The strong grip on Ben's arm had him tense as he walked through the crowd. He didn't know where Charlie was leading him and he hadn't asked, but he knew it was one of two things: Charlie was possessed or they were going to talk and 'catch up' as he'd wanted.
Ben was ready for both scenarios.
It wasn't until he'd oriented himself that he noticed they were on the roof. He could feel the gentle breeze ruffle his sweater and hair. They had a flat roof with plants on the sides and some sitting areas. There was a three-by-three square in the center that was made of glass, allowing Ben to see the people beneath.
He saw the flashing lights and the people acting like nothing was wrong with the world.
"Nice out here, isn't it?" asked Charlie.
Silently, Ben observed Charlie. It was really a flip of a coin on how this was going to go. Charlie seemed to be his old self again, speaking confidently and charismatically. He even had the same eyebrow quirks and scrunches when he asked rhetoric questions.
Admittedly, though, it was a little unnerving to be in Charlie's presence without the other spitting insults. But maybe the way he was acting wasn't real at all. Maybe it was Wrath sitting in Charlie's body, toying with Ben until he was ready to kill him.
Or maybe Charlie had just calmed down.
An unlikely answer to four months of torture.
"The weather is really nice," Charlie continued, glancing around. They had a great view of the sky and city from up here - the dreary town that was Grayville loomed in the background. "Calm... tranquil... relaxed..."
Ben stayed quiet and only shifted his weight. It was beginning to seem like option one and as his anxiety increased, so did the wind's push.
"I just wonder what it takes to... change it. You know? What little, tiny forces in nature change the weather so drastically that it might cause... tornadoes... tsunamis... hurricanes?" He began to pace, and Ben put his hands in his pockets, sighing through his nose.
This definitely sounded like the rambling of someone who'd been trapped in Hell for hundreds of years.
"Those giant, terrible things in nature that even all the playing fields. Unstoppable forces that make even the strongest people weak and just as helpless as everyone else. That can make the most hidden person rise to power."
It was option one. Charlie wasn't smart enough for world domination.
And now Ben got to sit through a monologue.
"It's crazy to me how just the flap of a butterfly's wings can cause a tornado across the world. Do you think I could do that? I mean... do you think you could do that?" He spoke slowly and casually, keeping his eyes pinned on Ben.
"What are you saying?" Ben mumbled, raising an eyebrow.
"I'm saying," Wrath said slowly, "that you're not seeing the full picture. You're a mortal, Ben, and you're capable of harnessing the weather. Capable of... severing heads with a flick of your finger and you're capable of knowing who goes to Heaven or Hell."
Ben decided to play along with whatever the other wanted. He wasn't scared, didn't worry that he might die in the next second. In fact, he wanted to take Wrath on. Wanted to show the Overseers that Ben wasn't someone they could mess with.
"Lift your hand," said Wrath, grinning, "and make a shield."
It was almost like he wanted Ben to know he was in there.
Either way, he raised his hand and put his focus into creating a shield. It was a strange process - one might think it didn't take much thought to just conjure up a shield, but it took a great amount of concentration and pure will to bring one to existence. Though it was gradually getting easier.
A grey shield about the size of a dinner plate soon appeared, hovering at his hand. He sucked in a sharp breath and looked at it before glancing back at the possessed boy.
The other lifted a hand slowly, gently placing his own hand against Ben's. There was the soft sizzle of flesh, making Ben flinch and draw his hand back.
The shield was now black, radiating and vibrating the color. Ben became mesmerized, watching it silently.
"I'm going to Hell," Charlie said, and Ben lifted his gaze to look the other in the eyes. It was Charlie who'd said that. The look of pain in his eyes, the sad edge to his tone. It was Charlie - the boy who didn't want to go to Hell.
"Everyone can change," Ben muttered. Ewan had told him that - or, at least, that Ben could change.
