Rebirth

"Your father left with you both one night without informing me of his decision. I was left right there in Hell without any idea where you'd all gone. You've had months to get in contact with me, summon me up to hang out. You could have done that the moment you left to tell me what was going on, to explain why I was left behind. I sort of understand that it's for the best, but an explanation would have been nice. And only now do you consider summoning me, because you're bored and realised that I still exist. Am I right? Stop me if I'm wrong," he sarcastically drawled, his typical sarcasm as prevalent in his tone as it always had been. His looks and his strength were two major reasons Theodore had kept him around for so long, and grown to love him as a best friend, but his sarcastic wit was another huge reason - it was very much something Theo loved in a person.

"That's... not true. We've been busy, and Papa wouldn't have wanted us to bring you here. This is the only real chance we've had," began Eden, in what was clearly a horrid excuse but the only thing he could really come up with... unless Cerberus wanted to hear that he'd been forgotten about and only now had Eden remembered he existed and what he meant to them. "Don't be so... moody. We want to hang out now! We'll show you New York, it's pretty amazing, a-actually--"

"I'm the guardian of Hell; I'm the guy that mans the gates. I don't think partying in this... human city is a role I should adopt, do you?" The man continued drily, albeit with another faint smile that grew like wildfire along his lips. It was difficult to stay mad at the twins, after all. He had watched them grow from babies to young men - staying mad when they had such a bond was a difficult feat to stick to... and once again, he'd failed. "...Ugh, fine. I'm guessing your father doesn't know about this, and we'll keep it that way. I'm sure partying with his sons wasn't one of the duties he gave me."
 
That smile. That damn smile set a fire in his heart. It made him weak in the knees, and he felt a fever rush through his body. Cerebus was...So gorgeous. Everything he did just ooze sex-appeal. Compared to that, Echo felt...Like nothing. In Cerebus's eyes. He was just that kid he was assigned to guard. Sure Cerebus may love him, but only as a younger brother probably. And it wasn't like Echo didn't try to seem sexier to Cerebus. He used to wear skin tight clothes around, revealing things. But the man never reacted, so he just stopped making a fool of himself.

Standing up from the bed, he ran his fingers through his black hair, wondering why his brother would invite him. Having Cerebus around was an emotional roller coaster. While he did miss him, and the man made him feel so giddy and happy, the other also reminded him of the love that would never be returned and that made him feel like shit. "Well, what are we going to do first?" He asked lightly, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot.
 
"I'm not really feeling well. I might have that horrible human flu again, it was dreadful the last time I caught it. I'm best off staying in bed and resting, I think. But you can go out and have fun with Cerberus, Echo. I wouldn't stop you having fun," coughed Eden, pouting for extra measure... even if it was rather obvious he was lying. The fact he smiled wide afterwards was a huge giveaway, but nevertheless, his intentions were good. He wouldn't ever want to tag along and disrupt any possibility of his brother and Cerberus developing something. After all, it there was something there to be developed, he didn't find it likely that it would grow and blossom if he hung around like the awkward and unwanted third wheel - and he was fine with that.

Eyeing Eden curiously, and with a great amount of doubt, Cerberus finally shrugged. He always found the twins a tad odd, so Eden's behaviour, whilst it was curious, didn't trouble him for more than a few mere seconds. Instead, he turned back to Echo and offered another faint shrug.

"I could do with a cocktail. I've heard from your father that humans do amazing cocktails here," he began easily, his eyes settling down on the twin. "And while you're not old enough to legally drink, I doubt that'll stop you. You are your father's son, after all."
 
Echo stared at his brother with wide eyes. How dare he summon Cerebus and then leave him alone with him! How could he be so cruel?! Now he was going to be a nervous wreck! Shaking the emotion off his face, he smiled up at the other nervously. "Y-Yeah, I could do with a drink." He smiled brightly. Drinks are good. He needed a little liquid courage.

