“You can fly?” They were the first words out of Joel’s mouth when they landed on solid ground. He reached out to touch the feathers of Levi’s massive wings and noticed they weren’t just black. They had an iridescent sheen to them. It almost reminded him of a raven. They felt like silk against his fingers, and he could feel the sinews twitch at his touch. 

“All demons and angels can fly,” he said absently, as he rummaged through Joel’s bag. As quickly as his wings had appeared, they were gone. 

Joel didn’t think it was possible to become even more stunned. “What! Where did they go?”

Levi was barely paying attention to him, as if the presence and disappearance of actual wings on his body was nothing out of the ordinary. “They’re not on the plane of existence anymore. They’re actually easier to tuck away than the horns. Wings are a pain to deal with, that’s why I don’t keep them on my earthly corporation.” 

Levi’s shirt had already been ragged when he’d burst into the motel room, but now it was hanging on by a thread. Joel supposed that wings bursting through the back of your clothes would do that. 

Now that Levi’s torso was on display, Joel could fully take in the lines of his toned body. Faded scars painted his muscular abdomen. His chest was hairless, but black scales peppered the area above his hips. Joel wondered if they extended down his thighs, and idly wished Levi’s pants had been torn too. He could feel himself blush at the thought of Levi’s naked legs, and tried to tamp down the heat that bloomed in his belly. Levi wasn’t even human! Joel shoved the thought away, telling himself his emotions were probably the result of an adrenaline rush, or just gratitude at being saved. 

Levi pulled a cloth and water flask from his backpack, and dampened the rag with glacial runoff. “You’re still bleeding. Is it alright if I…” Levi trailed off as he extended his arm forward. Joel nodded, giving him permission to clean the wound on his brow.  

His hissed as the cold cloth made contact with his injury, causing Levi to wince in sympathy. 

“Does it hurt?” 

“Only a little. I promise I’m fine.” He tapped the scar on the side of his head. “Anyway I’ve been through worse.” 

Rather than laugh at his joke, Levi looked absolutely stricken. “I should go back and level that place to the ground,” he grumbled, still delicately dabbing at Joel’s cut. 

“No you should not,” Joel retorted. “Most of those people have done nothing wrong.” He thought back to their conversation from the day before, when they were walking through the blackened forest. “You said that you can’t change the past, but that you don’t want to hurt humans any more, right?” 

Levi crossed his arms. “Unless they deserve it.” 

“Yeah and the residents of Moose don’t,” Joel said patiently. He didn’t think Levi would actually destroy the human settlement, but it was still probably a good idea to give the demon a distraction. “Could you get the ointment from my first aid kit?” 

Levi obeyed, grabbing the antibacterial paste. It was years past it’s experiation date, but still better than nothing. Rather than give the tube to Joel, Levi dabbed some of the cream onto a q-tip and began applying it to the gashes on his cheek and brow. Their faces were barely inches apart now, and Joel took the opportunity to stare Levi’s unique appearance unabashedly. 

His intense features looked even more inhuman up close; like the sharp cut of his jaw, which twitched as he clenched his teeth together. Or, his pointed ears, which sometimes flicked when he was agitated. Some of his sharp teeth peeked over his bottom lip as he concentrated, biting into the soft tissue. Levi’s lips looked human though, full and supple; even though they were a deep shade of gray.

Joel’s attention snapped back to Levi’s black eyes when the demon started rummaging through his first aid kit. He produced a butterfly bandage, peeling off the back stickers before placing it on his skin. “The band aid should be enough; I don’t think you’ll need stitches. Is there anything else I can help with?”

Joel bit his lip. “Actually, I’d appreciate it if you could answer a question for me.”

“Alright.”

“Moe said they had a repellent sigil on their fence. How were you able to get into the camp?” 

Levi rolled his dark eyes and gave a rueful chuckle. “Most of what humans pedal as sigils or runes is complete garbage. The creator’s language is nearly impossible for humans to learn and needs to be written with exact precision. Besides, even if it was legitimate, a single sigil wouldn’t keep anything out.” 

Joel tensed up as a terrible thought crossed his mind. “What about Skyline? Are our sigils real? Are they just for show?”

Levi nodded. “Don’t worry. Skyline’s sigils are comprehensive and real.”

“Then how are you able to get in and out?” 

“I’ve been invited,” he said simply. “Speaking of Skyline, we should start heading back tomorrow.”  

“What are you talking about? We still have three more camps to visit.”

Levi’s dark brows rose high up his forehead. “Have you already forgotten what happened half an hour ago?”

Joel made a tutting sound before standing and brushing some dirt from his pants. “You’re overreacting. I’m fine.” 

Levi made a strangled, frustrated noise. He rose from his sitting position, drawing himself up to his full, impressive height. “What are you talking about? You could have died!”

Joel could feel himself getting annoyed. “But I didn’t die. Besides, I would rather be dead than lose Maria and Luca. They are my family.

Joel didn’t expect Levi’s visceral reaction to his simple statement. His pointed ears twitched as he pulled on his dark hair. “Why do you always have to have such a reckless fucking attitude!”

Joel could feel his hackles rise. He didn’t understand why Levi was so angry, and he didn’t like it. “It’s not reckless to care about people!” he snapped. 

“It is when it’s at the expense of your safety, let alone your life!” The demon’s loud voice was deep and rumbling. Joel could feel the vibrations of it dance over his skin. 

