a million little pieces [darien/faded]

[SAMUEL RYDER HOLBROOK]

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I'M NO JESUS BUT NEITHER ARE YOU

[style=width:350px; height:120; overflow:auto; padding: 5px; text-align:justify; font-family: tahoma; font-size:10px; line-height: 97%; text-transform: lowercase; border-right: 1px dotted #dded82; overflow:auto; color: #000;]Today had started out with a bad feeling, one of those awful ones that you could feel to the deepest pit of your stomach and to the core of every single bone. The feeling had hung over him all day, putting him on high alert. Every unidentified noise had him on edge. He had thought he was being ridiculous and in attempt to ignore the feeling, he had gone to the museum. Sam had already planned to do that today, anyway. Not being much of a museum person himself, he was trying to find a way to help Freya get her muse back. She never drew anymore, even though it was something she had always enjoyed. He didn’t know much about art, but he was hoping he could find an interesting painting or sculpture and drag Freya here to look at it and be inspired.

Then Sam and some other people who had been in the museum got ambushed. It threw him off to say the least, especially since he recognized the ambushers as Radicals. Hell, he even knew the one of them. Sam didn’t know what was going on. Not a clue. He hadn’t been told the plans for any sort of ambush like this, nor could he understand why he was in the middle of it. How come he had been purposely left out of it? The hunter had probably done something that caused him to fall out of grace with Jackson. That man could be so temperamental sometimes and it wasn’t like Sam was the role model Radical hunter. But at least Sam had the explanation for the bad feeling that had been plaguing him. His intuition wasn’t as off as he had believed it to be.

Or at least, that was what Sam thought. He and the others had been able to fight the Radicals off to the point where they had all been able to get out in more or less one piece. Sam himself was a little worse for wear, seeing as how he had been stabbed in the leg. It was a pretty deep wound, deep enough that he could barely put weight on it. It would’ve been a good idea for Sam to go to the hospital, but he was somewhat confident that he could patch himself up enough that he could avoid going.

Besides, the bad feeling hadn’t evaporated like he thought it would after that small fight. Sam had to figure out what the reason was before something happened and it was too late. His first instinct was to call Freya and make sure she was okay. That was about the only other thing he could blame this ominous feeling on, her safety. She probably was and would think he was being overprotective. To be honest, he kind of was. Ever since Freya’s guardian angel had revealed himself to her and Freya had told him about Darien, Sam’s protective streak had kicked up a notch. He didn’t trust her safety to some unnatural creature like Darien. At least, that was what Sam told himself. The real truth though, was that Sam felt kind of unneeded now. Of course he wouldn’t admit that, but the thought was still there. How could he compare to some righteous being with wings and a sword?

But Freya didn’t answer her phone and it caused Sam’s nerves to spike. He told himself to calm down. She probably just hadn’t heard the phone ring. He was overreacting only because he felt like it was wrong. So the hunter distracted himself, first with trying to get back to his apartment without drawing too much attention to his leg. It was difficult to say the least, but Sam managed and by the time he got back to his place, he decided it had been enough time to call Freya again. No answer. Still no need to worry. She could have forgotten her phone. Sam had to tell himself that. Pushing the concern away, he went about fixing his leg the best he could. It wasn’t a great job, but at least he had stopped the bleeding and put on new pants. You wouldn’t even know he was hurt unless he tried to walk.

With his hands no longer busy though, it left Sam’s mind to wander to the worst possible scenarios of why Freya wasn’t answering. He normally wasn’t such a worrywart, but it was a different story with her. Sam didn’t know what he’d do if Freya got hurt somehow. He couldn’t image life without her, not now that she was back in it. So he started another marathon of calls, each call getting closer and closer together to the point where he was almost practically hanging up and dialing the number again. Finally, he got through. He didn’t even wait to hear the hello and instead “Thank God you finally answered, Freya. I was getting worried.”

