Avoidance Tactics

Adriel lounged on the couch in a patch of the golden hour sunlight, a book in hand, grinning and chuckling.

Hale looked over his shoulder, curious. "What have you been so busy with this whole afternoon?" But the moment he laid his eyes on the page, he recoiled as if burnt. "Great heavens—why this again?!"

Adriel snickered, not lifting his gaze from the comic of two naked men getting down to it. "It's good research material."

"You're soiling your mind! I will not condone this!" Hale swiftly walked back where he'd come from.

"Yeah, yeah." 

Adriel stared at the page a while longer for good measure. When he was sure Hale was really gone, he sighed and hugged the book to his chest, turning his gaze to the ceiling. 

So far, he'd managed to postpone going to the cult, but Hale was getting more insistent by day. The only times the evil spirit would leave him alone were when he said his head hurt, when he was showering or when he was reading smut.