Tom slumped to the ground and sobbed quietly into the palm of his hands. Sometimes he angrily ripped up the grass and threw it to watch the wind carry it away. He sat, lonely and sad for almost thirty minutes until the tears dried up and his sadness turned to dread. Going home meant facing his fears. His parents were good people, and Tom knew that they loved him, but there was always the faint whisper of what if they don't agree with who you are?

He watched a bug venture through the grass until a sheep made a bleating cry a few metres away. Tom jumped, staring startlingly at the ram chewing lazily, watching him with half closed eyes. "Barry, go away," Tom mumbled.

The sheep baaed loudly and another one approached him. Tom looked around and most of the sheep were standing watching him, and he would like to think that they were worried about him, but that might've been a desperate plea to feel less alone.

"Come here," he said to the ram, holding a fist full of grass fresh from the ground. The sheep's soulless eyes bore into him as he stepped closer, snuffing the air and bleating weakly. Tom sat up onto his knees, stretching his arm out further. The sheep's nose was almost touching his fingers, until something spooked him, and they all ran back down the field, leaving Tom to mope, once again, alone. He sighed and watched the grass blow away towards them, leaving him too.

"Hello," a deep voice said, scaring Tom so violently, he yelped and leapt to his feet.

"Ezra!" Tom gasped, slapping a hand to his heart.

"Sorry," Ezra said quickly. "I didn't mean to frighten you."

Tom filled his panicked lungs with fresh air and smiled on the exhale. "It's okay."

"Sorry for scaring away your audience."

"They were using me for food."

"Ah," Ezra said lightly. "They're shameless. Sheep are basically soulless."

Tom eyed him glaring at the animals who were still running. "Sounds like you have experience," he said, already feeling less miserable.

"Unfortunately." Ezra turned away. He shuffled on his feet for a moment, while his mouth twitched as he decided on what to say. "Are you- um, would you like my company? Or do you need to be alone?"

"Stay." Tom sat back on the grass. Ezra joined him, sitting close but carefully, so they would only touch if it was intentional. "How long have you known I was in the field?"

"I was lingering outside the pub when you and your sister left."

Tom nodded to himself, embarrassed. "You saw us arguing?"

"I heard it."

Tom sighed. "Does the whole . . . coming out thing exist in the demon community?"

"Coming out of where?"

Tom smiled. "Do you have to tell people that you're gay, or a lesbian or bisexual or anything else they label as not normal?" Those last words were accompanied with an eye roll.

"Oh, no. We don't care enough about each other to care about that."

"I see." Tom laid back on the grass, staring up at the blue sky littered with white dotted clouds. "Well, a lot of humans have to come out to their loved ones. I've just been forced to come out to mine." Ezra moved round on the grass to watch him as he spoke. "When I was dating Kimberley, I thought I would be with her for the rest of my life, so I didn't see the point in telling people I'm bisexual. Now that I like you, it's not just you being a demon that would be a problem to people."

"Who forced you to come out?"

"I was arguing with Gerry and he hinted that me and you were more than friends, in front of my parents. I called him a homophobic prick and then the penny dropped. My sister told him when I shared that secret with her thinking that she would keep it to herself."

"Why would she tell Gerry? He doesn't seem to like you very much."

"He doesn't." Tom blinked up at the sky, feeling the cold stinging tears. "My sister said it was an accident."

"Why doesn't he like you?"

"Because I call him out when he's being a bigot. We first clashed over his hatred of demons, and then his sexism. He has hated me ever since I screamed at Neasa not to marry him after a big argument. My parents hate him too, but they're supporting the relationship because my sister wants her daughter to grow up with the illusion that her parents love each other."

"Oh, not good."

"No, not good," Tom mumbled as a tear stroked the side of his face. He quickly wiped it away, smiling through the pain of years of living with someone who made his home cold. "But it just means that my sister lets him be a twat to me, so he always thinks that he's right."

Ezra was silent for a moment, watching another tear following the same route as the last. "I can take his soul if you want?"

