tell me now, where was my fault [DARIELLA]

[GABRIELLA NICOLE ARCHER]

i'm not in love with you

What exactly had Ella been expecting? For Darien to get to the hospital and not be a worried mess over Freya? For him to take five minutes to sit and rest and let his body start to heal itself? She would have to be dumb. The demon knew that whatever they found at the hospital would be bad – though to be honest, she hadn’t been expecting this awful – and that Darien wasn’t going to be content with just sitting there. What she hadn’t expected was Sam being there and being so confrontational. Not that Ella could blame him. She figured anyone in his shoes would be upset. But him yelling at someone who was clearly rather hurt? Inexcusable. Didn’t seem that it mattered though, because Darien hadn’t taken Sam’s shit and had whisked the both of them out of there.

Which was all fine and dandy, of course, except for the fact that Ella knew Darien wasn’t in any condition to do that. Being an angel before meant she knew how an angel actually functioned and transporting yourself out like that, much less with someone else, was a difficult feat and one that Darien certainly wasn’t in the shape for. Not that he’d think about that, of course. All that mattered was getting the shouting Sam out of the room so a scene could be avoided and so that Freya wouldn’t be disturbed. Those would be his only worries and as long as they were avoided, what did it matter?

Ella should really stop caring about his physical well-being. The feeling had recently just resurfaced and as far as the demon was concerned, it could go right back in the box she had it shoved in so many years back. If he wasn’t going to give a shit about it, then neither did Ella. Hell, even if he did take a moment to consider his own health, it still shouldn’t be a concern of Ella’s. At all. Demons were supposed to be happy over their suffering, right? Wasn’t that kind of the general expectation? Whatever. The specifics didn’t matter.

What Ella knew was that she needed to get the hell out of here and never look back. This was a mess that she didn’t want to get involved with. She had been happy without it and wasn’t about to get dragged into it. Because what use did it hold for her? Nothing. Ella would just get left behind, exactly like she was right now actually. Alone in the hospital room. She was secondary when it came to things like this, like she always did when Darien was involved. And Ella was tired of it. She was going to put her foot down right now. No more angel crap. She wasn’t getting sucked into it anymore.

As if to make it final, Gabriella glanced back at Freya one last time and then stalked out of the room, entirely set on being finished with this mess. She was going to go right home and go to bed. If the demon tried hard enough, she could pretend all of this was a bad dream and it didn’t even matter. Seemed easy enough to her, something that was completely accomplishable. At least, it seemed like it would be, until Ella stepped out of the hospital and started down the street. As she neared an alleyway, she heard arguing from it and she paused, intent on listening.

The demon had always been more of the curious type so conflict like this could always draw her attention. It didn’t take long for Ella to recognize the one voice as Darien’s and she could only assume the other belong to Sam. Then Darien hadn’t been able to get all that far, which really wasn’t surprising. In fact, it was kind of amazing he made it as far as this alley outside the building. Ella had kind of assumed he had whisked the two of them off to some other part of the hospital or something, somewhere that was far enough where they weren’t going to bother Freya.

Following the pact that Gabriella had just made with herself, she should’ve just kept walking. Should’ve taken no more than a mild interest and then head on her way. Listening in was just going to drag her back into the mess, the exact thing she wanted to avoid. And yet, that damn curiousness was keeping Ella rooted to the spot. She could make out snippets here and there, the rest of it being rather garbled by the echoes off the brick walls. Some of it was kind of interesting, to be honest. It was almost like a real live drama, which could certainly be entertaining in Ella’s mind.

The whole confrontation didn’t last all that long though; at least Gabriella didn’t think so. Because before she knew it, Sam raced past her, not even sparing a glance her way. In all honesty, he probably hadn’t even seen her in all his worry. He needed to get back up to Freya’s room to check on her, or at least Ella thought so. And now would be the perfect time to take her leave. If Ella walked fast enough, Darien wouldn’t even have to know Ella had been there the entire time. She could just pretend that she couldn’t care less about this whole shenanigan she had gotten accidentally roped into tonight.

But she couldn’t. Ella tried. She told herself she had to keep walking but something was holding her back. The demon found herself debating whether or not she should go check on Darien because it had been a little while since Sam had left. God. That was so stupid. Completely dumb. She had just told herself she wasn’t going to worry over things like this. And yet, Ella found herself making a decision and she turned the corner to enter the alley. It took a couple moments for her eyes to adjust to the dimmer lighting. Gabriella found herself slightly stifling a gasp with her hand until she reminded herself that she didn’t care. But it was surprising though, finding Darien on the ground like he was too weak to move. Never in all the years Ella had known Darien had she ever seen him like that. He was always the last one fighting, never the one to give up. Ella started walking at a normal pace towards, telling herself not to hurry because she didn’t actually care about his well being. Nope. Just curious. The angel glanced up in her direction, most likely alerted by her footsteps, and Ella couldn’t help but think she had never seen such a broken look on his face. “Darien?” Gabriella asked, not really able to keep the worry out of her voice. She crouched next to him, trying to get as close to eye level as possible. Ella was still quite shaken over his appearance; Darien was barely recognizable as himself.

you're too curious for your own good

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[DARIEN NATHANIEL HALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb= style, width: 420px; background-color: 888888; border: 10px solid #343138; padding: 2 2 2 2px;] i want to return but all you will do is turn and leave if i can find my way home will you take hold of me (ella) (lots) (wearing: this) (fjdkfjasifid) Darien had known Sam would be angry. The man had a temper and the angel knew that as soon as he walked into that hospital room he would likely experience it in full force. And he hadn't been disappointed. He had barely stepped through the door when he'd been faced by an icy cold glare from the other man, an accusatory look that spoke volumes. He blamed Darien for what had happened to Freya. And why not? Darien blamed himself just as much if not more most likely. He was her Guardian. The one who was supposed to be there to keep her out of harm's way. He was there to take the hits, the pain, so that she didn't have to. Yet here she was, close to dying for all anyone knew, and all because he hadn't been there. As a Guardian it was the worst scenario you could think of happening, failing your charge. She'd needed him and he hadn't come to the rescue. Also not surprising was how quickly Sam's hard glare had turned vocal. Into harsh, loud words that were most certainly carrying through the door that separated Freya's room from the rest of the hall. Darien hadn't intended on leaving Ella there without even so much as a thank you or goodbye but Sam had given him little choice. He'd needed to get them out of there. He hadn't even been sure he could manage it, flying them both out of the room. Somehow he had though, got them farther than he anticipated even though it was barely outside the hospital itself. The back alley was all the farther they would be going though because it had taken every last ounce of strength he had left to make it there as it was. In something of a haze he'd listened as Sam let loose on him then, getting out every single ounce of anger and worry and fear that had obviously been building since he'd arrived at the hospital. He'd taken it silently for the most part, though there were a few moments where he'd interjected and leveled his own remarks towards the hunter. Neither was thinking clearly though for different reasons and all that really was accomplished was a lot of shouting and things said that probably shouldn't have been. Things that might not have even really been meant if it hadn't been for the heat of the moment. And some things that had been buried deep down that would no longer stay quiet. Things kept growing hotter and hotter until it ended with Sam's fist slamming solidly into Darien's jaw. Normally that sort of hit would have hardly effected the angel but in his current state it was enough to send him to the ground. Left with barely enough time to catch himself, he grimaced as the rough asphalt was ground into his palms. The sound of Sam's footsteps hurrying away followed a moment later. Darien didn't even try to get up to follow him. There was nothing he could do for Freya that the doctors weren't already doing and clearly his presence was not welcome. Even if he had wanted to go back to check on her though he wasn't sure he could move to do it. Never in all his time as a guardian could he remember feeling this weak. The beating he'd taken from the radicals combined with the sensation of almost losing Freya had left him completely sapped of any strength. And he hated it. Hated it with every single fiber of his being. Feeling so absolutely powerless was something he despised in any situation but especially when it was physically speaking. When you were used to being close to invincible it was a harsh blow to find yourself barely able to move. Adding to it was the fact that it left him completely vulnerable. Were the wrong person to find him here now they could end him with little trouble. Almost as if on cue with that thought the sound of footsteps echoed behind him. Different from Sam's they were enough to bring his head around to see who they belonged to. Recognition was instant even in the dim light of the alley and Darien wasn't sure whether to be completely relieved or irritated, though it would have been more at himself than the person coming towards him. Almost in an attempt to prove that he wasn't as bad off as it seemed he tried to raise himself from the asphalt but barely manged to get one elbow supported beneath him before collapsing back down to the ground. She had reached him by that point and had crouched down next to him. He wasn't expecting to hear the worry in her tone as she spoke his name, the sound of her voice completely different from what it had been earlier in regards to him. Clearly he looked worse than he thought. Running his tongue over his bottom lip he winced at the taste of blood where Sam's hand had split it open and turned his head slightly to the side to spit out the rest that had started to pool in his mouth. "I know you already repaid that favor but I think I might need a little more help just one more time..." He whispered, blue eyes glancing up at her in a slightly hazy manner. He didn't know if she'd stick around this time around or not but he was past being too proud to at least admit he needed it now cause i'm trying to find the words but i can barely say template created by brooke!

