Raven was up late as usual, looking out her window at the lake outside the place where the Brotherhood all resided. It was nights like this she missed climbing into bed with Charles and cuddling up to him while he studied or read to her. She sighed and looked around her room, she always hated sleeping alone...
She ended up going to Eriks room, he had come to expect her this time of night. Before Raven could even knock she heard his voice confirming that it was alright for her to come in. She walked over and cuddled up to him.
Erik smiled and held her close, her head laying on his chest.
"I spoke to Charles today," she began, looking up at him feeling his body language change slightly underneath her.
"Is that so?" He replied, he voice still as calm as ever, "What about?"
"We always end up getting on the same topic every time..." Raven said shaking her head slightly.
He looked down at her the best he could from that angle and tilted his head, "And what would that be?"
"You..."
Raven heard his heartbeat quicken as she replied, He then shifted his weight to where he could look at her more easily. "Why do you always talk about me?" He asked, looked confused, even in the dim light of his room she could see his expression.
She looked away and began to feel a bit nervous, "He asked if we were together...again."
Erik froze, but smiled softly. "He has been asking that a lot lately hasn't he?. What did you tell him Raven?." he asked.
She looked up at him again, her greenish brown eyes looking into his diamond colored ones. "I don't know what to tell him...it has been years since we left him but ...I don't know what to tell him."
His eyes narrowed and he tilted his head, "Raven why are you in your human form?" He asked, running his fingers over her flawless human skin. "You know you don't have to hide with me..."
Raven looked down and resumed her normal mutant form, "I'm sorry...but I still get a bit self conscious sometimes I guess."
Erik looked confused and opened his mouth to ask why when he heard a sound down the hall, no doubt the sound of the devilish teleporter who had joined their side once again after a long leave of absence. Raven froze when she heard the noise and her eyes instantly showed that of heartbreak and betrayal.
He knew of their past, how both Raven and her unborn child were abandoned not long after Erik started the Brotherhood. He remembered the very night she came back, her dress torn and bloodstained, even her mutant skin was pale and bruised and what hurt him even worse...was that she was crying. He had rarely seen her cry over the years they had been living together, he knew that when she did it was a sign that something had hurt her more than even he could imagine. But she showed up at his door one night and he had never let her go since. They had became so close since that time but he had never distinguished what they had as a 'Relationship'. About a year ago was when the Teleporter showed back up and joined the Brotherhood...Raven didn't come out of her room for 3 days when that happened.
"He knows what you look like Raven and even if he doesn't like it...I do." Erik said with a smile, running his thumb over her scaly cheek. He felt her look up at him and he even felt her smile. "Thats my girl..."
Raven leaned into his hand gently and then looked up at him once more, "You never answered my question.."
"I apologize then, what was it again?"
"...are we together?"
Erik was quiet for a few moments and in those few moments he somehow felt all the air leave the room. He hadn't felt himself blush in a while, but that question had managed to do it...
He finally took a deep breath and smiled at her in the dim light of his room, "You tell Charles, that its not really any of his business...But..." He brought her hand up to his lips gently, "Raven Darkholme, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"
Raven smiled, he was always so polite to her, "Of course Erik...it would be my pleasure." but she then felt his smile fade.
"Raven...you do know that I am going to grow old yes?."
The sapphire mutant froze, "W-What, what do you mean?" she asked, her voice already showing that she was holding back tears.
Erik ran his fingers through her hair, "Your mutation keeps you young, but mine does not. I am going to get older and I am going to leave you my dear..." He heard the familiar BAMFing noise down the hall again, "But only because I will be forced too but nature its-self, not because I want to." he explained feeling tears hit his chest. "Raven...don't cry my dear, You will still have me for quite some time." He assured.
Raven nodded and smiled again, "I don't care if you are going to get old...I will take care of you."
He laughed, "Even if I get old and senile and forget who I am?
"I will turn into you every morning so you can meet yourself if that is the case."
