A whole golden lot…

Alexis crossed his arms grumpily when she laughed.

“Hehe, you dropped more than ever!”

He shook his wings a little and glared at her. He was not surprised to see that Ayako was already picking up the bundle of feathers he left on the rock. Most of them were spiky, like his wings. It was obvious those feathers had fallen out of stress. And she knew why.

Alexis complained with a small snarl, while he looked at the drapes warily.

“I don’t like being watched constantly. I had enough with your mischiefs.”

Ayako threw the bag full of feathers over her shoulder, and then gave him a knowing smile.

“He will not do anything, Alex. He saved you, after all. You don’t need to be a nervous mess about it, really.”

He raised an eyebrow and snorted sarcastically.

“Oh, I know!” He pointed a little over his shoulder, to the clearing, knowing perfectly what hid over the waterfall. “But I would appreciate not having a stalker!”

Alexis let out a groan, because she only laughed and tried to wave it off.

“Oh, he is only roaming!”

“Really close to MY hideout.”

Ayako scratched her chin in thought; she looked up, with that expression that never failed to annoy him. It was true that there was something over the cliff and waterfall. Someone, who was sulking and keeping quiet, like if he did not want to be seen.

It seemed that Uriel had listened to her words, or that he could not handle the ache anymore. He was near, again, keeping watch over the angel. Ayako caught a glimpse of his pretty violet eyes, and she only saw nervousness and shame.

Still not daring to confront his angel. Both idiots…

She looked at Alexis again, and gave her two cents with patience.

“Is he really bothering you?” Alexis blinked, taken aback by that question. As she spoke, it seemed to surprise him how much she knew about his demon. “I have already spoken with him, I could do it again. He is only a little bit introverted; he’s not really a bad person!”

She raised an eyebrow and stared at him, because he seemed more anxious all of the sudden. His wings curled around his frame, like if he was crossing his arms and thinking deeply. His gaze lowered; a frown grew on his face as he shifted onto a thoughtful stance.

“I…”

Does he bother me?

Alexis could not stop repeating the question in his head; he was not entirely sure of the answer.

To be honest, the demo-  No, Uriel, stopped those three. Can’t really be angry with him, can I? Do I even have the right to be angry? He has brought me trouble before, but I wouldn’t be breathing now if not for him. He has not really done or said anything to me lately; he just roams and-

“Well, if you are going to stay there daydreaming like an idiot… I’ll see you next week, Alex!”

Alexis yelped and got back to earth; he began to blurt out when he saw that Ayako was walking away.

“Are you leaving already?!”

She halted and grinned back at him playfully. She never wasted a chance to mock.

“Yeah? He is not bothering you, right?” Alexis did not state otherwise, even if it looked like he wanted to do so as he fidgeted nervously by the curtains. “Sooooo, I can leave! Or are you scared? Do you need me here, as a babysitter?”

Alexis gasped and leaned back with bafflement. Then, he puffed his chest out in anger and began to move his arms and wings wildly, to yell at her. His nervousness was obvious in his annoyed complaints.

“I’m n-not scared! Of course not! I- I don’t need you! Why would I?! You can go away, you crazy-!”

“Then, see you next week! Thanks for the feathers!”

His wings dropped down in bewilderment when she bounced away cheerfully, as if nothing.

Alexis sighed and ruffled his hair, calming down after he lost sight of her. He was at least glad that she was not sick anymore.

He slowly turned to face the river and waterfall. He looked up, to meet the eyes of the figure hiding between the rocks above. He did not show fear or anxiousness in his amber eyes, not even if those violet ones stared intently at him. He called faintly, knowing he would be heard.

“…What do you want from me?”

There was no answer from his demon. The only sound came from the water falling down and from the birds singing.

Alexis shrugged tiredly with a long sigh and shook his head. He decided to look away. He knew Uriel would not leave. And so, he just tried to go on like if he was alone.

Even if Alexis tried, Uriel knew that he was feigning being calm. It was obvious, because he still looked around nervously from time to time. Alexis was not doing it on purpose, but he couldn’t control it. There was a good side to it though, there was no more fear; only tiredness and apprehension.

————————————————

Time went on ahead.

Uriel had been unable to leave, as much as he had wanted to. However, somehow… he did not want to as much now. His angel seemed to be accepting his presence, slowly.