This earned a snarky snort from Charlie, now back to Wrath, the devious glint in his eyes. He rolled his eyes. "I can't change, Ben. Not the Ira - no, in fact, not any Overseer can change. I live because I never changed. Because I'm still the same angry person I was when I died and when I was in Hell for one thousand, eight hundred years. I'm the same person I was when I possessed Charlie." He went quiet, then shrugged. "However, I have gained different ideas. Different plans for my future - your future, specifically, Ben. Ewan's future. Th -" He took in a slow breath, whispering, "The world's future."
"Because you're possessed," Ben said flatly. "I'm shocked."
Wrath narrowed his eyes. "Oh, don't be so sarcastic. Surely it wasn't that obvious. He was talking to me the whole time, telling me everything about you, Ben. And frankly, I think he's wrong about a lot of things."
"Like what?"
"He said you're not into world domination but you know what I think?"
Ben rolled his eyes. He didn't care what Wrath thought. Didn't care, in fact, about what Wrath planned on doing. He just cared about sending him back to Hell.
Ben growled, "What do you want, Wrath?"
"I want you to see the whole picture, Ben, the big picture. I want you to know that your life is no longer limited to just some high school student - in fact, Ben, it's no longer limited to helping some pathetic demon do something for God. It can be about you and me. And controlling the entire world. Having it at our fingertips," he growled, holding out his hand. "It's about us being stronger than anything or anyone."
In return, Ben said nothing. Rather, he raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms, waiting.
Charlie - the Ira - raised an eyebrow in return. "Well?" he asked.
"You'll have to try harder than that," said Ben, narrowing his eyes. "I don't just want to take over the world. No one without a God complex does. In fact," he continued in monotone, "nothing about taking over the world interests me."
Wrath scoffed. "Oh, I doubt that. Everyone wants to take over the world."
"I'd rather not," Ben muttered. He looked out at the horizon again before glancing back at Wrath. "Are you done?"
Wrath, for some reason, was not as angry as Ben had anticipated. In fact, he grinned coolly in response to Ben's words. "This isn't going to end how you want it to. You think Ewan has a shred of care for you, don't you? You think he looks at you and thinks, 'That's a man I'd like to be with'? You think this is going to end with you and Ewan running off into some make believe sunset and maybe, just maybe, he'll stay with you long enough for you to think your life has worth. But Ben, Ewan doesn't care. You're a means to an end. He doesn't know anything about you and frankly, you don't know anything about him."
A blatant lie that Ben's head burned at.
He knew that Ewan didn't like the fact that Ewan grinned when something was funny or when it wasn't because he didn't like being awkward.
He knew that Ewan liked the idea of how many different cultures there were and wanted to travel the country.
He knew that Ewan licked his lips when he was nervous.
He knew that Ewan hated his job in Hell although he would never explicitly state it, just as he knew that Ewan thought he deserved his spot in Hell even though he didn't.
He knew that the only thing Ewan hated more than the idea of Ben getting hurt was hurting someone else beyond repair. Just like he'd done with Charlie.
And he knew that Ewan wanted to be with Ben.
"That isn't true," Ben whispered. It shouldn't be getting to him. It was more than obvious that this was just a ploy to get him to switch sides, just a way to get him to take over the world with the Overseer, but Ben couldn't help but consider what he was saying. Couldn't help but think that maybe... maybe he was right. And Ewan was only being friendly because he needed Ben.
The wind picked up, throwing Ben's hair around as his mind whirled.
"Well, he's a demon, Ben. Do you know what happens to demons once they're done with their job?" A hesitation for suspense, and then, "They disappear. They're gone. Normal demons and Devil-made demons are meaningless once they've completed their mission. Ewan is no different."
There was a hollow creak from the door they'd come from.
Ewan stood there with fear and anger in his eyes. As if the mere presence of Wrath made him sick and deranged with suppressed rage.
"The man of the hour!" called the Ira, grinning wickedly.
"If you hurt Ben, I'll kill you."
"That's funny," interrupted the Ira, "because just this morning you were talking about helping me kill him. And then that evolved into you telling me - what was it, to take away everything Ben loved? So that he'll work with me."
