holy

xviii

once he knew brett had fallen asleep, eddy moved away from the door, slumping on the couch in deep thought.

this changed everything.

the stupid fucking cross changed everything.

he gulped down the urge to cry.

soft taps on the glass windows indicated the exposition of a rainstorm, the first droplets pelting the window in the same way that tears would fall upon a cheek.

long gone was the bright, luminous sunshine that peeked through his curtains when he woke that morning, angel tucked between his arms. now, the pitch black, cloud covered sky caged him in.

drop after drop bounced off the windows and the roof above in quick succession, drowning out the sound of eddy's pounding heart. the storm wasn't a violent type—it was solemn, dripping with loss and longing.

the sky was crying so he didn't have to.

•

brett woke to the sound of rain.

he hadn't slept well, the conflict burning in his mind had made sure of it. of course, it probably didn't help that he'd almost been killed the day before.

but what scared him even more, the images that haunted the back of his eyelids with every blink, was the look on the demon's face when he ripped out the heart of the man before him contrasted with the way eddy had stared at him so tenderly when he'd first woken up that morning.

which was one was the real eddy? the murderer, or the man who had held him in his arms all night? it couldn't be both.

he couldn't make up his mind. on the one hand, he knew that part of the reason he hadn't gotten sleep was because of the barrier that separated the two of them. but on the other hand, eddy was dangerous, cruel. those red eyes held no mercy. there was a reason he'd put on the cross.

but was it a good enough reason?

the metal weighed heavily on his chest as he gazed out the foggy window, finger scrubbing away the cold condensation, golden eyes squinting to see between the thick droplets on the glass. the streets were empty, not a car in sight, the sun confined behind dark grey clouds that matched the color of eddy's room.

he stared hard at the cross, hoping the decision to put it on wouldn't be one he'd come to regret. yet, at the very back of his mind, he knew with a certain conviction that it was wrong.

when a soft knock came at the bedroom door, brett didn't hesitate in opening it. he stepped to the side, watching warily as the demon walked into the closet, but not before taking a sad glance at the cross on brett's neck.

"we have to leave." eddy demanded, voice weak and raspy.

brett found himself struggling to avert his eyes as the demon peeled off his shirt, replacing it with a clean one.

"what? where? why?" brett questioned after regaining his composure.

in his dejected state, eddy hadn't even noticed the blush that tinted brett's cheeks.

"the humans are getting suspicious. we'll leave for your house tonight," his tone left no room for debate. something about his rejected, lost voice sparked an ache in the angel's heart.

"oh," brett sighed defeatedly. his cabin was even smaller than the one room apartment, and that would make it even harder for him to keep his distance from the incredibly tempting demon.

"get ready. i made breakfast."

•

the two ate without a word, the tapping of the rain on the exposed windows the only noise in the room. after, they sat on opposite sides of the couch, a strange sight to behold after they had practically cuddled with each other for the past two weeks whenever they ended up watching tv.