The voice on the other end definitely wasn’t Freya’s though. Sam’s heart rate kicked into hyper drive. He had been right. Something awful had happened. He should’ve gone and tried to find her instead of passively waiting for a call. The person on the other end explained that she was a nurse at Murdoch and that a young woman had been brought in not too long ago with this cell phone in her possession. That was all Sam needed. He hung up while the nurse was in mid sentence, grabbed his keys, and limped out to his car as quick as he could.

He broke multiple traffic laws on his way over to the hospital, his mind focused on Freya and Freya only. How bad of a condition did she need to be in order for her to not answer her own phone? The hunter didn’t want to think about it and at least he hadn’t had long to mull over it. Once at the hospital, he asked the first person her saw about her and after chancing down enough hospital staff, he was finally able to pinpoint the exact floor and room she was in. Intensive care though? Sam didn’t like the sound of it. And the nursing staff wouldn’t let him back, saying it was immediate family only. He tried to explain he was her only immediate family, but they didn’t care.

Once their attention was off him though, Sam managed to sneak into Freya’s room. It would seem as though his hunting skills were finally useful to him. He almost, almost wished he hadn’t though. As bad as the things Sam had pictured, this was worse. God, she barely looked alive. Sam felt his heart shatter and even though he wasn’t a huge crier, the tears sprung to his eyes instantly. How could this happen to sweet, quiet Freya? She didn’t cause trouble for anyone. Sam dragged the only chair in the room to the side of Freya’s bed and lightly took her hand in his, the one that wasn’t all hooked up to machines. Oh, God.

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TAG: faded ! WORD COUNT: enough ! OUTFIT: here ! NOTES: here comes the angst ! CREDIT: NUTTERIE @ CAUTION 2.0

[DARIEN NATHANIEL HALE]

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That walk to the hospital was one of the absolute longest and most agonizing of Darien's entire existence. In the heat of the moment during the fight with whatever group it was that attacked him and the three others it hadn't seemed as if he'd taken that bad of a beating. The worst wound was his wing he thought, a bad one yes but nothing he could ignore enough until he got to Freya even if it had meant going by foot instead of flying. He'd get to her one way or another. But once the fight was over he'd found himself in worse shape than he could have imagined. Cuts and gashes he hadn't felt in the moment were suddenly making themselves known quite painfully along with the numerous punches and kicks he'd taken along with them. Darien had been in plenty of fights before though, ones that had him taking just as many hits as this if not more. So why did he feel as if he were about ready to collapse?

He was certain none of them had been wielding an angel sword or anything close to it but whatever the metal was they had used was taking a hard toll on his body. Whoever they were they had knowledge that other hunters would have killed to obtain. Honestly he was pretty sure his attackers hadn't been just regular hunters. Though there were definite exceptions a lot of hunters left guardians alone seeing as they were both intent on protecting the human race. Obviously not all of them shared that sentiment but even so Darien had never met any who would brazenly take on an angel. Not unless they thought they could win. And clearly this group had assumed they could with whatever it was they were wielding. With the way it was making him feel right now Darien wasn't sure they wouldn't have been able to succeed had there been more of them.

Thankfully whatever this attack had been it seemed to be something more of a trial run which had given him enough of an edge to win. This time. But now he was left injured and exhausted yet needing to keep moving. Wherever Freya was it couldn't be where he'd left her because there she'd been safe and now, well, now there was no telling if she was ok or not. Ella's unexpected arrival had changed everything though, in more ways than just her being there to help him. The fact that she had offered to help him at all was the biggest surprise considering their past. Although she made it fairly clear she was simply doing it to repay the favor she owed him for help he'd given her in a similar situation. He still could recall it vividly, the fear and pain in her eyes as he'd carried her to safety. His own fear too. Even if you knew someone couldn't die it didn't make those feelings of but what if come into play.

