Baby Fat

thirty-six

He can feel himself slipping, sliding, gliding. The clock ticks. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Second after second, moment after moment. There's no controlling it.

Crash. Boom. Crash. Boom. That's not him, he's not making that noise. Or, at least he doesn't think he is the one. Crash. Boom. Crash. Boom.

His eyes snap open. There's nothing. It's so dark, and he's freezing. He's staring off into abyss. And then...then he sees somebody in the corner. They're not real. It can't be real.

Crash. Boom. Crash. Tick. Tock. Crash. Boom. Tick. Tock.

Sweat. Cold. Hot. Sweat. Tick. Crash. Tock. Boom. Cold.

"Oh." His voice comes out in a whisper. He wanted a yell. "It's...you."

The figure, he glows bright. Oh. So bright. An angel in Corrie's book. His angel.

The angel opens his mouth, smirking ever so slightly. "Oh, C. What have you gotten yourself into?" His eyes glow, illuminating the pale green. He's beautiful--no, not beautiful. No words in Corrie's brain can describe the angel, his angel.

His angel is the epitome of perfection. Eyes that glimmer but not too bright, and pale skin that replicates a vampire's, and a ravishing smile with dark pink lips--not too small, not too big. Perfection.

"I missed you. God, how I missed you." Corrie's voice is croaky. This isn't the first time he's seen his angel here. Sometimes, his angel will watch over him from afar. Sometimes his angel will say something snarky in the background, but Corrie could never make contact with him. He's called out, he's begged and prayed, but nothing ever worked. Until now.

"My love." The angel grins, his pearly whites sparkle.

"You shouldn't be here. They'll find you. You need to go back. Hide. Back."

The angel rolls his eyes. "C, you're my only exception. Always have been."

Corrie rises from his bed. He groans. His bones ache.

"Sit back down," the angel commands.

"I missed your voice," Corrie says. "But I didn't miss your orders." Corrie ignores the angel's demands, as always.

"You know better." Holding his pale as the moon hands out, the angel walks from his place in the corner. His hands find their way onto Corrie's shoulders. They push Corrie back onto his bed.

"Why are you here?" Corrie sighs. Tick. Tock. Boom. Crash. "Something is wrong. You shouldn't be here. You can't be here."

"My love," the angel shakes his head. "You want me here. You need me here."

Corrie looks at his angel. His hand reaches to the angel's face. Corrie's hand caresses the angel's cheek. Corrie looks down at his angel's hands. They're dripping with blood. "Are you okay? What's going on."

He looks at the angel's face, but notices that the angel's dull eyes are fixed on something else. Corrie's eyes follow the angel's gaze. His mouth opens.

"She's bleeding." The angel's soothing voice suddenly grows angry. "And it's all your fault, C!"

Corrie shakes his head. "No...no. No! No it's not!"

Tick. Tock. Boom. Crash. Sweat. Cold. Hot. Tick. Tock.

"C." The angel takes his blood stained hands and latches onto Corrie, smearing the blood onto his. "You know what I did, but you didn't tell anybody. The blood's on your hands too, now."

"You asked me not to. You said not to tell. You--you made me promise." Corrie rips his hands from the angel. His angel. He feels his chest tighten. His breaths are shaky.