XXIV
The pizza had been devoured, and the unlikely pair of the priest and the prince worked long into the morning hours clearing out as much of the paperwork as they could manage.
The end of the month was growing near, and Lucky knew he’d have to pivot onto the task of putting each and every box in chronological order soon.
He figured a day or two more and everything would finally be in their places, which was the biggest hurdle.
It would take a few more overnight sessions without sleep and extra coffee to get it all done, but he hoped Charlie would be back in his body and the spiraling depression would offer him the excuse to hole up in his office and finish the job.
The paperwork would be done, he’d go collect the rent, his family would stop causing him so many issues, and Charlie would be gone. His afterlife would go back to the way it had been before he’d accidentally hit a priest with his car.
As Lucky stepped out of his closet with his pajamas on sometime around four in the morning, he found Charlie curled up on the sofa with that smutty little book in his hands and some sort of herbal tea in his ridiculous demon-sized coffee mug.
He was holding the novel so close to his face that his breathing had fogged the lenses of his glasses.
Lucky set his hands on the arm of the sofa and leaned over the priest. Cheeks beet red and eyes wide, Charlie tilted the novel down to hide the pages.
“This feels entirely unrealistic,” Charlie noted.
Lucky pushed the book back up to look at it with a painted fingernail. He scanned the pages. It definitely wasn’t beginner-level smut. Charlie had jumped headfirst into the deep end.
“Which part?” Lucky asked.
“The… size difference,” Charlie mumbled.
Lucky snickered. “Humans are flexible little things, you know.”
“Have you ever slept with a-a human?”
“No, mostly incubi and succubi since it’s a business transaction and I can write it off on my taxes. It keeps the economy going and there are zero emotional ties with it. I’ve also slept with a few low level demons who I found semi-interesting way back in the day, and Gabe.”
“You had…” Charlie looked around before he continued, “You had sex with an archangel?”
“Yeah? We were in a relationship for a long time, it would have been weird if we didn’t. They’re a freak in bed, too.”
“How do you manage? With the size? I mean… that’s weird to ask, sorry.”
Lucky cocked a thick eyebrow. “Angels are bigger than humans so Gabe and I are closer in build and height than you and I are. The most complicated part was maneuvering around their wings… but Gabe topped, so we managed just fine.”
Charlie furrowed his brows, as if he didn’t believe Lucky’s statement.
“It’s the honest truth! Gabe is a control freak, and I like being a pillow princess sometimes.
Most of the time. I like… I prefer it, being the…
the bottom. I like getting railed,” Lucky mumbled, feeling embarrassed about admitting that truth to someone.
Smoke rolled out of his nose as he rambled. “It’s not weird, or anything.”
“No, it’s not,” Charlie reassured him. “I’ve never given it much thought. The roles, I mean, but I also haven’t ever had anyone I’ve thought about in that manner so the logistics didn’t seem to matter.”
“Not even your old roommate?”
“Not really. It was all over so fast… and, as a priest, I don’t think we’re meant to think of those things with enough fervor to daydream about logistics. Many do, I’m sure, but we aren’t supposed to. I feel like being asexual didn’t help.”
“Remember, there’s nothing wrong with being ace, Chuck.”
“I know that now. Thanks to you.”
“So—” Lucky took the book away from Charlie— “Think about it now. When you read this and get all flustered, when those gears started turning, which role did you take? Let yourself dream a little.”
“I feel like I shouldn’t.”
“Yeah, but where’s the fun in following the rules when you’re in Hell, Chuck?” He removed Charlie’s glasses and set his hand over the human’s eyes. He moved his lips beside Charlie’s ear. “Close your eyes, let your mind drift elsewhere…”
Charlie wiggled on the sofa in response to Lucky’s low tone. Lucky’s eyes flicked down to where Charlie’s legs had clamped shut. The priest nibbled on his nail and pondered for a second, humming softly as he mused.
“You’re thinking about sandwiches again, aren’t you?” Lucky teased.
“Maybe… We didn’t get dinner. I’m sorry, this probably isn’t fun,” Charlie said with a pout. “I’m boring.”
“It’s fine, I promise. Sometimes you just don’t have any interest in it.
It’s okay, but I do want you to know this is a safe place for you to think about those things.
I have a whole shelf of smut like this. I prefer reading it over doing it in practice, myself.
