Prologue
The rain obscures Elio’s vision, drilling into his eyes despite his attempts to shield them with his hand. He shouldn’t be out in this weather, but he had his duties.
“Bloody hell…..I can’t see a damn thing…” The man mutters, stomping his way through mud and puddles of dirty, stagnant water. The sky is dark, darker so because of the storm brewing in the air. He should’ve known better than to come out this late…
Elio steps forward, pushing himself against the howling wind. He knows he needs to get to shelter, but with a fate-deciding squelch, his boot buries itself to the knee in the mud. “Bloody wonderful…” Elio mutters, tugging at his leg, digging in the mud to free his boot, but to no avail. He pulls his hands away from the mud, fingers trembling and burning from the frigid rain and bitingly cold mud that has congealed to his skin.
“Need a hand?” Asks a voice from somewhere. It’s hard to tell exactly where. The rain muffles everything around Elio and the graveyard, but the voice is clear, cutting through the rain and wind like a well sharpened blade
Elio looks up. Through the darkness he can faintly see a winged child sitting on a headstone and kicking his feet. Despite the cold, his chest is bare and so are his feet, the only thing covering him are a pair of shorts. The shorts are down to his mid thigh and seem too small for the boy, but even as the rain drills into his bare skin, he doesnt so much as flinch. “Who……who are you?” Elio whispers, staring in awe at the young boy who stays fearlessly on a headstone, smiling down at him.
“An angel…” The boy whispers back, sliding off of the headstone and making his way to Elio without struggle. He doesn’t even seem to be hindered by the mud. “What’s your name..?” Elio whispers in awe. The boy smiles, reaching down and pulling Elio’s foot from the mud.
“Names come with time.” The boy steps closer, tracing his fingertips over Elio’s chest. He shudders as if in ecstasy. “I can feel your heart beating…so alive..” He murmurs reverently. Elio’s breath stutters at the sheer reverence in the young angel’s voice. He reaches out and puts a hand on the boy’s chest. “You……you have no heartbeat. You’re…cold…” Elio says softly. The boy hums softly.
“Cold indeed. Sometimes, I crave to be warm. To be alive…to feel…something.” He whispers, looking through hooded eyes and lowered lashes at Elio. The boy’s hand, while cold and fair skinned, causes a type of heat and sensation to spread through Elio. “I could….keep you warm…” Said Elio, the hand he had on the boy’s chest tracing down hi stomach and coming to rest on his hip.
The younger boy presses more against Elio, his eyes fluttering closed. He could feel the warmth of Elio’s body seeping into his metaphysical form. It’s a wonderful sensation, but the boy has a plan. A plan to make this feeling his own.. “You would do that for me?” He asks, his voice breathless and desperate. Elio leans down, examining the boy’s face. He can see now that the boy isnt as young as he originally thought. With his high cheekbones and soft features, he couldn’t be any older than sixteen. Elio was only eighteen. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help himself. He wanted, and he wanted a lot.
“I’ll do it, for you.” He whispers. And then he pulls the boy into a searing kiss. The boy gives a soft sigh, and kisses back.
The kiss doesnt last long, but when the boy pulls away, he looks up at Elio through lidded eyes. “Tell me you love me…” He breathes, his breath hot on Elio’s lips. Despite the drilling rain and burning cold, Elio doesn’t feel the urge to leave. He wants to stay, to warm this boy, to love him.
“I love you..” Elio says in a low voice, his tone laced with promise.
All according to plan..
The boy smiles and presses a chaste kiss to Elio’s lips.
“Then let me do this.”
Elio’s eyes narrow in confusion, but his concern was too late…