But that was then and this was now and more than a few scars had been created since then. Her support, though hesitantly accepted, was very much needed and Darien knew he wouldn't have made it very far if she hadn't shown up. She'd tensed slightly when he mentioned Freya's name but did well at hiding any sort of irritation towards his devotion towards the human girl. His inability to sense her at all almost seemed to soften the edge to her expression though, understanding exactly what that could mean and why he'd be so desperate to find her. It was her suggestion they try the hospital first and although he hated the thought she had been hurt because of him not being able to get to her, Darien agreed that was the best place they could start looking. It was slow going even with Ella's help, her much smaller frame, strong as it was, still at odds with his six foot figure.

The fact that he was hardly healing at all yet didn't help much either, a fact that could be contributed to both the issue of what metal they had used and his not stopping to let his body rest for even a second. Eventually though they made it to their destination and his heart sank slightly at the sight of Sam's vehicle parked haphazardly out front. A good thing in a way cause it meant she was there yet bad for obvious reasons. As they got closer to the entrance, Darien struggled to straighten a bit, knowing that if they walked in with him practically leaning on her the hospital staff would be on them like bees to honey. And that was the last thing he needed happening. Seeming to be thinking the same thing, Ella helped hold him upright as best she could, making it look more as if they were simply a couple walking with their arms around each other rather than an injured man being supported so he wouldn't collapse.

Thankfully their act seemed to work, though he did garner a few looks from nurses thanks to his bruised and bloodied face which he hoped wasn't quite as bad as it felt. No one stopped them though and he was relieved to finally be able to feel Freya's presence again which meant no need to ask where her room was located. Letting Ella know exactly which way they needed to go, the pair managed to do much the same as Sam had done and entered quietly. The sight of Freya lying in the hospital bed, looking almost as if she weren't even alive tore at Darien. He never should have left her... The next thing that registered was Sam sitting there beside her, a look of utter heart break and worry written on his face. He'd looked over with a startled gaze at their unexpected appearance and Darien didn't bother with pleasantries before asking quickly, "Is she going to be alright?"

thanks to dub on the track

[SAMUEL RYDER HOLBROOK]

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I'M NO JESUS BUT NEITHER ARE YOU

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Now was different though. He knew about the supernatural world and how to fight off certain creatures. That knowledge was dangerous and could get you into trouble, the main reason he had kept Freya out of it. Sam wasn't about to get her involved if he could help it. Despite that though, she somehow kept getting caught up in it, first with the demons and now this. Sam had no doubt this was somehow his fault. Freya had been safe until Sam decided to show his face in Manuka again. He should’ve stayed away. Sam knew this was going to happen but had convinced himself if he was careful enough, it wouldn’t. Sam thought he could keep Freya safe if he put all his effort into it. And if Sam failed, Darien was there was the ultimate safeguard.

Except this time, Darien was nowhere to be found. He should have been here already, should have been with Freya on her way to the hospital. In all honesty, he shouldn’t have even let this happen to Freya. Wasn’t that the point of guardian angels, to stop bad things happening from people who didn’t deserve it? As far as Sam could tell, Freya didn’t deserve any of this, so why did it happen to her when she had a guardian angel? This was exactly why supernaturals couldn’t be trusted. They pretended to be one thing and always, always turned out to be another, even in the case of guardian angels who were supposed to be good.

Suddenly, Sam heard the door open behind him and whipped around as quickly as he could. Speak of the angel and he shall appear, apparently. What nerve he had, showing up here like this with some random chick no less. Had Darien been off fooling around with her instead of watching out for Freya? Sam wouldn’t doubt it. Why else would he be here with her? He was jumping to quick conclusions, seeing as how the hunter had somehow failed to realize the condition the angel was in on his quick run through of the situation. In Sam’s brain, it didn’t matter. Freya was hurt. That was the only thing on his mind right now. Well, that and how it was his and Darien’s fault.

