At first, Aoba watched Kuro slide his way closer and closer, until he found his gaze faltering and watching the ripples of the water. He wasn’t distracted though. The angel was well aware of Kuro’s slow movements, however he couldn’t help shake the feeling of someone being around watching them. It was probably the paranoia as usual, but it made Aoba look up at the stars. They were pretty, but they didn’t give him any answer he was looking for.

Instead, now closer than before, Kuro spoke. The answer he gave wasn’t too specific and yet, the words were comforting. It made Aoba smile a little as he looked into Kuro’s eyes. “Yeah… Take each day one at a time… with you.” The idea of it sounded so simple and so easy that for a second Aoba even believed it wouldn’t be that difficult. For a second, even the notion of ‘having to stay alive’ was nothing more than an everyday task. Kuro’s answer and his own response was enough to brighten the smile on his face a little more. Following it was a happy sigh of sorts, as if for once Aoba was able to relax his mind and body. Aoba’s wing brushed against Kuro absentmindedly while he decided to find the right words to break the silence. “You’re so good at that,” He raised his voice a bit so he could be heard. “Knowing what to say… It’s comforting. Even if I’m as… high strung as I tend to be.” Aoba’s admittance made him scratch the back of his head and laugh sheepishly. He knew he wasn’t the calmest thing out there, and he tried hard to reach some sort of tranquility- however he found out quickly that a lot of things startled him, though to be fair, there were a lot of things that were worth being startled about.

His mind continued to roll, though at a much calmer pace rather than his jumbled and panicky thoughts. Aoba didn’t want to think about the bloody fight that happened earlier nor did he want to mention anything about when he left for the week. The water was warm, the sky was clear, Kuro was close by his side, and no one was around to bother the two. He could relax completely. He could worry about everything else later.

Something of course clicked in his head. Kuro happened to be pretty close. Aoba was sure he noticed it before. Of course he didn’t mind it, but he wondered what the demon was up to. He found himself staring into Kuro’s eyes, searching for an answer. Surprisingly, that answer came from Aoba’s own desire to shrink the remaining space between them. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing, but his life was full of surprises lately and he decided maybe for once to trust his gut.

His gaze wasn’t on Kuro anymore though. Instead, he was looking up at the stars. “The sky looks a lot clearer here...home.” It was an absentminded comment, more so to break the silence. “Hey Kuro…” His voice trailed off for a moment as he tried to think of what to say. He couldn’t help but feel as if he was ignoring his...feelings? Ignoring something, but of course, he continued. “Sometime later… do you think we could fly- uh, together? Dani tried but, well, it wasn’t the greatest lesson. And I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.” Aoba pulled the wing not behind Kuro closer to him and began sifting through his wet feathers. “I just need the practice, I’m sure.” His hands were resting in his lap and he gazed at the water. Aoba had that little determined pout he had when wanted to get something accomplished, just like when he was helping Kuro rebuild the barn and just like when he was so determined to heal Kuro when he was captured.

~~~~~~~~

Fenrir couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Every time it seemed like the inevitable would happen between the angel and demon, Aoba’s...obliviousness caused it to go right over his head. “The boy needs someone to spell it out for him…” Fenrir sighed once more. It wasn’t as if the two hadn’t had their fair share of advances, but for some reason some of the most obvious opportunities were missed. Then, Fenrir blinked and looked up from the mirror. Maybe it was a little too odd watching Aoba’s day to day life...

Feeling the tension leave his little angel's body, Kuro can feel his own nerves soothing even as his desires pulsate beneath his sore flesh.'I really wish I could just scoop him up and show him that the shy thing is rather quite alluring. Wish I could show him how much I really, truly missed him. . .' Letting out a small sigh himself the demon shivers slightly each time that wing brushes his back gently. His head perks up as Aoba speaks, the compliment making his inner beast wag it's tail and a grin to split his face. Tilting his head to the side he props it up on his knees while looking at the adorable man at his side. “I do my best.” he murmurs, feeling quite self satisfied.

Gazing into those lovely blue eyes Kuro gets a little lost, that questioning expression on the angel's face making him look even more cute than usual and making Kuro raise a questioning eyebrow of his own. Instead of speaking however Aoba makes Kuro's skin thrum as he moves in closer, making the poor demon tremble slightly as he resists the urge to simply devour the delightful little bite. He does unfurl however, shifting so that he can lean a bit closer to the peaceful looking angel, his free hand gripping his knee tightly beneath the water to keep him from running it all over that wet, easily accessible body. He waits, watching, wanting to see what About is up to moving closer to him like that.

His insides want to crumple a little as Aoba starts stargazing, literally, but he keeps himself from pulling back, listening intently despite the fact that Aoba is clearly being too innocent for his own good once again. Clearly missing what his movement had said to the rather needy demon. Without looking up he murmurs, “There's some science behind it, but long story short, out in the county like this, the stars are a lot easier to see.” He lets out a questioning hum when he hears his name on those sweet lips and waits silently for whatever Aoba wants to say. His body is quite keyed up, but he holds his needs tightly and keeps his ears clear of the little voices telling him he's being a fool for not just taking what he wants from the innocent little creature.

He smiles once more at the idea of flying with the angel and nods before realizing that Aoba's not looking up at him as he asks. His loins tighten at the look on Aoba's face as he pouts at his feathers and he can't help but reach out with his free hand and grip his Little Mouse's chin gently. Raising his face up so that they are looking at one another Kuro lets out a soft purring noise as he murmurs, “Of course Aoba.” Leaning in he kisses the angel softly. A rather innocent peck, it lingers for a while as Kuro's hand slides up across Aoba's cheek and into his hair. After a few beats however Kuro pulls back, his hand still in place, and he grins at the smaller man.

~*~*~*~*~

Pulled from his consideration of perhaps spending less time watching his former employee's every day life by the image in the mirror, Fenrir's eyes go a little wide and his stomach drops, the conflicting feelings inside of both support and admonishment of the little angel make him hold his breath as Kuro moves in and makes his intentions shine through. 'Now, he can't miss this, can he? I mean, this is Aoba, but. . .The demon is practically screaming it at this point. . .' Despite being under water, it's easy to tell the state Kuro is in and while he keeps his gaze averted from it, Fenrir can't scrub the image from his mind.

~*~*~*~*~

His Body definitely has some impure attentions it wants to bestow on the cute little angel looking up at him. It sings with all things his inner demon is telling him to do. His very nature is at war with what Kuro knows what he can and can not do in this situation, and in the end he has to force himself back ever so slightly to keep himself from pouncing on Aoba without warning. His fingers slide sadly from those lovely brown locks and he places his hand back on his own lap, telling it to stay there and behave. Aoba's wing brushes his shoulder gently in his turned, leaning position and he shivers at each little touch. He waits however. Waits and watches and smiles at the little mouse he hopes to capture one day. “We can fly together, and work together, and hunt together. I will stay here. I will be with you, and show you what living really is. . . .” His voice is smooth, soft, and his smile is only slightly mischievous.

“You know-” Aoba started, still gazing down over at his feathers, but never was able to finish. Whatever he was going to say was quickly forgotten when he was pulled into the kiss. Aoba’s own reaction was different than he expected it to be. Instead of his usual surprise, the angel as innocent as ever reciprocated the kiss. He didn’t think much of it at first besides the fact that he did enjoy it. However the hands gliding up to his hair did send a small shiver down his spine. Kuro’s hands were gentle and comforting, but there was something else to it that Aoba couldn’t put his finger on. When Kuro did finally pull away, the angel stayed in place for a few more moments. His eyes searched for answers to an unknown question. There was something...something that his conscious- or whatever nagging feeling he had, continued to prod at him about. Part of him was curious while the other debate just how alert he needed to be. It was almost frustrating that he couldn’t figure it out.

“Hm?” Kuro broke the silence with words that made Aoba brighten up. “I would like that very much.” A lot of things managed to go over Aoba’s head, but for some reason he didn't miss the playful tone in his voice as he spoke. However, the angel wasn't quite sure what it meant. Well, he had an idea but he wasn't sure if it was right. For an angel, he realized he wasn't the most perceptive of others’ emotions. Instead of thinking of his own flaws though, he accepted he wasn't perfect and remembered, ’At least I'm not like those guards’. It was somewhat relieving to just accept himself as he was. It helped him relax even more.

Still, not being able to read Kuro, who was practically screaming, was frustrating. Aoba was too embarrassed to ask though so he looked away, out to the trees, but only for a few moments. It was like trying to figure out some complicated riddle that he’d never seen before- but he was absolutely sure there was something to be solved. “Hey I-” He hummed, cutting off the sentence. The angel refrained from pouting like a little kid again and sighed. Out of nowhere, Aoba did get an idea- almost an epiphany of his own. Aoba wasn’t very good at hiding his emotions either so it showed when he brightened up.

“I was thinking-” ’It’s just a question Aoba, no reason to be so panicky. Relax. Why do I always have a hard time relaxing??’ “Well…” Aoba poked his fingers together, focusing on everything except the creeping flush to his cheeks. “The couch...I doubt it’s all that comfy.” His gaze averted to the side, not quite being able to hold contact with the demon next to him. He was a little embarrassed to ask- hoping his question wouldn’t cause any...well anything negative. “But there’s no other room- with a bed at least. So, uh, I was wondering if you’d, maybe, want to sleep upstairs...with me?” The angel could feel himself sinking lower into the warm tub out of sheer embarrassment for asking. It was a bit of a selfish thing to ask for considering it was simply for personal gain innocent as he may be, but with it was Aoba’s undeniable caring attitude as well. It was hard to understand why he wanted to be so close to the demon, save for actual affection he had for Kuro.

