Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Aki parked the car, popping a cigarette between his lips as he got out. He lit it, inhaling deeply as he took in the scene. 

Makima had assembled an odd team to tackle a public disturbance at an old office building with a presumed hostage situation. A call came from inside to report odd insectoid creatures, and fatalities suspicious for some kind of toxicity. The first Public Safety officers on scene failed to check in hours later.

Power and Denji bickered with each other, following Aki blindly into the gathered team of fiends and Public Safety members. 

The building’s entrances were covered in an odd substrate resembling textured paper, but no other signs revealed what was waiting for them inside.

Aki was intrigued to find the Angel Devil had been brought to this fight, but he assumed the devil’s power of euthanasia was considered an asset in these circumstances. If Public Safety wasn’t  able to rescue the civilians in time for treatment? Well, the Angel Devil was a mercy.

They split into two teams, Aki’s team taking an offensive strategy with the goal of locating and neutralizing the devil. A handful of fiends he didn’t recognize, a few Special Division Two coworkers, and the Angel Devil were tasked with protecting the civilians and assisting rescue. They would enter the building once Aki’s team had established what they were up against.

Upon entering the building, they found many of the internal furnishings were covered in the same paper-like material, and the air in the building carried a humid, repulsive odor. Most lighting fixtures were partially covered in this material, causing an eerie ambiance of shadows and flickering lights. 

The elevators were assumed to be out of commission, and the doors leading to the staircases in the building were encased in the paper material. They made quick work of it with their weapons.

With brute force, Denji was able to throw the staircase door open, and a cloud of dust and fog rolled out of the entryway. 

Immediately, Denji jumped back through the doorway, yelling frantically. 

“FUCK ME, HELP!!!”

He was chased by a number of iridescent bird sized blurs. Aki and Power quickly responded by swinging at the beasts, occasionally succeeding in hitting one. A team member carrying a crossbow was able to hit a few of the creatures as they swarmed Denji, and with a group effort  they were able to incapacitate the swarm. Denji sustained a few stings but was otherwise unharmed, just thoroughly rattled. 

“What the hell were those?” He rubbed his forearm where he’d been stung, a large welt already forming.

The corpses on the ground were insectoid, with iridescent hard exoskeletons, but unnervingly human fetus-like heads. 

“They look like wasps.” Aki grimaced, wiping the blue-green blood off his sword on a lobby chair cushion. 

“I hate bees!” Power grumbled.

“They’re not bees, they’re worse.” Denji lamented. “Don’t make honey or anything, they’re just assholes for no reason.” 

“Like Topknot!” Power laughed. 

Aki assumed they must be dealing with some kind of bug-like devil. The building material covering much of the interior of the building somewhat resembled a wasp nest. 

“Should have brought a fucking flyswatter.” Aki sighed. His weapons were little use against small, fast-moving targets like these. 

Their team member had already radioed to the other team, communicating their discovery. 

Aki’s team trudged on, finding large nest-like structures in larger vertical clearings in the building. Usually they’d be attacked by the drones shortly before discovering these structures. They learned quickly to be on guard exploring the central parts of the building, the roof had a skylight and the center of the building was open, with a jungle of well-tended plants. 

It was determined the civilians were on the sixth floor, so Aki’s team worked to clear a pathway for the defensive rescue team. Aki was grateful for his decision to wear his suit blazer, as the material provided resistance to the bug stings. 

The team was unsettled by the silence of the building, the paperlike material had an unnatural ability to dampen sound. They struggled to hear the insects approaching until they were nearly overhead, despite the creatures buzzing loudly as they flew. 

Team members who ventured too far from the group couldn’t call out to locate each other. Their voices drew the attention of nearby drones, but were impossible to be heard unless within eyesight of another, so they stayed close together. This somehow added to the fear and discomfort they felt, clinging together in a pack like scared animals.

Aki had picked up a broken chair back. It was a corrugated plastic material which gave him a large, flat  surface with little air resistance that he found more effective against the drones than swinging a sharp blade through the air. Power had turned her weapon into a pitchfork, using it to impale the drones, and Denji used a baseball bat to smash the insects.

Power, Denji, and their two teammates besides Aki had all been stung. The humans seemed to be exhibiting the same allergic reactions described by the civilians, but fortunately aside from mild facial and bodily swelling, they were relatively unphased by the effects so far.

They quickly navigated to the sixth floor, and from the radio communications, the second team was not far behind them.

Aki had nothing to do but theorize about their opponent as they explored. The layout of the ‘nest’ - with structures devoted to growing new drones, some larger clusters encased entirely in a paper chamber - had him suspecting there was likely a larger chamber that housed the mastermind devil they were after. 

His best guess was that they were up against the Wasp Devil. He was mentally preparing himself for a much bigger and stronger version of the drones they were fighting. Hopefully, if encapsulated in a chamber, they’d be able to leave it be until they could evacuate the civilians held hostage. Every sealed doorway they cut through, Aki held his breath, fearing they’d find the devil rather than the civilians. 

They’d explored the majority of the sixth floor without major catastrophe, which left three final rooms for the team to check. 

“Bro, you smell that? Is something on fire?” Denji sniffed the air. 

Fuck.

The entire building was filled with presumably incredibly flammable paper nest material. 

Aki led the team to the center of the floor where they could better see the surrounding floors, trying to scout for the source of the smoke.

White smoke drifted through the air, seeming to rise from two floors below them. 

“Are any of the fiends on the second team fire users?” Aki asked his teammates, who both shrugged. Could it be an electrical fire? A sharp cackle echoed across the building, seeming to come from below, and Aki heard his teammate’s radio suddenly screech to life.

“We’ve had an incident!” A panicked voice cracked through the radio. “A fiend is out of control! They were stung, and appear to be hallucinating!”

Goddammit.

Aki took the radio. “Fire power?”

“Yes, and it is taking to the building very quickly.”

“Radio Public Safety, we need fire response.” Aki barked into the radio. 

Aki’s priority had shifted. 

Rescue the civilians, and hope the devil perishes in the fire. They probably had very little time before the smoke or fire incapacitated them.

As far as he was aware, bees and wasps were somewhat subdued by smoke. Hopefully this worked in their favor. 

“Get up here as quick as you can to help evacuate civilians.” Aki instructed through the radio. Aki split his team up, Denji and Crossbow tasked with exploring one room, and Aki, Power, and the teammate with a radio exploring the other two remaining rooms. 

The first room Aki sliced into was empty aside from a cluster of egg capsules. Aki sprinted towards the second room, steeling himself in anticipation of the possible contents of this final room. 

Humans!

Some appeared horrendously ill, their bodies swollen beyond recognition. These were likely the victims of wasp stings.

“Any casualties?” Their radio teammate quickly ran to tend to the captives, describing their state to the team on the ground. 

Aki stumbled back out to the center of the floor, planning to assist Denji if needed. The building was quickly becoming much darker than before, thick white smoke pouring from below and blocking the massive skylight in the roof.  

A frenzied yell and the roar of chainsaws helped Aki locate his remaining teammates. There were new faces on the floor, rushing to assist the evacuation of the civilians. 

“Found the fucking devil!” The Chainsaw Devil screeched, as a wall into the central area of the building exploded into dust. A deafening hum foreshadowed the massive beast that flew out of the hole.

The devil was a horror to behold. A grotesque mixture of swollen red flesh surrounded its face, which appeared as a mockery of a human face. The head seemed to explode out of the massive, beetle-like body of a giant wasp. Its wings moved too quickly to see, clumsily carrying the monstrous devil into the center of the building.

Suddenly, thick ropes of paper-like material shot out of the disgusting rear of the devil, covering the humans scurrying to rescue the civilians. An endless number of wasp drones poured out of the hole in the wall, followed by the reassuring power of the Chainsaw Devil.

The Chainsaw Devil leapt into the air, swinging his chainsaws into the thorax of the Wasp Devil. The devil’s wings could not support both their weights, and it slowly descended through the air, the Chainsaw Devil slashing and hacking at the hard exoskeleton.

The fiends that were still able to move leapt at the drones, slowly tearing through their numbers.

Aki turned his focus to the humans trapped in the thick building material, hacking through it with his sword and pulling them out by hand. 

He suddenly heard the sound of shattering glass and the clinking of glass all around him. Aki wondered what the hell was happening.

The smoke was so thick, Aki could barely see two feet in front of him. He couldn’t help but cough as he fought to breathe. 

These were suddenly dire circumstances. Aki honed his focus from the frenzied action around him to concentrate on rescue. 

He trusted the fiends and Denji to handle the Wasp Devil and its swarm, at least long enough to give them a chance at rescue.

Was the smoke clearing, or was the fire around them illuminating the area? 

Aki helped a young woman crawl out of the material. That was the last person he could distinguish from the thick piles of nest material on the floor around him. He hoped he hadn’t missed anyone, but knew they didn’t have the time to dig through this mess.

Maybe the smoke really was clearing? Had they broken the skylight somehow? Aki hoped the devil hadn’t escaped the building.

Aki saw Power rush by, chasing a drone and cackling heartily, thrilled by the battle. He couldn’t hear the sound of chainsaws anymore, and worried momentarily for Denji as he followed the rescue crew.

Fortunately, the staircases were encased in cement, but Aki could feel the heat of the fire around them as they descended. He braced himself for battle at the bottom, slipping past the others as he sprinted down the stairs. 

He emerged on the second floor to get a vantage of the battle below before they exposed civilians to it. The open center of the building held a large planted area fed by the sunlight of the skylight far above it. 

Well, that was before it was crushed by the massive body of the Wasp Devil. The Chainsaw Devil stood victorious upon a mountain of blue flesh, shattered pieces of exoskeleton and a sea of spilt bright red blood surrounding him.

Next to him… The Angel Devil? His bright red hair was illuminated by his halo, although initially Aki worried he was badly wounded, he appeared unharmed aside from his white shirt being soiled by gore. His wings shifted uncomfortably, the tips of his feathers drooping inches from the mess on the floor like they were incredibly heavy. 

Aki couldn’t even guess what he was doing there. 

It didn’t matter. They’d somehow succeeded. 

Aki felt a little flash of jealousy that he didn't get a part of the action. He felt immature and stupid for even caring about it, and sighed. He turned around, headed to finish assisting with the rescue.

When they finally made it out of the building, Aki was surprised by the amount of people outside. Fire crews, ambulances, and it looked like some reinforcement devil hunters had arrived. 

And for some reason… Makima? Had their chances seemed that low to the outside world? Aki wondered what his radio teammate had been telling Public Safety, this seemed like overkill. 

Aki couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed, could he have played a bigger part in directing this battle? He was sure once the pieces came together after debriefing he’d understand what the hell had happened. He just hoped Makima didn’t blame him for any of the chaos that occurred. 

The building was unfortunately not salvageable, and the top floors collapsed after an hour of exhausting effort from the fire crew. 

They’d managed to locate the majority of teammates, although the fiend that had started the fire was presumed to be lost permanently when the building collapsed. 

Aki imagined there would be a lot of paperwork for the Special Division staff member responsible for that fiend, he was grateful his idiots had behaved themselves. 

He watched the fiends, Denji, and the Angel Devil be tended to by the Special Division medic. All that really involved was the woman offering them a bag of blood to help them heal any injuries, and the standard Public Safety package of wet wipes to help them remove a modest amount of gore. 

The other humans who had been stung, including those affected by symptoms of hallucination and psychosis, made miraculous recoveries now that the devil was killed. Aki wondered if the two comatose civilians had been rescued in time. 

It was time for individual debriefing. 

Aki hadn’t seen it, but from the pieces of other stories, the Angel Devil had surprisingly played a major part in the battle. He’d shown initiative for the first time Aki could recall. 

The devil had flown up and shattered the skylight to reduce the smoke in the air, which gave them significantly more time to escape. Afterwards, when the Chainsaw Devil had fallen from his grasp on the Wasp Devil, Angel apparently turned on the devil, latched onto it, and helped bring it within the Chainsaw’s reach while absorbing some of its lifespan.

It was quite impressive he’d gone on the offensive, considering the devil usually couldn’t be bothered to participate in battles at all.

Aki wondered if their recent interaction with the Bomb Devil had changed the way Angel thought of humans, or life in general. Given his own sacrifice, Aki was glad Angel carried a little more respect for life.

Aki had learned from his experiences with his housemates that positive reinforcement worked with most amicable fiends and devils. From what he knew about Angel, the devil liked attention. 

Aki stepped close to Angel while he waited for his turn to give his story. “Hey. I hear you did well today. Without you I don’t know if we would have succeeded.”

Angel beamed, his cheeks taking on a pink glow. He nodded in gratitude, looking like he wanted to say something, but a voice interrupted him as Aki’s name was called. 

The entire debriefing process, as always, took hours , and by the time they were all done everyone was exhausted and starving. They loitered outside the Public Safety building, waiting for the last few team members to leave the building.

“Drinks, anyone?” Angel mused. He was a bit of an alcoholic, it distracted him from the misery of working. He had heard the post-mission nights out were a blast, he wasn’t convinced he’d enjoy it very much but his stash of liquor was getting pretty dry. 

Shit. 

Aki swallowed guiltily. He had a vice he’d been able to keep under lock and key for years, unless under the influence of alcohol.

For all intents and purposes, he was pretty sure he was straight. Only interested in connecting with women, wanting romantic relationships with women, little interest in one night stands, as it felt too disrespectful to use women for pleasure. He was too shy, too polite arguably, to make a move, so his love life was never very exciting. 

Himeno was different, Aki thought they would end up together, but wanted the relationship to develop naturally, slowly. God , how he regretted it now. 

Aki lit a cigarette, occupying himself so he didn’t have to show interest in the conversation.

He hoped nobody indulged Angel’s offer for a night out.

Aki would frequently sober up after nights of drinking to memories, and evidence, of fooling around with men. From what he could recall, it wasn’t really gay, he’d never been aroused by it, or engaged in actual sex himself. It was strictly blowjobs or handjobs, and he was pretty sure it had always been one sided. Maybe he was just curious? Some weird drunken ritual? 

Aki could never get himself to commit such a deplorable act with a woman, out of deep rooted respect. He didn’t carry the same respect towards other men.

He had spent years in denial of it and had tried everything he possibly could to avoid it occurring. But at this point in his life he’d just learned that some twisted part of his drunk self liked the game, and men were unbelievably easy to convince. Maybe he just liked to please?

He’d given up trying to understand it long ago. 

He wasn’t homophobic, but he knew if this became public knowledge, his reputation would be destroyed.

Especially if he ended up bedding a devil.

Aki wouldn’t admit it to anyone, even at knifepoint, but he worried his interest in Angel was a little more than friendly. It made sense, though. The devil presented androgynously, so perhaps Aki’s brain was merely confusing him for a woman. His long, red hair and feminine frame resembled Makima, and Aki had an unshakable crush on her since she hired him.

That was all it was. 

Angel’s voice was soft, Aki liked hearing him speak, and his presence was oddly comforting. Something inside of him felt an absurd amount of pity for Angel’s permanent isolation, surely he was lonely. It made Aki want to engage with him more, but it was definitely just pity that piqued his interest. Aki was still worried, he needed to keep his distance, for more than just Angel’s influence on his lifespan. 

“Let’s celebrate, Angel Devil, you performed well for once. I say drink’s on me!” Makima cheered.

Aki’s stomach turned. 

Maybe he’d be fine tonight, he just wouldn’t drink much. It shouldn’t be an issue, there’d be too many witnesses, and it’s not like he could touch Angel. But… He could still end up with a different coworker if he wasn’t careful.  

It hadn’t been a big deal before, he’d gotten away with things when Makima wasn’t there. Generally he could trust nobody would admit they fooled around with the same sex. The Public Safety employee turnover rate was so high it was rare to see the same faces for long, so Aki’s mistakes never came back to haunt him. But now with Denji and Power living with him, and with Makima witnessing everything tonight, he wasn’t letting his guard down.

He stubbed out his cigarette on top of a trash can, sighing deeply. 

_____

The group stumbled into a restaurant serving noodles and beer. Aki sat at the end of the table, next to Makima, but Denji threw himself between the two, Power sitting across from them. Angel ended up pulling up a chair at a nearby table behind them, keeping his deadly distance. Makima ordered a round of beers for everyone old enough to drink. 

Denji fawned over Makima, Aki could tell she had little interest in his words but she played along convincingly, Denji melting at each word she said. Aki always felt a little off about their relationship, but he couldn’t blame Denji. Makima had complete control of him, which was a feat Aki struggled with. Power’s temper fizzled as nobody was listening to her speak.

When the server returned to drop off drinks, Angel called her over. He spoke quietly enough Aki couldn’t hear him, but gestured towards the table a few times. The server wore a sour, vile expression, clearly upset she was serving a devil. Especially one wearing blood stained clothes.

“Is he with you, ma’am?” She grumbled at Makima, who was watching with an amused expression. 

“He is, in fact, guest of honor. Serve him whatever he asks.” Makima took immense pleasure in correcting her.

The server sighed, rolled her eyes, and tromped off to the bar. She returned with a tray of shot glasses with unknown contents, setting two in front of Angel. She turned and set a shot glass in front of Makima, and one in front of Aki. 

“What’s this for?” Aki turned around to look at Angel, his palms sweating.

“You never let me buy you a drink for being an idiot and saving me.” Angel smiled. He raised a glass, Aki had no choice but to follow suit. Angel downed his shot, expression unchanged, and Aki fought to keep a straight face. Whatever that was, it was strong.

“And thank you Makima, here’s to getting drunk on your dime.” Angel smiled at her, raising the other shot glass.

“I knew you had potential, Angel Devil. Glad you were on our side today.” Makima took her shot with a smile on her face.

The restaurant was hardly busy, but they seemed to be taking forever to prepare food. With beer flowing like water as the division staff harassed each other, the majority of the crew ended up tipsy very quickly. 

Aki was pretty sure it was unrelated to the sips of beer she was stealing from the table when nobody was looking, but Power ended up sitting on the table in front of him. She was loudly threatening Denji over a video game the two had been bickering over for weeks. He scooted his chair back, holding his beer out of harm’s way as she and Denji exchanged slaps. 

“Don’t tell me you’re a lightweight? That's still your first beer?” Aki turned around, hearing Angel’s sleepy voice behind him. Angel rested his head propped up on his elbows, his table littered with empty glasses. A warm smile glazed his rosy lips. 

“No, I’m just... Not feeling it tonight.” Aki sipped his beer reluctantly. 

“He’s actually quite good at holding his own.” Makima called out, before turning to continue conversing with her staff.

Aki frowned, not appreciating the sudden challenge.

“It’s okay, there’s no competition.” Angel hummed. “Just thought it’d be nice to see you relax for once.” 

Denji guffawed. “Burn!!! Angel, come to my house after and play Mario Kart with me and Power! Topknot’s not good at games, he’s really a drag. He drives like a law abiding citizen.”

Aki’s eyebrow twitched. He kicked Denji under the table, who tried retaliating but kicked the leg of the table instead, spilling a few drinks. Everyone turned towards the commotion, and Aki shook his head, embarrassed. 

He desperately hoped Angel would turn Denji down, but Angel smiled instead.

Angel was exhausted. He was out of shape, and today’s battle had taken a lot out of him. His wings ached from exertion, he couldn’t help but rest them on the floor. Despite this, Angel never got an opportunity to socialize, and he admired Denji’s carefree attitude towards life. Maybe he could learn something from him, and be treated better as a result. Besides, didn’t Denji and Power live with Aki? He felt a peculiar interest in Aki, as he was the first devil hunter to treat him kindly. He also carried a little guilt at Aki’s sacrifice to save him from the Bomb Devil.

“I’ve never played that before, I’ll try it. I don’t know how to drive though.” Angel yawned. 

“That’s cool, you don’t have to. I’ll show you.” Denji stood up and flopped into the seat across from Angel, excitedly sharing far too much information about the game at once. Aki pitied him, but was grateful Denji was demanding his attention. 

Aki ordered another beer, taking Power’s old seat, feeling slightly emasculated. He strategically waited for food to arrive before drinking much more. 

A new face he hadn’t spoken much to from the second team struck up a conversation about Aki’s devil contracts. A welcome distraction, Aki thought this guy looked pretty safe and “straight.” He felt himself relaxing a bit, what was he even so worried about? He ordered another beer with dinner. 

Another hour passed and the table was rowdy, beginning to get restless to leave. Aki was at this point slightly buzzed, but still felt no weird homosexual desires. He must be out of his mind. Angel was right, he should relax. He emptied the rest of his glass, his body feeling a light tingle of warmth.

Makima paid the bill, and after exchanging pleasantries, Angel was the first to stumble out of the restaurant with Denji, both laughing at their conversation.

Angel’s wings seemed too heavy for him to keep his balance. Aki couldn’t tell if Angel was impacted by the alcohol, or the strenuous use of his wings during their mission. He watched the devil wobble, nearly falling over, catching himself on Denji’s shirt, still cautious not to come into contact with skin. Denji’s body language immediately changed. 

“Unhand me, freak! Are you trying to kill me?” Denji spat.

Angel recoiled and stumbled backwards. “I’m sorry, but you’re fine!” His voice squeaked. 

Denji continued yelling, “How much life did you take from me with that? You need to be more careful!”

Aki walked briskly to catch up with the two. “Denji, that’s enough. Angel’s powers don’t work through cloth, see?” Aki put a hand on Angel’s shoulder. He could feel his body heat through his shirt. 

Angel gasped softly from the touch and looked up at Aki, who immediately averted his gaze and backed away, ears feeling hot. 

Why the fuck did he do that?  

Aki felt himself spiraling a bit. That was definitely weird. He put a little bit of distance between him and Angel. 

Denji still seemed indignant and unsettled by the scare, walking a few paces ahead of everyone. 

The devil walked next to Power for a moment, wings drooping behind him, before she suddenly exploded. “Back off! I don’t trust you either! Nobody threatens Power’s awesome lifespan!”

Angel ducked his head, now choosing to walk alone behind the group. 

Aki turned around, feeling guilty. “These guys just suck, you don’t have to come over if you don’t want to. I can walk you home?” 

“No! He’s coming over! I must defeat him in Mario Kart!” Denji yelled, not looking behind him.

Angel smiled meekly. “It’s okay, I’m used to it. Everyone’s afraid of me. But thanks for trying to make me feel better.”

They walked in silence for a bit longer, Aki enjoying the cool night air. He felt warm with the slight tingle of alcohol flowing through his blood.

Upon arriving at the apartment complex, Power and Denji sprinted inside the elevator first. Power made a point out of smashing the “Close Door” button and sticking her tongue out at Angel. 

“You want the next one?” Angel asked Aki. 

Aki hesitated. It would be cramped, but it might teach Denji and Power to respect Angel. “Keep your hands to yourself and we can share it.” 

He watched a soft smile cross Angel’s lips. Aki gestured to Angel as the door opened, and the devil tucked himself in the back of the elevator, wings folded as small as he could make them against the wall. Aki stepped in, leaving a few feet between them. 

The elevator whirred as they ascended. 

“Do you just like danger, or do you really not mind?” Angel asked, staring at Aki. 

Aki felt warm. He chose not to respond. He wasn’t quite sure. The elevator jolted to a halt, they had arrived on his floor.

Denji and Power were inside already, they could be heard yelling over remotes a few doors down. Aki sighed and headed towards his apartment. He stomped in, kicking off his shoes in the entryway and walking swiftly into the living room. He grabbed Power and Denji’s wrists simultaneously, yanking them up from the couch in a surprising feat of strength and balance. They both opened their mouths to protest, but reading the expression on his face they knew they were on thin ice. 

“It’s the middle of the goddamn night. If we get another noise complaint and I have to pay a fine, I’ll kill you both.” Aki grumbled. “And get out of your filthy clothes and rinse off before you sit on my couch.”

They both grumpily trudged off, rubbing their wrists and heading towards their respective rooms. They bickered over who’d bathe first, with Denji winning since he’d been the one to decapitate the Wasp Devil. 

Aki turned around, finding Angel standing in the kitchen. He wasn’t sure what to do with him, they didn’t have guests often. 

“You can rinse off too when they’re done. We all probably smell like shit. Want any water?” Aki asked. 

Angel shrugged. He turned and opened the fridge, pulling out a beer. “Your house is very clean.” He murmured, looking around as he popped the can open and took a drink. 

Aki was a little offput by Angel’s attitude. Did he not have any manners? Aki reminded himself of Denji and Power’s humble beginnings. How would Angel have learned any manners? He probably didn’t get invited anywhere.

Aki shook his head at himself. He needed human company, living with these assholes was lowering his standards. 

He headed towards his room, where he pulled out a change of clothes for after his shower.

Aki tugged the hair tie out of his hair, tossing it on his dresser and massaging his sore head. He pulled another set of clothes out to offer to Angel. He figured Angel would practically drown in his clothes, so he chose the smallest shirt he had and a pair of sweats with a drawstring. Aki thought hard, but couldn’t recall ever seeing him in anything but the uniform.

What did Angel even look like under the suit? An intrusive thought flashed through his mind, and Aki felt a wave of shame. That must be the alcohol talking. Aki focused on locating his box of cigarettes and lighter in his suit pockets as he took the blazer off. 

Aki walked back into the living room, where Angel was leaning against the wall. He offered Angel the bundle of clothes in his arms. 

Was Aki drunk? Angel thought. His cheeks had a subtle flush, his hair was messy, he looked quite handsome. Not as proper and uptight as he acted on the job. He seemed steady on his feet though. 

Angel hesitated to take Aki’s clothes. “You know I’m going to ruin your shirt.”

“What?” Aki frowned. His brain fought to recognize if that was a euphemism for something. 

Angel fluffed his wings a bit, and Aki realized. 

Of course, that’s what he meant. Why would Angel mean anything else?

“You can keep it. I don’t like that band anyways.” Aki shrugged. He could feel his ears were hot. 

Angel slowly reached towards Aki’s outstretched arms, and Aki watched, feeling his heart race as Angel’s hands were mere centimeters from his. He could feel the air shift as Angel grasped the bundle and pulled it away. Angel paused, an intrigued expression on his face as he met Aki’s eyes for a moment, before backing away and sitting on the floor. He let his wings rest on the ground.

Aki felt exhausted. The buzz was wearing off, it had him feeling heavy and weary. He needed a cigarette. Power burst through her door, strutting towards the couch. It wasn’t long before Denji would be out too, then the temporary silence would be over for a few hours. Aki excused himself to the balcony, popping a cigarette in his mouth and flicking his lighter. 

Would it be rude to retire early and just go to bed? Aki worried about the mayhem that could occur without a responsible adult to mediate the trio. He sighed, resting his weight on the bars of the balcony railing, appreciating the quiet of the night for another moment and taking a long drag of his cigarette. 

If he was going to stay up, he needed another drink or two. Hopefully this wouldn’t be the straw that broke the camel’s back. Aki felt like he was being overdramatic.

Was Angel onto something? Did Aki just like the feeling of danger? Perhaps that was part of his fascination with the devil. He knew he had a death wish, and he was quickly running out of reasons to fear his fate. He had accepted he didn’t have long left, with the time he had given his cursed sword, and the time lost to Angel’s momentary touch. Aki sighed, stubbing his cigarette out on the balcony railing. He tossed the butt in his ashtray. 

Aki could hear Denji and Power arguing through the glass door. Taking a deep breath, he turned around, sliding the glass door open. 

“Did Angel Devil go home?” The question was out of Denji’s mouth before Aki had even taken a step inside. “He was going to be Koopa.”

“No, he’s probably bathing.” Aki replied. He crossed in front of the TV, to Denji and Power’s protests, headed towards the kitchen. 

Aki heard the bathroom door creak open. Angel stepped out, his old clothes in a tangle in his arms. Water dripped from his wings, leaving a trail behind him. He tossed his clothes by his shoes at the front door, and as he was turned around, Aki saw the back of the shirt had been ripped halfway, allowing his wings to hang free. Angel had tucked his shirt in, and rolled the bottom of the pants up so they fit him better. He looked very different without his usual attire, much smaller. 

“Do you want another drink?” Aki asked. He wasn’t feeling another beer, but had a bottle of whiskey in his freezer. 

“You know me so well already.” Angel sighed. Aki crossed the kitchen, a few feet away from Angel, who could distinctly pick out the sharp smell of cigarette smoke on Aki, shadowed by the smoky smell of the burning building they’d escaped. He found it a bit exciting being this close to someone without scaring them off. 

Aki heavily poured two glasses, this time deliberately setting Angel’s on the counter in front of him, avoiding the awkward tension of another near-touch. He took a drink and headed towards the living room, stopping to pull a folding chair out of the closet for Angel.

Aki set Angel’s seat up next to the couch, and headed to rinse the smell of smoke off himself.

After mopping up the pools of water left in the bathroom by Angel’s wings, Aki appreciated the moment to himself. He was grateful for the alcohol in his system making it easier to ignore the small things that would normally piss him off beyond belief, like his now empty body wash container. He spent his shower trying to convince himself to remain social for a few more hours. He toweled off and slipped into more comfortable clothing, folding his dirty work clothes and taking them to the laundry pile in his room. He didn’t have the energy to do laundry tonight. 

Aki headed back into the living room with his drink, where Denji and Power were arguing yet again, and Angel watched with an amused expression. Angel glanced at Aki, noting he looked like an entirely different person out of uniform.

Aki found the couch already seemed too crowded, but he pushed Denji closer to the middle with his foot so he could squeeze in next to them. He very nearly lost his balance, but felt like he played it off pretty well as nobody commented on it. 

Power tried convincing Aki to play, just one round, as Princess Peach - because she was the most powerful character and Aki needed the best chance at winning. Aki set his drink down and took a controller.

“Angel, you can have this controller. I’m going to put it down here, please don’t touch me.” Denji stood, setting the last controller down in front of Angel, then backing away quickly. Aki elbowed him, and Denji pushed him back. “Get off me, I’m being nice!”

Angel picked the controller up, immediately pressing each of the buttons to see what they did. Power laughed hysterically as Denji wailed, a race starting prematurely. Denji got back up, crouching in front of Angel and lecturing the devil from a distance on what each of the buttons did.

It took a few tries and some exasperated complaints from Power and Denji, but they were able to successfully coach both new players through picking their character, and started a race. Aki finished in 11th place, and Angel an entire lap behind him at 12th place.

“I’m surprised, Topknot, Angel Devil is even WORSE than you. He drove backwards the whole race. And still, Power reigns supreme!” Power laughed. 

“You only won because I let you!” Denji argued. Power stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at Denji, who smacked the remote out of her hand. “I’ll show you this round, Tit Devil.” 

The game’s pixelated graphics made Aki’s head spin too much. “I’ll just watch.” He tossed his controller down on the table and picked up his drink, eyes feeling heavy. He turned to peek at Angel, hoping he was managing to enjoy some part of this brutal humiliation ritual.

Angel was smiling, his cheeks a bright pink. He was resting his head propped up on his elbow. Angel was fighting sleep, possibly harder than Aki.

Aki kicked his feet up on the table, watching as Power and Denji started another race. He shut his eyes for a moment, thinking he’d just rest, surely he’d be unable to actually fall asleep with the chaos next to him. 

Chapter Text

Aki snapped awake to a loud gasp, as something soft brushed against his arm. Angel had tumbled out of his chair, his wing making contact with Aki’s bare forearm for a moment as he fell. 

“Ouch.” Angel moaned, confused. He must have fallen asleep.

“Dude, he hit you with his wing! Are you gonna die?” Denji’s mouth hung open, brow furrowed with concern. 

Aki’s stomach turned. Did that count? “Angel?”

“Uhh. Dunno? I don’t know if feathers count.” Angel slurred. He rubbed his eyes. “Sorry.”

“Huh.” Aki sighed. “Alright, buddy, let’s get you to bed?” Aki wasn’t energetic enough to consider walking Angel home, and he doubted Denji or Power would have the chivalry to do so. Couldn’t Angel fly home? Well, he definitely shouldn’t fly in this state. 

Aki stood up, nearly falling over as his vision went black. He was dehydrated, and made a mental note to drink water before he slept. Regaining his balance and sight after a minute, Aki yawned and stumbled towards the linen closet. He pulled out a spare mattress and a set of blankets. “C’mon, you can sleep in my room.”

Angel struggled to get to his feet, using his wings propped against the floor to keep his balance as he followed Aki to his room. Aki was already setting up a makeshift bed on the floor, on the opposite side of his room from his bed.

“You want the bed, or the floor?”

Angel tilted his head. “You’d let me sleep in your bed?”

“Uh, thought I’d offer to be nice? Sleep on the floor, then. I’m gonna get some water.” Aki left the room. Angel followed, headed to the bathroom.

As Aki filled two glasses at the sink, he wondered what was wrong with him. Offering a devil his bed? Angel wasn’t even his guest, Denji had invited him, and Aki couldn’t help but show a suspicious amount of hospitality. 

Aki returned to the room, setting a glass of water out for Angel and sipping on his own as he sat on his bed. He set the glass on his nightstand and flopped backwards. 

Maybe it wasn’t suspicious. He wasn’t hitting on the guy, or flirting, they weren’t touching. He was just being nice, there wasn’t anything pervy about it. Aki just felt bad for Angel, who’d never known the comfort of even platonic physical touch, and the limited interactions he did have were tainted by either the fear of devils, or the fear of his power. He didn’t seem like a bad guy, compared to the non-humans Aki lived with. 

“I’ve never known what happens to those who touch my wings.” Angel’s soft tone suddenly broke the silence. Aki jumped, he hadn’t even heard him enter the room. “I keep thinking about it.”

“Can you tell when you shorten someone’s lifespan?” Aki pondered. 

Angel’s silhouette was barely visible in the dark of his room, but he stood next to Aki’s bed with a hand on the bedpost, teetering back and forth. “Yes, but I was asleep, I don’t know what happened to yours.” His wings barely moved, but still generated cool airflow Aki could feel even a few feet away. 

Aki was silent for a moment. By his logic, feathers shouldn’t count as transferring touch if cloth didn’t. Was it even worth knowing, if it was such a minute loss of time? If he planned on being close to Angel, it would inevitably come up again. They could dance around each other less if his wings weren’t a risk. It may even benefit Angel to know for combat’s sake, perhaps he could use his wings more? 

Before Aki could even consider it further, he found he had already placed a hand on Angel’s wing. His feathers were incredibly soft, like touching a cloud. 

Angel’s mouth hung open in surprise. 

“So?” Aki absentmindedly pet the wing for a second before he pulled his hand back. He felt a tad bit embarrassed, but it was truly the softest thing he’d ever touched. 

“Uh. I… I guess it doesn’t count.” Angel hummed nervously. He was quiet before speaking again. “It felt kinda nice. My wings are really sore.” Angel murmured, avoiding Aki’s gaze.

“Mind if I do it again?” Aki said thoughtlessly. God. That was weird, a little homoerotic. He thought about how touch starved Angel must feel, trying to subdue the shame he felt. He was glad it was dark, and Angel couldn’t see the flush of shame on his face.

“…Okay,” Angel whispered, almost too quiet for Aki to hear. 

Aki felt his stomach twist. This weird sexuality experiment was happening again, the wheels had already started turning. The thrill of the taboo was exhilarating, far more than it had ever been before. He’d be the first to pay Angel this kind of attention, it was too exciting to stop now. 

“Come here. Turn around for me.” Aki sat up straight at the edge of his bed. Angel faced away from him, staring at the ground, wings spread slightly. 

Aki wrapped his hands across the top of Angel’s wings in unison and ran his hands down the length. Angel practically hit the ceiling, shuddering and pulling away. He was breathing heavily, Aki wondered if this was arousing by itself. No, he was just sensitive. And sore. Aki’s mind was just in the gutter.

“Sorry, it’s.. a lot. I’m not used to that.” Angel stuttered, leaning back towards Aki and trying to relax.

Aki took it a little slower. He gingerly pressed his palms against the devil’s wings, very gently sliding down their length, smooth feathers feeling like silk underneath his fingers. The top layer of feathers initially felt cool to the touch, but under light pressure Aki could feel the warmth radiating from the muscles beneath them. He found himself chasing the warmth, his fingers wrapping around the shape of the wings. 

Angel made a soft noise, and Aki felt his heart pounding in his chest. Why was this so exciting? He couldn’t stop himself, even if he tried. Aki stroked Angel’s wings again, letting his fingers sink under his feathers, into the downy undercoat. 

Aki decided to try and massage the muscles, Angel had said they were sore, after all. This could just be a platonic wing massage, he reminded himself. He gently pressed his thumb into the muscle supporting Angel’s primary feathers, then reached his other hand over the top of his wing, his fingers providing support for his thumb. Aki felt Angel’s wing shake under his touch, did that hurt?

Angel suddenly cleared his throat. “I’m so sorry for making you do this.” he murmured, getting up. “I can’t lie to you though. I’m enjoying this too much, in the wrong way.” 

Aki’s heart fluttered in his chest as he withdrew his hands. He felt a twinge in his gut, was he feeling a bit too aware of the snugness of his pants? He wasn’t gay like that, though, there was no way. 

He felt disappointed, but maybe it was better if this didn’t happen. “Sorry.” Aki muttered. 

Angel crossed the room and crawled under his blanket, hiding his face.

Aki lay back on his bed, rolling over and facing the wall. He tried convincing himself that he wasn’t excited by this, but his curiosity was gnawing at him. 

Angel regretted admitting the unsavory detail that had spoiled the mood, but he couldn’t take advantage of Aki’s kindness. “Thank you.” He peeped from the corner of the room. He felt betrayed by his body’s response to touch. 

“Uh. For what, sexually harassing you?”

“You didn’t mean to.” Angel murmured. “But that just might be the most action I’ll ever get without someone dying.” He laughed nervously.

As ashamed as Aki felt, that comment made him want to continue even more. He could claim his motives were genuinely selfless, pitying the devil and his curse of loneliness. But deep down, a part of him wanted something like this to happen. 

He lay there in silence for a few minutes, trying to talk himself down. His heart was racing. He could faintly hear Denji and Power still absorbed in their game. 

He might as well finish what he started. Nobody would have to know.

“Are you still awake?” Aki asked. 

After a brief pause, Angel murmured a soft “Yes.”

Aki stood up, quietly crossing the room. He checked that his door was fully shut, and tried to subtly lock it. 

He crouched next to Angel, speaking quietly. “If you tell anyone I offered this, I’ll put you down and tell everyone you were evil.” Angel’s eyes were wide, he was incredibly confused. 

“I’m not gay, but if you want, I’ll keep touching your wings. I don’t mind if you get off on it. Think of it as me just helping a friend out.” Aki whispered. “I’d want someone to make that sacrifice if I was in your shoes.”

Angel’s heart was pounding. Was he dreaming? Aki was so close he could smell his breath. The human was undeniably attractive, even the way he smelled was arousing, and he was the kindest person Angel knew. The devil rolled the thought around in his head for a moment. 

Why would Aki offer this ?

Angel hadn’t asked for this or tried to put any pressure on Aki, the offer seemed genuine. 

Maybe it made him shitty, but he couldn’t turn it down. Nobody had ever shown interest in touching him before, he wasn’t about to miss this opportunity. 

“Alright.” Angel murmured. 

He sat up and stretched his arms, trying to disguise how excited he was. He stretched his aching wings, wing tips brushing the walls. Aki’s small room felt cramped, but it was still enough space to release some tension. Angel felt incredibly nervous, like his heart might explode out of his chest. 

“Do you want to sit or lay down?” Aki asked. 

Angel shrugged, feeling shy. 

“Dude, it’s your moment of glory. What do you want?”

“I already feel like I’m taking advantage of your kindness,” Angel sighed. He didn’t feel like he deserved this. 

“We don’t have to do this, then.” Aki stood up. “You can continue to pity yourself.”

“No,” Angel replied quickly. “I’m sorry.”

“Alright then. If you want me to… touch your wings, sit on my bed.” Aki’s tone was firm, but also kind. Angel found it thrilling. 

Aki crossed the room, moving out of Angel’s way. Angel stood up, walking towards Aki’s bed, pausing in the middle of the room to stretch his sore wings again, this time to their full length, the tip of his right wing inches from Aki’s face. He let out a soft sound as he stretched. 

Aki swallowed, feeling a compelling urge to approach Angel. His mind was racing, vulgar thoughts filling his head. He shouldn’t feel guilty, Angel was just a pitiful devil. Aki had done far worse with human men, he reminded himself. Angel was just another game for him to play tonight, this time, an act of charity.

He reached up, running the back of his hand along Angel’s wing tip, the devil’s thin feathers threading between his fingers. Where they extended past the musculature underneath, the feathers felt surprisingly cold. 

“They’re more sensitive on the front.” Angel mumbled, seeming embarrassed as he sat on Aki’s bed. He detected a faint, intriguing smell in the air.

“Then let’s start with the backs.”

Angel nodded, turning around to lay on his stomach, feet dangling off the bed. He pulled his exposed arms beneath him. The bed smelled like faint cigarette smoke, and an intoxicating human scent Angel knew was Aki’s.

He was secretly grateful he was face down for this, as his lower body had begun to respond to the excitement of the situation. He knew he wouldn’t be able to hide his facial expressions, so he buried his face in the comforter.

Aki leaned over the devil, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. He touched his fingertips carefully to the feathers at the start of Angel’s wings, where they emerged from his back. 

Angel gasped suddenly, breathing heavily, his wings suddenly flapping violently, knocking Aki back. 

“Bad?” Aki asked.

Angel made a whimpering noise before raising his head and managing to speak. “Uh… I can’t reach that spot.”

So it must be super sensitive?

Aki wasn’t sure how to approach wings, apparently he was doing everything wrong. He opted to pet Angel’s wings in the center instead, stroking them with his fingers together like he would a cat. His hands wanted to tangle deeper into the feathers, but he resisted. 

Angel relaxed, sighing peacefully. Aki moved his hands upwards on the wings, petting the top edge again, letting his fingers curl around the strong musculature he felt beneath the feathers. 

Angel seemed to have quieted down, Aki needed to push this further. He ran his right hand along the full length of Angel’s partially folded wing a few times. He paused mid-stroke at the second joint of his wings, exploring it with his fingers and thumb. He could hear Angel’s breath catch in his throat for a moment. 

Aki gently lifted the wing by the edge, admiring how light it felt. As he held it, Angel relaxed the muscles within, and Aki found himself using both hands to manipulate it, bending and articulating his wing gently. He slid his right hand down to the tip of the wing, finding it extended easily when he pulled on it. 

Aki wondered how Angel’s wingspan measured compared to him. He slid his right hand along the inside of the wing as he straightened his back, extending the wing to its full length. Angel shuddered, a soft sound escaping his mouth, muffled by Aki’s comforter. 

The wing could stretch further than his arm could reach to extend it, it probably could easily brush the ceiling, Aki noted. He felt calmer now, his thoughts less explosive. There was something therapeutic about touching these feathers. 

With the wing stretched a few inches from his face, Aki wondered how soft it’d feel to bury his face in it. His back felt stiff and sore from leaning over the devil. 

“Can you move up on the bed a bit?” Aki asked. Angel pulled his legs onto the bed, and wiggled himself into a vertical position at Aki’s direction, hands still tucked beneath him. Aki’s pillow had an even stronger scent, Angel felt a twinge of guilt as his stomach growled. 

Aki took a deep breath before bringing himself on to the bed, his legs brushing against Angel’s legs, separated by clothing. Aki straddled Angel’s lower body for a moment as he fumbled to situate himself in a good position to sit down. 

I’m out of shape , he thought, feeling heavy and sore after the moderate exertion of today’s mission.

“Do you want me to move?” Angel murmured, words muffled by his face in Aki’s pillow. 

“No.” Aki used his knees to separate Angel’s legs so he could kneel between them on the bed. He swore he heard a surprised moan from Angel, buried in the pillow. 

Aki grabbed the edge of a wing again, gently pulling it back towards him, and leaned forward, rubbing his cheek against it. He had never felt anything softer against his face. In his buzzed stupor, Aki brought Angel’s other wing up, sandwiching his face between them. His feathers smelled warm, an indescribable sweet odor Aki found enchanting.

He could feel Angel tremble beneath his hands, and his thoughts ran dark again. 

Aki held one wing against his face, and let his fingertips crawl down the edge of the other, inching closer to the base. Angel’s body shivered as Aki ran his fingers backwards through the feathers, fingertips trailing along the muscle beneath. Angel felt the uncomfortable ache of an erection, resisting his hips’ urge to grind against the mattress. 

Angel’s breathing had changed. He shuddered as Aki’s fingers wandered closer to the sensitive base of his wings, unable to hold back a squeak. Angel’s body betrayed him, squirming helplessly under the lightest touch. He felt so wrong, being this aroused in a human’s bed.

Aki gently ran his thumb along the short feathers protruding from his back, millimeters from contact with skin. Angel couldn’t restrain himself, hips rocking against the bed as he let out a soft, barely audible whine. The friction felt so nice, he was so sensitive it wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge. He couldn’t mask his shallow, desperate breathing, losing himself in the moment.

Very suddenly, Aki pulled back, letting go of Angel’s wings. Angel suddenly felt embarrassed, worried he had made it too weird. Hadn’t Aki invited him to do this ?

“Can you flip over?” Aki instructed. He could tell where this was going and didn’t want the devil to ruin his sheets, which he had just washed. Angel hesitated.

Aki had to admit to himself, there was an uncomfortable pressure in his sweatpants. He had tried making excuses for the past few minutes, Angel looks feminine, sounds feminine, and he hadn’t masturbated in a while. But watching the devil buck his hips into his mattress was… arousing him. He felt troubled, he had to get this over with.

“Uh, I…” Angel trailed off. It was dark, but Angel knew if he turned over, there was little he could do to hide anything from the devil hunter. He shifted uncomfortably.

Aki climbed off the bed, sensing the problem. “It’s okay, I won’t judge.” He hoped to soothe him. It was hot. 

Angel pulled his arms out from under him, his fingers feeling like static from the pressure of his body weight. He gently rolled onto his side, then his back, eyes tightly shut from embarrassment. He was pretty sure the thick, lusty human pheromones hanging in the air confirmed that Aki’s intentions weren’t platonic. He had doubts, why would Aki of all people have any interest in him? Angel felt incredibly vulnerable and also confused. How did he end up here, in Aki’s bed, with the human trying to get him off?

Angel opened his eyes for a moment, then immediately covered his face. The look on Aki’s face, looking down at him, was bloodthirsty. Angel was so confused, but so willing.

Aki stared down at Angel, eyes wandering to his lower body. From the place he was standing, there was just enough light from Angel’s halo for him to be able to recognize a huge bulge in Angel’s sweatpants, boldly silhouetted against his gray comforter. 

“So… You do have a dick.” Aki murmured. 

Angel knew everyone wondered, he’d been relentlessly teased over his effeminate form by humans. “And then some…” he meekly whispered. 

Surely he was gloating about his size, Aki thought, and he rightly deserved to. Poor dude was cursed with every man’s dream, and unable to use it. 

The devil shifted uncomfortably on the bed, covering his face with his hands as he felt a little too vulnerable. 

“Give me your wing again.” Aki commanded. He was tempted beyond reason to shift his focus to another part of Angel, but he wasn’t going to complicate this any further.

Angel obliged, he unfolded his wings, spreading his left wing towards Aki. The human sat on the bed, back turned to Angel, gingerly reaching up with one hand and wrapping his fingers around the top edge of Angel’s wing. He felt Angel twitch as his thumb brushed beneath the feathers, with Angel taking a sharp breath. 

Aki ran his hand down towards the edge of the wing, pulling it closer to him so he could better reach it. He let his hand trail along the tips of Angel’s wings, tugging at each individual feather. Aki slid his fingertips between the rows of feathers, brushing against the downy layer that covered the muscle underneath. Angel hadn’t been lying about being more sensitive on this side, he seemed far more twitchy about touch, almost rearing back from Aki’s hand. 

Aki admired the anatomy of Angel’s wings, he had noted three separate layers of feathers of varying length extending from the wing on both sides. By far, the devil was the most reactive to the primary inner layer of feathers being touched. It made sense, the feathers were shorter and lightly covered the powerful flight muscles below. He couldn’t massage the muscles themselves with how sensitive the devil was to touch, but he hoped just stretching the individual feathers was helpful. 

Aki gradually worked his way up the layers of feathers with both hands, finding sick satisfaction in the subtle changes in the devil’s breathing in response to his touch. When he felt Angel was getting too excited, he backed off to a further layer of feathers. He was having fun with this game. 

That’s all it was, after all. A ritual game he played when drunk. The ritual was so familiar to him, so easy to fall into, but he’d never felt this much excitement about it. He wasn’t nearly as drunk as usual, maybe that was all. 

Aki began venturing towards the base of Angel’s wings, starting with the tertiary and secondary levels of feathers. Angel’s composure was unraveling. He was quiet, but Aki could tell he was close. Aki turned his head towards the devil to catch a glimpse of his face, visible in the soft glow of his halo.

Angel’s upper body was slumped over his lap. He held himself up on one unsteady arm. The other hand pressed against his mouth, the devil biting down on his knuckles to keep quiet. His long red hair hung over his face, adding to his lack of composure as he tried to mask his panting breaths. 

Aki took great satisfaction in being the devil’s downfall. He let his fingers travel to the upper layer of feathers lining the base of the wing. 

Angel’s body shuddered, helplessly and embarrassingly close to climax despite his every effort to hold on. He felt ashamed of himself, this was just one wing and he was fighting so hard not to lose it.

Angel’s torture had gone on long enough, Aki thought. There wasn’t a heterosexual explanation for him continuing. As much as he enjoyed this in some sick, fucked up way, it needed to be over. He wrapped his hands around the edge of Angel’s wing, his thumb and fingers sliding up it’s length against the direction the feathers grew from. Angel gasped. 

Aki’s hand came closer to the very base of his wing, daring to venture so close to the danger of bare skin. Aki slid his hand back up the wing and stopped for a moment, Angel holding his breath. Angel was suddenly aware of Aki’s heavy, ragged breathing, as the man stroked downward yet again. Angel slapped a hand over his mouth, biting his hand. He couldn’t stop his hips from thrusting upwards, his twitching erection spilling cum into his pants. 

Aki felt himself smiling as he sat up, running his hand over Angel’s wing one last time before standing up. 

He took a long drink from his water on the nightstand, running his hands through his hair. Aki was hard beneath his sweatpants, but there was no way he would do anything about it. He worried for a moment Angel would notice, but after a glance over he doubted he would, the devil seemed like he was in another world, smiling at the ceiling.

Angel felt euphoric, like his body had melted into Aki’s bed. And the human smells in the room… He sighed peacefully.

Angel’s body felt so heavy from the exertion of the day, he knew he was going to fall asleep if he didn’t move. He had made a mess, feeling a bit of shame as he realized he’d have to sleep like this. Aki pulled open his nightstand, tossing something on Angel’s chest and walking towards his dresser. Were these… Wet wipes? 

“I want my bed back. I’ll trade you this.” Aki tossed a bundle of clothing towards Angel, who was drowsily pulling himself up into a sitting position. Angel picked up the clothes, pushing himself off Aki’s bed. His legs nearly gave out beneath him, but he steadied himself.

“Sleep well,” Aki said as Angel stumbled past him, towards his bed on the floor. 

Angel stopped, murmuring a shy “Thank you.” He crawled under the covers, cleaning himself up and changing, feeling immensely vulnerable.

Aki slid into his bed, noting the comforting scent of Angel’s wings was stronger than before. 

The room was silent for a minute, before Angel broke the silence. “I won’t tell anyone, but… You seemed to enjoy that.”

“Don’t know where you got that idea. Nothing happened, right?” Aki felt anxious, what did he know? He needed to shut the idea down immediately. 

“Goodnight.” Angel whispered. 

Chapter Text

Aki groaned, his head hurt and his mouth tasted terrible. He wasn’t even that drunk last night, so the prior nights events haunted him in excruciating detail. He wasn’t going to drink again for a long while, he swore to himself, the alcohol made him a beast of depravity. He sat up, glancing across the room. The Angel Devil was still there, in a tangle of blankets and white feathers in the corner.

His alarm clock hadn’t even gone off yet, but he was too awake. He was ashamed of his decisions, and the longer he stayed in his room, the worse he felt. 

Aki cleared his throat quietly and got up, stretching. Something felt wrong, he felt a little… sticky. He glanced down and… Fuck . He wasn’t sure if it was from the excitement of the night, or just a conveniently timed wet dream. 

Angel still seemed to be sleeping peacefully, so Aki gingerly approached his dresser and pulled out a change of pants. For some reason, he felt vulnerable changing in the same room as Angel. He tossed his soiled pants and boxers atop the pile of used wet wipes and clothes from last night, and sighed.

He left the room, glancing back at Angel for a moment before shutting the door behind him. 

Aki fell into his morning routine, bathing, preparing himself coffee, running chores, enjoying the moment of peace to himself. 

Aki slipped onto the balcony and sat in his chair, chasing his morning coffee with a cigarette. He couldn’t get his mind off of Angel, he felt far too guilty for taking advantage of him. He’d have to apologize.

Aki closed his eyes for a moment of meditation. He appreciated the breeze through his hair, the fresh air slightly tainted by the stink of the city below. He was not going to indulge the nagging guilty thoughts anymore.

He headed back inside, putting his hair up in his signature topknot. He felt exposed without it, and his hair on his neck drove him crazy. He figured he’d work on preparing breakfast.

Aki reheated some rice, preparing miso soup and boiling a second pot of water to make eggs. He wasn’t sure what Angel liked, so he decided he’d offer a bit of variety. He pulled out a package of sausage and prepared a frying pan. 

Aki heard a door open and footsteps approach. 

“Morning,” Denji’s voice was gruff from sleep. He rubbed his eyes. “How long til breakfast?” 

“20 minutes.” Aki replied. “Can you set up the table?”

Aki’s living room was small, to accommodate a couch they had to rearrange furniture regularly. He’d put the couch legs on sliders so it pushed into the corner of the room quietly and easily. It was still a little cramped, but the couch was comfortable, and his constant work-related back and lower body injuries didn’t always mesh well with sitting on the floor. 

Denji pushed the couch against the balcony door, Aki wincing as he heard it slam into the wall a bit too hard for his liking. Denji set to work setting up the table, placing plates down and taking dishes from Aki as he finished preparing breakfast. 

“I smell meat!” Power slammed her door open, stomping into the living room and stealing a sausage from the platter. Aki frowned disapprovingly, but the fiend was undeterred. 

“Did Angel Devil go home?” Denji asked. 

“He’s still asleep,” Aki said. With how Power and Denji were already tearing into the food, he’d better get him at the table before there wasn’t anything left for him. “I’ll wake him up.” Aki set the final dish on the table, a plate of toast, and headed into his room.

Angel was already sitting up, blinking sleepily.

“You sleep well?” Aki asked. “Hey, uhh… I’m sorry about last night.” He stared at the floor. “Breakfast is ready.”

“What’s there to apologize for?” Angel smiled. He stretched his wings as he stood up, feathers grazing the ceiling, and followed Aki out to the living room. 

Denji and Power sat across from each other, Power reaching across the table to steal sausages from Denji’s plate, and Denji screaming, trying to stab her hand with a chopstick. The entire platter of sausages was empty, Aki glared at Power. He sat on the far side of the table, and Angel settled down opposite him on the remaining side of the table. Denji and Power both immediately shrank away from the devil, with apprehensive eyes. 

“Hey, Angel...” Denji spoke, mouth full of half-chewed egg. “I’ve been meaning to ask. Are you like, gay?”

Aki put his face in his hands, breakfast was off to a great start.

“HOMOPHOBE!” Power screamed. “You can’t say that, you fool!” She lunged over the table, smacking the top of Denji’s head.

“What!?” Denji protested. “We all wonder it! Why can’t I say that? I know lots of gay people!”

“Name one.” Power huffed. 

“Hayakawa.” Denji answered immediately. “Wait, no, he’s bi.”

“No I’m not!” Aki yelled. “Why the fuck do you think that!? Stop telling people that!”

“I mean, I thought you were gay when I first met you.” Denji took a bite of toast, talking with his mouth full again. “But I think you like, have a crush on Miss Makima, so therefore you’re bi.”

“On Makima?” Angel whispered, glancing at Aki. Interesting, he thought. Did Aki have a thing for red hair?

Aki flushed red. “I’m not gay.” He sighed. Angel tilted his head, and Aki shot him a stern look. 

“Well, I never really thought about it.” Angel hummed, slurping a spoonful of soup. “It’s not like I can find out.” His lips betrayed him, so he rubbed his mouth with his hand to mask the smile. 

“Then what kind of porn do you look at?” Denji blurted.

Aki was going to kill him. He slammed his fist on the table, glaring daggers at the punk. What the hell had gotten into him? Did he suspect something?

“Don’t answer that. Let’s change the topic.” Aki cleared his throat. 

“Okay. Are you actually a boy?” Denji asked Angel. Aki angrily kicked his leg repeatedly under the table. 

“I don’t think so.” Angel murmured. “I’m not sure.”

“I knew it!!” Denji yelled. “I thought you were hot, and I’m not into dudes!”

“How can you not know!” Power screeched. “It’s simple! You have either a penis, or a vagina!”

“Oi, that’s wrong, Power! You can have the wrong parts if you’re a transgender.” Denji nodded. “That lesbian chick that likes Kobeni told me that. See, I know gay people!”

“They’re not the wrong parts.” Aki groaned. “And you’re both scrubbing the floor today. We’ve been over this, you fucking psychopaths, you don’t discuss genitals at breakfast.” He sighed, taking a bite of rice. 

“What’s it mean if I have both?” Angel asked, looking intently at Aki. 

Aki instantly inhaled his mouthful of rice and choked, coughing violently, turning beet red. Power cackled hysterically, pounding her fists on the table.

“No way! How does that work?!” Denji smacked the table with his hand, in uproarious laughter.

Aki took a sip of water and cleared his throat, eyes watering. “ENOUGH!” He croaked, voice hoarse. “All of you.”

Was that what Angel had actually meant by “And then some.” Aki thought. Maybe that meant he wasn’t gay. Or bi, as Denji had put it.

“Methinks Topknot’s interested now, that’s everything the bisexuals want!” Aki tried shoving Power, but she was too fast, and stood up, continuing to yell. “But he’s tragically forever unattractive to all other life forms-“ Power’s sneer was cut off by Denji screaming.

“POWER! SHUT THE FUCK UP, some of us want to live our lives, not do chores forever! Aki’s going to poison our next meal, or never cook again!” Denji wailed.

“I AM IMMUNE TO ALL POISON!” Power yelled, running around the living room, cackling wildly. 

Aki thumped his head on the table, moaning. Angel laughed softly. 

“Power, you’re cleaning up. Wash the dishes.” Aki snapped. “With SOAP!” He added. 

“Angel, will you play Mario Kart with me?” Denji asked, trying to escape Aki’s scorn. “Oh, also I’m sorry I called you gay if you’re not gay.”

Aki got up, and walked towards the balcony, needing another cigarette before he could deal with any more. It was too early to drink, besides, he had sworn off of it. He slid the couch over far enough to squeeze through the door.   

He lit up and took a long drag, slouching in his chair. He watched the clouds, wondering if it was worth having a conversation with Angel about gender at some point. Was it his place? Someone had to help him figure out his gender identity, and Aki wasn’t sure how open minded the rest of the division was. 

Did Denji and Power hear something last night? He felt his stomach churn at the thought. No, they’d be more direct about it, he wouldn’t get off so easy. This level of teasing was unfortunately par for the course any time they could embarrass him. Denji’s interrogation of Angel was a bit out of character though. Maybe he just thought Angel looked cute with him?

Despite his best attempts to distract himself, Aki couldn’t keep his mind out of the gutter, what kind of demented devil anatomy did Angel have going on? What did it look like? Not that he was ever going to try and find out again, Aki had already made a big enough mistake. 

Angel was probably feeling incredibly uncomfortable, Aki worried. He finished his cigarette and headed back inside. 

Denji and Angel were engaged in their game, Aki watched for a moment. Angel seemed to have a better grasp on it today, but his expression was blank, lips parted slightly. Aki had trouble reading him, was he bored?

“Hey, you want to play another round?” Denji asked Aki, his tone suspiciously sweet. 

The sound of a dish shattering in the kitchen made Aki twitch. Power cackled something about dishes being no match for her undefeatable raw strength. 

“I’m too fucking mad at you two.” Aki snapped. He resisted the urge to confiscate their stupid game, he’d need to save that incentive for something more high risk. “Denji, you’re probably the worst host. You can’t invite people over from now on. Angel, after this, you want to go home?” he asked the devil. “I’m so sorry I’ve failed to domesticate these idiots. Please don’t tell anyone.”

“It’s kinda fun.” Angel mumbled, smiling softly. He glanced up at the human who stood behind Denji, smelling the cigarette smoke even across the room. Aki’s ears were still red, but he looked a little calmer. 

“He can just fly home whenever, y’know.” Denji murmured. “He’s not trapped here.”

“All I have at my place is alcohol and abusive roommates.” Angel muttered.

“How’s that any different from here?” Aki sighed.

“You guys bicker like siblings, I think you love each other a little though. My roommates throw knives at me and use my toothbrush in the toilet.” Angel shrugged. 

“Me? Love Hayakawa?” Denji gagged. Aki stomped on his foot. “Oh, fuck, I mean… Uh. He’s awesome, he’s so great.” Denji rolled his eyes.

“Fuck off.” Aki stomped away, turning his attention to the laundry. He hung the clothes from the washer up to dry outside, and headed through the house, scooping up dirty clothes. Denji at least left his in a pile in his room, Aki had to actually hunt for Power’s. Meowy slept peacefully on her unmade bed. Aki petted her head for a moment, apologizing for the disgusting state of the litter box in the corner of the room. 

Aki headed to his room, trying not to think too hard about the contents. He’d just throw it all in the washer, no pre-treatment, he felt too much shame. He at least separated the whites, knowing he’d need to spot treat the blood stains, throwing the rest in the washer. He was uncomfortably aware of his fingers brushing something damp.

“Angel, you okay if I wash your work clothes too?” He called out.

“Sure!” Angel replied. He’d never complain about not having to do his own laundry.

Aki kept himself busy and distracted for a while with laundry. He felt uneasy with Angel in his home, not sure if Denji or Power actually suspected something, or if the devil would give it away. He felt Angel was overstaying his welcome, but if his home life really sucked that much he didn’t blame him.

Why did he care so much about the guy? He was just a devil.  

Aki thought if he occupied Denji with chores, he could probably get Angel to head home. 

“Denji, floors.” Aki stood in front of the television. 

Denji whined, throwing a fit for a moment before hopping up sullenly and beginning his task. 

“Angel, I’m glad you didn’t think this was torture, but you should go.” Aki sighed. 

“Yeah, I’m gonna go take a nap. Thank you for having me for so long, and for everything, it was really nice. You want me to come pick up my clothes when they’re washed?” There was a glimmer of hope in Angel’s eyes.

“Sure. Or I could just drop them off, no need to go out of your way. I have your address.”

“Thank you. I’d like to… talk again as well.” Angel smiled softly. “In private.” He added under his breath, so quiet only Aki could hear. Aki felt his heart beating a little faster. Fuck . Angel headed towards the door, slipping his feet in his shoes. 

Aki would have to let the devil down gently. That’s a problem for later, he thought, watching Angel’s white wings slip through his front door. 

Chapter Text

Angel practically skipped home, he felt like he was on the moon. He’d never felt attached to anyone before like he did Aki, but ever since meeting him Angel felt differently about humans. 

Amicable devils who ignored their instincts were treated like disposable slaves by most devil hunters, and still feared and despised by all humans. Aki showed Angel another side to humanity, trust and intimacy he’d never imagined feeling.

He felt like he mattered, for the first time.

Aki had shown some level of kindness from their very first introduction, and even Makima had remarked on the improvement in Angel’s work ethic since then. He was treated better, even by her, as a result of Aki’s tolerance. 

And then there were the memories of the previous night. Angel could still feel the devil hunters’ gentle touch on his wings. He could still smell the human arousal, a thick and intoxicating scent that hung in the air in that room all night.

Aki’s reactions at breakfast gave him hope this wasn’t a one night stand. Perhaps he’d piqued the human’s curiosity enough with his comments. 

He did have innocent matters to discuss as well. Aki seemed educated in the topic of gender, a human construct Angel found incredibly confusing.

He dreaded his apartment. His roommates, a jaded devil hunter and an unpredictable fiend, were nothing like Aki’s household. They were just coworkers who loathed each other, forced to live under the same roof by Makima. 

Denji and Power’s willingness to do chores was intriguing to Angel. Maybe improving his “performance” would make cohabitating easier. Or maybe they needed a Mario Kart device. 

Angel chose the less-confrontational entrance to the apartment - his window. He hated how much effort it took to fly. Regardless of how large his wings could grow, his humanoid form weighed far too much for any aerodynamics. Angel flapped his wings, feathers catching air beneath him and propelling him upwards. He at least only lived on the second floor. 

Angel pondered why his form was so weak, the angelic deities of the human “Bible” were horrors beyond comprehension. He’d lived lifetimes with multiple sets of wings, which better supported flight. The time of the Bible had long since passed, and humans no longer feared angels. An eternity of reincarnation into lesser and weaker beings had always depressed him. 

Angel sighed as he climbed through his window. He wondered when he’d see Aki next. He should probably clean his room, just in case. Aki kept everything spotless, he had even folded his dirty work clothes last night. Angel had stolen his hairtie as a memento, but given how organized he seemed Angel expected him to notice. He’d probably be expected to wash and return the pants too. Aki wouldn’t want the now-customized shirt back, surely? Angel pulled the collar up over his nose, inhaling the faint, lingering smell of Aki. 

