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There was a change in the Angel Devil after completing a rather bloody, grueling mission.
Nobody in Special Division Four had noticed it except for Aki Hayakawa.
Special Division Four were making their way back to headquarters and the group was gaining their fair share of attention; the pair that acted like bratty five-year-olds were bickering with each other with booming voices (well, Power was laughing hysterically with her so-called “intelligent” remarks while Denji simply snickered) while Kobeni whimpered and cried close to Galgali’s side. The Devil, the fiend, the human-turned-Devil, and the sobbing human were all an embarrassing, freakshow who walked down the busy sidewalk.
The more mature adults walked behind the entertaining circus and they kept their eyes transfixed on headquarters. They were exhausted and were dreading the lengthy amount of paperwork that was ahead of them, but most importantly, they were eager to clean themselves off. Devil blood stained their layered uniforms and it dared to cling onto their hair and skin too.
Aki was far too used to blood, guts, and other unsightly scenes that many would lose their stomachs over. The Devil Hunter, the complete opposite of the normal person, didn’t bat a single eye in discomfort, annoyance, or disgust.
The sinful textures that grazed his skin,
The disgusting smell that varied from Hellish beast to Hellish beast filled his lungs,
And the wet weight that clawed and hung onto his ruined uniform…
With his loathing for hybrids, fiends, Devils, and everything else in between, he took pride when his kills were skillfully messy with a dead, tortured victim in the end. In some twisted way, he rather liked the feeling of coming out victorious with a slain monster weeping on his still living and breathing body. It was his trophy every time, his art of sorts, that revealed Aki was sharpening his skills and marching towards his main goal.
But whatever fluttering delight that eagerly desired praise for a job well done today disintegrated to one of silent curiosity.
The more the group walked and the closer their tired feet brought them to headquarters, the more Aki noticed the change in the Angel Devil’s demeanor.
Angel was almost equally bloody like the rest of them. His steps were lazy and slow while he followed behind the rambunctious four that led them forward. The Devil stayed silent while he absentmindedly listened to their overbearing conversations. He kept his head low to avoid any small talk they wanted to bring him into and his overall shrinking presence made him appear almost invisible.
His wings held close to his body, drooped just a minuscule lower than where they were normally held. Thick, rich red oozed the length of individual, artistically layered feathers and some vile drops fell to plop onto the concrete beneath their feet. Angel’s wings looked heavy, but not ruined to the point of possible injury. They simply swung side to side with every bored step that brought them closer to the so-called home that held him like a prisoner.
Aki kept his hands buried in his pockets and he allowed his eyes to stay low. He stared at that small figure that infatuated him in ways he had once despised. The Devil Hunter made sure his wandering gaze wouldn’t catch any unwanted attention from bystanders and especially anyone in the mismatched, dysfunctional group that he was forced into.
The pair, some time ago, had grown aware of one another’s presence. Aki steadily began to swoon like some sappy teenager over the Devil while Angel’s fascination for the human developed into something much more. They noticed one another’s slip-ups that grew apparent day by day until something changed when their emotions got the best of them.
They were estranged when they had first met, the two barely putting up with each other, and it was the crimson-haired man who took a step forward and lured Aki towards an opportunity he couldn’t refuse a few weeks ago. Their carefully planned, undercover escapades that encouraged the Devil to strip bare while Aki protected himself with fabrics aided them both to understand one another on a more mutual level. To some fucked up degree, of course.
Their sexual desires, or at the very least, their physical attraction to each other, allowed their defenses, labels, and roles to vanish to absolutely nothing the more they hid away in their private, rented hotel room. Those emotions that got the best of them were growing bigger and stronger every time they were together. Aki and Angel, a Devil Hunter and a Devil were developing a bond based on an accidental discovery and a once-in-a-lifetime offer.
“You’ll deal with the paperwork, right?” Angel mumbled. Stepping into headquarters, the crimson-haired man guided himself away from the group and towards a hallway that would lead him elsewhere.
Before Aki or any of the other responsible humans could correct his terrible manors and possibly threaten him about his neglect towards the bureau, Angel’s bored frame vanished among fellow Devil Hunters and other human workers.
“I’ll… I’ll take care of that Devil in a moment,” Aki dismissed in a firm voice. Watching after the Devil a second more, the raven-haired man turned his head away in the direction of their next chore. “Let’s inform Makima of today’s finding and file our paperwork. You’ll be dismissed after.”
