Lucas POV

When Lucas opened his eyes the following day, the sky was still pale with shades of indigo and pink. He squinted, his head throbbing slightly. The approaching sun was not yet strong enough to chase away the lingering shadows, but Lucas had to get up to pee. Having drunk so much beer the night before, he felt both his heart and bladder heavy. 

Lucas concluded, groaning softly, that he was hungover. 

Being the first to wake up, he had time to shower and gather his thoughts about yesterday. The hot water relaxed his muscles, and the smell of soap refreshed his senses. Lucas sighed in relief. Though his mind was still foggy on the finer details, he remembered drinking with Kyle, sitting on their worn-out couch, and telling him how much he enjoyed living with him and trusted him. Kyle had given him a beautiful necklace. And then...

Lucas froze in the shower, the memory jolting him. He recalled how Kyle had looked at him—an intense gaze filled with desire and something more profound. They had been drunk, yes, but Lucas recognized that look. It was more than just friendship.

"No way... that happened, didn't it?" Lucas mumbled, almost slipping on the wet tiles as the realization hit him.

They had had playful banter before, and Lucas had seen some flickers of something else in the past, but now it was unmistakably genuine. 

Worse, Kyle had seemed to want Lucas to take the initiative. Lucas remembered stumbling over the desk, books trembling as he fled the scene, his heart pounding. The turmoil of emotions now roiled within him, flushed him with embarrassment and something else—a reluctant desire.

Blushing fiercely, Lucas quickly dried himself off. 

When he headed to the living room, the rumble of early traffic echoed distantly, like a heartbeat growing steadier with each passing minute. The first rays of sunlight crept over the rooftops. Lucas imagined Kyle would wake up soon, too, but a glance at his bedroom revealed that the man was still in deep slumber.

Lucas couldn't help but pause, his gaze lingering on Kyle. Although still wrapped in bedsheets, Kyle's well-defined torso and muscular arms were displayed. For the first time, Lucas noticed deep scars etched across his back and abdomen, remnants of a past he knew nothing about.

At the sight of Kyle's exposed, vulnerable form, Lucas's blood heated, his mind swirling with conflict. He didn't want to wait for Kyle to wake up; he wasn't sure he could hide his growing desire, nor did he want to act on it. He glanced out the window, the fire escape interrupting the view. The building's windows caught the early light, reflecting it in shards of gold and silver, bathing Kyle in an ethereal glow. Lucas closed the door quietly and headed to the kitchen.

He decided to make breakfast—bacon, eggs, and sandwiches, along with freshly brewed coffee. Cooking helped him organize his thoughts. Later that day, he only had to present a project at school and return home to help with the stall. He'd catch up with Kyle afterward, maybe even talk about what happened—or almost happened—between them.

Satisfied with his work, Lucas glanced around the apartment. It was messier than usual, the smells of dried laundry, breakfast, and the faint scent of beer lingering in the air. He grimaced and opened the kitchen window, promising to clean up later.

Before leaving, he knocked on Kyle's door and said, "Breakfast is ready. Have a good day."

Outside, the rumble of traffic took over his senses, echoing like a distant heartbeat, growing steadier with each passing minute. A light breeze rustled through the leaves of tired trees, making Lucas shiver. He headed to the bus stop, still thinking about Kyle. He didn't notice the dark blob creeping into the buildings behind him, silently moving toward the direction he had come from.

While waiting for the bus and later for his classmates, Lucas had time to reflect on what had happened. Kyle, a connoisseur of the human condition, had probably noticed his feelings. If Kyle felt the same and didn't act, it was likely because he wanted to give Lucas time.

Lucas was grateful for that. He still needed time to recover from his fallout with Jacob, who had now moved in with his paramour. Yet, the hurt lingered, and Lucas needed time to heal. Lies and misunderstandings had hurt him the most, and he didn't want to repeat that with Kyle.

Oddly enough, his friends and the teacher didn't attend class. Lucas found this strange but rationalized that they must have gone to a party or the teacher had a conference and failed to inform the group. Still, unease gnawed at him.

He rationalized his growing desire for Kyle as a way to reciprocate Kyle's support, but they needed to establish boundaries. Lucas knew deep down that he was close to giving in, but first, they needed to talk—about their pasts, their families, and even something as simple as their favorite ice cream flavors.

With no one else showing up, Lucas decided to head home early. Having been away for almost two hours, he reasoned he still had time to catch up with Kyle before they had to go out. He took the bus back, mulling over how to manage his relationship with Kyle. Lost in thought, he didn't notice the blonde man trailing him nor the dark clouds gathering ominously in the sky.

By the time Lucas reached his building, the sky had turned dark grey, and a storm was brewing—a rare occurrence for that time of year. A chill ran down his spine as he entered the building, making the hairs on his neck stand up. Lucas bolted to his apartment, dreading the building with each step.

When he reached his door, he noticed it was slightly ajar. Panic gripped him as he pushed it open and rushed inside, frantically searching for Kyle. What he found was beyond his worst fears.

Kyle stood in the middle of a pentagram, candles flickering around him. His clothes were soaked in blood, his eyes blazing with rage, and his face twisted into a near-demonic visage. He held the charred remains of a creature with six insectoid legs in his hands. The apartment was a war zone—torn curtains, shattered glass, and their worn-out couch shredded to pieces.

Lucas froze at the threshold, horrified. Kyle's eyes widened in shock, the rage melting into fear as he saw Lucas standing there.