Ben felt a yank at his heart as he and Ewan made eye contact. The look in his eyes spoke volume but Ben didn't understand. He bit his lip, switching his gaze to the Overseer.
"Shut up, Nathaniel," hissed Ewan, though his speech was slurred. He looked drunk. Shaking, he raised a hand, perhaps to use his powers, but Nathaniel snapped his fingers and Ewan screamed in pain, his arm twisting until bone showed.
"Stop," Ben uttered. His voice was carried in the wind.
"Ewan, I know that all you want to do is go back to Hell," Nathaniel said sympathetically. "I know that you would give anything to return to Aliyah, to being top demon so that nothing gets in the way of you being Satan's favorite. And there's no shame because that's what every demon wants and you... you're no different. But the problem - the problem is that you're stuck here forever if Ben goes my path. And maybe that's what you deserve. Maybe that's what Ben thinks you deserve."
"What are you doing?" Ben repeated, voice breathy. He took a step forward, but Nathaniel lifted a hand, throwing it to the side. A belt of metal pried itself off the roof and wrapped itself around Ben's waist, hurling him to the ground and locking it there.
It cut into his hips with every squirm, but Ben tried to get himself loose.
"Maybe you deserve to be here forever for poor Ben. Maybe you deserve for The Devil to know that you failed, Ewan... That you really can't do anything right."
"I know," murmured Ewan. It looked like he was becoming paralyzed - his body was becoming rigged, and soon he collapsed, his back hitting the door he'd come from.
The two clashed gazes and Ben tried to get up, to get to him, but he couldn't move.
"Ben," said Nathaniel with finality, turning to him. Tears brimmed in Charlie's eyes but his expression remained careless. "Let's reconsider that offer, hm?"
"What the Hell did you do to him?" Ben seethed.
"That," Nathaniel began, "was a little trick I've got up my sleeve. Something that might... flap the butterfly's wings, actually." He took in a breath through his nose, clasping his hands. "I'm a talker - I think The Devil knew that, and he... gave me the ability to paralyze and control minds. Just by telling my funny little stories. Which, admittedly, I'm very good at. I like talking."
Ben didn't reply and rather began to try to get the metal off himself.
"For example," continued Nathaniel, drawing Ben's attention, "I could tell Ewan to... burn the body he's possessing. And you know, I know that he'd feel that. But I don't think you need any more motive than what you've just heard."
He was paralyzing Ewan by talking. And the longer he spoke, the more of a chance there would be that he'd make Ewan hurt himself.
Ben needed to get this metal off of him, but how? He couldn't levitate like Ewan could, and he couldn't bend metal.
Which begged the question, how powerful were the shields?
"So what'll it be, Ben? Are you going to stay defending this piece of shit demon that turned against you? Or are you going to whip up a brutal storm that... that might just take everyone out in here. But what's the harm? You'll get to rule the world, Ben." He clicked his tongue. "Unless you want Ewan to burn himself."
"Don't," choked Ben. "God, don't..."
"God can't help you now, Ben," Wrath teased, shrugging. He approached Ben, squatting in front of him. "The only person that can help you is yourself... and me." He let out a huff, standing up. "Maybe we can start with words. I love words. How about... your mom? We can start talking about her."
"Shut up," seethed Ben.
"Charlie's told me all about your mom," Nathaniel continued. A tear slipped down his cheek and he wiped it away in aggravation. "Told me she was such a lovely woman and he told me he knows about Tiana. Tiana... she was supposed to stay hidden from the public because, what, your father was ashamed that you couldn't handle yourself on your own? Or was he ashamed because he couldn't handle a son on his own? Why would he create a puppet that died every six months, Ben, what's the point?"
Rain began to drizzle. The wind was picking up to the point where Ben's hair was getting in his face and Charlie's hair was getting matted down by the rain. And Nathaniel grinned.
Ben couldn't tell what were tears and what was rain.
He knew he was getting the upper hand but Ben couldn't help it. His heart was filled with rage at the mere mention of Tiana, at the mention of the beautiful, innocent woman.