Sam shot to his feet the moment the angel was fully in the room, his hands balling into quick fists. He wasn’t about to hit the angel; even in the hunter’s enraged state, he knew it’d cause more harm to himself than it would to him. Plus that girl was still here and Sam had a feeling she wouldn’t stand for that kind of action. It didn’t, however, stop the kid from yelling at Darien. Sure, he knew he should be quiet since technically they weren’t supposed to be here, but he couldn’t stop himself. Sam completely ignored Darien’s question (how could he dare to ask that when he could see Freya?) and started on his own angry tirade.

"How could you let this happen?" Sam shouted at Darien, not quite sure whether he was yelling it at the angel or at himself. At this point, it could really be both. "You're suppose to protect her! She relies on you for safety and look where it got her!" Sam threw his arms up in the air in frustration, starting to pace in the small room. It only lasted a couple of moments before Sam was up in Darien’s face, entirely ignoring the girl next to him. The angel was almost half a foot taller than him, but it didn’t “Every single one of you unnatural creatures are just the same. Entirely unreliable, interested in your own personal gain and we humans get screwed over when we put our faith in you!”

Sam had been dumb to trust Freya’s safety to Darien. 100% stupid. He should’ve known. He should’ve. Freya had trusted Darien, though, and Sam had decided to give him the benefit of the doubt because Freya was a pretty good judge of character. What Sam hadn’t counted on though, was the fact that Freya didn’t understand the supernatural world. She was just hearing about it now because of Darien. She didn’t realize what awful creatures they were. He had made a mistake and here was the repayment for it. Sam’s blue eyes wandered back to the barely moving form on the bed and he could feel the tears trying to start again. No. Not now. Not in front of the angel. “Just look at her!” he yelled, whipping back around to the angel. “I never should’ve trusted you!”

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TAG: faded ! WORD COUNT: enough ! OUTFIT: here ! NOTES: here comes the angst ! CREDIT: NUTTERIE @ CAUTION 2.0

[DARIEN NATHANIEL HALE]

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It was really no small secret that Darien did not care much for Sam. Or rather, he distrusted him. The man was a hunter to start with and even though they were considered the good guys as far as humans went they still killed for a living. Angels were rarely on your average hunter's list mostly because they had no way of killing them and it would be a fruitless endeavor. Guardians especially were almost never targeted seeing as they were here to specifically protect the human race. Fallen angels, however, were not always as noble in their pursuits and were gone after from time to time, though like guardians they couldn't be killed. Though he didn't necessarily condone any sort of violence being done to them neither could Darien fault any hunter simply doing what he had to do to save another life that might be in jeopardy.

There were hunters out there though, extremists you might say, that did what they did simply for the sheer pleasure of it. And no one was safe from their cross hairs, no matter who you might be. It was those hunters that Darine specifically loathed and the fact that Sam had been a part of a group of them a short while back was what made him really wary of the man. There'd been rumors they had somehow gotten a hold of an angel's sword, how he didn't even want to know, and had been testing it out on various angels, fallen and guardians alike. Whether or not Sam had been privy to that or involved at all, directly or indirectly he wasn't sure. Suffice it to say he was less than thrilled that the man was back in Freya's life. She was happy though that much was obvious and basically the only reason he did his best to keep his feelings towards Sam at bay and be civil.

So far that had been reciprocated on Sam's side the few times the two of them had interacted but clearly that was not going to be the case now. Darien didn't blame him either. If roles had been reversed he likely would be doing the same thing. He half prepared himself for one of the balled up fists to be thrown towards his face but Sam appeared to be in a little more control than that just yet. Instead his anger came out in words, the angry accusation hitting Darien right where it hurt though he kept a neutral expression outwardly. There was no way to begin to describe the amount of guilt weighing on his shoulders over what had happened to her. He didn't bother to tell Sam as much though seeing as it would likely go in one ear and out the other just now. Instead he grit his teeth as the hunter continued angrily, pacing the room now. "I'm not the only one she was relying on," He returned flatly, clearly referring to the fact that he had left her with the knowledge she was safely with Sam. His first mistake it would seem.

