As Kuro steps closer, he can practically hear his heart racing faster than it should. He knew he shouldn’t have been so happy to see him, but his eyes lit up in delight nonetheless. Aoba had missed him. Kuro kissed his head, a usual sign of thanks from him. It caused the angel to smile as he realized how much of the little things he missed with Kuro. His smile faltered when Kro continued though. He wanted to remind Kuro that he had already done so much for him and that he didn’t have to sacrifice himself to keep him safe. He wanted to tell him not to go, but he knew that Gerard was probably disappointed- infuriated at the moment. 

Aoba watched as Kuro prepared to take off. It was almost an instinctive reaction, an impulse, that made Aoba hold his hand out and speak out weakly. “W-Wait!” His hand withdrew to his chest and he looked at the ground. Aoba knew why he stopped him, however he couldn’t think of a good excuse nor could he think of a good follow up after ‘wait’. 

Gerard had started to lower his own weapons, pausing when Aoba called the demon [i]back[/i]. This caused the priest to frown in disappointment at the angel. He was supposed to be getting better. The church was supposed to get Aoba back home. But it seemed that Kuro’s taint had run deep into Aoba. There was a lot more work that needed to be done with the fallen angel. And the only way that could be done was if the two severed all ties together. “There’s no need for you to stalk around him anymore. The church will protect him. Your job is done demon.” His words were finite, a command even. His credibility didn’t do him justice at the moment, but Gerard was willing to defend the church’s name to his death.

Aoba flinched at his words and at Kuro. “I. . .” His voice wavered, but he continued much softer. “I’m really sorry. About. . .a lot of things. Everything.” His gaze was on his feet. He couldn’t really say things would have been a lot easier if they never met because if they never met, Kuro would still be locked away. Maybe. . .Maybe Aoba could have prevented a lot of it from happening. Maybe if he had tried a little harder not getting attached. 

“Aoba. Let’s go. Now.” His wings drooped a little, but he looked back at the stern faced priest. 

“I-” Aoba took another look at Kuro, unsure if he’d be able to again, and then stepped back slowly. “Okay.” 

~~~~~~~~~~

Aoba bids him not to leave, and for a moment Kuro's body feels uplifted. His eyes light up and his wings relax ever so slightly, but the moment is broken seconds later as the priest speaks. The angel seems to be filled with sorrow and Kuro knows that much of it is his fault. Then the priest speaks again, and. . . .And. . . . .[i]'He's leaving me again. . .'[/i] The thought races through his head and he bites his bottom lip till it bleeds with the pain of it. Before Aoba can move away Kuro retraces his steps and wraps the smaller male up in a firm hug. Gerard lets out a shout but Kuro ignores him. In a soft voice, too soft for Gerard to hear, he murmurs, “You are the most precious thing in this or any world to me Little Mouse, and no force on heaven, hell, or earth will ever change that. Even if the teaching takes and you come to hate me, nothing short of my death will keep me from protecting you.” 

His piece said Kuro steps back once more, letting out a hiss as Gerard whips a bottle of holy water at him. He bats the vial away, the weak glass shattering and it's contents burning his hand. [i]'Yeah, that's the way to win him over. Attack the guy who just saved both your hides!'[/i] His teeth flash with the pain but stepping back he launches himself into the air to avoid having to put the priest down. He knows he would never kill the man, but hanging him from his underpants in a high place is sounding good right about now. He takes a moment to gaze longingly at the angel before turning, his wing screaming in pain and raining down little droplets of blood, and making his way towards the nearest tall building to lick his wounds.

~~~~~~~

He turned away, only to be pulled right back. He only had enough time to make a confused sound before he felt arms wrap around him. Aoba sighed in the hug, wrapping his arms around him in comfort. His eyes closed in comfort, but slowly opened when he heard the hum of Kuro’s voice. His eyes widened in surprise and his expression stayed even as Kuro was shooed away by Gerard. 

“Let’s go.” Gerard repeated, taking Aoba’s hand to pull him to the truck. 

Aoba’s eyes were fixated on the spot Kuro had been in. He noticed a few small droplets of blood fall as he flew away. [i]’Even after all that. . .He’d still want to protect me?’[/i] The fallen angel snapped back to reality when he heard the click of the truck unlocking. [i]What was going on? What was Gerard saying?’[/i]

“...worse than I thought. We’ll need to cleanse you and burn those clothes.”

“Wh-What?” 

“You’re going back to the church Aoba. It’s not safe for you out here.” He opened the door for Aoba and walked to the other side. 

