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It was hard to picture Alex as simply human when he slept.
He looked like a perfectly crafted doll, like porcelain but with warm skin tones and straight hair. He seemed to fit in Michael's bed like he was made for it, allowing the mattress and blankets to envelope him. He looked so small, so fragile, so human. But not human. Too pretty to be human. He was like… a fragile fae.
Michael reached out, tracing over his soft yet sharp features. He started at the small bar of metal through his eyebrow, tracing across it down the bridge of his nose that led to the crooked septum ring. He skipped over the piercing in his tongue. His finger followed the line of his jaw and led up to his ear, carefully grazing the curves of it and over the three different piercings in it until he got to his sideburns. He followed across the hollow of his cheek and pressed his finger into his lips. Alex's nose twitched in response and he gave a small little whine. Absolutely not human.
One day he probably wouldn't be human. Michael was still so torn on whether he wanted to change him. On one hand, he wanted Alex forever. On the other, it could go so wrong and he could lose him before he was ready.
Alex breathed in a sharp breath as he woke up, sitting up in alert like he did nearly every single time he woke up. Michael hadn't really asked why, but he could deduce it had something to do with his shitty father. Michael slid his hand across his bare chest and slowly led him back to the bed. He was catching his breath as he laid back, layering his hand over where Michael's laid on his heart to ground himself. It was beating. Michael liked that.
"Good morning, beautiful," Michael said,
"Shut up," Alex grumbled, rubbing his eyes as he calmed down.
"Not a chance," Michael said, leaning forward to kiss his shoulder, "What'd you dream about?"
"I…" Alex breathed, making a face as he thought about it, "Nothing good."
Michael propped himself up on his elbow, peering down at him with intrigue. Alex yawned and Michael rubbed over his chest.
"Tell me about it."
Alex closed his eyes as he thought about it. Michael gave him all the time in the world.
"What does… Do you know what a, a Teme… Temeclus? Temelu…"
"Temeluchus?" Michael filled in, though every bone in his goddamn body hoped he was going to say no. But Alex's eyes opened with recognition.
"Yes, that, what is that? It was in my dreams," Alex explained.
Michael's jaw set and he was out of bed in an instant.
“Michael?” Alex called softly from the bed, but Michael didn’t go back to bed as he quickly went to find his sister.
There was really only one reason why Alex would be dreaming of Temeluchus and it wasn’t good. Not good at all.
“Isobel,” Michael said, pushing open the door of her bedroom and seeing her with a book in hand. She raised an unimpressed eyebrow. “Do you know why Alex is dreaming of Temeluchus?”
She blinked a few times and looked around her bedroom, gesturing to the open space.
“Does it look like I have been summoning demons in my free time?” she asked. Michael narrowed his eyes.
“I thought he was dead.”
“Michael, you should know better than anyone it’s a little harder than that to kill a demon,” she said, not seeming at all phased despite the fact that she should be. This wasn’t just anyone, this was Alex. It wasn’t something to brush off.
“Well, call Max and ask him what the hell is going on,” Michael demanded, slamming the door behind him and heading back to his bedroom. He locked the door behind him and went to the trunk he kept against the wall.
“Michael?” Alex asked again, the sheets rustling. Michael didn’t answer right away as he found a little vile of some special cursed powder one of the witches he’d slept with back in the day gave him. He never thought he’d need to use it, but he quickly pried out the cork and dashed a line in front of the crack beneath the door.
“You’re not going to school today,” he said simply, turning up his nose so he wouldn’t sneeze from that powder that he wouldn’t be able to cross until a human blew it out of the way. Had to have a proper soul to cross it or whatever, that was a part of the curse. Demons didn’t have any of those.
“Excuse me?” Alex asked, sitting up in bed completely, “You really think you can just keep me in bed?”
Michael looked over at him, seeing that, as playful as his words could've been, he wasn’t very playful at all. He looked around the room nonetheless to make sure there was no obvious demon residue before he crawled back into bed. He grabbed Alex’s chin and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips to settle him back in bed.
“Max ‘n the rest of the gang are gonna come over when they can,” Michael told him, cupping his cheek, “But you shouldn’t be dreaming about this demon and I’m not about to make it easier for him to find you.”
Alex’s eyebrows shot up as his hand clasped around Michael’s wrist. “A demon?”
“Yes,” he said, “I’ll explain more when they get here.”
“Explain more now.”
“I don’t want to repeat myself.”
“Then tell Max to repeat you and tell me now.”
Michael huffed a laugh and took a breath in submission. He scooted closer, taking in Alex’s pretty features and trying hard to ignore the images that flooded his mind to show him what would happen if he got possessed. Icy blue eyes, inhuman movements, skin irresistible. Or at least that’s what happened last time he saw someone get possessed by Temeluchus. He didn’t want that in his Alex.
“Temeluchus was an angel once upon a time,” Michael began, dragging his fingers across his soft skin, “He was given the role of being a caretaker and looking over children during birth and infancy, making sure they survived.”
“How did he become a demon after that?” Alex asked. Michael shrugged.
“The lines get blurry. The theory is that children kept dying or being mistreated and he kept getting angrier and angrier, becoming merciless and hateful towards everyone except the children. And then when he was cast down because of his acts, he started becoming vengeful. His attention shifted from human children to Children of Lucifer or Eden. Young demons, fledglings, young witches, things like that.”
“Witches are human.”
“Not quite.”
“Which is why you liked them so much?”
“Hush,” Michael said, smiling as he smoothed out Alex’s accusatory look with his fingers, “He protected them.”
“Well that doesn’t sound so bad,” Alex said, “Protecting people who are lost doesn’t sound bad.”
