Lucifer smirked at Michael from the base of the angel statue where he perched himself, the black smoke curling around the statue's wings hauntingly. "You never consider if I want to talk to you. You're rather self-absorbed, little Brother."
Michael's fist curled around the roses he had gathered to take to the graveside. Thorns pricked into his fingers, but the Seraphim hardly noticed. Ravenna grasped his forearm, not wanting him to strike the man crouched on the statue base. "You have a lot of nerve coming back for me after the things you said outside my prison, Lucifer."
Ravenna squeezed Michael's arm, looking up at him. "What do you mean? What did he say?"
"Nothing of consequence, darling. You both found each other again, did you not?" Lucifer dropped from the base of the statue, his arms held open toward her, as if he was trying to show he meant no harm. Her large golden eyes narrowed, unconvinced. "I see your sweet Seraphim is recovering well, no doubt your help being the only reason he's standing."
Michael stepped forward, coming between his love and Lucifer. "You know you were trying to use her- did she know you didn't intend to bring her back to the Mortal Plane if I didn't agree to join you?"
The Fallen man feigned hurt at Michael's words. "Such an accusation, surely you must have been delirious from the beatings you'd received. That would be no way to speak to an ally. Especially about a woman he loves. She had the best care in my realm."
Ravenna peered around Michael, aghast at the Fallen man's claim. "I heard you and Edward that day outside of my room! I may have forgiven you, but I still heard! I was just supposed to see you as hospitable, as a savior, but I know better!"
Michael glared at Lucifer, the healer's words causing rage to boil in his heart. As his anger grew, more of Ravenna's words came to his mind. –Lucifer asked if I would ever be able to look at you without seeing the reason why you came to save me in the first place..– Enraged, Michael lunged at Lucifer, attempting to punch the scheming man in his smug jaw. The Fallen man quickly stepped between the realms, dodging the attack, before appearing behind Michael. With one eyebrow raised and a small smirk on his face, Lucifer reached toward his attacker and flicked between his shoulderblades.
As Lucifer's long fingers made contact with the wounds on his back, Michael buckled to the ground, biting back a scream. Pain clouded his vision, and his stomach clenched violently. Ravenna dropped to her knees, placing her hand on the small of his back to comfort him as the pain ripped through his body.
"Tsk, tsk, little Brother. Such a temper. Do not fret, though, we will work on that together. What else is a Brother for?"
Ravenna looked up, seeing Lucifer leaning against the statue, his arms crossed casually across his chest. "How could you...?"
"Quite easily. Would you like to see me do it again?"
Michael groaned, the sound climbing to a growl. He lashed out a second time, grasping Lucifer's ankle. He pulled himself to his feet, shoving Lucifer back against the statue. "You may call me Brother, but you aren't acting like one. You claim you want my help as an ally, but what have you done to prove that it would be worth it? You're trying to force my hand- maybe you can't get over your Fall, but I'm willing to move on!"
Pinned against his statue, Lucifer stared into Michael's eyes, green to blue. He realized Michael was serious, and a low chuckle slipped from his lips, erupting into a roar of laughter. "Move on? You must be still rattled from your Fall. You lost, Michael! You lose! The Ruler stole your life, your wings, your everything! He cast you aside the very moment you didn't fit the mold! And you're going to... just accept that? Move on? Will you still be so willing to just... move on... after the human woman you love so dearly is long dead and gone? What will your efforts have been for?"
"She will not! I'll... I'll find a way! That's not the point right now, Lucifer! You tried to use her as a...a pawn! You claimed to take her into your care as an act of kindness, the way an ally would help another, and then you weren't going to bring her back?!" Michael's grip on the man's shoulders tightened, muscles straining in his arms.
In Michael's grasp, Lucifer continued to smirk, enraging his captor further. "Michael, your anger is misguided. We could use it. Don't you remember what I said? I turned my pride into power, my pain into magic? We could both be great, you know. The power is there, just beyond your reach. We could be unstoppable. But you would have to trust me..." The devil's grin stretched wider across the Fallen man's face. "... and you'd have to let me go."
Michael dropped him suddenly, Lucifer falling to the ground, not expecting the Seraphim to actually let him free. "You can come back in two days. It will give me time to think about forgiving you for what you did to me and Ravenna, and your offer about the power. But for now...I don't want to see you. Go back to your realm."
"Oh, my dear Brother... you'll forgive me. I am the key to your power, the guide to being the ultimate form of yourself...but I'll come back. Perhaps you'll be in a better mood then." Michael glared at Lucifer, who ignored the stare. "I'll see you both soon. Ravenna, darling, Edward and William send their regards." He disappeared, black smoke the only trace of him ever being there.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Michael slowly gathered up the roses he had dropped during his fight with Lucifer. The petals had become wilted, some of the flowers had lost some of their brilliance altogether; one had been crushed under his knees when he collapsed.
"... are you alright, Michael?" Ravenna's soft voice cautiously broke the silence, as if she was afraid of the answer. He straightened, looking forlornly at the battered flowers in his hands.
"I will be. This isn't about me right now. Forget him, he's just... he's not important to us right now. Let's go find your grandmother. It's what we came here for." His hand found hers, and his heart settled as she wound her fingers through his.
The pair quietly made their way through the graveyard, passing by the memorials of villagers that had been dead and gone for decades, centuries. Crawling ivy tried to swallow the oldest of tombstones, their epitaphs older than Michael himself.
"This is it... this is her..." Ravenna ran her fingers along a well-kept stone, "Hawthorne" neatly engraved on its surface. The grass was still new, fresh blades peeking through the recently disturbed earth. Tears sparkled in her honey-gold eyes, and Michael reached to brush them away. He wrapped his arm around her, cradling her closer to him.
The Seraphim pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Ravenna's head before releasing her from his embrace. He slowly knelt before the stone, and placed the flowers at the base of the memorial.
Bowing his head, Michael began to speak. "I would have loved to meet you, Anne. Ravenna tells me about you often. How you loved her, how you kept her safe. I promise you I will love her unconditionally and keep her safe, as you did. I believe this is what you would have wanted for her. I hope you would have approved of me, and that you would one day give your blessing for our marriage. You meant everything to Ravenna, which means you mean everything to me as well. I hope the Forever treats you well, Anne."
Ravenna knelt beside Michael, silent tears streaming down her face. He placed an arm around her, and she nestled her head closer to him. The pair remained at the cemetery in an understanding silence until a raven's call broke the quiet, and they made their way home.