Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to the incomparable J. K. Rowling. No money is being made from this.

A.N.:

Hey all. So, I bet most of you thought I wouldn't update again. I'm sorry about that. To be honest, the thought crossed my mind. I think I owe you an explanation as to why I didn't update for so long. The truth is that I got tired of getting every other week or so messages saying: hey, I found your story posted on this or that site.

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with people picking up concepts/ideas and using them. Hell, even whole scenes that they might find inspiring and want to do something with it. And if they credit me for it, even better. That's what writing is all about, at least for me.

However, it's horrible investing years of your life into a story, getting attached to characters that become yours through long hours of hard work, and then someone comes around and just claims it as theirs. Just copies the whole thing and posts it somewhere else as their work. It's... honestly, it's heartbreaking. That's why I stopped updating the multi chapters. I felt cheated. I felt horrible. I felt as if the time I invested in these stories was worthless.

I was ready to call it quits and just focus on my original stories.

However, even after all this time, I still kept getting reviewers and follows and people asking me to update, and I realized I was being so incredibly unfair to all of you. You've been with me for years now and I don't want to let you down.

Thank you for all your support. It's because of you that I came back to write these multi chapters and it's because of you that I will finish them. You are amazing and your support means the world to me. Thank you for sticking with me for so long. All of you are the reason why I write.

If you want to follow me on Twitter, you can find me there AlGLopes. You can keep track of my originals over there if it's something you're interested in.

Chapter 18 – Divide

Harry apparated home after his talk with the brothers. He stalked towards the kitched, grumbling under his breath all the way. He wasn't sure if he disliked them, or if they simply had a very narrow-minded view of the world that ended up pushing all his buttons. He had stopped seeing the world in black and white since the war. He had hurt far too much, had seen far too much to keep abiding by such a mentality. Knowing that the Winchesters had been hunting since they were kids was what made it so hard for him to understand. Shouldn't they have already learned that the world was nothing but shades of gray?

He shook his head. He had no reason to compare their experiences with his own. For all he knew, they could be prejudiced against anything not human. Hadn't he known many of those? Hadn't he fled from the Wizarding world for that same reason?

Gabriel had told him about Hunters. He knew that some of them were like that; however, he couldn't see the brothers as that kind of hunters. They had seemed—in their own way—worried about him. They weren't in it for the pleasure of the hunt, at least not from what he had seen of them.

"Heroes," he muttered, slamming the cupboard doors closed.

He almost jumped out of his skin when arms wrapped around him. His heartbeat returning to a normal rate when the scent that was so unequivocally Lucifer invaded his senses. He relaxed into the broad chest, a small smile spreading on his lips when Lucifer nuzzled his neck.

"What about heroes?" Lucifer asked.

"The Winchesters," Harry replied, tilting his head to give Lucifer easier access to his neck.

Lucifer hummed, his lips tracing a slow trail down his neck. "Sam Winchester is my rightful vessel."

Harry froze for a fraction of a second, before pulling away from Lucifer. "What?" he asked, turning to look at his angel.

"My vessel. Sam Winchester is my vessel." Lucifer frowned.

"Yes, but what does that mean?"

"Oh, right." Lucifer shook his head. "I didn't explain that, did I?" Lucifer took Harry's hand and lead him towards the sofa. He sat, pulling Harry into his lap. "I am not human," Lucifer said. "I am an angel, an archangel, even though I have fallen. We cannot exist on Earth without a vessel. Well, we can; however, we cannot be seen. Humans, usually, cannot perceive an angel if they are not in a vessel. If a human looks at an angel in his true form, it burns their eyes out." Lucifer's arms squeezed around him, and Harry saw his lips tilt upward. "Of course, there are exceptions. Some people are able to see our true form. I am no different; however, since I am an archangel, I need a special vessel. Otherwise, the human vessel I inhabit will start to deteriorate until there is nothing left of it. Sam Winchester is my true vessel. The only human body that can host me without deteriorating."

Harry sat on Lucifer's lap tense as a board. Deteriorating? He should have known. This thing he had with Lucifer—this happiness and love that sheltered him from everything that could harm him—was never meant to last.

"Harry!"

He jerked away from the hands reaching for him, stumbling out of Lucifer's lap. He yelped, and the only reason why he didn't land face-first on the floor was because Lucifer grabbed him and pulled him back against his chest.

Harry clung to him, only then noticing that he was trembling.

"Sweetheart," Lucifer whispered. His warm breath brushed Harry's ear and Harry felt his trembling easing. "What's the matter?"

"You're leaving," he said, because that was what it meant, wasn't it? His body would disintegrate and then Harry would be alone again. Only this time it would be so much worse because now he knew what he could have. And Teddy… Oh God. Teddy adored Lucifer. How would he be able to explain to his son why Lucifer left them?

Lucifer's grip on his shoulders tightened, a soft growl vibrating in Lucifer's chest.