"Maybe he just wanted you to suffer," Nathaniel mused. "Or maybe he doesn't care enough to give you an actual mother?"
A thumping on the door only fueled his anger.
"Or was it because your dad didn't actually ever care about you at all, Ben?" whispered Nathaniel. He made it sound like an afterthought. Curiously, he raised an eyebrow, turning to Ben.
"Shut up!" yelled Ben.
He'd lifted a hand, just as he had last time to save Ewan, but this time he didn't have saving in mind. He had pain in mind. He had survival in mind and vengeance.
Ben heard a weak gasp and his gaze nervously lifted to Nathaniel.
Charlie's body dangled mid-air, suspended by a wind that whipped his shirt around, and he gasped for air. But it was only Charlie who needed air. Nathaniel, still able to control the body despite its need for air, lifted a hand.
Two more pieces of metal shot up from the roof, this time flying towards Ben with no sense of direction.
He screamed in pain, feeling the metal slide through his arm and latch to the roof. His body trembled as he resisted the urge to cry, rather glaring at Nathaniel. After a pause from the other man, two distinct snaps were heard, and Ben's fingers snapped in half. He groaned, pain flooding his body.
The wind was stronger now, but Charlie could breathe and he was planted on the floor. Plants got ripped from the railings, flying over the edge.
"Maybe you are a lost cause, Ben," said Nathaniel, approaching the other. He was calm and casual, a vast contrast to the weather. "To your dad. But you know who'll stick with you to the end? Well, me. But you know who really wants to?"
He didn't even have to say it. Ben's gaze flicked to Ewan, who still lay against the door, looking terrified and brain-dead at the same time.
"Ewan would love to. Shame he'll be gone once you've finished the Enchantment. I won't be, though, Ben." Nathaniel gripped Ben's chin, forcing him to look at him. "I'll still be alive once he's gone. Well once he's gone. Ezra, Gabrielle... even Charlie will all be dead, and I'll still be here. Waiting for you to understand that you want to rule the world."
It began raining hard. Ben was panting in pain and despair, body trembling as he looked at Nathaniel. The rain started off as gentle pellets and quickly escalated to what felt like hail against his skin.
He didn't reply and rather held his glare to Nathaniel, spitting out rain. Everything was blurry. Everything was crooked and wrong and Ben couldn't even think about getting up to fix it. He blinked back rain absently, spitting it out onto the boy's face in rage.
"Fine," Nathaniel growled. It looked like something had gone wrong but Ben couldn't put the pieces together. The demon spread his arms out, completely drenched with rain. "Fine! Ben, I can control you in other ways, if not by some vocal hypnosis. I know where your heart is and I will rip it out of you."
He whirled to face Ewan. "Ewan! Ewan... Set your left hand on fire for us, please?"
"No!" yelled Ben.
Thunder cracked, lightning struck, and the wind barreled through the air, shattering the sunroof. Glass rained down on the inside, and Ben gasped, trying to pull himself up. That only resulted in the rods shifting in his arms and pain surged through him again.
He couldn't hear anything from below, meaning either everyone was injured or everyone was safe.
A tree nearby caught on fire and Ben flinched, glancing out to find absolutely no one.
Everyone was still inside.
His gaze redirected to Ewan, who lifted his hand and went to catch it on fire. The fire ignited, engulfing his hand, and Ben screamed.
But it only lasted a second. The rain doused the fire, leaving Ewan staring at his hand trying to ignite it over and over again, but failing.
Nathaniel scoffed, blinking away the rain. "Fine! You don't have to agree. I'll just kill them all and again, no matter what, you'll be left with no one! Only me and the idea that we can rule this world together! We can make a better world for these damn mortals who don't know what they're doing because they've never had the opportunity to mess things up so badly!"
He lifted a hand. Metal began ripping itself off the roof, molding into tiny bullets that hovered in the air. It felt like everything was in slow motion as more bullets collected until it looked like a swarm of bees.
