1.10

(Heathcliff)

---

Let’s just say I was having some crazy nights without Romeo. Most nights it didn’t matter if I was getting sloshed at the Brightmore and waking up on the sidewalk. Bridgeport was pretty safe in most parts, especially if you were as infamous as I was.

I wasn’t doing it for attention, but I still hoped to see Romeo there. He sometimes went to the Brightmore after work, or so the rumor went. He was all business and bureaucracy until they brought the jello shots out. But there was no sign of him there, or anywhere else. He sometimes answered his phone but it was like chasing a ghost, and I’m sure grandma Sheila would tell me to stop there. She’d probably be the smartest one in this, but I figured she was gone.

That day, I had to go to a dress fitting, and it would be great if it was for myself. Thankfully the subways were working that morning and I was at home on time.

An aside for Tom: with Kate’s wedding approaching, we had to let Tom out of the house more. Even daemons didn’t want the grooms to see their sacred wedding garments. We trusted that he was making good money with the music he actually loved, and that his album with Lola Belle would be his best in a decade.

Hey, I felt sorry for the guy. Tom wasn’t drawn to sculpting like I was, but had trouble leaving the studio even after the governor’s ball. Having a rapper sculpt priceless art for your home was too great of a gimmick. And I thought I was set for life by coasting off the name of Harwood Clay. People forgot who he was, not like I could blame them. But they knew Tom Wordy.

And Matty? Not part of the wedding party.

As one of Kate’s best people, I got to see more of her wedding planning than anyone else, especially for the sake of heritage. Kate was one-quarter daemon, far more than I was. Have I mentioned that one already or not? Several times now? It was easy for me to forget how much that was with her uninteresting tanned skin, or how much that would affect her wedding.

“Where were you? You look like a mess and I despise the new color,” said Pilona, who was along for the wedding planning too.

“It’s called Mulberry and I think it looks great on me,” I said. “And let me have fun, it’s not like I can have a real job or anything.”

“Or, admit that I should have played matchmaker with you. This boyfriend has caused you nothing but grief.”

“Anyways, can I get everyone’s names again?” I asked him. Kate brought her family with her. She was an only child, but the two daemons in her life filled up the room.

“You are such a little thing, the sash has to tie tight so it doesn’t fall off.”

“Ugh, grandma! I’m not gonna be dancing in this dress, get with the times.”

“Is this about a club wedding? Oh my little berry…”

Kate’s grandmother, the shining Onilatevama’ani, looked more otherworldly than Pilona or anyone who worked for him. She was involved because Kate got her old black wedding dress. Her eyes glowed where few others’ did and her white hair glowed almost as bright. In a way I almost got why every full daemon had cursed hybrid children. I was fascinated…not attracted but I thought that I’d look like a fool and a human to ask Vama too much.

Sikanitava, Vama’s son and Kate’s dad, was a little more ordinary. Horns still sprouted from his silvery head but like Pilona, he looked old as dirt, much older than his own mum. He leaned on a cane like my uncle did. Meanwhile, Vama’s white hair was far more natural and young. He stood next to me while Vama tightened her granddaughter’s sash for the final time.

“She’s just nervous about losing a little more of her bloodline,” said Tava. “Funny how that used to be our goal. Mum wanted a human wife for me too.”

“Well, I’ll give Tom a six outta ten. If he had to enhance my bloodline…” I twiddled my thumbs. “I can’t be the first gay daemon, can I?”

“Of course not, when the men of this world are so delectable,” he said. I swore he licked his chops too. “I’d bump Tom up to an eight.”

“Hang out around him first, it’s a real turn-off.”

I was Kate’s man of honor by default, at least for the daemonic wedding. The human one, scheduled at The Brightmore downtown (they knew me well), also needed a sassy gay friend to help. Of course, I loved to be petty about drink menus and dresses. So I naturally should have been paying a lot of attention.

If Romeo was here, I would. I’d get distracted by him of course, but it was easier to deal with than…rejection.

I loved that man like how upper-middle class families love those crusty little white dogs: embarrassingly. I’d stick Romeo in a purse like one if he fit too. And I wouldn’t dump him for the crime of being busy. It stunk that it happened after Tom and I were done with the governor’s ball. Plus, I really wanted someone to cuddle with.

“Hey Tava? Can you ask my uncle what he’d do if he had a boyfriend who wouldn’t call him back?” I asked.

“Is this about the fed?” asked Tava.

