"Let's just hurry up and get rid of him before anyone else gets killed," Ames stated coldly in response to my thanks as she dropped into the driver's side of her car and slammed the door shut.

I stood outside the apartment complex and watched until the woman's vehicle was out of sight. In response to my heavy exhale, Devin placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. He smiled as I looked his way. Before all the stuff with the ghosts and bringing this necromancer back, I had felt that maybe I'd found a friend in Ames. She was so kind and understanding and I really had wanted to meet up with her again. However, having her around now was just plain uncomfortable.

She hadn't pressed for any exact details on how or why I managed to let her father back into our world and I had guessed that was because she didn't see the point in fighting about it. Her last statement to me had proven that theory.

Her only concern for the time being was getting rid of him, and anything that wasn't necessary to that goal didn't warrant discussion. I exhaled again, even more loudly, then turned to go back inside the building.

My friend retrieved his hand and followed after me in silence. When we were finally in the apartment behind closed doors, he took a seat and waited patiently for me to sit as well, but when I took the chair where Ames had been, he complained, "Why you gotta be so far away? Come sit by me."

His cheerful attitude was comforting. My mind had been too focused on the whole serial killer issue to really think about it before, but it just caught up to the fact that Devin did seem to be flirting.

Then again, maybe not. He had more or less said he hated the traditional expectations of men, who were typically meant to be somewhat stoic and definitely not too affectionate; at least not with each other.

Everything he'd done that I'd taken as flirtatious were actually just things that two female friends would do with each other as purely platonic. So perhaps he was just being kind. He'd already said he didn't mean to come onto me or anything.

I rose and stepped over to the couch to join him and he threw his arm around me again, except this time, it was to pull me down onto him. With my head resting comfortably on his chest as he stroked the hair behind my ear, I was momentarily relieved of worry. I didn't fight or question it, I simply closed my eyes and smiled. I kind of wished he was flirting with me.

My only real relationship, meaning the only one that lasted longer than a couple of months, had been with Tyler. I had almost forgotten how nice being with him felt until I met Devin. What was different with him, however, is he wasn't an addict and I was clean.

With my last boyfriend, life consisted of the endless cycle of getting high, coming down, searching for our next fix, and riding out the next high. I wondered now if that was even a relationship or just mutual agony?

"So what do you think?" Devin's soft voice still sounded loudly in the quiet room.

"What do you mean?"

"About Ames' plan. Do you think it will work?" he clarified.

My lips fell straight as my thoughts returned to solemn matters. She had told us that during his second lives, McGraff usually worked within a group of related individuals, much like all serial killers.

Each victim had to exist within a certain definition in order for his dark magic to work. After he was finished with a set, he would jump to a new group of similarities. Even so, there were attributes he preferred.

The most difficult part was when he jumped because there was no indication as to what the new parameters would be. Four, she had said, was his number of power, which meant unless he planned to use eight this round, the next victim would be his last before he moved on.

With that in mind, she set out to do some quick research in figuring out more on his most recent targets. The idea was that when I slept, I would bring Devin and her in then jump to the dreams of the others to find McGraff.

From there, I'd use my powers to bring him lure him back to my dream where we would all work to keep him trapped. Once subdued, Ames could perform the banishment ritual; something she had not shared the details of.

I gathered it was because she didn't trust us with further magical knowledge, but honestly: what harm could come of us knowing how to banish spi- oh...yeah, I guess I could understand how that information may be abused.

"It should, if I can actually get us into their dreams," I replied sullenly.

"I have faith in you," the man holding me said, though when I bent my neck to gaze up at him, he wasn't smiling or even looking at me.

"Is something else on your mind?"

"No," he looked down at me and smirked.

Fear of angering him made me resist speaking on it, despite that I could tell he was lying. Instead I just lay there, enjoying his company while I thought of something else to say, "It's past noon. Did you want to go grab a bite to eat?"

His grin deepened, "Are you asking me on a date?"

Even knowing it was a joke, I felt the urge to tell him in absolute sincerity, yes. In the end, I decided on an answer that could be taken either way so as to save face if he wasn't actually interested in me, "Only if you say yes."

His lips grew into a beam that stretched his entire face, "Then I guess you are."

My heart skipped a beat and I turned my face away so he couldn't see me blushing. I had never pictured myself as effeminate and had never been called it by anyone other than abusive adults when I was growing up, but in that moment, I definitely felt giddy like a school girl who had just been asked out by her crush. I lifted myself from Devin and stood, my motions slow enough to give me time to regain myself before looking at him again.

"Well, let's go then. Let me know what sounds good to you so I know what direction to drive," I made small steps toward the door, unsure of how to act if this was, in fact, a real date.

Devin seemed to pick up on my ignorance easily because he smoothly removed himself from the couch and approached with an arm slipping around my waist, holding it loosely yet intimately.

Like I said, he was a master extrovert; he definitely knew how to read and treat people. As strange as the idea of being in a relationship again was to me, I wasn't embarrassed to walk through the halls and down to my car with him holding onto me like that.

I don't know, maybe it was stupid, but I had begun craving his affection. Not in a sexual way either. It was just...he was genuinely warm. Initially, he had reminded me of Tyler, but now, I was doubting if life with my past boyfriend had ever felt this nice.

