Fear the Reaper [malexmale]

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

I sat at the dining table in Michael's house, a mug of tea in one hand and the other reaching for a pot brownie that had my name all over it. I took several nervous bites, glancing out into the living room where Michael was going over the ancient texts again, reinvigorated by the attack in the city.

He looked so much different at home than he did out in public. Out in public, he was the snooty stuck up archangel with fluffy blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, decked out like a businessman out for blood. At home, his fluffy hair was swept back from his face with a ponytail holder, a pair of thick black plastic glasses sitting on his nose, and he'd opted for a pair of fleece pajama pants and a loose fitting tank top as he fiddled with a pen between his fingers, making notes in a notebook on the night stand beside him.

Rowan had volunteered to assist him, sitting across from him on the other sofa. Rowan had also gone casual Friday on me as well, having changed into black lounge pants and a black Hanes shirt. He was currently reading a tome on ancient symbolism and clearly not enjoying it as he reached up to rub at his eyes every so often.

Simon came in from the kitchen, holding a plate of brownies and a mug of coffee. He offered the mug and a brownie to Rowan, who took it without looking up. He made the offer to Michael, who just gave him a dry stare, as if to ask if the incubus was serious about feeding him marijuana. Simon shrugged, then parked it in a fluffy armchair to eat what was left of the brownies.

My eyes drifted back to the kitchen where Xiphrus was cleaning up Simon's mess with Alaric. Alaric was laughing at something Xiphrus said as he threw away some garbage, and Xiphrus smiled down at him, like he was amazed at how fucking perfect Alaric was. I stared him intently, waiting to see if maybe Alaric would get creeped out by the guy, or if Xiphrus licked his chops. Didn't happen. Alaric yawned a little, gave Xiphrus a good night, or rather, good afternoon, and came over to me in the dining room.

"How you feeling, baby?" He asked me softly, putting his arm around me. I grunted as a response, because I wasn't going to lie and tell him I was just fucking peachy, but I also didn't want to bitch. So a grunt was all I had in me. Alaric sighed, leaning over to kiss the top of my head.

"Alright. Well, I'm gonna head upstairs and shower. Are you good down here?" He asked. I glanced over at Xiphrus, who was tying up the garbage to take it out. In the living room, Michael and Rowan were studying and Simon was bobbing his head to something blaring from his headphones. I looked back at Alaric, giving him a little nod. He smiled, brushing the hair back from my face. I reached up to capture his hand in mine. I could still feel tiny tremors coursing through me, and Alaric seemed to notice too, because he looked sad, and I bit back the guilt that surged in me. Instead, I forced a smile, then turned and kissed the inside of his palm, laying his hand on the side of my face.

"I'm fine, baby. Just gonna hang around down here for a little while longer, then join you upstairs, yeah?" I asked. He nodded reluctantly, gave me another kiss... and another and another before he finally pulled himself away to go upstairs. I listened to the stairs creak once, the sound of the guest room door shutting overhead, and the sound of a shower turning on. I sighed and looked back down at my cup of untouched tea, then decided to eat the rest of my brownie.

I watched as Xiphrus crossed through the dining room and to the front door so he could go outside to the trash disposal. I watched the door shut, and then turned all the way back around so I could watch him out the window. No big deal, he went to the trash tube, pulled the lid off and dropped the bag into the thing, then covered it and came back into the house. He went to Michael, who yawned and rubbed at his eyes before he squinted at the book, like he was physically having difficulties reading it. Xiphrus leaned over him and murmured something, probably along the lines of go the fuck to sleep.