Chapter Text
This fic is set right after Chapter Eight of "And The Ground Has Been Pulling Us Back Down" I'd advise reading it for context, but all good if not :]
Gabriel didn’t say anything as Minos carried him through the dim streets of Lust’s ruins.
Neither had much to say since Minos had managed to talk Gabriel into some sort of sanity. Their…well Gabriel’s little cry-fest had seemingly exhausted both of them. Now, the king was much too focused on his navigation, and Gabriel was stuck in his head.
He was confused if he were to be honest, which he tried to be, given only snakes lied.
Warily, Gabriel spared a glance at one of the serpents wrapped around Minos’s arms before shaking his head slightly.
That was the question, wasn’t it?
Had Minos lied to him?
The Prime Soul in question held Gabriel just above the faint layer of dust (or was it fog?) that seemed to hover endlessly a few feet above the dilapidated streets.
Gabriel had choked something awful on it as he’d tumbled to the ground hours ago, his lungs heaving the mist as his vision blurred. The angel shook the thought away, keeping such weakness in the back of his mind. He drew his attention back to reality.
He kept replaying his previous conversation with Minos in his head.
Minos had promised he wouldn’t hurt him. He’d called him beautiful, a prince, for heaven’s sake. He’d railed against the council, he'd been mad, but he was enraged for Gabriel, not at him. He'd said he...loved Gabriel.
No one was supposed to be doing that, not even his brothers.
The angel shuddered as he tried to swallow down the uncomfortable idea of being loved by a man like Minos.
“Surly it couldn't be a lie?"
Gabriel wasn’t sure. Minos had lied about a whole city after all. Though he seemed to care about Gabriel's well-being. If he didn't, he would've let him rot out in the ruins.
“Perhaps it’s just a ploy to make you return to the castle?” something that sounded like Justice mumbled in his head. "So he can use you."
The small rush of catharsis that’d come from the Prime Soul promising him safety wore off, leaving Gabriel spiraling as Minos wandered closer to the castle.
He was all too familiar with being used.
He truly wasn’t cut out for this. He missed the killing fields, he missed being angry and fuming with rage, that was so much easier than whatever this midngame was.
They were making it quickly out of the deeper ruins thanks to Minos’s seemingly endless stamina, and Gabriel felt vaguely guilty for how far he’d managed to fly in just a few minutes. By now the false sun that provided Lust with little light had set, leaving the palace to glitter far away, the only source of light besides a couple of stray lights and the faint blue glow of Gabriel’s wings.
Gabriel worried quietly over Minos’s mute demeanor. It was unlike the King to be so quiet.
Perhaps he was mad at Gabriel for flying so far away? If Gabriel had pulled this sort of thing with the council he'd probably be on his 500th lashing by now.
Gabriel wished he could separate himself from where his skin lay against smooth white flesh. It would serve him better if he stood on his own fucking feet. It'd make him feel a bit less like a brain being pulled in a hundred directions. Even better, it'd make Minos stop touching him and making his heart flutter.
Exhaustion, unfortunately, made vaulting out of the Prime Soul's arms difficult. Gabriel’s limbs felt heavy. He was reminded very vaguely of some sort of a story Minos had told him, about a man who'd had hands of gold. Gabriel's body certainly felt that heavy. He felt human of all things, he could hardly hold some of his eyes open while his gaze grumpily met the horizon.
He’d flown too much and too fast into the ruins of Lust. This was his fault
He was still too weak from losing the Father’s light to pull such a stunt. The depraved burst of adrenaline that’d scattered his mind back in the kitchens had made him able to ignore the deep ache resting along his back and the pure exhaustion that came from a good month of ignoring himself, but that’d faded now. Gabriel was left with a deep ache behind his cried-out eyes and a heavy feeling throughout his limbs.
So he didn’t move.
He hated it, he hated feeling so weak. He'd been flying since he was manifested. He hadn't slept for a thousand years, and now he crashed to the ground and felt sleep tug at his soul every few days. At least with the council, he knew he was strong, even if he was just a slab of meat to throw around. He’d had a purpose there, a direction to swing his swords and focus his rage.
When he was with the council, he knew the truth.
This whole layer was going to drive him insane.
He hated this kindness that was so undeserved and Minos’s web of soft words that he couldn’t decipher. He hated how safe he felt, even as he tormented himself, it made his heckles rise and his eyes scatter to find familiar danger.
