Per Aspera ad Astra
folder
1 through F › Constantine
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
5
Views:
2,882
Reviews:
12
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Currently Reading:
0
Category:
1 through F › Constantine
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
5
Views:
2,882
Reviews:
12
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
Constantine/Hellblazer does not belong to me and this is a work of fanfiction created purely for entertainment purposes. I am making no profit from this.
3
Per Aspera ad Astra
Notes: I thought this would be the last chapter, but I changed my mind. One or two more after this one. Short, because my broken toe is starting to throb.
Chapter 3
Balthazar had taken the painkillers John returned with and quickly fallen asleep, the pills casting a lethargic heaviness over his shivering body the he didn't even try to fight.
When he awoke it was to the smell of fresh coffee and the slight hint of cigarette smoke drifting lazily through the still air of the apartment. It was a reassuring scent and he closed his eyes again, content that he was safe for the time being. He could hardly believe that John had jumped in to save him, although annoying Lucifer seemed to be the exorcist's favourite pastime.
He'd never been saved from anything before, it wasn't something common amongst demons, after all. He couldn't quite figure out why Constantine had done it. Sure, they had a mutual reservoir of lust that was barely kept in check when they fought, but Balthazar hadn't expected the human to actually CARE about him. He'd looked so angry when he'd been staring at the marred crucifix burn and Balthazar wondered if marking him with the cross had been significant.
Perhaps he was over-thinking it to keep his mind off the burning between his thighs, sending tendrils of pain up into his lower back to mingle with the more insistent agony of his broken bones. The painkillers dulled the sharp edges but there was no ignoring the feeling of flesh and bone slowly knitting themselves back together. At least the lacerations across his back were fading fast, the torn skin of his chest from where it had met the rough wall already healed.
That was, except the deeper X that Lucifer had drawn over where John had burned him with his little gold crucifix, on his slim stomach. It was below and to one side of his navel, and Balthazar propped himself up painfully against the headboard to take a look. His movements were stiff with pain and he kept his shoulder still, but eventually he managed to sit up and look down at the little area of white bandage against his bare skin, just above the hem of the pyjama pants John must have helped him into.
Peeling back the gauze carefully, Balthazar looked down at the wound, which was steadily healing. He almost wished he could keep the underlying crucifix burn before inwardly rolling his eyes at himself for being ridiculous. It wasn't as though they were hard to come by, after all.
Sighing, Balthazar closed his luminous eyes again and rested back against the headboard, wondering what was going to happen to him now. He knew that John would let him recover in the safety of his heavily warded apartment as long as he didn't piss the exorcist off too much. Once he left, though, he was pretty much Lucifer's bitch again.
The thought sent a shiver of disgust rippling through him and he hissed in annoyance as it jarred his injuries. He would have to go to Midnite once John kicked him out, he could probably get some sort of charm that would hide him. That seemed the best option, not that he had many. By the time he either died or got deported again Lucifer would likely have forgotten about him now that he'd been punished for the most part. Unless he went to heaven when he died, he thought with a sarcastic little smirk.
XxXxX
The sound of the slightly ajar door opening roused him from his thoughts as they began to turn dark and he looked up to find Constantine standing in the doorway, staring at him with a mug of hot coffee in each hand. Domestic, Balthazar smirked inwardly. What a nice look.
The staring went on slightly longer than was usual and Balthazar wondered what he must look like sitting up in bed with his chest bare, his bad arm cradled protectively in his lap and his usually neat hair probably all over the place. He used his tail to brush his hair back into its old style and gave a slightly battered grin, watching Constantine snap out of his stupor, stalking over to perch on the edge of the bed.
“Coffee.” He announced, eyes lingering on the crucifix burn again for a moment before he handed the demon his drink. Balthazar took the mug with his good hand, steadying it with his tail as he took a sip and sighed in pleasure.
“Mmmh, thanks Johnny.” The halfbreed purred, and Constantine seemed slightly relieved that he wasn't crying and screaming. Then again, he was a demon and he'd probably been around long enough to have been through worse.