Angel continued to walk forward and everyone who went against his gait or with, all kept a wide distance away from his soul-sucking body. He didn’t care or mind the familiarity of their fears. The Devil had dealt with it for as long as he could remember- what he could remember. Simply keeping quiet, with his expression sullen from any sort of glinting excitement, Angel walked deeper and further inside the expanding building.
The hallways grew darker, more compact, and the doors thickened to protect the world from the vile creatures inside. He listened to evil whispers, beckoning calls and twisted cackles echo throughout the hallway that housed Devils and fiends alike. Hearing the familiarity that normally surrounded his dingy room caused Angel to relax his wings with utter disgust. His flight feathers dragged along the polished floor and they sketched a trail of oozing red.
It didn’t take Angel long to situate himself beneath running water. Sitting on a stool in his bathroom, he slouched and his glazed eyes stared down at the tiled floor. The trickling heat from above teased across every inch of his naked form and it caused the Devil to react.
"I hate when I get blood on my wings,” Angel finally muttered. Staring at the running water that danced along his limbs and dripped off of his hair, he grimaced from the continued sight of red. Simply basking in the way the freshwater was rinsing his current sins away until they could plague his nightmares that night, Angel closed his eyes. He allowed the minutes to tick by at a painstakingly slow rate.
He couldn’t believe his original thoughts while they were on their mission that day. The gummy-like Devil that could easily extend its limbs and spit body fluids was something he had deemed delicious the second he had bitten into a sliced-off piece. It entertained him in a way while the rest of Division Four fought to their heart's content. They fought as if their life depended on it while he waited for his demise like any other day.
Tasting the Devil, extending his wings to protect his comrades, and lazily watching from the sidelines was something he did time and time again. He only did it to please the bureau to a degree, just enough so he could enjoy another day that involved ice cream.
Angel allowed his Devil side to reveal itself in a way Power, Galgali, Denji, and the others did whenever he was ordered to (which he despised). He drained lives away in a blink of an eye and consumed them when his stomach beckoned for a sickening sweet meal from his kind.
He was a foul, disgusting monster who was feared by many and Angel couldn’t care less. His lazy mannerism allowed him to think in such a way that he accepted himself as is without issue.
But now? With his motto of him being a Devil before an Angel ringing in his ears as if he was scolding himself like some bratty, immature child? With the lingering taste of a Devil heavily coating his mouth like poison? With Aki’s current well-being creeping to the very front of his mind?
Angel could almost chuckle at that very moment.
An old friend was visiting him.
His Angel side was showing. His jumbled thoughts were bickering with one another over what was right and wrong- Angel versus Devil.
His Angel side had revealed itself the second blood splattered and guts exploded like some cliche scene from a movie during their mission.
His Angel side was whispering in his ears and threatening for a good time; threatening him with typical human tendencies.
Emotions he had forgotten long ago were stirring within him and Angel allowed them to swallow him whole. He was alone in his dingy, suffocating room after all. Nobody would see his reactions while he filed through each and every single emotion as if it would be the last time.
He despised the heavy, suffocating weight that clung to his wings as if they were saturated in concrete. It felt like his whole body had been coated stiff and Angel shifted in his spot with discomfort.
He grew ill from the stickiness that dared to smear along his thin, pale limbs. It caused his nose to scrunch and his brows to draw together in annoyance.
The sickening, sweet smell stung his nostrils and pierced through his lungs to the point he wanted to gag. It made him grumble curses beneath his breath and exhale the stench on his tongue in disgust.
“Just what I feared,” Angel sighed. He childishly muttered and frowned in utter distaste from his white feathers that had been stained with a hint of pink- a hint of what his Devilish side sinfully enjoyed like the vile monster he was.
“You have fears? That’s quite interesting coming from somebody from the likes of you.”
Never flinching, gasping, or reacting to the intruding voice, Angel continued to hold his head low. The crimson-haired man had extended his wings a few minutes ago and he allowed them to curve forward. Staring at his primary feathers, the second primaries, and the other, shrinking layers, his expression steadily softened into something unreadable. The side he rarely embraced grew distant and fuzzy till only the human that fascinated him was at the front of his mind.
“Aki, shouldn’t you be completing the paperwork from our mission today?” Angel questioned. His ears perked from the calculated steps from the human. Lowering his wings until they were slack with lengthened feathers sprawled on the ground, he finally lifted his head.
