forum a oxo - ((closed))

Started January 09, 2022 by @ElderGod-Carrots

tune

(Hey im so sorry for disappearing! school is back in and apparently, senior year is important)

Ajax followed, albeit slower than he would have liked. The pain was subsiding a little, but the throbbing ache that seemed to work its way into every spot in his body wasn't at all fun. He wasn't a stranger to fold-out beds and uncomfortable mattresses, but right now he would take anything, even the god damned floor, "Thank you, again, for helping me, Nathaniel."

(Np! I get it lol)

"Yeah, of course! It's no problem, really!" Nathaniel insisted as he pulled out the couch into a bed. His wings fluttered as he hurried to fetch the blankets and pillows for it from the closet, and soon returned to get them situated. "Um… r-right, well. I hope that this is suitable for the night, and… ah… I suppose I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight." He dipped his head politely, his wings stretching out for a moment before he left the room to head to his own bed.

(ahhah mmmhmm)

By the time morning arrived, Ajax was still and sore and in a lot of pain, again. The bed itself had been more comfortable than he had thought it would have been, but the number of injuries he'd received put a block on any chance of a good night's sleep. The sun streaming through the window had him groaning. Whatever time it was, it was too early for him, but there wasn't a chance he was getting back to sleep now.

Soon, Nathaniel shuffled into the room, yawning and rubbing at his eyes sleepily. He really wasn't much of a morning person, to be honest. He was still wearing the clothes he'd slept in, which were just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that was much too large for him. He waved to Ajax before heading into the kitchen to start making something for breakfast for the both of them.

Ajax wouldn't deny that when Nathaniel walked into the room he gave the angle a once over when his back was turned. He might have been a small thing, shy thing, but it didn't stop him from being cute. Groaning, he pushed himself slowly off the bed, being extra careful as to not anger his wounds any more than he already had by simply standing, "Mornin'," He said, voice gruff from just waking up, "Sleep okay?"

Nathaniel glanced over his shoulder at the question and nodded. "Mhmm. I slept fine… you? Hopefully your wounds didn't disturb you too much." He replied with a tinge of worry in his voice. "I can get you some Ibuprofen or something. I-I don't have anything stronger than that, but… it's better than nothing, right?" He smiled sheepishly and then turned to fetch the pills from the cabinet.

Ajax offered a small smile, moving the rest of the way into the kitchen, "Ibuprofen would be great, thank you." He'd get some stronger pain killers on the way home, or maybe he could call Max to grab some and pick him up somewhere close by. Definitely not right outside Nathaniel's place. After helping him Aj was determined to not get him killed or wrapped up in any of his gang life. He seemed too sweet for that, "I'll get something stronger when I'm out of your hair."

Nathaniel nodded and headed over to the cabinet, standing on his toes so that he could reach the bottle of ibuprofen, which he then handed over to Ajax. "Here. Take what you need." He smiled softly before going back over to continue making breakfast. Hopefully he doesn't mean anything illegal… Nathaniel yawned and ran his fingers through his hair. "You can stick around as long as you need, though, okay? I don't want you to get hurt because you're wandering around with an injury."

Aj was grateful for the pills and was quick to swallow a couple to relieve the pain as fast as possible. Leaning against the counter, he watched Nathanial hurry around to make breakfast, simply watching him for a moment before he spoke up again, "The quicker I'm outta here the safer you are," A small shrug, "After you lending me a hand, I wouldn't want you getting hurt because of it." As long as he wasn't followed out of the meeting, and wasn't seen heading out of Nathaniel's place, he would be fine, but Aj wasn't planning on taking any chances.

"It's important that you're okay. I can handle myself if I need to." Nathaniel smiled tiredly. Something in his eyes implied that he wasn't just bluffing; he had enough experience with fighting to handle an issue if it arose, but that didn't mean he was looking to fight all the time. "Getting shot is a significant injury, and you'll need to heal up a bit." He pulled the food off of the heat and separated it onto two plates. "And what better way to start than some breakfast, hmm?" He offered one of the plates to Ajax, looking up at the taller man with a friendly, curious expression.

Ajax tilted his head ever so slightly. Strange, for someone who seemed so timid, to now be wearing such a friendly expression. Maybe it was just because his line of work had him being cautious and analysing but Aj pushed it away and took the plate from Nathaniel gently, the barest hint of a smile gracing his face, “Thank you, for cooking again.” He ended up saying. Something told him Nathaniel wasn’t lying about being able to take care of himself, and even though reason told him to leave now, it was already too late for that.