“You look better than last night.” The exorcist commented, although he could still see the fragility that Balthazar was trying to hide. It was clear from his stiff movements and the way he clenched his teeth when he moved that he was still in quite a bit of pain.
“I'd look worse if Lucifer had gotten his way. Probably a lot like a pile of dust. How did you know what was going on, Johnny?” Balthazar asked, warming the spade of his tail on his coffee mug. Constantine watched the snake-like appendage, not often having had the chance to see it up close. Most halfbreeds he'd come across tended not to use theirs, but Balthazar seemed to like having his there and used it almost like another limb now that one of his arms was out of commission. It had coiled itself around John's arm the night before but he'd been so focussed on carrying the bleeding demon back to the safety of his apartment that he'd barely noticed it.
“I felt him come up. I knew you were on his list and nearby, so I walked the streets until I got a lock on him.” John explained, remembering the moment he'd walked into Lucifer's bubble of influence, time grinding to a halt all around him. He's never been as livid as when he'd turned the corner and seen what was going on. Just the image of the usually cocky, slick little Balthazar crying out weakly in pain as Lou slammed him against the wall and tortured him was enough to make John want to kill something.
“You're my hero, Johnny.” Balthazar purred, only half joking.
“I'm the good guy, it's what I do.” John claimed, finishing up his coffee and noticing that Balthazar still had his bad arm cradled in his lap. “That should be in a sling.” He decided, reaching for the ever-present roll of gauze. In his line of work it was always prudent to keep a good supply.
“You certainly make an excellent nurse.” Balthazar smirked, placing his empty mug on the bedside table and expecting to feel at least a sliver of fear when John leaned over him to fix the makeshift sling in place.
The expected fear never materialized though, and he found that he rather liked having the exorcist leaning over him. He felt oddly shielded against everything that was out to get him.
“You ok?” Constantine asked in a low voice, tying the knot against Balthazar's good shoulder to support the weight of his injured arm. He half expected the demon to push him away or freak out, but Balthazar just let John tie the sling in place, the trembling in his body more from pain than fear.
“I will be, Johnny.” The halfbreed replied quietly, the usual mocking tone absent from his voice for once and a weak little smile on his lips.
TBC
Notes: I thought this would be the last chapter, but I changed my mind. One or two more after this one. Short, because my broken toe is starting to throb.
Chapter 3
Balthazar had taken the painkillers John returned with and quickly fallen asleep, the pills casting a lethargic heaviness over his shivering body the he didn't even try to fight.
When he awoke it was to the smell of fresh coffee and the slight hint of cigarette smoke drifting lazily through the still air of the apartment. It was a reassuring scent and he closed his eyes again, content that he was safe for the time being. He could hardly believe that John had jumped in to save him, although annoying Lucifer seemed to be the exorcist's favourite pastime.
He'd never been saved from anything before, it wasn't something common amongst demons, after all. He couldn't quite figure out why Constantine had done it. Sure, they had a mutual reservoir of lust that was barely kept in check when they fought, but Balthazar hadn't expected the human to actually CARE about him. He'd looked so angry when he'd been staring at the marred crucifix burn and Balthazar wondered if marking him with the cross had been significant.
Perhaps he was over-thinking it to keep his mind off the burning between his thighs, sending tendrils of pain up into his lower back to mingle with the more insistent agony of his broken bones. The painkillers dulled the sharp edges but there was no ignoring the feeling of flesh and bone slowly knitting themselves back together. At least the lacerations across his back were fading fast, the torn skin of his chest from where it had met the rough wall already healed.
That was, except the deeper X that Lucifer had drawn over where John had burned him with his little gold crucifix, on his slim stomach. It was below and to one side of his navel, and Balthazar propped himself up painfully against the headboard to take a look. His movements were stiff with pain and he kept his shoulder still, but eventually he managed to sit up and look down at the little area of white bandage against his bare skin, just above the hem of the pyjama pants John must have helped him into.
