Heaven Sent

Cephi was pacing furiously around his flat. Had been since Allen left. He had tried to stop, to calm himself several times, but he was just so angry. He trusted Allen. Trusted him. And the boy had betrayed that trust. It was no wonder the kid had been so earnest, so wanting of a relationship with a despicable creature like him. So perfect in every way that Cephi could think of.

There was no doubt in his mind that bastard of an angel Theophilus had found and trained that boy to use against him. And he had almost been completely ensnared by those innocent eyes and beguiling smile.

He wanted to yell. Rip his hair out. Punch something. Anything to relieve some of the pent up fury he was feeling. He had been so close to loving that kid. So close.

His heart gave a painful lurch in his chest. Maybe he had been closer than he thought. He had forgotten how painful it was to lose someone. Sure Allen hadn’t died, hadn’t disappeared from this world, but Cephi’s faith in the man had been crushed into little bits.

Cephi clenched his fists in barely suppressed rage. He made a silent vow to never get close to anyone again. Every time he did something happened that left him feeling betrayed and lost. Whoever came up with the saying it’s better to have loved and lost than never loved at all had gotten it wrong. It was so much better to go without anyone, to feel the gentle pull of loneliness than the sharp slap in the face that was betrayal.

He let out an angry hiss.

“Who peed in your Cheerios?” a snobbish voice drawled. And there was the owner of that voice leaning against his fridge, arms crossed with a crooked smirk on his annoyingly handsome face.

Cephi crossed the room in two powerful bounds and grabbed a fistful of the smug man’s shirt. “What the fuck are you doing here?” he growled.

The man brushed Cephi’s hands away easily, which just pissed the man off even more. “Come now, Cephirial, I thought we were friends,” the man said sounding genuinely shocked by the rude welcoming he received.

“Cut the crap,” Cephi spat, “what do you want?”

“Can’t I just swing by to visit a friend? The man asked easily. The look on Cephi’s face clearly stated that the answer to that question was no. And there was that F word again. Friend. No way, no how. Not with this man.

“Jesus, will you just tell me why you’re here.” He demanded, about ready to pull his hair out again. The man was just so aggravating. His appearance so soon after Allen’s betrayal was like adding salt and cyanide to a gaping wound.

The intruder sighed, irritated, and brushed back a strand of dark hair. “Cephi, Cephi,” he began in a sing-song voice, “as much as it flatters me to be called that name, how many times do I have to tell you, my name’s Lucifer.”

Cephi let out a frustrated breath. He was getting absolutely nowhere with this infuriating man with his current attitude. It was time to try being reasonable. “Lucifer, I’ve had a really shit day. Can you please tell me why you’re in my home.” And maybe turn down your you-ness he added in his head.

“If you don’t know why I’m here then you’re a bigger idiot than I thought,” Lucifer shot back. Cephi gave a sharp inhale. He would not hit the ruler of Hell. He would not hit the ruler of Hell. He would not hit the ruler…

“You really don’t know why I’m here?” Lucifer asked with a skeptically raised brow. Cephi shot him a look that said duh.

“No shit,” Lucifer just stared at Cephi in wonder and Cephi stared back refusing to break the man’s gaze. After a few minutes Cephi couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you going to tell me what I’m already supposed to know or are we gonna continue to stare at each other?”

There was a drastic change in attitude. Lucifer went from joking and carefree to sullen so fast Cephi wondered if he ever experienced emotional whiplash. And suddenly the fierce ruler looked vulnerable.

“You know I still feel it every time it happens,” the man spoke softly.

Could he get anymore vague? Cephi had absolutely no clue what Lucifer was referring to. And it must have shown on his face because the man sighed and began to explain further.

“I’m sure you remember what it was like the first time your wings came out.” Cephi nodded. It had been the most pleasurable and painful experience of his life.

“Well, then you also know that angels experience the pleasure the one gaining the wings feels.” Again Cephi nodded. It had been a long time since his fall, but he could still remember the rapture felt by all angels when another got their wings for the first time. Something he hadn’t felt since his fall to earth.

“When an angel loses their wings typically they are cut off from this feeling of bliss. They feel nothing. Which I’m sure you noticed.” And Cephi nodded a third time.

