Chapter Text
According to Ryan Bergara, humans were the most hopeless creatures that have ever inhabited the Earth. Trust him, he's been to Earth at least one thousand times now, and not much has changed pertaining to the people. Everyone was incredulously mean . When he came to this conclusion, his partner at Sanction Four—as well as his best friend since he started working as a Moderator—Shane Madej laughed in his face and shook his head.
Sanction Four happened to be where both angels and demons worked under God. While it was a chance at redemption for demons like Shane, angels like Ryan worked in Sanction Four for the rewards that followed, which was just praise from God and constant reassurance that they're the good guys. The structure was a little wonky since Sanction Four had only been created several months ago, especially since Satan didn't appreciate God taking his customers, but it was slowly gaining complexity.
The building for Sanction Four sat high above the clouds, though still a few feet below heaven. There were always Moderators roaming in and out of the glass building in their slim-fit uniforms (created by the overly carnal designers in the department of angels), which were extremely uncomfortable in Ryan's opinion. It's latex , damnit. When an angel or demon first gets here, however, their first job is either paperwork or for the miracle hotline (they transfer demands to the Moderators and stay in cubicles all day), so the uniform was a bit looser.
Ryan receives an alert from the miracle hotline as soon as he steps foot outside of his dormitory. He was to go to Earth and detain a man by the name of Dave Peterson, and from Dave's character profile, it seems that he was heavily invested in up-close child pornography. These types of people were typical targets, and also the most aggressive to work with, which is why Shane does most of the work. However, Shane wasn't coming on this mission because, well, Ryan kind of turned off his transmitter so that he would not get an alert.
On their previous mission, Shane had accumulated his efforts to detain one of the humans. Although, the human was a bit more combative than expected, so Shane broke his wrist in the process. It wasn't too big of a deal since he could heal, but, here in Sanction Four, demons took a bit longer than angels to do so—something to do with the amount of power they possess. Besides, Ryan felt as though he had been too dependent on his partner lately anyway. Shane should have a break.
Ryan clicks accept mission below Dave's character profile and is immediately transported onto the streets belonging to Earth.
The uniform never seemed to bother anyone that brushed past him, but it was probably because the humans have seen far worse than a man in a latex suit. When Ryan turns around, he is met with the sight of a small house that had a few bricks missing and several stray cats wandering near it. He catches sight of a rather large man walk past the window and immediately recognizes him as Dave. Great, he's home. Ryan knocks on the front door and keeps his hand on his hip, his fingers tapping against his black belt.
It takes Dave approximately three minutes to open the door, and Ryan tries his best not to pinch his nose when the smell of alcohol and must wafts past. Dave looks messy: his hair is in knots on top of his head, his eyes are bloodshot, and there's a variety of stains on his t-shirt. Most importantly, the man is holding a camera in his hand, which means that Ryan had caught him at a conveniently bad time.
"Mr. Peterson," says Ryan with a smile on his face. "My name is Ricky, the electrician of this neighborhood. It seems to me that a couple of our residents have been having issues with their electricity. Would you mind if I came in and took a look at your circuit box?"
Dave slowly closes the door to hide the camera in his hand. "Electrician," he repeats. "I haven't had any problems with my—"
Suddenly, the lights inside of Dave's house flicker off, causing the man to utter profanity. He looks behind him at a closed door down the hall and rubs his temples before reluctantly opening the door for Ryan, who walks in and immediately drops the smile on his face. "Your circuit box is in the living room, isn't it, Mr. Peterson?"
Dave is following closely behind Ryan, becoming less and less fearful of his presence. He was carrying a gun. Bold . Whenever Ryan would go on missions, the humans did not see him as a threat due to his height (which, by the way, is completely average). "Well, hurry the fuck up, would ya?"
"Of course, Mr. Peterson." Ryan opens the circuit box, feeling eyes trained on his back. "Dave, I've heard a little about you. Mostly about your job."
"Excuse me—?"
