Somewhere in the Belly of the Beast

Pairing: Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, background Bianca di Angelo/Zoë Nightshade

Summary: Nico cuts his lifeline loose. Will saves him even before they know each other. (Fusion: Supernatural)

A/N: Title comes from Florence + the Machine's "Various Storms and Saints" (you may want to listen to it during the read, it's up to you)

This is an alternate universe where all characters are put in the Supernatural (TV) 'verse. Spoilers for Supernatural up to 4x01 Lazarus Rising. characters switched:

Nico - Dean
Will - Castiel
Bianca - Sam
Zoe - Ruby
Chiron - Bobby
Bryce - Alastair
Reyna - Bela
Lou - Pamela

Warning for mild gore and implied non-con (not Will/Nico).

"Who are you?"

The only known knife capable of destroying demons was gripped tightly between callused fingers, positioned to cut through flesh and pierce the heart at a moment's notice. Nico narrowed his eyes, his muscles tense and his hand steady on the hilt of the knife.

The man gazed at him, a flicker of amusement in his eyes as he said, "I guess you can say that I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition." His blue eyes were human-looking, but Nico knew better than anyone in the entire goddamn world that there was nothing human about him.

Nico felt an unwarranted flush of arousal at the rough sound of his voice that his body chose to interpret as bend me over the table right now and take me. He pushed the sudden urge down and looked at the being directly in the eyes. "Yeah, thanks for that," Nico managed to say even as the intensity of his blue eyes stole his breath.

Without a moment to spare, Nico plunged the knife into the heart of the being. Instead of the surprised look of death and flashing orange lights, the being simply looked down at the hilt sticking out of his body right where his heart was supposed to be. He looked back up at Nico's stunned expression with what looked like a smirk before pulling the knife out. The blade didn't even have blood on it. Shit.

Obviously Nico was dealing with some kind of monster that even the only effective ammunition he had against demons didn't work. They were screwed. While Nico was stumped over this, Chiron took this moment to act. He brought the crowbar up to strike the stranger in the head from behind, but the creature reached his hand out behind him and grabbed the weapon – halting its' path. Nico could only watch in shock as the being easily disarmed Chiron and pressed two fingers against the older man's forehead. Chiron's eyes rolled up and he collapsed on the warehouse ground. Then the man turned back to face Nico. He swallowed, taking a small step backwards and away from it. The being only took a step forward – bullet-hole ridden trench coat and all.

"We need to talk, Nico. Alone," he said.

He couldn't believe his ears. This…creature who had been stabbed with the demon-killing knife and lived and knocked out a trained hunter with a press of his fingers just wanted to talk? Well, he'd be damned if he wasn't on his guard around this monster. Nico skirted around the creature and crouched over Chiron to check his pulse. He swore to God if this monster had hurt Chiron…

"Your friend's alive," the being called over, and Nico looked up to see him flipping casually through the books of lore they had brought with him.

He asked the question again: "Who are you?"

The man focused his gaze on Nico again, all blue eyes and blond hair. "Vriel. But I often go by Will." A smile came upon his lips, and Nico fought his urge to kiss the man – creature.

Vriel – that was the name he was given from Lou Ellen on the thing that had pulled Nico from Hell. However seeking that information had cost the psychic her eyes, and if Vriel could burn out Lou Ellen's eyes just for searching for his name…well Nico wasn't too eager to see the full extent of his – its' power.

"I figured," Nico muttered to himself. He turned his eyes back on the creature who was watching him with curious eyes. "Maybe I should rephrase it: what are you?"

"I'm an angel of the Lord," Will said without a beat as if they were talking about the weather. The impossible piece of information was so unexpected that Nico couldn't help the noise of incredulity escape him. Will frowned and tilted his head. "What's wrong?"

Nico finally found the words to speak. "Get the hell out of here, Will. There's no such thing." He had been hunting for a long enough time now to know that angels and God and all things holy didn't exist. This had to be some sort of elaborate joke made by an overpowered demon.