"What?" Lucifer pushed him away, locking their eyes. Harry's breath hitched. He hadn't seen red eyes since Voldemort, and even those paled in comparison to Lucifer's bright hellfire color. "Did those brothers say that? I will never leave you. Do you understand? I will sooner see the world burn than leave you!"

Harry shook his head and gripped Lucifer's wrists. "You'll disintegrate!"

Lucifer's eyes widened, going from blazing red to a soft blue. "Oh, sweetheart." His grip on Harry's shoulders lessened, and he pulled him gently against his chest once more. Harry melted against him, enjoying the comfortable warmth that one day he was fated to lose. "That isn't going to happen," Lucifer whispered, kissing the top of his head. "My Father gave me this body. He created it for me to use on Earth. I don't feel it strain under my power at all." Harry felt Lucifer smile. "I believe my Father is rather pleased with our pairing."

Harry gasped when he felt something wrap all around him. Lucifer laughed, squeezing him.

"That's Father agreeing with me."

"You're not leaving."

Another kiss on his head. "Never." Lucifer caressed his face, tilting it up so he was once again looking into those beautiful eyes—God, they were so perfectly blue. "I swear to you, as long as you wish for me to remain by your side, I'll remain. You're my Heaven. My Paradise. I would never willingly give you up. Nor the little family we're creating."

How could Harry resist? How could he not lean up and kiss those lips?

He couldn't.

It always surprised him the way his brothers could overlook his presence. He knew he didn't flaunt his power the same way Lucifer and Gabriel did, nor did he have the same presence Michael did; however, he was still an archangel. His grace should be more than enough for his brothers to know he was there. And yet…

He shook his head, containing a sight as he leaned against the bookshelf and listened to his brothers talk. Really, if he weren't seconds away from smithing them all, he would be disgusted with how utterly unaware of his presence they were. How could his brothers call themselves soldiers when they lacked the basic skill of being aware of their surroundings?

"Have you informed Zachariah?" one of them asked—it sounded like Eliel, an older angel from the garrison, Raphael remembered him from the war against his brother's demons.

"Not yet," answered Bartholomew and Raphael wasn't at all surprised by him being present, having this type of conversation.

Aside from being a close friend of Zachariah, he was also rather power-hungry for an angel. Bartholomew had never been content with his position in the garrison. Raphael had heard him complain to Castiel enough times to know it wasn't something Bartholomew had ever gotten over.

Castiel… Now there was an angel that hadn't been behaving the way Michael and he had expected. It had been a long while since he and his brother had been proud of one of their younger siblings. With any luck, Castiel would remain out of Zachariah's influence.

"I'll tell him as soon as he's back from Earth. He was looking into a lead. He said there had been evidence of Lucifer near Britain." Bartholomew stepped closer, lowering his voice. "He believes he found a way to remove the wizard from Lucifer."

Raphael stiffed, and between one blink and the next, he was outside of Michael's quarters. He clenched his fists, growling under his breath. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. He could only hope that his brothers had been too distracted to notice his abrupt departure.

"Raphael?" Michael frowned at him and pulled him into his room.

"Zachariah!" he snarled between clenched teeth.

Michael sighed, dropping onto his bed. "What did he do now?"

Raphael stilled for a fraction of a second, then groaned. "Stupid."

Michael raised an eyebrow, his lips twitching, and Raphael shook his head at him.

He sighed and sat beside his older brother, letting himself be pulled into a hug. "I didn't stay to hear what it was. I rushed over when I heard that Zachariah would be trying to take the wizard away from Lucifer." He slumped closer to Michael. "Stupid," he muttered once more.

Michael's wings twitched—hundreds more slowly trying to manifest into the physical plane—and Raphael wrapped his own wings around his brother. The last thing they needed was Michael destroying his quarters.

"Zachariah is out of his mind!" Michael took a deep breath. "Lucifer will raze the garrisons if they take the wizard from him." He closed his eyes, and Raphael let him gather his thoughts. "He was happy," Michael whispered. "I… Do you remember the last time you saw him happy? Truly happy?"

Raphael shook his head. Happiness hadn't been a part of Lucifer long before he fell.

"We can't let them do it."

Michael's wings twitched again.

"You're talking about rebelling."

Raphael shrugged. Was he? Their Father had told him to love humans. He did. Their Father had told him to fight his brother. He had. Their Father had left and told them nothing more. The apocalypse may have started; however, there were no new orders to follow from their Father.

Michael sighed, more wings manifesting around them and forming a cocoon—Raphael had never felt safer.

"Well, I suppose Father didn't give us specific instructions this time around. Besides, once upon a time, we stood with Heaven and went against our brother. Maybe this time, we're meant to do the opposite."

Raphael smiled and let his brother's warmth lull him to sleep.

A.N.: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. We're about half done with the story. Maybe a little more. Depends on how fast the angels get their shit together. And very soon one of my favorite characters will be introduced. Lucifer will not be happy XD

As I said, you can find me on Twitter AlGLopes if you want to.

I hope you're all keeping safe and healthy.

And Happy 2021 to all of you.