Saintsmourn

[giveanything]

"Bless me father, for I have sinned," the words tumbled past his lips, ingrained in the well worn pathways of his memory from the years he'd spent in catechism and as an altar boy. Not that Liam was devout anymore -- how could he be, given what he'd become, given what he did and continued to do. The confessional booth was small and dark, light filtering in only dimly through the door and its screen that kept him hidden from the sanctuary beyond and from the priest he assumed would be on the other side.

"It has been... a very long time since my last confession."

What was he doing here? This was ridiculous. He couldn't possibly expect forgiveness and absolution. There had to be true repentance for that, real contrition, and Liam knew he couldn't manage either. He hated what he did, despised every moment of it, but he wouldn't stop. He couldn't stop. The price for disobeying was far too severe, and he would not be the one to pay it. The price for his disobedience and his failure would be paid by his brother, and he couldn't live with that.

So William had made his choice, made it again and again, putting that one life ahead of so many others. And oh he was good at what he did, talented at ruining people, in shattering whatever it was in a human being that kept their souls in place, until they were ready to throw it away. His watcher commended him for it, in a sick and sadistic sort of amusement.

Today's lost soul had been... fuck. It had been hard. She was young, barely nineteen, and her road had already been a hard one. He'd played the game with her for the past few weeks, insinuating darkness and doubt into the cracks of that already-battered soul. Today. Today she'd shattered, and there would be no recovering from it. Another soul for the demon who owned him.

He could feel the panic rising up in his chest, cold and hard and threatening to freeze his lungs so he couldn't draw in enough breath. In the dimness and silence of the confessional, all the carefully constructed walls and facades trembled and fell away. Gone were the easy smiles and quite literal devil-may-care attitude, all the charisma and charm that he relied on in his cursed excuse for a job. It was him and his breathing and the silence and the faceless priest in the chamber beside him. Liam wondered if he could hear the panic in his breathing.

"I... sorry. This was a mistake. I should go. I'm sorry, Father, for wasting your time."

Comments

[eblouissant]

Riley collected his things and the basket, but he left the remainder of the cookies there as if it could make up for something; an offense caused, a disappointment tendered. It ached to disappoint the other man and he felt it all the way back home. He thought about his vows, and what they had meant.. he thought about the expectations that were heaped upon himself when all he wanted to do was sink into the other man's touch.

The kiss had not meant nothing, in fact the reason why he had said no was because he knew that another taste and he would not have been able to stop himself, it was something innate within him.

He came back to the dorm to get ready for his rounds, he'd stolen moments and now it was time to get back to the world of Saintsmourn; he checked a few rooms, left a few notes for corrections (though framed in the nicest way possible) and his mind was still on those melancholy brown eyes that spoke of such sadness.

He dreamed of those eyes, he dreamed of other things as well-- waking up pulsing and hot.

A few days went passed and he tried to avoid going into the village and walking past the antique store where he knew Liam to be, best to fortify himself-- but that was easier said than done, now wasn't it? The thing was that the temptation did not go away, his thoughts-- they were in his thoughts, the idea of Liam and him. A seed had been planted that he could not just let go, his mind ruthlessly tended this soil where it had been planted, and reminded of those sprouts every single night.

[giveanything]

Riley was not the only one plagued by dreams. It hardly felt like a plague during the dreams of course. No, they were some small sliver of a heaven that Liam knew he had no business and no nope of actually seeing. There would be no getting the other man out of his mind, and he was trying to do his best to accept that and move on despite. He made no attempt to see the priest again over those few days, not sure he could trust himself not to throw himself at Riley which what remained of his pride told him would be a bad thing somehow.

Instead he busied himself with his new role as Cat Dad. Maurice had been scooped up and brought to his little studio apartment above the antique store. The orange boy had been showered in all the accoutrements that came with being a spoiled housecat and seemed to be enjoying his new, warmer, much more comfortable life. He'd even tolerated the bath that Liam had visited upon him the first night with only a little pathetic pitiable mewing.