Alexis noticed how Uriel just roamed at the edges of his clearing. Now he did not feel those eyes on his neck, not constantly. Uriel was leaving him space; he stayed near, but not too near. Only Uriel knew why, but both accepted the fact. In truth, Uriel had grown more curious, like Ayako said. He would never admit it, but he now felt fascination for the angel. An angel with good will, something unheard of, truly.

Uriel rested his chin onto his tail while he looked down. Alexis seemed more annoyed than scared about the fact that he was around. His violet eyes watched for hours at those golden flickers, which reached the shadows while Alexis worked.

Alexis huffed and hauled down the small axe again; he let gravity help him cut another log. He had been eating a lot of fruit; he finally had gone to the lake this morning, after not having dared to do so for days. He could swear that when he pulled at his net and tried to catch a fish, he heard a snort, when the fish tried to leap away and his hurried dash forward made him go face first into the water. Uriel had laughed unintentionally, he heard him in the shadows, and he did not find it funny at all. Even if annoyed, he did not know where his demon was hiding, and so, he was not able to curse at him. It had not been an enjoyable morning to say the least. There he was now, cutting some wood to make another fire. He just wanted to have a nice dinner, prepare the fish he had caught, and…

Uriel leaned his head to a side, because he saw Alexis drop his axe to the ground and enter his cave again. When he came out, he did dragging something along, something Ayako had brought him. The girl had commented how Alexis only ate roasted things, burnt by his lack of skill with the fire. She had brought a cauldron, so he could have another way in which to prepare his food.

Alexis wanted to try it with the fish. So he pushed the cauldron onto the wood he piled up. Once he did, he stared at it thoughtfully, while he scratched his head and bit his lip.

“I wish I hadn’t let Angus deal with the kitchen all the time…”

Making soup has to be easy enough, no?

Ayako knew that Alexis would never be a good chef. She knew perfectly. Also knew that Uriel was squeamish, even more so with anything related to food. She had met with the shy demon enough times to know. She did not only visit Alexis, she also looked for Uriel, because she considered both friends. She knew well how Uriel was not daring to speak up, no matter how much she assured him it would be fine.

Alexis smiled, because he managed to light a small fire. He held both his hands above it and blew a little to make it grow. Uriel raised a claw and stared at it with a sigh; he casted small flames from nothingness, and then toyed with them between his nails. He had it more easy.

The angel stood again, in order to inspect the fire and cauldron. It was full of water already; it was a matter of time until it boiled. With all the water there was, maybe he could make enough soup for multiple days, if he used enough ingredients.

All this time, Uriel had only seen Alexis prepare fish or vegetables with fire, simple enough. So he could not avoid but watch while Alexis walked towards his garden. He wanted to see what Alexis would make; he wondered what he would try with the new tool she brought him. In his mind, he was thinking of all the recipes he had learnt as a child, and wondered if his angel knew any.

Alexis was brushing his short stubble as he pondered and frowned at every plant. Uriel thought he would choose the ingredients wisely, because his amber eyes were full of focus.

Uriel was left mouth agape, baffled, because Alexis grabbed the following list of things: A tomato, a cabbage, a pepper, some garlic, a cucumber, mint, an apple, some citrus, a potato, two salmons and a clam. The demon was the one to scratch his chin now, in bafflement. He was unable to imagine which recipe he could make with those things. Some of them would never combine in a soup.

Alexis juggled all those things in his arms, and then began to walk towards the fire, careful to not drop anything. His wings helped him somewhat, as they curled like a second pair of arms. Uriel’s eyes widened when Alexis simply dropped the cabbage into the cauldron, without slicing it first. Then he threw in the clam, whole, including its shell and all the sand it could have.

The young demon threw his hands to his head in horror, seeing that Alexis was not even thinking about what he was doing. A brew, if it could be called that. The angel now had grabbed the citrus, and was staring down at it in thought. Uriel let out a horrified gasp when he saw Alexis cut it in half with a small knife, and then raise it slowly to drop it in.

He was going to throw a citrus in a brew made with fish and uncut vegetables. And then add that cucumber and apple. Everything, just boiled.

“NOOOOOO!”

Alexis screamed, because something flashed in his field of vision; something that snatched the citric out of his hand, so fast he couldn’t blink. Uriel huffed for breath after leaping down, while Alexis stumbled backwards in shock; he had jumped down at him, grabbed the citrus and turned sharply to face him. Uriel roared in bafflement and annoyance, without paying mind at how Alexis was shielding himself in fear. Both screamed at the top of their lungs.