~~~~~

The simplicity of it all made Fenrir actually laugh. He couldn’t help it. Watching just how nervous Aoba was to ask Kuro something so simple made it clear just how innocent the angel was. “Geez… I wonder who his parents are....” It never dawned on the doctor that even angels could have been so ‘shut in’ from their own societies. The kid hadn’t dated anyone to know just what was going on, and Fenrir couldn’t help but shake his head like a disappointed father. “He has a lot of...life learning to do.” It was just a shame Aoba never got to do so while he was still….

Fenrir shook the thought and focused on the mirror, now mildly more interested on just how Kuro would respond and also praying that Kuro would restrain himself as well. Aoba was really testing out that demon’s patience and even he was amazed at how well...restraint he managed to stay. “Hopefully it will stay that way…” In the back of his mind however, Fenrir definitely wondered about Aoba’s family.

~~~~~

“It’s a pretty big bed,” Aoba began to mumble. “And I can make sure my wings aren’t in the way.” Aoba felt like he was somehow digging a deeper, more embarrassing hole so he quietly waited his ‘judgement’ by Kuro.

'So sweet, so innocent. . .So tempting. . . .But in the end, still unobtainable' His body shivers as he looks down at the adorable little angel, watching him respond in delight to his agreement to go flying together. He stays as still as he can as his desires pulsate under his skin, trying to force him to move in a direction he knows will not be good for either of them. His eyes travel over the smaller male's contours as he looks away, trying to appreciate him in new and different ways, giving himself at least a mild distraction. 'Even if I can't touch him with my hands, at least he's no objection to the ogling thus far'

He smiles a little at the idea of going all googly eyed over an angel, given his lineage, the smile going from amusement to delight at Aoba returns his attention to him. A curious expression crosses his face e moment later as Aoba begins to flush, trying to articulate something in his usual innocent manner. His eyes actually flash however when Aoba mentions the comfort level on the couch and he can't help himself from creeping ever so slightly closer to the angel as desire dances just under his skin. 'He an't be offering. . .I mean, is he completely blind? I'm ready to jump him right now, and he wants to. . .'

Firmly controlling his breathing he watches the youth sinking deeper and deeper into the water with every word he speaks and he uses the slight distancing to anchor himself. His hand drifts out to brush gently over those ever more dusky wings when they are mentioned and he whispers, “I have no objections to sharing a bed my Little Mouse. . .” His fingertips brush across the soft feathers of Aoba's wings again and again, using the small contact to satisfy his desire to touch the angel at least a little bit. “And I'm sure we can make it so we're both comfy. . .” Reaching down he once more pulls Aoba's chin up so he can look into the man's eyes, the desire behind his own being held back, but only barely. “Thank you, Aoba.”

~*~*~*~*~

“Well, that's better than I expected. . .” Fenrir muses, actually admiring Kuro for not making some kind of crude joke or at least molesting the angel more than he did. Reaching out he tugs gently at his own wing before shaking his head and covering his eyes. 'I can't believe I'm still partially rooting for this demon. . . .' He knows he's not exactly supporting the idea of Kuro bedding Aoba, but a part of him can't help but feel glad at how obsesses Kuro seems to be as it keeps Aoba safe.

~*~*~*~*~

Planting another feather light kiss on the angel, Kuro pulls himself back a little bit, grabbing the soap so he clan clean his own hair. He uses the slight distance to calm himself ever so slightly, allowing him to think about something other than pulling Aoba into his lap and making him cry to the heavens how much more fun he's having in exile than he did when living up there. The thought actually makes him chuckle slightly, his face partially hidden behind soapy hair as he scrubs. 'I can't wait to see the look on Dani's face when he realizes that I get to sleep with my dear Little Mouse here. . .' He begins humming happily, a definite delight coloring his demeanor as he dips down to wash the suds out of his hair.

Aoba felt the gentle hands on his chin and he readily complied to looking Kuro in the eyes. The fallen angel terrible as he was at hiding his emotions, showed a moment of surprise when Kuro agreed. He tried to quell the sudden giddy feeling he had afterwards as well, but the gentle flutter of his wings betrayed him.

“I…Of course Kuro.” There was a brief pause when Kuro kissed him, but instead of his usual shy blush he smiled a little brighter. Aoba watched Kuro drift off to clean his hair before falling into his own train of thought and looking out into the trees a good distance away. I feel a lot...happier than usual? I mean of course I’m happy Kuro’s okay and that his brother didn’t decide to kill me, but that’s not it… I doubt that my depressive episodes are magically cured… I don’t know, this is different somehow?

Aoba tried to put an image with the emotion because happiness didn’t feel like the right word for it. While he wasn’t upset about it, he figured that being more perceptive about his surroundings and his ownself would be helpful- and probably allow him to live a lot longer. It was a back and forth with him when it came to this kind of thing. At times, Aoba would just give in to his blushing fits and jumpy nature, but he was trying to learn how to relax a bit more and think things through.

Oddly enough, as he thought about what he could only call ‘bubbling giddiness’ the first clear image that came to mind was when he and Kuro were out in the town and that group of girls were whispering and giggling as they passed. It was obvious they were ogling him, but at the time Aoba didn’t think much of it. ’What did Kuro say about...pheromones? Hormones? Hm.’ While he was a little naive more often than he cared to admit, it didn’t take that much thought to put two and two together. ’I wouldn’t call it a crush. I believe we’re passed that, but those girls definitely had heart eyes for Kuro. Which, seems like a stretch since their attractions were only physical-’

When it clicked, Aoba’s wings ruffled just enough to express the ‘epiphany’ he had. The fallen angel was prudish and he was well aware of that and it showed every time a sneaky Dani would mess with him. It was never a big deal around other angels whether they were or not and with Aoba living such a quiet life, he never thought about it in detail. So realizing he was acting on subtle physical desires Aoba wasn’t exactly sure how to react. It wasn’t… Well, it ‘wrong’ for him to do so and he was already stripped from his place in heaven along with his grace so there wasn’t much to lose-

’I can’t believe I’m taking this so lightly!?’

Maybe this was him being completely rational, while most times he overreacted. It was hard to say but slowly he started to pull his attention back to reality. He hadn’t realized he had been absentmindedly cleaning off until he ran fingers through his hair and got soap in his face. He quickly wiped it off before it could get into his eyes. The easily flustered angel exhaled and floated towards Kuro again, this time ever so cutely with one wing pulled up in front of him.

“Kuroo~?” He, for some reason felt compelled to know answers to rather unspecific questions. He wanted to take the opportunity to do so while he wasn’t so flustered, knowing that sooner or later he’d fall into his usual ways. When he got Kuro’s attention, he realized he didn’t actually know what he wanted to ask him, and his expression turned into a small frown towards his reflection. “Hm… I’m not quite sure what I’m doing most of the time and I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the process, but I do know that uh, I really like being here with you.” Aoba’s face had softened into a more thoughtful expression, not quite meeting Kuro’s eyes while he spoke. “I don’t exactly know where I’m going with this either or why I started for that matter- but um, despite the circumstances,” He tried to refrain from shuddering at the thought of the angels punishing Kuro, “I’m really glad I was assigned to care for you.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Fenrir softened as he watched and listened to Aoba. Despite it all, he was really growing as an angel- fallen or not. Somehow, he managed to be a better angel than most of the ones Fenrir had known and for someone who’s grace was taken from him, he was still so pure. ’He desreved so much better…’

Listening to Aoba’s last statement made his heart drop as it reminded him that it was his fault that Aoba had gotten into this mess in the first place. If only he had been a better mentor… If only he would have listened. The thoughts made him groan and place his hand on the back of his neck. “It’s too late for that. The mistake has been made...” It made him wonder just how much the fallen angel even care about him. Fenrir hadn’t given him the time of day until the fiasco began to happen and now the doctor was all of a sudden so deeply invested in watching over Aoba’s life. He was probably the last person Aoba would think was watching over him, if he even believed anyone was watching.

Before his thoughts could carry on, he continued watching.

