The Only Colour Better Than Black Is Transparent Chap 22 [END]
A.N. Just read it. Last chapter.
“So what now?” Kame asked, dumbfounded, “Junno can see him but he’s scared as shit! I thought you had SKILL?!”
“Oh shut up and make me a sandwich…” the Dominion scowled and pulled a face, “it’s my magic, remember? Not me.”
“Jun-Junno…” the angel reached forward and flinched as the human gave a frightened squeak. He retracted his hand and tried not to look at the sight in front of him. How had things suddenly gotten this bad?
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?! How scary can I be? It’s n not I did anything to- OK fine. So I’m a destructive influence in his life! Big deal! We love each other right?! I mean, he still fell in love with me after I did all those things…..
[Flashback]
“if you had an IQ of 180, would YOU fall in love at first sight with a man who runs you over with a flashy car in a dark alley, stuffs you in his trunk then threatens to rape and murder you 4 hours later?”
“…..Of course, Incubuses are male demons of seduction, towards humans. The pheromones you release are a direct influence to human infatuation therefore can produce an alarmingly strong sense of ‘love’, and the victim may become so deliriously ‘in love’ with you that they become completely unable to make rational decisions.”
[Flashback end]
Tatsuya began to laugh uncontrollably. “Hahahaha….” His body shook from the convulsions of pain, “…so that’s what they meant! I’ve been living a dream haven’t I? This is what I really am… a demon. And you can see me for who I am now, can’t you Junno?” Hot tears trickled down his cheeks as the angel cackled manically. “I fell in love with an idiot who was really a figment of my imagination… not you! The Taguchi Junnosuke who I fell in love with never really existed, like the Ueda Tatsuya I am. We both never existed! How fitting… hahahaha….” His shrill voice broke down into choked sobs with laughs in between. And angel breaking down is a spectacular thing to watch… it is then they transform into their true states. Tatsuya however, was stripped of power and presented a truly pitiful spectacle. Hot tears were no longer clear - molten gold and blood seeped from Tatsuya’s eyes as he struggled to combat the pain that was eating him from the inside out. Whether the blood was from his eyes or his face was really hard to tell. “You… never loved me…” he mumbled half to himself, “…the Archangels were right. This was a lost cause from the beginning so what was I hoping for?”
[Heaven]
“Well well well…” Michael mused, “Ryo, what do you think? Mr Dominion has to keep his word… the human is terrified!”
“Shut up!” Ryo lashed out with his arm, materialising a whip out of nowhere. “Tatsuya’s in great pain!”
“And pain is what you live on,” the Archangel caught the whip with one hand, hissing as it ate away at his skin, “give up! Their evil can hold no good consequences!”
“Not if I can help it!” a bottle of nail polish bopped Michael in the head.
“Who- GAH! MR DOMINION WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK IN HEAVEN?!” the angel roared at his superior.
“To get my mascara!” the Dominion picked up a silver tube from his judges desk and uncapped it, smiling as it grew into a 4-foot silver sword. “This is the last try and if I kill him, I’m sorry.” With that ridiculously short pseudo-explanation and a click of his fingers, the Dominion vanished as fast as he had come.
Satan and Michael stared at each other.
“Truce?” Ryo gulped and pointed back at the television in court.
“Until further notice,” Michael tentatively agreed, “what the HECK is going on with Mr Dominion?”
[Earth]
“H-hey…” Junno was at a loss of what to do. A murderer (?) was crying his eyes out and laughing like a maniac in his hospital room, his tears were literally dissolving the floor tiles and there was no security to help him out. “Dude… umm…. Are you okay?”
It was a stupid question. Normally a man crying tears of molten gold meant either he was not human or you were on drugs. Either way, things were NOT okay.
Tatsuya sat and cried some more.
Suddenly, a burst of holy flame erupted through the floor and a pulsating sphere of light appeared before them. “Tatsuya, by the name of the Lord I order you to stop whinging like a teenage girl!” the Dominion stepped out of his light portal wielding a solid silver sword of mass destruction, “We had a deal and I will now hold you to it. Prepare to return to Heaven at once!”
“Then why have you got such a large sword?” Tatsuya looked up at the beautiful being, eyes gleaming.
“Because I’m here to kill him.”
“That was NOT part of the deal!” Tatsuya shrieked, “how can you do this?!”
“Because I’m in a bad mood,” he chided, “I came to Earth to watch a BL drama, not waste my time. And since you’re too weak to do anything to stop me, I suggest you leave or watch quietly.” Flicking his hand, he brought Junno to his knees then slowly upwards until the human was lifted above the ground by his neck, gasping for breath and kicking wildly.
“STOP IT!!” Tatsuya screamed and lunged at the Dominion, who simply smacked him in the head. Blood gushing from the wound and vision going fuzzy, images of a smiling Junno came back to him, replenishing his energy. “Let…. Him.. go….” The angel coughed as he stood up once more, “Or I’ll fucking kill you!”
“You sound a lot less scary when you’re powerless,” the Dominion laughed and threw Juno to the ground with a sickening crack. “Watch quietly.” Sword poised, he stabbed down with blinding speed.
Junno closed his eyes.
A sharp pain coursed up his arm and forced him to regain consciousness. The sword had cut his skin slightly on the outside of his left arm but he was otherwise okay - the person above him was less lucky. Tatsuya was on all fours, shielding Junno with his own body as the sword penetrated his back completely and buried its tip into the flooring tiles. Blood dripped slowly and painfully from the wound as he still tried to push Junno away from under him and it became hard to tell whose blood it was on the floor.
“I… won’t let anyone hurt you apart from me…” Tatsuya laughed slightly and winced in pain, “so get the hell out of here!” He felt a tug and searing agony. The Dominion was probably pulling out the sword. Clutching onto the silver with one hand, he felt the blade sever the skin on his hand but held firm. “Are… you… stupid? Run for it baka!!” The words took up the last of his strength and Tatsuya tumbled forward, still not letting go of the weapon that skewered him.
“Who….. are you?” Junno reached forward with a shaking hand and gently stroked the cheek of the man who was dying for his sake, “…why… are you doing this?”
“Not… a clue,” the angel smiled painfully before looking up at the Dominion, “I’ve never… begged… anyone like this before…. But…please….don’t hurt… him….”
“Why do you do this to yourself?” the Dominion asked, “you could be so much better off! Look at you, dying in a puddle of blood for someone who doesn’t even love you-
“Is what I thought!” Tatsuya interjected, and spat out a mouthful of blood, “…but sometimes, I… think it’s him that gave me a p-purpose to live. You wouldn’t understand that feeling… I’d rather die a human than… wasting my life away without- wasting life without…. Ever… learning to love. Right?”
“You’re a tragedy, you know that?” he knelt down beside a bloodied Tatsuya, “born of love, saved with love and dies for love. Love is so overrated… Human, you have heard your answer. Whether you have the capacity to understand or not, this is the most powerful being of three worlds who has given up everything for you. At least give him-
“I’M FINE!!” Tatsuya raised his voice agonizingly, “….I don’t need anyone’s pity! I… know that you were trying to help Mr Dominion but…. It’s fine now. I tried my best…”
“Human,” the Dominion held back tears, “you are weak. Not strong enough to save him.”
