"All I really know is that nothing I've experienced so far compares to you. Maybe that makes me gay." He swallows. "Or maybe that just makes me yours."

"Why have you always wanted to meet a demon?"
"Who wouldn't? Can't you think of a thousand questions you'd ask a demon?"
"I'd ask him to let go of your soul. That's all. Then I'd close the door."
Shepard's back to eating his sandwich. "They're not all 'he's, you know. I'm not sure any of them are 'he's. What's gender to a demon?"
"Did you get a chance to ask him that?"
Shepard looked sheepish. "I did not."

I loop his tail around my hand again and hold him everywhere tight. "No," I repeat. "I can touch you less gently, but I won't love you less kindly."

BAZ

I kiss him back, squarely. Firmly. Matter-of-factly. You're all I want, I think. And you can have everything you need.
I'm not sure what he's telling me with this kiss. I pretend it's Yes and Yes and Be kind to me.

SIMON

Fine, you fucker. Have me. Just have me.
  Do your worst, you stubborn twat.
  Be the death of me.

  You'll be the death of me.

I snort. It would have been a scoff, but I was drinking tea.

We held hands the whole day. At lunch, he sat with his arm resting on the back of my chair. "If you can't be gay at Ikea," Snow reasoned, "where can you?"

"Should I be hurt that you got me out of this by convincing that demon that I was more trouble than I'm worth?"

"I love you," I say. I may as well say it, I'm thinking it. It's all I ever think. I'm an "I love you" gun with the safety off, a finger constantly on the trigger.

"I understand that you've lost something—a lot of things—but you're still the same person. I know, because I loved you then, and I love you now, and I know that's not enough to make you happy—to make anyone happy—but you're the same person, Simon. You're still you."
He doesn't answer me. It sounds like he's pacing. I can hear his wings snapping open and closed.
"It's enough," he finally grumbles.
"What is," I whisper.
"The fact that you love me. It does make me happy."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," he sighs. "It doesn't fix everything. I still don't know who's looking back at me in the mirror. But... it makes me happy."

This is what people do.
They get close and try to stay there.
They stay.