“Going. . .Going back?” Reality and Aoba’s thoughts were starting to sync with one another. “I- no.”

“What did you say?” 

Aoba shook his head, closing the car door. “I don’t want to go back. I want to go home. To the barn. I like it there.” Aoba stepped away as Gerard got out. 

“You don’t know what you’re saying. That demon has gotten into your head again. You need to come to the church! You’re supposed to be going back home. To your true home.” He stared in shock as Aoba quietly gave him the messenger bag. He began to ramble off a list of things wrong with what he was doing, and then rambled off a list of reasons why he should have stayed. However Aoba shook his head and turned away. 

“I can’t stay here. I’m not. . .I’m not happy. I don’t belong here.” Aoba looked up at the sky and then at Gerard. As much as he hated to admit it, what Dani said had been true- so he thought. “They don’t want me back. I’ve already messed up once. But Kuro,” He paused again. “Kuro- he wants me around.” Aoba politely bowed before and gave a weak smile. “I do apologize for the hassle, but I’m going to go. Thank you for everything. I really, really appreciate it.” 

And like that, Aoba walked off, following where he had last seen Kuro. He would have flown, but going a little over a week without using his wings had gotten him a little out of touch with them. So, he walked and didn’t mind the walk either- simply because he could easily find Kuro. Aoba’s call to him wasn’t very loud, but he was sure Kuro would probably hear him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's a hard climb, the sheer force needed to bring him to the top of the building ripping his wing further, but eventually he lands with a huff, collapsing face down on the roof gravel. He lay there for a long moment, just letting himself feel the pain. The burn of the sun scorching his back mixes with the pain from all the wounds he's suffered, and it almost, almost, makes the pain on the inside bearable. He hides his face away from the light, burying it in the stones, and tries to think of how he's going to recover from this without leaving Aoba's side.

[i]'Well, Gerard is likely gonna keep him locked away for a while, for safety sake. May even try to hunt me down and drive me off, so I guess he'll be safe for a few days. . . .But, only a few. After that I. . . . .I. . . .What is that?'[/i] He doesn't really need to ask. He knows the sound. He knows that voice. There's no mistaking. His head comes up, his eyes turning towards the edge of the building, and he holds his breath, hoping to hear it again. Then it comes and a huge smile spreads tentatively across his lips. Pushing himself up, he doesn't even notice the pain. Walking slowly over to the edge of the roof he looks down, the smile becoming clearer.

[i]'He's. . .He's calling for me. . .'[/i] There, on the sidewalk far below, is Aoba. That ever present bag from the church is gone. Gerard is nowhere in sight. And most important of all, [i]the angel is calling for him.[/i] Without a thought he leaps off the building, letting himself fall until he's only feet from the ground. His wings snap out, his face contorting in pain as he rips the flesh even more, but as he lands hard in front of Aoba he pays the pain no mind. Instead he simply looks at the angel, still smiling, still adoring. Bitting his lip he hums softly before murmuring, “You called, Little Mouse?”

~~~~~~~

Aoba waited around, walking slow so he didn’t miss Kuro. He looked left and right, realizing that the quiet of the streets was a little unnerving. Then again, so was it when it was full of people. Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for Kuro to find him. Before he even began to explain himself, Aoba frowned lightly. “You really need to go and get healed up. Your wing is torn.” His look of concern turned into a more puffed up expression. 

“We’re going home now.” His voice was full of courage and so matter of fact. . .Only for it to falter and be replaced with his typical shy blush e always had. “I don’t- I don’t like it at the church. I’d much rather be back at the barn.” His foot kicked up dirt as he added, “With you.” 

Aoba held his left arm as if it were injured and quietly added while still looking down, “If it’s okay to come back of course.”

~~~~~~~~~~

With a faint sigh Kuro rolls his eyes. [i]'You're always so over protective Little Mouse. . . .'[/i] He watches the angel swell, the look on his face making Kuro's joy grow in it's familiarity. He watches as Aoba tries to be tough, to express himself with complete confidence, then watches him deflate with a soft chuckle behind his lips. He can not believe how happy he is. He almost can't believe that Aoba really wants to return with him. But as Aoba continues to deflate, Kuro walks closer to him, his foot steps silent until at last he comes to a stop in front of the shy little angel. So much happiness dances around inside of him that the demon doesn't know what to do with himself.