But all this did not mean that Riley would be allowed to think he'd been forgotten. A few days after their little not-date on the ocean cliffs, a rather large package would be delivered to the priest's quarters. It was a solid wooden bookcase, five feet tall, intricate leaf carvings up along the trim at the sides and top and bottom. It was clearly old, antique even (go figure), but it had been rather painstakingly restored and refinished. A card included stated simply, "Maurice thought you'd like this. - L"

[eblouissant]

The package was not something he had been expecting, and yet it showed up and at first he was confused when the deliverymen knocked on his door and then dollied the bookcase in, and then there was a bookcase that he had lamented over not having, right now in his quarters, the perfect size for all of his books and with plenty for the books he would likely collect.

He did a bit of arranging that evening, smiling to himself at the unexpected boon in the form of a bookcase; but also the thoughtfulness of the other man remembering, and the mention of Maurice.

After he was satisfied putting everything in the right place, even adding a little vase with a few wildflowers-- Asters and Wild Columbine as was native within this area. Then he snapped a picture and sent it to Liam.

Thank you for remembering, I had completely forgotten.

Are you and Maurice roommates now? Also what do I owe you for the bookcase?

[giveanything]

Liam was in the middle of another carpentry project when the text came in. This project was not his usual though, and it involved far too many allen wrenches, but hell or high water Maurice was going to have this cat tree. He was trying to parse the visual directions and decide whether the piece in his hand was piece A3 or B1 when the sound of his phone interrupted his deciphering of these horrible hieroglyphics. He couldn't help a smile at seeing who it was from, and the picture attached to it.

Don't mention it, Father. Looks like you're making good use of it already. I'm glad. And yeah, Maurice has moved in. He's a pretty good roommate so far, but every time I bring up splitting the rent he suddenly has an important nap to take. I probably should've run a credit check. Oh well. He's good company at least.

You don't owe me anything. Consider it a gift. And an apology for crossing a line.

Or several lines.

[eblouissant]

A gift, a beautiful one-- even as Riley allowed his fingers to trace against one of the leaves shimmering. This was a beautiful gift, far more beautiful then he could've hoped. He then set about a response text.

How about this? I still insist on doing something in return for this gorgeous bookcase, so I will keep an extra eye on your brother? Is that an acceptable trade?

[ It was not much, but he knew that Liam cared very deeply about Trick. ]

Part gift, and part handler's fee.

[ There was the Priest's sense of humor coming through, showing that he did have a witty sense of humor. ]

[giveanything]

That is a full time job in and of itself, you know. But thanks. He's a magnet for trouble, even if his heart is in the right place.

Trick's heart was always in the right place. His baby brother had a tendency to see things in black and white, and that made him a little rash sometimes, when he saw something wrong that he felt compelled to right. It was one of the many reasons that Liam worried about him. It was also one of the many things that had driven the rift between them, but Liam figured it was better to let that remain. The last thing he needed was Trick finding out about the reason he did what he did, about his deal and the price he'd been paid to forfeit his soul.

I'm glad you like it though. Really.

There were texts he wanted to send, things he desperately wanted to say. But through some miracle of self control he managed not to, sighing quietly even as Maurice, sensing his new owner's restlessness appeared to aggressively headbutt his hands until he dropped the phone, which somehow managed to turn on the voice message recording.

"Hey that's my phone, Maurice! I'm fine, you furry little menace. Just a little heartbreak. I'll survive," a quiet murmur followed by the audible sound of a cat purring up a storm as Liam scratched at the tomcat's cheek.

"Heartbreak?" Another voice, deeper, the accent strangely unplaceable, not quite British, not quite American, and tinged at the edges of the consonants with a hard edge from some language long forgotten by most who still walked the Earth. "That's sweet that you still think you have a heart, pet. Always the optimist, my little reaper."

"Gregory." Liam's voice again, but different than Riley would have heard it before, quiet and guarded, subdued and with none of his usual bravado and charm. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? What kind of question is that? I'm here to check up on my property. You've been avoiding me, William. We can't have that. Do I need to remind you who you belong to?"