“C’mon, it’s not that big of a deal. Have you seen the guy’s paycheck?” I blushed at the thought of being treated to dinner that I could afford anyways. I still sent Romeo a message about dinner. It didn’t need to take much time at all. I’d settle for a glass of wine and a kiss on the cheek. “At least I’m not guilty of anything.”

“What a charming life, ain’t it?” he said.

“Look at this!” Kate exclaimed. She twirled around in her dress, which was actually quite stiff and heavy. But I liked the design.

“Yeah, I’m more interested in the party on Earth, though,” I said, dreaming of being judgmental about the bridesmaids’ colors or whatever. The venue was my real dream. I was so much of a regular at The Brightmore, that I sat in on a redesign panel for that big discotheque. They had dreams of becoming a niche wedding venue too. I was sold on it for someone’s wedding. Mine seemed like a silly dream though. “Gotta think about anything else but having three separate weddings with Romeo or whatever.”

“If I have to hear any more about this Romeo character.” Pilona whacked me in the back with his cane. “You have lost your touch.”

“Be careful with that thing,” I said to him. I never got cross with Pilona, because I was at least grateful for the place I was in. But I did that without him trying to drag a boyfriend into it.

We were treated to a lunch cooked by her co-workers at the bistro. Kate got absorbed into other people’s conversations quickly. But I think she also missed her grandma a lot.

I leaned over the table and wondered if my mum was better to ask than Pilona. At least she admitted her life was a wreck rather than having her head held high like him. And I was ignoring a lot of voicemails.

“Elbows off the table, I had my own agents gather everything they could on Agent Krishnaverma.” Pilona waved a folder in my face, like learning my boyfriend’s old surname was a shock to me. “If he wants to investigate me for what I do on Earth, then surely I can do the same.”

“Can’t say either of those shock me,” I said.

“Please read through it. He is suspicious, to say the least, even if it is only as much as I am. But I am only your rich uncle.”

“I think that’s just you being scared.” I grabbed it and hugged the folder close to me. “But whatever, anything for my sugar daddy.”

---

“Man, do you know how much coffee I’m gonna need with those two around?” said Kate that night. Her family was staying in one of the hotels downtown and otherwise didn’t let her get a moment to herself. She poured four mugs of coffee: one for me, three for her. “But, like, my mum’s not that much better either and daemonic dresses are so much comfier.”

“Well, I guess I missed out.” Kate lived life as a daemon far more than I would have guessed too. She went to daemonic boarding schools, most of her friends were daemons, and yep, she knew the language. I never saw her and Penama interact though. Maybe she could have asked the little imp where she was going.

I still felt bad about not having a real engagement party for her, but it wasn’t relevant anymore. Kate was preparing to send out save-the-date cards. She narrowed down her dresses for the wedding on Earth down to five. The maid of honor was picked out (not me unfortunately). And she assured me that I could have any hair color I wanted for the wedding, but that mulberry suited me.

If nothing else, Pilona’s revelations about my boyfriend weren’t going to stop me. Because it was nothing I didn’t expect. I wasn’t going to set myself up for disappointment by pretending the feds were flawless or even good. Most of his work was uneventful sting operations and gathering intel on suspects within our state. He made headlines but the good ones.

And trying to smear Romeo on his personal life was just tasteless. I actually didn’t care that he left a woman at the altar or that his ISP caught him pirating death rock records. That stuff made him a little cooler, if anything. What I liked about Romeo was the present. What we did together or wanted to do together.

I lived for parties, and deep down, so did Romeo. I missed the days when we did more of that, and the Brightmore wasn’t exciting anymore. Meanwhile, what was more alluring than Heathcliff’s house party? We had so much wasted space and I usually kept my living situation a secret. But at this point, most of the city had to have had it figured out.

“Can you get everyone out of the house tomorrow?” I asked Kate. “Or have Tom do it, he’s scarier.”

“Well, Bridgeport has some nice beaches…”

From what I heard, my friends and the daemons had a lovely day in the cold Pacific. There was frisbee and whale watching and going out to one of the nearby islands. I would have gone if Romeo was a born sailor or beach bum, but I knew what he loved deep in his heart. He spent his non-working Christmases at a groddy dance club after all.

And the text messages flew out. To him and the rest.

Hey Ro, my ol’ stick in the mud. Come over to see what you’re missing out on. I flexed for my front-facing camera and texted him, since it was hard to take a call over the pounding bass of a party. You could probably hear it from across the bridge, it was pretty big. I told everyone to spread the word to total strangers, which worked. I felt like a stranger too. But I had a few friends, even unexpected ones.

