Angels and Demons Part 10

Silence consumed them. All was quiet, except for their rapid heartbeats and nervous breathing. Hot air exhaled itself on to Arthur's neck and he couldn't hold back a shiver. Tears of fear prickled at his eyes, which did not go unnoticed by the demon behind him.

"Aw... is little Artie afraid?" He sneered, and leaned in closer "he should be"

Too terrified to move, he replied quietly "why are you here Alfred?"

His terrifyingly quiet laugh sent more hot air to the back of his neck, resulting in more shivers "darling if you'd ever been to hell, you would see why I'm here now"

"Well you've visited, you've seen, you've left your mark" He spat "so now you can leave?"

Another far too happy laugh urged Arthur to jump away "oh come on now, I want some" he span the Brit around to face him "fun"

Before he had a chance to react, Alfred crashed his lips upon the Brit's.

While Alfred seemed to be enjoying himself, Arthur stared wide eyed, completely unsure of how to react. Here was this demon, responsible for Matthew's torture and eventual death, the reason Yao may go to hell, completely homophobic, kissing him. Arthur, an angel of the male variety being kissed by Alfred, a demon also of the male variety. Why?

Before Arthur even had the slightest chance to react and possibly do something about the demon kissing him, Alfred pulled back and smirked in to the shocked eyes staring back at him. He jumped off towards the window, conveniently left open for his escape

"Don't think I will stop with a kiss" Alfred taunted "I will be back for more"

And then, he was gone.

Soft whines of pain echoed through the medical chamber. No others had been hurt, luckily, but Yao's condition had not improved whatsoever in the time that had passed. By now, a raging fever had claimed him along with the colour of his wings darkening immensly.

"it's because the curse has darkened his blood" he heard others whisper around Yao's bedside "his blackened blood is killing him from the inside"

He had no idea if this was true or not, but it sure seemed to be. The Chinese angel's face was flushed a strange dark pigment, and his wings seemed to be giving him much discomfort. He whined and cried softly, but never once opened his eyes. He'd fallen asleep some hours ago and the Matthew was saying, he would most likely never awake in heaven again.

Through the ever lasting night, Matthew and Arthur helped play nurse to dying angel. No cures had been found, and they were given simple instructions to make his last moments in heaven comfortable. They were trying to keep him happy before he died.

Kiku and Leon never once left his bedside, ignoring the coming and going of Matthew, Arthur, and various other medical staff. Small Leon stared ahead, never once breaking his gaze from his older brother's form. The two had been together when they died. While Yao had been 19, he'd been caring for 12 year old Leon at the time they were attacked. They had both gone to heaven to be angels, and Yao had always made a point to protect his brother in death, because he hadn't been able to in life.

If one looked closely, they would see the small tears escaping him without a sound. He was finally losing his big brother for good.

Kiku was more of an adopted brother than anything. In heaven, Yao and Leon both had taken a liking to the 17 year old Japanese boy. Yao had proudly proclaimed him as his younger brother. Leon took well to the change, loving both his older brothers equally.

But now the protection and comfort he had provided would be gone. Yao wouldn't be there to sing Leon to sleep when he awoke from reoccuring nightmares of his death. No more waking up in the morning to Yao cooking a genuine ancient Chinese breakfast. Many people attended his classes in the market place, and came to say their goodbye's even if Yao was no longer awake to hear them.

Through all this time, while Arthur provided fever reducers to the Chinese angel and comfort to his younger brothers, the British angel couldn't get the feeling of the other man's lips on his own. How quickly he pressed them together, and how quickly it'd been over. He hated Alfred with such a passion, but he couldn't help but admit the kiss felt amazing. But he hated Alfred. But the kiss. But Alfred.

At this point, he was so confused he decided to completely forget any of it had ever happened, including the promise to return for more later, and focus on Yao's rapidly deteriorating health.

Kiku gently patted Leon's back. Both of their silences were eery and unnerving. It would have been normal for the 12 year old Chinese boy to be crying, and his Japanese "brother" whispering comforting words to him. But there was nothing. They simply sat in their chairs next to Yao's unmoving body and stared with dead eyes upon him. Arthur couldn't help but think that a 12 year old should not stare with eyes that held so little expression in them. They should be alive, showing joy and excitement, or in this moment I suppose sadness at the very least. But there was nothing. Not a single could be read from them. If it were not for the tears decorating his cheeks, you may not even know he was sad.

Arthur shuffled around awkwardly, applying cold clothes to Yao's head desperately hoping something changed. Maybe they would find a cure before he was too far gone. Maybe Yao would defeat this curse and return to them unaffected. Maybe he would wake up to say goodbye before he left.

Arthur didn't want this to be the end. He wanted to learn Yao's story just like he had learned everyone else's. He wanted to attend one of his classes and maybe finally learn how to cook. He wanted to hear the man speak in a cool, fluent voice, not the panicked once he'd used to recount how he'd been attacked. He wanted to be able to look up in the sky and see him flying around with Kiku and Leon.