“What you might not know is that I still feel it every time it happens,” Lucifer echoed his words from earlier. “But instead of pleasure I share their pain. I alone share the pain with the new angel.” Cephi felt dread and a little worm of guilt begin to pool in his stomach. He was afraid he knew where this conversation was heading and he didn’t like it one bit. Because it meant he was wrong.

“While the feeling of pleasure is about the same for each new angel the amount of pain varies significantly. The stronger the angel the more pain is experienced,” Lucifer looked Cephi straight in the eyed and fixed him with the most earnest expression he knew how to make. “Last night I an angel got their wings and I was incapacitated for nearly twelve hours.

Cephi’s stomach nearly dropped out. Last night had been when Allen… But there were hundreds of angels out there what were the chances that the one last night had been him?

“Then why are you here?” Cephi asked hoarsely.

“Did you know when they get their wings for the first time they leave a sort of residue. I don’t want to say it’s magical because it’s not, but, well, I guess it’s simply power. After I could move I had to see where the power was coming from,” the man concluded. He didn’t have to say the power was coming from Cephi’s place. If it weren’t Cephi knew Lucifer wouldn’t be there.

“It was actually quite a surprise when I found you here,” Lucifer admitted sheepishly.

Cephi’s legs felt like they might buckle under his own weight. He staggered his way to his couch and sat down burying his face in his hands. ”Shit!" he hissed.

“Dude, what’s the matter with you?” Lucifer watched the man’s reaction with interest.

“I’ve made a horrible mistake,” the man moaned. He let out a shaky breath. Guilt was threatening to overtake him. Allen didn’t know. Well, hadn’t known what he was. And Cephi had not only not believed him, he… he… “Forced him to change.”

Lucifer heard the man’s muttering loud and clear. He fixed another quizzical look at the man. It shouldn’t have been possible to force the change. There was no forcing an angel’s wings to come out. It happened naturally. Usually around the time of maturation. But Cephi said he had forced the change. How interesting. That only happened with those half-breeds- nephilim- and there was no way that powerful being was half anything. There were many angels who didn’t possess that much power. Something didn’t make sense.

He heard a sniffling and noticed the tears threatening to pour out of the other’s eyes. And then something else didn’t make sense. Cephi was known for not giving two shits for anyone. And here he was showing remorse for how he treated another. Almost crying over some guy!

A sly smile formed on Lucifer’s face. “You like this guy,” Lucifer accused.

“Yeah,” Cephi agreed.

Damn. It was no fun when they agreed like that.

“Then why’d you make his wings come out?” Lucifer asked gently, just trying to understand what had happened. Lucifer would never force anyone’s wings out it hurt too much.

“I thought… I thought…” Cephi took a breath, trying to compose himself. “I thought he was working with Theophilus.”

Lucifer’s eyes widened. Now there’s a name he’s rather not here. Nothing good ever came when that man was involved. It’s a wonder he was still an angel. “Why’d you think that?”

“He said ‘Theophilus said hello’ and I jumped to the conclusion on my own.”

“Oh, Hell.”

Cephi looked up at Lucifer.

“You said you like this boy, right?” the man asked for clarification.

“Yeah?”

“How much do you like him?” Lucifer pried. It seemed like an invasive question. And it was… but it was important.

Cephi answered proudly and with certainty, “I’d die for him.”

Lucifer sighed, “That’s what I was afraid you’d say.”

“What?”

Lucifer advanced on him in an excited fury. “Can’t you see what’s going on here?”

Cephi just gave him a confused look.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. Some people were just so stupid. “Where’s the boy now?”

The answer was barely a whisper. “I threw him out.”

Oh for the love of… Lucifer over to the fridge. “You’d better go and find him, and quick. Because if Theo finds him first you’ll have a repeat of what happened all those years ago. And this time he’ll make sure to eliminate you too.”

Cephi shot to his feet.

“Get moving before it’s too late,” Lucifer advised, opening the door to Cephi’s freezer.

“Where’re you going?”

Lucifer gave a smile. “Back to Hell,” with that said, he crawled into the freezer. He popped his head out and gave Cephi one last look. “Good luck.” And with that, Lucifer closed the freezer door.

Cephi sighed. He’d need that luck. He had to find Allen before Theo did or… He really didn’t want to think of what would happen.

He flung open his front door at a run. He decided he’d start his search at Allen’s house. And he hoped to God the boy was there.