Burn

CHAPTER 8

Carter huffed, glaring enviously as they made their way across the lot to the golden shore. "That is so unfair. I've never been more jealous of a demon."

"But consider this," Margo interjected, plucking a wide brim hat from her shoulder bag and draping it over her head, "Ryu might not be able to feel the heat, but he also can't experience sunshine. It's like he's not really here, because he can't interact with-"

"Yes, okay," Ryu snapped, looking annoyed. "Thankyou, we get it."

He fell silent as they found a clear space on the sand and dropped their meagre supply of bags into a pile; they'd had the sense to bring sunscreen, but as Carter observed the water beyond, he found himself desperately longing for a towel.

Margo immediately began shucking off her flip flops and smoothing back her hair, eyes fixed wistfully on the glimmering waves. "I'll see you in there?" she called, already hurrying across the hot sand. Carter shielded his eyes as he watched Margo's pale form merge and blend amongst the various collection of citizens trampling across the beach and wreaking havoc through the water.

It was kind of surreal to be there with Margo; he'd never expected to have friends close enough to go on beach trips with.

It felt...nice. Warm. Like he'd swallowed a fragment of sunshine and it'd settled in the pit of his stomach.

"Are you going in, then?" Ryu interjected, face impassive as he observed his surroundings. The sun glanced harmlessly off him, and it was almost as though he didn't exist beneath it, completely shielded as he was from its searing rays.

"Yeah." Carter eagerly yanked his shirt over his head, eager to be rid of the sweaty material, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts. "Er...you wanna come with?"

Ryu turned to face the water, eyes contemplative; there was a hint of longing in his face, a yearning for something they both knew he couldn't experience. Then he shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good. You go ahead." He settled onto the sand and leaned back against Margo's bag." Just don't go too far, or we'll be pulled back to each other."

Carter nodded and turned to follow Margo's trail to the water, but something gave him pause. He hesitated, glancing at Ryu's slouched figure. Maybe it was the slight downturn of his lips, or the furrow of his brow, but...

"What are you doing?" Ryu drawled, quirking a brow as Carter settled on the sand beside him. "Aren't you going in?"

"Yeah. Soon. I'm in no rush." Carter affected a nonchalant shrug, although the sand really was hot, and he could feel it burning through his shorts. He attempted to shift discretely, edging closer to a nearby patch of shade.

Ryu snorted. "Mmhmm. Sure."

They sat in silence for a moment, both collectively watching as young two boys chased each other with water guns, shrieking and spraying up sand in their mad dash across the beach.

"It doesn't matter, you know," Carter said suddenly, staring down at his bare feet. "That you can't feel the sun. Or, er the cold. Or whatever." He could feel Ryu staring at him, and the sudden heat in his face wasn't due to the sun. "It doesn't make you, you know. Less alive."

"But I am less alive," Ryu pointed out dryly. "In fact, I'm probably more dead than alive, in a mortal sense."

"No, I know." Carter hesitated as he carded fingers through the hot sand, focusing on the scrape of tiny pebbles sifting through his fingers. "But, like, there probably isn't even that much difference-"

"Not that much difference?" Ryu hissed, and Carter was surprised by the genuine annoyance in his voice. "There's every difference, Carter! I can't feel the sun, and I can't eat, and...and even this fucking sand-"

He cupped a handful to demonstrate, flinging it wildly through the air. "I can hold it, and manipulate it, but it doesn't feel...real!"

He huffed a breath and fell back onto his elbows, deflating as though suddenly exhausted. A hand rose to his face, scrubbing over the sharp contours of his features. "You don't know, and it's...it's hard to explain."

Silence descended between, thick as the heat above, and Carter studied his hands as he turned Ryu's words over in his head, considering. "You're right," he said finally, we a firm definitiveness to his voice. "I don't know." For the first since they'd arrived at the beach, Carter turned to face Ryu fully, locking eyes and refusing to flinch at the fiery heat burning there, always burning there. "I just mean...you're here now. And...you're here with me. And isn't that kind of the point?"

When Ryu frowns, cocking his head, Carter hurried on. "It's different to what you're used to. Being here. And even though you don't get to experience it properly, you're still, like experiencing it. And you don't have to do it alone, you know? I'm-here with you. I'm glad to be here...with you. While you experience it."

Having thoroughly embarrassed himself, Carter choked off and stared, red-faced, into the distance. He knew his previous desperation to be rid of Ryu was a far-cry from what he'd just said, but Ryu wasn't permanent, and while he was here, Carter could at least appreciate their unique situation.

It was kind of cool, in a way, getting to hang out with a demon.

Okay, it was very cool.

Ryu remained silent for several excruciatingly long moments, jaw working as he thought. Finally, he nodded, a single, sharp incline of his head, and tossed a handful of black hair over one shoulder. "I suppose you're right," he mused, sounding, to Carter's relief, more thoughtful than incredulous. "For once."

"Shut up," Carter teased, shoving his shoulder, relieved to have fallen back into their usual routine. He clambered wearily to his feet and started for the water with renewed enthusiasm.

"Carter."

When he gazed down at Ryu, the demon was still staring off into the distance, but those fangs, cruelly sharp, pressed down into the flesh of his bottom lip as he smiled.

"I'm glad to be here with you, too."

A/N: Please feel free leave a comment and/or vote if you enjoyed!