Inky ^beta

“Step out of the vehicle!”

Brutal wasn’t sure which was a worse wake up call, the blaring sirens or the cops yelling on the other side of the tinted windows. Pure had already been stirred awake by the commotion, and cowered away towards his side of the car; for that, they would pay.

“Brutal? Perhaps we should not anger the authorities further..” He peeked out at the red and blue flashing between feathers, then at the freak for a reaction.

“Don’t you worry, love. I’ll do the talkin’.” Brutal continued to deliberately disobey them, rolling down his window and leaning back to coax them closer. Police were practically free amusement for him, even more so when they brandished their cheap pistols and tried to put a dent in him. “What seems ‘ta be the problem?”

The first of three officers approached the driver’s side less than cautiously, gun held loosely in one hand as the other pulled cuffs from his belt. “You’re under arrest for trespassing, burglary, and grand theft..” His voice trailed off as he peered into the car, perturbed by the presence of the last freak any officer wanted to see. “Auto..” Before he could issue a warning to the other two Brutal’s arm had lunged at his throat, squeezing the last of his breaths out before crushing his pipes like paper.

Once the first officer was down the door finally flew open, startling the two remaining cops that watched as Brutal kicked the first lifeless one out of his way. “Ya wanna add that ‘ta the list?” He nimbly shuffled aside as one of them made a poor attempt at firing a taser, the other too shaken to do anything but stare the freak down with his pistol between two trembling hands. Their weapons were a joke; Brutal found his own much more interesting, pulling the kukri from his side to swing it back and take a few good stabs at the cop with the taser. “Thought so, ya filthy pig!” As soon as he went for the kill the third officer was racing back to his cruiser, though even that attempt fell short when the kukri landed clean in the back of his skull.

As the final cop collapsed towards the hood of his own car Brutal wandered closer to retrieve his weapon- and also turn off those god awful sirens. It was then that his stomach grumbled, and the box of donuts in the passenger seat of the cop’s car didn’t exactly appeal to him- though, he did still grab it for Pure. No, Brutal was hungry for something much more animalistic- which should’ve deterred the angel from believing that the freak was anything but an absolute monster.

He stabbed at the last cop a second time, making a messy incision down one side of his spine to retrieve what he could of the man’s organs from inside. As he returned to his own stolen car, he took a bite of the liver like it was a fairground turkey leg.

“I really oughta bring along more axes for throwin’, don’tcha think angel?” Brutal slipped into his seat as if nothing had happened, confused but not deterred by the shreds of horror on the sleepy angel’s face. He simply held out the box of donuts, tipping it open to sway Pure with the smell of freshly baked sugary treats. “..Ya want a donut?”

The other accepted silently, one hand slipping into the box to retrieve a double chocolate donut he gratefully savored; he only decided to address Brutal once he’d enjoyed it. “..Tu es complètement dégoûtant.” He burrowed further into the freak’s vest, not quite ready to give it up. The feeling of sleepiness was growing on him; clearly, the immortal servant of the lord didn’t get enough beauty sleep, though he wasn’t sure he could fall back asleep after witnessing such a gruesome scene.

“Brutal?” He reached for another donut, nibbling at it idly as he spoke. “Last night was fun.. If you could grant me one more desire,” even saying such a selfish word made him feel guilty. “I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Oh yeah? What is it?” Brutal nearly ran over one of the corpses as he started towards the shack, so intrigued that the road seemed distant.

“I would like to see the stars. Just once.. From the heavens, it is impossible. And during my time at the church, I was much too busy at night.” Pure stared at the clouds that had replaced the darkness above, the place he’d once called home; now, he was more interested in what was beyond.

“The stars? That’s nothin’,” though it seemed like a rather boring- and easy- wish to grant, the stars had given the freak a much grander idea. “Why don’t we go campin’? The stars look real good in the forest. ‘Specially if ya find a good spot. ‘Course, I’ll hafta find us a good tent..” Pure probably needed a good break anyway, he reasoned as he continued to ramble. “Ya don’t mind forest critters, do ya?”

“Not at all,” the angel hummed, almost drifting off until they hit a bump in the road. “That sounds lovely.”

“Great.. Only problem is, I don’t reckon there ‘re many campin’ shops this far into the desert. Whaddya say, how ‘bout a road trip?”

