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Transfer Student	By : vbruce Category: +S to Z > Trinity Blood Views: 1676 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Don't ownKamigami no Asobi nor do I own Trinity Blood, wish I did. Making no money.

Chapter List
- 1-Transfer Student
- 1
The light was harsh and unforgiving as it woke Abel up from his comforting sleep. He groaned in misery as his head reminded him that drinking with a stranger was always a bad idea. The fresh air and soft grass on his cheek was something new, however, and instincts had him sitting up even if it was to cradle his head a few moments later.
"It lives!" came a very loud voice from near the top of Abel's head.
"You shouldn't have poked him with that stick, Loki."
"Why the hell not? I had to make sure it was alive."
Carefully, Abel peeled open his eyes to find a pair of teenagers standing before him. One had red hair, grey feline eyes, and a stick in his hand. That had to be the previously named Loki.
"Heh, he's almost as pretty as you are, Balder," Loki said, leaning on the other young man.
"My name is Abel Nightlord," Abel managed to get out, not wanting to use his usual last name in case these two were somehow connected to Cain. The bastard was still around, even a century after the fall of his Order.
The young man with long, blond hair smiled and offered him a hand up. "My name is Balder and this is Loki," he said, tilting his head toward his companion.
"Where am I?" Abel asked, allowing himself to be helped to his feet. He felt a bit like a giant, towering over them at his normal 6 foot plus height when they barely reached his chest.
"You do realize that thought is wrong since you're standing on tree roots and we're on the ground, kiddo," Loki said.
"Loki," Balder admonished mildly.
"He'll figure it out when he steps down. And finds a mirror."
"What are you talking about?" Abel asks. It's a tired tone instead of the angry snap it should be, but he's tired and uncaring about a lot of things these days.
Loki eyed him narrowly. "Well, that depends on how old you were before you got here."
Abel shrugged a shoulder. "Around a millennia and a half I think," he confessed. It had taken time to break the Order and towards the last few centuries, he had stopped bothering to count the years that pressed down on him.
"Yeah, well, you look REALLY good for your age at this point, put it that way," Loki said, rocking back on his heels and grinning.
Abel was about to say more when he took that step forward. Yelping, he staggered, off balance as the tree roots he had been on unknowingly, seemed to vanish beneath his feet, and he crashed into the redhead.
“Well, hello to you too," Loki said with a grin and one handed butt squeeze.
"Loki!"
Narrowing his eyes, Abel pushed himself away from Loki with a small snarl.
"Whaaaatttt? I was just making sure nothing was injured," he said with a smirk.
Balder rolled his eyes. "Forgive him, he's a slut."
Brushing his white robe out - and why by all that was in Heaven was he still wearing that - Abel turned to give the redhead a piece of his mind when he realized something immediate. He had to look up just a bit to meet their eyes.
"I think he might be getting the picture. Oi! Yui! Come here a minute and meet the new meat," Loki called to a girl passing near them.
Yui sighed and shook her head. "Really, Loki-san, will you not grow up?" she asked, moving over to smile at the silver haired person. She bowed politely to him. "Welcome to the Academy."
Abel looked at her, feeing a touch light headed. "What is going on? What is this Academy? And why do I have to look *up* to them?"
"Why would I want to grow up? So boring," he said, tugging on a lock of her hair. "Got a mirror?"
Yui shook her head again in fondness before pulling out her pocket mirror and handing it to Abel. He opened it and stared at his reflection. The reflection that showed he was the same apparent age as them. "How?"
"We should take him to Zeus or at very least Thoth," Balder said.
"Gods! Thoth will eat him alive," Loki said with a grin.
"Fairy!" called a voice before Apollo appeared from around a building. He jogged over to them, a bright smile on his face. "Ah! The new arrival! Welcome!"
Yui smiled at the new arrival. Out of all of her 'boys', Apollo always had a special place in her heart.
The mirror dropped from Abel's fingers to land on the grass. Loki. Thoth. Zeus. Baldur. All the names of deities from forgotten religions. Shaking his head, he turned and started walking away.
Loki grinned and zipped around in front of him. "Where do you think you're going, sweet pea?"
"To find a way out of here," Abel stated, his voice firm as he continued walking.
"Good luck with that. I'll tell you where you are if you want," Loki said.
Sighing, Abel stopped and turned to Loki. "Fine. Where am I?"
"You're in a pocket dimension. A pretty little place outside of the linear slipstream of your time."
"Then send me back," Abel stated. "I have no reason to be here."
"I'm afraid we can't," apologized Apollo, coming over to them. "Only Father can, and he can be rather stubborn at times."
"HA! He ain't leaving until he's done. Poor bastard," Loki said, stretching his arms over his head.
Abel glared at them. "I will *not* be a prisoner!" he snarled, feeling the almost welcomed change sweep through him as he shifted to his Crusnik form.
A few seconds later Abel was flat on his face, with someone's knees digging into his back and a firm grip on his wings. "Alright, punk, that's enough," said the person sitting on him. "And don't even try anything unless you want to be missing your wings."
"They'll grow back," snarled Abel, turning to glare at whomever was on his back. He did notice that the others were keeping a bit of a distance, including some others that he hadn't seen before.
"Not if I rip them off they won't," the person said, yanking him up by the wings. "Now walk."
Hissing as he was dragged to his feet, Abel staggered a few steps as he was pushed forward. Folding his wings against his back, he whirled around to glare at the one that was treating him like an idiot.
"The rest of you punks get back to class," the person ordered.
Yui sighed but ushered the boys back to class, knowing that there was nothing more to be done for now.
Abel drew himself up to his full height, short thought it was from usual, and continued to glare at the person. "I don't know who you are, nor do I care. I want to be returned to the place I was kidnapped from."
The taller man seized Abel by the throat and lifted him off the ground, letting his feet dangle. "You don't have the authority, fire power or age to make demands, punk," he said before dropping him and grabbing the back of his neck. "Now stop trying my patience and walk."
Abel's eyes narrowed. "And you don't have nearly enough stripes on your sleeve to order me to do anything," he purred back before channeling electricity through his body.
The man grinned at the expression on Abel's face as the electrical charge didn't faze him in the slightest. "Do you really want to keep trying this little pissing contest?"
"I wouldn't call it a pissing contest considering I was *kidnapped* and apparently am being held prisoner," he snarled.
"I'd call it a punk who's used to getting his way suddenly figuring out he's not the top of the foodchain and not liking it. Now walk," the man said, prodding Abel along.
Abel stepped to the side, resumed his human form and folded his arms. "No."
"Fine," the man said, encasing him in a forcefield and pulling it along. "Damn punks."
