Die: *sigh* I'm a fail... I went to upload the next chapter, only to realize I hadn't put up this one either... which is why you're getting two updates today! Enjoy!

Pharaoh: Maow! (That's cat-talk for "Neither Black Die nor Cali own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX".)

Chapter Five: Holy Slumber

Cienna walked up to Zane's door with a backpack slung over her shoulder and a smile on her face. She knocked lightly. He opened the door quickly, sliding out and gently closing it behind him. "Chazz decided to sleep in his own bed tonight," he explained softly in an undertone.

She groaned. "Fuck. Really?" She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Is he already asleep?"

"Yes, otherwise I never would have gotten out so easily." He neglected to mention that he could sense it now that he knew what to look for, that aura of innocence that shouldn't quite have been there.

"Dammit. There's no fucking way I could get Bastion over here..." She groaned again, resisting the urge to bang her head against the wall.

His dark wings slipped out from where they hid behind his back. "Well, I can certainly do it. Is he asleep already?"

She nodded, giving him a cross between a smile and grimace. "He's gonna hate me."

He smirked. "And who says he's ever going to find out that it was us who put him in Chazz's bed with him?"

She shook her head with a laugh. "Oh God..." She stared at Zane for a long minute, then gestured for him to follow her. "C'mon, then."

He nodded, falling in step behind her, his wings rustling in a very quiet manner as he resettled them against his back once more.

The trek was a short one, filled with comfortable silence and, on Cienna's part, happy thoughts. She slid the door open quietly, dropping her backpack on her bed and nodding at Bastion's.

"Give me a moment," he breathed as quietly as he could, his breath ghosting over the shell of her ear as he strode past her and carefully picked Bastion up bridal style, carrying him out through the window, his dark wings easily catching them both and carrying them back towards the Obelisk dorm.

She stared after them with an impish grin, heading towards the bathroom to change into something more comfortable. She emerged a few minutes later in a pair of short shorts and a Panic! At the Disco t-shirt.

He was already waiting for her lying in her bed, his dark wings hiding themselves handsomely in the shadows, though his mercury eyes didn't stop following her every movement. If it had been anyone else, it would have been a wary responce, but since it was her, it was simply a habit without any real intent.

She smiled. "Well this is new."

"What is?" he asked, a little too tired to think properly. Chazz may have gotten to bed early, but of course, he had stayed up later, his mind pre-occupied with what he'd learned.

"You being over here." Her smile faltered. "Are... you okay?"

"I just... have a lot on my mind," he answered softly, waving away the concern.

"All right." She murmured, laying down beside him and pressing her lips to his cheek gently. She settled herself comfortably at his side. "Goodnight, Zane."

"Goodnight," he answered, instinctively bringing his wing around to cover her, even though his mind was still whirring over the revelation. She really was too innocent for one with demon blood, which begged the question: what the hell was the girl he was so fond of?

She drifted off easily, and a short while later, he did too—only to be awoken a few hours later. Cienna's golden-brown eyes snapped wide open, a careening wail tearing at her throat, and as she bolted up her wings snapped out, ripping jagged holes in her t-shirt. She cut the scream short, trembling so hard she shook the bed. The gray feathers of her wings trembled with the rest of her, tears beginning to cascade down her face. Her hands scrabbled for a hold on something, eventually digging into her own arms and drawing blood. She crumpled in on herself. "No." She whimpered frantically. "No... Daddy please... no!"

Despite the questions burning in his mind, the demon, drawing on his half-forgotten memories of comforting a much-younger Syrus after a nightmare, reached out and pulled the trembling girl to him, sitting up and tucking his wings around her to make a tent of warm velveteen.

She burrowed into the warmth he offered, sobs shaking her furiously. "No, Daddy please don't."

He stroked down her hair and into the feathers of her wings, slightly surprised at their size but not bothering to question it at the moment. "Shh, it's okay, you're safe here," he murmured. "I won't let anything bad happen to you."

She pulled herself impossibly closer, trembling slowly easing, sobs turning less violent. She folded her storm-gray apendages against her back. Shakily, she lifted her face to see his face. Horror made her eyes wide and her face pale.

His own wings eased slightly, opening up on the top but remaining with the edges overlapping. "What did you dream about?" he asked softly, not pausing in his stroking of her hair and wings.

"My parents." She whispered, burying her face in his chest.

He shivered delicately at the feel of her breath ghosting over his bare chest but remained silent, his movements keeping their soothing rhythm. "I'm sorry," he offered, not quite sure what to do now. It had been so long since he'd last given comfort to anyone, and Syrus had been content just by taking in the other's warmth.

