Genre: Fantasy

Pairings: 1x2, other

Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words

Warnings: Gratuitous violence, abuse, torture, language, yaoi, lemon, angels, demons, bigotry, hypocrisy, blasphemy, heresy, sacrilege, and general religion-bashing. THIS IS NOT A STORY FOR THE CLOSE-MINDED.


In Heero's Care

When Duo opened his eyes, the first thing he noticed was the pain. Or, rather, the dramatic reduction of pain. In his disorientation it took several moments for him to realize where he was. First, he was lying down now, no longer secured to the cross. Lying on his stomach on some soft, comfortable surface. What did that mean? Oraia had suddenly grown a conscience.

Wait. No. That wasn't right. Recollection slowly settled in. Heero. Yes, that was right. Heero had challenged her. Attacked her. And . . . freed him? It took a great deal of effort to lever up his eyelids. He was in a small room in what looked like a mortal house, which would mean they were in . . .

"Candora?" he croaked, voice dry and breaking. It started him coughing.

Cool hands abruptly gripped his shoulders, shifting him to his side a little, easing the strain on his chest. "You shouldn't try to speak just yet," came Heero's newly-familiar voice. "Your throat is torn raw. Here's some water. It will help."

Maybe it should have been embarrassing or upsetting that he couldn't support his weight enough to drink the cold water. It wasn't. He was simply too relieved to be out of Heaven for anything else. The water felt good going down, but Duo could taste blood as he swallowed. Heero let him drink it all.

"Why did you bring me to Candora?" he asked when finally he felt able. Talking hurt. "Why didn't you take me to Hell?"

By the look on Heero's troubled face, he was wondering the same thing. Gently lowering Duo to the bed, he rose and paced to the window. "I couldn't," he said finally. "I knew that would start a war between Heaven and Hell. Your demon kin don't attack Heaven because they believe you're there. I don't really care what they do to each other, but their actions cause much turmoil and grief here, on Candora."

Duo watched him. So there were at least a few angels in Heaven who still believed in God's plan. "Why did you free me?" he finally asked.

Now Heero turned to him, his cobalt eyes dark and hooded. "I had to," he said. That was all.

Not exactly the sort of answer Duo was looking for. "Did you kill her?" he asked softly, not sure which answer he would prefer more, a yes or no.

Heero shook his head. "Even had I been able I wouldn't have."

The Prince of Heaven was full of unhelpful responses today. Duo dropped it, throat too sore for more talk. Until, that is, Heero made him suddenly and once more painfully aware of something he would rather forget.

"You'll heal much slower here than you would in Hell," the angel said — unnecessarily, too. "I'd just finished wrapping your other wounds when you woke. Both your wings are broken, Duo. I'm going to have to reset the bones, or you'll never fly again."

The thought of that made every nerve-ending in Duo's body cry out in protest. He closed his eyes, unable to help the tremor that started up in his frame. "I know," he said faintly.

A cool hand pressed between his shoulder blades, and Duo was glad his wings were already extended. Making them come out would have hurt like hell — a pun he could make because he was a demon. Heero didn't give him any warning. He just took the left one and squeezed the large, main bone. In fact, the only bone in the wing of either a demon or an angel.

And oh, god did it hurt. The world whited out, all the air seizing up in his lungs so quickly he literally choked on it. He couldn't help it and cried out, a little too ragged to be a scream — and even that hurt. It lit his throat on fire, bringing reactionary tears to his eyes. He could tell Heero was trying to be gentle, but it was still agony.

Finally the pain eased a little, and Duo could feel the restriction of bandages. Panting, he tried to make his fingers loosen their white-knuckled grip on the blankets. That was just the first one. Heero didn't really give him the chance to get the pain under control before his hands took the other wing.

Duo really, really wished he would just black out. At least he knew Heero wasn't deliberately trying to hurt him. Knowing Heero was trying to help him actually helped. A tiny, miniscule bit. He was so focused on not moving and jarring Heero and making it worse that he didn't notice Heero had stopped until he felt a calming pressure.

Heero was gently stroking his wings. For a moment he thought the angel was trying to soothe him, then he realized those gentle fingers were actually combing through the soft feathers in search of injuries. It felt good. Such gentle ministrations after so long of pain felt really, really good. Absurdly good. His whole body went limp and pleasantly numb. He was safe. Heero would protect him.

He giggled in the haven of his own mind. Wasn't that a thought! Heero, his knight in shining armor, his guardian angel. His eyes drifted shut without his permission, sweetly enticing the world away and stealing him into sleep.

o0o 0o0

Heero watched the young demon fall asleep and felt some of the tightness in his chest loosen. Seeing Duo in pain, knowing he was causing it made him physically ill. He'd tried to hurry as fast as he could, get it over with, but speed wasn't a real option when he had to be so careful. It would have been easy to make the damage worse.

As he brushed his fingers through the luxuriously soft feathers, he felt that awful anger burning behind his vision. The world took on a peculiar red tint, making his heart beat a little faster and his breathing speed up. How could Oraia have done this? There was no crueler torture to inflict upon angel or demon, because wings were incredibly sensitive. Every sensation was magnified a thousand-fold, making tender ministrations that much more pleasurable, and ungentle ones that much more painful.

In fact, it had been an unspoken rule between them that no matter the fight between them, no matter how bloody the battle, they never touched each other's wings. It was a cheap, low blow intended only to cause pain. That Oraia would even consider resorting to such . . . despicable tactics made Heero desire to drag her out of Heaven, tear her wings from her back, and leave her to bleed to death somewhere on Candora's most desolate plains.

And such vehement feelings surprised and disturbed him. Why was he so protective of this young demon? He didn't know. It didn't make any sense, and at this point he was past trying to work it out. What did it matter now? He grimaced every time his fingers encountered evidence of a new wound or laceration, and there were many, many of them.

It took him almost four hours to clean and apply salve to them all.

o0o 0o0

Oraia picked herself up off the floor, trying to collect her scattered wits. Heero had gotten much stronger. So much so, in fact, she doubted even his parents could match him for sheer power.

And what, exactly, was that? What possible reason could Heero have for attacking her like that? And then, for the love of all things holy and just, free the demon? She couldn't figure it out. Eventually she shook her head, straightening her white robes. Somehow, she had to explain this.

By the time she reached the King and Queen of Heaven she had it. She bowed before them, allowing great sadness to etch her features.

"I bring terrible news," she said. "The demon prince has escaped, and I fear he has cast some sort of evil charm over your son. He managed to get Heero to attack me and free him."

The queen leaped to her feet. "What?" she cried, looking at once panicked, shocked, and angered. "I thought you were keeping the little beast under control!"

"I was," Oraia said, lowering her eyes, "but he is the Prince of Hell. Extremely powerful, young though he is."

"We have to find them," the king said, his eyes darkening. "We'll know the instant they return to Hell if they go there. If not, assume they did not and search for them. Find them, Oraia. I will not accept failure!"

Nodding, Oraia swept from the hall. Was it possible Heero had somehow learned of her plans? No, that was absurd. No one but herself knew. It simply wasn't possible that it could have leaked out. Heero was just . . . confused right now. He didn't see that demons were evil who had to be dealt with using harsh methods.

Yes. That was all.