Genesis [malexmale]

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty

"It's not working. Nothing I do is changing his condition. It just doesn't make any fucking sense!"

Hades's steel toed boot connected with a wooden cabinet, effectively splintering it, sending bits of wood flying across the tiled floor of the hospital room. The sound of Hades growling out curses followed, then his fist smashing on what I assumed to be a countertop, and Lucifer sighing quietly.

"Hades, take a break. Destroying the room isn't going to change anything either. We just need to keep looking. There's has to be something. Have you talked to Xiphrus about it?" Lucifer asked, and normally at this point, I would chime in with an eyeroll, but I was feigning sleep for what felt like the hundredth time. As a response, Hades made a noise of disgust, probably followed by the eye rolling I felt a moment ago, and I could faintly hear his fingers slipping through his hair, his footsteps thundering around the room as he paced.

"The bastard has no idea what it is. He's never seen anything like it."

"But you have," Lucifer pointed out, and Hades growled as if the reminder offended him.

"I thought I did. It looked like the spell slave traders used on imps back in the day. But that kind of spell shouldn't affect Joxeia. He's the most powerful thing on the fucking planet, and yet whatever this is, it's from his time period. It's from Atlan's."

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Those heavy boots slammed down on the tiles, and I waited any moment to hear the marble crack under his weight. I heard Lucifer's lighter steps approach him, but Hades's pace only picked up as his anger increased, becoming a hot crackle in the room that tickled my senses.

"He did this on purpose," Hades spat, "He just had to make one last dick move before he fucking died. Gods, that pisses me the fuck off. He's dead, and yet he's still ruining people's shit." I heard Lucifer sigh, and his footsteps went to Hades, causing that thunderous pacing to cease when they made contact, and I could tell Lucifer had taken Hades into his arms to calm him down.

"I know," Lucifer murmured softly, and I could hear his hands crimping the leather of Hades's jacket as he gave him a squeeze, "Look, you'll figure it out. You always do. Just give it some more time. It's only been two days. We'll just need to look harder, alright? Let me contact Set to see if he's come up with anything. Joxeia knows you're trying your best. He's grateful for your help."

"Grateful isn't fucking good enough," Hades snapped, and I could hear him forcefully break their embrace, "Grateful isn't going to make him move again. He's a fucking doll for fuck's sake and I can't even-- Fuck it, I'm going for a drink." Hades vanished from the room a second later with the soft whisper of wind, his presence gone. A second later, I heard Lucifer's footsteps approach the bedside, and Lucifer's scent washed over me; soft vanilla and leather, combined with the sterile antiseptics and medical supplies around us.

"You're not really sleeping, are you?" Lucifer asked me softly. I blinked my eyes open to stare up at him as he stood over me. His thick golden locks fell around his handsome chiseled face, the stubble on his face growing out into a beard, as if he couldn't be bothered to shave, and his white leather get up made him look so much like the angel he was. And those deep set celestial blue eyes glowed with pain.

No, I answered at last. Lucifer took a deep breath and collapsed into the seat beside the bed, leaning over and picking my hand up off the bed. I could still feel, still feel the warmth of his palms, the smoothness interrupted by callouses on the pads of his fingers and palms, and those short nails clipped cleanly.

"He's trying, Joxeia. He hasn't slept in three days. We'll find something. Just give us some time," Lucifer murmured, drawing my hand to his lips so he could place a firm kiss on my knuckles. I couldn't really see him, even out the corner of my eye, so I simply stared up at the ceiling, feeling strangely... calm.