Always Remember -Ineffable Husbands- (Religious Cult AU)

Chapter Two: Goodbye Anthony

Miles away Azira was not feeling anything. He was asleep. His soft white curls were all messed up from tossing and turning. He was dreaming of Anthony. It was a rather good dream; the kind of dream where Azira will feel bad about dreaming it in the morning if he remembers said dream, which he usually doesn't.

This good dream was disturbed by a heavy pounding on Azira's door. This disturbance caused Azira to remember his dream.

"Wake up Azira!" his father called, "You're needed at the church!"

Azira woke up immediately. He got ready, and for some odd reason. At eleven o'clock at night he walked to the church. In the basement sat Gabriel and his father, and the Elder Guards.

"Azira, we believe the earth is ending earlier than what we originally thought. Gabriel got a vision from God. We need to get ready now, since the end will be here in a month. No time for the ideal body plan, we need you to get the honey. We already bought out the dollar store. Perhaps you could go to Walmart. If you follow the main highway far enough you'll see it."

Azira had been to Walmart only once, which was immediately following his driving test to get his license. He remembered the way.

He got in the church's only motorised vehicle, which happened to be a truck, and drove to the 24 Hour Walmart.

Once there, he walked inside. After looking around a bit he found the honey. He got all of it.

On his way to check out someone laid a hand on his shoulder. He flinched.

"Azira?"

Azira looked behind him at Anthony. He was frozen in place. He didn't know what to do, nor what to say. This was an ex-member. There's supposed to be no interaction with ex-members.

"Azira, do you remember me?"

Azira's hands trembled as he said, "I- I wish I didn't... B-but I do."

Anthony grabbed Azira's hands and said, "Please come with me. There's a whole great big world you don't now about. I have to show you so much. You can come with me, right now. You'll be just fine."

Azira pulled his hands away and said, "Don't touch me Anthony. I'm not a sinner like you. Your dirty hands don't need to touch my clean ones."

"Please, Azira, I miss you. We can be together if you come with me," Anthony begged. He grabbed Azira's hands again. "Please, please, please. I need you."

Azira looked at the honey in the cart. "Anthony... I'm going on. We're leaving in a month. We're preparing now. That's why I'm buying this honey. I'm not a sinner, like you, and I'll be welcome in the gates."

Anthony looked at Azira sadly. "Dear, please. You're lying to yourself. We loved each other. I still love you so much."

Azira looked around and mumbled, "I don't know how to feel... I- oh I don't want to say it but I still love you too."

"Then come with me."

"I shouldn't. I want to be with my son in the most great place ever. It's worth it more than any sin. I need to refuse you, and I need to forget about you."

Anthony asked, "Will you kiss me at least? Tell me goodbye, make it final. Let me know that you want to go on so badly that it's worth sinning for a second, just for me."

"You're trying to tempt me. You're now a serve Satan. Anthony, I'm sorry... Wait no. I'm not sorry. I'm not sorry at all."

Anthony said, "I need to show you what it's like to be human. They make you another cog in the system there. You're nothing to them really. It's all about the money. If I can prove it to you, will you come with me?"

Azira said, "I would not."

"Where did the old Azira go? The one who would do anything for me? The one who cared? The one who listened? Where is he?"

"Washed clean. The old Anthony was made dirty, so I cleaned myself. Goodbye, Anthony."

Anthony hugged Azira. He cried, "No, please, don't go. Don't leave me. I have you now and I don't want to let go."

Azira closed his eyes and started crying too. "I wish you could come back. I can make you pure again."

"I can show you the other side. I'll do whatever it takes. Look into my eyes and tell me you trust the people who shunned me, more than you do your old best friend who you were ripped apart from. Tell me that."

Azira laid his head on Anthony's shoulder and sobbed, "I trust the Lord and myself. Nobody else."

"Why would the God you believe in have me run into you if it weren't for something right?"

"You could be a temptation."

"Azira, you know I'm not. You know, you were my original temptation. You asked me to take part of our sin. Remember that?"

"You're making me feel impure," Azira said as he let go of Anthony, "But it feels right. That's how I know it's sinful. It's greedy for me to want to disobey. I am obedient."

Anthony said, "I don't want this to be the last time I see you. I can't live with myself if you're dead."

Azira said, "Whatever is right will happen. If it's meant to, I'll see you again... Anthony I want you to do a sin on me. Kiss me. Right now. Do it please. I've never been kissed by anyone except you. It's such a weird concept only for the deepest of lovers, only known in books, but if you do it, I won't get in trouble or feel bad because I'm not supposed to know what kissing is. Then let me push you away in case someone is watching, which I believe nobody is, but you never know."

Anthony then kissed Azira. It was longer then it should have been, but that didn't matter. As soon as the kiss broke, Azira put his hands on Anthony's chest and pushed him away. He then ran away. He checked out the honey and went back to the church.

"Anthony- oh Anthony Crowley was there and he tried to do impure things to me! He did something only for the deepest of lovers! He kissed me! He touched my lips to his and- oh I feel nasty!" Azira screamed as he got inside. Tears were rolling down his cheeks. "I need Holy Water!"

Azira drank a glass of Holy Water. He then sat down with the rest, and they all prayed. They prayed as hard as they could. Something was lingering in Azira's mind.

What's out there?