"They're dead." She murmured. Her fingers reached up to brush the tears from her cheeks.

He didn't know what to say to that, so he just pulled her even closer, hoping to reassure her with the evidence of his continued presence.

She sighed softly, shaking her head and pulling away from Zane. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to deal with this."

His wings were fast, shooting back into their previous position and locking together, keeping her close. "Don't you remember what I told you last night?" he growled, eyes burning with unfathomable emotions.

"Which part?" Her voice trembled.

"About you being safe with me, how I won't let anything hurt you. I didn't say those things lightly, Cienna. I can't say those things lightly."

"I know. I didn't say I'm not safe. I said it's not you problem." Confusion laced her face and voice.

"There's more than one type of hurt, Cienna," he elaborated. "I never said I was going to discriminate which type I protected you from."

Tears welled up in her eyes again. "Zane... I'm not your problem."

He reached out and pulled her to him again, this time constricting his wings around her so that a part of him was all the way around her. "No, you're not," he agreed softly. "You're my kentouchigaino tenshi*."

She inhaled slowly, surprise evident. "Zane... I'm not an angel."

"Of course not, tenshi," he murmured, pressing his face into her hair and greedily inhaling the scent of her.

She gasped at the gesture, leaning into him. "And yet you call me one." She breathed.

"Because you are my kentouchigaino tenshi," he stated, relaxing slightly now that he was almost certain she wouldn't move away.

"What exactly does that entail?" She giggled, turning her head so her face was a few inches from his.

"Nothing," he replied, ghosting a kiss on her cheek. "Absolutely nothing."

She giggled again, nervously this time. Flush crept up her neck to her face. "No expectations?"

He shook his head. "Not for you, tenshi. You're fine just the way you are."

She laughed. "Well I'm not entirely sure about that."

"I am."

Her smile turned soft, her hand moving up to settle on his cheek. "Then I trust you."

"Trust me with what?" His heart rose into his throat, somehow knowing that this simply had to be about her angelic nature.

"The truth." She said softly, looking at the cocoon of velvet around her before bringing her eyes to meet his. "If you want it."

"Of course I do," he replied, pulling his wings back slightly since he thought the look was about his clingyness. "You're my kentouchigaino tenshi, and I'm going to protect you from the world."

He could feel them closing in on him, their leecherous grins plastered on their faces as they pinned him down beneath a kalediscope of multicolored wings. He could feel their hands trailing down his body in a way he knew was wrong, hear the sounds of them ripping out his feathers one by toucherous one as they laughed cruelly and took pleasure in his pain, see them take turns with him like he was nothing more than a toy. Pain burned at him, slicing him in half, and he screamed, cowering.

But wait. There was something close, something soothing. No, not something, he realized as he brushed against a shifting softness that was too bright to be his own dark feathers, but someone. He threw himself forward into the warmth, burrowing his face in the reassuring scent, his wings still wrapped around himself protectively. Pristine light came around him, covering his sin, but he let out a plantative whine, wanting the promise of acceptance, which he recieved in the form of a pair of arms wrapping around his trembling body. He was safe here. He may not have liked being so close to someone who was so much like them, but this scent, this wonderful glorious scent, promised him safety and warmth, and he trusted it with that, oh gods he trusted it. He did not want to be broken again...

Bastion, in turn, awoke slowly. The first thing that hit him was the warmth wrapped in his arms, then the softness of another's feathers. But that was impossible, he thought groggily. He hadn't fallen asleep remotely near anyone. The only one that had been around was Cienna, and she had been on her own bed, packing a bag. He sighed, chalking it up to some odd ligering effects of his dream. And then he heard the soft whine that had been in his dream. His eyes snapped open. None other than Chazz Princeton rested in his arms, looking unbearably innocent in his sleep. Then it really struck him. He, Bastion Maisawa, was in bed with Chazz Princeton. He swallowed down his surprise, attempting to worm away from the demon without waking him.

No! The warmth was trying to leave him! He let out a cry, launching himself forward, his recently-calmed trembling starting anew. If he was left alone, they would come back again, and then he'd be hurt and sorry that he'd ever found this person, so very sorry. He did not want to be sorry, not when the scent was so soothing and the light was so perfect. His dark feathers fluttered and bristled slightly with his agaitation, torn between helping him keep the warmth here and wrapping around him to keep him safer.

Bastion froze in surprise when Chazz moved closer, biting his lip. He's dreaming he reminded himself. But... What could a little while longer hurt? He stayed where he was, pulling Chazz to him again, resting his cheek atop the other male's head.