Michael shook his head, trying to find the right words.
“It’s not quite like that anymore. He… He used to be an angel, so he can read souls so much better than anyone. He can spot something inside of someone that shows potential and he possesses them until they have their awakening. It’s nothing good. He steals their humanity out of spite,” Michael explained, licking his lips as he thought about the last time. He rubbed his eye and scooted closer to Alex. “He can be summoned to find victims for someone.”
Alex was quiet for a moment, piecing together what he said. Michael kept staring and laid his hand on his cheek, fingers idly fiddling with the small hoops in his ear. He wouldn’t say he was scared something bad would happen, but he surely wasn’t about to risk it. Alex was pure and already inhuman enough.
“So… if I’m dreaming about him…”
“Max summoned him back before he regained his soul and during a time when we were being watched heavily, it made it easier because his victims would come to him. I’ve never heard of someone dreaming about him, but I also never asked. I can only assume it’s bad,” Michael filled in as simplistically as he could. Alex furrowed his eyebrows in slight concern.
“Do you think Max summoned him again?” Alex wondered, “I don’t want Max to bite me. If anyone bites me, I want it to be you.”
“I will die before I let him touch you,” Michael promised, his hands dragging slowly over his chest and trying to show just how honest he was. Alex nodded curtly but the concern didn’t leave his face. “I don’t think he summoned him again, but I think Temeluchus finally clawed his way back out from hell. I don’t want to risk it. I don’t want to risk you.”
Alex nodded easily and moved in for a kiss. Michael welcomed it and pushed closer as Alex deepened the kiss with no hesitation. The warm metal in his tongue slid over Michael's before dragging over hidden fangs and he pulled Michael to kiss his neck, all without fear that Michael would do anything he didn't want. They did this often, played this game of showing just how much trust they had. It was one of Michael’s favorite things. It made him feel more alive than he had in centuries.
Michael rolled on top of Alex, feeling his warm skin beneath his hands and letting himself get lost in it. He adored Alex in every way and he wanted to dedicate his life to showing it. He kissed over his collar and his sternum, basking in the way his chest vibrated when he hummed in soft approval. Alex’s black-painted nails scratched over his shoulder blades and into his hair. Michael expected to be led down but instead was pulled back up. Michael laughed softly as he went back to kissing his neck.
“You don’t want more?” Michael asked.
“Don’t stop,” Alex replied, holding his head to his neck. Michael obeyed and dragged his dull, normal teeth over the hollow of his throat. Alex moaned quietly in response.
It didn’t seem too out of the ordinary until Michael tried to move up to kiss his lips again and Alex wouldn’t let him move. Even when he tried to just kiss the other side of his neck or his collar, he wouldn’t let him.
“Alex, what’s wrong?” Michael asked.
“Bite me,” Alex whispered in his ear, voice hot and demanding. However, alarm shot through Michael’s system and he used a little bit of vampiric strength to pull away.
When he looked at Alex’s eyes, they were that icy blue. Michael went completely still.
He should’ve known. Why else would Alex be dreaming of him? He was already here, already taking over the man he loved, already ruining everything. Michael felt nothing but panic, nothing but fear, nothing but anger.
“Get out of him,” Michael instructed, trying to think of any spells or anything all of the witches he’d drained in his life might’ve taught him. He came up with nothing. He just wanted Alex to be Alex.
“Bite me,” Alex’s voice begged, desperation on his features as he tried to pull Michael back down, “Please. I need it.”
Michael pushed himself up and off the bed, mind turning. Where was Mimi when you needed her? He thought about calling for Isobel, running to her room, and asking her to fucking help, but then he remembered the line he put in front of the door. They couldn’t leave. They were stuck there until a human came along.
Michael was fucked.
“Don’t leave,” Temeluchus in Alex’s voice begged, a pout on his pretty face. He seemed even more beautiful than ever. He was already irresistible, but this… This was painful. “Come back.”
Alex’s body crawled towards the edge of the bed, smooth and seductive. Michael pressed his back against the wall. He had to just fight it. Temeluchus’ draw was hard to fight, having spent millennia as an angel and tricking other angels to think he was doing only things for good. His supernatural draw with Alex’s pre-existing beauty and Michael’s inability to tell this man no… Nothing good was going to come from this.
“I need you,” Temeluchus said, batting his eyelashes. Every other blink seemed to change their color, flashing Alex’s expressive eyes just a few times to pull him closer. Michael looked away, murmuring under his breath for someone to come and help. In the centuries he’d been alive, he’d never felt so helpless. “Please? Come touch me, please. It’s so cold.”
“You’re so fucked up."
"Michael?" he called. When Michael couldn't resist and he looked back, Alex's eyes were normal as he sat on the edge of the bed. He looked confused. "Michael, what's going on?"
He eyed him, trying to figure out if this was real or not. Temeluchus wouldn't just leave his body, would he? Michael still kept his distance.
"Did I do something? I don't remember waking up," Alex continued, rubbing his eyes. It looked normal, but how was he supposed to buy that. "Did I talk in my sleep again? C'mere, you're so far."
Michael didn't move closer, too scared that this was a trap. He knew Alex was special but was he special enough to get rid of a demon? He didn't want to risk anything. Maybe one day he'd taste Alex's blood and Alex would taste his, but, on that day, there would be no confusion to be had.
Alex yawned and stretched. Demons didn't do that. Michael let himself relax just a little bit, but he still watched Alex hesitantly.
"Why do you look so scared of me? I'm not scary," Alex teased gently, reaching out his hand towards him, "What, no good morning kisses?"
"You're... You're Alex?" Michael asked hesitantly. Alex quirked an eyebrow in such a distinctly Alex way, too true to be demonic.