The forefield got a blink, but Abel simply let the other man do what he wished. As far as Abel was concerned, he was a prisoner. He never cared about the food chain before and he certainly wasn't going to care now.
The man pulled the forcefield with Abel in it through various hallways of what seemed to be a school. "What are you punks looking at?" he snarled more than a few times at the gawkers.
"Off hand, I would say someone who is lacking in the manners department," drawled Abel.,
The man ignored him and finally pulled the forcefield into what could only be considered a throne room. "Zeus, I've brought the new one. Under much protest on his part."
"If you had been kidnapped and was currently being held prisoner, I doubt you would be much more cooperative," Abel pointed out in a reasonable voice.
"Abel Nightroad, you have been brought here to learn," intoned Zeus only to blink when Abel yawned in his direction.
"He's a worse brat than Loki," the white haired man pointed out.
"He will learn, as Loki did," Zeus said. "I believe you can release him, Thoth."
Thoth shrugged and waved a hand, releasing the forcefield.
Lightly landing on his feet, Abel stared at Zeus. "If you're trying to impress me, you're failing. Miserably," he drawled. "A prison, no matter how pretty you decorate it, is still a prison."
Thoth snorted. "Why would anyone try to impress something like you?"
Abel eyed Thoth. "I've been called worse by better people."
"I doubt it."
Zeus rose to his feet and pointed his staff at Abel. "Perhaps I should just remove you from your life and save us all the hassle."
Spreading his arms, Abel looked right at Zeus. "Go ahead. I'd like to meet my friends again in the afterlife, and I have nothing tying me to this world."
"Who says you're going anywhere near them in the afterlife?" Thoth said. "Anubis!"
"Ballah?" came a curious noise and a dark head peeked around a corner.
Abel looked at Thoth, his expression blank. "Then if I am destined for punishment, I may as well get it started to atone faster."
Anubis was circling Abel, sticking his nose into his hair and sniffing before looking curiously at Thoth.
"He's a Crusnik," Thoth explained. "You've ferried the other one that's dead."
Anubis sneezed and shrugged.
Smiling sadly, Abel knelt and rubbed the apparently young boy's hair. "I hope she was at peace when you met," he murmured, his heart still aching for Lillith's death.
Anubis shrugged and went to wind himself around Thoth.
Straightening, Abel let his face fall emotionless again as his hand returned to his side. "Well? Are you going to kill me now so I might get started on the afterlife, whatever that might be?"
Frowning, Zeus lowered his staff and sat back on his throne. "You're rather anxious for death"
"As I said before, there is nothing tying me to this world. What does it matter if I live or die?" stated Abel.
"Why are the ones you bring idiots concerning their own existence?" Thoth said, scratching Anubis behind an ear.
"Because often they can't see beyond their own petty existence," countered Zeus, still frowning.
Thoth shrugged. "I'll leave you to deal with him then. I'll send the idiot blond and the brat in to show him quarters."
"Then you believe he would be better with the Norns instead of the Greeks?" inquired Zeus, looking at Thoth with a touch of curiosity.
Abel didn't fall for their act for a moment. Good Cop Bad Cop was the oldest act in the book before the book had fallen apart due to age.
Thoth shrugged. "I believe he should be spanked on a regular basis. The decision is yours, however."
"As the two groups are quartered close to each other, he will stay between the two," Zeus remarked.
"Oh go find another mortal woman to sleep with!" Abel finally snapped, slashing his hand through the air. "I will not be your latest play thing or hobby. Neither of you intimidate me in the least, and frankly, *no one* has even bothered to ask my opinion." He snorted and folded his arms, still glaring at them. "Gods you may be, but you're not *my* god."
"Does he even get an opinion, Zeus?" Thoth asked mildly.
A snort was Thoth's answer.
Shaking his head, Abel whirled on a heel and stalked out of the chamber. He was leaving.
"Let him go if he wishes, Zeus. It isn't as though he can actually GO anywhere," Thoth said.
Zeus sighed and shook his head. "If he wasn't so dangerous, I wouldn't have brought him," he remarked, making sure their words didn't reach sharp ears.
Thoth shrugged. "Can't be any worse than the dumb blond," he said.
"True, and less dangerous to everyone, but he is still dangerous," Zeus pointed out.
Abel, ignorant of the conversation going on behind him, stormed through the halls and out the front door, uncaring at the whispers he left in his wake.
As Abel came around a corner he nearly ran into Balder carrying a tray of strawberry daifuku. "Oh, Abel! I was just taking these to Hades. Would you like to come with me?" he asked with a smile.
"No. I'm leaving," Abel said with a small bow of his head. "If you will excuse me."
Balder reached out and gently grasped Abel's hand. "Abel, come with me, please. We may be able to explain a few things the others can't or won't. At any rate, you can't leave here. None of us can."
"There is always a way out, even if it is through death," Abel said, his voice soft as he recited the phrase that got him through more than one mission.
"I'm sure there are other alternatives that aren't so drastic," Balder said with a smile. "Please?"
He huffed, lowering his head so he didn't have to stare into blue eyes framed by blond hair. "Fine."
"Good!" Balder said, lacing his fingers through Abel's and pulling him along.
Abel allowed himself to be pulled along, not looking up.
"I'm not him," Balder said with a gentle smile.
"Not who?" Still Abel would not look up as he was tugged along, his fingers twitching slightly in Balder's hand as if he was restraining himself from holding the other's hand.
"Not the one with blond hair and blue eyes that makes you so sad," Balder said.
Silently he cursed himself. He hadn't been this easy to read in *centuries*. "No you are not, but the resemblance is there." Even if it was only superficial in the coloration.
"It's so hard to be betrayed. Especially by family," Balder said. "It tears you apart in ways nothing else can."
Yanking his hand out of Balder's, Abel froze in the hallway. "Just who the *hell* are you?" he hissed. feeling his eyes bleed crimson.
Balder shrugged and smiled gently at him. "I am Balder. Norse god of beauty, innocence, peace and rebirth."
"Great. Lovely in fact!" cried Abel throwing his hands in the air. He was falling back on bad habits that he had managed to break nearly a millennia ago, but he was just so confused and *tired* that he really didn't care. "Just what I always wanted! To be a prisoner with the gods!"
"Abel, please come with me and Hades and I will try to explain as best we can."
"Fine," he sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. These bouts of morose exhaustion were becoming more and more frequent. While they should have concerned him, Abel merely felt tired of everything.
"Good!" Balder said, taking Abel's hand again and leading him down a hallway to a slightly open door. "Hades! I have our new classmate with me. Come out from behind the bookcase, please."
"He'll be miserable if I come near him."