“He’s strong…” Tatsuya murmured, “strong enough to not break after all I’ve done… to him…”
Picking the young angel up over his shoulders, the Dominion sighed and looked at Junno once more. “You have not spoken, but let this image be ingrained into your memory forever. He did love you Taguchi Junnosuke, and once day you will notice.”
Still covered in blood and in shock, Junno watched wordlessly as a dying angel was carried out of the hospital window by another. Tears did not form, but an emotion he could not define was threatening to break loose inside him. Shapeless memories tugged at their shackles, screaming for freedom within his heart.
He ran to the window and pressed himself close, wishing that it would give way. Nothing made sense, but the swordsman walking with the dying man was getting further and further away…. It felt…. Empty.
“Unfortunate,” Michael jeered from above, “but I was secretly hoping he’d wake up and declare his love.” Then I could have struck him down. No demon shall obtain love I never did. Lucifer, you will pay!
Ryo sighed deeply. “So let snow fall on this day forever,” he chanted softly as flakes began to fall on Earth, “it is only fitting.” The last time they parted was also of this fashion. Perhaps that should have been the last….
“Snow?” the Dominion stopped his footsteps, “Fitting for your pure love…”
“Put me down,” Tatsuya commanded gently, “If I am walking away from him, I…. will…. Walk by myself.”
“Stubbornness didn’t get you very far but this is the last time…” he set the younger angel down lightly and applied light pain relief magic to his wound. “Walk.” 200 years of suffering awaits you ahead… walk to it knowing that you have saved him.
In the hospital room, Junno’s eyes grew wide as he saw the snow fall. The same silhouette… As my dreams. Oh God…
“UEPI!!!!!” he tore down the hospital corridors dressed in nothing but the bloodied hospital pyjamas and barefoot. Everything came together in a mish-mash of scenes that ran through his head hundreds of times, each screaming for him to get to the man before they really died altogether.
Feet stained pink from stepping over bloody footprints in the snow, Junno raced towards the man in the snow who had already stopped trudging forward. Even before he rushed up and enveloped his Tatsuya in an embrace, he knew that the man had heard his footsteps and was crying. He could feel Tatsuya’s heartbeat and the warm liquid seeping from his back.
“I love you I love you I love you…” he whispered into Tatsuya’s ear with increasing urgency, “Don’t ever doubt me…. I’m so sorry….”
“Never…. Doubted.”
An angel collapsed into the snow, dragging down a screaming human. The screams were almost bestial - raw and heartbroken… the Dominion had to look away.
Just to hear those words, you jumped in front of my sword. Congratulations on your success… This is your happy ending.
[Heaven]
“So the filthy thing escapes punishment,” Michael scowled, “very well. The human loves him, so what? Sariel, have you written his name in the Book?”
“You mean this book?” Sariel gritted his teeth and held up his thick leather-bound book of death, “I’m outside of business hours sorry.”
“I beg your pardon?” Michael looked outraged while Ryo just blinked back his tears in surprise.
“I refuse to write Tatsuya’s name in the Book,” Sariel deadpanned, “get over it.”
“YOU TRAITOR!!” Michael pulled out a golden sword out of nowhere and pointed it at Sariel’s throat, “Are you siding with the demons?!”
“NOBODY DEALS A BLOW TO ME APART FROM GOD HIMSELF!” Sariel’s aura changed dramatically, “You’ve changed Michael! I’m not saying that Lucifer was correct by any means, but you have no right to deal such unjustified blows to innocent angels! I will NOT write his name in the Book unless you kill me!” Eyes glowing dangerously, Sariel’s quill also morphed into a sword.
The Archangel laughed coldly, “so what? Is this a mutiny? Anyone else wants to point a sword at me?”
Gabriel drew his own silently.
“About time…” Michael said, “I’m surprised you could hide your precious son for so long Gabby! Are you happy now?”
“WHAT?!” Ryo put two and two together finally, “Tatsuya is your SON?!”
“I wanted to keep it from him forever…” Gabriel held back tears, “600 years ago, I was in the defence forces and was appointed to guard the ‘last’ Omnipoten… Tatsuya’s mother. She was so beautiful I-
“You betrayed your lover at the time who was also a male angel,” Michael cut in, “so when the Omnipoten was discovered as pregnant, your lover tampered with the DNA system and claimed the child as his! He eloped with the Omnipoten to Hell in order to save your child and your watched them both die… So who did you love the most Gabriel? When I trialled him before shooting him, he believed till the last breath that you loved him. Sad isn’t it? Now you draw your sword at me for the son of that wretch! Love is glorified when it doesn’t even exist!”
“I loved him!” Gabriel said firmly, “and I am sure that somewhere, you love-
“I DO NOT!!!” Michael screeched like a Fury, “NEVER WILL I LOVE THAT DEMONIC BASTARD!!!”
Ryo smiled darkly to himself and summoned his father from the darkness.
“You…” Michael looked as if he had lost his mind. Charging without so much a second look, his gleaming sword made a beeline for Lucifer’s shoulder. It was without power though, and the figure clad in black found it easy to step aside and bring their lips together. Sword clanging to the ground, Michael closed his watery eyes and took himself 2000 years back.
[2 months later]
“I can’t believe you made it out of hospital that fast!” Kame exclaimed as he stepped inside the Ueda house for the first time, “I mean, you were stabbed through!” He set down Ueda’s hospital supplies bag on top of the shoe closet.
“I know,” the newly human Ueda Tatsuya grinned, “and the hospital didn’t ask any more questions after Junno dragged me into the place either! I had some extra help of course….”
“You had me worried sick!” Junno complained and circled an arm around his lover’s waist, “I genuinely thought you were dead!”
“So I heard,” Jin came through the door too, “seems like those angels won’t be bothering you guys from now on?”
“Thank God this ends happily…” professor Nakamaru was the last to enter Ueda’s house, “now that you two are out of hospital, maybe we should start going to church on Sundays just to be safe?”
“Maybe…” Ueda smiled, “I guess I’ll never really know what went on up there…. Or what happened to Ryo. Now that I think of it, Mr Dominion disappeared after I blacked out too!”
“Oh no you don’t!” came a torrent of abuse from the living room, “Mr Dominion please refrain from watching animated homosexual pornography on the television!”
“Dammit Sariel they just kissed and I missed it!”
“Who in the Lord’s name spilt Coca Cola on my tunic?!?!”
“Jerahmeel your hair is in the fruit punch! Oi wake up!!!”
“No stop Michael that’s not a- AAAH TOO MUCH LAUNDRY POWDER!!!”
“This brown stain must come off!!! Goddamn you infidel machinery! I WILL HAVE YOUR SOUL!!! ”
“Stop it- TOO MUCH POWDER I SAY!!!”
The five humans stared at each other in pure fear. Heavenly creatures were watching yaoi in the lounge and apparently destroying Ueda’s house - nothing could be more frightening.
“We should just head back to the hospital,” Ueda grimaced, “I’ll end up hurting people if I see what they’ve done to my carpet...”
“Hey they’re back!” Archangel Michael exploded from the living room, covered in soap bubbles, “Human! Tell me how to get this washing machine to do my bidding!”
“You take you clothes OFF first,” Ueda frowned at the trail of slick scum Michael had left over his hallway, “Or you could use FUCKING MAGIC.”
