His tail was moving side to side slowly, as he watched with boredom the golden mess of feathers that hid on the nest in a corner.

“She has left an hour ago, and you are already like this?”

A muffled grumble came from below the shaky wings.

Ayako had left, after assuring it would be alright, that Uriel wouldn’t dare do anything to him. And that if he did, Lykaios would be there to stop the other demon. Even more, she said that she would get payback if he dared to have lied to her. She left with a last hug, a cough and the promise that as soon as she stopped sneezing, she would be back in a flash.

Nevertheless, Alexis was a literal ball of nerves.

The lynx yawned and laid his head onto the ground, as he tried to make the angel calm down and stop shaking.

“You have no reason to worry, Alexis.”

Lykaios smiled with amusement, because the blond peeked from below the tips of his wings and glared at him, whispering with accusation.

“I do worry! I would have preferred that you had left with her! What if you get hungry?! You could eat me, and then blame Uriel for it!”

Alexis paled, because Lykaios moved a paw onto his snout, and then looked up with a sharp grin. The angel did not miss how those red eyes glinted, how they looked sideways at him, with interest.

“Actually, that is a very clever idea… It did not cross my mind.”

Lykaios snorted when Alexis hid again below his wings with a yelp and began to tremble more. He was not even transformed, currently just the size of a big cat, and still he managed to creep him out. After taunting him, he shook his mane and dropped his act; he stopped messing with the angel.

“I was joking. As much as it’s tempting, I would not want to upset her.”

Alexis growled loudly when he heard his mockery. He yelled at him below his feathers, unable to stop hiding even if he was furious with the lynx.

“Y-you son of a…! You hate my guts, don’t you?!”

Lykaios raised his head proudly, and shook his long mane in defiance.

“Hate you? I would not even bother. I don’t hate you. I don’t hate anyone. I just don’t care enough to do so. I only care about her.”

Alexis held his breath when he felt a paw lay on one of his wings. He looked at it doubtfully as Lykaios gently lowered his limb. The lynx was smiling kindly and calmly, trying to show honesty.

“I care about Ayako. And so, what happens to you. So rest assured I will keep watch. I don’t trust anyone, not even my kind.”

The angel did not move an inch when Lykaios let go of the wing, to sit at his side. He laid himself near his lap, followed by another yawn. If he did not know his real form, he would say he was just a relatively small and inoffensive feline.

Alexis stared at him for a while, not understanding the demon. Lykaios smiled again, when he sensed that a hand was lowering slowly towards his fur, unsurely. He stayed still with his eyes closed, until Alexis finally dared to lay his hand on his mane.

The angel sighed tiredly and gave the lynx a grateful look. He brushed his fur, feeling less anxious and cornered.

He still had not seen those violet eyes in the dark. No yet. And it scared him.

—————————————————–

He waited patiently near a tree. He did not move, not until Alexis walked slowly towards it too, net in hands.

There was still a while left until they would get to the lake. And the angel would make that while even longer, because he walked very slowly. His amber eyes were looking fearfully all over them, constantly, because he remembered well how Uriel liked to climb between trees to be even taller.

Alexis was purposely making Lykaios go ahead some meters, halt, and then wait for him to follow slowly. They were repeating the process each time. He was paranoid.

Lykaios would complain… but he knew that this would be the only way in which he would cope. It took hours to convince him to go to the lake, reasoning he needed more food. He could have just gone hunting, maybe a deer or a rabbit. But sadly, Alexis did not eat meat. And he could not let him starve.

So there he was, sighing as he padded forward again. He wondered how Alexis could believe he was well hidden in the bushes when his wings peeked between them.

“Clear.”

The things I do for her…

Alexis neared, wearily. Once he stood at his side, he apologized with a small glance, while he hugged the net in his arms nervously.

“I will give you the biggest fish I catch, alright?”

“Unnecessary. I am a powerful demon; I could wait weeks without sustain. Though I would end up eating more, once I had to do so…”

Alexis snarled and rolled his eyes angrily. He was tired of Lykaios insinuating that he was food. His red eyes were always glancing at him mockingly, and he always noticed that amused grin.

“Would you stop already? It’s not funny!”

“It is not! Of course! Because it is true! …Though you would not be more than a snack.”

A wing gave him a swat, but that only made him snort; because it was a harmless hit, an annoyed response to his words.

Both froze when a third voice echoed above them.

“He is mostly bones. It would maybe not be appropriate for you, old cat.”

Lykaios growled, Alexis’ tensed and shuddered, his wings folding quickly onto his back. Red and amber eyes slowly moved to look up, knowing what they would see. Alexis knew he was there, but he still let out a trembling breath when he laid eyes on him. Uriel was there, resting his back on a branch, staring at his claws with feigned boredom.

The angel took a step back; he could see how that tail was swinging side to side, hanging below his dark figure. Luckily, Lykaios stood in front of Alexis and faced the other demon for him, sure of himself.

“I hold no intention of harming him. Not like you, young devil.” Lykaios chuckled darkly, and then questioned with a suggestive tone. “Are you here to try something?”

Uriel raised an eyebrow, without bothering to look at them while he shrugged.

“I told her I would not harm him in any way. And I will keep my word.” Those violet eyes moved, and sharpened when they met amber ones. “But it would not be my concern or fault he was hurt by others…”

Lykaios was going to growl at Uriel, tell him to go away if he did not want to miss his horns or tail. But to both demons’ surprise, he was not the one to call him out. Uriel blinked when Alexis huffed and yelled. He saw him raise a fist and a puffed wing, to point at him angrily.

“Man, j-just leave me alone already! I told you I don’t want to fight you!”

Alexis lost his moment of bravery and indignation when Uriel growled loudly. Some small flames sparked around the demon, making him seem more feral when he retorted.

“Not fight… But kill! You can fool her, but not me!”

“Enough!”

Uriel’s flames died out, because Lykaios howled again and slammed his paws on the ground. Alexis watched nervously how the lynx screamed and warned the other.

“Keep on accusing him so persistently and I will take it as an offense! An attack! I won’t doubt to take measures, as she told me to!”

Lykaios smiled with confidence, because he saw anger and resignation in Uriel’s eyes. He saw him growl impotently because of his words. The younger demon stood and spoke one last time, with a bitter tone.

“It is a disgrace to defend the blood which has killed so many of us. Even lower demons would be ashamed. Very well, be that way. Speak for him, just because he does not want YOUR neck.”

Alexis looked away, because he felt how Uriel gave him a last hateful glare before leaving. He vanished again in the shadows, where he could not be seen.

Once Lykaios could not sense the other demon, he called for the sorrowful angel.

“Are you ok?”

Alexis smiled tiredly and nodded sharply.

“Yeah, I am… Let’s just go grab our dinner, before the sun sets.”

Maybe he could ignore the ache in his heart with some food. Only maybe, because he could see the hate in Uriel. He could feel the fear, the dread. Uriel feared him.