[GABRIELLA NICOLE ARCHER]

i'm not in love with you

Times like these made Ella wish she were a better demon. She knew she wasn’t a very good one by any standards. She was much too softer to be like the rest of them. Over the years, Ella had gotten pretty good at pretending she was. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have survived with the demons she was around all the time. But that was all Ella could do. Pretend. And it was moments like these that proved Gabriella had no business being a demon. She couldn’t just shut off her emotions like most demons could. Ella felt guilty just thinking about blocking them off like that, placing her in the minority of her species.

Right now it looked like it was going to be Ella’s downfall. One look at Darien and she could feel her heart break. In her mind, Darien had always been invincible. Most angels were. They were larger than life. They weren’t supposed to look so vulnerable or beat down. The fact that is was Darien in front of her and not some stranger made it worse. She would’ve felt bad had it been anyone, but she knew him. Had a past with him. Gabriella might’ve told herself she hated him, but it didn’t mean she would wish something awful on him. No, she would never want something like this to happen to Darien. He didn’t deserve it. As much as it annoyed Ella, he was good at what he did. Committed. And she could only imagine how low he must feel right now.

If Ella had thought her heart was broken, it was completely shattered when she saw Darien try to get back up and fail. He was bad, worse than Gabriella had originally thought. Darien spitting out blood and the quiet tone of his voice only furthered the image. He was asking for help and Ella thought that was probably the first time she had ever heard him do so. The demon knew he hated being in a position that required that. Darien had always been self-reliant and she could imagine that not being able to rely on himself was almost worse than his current physical state.

It wasn’t like Ella could just deny Darien the help he was asking for. She’d have to have a heart that was entirely black to the core to just leave him there in that alley. Surely he had more faith in her than that. She had gotten him this far already, after all. “Of course, Darien,” Ella agreed, lightly placing a hand on his cheek in a comforting manner. The mother hen part of her personality was starting to show itself but the demon was much too concerned with other important manners to worry over that right now. She stayed like that for a moment or two before removing her hand and placing it back on her knee. “We need to get you standing again,” she instructed.

In all reality, Ella couldn’t take seeing him on the ground like that any more. She thought that was the most disturbing part about this entire situation, at least in her mind. He was always on his feet, always ready to go. Like earlier, when Ella had originally found him in the train yard. Even though he had been badly hurt and could barely stand then, he was still standing on his feet, attempting to go find his charge. Seeing Darien like this was unnatural and even if getting him to stand up wouldn’t fix the issue, Ella thought it might help remedy a little bit of it.

She was tiny, much tinier than Darien, which was going to make it a challenge. Gabriella had had a hard enough time helping the angel get to the hospital and he was able to support himself then – if limitedly so. Now, after flying out of the hospital and some clearly violent contact with Sam, Ella doubted he’d be able to help at all. He couldn’t even stand up for Pete’s sake. But she had to try. So the demon awkwardly crouched down further, trying to get to a point where she could sling the angel’s arm over her shoulder again. It took some painful scrabbling and more than one try, but eventually the angel was able to get onto his feet.

Now what? Ella didn’t have her car with her and there was no way she could walk all the way back to her house with him like he was. Taxi maybe? Ella leaned against the alley wall, effectively leaning a majority of Darien’s weight there too, and pulled out her cell phone. She didn’t have a taxi company’s number, but it didn’t take much for her to find one and call them. Luckily, the nearest cab hadn’t been too far and Ella was told it should be there within the next couple of minutes. With that done, Ella figured they should go to the front of the hospital so the cab driver would be able to see them. “Do you think you can walk around to the front of the building with me?” She asked, legitimately concerned that Darien wasn’t going to be able to make it even that far.

you're too curious for your own good

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[DARIEN NATHANIEL HALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb= style, width: 420px; background-color: 888888; border: 10px solid #343138; padding: 2 2 2 2px;] i want to return but all you will do is turn and leave if i can find my way home will you take hold of me (ella) (lots) (wearing: this) (fjdkfjasifid) It was a horrible feeling. Helplessness. And Darien was painfully aware of just how very much he was exactly that in this moment. Could barely move, every muscle in his body burning at the slightest twitch. It was a long way to fall, from practically being invincible to lying on the cold, hard pavement only able to hope and pray that no one would find him that could do him harm. Or Freya more harm. Sam was with her now but he couldn't be there constantly and if whatever had done this to her in the first place decided to try and finish the job one man wasn't likely to keep them from reaching her. This was the part they never really told you about as a Guardian. You were given your orders, trained to follow them unwaveringly and without question. Protect your charge at whatever cost. If they died so did you. This though, this was never really talked about by any of the angels. Maybe it was the shame that came with feeling like this, the knowledge that you'd let someone who was counting on you down. Darien had already experienced that feeling once before as he had watched Ella get her wings ripped out and he'd sworn to himself he would never, never let that happen with anyone else again. And yet here he was, bloody, bruised and broken, looking nothing like the powerful being he truly was. Losing your charge and subsequently your own life was considered the worst possible thing that could happen as a Guardian but Darien disagreed. Almost losing them was ten million times worse. The guilt was weighing on him almost as heavily as the actual physical exhaustion, Sam's words echoing over and over in his head. What Freya must have been thinking as she was being attacked. Had she wondered where he'd been? Most likely. Especially now that she knew he was there. Or was supposed to be. There'd be no going back to the hospital room tonight to explain though even if Sam let him near her if she did happen to wake up. He'd just be lucky to eventually drag himself out of this alley by morning. Even somewhere slightly more secluded and hidden nearby was all he really needed to find. Somewhere safe to rest and recover... That was when he heard the sound of the footsteps echoing behind him, expecting the worst and finding someone that made his feelings all the more conflicted. Relief that it was Ella and not someone with more evil intentions. Despite their rocky start so far she'd proven to still be the woman he remembered at her core even if she did only show quick glimpses of it. He knew her though and it was enough. There was also the shame at her seeing him like this though. Weak. This was her chance to mock him if she wanted, rub it in his face even. She certainly had something of a right to after all that had happened between them. She hadn't though. Not even hinted at it this time. Silently she'd lowered herself down beside him and even as hazy as his vision was just then he could still see nothing but concern on her features. That in itself had pushed him to ask for her help once more time, having little other option right then as it was. It had always been difficult for him to ask for help though and she was correct in assuming that it was the last thing he wanted to do, no matter who it was he was asking. He was always the shoulder to lean on, the one who made sure everyone else was safe and secure. Not the one lying on the ground barely able to lift himself upright. And she knew that probably better than anyone. Darien could only assume he must have sounded as pathetic as he looked because she had reached out to cup her hand gently against the side of his face, the touch surprising and unexpectedly comforting. Without even thinking he found himself leaning into it slightly, savoring what was the first non-violent physical contact he'd had with anyone in what seemed like a very long time. Having agreed to help him yet again she took charge much like back at the trainyard and her remark that they needed to get him standing again was met by a short nod. Just how they would manage that was another question entirely. She was strong but he was much larger than her and basically dead weight until he could get his feet under him again. She managed to get his arm over her shoulders though and though it had taken more than one attempt she had kept with him and didn't let him go even when he'd faltered until finally he was standing again. Breathing heavily, Darien gladly let the alley wall support almost the entirety of his weight as she paused for a moment before pulling out her phone to call a taxi. With one on the way, she looked up at him then and her question was filled with obvious and warranted concern. Could he make it to the front of the building? Honestly Darien wasn't one hundred percent certain he could even take a step forward without his knees buckling. Having her beside him though, she probably would have scoffed, but it somehow made him feel stronger. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like, gaining strength just in knowing someone wouldn't let you go. How it had felt to be with her. Grimacing only slightly he nodded in response. "I can make it," He breathed out tensely, shifting his weight slightly in preparation for that first movement away from the wall. Ella took that step carefully and he could feel her brace herself in case he were to falter. It took every ounce of will power and what little strength he had left from getting back on his feet to make it out of the alley and to the front of the hospital. If it hadn't been Ella there with him he honestly doubted he would have made it but he was determined not to make it harder for her than he already was. The taxi pulled up to the edge of the curb a few seconds before they reached it thankfully. Ella had let go with one arm long enough to open the door and helped ease him inside as carefully as possible before shutting it and running around to the other side and sliding in as well. She'd given the cab driver her address quickly and a moment later they were on their way there. Feeling as if he had literally no energy left in his body Darien leaned his head back against the headrest with a soft groan, eyes closed. cause i'm trying to find the words but i can barely say template created by brooke!