“Unfortunately we wanted to see what life is like without magic so… Beat that washing machine into shape for me! The infidel spat foam all over my tunic!”
“Hard to tell where the stain is… too many bubbles,” Ueda sighed and walked to check the damage on the rest of his house, “Dammit I get no peace around here- OI WHAT THE FUCK IS THE WASHING MACHINE DOING IN MY LIVING ROOM?!”
“SHUT UP I CAN’T HEAR THE TV!!” the Dominion waved his hands furiously as the animated couple on the television screen engaged in a heated argument about who should be seme.
“Oh God Tatsuya you’re back!” Sariel removed a pair of Boze headphones from his head, “make Mr Dominion stop watching his DVD!!! I was tempted to break your television but it didn’t seem proper and OH MY GOD THEY’RE AT IT AGAIN!!!”
“It’s a KISS!” the Dominion rolled his eyes, “get over it!”
Eyeing the carnage in his home, Ueda spotted everything from Coke cans to a washing machine, half a box of washing concentrate, pizza, a yaoi DVD box with the wrapping still attached and a room full of angels. What have I done to deserve this?
“I’d hate to be rude but please get out of my house,” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “this… has got to be the worst homecoming party ever!”
“It’s okay Uepi let them stay!” Junno tried his best not to imagine the clean-up job that would ensue, “Whoever these friends of yours are, I’m sure they mean well! I mean, they look so happy to see you safe! Let’s just forget about the clean-up and make everyone feel at home okay?”
“Oh Gods Junno do you know who these people ARE?!” Kame and Jin both begged, “Please don’t upset them… whatever you do!” Nakamaru nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Are we that scary?” Archangel Gabriel came out of the kitchen carrying two mugs of steaming… whatever he had made.
“Is my coffee machine still alive?” Tatsuya raised an eyebrow at the bubbling concoction.
“Define ‘alive’……”
“Never mind,” the copper-haired man sighed, “I have contents insurance…”
His father smiled warmly. “Can I talk you to in the garden?” Gabriel started out the veranda door without listening for a reply.
“Thank you for helping me,” Tatsuya shut the door behind him, “and all the angels. What made Michael change his mind?”
“Drink this and I’ll tell you,” Gabriel held out his drink.
“I’d rather shoot myself in the foot,” Tatsuya pulled a face.
The Archangel laughed and set the mugs down. “Sorry, couldn’t help it,” he laughed, copper hair shining in the midday sun. “You have Lucifer to thank, really. He turned up in the nick of time… I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you.”
“What more can you do?” Ueda Tatsuya pointed through the window at Junno, Kame, Jin and Maru, who were engaging in some sort of comedy with the Archangels, “That’s all I’ll ever need.”
“You’ve changed…” Gabriel’s eyes moistened, “for the better, of course. But your mortality is-
“Mortality is a great thing,” the other shook his head, “it makes you LIVE.”
“I suppose you’re right, son.” He waited for the worst.
But the younger copy of him didn’t miss a beat. “I always am right…”
Gabriel paused for a moment. “You… knew?”
“Before he died, my dad always used to say what a lovely person my father was,” Ueda replied plainly, “I caught on quite fast. And there aren’t many angels around with our hair colour I must admit. Especially those who are helpful….”
“I did love him…” Gabriel sighed, “and maybe I’m not worth forgiveness but I have to tell you that I did love both of them.”
“My life is past your mistakes,” Tatsuya smiled genuinely, “but I’m glad you had the guts to tell me about them, father.”
When he stepped back inside the house, Tatsuya was greeted with a hug from the Dominion. “You did all yaoi fanboys proud,” he grinned, “We have unanimously accepted Taguchi Junnosuke. He is SOOO worth it! ”
“You what?” Tatsuya glared at Junno, who only shrugged.
“Annoying as he is, I think he’s worth your effort,” even Michael nodded begrudgingly, “anyone capable of using that damned machine without falling into a rage passes my standards…”
Your standards worry me… Maybe he’s just attractive for beings like us? Tatsuya chuckled to himself and gave Junno a wink.
“Okay gentlemen I think it’s time we let them be!” the Dominion declared, tidying his yaoi DVDs into a neat pile and tucking them under his arm. He noticed that Jin was still drooling at him. “Ahem… we should head back to Heaven now. Run along kids!”
“We’re leaving already?” a sleepy Jerahmeel suddenly moved from off the ground. His hand touched Junno’s foot and the tall man let out a noise not unlike a frightened chimpanzee, then lost his balance.
Just your average mortal chaos.
Ryo watched silently from the window, holding Tatsuya’s emerald plant. He had been outside for some time now, hidden, simply watching. He flinched slightly when Junno fell over and Ueda burst into laughter, and clenched his fist when Junno refused to let go of Tatsuya. A tear formed when they kissed and that was when he had to stop watching.
I’m no hero… He thought to himself. I still want to kill him…..
But the happiness in his friend’s eyes shone through after all. Giving the plant a bit of a pat, Ryo unfurled his fist and waved to the window, hoping that his feelings would struggle through the shield of glass.
He could still hear Tatsuya’s laughter as he snapped his fingers and disappeared into a black flame.
Or maybe those were memories.
================================================================
Dear Diary,
There’s no time to write in you lately… too many things to do, too many screaming souls in my face all day.
Fine. Maybe I’m depressed today, but I have a good reason to be. Today is one year since I’ve seen Tatsuya since we parted ways in Heaven.
I’ve been watching him too.
It’s his tenth wedding anniversary on earth today. After he got back, Tatsuya and Taguchi got married in Holland. The idiot now choreographs for Broadway from his own back yard, Tatsuya and Akanishi now run an expanding clinic that is due to become a fully-fledged hospital next year - they will become the youngest hospital owners in the world. I think Tatsuya may have a Nobel Prize nomination for his wonderful work in stem cell therapy. Of course, Akanishi and that idol (who’s now the equivalent of Brad Pitt in Japan) are as close as ever. He’s even a personal physician to the man. Everyone’s happy, according to my re-downloaded smartphone stalker app.
I’m not a stalker. Not a full-time one anyway… My job keeps me from doing so.
But yes, I’ve been watching Tatsuya despite my limited schedule. Humans are hard to keep track with you know? When I head out to work in the morning and when I come back, weeks would have passed on Earth… I’d sort through prayer proxies, seeing which human prayers Hell can sabotage and pretend to answer, I’d give advice to the Department of Deception, judge some hard cases and THEN there’d be HIM to take up my time.
My pesky secretary.
After I returned to Hell one year ago, he was the first to come bounding out of my Father’s office, completely oblivious to the fact that I had just given up my one true love, and declared he had been chosen to be my secretary until one of us died.
We’re both fucking immortal.
He also claimed that he loved me and that I should screw him over my desk after my shower. He’s an innocent little thing at heart, though after that encounter I avoided him for a good two weeks. He has that enthusiasm black-wings shouldn’t have - he does everything for me and always keeps a genuine smile plastered on his face, never asking for anything more than to make my life easier.
Looking at him and me and Tatsuya, I finally understand what Father meant by ‘Hell is fair’. Just like I cannot love him, Tatsuya cannot love me. Hell leaves no questions unanswered - it simply wasn’t time. From the moment I desired the power to protect Tatsuya; I was destined to lose him. After all, as the heir to Hell, I can’t have both. I thought I’d be able to obtain him after I got up to this throne of death first, and I was spectacularly wrong. It’s just the way things worked around here. And that’s why Father gave me his title - he saw right through me and cut my dream in half.
