Chapter Text
Zero looks upon Yuuki’s gentle smile, the modest swing of her hips, the white, unblemished robes she wears, and wonders if she would ever lie to him. He’s never known her to lie or alter the truth, but then, that is the nature of dishonesty. Deception, even unto those you trust. His movements pause and he stares at her back, struck by the desire to ask of her, are you a liar?
Yuuki’s brown hair twirls as she turns to him. “Zero? Are you alright?”
Again, he evaluates the tilt of her brow and the sparkling glow of her chocolate eyes. Yuuki is the Angel of Kindness, so befitting of her, as she is gentle, sweet, and charitable, never a liar. Zero narrows his eyes. Though, Yuuki is the Virtue of Kindness , not Honesty, after all.
“Yuuki,” He starts. “Have you ever lied to me?”
Zero notices the sudden tension that pulls her limbs taught, the slight frown to her lips, the way her wings stutter in their slow flaps. He sees the moment her eyes widen, and then the forced veil of calm tugged over them. Yuuki chuckles. “Lie to you? You’re the Virtue of Diligence and you’re quite talented at spotting liars. I doubt I’d ever be able to.”
“ Yuuki .” Zero says, his tone unrelenting.
She continues to smile at him, but her eyes grow pleading. “Zero, drop this, please.” She glances at the letter in his hand. “Don’t you have somewhere to be? A mission, I’m guessing?”
He scowls and regards her silently. He’ll leave it, for now. There are more important things to attend to and he can’t afford to dally. “...Yeah. I’m a part of the team looking for Ichiru and the other Archangels.”
Both of them quiet, burdened with the stiff sadness that those words prompt. Many of the Archangels have gone missing, including Zero’s brother, Ichiru. He’s unsure of why, or even how celestial beings have disappeared in the realm of Humae, where the humans dwell, but the angelic creatures have cut off all communication with the Heavenly realm.
His Divine Lordship has tasked him and a group of low-ranking angels with the job of finding them. Hopefully, it will be quick. Realistically, it might take longer.
“Do you think Ichiru is alright?”
Zero hesitates. Will his soul-bound brother be alright? He’s asked himself this question many times after learning of his brother’s disappearance, but he has no answer. Only divine providence can ensure his twin’s safety.
Instead, Zero deflects. “Do you?”
Yuuki pouts and reaches for his hand, clasping her fingers between his. “You never tell me what you’re thinking, Zero. Sometimes, I wonder how truthful you truly are.”
He shakes his hand free and glares, vaguely offended by Yuuki’s speculation. Zero has only ever been honest in this lifetime, in both his words and his work. To think, Yuuki would suspect him of lying— him! Zero’s suspicion of Yuuki’s honesty might be closer to the mark than he first imagined.
“I’m no liar, but I do have things I keep to myself.”
Yuuki smiles. “The same can be said for me.”
Silence blankets them for a moment and they both stare at each other, one with a kind gleam in her dark eyes and the other with a layer of apathy in his.
“Well,” Yuuki starts, hands held together as she grins at him. “I bid you great fortune on your mission. Do remember to be kind, Zero.”
Zero nods, strutting past her. “Alright. Do remember to be honest, Yuuki. Farewell.”
He turns through a cloud of heavy mist, his steps certain despite the inhibited vision. Eventually his sight settles on the overbearing gates leading to Humae, glittering golden bars twirling into wide patterns and drawings of animal-human hybrids. The gates reach far beyond the misty curtain covering the Heavenly realm, higher than Zero had attempted to fly before, but his attention was drawn to the ground.
Near the entrance, a gaggle of Archangels stand with stiff spines. They notice him and perform a synchronized bow, acknowledging his rank and station before returning to their tight formation.
The Archangel a step before the others grins, brushing his brown hair back and walking up to Zero with his arms open. “Good day to you, Zero!”
Zero sighs, walking around the other’s attempt to embrace him. “Hello, Kaito. You’re quite eager for such a solemn mission. I suggest focusing your attention and abandoning your excitability before the gates.”
