Chapter 8: An Old Friend Pt. 1

…2:50 pm…

Pip walked out of the high school with Stan, Kyle, Kenny, Butters, and Bebe, laughing about something Kenny said that made Butters blush like crazy. Nothing new, and Pip was happy for that. He could sense Damien's worry in the car when he was dropped off by the anti-Christ and had guessed it had something to do with the incident at the Church the day before, he knew Damien would be glad to hear that nothing eventful occurred.

The blonde waved at his friends as they walked towards their cars in the parking lot. Sometimes he hated that Dalia never got him a car or let him use hers, but for the most part he was okay with it, especially days like today. Damien had promised him that he'd pick him up from school. Pip looked around, trying to find the jet black Jetta approaching the high school but couldn't find it. Damien hadn't forgotten had he?

I wonder why Damien isn't here yet. He said he'd meet me. After waiting a few more minutes Pip began walking towards the direction of Damien's apartment. He stopped for a moment and looked as a black and red crotch rocket flew past him. He shook his head and kept walking. It was rare for a crotch rocket to come through South Park, and when they did, they never stopped for anything, just went straight through. It was for the best though; people treated someone who owned a crotch rocket like a biker.

In the parking lot of the apartment complex, Pip stopped upon seeing a redhead in a black t-shirt, jeans, and boots combo, a red belt around his waist, black fingerless gloves, and two gun holsters with m92f handguns in them attached to his belt. He was standing next to the crotch rocket that had flown past him a moment ago. The sight of the man frightened him a bit, but he didn't want to be rude, so he spoke to him:

"Can I help you with something?"

The redhead faced Pip, who made note of a black lip ring in the center of his bottom lip when he turned, and smiled warmly. "Hello there. I'm Aerin. Could you tell me where Damien's apartment?"

Pip returned the smile. The man's smile and voice were so kind; he couldn't be as bad as he looked. "Oh hello Aerin. I'm Pip." He strolled past Aerin and to the door of Damien's apartment. "Right here. You were right in parking in front of it." He unlocked the door with the spare Damien had given in and stepped inside.

Aerin followed him inside. He's so nice…why would Damien have an interest in him, I wonder…? "Well, I guess my hunch was right. Um, where is he?"

Pip sighed. "I don't know. He was supposed to meet me at the school, but he didn't…" He turned his eyes to the ground and mumbled, "I wonder why…"

"So, uh, how do you know him? Damien, I mean."

The blonde smiled once again and closed the door behind Aerin. "We became friends during compulsory school. He disappeared for some years and then came back a few days ago."

Aerin looked around the apartment, taking deep inhales through his nose as he did, which frankly creeped Pip out a bit. Pip's aura and scent is all over this place. Just what have they been doing? "I'm lucky he did. I haven't seen him since…well, a few years ago." He walked into the bathroom so he could use the mirror to straighten his lip ring.

Pip sat down on the couch and pulled his Chemistry textbook from his backpack to do homework, though it was also just in case Aerin decided to attack him. "So, where did you two meet? As far as he's told me, his father's kept him in Hell most of the time."

Aerin walked back into the living room and said, "Japan actually. He went to my preschool when I was a little kid. I was the only one he talked to, and he was my only friend. He told me everything at that age, and I believed him. He came to visit a few times before completely disappearing. One day, he came to me in a dream, and here I am."

Preschool? Damien never mentioned going anywhere before South Park before. Pip moved his book just slightly as he opened it so that he could throw it if necessary. "...Um, I mean no offense, but I've never heard Damien talk about you, or any other friends for that matter."

The redhead chuckled a bit and moved to stand in front of Pip. "It's alright. Our friendship was more a secret than anything else. His father didn't approve of him talking to an avatar for a cosmic entity, and my biological parents didn't like that I was conversing with the anti-Christ."

More confused than he thought possible, Pip tilted his head to the side as if trying to expel something from his ear or mind. "Avatar for a cosmic entity?"

"You see, here is this cosmic being known only as 'The Phoenix,'" Aerin explained. "There have been many other avatars, people The Phoenix uses to walk the Earth. For this simple favor, The Phoenix grants the avatar tremendous power, maybe even more than the Devil himself. There is a catch though. If an avatar loses control, The Phoenix turns evil and wants to destroy everything in its path. Luckily, I haven't lost control, but if I did, the only person who could control me is...well, Damien."

He still didn't understand what that meant, but just nodded like he did. "I see. So, by being near Damien, you don't have to worry about losing control and having The, uh, Phoenix destroying everything?"

