A/N: I've actually managed to write this whole chapter over two days. I didn't write it sooner because of lack of motivation, but I have worked out how I'm going to start the end, so I want to get to that stage.

As I won't be putting a note at the end of the story, I just want to say here that I hope you enjoy it, and please feel free to leave your thoughts if you have a minute after reading!

Afterlife's Council

Chapter 14 - Forbidden Emotions

The news of the beginning of the fall of Heaven's leader was kept as secret as possible, with few angels knowing the truth.

Philip's heart sank when he was told the news. He wished that he hadn't spent the last few days feeling sorry for himself whilst being locked away. Now, though he was struggling, his problems seemed minor. Treading on the edge of darkness caused by temptations, ones which he should have been able to deal with, could not compare with the expiring of a soul so great.

Despite feeling guilt over this and clearly doing so, Gregory had still spoken to Philip quietly alone to ask if there was anything he needed to talk about. The way Gregory spoke in such a concerned, welcoming voice, so different than his usual tone, might have possibly made Philip talk about his problems at least briefly if the circumstances had been different. But they weren't. There was no way that Philip was going to bring the attention to himself during his Lord's suffering. He knew that he had to deal with his problems himself.

Luckily, not all were staying in the infirmary, for Kyle was now back on his feet. Though he had a tendency to snap when feeling pressured, he was beginning to return to his normal self.

He had spent several days after his release searching for Kenny when he wasn't working. So far, he had been unsuccessful. This was until he had spotted the angel of death exiting the infirmary, where he was no doubt visiting Gregory.

"Kenny!" he shouted, jogging over. Kenny raised his head in surprise and was quick to frown.

"Sorry, dude, gotta get back to Purga-"

"That's enough avoiding me," said Kyle, grabbing onto Kenny's arm so that he wouldn't have been able to teleport alone. The latter sighed, brushing back his blond hair.

"Well, what do you expect after what happened?"

"I'm sorry, Kenny, I really am. I wasn't thinking straight."

They were both silent for several moments, Kenny pondering over a reply.

"I'm sorry too. I've gotten far used to dealing with the death of humans that it was a simple task for me to do. It was thoughtless."

Kyle shook his head. "No, you were just doing your job. I shouldn't be angry at you, just whoever caused this rule to exist in the first place."

"Well, it's a fucked up world we live in, huh?" Kenny laughed humourlessly, before clearing his throat. He felt apologetic over that comment. After his previous state, negativity was the last thing that Kyle needed to hear, even if he seemed to be a lot better. His lack of response was adding to Kenny's guilt over his words and he wondered how to change the subject.

A sudden thought came to him. "Say, are you meant to be working?"

"No, I'm on a break. I'm not supposed to push myself too much at the moment. Why?"

"Fancy taking a trip with me?"

Purgatory was similar to what Kyle had pictured.

It had a very chilling atmosphere. A dark night sky watched over an endless, monochromatic world filled with streets and landscapes of all shades of grey. It was like watching a black and white television, the only colour existing from the winged figures and confused souls walking by.

"Kenny, am I even allowed to be here?" Kyle asked.

"Well, it's not really liked, but it's not exactly against the rules."

The answer made Kyle laugh, even when an angel of death walking near them looked over in annoyance and appeared to sigh when he saw Kenny.

"I've got something to show you, anyway," he said, turning round to grin at Kyle. "You'll see!"

Curiosity took over all of the angel's other emotions. He followed Kenny through the streets, surprised that anyone could know where they were going. Though the atmosphere had saddened him at first, now that Kyle was watching the kind smiles and reassuring words given to souls by angels of death, he was beginning to feel warm. He wasn't spoken to, but he was gazed at in awe by several souls, who seemed to see his pure white wings as the most beautiful sight they had ever witnessed.

"Just through here now," Kenny said, pointing down a thin cobblestone path surrounded by grass, which was located on the edge of the concrete they were currently stood on. Kyle shivered as they walked under trees, their shadows rather eerie as they covered their faces. Kenny's saw Kyle's discomfort over being in a place much less bright and welcoming than Heaven, and so gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Not much further," he smiled. He didn't let go as they continued walking.

