Indiscretion

A/N: Again with the faster than I had anticipated. Not much else to say, except Aiden gets pretty emo in this chapter, I think. Now for a game of spot the allusions!

(Also, thanks for the reviews.)



Journey Through the Swirling Abyss



(Consciousness allows him to observe all around him. A swirl of colors and shades undulating evermore in syncopated rhythms matched to an eerie, ethereal chanting permeating the openly closed off space. Closed off in his mind, his thoughts are his own.)



Aiden:

What. the. hell.

I didn't even get to finish peeing.

And I miss my cookies.

Is that Lucien?

He looks so helpless, twirling around amidst this chaos like that. Do I look like that? I hope to God I don't. Though he is really pretty. What the hell was in that drug? We were both acting like idiots. Like we were high or something.



(To his left he sees a large whale swimming through the currents heading upstream towards where they originated.)



Aiden:

Is that a whale?

A whale. Where the hell are we?

I guess that makes this some sort of stream metaphor, then. Or ocean. 'Cause that's where whales live. Or lived. Seeing as how pretty much everything on earth was destroyed. Or was it just the humans? That man—Daniel—said something about judges, so does that mean we were doing something wrong? Evil? Or was he just leading us on? He really didn't answer my questions, did he? Then again, I don't even know who he is. He seemed nice enough, sure, but I don't actually know anything about him. Whether he's trustworthy. Can I believe what he did tell us?



(The whale has long since passed his field of vision; he returns his gaze to his one time lover.)



Aiden:

Seriously, though.

What was he thinking?

Fifteen. He said he was fifteen. And now everyone he's ever known's dead. Poor kid. I can't leave him alone like this, though I don't know why I would even think about doing that. He's the only one I know still alive. That and we seem to be randomly warping through dimensions together. Kinda makes us stuck together.

But no more sex.

He's too young.



(A potted plant passes to his right along the whale's path.)



Aiden:

I mean, I took his virginity. That's not something you can just give back.

And then there's the way he started crying afterwards.

Like he'd realized I'd taken something that can't be given back.

And he fell afraid into sleep filled with nightmares.

Clinging to my body as if I were some bastion of hope and safety.

Yeah, right.



(The plant has disappeared into the depths of oblivion as well. There is nothing besides the two of them together alone in this strange world of nothingness separated by walls of thoughtlessness.)



Aiden:

I wonder what he's thinking about right now. What's going through his mind. What he thinks of me. Like I'm some devil sent to torment him through his suffering.

Yeah, I took your virginity, your purity. But that's not enough. You must suffer at my hands. Let me taste your sweet tears bled from pain and terror and despair.

Let me cause you agony from our mutual selfishness. To not be alone we'll endure whatever torment God sends our way. To not be alone.

If I think about it, I guess I was alone before him. Going from guy to guy night after night with no second thought. To tear through them as you tear through condoms.

A monster fueled by lust and desire to do unspeakable things.

To despoil the innocent.

Look at him:

eyes closed

and free from worry;

limbs relaxed and comfortable shrouded

by warm nothingness.

All about him exudes innocence, but I know better.

I killed him. His innocence. His soul.

Should anyone require judgment

it should be me.

No other is as guilty as I.

As evil as I.

As despicable as I.



(He blinks, but slowly. He keeps his gaze focused on the boy.)



Aiden:

Can I ever be forgiven?

He said he wanted it. Said he was leading me on, but I should have known better.

He didn't know.

Couldn't have known. How could he?

Virgin that he was.

Will I ever be worthy of his affection?

Can such a thing be earned?

Have value?

We don't even know where we're going—

if we're going.

Can I protect him?

Keep him safe?

Can I do even that?

To be his bodyguard, his protector, his aegis.



(He reaches over to him, grabs his arm, pulls him close. Close enough to feel the warmth of his skin against his own, to feel his heartbeat, to feel his very life in his care.)



Aiden:

Whatever awaits us, I'll keep him safe.

No more shall I be tempted by him.

To keep him safe.

No one will hurt him ever again.

I won't let them.



You hear that, whoever you are?

I don't care what you think. I won't let you fuck with him anymore. Won't let you use me like that again. I won't let anything bad ever happen to him again.



(His resolve is set, firm. He is confident yet unsure, but his will is unwavering.



Their floating bodies pass by scenes of worlds they will never know, had never known before. Scenes of death and destruction, desolation and despair. Worlds ravaged by the judges as had been their own.



He sees one where remains the dragon. He sees him perched atop a tower that had once risen mightily into the sky in triumph. In pride.)



Aiden:

I'll make sure you never have to go through anything like that ever again.



I. . .



I. . .



I love you.

---

“Have you seen him? The beast?



“He's a hideous creature. Covered in scars he is. Everywhere he goes is nothing but death and destruction. I saw him, I tell you, and barely lived to tell the tale. Eyes like fire that see through you straight to the soul. No hiding from him. I don't even know how I managed to escape. Just popped away into nothingness and wound up in this odd church-like thing. But that thing is evil I tell you.”



“I've seen it, too. And his minions. From a distance they might be mistaken for angels, but demons they are. Never seen anything like 'em. Always covered in fresh blood and ever seeking more. One of 'em stared me down. They like doing that, I hear. To stare straight at their prey and strike fear right into the depths of their soul."



“And their teeth, you didn't even mention their teeth. All crammed in there like they needed to fit as many as they could in one vessel. Always grinning like mad wherever they look. With a fetish for disembodied heads.”



“Ugh, don't remind me. They'll drop 'em down on the street and they'll explode.”



“How do they manage that, anyway?”



“I don't even want to know.”



“They're coming, though.”



“That's why we're here: to warn you.”



“Repent for the end is nigh.”



“Flee before the shadow of the valley of death.”



“None can escape the great maw of evil that devours all in its path.”



“Death awaits all.”



“Life is only temporary.”



“Repent!”



“Repent!”



Together: “Repent!”



And the hue of the wings of the figures were of the perfect whiteness of the snow.