You fascinated me,

Around him, everything was just white as Tyler looked behind him, seeing a man standing there. His hands were leisurely behind his back, his stature casual. His fashion, however, was anything but. He would a black leather jacket and a white shirt underneath, a tie loosely around his neck. He had black jeans on and converse. His hair was black, his eyes orange, half obstructed by rather see-through shades. He was wearing a smirk.

cloaked in shadows and secrecy.

Bodil stared at the male that had appeared in his Sanctuary, his eyes glowing behind his sunglasses. The male was tall, with brown hair and thick black rectangular glasses. He red tennis shoes, jeans, and a white shirt with a red and dark gray checkered unzipped jacket over it. A scythe was strapped to his back, the handle poking out from behind his shoulder. Bodil looked at his face to see blazing brown eyes glaring at him over the glasses, the male's arms crossed and his mouth in a tight frown.

The beauty

It was only one, the right one that was spread to it's full height. It was black, much like Saruhiko's, and it was scarred and roughed up beyond repair. A few feathers were missing in some spots, and black blood dripped from a few feathers and onto the floor. But that wasn't all. Tyler had to have used his wing to block the spell from Kier and himself, because a gaping hole was in the middle, smoking rising from the singed feathers that reminded while the wing almost seemed to be throbbing in pain. Tyler raised his head slowly, his shoulders shaking and his eyes filled with misery and angered pain.

of a

Bodil closed his eyes and took a few slow, deep breaths. Then he opened his eyes again, a stronger look on his face, and put his hands on Tyler's back; one by the base of his tattered wing, the other up against the stub that remained of the other. Tyler winced, gritting his teeth. "Bodil..." He warned. He didn't know what he was expecting the Demigod to do, really; but he definitely wasn't expecting what happened next. Bodil's hands starts to softly glow orange-red, like the color of fire. Tyler first felt a tingling in his back, then a burning, then a horrible stabbing pain in both of his wings, making him yell out. Golden light started glowing, making up the missing spaces where feathers used to be, so his wings were a mix of the strange magic light and the black flesh that had managed to remain. The light got brighter and Bodil shut his eyes tight, grunting under his breath.

B R O K E N   A N G E L.

Tyler raced through the crowd that was gathered around something in the center of the town, his heart pounding in his chest as he ran as fast as he could through the crowded, chanting, screaming people, people that screamed for them to light the fire and burn the w i t ch to the ground. Tyler ran faster, but it seemed like the crowd had no ending. "SHELBY!" He screamed, shoving past an older man. Why did he leave her alone?! He knew he couldn't trust Helga! She had turned Shelby in, even though she practice the dark arts of magic herself! He was going to kill that bitch after this was all over!

"MOVE IT!" He snarled at a woman, shoving her to the side before he stumbled in front of the crowd. His eyes widened before he looked up, and he froze.

Instead of Shelby being tied there to the wooden stake, surrounded by the mounds of firewood, Bodil was tied there, covered in bruises and scratches from where he had obviously been beaten. His sunglasses, cracked with the frames shattered, hung off of his face, adding to the pitiful look that tore at Tyler's heart. "B... BODIL!" He screamed, and that's when he felt the guards grab his arms from behind, dragging him back and keeping him there.

"Hold back the demon!" The mayor of the town shouted. "We'll burn him next!"

"LIKE HELL YOU WILL!" Tyler screamed at him, before he looked at Bodil to find that he was looking at him weakly. "BODIL!" He screamed again.

"T... Tyler..." Bodil whimpered, and said male felt tears spring to his eyes as he fought against the guards harder, screaming when he saw the mayor throw his burning torch onto the wood piles.

"NO!" Tyler screamed as Bodil flinched back from the flames, crying out as the flames spread through the wood, licking up toward the sky.

"BODIL!"