The words were taken as well as he figured they would be as Sam went from pacing the floor to being up in his face in a split second. Darien didn't flinch at the sudden action but his arm tightened around Ella's waist for a moment, bracing himself. The hunter's voice was cold as ice and he delivered the words in almost a snarl, every ounce of anger and mostly likely deep down fear coming out in them. Had Darien not been in the shape he was in and also hadn't been as good at keeping a lid on his anger things might have gone very differently from this point. Most likely Sam would have found himself shoved up against the opposite wall with a sword next to his throat. Not that he would have killed him knocking him down a peg or two would have felt good. Remind him of just who and what he was speaking to just then.

Instead all he could do was stand there and take the words being thrown at him, half agreeing with them in the present moment, though more in Freya's case than humans as a whole. Humans weren't the only ones who got screwed over after all. There were some supernaturals who deserved what they had coming yes, but there were plenty who simply wanted to try and lead as normal and good of a life as possible without being hunted for something they may or may not have been able to even control having happened to them. Not that Sam would likely want to hear that argument now, or ever really. His entire mind was focused only on Freya and that her supposed protector had failed to show up. His voice was getting louder with every new sentence, a desperate sort of sound in his tone as he looked back towards the girl in the bed before returning his wrath back on Darien. There was no doubt the sound was carrying well beyond the door, closed or not, and the last thing they needed happening was to get kicked out of the hospital.

Giving something of a frustrated growl, he grabbed a hold of Sam's arm and flew out of the room. He shouldn't have done it really, barely had the strength to get himself anywhere let along another person. Credit it to Ella's assistance or maybe the anger brewing beneath the surface of his body that he managed it. They did get far mind you, barely outside the hospital building itself but that was good enough. Reappearing in a dimly light alley, Darien couldn't quite hold back a pained sound upon touching ground, his injured wing protesting harshly at being used. Sam had stumbled a few feet away, looking slightly caught of guard. Glaring towards the other man, Darien spoke quickly, "You want to keep yelling at me fine but getting kicked out of the hospital isn't going to do Freya any favors,"

thanks to dub on the track

[SAMUEL RYDER HOLBROOK]

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I'M NO JESUS BUT NEITHER ARE YOU

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This fear and feeling of uselessness were fueling his anger beyond a point that was normal for Sam. Yeah, he knew he had anger issues. It didn’t take much for Sam to fly off the handle. He used to make an attempt to control it, but Sam had never been good at it. Instead, the hunter figured it was better to try to channel his temper into other things and when that didn’t work, he thought having a blow up was the best way to get it out of his system. But this, this was on an entirely new level. It was this anger that was causing Sam to entirely forget about how hurt his leg was, that was causing him to say things he had thought he’d never say. He didn’t even think lashing out would help like it normally did. This was a different type of anger. It didn’t mean that Sam wouldn’t try though.

Especially when the angel seemed intent on adding fuel to the fire, whether or not he knew it. Darien’s words hit Sam hard. The sentiment had already been echoing throughout his mind before the angel went ahead and said them out loud, and it somehow made them worse. For a moment, the hunter felt nothing but crushing desperation. He didn’t want to admit it, but Darien was right. Sam should’ve been there for Freya. She had needed him and Sam had let her down. Again. It was a cycle that Sam wanted no part of, but he couldn’t seem to stop it.

But then the desperation turned around and funneled back into anger, causing Sam to feel like he was going to explode. “That’s rich. Real rich,” Sam remarked with a short bark of a laugh that held no humor. “The mystical, all powerful angel is going to stand here and say that a human should’ve done his job.” The hunter had more to add to that statement. He had a whole tirade prepared for Darien. But the angel grabbed his arm, which was enough to cause Sam to shut up. As angry as Sam was, he hadn’t quite expected a physical response from the angel.