They both laughed at that and then held her close, the BAMFing noise being heard once again. Raven looked up at Erik after she heard it, "I will tell him tomorrow...but you have to tell Charles"
The next night she held her end of the bargain, and sat in her room. She knew that is she stayed there long enough he would come and look for her. She hugged her knees and looked up at the moon...the first time she saw him he was taking mortals and teleporting them into the sky and letting them go in front of a full moon like tonight. She was so fascinated by him, by his color, by his power...by his eyes. She shook her head and sighed, she couldn't let herself think about him too much or she would fall for him all over again.
She walked over and lay in her bed, looking down out the floor, she had scooted over to give him room to lay when he arrived like he always did. She tried to imagine what she would tell him, tried to figure it out so that when he arrived that she could just tell him and he could leave...but she knew that it wouldn't be that easy.
She soon heard the familiar noise that made her jump every time as he appeared right beside her. Raven instantly felt his body heat behind her, he was always so warm.
"Good evening Raven." Azazel said, leaning down and kissing her shoulders. She sighed and pulled her shoulder away gently. The devilish mutant tilted his head, "That is an interesting greeting."
Raven turned and looked at him, "I talked to Erik last night..." she began, his body language never changed. He still had a cocky air about him as usual.
"Oh? About you becoming my Queen soon, Da?. What did he say?." He asked, he sounded as if the conversation they were having wasn't of any importance, just every day things to him.
She blinked and took a deep breath, "Yes and No..."
" That is not what you talked to him about?
"Yes it is...but not in the way you had hoped." She responded. Thats when she felt him get uncomfortable, she couldn't help but feel happy that for once he was the one on the verge of heartbreak. "Erik and I are dating."
She felt the devils body heat increase and she saw his pale blue eyes get darker, "You...What?" He stuttered out, but to Ravens surprise he sounded sad rather than angry.
" He was there for me...he has always been there for me..." she was trying not to cry, she didn't want him to see her do that again.
"Raven..." He said, reaching forward to cup her face in his hand gently, "I never wanted to leave you...I had to leave because if I didn't then they would have killed you and Kurt too. The Cheyaraphim teach peace and kindness but they act upon war and hatred when it comes to us..."
"I know why you did it, but you could have left me a note, at least said the words 'Goodbye, I love you' before you disappeared. I have cursed your named ever since and you want me to be your Queen?" She replied shaking her head, "I don't think thats going to work..."
The room got deafeningly quiet, it was only a few seconds but for Raven it seemed like an eternity.
"Erik told me he was going to leave me...he looked at me and he said "I'm going to get old and leave you one day but only because I will be forced too."
"And you think I left you because I wanted to?" He replied, narrowing his eyes slightly.
" Azazel what am I supposed to think when all you use women for is keeping you linked to this world through bearing children!." Raven spat back.
She then felt Azazel push himself above her to look in her eyes, Her breath hitched out of habit...and her heart raced. 'No..' she thought, 'No please, Raven don't feel this for him!.'.
"I should have never left you. It was the worst mistake I have ever made and every day I think to myself...'How could you have left her when she needed you?'. I could have fought, I could have tried to save the both of you but I took the easy way out and I am sorry." He said, for once in his life trying to hold back tears.
Ravens eyes widened as she noticed that he was trying not to cry, she put her hand on his and tilted her head. "I love Erik, but I have a problem..."
He tilted his head, "What is that?" He managed to choke out.
"I still love you." She said, tears running down her cheeks. Azazel smiled crookedly and laid his head on her chest as she put her arms around him, holding him tightly. "But...I'm so confused...I don't know what to do..."
They had another moment of silence before she felt Azazel take a deep breath and lift himself up to look at her again.
"Love the mortal, I won't blame you for it. He is going to grow old with time while I can live for millennia." He said rubbing her cheek gently, feeling tears soak his fingers.
"I will love him...and you will have to watch. You will watch me love him, you will watch me laugh with him and find comfort in his arms. And you will watch me as I awake from nightmares screaming your name..." Raven began, pausing as she felt him try to pull her closer, she refused this and looked at him, "and you will watch me as I run into his arms because he was there where you should have been!."