Father? I have had talks with him over a drink, but I don’t feel the need to delve deeper into his history. We’ve never been close as a family because of his line of work (being Satan and all) anyway. What I did find out through bits and pieces was that I really shouldn’t pity myself, Father has a sadder history. I will never know what happened between him and Michael thousands of years ago but one thing is for certain - Father has gone to chase it back. Whether he’ll succeed or not is a mystery, but it showed me that he has found a spark of hope within himself again. I can also safely conclude that I am stuck with this job because my own Father decided his ex-boyfriend is more important than his son’s happiness. Yay.
Not to say that I’m not ‘happy’ though.
I am happy knowing that Tatsuya is happy wherever he is in the world. I personally keep his room as messy as it was the day he first left for earth and I’ve kept his emerald plants alive like he told me to. The plants are now big enough for me to sit under on a bad day and curse at the green gems that drop on my head.
But I’m okay with that. In my pathetic imagination, I hope one day Tatsuya will come back. One day he’ll love me and one day, he’ll walk through the door of his bedroom and complain to me in that charming voice of his that I haven’t cleaned it after so many years-
…Or maybe I’m too scared to confront myself. My secretary’s been none of his energetic self recently, and I’m worried sick. I’m not in Tatsuya’s room today because I miss Tatsuya, but because I’m too busy trying to avoid my own secretary! Hell, what’s wrong with me?!
“Ryo-chan?”
The black-wing clapped his diary shut in a frenzy and cursed as another emerald the size of a small orange bopped him on the head.
“I keep telling you to knock before you enter and call me My Lord!” he hissed, rubbing his bleeding scalp.
“No,” his secretary pulled a childish face and stomped over to the devil himself. Ryo winced, thinking that he was going to get hit. Instead, a cool sensation washed over his upper body and he sighed contentedly, feeling drowsy. “There’s nothing like healing magic administered by somebody else is there? Now sit still.”
“You should stop using that…” Ryo murmured, “I heard the guys from Sabotage mocking you for it the other day… saying you were half a white-wing…”
“You don’t know half the things I’d put up with for you…”
“Pardon?” Ryo pretended not to hear.
“Nothing.”
They remained like that for a few moments, Ryo’s head being shrouded in a faint blue light as a smaller figure sat beside him wordlessly.
“My Lord?”
“Call me Ryo.”
“Make up your mind for fuck’s sake!” the younger angel gave Ryo a shove. He couldn’t be bothered to keep his balance and toppled to the floor with a thud. “That’s more like you…” Ryo smiled lightly, with a tinge of sadness.
“You’re… missing him, aren’t you?” the younger one’s face fell, “You always come into this bedroom when you’re missing him. I’ve heard stories… Is he beautiful? I’ve heard he was the most powerful to have ever lived. Was he cuter than me? He has a messy room though-
“Jealousy didn’t get me anywhere, so you should stop,” Ryo cut him off. “As for me, I’m currently stuck over how I can get you to stop using that Healing of yours because I know it causes you excruciating pain every time you use it and that you’re doing a bad job of hiding your pain to me.”
“…You…how can you say such a long sentence and not run out of air?”
“I’m Satan, I know can do almost as much as God does,” Ryo boasted as he sat upright, “and I don’t need a girly brat to appeal to me using life-threatening methods. Just because you were born with this talent means it is safe to use. The military have requested for you as a medic several times but I refused every time because it’s not safe.” Why did I do that again? The old me would have delighted in exploiting those who trusted me…
“I knew nothing about that!” his secretary blushed. He…cares for me?
“Bloody Hell!” Ryo cried, “If you’d known, being the idiot you are, you would have enlisted in the army to ‘serve’ me!” He stood up and brushed off the emeralds from his cloak. “No more reckless healing magic or ridiculous jealousy or ignoring me from now on. That’s an order.”
“But-
“And clean this room out by the end of the day, got it kid?” he said as he left out the door.
“WHAT?!?!?!” the younger angel chased Ryo into the corridor of Hell’s mansion, “BUT YOU SAID NOBODY WAS TO TOUCH ANYTHING IN THAT ROOM!!!”
“My mind has changed,” Ryo replied without looking back, “and plant that emerald tree into the garden will you?”
Dumbstruck, the young black-wing leant on the doorframe. Cleaning Tatsuya-sama’s room… Does that mean-
A piece of paper appeared and tacked itself on a bit of wall next to him, and a few lines of hastily scribbled words wrote themselves out with magical pink gel pen.
‘I’m the worst person for expressing myself and this is too embarrassing to say to your face but you don’t have to keep being jealous of the owner of this room anymore. I’ll cook dinner for you tonight to make it up to you.’
Tears were already streaking down his face as the young black-wing marched into Tatsuya’s room holding the piece of notepad like a trophy. “He’s mine!” he skipped about, grinning and throwing years-old laundry into a bag, “Finally! He’s mine!”
The silly… Ryo chuckled as he looked on from outside the window, He’s so happy he’s forgotten how to use magic.
Tat-chan, isn’t life an outrageous troll on us all? I swore I’d never love anyone but you, yet I’m constantly being thrown overboard by that adorable thing. I still love you, but in a different way… it’s taken me too long to recognise it.
Ryo took out his smartphone from his pocket and ripped the page from his diary he had previously written in. He opened the app one last time. The face of a laughing Tatsuya broadcasted in real time greeted him. He was in a pillow fight with Junno, dressed in matching purple bath robes.
[Earth]
At that moment, Tatsuya stopped the pillow-fight. He rushed to the bedroom drawers as if in a trance and removed a solid emerald from a small box. It was an emerald he found lying on the driveway ten years ago.
“Uepi?” Junno was still holding onto his pillow, “What’s wrong with your rock?”
The copper-haired man shook his head. “Nothing.”
But he looked out their bedroom window at a raven sitting on a tree, and waved the emerald at it.
And somewhere in Hell, Ryo saw his friend smile AT him from the screen, then pounce on Junno as their pillow-fight resumed once more.
He smiled. With one hand Ryo pressed the delete button on his app manager and the other hand he set fire to the diary page, watching it curl in a black inferno. With it went 500 years of one-sided affection.
Our paths are different after all. I’ve always wanted you by my side and tried so hard for you to be a black-wing… but I’ve seen enough to know that for you, the only colour better than black is transparent.
A.N. It's finished. I know. It's finished. I'm sorry I didn't warn anyone but this is seriously finished.
Did you think Tatsuya was going to die? XD *bricked*
Honestly I enjoyed this story... it has all my ideals in it and I enjoyed the epicness of blocking a sword blindly. If you compare this Tatsuya with chapter 1, he really had changed. And maybe, just maybe, he found a slice of happiness in place of his sarcasm and scorn. What I really wanted to convey was how much life was worth. It had never mattered to Tatsuya before he fell in love, but he soon came to realise how important Junno and everyone was to him. If I had a choice, Tatsuya gave up power, life and risked it all even if Junno didn't know he existed. They are both bad at conveying their love because of limited time and social adequacy, but their love is a feeling so strong it touched the hearts of so many around them.