It’d seem Sam was wrong, though, because the next thing he knew, his feet were off the ground and he was being lifted out of the hospital. The whole ordeal couldn’t have taken more than a few seconds, but it felt longer. The hunter was dropped to his feet and the impact made him suddenly realize how bad of a patch job he had done on his leg. That, or the knife wound had been worse than Sam thought it was. Either was equally possible and Sam knew he was fucked, regardless of the reason. Something that serious should’ve been looked at by professionals, but he was too stubborn and Freya was still his main concern.

Besides, it could’ve just been the flying out of the hospital that was making it hurt so bad. He was winded and surprised and faintly felt like puking. Whatever Darien had done, Sam’s body didn’t agree with it. He found himself leaning against one of the alley’s walls, trying to catch his breath. For a moment, the anger had been knocked out of him and without that to propel him, Sam suddenly realized how much he still ached from his run in with the radicals at the museum. He might not have wanted to believe it, but Sam wasn’t a superhuman. He needed to rest and hadn’t. And without the crutch he had had earlier, Sam could tell how bad off he was now. That thought had kept the hunter silent until Darien opened his mouth and brought Sam’s anger bubbling back to the top.

“Oh, now you give a shit about Freya?” Sam half growled, trying to prop himself against the wall in a way that made it look as if he wasn’t actually using it for support. His leg might’ve been killing him but it didn’t mean he was going to show it. “She’s nothing but a temporary job to you, someone you have to look after for the sake of your own skin. Everyone things angels are so noble, but that’s exactly it, isn’t it? Once she lives a long, happy life you’ll just move onto your next charge.” He knew all of this was wrong to say. Sam had seen Darien around Freya and he knew that even if it was just his job to watch out for her, Darien cared for her. At least at a basic level he did. But it was like he couldn’t stop himself. Sam wanted to say anything that would make Darien hurt as much as the hunter was hurting.

It still didn’t excuse what came out of his mouth next. “You’d much rather hang around with your whore than do your job!” Sam shouted at Darien, knowing he had absolutely no right to say it. As soon as the words were out, the hunter wanted to take them back. He didn’t even know what the situation was between Darien and the woman who had been with, but he had thought that if she were important to the angel in any way, that statement would hit deep exactly like he wanted it to. His aim was to inflict maximum casualty with minimum words, after all.

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TAG: faded ! WORD COUNT: enough ! OUTFIT: here ! NOTES: sam's an asshole. CREDIT: NUTTERIE @ CAUTION 2.0

[DARIEN NATHANIEL HALE]

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It honestly took a lot for Darien to completely lose control of his temper, always had even when he'd been human. It had saved him many times over from getting his ass handed to him or now as a guardian, handing someone else their ass to them. That wasn't to say he didn't feel the same burning fury that Sam was clearly displaying now because he most certainly had at times. Sometimes he hadn't even been certain where he'd found the willpower to hold it at bay until the situation was diffused and he was still standing there, fists clenched and jaw aching from how tense he was holding it. A similar feeling was beginning to form now as he stood there staring the hunter down, although it was tempered by the guilt that was threatening to swallow him now that he could see how badly off Freya was. Sam should be screaming at him, had every right to be didn't he?

That aside though this was hardly the place for it to be happening. Too many concerned ears that could hear and come running and end up making it worse in the long run. As much as he disliked the guy he was all Freya had here right now and getting him kicked out of the hospital was the last thing he wanted to happen. Plus the less attention he drew to himself and Ella the better. His presence wasn't one he flaunted often for others to see, only doing more so lately because circumstances called for it. Explaining truthfully who he was in regards to Freya was not an option obviously and he really didn't have the time or energy to think up a story to give them. Besides he looked bad enough off himself that they'd likely try to get him to see a doctor too, also not an option.

And deeper down there was a part of him that didn't want to risk Ella seeing him lose composure. It wasn't a facet of himself she'd ever really seen, not in the way he feared might end up happening now. He'd been angry before in front of her yes, but it was always in a cool, controlled manner. The quiet sort of anger you knew was boiling just beneath the surface but was held in check, threatening to explode but never actually going that far. Those reasons alone were enough to prompt his decision to get them out of there, even if he wasn't necessarily in any shape to be doing that. It still seemed better than any alternative. By this point Sam's voice was carrying well beyond the door he was certain, a harsh, humorless laugh only adding to it and Darien loosened his arm from around Ella's waist to step forward at that point. The physical contact stopped Sam's tirade short and his eyes widened slightly but that was all the reaction Darien gave him time for before flying them out of the room.