Nathaniel nodded in return and sat down at the table with Ajax. "No problem. I don't mind." He smiled softly before he began eating, and was quiet for a while until he eventually spoke again. "I… um… I suppose it's nice to have company after so long." He laughed nervously, keeping his eyes firmly on his plate. His cheeks were tinted pink with embarrassment. "I don't get to properly talk to people very much. That's kinda why I would want to try and get rid of my wings… they prevent me from being able to finally be free of my old life and… I dunno. I just wanna be able to talk to people and… and not always be afraid of getting experimented on or something."

“Is there anyway you could get them removed? If they make you so sad?” Aj couldn’t help but frown softly. Nathaniel’s wings might have been broken, but to him, they were still as beautiful as the rest of the small man. He understood not being able to talk to people. The closest thing he had to a friend was Max, and sure, the rest of his men were the only family he had now, but that didn’t mean he longed for a friend outside of it all.

"I dunno… I don't really like doctors too much. Bad memories from when I got hurt in the first place…" Nathaniel toyed with his fork a bit, looking uneasy. "I wouldn't mind having my wings if they didn't stop me from living a normal life down here. I-I feel like I've got to hide them from everybody I meet, even friends and partners, because… I mean… if I were to have a falling out with them, they have blackmail. They could spread that information and I just…" He exhaled shakily, his shoulders rising slightly as he tensed up.
"And… hiding them is really uncomfortable for me. I have to wear compression type clothes to keep them tight against my body, and wear baggy clothes too to make sure they're not visible. I just don't know what to do…"

Aj watched Nathaniel for a moment, gaze flickering from his plate to the angel and back again. You could help. You owe him. "I know a doctor who owes me a favour, and I owe you for helping me, he might be able to help remove them if that's what you want. Or, find someone willing to make some more clothes so you're not so uncomfortable all the time." He shrugged a little. Nathaniel didn't have to take the offer, but Aj was determined to make it up to him. Not just because he didn't like having favours uncalled for, but because for once, he really wanted to help. It was obvious how difficult it was for the angel, and even if Aj normally wouldn't want to help, he wanted to, for Nathaniel.

Nathaniel looked up at Ajax tiredly, considering for a few seconds. Despite everything he had just said, he really wasn't certain on removing his wings. They were a huge part of him and who he was, after all, and it was possible that it could cause issues once they were gone. For one, this doctor most likely hadn't removed wings before, so he might leave behind parts of the wings that could cause Phantom pains or other issues. A less worrisome issue was that he might struggle with balancing without them, since he had gone all his life with considerable extra weight on his back.

"I… I-I dunno. I'll have to think about it. I've… um… I've wondered how bad it would really be if I just started… not hiding them?" Nathaniel grimaced a bit as he considered the possibilities. "Like… if I didn't get experimented on, anyway. I would probably just be a bit of a commodity for a while and then it would be normal and people would leave me alone for the most part, maybe? Hopefully?"

Ajax nodded. He might not be able to understand completely, considering he didn't have wings, but he could see Nathaniel's point, "It was only a suggestion, there's no need to decide now or anything. They're a big part of you, as much as they cause you grief at times, it's understandable to want to keep them." He went back to finishing his meal, leaning back in the chair once he was done. For once he was visibly sympathetic. He wanted to help, not just because of the favour, but because Nathaniel was nice, and sweet. There weren't many people like that in the world anymore, at least in Aj's world. Strange to see someone offer help to a stranger, especially someone like him. Aj's line of work meant dealing with people who weren't the nicest, who would have let him bleed out on their doorstep and not worry about him. But Nathanial had helped and was still helping, a surprise for the gang leader, and had him actively wanted to do something in return.

Nathaniel sighed, tapping his fingers on the table. "I just… it's tough. I don't think many other people, if any, have had to make this particular decision. Like I said, most fallen angels lose their wings before they're sent down… I'm scared that I'd regret the decision and not be able to go back, you know? Can't exactly just… put them back on." He ran his fingers through his hair and looked away, biting his lip. "And… if I chose to just go out with them out, I… I dunno. I would be scared to be alone. People might… I-I dunno." He floundered a bit, unsure what to say. He'll have to leave soon, obviously. It's not like he can stick around and be a bodyguard. That's stupid, anyway…

Aj looked down at his lap, sighing softly before he spoke again, "Look, I wouldn't usually do this, but I like you, you're nice, and I do owe you one, anyway," Pulling his phone out his pocket, he pulled up his contacts and his phone number, sliding it across the table to Nathaniel, "If you need any help, call me, I want to help," Surprisingly, "You don't deserve to be punished by society for who you are. If you need help or- or a place to stay, or even just someone to go out with for safety, call me." Aj smiled softly, an odd look for someone who wore a scowl most of the time.

