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“I… think I kind of know it, maybe. But you look way overdressed and undressed at the same time. You’re basically drowning in all that shit.” Danya frowned and pointed at Ilya's chest. “And what’s with the boob window?”
“You know, it suits you. It looks good with how dark your skin is,” Ilya said. Danya blinked and glanced at him. “Yeah? I dunno, it seems kinda weird.” “It reminds me of the sunrise. There’s a reason I get up at dawn every day.” Danya scoffed. “It’s not because you’re neurotic and weird?”
Anyway, don’t fool with any of the women of Velak, they’ll do you no good.” Danya scoffed. “Guess I’ll have to fool around with the men then.”
“Don’t be so crass, both of you. I’m a fucking priest.” The other two snorted in unison when he swore. Danya threw an arm around Ilya’s shoulders, giving him an affectionate squeeze. He rested his head against Ilya’s and smiled. “I’m glad I’ve become a bad enough influence on you, Ilyushka.”
Mostly it would be Danya explaining the next gadget he was fixing, bemoaning the “fucking dumbass geezers” who treated their things with a learned helplessness that infuriated him.
He reached for the end of a lock, curling it around a finger. Danya snorted and finally pulled back, making the hair slip out of his grasp. “What is it with everybody and my hair?” “It’s a very pretty color,” Ilya chuckled. “Only I know how soft it is, though.”
“I have no idea what humankind did without electric heat. Frankly I have no idea what I did.” Muffled by the couch cushions, Danya said, “I hear people huddled for warmth. Shared body heat and stuff.”
“Why are you crying, Ilyushka?” “Because you’re nice to me,” Ilya croaked, lip quivering as he tried to find his words, “And I don’t know how to deal with that.”
Perhaps if you hadn’t made him so lovely, it wouldn’t have come to this.”
More like Danya enjoyed making Ilya desecrate his altar every week. “I asked my mom and she said it’s fine” is what he’d said. What a bold, terrible lie.
“When I tell you how much control I’m exerting to not just fuck your pretty priestly mouth,” Danya growled.
Danya had to force Ilya to not stress when the water splashed over the sides, reminding him of the drain in the floor. Ilya wished he wasn’t so neurotic, but he was glad to have Danya now to help keep it in check. He distracted Ilya first by cleaning his face with a cloth, then by scrubbing out his hair for him. The intimacy of the gesture gave him pause. Ilya had tried to fight it, but Danya told him to stop being weird and let it happen, so he did.
“I can hear you overthinking, Lyubimi. Stop that.” “Or what?” Danya gently grabbed Ilya’s chin, tilting his head up so their eyes met. “There’s that bratty mouth of yours again.” Ilya huffed at him. “You didn’t answer my question.” “Or I’ll rearrange the dishes in the cabinets.” Revulsion wracked his body, nostrils flaring as he inhaled a deep breath. A deep scowl carved itself into his face and he glared at Danya with everything he could muster. He was particular about everything in his life, Danya knew this. The meltdown this would bring on would be of legendary status.
He loved watching the sky fade through a rainbow of colors, from deep purple to that brilliant vermillion, to warm orange, pink, and then the blue of the day. It was that midpoint that most reminded him of Danya. Every time he witnessed the sky turning he imagined it was how the sky looked when Danya was born.
“I think it would be very sexy of you to break his whole face, actually, Danylko.”
And… I guess it amazes me that despite everything, there’s still even a scrap of hope in your heart for her. You have so much more love to give than anybody gives you credit for, you know that? That’s what’s so wonderful about you.”
“I’m a mess,” Ilya sobbed. “I hate this. You still want to kiss a dumb, snotty human man, you Sun forsaken bird brain?” “Yeah? What kind of question is that?”
Danya was squinting to cope with the early morning light, coming over to Ilya and examining his work. Ilya’s heart fluttered at the sight; a sleepy angel was something to behold.
Ilya loved being the morning person in the relationship, seeing Danya this groggy and useless was endearing.
“Just a moment!” She called out to him from his workshop in the back. A metallic clang of bells came from the room, sounding an awful lot like the alarm clock he’d been repairing, which was already an uncommon find around here. He recalled one in Tatyana’s shop, but she’d been ahead of the curve. “You better not be breaking my shit you hag! I was going to use that!” “Don’t you start with me boy! You’re lucky you make me so much money now!”
“So… you’re okay with it? You’re not gonna try and have him hanged or some shit? Report me to the church or something?” Berta was utterly scandalized, smacking his arm in her anger. “Zhopa! Do you not know me at all?” Danya hissed at the smack, rubbing his arm to soothe the skin. “Answer the question then you insufferable old woman!” “I love you like a son, you shitty brat of an angel!” She leapt off her pile of crates, moving into his space to glare at him even harder. “Nothing you say or do would ever make me love you less, Danya. You’ve been a bright light in this old woman’s life. Life has
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“I said I love you, you stupid angel,” Ilya gasped. “I love you–” “Funny way of showing it, you bastard human–” “I’m sorry.” Another gasp from Ilya, this time from Danya pulling his collar to bite at his throat. “Fuck, my ribs hurt so much, breathing is hard.” Danya scoffed. “That’s what you get for not resting, shithead.”
“Sun’s sake, Danulyachka. Yes, it was. I love you and you’ve turned me into a lusting mess of a man, you insufferable bird brain.” Danya chuckled and kissed his knee. “Love you too, my favorite bratty slut priest.”
“So I get to stay in here then?” Danya called. Nikolai snorted. “I would be a fool to give you even an inch, little angel.” “Oh, is that all you have? You wouldn’t have been able to satisfy Ilya anyway.”
A white plaster ceiling not unlike the rectory stretched out above him. Much more mundane than he’d imagined the realm to be, if he was honest. He’d hoped for a few more handsome men. Or even just one handsome angel.
It came as no surprise that Danya had gotten himself into welding, but it was also giving him far too much power. He’d worry about whatever mad science Danya would get up to later.
