Dance of the Death Prince

Chapter 3; Shivers

"Your mother is going to see us coming through the window, and stop us before we to the door. She will ask why you were gone and then ask who I am. Just let me talk."

Josh didn't argue, for Micheal seemed to know what he was doing. The Prince of Death. This is what, or who, he watched kill his two friends. Now he was going to sit down and have a casual conversation. Probably. 

Micheal walked confidently, even though it seemed pathetic with his small size. If someone was to come across the Prince in human form, he would be made fun of mercilessly. Josh could hear the taunts already.

The two were nearly in front of Josh's house when the door swung open, leaving Josh stumbling back in surprise. It was his mother. "Joshua!" she barked angrily, "where were you?!" 

Josh could only stutter in confusion, glancing at Micheal. The demon didn't seem to care. He just stood there shamefully, putting his head down. Didn't Micheal say he would do the talking? What was his plan?! Wait until his mother started to yell?

"Who is this?"

Micheal smiled when Josh looked at him in astonishment. "My name is Micheal," the Prince said, taking a small bow, "it is wonderful to meet you madam. I have heard great things about you."

Micheal smiled proudly as he stood back up, seeing the red covering the woman's face. "O-Oh," she said, giving a small flustered laugh, "what a kind young gentleman. Please you two, come inside before that thing  finds Josh again."

Josh flushed as they entered his house, keeping his head low as he passed his mother. The woman, Lucy, gently patted Micheal on the head as he entered, Josh biting his lip as he watched the Prince tense. "Oh my," Lucy said, pulling her hand back and inspecting it. Grime and ashes covered her palm from the demon's hair, and Micheal silently glared at the floor as she shook her head. "Micheal, dear," she started, "Please have Josh show you to the washroom. A bath has been made that was meant for me but please go use the water and cleaner in there, I'm not trying to be mean but from a mother's prospective you need to be bathed."

Micheal smiled as he looked up, no hint that he had ever been mad. "Thank you, ma'am," he said, subtly gesturing for Josh to follow. The Prince knew the house inside and out; what it was made of, when it was made, who made it, and what the builders had planned for the structure, but Josh still had to show him the way. Anything to make the mother believe he had never been here before.

That had forever been the plan. 

.:*:.

"Josh, I know the answer to this but do you have any cloths I may borrow?"

Josh had been sitting silently in his room for about a half hour, staring at the wall and thinking until he heard his name. He looked up, and seen Micheal walk into his room, no clothing except the towel around his waist. 

Josh stuttered, seeing as if the demon's pale body was now clean. Well, cleaner. "Y-Yeah, I do."

Micheal closed the door behind him and waited, feeling goosebumps rise on his damp skin. He watched with curious eyes as Josh jumped up and grabbed a few articles of clothing from a shelf he had, walking back over to the smaller. "Here- they might be a little big, but it's the best I got."

Micheal stared, then slowly took the clothes. He was confused for the first time in years. This is not what Josh was suppose to give him according to the Prince's never ending knowledge. Regardless he took it, shaking water droplets from his hair. 

"Are you cold?" Josh asked suddenly, finally seeing the older's small shivers. Josh sat crisscrossed on his bed again, pulling his eyes down as Micheal shamelessly dropped the towel. 

"Yes," the Prince answered bluntly, Josh sighing as the other pulled up pants. He looked up just in time to see Micheal cover up the sandy freckles dotting his shoulders with Josh's over sized grey shirt. "In strength my human body is strong, but to heat and cold, I am not so much. I can be pushed over and around, but I can still kill someone if I needed."

Josh hesitated then nodded slowly, seeing Micheal crawl up the end of his bed. He tensed as the smaller reached him, then turned and rested in the middle of his now semi-crossed legs, pulling the other males arms around him. 

"I-I, er... Wh-What?" Josh was greatly confused, feeling red dust across his face. 

Micheal leaned his head back against the bad side of Josh's neck, but no pain rose when the Prince's still matted hair fell against the large scar. "You are warm, and I am cold," Josh could indeed still feel the other's shivering, "is this not right to do?"

Josh paused, then laughed quietly. The Prince frowned. He did not expect to hear laughter. That was not what was meant to happen. "I'm sorry," Josh stated, this time willing hugging the demon, "I just can't believe for the past month I have been having nightmares about you, but now I am hugging the most beautiful boy I have ever seen. That probably doesn't mean much to you, but it's just so ironic to me."

For the first time in centuries, the Prince didn't know what to say. This part of Josh's life had yet to be written in his mind, and no matter how hard he searched, he could not find the day that Joshua Harp was meant to be killed. "I-I, uh..."

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. After a long while Josh let out a sigh, "is there a place you want to sleep or-"

He cut himself off, for he finally seen the resting face of the demon. This once giant, blood sucking monster had fallen asleep in Josh's arms. 

...Now what?

((1014 words))

~Al3x