“You can’t throw this in a brew! It will make it sour! It does not match at all! Haven’t you prepared a meal in your entire life?!”

“IswearIwasnotdoinganythingwiththatknifenorwasIpreparingpoisonoranythingpleasedon’tpunchme!”

Both blinked and grew quiet.

Alexis lowered his arms and wings from his face, while Uriel’s scowl turned into a frown. Both pondered the others’ words; Alexis realized that Uriel was not screaming accusations about possible murder, and Uriel saw how the other still thought he would lash at him for any reason.

Both took in the most important fact. They were close. Too close. Uriel had jumped down to the clearing without thinking, only because of his obsession with good cooking. Neither moved; they stayed silent, awkwardly. To be precise, Alexis was still trying to not have a heart attack after the scare. He was still sitting, looking up at Uriel with confused and baffled eyes. And Uriel was not any better; his face was beginning to show nervousness.

Uriel was the first who managed to blurt out some words again, suddenly shy.

“O-one can’t just drop this in a soup! L-like it’s a bad brew!”

“…”

“…”

“W-what?”

Alexis just stared up at him, deadpanned, because Uriel blushed, looked away and pointed to the cauldron.

“Have you even made one before…?”

It took the angel a few seconds to answer, which Uriel found to be too many.

“N-no? I was just trying to prepare some kind of mix to drink for some days? I just wanted something warm, e-especially for the cold nights. Is it-?”

Alexis shut up and winced, because Uriel took a step closer towards him and the cauldron in the middle of his question. That reaction made Uriel halt, seeing him fear again.

Alexis waited a few seconds with his eyes closed. He was not expecting any beating, but he did expect him to yell or grab him up to do so, surely angry with him, for reasons he would not understand. But no words came. Not even a growl tangling with disdain.

He opened one eye, reluctantly. He dared to relax and stand up a little, when he saw that Uriel was only inspecting the cauldron and food. His demon was purposely keeping a small distance, sitting as small as possible, trying to show he meant no harm. His violet eyes were full of apprehension as he tried to speak up. He tried to chat once he saw his wings relax slightly, as always mimicking his state of mind. He spoke with the friendliest tone he could muster.

“Sorry for jumping at you… I- I just-” He pointed at the apple without looking at Alexis. “You should not throw this in either. It will make it awful to drink. It will be a waste; the ingredients have too many contrasts. I do not think it’s wise to mix them up; you’ll just spit it out after a single sip, I bet on it.”

Alexis did not understand the situation at all, no matter if Uriel continued to explain himself. His tail was moving behind him in nervous sways while his mind focused in the soup, to try to ignore the fact he was talking to him. He grasped the mint in a claw, and threw it into the already boiling water.

“That was a good choice at least. I sometimes tend to use some myself… Gives the last touch to what the other ingredients can provide. Though, I do not know if you can salvage this if it has any sand from that clam.”

He is not screaming…

That was all that Alexis could think while Uriel lost himself in his own words. He was now holding the pepper in his claws, shyly.

“This should be cut to boil better. It is not usually put in soups, but it is not impossible to do so. It would give it a strong taste though.” Alexis jolted a little when Uriel dared to look at him and ask, with obvious hesitation. “Would you use it?”

Alexis began to fumble with his wings, not knowing what to take from this. He certainly did not know what to say, how to act, so he gave a vague answer.

“I- I guess? M-maybe?”

Another painful silence.

Alexis was not daring to run or move away, in fear of offending the anxious demon. Uriel was afraid of messing up even more, he did not want to look intimidating; he was unsure as if to leave, or stay and prove he would not harm him.

Uriel decided for the last, letting out a sigh as his tail brushed his chest. There was no ache. His angel was mere steps away.

“May I…?”

Alexis followed his nod. Uriel had a claw raised; he was motioning to the cauldron and all the food, with a shy questioning look on his face. Alexis raised both his eyebrows and looked around him, not knowing how to react. He ended up answering with another nervous question.

“S-sure?”

The angel pondered, while the demon let out a trembling sigh and smiled a little.

“Very well then… let me try to salvage this soup. You used a lot of things on it and I hate when food is wasted.”

