Chapter Text
The first thing Shane did after he established that Ryan was still Ryan was give him what he’s sure would’ve been a bone crushing hug if he had still had bones to crush.
The believer laughed, a loud, free laughed that he probably hadn’t had a reason for for two long years. He hugged back just as tightly, gripping the back of Shane’s shirt in his fists.
They stayed like that for a long while in the now silent basement, before Shane remembered that he had something he desperately needed to say. He pulled back from the hug regretfully, and looked down at the shorter man.
“I’m so sorry. I should’ve checked here first, I knew you could be here but I hoped-”
Ryan put a hand over his mouth to silence him with a laugh.
“Don’t apologize. I wouldn’t have jumped to this conclusion either. Besides, you’re here now aren’t you? And I’m fine- well, mostly fine. Let’s just enjoy this moment, yeah?”
Shane nodded, relieved he was forgiven but not sure he deserved it. And how special was Ryan Bergara, to be able to forgive a demon? Forgiveness was new to Shane, he had never afforded it or been given it before Ryan. Humans usually sensed there was something wrong about Shane, knew even unconsciously that he was a monster, and even the staunchest preachers of love and forgiveness found themselves holding grudges against him if he did something to earn their ire.
Ryan was different, had always been different. They had barely known each other a week when Shane had stolen Ryan’s lunch out of the fridge. Shane had expected anger, had expected to see Ryans soul darken just a bit, but instead the man had just grinned at him, asked if he had been hungry, and forgiven him almost immediately after the first meaningless sorry that had come out of Shane’s mouth.
His forgiveness was a heady feeling, and Shane found himself doing things to piss him off just so Ryan would forgive him, over and over. It wasn’t until Shane realized he wanted to actually be friends with Ryan, and should therefore probably stop pissing him off, that he had stopped.
It had been a while since Shane had done anything worthy of forgiveness, but it was still just as good of a feeling as he remembered it to be.
Shane put his arm around Ryans shoulders and started steering him towards the stairs.
“Come on, little guy. Let’s get out of this damn house.”
Ryan let out a shaky breath.
“Couldn’t agree more.”
As they walked, Shane told him the truth about the supernatural, how most demons were people that were tortured until they lost their humanity, but some of the higher ups were originally angels. That ghosts were restless souls who hadn’t crossed over yet, that spirits were different and were just echoes of the dead.
He sheepishly admitted to Ryan that he’d been a project, but his soul had been too unwavering no matter what Shane did and the demon had ended up wanting to be friends instead. Ryan had smiled at him, a small, soft smile, and Shane felt that heady rush of forgiveness again.
They exited the house into the cold November morning, and were greeted by an Angel.
Zadkiel. Angel of benevolence, mercy, and freedom. One of the few angels willing to talk to demons, and the one who had told Shane that Ryan wasn’t upstairs.
“Ryan Steven Bergara, I am here to take you to Heaven.”
That stopped the both of them cold. Shane was torn. Of course he wanted Ryan to get to be in eternal paradise, but he had only just gotten him back. There was so much more he had left to say to him, so much more they had left to do.
Shane went through all five stages of grief in about 10 seconds. By the end of those ten seconds, he had accepted that of course Ryan was going to Heaven. A soul that bright didn’t deserve to go anywhere else, and who would pass up eternal paradise? Ryan would obviously choose to go with the Angel, and Shane would likely never see him again. Ryan would be happy. This was fine.
This was not fine.
But what could Shane do? He may be a selfish demon, but there had been one exception to all his demonic behavior and that exception’s name was Ryan Bergara. Were it anyone else Shane would gladly grab him and steal him away from the pearly gates, but Ryan deserved better than that.
Shane had spent two years searching for his friend, only to lose him again minutes after he found him. He should’ve expected this, to be honest. Shane was a demon, and demons don’t get happy endings.
“No.”
Shane looked up sharply at Ryan’s voice. No? What did he mean no? This was Heaven, what many humans spend every day of their lives trying to get into, whether they called it that or not, and Ryan was just turning it down?
“Ryan, what are you doing?”
“I’m not leaving you. You spent two years looking for me, I’m not leaving you minutes after you find me.”
Every time Shane interacted with this human he surprised him even more. Giving up Heaven, just so Shane wouldn’t be alone? He really was too good for this world.
For a moment, Shane was tempted to agree with him. This was his out, a way he could still get what he wanted. But Ryan deserved paradise, deserved to be happy forever, and Shane wouldn’t let him throw it away.
“Ryan, this is eternal paradise. You can’t just pass that up. If you’re happy, I’m happy. That’s all that matters.”
Zadkiel shot them a smile.
“Besides, Shane here isn’t like most demons. I’m sure if I snuck him in every once in a while to visit you it would be fine.”
Ryan looked at them both for a long moment, before he sighed.
“Okay.”
Ryan Bergara died on a Sunday, and went to Heaven on a Thursday. He left behind a demon who had been head over heels in love with him for years, and a world that was just a little dimmer with his loss.
But the world recovered, and the demon visited his believer whenever he could.
Demons don’t get happy endings. This is a fundamental law of the universe.
But this is the closest one would get.