Misfit Together

Chapter 10

(Well, that was a fun little chapter last week, now, wasn't it? Bring on the angst~ I don't really have much to say here so I guess we'll just get right to it)

All emotion was virtually gone. His wings instinctively folding inwards, Lucifer looked at Shizuka with the faintest air of caution. He didn't know what to do, his mind was blank. Completely blank. His eyes scanned the other boy's face, searching for something that would tell him he wouldn't bolt right after Momoko.

Shizuka didn't move. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the sleek, black wings that had sprung from his friend's back. And, like Lucifer, he couldn't think. It took a minute for his brain to even begin processing what he had just seen. All he felt was fear and confusion, which only made the magic stronger. Yet he stayed put, stuttering, trying to find the questions he wanted to ask, but nothing came to mind. Lucifer watched for a few seconds more before he managed to find his own voice.

"So, what? Aren't you gonna run, too?" he was shaking but pressed on, "... You're scared, aren't you?"

Just go.

"I-I guess..." Shizuka spoke in such a light tone Lucifer could only just make out what he was saying, "... I'm... I'm in shock..."

As Lucifer came nearer, closing his wings a little more, Shizuka continued to stare straight ahead. He didn't break that gaze until he felt his friend uncertainly laid a hand on his shoulder, when he finally dropped his head. Still, he couldn't quite look at him. Instead, he turned his eyes down to the ground between them.

"... Wh... What are you...?"

Lucifer flinched, pulling his hand away. It was so direct. He pulled his wings protectively around himself, just enough so that Shizuka could still see his face, and avoided making eye contact. Now that Momoko and the other humans surrounding the car crash were gone, the levels of fear were falling and the magic sustaining his wings was weakening. Soon, he could dismiss them again and walk back to the apartment without attracting attention but for now, they provided a source of comfort. Familiarity. Safety. He sighed and looked up. Shizuka was facing him properly now, although his eyes were still questioning and he seemed to hold himself as far away from the creature he had thought was his friend as possible. But he was there. He hadn't left as soon as he could move again.

His words stung, though.

The fear gave way to concern and he could no longer hold his wings up. Letting them disappear, Urushihara carefully took another step towards Shizuka.

"You want the long or short version?"

"Uh..."

Urushihara shook his head slightly.

"I'll explain on the way."

"... To... where?"

"My place."

Urushihara began to slowly walk out of the neighbourhood they had found themselves in, turning back to reassuringly beckon to Shizuka. Hesitating for a moment, Shizuka followed but after only a few steps he stopped and unzipped his hoodie, making Urushihara raise an eyebrow.

"The w- Your wi..." he trailed off. He must have still been in shock, "... They ripped through the back of your shirt..."

He held up the hoodie and Urushihara took it with a shy smile.

"Thanks."

By the time they reached Villa Rosa, Shizuka had a rough idea of the situation. Urushihara and his roommates were demons from another world. They had come to Earth through a sort of portal known as a 'Gate' and were left without their magic unless they could gather energy from human fear. Things got complicated at the subject of why they had gone through the Gate in the first place but that could be explained later. Right now, Urushihara needed to let to the others know what was going on, and Shizuka would have to come along, as a safety precaution if nothing else.

Urushihara barged into the apartment, removing Shizuka's hoodie and handing it back to him as he awkwardly followed him inside.

"Maou, we got a problem."

Maou stood up from the table at the sight of the stranger behind Urushihara and Ashiya turned away from the stove at his words.

"Shizuka Kusanagi." Urushihara hastily introduced his friend as he led him inside.

Maou went to greet him but then noticed the grim expressions on both of their faces.

"What's going on?" his tone turned serious.

"Sire..." Ashiya approached them and placed a hand on Urushihara's shoulder, turning him around enough to show the tears in his t-shirt. Maou's eyes widened in surprise as Urushihara shook Ashiya's hand off and shot them both a cold, firm look, confirming their suspicions.

"What about the girl? What was her name, Hamasaki?"

"She ran."

There was a genuinely worried edge to his tone, something neither Maou nor Ashiya heard from Urushihara often.

"I knew it was too soon for this...!" Maou muttered under his breath, but Urushihara caught it.

"That's not it," Urushihara sighed, "I lost control of my magic. And I couldn't get away from them in time before my wings came out."

"So, why didn't you follow after her, then?" Ashiya turned his attention to Shizuka, who until now had been looking between them, totally lost.

"Me...? Uh, I-I was too scared to even think let alone move..."

Maou stepped forward, giving Shizuka a comforting and sympathetic smile. He took some time to ask how much he knew already from whatever Urushihara had told him and, ever the kind-hearted soul, made sure he was handling the situation reasonably well. Once he knew all this, he turned back to Urushihara.

"Do either of you have any idea where Hamasaki could be right now?"

They both shook their heads.

"But at the very least, she doesn't have any proof of what she saw."

Urushihara sounded so different to what Shizuka was used to. Firm, certain and almost like he was making a report to his leader. He figured that role most likely went to Maou. Just as he was thinking that, though, he remembered.

"Wait, what about that weird SFC guy?"

The atmosphere changed in an instant. The three demons froze up for a short moment, Maou and Ashiya glaring down at Urushihara, who suddenly looked nervous.

"Urushihara..." Maou's voice was calm and steady, yet sharp, "What exactly does Sariel have to do with all this...?"

There was a short pause as Urushihara prepared himself. Clearly, this Sariel really was bad news. At least, he was to Maou.

"We were at SFC a while back and I told both of them to stay away from him. Apparently Momoko went to talk with him when she started getting suspicious of me."

Another pause. Maou glanced down, his hand covering his mouth in thought, then -

"Call Emi," he pointed at Urushihara, who nodded and went for his laptop. As he did so, Maou reached for the door handle, "I'm gonna get Su-"

The door opened before he finished speaking, before he even touched it, to reveal the girl in question standing there.

"I heard everything."