Uriel got to work. He grabbed the knife on the ground, slowly. He did not miss how Alexis watched him carefully, alert. There was no fear though, because he could have just stabbed him with his own claws at any moment if he had wanted to. He did not need that knife to harm him.

The demon debated for a moment. Alexis watched while he cut the pepper with precise and fast moves, into slices.

“Now, besides the cucumber, the apple and the citric… I think we could use everything else.” He worked while he explained; he made Alexis wonder why he was here. Why here, and not as hostile as before. “Once the fish is boiled, it could be served separately, maybe with sauce. Two different recipes could be followed, using that tomato. Unless you want slices of fish in the brew, to eat like a stew. Though that way, it would last less, too much quantity to eat in only a few days.”

Uriel got no answer. So he had to ask. Alexis’ wings puffed when Uriel turned to face him; he grew nervous when he moved a claw, to hand him back the knife.

“Would you mind cutting the tomato? Maybe into one of those wooden plates Ayako gave you.”

Alexis nodded quickly, still weary of angering him if he disagreed to anything he said. Uriel’s tail dropped sadly when he saw that he obeyed out of anxiousness. Though he did not blame him at all, not when he had screamed each time he tried to reason.

Both kept quiet, tense. They focused on cutting the fish and vegetables, one with a knife, the other with his own sharp claws. It was not a comfortable silence, for neither of them.

Things did not seem ok, so Uriel was surprised when he heard Alexis speak faintly.

“Thanks for… stopping those three. I did not thank you that day.”

The demon could feel the tension in the air. Neither of them understood how could they be so near, nor why they were speaking. But they were, as strange as it could be.

Alexis was entranced in the task at hand, not daring to raise his gaze an inch from his own hands. His wings flapped slightly when he heard Uriel answer with unexpected words.

“…I think I owed you one, considering how I attacked, chased and locked you away. Not mentioning my constant stalking and my threats. I apologize, for everything.”

Alexis lowered his hands, and then gave him a frown. He finally looked at Uriel face to face, without shame or fear. His demon was the one who was not daring to look up now, he was keeping his gaze on the fire, nervously. Alexis could only ask one thing.

“Why?”

A simple word asked too many things, in one single moment. Many factors were considered in it. Uriel took a long breath, not knowing where to start.

“You were mostly wrong about demons. Why would I not be about angels?” He chuckled bitterly, with a cold shiver. “I really hope I am wrong…”

Uriel let the now clean fish drop into the boiling water, carefully, with a look full of sorrow.

And doubt. Alexis felt as conflicted as him, but at least he was calm, because he considered the situation absurd.

Alexis let his thoughts out, deeming that Uriel would not lash out. He saw their plight as the result of centuries of prejudice, hate and senseless fights. Both had reason to fear.

“I really have no intention of killing you. I know it’s hard to believe, I know it. You have good reasons to think I’m lying, because I really am supposed to be here to end you.” Alexis snarled with a shake of head. “I thought you would kill me for it. But here I am.”

Both were sitting calmly next to a fire, with the one they thought would be their end. They had too many questions, and too much confliction to even voice them. Things were not meant to be this way; one should have been dead by now.

Uriel stood suddenly, slowly, and then gave Alexis a serious glance. He did so without hate or disdain, only tiredness, both in his expression and voice.

“Keep the fire up for an hour. Then take the fish out, and mix it with the sauce you have there. Should be good enough.”

Alexis frowned when Uriel turned to leave. He called out with a nervous mumble, worried.

“You are not having any?”

Uriel looked back. Alexis was pointing at the cauldron, from where came a better smell.

Alexis’ wings slumped in disappointment when he saw the other shake his head. Uriel walked away without word. He left him alone, with his chaotic and confusing thoughts.

He really had not expected any of this when he was told to fall, at all.

———————————

 

Alexis readied for sleep once again; he placed fresh leafs and the blanket Ayako gave him on a wooden support over a flat rock. It was not a real bed, but it was more comfortable than the ground or stone. He did so every night, even if his wings always were enough to keep himself warm.

He sighed a little and walked towards the nearby table, to pile any empty plates there before going to sleep.

The food had ended up being delicious.

He looked outside from behind the curtains, up to the moon, which reflected down onto the small river. There was no violet glow.

For the first time, Alexis worried that he was not out there anymore, even if he did not realize it himself.

Just in case…

“Thanks.”