"No. That's not necessary. I--"

"Oh I think it is. I think it's very much overdue." The demon smiled and reached down for the cellphone Maurice had knocked to the floor. He noticed the recording and hummed softly. Oh. Interesting. "I have no intention of losing what is mine. Now come here, pet." With that he rather deliberately ended the unintentional recording and very intentionally sent it on so that whoever this new friend of Liam's was, he'd understand that he was trespassing. More importantly though, he noted the name. Riley, hmm? Interesting. He'd have to find out more about this Riley. Later.

[eblouissant]

Riley had smiled at the phone before he set it aside. He had a little bit more work to do and a round of his scheduled dorms to go; to make sure that there was nothing weird nor random going on. Often times he did leave his phone on his bed while he did so and that was only because he did not want any distraction-- no matter what he did, he attempted to be present.

It was an hour later when he came back and checked the phone, he opened it up to see a rather sizeable voice message from Liam. A furrow of his brows as he started to listen, a smile on his lips at the byplay between man and cat in what clearly was not intentional. An accident; how adorable Liam sounded scolding his roommate.

However the smile on his lips slowly died as he heard what came next. The voice, Liam's own voice holding those hints of steel and sadness, the declaration of ownership, the ending of the voice message before whatever happened.

Riley could only assume what happened next.

He sat with it for a moment, for two moments-- his eyes staring into the wall as he processed this, the very idea of demon possession that Liam had told him about but which had not seemed so much a reality as it did now. A pang of thunder and rain pattering against the window was the only thing that brought him back to reality. The sun had set, all was darkness.

How long had he sat there in a daze, processing what he had heard?

Feet hit the ground and then he pushed himself up from the bed while he shoved the phone into his jeans pocket. And then he was out the door and down the hallway, as fast as he could go-- he was running and did not understand how his feet had caught him to the threshold of Saintsmourn before he was out and into the pouring ran, down the cobbled pathway as he beat feet as fast as he could out the gate.

No coat, no nothing. Just a sopping sweater and blond hair that plastered to around his face as he did not dare stop until he got to the village antique shop. There was a light upstairs, he went up to the door and started to bang on it as if all of hell was behind him, as if there was something that was possessing him.

"Let me in!" he shouted, not caring if the neighbors came out to wonder what in the world a Priest of Saintsmourn was doing in the early evening. He had even forgotten that he had a phone in his pocket, if he had been thinking, he could have easily taken it out and sent a text message to Liam.

[giveanything]

Liam hadn't realized that his phone had betrayed him yet. He hadn't exactly thought to pick it up to look, not with Gregory there. And Gregory had been there far too long this time. But thankfully, by the time Riley was pounding at his door, the demon had finished with him and taken his leave. Honestly Liam didn't know what he would do if Riley had arrived while his keeper was still there. The very last thing he wanted was for Gregory to even have awareness that the priest even existed; nothing good came from the demon's attention falling on someone good and kind like Riley.

He heard the pounding on the shop door. A floor below, but it was loud and frantic enough that he couldn't miss it. Frowning, he considered ignoring it. Whoever it was couldn't possibly need an antique that bad, right? He was tempted to just burrow further under a blanket on his couch and wait for the world to forget he existed. Instead he made his way from his apartment down the back staircase into the shop proper. Night had fallen, and the streetlights had kicked on not long ago now, and in their dim light even through the frankly torrential rain, he could make out the figure standing there. His eyes went wide and his step quickened to bring him to the door, fumbling with the bolt before jerking it open.