Angel stepped over the ever growing pile of empty glass bottles, a mountain of his progress into alcoholism. He planned to kick the habit, it only functioned to keep him numb to the misery of monotonous life. Life had more meaning to Angel now.

He wasn’t a changed devil today, he told himself. He deserved to celebrate! But maybe he’d take care of these bottles first. It’d piss his roommates off, but glass recycling day was tomorrow. 

Angel would need to brave the communal spaces to gather bags. He opened his door a crack and peeked out. Fuck, someone was in the kitchen. He took a deep breath and stepped out.

“Where’ve you been? Out all night?” A sharp voice quipped. “Kill anyone?”

Ugh. It was the fiend. He was arguably the less humiliating roommate to witness this uncharacteristic act, Angel thought.

“Makima bought drinks and I crashed with some coworkers.” Angel stood awkwardly in the entrance to the kitchen. “Can you move for a second?”

“My third question still stands.” The fiend huffed. He hopped up on the counter, knocking a pile of trash imto the sink. Angel stepped into the kitchen, reaching into the cabinet under the sink. A rat skittered out of the cabinet past his feet. 

The fiend leaned over and took a deep sniff of Angel’s head. “Mmmm, what’s this sweet human smell on you!? Wait, are you getting a trash bag? Going to pitch in finally?” 

“I’m gonna clean my room.” Angel stood and puffed up his chest proudly. He reached into the freezer, pulling out his half empty bottle of vodka for later. It wasn’t frozen, so these degenerates hadn’t watered it down at least. 

“What’s gotten into you? I’d guess something great happened, like you got some hot human pussy, but we all know that’ll never happen for you, you pathetic excuse for a devil.” The fiend sneered. 

Angel had started to turn around to head back to his room, but paused for a second, contemplating. No, he wasn’t going to betray Aki’s trust and share their secret, even if it would feel good to rub something in the fiend’s face. He bolted into his room, shutting the door behind himself. 

It took 3 trash bags for all the glass bottles in his room, and Angel even succeeded in throwing away a bag of garbage too. He tossed the trash bags on his balcony for now, he’d take them to the curb when nobody was looking. He had left his window open to let in some fresh air, and the smell of moldy food had started to clear a little. 

Angel looked at the state of his bed, a mattress with a couple blankets on it. It at least wasn’t stained, he wasn’t that gross. He was pretty sure he had a new set of sheets somewhere in his room. Makima had bought them for him as a gift, but Angel hadn’t had the energy to actually put them on his bed. It hadn’t mattered to him before. 

He heard the front door slam shut, and listened at his door. Silence. So the fiend had left! Angel took the opportunity to wash his laundry and blankets. He even halfheartedly swept his room, then hung up his laundry on his personal balcony. Angel smiled when he was finished, he was proud of himself but exhausted from his sleepless night. He took a swig of vodka and collapsed on his bed, asleep in minutes. 

Angel woke to a loud knock at the front door. Was anyone else home? He sat up, bleary eyed, listening for sounds of life. There was another knock. Angel got up to investigate. He stood on the tips of his toes so he could peer through the peephole. 

It was Aki!

His heart raced, he hadn’t expected Aki would be by so soon. Perhaps he already missed him! Angel unlocked the door and swung it open, a smile on his face. 

Aki nodded a greeting, presenting Angel’s work clothes, his pants neatly folded, and his shirt and suit jacket on hangers. It smelled like Aki had… Ironed them? Angel admired his dedication. 

“Anyone home?” Aki peered around Angel’s wings into the apartment. Was that a look of judgment on his face? 

Angel shook his head, taking a few steps back to invite Aki in. He felt shy, struggling to find the words he wanted to say. 

Aki walked down the hallway, taking a good look around. Angel noted a sour expression forming on Aki’s face. 

“Can I be honest?” Aki spoke after a few moments of silence.

Angel nodded. 

“This place is a fucking shithole. It’s a biohazard. Who do you live with?”

Angel felt nervous. “The Rat Fiend and a devil hunter, I forget his name.”

“Ah. That makes more sense.” Aki sighed. “I’ll talk to Makima, see if she can hire someone to clean.”

“I cleaned my room today.” Angel smiled meekly. 

“Is it better than out here?” Aki asked, his nose crinkled.

“Well… I think it smells better?” Angel suddenly seemed nervous, fidgeting with his hands. He walked to his bedroom door, pushing it open and stepping inside. Aki followed, then shut the door behind him, walking towards the open window and breathing a deep sigh of relief.

“It’s definitely better. Good job.” Aki’s expression relaxed. His room was still a mess, but given the hoarder house outside that door, Aki was surprised Angel’s standards of cleanliness weren’t lower. “Sorry, I’ve got a strong sense of smell.” 

“You do?” Angel inquired. “I thought humans couldn’t smell a lot.”

“It varies. The human you live with definitely can’t. I don’t think it’s anything like a devil’s sense of smell, though.” Aki shook his head. He looked around, noting Angel had no personal items. Just a bed, an unused looking desk, a nightstand decorated by an empty bottle of vodka, and a dresser with laundry baskets of unfolded clothes stacked in front of it. 

“What do I smell like to you?” Angel sat on his bed, his wings fanned out behind him for support. 

“Uh…” Aki stammered, his ears turning pink, recalling the warm smell of his bed last night. “I don’t know how to explain it. Right now, you smell drunk.”

Angel smiled. “I’m not. You smell nice, for a human.” He paused, a curious expression on his face. One of his wings curled inwards, the tip grazing Aki’s chin. “Does it frighten you if I say it makes me a little hungry?”

Aki felt goosebumps forming on his arms. He had to stop this.

Angel hummed. “It does a little, hm? I’m sorry.” He could smell Aki’s fear, and it was building. It was another delicious human smell, Angel wanted more, but that’d push Aki away. After a moment, Angel retracted his wings, and Aki visibly relaxed with his personal space restored. 

“About last night…” Aki sighed. “It was a drunken mistake.”

Angel felt a lump in their throat, they knew where this was going.

“It won’t happen again.” Aki stared at the floor, glancing up for a moment. Angel wore a hurt expression, seeming dejected. 

Angel was quiet for a moment, then whispered in a low voice. “Oh.” His wings drooped behind him.

“I’m just not interested in men, certainly not devils . Sorry to lead you on.” 

Angel was confused. “That’s strange, I could smell your interest last night.” Angel’s wings puffed up behind his shoulders. Aki felt vulnerable, his mind spiraling. Was something like that that obvious to devils? “What am I to you,” Angel continued. “Devil or man ?”

Aki regretted his words, especially after the conversation at breakfast. It weakened his argument. “I’m a different man when I’m drunk. I do things I shouldn't do. You’re a devil , do you not understand how bad this looks for me?”

Angel stood and took a step forward towards Aki, looking up into his eyes, inches between their chests. Angel was almost a head shorter than him. Aki was unnerved by the closeness. “I don’t appreciate being lied to.” 

“I’m not lying!” Aki protested. The fucking gall of this devil!

The devil stepped up on his bed, climbing through his window onto the fire escape. He grabbed a bag of liquor bottles and held it up where Aki could see it. “There’s three of these out here. And I believe Makima if she says you can hold your liquor, we both know she drinks like a horse. You had five drinks last night.”

Aki swallowed, feeling his ears burning.

Angel continued, climbing back in through the window and sitting on his bed. “If that’s your story, it’s got holes in it.” He hadn’t expected this from Aki. 

Aki felt a flash of anger. He hated the way Angel was talking back to him, but he was right about everything. What was he doing? He’d walked to a one night stand’s apartment, only a few hours after he left, to tell him ‘It’s not serious.’  He couldn’t say he didn’t feel something. He ironed his fucking clothes. Aki felt remorseful, but he wasn’t ready to deal with all of this. He had hoped to end it, permanently.

“I’m sorry.” Aki mumbled, rubbing his eyes with his hands. What was he doing?

Angel could sense the shift in Aki’s emotions. He seemed confused. Angel sighed deeply, flopping back on his bed. “If you want my input, you’re lying to yourself.” 

Aki was silent, staring at the floor.

“It’d just be between us. I’m happy to be an experiment. Doesn’t have to mean anything. Or we never bring it up again. I don’t know what you want.” Angel felt his feathers stand straight up, and he took a deep breath, relaxing his wings. 

Aki stood up, opening his mouth to say something before thinking better of it. He turned and walked out, shutting Angel’s door behind him. Angel heard the front door click shut. 

So that was that, Angel thought. 

Humans were so confusing.

Chapter Text

Aki needed a job, he was going to lose his mind otherwise. It had never been this slow before. Perhaps Makima was holding back on assignments due to his broken fingers, but it wasn’t a problem, he could still fight.

He sprawled over the couch, moaning as he heard Power lecturing Meowy about pissing on the rug in her room. 

Maybe if she cleaned the fucking litterbox once in a blue moon.

Power kicked her door open, cradling her cat like an infant. “Topknot! We must take Meowy to a hospital. She will surely perish from an unknown illness. She told me herself!” 

“Have you scooped her litterbox today?” Aki groaned. 

“Tsk! A childish task for peasant servants.” Power raised her nose in the air, indignant.

“Is that not what you are to Meowy?” Aki sighed. 

Power was quiet for a moment. This held merit, she thought. Meowy was a royal, indeed. 

“Scoop her box. Actually, dump it out and wash the whole thing. With soap. If she does it again we’ll take her to the vet.”

“If she keels over, I will eat your head, human scum!” Power huffed, setting her cat down and stomping back into her room. 

Meowy crossed the room towards Aki, rubbing against his broken hand where it hung off the couch and purring. She hopped up on his back and began kneading, her sharp claws digging deep into his flesh. Aki whined.

Meowy decided she was comfortable, curling up on Aki’s back. He did appreciate it, but now he was paralyzed. Like he had anything exciting to get up for. He dozed off at some point. 

The phone rang, Meowy tearing off Aki in surprise and skittering under the table. Aki sprinted to pick it up, fumbling with the phone with his hand in a bulky cast. 

Mass casualty, multiple devils, all hands on deck. Finally ! 

Aki yelled to Power and shook Denji from a nap. He got dressed quickly, but was slowed immensely by the buttons on his shirt. He told himself when he broke his hand he would just learn to be left handed, but it was a lot harder in practice. Stupid idiot. Aki cursed himself. 

Once dressed, the trio sped downstairs to a vehicle already waiting for them. The driver informed them it was an hour long drive. Aki wondered if the danger was severe, or if they’d sent an exaggerated response. He felt a little pissed about Makima’s driving restriction for him, he didn’t need both hands to drive. He quite enjoyed driving, especially long ones like this. 

The event happened at a popular rural farming festival that many people had traveled out of town for. The land it was on featured multiple barns for indoor events, fair games for children, and livestock petting zoo, but the livestock were wandering the parking lot when they pulled up. 

Apparently, the devils of local repute weren’t fans of the city opening a new landfill, or something. Aki didn’t really care.

There were multiple devil hunters on scene by the time they pulled up, the devils were clearly vastly outmatched, but there were burning buildings, mass injuries, and civilians to rescue.

It wasn’t his specialty, but Aki was buzzing with excitement at the opportunity to do something. 

“Hayakawa, we need you over here!” A fellow division 2 member flagged Aki down, pointing to a barn that had just started burning. “There’s civilians trapped inside.”

The barn was small and very tall, the fire was spreading inside the roof of the building. There was nothing that could be done to stop it, and no time to wait for fire rescue to arrive. The structures around it had already all burned to the ground and collapsed. 

It wasn’t their usual work, but when working against devils, the ability to wear many hats and be willing to jump into different roles was important. 

Aki and his coworker sprinted over to the building, kicking the doors repeatedly. No movement. Aki spotted a window with smoke trailing out of it, and leapt into action, vaulting through the window, feeling searing pain in his hand. The inside of the door was barricaded shut with an iron pole someone had bent. Likely to protect themselves from the devils.  

Aki drew his sword, figuring a heavy swing might punch through the rusted iron, or damage it enough they could break it manually. He was pretty sure his sword would be fucked, but he had to act, he was coughing already from the smoke in the air, feeling soot fill his lungs.

Aki steadied his stance and swung down with all his might, anticipating a staggering, bone shaking rebound of force. His vision went white from pain, but as his vision cleared he realized it was just radiating from his hand. Wait ! His sword actually sliced the steel bar in two! Aki kicked the door open, not caring about his hand. He turned around, ushering civilians out of the barn, helping carry a few who were too frail from the smoke. 

The barn creaked, parts of the roof began falling in. The rescue was halted, there were only seconds before the structure would collapse. Aki knew there was an older couple left in the barn, the last to be rescued as they insisted the younger women and children be taken first. He felt a sick pit in his stomach. 

This was the harsh reality of the job though.

A flash of white darted into the building. What the hell was that? It felt like minutes passed, Aki feeling more and more guilt, thinking if he’d run in seconds ago they might stand a chance. With no warning, the roof caved in on itself, a cloud of smoke and sparks pushing the crowd back. 

Aki sighed. A man he didn’t recognize patted him on the back. “You did good, kid. You’re a devil hunter, huh? You ever think about civilian rescue? It’s a little safer, not much, though, it’s still exciting. I see you’re hurt, there.” The man pointed at his bandaged hand.

He started rambling about the benefits. Anticipating your death coming, less work with nasty fiends and devils… Aki thought he saw movement in the rubble, it was too hard to see through all the smoke. 

The man smiled at Aki, expecting a response. Aki wasn’t paying attention. He frowned, muttering an insincere, “Thanks, sir. I’ll really consider it.” 

He turned and began walking around the building. He spotted something moving from the rubble. A familiar halo shone through the smoke. Wait…

  The Angel Devil?

“What the hell are you doing?” Aki yelled, incredulous. He pulled his suit coat off, wrapping it around his left hand. “Grab on, I’ll pull you out.” 

Angel coughed, grabbing Aki with a badly burnt, blistered hand. Aki threw his weight backwards, yanking the devil out from a pile of burning coals. His familiar plumage was badly burned on the outside, but Angel had clearly protected himself effectively with them, as aside from the burnt arm he looked almost untouched. Angel shook his wings off, burnt feathers turning to dust. Aki was surprised how many were still intact, but he could see some patches of pink flesh showing through. Looking at his wings made him feel filthy, Aki focused his gaze on Angel’s face.

“What the honest fuck?” He scolded Angel. 

Angel’s face was covered in smears of soot, his hair peppered with chunks of ash and coal. He began coughing. His pale complexion looked delicate and frail, Aki felt worried for a moment before remembering the devil was practically immortal. He quickly averted his gaze as Angel made eye contact, his long lashes framing his soft brown eyes as he shot Aki a confused frown.

“That old couple. They think they went to heaven together. What good am I otherwise?” Angel squeaked. He bent over, coughing. 

Aki gaped, he was a bit shocked. Makima had told him previously about Angel’s terrible work ethic and refusal to use his power for good. He’d come a long way in the few months Aki had known him. “Thank you, for doing that.”

“It won’t even get me out of hot water with Makima, I obtained minutes of lifespan.” Angel grimaced.

It was still exactly how Makima wanted his power realized. Not directly killing people, but harvesting them a little early when there were grievous injuries or slim chances, building up a supply of years to use for weapon making. Angel’s act of euthanasia was merciful for those suffering immensely. Aki wasn’t sure where the hesitation came from. Devils were supposed to lack empathy, perhaps he was just poorly motivated?

Aki had to admit, objectively, Angel was very pretty and had a comforting presence. He ignored the nagging voice in his head as he stared at the devil, it wasn’t gay for him to notice the obvious. Aki imagined the visual of a soft-spoken, well dressed angel rescuing you in your final moments brought people a lot of peace.

Devils got off on fear though, his power must not be enjoyable by any means. 

Aki recalled the biblical angels of human lore were recorded as horrific monstrosities, incomprehensible by human eyes. Angel had briefly mentioned prior reincarnations, and Aki wondered how he might have looked in the times of angelic repute. Humanity didn’t believe strongly in any god these days, so the fear of angels had fallen out of fashion. Angel met Aki’s eyes, a judgmental frown on his face, and Aki quickly looked away. 

Angel had already started walking away, still coughing. He spat a mouthful of soot and mucus into the grass. 

Aki felt like he needed to say something, but didn’t know what. “Do your feathers grow back?” God , that was a stupid thing to ask about.

“Yeah.” Angel’s voice was hoarse, deeper than his normal tone. He didn’t look back at Aki, who shrugged off a twinge of frustration at Angel’s indifference towards him. Angel spread his wings, air hissing through his teeth with discomfort as he stretched them out. He shook his burnt wing, ash and singed feathers falling to the ground as he trudged forward.  

Aki felt a flash of shame. He struggled with his memories of those wings. It was simply some weird lust, triggered by alcohol, he told himself. He’d slipped, he wouldn’t stoop that low again. 

“You need to get that looked at. Burns that deep are serious.” Aki wasn’t sure why he pretended to give a shit, but the tension between them was awkward and he wanted to remedy it. “Seriously, you need medical attention.” Angel continued walking in silence. The way he was acting pissed Aki off, but he couldn’t process why he felt the way he felt about it.

“I don’t need a lecture, I’ll be fine.” Angel turned his head slightly, glancing at Aki briefly before looking away. Aki let himself fall a few paces further behind Angel, struggling to light a cigarette with one hand as he walked. He gave up, stuffing it back into the pack. 

The commotion had died down, civilians with severe injuries were being loaded into ambulances, while those with minor wounds were receiving treatment on the scene. 

Aki looked around for the devils that caused this whole mess. Power’s bright cackle was audible, Aki figured she was gloating over carnage somewhere. 

“Oh! They’re handing out bags of blood to field devils and fiends over there.” Aki pointed. Angel turned around, then his gaze followed Aki’s direction. Angel stopped walking and turned back around.

“What’s wrong with your hand?” Angel asked, an empathetic expression on his face. Aki’s chest felt tight, suddenly Angel’s attention and concern felt suffocating.

“It’s fine.” Aki lied, hiding it behind his back. 

“Fuck off, have you even looked at it?” Angel shook his head. 

Aki brought his hand back in front of him and looked down. It felt numb from the adrenaline, but he could see he’d torn the cast apart in his heroics. His broken fingers were swollen, bruised a deep purple color. They didn’t look great, to start, but… He’d really fucked his hand up.

“Please get that looked at.” Angel murmured.

Aki nodded. “I will, tomorrow. I’m not waiting in an ER all night.” Was Angel genuinely concerned, or just being nice? The devil stared at him for a moment, apprehension in his eyes. Angel took a deep breath, his expression shifting to one of disdain. and sighed, walking towards the med tent. The last look he gave Aki was chilling, like Angel stared right through him.  

Aki kicked the ground, a tuft of grass and dirt flying through the air in front of him. Why did he care so much, and why did that interaction make him feel so upset? God, he was an idiot. He huffed, managing to light a cigarette, he needed to find Power and Denji and get home. 

The debriefing was quick, Aki hid his hand behind his back in case the scribe included injuries in the report. The more time passed, the more pain he was in. He was getting impatient, all he wanted to do was go home and knock himself out with alcohol. He had, with some trouble, rounded up Denji and Power, and the two were recounting their battles to each other, still wired from the fight. 

“Dude, you smell like you caught fire.” Denji said, catching a whiff of Aki as they piled into the car. Another devil hunter sat in the front seat, who nodded in recognition of Aki and started the car. Aki felt patronized, there was no reason for him to need a fucking driver, but he was secretly grateful he didn’t have to focus on anything but gritting his teeth through the searing pain in his hand. 

“Smells like campfire!” Power yipped. “Did his precious topknot burn off?”

Aki immediately patted the top of his head to check. There was ash and pieces of charcoal in his hair, but his ponytail was fine.

They had a long car ride ahead of them, and Power and Denji decided to play a game that involved ragdolling their bodies on turns and knocking their heads together. More than once, they fell into Aki, brushing up against his hand and inducing a fit of rage in the human.

Upon arriving home, all he could think about was the pain in his hand. It felt extremely hot, he could feel his heartbeat in his fingers. He needed to bathe before he could crash, he wasn’t going to bed smelling like this. Aki grabbed an ice pack from the freezer, and some gauze from the ever growing box of medical supplies on their fridge. He grimaced and ground his teeth together as he wrapped his hand with the ice pack, an agonized groan escaping his throat. It felt better immediately, though. 

Aki bathed thoroughly, hoping the scent of smoke was gone. He couldn’t bring himself to struggle to put on more than a bathrobe, but Power and Denji had already gone to bed. He walked out to the fridge, checking the freezer first. Shit , he had finished that whiskey the night he broke his hand. He opened the fridge, finding a singular beer. 

“Goddammit .” He muttered. He grabbed another ice pack and a compression bandage to replace the sopping wet gauze on his hand. Aki figured some painkillers might take the edge off, he rustled around in the cabinet and pulled out two bottles. Fuck, child safety caps. 

Aki struggled with the lids to the bottles with his one good hand. He managed to get one bottle open, and downed a dangerous number of pills. He’d be going to the hospital first thing in the morning, they could probably fix whatever ailment it caused, Aki just needed relief. He abandoned the second bottle and stormed off to bed. 

Aki lay in the darkness for what felt like hours, tossing and turning. He couldn’t keep his head straight, ruminating on his recent idiotic decisions. He wondered why he couldn’t get Angel’s odd expressions off his mind, why did he care so much? He peeked at his alarm clock, finding only 30 minutes had passed. Aki decided to get up and have a cigarette.

He slid his balcony open and lit up, taking a couple deep drags. His throat was still irritated from the smoke, Aki found himself coughing a few times, but he persisted. He heard an odd fluttering noise outside, and wondered if it was an owl. 

“Was that not enough smoke for you?” A familiar voice called out. Aki stuck his head over the railing, recognizing the glowing halo on Angel’s head immediately. The devil’s wings were spread like they were about to take flight.

Aki was overwhelmed by rage. “What the hell are you doing here?” he coughed, keeping his voice down. Oh god, he thought, he was just wearing a bathrobe. He felt oddly exposed, despite being fully covered. Angel took off, Aki impressed at the strength in his wings.

Why did he come here? Angel couldn’t remember what he was thinking. “Uhh. Aren’t you in a lot of pain right now?” Angel slowed themselves down as he approached, feet touching down on Aki’s balcony railing. Angel wore a faded t-shirt and a pair of purple sweatpants. His burn had healed, but there were still shortened clumps of feathers along the top ridge of his wings. “I brought alcohol!” he whispered, nearly losing his balance as he hopped down. 

Aki sighed, concealing the gratitude he felt. “I’m out.” 

“Yeah I figured.” Angel approached Aki, who could smell the strong aroma of alcohol on his breath from a distance. He’s drunk. “I got some other stuff too.”

Aki stepped back and watched the devil kick off his shoes and stroll into his room. He fought the urge to lash out in anger, irritated at Angel’s casual body language, and still not over the odd interaction they’d had a few hours ago. Was this about that?  Aki wasn’t ready for this. He felt uneasy in his presence. “Uh, why are you here?”

“You humans are so irrational.” Angel slurred. “I just wanted to be nice and honor your fragile and short lifespan.”

“What?” Aki was lost. Was he insulting him?

“I’ve been thinking about it lots, cause I want to understand, but I just don’t get it.” The devil waved his arms around, Aki taking a cautious step back. “You trying to take care of me when I’ll heal from the brink of death or be reborn again. You have what, a few decades left? You always waste your time worrying about things that don’t matter.”

Aki sat on his bed, holding his broken hand out uncomfortably. “Two years.” He mumbled.

“What?” Angel tilted his head. 

“I’ve got two years left. Or less, you took some of that.” Aki stared at the ground. 

Angel’s mouth hung open. He shook his head and smiled incredulously. “I’m never gonna understand you. Will you at least let me help with your pain?”

“Uhh… Sure?” Aki paused. He couldn’t lie to himself that Angel’s concern didn’t ease some of the discomfort in his chest. Panic surged through his mind for a moment, could these feelings mean something? Aki couldn’t deal with this now. “If you want to talk, can we talk, uh, when you’re sober?” He needed time. 

“Whenever you want.” Angel nodded. He felt a little guilt showing up drunk, but it had given him the courage he needed to face Aki. Even though he was agitated right now, Angel still liked seeing him, and Aki wasn’t telling him to leave, at least. He pulled a drawstring bag off his back with a decent amount of struggle, his wings tangling with the strings. He pulled an unlabeled bottle half filled with clear liquid out and held it out to the devil hunter.

“What is this?”  Aki gingerly took the bottle, watching his hand placement to avoid Angel’s fingers.

“Dunno, got me drunk though.” Angel smiled. 

Aki sighed and took a swig, rocketing out of his bed, very nearly spitting it out. With great effort he managed to swallow his mouthful of the liquid and coughed. It was super bitter, burning his mouth and throat like nothing he’d drank before, but it was definitely alcohol. 

“Yeah.” Angel laughed. “It’s good.” He reached in to his bag and pulled out a handful of items he dropped on Aki’s bed. “I got every pain med you can put on from three stores. I was going to mix them all up. Also, guess what.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a box, tossing it on the bed.

“What?” Aki’s voice was hoarse after a couple swallows of the alcohol Angel provided. He flicked on his lamp, peering at the label on the box. Disposable latex gloves. Huh ? Did Angel have ulterior motives?

“I’m gonna heal with my hands, for once.” Angel beamed, clearly proud of himself. “You gotta be drunker first, though.” 

Aki raised an eyebrow, apprehensive. 

“Ugh. Cause it’ll hurt, and I don’t want you to hit me, you fucking whore.” Angel whispered angrily, leering at Aki. 

Aki felt mad and guilty. He tried to down as much of the awful liquor as he could, sputtering again and making a face. Alcohol would hopefully relieve this heavy weight on his chest, and he probably couldn’t make things any more awkward between them. Even if his drunk alter ego tried initiating anything with Angel, the devil looked like even he was over Aki’s bullshit. Aki avoided looking at Angel, feeling pathetic with a devil providing him first aid, but he was desperate. Feeling a warm tingle through his body, Aki downed another few mouthfuls of liquor, setting the bottle down on his nightstand and laying back on his bed.

Why did it matter what these stupid feelings in his chest meant, anyways? Aki was lonely and he’d admit to being downright cruel, and Angel was still empathetic towards him. It didn’t have to mean anything, and for some reason he trusted the devil. 

“Show me your hand.”

Aki brought his hand into the light. His hand was horrendously swollen, skin so taut it was shiny, and his fingers each a gruesome swirl of red and purple color. Only his pinky and thumb seemed somewhat normal. 

“Eww. You think it’s broken?”

“It was broken, now it’s… more broken?” Aki sighed, suddenly feeling quite warm. He met Angel’s eyes for a moment, looking away quickly.

“What’d you do, punch a wall?” Angel laughed. Aki avoided his gaze, silently answering the devil’s question. “Ha, serves you right.” Angel flicked Aki’s head with the tip of his wing. Aki felt a fuzzy feeling in his stomach, was that just the alcohol?

Angel climbed up on Aki’s bed and sat down, his feet dangling off the edge. He started kicking his feet absentmindedly, yawning. Aki felt his heart tumble around in his chest watching the devil, feeling warm and a bit sleepy.

“Get a clean sock.” Angel instructed. Aki gave him a confused look, but pulled a pair of socks out of his drawer, separating them. The alcohol was definitely hitting him, his brain felt fuzzy. He wasn’t sure why he was so worked up before, but he felt calm now. 

Angel had ripped open the package of gloves, which were solid black in color. He struggled to put them on, and they were a bit too large for his dainty fingers, but he seemed proud of himself. The devil started opening packages, squeezing tubes and scooping creams out into one hand. 

Angel waved Aki closer as he mixed the concoction between his hands. “Put the sock in your mouth.” He said. Aki frowned.

“It’s clean, right? What’s the problem?” Angel teased. “I just don’t want you to hit me, you can’t afford it.” Aki did as instructed, nervously holding out his hand. 

Angel grabbed Aki’s wrist with one hand, holding it steady as he gently approached Aki’s hand with the pile of ointment in his palm. Aki winced as the cool paste spread over his knuckles, clenching his teeth and holding back the urge to yell. He held his breath, without the numbing power of adrenaline, this hurt worse than breaking his hand originally, but he needed to keep his composure. 

Angel gingerly massaged his hand, spreading a thin layer of the mixture across his hand and fingers, then sliding his other palm against Aki’s, completely coating his hand. This forced Aki’s fingers to straighten, and the devil hunter groaned sharply. He was sweating and breathing quickly, but Angel suddenly pulled his hand away. Wait? It was over?

“Give me the other sock.” Angel took the dry sock from Aki, stretching it open and slowly lowering it over his hand. Aki’s breath hissed through his teeth, but he could already feel his skin going numb, the pain growing slightly fainter. Angel took the gloves off, hopping off Aki’s bed.  

Aki recalled the original hospital visit, where a sadistic nurse with a heavy accent had manually bent his shattered fingers around to “better position them for an x-ray.”

He could tell there was care in the way Angel touched him. “You have a gentle touch.” Aki sighed, feeling numbing relief already.  

“You’ll go to the hospital in the morning?” Angel asked.

“Yes.” Aki nodded. 

“You better. Night, Hayakawa.” Angel turned towards the door. 

“Wait.”

Angel turned around quickly, not sure what to expect from Aki.

“I need to apologize.” Aki couldn’t stop himself from talking, he needed another excuse to see Angel. Maybe he’d regret it when he wasn’t tipsy. “Can you come over again, sober?”

“When?”

Aki thought for a moment. “In two days, Sunday, after 10am.” He’d have the house to himself for once. He hoped by then he could sort his thoughts out.

“I have to fly up here again?” Angel asked.

“No.”

“Good, my wings are fucked.” Angel sighed.

Aki watched as Angel stood on the balcony, fluffing up his wings as he climbed on the railing and jumped off. His wings extended, feathers in an irregular pattern on top. Angel teetered in midair as he glided towards the ground, having to manipulate his wings independently to keep his direction straight. Aki guessed his ability to balance was affected by the missing feathers. Or the alcohol.

He watched the devil land, then turned to the mess of wrappers on his bed, tidying up. He shut his light off and crawled into his bed. 

God, that was weird. He gave some thought to Angel’s words. The devil didn’t understand him, but Aki felt like in some ways, he saw right through him. 

It was so complicated. Devils were vastly different from humans. Feral beings of instinct, with no socialization, generally manipulative and self-obsessed. The Angel Devil’s power was tragic, isolating him from real connection. He wasn’t powerful enough to survive without humanity, and very little motivated him to thrive. Until he’d met Aki. Angel had since done nothing but impress Aki with his ability to change.

Something made Aki want to connect with the devil from the very beginning. The hope he could fix him, or perhaps nothing but natural, forbidden attraction. 

It was his turn to work on himself, now. Either to shut this down for good, or to figure out what the terrible feeling in his chest meant.

He was going to die young anyways, he might as well make a few mistakes in the meantime. 

Aki arrived at the hospital the moment the orthopedic wing opened in the morning. They repeated x-rays, confirming what Aki already knew. He’d worsened the existing hairline fractures, and lost all the progress he’d made healing the breaks over the last two weeks. The splinters of bone had torn through muscles and veins, causing the extreme bruising and pain from the blood trapped under his skin. His only option was immediate surgery, a cast, then months of physical therapy. The doctor suggested he’d be able to use his hand again normally at the earliest in 5 months. 

Aki felt himself spiraling. He didn’t have 5 months to recover. Surely there was another way? He remembered that he’d walked in, perhaps they didn’t know his position. 

The Special Divisions of Public Safety had access to healthcare that normal civilians, with their normal lifespans, didn’t. The medicine was partly experimental, high risk, sometimes carrying risks of devastating complications. In Aki’s experience, devil hunters rarely lived long enough to see these complications. The need for Special Division employees to recover quickly and return to the field took priority over the slow process of legal medical treatment study and approval.

Aki gave his credentials, and the doctor began typing on his computer. He stepped out of the room for a moment, returning with a folder of paperwork. 

“You’ll need surgery, three weeks of bracing, and 2 months of weekly injections. Do you want the long explanation and list of risks?”

“I’ll sleep better without it.” Aki chuckled nervously.

“Alright. Injections will speed up healing and bone formation. I can see you’ve been through this enough to know when to call us. Anything weird happens, please don’t wait. Sign here for treatment consent, we’ll book surgery later this week. Until then, take your anti-inflammatories and pain meds around the clock. You want it splinted for now? Also.. same pharmacy?” 

Aki nodded, signing a few forms. 

“They’ll schedule you on the way out. The nurse will fit a splint and sling for you until then. Take care of yourself. And… Thanks for what you do. My wife was saved by that Chainsaw Devil a few months back.” The doctor bowed before leaving the room. 

A nurse shuffled in with a hard plastic cover he roughly fit to Aki’s hand, seeming completely unbothered by the excruciating pain he put Aki through. He handed him a pile of black straps, demonstrating how to put it on to hold his arm against his body, out of the way. Aki was able to schedule his surgery 3 days later. He dropped by his pharmacy and the grocery store on the way home. 

He’d need to survive the rest of today with the punk and fiend, then he’d have all of tomorrow to himself.

Wait…. no he wouldn’t. Angel was coming over. 

He felt his stomach churn, not knowing what to expect. Aki had a lot of feelings, many he couldn’t bring himself to put into words. He just hoped it went better than the night he broke his hand. 

He struggled to adjust to his left hand being his dominant hand. Household chores, cleaning, cooking, all seemed to take twice as long. He couldn’t task the nincompoops he lived with any more extra work, for once they’d been on their best behavior lately, not deserving a punishment. It would only be a few weeks, he reminded himself .

He only had the rest of today to prepare for the confrontation tomorrow. He kept bouncing thoughts around.

Was he gay? That was a question that had to be answered, he couldn’t avoid it forever. 

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he almost needed an answer. Years of bad decisions and filthy secrets chewed at his insides. He was tired of carrying the guilt and not understanding himself.

There would be a way to get away with exploring it.  He’d have the apartment to himself for 9 hours.

Angel did say he wouldn’t mind being an experiment. 

Aki rolled the idea around for the rest of the day. It excited him a little, and that made him feel shameful. 

This would just be a test. He had to know. 

Then he’d shut Angel down for good. 

Chapter Text

Aki woke up early to prepare for his day. Perhaps he overprepared a bit, he was incredibly nervous. He barely made breakfast in time for Denji and Power to leave. 

Aki had fought hard for this day off, weeks ago. Denji had become obsessed with taking a trip to a certain amusement park, and as a special training reward, Makima had asked Aki to take Denji and Power for a full day of entertainment. 

Aki had more than enough on his plate, and the thought of babysitting those two in a crowded public establishment in the height of summer for a full day was nauseating. Besides, he’d taken them on many similar trips before. 

Most recently, Power had stolen a mascot’s head and thrown it into a pond, and they’d been banned from that park for life. There was the time Denji ate from the trash because Aki wouldn’t buy him a turkey leg, he was escorted off the property. Then there was the time Power had a conniption and leapt off a moving rollercoaster, which had to be emergency halted and shut down for an hour. Surprisingly, they’d gotten off free of penalty with that one.

Aki could get the idiots to behave on the job, as they actually took that seriously, but taking them anywhere else was like herding cats.

He’d written and memorized his argument in advance, performing it perfectly for Makima, phrased in a way to avoid sounding like insubordination or poor work ethic.

He wasn’t going to waste his reward.

The two assholes spent the morning taunting Aki, teasing him for the boring hobbies he’d fill his day with. No social life, friends, or girlfriend, blah, blah, blah. They were fortunately out of his hair by 8:30am. 

Aki felt his head was clearer when he smoked, and he found himself on his second cigarette of the day before 9am. He had to process this, his experiences with the devil had taught him he could not get away with burying his thoughts and feelings again. 

Aki had been impressed by Angel’s emotional intelligence. Perhaps this awareness was the reason for his depressed demeanor and meager outlook on life?

God, they couldn’t be any more different. 

Nobody could know about this, it would ruin him. 

Devil hunters did not publicly engage in intimate relationships of any kind with devils. If they did, it stayed under lock and key. It demonstrated a severe weakness in judgment. 

And were there any devils who could be trusted? What he had been taught didn’t make sense anymore , Angel was different.

It was constantly hammered into his head by his colleagues, hell, he used the same description to train newbies. 

Devils all had ulterior motives and thought of their own gain first. They were violent and narcissistic, unable to feel empathy. They didn’t hesitate to manipulate factors in their favor, feeding on the fear and suffering of humans. You needed to manipulate them to deal with them.

Aki couldn’t lie that he hadn’t been manipulating Angel to some degree. 

Was this what Angel was doing to him? He thought long and hard on their interactions.

Aki had come onto him and offered what was presumably Angel’s deepest desire, and then crushed the hope he’d given the devil. Angel had the opportunity to lash out, or even try to manipulate him, but he had instead pointed out Aki’s behavior and encouraged him to figure himself out. 

After all this, he’d gotten drunk and came to Aki with the innocent intent to care for him.

Was he a devil at all? 

It didn’t matter, anyways. This would be a one time thing, nobody would know, and he’d never have to talk about it again. Angel would understand. 

Aki felt a little sick, if he was gay, the rest of his life would be a lonely one. He didn’t know any successful openly gay people, aside from the closeted ones he’d played with. And if it became public knowledge, his entire reputation would crumble. Even if people took it well, he’d be seen differently and lose the respect and trust he’d worked so hard for. 

Not that it mattered, anyways. He needed to avoid distractions, otherwise he’d never find and defeat the Gun Devil. He didn’t have time for relationships. If he was gay, he could instead pour himself into his work. This wasn’t an opportunity for love, it was just a means to an end.

Aki headed back inside, spending the next hour tidying. He felt nauseous from worry, resisting the urge to peek into the future. No, the Future Devil didn't need to be involved in this. God, thinking about that made him feel even more unnerved.

10:20am rolled around, and no knock at the door. Aki couldn’t settle his anxiety. Maybe Angel had forgotten, he was drunk that night. He walked into his room, looking for a book to read. The moment his fingers grazed a book spine, he heard a quiet knock. Aki sped to the door, heart racing. Angel stood at the doorway, looking nervous and a little sweaty in a maroon turtleneck and jeans. He smiled warmly at Aki, who invited him inside. 

“Aren’t you hot?” Aki asked. That much skin covered…

“I, uh…” Angel’s cheeks flushed. “It’s not what you’re probably thinking.”

“Alright.” Aki shrugged. He didn’t have innocent intentions for today, so who was he to judge?

“How’s your hand?” Angel pointed to the splint and sling.

“Hurts less when I can’t touch anything. Surgery is on tuesday.” 

“I’m glad.” Angel nodded approvingly. 

Aki took a deep breath. “I need to tell you I’m aware I’m a piece of shit.”

“Before you say any more… Can I have a…hug?” Angel’s brown eyes glimmered. 

Aki was surprised. Was that the reason for the long sleeves? He hesitated, thinking this might move things in the wrong direction. But Angel had probably never been hugged. He deserved it for putting up with Aki’s crap. 

Aki awkwardly put his arm around Angel, squeezing him tightly against his chest. He felt along the sweater cautiously, ensuring it fit snugly and there was no exposed skin, before fully embracing Angel, his left hand gliding fingertips across Angel’s wing. Angel sighed deeply, his body relaxing. He closed his eyes, face pressed against Aki’s shirt, body awash with new sensation. 

Aki’s heartbeat was quicker and louder than he expected. He could feel the human’s body heat radiating through his shirt, his strong arms pressed against Angel’s back and shoulders. And the smells… The strongest of them all, fear. Angel quite liked the smell. He could distinguish the scents of Aki’s soap, deodorant, and cologne from Aki’s natural smell. Angel took a deep inhale, a soft sound of pleasure escaping his lips as he exhaled. Another faint scent hit his nose, the same scent as the fateful night a few weeks prior, arousal? He wrapped his arms around Aki’s waist. He felt Aki’s body relax slightly, but his heart was pounding, much faster than before.

They stood like that for a minute before Aki lightened his grip. The two cautiously unweaved themselves, conscious of the risk of touching hands. 

“I needed that.” Angel wore a dazed smile. He could see a soft pink flush across Aki’s cheeks. “Ha! You did too.”

“I don’t hug much. Consider yourself lucky.” Aki stated defensively. “You deserved it, though. Do you want to sit? Are you hungry?”

Angel shook his head. “I want to get this… talk over with.”

Aki was quiet for a moment. “There’s a lot to apologize for.”

“I don’t need an apology anymore.” Angel said. That hug was enough. “I just want to know what you want. What to expect.”

Fuck . Aki had hoped forgiveness and flattery might let him bypass the feelings, but Angel wanted an emotional conversation. 

“I want to… explore.” Aki’s ears were turning red. “Some of it… I need help with.”

Angel listened eagerly. 

“I don’t have a lot of time left, you were right about that. I’ve been hiding behind lies. I just need confirmation if I’m… Uh…” Aki stared at the floor. He took a deep breath and sighed. He couldn’t even bring himself to say it out loud. 

Angel wondered if they had the same goal. He wanted to help Aki through this stage of self discovery, hoping it led to something more. Or at least something recurring.

Aki approached Angel slowly, reaching out and gently resting a hand on his waist. 

Angel gasped softly. His body felt like it was starving for touch. He worried he’d lose the control he had on himself. After all, this was about Aki. He took a step back. Angel curled a wing around Aki’s back, lightly pressing long feathers to his shoulders as he directed Aki to his own bedroom. 

Aki was overwhelmed by shame, his face feeling unbearably hot. He agonized over his choice to be sober for this, it felt so awkward. Maybe he wasn’t really… 

The two stood apart, Aki watching Angel’s bare hands as he reached towards the devil’s body, as a mistake would be costly. Angel again backed up, looking around and scanning the room for something. “Gloves?” Angel asked.

Aki turned around, opening his nightstand to reveal two packages of gloves. He pulled a pair of black gloves out. “Catch.” He tossed them to Angel. “These are actually your size.”

Angel focused on putting the gloves on, finding they fit his smaller hands snugly, the ends of the gloves securely sealing over the ends of his sleeves, completely covering his skin. 

Aki quickly closed in once the danger was averted, his left hand grabbing Angel’s hip with a bit of force, his thumb pressing into his hipbone, closing the gap between their bodies and backing the devil up against his bed. Angel made noise with each touch, and Aki finally felt the familiar blazing ache in his chest, and let it take over.

Augh , Angel was overcome by weakness, his legs trembling. The way Aki looked down at him, a hungry look and devious smirk on his face. There was that scent of arousal, so much stronger this time. Angel’s heart pounded. 

“Wait,” he blurted. Aki jumped back, confusion on his face. Angel stepped towards him, reaching up and sliding one hand along Aki’s jaw as the other ran down his side, feeling the muscles and curves of his body.  Angel wrapped his wings around Aki.

“I want to make you feel good,” he whispered as his hand slid over Aki’s stomach, then trailed slowly downwards, teasing Aki. 

Aki was breathing with more effort, he felt like his heart was going to burst from his chest. He’d never felt this way about physical contact before, and even though he wanted to remain in control, he gave in. 

This would be the first time he would let someone touch him. But god, he wanted it this time. The telltale aching pressure between his legs was almost embarrassing. He felt his stomach turn, was this his answer already? Well, he might as well enjoy it. 

Aki took a deep breath and forced himself to relax, feeling Angel’s hands on his waist. His touch was light, as if he was afraid he’d hurt Aki even with layers between them. The latex of the gloves caught the fabric, tugging the cloth in different directions, an alien, but exciting sensation to Aki’s skin beneath.

Angel’s hand wandered further, grazing Aki’s semi-erect dick through his sweatpants. He gasped, feeling a wave of fear. Angel smiled, leading Aki with his wings, spinning them both around. He placed a hand on Aki’s chest, and Aki climbed backwards onto his bed, Angel quickly climbing on top of him. The devil could almost feel the fear in the air thickening. It smelled delicious, only encouraging him to continue.

Angel sat back on Aki’s thighs, running a hand over his chest, fingers dipping into the grooves between his muscles. He slid his other hand across Aki’s thigh, his fingers exploring the outline of the bulge in his sweatpants. Alarm bells were ringing in Aki’s head, screaming at him to stop this from happening, but he was powerless against the lust he felt. 

The smell of arousal was now so overpowering, Angel felt like he was getting high. He closed his eyes, smiling, mapping the body beneath him with his fingers, picking up the subtle sounds hidden in Aki’s heavy breathing. Angel opened his eyes, his heart skipping a beat at the sight of Aki under him. The human was devastatingly attractive, and he watched Angel’s face with an unnerving intensity, his expression dark. 

Angel felt he’d teased Aki enough. He pressed a palm against the erection straining against fabric, providing a few seconds of friction as he slid the fingers of his other hand into Aki’s waistband. He used both hands to pull the waistband down. Aki’s dick now exposed, Angel wrapped a gloved hand around the base. 

Aki was a good size, his girth filling Angel’s palm. He could feel the heat of his skin through the latex. Angel leaned forward, resting his forearm on Aki’s chest to support his weight as he stroked his dick, watching Aki’s lips as the human’s breathing changed.

Aki fought to keep from making noise, feeling incredibly vulnerable. He liked how the soft latex felt on his shaft, providing a new friction he hadn’t felt before. Angel’s grip was a bit soft, and Aki found it hard to fight the urge to throw his hips upward for more pressure with each stroke. This was an emasculating experience for him, the desire to have more control was unbearable. At the same time, it was a divine experience, Aki’s body reacted to Angel’s body like the devil was a drug. Aki had never thought this level of arousal was possible.

Angel sat back on Aki’s thighs again, and Aki could see his arousal through the fabric of his jeans. Angel’s feathers were fluffed up, his wings spread wide, halo glowing above his head. He looked beautiful . A groan slipped from Aki’s throat, and Angel looked delighted, the speed of his stroke increasing. 

Aki struggled to maintain his composure but lost himself in pleasure, making more noise, hips rocking into Angel’s hand. He was close, and Angel’s excitement was speeding him towards climax.

“I’m so hard it hurts,” Angel moaned, undoing the button on his jeans to relieve some pressure. “You’re so hot.” 

“I’m close,” Aki gasped, his left hand gripping Angel’s thigh tightly.

“Come for me, then, pretty boy.” Angel purred, watching with wide eyes as Aki came, thrusting powerfully into Angel’s hand, cum spilling onto his own chest. 

Aki was breathless, his cheeks flush with color, chest rising and falling rapidly. Angel couldn’t take his eyes off of the man. “I guess you need to take your shirt off now,” he smiled. 

Aki took a deep breath before leaning forward and pulling his shirt over his head. He collapsed backwards on the bed. He stared at the ceiling. He knew he should feel vulnerable, he wanted to be defensive, but Aki felt like he was buzzed, drunk on the sinful experience.

Angel ogled Aki’s body, running his gloved hands across his bare chest. Aki felt like Angel’s body was physically hotter, heat radiating through the layers of clothing separating their thighs, feeling his own legs sweating. 

Angel couldn’t help himself any longer, letting his erection free from his boxers, touching himself now. Aki’s mouth hung open, Angel’s anatomy was inhuman, almost monstrous in appearance. Angel’s dick was very long, with a tapered end and pink tip. It looked alien - unsurprising given Angel was a devil, but incredibly arousing to Aki for some reason. Aki couldn’t tell what lay below his dick as it was obscured by clothing. Did he want to know?

Aki reached out, wrapping his left hand around the clothed part of Angel’s waist, fingers trailing down to his thigh. Angel did feel much warmer even with clothing separating their skin, almost too warm to touch comfortably. Aki’s attention was pulled to Angel’s mouth as the devil made unholy noises of pleasure. His moans were arousing, Aki could see depravity in Angel’s eyes as he stroked his own cock. 

“Fuck, please,” Angel whimpered, stroking faster as Aki grabbed his free wrist, threading their fingers together. Angel came with a loud moan, pearly liquid pumping from his cock onto Aki’s bare chest. Aki gasped sharply, he was shocked by the heat and volume of cum, it kept pouring out, Angel’s dick still twitching. The heat was an intense, almost burning sensation, but didn’t last long and quickly cooled. By the time it stopped, there had to be a pint of viscous liquid on him. 

Why did he find that so hot? Aki found himself noticing a sweet but intense smell he found incredibly arousing. He couldn’t avoid the jarring reminders that Angel was a devil, but it was even more thrilling to experiment with a monster. It was already such a sinful dance with his own mortality, Aki was ashamed of himself. 

“Fuck, I made a mess.” Angel swore. He grabbed Aki’s shirt, trying to wipe away the cum sliding down Aki’s sides in an effort to save his sheets. 

Aki reached over to his nightstand again, pulling out a small towel to better wipe himself with. He’d been suspicious of the volume the devil produced since trying to wash the sweatpants from the… wingjob . He had pulled it out of the washer to a massive sticky stain, he’d ended up throwing it away and needed to re-wash the rest of the clothes twice. He’d just toss these towels, after everything.

Angel helped clean him up with the towel, then collapsed next to Aki. 

From this angle Angel could see Aki was rock hard again, he smiled up at the man as he slid a gloved hand into his pants. Something in Aki had shifted, his expression was lighter, a devilish glimmer in his eyes.  Angel brought him to orgasm again, finding it quicker as Aki was more relaxed. 

They lay together for a few minutes in a surprisingly comfortable silence. Aki had a lot to think about. He had an answer already, but the chemistry between them was intense and addictive. It couldn’t hurt to explore it a bit more. They had hours. Plus, there was the comment Angel had made at breakfast a few weeks back. Aki wanted to indulge his curiosity. 

He felt sleepy already, feeling more comfortable in the devil’s company than he’d ever felt before. He should feel disgusted with himself, but something in the air in the room had him overlooking his sins. 

Angel turned on his side, his gloved hands wandering across Aki’s body. He clearly wanted even more, but Aki needed a break. His chest also felt sensitive, like it had been mildly burned. 

“You hungry?” Aki asked. He sat up, looking down at his chest to find his skin red and irritated everywhere it’d been in contact with Angel’s emission. “Hey, uh… Angel?” 

“You should rinse off.” Angel said, tossing the gloves away. “I’m so sorry.”

“What?” Aki stood up.

“It’s uh…  slightly acidic. I guess too much for human skin.. And my temperature rises when I…”

“I thought you were hot. In more ways than one.” Aki got up, headed to the bathroom to rinse off. As he pulled his pants off, he caught Angel peeping from the hallway, eyeing his body. 

“Sorry… You’re nice to look at.” Angel sighed, and walked away.

Aki rinsed off quickly, he knew the more time he had to himself, the more he might start to regret what he was doing. He stepped out of the tub, water dripping onto the floor as he toweled himself off, then walked past Angel into his room for new clothes. He donned a long sleeved shirt in solidarity with Angel, pausing in his room for a minute.

“Well. I guess that determines I’m not straight.” Aki sighed deeply as he emerged from his room, Angel standing in the kitchen.

“Oh. There’s something else you should know about. I can enlighten you with round two?” Angel smiled shyly. 

Aki was curious, but he felt wiped already. He’d barely eaten any breakfast due to his nerves. “Later, I need a snack. You want an early lunch?”

Angel nodded, flattening his body against the counter to give Aki more room to enter the kitchen. Aki set to work preparing curry and rice for the two, aware of Angel’s eyes following him. 

Angel sighed. He was thrilled this was happening, and it seemed like their day was just beginning. Aki smelled so strongly of fear, though. Maybe he could help with that. Was affection off the table? He felt greedy, but he had to test his boundaries. 

Angel crept forward behind Aki, who was cutting vegetables. He needed a cue that it was safe to move, not wanting to risk an accidental touch. Aki paused his knifework, silently acknowledging Angel behind him. 

Angel placed his hands on Aki’s hips first, slowly sliding his arms around his waist and pulling himself close in an embrace. He pressed his cheek against Aki’s back, letting out a deep sigh. Aki resumed cutting vegetables for a minute, before speaking. 

“I need to turn around.”

Angel backed away, watching as Aki tossed the vegetables off the cutting board with his one hand into a pot. They sizzled as they landed in the searing pot below. Aki tossed a package of cubed raw meat in the pot with quite a bit of effort as he worked with one hand, and began tending to the rice cooker. He filled a cup with water, setting it beside the stove, then stood still, stirring the vegetables and meat for a moment. 

“I’ll be here for a while.” Aki spoke again. 

Was he inviting him back? Angel wondered. He stepped closer to Aki, who stopped stirring as Angel neared, lifting his elbows. Angel took this as his invitation to wrap himself around Aki again. He rubbed his face against Aki’s back, feeling his musculature with his cheeks through the soft shirt. 

Aki was glad Angel seemed self-sufficient in fulfilling his need for physical touch. He felt uncomfortable initiating affection with anyone. This was easy. 

He considered, would they do this again? He’d initially told himself no, but he was tempted to consider sneaking around on occasion. It felt nice to be this close to someone. Morals be damned, it felt right . 

The vegetables and meat had been stir fried enough at this point. Aki poured in his cup of water, then placed the lid on the pot. 

“Angel,” he spoke. The devil lightened his grip before pulling himself off the devil hunter and taking a step back. 

Aki’s thoughts were vulgar, yet he peculiarly felt little remorse. Indulging in his sin was enabling, he might as well make the most of it. This was so unlike him, he was always such a good boy, adhering to rules and social standards without thinking of himself. This repressed version of himself was ravenous, starving to experience what he’d been denying himself for so long. 

Aki turned around, his attention on Angel’s body now. They had a few minutes to waste, and Aki knew Angel wouldn’t take long. He’d always enjoyed doing this, for some reason. Well, now maybe he knew the reason…  

Aki backed Angel up against the sink, glancing at his hands. “Behind your head.” Angel obediently lifted his arms up, feeling inappropriately aroused before Aki had even touched him. Aki ran his good hand over Angel’s chest, down his stomach, stopping on his crotch. 

“ Oh . I don’t even have to do anything.” Aki teased mockingly. Angel blushed. Aki reached into his pocket, pulling out a glove and a small package, which he dangled in front of Angel. “Open this for me.”

Angel cautiously brought a hand down and took the square package from Aki. A condom? What for? Aki was putting a glove on his good hand, strategically using his thumb on his broken hand to pull it up.  Angel used his hands to open the condom, pausing and looking at Aki curiously. 

Aki began unbuttoning Angel’s  jeans, sliding his hand into devil’s waistband, pulling out his erection. Damn . He thought, still unnerved by its appearance. He took the piece of rubber from Angel, lowering it onto the tip and rolling it down. Angel gasped. He felt anxious, what was the human doing? 

Aki glanced up at Angel, noting his expression. “Relax.” Aki lowered himself to his knees, and Angel felt his heart race, anxiety welling up in his chest. 

Despite his nervousness, Angel’s erection stood taller. Aki wrapped his gloved hand around it, noting the heat. 

“Wait, I-“ Angel panicked, watching Aki’s lips part, his mouth descending on his cock. 

Aki swallowed his length, listening smugly as Angel moaned obscenities. He had a lot of experience with his mouth, but found this much different. The extreme heat in his mouth and throat was unnerving, and this was easily the longest dick he’d sucked, the shape a new sensation to swallow. The risk thrilled him. He could feel Angel’s legs trembling, and glanced upwards at the devil’s face. 

Angel’s face was contorted in a mixture of pleasure and struggle, he was gripping the counter with one hand for support, his other hand pulling on his face as he fought for composure. He wanted to last, to enjoy this for longer than a few seconds, but he could feel every movement of Aki’s tongue and the tightness of his throat through the thin barrier. Oh god , he thought, this was so dangerous .

Aki hummed, the vibration ecstasy for Angel, and he glanced down. Oh fuck . The sight of Aki in such an indecent pose, looking up at the devil with a deviant look in his eyes, Angel couldn’t hold on any longer. 

He came hard with a strangled yelp, unconsciously reaching for Aki’s head and barely managing to divert his hand to his ponytail as he thrust deep into Aki’s throat, pulling him closer, momentarily blind to his actions. Immediately feeling guilty, he released his grip, still overwhelmed with waves of pleasure.

Aki felt an intensely hot building pressure in his throat and slid off, wiping saliva off his mouth. He pulled the sagging condom off of Angel’s dick, watching as a trickle of cum dripped from his tip to the floor between the human’s knees. Aki wondered if the integrity of the latex was at risk of the acidity and heat, quickly lifting the filled balloon into the sink in the brink of time as it burst.

God, what the fuck. Aki felt a twinge of horror in his stomach as he rinsed the liquid down the drain. There was no way for him to ignore the fact that Angel was a devil, this was so wrong. He wrapped the broken latex in a paper towel, wiped up the mess on the floor, and tossed it in the trash.

Angel buttoned his pants. He sniffed the air, and could smell Aki’s arousal, finding the smell of fear stronger. Angel suddenly looked mortified, an overwhelming surge of emotions on his face. 

Aki recognized vulnerability in his expression. “You okay?” he asked. 

“Does this not bother you at all?” Angel mumbled.

It did, immensely, but Aki felt like he was high. He’d process this all later. “Do you not like it?”

“No, oh god , I do.” Angel moaned, burying his face in his hands, his face red. “I want this to last forever, but I could kill you, in seconds. You’re reckless.”

“It, uh, bothers me, but I strangely can’t stop myself.” Aki turned to the stove, taking the lid off the pot and throwing a package of curry cubes in, stirring it slowly. “I feel… alive.” Just like he did in battle, he thought.

“I’m so sorry.” Angel hung his head. There was silence for a moment before Angel spoke again. “I don’t think I liked that .” he mumbled.

What ?! He’d come in seconds, Aki thought, turning around. How could he not have enjoyed it?

Angel saw the puzzled expression on Aki’s face and felt a flash of guilt. “I enjoyed it way too much. But I didn’t feel good putting you at risk.”

“I guess that’s fair.” Aki sighed. He had enjoyed it a lot. Could Angel tell, he hoped? He wondered if something could be worked out to try it again. 

“Can I ask… You’ve obviously done that before?” Angel asked, suspicious. Aki was far too good at that.

“Well. Maybe once or twice.” Aki lied. Angel frowned and brought his wings around the human’s head, pressed against his neck with a hint of a threat. Aki swallowed, the pressure in his pants making him wonder if he was getting harder.

“Okay, actually, I’ll tell you.” Aki’s eyes dropped to the floor in shame. Angel relinquished his hold on his neck. “I thought I’d take this to my grave. Sometimes when I get drunk I end up with guys. It’s one-sided, though, I’ve never found it attractive, I don’t know why it happens. It was like a drunk party trick turned into a weird ritual. Always safe though, don’t worry, I’ve tested.”

“Party trick?”

“Uh. No gag reflex?” Aki chuckled nervously.

“You want me to believe you suck dick for fun, but you’re not gay.” Angel shook his head, laughing. “Fucking humans.” He mused, rolling his eyes. He wondered how often “sometimes” meant, but he didn’t want to push Aki too far. 

Aki felt heavily embarrassed, but also lighter with someone knowing his dirty secret. But no, Angel was now a bigger dirty secret. This wasn’t any better.

The rice cooker beeped, and Aki pulled down a few bowls, setting to work serving his meal. He felt very overwhelmed by all of this. He’d never had a sexual experience like this, or anyone had ever get under his skin like this. It felt so natural, but at the same time, nothing about it was normal. Guilt bubbled up in his chest. 

He didn’t have feelings for the devil. It was just physical. Lust . There were worse vices to give in to. Besides, he’d heard a rare story from some men in his division. A drunken admission to fooling with fiends and even devils. It happened.

He was doing Angel a service too by taking the risks, and that reduced some of his guilt. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

It was hot . Aki’s mind replayed the last hour. And he had more to explore, if he didn’t manage to scare Angel away before then. 

Angel struggled harder with his feelings. This was so much, so fast. It felt like he couldn’t catch his breath or savor any part of it.

He’d never forgive himself if he took more time from Aki. The months he’d already cost him weighed heavy on his conscience. These last few hours felt like days, imagine how much Aki could have enjoyed the time he had stolen.

He felt he was already so attached to Aki. He’d take whatever Aki was willing to give him, but he hoped he’d never have to add his face to the list of lost lives that haunted his nightmares.  

Aki handed him a bowl, and Angel followed him to the table. He sat down, watching Aki leave his bowl and head back to the kitchen. He returned with a couple beers tucked in his arm.

“What happened to being sober?” Angel laughed, cracking his beer open. 

“I’m a little worried you’ll go into alcohol withdrawal. You were getting pretty shaky there a minute ago.” Aki teased, taking a bite. 

“This is really good!” Angel smiled after swallowing a bite.

“You watched me make it, it came from a box.” Aki shook his head. He took a sip of beer, the cold liquid felt good on his throat. It was a little sore, honestly. Was he burned from earlier?

“Yes, but you didn’t microwave it. You actually cooked. Put in real veggies.” Angel didn’t eat like an animal, Aki noted. He spent time chewing and seemed to savor his food slowly. It was an interesting parallel to Aki’s housemates.

A meow interrupted them. Meowy had come out of Power’s room, yawning and stretching. She looked at the two men for a moment, washing her face with her paw. 

“Does your power affect animals?” Aki inquired. 

“Yes.” Angel sighed sadly. He loved cats. 

Immediately Meowy made a beeline for Angel, eager to rub against him and mark him as her property. Angel tucked his hands in nervously as the cat nudged her head against his knee. He brought a wing forward, separating him from the cat gingerly. Meowy took that as an invitation to sharpen her claws and stake her claim on this exciting new surface, arching her back and digging her long nails into Angel’s feathers. Angel winced, flapping his wing gently to dislodge her. Meowy flicked her tail with excitement, chasing his feathers. The devil looked to Aki for help, who was already standing up. 

Aki scooped the cat up and took her back to Power’s room, slipping inside. Phew, her litterbox looked clean, and he couldn’t smell cat urine anymore. He headed back out, making sure Meowy stayed inside. “Sorry about that.” He sat back down.

Aki looked up to Angel for a moment, chewing and thinking. For a moment, Angel’s silhouette and movement looked so feminine. “So…” Aki pondered. “Have you thought about gender?”

“I thought you didn’t discuss genitals at the -“

“ Breakfast table. And gender is more than just genitals. It’s also how you feel inside.” Aki felt like he barely grasped what he was talking about.

“What do you feel like on the inside?” Angel tilted his head. Aki found it endearing when he did that.

“I feel like a man.” Aki shrugged. 

“How do you know what that’s supposed to feel like?” Angel asked.

“Well.” Aki didn’t know how to answer that question. “I feel like my body fits me. I don’t feel bad when people think of me as a man, or use my pronouns.”

“Pronouns?” Angel inquired. 

Oh boy , Aki thought. How would he answer this? “Words used to refer to a person, or object. I, me, you, and we are pronouns, but the ones people use to refer to you - he, him, she, her, they, them - reflect their interpretation of your gender.” He’d only recently heard of someone with an ambiguous gender identity using neutral pronouns, but it reminded Aki strongly of Angel.

“Do they and them mean someone has multiple genders?”

“No, they’re gender neutral. Not male or female. People might use those pronouns if they aren’t sure or if someone isn’t male or female, but a lot of people don’t care about others’ identities.” Aki sighed. “Well, sometimes they call someone an ‘it,’ like you would a creature, but it’s not usually respectful.”

“Humans are so intriguing.” Angel chuckled. “The first ones I met decided I was a ‘he’ after some debate.” He paused. What had happened to those humans? He couldn’t remember. “I guess that makes me a male.”

“Do you feel like a male? Do you like that gender, or those pronouns?” Aki asked. 

“I don’t feel like human identities apply to me.” Angel said. “Perhaps that means I’m a they.”

“Would you like to be called that?”

“What purpose does it serve? You said not all humans would care.” Angel was confused.

“Would you like me to care?” Aki finished his beer. This conversation was not as easy as he’d anticipated.

You already care about the important things , Angel thought. “Would it make you feel better?” Angel set down his empty bowl and stretched, wings spreading across the room.

“Only if it matters to you.” Aki took a last bite of rice, then picked up both bowls, taking them to the kitchen. 

Angel felt very little emotion towards gender. He gave it some thought. Perhaps he’d like to be called they, but that’d require respect from humans. He didn’t imagine that’d realistically happen consistently. He didn’t care. Aki was attracted to him regardless, and that was the only gender-specific thing of importance to him.

Aki regretted bringing the subject up, he didn’t think he’d explained it right. Or Angel truly didn’t care.

It didn’t help him feel any better about his own identity.

He had something else he wanted to explore. Maybe this would be more illuminating?

Aki grabbed a couple towels from the cabinet and walked into his room, placing them in his nightstand drawer. He had no idea what to expect. He walked back out and beckoned for Angel to join him in his room. 

Angel could smell fear stronger in the air now. He wondered why, they were both clothed? Aki was standing next to his bed, he patted the mattress next to him to invite Angel up. Angel hopped up, kicking his feet nervously. Aki stood in front of him, hesitating. 

“We can take a break? For a minute.” Angel reached into the drawer and pulled on a couple gloves so he could wrap himself around Aki’s waist. He rested his head on Aki’s chest. This close to Aki, the smell of his arousal was so strong, Angel had to fight the temptation to act on his instincts and touch him. He seemed too tense. “Is something the matter?” He lifted his head, looking up at the human’s face. 

Aki wasn’t sure how Angel saw right through him. He took a breath and placed his hand on the top ridge of Angel’s wing, stroking the length. This feeling was very soothing for him.

Aki couldn’t admit it, but he was afraid of what else he might discover about Angel. He had a heavy suspicion Angel wasn’t lying about possessing another set of genitals. What kind of fucked up mutations would his devil anatomy have? 

