Disclaimer: I do not own Angel Sanctuary. I do not own Bal, Lucifer/Lucifel, Michael or Raphael (*Glomps them*). It is completely Kaori Yuki's and this is just a piece of fiction written by a fan of the epic series.
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"Ne… Little Brother… So beautiful when sleeping"
Pale, cruel hands stroked a still face. Wide eyes greeted a still, calm smirk from the other form. Dark hair, black as ebony, lifted across malicious eyes, disdainful and cruel.
Michael lifted his head, "Brother…" The rage did not fill him. He felt placid and calm. Scarlet hair drifted across his face in this small, white abyss. Curled like in a mother's womb. "My brother's face…" He reached out, trying to touch it.
Lucifel did not smile now. His face was touched with nothing. But his eyes burnt, dark. Dangerous.
"But I'm so safe here…" Michael whispered. "You can't hurt me…"
The scream of a tortured woman. The spill of blood onto the light, writhing into black snakes, burning through the white.
The tattoo across his skin seemed to burn his flesh.
The hand repeatedly stroked Michael's face. Michael looked up, fleetingly worried. "Why is it so quiet, brother…?"
The call of a bird echoed across the nothing.
Michael glanced downwards. But he was filled with a sudden loneliness'. "Don't leave me!" His head snapped up.
Lazy cold eyes looked down at him, framed with soft pale blond hair. "How are you feeling, Mika-chan?"
"Ra…Raphael?"
Michael managed to pull himself upwards, so that he was face to face with the angel. "Raphael!" He grabbed Raphael's wrist. But Raphael did not flinch. Instead he lowered his head, and pressed his lips upon Michael's own.
The scream echoed almost deafeningly into Michael's ears.
Michael pulled away, and stared. Bal… That beautiful flowing hair, those loving eyes…! Bal!
"Michael-sama…?" She whispered, holding out her arms, which were stroked with black lines.
Scarlet flashed across her chest.
"Bal…! I was afraid… Bal…!" Michael tried to wrap his arms around her. She only fell limply into his embrace, like a broken doll.
The screams were replaced with careless laughter.
Bal slipped through Michael's arms. And was gone.
"Bal!" Michael cried. "BAL! Don't leave me…! I'm afraid… please… Bal!"
A pale cold hand slapped his face, and his head snapped up.
"Brother…?"
***
"Michael! Michael!"
A voice calling him.
Michael sat up abruptly, his body covered in boyish sweat, panting escaping from a dry throat. His scarlet hair tousled and his eyes wide and blazing. He pushed back the blankets on the bed, and placed a hand to his wet forehead.
"Mika-chan, are you alright?"
Raphael? Michael looked and saw Raphael standing beside his bed, his normally perfect golden hair tousled, his eyes lazy with sleep, but also, were they touched with concern? Michael came back to himself. What the…!?
"What the hell do ya' think you're doin' in here?! Wakin' up a person like that in the middle of the night! I thought you saved that for your lady friends!" He yelled, jumping out of bed and standing, feeling cool night breezes touch his warm skin. He wore only loose trousers, and had no shoes. The floor was cold.
Raphael looked slightly irritated, but he shrugged. "How was I supposed to sleep when all I could hear was you thrashing about in bed?"
"What are you talkin' about?" Michael's glare would have reduced anyone else into a shivering wreck, but Raphael had seen it too many times, he was used to the red-headed angel… probably that meant he had been spending more time with him then he should have…
Raphael pulled a hand through his hair. "You were talking in your sleep, Mika-chan"
Michael's face flushed as scarlet as his hair. Raphael sat calmly on Michael's bed, inspecting his nails. "Stop calling me Mika-chan!"
Raphael laughed. "But it bothers you so much, Mika-chan!"
"Its not funny!" Snapped Michael. And angrily he punched his fist into his other hand, breathing deeply. Raphael felt worried. Michael's anger wasn't from him calling him by his babyish nickname, it was from somewhere else. But he had to approach this subtly. Michael has the shortest fuse of anyone whom he had met, even though he probably knew Michael better then most people.
"What were you dreaming about then?"
Michael turned away, his face shadowed in darkness, but his eyes still flaming. "What's it matter to you?!" He said, darkly.
"What? A person can't have interest?"
Michael turned, a half smile flickering across his face. "Well, you normally don't!"
Raphael laughed. "Maybe you don't know me as well as you thought, Mika-chan!"
Michael's smile turned into a glare. "I told ya to STOP calling me MIKA-CHAN!" He clenched his fists. "My name is MICHAEL!" Once again his fists clenched and he punched his other hand. "Why doesn't anyone take me seriously!?" He muttered, more to himself. Raphael studied Michael's face.
"Alright. I'm sorry for calling you Mika-chan"
Michael was a little taken aback. Raphael…? Apologizing…?! Michael gave a theatrical sigh, and slumped into a chair beside his bed, kicking his feet up so that they rested on his large wooden draws. "Okay, I'll tell you about my dream, if it gets you to piss off afterwards!"
Raphael gave a satisfied nod. "Alright. Deal."
Michael folded his arms. "Say I told you I dreamt about… my brother" his voice was so quiet that it was almost hard to hear. He seemed to be speaking more to himself then Raphael. "And… and… Bal…" An uneasy silence hung in the air, but Raphael was waiting expectantly for Michael to continue. Michael noticed this and glared. "That's it, okay? I dreamt about my brother! So now ya' know!"
Raphael sat forward so he was propped up on his elbows. "So what happened with your brother?"
"Nothin'… I mean…" Michael appeared flustered. He remembered the part of the dream Raphael was in, and his face flushed again. "I didn't just dream about my brother. I dreamt about Bal too… and you…"
The other archangel raised an eyebrow. "Me, huh?"
"Don't get all excited!" Michael snapped. "It wasn't like you got the bloody starring role or nothin'!"
Raphael swiftly managed to change the subject. "Well… have you ever dreamt about your brother before?"
An almost deafening silence filled the room. For once, Michael was almost unsure of what to say. Raphael's piercing and seemingly uncaring gaze bore into him. Hesitantly, he replied. "Y…Yes"
Raphael lowered his head. "I never knew that you dreamt about him"
Once again the silence lingered for what seemed like an age. Michael felt awkward and uncomfortable, and not sure of what to say. Normally he didn't really give a damn what he said, but now he just… couldn't… couldn't form words. But he wouldn't cry. Because he was Michael. He was brave. A warrior. The fighter of great battles. Only petty people cried.
Raphael silently stood from the bed, and walked to Michael. Not even sure of what he was doing, he wrapped his arms around the small angel and embraced him tightly.
Michael blinked, shocked. His first impulse was to push the stupid pervert away. What did that bastard think he was doing?! But… the other angel's touch was so warm and gentle. It… it reminded him of Bal. Eventually he relaxed in the other angel's grip. Breathing out a sigh, and shutting his eyes from the darkness of the room.
The scream ebbed away from his mind and disappeared into the darkness.
"Can you hear me? Brother…?"