With that, he plopped onto his nest. He hid under his wings and outstretched comfortably, without leaning sideways to face the cave’s exit.

For the first time, he did not dread falling asleep. He had no reason to keep himself alert.

———————————

The moon was glowing above.

A demon had climbed a cliff to the top of a waterfall; to be out of sight, but still be near enough. He had felt better while he had been helping the angel. The lack of distance from the heart he was bound with made the pain fade.

Uriel was sleeping on a rock at the edge of the cliff, just above the opening of Alexis’ cave. Even if near, he still was far enough to feel the faint pulse, because the cliff was tall. He growled in his sleep, he kept tossing around in uncomfortable sleepy jolts. He never managed to sleep well, not since Alexis fell.

Said angel was snoring; the lack of fear allowed him to fall into a deep slumber, at last, after all the stress he had went through. He did not hear the pained growls and turns in the middle of the night. He did not react either to the loud thud that echoed right at the mouth of his cave.

Neither him nor the demon paid mind to it.

There was silence for the rest of the night.

—————————————

His wings fluttered faintly over him. His eyelids twitched, because the sun rays hit them through the leafy drapes.

A silent yawn flowed through the cave; an angel shook his wings as he awoke. He stood up onto his elbows and outstretched his wings like he would with his arms. He blinked sleepily, and then let himself plop again down onto his bed with a huff. He stared at the rocky wall at his side for a few minutes, still half asleep.

He wished there was a substance that he could take to make him not seem drunk in the mornings. He did not even have sugar for breakfast. Maybe it would not be a bad idea to ask Ayako for some, instead of so many seeds and seafood.

God, how I miss all the things I had back home…

Alexis shook his head and ruffled his messy hair in frustration. Again, he ended up thinking about depressing stuff.

He sat up fully and rubbed his eyes, somewhat grumpily. He looked at his nest with a frown. There was, as always, a few feathers on his bed, fallen in the night. He always dropped some. He decided to stop sulking and get up already. Like every day, he took the feathers and carried them outside, to leave them onto the same rock he always left them at, where Ayako always took them.

Alexis pushed away the leafy curtains and stepped outside. He did not look at his right, where the waterfall and river were. He walked groggily to his left, and then glared at the rock at his feet. But he halted, because a faint grumble echoed behind him, at the right of his cave.

He slowly turned around. He stared deadpanned for a second. But then his eyes widened, when he realized that he was seeing Uriel, right there, besides his cave, sleeping on the ground like a feline would.

“AHhh!”

Uriel woke up with a jolt and a gasp when he heard Alexis scream in surprise. Both had jumped in shock, but Alexis did more. His wings had trashed up as much as possible over his head; he had not expected to see him there. Uriel had not expected to wake there either.

The young demon jumped to his feet quickly, tense and anxious. His violet eyes were full of confusion as Alexis pointed at him, as baffled as him, or more.

“Wha- What were you doing there?!”

He was not scolding him, even if he seemed to be. It was more shock than anger. However, Uriel still froze with shame, as he realized he had rolled down from the top of the cliff in the middle of the night. He somehow did not wake, and the lack of ache did the rest, keeping him there, asleep.

Alexis gasped, because Uriel bolted sideways and jumped towards the rocky wall.

“W-wait, where are you-?!”

He could only stand there and watch like an idiot while Uriel climbed up the cliff, easily and quickly. Back to the top of the waterfall he went, now unseen. He left him there, with his hands still raised at his sides, mouth agape.

“What the hell?”

That was all he could say, standing below the cliff, wondering.

——————————–

Ayako smiled like a fox; she was sitting on Alexis’s chair, while she ate a piece of bread. She was listening with feigned boredom to the loud complaints of the angel, who was sitting on his bed with his legs and arms crossed, with the grumpiest frown he could make.

“I swear Aya… He can’t get weirder, I don’t get him!” He rubbed his forehead with exasperation. “Five days ago he suddenly approaches me, apologizes! And the next morning I find him sleeping by the nest’s entrance, just right there! Now, he avoids me?! Still, I know he is there, somewhere, close! What is wrong with him? Are all demons as crazy as you?!”

Alexis dodged easily the half munched bread that flew his way.

After her annoyed throw, Ayako sighed and leaned her head on her hand, tired of all this nonsense. She raised an eyebrow at the clueless angel.