The raven-haired man never reacted to the question while he stood in the doorframe. He stared at Angel’s back that was exposed to him, wings weak with revealed tiredness. Aki blinked a few times and he basked in the white noise of running water and feathers sloshing against the tiled floor. He noted Angel’s water was running without any signs of soapsuds.
“I completed my part, along with yours,” Aki finally answered. Pushing away from the door frame, he stepped further into the small bathroom. His eyes fluttered closed and he began to shed off his filthy clothes in a casual sort of manner. “I didn’t feel like dealing with babysitting Power and Denji to do their parts a second more. They exhausted me so much today that I found another gray hair on my way here.”
“You humans have this bizarre obsession with body changes,” Angel commented.
“I don’t have an obsession with my body changes. I simply made a note that I ran away after completing my tasks, including your neglect that slowed me down. I need at least five minutes away from them to rejuvenate my energy to some degree,” he replied. Straightening his arm, he dropped his coat and shirt in a bag he had specifically brought along for his ruined clothes.
Tilting his chin up so his plastering hair could be guided away from his eyes, he peered over at the human. Angel blinked in a lazy sort of manner. “Why are you here, Aki?”
“You never informed anyone if you were injured or not. With how bloody our mission was and you disappearing on us the second we entered headquarters, I took it upon myself to check to see if you are well or not. It didn’t take me long to find the trail of blood from your wings,” Aki informed. Answering directly to the Devil while he unbuckled his pants, his gaze began to observe the entirety of the bathroom he had never been in before.
Silently, Angel was rather surprised Aki had tracked him down. The human had pushed aside some of his responsibilities just to check over his physical health. Angel released a light hum in the back of his throat from the simple thought. Tracking every minuscule movement the raven-haired man made while he felt something pluck at his heart gently, Angel cracked a ghost-like smile. He steadily sat straight on the stool and brought his wings to their usual position.
“There are no cameras or recording devices in my room,” Angel answered his silent questions. Gaining those dark blue eyes that began to relax, he avoided them and continued. “Since I don’t pose any threats, they go easy on me.”
“I see. That means I can shower with you.”
Raising his head the closer Aki got, he drew his legs closer to his stool. “You’re being careless.”
“You always say that whenever I’m close to you,” Aki murmured. Wedging his finger beneath his hair tie, he pulled and allowed his hair freedom. He slipped his rubber band over his wrist while he reached out for the bottle of soap that was provided by the bureau. It was a bland, clean odor he had smelled time and time again on Angel.
“I’m not talking about that right now. Aki, my room does not lock from the inside, so someone might come in and see.”
“When was the last time you had a visitor?” Aki returned. He cocked his head rather curiously when those artistically layered feathers fluffed in a way he couldn’t understand. Not receiving an answer except Angel lowering his head in submission, he continued his caring actions. Holding the bottle of soap upside down, Aki squeezed it and allowed a small puddle to seep into Angel’s hair.
“Now why would you do that?” He sighed. Puffing his cheeks in a pout, Angel reached up to thread his fingers through saturated, red strands.
“Rinsing the blood off of your body with just water won’t do it for me. Wash or I’ll return to the higher-ups and explain that you’re injured,” Aki ordered.
“Threatening me with a good time, are we, human?” Angel equally challenged back. Never once raising his voice, he kept his ground in their futile argument in his normal, soft tone. Scratching his nails on his scalp in lazy circles, his eyes fluttered closed while he properly began to take care of himself. He wasn’t one who enjoyed receiving orders or felt ecstatic about following them through, but for stubborn Aki, he’d make an exception.
Watching Angel’s dull demeanor make its appearance while he worked on himself, Aki felt satisfied to some degree. He began to glance around the bathroom again while he stood close to the Devil. The bathroom was small in size, bland in color, and held no sort of personal belongings that signaled anybody was living there.
The water that trickled from above widened when Angel reached for the nob. It was specially made just for him to accommodate his needs which aided in caring for his wings at times like this. Allowing Aki to join him beneath the warmth that finally started to seep into every fiber of his being, he began to feel his attention drift towards the human that mirrored his actions.
They scrubbed through their hair until every strand was silky to the touch. They guided sponges along every surface on their skin- one smooth without a hint of a cursed life while the taller one was littered with scars from his endless battles. Soap curved and flowed south with every limb, every hidden crevice they had only ever revealed to each other, and down the drain to be forgotten.
“How do you wash your wings?”