He was right. Just a minute or two later, they walked out onto a clearing. Kyle let out a small gasp as he froze into place, staring at the sight in front of him.

They were no longer shadowed by leaves blowing above their heads. They were stood towards the edge of a cliff, which was facing an ongoing stretch of brilliantly clear water, the waves highlighted with the reflection of the moon and stars which adorned the sky. Strangely, the fact that the grass was also absent of colour added to the beauty which had currently felt ominous.

It was not all monochrome, however, for at the edge of the cliff lay a bouquet of blue roses. The only possible reasoning behind why they did not match the world around them was that they were brought here from another dimension.

"Kenny, it's beautiful, but why..."

"I brought Stan here. He was nervous and I didn't know how long he would be in Purgatory for, so I wanted to take him to a much more relaxing, beautiful place." They walked over to the roses. Kenny bent down to pick one up, twirling it in his fingers as he inspected the perfect, deep petals, the colour resembling the eyes of the friend which had been lost. "I've been leaving these for him. He was an amazing person, destroyed for no decent reason. I couldn't let him stay here with no tribute. I mean, the best soul bro I've had? Yeah, there's no way I would've done nothing."

"Soul bro?"

"Well, he was a soul, wasn't he? And he was my bro. So… Soul bro."

Kyle just stared in disbelief before burst into laughter. The sound was angelic music to Kenny's ears.

"My God, I can't with you," Kyle spluttered when he had managed to calm his laughter. "Soul bro… You just get worse."

"I'm well aware," Kenny grinned. Though the grin lingered, his expression and voice grew more serious. "I also scattered the ashes that were left behind onto the water." His gaze landed on the waves for a brief moment before diverting back to Kyle's eyes. "I wanted to bring you here so you know how much souls really do matter to me, and how much I have mourned over Stan despite me not knowing him for long. Even if my actions made me seem different, I do care. I've just been an angel of death for so long that I'm used to doing things like that without a second thought."

"I do understand that, but I really appreciate it," Kyle said softly. "Really, I do. This is so thoughtful of you, and the risk that you took to bring me here to show me what you've done in memory of him..."

"I've always loved a little risk," Kenny responded. He glanced down at their still entwined hands after he said those words. Kyle had been so distracted by Kenny's words and how natural the contact felt that he hadn't even realised they were still holding onto each other. However, he didn't anticipate Kenny's next move, and let out a gasp when his hand was held up to Kenny's lips.

"Wh-What are you doing?" Kyle asked, his eyes widening.

"Kissing your hand," Kenny answered simply, giving him a friendly smile. His other hand held out the rose to Kyle. "Can you hold this for a second?"

"Sure, but why-"

He was cut off by Kenny's now free hand lifting his chin up slightly to allow their lips to join easily. Kyle's body froze in surprise, the rose falling out of his hand which had seemed to lost all function. It fell to the floor silently. Kyle stayed utterly still, unable to move as heat rose to his cheeks, but then he kissed back. Kenny seemed to smile into the kiss, tightening his hold slightly on Kyle's hand. It was utter bliss for both of them, but it ended far too quickly – Kyle's hands landed on Kenny's chest to push him away gently as reality returned to him.

"No, we can't, Kenny. You're an angel of death."

Kenny stroked his chin thoughtfully, pursing his lips as his eyes looked up. "Oh yeah. Well, if you consider the fact that I'm basically half and half, does that make it only like, partly breaking a rule?"

"I don't think it works that way."

"I've personally never been one for rules anyway," he said, his hands now resting on the back of his head. "I mean, they'd never find out, and it's not like you'll be tainted by me like you would be from a demon… But it's your call."

Kyle rolled his eyes, cupping Kenny's cheeks to bring him in closer so their lips met again. The contact lasted for longer this time, both savouring every second of the harmonic bliss. They were both smiling widely when they finally broke apart.

"I've wanted this since I met you," Kenny said, playing with a strand of Kyle's red hair. "Of course you would want to as well, considering that I'm not only handsome as fuck, but I'm also extremely witty, charming and have a great sense of humour."

"Get over yourself," Kyle smirked, punching him lightly on his arm. He then sighed, taking in the view before him one last time as he bent down to pick up the loose rose by his feet. "I better get heading back now. They'll start wondering why I'm taking so long."

