Lucifer opened his eyes, this time to sunlight.

He closed them again, a small, high-pitched sound involuntarily escaping him. It took him a moment to realise someone was talking.

"Please wake up. If I don't get you to swallow these before Maou gets home he's going to start ranting. Again."

The voice was loud and uncomfortably close. Lucifer tried to move away, but his body wouldn't respond.

"Come on," the voice continued to complain. "I know you tried to kill us and all, but can we make a temporary truce or something? I know you hate Maou's monologues as much as I do."

Maou. Who was Maou? Whomever Maou was and whatever he wanted didn't seem important enough to warrant the voice prodding at him.

Lucifer attempted to swat the person away, but his hand made it about an inch and fell back down. The small impact sent painful shivers up his arm and into his back and neck.

The voice sighed dramatically, and after a moment the annoying presence seemed to have left.

Lucifer tried to fall back into unconsciousness, but the darkness refused to take him. Everything burned and the sun through his eyelids pricked at every attempt to settle down. He tried to think, anything to distract him from the pain, and some helpful part of his brain chose that moment to recognize the voice that had been there just a moment ago.

Alciel.

Lucifer hadn't even finished saying the name in his head before he felt his heart thumping harshly against his bruised ribs. A new energy flooded him, igniting screaming limbs, pleading them to move, to stand, to run.

Another rush of energy surged through him, and Lucifer knew he had to use it before it faded.

Forcing his eyes open, he took in the small room in less then a second. In the next breath he jerked upright and scrambled for the door.

There was a shout, and Lucifer knew someone was behind him.

He half-ran half-fell out into a dim hallway and bolted for the door at the end. His fingers barely grazed the handle when arms wrapped around his middle and snatched him off his feet.

The energy was gone. It had been gone for several seconds now. Lucifer strained weakly against the arms as he was carried back down the hall. He didn't even realise he was crying until the wetness soaked through his shirtfront.

Oh god, he was going to die. If Ashiya and Maou didn't kill him soon he was sure he would die from the burning that coursed through his veins. It hurt. Everything hurt.

Between the swelling and the tears and the pain Lucifer couldn't see a thing, and he was numb and there was a hollowness in his core that ached terribly and he couldn't think and what was even happening to him because he was sure being driven through with a sword hadn't even felt like this.

The arms unwrapped and Lucifer was on the floor again. He coughed weakly, his breaths catching on pathetic sobs that he couldn't seem to stop.

Ashiya's annoying voice was back and it stabbed at Lucifer's head like icy daggers and couldn't he just go away? It was bad enough without the demon general hovering over him…

Someone lifted him into sitting position - these arms were different than the ones that had grabbed him in the hallway. These pulled him to lean against their chest, one curling around him to hold him up while the other hand stroked his hair.

Who was this? Why would they even be here, holding him, comforting him?

Lucifer was too desperate to think about it. He leaned into the chest, sobbing quietly into the soft shirt, his hands fisting into the fabric, pleading the person not to leave him alone again.

He had no idea why Ashiya would allow another person to hold him, but whatever the reason he took the comfort gratefully.

Hours seemed to pass like that, until the darkness finally claimed him once more.

"Oh, I am going soft." Ashiya grumbled as Lucifer's trembling body finally went limp against him, the small hands still loosely gripping his shirt. "What is wrong with me?"

But even as he made a face that the fallen angel's tears had completely soaked into his favourite shirt, he couldn't bring himself to put Lucifer back on the floor and get up.

With a sigh he scooped Lucifer's legs up and scooted them both backwards so he could lean against the wall. Lucifer made a small sound of discomfort but didn't reawaken.

Ashiya didn't remember falling asleep, but when he opened his eyes Maou was bent at the waist, stretching out an arm to poke his shoulder obsessively.

"What?" Ashiya complained, yawning a little.

Maou blinked and tilted his head, still reaching out his arm in case he needed to poke his friend again. "He looks terrible. Did you ever get some medicine in him?"

Ashiya rubbed his eyes and looked down - his eyes widened as he found Lucifer curled asleep against him, and it took a minute before he remembered everything that had led up to it.

"Uh… no." He admitted.

Maou frowned and straightened. "It's almost six o'clock, Ashiya. Have you even gotten him to drink some water?"

Ashiya yawned again, mentally rewinding the day. "Um… no, I don't think so."

Frown deepening, Maou trotted to the sink and came back with a cup of water to sit cross-legged next to Ashiya. "Your shirt is wet." He commented.

"I…" Ashiya tugged at the damp fabric. "Yeah, the kid kind of… cried all over it."

"He was awake?"

"Sort of." Ashiya scowled. "He tried to run. Almost made it outside before I caught up with him."

"Huh." Maou reached out with his free hand and lifted Lucifer's head. The fallen angel's eyes were swollen worse than when he'd left that morning.

Tilting Lucifer's chin up, Maou carefully tipped a little water between his stiff bloody lips.

Immediately Lucifer's eyes flashed open, and his began to cough harshly, his whole body jerking. His shaking hands grasped frantically, scratching Maou's leg and snagging on the hem of Ashiya's shorts.

Even when the little water had been coughed up (into a mortified Ashiya's lap) the fallen angel continued to gag and spit, panting and his whole form trembling as his eyes flew wild and unfocused, tears rimming already bloodshot orbs.

"Please," He choked out. "Please don't hurt me."

Maou blinked at Lucifer. The kid struggled with a shaking inhale and collapsed back against Ashiya's chest, eyes scrunched shut and tears leaking out faster than Maou knew was possible, body continuing to jerk with sobs.

"Geez." Maou sighed, a little pang of hurt reaching his core. "Ashyia, give him to me."

Eagerly Ashiya lifted Lucifer onto Maou's lap and darted across the room to change his shorts.

Maou lifted Lucifer's bangs back and put a hand under the fallen angel's chin. "It's okay. We're not gonna hurt you."

Lucifer only sobbed harder, pulling his head away and pressing harder into Maou's chest.

With a frown Maou reached behind him and felt around, finally finding the bottle of pain meds where Ashiya had left it. He shook out a few and nudged Lucifer's chin again.

"Here. Swallow these."

Lucifer shook his head, turning his face into Maou's shirt.

"They'll make you feel better, I promise."

A few more minutes of coaxing and Maou finally convinced Lucifer to sit up some. Though he almost coughed it back up, Lucifer did manage to down the pills and a little water, and he'd hardly swallowed before he seemed to drift out.

More minutes passed, and Maou looked up when the sound of Ashiya messing around with the stove drew him from his thoughts. "Ashyia, I'll be home late tomorrow. I need to stop and get Lucifer a human identity."

Ashiya glanced over his shoulder to his king. "Are you sure that's wise, sire?"

"Yeah." Maou said. "It's not like he's getting into heaven, and I'm pretty sure he has no way to Ente Isla. Even if he did, it's not safe there for him."

"I don't see why we should bother-" Ashiya stopped himself and bit his lip, his fingers tapping on the handle of the pan he was holding. "What time do you think you'll be back?"

Maou shrugged. "It shouldn't take more than an hour. I'll be home by six."

Ashiya nodded, eyes narrowed but any argument he thought of dying before it ever reached his mouth. "Okay. I'll keep an eye on the kid."