Brendon woke Frank at the crack of dawn, his high pitched shriek snapping Frank out of his pleasant dreams abruptly, confusion fogging his mind as he tried to ascertain what the fuck was going on, only to realize that he was still very naked, which explained Brendon's startled exclamation.

"Fuck off Brendon," Frank grumbled irritably, halfheartedly covering himself with the discarded blanket before snuggling back into Gerard's side. Gerard hadn't been disturbed at all by the noise Brendon was producing, and the fact that his husband still slept like the dead brought a small smile to Frank's face, inducing a sense of normalcy that had been severely lacking in Frank's life lately.

"God Frank - are you allergic to clothes or some shit?" Brendon asked, his tone an equal mixture of amusement and disgust as he made his way further into the small room now that Frank was in a better state of modesty.

"I'm not the one who decided to barge into someone else's private quarters without any warning," Frank shot back, dragging the pillow over his head in a pointless attempt at blocking out Brendon's presence entirely.

"Actually, I've been knocking for the past minute or so," Brendon sniffed in an affronted manner. "Haven't your bodies adjusted to not needing sleep yet?"

"Guess not," Frank shrugged, because although he knew that he would be able to function if he pushed through his tiredness, he still craved rest like a human. Frank had no idea how much time it would take his angelic essence to acclimate back to what it used to be, and given the fact that he was going to leave Heaven soon, it would probably be longer than he had originally thought.

"Well I'm not leaving until you get up, we are departing in an hour, and I don't think this expedition will work if the two people who have to go are lazing around in bed," Brendon huffed, ignoring the middle finger Frank flung in his direction in the way of a response. "I'm not kidding Frank," Brendon groaned.

"Give me five more minutes, we will meet you guys in the main foyer," Frank grumbled, not wanting to get up quite yet, even though he knew he needed to.

"Fine, but if you are late, I'm coming back here and dragging you out of bed, naked or not."

"Your lack of faith in me is disturbing," Frank chuckled softly, stroking his hands absentmindedly down Gerard's bare sides as he spoke.

"Well prove me wrong then," Brendon retorted, but before Frank could think of a witty reply, Brendon had turned his back and was exiting the room, muttering under his breath about how he had seen more cock today than he was planning on, causing Frank's cheeks to blush slightly in embarrassment now that he was coherent enough to realize that Brendon had indeed gotten a glimpse of certain areas of his body that he wasn't too keen on exposing to anyone that wasn't Gerard.

Wanting to distract himself from the fact that Brendon had viewed his dick, not to mention he would probably fall back asleep soon if he didn't move, Frank decided to begin the arduous task that was awakening his stubborn husband, knowing that if he didn't start now, they would be dealing with more of Brendon very soon, and Frank wasn't really in the mood to put up with him any more than he already had.

"Gee...baby, it's time to wake up," Frank cooed, nuzzling Gerard's neck slightly in the hopes of gently bringing him back to consciousness, but of course, Gerard didn't stir at all. "Come on love." Frank raised the volume of his voice a bit, threading his fingers through Gerard's tangled hair while shifting his position so he was now situated fully on Gerard's lap.

"Mhmm..." Gerard groaned, his eyelids fluttering slightly and his hands clenching into fists at his side. "Go 'way."

"Not this time, we've got to go save the world remember," Frank grinned, tickling Gerard's ribs lightly in the process, producing an indignant squeak from the other man.

"Fine - I'm awake, don't fucking do that," Gerard pouted as he attempted to twist his torso to the right, trying to knock Frank from his position, but his efforts failed miserably.

"Do what?" Frank smirked mischievously, digging the pads of his fingers against Gerard's skin a little harder, his teeth showing through his lips as Gerard squealed loudly.

"Okay - I surrender, please stop," Gerard gasped breathlessly, untangling his arms from the sheets before wrapping himself around Frank, pinning him to his chest so Frank couldn't get the proper leverage to continue his impromptu assault.

"Only if you kiss me," Frank winked, puckering his mouth up obnoxiously, ignoring the way Gerard rolled his eyes at him.

"I don't know..." Gerard pretended to look torn, his thumb tapping at his chin as he did his best to hold back the laughter Frank could feel bubbling in his chest. "You have pretty bad morning breath."

"Well you don't exactly smell like flowers yourself," Frank snorted, shoving Gerard lightly in the shoulder for his rude comment.

"Fuck you - I smell like a field of daisies."

"Just kiss me you asshole," Frank whined, morphing his face into a wide eyed expression that he knew Gerard could never resist.