~~~~~~~~~~

“It’s a nice feeling being...being appreciated? Being with someone- uh, someone and their very...excitable family? M’not to sure what to call it, but it’s nice. And I don’t think I say it too often- at least not with the feeling Dani’s gonna make faces or something.” He could feel the creeping blush threatening to color his cheeks, but he carried on. “Hm, I’m not actually sure where I was going with this,” He finally looked at Kuro and gave a shy laugh followed by a soft sigh. He stared at Kuro for a few moments before mentally accepting that he was impossibly enamored with the demon in front of him and there was probably no going back. And to solidify that thought, he leaned up and kissed him. His wing had drifted back behind him, allowing Aoba to move closer and let the kiss linger a little longer than the kiss Kuro gave a few minutes ago. The warm, tingly sensation in his body made him pull away and put a bit of distance between the two, albeit he didn’t move fast to get away.

With a near breathless noise, not caused by the kiss, but Aoba’s own floundering he pointed behind him. “I thiiink- I think I’m as clean as I’ll get for the night. I’m going to, um, get out. Grab some clothes, yeah. That sounds like a good idea. It’s getting late anyway and it’s been a long...exciting day.” Aoba’s rambling turned into mutters, similar to the way Homura had rambled about “experimenting with Aoba” the first time they had met. All the while, Aoba was already in motion climbing out of the tub and grabbing a towel, quickly covering his waist. Somewhere in Aoba’s rambling he mentioned something along the lines of he would see Kuro inside when he was done.

~~~~~~~

Fenrir exhaled with his head in one hand. “And he was doing so well too…” The knock on his door threatened to make him jump out of his skin. In one quick motion, he slipped the mirror into his desk drawer and pulled some paper close to him. “Come in,” He cleared his throat.

“Fenrir sir, I wanted to make sure you were informed about the medical team and a few soldiers being sent out soon.” The medic angel carried on when his higher up gave a questioning look. “We were informed that more demons are starting to appear in a small city where a group of soldiers had been scoping and clearing out. We need to get the injured out and send back up.”

Fenrir contemplated the information before giving a nod. He would have to leave the mirror alone for a few hours to figure out the situation and make preparations as they were needed. He stood to follow the medic angel, starting to ask a few more questions like where the town was and how many were injured and for how long.

The jerk of fluttering wings at his side catches the demon's attention, but rather than looking over, he simply continues rinsing off. He knows much more attention on the angel will lead him into something he will regret, so for now, he forces a distance between them. His eyes remain locked off on some distant point, his every effort going into keeping himself from ravaging the lovely beast sharing the bath with him. 'The exposed skin and flushed appearance from the hot water really doesn't help' He grumbles silently to himself, shifting uncomfortably and carefully redirecting his gaze even further away from the epitome of temptation settled against the side of the tub. He shifts a little bit further away, stretching and yawning, more than ready to try out the new sleeping arrangements.

However, relief apparently is not in his immediate future. Aoba comes drifting over, half hidden behind one wing as he looks up at him with the most adorable and tantalizing bashful expression on his face. Keeping his desire hidden – at least out of his eyes, his body not quite so cooperative – Kuro raises an eyebrow in question, wondering what the angel is up to being so cute. He visibly twitches at the sound of his name being called so softly, that little sing-song nature of it making his everything tighten. “Yes?” he murmurs, his voice deep, and soft.

Aoba's usual string of uncertainty and shyness brings a small smile to his lips, the familiarity giving him a little bit more control over himself. Sure, he knows he shouldn't have expected anything else, but can he really help thinking that, maybe, Aoba was actually responding the same way? A demon can dream, can't he? Images found only in yaoi novels had indeed passed through his head – the needy uke, devoured by passion and desire, calling out. . . . - but as Aoba remains the ever innocent youth he's always been, Kuro finds that well of control he'd built over time being around the angel keeping him properly contained.

“I'm glad too my Little Mouse.” he murmurs smoothly, his voice picking up a bit of it's old vigor. He chuckles, agreeing silently that being “so mushy” would repel the smaller demon, pulling many a disgusted face from him. 'He really can't help the innocent adorable thing ca-' His thoughts are cut off, his heart taking it's leave for an instant. Soft, warm lips are on his own, the pale, slender body attached to them far closer than is particularly safe for it to be. His body goes rigid, eyes widening even as his hands clench impulsively into fists. He can feel his nails cutting into his palms as it finally hits him that Aoba is kissing him, and if he moves a muscle, Aoba won't be able to get away unraveged.

And then, without warning, Aoba is gone. He's only a pace or two away, heading for the edge of the tub, but Kuro feels the absence as if he's a million miles away. He watches, eyes still wide, as the angel climbs out of the tub and mumbles his way out of sight.

It takes a long minute for Kuro to move, his rigid body falling back against the side of the tub in a tight, boneless heap. He has no room for thought at the moment, a rough keening noise leaving him as one of his hands slides forward to bring him some relief. He'd wanted to wait. Wait until Aoba was ready to just be with him. His head falls back over the edge of the tub, his body shaking with desire. He thought he could hold off doing something like this. He's never really had to do such a thing, the people he's had desire for being all too willing to couple with him before he drew their souls from them. But with Aoba, with this infuriatingly innocent and tempting angel, it's all he can do to keep from calling him an insufferable flirt and teaching him just how much an unintentional flirt riles him up.

Slitting eyes look to the room Aoba uses for sleep, falling closed after a moment as images of the younger man pass through his mind, teasing him to completion. The window overlooking the back yard is in full view of the tub and Kuro imagines Aoba seeing him like this. His fire leaps about his body, steaming the water, threatening to break the tub itself if he's not careful. But careful is the last thing he wants to be at the moment. He does however arch his body to lessen the chance of breakage, the shivers and shakes passing harshly through him just before he calls out, head snapping back harshly and he finds the release he'd been seeking.

'It's not enough. Never will be enough. I want Aoba. I want him, more than anything. I want to see him crying out under me, or riding me, his wings fluttering with desire, those eyes bright with passion, those hand clinging needily, that voice. . .' he lets out a whine, his free hand coming up to cover his face as the images setting him in motion again. This time, he takes a little longer, working his entire body and by the end he's feeling more relaxed and is able to get out of the tub.

With a groan, he empties it, letting the water run out on it's own while he snatches up a towel and begins drying off and heads inside. 'I swear, next time, I won't be in shock, and. . . .And. . .Should I warn him? Tell him not to do that again?' He shakes his head hard, the idea of telling Aoba to put distance between them unacceptable. He knows that doing such a thing would make him think he'd done something wrong, and the truth is, it's the exact opposite. He's doing all the right things, it's just the fact that he's doing it with a demon that's making it all dangerous. 'So, I have to be the one to check himself. I gotta be careful, and find a way to make distance when I'm too keyed up, until. . . . .Until he's ready' Leaning against the wall of the stairwell he lets out a whine. 'But how long will that be!?'

At Aoba's door he summons up some silk sleeping pants before knocking, setting the towel just inside the bathroom. Hearing Aoba call out he opens the door slowly, peeking in before entering properly, making sure the angel isn't doing something that will make him jump his bones automatically. Just seeing Aoba is tantalizing, but with a smile Kuro closes the door behind him and crosses his arms over his chest. “So, do you prefer being near the wall, or the edge?” he asks smirking, taking in the little room in a glance and realizing “big bed” is a relative term. 'His bed in heaven must have been tiny!'

Aoba had scrambled off much too quickly to notice Kuro’s lack of reaction. The whole trip to his room consisted of him willing himself to relax. “Just because something is new doesn’t mean it needs to be...feared.” But, he wasn’t scared, just embarrassed by his… obliviousness? Lack of knowledge? Well, he was embarrassed by a few things about himself, he was sure.

He made his way into his room, drying his hair and fumbling around for pajamas at the same time. Aoba’s multitasking was a little more of hectic pacing until he finally heaved a sigh and stopped in his tracks. “It’s fine. This is fine.” Sure he was trying to be calm, but the tension in his wings betrayed that and in traveling around the room, he realized he’d done a good job of looking a mess in his own clothes, so he straightened himself out and sat at the window sill. While he waited, he began to pat down his feathers a little more to make sure they were thoroughly dry. He glanced out the window a few times, daring to glance over at Kuro, though the most he got was steam.

“These are...dry as they’re gonna get.” He patted his feathers down, taking a moment to examine them again. The change from the light gray to how dark they were now was almost instant. Aoba had reason to believe it was because of the fight earlier, or even from a few minutes before. But, it didn’t matter anymore. Aoba was slowly but surely becoming more confident with the decision he made. ’I’m happy here. I don’t need their approval.’ A few of the looser feathers fell on the floor, which made him notice the other stray feathers he had forgotten to collect. Picking up feathers turned into Aoba methodically cleaning his room up more than it needed to be. It was very unnecessary, but it kept him busy and being busy kept him from focusing on what made him get all tensed up in the first place.

The angel hadn’t finished his over cleaning when he heard the knock, so he called out for Kuro to open the door while he rearranged the last few clothes. As the demon walked in, he pulled himself away from the ‘chores’ and looked around his room as Kuro did. The small pile of feathers were tucked off to the side on his side table and he made a mental note to put them somewhere else later. He then started to realize that he wasn’t kidding when he said they had a long day. He had just gotten back from living in the church, watched two brothers fight until one was a bloody mess, up until now. While he didn’t do much, it still took a lot of energy away from him.