That got a snort that could almost be laughter from Abel.
Balder sighed. "I'm pretty sure he's used to miserable, all things considered."
"I dunno," mused a new voice as Dionysus entered the room, a bottle of wine in one hand and a half full glass in the other. "He was pretty jovial if a bit morose once he was in his cups."
"It RAINED in the AUDITORIUM yesterday," Hades said, still wedged behind the bookcase.
"It needed a good cleaning anyway," shrugged Dionysus before taking a drink of his wine.
"Where's your brother?" Balder asked, setting the plate down on the table.
"Coming with Yui," Dionysus remarked with a lazy smile. "They went to gather the others."
"They'll all have bad luck," Hades groaned.
"Then we'll go dancing in the rain again, Uncle," replied the god of wine with a small toast.
"I brought strawberry daifuku, Hades," Balder said temptingly.
Abel moved over to the window and stared out over the lawn. For a prison, this was a pretty enough place. Perhaps he might take a bit of a vacation here.
Hades peeked around the bookcase. "My beloved strawberry daifuku," he said.
Dionysus grinned. "How well do they go with wine?"
"Not very well," Balder said. "Too sweet."
He hummed. "I may have to make a dry wine to go with them," he mused.
"You'd know best what wine goes with what food. You say you've met Abel already, Dionysus?"
Balder said.
Dionysus grinned. "We met last night, and he foolishly agreed to my drinking challenge," he remarked with a shrug. "I was impressed with how much he was able to put away." He frowned and eyed the young teen by the window. "He looked a lot older than he does now, however."
"Yes, well, so do we in our natural states," Hades mumbled, inching out from behind the bookcase and toward the daifuku.
"But he's not a god," Dionysus pointed out with a shrug and another drink.
"No. But he isn't human either," Hades pointed out, biting into a treat and moaning happily.
Balder chuckled. "Don't make noises like that around Loki, Hades."
Hades blinked and chewed the bite in his mouth. "Why not?"
"He'll take it as an incentive to have you make it from other things," Balder said with a smile.
Hades choked and coughed for a minute. "I can't even imagine the bad luck he'd have from that!"
"Why?" The word hung in the air, drawing their attention to Abel. "Why was I brought here and deaged?"
Dionysus sighed and wandered over, a second wine glass appearing in his hand. "You don't ask the easy questions, do you kid?" he said, offering the second glass.
"Did we the first time we were here?" Balder asked.
A laugh came from the door. "I believe Loki and Takeru attacking Father is your answer," remarked Apollo as he entered with the other gods and Yui.
"You see how well it worked out as no one got out," Hades said, amused with his own joke.
"Yeah, well, better than whining and crying about it," Loki said, following them in.
"At least the blowhard didn't slap shackles on us this time," grumbled a blue haired boy as he entered, his hands shoved in his pants pockets.
"True enough," Loki said, tilting his face up slightly for a kiss from Balder.
Abel looked away from the two of them to find the young girl giving him a soft smile. "Come, join us," she invited. "We're all in this together."
"All in what together?" Abel said, finally crumpling in a seat. He shook his head as he folded over his arms that had been wrapped around his waist. "I'm no one special."
"You wouldn't be here if my brother didn't think so," Hades said, offering Yui the plate of daifuku.
She took one with a smile of thanks, even as Apollo started laying out the other treats. Abel shook his head again. "I'm not. If you want special, go to the Empire and talk to Seth. Or Cain if you can find the bastard." He sighed. "Me? I'm just a relic of years gone past, not even a priest of the Vatican anymore."
"Your sister by choice instead of chance is as solid and stable as the mountains," Hades said, glancing up from his food. "Your brother . . ." he shrugged, "I doubt he can be redeemed."
"I once wished for his redemption," Abel confessed before shrugging a shoulder as he stared at the floor. "Now? I'm too tired to fight whatever madness passes for his mind these days."
"You've disconnected from everyone and everything," Hades said.
That got a bitter laugh from Abel. "After nearly 1500 years of fighting, I think I'm allowed," he said.
Apollo crouched down to meet Abel's eyes, holding out a plate of sweets for him. "Then don't think of this as a prison but a vacation."
"Besides, if Yui can get all of us in line, you should be easy," Loki said with a grin, leaning against Balder.
Abel sighed and let his head bow further. "I'm not sure I want to get attached again," he confessed in a soft whisper.
"If one detaches fully from humanity with your abilities, it is dangerous for them and you," Hades said.
"Why should it matter?" Abel asked, raising his head to stare at Hades. "Eventually, I'll end up dead, probably by my own hand, and then no one will have to worry about me ever again."
"Abel, no one wants you to die," Apollo said, his voice soft as he rested a hand on Abel's shoulder.
Balder shuddered a little and buried his face in Loki's neck.
Takeru walked over and placed a soothing hand on Balder's shoulder. Apollo sighed before putting the plate aside and gathering the young Crusnik into his arms. Abel was stiff, surprise and shock keeping him motionless.
"No one's touched him in a thousand years that wasn't his sister. Not without intent to harm or heal, Apollo," Balder murmured.
"Now that isn't right," Apollo murmured, stroking a hand down Abel's hair. "Everyone should be hugged."
A faint trembling was coursing through Abel. He didn't know what to say or do.
"He's so young," Hades said with a sigh.
"And like all warriors, ancient at the same time," Apollo said, his eyes slightly unfocused.
There were nods all around at that.
Apollo blinked and offered Abel a small smile as he pulled back just enough to look at him. "We are immortal, Abel-Abel. Any ties you make with us will be for the rest of your life."
"Yeah, we're kinda a forever thing," Loki said, petting Balder's hair.
Abel shook his head, drawing back from Apollo. "I know the myths and legends well enough to know that you are not immune from death."
Hades sighed and raised a hand. "I am."
Loki snorted. "Yeah, what would be the point in sending you to yourself?"
Abel shook his head again, withdrawing further. "You may be, but everyone else isn't." He looked at them with the wide eyes of a hunted animal. "How many do I have to lose before I shatter completely?"
"We all lose people we love, Abel," Balder said. "It's part of life's process. Whether we lose them to death or simply parting ways. You feel adrift because you have no anchor in your life. We can help you if you let us."
"I need to think," he whispered before bolting from the room and the school. He didn't care where he was running from, just that he was running.
"Okay, rock, paper, scissors for who goes after him," Loki said.
Apollo sighed, his eyes in the distance. "He's heading for the cliff. He thinks better in high, open places."
Yui shook her head. "He's not going to think," she objected. "To brood perhaps, but not think."
Balder shuddered again at that.
"Definitely not you," Loki said firmly. "Not to the cliff."