“Alex, do you angels have any kind of school or some crazy thing where you learn about the creatures you oh so hate? Or maybe even talk about humans? You know, what you should know as an angel.”

Alexis pouted at her, knowing what she meant. Back at home, everyone always focused on being wise, and always kept rules and traditions in mind. He indeed had to listen to long speeches when he was younger. But…

“…I usually dozed off. Learning to forge stuff seemed more interesting.”

She was not surprised to hear that.

“So, you have no clue of how demons feel about all this, don’t you?”

He shrugged, not knowing where she wanted to head with this conversation.

“Angry, I suppose? I only got the basics of all this crap. I never thought I would have to kill one. How could I have imagined I would be sent here? This fate is meant for the ones who dedicate themselves to that stupid crusade. I did not listen to the priests when I was a teen, because all they said always revolved around how terrible demons are, how they could rip us to pieces, or devour us ali-” He halted for a moment, feeling sick by just remembering those lectures. “Y-you know, that is exactly why I did not pay attention, now that I think about it.”

She looked him all over and pondered. Alexis fumbled with his bracelets while she spoke slowly.

“It seems that even as a human, I know more than you about both your races.”

“Look, I’m not stupid, Aya. Got it? Can you blame me for not expecting this life?”

“No, I can’t.” She held her hands together, and then asked him to pay attention with her eyes. “But you should know better. Are you not bound?”

He did not even bother to answer, he just nodded reluctantly. Ayako laid one of her hands on her chest, where her heart was.

“Now, you have seen that some demons are calm, harmless, like Lykaios. Well, I’m not going to lie; even Lykaios would lose that calm demeanor if he was bound to an angel.”

“What do you mean lose it?”

“Yes. Look, don’t you feel a weird feeling in your heart? If you focus enough?”

Alexis did as she motioned him to; he slowly raised his hand to his chest. He felt that his heartbeat was stronger, much more than before the day he looked into that orb.

“Yes, I feel something. But it’s a faint sensation. Barely anything.”

“And you must know they feel it too, right? Tell me you at least know that.”

“Yeah, it’s obvious. No big deal, it’s just how they know we are bound. A simple-”

“It’s worse for them.”

Alexis blinked, taken aback.

“Worse?”

She decided to get it over with.

“Much worse… Think, Alexis. Most of you want to erase demons as a whole; you want all of them gone. Lower demons would never have a chance against an angel who has trained all its life, who is an expert at killing them. Why would those weaker demons face such an enemy? Why wouldn’t they run and hide forever to avoid being slain? Most demons can’t win, and even if they could… what forces them to always come out and fight? Why do they always take the risk against you guys?” She nudged her chest again, firm and serious. “The more distant they are from their angel, the more painful is the pulse in their blood and heart. The spell and bond makes them eventually go mad. Add it to the fact that powerful demons have a dangerous attraction to angels, be it from preying or… sick wonder. They feel the need to find you. It hurts to ignore all that. It is a relief to have the angel at hand.”

Alexis did not blink for a full minute. He was beginning to understand, even if he did not like it.

“So he…”

“He wants to leave you be. He really wants to.”

But he can’t.

Ayako stood and yawned, like if she had not just spoken of something so grim.

“Well! I hope my knowledge has cleared your mind a little. I have people to heal, feathers to mix… all that. See you later.”

Alexis was still frozen on the bed, like if he was seeing something she could not.

Ayako just left with a last caring smile. She hoped the two would be able to figure things out. After all, as a human, she could not mess that much with their problems.

Knowing that the cauldron had helped somehow… she was sure things would be alright.

————————————–

His amber eyes opened in the afternoon. He stared at the rocky wall at the side of his bed; he could not avoid listening to the echo of water droplets, which were becoming a constant. He turned to face the opening after a while; water was beginning to pour down, intensely. Those small droplets turned into a rainstorm, in a matter of minutes.

It had been a while since it had rained.

Alexis frowned at the dark clouds that engulfed the sky. The sun was unable to shine through them. All was covered in shadows outside.

All was dark, except for a faint glow in the distance.

Uriel had been around, but he had never approached. He had not wanted to bother Alexis again. He was now sitting below the shelter of a tree, unable to stop some droplets from falling on him. He was hugging himself with his arms and tail, with his eyes closed.

He was refusing to move and find another place to hide from the rain. The only place which provided shelter nearby was that small cave at the feet of the cliff. But Alexis was there. He could not go away either, not without feeling that horrible ache again.