Ah, much better. He was safe, the warmth had stayed, and even better, he had been allowed closer still to the person who had tried to abandon him. He happily nuzzled into the expanse before him that a dim, blank part of him recognized as the jugular of whomever he was lying with, but despite his contentment, he couldn't help wondering where the light had gone. He reached out a hand, searching plantatively for the softness that had once been wrapped around his whole body like a blanket, wanting another layer of protection from the darkness that lurked like a black hole inside him. He just knew that if he was surrounded by the light and in the arms of the warmth, he would be safe and they wouldn't be able to come back.

Bastion struggled with his own emotions at this point, unsure of what exactly he wanted from the sleeping male and of what that would mean. Despite that, his wings closed around them both, like a velvet blanket.

He smiled contentedly now, secure with the knowledge that the light was back. His own wings loosened from where they were wrapped around him like a straight-jacket, instead moving so that one added the warmth to its embrace without leaving the offered protection and the other slipped back under the light and across the bed behind him.

The angel couldn't help but smile, enjoying the sight before him. He couldn't stop himself from running a hand through the demon's inky black hair.

And now he was being pet too? By the gods he must have done something right! As he let out a contented purr and leaned into the touch, he tightened his fingers on the light he'd grasped, marvelling at the wonderful downy softness clenched in his palm. It almost felt like feathers, but that wasn't right, not even Zane had feathers as soft as this...

The demon his his embrace purred, the sound sending tingles through Bastion. He had to hear that again. He stroked the jet-black hair again, easing a bit into the feelings that had taken hold of his heart. Giving into instinct was far too easy then, almost as easy as telling Jaden he was an idiot. He sighed contentedly, smile growing larger as he became more comfortable.

He felt really rather tired, his strength seeping away with all the attention he was recieving, but he couldn't contain a chill at the notion that he might lose his warmth to them. He had to mark this person, it was the only way to save him, if only because they would realize it was his mark and then turn onto him instead. With this thought in mind, he thought nothing of bestowing a harsh nip to the jaw in front of him, his elongating fangs managing to draw blood.

Jerking back, Bastion let out a hiss of pain as Chazz's vampiric teeth dug into his jaw. Blood dripped slowly from the wound, a small cry errupting from his throat. "Ow!"

At the sudden removal of the light, he realized he'd done something very wrong. He let out a small whimper, apologetically leaning forward to soothe the small wound with his tongue. He hadn't meant to hurt his protector, merely bestow something of his own, something that would keep the warmth safe from them.

Bastion flinched away from the demon's attempt to soothe the wound, wary of the treament. Chazz let out a whimper, a sound so incredibly disheartening that Bastion felt bad. Hesitantly, much more so than previously, he enveloped the sleeping boy in his embrace.

He was delighted to be back amid the warmth, but he still missed the softness of the light around him. He let out another whimper, tucking his wings a little closer to him and softly nuzzling the firmness before him, wanting to heal the wound he'd made but afraid of frightening away the other again.

Bastian softened when Chazz nuzzled him, curling him closer. "Shhh..." he whispered. "I'm here. It's okay."

He was closer now. Was that permission to close the wound or was it simply an offered comfort? He let out a whine at the dilemma, squinching his eyes shut unconsciously as he battled the alternatives out in his mind. He couldn't bear to be left alone again…

Bastion shivered at the sound of Chazz's whine. It sounded so pitiful, so sad. "Shhhh..." He cooed. "I've got you."

Feeling a little bolder now that he had made up his mind, he turned his face up again and carefully ran his tongue over the wound he'd created, willing the gash to close up. At the taste of the crimson he'd spilled, however, he couldn't contain a growl as a spike of fear shot through him. His protector had… hurt him? He couldn't believe such a thing had happened, not involving his warmth, but his common sense told him it was true and he couldn't hold back a surge of betrayal that caused his wings to snap around him again protectively.

Bastion was surprised by Chazz's reaction. "Shhh... I'm not going to hurt you. Shhhhh..."

White and black danced before his vision in a movement that had always scared him, always been the reason why he refused to sleep with someone one at night. He did not want them seeing him at his weakest, where he was being attack by things they could not see, that they always claimed they could not see, but how could they not see the hands roaming across his pale skin, his pristine wings turning black as the very tips were painted crimson with his own blood, and the pain that would stab into him like a knife and then proceed to rip him to shreds right down his centerline? No one ever saw, only him, and no one ever protect him, so why should he have ever dared to think otherwise? The only protection he'd ever had was distance, this flimsy excuse not to travel out to meet him at any other time than the night while he wasn't aware, and his own wings, the ones that were stained with shadows, tears, vermillion, and ivory…

Bastion held the demon tighter as he seemed to become preoccupied, tucking the inky winged boy's face into his neck. "You're okay." He murmured, letting his breath ghost over the other's ear.

