CHAPTER 34: CHAPTER 34: EDWARD CULLENS FROM TWILIGHT.

Chapter 34: Edward Cullens from twilight.

The engines finally quieted, smoke curling up into the cool night air. Theodore leaned back in his seat for a moment, chest rising with a laugh that slipped out of him low at first, then shaking his shoulders, mocking himself. He dragged a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath.

"Fuck... I really thought I had you there."

Azrael’s door clicked open, the tall figure stepping out with the unhurried calm of someone who’d already written this ending in his head. His boots crunched against the gravel as he walked straight to Theodore’s car, a faint smirk tugging at his mouth.

He leaned down against the driver’s side window, knocking once on the frame with his knuckles. Unable to hide his amazement.

"Your face when I passed you. priceless. I should’ve taken a picture. Frame it."

Theodore shoved his door open, almost making Azrael step back, and climbed out, still grinning despite the loss.

"Don’t get cocky. If I hadn’t eased up in that last turn, you’d be tripping on your own tears."

Azrael arched a brow, voice flat but sharp.

"You eased up because you can’t handle your own reckless shit. Don’t blame me for winning clean."

Theodore barked a laugh, throwing his hands up as he responded, clearly defending himself.

"Clean, huh? You drive like a fucking machine, Az. No fun in that. I gave the night a show, you just... read the manual and followed it."

Azrael tilted his head, a slow grin cutting across his usually stoic face.

"Funny. Last I checked, the ’machine’ left the ’showman’ choking on fumes."

Theodore squinted at him, then burst out laughing again, shaking his head.

"You smug fucker. If I’d known you were gonna rub it in this hard, I’d have ran your ass down the cliff."

Azrael stepped back, folding his arms across his chest, his smirk unshaken.

"And then what? You’d still lose. Just with a busted car and a bruised ego."

Theodore groaned dramatically, dragging his hand down his face.

"God, I hate you sometimes."

Azrael’s smirk widened into something dangerously close to amusement.

"Good. Means I’m doing my job right."

The laughter between them hung in the night, raw and sharp, but it died just as fast.

Theodore froze first. His grin faltered, words catching halfway out of his mouth as his eyes flicked past Azrael’s shoulder.

"...the fuck?"

Azrael caught it instantly. His body stilled, every instinct sharpening as he turned his head.

Far from them, maybe thirty feet away, a figure stood at the edge of the clearing. Unmoving. Half-hidden in shadow. His face swallowed by the dark, hands tucked deep into his jacket pockets like he had all the time in the world. Maybe he did, because who the hell stand in the middle of a road like a maniac.

Azrael’s jaw tightened. He tilted his head slightly, trying to catch the man’s features, but the angle, no, the darkness itself, seemed to refuse him the view.

"Who are you?" Azrael’s voice cut through the quiet, low and cold, sharp enough to slice.

No answer. The figure didn’t shift. The silence pressed down heavier than the engines ever had. He stood straight, face hidden, hands still in his jacket pocket, like he was supposed to look intimidating.

Theo being Theo and Azrael being Azrael, didn’t so much flinch. He was just curious.

Theodore’s brows pulled together, his natural grin gone, then, suddenly, it slid back onto his face, though crooked this time. He leaned forward slightly, cupping his hands around his mouth like he was yelling across the street.

"You lost, pal? Or did the bar throw you out for trying to dance with the chairs again?"

His tone was playful, teasing, but deep down he was only testing, he only wanted the man to talk or react, instead of standing at a particular place like a show boy, are they supposed to entertain his silly ass?

Azrael’s lips twitched, just barely, like the ghost of a laugh was trying to fight its way through, but he caught it and swallowed it back down. That cocky bastard doesn’t know where to stop.

His eyes, however, never left the shadowed figure.

Theodore’s smirk widened, feeding off the tension.

"What? Don’t tell me you wandered all the way out here just to stare at two sexy bastards with cars."

The silence stretched wide, thick and suffocating, until the figure finally moved.

The sound of his shoe against the gravel was barely audible, but it felt like thunder rolling through the stillness.

Another step.