“Nonsense. I could teleport us! It would be much faster..” Pure jumped at the opportunity to assist, leaping from the car as soon as Brutal slowed to a stop. “I know a pastor who would gladly help us with camping gear.. Shall we get some food first?” The freak simply shrugged and nodded as he stepped beside him and waited for them to appear elsewhere, though the angel’s magic fell short with a few spurts of light and then nothing. “Oh, that cannot be right..” He tried again, eyes closed and hands clasped together to manifest a portal that wouldn’t appear; though he didn’t enjoy the idea of growing weaker again, disappointing Brutal would be even more frustrating.

“It’s alright, angel. It’ll be fun! Don’t worry, I’ve got the gear covered.”

Pure didn’t question the extra stop to return to the shack, only listened obediently when the brute ordered him to stay in the car. As expected, he returned with a few extra weapons thrown lazily into the backseat. This time around, Brutal stopped for food on the opposite side of town, where the single, lonely grocery store intersected the road due north. The angel didn’t need to listen, he wouldn’t go in knowing the freak was bound to steal; the voice of reason that told him to prevent the crime had grown much quieter since their time together.

“Can ya believe it, angel?” Brutal leaned against the window, eagerly waving the contents of his stolen bag and yelling over the store alarms as if they were normal. “They sell cassettes in there! Got us a few, for the way there. What kinda music do ya like?”

“Music? Well..” Pure took the tape curiously as the other sat down, glancing over the foreign object like it was a bomb. “I have not heard much besides hymns, though I do enjoy a good harp. But I cannot see how this plays music?”

“Hell, ya’ve never seen one ‘a these?” Tossing the stolen bags back into the growing pile with his weapons, he took back the cassette with a wide grin. “I’m about ‘ta blow yer mind.”

Without another word he started the car, near frantically shoving the tape into the player above the radio and turning the dial to raise the volume. There was a suspenseful pause, then a click, and then- sure enough- music, straight from the car itself. To the angel, it was mesmerizing; maybe magic, maybe something extraordinary- he had never cared for human technology, after all. “Oh, c'est merveilleux! Quelle magie..”

The tune was far more jovial than his usual church recitings, an old show tune that Pure surely wouldn’t recognize- although Brutal did, tapping the wheel to the beat and humming along. When the holy one gave him a curious look, he shrugged and feigned innocence.

“I, uh…” He hesitated, deciding how much he was willing to say. “I saw this movie with someone, a long time ago.”

Although Pure wouldn’t press his luck, his interest was piqued; the freak’s past was a mystery he was dying to uncover. “It’s wonderful.. You were right, this is much more than I could’ve ever expected.”

“Better than those freaky church songs, huh?” Brutal went right back to tapping along against the wheel.

The angel wouldn’t admit, it most definitely was. “I wouldn’t count on it.”

Pure leaned out the window like an excited puppy for most of the ride, wings flapping against the wind and eyes closed as he embraced the breeze. Their first car venture had been a thrill, but this road trip was much more relaxing, which was exactly what his driver had hoped. Gradually, the scenery changed and the winds cooled; the vast desert was replaced by a sea of green, trees for miles in every direction and rocky terrain in the distance. Their first stop in nearly a hundred miles promised all the camping gear one could ever need- which, of course, Brutal stole- and snacks for the angel, who managed to pay with the secret cash left in the glove box- although his presence had caused the shopkeeper to faint, Pure so politely left the money on the counter.

His very own chocolate bar and a getaway to fulfill his dreams was all the angel needed to be absolutely ecstatic, hardly thinking twice as he watched the freak shove a tent and firewood into the trunk.

“Are we almost there? Surely, the sun must be setting soon..” His eyes sparkled, so excited that he was growing impatient.

“Sure are, now ya get ‘ta tell people ya’ve gone campin’ in the rockies.”

Naturally, Brutal drove far past the designated camping spot, always a bit of a recluse if he could help it. He’d already planned on taking the scenic route further up the mountain; after all, the angel would need the perfect view to see the stars. He would ultimately decide upon a quiet cliffside hidden by the trees, quickly getting to work with the tent- not that he expected Pure to know a thing about setting one up, anyway.

“How’s this? Nice enough view for ya, princess?” Brutal shoved the first stake in the ground, mighty proud of his choice.