Aki wasn’t repulsed by vaginas, but he had no experience with them, no idea what to expect normally. No idea what to do with one. 

Well, he had one idea, but it would certainly kill him. 

Maybe Angel would coach him through it, the curiosity was suffocating. He let his hand wander down Angel’s wing to the base, feeling the devil’s hold on his waist grow tighter, Angel’s body shivering in response to gentle touch. He felt a solid pressure against the top of his thigh where Angel’s body met his.

Dicks? Those were no problem. Aki had so much drunken experience with them, and he possessed one, so he knew how it worked. 

This was a new jungle for him. He buried his fingers in feathers, Angel letting out a soft squeak. He felt something hard, and explored it. It seemed like a lightweight rod, the same length as nearby feathers, but brittle and hard to the touch. 

“Angel, there’s something hard…” 

He felt Angel scoot his lower body away from his legs. Oh . Aki chuckled. “In your wing, not your pants.”

“It’s a feather sheath, on a new feather. I have to break them apart by hand. I can’t reach that area well.” Angel dug his fingertips into Aki’s back as the devil hunter squeezed the feather sheath, tugging on it gently. It was so sensitive, Angel moaned loudly. The hard keratin crumbled away between his finger and thumb, and Aki felt the fibers of the feather with his finger. Angel’s breathing came quicker, and he clung even tighter to the human. 

Angel’s hands began to wander lower to Aki’s ass, fondling him through his sweatpants. Angel’s pinky finger traced along the crevice where cheek met thigh, and Aki felt goosebumps erupt on his arms. That felt nice , he thought.

“You liked that.” Angel hummed, pulling Aki against him from behind.

“How can you tell?” Aki inquired. He hadn’t moved at all to give himself away. 

“Your smell,” Angel breathed, pulling his face back to look up at Aki. He wrapped his legs around the human, softly grinding against him, trying to entice him to join him on the bed. 

Aki pulled back, a hand on Angel’s shoulder. He reached into the nightstand drawer, pulling out a glove. Angel snatched it from his hand with gloved fingers. He stretched it open for Aki, helping him put it on.

“You have something to show me, still?” Aki climbed onto the bed. Angel nodded shyly. He flopped back on the bed, wings spread out behind him, Aki recalling their first night.

Aki leaned over Angel, nosing his legs apart with his knees. He ran his hand up Angel’s thigh, feeling his body heat through the gloves. 

“I think I should tell you, I’ve never touched a- uh… Anything but a dick.“ Aki fumbled over his words nervously as he unbuttoned Angel’s pants again. 

“But you’re not attracted to them like you are vaginas?” The devil commented, a sly smirk on his face. He was incredibly excited to see how Aki would react to this part of him. He helped Aki with his pants, peeling them off his body and kicking his feet to fully remove them. 

Aki’s eyes were fixed on Angel’s lower body. Whoa. His erection swung in full glory, but Aki hadn’t noticed before that Angel didn’t possess a set of balls. How did that work? Even with legs spread slightly, Aki couldn’t see anything else where they met.

Angel sensed his hesitation, and grabbed his own shaft, lifting it up, and swung his knees up against his chest to turn his body towards the human, fully spreading his legs.

Oh! Aki’s eyes fell upon a relatively normal looking, very wet vulva hidden underneath. Aki didn’t know anatomy well enough to identify any part of it.

“Give me your hand.” Angel reached and took Aki’s fingers between his own. He led him down to his pussy, placing his pointer finger directly on his clit, sliding his hand back and forth across it. Angel opened his mouth to speak, interrupted instead by a soft moan as Aki continued the motion. “Do you feel that?” Angel gasped, his head falling back on the pillow and moaning. He had to wait for Aki to stop touching him to continue speaking. “That’s the clit, it’s more sensitive than the head of a dick.”

Aki could feel the difference in the texture of his flesh, even through gloves. He rubbed against his clit for a while longer, Angel rutting against him uncontrollably with a slight movement of his hips, gasping. Aki’s eyes led his fingers downwards through Angel’s inner labia, towards the source of all the wetness. There was already a wet spot on the bed below Angel. He should have put down a towel. 

“Can I?” Aki asked. Angel nodded enthusiastically. Aki gently teased the hole with his finger, trailing it through the generous supply of fluid to lubricate it. He began sliding his finger in, painfully slowly, Angel’s wings suddenly flapping as the devil fought for control over himself. He desperately wanted more, wanting to thrust his hips over Aki’s finger, but Aki was doing this right for a first timer. He’d slid inside to the second knuckle of his finger, pausing for a moment before beginning a slow, gentle rhythm. Angel wrapped his wings around Aki.

“Angel? Should I put down a towel?” Aki stopped, pulling his finger out. Angel whimpered, unbelievably frustrated.

“So-Sorry, you- your bed’s already wet.” Angel pleaded Aki with his eyes. 

“I know, but I’m thinking damage control?”

Aki was right, Angel grumpily released his wings from his shoulders. The devil hunter grabbed the towels he stowed from the drawer, unfolding one. Angel helped slide it under his butt, then immediately lifted his knees back into place for Aki. 

“Don’t you want to take your shirt off? I’m all covered up.” Aki’s tone was dark, a sadistic smile on his lips at Angel’s frustration. Angel could smell how excited he was. He swallowed, he was at the human’s mercy now, so he had to obey. He sat up, pulling his shirt over his head, his wings folding in through the holes he’d sown in the back of it. 

With a bit of malicious compliance, Angel slid back down onto the towel, waiting for Aki to lean back over him before he quickly reached a hand up, stroking his erection through the fabric. Angel wanted an agitated reaction to match his frustration, but instead Aki moaned and thrust hard against his hand, making intense eye contact. Angel felt his painfully empty pussy squeeze itself, feeling hollow and hungry. 

“You have no idea how badly I want to fuck you.” Aki’s voice was deep and low. Angel’s cock twitched against his stomach, his body yearning for some force or friction. 

“Touch me again. Be rough with me,” Angel begged. Aki slid two fingers inside, Angel thrusting into his hand, his pussy squeezing around Aki’s fingers. “ More ,” he whined. Aki slipped a third finger in cautiously, very slowly thrusting his fingers in and out, to Angel’s dismay. Angel reached for Aki’s erection, and Aki took this as a cue to increase his pace, but he found it difficult with how tight Angel was getting.

Frankly, it was difficult to concentrate at all, this was getting him so worked up he was in pain, and he kept wanting to stop and watch Angel. His lean body was beautiful, his legs were shockingly strong as they threw his hips into Aki’s hand. His feathers were curling up around them, his wings looking messy as they fluttered and shook with pleasure. The devil looked like a complete wreck, a glimmer of drool hung from his mouth, his hair was fucked up from throwing his head against the pillow, his halo appeared to hang crooked, shining brighter than before.

Aki’s wrist was sore, he wasn’t sure how long he could keep this up. He badly wished he had his dominant hand. He tried curling his fingers while inside Angel, feeling them brush against something inside him, and the devil whipped into a frenzy, whining and gasping as he thrust against Aki. 

Aki let his thumb press against Angel’s clit, providing additional friction. Angel’s pussy was suddenly hot, Aki’s fingers sweating in the gloves. Was he close? Aki kept his pace, continuing to curl his fingers against the tightness despite his muscles aching. He badly wanted to be inside Angel, this warmth and tightness…

“Oh please, please,” Angel begged Aki, his wet eyes locking with the human, pupils fully dilated and half rolled back.

Aki could smell Angel’s juices, he felt a vile urge rise up inside him. “Are you going to come for me, you needy bitch ?” He didn’t know what had come over him, but Angel reacted violently, bucking and exclaiming profanities. 

“Fuck, oh GOD, yes!” Angel grew loud, moaning wildly as he came, thrusting his hips furiously. Aki felt immense pressure on his fingers but continued fingering the devil as he continued to grow more vocal. He watched as cum spilled from Angel’s dick onto his stomach, a normal volume this time. His pussy was tight, but seemed more slippery, easier to touch. 

Angel seemed to be moving towards another orgasm, was that even possible? His body was lost in throes of passion, his wings thrashing, feathers knocking things off Aki’s nightstand. Aki kept going as long as Angel continued, finding he couldn’t keep track of what was or wasn’t an orgasm - a few minutes passed before the devil collapsed back on the bed, gasping for air. Aki pulled his fingers out slowly, a thick web of hot cum still connecting him to the devil. 

Curiosity overtook him, and he brought his dripping glove towards his mouth, sliding a couple fingers in his mouth and tasting Angel’s cum. The taste was sweet, salty, with a touch of acidity. Better than semen, Aki wished he could eat it from the source. He licked his fingers clean, Angel peeking at the human just in time to witness his depravity. The devil gasped and moaned, slipping his gloved fingers in Aki’s waistband and pulling him out. Aki groaned, finding he was so swollen, the sensation was agony. 

Aki was hard , his cock hot and heavy with arousal. Angel squeezed his hand around the stiffness, Aki gasping as he began stroking. He was so turned on, Aki couldn’t help himself. He needed more . 

He reached down, throwing the towel underneath Angel over his lap, lowering his body onto Angel’s. Aki thrust into Angel’s grip, knowing he was putting pressure against his vulva or cock. He didn’t care which, he just wanted the friction of a body to grind against. Something to feel his arousal and frustration. Something to fuck . 

Angel couldn’t handle this, it was so hot, he felt like his body was going to combust. Aki was explosive and the way he thrust against Angel was rough and careless, possessed by his arousal. It was so attractive . Aki likely had no idea, but each thrust brought him over Angel’s clit, and Angel felt he might come from this pressure if it continued much longer. Angel’s moans and delighted gasps only fueling Aki more. Angel was having trouble controlling his actions, his brain practically commanding him to pull the towel away and slide Aki inside his pussy.

He mustered up all the mental strength he had to control himself. Aki had been so good to him, he wanted to give him some kind of reward. 

Angel suddenly reached one hand under the towel, touching himself for a moment before bringing this hand around Aki’s cock, replacing the other. He squeezed tighter, as Aki slid more easily into his hand. Cool wetness, a slippery sensation, Aki gasped as he realized what Angel had done. It was so dirty, exactly what he needed. A few frenzied pumps in the devil’s cum and Aki came onto the towel, an unholy noise leaving his lips. 

Angel put a gloved hand against the human’s face, gently stroking his cheek. Aki weakly pulled the other towel over Angel’s chest as he collapsed facedown, exhausted. He could hear the devil’s heart pounding through his chest, and closed his eyes. Angel brought his wings around, brushing Aki’s cheek with soft feathers as the human quickly fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Angel gently pet Aki’s hair as he slept, his touch delicate in an effort to avoid rousing him. He ached for more, Aki’s furious thrusts against him had driven his body mad. But he looked so peaceful resting on his chest, this moment couldn’t last long enough. Angel gently worked the hair tie out of Aki’s hair, his long hair falling over his face messily. He stroked his head with his fingertips, wincing each time the latex snagged a stray hair.

Aki slept for almost an hour and a half, waking only because he was overheated, soaked in sweat. He startled as he opened his eyes to see Angel’s bare chest, then looked up to the devil watching him closely. His hair was in his face, Angel must have taken it down. He had to admit to himself, Angel’s hands on his head felt nice, but he couldn’t take another second of this heat. Aki pushed himself up on his good arm, Angel’s wings falling to his sides. His broken hand ached, apparently he was so tired he slept on it. Aki was hot, his mouth was dry, but most importantly, he needed to check the time.

Aki tore his sweaty glove and long-sleeved shirt off as he sat up. He could feel Angel’s gaze on his body, and didn’t mind it. He stood up, searching for his clock on the floor. Oh thank god, there were still a couple hours left. 

Angel had gotten up, stretching and removing his gloves before he walked past Aki. Aki’s eyes followed him.

The devil was completely naked except for a pair of socks, this was the first time Aki had gotten a look at his whole body. His frame was androgynous, but his lower body registered as masculine. Aki tried considering the fact that Angel might not be a guy to excuse his actions, but he couldn’t force that identity on him. He felt a nauseating wash of shame.

Angel headed towards the bathroom, and Aki to the kitchen for a drink. 

He felt dehydrated. Angel probably was too, considering his fluid loss. He downed a glass of water at the sink, then reached into the fridge for a cold beer. He pulled out a second one for Angel, tucking the icy drinks against his bare skin with his elbow and wincing slightly at the extreme temperature difference. 

He refilled the glass of water, and headed back into the bedroom, where he started putting his belongings back on his nightstand. Nothing was broken, thankfully. Angel returned shortly after, eyeing the water on the nightstand. 

“It’s for you,” Aki nodded. He sat on the bed and watched as Angel gulped down the contents of the glass, water spilling out the corner of his mouth and running down his jaw. Aki averted his gaze, embarrassed by his thoughts.

Angel set the glass down, pointing to one of the beers Aki had tossed on the bed. He reached to grab it, regarding the space between them with caution. 

Angel crouched on the floor, taking little sips out of the can. Aki’s chest felt fluttery watching the devil. 

“Will we do this again?” Angel asked, licking his lips.

Aki hesitated. He was wondering that himself. After the whirlwind of experiences in the last few hours, he badly wanted to continue this affair. “I don’t know. I need to think about this.”

Aki flopped back on his bed, staring at the ceiling for a minute. He desperately needed a cigarette. He sighed and stood up, walking to his dresser for the box and lighter.

“I’ll be back. You need anything?” Aki headed towards the balcony door.

“Another hug when you get back.” Angel mused. 

Alright, Aki thought. He could give him that. 

He slipped onto the balcony, immediately uncomfortable in the afternoon heat. He smoked his cigarette leaned over the balcony railing, thoughts racing through his brain. 

Was it wrong that he was rough? Well, actually, considering his broken hand and violent temperament towards his housemates… It was in character, surely Angel wasn’t surprised. He had actually seemed quite aroused by it. Aki sighed. He’d broken his hand because of these feelings. This wasn’t good for him, but at the same time it felt so right. 

Could they get away with it again? He thought about Denji and Power’s reactions if they found out. Power would for sure bring it up, she couldn’t keep a juicy secret like that even if someone cut her tongue out. Denji… Aki wasn’t sure, but he felt the punk sometimes had moments of maturity. Besides, Denji for some reason already thought of him that way, and hadn’t brought it up before. 

He’d probably lose everything if Makima found out. But she wasn’t a saint either, could he phrase it as a way to manipulate Angel for good? 

The rest of his division would lose all respect for him, surely. Being gay was practically a crime these days, the sentence was social suicide. Especially for a devil. But perhaps they might understand a little, given how Angel looked.

God, what the fuck was he doing, looking for excuses for this. They’d never be too careless for this to get out. Actually… The most careful thing he could do is never do it again. It wouldn’t be hard to resist the temptation, he rarely worked with Angel. If he really wanted to, he could ask Makima to stop assigning the two together. 

His emotions were so conflicting. He needed time to process this, that’s for sure. 

He finished his cigarette and headed back inside to escape the heat. 

Angel had fully dressed himself. Oh yeah, they were going to hug. He looked happy to see Aki was back, speaking in his soft tone. “You might not be aware but it reeks in here. When are the others coming home?”

“A little over an hour.” Aki answered. What smell was the devil talking about, he couldn’t smell anything? “Uhh… From sex?”

Angel nodded.

Wait. If they could smell that, that very first night… “Angel, do you think they suspected anything, before?”

Angel was quiet for a moment. Denji and Power had been teasing them. He wasn’t sure how out of character that was for them, based on Aki’s reaction. “You know them best. A fiend cannot smell nearly as well, but Denji is technically a devil. Maybe he doesn’t have context for it yet, but his subconscious seemed suspicious of me.”

Aki suddenly seemed quite worried. 

“I don’t think he thought anything happened, but maybe he wondered if I was attracted to you.”

That made Aki feel slightly better, but now he had to figure out how to get rid of a smell he couldn’t detect. He wasn’t going to open a window in this heat. 

Fuck it, Aki thought. Nothing like the smell of cigarette smoke. He’d get chewed out for it, but it might mask any detectable smell. He popped another cigarette in his mouth, flicking his lighter.

He took a deep drag, leaning against his dresser. Angel stood up and approached him. 

“What’s it like?” He asked. 

“You wanna try?” Aki offered him the end. He felt a sad wave of emotion, reminding himself of Himeno, eager to get someone else addicted.

Angel leaned forward, the cigarette fitting between his lips as he inhaled. He coughed softly and frowned. “You like that?”

Aki chuckled and took a deep inhale, blowing the smoke at Angel playfully. “It grows on you.”

The devil crossed the room, crawling into Aki’s bed. He lay face down, pulling the sheets around him and inhaling deeply. The room was full of all the smells he associated with Aki, overpowering his sensitive nose. He felt happier than he’d ever felt before.

Aki sat on the bed next to Angel, who looked up at him fondly. He offered him the cigarette again, Angel taking a drag, this time exhaling it without any coughing. He felt a slight buzz in his head, a funny feeling.

“Is that empty?” Aki pointed to Angel’s beer can. The devil nodded. Aki reached over, tapping cigarette ash off onto the top of it. He finished his cigarette in silence, recalling the events of the last few hours.

Maybe it would be okay. He could get used to this, he thought. Sneaking around didn’t feel so bad, and he deserved a little stress relief now and again. Angel could probably drop by every so often through his window, so long as he promised to be quiet. They’d figure out a solution to the smell, he hoped. 

Aki tossed the butt of the cigarette into the can, setting it back on his nightstand. He opened his own can and took a long drink, liking the cooling sensation in his throat.

“Do you want me to go home?” Angel broke the silence.

“Probably sometime soon.” Aki nodded, putting his shirt back on. He needed a little bit of time to remove any evidence of Angel’s presence. 

He lifted an arm up, offering an embrace to Angel as he sat on the bed. Angel wrapped his arms around the human, clasping his gloved hands together. He tried throwing his weight down to the bed to see if Aki would lay here for a little while, and was pleasantly surprised when he did just that, but turned his body around to avoid their faces touching.

Angel pressed his body close against Aki’s back, spooning him. He draped a wing over them, rubbing the top ridge of it against Aki’s jaw. Aki’s body relaxed, enjoying the soft feathers brushing against the sensitive skin of his cheek. Angel pressed his face against Aki’s back, trying to savor every moment of this in case this was a one-time experience. His hands wandered on Aki’s chest, cupping his pectoral muscles and feeling his softly developed abs. He stopped when he detected a faint whiff of human arousal, and Aki shifted nervously. 

They lay there for a few minutes in silence before he felt Aki stir, wanting to get up. Aki stood and Angel followed him. The human began picking up the trash from the room.

“Where do you want to go from here, Hayakawa?”

Aki thought about it for a moment. He craved more of this, but with his ravenous sexuality slightly sated, it made him sick to think about it. What the fuck was he doing with a devil ? No, this would need to be swept under the rug, never to be spoken of again. 

“I don’t know if I can do this again.” Aki sighed. “It was illuminating, though.”

Angel could detect he was heavily conflicted. He didn’t want to pry or test his luck and make it worse, so he kept his disappointment to himself. Aki had come around to it before, maybe he would again?

“I hope you enjoyed it.” Angel smiled. “Thank you. Your uh… our secret is safe with me. If you need me, you know where to find me. I’m open to anything. Even just being friends.”

Aki felt overwhelmed by guilt, now having involved someone he was somewhat close to in something so intimate. “Thanks for understanding. Take care, Angel.” Aki walked him to the front door, The devil slipped his shoes on and bowed before leaving. 

Aki took all of the trash out, tossing the soiled towels. He strategically washed one bowl and put it away. They wouldn’t be suspicious about the beer cans so he tossed them in the recycling. He quickly mopped, let Meowy back out, heading into his room to finish cleaning. Aki spot cleaned his bed, there wasn’t time to wash his sheets but luckily the area of damage was pretty small. 

Part of him wanted to leave Angel’s scent for a little longer, it wasn’t like Power or Denji ever ventured in his room, so he grabbed a change of clothes and shut the door. Aki bathed, then brought the remainder of his laundry to the washer and started a load.

He picked up a book and reclined on the couch, finding himself staring blankly at the pages.  

What the hell was he going to do now? He felt so confused, like he’d answered one question with another.

He had never felt that way, or had any of those thoughts towards women. But he respected women deeply, so would he allow himself? Aki didn’t want to live the rest of his life without experiencing something like that again. He needed to explore himself more to be sure.

The front door swung open, Denji and Power explosively noisy. Aki stood up, wanting to catch the expression of the poor soul who had to deal with them. An older fellow, face shell shocked, bowed to him and practically sprinted away. Aki felt a slight smile tug at his lips. 

Denji was wearing a shirt with a mascot of a lizard on it, holding two branded shopping bags. Power had managed to put on a hat, her horns poking through the top of it. She wielded a long plastic sword, incessantly smacking Denji with it. 

“You guys had fun?” Aki asked.

“It was great!” Denji launched into a detailed recount of their adventures.

Power suddenly spoke over him, loudly. “I SMELL MEAT?” She ran into the kitchen, angrily whining at the empty pot on the stove. “I demand you cook for us tonight, human slave! I am famished from my journey!”

Aki stood and stretched, yawning. 

Denji sniffed the air, making a disgusted face. Aki’s blood ran cold. “You smoked in here, you freak? What’d you even do all day?” He looked at Aki suspiciously. 

“What I loved doing every day before I had to let you assholes move in here. Enjoyed the solitu-“

“Watched porn and jacked it, probably.” Denji snickered. 

Aki scowled. He hadn’t missed this. “Oh, I cleaned up your game too, cleared the save files for you.” 

“NOOOOOO!!!” Denji wailed, rushing to the console and falling to his knees. “YOU MONSTER! HOW COULD YOU!”

Power shuffled over, a bit worried as well. “Prove it, peon! Methinks Topknot is full of shit!”

Aki smirked, seeing a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. Meowy lay on the floor a few feet away, batting around a long white feather with her paws. Aki’s heart skipped a beat, and he lunged for the feather. Meowy was more interested in playing with Aki’s flesh, scratching him deeply as he quickly shoved the feather in his waistband, out of sight. He cursed, shoving his bleeding finger in his mouth. 

“BLOOD!? Meowy has claimed a victim! The ferocious huntress knows to punish Topknot for his deceit!” Power dashed over and scooped the cat into her arms, cooing at her. She stuck her tongue out at Aki, then headed into her room.

That was so close, Aki thought. He headed to his room, where he hid the feather in one of his books.

The regret he felt was suffocating. This couldn’t go on, he had to nip it in the bud. Well… This wasn’t a bud anymore, he had let it blossom into something even more forbidden. How could he be so stupid? 

This wasn’t the only time Aki had done something like it before, what were there, fifty guys he’d touched before? That was when he was drunk, he was completely sober today, and he knew the guy. That made it even worse. He had a problem with men, he needed to stop this. He could now admit it to himself, and that was the first step to recovery, after all. 

Aki took a deep breath. No use dwelling on it right now. He decided to start his evening routine earlier, in hopes he could go to bed early.

He set to work preparing an array of dishes for dinner. Hopefully that’d be a big enough distraction for any suspicion the two had.

He pulled the kitchen trash can out to toss vegetable peels. Fuck, he’d forgotten to take this trash out . Aki threw the aromatics on the stove quickly, hoping to cover any odor he’d released.

It probably wasn’t as big of a deal as he was making it. He needed to relax. Why would they suspect anything? It wasn’t like they had any reason to suspect Angel had been there.

The rest of the night went uneventfully, to Aki’s relief. He chased dinner with a cigarette, the evening had cooled off quite pleasantly. 

He was getting nowhere thinking about things, they were too fresh. Perhaps if he’d give it a few days, the dimming fondness of these sinful memories would let him think objectively about the situation. 

“I thought a day off would help you relax, dude. You put a bigger stick up your ass while we were gone? Freaked out about your hand? Did they give you crazy pills?” Denji asked as Aki came back inside. 

“It’s clear he is crushed he wasn’t invited today! He’s in trouble with Makima surely, for he cannot work without his hand! Puny human!”  Power teased. 

Aki sighed. “Yeah, actually, I don’t have enough PTO. This comes out of my paycheck. You assholes already devour most of that. Maybe you should help pay for groceries for the next few weeks?” That shut them up.

As soon as the sun was down, he made a show of yawning, putting himself to bed early.

He paced his room for a minute, nervous to rekindle the memories of what occurred in that bed. Aki checked his balcony door was locked, just in case, and crawled into his sheets. The smell of Angel was heavy and intoxicating, as Aki closed his eyes he could almost feel his touch, his warmth . 

Could he really deny himself that closeness with another soul for the remainder of his life? Well, it’s not like he had long. This was a distraction from his mission that he couldn’t afford. But he needed a distraction for the next few weeks while he was stuck on the sidelines healing.

What about the way he felt towards Angel’s pussy? The desire to fuck. Surely that was a sign he might still be attracted towards the opposite sex?

It’d probably be even better to fuck a human woman. Maybe he was like this because he was such a prude about bedding women. He needed experience.

Aki resolved himself to explore his sexuality a little more. Then he could put all of this 6 feet under, and focus .

Chapter Text

Aki’s surgery went smoothly, his cast allowed him the mobility of his thumb and pinky, and he found his pain was barely noticeable. It’d be a few weeks before the cast came off, and limited mobility for a few weeks after that. The doctor had said his recovery would be shockingly quick, provided he had no freaky side effects to the treatment.

Aki set to work on his new experiment. He’d decided he was going to hunt for a partner at bars. To increase his chances, he’d try new bars he had not found willing male partners at before. 

Perhaps he had been making his housemates’ lives hell recently. Denji had no idea of Aki’s mission, but he’d been whining for Aki to get a life, a girlfriend. Denji had also added “Or a boyfriend,” and made a comment about his attitude potentially improving with someone putting something nice up his ass, Aki wasn’t thrilled by that. As retribution, Aki would have no problem bringing a girl home.

Aki was getting excited at the prospect of a sexual encounter. One he wouldn’t need to feel shame for, he hoped.

He cleaned himself up, donning a semi-casual outfit of a button-up shirt and slacks. Looking in the mirror, he decided against it, instead changing into an ironed white t-shirt and black jeans. That seemed more like something a straight girl might like, maybe? He could go in his work clothes, that’d charm them, but he’d feel like an idiot dressing up off-duty. 

“Are you going to the store? Can you bring back ice cream?” Denji asked, noting Aki was dressed to leave.

“No, you have legs, get your own.”

“Where are you going, dressed like that?” Denji pointed.

“Drinking.” Aki shrugged.

Denji hooted. “Wow, I’m surprised. You, socializing?”

“Topknot, on a date?” Power yelled from the living room. She cackled maniacally in disbelief. “I pity her!”

Aki sighed. “Don’t wait up for me. You have a mission tomorrow afternoon, so make sure your clothes are clean.” He paused before adding “Don’t make me regret leaving you two alone at night.”

“Yes sir!” Denji said, taking Aki seriously for once. He didn’t want to get in the way of Aki blowing off some steam. 

Aki took a cab to the first bar he’d picked. He nervously sat down at the bar, secretly hoping a woman would approach him. He downed a few drinks, lightly chatting with the bartender. He was there for an hour, with the bar pretty empty, already feeling a little lightheaded and wondering if he should head home.

Out of the corner of his eye, a woman sat a few chairs down at the bar. She had long brown hair, and was quite pretty, dressed in a blouse and slacks. She wore a little shimmery eyeshadow, her cheeks had a nice blush and her lip gloss was eye catching.

She looked like she was waiting for something, glancing around and pushing her cocktail around on the counter. 

This was his chance, Aki thought. He downed the rest of his drink, tapping his glass on the table as he set it down. This caught her attention, the girl made eye contact with him, a twinkle in her eye. 

“That seat taken?” Aki gestured to the chair next to her. The girl shook her head and smiled. 

He slid into the chair, ordering a new drink. He needed more alcohol, for this, he thought. He felt so nervous.

“I haven’t seen you here before” The girl spoke in a low voice. Did this mean she came here often? Aki hoped this might improve his chances. 

“I don’t get out much. You here with anyone?” Aki asked, taking a long sip of his drink. He relaxed his posture, hoping she couldn’t detect his nervousness.

“No, just here for a good time.” The girl smiled deviously. 

Oh thank god , Aki thought. He forced a smirk onto his face.

“Will you do a shot with me?” The girl asked. She seemed young. Aki wondered if he’d have the opportunity to get to know her a little.

“If you tell me a little about yourself.” He nodded. 

She ordered two lemon drops, although Aki told the bartender he’d cover her tab. She giggled as they clinked their glasses together before downing hers, a rosy flush on her cheeks. 

“I work in healthcare, I’m a nurse. I have three cats, and two awful roommates. What about you?”

“Public Safety, Special Division.” Aki said. “Mine can be awful too. One roommate has a cat.”

“Oh, so you fight devils? That’s so dangerous. How heroic!” The girl swooned. “Is that how you hurt your hand?”

Aki neglected to share the truth with her. ‘I broke it cause I was mad I’d done something gay, ’ probably wouldn’t win her over. The two chatted for a few minutes, Aki found himself relaxing a bit.

The woman put a hand on Aki’s thigh, whispering in his ear. “I can tell you don’t do this often, it’s okay. It’s kinda fun if you’re nervous.”

Aki felt a bit embarrassed, but it did make him feel a bit better that his apprehension wasn’t turning her off. They chatted for a while longer, the devil hunter loosening up as the alcohol flowed through his veins.

The girl was handsy, her fingertips exploring Aki’s leg. She slid her hand on his waist then leaned towards his face, whispering against his lips. 

“You wanna get out of here? Your place or mine? You’d have to meet my roommates.” 

“Mine should leave us alone.” Aki hoped. Time to get this over with, he thought. 

They called a cab, the girl practically sitting in his lap as they drove home. She spoke in a sultry voice, her lips inches from Aki’s. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her mouth. The alcohol had him feeling reckless, and he leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers.

This wasn’t the first time he’d kissed someone, but he couldn’t recall it ever feeling this soft before. She kissed back, her hands grabbing his cheeks. Her fingers felt cold. Aki slid his fingertips underneath her hair, she breathed softly against his mouth from the touch. 

These were things he could never do with Angel. He enjoyed them, and felt a little excited at the events ahead of them. 

The cab dropped them off, the driver looking a little pissed. Aki led his partner for the night into the elevator, kissing her passionately in their moment of privacy. He wondered if all one night stands involved this much thought behind foreplay, or if he wasn’t supposed to be thinking about what he was doing. The influence of alcohol was exactly what he needed, he shook off the thought. This was going great. 

They slid inside the apartment, Aki shushing her softly as she giggled loudly. The lights were off, Denji and Power’s doors were shut. Thank god they didn’t ruin this for him.

The two slipped into Aki’s room, he turned around and pressed the girl against his door with a heavy kiss, sliding his tongue in her mouth. She whimpered softly, her hands wandering over his body. She slid a few fingertips in his waistband, and Aki froze. He grabbed her wrist playfully, pinning it against his door, the girl gasping and grinning. 

“Slow down.” He whispered teasingly. He knew he wasn’t as hard as he should be and felt embarrassed. Maybe it was just the alcohol, he told himself. He let go of her hand and moved his hand to her waist, exploring upwards slowly. 

He’d never been huge on breasts, but he was curious what they felt like. He felt a thick layer of padding covering soft tissue. Ah, a bra. Aki was glad his hand was broken and he didn’t have to fumble to remove it. The girl slid her hands behind her back, undoing the clasp and sliding the straps down her shoulders. She pushed Aki back slightly, unbuttoning her blouse. He slid his hand in, fingertips exploring the shockingly soft and warm flesh. Her nipple was hard. He took her breast in his palm, squeezing softly. She sighed, moaning softly. Aki thought he was more of an ass guy, this didn’t do it for him.

Aki hoped he’d get a bit more excited the more attention she gave him. He backed off of her, dragging her by the hand as he led her to his bed. She shed her shirt and pants, by the light of his window Aki could see her panties had little cherries on them. He let his eyes linger on her body. She had perky, smaller breasts and an hourglass figure, looking very pretty illuminated in the moonlight. 

She reached for the bottom of his shirt, pulling it over his head with a little struggle. Her hands gripped his waist as she pulled him closer and sat on his bed, kissing the skin on his chest. He gasped softly as he felt her tongue slide across his skin. He did like this, and her hands traveled around his back, squeezing his ass through his jeans. 

“Nice,” she chuckled. Aki felt his body responding to the touch, finally, thank god . The girl unbuttoned his pants, sliding them down his waist. She slid a palm against his stomach and let her fingertips follow his body hair downwards, running her hand along his briefs. Aki gasped. Whatever twinge of excitement he’d felt down there wasn’t enough, he could sense her disappointment. 

“Sorry, I-“ He started, not sure what to say.

She shushed him, climbing up on her knees on the bed to kiss him again. “It’s okay, honey. Alcohol and nerves.” 

Aki felt a little better, this must happen to other men, he thought. 

The girl dropped her focus to his dick, slipping a hand into his waistband and stroking him attentively. He focused on the sensation of pleasure, feeling himself growing in her hand. She smirked proudly, laying back on his bed and inviting him on top of her.

Aki held himself up on top of her and made out with her for a little longer, then flopped on his side so he could touch her again.

His fingers traveled down her waist, tugging at her panties, and she slid them off for him, spreading her legs. He explored her anatomy with his fingertips, finding what he’d learned from Angel beneficial. She was quite noisy already, he was a little proud. With her permission, he slid his fingers inside, finding this an entirely different sensation without a glove on.

His thoughts flashed to Angel, Aki secretly wished they could have experienced this without all the layers. Why would he think that, now? It was a mistake, he reminded himself, but the memories were so vivid in his mind. 

The girl began tugging at him, wanting more. Aki moved closer to her face, kissing her again, as she pulled his dick out of his briefs. 

Aki glanced down, he was semi-hard, thankfully. 

She helped him take them off, and Aki reached into his nightstand drawer for a condom. The girl took it from him, opening it and sliding it on him with ease, spreading her legs provocatively. 

With her hand’s assistance, Aki produced a full erection, and as Aki supported his weight on one hand, she helped guide it inside of her, moaning softly

The warmth and tightness was fantastic, Aki suddenly felt giddy, like he was in another world. He thrust inside her, finding a rhythm she responded to quickly. She wrapped her hands around his head, kissing him. 

They fucked for a few minutes, Aki hoped his stamina might impress her, she seemed to be building towards something with the noises she made against his mouth. She rocked her hips into him forcefully. 

It was the alcohol, he told himself, that made his mind keep wandering to Angel. He was distracted, and the girl noticed, wrapping her legs around him. It was the alcohol that was keeping him from coming. 

“Hey, you wanna switch positions? Ease up on your arm?” She asked, sensing he wasn’t going to finish like this. Aki nodded, and the girl had him lay on his back as she climbed on top of him. She seemed to enjoy this more, kissing Aki as she rode him. 

She lowered her head to his neck, kissing his skin for a few seconds before putting her mouth on it. Aki let a soft sound escape his lips, this felt nice. He might be able to come, he thought. He thrust into her a little harder from below, and she started getting louder. He put a hand on her waist, gripping her flesh tightly. It wasn’t long before it seemed like she came, her body shuddering for a minute, her movement slowing. 

She seemed to rebound for another round, remembering that Aki still hadn’t come. She focused her attention on him, trying to figure out what drove him crazy. She sucked on his neck, and he gasped, finding he could feel every movement of her tongue on his skin. Minutes passed, Aki could tell she wanted him to climax, and he focused on the sensations, trying to relax, shutting his eyes. 

His mind drew an image of Angel on top of him, wings spread in ecstasy, the tightness of his pussy around his cock... FUCK ! Why did he think of that now?! Aki moaned as he couldn’t stop the orgasm suddenly coursing through his body. 

The girl suddenly bit down on Aki’s neck, laughing as he yelped softly. “Good job, honey.” She kissed him gently, sliding off of him and removing the condom. Aki couldn’t look her in the eyes, feeling immense shame. He needed this to be over. 

The girl wanted to cuddle, Aki entertained her for a few minutes before getting up, taking a drink of water and putting his briefs back on, sitting back on his bed. He felt terrible, burying his head in his hands.  

She kissed his shoulder from behind, whispering in his ear. “You did great, you were so hot. Don’t sweat it too much, it’ll get easier. That your first time?” Aki nodded nervously, she sensed his discomfort. “You want me to head out?” 

The girl got up, sliding her clothes back on. Aki got up and put his clothes back on. “Let me call you a cab,” he said. He slipped out of the room, headed to the phone in the kitchen. Somehow he ended up with a bottle of liquor in his hand, which he left on the counter after downing a mouthful. 

Aki stumbled back in the room, his head spinning. He felt like the world was ending, overwhelmed by emotions. There was an awkward tension in the room he couldn’t bring himself to repair. He walked the girl down after a few uncomfortable minutes. She kissed him on the cheek. “You’re a real gentleman. I had a lot of fun. Take care of yourself and stay safe out there. Is it wrong if I hope I see you again at my job?” She laughed, slipping into the cab and waving. 

Aki walked back to his apartment, feeling like he was starting to sober up slightly. He remedied this with the bottle on the counter. He tipped it back, drinking as much as he could stomach. He didn’t want to feel this way anymore.

He regretted trying this experiment, the memories of the experience were somehow jarring and nauseating. He’d been uncomfortable and disinterested the whole time. 

Aki felt even worse because by comparison, he felt pride towards his memories of his shameful adventures with a devil . So much so, he needed to imagine Angel in order to finish while having sex with an experienced and attractive woman.

He was disgusting . 

Aki stumbled back into his bed, finding tears forming in his eyes. He buried his face in his pillow, begging for sleep to rescue him from his thoughts.

——-

Aki awoke to knocking on his door. 

“Hey, did you die or something? It’s almost noon.” Denji’s voice crept through the door. 

What the fuck? Aki got up, his head was killing him. He’d definitely drank a lot last night. He had slept in his jeans. He stumbled to the door, opening it. 

“Oh wow, you look like shit.” Denji laughed at Aki’s apparent hangover. “Trouble finding a girl willing to sleep with you?” The kid cackled. Aki pushed past him, headed to the bathroom.

“Yo wait dude, is that a HICKEY!?” Denji hollered, Aki flinching as the noise made his head pound. He shut himself in the bathroom, rubbing his neck. 

The events from last night were blurry, and some part of him wanted to keep it that way. He tried putting himself together before heading back into the onslaught. Aki inspected his neck, sure enough, a huge purple bruise decorated his neck, and what looked like bite marks in another spot. He couldn’t recall what had happened. 

Denji waved to Aki when he emerged. Power looked angry, not even glancing at Aki. 

“Yo, you got laid, man! You gotta tell me about it, what did she look like?” Denji hounded Aki. 

“Shut the fuck up and give me a minute!” Aki snapped. He was desperate for relief from this headache, boiling water for instant coffee and pouring pain relievers into his mouth. He cupped water from the sink to his mouth to swallow the pills. 

“Did you eat?” Aki’s voice was tense. 

“Yeah, made toast and eggs.” Denji nodded. Carbs and protein, that’d have to do, Aki thought. He didn’t have the time or the strength to whip more up for them. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t wake up on time.” He sighed, rubbing his forehead. 

“It’s cool, you had a wild night for once.” Denji teased. “You gotta tell me about it when we get back!”

“Sure,” Aki said. As long as he remembered what happened…

“Disgraceful!” Power suddenly chipped in. “The woman had to fight back! What kind of sick freak are you, mortal!” Denji had explained to her what a hickey was, apparently. He definitely hadn’t done so well, but Aki was not going to deal with it. 

He took his instant coffee and a slice of bread to his room and slammed the door. 

He shut the blinds and curtains, feeling some relief in the dark. What had happened last night? Aki spotted something on his floor under his bed, dragging it out with his foot. A pair of panties? Okay, definitely a girl then. And he brought her home?

He shut his eyes and tried to remember, but all he could feel was his head pounding. He felt nauseous, forcing himself to eat the piece of bread so he had something on his stomach. 

Aki flopped back on his bed, shutting his eyes. It took a while before the headache lightened enough for his brain to function. He heard Denji and Power leave the apartment for their mission, fortunately on time. 

He faintly remembered a girl at the bar, laughing. Had he slept with her? Aki got up, deciding he might as well do something productive while his memory returned.

He stared at the panties on the floor for a minute, recalling the girl undressing in front of him. He didn’t know what to do with them, kicking them deep under his bed. Aki sighed. He checked his trash, finding a used condom. Did he dare inspect it? He had to know... It wasn’t empty.

He breathed a sigh of relief, apparently he wasn’t completely gay after all. The girl gave him a hickey, so she must have enjoyed some part of it.

He was content with that for now, heading out to the balcony for a cigarette before starting his chores. 

As he sat in the sun, his memories stopped making sense. Was it right that he was so drunk he got hungover? No, he remembered being relatively clear headed during sex.

The memory of his climax clicked into place for him. 

Fuck . 

Aki felt sick again. He tossed his half smoked cigarette into the ashtray and slipped back inside. He could feel himself spiraling, but he took a few deep breaths. He ran himself a bath. 

Part of him wanted to negotiate with himself, maybe it was the alcohol, or he didn’t connect with the girl. But Aki had two sexual experiences to compare, and the stark difference in the way he felt about them was vividly apparent.

It still didn’t settle the nausea in his gut. He knew this might have been the case, that’s why he needed to experiment. He had wanted to know. Now he needed to learn to live with the truth.

Aki tried focusing on the positives. He was better off this way, less distraction, he could focus the rest of his time on finding the Gun Devil.

It was fucking depressing, though. He felt like it sucked the joy and hope out of life. Maybe he would be better off never knowing and dying a clueless virgin. At least he wouldn’t feel this shame.

The day dragged on, Aki tried watching TV for a while. There was a live coverage of an ongoing negotiation with a devil that had trapped a couple hundred civilians in a building. Denji and Power weren’t on this mission, but Aki watched for a little while, mildly interested. He missed working. He knew he’d probably feel better about his sexuality when he could bury himself in work again.

Aki put on loud music while he scrubbed the baseboards of the apartment, finding it distracting enough. 

He let Meowy out of Power’s room, but she wanted nothing to do with him. He could see her litter box still looked relatively clean, at least Power was taking better care of it. He sighed and headed back to his room to read. But first, Aki had to discard the shameful evidence of last night, he couldn’t bear knowing it was still there. 

He took the trash to the complex dumpster, sighing deeply as he tossed it in. 

There went his heterosexuality. That was that.

Denji harassed him for the details as soon as he returned. Aki refused to share them over dinner, and Power practically turned green at the thought of hearing this. As soon as dinner concluded, Denji sent her to her room, grilling Aki. 

Aki sighed, needing a cigarette. He walked away, headed to the balcony, and unfortunately Denji followed him. 

He spoke between drags. “What’s there to say, I met a girl, we had drinks, then we had sex and she went home.”

“Was it so bad you didn’t want her staying over?” Denji asked. “Or did you suck that bad?” 

“Do you blame me for not wanting her to experience you assholes? Not everyone’s so open to existing alongside non-humans.” Aki grumped.

“Is she your girlfriend now?”

“No.” Aki responded firmly.

“Well at least you got laid. Proud of you, never thought it would happen.” Denji shoved Aki’s shoulder playfully. He wondered why the guy seemed so depressed about it. Maybe he was just shy, didn’t want to kiss and tell?

It became readily apparent over the next day something was off about Aki, at least to Denji. 

He slept in, smoked more, took naps, and worst of all, he was even more of a tightass. Denji thought his skin on his hands would peel off if he had to clean another inch of the walls. The apartment wasn’t even that dirty, Denji figured he just wanted everyone else to suffer with him. He was considerably more grumpy than normal, and that was saying a lot considering his normal temperament was “Jaded Old Man.”

He wasn’t sure he’d get anywhere talking to the guy, but he seemed particularly down in the dumps that night, chain smoking on the balcony. Denji wasn’t a fan of broaching the topic of feelings, but Aki had done a lot for him, and he was admittedly a little fond of him. Kinda bothered him that Aki was going through something alone. 

He slipped onto the balcony with Aki, the man groaning and shooing him away. 

“Oi, asshole. What crawled up your ass and died?” Denji started, immediately regretting the tone of his words. He was bad at this. 

Aki was silent, hoping if he ignored Denji he’d get the message and walk away. 

Denji couldn’t bear the silence, babbling. “I thought getting your dick wet changes a man, for the better. It’s like you regret it, though. Like what, are you gay or something?” He pondered for a moment. 

“That would probably suck a lot, especially if it was you. People think gay guys are shrimpy and have no balls, they already kinda think that about you. You probably would be made fun of by coworkers. And Makima wouldn’t ever go on a date with you if she thought you were gay. That’d make me pretty depressed, too.” Denji couldn’t keep his mouth shut, blabbering mindlessly. He scratched his head awkwardly. “Sorry I call you gay sometimes. If you are, y'know it’s okay, at least to me. I’ll stop giving you shit, I’m cool with gay people. I wouldn’t tell on you.”

“We’d probably have to figure out a way to convince Power not to tell anyone, though. Hold Meowy hostage or threaten to go vegetarian or something.” Denji debated it seriously. He was bullshitting, hoping by making Aki uncomfortable, he’d open up to get Denji to leave him alone. 

Aki felt like he couldn’t breathe. How did Denji figure it out, he thought? Lucky guess? Had it been that obvious? Was it worth hiding? 

Denji glanced at Aki, who looked like he’d seen a ghost. What the fuck?

“Uh, are you okay? I thought you’d kill me when I said that. Holy shit, dude, say something.” Denji shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

“Denji,” Aki began speaking, voice a little rough from his heavy smoking. “Shut up.”

“I was just kidding but… Dude, now I’m actually suspicious.” Denji crouched down, looking at Aki curiously. “Are you gay?”

Aki stared over the balcony at the sky. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything, but Denji could do the math.

“So are you gonna look for a boyfriend or something?” Denji inquired.

“Leave me alone.”

“Alright, but like, I support you. Doesn’t change how I think of you. Power will come around to it too. You don’t need to be all sad and pathetic about it forever. And don’t like, kill yourself over it cuz we need you. Your cooking is really good.” Denji shrugged.

Aki groaned, flicking his cigarette butt at Denji, who brushed the ash off his shirt with a disgusted face. “If you say anything, to anyone, I will kill you.” 

The punk nodded nervously, finally leaving him alone, yelling for Power to come play Mario Kart with him.

That went… Surprisingly well, Aki thought. 

He needed to pull himself together.

Chapter Text

Aki spent the next morning at the library, combing through newspapers for anything potentially relevant to the Gun Devil. 

He’d called Makima in dire desperation the night prior for something to do while he healed, and had been given copies of cases where they recovered pieces of its flesh. He’d pored over them late into the night, spreading articles and clippings on a map he’d placed on his bedroom floor, looking for something to piece them together. 

Honestly, he felt like he was wasting his time. He needed the distraction. He checked out his resources from the library, stopping at a coffee shop for a pick-me-up before taking the train home. 

He took a sip of coffee as he unlocked the apartment door, and not two steps inside he locked eyes with Angel. 

Aki spluttered, aspirating his mouthful of coffee and coughing. 

What the fuck was he doing here?

Denji proudly leapt off the couch. “Oh! I answered the phone and talked to Makima! She said the Angel Devil would be staying with us, because his apartment is being uhhh, what did she say it was?”

“Fumigated.” Angel nodded. 

“Anyways, I told her yes so we can play video games. Figured it was okay cuz she said you asked for that to happen. You’re welcome.”

Aki couldn’t deal with this. Not right now. His hand went to his neck, recalling the bruise that hadn’t quite faded. He couldn’t make eye contact with Angel. Hopefully neither Denji nor Power said anything.

Aki mumbled something about needing more lunch ingredients, tossing his stack of newspapers on the counter before ducking back out the door. 

Fuck .

Aki headed to the grocery store, stalling. He felt sick thinking about returning home, if he could waste enough time he could busy himself with cooking as soon as he got back. He’d learned if food was tasty enough, Denji and Power would be too busy swallowing to talk. 

He stopped at an electronics store, too, asking the employee at the register what the most popular games for the console they had were. Well, he hadn’t known there were other consoles, so the kid made him look at a few so Aki could point out the one he recognized.

The employee gave him a weird look. Aki wondered if normal guys his age were expected to be interested in video games. Nothing about him was normal. 

He bought two multiplayer games. “Diddy Kong Racing” and “Star Fox 64.” Hopefully those would keep everyone occupied. 

Aki considered stopping at the liquor store to further delay his errands, but alcohol would probably make everything worse. That was how all of this started, in the first place. Or maybe it was just always in his nature. 

He thought about what was waiting for him back at the apartment. Angel had been wearing long sleeves. Did he have ulterior motives? Aki fought off shameful thoughts about it as he walked home. He sighed as he silenced his thoughts, pushing open the front door after a few moments of hesitation. 

Silence greeted his ears at first, then Denji greeted him. “You’re back, can you tell Power to be nice to me and Angel? We won the last round, she wants to be a cheater about it!” Denji whined. 

Akl walked down the hallway, observing the energy of the apartment before he spoke.

“TOPKNOT!” Power screamed, “Denji will not allow me to control anything. I cannot remain complacent to this tyranny!”

“Hayakawa put me in charge when he left!” Denji argued. 

“No I didn’t,” Aki growled. “Power picks the next game.” He tossed the fiend the bag containing new games, and she practically leapt for joy. She immediately started rubbing it in Denji’s face and bragging that the games belonged to her. 

Aki let himself glance at Angel, who looked amused. He immediately looked down, but could see Angel turn his head towards him. 

Aki put his full focus on cooking. He made ramen from scratch, with three side dishes, and a variety of add-ins everyone could pick from. He figured this was enough distraction. He set the table, careful to keep Angel on the side of his neck with no bruising.

“Awww, I don’t want to sit next to Power, she stinks.  Angel, will you switch with me?” Denji grumbled. 

Fuck .

This put Angel directly across from Aki. There was no way he could avoid it. 

More than anything, Aki dreaded the potential emotions that would result from any confrontation with Angel. 

Aki chased noodles around the bowl, feeling nauseous. He could feel eyes on him, were they Angel’s? Or Denji, surely picking up something off about him. 

Aki had to pull himself together. 

“So what are all the newspapers about?” Angel’s soft voice asked, meekly.

Aki cleared his throat. “Gun Devil research.” He glanced at Angel’s face, finding his eyes locked on his neck. Aki met the devil’s concerned, incredulous expression with one of indifference, although his heart pounded in his chest, feeling like the muscle was ready to crawl out of his mouth. 

He could see Denji in his peripheral vision, mouth hanging open, full of half-chewed noodles, glancing between the two men. 

This had very quickly become so complicated, Aki’s head hurt. He badly wanted to flee the situation, but knew it would only make things look worse for him. 

Power lifted her bowl to her mouth, slurping loudly, completely oblivious to the drama. She smacked it down against the table, turning to Aki and shrieking, “I demand MORE! Why are you not eating yours, peon! Have you poisoned the soup!?”

“Power, if you can ask nicely, you can have more.” Aki turned to her, voice calm.

“Topknot, prepare me another bowl of ramen, I beg you!” Power huffed.

“Something’s missing.” He shook his head. 

“Uch… PLEASE prepare me another bowl!”

Aki sighed, rolling his eyes. “You can make your own.”

Power jumped to her feet, running into the kitchen with her empty bowl.

Denji suddenly had a deep interest in his bowl, not daring to interrupt the standoff between the other two. 

“What’s up with your neck?” Angel finally asked after an uncomfortable silence.

“Hickey.” Aki calmly replied, suavely swallowing his fear. He slurped a mouthful of noodles, chewing with an unbothered expression. He could see Denji’s eyes bulging from his head out of the corner of his vision. 

“You met someone?” Angel peeped. His cheeks were red.

Aki shrugged. He didn’t know what to say, not with Denji to witness this.

“Huh.” Angel went quiet. Aki observed the devil’s wings looked like they were slowly puffing up. 

Denji awkwardly brought up the game they were playing, trying to change the subject. He’d run out of ramen and no longer had a distraction to hide behind. 

Power flopped down at the table, proudly devouring her creation. She had dumped the entire container of meat made for sharing into her second bowl of ramen.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” Denji squeaked as Aki swallowed his last bite. 

“Yeah, what’s up?” Aki asked. 

“Alone.”

Aki sighed and got up, following Denji to his room. 

“I think I know something that might make you feel less uhh… Pathetic and sad?”

Aki had a feeling he knew what Denji was about to say. 

“Don’t be mad at me but… You might actually have a chance with that guy. There’s not a lot of fish in the sea for you, buddy.” Denji shook his head. 

“The Angel Devil?” Aki raised an eyebrow. ”What makes you say that?”

“Dude he like, almost cried when he saw you had a hickey?” Denji pushed Aki’s shoulder. 

Aki felt guilty. If Denji, as apathetic and unbothered as he is, could recognize that from Angel, there’s no question the devil was hurting. But he didn’t want this to go on any longer. 

“Not interested.” Aki rolled his eyes.

“Look, asshole. You wanna be fucking miserable, you can still be miserable with him . At least you’d have company is all I’m sayin’ dude.” Denji folded his arms, indignant. 

“He’s a devil, though.”

“So?!” Denji barked. “Lotsa devils are hot , there’s gotta be one of them that isn’t batshit crazy. If I was you I’d cut my losses. Besides, you act kinda gay around him, not gonna lie.” 

“What!? No I don’t.” Aki grumbled. 

“You fucking touch him, dude? You somehow know the rules of his power.”

Aki felt a flash of anger. Had he been that obvious?

“Nobody’s gotta know, I won’t snitch.” Denji offered. 

“Denji, I’m telling you to drop it. I don’t want to hear anything on this topic again. Final warning.” Aki growled.

“Ugh. I’m sick of you making everyone miserable, dickwad!” Denji snapped. 

Aki left the punk’s room, scowling.

Angel had moved to the couch, and was playing on the game console alone. He didn’t make any move to acknowledge Aki across the room. Aki had no problem with this. 

He set to work cleaning up dishes from lunch, as the dining/living room area was horrendously cramped. He needed a cigarette too.

Aki washed dishes and moved the table, then popped in his room for a cigarette. He slipped an unlit one in his mouth, pocketed the lighter, and stepped out onto the balcony, avoiding the tension of the living room. 

Wasn’t he the one creating most of that tension?

If Aki was being honest with himself, he didn’t know what he was doing. He just knew that internally, he felt like his desire was shredding his guts. It didn’t matter what he did or thought, nothing gave him relief. He couldn’t bear to face what was bothering him headfirst. 

He lit his cigarette and savored every moment of silence outside. 

He had decided that Denji knowing didn’t make him feel any better, it just complicated this. Now he had a clueless kid meddling in his misery, thinking he could fix Aki.

He felt bad for Angel but it was for the best he was upset. Maybe eventually he’d give up hope on Aki. Aki considered being an outright dick to the devil to speed up the process, but it would be hard considering the devil didn’t deserve it. Aki knew he had a weak spot for Angel, that was what made this so challenging. 

He needed to focus on his work. In fact, that was his plan after his smoke break. No more thinking about Angel. He was just another devil he occasionally worked with, from now on. 

Through the balcony door he could see Denji now accompanying Angel on the couch. He headed back inside, feeling a little better regulated. He’d bury himself in his work until it was time to cook dinner. He locked his door and began going through newspapers and mission reports, placing sticky notes on his map of research.

He found his mind wandering periodically, and cursed himself for being so soft-shelled.

Maybe Denji was right, and he should explore some kind of connection with the Angel Devil. If it would alleviate some of this awful feeling…

No, the feeling came from the identity. Reality. He could never get away from the tragic details. He just needed space from the devil that had made everything worse.

Aki brought his focus back to his work. Was there a link between the Gun Devil and the devils that had consumed pieces of his flesh? Or was it truly just the locations those devils had been previously?

The hours passed quickly once he’d honed his focus, and the color of the light filtering through his window made Aki check the time. He’d better start on dinner. 

Power was cheering loudly, as Angel and Denji were now competing in their game. At least they were entertaining the devil. Aki wondered if the implication was that Angel was spending the night, his stomach turned over at the thought of his visit lasting multiple nights. He could sleep on the couch, unless one of the bozos offered him their room. 

Aki wondered if there was any progress on the cleaning of Angel’s apartment, aside from treating for bugs, they’d need a lot more help than that to clear more than a treacherous pathway through living spaces. 

It wasn’t weird that he cared about Angel’s environment, he told himself. Living in hoarder conditions is not conducive to good socialization in the human world, nor is it beneficial for work performance. 

They’d need consistent visits from a cleaning company to make sure it didn’t get that bad again. Aki almost wished he could help them develop a chore schedule to stay on track. He stopped that train of thought, he wasn’t going to be getting that deeply involved in Angel’s life.

He decided to investigate and make conversation, as uncomfortable as it made him, to determine how much he’d have to put up with. 

“Angel,” Aki called out across the apartment, noting Power and Denji now had the controllers. The devil perked up, glancing over at Aki while he prepared food. “How long were you kicked out of your apartment?”

“I dunno, I thought it was just for today.”

“Makima said he’s staying two nights.” Denji added. 

“They doing anything else to your place? Or just killing roaches?” Aki inquired, walking over to the living room. 

“They got a human to come take garbage out, then we had to call Makima because the Rat Fiend attacked him. They sent the Rat Fiend on a training mission for a few days so they can clean up, he’s on thin ice.” Angel sighed.

“Good, glad they’re actually helping.” Aki met Angel’s eyes, finding his expression still dull and emotionless.

Aki turned back to the kitchen to continue cooking. 

Angel watched him, across the room. He badly wanted to know, what had changed Aki so much in just a few days? He seemed like a shell of his former self. Angel wanted to believe he could help, but he wasn’t sure Aki would let him close enough. He had to try, at least, while he was here. What was there to lose?

Dinner was uneventful, predictably tense but Aki had lightened up after a few beers. Everyone thoroughly  appreciated his cooking today, and he seemed a bit brighter after a few compliments to his meals.

He took no interest in their pleas to join them playing video games. Aki wondered if the console was making their brains rot, but for today, he’d let that slide if it helped keep him from going insane. 

Aki checked the chore chart and barked out orders for evening tasks, giving Denji and Power the opportunity to start their chores while he smoked another cigarette. He also needed to convince Power to bathe, perhaps the embarrassment of calling her out in front of a guest would actually work, this time. 

Aki tried to take pride in surviving until bedtime without beheading anyone. He had Denji set Angel up with blankets and pillows on the couch for the night, and escaped to his room to be undisturbed for the rest of the night. 

Aki tried sleeping early, but found his brain haunted by his thoughts. He tossed and turned for a few hours before getting up. He wasn’t going to risk drawing Angel’s attention through the balcony door, so he slid his window open to smoke in his room.

Aki found that regardless of acknowledging the thoughts, he felt tears slipping down his cheek. He didn’t want to feel these emotions.

A sudden noise jolted him out of his trance, a knock at his door. Aki wiped his face. It was the middle of the night, he hoped whoever it was walked away but was horrified to watch his bedroom door slide open, room immediately illuminated by the glow of Angel’s halo.

“I’m sorry, but we need to talk.” The devil slipped into Aki’s room, his body language uncomfortable and stiff.

Aki turned back to the window, taking a long drag of his cigarette. “Do we?” He muttered in a low voice.

“What is up with you?” Angel started. Aki didn’t answer. Angel took a deep breath. “I thought you… Answered your question with me?”

Oh no, not this shit . Aki frowned, considering kicking the devil out of his room.

“Did you figure out what you needed to? Or was it a way for you to torture yourself?” Angel sighed.

“I don’t need to talk about this. Especially not with you.” Aki’s tone was snappy. Angel figured he must have hit a nerve. 

“The first thing Denji and Power warned me when I got here was that you have been acting really fucking weird. I may not be who you want to talk to, but I care.” Angel took a few steps towards Aki.

Aki was silent. He heard Angel take a deep breath, and stubbed out his cigarette, keeping his gaze fixed outside. His eyes were watering, and he wasn’t sure why. 

“Did you get the answer to your question, with her? ” Angel couldn’t hold back his jealous curiosity.

The memories of that night were nauseating, Aki had been trying to avoid remembering any of it. A flash of anger took hold of him for a moment. Aki considered lashing out and answering spitefully, bragging, or reminding the devil of the things he couldn’t do. 

But even as angry as he felt, he couldn’t do that to Angel. He found tears spilling from his eyes, and tried to distract himself. 

After a minute of silence, he spoke, his voice more shaky and fragile than he wanted Angel to hear. “Yes.”

Angel’s heart hurt, was Aki crying? He felt like shit for bringing his own emotions into this. “What’s bothering you so much?”

Aki didn’t know where to begin. 

Guilt. 

Shame.

The memories of that awful experience with the girl. 

The crippling, constant loneliness he felt. 

The inability to let anyone get close to him. 

The paralyzing dread that his future caused him. 

His head felt like it was spinning, he needed to sit down. He plopped down on his bed, head in his hands.

For fucks sake, he was a devil hunter, and he’d gone gay for a devil .

He felt Angel sit on the bed opposite him. Aki really didn’t want to have this conversation, he felt nauseous.

“I’m sorry I brought my own feelings into this.” Angel spoke suddenly.

“I don’t even know who I am anymore.” Aki sighed.

“Human identity is so complicated-“ 

“Ah, yes, human.” Like he needed a reminder. “This is so fucking wrong.” Aki’s voice cracked. “You know that, right?”

Angel winced. He couldn’t find the right words to console Aki, but he wanted to comfort him. He reached out, then paused. 

He had to do something. 

Angel turned his body around so he was facing Aki’s back, and extended his wings, curling soft feathers around the human. 

Aki held his breath for a moment before a sharp sob escaped. He buried his face in his hand as he wept softly. What was wrong with him, being so vulnerable?

It felt so safe, but at the same time it felt like the most shameful sin he could commit.

“I can’t do this, Angel. I don’t know how to live with it.” Aki whispered, his tone rough and shaky from crying.

Angel leaned forward, slowly and carefully wrapping his arms around Aki’s chest. “You’re okay,” he whispered. 

He could feel the human’s chest heave as he cried. Angel completely enclosed him in his wingspan. 

Aki felt like he might suffocate. The pain and fear he’d been bottling up for years was overflowing, and he couldn’t convince his body to breathe. His chest shuddered, heaving for air, but it was like he couldn’t remember how to make his lungs work. He felt panicked, but also felt a cathartic peace, wishing he’d fall unconscious and not have to face his feelings anymore. 

He felt Angel’s face pressed against his back, the heat of his breath through his shirt. Soft white feathers caressed the sides of his face, and Aki suddenly gasped for air, breathing heavily again.

Aki was completely humiliated to have Angel witness him in this state, but he was surprised by the comfort and safety he felt in his presence. He’d never been vulnerable with anyone like this before.

It took a few minutes before he regained his composure, his breathing steady again. He leaned forwards against Angel’s grip, and the devil let go of him. 

He wanted Angel to stay, wanted to feel his body close to him, but every moment they shared together felt like a sin. The guilt was all-consuming. 

Even though a weight had been lifted from his chest, it wasn’t enough progress to dismantle a lifetime of prejudice and shame. Where could he go from here? Had he made things more complicated by showing his own fragility? 

The shame he felt was unbearable. 

Aki cleared his throat and sniffled. “I’m not ready for this. You need to go.”

Angel silently stood up and left the room. 

Aki looked down at his lap, finding a single small, white feather. He curled up on his bed, holding the feather in the palm of his hand.

Aki felt like the weight of the world was sitting on his chest. He didn’t honestly think he deserved Angel’s kindness. He didn’t want it. But deep inside, he needed it. He craved some kind of connection with him.

This was so complicated.

Aki brushed his cheek with the feather, unable to sleep. 

Being alone didn’t make him feel any less vulnerable, he found. Now he felt suffocating loneliness too.

He pulled his pillow over his head, groaning into it. 

What did he want?

His mind was fixed on Angel, only a short distance away. The devil couldn’t make all of the misery disappear, but his company felt better than solitude. The more Aki thought about it, the more he regretted sending him away. 

Denji was right. Aki would always feel miserable, but he didn’t have to be miserable alone. Maybe that awful feeling of guilt would dissipate with time. 

Aki sat up, sniffling and clearing his throat. He stood and took soft steps towards the door, opening it carefully and quietly. His heart pounded in his chest as he walked out to the living room.

Angel was gone. 

Aki felt a wave of sadness. He tiptoed around, finding Angel’s bag still in the living room. His shoes were gone, and the front door was unlocked.

Aki sat on the couch, resting his head on Angel’s pillow. Maybe he had gone on a walk to clear his head? Aki had probably upset him. He thought about their interactions that day, feeling guilty for the way he had handled his emotions. He hoped the devil would return soon, he wanted to talk. 

Angel found the crisp midnight air helped him sort his thoughts as he walked down the sidewalk. He was so lost, navigating this awkward relationship with a human had all his emotions tangled with confusion.

Why did he have to fall for such an asshole? He hated that his feelings were being jerked around by an inconsiderate human. He felt empathetic that Aki was suffering, but he felt used too, being fed scraps of hope for a connection, then shunned when he’d fulfilled Aki’s physical or emotional needs. 

Angel kicked a pebble down the sidewalk as he walked. 

Aki was no longer the heroic broody romantic he found so attractive. That all changed after they experimented with each other.

But Angel had agreed to take whatever Aki was willing to give him. This was the price of their arrangement . 

What was Aki’s problem? Was it simply prejudice? Self-loathing? Could he ever get over it, or was he forever tainted?