“Alright, do you think that angle’s impressive enough?” I asked Tarik, back by popular demand (from only myself). My first crush, who I let go of since he was forever with Kyra. She was on a business trip in Bridgeport and we figured something out to bring them back. At least all of us got our dreams crushed. My foot had surgical pins in it, Kyra treated ballet as a hobby when she got older, and Tarik didn’t make the NFL.

Anything awkward between us was long in the past. At least Tarik seemed relieved when I actually had a boyfriend. But he wasn’t interested in my photos.

“Uh, I bet he likes anything you send him?” Tarik said. “You could just try to call him.”

“Hmm, easier said than done…oh hey look who the cat dragged in! You can’t smoke in here though, those are hydrogen balloons…”

My buddy Victor got a day off from bartending and was enjoying it by dancing on the counter instead of smoking. Easy deal, and he was hardly a pack-a-day smoker either. I also once danced on his counter while he was bartending too. It was so much fun. I couldn’t believe that crusty old Waylon was more lenient than the chief special agent that Romeo was under. I even looked her up one day and she looked like everyone’s least favorite teacher with that harsh face.

That was why I couldn’t hold a real job. I’d be angry and miserable if I was like Romeo. It was hard to make him spit out any information about himself, but he was one of the youngest men accepted to Quantico. And I thought that place was fictional! That’s what would make me angry. If I had that kind of ambition and couldn’t even get a night off to smear gaudy makeup on my face and hang out with my boyfriend? I’d fight someone, and probably get fired.

Alright, maybe Romeo had a point. That and his text back about not sleeping for 36 hours. Instead of inviting all my exes over for a night of EDM and chugging colorful drinks, I should have tried to find my boyfriend some better insomnia meds. They used to work well on him! Or at least I thought. I usually fell asleep before he did, slowly fading while he stared at the ceiling.

Well, I felt like a complete assbuffoon. A clown in short-shorts and tube socks.

But I was a man easily swept off my feet those days. And to think I was worried about gaining weight due to stress drinking eating. I could recognize those hands anywhere. Of course I wanted Romeo to make me forget about them, but the mind is a tricky beast.

“Have you seen the new guys coming into Bridgeport?” Apollo scoffed. Just as happy as when I boinked him in the photo booth at Mick’s Karaoke. The story went that he went back to modeling after Little Celebrity but was never that important. “Gross, bloated, classless, mustache-and-sleeve tattoo heathens–”

“Hey…some of them are a little cute,” I said. “But I mean it when I say that I’m taken.”

“Ro’s a five at best.”

“I’d tell you to try it out, but he’s very tired tonight.”

Of course, Apollo leaned in for a kiss.

“Not in a million years,” I said, pushing him back a little. “Even if we had fun…uh, Truman! Hey, stop worrying about the plants.”

We hung out at the counter for a bit, watching the lights above us. I rented a few gobo setups for the night, and was happy that they arrived quickly. “You know, maybe my uncle’s assistant should stay missing,” I said.

“I had a parent say that to me at my old job about their kids,” he said. “They’re in jail now.”

“Well, my uncle’s world can’t be worse than child neglect, but boy he can try.”

“You didn’t even check the jails, did you?”

I groaned. “He’d kill me if I did. What a buzzkill, both of you guys. And these beats suck.” I hired a DJ too, who was less great than the rental store. I needed a stranger to dance with and clear my head with. Thank goodness I asked for strangers.

Blondie over on the dance floor didn’t care who I was or what problems I had. Until I moved away from the other Ironstars, I forgot that people thought of all your problems as conversation pieces. And this was supposed to be the big, impersonal city! At least Tarik was a small town boy like me and had that excuse. Truman grew up here. Apollo in another city. And so on and so forth.

That guy wouldn’t even let me remember his name.

Also, some of my exes were a lot less intrusive. Devin Ashton sneaked out of his morning talk show dressing room for an hour or so.

We also opened up the basement after we hired a renovator. Pilona sat on his hands about it, telling us which doors not to open and generally being a pain in the butt. But hey, he was family, and I wish he could have been here. He sounded like an awful, philandering sociopath in his younger days, and I needed one in my friend circle.

Tarik came up behind me for a shuffleboard game. I didn’t blame him because the basement was much quieter. It was like listening to music in a club bathroom, one of my favorite experiences. “Tarik, I need your honest advice. Do I keep the shuffleboard, or do we get a pool table? I went with the first item in the catalogue myself.”

Tarik exhaled. “I guess you won’t talk about anything else tonight.”