"Father? What are you doing here? It's hellish out there. Get inside before you get washed away." He stepped back enough to let Riley inside and out of the weather. The shop was small but neatly kept, scented of wood and varnish and the unmistakable scent of old leather and paper, only the lights that Riley had flipped on as he hurried to the door shedding any light. It was enough to see by anyway. Liam looked a mess. His hair was damp still from the shower he'd taken, mostly standing in the spray as hot as he could stand it until the hot water had run cool. He'd pulled on a pair of flannel pajama pants and an oversize hoodie, his feet bare and just now noticing the chill of the floor beneath them. Even with the hoodie, a bite mark was visible on his neck -- and not a playful love bite. Teeth had both bruised and broken the skin and thensome, a deliberately visible and ugly thing left with him as a reminder. The dark circles under his eyes seemed darker tonight as well. Though perhaps stranger still, and more alarming, was the fact that in the low light shadows seemed to swirl behind him, emanating from his shoulders like tattered spectral wings. Piece by piece, he was losing more of his humanity. Eventually there'd be only the parts of him that had been twisted into something demonic left. Liam didn't seem to be aware of this, or at least he was far too busy looking at Riley in concern.

"Did you need an end table to go with the bookcase this bad?" It was a thin joke, but it was his best attempt at acting like himself. "I've got a few I can show you, but first we're going to get you a towel and something hot to drink. Come on." He apparently did not expect to be argued with, since he reached back to grab a hold of Riley's hand and start to lead him to the rear staircase and up to his apartment so he could get the priest dried off.

[eblouissant]

He was not okay.

There was nothing okay about the dark circles underneath those eyes, and his eyes strayed downward until it hit where the bite lay bruised and ugly, with little streaks of blood still dried from where teeth dug in and broke skin. Riley took this in with those disassociated blue eyes, though the swirling miasma-- he caught that, and he wondered if it was his imagination, except they looked far too real and pressing to be a figment of a nightmare.

His hand was caught and then he was dragged up the stairs.

But he stayed there, stayed there rooted and did not follow him, not yet. He had rain dripping from every point on his face, and he looked a mess as well but that was not important, no of course it was not.

"You are not okay." He spoke this and it had an almost hollow sound to it, "Are you?" this was a question, but he knew that Liam likely had his pride as well, he tried to get Liam to turn around and face him, there on the steps leading up to the apartment. From where they were standing, Liam's face was in shadows, and Riley's held the outline of the light that backlit Liam, like a nimbus around him.

He reached with his free hand and dug into his pocket, finally remembering it was there-- and then he clicked the play button. After all, he had not tabbed away from their texting messages. In the desolate staircase it played, first Liam talking to Maurice, and then Gregory-- for a long moment it played before the message was ceremoniously cut off.

Then Riley spoke and it was quiet. "You deserved none of that." and even more quietly, a whisper. "I do not think I should leave you alone tonight."

[giveanything]

Liam stopped in his tracks when it became clear that Riley was staying rooted to the spot in the staircase. He sighed "This isn't some ploy to get you up to my apartment, I promise. You're soaked, and it's cold and--" He cut off at that statement. Question? Whatever it was. He still had Riley's hand and was still facing up the stairs here he was headed. Slowly he turned, not sure what to make of the question, of how to answer it, his brow furrowed and concern for the priest replacing some of that emptiness in his eyes, and as that concern grew, the shadows retreated, still overpowered by what small shreds of his humanity remained. "Me? I'm not the one out in a nor'easter without a coat. I'm fine." Liam was very decidedly not fine, but Riley couldn't actually know that.

Except apparently he could. His voice started playing in the empty staircase and he could feel a cold weight drop in his stomach. Liam visibly flinched at the first sound of Gregory's voice, staring in wide-eyed horror at Riley before looking away. It wasn't something he'd have wanted anyone to hear, any of it, but especially how small he sounded, how damaged. "I... I didn't know... it wasn't supposed to... you weren't supposed to..."

What must the priest think of him? He couldn't bring himself to look at the other man's face to find out, too much of a coward to actually face it. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have had to hear any of that." He almost missed those last whispered words, but they were what finally snapped his gaze back to Riley's, dark eyes plainly startled, confused by the statement.