The emotional outburst confused him, he had always seen Aki as stoic and sturdy. Sure, the human was prone to anger, but Angel would have never expected that emotional instability. It shook him to see Aki cry like that. He could tell Aki was hurting, deeply.

But also… The devil hunter let him hold him while he cried. Maybe there was some hope Aki could learn to tolerate this.

Angel hoped Aki’s pain wasn’t all his fault. As much as he wanted a connection with him, he didn’t want it at Aki’s expense. 

Angel’s pebble rolled into a storm drain, and he sighed sadly. He headed back to the apartment, finding he didn’t feel any less confused about their situation.

He slipped into the apartment silently, immediately recognizing a figure laying on the couch. 

Aki?

The human appeared asleep. Angel wasn’t sure what to do. He felt bad waking him, but didn’t want him sleeping on the couch. Angel brushed Aki’s face with the tip of his wing, and Aki startled at the touch, jolting awake.

“Hey, let’s get you to bed.” Angel smiled. 

Aki sat up, bleary eyed, and followed the devil to his room. Crawling into his bed, he watched, his blue eyes sleepily following Angel’s movement as the devil pulled the blanket over his legs. Angel turned to leave the room, and Aki reached out to him, fingers brushing against the feathers at the tip of his wing.

Angel felt a chill run down his spine and glanced back for a moment as he reached for Aki’s door. 

“Stay, please,” Aki whispered. “Let’s talk.” 

Angel shook his head. “Sleep. We can talk later.”

“Then just stay.” Aki laid his head down on his pillow, eyelids heavy with sleep. Angel hesitated, not sure what he should do. Aki patted the bed next to him with a hand, and Angel sighed.

This was so confusing.

The devil shut Aki’s door, carefully stepping around the mess of newspapers and sticky notes on the floor as he crossed to the other side of Aki’s bed. He crawled onto the bed beside the human, having decided he would stay awake to watch over him and make sure they didn’t touch by mistake.

Aki sat up as Angel settled in. Angel saw his eyes fixed on his wings, and he stretched a wing over Aki’s pillow. He knew this was going to tickle like crazy, but made the sacrifice. Aki buried his face in the white feathers, taking a deep inhale of Angel’s smell. He fell asleep very quickly.

Angel found the sensation and warmth of Aki against his wing sent goosebumps across his skin. He could feel the heat of the human’s breath on the skin beneath the feathers. He felt like melting into Aki’s bed, but tried to stay vigilant in case Aki moved in his sleep.

Aki’s smell was intoxicating, a sharp odor of cigarette smoke, the masculine sandalwood smells of his soaps, the faint smell of his human sweat, and the overwhelmingly delectable smell of fear. The devil caught himself nodding off a few times, shifting to try and stay awake, but he eventually gave in to the warmth. He pulled his long sleeves down to cover his hands, and wrapped himself around Aki, spooning him securely.

They both jolted awake to the sound of Aki’s alarm clock, frozen in place as they tried to figure out how to untangle their bodies without skin touching. Angel was relieved, his hands were still securely covered by his sleeves. He leaned back, silencing the alarm, then wrapped his arms tightly around Aki again, savoring the moment.

Aki was still and quiet for a moment, sighing. He felt peaceful, no longer feeling the suffocating tightness in his chest from last night.

What had he wanted to talk about? Did it even need to be said?

“We should get up, before they do.” Aki spoke, voice gruff from sleep. Angel begrudgingly released his grip, stretching as he rolled back. Aki sat up, yawning and rubbing his face.

Angel stretched his wing, finding that it had fallen asleep under Aki’s weight. As he stretched, his wing extended in front of Aki’s face, and the human reached out to pet it. A sudden overwhelming sensation like an electric shock ran from the tip of the wing to the base, and Angel jerked his wing away from Aki’s touch. Aki looked slightly disappointed. 

“It’s sensitive, you made it fall asleep.” Angel laughed softly. 

“Huh. Want a massage?” Aki leaned back across Angel’s lap, a mischievous look in his eyes. Was that a slight smile on his lips?

Angel’s breath hitched in his throat. Were things just fine between them now? This wasn’t right.

He felt deeply confused by this.

“I don’t know what to do with you.” Angel sighed. “You’re all over the place.”

His confusion was justified, Aki wasn’t really sure what to do with himself either. He stood up, crossing the room to gather a change of clothes.

Aki was sick of feeling this agonizing internal conflict. He’d feel it regardless of what he did, but he could choose whether or not to be alone. 

He peeked out in the living room, checking to make sure nobody was awake early, then ushering Angel out of his room.

He had some loose ends he needed to tie today.

Maybe he’d take Angel with him, he wasn’t sure how much more competitive video gaming the devil could tolerate. Aki hoped he could gain a little clarity from time together.

“Hey, would you rather stay here or come run errands with me today?” Aki asked, turning on the kettle to prepare coffee. 

“What kind of errands?”

Aki wasn’t prepared to share his itinerary. Especially when some of it pertained to Angel. He generally preferred to do his errands alone, but he’d make an exception this time. “Shopping, mostly. You need anything?”

Angel shook his head. “I’ll come though. Maybe stop at my place for more clothes?”

Aki nodded. He craved a cigarette. He slipped out on the balcony, appreciating the cool morning air. He closed his eyes for a moment, lost in thought. 

Was he suddenly over the discomfort he felt about his feelings for Angel? All he needed was to cry and hug it out? Or was it just waiting to rear its ugly head at an inopportune moment and make him question this again?

Did he like the devil? More than just a sexual partner? He wasn’t sure. He sighed, leaning against the balcony railing. 

He could never let anyone get close enough for romance, but Aki always thought he was a romantic at heart.

Maybe it could be fun, to play with romance while they fulfilled their lustful desires in secret. Angel said he’d take whatever Aki would give him, but Aki still felt guilty.

He tried to shake the shame he felt entertaining the idea that he had feelings for the devil. 

Aki jumped as he heard the door open behind him. He glanced behind him. Angel ? What did he want?

“Can I try it again?”

“What, smoking? Be careful, you could get hooked.” Aki slid his fingers up his cigarette, then carefully held it at Angel’s level. The devil leaned forward, wrapping his lips around it. 

Aki found himself staring at the devil’s mouth with a little too much intensity. His lips looked so soft. Was it just the thrill of the danger of them touching, simply curiosity, or did Aki truly want to kiss him?

Angel coughed softly as he exhaled, looking up to Aki with big eyes and a curious expression. Aki averted his gaze and brought his cigarette back to his lips. 

Something was different today about Aki, Angel pondered. He no longer reeked of fear, and he seemed a little more friendly. Could Angel trust this would last, or should he keep his guard up? He felt very confused, and slipped back inside. 

Denji had gotten up, and was standing in the living room watching through the balcony door. Angel felt a flash of worry, wondering if their interaction read a little too intimate. 

“Fucking bastard.” Denji muttered. 

“Who?” Angel tilted his head.

“Don’t let him teach you his bad habits.” Denji shook his head, yawning and stretching. He headed into the kitchen.

Angel stretched out on the couch.

Aki came back inside. “What do you want for breakfast?” He asked. 

Angel shrugged. “No preference.”

Aki walked into the kitchen. Denji was hunched over, looking in the fridge cluelessly. Aki elbowed him out of the way, gathering ingredients to prepare everyone breakfast. He finished making his pour over. 

“You drink coffee, Angel?” Aki called out.

“Sure.” The devil wasn’t the biggest fan, but liked how caffeine made him feel. 

“What do you like in yours?”

“Sugar.” Angel replied. 

“You never make me coffee?” Denji whined. 

“You never finish drinking it, it’s such a waste.” Aki griped. “If you take Angel this cup I’ll make you some.”

Denji brought Angel the mug, setting it down on the floor to avoid coming too close to the devil. “You wanna play games, dude?”

“I’ll just watch.” Angel sat up, taking a small sip of coffee. It was surprisingly good, he’d never found coffee to taste this interesting. Was it the fact that Aki had made it for him that made it so special?

Denji glanced over at Aki, then Angel. He covered his mouth and whispered in a low voice. “How scared of him should I be today, is he still all pissy?”

Angel shrugged. “Maybe he’s better now?” He wasn’t entirely convinced. He understood why Aki had Denji and Power so nervous, the human was incredibly hard to read and unpredictable, suffering from a severe case of emotional constipation. 

Aki brought over Denji’s cup, heading back to the kitchen to finish breakfast. 

Denji got up to set up the table when food was ready, and woke Power up. The mood at breakfast was light, but a little tense. Angel could tell Denji and Power had their guard up slightly when talking to Aki. They held significantly more respect for him than the first breakfast he had been a part of, there was very little teasing. 

So it wasn’t just him, Angel thought.

Aki did seem a little more relaxed today, his eyebrows weren’t perpetually furrowed anymore. Angel caught his glance a few times, noticing Aki didn’t always immediately look away. 

“Shopping today. Any requests?” 

“Can I come?” Denji asked. 

“No.” Aki responded with no hesitation. 

“I never get to go shopping!” Denji whined. 

“That’s because you shoplift.” Aki shook his head. 

“It was one time!!” Denji protested.

“You were caught one time.”

Denji lowered his head, defeated. 

“Take me, peasant! Buy me clothing!” Power shouted.

“No, I’m not spending all day shopping. Do you assholes want any particular food, or need anything specific?” Aki massaged his forehead. 

“More meat!” Power screamed, smashing her fists on the table.

“Deodorant,” Denji said. “The kind with the little dog on it!”

“Alright.” Aki got up, taking empty dishes to the kitchen. The chore chart elected Power to clean up after breakfast, and she hissed and whined in frustration. 

Aki headed to get ready for the day, bathing and getting dressed. He emerged from the bathroom, hair tied up, wearing a t-shirt neatly tucked into his pants.

“You need to get ready?” Aki asked Angel. The devil got up, taking his bag into the bathroom. 

“What does he need to get ready for?” Denji asked. “Is he going home already? Makima said 2 nights.”

“I’m taking Angel so he can have a break from the screen. We might see if we can stop at his place and get a few things.” Aki shrugged. 

Denji raised an eyebrow, and Aki frowned at him.

“Finally! Meowy can come out into her domain once the devil of death has left this place! I shall not let him touch my precious feline!” Power huffed.

Aki reorganized his wallet while he waited. He planned his errands strategically in his head. They’d only be gone a few hours, he hoped.

His first stop would set the tone for the rest of the day. Aki fought off the urge to change his mind, feeling a bit of nausea creep up his throat. 

No, he was going to challenge his troubled mind.

Angel emerged, dressed in an oversized light pink shirt and loose fitting black leggings. Aki had to consciously close his mouth. The devil looked dashingly androgynous.

Even Power commented on it, laughing. “Ha! You’ll fool so many humans with your attractive female appearance!” Her eyes shot to Denji and Aki, both staring at Angel with confused expressions, and she erupted in cackling laughter.

Aki collected himself, clearing his throat. “Ready?”

Angel nodded, following the human out of the apartment. As he left, Aki shot Denji a solemn look, silently warning the punk to keep his secret.

Chapter Text

Angel caught a whiff of a familiar smell on Aki in the elevator, finding himself smiling in response. Apparently, Aki very much liked the way he had dressed today.

He could feel the human’s eyes on his body, and looked up at him, noticing Aki quickly averted his gaze. The tips of his ears turned red, Angel found it quite endearing that Aki couldn’t completely mask his embarrassment. 

As they walked down the sidewalk, headed to the train, Angel spoke up. 

“Are we going to talk?” His voice was nervous.

Aki took a deep breath, glancing around to make sure they weren’t within earshot of anyone. 

“Yes, but I don’t know what to say.” The human was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “There’s a lot I have to get over.”

“What did you want to talk about last night?” Angel asked. 

“To tell you I’m sorry for… All of this. I’ve been so confused, and I’ve been a huge asshole.”

Angel shook his head. “You worry a lot. I’ll take whatever you give me. Just tell me if there’s any way I can help you.”

Angel had helped him already. Aki was so tired of running from his thoughts and feelings. 

The two walked to the station and Aki led them onto a train. They stood a few feet apart, Angel feeling nervous at how many people were looking rudely at him. He rarely went out, humans didn’t take too kindly to him, and he’d never been on a train with civilians. 

“It’s okay, you’re with me.” Aki said. Angel nodded, standing slightly closer to Aki. His wings formed a barrier around him, in case anyone got too close to him. 

Aki felt bad, Angel had no way to hide what he was. Given that his halo hovered above his head, most people assumed he was a fiend. Only slightly better than people realizing he was a devil.

Aki cleared the way for Angel to walk through the crowd as they arrived at their stop. Angel followed him out of the station and down the sidewalk for a while. He knew this area, he’d been here before with Makima. 

Aki opened the door to a familiar shop. This was the formal wear shop they were fitted for their work uniforms at. 

“This may take a few minutes, I’m sorry.” Aki apologized, excusing himself from Angel’s side to walk up to the counter. 

The staff there recognized Aki, as he came frequently to tend to his household’s uniform needs.

Angel wandered off, browsing the clothing they sold there. They had sections of male formal wear, and a women's section of both suits and also a wide variety of dresses. Angel lingered amidst the dresses, daydreaming a bit. He found them very pretty.

“Hayakawa! What brings you in today?” The employee at the counter asked. 

“I need to be fitted for silk gloves.” Aki said. “Black, please.” 

“Let me measure your… hand.” The employee pointed to Aki’s unbroken hand, and he placed it on the counter. “By the way, is that your assigned partner over there?” she asked. 

Aki lied, hoping she wouldn’t question it. “Yes, the Ange-“

“Angel Devil, yes, we fitted her a while ago. Very sweet girl, but quite a deadly power she has.” The woman blabbered, and Aki found himself a bit torn by her assumption of Angel’s gender. Well… Angel certainly wouldn’t care about it much. Aki chose not to correct it. 

“You want gloves for her too? I’m guessing you need them to work together.”

“Oh…” Aki hadn’t even considered this. “Yes, actually. Let’s do a pair for them .” Aki turned back, looking to see where Angel had gone. 

The devil was pretending to be interested in a black dress, having overheard their conversation. 

What was Aki doing getting gloves? They already had disposable ones, what was the point of fabric? Just for fashion?

Angel’s chest felt a little funny hearing them use different pronouns for him, especially what Aki had said. Maybe Angel did have some preferences about gender after all.

“Angel, can you come here?”

The devil turned, walking towards the counter. The employee withered a bit from his presence, but bravely put on a set of elbow length gloves and held the tape measure out towards Angel’s hands. 

“White to match the wings?” She asked. Angel shrugged, looking to the devil hunter, and Aki nodded.

The woman disappeared for a few moments, Aki browsing the store and ignoring Angel’s inquisitive looks . Aki looked up as the woman returned with a couple plastic packages. She placed a set of black gloves in front of Aki, and white gloves in front of Angel. “Try them on.”

Aki hesitated, having to unbuckle his sling to use his thumb to help him pull the glove over his hand. 

The glove fit snugly, the nearly seamless black satin silk fabric extending up to his wrists. They were very well-crafted, and looked rather stylish. He turned to Angel, who he could see out of the corner of his eye was staring with intensity at his hand. 

He’s not subtle at all, Aki thought, slightly amused but a bit anxious.

Angel’s gloves fit well, making his delicate hands look feminine. 

“You can peroxide pre-treat and then bleach the white ones, if you get them uh, bloody. Or I can do red?” The woman asked. 

“We’ll start with these.” Aki was tempted to take home a myriad of glove options, but what if he jinxed this… whatever he wanted with Angel. What could he call their arrangement? A secret relationship?

It wasn’t much of anything if he couldn’t get himself to talk to Angel about it. But Aki would prefer to speak through his actions.

They took off their gloves, handing them back to the lady. 

“Perfect fit, we’ll take them.” Aki nodded. 

“Put it on Public Safety’s account?”

Aki hesitated. Would they audit his purchases? He hadn’t heard anything about it. 

Besides, Aki did sometimes work with Angel, and Makima had put the devil in his apartment. The argument could be made for it being a workplace hazard. 

For these sets, Aki figured he could get away with it, especially considering how much Public Safety spent on replacing, repairing, and cleaning their suits on a regular basis. 

If this became something more… Aki would pay out of pocket.

“Yes, go ahead.”

“You’re all set to go, then. I’ll package them up with washing instructions. You’re probably the only person that follows them correctly.” The woman toddled off to the back room of the store to pack up their purchase. 

Aki finally turned to give Angel the attention he wanted. The devil looked up at him, his eyes wide with curiosity. His wings looked more puffed up than they normally did. Was that a tell he was excited ?

“It’s exactly what you’re thinking.” Aki casually confirmed the devil’s suspicion. “And maybe a little more.” He winked. 

Angel blushed, his feathers curling a little tighter. He shifted uncomfortably, regretting having worn leggings , of all things. He hadn’t anticipated a public outing with Aki would be anything but business.

Angel tried turning his thoughts to something innocent, as a distraction. If Aki worked his shit out, and this continued, maybe the devil hunter would one day take him out clothes shopping? Angel loathed shopping, as being around humans put them at great risk, and they were never very kind to him. He’d generally just shop at run-down thrift stores when they were slow, and even that was incredibly unpleasant.

Angel had a new interest in exploring presenting more feminine, he kept feeling an excited fluttery feeling in his chest at the reactions towards his outfit today. Aki’s reaction most of all intrigued him. He wondered how Aki would look at him in a dress.

The employee returned with a bag, waving at Aki and thanking him as he left. 

Aki led Angel down the sidewalk. They’d stop at the library for the latest newspapers, and then the rest of his errands were fairly close to home. 

As they walked down the street, Angel saw movement down an alley out of the corner of his eye. Was that…? He grabbed Aki’s shirt, wanting the human to see. 

Hidden down an alleyway, but visible at the angle they were standing, two men were locked together, passionately kissing, their hands exploring each other’s bodies. 

Aki averted his gaze, feeling like he was invading something private. He felt an odd feeling in his chest though. He’d never seen a gay couple in public before, it was a little exciting.

The fact that Angel wanted him to see that left him with questions though. Did Angel just want him to see fellow gay people existed, or did he secretly want something public like that?

Aki mulled it over in his head. With how Angel was dressed today, he looked like a girl at a glance…

Aki was far too recognizable, though.

They ducked into a coffee shop and ordered drinks to go. Aki felt emboldened, he reached up and tugged the hair tie out of his head. He ran his hands through his hair, trying to massage away the crimp mark it left on his hair. 

Angel tilted his head curiously. The sight of Aki with his hair down wasn’t helping his issue with his outfit.

Angel sipped his drink slowly, Aki downing his drink quite quickly so he didn’t have to carry a cup around in his only functional hand. 

Aki looked a little nervous, but had a unique glimmer in his eye. Angel couldn’t tell if he was just fantasizing too hard, or if there was a subtle trace of that familiar exciting smell on the human. The smell of coffee was still overpowering his nose.

Aki reached into the shopping bag, pulling out and putting on his glove.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Angel couldn’t help but ask.

“Don’t worry about it.” Aki responded, expression unreadable. He led the devil out of the coffee shop, headed down the sidewalk for a few minutes. 

Angel had nearly finished his drink, and wanted to throw the remainder away. He still didn’t entirely get the human obsession with coffee, but the caffeine made his heart beat faster. 

Or was that just Aki’s doing?

Aki suddenly stopped, glancing around nervously before snagging Angel’s hand. 

The devil squeaked as Aki dragged him into an alleyway, ducking into a crevice between the backs of two buildings. Aki was moving very quickly, a little rough, and used his motion to pull Angel towards him and throw him back against a wall. Angel’s coffee cup tumbled to the ground, rolling across the alleyway and coming to a stop next to a dumpster.

Angel’s wings cushioned the impact, and he gasped as his body hit the brick behind him. What the hell was happening? He leaned forward, but Aki pressed his hand against his chest, shoving him backwards. 

Angel was confused, but embarrassingly aroused. He let out a soft whine as Aki pinned him to the wall. His wings instinctively stretched out around Aki, providing a little privacy. 

The devil hunter let go of Angel’s chest and roughly grabbed his face with his gloved hand, leaning down so his lips were close to Angel’s. The devil was helpless to stop the moan that sprung from his lips, drawing Aki’s intense gaze to his mouth. 

Was he going to kiss him? Angel panicked, although he deeply wanted to feel Aki’s mouth on his. But it wasn’t worth the price the human would pay. 

Angel could feel Aki’s breath against his lips, his body betraying him as his hips thrust forward into the air. The scent of arousal on the human’s breath was so strong, Angel felt like he had no control over himself. He whimpered loudly, extremely confused and uncomfortably aroused for the environment they were in.

Aki suddenly let go of his jaw, pressing his hand against Angel’s mouth to catch the next filthy noise he made. Aki leaned forward, tilting his head and briefly pressing his mouth against the back of his hand. Angel could feel the pressure of the indirect kiss through the human’s hand. 

Oh god, he was so turned on by this. 

He made an embarrassingly loud noise, and Aki’s hand pushed more firmly against his mouth. 

“Can you be good for me?” Aki’s voice was a low growl. Oh god , Angel shivered, feeling incredibly weak and submissive. “Be quiet and I’ll get you off.”

Angel nodded, and Aki pulled his hand away from his mouth. His hand traveled over his clothes, groping the devil roughly, almost like he was confirming what hid underneath the deceivingly androgynous outfit. 

Aki felt incredibly bold despite their public presence. Angel’s wings provided ample privacy, and it was unlikely they’d be questioned or interrupted even if anyone stumbled upon them, as long as they were quick. Even Angel’s noises were confusingly feminine.

Aki could feel the heat of Angel’s arousal before even touching him. His leggings were stretched to their limit concealing his erection. Aki slid a hand along the length of the shaft, feeling the devil quake under his touch. Angel made a strangled noise of protest, his wings thrashing. He needed a break before Aki could touch him further. He was way too turned on, anything more and he’d ruin his pants.

Aki sensed his struggle, giving him a moment to recover and meeting the devil’s panicked eyes. Aki’s expression was almost entirely unreadable, aside from the excited glimmer in his eyes. He looked ravishing, his hair across his face, lips parted, blue eyes intensely focused on Angel’s face. 

Angel squirmed, feeling the friction of his leggings against his cock. 

Fuck, he was way too close. 

Aki’s hand grazed his leg, and Angel flinched. 

“Wait!” The devil gasped, trying to pull away from the human, but he was pinned down by Aki’s body. Angel shut his eyes tightly, breathing shakily, trying to calm himself down. He heard Aki laugh softly, sensing the problem, and felt the human back up. 

Aki had been holding back, he badly wanted to push him further, talk down to him, tease him, dominate him, the compelling urge was hard to suppress. But Angel could barely handle this. He was way too easy. Aki wondered if that’d get any better with time. It certainly bolstered his ego, but he found it was almost too rewarding, he liked a bit more challenge. 

Aki glanced around, they were completely alone. They had enough privacy. He slipped his hand in his pants, stroking his aching erection. This was thrilling, and incredibly arousing to him. He liked the danger and exposure a little too much. 

Angel opened his eyes, hearing the human make delicate breathy noises. Oh god. Aki was so attractive to him, shuddering and touching himself. Aki met his gaze, his unwaveringly fierce expression making Angel squirm and look away. 

Aki switched his focus back to Angel, who seemed slightly more composed. Rather than touch him further and risk ruining the devil’s pants, he slid his hand into Angel’s waistband, pulling it down so his erection bobbed free. He wrapped his hand around the base of the shaft, feeling the burning heat of his arousal through the gloves. 

Angel felt weak. Aki’s grip was firm, and the silk felt far better on his dick than the latex gloves. The human stroked slowly along the length of his dick, Angel fighting to keep himself quiet. This was too exciting, he knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

Aki sensed he was close by his shuddering breaths and the nearly unbearable heat, and moved his body to the side, stroking the devil’s erection downward. 

He brought his face towards Angel’s, lips only a few centimeters apart. 

“Come.” Aki ordered, immediately feeling Angel’s body stiffen as the devil gave in. Angel moaned softly as his hips thrust into the human’s grip, wings fluttering with pleasure. Aki smiled smugly, hearing liquid splatter on the wall and concrete behind him. 

Aki glanced down, seeing steam rising from the mess on the ground. Some twisted part of him found the devil’s monstrous sexual characteristics so attractive. He tucked Angel’s dick back into his pants, his hand now moving to tend to his own painfully erect cock.

Angel’s wings continued to provide privacy despite the devil’s composure, his body slumped against the wall, legs trembling, panting. Aki watched, enamored by the effect he had on the devil. He was shockingly aroused, barely having to touch himself before he came, careful to direct his mess at the ground, away from Angel’s quivering feathers.

Aki tucked himself back in. Angel seemed lost in bliss, Aki ran his gloved hand along the devil’s jaw and threaded his fingers into his hair. Angel gasped, finding his scalp incredibly sensitive to another’s touch. Aki gathered a handful of hair at the base and tugged softly, basking in the soft noise of pleasure Angel made. 

Did he feel any shame? 

Yes, a significant amount, but he also felt devious pride in his depravity.

Aki thoroughly enjoyed this, and wanted this to continue. Perhaps they should be a little less exhibitionistic and take less risks in the future, but he’d been enabled by the knowledge another couple like them was getting away with it a few blocks down. 

It felt good, it felt right, what he had with Angel.

Who gave a shit what it meant to anyone else?

“Hayakawa,” Angel’s voice was soft and dreamy. “What the fuck was that?”

Aki laughed, shaking off the shame he felt. It felt really good to laugh, he couldn’t remember the last time he had. 

Angel had never heard Aki laugh before, it was a nice sound. He smiled warmly at Aki’s giddy expression, but he felt a little concerned given Aki’s historically confusing temperament. “Hey. You okay?”

“Better than okay.” Aki felt like he might cry, but he wasn’t sure why since all his emotions were happy. He felt like his head was clear for once in a long while.

Aki pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He stood against the wall, smoking it in silence, unbothered by Angel staring at him. 

He liked what he had with Angel. His willingness to do whatever Aki felt like doing made it easy for Aki to relax. He didn’t feel crippled by the pressure to give what they had a label. But he had to admit to himself, he wanted Angel in more than just sexual ways. 

It was thrilling to dance around the danger of their contact. There were far more opportunities to do that than just sex, but the implications would be more emotional than their situation was. 

Actually, thinking back to last night, there were already some emotional needs being met by what they had.

Would it be so wrong to explore things a little more? Aki wasn’t ready to call it a relationship, but… 

Aki backtracked, picking up the cup of coffee Angel had dropped and tossing his cigarette butt in it. They made a mess, he wasn’t adding littering to his crimes. 

Aki led Angel back out of the alleyway. He slipped the glove back in the shopping bag they’d lost track of a few minutes prior. 

“I have to stop at the library next, then we need to get groceries.”

He had a few things he wanted to buy, feeling for once like he was actually ready to face whatever this was that they had.

Chapter Text

Angel felt delirious as Aki dragged him back into the public world. Had that really just happened? He didn’t trust this sudden change in Aki’s attitude was going to stay. They needed to talk, although he felt Aki was resistant to the idea of being serious. 

Well, did they need to talk? This whirlwind of a relationship, if he could call it that, was exciting, and more he’d been offered before. He wouldn’t want to risk losing it if Aki was opposed to the idea of giving it a name or description. 

Angel just wanted boundaries on what he could do, aside from that, he’d take what he could get. 

He sighed dreamily, reminiscing.

Aki seemed more animated than Angel had seen him before. He tried engaging Angel in his thoughts as he made copies of the regional newspapers of the day. Something about the Gun Devil, but Angel was still too foggy post-climax to follow Aki’s train of thought.

Aki was cute when he was excited. His hair was still down, and his appearance was a bit more disheveled and relaxed than Angel had ever seen it before. His shirt was slightly untucked, which amused Angel. If Aki knew how he looked, he’d probably be alarmed, he was so fastidious about his appearance.

“You’re still out of it, aren’t you?” Aki chuckled, sensing Angel’s confused state of mind. Aki would have to consider the time it took the devil to recover his composure for any future thrills. 

Aki gathered his copies, slipping them in the bag with the gloves, leading Angel on to the next errand. 

Aki was thirsty again, it was getting quite hot outside. The volume of fluid Angel had lost… Surely he needed a drink too. Aki dipped into a convenience store for a couple bottles of water.

“Drink.” He encouraged the devil, watching with a glimmer in his eye as Angel tipped back the water bottle, drinking thirstily. Aki’s lips hung parted slightly, staring intently at the way the devil’s throat moved. 

Angel had taken Aki’s instruction as an order, still feeling quite submissive towards the taller man. He wasn’t that thirsty, and he actually kinda had to pee. Still, he drained the water bottle, glowing as Aki praised him.

“Good job,” Aki smirked.

Did Angel sense a sliver of devious interest in his expression? Why?

No, he just needed to get his mind out of the gutter.

They headed back to the station, taking the train back to Aki’s side of town. They’d found an empty cart of the train for themselves. Angel found a seat, finding the vibration of the train moving rattled his bladder. He bounced his leg to distract himself, he’d have to find a bathroom at the next store they stopped at.

Aki stood beside him, suddenly seeming intrigued by Angel’s motion. He worried the devil was suddenly anxious. Hopefully he hadn’t scared him earlier. “You okay?” 

“Have to pee.” Angel sighed. Aki’s composure changed, he leaned slightly over the devil.

Arousal suddenly hung heavy in the air around the human. What the fuck ? Angel thought. He glanced up at Aki, raising an eyebrow, and the human stood back, shifting on his feet.

Aki sat down beside him. He knew he couldn’t hide anything from Angel. His scent gave it away. He felt embarrassed.

“Do I scare you, at all?” He sighed.

“Aside from always taking unnecessary risks just interacting with me, no.” Angel smiled dreamily. “I like it.” He whispered, looking up at Aki.

“I just ask that you tell me if you ever need me to slow down or stop.” Aki watched the devil nod obediently. Aki was quiet for a minute, then spoke again in a low voice. “It’s hard to control myself around you.”

Angel felt his downy feathers standing up on their ends, noticing Aki’s eyes on his wings. The human met Angel’s eyes, a teasing look in his bright blue eyes.

They both knew it. Neither of them could hide their interest from the other. 

They hopped off the train at the station. Aki lit a cigarette, seeming restless. He seemed to be on high alert, every slight motion Angel made caught his attention. 

Angel didn’t fully understand what Aki was interested in or bothered by, was it just him? Was he wrong to make an assumption…

They were stuck at a stoplight, Angel wriggled a bit. “I gotta pee, bad . What’s left?” He whined. 

Aki’s breathing changed, his piercing blue eyes watching Angel with an intensity that made his heart race. Even in broad daylight, a few feet between them, Aki smoking, and a light breeze, Angel picked up on his scent. 

Whoa. Why was Aki turned on so suddenly? Angel had a strong suspicion.

The human cleared his throat. “I need to buy a few groceries. It shouldn’t take too long, but I can drop you off if you need to…”

No, Angel was intrigued now. He could suffer through and handle it, if only to watch Aki’s reactions. 

“I’ll make it, it’s fine.” Angel sighed.

Aki was walking faster for Angel’s sake, but Angel had to walk twice as fast to keep up.

They flew through the grocery store, Aki moving down the aisles incredibly efficiently, grabbing what he needed. It was over quickly, although Angel worried he might have overestimated his pain tolerance. 

As they waited to check out, Aki watched Angel intently as the devil squirmed desperately. Angel caught his gaze for a moment, noticing Aki’s pupils were dark, his expression unreadable. 

Oh god , his smell was so strong.

Angel was certain he knew what Aki was responding to. It was strange, he hadn’t known it to be something humans liked in that way. But… What did he know?

Angel didn’t restrain his need for motion, perhaps playing up his suffering slightly, it was driving Aki insane. The human shifted uncomfortably, untucking his shirt. Angel threw him a look, and Aki’s ears turned red.

Angel carried a few of the grocery bags for Aki, who had his only usable hand full. 

He wanted to hear Aki verbally confirm his suspicion. He waited until they were outside, then turned to Aki.

“So, what’s got you all hot and bothered?” Angel teased. 

Aki was mortified, he hadn’t done anything wrong, but Angel could sense his distraction. This wasn’t exactly a universally acceptable kink. He felt filthy and perverted, like some kind of sadistic freak. He liked watching Angel suffer, almost wanting to see him lose control. It was thrilling .

“I have a guess, you want to challenge it?” Angel asked. Aki again chose not to respond, his bright red ears giving away his shame. 

“How far away is your place, I might not be able to make it?” Angel twisted his legs, fighting the urge to touch himself to help him hold on a little better.

Aki’s gaze was unflinchingly intense, blatantly focused on Angel’s body, a little color to his cheeks. He licked his lips. He couldn’t mask his interest. Angel glanced up, pain evident in his facial expression, and Aki felt a flash of guilt.

Fuck. What was wrong with him?

Aki was uncomfortably hard to be walking around outside, finding it hard to ignore the filthy thoughts in his head. 

Was he some kind of monster, thinking of someone else this way?

“It’s a few minutes walk away.” Aki couldn’t meet Angel’s eyes, he was too worked up and ashamed.

Angel was very interested in milking this as far as he could, despite how painful it was. His body begged for relief, he found himself bargaining with his thoughts to hold on a little longer. It would be so much easier to just slip down an alleyway and relieve himself.

As he recognized the neighborhood Aki lived in, the desperation grew worse. The closer he came to relief, the harder it was to hold on. They were walking much slower now, as Angel had to stop walking to bend over in agony every couple minutes. Aki took over carrying Angel’s bags. 

Angel was a little frightened by Aki’s demeanor. The human reeked of lust, and his body language was completely unreadable. His eyes were dark, facial expression troubled. The devil still found himself wanting to indulge this wild, unpredictable side of Aki.

As they slipped into the elevator, Angel was in an urgent crisis.

“I have to piss so bad!!” He whimpered, doubling over and touching himself desperately. “Help me, I’m gonna lose it.”

Aki’s expression changed. Angel had figured out exactly what Aki wanted, was this an open invitation to fulfill his dark desires? “Hands back.” The human pressed his hand against Angel’s crotch.

Fuck . It felt damp.

Aki took a deep breath, fighting the urge to hold Angel hostage and humiliate him in public. They shouldn’t take such a risk. 

He was so aroused it was hard to think straight. Was this really happening? He mourned that they’d have an audience at home, relishing every symptom of Angel’s desperation as he wouldn’t be able to take advantage of it.

The devil’s cheeks were flushed, an expression of helplessness on his face, his breathing shallow and irregular. He couldn’t hold still, grinding desperately against Aki’s touch. 

Aki stroked Angel through the fabric for a moment, and the devil whined. It hurt immensely to keep holding, and everything in his body and mind begged for him to let go. Angel didn’t want to humiliate himself in front of Aki’s roommates. He was so responsive to touch, becoming hard immediately, which helped him resist wetting himself. 

The elevator came to a halt. The doors took forever to open, Angel finding the air in the elevator was hot and thick with the smell of human arousal. Aki reluctantly backed against the wall as the doors opened, although Angel could see the human’s conflict plainly on his face. 

Angel practically sprinted towards Aki’s apartment, pacing and cursing as Aki struggled to get the key in the door.

The door swung open, and Angel darted inside, kicking off his shoes. Aki followed closely, throwing down his heavy load of shopping bags, wanting to witness whatever happened to Angel with sick fascination. 

That’s odd, the lights are off, he thought. There was a note on the counter, Aki snatched it up as he walked by.

“On mission! - Denji and Power”

Oh fuck, they had the house to themselves . Aki couldn’t restrain himself any longer.

He sped up his pace, Angel had paused to squirm halfway down the hallway to the bathroom, openly touching himself. Aki slid between the devil and his relief, blocking him with his body. 

“FUCK!” Angel swore as the human pushed him against the wall, feeling his bladder spasm, a dribble of urine leaking into his pants.

“You can say no.” Aki growled, voice raspy with lust. Aki slipped his hand between Angel’s legs, squeezing his dick through the damp fabric. “At any time, say no and I’ll stop.”

“Fuck,” Angel moaned. He was miserable, but dying from curiosity. “I can’t wait any longer,” he whimpered, his left hand squeezing Aki’s right side. 

Aki felt sudden heat in his hand, as Angel lost control for a moment. It was so hot, hissing through the fabric, piss running over his hand. He felt Angel relax, his cries of relief were music to Aki’s ears. 

But it wasn’t what Aki wanted most of all. Aki felt the compelling urge to dominate the devil and force him to obey. His suffering was incredibly attractive.

After a few seconds of relief, Aki squeezed his hand, rubbing against Angel’s dick intensely. Angel let out a soft sound of pleasure, but his body stiffened as his arousal slowed his stream to a dribble. He stifled a sob, the pain of desperation twice as intense as before. 

“Hold it.” Aki’s voice was tense with desire.

Angel wanted to obey, but he couldn’t help but whine, squirming in Aki’s hand. “Please, it hurts so much.”

God, this was so hot . 

Aki had to remind himself to be careful. They both wore short sleeves. Fortunately, Angel had some control of his hands. 

His stream had stopped entirely, and the devil writhed against the wall. 

“Good job.” Aki purred, and Angel forgot how to breathe for a moment, his wings flaring, feathers spread wide. He liked the praise. 

“Angel, give me five seconds.” Aki let go for a moment, unclipping his sling. Angel squirmed impatiently, needing constant friction to help him keep holding on. Aki couldn’t do much with this broken hand, but he pressed the plastic splint against Angel’s chest, slipping his left hand back over the devil’s crotch. 

It felt hotter than before, as the devil had lost control momentarily. With enough touch Aki was able to get Angel semi-hard again. 

Angel whimpered, his expression helpless. “Please.”

“If you can hold for 10 more seconds, I’ll let you go.” Aki taunted, stroking Angel rapidly.

Angel ground against Aki’s touch, moaning. He suddenly gripped Aki’s side with his left hand, pulling the human closer. Five agonizing seconds passed, and Angel looked up at Aki. The human wore a devilish grin, his eyes dark with desire. 

Aki’s splinted hand suddenly slid down Angel’s chest, and Angel felt an excruciating pressure against his bladder as Aki gently pushed against his stomach. 

Oh fuck, he couldn’t do this. Angel groaned. This was so painful, his vision went blurry for a moment. He gave in to the pain and tried to release his bladder, but Aki’s hand on his cock was unrelenting. 

Aki sensed Angel was suffering too much. He’d reward his obedience with relief. “Be a good devil and hold on, a little more.” Aki smiled, meeting Angel’s scared expression. 

Fuck, this is so intense , Angel thought. Aki’s once bright blue eyes were now so dark they looked black, and he wore a sadistic expression, enjoying this immensely.

The pressure on his bladder was too much, Angel couldn’t fight his body any longer. But he was still so hard , Aki’s doing. It made it impossible for him to release his bladder.

“Hayakawa, please, I can’t take this.” Angel moaned. 

Aki stopped stroking him, but held the tip of his dick through his pants, thumb rubbing against the sore tip.

“Alright, you’ve been good, you can let go. You can have 10 seconds.” Aki teased, eyes glimmering. Angel sighed, relaxing his bladder, but he was still too hard.

“Fuck you, it hurts so bad!!” Angel cried, fingertips digging deep into Aki’s side. 

Aki lightened the grip on the devil’s cock, and pressed his right hand into Angel’s bladder again.

The devil cried out in pain, squirming away from the intense pressure. 

“Let go.” Aki commanded. Angel went limp against the wall, sniffling and breathing heavily. 

Aki suddenly felt hot liquid spraying from Angel’s dick through his pants, and the devil moaned loudly in relief. The noise of rushing liquid, hissing against clothing and pouring on the floor was so loud. Aki let go of the devil’s cock and undid his pants, tenderly squeezing his rock hard erection. 

Aki slid his knee between Angel’s legs and leaned back, watching with sick fascination as Angel pissed himself. 

The devil’s expression was of blissful pleasure, his head tilted back, mouth hanging open. The warmth, spreading and trickling down his legs felt so orgasmic. He felt humiliated, wetting himself and enjoying it in front of Aki. 

Aki stroked himself through his boxers as he felt the warm liquid running over his knee. Angel didn’t even notice, too overwhelmed by his relief. 

Aki began counting down, smiling as Angel began protesting.

“5… 4… 3… 2…” Aki wrapped his hand back around Angel, squeezing and stroking again, his stream still steadily spraying hot piss through his thin leggings, the liquid running over Aki’s hand.

“I can’t stop it.” Angel whined. “Don’t make me.” His stream slowed as he became hard from the human’s touch again, and Angel howled in frustration. The moment of relief had done nothing to lighten his pain. 

“Good job, you’re so good for me.” Aki’s praise sent chills down Angel’s spine. Angel whined, grinding into his touch for relief as the devil’s bladder ached, an excruciating pain.

Angel moaned, fuck , he was so close. Why was this so hot? He felt disgusting. 

Aki caught on, releasing his grip as Angel approached the edge of climax. He knew if Angel came, their little game would be over early. 

Angel had become increasingly vocal, now practically yelling at Aki, frustrated beyond the point of reason. He suddenly relaxed, his erection had softened from the pain to the point he could piss again. Aki jumped into action, as soon as Angel felt relief, he wrapped his hand around the tip, thumb chasing the stream of hot piss.

“You look fucking pathetic, pissing yourself helplessly like that. You’re fucking filthy , devil. Begging for permission to wet yourself.” Aki’s breath was hot against Angel’s ear as the human leaned down and whispered. 

Oh holy fuck, Angel felt humiliated , why was he so turned on? He whimpered, becoming too aroused to continue pissing again. He squirmed, deeply frustrated.

“Fuck you, this hurts so bad!” He cried. Aki responded by lifting his splinted hand up to Angel’s face, pressing the plastic into his mouth to silence him.

Oh my god, he was torturing him. Angel flapped his wings, he couldn’t take much more. He liked being dominated, he liked pain, and he really liked this, but he was nearing his limit.

Aki pulled his splinted hand back, making sure Angel had the capacity to continue to consent. He met his eyes, Angel’s eyes begging him for relief. 

Had he gone too far?

“Come for me, then I’ll let you go .” Aki hummed. 

Angel liked taking orders from Aki. He relaxed against Aki’s touch, craving relief. Aki stroked Angel’s dick forcefully, and the devil obediently came in seconds, making a massive hot mess of his pants. The heat was so intense Aki pulled back immediately, wiping his sticky hand on his pants.

The devil began wetting himself immediately, wanting to cry from the relief. It felt divine, the pleasant warmth surrounding his sensitive genitals and flowing down his legs.

He felt revoltingly filthy, covered in cum and piss, having an accident in front of Aki. The smell filled his nostrils. 

Aki stepped back, Angel could see his pants were undone, his rock hard cock tenting his boxers. He gently pulled out his pulsing erection, touching himself cautiously at first. He was so fucking hard it hurt. He watched Angel, breathing heavily and moaning loudly as he masturbated to the sight of Angel pissing himself.

Aki brought himself over the edge right as Angel had fully emptied his bladder, spilling cum on the crotch of Angel’s pants. 

He leaned forward, smiling as he taunted Angel. 

“You’re shamefully disgusting, standing in your own piss and filth. I should mark you as mine.” Aki growled, feeling extremely territorial toward the devil. 

Angel processed the words, hadn’t he already been marked? Aki was still holding his dick, pointed at him. 

Wait… Was Aki… Going to piss on him?

A new feeling ran through Angel’s body. A mixture of excitement and fear. He had barely enough time to prepare himself as he felt a warm sensation hit his stomach. 

Oh god. Angel whimpered, feeling the warmth spreading and flowing down, flooding every crevice of his lower body. It was shockingly erotic, and somehow very different from the sensation of wetting himself. 

He really liked it. God, he was filthy, inside and out. He felt utterly humiliated, being forced to wet himself and then used as a urinal. Why did he want to touch himself so badly?

Aki sighed with relief, he’d had to piss badly too. He leaned his weight on his splinted arm, pressed against  the wall for support. 

Angel slid a hand inside the disgusting slimy mess inside his leggings to touch his pussy. Aki’s stream now hit him in the arm and ran down his wrist to his fingertips.

Oh fuck, that felt so good. Angel touched himself vigorously. He’d never been able to get off just by touching his own clit before, but combined with the shame and the sensation of Aki’s hot urine dripping from his fingers and running over his pussy, he almost immediately found himself reaching climax. Angel yelped in surprise, letting out a loud moan as he came again. His body slumped against the wall, knees shaking.

Aki had finished. He was incredibly satisfied by how much Angel seemed to enjoy that. They’d made a horrendous mess, he couldn’t afford to wait any longer to clean it, the disgusting liquid was inevitably going to ruin the trim. He grabbed Angel’s shirt, pulling him upright again and shaking him back into reality. 

“Strip, you dirty slut. You need to bathe. I’ll clean up your mess.” Aki’s voice was harsh, and his movement rough and unyielding.

Angel swallowed, a soft whimper slipping from his throat. He would do anything Aki said, feeling submissive while also feeling incredibly needy. Aki let go of his shirt, and Angel obediently shed his soiled clothes, dropping them into the massive puddle of bodily fluids at his feet. He shivered, his body cold and wet. Aki glared down at him, equally aroused and disgusted by the state of the devil. Angel shakily stumbled to the bathroom to wash away the shame he was covered in. 

Aki set to work, he tossed his pants onto the pile, using the clothes to soak up as much liquid as possible. He washed his hands, and swapped laundry so he could throw everything directly into the washer.

He used one of his new towels to finish drying the floor, then mopped thoroughly.

With laundry ready to start, Aki brought Angel his bag, hoping he had a change of clothes, then put away his groceries. 

Aki felt quite dirty and a little unsettled by his actions. Although, that was possibly one of his biggest and most shameful sexual fantasies, so he didn’t entirely regret it coming to fruition. Hopefully it didn’t freak Angel out too much. 

Angel emerged from the bathroom, and Aki quickly rinsed himself off and threw on a new pair of boxers and sweatpants. He started the washer now that they were done bathing. 

Angel had curled up on the couch, feeling quite sleepy after all the excitement. The devil was very intrigued by Aki, he didn’t have very much sexual knowledge but was thrilled to explore things with the human. That kink certainly caught him off guard, he’d never have expected himself to find it arousing.

It was already past lunchtime, so Aki quickly made them both sandwiches. It’d likely be at least a few hours before the housemates returned from their mission. 

What was he going to do about Angel’s smell?

He couldn’t get away with smoking indoors all the time. 

Aki threw a bag of microwavable popcorn in the microwave, setting the timer past the recommended settings. This would probably work.

Maybe when the weather was cooler they could just  open windows?

Once the smell of burning popcorn filled the air, Aki plopped down next to Angel on the couch, handing him his sandwich.

They ate in silence, starving from the exertion of the past few hours.

Aki got up and headed to the balcony to smoke. It was unpleasantly hot outside. 

He hated to admit it to himself, but he really wanted to cuddle Angel. He felt insecure and a bit vulnerable after exposing his dark desire, and he suspected Angel might be a little shaken by it. 

He had the silk gloves now, and he could probably handle a long sleeved shirt for a short while.

Aki finished his cigarette and headed back inside. He motioned for Angel to follow him, grabbing his bag of gloves on the way to his room. Aki pulled off his shirt, feeling Angel’s eyes on his back as he slipped into a long sleeved shirt. He put his sling back on, covering his exposed fingers, and pulled on his silk glove. 

Aki approached Angel, whose wings were still damp from his shower.

“You okay?” He asked the devil, placing his hand on the side of his neck. 

Angel nodded, smiling up at Aki. The devil leaned forward, resting his head against Aki’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. 

Aki slipped his arm underneath Angel’s wings, holding him close. They were silent for a while before Aki spoke. 

“I’m sorry about what happened. I feel embarrassed.”

Angel laughed softly. “It wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t wanted it to.” He wrapped his arms tightly around Aki’s waist, pressing his face against the human’s chest.  “I liked it.” The devil whispered. Aki could feel Angel’s breath through his shirt, and he felt goosebumps on his arms. 

Aki contemplated dragging the devil into his bed, but Angel had other ideas.

Chapter Text

“Hey… You wanna drink?”

Oh fuck, Aki realized he’d completely forgotten the devil was a budding alcoholic. Poor guy. He pulled away from Angel, headed to the kitchen.

“Beer okay? You want something harder?” Aki asked. 

“What do you have?” Angel cut in front of Aki, opening the freezer. He pulled out an unopened bottle of vodka, his brown eyes bright with excitement.

Aki pulled out a few shot glasses from the cabinet, and Angel gave him a nervous look.

“Alright, drink it straight from the bottle, I don’t care.” The human shrugged. 

Angel twisted the bottle open, tipping his head back and chugging the clear liquor like it was water. Aki was a little horrified at how casually the devil could do this.

Angel pulled away from the bottle for a breath, wiping his mouth and offering it to Aki.

Goddammit. Aki wasn’t a huge fan of drinking straight liquor when he was sober. He took the bottle reluctantly. He was shocked, the devil had already downed a third of it. Aki made a sour face, considering the price of it, took a deep breath, and put his mouth to the bottle.

The moment the cold alcohol hit his tongue he fought the instinct to pull away. He could feel Angel’s eyes on him. Aki managed a few swallows before he had to put the bottle down. He was momentarily stuck with a mouthful of alcohol, his brain refusing to allow him to swallow the poison for a few seconds. He grimaced as he swallowed the liquid, his throat and chest burning.

Angel laughed and carefully pulled the bottle from Aki’s grip, taking another long swig. Aki opted to pull a beer out of the fridge for himself.

He was a little worried at the thought of getting drunk with Angel, could he be cautious enough if he was inebriated?

Angel paused in the hallway, not sure where Aki wanted him. Aki pointed to his room, and the devil happily trotted inside, throwing himself backwards across the bed, wings spread across the room. Aki watched as the devil took another long drink of vodka, sighing peacefully afterwards. 

Angel felt like he was in heaven. He didn’t care what he and Aki had, he was just elated that the human was entertaining his presence at all. He sat up, wondering what Aki was thinking.

Aki felt like he was frozen in place. Were things moving too fast? His brain replayed the day’s earlier events. What the fuck was wrong with him?

“What’s freaking you out this time?” Angel tilted his head. The buzz of alcohol had taken away his filter, he felt bad he’d asked so bluntly. Aki was so sensitive.

“It’s fine.” Aki lied, visibly uncomfortable. Angel could smell his fear. 

“If you tell me I can help you?” 

Aki stood over the bed for a moment, not wanting to sit on Angel’s wing. The devil lifted his wing up, and Aki sat down next to him, posture stiff. 

Angel swept his wing across Aki’s lap, hoping the human would touch it. Aki didn’t budge, so Angel wrapped his wing around the human’s jaw, feathers pointed towards the ceiling. The devil sat forward, cautiously invading Aki’s personal space. Aki could smell the alcohol on his breath. 

“I want whatever you want, from us. Don’t think too hard about it. It’ll be okay. Relax.” Angel’s voice was soothing, his words slurring slightly. He sat back slightly. 

Aki sighed, intentionally forcing his muscles to relax.

The truth was, he wanted more than just the sexual endeavors they’d had. But the thought of opening himself up to someone else like that was terrifying. 

The guilt also crushed him. He’d done such a great job establishing a healthy and respectful foundation for a relationship. 

God, he was a fucking freak, he’d never imagined himself capable of acting on his darkest thoughts. 

Did he want to enable this twisted version of himself?

Aki could feel the slight hum of alcohol in his head. Angel’s feathers felt incredibly soft on his face. He turned to look down at the devil, who had a sleepy but curious expression on his face.

Something in Aki’s heart softened at the sight of Angel. His cheeks were dusted with a pink tinge, his mouth…

Aki reached out, grabbing the collar of Angel’s t-shirt and pulling it up over his face. He leaned forward, pressing his lips to Angel’s, finding even through fabric they were as soft as he had imagined. The devil gasped, losing his balance and falling backwards on the bed in surprise.

Aki chuckled softly as Angel lay motionless on the bed, shirt still covering half his face, a dazed expression in his eyes. Aki leaned over him, his blue eyes smiling down at the devil. 

“Can you do that again?” Angel’s muffled voice was a soft whisper, afraid if he spoke any louder he’d scare Aki away.

Aki stood, turning and crawling onto the edge of the bed on his knees, straddling Angel’s legs. He propped himself up on his arm, lowering his body down until he was close enough to kiss Angel again. Aki found as he leaned in, Angel’s eyes stayed slightly open, his gaze fixed on Aki’s lips.

Angel could feel the heat of Aki’s mouth through the fabric, a mixture of cigarette smoke and alcohol on his breath. Aki was so close Angel felt his eyelashes brush his face. The devil didn’t trust himself to move a muscle, instead savoring every moment of this indirect kiss.

A soft sound escaped Angel’s mouth, giving away the bliss he felt. His heart was beating so hard he felt like it might burst. Aki tilted his head, kissing Angel with a little more pressure, exploring the shape of his lips through the soft cotton.

Angel badly wanted to kiss Aki back, but one wrong move would have costly consequences for the human, and the influence of alcohol wouldn’t work in his favor. 

Aki suddenly pulled back, sliding off the bed and leaving the room.

Angel wondered what the human was up to. Did he freak himself out and get cold feet again? The devil sighed, staring at the ceiling. 

Was this really happening? Angel yawned, he was exhausted by the whirlwind of new experiences and feelings in the last few hours, and he barely slept last night. Perhaps it was all a vivid dream. The alcohol had him feeling like he was melting into Aki’s bed.

He felt Aki’s footsteps approaching, and the crinkle of plastic. Aki tossed something onto the bed, landing on Angel’s wing. The devil picked it up. 

Oh. His gloves. Angel sat up and put them on diligently, then he lifted his head to look at Aki, but was immediately surprised by a cool pressure on his face, pushing him back onto the bed. 

What the fuck was happening? Angel opened his eyes, his vision unusually blurry. And the smell of plastic, the warm feeling of his breath meeting a barrier and bouncing back onto his face. 

Cling wrap?

Angel snapped back to reality. Aki had undone his sling and put a glove on his left hand, and was holding a piece of cling wrap stretched between both hands against the devil’s face, completely covering him. The devil hunter had climbed back on the bed, straddling Angel again and bringing his face closer. 

Angel felt his breath hitch in his throat as Aki’s lips met his through plastic. He could feel the shape of Aki’s mouth far better through the thin plastic barrier. He found his hands instinctively reaching out for the devil hunter, grabbing handfuls of his shirt and pulling him closer.

Aki released his hold on the plastic, propping himself up on one arm, his left hand cradling Angel’s jaw softly. He turned his head, kissing Angel with more intensity, lips parted. 

Angel let out a soft moan, one hand grabbing the back of Aki’s neck, the other wrapping around the human’s back. He lamented the barrier between them, wishing he could smell and taste Aki’s mouth, feel his breath on his face. Instead, the plastic fogged from his breath, obscuring his view of the devil hunter.

They kissed for a few minutes, Angel becoming more and more aroused by the second. He’d gotten handsy, slipping a gloved hand under Aki’s shirt. He found the human responded more to light pressure on his waist and hips, and he knew from prior experience his ass was also a sweet spot, but couldn’t reach it.

Aki suddenly pulled back, sliding the plastic barrier down. He gently grabbed a handful of the devil’s hair with his left hand, pulling his head to the right to give him better access to Angel’s neck. His grip on Angel’s hair was painful but Angel found it incredibly hot. 

Angel gasped as he felt Aki’s lips on his throat, gently and slowly kissing his sensitive skin. He moaned loudly, his body betraying him as his hips rose off the bed.

Aki lifted his head to Angel’s ear, whispering. “ Slut .” He wasn’t sure of the ethics of sex with Angel considering how much the devil had drunk. 

It was still exciting to tease him. 

Aki cautiously opened his mouth wider, biting down on Angel’s neck gently to avoid tearing the plastic. 

The devil moaned loudly, his wings flapping in frustration.

Aki kissed the skin where he had bitten the devil, then pulled away. He stood, stretching and reaching for his beer. He finished off the drink, turning and looming over Angel. The devil looked up at him, a helpless expression on his face, cheeks flushed red. His big brown eyes were begging Aki for more.

“How drunk are you?” Aki asked.

Angel was quiet. He wasn’t really sure, he’d been more focused on the present than how he felt. 

He sat up, humbly covering his lap with his shirt. The world seemed to move faster than he could keep up with. Angel was definitely under the influence of alcohol, but he could be drunker.

“Does it matter if you took advantage of me being inebriated that first time?” He mumbled. 

“You told me you weren’t that drunk.” Aki sighed. Why did he suddenly care about his level of intoxication? He’d done far more to even drunker men.

Maybe he felt too insecure for another round? He still badly wanted to just hold Angel. 

Aki sat on the bed beside Angel, sliding his left arm under his wings, pulling him close. “Sorry I led you on.”

Angel leaned his head against Aki’s shoulder. “It’s okay, I like being teased by you.” Aki could feel heat radiating from his halo. “I really liked kissing…”

They sat in silence for a moment before Angel spoke again. 

“How are you feeling inside? This is a lot for you, isn’t it?” He looked up at the human, a reassuring expression on his face. 

Aki swallowed. He definitely felt troubled by this intimacy. But it also felt so… Natural. 

He was sick of running from it, these feelings would follow him wherever he went. 

“I’m okay.” Aki let out a deep sigh, his whole body relaxing.

Angel wrapped himself around Aki, squeezing him tightly. “Can we lay down?”

Aki nodded. Angel clumsily climbed to the middle of the bed, and Aki slid in next to him. The human laid down next to Angel, and the devil wrapped his wing around Aki. 

“Mind if I smoke?” Aki asked. 

Angel shook his head, watching Aki light a cigarette. The smell of smoke was intense, but Angel found he associated it so much with the human that it no longer bothered him. In fact, he found it comforting.

Aki offered him the cigarette, and Angel took a drag. He wondered how much he’d need to smoke to get hooked on cigarettes. 

Was he hooked already? Is that why it excited him when Aki slid the cigarette between his lips, or was it the intense focus the human had on his face when he gave in to the peer pressure?

After a few minutes, Aki flicked his cigarette butt into his empty beer can, then slid down on the bed, resting his head on Angel’s chest. His heart beat quickly but steadily, Aki found it soothing. He threw his right arm over the devil, absentmindedly burying his thumb in the feathers. 

Angel only took a minute to start getting twitchy as Aki twirled feathers around his thumb. He cleared his throat and Aki froze.

Oh. “Sorry.” The human chuckled.

Aki lost himself in his thoughts.

Angel was easy to please, Aki appreciated that the devil accepted whatever he was able to offer.

He was still chasing feelings of guilt and shame out of his mind, and the overwhelming voice in his head, screaming at him to stop this affair and run away wasn’t budging. He’d need time to accept this.

God, what the fuck was he doing?

A fucking devil had corrupted him beyond redemption. He was committing a thousand sins at once, was he really this weak to perversion? Keeping it a secret wasn’t enough to cope with the guilt. 

At the same time, the Angel Devil was the perfect subject for him. He was beautiful, a work of art to behold. He was flawed, but pliable, like clay in Aki’s hands. He put up with Aki’s emotions, seemed like he genuinely supported him and wanted him to be happy. He wasn’t like any devil Aki had ever known before. 

It didn’t make it right, but it was so comfortable.

Aki had a thrilling outlet for his frustration and his dark fantasies. That wasn’t nearly as hard to cope with as his feelings were. He was so utterly confused. Any time he tried to process it, he couldn’t get past the rational arguments against what he wanted.

Lust was one thing, it was simply human weakness, but anything more was despicable. A relationship between a devil hunter and a devil ? It was unspeakable, completely unheard of. 

Even if he could somehow convince himself a secret relationship was excusable, he had likely obliterated any chance of it being healthy. Their foundation consisted of thrillingly vile sexual encounters and Aki’s emotional instability, by Aki’s standards he was practically abusing Angel.

But god , nothing had ever felt as right as he did with his arms wrapped around Angel, the strange warm smell of the devil, his wings holding Aki securely against his chest. The sound of the devil breathing softly, having fallen asleep in Aki’s bed. 

It didn’t matter that they’d never actually touch, this was more than close enough for Aki.

He let Angel sleep for a while, predicting they still had some time they had before whatever mission the punks he lived with were on was wrapped up.

Angel woke up on his own, seeming slightly disoriented and panicked at first, looking around nervously. “When will they be back?” He asked, his voice groggy. 

“Probably soon. We should get up.” Aki sighed. He took a deep inhale, savoring the comforting smell of the devil for a moment before getting up.

Angel slid off the bed, stretching his wings across Aki’s room. Aki noticed a few feathers on his bed, and slid them under his pillow. 

Angel had already picked up the bottle of vodka again and taken another long swig. It was nearly empty. 

He offered it to Aki. “Last call.”

Aki sighed, reluctantly taking the bottle and finishing it, grimacing at the awful taste.

Angel swayed as he walked out of Aki’s room. He flopped down on the couch, smiling sleepily. 

Aki occupied himself with chores, pounding beers to quench his thirst while he waited for his roommates to return. He found an hour passed quickly, being buzzed silenced the guilty conscience in his head. Memories of his sexual adventures earlier in the day swirled through his head. Perhaps tonight…

The front door flung open suddenly, the doorknob smacking into the wall. Denji strolled in, his white shirt covered in blood, in a boisterous mood. 

“Sup fuckers!! Whoa, is the apartment on fire? What the hell did you burn?” Denji yelled. 

“Where’s Power?” Aki frowned. 

“I dunno, somewhere?” Denji shrugged, looking at the front door. 

The fiend burst through the door, also wielding a rowdy temperament. Aki was exhausted already. 

“How was your errands?” Denji asked, still yelling. He looked around for the Angel Devil. 

Angel groaned and sat up on the couch. He had been napping peacefully until this rude awakening. He was still drunk, which felt nice.

“Fine.” Aki sighed. “Got your deodorant.”

“Aw sick, thanks man!” Denji reached out to pat Aki’s shoulder, but the man shied away from his touch, noting Denji’s hands were filthy. 

“Go clean yourselves up. I’m making dinner.” Aki slipped into the kitchen.

“Oh, by the way, Makima has something to tell you. She said she’ll call you in a bit. Are you in trouble, dude?” Denji seemed concerned. 

Aki felt his stomach turn. He tried to calm himself. Maybe he was just in trouble for taking Angel, and causing him to miss a mission?

He focused on cooking. He wasn’t going to help his case worrying about it. 

The phone rang when Aki was finishing dinner. He called out. “Angel, are you up? Can you stir this for me?”

The devil stumbled into the kitchen, taking over Aki’s task.

Aki felt nauseous as he grabbed the phone. 

It was Makima. 

She went right to business. 

“I appreciate you housing the Angel Devil while we decon his residence. He seems to do well with you.” Her voice sounded cheery, but fake. Not out of the ordinary for her, though. 

“Thank you, miss-“

“I heard from the grapevine about your little adventure across town today.” Makima’s voice had a little stress to it. The color drained from Aki’s face, what had she heard? Had they been seen?

Angel stared at him, a curious look on his face. 

Makima continued.  “Hayakawa, I would prefer if you take him out in the future, do so in uniform. My concern is how this represents Public Safety. A devil in plainclothes, on the train? It needs to be obvious he’s Public Safety’s property, and who his handler is.”

Aki remembered to breathe. She didn’t sound too suspicious.

“It’s one thing with Power being a fiend, but the Angel Devil is recognizable to some as a devil, and his power is a hazard to civilians. I would also like you to inform me of your plans with him in the future, so I can be prepared if you both are unavailable.”

“Understood. My apologies for not being mindful of this. Thank you for informing me.” Aki replied. Surely she didn’t mean all plans with Angel? When did they ever get called in after hours?

“Hayakawa… I trust you to consider the implications of your actions.” Makima paused for a moment, Aki felt like he was going to be sick. “Have a good night, the Angel Devil may go home tomorrow after 4pm.”

What the fuck was that comment? His actions ? That sounded suspiciously targeted. 

Maybe he was just being paranoid for no reason. If they were found out, Makima surely would not be that understanding or tolerant of it.

Still… Aki worried. He’d always been suspicious that Makima had an absurd wealth of intel, almost like she could spy on people. 

Aki walked back to the stove. Angel read his expression. “You okay?” The devil asked.

“Yeah, it’s fine.” Aki lied. Angel frowned at him, sensing it was more complicated than that. “Makima just said if you go out with me we have to be in uniform.”

“Oh.” Angel shrugged. He had more spare uniforms than he had actual clothes anyways. He wondered why Aki seemed so unsettled, what else had Makima said? He grabbed a beer from the fridge. 

Aki served dinner shortly after, Power and Denji having scrubbed away the blood from their skin. Aki wasn’t looking forward to stain treating the clothes, and he stressed about the blood setting in, but he restrained himself from dealing with it now. 

Denji and Power recounted their adventures in confusing detail. 

“You shoulda been there Angel, we probably had way more fun than you did with Topknot and his lame errands.” 

“He probably took you to the LIBRARY! I loathe that quiet place, they have no books about my epic tales!” Power chimed in. 

Angel glanced at Aki before answering, a glimmer in the devil’s eyes. “It wasn’t bad. Did go to the library though.”

“You poor devil, being tortured all day by this boring human.” Power yawned. “Is that why you’re drunk before dinner?”

“Some of it was torture.” Angel let a little truth slip out with a half smile, watching Aki’s face intently to see how the human responded. 

Aki frowned slightly, but chose not to comment. 

He tried not to watch Angel too closely, but the devil was enjoying his meal a little too much, his facial expressions patting Aki’s ego. 

As everyone started eating, the table grew silent, Aki had apparently done well cooking. His ears picked up a soft moan from Angel, who was drunk enough he was convinced he had never tasted anything as delicious before. 

