Prophecy: Tome of Skin

1. History Repeats Itself

They'd been awake for hours now, just lying there in bed, refusing to get up. There wasn't much of anything between them-lust, fire, or even words. It was not for any unfortunate cause either, no, they were just contented to lie there, pressed into one another as they begrudged the minutes that ticked away with merciless detachment. Austin was the first to respond, surprisingly so, and he pulled Toby's arm up so that he was no longer trapped underneath it. When he got up, his lover watched him go with great regret, though Toby did not need to ask why.

The clock that sat on the stand next to their bed told them both that they were out of time, that Toby was needed elsewhere. That knowledge was enough to propel him to his feet as well, and he went to the closet where he dug out his uniform, preparing to dress for work. Austin had his own things to attend to as well, so he followed close behind, and the two of them dressed in tandem, admittedly taking a little more time than was necessary so that the other could enjoy the sight just a while longer.

"Where are you off to?" Toby asked coyly, still a bit nervous for Austin to be off by himself, even though the events of the prophecy seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I've got to take these books back to the library and get some new ones-I've had my eye on this encyclopedia of demonology for a while." Indeed it had been a long time since the Anchoress had come into their world and wrought her havoc. Yet that was over, and Austin wasted no time in finding where he belonged in the new, peaceful world. It was a new year, and the past was best left in the old one, something they could both agree on. Though he would never possess the physical or mystical prowess that his compatriots did, there were other avenues for him to express his usefulness.

Immediately after things had calmed down he had dove into research, learning everything he could about the world that existed just beyond the thin veil of normalcy. From magic, to demons, to ancient prophecies, anything that he could get his hands on was quickly consumed and digested until he'd become a catharsis of knowledge. Austin had accomplished what he had set out to do-make himself completely irreplaceable to the rest of the group, to be sure that his absence would tear a hole right down the center. Of course they had all been learning just how easy it was to create such a hole.

"We'll meet at Myrna's shop after I get out of work, she said something about a new demon that's been hanging around downtown." Toby offered, leaning in slowly and kissing Austin lightly-something he liked to do because there weren't too many things that he was able to do gently and with such grace. Like Austin, Toby had found the way to keep himself busy in the aftermath of the prophecy, and as predicted there were a plethora of new villains to keep them preoccupied if they got too bored.

Not to mention Monica.

True, Lorelei, with the help of Dill, had been able to discover her master plan, but there wasn't much they could do about it except to combat the effects of the serum they were distributing. It wasn't as cut and dry as all the other battles they'd been in with her, especially with all the recent changes that she'd made. But that was a sore subject that none of them liked to talk about, so they avoided it all together when they could. That was okay for Toby, but for Austin and the others, well, they could feel the hole.

"Alright, I'll head over there when I'm finished at the library." Austin offered, grabbing Toby by the nape of his neck and pressing their lips together harder. It was the same for Austin, there weren't many opportunities for him to be so domineering. They were a good balance for one another in that way, and Austin watched him leave for work then with a complacent smile on his face. When he was alone he gave a passing look to the stack of overdue books that were waiting for him before he passed them by and headed out of the door. There were more important things for him to be doing than bothering with such mediocrity.