Suddenly, everything was right again, and he was allowed to be closer to the warmth now, surrounded by its comforting presence. Oh, how could he have ever doubted his protector? He burrowed his face deeper into the pro-offered neck, shyly letting his wings back out and hoping that the light would come back and cradle him once more. He would not ask for it, he did not want to be left again, but oh gods how he wanted it back.

Bastion felt Chazz's wings come out more than he saw it, stroking the demon's hair soothingly. He met their pitch black with his own snowy white, nuzzling the other male's neck.

He was safe now, forgiven now. Feeling himself about to slip off again, especially now that the petting had started again, he reached over and buried his fingers in the light once more, purring happily. He could afford to let himself go now that there was someone to keep them away from him now.

Bastion, tired for being so attentive, stroked the demon's hair a bit before letting his head drop to the pillow and drift off into a soft sleep.

Once he was certain both the males were asleep, the demon let go of his grip on the shadows, letting his corporeal body appear in the room once again. He shook out his wings, letting the moonlight from the uncurtained window plaster themselves on his midnight feathers, shorter than what he was used to but what he had grown accustomed to experiencing for the brief periods he would awaken once more. Jade-colored eyes looked at the odd pair of demon and angel, not begrudging them for needing his help. The two might have been soulmates, the demon far more broken than most, but they would never have broken taboo if he had not influenced the poor demon's dreams. He thought it a tragedy that the two could not have simply gotten together on their own, a fact that brought a lot of guilt to him. It was his fault they weren't together, after all, and speaking of which, he really should get back to his dorm room, before his precious mate began to worry about him. He did not want the angel to be worried that he had abandoned his "best friend", after all...

Cienna smiled sadly. "It's a kind of ridiculous story." She spoke quietly. "I even have trouble believing it sometimes... But I suppose the truth must be known..." She turned her back to him, spreading her wings and gently pushing his away with the tips of her own. "This is the easiest way to explain it, I guess. Zane, what color are my wings?"

"That's easy," he replied confusedly, "they're..." He trailed off as the moonlight caught her wings, highlighting their color. "Gray?"

"Any ideas as to what that means?" She was quiet, trembling ever-so-slightly as if she was afraid to hear his response.

"Well," he murmured to himself, slowly thinking through the process, "demons have black wings and angels have white, so a blending of the two colors could be an expression of codominance from the two breeds, meaning you would be sired by both races, but that's impossible, there haven't been a relationship between a demon and an angel since Gabriel and Lucifer..."

She chuckled darkly. "You don't even know how right you are." She folded her wings against her back gently. She leaned against his side, taking in the comfort and warmth he offered. "I won't coddle you about this, Zane. It's a waste of time. My parents are Gabriel and Lucifer. They sacrificed their corporeal bodies so I could be born." She sighed, not daring to look at his face as she took a pause for any interjection he may have posed.

Zane would have been upset if he hadn't been so relieved things were finally making sense. If she was half-angel, it explained so much about her, even things she didn't know. "I don't know how exactly that would have gone about, but you know what, I don't care. It feels nice to have Chazz finally proven right about something without it biting me in the ass in the result."

She looked up suddenly, surprise eclipsing her face. "That's it? No disbelief or surprise or... I don't know, yelling at me for bullshitting you? You just... believe me?"

He shrugged. "Before I came over here, Chazz told me that you had a scent to you that was almost too... holy for a demon," he explained. "I was thinking about it a lot, worrying that maybe someone had put a dormant exorcision spell on you, but now, well... Let's just say I'd rather accept that you're somehow the offspring of both demon and angel rather than that I was going to have to kill somebody because some dipshit thought it would be a good idea to fucking perform an exorcism on you."

She laughed in shock, "Wow. He's pretty good at that stuff... but then I knew that. Christ, what's wrong with me?" She stared out across the room for a moment. When her eyes returned to him, the worry was back. "So you're okay with this, then?"

He offered her a gentle smile. "Normally, I wouldn't be, but you're... special to me." He didn't want to confess the information he'd had to share with Chazz just to gain the knowledge about her, so he settled for merely leaving it at that if he could.

A grin slowly found its way to her face. A faint pink settled over her face and neck, but it paled in compared to the first time she'd seen him shirtless. "Well that makes two of us..." She twined her fingers through his, lifting their hands to place a gentle kiss to the back of Zane's hand.

