Scathefire(MxM)[Unedited]

2

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Fear courses through Avery's body, but his brain can't seem to keep up. Everything moves dizzyingly fast, and every time he blinks, the scene is different. He doesn't know where he is, or how long it's been since he felt Linus' knife cutting open his skin. The only consistency is the man who stays by his side. His heavy brows shadow his dark eyes. Like black buttons, he feels like those eyes pierce into his soul when they meet his, and he can't look away. He feels sure to his core that this man knows him, knows every sinful whim and desire in his heart. The aching beauty in his tanned olive skin and melancholic stare is stirringly familiar, but Avery can't place it. He searches desperately within the archives of his memory for any resemblance but finds nothing. There's far too much to search through, anyway.

The more he thinks the more awake he feels. He's not awake enough to be sure how long the man has been gone, but by the time he's back, Avery has pushed himself up into a seated position and thoroughly thought out his options.

He'd briefly wondered if he could sneak away, but there are undoubtedly people all around who would stop him. Besides, where would he go? Everything is unfamiliar, and he doesn't know what to expect. If Linus has told him the truth about humans, he'd be eaten alive the moment he steps foot off this bed. But that man didn't do anything, or is he just more patient? Biding his time? Linus' words echo in his head.

"Do not trust."

That had been his advice, and his advice has kept Avery safe and pure up until now. But fighting doesn't seem to be the right option, either. It hasn't worked then, it definitely won't work now, not when he can't shake this heavy fog that weighs him down. So instead he stays still. His eyes follow the man with a wary gaze as he approaches.

"Are you going to come with me, or am I going to haul you down to my car?" The man asks. This whole thing might be easier to comprehend if Avery knew his name, so his eyes move, seeking out anything that might give his identity away. Austin Branson, written in messy handwriting on the tag of the jacket he holds. He has dark circles under his eyes, and his patience is visibly thinning, so, although Avery doesn't know what a car is and is still thoroughly confused, he gets off the bed to follow Austin. He follows him down the hallways of the hospital, the cool floor soothing to his bare, scraped feet. He watches the hallways for some semblance of where he's going, but they all look the same.

They stop before they reach the rough pavement outside, and Austin looks down at Avery's bare feet. Avery follows his gaze, a bit uncomfortable by the attention. His wings curl to fold over them, and when he looks up, Austin stares at him with a stare that Avery can't really decipher, but he's not sure it's good.

"You can't walk barefoot across the parking lot." Austin says. Avery frowns.

"Why not?" He asks, and the two stare at each other for an uncomfortably long time. Perhaps about half a second. "Sorry." Avery says, his heart racing as he looks away. He keeps his stare averted, too scared to look up at Austin. He instead decides to look around. The dark asphalt, the shiny cars parked in the white painted lines, and then his eyes lift. Up to the city skyline, with tall buildings, and a soft pink and yellow sunrise that stains the wispy clouds.

Avery's heart races as he looks around. He's outside. Completely. No walls hiding him, no glass between him and that view. When he thinks about all of Linus' stories of demons and blood hungry humans running rampant in this world, it's all very scary. His legs feel weak and his lungs struggle to draw breath as he takes a few balking steps backwards. His hand reaches for something to grab on to, only to catch Austin's wrist in his hand, not having realized that the man had reached out for him.

"Okay, okay. Look, Avery- it's Avery, right?" Avery nods, finding it the easiest thing to understand right now, "Avery, it's gonna be okay. Right? The- the car, do you know what a car is? You looked a little confused on the way down." Austin asks, drawing Avery's gaze to his face. Brows furrowed together in worry. It's somehow familiar and foreign. Concern, it's not like he's never experienced concern, of course he has. When he cries Linus gets that expression, he cleans Avery's face of tears and kisses his head But somehow this is different. Different than how Linus does it. There's no dried tears or kissed heads, but his face is enrapturing, stable and magnetic, it doesn't allow Avery any room to think of anything else. Avery's mind first thinks of the man who built his home in sand, versus the man who built his home on stone. At the end of the story, the house built on sand had been left in ruins.

"Avery... the car?" Austin whispers, distracting Avery, who's lip trembles as he looks away and shakes his head, pulling his hand away from Austin's wrist. He wishes Linus were here now. How long will it take for them to be back together?

"Fuck," Austin whispers, drawing an expression of mixed judgement and shock into Avery's expression. He's never heard someone curse so easily. If Austin notices, he says nothing about it. "Okay uh- a car is-" Avery can't help but stare as Austin struggles for a way to describe the car. Admittedly, it's a good distraction from his previous anxiety, and he can't help the amusement that curls at his lips.

"It's ok. I'm ok." Avery says, wringing his fingers together, his worry plunging back into his heart as he dismisses the issue. Linus trusted him to stay alive long enough to be reunited, so this whole adventure must rely on his self will. His ability to not sin. This whole thing must be a test from Him. The thought, although intimidating, is a comfort. He's not alone through whatever valley of death this might be. His sense of security is not long-lasted, however.

By the time Avey realizes that this car goes a whole lot faster than human legs ever could, he's grasping at his seatbelt and praying desperately to his god. His knees curl up to his chest and he screws his eyes shut.
"Would you calm down? I'm not going to kill us." Austin groans quietly, reaching over to tug at Avery's ankle, pulling his foot off of the soft fabric of the seats. The touch elicits a shudder and whine from Avery as he yanks himself away. But he does open his eyes, first to glare at Austin, then his attention is stolen away by the tall buildings that flash by. He leans against the window, craning his neck to peer upward at the tall buildings.

The car only slows down as the roads become crowded, and the air is filled with chatter and horns. Avery can't pull his eyes away from the window. People. But not the craving, thirsty crowds he's seen. Not even close. A lady jogging with a fluffy dog that matches the color of her honey blond hair, a man rushing down the street carrying a briefcase and a rumpled jacket, someone sitting on a step outside their door to feed a group of grungy looking cats. Not to mention the birds. The boughs of every tree he sees is filled with them, filling their leafless gaps with feathers and chirps. Graffiti scrawled on the brick walls in lettering that Avery can't make out, a couple painting a butterfly on the sidewalk outside of a church in chalk, their cheeks and fingers covered with the stuff. So early in the morning Avery already feels like he's seen more life than he's ever seen in the walls of Linus' manor.

But that's what the trap is, he supposes. He can't be naive. And, like a confirmation, they creep past a dark alley where shrouded figures stand, huddled together in a corner behind a dumpster. Roaches live where you can't see them, they fly under the radar and infect all that they touch. Useless pleasure, that's all it is. Useless pleasure that wrenches open gaps in your soul to allow those roaches to crawl into.

He pulls his eyes away, sinking lower in his seat and looking out the windshield across the cars. His eyes move up to the rearview mirror, only to find Austin looking back at him. He swallows hard and looks away again.

 
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Thanks for reading :)