Aki’s eyes flitted to Angel unconsciously at the noises of pleasure, and unfortunately Denji caught his reaction, giving Aki a teasing look. Aki scowled at him. 

“Hey, why’d Angel change? I thought his outfit was cute, he looked like a girl.” Denji pried, suspicious. “Did he get hit on too much?”

“Uh….” The devil quickly thought of a lie. “I spilled coffee on it.”

Aki shoved a bite of food in his mouth, his eyebrows furrowed, staring at the table.

“Hayakawa bought you coffee? How come you never buy me drinks, asshole?” 

“I don’t take you on errands. We’ve been over this, you idiot.” Aki huffed. 

He finished his dinner, taking his dishes to the kitchen. He found the pile of Denji and Power’s bloody work clothes, taking them to the laundry room to start spot treating. He could hear the trio start up the video games, and was glad for the moment of quiet to himself.

Aki suspected Denji would hound him about Angel at some point. He wasn’t prepared to reveal his secret, but Denji wasn’t completely clueless, he’d figure it out eventually. It might even help to have an ally to help keep this hidden. 

Aki downed another beer in between chores, feeling slightly drunk at this point. He flagged Angel’s attention, tossing another beer to him, the devil flashing him a warm look of gratitude. 

Aki hoped he could control himself tonight, there was no need to risk everything. At the same time… Aki was very tempted to take advantage of Angel being in his home one more night. He had an idea to keep the devil quiet…

He felt a flash of disgust at himself. After what Makima had said, what was he doing thinking about this?

Aki wanted a cigarette, but the living room was in uproar, the trio fighting over something to do with a game. He chose to avoid being threatened, and went through his room.

As he slid the door shut behind himself, Denji sprung into action.

“I don’t care what you did, dude, you fucking cured that dickwad’s foul mood. I’m forever in your service, man.” Denji smiled at Angel, rearing back for a fist bump before he remembered the danger. He gave the devil a thumbs up instead. 

“Yes! He is notably less insufferable! He didn’t make anyone do chores after dinner!” Power cheered.

“I didn’t do anything.” Angel lied, slurring. Well, technically that was a partial truth, Aki had initiated almost everything himself. Angel smiled fondly as he recalled the last 24 hours. Had it really only been one day? His brain was a blur.

Angel felt warm and sleepy. He wondered if he could get away with lying down somewhere and taking another nap. He yawned. He couldn’t even stretch out his wings in this close proximity with Denji and Power. 

With how anal Aki was about cleanliness, Angel could probably get away with resting on the floor for a little while. He should appreciate it while he could, he certainly couldn’t in his apartment. He couldn’t hang out in common areas at all. 

The devil slid off his chair onto the floor, stretching his wings out diagonally on the floor. He could feel the coolness of the floor through his clothes, it felt nice. Angel shut his eyes, still feeling like the world was shifting around him. He could hear Denji and Power comment about him being sloshed. He wasn’t that drunk, just tired. Well, he was pretty drunk.

“That’s probably how Aki dealt with him all day. Got him drunk so he left him alone, ha.” Denji mused.

Angel thought about correcting Denji, but he didn’t care enough to summon the words and find a convincing lie again.

Angel was almost asleep when he heard the door to the balcony slide back open. 

“What’d you guys do to him?” Aki asked.

Angel felt pressure on his hip, and opened his eyes. Aki was kicking him gently, checking that he was still breathing. “I’m fine.” He whined. He hated when people worried about him. He just wanted to rest. 

“Yeah, I know you’re a fucking alcoholic. I’m cutting you off tonight.” Aki sighed. Angel watched the human walk away, headed to the closet to get a pillow for the devil. 

“Sit up.” Aki commanded. Angel reluctantly sat up, groaning. He probably wouldn’t have listened if it wasn’t Aki. The human shoved a pillow behind his head and walked away, returning shortly after with a glass of water. 

“Drink. 20 minutes, this needs to be empty.” Aki lingered, making serious eye contact with Angel. The devil smiled, recalling their little secret from earlier. He could smell the cigarette Aki just smoked.

Aki left, heading to his room. The devil hunter cracked open another beer. He needed a distraction, resolving to work on his Gun Devil research. Although he didn’t get very far, his mind was very distracted. He at least appreciated that with alcohol onboard, he wasn’t stressing out so much. 

Maybe Angel would eventually sober up enough to at least have a conversation tonight. Aki could sneak him into his room again, nobody would have to know. He still wanted to talk about things, but couldn’t fathom what he’d even say. 

‘Wanna be secret lovers?’

Ugh. 

Did they even need to talk? Angel seemed like he was willing to go with the flow with Aki. Besides, based on Aki’s actions, that was exactly what they were.

He was overcomplicating it. 

And maybe he was looking for an excuse to spend time with Angel. He was admittedly soft for the devil.

His plans quickly degraded into depravity, he couldn’t keep his mind off what he’d done to Angel. Maybe he overdid it on the alcohol himself, this mindset didn’t bode well for a restful night. He couldn’t settle his anxiety about Makima’s vague comment, maybe he shouldn’t take any risks.

Aki debated admitting defeat and crawling into bed early, but he needed to kick Denji and Power off the couch so the poor devil could get some rest.

Aki headed back out to the living room. “How much longer are you going to play video games?” He asked Denji. Angel looked up, bleary eyed, before shutting his eyes again. 

“Angel Devil needs the couch back?” Power asked. “Psh, simple solution, stupid mortal! He sleeps in your room again like last time, and we can stay up all night fighting spaceships!”

Aki groaned. That was not a solution. He looked to Denji, who was bound to have a more rational response, but the kid just shrugged. 

“Yeah, sounds like a good idea to me.” Denji was focused intently on his game. 

Aki stood still, prompting Denji to look at him. Denji shrugged again, winked at Aki, and turned back to his game. He didn’t give a single shit what they did behind closed doors, as long as it meant Aki didn’t act like a total bitch all the time.

Goddammit . 

Aki sighed. He turned to Angel. The glass of water next to him sat untouched. Aki prodded the devil with his foot, a little excessively rough. Angel groaned and rolled on his side. 

Aki crouched down, growling at him. “Get up. Drink your fucking water.”

Angel snapped back to reality, sitting up and obediently downing the water. 

Aki found himself a little amused at how well that worked on the devil. He recalled Makima telling him before that the devil couldn’t be ordered around, only reasoned with. Turns out he just needed the right motivation. 

“C’mon, let’s go to bed.” Aki stood up, headed back to his room. He paused, he wasn’t sure if Angel was legitimately hammered, or just dramatic, but just in case he gave him another order. “Go piss, I’m not cleaning up after you.” Again, that is. He didn’t mind the first time.

Ugh, he was disgusted by himself. 

Aki refilled Angel’s water and got one for himself. He gathered some bedding and headed to his room.

Aki’s intentions were strictly chaste at this point. He’d done enough sinning today to supply a lifetime of shame. Still… He could change his mind, provided Angel sobered up enough to consent. 

He watched the devil walk into the room, his footsteps relatively steady. Angel sniffed the air and looked up at Aki, an inquisitive, sly look on his face. 

Fuck, he had forgotten the devil could smell his intentions.

He needed to shut this down. Aki shut the door to his room, turning towards Angel.

“You’re drunk, you’re not getting anything from me.” Aki stated dryly. 

“I won’t be drunk all night.” Angel shrugged. “Could cuddle, you’re the one with the dirty mind.”

Aki felt a flash of anger at being called out, gritting his teeth. He took a moment to reflect, rubbing his face with his hands. 

Shit. He had been the one to initiate most of their tangles. Well, it wasn’t entirely fair, Angel could sense his lust, sometimes before Aki recognized it. Surely that gave him an advantage somehow, Aki just couldn’t figure out how. 

Devils were notoriously manipulative and conniving. Or, he thought they were. He just couldn’t see it in the Angel Devil. 

Aki sighed, sitting on his bed.

What was he doing? Aki flopped backwards, his hands hanging over his head off the bed. He stared at the ceiling, ruminating. 

“You’re overthinking.” Angel sighed, sitting next to the human on his bed. His body felt incredibly heavy and tired, but he felt obligated to defuse the bomb he’d inadvertently set. Aki was smart, rational, but he couldn’t process any of his feelings for shit. 

“And how do you know this?”

“You smell like anxiety.” Angel said. The human was quite easy to read, despite his best efforts. “Wanna talk about it?” The devil turned, laying on his stomach. He threw an arm across Aki’s stomach, then spread a wing over the human.

There was silence for a few minutes, Angel fought with all his might to stay awake.

“I don’t know who I am around you.” Aki’s voice was a soft whisper.

Angel propped himself up on his elbows to wake himself up. “Happier? Braver. I think you’re you .”

Aki lay, unmoving, a grim expression on his face.

“You never let anyone in, do you?” Angel’s voice was tired, his syllables slurring on his tongue. That might have pushed things too far, but he didn’t care. He was drunk and just wanted to sleep. 

Maybe he was getting tired of Aki’s constant psychic struggle. 

Angel let his face fall onto the mattress. He felt Aki get up and walk away.

Through his eyelids he could see the lights turn off, and he listened as Aki crossed the room, opening his dresser. Angel heard something hit the floor, the crinkle of plastic, then footsteps approaching the bed. 

“Get up.” Aki’s voice was barren of emotion. Angel was sick of dealing with it, so he slid off the bed and blindly stumbled towards the corner where Aki had prepared him a bed. 

Suddenly, he felt something grab his wrist, pulling him backwards. Angel looked up, finding Aki’s face lit by his halo. The human wore long sleeves and a glove, and pulled the devil towards his bed. He had a warm but weary expression on his face.

Aki pulled Angel into his bed, laying on his back so the devil could rest his head on his chest. Aki pulled the blanket over their legs. The two didn’t speak, but Angel could still feel Aki’s apology, like the human was begging him to bear with him. 

Angel felt the world spinning around him slowly, but the steady heartbeat of the man below him gave him a stable anchor to cling to as he succumbed to sleep. 

Chapter Text

Angel awoke to a dry mouth. The light filtering through the window into the room told him it wasn’t quite morning. Aki lay beneath him, his heartbeat slow, his breathing steady as he slept. Angel stayed still for a while, trying to process if he’d blacked out at any point last night to end up here, on Aki’s chest. 

Had they really slept cuddled up together two nights in a row? 

Angel’s mouth was a desert, telling him he needed to hydrate. He sat up, wincing as his vision went dark. Aki had two glasses of water on his nightstand, so Angel helped himself to one. 

Angel didn’t get hungover, something about the devil power metabolized alcohol quickly and efficiently. At most, he was dehydrated, but he could drink as much as he wanted with few ill effects the following day. He’d heard humans were prone to them, and Aki had drank a bit last night. He’d let him sleep for now. 

The devil stretched, his right wing extending across the room, then grabbed the empty glass to refill. He quietly opened the door, stretching his left wing out as he stepped into the hallway. 

It was silent in Aki’s apartment. Angel felt like a stranger, but he was more comfortable here than he was in his own home. 

The devil stole a piece of bread out of the kitchen, turning around to head back into Aki’s room but finding a silhouette in the doorway. He jumped, surprised. 

Aki stood in the doorway rubbing his face, his expression groggy, “You okay?”

Angel nodded. “Thirsty.” Had Aki gotten up to check on him?

“You need pain meds?” Aki asked, rubbing his forehead. 

“I’m not hungover.”

“Seriously? You drank 30$ of vodka.” Aki passed by Angel, reaching into the cabinet above the fridge.

“I’m fine.” Angel shrugged. Aki scoffed, glaring at him with a look of jealousy. Angel headed back into Aki’s room, not sure where Aki wanted him. He chewed his bread, washing it down with more water. 

After a minute, he heard Aki come back in the room behind him and shut the door. Angel set his glass of water down, flinching as he felt a hand on his lower back. 

“How do you feel?” Aki’s voice was low and rough. Angel immediately could smell his bad intentions, sending a shiver down the devil’s spine. 

What did Aki want him to say?  

Aki sensed Angel’s hesitation. “Lay down for me.” His voice was reassuring. Angel happily obliged, flopping on Aki’s bed and burying his face in the human’s smell.

He expected Aki to come onto him, but the human directed him to lay down on his stomach. Aki straddled Angel’s legs, focused on touching his wings. Angel wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel, was this intended to be foreplay?

His slightly drunken mind couldn’t help but give into the pleasant sensation of touch. The human didn’t have full use of his right hand, but any pressure was heaven on Angel’s wings. Aki ran his hands against the tops of the wings, bending them around his body, mindlessly playing with them, and Angel fell into a trance, soft sighs escaping his lips. He was almost falling asleep, but his arousal kept him awake.

“Are you still drunk too?” Aki asked after a while. He’d been rubbing his face against Angel’s wings, finding they felt divine against his skin, appreciating the warm, earthy smell.

“Yeah,” Angel sighed into Aki’s mattress, feeling like he was melting. 

Aki was silent, and Angel’s curiosity was getting unbearable. “What are you thinking about right now?” The devil murmured. 

Angel felt Aki’s hand wander towards the base of his left wing, where the devil was so sensitive the touch felt like electricity running across his skin. Angel whimpered, his body shuddering, he was helpless as his hips ground against the mattress. 

Why wouldn’t Aki communicate ? 

Angel felt frustrated in multiple ways, and he was starting to get overstimulated.

Aki’s fingertips began inching towards the area where feathers turned to skin, and Angel’s breath hissed through his teeth, this relentless touch with no relief felt like agony. Was Aki wearing gloves, or was he risking his safety? Angel couldn’t take this anymore, flapping his wings to get Aki to stop.

He felt so confused, twisting around and squinting at the man behind him. Aki was wearing a silk glove, and had an intrigued expression on his face, but climbed off Angel’s legs. Angel could smell the arousal thick in the air now that he’d surfaced from the mattress. He flipped over to lay on his back. Angel watched Aki’s gaze drop to his crotch, the human’s eyes full of lust.

“Are you just teasing me again because I’m drunk?” Angel sighed.

“Are you too drunk to consent?” Aki couldn’t tell, especially considering this was Angel’s normal state.

“God no!” Angel laughed. “You think teasing me like that is ethical, but draw the line there?” 

Aki was a gentleman with self restraint some of the time, although this wasn’t one of those times. The human quickly descended over Angel, dutifully relieving him of his arousal.

After getting Aki off, Angel got up, tossing their dirty laundry in the corner of the room and finding Aki his cigarettes. Angel cracked the window before crawling back into bed with the human.

Aki wore a soft smile as he put a cigarette to his lips. 

Angel watched him smoke, a sleepy expression on his face. The devil was lost in thought for a moment, piecing together his day again.

“I think I’m not a boy.” Angel flopped on his back, staring at the ceiling. 

Aki sat up, turning to look at the devil. He thought for a moment before speaking. “I thought you already knew that?”

“I want to explore it now.” Angel yawned, studying Aki’s face. The man looked away, taking a long drag of his cigarette. 

“So…” Aki wasn’t sure where to go from here. “Do you want me to use different pronouns?” He wondered what had made Angel reconsider this. 

“What did you say the ones that weren’t male or female were? They or them?” Angel pondered.

Aki didn’t directly know anyone who used those pronouns, but he figured if they fit anyone, it was Angel. Even studying the devil now in the faint light of the halo, Aki would have to admit they looked perfectly ambiguous.

“So be it.” Aki nodded. Angel could see he was done smoking, so they reached out, taking the spent cigarette from his hand. They stubbed out his cigarette in an ashtray on the nightstand. Aki pet Angel’s head softly. “Forgive me if I slip. Do you want me to train Denji and Power to…”

“You don’t have to.” Angel felt like they were asking so much already. They weren’t sure how others would respond to this, Aki had made it sound like this was a tender subject for humans. 

“Believe it or not, I think it’s doable.” Aki knew he could train the two with the right incentive. “You gonna dress differently too?”

“I’d like to try.” Angel smiled. Their chest felt light and fluttery. Angel pulled Aki’s blanket up around them, trying to physically mask the vulnerability they felt. Aki stretched, lying back on his pillow. A few moments passed before Angel rolled over, resting their head on Aki’s chest and covering the human’s torso with their wing. 

“Thank you,” Angel sighed. 

Aki reached up, petting the devil’s head with his gloved hand again. 

His mind replayed Angel’s words last night. He was more himself with the devil, and now, Angel was their own true self with him. 

Part of his restless brain wanted to find something to worry about, but he wasn’t sure he cared as much about what others thought of him, or of them, anymore.

It felt peaceful to be this close.

The two quickly drifted off to sleep again. 

Aki woke up before his alarm, he hadn’t slept all that well given the bright light from the devil’s halo. Angel was still sleeping deeply on his chest. Aki watched them for a few minutes, reaching up to their head with his gloved hand. He pet their head for a moment, feeling an insatiable curiosity towards the halo floating directly in front of his face. 

Aki reached up, finding the ring of light to be a solid object, hot to the touch through his glove, and seemingly immovable. He wanted to explore it more, and gently pressed on it to see if it would budge, recalling it sometimes looked crooked atop the devil’s head. Angel suddenly stiffened, breathing in deeply as they stirred from their sleep. 

Aki felt guilty, lowering his hand to pet their face. “I gotta get up,” he whispered. Angel huffed, sliding themselves off Aki’s chest, burying their face into his pillow.

Aki stretched and yawned. He was sweaty underneath the long sleeved shirt, and pulled it over his head. The room felt a little chilly with the window open. 

His head ached when he moved, but he didn’t otherwise feel too awful after drinking last night. His alarm would go off in 20 minutes, he wasn’t up that early, and they’d gotten a full night of sleep. 

Well, mostly. 

Aki had to start on laundry. He got up, shutting his window and starting his morning routine. 

He had questions for Angel, but they looked too peaceful to disturb.

Aki took a break to smoke a cigarette, reclining in his patio chair. Was he just okay with this sin now? He worried the feelings of shame would consume him at any moment. 

Maybe others didn’t need to know. But maybe his roommates knowing about them would provide a little more protection? 

No, Power was a wild card at times, she couldn’t be trusted. And quite honestly, most of the time she lived in complete ignorance of those around her.

Denji would figure it out, Aki was sure of it. He wanted to tell the kid himself so he could make sure they were in a controlled environment.

Aki felt a bit foolish, did he actually want his secret to be out? It was so much more complicated than a human relationship. He headed back inside. 

It was a little early to start breakfast, but he felt restless and a bit overwhelmed. Cooking would help occupy his mind.

Aki hadn’t even pulled any ingredients out before he was spooked by a sudden voice. 

“So…” Denji stood in the entry to the kitchen, looking around suspiciously and leaning forward before speaking again in a quiet voice. “How was it?”

“How was what?” Aki swallowed nervously. 

“Y’know like… Uhh…” Denji scratched his head, visibly uncomfortable. “You’re gay, and Angel…”

Aki sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose.

“Oh so you like him?”

“What makes you think that?” Aki crossed his arms, frowning at Denji. He turned back to the fridge , trying to cool himself off. He wasn’t sure why he felt so defensive, hadn’t he been planning to tell the kid?

“Well, if I was wrong you’d probably hit me. I mean, it’s honestly a toss up either way cause you’ll hit me for calling you out too. I dunno, you seem like less of a tightass since he got here.” Denji shrugged. “Is it cuz he stuck something up there?” He snickered, ducking as Aki threw a bundle of green onions at his head.

“Help me cook, asshole.” Aki grumped. He needed a minute to figure out how to phrase this. Denji washed the vegetables, and began sloppily cutting them under Aki’s instruction. 

The devil hunter took a deep breath after a few minutes. “If you tell-“

“Yeah, yeah, you’ll bash my head in or some shit.” Denji rolled his eyes, but he felt a bit of excitement at the potential to learn Aki’s secret. 

“Don’t blackmail me for this.” Aki sighed. He couldn’t bring himself to admit it to Denji, he desperately wanted to lie and make this seem less… heinous . 

“So who tops?” Denji grinned deviously. Aki smacked Denji’s head, but the expression on his face was the confirmation the kid needed. “Does he really have both-“

“Don’t go there.” Aki snapped. “Is that all your perverted freak mind cares about? I’m not talking about this with you.”

“I’m just curious.” Denji laughed. 

“Denji.” Aki’s tone was escalating, a final warning.

“ Okay.. . So, how do you make the curse of death work wi-?” Denji spluttered as Aki smashed an egg on his face. 

Denji immediately threw up his hands and caught the falling eggshells, licking them clean before tossing them in the sink. Aki was disgusted to watch the kid clean his face, sucking gooey strands of raw egg off his fingers. Denji picked eggshells out of his teeth before breaking the moment of silence to sneer at Aki again. “You know… I wasn’t trying to be pervy with that, I was gonna say romantic mushy shit like cuddling or kissing. But you just sold yourself out, dickwad. You guys for sure got nasty.”

“Get the fuck out of here.” Aki growled, delivering a sharp kick to Denji’s backside, knocking him into the sink. The kid groaned and stumbled out of the kitchen to wash the residual mess off his face. 

God, Aki fucking hated him sometimes. So much for feeling better with someone knowing. He could feel the red flush on his face.

He finished breakfast by himself, then went to wake Angel and Power. 

Angel didn’t respond to the knock, so Aki slipped into the room. They were sleeping like they were comatose, Aki had to shake their shoulder roughly to rouse them. 

Angel yawned, rubbing their eyes sleepily as they sat up. 

“Morning, you want breakfast?” Aki said, turning to leave. 

“Wait-“ Angel’s voice was still rough from sleep. “I don’t have any more clothes.”

“Just wear that?” Aki shrugged. Angel pulled their shirt down, revealing a suspicious stain from their adventure last night. Oh, fuck. Aki watched the devil peel the shirt off, his gaze a little too intent. Angel felt shy, crossing their arms over their chest. 

Aki went to his dresser, rummaging through his shirts. He’d have to pick one he was willing to part with, so he chose an oversized t-shirt he wasn’t a huge fan of. 

“Scissors?” Angel asked.

Aki pulled a pair of scissors out of his nightstand, handing it to Angel. He paused before leaving the room, wanting to see them wearing the shirt first. Besides, if he opened the door and Denji saw the devil shirtless in Aki’s bed… He’d never live that down. 

Angel held the shirt up to their shoulders for a moment, then folded it, cutting two perfectly sized slits in the back for their wings. They slid the shirt over their head and folded their wings through. The shirt was so large on them it was almost like a dress, the stretched out collar hanging off one shoulder. Aki looked down at them, eyeing their exposed collarbone. 

He shook away his dirty thoughts and cleared his throat, he had questions for Angel. “So, do you want to uhh, come out? To just Denji and Power for now. I can help, if it works it might help you figure things out?”

“Sure,” Angel nodded, flipping their long red hair out of the collar of their shirt and adjusting their wings. “I might appreciate you educating them. They listen to you.” 

Angel stood up, then bent over to pick up their old shirt, and Aki couldn’t help but slide a hand across their ass, protected by a pair of tight fitting sweatpants. Damn. 

Aki suddenly remembered the breakfast he’d slaved over and forced himself away from the devil, slipping out of his room. Denji stared at him across the room, chewing a mouthful of eggs.  

Was that a slight smile on Aki’s face? Denji couldn’t recall ever seeing the guy genuinely smile before. 

Aki knocked on Power’s door, calling her to breakfast. By the time he got to the table, Angel had emerged from Aki’s room. Denji noted the devil’s outfit, wondering if that’s what had Aki smiling.

Denji wished Aki could be a little more relaxed about it, the guy was constantly on edge and jumpy. He was always an asshole, but much more defensive and far less passive about being teased about this. Picking on Aki was one of Denji’s favorite pastimes, he lamented that Aki was so sensitive about such a juicy topic. 

At least he wasn’t a pathetic sack of misery and anger anymore. Well, no more than usual. Plus, Aki had been cooking better, more impressive meals since Angel was there, Denji wouldn’t complain about that.

Denji wasn’t a snitch, he knew how bad this could be for Aki. Surely the guy would want an ally who was chill like that. 

Power tore into her breakfast ravenously, dueling Denji for second portions. Denji was a little distracted, observing the energy between Aki and Angel.

“So… When’s he going home?” Denji asked.

“4. Also, about that.” Aki glanced at Angel, who nodded in approval. “Angel’s not a he.”

“Angel’s a she?” Denji coughed. Power noisily chewed a mouthful of food, watching the others’ faces. 

“No.” Aki shook his head. “Angel’s neither. Call them ‘they’ or ‘them.”

“Grammatically incorrect!” Power yelled. “Those are plural! This devil is one being. I shan't disrespect the rules of language.”

“It’s not, though.” Aki sighed. “It’s like…”

“Like when someone says - ‘Who left their stuff here?’ right?” Denji asked, seeming to catch on. 

“Lies! You want me to say ‘They is the Angel Devil,’ and make a foolery of my superior intelligence.” Power crossed her arms indignantly. “These words are plural and cannot refer to one being.”

Aki frowned, thinking for a moment. He’d have to outwit Power’s unyielding opinions on language. “Alright. Angel is a boy and a girl, therefore by your logic two beings. So you can make your verbs plural and respect the rules of grammar.”

Power was quiet, this idea held water in her mind. “How do you know they are telling the truth?” Power raised an eyebrow. “Do they have bo-“

“ENOUGH! Not at the breakfast table.” Aki snapped, recognizing where this was going.

Denji and Power laughed, and Aki felt his ears getting hot. Angel wore a half smile, to them this seemed like it was going well. 

Power leaned over to Denji, whispering. “Methinks he saw it , he’d need evidence to agree to committing this frivolous mockery of language.” Denji looked nervous, laughing passively and shooting a look at Aki. 

Aki resisted the urge to lash out, not wanting to act more suspicious. He finished his breakfast, clearing the empty dishes off the table.

Angel got up, taking their dishes and meeting Aki in the kitchen. “I think Denji knows.” They warned.

“Yeah.” Aki sighed. “I know.”

“Were we too lou-“

Aki cut them off. “No, he knows I’m… gay. Made a lucky guess this morning that we...”

“Oh.” Angel studied Aki’s face, trying to read his emotions. He was, by far, the most confusing creature they had ever met. “Well, thank you for telling them how to refer to me. It feels right.” Angel smiled. 

Aki nodded, engaging himself in cleaning. 

He listened as Denji, Power, and Angel began playing video games again.

It was a constant struggle to quiet the voice of panic in his head, telling him he needed to end this, alerting him of the extreme danger he’d chosen to dance with. He wondered if it would ever get easier.

Aki washed, dried, and folded all of Angel’s laundry to take home. By this point, he’d figured out through experimentation the best combination of detergent and washer settings to wash away the evidence of their sins.

After chores, Aki found reading occupied enough of his mind to feel some peace. The weather was much cooler today with some cloud cover and the threat of rain. Aki lounged on the balcony with his book, the door to the apartment open to take advantage of the fresh air. 

Angel seemed to legitimately enjoy the company of Denji and Power, which impressed Aki considering how insufferable the two could be. There was a mutual respect between the three, Aki wondered if it related to the connection they all shared to devil-kind.

Power occasionally called out to Meowy, who must have been meowing behind her door. She warned the cat of the danger of Angel’s presence in the house, promising her freedom in a few hours. 

“Power, consider this.” Angel got up from their chair, and Aki’s ears perked up at the sound of a door opening. He glanced up, not able to see where the devil had gone as his eyes couldn’t adjust to the darkness of the apartment. 

A minute passed, Aki brought his attention back to his book for a moment before hearing Angel’s soft voice again.

“I pose no threat to a feline now.” 

Aki squinted his eyes against the light, looking inside to see Angel had changed into a long sleeve shirt and put their white gloves on. They must have gone into his room. Aki felt a little nagging worry that the gloves would give away too much of their secret.

“Hear me, devil! You shorten my precious Meowy’s lifespan, by even a second, and I will end your pathetic life.” Power threatened, but the fiend got up, apparently trusting Angel enough to let Meowy out. 

Aki got up, knowing the cat would make a break for the balcony immediately. He slipped inside, shutting the door and squeezing through tight quarters to get into the living area. He crossed the room, sliding down the wall facing the couch to sit on the floor and continue reading. 

Meowy rubbed against Angel’s legs, covering the black fabric in a thick coat of her fur. Angel leaned down, petting the cat with their gloved hand and smiling happily. Power loomed over them, arms folded ominously watching their interactions. 

After a minute, Angel sat back in their chair. With no hesitation, Meowy jumped on their lap, immediately settling down. Angel’s face lit up, delighted, and they began cooing at the cat, speaking in a high pitched tone. Aki had to look away, feeling a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. 

“Hmm. Meowy has given you her approval, I shall allow this.” Power huffed, sitting back down on the couch.

The day passed quickly, Aki managed to finish a few library books that were due to return. He felt a little less worry in his chest knowing he’d take Angel home soon and there’d be less risk they were found out, but that feeling had been replaced with… sadness ?

God, he was soft for the devil. 

Angel stalled their departure until 4:00pm exactly, arguing that they didn’t live that far or need to be on time. Aki wanted to walk them home, partially to ensure the apartment was in a livable condition now. They both put on their work clothes, wanting to appeal to Makima’s request. Angel had always thought Aki looked handsome in a suit, but now that they were so much closer, it had them much more excited.

By the time they left, the sky was dark with thick clouds. Aki considered turning around to get an umbrella, but this would be a quick walk. 

“So… When will I see you again?” Angel asked, feeling shy. “Will there be another time?”

“Yes. You’re not opposed to using the balcony, are you?” Aki glanced down at the devil.

Angel sighed. “Yes, but I’ll do it for you.”

Aki pulled out a cigarette while he thought about when they’d meet. He began fighting to get his lighter out of his suit pocket. It had snagged the pocket lining and become tangled in threads. He stopped walking to focus on freeing it, struggling with his left hand. It began raining, a light sprinkle quickly turning to a heavy downpour, and Aki sighed hopelessly. 

“Can I help?” Angel reached out, and Aki pulled his hand back. He watched as the devil reached into his pocket, feeling the cloth press against the skin on his abdomen where the devil’s fingers were.

Angel managed to get the lighter free, and tried figuring out how to use it to light Aki’s cigarette. They handed it to Aki cautiously, who shook his head. 

“There’s no point, I have one hand and it’s raining too much.” Aki sighed. 

Angel extended a wing over Aki, shielding him from the rain. They tilted their head, a slight smile in their eyes. 

Aki flashed Angel an expression of gratitude and lit his cigarette, Angel watching intently.

“Gimme.” Angel reached a hand out.

Aki held the lighter in the palm of his hand, taking a long drag of his cigarette before offering it to Angel. Angel looked slightly disappointed, but still put their lips to the cigarette between Aki’s finger. 

“The lighter?” Aki smiled, popping the cigarette back in his mouth and dropping the lighter in Angel’s palm. Angel tried mimicking Aki’s thumb motion on the top of the lighter, struggling to get the same result. 

Aki watched Angel, amused. He knew he would miss them. “Tomorrow night? After midnight?”  Rain dripped off Angel’s wing, but the devil seemed unbothered by the wetness. 

Angel managed to get the lighter to spark, but fought to get it to produce an actual flame. Aki had made this look so effortless. 

“Wait, can you say that again?” Angel looked up, they had been too focused on the lighter to hear Aki.

Aki laughed. “Tomorrow. Midnight. My window.”

Angel smiled, nodding. They turned their attention back to the lighter. They had no intention of giving it back, planning to add it to the trophies of hair ties they’d stolen.

Aki finished his cigarette. “You ready?” Angel kept their wing above Aki, hesitating. 

Aki looked down at them, their hair wet, drops of rain running down their face like tears. They looked so attractive, Aki’s eyes were fixed on the devil’s lips for a moment too long. 

He walked over to a trash can, dipping the smoking cigarette butt in water before throwing it away. He walked back over to Angel, then began walking forward. Angel quickly caught up with his pace. 

Angel had an ulterior motive Aki didn’t know about, and their window for opportunity was closing the further the two walked. 

“Wait. Hayakawa, can we…. There’s uh, an ice cream cart down that road? Only if you want.” Angel tugged on Aki’s suit excitedly.

“Sounds like you want to, sure.” Aki smiled. His hair clung to his face, wet with rain. 

Angel walked with a hop in their step. Aki wished he’d have remembered the devil’s soft spot for soft serve before, they were practically vibrating with excitement, it was endearing. The rain had lightened, but still continued. Angel led Aki to the cart, struggling to pull their bag off their back, as it tangled with their wings. 

“Allow me,” Aki said. Angel felt a wave of excitement, anticipating the human’s hands on their back to help them remove their bag, but they were disappointed by Aki pulling his wallet out of his pocket. 

He ordered them both an ice cream cone, carefully handing Angel the first one to avoid an accidental touch. Angel cautiously wrapped a few fingers around the bottom of the cone, balancing it as the devil hunter let go of it. 

Aki took his cone and stood next to Angel, grateful as the devil raised their wings to shield them both from the rain as they ate. 

Aki glanced over at Angel, whose eyes were blank with concentration as they carefully carved their tongue up the length of ice cream. Angel spun the cone, licking around the bottom of the ice cream to keep it from melting down their hand, clearly an experienced ice cream eater. They glanced up, worried Aki’s ice cream would melt if he didn’t start eating it.

Aki’s blue eyes were fixed on Angel’s mouth, his lips parted slightly. He looked away as Angel studied his face, blushing intensely. Fuck, that was so obvious. 

Angel laughed nervously, glancing at the guy at the ice cream cart, who was still watching them. Even through the smell and taste of ice cream, they could smell Aki.

Angel started walking, prompting Aki to follow. They led the human to a nearby bench, using their wings to brush the rain off of it so they could sit. 

Aki was now playing a game of catch-up with his melting ice cream, refusing to let it drip on his hand. Angel smiled, finding the human intriguing and his tongue attractive, but they turned their focus back to enjoying their ice cream. 

They were oblivious to Aki aside from the overpowering smell of arousal that signaled he was watching them.

“Can you keep it in your pants?” Angel sighed. Not that they weren’t excited by him, they found it amusing to tease the human. They could see him sit back out of the corner of their eye.

“Sorry.” Aki muttered. 

“Just so you know, ice cream comes first for me.” Angel took a bite of ice cream cone, glancing over at the human.

“Noted.” Aki felt he was lagging behind Angel, deciding to take a bite of his ice cream.

“God, no. Who the fuck are you?” Angel huffed, disturbed by Aki’s method of ice cream consumption. 

“What? It’s fine.” Aki argued.

Angel rolled their eyes. “Don’t do that in front of me again. I might fall out of love with you.”

Aki froze at the casual confession.

Were they serious? It was probably just a joke. They hadn’t even talked about their feelings for each other beyond lust. 

But then… Why was his heart beating so fast? Why did that word make him happy ? 

Aki finished his ice cream in silence, lost in thought. The two resumed the short walk back to Angel’s apartment.

“Hey. Do you want to take a shortcut?” Aki asked. Angel’s eyebrows furrowed as they looked at him, their apartment was a straight shot around the corner they were approaching. And how would Aki know a shortcut? Aki’s expression was inviting, almost playful, with a glimmer in his blue eyes. 

“Sure?” Angel was intrigued by the human, and wanted to see where this went. Would it be another exciting adventure like running errands was? They were not thrilled to head back to their apartment, surely to be interrogated by the Rat Fiend if he was still around. Or worse, their human roommate, who’d inflict pain on them just for his own entertainment. 

Aki’s hand reached out for Angel for a moment before he shoved it in his pocket, regretting that he hadn’t brought gloves. Angel grabbed Aki’s sleeve, their hand wrapping around Aki’s wrist through the stiff fabric.

Aki led the devil down a promisingly empty side street, slowing his pace.

“Hayakawa, I wanted to thank you for everything. I’ve been really happy, it’s been so nice.“ Angel turned to look up at Aki’s face, a soft smile on their lips. 

Aki looked down at Angel, a smile in his eyes. He glanced around nervously before suddenly reaching towards Angel’s stomach. Aki grabbed the devil’s tie, pulling them closer. They were so close the water dripping from Aki’s hair hit Angel’s chin. Angel’s heart was pounding so hard they felt it in their throat. They were surprised by the way Aki smelt, the lack of arousal was confusing given his actions. 

The human took a deep breath, meeting Angel’s eyes. “I like this. I like you . I don’t know what to do about it.”

Angel swallowed nervously, feeling an ungodly urge to complicate things and listen to their sinful thoughts. The tie around their neck had them feeling like a dog on a leash, and they would loyally obey any request or command Aki gave them. Angel could feel Aki’s breath against their lips, their eyes fixed on his mouth. 

The corner of Aki’s mouth raised in a slight smile, and suddenly Angel felt a new tension on their neck as Aki slid his hand lower on the tie, flipping it up and holding it in front of their mouth. Aki had to step back to lower his body enough to meet the devil’s lips with his own through the silk fabric. Angel let out a soft noise of surprise. 

The human dropped the tie and pulled back, a smug smile on his face. Angel was speechless, feeling like their cheeks were on fire. They felt ashamed of how their body had responded to what had turned out to be innocent.

“I really enjoy this. I’m sorry I’m a fucking wreck.” Aki sighed. He seemed distant, like he was lost in his own head. 

“It’s not over, is it?” Angel asked with a flash of desperation in their voice. They immediately were embarrassed, they were practically begging. 

Aki shook his head. “No. Remember, tomorrow night?”

Angel relaxed, combing their wet hair back with their fingers in an effort to seem more composed than they felt. “I really like you.” They sighed. “I’ll take whatever you give me.”

“I want to be better. I’m just… terrified.” Aki admitted. 

“I know.” Angel carefully slid a hand around Aki’s waist, pulling him into an embrace.

Aki wrapped his arm around Angel, holding them for a moment before his anxiety at being in public got the best of him. He pulled away. “I’m stalling to spend more time with you, but we should go.”

Angel nodded at Aki, following as he led them back to the main street. They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes before arriving at the apartment.

“I’m coming inside for a minute. Just to make sure.” Aki knew the devil was likely to be immune to any residual poison, but Angel had mentioned someone was cleaning up, and he needed to know if any progress was actually made. 

Aki was pleased to discover the stench of rot and death was at the very least masked by a slightly more pleasant chemical odor as they stepped through the door. He hesitated to take his shoes off, looking around. 

Shockingly, it looked remarkably better. The piles of garbage and hoard of mystery items were all gone, leaving a very dirty apartment, with almost no furniture aside from a disheveled couch in the center of the living room. 

A bedroom door opened up, revealing a sneering figure with what could only be described as a rodent-like snout on his face. He had massive ears and crooked teeth, glancing at Aki with a judgmental expression. 

Aki had heard a few stories about the Rodent Fiend and had no interest in getting to know him any better. He waved a hasty goodbye to Angel, feeling a smidge of guilt abandoning the devil in the presence of this fiend, but he figured they could handle themself.

Chapter Text

Aki stepped back inside his apartment, kicking his shoes off and stretching as he walked down the hallway, wanting to shed his wet clothes. 

Power was stretched over the couch, snoring loudly with Meowy curled up on her chest. 

“Uh… We gotta talk.” Denji approached Aki from his room. He scratched his head nervously. “Promise you won’t kill me.”

Aki raised an eyebrow, following Denji into his room.

“So… Power knows.” Denji gulped nervously, tense in anticipation of Aki’s response. 

Aki grabbed Denji by his shirt collar, whispering harshly at the kid while shaking him. “Why the fuck would you tell her!?”

“I didn’t, I swear on my life man! She’s known all along, I don’t fucking know how!” Denji held his arms up, hoping if he surrendered Aki would believe him. 

Aki released the kid, sighing and burying his face in his hands. He felt nauseous thinking about how volatile Power was. There was no limit to the kind of blackmail she could pull to get Aki to bend to her will.

“I think she’s cool about it though, seriously.” Denji tried soothing Aki, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

Aki brushed him off. “What makes you think that?”

“You gotta talk to her, man. It’s gonna be okay.” Denji stood awkwardly, his hands in his pockets. “Don’t freak out about this, she knows it’s a big deal.”

Aki groaned, pulling out a cigarette and popping it in his mouth. 

“Whoa, don’t smoke in here, that’s not cool. That shit fucking stinks, dude.”

“I wasn’t going to.” Aki hissed as he left the room, headed to his own. He shut the door behind him and lit his cigarette. Almost immediately there was a knock on his door. “What!?” Aki flung the door open.

“I know you’re going through a rough time and I’m sorry, but can you stop smoking inside? I don’t want to smell like a smoker.” Denji pleaded.

“No.” Aki blew a cloud of smoke in the kid’s face and slammed the door. It wasn’t ideal, and he’d never see his safety deposit again, but they’d better get used to it. Angel had him paranoid they’d be able to smell their sin.

Well, did it matter now that they both knew?

Oh god. 

Aki felt like he was going to be sick. 

What the fuck was he doing? His roommates knew he was sleeping with a devil . Their gender didn’t make it any better, perhaps it made Power more suspicious.

“All along”? Had it been that obvious? If these idiots could figure it out, surely others would too.

Aki felt like the walls were closing in, but he took a deep breath, stubbing out his cigarette early. He wouldn’t make any progress protecting himself by worrying himself sick first. 

He needed an olive branch. The fiend could be bargained with. She was incredibly food motivated, so a lavish meal could be his initial peace offering.

Aki changed and left his room, walking back into Denji’s room. 

“Going to get groceries, want anything?” Aki asked, his expression unreadable. 

“Uhh, are you okay? Do you need company?” Denji shifted his weight between his feet.

“No, I’m fine.” Aki huffed, turning around and walking to the front door. He shoved his feet in a dry pair of shoes, grabbed his wallet, and left the apartment. 

His budget be damned, he knew Power could be bribed with meat. Aki hit the butcher, then a grocery store for a few ingredients. 

He returned home and set to work cooking. 

Power was still asleep, by some miracle, but it wasn’t long before the smell of roasting meat roused her from slumber. She popped into the kitchen. “Topknot! You have what I want! When will we eat?”

“It’ll be a while.” Aki stirred his stew, focused on making sure this meal was flawless. 

“Fine.” Power sighed, leaving the kitchen. Aki let out a breath of relief, he wasn’t ready for the confrontation yet. 

He pondered what kind of bribes he could offer the fiend. Food, relief from chores, clothes? He needed to figure out her terms. At the very least she could be reasoned with.

He’d need to tread carefully, she would manipulate this in her favor if given the chance.

Aki didn’t even have to ask Power and Denji to set the table, apparently the smell in the air was enticing enough they wanted no delay before getting to eat. 

Aki served dinner, sitting across from Power. The fiend immediately dug in, scooping heaping servings of the various meaty dishes into her bowl and scarfing down piping hot mouthfuls. 

“So.” Aki swallowed a bite of food and took a deep breath, looking at Power. 

“This glorious meal comes at a price? Agh! You manipulative humans are all the same!” Power spoke through a mouthful of food.

“The... Uh. Angel Devil.” Aki felt his heart racing. 

“Ah, your boyfriend? Boy-and-girlfriend? Matters not.”

“Why do you think that?” Aki tried masking his worry. 

“Tis obvious. The Angel Devil asked me, moons ago, if they had a chance with you. I told them you were heartless and destined to die.” Power nodded, proud of her own comment. “Interestingly, you look at this devil without hatred and disgust in your eyes, how you look at everyone else.”

“You’re so right!” Denji hooted, laughing. “He does look at everyone like that!”

“Indeed! But Topknot will touch this devil and defend them? For what reason does he risk his short life, if not a mating ritual?” Power said, filling her mouth with another massive bite of food. 

“That doesn’t prove anything.” Aki frowned.

“Ugh! You idiot human!” Power spat, mouth full. “You’ll never understand my awesome intelligence, it is just obvious !”

“If you can’t explain it, it’s just a guess.” Aki took a bite of rice. He needed to know how she figured it out, so he knew how to better hide it.

“The Angel Devil likes you, and you like them, it is fact. You admit your guilt when you look at them, with sin in your eyes.”

Aki felt his face getting red. He thought back to a few hours ago, watching Angel lick their ice cream, and how obvious he must have been. Had he been doing that this whole time?

“Tragic, really. You’ll never touch. I pity you two idiots, but you’re more tolerable in love.” Power snickered. “Karmic justice!”

Aki sighed. “Nobody can know about this. I’ll kill-“

“You’ll kill me , your favorite fiend and very best friend, for a devil ? Love has clouded your once-acceptable judgment, Topknot! More meals like this and I’ll forgive your stupidity.” Power folded her arms.

“Are those the terms of your silence?” Aki asked. 

Power gasped at the invitation to take advantage of Aki’s desperation.“No! My terms! No curfew! Unlimited meat! No punishment! No bathing! No vegetables! No-”

“More meat, no curfew, and we have a deal.” Aki extended a hand across the table.

Power immediately caved, greedily shaking his hand and cackling. She hadn’t expected that he cared that much. 

“You understand how serious this is.” Aki frowned. “If anyone finds out…”

“You’ll be fine, idiot!” Power laughed. “Nobody cares about who you -“

“Power, he could get fired. Then we won’t have anyone who cooks worth a shit for us.” Denji shoved the fiend.

“Hmm. It benefits me not to expose your sick sinful secret. I shall be silent.” Power relented.

Aki didn’t feel entirely confident in this, but he at least had his appetite back and resumed eating. There was silence for a moment, Denji and Power demolishing their second bowls of food. 

“One request, human. Spare us from any knowledge of your filthy depravity. I’ll tolerate your homosexuality, but I shan’t bear witness to any fornication.” Power stuck her tongue out, pretending to gag. 

Aki shook his head.

“Answer me this. Is it homosexuality if the devil possesses both genders?” Power asked. 

“No idea.” Aki sighed.

Power laughed at his uncertainty. “Ha! You must be just as confused as we are. Well, I don’t care as long as it benefits me.”

“So are you guys like… dating?” Denji asked, intent on getting Aki to tell him more.

“Uhh. I don’t know.” Aki pressed his hand to his forehead. He wanted to fight Power and Denji and deny this was happening, but it would get him nowhere. He had to admit it felt nice to talk about it. 

“Just friends with benefits?” Denji waggled an eyebrow, laughing. Power frowned, sickened by the idea.

“More than that.” Aki admitted. At least, it meant more to him.

“Well. Happy for you, man. Really am.” Denji patted Aki’s shoulder. Power was silent, serving herself a third portion. Denji cleared his throat, elbowing her. 

“What!?” The fiend snapped. 

“Tell him what you told me.” Denji whispered.

“Ugh!” Power groaned. “I… It’s nice to see you…. Not as angry.” She sighed.

“Close enough.” Denji shrugged.

“Thank you for keeping my secret.” Aki shifted nervously. 

“Now you can’t get mad at us for calling you gay or making fun of you, right?” Denji asked. “Just play nice, man. We support you and shit.”

Aki chose not to respond. 

“So when are you seeing them again?” Denji put his elbows on the table, resting his chin in his hands playfully and batting his eyelashes. 

“None of your business.” Aki said. 

“You probably can’t go a week without seeing them. What, are they gonna sneak in through your window?” Denji guessed at the truth. 

Aki tensed up to bite back, then forced himself to relax. It clearly wasn’t a big deal to them. “Yeah, actually.”

“You don’t have to hide them from us, you’re good bro.” Denji patted Aki’s back.

“They may challenge us in video gaming! And Meowy likes them!” Power nodded. “Meowy is very discerning, so this bodes well for the Angel Devil.”

Aki felt the tightness in his chest release. He could find himself smiling if he didn’t try to hide his emotions, he felt more peace than he had in a while. “Tomorrow night.” He sighed.

“I’m gonna kick their ass so hard in Mario Kart.” Denji smiled. 

Aki hesitated to provide more information. “Well. They’re not coming over until it gets late.”

“No curfew, so we can stay up all night?” Denji said, excitedly. 

Aki shook his head, sighing. He wasn’t sure he wanted to make a habit of sharing Angel with them.

“You fool! I thought you were a pervert?” Power smacked Denji, having caught on. 

“Oh. You wanna bang, huh. Fucking nasty freak. How does that even work? Actually, I don’t wanna know. They can stay for breakfast?” Denji got up, taking his bowl to the kitchen. He returned to the table, clearly not finished with this interrogation. 

“Can you not call them on the telephone?” Power asked. 

“I don’t know their number.” Aki shrugged. Besides, he didn’t trust that their phone lines weren’t monitored.

“Dude, you fucking suck at this. That’s like the first step when you like someone, getting their number. You should let us be your wingmen.” Denji scoffed, clearly disappointed in Aki. 

“Indeed! We shall be the champions of all wingmen!” Power chanted. 

Aki groaned. “I don’t need your help, I’m doing fine.”

“Oh, for sure. If you’re doing so well, how would you define your relationship?” Denji teased. 

“I don’t need to define anything.” Aki snapped. 

“Poor Angel Devil, their first human relationship is with an awful mate like Topknot. Romance is dead, Topknot killed it!” Power sneered.

Aki felt a wave of anger. He would consider himself a romantic, this was just… a different circumstance . “Will you two just leave me alone?”

“No, Angel Devil is our friend too. You’re gonna show them some respect if we have anything to do with it.” Denji shook his head, folding his arms. 

“You’re not going to have anything to do with this, it’s my relationship!” Aki argued, scooping up his bowl and stomping off to the kitchen. 

“We’re getting somewhere, Power. He called it a relationship.” Denji laughed. 

Aki frowned, he could feel the flush of embarrassment on his face.

“Get back here. We have more to discuss!” Denji called from the table. Aki reluctantly slumped into the dining area, standing over Denji and Power with stiff body language and his arms crossed angrily. 

“So… Why the Angel Devil? Why not… Like… A normal dude?” Denji asked. “I mean, no judgment, as a devil by technicality I appreciate your open mindedness.”

Aki felt a nauseating flash of shame. He wavered for a moment, then took a few steps and leaned his back against the wall, trying to materialize a convincing answer that could save his image.

His mind was blank, nothing could save him from this. 

Aki took a deep breath and sighed heavily, sliding down the wall to the floor. He laid his arms across his knees, staring at the plastic splint that served as a constant reminder of the painful mental journey he’d suffered through to get here.

“Sorry, sore topic I guess.” Denji reached over, patting Aki’s shoulder reassuringly. “They’re hot, it’s cool if that’s the only reason. I just wanted to know if there’s a cute story or some shit.”

Aki was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “You guys know I touched them once. Intentionally.”

“EW!? SILENCE!” Power screeched, covering her ears. 

Aki rolled his eyes. “Not like that. It was to save them from the Bomb Devil.”

Denji laughed. “Dude, did we both fall for devils and get duped by their powers that day?”

“They wanted me to let them die.” Aki leaned forward, resting his chin on his knees. “It was stupid, but I couldn’t watch them die like I did Himeno.”

“What did it cost?” Power inquired. 

“A few months, I dunno.” Aki finally looked up, glancing at Power and Denji, who were, for once, giving him their full attention. “They seem different since then, to me. But maybe I just feel obligated to find some value in the sacrifice I made.”

Aki’s attention wandered in a moment of silence, he had actually enjoyed that moment holding Angel. It felt like it had healed part of his heart. He’d never felt that close to someone else, or that vulnerable before. Was that the moment he fell for them?

“Even Makima talks about them being better. Maybe you gave them a will to live.” Denji mused. 

“Ha! You lie! Topknot is incapable of such a gracious act. He can only crush others' hopes and dreams.” Power sniffled. 

“Yo, we’re having a heart to heart here, lay off the guy.” Denji put a hand out to Power, who hissed in response.

Aki felt a bit lighter, looking between Denji and Power. Their acceptance, even in the unpleasant way most interactions with them went, was what he needed.

“Topknot! Could you not make a devil contract with the Angel Devil?” Power slammed her hands on the table, knocking her empty bowl over. 

“For what?” Aki frowned. 

“Uhh, obviously to take human lifespans so you can live forever!?” 

“I don’t think that’s how it works. I don’t think I’m getting back what I lost.” Aki shrugged, seeming unbothered. 

“Are you not worried the Angel Devil will accidentally kill you?” Denji tilted his head. “Like you could trip and bam, you’re dead.”

“I’ll be careful.” Aki said. If the devil did kill him, at least he wouldn‘t suffer. “But I’m touched that you care enough to worry about me.” 

The glimmer in Aki’s eye was the closest Denji had seen to him legitimately smiling at them. He kept his mouth shut, although he wanted to retort back and defend his honor. 

“You can’t die!!” Power suddenly wailed, almost seeming emotional. She immediately seemed embarrassed, collecting herself after a moment of vulnerability. “Hm, yes. Because… Who will cook delicious meals for me if you die?”

Aki felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. He reached out, aggressively rustling the hair atop both Denji and Power’s heads, smiling as they groaned and pushed his hands away. “You guys aren’t too bad. Sometimes.” 

He stood up, stacking the empty dishes and taking them to the kitchen. To his surprise, Denji offered to wash the dishes. Aki praised his initiative, but he knew the duty was already assigned to him on their chore chart. 

Aki grabbed a couple beers from the fridge before settling down on the couch. 

Power was watching a viscerally graphic nature documentary on big cats, cheering for the beasts on their hunts, and occasionally holding Meowy up to the screen to show the cat her ancestors. 

Aki found himself yawning, sinking into the couch. Denji joined them after finishing his duties, taking over the TV remote and finding a movie playing.

Denji sat next to Aki, who could feel the kid’s eyes studying his face. “So… Feel better?” He asked after an uncomfortable silence. 

“Mmm.” Aki hummed, “Sure, I guess. Thanks, buddy.”

“What about my terms?” Denji whispered. 

Aki glanced over at Denji, whose eyes were glimmering hopefully. Aki rolled his eyes. “You don’t get terms, you play nice.”

“Well, my terms are that you stop smoking inside.” Denji nodded. 

Aki frowned. This little shit wouldn’t snitch on him over smoking, would he?

“I’m trying to get a girlfriend and it’s harshing my vibes that I smell like your nasty cigarette smoke!” 

“Hmm. Smoking is cool. Maybe girls will think it’s hot. You’ll seem like a rebel.” Aki said.

Denji shoved Aki’s shoulder, visibly frustrated. “No, dude, it’s not cool, it’s hella lame.”

Power whirled around, leering at Aki. “You lie, stupid human. If girls found it hot you wouldn’t have to resort to being a homosexual!”

“Yeah! Wait, actually, being gay is not a choice. Is it cause Angel thinks it’s hot? You’re not going to turn them into a smoker too, are you? I’m not living with two smokers!” Denji recoiled, pretending to gag. 

“Who said anything about Angel living here?” Aki sighed.

“I agree with Denji. Tis not beneficial for our peak athletic bodies and supremely intellectual brains to inhale foul smoke and ash.” Power huffed, folding her arms. 

“You assholes are practically immortal.” Aki argued. 

“True. Mayhaps your blackened lungs are why your life is destined to end so early.” Power snickered.

“Fine.” Aki grumbled. “Whatever, I don’t care.” 

“Say it.” Denji leaned forward, getting in Aki’s face. “So I know you mean it.”

Aki drained the rest of his beer and wiped his mouth. “I won’t smoke inside,” he sighed, leaning back into the couch, staring at the ceiling. 

“Thank you.” Denji smiled.

“Incoming!” Power suddenly yelled, giving the boys only a few seconds to prepare as she threw her body lengthwise over the couch, sprawling across their laps. “Pat me, humans!”

“No!” Aki and Denji said in unison.

Power pursed her lips, but remained stretched over them, finding the warmth comfortable. Meowy quickly took advantage of the situation and climbed atop Power’s chest, further trapping Aki and Denji.

The trio spent a few hours watching horror movies before Aki had enough and pushed Power’s legs off his lap. 

Aki stretched before slipping onto the balcony to smoke, feeling an unnerving amount of peace for the first time in a long while. He appreciated the somewhat unconditional love from his housemates, and had actual hope for some excitement and romance in the short future he had ahead of him. 

With that, he found that he cared much less about the sin he was committing.

Maybe he could learn to live like this. 

Chapter Text

Aki couldn’t sleep in anticipation of Angel’s arrival. He felt so much more acceptance and security than he had since their first encounter. He was thrilled to tell Angel, and excited that their relationship didn’t have to be kept a complete secret in his apartment. 

Aki heard a telltale noise from outside his cracked balcony door and sat up, getting up to go open the door for Angel. The devil's face was illuminated by the soft glow of their halo, their wings silhouetted against the night sky. They were dressed in a turtleneck, leggings, face mask, and already wearing their white gloves. Why a face mask? Aki wondered. 

He put a hand out, but the devil suddenly jumped into the air, grabbing onto Aki and wrapping their body around him. Aki let out a grunt of surprise. He grabbed their lower body to support them, his left hand tightly gripping their ass and his right hand - near useless with a splint - holding Angel’s lower back tightly. Despite his best efforts, Aki struggled to regain his balance, and Angel flapped their wings for additional leverage to keep them upright.

Aki’s face was buried in Angel’s chest, the devil’s arms wrapped around his head and their legs tightly crossed around his waist. He took a deep inhale, Angel smelled strongly of the air outside, the sharp smell of alcohol, with a faint trace of laundry detergent. Aki felt a soft tapping pressure on his head, realizing after a moment Angel was peppering him with kisses through their face mask. 

Aki tilted his head back to look at Angel’s face. “A little warning would be nice,” he commented. He was surprised by how affectionate the devil suddenly was. Were they drunk?

Angel leaned down and decorated Aki’s forehead with a few masked kisses before responding. “I missed you. I was pretty sure you would tell me no.”

Aki crouched down as Angel clumsily climbed off of him. Angel looked up at the human with a smile in their eyes, their hands gripping Aki’s waist. They stood on their tiptoes, but Aki still had to lean down to kiss them through the mask. The smell of alcohol on their breath was stronger than Aki remembered in the past. 

“Are you drunk?” Aki asked. Angel hesitated to respond, hoping their handsy behavior was enough to convince the human. Their hands wandered from Aki’s waist to his back, then even lower to his ass.

Aki felt conflicted, he badly wanted to indulge in Angel’s flirty mood. That was his plan. They’d screw around, sleep, and face Denji and Power in the morning. But Aki could hear the two idiots arguing in the living room. He regretted admitting his plans with Angel, they knew what he was getting up to tonight, and it made him feel even more shame about it. 

“Can we talk first for a second?” Aki asked. 

Angel sighed, withdrawing their hands from Aki and stepping away. They had hoped the human had figured his issues out by now, but clearly he was still fighting himself. They wondered if he just needed a little convincing .

Angel walked to Aki’s nightstand and opened the drawer, reaching inside for something before closing it. 

What were they doing? Aki watched the devil closely as they approached him. 

“What do you want to talk about?” Angel asked. They were slurring their words slightly, but hoped the face mask concealed it. They glanced up at Aki, a devious glint in their eyes as they suddenly dropped to their knees.

What the fuck? “Uh, wh- wait?” Aki stammered, confused. Angel’s hands danced along the waistband of Aki’s jeans, clumsily unbuttoning them. Aki clenched his teeth as Angel groped his dick through the fabric of his boxers.

“I’m listening.” Angel teased, stroking Aki with reckless abandon as he quickly became hard. They sat back, taking their face mask off and picking something up off the floor. Angel lifted it to their mouth, placing it between their teeth and tearing it open. A condom. 

Oh fuck. 

Aki swallowed nervously. He gasped as Angel reached back towards him and pulled his erection out of his pants, quickly slipping the condom over the tip of his dick. 

Angel surely hadn’t done this before, had they? Aki was questioning it given the confidence and speed the devil moved with. This wasn’t like them, or was it? Was it the alcohol’s influence? Should he stop them?

Angel finished unrolling the condom and paused, looking up at Aki with a slight smirk, thrilled by the strong scent of fear in the room and the bewildered expression on the human’s face. They eyed the raging erection inches from their face, licking their lips.

“Do I have your consent?” The devil spoke in a low voice, with a needy tone that made the hair on the back of Aki’s neck rise.

Aki took a deep breath, trying to regain control of himself. He looked down at the devil kneeling before him, their face illuminated by the soft light of their halo. The look in their soft brown eyes as Aki met their gaze was that of hungry obedience, and that mouth ... The temptation was unbearable.

“Yes.” 

Angel smiled, leaning forward and looping the fingers of one hand in the belt loop of Aki’s jeans for stability as their balance faltered. They wrapped the other hand around Aki’s dick, bringing it to their lips. Aki shuddered, feeling the devil’s tongue slide up the shaft before enveloping the tip in their mouth.

The thin barrier between them felt like nothing, Aki closed his eyes. He could feel the heat and pressure of Angel’s mouth, every minute movement of their tongue amplified by the euphoria of taking such a high risk. Aki’s body wanted to move on its own, to plunge deeper into the devil’s mouth, his hands wanting to pull their hair and touch their face. He ran his left hand through his own hair, tugging at it in frustration. It was becoming hard for him to remain quiet and keep his composure. 

Angel moved tantalizingly slowly, focused on the tip of Aki’s cock. They had practiced for this, wanting to fulfill the desire they had seen in Aki watching their tongue the other day. They glanced up, finding Aki watching them again, a desperate, wild expression in his eyes.

Angel’s heart raced seeing the usually-composed man come undone. They took a few more inches of his length in their mouth, sliding back and forth, encouraged by the whispered profanities spilling from Aki’s mouth.

Aki couldn’t believe how close he already was, between the tightness and heat of the back of Angel’s mouth, the quick rhythm they’d fallen into, and the devil’s hand on his shaft. He stared at the ceiling, willing himself more stamina and controlling his breathing. 

Angel knew Aki well enough to recognize his tells, perhaps there were subtle changes to his body language, or scent. Glancing up, the human’s hand over his mouth and eyes rolled up gave him away further. The devil sped up their pace, then slid their hand down to fondle Aki’s balls.

Aki gasped, taken off guard completely. His gaze fell to the devil, who met his eyes, the moment of depravity lit by the white glow from their halo. Angel’s other hand moved, lower than Aki could see. Their sloppy breathing and wings puffed up with arousal, were they touching themself?

Aki swallowed, he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. The urge to touch became harder and harder to fight, his logic and reason overcome by arousal. A few days meant so little to him when he felt so good now. 

His hips wavered, the uncontrollable motion forward putting him slightly deeper in Angel’s mouth. Aki watched as Angel’s gaze slipped, their eyes crossed slightly as they moaned on his dick, and fuck. Aki couldn’t resist, reaching out and grabbing the devil’s halo as he came hard, fucking their face for a moment before a flash of searing pain snapped him back to reality. He let go, his hand feeling like it had been plunged in ice water. 

Aki was overwhelmed by guilt, his focus drawn immediately to Angel, forgetting about the pain in his hand. The devil was slumped over, moaning softly, their halo illuminating their hand stroking their dick as they came. Aki crouched in front of them, placing a hand on their shoulder. Angel tipped their head back, smiling sleepily at the human. They slowly let themself fall back on the floor, sighing loudly.

“You okay?” Aki asked, his concern melting away as Angel nodded, giving him a weak thumbs up.

The human stood, walking over to his nightstand and grabbing a towel. He tossed the condom in the trash, wiping himself clean. He was uncomfortably aware of the pain in the palm of his left hand, using his free fingers on his right hand to button his jeans. Aki tossed the towel on the puddle of cum between Angel’s legs, sitting next to them on the floor. 

He couldn’t see his hand in this light, but he was pretty certain it was burned. He wondered if his moment of stupidity cost him anything.

“You had somethin’ to say before?” Angel was awash with euphoria, but knew if they didn’t move immediately they’d fall asleep. They groaned as they started sitting up.

“They know.”

“Huh?” Angel pushed themself up completely until they were sitting, looking over at Aki, who was staring at his hand. They blinked blearily, then realized what had happened. ”Oh, fuck. Lemme see?”

Aki held his hand out to Angel, who gently held his hand with their gloved fingers, inspecting his palm intently.

“I burned you.” Angel mumbled, feeling a bit of guilt.

“No, that was my fault. I’ll live, I hope?” Aki pulled his hand back.

“Yeah, I didn’t suck anything else from you.” They laughed, proud of their joke. “You should get some ice. Someone knows what?”

Aki rolled his head toward his door, glancing back at Angel. 

The devil tilted their head, confused. The alcohol had their thoughts muddy, but they could make a guess. “Power knows too?” They whispered. 

Aki nodded.

“How’s that going?” Angel asked. They spun their body, leaning back and resting their head in Aki’s lap.

“Fine.” Aki sighed. He glanced down at Angel, who looked up at him with a curious expression, wanting to know more. “Better than I thought.” The human ran his right hand across Angel’s chest, relaxing a little.

“With that in mind, I really have to pee. Will it be a big deal if I go out there?”

“No. They know you’re spending the night.” Aki stated.

Angel’s expression morphed, their eyebrows furrowing in anger as they lifted their head to look at Aki. “So I didn’t have to fly all the way up here? You couldn’t have told me? You know how hard that is?”

Aki shook his head. “Last time you’ll ever have to do that. You can go out there. I need to get ice, anyways.” He looked towards the door, standing up and starting to walk away. 

“Wait.” Angel began pulling themself back together, standing up on shaky legs. The room spun around them, and they smiled blearily, still feeling pleasantly drunk. Aki’s warm hand on their shoulder snapped them back to reality. 

The human wore a conflicted expression, his eyes narrowed as he tried to read Angel’s face. “What?” He asked. “Are you OK?”

“They’re okay with… us ?” Angel’s tongue betrayed them, they hoped Aki wouldn’t notice the slurring of their syllables.

Aki caught a strong whiff of alcohol on the devil’s breath. He sighed, a pit of guilt in his stomach. Angel was very drunk, he had known that, and he hadn’t stopped them. He’d need to apologize for it later. “Yeah, surprisingly. No blackmail.”