Will sighed. "That's your problem, Nico. You have no faith." Before Nico could scoff at his words, lightning flashed and huge shadowy wings were casted onto the warehouse walls behind Will – Vriel. The wings unfurled, seeming too large to be contained onto Will's suddenly too small body. All too soon the light was gone and the wings faded from sight, leaving an attractive man in a trench coat standing before him.

"Fine, you're a literal angel from above," Nico said, hating the way he sounded so breathless. He calmed his racing heart before he continued to speak. "But why would an angel rescue me from Hell?" The memories of screaming and pain flashed through his mind – a sharp razor held in his own hand, a wicked grin stretching his mouth as he became the very thing he hated the most…

The angel took a step toward him and tilted his head. His eyes were full of inquiry and pity, and Nico knew that the angel saw into his mind at that moment. "You don't think you deserve to be saved," Will said, his voice quiet in the din of the warehouse and the light storm outside. It wasn't a question and Nico turned his face away, trying to push all his emotions down.

Now there was a hand on his shoulder that was all too warm, too comforting, too human for Nico to believe that this touch came from a being far older and superior to him if he was what he claimed to be. When the hunter could finally muster the strength to turn and look at the angel, he felt tears prickle at the back of his eyes. Will was looking at him not with disgust that he should feel after glimpsing Nico's memories in Hell but with a soft tender look of concern and care.

Unbidden words slipped out before he had the mind to hold them back. "I'm sorry," Nico said, feeling the tears spill from his eyes and down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry." His chest heaved and Nico brought his hands up to wipe away his tears, but they somehow ended up covering his face as he sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he repeated over and over again not to the angel but to everyone he'd ever hurt on earth and during his years in Hell. He was vaguely aware of strong warm arms that were wrapped around him and a voice telling him that it was okay and he was forgiven. Nico focused on the gentle voice and the warmth surrounding him until his tears turned into hiccupping sniffles.

For the first thirty years, Nico refused the offer.

"Why not?" Bryce taunted, brandishing a razor as he trailed it down Nico's arms to circle at the place where his heart was. Though they had gone through this routine so many times, Nico was still frightened out of his mind. Somewhere, he was aware that there were others who hung on the rack not far away screaming for mercy. But right now he felt alone – the others' screams were just part of the distant cacophony in the background. What he did feel was the cold steel blade pressed against his skin, a stark contrast to the infinite furnace of Hell. The demon's black eyes were alight with glee when he pressed his blade harder into his skin. Nico held back a whimper and forced himself to look back into Bryce's depthless eyes.

"I'll never become a demon like you," he spat, gathering the courage that he didn't feel. The demon took this as a cue to begin. With a flick of his wrist and an unrelenting pressure, Bryce carved a path straight to his heart. Nico cried out at the pain, twisting his hands and legs uselessly at the sharp chains that suspended him. He felt the blade push deeper and he wished that death would take him. But he was already dead, and this was his punishment. Bryce screwed the blade around and yanked it out of him so fast that Nico's blood splash all over the demon. He cried out, hands clenching and body in spasm against the chains that held him. "Please, no," he whimpered.

Bryce plunged his fingers into the hole in his heart and pushed around inside the damaged organ, and Nico cried out as excruciating pain shot through his whole body. "Stop! Stop!" he was crying out, but he knew that the demon had only just begun.

"How about we feed you your heart, today?" Bryce murmured, close enough to Nico that he could smell the demons' putrid breath. He gagged, desperately straining against the chains. "Or…we can take you off the rack. Doesn't that sound great?" he asked, his slimy lips pressed against Nico's ears now.

It came at a price, Nico knew that. If he took the offer and got off the rack, he would be given all the tools that were once used to wreck his body – his soul, and then he wield them the same way Bryce did on him. "No," came Nico's voice, almost inaudible.

Bryce sighed dramatically. "Well, personally," he said with a vicious grin. "I can't say no to another brave idiot who thinks they can last long." With that, the air was filled with Nico's screams of agony and Bryce's vile laughter.

Each day it got harder to say no. Just another day. Just another day. But each day passed with more difficulty than the one before it, and soon Nico found himself saying yes and eventually holding a razor with ease in his hand as he stood before another mangled soul.