And I think Ryo's happiness was well-deserved. (And yes, I purposefully never named his secretary)
“So what now?” Kame asked, dumbfounded, “Junno can see him but he’s scared as shit! I thought you had SKILL?!”
“Oh shut up and make me a sandwich…” the Dominion scowled and pulled a face, “it’s my magic, remember? Not me.”
“Jun-Junno…” the angel reached forward and flinched as the human gave a frightened squeak. He retracted his hand and tried not to look at the sight in front of him. How had things suddenly gotten this bad?
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?! How scary can I be? It’s n not I did anything to- OK fine. So I’m a destructive influence in his life! Big deal! We love each other right?! I mean, he still fell in love with me after I did all those things…..
[Flashback]
“if you had an IQ of 180, would YOU fall in love at first sight with a man who runs you over with a flashy car in a dark alley, stuffs you in his trunk then threatens to rape and murder you 4 hours later?”
“…..Of course, Incubuses are male demons of seduction, towards humans. The pheromones you release are a direct influence to human infatuation therefore can produce an alarmingly strong sense of ‘love’, and the victim may become so deliriously ‘in love’ with you that they become completely unable to make rational decisions.”
[Flashback end]
Tatsuya began to laugh uncontrollably. “Hahahaha….” His body shook from the convulsions of pain, “…so that’s what they meant! I’ve been living a dream haven’t I? This is what I really am… a demon. And you can see me for who I am now, can’t you Junno?” Hot tears trickled down his cheeks as the angel cackled manically. “I fell in love with an idiot who was really a figment of my imagination… not you! The Taguchi Junnosuke who I fell in love with never really existed, like the Ueda Tatsuya I am. We both never existed! How fitting… hahahaha….” His shrill voice broke down into choked sobs with laughs in between. And angel breaking down is a spectacular thing to watch… it is then they transform into their true states. Tatsuya however, was stripped of power and presented a truly pitiful spectacle. Hot tears were no longer clear - molten gold and blood seeped from Tatsuya’s eyes as he struggled to combat the pain that was eating him from the inside out. Whether the blood was from his eyes or his face was really hard to tell. “You… never loved me…” he mumbled half to himself, “…the Archangels were right. This was a lost cause from the beginning so what was I hoping for?”
[Heaven]
“Well well well…” Michael mused, “Ryo, what do you think? Mr Dominion has to keep his word… the human is terrified!”
“Shut up!” Ryo lashed out with his arm, materialising a whip out of nowhere. “Tatsuya’s in great pain!”
“And pain is what you live on,” the Archangel caught the whip with one hand, hissing as it ate away at his skin, “give up! Their evil can hold no good consequences!”
“Not if I can help it!” a bottle of nail polish bopped Michael in the head.
“Who- GAH! MR DOMINION WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK IN HEAVEN?!” the angel roared at his superior.
“To get my mascara!” the Dominion picked up a silver tube from his judges desk and uncapped it, smiling as it grew into a 4-foot silver sword. “This is the last try and if I kill him, I’m sorry.” With that ridiculously short pseudo-explanation and a click of his fingers, the Dominion vanished as fast as he had come.
Satan and Michael stared at each other.
“Truce?” Ryo gulped and pointed back at the television in court.
“Until further notice,” Michael tentatively agreed, “what the HECK is going on with Mr Dominion?”
[Earth]
“H-hey…” Junno was at a loss of what to do. A murderer (?) was crying his eyes out and laughing like a maniac in his hospital room, his tears were literally dissolving the floor tiles and there was no security to help him out. “Dude… umm…. Are you okay?”
It was a stupid question. Normally a man crying tears of molten gold meant either he was not human or you were on drugs. Either way, things were NOT okay.
Tatsuya sat and cried some more.
Suddenly, a burst of holy flame erupted through the floor and a pulsating sphere of light appeared before them. “Tatsuya, by the name of the Lord I order you to stop whinging like a teenage girl!” the Dominion stepped out of his light portal wielding a solid silver sword of mass destruction, “We had a deal and I will now hold you to it. Prepare to return to Heaven at once!”
“Then why have you got such a large sword?” Tatsuya looked up at the beautiful being, eyes gleaming.
“Because I’m here to kill him.”
“That was NOT part of the deal!” Tatsuya shrieked, “how can you do this?!”
“Because I’m in a bad mood,” he chided, “I came to Earth to watch a BL drama, not waste my time. And since you’re too weak to do anything to stop me, I suggest you leave or watch quietly.” Flicking his hand, he brought Junno to his knees then slowly upwards until the human was lifted above the ground by his neck, gasping for breath and kicking wildly.
“STOP IT!!” Tatsuya screamed and lunged at the Dominion, who simply smacked him in the head. Blood gushing from the wound and vision going fuzzy, images of a smiling Junno came back to him, replenishing his energy. “Let…. Him.. go….” The angel coughed as he stood up once more, “Or I’ll fucking kill you!”
“You sound a lot less scary when you’re powerless,” the Dominion laughed and threw Juno to the ground with a sickening crack. “Watch quietly.” Sword poised, he stabbed down with blinding speed.
Junno closed his eyes.
A sharp pain coursed up his arm and forced him to regain consciousness. The sword had cut his skin slightly on the outside of his left arm but he was otherwise okay - the person above him was less lucky. Tatsuya was on all fours, shielding Junno with his own body as the sword penetrated his back completely and buried its tip into the flooring tiles. Blood dripped slowly and painfully from the wound as he still tried to push Junno away from under him and it became hard to tell whose blood it was on the floor.
“I… won’t let anyone hurt you apart from me…” Tatsuya laughed slightly and winced in pain, “so get the hell out of here!” He felt a tug and searing agony. The Dominion was probably pulling out the sword. Clutching onto the silver with one hand, he felt the blade sever the skin on his hand but held firm. “Are… you… stupid? Run for it baka!!” The words took up the last of his strength and Tatsuya tumbled forward, still not letting go of the weapon that skewered him.
“Who….. are you?” Junno reached forward with a shaking hand and gently stroked the cheek of the man who was dying for his sake, “…why… are you doing this?”
“Not… a clue,” the angel smiled painfully before looking up at the Dominion, “I’ve never… begged… anyone like this before…. But…please….don’t hurt… him….”
“Why do you do this to yourself?” the Dominion asked, “you could be so much better off! Look at you, dying in a puddle of blood for someone who doesn’t even love you-
“Is what I thought!” Tatsuya interjected, and spat out a mouthful of blood, “…but sometimes, I… think it’s him that gave me a p-purpose to live. You wouldn’t understand that feeling… I’d rather die a human than… wasting my life away without- wasting life without…. Ever… learning to love. Right?”
“You’re a tragedy, you know that?” he knelt down beside a bloodied Tatsuya, “born of love, saved with love and dies for love. Love is so overrated… Human, you have heard your answer. Whether you have the capacity to understand or not, this is the most powerful being of three worlds who has given up everything for you. At least give him-
“I’M FINE!!” Tatsuya raised his voice agonizingly, “….I don’t need anyone’s pity! I… know that you were trying to help Mr Dominion but…. It’s fine now. I tried my best…”
“Human,” the Dominion held back tears, “you are weak. Not strong enough to save him.”
