FALLEN ANGELS ✓

7.

GREED COULD SEE demons in the corner of his eyes.

Well, only the one, really.

Occasionally, as Greed was going about his day, Lust would show up in the corner of the room, lounging on an arm chair or flipping through a magazine. There was a gaping hole where his heart should have been. Greed would glance over to Gluttony to make sure he wasn't going insane. Gluttony would give a stiff nod and avert his eyes from their resident demon.

It seemed that only Greed and Gluttony saw him. It was probably some sort of gift granted by Lucifer; to only be visible to certain people at your will. Greed figured it probably wasn't the only powers that Lucifer had granted him.

He was too powerful.

Greed hated it. The almost constant reminder that they were inferior to Lucifer and Lust and whatever fucked up army they had hiding behind Hell's gates.

Lust didn't seem to be showing up to piss Greed off, though. He stayed silent, mostly, except for when he listened to the group's conversations and threw in the occasional dirty joke or suggestive comment. Of course, only Greed and Gluttony could hear him. Lust would only smile sadly when he got no reaction from the others.

He even did the chores around the house. Greed would leave the kitchen to grab a shower and return to an empty sink, the dishes clean and drying. Gluttony noticed it too. He clenched his jaw and ignored it every time without fail, but Greed could see the way his eyes shined with tears.

Lust was not Lucifer's pawn as they had thought.

It was a terrible realization. Lust was not being controlled; it was obvious now. He held himself the way Greed remembered he used to---a grin always on his face, a little limp in his left leg from when he was first cursed to be a sin.

He sounded and acted too much like himself. He was his own person, completely and fully in control. Their friend had turned to the side of evil, and it seemed he wasn't coming back.

Greed had to talk about it. He had to know for sure.

As the others sat down to begin lunch, Greed tilted his head towards the hall leading down to the bedrooms. Lust smirked and Greed could practically feel the way he was suppressing the urge to make a dirty joke. But he stood silently and followed Greed.

Gluttony said to the others, "I'll be right back. You can start without me."

The three of them headed into Gluttony's room, Gluttony the last to enter. He closed the door behind them and they stood in a heavy silence.

Lust broke the silence first. "I assume you didn't invite me to your room so I could dick you down?"

"You fucking idiot," Gluttony hissed. "You joined Lucifer? Willingly?"

Lust blinked slowly. "I'm sorry, but. . . was that not clear before?"

Greed stuffed his hands in his pockets, because if he kept them out he was sure he'd end up punching Lust. "Envy was convinced you were still under control."

Lust sighed, running a hand through his blonde hair. "Envy is. . . misguided."

"So are you," Gluttony growled. "Working willingly with Lucifer---"

"It's the only way to survive."

Gluttony stopped mid-sentence. He closed his eyes and exhaled, knowing Lust was right.

"Fuck," he said.

"Can we?" Lust asked. At Gluttony's glare, he smirked. "Right. My apologies, doll. Anyways, yes, I am willingly working with Lucifer. I really thought you knew."