After Debra left, the night suddenly became much more lovely. Pride was sitting at the garden swing, looking at the moon with Wrath by her side. Both of them were having a moment of relaxation after taking care of the problem. She couldn't believe that Debra lived for so long with them, keeping in secret her relationship with Declan. Maybe it was true that when she moved in, she didn't know who Hailie was, but soon she found out. Pride still wondered why she stayed? What was the point of this all?

And when Hailie will be back? She was missing her a lot more than she thought she would. The outside world wasn't safe, but in this house they could take care of problems. They had power here.

Debra hurt her and now Debra was gone.

They could do so much more for Hailie.

"You know, there's a lot more pleasant things to think about, rather than Debra." Wrath knew exactly what Pride had in mind. Maybe because a minute ago he was thinking about the same thing.

"For example?

"For example, this is a beautiful night and we're out here all alone."

She chuckled.

"And?" she tried to tease him a little bit, but he wasn't going to give in.

"And we could talk. It's so much better than sitting in the silence. Nevertheless, with you, I can sit here without words for eternity."

For Pride it was certain that there was no other demon who would know her as well as Wrath did. She was his obsession, which was actually like a compliment.

"We do have some things to talk about," she admitted.

There was that one talk they've always avoided. It was clear they needed to talk about it finally, but for so many years they've managed to keep it quiet. Knowing about this, but not talking. Pride could escape from it even now by starting another topic. Surprisingly even for her, she actually wanted to talk.

"I'm really grateful that you've helped me with leading to the assassination of Jayson's parents. That party night was quite fun, until what happened to Hailie."

"And I already told you, it's nothing. I'll always help you, if you would need me."

She smiled. Wrath was somebody she could count on. It didn't matter how crazy her idea might be, he would be the first one to stand by her side.

"Why?" She was the most perfect girl in the world, that was obvious, but still, for being as loyal as Wrath was, there was needed more than just fascination about her beauty, intelligence and pretty much everything she is. "You're straight forward. I'm aware how you feel about me, you know, with all the desire and passion, but why? Why do you bother for so many years to try to impress me? Honestly, you impressed me a long, long time ago. You've become the one, who is closest to me. And I know that you will never give up, but why? You know we could never be together."

That was the reason why she didn't try to change their relationship into something else. It's not like she didn't want to. The thing was, they shouldn't. They couldn't.

"Who said so?" Wrath made a defiant face, just as if he was ready to fight with whoever was about to prohibit them being together.

Her smile changed from happy to sad one.

"We're the original demons. I know that Lust and Envy had romance, but it didn't last long. It was just fun. With your perspective, there is no fun, because what you're looking for is a serious thing. Can you imagine? We're already famous in Hell, but the two of us as a couple? Demons don't love-"

"Don't change into Lust," he asked, feeling that he heard this sentence too many times.

"I'm not, but our relationship wouldn't have passed without indignation and controversy."

Wrath scoffed.

Like I care.

"And?"

"And what if we're not that powerful anymore?"

What? How did she come from being together to not being powerful?

He looked at her, not sure if she was joking or not. It seemed like laughing at her words wasn't an option, so he prepared his calm, yet reasonable voice, even if it was unnatural for him.

"There's no one more powerful than us. Well, maybe except Satan, but here's an unpopular opinion. The seven of us are stronger than he alone."

She shook her head.

"Maybe in the past, but then we chose to stay here. We've made an agreement. Hell or this house on Earth."

"We were broken apart!" Wrath stood up, not able to sit calmly. "Don't you remember how it was in the past? We couldn't stand each other, fighting over who is the most powerful one. All the quarrels, all the racings. Damn, I even challenged Lust for the bigger soul collection.  And Hell was such a boring place. Everybody was dead, everybody had sinned, and they've been paying the price down there and we were the ones to watch it or to create it. We all had enough of this monotony, of this pointless existence in order to stay in the line and satisfy Satan. And he had enough of us, always bringing the trouble."

"Wrath-"

"No!" He pointed his finger at her, while his eyes burnt red. It was his usual color for when he was getting too angry. "This house was part of our choice. To reunite, to try something new, to find our own place to rule. Right now we all live in an illusion, thinking it's impossible to leave the grounds."

"It is," she calmly stated. "Or would you like to try?" She showed the fence, which was the sign of where the grounds of the house were ending.

"And why are we trapped here?" Pride rolled her eyes at Wrath's question. She got the point, but he wanted to say it aloud anyway. "Because Devil himself is too afraid to set us free to the world." He took a breath, but it couldn't calm him down. "We have our inner disputes, but can't you see that everything has changed? We worked our way through the old problems. You hate Lust, but damn, if you could see the both of you working together tonight. And what have we done in Hell after Missy's death? Since then, I haven't seen a single demon. Why? Because every fucking one of them is too afraid to even stand eye to eye with us."

That was something that burned written into Hell's history. The biggest massacre that demons could do to other demons. They didn't regret anything and Devil never appeared to tell them how wrong it was. He just accepted what they have done.

Maybe he indeed didn't have other choice.

"We're powerful, I get it," she said, but her voice was lacking the belief.

"No, you don't, but let me show you."

"Show me?" she asked, when suddenly Wrath caught her by the wrist and made her stand up. It happened so fast, that Pride didn't have a chance to react. But even if she knew what he planned, she wasn't sure she wanted to stop him.

Wrath pulled Pride closer and hid his hand in her smooth hair of sunshine, while placing the most desirable and intense kiss on her rose lips. All the walls she has ever built started tumbling down and the fear of the unknown and forbidden romance stopped existing for that one moment. She got lost in the feeling of freedom and happiness that filled her body, even if she didn't expect those emotions. She was hiding from them for so long that she managed to believe that they never existed. That one kiss changed everything, making her feel like there was never a doubt of what she really wanted to do.

He slowly stepped away with his eyes full of astonishment. Until the last moment he wasn't sure if Pride reciprocated the kiss, but now he had the proof he was looking for years. She had feelings for him, even if she always pretended it was only a game, treating him like another one of many suitors.

"For you I'd even challenge Devil if he dared to say that we cannot be together." There was no one who could forbid them feelings and romance. Life on Earth changed them. Life among humans. Having only themselves. Not only, but as much. "In Hell we're already outlaws. The ones who fraternize with humans. So why can't we do what we're the best at? The world is ours. Here we make the rules."

"I-"

She didn't know what to say, because what Wrath did surprised her completely. Moreover, her own emotions surprised her.

Being with him felt different. It wasn't the sweetness and innocence she felt with Gregory. With Wrath there was a feeling of power, hidden desire, fierceness. It was something else, something she had never known while being with a man or a woman, even though she had a lot of both of them. 

And it was only one kiss.

"You don't have to decide now. Like I said, I can wait eternity for you. Because you are worth it." He never wanted anybody else. For him there was always Pride. And always there will be only Pride. "We're much stronger than you think. Than any of you think." He rolled his eyes. Maybe it was because he was in a mood for something rebellious, but he believed that it was time to break this stupid spell and arrangement that was holding them in the house. The world could be theirs. "One day everybody will understand this."

He disappeared in a cloud of fire and smoke, leaving her alone in the garden to think about all of this.

He was giving her time, while what she wanted was to kiss him once again.

Even if she shouldn't.

Screw Hell, screw demons, screw rules, screw every single one of them.

After all she was the queen.

She could do whatever she wanted. 

***

✨ Surprised? What do you think about Wrath and Pride's kiss? ✨