[GABRIELLA NICOLE ARCHER]

i'm not in love with you

In all honesty, Ella was afraid they’d have to spend the entire night in the alleyway. She hadn’t been too confident that she’d be able to help Darien stand. The demon had never seen Darien look this bad and it scared her. Sure, she wouldn’t admit that not only was she worried about Darien’s condition but she was also terrified seeing him this way, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t. He could probably tell though, seeing as how he probably knew her better than she knew herself. Ella could try to help him up all she wanted, but if he couldn’t physically help her too, there wouldn’t be a chance. She had already decided she’d sit in the alley with him all night if she had to though.

And even though Darien wouldn’t say anything to her, she knew trying to stand was a struggle for him. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how painful it had to be for him. There were times that Ella had thought they’d have to just give up and wait until Darien felt better before they could try to get anywhere. True to his nature though, Darien didn’t give up. He kept pushing and pushing until they were actually got him on his feet, regardless of how painful the whole ordeal might’ve been for him. Once they got to that point, things started to look up. It might’ve been difficult to get there, but getting him off the ground was half the battle right?

It didn’t make the walk to the front of the building any easier, however. Ella could only imagine what every step felt like to Darien. She could tell he was trying to keep as much of his weight off of her as he could. Typical of the angel. Still too prideful to just let someone help, regardless of how beat up he was. He was going to try to do as much of everything on his own as he could, though it wasn’t like the demon could really expect anything else of him. She knew him too well to do that.

The effort took a lot out of him though, which was obvious in the way he seemed to practically collapse into the taxi. Good thing the cab driver had perfect timing and was right where he needed to be when the pair reached the curb. Ella was pretty sure Darien wouldn’t have been able to make it too much longer if the cab hadn’t been there. Once he was in the taxi, Ella ran around to the other side and slid in as well, feeling rather accomplished at the fact that she had been able to help him out of that alley when she had thought it was going to be nearly impossible.

However, that bubble quickly deflated when Ella glanced over at Darien and saw how bad he still looked. The walk had taken more out of him than she had thought it would and in all honesty, if Ella wasn’t already aware of the fact that he couldn’t die (at least, not when Freya was still alive), she would’ve thought he was dying. Despite her better judgment, the demon couldn’t stop herself from reaching out and lightly cupping his cheek again, much like she had in the alley, as if to remind herself that he was still there and he was going to be okay.

It wasn’t enough though. Ella wanted all of this to be behind him, for him to just be better already. She might’ve told herself again and again that she hated the angel, but that didn’t matter right now. She didn’t even think she could hate him, not anymore. Feeling as if it was all she could do, the demon gently pulled Darien’s head into her lap, cradling his head. She could only think that it’d feel better to be laying down instead of being awkwardly propped up, even if there wasn’t enough space for him to lay completely. Almost absentmindedly, Ella started to play with Darien’s curls, thinking that it had to be somewhat distracting. It was something Ella had always wanted to do but never had. She had had the biggest crush on him when they were both guardians, but they had never been physically close like this. “We’re almost there,” Ella murmured while she continued playing with his hair, thinking the information would be helpful to him.

Once the taxi pulled up to Ella’s house, she leaned forward to pay the driver, careful not to jostle Darien too much. She tried to help the angel sit up as much as she could without hurting him too much and slipped out of the taxi, hurrying to the other side to help Darien get out. “Just one more bit of walking and you can rest, okay?” She put his arm over her shoulder much like she had before and snaked her other arm around his waist. It was so much easier getting him into a standing position from here than it had been. And the walk itself was much easier as well, at least in the demon’s opinion. Maybe the little bit of a rest that Darien had gotten in the taxi was enough to help him slightly?

Regardless, it didn’t take long for them to get up the walk and for Ella to unlock her door. Once in, she headed right for her bedroom, planning on getting Darien comfy there. She eased Darien into her bed, fluffing and rearranging the pillows into what she thought would be the most comfortable for him. There. Darien could rest and regain his strength overnight and be fine by morning. He could get back to his guardian duties and as far as Ella was concerned, her debt was repaid. After this, they could go their own separate ways and having nothing to do with each other ever again. That thought sent a pang of pain through the demon, but she’d get over it. She’d gone through this long without the angel, and she could do it again. They were better off without each other. With one last glance back towards Darien, Ella headed towards the door, intent on letting him sleep all of this off.

