Golden wings

Chapter 36 - Solace

He felt broken, incomplete...

His gaze was fixed on the floor. Any human could have sworn that there was a perfect sculpture in the dark room, sitting at the edge of the bed. He stayed like that, for hours.

His sharp amber eyes moved, to glance at the bedside table. There was an apple... which he quickly ignored again. He glanced sideways at the door; he could still see a faint violet glow below, which came from the corridor.

Uriel had left. He did... But as soon as he set foot outside, he had controlled an armor. He had not wanted to leave without keeping an eye in his manor, on him.

The helmet of said armor had that violet glow, that eerie glint he now knew well. It did not fade, not for a single moment. And he knew it hurt; he had lived here enough time to know it was not easy to control it while being away. It would bring immense fatigue to control it for a minute... And that glow had been there for two days already, without rest. Two days, Uriel had been gone for two days, because Ayako's home was far.

His demon was alert. Uriel felt fear; he could hear the faint creak of metal. He could hear the armor tremble, while it kept a constant vigilance in the corridor near his room.

That armor had moved before. Uriel had not desisted on bringing him food, even if he refused to acknowledge it. The armor had gone into his room a few hours ago, slowly. The light in its helmet had shivered when it fixed on him, with apprehension. His demon knew that being near him or his puppets unnerved him. So he only used the armor to leave an apple on the bedside table... And then had left him be.

It had been a silent plea.

Uriel should have not bothered. He told him. He told him there was no reason to make her forget, not when there was a much easier solution, which would make things better, for everyone.

He would not care... He felt half dead anyway. But of course, Uriel did not listen to him. Again. And now...

Alexis frowned, because he heard the armor creak more noisily. He could hear it struggle to keep itself from crumbling; its loud clacks echoed all through, even into his room. It was obvious why the armor was like that. Its loud rustles almost sounded like wails...

Uriel was with her. Right now. And he couldn't do anything about it. He could do nothing to stop him. He was stuck here, still healing and in pain, with an unending supervision, help he did not want.

The angel closed his eyes and let his face rest onto his hands, tired of everything.

Ayako's loss and sorrow would mean nothing if he surrendered now. Now, he wouldn't be able to let go like he wished. And it hurt... Uriel did not understand his feelings. He had not listened.

He felt trapped. And this time... It was not for the fear of dying.

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The hall was too silent.

Uriel had been fast, even if he knew that Alexis was safe. He knew he was still in his room. However, no matter how much he reassured himself of the angel's wellbeing, he worried. His heart had hurt while being away, but it had nothing to do with the spell that afflicted him. He hurt more with the knowledge that he had brought pain to both of them.

He was worried, but he found himself halting as he ventured into his manor. The candles were off, everything was dark, and he could not see the second floor or the end of the tall stairs at his sides. He slowly glanced at the corridor that led to the living room, and towards Alexis' room.

Uriel held his claws together and closed his eyes for a moment. He allowed himself a second of silence, before stepping forward.

Part of him wanted to see Alexis. Part of him dreaded doing so. He knew he was alive; he had no doubt of that, he would know instantly if he died. He had kept that armor watching, to make sure that the depressed angel did not try anything in his absence. He had let him be, most of the time. He had not watched directly. He had only moved the armor twice, to leave some food.

He did not know how Alexis was doing, or how he was feeling.

Hell... He did know how he was feeling. The idiot had dared to suggest... He had dared to say that if she believed him to be dead...

Uriel growled. He refused to even think about that. Not again.

He made it clear already. She would be fine. She would heal. She would stop hurting, one day. He was sure that she would have agreed that Alexis did not deserve that. He did not deserve to die. He would help him, he wanted it or not.

His feet began to move, slowly at first. But he soon found himself walking fast towards Alexis' room, eyes fixed ahead. He turned without doubt around every corner; he did not stop when he finally saw that door.

There was silence... The armor had stopped trembling.

An angel laid his hands closer to his chest and closed his eyes. He hid as much as he could in the bed. He just lied still, because he was unable to run or flee. He heard how the door opened, slowly and timidly. He did not want to see the light; he did not want to see it come into the dark of his room. He did not want to see those violet eyes. But he still heard him, he still sensed his emotions. He heard him contain a faint sob... He heard a choked whisper.

"T-thank you..."

Uriel cried while he stared at the remains of a half-eaten apple.

Alexis answered him with silence.