When he was questioned, he straightened up. “Oh, hm… Well, I usually sleep near the wall.” Normally, when he slept near the wall he didn’t have to worry about his wings being splayed out on the bed and it made him debate whether he should sleep on the edge or not. He decided against it though, more comfortable just choosing the side near the wall and tucking his wings so as to not bother Kuro. “Being able to make demon wings disappear is a pretty nifty trick.” He mused his thoughts aloud without realizing it as he climbed onto the bed and unceremoniously flopped onto his stomach before rolling to his side and moving his wings out of the way.

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

Learning that this small city was near where had been living made him a little worried. He tried to ignore the idea of the angels’ and demons’ paths crossing, but couldn’t help but think of the disastrous possibilities both for the angels scouting and the demons protecting Aoba. “I think-” Fenrir bit his tongue. He couldn’t possibly be entertaining the idea of going down to Earth to check on Aoba? The doctor was surely losing his mind, he thought.

’No, no...this is to make sure all of the angels get home safely.’ He hadn’t been a field medic for years, and he had to admit being in an office did get stuffy sometimes too… “By the sounds of it, some of these angels need immediate attention. I’ll go along with the group to attend to those enough for them to get home safely without tearing into their injuries.”

The angel leading the way didn’t have any qualms about the decision. Fenrir was his boss after all. He knew what would be best for the injured. “That sounds like a good plan sir. I’ll go tell the others of the plan. We’ll be ready to go in a few minutes, I’ll let you know when.”

It's easy to see that some hasty cleaning had been done, a few spare feathers in the corner and a dirty sock, dangling off the bottom of the small chair in the room hinting at the mess that the room had been before his arrival. He smiles softly as he thinks about the angel cleaning up for his arrival. The pile of feather soften his gaze and he lets out a quiet sigh. 'He really is being tainted more and more. . .Somehow, they look darker when they're not attached. . . .' Shaking his head, he watches Aoba flop on to the bed, chuckling as he snugs up close to the wall to keep his wings out of the way.

“Works for me.” he murmurs, crawling slowly on to the bed after the smaller male. Carefully shifting on to his side he rolls his shoulders, pushing the pillow about a little before looking down at the tucked in angel and letting a few naughty thoughts cross through his mind. Once they are past he smiles down at Aoba, a devious tinge his only warning for what Kuro does a moment later. Scooting in even closer, getting right into Aoba's space, he slides an arm under the angel and pulls him into his arms so Aoba is half settled on top of him.

Scrunching down comfortably on his back he rests the angel's head on his chest, brushing his fingers through his hair gently. “Yep, and it lets me do stuff like this. Your wings looked a little cramped there. This way you can spread them out comfortably.” He grins down at Aoba, giving his Little Mouse a soft squeeze as he settles in for the night. “That and now we don't have to share a pillow. . .” Humming softly, he peeks an eye open. “But if you're not comfortable, we can of course try some other position.” He can't help the sly smile, though he knows that such jokes have no purchase as of yet for the angel.

Aoba, almost instantly, scooted out of the way to give Kuro space. His wings pressed against the wall, but he didn’t pay much attention to them. It didn’t seem to be enough space, or more rather, Kuro was purposefully getting closer. He played ragdoll as Kuro maneuvered and moved him closer, unsure just what he was getting at up until he was quite comfortably laying his head against Kuro’s chest. He listened to Kuro’s voice for a moment, feeling the soft hum of it against his chest. At the mention of his wings, he slowly spread them out a bit more realizing he did have a lot more space. He didn’t respond to much of what Kuro was saying, but it was obvious he had visibly relaxed. He stayed that way for a few moments, and when Kuro mentioned moving he lifted his head up. “Huh. wait no I-” The flush grew when he realized how quickly he was about to go against moving. Instead, he put his head back down and mumbled that he was comfy this way.

The demon would quickly find out that Aoba was quick to fall asleep. He didn’t move very much either throughout the night either, save for once when it was a bit too early and Aoba had sleepily forgotten that he didn’t need to be up early for morning prayers or anything for that matter. In less than a minute, he was back to sleep cuddled against Kuro again.

His ‘internal farm clock’ hadn’t been set and he hadn’t realized the sun had rose well overhead until it became a bother. Aoba tried to hide away from the sun, only burying his face into Kuro, until he realized it wasn’t his pillow. “Hmm- Oh.” Aoba rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up, looking down at Kuro. “Oh.” He echoed, unsure of what else to say at the moment but after another, he smiled. “Good morning.” His wings stretched out, but he took care not to hit Kuro. He glanced out the window and scratched his already messy bed hair. “Oh no, did I sleep in?” He wasn’t very quick to getting out of bed, and he had half a mind to lay back down with Kuro but he remembered that there was work to do on the farm. It had only been a week since he had been gone, but he wasn’t as spry to work as he was before.

'Well, of all the adorable. . . .' Smiling at the sudden protest Kuro lets out a relaxed sigh, feeling both happy and proud. Happy that Aoba is willing to cuddle so close, and proud of himself for risking it, and having good enough control to keep himself in check even as he feels the itching desire to make the angel “more than just comfortable” scratching at the back of his mind. 'And loins. Don't forget the loins. . . .I hope he doesn't run off if I respond. . . .' He opens his mouth to warn Aoba that he may have a natural reaction in the night, but all too soon Aoba is clearly falling right to sleep and the demon lets out another sigh, this one a bit exasperated.

“Cute, sleepy Little Mouse. . .” he murmurs, petting Aoba's hair a bit before settling his arm about the younger one's waist. Pressing a kiss to the top of the angel's head he shifts slightly, getting completely comfortable before settling in to watch that chocolate mop until he can't keep his eyes open any longer.

Sleep claims him surprisingly quickly and when he wakes early morning he almost feels quite rested and ready for the day. Aoba however takes mere moments to decide that they day has not started quite yet and Kuro smiles, letting sleep claim him once more. His grip tightens on the angel, taking unconscious comfort having the warm body settled against him, and his sleep is calm and free of nightmares. The second time they wake Kuro has to fight the urge to pull Aoba back down, maybe roll them over. . .

“Morning.” he murmurs, returning the smile. He stays laying down, the image of Aoba stretching above him pulling a soft growl out of him and giving him some morning heat. Feeling his pulse in his neck he reaches up to cup the back of Aoba's. Shifting up on to an elbow he pulls the youth down slightly and presses a feather light kiss to those soft, tempting lips. Letting out a faint hum he lets Aoba go and slides carefully out if bed, stretching his own sleepy muscles. He knows another moment in that bed would snap his control so he gives himself a touch of distance to regain his composure. “It's alright. I'm sure the animals won't hold it against us.” he murmurs, turning to smile at Aoba with a cheeky grin. “We should have time for a quick breakfast before getting them fed and watered.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

'It's been a while' Fenrir muses, wrapping the bandage in his hand tight around the wounded angel's leg in front of him. He'd all but forgotten what it was like. Not just being on the front lines, but to be on earth itself. Everything feels more heavy, thicker, and oddly enough, more “real”. Day after day he treated soldiers, gave them check-up, treated their wounds, but down here, among the ground troops, everything feels so different. “You're good.” he declares, a couple other medical angels moving in to give the soldier some sustenance and a blanket to make her more comfortable. Fenrir has a moment's peace and his eyes trail off towards where he knows his secret goal lays. 'I will need to go in the day, when the demons give us all a break. . .' He looks to the lightening sky. 'So. . . Soon. . . .' He doesn't know what to think, or have any idea what he's going to say to little Aoba, but his resolve does not waver. He wants to go, to see him, to make sure he's okay, really okay, and. . . .After that, he doesn't know. . .

The kiss woke him up a bit more and he smiled in return. For a moment he watched Kuro climb out of bed until he shook off a bit more sleep and climbed out himself. He had forgotten about his manic cleaning and rearranging the night before so it took him a moment to remember just where he put all his things. Slowly but surely, he put some more pep into his step as he got ready, growing more excited to see the animals. Getting ready to start the day went by faster than he realized. Breakfast went by quick and the only thing stopping the angel from bolting out was him looking for his work boots. The one time Aoba did pause for was to sigh contently being back in his ‘old clothes’ and adjusting to the life he had enjoyed. It was nice to be back. Living in the church had it’s pros but as guilty as he felt admitting it, he just wasn’t as happy there. The thoughts weren’t dwelled on too much because he was soon out the door, leading the way to the barn to let out the antsy pasture animals.

Aoba didn’t know why he had fret over forgetting how to take care of the animals because as soon as they started everything felt like clockwork. He had been doing the farm work for so long it felt natural. Sure the calluses he developed on his hands and feet had been scrubbed away, but he would more than likely get that again. It wasn't something he missed, but it was something he needed to remind himself to be careful about. "This is nice." He hummed to himself as he checked on the pigs before heading into the barn.

While the angel was directing the animals out a few of them stopped to nudge their heads against Aoba as if to show they were happy with his return. One of them, Mama, was the last of them out with Otto bounding right behind her. Aoba smiled and patted them both, earning a huff from Mama. “I missed you guys too.”

