Chapter: 2/?
Word Count: 1219
Pairings: Nux/Slit
Characters: Nux, Slit, Imperator Furiosa
Warnings: Mentions of gore, cursing, nudity implied
Chapter Summary: Waking to questions, Slit will only let Nux know his real name. Nux picks a real number to call him by.

AN: So, I know there are at least two people that want more of this story, and I'm only happy to oblige. I've been trying to update at least three things a day, so this is falling under the fourth thing I've completed, making eight total pieces written up until this point, and I still plan on writing a few more things. This brings me back to high school, when I could easily churn out 12-15 pieces a day. ouo I'm so happy. I'm feeling good, though I'm kind of sick. xD I hope you guys enjoy!

Chapter Two: You Got That Medicine I Need

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When he came to, his eyelids felt thick and sticky, as though with each blink they were giving him a glance of what he was missing. What he would always be missing. A shadow hovered over him, blotting out the too-white light above him, and he finally managed to keep his eyes open long enough to look at the man bent over him. He recognized him as Nux, one of the boys who had brought him back to this place, and when he noticed the odd creature before him was awake, he grinned brightly.

"Hey, man. Never thought you'd wake up again." He offered, not seeming to be thinking of what he was saying, "You took a nasty fall, even if we can't figure out from where. The Imperator wants to know where you came from and all that, but I don't even know if you can speak. Can you?" Seeming content to talk and gesture as he began to double check the I.V. in the other's arm, he smiled distractedly, eyes lingering longer than necessary on strong arms and a beautifully sculpted chest.

Honestly, he had no idea if he could speak. His throat still burned as he got used to the air here, and when he opened up his mouth to try, a raspy croak left him and he growled a little. It took another few tries before he sighed and looked pleadingly up at the other.

"Oh! Maybe you need some water!" Came the excited realization as Nux flitted over to get him some, bringing him over a bottle and helping coax the cool liquid down the other's parched throat. Choking a little as the need to breathe became urgent, he pulled back, chest heaving with heavy pants as he swallowed air like a drowning man. Knowing he needed to keep a level head, the mortal had to turn his eyes away, working on preparing a few tools and straightening things idly.

"I… Have not spoken for days, have I?" The rasp of an unused voice sent shivers down his spine, and he turned to look at him over his shoulder again, shaking his head.

"You've been out for four days straight. the Imperator was wondering if we shouldn't just end you, but you must be important." He insisted, nodding definitively.

"I used to be." Sitting up and bending one knee to rest his arm on it, he hissed a little, the stumps where his wings once sat jerked, beautiful and black with a chrome shimmer, and he sighed. "But no more. I was proved too…" He frowned heavily, pulling the scars on his cheeks into a puckered mess, "Mediocre." Sighing again, dejectedly, he rolled his head over to look around the white tarped area they were in. It seemed to be a medbay of sorts, and Nux appeared to be his doctor.

"Well… I have good news and bad news. The bad news is, that eye," He gestured to the right one, shaking his head, "Is shot and there's nothing I can do to fix it. As for the good news, you're probably going to live, so long as you can tell me and the Imperator what happened."

"I doubt you two would believe me." Offered the ex-angel, who huffed slightly, "My name is Slit, by the way, Nuts. You can call me that."

"It's Nux. With an 'x'." But the tone of amazement wasn't lost on the elder male, who turned that ruined eye on the other and smiled slow, an almost creepy look on his features.

"Nuuuux." He made sure to enunciate extra vowels and made the 'x' turn into a bit of a hiss, "Good. Would hate to have you upset because I couldn't remember your name, Numb Nuts." He offered.

"Ahem. You two seem to be getting awfully comfortable." Came a woman's commanding voice, and when Slit turned his eyes on her, he saw a thin woman, bald, with a mechanical arm and a scowl on her face. "Nux, I'd like to begin questioning your patient."

"Uh… Yeah, sure. That okay with you, Sli-" When he looked at the other, it was with a hard glare, as if to say 'I said you could use my name, not everyone', "Simon?"

Urk, that wasn't much better… But he supposed it would do.

"Very well, just give me some water, first." Finally responding, he was handed his drink and downed it in a few gulps, panting again and finding himself lost for a moment, hearing thoughts that glanced off his brain from Nux's head, and reading a whole lot of distrust on the woman's side. She pulled up a chair beside the gurney he sat on, and offered an acknowledging nod of her head.

"My name is Imperator Furiosa." She told him, watching as he rubbed suddenly dry, aching eyes. "What were you doing out in the desert?" Tone firm but gentle, she waited for his answer with an inquisitive expression on her dirty face.

"Living." He responded, "I could tell what I remember, but it isn't much. I remember His booming voice, yelling about something and then I hit the ground hard. A searing pain in my back as he ripped off my wings and made me Mortal."

Had the twitching stubs of once-fine feathered appendages not been distracting her, Furiosa would have branded him a liar.

"So… Wait." Nux began, "The Immortan cast you from Valhalla?"

"Valhalla doesn't exist, Nux. It's something they try to use to get you to be-"

"Insolent fool. Of course Valhalla exists. I've lived there for eons, until I fell out of His good graces." Spat the Fallen, who glared at her. "If this is done, I would like to spend some time alone with Numb Nuts. He's much better company." With that, he threw himself back down onto the gurney and rolled so his back faced her. He could hear the couple speaking quietly behind him before Furiosa stood.

"Very well. I'll talk again with you later, when you are recovered." Her voice was ice and his steel when he responded.

"I will never truly recover, but as you wish, Mortal." The word dripped venom as he spat it onto the floor, coughing again at the unfamiliar gesture. Left alone once more, Slit rolled back onto his back and looked at Nux. "I… Feel strange. In my stomach." He gestured to the dip just beneath his diaphragm, and Nux jumped t the chance to feed him, fetching him a bowl of soup he'd managed to get and heat up.

"Here, you probably need to eat. So, you really are an angel?" He questioned, pulling up a seat and resting his head in his palms, his elbows on the thin mattress of the hospital bed.

"I was. Now, I'm just as mortal as you are." He offered, attempting to eat and spilling some of the alphabet soup down his chin. It leaked slightly through the slice in his cheek and, without thinking, Nux was up and licking him clean in seconds.

"Tell me everything." When he pulled back, his eyes were burning with a desire unknown to the man he set ablaze with his fiery gaze, and he nodded slowly.

"Well…"

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AN: And here we go! I hope to see you guys in the next installment!