As unpleasant as the short trip was for Darien it was clearly just as if not more so for Sam. That wasn't surprising to the angel though as humans weren't exactly made to endure that sort of travel. Add in a nasty looking leg wound to the obvious disorientation and it had Sam appearing to forget his previous anger back in the hospital room for the moment. Darien wasn't foolish enough to think he'd lost it completely and honestly was half expecting it to return in double the force thanks to this unexpected flight outside. His comment about what was best for Freya seemed to be all the spark that flame needed too reignite Sam's wrath and each word was punctuated it. The words were almost like physical blows, hitting with precision and it was all Darien could do in that moment to simply stand there and let the man continue. Angry words began to form on the end of his tongue, begging to be let out in return, shot right back at Sam and telling him exactly where he could shove those accusations.

Did he have any idea what he'd had to give up to continue guarding the human race? What he'd sacrificed? If he started though there was a chance he might not stop until he did something he regretted and he'd already had plenty of things to regret right now. The fact that he felt as if his legs were going to buckle underneath him held him in check as well although he doubted Sam was aware of his physical state right now. Or perhaps he was and using it to his advantage because as harsh as his previous words had been the last one hit the most sensitive nerve possible in Darien. One second he was struggling to stay standing in the middle of the alley the next his fist was slamming into the bricks mere centimeters away from Sam's face, his other arm pinning him against the wall. "Call her that ever again and I swear to God I will rip out your throat," The words were deathly calm but beneath them was the hint of blind fury that Darien hadn't felt since he'd helplessly watched Ella be cast out of heaven.

Ass if suddenly becoming aware of just how he'd reacted, Darien pulled back and let go of Sam, clenching his fists to conceal how badly they were shaking just now. "Do you think you hold the monopoly on loss?" It was an accusing sort of statement and one he was well aware the man likely wouldn't take well or deserved to even have aimed at him but by this point all of that had seemed to be blown out the window. The burst of rage had cost him though and he wasn't even sure how much longer he could stay standing. The only thing keeping him from giving in to it was the man across from him having the satisfaction of seeing it happen.

thanks to dub on the track

82755A

[SAMUEL RYDER HOLBROOK]

[/style][style=text-align: justify;width:400px; height:60px; background-color: #dded82; font-family:dorsa; font-size: 20px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing:1px; line-height:110%; color:#000; text-align: center;]
I'M NO JESUS BUT NEITHER ARE YOU

[style=width:350px; height:120; overflow:auto; padding: 5px; text-align:justify; font-family: tahoma; font-size:10px; line-height: 97%; text-transform: lowercase; border-right: 1px dotted #dded82; overflow:auto; color: #000;]Clearly, Sam had hit a nerve and it was a bigger nerve than he had really been aiming for. Hurt the angel, yeah. But piss him off this much? Definitely hadn’t been Sam’s goal. Even though the angel looked worn out, Sam knew he couldn’t face an angry angel. The hunter’s pretty much now useless leg definitely wasn’t going to help tip the equation more in his favor either. But in all honesty, he had no idea such a comment would offend the angel so much. To Sam, guardian angels were basically devoid of almost all emotions. They were either the souls of dead humans brought back to watch over the human race or angels that had been made in heaven, meaning they had never been human at all. Both situations still made them uncaring in Sam’s mind. They might’ve felt the same detached adoration someone felt for a pet; loving and caring to a certain extent, but at the end of the day, pets weren’t necessarily irreplaceable. Any other emotion came from the flare of self-preservation that resulted in their charge being threatened.

