Comfort Food Pt. 04

"I'm glad. No regrets?"

"None," Noah smiled. "I have some time left, right?"

"Plenty," Kai said, sitting down next to him to let the body be remade. "I'm glad you're having fun. I did promise."

"I didn't believe you," Noah admitted, looking at his feet. "Not really. I thought I'd just pick up and leave when I got bored again. I always do. But this is different. You were right. I like you. I like being around you."

"That'll only get stronger," Kai said, putting his hand over Noah's and rubbing it with his thumb. "The infernal influence-"

"I know, but I think I'd like you either way."

That was by far the sweetest thing Noah had ever said to him, perhaps to anyone ever, and it melted Kai's heart. Things had been a little unsteady at first, what with Noah's unrelenting need for stimulation all hours of the day and night. But he thought they'd settled into a nice groove. As long as he provided enough angels to shoot and creatures to fuck, Noah seemed happy. A boy after his own heart.

Kai couldn't resist kissing him then, and Noah obliged, but not wholeheartedly. Kai could feel he liked the kiss well enough, but it didn't excite him. Hardly anything did.

"Are you happy?" he asked, and Noah ran his hand through the water, quickly snapping it back when the hands of the damned reached to pull him under.

"Yeah," he said, and after some thought he nodded. "Yeah, I'm happy."

Maybe Kai really had gone soft. Hearing Noah say he was happy brought him deep, abiding joy. He had real affection for that boy, far beyond what he needed from him. Glory would call it weakness. But for his money, making Noah happy was as worthwhile as it was difficult. He could get unquestioning adoration from Jamie. But Noah was a challenge, a puzzle to solve, a nut to crack, and he knew he was happy to have him there too.

They both looked up when the door flung open and Jamie staggered into the room, filthy and exhausted and on the verge of tears. When Kai held out his arm Jamie nuzzled against chest like a frightened puppy, completely wiped out from the horrors of that night.

"I didn't get caught," he whispered in a hoarse voice, and Kai pulled him close and pressed a kiss on his forehead.

"Good boy."

"Do you forgive me now?" he asked, and Kai felt his shiver against his chest. His skin was cold and dirty and his soul had been ripped to shreds, but all he worried about was his master's forgiveness. It would be cruel to withhold it, so Kai considered it for a moment. Just a moment though, before he nodded and ran his finger's through Jamie's tangled curls.

"Don't I always?"

"You do," the boy said with a sigh of relief, putting his arms around Kai's chest. "Thank you."

"Was it really horrible?" Noah asked. "Being possessed?"

"Oh, it was," Jamie nodded, and Noah was visibly pleased. "I think it broke my bones. It was so mad at me. Is it gone now?"

Kai opened his mouth to answer just as something broke the surface of the water. Jamie shrieked and staggered back when the new body clambered out of the basin. It flopped on the floor like a fish, hacking up water and shivering so bad he could hear its teeth rattle. The body looked fine. You could still see the seams a bit, if you squinted, but other than that it had all knitted together nicely.

"Puriel?" Kai said, crouching next to it, or rather him. He put his hand on the boy's back and felt him shiver. All three of them waited for something to happen, anything really, but it took a while for the shivering to stop. When Puriel looked up, they all grimaced. His eyes were milky white. It was a real relief when they rolled back and showed the blue irises Kai had thought so pretty for a fallen angel.

"Still mad at me?" he asked, and Puriel glared.

"You kept your word," he said. His voice was still gravely and threatening, but it no longer echoed on the air like it had done in the desert.

"Well sure. I'm a demon, my word is gold. Can you stand up?"

It took some help from Kai, but Puriel did manage to stumble onto his feet. This body seemed to suit him much better than Jamie's. His bones stayed in their proper place anyway, and the skin fit like a comfortable suit. They all watched the fallen angel bend his fingers and touch his own face. He looked at his reflection in the water. It was impossible to tell if he liked what he saw, but the lack of growling and biting seemed a good sign. Still leaning on the edge of the basin he turned to Kai.

"Thank you," he said, with obvious difficulty.

"Not a bother, not at all. Least I could do. Are you feeling good? Body fitting nicely?"

"Yes. It fits."

"You'll like it, I promise," Kai said with a reassuring pat on his back. "They're a lot of hassle but it's so worth it. I'm not actually sure what your deal is now. I've never stuffed an angel into a meat suit before. Don't mind telling you I sort of made it up as I went along. Can you still do-"

His question was answered when Puriel spotted Jamie. His hand shot out. On the other side of the room, Jamie was lifted off his feet as if he was being held up by the neck. He struggled and gagged until Kai slapped Puriel's hand away. As soon as he did, Jamie fell back on the cement floor.

"None of that," Kai said, and Puriel glowered. "We're square now, you hear?"

"He caused my fall."

"He did nothing of the sort," Kai said sternly. "He can't very well help it if you popped an angel boner. What sort of reason is that to get kicked out of heaven anyway? Forget about all that. Go play. I'm sure you'll like him a lot more by tomorrow."

"Master?" Jamie said in a mild panic, still on the floor with his hand on his neck.

"Don't whine, Jamie. You shouldn't have summoned him in the first place. Besides, I'm proud of you."

"You are?" he said, clambering to his feet with a wide smile.

"Of course I am. Are you kidding? You're so goddamn filthy you stirred up actual lust in an angel. That's so cool. Now apologize for summoning him and getting your filth on him."

"I'm sorry," Jamie said, and he seemed to mean it. Kai gave Puriel an expectant look.

"Come on now," he said. "Say sorry for snapping his bones. And the murders."

It took some doing and a lot of gritting his teeth, but eventually Puriel looked at Jamie and came to a decision.

"I apologize," he said, and Kai clapped him on the back.

"There we go. This all worked out rather nicely, didn't it?" he said, very pleased with himself. "Now go test out that new body. Try food, it's lovely. Jamie, show him around. I'm sure you two will get along just fine."

Jamie wasn't sure about that at all, but he knew better than to disobey now that his master had finally forgiven him. And to Kai's surprise Puriel didn't protest either. Being reborn as a patchwork magic corpse seemed to have taken its toll on him. He let Jamie take his hand and gently pull him along, out of the garage and back to the house.

"This is so fucking cool," Noah said, still sitting on the edge of the basin, and Kai scoffed. "What do you think they'll do first, fight or fuck?"

"He'll warm up to Jamie. Everyone does," Kai said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "You did, and you don't like anyone."

"That fucking moron," Noah said, but when Kai raised his eyebrow at him he rolled his eyes and sighed like a teenager. "Oh fine, he's adorable."

"At the very least you won't have to scrape him off the carpet anymore," Kai said, and Noah nodded in appreciation. Kai sat next to him, tired but quite happy with how everything had gone. He wasn't entirely sure what to do with the angel-possessed corpse in the house, but he was sure it would work itself out.

They both looked up when they heard a noise above them, a stumble and a muffled voice, some furniture being shoved around.

"They're getting into it," Noah said. "Want to go watch?"

Kai thought about it for a moment, but eventually he put his arm around Noah and pulled him close.

"Nah. Let them figure it out," he yawned, and when he did Noah yawned too and cuddled up to him.

"Thanks for tonight," Noah said, and he showed Kai one of his very rare smiles. Not a grin or a smirk, a real smile with soft happiness behind it. And without any prompting, he leaned closer a gave Kai a long, tender kiss.