I ventured carefully,

Tyler bolted into a sitting position, falling out of bed as he gasped loudly, covered in cold sweat and shaking from head to toe. It was still dark outside, the moonlight shinning through the nearby window as it fell onto the shaking SoulSucker. Tyler hugged himself tightly, grunting softly when he noticed his pounding headache. He looked around groggily, and stopped when he saw that he wasn't in his room in the Nether. He looked toward the bed, and stopped. Bodil was fast asleep on the other side of the bed, Artie curled up and pressed against his back.

Tyler took a slow, deep breathe, before he covered his face. Yeah, that's right... Bodil had taken him out to dinner yesterday. He had gotten so drunk... Dammit, what was he thinking? Drinking wine like that always gave him horrible nightmares. He stiffened as Bodil shifted on bed, before the Demigod sat up suddenly, looking at the empty space in bed beside him where Tyler used to lay. He looked around in confusion, before his eyes landed on the SoulSucker on the floor. His eyes widened in surprised.

afraid of what you thought I'd be.

"Tyler?" The demon whimpered before covering his face bashfully.

"S-Sorry, I fell out of bed. M-My fault-"
"Tyler, I know what someone looks like after a nightmare."
"... I-It was a stupid one."
"Hardly, you're shaking!"

"I-It was just a stupid nightmare!" Tyler said, trying to get up. "J-Just go back to sleep-!" Bodil sighed before he got out of bed, walking over to him and kneeling down in front of him as he laid a hand on his knee. The demon stiffened, his eyes widening slightly before he turned his head away, trying not to let his faint blush get any brighter.

"Tyler, it's alright to admit that you had a nightmare. Everyone gets them, even me. Hero does, Notch does, I'm sure Herobrine does too." Tyler looked up at him, his eyes shining with an emotion Bodil couldn't read. Bodil smiled gently. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?" Tyler instantly shook his head quickly, and Bodil nodded. "Alright, I understand." He stood, holding his hand out. "Come on, how about we try to go back to sleep?" Tyler stared up at him, cheeks red from embarrassment as he realized that Bodil didn't seem to mind him sleeping in the same bed with him.

You take me by the hand...

Tyler glanced away after a few moments, before he reached up and grabbed Bodil's hand. At that contact, he was too tired to feel something in his chest jump. Bodil pulled him to his feet, smiling down at him gently before they walked over to the bed. Bodil laid back down, Tyler getting in bed after him awkwardly as Artie yawned in her sleep, snuggling into Tyler's arm. He looked down at the kitty and smiled, Bodil watching with his own smile, before Tyler closed his eyes. Bodil watched him for a few moments, shaking his head when he noticed that Tyler was stiff. There was no way he'd be going to sleep if he didn't relax. Bodil hesitated, glancing at Tyler.

It was late... He could blame it on being tired...

He rolled over on top of Tyler and kissed him.

I question who I am.

Tyler's body jolted slightly as his eyes flew open, pushing himself onto his elbows as he looked around with wide eyes. He breathed heavily, his cheeks red and his eyes wide. He slowly looked over to the other side of the bed, and he blushed brightly when he saw Bodil, who was on his side with his back turned toward Tyler as he slept peacefully. Tyler stared at him with wide eyes, before he slowly leaned over Artie, reaching out and shifting Bodil's collar down. He sighed in relief. No hickey. Alright. It was a dream. A weird ass fucking dream but a dream. He sat up, looking at a nearby window. It was daytime now. He looked over at Bodil, before he stood up and walked toward the door. Might as well as get something to eat.

He came to the door that would lead him to the hallway, carefully pushing it open before he heard a soft meow. He blinked, turning, before he smiled slightly. Artie was standing, stretching as her mouth opened in a large yawn, her tongue curling out as the SoulSucker chuckled in amusement. "Artie." Tyler whispered, the fluffy gray cat jumping off of the bed and trotting over to him as her tail swished happily. Tyler bent down, picking her up as he kissed her on her head happily. He turned, opening the door a bit further with his foot, before he slipped out into the hallway and and walked toward the stairs, keeping the bedroom door open behind him.