Kyle rushed forward, his body trembling, pulling Lucas into a tight embrace. His voice was shaky and urgent as he whispered, "Lucas, I can explain everything."

Kyle POV

Kyle munched his breakfast, slightly cold already, feeling still the effects of yesterday's beers and, above all, the nightmares. He suspected Lucas didn't remember a thing of yesterday's dreams but remembered how close they were to crossing the boundaries of friendship. This would explain why Lucas made breakfast and cleaned the dishes but didn't wait for him to wake up. 

Kyle wasn't sure about the time, but considering his meal's temperature, he guessed it was over an hour ago when Lucas left. A smile played on his lips as Kyle recalled Lucas's warmth, his body shivering at the slight brush of their skins. Lucas liked him, but was he in love with him?

Based on Lucas's reaction yesterday and the delicious breakfast Lucas prepared, Kyle reasoned that Lucas might be attracted to him but was not yet in love. Now that the alcohol stupor was diminishing, Kyle was honestly glad they didn't go that far. Now, he had to find a good way to explain his past to Lucas.

Lucas hadn't shown any attachment to the catholic religion, something Kyle was expecting coming from a Latino person, but considering Lucas was gay, he probably wasn't prone to have a religious sentiment. That might be good because Lucas might not outright denounce him as evil incarnate but probably won't believe in what he said unless shown proof. 

Kyle sighed and washed his teeth when he heard some chittering noises. He turned around to see that on the other side of the living room window, an insect-like monstrosity crawled just inches from the glass and the protective spell. The six-legged creature had blade-like claws on each horrifying extremity. It gazed into the apartment with large, bulbous eyes. Kyle frowned. It was a Hexogor, a chaos monster from Hell. Its sickly, iridescent scales shimmered with a twisted blend of greens, purples, and blacks.

The creature's head was terrifying, with a wide, jagged maw filled with sharp, uneven teeth forming a nightmarish grin. The beast let out a shrill screech as it made contact with the glass. The spell responded with a furious crimson flash, causing the beast to flinch in pain. Kyle smirked in victory, but his expression quickly changed as he noticed another monster squeezing through the open kitchen window.

Kyle entered the kitchen, shoving a chair aside to clear some space. The creature flicked its tongue like a serpent, tasting the air before forcing its head through the opening. In a swift motion, Kyle summoned his sword, leaped onto the table, and severed the monster's head with a clean executioner's strike. The head hit the table with a thud before rolling to the floor.

The body went rigid as a dark red fluid seeped sluggishly from the severed neck, spreading a foul, oily odor of decay through the kitchen. Kyle picked up the head and skewered it onto his sword from the left side. The flesh hissed and crumbled as the blade pierced it. With a frown, Kyle unleashed his energy, incinerating the creature's remains until nothing but ashes were left.

"I must warn Uriel," Kyle hissed.

But there was now a high-pitched, insect-like chittering. Another monster pulled away the decapitated body and entered through the window, followed by two more. Kyle growled. Those monsters liked to hunt in groups. He couldn't let them spread through the building. Kyle felt a pang of guilt; he had to lure them inside to contain them. They might destroy the apartment, but at least nobody else would get involved. He retreated to the living room as the monsters began to tear apart the kitchen. Cups and glasses shattered, leaving a scattering of colorful shards.

Kyle's expression darkened. Battling them in such a cramped space would be difficult. The largest one leaped through the air, but Kyle deflected it, igniting nearby objects with his sword to create a distraction. The monster growled as the flames scorched its scales and claws. Kyle lunged forward, slashing diagonally across the beast, slicing it in two as its goo sprayed everywhere.

Kyle exhaled deeply as the two remaining monsters advanced. Summoning his strength, he grabbed a chair and used it as a shield to block their razor-sharp claws. But the monsters were relentless, shredding the chair to pieces. Kyle pulled back, only to trip and fall onto the couch. One of the monsters pounced, claws ready to tear into him, but Kyle rolled away, leaving the creature to tear apart the couch instead. Seizing the moment, Kyle delivered a swift slash, cutting the beast from left to right.

"That's right, you bastard; you destroyed my couch; I would destroy you. I liked that couch." Kyle thought.

The final monster stood on the desk, throwing a pile of books and documents onto the floor. It loomed menacingly, searching for the right moment to strike. Kyle, exhausted, stood his ground. He picked up his coffee mug that had somehow survived the chaos. Kyle grinned as the creature launched its attack and hurled the mug into its eyes, coffee spraying in the monster's face, momentarily blinding it. Taking advantage, he sliced the beast in half with a powerful upward strike.

Kyle examined the room; it was a disaster. Kyle silently prayed, hoping Lucas would stay stuck in his work at the University or catch up with friends. Kyle felt sad contemplating the destruction. Ultimately, the place was their home—his and Lucas'. If Lucas saw the destruction, it would break his heart. 

Kyle dragged the body of the biggest monster to the center of a pentagram he had drawn. Fortunately, they had a few emergency candles that would allow him to make a spell and make the charred remains disappear. The fire spewed a cloud of smoke, and the rotten stench of burning meat filled the apartment. Kyle gagged as the creatures' remains burned to ash, the gray specks swirling around him, caught in the air current. He repeated the process for the next monster, but Lucas arrived before he had gotten rid of the evidence of the last one.

Kyle panicked. This was NOT how he had hoped to reveal his past to Lucas. He gulped and rushed Lucas inside. Now, he not only had to explain his complicated past but how dangerous it was to be around hellish affairs.