But alas, good will alone does not aid one in recovery. Yao's condition further detiriorated through out the night. Matthew tried giving him medication to ease the suffering. Repress the fever, keep his stomach calm, repress the headache he was clearly suffering from.

"there's no hope for him" Matthew had whispered to Arthur, out of earshot from the three brothers "once the feathers begin to fall off, the angels will send him straight to hell before the transformation is complete. We'll be lucky if he's still here by morning"

But it seems, god had a certain amount of forgiveness in his heart for this unfortunate family. Not enough to save the eldest brother, but still a gift appreciated none the less. At 4:26 am, Yao opened his eyes for the first time in 7 hours. It was in these moments, that Kiku and Leon finally choked out sobs at their brother's demise. It finally hit them. Seeing him lying there, they'd been hoping maybe he would be fine. Lying to themselves that he was simply asleep. Had eaten some raw meat. Contracted the flu. But seeing him like this, it was unbearable. It finally hit them. They were going to lose him.

It wasn't the way Yao spoke, his voice cracking and filled with exhaustion that made them realize this, nor the way his shaking hands held Kiku's and Leon's. No, it was when he finally opened his eyes and they saw the darkness creeping in from the sides of his eyeball to consume him. All the white was gone, and the pupil was naturally black. All that was left of him was the soft brown glow of the iris's and the kind smile that continued to adorn his face.

With a weary voice, he told the boys "Kiku, I'm sorry but I need you to take care of Leon now. I won't be there for you two anymore. I'm sorry I couldn't stay for longer, I truly am"

Kiku nodded and continued to sob. His verbal tick that made him always mutter aru after his sentences was gone due to the exhaustion. Another part of their brother lost.

Yao turned his head to face his young biological brother "Leon look to me"

The boy kept his eyes glued to his older brother's hand holding his own.

"Leon please"

After a rather strong nudge from his Japanese brother, he finally looked in the demon consumed eyes of his brother. How had this happened? How had he lost his brother so quickly. He'd died protecting him in life and now he was going to hell for protecting him from the demons in death.

Yao tried not to cry looking in the bloodshot eyes of his little brother. They boy he'd cared for for centuries. They boy he'd taught to spin silk into beautiful tapestries and robes "Leon I'm sorry" was all he could choke out.

In surprising gesture of affection, Leon launched himself from the bedside in to brother arms and continued to loudly scream and cry in to brother's shoulder. Yao pet his brothers unruly hair down and whispered in to his ear soft comforting words before covering Leon's ears and making sure he didn't look up from his shoulder and turned to his Japanese brother.

He already knew he had a battle before him "Kiku"

The angel shook his head "no"

The dying angel shook his head "Kiku I need you to promise me this"

Unable to fight back tears he sobbed "Brother please don't make me"

"Kiku" he stated firmly despite his illness "If I come after you or Leon, you must kill me"

"please nii-san-"

"Kiku" he snapped. Kiku remained silent.

"Kiku, this is my death. You must remember it this way. After I am gone, I am good as dead. I will be a blood thirsty insane demon after your soul and you mustn't let me hurt you or your brother. If I do, then I am truly no better than the demon my body has become"

"Nii-san.."

"do you promise?" the edges of his irises were beginning to darken, and the tips of his feathers were nearly black at this point. Matthew was shouting outside the door to the medical room at someone, presumably those come to take Yao away. They knew these were his final moments.

"yes nii-san" he whispered, and cried against his older brother's hand "I promise"

"Thank you Kiku" he lifted his hands from the ears of their younger brother, who looked upon them with confusion but was given no answers.

Finally, it seemed Matthew's shouting battle had erupted in to the room midsentence "-feathers have not even begun falling yet you can't take him, give him these last moments with his family, this is the last they'll see of him! At least carry him, he is so weak right now- are you even listening to me?"

Sadiq entered, grim faced with several other guards. Yao held his brothers just a slight bit tighter. He knew his time had come.

The Turkish general walked straight towards the bedside and, to the surprise of all there, dropped to one knee and hung his head low in shame "Angel Yao, please forgive me in my failure to protect you. It is my fault you are suffering such a sever cruel punishment as of now. I failed you in protecting the market and keeping the demons out"

And to the even greater surprise of all those present, Yao simply smiled "Not even you, in all your power, can know exactly when and where a demon will invade"

Sadiq seemed even more distressed "but I should have seen the signs, should have sent more patrols in that area, should have-" he was quickly shushed by Yao.

"It's not your fault" His eyes were nearly completely gone at this point "I forgive you"

Sadiq nodded, before standing back to his previous power. The other two next to him held equally grim faces, completely unhappy with the job they had to carry out. Arthur was suddenly shocked to discover the two leading Yao to hell were no other than Antonio and Francis, who each whispered a nearly unheard apology to Yao before lifting him out of the bed and helping him walk out of the room, leaving a trail of fallen black feathers behind them.

A/N

No but seriously, you guys are lucky I procrastinated doing my chemistry homework more than I procrastinated writing this chapter. Btw, Leon is 12 year old Hong Kong