[eblouissant]

Riley walked up to the step just below Liam while he jammed his phone back in his pocket-- then once there he released Liam's hand put only so that he could place first one palm and then the other against cheek, pulling him down until they were forehead to forehead, until Liam could feel the wet plaster of hair.

He did not attempt to look further into Liam's eyes, he knew the vulnerability there and did not want to intrude upon those secret and personal windows to the soul. "You deserve so much better." He repeated as if it was a litany that he could offer the other man.

He crossed the very small distance and brushed his lips against Liam's-- trembling and soft, as if the other man was a precious and priceless treasure; the priest tasted of rain and also sugar cookies and he gave that comfort to Liam in this moment.

Without any expectations of being given anything back.

This was not about sex or lust, it was about intimacy-- about becoming the balm to be wrapped around Liam's soul; tendrils of healing as if it could reach the darkness and sweep it away.

[giveanything]

Liam did not know what to expect when Riley moved closer, immediately jumped to the worst when the priest released his hand, only to be bewildered in the next moment by the way those hands cradled so gently at either side of his face. He did not resist though, letting his forehead rest against the other man's, a sudden unsteady beat taking grip on his heart as if it couldn't decide whether it needed to calm or panic.

"You're wrong. I don't. I..."

He'd done awful things, and he deserved every consequence that came his way. Somehow he'd tricked Riley into thinking better of him than he deserved. He would have argued more, but then those lips were against him and they were so soft and so gentle, and he'd never known a kiss could be like this, could nearly knock his feet out from under him with how warm -- and yes treasured -- it made him feel. He could taste the rain, could taste that something sweeter, and this must have been what Heaven tasted like, a Heaven that he would never know but oh he'd take this glimpse of it.

Kissing the priest back, he couldn't hold himself back from wrapping his arms around Riley's neck, molding himself up against the other man. He didn't even bother to break from the kiss before he spoke, the words a hushed, trembling whisper. "Please don't leave."

[eblouissant]

The softest scratch of facial hair, the press of mouth to mouth-- and then the almost desperate whisper begging him not to leave. And all he could think of, could convince himself was that he was providing Liam with something, that this was not a lie. He fortified himself, he knew that if he wanted to-- if he felt he needed to he could leave and Liam would understand.

The thing was? That he did not want to in the slightest-- not when he had something to share with the other man.

"I won't." he promised with a bedraggled chuckle against Liam's lips before he was dragged under again, into the kiss.. into that embrace He did not let go of those cheeks, pressing open mouthed kisses with the barest hint of tongue while he stood there a step down from Liam. "Whatever you need.. I am here." like a guardian angel.

[giveanything]

Of course he could leave. Liam wouldn't try to force him to stay, wouldn't stop him from leaving. He was still surprised that Riley was here, that he'd come at all. It was finally dawning on him that Riley had come all this way through the wind and rain for his sake, and he didn't know how to handle that, the idea that anyone would come for him.

He met the next kiss and the next, melting more and more into Riley. His guardian angel indeed. Liam could almost believe something like that, could almost allow himself to hope that there was some part of him worth saving, something in him that could deserve redemption, could be redeemed. His fingers slipped into damp hair, holding, gentle, careful.

"You taste like the storm..." Like a baptism that could wash away every last one of his sins. He leaned back enough to seek out Riley's eyes with his own. "Let's get you into something dry."

[eblouissant]

Riley nodded with that baby blue softness in his eyes and then he slipped his hand into Liam's and then made a nod upward toward the apartment where the light glowed. He felt breathless and perhaps that was just the barrage of kisses that stole all of his thoughts and rendered them a puddle-- he'd never felt this dizzy from a kiss before and yet here he was.

"I barely noticed the cold, to be honest." he said, perhaps it was just rightous indignation and worry that powered through him but perhaps a blanket and some hot cocoa would not be amiss whatsoever. After all he did like sweet things, and he could be easily plied with snacks in an effort to warm up.