you're too curious for your own good

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[DARIEN NATHANIEL HALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb= style, width: 420px; background-color: 888888; border: 10px solid #343138; padding: 2 2 2 2px;] i want to return but all you will do is turn and leave if i can find my way home will you take hold of me (ella) (lots) (wearing: this) (fjdkfjasifid) Darien wasn't quite certain just where things would end up going if he wasn't able to actually get to his feet. There was a part of him that knew that as bad as his current condition was just now it could have been ten thousand times worse. He was bruised and bloody yes but what was really taking its toll on him was the sense of having almost no life left in his body. It was a horrible sensation, almost like dying but not at the same time because obviously none of the injuries he had sustained could physically kill him. He knew why he felt that way though. As a guardian you were expected to give your everything in protecting your charge. Their life depended on you and in turn yours depended on them being alive. In essence the closer they were to dying the weaker their guardian also became in a way. Combine everything that had happened in the past twelve hours and it was very easy to understand then just why he was so badly off. Ella certainly seemed to realize it if the expression on her face was any indication. She would better than anyone else after all. Though there was no mistaking the concern in her voice even Darien wasn't aware of the fear seeing him like this was creating in her too. Maybe if his mind had been less hazy and he could have taken a good long look in her eyes that would have been clear but then again he hadn't even expected her to show the amount of care that she already had let alone that. Therefore he took her desire to get him back up on his feet as simply the logical solution seeing as staying in the alley wasn't really the most desirable option. Though it would be the only one he had if he couldn't make it back up off the ground. She wasn't giving up on him easily though, never wavering no matter how badly he was struggling. Never in his life had he experienced so much pain from such a seemingly simple action. If there was one thing both of them were though it was stubborn and for once it worked together in their favor. Small victory though it might have have been it was a victory nonetheless and he let himself savor it for a small moment even if he did know there were more hurdles to get over still. Like getting to the front of the hospital for example. Like back in the train yard she supported him as best she could and like before he did his best to keep as much of his weight off of her as possible. There was less pride involved than back at the train yard though, some yes, but not making it any harder on her than it already was played a bigger part this time. Even so he was barely holding himself up at all by the time they reached the curb and Ella was literally the only thing between him and the ground again. Had the cab not pulled up just at that perfect moment he wasn't sure she wouldn't have been pulled down with him anyways. Sitting had never felt so good, or more like a controlled collapse really seeing as that was basically what happened as Ella helped him into the taxi. A few moments later he heard the door shut across from him as Ella got in the other side, unaware of the way her features fell as she glanced over at him. The touch of her hand against the side of his face did bring his eyes open and he turned his head slightly in slight surprise not expecting that from her. Even more surprising was what she did next, pulling him gently down so that she could cradle his head in her lap. A tiny part of Darien's mind was telling him to pull back but it was quickly drowned out by how comforting it felt being so close to her and he let it happen with absolutely no resistance. The sensation of her fingers running absently through his hair was utterly relaxing and provided the distraction she had hoped it would. He couldn't begin to say how often he'd wished for a chance to be this close to her back when they had both still been Guardians together. The closest he'd come to it was when she had been in a situation similiar to his now. Even then though he had simply laid next to her on the bed. The angel would have been lying though if he said he hadn't felt the urge to pull her closer. He still couldn't have said what exactly made him stay with her that night. It wasn't as if she was the first person he'd trained that had been hurt while protecting their charge after all. It was the first time he'd been afraid for one though and that in itself should have been enough to tell him something was different about her. Or rather he was feeling something different for her. He'd been so blind to it though or maybe he was just a coward and hadn't wanted to face those feelings then because of what it might mean in the long run. Either way it was something he would always, always regret not acting upon when he had the chance. Her voice broke the train of his thoughts then, murmuring a reassurance that they were almost there, that this would be over soon. As good as that sounded he almost wished the ride was longer simply for the sake of staying next to her for a little bit more. Before reality set in again and they went their own ways. The taxi slowed to a stop sooner rather than later though and after paying the driver, Ella helped him sit back up, the action bringing only a slight grimace this time. She was right, the short rest had given him a bit of his strength back and it was certainly helping make things easier this time around when it came to the short trip into her house. Heading straight for the bedroom she wasted little time in slowly helping ease him down onto the bed and Darien practically melted against the pillows as she fixed them where they would be the most comfortable. Even though he'd closed his eyes for a moment upon first hitting the bed he could sense the movement of her turning to leave and the thought brought a desperate feeling in his chest. Reaching out he caught her hand before she could step completely away, stopping her. "Stay...?" Though it came out just above a whisper there was an almost pleading tone to the simple word, revealing to her for the first time a more vulnerable side of himself he'd never shown her or really anyone before this. All he knew right then was he wanted, no needed her with him right now. cause i'm trying to find the words but i can barely say template created by brooke!

[GABRIELLA NICOLE ARCHER]

i'm not in love with you

It sounded really cheesy, but from the time Ella met Darien’s bright blue eyes in the taxi, she started to get the feeling that things were going to be okay. Yeah, they weren’t right now but they were going to improve. They could only go up from here, right? It was ridiculous, the amount of comfort Ella got from just meeting his eyes and she’d never admit to it for fear of seeming overly foolish. She really was being so, after all. All this worry had just made the demon’s brain turn to mush. It was running on pure feeling instead of the logic it usually heavily relied on. Ella figured it was understandable enough, but it didn’t mean she had to be okay with it.

And the moment the demon had pulled the angel into her lap, she knew it was a mistake. Ella shouldn’t have done it. He would’ve been perfectly okay sitting up the way he had been. But she couldn’t stop herself anyway. Her big heart was making a sudden and strong reappearance and Ella wasn’t sure that was a good thing. Besides, she’d be lying if she said wanting to be closer to him wasn’t part of the reason. It was something she had wanted for so long (at least when she had been a guardian) and apparently she couldn’t give up the opportunity now. Apparently she needed to fulfill previous desires.

But that was it. That was where Ella was going to draw the line. He might’ve been hurt and Ella might’ve felt bad for him, but that was it. It didn’t change anything else between them. Darien had betrayed her (at least in Ella’s opinion, he had) and it was something she couldn’t forgive him for. And Ella knew that she had made mistakes too, and some of them were probably inexcusable in Darien’s eyes. There was no reason for them to pretend like the past hadn’t happen just because there had been a moment of vulnerability between them. Otherwise, they’d just regret everything later. She was just helping Darien get to the point where he could be back on his feet and that was at it.

At least, that was the mantra Ella had been repeating in her brain from the time they had gotten out of the taxi until now. She was going to stick to it too. Ella had the resolve to do so. She knew she did. The demon just had to remind herself why she had started to hate him in the first place. It shouldn’t be too hard as long as she continued to remember the day she had lost her wings. The actual event had happened years ago but it didn’t mean Ella’s feelings over that day had dulled any.

Ella had stuck so well to her plan. She made sure Darien was comfortable and then she was going to leave it at that. With any luck, he’d sneak out the moment he felt well enough and both of them would never acknowledge this again. There was something in her chest that was far from okay with this, but her brain knew it was for the best. They weren’t compatible people. Whatever she wanted to be true wasn’t so it didn’t matter. They had been perfectly fine apart and it should just return to that in all honesty. It’d be easier to follow through as long as Ella told herself that she was doing the right thing.

Then that one word shattered Ella’s resolution. Darien didn’t even need to grab her hand to get her to stop; she was already frozen in place. If Ella didn’t know better, she wouldn’t have believed that Darien had actually said that. She had never heard him so vulnerable. Even in the alley when Darien asked for help, there had still been some pride wrapped around his words to keep them from sounding too helpless. He had been asking for help, yeah, but it was said in a way that made it seem as if it was something he wanted and not something he necessarily needed, like he’d find his own way out of the alley even if Ella didn’t help him.

This request had no barriers though, no sense of pretense, and Darien had never been like that, at least around Ella. As much as she told herself that she should just continue walking out of the room like she hadn’t even heard him, she couldn’t do it. Sure, the logical part of her was ranting like no other, but it didn’t mean she had to listen to it. Ella turned to glance at Darien again and she knew that even if her life depended on it, she couldn’t have said no. The demon didn’t say anything for a few moments though, really unsure of how to respond to his request. She had this slightly foreboding feeling that they were on the brink of some precarious cliff and Ella staying would push them over the edge. It still didn’t stop her.

“Yeah, I’ll stay,” Ella agreed, letting go of Darien’s hand so she could go around to the other side of the bed and lay down. She shifted to her side so she could face Darien, thinking about how the last time they had been like this, the roles were completely reversed. The only thing was though, the demon couldn’t imagine Darien feeling this worried over her. She had just been another reckless charge who had messed up big time. He probably had to deal with that all the time and Ella’s case had been nothing special. Of course Ella should have the same objectiveness that he had had then, but she just didn’t.

Against her better judgment, Ella found herself reaching out to brush some of Darien’s curls off his forehead, still feeling the need to fuss over him even though she knew he was going to be okay now. As much as Ella kept telling herself that all of this wasn’t okay, another part of her was trying to rationalize this all. They could still go on like nothing happened, like a demon had never taken an interest in an angel’s well being. They just had to get through tonight without anything major. Ella quickly tucked her hand back by her side, acting as if she hadn’t done anything. “Try to get some sleep. You’ll feel better in the morning,” she instructed, trying to transition back to the impartial nurse role instead of the subjective one she was playing now. Even with that thought in mind, there was still one more thing Ella felt the need to ask Darien. She had missed it earlier when they were in the taxi together, but after the angel had grabbed her hand, Ella had noticed how beaten up and bloody it was. “What happened to your hand?” It certainly hadn’t been like that before she found him at the train yard, so it had to happen sometime between the hospital and now.