After some time, Angel’s stool was abandoned and shoved off to the side. He stood in its place while he rubbed off the remaining soapsuds from his legs. The Devil didn’t feel an ounce of shame while he was bent over with the human standing beside him. There was no reason to feel flustered, shy, or embarrassed about his body. Aki had seen it a handful of times before anyway.
“Just like this. I rinse them out and air dry them,” he replied plainly. Standing at full height, Angel stretched his arm out and he turned off the water. Not even questioning if the raven-haired man was done, he left the area beneath the dripping ceiling. Squeezing the excess water from his hair, his wings shook in quick, shivering movements.
Admiring the sight of those working wings, Aki ran his fingers through his damp hair. He listened to the white noise of those plastered feathers brushing and slapping against one another. Water droplets that were shaken off playfully flicked about the entirety of the bathroom and it even included his naked frame. They tapped at his broad body and kissed his faintly blushing cheeks.
Distracting himself before any hint of desire could flicker with life, Aki began to speak without revealing his wandering thoughts. “Where is your-”
“Here.”
Holding out a towel for the other to take, Angel lifted his gaze. For the first time since Aki had invaded his privacy, he finally caught those dark blue eyes that had been observing every minor and grand movement of his. He held that contact that was calm like the deepest parts of the ocean. They were tame, quiet, and collected in a way that caused Angel to feel a comfort of sorts drape over his shoulders like some welcoming embrace.
Aki’s unwavering attention soothed those emotions that were still simmering in the pit of his stomach. That discomfort, annoyance, and disgust he had felt earlier were vanishing down the drain that had swept away any evidence of blood that burned their skin. The taste on his tongue, however, continued to linger and kept reminding Angel of what sort of cursed life he possessed.
Stretching his wing and curving it with the side of his body to conceal himself, Angel raised a brow with a blank look. “What, Aki? I thought part of our agreement was to keep things professional here.”
“Says the one who allowed me to shower with you, knowing there’s a chance of somebody walking in,” Aki replied. Drying himself off, he kept that contact with those vibrant, lazy eyes that were as rich as freshly drawn blood. Earning a hint of an unpleasant expression, Aki decided to continue in slight amusement. “I’m not interested in anything sexual right now. I was just looking at your wings. Your feathers look pink.”
“I know,” he deadpanned. Huffing a breath from the obvious, Angel turned away and he left the bathroom. Not even bothering to properly dry himself off fully, he lazily brushed his towel over whatever he could reach. Angel had paced around his small living space naked before and he didn’t mind revealing his routine to the human that invaded his so-called “home” for the first time.
Tying off the bag that possessed his bloody clothes, Aki shoved it off to the side for proper disposal. Reaching into the other bag he had brought along, the raven-haired man pulled out an identical pair of clothes that were pressed to perfection. Staring at it for a few seconds, he soon placed it off to the side. Not even bothering to dress for the time being, Aki walked out of the bathroom and into the mostly empty bedroom. He had come to take care of Angel, not himself.
A single bed, a cornered TV, a chest, and a stiff chair filled the Angel Devil’s room. A medium-sized window adorned the outside wall and ironed bars vertically blocked almost half of the view to the outside world. No pictures hung on the solid walls, no items were laid out to be admired, and no sort of charming characteristics dressed up the room. The aesthetics were similar to one of a luxurious, prison cell.
“I wish my place looked as clean as yours,” Aki noted. Thinking back on Denji and Power’s ill manners, especially the obnoxious fiend who left behind a disastrous mess everywhere she went (especially the bathroom), he felt his eye twitch from the recurring nightmares. He immediately distracted himself by tightly wrapping his towel around his waist.
“I have no reason to keep items you humans would consider precious. There’s nothing worth keeping. It’ll end up in the trash once I die,” Angel murmured. Tossing his folded towel on the floor, he released a dragged breath while he settled directly on top of it. Sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, the crimson-haired man lifted his gaze to watch Aki’s reaction.
Walking around the Devil without expressing what he felt, Aki fingered along the chest resting at the end of the bed. He tapped at the polished wood.
“May I?”
“I don’t mind.”
Guiding the lid open to peer at its contents, he noted several work outfits and a small bag. Pulling the zipper open on the bag he had seen a handful of times before, Aki dipped his hand inside and he pulled out gloves that would stretch to fit his size. Silently making a note to provide Angel with another box of gloves and a handful of masks that would be used during their sexual escapades, Aki guided the chest closed.