"Don't do this," Ben choked out. He couldn't move, could hardly breathe at this point, and there was nothing he could do to save the people inside.
"This is all for you, Ben," growled Nathaniel, hand lifted in the air. "We're going to build something beautiful once it's all over. Once you realize your potential, it'll be wonderful. You and I, controlling the world, making it better, making it-"
The door burst open, Ewan collapsing to the side. There stood Ezra, cane in hand, eyes glowing the same green from before. He looked like he understood without needing to see anything.
Ben trembled, spitting out rain and watching Ezra with wide eyes. He was possessed, too. His mind went blank and his heart began to pound even faster, body shaking.
Everyone was going to die.
"Stop," commanded Ezra. His green, sightless eyes looked absently into the hoard of bullets.
"How are you going to stop me?" Nathaniel scoffed, spreading out his arms. "I am the Ira, Overseer of Wrath, and you're - well, I'm not sure who you are. You're a human - how do you plan on stopping me, hm?"
"I'm Ezra Martin," he said firmly. "And I'm possessed by Gregory - the Avaritia." He lifted his head, practically surging with confidence that Ben never knew was possible. "The Overseer of Greed."
This gave Nathaniel pause, his shirt whipping around as he looked at the other. "Then what the Hell are you doing?"
"I'm in control," Ezra said, beginning to approach the other. "And I'm here to make you quit. Because what you're doing here - well, frankly, it isn't right. Ben should make his own choices. And I don't think he wants to take over the world."
Nathaniel let out an unamused chuckle. "And what are you going to do to stop me?"
"I... I'll do something bad," Ezra explained.
Ben sighed through his nose.
"Gregory," Nathaniel said slowly. He shook his head. "I'm going to make sure there's nothing left of your host, and-"
Plants shot from their pots and thick vines wrapped around Nathaniel's throat and mouth, silencing him. The vines tightened, cutting off his air. The man struggled and writhed, squirming in his binds, and Ezra approached him, cane tapping.
"I am Ezra," he repeated slowly. "I'm in control. Quit hurting him or I'll make sure there's nothing left of your Enchantment."
Nathaniel glared more intensely. He couldn't speak, but he didn't drop the bullets.
Rather, he snapped his finger. The sharp sound was heard regardless of the rain, thunder, and screaming. It was heard over Ben's pounding heart.
A bullet tore itself away from the rest of them and a hollow thump indicated it had met its mark.
Ezra collapsed to his knees, blood beginning to pour from his stomach. The bullet had ripped through his shirt, through his skin, through his stomach, and now it clattered to the ground in front of Ben. He panted, looking at the bloody piece of metal, and then he looked at his friend.
His heart rose in his throat and he couldn't breathe.
Ezra extended his hand, clenching his fists. With a breath, he made the vines tighten enough that a crack was heard. The sound of the Enchantment shattering wherever it was on his body. Black smoke billowed from him, rocketing into the Enchantment that was broken now until there was nothing left but Charlie's unconscious body and Ezra's broken one.
The storm whirled and intensified as Ben felt his body tremble. Felt his mind snap with rage and pain.
I can help him, thought Ben, I can heal him. I just need to get out of this metal.
Sputtering and coughing caught Ben's attention, and he watched as Ewan pried himself to his feet and began stumbling over to Charlie, clutching his hand. It still must have burned, but not as bad as it could have.
He fell to his knees in front of the other, patting him down until he found the Enchantment in Charlie's waistline. With a grunt, he ripped it off. As the chain snapped, Charlie's unconscious body relaxed.
Maybe he was dead.
Ewan smashed the Enchantment against the ground in rage, breaking it further before it was nothing but a mess of glass and colors. They spilled from it, oozing until it evaporated just as quickly.
"Help Ezra," choked out Ben.
Ewan glanced over to the other. He gave a firm nod, tears brimming in his eyes, and he got to his feet only for the two of them to discover Ezra had vanished.
Ben heard his ears ringing as his eyes glanced around for any sign that Ezra had ever been there at all, but there was nothing.