"Do you have a concussion? Can vampires get concussions?" Alex wondered, laughing softly, "Yes, I'm Alex, what's wrong with you?"
"Nothing," Michael said, still being careful as he neared him, "Just... Do you remember what you dreamed about?"
"Shut up, come here," Alex said, grabbing him when he was within reach. Michael allowed himself to be pulled close and Alex's bicep wrapped around the back of his neck as he was pulled into a bruising kiss. That alone was a red flag; Alex always liked soft good morning kisses.
"Wait," Michael said, trying to pull away, but Alex had a death grip on him. "Fuck."
"Just kiss me, stop thinking," Alex demanded. Michael reluctantly went along with it, hoping to buy himself some time.
However, that became impossible when Alex reached up and scratched his own neck, the skin splitting too easily. Michael's senses filled with the smell of his blood. It was sweet and he could feel his fangs pressing painfully in his jaw, begging to come out for a taste. He tried to fight it, but Alex guided him to it.
"Just a taste," Alex said, but it wasn't Alex, "I need it. I need it."
And like a dog being punished, Michael's nose was shoved into the blood pooling from the scratch, smearing on his skin. He fought so hard, trying so goddamn hard not to hurt Alex or taint his gorgeous body. But he only had so much self-control when he was being begged and had blood smeared on his skin.
His face transformed and Alex moaned before he could do anything, a subtle way of begging for it. Michael kept trying to fight it, fighting it more as Alex's hand massaged into his scalp.
"That's it," Alex said, pushing his face into his neck even more. Instinct warred inside Michael before eventually, it won as his fangs touched his blood.
And he bit him.
His hands pressed into Alex’s bare back, pulling him impossibly close as he sunk his teeth into his flesh. He was warm and inviting because it was Alex’s body before it was Temeluchus’ and Michael was welcome there always. Alex’s voice whispered words of encouragement, little moans, and uncontrolled breaths. His blood was sweet, sweeter than any human he’d ever tasted, and so distinctly addictive. It was the best thing he’d ever tasted. And Michael hated himself for it.
He found strength in the memory of Alex’s trust and pulled away after a few seconds, quickly wiping the blood from his mouth so he could try to subside the temptation. Tears burned at his eyes as he looked at his neck, quickly pressing his hand there to stop the bleeding. The more he focused on Alex’s wellbeing, the more panic took over his vampiric instincts.
“No, no, no,” Michael said, hoping he hadn’t consumed enough. Alex was pure. Whatever Temeluchus saw in him to possess him meant nothing. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean it.”
“So sweet,” Temeluchus said. When Michael looked at his eyes, they looked like Alex’s. Why was he doing that? Why was this monster destroying the image of Alex’s eyes?
Michael tried to pull out of his death grip before anything worse happened, but then Temeluchus grabbed his arm with inhuman strength and tugged it up to Alex’s pretty mouth, that pretty piece of metal in his tongue swiping over the sensitive skin of the inside of his wrist. If Michael really focused, he could see his lips were still pristine and perfect in direct contrast to the blood covering his neck and dripping down his neck. He was too pretty.
“Shh,” Alex’s voice said when Michael tried to fight his grip. He didn’t want this. He wasn’t ready for his Alex to be gone.
“Please,” Michael begged, feeling extra pathetic but he didn’t care. He was desperate. “Please, I’ll do whatever you want, just don’t turn him. Don’t turn him. He’s pure. Don’t do this, please.”
Icy blue took over Alex’s eyes, flickering up to Michael’s as he hovered over his exposed wrist. Michael could still taste that sweet blood, but it paled in comparison to the sheer guilt that Michael harbored. He blinked away tears and silently prayed to a god that he didn’t believe in that Alex would still be human when this was over.
“Anything?” Temeluchus asked.
“Anything,” Michael confirmed. He seemed to weigh the proposition and Michael didn’t waver. He would easily make a deal with the devil if it meant keeping Alex safe and alive and warm. But a sinister smile found his face, distorting Alex’s features in a way they should never.
“Cute. But Maxwell is much better at making deals,” Temeluchus said. Michael didn’t get a moment to even register the rejection before blunt teeth dug into the side of his wrist impossibly hard, puncturing his skin with an audible pop. It was the most painful thing he’d felt in a while.
Again, he was faced with his instincts warring against his morals. Monstrous instincts found the entire scene unforgivably sexy. If Alex had been there mentally, drinking from him on purpose and with conviction, it would’ve been perhaps too addictive to even handle. But morals wouldn’t let that happen. He was overwhelmed and terrified. He pushed and pulled and couldn’t seem to get him to let go.
Temeluchus didn’t let go until the door opened, humans standing on the other side. It was only then that Michael remembered that their relationship wasn’t common knowledge. Horror painted over all of their faces at the scene that they didn’t understand. All they saw was Michael’s teeth bared and Alex covered in blood. He was helpless.
Temeluchus pushed him away, acting scared as Max grabbed Michael and threw him into the opposite wall, giving him what he needed for his fangs to retract entirely. Liz, Maria, and Kyle rushed to Alex’s body, trying to cater to him as Temeluchus acted upset. Alex was covered in blood, a mix of Michael’s and his own and it was so unbelievably sexy. He couldn’t help but wish the situation was different so he could really appreciate the sheer beauty that Alex Manes radiated at all times.
“Get away from him!” Michael yelled, “That’s not Alex!”
They all either looked at him in disgust or ignored him, tending to Alex as best they could. They covered up his shirtless body and tried to make sense of the bite on his neck. And Michael understood. With the look Temeluchus had on his face, it was entirely believable. But Max had his arm wedged under Michael’s chin, pinning him to the wall by his neck.