Instead of speaking however, he feels the urge to express himself more intimately. He reaches up and with his fingertips he slowly lifts Aoba's face so he's looking up into the demon's eyes. His thumb comes to rest just under Aoba's bottom lip, and with a soft sigh he murmurs, “As you wish, my lovely Little Mouse. . . .” With that he leans down, resting his lips softly against Aoba's. The kiss is gentle, and brief, knowing that Aoba will once more need time to adjust to being around demonic energy and that too much intimacy could make him sick. However it's long enough for Kuro to once more feel secure with his place in Aoba's eyes, and long enough for him to begin hoping that a part of him may actually rest in the little angel's heart.

Pulling back he does not hesitate in scooping the young one up into his arms and giving him a tight squeeze before twisting him around so he's holding him bridal style. With a grin he takes off, the pain in his wing nonexistent as they work to pick them both up off the ground. He decides that he will visit hell when he gets back, giving Dani and Kyou time to welcome the angel back before he is put back to work. His hold is firm, and his soft smile ever present as they lift off, soon reaching soaring height. Placing another kiss on the angel, this one on the cheek, he murmurs softly, “Let's go home. . .” with every ounce of affection he can muster in those three little words.

~~~~~~~~~~

As he thought about it, doubt filled his head making his wings droop. What if Kuro didn’t want him to come back? What if Aoba was just being delusional? What if- Aoba’s eyes widened a bit when he felt his head being tilted up. It take him long for him to realize he was being kissed. He was sure Kuro said something too, but his thoughts had drawn a blank. He was getting nothing but static. The one thing he could determine was that he was definitely happy. Really, really happy. When Kuro pulled away, Aoba gave a bright smile. He didn’t remember the last time he had ever smiled like that. Being scooped up was a surprise and yet comforting nonetheless. 

Aoba wrapped his arms around Kuro’s neck gently. Knowing they were going home together, made him sigh in content. But of course, it could only last so long before Aoba glanced at his injured form. “You should really get fixed up.” He reminded him, deciding not to worry too much about the fact that Kuro was carrying him while he was so injured. Aoba’s head rested in the crook of Kuro’s neck, relaxing in Kuro’s grip. He was peaceful, he was happy, he was- nervous again. His brain wouldn’t let him have one moment of happiness, would it? The fallen angel hid his face and spoke in worry. “What if Dani’s upset!? What if he doesn’t forgive me!” At least he was able to voice his worries to Kuro. “And what about the farm! I left it forever! What if I’m terrible at doing- everything!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chuckling softly Kuro shakes his head and murmurs, “I will get fixed up soon. For now, we head home.” It feel incredibly good to have Aoba back in his arms, and the smile on the youth's face is enough to wash away almost all the pain he's been feeling since the little angel left. They enjoy a few seconds of peace before Kuro is once more sighing softly, the little worrier once more back to his old self and worrying about everything he can think of. Nuzzling Aoba's cheek to hush him Kuro takes them a little higher before setting into a glide so he can talk quietly.

“Dani is very upset, and he'll likely want to show you he missed you the way father does, but I promise I won't let him hurt you too badly. You may have to deal with a bop or two, but I promise, it will be no more painful than his affectionate tacklhugs you're used to.” He gives Aoba a squeeze before flapping a few times to even them out. “He will forgive you, because you came back, and that's all he'll care about. The farm is doing fine, I visited it yesterday. The plants are growing tall and the animals are healthy. Kyou and Dani have been working hard to keep them healthy and safe. Your residual energy lead a few demons there, but Dani was more than enough for them.”

Butting Aoba's cheek with his forehead gently he chuckles softly. “You were only gone a little over a week, and we all missed you. You're not terrible at doing everything, that's just silly. If you had been terrible at everything, the plants and animals would have died before you left, but instead, with your good care, they were able to adjust and live on.” Chancing it Kuro gives Aoba another light kiss to the lips before taking up the beat again and driving them forward faster. He knows Aoba is worried about his injuries and the faster he can drop Aoba off, the faster he can get healed and get back to the angel's side.

~~~~~~~~~~

Aoba did quiet down, however knowing Dani was upset didn’t help ease his worry. However knowing his ‘punishment’ wouldn’t be dire did calm him. He quietly nodded he sighed in slight relief. Of course he was still worried about Danni being upset with him, but the worry wasn’t so bad. Instead he just listened to Kuro. Kuro knew what he was talking about most of the time. Happy to know that everything was still fine, Aoba smiled gently only to blush lightly when he was kissed. Eventually he was going to have to get used to that. When they picked up speed, Aoba held a little tighter, watching as the sights became more and more familiar. In conversation, Aoba spoke up. “You made Kyou stay?” 

~~~~~~~~

Kuro nods, taking a sharp turn to avoid some geese. “Yeah. He's still interested in getting to know you better, and he was desperate. . . .And he's insanely weak so all I had to do is scowl at him and he decided staying was better for his health.” He gives Aoba a half joking smile. “I think, somehow, he figured you'd come back. . . .” Kuro hums happily, the farmhouse coming into view in the distance. “Dani had to stay. I couldn't take him with me. He would have just stormed the church every other day. . .”Kuro looks away, thoughts of the church making him a bit sad. However no sad can stand up in the face of the angel in his arms so the sadness passes quickly, leading to a quick hug by Kuro and a bright smile.