Slightly disappointed, Kenny nodded. "Yeah, that's true. Come on, then."

Kyle placed a hand on the angel of death's arm. They shared one last kiss before they disappeared into the silence of Purgatory's everlasting night. It didn't seem so dismal anymore.

"You sent an angel of death for me?"

Philip nodded silently at the tall figure standing outside his door before beckoning them inside. The door was closed after him, the noise seeming to be loud in the silence, despite the fact that it was shut with very little strength. Philip hoped that Kyle didn't shorten the break he was taking outside of their home.

"I must be losing my mind," Philip laughed, sitting down onto the sofa in the lounge. "I feel guilty, but I don't know whether it's over what I did or if it's because I didn't listen to what you have to say."

"You don't have a reason to," Damien replied, still standing. "I should have warned you despite my belief that you knew what could happen. A physical stain like that… It is worse the more you have a conscience of it. I should have told you."

"I was told the consequences when I first started. I just didn't try hard enough to remember." Philip forced his lips into a smile. "I guess I never knew it would actually happen, huh?"

"Why exactly did you call me here, Pip?"

"I thought that avoiding you would just make it worse and play on my mind more. Whichever path I take after this, at least I'm not just letting my emotions grow."

Damien's head tilted. "Emotions? The other day was barely emotion. You sucked my dick, Pip, not take my hand and skip into the sunset."

Philip rolled his eyes but couldn't hold in a snigger. "Shut up, you know what I mean."

"Partly. You mean the anger and guilt over it?"

He nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

"I kind of feel like there's a bit more to it. I don't know, you just seem… Different. You've been guilty over your thoughts since we first met. It seems like something else is playing on your mind – unless, of course, your previous emotion has just increased."

"No, you're right." Philip leaned back against the sofa, closing his eyes. "It's complicated."

Damien hesitated briefly before sitting down next to him. "God, I thought I'd be the last person to play the role of a therapist. But like I said the other day: I need you in your best condition if you are to help finally get further in this case. So go on, just spill whatever thoughts are in that head of yours. I won't bite. Unless you want me to, obviously."

Philip decided to ignore that last comment. "You've just seemed… Different, lately."

"How so?"

"I think you know. In the beginning, you were nothing but someone who wanted to get their own way. But now, even if it's for your own benefit, you've started to… Well, seem to care."

Damien pondered over this. "Well… Everyone isn't black and white, Pip. I'm an asshole, naturally. But recent things have awakened an old side to me that I thought I lost long ago. I guess that now you've mentioned it, I have grown a bit soft. Maybe I need to go torture a soul or… Fifty. That'd do the trick."

"An old side?" Philip said, deciding not to ask Damien if he was serious about the souls or not. "One you had when you were human?"

"Perhaps." He didn't elaborate from that and had spoke only after hesitating. "So, what has that got to do with anything?"

Now it was Philip's turn to hesitate. "Well I, uh..." He didn't even know how to put his feelings into words. "At first, I was just tempted by lust, which was hard enough to deal with. But now I've had you show care for my well-being, even if it's just because of work, it's made me think that I… Well, might not be just, erm, lustful over you."

Damien's eyes had widened in surprise briefly, though he was quick to do a brilliant job of hiding it. "Oh."

Philip coughed, his face growing red with embarrassment. "Yeah. Crazy."

"Opposites attract and all that, I suppose. But Philip, we couldn't possibly hide something like that. Love is different. It isn't just about fucking when you feel like it. We'd constantly want to see each other, even after this ordeal has been sorted and so we'd have less opportunity. It's just not something which could work."

"I know that, it's all silly, really..." Philip's words trailed off. "Wait, why would we even hide it? Don't tell me you-"

"Honestly, I don't even know." Damien leaned forward, his face facing the floor as his hands rested on his head as though he had a migraine. "You remind me of someone I once loved. Too many memories have been reminding me of that time recently, which is why I'm confused like this. I've only cared about lust for so long that I have no idea where to put myself." He sat back up, forcing a humourless smile. "God, we've got ourselves in a right state."

"I should just become more neutral and become and angel of death," Philip joked. "It'd be easier."