“He’s strong…” Tatsuya murmured, “strong enough to not break after all I’ve done… to him…”
Picking the young angel up over his shoulders, the Dominion sighed and looked at Junno once more. “You have not spoken, but let this image be ingrained into your memory forever. He did love you Taguchi Junnosuke, and once day you will notice.”
Still covered in blood and in shock, Junno watched wordlessly as a dying angel was carried out of the hospital window by another. Tears did not form, but an emotion he could not define was threatening to break loose inside him. Shapeless memories tugged at their shackles, screaming for freedom within his heart.
He ran to the window and pressed himself close, wishing that it would give way. Nothing made sense, but the swordsman walking with the dying man was getting further and further away…. It felt…. Empty.
“Unfortunate,” Michael jeered from above, “but I was secretly hoping he’d wake up and declare his love.” Then I could have struck him down. No demon shall obtain love I never did. Lucifer, you will pay!
Ryo sighed deeply. “So let snow fall on this day forever,” he chanted softly as flakes began to fall on Earth, “it is only fitting.” The last time they parted was also of this fashion. Perhaps that should have been the last….
“Snow?” the Dominion stopped his footsteps, “Fitting for your pure love…”
“Put me down,” Tatsuya commanded gently, “If I am walking away from him, I…. will…. Walk by myself.”
“Stubbornness didn’t get you very far but this is the last time…” he set the younger angel down lightly and applied light pain relief magic to his wound. “Walk.” 200 years of suffering awaits you ahead… walk to it knowing that you have saved him.
In the hospital room, Junno’s eyes grew wide as he saw the snow fall. The same silhouette… As my dreams. Oh God…
“UEPI!!!!!” he tore down the hospital corridors dressed in nothing but the bloodied hospital pyjamas and barefoot. Everything came together in a mish-mash of scenes that ran through his head hundreds of times, each screaming for him to get to the man before they really died altogether.
Feet stained pink from stepping over bloody footprints in the snow, Junno raced towards the man in the snow who had already stopped trudging forward. Even before he rushed up and enveloped his Tatsuya in an embrace, he knew that the man had heard his footsteps and was crying. He could feel Tatsuya’s heartbeat and the warm liquid seeping from his back.
“I love you I love you I love you…” he whispered into Tatsuya’s ear with increasing urgency, “Don’t ever doubt me…. I’m so sorry….”
“Never…. Doubted.”
An angel collapsed into the snow, dragging down a screaming human. The screams were almost bestial - raw and heartbroken… the Dominion had to look away.
Just to hear those words, you jumped in front of my sword. Congratulations on your success… This is your happy ending.
[Heaven]
“So the filthy thing escapes punishment,” Michael scowled, “very well. The human loves him, so what? Sariel, have you written his name in the Book?”
“You mean this book?” Sariel gritted his teeth and held up his thick leather-bound book of death, “I’m outside of business hours sorry.”
“I beg your pardon?” Michael looked outraged while Ryo just blinked back his tears in surprise.
“I refuse to write Tatsuya’s name in the Book,” Sariel deadpanned, “get over it.”
“YOU TRAITOR!!” Michael pulled out a golden sword out of nowhere and pointed it at Sariel’s throat, “Are you siding with the demons?!”
“NOBODY DEALS A BLOW TO ME APART FROM GOD HIMSELF!” Sariel’s aura changed dramatically, “You’ve changed Michael! I’m not saying that Lucifer was correct by any means, but you have no right to deal such unjustified blows to innocent angels! I will NOT write his name in the Book unless you kill me!” Eyes glowing dangerously, Sariel’s quill also morphed into a sword.
The Archangel laughed coldly, “so what? Is this a mutiny? Anyone else wants to point a sword at me?”
Gabriel drew his own silently.
“About time…” Michael said, “I’m surprised you could hide your precious son for so long Gabby! Are you happy now?”
“WHAT?!” Ryo put two and two together finally, “Tatsuya is your SON?!”
“I wanted to keep it from him forever…” Gabriel held back tears, “600 years ago, I was in the defence forces and was appointed to guard the ‘last’ Omnipoten… Tatsuya’s mother. She was so beautiful I-
“You betrayed your lover at the time who was also a male angel,” Michael cut in, “so when the Omnipoten was discovered as pregnant, your lover tampered with the DNA system and claimed the child as his! He eloped with the Omnipoten to Hell in order to save your child and your watched them both die… So who did you love the most Gabriel? When I trialled him before shooting him, he believed till the last breath that you loved him. Sad isn’t it? Now you draw your sword at me for the son of that wretch! Love is glorified when it doesn’t even exist!”
“I loved him!” Gabriel said firmly, “and I am sure that somewhere, you love-
“I DO NOT!!!” Michael screeched like a Fury, “NEVER WILL I LOVE THAT DEMONIC BASTARD!!!”
Ryo smiled darkly to himself and summoned his father from the darkness.
“You…” Michael looked as if he had lost his mind. Charging without so much a second look, his gleaming sword made a beeline for Lucifer’s shoulder. It was without power though, and the figure clad in black found it easy to step aside and bring their lips together. Sword clanging to the ground, Michael closed his watery eyes and took himself 2000 years back.
[2 months later]
“I can’t believe you made it out of hospital that fast!” Kame exclaimed as he stepped inside the Ueda house for the first time, “I mean, you were stabbed through!” He set down Ueda’s hospital supplies bag on top of the shoe closet.
“I know,” the newly human Ueda Tatsuya grinned, “and the hospital didn’t ask any more questions after Junno dragged me into the place either! I had some extra help of course….”
“You had me worried sick!” Junno complained and circled an arm around his lover’s waist, “I genuinely thought you were dead!”
“So I heard,” Jin came through the door too, “seems like those angels won’t be bothering you guys from now on?”
“Thank God this ends happily…” professor Nakamaru was the last to enter Ueda’s house, “now that you two are out of hospital, maybe we should start going to church on Sundays just to be safe?”
“Maybe…” Ueda smiled, “I guess I’ll never really know what went on up there…. Or what happened to Ryo. Now that I think of it, Mr Dominion disappeared after I blacked out too!”
“Oh no you don’t!” came a torrent of abuse from the living room, “Mr Dominion please refrain from watching animated homosexual pornography on the television!”
“Dammit Sariel they just kissed and I missed it!”
“Who in the Lord’s name spilt Coca Cola on my tunic?!?!”
“Jerahmeel your hair is in the fruit punch! Oi wake up!!!”
“No stop Michael that’s not a- AAAH TOO MUCH LAUNDRY POWDER!!!”
“This brown stain must come off!!! Goddamn you infidel machinery! I WILL HAVE YOUR SOUL!!! ”
“Stop it- TOO MUCH POWDER I SAY!!!”
The five humans stared at each other in pure fear. Heavenly creatures were watching yaoi in the lounge and apparently destroying Ueda’s house - nothing could be more frightening.
“We should just head back to the hospital,” Ueda grimaced, “I’ll end up hurting people if I see what they’ve done to my carpet...”
“Hey they’re back!” Archangel Michael exploded from the living room, covered in soap bubbles, “Human! Tell me how to get this washing machine to do my bidding!”
“You take you clothes OFF first,” Ueda frowned at the trail of slick scum Michael had left over his hallway, “Or you could use FUCKING MAGIC.”
“Unfortunately we wanted to see what life is like without magic so… Beat that washing machine into shape for me! The infidel spat foam all over my tunic!”