~~~~~~~

Aoba laughs softly at the idea of Kyou being too scared to leave. The demon was definitely a peculiar one, but he didn’t question it. Seeing the farm coming into view made him sit up some in eagerness. Remaining still as to not disturb Kuro’s flight, he expressed his eagerness  with a smile. From above, he could see Kyou walking to the front and Dani practically knocking him over to run past him. If Kyou hadn’t moved out of the way, he would have been trampled. 

Seeing the two made Aoba once more hold a little tighter to Kuro, out of nervousness. Though he sighed against Kuro and relaxed. He wasn’t going to get worked up, he wasn’t going to get worried. When Kuro landed, Aoba stepped down, folding his wings tight behind him. Before Aoba could say anything Dani rushed up to him, examining him. Aoba thought about saying something, but he kept quiet. While Dani did that, Aoba awkwardly waved to Kyou. “Um, hi.”

Kyou grinned and bowed slightly. “It’s nice to see you again. I’m glad you came back.” 

“Thank y-!” The sudden hit on his head didn’t hurt, however he wasn’t expecting it. 

“Don’t leave again! You’re going to get yourself killed doing that.” Dani rubbed the spot where he hit Aoba, effectively messing up the angel’s ‘too neat’ hair. Aoba smiled sheepishly and nodded quietly.
“I- yeah, okay.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kuro lands as gently as possible, setting Aoba down so he can get reacquainted with the others. He stumbles slightly but manages to regain his balance before Aoba sees him. His blood loss and pain is negligible compared to how wounded he was after his torture in heaven, but it is enough to make him less than steady on his feet. He watches with a sharp eye as Dani looks Aoba over, much the same way he likely will his little brother once he's done checking the angel over. [i]'Yeah, he missed his “toy”. . .'[/i] He glances over at Kyou and can't help but smile ever so slightly at the pleased look on the weakling's lips. [i]'And he's looking forward to those “talks” I said he could have with him. . . .Everyone wants something out of the little one. . .'[/i]

With a soft sigh he impulsively scowls at Dani when he strikes Aoba. Seeing the sheepish smile on Aoba's face however lets him calm before walking over and bopping Dani in turn. The smaller demon turns with a growl, ready to set into his little brother, but then he pauses. It seems to finally register that his sibling is covered in blood and with wide eyes he begins checking Kuro over. Coming to the wing tears he licks at them before punch the large slice on his back angrily. “What the heaven did you do to yourself you moron!?”

Wincing at the blow Kuro chuckles and swats his older brother with a growl. “My job, fool. I kept Aoba safe. . . .” Dani whines and tackles Kuro worriedly, careful to not touch the wounded wing, but still whipping him soundly with concern. 

Kyou slips in behind Aoba and, while the brothers are distracted, reaches out and touches his arm. “Are you okay?” He looks at the angel, still a few steps away, his eyes lingering on the blood patches.

~~~~~~~~~~

Aoba smiled again when Dani nodded, trusting Aoba to his word. And moments later, the brothers were on the ground. The fallen angel winced and stepped forward, only to remind himself that their rough play was normal. They were fine. He didn’t forget, he just needed to relax. He didn’t have to feel new in the old environment. 

Aoba’s attention turned to to Kyou who was as curious as always. With a smile, the fallen angel nodded. “I’m okay. Just worried about Kuro’s injuries is all.” Kyou gave a nod before falling silent again. He didn’t want to bombard Aoba with questions too soon, but inside he was eagerly bubbling with questions. His gaze followed the angel as he took a seat on the two steps. He smiled a little more when Aoba gestured for him to sit next to him. It was quiet for a moment, giving Aoba a chance to take another breath of relief and watching the brothers go at it. “You have questions, I can tell. Go on, ask.” 

Kyou beamed with excitement, but quickly composed himself. He decided to ask one question first. “What did you do while you were away?”

WIthout missing a beat, Aoba answered, still watching the brothers. “Well, it was pretty repetitive. I woke up, there was prayers and readings. Then breakfast. Then more readings. Then a lesson after it. Afterwards, I’d meet with others for some sort of community service. I read to orphans, fed homeless people, all that nice stuff. That was about the only interesting thing I did do. Then after was lunch and probably more reading. There was so much. . .I was supposed to memorize scriptures.” Aoba made an exasperated face. “Then, I got cleaned up and had the night to myself and to ‘reflect’ on the day.” He shuddered at the memory of being washed down the first time he had gotten to the church. That was quite unpleasant. “I stayed inside most of the time other than that.” He gave a small shrug, hoping that answered his question.