Why do I have to feel like this?

He moved a little, trying to stay close to the tree trunk. The tree only covered him slightly, it was not enough. The water was pouring down between the branches above him, reaching him to some extent. He just rested his head onto his knees and curled his tail around himself. He tried to ignore the rain and the sound of his own heartbeat. He was stubborn, but it still bothered him deep inside.

He was too deep in his own thoughts to hear the footsteps that echoed in between the rain. The water also made every scent fade, it refreshed the air. Suddenly, he did not feel the droplets fall onto him. He stopped feeling that pulse as well. He opened his eyes and looked up, and then saw that there was something over his head, shielding him. His violet eyes stared in shock at the golden feathers that loomed over him. Alexis was covering him of the rain with his right wing; those amber eyes were looking down at him with worry. He could see how his expression was serious, even if his face was shadowed by his left wing, which he used to cover himself. His feathers were soft, even though they always seemed to be bristly; they sheltered well against the weather, wind and water.

“…Man, even you can get sick out here.”

Uriel had no clue how to react while Alexis pointed at his cave.

“I-”

Alexis looked away tiredly, and remarked with a sarcastic tone.

“Come on; don’t sit there like you saw a ghost. I would not like to soak my wings for nothing.”

Alexis smiled sadly when Uriel stood slowly, shyness and apprehension all over his gestures. His wing could barely cover him now, because he was much taller than him. His demon could only follow him reluctantly towards his nest, when he asked him to do so with a silent nod of head. Neither of them dared to speak or look at the other. But the demon was grateful under all the apprehension he showed.

Uriel halted when Alexis pushed away the curtains and invited him in with a single look. Alexis only got in when Uriel made his mind, after standing there outside for a minute. The demon got in, but stayed put near the exit of the cave. Uriel stared at Alexis nervously, while he shook his wings and brushed a hand along his damp hair, with a groan.

The demon really did not understand why was he doing this, but he still appreciated it.

“…Thanks.”

Alexis looked at him sideways with an eyebrow raised after he heard him whisper. He let out a small sarcastic laugh, which baffled Uriel and made him fumble with his claws.

“Thanks? Who made that brew that day? Besides, it’s not like this cave is mine. I just could not let you sit out there like a madman.”

Uriel was not sure why Alexis was now more laidback around him. So while his angel walked towards a flat rock much smaller than his bed, he stood there awkwardly, without knowing what to do. He just fumbled with his claws and stared at the ground. He did nothing but stand idly, until Alexis pointed to his bed with a wing and gestured he could use it. He found the idea to be too selfish, so he raised his claws in front of him, with a much more shy and nervous expression.

“No, please. I can rest on the ground, I’m-”

“You are two meters tall; you almost have to lean to not hit the ceiling with your horns. You would not be able to even curl on the rock I’m on; but you would be able to rest on my nest. Well, more or less.”

Uriel showed obvious hesitation; he was looking at everything but at him, and he was not moving to accept the offer. After a while, Alexis grew tired of waiting for him to stop being shy and insecure.

Uriel averted his gaze when Alexis moved and whipped his wings; the blond let himself fall down onto that rock, and then hid himself below his feathers. The angel did not say anything; he just allowed him to take his time with his doubt.

Those amber eyes filled with relief when he heard some footsteps, slow and cautious. He heard how his demon sat on that leafy bed, with resignation.

Both barely slept, and not because of the rain.

—————————————————————-

When Alexis awoke next morning, he slowly moved one of his wings off himself. He peeked, half asleep.

His bed was empty. There was no one there.

He looked at the rest of his cave, and at the exit. It was not raining, the sun was shining outside. There was no violet glow. He was alone.

He did not see Uriel for a full day. He feared he did something wrong, even if he had the feeling he couldn’t be too far. The moon came up again, without him knowing where Uriel was.

It worried him. But he did fall asleep; he reclaimed his nest again at night. He was unable to do anything about it; he would not find Uriel unless the demon wanted him to do so.

The sun rose again next morning. And Alexis awoke with the sunlight, facing the rocky wall as always, with his wings over himself. Something was different. When he turned around to face the mouth of the cave, he saw something that he did not see normally. He could see a tail, swaying and leaning near the mouth. Uriel was out there.

He was not bothered by that fact.

“…Morning.”