“Hard to tell where the stain is… too many bubbles,” Ueda sighed and walked to check the damage on the rest of his house, “Dammit I get no peace around here- OI WHAT THE FUCK IS THE WASHING MACHINE DOING IN MY LIVING ROOM?!”
“SHUT UP I CAN’T HEAR THE TV!!” the Dominion waved his hands furiously as the animated couple on the television screen engaged in a heated argument about who should be seme.
“Oh God Tatsuya you’re back!” Sariel removed a pair of Boze headphones from his head, “make Mr Dominion stop watching his DVD!!! I was tempted to break your television but it didn’t seem proper and OH MY GOD THEY’RE AT IT AGAIN!!!”
“It’s a KISS!” the Dominion rolled his eyes, “get over it!”
Eyeing the carnage in his home, Ueda spotted everything from Coke cans to a washing machine, half a box of washing concentrate, pizza, a yaoi DVD box with the wrapping still attached and a room full of angels. What have I done to deserve this?
“I’d hate to be rude but please get out of my house,” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “this… has got to be the worst homecoming party ever!”
“It’s okay Uepi let them stay!” Junno tried his best not to imagine the clean-up job that would ensue, “Whoever these friends of yours are, I’m sure they mean well! I mean, they look so happy to see you safe! Let’s just forget about the clean-up and make everyone feel at home okay?”
“Oh Gods Junno do you know who these people ARE?!” Kame and Jin both begged, “Please don’t upset them… whatever you do!” Nakamaru nodded vigorously in agreement.
“Are we that scary?” Archangel Gabriel came out of the kitchen carrying two mugs of steaming… whatever he had made.
“Is my coffee machine still alive?” Tatsuya raised an eyebrow at the bubbling concoction.
“Define ‘alive’……”
“Never mind,” the copper-haired man sighed, “I have contents insurance…”
His father smiled warmly. “Can I talk you to in the garden?” Gabriel started out the veranda door without listening for a reply.
“Thank you for helping me,” Tatsuya shut the door behind him, “and all the angels. What made Michael change his mind?”
“Drink this and I’ll tell you,” Gabriel held out his drink.
“I’d rather shoot myself in the foot,” Tatsuya pulled a face.
The Archangel laughed and set the mugs down. “Sorry, couldn’t help it,” he laughed, copper hair shining in the midday sun. “You have Lucifer to thank, really. He turned up in the nick of time… I’m sorry I couldn’t do more for you.”
“What more can you do?” Ueda Tatsuya pointed through the window at Junno, Kame, Jin and Maru, who were engaging in some sort of comedy with the Archangels, “That’s all I’ll ever need.”
“You’ve changed…” Gabriel’s eyes moistened, “for the better, of course. But your mortality is-
“Mortality is a great thing,” the other shook his head, “it makes you LIVE.”
“I suppose you’re right, son.” He waited for the worst.
But the younger copy of him didn’t miss a beat. “I always am right…”
Gabriel paused for a moment. “You… knew?”
“Before he died, my dad always used to say what a lovely person my father was,” Ueda replied plainly, “I caught on quite fast. And there aren’t many angels around with our hair colour I must admit. Especially those who are helpful….”
“I did love him…” Gabriel sighed, “and maybe I’m not worth forgiveness but I have to tell you that I did love both of them.”
“My life is past your mistakes,” Tatsuya smiled genuinely, “but I’m glad you had the guts to tell me about them, father.”
When he stepped back inside the house, Tatsuya was greeted with a hug from the Dominion. “You did all yaoi fanboys proud,” he grinned, “We have unanimously accepted Taguchi Junnosuke. He is SOOO worth it! ”
“You what?” Tatsuya glared at Junno, who only shrugged.
“Annoying as he is, I think he’s worth your effort,” even Michael nodded begrudgingly, “anyone capable of using that damned machine without falling into a rage passes my standards…”
Your standards worry me… Maybe he’s just attractive for beings like us? Tatsuya chuckled to himself and gave Junno a wink.
“Okay gentlemen I think it’s time we let them be!” the Dominion declared, tidying his yaoi DVDs into a neat pile and tucking them under his arm. He noticed that Jin was still drooling at him. “Ahem… we should head back to Heaven now. Run along kids!”
“We’re leaving already?” a sleepy Jerahmeel suddenly moved from off the ground. His hand touched Junno’s foot and the tall man let out a noise not unlike a frightened chimpanzee, then lost his balance.
Just your average mortal chaos.
Ryo watched silently from the window, holding Tatsuya’s emerald plant. He had been outside for some time now, hidden, simply watching. He flinched slightly when Junno fell over and Ueda burst into laughter, and clenched his fist when Junno refused to let go of Tatsuya. A tear formed when they kissed and that was when he had to stop watching.
I’m no hero… He thought to himself. I still want to kill him…..
But the happiness in his friend’s eyes shone through after all. Giving the plant a bit of a pat, Ryo unfurled his fist and waved to the window, hoping that his feelings would struggle through the shield of glass.
He could still hear Tatsuya’s laughter as he snapped his fingers and disappeared into a black flame.
Or maybe those were memories.
================================================================
Dear Diary,
There’s no time to write in you lately… too many things to do, too many screaming souls in my face all day.
Fine. Maybe I’m depressed today, but I have a good reason to be. Today is one year since I’ve seen Tatsuya since we parted ways in Heaven.
I’ve been watching him too.
It’s his tenth wedding anniversary on earth today. After he got back, Tatsuya and Taguchi got married in Holland. The idiot now choreographs for Broadway from his own back yard, Tatsuya and Akanishi now run an expanding clinic that is due to become a fully-fledged hospital next year - they will become the youngest hospital owners in the world. I think Tatsuya may have a Nobel Prize nomination for his wonderful work in stem cell therapy. Of course, Akanishi and that idol (who’s now the equivalent of Brad Pitt in Japan) are as close as ever. He’s even a personal physician to the man. Everyone’s happy, according to my re-downloaded smartphone stalker app.
I’m not a stalker. Not a full-time one anyway… My job keeps me from doing so.
But yes, I’ve been watching Tatsuya despite my limited schedule. Humans are hard to keep track with you know? When I head out to work in the morning and when I come back, weeks would have passed on Earth… I’d sort through prayer proxies, seeing which human prayers Hell can sabotage and pretend to answer, I’d give advice to the Department of Deception, judge some hard cases and THEN there’d be HIM to take up my time.
My pesky secretary.
After I returned to Hell one year ago, he was the first to come bounding out of my Father’s office, completely oblivious to the fact that I had just given up my one true love, and declared he had been chosen to be my secretary until one of us died.
We’re both fucking immortal.
He also claimed that he loved me and that I should screw him over my desk after my shower. He’s an innocent little thing at heart, though after that encounter I avoided him for a good two weeks. He has that enthusiasm black-wings shouldn’t have - he does everything for me and always keeps a genuine smile plastered on his face, never asking for anything more than to make my life easier.
Looking at him and me and Tatsuya, I finally understand what Father meant by ‘Hell is fair’. Just like I cannot love him, Tatsuya cannot love me. Hell leaves no questions unanswered - it simply wasn’t time. From the moment I desired the power to protect Tatsuya; I was destined to lose him. After all, as the heir to Hell, I can’t have both. I thought I’d be able to obtain him after I got up to this throne of death first, and I was spectacularly wrong. It’s just the way things worked around here. And that’s why Father gave me his title - he saw right through me and cut my dream in half.