"What the fuck have you done?" Max growled, but Michael didn't pay him any mind. He watched Alex's body and knew that if they just paid attention they could tell the movements weren't his. Alex had been hurt before, but when had he ever acted like a victim?
"He bit me," Temeluchus cried, but no tears were in sight, "It hurts."
"It's Temeluchus," Michael said, not beating around the bush any longer, "It's Temeluchus, he possessed Alex."
The room fell silent, confusion from the humans and sheer anger from Max. He didn't believe him, but Michael didn't care. He knew the truth. And the truth was someone had invaded Alex's body.
"It doesn't matter," Max said, pressing him harder into the wall, "You still bit Alex."
"You of all people should know it's not easy to get away from him!" Michael said, struggling against his hold, "This is your fault! He's here because of you! He stole Alex because of you!"
"Shut up," Max snapped.
"Who's Temeluchus?" Liz demanded, Slayer instincts kicking in as she eyed Alex's body. He still was fake crying, but it seemed more obvious than it did before that something was off. "Max, who's Temeluchus?"
Silence.
"An angel," Max said eventually.
"A demon ," Michael corrected, seething, "One that you summoned."
"Years ago! And I killed him!" Max argued. Michael scoffed and shook his head.
"It wasn't good enough," Michael said, looking back over to Alex's body that was still not his, "Alex, love, if you can hear me, fight it, okay? Fight it all. I know you can."
"Love?" Kyle echoed. He seemed to be the last one to put it together, but the first to say it out loud. Michael didn't even care as he fought Max's grip on him.
"Alex," Michael said again as Max shoved him harder into the wall, "Fight it. Fight him. Don't let him take over."
There was a distinct moment that it became clear that's exactly what he was doing.
Temeluchus snapped his head up, no longer pretending to cry and his eyes such a strong blue that it was impossible to mistake it as anything other than what it was. He was pissed.
"Oh, shit," Liz breathed.
"Maxwell, long time no see. You've been missed," Temeluchus said, still holding Alex's voice captive, "It was cute, really, thinking you could get away from me. You think you're so strong."
"I did get away from you," Max said, still taking out his anger on Michael. He had him pinned so harshly his feet didn't even reach the floor. Thankfully, he didn't really need to breathe. "I killed you."
"You can't kill me," Temeluchus laughed, "How pathetically arrogant must you be to think you could?"
"Let him go," Michael said. Liz and Maria were watching intently, clearly conflicted because they couldn't just beat him up or cast a spell. This was different. It was still Alex's body. "Just, just get out."
"Oh, I could, but where would the fun in that be?" Temeluchus said, slipping off the bed. He was still covered in blood, shirtless and wearing nothing but a pair of Michael's night pants he'd gotten back in the 1960s when a young witch who had a thing for the counter culture of the time had taken a liking to him. They were Alex's favorite and they had blood on them. God, how much did he drink from Alex, did Alex drink from him, to get it on those pants? "Besides, this body is quite welcoming. Was far too easy to slip in without you noticing. Usually causes a scene."
Michael felt like everything was tainted by this. When had Alex stopped being Alex and had started being Temeluchus? Was he Alex when he first woke up? Was he Alex last night? What had Michael done to him without his explicit consent other than that horrific bite?
"Far too open and easy, truly," Temeluchus said, his fingers trailing over the blood on Alex's chest before bringing them to his mouth to lick them clean, "If I wasn't mistaken, I'd think he was born a vessel and not quite human at all."
Michael's stomach dropped and felt frozen with fear for the first time in a long time. It was impossible not to think of how insistent he'd been when he first met Alex that he wasn't human, how his blood didn't taste human.
"Oh," Temeluchus feigned a gasp, his hand touching his bottom lip dramatically, "That might be your fault. How romantic; you've awoken something in him with that blood of yours."
"What is he talking about?" Maria asked. Michael kept staring and he didn't really have an answer. He didn't know. All he knew was that this was bad. If Alex was genuinely susceptible to possession, how did they get him out?
"Don't worry," Temeluchus said, "It'll be fun tearing you all apart in this pretty little body you're too scared to harm. Revenge at its finest, Maxwell."
"Alex," Michael said, resorting to begging out of pure desperation, "Push him out. If you're unnaturally open, you can be unnaturally closed. Push him out, love. I know you can. You're so strong."
Max responded to that by slamming him into the wall again.
Except Temeluchus only seemed to get angrier, breathing heavier and more unnatural than before. He rolled his shoulders, fidgeting like he was struggling to fit comfortably inside Alex's body. All that told Michael was that it was working.
But then things happened a little too fast.
Temeluchus seemed to be fighting to stay inside Alex and it was a losing battle. As his head tilted, a clear sign he was about to be expelled from his system, Isobel appeared. She snapped her fingers and, with a little gesture of her hand, Temeluchus fit right back into Alex's body and he was forced to sit down in a chair. Isobel tossed a rope into the air and that too instantly went around him, tying Alex to it. Michael fought against Max all over again.
"What are you doing?!" Michael yelled, "He was leaving!"
"And then we lose him and he hurts someone else," Isobel said, "We keep him in Alex until we find a way to kill him."
"The longer he stays in Alex, the more Alex gets hurt," Michael pointed out. Isobel raised a bored eyebrow.
"Then you should've prepared him," she said. Tears burned in his eyes and, for the first time, he genuinely regretted being with Alex. As much as he loved him, it wasn't worth this. It wasn't worth his life.
"I didn’t know this would happen!" Michael snapped, voice thick with tears, “He’s just human!”
"Yes, well,” Isobel said, “He was. Then you bit him, which is absolutely your own fault.”