The tail had been swaying calmly, slowly. But when Alexis called, it froze, tense.

Alexis feared he would bolt away at any moment, flee like he did that day. He knew perfectly why Uriel was there, he knew that he had slept outside near his cave. He did not mind, he understood as much as he could.

He smiled when he saw the tail relax and lower down. He heard his voice answer, much more hesitant than his.

“G-good morning.”

Neither moved, each for their own reasons. Alexis was not a morning person. He shifted lazily to rest onto his stomach and let his head lay onto his arms. He stared at his wrists, intensely.

Uriel leaned his head a little when Alexis called faintly, with what he would say was doubt.

“Hey, Uriel?”

There was a minute of silence. Alexis thought he would be ignored again, but an answer came.

“Yes, Alexis?”

The angel did not hear any malice or distrust in his voice; it felt strange to hear him say his name without a hint of resent. Somehow, it was reassuring. So he dared to speak again.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Hm.”

Alexis’ eyes narrowed with wonder. He watched how the black bracelets reflected the sunlight.

“What are these things for?”

Uriel blinked, having forgotten about it. He had not needed to take that gem he had since he chased them, because Alexis had not left to find another hideout, like he had first thought he would.

“They… They are harmless, I told you already. I… They help me find you.”

Uriel expected him to ask for them to be removed, to question why they were still on if he was not a threat anymore. But Alexis made no demands, no questions. And it made Uriel worry.

As much as Uriel hated to admit it, he did not want to remove those bracelets. The stones gave him a sense of safety. They eased the fear he still had, even if he knew he should not feel it, that it was senseless. Alexis knew; he knew that Uriel was more at ease if he knew where he roamed. He did not mind, something that Uriel did not know.

Alexis looked away from the bracelets and stopped pondering, because he heard steps. They were followed by the sound of claws brushing against the cliff. That tail moved, and swayed out of sight. He did not get up or call while Uriel climbed to get away. Because he knew he would be back.

———————————-

Ayako was walking towards Alexis’ hideout, wondering what they had been up to.

If they had not figured things out, maybe she would have to get more involved. Though that could be a little complicated. Maybe they were not capable of getting along after all that had happened. Maybe their races were too different.

Maybe-

“And they always said, oh how horrible you creatures are! Brainless!”

“Oh, is that so? Well, we all think you are all heartless! You can’t put up a true smile! You are only able to show a sick one, when you see us bleed!”

“Ha, don’t think so! That blood could stain those pretty and silly looking togas! And then, one would have to run to make laundry for the hundredth time!”

“You all think we are dirty animals and that you are divine. I’ll have you know that my looks will always be better than the ones of an angel in the shiniest robes. I guarantee it.”

“Ah, so you really did mind to be under the rain!”

“I did not!”

Ayako hastened her steps, because she heard arguing. She heard Uriel’s and Alexis’ voices. She pushed a branch away and looked worriedly into the clearing. However, her worry faded completely, when she saw the two there, sitting and eating close to a fire. Together.

Alexis laughed, he was mocking Uriel.

“Oh please, once you thought I was asleep, you began to mess with your damp hair! You wouldn’t stop brushing it, not until it was as fixed as your horns!”

“You are one to talk! You are always checking your hair, more than the limbs you should care for! Look at how spiked they are! Do you even comb them daily?”

“Pft… Too much work, too many feathers. I like how they are; I don’t need them to be so smooth like others. I keep an eye on them, that’s enough.”

“And Ayako wonders why you drop so many…”

Both jolted a little when a third voice echoed behind them.

“Actually, I wonder more about how a demon has stopped being shy, and why an angel has stopped being a chicken.”

Ayako could not avoid smiling when she saw them go red. The demon shrunk shily, while the angel growled and yelled in annoyance, as always.

“I- I am not a coward!”

Ayako nodded slowly, smiling like a fox.

“Suuuure. Of course, Alex, of course. I would never-” Uriel blinked when she suddenly gasped and pointed behind Alexis with shock. “Oh my god, a bear!”

“AH!”

Ayako laughed her ass off, because Alexis trashed and turned to look where she pointed at. He jolted so much that he ended up sending his food away into the air. The fish he had been eating landed squarely on Uriel’s face.

Both demon and now angry angel exchanged tired glances. Ayako had plopped backwards onto the ground, in a fit of laughter.

Both knew who the true menace was for the two.