The redhead smiled a bit and sat down next to Pip on the couch. "No...I still have to worry. It's just...easier with Damien around…"

"O-Oh…" He returned the smile and then turned his attention to his Chemistry homework.

Silence settled in between the two for a few minutes. Pip was still a little nervous around Aerin, unsure if the redhead was really who he said he was. He did seem to be someone Damien would hang around, but he just wasn't sure, and he didn't know why. He was sure it had something to do with the glares he got from the people who had gone to the church the day before when he was supposed to get "exorcised," though he couldn't find a reason for them to hire someone to be so nice and then kidnap him or something. Maybe he was over-reacting.

Suddenly, the door swung open to show Damien holding a box of chocolate in his hand. "Pip, I'm sorry! I forgot, please–" He saw Aerin sitting there and just stared at him. Where did he know him from? "You look familiar."

"You don't remember me, Damien? Do you remember this?" Aerin created a small Phoenix emblem in the palm of his hand and smiled slightly.

"Holy shit." His widened a bit. "A-Aerin?"

Aerin stood with his smile still in place. "At least you got it right the first try."

Damien laughed and clapped Aerin on the shoulder. "Aerin, it's been years! How the hell have you been?"

"Well, pretty good. Ran away from 'home' and away from those idiot foster parents of mine." Aerin gave Damien a quick hug. "It's good to see you. You haven't changed a bit."

"You haven't changed either; defying authority is still your style." He smacked his friend on the shoulder playfully. "Oh, I see you've met my little Pip."

"Yes, and it wasn't always my style...I was very obedient in preschool…"

He chuckled slightly, knowing Aerin was right, but loving the look of "you're wrong" on his friend's face. "Well, regardless, it's great to see ya! Oh," he suddenly remembered the box of chocolate in his hand, "hold on a second." He took a few steps over to Pip and handed him the thin box. "Sorry I forgot babe."

Pip smiled and took the chocolate. "It's quite alright Damien, I understand." He set the box to the side and continued with his homework, or really pretending to do his homework. He was completely listening in on Damien and Aerin's conversation.

Damien smiled back at the blonde and sat down beside him before turning his attention back to Aerin. "So, what brings you to BFE, Colorado?"

Aerin sat down on the other side of Pip on the couch. "Well, you actually. It wasn't easy, but I found you. Can you believe I had a car crash on my way here?"

The noirette groaned. Wonderful…! "Unfortunately, yes. Did you break anything?"

"Does it look like I'm limping with an arm in a cast? I'm fine, but my car was totaled. I had to turn it into a crotch rocket…" He stood and pointed to the crotch rocket outside. The gold that Pip had briefly seen earlier was a Phoenix insignia painted onto the side.

Damien stood up to look and nodded his approval. "Haha! Nice choice!" That earned a grin from his friend.

Pip shut his textbook and stood with the box of chocolate in his hand. "Um, I'll go into the other room so you two can get to know each other again," he muttered. He ran into the bedroom and sank against the closed door. He couldn't help but to wonder what made those two so close when they were simply friends. He'd never seen Damien look so excited to see anyone or anything, even him. Pip slid down the door so that his knees were against his chest and pressed his ear to the door. It was rude to eavesdrop, but he needed to know. Maybe he could pick up a few things from Aerin so he make Damien react that way too.

Damien shut the door of the apartment and sat back down on the couch with Aerin. "So, other than running away, what's been going on?"

"Not much. Beat down two bouncers of a club, then got suspended from school because I 'supposedly' used my powers against a jock. But I was defending someone at least." He moved a strand of hair from the front of his face.

The noirette chuckled. "As long as it's for the better, I completely support your fighting."

"Do you remember when we were little? You showed me this dead bunny, and I started crying? You wiped away the tears and held my hand, bringing it back to life by channeling The Phoenix's power?"

Damien smile dropped a bit and he nodded. "I do remember that. It's one of my best memories of you."

"Do you remember what you said to me?"

"Hmm… No, I can't say that I do."

You told me that you didn't ever want to see me cry," Aerin said with a slight smile.

Damien returned the smile and said, "That's still true Aerin."

Aerin's smile widened and he scooted closer to his friend on the couch. "Is it now?"

"Of course it is."

After a quick moment of silence, Aerin asked, "Now, how have you been? I know that Hell can't be all that fun."

Damien groaned and rolled his eyes. He had hoped this subject wouldn't come up. "You're telling me. I got bored shortly after my father found himself another boy toy and decided to come visit Earth." He wasn't sure why he didn't tell him it was because of Pip.

"Another? The last one wasn't enough for him?"