you're too curious for your own good

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[DARIEN NATHANIEL HALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb= style, width: 420px; background-color: 888888; border: 10px solid #343138; padding: 2 2 2 2px;] i want to return but all you will do is turn and leave if i can find my way home will you take hold of me (ella) (lots) (wearing: this) (fjdkfjasifid) Never in a million years had Darien planned on anything like this happening. Seeing Ella again period had been unexpected enough and the fact that it had affected him how it had just in those few short minutes before he'd taken Freya to the hospital should have warned him to be careful. There was a part of him, you see, that wanted to believe he was invincible and not just physically speaking. Able to go about his job as a guardian knowing he had the ability to withstand the possible temptations some of his kind found so enticing. There had even been a couple of times he had slightly scoffed at how easily some seemed to let their emotions take over and bring them to ruin. Looking back he could have shaken himself for it. He honestly couldn't even say how Ella got through his defenses when no one else had ever even made it near those walls. One day she was just another newly fledged angel under his watch that seemed hell bent on giving him nothing but headaches and the next she was suddenly the center of his every thought. And it scared the hell out of him. He could still recall the almost desperate sense of panic that night she'd been hurt and he'd known he was going to have to leave her there until he made sure their charge was somewhere safe. For a split second he had almost considered abandoning the human and her child in favor of ensuring Ella's wellbeing instead. Obviously he hadn't acted on it but the simple fact that it had even entered his mind at all was enough to startle him and to cover it he'd put on a sterner face than usual afterword. From her expressions and body language she'd clearly thought he was angry with her and Darien had lost count of how many times since then he had wished he could go back and change that fact. He'd never held someone so tightly though while carrying her with him to where he'd left their charge. It should have stopped there though, or at least that was what he had been commanding himself over and over once she was settled in the room. He had almost made it to the door connecting the two rooms in the motel serving as their safe house for the night. Had his hand on the door knob ready to pull it open but before he could do it he'd made the mistake of glancing over his shoulder. He hadn't been expecting to see the dull shine of a tear running down her cheek. Since the day he'd met her she had been tough as nails and no matter how hard things got or what he'd made her do as part of her training she'd never once shown a single sign of breaking down. For the first time she looked so very vulnerable and the thought of leaving her in the darkened room alone, angel or no, had suddenly been unbearable. He'd checked on their charge now sleeping soundly but instead of staying there as he'd originally intended had made that oh so fateful decision to go back and lay down on the bed beside her. Honestly he had been faintly surprised when she had brought it up back in the train yard. That she even still remembered it or even cared to after everything that had happened since that night. Despite his reluctance to accept the help she offered him at first back at that point Darien was so very glad she was the one with him now. He never would have made it this far with anyone else that much he knew for certain. It was honestly hard to describe the effect she had on him but he was stronger with her, always had been even if he had been too blind to realize it at the time. He most definitely realized it now though and why her motion to leave had been met with that same sort of desperate panic he'd felt back all those years ago. This time though he didn't even try to cover it up. What was the point after all? He had nothing left to prove to her other than the the fact that he needed her with him. Whether or not she would even acknowledge it was another thing but he was done pretending he could make it on his own. She stopped dead in her tracks after he spoke and for a few moments you could have literally heard a pin drop it was so quiet. Whether it was the sound of his voice or the fact he was simply asking at all that made her decide to stay he honestly had no idea but either way she agreed to his request. He could physcially feel the relief flow through his body as she came around to the other side of the bed and carefully settled down next to him. Shifting so she was facing him she surprised him yet again by reaching out and brushing back the hair from his forehead, the familiar touch more comforting than she probably realized. Or perhaps she did seeing as she pulled her hand quickly back to her side then before instructing him to try and sleep so he could heal, her tone back to the neutral one from back in the train yard. Still just glad to hear her voice, Darien glanced over towards her, tempted to reach out and grasp the hand she'd pulled away a moment ago. Instead he held back, conveying his gratitude with a look as he met her eyes before voicing it softly, "Thank you," For helping him in the train yard, getting him to the hospital, not giving up on him in the alley and now for staying with him here. Things were starting to grow slightly hazy again now that he was no longer fighting to keep going and his eyelids had almost gone shut when she asked curiously about his hand. Having almost forgotten about it by this point, Darien's eyes fluttered open again slightly and he eyed the bruised and bloody skin with a hooded gaze. Ah yes, that's right he had messed it up pretty good hadn't he? Licking his bottom lip he answered absently, "I punched a wall back in the alley at the hospital," He really didn't think she would care to know more than that so he didn't elaborate any further. It would heal along with everything else after all. cause i'm trying to find the words but i can barely say template created by brooke!

[GABRIELLA NICOLE ARCHER]

i'm not in love with you

If Ella would’ve been told her entire world was about to be turned upside down in a matter of days, she would’ve run from it. Her life might not have been perfect how it was, but it was definitely better than all this confusion. Granted, she wouldn’t have believed anyone if they had said she would’ve been this worried over Darien. A month ago she would’ve sworn until she was blue in the face that she hated every fiber of the angel. And why wouldn’t she? Her last memory of Darien had been him failing to even care when Ella had needed him the most. She didn’t allow herself to look any further back, to remember what a good person he actually could be. The demon took that final memory and clung to it. It was her version of the truth, to remind herself she couldn’t keep pining after him after falling. Holding that tight to such anger could make anyone hate someone, regardless of whether or not it was a justifiable hate.
And then the next thing she knew, Darien was standing in front of her. With the real, live, and breathing angel in front of her, it was hard to compare him to the image she had held onto for so long. It didn’t mean that Ella didn’t try, though. She was stubborn, refusing to believe that he could be anything else. It had been one of the reasons she had decided to stick around in Manuka. That, and the reason that she wasn’t about to let him chase her from her home. The demon had told herself that if she stuck around long enough, she’d start to see that uncaring Darien, the one who didn’t give a flying fuck if it wasn’t directly affecting him or his charge. She had thought she had seen a little bit of that in the alley when the angel had practically taken off the first moment he could. At least Ella told herself that. She wasn’t about to let herself believe he was just doing his job if she could twist it to work for her own purposes.
It wasn’t until tonight that she had begun to think about things differently. It had started with the train yard and her finally allowing herself to remember other things that she had forced herself to try to forget, like the night that Darien had chosen to stay with her instead of their charge. The demon would’ve smacked him if she knew he was surprised that she remembered any of that. To Ella, it had been the beginning of the end, basically. It had been the moment she had realized Darien wasn’t just some robot who was programmed to follow heaven’s orders to a T and never deviated from it. She had thought that maybe he could care about her – at least at the very basic student/mentor level – and she had started to care for him. If Ella had realized how much that night would’ve changed everything, she would’ve waited until he was out of the room to start crying. She really had tried but when his back was turned and his hand was on the knob, she had thought she was safe enough. Maybe it wouldn’t have changed anything, because now she was seeing an entirely different Darien.
A Darien that not only accepted help but asked for it as well? It was unheard of. Ella had always known him as an ‘I’ll do it myself’ kind of guy, the one who didn’t want to admit that he had to rely on anyone else. Seeing this other side of him was suddenly giving Ella the picture of a more vulnerable Darien. Not a helpless Darien, mind you, but one that might’ve been more willing to admit he had a couple of weaknesses. That alone would’ve been enough for Ella to start changing her opinion about the angel, at least for tonight. But then he took it a step further by asking her to stay and the demon suddenly realized how easy it would be to fall back in love with him, if she had still been the stupid girl she had been way back when she was an angel, of course.
That should’ve been a huge warning sign to Ella to not stay. She didn’t want to be playing with fire, so to speak. She’d much rather go back to her safe life that wasn’t full of surprises like this. Even with that thought in mind, Ella couldn’t help but think that if she stayed longer, she would continue to see a side of Darien that she had never seen before. Besides, it wasn’t like she could’ve left even if she had wanted to. The demon definitely wasn’t disappointed either. She couldn’t believe that the angel was actually thanking her. Ella hadn’t realized he ever thanked people, actually. Might he have felt some level of gratitude for her not leaving him to his own devices all night? Sure. But it didn’t mean Ella expected him to voice it at all. Him thanking her was continuing to acknowledge the fact that he had needed help, regardless of what he might’ve believed about himself. She was basically at a loss of words, hence the quick change of subject to Darien’s hand.
It wasn’t like she had gotten a response that helped to clear her speechlessness at all. Darien had punched a wall of all things? It wasn’t at all what Ella had expected to hear. Something like that, such a physical outburst of anger, demonstrated a lapse of control. Why else do something as pointless as punching a wall? It didn’t help the situation at all and only caused harm to the individual. That was all and well, but Ella couldn’t imagine Darien ever doing something like. He was always in control. Always. The demon had kind of thought it was impossible for him to lose his cool. And yet, here he was. Punching walls. Something must’ve happened that really pissed him off enough to do that.