"Is there a child in the other room, Dave?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
Before Dave could hold the gun against Ryan's head, the angel grabs it and dismantles it in lightning speed, the bullets rolling against the wooden floor. Dave is looking at Ryan incredulously, slowly backing away and feeling around for any object to use. Great , Ryan thinks as he steps closer, the heel of his black boots causing the floor to creak. He wants to fight. They always want to fight .
"Now, Dave, I don't want to fight you. If you could be as kind as to surrender so that I could call the cops anonymously." Ryan barely misses the picture frame tossed at his face, and the edge slashes his cheek. "That wasn't very pleasant."
"What the hell are you?" Dave inquires fearfully. "Who brought you here? I can pay you more than whatever they're paying ya now."
"Pay me?" Ryan tilts his head to the side, his hand resting on the knock-out mist located on his belt. "This isn't about money, Dave. This is about the greater g—" In the middle of Ryan's monologue, a black portal slowly opens up beside him, causing his attention to become diverted. Oh no . "Shoot."
In a split second, Dave was tackling him to the ground and drawing his fist back, though his elbow was grabbed roughly by the figure behind him before he could do damage. Shane stands tall above him, a clear look of agitation present on his face as he effortlessly throws Dave off of Ryan's body. Dave's head and back smacks against the wall, and he's instantly unconscious. Just like that. Despite looking ready-to-kill with viridescent eyes, Shane looked very handsome today... and maybe now's not the time to dwell on the fact that he has a crush on his best friend, but it's all he can think about as he stands on his own two feet.
"Fancy seeing you here, Shane." Ryan says. "How's your wrist?"
"It's going to be broken again after I punch you in the face."
"Don't be so mean."
Shane exasperatedly runs a hand down his face. "You turned my transmitter off and thought that I wouldn't find you. Do you peg me for a dumbass? You know that you're not supposed to go on missions alone. What the hell were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that you need to give yourself a break." Ryan says defensively. "Besides, I was handling the situation just fine before you came!"
"You were monologuing ."
"I was trying to change his mind about fighting me!"
"Guys like this don't give two shits about your monologues, Ryan."
Times like these were when Ryan really wished that he could curse. "Stop yelling at me."
"I'm not!" Shane shouts. "I just want you to be a little smarter."
The sound of coughing cuts between their conversation, as Dave has decided to come to. "You shouldn't take any shit from that evil-looking guy, Ricky. You're way too beautiful... curvy... have you ever considered porn? I could get you into the industry instead of working with this guy. All you have to do is let me go."
Ryan walks over to Dave and promptly spritzes him with the knock-out mist, causing him to instantly fall asleep. "My fake name even sounds incredibly sleazy coming out of the mouths of people like him."
"I let the kid go and called the police during your little exchange. Let's go."
"Do you enjoy bossing me around all the time?" Ryan asks with his arms crossed over his chest.
Shane opens up another portal in the living room, refusing to meet his partner's gaze. "Can't say that I don't enjoy it."
It's a joke, but the strings of his heart are being tugged on as he steps through the portal and into the break room of Sanction Four. Shane was a very aloof person, so Ryan really could never tell what he was thinking. The most that Ryan has gotten from Shane was that when he was human, his name had been C.C. and he had gotten into deep shit before he died. What said deep shit was, Ryan didn't know, but he was sure that Shane would tell him when he was ready.
"I'm sorry for going without you." Ryan says finally. "I was just worried."
They don't fight often, but when they do, Ryan is usually the first to say sorry. Shane is usually more reluctant, willing to brush everything off as a joke or ignore it. It's typical of a demon to behave this way—emotionally constipated, as Shane puts it—but Ryan believes that he'll get his best friend to break out of his shell one day. Or, at least for him.
"It's fine." Hesitance. "I'm sorry for yelling at you."
Ryan's heart does that weird tugging thing again. "It's okay, Shane."
"I'm gonna—" Shane jerks his thumb toward the door. "I'll be back. Wait here."
