The Man In Gray Sweatpants

Laying in my bed, I came to the slow realization that I wouldn't be getting any sleeping done. Not that I was surprised. Why would I be sleeping peacefully after what I'd just been through? With a hint of agitation and a double dose of stress, I rolled myself out of bed as my alarm clock read 2:00 AM. I sulkily walked out my bedroom door and into the rest of my apartment. It was pretty small, consisting mostly of one two-room sized area with a little corner kitchen, and two doors, one leading to my bedroom and the other to my bathroom.

My eyes moved to the couch, where I saw Mika sleeping soundly, barely fitting on the damn thing. She decided, after my offering, that she'd be spending the night here, since it would be more convenient when morning came and I finally got to ask my questions. She's pretty considerate. I didn't know if that was surprising or not, she did save my life after all, and I'd call that decently considerate. 

I walked past the couch, careful not to make too much noise, and into the little kitchen area, where I took out a small apple cider packet and began boiling some water. Once the water was over the heat, my eyes moved to look outside. The gentle light of the streetlamps kept the roads feeling warm. Strangely, it looked like they had finished cleaning up while I had been sleeping. How nice.

"...jesus." I closed my eyes, rubbing them gently. "Jesus…god no…" I couldn't stop thinking about everything I had gone through today. Despite Mika's words, I couldn't help but feel like I really was some kind of monster. "What does that even matter? Isn't everyone?" Right, exactly. Where had my own sense of apathy gone? What should I care if some more people died? How many judgments had I been present for? Cause I was acting like I'd only ever seen two when it was closer to a hundred.

"I wonder too." I jumped at the sound of an unknown voice somewhere nearby. Looking around, I saw no one. 

"H-hello?" I whispered, wondering if maybe it was just some kind of hallucination.

"Hehe, you look pretty terrified. Fair enough. I guess I can reveal myself." I felt a tap on my shoulder, sending me spinning around to see who it was. I was met by the sight of a man who looked to be in his thirties, wearing a black sweatshirt and gray sweatpants. "Hello there Marcus."

"...wha-what are you doing here? Actually, how did you get in here? No, better q-"

"I'll answer all your questions, alright? Now take a breather, you look like you're gonna have a heart attack." The man chuckled, before looking at my packet of apple cider. "Oh, and, uh, you mind making me one of those?"

…

Standing at my kitchen counter, I watched as the man in casual clothes sipped from the mug of warm cider I made him.

"Mmm…good idea to add cinnamon. This rocks…" He breathed, satisfied.

"Yeah, it's always the little stuff that makes the biggest difference." I responded, sipping from my own mug. "...alright, so, you're content now, yeah?"

"Absolutely. Ask away, friend." Hearing him call me friend felt super wrong, but no way I could have told you why.

"Uhm, let's start out simple. Your name?"

"Call me god."

"God. Okay, you're god. You know what, I'm sure you are." It may have sounded sarcastic, but after what I had just gone through, I was willing to believe him.

"Yep. The guy you keep adorably waving at." He laughed a bit, staring down at the liquid in his mug. "As for why I'm here, well…you encountered another god's angel. That's a pretty big problem, I think you'd agree."

"Right. I was gonna ask her about that. What's the whole deal with the different god thing? Isn't there supposed to be just, like, one god?"

"That would be impossible, considering what we are." God told me.

"...what is that supposed to mean?" He sipped his cider, pondering my words.

"Mmm…Marcus, what do you think is the reason I'm a god in the first place?"

"You mean, like, literally, or what it means to be a god?"

"Give me whatever answer you think is right."

"Hmm…" I felt my tongue brushing against my teeth. "I'd say a god is better thought of like an unwavering ideal rather than an actual person." He seemed to like that answer, nodding his head.

"Okay, so a god is an unwavering ideal. What happens when another unwavering ideal comes into contact with a conflicting one?" He waited for me to respond. I thought about it for a moment, before it all clicked in my head.

"One probably wouldn't be able to exist while the other does. So, they'd feel like they have to destroy each other." I gave my answer and god clicked his tongue.

"Right on the money." I felt a chill run down my spine.

"If that's the case then…how many more people are gonna end up dead?" I asked.

"Hehe, I wonder if you really care about that or just wanna tell me what I wanna hear. Regardless, the answer I give you is the same." He put down his mug and, with a confident finger, pointed right at me. "That depends on you."

"Me? That's idiotic." I was quick to call him out on what I was sure must have been a joke.

"Not really. You remember when that angel turned its back on you and let you get the kill?"

"Y-yes, that was a bit odd."

"That was your power taking effect for the first time. Like Mika's mind reading, or even how mine came about. You two, outside of me, are the only ones capable of using powers. So, if you really don't want other people dying, then it's your problem as well as hers and mine. You get it?" He had started to sound much more serious. His voice, devoid of any of that casual friendliness, really gave off that expected vibe of someone who doesn't just call themselves god.

"Yeah…I get it…" I turned back to my mug. "What…would we have to do?" I asked.

"Keep living your lives. When something serious shows up, though, I expect you two to handle it. I'll step in if things get too crazy like they did today." He took his mug and quickly downed what cider he had left in his cup. "By the way, I handled the clean up of that incident myself. I'll catch you up on anything you need to know tomorrow. I'm getting tired." He stretched, before looking back at me.

"I may be unwavering in what I am, Marcus. I may be cruel, but…I promise, it's all because I love you. Okay?"

"R-right." He smiled, and vanished from sight, leaving me all alone. "...huh. The fuck." I felt like I had been given the key to the universe and chose to hit it against the doorknob. Still, I knew a bit more than I did before, so I'll take it. Leaning against the kitchen counter, I finished my cider, turning to look out the window once more. The eye above the town had focused on the building across from mine. I took a deep breath, and closed the blinds.