Unknowingly to him, Bodil had woken up when Artie shifted, and he watched Tyler lure the fluffy cat out before he smiled softly. He yawned, rolling onto his stomach before he pushed himself off the bed. He stretched, picking up his jacket from the chair as he pulled it back on. He looked in a nearby mirror, messing with his hair before he shrugged disinterestedly and walked after Tyler. When he got to the kitchen, he saw Tyler setting Artie's food dish that had some fancy tuna down in front of the cat, filling her water bowl before he turned and saw Bodil. He blinked, and Bodil swore he saw him blush though he didn't know why, before he smiled.

"Morning Bodil!" Bodil smiled.

"Morning. How do you feel?"
"A bit hungover, but I'll get over it. It also feels like my stomach is trying to eat itself, it's so fucking nervous about the battle that it's trying to kill me before Notch can."

Bodil smiled, placing a hand on Tyler's shoulder. "First off, I have some aspirin you can use for that hangover. Second off, I bet your stomach is just hungry. Third off, Notch isn't even going to be able to lay a hit on you. You were trained by me, give me some credit!" He smiled, and Tyler forced a tiny smile back. "Here, I'll make us some breakfast, and then we can go train out in the back, alright?" Tyler hesitated, before he nodded.

"Yeah... Alright. Sounds good to me."

Teach me how to fight,
I'll show you how to win.

Tyler leapt over Bodil's sword, holding his scythe in hand as he swept it down toward the god. Bodil dove to the side, dodging the blow that could have taken off his head, before kicking Tyler in the gut. The demon stumbled back, falling onto his ass as Bodil pushed himself to his feet. He dove down, tackling Tyler back onto the ground when the SoulSucker tried to get up, the two landing in a straddling position. Tyler's eyes widened before he roughly punched Bodil in the face panickly, the Demigod falling back in shock before Tyler pulled his foot out from underneath him, kicking him across the face as Bodil fell to the side from the force.

You're my mortal flaw,
and I'm your fatal sin.

Tyler grabbed the staff of his scythe, rolling onto Bodil so he was straddling him this time. The blades of their weapons clashed, Tyler's curved blade pressing against Bodil's dagger as they glared at each other over the clashed weapons, Tyler's teeth gritted as they both tried to overpower the other. Suddenly, they heard the sound of a dog barking, and they both looked up in shock.

"Are you two done having sex?"

Let me feel the sting,
the pain,
the burn,
under my skin.

Tyler's eyes widened. A large black dog with flaming red eyes stood a few paces away from them, sitting on it's hunches and watching with an expression that looked very human. A collar was around it's neck, one of it's ears pierced with a glowing red jewel at the tip of his right ear. Tyler leapt to his feet, dropping his scythe. "Cerberus?!" He ran over to the dog, kneeling down in front of the large hound. He reached forward, pulling his collar off as he stood, looking down at the medallion as Bodil stood and walked over slowly. He looked over Tyler's shoulder and blinked in shock as he saw the side of the medallion shimmered before showing a very stressed looking Herobrine, glaring up at the two.

"Oh please, don't mind me, I'd hate to interrupt your sex." He said, and Bodil's cheeks reddened as Tyler rolled his eyes.

"Herobrine, what do you want?!" He snapped slightly, and Herobrine responded by turning whatever was connected to the collar that was allowing them to see each other around. Instantly, all Tyler and Bodil saw was chaos. Demons were running around, preparing for battle, Generals and other leaders shouting orders as women and children were being prepared to be moved somewhere safe. Herobrine turned what he was holding back around to face him, rubbing his eye with the palm of his hand. "Jeez, what the hell happened?" Tyler asked, his tone holding a bit of mild surprise.