~~~~~~~

“Sir?”

An angel moved Fenrir out of his own mind and he looked up at her with a questioning gaze. “Someone else is injured?”

“Oh, no sir. You and the other medics have done a fine job, thank you. The ones capable are being sent back home as we speak. The others are getting some rest before their trip back. I was just informing you that the sun’s rising, so the demon activity will cease for awhile. We’ll be checking around as usual so if you’d like to go back feel free to do so.” She quickly added, “Though feel free to stay with us if you like. The guards would suggest having someone to accompany you if you choose to do so.”

Fenrir let the woman ramble on before giving a confirming nod. Of course he wasn’t planning on leaving, so he decided it would be best to stick around with the guards for the time being.

Opportunity rose, around two hours later, when one particular guard announced that he would check the area a little farther out from the city. “I noticed some activity shifting that way once before, but I didn’t think anything was out that way. I want to go double check while it’s clear."

~~~~~~~~

Work continued on with Aoba only asking a few questions about what he had forgotten, or where things were rearranged to. Some of the stuff, Dani moved around solely for his convenience while he and Kyou were working. He hadn’t had the time to put things back considering he was dragged home by his older brother.

“Huh, where’d Kyou go anyway?” The question was said aloud, but he didn’t expect an actual answer. Kuro scared him off, so Aoba wasn’t sure how long the demon would be gone for.

The little angel's excitement to get started on farm work again makes Kuro smile, the charge off the younger male contagious. Kuro whips them up a quick breakfast, watching the other eat with a soft smile on his face before following him out into the yard. He takes to doing the watering while Aoba deals with the animals. He lends a hand when it comes to the cows, the occasional stray making for the gap between the barn and the pasture fence. Once they are all out, he goes back to watering carefully, making sure not to spay the leaves too much, aiming for the ground when he can to avoid the sun burning the plants through the water droplets.

Despite being menial labor, Kuro couldn't be happier. He looks over to see the angel every so often and feels content with the world the way it is, peace passing gently through his chest. He still feels that something is missing, something inside, but as it is, for now, he doesn't want to question it. He just wants to enjoy his time with Aoba before Dani and the others come crashing in to ruin their alone time.

Once he's done with the watering, he joins Aoba with feeding the pigs, guiding him about to show him where things had been moved in his absence. He enjoys his quite time and uses open moment to get close to the angel, seeking out a little contact here and there to satisfy and tame his more primal urges. When the subject of Kyou comes up he glances towards the town. “He's probably in town getting something to eat.” he muses, playing off the soul corrupting as nothing of great importance.

~*~

Fenrir overhears someone saying something about checking out some activity, but it doesn't register until he spots the angel on the horizon heading right for Aoba's farm. Light panic passes through him and he finds a way to slip away, following after the angel at a decent pace. He knows he can't overtake the soldier, his wings out of practice, but he also knows he needs to catch up as quickly as possible to avoid a rough confrontation.

~*~

A new scent trickles to Kuro's nose on the wind and he feels his hair stand on end. Actually sneezing, he looks off towards the town and scowls as he sees a figure racing pel-mel down the road. The little head wings flat to his head and vest flapping in the wind, Kyou rushes up to the farm, vanishing into the barn before anyone can say anything to him, and Kuro honestly doesn't blame him. Ruffled, Kuro moves out towards the open area in front of the barn and his flames jump to attention, snaking around his body like an agitated serpent. The feeling of an arch angel approaching is enough to set his teeth on edge, but he's careful to keep as calm as he can, not wanting to start a fight if he doesn't have to.

“Oh right of course” Aoba didn’t give Kyou’s ‘breakfast time’ a second thought. Whether it was souls or actual food didn’t concern Aoba, at the moment, the one thing concerning the fallen angel was feeding all the pigs- and watching them wallow in their muddy pens. When they were done with all of the work, Aoba decided to rest by the pasture fence and watch Otto bound around his mama and the other cows. “The sheep don’t seem to appreciate all the extra movement.” Aoba commented with a laugh as Otto knocked into one by accident. “At least his horns haven’t come in yet.”

Aoba didn’t pay too much attention to the wind change, but he did look up when he heard Kyou rushing by. “Oh there-” But before he could finish the sentence, the demon raced past and straight into the barn. As odd as it was, it made Aoba grow more weary. Demons couldn’t be around right now, could they? He thought after Issho and Kuro had that battle, none would show up for awhile? The questions started to buzz through his head while he hopped over the fence to prepare moving everyone back inside. However, the moment the breeze picked up again, Aoba froze where he stood. His wings sagged to the ground in near disbelief and he looked up at the sky. The energy he felt wasn’t threatening. Intimidating that was for sure, but it felt...familiar. It felt like… Aoba quickly shook his head. That energy he felt wasn’t home. It was trouble no doubt and if he remembered correctly, it had to have been an archangel. But by Yahweh he hoped he was wrong.

The angel sunk back, using one of the cows as cover. For once Aoba wasn’t the target, Kuro was, and that made him all the more anxious. Demons that attacked were blinded by their desires to catch an angel, they’d always get taken down by Kuro or Dani. But these angels were trained. They were dangerous. Aoba heaved a sigh. ’Kuro withstood a fight with his brother, he can take an archangel… It’s only one. If it stays that way, that would be great.’ As much as he feared the confrontation, his morality kicked into gear with the idea of Kuro actually killing one of them. He could barely stomach Kuro killing his own kind for his sake, Aoba didn’t want to see an angel die either.

~~~~~~~~

Fenrir couldn’t keep up with the archangel, especially not after he had caught another demon’s energy as the second one ran. At least, with the unbridled ‘holy anger’, it was easy to follow the trail. He was glad he toted his first aid kit as well because the angel, Leo, he believed his name was, didn’t plan on stopping to chat.