[giveanything]

Liam closed his fingers around the other man's and turned to lead him the rest of the way up the stairs, out of the shop and into his apartment. It was small but not claustrophobically so, an open studio with a kitchen just big enough for a two-seat cafe table, a sitting area with a small sofa and his television and an upholstered chair that Maurice had clearly claimed as his own. His bed was tucked away behind a folding screen to separate it at least a little from the rest of the living area.

He led Riley straight towards his bed, but it was an innocent destination which would become clear when Liam released his hand and opened a dresser drawer to pull out a pair of sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt. He snagged a towel too and pressed the little pile into Riley's hands. "Bathroom's that way. Get out of those soaking wet clothes before you do notice the cold."

If Liam could keep fussing over Riley, then he didn't have to wrap his mind around the fact that the other man had really come all this way for his sake.

"Tea or hot chocolate?" Either way, he was already turning to head to the kitchen to start on whatever the answer was.

[eblouissant]

"Hot chocolate..."

Riley called as he took the sweatpants and the t-shirt and then moved to the bathroom to strip right out of his own soaking clothing, it peeled off him like onion skin though thankfully he did not smell like an onion-- thank the powers above for small mercies. He draped first his button down shirt over the shower stall door, and then followed with jeans.

After that left his boxers which he.. well there was no sense in keeping those and so he followed suit with those and over they went. He dried himself off thoroughly with the towel provided and once he was satisfied with that, he dumped it into hamper and then pulled on t-shirt and sweatpants. Ten minutes elapsed before he walked out, his hair was still damp but no longer plastered.

"Thank you." he said as he wandered over to where Maurice was napping on the chair and then he gave him a pet. "How is the kept cat life treating you?"

[giveanything]

So his priest had a sweet tooth, did he? Liam couldn't help a faint smile to himself. It was cute, endearing really. Should he be thinking that about a priest? Nope. But he also shouldn't be thinking about what it would feel like to spend a night wrapped up in Riley's arms.

Oh well.

By the time Riley emerged from the bathroom, Liam had the hot chocolate ready, two mugs steaming away on the coffee table by the sofa, with a small bowl of mini marshmallows next to them -- a scoop of which he'd already dropped into his own. He was settled on the sofa, looking up at Riley greeted Maurice. The cat chirped a sound that seemed like an actual answer to that question as he lifted into that touch to see if he could coax more petting out of the priest.

Liam found himself jealous, and wondered if that move would also work for him. He may have been trying for normalcy a little too hard right now, trying to prove (to himself as much as to Riley) that he was fine. This was fine. He wasn't on the brink of shattering apart.

[eblouissant]

This was not how Riley expected that he would spend a friday night to be honest but that was fine, he normally would have spent it reading in his room and then doing the occasional rounds. He realized that he probably should be back at the dorms, but the thing with Saintsmourn Dormitories was that there was very little in terms of accountability so the dorm would be fine.

There was also the ghost who would likely check in on them? I mean he hoped at least.

A few extra scritches underneath the chin for Maurice, then the top of the head. It was the Cat Tithe, alright, suitable attention needed to be paid to the cat-- finally he turned around and plodded over to sit on the couch beside Liam, reaching for the mug of hot chocolate.

Then he saw the marshmallows, and he very carefully dumped two scoops in.

Much better.

"Thank you for the clothing, I hung my clothes over the shower rod if that is alright."

[giveanything]

Maurice was eating up the attention. Clearly being a housecat agreed with the former stray, though he did worry about his new human who had moments of being too sad for even a purring cat to solve. The priest who smelled like sugar though, seemed to make it better, so he was clearly welcome.

Liam shook his head. "You looked like you swam here. I couldn't have you shivering yourself into an early grave in my apartment." And focusing on Riley and fretting over the soggy blond had pulled him out of the worst of the disassociation he'd slipped into after Gregory's visit.

"Sorry you came all the way here through that. I don't know how that message sent. Maurice headbutted my phone. He must've nosed the screen I guess." If he acted like it was just a silly thing, maybe it would be. Maybe Riley wouldn't see him as broken and damaged as he was.