"Nothing is going right. Some weapons have turned up missing and people are trying to blame the Angels I've allowed to take refugee here."
"You took in Angels?"
"I'll tell you about it later. I'd hate to ask Tyler, but I'm at my wits end and the battle is coming up. Can you come in and calm everyone down? They'll listen to you."
"..."

Tyler glanced back at Bodil, who smiled at him. "I-I can teleport you there! Maybe I can find a way to help." Tyler nodded before he looked back down at Herobrine.

"Sure, I'll come." Herobrine sighed in relief.

"Thanks kiddo. I'll make it up to you by taking you and Bodil out to eat after we win this damn war." Tyler laughed as Bodil smiled.

"Don't worry Dad! We'll be there soon." Herobrine nodded, before they heard a crash in the background. Herobrine turned his head before he facepalmed himself roughly, and that's when the image filled with static before returning to the color gold. Tyler shook his head. "Poor Herobrine." He said, putting the collar back around the dog, whom he had called Cerberus. Bodil reached down and patted the dog on the head.

"How'd he even get in here? He didn't have my permission- I didn't even know he was trying to get in." Tyler smiled slightly.

"Cerberus is interesting. He's the eldest of his two other brothers, and you can tell he's Cerberus because of the red jewel pierced into the tip of his ear. Trust me, it didn't hurt. He and his two brothers, Orthrus and Chimera, are Hellhounds. Orthrus has a dark blue jewel in his ear and Chimera has a light orange. They transport messages for Herobrine and they protect his family while they sleeps if danger is near. There's been a few times I've woken up in the middle of the night to see Cerberus sitting on my bed." He patted the dog's head. "They weren't originally Herobrine's though." Bodil blinked.

"Whose were they?" He asked. Tyler hesitated, before he shrugged.

"Herobrine never told me his name, but apparently he was some Reaper. But he's long one now." He looked up at Bodil. "We should get going, I don't want to keep poor Herobrine waiting longer than we need to." Bodil chuckled, nodding as he smiled. Instantly, Tyler, Bodil, and Cerberus, who was still sitting there stonily, glowed orange before disappearing with a flash.

Put me to the test,
I'll prove that I'm strong.

It was an hour later, and though Herobrine's castle was still busting with activity, there wasn't nearly as much chaos as before. Bodil found the lost weapons thirty minutes into searching, having found them pushed behind a crate in the backroom. Herobrine and Tyler guessed it was foul play to either get them to lose, or to get the Angels in trouble, but they decided to focus on that later, when they weren't about to fight for their lives and the safe of the dimensions. Tyler was all around the castle, helping soldiers prepare and soothing the worries of frantic wives and mothers and calming the terrified children, which Bodil loved watching him do.

Bodil followed Tyler around, helping whenever he could, but usually just observing as Tyler figured out how to fix the situation all by himself. He was extraordinary, with his quick thinking and his wonderful wit, and all Bodil could do was fall more and more in love with someone who he thought he could never have.

Won't let myself believe,
that what we feel is wrong.

But, even wonderful people who seemed to never have an end to what they could do, have a breaking point. Two hours into being there, when it was around noon, Bodil noticed Tyler moving slower, like he was running out of steam. He let him run around for a few more minutes, before he walked up to him and gently grabbed his arm.

"Tyler, you need to take a break." Tyler looked up at him before he shook his head, too busy trying to catch his breath to form words. Bodil smiled. "C'mon, you're going to exhaust yourself before the battle. You should at least take a nap. Everything is much calmer, I'm sure you'll be fine." Tyler sighed, closing his eyes before he slumped against Bodil.

"Fine." He muttered tiredly, already half asleep. "You know where my room is, carry me." Bodil raised an eyebrow, and Tyler chuckled tiredly as he opened his eyes. "Nah, I'm just kidding-" He was cut off by his own yelp when Bodil swept him off his feet, holding him bridal style as he turned and began to walk up some nearby stairs. Tyler clung to his jacket, wide eyed as his cheeks burned red.

"I-I didn't mean it literally, Bodil! It was just a joke!" Bodil snickered.

