whispersoflove

Anael walked without aim in the streets of London, not like he usually did, to watch people and enjoy their love, but because he had had to get out of Coby's flat. He would probably go flying later, but for now, he was simply walking, shoulders hunched, that same muted pain in his back, from the wing he had still not healed since that blood-filled night.

The less he thought about it, the better, and yet he could not bring himself to heal his wing. Part of it was being afraid that God would not grant him that miracle, but he knew that it was more than that. He simply didn't want to look at it too closely.

He nearly walked by Robin without noticing him, sitting alone in a pub, at a table by the window. It seemed so odd, Robin being alone in any kind of social setting, that before he knew it, Anael had doubled back to walk into the pub, and headed over to the puck.

"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked, reassured, at least, that he felt no overwhelming heartbreak coming from him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

goodfellow

It took a great deal of willpower for Robin to not stop right then and tell Anael what an idiot he was being. But he knew that wasn't going to help him.

"Tell me why," he said instead, and dug the nails of his other hand into his other wing as he moved closer behind them so that he was speaking close to his ear.

From:

whispersoflove

The nails on Anael's unharmed wing were like pinpricks on the edge of his sensations; an addition, but nothing overwhelming, far from it. Robin's hand on his injury was what remained at the fore of his consciousness, and he focused to speak through the pain.

He didn't want to answer Robin's question, but he wanted to be punished more.

"Because I disobeyed Them once," Anael replied. And then he couldn't stop talking, had to explain it all, urged on by the pain. "And now I'm doing what I swore I wouldn't again, for Them. But it's too late. I'm too late, and I don't deserve to be back in Heaven."

From:

goodfellow

Robin dropped one hand and reeled back, smacking Anael hard on his ass, as his other continued digging into his wing.

"Tell me what you did."

From:

whispersoflove

The smack made him gasp at the sensation, but then the pain of Robin's hand on his wing made him reel and moan, a sound that was almost like a sob. "I was - I defied Them," he said in something like a plea.

From:

goodfellow

Robin let go and shoved Anael forward, hard, enough to push him up against the dresser. He smacked his ass again, harder this time, bending him over, and grasped his wing harder. "How."

From:

whispersoflove

There was something freeing in letting himself be manhandled, letting it all happen. Anael caught himself against the dresser, looked his head over his shoulder at the slap, then hissed as it dropped forward again when Robin grabbed his wing. He didn't want to explain, how he had let God down. But he needed to. He ought to feel ashamed, unworthy. So the words came out in a rush of shameful truth. "I was one of Their generals. I vowed never to bear arms again. I refused to relent, repent."

From:

goodfellow

It wasn't like Robin could help it, despite how difficult he was finding this. With Anael naked and moaning in front of him... He was hard as he pressed up against him again and grabbed his other wing.

"And now? Tell me what you've done."

From:

whispersoflove

"Please," Anael found himself pleading, fingers spread on top of the dresser, knuckles white. "Robin, please. Hurt me. Hurt me until I can't bear it."

From:

goodfellow

"You didn't answer my question," said Robin evenly, and kicked Anael's legs apart so that his stance was wider, more unstable, and smacked him hard again.

From:

whispersoflove

Anael clenched his jaw - not against any pain, but in frustration. He didn't want to say it, and he could feel his cheeks heat up with the shame of it. "I've killed. Righteous killing. What They would have wanted."

But he was still here, and now he hated himself, and couldn't stop the sob from working its way past his throat.

From:

goodfellow

"You must not really think it was what they wanted, if you're so convinced you're being punished for it," Robin pointed out, and shoved Anael's cheek down against the dresser.

From:

whispersoflove

Anael resisted the urge to stand back up, and let Robin press him down, the quickly suppressed rise of his temper serving to halt his sobs before they really started. He deserved it, all of it. "Too little too late," he muttered.

From:

goodfellow

Now that he'd gotten at least part of the story, Robin thought that it was all bullshit. He didn't think that Anael had done anything that deserved punishment - at least not from God. But if it helped him to get it from elsewhere...

"You're right," said Robin. "You've been very bad."

He had to stretch a little to reach it, but a moment later he was holding a hairbrush. One hand still on Anael's head to hold him down against the dresser, he swung and smacked him across the ass with it, hard, enough to send his body slamming against the dresser.

From:

whispersoflove

Anael took the hit, slammed against the dresser, and did not feel any pain. "Robin. Please."

From:

goodfellow

"Please what," Robin said, and bent back one of his wings, though careful he wouldn't go so far as to snap it.

From:

whispersoflove

The wing did not bend much, not with regular strength applied, but it was still enough to make Anael cry out with the welcome surge of pain, hands scrambling for purchase on the dresser. "Please, pain," he choked out gratefully, his voice full of tears.

From:

goodfellow

Robin's nails scratched down his wing again. "Is there another way I can hurt you?" he asked."Tell me how."

From:

whispersoflove

Anael felt another flush of heat redden his face as he forced himself to say it. "Beat them. Beat my wings." It felt like such a shameful thing to ask, for the motivation behind the request.

God had turned Their back on him. What else was there but punishment? He deserved it, and worse.

From:

goodfellow

Robin took a step back from him, hesitated for a second. Then whipped his belt out of the loops on his trousers. He put a hand on Anael's back and shoved him down against the dresser. Then he reeled back and whipped him with the belt.

From:

whispersoflove

It wasn't long before Anael was outright sobbing, sounds of pain and gratitude wrecked from him with every smack of Robin's belt. The pain slashed through him mercilessly, something sharp, overwhelming, something he was not in the least prepared for.

From:

goodfellow

Robin kept going, until it became difficult for him.

"Anael," he said quietly. "I think we should stop now."

From:

whispersoflove

Anael's breathing was ragged, and he remained bent over the dresser as the pain subsided to a level where something, anything, existed beside it. Even if that only something, right then, was acquiescence. "Okay," he murmured, still not back to himself.

From:

goodfellow

"Come on," saidRobin, and pulled him back from the dresser. "Come lay down on the bed."

From:

whispersoflove

That show of kindness made more tears well up in Anael's eyes, even as he turned to wrap his arms around Robin. He couldn't help but start crying again, although at least they weren't sobs this time.