"Then who?" inquired Dionysus. "He's all twisted up mentally and will work himself into further knots that not even Thoth will be able to get undone."
"No, I think it NEEDS to be me," Balder said. "I understand what it is to harbor that kind of darkness now."
Apollo hummed. "We'll be nearby. Just in the woods so he doesn't feel pressured." He glanced around, looking at the others to see if they were in agreement.
Everyone nodded except for Loki.
"I don't like it," he said with a frown.
"You don't have to like it, just accept it," Balder said, leaning in to kiss him. "Besides, if I can't face my own demons, how can I help with anyone else's?"
Dionysus grinned and raised a glass of wine. "I doubt anyone's going to go swimming today," he remarked before sighing as he stood up. "Shall we get this show on the road?"
"I think we'd better," Hades said, standing and giving the plate of daifuku one last longing look.
Yui smiled and pulled out a picnic basket which she started loading the food into. "Here, you might want to carry these so they are not squished as we walk," she said, offering the plate of daifuku to Hades.
He smiled at her and took the plate.
Takeru sighed and shook his head. "Come on. Better get him before the old man decides we're slacking," he huffed, nudging his brother out of the room with a wry smile.
Everyone filed out of the room after him.
Humming, Apollo glanced around at the others. "What do you think? Should we talk to him as Gods or students?"
"I'm not sure," Hades said.
"He's lost so much," sighed Dionysus. "Got told all about it once he was well and truly plastered. People have been making decisions for him for nearly his entire life. Even when he was with the Vatican, it was more because someone else made that choice, forcing him to either follow or work from the shadows much more hindered."
"That sucks," Loki said.
"Sucks even worse when it was his brother," Dionysus paused here and glanced at Balder. "HIs *twin* brother and occasional lover that he was fighting against. For the sake of humanity that only turned their backs on him when it was all said and done."
"An uphill battle to be certain then," Tsuki murmured.
Takeru frowned. "Maybe going as gods would be better," he offered. "Then he wouldn't automatically assume we're like the same humans that turned against him just because we look like it."
"True enough," Balder said.
Apollo and Yui smiled before they were briefly enveloped in bright lights. When it had faded, Apollo was now the Sun God in truth while Yui was wearing a very formal kimono with her hair up.
Everyone else shifted to their usual forms and headed out to find the missing young Crusnik.
Abel sat on the edge, his feet dangling over the side as the wind rushed through his hair. He wasn't afraid of the height, never had been. He was just so confused, lonely, heartsore and tired that he didn't know what he wanted. Why was everyone trying to dictate his life for him?
Balder touched down lightly a few yards away from Abel so he didn't startle him. It bothered him that Abel was so close to the edge of the cliff but he'd deal with his own demons this way. "Abel?" he said softly.
"Why did you come?" Abel asked, not turning to look at Balder.
"To face my own demons in a way. I almost died here. I'd intended to," he said.
"Why did you intend to die?" Abel asked, looking up at him, and he blinked in surprise at Balder. There was no doubt that this was a god standing here.
"I am the god of all I told you earlier but I am also the god of destruction. Utter destruction. It fell to Loki to kill me if that particular part of my being came too close to overtaking everything else with only one of two things capable of bringing me harm."
"Mistletoe," Abel said, remembering the legends.
Balder nodded. "There's one other thing that can kill me though."
Abel frowned as he thought. "But your mother..." He trailed off in sudden realization. "She never asked for *your* promise to not hurt yourself."
"That's right," Balder said. "May I sit with you?"
Abel nodded, moving back from the cliff edge to make Balder more comfortable.
Balder settled down next to Abel. "It really is lovely here. Loki led me up here with every intent to fulfill his duty. But as he loves me, he wanted my last view to be something beautiful."
"That was considerate of him," Abel murmured, wrapping his arms around his knees.
"I knew, I think some part of me always knew that he kept me grounded, kept me even when I couldn't."
That got a noncommital noise from Abel. He had always been the one to try and keep Cain grounded, but it didn't work.
"So, rather than put him through the heartache of killing me, I decided to take that task into my own hands."
"You seem perfectly in control," Abel pointed out. "Did you fear that side of you that much?"
"Loki was right to try killing me, Abel. Left unchecked, I have the capability to destroy all nine worlds."
"I'm sorry," Abel murmured, feeling like a bit of an idiot right then. Compared to that, his own problems were as petty as a pebble in a shoe.
"We all have our burdens, Abel. But those are lighter if you share them with others," Balder said.
He sighed, feeling ancient again. "I don't trust easily, not anymore."
"Reasonable. However, if you don't allow people close to you, you don't know if you can trust them or not."
"It's hard," Abel confessed. "Too many past hurts add up, and not always in scar tissue."
"Abel, we've all lived a long, long time. Far longer than you have or ever will. Well, all except for Yui as she's human. We can help you heal and support you if you need us. But you have to let us in first. Even a little."
Abel turned his head, resting his cheek on his knees. "So why was I kidnapped and brought here? No one asked my opinion or offered me a chance. Just took the matter right out of my hands."
Balder smiled gently at him. "You have an unstable heart, the same as I did when I was first brought here," he said. "And you wouldn't have accepted any help offered in an outside setting. You know that."
"It would have been nice to be asked though," Abel grumbled even if his heart wasn't into it anymore.
"Yes, it would have been. But you're here now. Will you let us be your friends at very least?"
"I'm not sure I remember how to be a friend," Abel whispered, sitting up to scrub at his eyes and face. Gods, he was just so tired of everything.
Balder smiled and put an arm around him before kissing his forehead. "It will come back to you."
With a soft sound, Abel melted into Balder's side, soaking up the contact he hadn't taken from Apollo, just needing someone right there right now.
Balder smiled a little and laid his cheek against Abel's hair. "Let us help you, Abel."
"I am so tired," he confessed in a whisper, never noticing when the others emerged from the trees to silently sit around the pair. "I’m tired of fighting. I'm tired of being alone. And I'm tired of being hated for being born a Crusnik."
"We all understand that, Abel," Balder said. "Better than you could imagine."
Apollo reached out and laid a hand on Abel's other shoulder. "You won't have to fight here, you won't be alone because we're here, and you certainly won't be hated for being what you are."
"Very true," Balder said.
"What is this place anyway? AN academy for what?" Abel finally asked a few minutes later.
Yui shrugged. "It's a boarding school," she said only to get a blank look from Abel. "A high school?"
Abel shook his head. "I've never been to any school."
"Neither had any of us," Hades said from as far back as he could muster and still be heard.
Yui smiled and reached out to pat his hand. "Don't worry. You'll learn even if Master Thoth insists on trying to terrorize all of us."