Michael groaned, a tear falling as he slammed his head against the wall hard enough to make a dent. He just wanted to go back to normal, back to laying in bed with Alex’s cuddly self and drowning in his kisses. He wasn’t ready to give that up yet. He wished he would’ve been warned. He would’ve savored it more.
“Tie him up too,” Liz instructed and no one even questioned it as Max went to haul Michael towards the living room. Kyle and Maria did the honors of moving Temeluchus in Alex’s body to the living room.
“Seriously?” Michael asked as they threw him in a chair. Max tied him so tight, he could feel the rope digging into his skin. He was too drained to even fight against it. He just wanted Alex.
“You bit Alex, I don’t care if he was possessed or not, it’s still his body that’s affected,” Liz said firmly, “You tricked him into trusting you and then bit him the second you got the chance.”
Michael gave a dry laugh and bowed his head. He didn’t bother trying to argue with them and explain what was actually happening. They wouldn’t believe him anyway. He wasn’t trusted even though it’d been nearly a year since he first met them. Why would they believe he and Alex had been together for eight months? Why would they believe that he didn’t want to bite him? Why would they believe that it wasn’t a trick and, if there was a power imbalance to be had, Alex was the one in control? It didn’t matter. It wasn’t their business.
“Can I at least get a rag to wipe my face?” Michael asked.
“Don’t you want to lick it off?” Kyle asked, an accusatory tone in his voice. Michael sighed.
“No, I really don’t.”
They ignored him and formed a tiny circle to whisper about what to do. Michael‘s eyes drifted to Alex’s body. He was limp in his restraints still, probably because of Isobel forcing Temeluchus back into his body so harshly. A new instinct prodded in him, one he hadn’t felt for someone other than Isobel since he was human himself: worry. He wanted to check over him, make sure he was okay. He was going to be so sore after this. Would they let Michael take care of him?
“Alex?” Michael asked softly, ignoring the whispering about what to do from the gang, “Alex, wake up. Wake up, please.”
Groggily, Alex groaned and lifted his head. His eyes were normal, but Michael didn’t trust it. He watched as he looked around barely to get a vague sense of his surroundings. He blinked, his eyebrows furrowed like he was confused and in pain. He looked like Alex. Michael reluctantly let himself enjoy that.
“Morning, beautiful,” Michael said, reaching his foot out. He was too far away, but he could pretend.
“Shut up,” Alex said, voice gravelly even as he gave him a small little smile, “What’s going on? Why am I tied up? Why are you? Who’s blood is this?”
“Alex?” Maria said cautiously. Alex looked at her and seemed to notice they were there for the first time. His eyes widened and he looked to Michael and then back at them.
“Don’t hurt him,” Alex said instantly, “It’s not his fault. I came onto him first.” Michael huffed a laugh and relaxed. Alex was okay. Or, at least, okay enough.
“Alex,” Liz said, “He bit you.”
A series of emotions crossed Alex’s face as he looked at Michael. He looked more confused that Michael would do that when he couldn’t remember than he was hurt or disgusted by the action. But it explained the blood and Alex nodded slowly.
“I don’t feel different,” Alex said, “Just… overwhelmed, overstimulated, maybe.”
“You’re possessed,” Michael said before anyone else could, “Temeluchus. He made me bite you‒you know I wouldn’t without your permission.”
“I know,” Alex said, still looking slightly lost over the overabundance of information, “Temeluchus? Like my dream?”
“You remember?” Michael asked, bubbling with relief to the point he smiled and tried to reach out with his foot again. He wanted to touch him so badly. It was torture. “So you were with me this morning?”
“Yeah, but go back to the possession part,” Alex said, stretching his foot out to knock into Michael’s. It grounded him for all of two seconds before Max stood between them. He was all glares and no remorse.
“Temeluchus is‒”
“A demon, I know, why is he in me, though?” Alex said, leaning as much as he could to get a good view of Michael around Max.
“What’s the last thing you remember?” Michael asked. Alex looked at his friends who still seemed lost on what to do before looking back at Michael.
“Kissing you after you explained Temeluchus to me,” Alex said. It was a relief, honestly. Not everything had to be bad. “But you bit me. Shouldn’t I be changing?”
Again, complete silence. No one knew what was actually happening to Alex. Isobel said he was human until he got bit, but Temeluchus said there was already something within him. It was a button that just needed to be pushed. No one knew anything. He should be changing, but he wasn’t. He didn’t have an answer to that.
“I don’t know, love, I think‒”
Michael was cut off by Alex’s face changing, contorting into a sickening smirk as his eyes turned into that icy blue. Michael stopped smiling. He almost got some semblance of joy, but then he had to have a rude reminder that he wasn’t allowed that.
“You’re right, you know? He’s strong. Young, though. Youngest I’ve ever had the pleasure of being inside,” Temeluchus said, a bragging tone to his voice. So distinctly not Alex.
“My mom’s coming,” Maria said, “She knows more about how to do this without hurting Alex.”
“Humans,” Isobel sighed, “So fragile.”
“How long have you and Alex been seeing each other?” Kyle asked.
“Should I be insulted that we aren’t focusing on me?” Temeluchus said, voice slightly fading. Max glared at him this time. Michael wondered when the guilt would appear in him or when they would talk about how Max summoned a demon. Somehow, his love life seemed drastically less important in comparison to the demonic situation.
“How long?” Liz repeated.
Michael groaned, rolling his head back. The movement pulled on his restraints, making them dig into him more. He winced slightly, but it somehow didn’t hold a candle to the crowd of glaring, self-righteous high schoolers. Isobel had gotten bored early on and wandered into the kitchen for blood, leaving him alone with them.