Ella knew she should leave it at that. He was slipping into unconsciousness and he really needed his rest. The last thing Darien needed was her pestering him over such trivial stuff. But she couldn’t keep herself from wondering what exactly would make him lose his temper like that and she knew she was going to have to find out. “Why would you ever do something like that?” The demon asked, getting the feeling that if she didn’t ask this now, she was never going to know. There was something different about the two of them tonight. No barriers, no snarky comments to try to get the other to back down, nothing. There was some sort of free flowing honesty between the two of them. It had never been like this and Ella couldn’t help but think in the morning that the walls would be back.

you're too curious for your own good

template made by pan of caution 2.0

[DARIEN NATHANIEL HALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb= style, width: 420px; background-color: 888888; border: 10px solid #343138; padding: 2 2 2 2px;] i want to return but all you will do is turn and leave if i can find my way home will you take hold of me (ella) (lots) (wearing: this) (fjdkfjasifid) Darien almost wished he could know just why Ella was still helping him. Not that he wasn't so very thankful no matter the reason but a part of him couldn't just let go of wanting to know what was behind it. Yes, she'd made it fairly clear she felt as if she owed him for what he'd done for her back when they'd been guardians together but it also seemed fairly clear that it was going to be a one time thing. She'd repaid the debt by helping him find Freya at the hospital and that was where it ended. Or at least he'd assumed as much. Especially after he'd ended up leaving with Sam without so much as a thank you or even a good bye. It wasn't how he'd planned on letting things go between them, not at all, but Sam hadn't really left him with much of a choice other than getting out of there as fast as possible. Not until Sam had stormed out of the alley after sending Darien to the ground had the oh too familiar feeling of regret and emptiness set in at the thought that he wouldn't be seeing her again to even try and make amends. And then suddenly she was there beside him once again. It was almost as if life was playing some sort of twisted joke on them, a guardian finding himself relying on a demon for help not once or even twice but three times now. By this point though Darien wasn't even thinking about it in that sense. There was no angel versus demon. She was still simply Ella in his head and quite possibly the one and only person he was finally willing to let past that seemingly impenatrable wall of invincibility. Maybe if he'd let that happen back all those years ago things would be so much different between them. Maybe she'd still have her wings. And maybe he wouldn't still be blaming himself for not being able to save her from being cast out. There was no going back now though no matter how many times he'd wished for that opportunity. All he had was the here and now, messed up as it was, and possibly a second chance to show her a different side of himself if he could overcome his first reaction which was to get through everything under his own power. The fact that he had literally been unable to even lift himself from the ground though had been a blow in itself to that resolve and her reaction to it had been his ulitmate undoing. Gentle and concerned. One touch of her hand against his face and it was like the walls had just come crumbling down despite how loudly a part of his mind was yelling at him not to let it fall. She had somehow made it so easy though. Because despite everything that remained unsettled between them when it came down to it he still trusted her. He shouldn't have. It went against everything he'd been taught as a guardian, everything logical. Demons were the enemy plain and simple. You killed them before they killed you. His heart, however, said differently and for once he let it win out and pushed the logic aside. He needed her help and she was giving it to him graciously. And when it came down to it even if he had been in perfect health right then and facing her as a foe he knew it would still have won out because the thought of hurting her was sheer agony. It didn't really cross his mind that his sudden shift in character, or at least the character Ella knew, could have been part of the reason she was continuing to help him even now. All he knew was that when she was beside him he felt better, stronger, and he didn't want it to go away. Not yet. Because it would eventually, he knew that full well. He'd heal, regain his strength and they'd be back to before all of this happened. On different sides of that oh so important line in the sand that was drawn between good and evil that you didn't dare cross in either of their respective homes. Funny how unimportant that all seemed right at the moment though. Because right now he it wasn't about him being a guardian and her being a demon. She was someone who meant more to him than anyone ever had or would again most likely and she was offering comfort and support when he needed it the most. And he wasn't so thoughtless as to assume that all of her actions so far were necessarily easy choices to have made. He didn't deserve to ask her for help or receive it, not after having failed her so badly all those years ago. Yet here she was on the bed beside him. The fact that he expressed that gratitude seemed to throw her off a bit and for once she didn't have anything to say back to try and dismiss it. Darien was surprised that she had noticed his hand, especially after everything else that had happened since she'd first found him in the train yard to the whole episode in the alley. To him it was simply one more injury that would heal soon enough and he'd paid it little heed until now. Looking at the broken skin now it brought back to mind the words that had provoked the response in the first place and his jaw muscles tightnend slightly, even still angry at the thought. His rather matter of fact explanation for it simply seemed to make her all the more curious which he hadn't actually been expecting and he hesitated for a moment when she proceeded to ask why one earth he would have done that. She was going to think he was ridiculous if he told her what had incited the reaction. But neither was he going to lie to her just to save himself the possible scorn either. They'd been more open with each other in the last few hours than in all the years they had been together in heaven so why stop now? "He called you a whore. And then I punched the wall next to his face," Slightly hazy as his mind was just then Darien didn't specify who 'he' was although it was rather obvious who he was talking about. Lifting his hand slightly, he flexed it gingerly, guessing he'd broken more than just skin judging by the swollen look of his knuckles. cause i'm trying to find the words but i can barely say template created by brooke!

[GABRIELLA NICOLE ARCHER]

i'm not in love with you

If Darien had asked Ella why she had helped him, she really wouldn’t have had a good answer for him. Hell, she barely had an answer for herself. The demon could’ve gone with the standby, could’ve told him that she was still operating under the business of fulfilling her debt that she felt she owed him. Honestly though, she didn’t know how well that would’ve even flown, considering she had already worn that excuse a little thin after helping him out at the train yard. If she was half of the cold, uncaring bitch that she pretended to be around the other demons, she wouldn’t have even done that much for him. She would’ve gone on like she hadn’t seen him at the train yard. But at the very least, Ella shouldn’t have even thought about stopping when she was at the hospital. She had told herself she was done with everything once Darien had disappeared from the hospital, but clearly she had been mistaken.

Stopping and helping him a second time was the wrong move. Not to her, really, because she would’ve never been able to live with herself if she had left him there. No, it was more of a wrong move from her fellow demons’ perspectives. If anyone ever found out that she had helped an angel like she had, Ella would be in more trouble than she could even begin to voice. It was fair to say that demons weren’t particularly fond of angels. Still, the fear of the threat hadn’t even crossed Ella’s mind when she had seen Darien lying on the ground of the alleyway. It had been a different kind of fear, the fear that stemmed from seeing someone you cared about gravely injured. She wouldn’t have said that – wouldn’t have admitted it to herself, really – but it didn’t stop it from being true.

The angel wasn’t the only one who was letting his defenses drop tonight either. Ella had been so much gentler than she had been around him than she had been around anyone since she fell. It wasn’t like he would know that, seeing as how it was really the first time he had spent an extended amount of time around her since she became a demon. There was just something about being around him while he was in this state that made it impossible for her to be awful to him. It definitely helped that Ella had started to see a softer side of Darien that she had never seen while they were still angels. It was hard to keep up a barrier when he was being so open and trusting towards her. She thought it was only fair if she extended the same courtesy. Otherwise, she’d be betraying that faith he had somehow misplaced in her. Ella wasn’t going to do anything that would make him regret that decision, if she could help it. It was important to her, even if she couldn’t explain why.

Besides, she couldn’t help but feel as if this wouldn’t last. Both of them were rather guarded people. You were expected to be, when you were a guardian angel. It was still instilled in both their brains, despite the fact that Ella was no longer an angel, and the moment there wasn’t such vulnerability between them, Ella could almost guarantee the walls would be back up. No one liked being exposed, especially when it was to someone who was supposed to be a sworn enemy. Mind as well stick around while the opportunity was still there.