"Which he will," Loki said with a grin, running a finger over one of his horns.
Abel huffed slightly. "Trying to terrorize me just makes me dig my heels in harder."
"I don't think he has any other mode," Hades said.
That got a shrug of Abel's shoulder. "He'll learn. Or he won't."
"He's not THAT scary. Unless you're being a brat," Loki said with a sly grin.
"Which you always are," Balder said with a grin.
Abel shifted away from Balder, realizing that it wasn't his spot to be that close to Balder. That was Loki's spot.
Loki grinned. "I can share," he said with a shrug.
Abel shook his head and moved slightly closer to Apollo who was offering an arm for Abel to snuggle under. "Don't wanna seem like I’m trying to poach."
Loki sat in Balder's lap and put an arm around Abel. "I know you weren't trying to poach."
Abel flinched at the arm, so very unused to contact that it took him by surprise.
"Easy, Abel-Abel," soothe Apollo, stroking his hair. "We won't hurt you."
Loki ruffled Apollo's hair. "Apollodoof," he said affectionately.
Apollo huffed but he was smiling at Loki. "Be careful or a thistle might end up in your hair," he teased.
Loki grinned and leaned around Abel to smooch Apollo on the nose. "Doof!"
There was more laughter now, and Abel felt himself relaxing a bit more.
"We should get back and show Abel his room before dinner," Balder said.
Apollo nodded and released Abel. "Walk back or fly?" he inquired with a grin.
"Fly!" was the general consensus.
Rising to his feet, Abel shifted to his Crusnik form and spread his wings. Now that he had a chance to actually look at them, they were terribly messed.
Everyone tsked and started straightening feathers. Pulling the dull ones.
Abel froze at so many hands on his wings. Not since Cain had any helped him preen his feathers.
"Such a pity, Abel-Abel," stated Apollo. "You have such pretty wings."
"They'll be as pretty as Thoth's once they're cleaned and straightened out," Loki said.
Takeru snorted. "Like he lets anyone play with his wings."
"He lets the dog," Loki pointed out.
"Anubis is not a DOG," Balder said. "He's a jackal."
"And you know Anubis is the only one he tolerates with any fondness," Yui pointed out with a soft shrug.
"They're one another's balance point," Balder said, looking at Loki.
"Maybe, but he never seems to use his wings for fun," Takeru pointed out, his voice soft. "I've never seen him go for a flight just because."
"I don't think "just because" is in his vocabulary," Loki said.
Dionysus laughed and tossed a dull feather over his shoulder. "He needs to learn to relax and take it easy. The books will be there tomorrow."
"I dunno, you can find out all kinds of interesting things in books," Loki said with a grin.
"The Kama Sutra doesn't count," Balder said.
"Perhaps not, but it's interesting reading," smirked Dionysus with a small leer. "A few of those Hindu goddesses are *very* flexible."
"Yeah, and I think you need several arms for some of those positions anyway," Loki said with a grin.
"Just don't get caught by the husbands," Dionysus remarked with a laugh. "A few wanted my head and the others wanted to join in.
"You should have taken them up on that," Loki pointed out.
That got a bigger leer. "Why do you think I was walking funny for about a week? Their heads ain't the *only* thing animal about them."
"Too. Much. Information," Balder said, holding up a hand. "And it's impolite to discuss things of that nature in front of Yui."
Yui was blushing brightly but had a grin on her face. "After all this time, I confess I am not surprised at what Dionysus-san will speak of."
Dionysus smiled at her. "Sorry, Yui."
Abel shivered slightly when someone's hand drifted too close to the base of his wings, and he stepped out of the group, flipping his wings closed against his back. Apollo and Yui glanced at each other but didn't say anything.
"Okay, time to show Abel his room and then get dinner. I hope it's BBQ," Balder said. "Or steak. Or maybe hamburgers. Or . . ."
"Okay, we got it, meat," Loki said.
"I don't have any possessions," Abel said, looking at them in confusion. "And I doubt what little money I have will work here."
"That's okay. Everything's free in the school store and so is dinner," Loki said with a grin.
"Everything?" Abel looked at them, stunned. He'd never heard of such a thing before. "What keeps someone from abusing that?"
"It's only energy, Abel," Balder said. "Everything in the Universe is only energy."
Abel nodded, not understanding, before he looked down at his clothes. "I think the first thing I need is new clothes.'
"Can't have you wander around naked," Balder said. "Much as I'm certain Loki would enjoy that."
Loki gave a shrug and a leer in Abel's direction.
"More like I've had this since Armageddon," Abel countered, ignoring the blush on his cheeks.
"Definitely time for new threads then," Loki said, slinging an arm around Abel's shoulders.
Abel jumped slightly at the contact but not as bad as he had before.
Apollo smiled and lifted into the air. "Then we should be getting back so Abel-Abel can get new clothes and get settled."
"Let's go then," Loki said.
Before taking to the air with Balder right behind him.
Spreading his wings, Abel jumped into the air, and Dionysus laughed as he soared after them with Yui.
"So much better than walking," Loki said with a grin.
"It feels a lot more free," Dionysus remarked, taking a long drink from his goblet.
"It does," Balder said.
Abel didn't say anything as they flew, content to just fly for once when he wasn't in a battle.
"Apollodoof! I'll race you to the school," Loki said, zipping ahead of the others.
"Hey! No fair, Loki-Loki!" cried Apollo, racing after the redhead with a laugh.
"Who said I played fair?" Loki said over one shoulder.
""Bal-Bal! Make him play fair!" cried Apollo, but his eyes were dancing with laughter.
Dionysus and Yui were laughing openly while Takeru was rolling his eyes at their antics.
"I haven't been able to accomplish that in thousands of years, Apollo," Balder said with a laugh.
"You're the student council president, surely *you* can do something," teased Dionysus.
Loki laughed and shot further ahead before landing lightly just at the edge of the school grounds and shifting back to student form. "Ha! I win!"
Apollo snorted as he landed and changed back as well. "Only by announcing the race when you're already halfway here."
"Still I won," Loki said with a grin. "Since I won, I get my kiss."
Rolling his eyes, Apollo leaned over and brushed a kiss across Loki's lips before heading inside.
"We really must work on your technique, Apollodoof," Loki said with a sigh.
"We only have so long to get Abel-Abel settled before dinner," Apollo called back over his shoulder with a wink and a wave.
Landing, Abel flipped his wings closed but didn't shift back to his human form as he looked around, feeling almost defiant in his refusal to shift back.
"Come along, Abel," Balder said, landing next to him and taking his hand. "We'll find you suitable clothes."
