holy

xxii

brett was shaken awake early the next morning, the sun still hidden behind the horizon, his bed colder than it should've been.

"angel? c'mon, wake up."

he groaned, rolling over to the space where eddy usually rested, only to find it empty.

that was what really woke him.

"eddy? eddy where are you?" brett called out in a panic, the room dark and blurry without the help of his glasses.

"hey, s'okay, i'm here," eddy whispered, pushing brett's glasses onto his face.

he grabbed onto eddy's hand as it pulled away from his face.

"are you leaving?"

the question was so resigned and forlorn that eddy could hardly handle to look at the angel's face as he crouched down next to the bed.

"i am," eddy answered, quiet so as to soften to blow.

"are you sure i can't come with?"

eddy's mood soured at those words.

"you're staying here, brett. is that understood?" eddy ordered, his voice trembling at the mere thought of his angel being subject to the horrors of hell.

"yes," brett pouted, watching as eddy stood up, towering over the bed.

even in the dim light of the bedroom, brett could tell how absolutely dangerously good eddy looked. he was dressed to the nines, sleek black shirt tucked into slim black pants, a chain intertwined with his belt and slung over his thigh. rolled up sleeves revealed muscled, veiny arms that brett couldn't believe he hadn't looked at before. eddy was entirely too captivating, too alluring, too...tempting. all of a sudden his throat was scratchy and his lips dry as he darted his tongue out to wet them.

sinful thoughts threatened to impede upon his mind.

he threw off the covers and sat up on the edge of the bed as he watched eddy move to the other side of the room, kneel down and pick something up off the floor.

when he returned to brett, a silk handkerchief enclosed in his hand, the angel tilted his head in confusion.

eddy gave him a pained look, an unfamiliar emotion to grace the façade of a demon.

he turned his hand over, dropping the contents into brett's open palms.

the angel knew what it was at the first touch of cold metal.

"put this on while i'm away," eddy's voice was shaky and pleading as he watched the cross glint in brett's hands, "for me, please."

the shorter boy nodded, slipping the necklace into his pocket and pulling eddy in for a hug.

they stood in the darkness for a long moment, their unmoving silhouettes like marble statues trapped in an abandoned museum building, only accompanied by each other.

brett took in eddy's scent, the rise and fall of his strong chest, the long arms encasing his body, all as if he were committing it to memory.

"i'll miss you," brett confessed.

eddy didn't respond for fear of choking up. instead, he kissed the angel decisively on the forehead, a signal that it was time to say goodbye.

brett followed the demon to the front foor wordlessly, his grip on eddy's larger hand getting firmer with each step.

he didn't even let go when eddy opened the door, letting the first glow of daylight flood the room.

"angel?"