He took advantage of that, twisting his hand around so that he cupped the back of her neck, and then used that to push her forward into his mouth, kissing her chastely. "Cienna," he breathed when he pulled away, his wings jerking back to allow her the escape if she wanted to. "I-"

"Yes?" She breathed, leaning her forehead against his.

He would have thought she'd be mad at him, especially since they had barely known each other and he was already stealing kisses from her, and yet she wasn't. "I really like you," he murmured softly, letting his wings come back around to gently hold her. He was tired, the stress had really been piling up today and the late hour was getting to him, so much so that he was fairly certain all she'd need to do was start petting his feathers and he'd fall asleep purring.

She smiled softly. "I figured as much." She set her hand on his chest, pushing him back to lie down. "You look tired. Anything else that needs to be said can wait until morning." She lay down beside him, pressing a kiss over his heart and resting a hand on his chest and beginning to trace idle patterns along his naked torso. "Goodnight, Zane."

"Goodnight, kentouchigaino tenshi," he murmured, wrapping his wings around her and reaching out to idly play with the tip of one of her slate feathers. "Pleasant dreams." He'd had Alexis do the same thing after sex before, along with Chazz after one of his more vicious sessions where he'd take the elder Truesdale's blood, but never had it felt quite so soothing. So, without her having even touched his wings, he drifted off to the domain of Morpheaus.

Syrus yawned as he sat up in bed, flexing his snow-white wings happily in the moonlight. He understood he should be sleeping, but something hadn't seemed quite right, so he had decided to investigate. Rubbing his eyes sleepily, he looked around himself, only to realize exactly what it was that was wrong. "Jaden?" he called, worried about the demon. He didn't want his friend to be missing, but it was clear that the brunet wasn't there in the dorm with him. "Jaden!" As the blue-haired boy was shrugging on his jacket to go look for the demon, in he stumbled. "Oh gods, there you are!" Syrus cried, running to his friend. "What were you doing out there? Are you okay?"

"I wanted to go flying, Sy," the brunet chuckled, ruffling sky blue hair affectionately. "I haven't done it since I came here, so I decided it was high time I did."

"But-but your wings!" The younger spluttered. "We were going to try to keep them low profile! What if someone saw you!" Horror consumed his face. "They'll make you go to Obelisk!"

"It's all right, Sy," he reassured. "That's why I went at night, while everyone was sleeping." He gave the smaller a goofy grin. "Besides, even if they did want me to go to Obelisk, I wouldn't go without a fight, and even then I wouldn't leave you behind."

Syrus smiled faintly. "Well alright then... let's just... get some sleep or something." He turned towards the bunk-beds, shrugging off his jacket along the way.

"Syrus," Jaden murmured softly, looking down at his hands shyly, "do you think demons have powers like angels do?"

"I think they can do things angels can't..." Syrus said slowly. "They definitely have... unique attributes."

Jaden's black wings pulled close to him, making him look smaller and more vulnerable. "Do you think that… maybe… manipulating people… could be one of them?"

"They said Lucifer could..." Syrus said slowly. "Why are you asking?"

He started trembling finely, no sound coming from the feathers that once would have made a good amount of noise now. "I never had any powers before, but then I had a dream where I put Chazz in a nightmare, and when I woke up, I was in the Obelisk dorm and I just knew I had to come back as fast as I could, and oh gods I'm just so scared, Sy, I'm so scared." He was breathing hard, having not bothering to inhale during that whole long statement, and his arms had come around his chest as if he was trying to hold himself together.

The younger angel crossed the room in a few steps, wrapping both his arms and wings around the brunet. "It's okay, Jaden. I promise it's okay."

He let out a soft whimper, burying his face in that mess of sky blue. "I don't want them to take you away, Sy, I don't want it!"

"I won't let them." The younger murmured, pulling the older closer. "I promise you'll be safe, Jaden. I'm not going anywhere."

"Not even if I do something very bad?"

"Not even if you do something awful."

Jaden gave him a shy smile. "I love you, Syrus."

"I love you too, Jaden." The small boy replied, smiling back. "Now c'mon, some sleep should help you."

"Sy?" the demon asked shyly, "can I sleep with you? I'm afraid I'll have that dream and start sleepwalking again…"

The angel didn't even pause. "Of course." He pulled Jaden's pillow off his bunk and lay it next to his. "C'mon. Let's get some sleep."

Die: *sigh* Just move along to the next chapter...

Banner: Reviews will be much appriciated! *pets Pharaoh and walks off*