"Apparently not. But he goes through men like no one's fucking business."

"Why not run away from him and live up here? He'll find a boy toy or two to keep him company."

He chuckled. "I've been thinking about that," he glanced over at the bedroom door, where he knew Pip was listening in on them, "for a few days now."

Seeing the happiness of Damien's face, Aerin asked the obvious question, "You care deeply for him...don't you?"

A look of shock past over Damien's face when he turned his attention back to Aerin. "That obvious?"

"No," Aerin responded, "but the chocolates gave me a hunch. Your aura and his...they intertwine so beautifully. That, and his aura is all over the couch and your hand. Must I ask what happened, or do you not want to talk about it?" He chuckled.

Damien chuckled too and scratched the back of his head. "Well, I was trying to get him to relax and watch a movie with me, and we ended up playing 'Are You Nervous.' Oh, and if you want a heads up, you might wanna give me a bit to clean out my car before you go near it." That morning before they left the parking lot of the apartment complex, Pip had suddenly become so nervous and distraught with the thought of going to school with all of the people who had demanded an exorcism to be preformed on him to the point that he was shaking a bit. So, to calm his nerves, Damien took control of another game of "Are You Nervous," this time using his mouth. The blow-job relaxed Pip and allowed him to go to school without being worried about anything.

Aerin sighed. "I'd say that was a joke, but with the way you used to be interested in me, I'd be lying."

The noirette laughed again. "You know me all too well."

"You were my first friend, and my first kiss...remember? You came to visit me in middle school. Almost forced yourself on me…"

Damien laughed loudly. "I do remember that! I thought everyone around us were gonna have heart attacks all at once!"

"Many girls were jealous that I had a looker like you interested in me…"

"Oh really?" He ran one hand through his hair and flashed a drop dead gorgeous smile that he hadn't used in years. "Well, I feel flattered."

Aerin chuckled, "You should."

Damien's smile softened to his usual one. "But I still think I was the lucky one."

"How so?"

"Well, for one, I was almost certain you were gonna punch my face in. Plus," he rested one arm lazily around his friend's shoulders, "I would've given anything for you to acknowledge me in that way when we were younger. When you didn't hit me, I was happy for the first time in a long time."

Aerin moved to rest his head on Damien's chest. "I had always had a crush on you Damien, and I was happy just to see you." There was quick moment of silence as the anti-Christ smiled slightly. He rarely heard that someone was happy to see him, Pip and Aerin were the only two who had ever told him so. "You know, the day I had gotten the nerve to tell you how I felt was the day you left."

Damien's smiled dropped. Really? "...I'm sorry...had I known…"

"It's not your fault Damien...you didn't know," Aerin reassured.

"I know, but...looking back on it," Damien sighed, "I should've known, or at least said something myself."

"We can't change the past, but we can look forward to the future." The redhead smiled a bit.

Damien turned his head and smiled softly at the bedroom door. "Yes, you're right." Pip, I can look forward to our future together…

"You know," Aerin said, breaking his friend out of his train of thought, "a few years ago, I would've blushed if you put your arm around me."

Damien looked back at Aerin. "And I'd be shaking like a crack addict."

"Why?"

"I loved you then."

Aerin looked up at Damien with surprise. "Y-You did?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Do you...still...?"

Taken off guard by the sudden question, Damien didn't answer for a moment but finally said, "There will always be a part of me that will love you Aerin, but now," he glanced back at the bedroom door once more and said a bit louder so Pip could hear, "my heart belongs to Pip."

Aerin smiled. "I know. Good answer."

Damien returned the smile. "I was hoping you'd think so."

Happy with what he'd heard from the two friends, Pip stood up from the floor with his textbook hugged to his chest and opened the door. "Sorry I've been unsociable," he apologized, "but I had to finish my homework."

At seeing the blonde step out of the room, Aerin slid away from the noirette. "It's fine Pip." He smiled at Pip.

"That's good." He dropped his textbook back into his backpack. "Are you joining us for supper Aerin?"

"If you two will have me, sure."

Damien smiled at his friend. "I see nothing wrong with it."

"Nor I." Pip turned for the door. "I just need to go pick up a few things. Damien doesn't keep this place stocked." He closed the door behind him and leaned on it outside. He loved and trusted Damien, he knew that the anti-Christ wouldn't do anything to hurt him, but he still wasn't sure about Aerin.

He pushed himself off of the door and walked down the street towards the supermarket. Pip only hoped Aerin was the good guy Damien saw him as.

…

This chapter was a collab with DeviantTyger on deviantART, who owns the OC, Aerin.