The archangel started chasing after Kyou, a mile or so behind him. It wasn’t long before he caught onto another demon, who was no doubt stronger than the first. He smirked at the idea of a challenge. With his years of fighting, he knew demons weren’t into negotiations, and Leo had grown tired of trying it that way anyway. Instead of stopping to land in front of Kuro, the archangel grabbed the shield on his back and was prepared to barrel into Kuro at full force to knock him off his feet.

Aoba saw the angel coming in faster and faster and for a brief moment wondered if he could ever fly that fast, but ultimately Aoba flinched and braced for the impact that angel would make.

'Okay, so we have a stump with wings here. . . .' While not a complete non-threat, Kuro feels confident enough in his recovery that this arch angel doesn't make him afraid whatsoever. Especially one alone. His brow furrows as the angel barrels right in and he times his moves carefully. As soon as it's within a few feet his fire snakes out, wrapping around the shield and snaking up the angel's arms and redirecting him slightly to the side, Kuro's wings snapping out to ride the wave of the impact to the ground to safety. He retracts his fire, the harsh burns already permeating the area with the smell of toasted flesh.

The soldier however is a stout fellow and is up an instant later, his swords drawn, facing off against Kuro. His arms don't shake despite the pain he must be in and he looks clearly ready to cleave Kuro in two if given the chance. The demon however can hear the animals less than pleased with the fight going on in their front yard and with a growl, decides to end this quickly. 'Someone can sew the limbs back on later' Pulling out his scythe he watches the angel jump back, trying to get out of range of his monstrous weapon. He seems to begin recognizing that he's not going up against a normal arch demon. As they begin to circle Kuro prays Aoba will forgive him for what he's about to do.

~*~

He sees the impact clearly despite being a few minutes away and he tries to pick up his pace. 'Of all the. . .' His thoughts are cut out however as once again he swears he can hear Kuro's voice in his head. The implications make him feel kinda sick but he presses on, not able to sit and think this out at the moment.

The animals began to move away from the noise and danger to the far end of the fence. They weren’t in a panic but they did rush to put more distance in between them and the source just to be safe. Aoba pushed past them, having to force his way through in order to make room for himself. The demon was the only thing on the archangel’s mind at the moment, so Aoba went unnoticed for the most part. He was fine with it staying that way. For some reason, this fight was one of the rare few, if not the only one, he didn’t want to hide away from and maybe it was because Kuro was in more immediate danger than he was. He wasn’t sure yelling at the angel to ‘stop’ would be effective help, but maybe… just maybe that distraction was enough. Or maybe seeing Aoba would cause the archangel to jump further to conclusions and be even more furious.

Unfortunately, Aoba couldn’t properly pull his thoughts together in order to come up with a real plan of action because Kuro decided that he wasn’t going to let the fight drag any longer than it needed to be. Seeing the scythe made Aoba’s heart stop for a moment, but faster than he could realize it, Aoba’s wings snapped open and he was off his feet. “N- KURO WAIT!” The smaller angel flew up from behind Kuro, his body casting a shadow over the both of them briefly before he was soon swooping down at the archangel. Like a hawk catching prey, Aoba reached out instinctively grabbed above the archangel’s head. Upon contact, his halo appeared and glowed making Aoba latch on as tight as he could.

Aoba wasn’t sure if he was thinking properly but even if he was, the two both crashed into the ground. The archangel howled in more surprise than pain as he hit his head on the ground. The sudden whiplash rendering him unconscious for a few minutes. Aoba on the other hand was too close to the ground to make a proper landing and crashed ungracefully into the ground, sliding a few feet away. He groaned as he slowly stretched one wing from under him and then the other from the awkward position it was in. As he stood, Aoba staggered a bit, instantly clutching his side when he felt a sharp sting. It was followed by a wet, and warm sensation that made him look down. The end of his shirt was tattered, but under that was a somewhat deep slice just above his hip. He had spotted the sword, but didn’t realize he’d still be readied to strike.

The holy energy that radiated off the sword made him numb to the actual pain, but the tainted energies fighting it made him a bit hazy. That and probably the loss of blood. The angel wasn’t as frantic about the injury as he was most things, but he did slowly sit back down. “M’gonna need to...stitch this.” The realization of what he had done set in and he looked up at Kuro with worried eyes. “I… Okay don’t be mad. I wasn’t trying to… Okay maybe it looked like I was trying to defend him but that- he-... If you did that the rest of them would have showed up. Archangels they fly in packs and, and the rest they wouldn’t- I didn’t want to see- Ahh, sorry I should’ve went to the barn!” Aoba was having a hard time formulating full sentences, trying to make sure that Kuro knew he wasn’t trying to get them both killed and he wasn’t trying to ‘save’ someone who probably didn’t care that much for him. Aoba wasn’t sure if any of that was coming across correctly, nor was he entirely sure if he knew what he was trying to say.

A second energy got close enough for him to sense and he looked up with wide eyes. ’Oh no.’ “I should… I shouldn’t have done that.” He was fighting his own morals, wanting to protect the angel doing his job, but knowing that it was best if… well if Kuro kept the barn safe for the both of them. Aoba bit his lip and pressed against the wound. “I can...I can fix this. Yeah, I can fix this. Just some stitching, no problem.” Aoba was moreso mumbling to himself as he started to pull the bloodstained shirt off. This was the second shirt that was bloodied in the matter of two days and he was really hoping it wouldn’t become a consistent thing.

Kuro is trying to calculate just how much damage he'll have to do to disable the arch angel when suddenly he hears Aoba's voice. He pauses, torn. He wants to look back at his Little Mouse, to assure him that he'll only hurt the clean thing a little bit, but at the same time he knows taking his eyes off his opponent could spell trouble if not death for him. The choice is taken away from him as suddenly Aoba is sailing over head head and shockingly, lands on the shocked angel. What surprises Kuro most, beyond his mousy partner flying into battle, is the halo grab that knocks the soldier to the ground.

'Well, that's good to know' he muses, watching him go down easy enough. He's glad to see the arch angel knocked out and even manages a little smile at Aoba before the little victory goes horribly wrong. The smell hits him first and rips a snarl from his chest. He is furious, stalking forward, ready to rip someone a new one. Whether Aoba or the prone figure on the ground is yet to be decided. He pauses a few steps away, looking down at Aoba with sharp eyes, clearly angry. The pathetic pleading of his case turns Kuro's wrath from him to the slowly rousing angel.

Holding out a hand he fires energy from his hands, the curved shape stapling the angel to the ground by his neck. He fires off a few more, like the leash he'd used on Dani, and staples his arms and wings to the ground as well. He feels rather satisfied as he miss aims with the wing ones, clipping them hard enough to knock off a few feathers and stain the ones around them crimson. The clip isn't enough to endanger his life, but the pain is enough to wake the guy and have him whine at the pain. Kuro can feel the second energy approaching but before it can arrive he kicks the holy sword away from the first, planting his scythe hard in the ground by the first one's head and leaving it there as a warning as he moves to face the oncoming threat. He wants to be helping Aoba, to do something about the blood loss, but with another angel closing in, he doesn't have time.

Fenrir quickly closes the distance, being careful to land some ways back from the group so he doesn't insight the demon to attack without being able to talk. He takes in the sight of Leo pinned to the ground, the scythe looming threateningly across his body, Aoba trying to treat the semi-self inflicted wound, and now the very on fire Kuro eyeing him as if he's a wild dog he's ready to put down. Having watches the demon for some time now, he knows – at least he thinks he does – how to handle him. His stomach is in knots, his instinct to put the demon down strong, but at the same time, the sight of Aoba bleeding makes his heart twinge and he pushes aside his instincts.

Looking to the pinned angel again he snaps out, “Leo!” His brows furrow even though he knows the angel can't turn to look at him. “You know better than to interfere in the lives of fallen angels!” The angel stills completely. It seems being snapped at has deflated him a bit. His gaze then turns to Kuro and they share a moment.

Kuro faintly recognizes the angel, though more through the sound of his voice than his actual features.

Fenrir slowly takes off his medical bag, making Kuro growl. He stays put however and the medical angel takes this as a good sign. Turning the bag to show it to Kuro he says with a mix of calm and forcefulness, “Let me clean up this mess we've made and we will leave you be.”