"Yeah, okay."
When Shane leaves the room, Ryan collapses onto the chair nearby and lets out a sigh he had been holding in. It seems like he always forgets how to breathe whenever Shane was around, which is probably because he does.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the gayest boy in the sanction," came a voice from beside Ryan. "Told Shane that you're in love with him yet?"
Ryan is so used to Brent appearing out of nowhere that he doesn't even flinch anymore. Brent was also an angel, but Ryan likes to refer to him as the literal devil incarnate. He was the type of guy to take every little thing with a grain of salt, roaming through life with this sort of optimistic energy that could brighten, possibly, anyone's day—just not Ryan's. Ever since Brent came to the conclusion that Ryan had a crush on Shane, he has been unbearable. Nagging constantly about it, and even once bringing it up to the CEO, Sara Rubin.
"The day that God finally decides that he doesn't need you here, but instead cleaning the toilets in heaven, will be the day that I'm truly happy."
"Harsh!" Brent says, then starts to spin in his chair. "Heard that you tried to leave Shane behind for a mission."
"How did you—"
"I know everything! I also know that he left a storm behind when he left to go find you. He scared the living shit out of most of the angel trainees."
Ryan taps his fingers against his thigh. "You have a cursing problem."
"And you have a stick up your ass."
Before Ryan is able to defend himself, Shane walks back into the break room holding a black velvet box in his hand. For some unknown reason, Shane's entire face is red but quickly returns to its normal color. Upon seeing Brent, the box immediately disappears into thin air, causing Ryan to raise an eyebrow. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Shane inquires casually, then clears his throat. "Hey, Brent."
"Shane!" Brent stands up to wrap his arms around the demon, who appears stiff in the embrace. Good. "How's your wrist, buddy?"
"Just fine."
Ryan still wants to ask about the black box, but he supposes that he would do so later.
Luckily for Ryan and Shane, their transmitters begin to ring, indicating that they're needed by the CEO. Mostly lucky for Ryan, because he wasn't sure how long it would take before Brent exposed his feelings to Shane. He waits for Shane to say goodbye to Brent before they leave the break room together, walking so closely that they kept brushing past each other. Why it makes Ryan blush so much, he isn't sure.
However, he was sure that Sara called them in to yell about partnerships and communication, but she looks joyous upon their arrival. "Ryan! Shane! My odd pairing."
Sara was assigned the Assistant of the Lord as soon as Sanction Four started because she had always been God's favorite. Aside from that, Sara was also a lenient angel, which meant that no one ever hesitated to follow her orders. She was as tenacious as Ryan wanted to be (or, wished he could be). Whenever she spoke, everyone listened, which is why Ryan immediately stands up straighter when she addresses him.
"Ms. Rubin." Ryan nods.
Shane rolls his eyes. He had never been one for formalities. "What's up, Sara?"
"Well, let's keep this short," says Sara, crossing her arms against her chest. "I have a mission for you two. It should take a couple of months, and it requires for you to be on Earth."
"Months?" the boys ask simultaneously; however, only Shane continues to speak. "Why the hell—"
"Language," Sara warns.
"—are we staying in that godforsaken place—"
"Mr. Madej."
"—for a couple of months?"
The pinched expression on Sara's face did not go unnoticed by Ryan, who suddenly grips Shane's arm (by goodness, he was strong) in an attempt to silence him. It works, as Shane breathes out through his nose and sinks into his chair with his lips pursed.
After shooting Ryan an appreciative look, Sara continues, "Listen. These were God's direct orders. You two are apparently the greatest moderators on the team, and if that's true, then this mission shouldn't take longer than it has to."
Ryan starts beaming. "God said that?"
"Yes, God said that." Sara replies flatly. "You should teach your demon boyfriend here how to be more grateful. God doesn't just compliment anyone."
The term 'boyfriend' causes Ryan's cheeks to turn a vicious red, whereas Shane doesn't even react to it. Instead, he blinks and skeptically asks, "And what exactly is this mission?"