Tom scoffed, wiping the tear away and sitting up. "Tempting, but I don't do revenge."

"Pity, I would have enjoyed it."

"And I would have enjoyed you enjoying it."

"And I would have enjoyed that you enjoyed that I was enjoying it."

Tom chuckled and the sun dried his tears. He never thought that he would be relying on a demon to cheer him up in farmer Joel's field, after being outed by his brother-in-law. A funny old life, he thought, picturing famer Joel saying it in his thick accent whilst chewing on a long blade of grass. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For making me feel better."

Ezra's concerned face brightened. "Well, I'm learning how to be a friend."

Tom glanced up at him through his lashes. "Friends also hug to help make them feel better."

Ezra blushed. His large eyes circled Tom's face before he stood up and held out both hands. Tom took them, and they were cold against his own, but soft and secure as they helped him up. They wrapped around each other like woven wool, pulled tightly, never to unravel.

Tom's head found its usual place against Ezra's shoulder. Ezra's chin rested into his hair. One arm was strongly locked around Tom's shoulders while his other hand softly rubbed between his shoulder blades. Tom's arms were around his waist with fistfuls of his hoodie in each hand, wishing to be even closer.

"Everything will be alright," Ezra soothed.

Tom closed his eyes and believed him. With each inhale, anxiety filled his lungs. With each exhale, anxiety left him until he felt nothing but calm and at ease with the situation. He had melted into Ezra who held him tightly enough not to notice if his knees had grown weak. Tom knew then that he would always have his support, whether they were friends or something more.

"I think you should go home," Ezra whispered, half hoping the wind would take his words before Tom could hear. "Just to get it over with, so you're not wondering how your parents will react."

Tom nodded against him. "If Gerry's still there, I'll end up arguing again."

"He's not. He left shortly after you did."

"Well, that's something positive at least." Tom smiled up at the demon looking down. They stared at each other's lips. Tom lifted his hands, settling them onto the side of Ezra's face. He softly tugged him, so their heads grew closer. Ezra's eyes were burning with the same desire in Tom's chest. He wanted to feel his hands all over him, to feel his lips all over him, to have his eyes all over him.

But Ezra only allowed his head to be pulled so far. He paused when they could feel each other's breath. He gently shook his head and held Tom's wrists, pulling his hands from his face, and resting them on his chest. "We can't," he whispered, wearing his agony like a well-loved jumper full of fraying edges.

Tom weaved his sadness within his smile. "Walk me home?" he asked.

"Of course."

They walked side by side, occasionally bumping arms, with fingers flicking towards each other, hoping to touch but never quite getting near enough.

"I'll wait in the bushes. Summon me if you need me. If not, I'm happy to just be out here, where I'm close."

Tom nudged him. "Careful, that almost sounds like you're flirting."

Ezra turned pink all over. His eyes darted around the beer garden. "Um," he cleared his throat and shoved hands into his hoodie pockets. "Please go inside. I don't know how to respond to that."

Tom laughed and left him standing all flustered on the path. But once he was inside, the atmosphere sucked any joy from his soul, and lay heavy on his chest. He wanted to run back to the demon waiting outside, and to spend the day with him, talking nonsense and pretending everything was ordinary.

He dragged himself up the stairs with a thumping heart. His parents stopped talking when he lingered by the door to the living room, trying to look them in the eye but not quite seeing them out of fear of seeing anything other than love.

"Hey," he said quietly. "Where's Neasa?"

"Gone out with her twat of a husband," Moira said, tapping fingers against her teacup before patting the empty space next to her on the couch. His dad lounged in his reclining armchair, though he sat forwards when Tom joined them.

"Did you talk to them before they left?" Tom asked.

"No," Declan said, eyeing Moira who gave him an encouraging nod. "Listen son, we don't have to talk about this if you're not ready."

Tom watched his own hands fidget as if they had a mind of their own. He wanted to retreat to his bedroom, but there would still be something unspoken between them, always waiting to be said. When he finally connected their gazes, they were both smiling reassuringly, with a warmth that had always been there. "No, I think it's time now."