Kuro is both confused and relieved to see this angel here, but at the sight of the medical bag he calms slightly, sparing half a glance towards Aoba. He knows that Aoba said he could treat himself, but some proper treatment with proper supplies would be better for him. He hesitates for a moment before reaching his hand behind him. The pins holding down “Leo's” arms and wings vanish while the one around his neck becomes a hoop. His hand whips forward, Leo yelping as he's pulled by his throat through the air. Kuro is careful to not give him enough height so when he snaps the collar with a pop he's unable to catch himself with his wings and instead tumbles across the gravel road past the waiting medical angel.

Fenrir doesn't look as Leo is whipped past him and instead waits until he hears the angel regaining his feet before calling over his shoulder, “You head back to the others Leo. Now.” He can't see it but he's quite sure the angel looks like he wants to object. When he doesn't hear wings right away he lifts his heel, sliding it slightly to the side before stomping it down hard and cracking the earth much like Issho did to warn Kuro off the day before. Leo back away with a bow and is off moments later. Fenrir calls that he will bring back the angel's sword so he doesn't spend time worrying about it.

The call actually makes Kuro laugh, still wreathed him flame despite the good will Fenrir is trying to build. “I was actually thinking of mounting it over the barn door as a warning.” he says with an evil smile. He shifts to the side between Aoba and the arch angel, still not completely convinced this guy is to be trusted. The smell of Aoba's blood isn't helping his anger and he flexes threateningly, eyes playing sharp on the angel.

Once more pulling from his well of knowledge from the mirror, Fenrir re-hangs his bag at his side and moves forward with confidence towards Kuro and the wounded angel. He watches Kuro tense but, trusting what he knows of the man, he moves right past him – giving a bit of room for the agitated flames – and drops to a knee next to Aoba. Gently moving the fallen angel's hands aside he pulls his bag off once more and sets to work. Kuro turns and stays put, his fire still jumping about as he watches like an aggravated cat.

Aoba shrunk back and looked down when Kuro glared at him. He had half a mind to apologize repeatedly to the demon until the angel a few feet from him was pinned to the ground. It made him flinch a little but he stayed in his spot, not sure if he should try escaping from the second angel or staying put. The second angel finally landed and Aoba went through several emotions at once. He was surprised to find out just who the angel was. Aoba had worked under Fenrir for years, there was no way he’d forget him. He was defensive. The two were never really on the same terms and even if Fenrir was no archangel, he was still considered a higher up. That only meant bad news for both Aoba and Kuro. He saw the medical kit and watched as Fenrir started walking towards him and for the first time, at least first time in awhile, he felt stubborn and upset.

’I am fully capable a medic as he is, I don’t need his help!’’ Aoba realized he started to scoot away from Fenrir, but stopped. He could feel Kuro’s agitation at this point and decided to let Fenrir do what he did best. Even if he was a little reluctant, it would ease Kuro to know he wasn’t bleeding out. For most of it, Aoba turned his head away from both angel and demon, and after a few minutes he did finally speak. “...I could’ve- I could have done this myself. It’s not a big deal.”

Fenrir suppresses the twinge of sadness, hearing Aoba be so curt with him. He knew he shouldn’t have expected much after how he treated the smaller angel, but as an angel he could still hope. “It was damage on my part. I needed to fix it.” Was the response he gave before going back to work on the wound. He was careful not to fuse any more holy energy into him, for Aoba’s sake and his own. He was sure the moment he tried to purify him, Kuro would have his head. ’I wouldn’t want to ruin something like this for Aoba…’ He mentally sighed.

Aoba glanced at Fenrir, only to run fingers through his hair and sigh. “M-My apologies sir. That was rude of me. I appreciate the-”

“I’m not your boss anymore. There’s no need for you to call me sir. And you have every right to express how you feel. I don’t need a thank you, I just-” He stopped himself. ’I just wanted to make sure you’re okay’ He could imagine the many question both of them would have with a statement like that. Why would he care about Aoba now after all that happened? What did it matter now? He came all this way on some sliver of hope that he’d be forgiven, not realizing he was putting his own feelings before Aoba’s. He noticed him flinch after is words but carried on with his work. It was just a cut, something he dealt with millions of times with the archangels. It didn’t take him too long and he stood when he finished. “It’s healed up.” Fenrir helped Aoba to his feet. “The scar there will disappear soon enough. I made sure the mixing energies wouldn’t… clash too much to be unhealthy for you.”

Aoba eyed where the wound had been, still very sure he could have stitched the wound closed. It wouldn’t have been as quick to heal but it still would have worked. Fenrir only reminded him that the one thing he thought he was really good at was taken from him. He sighed, trying not to spiral into another episode and bowed slightly. “Thank you sir. I… appreciate the help.” He glanced over at Kuro before quickly looking down at his feet, feeling as though he was still in trouble.

Kuro stands at full alert as the medic works, lips pulling back every so often to expose his fangs. 'You're damn right it's you and yours that caused this mess. . .' He doesn't feel bad at letting someone else take over the healing despite Aoba's clear grumpiness over the matter. His health and safety are far more important to Kuro than his “pride”. A small growl finds it's way out when the intruder interrupts Aoba however, dying down as he listens to what he actually has to say. The gentle hands and peaceful nature of the intruder keeps him from snapping at the angel as soon as he's finished to drive him off.

Instead, he just watches the creature as it packs up, both still irritated, but also curious. 'He doesn't seem surprised at all. He's paying me little to no attention, almost like, he knows me. . .He seems confident around me, like he knows I won't attack as long as he's not a threat, but. . .How would he know that? I mean, he makes me sick, I feel like ripping him a new one, but. . . .I don't. . .' Shifting, he catches the invading angel's eyes, his glare a little softer now that Aoba is treated. Testing his theory, he growls softly, “You didn't come here blind.”

Fenrir resists flinching at the accusation, standing and adjusting his bag dismissively. “Indeed.”

Aoba looked between the two with a confused gaze. “What… What is that supposed to mean?” His voice was soft, not wanting to bring too much attention back on himself. Something dawned on him as he spoke, making Aoba squint in slight suspicion. “You’re not a field medic..? What, did they run out of angels to-” Aoba bit his tongue, wondering why he was being so rude all of a sudden. Fenrir had managed to learn a little about Kuro in the one treatment he watched between them, but that didn’t mean much to Aoba. The medic was no doubt with the rest of the archangels, so of course he was able to find out if there were demons around. It was just luck for him to be facing Kuro instead of any other demon that would have tried killing him without hesitation.

'I was trying to avoid this. . .' Letting out a soft sigh Fenrir takes his eyes off the demon and, his gaze softens. He looks down at Aoba and he says softly, “This won't mean much to Kuro here, but. . .Your parents refused your mirror. . .” His gaze turns back to the demon. “So rather than just having it shattered, I decided to keep it. And after all the things you've been through lately, I. . . .Felt responsible, so, I came down.”

Kuro looks to Aoba, confused. He doesn't like being confused.

The angel stared at Fenrir for a long, drawn out moment as if he couldn't understand exactly what the doctor said. Time slowed down around the angel and slowly his wings fell to drag in the dirt. Everything started to feel so much heavier as the words began to take meaning. It looked like he wanted to ask something, anything but no words came out as his mouth opened. He could feel his cheeks and his ears begin to burn. Aoba was desperately looking to see if Fenrir had been lying or playing some sick, twisted prank but the somber look he was given further stabbed him in the chest. “They…” His fists were balled tight, his nails digging into his palms. “They- No… They wouldn’t do that…” Aoba had to fight tears, but it was a battle he wasn’t winning. His parents rejected the one way they could make sure he was okay. They rejected him.

“If an angel… If they’ve ever fallen. Or if… If they’re gone… There are mirrors tied to angels to show what they’re doing. They’re used t-to make sure archangels are okay… or watch the progress of fallen angels…” Aoba was having a hard time explaining everything to Kuro, knowing that he didn’t understand. He was hoping this day would have been good but little by little it had become even worse.

A few times it had crossed his mind, wondering had his parents figured out where he was or if they had even heard the news, but to hear they wanted nothing to do with him? It was one thing to barely see them considering they were always busy, but this? The angel took a steadying breath, quickly wiping the corners of his eyes. “It was probably… It was probably some misunderstanding. They might just be too busy to keep the mirror. I-It’s okay.” He wanted to leave and forget. He wanted to focus on something else and have some sort of false hope that he wasn’t a rejected thing in his own parents’ eyes. He noticed Fenrir make a move to step forward and Aoba quickly took two steps back. “I’m- It’s okay. They don’t have time. Mom’s a guardian angel and dad’s an archangel, they’re the busiest. S’why I had a nanny.”