“Another question. What are we?” Angel asked, a hopeful glimmer in their eyes as their gaze darted back and forth between Aki’s eyes. 

“I don’t know. What do you want to be?” Aki’s mouth felt dry, anxiety creeping up his throat. He hadn’t thought much about having this conversation, did that make him an even shittier person? Why ruin a good thing trying to nail it down?

“I want to be yours , but what did you tell them we were?” Angel smiled, playfully punching Aki’s shoulder. It was no surprise to them that Aki was nervous talking about this, but they guiltily felt exhilarated by the smell of his anxiety in the air.

“I didn’t… Okay.” Aki rubbed his eyes, wincing as the movement intensified the burning heat in his palm. He took a deep breath, meeting Angel’s eyes. His heart was racing, this special moment felt so heavily polluted by guilt, fear, and Angel’s inebriation, but it needed to happen. “Do you want to be partners ?”

Angel beamed, stepping forward. They looked up at Aki, the human towering over them. “Yes, I would.”

Aki realized he was holding his breath, but a wave of relief washed over him. He found himself smiling as Angel wrapped their arms around him and buried their face in his chest. 

The devil felt like they could melt into his body, taking a deep inhale of his scent. The fear in the air was still strong, and it felt as intoxicating as alcohol. Angel clung to the human for as long as they could before Aki began shifting impatiently. 

Angel lifted their head towards Aki. “You want me to keep my distance from you in front of them?” They had little interest in socializing, but Aki seemed like he wanted to rip the bandage off.

Aki pondered for a moment. “I don’t know.” He really wanted Angel sober for all of this. His hand felt like it was on fire, there was no more delaying this. He pulled back from the devil, headed for the door. 

Aki opened the door cautiously, stepping out into the hallway. He headed towards the kitchen, aware of Denji and Power pausing their bickering to look up at him. 

“Angel?!” Denji gasped, feigning surprise and giggling with Power. 

Aki turned back, watching the devil slip down the hallway towards the bathroom. He walked to the sink, running cold water over his hand. 

Aki tried to ignore Denji, who had gotten up from the couch and walked toward the kitchen, resting his elbows on the shelf of the pass-through as he smiled at Aki. “So… How’s it going?” Denji asked.

Aki turned the water off, not wanting to draw Denji’s attention towards his burn. He glanced up at the kid. “Why are you guys still up?”

“No curfew, remember?” Denji smiled smugly. 

“Breakfast is still at the same time it always is.” Aki countered. He walked to the freezer, pulling out a bottle of whiskey and an ice tray. He tossed two ice cubes in a glass and palmed the third, pressing it against the forming blister on his palm.

Approaching footsteps had Aki glance up as the Angel Devil walked into the kitchen, steadying themself with a hand on the wall. 

“Oooh, me too?” Angel pointed at the bottle of whiskey in Aki’s hand. 

“No.” Aki frowned. Angel sighed, flapping their wings in frustration. The force of air caught them off guard and had them clutching the wall as they nearly lost their balance. 

“Bro, you suck. Sharing is caring.” Denji shook his head, clearly unaware of Angel’s intoxication. 

Aki met Angel’s eyes, a somber threat in his gaze. Angel seemed to visibly sober up, wanting his approval. 

Aki couldn’t help but feel guilt gnawing at his stomach as water dripped from his closed fist from the melting ice cube. He was an idiot, and Angel’s drunken behavior was a painful reminder of his sin.

“So do you guys want to watch a horror movie with us or you just gonna uhh… Sleep ?” Denji sighed, rolling his eyes and pretending to gag. 

In unison, Aki and Angel disagreed. 

“I’m tired.” Aki said.

“Oh! I wanna watch a movie?” Angel’s wings fluttered excitedly.

Aki looked at Angel, his temper melting at the innocent excitement in the devil’s body language. “Alright, I guess. Just one.” 

He downed his first glass of alcohol, heavily pouring a second one. He’d feel a little better if he was on a similar level to the devil, and perhaps the gnawing guilt in his chest would lighten. Aki felt a tugging sensation on his shirt, turning to find Angel pointing to the bottle of whiskey.

“Do you need any more?” Aki’s tone was harsher than he intended. “You want to remember the movie, right? Stay awake long enough to see how it ends?”

Angel sighed, dropping their wings. “Yeah, I guess... Not that drunk, though, and it’s fading.”

Aki’s tone lowered, his voice a whisper. “How drunk are you?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m capable of conse-“ Angel was hushed by Aki’s suddenly furrowed brows. They figured that was what he was asking, was their phrasing not subtle enough?

Aki seemed satisfied with that answer, but still hesitated to indulge the devil in a drink. “How about you drink some water?” He grabbed a tall glass, filling it with water at the sink, balancing it treacherously between the fingers of his splinted hand. He turned around to find Angel reaching for his drink. 

Aki let out a huff of frustration, quickly grabbing the top of Angel’s outstretched wing and pulling the devil backwards. Angel let out a loud groan, surprised by the force as they fought to keep their balance. They looked up at Aki with a playful smile, laughing softly and taking the water from Aki’s hand. 

Denji chose the worst time to enter the kitchen to find snacks. “Gross. Are you always this much of an asshole to them?” He wasn’t one to judge Angel’s preferences, and this wasn’t entirely out of character for Aki, but he had secretly hoped the guy was capable of being romantic and sweet. 

Aki felt his ears getting red, this wasn’t how he wanted to debut his new relationship. 

“No, it’s my fault. He’s mad at me cuz I’m drunk.”

“You’re drunk a lot.” Denji commented. 

“It feels nice.” Angel leaned against the wall. They hadn’t intended to get this drunk, but it made everything more fun. 

“For you, maybe.” Aki whispered. 

“Hey, you liked-“ Angel’s words were silenced by a squeak as Aki stepped on their foot, a warning look in his eyes. They sighed, they were definitely in trouble. They wished Aki was drunk too, then maybe he’d be a little bit of fun. He’d need to drink much more than that glass of whiskey to be on Angel’s level. 

Aki walked to the living room, flopping down on the couch next to Power, who leaned against his shoulder. Denji sat beside her, stretching out with his legs on her lap. Angel felt a seed of jealousy start growing in their heart, wishing they could touch others with as little concern. They sat on their chair, a couple feet of space separating them from everyone else. 

“I worry you’re going to fall again. Sit on the floor.” Aki instructed. He pointed to the space between his legs, but Angel was too busy pitying themself to notice, sliding off the chair onto the floor in front of it with a loud sigh.

“Angel?” Aki frowned, they seemed to be in their own little world, ignoring him. 

He grabbed what he could reach, the second joint of their wing, and pulled them closer. They slid along the floor with little resistance, all of their focus dedicated to not spilling the half empty glass of water in their hands. Aki grabbed their sweater, worried he could be hurting their wing, sliding them the rest of the way until they sat between his feet. They tipped their head back, resting it on the couch between Aki’s legs and smiling at him.

Power scoffed, lifting her legs onto the couch to avoid touching Angel’s wings. 

Denji groaned, pulling his feet off her lap. “Dude, Topknot would be dead if Angel’s wings had their power. It’s fine.”

Power crossed her arms, indignantly turning up her nose.

“They’re softer than Meowy.” Aki badly wanted Angel to feel included in his little family, tempting Power with an irresistible comparison. He hoped Angel wouldn’t mind.

“You lie, impossible!” Power begrudgingly indulged, reaching down and petting the top crest of Angel’s wing. It was incredibly soft, almost an incomprehensible sensation on her fingers. She was quiet for a moment and folded her arms, irritated that he was right.

Angel closed their eyes, feeling warm inside. They felt like they belonged here, and couldn’t fight how sleepy that security made them. They dozed off in the first five minutes of the movie, their head propped against Aki’s knee. Meowy came out to investigate, hopping from lap to lap like she was searching for the warmest seat in the house. She finally, despite Power’s pleading and protests, settled in Angel’s lap, curling up and falling asleep.  

“Tis because she knows she has an inferior coat, the Angel Devil is the alpha of her pack now.” Power sniffled. “Divine beast, does that mean you no longer respect me!?”

Aki shushed her, actually invested in the movie for once. It was an American Alien movie, he was a little mad that he liked it so much.

By the end of it, Angel had left a little spot of drool on Aki’s pants. Aki was tired, ready to retire to bed. 

“The second one is playing next…” Denji offered. Aki shook his head and loudly yawned, shifting himself to rouse Angel and get Power to stop leaning on him. Angel took a bit of prodding before they woke up, delighted by Meowy in their lap. They sat up, petting her and speaking to her in a soft voice as Aki stood up, freeing himself from the couch.

Aki started getting ready for bed, knowing Angel would follow once Meowy had gotten up. He decided against a cigarette in favor of more whiskey. Maybe he was a little jealous of Angel’s inebriation, and the smoky substitute still scratched the original itch. 

The buzz in his head had him feeling peaceful, watching Power argue with Denji over who’d win in a fight with the xenomorph, and Angel adoring the cat in their lap.

Meowy got up at the noise of her treat bag being shaken by Power, who was jealous of Meowy’s attachment to Angel. The devil was finally free to stumble after Aki into his room.

“Brush your teeth.” Aki urged. He was shirtless, Angel ogling him in the brief moment before he pulled a long sleeved shirt over his head. 

“It’s not like I’m gonna kiss you.” Angel complained, but turned around and followed Aki’s instructions. It wasn’t worth arguing with him, and besides, leaving their own toothbrush lined up next to Aki’s made their chest warm.

Aki’s room was empty when they returned, the balcony door left open and the curtains swaying in the breeze. Angel slipped out into the night to find Aki with a cigarette between his lips. He looked down at Angel, offering Angel a drag with a curious expression. 

Angel indulged in his sin, taking a few drags from the cigarette, feeling Aki’s eyes study their face. It felt like an act of submission to give in to Aki’s influence. Seeing his fingers so close to their face was exciting, they could almost imagine what they’d feel like against his skin. The dizzying buzz from the nicotine was disorienting, but the residual effects of the alcohol meshed nicely with the rush in their head. 

Angel loved the corrosive smell of cigarettes that hung around Aki, the taste of his smoke in their mouth was so intimate it felt dirty. They leaned against Aki, feeling the warmth of his body through the fabric separating their skin. 

“Is this a dream?” Angel whispered, almost too softly to be heard. They heard Aki make a soft sound, a gentle laugh, and looked up to see a faint smirk on his lips. Aki stubbed his cigarette out on the railing, and Angel stepped back as he pulled away to toss it in an ashtray. 

Aki met them inside his room, and Angel could smell his dark desire in the air as he approached them, reaching over their shoulder to slide the balcony door shut. 

Angel was nearly fully covered, but Aki chose to instead grab a wing, stretching it towards himself as he stepped backwards, inviting them to follow him. He smelled so strongly of smoke and lust, but Angel could detect the bite of alcohol on him too, evident in the deviant drowsy look in Aki’s eyes as he led Angel to his bed.

Angel was suddenly whirled around by force, then pushed forwards onto the bed. They let out a surprised gasp, feeling Aki climb on top of them. Aki’s hand immediately explored the base of their left wing, fingers pressing deep into the muscle underneath. The combination of shock and the force Aki was using was so arousing, and as Aki sat on Angel’s ass it drove their lower body into the mattress. Angel didn’t understand how, but they were already on the verge of orgasm, gasping against Aki’s sheets and struggling under his weight. 

Angel turned their head to the side. “I’m gonna-“ Their words dissolved into whimpers, feeling Aki put more pressure into the fingers on their wing in response. It was overstimulating, Angel couldn’t help themselves as they ground into the mattress, whining, their wing shaking under his touch. 

Aki’s hand wrapped around the base of their wing, and he stroked it for a moment before pulling on it. Angel groaned, gritting their teeth as the pleasant sensation crossed into agony. “It hurts, doesn’t it?” Aki asked, his voice dripping with lust. Angel pushed up on the bed to lessen the pain in their wing. They could hear Aki’s heavy breathing and felt sudden driving pressure push their lower body into the mattress even further as Aki ground against them.

Angel came, embarrassingly quickly, all the overstimulating sensation of Aki’s touch melting into pleasure. They tried to disguise the shudder of their hips as they felt warmth spreading around their dick, burying their face in Aki’s sheets to muffle their moans. Despite their best efforts to mask it, their wings spread behind them and quivered, giving away their climax. 

Aki let go, climbing off of them with a soft chuckle. “I don’t even think that was a minute.” Aki remarked, smiling to himself. 

Angel was quiet, laying still in their cooling mess, ashamed by how easy they were. They were overexcited by the dark, sadistic side of Aki that revealed itself on rare occasions. They rolled over, covering their face for a moment with their hands before their curiosity about Aki’s silence had them lower their hands. 

Aki stood over them, stroking his dick and staring possessively at Angel. Angel smiled, sitting up and reaching out towards the human. Angel wrapped both gloved hands around Aki’s erection, Aki reluctantly giving up control as Angel took over. 

The devil looked like a work of art, staring up at Aki with an obedient, hungry look in their sleepy eyes. The delicate feminine features of Angel’s face were perfectly highlighted by the light of their halo, lips parted with concentration. They perched on the edge of the bed, their gossamer white wings spreading out and enveloping Aki’s body. Their silken white gloves provided an unusual combination of slip and friction, Aki could feel the heat of their hands through the fabric. Angel’s focus was intense, reading every minute change in Aki’s face or body, picking up on subtle changes to his breathing, to best serve his needs.

Aki felt pressure against his back, the strong pull of Angel’s wings drawing him closer and surrounding Aki’s periphery. This forced all of his attention to fall on Angel’s visible devotion to him. Aki felt a swirl of emotions in his chest, punctuated by a possessive need to claim the devil as his own. Angel recognized the shift in Aki’s body and intensified their pace and grip on his cock, and Aki rapidly reached his orgasm, Angel directing his erection downward towards themself in the last moment. Aki came hard, gritting his teeth to stifle a moan as he delivered his load on Angel’s chest, the liquid splattered below their chin on their red sweater like a sacreligious pearl rosary.

“You didn’t take long either,” Angel teased, tugging on Aki’s waistband and tucking his dick back into his pants. Angel cautiously pulled their sweater over their head, tossing it on the floor and smiling as Aki stared down at their chest. They stood up, sneaking past Aki towards his dresser. Angel peeled off their soiled sweatpants, and Aki handed them a package of wet wipes and a small towel, unable to avert his gaze from their body as they cleaned themselves up. 

The mental clarity Aki felt post-climax was uncomfortable, he felt overwhelmed by a surge of emotions he couldn’t process. Aki rubbed his face with his hand, sighing deeply.

He felt pressure on his ass, Angel’s hands squeezed the muscles tightly, before wrapping their now-clothed arms around Aki’s waist, their lower body pressed against him. Aki could feel Angel’s body wobbling, struggling to stay balanced on the tips of their toes so they could momentarily grind against his ass.

“I want to explore this, someday.” Angel commented, devilish intent in their voice. Aki felt heat in his cheeks and his ears, swallowing the urge to defensively lash out at Angel. 

This kind of sin was sobering. Aki could feel his anxiety crawling back to haunt him again as the buzz from exhilaration wore off. The fading alcohol in his system was almost grounding enough to brush off the confusion, but it was unnerving to not have to fully hide from something this sinful anymore. Aki’s guilt hadn’t magically disappeared when everyone accepted him, his shame was now isolating.

Was he supposed to feel fine now? This felt… Comfortable. Aki could get used to it, he’d do anything to sustain it, but he still couldn’t shake off the anxiety he felt every time he remembered what he was doing. How could something this wrong feel so right? Why was everyone else so accepting of it?

Angel pressed their face against Aki’s back, taking a deep inhale of his scent. Aki’s fear smelled delicious, but Angel pitied him. “You freaking out?” 

“No.” Aki lied. He shuffled his feet, signalling Angel to let go of him. He crossed the room to the bed, sitting down and yawning.

“What’s got you scared, then?” Angel crawled into Aki’s bed across from him, propping their head up on their arms.

Aki declined to answer them. Angel already knew Aki was fighting his morality, the human had an unshakeable addiction to his own misery.

“What’s the point of doing any of this if you won’t let yourself enjoy it?” Angel flopped backwards on the bed, stretching their wings out under them.

“I have to get used to it.” Aki laid down, his head resting on Angel’s outstretched wing. He tangled his fingers in feathers, pondering his choices. The warmth of their wings beneath him was comfortable, and the soft sensation of their feathers against the sensitive tips of his fingers was soothing, lulling him into a more peaceful state of mind.

He was in too deep to back out now. Aki heaved another deep sigh, closing his eyes for a moment, running his thumb across the burn on his palm from earlier. 

“I’m sorry.” Aki spoke in a soft voice, listening for a few moments and hearing no response. He turned his head, opening his eyes. 

Angel had fallen asleep, a victim to the drowsy security of Aki’s presence. Their cheek was pressed to the bed, lips parted slightly, the sounds of their breathing whispered against his sheets. They looked ethereal, porcelain skin illuminated by the warm glow of their halo. Aki felt their warmth in the burn across his hand, and his chest felt tight again. 

Angel was right, Aki couldn’t let go of the burden of his strict moral code. His whole life was full of grief, he’d forgotten what it was like to exist outside of his fight or flight response, always anticipating devastating trauma around the corner. Living with his guard up was exhausting, and it didn’t ease the pain of loss.

Aki sat up, grabbing his silk gloves from his nightstand and slipping them over his fingers. He gently rolled himself across the bed, trying to avoid putting too much weight on Angel’s outstretched wings. Angel felt his presence, sleepily lifting their head and swinging an arm and wing over Aki’s chest. They pulled him closer with surprising strength and buried their face in his chest, falling back asleep as soon as they settled in.

There was no point in worrying about the future, whatever Aki suffered would be worth experiencing this divine sin tonight. Aki ran his hand across Angel’s wing, absorbed in the soothing sensation of cool feathers against his fresh burn. He fell asleep quickly.

Chapter Text

Time passed rapidly, and Aki finally reached the point of healing he could remove his brace, with restrictions on what he could use his wrist and fingers for and a lengthy daily physical therapy agenda. The goal for him was expedited recovery so he could quickly get back to his normal work schedule, so he spent a few hours every day getting chastised by Denji and Power for his embarrassing motor skill exercises. Angel continued to drop by periodically and spend the night, and Aki started to feel at peace with his life. Denji and Power rejoiced that Aki’s mood was pleasant and stable for once, and as a bonus Aki spent hours holed up in his room with the devil which meant anarchy for the rest of the household.

Aki’s recovery was quick, it didn’t take long to retrain the muscles in his hand as he followed his physical therapy plan religiously. He took pride in his freedom, itching to throw himself back into his normal work schedule.

The mornings brought peace for Aki, everyone busy and relatively silent with chores. He’d tasked Angel this morning with folding laundry, accepting that it wasn’t going to meet his standards but giving the devil something to do when they whined about going home. Aki contemplated starting to cook lunch, but decided to check in with Angel first. The devil was in his room and had Aki’s dresser practically disassembled, completely pulling the drawers out and arranging his clothes as neatly as possible, which had Aki slightly impressed.

“I found this.” Angel reached into the bottom shelf of Aki’s dresser, pulling out a short golden dagger, with a polished crossguard and red leather wrap on the handle. The gold blade reflected the light of their halo across the room, temporarily flashing directly in Aki’s eyes and blinding him. Aki had been struggling with that drawer getting caught on something for months, and hadn’t had the energy to fight with it. He wasn’t sure how he’d lost the weapon to begin with, but it wasn’t very special to him. He greatly preferred his sword. 

“Huh.” Aki set down his basket of laundry and stared at Angel, who was holding the dagger like a precious relic. He wasn’t nearly as attached to it as Angel already seemed to be. “You want it?” 

“What? You’d give it to me?” Angel’s mouth hung open. 

“I obviously don’t use it. Wait, do you even need more weapons? You make them.” Aki frowned, reaching for the dagger. Angel quickly pulled the dagger out of his reach, hugging it against their chest.

“You said I could have it.” Angel smiled. They’d take anything Aki offered them, anything to be closer to him.

Aki sighed, pulling his laundry out of the basket for Angel to fold. He felt Angel’s hands on his back as he was bent over, running down his ass over his clothes. Sudden pressure against his legs warned Aki that Angel was rearing up to grind against him from behind, which was just a decorative way to piss him off as their height difference didn’t benefit the shorter devil with any friction. Aki stood up and glared at them, pointing to the open door to his room. Angel laughed, smacking Aki’s ass as they walked away to return to their task. Aki left his room with a huff, but underneath it all he appreciated their casual relationship. Having it accepted, even just by Denji and Power, made him more comfortable than he’d ever imagined possible. It wasn’t enough to quell the constant internal dialogue between his internalized homophobia and self loathing, but it was a start. 

Aki distributed the rest of the clean laundry to Denji and Power, and decided to start on lunch prep, which would take a few hours to be ready. Before he got very far, the phone rang.

They were being dispatched to a low level mission, Aki wondered if it was just to give him something to return to after his medical leave. Aki was surprised at the instruction to bring the Angel Devil, it was oddly convenient. The brief did include instructions for the Angel Devil to use their powers to take the life of the devil, likely to obtain more lifespan for weapon production. Aki knew it’d be tough to restrain Denji and Power from killing the devil, he had his work cut out for him.

Aki funneled the trio into a loaner car, setting out for the mission. They stopped at Angel’s apartment so the devil could get dressed. Aki spent most of the drive trying to convince Denji and Power not to deliver the final blow on their mission. 

“It’s the only instruction we have, can you two not fuck this up for once?” Aki groaned.

“I see a devil, and I kill it. Simple as that.” Denji huffed.

“There’s a devil next to me, you gonna do something about it?” Aki pointed to Angel, who frowned, not feeling entirely comfortable with this topic.

“That’s your devil, there’s a difference.” Denji replied, crossing his arms.

“I thirst for blood, there is no joy for me in the Angel Devil’s kills! We shall say it was self defense!” Power yelled, her voice far too loud in the close proximity of the car.

“No, you let Angel have this one.” Aki sighed.

“How about this, if I find the devil before you I’ll have no choice but to kill it?”

Denji didn’t have any information about the location of the devil, if Aki fed him a lie about the area to search, this debate would be over. Their mission coordinates were always accurate, but Denji didn’t know this. 

“How about this, you can walk there, if you find the devil you wait for us though. Don’t kill it.” Aki stopped the car and made direct eye contact with Denji before pulling into a parking garage. As soon as the car was parked, Denji took off sprinting to Aki’s dismay, but fortunately Power stayed. 

Once he was out of earshot, Aki spoke up to the remaining two. “He’s going to be 7 blocks away, with no idea which direction to go. If we walk fast, we’ll still beat him.” They walked in silence for a few minutes, approaching the block the devil was last reported in.

Power scoffed as she peeked around the corner of a building blocking their view of a major intersection. “Can we just go home? It’s an ugly one,” she groaned, throwing her head back in exasperation. She turned around and started speedily walking away, glaring at Aki with a scowl on her face. 

“No, this will be quick.” Aki kicked out his foot in an attempt to trip Power as she passed by, a futile attempt to stop her and correct her attitude. She stepped over his foot and stopped in her tracks, turning to face Aki as she angrily kicked him in the shins. Aki swore under his breath, but kept his composure. He limped forward behind Angel, who meekly peeked out around the corner of the building they stood behind.

“She’s right. What is that?” Angel gaped. 

They couldn’t peel their eyes away from the devil sitting a couple hundred feet away from the corner of the sidewalk they were standing on. A massive pile of grotesque purple flesh lay sprawled over a few cars in the middle of the intersection, with two long tails or tentacles trailing off the visible end of the beast. The view was obscured by another office building, but the creature was massive, spanning at least 100 feet, another 50 feet tall. It looked like a pile of skinned bodies melted together over a pile of long tooth-like spikes, varying shades of purple and red shiny flesh glimmering in the sun. 

Atop the heap of flesh was a spherical mass that was so dark Angel felt as though their eyes were playing tricks on them. They blinked a few times and shielded their eyes from the afternoon sun overhead, but still weren't able to make sense of the object aside from what appeared to be rows of floating quills or teeth at the edge of the sphere.

Angel felt a deep pit in their stomach. They had no idea what devil they were looking at, but it looked wrong. For a devil, this otherworldly appearance meant danger on an incomprehensible level. Angel turned around, hoping Aki’s usual steely composure gave them some reassurance. Aki’s mouth hung open, staring at the unknown devil with a horrified expression that gave Angel no relief from their anxiety.

“That can’t be our mission.” Aki whispered. He cursed himself for letting Denji run off, as much as he’d hate to admit needing him, this was more serious than he’d anticipated. 

A door on the building across the street in front of them swung open, and two men in suits emerged in good spirits, smiling and laughing as they walked down the sidewalk. The trio watched as one of the fleshy tendrils began stretching towards the men, so rapidly it was hard to comprehend.

Angel knew it was futile to try and stop, it was far too fast for even a devil with their speed to reach in time. The end of the tendril grew in diameter until it was nearly the same size as one of the men as it approached. The dull purple color of the flesh began changing, the tendril darkened and quickly became as black as night, only a few feet away now. Aki gasped audibly as it engulfed one of the men. The other immediately noticed his colleague was gone, yelling and sprinting away, stumbling over the curb with his panicked pace into the street. But the tendril did not chase after, it lay on the sidewalk, the bulbous end of it still moving like a boa constrictor swallowing its prey. Fifty feet to the right, the trio turned in sync as an unpleasant rumbling noise started coming from the pile of flesh.

“MMMMMMMMMMMMMM,” the creature sighed, and suddenly the tendril began to retract towards it.

“Fear not! I will cut it open and free the human!” Power suddenly screeched, running across the street while she conjured a weapon from her own blood. Aki couldn’t catch her in time, groaning her name in frustration. She was going to get herself killed, they needed backup.

Power was no match for the devil’s speed, but continued sprinting towards it, slowing down when she reached the other side of the sidewalk, 20 feet away from the monster. The tendril rose into the air, its bulbous end flinging the man inside into the dark sphere, which folded in a warped, visibly disturbing manner, the man disappearing between rows of uneven, sharp teeth.

Aki and Angel were already running towards Power, knowing she would need their defense. Without any warning, the second tendril snapped into the air and darted towards her. It grabbed her arm, then let go in the blink of an eye, rearing back. Then it lashed at her feet, sweeping them out from under her. The tendril immediately returned to its fleshy body, making an odd sound like it was laughing to itself. 

Aki watched helplessly, a few feet away, as Power fell to the ground, her blood sword flung out of her hands. In midair, the solid object exploded into a spray of liquid, misting the concrete. Power thrashed on the ground, throwing her hands in every direction, before suddenly going still. There was a black smear on her shins where the tendril had hit her. 

Angel stood between their friends and the devil, wings spread wide in a defensive manner. Aki’s stomach twisted at the thought of Angel sacrificing themself for them, he couldn’t let what happened to Himeno happen again, he needed to stop this. 

Power lay motionless on the ground. As Aki reached her, a flash of red caught his eye. Power's left thigh had been sliced open, blood pouring out and pooling beneath her. Aki dropped to his knees, putting pressure on her wound to try and stop the bleeding. He knew immediately that this cut was very deep, the amount of bleeding indicated her femoral artery was severed. She’s the blood devil, why is she bleeding? Aki thought.

Power suddenly screamed, and began writhing on the ground. Aki couldn’t restrain her with his hands on her leg, he could only watch as she suddenly ran her sharp fingernails along her forearm, streaks of blood immediately pouring from her wrist. “LET ME DIE!” She wailed. She was covered in blood, sobbing as she lay on the sidewalk. This was completely unlike her normal behavior, almost like she was possessed, Aki had never seen her emotional like this. He looked down, and felt dizzy at the amount of blood underneath them. 

“Why did you do that!?” Aki yelled, panic in his voice. “Stop your bleeding!” He looked at Angel, who stood frozen, guarding them from the devil which was suspiciously inactive, almost like it was watching them. Aki had no idea what was happening, but he could feel his heart pounding in his chest.  

Power meekly groaned, “My blood!” Her lips were pale. “I’m useless, I see the light now.”

Power’s fiend ability to control her blood was somehow gone. It had something to do with this devil. Aki suspected that even if she bled out, Power could be revived, but he wasn’t going to take the risk and leave her.

Aki scanned the area for something to use as a tourniquet. He was suddenly grateful for her idiotic fashion choice to tie ribbons around her leg like knee high socks, and went to work to staunch her bleeding.

Angel pulled a sword from their halo as the devil slowly crawled closer towards them. “What are you!” Angel’s voice quavered in fear.

The devil laughed, shaking the ground and crumpling the frame of one of the cars it sat upon, its fleshy body engulfing the metal. “I am the Null Devil. I do not fear meager devils like you, I feed on the fear of all. Nothing can harm me.”

The tendrils reared up, looking as though they were seeking new victims. Angel’s wings spread defensively, their wingspan doubling and feathers puffing up in an effort to make themself seem larger. A tendril suddenly seemed focused on them, winding closer through the air. Angel tightened their grip on their sword, ready to swing once the tendril was within reach.

“Come to me, feathery friend. I imagine you taste like rotten poultry!” The devil spat. 

Angel felt paralyzed from fear. They wanted to run away, they were no match for the Null Devil, but they had to try and protect Aki and Power. 

This was supposed to be a light outing according to Aki, the devil would be corralled by the Public Safety Division with virtually no chance of casualties. There was no yellow tape in sight. A devil of this size and shape possessed immense power, more than they could manage. It would be a miracle if they survived long enough for backup, but would they send backup if this devil hadn’t been reported?

“Where the fuck is Denji?” Aki muttered. He tightened the knots on the makeshift tourniquets around Power’s leg and arm, the blood flow appearing to have slowed. 

“Unhand me, human!” Power screeched, attempting to slice Aki with her hands. He gave up, this would have to make do. Aki stood, wiping blood from his hands on his pants. 

A flash of movement caught his eye as he looked up, the tendril was targeting Angel and there were likely only seconds to act before it reached them. Aki felt like his heart was in his throat. He began sprinting towards Angel, drawing his sword. 

He knew Angel was realistically no match in a fight against any devil, especially not one this powerful. Hell, would Angel even put up a fight against such an opponent? Aki couldn’t understand why they had stumbled upon a devil of this magnitude. This wasn’t the devil they had been assigned, nothing like this was mentioned in the briefing

The tendril suddenly lunged forward through the air towards Angel. Aki was close enough to shove Angel’s shoulder forward, hoping to get them out of reach, but the tendril caught the tip of Angel’s wing and began engulfing it, yanking Angel into the air.

Angel swung their gold handled sword through the air in panic, managing to slash at the tendril, but it was like striking concrete, the tendril was impervious to their weapon. The shock of the tip of the sword hitting solid mass catapulted it out of their hands. 

Angel panicked as the tendril began swelling around their wing further, and tried conjuring another weapon with their power, using ten years of the lifespan they had gathered to draw a single-edged sword from their halo. Angel flapped their free wing desperately, hoping they could bring themself close enough to swing again. Another strike at the fleshy tendril, and their sword ricocheted off the tentacle with a harsh clanging sound.

Aki watched from below, in horror, as Angel was carried closer to certain death. He couldn’t lose Angel . Without the use of his devil contracts due to the Null Devil’s power Aki knew he stood no chance against it either. They were doomed. Aki couldn’t even fathom the devastation Denji would feel if he lost them all.

Aki forced himself to breathe, despite the way his chest felt like the weight of the world was sitting on it. Fear was consuming and clouding his mind, but he needed to figure out how to save Angel. Think .

For some reason, Angel could draw weapons from their halo, so some part of their power was still functional despite contact with the devil. Aki knew from his own experience, Angel’s wings were the exception to their touch-of-death power, so the same must apply to the Null Devil. It would make sense that it cancelled out devil power, given what Aki had witnessed on Power.

“Angel, try the dagger! It can’t be harmed by devil power!” Aki yelled. It was only an educated guess, but he hadn’t seen anything impervious to Angel’s weapons before. Aki knew if they survived, he’d pay for chastising Angel that morning for bringing the dagger, now he was immensely grateful the devil was so sentimental about him. He felt a lump in his throat at the thought, fighting the panic in his head as he watched Angel intently. 

Angel immediately scrambled to pull out Aki’s short golden dagger. Flapping their free wing to generate lift, they began slashing at the tendril, this time finding it cut smoothly with the human-made weapon. Despite their best attempts, at the end of their wing the tendril was too far away and far too thick for them to cut through it, all they could do was stab at it. In their flustered attempts to free themself, their body swinging haphazardly from the tendril, they struck their own wing with the blade, a flash of white-hot pain coursing through the wing to their spine.

At this point, Angel realized they were dangerously close to the mouth of the devil, and the tendril would be tossing them towards it, to death , if they didn’t free themself now .

If they had been in this fight only a few months ago, when they had no ties to the world but bad memories and forced labor, they would have let the Null Devil swallow them whole, as nothing could be worth the pain they would have to endure to save themself. Thinking about Aki, the first person they could recall to show them kindness and empathy, perhaps even love, and Power and Denji, who were the closest things to family Angel had ever had, Angel began flapping their free wing to bring them upwards. With a smooth swing and a guttural scream, they sliced through the bottom of their wing below the tendril’s grip with all of their strength. The dagger lodged in the joint, unable to slice through the cartilage, but the weight of their body, now unsupported by the wing, snapped the bone at the joint, and they began falling. 

Angel blacked out from the pain, limply dropping twenty feet to the ground. Their fall was broken by the fleshy body of the devil, but as they rolled across the pavement it appeared they were covered in thorns, apparent as their white shirt became speckled in blood where the spikes had pierced them. Angel lay lifeless on the cement, the blood pouring from their missing wing tip was the only sign of life Aki could recognize. Aki was horrified but greatly relieved. 

“Devil blood, putrid. Is that what you are too, ink haired one? Hardly worth my time.” The Null Devil spat.

Aki felt like his stomach was in his throat as the tendrils began swinging towards him this time. He didn’t have time to test his theory, but he knew the weapons and contracts he brought to this fight were useless if they touched this devil. 

Angel’s dagger lay 30 feet away in front of the devil, there was no way Aki could reach it without being caught. Even then, how could he harm the monstrous pile of flesh covered in spikes with just a dagger?

Aki covered his left eye, relying on the Future Devil’s power. He saw a glimpse of himself in the air, holding a severed piece of the devil. What ?

Aki thought back to the Null Devil’s words. “ Nothing can harm me.” Would the devil admit its own weakness so easily? Could he defeat the devil with its own power? This was likely a very stupid idea, but he couldn’t think of any alternative, and he trusted the power of the Future Devil.

He needed an organic weapon, the street was littered in pieces of shattered glass, and there were a few sharp metal edges on the crushed cars that Aki may be able to pull free. Getting that close to the devil without being grabbed by a tendril would be incredibly difficult.

“Aww man? Did I kill the wrong devil?” Denji’s shrill voice echoed off the buildings. Aki couldn’t see him, but it sounded like Denji was down the street, approaching in the opposite direction. “Hello? Shit, did everyone die?”

“Denji, Power and Angel are down. Call for help, do not fight this devil!” Aki called out.

“No can do, cause I think you’re gonna die to it, dude. That thing is mad ugly!! We don’t need backup, I got this!” Denji seemed unshaken by the appearance of this devil. 

“Do I smell blood?” The Null Devil turned a tendril towards Denji, and Aki watched as the dark sphere atop it also seemed to rotate. If the devil’s focus had shifted, could Aki grab something to use as a weapon?

“I am ordering you to back off, Denji!” Aki felt more worry for his friend than relief he was nearby, as he believed even his chainsaws would have no effect on the Null Devil, but perhaps the distraction would be enough.

Aki eyed a promising long piece of metal hanging from the side of a car a few feet from the end of the devil. One tendril wavered, focused towards Aki’s direction, but could it even see him?

Only one way to find out. Aki sprinted towards the car, the tendril slowly sinking towards him, stretching its tip thin and making huffing noises, almost like it was sniffing him out. 

“Get ready to get FUCKED UP, ugly!” Denji screamed. The Chainsaw Devil’s engine roared to life, Denji cackling as he prepared to fight. Aki would beat the crap out of him for insubordination if he survived this. He hoped Denji remained unharmed for a bit longer, as if Aki could nullify the devil’s power, his chainsaw powers could easily defeat it.

Aki reached the car, and athletically lifted his foot atop the metal and used his body weight to snap it off of the car. He now had a 12 inch ragged metal edge that seemed plenty sharp for his purposes. 

The tendril seemed to have caught his scent, only feet away now, and suddenly lunged in his direction. It missed, stretching itself thin again to try and sense again where Aki was. Aki took the opportunity to, with both hands, bring the metal edge down on the dark tip of the tendril. It sliced easily through the flesh, with a foot of thin blackened flesh dropping to the ground. The tendril in the air flailed around for a moment before regrowing its tip and continuing to hunt.

Aki picked up the flesh, hoping desperately that his idea would work, but the moment he made contact it felt like his body was made out of lead, heavier than ever before. It was as if every good thing in Aki’s life had been yanked away from him, a mind-numbing tsunami of negative thoughts and apathy took over. 

Aki considered giving in, they stood no chance, and fighting would only prolong this misery. His chest felt painfully hollow, like a hungry black hole in his heart was tearing him apart internally. 

It wouldn’t work, would it? How stupid would he be to attempt this in his dying moments? It would be painless to succumb to his inevitable fate and die. 

Aki stood lifeless, closing his eyes in defeat as the tendril wrapped around his waist. He opened his eyes for a moment and watched a white feather stained with blood slowly glide through the air in front of his face. Aki suddenly felt a wave of intense anger, snapping out of the trance he was in and staring at the handful of flesh in his hand. A long, needle-like purple quill had pierced through his hand, the golden arrowhead tip wet with his blood. The devil’s flesh was covered in these gold tipped quills, and they must be the source of its power. 

This just might work , Aki thought as he looked down, his arms were free. For some reason the nihilistic hold the Null Devil had on him had released him, he needed to take action. The tendril lifted him into the air, rushing him towards the Null Devil’s grotesque body.

“Oh! You are human! I will feast on you first, then your comrades!” The Null Devil spoke, the sphere rotating towards Aki. Aki saw now, Denji’s chainsaw head was engulfed in the other tendril. Denji kicked his legs and arms helplessly, trying to slash the tendril with his now useless chainsaws.

As he was pulled closer, Aki could see into the black maw clearly now, circular rows of teeth swallowed by an empty void in the center. He took a deep breath. This would either work, or they would all die. Just a few feet closer. Aki gripped the severed tendril tightly in his hands. He was mere feet away from the maw of the void. NOW! He used all his strength to throw the tendril into the center of the black hole. As he watched the tendril disappear into black, the mouth began making croaking and hacking noises, and the black sphere began warping.

“WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?” The Null Devil coughed.

Aki heard chainsaws revving, and suddenly heard the sound of chainsaws ripping into flesh. 

“You STINK, man! Now you die!” Denji’s voice cracked out, suddenly free from the tendril. Aki watched him begin slicing through the fleshy body with both arms, the Null Devil screaming and shrieking, but it held Aki tight above its body.

Aki felt the tendril holding him suddenly jerk towards the building across the street, and then he was flying. Sudden impact with pavement, a flash of searing pain, and Aki lost consciousness.

Chapter Text

Aki’s brain felt like it was melting, mysterious loud  robotic sounds filled his ears. A figure shrouded in all white loomed over him, with beams of light exploding from its head. “Aki?” A familiar voice called out, and the figure pulled closer. Aki’s vision was blurred beyond comprehension, and everything hurt. “Stay awake, please.” Aki couldn’t speak or move, and despite fighting the grogginess, as quickly as he had awoken, darkness dragged him back under.  

-----

Aki felt like his body was spinning, hearing shrill noises and voices clambering over each other as he rose to consciousness again. This time things seemed a bit clearer. He was alive, barely. 

“Are you awake?” A female voice asked, lightly shaking Aki’s shoulder.

Aki could recognize the scent of the hospital too well at this point. He groaned, squinting his eyes shut. These lights were so bright, he felt like he was being scorched by the sun. His head ached badly.

“Do something if you understand me.” The voice insisted. Aki heard the voice talking to someone further away in the room. “I’m not lying, I think he woke up. Doctor’s gonna be ecstatic.”

Aki tried to lift a hand to his face but it refused to move, restrained by something. The voices were now cheering. “He is awake!” He heard hurried footsteps leave the room, and after almost drifting off to sleep, heavier footsteps approached, slamming the door open.

“Can you tell me what year it is?” A male voice asked.

Aki cleared his throat and managed a gruff response. “1997?”

“Well, it seems like you’re back, then. No telling if other parts of your memory are impacted.” The man continued. “You know your name?”

Aki nodded, wincing as he was overwhelmed by pain. He felt like he was spinning, nearly fainting from the white hot sensation. He badly wanted to be left alone. 

“You know how you got here?” The voice continued. 

Aki very gently shook his head, having learned his lesson.

“Well, you might wanna think about it. You’re lucky you lived, son. We weren’t sure you’d recover. You’ve got a hell of a concussion, traumatic brain injury, you got two broken ribs, a punctured lung -“ The voice, presumably a doctor, drawled on. Aki couldn’t focus on the words, his brain felt cloudy. He could feel all of his fingers, and both of his legs, although his left leg was agonizing. “-and a broken leg.”

That’s new. Aki had never broken a leg before.

“Lucky hotshot, experimental treatment was a success. We placed some screws and implants to fix it up, sutures can come out in 2 weeks. You’re tough so you might be on crutches for about a week, wear a brace for 4.” The man continued, listing various complications Aki had miraculously survived. Aki couldn’t follow all the words and medical jargon with his sluggish brain. “I told your boss all that too. I’ll see you in a couple weeks, kid.” 

Aki managed to open his eyes in time to see the man briskly walking out the door. Typical for a doctor to make sure they were gone before any questions can be asked. It wasn’t like Aki could do anything about it. He wanted to know what had happened, who had been involved, and had everyone survived? Nobody was around to answer these questions. His head was killing him, the more he thought about anything the worse it pounded. Despite the pain, he was utterly exhausted and quickly fell back asleep.

-----

After a grueling few days in the hospital, being disturbed every 30 minutes by nurses for vitals or new tests, Aki wanted nothing more than to go home. For an unknown reason, his arms were tied to the bed with soft restraints, had he hurt someone? The restraints were loosened for mealtimes or when he asked to smoke, and he was always watched by a nurse. 

Aki had seen a few visitors, and slept through a few more according to the nurses. Angel had dropped by twice while Aki was sleeping, Aki was grateful they hadn’t woken him up like Denji and Power, he wasn’t sure he could handle any emotions right now. Denji and Power were fine, and although they recounted their sides of the story, nobody had an answer as to how they’d all survived the Null Devil. Aki’s memory was patchy, but gradually returned, which surprised everyone he spoke to. By the time he was out of here, he’d be grilled by Makima, he was sure of it. 

Aki finally heard a nurse whisper the word “discharge” in the hallway. Suddenly an elderly nurse was ripping his monitors and restraints off and forcefully pulling his IV catheter out, and asking Aki weird questions about suicidal ideation and harmful urges. Aki felt unbelievably relieved to go home. 

A familiar voice in the hallway asked one of the nurses when lunch was, Aki didn’t hear a response. Denji popped his head in the room, looking around.

“Did they bring you lunch yet?” the kid quipped. Aki pointed to a tray of half-eaten hospital food, it wasn’t very edible but Denji would probably enjoy it. He flopped in the empty chair next to Aki’s bed, rifling through the food on the tray. “You wanna go home? Nurse says if you can use crutches you can go home.” He spoke, mouth full of burnt toast.

“Can’t do anything like this.” Aki pulled at his restraints.

“Oh, lemme help you.” Denji reached to Aki’s side, fumbling with the straps on the restraints for a moment before he figured them out. Once free, Aki massaged his wrists.

“You see Angel yet?” Denji’s mouth was full of jello this time.

“No.” Aki rubbed his forehead, relieved at his freedom from the restraints. 

“They couldn’t put Angel’s wing back on for some reason and it looks really funny. Did they really cut their own wing off? That’s metal, I didn’t think they had it in them.” Denji laughed. 

Aki felt odd when he thought about Angel. The worry he’d felt not knowing if Angel was alive after he woke up was sickening, far worse than he’d ever worried about anyone before. Even recalling it triggered anxiety, like he was stuck in battle. Did he even want to remember the details? “I want to go home.” Aki scooted himself to the side of the bed with a little effort and gestured for Denji to bring him his crutches. He smacked Denji’s hand away when the boy offered to help him stand, instead choosing to struggle to stand independently. 

Putting weight on the crutches with broken ribs was excruciating, but he refused to stay in the hospital any longer. With a grimace and a groan, masking his pain to the best of his ability, Aki was able to cross the room on crutches. It was enough for a nurse to discharge him.

Denji jumped in the backseat of a waiting car, watching and laughing as Aki struggled to get into the car, wincing in pain as he settled in. The cast they had his leg in didn’t allow for his knee to bend, so he was forced to stretch his leg across the footwell of the backseat, and Denji had no regard for every minor movement of his foot against Aki’s sending sharp pain through the man’s leg. Aki looked out the window as the car pulled out of the hospital, headed in the opposite direction of Public Safety Headquarters. 

“Wait, aren’t-“

“Dude, unless you suddenly remember everything, Makima doesn’t want your story, you had a tragic brain injury or whatever.” Denji said. “She said you might be crazy and try to off yourself so we gotta watch you also.” Denji gave Aki a weird look.

“Traumatic.” Aki corrected. His mind was too jumbled to be that helpful, but he wasn’t sure why he was on suicide watch, it explained the bed restraints though. Makima’s briefing was usually the first thing on the agenda once he woke up in the hospital, but she’d never stopped in to his knowledge. Aki had never been hospitalized that long or had a brain injury, so that must be why it was different this time.

“We’re going home. Power and I are starving, we’re like, out of food.” Denji complained. 

Aki sighed, already exhausted. When they arrived, he hobbled out of the car into the elevator, feeling like the world was spinning. He gripped the railing tightly, feeling like he was falling endlessly. Aki didn’t even protest when Denji shoved his shoulder under his arms, half-carrying him back to the apartment. 

“Human! You’ve had sufficient rest, I demand fine meats tonight!” Power shrieked at Aki as Denji dragged him into the apartment. 

“Look at him, he’s all drugged up or whatever, probably wouldn’t cook very well.” Denji shook Aki’s limp body for emphasis, and the man groaned. 

“Not drugged, I’ll puke on you if you don’t stop.” Aki warned, nauseous and disoriented. 

“Eww, get off of me.” Denji helped Aki steady himself on his crutches.

“You can order delivery if you know where my wallet is.” Aki was pretty sure there was a limited amount of cash inside if his foggy memory was believable. 

Denji rifled through the hospital bag on the kitchen counter, finding the wallet. He brought it to Aki, demonstrating more self restraint than Aki expected from him. Aki pulled out a few bills, handing them to Denji. “You want something too?” Denji asked.

“Maybe something light.” Aki shrugged. He couldn’t even think about eating with how nauseous moving and using his eyes made him, but if Denji said there was no food, he wasn’t exaggerating. Aki headed to his room, wanting to lay down. His head was killing him. Aki gently set himself down, having to manually lift his left leg up with his hands to get it on the bed. He sighed and closed his eyes, ignoring the commotion outside his room, he couldn’t get his brain to process anything else without pain. He heard his door open, frowning in anticipation of further harassment.

“Hey,” Angel’s soft voice surprised Aki. Aki stiffened, trying to sit up and appear more composed than he felt. “No, lay down and rest. I just wanted to see you were okay.”

“Your wing-” Aki opened his eyes a sliver and turned his head to look at Angel, but their halo was blinding in his dark room, his vision dazzled with streaks of light. He shut his eyes again, laying his head back down on his pillow. It was apparent that his pain meds had worn off, these must be the consequences of his brain injury. 

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry about me.” Angel was closer this time, and they felt a wave of relief that Aki still seemed to know who they were. When Aki was comatose, hospital staff weren’t sure he’d survive the swelling of his brain, let alone remember anything if he recovered. 

Aki felt comforted by Angel’s presence, but his pain was insurmountable. He lamented his reliance on pharmaceuticals, but he’d take sleep at any cost. “Can you get Denji?” Aki asked. He hoped his pain meds had been sent home and weren’t still waiting to be picked up back at the hospital.

“What do you need?” Angel tilted their head. They’d follow Aki’s wishes, but they wished he wanted them to help him.

“Meds.” Aki was breathing with great effort, trying to stomach his discomfort. He heard Angel leave, and a few moments later someone entered his room again.

“Here.” Angel’s voice was gentle and caring. Aki couldn’t bring himself to use his eyes, holding out a hand instead. He felt a couple pills in the palm of his hand, and brought it to his mouth and swallowed them. “I have water, a trash can if you’re sick, do you need anything else? Are you hot or cold?”

“No.” Aki felt embarrassed to be this vulnerable. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to be alone or to have Angel stay with him, but he felt the bed shift as they sat at the end of the bed.

Aki couldn’t stomach his thoughts about Angel. The part of him that had closed itself off after Himeno died in front of him had reawakened, trying to protect him from trauma again. He couldn’t remember what had happened to Angel in detail, but he could feel the fear hidden away with those memories. Aki didn’t have the strength to fight for control over his emotions right now, he could barely tolerate how unwell he felt, feeling tears squeeze through his closed lids. It felt wrong to be this raw and weak and to not be alone, but he’d been vulnerable in Angel’s arms before. Angel’s presence was soothing, despite triggering him, and after a few minutes of silence Aki managed to fall asleep.

-----

Aki awoke from a vivid nightmare, feeling panicked. He was relieved it was a dream, and after a few moments couldn’t remember what had been so alarming. As he groggily woke up, he realized his dream had brought back a resurgence of memories. The Null Devil. Aki opened his eyes, his room was dark aside from the gentle glow of Angel’s halo, the devil lying next to him. The halo didn’t fracture into beams of light when he looked at it this time. How long had he been asleep?

The gory image of a blood-soaked Angel, lifeless on a mound of flesh was burned in Aki’s mind. Remembering it was terrible, even with Angel perfectly fine next to him now, Aki felt like he was still mourning their lives. He felt like he couldn’t catch his breath.

Angel stirred and rolled over, sensing Aki moving. Their sleepy smile dissolved into a worried expression, Aki was visibly panicking. Angel reached out, fingers nearly brushing his face, and Aki struggled to launch himself away from them, nearly falling off the bed. 

“Wait, it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you!” Angel called out, wanting to explain themself to Aki. The human had already managed to get to his feet on his crutches, chest heaving for air as he fought for control over his panic attack.

Aki needed to talk to Makima now that he remembered. If he just kept moving forward, he wouldn’t have to dwell on the feelings polluting his mind. He badly needed a cigarette, finding a pack and lighter and limping to his balcony.

The sun hadn’t set yet, unless he had slept over an entire day. The buzz from his cigarette was intensified by the lingering side effects of his pain medication, but his pain was much more bearable now. Aki heard the door slide open behind him, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Angel lean against the balcony next to him. Aki was afraid to look at their wing.

“You should rest more.” Angel pleaded. 

Aki shook his head. His heart wasn’t racing quite as badly, and the fuzzy rush in his head had him temporarily more confident. He turned his head to Angel, studying their wings. From his memory, they had amputated the end of their wing at the “wrist” of the bone structure. Angel stretched their wing out for Aki to better inspect, and Aki was surprised that so much had regrown. A light cover of feathers concealed the half-formed regrown wing.

“How long has it been?” Aki asked. He felt so disoriented and disconnected from the world.

Angel hesitated to answer. They’d been told a lot about what to expect from Aki’s brain injury and exposure to the Null Devil. “Two weeks.” 

Aki gripped the balcony railing tightly, trying to mask his shock. Two weeks, he’d been out? He wasn’t sure if he even wanted to learn any more about his condition. 

He finished his cigarette, feeling shaken, and headed back inside. He stubbornly fought to put on real clothes, despite Angel begging him to rest. Aki was sick of being injured, and sick of being treated like he was fragile. He took another dose of pain medicine, picked at some of the leftover takeout in the fridge, and began getting ready to see Makima. 

To Aki’s dismay, he couldn’t go alone, Denji and Angel insisted one of them go with him. Angel’s expression and body language suddenly seemed off , they wouldn’t look Aki in the eye, so Aki elected to take Denji with him. He couldn’t deal with any drama right now. 

At headquarters, Denji lounged in the lobby where they had an array of snacks laid out. Aki took the elevator, already feeling winded from the meager amount of activity he’d managed today. 

Aki took a deep breath and pushed open the door to Makima’s office, and was met with a gust of cold air. She was standing at the window, looking outside pensively. 

“Hayakawa, how are you?” She began speaking before she’d even turned to see Aki, but wore a warm smile as she walked towards him. Makima pulled out a chair, inviting Aki to sit in front of her desk. He’d normally insist to stand, but he was too exhausted, nearly collapsing into the chair. 

“You were just discharged, I hear. Are you feeling well?” Makima studied Aki’s face. 

“I’ve been better.” Aki managed to sit up properly, not wanting to look vulnerable around Makima.

“I know it’s near impossible for you, but you should take it easy. We very nearly lost you.” Makima tilted her head.

“I wanted to give my report on the Null Devil.” Aki spoke after catching his breath.

“I would love to hear it.”

Aki recounted the events of the afternoon, including all the minor details. At the very least, none of the truth needed to be doctored to avoid any suspicion about his relationship with Angel. Makima’s expression remained unchanged, looking intrigued but unsurprised by the information.

“You were very lucky, Hayakawa. The Null Devil was not reported by any witnesses in the area. There have been a few sightings of a devil with similar descriptions, but presumably anyone with more information on its power did not survive to report back. We had wondered how the devil had been defeated, I’m impressed by your reasoning.” Makima smiled at Aki. “I apologize to ask an invasive question, but has your mental health been impacted since your exposure to the Null Devil?”

Aki thought for a moment, not sure what Makima was asking. “Not that I’m aware.”

“Interesting, that’s very good. You’d say you feel mentally stable right now?” 

Where was she going with this? Aki frowned. “Yes?”

“Good. Hayakawa, I have another query for you. What is the nature of your relationship with the Angel Devil?” Makima’s smile vanished, a blank and unreadable mask on her face, but the glimmer in her eyes gave away her sadistic delight. 

Aki felt like all the air in the room had been sucked out the open window, he took a moment to steady his nerves and breathe before he could shakily answer. “I’d consider it a placid working relationship, I think I’ve seen Angel grow more cooperative since-“

“I regret to inform you that was a loaded question. Let me specify. When did your relationship with the Angel Devil become… unprofessional ?” Makima put on a fake smile, the look in her eyes dark and intense, tapping her manicured nails on her desk rhythmically. 

Aki couldn’t manage a word, she knew. He felt the blood drain from his face. Aki’s world was disintegrating around him, this was the end of everything he cared about. His stomach twisted, his lungs frozen with fear, his body suddenly hot with panic. Aki was going to be sick. The world spun around him as he lunged forward, grabbing a trashcan and vomiting.

Makima was surprised, Aki was more distraught about this than she expected. It worked in her favor to better control the situation, so she took advantage of his silence. “You don’t need to worry, this won’t impact your employment. These kind of things unfortunately happen where humans are involved, we’re highly emotional creatures. I wish I could discuss this with you in better health,” Makima paused, handing Aki a tissue to wipe his mouth. “Surely you anticipated it wouldn’t be a secret forever.” 

Aki couldn’t look up from the floor, he felt like his life was flashing before his eyes. How did she find out? Had someone told her?

“This situation is all the more complicated by politics , I’m sure you know. I’d like for this to stay private, I can’t guarantee there won’t be consequences if word gets out. May I remind you, Aki, that the Angel Devil is a devil , he has no reason to be loyal or be trusted, and any insubordination or poor judgment on his part will still be punishable by execution.” Makima propped her elbows on her desk. “I don’t know that this is in your best interest, but I won’t stop you. I’d much rather keep you employed despite your mistakes, you’re one of my best.”

Aki felt dizzy trying to process Makima’s monologue, his brain still felt muddy, and panic further clouded his thoughts.

“If you reconsider and end the relationship, it will only be in your favor. Although the Angel Devil seems attached to you, it would surely affect him. I’m sure you’re cognizant of the risks you’re taking, given his power. I hope it comes as a compliment, but I never imagined you into…” Makima let out a soft chuckle. “Is Denji the only person who knows?”

Aki was embarrassed, but he could catch his breath again, he wasn’t going to be killed for his crimes at least. That fucking rat, Denji. Aki couldn’t blame him, the kid was an obedient dog for Makima. What was he thinking, trusting him in the first place?

“Power knows.” Aki’s voice was shaky. He struggled to make eye contact with Makima, feeling deeply ashamed of himself. 

“You have her trained well, if that’s the case.” Makima smiled. It surprised her, Power hadn’t relented to Makima’s interrogation like the other two had. The fiend must deeply respect him, Makima made a mental note of this, as the family dynamic of Aki’s household was important for her plans. “I’m proud of you for accomplishing what you did against the Null Devil, your intelligence and reasoning are astounding. Consider that, and your choices carefully, Hayakawa. And please, rest. Let me help you out.” Makima stood and approached Aki, who was still catatonic with anxiety. 

Aki was in worse shape than he could handle on his own. The adrenaline coursing through his body had subsided, leaving him weak and faint. He struggled to get to his feet again before Makima could help. Aki was horrified by Makima’s knowledge, it felt even more shameful to rely on her for assistance. She wrapped an arm around Aki, who could feel the strength hidden under her delicate frame as she lifted him to his feet. She supported his weight until he managed to get his crutches under him, then stepped back and returned to her desk. 

“Makima, I’m sorr-“ 

“I don’t need an apology, but I do want you back in functional capacity as soon as possible. Take care of yourself.” She smiled again, and Aki hauled himself out of the room as quickly as he could. 

Denji met Aki in the lobby, surprised by how much more haggard and unwell the man looked. He had a suspicion Makima talked to Aki about his relationship, and Denji felt a pang of guilt that he’d caved and told her. Denji tossed his wrappers and led Aki out of the building after calling a car, pausing when he realized he’d walked too quickly for Aki to keep up with.

“You should sit shotgun, there’s more room for your leg.” Denji commented as they approached the car. He was afraid of Aki’s ire, but knew he couldn’t avoid it forever. Aki glared at him, but Denji recognized no icy rage in his eyes, they looked sullen and lifeless. As Aki settled into the passenger side seat of the car, Denji watched the man practically melt into the seat, breathing heavily. Aki pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one, cracking the window slightly. Denji groaned and complained, but gave up on his whining when the driver started smoking as well. The drive was silent, the dark cloud above Aki's head mixed with the suffocating cigarette smoke, the air so thick Denji felt like he could cut it with a knife. He launched out of the car as soon as it came to a stop. Denji offered a hand to Aki, watching him fight to get out of the car, but Aki pushed him aside. The man was clearly struggling, both physically and mentally, and Denji wasn’t sure if it’d help or escalate things to show support. He knew Aki needed rest first, he’d let him take as long as he needed to brood and process things. Makima had said everything would be alright, after all, and Denji trusted her.

Denji opened the door to the apartment, surprised that Angel was still there. They gave Denji an inquisitive look, and Denji shook his head violently and mimed slitting his throat, gesturing for them to hide. Denji knew Angel was not a face Aki wanted to see right now, and they understood, retreating into the kitchen as Aki limped by. The silence in the apartment was chilling, as Aki pulled a bottle out of the freezer and made his way to the balcony, seemingly blind to everyone else.

“Denji, what happened?” Angel asked as soon as the door was shut. They watched Aki toss his crutches to the ground and slump into his chair, his body practically collapsing from exhaustion. He took a swig from the bottle and popped a cigarette in his mouth. 

“I, uh, told Makima about you guys and I think she talked to Aki about it. It’s not my fault, she basically blackmailed me!” Denji groaned, throwing himself onto the couch. “She told me nothing would change, but man, look at him.” 

The two stared through the door at Aki for a moment, his body language stormy as he aggressively numbed himself with substances. Power came out of her room, observing the tension in the living room before throwing herself across Denji’s lap and sprawling on the couch on her stomach, unbothered. She propped her head up on her elbows, watching Aki through the door and expertly deducing he was the source of the drama. 

Angel was quiet for a minute before speaking. “I told her too.” 

“WHAT?” Denji gasped. 

“I don’t know why or how she got the information out of me!” Angel started crying, sliding down the wall until they were sitting on the floor. “She didn’t say if anything would happen.” 

“About Topknot and you?” Power sighed. “Weaklings, Makima’s interrogation was pithy work for a genius savant like myself. You should learn from the master!” She rolled over, inadvertently kicking Denji in the chest in the process.

“You think he’ll get fired?” Denji mumbled. Angel buried their face in their hands, hiding behind their bent knees. 

Power sat up, suddenly. “We riot if she does. Topknot is a valiant serf for President Power! I will speak to Makima myself if she tries!”

“Wait, Angel, what exactly did she say to you?” Denji turned to the devil, who uncovered their face. 

“She said that she already knew, asked if it was consensual, then started tallying the weapons I’d used to make sure they gathered them all at the scene.” Angel shrugged. “It didn’t seem like she cared that much, honestly. He does, though.” They sniffled, another tear rolling down their face.

“Then it’s probably fine. I mean, she would have fired or uh… Disposed of you if it was a big deal.” Denji nodded, talking himself out of his anxiety. “He’s probably in shit for it, but she also gives him permission to do whatever with us so maybe it’s allowed.”

Angel shivered, pulling their wings around themself. If Aki was in trouble, he might back out of their arrangement, whether it was his choice or not. They berated themselves silently for not resisting Makima but it was like she tore the confession out of them, they never would have admitted it of their own volition.

Denji turned the TV on, his eyes glazing over as he distracted himself from the uncomfortable emotions in the room. 

Angel considered going home, but they felt compelled to talk to Aki about this, and if his mental health was unstable like they expected, surely someone needed to keep an eye on him.

Aki stumbled back inside through his side of the balcony, drunkenly collapsing on his bed. Despite his efforts to silence his internal monologue, his thoughts were still cluttered with anxiety about Makima’s conversation with him. The influence of alcohol was blissful and powerful and he quickly drifted into unconsciousness. 

He slept through the evening until the early morning, his exhaustion overriding the pain for a while. Consciousness was immediately blindingly painful, Aki weakly grabbed pills from his nightstand and swallowed them with a glass of water. He was dehydrated, hungover, and had no idea the effects of alcohol on his condition or medications. It didn’t matter to him, really. He felt like the safety and comfort of his happy little life had collapsed, and the misery of his bodily sensations matched his mind. What was he even doing, anyways? Was he delusional, thinking he could get away with this? 

Aki groaned and flopped backwards on his pillow, flinching as his arm hit something solid but soft. Feathers? He turned his head, finding Angel lying in the bed with their back towards him. Aki felt rage bubbling up in his chest, mostly towards his own actions, but the devil was still a guilty target for his emotions. Angel sat up, turning and looking at Aki with a nervous expression. 

“What are you doing here?” Aki croaked.

“I just wanted to make sure you were safe.” Angel whispered.

Aki sighed, massaging his forehead. “I don’t want you here right now.” He tried to steady himself, to resist lashing out at Angel, but their presence reignited how raw and exposed he felt with their relationship now being Public Safety knowledge.

“Somebody needs to keep an eye on you.” Angel muttered, sensing Aki’s anger. 

“I’m not some fragile child.” Aki spat. “I just want to be alone.” 

“I’m afraid you’ll hurt yourself-“ Angel murmured.

“You know what, you can leave. I need space from you. I don’t know that we should do this anymore.” Aki growled, only a few decibels away from yelling. He turned away from Angel, infuriated that they spoke to him like he was weak. He needed to process this on his own, without his feelings for the devil amplifying his own emotions.

Tears welled up in Angel’s eyes. It was only fair, they had betrayed him, but they still felt crushed, like their heart was being ripped from their body. They had never felt an emotion this vicious before, the pain was blinding. Angel turned away, sliding off the bed and standing up.

“I don’t want to talk about it, I don’t want to see you again unless it’s work related. If I change my mind you’ll hear from me.” Aki put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it, laying back on his pillow and staring at the ceiling. 

Angel left without another word, holding back sobs until Aki’s apartment door shut behind them. 

Chapter Text

“When is the Angel Devil allowed to come over?” Denji asked with his mouth full, inadvertently spitting food on the table.

“Talk with your mouth closed.” Aki made a disgusted face, sipping his beer. 

“That’s not possible.” Denji frowned.

“Try it sometime.” Aki muttered under his breath. He hoped avoiding the topic would change it. Aki wanted the normalcy of his daily life back, minus mention of the devil he’d almost slipped for.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Denji prodded Aki’s arm with his chopsticks. Aki wiped his arm off with a napkin, ignoring Denji. “When are you getting back together?”

“We’re not!” Aki slammed his hand against the table a little too hard, taking a deep breath and composing himself. He was horrendously sleep deprived, and more prone to irritability than he usually was, but he didn’t want to seem vulnerable in front of these vultures. 

“Why?” Power asked, now joining Denji in interrogating Aki. She enjoyed making him angry, and if Denji was doing it, she’d get away with it too. “Did the devil dump you? Perhaps this is why he is so emotional, Denji!”

“They did not!” Aki sighed, standing up from the table and snatching up his dishes. He limped away to the sink, considering just leaving the dishes there to avoid further conflict. 