Peeling back the gauze carefully, Balthazar looked down at the wound, which was steadily healing. He almost wished he could keep the underlying crucifix burn before inwardly rolling his eyes at himself for being ridiculous. It wasn't as though they were hard to come by, after all.
Sighing, Balthazar closed his luminous eyes again and rested back against the headboard, wondering what was going to happen to him now. He knew that John would let him recover in the safety of his heavily warded apartment as long as he didn't piss the exorcist off too much. Once he left, though, he was pretty much Lucifer's bitch again.
The thought sent a shiver of disgust rippling through him and he hissed in annoyance as it jarred his injuries. He would have to go to Midnite once John kicked him out, he could probably get some sort of charm that would hide him. That seemed the best option, not that he had many. By the time he either died or got deported again Lucifer would likely have forgotten about him now that he'd been punished for the most part. Unless he went to heaven when he died, he thought with a sarcastic little smirk.
XxXxX
The sound of the slightly ajar door opening roused him from his thoughts as they began to turn dark and he looked up to find Constantine standing in the doorway, staring at him with a mug of hot coffee in each hand. Domestic, Balthazar smirked inwardly. What a nice look.
The staring went on slightly longer than was usual and Balthazar wondered what he must look like sitting up in bed with his chest bare, his bad arm cradled protectively in his lap and his usually neat hair probably all over the place. He used his tail to brush his hair back into its old style and gave a slightly battered grin, watching Constantine snap out of his stupor, stalking over to perch on the edge of the bed.
“Coffee.” He announced, eyes lingering on the crucifix burn again for a moment before he handed the demon his drink. Balthazar took the mug with his good hand, steadying it with his tail as he took a sip and sighed in pleasure.
“Mmmh, thanks Johnny.” The halfbreed purred, and Constantine seemed slightly relieved that he wasn't crying and screaming. Then again, he was a demon and he'd probably been around long enough to have been through worse.
“You look better than last night.” The exorcist commented, although he could still see the fragility that Balthazar was trying to hide. It was clear from his stiff movements and the way he clenched his teeth when he moved that he was still in quite a bit of pain.
“I'd look worse if Lucifer had gotten his way. Probably a lot like a pile of dust. How did you know what was going on, Johnny?” Balthazar asked, warming the spade of his tail on his coffee mug. Constantine watched the snake-like appendage, not often having had the chance to see it up close. Most halfbreeds he'd come across tended not to use theirs, but Balthazar seemed to like having his there and used it almost like another limb now that one of his arms was out of commission. It had coiled itself around John's arm the night before but he'd been so focussed on carrying the bleeding demon back to the safety of his apartment that he'd barely noticed it.
“I felt him come up. I knew you were on his list and nearby, so I walked the streets until I got a lock on him.” John explained, remembering the moment he'd walked into Lucifer's bubble of influence, time grinding to a halt all around him. He's never been as livid as when he'd turned the corner and seen what was going on. Just the image of the usually cocky, slick little Balthazar crying out weakly in pain as Lou slammed him against the wall and tortured him was enough to make John want to kill something.
“You're my hero, Johnny.” Balthazar purred, only half joking.
“I'm the good guy, it's what I do.” John claimed, finishing up his coffee and noticing that Balthazar still had his bad arm cradled in his lap. “That should be in a sling.” He decided, reaching for the ever-present roll of gauze. In his line of work it was always prudent to keep a good supply.
“You certainly make an excellent nurse.” Balthazar smirked, placing his empty mug on the bedside table and expecting to feel at least a sliver of fear when John leaned over him to fix the makeshift sling in place.
The expected fear never materialized though, and he found that he rather liked having the exorcist leaning over him. He felt oddly shielded against everything that was out to get him.
“You ok?” Constantine asked in a low voice, tying the knot against Balthazar's good shoulder to support the weight of his injured arm. He half expected the demon to push him away or freak out, but Balthazar just let John tie the sling in place, the trembling in his body more from pain than fear.
“I will be, Johnny.” The halfbreed replied quietly, the usual mocking tone absent from his voice for once and a weak little smile on his lips.
TBC