There was a woman in front of him this time. She was…familiar for some reason, but he disregarded it in favour of choosing the tool he would start with. Perhaps he would start with her fingers – slow torture that lead to a cacophony of pleading and screaming. Yes, that seemed like a good way to start off his day…

"Nico?"

The voice tore him from his thoughts and he squinted at the soul in front of him. No one from the rack had ever called him that. Then he recognized her.

Reyna Ramírez-Arellano – the woman he had briefly worked with in the hunting business who had died a few months prior to his own death.

A wide smile came upon his face. "Hello, Reyna," he cooed while he slid a finger down the bladed side of his tool to test for the sharpness. When his finger came up bloody, his smile grew wider. "You know, I never did figure out why you sold your soul. Was it for the money? Maybe for a shot at a false romance?"

Her expression was a mixture of confusion and anger. "Why are you here?" she demanded, ignoring Nico's mocking. Then understanding lit her eyes. "Bianca," she whispered. "She died, didn't she? And you – stupid boy that you are…you sold your soul for her life."

Nico felt a flicker of rage at her words. "Shut up," he said quietly before discarding his tool for another one. He would start with her tongue.

Reyna screamed in the beginning like all the others did until she couldn't, but somehow even in Nico's slowly darkening soul, this one felt worse.

He doesn't remember it. One second he was carving away (gleefully) at another soul and the other he was buried underground in his own makeshift coffin. (Much explanation from Will later on told him that the angel had been the one to pull him out of Hell and restore his body) After crawling out of his own grave, he went off in search of civilization. He had spent forty years in hell: thirty at the mercy of whatever wicked plans Bryce had for him and ten becoming Bryce's greatest successor. The thought made him feel disgusting. It was only when he checked the newspaper did his world fall apart.

It had only been four months since his death.

While it had felt like forty years down there, only four months had passed. Nico caved on the third month.

Oh God.

It took all he had to continue moving until he found himself in front of Chiron's door.

"I don't trust this guy," his older sister said, narrowing her eyes at Will. Said angel was happily reading a book of poetry, smiling at every occasion. Nico's heart leapt to his throat every time Will smiled. He tore his gaze away from the angel and looked back at his sister.

He should have been happy to see her. He had sold his soul so that Bianca could live, after all. Those forty years spent in Hell was all for his sister. Really, he was happy to see her, but she was always so focused on Zoë Nightshade, their demon 'friend', especially now that they had started a human/demon relationship that didn't fail to make Nico gag. And every time he looked at her he thought about the things he did in Hell and his heart plummeted. God, he hadn't even told her that he had seen Reyna there. And the things he did to Reyna…

"I'm going out to get a drink," he announced, completely ignoring Bianca's statement. Will perked up immediately.

"I'm coming too," he said, completely forgetting the book of poetry in favour of trailing after Nico. Some parts of Nico was annoyed, but most of him was relieved. He had thought it would be embarrassing after breaking down in front of Will the moment they met, but it turned out that Nico now felt safer around the angel. He knew Nico like no one did (not even Bianca), and he had cradled Nico's soul in his hands when he pulled him from Hell. There was nothing Nico had left to hide from him. While this kind of…intimacy with anyone else would have Nico running for the other side of the States, it only made him want Will beside him at all times.

The angel was also absurdly strong and scared off demons like pie on Tuesdays, which made him not so bad to be around. That and the fact that he was gorgeous – all wide blue eyes and messy blond hair like he woke up like that. Lips that looked so kissable…

Nico felt a twitch of self-loathing inside himself. Why was he thinking these things about an angel of the Lord? Surely if Will was privy to his thoughts he would smite Nico on the spot.

But Will only smiled at Nico as the hunter turned on the engine of the Impala and drove out of the motel parking lot. The local bar was only a few minutes away. He had no plans to find anyone to warm his bed tonight – or ever again, really after what happened in Hell. But when women and men looked at him in a suggestive way, he sent a smile back out of curtesy.

"So what do you generally do in bars?" Will said when they sat down at the counter. Nico ordered two bottles of beer before turning his attention back to Will.

He shrugged. "You drink. Alcohol, beer, those girly fruity drinks. Things that lower your inhibitions."