“If I were to possess anything, it would probably be inspected to see if I would harm myself or others with it,” Angel added. He continued to stare at Aki while the man made himself comfortable. Watching him settle on the bed and directly in front of him, Angel admired the way every single digit was steadily wrapped in sensual black before the entirety of his hands were concealed. That spark of curiosity he only felt for Aki began to bloom and he silently cursed at himself.
“Open your wings.”
“Giving me orders again, huh?” Angel questioned with a laced sigh. Straightening his arms, his fingers curled over his ankles. The crimson-haired man brought his shoulders up and close to his head to appear nonchalant. “Didn’t you give me enough orders during our mission?”
“Open your wings,” Aki repeated, his voice softening. Holding his hand out, he twirled his finger in a circular motion.
Silently, the Devil obeyed his tender command. The tips of his drooping flight feathers pointed outwards and the rest of his plastering feathers flowed downward in a straight pattern. Gradually growing smaller and thicker until they hid behind his relaxed shoulders, his wings were properly displayed for Aki.
Keeping his hand perfectly still, Aki’s eyes traced over every single feather. He looked over every single one that peered from behind the smaller man’s frame. Aki’s itching hand finally reached out till his index touched the center of Angel’s right wing. Putting pressure against the area, he gained the faintest twitch and a slight frown.
“ Ouchie …”
“Your mind was so far gone that you didn’t notice this?” Aki pointed out. Wiggling his index and thumb, the pair fingered at a particular feather. Thumbing at the base of the quill, his other digits gently enveloped the length of its body. Blood seeped at the base of the feather and traveled south along the shaft.
“Why are you concerned about where my mind is?”
“Because I care about you.”
Those words hung heavily between them. Those eyes, as rich and as red as freshly drawn blood, widened ever so slightly from Aki’s sweet words. Even Aki held his breath when he realized what he had said, but he kept his focus on Angel’s injury. Their hearts grew jittery and their stomachs fluttered with those obnoxious butterflies. Silently, they basked in the simplicity of their feelings and the contact between their bodies.
Angel turned his head off to the side to control himself. His cheeks dusted a pretty shade of pink while those words rang in his head like church bells. Since the very beginning, only Aki had bravely broken down those invisible walls hybrids, Devil’s, and humans alike had constructed around him. The taller man bravely and even stupidly stood at his side instead of keeping a fearful distance away.
He suddenly released the smallest of sounds in his throat and his wing twitched from the foreign pain he had never received from the man. Aki began to massage around the damaged feather to further assess the injury and he was thankful for the distraction. Angel had received injuries before that included his wings and they were ones he always took care of himself. But having the raven-haired man nurture him back to full health….
“You’re an idiot,” Angel sweetly exhaled.
“What?”
“I said my… Angel side showed up today,” he murmured. Not even daring to repeat his words that were meant to stay in the back of his mind, Angel focused on angling his wing just right for Aki’s working hand.
His brows knitted together from the odd confession. Aki briefly glanced at him. “Your Angel side?”
“Emotions that are usually laced with the purity of Angels, I guess. Emotional, human tendencies drunken out my usual self. I felt remorse for what my Devil side had done today; annoyance with the mission, discomfort from the sight of the slain Devil today, and disgust with how the blood felt on me. I don’t like getting messy because my Angel side overpowers my Devil side.”
“Is that why you asked for a handkerchief for that one mission?” Aki questioned. Using his other covered hand to press pressure into the area, his force encouraged another quiet curse. Using the distraction to his advantage, he pinched the feather and swiftly forced it out.
“Yes. I hate getting dirty!” Angel hissed. Glaring at the human’s hand that held the bloody feather, he soon stretched and retracted his wing. Easing the pain out of his limb, Angel soon brought it close to inspect the bare spot.
“I’ll remember that the next time we’re out. We don’t need someone from Division Four distracted. Distractions lead to injuries and death. You’re lucky this is all that happened to you,” he murmured. Running his thumb along the bloody shaft that thickened at the base, Aki brought it closer to his face to investigate the overall appearance.
“I just need to consume some blood. I’m sure they’ll be making their rounds soon with lunch. I’ll just request some,” Angel shrugged off. Not wanting to linger on the subject anymore, he moistened his lips from the thought of something edible. Something normal to human standards- at least to a degree that Aki understood.
“How much do you need?”
“Not much. One ruined feather isn’t the end for me. Probably a few drops,” Angel answered. Relaxing his wings to their usual position once Aki had his fill, he finally began to groom himself. He fingered at his feathers and blew the excess water off of his digits. Not feeling a single ounce of shame while he sat on the floor completely naked, Angel basked in the sudden silence.