Why couldn't Minos be like the council? Strick and wicked, but somewhat predictable.
Why did he carry him, and clothe him, and try to feed him and love him
Why did Gabriel want Minos to be kind so badly?
As they approached the castle, the wind shuffled past softly, blowing a dark purple robe and ruffling blonde hair. Gabriel noticed how Minos would sometimes tense and sigh, as though he had something to say, but never uttered a word. It seemed he was upset still.
Before Gabriel knew it he was back within plaster halls and bead-covered walls, being toted around by Minos into a familiar set of turns.
At first, he wasn’t sure. The torches could be dim after all, but no, Minos was indeed leading him back to his chambers.
Gabriel groaned.
The itch to get out of Minos's arms grew more pressing.
He’d just been in the Prime Soul’s bed this afternoon. He didn’t need to be tucked in and coddled.
“Minos,” he rasped out and immediately winced. He'd meant for that to be much more threatening.
“Yes, angel?” the Prime Soul hummed, making Gabriel want to melt into him to his own annoyance.
“Put me down” Gabriel managed after a moment. His voice was stronger this time. He pressed a hand weakly to the Prime Soul’s chest. “I-I can find somewhere else to sl-sleep.”
“Like that dreadful church?” Minos shot back.
Gabriel blinked. He wasn't prepared for the slightly accusatory pitch of Minos's voice.
“I-just, no, just not your bed. I can fin-find something.”
“Thou would fall’st over if I left thee to walk these halls,” Minos said lightly as his foot found the final step of a grand staircase. Gabriel felt the rumble through his fingers.
“No-I, I won’t” Gabriel lied through his teeth, desperate still to keep the image of strength despite being carried like a damsel.
“Yes thy would,” Minos stated as the pair turned a corner that Gabriel knew was closer to the Prime Soul’s room. "Thou would tumble to the floor."
Gabriel’s mouth opened and closed a few times, but he found he couldn’t summon up the energy or bravery for a retort.
Gabriel had seemed to of underestimated the firm side of Minos’s gentleness.
"Why won't he just get mad?" some part of Gabriel lamented.
“If it’s an issue of the bed I shall leave thee to sleep,” Minos said after a moment of thought.
Gabriel tensed and mentally fumbled.
“It’s your bed” the angel argued lowly. “I couldn- It's not…mine.”
Minos made a noise, like a laugh. It wasn’t cruel though, more of an acknowledgment that Gabriel had spoken as he bumped the door to his quarters open.
“And? Did I not say this is thy house as well? Thou would not be the first to lay within my bed simply for rest, and undoubtedly thou is most in need of it…”
Gabriel's suspicion of Minos only rose. This house was most certainly not his. He'd done nothing but wallow in, or wreck it.
Minos strode into his elaborate bed chamber and deposited Gabriel into the swarm of pillows and blankets the angel had tumbled out of earlier in the day.
He was still wary of how soft it was.
“I require little sleep angel, thy, on the other hand, seem to need it quite terribly.”
Gabriel blinked slowly as the warmth of the bed around him caught up to his bone-deep exhaustion.
“But-”
A broad thumb rested on his lips as Minos cupped his face and loomed over him in a way that caused warmth to roar into Gabriel’s cheeks.
“Just rest my prince, there is no reason to feel guilty for sleeping of all things.”
As Minos removed his hand Gabriel tried to glare. His eyes fought to stay open as he found his mind already falling into the soothing darkness that’d threatened him for the past few hours. The Prime Soul leaned away, seemingly satisfied.
“Wait,” Gabriel murmured, loosely grabbing Minos’s wrist.
The Prime Soul seemed startled but moved back in.
Gabriel bore his eyes up into the void of the Prime Soul’s face.
His heart thundered within his chest as his jaw flexed.
“Did you lie,” is on the tip of his tongue. Gabriel wanted this to be over fast if this truly was a trick, but before he could utter the question, one of Minos’s snakes curled into view. It peered at him with bright red eyes as Minos titled his head. The words die.
Only snakes lie......
But
Perhaps Gabriel could live this lie, it was kind.
He tumbled straight into unconsciousness as Minos hummed fondly. In the morning, he'd forget to ask the angel what he'd meant to say.
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