Angel Meets Devil

Edgar Allan Poe – The Imp of the Perverse:

“We stand upon the brink of a precipice. We peer into the abyss – we grow sick and dizzy. Our first impulse is to shrink from the danger. Unaccountably we remain”

“Of course I came,” he replied, meeting her gaze with unwavering eye contact, each word dripping with sincerity. In that moment, Angel felt a spark ignite between them, something she hadn’t felt in a long time. It was both thrilling and terrifying, and she couldn’t help but wonder if this was the beginning of something new or just another fleeting moment in a world full of uncertainties.

He looked at her, noticing her outfit and how she’d styled her hair.

“You look really pretty,” he said, his voice soft but sure.

Angel glanced away, feeling the warmth creep up her neck. She didn’t want Devil to know she’d probably replay that moment ten times over before going to bed tonight. She looked back at him, this time holding his gaze a little longer.

“Thank you,” she said. “You look good, too.”

Still meeting her eyes, he smiled slightly. “Thank you.”

Not wanting to let the conversation stall, Angel shifted, asking what had happened today. Now that he was here, maybe they could laugh about it. Devil explained that he honestly didn’t know how he’d forgotten and had genuinely thought tomorrow was their date. His work days had been long, and all the hours had started blurring together.

Hearing him explain, seeing the way his shoulders slumped a little in apology, made Angel feel better. She could tell he really meant it.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here now, so…” Angel’s voice trailed off. She never was good at telling guys how she felt, not when it mattered. Letting Devil know she was starting to care for him felt risky—like saying it out loud might somehow unravel everything.

He kept his eyes on her, as if reading her hesitation.

“Me too,” he said quietly.

​​“I knew that if I didn’t come today, I was gonna lose you,” Devil said, half-joking but with a seriousness in his eyes that made Angel pause. She laughed softly, but they both knew he was exactly right. Another thing she liked about him—he understood. He knew how much these first moments, these chances to build something real, meant to her. He didn’t want to mess it up either.

“I just… really wanted to see you, I guess.” Angel’s voice faltered as she looked down, her hands suddenly busy with nothing in particular. She wasn’t used to being this open, especially not so soon. But here she was, laying it bare.

“I know. Me too… and I’m sorry again. That won’t happen again.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, Angel believed a man.

They sat there, the moon hanging high above them, music playing low enough to let their words breathe but loud enough to fill the spaces between. All the nerves and worry Angel had about meeting Devil melted away. Their conversation flowed as easily as it had through texts. They laughed, teasing and bouncing off each other’s humor effortlessly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

It scared her, how comfortable she felt. But it also excited her. There was no nervousness, just this strange, wonderful ease. Like they’d known each other for much longer than two weeks. Like they could finally exhale.

Angel noticed Devil had a few tattoos, and she’d always been curious about why people choose certain symbols to mark their bodies forever. She had tattoos herself, each carrying a meaning she cherished deeply. She thought this was another way to understand Devil.

“Can I see your tattoos?” Angel asked, her voice soft but curious.

“Of course.” He rolled up his right sleeve, revealing a small sword inked into his forearm and a coiled snake beside it.

She glanced up at him, pausing before asking, “Can I touch it?”

He nodded, the corner of his mouth lifting in encouragement. It was the first time they would touch, and though it was innocent, it felt loaded with significance. They’d been sitting in the car for over an hour, talking and laughing, but this—this felt intimate. Maybe it was the late hour, or maybe it was the soft hum of Frank Ocean’s Ivy playing through the speakers, or perhaps it was the way the moonlight draped over them as if wrapping them in a quiet spell.

Angel gently traced her fingers along the sword tattoo, her touch lingering. “Why did you get this one?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I…honestly don’t know,” he admitted, glancing down at his own arm. “It was my first tattoo. I just thought it was cool at the time, but now I kinda want to cover it up.”

“Oh, perfect,” Angel said with a mischievous grin, still caressing his arm. “You can cover it up with my name. Or better yet, my face.”

Devil threw his head back and laughed, and that sound sent a wave of warmth through her. She would have listened to that laugh on a loop. She’d pull a microphone out and perform a whole stand-up routine if it meant she could hear it again.

“You’re funny,” he said, a smile still lighting up his face. “Let’s see how tonight goes—maybe.”

She laughed with him, enjoying the ease between them. “So, what are you thinking of getting instead? If not my face, obviously.”

“Probably a spider,” he said, locking eyes with her again, his tone more serious this time, the playfulness fading into something quieter.

Their eye contact lingered, the atmosphere shifting. Angel’s fingers remained on his arm, moving slowly, almost thoughtfully. As Infrunami by Steve Lacy began to play, the lyrics filled the space between them: 

You’re the one I want, You’re the one I need, I’m beggin’ you, please…

She wondered if he was feeling the same pull she was, if he too was silently connecting the lyrics to this moment, to them. Will he also go back home and replay this song just to relive this moment?

Angel was the first to break eye contact, her gaze dropping to his other tattoo—a snake that coiled around his arm. Her fingers followed, tracing the serpent’s lines, her touch slow and soft, as though she were studying a piece of art.

Want More? No worries, click below for chapter 3!

https://balladsofthe20somethings.blog/?p=353