Leaning back, Aki rested his clean hand against the thin sheets. He fingered the bloody quill with his other and he took caution to not ruin the soft, symmetrical barbs that captivated him months ago. His lashes fluttered low and he took in the breathtaking sight sitting before him.
The prison-like window allowed the sun’s rays to pour into the room and its warmth blanketed over angelic wings. Feathers that had been dyed a pale pink glowed in a way that reminded Aki of stained glass dancing joyfully with the rich light. Those red locks, as rich as a poisoned apple, had darkened and glistened with health. That alluring halo radiated its light source, but he could have sworn it was brighter than normal.
“I received a cut from the mission today.”
Pinching a pin feather, Angel continued preening himself. He couldn’t help himself to tease and reply in a dull manner. “Are you ordering me to take care of you now? Do you want a bandaid and a boo-boo kiss for it to heal?”
Aki huffed a breath and the corner of his mouth curled in a faint smile. He leaned forward and rested an elbow against his knee to gain Angel’s attention. With his clean hand, he fingered along the edge of his dirty glove before traveling north along his arm.
“No. I don’t need a bandaid or a nurse’s cure.” Running his covered nail in a straight line, he teased an area on his bicep. With gentle pressure, Aki reopened a small cut he had received during their mission. “But you do. Your wings are very important and need to stay in optimal health. Just take some of mine.”
The shorter man blinked in surprise at the strange offer. He slowly sat straight and his widened gaze rose to meet those dark blue irises. Silently, he waited for Aki to joke or dismiss the offer, but the human had only ever spoken the truth with him. A covered, bloody thumb presented itself between their bodies and he swallowed thickly- Angel swallowed as hard as he could to get rid of the lingering taste of the Devil he had consumed earlier. The raven-haired man was being serious. Aki was presenting himself in a way he hadn’t done before.
Angel felt his heart grow jittery again from the given opportunity to deepen his relationship with the human that had been fascinating to him for weeks now. He felt his mouth begin to water the second he took in a calm breath through his nose. Aki’s blood smelled sweet and oh-so inviting.
“Eat every drop, Devil,” Aki whispered without a hint of malice to his second name. Hooking his index finger beneath a delicate chin, he smeared a rich line of red along his lower lip. “You remember how to open your mouth for me, right?”
“Not only are you a sadist and a wing freak, but you’re also a huge, bloody pervert,” Angel faintly murmured. Giving into the command that caused tingling warmth to lick the length of his spine, he caved to his hunger. His mouth grew slack and that delicious thumb pressed itself along the length of his tongue.
Angel almost closed his eyes in utter bliss. His cheeks flushed a pretty shade of red from that glinting look of interest on the man’s face. He sucked and lazily swirled his tongue around Aki’s thumb to the point he almost moaned. That sweet, intoxicating taste that reminded him of rich, melted butter caused him to grasp onto the towel beneath his body to control himself.
Aki Hayakawa tasted so fucking good.
Aki’s ears perked from the low, pleasant sigh that fell from Angel. He massaged that working tongue, rubbing and prodding in a way that would mimic a sensual kiss. The taller man couldn’t help to pet the inside of his mouth to the point he memorized the wet, smooth, and hot texture of Angel’s intoxicating insides.
Aki knew damn well what sort of plans he was going to have tonight over this exchange that meant so much to fiends, hybrids, and Devil’s alike.
He held his breath excitedly when the crimson-haired man released the smallest, barely-there sounds deep in his throat. Aki moistened his lips when those crimson-red eyes peeked beneath thick lashes just to stare up at him. They had darkened to something he was familiar with and he noted Angel’s body began to react to the situation that was escalating more than just a simple caring act.
“You ate everything.”
Wrapping his lips firmly around his digit, Angel made sure every single drop of blood and saliva stayed in his mouth when Aki retracted away. He licked his bottom lip clean and held the man’s flavor for just a few seconds more. Running his tongue along his teeth and against his cheeks, Angel forced himself to swallow. He didn’t realize his breaths were uneven or that his wings were quivering with anticipation until that fuzziness in his head cleared just enough.
“You’re lucky I’m not picky,” Angel muttered. Trying to recollect himself, he lowered his head to gain better control over his dopey expression.
Wiping his thumb clean on his towel, Aki couldn’t help himself to roll his eyes in light amusement. “I suppose that’s your way of saying you enjoyed that more than you should have?”
