Chapter Text
“You know, I really think you’re more awful than I am. And I’m a demon.”
The implicitly-not-a-demon cackled, tossing his head back. “Impressive, huh? They really don’t care, though.”
I’m-a-demon shook his head, rolling his eyes. “Seiji, I’m serious. If you keep this up, you’re gonna Fall.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad –” The demon opened his mouth, but Seiji continued as though he hadn’t – “– I mean, you’re Fallen, Sylas –”
“So I know what I’m talking about!”
“So we’d both be on the same side, right? Nothing between us anymore?” There was a hopeful lilt to the second question, enough that Sylas almost wanted to agree.
Instead, he shook his head. “You don’t get it, Seiji. It’d be worse if you Fell – demons don’t do trust, or friends, or…”
Seiji laughed. “You’re saying it’s worse for a demon to be friends with a demon than with an angel, then?”
“No, I –” Sylas groaned. He knew that the conversation was inexorably progressing towards the point where Seiji decided he had won. There were some things that were simply impossible to argue with him on – he could be stubborn and twisty all at the same time, pressing his point in indefinite permutations until anything Sylas said somehow supported what Seiji already believed.
“Then what is it?”
Sylas took a breath, forcing himself to think calmly. “Look, angel,” he began, knowing Seiji was always mollified when he called him that. “I know you don’t care about any rules in Heaven or Hell. I mean… I know what it’s like up there. Angels don’t do friends either, right?”
Seiji nodded, opening his mouth, but Sylas was just as good at steamrolling over polite conversational openings as Seiji.
“So we’re already doing something that isn’t done. I get that. Nobody Above or Below has what we have.”
Seiji grinned, looking up at Sylas with fluttering eyes, and leaned into Sylas’ shoulder just under his wing. At least Sylas knew what would always make him listen, for real, when he had something important to say. Seiji was definitely listening now, and Sylas smiled right back.
“I know that nothing would convince you to treat me like angels treat demons or like demons treat each other, not even being cast into Hell. Believe me, I wouldn’t even if I could. So… please, Seiji, can’t you understand I don’t want you to get hurt?”
Seiji looked intently at Sylas, taking a deep breath of his own. He seemed to be looking around Sylas, enough that Sylas checked to see if there was something just outside his field of vision. Before he could ask, though, Seiji started talking.
“I get that. I… I dunno how to explain it, though. Sometimes… well.”
He sighed, looking down at the glittering ocean from their cloudy perch.
“This is gonna sound crazy, but sometimes I think the world’s got it backwards. Like I was supposed to Fall instead of you.”
“What, so you’re trying to make up for it?”
“No, no. I mean, if I wanted to Fall, I could. It’s not like I’m doing such a good job angeling that people let what I do slide. But… you’re nice, Sylas. You look at an angel who’s got what you should have and you watch him squander it, and all you’ve got to say about it is you don’t want him to get hurt. Isn’t that the kind of charity that gets humans sent to Heaven?”
“We’re not humans –”
“I know, but… I don’t know. I told you it was crazy. All I have to do to remind myself you’re not missing out on anything Upstairs is picture you reporting to Gabriel.”
He said the name like the filthiest curse imaginable. Sylas nodded grimly.
“Yeah, I remember her.”
“And… I don’t know. Sometimes I think about Heaven, what they want me to do, how they want me to be, and I’m not sure it’s worth it. To hide the kinda guy I really am, deep down. To submit the world’s laziest reports, to kiss Gabriel’s ass…”
Sylas shook his head, nudging Seiji into a more upright position with his shoulder and scooting away.
“What, you think being a demon isn’t a job? You can’t just be… sort of annoying, sort of a bastard, and call it a day! You have to lead humans to ruin, to convince them to be evil and cruel and greedy, and then you have to explain how whatever you did this century corrupted however many of them to – to just the most unpleasant people, Seiji, you’d talk to any of my coworkers for ten minutes and come to me complaining about what a dick they are! And even if you feel like this time you did a good job being evil, that you’re going to send a bunch of humans to Hell, they give you the slimiest and most judgmental look. And –”
He sighed, seemingly running out of steam. Seiji leaned closer, looking up into his face.
“And…?”
Sylas laughed bitterly.
“Well, this is gonna sound petty compared to everything else, but… I’m cold all the time.”
Seiji sat up, raising his eyebrows. “Are you cold now?” He was more serious than he almost ever was, staring at Sylas with an intensity that seemed to pass through his corporation. Sylas blinked and looked away.
“Uh… no? I figured it’s ‘cause you’re around. Angels keep all the warmth to themselves, I guess.”
Seiji looked down at the ocean again. Sylas watched him, waiting for him to explain what he was getting at. He looked serious still, and that bothered Sylas. Not the seriousness itself, but… something under the surface.
“Well,” Seiji finally said with a too-easygoing smile, “guess I’ll have to keep up passing it along to you. Can’t let my best friend freeze.”
Sylas frowned, about to speak up – demons and angels didn’t need to be warm, he wouldn’t actually freeze, so what did Seiji really mean? – and Seiji laughed (again, a little too openly) and started to describe an éclair he’d particularly enjoyed recently. Sylas rolled his eyes. Seiji was never very good at changing the subject.
The sun went down, and by the time it rose again, the winged beings were finally gone.