Will leaned forward, seeming like a curious puppy. Nico sometimes had trouble reminding himself that Will was a timeless immortal being. "What I mean to you is, what do you generally do in bars?"

The bartender came back with their drinks and Nico took a sip as he considered his answer. Me? Meaningless hookups with men who couldn't care less about me just so I don't feel alone for a moment, he thought with a bitter smile. But Will already knew that – he had touched his soul. He knew every crook and cranny of Nico's soul. "I drink, I guess."

"Then I'll try drinking too," the angel said before downing the entire bottle of beer. Nico looked at him with wide eyes while thinking shit, I hope he isn't lightweight. Will tilted his head confusedly at the bottle after a few second before saying, "I don't feel anything."

Nico rolled his eyes and snatched the empty bottle from Will's hand. Yeah, it was empty all right – down to the last drop. "Of course not, you idiot," he said without menace. "The effects only kick in a few minutes later. You're going to be so wasted." A smile came unbidden to his lips at the thought. Would Will be a flirty drunk? Nico felt heat rush to his cheeks at the thought.

Somehow Nico felt different about the angel than he had with anyone in the past whom he was interested in. Instead of the feeling of euphoria every time their fingers touched and the rush of lust that would overtake him. The emotions he felt for Will were slow but tumultuous. He wanted to touch him – but not only to satisfy the hunger in his body but for the solace that he provided. He wanted Will to hold him in his arms and tell him that he was forgiven, that he was saved, that he was worthy of the redemption he craved from all the people he had ever hurt.

Will hummed. "I feel a light buzz," he commented, but otherwise sat perfectly straight and looked at Nico with sober eyes.

The hunter shook his head in amusement. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that you're an angel," he said. Will was about to speak but a mighty crash grabbed their attention and they turned to see a middle-aged white man standing by the counter with a broken beer bottle in his hand. He held onto the neck of the bottle and ran a finger down the sharp edges, grinning when he brought his finger up and saw a bright red dab of blood. He brought his fingers up to his mouth and licked it.

Nico felt the familiar feeling of revulsion in his stomach and his heart pounded harder in fear. "Delicious," the man said, turning his eyes to look straight at Nico. When their eyes met, the hunter felt like throwing up everything he had eaten today and turning to run without stopping until they were miles away.

The bartender crept closer to the man. "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to put the bottle down and – what the hell is that!" Black demonic smoke had appeared, swirling above the heads of all the patrons of the bar. People yelped and pointed. Nico was vaguely aware of Will standing up from his seat, electricity cracking the air around him.

The smoke plunged down into the mouths of the unsuspecting, demons pushing down the consciousness of the humans and taking over their bodies. When they opened their eyes again, they were pitch black. The ones who were left unpossessed screamed as they tried to escape but the demons went after them. Within seconds, the bar was full of dead bodies and smiling demons…topped with him as their ringmaster.

Will had stepped in front of Nico without him even knowing. He had manifested his angel blade in his hand and was now facing the demons fearlessly, his stance protective. "What do you want?" he growled, all the warmth he reserved for Nico gone now that he was facing demons.

Bryce took a casual step ahead. "I see you're going big now, Nico," he said. Nico's body tensed up at the sound of his name on his lips. Bryce didn't have a real body down in Hell – it was only a manifestation of Nico's own imagination, but the hunter could recognize that tone anywhere. "How did you get the angels to follow you around like you're a dog on a leash? Choking on some more dick and offering your hole, maybe?" He looked at Will and scoffed. "If you've been on your knees, you sure as hell haven't been doing a good job judging from the weakling they sent you. Maybe you need a little more practice."

Thoughts of Hell plagued Nico and he reached down to grip tightly at the demon killing knife. "Fuck off," he managed through gritted teeth.

Bryce laughed. "Really? Two against a dozen or so demon? You have to be kidding me." Without a warning, the demons launched themselves at Will and Nico. They fought them off as best as they could – Will doing a deadly dance with his angel blade, and Nico stumbling to survive.