"Well," Sara slaps a manilla folder onto the desk, "Zack Evans."
Shane raises his eyebrow and grabs the folder. After he speedily flips through it, he hands it over to Ryan and begins to rub his temples. "So, if I read this correctly... God assigned us a babysitting job? Are you shitting me?"
Suddenly, Sara snaps, and Shane's lips are glued shut. When Shane attempts to speak again, it comes out as a low mumble, causing Ryan to shift uncomfortably in his chair. This is what usually happened when they had to meet with an authority figure. Shane was just not the type to keep quiet about the things he found blatantly ridiculous.
"Much better," Sara sighs out. "According to God, Zack Evans needs to be guarded. While I am not sure exactly why this human needs our attention, I will not be the one that questions God's orders. We'll be sending you two down to Earth in two days. Unless Shane would like someone else to replace him as your partner." The way Shane squints his eyes at her could have been categorized as murderous. "I didn't think so. Take the folder with you on your way out."
"Yes, ma'am," Ryan responds, gripping the folder in his hands. "Thank you for this opportunity."
Fury is radiating off of Shane's body when they step out of Ms. Rubin's office. He has his fists clenched and his eye color has alternated to its customary black, which often either frightens Ryan or, well, does the opposite. Right now, it's doing the latter. At first, Ryan isn't sure if he should speak, so he doesn't. They walk in silence until Shane abruptly stops on the walkway leading to their dorms, causing Ryan to stop as well.
"What is it?" Ryan asks, concerned.
"You're doing the thing again."
"The thing?"
Shane cracks a small smile. "When you sense that I'm upset, you do that thing that angels do. When they're able to make the room brighter or the people around them feel calmer. I can't tell if you're ever aware that you're doing it."
"I promise that I'm not." Ryan softens his voice. "But I'm glad it's making you feel better."
"Wanna stay in my room and talk about this dumbass job we were assigned to do?"
"Yeah, sounds cool." He sounds so calm on the outside, but his heart is beating entirely too fast. "So, remember that velvet box you were holding in the break room? What was that about?"
"What box?"
"Shane."
"You have an eye, Ryan. That's what I hate the most about you."
"Could you stop being cryptic for one second?" The statement seems to convince Shane to be sensible, because the velvet box from earlier suddenly appears in Ryan's hand. "What is this?'
"Open it."
At first Ryan is hesitant, then he slowly removes the lid from the box and breaks into a smile. It's a golden bracelet engraved with his own initials, and it's sparkling. By goodness, Shane had gotten him something... and, well, this hasn't happened before. "This is... what's this for?"
"Happy birthday?" Shane says as he scratches the back of his head.
"My birthday was two months ago, liar."
"Fine. You caught me." Ryan silently waits for Shane to start talking again. "It's just a thanks for putting up with my bullshit. I got a... I got a matching one, but it's in my drawer right now because I didn't want to make this any more gay than it already is. Maybe it's true what they about this god-forsaken place: really rehabilitates a demon. Anyway, let's—"
Before Shane can change the subject, Ryan engulfs the man in a hug. It shocks the demon, for it takes him a few seconds to fully comprehend what had just occurred; accordingly, just as Ryan is about to pull back, Shane embraces him in a way that he never has. It's killing Ryan. Goodness, it's killing him. If he had the option to stay in this position—or at least any position at all—with Shane, then he'd stay like this forever. Even if Shane only meant to be friendly.
Shane finally breaks the silence after realizing that they were being eyed by a few others passing by. "All right, little guy."
"Thank you." Ryan whispers. "This was very thoughtful of you."
"Yeah?" Shane clears his throat, then pulls Ryan away by gripping onto the angel's shoulders. He never was the affectionate type, especially if it was public. "Wanna go to my room now? It's getting pretty hot out here."
Although the temperature never changes in Sanction Four, Ryan nods his head and grins, "Sure."