"Hey, that's not exactly a bad-"

"I have too many friends I would betray by leaving them. I don't think I could ever leave Heaven."

"It's not betrayal. In fact, an angel of death is the most reasonable of the three. It's simply choosing a much more understanding path. I think you'd work well with souls anyway."

"Please don't tempt me." He found it strange how in the past, he would've said that simply over them having sexual contact. Now it was about something much more life-changing.

"It's up to you, anyway. You don't have to listen to an evil, confused fuck like me."

"You're not evil," Philip found himself saying. "Not more so than you need to be in your role, at least."

"You clearly don't know me well enough, then."

They sat in silence for minutes. The tension made the short amount of time feel a lot greater, ticking away at a much more rapid pace. Both of their minds were racing, both wanting to break the silence with one of their many questions but neither finding the words to string together.

Philip soon realised he was tired of asking questions. "Even if it's just this once and makes me worse than ever, I have to do this."

He cupped Damien's cheeks with his hands and brought his face closer to bring their lips together. The sensation was surprisingly warm, a stark contrast to the coldness which radiated off Damien's body.

The Devil had been somewhat shocked at the sudden action, but it barely took any time at all for him to respond. He kissed back, his hands burying themselves into Philip's hair as he allowed himself to lose himself in the sweet taste of the angel's lips. They were soft, somehow able to represent the purity of Philip through them. It was incredible how something forbidden could feel so right.

Philip was surprised when Damien pulled back, expecting him to have kissed deeper. But he was staring at Philip's eyes.

"That's one thing that's different," he murmured. "Blue eyes. But your personality is completely different as well. It's strange that you're so different, yet I'm attracted to you just as much, if not more..."

A strange expression of admiration was evident in Damien's eyes, but faded a little when he found himself losing the will to hold back. He pushed Philip down onto the sofa, hovering above him with eyes that glistened with the temptations of a beast, but the hands which touched the material laying on his chest were gentle.

"You're just so beautiful," he said quietly, simply appreciating said beauty before he leaned down, his lips just inches away from Philip's. "I want every part of you to be mine, Philip. Body and soul."

To prove his words, he pinned Philip's hands above his head with one large hand gripping against slim wrists. He looked briefly at Philip's face, closing the gap between their lips when he received a small nod. His spare hand trailed down to Philip's trousers and grabbed at his crotch, taking the opportunity to slip his tongue into Philip's mouth when he gasped. He kissed roughly, enticed completely by the taste as he undid the button of Philip's trousers with surprising ease. They were pulled down, the hand sliding inside Philip's underwear. Their kiss broke so that Damien could instead place his lips on Philip's neck, smirking at an appreciative moan when his teeth dug into it.

But then panic rushed in all at once. As fingers brushed against his entrance, his whole body had quivered – including his wings. The feathers brushing against his skin caused a flashback of the pain he was forced to endure after ripping the darkness away from his body. A small fraction of his mind remembered Damien's words about conscience playing a large part, but the rest didn't cooperate with reasoning.

Damien had just noticed the dramatic change in Philip's stance when the arms under his grip were yanked away. Not expecting the sudden force, Damien stumbled to the side, one leg landing on the ground as he had to quickly maintain his balance with a hand on the coffee table nearby.

"Fuck, Pip, what was that all about?" Damien asked, balancing himself so that he was able to push himself to his feet. "You were fine a second ago."

"The black feathers," Philip said, not quite sitting properly when he moved himself. He was slouched over, his fingers running over his wings. His breathing was deep, his heartbeat increasing. "I remembered them. The pain, the fear over them-"

"Of course you'll get them if you let yourself be controlled by your conscience like this," Damien responded.

"It's not my fault that I can't ignore my purity!"

"Purity this, purity that! For fuck's sake, either let yourself go or stop leading me on only to end up shouting at me in the end!"

"But I'm an ange-"

"SO WAS I!"

Both Damien and Philip froze simultaneously. The first with a hand hovering over his mouth, his eyes widened at blurting out a secret which he had kept locked away from every other soul in existence. The latter whose body had straightened, unable to move or speak as he stared at the demon in front of him, completely unsure of how to respond to a confession which he would have never expected.