Yui sighed and glanced at Hades as they landed and returned to their student forms. "He is much like you in that he carries a heavy burden," she said, her voice soft, but she reached out to touch his arm.
Hades nodded solemnly at that. "But his burdens he chooses to cling to while mine are etched into my skin."
"We will just have to help him let them go like we helped you see the happiness among the misery," she said.
"Balder's wardrobe malfunction last week was likely the best manifestation of my bad luck I've seen in a long while," Hades said thoughtfully. "Though I'm sorry it embarrassed you."
Yui laughed and lightly patted his arm. "It is no trouble. Loki and Dionysus will do things to get me to blush, and they usually succeed."
"It's because they have no shame," Hades said with a sigh.
That got another laugh from her as she ushered him inside.
They all wandered the hallways, chatting and prodding Abel along when he stopped to gawk at something before stopping at the school store.
By the time they reached the school store, Abel's wings were rustling slightly from all the looks he had been getting from all the other students. He'd never worn his Crusnik form so openly since Armageddon.
"Oi! Keep your jealous eyeballs to yourselves," Loki snarled at a few who had stared too long.
That got a look of disbelief from Abel before he shook his head and hurried into the school store with Yui's prodding. She hummed and looked around. "Apollo-san, you and Balder-san are probably the best at figuring out what Abel-san would look good in."
"Hey, I can think of a few things he'd look good in," Loki said.
"Bondage gear isn't exactly clothing," Balder pointed out.
"So can I," leered Dionysus
"I don't think she trusts us, Di," Loki said, leaning on the other redhead.
Yui pointed a finger at them. "If you had your way, he'd be in leather straps and bedsheets," she drawled, shaking her head.
"And this is a bad thing because . . . why?"
Abel's breath hitched slightly at that mental picture before he quickly shook it away. Now was not the time to indulge in his libido. NO matter how attractive everyone around him was.
"Because what if he doesn't like leather straps and bedsheets?" she countered.
"Oh, I think he does," Loki purred. "Besides, he's been zapped back to being a teenager. The hormones have to be bonkers at this point."
"I have been quite comfortable with my hand for centuries," Abel drawled, slightly irritated with Loki. "I am sure I'll be able to continue."
"That is a sad and sorry state of affairs," Loki said with a grin.
"Loki, stop," Balder said. "You'll scare him away."
"Just means I sleep with a knife under my pillow again," Abel countered, his wings rustling irritably.
Balder shot Loki a "look" that said he was not pleased with this scenario. "You won't have to do anything so drastic, Abel. I promise you. Now, come along so we can get your size right."
Abel followed, finally shifting back into his human form to pull the white robe off only to grimace at how skinny he was. He looked like he needed around twelve good meals to even start getting him filled out.
"Abel-Abel, why can I almost see your ribs?" Apollo softly asked. Was Abel slowly harming himself by drinking his meals?
Sighing, Abel folded his arms across his chest. "When I was last a teenager, there was an earth-wide war going on. Resources were tight for everyone, and if someone had a higher metabolism, like the Crusniks, we suffered more than others." He shook his head. "Zeus would have been better off just shrinking me instead of actually deaging me." Now he was going to be fighting his body all over again.
Loki's eyes narrowed before he shrugged. "So, we feed him," he said.
"It won't be that easy," Abel said, closing his eyes. "I'm going to have to retrain my body to understand that there will always be enough food, and retrain myself to not eat until I get sick." He huffed softly. "I think it only took me about a decade before."
Balder gently put an arm around Abel. "That's okay. We'll help you and not let you eat until you get sick."
"Thank you," he murmured.
Apollo hummed and brought over some jeans and a few button down shirts. "Here, try these on, Able-Abel. I think they'll fit you."
"Those are nice, Apollo. I think they'll work," Balder said.
Abel moved behind a screen and quickly changed. The jeans were a bit loose around the waist, and the shirt a bit large, but that just showed how much weight he had to regain. Hesitantly, he stepped out to see what the others thought only to duck his head and hide behind his hair at the wolf-whistle Dionysus gave.
"Very nice!" Loki said with a grin. "Okay, now we know his size, grab him a uniform and let's get him to his room so he can settle for a few minutes before dinner."
Apollo moved over and got seven uniforms and some toiletries for Abel before carrying the bags over to Abel. "Come on. Let's get you settled."
Abel found himself once again being herded - or maybe escorted- through the hallways, and like before, the looks were still there.
Loki bared his teeth in a slightly terrifying grin before tossing what looked like a piece of candy toward one of the groups. It puffed up to ten times it's original size and exploded into pink powder as he grabbed Abel's hand and ran giggling down the hallway with him.
Abel tensed at the small explosion, muscles ready for a fight as his eyes darted around for the next explosion - there were always more explosions - before he was nearly yanked off his feet by Loki's grab. He barely registered the cries of surprise and a few laughs before they faded behind him.
"Idiots!" Loki snorted, slowing down to a more casual stroll now that they were clear.
"What was that about?" Abel asked, slowly coming down off the spike of adrenalin.
"Giving the idiots something else to gawk at," Loki said, swinging their joined hands and they made their way down the hall.
There was the sound of hurrying feet behind them, and Abel tensed again as the others came around the corner. "Really, Loki-Loki, was that necessary?" asked Apollo, grimacing as he shook pink powder out of his hair.
"No. But it was fun," Loki said with a grin.
"At least the bags were closed,' huffed Yui. "I'd hate for Abel to have to wash his new clothes just to get the prank out."
"He might look good in pink," Loki said with a grin.
"You'll never find out," Abel said, making it a promise. He was *never* going to wear pink, not after Seth got him in that dress that one time.
Loki grinned. "I think I like your sister."
Pulling his hand out of Loki's, he turns to glare at him. "Will you *please* stay out of my thoughts?"
"You think loud," Loki said with a shrug.
"I feel I should point out, likely to Abel's utter terror, that Loki is one of the rulers of the darker psyche," Balder said.
"I don't care *what* else he is," Abel said, reaching up to clutch his hair to keep from doing something stupid like punching someone. Probably Loki. "If my thoughts are loud, don't listen! OR teach me to think quieter."
"Sure. I can do that," Loki said with a shrug.
"Thank you," Abel signed, slumping again. No matter what had been done in the past, what he had done, his thoughts were the only things he could claim as only his.
"Forgot all about PTSD," Loki said. "They called it Battle Fatigue once upon a time. With a small bit of Stockholm syndrome tossed in for fun."
Abel shrugged a shoulder. "Forget about it," he said, moving past Loki and into the room everyone had stopped in front of.
Loki shot the rest of them a glance and shook his head very slightly.
