"Semi-Short Stories" [ Story Collection ]

Only One Way [] 10/14 []

It's been a week. Leigh was still staying with the Swans and hasn't returned back to her apartment since the letter had appeared, especially after Valencia had told her that Martin had still been inside when she had gone to pack for her. She'd had a gun on her and created a few new holes in him. Leigh wished she had just killed him then and there. Martin hadn't been back since then, however. None of the Darlings had seen him, either. He hadn't visited Carwyn again, hadn't tried to see Wendy. Michael and Raphael had gone to Leslie's place of work, separately, to question Greg. The bar owner hadn't even known he had been released, let alone seen him personally.

It had taken four days before Raphael would speak to Michael again, which was saying something since the two live together. He still wasn't believing the whole Satan explanation. It took another three days to convince him to visit the Swans to meet Max, and he only did it so he could check on Leigh.

Leigh ended up not even being there. She was at work when the two of them arrived.

"So you can...switch gender."

"Yep. I'm currently trying to turn into a vampire, though. Right now I've only managed to get these bad boys." Max, donning shorts and a tank top and sitting on the edge of the couch cushion, uses two fingers to lift their upper lift. There are a pair of sharp fangs. Raphael takes a look, narrows his eyes skeptically, and turns to Michael. Michael shrugs.

"Those could easily be fake."

Max tugs at the teeth, careful not to poke themselves. "They ain't coming loose, so..."

"Glue."

"Raphael." Michael sighs. After a week of this, he's grown so, so tired. His attempts to persuade him have been fruitless. He doesn't dare bring him to Samson's house, though the thought crossed his mind more often than he'd care to admit. He didn't want to drag his brother into that mess.

"Michael."

"Why is the thought so hard to entertain for you?"

"I've not seen any real proof, and until then, I won't consider it being true." Raphael runs a hand through his hair, sinks his back into the couch, and crosses one leg over the other.

"I can change my hair length. Would that help?" Max is running their own hands through their hair now. Currently, it's above their ears, but it slowly lengthens until it reaches their shoulders. Raphael finds that he can't really say anything to this, he only stares. "I don't really like it like this right now, though." Slowly again, it returns to normal. Max appears completely casual.

"What the fuck was that?"

"The result of Mattie being forced to sell his soul." They shrug. It makes a grin tug at the corners of Michael's lips. They've got him - there's no way he can continue denying it now.

"I'd like to meet Samson. I want to talk to him about this."

Michael loses that start of a grin. "You really don't."

"Don't you think I should? I need to interview all possible leads. You've done so much to convince me that he's one, and then you say that I shouldn't talk to him?" Raphael sits back up, unfolding his legs and resting his elbows on his knees. "Get Samson over here, and I'll consider trying to believe you."

As much as he doesn't want to, yet definitely wants to, Michael nods. If that's what it takes, then so be it.