"Not to me." He said simply, refusing to put Tyler down despite his squirming. Soon, Tyler went limp, sighing in defeat before he closed his eyes tiredly. He was too tired to fight against Bodil, and besides... Being in his arms, he felt warm and... Safe. Protected. He hadn't felt that in a long time. Suddenly, he felt himself being laid down on his bed, and he felt the warmth disappearing. He let out a quiet whine, grabbing the end of Bodil's sleeve. The god stopped and looked down at him, raising an eyebrow. Tyler blushed brightly, glancing away.

"... C... Can you stay?" He muttered. Bodil blinked, before he smiled.

"Of course." He said, sitting at the end of the bed. Tyler smiled in relief, before he curled up, closing his eyes tiredly. He wasn't awake much longer, and Bodil got the privilege of watching him fall fast asleep. He studied him for a few moments, watching his chest rise and fall. Tyler was laying on his side, stretched across his bed as he was turned toward Bodil. He looked very peaceful, relaxed- something that the SoulSucker didn't usually feel. He smiled slightly before he leaned forward, slipping Tyler's glasses off of his face as he closed them. He looked down at them, and a fond memory flashed through his mind.

I finally see what
you knew was inside me
all along.

"I doubt your vision is THAT bad." Bodil snickered as he held Tyler's glasses, which had fallen off in one of their practices. Tyler rolled his eyes and pointed toward a rock.

"That looks like Artie right now." He said, and Bodil laughed as the mentioned cat let out an offended meow from the porch. Bodil looked down at the glasses before he slipped them on, looking toward Tyler as he blinked rapidly. Tyler stiffened, his eyes widening at the sight of Bodil wearing his glasses. The sight was blurry, but he could get the outline. Bodil looked adorable. He felt his cheeks redden as he glanced away quickly, rubbing the back of his neck as Bodil laughed loudly, closing his eyes cutely.

"Ha! You are blind! I'm seeing three of everything!" Tyler blushed brighter, smiling slightly.

"Yeah..."

Bodil smiled as the memory finished, placing the glasses on the bedside table before looking over at Tyler again. He wondered if he was dreaming...

Tyler was having a fairly okay dream. He was remembering the time he and Bodil helped Artie...

That behind this soft exterior,
lies a warrior.

"BODIL! ARTIE STEPPED ON A THORN!"
"HE WHAT?!"

Bodil nearly fell down the stairs, stumbling into the living room to see Tyler clutching a yowling Artie, holding the poor thing's paw. Tyler held it up toward Bodil, his eyes wide and panicked. Bodil winced as he saw a thorn sticking out of his beloved kitty's paw, blood dripping down the soft pads of her foot and dripping onto the floor. "How did this happen?!" Bodil asked panickly as he ran over, taking Artie's paw gently as Tyler tried to shush the fluffy cat.

"We were taking a walk, a-and all of the sudden she just started yowling! I don't know how to get it out!" The SoulSucker cried, and Bodil stood before darting toward the kitchen. Artie yowled later at the absence of his presence, actual tears running down the cat's cheeks. Tyler held Artie closer, cooing gentle words as he tried to coax her into calming down, but nothing was working. Bodil ran back in, holding the first aid he had put in the bathroom after Tyler arrived, just in case something happened. He knelt down in front of Tyler, who was sitting on the couch as he held Artie tightly. He opened the first aid kit, pulling out some tweezers.

Artie yowled panickly at the sight of the metal instrument, trying to scramble out of Tyler's arms, but the demon held fast as he held her paw out to Bodil, who gently grabbed it. "Artie, please, it'll only hurt if you struggle buddy!" Bodil pleaded, trying to ignore his hurting heart as more tears streaked from his cat's eyes as he was able to grab the end of the thorn with the tweezers. He held his breath, before he quickly whisked the small thorn out, knowing it would only hurt even more if he took it slow. Artie let out a loud, heartbreaking yowl, Tyler hugging her to his chest even tighter than before as Bodil dropped the thorn onto the ground, ignoring the fact that there was some blood on the end.

