A/N: Okay, so here we are again. Me breaking down and writing another chapter and you sat there practically foaming at the mouth like the rabid fangirls(..boys?) you are, waiting for me to get this pointless little rant over with so you can get on with reading the UST.

Well I've decided I'm allowed to have a couple of favourite reviewers, and that they deserve a mention so that you can all bask in their glory. Because, to be frank, if it hadn't of been for these two I wouldn't have continued;

Achillia Daughter of Peleus

and animeme220

Okay, I'm done. Now wipe your mouths and try not to get slobber over the keyboard, hm?

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Right. So he's bright red and completely still except for his lower lip quivering slightly as he looks to me every few seconds in awe, before looking panicky and aborting eye contact. I smiled and rolled my eyes, waiting for the blood to stop rushing to his face ..to see where else I could get it to rush. Oh. Wait. Stop everything. He's moving his lips in some vague attempt to form a coherent sentence.

“B-Bartimaeus..” He managed to stutter out. I smiled pleasantly and tilted my head to the side a little as I watched him,

“You have no idea how much it turns me on when you say my name like that.”

That stopped him dead. His face, which had gone down to a pleasant shade of magenta, was now bright crimson again.1 I grinned shamelessly. I had no idea Nat could be this much fun. I got up from my perch on the windowsill and stretched. From the bed, his eyes widened slightly. He looked shocked, embarrassed, and panicky. One word was written across his face. And that word was 'RAPE'. I quirked an eyebrow at him and spoke with some amusement to stop his poor little heart giving up all together from how fast it must have been beating, trying to bring him down from all panic-stations.

“Please, Nat. You realise if you really dislike my company that much you can just dismiss me, right?”

That seemed to calm him down a bit. He attempted a smile.2 He ran a hand through his hair and nodded at me, his blush slowly calming down. Then he seemed to realise what I'd been doing. Heat was rising to his face again, but this time it was out of anger not embarrassment.

“What do you think you're playing at?!” He clenched his fists as he glared at me, “Where do you get off making me embarrassed all the time?! You're meant to be my servant, demon, but you're nothing but a headache!”

Ouch.

I raised my eyebrows at him in challenge.

“You think I enjoy having to baby sit you? Oh, because obviously I should be honoured to be in your company, the boy who can't stop himself being killed by the people he was stupid enough to get on the wrong side of.3 The boy who thinks it's just fine to talk down to the 'lowly demon' who's saved his pasty skin more times than he can count. The boy who thinks long flimsy coats make him look cool. A word to the wise, Nat,” I sat back on the windowsill and folded my arms, “you look like a ten year old dressing up in daddy's clothes.”

He looked shell shocked. I huffed. The boy got on my nerves, I couldn't help it. The dull ache of being trapped in a solid form was starting to grate on my and he was the closest thing I had to take it out on. If he didn't like it he could dismiss me and we'd be free of each other's company for a while. Just like it usually happens after the awkward silence. He'd dismiss me for the day, then call me back when someone was trying to kill him and we'd forget all about it.

Then he did something completely unexpected.

He looked shiftily at his feet, clicking his nails together, as was his habit when he didn't want to admit something but was being forced to. He cleared his throat and I glanced up to look at him blankly. He was avoiding eye contact something fierce.4

“Bartimaeus... uh.. I'm...”

I tried to be helpful,

“Incredibly annoying?”

He looked a little annoyed.

“No.”

I raised my eyebrows slightly and shrugged.

“Matter of opinion, Nat.”

“Don't call me that.”

“I'll call you what I please.” I blinked at him. “You were saying?”

He blushed softly.

“I'm... uh.. sorry?”

I couldn't help it, my eyes seemed to widen on their own as I looked to him,

“What?”

No master had ever apologised to me before.. except Ptomley. But that was different. He looked away and huffed, muttering,

“You heard me. I'm not repeating myself.”

I grinned suddenly. Maybe the brat wasn't so bad after all. I got up from the windowsill and wandered over to the bed, sitting down next to him. He looked to me, a hint of worry on his face. I smiled at him and leaned my elbow on my knee, resting my cheek on my palm. I tried to sound helpful.

“If you've got anything else embarrassing to say, you might as well get it all out in one go, you know.”

He blushed softly. There was a pause. He attempted to make eye contact but failed.

“And.. thanks for.. saving my life. A lot.”

I leaned into him slightly, he blinked and looked dumbstruck. No matter, all he had to do was stay still. I moved a hand to his cheek and pressed my lips to his softly before pulling back.

“You're welcome. But you owe me a nice lunch somewhere, hm?” I smiled. ...He appeared to be having a heart attack.

1 Oh God, if I'd known I could have this much of an effect on him I would have started the sexual harassment months ago.

2 You have no idea how much self control it's taking me not to breathe on my nails before shining them on my shirt at this point. I know the boy too well.

3 This was my chance to get the things that bugged me about him out in the open while having the excuse that 'he started it'. I wasn't going to let it pass me by.

4 You humans tend to do that a lot, you know. It just makes you look weak. Eyes can't hurt you. ...Well, not on the first plane, anyway.

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A/N: HAHA. This is what you get when you force me to write against my will. CLIFFHANGERS.

Begging reviews make me write.

Have fun trying to figure out what happens next.

-Lex.