The Bleeding Stone

One

It was getting hard to breathe. The world was zoning in, narrowing down, quieting to the thrumming drum beat in his ears.

His muscles ached, his arms were heavy and his mind hurt. His heart was aching.

He could have fallen then, from that branch he perched on, but his claws dug too deep into the bark that he feared that even if he fell he'd dangle uselessly, like a rag doll nailed to the tree.

A whine like a kicked puppy left his lips as he slumped against the bark, too much blood gone from him and too little oxygen feeding his starved mind.

His lungs were on fire, hot and cold mixed into a horrible symphony. His fingers hurt more than anything, cut on too much of a black blade.

How on Earth did he let himself get so fooled? How did he let himself fall back into pattern so easily, like it would all be normal, like that person didn't know what he was just like back then.

Like that person wasn't someone dedicated to eradicating his life.

He could feel his claws finally loosening some, his legs burning but cramped as he panted in the summer night air, hot and sticky. He wished he had stayed bitter, unhappy and soured.

His blonde hair was matted with black blood, he felt like it would never wash out again. His teeth tasted like sunshine and sweets but that was just him anyway, not all angel blood tasted this good at all. He knew from experience.

He'd been sitting still too long when he heard a shriek pierce the air, screaming his name.

"Jack!"

It was too warm still, beckoned him to it still, pulled him like a magnet. They said opposites attract but he had to suppose they were too different to ever really fit together. Too many jagged edges.

It called out again and even if that thing was only talking he felt like it was yelling at him, coursing through his bones, making him remember each way that he'd said it, every different lilt and the way it was so similar when they had 'made love'.

It was frightening, more than that it was downright terrifying.

"Jackie! C'mon, just listen would you?"

Jack grit his teeth, tears pricking his eyes. He was too cruel, Gabriel was going to rip him apart and Jack didn't even know if the angel knew it himself.

"Jack please! What's going on?" Gabriel's voice stuttered and he sounded like he choked a little bit, agony lacing his words, "Is this your blood? Please baby, be okay..."

Jacks heart broke at that moment. If Gabriel thought he was dead it was for the best, even if he looked like crumpled paper folding and burning at the edges.

He unhinged himself and launched forward, trying to ignore the horrible bullet gnawing at his brain, biting through his skull like a .950 caliber man made bullet might. Only this time instead of reassembling it felt like he was still scattered, drunk, his limbs would not obey, not really.

He was too far away for Gabriel to hear him now, but he could still hear him. Anguished cries broke him in two and he wanted to scream back, to run to the angel and hold him in his crumpled hands even if it meant he'd die. He could die but it would hurt Gabriel too much.

A part of him wondered if this was worse though, a sick feeling curving his stomach upside down as he lurched forward into the ground, gravel, rock and dirt scaling his skin in pain.