~~~~~~~~~~

The scuffles doesn't last too long, Dani knowing Kuro has to go, and soon, but he makes sure to leave his little brother with a few more bruises than he started with to get his point across that he shouldn't let himself get hurt. When at last they fall out of the dust cloud Kuro looks over to see Kyou and Aoba conversing on the steps and lets out a soft sigh. [i]'I am too happy right now. . .Pops will notice. . . .But I can't. . . . .'[/i]

“Pops is gonna prolly beat you worse you know. When you go down to heal?” As if reading his mind Dani speaks up, now laying on his stomach and kicking his legs gently. Kuro looks over at him, the smaller male's head propped up on his hands as he smiles with an air of both superiority and satisfaction. “Because you are going down to heal, right? And he prolly felt it when you got hurt y'know. . . .” He chuckles loudly. “Pops is gonna kick, yer, ass!” Dani squeals happily, rolling about and holding his stomach.

Scowling Kuro chucks a rock at the giggling ball of red hair before climbing to his feet. “Yeah, I'm going down. . .” he murmurs, clearly finding the idea less than pleasant. Dani dodges the rock and follows him to his feet, still giggling. Kuro makes his way over to Aoba and Kyou, snapping his teeth at the latter playfully causing him to scurry from his seat. Kyouku doesn't go far, perching himself on the railing running around the porch to watch the upcoming exchange. Kuro takes his spot and looks over at Aoba with gentle eyes.

Reaching out he cups the back of Aoba's neck, pulling him in to place a kiss on his forehead before pulling back just far enough to look into the angel's eyes. “I have to go for a little bit Aoba.” His words are soft, and quiet. “I know you're worried about my wounds, and the best place to heal unfortunately isn't here. . .” Reaching out he picks at the dried blood on the angel's clothing. “I'll go get healed, and come back, and then we can take a nice bath. . . .” He smirks, looking back at Aoba's eyes. “Only if you want to of course. . .It's your choice. . . .It's always your choice. . . .” There is meaning above and beyond those words, but for now he does not dive into them, just wanting to be here with Aoba, calm, and happy.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh that doesn’t sound very exciting. Compared to well, this.” Kyou gestured to the two brothers finally finding an end to their playing. 

Aoba nodded slowly and then scratched his head. “It wasn’t. Not really.” He felt bad for saying it, but he would probably feel worse about lying about it. Soon, the demon scrambled out of his seat only to be replaced by Kuro. He could only smile towards the action and then looked on after he received a kiss on his head. “I understand. I’d rather you get healed up than wait longer for your wounds to heal.” Aoba smiled and lightly kissed Kuro’s cheek, giving him an affirmative nod afterward. Before he could say anything about the bath, Dani rolled his eyes. 

“Blah, go on already Kuro, you’ll see him later! He’ll be back and he’ll be good as new.” Dani assured, standing in front of Aoba. “C’mon, you have to see all the animals and the plants and stuff! We fixed the barn roof and everything.” He held his hand out, waiting for Aoba. 

It was obvious Dani was eager to steal him away, even if it was for a short while. Aoba laughed softly and looked down at his dirtied clothes and then at Kuro. “A bath sounds nice.” He gave his last quick goodbyes before he was pulled off by Dani with Kyou trailing behind them. At least Dani wasn’t upset anymore. Aoba liked the idea of everything falling back into place. Everything returning to its peaceful ways. Speaking of things falling back into place, as they walked Aoba wondered if he had anything that needed to be done. Hopefully they kept the house cleaned. They were probably going to have to restock food later. A few things ran through his mind as he tried to readjust to the working life he once had. 

Rubbing his hands together, he knew the labor would be a long process as well. His hands and smoothened out and he was all nice and fluffed like a good little church angel. Farming was not a part of that description. For now, he decided to focus on Dani and his excitement to show how things were going. [i]’One thing at a time. . .’[/i]