“Says the man whose towel looks different.”
“Touché.”
Feeling a prick of self-consciousness grasp at his smaller frame, Angel directed both of their attentions towards his wing. Opening it to reveal the area Aki had taken care of, he noticed the slight swelling and dull ache had begun to vanish. Something began to branch downward and once he massaged the wax off of the pin feather, a brand new one made its appearance.
Pure white as freshly fallen snow. Fluffy and silk to touch like-
“Hey!” Angel gasped. Tensing in shock, his jaw grew slack from the situation that was forced upon him.
Aki drew a long, dragged line of red on his newly birthed feather. The human had purposely smeared his blood on his finger just to ruin Angel’s clean look. Aki had actively gone against Angel’s desire to keep an angelic-like appearance in the world of humans versus Devil’s. Not understanding the madman’s actions that could always be read with ease, the crimson-haired man suddenly squinted in expressed annoyance.
“I saw a change in you today, Angel,” Aki began calmly. Pushing away from the bed, he turned towards the bathroom. Laying the ruined feather on the bathroom counter, his gloves were pulled off and properly disposed of. With calculated movements, Aki began to dress while he spoke. “Since you told me you hate getting dirty, I understand that you don’t enjoy victory from a mission.”
“Are you assuming getting messy means a job well done?” He huffed.
“No. Not for you, at least. I’m explaining that this mission went against your Angel morals. You went into action and not only received a minor injury, but you gained your enemy's filth without consent. Because of this, you deemed this wasn’t a successful mission and it changed your whole demeanor. Your Angel side decided to corrupt and punish your Devil side.”
Not exactly following along, Angel’s wings grew slack with irritation from the sudden lecture. Silently pouting, he continued to stare at Aki while the man dressed himself. He guided buttons in their holes and kept his steady attention on the mirror. With every movement, his loose hair swayed and stray droplets wet the fabric over his firm shoulders.
“I want you to know there’s a balance between the two sides of you right now.”
Fully dressed, Aki grew silent while he guided his hair back. Brushing every strand into place, he twisted and flicked his wrist while he tied everything into place. With a few turns of his head to check his overall appearance- to guarantee it didn’t look like he snuck away and spent time with the Devil he was supposed to keep a work persona with at all times- he noticed Angel’s face reflecting in the mirror.
His shoes clicked on the floor with calculated steps. Slipping a hand into a pocket, he took hold of a handkerchief. Wrapping a finger in the soft cloth, his protected digit soon stroked individual, artistically layered feathers he came to know and adore.
“You are a Devil before an Angel. The lives you consume that can be turned into weapons represent that. These feathers that are stained with blood represent that. This feather here with my blood- with my consent- reveals that you are a Devil through and through. A kind one, to be exact. A Devil who does not show any hostility towards humans. A Devil who tries to secretly apologize and comforts on occasion when you see a dead victim.”
“This offering staining part of your body should allow your Angel side to understand the actions you inflict on others. It is your duty to embrace these actions that will take out a dangerous Devil that may harm you and me. And it is your duty that your other actions that ease dying humans into the afterlife should be embraced as well- the Angel part of you.”
“Do not feel disgusted by this. Do not feel ashamed of this. Do not be annoyed by this. You were born a Devil and your Angel side should understand and accept that. You were born part Angel and your Devil side should understand and accept that. This is who you are. The Angel Devil.”
The evil whispers, beckoning calls, and twisted cackles that echoed in the halls of Angel’s prison-like home grew utterly silent. He felt and heard his heart pound and ring in his ears. The blush on his cheeks darkened and permanently stained his pale skin for the rest of his day. Angel swallowed and Aki’s sweet, welcoming taste continued to linger on his tongue. Something clicked in his mind and for some reason, he finally understood what was being told to him.
Aki said he hated fiends, hybrids, and Devils alike, but he held a soft spot for Power and Denji. He had a special soft spot for him . Aki acted harshly and gave out orders, but he was caring and tenderhearted. He was protective over him . Aki slayed his enemies without a second glance and he never expressed sympathy towards them. He revealed his most vulnerable sides to him .
Angel understood that Aki had invaded his personal space to check his overall mental and physical health. He was somewhat awkward, but the raven-haired man cared for his injury that he would have ignored entirely until the bloody feather had littered his floor. Aki gave him a boosting, encouraging speech just so those emotions that clawed at his vile, sinful body could blend and understand one another. His Devil and Angel side balanced in harmony and he embraced himself just enough in beginning acceptance.