The storm was still going crazy, illuminating Ewan's silhouette as he approached Ben. The other slowly sat down in front of him and took in a deep breath.
"I'm sorry I didn't help," he whispered, spitting out rain. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I didn't mean to give him that idea, I didn't want to help him, I just didn't - I didn't want you to worry, Ben, I-I didn't want you to get involved because I thought I could handle it. I thought I could f-finish the job or something, I-"
"It's okay... I understand," Ben breathed. He swallowed weakly, wanting to go and comfort the other, but he couldn't move. "Get these out of me." He nodded to the rods in his arms.
The other nodded shakily. With a deep breath from both of them, Ewan ripped both rods out of Ben's arms. It didn't hurt as badly as Ben thought it would, and once they were out, Ewan took both of Ben's hands in his own.
That hurt. His broken fingers shifted painfully, and he grimaced as a grey light shone from between both of their fingers until his bones, his arms, and Ewan's hand was healed.
Ben lifted his gaze, soon, and he looked at the other. Ewan looked as exhausted as Ben felt.
The two shared a second before Ewan cleared his throat.
"You're... not mad?" he asked tentatively.
"I didn't say that," Ben teased, tilting his head and resting it on his shoulder. His body was felt heavy and all he wanted to do was sleep.
"You didn't have to," Ewan replied, grinning tiredly.
Ben sighed through his nose, directing his gaze to the other's lips. He knew it was a bad idea. He knew he just needed to stay away from a relationship like this with Ewan. But he couldn't. It felt impossible to look at Ewan like this and to have Ewan look at him like this and not kiss him.
"This looks like it has potential to be very romantic," Ewan admitted, reaching a hand up and stroking the others cheek. Ben leaned into his touch, drawn from his thoughts.
"So we should..."
"Wait," Ewan said firmly yet lovingly, pressing his finger against Ben's lips. "We should wait until you know for sure I'm worth it."
Ben didn't want to wait. He wanted to kiss Ewan and close his eyes and know it wasn't Stirling and just bathe in the idea that he was with someone who wanted him just as badly as he wanted them... Probably.
Gradually, he leaned back, feeling the metal shift against his waist.
"Shoot," Ben whispered, remembering he was trapped under metal. He glanced around for something to get it off of him with, but there was nothing on the roof but more metal.
This sparked a small giggle from Ewan, and he looked around as well, but there was nothing for either of them.
The door burst open, then, to reveal Gabrielle. She was drenched in rain, and she had a black eye as well as bruises here and there, likely from the hail. It took her a very quick second to understand what had happened, and quickly she approached the two of them.
"Is everyone okay?" she asked, gripping the metal around Ben's waist and effortlessly drawing it out of the ground.
Ben sighed, standing up shakily. "Everyone but Ezra. He... He's possessed and he's hurt. But he's... he's gone."
"Who's he possessed by?" Ewan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Gregory," Ben said slowly, looking Ewan over curiously. "You didn't hear?"
Ewan shook his head. "No. I only know bits and pieces of what he said. How he wanted you to rule the world for him, how he started talking about your parents... And then Ezra came, but that's all I really remember." He shrugged.
So Ewan didn't know about his fate once the Enchantment was completed. He didn't know he'd be dead and gone right after it all.
"Did I miss something?" Ewan asked, drawing Ben from his thoughts.
The lie rolled off of his tongue like pins and needles. "Not really."
Ewan looked curious, but he glanced at Gabrielle. "Is everyone okay down there?"
"Yeah," she said. Elizabeth spoke. "Ezra... stopped the glass from hitting everyone. I was coming up here to tell everyone he might be possessed. But everyone left and as far as I know, they're safe."
Ben sighed in response before clearing his throat. "We should find Ezra," he said. "He won't survive long on his own out there. Not with a bullet in his... his stomach."
Ewan shook his head. "Gregory has the ability to give or take immortality. He was really useful when it came to keeping demon's alive after punishment or making mortals suffer if he went to the Surface, and I guess now he'll be useful in keeping Ezra alive."