“Eight months,” Michael said, refusing to show how much it hurt him to share his private life with them, “He stays here most nights since his dad is a goddamn travesty.”
They all stared at him like he’d grown an extra head. He just accepted it and looked back at Alex. He was unnaturally still, staring forward with those icy eyes. It looked like no one was quite at the forefront of his body. Maybe he really was fighting his ass off. Michael was going to give him the world when this was over. If he let him, of course.
“Eight months?” Maria echoed, shock on her face. They all looked shocked, more shocked by that than the goddamn demon inside their friend. They didn’t deserve Alex.
“And you waited until now to bite him?” Max asked. Michael rolled his eyes.
“I didn’t wait for shit,” Michael argued, “Temeluchus forced me. I wouldn’t hurt him.” He didn’t say that they had talked about it more than once, that turning him after graduation was the plan. Together forever was the plan.
“You need to stay away from him,” Max insisted, “This thing between you is over.”
“Oh, fuck you,” Michael spat, “You’re not my keeper and you sure as hell not his.”
“You bit him, you have no say anymore.”
“He’s eighteen! He’s older than I was when I was changed! Fuck off!” Michael yelled, wanting to break free. He knew he could if he really wanted to, but he didn’t feel like dealing with that right now. Max was already making this his problem in the wrong way. “He’s possessed because of you! You summoned Temeluchus!”
“Revenge to the gods,” Temeluchus said quietly, still unmoving, “Wake another Child of Eden.”
“Child of Eden?” Liz asked. Michael’s stomach dropped for what seemed like the fifth time that day.
“It’s what they call neither a Child of God nor a Child of Lucifer. Somewhere in between,” Mimi said as she made her grand entrance, “There’s only a few types I know of. Very rare.”
“I knew it,” Michael breathed, “I knew he wasn’t human.”
“Then what is he?” Liz asked cautiously, “Like, what type?”
“Maxwell,” Temeluchus said, looking up with a new wave of strength. It worried Michael on what that meant for Alex. “It was hard to kill me then. It’ll be fun to see you try this time.”
Temeluchus broke the restraints they had him in and stood so Michael quickly did the same, ready to stand between him and Max if he needed to. He wasn’t about to let him lay a hand on Alex’s body. Temeluchus, however, barely had time to even lunge at Max when Mimi started murmuring, freezing Alex’s body. It should’ve been threatening to Temeluchus, but it wasn’t. Michael took a hesitant step closer so he could catch Alex’s body when Temeluchus left it.
“You have no idea what you’re about to do,” Temeluchus laughed. It confused them all. “I leave and your Child of Eden is left with no crutch. He’ll have to acclimate. I at least take care of my children.”
No questions were able to be asked before Mimi’s cast began to work. Alex’s eyes rolled back into his skull and his head tilted back. Then it took less than a few moments for them to understand just what Alex was.
Alex screamed.
The shriek of a banshee was identifiable even to those of whom had never been exposed to the idea prior to hearing it. It brought all Children of God, Children of Lucifer, other Children of Eden excruciating pain and Alex, untrained and newly unleashed, could’ve executed them all. It brought Michael, Maria, Liz, Max, and probably Isobel to their knees, ears bleeding and minds faltering from the sheer pain it caused. Mimi was affected too, but she fought it to finish her cast.
Michael didn’t hear when she stopped or when Temeluchus was expelled, but he felt when Alex finally stopped screaming. He had to take a moment, his brain scrambled and ears ringing. He got himself together before anyone else, though, crawling to where Alex was on the floor. He was laying in a crumpled pile of limbs, heaving each breath with wide eyes.
“Alex,” Michael called, scared to touch him. He looked like he was in overdrive, his brain malfunctioning.
“I don’t‒ I can’t‒ I‒” Alex whined, clutching his head. Michael just wanted to take all of his pain away. He gently touched Alex's cheek, but he just gasped horrifically in response so Michael had to pull away. A whole new layer of helplessness rose in him. He just wanted his Alex.
“Kyle,” Mimi said, voice strained as she fought her own pain, “Take Alex to my house, would you, and then call me when you get there so I can tell you what to do.”
“What? No,” Michael insisted, "No, he's staying here so I can watch him."
“He needs to get away from everyone with abilities. He’s hypersensitive now and is going to need a lot of training. For right now, we’ll give him a celestite so he won’t be burdened. But Kyle is the only one human enough to take him anywhere,” Mimi explained. Michael wasn’t very keen on that.
“Then you’ll come right back?” he clarified.
“I actually think it’d be best to just leave him there,” Liz butted in, “He can’t go home like this just yet.”
“Then he stays here,” Michael insisted, “I need to watch him.”
“We can do that just fine,” Mimi said.
“Yeah, I don’t know if I feel comfortable with him being with you after this,” Maria agreed, looking over to Kyle to fully make that 4-against-1, “Right, Kyle?”
Kyle eyed Michael cautiously like he didn’t quite get it‒or maybe like he got it too much. Either way, Michael had a million thoughts run through his mind, all of which were absolute fear that he and Alex would have to be over due to conditions no one could've predicted.
“Maybe I can bring him back and we can all stay here? That way we can all watch Alex, but I can still get him away until we get the stone,” Kyle suggested. There was silence for a few long moments.
“Please,” Michael said, too focused on Alex to care about the level of weakness he was showing, “Please, bring him back.”
"Okay, honey, okay," Mimi said, the only one who was even bothering to be nice to him. She put a hand on his shoulder, pulling him back. Michael let her if only because he physically couldn't help. “Just let Kyle take care of him for a little while.”