He wraps his hands around the golden bars and power rushes into his fingertips, heating the gate as it melts under his touch.
Zero will find his brother—it’s an undeniable truth.
Kaname fell for a century before the suffocating River Styx sucked him into its depths. He drowned, for years and years, the delicate tissue of his throat stained dark and the gentle feathers of his wings wilted like dead flowers. Kaname hated the river a millenia ago, submerged within its hold, and he hates the river now, sitting on the blood red shores. He hates it, and so it plagues his dreams when he sleeps and fills him with sickness.
He stares into the river’s currents, carrying brittle bones and the ghastly faces of crying souls, and they all reach for him, desperate. Desperation.
“Spare us, please!” “We’re drowning!” “Save us!”
He can. But he won’t.
Though the blackness of the river swallows his image with no reflection to be seen, Kaname spots a glimpse of himself in one of those faces. He could save them. He won’t.
The warmth of an approaching presence echoes in his head and he steps away from the river.
“Ichijo,” Kaname says, gaze trailing the dark red clouds in the sky. “What can I do for you?”
Ichijo remains a respectful distance away, settling a chill on Kaname’s skin. His fingers twitch, an urge to reach across the few feet between them, but that’s far too unlike him. He brushes a hand through his hair and breathes. Ash settles on his tongue.
“There’s been an interesting development in Heaven.” Kaname turns to him, encouraging Ichijo to continue. “A group of Archangels, led by a Virtue, are travelling to the human realm.”
That prompts a slight laugh from Kaname. His eyes glow, shivering red hues gleaming with humorless amusement. “Really now? What Virtue have they sent?”
“Zero, the Virtue of Diligence—so I’ve been told.”
Ah, his replacement . Ever since the young angel’s creation, Kaname has dreamt of one day plucking the feathers from his wings and ripping them from his back. Then, the unfortunate soul would have no choice but to stumble into Hell under the reign of his twisted predecessor. A bubbling desire to savor the poor little angel’s sorrow blooms in Kaname’s chest, but he only smiles and settles a quiet red gaze on his second in-command.
“How strange. Virtues don’t usually breach the clouds.”
“It might be connected to the disappearance of Archangels in Humae.” Ichijo says.
Kaname’s smile grows sharp. “Rido is kicking up a fuss over that, I hear.”
Rido, despite his Lordship status in Heaven, was little more than a fool. His whining was commonplace, and Kaname was usually its target. For Rido, the angel must have been salivating over the opportunity to blame the widespread Archangel disappearances on Hell.
“He’s courting the idea of a conference between the realms.” Ichijo sighs as Kaname’s shoulders draw up tight and his back goes stiff. The blonde demon’s quiet steps close the distance between them. His fingers curl around Kaname’s shoulders with a fluttering touch. “Kaname, you’re stressed.”
“Takuma.” Kaname injects poison into his tone, repelling the touch with his words. Still, he melts into Takuma’s hands, the places his fingers touch burning with intensity. Takuma trails his palms down Kaname’s back and wraps his arm around his waist, nose pressed into Kaname’s neck.
He shivers, the blood in his body growing warm under the blonde demon’s touch.
“Takuma…” Kaname moans.
Falling into desire is far easier than dealing with the burning hellscape of political relations with other realms, dealing with Rido specifically, and sequestering himself into his room under Takuma’s careful attention was an easy task. Easy, but not uncomplicated. His relationships with those of his court are distant ones, Takuma being the exception. He is the only one Kaname would dare show his back to.
At least, the only one after his fall.
Kaname breathes. He lowers his gaze and he sees, rather clearly, his reflection in the River Styx.
Kaname breaks from Ichijo’s embrace.
“Kaname, let me—”
“I’m going, Ichijo. Gather my court when the blood moon rises, we have things to discuss.”
He opens a portal and glides through it, closing the rift with a near violent flick of his wrist. He reappears in his sleeping quarters. Ichijo will return on his own time, but Kaname needs to think.