Nathaniel looked up at Ajax with his hand still in his hair, clearly taken aback by the gesture. He paused before hesitantly pulling out his phone to put Ajax's name and number into it. "U-Um… thank you. It means a lot." He faltered for a moment before beaming up at Ajax, laughing nervously. "I'm not really used to people doing this sorta thing for me… well, obviously not something this specific, but… y-you know what I mean. Um… where around town do you live?" He asked, his cheeks still lightly flushed.

Ajax shrugged, "Don't mention it, I owe you, and you're nice, I wouldn't want to see anything bad happen to you." He took his phone back, slipping it in his pocket again, "Downtown area, big place, you can't miss it." He owned most of the area by now, territorial gang shit or whatever people said. It might be a sketchy area from the outside, but it was probably the safest place Nathaniel could be, considering he owned the area and his men were stationed pretty much everywhere, "But really, stop by if you need, or call me and I'll come get you. It's not big deal."

"Alright… t-thank you…" Nathaniel flushed a bit harder and stared down at the table, his heart pounding. He wasn't used to people being willing to actually do things for him. This wasn't some vague offer to go get coffee that wouldn't ever happen; this was practical action and a willingness to do something to help. "I'll… I'll do that. Um… change of subject? Ah… maybe tell me a little more about yourself?" He offered awkwardly. "What sorta things do you like to do?"

Ajax rubbed at the back of his neck with his good arm, chuckling just as awkwardly, "Ah you know, the usual kinda stuff," He wasn't exactly going to say he was the biggest gang leader in the city if he didn't want Nathaniel to run scared, "I uh- I like reading when I get the time. Not that I do have loads of time these days to pick up a book and read for a few hours but you know, when I can, I always enjoy a good book."

Nathaniel nodded, still avoiding eye contact. "That's nice… um… I work at a bookshop, so I do enjoy reading. I-I actually do some blacksmithing as well… I make decorative weapons. I mean, they're functional, but not a lot of people around here are looking to buy knives and swords for practical use." He shrugged. "I've done it since I was a kid… I think it's pretty fun, and it's a decent enough side hustle for some extra cash. I-I have a license for that, by the way!" He insisted, finally looking up at Ajax with a nervous expression. "I'm not selling weapons illegally or anything!"

Ajax couldn't help the smirk that graced his lips at the last sentence, "I wouldn't care if you were selling them illegally." Especially considering his line of work was pretty much all illegal activity he had no room to comment even if Nathaniel was, "That's cool though, I'd love to see some if you wouldn't mind. I could always use with a couple of new knives, anyway." most of him were blunt now, and he could always sharpen them back home, but maybe he could grab a nicer once from Nathanial. He seemed passionate enough, and if he'd been doing it for a while he had no doubt the angel was talented when it came to creating them.

Nathaniel flushed again, fidgeting with his hands and his wings. "U-Uh… right… um…" He hesitated before standing up and going to fetch something. Soon, he returned with a dagger in his hand, which he slid over to show to Ajax. It was about 6 or 7 inches long, and very sharp and shiny. Clearly he took good care of it. The handle was beautifully and delicately crafted, and very elaborate with a couple of small jewels embedded in it. "This is the one I typically have on me for self defense and stuff…"

Ajax was gentle when he picked the weapon up, being ever so careful to not cut himself or damage the table, too. It truly was a magnificent piece of work, from the detail in the handle to how polished and clean the metal was, definitely better than anything Aj owned, that much was obvious, "It's gorgeous, Nathaniel." He slid it back across the table again, "I don't know anyone who could design such a weapon with that much skill. Truly, it's impressive."

"Ah, t-thank you…" Nathaniel laughed nervously as he watched Ajax examine the knife. He picked it up when Ajax slid it back over to him, cradling it gently in his hands. "I've… um… I've done it since I was a kid. Since I was about… eight, I think? Um… obviously I'm a little better at it than I used to be. I like to do things that are hands-on, you know? Um… so blacksmithing is a fun thing to do that keeps me active, and I can sell the extras. Since it's time consuming, it gives me something to keep me occupied…"