“It’s wonderful,” The angel floated onto the hood of the car, staring at the sunset’s vibrant mixture of pink and orange and searching for the beginnings of a starry night. His wings swayed gently, a moment of peace that was rare with the chaotic way that Brutal lived. He’d lost himself in the moment, beginning to hum the song from the cassette tape and staring far past the skyline.

The freak could’ve sworn he heard a bird join in- no, maybe even two, chirping harmonies that fluttered closer and closer as the trees around them rustled. Then, he spotted a deer; not frozen in their headlights, but wandering curiously towards the angel on top of the car. With the deer, the two birds in the canopy lowered to Pure’s shoulders, and a squirrel scurried up one side of the car. It was like a scene straight from a movie; yet somehow, the angel thought cassette tapes were magic.

“Now I’m startin’ ta think ya really are a princess.” Brutal was almost done with the tent, though the scene before him slowed down his progress significantly. Pure’s voice was something special; just like the forest animals, the freak could not look away.

“N’es-tu pas juste belle?” The angel pet the deer ever so gently; somehow he hadn’t frightened him, but urged him to step closer. “I did not expect the wildlife to be so friendly.” He didn’t expect to look over and see Brutal staring at him just the same. “..Ma brute? Is something wrong?”

“Nah- nah,” in a panic, he promptly shook his head and got back to work, burying his head in the craft of their tent so the angel couldn’t see the shade of red on his face. “Tent’s almost done.”

The animals finally began to part ways when Brutal’s daze ended, though not without Pure waving to them and bidding them farewell. The freak tried to pet one in the process, though he only caused the deer to run away in fear; he’d have to leave the animal whispering up to the angel. Once he’d finished the tent he stepped back to admire his work- perfect as usual- and then retreated to the car to collect more weapons and stolen goods. First, he withdrew his machete- of course, he couldn’t go wrong with that. The firewood came tumbling from the back next, then the sleeping bags..

“Ah, crikey! This ain’t good..” Brutal remarked aloud, only half serious; the night was working in his favor, after all.

“What is it?” Pure tipped his head back towards the commotion, following the freak as he returned from the back unceremoniously with the wood, the weapon and one sleeping bag.

“I forgot a second sleepin’ bag.. Ya don’t mind sharin’, do ya?” It was hard not to smile.

“Why, of course not..” As soon as the angel spoke, he started to worry that he did, in fact, mind. “How cozy..” That was only half true; being sandwiched so close to Brutal sounded like the epitome of temptation.

“Great.” Once he’d dumped everything to make a second trip, Brutal noticed something he’d completely forgotten about throwing into the back: a tattered old box, the sacred place where he kept his old camera. Though it was nothing special, it was one of the few non-lethal possessions he treasured. He’d have to put it to good use again. There was one other cassette he’d yet to play, saving it for the right moment; considering the stars hadn’t filled the sky yet, it was perfect timing. He had a plan.

The car hummed and vibrated beneath Pure as slow jazz emanated from the speakers, once again catching his interest; he hadn’t heard music this calm since the harps from the heavens. When Brutal circled around in front of him he seemed determined, extending his hands for the angel to take.

“Wanna dance?”

“Oh, ma brute.. I cannot.” Pure was not one to lie; he was surely an abysmal dancer- though the offer flattered him enough to make him blush. “Besides, I did not take you for a dancer, either.”

“Ah c’mon, why not?” Sure, the freak wasn’t very light on his feet, but any excuse to get closer to the angel was a good one.

“Well, I have never had the time for it. My duties are much more important.” The mention of his duties made Brutal grimace. “Regardless, I do not use my feet much anyway. Not if I can help it.”

“Nonsense.. only thing that matters right now is you and me.” His voice was a whisper; while the angel was caught off guard, Brutal’s hands snaked around his waist to pull him off the hood. Yet Pure still refused; though he didn’t shy away he floated effortlessly off the ground, much to the brute’s dismay. “..Really? Ya really need ‘ta believe in yerself, angel. Y’know what I think? Ya don’t need some god ‘ta tell ta that yer pretty great.” The last line to slip gave Brutal reason to pause; he didn’t mean to say that, or anything so stupidly sappy. He was, however, lucky that Pure was just as speechless.