I had thought Ames was the first person to be truthful about caring for me until recent events taught me otherwise. I'm sure she was a nice person and was being kind to me when I visited her that day.

However, when she even just thought I may have fucked up and made a mistake, her personality flipped. Devin, on the other hand, had not. He met me in a damned psychiatric hospital and always gave me the benefit of the doubt.

Even knowing I had intentionally brought a serial killer back from the dead, he hadn't judged me and furthermore had continued to support me. Our relationship never changed in the slightest except to grow more intimate.

When I put my hand on the door of my car, he reached out and opened it for me, making sure I got in before sauntering around to the passenger side and loading in himself. Once inside, he had told me that a burger with fries felt like it would hit the spot nicely, so I had then made our way to the the nearest steakhouse.

I guess I could have just gone to any one of the many, cheaper places that served burgers, but I couldn't justify being an adult and taking someone on a first date like that unless there was no way to afford anything else. Thankfully, my last paycheck had deposited at midnight so I had enough to splurge a little.

"Oh wow, I haven't been to one of these in years," he said as we pulled into the restaurant parking lot.

"Is it bad? Should we go somewhere else?" my words were rushed as nerves settled in.

"No, not at all," Devin laughed, "I love this place."

Positivity revived, I hopped out of the vehicle and we made our way indoors. We ended up having to wait for about half an hour to be seated since we had come in during the lunch rush without a reservation. I honestly didn't mind though. I just liked the company and the distraction from taking down a vicious demon.

I noticed at one point, a little girl staring at Devin who simply smiled and said hello before putting his gaze elsewhere. She couldn't have been more than five or six and eventually her mother reprimanded her for being rude, the woman's sight catching momentarily on the same thing that her daughter had been fascinated with: the horribly sewn gashes on Devin's face.

It took me a minute to realize that was what was going on, but when I did, the man instantly had my concern again. It sent my brain to contemplating whether he was bothered at all about how the cuts would leave huge scars and probably attract a lot more negative attention. Given his personality, I felt it wasn't, yet at the same time, I had come to know it wasn't always easy to gauge what did and did not frustrate him.

Those thoughts were soon interrupted when we were shown to a booth. We both ended up ordering cheese burgers with steak fries and a coke. The conversation, as usual, was largely carried by my companion, though I did manage to speak a lot more than during our previous meals together, even if a lot of what I said turned into nervous rambling upon remembering that I was on my first romantic encounter in ages.

It was like the two of us had known each other for so long despite having just met. His very presence was soothing and he seemed to understand me on a level I didn't know was possible. When the meal was over, my stomach actually fell and my mind began searching for ways to extend our date.

I did need to get some food for the house to make it until my next pay, but my thoughts kept returning to spoiling Devin with the rest of the money I did have. He needed clothes, for one. I also didn't like the idea of him having to sleep on the couch all the time so I felt the need to invest in a mattress or a futon.

"Hey Mark?" his voice broke through these silent consideration just as we reached my car.

I looked up to see his vision resting on something behind me. Following his gaze to the empty lot next to the restaurant, I was alerted to Emma and the rest of her gothic ghost posse.

Now what? I glanced over to my partner and shrugged, pushing my door closed again before stepping away from the vehicle and walking toward the teens. I soon felt Devin skip up to my side to accompany me.

"What do you want?" I demanded of the group the moment we were close enough for them to hear.

"Any luck with McGraff?" the girl placed hands on her hips confidently, but her eyes told a different story.

"Actually, yeah," I rose an eyebrow, "What's it to you?"

Emma glanced over to Devin and then back to me, "Look, Mark, I'm sorry for going off on you like that. You're right; this is my fault."

Although my posture softened a bit, my voice didn't reflect it, "It's fine. Is that all you wanted?"

The girl blinked, lips parting for a second and then shutting back as if she decided not to speak a certain idea. Damian crept his way closer to us at her side, staring at my date who kept the ghost's glare without falter. Todd and Chris had made themselves comfortable lounging on the mound of dirt on site, playful grins spreading their faces.

"We haven't made any progress," Emma finally admitted.

"And now you want Mark's help?" Devin scoffed, "You got a lot of nerve."

I cut my eyes to the man defending me. I probably should have told him not to worry about it, but he was spot on. It was quite the audacious move to ask for assistance after how they'd treated me.

What, did she think barely apologizing would be enough? I pursed my lips. Honestly if it hadn't been for Devin, I likely would have just accepted the apology and fallen back in line with the ghosts.

"Hey, I made a mistake and am trying to fix it, just like you!" the girl growled and pointed at me.

"You're only here because you need Mark, not because you're actually sorry!" Devin spat back, getting in Emma's face only to have Damian step forward to cut between them.

"You need to back off, pal," the trench coat-clad boy warned as the baseball bat appeared in his hand.

I suddenly thought I heard whispering behind us so I twisted, seeing that there were indeed a handful of people back at the restaurant huddling around each other and talking, all eyes on us. I wasn't sure if they actually saw the ghosts or just the two of us. I knew it was possible that Devin only saw them by proxy. So it could look like either the two of us were fighting or we'd lost our damn minds and were yelling at air.

"Come on, let's go," I whispered to Devin, shooting a criticizing glare at Emma as I spun around and started walking off. The man with me lingered a moment longer, then made a few paces backward before finally turning and walking alongside me.