“No, he dumped them, that’s why they didn’t show up at work today. And the other day.” Denji replied, poorly pretending he wasn’t talking loud enough for Aki to hear it.

Power caught on to Denji’s ploy. “How tragic. What if they are to be punished for skipping work? Given they’re a devil, this could be serious! If only Aki wasn’t a disgruntled ex-lover, and perhaps resolved his drama…”

“We’re not getting back together.” Aki called out from the kitchen.

He couldn’t stoop that low again. It was embarrassing that Aki had been caught fooling with a devil, he wanted to make up for that disgrace with dedication to his work. Right now, he was of little use to Public Safety beyond his leadership of Denji and Power, which was deteriorating from the consequences of his indecent affair. 

He was a devil hunter after all, he’d had his fun, but his focus needed to be on his work hunting devils. His focus was suffering, Aki badly wanted to hunt down a particular devil and ensure their safety. Had Angel taken it that poorly? Aki was only assigned to one of the missions they’d missed in the last week, if they were avoiding him they were doing it a little too well. 

It wasn’t his problem anymore. Aki wiped off his hands, turning off the sink. Without the white noise, he could hear the conversation in the living room again. 

“I bet they’re holed up at home watching romcoms, eating ice cream from the tub, and crying.” Denji shrugged, Power’s laughter egging him on. 

Aki felt a twinge of guilt, he could legitimately see them doing that. 

“They’ll never love again after being dumped by Aki. Or maybe they will, you never know. They’re pretty, and nice.” Denji continued.

“That’s enough.” Aki snapped. 

“Ooh, struck a nerve.” Denji gasped. 

“No, it’s just disrespectful.” Aki commented. 

“To who, you or Angel?”

“Me- Both of us!” Aki stammered, confused by the question. 

“He said ‘us’!” Power rejoiced.

Aki scoffed, downing the rest of his beer and tossing it in the recycling can. It was full already, another reminder that he needed to cut back on his drinking. He’d start tomorrow though, he was already tipsy tonight and he might as well go out with a bang and get drunk one last time. He’d had this same train of thought a few days ago, but he wasn’t going to think about it too hard, he meant it this time. 

Since the Null Devil, Aki had been relying on chemical crutches, and he still needed physical crutches too. He knew Denji and Power were worried about him, but he’d been making a grand effort to maintain that he was fine. His facade only wavered when Angel was brought up, the duo weren’t impressed by his arguments for their separation. At the very least, Aki had made it this far without breaking his resolve to stay away from the devil, but the compulsion to check on them was killing him.

“We’re not getting back together, end of discussion, but it’s not like them to miss work like this. I’ll check in, if you two promise to stop talking about them.”

“It worked!” Power whispered, all too loudly, to Denji. He aggressively shushed her, but couldn’t keep himself from leering at Aki one last time. 

“It sounds like you are the one who wants to check in on them.” Denji sneered. 

Aki groaned. “You two were just talking about how worried you were that they'd be dismembered for missing work.”

“Fair, I guess. The Angel Devil is my friend, I won’t stop caring about them just because you broke up. You guys gotta get back on at least friendly terms because I’m going to have them over to hang out sometimes.” Denji stood, stretching. 

Aki opened a drawer, pulling out a directory of phone contacts. He found the division member responsible for Angel, and dialed the numbers with alcohol-infused confidence. As the phone rang, doubt swallowed him whole. What was he doing?  

“Hello?” A deep voice answered after a few rings.

“This is Aki Hayakawa, I work in Special Division 4, supervising Denji and the Blood Fiend. It’s come to my knowledge that the Angel Devil has missed multiple missions in the last few days. I plan to report to Makima, but wanted to avoid stepping on your toes since they’re your insubordinate.” 

“Sheesh, I don’t know about him.” The man slurred, apparently drunk. Aki couldn’t judge, given his own state. “Probably on a bender, I haven’t seen that asshole in days. Good riddance, I say. Good for nothing, stupid bitch.”

“You live with them, right, can you not check in?” Aki asked, feeling himself becoming heated at the way the man was talking about Angel. “I don’t want to get you in trouble.” 

“Yeah I’ll knock again but he hasn’t answered. Might not even be here, honestly. I dunno, it’s not my problem, if he fucks up bad enough I get to kill him.” The man laughed raucously. 

This was going nowhere. Aki felt intensifying fury coursing through his veins the longer he spoke to this asshole. He hung up, not wanting to finish their conversation. He could talk to Makima about it tomorrow, but he dreaded the thought of her bringing up the topic of their relationship. At least now Aki could tell her he ended it.

That’d be his mission tomorrow, Aki could try and relax tonight. He pulled open the freezer, greeted by a selection of different liquors. 

A few glasses of whiskey and maybe for once Aki would be able to sleep well, despite the creeping anxiety about Angel’s whereabouts. He’d been almost entirely unable to sleep outside of drinking to the point of blackouts the past few days. He knew he was lying to himself that it wasn’t somewhat influenced by Angel, it must be another effect from his brain injury. 

Besides, Angel was Makima’s problem, not his, he could effectively wash his hands of the Angel Devil now that he’d done some due diligence in calling.

“What’s up, are they okay?” Denji leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, his voice startling Aki.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Aki knew he was talking to himself too. He poured a few fingers of whiskey in a glass and pushed past Denji.

Aki lounged on the couch with Denji and Power, watching TV. He couldn’t focus, his thoughts drifting to Angel a few times. 

Aki reminded himself of his goal - defeating the Gun Devil - Angel was a major distraction that made him look like his judgment was compromised, based on Makima’s reaction. Aki needed distance from them to make rational decisions, he’d frozen during the Null Devil fight, and nearly had a mental breakdown afterwards, all over his goddamn feelings for a devil.

Aki got up once to refill his glass. He’d lost count of how many drinks he’d had by this point, but he felt warm and his mind was finally quieting. Power sprawled over his lap, trapping him for an hour before she got restless and moved. Aki took his freedom to the balcony, lighting a cigarette. The combination of cigarettes and alcohol was addictive, grounding, and it took Aki further away from his thoughts. He enjoyed the moment of silence, but as the buzz quickly died the nagging voice in his head was louder this time.

What if Angel was hurt, or worse?

No, they were a devil, practically immortal. That didn’t appease his worry, Angel had expressed a lot of interest in their own death before they were together. Now that Aki had basically dumped them… 

And for what , it’s not like Makima outright forbid the relationship, she just didn’t seem impressed? Hell, Denji kept telling him she said she wouldn’t make them break up. Why was Aki even doing this?

Fuck . Aki needed to be drunker to shut his mind up. He stormed inside and downed a few shots of vodka. It wasn’t helping that the vodka was a brand Angel had put him on, cheap but still smooth. In just a few moments it no longer mattered, as the alcohol took effect Aki stumbled back into the living room, finding it hard to rely on crutches while inebriated. He’d get his cane out if he was staying up much later, it took more physical effort but far less coordination to walk with. Aki set his crutches against the wall as he sat down, cringing as they immediately crashed to the floor.

“Oi, drunk bastard. What do we get if you get the next noise complaint?” Denji puzzled.

“I would like to drink and be loud!” Power yipped, hopping up from the couch. 

Aki made a half-assed attempt to grab her arm as she zipped past him, his reflexes dulled. “You can’t drink!” He called after her. 

“Why not, I’m thousands of years old?” 

Aki heard Power open the fridge, but he knew he’d drank the last beer. She opened the freezer next. She wouldn’t drink straight liquor, would she? Aki considered getting up, but he was so drowsy and heavy.

“Hey, are you going to do anything?” Denji prodded Aki, frustrated he was drunk again. The man was wallowing, yet again, in misery he had caused himself for no reason. 

“S’fine. You’ll see.” Aki pushed Denji away, pointing to the kitchen. Power stood in clear sight, holding a bottle of whiskey to her lips and taking a courageous swig. Immediately, she began coughing and retching, gasping for air, frantically filling a glass of water from the sink. 

“You’ll have to drink more than that to get drunk. Especially being a fiend.” Aki closed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest, resting his head back on the couch and yawning. 

“I shall not imbibe poison again!” Power croaked, returning to the living room with a defeated sigh. 

“Ugh, don’t fall asleep here again. You snore like an old man when you’re drunk, ruins my movies.” Denji grabbed Aki’s shoulder, shaking him. 

Aki ignored him, clinging to the slippery promise of sleep behind his closed eyelids. He was so tired he felt physically ill, maybe tonight he’d finally be able to sleep. He felt himself drifting away into blackness, and let it swallow him whole.  

Chapter Text

Aki found himself standing at the bottom of the fire escape leading to Angel’s apartment window, shivering in the cool night air.

Fuck . He had blacked out. He felt a wave of sobering regret, he knew he was drunk, but he couldn’t remember what nefarious goal possessed him to come this far in the middle of the night.

No, it was that unsettling conversation with Angel’s housemate. They hadn’t been seen in days. 

Aki felt his anxiety burning through the remaining alcohol in his bloodstream, hours must have passed since he could last remember anything. His leg ached, Aki didn’t imagine his drunk self was diligently keeping weight off of it on the long walk here. 

Well, he was here now, no point in turning back. Aki took a deep breath, resting his cane against the wall and grabbing the first rung of the cold steel ladder. Ascending was a little challenging with the limited mobility of his leg in a brace, but Aki wasn’t admitting defeat and heading home just yet.

He had to know Angel was safe.

Doubt invaded his thoughts the closer he got to the second floor, what if Angel was fine and he was worried for nothing? He was the one that asked for space, after all, the devil was certainly respecting that at the cost of their work attendance. What if Angel had moved on? No, that wasn’t likely.

What if the devil wasn’t okay?

Aki could see Angel’s window was open, he climbed the last few rungs of the ladder and stood on the fire escape, steadying his breath for a minute before gathering the courage to approach the window.

A familiar object decorated the edge of the window, a pack of cigarettes. The same Wild Raven brand Aki smoked, either Angel had stolen them from Aki’s nightstand, or sought the same kind. A few cigarettes had been stubbed out on the window frame. 

Aki peered through the window, but Angel’s room was too dark to see anything. He considered taking his shoes off, but his memories of the state of Angel’s apartment floor made his skin crawl. The devil wouldn’t mind. He pushed the pack of cigarettes out of the way and swept ash off the window frame before lifting himself into the window back first, sitting on the frame. Aki could hear the muffled metallic clatter of heavy music playing nearby, likely from one of Angel’s roommates. Aki ducked his head through the window and pulled his legs over the frame. He carefully lowered himself to the floor on his good leg, cringing as he heard glass crunch under the sole of his shoe.

It reeked in the room, but Aki couldn’t place a finger on the smell. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he looked around. Bottles littered the floor, and Angel’s bed was unmade and unoccupied. Perhaps they weren’t even here? The desk set up in the corner of Angel’s room was entirely covered in large glass bottles, without studying them Aki knew they were liquor bottles. He recognized part of the smell of the room was the sickly sweet smell of spilt alcohol. At the very least, Angel couldn’t drink themself to death, and Aki took comfort in this thought. He walked forward, between the shards of glass on the floor, his shoes peeling off the sticky floor with each step, Aki felt revolted. The room was trashed, but unoccupied so far. 

His blind spot in the room was behind Angel’s bed, near the door to the room. He peered around the corner of the bed, his stomach sinking through the floor at the sight of a crumpled figure on the ground. The figure was shrouded by white wings, motionless.  

Angel.
Aki sped to Angel’s side, sliding his braced leg into a cramped position as he crouched down. He thanked his drunk self for having some reason, pulling a pair of gloves out of his pocket, clumsily stretching them over his fingers. He pushed Angel’s wings out of the way as he turned the devil on their side. The smell of alcohol was overpowering. Angel’s body didn’t feel warm, but… That could just be interference from the gloves, Aki told himself. Their halo was dark, a sight Aki had never seen. 

Makima’s words echoed in his mind. “The Angel Devil seems attached to you, it would surely affect him.”

Aki felt like the air had been sucked from his lungs, but he steadied himself, compartmentalizing the emotional part of his mind to take action. He placed shaking fingers on Angel’s neck, feeling for a pulse - their body was cold to the touch, stealing the heat from his fingers. He watched the devil’s bare chest for movement as he lowered his ear to Angel’s mouth, only able to hear his own heart pounding in his chest. After what felt like minutes had passed, he heard the tiniest clicking noise. Was that a breath, or just his imagination?

Angel couldn’t be dead.

They could have choked, Aki wedged his thumb between their lips to pry their mouth open, sliding his fingers down the back of their throat to dislodge any foreign body. Aki felt nothing, pulling his hand out of their cold mouth.

Aki scanned Angel’s half-clothed body for signs of major injury, a few splotches of blood catching his eye. Just a few pieces of glass buried in their skin, but Aki felt no relief. What could have happened to them?

Blood. They needed blood.

Aki steadied himself, fighting the lump in his throat to breathe as he looked around, frantically scanning the room for something sharp. It was so dark, he didn’t have many options. He grabbed a large shard of glass, grimacing as he used the edge to slice at the vein on the edge of his wrist. He’d done this once before for Denji, and clung to the confidence of it working in the past as he pried Angel’s mouth open again. He held his wrist above their mouth, watching his blood drip onto their tongue with bated breath.

Aki felt sweat running down his back. All he could do was watch, squeezing his hand in a fist to bleed quicker. “Don’t leave me,” he whispered.

Aki felt like his world was collapsing again as he watched his blood slowly fill Angel’s mouth, covering their tongue and dripping out down the corners of their mouth.

Were they really dead?

Had he done this to them?  

Tears stung Aki’s eyes, he fought to blink them away as they blurred his vision. His focus was laser honed on Angel’s throat, silently begging the devil to swallow.

“Come the fuck on, you asshole.” Aki sobbed. He lowered his hand to Angel’s mouth, forcing it closed, blood spilling from their lips and running down their neck. “Swallow, god, please. Don’t do this to me.”

Aki grabbed Angel by the shoulders and lifted them up, their head limply rolling back. He fought the temptation to shake them, instead sitting them up and propping them against their bed. He couldn’t restrain his tears anymore, his vision going blurry as he pounded his fist against their chest and cried.

Words left his mouth without any thought, his voice cracking as he spoke.

“I loved you, you stupid idiot.” Aki buried his face in his bloodied hands. He was so afraid of his own emotions he’d never been the lover they deserved, gentle and soft, and now they’d never know what they meant to him. Aki leaned forward, cradling Angel’s head in his hands as he cried, pressing his lips to their forehead for a moment. They were ice cold, but their skin was soft against his. 

If only he could experience the warmth of their touch one more time, he’d give anything for the luxury to make that mistake again.

Aki was submerged in an insurmountable wave of grief. He cursed himself for his cowardice, he always ran from his feelings and never embraced love, all he ever truly felt was the loss of what could have been. Angel was kind, their love a tender forgiveness that he didn’t deserve, and he’d treated them so poorly because he couldn’t get over himself. If this was his fault, he’d never forgive himself. 

Aki wept, feeling tears run down his chin, feeling like the world had stopped spinning around him. He felt so small and lonely, which only made him cry harder.

“You taste good.” Angel’s voice broke the silence, their tongue slurred heavily.

“What?” Aki wiped his eyes, looking up at the devil. They were still motionless, eyes closed, but Aki could faintly see their tongue flit out of their lips. Their halo flickered, a dim light growing into a steady glow. 

The relief and joy Aki felt was short-lived, as he had to immediately lunge backwards from Angel’s sudden reach. He felt sharp pain in his hands as he caught himself, narrowly avoiding the devil’s touch as they used their wings to launch themselves towards him, arms outstretched.

“It’s oookayy…” Angel mumbled. “Can touch?”

Aki was speechless. They were alive . And drunk. 

“I wannaaa tooouch!” Angel laughed. Their body moved like rubber as they fought to stay upright while merely sitting. They smiled at Aki, an unnerving sight in dim lighting, the devil’s mouth and throat covered in streaks of blood. Angel wiped their mouth, clumsily licking their hand. They shut their eyes, apparently enthralled by the flavor of Aki’s blood, moaning and throwing their head back.

Aki felt the reassurance he had at Angel’s survival crumbling as he watched the devil try to drunkenly lick themselves clean. He didn’t want to see them like this, it was honestly repulsive. Why did he feel so angry ? The emotional whiplash he felt was jarring, and the weight of grief on his chest still resisted every breath he took. 

Aki pulled his torn gloves off and began picking shards of glass out of his hands, swearing under his breath. With no warning, Angel lunged forward again. Aki’s reflexes were quick, but the room was too dim to see well. He felt the Angel’s fingers graze his exposed wrist as he tried to back up further. Aki stood up and walked across the room, his heart racing.

Who knew what that brief touch cost him? Aki swore, feeling overwhelmed by emotions. The devil had thrown themself onto the floor, and as they sat up Aki watched a trickle of blood drip from a new cut in their chest.

“You’re bleeeeding! Share?” Angel pouted, looking around with a confused expression until they saw where Aki had gone. “Lick you?” 

Aki glanced down at his wrist, he’d forgotten about his wound. His arm and hand reflected the light of Angel’s halo in the dark, dripping with his own blood. He walked over to Angel’s desk, picking up bottle after bottle before eventually finding one that wasn’t empty. Squinting at the label, it appeared to be high proof vodka, and without hesitation he poured it over his wrist, gritting his teeth at the sting. He pulled Angel’s dresser drawers open one by one, looking for some cloth to use as a makeshift bandage. Unsurprisingly, the drawers were all empty aside from one. Aki grabbed an unfolded shirt, silently praying it was clean, and wrapped it tightly around his wrist. He grabbed the remaining shirt from the drawer, and cautiously approached Angel.

The devil had fallen asleep on the floor. Aki’s skin crawled as the light from their halo illuminated their body covered in numerous cuts - some fresh and some looking a few days old - streaks of Aki’s blood, and bits of broken glass. Their hair was a tangled mess. Aki wondered how long they’d been drinking, and he could only imagine how long they might have been practically or truly dead on the floor. Angel had confided in Aki that their devil powers increased their tolerance for alcohol - to the point they’d never been so much as hungover, so Aki had assumed something like this was impossible. Maybe it was a freak accident and Angel is just as susceptible to choking on their own vomit as a human. Had the Null Devil screwed up their powers? Or it could be worse, and Angel took something else. Aki felt a sickening wave of guilt, he’d practically called things off with them a little over a week ago. 

Aki wanted to clean Angel’s wounds, but the best he could do was clothe the devil and get them more comfortable. He pulled his backup gloves out of his pocket, finding it took a surprising amount of effort to pull them on with his hands sticky from blood and liquor. He rolled the shirt up, stretching it out and cautiously pulling it over Angel’s head, avoiding the halo. Aki wasn’t sure he’d be successful getting the long sleeves on, but tried anyways, taking advantage of Angel’s deep slumber. The back of the shirt was cut open to fit their wings, which saved Aki some trouble. Aki heaved them upright, and lifted them into their bed, backing away as the devil had woken up from the movement. Angel lifted their head, beaming at the sight of Aki, who grimaced and took another step back.

Angel licked their lips. “I taaste you. C’mere,” they slurred, trying to slide off the bed towards Aki. 

Aki held up his hand. “No, stay there.”

“No!! I looove you!” Angel managed to throw their lower half off the side of the bed. Aki leapt forward, carefully catching them by the waist and tossing them back on the bed. Angel moaned in delight, cheering “More! I like it rough .”

Aki frowned, worried about the amount of noise Angel was making. He checked that their door was locked, ignoring the devil’s incomprehensible flirty jabs. He felt guilty that he was seeing Angel this inebriated, but it greatly annoyed him. He took a deep breath, he could tell this was going to be a long night. 

Aki turned on the light, Angel didn’t seem to notice, instead continuing to roll themselves around face down on their bed. 

The room was a mess. Aki couldn’t look closely at the floor without feeling sick to his stomach, god only knew what the unknown substances spackling the floor were. Everything glittered with the sparkle of broken glass, and Angel’s bedsheets were covered in dark red spots of blood. He spotted a long handle protruding from a pile of presumably dirty laundry, and pulled it out. Oh thank god, Aki thought, a broom . 

Angel had fallen asleep already, and Aki busied himself with tidying their room. Sweeping proved challenging, the floor was quite sticky, but he figured some improvement was better than nothing. Aki piled the mountain of glass shards in the corner of the room.

What was he even going to do with Angel? Aki was trapped, he couldn’t descend the ladder with his busted leg, and he could hear movement outside Angel’s room. Their roommates seemed like nocturnal types, Aki hoped they’d go to bed when the sun came up in a few hours. 

No matter what, Aki could not be caught here. Climbing through the devil’s window, while injured , didn’t look good for him, from any angle. He racked his mind for ideas, desperate to get out of the room, but couldn’t come up with an excuse that wouldn’t get Angel in trouble or seem suspicious. And in this state, touching Angel not only endangered Aki’s life, but also resulted in filthy drunken flirting, which threatened their secret relationship.

Was it a relationship anymore? Aki had regrettably already tried sinking the ship, and deep down he still wondered if this… thing they had was worth the risk, could it have been the final nail in the coffin for Angel’s emotional stability? 

He needed to get Angel sober so they could talk, but that would take a while. Aki wasn’t a patient man, nor was he someone who’d ever want to be seen coddling anyone. 

“Hey, when do your roommates sleep?” Aki prodded Angel from a distance with the back of the broom. Angel lay motionless, and Aki scowled, jabbing them with much more force. “Wake the fuck up.” The devil groaned, grabbing their pillow and covering their head with it.

Aki grew frustrated as he continued trying to rouse them. He wondered if he was bruising Angel with how hard he was hitting them. 

Fuck . Aki realized he was still dissociated from the panic he’d endured, he was being needlessly cruel. Maybe they were better off for him asleep, anyways. Aki sighed, dropping the broom and snagging a cigarette off Angel’s window frame. He lit it and took a deep drag, exhaling with little regard for the impact the smoke had on Angel’s disgusting bedroom.

He was close enough to Angel to see the darkness in the devil, and felt bad for them, but this wasn’t any way to live. Was it his responsibility to dig the devil out of this pit of depression? Aki felt so overwhelmed, he shut his eyes and pressed the back of his gloved hand to this forehead.

He was here now, there was no turning back. Aki stubbed out his cigarette and went back to work on cleaning. He managed to organize the majority of the mess - bottles on the desk, a pile of dirty laundry, and trash in one corner. It felt like a violation of Angel’s privacy, but Aki needed something to distract him from the tight feeling in his throat. 

Of the garbage hidden underneath Angel’s bed, he found a few plastic water bottles with varying volumes of clear liquid inside. Aki leaned over to pick one up, twisting it open to sniff the contents, bracing himself for the sharp bite of alcohol. It was water, a holy grail in this mess! Aki thought carefully on how to ration this. Hydration would certainly help sober Angel up, but Aki’s first priority was admittedly a bit vain. He scoured the room for clean cloth, settling on a dark tie - the only thing actually on a hanger in Angel’s closet, and something that wouldn’t be stained.

Maybe if he could see Angel’s face clean again it’d settle the fear clouding his thoughts, he reasoned with himself.

The devil seemed deep asleep, Aki pulled his sleeves down as far as he could and approached the bed quietly. He slowly poured water on the bunched up tie in his hands, allowing it to absorb. Aki gently pushed Angel’s shoulder, rolling them over and quickly stepping out of reach. They remained asleep, mouth parted slightly and snoring softly. Aki approached again and held his breath as he lightly patted the devil’s cheek with the damp tie. He gradually relaxed as he wiped the stubborn dried blood off Angel’s skin, figuring they were so drunk they may be practically impossible to awaken.

Angel’s eyes suddenly snapped open, and Aki’s reflexes were nearly too slow to catch their wrist as it shot towards his chest. 

“You smell good!” Angel laughed. Aki felt a wave of frustration as he battled the devil’s drunken strength to keep their hands off of him. 

Was he somehow reactivating the smell of dried blood? “Keep your hands off of me.” Aki growled. He had barely made any progress on the unholy mess covering their face. He lifted a knee onto the bed for better leverage, determined not to lose to an inebriated Angel.

“Iss okay, we can touch now! Look-“ Angel’s words were cut off by a gasp as Aki tightened his grip on their wrists and pushed back, effectively pinning them against the headboard. Angel shuddered, going limp and whining, a submissive look on their face and color flushing their cheeks. 

“Don’t get any perverted ideas right now, you’re in trouble.” Aki warned, a serious look on his face. “I don’t want you to enjoy this.”

Angel swallowed hard, nodding as they tried to make sense of the situation. “Why?”

“Don’t move. Don’t touch me.”

“Can you listen-“ Angel protested.

“We’ll talk when you're sober.” Aki shook his head. “If I let go of your hands will you keep them to yourself?”

“No, please, listen-“ Angel struggled under Aki’s grip, lightly smacking their wings against his back.

Aki frowned, bringing Angel’s hands together against the headboard and pinning them in place with one hand. He reached down for the tie he dropped, and began winding it around Angel’s hands, intent on securing them to the bars of the bed frame.

Angel’s eyes went wide as they realized what Aki was doing. “No, stop!” They whimpered, taking shallow and irregular breaths as they struggled against the human. “Please, I’m gonna-“

“Shut up.” Aki snapped. He made eye contact with the devil for a moment, watching as Angel’s eyes rolled back in their head and a loud moan escaped their lips. Their body shook, hips bucking upwards helplessly. 

“I’m sorry!” Angel whined after a few moments of awkward dazed silence, their eyes filling with tears. They dropped their gaze, shifting uncomfortably. 

Aki’s jaw dropped, he felt his ears getting hot. He felt guilty for his lack of awareness, and was rocked by a prudish flash of secondhand embarrassment. He turned away, unable to make eye contact with Angel, who was slurring apologies. Aki needed to deal with them, he could unpack his emotions later. 

“If I let go, will you stay there?” Aki asked. He turned back to Angel, whose face was bright red under the mask of dried blood.

Angel nodded, meeting Aki’s eyes before tightly shutting their eyes, an embarrassed grimace on their face.

“It’s okay.” Aki mumbled. “Can I clean your face?”

“What’s on it?” Angel remained motionless, pressing their hands to the headboard obediently despite Aki withdrawing his restraint. 

“Uh. Blood.”

Angel opened their eyes, looking up at Aki with a puzzled expression.“What happened?” They sighed, the ends of their wings flapping in frustration. “I don’t understand.”

“We’ll talk later. You can relax. Just hold still, and don’t touch me.” Aki said, trying to mask his irritation. Angel couldn’t be held responsible for what had just happened, or how flustered it made Aki feel.

Angel dropped their arms, wrapping them around themself. They were visibly drowsy, and Aki could see in their eyes that their vision was spinning. “I don’t feel right.” Angel sighed.

“Yeah, you’re drunk.” Aki huffed.

“No, I know drunk. My head feels bad.” 

“Did you take something?” Aki was suspicious. Maybe now was not the time to interrogate Angel, but Aki felt like he was going to explode without an answer.

“I don’t know. What would I take?” Angel groaned, flopping their arms on the bed dramatically. Aki flinched backwards at the sudden movement before cautiously returning to wipe Angel’s face. Angel stared at Aki intently, and Aki felt surprisingly nervous. They smiled suddenly. “Hey, I think you’re really handsome. Sometimes, I think about us having se-“

“That’s okay. Stop talking for a little bit, okay?” Aki interrupted, clearing his throat. He shouldn’t feel this shy, but he was still shaken after finding Angel lifeless. The blood lifted off of Angel’s skin with a bit of effort, Aki periodically re-wet the tie and continued working in silence for a few minutes.

Angel’s skin was smooth, a gentle natural flush on their cheeks underneath the blood. Aki wiped away the smears of blood around their mouth, he found himself staring at their lips for a moment too long. Aki glanced up, meeting Angel’s soft brown eyes. Their eyelashes were long, a pretty red color against their skin. Aki’s chest fluttered as he broke their eye contact. He felt embarrassed by how soft he felt for Angel, his heart tumbling in his chest. 

Aki’s feelings were so complicated, he was so unbelievably mad at them for scaring him so badly, and a part of him was somehow still stuck mourning. But he wanted to stare at them, he wanted to clean them and keep them safe. Maybe he could even mend the heart he had broken. Aki had been so dead set on concluding this sinful chapter of his life after his conversation with Makima, but he still ended up back here. Her words had been sharp, but she hadn’t outright forbidden the relationship.

Angel looked like they were fighting to hold in another flirty comment, but suddenly their expression changed into a somber look. “Why are you here?” They sighed, staring at the ceiling. 

“You missed work, I - everyone was worried.” Aki stuttered.

“Didn’t we break up?” Angel asked.

“No.” Aki took a deep breath. “But it probably seemed like it. Can we talk about this later?”

“Are you mad at me?”

“No. And yes. That’s a conversation for sober you.”

“I can sober up, my ears?” Angel suddenly brought a hand up towards their face, narrowly missing Aki’s wrist, and Aki caught their arm in his free hand, an exasperated sigh escaping his lips. 

“No, listen-“ Angel insisted, fighting against Aki’s grip.

Aki was mad, but his curiosity won out and he relented, letting go of Angel and sitting back on their bed. He’d done a satisfactory amount of damage to the blood on Angel’s face, they were no longer a terror to behold.

Angel smiled in gratitude, and reached up to their head, tucking their tangled hair behind their ears to reveal they’d pierced their ears with long golden arrow-like earrings. They tugged one out, revealing that the other end was like a needle, about 2 inches in length, and held it up for Aki to inspect. Aki snatched it, holding it closer to his face. The needle was irregular, almost like a quill or spine, and was colored a dark purple color, with a sharp gold spearhead tip on one side.

These were the Null Devil’s quills.

“Powers don’t work with these, I get so drunk,” they laughed. “And! We can touch, I tested it.”

Was that how they had died? Aki couldn’t wrap his sleep deprived mind around this, and he didn’t trust Angel in this state.

He wasn’t ready for them to magically sober up, despite how frustrated he was dealing with them completely trashed like this. He felt overwhelmed by all of the emotions he’d been holding back, he wasn’t ready for any deep conversation.

Angel reached for their other ear, and Aki grabbed their wrist, to their dismay. “Hey, stop doing that,” they protested. 

“Leave it in. You… died .” Aki couldn’t find the right words to express his anger. “You drank yourself to death, you’re not getting out of this without a hangover.”

Angel whined, tossing their head back on the pillow. “Is that what this is? When I close my eyes, everything spins.”

“It’ll only get worse from here. Drink water.” Aki handed them the half empty bottle, and got off the bed to inspect the other bottles. He shoved the quill in his pocket, not wanting to misplace it. Aki shook off the immediate excitement of his mind at all the potential it created, focusing on the situation he was trapped in. “When do your roommates sleep? I want to go home.”

“I don’t know, is it night?” Angel asked, wiping their mouth and tossing the empty water bottle on the ground. They sat up, wincing and massaging their forehead. 

Aki looked out the window. “Almost morning.” He paused, listening for the loud music he’d been hearing for the past few hours. It had stopped. God, he hoped they weren’t too loud. “You’re coming with me, you know.” Aki stated, picking up the water bottle they had thrown and adding it to the pile of trash. 

“Really?” Angel sounded excited.

“I don’t trust you.” Aki turned to face them again. Angel lowered their head. 

“I feel gross.” Angel squirmed uncomfortably. Aki’s eyes darted down to the dark spot on the crotch of their pants.

“Then go take a shower. You can check if anyone’s awake so we can leave.” 

“Ugh.” Angel spent a few moments whining, but eventually pushed themself to the end of their bed, groaning dramatically. Aki took a few steps forward and braced himself to catch them as they slid off the bed.  Angel held up a hand, managing to step down and remain balanced on their feet with the assistance of their wings. They furrowed their brows and shut their eyes in pain, gripping their head tightly in their hands. 

Aki was reminded of the height difference between them as he looked down at the devil. He offered another half filled water bottle, and after Angel recovered from the spurt of pain they begrudgingly took it from him. 

“I need clothes,” Angel wobbled towards their closet, which Aki had piled dirty clothes in front of. “Where’d you put my clean clothes?” They rubbed their eyes sleepily and yawned. 

“What clean clothes? They were all on the floor.”

Angel huffed, dropping to the floor and clumsily rummaging through the pile. It took a few minutes, and many groans of frustration, but Angel appeared to have found what they needed. They pushed themselves off the floor, flapping their wings for leverage and balance, then propped themself against the wall for a few moments. 

“My head hurts so much!” Angel whined.

“Get used to it.” Aki felt a flash of jealousy, no wonder they abused alcohol, they never experienced any repercussions for drinking. Still, they looked miserable, and Aki pitied them. “I have painkillers at home. Drink more water.”

“Okay.” Angel picked up the water bottle they’d forgotten and took a long drink.

“Don’t fall asleep in there, the sooner you’re done, the sooner we can leave.”

Angel was excited to go to Aki’s place again, but the amount of work involved in getting there sounded like torture in their state. They sighed, slouching and practically stomping out of the room. Aki shut the door behind them, listening closely to hear if they encountered anyone. He could hear their footsteps shuffling across the hall, and the whine of the faucet being turned on.

Aki was pretty sure he’d need to drag Angel out of the bath, but he’d give them a little bit of time in case they were making an earnest effort. He lit another cigarette, glancing around the room. He’d done some damage to the mess, but the room was a bloodbath, it would need some serious work mopping and vacuuming. Nothing he could do about it now. Aki was so angry before, but now that he’d calmed himself down he recognized he legitimately wanted to help Angel. A few days at his place would benefit the devil, and buy him time to cook up a convincing argument for Makima. If she bought it, he could get away with rehabbing the devil, and their interactions would be less suspicious. 

Aki found his mind wandering to the quill in his pocket. If Angel’s powers were really nullified, and they could touch… He shut those thoughts down immediately, he was delusional from exhaustion. This was all so frustrating, the situation was already complicated enough but he felt so much internal conflict it was like Aki was suffocating. 

The cigarette wasn’t helping his clouded mind. Aki put it out and fought the urge to pace - he didn’t want to make too much noise. Curiosity combined with a need for a distraction got the best of him, and he found himself peeking in Angel’s nightstand. He was not surprised to find a half-empty liquor bottle in the bottom drawer, the middle drawer containing a bunch of papers and cards, and the top drawer… Aki shut it as quickly as he recognized the silicone contents. He felt guilty for invading Angel’s privacy, his ears feeling hot. His mind wanted to puruse further, to consider the implications, but he shook off the thoughts, blaming the lingering alcohol in his bloodstream.

Aki sat on their bed, wondering if he should check up on them as the door suddenly swung open. Angel walked into the room, stumbling slightly, wearing an outfit that made Aki’s jaw drop. They had a white sweater which appeared to have gone through the wash and shrunk, fitting the devil like a medium sleeved crop top. Aki’s attention, however, was fixated on Angel’s exposed legs. Angel was wearing a pair of immodestly short black shorts, giggling at Aki’s expression.

“Can you help me?” Angel turned around, shutting the door and backing up towards Aki. The back of their sweater had been cut completely from top to bottom, a few white ribbons sloppily stitched to it to allow the devil to tie it around their wings. Aki forced his eyes to stay above Angel’s waist as he tied ribbons together, his mind racing. He was uncomfortable with the racy outfit Angel was wearing, but couldn’t find a way to  express it without sounding conservative.

Aki noticed a glimmer underneath Angel’s wet hair, they were still wearing the quill. At least they were willing to follow his instructions, he thought. 

“Do you like my outfit?” Angel asked. “It’s all I could find.” Aki hesitated for a moment. The longer he thought about it, the more he realized the outfit wasn’t the problem, Angel was. Aki was still fighting to make a decision on their relationship, and Angel was making it that much harder for him to be impartial.

Maybe coming here in the middle of the night with no plan was him already making his decision.

“Fuck it, it’s whatever, let’s go.” Aki shook his head. Angel led the way out of their room, but Aki wanted nothing more than to be out of the apartment, slipping past the devil and beelining as quickly as he could limp on his brace through the front door.

“Who the fuck are you talking to?” A gruff voice spoke from inside the apartment. Aki hid a few paces down the hallway, his heart pounding. 

“Myself!” Angel replied cheerily.

“You’re a fucking freak. You leaving? Don’t come home this time!” The voice shouted behind Angel, who tripped over the doorway and nearly face planted in front of Aki. Angel regained their balance and shut the door behind them. 

“Let’s go.” Aki urged, heading towards the stairs. He leaned against the railing for support, lowering himself down each step slowly to avoid putting his entire weight on his braced leg. Aki heard Angel start descending the stairs behind him, and felt nervous about their coordination. “Be careful, please,” he warned. 

“Look who’s talking.” Angel mused, clinging to the handrail as they slunk down the stairs. The morning sun was blinding, their head felt like it was going to explode. 

“I got hurt saving your ass. Actually, you go in front of me, I don’t want you taking me out if you fall.”

“Fine,” Angel let go of the handrail and waltzed down the stairs by Aki. They pointedly focused on their balance with Aki watching, wanting to seem better composed than they felt.

Angel beat Aki to the bottom of the stairs, leaning against a metal structural pillar as they waited. They felt awful, and couldn’t focus well enough to piece together their memories and make much sense of the situation. They were grateful for the slight pain relief the cold metal offered their forehead, and the cool morning air felt refreshing on their skin. 

“Can you get my cane?” Aki asked. “It’s by the fire escape.”

Angel peeled their skin off the pillar and followed his directions, retrieving Aki’s cane. He seemed a bit embarrassed, but used it begrudgingly. Angel figured he was in pain from his injury, feeling a bit of guilt. 

As they walked along the sidewalk, Aki realized how tired he was. His thoughts were jumbled, and he felt like he could doze off while standing up. He let his mind wander, hoping whatever interested his mind was enough to keep him awake until he got home.

Angel’s legs were eye candy dangling in front of Aki, he couldn’t keep his mind off of them forever. They kept pace with him in front of him, despite Aki being significantly slower. While initially Aki cringed at the secondhand embarrassment of Angel being seen in this outfit by passers-by on their morning commute, the streets were almost completely deserted. It was a short walk, anyways. Aki wondered if Angel regularly shaved their legs, or if their legs were just naturally smooth. The shorts had initially covered more skin, but they fit poorly and were slowly climbing up Angel’s hips as they walked, gradually revealing the bottom cleft of their ass. Aki felt like a pervert for staring, but if he was choosing their relationship, wasn’t it his right to feel this way?

His thoughts wandered, thinking about the question he was dying to ask the sober version of Angel. Did the quills truly nullify their power, at no major cost? That opened the door for so many possibilities. At first, just the thought of physical touch scared Aki. There was safety within the rules of their situation. But the more the thought crossed his mind, the more excited he felt at the reduced risk and potential. 

For one, Angel’s skin was smooth and from Aki’s few experiences with touching them, they felt as soft as velvet. They weren’t very toned, aside from their glutes, which Aki could see peeking out from beneath their shorts. The muscle and flesh bounced with each step they took. Aki’s gaze lingered here for a while, before trailing up their waist and exposed back. Angel stretched, with Aki watching the muscles in their back work to flex their wings. With so much skin exposed, Aki wondered if they were cold, feeling the chill bite of the wind blowing past him. If he positioned himself properly behind them, he could shield them from it a little.

They were close to Aki’s apartment by now, and with every step he felt more sluggish and heavy from exhaustion. A gust of wind pushed Aki a little closer to Angel, he was off balance walking with his cane. Angel suddenly stopped in their tracks, whirling around with a wild look in their eyes. Aki nearly crashed into them, taking a few steps backward. He gave them a confused look.

“That smell! You pervert!” Angel leered, sniffing the air. 

Fuck. Aki felt his cheeks burn in embarrassment.

Angel laughed and skipped forward, forcing Aki to limp faster. “You like my outfit, then, don’t you!” They teased. 

“You probably can’t wait til I sober up, or are you going to take advantage of me like this?” They sung, quite loudly, approaching Aki’s apartment building. He felt frustration rising up in his chest.

“Shut up!” Aki protested. He looked forward to the privacy of the elevator, hoping he could shut them down and quiet them before they announced his sin to the entire building. 

Aki followed Angel into the elevator, a little out of breath, the atrophied muscles in his leg feeling like they were on fire. As soon as the doors closed, Angel nearly pounced on him, Aki had to act quickly and cautiously, pushing them back with a hand on their chest. 

“Stop, seriously. You’re going to get me in trouble.” Aki warned. He was a little defensive, feeling embarrassed that they had caught on, but he felt more anxious than angry.

“You horny bastard, looking at my ass weren’t you?” Angel continued, despite Aki’s protests. The elevator doors began opening, and Aki felt like he couldn’t breathe as Angel’s mouth didn’t stop moving. “I don’t know what you did to me earlier, I was way too drunk, but it was probably your fault that I made a mess because I-“

“STOP!” Aki hissed, kicking Angel in the shin, a crazed look in his eye. He considered slapping them, it might legitimately be a justified sacrifice, as their drunken rambling was making him out to be a criminal. Angel actually listened, for a moment, chasing after Aki and watching as he started to struggle to pull out the key to his apartment. As soon as Aki got the apartment door open, they couldn’t help but continue teasing him.  

“That’s why you were in such a rush to take me to your place while I’m drunk, isn’t it? I knew you were a pervert but-“ Angel’s words were cut short as Aki suddenly pushed them into the wall, so forcefully it knocked the air out of their lungs. 

“SHUT THE FUCK UP! I DON’T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER WORD FROM YOU! DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S ON THE LINE FOR ME?” Aki screamed the moment the door shut behind them. Angel gasped, doubled over as they tried to catch their breath. Aki heard a door open behind him, and swore, seething with rage. 

“Bro I could hear you outside, what the hell is happening?” Denji yawned. “Oh, hi Angel! I like your shorts.”

“You stay out of this.” Aki warned. He kicked off his shoes, limping down the hallway. He headed for the sink, peeling off the t-shirt he’d tied on his forearm as a bandage hours ago, and properly washing his hands and arms.

“Dude, you’re covered in blood, what the fuck were you doing?” Denji peeped around the corner, recoiling in fear as Aki whirled around towards him. Aki shot Denji a desperate look that effectively communicated that he didn’t have the patience to explain. Denji immediately understood. “Angel’s drunk, right? They smell like hand sanitizer.”

Aki nodded, sighing deeply. “I’m gonna set up my room, can you ignore anything they say?”

“Yeah, it’ll be like listening to Power.” 

“Great. Wait a second.” Aki rinsed his arms off and decided he’d scrub the blood out from under his nails later. He pulled down a box of various medication bottles, finding a bottle of NSAID’s and pouring out a few. He added a nausea medication to the cocktail and filled a glass of water, handing everything to Denji. “If you can get them to eat anything, great. If not, I don’t care. I think I might actually kill them if I talk to them.”

“Oookay.” Denji shrugged, walking back towards Angel, who was sitting on the floor in the hallway. Angel gave Denji a pitiful look. “I won’t let him kill you.” Denji whispered, crouching next to them. The devil hung their head.

“I don’t feel good.” Angel whined.

Quite honestly, Angel wasn’t sure if they’d ever felt worse than they felt now. The combination of emotional angst they felt and their rapidly worsening hangover was sickening. Their head was killing them, everything was spinning, their entire body ached, and they felt nauseous. They couldn’t recall anything since Aki woke them up - wiping blood off their face - and before they blacked out was a total blur. The taste in their mouth… Was that Aki’s blood? 

Angel hadn’t been sober in a long while. Since they figured out the quill’s power on alcohol, they’d been drinking away the awful feeling the next day, but Aki wouldn’t be too fond of that today. Angel had no idea what day it was, and was too afraid to ask. The blackout made them incredibly anxious. Aki was extremely angry, and more hot and cold than Angel had ever seen him. Was he exaggerating or had they really… died?

It wasn’t enough that he’d basically dumped them and ghosted them for a week before, of course he had to come to their rescue after they made a mistake. And they couldn’t stop fucking everything up. Of the mistakes they did remember, Angel knew they had gotten out of hand and had gone too far. Aki had never been that violent with them. They massaged their chest, coughing softly.

“Uhh. Don’t throw up?” Denji made a disgusted face. He glanced over his shoulder, Aki was out of earshot, so Denji whispered to Angel. “Hey, when Topknot’s like this, I just pretend I’m him for a little bit. Y’know, like, don’t talk to anyone, or smile, or laugh. He gets over it.” Denji thought Angel stood a fair chance at winning Aki back over, considering Aki had a soft spot for them, but Denji wanted no more involvement in mediating this lovers’ quarrel. 

Angel looked up at Denji, tilting their head. They appreciated sound advice, Aki was confusing to them.

“He says to take these.” Denji held out his hands, offering Angel a handful of pills and a glass of water. Angel reluctantly took them, a little concerned about whether Aki had their best interests in mind at the moment. “I can make toast?” 

Angel shook their head, too dizzy to consider food. They leaned back against the wall, sipping water. 

Aki approached Angel, a cold expression on his face. “I’m putting you to bed. C’mon.” The human led the devil down the hallway to his room, shutting the door behind them. Aki walked towards his bed, pointing to a pair of black pants he’d laid out. “Change.” He ordered, crossing the room to draw the curtain and close the blinds. 

Angel picked up the pair of sweatpants, nervously watching Aki from a distance. They cursed their drunk past self. Angel hoped he wouldn’t watch them, but turned away from Aki, anticipating a poor reaction from him as they slid their shorts off.

Aki’s immediate sigh could be heard across the room. Angel was, for some godforsaken reason, wearing a g-string under their shorts. Were they just trying to mess with him? Aki was too angry to think about it, and averted his gaze until they finished changing. 

Aki took a deep breath, setting a freshly lined trash can next to the bed. “Don’t think I’m pampering you, after this I’m not going to help you deal with this. You’re on your own from here. Don’t make a mess, if you do, you clean it yourself.”

“You’ll feel better if you drink, eat, and stay cool. But you will feel like shit for a while. If you suffer through it and don’t cheat, we’ll talk.” Aki added, abruptly slipping out of the room with a bundle of clothes. 

“I’m sorry!“ Angel tried to apologize, but Aki was already gone. They sat on his bed, looking at the assorted objects on the nightstand. A glass of ice water on a coaster, washcloth, bowl of water, ice pack, and hair tie were thoughtfully laid out for them.

Deep under it all, he still cared about them, they recognized. Angel slid under the bedsheets, inhaling Aki’s smell and closing their eyes. 

Aki headed to the patio, lighting his cigarette before he was fully outside. He felt like he was too upset to even think. Nothing was ever easy for him. If he wasn’t dumping Angel, which was very tempting, he needed to call Makima soon. As much as he wanted to come up with the perfect lie for Angel, it wouldn’t be worth anything. She’d see right through it. Angel would probably face consequences, but that wasn’t his problem. 

Or was it? Every aspect of this was intertwined with his life now. Aki swore to himself, staring up at the sky for a moment before stubbing his cigarette in the ashtray and heading to take a bath, feeling disgusting.

The reflection looking back at him in the mirror looked like an entirely different person. Aki’s eyes looked sunken in, bloodshot and shadowed by heavy dark circles from lack of sleep. His hair was a mess, and he had smeared blood onto his face in several places. 

The wound on his wrist was still bleeding, a trickle of blood running onto his hand. He had small cuts all over his hands from glass, and washed his hands before washing his face. Aki filled the bath, stepping in and sighing. He let his body acclimate to the scalding temperature, feeling goosebumps across his skin, and folded his body to submerge himself under the hot water. He considered not coming up for air, but returned to the surface, resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes for a moment. 

The exhaustion took hold of him, plunging Aki into deep sleep immediately.

Chapter Text

By the time Aki woke up, his water had gone cold. He was shivering, but quickly lathered his hair and body before rinsing off and getting out. 

How long had he been asleep? Aki’s mind was quieter, but he felt hollow. He hadn’t intended to sleep, and now he felt the pressure to make up for lost time. Aki got dressed, putting in less effort than usual to conserve his energy, and left the room, heading into the kitchen. Denji and Power were sitting on the couch, watching TV. 

Aki took an apple off the counter, crossing the living room and flopping on the couch next to Denji.

“Dude, you look like shit.” Denji remarked, leaning away from Aki in case he was still feeling violent. 

“What time is it?” Aki stifled a yawn. He could see both Power and Denji staring at him intently out of the corner of his eye. 

Power suddenly grabbed Aki’s hand, flipping it over and cheering. “Yes! I win!” Aki quickly pulled his hand away, eyebrows furrowed.  

“11:30.” Denji frowned at Power. 

Aki wasn’t sure what they had bet on, and didn’t have it in him to care today. “Did you guys eat?”

“Yeah, we’re good.” Denji nodded. 

Aki took a bite of his apple and stared at his bedroom door, which was wide open. It was dark enough inside that he couldn’t see if it was occupied. Had the bathroom door been closed when he walked by? He didn’t want to know, he didn’t care , he reminded himself, and shut his eyes for a moment. 

“They’re in the bathroom.” Denji offered.

“I don’t care.” Aki lied.

“Sure, whatever you say…” Denji rolled his eyes.

“I vote Topknot keep his feelings to himself!” Power announced, suddenly standing up and heading to the kitchen. She wanted nothing to do with the uncomfortable energy in the apartment today. 

“Denji, I don’t want to talk about it.” Aki rubbed his eyes, sensing Denji’s concern.

“I don’t want to talk about it either, but it makes us feel weird, man. I’m happy you’re on talking terms again, but you need to not be such a prick to them. Did you forget how drunk you were last night?”

“It’s not over something stupid.” Aki took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “They were fucking dead when I got there.”

Denji’s mouth hung open in shock. 

“I’ll figure it out. It’s not your problem, don’t worry about it. Just give me some grace. Sorry I made you deal with them this morning.”

“They’re my friend too, you know?” Denji patted Aki’s back. “I’ll get Power to be chill about it. Like, are you okay though? I think you need to rest.”

Aki shook his head. He had too much to do still. Calling Makima was next. Aki finished his apple, then stood up. Power emerged from the kitchen, having poured herself a massive glass of milk. Aki left the couch to her and Denji and headed back into the kitchen. 

He stood in front of the phone for a minute, trying to settle his nerves. He picked up the phone, dialing Makima’s direct line and feeling his stomach churn with anxiety as it rang.

Maybe she wouldn’t answer. She kept herself exceptionally busy, maybe Aki would get lucky.

Makima answered after a few rings. She sounded jovial, greeting Aki with a cheery voice.

“How are you, Hayakawa?”

“I’m fine-“ Aki started to lie, but caught himself. “Actually, I need to inform you about something involving the Angel Devil.”

Aki heard Angel groaning from the bathroom through the wall, and turned around to find Denji and Power staring at him. They quickly averted their gaze, trying to look busy. Aki gritted his teeth, silently wishing he did not have an audience. 

“Oh?” Makima sounded amused. “Would you like to come to the office, or is this a matter that can be discussed over the phone?”

“Are you available in 30 minutes?” Aki asked, seizing the opportunity to do this without prying ears.

“Yes.”

“I’ll be over shortly, thank you.” Aki hung up the phone. He pulled his hair back into a ponytail, pausing in front of the mirror to fix his appearance. Denji was right, he looked rough. Wasn’t much he could do about it, but maybe he could wear something more professional than a t-shirt and jeans. Aki darted into his room, quickly changing and leaving before he had time to worry about Angel. 

“Okay, don’t burn down the apartment while I’m gone, I’ll be right back.” Aki grabbed his keys and wallet, and started walking down the hallway. 

The bathroom door suddenly flung open as Aki passed by. Angel leaned against the doorframe, looking both miserable and worried. They hesitated, and Aki could see them forming a question in their head. 

“It’ll be fine.” Aki dismissed them, walking down the hall and slipping into his shoes. He could see a wing stretching into the hallway. “I need permission for you to be here.”

Aki cursed himself for reassuring them, he was supposed to still be mad at Angel. He grabbed his cane and turned to leave, hesitating with his hand on the doorknob. Aki kicked his shoes off, walking into the laundry room and finding his pants from last night. He slipped his hand in the pocket, recoiling as he felt a wave of unpleasant emotions the moment his finger brushed the Null Devil quill in his pocket. Aki’s mind flashed back to the battle, and his head spun with memories. 

He’d forgotten that was the devil’s power. Panic crept up in his chest. Despite immediately breaking contact with the quill, the moment of overwhelming apathy was enough to discourage Aki and make him reconsider his plan. 

No, he had to do this. Regardless of the outcome, there were consequences to be faced for both Aki and Angel’s decisions. Aki went back to his room, grabbing a glove to retrieve the quill with. He carefully wrapped it in latex, and pocketed the bundle, putting his shoes back on and heading out the door. 

As Aki walked down the sidewalk, his mind wandered. Did Angel feel all that negativity since they were in contact with the quill constantly now? Was it something they could get used to, or perhaps it was more effective on humans? Could that have influenced their bad choices?

Aki had so many questions, and his brain felt like it was delirious. He just needed to survive the next few hours, then he could crash. He tried plotting his story out in his head to Makima while navigating the subway. He slipped into a half-full car, holding onto the railing for balance as it left the station. 

Aki’s plan to convince Makima to let him rehab Angel had so many holes in it. She could throw them in a professional rehab with better success, or what if she destroyed them for their lack of loyalty and value? Even after his conversation with her a week ago, he had little idea how she felt about Angel, or their situation , aside from somewhat disapproving of it. 

Aki could lie, but after years working with her he had a running conspiracy that Makima either had some omnipotent power, or eyes in the walls. It would have to be a damn good lie, and he didn’t have the brainpower to create one now. He’d lied to her before, for Denji and Power’s sake, and she saw right through it. 

Makima asked him for honesty regarding Angel, Aki just had to trust her to reward him for it. He sighed, his focus shifting back to reality at the perfect moment to realize he had almost missed his stop. Aki rushed off the subway, heading up what felt like an endless number of stairs. He was so tired.

Aki made it to headquarters, limping into the office. He took the elevator, too sore to care about his pride. The hallway to Makima’s office felt so much longer than he remembered, and the air was hauntingly frigid. Aki hesitated for a moment, composing himself and taking a deep breath before knocking on the door.

“Come in.” Makima’s voice was quiet. Aki pushed the door open, shutting it behind him. Makima’s office was warm today, and smelled like cinnamon. She sat behind her desk, leaning forward with her elbows on the desk, supporting her head on her hands. He felt vulnerable using a cane in front of her, but she greeted him with a warm, tired smile as he approached.

“I’d ask how you are, but you look like you’ve had a long day already, Hayakawa.”

“How are you?” Aki asked, feeling nervous that Makima could see right through him. 

“I’ve been better, but it’s no matter.” She closed her eyes for a moment, smiling. “You have news for me? Take a seat.”

Aki shook his head, he was afraid he’d feel even more drowsy if he sat down. He sighed before steeling his nerves enough to get his words out. “You’re aware the Angel Devil failed to report for a mission recently?”

“Indeed.”

“I contacted their lead, who was almost entirely uncooperative but confirmed he’d not been in contact with Angel for a few days. I had a gut feeling, and decided to check on them last night. I apologize for not involving you in this decision.” Aki felt his heart pounding in his chest. 

Makima sat back in her chair, listening to Aki’s story. 

Aki swallowed, his mouth felt dry. “When I found the Angel Devil, I immediately confirmed they were deceased.” He paused, needing to catch his breath for some reason. Makima’s expression had changed to one of intrigue and she leaned forward, listening intently. 

“I was able to revive them with my own blood. I have not been able to obtain their side of the story, but based on evidence I found at the scene, they likely died from alcohol poisoning.”

“Interesting.” Makima commented, nodding for Aki to continue.

“My theory is that they were susceptible to it because of this.” Aki reached in his pocket, pulling out the glove with the quill inside. He cautiously unwrapped it, shaking the needle out onto Makima’s desk. 

She reached forward immediately, a glimmer in her eyes, but Aki held out his hand. “Please, miss, be careful. It belongs to the Null Devil.” Makima paused and picked up the glove after Aki insisted, slipping it on her hand before picking up the quill. She brought it close to her face, rolling it between her fingers and looking back to Aki. 

“It was hidden in their wing.” Aki lied. “I took them back to my apartment to recover. I assume you are also aware of their alcohol abuse, but perhaps not the scale. There were hundreds of liquor bottles in their room.”

Makima nodded again. Aki’s thought’s raced, he wasn’t sure what to say next. “I do not think they function well under the influence of alcohol. I don’t know if it has permanent negative effects on devils, but it surely inhibits their value to Public Safety. I have been considering our last conversation heavily, and I have a proposal.” Aki took another deep breath. “I rehabilitate the Angel Devil, and it will be a condition of our… Continued interaction.” He felt a wave of panic, he hadn’t phrased any of that right.

Makima was quiet for a minute, expression unreadable, before speaking. “Have you spoken to the Angel Devil much in the last 3 days?”

“No, aside from limited communication with them this morning.” Aki shrugged.

“I see. I have some suspicions on the cause of their suicide attempt. You will likely hear it from them, but I may change my mind on this.” Makima leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. She had suspected the Angel Devil was pouting after hearing the news, but now…

“I’m not sure it was a suicide attempt-“ Aki interjected, defensive. Makima didn’t know he’d asked Angel for space, did she?

“Neither am I.” Makima responded. Aki watched as she held the quill between gloved fingers, bringing the index finger of her other hand close to the tip of the needle. Aki couldn’t tell if she had touched it, or simply gotten close. Makima sat back up, a serious expression on her face. “Months ago, I ordered the assembly of a new division, in Kyoto, after the success of your Special Division. My plans involved relocating a few members, including your Angel Devil.”

Aki’s jaw dropped, he immediately closed it, feeling a lump in his throat.

“Three days ago, I gave the Angel Devil notice of my plans. They may have taken the news poorly, I worry.” Makima spun a slow half circle in her chair, thinking deeply, before turning back to Aki, who couldn’t hide the panic in his eyes. “This was planned before I knew your influence on the Angel Devil. And before I knew his influence on you.”

Aki was speechless, looking to Makima for further explanation.

“I regret not informing you of this, as it may have changed how things developed between you.” Makima tilted her head. She set the quill down on her desk, taking the glove off her hand slowly. “Tell me, have you noticed anything between the Violence Fiend and Kobeni?”

Aki frowned, frustrated at the change of topic. “The Violence Fiend is kind to her, and she does not fear him like she fears most devils.” Had this been an issue recently? Aki regretted how little he talked to his coworkers outside of work. “Did the Violence Fiend harm her?”

“No.” Makima smiled softly. “He told Kobeni of my plans to relocate him as well, and she came to my office and quit on the spot. I assume I’d also risk losing you, or some of your loyalty, if my plans came to motion.”

Aki was shocked, he hadn’t even considered quitting in protest. He couldn’t do that to Denji and Power, not even for Angel. 

“I need to reconsider this plan. That’ll be a lot of paperwork.” Makima yawned, stretching. She had better control of her employees if they were satisfied with their lives and getting along with each other. Plus, the developments in Aki’s household were certainly changing her plans, in more ways than one. 

It surprised her, though. Aki and Kobeni, of all people, were the last she’d imagine being more loyal to devils and fiends than their own kind. She stood up, looking at Aki with an inquisitive look, her hand on her chin.

She met Aki’s blue eyes before lowering her voice. “You’re not sleeping much, are you? Can I offer you a cup of tea?”

“Sure.” Aki responded, confused. Makima turned around, turning on an electric kettle. She returned to her desk, opening the drawer and pulling out a bag of tea leaves. Aki watched her prepare a cup of tea in silence. He felt relief and fear in equal amounts, like his head would explode if he thought about any of this too hard. Was this even real, or was he hallucinating?

“This is your permanent decision, then?” Makima asked. 

Aki was lost, what was she talking about?

“I’m assigning the Angel Devil to you.” Makima smiled, nodding her head.

What!? Aki was shocked, opening his mouth despite being completely speechless. Was this a dream?

“I will have his lodging changed and additional budget added to your salary to accommodate for living costs. It’ll take me a while to draft up the agreement.” Makima hesitated, sensing Aki’s confusion. “I guess you could reconsider in the meantime, but it’d be such an inconvenience.” 

“No, I just…” Aki scratched his head, at a loss for words. Makima set a teacup in front of him, gesturing for him to sit. Aki composed himself, taking a few breaths and sitting down. “I appreciate your reconsideration.”

Was that really it? No consequences, no fighting, nothing ? 

“There will be more to it, I will make a contract for you to sign. I’ll have to think about it, and how to protect myself. I must remind you, if word gets out, even to other staff, I’ll have little choice but to dispatch you both. I really like you, Hayakawa, I’ll gladly do this favor for you, but publicly there can be no tolerance for this type of thing. You understand how it looks for you, right?” Makima smiled, closing her eyes for a moment. 

Aki swallowed, nodding solemnly. 

Makima clapped her hands together. “Great. I’ll summon you to sign documents in a few days. We’ll make other arrangements at that point.” 

Aki sipped his tea, his thoughts racing. It was pleasant, floral with a hint of smoky flavor. 

“Now, these needles.” Makima pulled open a drawer, pulling out a container and setting it on her desk. It was filled with hundreds of similar needles. “I understand your contract with the Fox Devil is no longer, and you’re frankly limited on potential contracts. Consider this an experiment. We amassed thousands of these needles from the scene of the Null Devil, and I have a team creating a ranged weapon to utilize them. I need field tests on their efficacy in combat to better prepare. If I send you with a few, will you take notes on their function on devils? If you have luck, you can debut our new devil-halting weapon.”

“Why me?” Aki asked. Surely Makima had considered his relationship with the Angel Devil, this felt too good to be true.

“Every other human that came into contact with the Null Devil or touched one of these needles needed psychiatric intervention. You are, as far as we know, resistant to them.” Makima said. 

“How do you know that?” Aki’s mind felt like it was melting. He was getting sleepy in the warmth of Makima’s office.

Makima giggled. “You brought down the Null Devil, then told me you’d recently accidentally touched this needle when you stopped me from doing so.”

Aki finished his cup of tea, setting the empty teacup on the saucer with a soft clink. The restraints, suicide watch, and everyone’s concern for him all made sense now. He’d been a fucking asshole to Angel about it, the guilt was burning a pit in his stomach.

“Entertain me, for a second. Can you pick any of these up?” Makima pointed to the needles in front of her. Aki leaned forward, pinching a few needles between his fingers, bracing himself.

This was all a lie, it had to be. Makima had evil intentions, somehow, Aki studied the devious smile she always wore. He sighed deeply, regretting his agreement to Makima’s new plan. It wasn’t worth it, none of it was worth it. He’d be better off quitting, wanting nothing more than to go home and crawl into his bed. Aki scowled, consumed by the dark nihilistic mood set by the quills.

“Impressive. You can keep those. Put them here.” Makima pointed to the glove. Aki dropped the four needles on the glove, immediately feeling relieved. He rolled the glove around them carefully, tucking it into his pocket. 

Makima continued talking about the new weapon, and Aki tried to listen, but the emotional rollercoaster he’d endured so far was too exhausting. He was dissociated, and he felt unfathomably tired. 

Makima stopped talking, suddenly, noting Aki’s glazed stare. “How do you feel?”

“Just tired. I apologize, I’ve been unprofessional.” Aki rubbed his eyes. “It’s been a long night.”

“You should head home, I don’t have anything more for you right now. You should sleep better now.” Makima smiled, picking up Aki’s teacup and rotating it in her fingers. “It’s a special blend, let me know if you need more.”

She’d medicated him . Aki was pissed, standing up and hobbling out of the office, Makima chuckling behind him. Surely she hadn’t given him anything too strong, he wasn’t uncoordinated, just extremely tired. 

Getting home was a blur. He chose not to take a car, knowing if he stopped moving he’d fall asleep. Despite an empty subway car with open seating, Aki paced back and forth to stay awake. His eyelids felt so heavy he found that even raising his eyebrows didn’t hold them open. Aki smacked his face, biting his cheek to try and feel more awake as he walked out onto the subway platform. Climbing up the stairs felt like a never ending nightmare, but Aki managed. He was grateful to stumble outside, the blinding sunlight and fresh air helping him make it home. His leg was on fire, he’d seriously overdone it, but the pain kept him conscious enough to get back to his apartment.

He stumbled in the door, beelining for the couch. It was occupied by Denji, who scrambled out of the way as Aki threw himself halfway onto it, utterly exhausted and relieved by the soft cushion meeting his face. 

He heard the door to his room slide open behind him, but relaxed, almost slipping into unconsciousness. 

“How’d it go?” Angel asked, their voice pulling Aki out of his sleep. They were anxious to know their fate with Makima. Aki groaned, covering his head with his arms and falling asleep.

Aki awoke to excruciating pain in his cramped leg and a strange noise. Power’s raucous laughter was deafening, but a low, animal growling noise raised enough red flags in his mind for Aki to peek at the commotion.

Meowy was hunched in the middle of the room, eyes wide and ears back with a slice of bread in her mouth. She growled loudly, hissing with each breath and holding onto the bread with both paws as she tried to devour it. Power cheered her on, laughing. Angel stood behind them in the doorway to Aki’s room, looking guilty.

“Don’t let her eat that!” Aki yelled, lunging towards Meowy. He couldn’t handle projectile cat diarrhea and an expensive vet visit right now, somehow it was always his problem despite Meowy being Power’s cat. The cat yowled as Aki grabbed the bread in her mouth, frantically trying to run away with her prize. It was covered in cold butter, and so soggy it fell apart. Meowy ran to Power’s room, succeeding in gulping down half of the slice. Aki grimaced at the mess in his hands. He was surprised he didn’t get mauled.

“Whose is this?” He sighed. Denji and Power were silent, but looked at Angel, who lowered their head and disappeared into Aki’s room. 