"Why wouldn't he just kill him? Get a more healthy host?" asked Elizabeth.
Ben sighed through his nose, casting her a sharp look. She looked remotely guilty but kept her gaze on Ewan.
"Because he's the Avaritia. He's the Overseer of Greed. He'll do everything in his power to keep what's his alive." Ewan cleared his throat and Ben knew it was a lie. He felt the sinking in his chest and the pressing headache.
"I think we should go home for now," said Ewan. He put his hands in his pockets. "Sleep."
But Ben wouldn't be able to sleep. Not with Ezra out there with a bullet in his chest, possessed by a man that might not even keep him alive.
"What about Charlie?" asked Elizabeth.
Her voice was faint, and Ben didn't hear Ewan's answer because he pushed past both of them and headed out. He had to find Ezra. He just needed to find him and make sure he was safe. He needed to rip Gregory out of him and make sure his friend was fine.
A firm hand on his chest stopped him. Ben kept his gaze on the ground.
"Look at me," he said firmly. But Ben couldn't, not when he knew something Ewan couldn't, and not when Ewan knew something Ben didn't want to know. So Ewan lifted his chin until the two were looking at each other. "Listen. Ezra will survive tonight." Ewan made sure they kept eye contact. "Am I lying?"
There was no pain. No headache and no piercing in his chest. Just the thumping of his heart and the adrenaline coursing through him since the fight.
"No," he choked out. He shook his head reluctantly. "N-No, you're not..."
"So come home with me," Ewan said slowly, "and sleep. It's almost one in the morning."
Ben breathed out a chuckle. The idea of sleep was outrageously tempting.
Eventually, he nodded. "Alright," he mumbled.
Ben fell onto the bed after climbing through the window. He listened as Ewan stuttered out an American-accented apology to Stirling's parents, who only preached about how worried they had been and still were.
After about ten minutes, Ewan entered the room and shut the door behind himself, sighing in exhaustion. He collapsed onto the bed, rubbing his face.
Ben sat down beside him, drawing his knees up to his chest.
Ewan propped himself up on his elbows, looking up at the other. He didn't say anything and only set his head on his shoulder.
The two shared a gaze, and Ben couldn't help but frown. Ewan was perfect. Perfect for Ben, the perfect person, perfect... all around.
But he was a demon and he was going to die once the Enchantment was complete. And he wouldn't be able to handle the abandonment and the dread of his first true love leaving and dying.
"What are you thinking about?" asked Ewan. His voice was soft, so soft it almost seemed like he only mouthed the words.
"Us," whispered Ben after a beat.
"Why?" Ewan said, sitting up straight. He crossed his legs and watched Ben with a concerned look.
It would have been a good time to tell Ewan what Nathaniel had said. But he couldn't. His mouth felt dry and his throat felt tight - it felt impossible to deliver that news. Especially at 2 in the morning when all they both wanted to do was probably cuddle and sleep.
"You were willing to give up your status in Hell for me," Ben grinned. He licked his lips, shifting until he was under the covers. "That was very heroic of you."
The other looked hesitant, but he soon got under the covers as well and lay down as the little spoon for Ben. Ben smiled faintly and buried his nose in Ewan's - or, Stirling's hair.
"You're worth it," breathed Ewan. "You're so worth it."
The entire situation was strange and unnerving when his eyes were open. But as always, when he closed his eyes, it was Ewan there. Not Stirling's possessed corpse.
"And just so you know," murmured Ewan, letting out a heavy sigh, "when I'm normal, I'll be the big spoon."
Ben felt the breath get knocked out of him. He bit his lip, opening his eyes briefly to look down at Ewan. Should he say something? He couldn't. There was nothing to say. Not right now. Things were good between the two of them, on a different sort of level that Ben hadn't had in a long time. He didn't want to mess that up.
So he closed his eyes and held Ewan tighter, wrapping his arm around the other's waist, his other arm resting under the pillow.
The room grew warmer as Ben fell asleep.