“It's very beautiful,” Melissa murmured, her head resting on Joey's shoulder as she curled up in his lap. “Just what I wanted.”
Joey smiled, looking around at the old church. Light flickered from behind him from candles burning, the stained glass windows showing bursts of color from the light that was being given off. It was just enough to make it not completely dark. However, Joey knew what it was. An illusion. Something he could alter on a whim, if he wanted. It was for her protection, and for the simple fact that Joey loved her.
The blonde woman curled up to him was the most important thing. She'd told him when he came that she needed him. Joey had to shoulder the crying and complaints, the unfairness of life when it became to much. The feeling of drowning, when it would come. It was more often now and it had him worried. He pulled up the blanket more around her shoulders and looked at the illusion. It was vastly different from the mental hospital she'd shut herself away in for months.
Joey had talked with the doctor. Another illusion, but it made sense. Depression. And he wondered if it could get better. Maybe with medication. Or just a chance to get away. Joey failed to tell the imaginary doctor that this was the place to get away. That Melissa lived in her head as a fail safe when life got bad.
“Where's Chris?”
Joey looked at her, giving her a smile. “Just rest. He'll be here soon.”
Chris wouldn't come to the mental hospital. Not because he didn't want to, but Melissa didn't see him there. Now they were waiting and Joey wasn't sure if he'd come. When he'd said a church, Chris got quiet. 'We'll see.' is the answer he'd given.
Joey couldn't be sure, but it could be against Chris's inner nature to show up, even in something that wasn't real. He himself could be here. Illusion or not. Angels belonged in churches. With the needy. It wasn't that he thought of himself better than the other man, but it was slightly humorous if he thought about it. And being an angel, Joey knew the woman with him would always need him. To a human, it sounded conceited. And in her mind, this is what he wanted him to be.
Joey had seen her meltdowns and panic attacks. To promise her he loved her, even when they both knew it wasn't real. Words and actions that in real life didn't come through as promised, he fulfilled them. They would label her insane, if she told. More than depressed, psychotic maybe. Or a form of it. All because her imagination and reality were blurred.
Chris watched the man holding her. His...he thought from the shadows. Joey was dressed much like he was. In all black. It suited them both and he gave a low whistle. From the outside the church was in ruins until he'd stepped through the doorway. “You do nice work, Fatone,” he said softly as he sat down on the other side of the woman, watching her sleep. “What warranted all this?” he asked, curious.
“She wanted to see you,” Joey told him. “I failed to tell her you might not come.”
Chris nodded, popping open the buttons at his wrists and rolling them up. One hand was a flesh color, the other was black, smooth skin. The rest of his body was like that, patches of obsidian with human skin tones. When he'd changed, Chris didn't question it, just going along with things. At first he'd hated Joey, not understanding why he'd suddenly shown up in Melissa's mind. Now that he'd been there, he realized she needed him as much as she needed Joey. “So how's she doing?” he asked, for show. He knew how she was doing just as much as Joey.
“Stressed. Sad..trying to make it seem like everything is fine,” Joey told him. “You look good. I bet pants are a bitch,” he grinned.
“My tail is fine, it's my wings that never have enough room,” the other man confessed, standing up to shrug off his jacket and reveal the black wings that were much like a dragon's. “I look like a freak.”
“She loves you like that,” Joey pointed out to him, shaking Melissa a little bit. “Mel...babe..Chris is here,” he told her, watching her wake up a little and look from him to Chris who was stretching his wings out.
“Christopher,” Melissa said softly, scrambling off Joey's lap to launch herself into his arms.
'Mine' Chris looked at Joey, kissing her cheek as he held her close.
Joey smirked. He wouldn't ever fight Chris for her. It was a sharing thing. Even if the demon had wanted to keep her, he'd give her back eventually. “Be good with Chris,” Joey told Melissa, getting up from the pew, and leaning in to kiss her softly.
“You aren't leaving me, are you?”
Joey studied her face as she turned from Chris's embrace. Always worried she'd done the wrong thing, said the wrong thing. “No, my love. I'd never leave you. I just can't stay while you're with him. You know that. And I'm always here...” he assured her and looked at Chris, who nodded.
Suddenly the church was a broken mess, empty and cold with the wind howling through it.
“Come on, my love,” Chris held Melissa close, his wings covering her from the wind. “Let's get out of here.”
“Where are we going?” she asked quietly.
“That's easy. Home.” Chris gave her a smile, knowing that she'd come up with what home was. Even if he didn't know. He had her now and Joey didn't. Even though the illusion had gone, he knew Joey was watching. And that made it better for him, in some sick twisted way, he liked Joey watching as they stepped out of the church onto a dirt road with trees on either side.
The moon was out and the wind was still howling but Chris didn't care. His wings worked, but for some reason he knew it was better to walk, that it wouldn't take long. “What made you need me?” he asked her quietly.
“I just needed you. Like this...” she answered, her arms around his neck. “Do you love me Chris?”
“You know I do. Like Joey does...maybe more,” he told her, the possessive side slipping out. Part of it was Chris. He wanted her. And part of it was her wanting him. He didn't fight it. “You can have us both...you know that right.”
Melissa smiled and Chris knew she took his double meaning the right way. “Just like I know I can walk but I love you carrying me. I want just you for now.”
It was quiet except for the noise of the wind and Chris walking. “I thought you said this was close...” he muttered, watching as scenery changed around him. “Minx,” he said softly, looking at her as he changed as well. From demon to...werewolf, he guessed as he let her down.
Now came the fun part, where she let loose and was free. He and Joey would never admit it, but they loved this part about her. When it was the chase. Once she was caught again, she'd tell Chris that was all she wanted. For him to love her enough to catch her. How could he ever deny her that.
“You better run, little girl,” he smirked, her scent in his nose as her clothes changed. Chris chuckled. Little Red Riding Hood indeed.
“You better chase me, Kirkpatrick.”
He heard another howl far off in the distance and knew Joey was closing in. “I think you'll have to outwit both of us.”
“You said I could have you both,” she pouted for a moment, watching his body change.
'And so you shall.' Chris told her telepathically as she took off running.
Story Notes:
I have been encouraged to possibly keep this going into a longer story. Let me know what you think.
Completed
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