Illegally Sourced Affection

It happened in the afternoon.

Jarel was sprawled across the couch watching trashy anime - the kind he’d confidently declared “optimal for inducing laziness.” Quinn sat beside him, studying the screen with intense focus, trying to determine just how effective it actually was. Unfortunately, she had nothing to measure it against.

Three episodes in, there was a knock at the door.

Quinn shot to her feet instantly.

Jarel began to stand.

She pointed at him sharply.

“No. You keep being lazy. I’ll get it.”

He obediently sank back into the couch.

The latch clicked.

The door flew open so violently it nearly flattened her.

And in strode Jinxia, arms overloaded with glossy shopping bags.

She didn’t pause.

“Jarellll~ I brought you gifts!”

Quinn recoiled.

“HEY! What are-”

Too late.

Jinxia marched forward with single-minded determination and dropped the heavy bags directly onto Jarel’s lap.

If she’d had a tail, it would have been wagging.

“Go on. Open them.”

His brain lagged behind the situation by a full two seconds, but eventually he obeyed. He untied the first bag and reached inside.

Quinn hovered behind him, peering over his shoulder.

Out came jewelry.

Not subtle jewelry.

The kind that probably required insurance.

Necklaces. Bracelets. Rings. Enough to fund a small nation.

Jinxia clasped her hands together.

“Well? Do you like them?”

Jarel had absolutely no use for jewelry.

He had no idea what to do with it.

“Y-yes.”

Quinn looked like she’d just watched him sign a marriage certificate.

But Jinxia had already moved on.

“Next one!”

The second bag contained technology. The latest everything. Smartwatch. Tablet. Phone. Laptop. All pristine. All expensive.

Jarel stared.

“Th-thank you.”

Jinxia beamed, delighted.

“Next!”

Finally, Quinn found her voice.

“What do you think you’re doing, hoarder?”

Jinxia shot her a glare.

“Stealing your fiancé, furball.”

Quinn’s tail flared violently.

“Get out, you braindead consumer.”

“Go curl up in a corner, you waste of resources.”

“Scrap collector.”

“Parasite.”

“Gluttony wannabe.”

“Mild inconvenience.”

Jarel broke.

Laughter spilled out of him before he could stop it.

Both demons froze.

Jinxia recovered first.

“You stopped opening your gifts.”

“Ah. Right. Sorry.”

The tension shifted awkwardly.

The third bag held expensive grooming products. Perfumes he’d never wear. Creams he didn’t need.

The final bag contained nothing but raw cash.

Stacks of it.

Quinn scoffed.

“You do realize Jarel doesn’t need money, right?”

Jinxia blinked.

“What?”

Quinn grinned triumphantly.

“His bank account is currently unlimited.”

Jinxia’s face tightened.

“…That would’ve been useful information earlier.”

Quinn laughed.

Jarel quietly repacked everything and set the bags aside. Then he looked at Jinxia and smiled gently.

“You’re very kind. But Quinn’s right. I don’t really have a use for expensive gifts.”

Jinxia visibly deflated.

But before Quinn could celebrate, he added:

“I am flattered, though. That you’d do all this for me.”

It was like someone flipped a switch.

Jinxia lit up instantly.

“You’re welcome! I’ll find something you like eventually, I know it!”

She studied him intensely, tapping her chin.

“Maybe clothes. Something tailored. What sizes are you?”

He opened his mouth to answer-

-and suddenly felt a weight settle on his lap.

He looked down.

Quinn had curled herself against him, head resting possessively on his thigh, her tail wrapped around his waist.

He froze, entirely unsure what he was meant to do next.

Then a delicate pair of fingers caught his chin and gently turned his head back toward Jinxia. She withdrew her hand and leaned in slightly, smiling.

“What were you going to say?”

He told her his clothing sizes. She straightened again, satisfied.

“Thank you. I’ll be back later. Have fun with that freeloader until then, Jarellll.”

Quinn muttered something incomprehensible and stayed silent until the door shut.

Jarel glanced down at her.

“What are you doing now?”

“Being a pet.”

He smiled.

“Feeling jealous?”

“No.”

The answer came far too fast.

He rested his hand on her head.

“Well, I’m not complaining.”

She mumbled against his leg.

“You’re supposed to. I’m ruining your life…”

He chuckled.

“You’re doing great.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Before he could respond-

-the door burst open again.

Jinxia strode back in, arms overflowing with clothing.

“Jarellll!”

He stared. She hadn’t even been gone thirty seconds.

His expression must have said everything, because she giggled.

“I have magic too.”

He frowned.

“Did you pay for this?”

She pressed a finger to her lips.

“Secret.”

That was not reassuring.

She began presenting each item proudly - jackets, shirts, trousers, all high-end, all expensive.

But the more she displayed, the less he felt.

It wasn’t that they were ugly.

It was that they were empty.

When she was about two-thirds through, he spoke gently.

“Jinxia?”

She brightened instantly.

“Yeah?”

“I really appreciate the gifts. I do. But… I prefer things that take effort. And thought.”

She froze. Her smile faltered.

“You… you do?”

He nodded, still kind.

“I’m sorry.”

The room shifted.

All the while, his hand had been absentmindedly moving through Quinn’s hair - tracing slow circles around her ears, brushing softly over her scalp.

She’d been melting under it.

But his words planted something sharp in her chest.

Effort.

Effort was the enemy.

Effort was what she existed to eliminate.

But he wasn’t seeking effort for himself. He was drawn to effort in others.

Did that mean-

Her mind scrambled.

Was he attracted to people who tried?

She was the Demon of Sloth.

Trying was her antithesis.

Was she going to have to… put in effort?

For the recipe?

For him?

Her thoughts snapped back just in time to see a visibly dejected Jinxia slipping out the door.

It closed with a quiet click.

Jarel exhaled.

Then he seemed to realize what he’d been doing and quickly withdrew his hand.

“Oh. Sorry.”

The loss hit instantly - an ache where warmth had been. She spoke before she could stop herself.

“No, keep going.”

He blinked.

“Really? You like it?”

She stiffened, thinking fast.

“It’s… good for laziness. You said so yourself.”

He hesitated - then smiled.

“Yeah. You’re right.”

His hand returned to her head, slow and gentle.

She melted against him again. And in that quiet moment, she decided.

She would put in effort.

She would work for that recipe.

Even if it meant betraying the very foundation of sloth.

Her lips curved despite herself.

A small, determined smile.