It’s not fair. Not in the least.
When Alcy had peered into Carter’s bedroom, and saw him, legs akimbo, his shaft straining toward the ceiling, he’d had the strangest vision of him slipping into Carter’s bed and reaching for—
No. No. No. Stop thinking about it. That way lies madness.He’d let Beez handle the bedroom antics; it was what he was made for, after all.
But the vision had persisted. Carter’s body called to Alcy, taunting him, pleading with him to touch it. To stroke fingers over that warm skin. He’d seen the bead of precum on the tip, and he’d wondered what it would be like if he grabbed the shaft and gave the head a lick.How would it taste? Would I like it?Would Carter appreciate the attention? Or did he see him simply as a way to study and watch anime and be held and—
Alcy smacked his hand on the storefront glass. “Damn it!” Passersby turned and scowled at him, and his face heated. He hadn’t lost control like that since one of his first assignments, and that had been eons ago. “Sorry,” he muttered, giving apologetic glances.
He had to get his thoughts back under control. Beez was with Carter and would be for the next two days. Which meant Alcy needed to make himself scarce. He didn’t want to hear their moans and groans, especially since he knew he’d never be part of those sounds. Alcy would have protested he wasn’t the type to give in to jealousy, and yet it was funny how that emotion always seemed to surface when he was in proximity to Beez. He shook his head. Better to focus on what he’d do for his days with Carter. Maybe he’d go to the store and grab things to show Carter how to bake a cake. Men liked sweets, and something homemade always went over best.
He ended up at Pick & Save, not far from the hotel. As he made his way through the aisles, he dropped stuff into the cart, not really paying much attention to what he was grabbing. His mind was on Carter. And Beez. And…
Why can’t I get the thought of them out of my head?Then he glanced into the cart, saw what he’d picked up, and realized things were worse than he’d imagined—he’d gathered all the ingredients for Devil’s Food Cake.
Alcy snorted.Of course I did. Even when they were apart, Beez occupied a corner of his mind. What sent hot shame surging through him was the acknowledgment of just how big that corner was.If Supreme knew I was harboring unnatural thoughts, what would they do?He’d never heard of an angel being recycled, but itcouldhappen, couldn’t it? Or perhaps such a situation had never come up before, and Alcy was the aberrant one.
This assignment is messing with my head.He’d never had issues like this before, and once he put distance between himself and Beez—and Carter— he’d probably never have such issues again.Why does my chest hurt?For a moment, he faced the possibility that if an angel could possess a soul, his was being torn asunder.
He just needed to get away from Carter and Beez, take some time to reflect on life, and get himself back in the groove. That would fix it.
Oh Supreme, he hoped so.
Two days later, Alcy stood shoulder to shoulder with Carter in the dorm kitchen as they worked on the cake. Carter was an apt student, and listened intently as Alcy explained the importance of accurate measuring, at least when baking.
“One gram off, and whatever you’re making could be ruined. Baking is probably the finickiest of all the culinary skills, because everything needs to be perfect to get the proper reactions. The—”
Carter leaned forward, elbows on the counter, his head cocked to one side. “What do you think of Beez?”
Alcy frowned. “What? What does Beez have to do with anything? We’re here to learn to bake.”
“I know, but I’m curious. So tell me…. what do you think of him?”
Alcy sighed internally. Maybe this assignment was closer to being done than he thought.And that should make me happy.
It didn’t.
Alcy picked up a towel and wiped his hands. “So you’ve decided?”
Carter frowned. “Why are you so hot for me to make a decision? Have you any idea how difficult this is? I’m faced with choosing between two amazing beings, so you bet I’m gonna weigh all my options.” He gave Alcy a mock glare. “This isn’t like buying a car, you know. We’re talking about myeternity. Trust me, I’m taking my time on it.”
Alcy smiled. “So not yet, huh?”
“Nope. I’m not even close. And don’t change the subject. Tell me what you think about Beez.”
It was hard to appear nonchalant, mostly because no one ever asked him that. “You really want to know? Fine. He’s infuriating. He never takes anything seriously. Then again, for demons, it’s all party, party, party, so no need to worry about anything else, right?”
It felt good to say it out loud, although the bitterness he heard in his voice was disconcerting.Angels aren’t supposed to be bitter.
“Yes, but you’re talking demons.” Carter’s eyes sparkled. “I’m asking about Beez.”
Alcy had to fight his ire at the direction of the conversation. “What’s this about?”
“I just want to know if you and Beez are, you know, friends.”
He shrugged. “I suppose. I mean, we’re not enemies. All hosts get along.”
“Oh, okay. So there’s no choice but to like each other?”