“Aoba-”

He heard his name and took another step away, shaking his head. “I-I have to f-feed the animals. There are...things. Things that need to be done here.” Kuro and Aoba had finished earlier, but Aoba didn’t care just as long as it meant he could escape.

'Wow, this mirror thing must be really important' Kuro can feel his irritation growing as he sees Aoba slumping as if the entire world just landed on his shoulders. He feels the intense urge to hunt himself some angels, making Aoba so sad, but he stays put, waiting to hear what Aoba has to say about these mirror thing. When it finally comes out, he's honestly a bit stunned. 'My father is the fucking lord of hell, master of pain and suffering and sin, and even he gives more shits about his kids than Aoba's parents!?' He tries to imagine what Aoba is feeling, tries to think of his father not loving him, and despite his missing heart, he can tell it must be devastating.

Aoba is retreating, and Kuro thinks fast. Shifting over, he places his hands on the angel's arms and places a feather light kiss on his forehead. He expects the intruder to show some sign of disgust, but instead he just looks on sadly, his gaze on Aoba. “Wait with Kyou in the barn. I'll handle the rest.” he whispers, turning Aoba and giving him a little push to encourage him on his way. Once he's out of earshot he turns to the remaining angel, openly furious.

Fenrir however is having none of Kuro's wrath. He's already in enough pain and doesn't want to hear it from this demon. He doesn't snap at Kuro, instead letting out a sigh and shaking his head. “Would that I could do something to change reality for him, but I can't.” He looks up, meeting Kuro's eye. “Don't make this into a bigger mess than it already is Kuro. Be grateful that I was down here so you didn't have to kill Leo in front of him.” He can see Kuro flinch at the use of his name so casually, but he doesn't hesitate to go on. “I will take my leave. He. . .Needs you right now.” His last few words are spoken carefully, making sure Kuro is paying attention and catches the full weight of what he's saying.

It takes a moment, but Kuro does get it. His ire drops and he lets out a breath of his own. “So, you are the eyes I've been feeling on the back of my neck?” He has to ask, unable to wipe the image of an angel watching over him while he tries to bed Aoba and loses his focus over the idea of an angel watching from above.

Fenrir can't help the faint flush and coughs slightly. “I am not rude, and that's all I'm saying on the matter.” Openly laughing, Kuro finds himself less disgusted by this angel. Fenrir gives him a grumpy look that turns into an uneasy expression. Seeing Kuro tilt his head curiously Fenrir shakes off his thoughts of discussing the odd happening when Kuro is particularly stressed over Aoba. He may know the demon fairly well from afar for now, but he's not ready to even begin trying to work out the implications. Letting out a sigh he shakes his head again, looking around the area one last time. “This place. . .It's beautiful.” he says softly, looking towards the barn one last time before stalking firmly over to the dropped sword and picking it up. He raises a challenging eyebrow at Kuro who just grumbles like a child before turning his back on Fenrir completely and making his way towards the barn.

He can feel the angel at his back taking off, but at the moment, Kuro's concern is for the angel hidden in the barn in front of him. Slipping inside, he begins hunting around, trying to find his Little Mouse. He spots Kyou first, the demon laying flat against the floor in the rafters, his gaze going into a corner where he seems to be worrying over whatever's there. Kuro moves easily over to it, finding his little angel still rather upset and without asking, scoops the smaller figure into his arms. Giving Kyou a glare to push him back Kuro takes his wings out for a moment, using them to aid his jump as he leaps up into the loft, finding a soft patch of hay to sit on and hold his poor Little Mouse tenderly.

Aoba barely registered the kiss, but he did allow the soft push to lead him towards the barn. That crushing weight of the news turned into a hollowness that he was slowly beginning to appreciate. If he didn’t feel good, well the next best thing was to feel… nothing at all.

Kyou perked up from his hiding place up in the loft when he sensed Aoba’s presence. “Is it all-” His winged ears fell to the sides as Aoba walked past without offering him even a glance. “Aoba…?” His voice had lowered into a whisper but held obvious concern. “What happened?”

The angel heard a soft noise off to the side but continued walking. He didn’t stop until he found himself in some corner of the barn and could only sit. He stared at his feet, letting his thoughts slowly form again. He tried to think of all of the good things, the positive things that made him happy. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he could be happy again as if the whole thing never happened. However no matter how hard he tried to think of those things, his mind went blank. Time felt like it was in a standstill, so forever was only a few minutes before Aoba felt arms picking him up. When he finally looked up and realized it was Kuro who collected him, they were already sitting in the loft above. He realized he hadn’t been up there, leaving it as Dani’s space, but that didn’t matter at the moment. He also noticed Kyou slinking farther away, but staying in the barn to figure out what was going on. The demon also stayed simply because he wasn’t sure if the archangels were still roaming.

For awhile, or what felt like a while, Aoba just sat in silence like dead weight- or a ragdoll. He stared off into space, until the faint sounds of animals made him refocus. Shifting a bit, he looked down at the hay under them and managed a small frown. “I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have expected-” His words were slow and he paused to steady his breathing, doing his hardest to keep himself from crying. “...They’ve always had good intentions… But they aren’t- they aren’t very good at showing it… I shouldn’t have expected them to care. They have… they have better things to worry about than a fallen angel.” Every word hurt but Aoba continued. He rubbed his cheeks and started to scoot off of Kuro’s lap but didn’t make it far. As much as he wanted to curl up in a corner and disappear, he found a little comfort in a warm body.

“I know I saved you and all… But, there’s no reason- why… why do you stay?” It may have sounded like was pushing Kuro away, and he didn’t mean to, but he couldn’t help be as defensive as he felt. There were so many different angels and demons and even people who were so much better than he was and Kuro was wasting his time doing manual labor he didn’t need to do. Dani said so himself that all that activity could be done in minutes by the two of them alone. Aoba put his hands over his face. “I just don’t understand!” His voice cracked and he kept his face hidden for a moment, before whispering. “Why are you so willing to stay when everyone else is so ready to push me away?”

Kyou was still a far distance away but listened carefully. He wasn’t sure what happened between them and the angels, but whatever happened it didn’t end in blood but it did hurt Aoba. He wanted to stick around, but he knew Kuro was probably going to want him out anyway. He’d stick close to the barn, but watch the animals and stay on guard for other angels or even demons that appeared.

Aoba is completely out of it at first, and Kuro stays silently, just holding him. He knows that people need time to sort out their thoughts, and no matter how worried he is, pestering Aoba before he's ready will not end well. Instead, he rubs the little angel's back gently as he waits, a blank expression on his face. He wants to worry, to fret, to shake Aoba until he responds and tells him that he still cares about him.

He can feel a growl growing in his throat as little Aoba tries to explain away his parents' cruel actions but he keeps his voice in check, not wanting to interrupt. 'He has some things to say, I need to. . . .' Despite his efforts, a small whine finds it's way out as the angel tries to get out of his lap and against his will he pulls Aoba back into a tighter embrace, unable to let the smaller male go. He knows that he needs to try and respect what the other wants, but in the end, he is a demon, and demon are selfish.

He feels his grip tightening even further as Aoba once more brings up the idea of them being separated and he adopts a hurt expression. Hearing the angel almost angry, but weeping, Kuro is at a loss for a beat before he slips his hand beneath Aoba's and draws his face out from it's hiding place. Bringing their lips together he holds the smaller male in a breath stealing kiss, not pulling back until he can feel Aoba's need for air becoming uncomfortable. He only draws back just far enough to look into those beautiful blue eyes, his own red ones glowing with intensity.

“I stay with you because it is my choice to do so. Being with you, here, sharing a life, is the happiest I have ever been in my life, and I won't give that feeling up no matter how many people disapprove. I am not sorry I took you out of heaven.” He feels a bite in the back of his throat, afraid his words will hurt Aoba, but his selfish nature urging him on. “I am sorry it hurt, but I am not sorry to have taken you away from absent parents, an unappreciative boss, and a place where if you described it of any human's life you would consider it abusive.” He takes another kiss from the smaller male. “I stay because you are important to me, and even if you don't understand, that doesn't matter. As long as you don't hate me and will have me, I am happy, and that is the best anyone can hope for in life.” His thumb slides up to swipe under Aoba's eyes, caressing his cheeks gently.