And he was right, because not two seconds later, Gerard's hands were tangling around the back of his neck, dragging their mouths together into a slow kiss. Frank sighed happily as the familiar sparks began shooting down his spine, his muscles relaxing as Gerard's tongue slid against his in a slow cadence.

"There - happy now?" Gerard giggled when they pulled apart, his eyes glittering brightly once he had shaken off the last dregs of sleep which had clouded them earlier.

"Yes, but now we really have to get dressed. Brendon has already been in here once, and I'm not too keen on the idea of him seeing my dick twice in one day."

"He better not look at it again, that's for my eyes only," Gerard growled lowly, his sudden rush of jealousy leaving Frank shaking with suppressed humor, loving the way Gerard would never stop being possessive over him even after all of this time.

"Of course love, now put some clothes on before he comes back and gets an eyeful of yours too."

~~~

It ended up taking them over two hours to leave, which wasn't entirely Frank or Gerard's fault, even though they weren't exactly punctual with their arrival, but Brendon added to it by having a lengthy goodbye with Ryan, and then Mikey showed up and delayed things even more. It was only thanks to Billie Joe that they even left at all, his subtle comments and frustrated sighs finally inspiring everyone to pull apart and allow the ones appointed to head for Cloudripper Mountain to depart.

It had been decided a few days ago that only Frank, Gerard, Billie Joe, and Brendon would be making the journey. This wasn't supposed to be a large ordeal, and everyone else had other tasks to keep them occupied in Heaven, not to mention a large party might attract unwanted attention that they definitely didn't need.

According to Billie, if everything went smoothly, which was a big if, retrieving the sword shouldn't take long, hopefully a day or two at most, but the worried looks Ryan kept shooting them before they took to the air coupled with the way Mikey wouldn't stop chewing on his bottom lip had Frank apprehensive and unsure of how accurate Billie's original guess was going to be.

It was too late to worry about anything now though, and Frank didn't want to let his mind wander down all of the dark paths presented before it. This wasn't anything particularly dangerous, not compared to what they had been through together in the past, and it was nowhere near as perilous as their looming fight with the Leviathan would be, so Frank did his best to relax, enjoying the sensation of the air flowing through his wings as the atmosphere turned colder the closer they got to their destination.

Frank's eyes kept wandering to Gerard as they went, partially to make sure that he was keeping up with the swifter angels, but also just because he liked looking at him. This demon version of Gerard was so different than his human appearance; his red hair stood out against his pale skin, startling bright compared to the black shade that Frank had become so familiar with, his body carried scars that he hadn't been burdened with before, not to mention the skeletal wings that protruded from his shoulders, but it was still Gerard - his husband, and even though Frank never had any doubts before, he felt reassured by the fact that he still loved Gerard just as much, if not more than he had before, and he knew that he always would, no matter what happened to them in the future.

In what seemed to be no time at all, but it very well could have been hours, Frank wasn't really keeping track of the passing minutes, Billie yelled over the rushing wind that Cloudripper Mountain was before them, motioning with his hands that they should land in order to plan their next move.

Frank shivered slightly when his feet touched the snow covered surface they alit on, instinctually shifting closer to Gerard for warmth. Gerard wrapped his arms around Frank once he was within range, turning toward Billie Joe as they waited for him to instruct them on what to do now that they had arrived.

"Well, as I've said before, I've searched for the entrance to wherever Michael stored his sword, but I have had no luck finding it. I'm hoping that the two of you will be able to do what I could not. All I know is that it is in a cave somewhere near the peak, but it is sealed off, making the task of locating it difficult," Billie Joe explained, his frustration at not being able to discover what they were looking for on his own bleeding through in his tone.

"So what...we just fly in circles until we spot something that looks like a secret cavern which holds a powerful weapon?" Frank asked through his chattering teeth, the prospect of wandering around in the bitter cold while crossing their fingers that they would stumble upon Michael's hiding place sounded anything but appealing right now, even though Frank knew they didn't really have a choice.

"Unless you have a better idea," Brendon shrugged nonchalantly, scuffing at the ground idly with his toe as he spoke.

"I think I might know where it is," Gerard cut in suddenly, his interjection surprising Frank but exciting him as well. "I feel sort of weird, like there is something tugging at me...it's coming from that direction." Gerard pointed upward and toward the left, a dazed look crossing over his face as he concentrated on whatever sensation he was currently experiencing.