Will's fighting style was entrancing and rigid – like he was programmed to fight this way. Still, bodies fell around him – either smote or killed with the angel blade. Nico was distracted enough that he let his guard slip and Bryce was upon him. He held Nico by the neck tightly enough that the hunter could barely breathe and his other hand snapped the wrist that was holding the demon killing knife. Nico cried out and dropped the blade. Bryce kicked it aside as he brought his face toward Nico.

"I miss you down in Hell," Bryce said, running his hand down Nico's chest. "Hey, do you think if I kill you right here, you'll end up right back on the rack? I can think of so many fun things to do to you." Nico flinched at the thought and tried to think of a way to escape. Bryce could easily snap his neck like this, and Nico didn't want to find out whether his soul would return to Hell.

"Hell misses you too, bastard," he heard Will say, and something plunged into Bryce's body from behind. He was surprised enough that he dropped Nico. He fell onto the floor, hands reaching up to his neck as he gasped for breath.

He looked up, hoping to see the angel blade sticking out of Bryce's body, but was disappointed to see that it was only a broken wooden foot of a stool. Before Bryce could return to his senses, a battered Will grabbed Nico's arm firmly and teleported them away.

When they landed, Nico immediately fell to the ground. The teleportation thing Will did always left him disorientated and nauseous, but now he felt nauseous for an entirely different reason. He brought his knees up to his face and wrapped his arms around his legs. Will had brought them to an alleyway in who knew where, but Nico didn't care as long as he was away from Bryce and his threats and promises.

He felt so weak. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and was relieved to find that they were dry. Still, it didn't take away the pain in his chest. "I'm so fucking pathetic," Nico whispered out loud.

"No, you're not," came Will's insistent voice. The blue-eyed angel was kneeling in front of him, and Nico had never felt so pitiful in his entire life. "You're the strongest man I have ever met."

"Maybe because I am the only man you've ever met," Nico spat, suddenly feeling vicious and wanting to lash out at the angel. If he said enough hurtful things, maybe Will would leave him and never return. He didn't deserve someone as good and worthy as Will. The angel would be better off without Nico dragging him down.

The angel let out a huff, and Nico knew that he had heard his thoughts somehow. "You're not, believe me," Will said. "And I'm not going to leave you. You're my charge, and you are worthy, all right? No more dark moody things, please." His tone was pleading.

Nico felt tired, and scared, and sad. "So that's all I am to you," he said. "Your charge. A burden. I get it." He laughed self-deprecatingly. Nico didn't understand why he was walking down this path. This wasn't the time for his to mope over his unrequited feelings.

But Will was stubborn. "That's not what I mean!" the angel almost shouted. He lowered his voice when Nico flinched. "I care about you, but you're so self-destructive sometimes that I don't even know what to do with you!" He paused and Nico looked up to see Will's blue eyes wrought with concern and pain. "I care more than I'm allowed to," he finally said. "So don't…don't throw away your life. Don't throw this away."

He swallowed and finally looked up at the angel who had saved him – literally – from the depths of Hell. Right now, he looked so human in the moonlight that Nico just wanted to kiss him. He wanted to pull him down so that their lips met and he could forget about the things that Bryce said and did to him in Hell. He could forget about the unwanted touching and the screaming and the pain.

So Nico did exactly that before his courage failed him. Will allowed the touch, kissing Nico back with a ferocity that was all love without lust. Nico fell into the kiss, letting the angel guide him through it. He pressed his hands into his soft hair and held on as Will's tongue swept inside of his mouth. When they pulled apart, they were both panting and Will was looking at him with wide blue eyes.

There were no words necessary and Nico held tightly onto Will, heart beating wildly against his ribcage. Will was his solace, and he'd be damned if he let the angel slip through his fingers before he could heal all the dark crevices within his soul that he had missed when he restored Nico.

And maybe healing was a long process, especially after what Bryce and the demons did to him. But with Will's hand rubbing calming circles onto his collarbone and breathing into the hollow of his neck, Nico could feel his heart slowly mend together again.

-end

A/N: I might continue this 'verse depending on my mood and if a lot of people enjoyed it.

Speaking of, if you liked it, a review would be very kind! :)