Apollo glanced at him and raised a brow. Was Loki willing to help or was he going to just flirt and see about tumbling Abel between him and Balder?
"I got it," Loki said with a wink and a grin.
"For some reason, that scares me," mused Dionysus before smirking at Loki as they all entered the room. Apollo moved over to hang up the uniforms and set out the clothes and toiletries for Abel to put away as he liked.
"It ain't bad as prisons go, really," Loki said. "The Greeks have a big ass hottub in case you're interested."
Abel shrugged a shoulder as he curled up on the sofa. "Maybe, but I didn't get a swimsuit."
Dionysus blinked at Apollo. "We're suppose to wear swimsuits in that?" he asked only to get a clueless shrug from the Sun God.
"Not considering we're family," Hades said. "Though I'm sure Abel would want you to just to be more comfortable."
That got another shrug. "Nudity never bothered me in all honesty." ANy sort of body modesty had been trained out of him from the military.
Yui picked up the student handbook off of the shelf and walked over to hand it to Abel. "Here. It's the student handbook that lists the rules and regulations for the school as well as the class schedule and the various clubs you can join," she said before raising a finger. "DO pay attention to the curfew time. It is against the rules for any male to be in the female's wing after curfew and any caught will be punished." It was an unspoken rule that the boys had to be caught first.
"Really? Do you ever actually observe that rule, Apollo?" Loki asked with a grin.
Apollo looks at Loki, all innocent green eyes. "I haven't been punished for breaking it have I?" he asked innocently. Yui grinned as it was far more likely for *her* to sneak over to visit her boys.
"That didn't answer the question,“ Loki said with another grin.
"That is all the answer you are getting, Loki-Loki," replied Apollo with a flick of his fingers.
"Tease," Loki grumbled.
Dionysus laughed. "You'd use it as blackmail for something," he replied with a good natured grin. "Gotta work harder for our secrets.
"Blackmail? Me?" Loki said blinking innocently.
"Only at every given opportunity," Balder said.
Rolling his eyes, Abel twisted sideways to sit with his back against the arm of the couch. "Tell me about this pretty prison," he requested. "You claim to have been here before but why are you back? And why am I here?"
"Considering he's student body president, I nominate Apollo to tell him the story," Loki said.
"But it all started with Fairy," protested Apollo. "It's her story."
"Depends on if Abel enjoys Fairy tales," Hades said.
Rolling her eyes at the pun but tossing Hades a quick smile, Yui settled on the couch. "Well, I'll try to make it as brief as I can," she said before launching into her tale. She explained why they had been brought originally to the Academy and the shackles that had been placed on the gods before glossing over the school year to state that they had all freed themselves and rejoined on the human world where Zeus made her the Goddess of the Academy rather than break her "boys" hearts when she grew old and died.
"As to why you are here, Abel-san, I can only guess as Zeus-sama doesn't tell anyone his plans," Yui remarked before shrugging. "Except Master Thoth, but from what I have seen and the boys have said, you have a great deal of power within you, but also a great deal of sadness and darkness. Zeus-sama may have brought you here to help you."
"It's certainly happened before," Balder said, leaning against Loki.
"Yeah, but you didn't KNOW about it until it got seriously bad," Loki said.
"None of us knew until it got bad," Dionysus pointed out with a small shrug. "But we triumphed in the end."
"All of us were helped by this place and each other," Apollo stated, looking around at everyone.
"That's likely why you're here too," Balder said.
"Still bugs me that I wasn't even asked," sighed Abel, briefly closing his eyes again.
"Get use to it,": drawled Takeru, folding his arms. "Zeus doesn't ask *anyone's* opinion on anything."
"Neither were any of us and Di along with Apollodoof are his kids,” Loki said.
Abel lifted his head and met dark ruby eyes. "And Hades is his brother."
"Narcissistic personality disorder, borderline psychopathic tendencies."
"Guilty as charged," Hades said with a sigh.
That got a small snort from Abel as he looked at Loki. "Which one in this Academy are you describing? Because that could definitely fit more than a few."
"Zeus. Totally bonkers," Loki said. "No offense, Hades, but aren't you his OLDER brother?"
"Unfortunately," Hades said with a sigh.
Abel shook his head just as a bell sounded through the Academy. Yui stood up and brushed her jeans out from habit. "Dinner time," she said, starting for the door.
"Ah, dinner," Balder said with a smile. "Come along, Abel."
Abel rose and padded out into the hallway on bare feet. He hadn't bothered picking up new shoes at the store beyond the black boots that went with the uniforms. Apollo and Yui fell in front of him, leading the way as they chatted about the school and various activities, giving Abel something normal to latch on to.
Hades, for once, stepped up to keep pace with Abel. "Do you like the stars?"
"They're beautiful, if cold and distant," Abel replied. "Constant and ageless. The only beautiful thing on that damn space station."
"In the Underworld, I had only to look up and see what I considered hope. As I told Yui long ago, had I lived in the sky, I might not have appreciated them as I do."
"It has been years since I took the time to fully appreciate them," Abel murmured, a touch wistful.
"If you don't mind the bad luck, I'd be happy to view them with you," Hades said.
"Considering the way my life has been, bad luck might be an improvement," Abel said with a small smile. "I accept."
Hades smiled slightly at that. "We can go this evening if you'd like."
Abel nodded. "Whenever it's convenient for you."
"I look at them every night," Hades said with a small shrug.
"All right."
"It's nice to have new friends to view the stars with," Hades said.
Abel nodded and smiled at Hades.
"Okay, you heard him, everyone. Grab the swimsuits for the evening viewing," Loki said with a grin.
Apollo shook his head and tossed a small smile back at Loki. "I'll bring the umbrellas."
Hades sighed and blushed a little. It always happened but it was still fun.
Abel realized he was missing something but he wasn't going to ask. He'd find out tonight.
Dionysus grinned as he draped himself over Abel's shoulders. "Don't worry about it. It'll be fine if a bit wet."
"We should pick up a swimsuit for him after dinner," Balder said.
Smirking, Dionysus holds up a scrap of cloth by a loop. "Or he can borrow my spare one."
"No thank you," Abel said, desperately fighting the blush on his cheeks. He'd never borrowed another person's underwear before let alone their swimsuit.
"It's clean!" protested the God of Wine.
"Maybe not everyone wants their dick where yours has been, Di," Loki said.
That got a leer from Dionysus. "That leaves this group out for a tumble then."
Loki roared with laughter and Balder just looked mortified.
Moving over, Dionysus gently lifts Balder's chin with his fingers before kissing his lips, soft and sweet like one of his grapes. "It was not my intention to embarrass you, Bright One," he murmured softly before grinning. "Even if red is a good color for your cheeks."
