The Devil's Debt

Inevitable

It's 4 a.m, and I lie awake, thinking to myself as Isa lies in bed next to me, asleep. The mission starts in less than two hours. I know we should be getting ready, but I'm debating on whether or not I want this to happen.

But regardless of what I think, it has to, and I know that. So I hesitantly start to wake Isa.

"Is." I say, kissing her head and putting her hair behind her ear as I kiss her neck. "Isa, baby, wake up."

She slowly starts to flutter her eyes open and when they're open, she smiles.

"Waking up next to you will never get old." she says.

With my hand on her head, I lean down to kiss her softly, pulling away for a split second only to kiss her again.

I put my forehead to hers and I kiss her once again before speaking.

"Hi." I say, smiling at her.

"Hi." she whispers with a smile.

"Hi." I say again, laughing quietly as she smiles hard, leaning in for another kiss.

When we pull away, I pull her onto me and she straddles me.

"I'm dreading getting up right now." I say.

She peppers kisses onto my chest as she replies.

"Why?"

"I don't know. It's like I have this huge pit in my stomach. Like a huge ball of nervousness kind of. And I never feel like this, y'know?"

"Yeah, I get it. I understand that this mission is gonna be difficult for you, but I promise we'll get through it. Together."

"Yeah... Together."

She continues to kiss my chest, and traces the lines of my tattoos.

"Hey, Ky?"

"Yeah?"

"What's that tattoo on your back?"

"Which one?"

"The bigger one that goes down the middle of your back and on your shoulders." she asks, sitting her palms on my chest, intertwining her fingers and resting her chin on her hands as she looks at me.

"It's a dark phoenix." I say with a smile, looking down at her.

I smooth her hair back with my fingers as I talk.

"Why'd you get it?" she asks.

"Well, it's a crest, or a symbol of our mafia. According to Greek mythology, the dark phoenix was believed to possess extraordinary longevity. It could live for as long as almost ninety-eight thousand years. Others believed it could live forever. I was a Greek mythology nerd in first grade, so when me and Dad were brainstorming on our family crest, I picked a dark phoneix and he went with it. Said it was his spirit animal." I say with a laugh.

She laughs with me and then looks deep into my eyes.

"Do you ever miss him?"