Nervously, he walked out the room, his heart pounding so fast that he swore it was going to break out of his chest to try and be with Cerebus. The man looked so...Beautiful tonight. More beautiful than he remembered if he was honest. Ugh, he hated this! With anyone, he was flirty, charming and sexy. With Cerebus, he was a self-conscious stuttering idiot.

"S-So..." He began, once they were out of the apartment. "How's home? I kind of miss it a little. I just miss the being waited on...We don't have servants up here. We have to do a lot ourselves."
 
"You don't have servants and yet your father is content here? I can't envision that. I've known your father since he first became a demon and from that day onward, he's adored the help. He didn't life a finger when he was having you twins. Had everyone do it all for him. I can't believe he's happy here without them, but... clearly I see why. He has that fallen angel and... that human," shrugged Cerberus, having received a glare from Kamil on their way out as the angel hurriedly hugged Echo and told him to be back home before midnight.

"And that baby," he continued, another smile on his face as he wandered outside onto the busy street, full of people heading out to bars and restaurants for the evening. "...I've been by your father's side for years. I chose him over Lucifer. I helped him kill the man, and yet, despite all that, I'm tossed aside like bad rubbish and rejected from this little family dynamic. That's... fun. You only called me because you're bored. I know where I stand now."
 
"What? No, that's so not true, that's like so far from the truth!" He defended, looking up at him with wide eyes. Echo didn't think of Cerebus like that at all! He worshipped the man, thought about him every day, probably too much. He never called him sooner because...He was nervous. How could he explain that to Cerebus? How could he tell him how he loved him without creeping the other out? He couldn't.

Grimacing, he tugged on his arm. "Let's just enjoy some drinks, please? I just wanna...Have fun with you." He smiled, his hand lingering on his arm a second too long before letting go. It felt nice to touch him. He wanted to always touch him. Touch every single inch of him. Just to know what it felt like. He wanted to know the other's body like he knew the back of his hand. He wanted to know the story behind every scar, every freckle every birthmark, everything. He just...Wanted Cerebus to belong to him. And he wanted to belong to Cerebus.
 
"...Right. I'm being depressive again, aren't I? I suppose I didn't think I'd see the day where I'd be taking you out for cocktails, Echo. It seems like yesterday your father was begging me to rock you and your brother to sleep because you kept wailing and he wanted his manicure. It's just difficult for me, that's all. Seeing you go from learning to walk and talk to... wearing grown up clothes and going for alcoholic drinks. It's strange. I'm sure Theodore feels it worse than I do, you're his kids. Seeing you grown up must be difficult, after he's babied you his whole life," laughed Cerberus, breaking out of his glum mood once seeming to realise how desperate Echo was. He didn't understand where this eagerness was necessarily coming from, but the least he could do was break out of his frowns and give him the good night he seemed to crave.

"You'll have to take me somewhere, I haven't been on Earth for... god, decades," he groaned, tutting to himself at how old he now realised he was. "I think I came with your father after Lucifer died. We went to a Broadway show and had some champagne to celebrate, but it was ages ago."
 
"Really?" He asked with a smile, happy to hear about anything about Cerebus and his past. I didn't know you liked plays. Maybe we can go see one after drinks or whatever you want." He grinned looking up at him happily, that glint in his eyes HE always looked at Cerebus like this, like all the words he said was gold. Like he was so perfect and cool.
 
"Hey now, we're here to entertain you. You're my master, technically. I'm just some weird guy who watches the gates of Hell and then somehow got put in charge of guarding you and your brother. What I want to do doesn't matter-- and hey, I want to do whatever you want to do. If you want to go to a club and then watch a play, we'll do that," he announced easily. After all, there was nothing he had an urge to do up here, and even if he did, his opinions and hobbies didn't count when put next to Echo's. He was a servant to him, even if he was decades older and possibly ten times stronger.