It was a good thing too, or she could’ve missed something huge, which came in the form of Darien’s explanation about his hand. From the way Darien spoke about it, it sounded as if it wasn’t a big deal. It probably wasn’t, either. She was just making a bigger deal about it than she really need to. See, Ella couldn’t really remember a time anybody had really stuck up for her in life, human and angel. She was one of those people who had almost been alone in that regards, though it wasn’t for lack of people caring. Ella liked to pretend that she didn’t need other people, that she could handle herself. Of course that was wrong, and Darien knew that since he had seen her at one of her worst points. But from the time she had gone on trial in front of the angels to now, it really had been just Ella.

And honestly, the hunter’s comment shouldn’t have meant so much to either of them. Yeah, being called a whore wasn’t a great thing, but it didn’t necessarily bother Ella. What did that guy’s comment really matter anyway? Given his profession, he’d most likely be dead in a matter of years, just a blip in time compared to Ella’s centuries. But she really wouldn’t have expected the comment to elicit any sort of response from Darien. It had though, the evidence showing on his hand and in the slight tightening of his jaw that Ella had caught. Ignoring her previous mental instruction to stay impassive towards Darien, she found herself reaching out to lightly place her hand over Darien’s. She couldn’t explain what she was feeling to him properly, but she hoped that could convey it enough. Ella stayed like that until she watched Darien’s eyes slip shut.

-----------------------------------------------

Ella hadn’t meant to fall asleep. She really hadn’t. As a demon, it wasn’t something she really needed but assisted in her day to day functioning. Still though, she really had intended to slip out once she was sure that Darien was asleep and that she wouldn’t bother him by moving. As much as they might’ve opened up last night, Ella couldn’t justify spending the night with him. It was too much like when she had been hurt and that much of a reminder was never a good thing. Memories always brought back painful things and she wasn’t equipped to deal with them, not when the cause of most of them was only a number of inches away from her.

But at the same time, the demon had felt peaceful, lying that close to him. She was attributing it to the fact that he was safe and that she knew he would heal, not that any of that should really be a good thing to her. Still, Ella had drifted off and the next morning had found herself still in bed. She was telling herself she should move now, get out of the room and let Darien sleep until he felt well enough to be up and moving again. As much as Ella told herself that though, she couldn’t move. She was fascinated by the fact that she had never seen Darien look so serene in the entire time she had known him. It was tugging at her heart in a way it shouldn’t have been but she wasn’t about to let it go yet.

you're too curious for your own good

template made by pan of caution 2.0

[DARIEN NATHANIEL HALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb= style, width: 420px; background-color: 888888; border: 10px solid #343138; padding: 2 2 2 2px;] i want to return but all you will do is turn and leave if i can find my way home will you take hold of me (ella) (lots) (wearing: this) (fjdkfjasifid) Perhaps Darien's biggest problem when it came to Ella was that he never really started thinking of her in terms of being a demon. Yes she'd lost her wings and yes she been cast into hell but it was almost as if his brain refused to think of her any differently than it had before. She was still Ella and all his memories of her were of when she'd been a guardian which meant he had nothing to prove to him otherwise that she had changed in any other way aside from the two scars running down her back. He could have searched her out at some point in time if he'd so desired to satisfy his own curiosity as to whether there was any shred left of the woman he'd once loved. Or did that all get ripped out along with her beautiful wings? He never had though, in fact, he had to admit he'd avoided anything that might possibly bring him in any kind of proximity to her. Because he knew that if he had found her and saw her transformed into someone he no longer even recognized, twisted and evil like every other demon he'd ever faced through the years, he wouldn't have been able to bear it. That had perhaps been his greatest fear, one day their paths inevitibly crossing and being forced to see the evidence of his failure standing before him or worse, having to destroy her. Another reason he'd never tried to find her not even to explain. Better to never see her again no matter how much that killed him inside than to have to run his sword through her. Then came the confrontation in the alley all those weeks ago, seeing her again for the first time since she fell. All those fears being dashed to pieces when he'd looked into her eyes. They were harder, colder than when she been in heaven but they were still her eyes underneath it all. And each time he'd seen her since that day she'd shown him, though probably not on purpose, that she had not changed, not deep down. The fact that she hadn't taken advantage of his weakend state in the train yard or simply let him struggle to find Freya on his own proved that much. Her heart had always been devoted to helping others it was why she'd been chosen as a guardian in the first place after all. He'd loved that about her, her selflessness. She'd given everything she had while she was with him and she'd deserved better than this. Deserved better than what he'd given her. Yet here she was still giving. He didn't doubt that if any other demons found out she was helping an angel they wouldn't be pleased and a part of him almost felt guilty for letting her. Yet the thought of her not being near him was worse and seemed to over power anything else. Maybe it was the unexpectedly vulnerable position he had found himself in back at the hospital or just the powerless feeling period that he was not at all used to experiencing but with Ella it felt safe. Anyone else would have thought it strange probably for an angel to feel that way in the company of a demon but they didn't know her like he did. Honestly it wouldn't have mattered how many centuries had passed since she had fallen Darien knew he would never not feel this way with her. That might have made him a fool but so far she hadn't proven him wrong and he wasn't going to betray that trust, not again. Maybe that's why both of them were suddenly being more open with each other than they ever really had before. Whatever the reason both had dropped the sarcastic and bitter walls that had punctuated their interactions so far. His voice had sounded rather matter of fact when he'd answered her question as to why on earth he would punch a wall but the actual emotions behind it were so very far from that. Just thinking about Sam daring to utter the word in regard to her angered him still. Silence followed his response and he figured she probably thought he was crazy for reacting as he had over something that was, to her, likely quite trivial. The warmth of her hand covering his injured one gently a moment later though said otherwise and the faintest of smiles pulled momentarily at his lips before he slipped into unconsciousness. ------ As an angel sleep was rarely something you needed to consider and Darien could count on one hand the amount of times he'd spent any decent length of time doing so. Because of this the act of waking up always felt slightly strange and unnatural. This time was no different and his eyes fluttered opened slowly at first, taking in his surroundings. Instinctually his first thought was of Freya, more of an automatic reaction than anything, and it only took a few seconds to realize he could feel her again. That relief was soon replaced by surprise as his gaze shifted to the side to see Ella still there on the bed beside him. It was oddly comforting, knowing she'd been next to him all night. A part of him almost wanted to just continue lying there on the bed with her, relaxed and content. More than likely though he'd already been here longer than he should have been or she wanted him to be as well and instead sat up before glancing back over at her. "How long was I out?" It seemed fairly light out but that didn't really mean anything seeing as the sun came up early this time of year. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed he stood slowly, already feeling the effects of his body's healing capabilities. Sore in some places still over all it was almost as if none of the beatings he'd taken the night before had even happened. Catching his reflection in the full length mirror on the wall across from the bed he cringed a bit at the blood stains on his white shirt that proved they indeed had happened though. Pulling the shirt over his head in a single motion he balled it up in his hand before carefully and slowly spreading his wings. Like the rest of him they felt a little stiff but other than that they seemed back to normal as he glanced over his shoulder a bit to try and see if the one that had been injured the worst appeared completely healed. cause i'm trying to find the words but i can barely say template created by brooke!

[GABRIELLA NICOLE ARCHER]

i'm not in love with you

The demon really could’ve spent awhile longer laying across from Darien in that bed. She liked seeing him at peace, especially because she doubted he ever really was at peace during his waking hours. Darien was constantly responsible for someone else’s well being and while he might’ve acted like it wasn’t a big deal, Ella knew firsthand how that could start to wear on someone. You couldn’t lie to her about something like that. Ella basically believed Darien was taking a well deserved rest because she doubted he had really ever done that since becoming a guardian. Everyone needed a chance to take a little time off, even the perfect guardian angel.

Before she knew it though, Darien was starting to stir and Ella felt self-conscious, both for spending the entire night with him (regardless of whether he was aware of that or not) and for staring at him now. She knew she shouldn’t, because what was the big deal? Logically, there wasn’t one. Ella had helped the angel out and that was it. There was nothing more between them other than that and once Darien left, it’d be the end of it. She shouldn’t be feeling shy about any of it. Shy was what those hopelessly in love girls did around their crushes. Ella was just being dumb because she didn’t know what else to do. She usually had herself pulled together around other people, but other people weren’t Darien. They didn’t know her like he did. Other people? She could put on whatever act she wanted and as long as it was somewhat convincing, they bought it. Even after all these years, the demon didn’t doubt it’d be next to impossible to hide from Darien like that. Not for long anyways. That was what made Ella so nervous, she thought. She wasn’t used to having someone around who could see through her bullshit so quickly and with little effort.