He reached into the first aid kit, pulling out some gauze that he quickly wrapped around Artie's paw. He held the paw gently, looking up at his cat with sadness in his eyes as Artie cried and cried, Tyler hugging her tightly all the while. "Shh, it's okay honey...! Your dad got it out!" Tyler said gently, and Bodil blinked before he looked at Tyler.

"D... Dad?" He asked in confusion, and Tyler looked over at him.

"Oh- There was a study I once read that said that cats see their owners as their parents, and if the owners have children, they're their siblings... Since you're Artie's owner, that would make you her dad."
"... O... Oh..."

Bodil looked at Artie, who was slowly beginning to calm down. She was no longer shaking, and only a few tears were slipping down her cheeks every now and then as the pain slowly faded from her paw. Bodil pulled himself up onto the couch beside Tyler, who gently handed her over to him as he stroked the fur on her head gently. "Shh... It's okay buddy..." Bodil whispered, holding Artie close. "D... Dad's here..." Tyler looked at Bodil and smiled softly as Artie snuggled her head into Bodil's chest, curling up as she held her wrapped up paw close.

Artie's paw healed easily, and she was back to walking around in a few days afterwards. She was a tough cookie, though Bodil had babied her greatly whenever she was limping around. He could hardly handle the begging look in her eye whenever she was look up at him, and he'd be carrying her around for the rest of the day. Tyler thought it was a little funny, especially when Artie stuck her tongue out at him as if going "ha ha, Dad's carrying me this time!" but he thought it was mostly just purely adorable. Bodil always blushed whenever Tyler called him a good dad.

He and Bodil had a lot of good memories...

My memory refused

Sadly, Tyler's mind was corrupted with horrible nightmares that chilled him to the core, but it wasn't like he wasn't used to it.

There was a street corner, and a lady was standing at it, smoking as the vapors floated toward the sky. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her hand that was holding her cigarette occasionally moving up to her lips to take a puff from it. She let out a loud sigh when she saw no one on the streets, not even any of her fellow 'coworkers,' and hardly any carriages going down the roads now that it was nearly one in the morning. No business tonight... Damn.

Dear Boss,

I keep on hearing the police have caught me but they wont fix me just yet. I have laughed when they look so clever and talk about being on the right track. That joke about Leather Apron gave me real fits.

She turned, sighing and walked toward the nearby alleyway, where she had put her things. She glanced around uneasily, getting the feeling that she was being watched. She sighed loudly, rubbing her face. She was too tired for all of this... She would just get her stuff and then head home.

I am down on whores and I shant quit ripping them till I do get buckled. Grand work the last job was. I gave the lady no time to squeal. How can they catch me now.

She stepped into the alleyway, bending down and picking up her bag that held her clothes and her small, beat up purse inside that her ID and her small amount of money.

to separate the lies from truth

I love my work and want to start again. You will soon hear of me with my funny little games. I saved some of the proper red stuff in a ginger beer bottle over the last job to write with but it went thick like glue and I cant use it. Red ink is fit enough I hope ha. ha. 

She looked through her bag, making sure everything was there before she dropped her cigarette to the ground, stomping it out distractedly as she slung her bag over her shoulder. She didn't see the shape slipping out of the shadows, standing right behind her as they loomed over her. They held a scythe in their hand, the blade gleaming hungrily, as if thirsting for the blood of the woman standing in front of their wielder. The figure was a man, you could tell from the shape of their figure. They sneered widely as the woman turned, before her eyes widened in shock as she saw him.

The next job I do I shall clip the ladys ears off and send to the police officers just for jolly wouldn't you.