The angel’s cheeks burned and his heart raced in double time. He could never pinpoint it, but Brutal made him feel much more powerful. Even as his physical powers dwindled, the freak lit a fire inside of him that made him believe he could do anything- well, almost anything. He was still just as confident that neither of them could dance. He lowered to the ground slowly, half intentionally and half guided by the hands still holding his waist.

“..I suppose we can try it just this once.”

“I knew ya’d come around.” Unfortunately, Brutal hadn’t planned this far; they were about as skillful as either of them expected, first swaying hesitantly to the music before proceeding to step over each other and in the complete wrong direction. Pure had wrapped his arms around his neck, leaning against him for support, still vehemently opposed to holding his own weight; the freak only hoped he couldn’t hear how fast his heart was racing.

Somewhere in the process of trying to get to the actual dancing Brutal lost his footing, unceremoniously bringing the angel down to the ground with him. By some stroke of luck Pure had landed with his cheek pressed against his chest, lingering there for a startled moment before lifting his head to burst into laughter.

“Perhaps you are right,” he rolled over to one side of the freak with a tiny thud. “I should believe in myself. I couldn’t possibly be a worse dancer than you!”

“Yeah, right. Yer the one I tripped on!” Brutal couldn’t help it, the angel’s joy truly was infectious. It felt like an eternity before their giggles subsided, when Pure opened his eyes and was taken away by the stars filling the sky like city lights.

“Brutal, look!” Pure gasped, shaking his arm for extra measure. “This view is beautiful.. They glow magnificently.”

Brutal barely paid attention. Sure, the stars were nice and bright, but the angel glowed just the same; unlike every star in the sky he was one of a kind, and most importantly, even prettier- not to mention, all his.

As much as he admired the sky, Pure lost himself deep in thought. No one in all of his years at the church had ever told him to believe in himself... the concept alone was the antonym of his very existence, a deity destined to help others believe in the lord. If anyone else had told him something so outlandish, he’d never listen. Brutal, on the other hand, empowered him, and he couldn’t help but dote on every word the monster spoke. He’d granted Pure the ability to feel, much more than any immortal, untouchable angel should ever experience; such a gift was invaluable.

And Brutal was right. His record wasn’t spotless, but he had just saved him from a horrible- definitely not intentional- accident after all. Not only that, but nightly prayers and being forced to drag around an angel seemed to be softening the brute. He was making progress, surely.

“Thank you.” Pure turned his head to instantly meet Brutal’s mesmerized gaze, though the angel couldn’t have known how long the other was staring before he looked.

“For what?” Finally showing an ounce of shame the freak glanced away, now regretting his choice of music.

“For believing in me, for bringing me here..” One smaller hand drifted over Brutal’s, and soon enough the angel had scooted closer to lean into his shoulder. “Tu me donnes la vie.”

“Ya gotta stop speakin’ in fancy tongue.” The freak grumbled unseriously, with a grin that dropped as soon as he lost all ability to focus on anything but their proximity.

Pure was well known for his ability to tap into the thoughts and desires of those who needed him most; it was especially rare- no, the first time he’d ever heard himself.

”Est-ce que tu le veux autant qu’il te veut, jeune amant?”

Pitiful, a joke on his own behalf. He faltered there, lips inches from Brutal’s and eyes locked together as he searched for the otherwise obvious answer to what the moment was missing.

”Give in. He’s all yours for the taking, ange piètre.”

In a flash he remembered who he was, how dangerous it was to be so close to temptation that he could hear it. A horrified gasp escaped him, practically out of reflex. The angel didn’t mean to startle Brutal in the process, though he hardly noticed that he’d done so as he turned over to clammored onto his feet and stepped closer to the cliff- as far from the freak as he could bring himself.

Brutal was already a bit bewildered, shooting up from his own spot in pursuit that became full blown panic when the angel leapt right off the cliff. The invisible shackle around his neck yanked the life out of him, forcing him to sit at the edge and peek to where Pure had landed below.

He could tell the angel was crying; as much as he tried to conceal it, the silence occasionally broken by sniffles was enough of an indication. “Look, angel.. Ya gotta listen ta yerself.” Brutal understood well what was holding him back, the image of purity all in the name of a man who cared little about either of them. It made him sick to his stomach. “It pisses me off, that bastard in the sky’s got a chokehold on ya just ‘cause he’s high ‘n mighty.. But who put him in charge? ‘Sides, there’s gotta be a reason yer stuck with me. It takes someone special ‘ta be around me ‘n survive, let alone..” The freak struggled to put the feeling into words, how he managed to not only tolerate his polar opposite but grow fond of him, too.