It didn’t take long for Darien to open his eyes after that. Ella glanced away from the angel, letting him take his time to get reoriented. She knew what it was like, waking up when you didn’t really ever sleep. It was probably the weirdest feeling in the world, at least Ella thought so. The demon had trained herself out of it though. When she fell, she no longer needed to be vigilant 24/7, seeing as how she no longer had a charge to watch over. And living among humans like she did? It got really boring very quickly if you stayed up all day. The world basically shut down at a certain point of the night, when all the humans went to bed. Ella had started sleeping a couple nights a week just so she wouldn’t have to be so bored all the time. Waking up felt so much more natural to her now.

Ella didn’t glance back Darien’s way until he asked her how long he had been out. Honestly? Ella had no clue. She hadn’t glanced at a clock in a long while, especially considering the fact time had been one of the last things on her mind given the most recent events of the past 24 hours. The demon probably would’ve had a better chance of guessing just how long Darien had been asleep if she hadn’t slept herself. Being her typical, stubborn self though, she didn’t want to admit that she had been sleeping next to him the entire night. Did Darien already know? Ella could almost guarantee it. But there was a difference between them both knowing something and saying that something out loud. Out loud made it sound more permanent, more official, and Ella wanted to avoid that. “No longer than a human would sleep,” she said, giving Darien an answer that she thought seemed right.

Besides, it wasn’t like the information mattered too much. Darien was already moving onto the next thing, which seemed to be assessing the damage after having time to heal some. The angel slipped his shirt off and gingerly tested his wings, trying to figure out if they were in working order. Ella would admit that for a few moments, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. It wasn’t only the wings (which the demon had to admit she was a little envious of, seeing as how the sight of them had caused her to miss her own), but Darien’s physique as well. He was sculpted like a Greek god or something equally as perfect. There wasn’t a single flaw in sight. It was to be expected, she supposed, considering he was a guardian angel and all, but she couldn’t remember him looking like that when they were both still in heaven.

She didn’t admire Darien too long though, seeing as how something else had grabbed the girl’s attention. It was just a small trinket, something that shouldn’t be too distracting. It was just a small, smooth stone on a worn strap, after all. Nothing special really, except it was to Ella. She climbed across the bed to get closer to Darien, already knowing what the necklace was. If the demon got closer, she’d see the initials G.A. carved into the surface of the rock, made by a shaky hand. Still, wouldn’t seem all that important unless you knew the meaning behind it and the only people who did were Ella and her long dead charge.

See, Ella’s first charge (on her own, that is) was a young girl of no more than 12. At first, Ella had no idea why she had been assigned to the girl. She seemed to live a perfect life, seeing as how she was born into an upper middle class family and had little problems. It wasn’t until after a few months in when the girl started getting really sick. Cancer sick, really, though at the time there was very little that could be done for the child. It was then that Ella had revealed herself to her charge. Ella loved her charge like she’d love her little sister and took care of her as such. Growing close to the child had been a mistake, since the girl was dead within a year and Ella learned a hard truth about being a guardian angel.


The child had given Ella the necklace a couple of weeks before she had passed and Ella had worn it from then until she fell. It was when the demon was being cast out of heaven that she ripped the necklace off and threw it to the ground. She had failed as a guardian, after all. Ella couldn’t save her first charge and she had severely fucked up the last, so she knew she wouldn’t be able to deal with the memories that necklace would bring. But Ella had thought she had seen the last of that necklace. “How did you get that?” she asked, stepping closer to Darien and cupping the stone in one of her hands. It didn’t make any sense for him to have it, not at all. He wasn’t even there when she had been cast out and it wasn’t like him to hold onto mementos anyway.

you're too curious for your own good

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[DARIEN NATHANIEL HALE]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb= style, width: 420px; background-color: 888888; border: 10px solid #343138; padding: 2 2 2 2px;] i want to return but all you will do is turn and leave if i can find my way home will you take hold of me (ella) (lots) (wearing: this) (fjdkfjasifid) This was quite honestly the first time Darien had let himself be anything but hyper vigilant and always aware of his charge in a very long time. Since the night he'd stayed with Ella actually, back all those many many years ago. He hadn't slept that night though. Still watchful but not just for the human in the room next to them but for the angel next to him in the bed as well. The creatures they had fought off that had left her so badly injured in the first place were undoubtedly well aware of that fact and Darien wouldn't have been suprised if they tried to hunt them down and finish what they started. There was no way she could have fought back and won if they found her alone. Every sound, every flicker of light outside the windows, he'd noticed it all and was ready to protect the woman beside him with more ferocity than they likely would have dreamed. No one had come though and by the following morning he'd relaxed enough to notice another sound. The gentle cadence of her breathing. It was probably one of the most soothing sounds he'd ever heard and quite honestly he could have listened to it for days. Maybe that was part of the reason he'd wanted her to stay with him so badly last night, needing to hear that sound again and feel that same sort of reassurance. Once he'd let himself drift into unconsciousness everything around him sort of seemed to fade away but somehow he knew she'd been there all night. He was a bit surprised but wasn't going to dare voice it. Darien knew her after all, knew her personality and just as out of character as his staying with her had been so was her still being there beside him now. Mentioning it would do nothing but get her defensive again and that was the last thing he wanted. Not when they were finally be civil. Instead he'd focused on regaining full control of his senses, shaking off those last vestiges of sleep that still had somewhat of a grip on him. He honestly couldn't really remember what waking up had felt like when he'd been human but certainly not as foreign as this did. It wasn't pleasant really and the angel was quite ready for the fogginess to go away and regain his usual lightning quick reflexes. Still this scenario was a million times better than what it could have been had she not found him in the alley, hadn't decided to take him back to her apartment and ensure his safety in doing so. Wounded angels were not an easy thing to find and there were plenty of people in this city who would kill to have found him alone and vulnerable there last night. He was safe though. Safe and healed, for the most part at least. The careful testing of his wings proved the injured one wasn't quite at one hundred percent capacity just yet but it was useable which was all he really needed it to be. Her answer came after a moment of silence and it gave him some relief that he hadn't been out as long as he had feared he might have been. Something that he could also likely attribute to Ella's help as her assistance in getting him to the hospital as well as her home kept him from furthering aggravating his injuries were he to have done it all on his own. He hadn't even really thought about the necklace hidden beneath his shirt or the fact that it was visible now. He'd had it for so long it was almost just like another part of himself that you knew was there but didn't really think about. Ella, however, had quite clearly noticed it and was all of sudden right there next to him again, eyes full of confusion. "How did you get that?" The words rang in his ears as she said them but at the moment all Darien could focus on was the warmth of her hand where it rested against his chest as she cupped the little pendant in her palm. Before the events of the past 24 hours physical contact between them had been limited to nothing more than what had been necessary. A hand on a shoulder or back to urge them forward or the passing brush of their hands exchanging weapons. All done in rather intense moments for the most part and likely not even really noticed or given much thought. The tender touch of her hand against his face in the alley and the taxi, the gentle way she'd run her fingers soothingly through his hair, brushed it from his forehead and now this. It was like suddenly realizing you'd been missing something for a very long time and only just becoming aware of how badly you needed it. Wanted it. "I found it lying on the ground after..." He faltered for a second, unable to actually say the words 'after you fell', picking up again quickly, "After you were gone," Still hurt. He could still see it there, tossed to the side and a pained look flickered through his blue eyes at the memory. To know that was all that was left of her for him to hold onto. He knew about the necklace, what it had meant to her, probably the only other person that did really. She'd come to him after the little girl had died, upset and uncertain of just about everything. He'd given her as much comfort and advice as possible but that still didn't make the loss any harder to bear and he didn't expect it to. He'd been in that same boat a few times as well and you never forgot that feeling. cause i'm trying to find the words but i can barely say template created by brooke!