Azazel got quiet and you could feel his guilt and shame, he then looked up at her once more. "I will watch...it is my punishment for what I have done. But I will still be there, and when he does pass on, I will be here for you...I will wait Raven."
"Men never wait...they find someone else.'" She said shaking her head, crying more as he spoke.
"No, I will wait for you. I may have slept with women to keep me here, but there have been none since you I assure you." Azazel said, looking into her bright yellow eyes. "You are the only woman I have ever loved. There is something about you, a power, yes a power. When I see you I feel drawn to you in a way I have never felt before." he leaned his forehead against hers. "So I will go, but I will not go far. I will watch over you and Kurt just like I always have. " He then paused and Raven heard him swallow back tears, "But if you need me...Just Whistle..."
Ravens eyes widened as she realized he was actually crying, she wrapped her arms around him tightly and she felt him gasp slightly. Her vision blurred from her own tears as she clung to him as if she were about to fall. "Please...Don't leave me Azazel...don't leave me..."
He held her tightly and nuzzled her neck, inhaling her scent, even after all these years it was still calming to him. "I won't leave you Raven. I promise you...I won't be far."
"And if I want to see you, I just whistle right?" She asked, calming down.
Azazel nodded with a smile, "Da..."
Raven smiled and kissed his cheek, "Then I will see you tomorrow."
It had been years since she had talked with Azazel about being with Erik, and here they were in the middle of an all out war. A Cure had been created and all hell had broken loose because of it. Mystique had just broken out of her cell in the truck she had been held in. She walked up to Erik after he had released all the other mutants inside and listened to what he was saying. She had just given him information he needed to continue his search for the power source he desperately needed.
She then heard and noise and she saw a red dot appeared on Eriks chest, she turned and saw a guard behind her had woken up and was about to shoot him with the very cure they were fighting against.
"NO!" She yelled as she jumped in front of him, feeling a sharp pain in her chest she looked down and saw the dart sticking from her shoulder. She pulled it out and fell to the ground, writhing as she felt a painful burning sensation throughout her body as her scales and blue form faded into human skin. She rolled away from Erik, ashamed for him to see her like this. When she stopped black hair fell into her eyes...she had never given herself black hair, she held up her hand and looked at the porcelain skin.
Erik was shocked, he looked down at her trying to keep from doing something stupid and at this point crying and getting upset would be one of them. He looked down at his fallen lover in shock, "You saved me..."
"Erik..." Raven choked out, terrified, sore, and weak.
"I'm sorry my dear, you are no longer one of us..." Erik replied turning and walking away from her.
Raven watched him go, her vision blurring with tears, as they waked away she heard; "What a pity, she was so beautiful."
Abandoned again.
She lay there for a moment, trying not to break down, trying not to cry. But she soon gave up and began crying softly, to avoid making any more of a fool of herself.
She wiped her human eyes and thought of what she was going to do then, she knew one thing she had to do...she needed someone she could rely on, someone who would be there.
So she whistled...
Within seconds he appeared before her, his center of gravity was behind him and to the left as usual...she wondered how he kept himself upright. His back was to her but as soon as her turned and saw her laying on the floor, his expression changed drastically. His crooked smiled melted into sheer heartbreak. "Niet...NIET!" He yelled as he kneeled next to her and held her in his arms. "Raven?...Raven what have they done to you!"
Raven couldn't reply, she was shaking uncontrollably and her skin was so pale from shock. Her tears were soaking his black jacket but he didn't care. He looked down at her, she was still so beautiful. He then hugged her tightly but gently, "I trusted him...I trusted him to love you! To keep you safe!" He yelled, beginning to cry himself seeing his love abandoned...
Abandoned...
He froze and felt her looked up at him, her new blue eyes were full of heartbreak and reoccurring nightmares. "He left me...he.. He said 'I'm sorry you aren't one of us anymore.. its a pity she was so beautiful."
Azazel looked into those eyes and saw a fear he hadn't seen in years, "Raven you are still beautiful." He replied, running his thumb down her cheeks and wiping her tears. "And you are still my queen..." he said through sadness.