But to feel anything for anyone outside of their charges? Sam figured that was impossible. On a whole, angels were machines. Or God’s warriors or whatever other noble name they might’ve been given. It boiled down to them being nothing more than grunts to do heaven’s work. He really didn’t think they could have any sort of relationships other than their charge. It’d just be an unnecessary distraction. Apparently though, that was a wrong assumption. Sam didn’t know anything about Darien, outside of the facts that he was an angel and that he was Freya’s guardian. He didn’t care enough to ask personal question, nor did he want to. And if Freya knew anything, she certainly hadn’t told him. Whoever she was, it had been the wrong move to insult her because before Sam could blink, he was up against a wall with a fist centimeters from his face.

The hunter wouldn’t admit he was scared. Yeah, the reaction had shown on his face until Sam pushed it away, telling himself that Darien wasn’t trying to actually hurt him or the fist would’ve hit his face. He had no doubt about it. Darien’s entire reaction had been a threat – one Sam felt Darien had every intention of following through if he needed – but still a threat nonetheless. Darien, despite seeming as wounded as he currently was, was still an angel. He could kill Sam where he stood without using much more effort than it’d take to squash a fly. The hunter had to remember that.

Still, the more reckless side of the man was telling him to continue pushing Darien’s limit. He had gotten a reaction out of the angel that he had previously thought was impossible and Sam was kind of curious to see how far this could go. He liked this newly discovered power he had over the angel. Just a few choice words about whoever that woman was, regardless of whether they were true or not, and Sam could have this angel irrationally lose his temper. At the same time, he knew it wouldn’t end well for him. Sam had no doubt Darien would actually rip out his throat if given a reason to, since real angels really weren’t like the ones portrayed in literature. While death wouldn’t have scared the kid a handful of months ago, he had Freya in his life now. Sam had promised Freya he wasn’t going to leave her again and dying would technically mean him leaving her. He wasn’t about to break that promise he had made to her, not if he could prevent it.

So instead, for once in his life, Sam kept his mouth shut and his snarky comments to himself. It didn’t mean that he gave up entirely though. Sam defiantly held Darien’s stare for as long as he could until the angel let go of him and Sam had to readjust himself against the wall, trying to take as much weight off his leg as possible. If it weren’t for the rush of anger and adrenaline giving him so much energy, Sam didn’t think he’d be standing at all at this exact moment. He really should be focusing on his leg first and Darien second since Sam wouldn’t magically heal in a couple of hours. It’d be a permanent problem if the hunter wasn’t careful about it now.

Even with that thought, Sam couldn’t calm down. He wasn’t very rational at his best and any logic didn’t have a hope of getting to him now. Could he be blamed? This stupid angel was about to try to turn everything to be about him? Sam could barely believe the nerve. Yeah, the kid knew he didn’t have it the worst in the world. There were people out there whose situations would make his look like a dream life. He wasn’t the only one who had people taken from him too early and had to make sacrifices to get by. He knew that and he didn’t need Darien to talk to him like he was some bratty teenager.

But this was Freya that they were talking about. “Don’t you understand?” Sam shot back, feeling his anger bubble once again. “It’s not just anyone in that hospital bed. It’s Freya. Do you have any clue how important she is?” Sure, Sam had other people he cared for in his life. There was Cas, his best friend in the entire world. And Jude, who he couldn’t help but feel a slight bit protective over because she always seemed so vulnerable to him. But as much as he loved the two of them, they weren’t Freya. She was on an entirely separate level that Sam couldn’t even begin to describe it. If something ever happened to Freya, something that couldn’t be fixed, Sam would never recover from it. “She doesn’t deserve any of this and you know it so you can cut the judgmental shit.” Sam couldn’t give two fucks if Darien had lost someone important. Freya was the center of the hunter’s universe and she came above everything else.

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TAG: faded ! WORD COUNT: enough ! OUTFIT: here ! NOTES: sam's an asshole. CREDIT: NUTTERIE @ CAUTION 2.0

[SEAJAY]

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