The Lev n Fax Saga

Part Five

Heads Up for some torture in this chapter 

--

Hope and happiness were heady feelings, and Lev had discovered that he didn't mind getting drunk on them. Things had gotten easier once he and Fax began talking. Not perfect, no, but there was a lightness to Lev that he hadn't felt... ever. Not even before the disaster.

Fax was happier too, and the cigarettes had disappeared again. Fax was singing along with the radio, and digging in his garden again. On top of that, Fax had started coaxing Lev out on dates. Not just dinner at home, but out to see movies, afternoon picnics at the parks, and days at the mall, where they wandered from store to store and stuffed themselves silly with ice cream. Lev had never been a people person, but he was discovering he did enjoy those outings. That might have just been his happiness at simply being around Fax, and seeing Fax be happy.

Today he'd turned down Fax's offer to go to the grocery with him, however. There was only so much socializing Lev wanted to do, and staying home alone was a welcome arrangement. It gave him a chance to try out a new banana bread recipe, since they'd let their bananas go a bit too long without being eaten. (Again.) Knowing Fax's sweet tooth, the fact that Lev had chosen a recipe with chocolate chips would likely delight the demon to no end. On top of that, Lev didn't have to wear a shirt at home. He was beginning to wonder if he would ever be able to handle the feeling of cloth against his skin; it still made his stomach twist itself in knots, and there were days where even Fax's presence couldn't ease the sick feeling. He didn't want to flinch away from Fax on those bad days, but Fax was patient, as always, and if he was hurt, he hid it well.

The timer went off, a welcome distraction from those thoughts. Lev pulled the bread out of the oven. As he went looking for a toothpick to test and see if the bread was ready, he heard the front door open. "You're home early," he called. "Everything okay?"

He couldn't quite be sure if the sound Fax gave was confirming or not; the cats were being particularly loud today. No doubt they'd ambushed him again. Hopefully Fax didn't drop the eggs this time.

Dissatisfied with how well done the bread was, Lev slid it back into the oven. "Fax? I didn't quite catch that, I'm sorry."

"Not quite, angel."

Lev stilled. Fax's voice was off, just barely. A little too low, a little too rough. Was Fax smoking again? Maybe things weren't as okay as Lev had thought. How had Lev missed that though? Fax's words were confusing too, just off enough that Lev hesitated. He swallowed hard, and closed the oven. They'd gotten better at the whole talking thing. There was no reason to not keep that up. "Is every.... everything-" He broke off as he turned around.

That wasn't Fax. The demon was too tall for one, and his hair was redder than Fax's, not to mention the fact that it wasn't cropped short on the sides like Fax's. The stranger leaned against the doorway, expression appraising. "Hello, Levant." It was eerie, hearing Fax's voice coming from a stranger's mouth, just wrong enough that it didn't sit right. "You, little angel, have been distracting my cousin for quite some time." Bright blue eyes glinted as the demon straightened and took a casual step forward. "Well. Not so much an angel anymore, I suppose, but close enough."

Lev scrambled to remember the list of names Fax had told him of his family. "Sorin?" He checked, backing up a step. His back hit the stove.

A smile spread across the demon's face. The expression was too bright, the grin a touch too wide. "So he does remember me. I'm touched he told you about me. He talked about you, you know. I'm not sure what he told you about that month after your breakup, but he wasn't alone that whole time. He's quite fond of you, even when you break his heart. But then again, he was always been too forgiving of people he loves."