You’re more than welcome to dive into it so long as you put things back exactly where you found it,” Lucky replied as he started making his way toward the fridge to grab the last of the sandwich ingredients.
This was probably the final sandwich he’d ever make for him, and he tried not to be sad about it.
Charlie joined him in the kitchen, not-so-gracefully hoisting himself onto the tall barstool. After he put his glasses back on, the human set his head in his hands and looked at Lucky as the prince set out the containers of ingredients on the kitchen island.
Lucky made the sandwich with care, following each and every instruction Charlie gave for how to create it just the way he wanted.
At this point, he had it memorized, but Charlie was particular so he let him narrate anyway.
He knew how many slices of cheese, how many olives, which way to cut it.
The meal was completed with a few Brimstone BBQ chips and an ice cold sweet tea—even though the ice melted in a near instant from the heat in the penthouse.
He pushed it forward and leaned on the countertop to get down to Charlie’s eye level. He watched him eat with a smile.
“I think I’d be fine with either if I loved him,” Charlie said after he dabbed his napkin against his lips.
“Either?” Lucky asked.
“Either role… In-in bed,” Charlie clarified.
“Did shoving that big sandwich in your mouth give you some clarity?”
Charlie gasped. He threw a chip at Lucky.
“You’re horrible!” Charlie whisper-yelled, as if he wanted to be angry but polite.
“I’m a devil, Chuck. You should know that by now,” Lucky teased. He picked up the chip that had fallen to the countertop and ate it.
Charlie laughed, the playful sound that was warm and friendly.
It held no preconceived notions or expectations, no forced politeness or upped charm.
It was simply Charlie’s laugh. Honest and real and so very squeaky like a mouse.
Whenever he let out that authentic laugh, when his cheeks would grow red and his eyes would water, when his hand would palm his stomach and his eyes would close, he’d glow.
The Heavenly aura was beautiful, and it lit up the dim-yet-fiery penthouse in a way Lucky had never seen it shine before.
He would miss that shine when the priest left.
“What would it take for you to love him?” Lucky asked genuinely, tone shifting to something more familiar and soft.
“Hmm…” Charlie mused as he picked up a chip.
“His eyes, I think. It’s superficial but that’s always the first thing I notice about someone.
It was the first thing I noticed about you.
Nice eyes, kind eyes that are playful and full of life.
A handsome smile, one that makes me feel comfortable and safe.
I’d like to feel as if conversations are effortless, even if we have nothing to say.
Someone I can be authentic with, someone I’m excited to go home to.
Who doesn’t mind that I have big ears or messed up teeth, that I can hardly see my hand in front of my face without my glasses.
Someone who doesn’t care that I’m not attractive—”
“You are, though,” Lucky said quietly.
“I’m not.”
“You are, Charlie. I’m not just saying that.”
Charlie pouted. “You’re just trying to make me feel better.”
“Do you think someone as old as I am, who has seen millions of humans in his lifetime, wouldn’t know an attractive guy when he sees one?
I’ve had my back blown out by the archangel Gabriel and I still think you’re cuter than…
they are…” Lucky cleared his throat, a puff of smoke rolled out of his mouth as he did.
“I’m also not the kind of person who lies to make someone feel better.
You’re adorable, and any guy would be lucky to have you. ”
“Too bad I missed my chance, I guess.” Charlie went back to eating.
“You’ll find someone, I promise.”
“I’m not sure we’re supposed to be dating in Heaven. That feels odd.”
Lucky smiled as he stole another chip.
“You’ll find someone who loves you like you deserve to be loved, Charlie Wickham. And if he makes you cry—and let’s face it, that’s not hard to do—you let me know and I’ll make sure that only happens once,” Lucky replied with a smirk.
“My guardian devil,” Charlie said with a sarcastic roll of his eyes.
“Always,” Lucky said. “I mean that. Always, if you need me you can call. I’ll come running.”
Charlie looked at him with suspicion. He held out his hand with his pinky extended.
Lucky locked his finger around Charlie’s.
“Promise?” Charlie asked.
“Promise. You call my name, I’ll come running.
Even if that means I have to bust down Heaven’s gates to get to you, I’ll be there,” Lucky replied.
“Eternity is a long ass time, sometimes it helps to have a friend in your corner. Especially one who’s best friends with an archangel. It comes with perks.”
Charlie laughed again. Lucky snatched up another chip and told him to keep eating so they could go to bed. They had files to get back to, after all.