Azrael’s eyes narrowed, his body angling like a predator’s. His voice came out low, a growl beneath it.

"He’s moving."

Theodore blinked, then smirked. "Well, no shit, Sherlock. Maybe he’s just slow-walking his way to a modeling gig. You see that posture? Man’s either drunk... or auditioning for the role of Creepy Stranger #1."

Azrael’s lips twitched again, his composure threatening to snap. He clenched his jaw, eyes fixed on the figure but then Theodore added, louder this time, "Yo! Did you lose your dog, or are you just stalking handsome men in the dark for fun?"

That was it. Azrael broke. A laugh slipped out, raw and sharp. He lifted a hand and smacked the back of Theo’s head, hard enough to sting.

"Fuckin’ idiot. Be serious for once," Azrael rasped, shaking his head, still laughing under his breath. "That bastard could be dangerous."

Theo rubbed the back of his head dramatically. "Dangerous? Him? Please. Look at him. Dude looks like he’s been standing in the corner practicing his brooding pose for three hours straight. Dangerous my ass."

The man kept coming closer. Still silent. Still slow.

Theo raised his brows and kept going, grin wide, clearly unable to stop himself. "If this guy’s dangerous, then I’m the Pope. What’s he gonna do? Scare us to death with interpretive silence? Bro, blink once if you’re lost..."

The punch came so fast, Theo didn’t even see it. A fist cracked against his cheekbone, snapping his head sideways.

For a second, the air froze.

Then Theodore’s hand shot up, pressing his cheek with exaggerated care. His lips curled, and that damned grin came back.

"Ohhh. Well, shit. Guess Azrael was right. He is dangerous. Sneaky little bastard."

Azrael doubled over. Literally clutched his stomach, laughter tearing out of him so hard his shoulders shook. His cold, stoic facade shattered into pieces as actual tears pricked the corners of his eyes.

"Fuck...Theo...you’re gonna kill me one day," he gasped between laughs, trying to straighten but failing miserably.

Theo’s smirk fell this time, his expression shifting in an instant. His jaw tightened, cheek already reddening where the punch had landed. The playful air drained from his face, replaced by something sharp. Something colder.

Yeah,Theodore the world knows is back. Tadow!!!

He rolled his neck slowly, bones cracking loud in the night. His eyes locked onto the figure, all humor gone.

"Not the face though," he muttered, voice low, venom lacing his words.

The night shifted again.

This time, it wasn’t funny.

The stranger didn’t flinch. Didn’t back down. He just stood there after landing that punch, hand sliding back into his pocket like nothing happened.

Theo’s grin sharpened again.

Guess some people never changes?

He tilted his head, cracking his knuckles one by one.

"Oh, so that’s how you wanna play, huh? Cheap shot, poker face... alright, silent ninja. Let’s dance."

Azrael stepped forward, rolling his shoulders loose, his expression already sharpening to steel. "Stay sharp. He’s not some random drunk."

Theo snorted, bouncing on his heels like he was warming up for a game. "Oh, come on. Maybe he’s just one of those dudes who got rejected at karaoke night and decided to punch strangers for therapy. I’ll knock some sense into him."

The man moved first. A blur. Faster than either of them expected. His fist cut through the air toward Theo again, but this time Theo ducked as he spranged back up.

"Woo close! Careful, big guy. You almost ruined my other cheek. And I kinda need my face. Girls love symmetry."

Azrael didn’t wait. His fist shot out, clean and sharp, aimed at the man’s gut. It landed, the impact loud but the stranger only staggered half a step before recovering. His head turned, eyes still hidden, like Azrael’s punch barely registered.

"Tch." Azrael’s jaw flexed. "He’s tough."

Theo lunged in with a kick, reckless and fast. The man blocked it with his forearm, but Theo spun with the momentum, landing another strike toward his ribs. This time, he connected hard enough to make the stranger grunt.

Theo grinned wide. "Aha! See? Even Silent Batman here makes noise, or should I call him Edward Cullen from Twilight, either way, he’s still the main character."

Azrael’s lips twitch as he shook his head, while saying. "The last I checked, Edward Cullen is a silent bitch not some lousy idiot, staring right back at us."