Father? I have had talks with him over a drink, but I don’t feel the need to delve deeper into his history. We’ve never been close as a family because of his line of work (being Satan and all) anyway. What I did find out through bits and pieces was that I really shouldn’t pity myself, Father has a sadder history. I will never know what happened between him and Michael thousands of years ago but one thing is for certain - Father has gone to chase it back. Whether he’ll succeed or not is a mystery, but it showed me that he has found a spark of hope within himself again. I can also safely conclude that I am stuck with this job because my own Father decided his ex-boyfriend is more important than his son’s happiness. Yay.
Not to say that I’m not ‘happy’ though.
I am happy knowing that Tatsuya is happy wherever he is in the world. I personally keep his room as messy as it was the day he first left for earth and I’ve kept his emerald plants alive like he told me to. The plants are now big enough for me to sit under on a bad day and curse at the green gems that drop on my head.
But I’m okay with that. In my pathetic imagination, I hope one day Tatsuya will come back. One day he’ll love me and one day, he’ll walk through the door of his bedroom and complain to me in that charming voice of his that I haven’t cleaned it after so many years-
…Or maybe I’m too scared to confront myself. My secretary’s been none of his energetic self recently, and I’m worried sick. I’m not in Tatsuya’s room today because I miss Tatsuya, but because I’m too busy trying to avoid my own secretary! Hell, what’s wrong with me?!
“Ryo-chan?”
The black-wing clapped his diary shut in a frenzy and cursed as another emerald the size of a small orange bopped him on the head.
“I keep telling you to knock before you enter and call me My Lord!” he hissed, rubbing his bleeding scalp.
“No,” his secretary pulled a childish face and stomped over to the devil himself. Ryo winced, thinking that he was going to get hit. Instead, a cool sensation washed over his upper body and he sighed contentedly, feeling drowsy. “There’s nothing like healing magic administered by somebody else is there? Now sit still.”
“You should stop using that…” Ryo murmured, “I heard the guys from Sabotage mocking you for it the other day… saying you were half a white-wing…”
“You don’t know half the things I’d put up with for you…”
“Pardon?” Ryo pretended not to hear.
“Nothing.”
They remained like that for a few moments, Ryo’s head being shrouded in a faint blue light as a smaller figure sat beside him wordlessly.
“My Lord?”
“Call me Ryo.”
“Make up your mind for fuck’s sake!” the younger angel gave Ryo a shove. He couldn’t be bothered to keep his balance and toppled to the floor with a thud. “That’s more like you…” Ryo smiled lightly, with a tinge of sadness.
“You’re… missing him, aren’t you?” the younger one’s face fell, “You always come into this bedroom when you’re missing him. I’ve heard stories… Is he beautiful? I’ve heard he was the most powerful to have ever lived. Was he cuter than me? He has a messy room though-
“Jealousy didn’t get me anywhere, so you should stop,” Ryo cut him off. “As for me, I’m currently stuck over how I can get you to stop using that Healing of yours because I know it causes you excruciating pain every time you use it and that you’re doing a bad job of hiding your pain to me.”
“…You…how can you say such a long sentence and not run out of air?”
“I’m Satan, I know can do almost as much as God does,” Ryo boasted as he sat upright, “and I don’t need a girly brat to appeal to me using life-threatening methods. Just because you were born with this talent means it is safe to use. The military have requested for you as a medic several times but I refused every time because it’s not safe.” Why did I do that again? The old me would have delighted in exploiting those who trusted me…
“I knew nothing about that!” his secretary blushed. He…cares for me?
“Bloody Hell!” Ryo cried, “If you’d known, being the idiot you are, you would have enlisted in the army to ‘serve’ me!” He stood up and brushed off the emeralds from his cloak. “No more reckless healing magic or ridiculous jealousy or ignoring me from now on. That’s an order.”
“But-
“And clean this room out by the end of the day, got it kid?” he said as he left out the door.
“WHAT?!?!?!” the younger angel chased Ryo into the corridor of Hell’s mansion, “BUT YOU SAID NOBODY WAS TO TOUCH ANYTHING IN THAT ROOM!!!”
“My mind has changed,” Ryo replied without looking back, “and plant that emerald tree into the garden will you?”
Dumbstruck, the young black-wing leant on the doorframe. Cleaning Tatsuya-sama’s room… Does that mean-
A piece of paper appeared and tacked itself on a bit of wall next to him, and a few lines of hastily scribbled words wrote themselves out with magical pink gel pen.
‘I’m the worst person for expressing myself and this is too embarrassing to say to your face but you don’t have to keep being jealous of the owner of this room anymore. I’ll cook dinner for you tonight to make it up to you.’
Tears were already streaking down his face as the young black-wing marched into Tatsuya’s room holding the piece of notepad like a trophy. “He’s mine!” he skipped about, grinning and throwing years-old laundry into a bag, “Finally! He’s mine!”
The silly… Ryo chuckled as he looked on from outside the window, He’s so happy he’s forgotten how to use magic.
Tat-chan, isn’t life an outrageous troll on us all? I swore I’d never love anyone but you, yet I’m constantly being thrown overboard by that adorable thing. I still love you, but in a different way… it’s taken me too long to recognise it.
Ryo took out his smartphone from his pocket and ripped the page from his diary he had previously written in. He opened the app one last time. The face of a laughing Tatsuya broadcasted in real time greeted him. He was in a pillow fight with Junno, dressed in matching purple bath robes.
[Earth]
At that moment, Tatsuya stopped the pillow-fight. He rushed to the bedroom drawers as if in a trance and removed a solid emerald from a small box. It was an emerald he found lying on the driveway ten years ago.
“Uepi?” Junno was still holding onto his pillow, “What’s wrong with your rock?”
The copper-haired man shook his head. “Nothing.”
But he looked out their bedroom window at a raven sitting on a tree, and waved the emerald at it.
And somewhere in Hell, Ryo saw his friend smile AT him from the screen, then pounce on Junno as their pillow-fight resumed once more.
He smiled. With one hand Ryo pressed the delete button on his app manager and the other hand he set fire to the diary page, watching it curl in a black inferno. With it went 500 years of one-sided affection.
Our paths are different after all. I’ve always wanted you by my side and tried so hard for you to be a black-wing… but I’ve seen enough to know that for you, the only colour better than black is transparent.
A.N. It's finished. I know. It's finished. I'm sorry I didn't warn anyone but this is seriously finished.
Did you think Tatsuya was going to die? XD *bricked*
Honestly I enjoyed this story... it has all my ideals in it and I enjoyed the epicness of blocking a sword blindly. If you compare this Tatsuya with chapter 1, he really had changed. And maybe, just maybe, he found a slice of happiness in place of his sarcasm and scorn. What I really wanted to convey was how much life was worth. It had never mattered to Tatsuya before he fell in love, but he soon came to realise how important Junno and everyone was to him. If I had a choice, Tatsuya gave up power, life and risked it all even if Junno didn't know he existed. They are both bad at conveying their love because of limited time and social adequacy, but their love is a feeling so strong it touched the hearts of so many around them.
And I think Ryo's happiness was well-deserved. (And yes, I purposefully never named his secretary)