Before she could even scream, the scythe was slashed across her throat. All that came out was a gurgled cough as she grabbed her throat, blood splattering onto the man and the walls of the alley behind him. He snickered insanely as her body wobbled slightly, before he slashed her across her stomach. More blood poured from the wound, falling onto the ground as she collapsed to her knees in front of the man. He rolled his eyes, but never said a word before slashed his scythe down, right down her chest. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she fell back, hitting the ground, her body limp and lifeless.

and search the past

Keep this letter back till I do a bit more work, then give it out straight.

The man turned away from her body, flicking a drop of blood that had landed on his cheek away. He walked out of the alleyway, and stepped underneath a streetlight.

My knife's so nice and sharp I want to get to work right away if I get a chance. Good Luck.

The man's head was down, and he wore a long black cloak that covered most of his figure, along with a black top hat. They wore a red and black checkered vest and trousers with black shoes, the style common in that year, 1888. He pulled a pocket watch from his pocket, flicking it open and studying the time before he flicked it closed and raised his head. The light fell onto their face, revealing what they looked like it.

Yours truly,

He had black hair and brown eyes that must have once been light kind, but now they were dark and sinister and filled with a wild insanity that could send the bravest man in the world running. His skin was pale and his mouth in a wide, crazed grin. It was Tyler.

my mind created.

J a c k  t h e  R i p p e r

Tyler whisked himself from that nightmare, falling in a void as his mind tried to create another dream, or maybe even another nightmare, for him to go back into. Outside, Bodil furrowed his eyebrows when Tyler shuddered in his sleep, as if from fear, but the SoulSucker soon settled back down and became still once more, still laying on his side toward the God. Tyler had been asleep for nearly an hour at that point.

As Tyler drifted in the void, he thought about Bodil, and how he would think if he knew just how much twisted things he had done in the past. Hardly anyone knew, except for Herobrine, Steven, and Kyle- But only because they had there to pull him out of the insanity he had dug himself into. He had felt so alone, and he felt as if no one could ever be as alone as he had been. But... That was before he and Bodil... It's a bit of a long story, but they were up late one night, both unable to sleep, Tyler because of nightmares and Bodil because Demigods simply didn't need to sleep.

Teach me how to fight
I'll show you how to win.
You're my mortal flaw,
and I'm your fatal sin.

"So what's the tension between you and Notch?" Tyler asked. "Notch acted strangely when you got sick." Bodil stiffened, before he sighed, shifting a bit uncomfortably.

"Well... Uh..." He sighed. "The thing is... Notch and Hero, back when the worlds were young and they were the only Demigods, Hero of the Magists and Notch of the Demigods. They... Actually had a brother. It was Hero's twin, his name was Steve." Tyler choked on the tea that Bodil had made for them, the god blinking in shock as he looked at the SoulSucker. "Tyler?!" Tyler shook his head, waving his hand.

"W-Went down the wrong way- Just- Keep going...!"
"... O... Okay..."

Let me feel the sting,
the pain,
the burn,
under my skin.

"Well, Steve was offered a position as the Human Demigod." Bodil looked down at his tea. "But he declined. Notch and Hero stayed young while Steve aged, and throughout Steve's entire lifetime he and Notch were constantly arguing about his decision. Notch and Hero watched their little brother grow old, and... Soon... Steve passed away from old age." Tyler winced slightly, though Bodil didn't notice. "Notch and Hero were both devastated, but, unlike Hero... Notch never moved on. When I showed up as the Human demigod, his grief turned into hate... For me."

"You seem upset about that." Tyler said, and Bodil looked at him.

"Why wouldn't I be? I've tried everything for him to like me, but no matter what I do, it's never enough! I'm... Never enough-"

Tyler's teacup slammed down on the coffee table as the demon shot to his feet. "You are ALWAYS going to be enough, Bodil."

Put me to the test,
I'll prove that I'm strong.
Won't let myself believe
that what we feel is wrong.

Bodil stared at Tyler with wide eyes. "T... Tyler-?"

