Raphael felt as if his entire life was slowly falling apart around him, his eyes wide in shock and disbelief, there was no way that he would do this, there was no way that He would make him do this to him. That was asking too much, He should send Michael, anyone, there was a horde of other soldiers who would happily go down there and do such a deed.
But why send him?
Even his brother's were looking at him in mild forms of sympathy, having been by his side when He gave the orders to bind his mate under the mountain.
"Raphael, did you have something to say?"
The Healer shook his head and opened his wings, there was a hand that settled on his shoulder and a quick glance over his shoulder told him it was Michael. But he shook it off and jumped to the air.
...
"You don't have to do this!"
"And what should I do Azazel!," Raphael shouted into the desert air as he threw his hands into the air, "Disobey like you?"
The Grigori snarled and took a step forward, for anyone else it would have been enough of a threat to make them back up from him, but it didn't have the same affect as it should have on this particular angel. They both knew that if it really came down to it, Azazel could hold his own rather well for a long while, but when it really came down to it Raphael would end up on top.
Always.
"I did as I was told! We were told to get clos-"
"You were told to watch! You weren't told to touch!"
Azazel stilled and turned a look on him, his eyes narrowed slightly, dangerously and slowly he came to a realization. He wasn't being fueled by the order to do such an act, Raphael didn't want to, but he was angry.
Raphael was angry at him.
He'd bedded a human woman and he was pissed.
"You're jealous! You are angry and jealous that a human was able to do those things and you hadn't been able to!"
That got the intended reaction, Raphael sputtered and went red in the face, and Azazel smirked at him, "I...!...I am not!"
"Yes you are! Is the little healer upset that a human touched his mate?"
Raphael huffed and glared at him, flaring his wings with a snap, and clenching his fists tightly. Azazel smiled saucely and saunter, he actually sauntered, across the desert floor and brushed a hand over his mate's soft cheek.
"Are you upset that it wasn't you in that bed with me?"
His hand was nerely smacked away, but instead it was captured, and Raphael gave him a heated glare. Azazel smiled to himself slightly and leaned up to press his lips to the archangel's chin.
"We can change that."
Raphael shook his head and pushed the other back from him. Azazel frowned slightly and rubbed at his wrist that had been captured and grimaced slightly as it twinged with soreness. The light glistened slightly and Azazel took in a deep breath at the sight of tears in his Heart's eyes.
"Raph-?"
"I was told to bind you Azazel. Under the mountain. I was told you bind you there for eternity."
That silenced him, his breath catching at his shock, and Azazel shook his head.
"No, Raph, you can't."
"I have to Az, it was a direct order, I have to."
Azazel moved forward and took hold of Raphael's hands, kissing them softly, "Pretend you didn't hear it and we can go. We'll run. Go far away and never be found again. Just you and me."
"I can't Azazel. I was given a direct order and I'm a good angel. I do what I'm told."
Still he tried, leaning closer, assuming it meant good when Raphael pulled away, and kissed him lightly just under the lower lip.
"Come on, just bend with me, we can disappear together."
Raphael bent his head slightly and captured those lips, those soft and perfect lips he was going to miss so so much, and they stayed like that for a long moment. Azazel pulled his arms up behind his neck and laced his own fingers up behind the archangels neck, pulling him closer.
"I'm scared love."
He pressed their foreheads together as their lips parted, "Don't be, I'll protect you, you'll be okay."
Raphael felt a tear slip from his eyes as he reached back gently, his fingers ghosting lightly over Azazel's skin, and they closed around his wrists gently.
"Forgive me?"
"Always?"
"And forever?"
"Eternally."
Azazel didn't flinch when the cool bite of celestial iron closed around his wrists and chained them together. He kissed the tear away that had slipped free and brushed their noses together.
"Be strong love, I will never hate you, never."
"I'm sorry."
"I know."
Raphael could feel his heart breaking, his entire insides falling into a mass of goo that bubbled and boiled, his whole world was being completely shredded and there was nothing he could do. Azazel kissed his tears away and smiled at him with that same loving smile that he no longer deserved.
He no longer had any right to.
"Don't let them take your heart, Compassionate Healer, don't let them change you."
Those warm hands shook as they slowly lifted his shackled hands from behind Raphael's neck and fingers brushed against the tear moist cheeks as they passed before curling around the shaking fingers of the Healer's hands. Raphael spun them around, and the ground shook, dust flying everywhere as the ground cracked and split.
Under them was a dark chasm, a tomb in the stone and sand, dark and forboding.
Azazel had never been more terrified in his life.
Tears slipped from his eyes and he wished beyond anything that Raphael would have wiped them away too, with as much gentleness as he had when wiping his away.
But he didn't.
Instead he kissed him.
Long and slow and as if to leave a parting message of burning undying love that could never be forgotten. The taste of him was still there even as he pulled away and pushed him back into the abyss and Azazel fell down into the shadows and unknown.
He screamed as the ground closed up above him taking his view of the light and his anchor.
His Raphael.
The only remaining person in the forsaken desert released a sob that was so heart wrenching and soul crushing that it would have broken even the most toughest of hearts.
And then he crashed to his knees and the only sound to be heard was that of tear drops splashing onto the sandy desert floor underneath him as he pressed his temple to the hot ground and he clenched his eyes shut as tight as he could.
As if this was some sort of nightmare he would wake up from and his love, his mate, his Azazel would be there at his side with soft loving touches and gentle words and they'd curl up together and go back to sleep.
Except this wasn't a night mare, this was reality, and he was completely and utterly alone.
And it was in that moment, that moment of deep and numbing sorrow, that Raphael finally broke.
...
There was a bright burning flash and then he knew nothing more. He was floating and warm and everything was just...
Everything was just calm.
"Healer?"
He turned slightly, his eyes still adjusting to new development, and returning to norm after the blinding flash of being exploded. All he saw was a vague outline of a body.
But the voice was one he recognized, he would always know that voice, and he choked on a cry.
It wasn't angry, nor disappointed, no, it sounded sad.
Surprised.
Perhaps a bit happy.
But sad.
He fell to his knees and covered his face with his hands as hot tears flooded down his face. There was a rustle, the sound of fabric moving and settling, and then hands were pulling at his, fingers lacing between his and pulling them free.
"Don't cry angel."
"I'm sorry. So sorry. Please don-"
"I could never hate you, I told you, I promised."
"I love you."
Warm lips kissed at his cheeks, kissing up the tears, and then over his temple, and finally to his lips.
"I've always loved you."
Raphael opened his eyes and stared into his and they shined, they were so full of life and love and joy and mischeif, Azazel sighed and pulled him down when more tears gathered in his eyes.
"Don't cry now, you're ruining the moment,-"
"I'm sorry."
"And stop apologizing-"
"I'm-"
Azazel forced him to stop when he crashed their lips together again and he pulled Raphael across into his lap.
"Then your forgiven."
"I don't deserve it."
"Maybe, but your going to get it, and so much more."
Raphael giggled wetly against his lips and he smiled slightly at the sound and feeling, "Welcome home, my Healer."