"You'll make Abel think all we do is sex one another," Balder said.
"And this is a bad thing? Especially if we extend the invitation to him?" inquired Dionysus with a grin at Abel.
"Careful, Dee-Dee," chided Apollo. "You can't pursue someone if they're still hurt."
"And he sure as my girl Hel rules her corner of the world is hurt," Loki said.
"I'll be fine," Abel said as they entered the cafeteria only to flinch backwards at the loud cacophony of voices that slammed into him like a hammer. He hated eating in the Vatican's lunch hall because of the chaotic noise, and he had a feeling he wasn't going to like this anymore.
"We can get food and picnic while watching the stars if you'd prefer, Abel," Balder said.
Nodding, Abel quickly backs out, trying to hide from the noise even as he put his hands over his ears to block it for a while. Yui nods before looking around. "I'll get the food and meet you in our usual star gazing spot," she said before ducking into the cafeteria.
Everyone nodded and Hades motioned for Abel to follow him.
Abel falls in behind Hades, ignoring how the others seemed to form a guard around him almost as if expecting him to bolt.
They picked up a swimsuit for Abel in the school store and made their way to the pavilion.
Yui was waiting for them at the pavilion, a blanket spread out with some large pillows around the edges and enough food for an army covering the blanket. She smiled and gestured for them to have a seat. Abel took a seat near one of the entrances to the pavilion, putting his back against the thick beam.
"Hades, set up the telescope after we eat," Balder said, as Hades put the small case he had been carrying down.
Apollo quickly put a plate together with a variety of food before handing it to Abel. "Here, try these," he offered as Yui pulled out a hot pot of tea and started pouring out drinks.
Balder was happily munching on one of the barbecued ribs.
Abel took the plate with a small smile and started carefully eating small bites despite his body demanding more food *NOW* to fill empty reserves. Dionysus pulled several bottles of wine from somewhere along with glasses and passed them around, not giving Abel any until after he had at least half a plate in him. "It's no fun drinking on an empty stomach," he stated.
"Plus you'll make yourself sick," Balder said.
"Especially with how your constitution has to be screwed up at the moment," Takeru added with a shrug as he ate more sushi. "Give it time, and your body will straighten itself out."
Apollo kept a close eye on Abel, only filling his plate two more times before judging that it would be enough for Abel. After that, he pushed tea on the silver haired teen with smiles and laughs.
Hades smiled at his nephew and went to set up the telescope.
Abel relaxed a bit against the thick beam and watched Hades set up the telescope as he sipped at the green tea. It was different than what he was use to, but it was surprisingly pleasant.
Hades smiled a little and motioned him over.
Cautiously and with an unconscious grace, Abel rose to his feet and picked his way over to where Hades and the telescope were.
Hades stepped aside and let Abel look through the telescope.
Abel bent over and pressed his eye against the brass piece. For a while, he simply stood there and stared at the stars, twinkling in the dark sky.
"They're beautiful, aren't they?"
"Gorgeous," Abel murmured, straightening up and stepping back so Hades can look.
When the first raindrop fell onto the telescope, Hades sighed. "It's starting," he said to the others.
Abel retreated back into the pavilion, stretching out slightly on the blanket, now clear of food and plates, as Dionysus and Apollo shimmied out of their clothes to show off their bathing suits.
"We should make Yui wear a bathing suit next time," Loki said with a laugh as he stripped out of his clothes.
Yui snorted and pointed a finger at Loki. "You just want to see me in a bikini again," she accused.
"Well, yeah," Loki said with a grin.
Shaking her head, Yui rises and slips out of her own clothes, revealing a modest but pretty bikini. "Be a good boy and I might let you help me dry off later," she said before dashing out in the rain with an excited squeal.
"Can't pass that up," Loki said, dashing after her. "Come on, Bal."
Apollo paused as Dionysus and Takeru raced out into the rain to look at Abel. "Do you want to join us?"
Abel thought for a few moments before shaking his head. "Maybe next time," he said, his voice soft. "I'm fine here."
"If you're sure, Abel," Balder said.
Abel nods and blatantly steals the other pillows to make a bit of a nest for himself before settling in with a tiny smile.
Hades smiled at the others and watched for a few moments before coming over to Abel. "May I sit with you?"
Abel nodded and scooted over a bit to make room for Hades. He still cradled his cup of tea in his hands and took the occasional sip, letting the hot liquid slide down his throat and slowly warm him from the inside out.
"I think you can be happy here, Abel," Hades said, looking at him thoughtfully.
"I've forgotten what being happy is like," Abel confessed after a few minutes of studying his tea. "Anger, pain, sorrow, despair, those I'm more familiar with."
Hades smiled sadly at him. "All things I am very familiar with as well," he said. "Do you know why it's raining on what was a clear night?"
Abel shook his head, looking up at Hades. He blinked when he noticed for the first time the pointed ears the other had.
Hades shifted and unbuttoned his shirt, exposing the right side of his chest and the curse mark worked into his skin. "I am the king of the Underworld and as such, certain members of the dead resent me. Enough of them view me with such malice that it causes permanent misfortune to be marked on my skin. This causes bad luck to the people I'm around for very long. Hence the rain."
Abel reached out to touch the shimmering mark only to hesitate with his fingers above it. He hadn't asked for permission first. "They seem to work around it," Abel murmured, letting his hand sweep out to encompass the laughing gods that were playing in the rain.
"They do," Hades agreed, putting his hand over Abel's. "They are the ones who taught me that there are pinpoints of light in even the darkest times. You just have to look for them."
The warmth of the hand on his is nice. It's just a small touch, but in a way, it's more important and precious than all the hugs he had gotten from the others today. "I have tried for so long on my own that I've given up hope of ever seeing them again."
"As I had," Hades said. "Sometimes it takes the heart and faith of others to show you what has been before your eyes all along."
Abel nodded, understanding but not believing just that moment. He finished his tea and put the cup aside before stifling a yawn. The insanity of the day was catching up with him and combining with the steady patter of rain on the pavilion roof.
"Rest if you need to," Hades said. "I'll watch over you."
Shrugging out of his shirt, Abel put it aside before shifting to wrap his wings around himself. With a small almost shy smile for Hades, he stretched out on the pillows and was soon asleep.
Dionysus wandered over, drying himself off with a thought as he entered the pavilion. "How's he doing?"
Hades put a finger to his lips to quiet the other god. Then brushed a gentle hand over Abel's hair.
Smiling, Dionysus nodded and sat on Hades other side, away from the sleeping teen. The rain would let up eventually and then everyone would head back to the Academy for the night.
- 1
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Transfer Student