"You're acting strange," he suddenly proclaimed, his eyes examining him for a long moment. "...I know. You've got a boyfriend, haven't you? You've got markings on your neck and while I'm no romantic expert, I've known your father long enough to notice signs of romantic entanglements. Kissing a human, hm? I never thought your first kiss would be with some random human boy."
 
His hand went to hurriedly cover the marks staring at the other with wide eyes as he shook his head. "N-No...I...Well, I don't have a boyfriend anymore. These are old, they're going away." He mumbled ashamed as he looked down. There was no way Cerebus would want him now, knowing he wasn't pure or anything like that. "I...It wasn't so great anyway. I thought my first kiss would be magical. It was...Just dumb if you ask me."

He wondered what it would be like kissing the man. Probably magical like he wanted. Probably amazing. They soon came to a bar, and Echo easily walked in, smiling at the security at the doors, before walking to the bar to sit.
 
"So you gave away your first kiss to some horrid little human boy, and he didn't even please you? Well, isn't that just remarkable? I thought you'd have a better head on your shoulders. You shouldn't have given a kiss away like this without considering whether the boy you were with was worth of it. You're special, Echo. A Prince. One of the sweetest kids around. You deserve the best," he tutted, taking the boy's hand a moment to convince him of the seriousness behind his tone. After a moment of searching his eyes to make sure he took that message and believed it, he silently turned away to order them two cocktails, glaring quietly at the bartender when deciding his eyes had lingered far too long on the teenager at his side.

"Let's sit in a booth, I won't have these horrid humans looking at you like this. Honestly, your father can date humans, but I want better for you," he sighed, sitting down with the drink in hand and, after a careful sip, nodded to himself in approval. "...What about Eden? He's not dating and kissing humans too, is he?"
 
He decided he wouldn't rat on his brother and just shook his head. Besides, he didn't want to talk about his twin right now. Cerebus said something that...Gave him a little hope. "Well...What's better for me?" He asked. A small foolish part of him thought maybe Cerebus would say that he was better for Echo. That they should be together. But that was the childish part of him.

Cerebus wouldn't say that. He probably didn't even see Echo as a potential lover. He probably just saw him as that little boy, that young kid he was assigned to guard. He wanted to hear Cerebus say it though. He wanted the other to just say he loved him, that he was felt the same.
 
"A demon. A noble demon, more specifically. Someone actually worthy of your company, Echo. You can act and pretend to be human, but you're the heir of the father's throne. You aren't some common peasant, you shouldn't settle for one," he casually remarked as he rested a leg over the other and carefully took in the sight of the bar full of humans. It wasn't really something he was used to, especially not when they all glanced in his and Echo's direction curiously. He wasn't used to this sort of attention-- and he didn't like it that much.

"Basically, you should be with the opposite of me. I'm not noble, I'm not a demon. I'm just some weird guard dog-- quite literally. I don't like that form though. You and your brother used to cry constantly when you saw me like that, so your father made me use this form instead. I haven't really gone back," he laughed, unable to see the desperation and lust in the other's eyes. As Echo expected, he didn't see him as a romantic option. He was the kid he'd looked after and guarded, and he didn't see him as anything more than that... yet.
 
He jutted out his bottom lip at that. The opposite of him? No! Echo wanted him. Wanted to be with only him. "...I wouldn't cry now if I saw it. I feel like...I'd like it. I want to see your true form after drinks." He told him, smiling brightly at him. Maybe if...Maybe if he showed the other how beautiful he was in either form, the other would start looking at him like he was beautiful.
 
"However drunk you get me, that isn't going to happen. Not anytime soon, at least. Just drink that cocktail and stop worrying about it," he quipped in return, his brow arched as he finally seemed to acknowledge the difference in Echo's behaviour to him. He hadn't noticed the bashfulness and the awkwardness in him before, so to recognise it now was a little bewildering.

"...Are you alright? You're acting weird," he pointed out bluntly, a dry smirk appearing on his lips. "Have I done something to offend you? I don't realise what I'm saying, it just comes out and... sorry."
 
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