“It’s my fault, I made it for Angel, they didn’t know Meowy would eat it.” Denji stepped in, defending the devil. 

Aki sighed, he was too exhausted for this. He limped to the kitchen, throwing away the remains and washing his hands, his eyelids sticking together. 

Logic evaded him, Aki wanted his own bed. He’d need to figure things out with Angel later, but wasn’t capable of feeling angry, only tired.

Aki headed to his room, where Angel was curled up in his bed. He walked around the bed, his leg in agony. 

“Do you want me to leave?” Angel asked in a small voice. 

“S’fine.” Aki slurred, collapsing facedown on the other side of the bed. “Don’t kill me,” he managed to mutter before falling asleep.

Chapter Text

Aki woke up overheated and drenched in sweat, enshrouded in something soft and warm. He fought to throw off what felt like a blanket, realizing it was Angel’s wing as it pulled away from him. Aki’s body had been pressed against Angel’s back. He rolled backwards, realizing he was now in the middle of the bed, so Angel was huddled on the edge. Aki must have been clingy in his drugged sleep, surely he would be dead if he actually touched them though.

Aki felt better, but still drowsy. He wondered what time it was, but his alarm clock was on the other side of the bed. He lifted his head to look around, the room pitch black except for the light of Angel’s halo. 

“You sleep okay?” Angel asked, turning their head to look at Aki. He was impossible for the devil to read. 

“Mhm.” Aki’s voice was hoarse from sleep. “What time?” 

“3.”

“PM?” Aki was hopeful he hadn’t slept the entire day, but doubted it. 

“No.” Angel murmured. They wanted to ask Aki about his conversation with Makima, it was burning a hole in their chest to not know. They were agonizing over the serious conversation Aki had been threatening. 

Aki sighed, lying back on his pillow. He was starving and needed to pee, quickly gathering the energy to swing his legs off the bed. As soon as Aki pulled himself to his feet, his broken leg crumpled under the weight, and he fell to the floor. 

“Are you okay?” Angel slid off the bed, running around to Aki’s aid.

Aki felt Angel’s hand on his shoulder, pulling away as he felt warm flesh against his bare skin. Had he taken his shirt off in his sleep? Had anything happened between them? He couldn’t remember anything, but was grateful he was still wearing pants. 

“It’s okay, we can touch now.” Angel soothed. They pointed to their earring, the golden spearhead tip of the Null Devil’s quill glimmering in the light of their halo.

“Have we?” Aki’s voice was gruff. After touching the quill this morning, he honestly believed Angel. He still wondered if they’d tested it on him while he was drugged and unconscious.

“No?” Angel was confused. “What happened to you?”

“I think Makima gave me tea with sleeping meds in it.” Aki pulled the ponytail out of his head, massaging the sore spot. He wasn’t sure how he was going to get up, his leg refused to function after all the abuse Aki had put it through. “Angel, can you help me?”

The devil crouched next to Aki, threading a wing under Aki’s arms. They lifted upwards with the wing while standing, managing to bring Aki back to his feet.

“I thought we could touch now.” Aki commented. 

Angel gasped softly, surprised that Aki wanted anything to do with them.

“Can I have my crutches?” Aki asked, yawning.

“Where?” Angel looked around the room, they were nearly frantic with the need to impress Aki. The guilt and shame they’d felt while battling their hangover was one of the most agonizing experiences they’d survived, they needed to make it right and make up for it. Angel found the crutches propped against Aki’s dresser, and quickly brought them to him.

Aki immediately exited his room, urged into the bathroom by his aching bladder. He heard Angel’s footsteps a ways behind him, wandering into the kitchen. 

Aki relieved himself, washing his hands and preparing himself mentally for the awkward conversation that was well overdue by now. Angel had suffered enough by now, Aki felt bad for them now that he knew the stress they had been under. He hoisted himself back out to the kitchen on his crutches, finding Angel was busy at work.

“I’m making you a sandwich, I hope that’s okay.” Angel glanced up at Aki, making eye contact for a brief moment before dropping their gaze to the bread in their hands.

“Thank you.” Aki said. The poor thing had terror in their eyes, Aki felt a bit of guilt. “What do you want to know most?”

Angel paused, furrowing their brows together. They couldn’t decide what was more important to them, their fate, or Aki’s emotional state. “Do you hate me?” They whispered, turning their head away from Aki like they might cry.

“No.” Aki answered immediately, putting a hand on their shoulder. “Relax. We have a lot to talk about, but it’ll be okay.” He felt the devil shudder, a pained expression on their face as they focused on making the sandwich. “How do you feel?” Aki asked.

“I never want to drink again.” Angel sighed. They pushed the paper towel with a sandwich on top of it towards Aki, and started putting ingredients away. Angel turned back, watching as Aki picked up the sandwich and took a bite. Angel’s eyes trailed down Aki’s shirtless body, lingering on his lean, muscular waist. Aki turned his head towards Angel, and they immediately looked away, feeling sudden heat in their cheeks give them away. 

“This is delicious. I hadn’t eaten anything but an apple today.” Aki leaned against the counter, quickly devouring the sandwich. “Or I guess, yesterday. Did you eat?”

Angel felt annoyed, they didn’t want small talk with Aki, they couldn’t read him after everything that happened. “Yeah, Denji cooked.”

“He’s a good kid.” Aki felt bad for the way he’d treated him, and, well, everyone in the last week. Could he blame it on his brain injury? Aki crumpled up his paper towel and threw it away, picking his crutches back up and heading back to his room. Angel followed after a moment of hesitation, nervously pulling their sweater down over their wrists.

Aki’s room was dark, and Angel squinted, not sure where Aki had gone until they felt a cold breeze rush past them. The balcony door was open, and Aki was already leaning over the railing with a lit cigarette in his mouth, wasting no time. Angel stepped out behind Aki, feeling shy as they propped themself up against the railing beside him. They looked over the edge at the silent city below. A hand entered their field of vision holding a cigarette, eagerly pressing it to their lips.

This was Aki as Angel knew him again. Were things going to be fine between them, then? That didn’t feel right, the guilt in Angel’s chest made them nauseous. Angel took a deep inhale, letting the smoke out slowly as they turned towards Aki. It was reminiscent of the last time they’d smoked together on the balcony, but Angel knew it wouldn’t end the same way.

“Can we talk?” Angel asked, feeling emboldened by Aki’s casual demeanor. Before they could let their heart feel anything, they had to know what their future looked like. The way Aki was acting, Angel wanted to believe that either he had no idea about the transfer, or something had been figured out. 

Aki sighed, staring out into the night for a moment and finishing his cigarette before turning back to Angel, who was sneakily pulling a cigarette out of the pack in his hand. 

Angel studied Aki’s face, frustrated by his silence. Aki’s expression was light, which reassured them. They propped the cigarette in their mouth, inviting Aki to offer his lighter. They’d trap him here, on the balcony, to force him to talk. 

Aki lit their cigarette, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “I don’t know what happened to you, but I talked to Makima. She told me about the transfer. Now, it’s not happening.”

Angel felt like an insurmountable weight had been lifted from their chest. They wanted to crawl into Aki’s arms and hug him, for whatever he had said or agreed to for their sake. But they didn’t deserve him, not as the devil they were, or after what they’d put him through.

Aki looked at Angel for a moment, there was torment in their eyes as they struggled with their own thoughts. They should be relieved, that should have solved everything? Maybe they needed time to process. Aki leaned back against the balcony railing, staring up at the night sky.

“I don’t get it.” Angel spoke so quietly Aki wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hear it.

“What?” Aki turned his head towards them, but they stared at the ground, tears dripping off their chin. 

“I don’t deserve this?” Angel’s voice cracked, and they fought to hold back sobs. They stubbed out their cigarette early and hung their head, feeling nauseous. 

“Come inside.” Aki’s tone was warm, inviting as he picked up his crutches and headed inside. 

Angel followed Aki into his room, fighting to breathe past the lump in their throat. “I’m so sorry, Aki…”

Aki felt his heart flutter at the sound of his name in their voice. He turned to Angel, making eye contact as he spoke. “Hey, everything’s fine. You suffered your consequences, I’ve forgiven you.”

Angel stepped forward, frustration in their eyes, pressing their fist against Aki’s bare chest. “I died, didn’t I? I screwed up. You should hate me.” It felt wasteful, being the first uninterrupted safe touch between them. Angel couldn’t help but notice how warm Aki’s skin was against their cold hand. 

Aki stared at their hand and sighed. “Do you really want to talk about it? I’m fine not knowing.”

Angel paused, Aki’s expression was genuine. Tears spilled over their eyelashes when they blinked. “I told Makima about us. I couldn’t stop myself, I don’t know why.”

Aki threw a crutch behind him, freeing up an arm to wrap around Angel, squeezing them against his chest. Their face was warm, and he could feel the cool sensation of their tears on his skin. 

Angel felt so safe this close to Aki, they couldn’t stop the words pouring from their mouth. “You wanted nothing to do with me, and she was going to transfer me.” Angel’s voice was muffled and squeaky, lips brushing lightly against Aki’s skin. 

Aki didn’t know what to say, he wondered if Angel could feel his heart racing as he fought back his own tears. He had no idea they were carrying the burden of guilt for his pain, he felt overwhelmed with regret for how he’d handled it.

He’d handled all of this poorly, from the very start.

“I’m sorry,” Aki sighed, tightening his grip on Angel. “I’m done running away.”

Angel suddenly pushed back against Aki’s chest, trying to get away. “I don’t deserve this,” they cried. “I don’t deserve you .”

Aki held Angel tightly, despite their protest. “ I chose you , let that be my stupid cross to carry, not yours. I wouldn’t have done any of this if I didn’t want to.”

Angel stopped fighting, burying their face into Aki, shoulders heaving as they sobbed. Aki’s arms around them were tight, unrelenting, like he’d never let go of them again, but Angel knew his emotions were tumultuous. They cried harder at the worry he’d change his mind just as quickly again. They didn’t know if they could live in a world where they couldn’t feel Aki’s warmth on their skin like this again. 

They felt Aki’s hand shift, his fingers seeking out their wings and finding feathers to stroke, something they knew he did to self-soothe. It hurt more to feel his touch than they knew how to handle, surely whatever they had wouldn’t last once the novelty wore off. Aki had a death wish, and they could no longer grant him the thrill. As broken as Angel felt, they wanted to cling to Aki. 

Aki felt Angel’s arms wrap around his waist, their hands pressing against the small of his back. Their palms were sweaty, but their fingers were cold against his skin. He craved more touch, but Angel felt so frail, like any wrong move might scare them away. It felt like his heart had been sliced open to hear them cry so hard, he could hear the despair they felt. It deeply confused him to not know what to say or how to help, but his empathy kept him from running away. 

Aki could feel Angel’s fingers digging into his back as they tried pulling him even closer. They took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to compose themselves.  

“Why me?” Angel sniffled. 

Aki couldn’t imagine a sentence that’d reassure Angel more than the truth. “I’ve never been more afraid of anything than the way I felt about you. I know it’s wrong, but nothing feels more right than being with you. I’ve been a total piece of shit about it, and I’m so sorry. You deserve to be treated better.”

Angel’s tears still fell steadily on Aki’s bare skin. They took a shaky breath, with Aki straining his ears to make out their muffled voice. “How do I know this is real?” They heard Aki’s words, but the seeds of doubt in their mind had taken root. Angel lifted their head, looking up at Aki through their long eyelashes, glimmering with their tears. 

Aki leaned forward, the blinding light of Angel’s halo shining through his closed eyelids. He carefully pressed his lips to the top of their head for a moment, just millimeters of space protecting him from burning his face. Angel buried their face in his chest again, their skin soft and warm against his skin. Their shoulders still shuddered when they breathed, but they had stopped crying.

They remained motionless for a long while, cherishing the safety of this touch. It felt like the darkest sin they could commit, but also felt so comfortable neither of them wanted it to end. 

Aki’s affection had an effect on Angel’s trust. It was like a door of possibilities finally opened in their mind, they felt their heart pounding in their chest so hard it made them nauseous again. The safety of touch was daunting, extremely overwhelming. They knew each other’s bodies intimately, but Angel was a total stranger to touch, still frozen in place with their face against Aki’s skin. Angel felt shy, terrified of the unknown.

“The quill works. It doesn’t make you feel awful?” Aki asked, wondering if the emotional agony Angel was experiencing was going to forever haunt their touch.

“I feel like my heart might explode.” Angel answered. “Is that what it feels like for you?”

Aki took a moment to find the courage to admit his feelings. “I feel it too, that’s not the quill, then.” 

He felt Angel nuzzle their face deeper into their embrace. 

Aki’s heart was in his throat, the feelings he had for the devil made it unbearable to not hold them even tighter. Aki set down his other crutch, now balancing his weight and most of Angel’s weight on his one good leg, wrapping his other arm around them. He selfishly wanted to kiss the devil, to communicate with his mouth more than his words ever could, but Angel clung tightly to him. 

Aki managed his patience for a few more minutes before his need for more was unbearable. He needed to pry their face off of him so he could kiss them. He pressed a hand to the back of Angel’s head, petting them gently as he gradually carded his fingers into their soft hair. Aki shifted his weight to stay balanced, focusing on rotating his hand to get a grip on the roots of their hair when suddenly-

“Your leg!” Angel pulled away, pitying Aki’s fragile human body.

“It’s fine.” Aki lied, hoping it was too dark for them to see how he was standing.

“You push yourself too hard.” Angel scolded. “Will you get comfortable, for once?”

Aki hopped a few feet over to his nightstand, flicking on his lamp. He was impressed that Angel had cleaned everything up from this morning. He sat down on his bed, rolling up his pants leg to adjust his brace. He felt Angel’s eyes on him, and his insecurity in his fragility took hold of his thoughts for a moment. 

Aki flinched as Angel brushed a hand against his shoulder. He glanced up at them, feeling his chest tighten at their expression. He’d seen this enamored look on their face before.

Aki leaned forward and grabbed their wrists. Angel squeaked, resisting for a moment, their eyes glued to Aki’s grip on their arms. They were both still not used to safe skin-to-skin contact. Angel met Aki’s eyes, bewildered as Aki pulled them towards him. They had no choice but to climb into his lap to avoid crashing into him, their legs straddling his waist.

Face to face now, their height difference now matched evenly, centimeters between their lips. Angel’s face went red, the smell of Aki’s breath giving away his intentions. This was too overwhelming for them, they knew they couldn’t handle it, their nerves sending them into a panic. 

“Wait, Aki, can we… slow down ?” Angel gulped, turning their face away from Aki. They were overcome with confusion, feeling vulnerable and exposed after crying, while their body responded to Aki with an electric intensity. 

They let out a whimper as Aki planted his hands on their hips, his fingertips slipping under the waistband of their sweatpants, brushing against lace. They were still wearing it? They hadn’t showered? Aki wasn’t as disgusted as he normally would be, blinded by love. He could barely resist the intense lust that followed the raw, emotional rekindling of their relationship. 

Angel panicked, squirming in his lap. “Please, hold on.” Their wings were spread, almost like they intended to push Aki away. 

“I just want to kiss you.” Aki leaned forward, his breath hot against Angel’s neck. 

Angel felt embarrassed. They wanted nothing more than to indulge in their first kiss, but their nerves were suffocating. “Please, wait.” They leaned their head against Aki, panting, flushed and overstimulated. “You need to slow down.”

Aki could feel the telling heat and pressure in his lap, they were hard, but begging him to stop. The devil dug their nails into the flesh of his right shoulder, and on his left Angel’s hot, wet breath caressed his skin. They were so attractive it was hard to resist, but they seemed so vulnerable, would he be taking advantage of them?

Aki would give them whatever they needed. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, withdrawing his hands from their waist. Angel immediately pulled back, nearly falling off of Aki’s lap, burying their face in their hands. Aki grit his teeth, his injury was above his knee and Angel’s body was now putting weight on it that the brace couldn’t protect him from. He let his body fall back on the bed, and Angel carefully slid off of him. 

“You want to stop completely?” Aki asked, staring at the ceiling, feeling confused.

“No, it’s just… touch .” Angel sighed. They’d touched humans before, but being touched was completely different.

“I’ll slow down.” Aki knew if they had gone any further he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself as easily. “What do you want?” 

Angel sat on the bed next to Aki, feeling nervous. If they were doing anything but cuddling, they wanted him to lead, but when Aki so much as looked at them, they felt like they were going to lose control. “Hold me,” they whispered. 

Aki moved up on the bed, patting the space next to him in an invitation. He felt guilty for his desire, Angel needed time to recover. Angel crawled next to him and laid down, resting their head on his chest. The warmth of their face on his skin and the heat of their halo above him was comfortable, the room had cooled down significantly. 

“Your heart is beating really fast.” Angel remarked.

“Mhm.” Aki felt the pounding excitement in his chest. He wrapped an arm around them, petting their head softly.

“I’m nervous.” Angel mumbled, hiding their face in Aki’s chest.

“About what?” Aki asked.

Angel felt so shy, touching skin was an otherworldly sensation, and for it to be someone as attractive as Aki… They felt dizzy and nauseous with anxiety.

Aki was frustrated, he desperately wanted to kiss them. He twirled their hair around his fingers absentmindedly, his fingertips brushing against their face.

“I can’t handle you.” Angel sighed.

“You didn’t have a problem with it before?” Aki lifted his head, looking down at them.

“You don’t get it, do you?” Angel looked up at Aki, eyes wide.

Aki knew the overstimulation of intimacy was dulled by barriers before, but he didn’t understand their apprehension. It made him crave their touch even more to know nothing came between them.

“What are you afraid of?” Aki’s voice was gentle, his fingers trailing along Angel’s cheek. He could feel the flushed heat of their skin. Aki sighed after a moment and laid back down, ruffling their hair and reaching out for their wing, pulling it over himself like a blanket. If they weren’t going to do anything but cuddle, he was cold.

Angel’s feathers were soft against the sensitive skin on Aki’s sides, providing an intimate, comfortable warmth around him. He could almost doze off in the tranquil intimacy of their embrace, barring the pressing need to claim them with his mouth. No, he needed to be gentle with this vulnerable devil. Aki took a deep breath, content with just touch for now. They were safe in his arms, and the pain they had suffered deserved all the patience he could offer.

It felt right, holding them against him. No matter the anxiety he’d felt before, this felt so right it could never be tarnished by the sin it entailed. Aki took a deep breath, pulling Angel even closer. He’d earned his keep, and now Angel was his to hold for as long as they needed him.

Chapter Text

“Can you go easy on me?” Angel murmured after a minute of silence, cozy in Aki’s arms.

“Yes.” Aki answered immediately, lifting his head back up to look at them. Angel avoided his gaze. They still weren’t entirely convinced this was real, they couldn’t wrap their head around why Aki wanted them , but they were almost suffocated by the smell of his desire.

Angel sat up, nervously pulling the sleeves of their sweater down over their hands. They felt the bed move behind them as Aki sat up behind them. Angel took a deep, steadying breath and swallowed their anxiety. They’d never wanted anything as badly as they wanted this kiss. They turned, meeting Aki’s eyes for a moment before looking down at the bed as they crawled onto his lap, conscious of his injured leg.

Aki’s hands on their waist forced a squeak out of them, the feeling of his fingertips brushing against skin where their sweater failed to cover them was like an electric shock.

“Sorry, you chose the outfit though.” Aki apologized, but their clothes made it that much harder to resist touching them, with so much skin exposed it was both tempting and unavoidable. Aki moved his hands slowly, hoping his patience made the touch more tolerable as he gripped the top of their hips, eyes glued to their lips.

Angel grit their teeth together, covering their mouth with their hands. It wasn’t just the physical contact, it was Aki that turned them on so strongly. They felt a sense of impending doom, they wouldn’t be able to handle this.

“I won’t touch you, then.” Aki pulled his hands away, glaring at Angel’s hands. 

Angel took a deep breath, forcing themselves to relax. They leaned forward and slid their hands along the sides of Aki’s jaw, overwhelmed by the sensation at their fingertips. Aki closed his eyes, savoring the feeling of their touch. His skin was warm and smooth, stretched over the sharp jaw that intensified Aki’s otherwise soft facial features. His ears and cheeks were much hotter than the rest of his face. Holding his face felt safe, intimate, but it also gave Angel a sense of control. They studied his lips, feeling nervous, not knowing what to do, their heart fluttering as Aki’s eyes flit open, meeting their gaze with a hungry expression. Angel’s thumbs pushed against his cheek bones, resisting Aki as he tried leaning in.

“Kiss me.” Aki begged, frustration apparent in his eyes. 

This feeling wasn’t going to go away even if they took things slowly and avoided touch, Angel realized. Their heart was weak for this human, they wondered if the humbling anxiety they felt was intensified by their lack of powers. 

Angel leaned in, holding their breath and feeling like their heart was crawling up their throat as their lips met Aki’s. 

The world seemed to disappear behind Aki, suddenly all Angel could sense was the connection of their bodies. This was nothing like kissing through plastic. Aki’s mouth was warm, the soft flesh of his lips blending perfectly with Angel’s. They had no idea how sensitive lips were until now, it was almost overstimulating to be kissed. The smell of Aki’s breath, heavy with cigarette smoke and arousal, was entrancing. 

Aki kissed softly, brushing his lips against Angel’s, restraining himself to allow them to adjust. He could feel their hands shaking against his face, sticking to his skin with the friction of sweat. Aki wanted to pull them closer. To know he had such an intimidating effect on them was enabling, bringing out the darker side of his sexuality, but they deserved all the grace and patience he could muster, keeping his hands to himself.

Truthfully, Aki could never grow tired of this, he felt his senses straining to pick up every detail he could about Angel this close to him. Their smell was warm, but almost herbal, the lingering smell of the cigarette they’d just smoked with him still on their breath. Their breath came in short, heavy inhales, with them pulling away periodically to catch their breath, not sure how to breathe this close to Aki. Aki caught them peeking through their long red eyelashes at him, a hypnotized look in their eyes that made his heart flutter.

Angel pulled back, running their hands through their hair to keep it out of their face. Aki watched them, his expression soft as he met their eyes. He licked his lips as they leaned back in, the bright salty taste on his tongue - a mixture of dried tears and sweat - and the soft noise they made as they kissed him again inviting him to kiss them harder. He held back for a moment, tipping his forehead forward against theirs to separate their lips.

Aki hesitated before whispering against Angel’s lips as he reached up, cradling their cheek in his hand. “Is this too much?”

Angel smiled and shook their head, leaning into Aki’s hand.

Aki guided their face back towards him, leaning in and kissing them, this time parting his lips slightly, pressing into their mouth. Angel matched his hold on their face with a hand along his jaw, tilting their head and kissing him back with less hesitance. They didn’t know what they were doing, relying on Aki’s mouth to guide them, encouraging soft whimpers slipping out of their mouth against his lips. They threaded a hand into Aki’s hair, surprised by how soft it was, trying to pull him closer.

Aki couldn’t help himself, deepening the kiss. Angel gasped as their lips were forced apart by Aki’s. They couldn’t restrain themself from whining into Aki’s mouth. They felt the wetness of his saliva, immediately followed by a new taste. Cigarettes, an earthy burnt flavor like coffee, was the first sensation in their mouth, followed by the mouthwatering sweet taste of Aki’s arousal. The cloying, addictive aroma that filled their nose was all the more divine as a flavor, Aki’s pheromones were sweet, musky, and slightly salty, the arousing flavor filling their mouth as he teasingly brushed his tongue against their lips. They gave in, their hands pulling Aki in even closer. His lips slotted between theirs with a hunger that melted any reluctance they felt, noises of pleasure escaping them as they pulled him closer. Angel was overwhelmed by the sensation of Aki’s hand sliding into their hair, getting a grip on the base of their skull.

The sensation was so unbearably arousing Angel began to worry they could get off like this, feeling the tight pressure of lace against their erection. They didn’t want to spoil the moment, fighting to resist their body’s need for friction.

Angel’s mouth was watering, and they kissed back with matching intensity, inspired to follow Aki’s lead and open their mouth further, feeling his lips intruding deeper between theirs.

Aki put a hand on their waist again, and Angel lost control for a moment as Aki pulled their lower body flush with his. They squirmed, whining as the warmth of their lower body against Aki’s gave away the state they were in.

Aki pulled away for a second, meeting Angel’s confused, needy eyes. Aki’s eyes smiled as he glanced down for a moment before leaning back in and kissing Angel again with a darker intensity.. 

What was - Oh . Aki’s tongue slid between Angel’s lips, brushing the tip of their tongue. His taste, much stronger than before . 

Angel moaned into Aki’s mouth, pulling his hair to bring him closer while they slid their lower body backwards, trying to avoid the inevitable. Aki thrust his tongue deeper, forcing their jaw open wider with force, and Angel knew they were a lost cause as sensation overwhelmed them. 

It felt so intimate to moan against Aki’s mouth, Angel felt so vulnerable in his hands but felt no fear, desperately pulling his face closer. They struggled backwards on Aki’s lap, gasping and squirming as they fought to last longer, not wanting this to end. Aki’s hand slid between them, his fingers slipping into their waistband, pulling lace and elastic away from Angel’s body. Angel felt cool air on the tip of their cock as their erection bobbed free. They whined, trying to pull away and gasp for air, but Aki kept his grip on their head firm, deeply invading their mouth with his tongue. Angel was helpless, making a strained noise as they came, feeling Aki rocking his hips for friction beneath them. 

Immediately, Angel realized what Aki had done, cum spilling out of their twitching dick onto Aki’s stomach and over both of their laps. Aki groaned, grinding against Angel, then suddenly pulled back from their mouth, air hissing through his teeth as the heat on his stomach hit him.

Angel slipped off Aki’s lap and onto the bed, their legs unable to support them, flopping onto their back with their wings beneath them. Aki bent forward, reaching into his nightstand for a towel to help with the mess.

Angel felt dizzy with emotion, and embarrassed by how quickly they’d come . They felt the bed shift, opening their eyes to Aki standing over them, leaning down. His face was in the shadow of his lamp, but Angel could see his bright blue eyes were dark with lust. Aki had shed his pants, wearing only a pair of navy briefs, thin fabric tented by his arousal. 

“You can stop me, at any time.” Aki’s voice was deep, but had a needy tone they’d seldom heard from him. Angel wanted anything that Aki’d give them at this point, feeling a suffocating rush of lust after their emotional reconnection. 

Aki clearly expected an answer, looking at Angel with hungry eyes. “Okay.” Angel whispered, their wings slowly spreading underneath them with arousal. “I want you .” 

Angel’s heart skipped a beat as Aki reached down, fingers slipping into their waistband and pulling downward, sliding their sweatpants down their thighs. Aki stood up, lips parted and breathing heavily as his eyes glazed over Angel’s body. They wore a lacy black thong that was unfit for their anatomy, their dick protruding from the top, tip still glistening with cum. 

Angel felt incredibly vulnerable, grabbing Aki’s pillow and covering their face. Immediately they felt something tug the pillow out of their hands, tossing it to the side as Aki’s hungry gaze pierced through them again. Angel was too shy to be studied this closely, pulling the collar of their sweater up to hide the lower half of their face. Aki sighed, frustration dripping from his body language, and Angel felt butterflies in their stomach as the man leaned down over them again. Both his hands reached for Angel’s side, forcefully flipping the devil over onto their stomach.

Angel buried their face in the mattress as Aki’s hands brushed the exposed part of their back. His fingers tugged on the ribbons tying their sweater together. His hands explored their exposed back, his fingertips wrapping around the very base of Angel’s wings. Angel was embarrassed by their body shuddering from the touch, their wings twitching and feathers flaring. It was overwhelming, but they closed their eyes, trying to memorize the forbidden sensation of his fingers on their skin. Aside from his body language, Aki was completely silent. It was like he’d been fully overcome by lust, throwing them around to have his way with them, and the excitement they felt was unbearable.

Aki’s hands on their ass shocked a squeak out of Angel, his fingers tracing the crease between their thigh and ass, then gently tugging on the lace of the thong. Aki pulled the thong down, his hands groping Angel’s ass for a moment before they felt him disappear from behind them. Was he going to fuck them? Angel felt a chill run down their spine at the sudden flash of arousal they felt at the thought, feeling a tight squeezing desire deep in their abdomen. They heard Aki’s nightstand drawer slide open, and the crinkle of plastic.

No! Angel quickly rolled themself over, snatching the condom wrapper out of Aki’s hands before he had a chance to react. They threw it across the room behind them, an indignant expression on their face.

Aki shook his head, an intrigued half-smile on his lips as he looked Angel over. He reached forward, grabbing the center of their sweater and pulling hard. Angel was yanked forward, meeting Aki’s mouth as he kissed them passionately. They let out a soft moan as he traced his fingers along their jaw, Aki’s tongue slipping into their mouth. Aki’s mouth forced Angel’s open wide, their teeth clicking together as his tongue explored theirs. Angel was hardly aware of Aki pulling their sweater completely off, shivering as his other hand slid across their chest, thumb brushing against hard nipples. Touch felt like electric shock, the warmth of skin against skin felt forbidden and sinful, but so heavenly Angel wanted to cry.

Fuck, they were close again already. Angel pushed for an opportunity to let their tongue dip into Aki’s mouth, unable to get enough of his taste. Aki was getting more desperate, apparent by him grabbing their waist, breathing hard against their face. 

Angel nearly lost control of themself as Aki’s fingers dug into the sensitive skin on their waist, panting against his mouth. Aki suddenly stood up, turning back to his nightstand. Angel made a noise of displeasure at the sight of a condom in his hands again. Aki slid his briefs off, his erection bouncing free. Angel swallowed. They wanted him badly, at any cost, with nothing between them. They crossed their legs, glaring defiantly at Aki. 

Aki pushed them backwards on the bed. “C’mon,” he urged, climbing atop them with some effort with his bad leg. Aki had to use his arms for balance as he kissed Angel again, trying to get them to drop their guard. Aki sat back on Angel’s legs, focusing on ripping open the condom wrapper. Angel huffed indignantly. 

Aki was losing to frustration, but to his morals, it was supposed to be non-negotiable to use protection. Without time to react, Angel again snapped the condom out of Aki’s hands, tossing it behind him. 

“Nothing between us,” they whispered, challenging Aki with firm eye contact. They sat up and reached forward, hand wrapping around Aki’s erect cock, tugging gently. The sensation was intriguing to them, different from their own anatomy, a heavier girth in their hands with flesh that had more give.

Aki hissed, pulling himself backwards. He would lose this game if he let Angel touch him, he was shocked at how close he was to climax already. Angel wore a devious grin, leaning forward to grab Aki’s slender waist. Aki gasped, shutting his eyes to try and steel himself. 

He hadn’t touched himself in ages, he was so sensitive, feeling a hot, explosive tension in his dick. Aki felt Angel’s hands on his shoulders, pulling him in for a kiss, and relaxed for a moment before his world suddenly turned. Angel wrapped their legs tightly around Aki’s waist, using their arms and wings to propel themself as they rolled on top of Aki. 

Aki was disoriented, distracted by the burning heat of Angel’s dick against his cock. Oh fuck. A whimper escaped his throat as Aki fought to keep himself from cumming . 

Angel laughed softly. Aki felt a flash of anger, they had no idea what they were doing to him, or how hard it was to stick to his morals right now. Aki met Angel’s eyes as they sat back. He tried to protest, but couldn’t form words as the devil wrapped both hands around his dick, stroking quickly. 

No! Aki struggled beneath Angel, groaning. “ Please !” He managed to gasp.

“Are you that close, already?” Angel teased, loosening their grip on Aki. 

Aki was so frustrated, his body’s urge to burst was winning against the fortitude of his mind. This wasn’t what he had fantasized of doing to them for so many weeks, to be the unyielding dominant force they seemed the most enamored by. Aki looked up at Angel, a helpless expression on his face. 

“Condom, at least.” Aki reasoned.

“No.” Angel smiled, lifting their hips up, sliding their body against Aki’s dick. Aki felt all reason dissolve from his mind at the warmth and wetness of Angel’s pussy against his shaft. He was overcome by his primal needs, he could pay the price in guilt later. 

“You win.” Aki breathed. Angel felt giddy at the dark expression in Aki’s eyes. They raised their hips, intending to ride Aki, but he strategically waited for them to become unbalanced, and threw them off, forcefully pushing them onto their back and kneeling between their legs, ignoring the pain.

Angel barely had time to process before Aki was sliding his cock into them. They moaned, wrapping their arms around his body, their wings curling around them both. Angel realized quickly they wouldn’t last long, a relief considering how close Aki seemed. Aki thrust into them at a desperate, shaky pace, breathing heavily into their ear. He was playing a mental game with himself to last, trying not to dwell on the sensations of pleasure begging him to release.

Angel was in another world. This was a different feeling than anything they’d ever experienced internally, they had tried toys and their own fingers with little satisfaction. Aki’s cock inside of them was hot, and he fucked with a rabid intensity, his length striking something deep inside of them with each thrust that felt more pleasurable than anything they’d ever felt. Angel knew from the building pressure, warmth, and tightness, they were about to come around Aki’s dick. They were overwhelmed by emotion, sharing this divine experience with the one they loved. They never wanted this connection to end, but they couldn’t last any longer, they were spiraling over the edge, squeezing Aki closer with every part of their body. 

“Aki…” they breathed, their short gasps for air punctuated by rising moans of pleasure. Aki’s trance was broken by Angel’s voice, and he felt his self-control stutter, plunging over the edge with the sound of his name ringing in his ears. Their pussy was tight around him, rapidly tensing around and releasing his cock, were they cumming too ? Angel was getting loud, Aki silenced them with his mouth against theirs, thrusting deep as he came inside them. Angel wrapped their legs around Aki, and he felt his bad leg give out beneath him, breaking their kiss and collapsing onto Angel. Angel continued grinding upwards into Aki, moaning softly, escalating as they came again. Aki put his hand over their mouth, which only seemed to push them over the edge again, their pussy squeezing his sensitive dick. 

Angel was insatiable, seeming like they were in another world. Aki brushed their hair back from their face, kissing their neck softly. Angel whimpered and bucked harder into Aki’s hips. The distinction between orgasms - if they weren’t just one exceptionally long one - was hard for Aki to identify, but he tried to count, as Angel surely wasn’t in a state to keep track. 

Angel turned their head, and Aki felt his thumb dip into their mouth, swallowed by Angel’s lips. They explored it with tongue and teeth. Aki could feel the hard ridges of the roof of their mouth, and the pressure of them sucking his thumb deeper, the soft tissue of their throat kissing the tip of his thumb. God, he wanted to fuck their mouth, if he wasn’t already spent…

Aki pulled his thumb out of Angel’s mouth, wanting to hear their soft noises as they continued grinding against him.

“I… Love you…” Angel moaned. Aki’s heart raced, but surely they didn’t mean anything they said in a moment of passion. Although, as far as he could recall, this was the third time they’d used that word. He pushed himself up on his arms, making eye contact with Angel and kissing their lips softly before pulling back to look at them again. Angel’s eyelids were heavy with lust, cheeks bright red, smiling softly at Aki. They were so pretty when undone, Aki felt his chest tighten with emotion. Their rocking hips slowed to a stop, and they relaxed their grip on Aki’s body, closing their eyes and sighing as he pulled out. Angel could keep going, they felt an endless hunger inside of them, but Aki was so tender with them now, they wanted to focus on him.

“Why are you crying?” Aki asked, concern in his eyes as he rolled over to lay beside Angel.

“What?” Angel was confused, reaching up to touch their face, surprised at the wetness of their tears. “I don’t know. I’m happy.”

Aki slid an arm underneath their head, his other arm around their waist, pulling them into a tight embrace. He felt soft for Angel, the feeling was so strong it felt like an ache in his chest. Aki almost wanted to run away from the overwhelming wave of emotions, but he never wanted to let go of Angel. Angel relaxed, feeling Aki pull them closer. Their bodies fit tightly together, their skin hot and sticky with sweat. Aki slid a hand down to Angel’s hips, pulling their lower body flush with his. He felt like he couldn’t be close enough to them, like he needed their bodies to melt together. Angel made a noise, suddenly resisting Aki and squirming.

“I’m gonna…” Angel trailed off, shutting their eyes tightly and gasping. “Make a mess… Please.”

Aki could feel the heat against his stomach, releasing his grip on Angel to reach around his bed for something. His fingers grazed knitted fabric, and Aki pulled Angel’s sweater closer, stuffing it between them. Aki took Angel’s cock in his hand, the burning heat making his palm sweat. He kissed Angel again, the taste of their tears on his lips. Aki didn’t need to do anything more, Angel thrust against his grip as they climaxed again, moaning into Aki’s mouth. Aki smiled, pulling away when they settled down, legs shaking. He kissed their forehead softly.

The two clung together, the need for closeness wrapping them both around each other.

This felt so right, Aki knew deep in his chest that everything he’d struggled through justified this sinful end. He’d throw away his life to keep this flame burning, to keep Angel satisfied physically and emotionally, but he didn’t have to. This was still only the beginning for them, Angel would be living with him, and for whatever was left of their short lives with Public Safety, they’d have each other. 

Aki threaded his hands deep into the feathers of Angel’s wings. He hadn’t even noticed before, too concerned about his own angst, but all of Angel’s feathers had grown back, their wings now back to their full majestic length. Was that the effect of his blood? There was so much to explore, and Aki had so many questions, some more pressing than others. The things that made them different excited him, and he felt like he could finally acknowledge the possessive feelings he had for the devil.

They were his, and he was happy to be theirs.

Aki found himself smiling at his thoughts, the euphoria from sex erasing the insecurity that fueled his typical stoic resolve. He closed his eyes and sighed.

Chapter Text

Angel took a moment to recover, coming back to their senses as Aki absentmindedly ran his fingers through their feathers. 

“I’m hot.” Angel whined. They tossed the soiled sweater away from them. Aki peeled himself off of the devil and rolled onto his back, closing his eyes and reminiscing. Angel caught their breath, fighting off sleep. 

After a few minutes, Aki couldn’t wait to ask any longer. “Should I be worried that I…” He swallowed nervously, before speaking again. “You can’t get pregnant, right?”

Angel was silent for a moment, sleepily pondering the question before bursting into laughter, unable to hold back. Aki blushed, feeling embarrassed, putting a hand over his face. After a minute they had regained their composure, wiping more tears out of their eyes. “No? Have you ever seen a pregnant devil?” They laughed again for a moment. “We’re just born, fully fledged, into this world.”

“Hmm.” Aki wasn’t fully reassured.

“Also… Did you forget my power?” Angel puzzled, rolling over onto their stomach and propping their head up on their hands, staring at Aki’s face. Their heart still skipped beats when he met their eyes, Angel averted their gaze, unable to process how someone this hot wanted them . They wouldn’t believe it had happened if they didn’t feel his mess between their legs. 

Aki shoved Angel’s face into the mattress, feeling defensive. His hand lingered, fingers twirling into their hair.

Angel said something, their voice muffled by the sheets.

“What?” Aki released his hand from the back of their head. He really wanted another cigarette, would it be rude if he got up?

Angel kept their head down, sighing and fluffing their wings.

“What??” Aki huffed, scooting himself toward the edge of the bed. Angel moved quickly, snatching one of Aki’s hands with theirs. Aki stopped, threading his fingers between theirs for a moment. “You wanna smoke?” 

“No.” Angel fidgeted for a moment before finding the courage to voice their thoughts again. “Can you go again yet?” They whispered under their breath. They wanted to cuddle him, to memorize the feeling of his touch, his skin against theirs, but the lust was unbearable, it felt like a hungry black hole between their legs.  

Aki raised his eyebrows. He stretched, and a jolt of pain surged from his knee to his hip. He’d massively overdone it, his leg was out of commission and so were most positions, but the depravity in Angel’s eyes set a fire in his heart. 

Angel could see the cogs turning in Aki’s head, and greed took over. They sat up, murmuring. “Get comfortable. You’ve done so much for me, can I reward you?” Their voice dripped with lust. Angel reached forward, tracing the muscles on Aki’s chest with their fingers, looking up at the human. 

The sinful look in their eyes conflicted with their innocently glowing halo and bright, feathery wings. Fuck . Aki was handicapped by his bad leg, dragging it up onto the bed as he repositioned himself. Angel’s feathers shifted restlessly as they quickly grew impatient for Aki’s attention. Aki was still settling as Angel descended upon him, hands groping at his waist. Aki was getting hard already, but Angel couldn’t wait much longer, wrapping their slender fingers around his cock and stroking it slowly. 

Aki’s breathing changed pace, he felt vulnerable and that made him surprisingly nervous. The smell of his fear was intoxicating, an adequate substitute for the alcohol Angel’s body craved. Angel climbed into Aki’s lap, kissing his face. Aki placed his hands on their waist, feeling the devil shudder away from his touch, gasping. 

They were still adjusting to the sensation of being touched, and the pleasant, lasting warmth of flesh. Even touching Aki felt wrong, they had to consciously remind themselves it was safe. All they knew was the feeling of life fading from their touch, and too often they felt the hands or faces they touched quickly growing cold.

Angel repositioned on Aki’s lap, straddling his legs. Despite their insatiable appetite, they intended on prolonging foreplay. That plan changed as Angel temporarily lost their balance, grabbing the back of Aki’s head to catch themself and pulling his hair. Aki was caught off guard, a strained moan escaping his lips. His vulnerability was incredibly easy to exploit. Angel could smell on his breath a stronger mixture of fear and arousal, and their unstable grasp on their own self control vanished.

Angel was a devil, after all. 

They moved rapidly, one hand entangled in Aki’s hair for control over him, the other reaching between them, guiding Aki’s erect dick into their body as they lowered their hips. Angel let out a satisfied sigh, taking his full length with ease. They propped themself up on their knees, immediately falling into a quick rhythm, their breathing becoming quick and uneven, a smile on their face. Angel released their grasp on Aki’s hair in favor of their hand cradling the back of his neck, placing a hand on Aki’s chest and pushing him backwards. Aki’s torso fell backwards and his head hit the pillows. Angel leaned down and kissed him ravenously as they rode him.

If Angel could slide their tongue down his throat to get a better taste of him, they would. They kissed roughly, and Aki couldn’t tell if it was from lack of experience, or devil bloodlust. He felt violated by their enthusiasm, but god , it was hot . They were close, and therefore distracted - exposed by their irregular breathing and the tight squeezing pressure of their pussy around Aki’s dick. Aki kissed back, trying to take advantage of the situation and regain his dominance over the devil as he gripped their hips with his hands. Aki felt their hips stutter under his touch, and dug in, thumbs slipping into the grooves of their hip bones as he squeezed supple flesh. Angel broke away from Aki’s mouth and let out a moan. They were too loud, but Aki didn’t care, forcing them down on his dick as they came with a yelp, their hands latching onto Aki’s face as he watched their eyes roll back in their head. 

Aki’s stamina was better the second time, but he was no match for how attractive Angel was. Looking at the way their slender body moved amplified how good they felt on top of him. Their beautiful white wings were spread behind them, bouncing in the air as they rocked their hips over him. Their wings framed their body perfectly, the light of their halo highlighting the soft features of their face; they looked divine. Aki shut his eyes for a moment. He was way too close with no way to slow Angel down.

“I can’t stop coming.” Angel whined. The devil needed no time to recover between each orgasm, grinding against Aki with renewed focus. 

“Slow down.” Aki stuttered, a serious look in his eyes.

Angel disregarded his plea, they were close again. They had never come from penetration alone before tonight, the consecutive, blinding orgasms were addictive. Combined with how close they were to Aki, the way he looked, smelled, and tasted, they felt like they’d never stop.

“Hey! Do you want me to last?” Aki warned. He was desperate, manually breathing as he tried to focus. His pride was hurt by his inability to last, he wanted to avoid disappointing Angel. 

Angel sighed and paused, gently rolling their hips for friction as they lowered their upper body onto Aki. They were frustrated, but validated by the effect they had on him.

“You know what makes me sad?” Angel pondered. 

Aki was silent, a confused expression on his face. 

“I was too drunk to appreciate the taste of your blood.” Angel kissed Aki’s neck tenderly. Aki felt goosebumps spreading across his skin, a little unnerved by the devil’s carnal fascination. His neck was sensitive, picking up even the sensation of their hot breath against his skin, and the soft sounds they made into his ear... 

Angel picked up pace grinding against Aki again, not hearing any protest from the man. They kissed his neck again, running their tongue across his skin. Angel was thrilled by the salty taste of Aki’s sweat, carrying pheromones - lust, fear - that drove them wild. They could sense his jugular vein just beneath the skin, every pulse of his pounding heart filling them with more temptation. Angel lost control of themself, riding Aki in a frenzy as they explored his neck with lips and mouth.

Aki was shocked by how much he liked this. Angel began sucking at his skin, and Aki felt nervous they’d leave a mark. He shut his eyes, his hands finding the top of Angel’s hips, driving them down on him. Angel was close again, Aki marveling in the sounds and sensations and feeling himself approach the edge too. Angel came again, and Aki fought not to follow them over the edge, knowing they’d want more. 

Aki felt too much pressure on his neck, his eyes snapping open. “Stop. Don’t leave a mark.”

Angel slipped a hand behind Aki’s head and bit down gently, teasing him.

Aki hated that he liked it, stifling a moan. “I’m serious.” He warned. There would be no believable explanation for a visible bruise on his neck.

Angel smiled deviously against Aki’s skin, laughing softly. They thread their fingers into Aki’s hair, getting a good grip and pulling roughly.

Aki cried out, trying to pull away as Angel came again, simultaneously biting him hard. The pain was sobering, taking Aki out of the moment. 

What the fuck? Were they trying to draw blood?

“Stop!” As hard as Aki pushed them away, Angel sunk their teeth in deeper. Fear overtook Aki, and he panicked as he tried unsuccessfully to throw them off of him with all the strength of his upper body. They were strong, latched onto him, biting with more force the harder he pushed against them. 

In a panic, Aki swung a closed fist, his knuckles connecting with Angel’s jaw, finally breaking their contact with his neck. Angel’s upper body went limp, their face pressed against the pillow next to Aki’s head, but their lower body kept going , riding Aki with increased vigor.

Angel moaned loudly into Aki’s ear as they came, much harder than before, legs shaking as they shuddered on top of him, panting heavily and collapsing. Angel weakly lifted their head, kissing Aki’s neck where they had bit him. They ran their tongue over the sore spot, and Aki’s body betrayed him. He came inside them, hips bucking against the dead weight on top of him. 

Angel giggled, and Aki was overwhelmed with anger, his hand putting pressure on his neck where his skin still rang with pain.

“Get off of me.” Aki spat through gritted teeth. He tried turning his face away as Angel kissed his cheek. They clumsily rolled off of Aki, sitting up on the edge of the bed. They reached off the bed, grabbing the nearest discarded article of clothing to wipe the mess between their legs.

Aki was pissed , he shut his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose as he tried to process what just happened. He felt the bed shift as Angel rolled next to him. “Don’t touch me,” he huffed. “I’m so mad at you.”

Aki felt something solid slip between his lips. A cigarette? He opened his eyes to Angel holding a lighter. 

“There’s your reward.” Angel looked down at him, smirking as they lit the cigarette.

Aki took a deep inhale, exhaling and sighing. Angel was rubbing their jaw where he hit them. He felt a little guilty, but it was justified. They’d definitely left a mark. He felt his neck, it wasn’t bleeding, and it was fortunately close enough to his hairline he might be able to somewhat cover it.

“I don’t know what came over me.” Angel hummed innocently. Aki glared at them, feeling even more frustrated as he could feel his rage dissolving at the sight of the sweet look on Angel’s face. Their halo glowed brightly in the smoky air. Aki watched as a wing unfolded, feathers gently brushing his shoulder. He’d be sure to get his revenge, but he was exhausted now. Aki took a long drag of his cigarette, staring at the ceiling.

“Can I have some?” Angel asked sweetly, staring at Aki’s mouth. 

“Get fucked.” Aki blew smoke at their face and rolled away from them.

“I did.” Angel whispered. “I mean, that’s fair.”  They flopped back on the bed next to Aki, smiling to themselves. They knew they were in trouble, but knowing how Aki had responded, they couldn’t bring themselves to regret it much. Well, they regretted not biting hard enough to taste Aki’s blood. They’d have to earn his trust back to try again someday.

Aki reached over, tapping his cigarette and dropping ash on Angel’s chest. They didn’t retaliate, instead sighing deeply.

Angel annoyed Aki, but he had to admit to himself he really liked what they had. He wanted to be a chivalrous, gentle lover, but it went against his personality defects. He liked not having to hide the irritable, volatile side of himself.

That being said, what Angel had just done wasn’t easily forgiven.

Aki finished his cigarette, sitting up and leaning over Angel to stub it out on his nightstand. He peeked at his alarm and sighed. Aki wasn’t sure it was worth trying to get any more sleep before his alarm went off. He tried reaching for the cord of his lamp, but he’d need to move his bad leg for the clearance he needed. He looked down at Angel beneath him, gesturing with his head.

Angel understood, nodding. Aki laid back down, and Angel rolled to their side, brushing Aki’s ashes off of their body and turning the lamp off. The sun had already risen, peeking through the curtains, but the rest of the room was lit by the gentle light of Angel’s halo.

Angel pulled Aki’s blanket up over them both, snuggling up to Aki. They laid their head on his chest, cheek pressed tightly to his skin, and traced their finger along his chest. He felt so safe to them, despite having just socked them in the jaw. Angel regretted losing control of themself like that, the savory taste of Aki’s fear still fresh on their tongue. 

“Let’s talk.” Aki murmured. Angel tilted their head up to look at him, wrapping a wing around his body and squeezing him close. Aki took a deep breath. “Why did you…?”

“Bite you?” Angel asked. “I don’t think you know how hard it is to resist how delicious you smell.”

“Were you trying to break skin?”

“Yeah, a little.” Angel had opted to bite a less conspicuous part of his neck, the trade-off being Aki’s skin being thicker. “I tried not to make it visible. I’m sorry.”

Aki sighed. “I don’t like that. Are you always going to be bloodthirsty around me?”

“No.” Angel was lying a little, but they could try to restrain themselves better in the future. It bothered them that they may never taste his blood again. Was Aki scared of them? Angel wondered why it shocked him, considering how well the human knew devils. 

Besides, Aki must have liked some part of it, he got off, didn’t he?

“Ground rules.” Aki began. “No leaving marks.”

“At all?” Angel lifted their head, looking at Aki with dismay. 

Aki felt his heart skip a beat at the way Angel looked at him. He was weak. “No visible marks.”

Angel was satisfied with this, nuzzling against Aki’s skin. They were a little intrigued, he didn’t say anything forbidding them from biting him. 

“Another rule, you don’t get to ignore me. I don’t want to regularly punch you.”

“What if I like it?” Angel asked.

“Kinky freak.” Aki whispered, staring at the ceiling. He secretly liked it too, though. Punching wasn’t the ideal outlet for his sadistic side, but he felt a little excited Angel liked being roughed up. 

“Do we need a safe word?” Angel mused, kissing Aki’s skin softly.

“Does ‘no’ not work?” Aki could hazard a guess as to what they meant, but he wasn’t familiar with the term. He felt embarrassed by his lack of knowledge. He’d always tried not to indulge in porn or kink, he felt the way women were generally treated was deplorable. Thinking about it deeply, he also wondered if less attraction to women contributed to his lack of interest.

“You really are vanilla.” Angel hummed. They didn’t believe Aki wasn’t also a depraved sinner deep down, but teasing him was fun. They looked forward to bringing his dark side out.

Aki was quiet for a moment. He wanted to establish what was on and off limits, but feared Angel teasing him. Feathers curled around Aki’s cheek as Angel wrapped themself around him.

“You don’t hate me, right?” Angel asked. They were pretty sure Aki wouldn’t tolerate their clingy behavior if he did, but they wanted reassurance. 

“No.” Aki replied.

“Did you like it?”

“What do you think?” Aki felt embarrassed admitting it.

“Why do you think I asked?” Angel huffed.

“Yeah, I did.” Aki nodded, closing his eyes.

“Do you… Want to do it again?” Angel looked at Aki with hopeful eyes.

“Angel, let me recover.” Aki groaned. His body was exhausted and sore. He still badly wanted to please them and match their pace, and make up for their first true contact being a pent up emotional release. Aki wanted to make love to them, but the dust needed to settle.

It was tempting to try. Angel was so easy . Causing multiple orgasms with just penetration was great for Aki’s ego. But just moving hurt, his muscles were sore to even light touch. Aki hadn’t fully recovered - physically or emotionally - from the events of the last few days. 

“Fine.” Angel buried their face in Aki’s skin, feeling the rigid muscles of his chest hidden under a thin layer of skin. “When it comes to ground rules… Anything else off the table?”

“You want me to make a fucking list? I’ll just tell you. You were pretty loud too, by the way.” Aki complained. 

“Did you like it?”

“No.” Aki lied. “This is our secret, you know.”

“What, this conversation, or sex in general?” Angel was confused, of course it was a secret, Aki had pounded that into their head through various threats.

“That we can touch. No unnecessary risks.” Aki didn’t want to risk losing this. “Even Denji and Power.”

“Deal.” Angel knew this weighed heavily on Aki’s conscience. Whatever it took to keep him comfortable enough to continue, they would make it happen. “I’ll keep complaining about the burden of virginity.”

“You considered yourself one before? Despite what we…” Aki asked.

“Is it not defined by penetrative sex?” Angel felt a little excitement in their chest that Aki had just taken their virginity. 

Aki thought about it for a moment. He’d never really considered it, but consensual and sober sexual activity was what he’d define as the prerequisite for losing virginity. So Angel had his virginity. But if he went by Angel’s definition… Aki grimaced. 

“Did I take yours?” Angel asked. They were pretty sure they hadn’t, but it was worth finding out. 

“Virginity is a stupid concept.” Aki snapped.

“Who has yours? A girl?” Angel mused, wanting all the dirty details.

“Maybe.” Aki wanted this conversation to end.

“What’s her name?” Angel pried.

“I don’t remember.”

“Wait, was it the reason you had a hickey? How come I can’t mark you, but she can?” Angel whined.

“I was drunk !” Aki felt defensive. 

“Was it non-consensual?” Angel sounded concerned. “You don’t seem proud of it.”

“Do we have to talk about it?” Aki covered his eyes with his hand. “It wasn’t non-consensual, I just don’t think it’s worth remembering the details.”

“So your body count is 2?”

Aki was quiet for a suspicious amount of time. “No.” He whispered, hoping Angel wouldn’t pry. 

Angel was intrigued, having some recollection of Aki possibly having experience with blowjobs. They leaned forwards, resting their head on their arms on Aki’s chest and making eye contact. “Alright, open up.”

“I think I’m gay.” Aki sighed. His feelings were so confusing, he swore his attraction to Makima and Himeno, people he had emotional bonds with, was real , but had no proof. “I make bad decisions when I drink.” If he was honest to himself though, he regretted everyone but Angel.

“Does the tea Makima gave you count as drinking?” Angel had to confirm.

“No. I’d consider myself fully sober right now.” Aki’s hand wandered to Angel’s head, gently petting their hair.

“So I wasn’t a bad decision.” Angel smiled. “Would it help to talk about being gay?”

“You’re gay, right?” Aki asked. 

“No.” Angel raised an eyebrow. 

“What?” Aki was surprised. He had assumed… “What are you then?”

Angel rolled onto their back, hoping Aki would pet their face like he was petting their hair. They stared at the ceiling, thinking for a moment. “I dunno. I find a variety of people attractive. With my power, I legitimately didn’t consider it an option worth giving much thought. Bisexual or something?”

Aki felt a nagging worry, finding the words spilling out of his mouth before he’d given them much thought. “Did you just take what was offered or were you into me?”

Angel chuckled, sitting up and turning towards the human. “Aki, look at you .” They studied his face, his soft features were breathtaking in the light of their halo. They ran a hand across Aki’s skin, from shoulder to hips, licking their lips as they ogled him. “You’re so out of my league. That night I wondered if you were playing a sick joke on me. I keep worrying I’ll wake up from a dream.”

Aki reached out a hand, caressing Angel’s face. They laid down next to him again, wrapping their arms around his head and kissing his lips, relishing every sensation where their bodies met.

Angel broke away for a moment. “Do you like me?” They asked, their curious brown eyes peering deep into Aki’s soul.

Aki shook his head, rolling his eyes. He wasn’t going to answer what seemed obvious. He pulled Angel into a deep kiss, silencing their insecurities. Angel pulled themselves away after a couple minutes, knowing if they continued the insatiable hunger they felt would need more than Aki could offer them in his current state. They lay their head on Aki’s chest, sighing deeply.

Angel kissed his chest, their wings covering their bodies like a plush blanket. They were quiet, focusing on Aki’s heartbeat. 

Aki stared at Angel for a long while, his piercing blue eyes softened by adoration. He reached down to the golden tip of the quill in their ear, hesitating for a moment before brushing his thumb against it. Instantly, he was overwhelmed by a crushing wave of cynicism and depression. He grimaced and took in a shaky breath, putting his hand on Angel’s head. 

“What? Are you okay?” Angel was concerned, it was like Aki had been hit by something. 

“Do you not feel terrible touching that thing?” Aki asked. He’d wondered if it contributed to Angel’s possible suicide attempt. Had they managed to get used to it?

“It definitely feels unpleasant. Look what my hands are doing.” Angel held up their hand, a wild tremor in their fingers.

“Uh… That’s probably alcohol withdrawal.” Aki was confused. “You don’t feel like… Hopeless? Like giving up?”

“I don’t really feel hopeless anymore, honestly.” Angel nuzzled their face against Aki’s chest. “When I touch the quills I just feel… vulnerable. In a way that I can’t explain. Like I’m aware of my heart beating, but also aware each beat could be the last one.”

Aki didn’t like that, but maybe it was just how mortality felt. There was no way Angel felt what he did when he touched the Null Devil needles. That was a relief, Aki couldn’t imagine Angel feeling so awful just so they could touch.

He wondered why the needles didn’t make him crazy. Was that the only reason Makima gave him the needles? Surely she’d consider their effects on Angel’s powers, and their relationship. Was she supportive of it, or did she have some other motive for enabling them? He was so worried about the consequences this might have if they were found out. It hurt his head to think about it. Aki pulled at his hair restlessly. 

“Is something on your mind?” Angel lifted their head. “Your heart is beating faster.”

“Stressing about work.” Aki lied. 

“You’re lucky, I’d kill for time off.” Angel ran their hand across Aki’s chest, delighting in the smooth muscles they felt underneath his pale skin. “Aki,” they spoke in a sweet tone, smiling as Aki looked down at them. “Your heart is beating faster now, too.”

Aki wrapped his arms around them, squeezing them as he buried his hands in feathers. Angel made a soft noise, sighing contently. They relaxed for a few minutes, nuzzling against Aki’s chest, beginning to feel drowsy. They’d almost fallen asleep when Aki stirred beneath them, restlessly. He sat up after they slid off, lighting a cigarette and reclining back in the bed, offering a few drags to Angel. 

Aki felt so comfortable like this, indulging in the sin he’d suffered for. He’d earned this after his tumultuous emotional struggle, and the world didn’t seem as scary as he imagined when he wore his heart on his sleeve at home. He was safe, and he wasn’t giving this up anytime soon, but his routine called to him. 

Aki managed to untangle himself from Angel with a decent amount of effort. He got out of bed, silencing his alarm before it went off. Angel complained, wrapping themself in Aki’s sheets as they mourned his departure. 

“You don’t have to get up. I’m going to make breakfast. You should shower when you do, though.” Aki commented. “You can borrow my clothes.” He got dressed, despite Angel’s protests, found his crutches, and left the room. 

Angel felt a little excited to explore Aki’s closet again, but they‘d make themselves cozy in his bed for a little longer. They shut their eyes, recounting the memories of the past few hours with a smile on their face.

Chapter Text

After a few minutes without Aki nearby, Angel started wondering if any of this was real again. They had a lot of evidence at least. The smell of Aki’s bed was sinful, with pheromones, sweat, and various fluids mixed together. Angel smiled to themself. They rubbed their jaw, the skin slightly sore to the touch. When they opened their mouth, they felt a popping sensation in the joint. Aki had hit them hard.

Angel wondered what the plan for them was. If they weren’t transferred, surely they’d be put to work soon. Aki was on medical leave, they wouldn’t get to work together. 

They felt bad for the human. He was always getting injured, and took forever to recover. He was so stubborn, though, Angel wondered if his recoveries were prolonged by him refusing to rest. Maybe they could try and force him to take it easy, that way he could be back in action sooner. But action meant Aki was in danger, Angel wasn’t sure they could handle losing him now. They flopped on their back and stretched their wings out, feeling their feathers brush the walls at full extension. 

Was Aki going to make them stay sober? Angel’s hands were annoyingly shaky, and they felt uncomfortably sweaty. They should have asked Aki. 

Their hand wandered to the quill in their ear, fidgeting with it. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, they were aware of the subtler sensations of their body. Angel wondered if this unpleasant whole-body feeling was really alcohol withdrawal, and if it was, why had they never experienced it before? Was it a side effect of being practically human? They could take the quill out and find out, but they hesitated. The vulnerability they felt without their devil powers made them feel even closer to Aki.

Angel was hungry after all the exertion, and they missed Aki. They begrudgingly got up, rifling through Aki’s drawers. They pulled on a pair of his briefs which were too large on them, and bundled together an actual outfit for after their shower. They decided against a shirt for before their shower. The less clothes they had to modify to fit their wings, the better. 

Aki’s wardrobe seemed surprisingly small. The drawers were relatively empty, the contents consisted of a few dark colored t-shirts, sweat pants, two pairs of jeans, and work uniforms, all perfectly folded, with immaculate spacing between stacks of clothing. They knew he wasn’t that behind on laundry with how rigorous his chore schedule was. 

Angel wondered how many of his clothes had been stolen by Denji and Power. They’d seen them both wearing his shirts before. Aki was either endlessly annoyed by it, or he had given up on having anything completely to himself. Angel suspected the latter judging by how liberally Aki shared clothes with them. 

It didn’t sound like anyone else was up yet. They slid the door open, finding Aki hard at work in the kitchen. He looked up at Angel as they walked by. 

“Towels in the cabinet. Don’t use Power’s conditioner in the pink bottle, she will kill you.” Aki warned.

Angel believed him. “Hey, can I cut this shirt?” They showed Aki the shirt they’d chosen, watching his expression shift to one of mild concern, then relax. Aki sighed and nodded. 

“If you want me to wear a different shirt that’s okay?” Angel offered.

“It’s fine.” Aki did mind, he was a little possessive of his band t-shirts, keeping them from even Denji and Power. But when he thought about seeing Angel wearing his favorite clothes his chest felt warm. Angel headed off to shower. Aki busied himself with cooking again, thinking about all the chores he’d need to catch up on.

Aki’s first priority was solving the impending famine. He didn’t have enough food for everyone in the fridge. Maybe Denji and Power could be trusted to keep Angel away from Aki’s alcohol stash while he ran errands. He was due for another injection for his leg today anyways.

There was also a question for Makima: collecting Angel’s things. Aki hadn’t even told the devil they were moving in with him. That might be something that could wait a few days, though. Aki felt like it would change things, widening the power imbalance between them. As if what they had wasn’t already taboo and forbidden enough. 

His mind was polluted with dirty thoughts about Angel. He tried to ignore it, he didn’t want their relationship reduced to its sexual beginnings. Aki had never thought of himself as someone with a high sex drive, but it was like his latent sexuality had been awakened by Angel. God, it was so fucked up to be down so bad for a devil . It made him feel a religious level of guilt, like he was a horny catholic school student. Maybe a cold shower would be the reset he needed to stay on track today.

“You’re alive!” Denji yawned. He was trying to read Aki, to get a sense for the level of danger he’d be in interacting with the man today. 

Aki flinched, his daydreaming interrupted. 

“Angel showering? They’re still here?” Denji asked. He was curious about the status of their relationship, but a bit too scared to ask. It would probably take some time if they managed to repair things, but Denji really didn’t want to deal with that awkward tension. 

“Yeah. Actually, Makima’s having them stay here for a while.” Aki stated, expression unreadable. 

“Oh. Are you still uh… Fighting?” Denji braced himself. 

“Don’t worry about it.”

Denji frowned. That didn’t answer anything. Sometimes, Aki was impossible to communicate with. Denji felt bad for Angel. 

Watching Aki, though, his body language was calm, his eyebrows sat peacefully on his face, no longer trying to fuse together. His dark circles had lightened considerably, and there was life in his eyes again. Things must be better, based on his pallor today. Denji prided himself on his insight, perhaps he was some type of super genius to be able to read Aki so well. Something good had happened, at the very least. 

The bathroom door opened, and Angel stepped out, water dripping from their wings. 

Aki paused his cooking, hobbling into his room for clothes before he slipped into the bathroom to shower, not even looking at Angel. The moment the door was closed Denji pounced on Angel. They’d answer his questions, at least. 

“Okay, I gotta know, what the hell happened?” His voice was low, afraid Aki would hear him. 

“What do you mean?” That was such a vague question, so much had happened recently that it all blurred together. Angel felt warm inside recalling some memories. 

“Topknot said something about you dying?”

“Oh, yeah. I guess I drank too much and died.” Angel sighed.

Denji had a puzzled expression. “Ookay… So Hayakawa brought you back to life?”

“Yeah, he gave me blood.” Angel shrugged. They were still frustrated they couldn’t remember this in detail. 

“Huh. That’s why he was all bloody then. I’m not gonna lie, he was so mad yesterday I was sure he was gonna break up with you. You guys work it out or is it still weird?” Denji could hazard a guess, but he wanted confirmation he could read Aki.