Kyle was quiet as he grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Alex, pulling him to his feet before eventually having to pick him up entirely because he couldn't walk. Michael wondered if he was affected at all by the scream and decided he had when he saw his nose looked like it'd bled a little. The entire room was silent until they heard the car start and drive off.
"So, what, I can never touch him again?" Michael asked dryly. He'd abandoned all embarrassment or concern for how they viewed him, what they knew. This felt like the end of his life.
"Not necessarily," Mimi said, letting him lean on her, "If he has the celestite on him, he should be grounded enough to co-exist, but he will need training. It just… it might be difficult because I've only heard of one other living banshee and they were in India. Even then, that was 20 years ago."
"I thought banshees were all women," Maria said, "And Irish."
"Banshees were around long before the construct of gender and ethnicity," Mimi said, a light tone to her voice. She was easily the only reason they had any semblance of control left. "From my understanding, there's a limited amount. Similar to the Slayer legacy, when one dies, the gift is given to a baby born in the same moment and has to be awakened somehow. I guess vampire blood can do the trick."
"So, what now?" Liz asked, "What does that mean for him?"
"It means we won't need to play a guessing game when it comes to demons or vampires anymore because he'll be able to sense them," Mimi said, "And, if he's trained, he'll be one hell of a secret weapon."
"What did you do with Temeluchus?" Michael asked, no longer wishing to talk about Alex until he could talk to the man himself. This was uncharted territory and he didn't feel comfortable with the unknowns of it all.
"Put him in here," Maria filled in for her mother, holding up a jar that was lined with that same dust he'd been given by a witch centuries prior.
"What?" he scoffed, "You put an age old demon in a jar ?"
"Max," Liz said carefully, breaking their conversation. Everyone looked to Max who was apparently doing his damnedest to keep his fangs in check. Michael rolled his eyes. For someone who pretended to be all high in mighty, he really couldn't handle the smell of blood. "Max, are you okay?"
Michael managed to get to his feet, albeit a little wobbly, and grabbed Max by the back of his shirt. He hauled him into the kitchen where Isobel was sitting on the floor, her head in her hands. Michael tossed Max beside her.
"You need to get your shit together," Michael told him. Max shook his head, looking up at him like he was missing something.
"They were all bleeding," Max scoffed, "How did that not fuck with you?"
Michael stared at him, wondering if he was stupid or if they were just that different. Michael was still covered in Alex's drying blood, the taste of him still prevelant on his tongue. Even if he wasn't too stressed to eat, he also just had the best thing he'd ever tasted. It would take a little while before anything else could possibly interest him. Still, he licked his lips without thinking and Max took that as his answer.
"You're sick," Max accused.
"Well, your little boyfriend really is something special, I'll give you that," Isobel said, interjecting before Michael could bite back to Max's statement.
"Yeah," Michael agreed, grabbing a dish towel from the counter and using it to wipe his face clean before wrapping it around his wrist. It'd stopped bleeding, but there was still blood everywhere. "He is special."
"Yeah," Isobel scoffed, "Tell him not to go all banshee on us again. The last banshee I met was a total bitch."
Michael raised an eyebrow. "You knew a banshee?"
"Long time ago," Isobel said, looking up at him. She had blood trailing from her nose over her chin and on her sleeves. "Before you turned. Might have to track them down so he doesn't do all that shit again."
Michael's eyebrows shot up and his heart stopped, possibly getting his hopes up a little too high at the idea that Alex was indeed immortal.
"They got killed by a Slayer, but I'm sure their soul is back around somewhere," she said. He tapered his excitement, filing the question away to be asked with sincerity later.
"You think they'll remember you?"
"Part of banshee training is remembering past lives, Michael," she said like it was obvious, “That and learning to cope with perpetual headaches from all the goddamn shit they hear at all times.” He nodded, feeling a little bit better. If he wasn't immortal, Michael would just track him down in his next life and continue for the rest of eternity. Yeah. He could do that.
Still, he made his way back into the main room with a hollow feeling in his stomach. He needed Alex home and in his bed soon or he was going to fucking lose it.
"Right. Okay. Thank you, Kyle, you can bring him back now," Mimi said into her phone before hanging up.
"So, what do we do about the demon in the jar?" Michael asked. Liz and Maria looked at each other, the blood from their noses and ears cleaned up as best as they could. Then, with a nod, they looked back at Michael.
"We're keeping him in the jar."
He blinked a few times, unsure if he misheard them or if they were that insane.
"What?" he asked, "He possessed Alex and we're just going to let him live?"
"Look, we have no other way to make sure he stays dead. If he's in a jar, he can't hurt anyone else," Maria explained. Michael scoffed, but he felt too drained to argue.
"Are we at least going to exile Max for summoning him?" Michael asked.
"Max summoned him years ago," Liz said, "It wasn't his fault that he came back."
Michael huffed a laugh, tilting his head back as he tried to reconcile how absolutely shit this day was. And he got nothing out of it.
"But it is my fault that Alex got bit?" Michael said. Silence. He didn't know why that hurt so much. He hadn't wanted to become apart of their stupid gang anyway. "Right. I'll pretend to be shocked."
"All that matters is that Alex is alive," Mimi insisted. Michael nodded, dropping himself on the couch and looked around at the semi-blood bath that had taken over his living room. So much goddamn blood. "I'll keep the jar."
"Okay," they all said softly before going back to silence. Michael figured it had to do with the eventful day they had. Objectively, he had the worst day (second to Alex's) but he was willing to accept that they were probably also overwhelmed. He also accepted that they didn't deserve his sympathies.
The blood was too much to look at though and Michael eventually found himself going to his bedroom to find another one. His bed, that safe place that Alex loved so much, was covered in their blood. Maybe this whole experience was a good thing, though, because this was the first time a scene like that hadn’t left him feeling satisfied.
