Convoke

Chapter 23

During Tom's shift, Ezra sat at the bar, staying close in case more demons entered. The pub was dead on a Thursday afternoon. Tom often stood alone on the other side of the bar. His father was doing more mundane tasks, like cleaning their home upstairs. His mother was out with friends. His sister was out at the park with his cousin, and Gerry was at work. Tom had avoided him before he left, though the dread of seeing him in the evening lingered.

At least he was working to distract himself, with a good-looking demon paying him more attention than he could handle. When Ezra would finish his drink, Tom would pour him another, and Ezra would hold it before Tom could put it down, brushing their fingers so subtly, the few locals scattered around the building didn't notice.

But Tom noticed, especially the way Ezra's head would drop shyly, to hide the colour burning up his pale cheeks. He was flirting back. Their hug had given him the hint Tom so desperately tried to drop. Though, with it came the heavy subject of how they would date. Prejudice would prevail. Tom would be gossiped about, and Ezra would be treated more unjustly than he already was. His parents might be very shocked about his partner not only being a demon, but a male demon. Tom wasn't too concerned about them disapproving on his bisexuality, he predicted their acceptance. He wasn't sure if they would be disappointed by him choosing a demon. They liked Ezra, but they would be undoubtedly worried for his safety.

Tom rubbed the ring finger on his left hand. The demon mark from their contract had barely left his skin now that Ezra was nearby. He wore a black ring over it, to hide it from prying eyes, though it still tingled, reminding Tom of his full name, Ezrakhell.

That evening, when Tom was ready to sleep, Ezra lingered by the bottom of his bed, chewing on the inside of his lip and staring at the empty space next to him. Tom pulled the duvet away and patted the bedsheet. "Come on."

Ezra accepted the invitation and laid down next to him. Tom shared the duvet and turned off the light. The curtain wasn't fully closed, and the moon casted the shape of leaves and branches on the wall. He stared with bright eyes at the ceiling. Ezra most likely did the same. Nobody moved for a while, until Tom rolled over to face his desk, hoping Ezra would then feel comfortable enough to go to sleep.

Tom woke through the night only once. Ezra's face was close. His eyes were closed, his lips slightly parted, and his breathing moving like an old, overworked machine, in and out, in and out. Tom stared at him, liking how they had been pulled towards each other in their sleep.

Their hands were both tucked by their chins, and their little fingers were barely a centimetre apart. Tom inched it closer, touching Ezra's skin. His body reacted to his touch by shivering. Tom closed his eyes and was thankfully tired enough to fall sleep quickly, missing Ezra opening his eyes to stare at their touching fingers.

The days went by the same- Ezra would linger in the pub, they would go to the library late, and sleep side by side in Tom's room. Demons visited the pub and watched Tom from afar when he was in the village, but soon they left him alone and soon, Ezra talked about not having to be so close all the time.

"I will leave you to sleep alone tonight," he said, on a cold evening. A new moon was only a night away, and silver light flowed through the gaps in the curtains on the long library windows. Tom switched on the light, feeling the lingering calmness from the angel's choir practice only an hour ago.

"You don't have to sleep in the bushes now that it's getting warmer-"

"No, I mean that I'll go back to where I was sleeping before. I don't think you're in any danger anymore. No demons have followed you in a week."

"Oh." Tom gulped back his disappointment. How could he tell him that his favourite time of day was when they laid silently next to each other on his bed? "Okay." Tom watched him take books from the nearest shelf that they had stacked close by from the previous night. He sat at the table and flicked through the ones he had almost finished.