"If there's anything I hate more than godly pricks, it's godly pricks who are assholes because of something that happened years ago." Tyler growled. "It was Steve's decision to not become a Demigod, not yours. You weren't even created yet. You had absolutely no control over what happened." He crossed his arms, his eyes glowing behind his glasses as Bodil stared at him with shock. "Yeah, it was his brother, I'd be upset too if Saruhiko or my sister Scorpis passed away and I couldn't have done anything." He shook his head. "But that doesn't mean I would have the right to blame it on someone, just as Notch doesn't have the right to blame it on you."

"I've seen this kind of hate plenty of times during the three billion years of my life. People need someone to blame when they have nothing, so they will pin it on anyone just so they'd have someone to take it out on." He snorted angrily. "That method is fucked up and should have died away years ago. It disgusts me and it just shows that the people participating in it are children. During the Salem Witch Trials, when people were dying and the dark arts came to Earth, what did they do? They burned innocent people at the stake, and drowned them when they wrapped chains around them to see if they would float. They pushed pins through their fingers to see if they would bleed." He glared at the ground, before he glared at Bodil.

I finally see what
you knew was inside me
all along.

"Don't ever say that you are never enough, because Notch's opinion on you doesn't matter to me and it shouldn't matter to you. Notch isn't so high and mighty either you know. He's made mistakes, Hero has made mistakes, you have made mistakes- That is just the way life is, whether or not you are human. Gods are just the same as mortals, with only immortality and powers separating them." Tyler's gaze burned into Bodil's.

That behind this soft exterior.

"You're enough to me Bodil. You will always be enough for me."

Lies a warrior.

Tyler smiled slightly as he continued to drift in the void, chuckling. Bodil's face when he had said that... He had looked so happy and relieved to know that someone loved him for just the way he was.

... Love... Hm...

Tyler had thought about hat word for a long time, ever since he started hanging around Bodil. He couldn't be in love with a god...

Could he?

The pictures come to life,
wake in the dead of night.

Bodil was looking out the nearby window when he felt Tyler shift, and he looked down at him to see his eyes slowly fluttering open, his light brown eyes glowing in the light that fell from the nearby window. Bodil stared down at him, scooting a bit closer instinctively. The last time he had watched someone wake up...

Open my eyes,
I must be dreaming.
Clutch my pillow tight.

Tyler had felt his senses coming back to him, and at first he thought he was entering another dream when he felt Bodil's real presence. When it came to a presence like Bodil's, always so warm and caring and gentle, you could easily tell it from a false, dream one. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking a few times as he slowly looked up at Bodil, who was looming over him slightly from where he was sitting on the bed beside him.

Brace myself for the fight.

As the demon and the Demigod stared at each other, their eyes that were different from the shades of brown glowing, they felt a warm peace fall over them. Neither had felt it in a long time, but they recognized it. The last time they had felt it, they had been around someone they loved and cherished deeply. They felt their hearts hurt, because they thought the other couldn't love them, that it was just their mind tricking them, their souls reacting to the attraction they held for the other.

The fight was in a matter of a few hours now, and their fates all relied on what happened during it and what the consequences of their actions and secrets would bring. Bodil couldn't lie, so if you asked if he was scared, he would answer truthfully. Tyler wouldn't reply, because he would be too proud to admit that he wasn't just scared, he was terrified. He was going up against Marcus, one of the most powerful enemies he had ever faced, and he knew that the only way to defeat him would result in...

I've heard

No. He couldn't think of that now. Now, he had a battle to prepare and old gear to change into. Bodil and Tyler heard the sound of a loud grandfather clock chiming in the lobby of the Nether castle, showing that it was now noon.

that seeing

It rang through the castle and the land around it, revealing that now was the time to head to the area where this dammed battle would take place. Tyler and Bodil didn't pull their gaze away from each other, each seeing the longing and pain in the other's stare, but both too hurt and scared to call the other out on it.

is believing.