Aki had done all of this within less than an hour; secretly behind a closed door, in the building where a Devil Hunter or someone working for the bureau could walk in and witness their developing bond. Their developing feelings between a Devil Hunter and a Devil that shouldn’t be, but it was planned destiny.
Angel’s wings fluffed with expressed happiness.
“I’ve been gone for too long. I have a feeling Power and Denji are caught up in some bullshit that I have to drag them out of,” Aki sighed. His lashes fluttered low and he playfully twirled his protected finger around Angel’s halo. Giving it a faint tug so he could admire his bashfulness in all of its vulnerable glory, Aki’s voice never once revealed what he was truly feeling. “I’m signing you out tomorrow for an extra… patrol. We should have time to eat a decent meal that doesn’t involve consuming the Slime Devil or ingesting my blood.”
“I want ice cream tomorrow,” Angel whispered. Understanding his hint, his wings curved outward in that signature heart shape Aki knew all too well.
“We’ll get ice cream,” he confirmed. Cocking his head when the other lowered his, Aki assumed he was being dismissed. He reluctantly pulled away and he turned for his belongings. He shoved his bag of dirty clothes into his work bag and hung it over his shoulder in a lazy sort of manner. Unfolding and laying the handkerchief flat in the palm of his hand, Aki picked up Angel’s ruined feather and cautiously wrapped it to protect it.
“I’ll let them know that you’re not injured and chose to clean yourself off in your room. With how messy today was, I’m sure they would understand your immediate neglect in informing them about today’s mission,” Aki continued. Slipping the protected feather into a hidden pocket on his coat, he glanced at his fingers. Angel’s blood from his ruined feather kissed his bare skin.
“I neglected to inform them because that’s too much work. Just like these missions, they’re too much work… I swear they purposely stress me,” Angel sighed. Dragging his knees to his chest, he lazily slumped against them. He peered over his bed and watched Aki walk towards the door.
Glancing over his shoulder, Aki gave Angel a lingering glance. “One of these days they’re going to lecture you about your reluctance. They just might add more patrols to your schedule as punishment. You wouldn’t want that, would you? Less time to laze around and do what you please?”
With that, Aki pulled the door open and left the mostly empty room. He walked down the long hallway full of evil whispers, beckoning calls, and twisted cackles that echoed. It seemed like they were louder this time, the monsters secretly whooping and hollering in excitement about something he wasn’t aware of. His familiar calm, working persona returned and he gave a light nod to workers who guarded the hallways at all hours.
He lifted his hand and glanced at the smudge of blood he purposely didn’t wipe away. Eyeing it curiously while he felt his body hum for him to act to his intrusive thought, Aki obeyed. Bringing his hand close the moment he turned a corner and he knew he was alone, he swiped his digit across his tongue.
Aki consumed Angel in a way Angel had consumed him.
He relished in the taste that was similar to his own. Sweet, metallic, but he could have sworn something even stronger lingered. It coated every inch of his mouth and he felt it water in response to the once-in-a-lifetime treat. His heart quickened and a hinting blush finally made its appearance from the sappy, cliche action he had just done.
Rather taken back at the way his human body reacted to just a drop of Devil blood, Aki held his head high and his expression grew neutral in a way everyone was familiar with. His cheeks, however, hinted with that pale blush while he analyzed what sort of exchange had taken place the moment he stepped into Angel’s room.
His questions, his wonders, and his thoughts were for him and him only. Nobody else needed to know the exchange between him and Angel. They were supposed to be a Devil Hunter and a Devil who worked in the same Division. Nothing more and nothing less. At least in the public eye.
.
Turning to face the window, Angel eyed the metal bars that prisoned him inside. He lifted his wing and he angled it just right for the sun’s rays to shine through his feathers. He traced over the thin outline of every single one with his eyes and even his nimble fingers. Some were white, some were an unnoticeable pink (except to him and Aki), while that one that stained red glowed for the most attention.
Burying his face between his knees, he hugged his legs tight against his body. His wings soon wrapped around him and Angel cocooned himself away from the world. The only thing that could be seen was his lower back, his peeking halo, and his feathered blanket of protection. He sighed like some sappy teenager in love and his blush grew unbearably hot. Petting his newly received feather that made him think of only that human who aided him at his weakest points, a crooked smile caught his lips.
“ Damnit, Aki…”