To Pure, it felt like Brutal enjoyed challenging his rather rigid- he would argue faithful- way of thinking; yet he was inclined to believe everything the brute said, even when it was beyond unholy to even question the lord’s authority. Clearly, fate had its own plans for the two of them; and so far, the angel wasn’t half bad at his job.

It was nearly an eternity before Pure floated back into view, eclipsing the moon with his wingspan and captivating his admirer completely; he was a much prettier view than the stars, after all.

“Oui.. je suis d'accord. You are a handful.” The glowing angel finally fluttered down for a hug, landing gracefully in Brutal’s lap.

“Yeah.. I can accept ‘at. Ya gonna kiss me now?” Pure pried himself from the freak’s grip to wipe his tears, though Brutal had already reached forward to wipe his cheeks for him.

“I’ll think about it.” Though he hadn’t lied, the angel seemed to offend his suitor; still, it felt good to make such a choice all on his own.

“That ain’t a no..” Brutal scooped him up effortlessly as he returned to the pile of firewood left by the car, placing the angel back on the hood and retrieving his bag of chocolate from the front seat. “Why don’t ya think about it over a snack?” The candy had quickly become Pure’s kryptonite, the guilty pleasure he’d probably never shake. The freak tossed it to him as he kneeled to start their fire, giving the hungry angel free rein to tear open the new bag.

“Nah, gimme ‘at.” Pure was polite enough to hand it back, against the wishes of his own sweet tooth. “Ya never had a s’more?”

“Some more.. What?” All he wanted was more chocolate, though Brutal seemed to have other plans.

The wholly uneducated one was even more confused when the freak burst into laughter. “Hell, what’re they teachin’ ya up in the sky? It’s a snack, love. Ya take the chocolate..” The chocolate on top of a graham cracker alone blew Pure’s mind, though Brutal wasn’t done yet. “‘N the marshmallow..” He placed the very first marshmallow on the end of a stick he’d retrieved- Pure didn’t question how unsanitary that was, for he expected nothing less from Brutal of all people. What he did begin to question was the ingenious design of a melted marshmallow and chocolate between two crackers. “It’s like a sandwich. Now, I got somethin’ that’ll really spice it up..”

The angel examined the treat as it was handed to him, and the freak seemed even more excited than before to retrieve his next surprise. He started with one cautious nibble; that was enough to sell the idea, the perfect combination of melting chocolate and oozing marshmallow. He didn’t seem to notice how much of it had gotten on his mask just yet; the taste had taken his mind off of everything else. He didn’t stop there, he’d nearly devoured the entire thing ravenously by the time Brutal returned.

“Ah, there it is!” The beast seemed mighty proud of himself, holding out a human heart- long past beating- like a trophy. “I saved it, just for this..” He tore off a piece as he started another s’more, shoving the muscle in between marshmallow and chocolate to offer it up like a delicacy. “Ya wanna try?”

Pure blinked, then blinked again just to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. “Non- non, merci. This one is just fine..” He took the last bite of his own, reaching cautiously for the stick and another marshmallow. He was hooked on the taste, for sure- so long as it didn’t involve human meat. “Thank you for sharing..” even the sight of Brutal’s s’mores made him nauseous. “..these with me.”

Not only had the angel lost track of just how many s’mores he’d eaten, but he’d also completely ignored just how much of them had gotten all over him; his black gloves were coated and stained with chocolate and melted marshmallow, just as much had dripped to his pristine white jacket, and he couldn’t even imagine how much of it was left on his mask. It couldn’t be helped, he decided as he meticulously slipped his gloves off each finger, setting them aside as he moved on to slip off his jacket.

Brutal couldn’t help but watch. It’s not like he expected much underneath- no, Pure was a modest man through and through- but he was majestic nonetheless; the freak was so enamored, he hardly wondered how he’d slipped the jacket off of those enormous wings. He was starting to develop a nasty habit of staring; he was only caught when the angel began wiping his mask with the sleeve of his jacket.