"I saved him" she whispered.
His eyes narrowed, "What?"
"That dart was meant for him...I saved him."
"And he walked away! You saved him and you just walked away!" He yelled shaking his head, "How could he leave you how could he abandon you like you were nothing?"
Raven looked up at him and smiled sadly, "I guess I am used to that...", she saw him freeze and look away. "But you came..." she continued placing her hand on his face. But as soon as her hand came into her vision she frowned and looked down at herself once again. " I'm a homosapien..." She sobbed.
He turned her face to look at him, "No Raven, you are still you. You are still magnificent and perfect.", he then noticed that she was also naked. "You must be so cold." He said taking off his jacket and putting it around her. He was so tall that it succeeded in swallowing her small frame whole.
She nodded in thanks and smiled a bit, "Why are you crying?."
"Something so beautiful should not have to suffer." he said, not knowing his son had said the same thing not to long ago to a pretty woman in distress.
Raven laid on his chest for a while before looking up, "I need to get a few things done..."
"Just tell me and I will take you there." He replied running his fingers through her hair, he had never pictured her with black hair...he liked it.
"I need to go to the CIA...I'm telling them everything about Erik. He doesn't do this to me and get away with it." she replied narrowing her eyes in anger. The red devil watched and smiled his usual crooked smile, he knew there was a reason he loved her. "And then I'm going to get into contact with an old friend, Hank McCoy..." she continued.
Raven remembered back in the day when she had almost taken a cure willingly, Hank took it and ended up a bit worse for ware but it did enhance his power. She knew that he would be able to tell it this was permanent. "Maybe this wares off..."She mumbled.
"Raven they have to test these things on-"
"Look at me Azazel! You think they test things that are to be used on us?, no, We are the test subjects!" She spat hatefully, but he nodded in agreement understanding that she was still upset and in shock.
"Why don't I take you someplace where we can rest?" he asked. Raven nodded and hung on as he teleported them to his bedroom. They both laid on the bed in each others arms, with her head on his chest.
"It hurts you so much because you know that you abandoned me once too doesn't it?"
Azazel looked down at her, then up at the ceiling. "Da...it does. I trusted him to love you and keep you safe. I regret that now, I should have done it myself!." he growled.
She nuzzled his neck slightly, "I forgive you."
"What?" he asked, shocked to hear those words from Raven.
"I forgive you for what you did...you had to do it. You came for me, when I needed you." She said looked up and kissing him gently, "And that means a lot to me."
He smiled and ran his fingers through her hair, "You are my Queen, I love you. Your forgiveness means so much to me..." he kissed her head and rested his head on hers. "Even if this doesn't ware off, I will still keep you as my Queen."
Raven looked up, "No, I want us to be a family...and you told me yourself one time that if I wasn't mutant it would kill me.", 'it almost killed me the first time' she thought.
Azazel smiled again, as he held her close "And we could raise the child like we wanted to raise Kurt?"
"Yes..."
"I would like that...very much." He replied, nuzzling her hair.
They then laid there in silence for a while until Azazel spoke again, "Have you seen yourself?"
Raven swallowed and shook her head, "No...I don't want too..."
"You look beautiful, and I think that you should see yourself so that you can turn back into this when you get your powers back."
"What? Azazel you can be so selfish." She teased laughing a bit.
Azazel laughed as well, "Well at least you are laughing now, but I do think you should at least take a look."
She looked down, "Maybe tomorrow..."
"Alright...tomorrow."
She then paused and looked up at him, "But...what color are my eyes?" she asked tilting her head slightly.
"They are a beautiful blue...almost like mine." He replied looking into her new diamond color eyes. "Do you want to look?
Raven rested her head on his chest once again, "I will tomorrow."
Azazel nodded, "Alright...tomorrow."
They were finally in each others arms calmly, once again under bad circumstances but not under ones either of them had caused. Neither of them was mad at the other and for once everything between them was civil. Though their love for each other didn't grow again, it just never left.