Chapter One
In The Beginning

"While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel." Luke 24:4

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Warnings
Mentions of injury/blood
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Asmodeus didn't fully recognize the angel for who he was until he was laying down on the couch in his apartment, his wounds slowly healing. Or, at least, that's what he told himself as he splashed a handful of water from his sink onto his face.

Hell, who was he kidding, he just wanted to see Raphael's reaction to being saved by a demon such as himself. That, and he was curious as to why he looked as he did. Most curious of all, however, was his blood. It was red. Where was the gold that burned him to touch? The fierce white wings atop his back? The righteous divinity that Raphael seemed to always have?

Raphael's back length hair, a vibrant black near the roots fading vaguely into a lighter brown near its dreadlocked tips, hung wild and crazy over his neck and shoulders. His tinged white robe smelt of smoke ,and his hands were rough and calloused and stained with ash.

It unsettled Asmodeus more than he could describe to see his greatest enemy so weak. He knew Raphael was strong- too strong. Strong enough to have been able to destroy whatever it is that did this to him. So why was he so beat up? Why did he look as if he-

Asmodeus froze, his black eyes suddenly passing over to Raphael, searching him carefully, looking for it. For it. For it. And then he realized it wasn't there. Raphael didn't have his halo. Raphael was mortal. Raphael had fallen. Raphael-

His breath hitched in his throat as the two of them suddenly made eye contact. The angels- no, the fallen angels dark gaze bore a certain kind of collected, terrified look to him. Something had happened. Asmodeus was 100% sure of it now.

"Where am I?" Raphael asked urgently, his voice deep and scratchy as he quickly got to his feet. He stumbled slightly and Asmodeus instinctually took a step forward only to be stopped with a sharp look. The fallen angel seemed uncertain about what was happening, a look Asmodeus hadn't seen on his handsome face for a while. How peculiar. After a moment he responded.

"My place," The demon responded slowly. Raphael suddenly seemed to realize who exactly he was.

"Wait-?" He paused, black eyes scanning him for a second. Searching him. His gaze was all that was holy- scorching his skin with only a look. "You're a demon-"

"You know exactly who I am- What happened to you?" Raphael froze, gaze snapping back to the demon's eyes. There was something cold there. A look Asmodeus was all too familiar with. A look he had seen tens of hundreds of times back in the pits. A look he himself once had. His wings were gone. His wings were taken.

"You have no right to know, demon." Raphael hissed, grabbing the side of the couch in an effort to balance himself. The demon gave him a look, watching him for a second before he sighed and shook his head.

"You're right, I don't," Asmodeus took a careful step forward. "But you're hurt, you're tired, and you can barely stand. At this point, trying to leave will only lead to the destruction of your body- or worse, depending on what happened to you." He held out a hand. "Let me help you, please Raphael."

The fallen angel gazed at him, one of his wounds having already reopened and slowly dripping down the side of their face, before they sighed and took his hand.

"This doesn't mean we're friends though, demon, remember that," Raphael muttered, tilting their head up as if to try and regain some of their divine dignity, which only earned a small smile from Asmodeus.

"Of course not, Raphael, of course not."

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Asmodeus ended up properly dressing Raphael's wounds, numerous as they were, and gave him a pair of his own clothes to replace his robe which was all ripped and bloody. The most obvious of his wounds were on his back, which only served to strengthen his suspicions about Raphael's wings. Two deep gashes on his shoulder blades, clear and fresh as day.

His jaw had clenched as he slowly cleaned the blood off of it, noticing how tense Raphael suddenly became as he did so. The fallen angel knew that Asmodeus recognized such a wound, seeing as where he had come from, but neither of them spoke until he was finished.

"Do you want to sleep on the couch?" Asmodeus had asked tentatively. Raphael gave him a look.

"It doesn't seem like I have any choice, do I?" His tone was hostile, earning an undignified huff from the demon.

"You're correct on that point," Asmodeus answered back. He waved a hand and the lights suddenly dimmed. "I'm assuming you can sleep now, hmm?" The demon didn't wait for an answer and instead got to his feet, handing Raphael a blanket as he stepped away.

The scent of blood was strong in the air, so sharp and tangy. Of course, he was used to it. Even a few years in Hell could do that to you, but that didn't make it any less unnerving.

Asmodeus turned to leave and go to his own room, and his hand had just barely even grazed the bronze of the door knob, when suddenly Raphael spoke.

"Thank you," he muttered quietly. A small smile spread across the demons face.

"No problem, Raphael," and with that, he stepped inside and closed the door after him.

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Word count- 975
Chapter one? Kinda nice I think. I'd love it if you could comment and vote, your words mean a lot! (Even if they're criticizing!)
5/6/20