“Why do you care what happens to me anyways?” He said as he tossed his arms up in frustration. “Why would it matter to you?” 

Levi seemed shocked at the question, and he opened and closed his mouth several times. They stood in tense silence for a few moments before he finally answered. “Because… because…,” he exhaled deeply before shaking his head. “Nan told me to take care of you. She’ll probably cut my balls off if you die out here.” 

“Well, I apologize if I get you neutered, but that sounds like your problem, not mine.”

For the first time since landing on solid ground, a smile spread across Levi’s face. He started laughing. It was a deep sound, but undeniably warm. It broke the thick tension that had settled between them.

Joel cracked a smile of his own. “Was it really that funny?”

“Seeing you switch between a noble masochist and a complete bastard? Yeah, it’s funny.”  

Joel couldn’t help but be pleased by the demon’s mirth. “I think we should rest for the night. We can talk about what to do next tomorrow morning.”

“Fine. There’s an old farmhouse nearby. It’s probably a mile’s walk from here.”

“We’re not flying again?” 

“It’s too conspicuous. It’s why no one really does it anymore. Makes you an easy target.”

Joel supposed that made sense. It would be a lot easier for avenging angels to spot Levi if he was soaring across the sky. 

Joel released a deep breath before stretching his legs and back. “Alright then. Lead the way.”

The pair walked in relative silence until they approached the building Levi had talked about. The ranch style house was a single story, with a covered porch that had seen better days. Untamed stalks of sunflowers grew next to the steps. Joel touched their soft petals before making his way through the front door.

The inside of the house was dusty, and the mismatched wooden floorboards protested noisily under his booted feet.

“There are two bedrooms to the left,” Levi said from behind him. “There’s no bathroom, but there’s an outhouse a few yards to the south.”

Joel nodded. A bathroom would have been nice, but he was just happy they weren’t staying in a motel. He had no desire to relive his experiences from earlier that day. 

Joel wandered into one of the bedrooms and set his bag on the dusty mattress. Now that the adrenaline was starting to wear off, he felt exhausted. He stripped off his boots and dirty clothes before pulling on his pajamas. Even though he wasn’t hungry, he pulled out a bag of trailmix and forced himself to eat. He gulped from his water flask when he was finished to wash away the salty taste. 

Joel pulled the dirty duvet off the bed and tossed it on the floor. The remaining blankets were musty, but looked fairly clean. He slipped himself under the flannel covers. He tried to rest, but every time he closed his eyes he saw Moe’s snarling face. 

Nervous sweat prickled as his brow as he wiggled further under the blankets like a shield. He wrapped his arms around his body in a self soothing gesturing, wondering if sleep would elude him for the rest of the entire night. 

After an hour of fruitless tossing and turning, he heard a soft knock at his door. 

“Come in,” he said. 

“Joel, I–,” Levi stopped as he walked into the room. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were asleep.”

Joel scooted up on the bed, so his back was pressed against the wooden headboard. “I wasn’t. What’s up?”

Levi cleared his throat, looking uncharacteristically nervous. “I wanted to check on you before you turned in for the night, to see if you needed anything.”

Joel didn’t know it was possible for a demon to be so considerate. He gave him a shy smile and titled his head down. “I don’t, but thank you for asking.”

Levi didn’t say anything, but continued to linger in the doorway. 

“Was there something else you needed?” Joel asked. 

“Yes, I–,” Levi exhaled shakily. “I wanted to apologize if I scared you earlier. I’m sorry you had to see me like that. I understand if you’re frightened and if–,”

“You didn’t scare me.”

Levi’s black and sundrop eyes snapped up, his face incredulous. “Really?”

Joel shook his head. “You were protecting me. I mean, I never enjoy watching violence, but you saved me. Why would I be scared of you for that?”

“I– I don’t know. Okay then. I’ll just–,” he motioned back to the hallway. 

“Wait!” Joel said, louder than he intended to. “Would you...” he could feel himself flush pink as he searched for the right words. “Would you stay? Just for a little bit? Today was stressful and I really don’t want to be alone right now.” He must have been even more exhausted than he realized to let such an embarrassing request slip out, but he couldn’t help himself. He was still unnerved and, despite all rational thought, he felt safe with Levi. He didn’t want him to leave, not yet at least.

The demon continued to stand in the doorway. He didn’t move or make any noise, and Joel could feel his face flush red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry,” he choked out. “Forget I asked.”

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. He pulled the covers up further to cover his flaming cheeks. What was I thinking? 

“No!” Levi said, taking a quick step forward. “I mean, no, it’s,” he cleared his throat. “I can stay.”

Joel beamed at him in the deem light. “Really? You don’t mind?”

The demon nodded back. “Really.”

Joel scooted towards the edge of the bed to make room before patting the open space. “Just for a little bit. To help my nerves calm down.” 

Levi moved towards the bed slowly, and the mattress dipped under his hulking weight as he lowered himself down. He left his shoes on and sat on top of the covers. “I’ll stay for as long as you’d like.”

“Thank you.” 

The pair didn’t speak. They just sat in silence as Joel listened to Levi’s slow breaths. The demon kept his distance, but his presence soothed Joel’s nerves and he could feel his eyelids growing heavy.  He drifted off slowly and could have sworn he felt rough fingers caress his forehead as he lost consciousness.