Archive of Our Own

People guessed anything from the supernatural - vampires, werewolves, and the like - to the completely normal - wolves, bear, and other predators of the forest. No one was right.

Only the mayor, the mayor's assistants, and the older priests of the church were aware of the truth. Demons roamed the forest, corrupting or killing any who came too close. 

For a long while angels acted as the mayor of the town, they helped keep the demons at bay. However that tradition had to stop once one mayor was found to have relations with a demon, one of the two demons who could fully disguise themselves as human. Owen was the name the demon went by. Some thought him to have another name, they were wrong.

The angel's name was Louis, he was one of the most pure creatures ever. He was one of the most beautiful men to walk the earth, he was kind to all regardless of status or looks. He could make even the harshest of men want to repent for any wrong doings. This was what enviably got him banished from earth, he was so kind it became his greatest fault.

He'd met the demon when he went for a simple walk in the woods to clear his mind after a rather long meeting. He didn't know he was a demon at first, he didn't look like a demon. He looked like a regular man, sitting against a tree and napping.

They ended up talking for hours, the next day it happened again, and again, and again, until eventually it became simple routine for the mayor to visit the demon.

One day, however, Louis ceased his visits. Upon investigating Owen found that the heavens had ripped Louis away from him. He never forgave the angels, or the humans who ratted on Louis.

To this day he holds on to that rage. It didn't help that the town mad man, Avid, had somehow become a patron to Scott. In fact quite a lot of people had, or they'd at least taken a liking to the man.

Scott was the only other demon with a human disguise, though he essentially a deity. He was a higher ranking demon, once a noble who sold his soul to become what he is now. He'd taken a few under his wing recently, even going so far as to move into town. He became the roommate of a local writer, Shelby was their name. Owen had been forced to follow suit if he wished to not be tortured by the other demons of the forest, most of which who admired Scott so deeply.

Owen moved in with a significantly more well known writer in town who went by the name M. He was kind enough but very much obsessed with the occult to an unsettling level. Owen often worried for the man's sanity.

There were a few other people in town who were of importance to him, namely Dr. Legundo and Pyro.

Dr. Legundo was, as his title implies, the town doctor. He was simultaneously one of the most and least annoying people in town. He was on the older side, roughly in his 50s if Owen was to guess, and a former soldier. He didn't believe in the supernatural per say, he said if it existed it wasn't supernatural. He said he wanted to help Owen since he always looked sickly, yet he wouldn't stop when Owen said he was fine. He reminded him of a Louis who could see the bad in everyone, a Louis who had enough history with humans to know how evil they were.

And then there was Pyro. He was a priest in training at the church, a nobleman sent to Oakhurst by his parents in the capital after allegedly murdering his bully. He was sent to repent, far away from a place where he could farther embarrass his family. They were quite the foolish man, they'd followed him and Scott into the forest and not even batting an eye as Scott put him under a spell. Owen pitied them more than anything.

In all honesty Owen hated the whole town, he hated everyone within the walls, he hated every demon, every human, and every fake angel. He hated that he hated so much. The only thing he ever salted was Louis, and he was forever gone. His only plan was to make the whole town burn, or rather the people, then vanquish himself from this plane of existence. Which is why he didn't bother getting close to anyone, or at least he tried not to. Some people made that hard. Namely the doc and Pyro. 

Soft lips against his own scarred, a gentle hand holding his face. The angel was in his lap, far too gentle for what he deserves, yet he accepted it eagerly. He runs his tongue over the demon's fangs before he pulls away. He presses a fleeting kiss to his forehead.

"I need to go, Owen. I have a meeting!" Yet he makes no move to stand. His voice carries no sense of urgency. He could leave sooner than Owen ever could.

Yet Owen plays along, loosely wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Well then those damned colleagues of yours can wait! You're mine." He rested his chin atop his head.

"I'll be back tomorrow, love." He glanced up, actually starting to break away now.

"Promise?"

"Promise." Owen finally let's him stand, mourning the loss of weight on top of him

Oh how Owen hated that memory, hated that he couldn't keep his promise and how he nearly started to resent Louis for it. He hated how much he dwelled on it.

Demons can't sleep since they aren't exactly human, so while he laid in bed and pretended to sleep he often thought of Louis. It meant he yearned to see him again, yearned to feel lips against his and another comfortable in his presence.

Suddenly he felt incredibly thirsty. He let out a sigh, resigning himself to the fact that he'd have to go to Scott's house to get a bottle of crimson.

He got out of bed, careful when walking out to not awaken his roommate who was slumped over the typewriter. When he reached Scott's house he knocked on the back door twice. It was their secret code. Scott let him in, barely muttering a greeting before going back into his living room. Owen went to grab a bottle of blood stored in a kitchen cabinet. He pulls out the cork as he walks into the living room, a room filled with familiar faces.

Shelby stood next to Scott, happily talking to Drift. Drift sat next to Avid, who Scott was nearly sitting in the lap of.

Owen let out a small scoff before turning his gaze to the other side of the room where there was only one tired looking figure. Pyro. 

He tossed a look of pure distain towards Scott before sitting down next to the chair the young man was sitting in. On the floor, of course.

Pyro startles when he notices the demon. It was rare Owen came by without leaving immediately, even rarer that he sat down to chat.

Pyro swallows and Owen's gazes follows the bob of his adam's apple.

"Ah!- Owen! When did you get here?"

Owen takes one more gulp of the red liquid before he answers.

"Not long ago, I only came for a snack."

"Oh. Well do you want to sit here? I- I can sit on the floor-"

Owen simply shook his head. "Don't bother, I'll leave once I finish this." He hold up the bottle a bit, already more than half the liquid gone.

In truth Owen hated watching the man stumble over themself like some puppy seeking validation. It had it's charm, sure, but he knew under all that there was a creature that could bite someone's head off. 

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, you don't need to act like I'm-" He gestures at Scott as to not alert him.

Pyro's face shifts into a perfect mix of fear and embarrassment. "Sorry...I guess I just don't know to to treat other uh- demons. Especially you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh!- Just that, you know, you're different from just kind of everybody. In a good way."

Owen pauses, his mind flashing back to his accidental yearning episode less than an hour ago. And, not so briefly he imagines Pyro filling that role. Pyro's lips against his, Pyro holding him, Pyro telling him they want to be there. He can't help the slight blush that moves over his face. He quickly chugs the rest of the bottle and puts the cork back in, Scott can refill it later. He mumbles a quick bye to Pyro, set the empty bottle in the kitchen, and rushes back home. Would Louis hate him for imagining himself with another man, would Louis even care at all?

He lays back in his bed and tries to zone out until daybreak.