[eblouissant]

Even now Maurice was making his way over to sit between the two of them which he had determined the prime spot for pettings; clearly and by Riley's determination, he likely concluded that there was no shame in being opportunistic, but also there was comfort in furry little ones.

Though the frown grew as Liam attempted to justify everything, from the phone to trivializing everything. He was not going to bring the phone up unless Liam did and even now he decided to play into whatever Liam said. It was mainly so that he did not bring any horrible memories to the forefront. "Maurice seems very precocious, it does not surprise me?" he offered as he rested his hand the back of Maurice's neck to give a nice kneading massage.

"I had a english sheepdog by the name of Samwise. I miss having a pet."

[giveanything]

"He's already figured out how to open the cabinet I keep his treats in. Precocious is about right."

He couldn't help a twitch of his lips into a smile. "Oh. You're a nerd. This explains so much. But... mm. Trick and I had a black lab growing up. Her name was Shirley. ...technically it was Sherlock. Because I am also a nerd. But Shirley seemed more appropriate for a girl dog."

Liam was an animal person since a very young age. He'd made friends with the crows in the neighborhood as a boy. ...and now as well, actually. And several pigeons and chipmunks and a opossum. He was on the verge of being a Disney Princess sometimes.

And now he had Maurice, a prince among cats.

Liam reached out to stroke his hand down the cat's back, quite deliberately catching Riley's and twining their fingers together. Maybe he needed the strength of that connection for asking what he did next.

"Why did you come?"

Liam couldn't quite figure it out, because it couldn't be as simple as Riley just caring about him. Could it?

[eblouissant]

"Good Maurice." he said, applauding Maurice's resourcefulness even as he gave Liam a rather wry smile, "No, I won't deny that, I used to sit alone at the lunch table and read-- though you could say it was because I had five brothers at home so I was not too keen on being social-- and I've read through a few libraries in my childhood." or it felt like it.

His hand was caught and he looked down at it, at their fingers entwined. "I came because I was worried about you, the message ended abruptly and I was afraid that.. he hurt you."

It had sounded like a threat and a promise, those words.

Also a warning. "That is the demon, correct? The one that you sold your soul to?"

[giveanything]

Small nerdy bookworm Riley was a genuinely adorable image, and Liam found himself charmed by the thought of it. Also five brothers earned a quiet whistle. "Five. That's a full house. Trick was more than enough for me, thanks." As if he didn't adore his pest of a little brother, even now when Patrick had (justifiably) come to despise him.

Liam's gaze was fixed on their joined hands as well.

Without consciously intending to, he tightened his fingers around Riley's. He wasn't used to someone worrying about him -- which was in part his own fault. He'd pushed the entire world away from himself, didn't let anyone close enough that they could get hurt because of him.

But here was Riley. Worrying about him. Coming here because of that worry, concerned that he'd been hurt. His free hand drifted up unconsciously to brush fingers gingerly over the bitemark that had been left. It wasn't the only one, only the most immediately visible. Gregory did not play gently with his toys. But pain was something that Liam knew how to deal with. Some twisted part in him figured he deserved it, a penance for his sins that could never be fully paid.

He hesitated before nodding. "My keeper, yes. Gregory. Or well, that's the name he uses anyway." He had trouble believing the demon's true name was fucking Gregory. Greg the demon. Why not.

[eblouissant]

"Dante, Alain, Leander & Lysander-- they're twins, and then finally Orion. My parents were very much nerds as you can tell-- my full name is Cyril please do not laugh." he said with a sheepish smile. "You can imagine that we all go by shortened versions of our name, except for Alain, people just pronounce it like Allen, which makes him angry.

Though once perhaps the laughter subsided he watched all of Liam's gestures and then he furrowed his brows. "Your keeper, I do not like that at all--" he said as he brushed his thumb lightly against the edge of Liam's hand.

It was delicate but fraught with infinite care. "I feel helpless when it comes to this, I do not even begin to know what to do to make this easier for you-- I do not know how to fight demons, Liam."