“What is it?” Pure was only puzzled for a moment, before he jumped to his own conclusions. “I am not like you, you know.. Wearing your filth as a badge of honor.”

“Ya gonna take the mask off too, then?”

The angel gasped, taken aback by his forwardness. “Non, c’est trop dangereux..” It was true, an angel revealing their face to a mortal was a great risk of its own; even so, he doubted he could bear to wear his mask all night in such a state.

“Ya think yer so pretty, huh? From what I can see I think ya’d be right..”

Brutal sure did love to tempt him. “D’accord.. I will take it off. But it’s too dangerous for you to look, I could blind you. Turn around, s’il te plaît.”

Defiantly the freak scoffed, not one to follow orders but willing to comply if it meant he was granted the chance to see Pure without his mask. “If ya say so.. ‘N how do ya plan on sleepin’? We only got one bag.”

The angel tried his best to reason that he didn’t truly need sleep. “I suppose I will have to stay awake.”

“Yeah, I’m sure ya will.” Brutal waited for the sound of the mask coming off to spin back around, though the angel managed to bury his face in his hands with a yelp before the freak could catch a glimpse.

“Non, non! Don’t look!” Pure’s muffled voice shook, though not enough to scare the other off.

“Ah, c’mon! I can handle seein’ ya, angel, I see corpses eryday.”

“Non!” He insisted again, though Brutal lifted his hands away with ease.

He’d never seen a man so gorgeous. Considering the amount of bloodshed, chaos he’d conjured with the very same hands, he wasn’t even sure he deserved such a sight. Pure was even more ethereal than the freak could’ve ever imagined, blue eyes that twinkled with the light of the brightest stars in the sky and golden blonde hair flattened by the mask that threatened to reach his shoulders. He couldn’t move for a fleeting, panicked moment, before his grip loosened and he stepped back to tip his hat over his flushed cheeks.

“I’m sorry!” Pure cried out, despite everything placing the blame for whatever damage he’d caused upon himself. "J'aurais dû savoir..”

The image was already burned into Brutal’s memory; he wished he could keep it in his old photo book- or even on a pedestal, he couldn’t promise he’d ever see such beauty again. The hands gently pressed to his cheeks snapped him out of it; the angel’s skin was as soft as silk, he wouldn’t fight as Pure lifted his face only to see his blood red cheeks.

“You are.. You’re okay?” Though the angel had tried to survey the damage, Brutal didn’t seem so damaged; no, he was unbelievably flustered.

“Y-yeh..” The brim of his hat lowered back over his face.

“Je ne comprends pas.. I’ve always been told anyone who sees an angel’s face shall be struck dead. But you’re alright..” This time when he reached for Brutal’s face, the freak shied away.

“Look.. how ‘bout we get ta bed, alright? It’s been a pretty long day, drivin’ ‘n all.” Brutal was already leading him towards the tent, opening it for him to climb in first while the freak put out their fire with questionable use of his own urine.

Pure felt undeniably guilty; like he’d pushed Brutal away somehow, like the brute was avoiding his very presence. Yet all that washed away when Brutal climbed into the sleeping bag behind him, yawning and swiftly succumbing to sleep.

“Can I see yer face again?” It was nothing more than a sleepy mumble, though the angel still entertained it.

“Non.. I do not want to hurt you.”

With Brutal’s face buried in his shoulder, he could tell when the freak had drifted off towards deep slumber. His hands had drifted around the angel’s waist; first over the dwindling under layer of his black sweater, then beneath it to hold his porcelain skin as close as he could. Pure couldn’t move; as much as he reasoned that he’d never been so peaceful, the voice inside continued to gnaw at his dwindling faith.

”It feels good, doesn’t it?”

“Non,” the angel whispered back to no one but himself, a white lie; he was thankful the mishap didn’t wake Brutal up.

”Tu es un mauvais menteur.. Wouldn’t you like to know what he’s dreaming about?”

Pure didn’t have anything to say to that.

”You think I don’t know how you truly feel? Je suis toi, je sais tout.. You want to know so badly why his arms are wrapped around you. What are you scared of?”

“Je..” He bit his lip before he could slip, squeezing his eyes shut to force sleep that would never come; instead, his mind drifted back to that same solace, the focus he’d once practiced to tap into the dreams of the masses, now for his own devilish curiosity.

”That’s it.. putain.”