I was better at shuffleboard than beer pong. A bunch of Bridgeport bars taught me well, but I never went to college, so becoming a beer pong champion was out of reach. I must have dodged a bullet, getting blackout drunk on my own terms instead. And he was a good listener even when I was being a knucklehead.

Of course, as things went with Tarik, my memories ended the moment multiple drinks were involved. That part never improved in Bridgeport.

---

I woke up unharmed, makeup running down my face as usual.

Tarik found his way to the couch and missed, waking up with his butt on the floor. If I wanted someone crashing after my party, it was him. Better than ousting strangers from my bedroom.

“Hey, thanks for staying,” I said to him.

In Kate’s absence, I made Tarik some coffee.

“They’re gonna come back,” I said to Tarik, worried. “And they’re nothing like my family back in Twinbrook.”

“Well, as a former football player, I fear one thing,” he said.

“What’s that?”

“Alzheimer’s.”

“You’re a lot funnier than I remembered…”

It was tempting to laugh and kick the balloons on the ground, as long as the gas range was off anyways. It was funny hearing about a world where you could freely fill balloons with inert helium instead. That was a holdover from Vega’s day.

The front door creaked open, and the worst I expected was a tongue lashing for Tarik. Pilona had no special powers, and Tava even fewer. They themselves probably rented a giant suite at the hotel for the night, guzzling champagne and ogling models of both sexes.

Or they watched Matty sleep with his girlfriend. Who knows.

They didn’t bring my housemates with me. They didn’t even bring Tava, who must have been in a stupor somewhere in the city too. It was just Pilona and Vama walking arm-in-arm through the door, disappointed at what the house smelled like.

“Heathcliff, I know this is your property, but you are out of control,” said Pilona. “Why all the balloons anyways? We still have a helium shortage.”

“Relax, it’s hydrogen, I have my moments of genius,” I said.

“I seriously doubt that. I bet you did not even read what I gave you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I read it all. You’re just mad about your own life.”

“Everything?”

I clenched my jaw. I knew why my uncle was being tough on Romeo, trying to bring me down because he was in trouble on Earth. But then again, nothing was possible without him.

“I’m not leaving him. Ro’s gonna come back, why is it your business?” I asked him.

“Heathcliff, he will not come back after this,” he said. “You did not choose well.”

“Then fucking make him come back! It’s your fault anyways!” I grabbed my uncle by the shoulders, almost ready to crush his feeble body under my hands. “I’ll do anything else for you, but I want my boyfriend back.”

“Vama, a little help here,” he grunted.

She raised a glowing hand to the pile of balloons. I tried to run and stop her before my common area turned into a furnace.

“This is your house too, asshole!” I called the fire department as fast as I could while Pilona panicked. And yes, they probably heard that. Did my uncle expect her to just peel me off of him? Probably. And I wondered why Kate was so normal.

Meanwhile, Tarik had to get himself to the shower after a spark lit up his back pocket. He tried his best with the fire extinguisher, but it was a task for a bigger force.

The fire department was also quick in getting here, since they had a small garage on the hills for any celebrities in danger. By noon I was done explaining to the firefighters why my common area had turned to ash. And I was more than done with smelling burnt tiles and balloon latex. Vama had escaped but Pilona stood around and pouted. It was his property after all, not hers, now in need of some special treatment and new windows.

Tarik didn’t get any serious injuries but his butt still hurt. I debated whether I needed to get him to Urgent Care or not but it would get us out of the house. My treat. And I figured Kyra was worried about him by that point. She and her coworkers took off to a burlesque show after a whole day of conferences.

“Well, I’ll see you later,” I said to Pilona. “Uh…don’t know if you know any contractors for this.”

“I am sorry,” he said, sighing. “Vama does not use those powers often. I simply feared breaking more bones.”

“Thanks.”

---

“I know Krishnaverma is on my trail,” Pilona said to Tava. They hung out near the waterfall that cascaded down the hills and into Bridgeport’s main reservoir. “And my nephew is more stubborn than I thought. If you and your mother could follow me into the city tomorrow…sadly I do not think I have another choice.”

“Prison again?” asked Tava, rubbing his friend’s shoulders.

“Never. But any husband of his would have to learn this after all…”

---

Tarik can’t catch a break at these parties, you’d almost think he hates them.

I need more horn accessories and probably will have to do that one myself. So yes Tava and Pilona are not related despite me choosing the same horns. Not even a little (Pilona’s mother is a different daemon, full daemons on their own don’t have blood relations to other full daemons and spring forth in other ways but that’s a different story…) I was really mad that the original horns I wanted for Tava weren’t hat slider compatible.