pointless videos that either brought him great joy or incredible annoyance. Jack had taught him to simply block anyone he didn’t like, and he’d never have to stumble upon them again. The world had become a true marvel, allowing anyone to customize every little interaction to their preferences.

“Come along, peasant,” Astaroth walked into the room, wearing his doggy jacket and scarf.

“It is time for your walk already?”

“Yes.”