He stripped the bed quickly, throwing the sheets and the blanket into the closet. He would burn them later. He tried to get out the blood as best as he could with water and a towel, but eventually just put on a fresh pair of sheets and hoped it wouldn’t be that big of a deal. When Alex came home, he could be the real judge.
After Michael went back into the living room, it was thirty more excruciating minutes before Kyle returned with a sleeping Alex who had clean clothes, clean hair, and a bandage on his neck. Michael immediately went to help, though he was scared to touch him when he got up close.
"You should be okay, he has the celestite in his pocket," Kyle said, carefully letting Michael take over. He lifted him bridal style, letting himself take in his features. He was a little pale and the bags beneath his eyes were a little more obvious than before, but he was overall okay. “He was awake while he took a shower and stuff, but even with the rock nearby he was shaken up and weak, so I gave him a melatonin to sort of help him get to sleep a little easier. I’m sure he’ll feel better after he sleeps.”
“Okay, thank you,” Michael said, ignoring them all as he went to carry him into his room.
“Leave the door open,” Liz instructed. Michael scoffed, glaring at her like she was an annoying mother. But, then again, she was the Slayer and it was always nice to see when they had some semblance of care for others.
“Alex can’t sleep with the door open,” Michael pointed out.
“He’s already asleep,” Isobel rebutted.
“Fine,” Michael complied if only so he could get Alex to bed sooner. He put him on the bed and covered him up quickly, looking over his face again. He was still pretty. Always so pretty.
The living room slowly dissolved into conversation, all quiet as they tried to be courteous of Alex’s need to sleep. They discussed how they were going to find a banshee to help train him, what they would do to make sure Temeluchus never got free again, a quiet scolding of Max for being harsher on Michael than the demon, what they were going to order for dinner, etc, etc, etc. Michae stayed focused on Alex.
Once the sun set and Max and Liz left and returned with a pizza, Michael got on with Alex’s nightly routine instead of joining the party in the living room. They’d gone back to normal conversation, like that morning hadn’t been so life changing and like Alex wasn’t unconscious in the next room. It was annoying. So Michael focused on sitting beside him, cleaning his eyebrow and septum piercings before putting on that weird facemask Alex did every night. He watched him while he waited, hoping he’d wake up. He didn’t. So Michael wiped the facemask off and brushed his own teeth before crawling into bed beside Alex.
The lights in the living room were left on as they decided they wanted to go to sleep for the night. They’d agreed to take turns to make sure nothing went bump in the night and Max gladly took the first shift, the house going dark. Michael laid between Alex and the wall and he waited.
Alex made a little noise before he woke up and, instead of jolting forward like usual, his eyes just slowly dragged open. Michael quickly sat up, hovering over him slightly for his own selfish reasons.
“Hi,” Michael said instantly.
“Michael?” he said, reaching up to rub his eyes but his movements were lethargic at best. Michael still let him do it on his own.
“Yeah, I’m right here,” Michael whispered.
“My head hurts,” Alex said.
“Yeah,” he said, “It probably will for awhile according to Isobel.”
Alex’s bottom lip protruded in a lazy pout as he dropped his hand from his eyes. Michael smiled slightly, cautiously reaching out to rest his hand on his cheek. The contact instantly made Alex’s eyes pop open wide and Michael immediately took his hand away.
“Whoa,” Alex breathed, blinking rapidly as Michael felt dread creep up in him. Alex’s entire face rushed through different emotions before settling on one and he took a deep breath.
“Are you okay?” Michael asked. Alex nodded slowly.
“Yeah, just,” he said, breathing in deep, “Don’t be so worried. I’m right here.”
So much for that fucking rock.
“You felt that, huh?” Michael wondered.
Alex didn’t really confirm or deny, shifting in bed a little instead and grabbing Michael’s hand that was attached to his busted wrist. A tiny little jolt rocked through Alex, but he didn’t let go as he pulled Michael’s hand to his side. His hand slid up his arm and to his cheek, pulling him down for a kiss. It wasn’t much more than a peck, but Alex dragged it out for as long as he could.
“Stop,” Alex whispered, “I’m not mad at you.”
“You should be.”
“No,” Alex said, fingers fiddling with his ear not too unlike the way Michael did to him, “Only if we’re talking about the door being open.”
Michael huffed a laugh, but he felt genuine relief for the first time that day. Fatigue shot through him as the adrenaline finally started to die and he bowed his head against Alex’s collarbone. He was here. Alive, breathing, holding him. He wasn’t resentful. But when was Alex ever that?
“Liz made me, they all hate me,” Michael admitted.
“Well, they don’t matter because it turns out I am a supremely excellent judge of character,” Alex whispered. Michael lifted his head a little bit, curious to how much he remembered. Had they even said what he was while his body was in the room? Did Kyle tell him? Was Kyle even there when they said it?
Or was this just the beginning to whatever was waking inside Alex?
Michael used the last of his strength to telekinetically shut the door, letting Alex wrap him up in his arms. He tucked his head in the crook of his neck, opposite to the side the bandages were on. Alex was only awake for a few moments longer before he eventually drifted right back to sleep all while holding him close.
Michael managed to lull himself to sleep with the thoughts of the fact that Alex was okay. Maybe the future was more uncertain than it had ever been, maybe their time together was more finite than they could’ve imagined, maybe horrific shit like possession was going to keep happening to them when they were a vampire and banshee dating while friends with a slew of witches and vampires and the goddamn Slayer. Maybe, maybe, maybe. Nothing was certain.
Nothing but right now.
And right now was the rhythmic thud of Alex’s heart.