"That makes sense," Billie Joe mused, "Gerard is the only one of us that isn't an angel, so there must be something in the cave that calls to his demon side. If we hadn't brought him, this entire endeavor would have failed, highlighting the need for an angel and a demon in the prophecy, and -"

"I think we get it," Brendon broke up Billie Joe's unnecessary explanation, shaking his wings quickly to rid them of the light layer of snow that had accumulated upon them. "So what are we waiting for, lead the way Gerard."

Gerard nodded once before taking to the air, glancing back to make sure that everyone was following him before heading higher, pausing at random intervals along the way, supposedly to make sure that whatever internal compass he was guiding them by was accurate. Frank kept silent as Gerard searched, not wanting to put any more pressure on his husband than he was already under.

After about half an hour, Gerard slowed his pace, eyeing an indented area in front of them before landing on the rocky outcropping jutting out from the side of the mountain. Frank, Brendon, and Billie Joe quickly joined him, even though Frank couldn't see anything unique about this particular spot, but he trusted Gerard, and if Gerard thought this was the right place, that was good enough for Frank.

"I am pretty sure it's here, something is almost vibrating behind this wall," Gerard murmured, moving closer to the surface so he could begin to scrape away the layer of ice and sleet covering it, extending his claws slightly to make his job a bit easier.

Frank and Brendon tried to help him the best that they could, but without their own sharp appendages, they weren't much assistance. Billie Joe hung back, surveying the area and taking notes in a small book he had brought with him so he could document their journey.

"Look," Brendon exclaimed when a particularly large chunk of snow fell away, revealing a strange carving that had been hidden from their eyes before. "You were right, this has to be it." Gerard beamed proudly at Brendon's words, and Frank knew that he was ecstatic over the fact that he had been the one to discover the entrance.

Inspired by their success, they redoubled their efforts to unearth the wall until the entire piece was exposed. Frank squinted his eyes heavily, trying to decipher what he was viewing, but as far as he could tell, it was nothing more than a conglomeration of scribbles and oblong shapes.

"So...what now?" Frank questioned warily, the thrill of their arrival wearing off when nothing else immediately happened.

"This is an ancient language..." Billie Joe whispered, more to himself than anyone else, "Elamite maybe?" Billie continued to mutter under his breath, leaving the rest of them with nothing to do besides for huddle together in the hopes of producing some sort of body heat, well - Frank and Gerard did at least. Brendon's angelic form wasn't as affected by the chill in the air as theirs were, and Frank found himself wishing that his essence would hurry the fuck up and restore itself so he wouldn't be bothered by such things anymore.

"What does it say?" Frank finally broke the silence, his stiff hands and frozen toes adding a bite to his voice that he didn't intend to be there.

"I don't know...this isn't a dialect I am entirely familiar with. There is some sort of warning here, and I think this word is 'embrace'...I would need to return to Heaven to get a full translation though."

"Well this sucks," Gerard sighed, leaning back against the adjacent wall wearily, and Frank agreed with him. He really just wanted to get this whole ordeal over with, but apparently that wasn't in the cards for them today. Frank didn't like seeing Gerard so despondent though, so he shot him a weak smile, only for his jaw to drop open in shock when everything seemed to fall into place in his brain.

"Don't move," Frank commanded suddenly, startling Gerard with his stern tone as he peered at the decorated surface behind his husband.

"Why...do I have a giant bug on my shoulder or something?" Gerard whimpered, his eyes dancing around in a panicked fashion as he attempted to keep as still as possible.

"No - just stay there for a second." Frank turned to Billie, pulling his attention in Gerard's direction with a few rapid gestures. "Are you seeing what I am?"

"Hmm...yes," Billie agreed happily, a grin tugging at his lips as he noticed what Frank had caught onto earlier. "Gerard, lift your wings slightly higher and spread them out a bit."

Gerard did as Billie asked, a puzzled expression pulling at his features the entire time, but once he had completed the simple task, it became apparent that the designs on the wall matched his pinions almost perfectly. The thicker lines surrounded the heavier ribbing on his appendages while the thin designs followed the smaller bones that protruded downward. There were still parts of the pattern that weren't filled, but Frank was almost certain that he knew how to occupy them.

"You said embrace right?" Frank waited for Billie Joe's nodded of affirmation before stepping closer to Gerard, wrapping his arms around his husband tightly before pressing his own wings into the free space, his feathers brushing against Gerard's pinions as they covered the area entirely with their bodies.

As soon as Frank settled into place, the vibrations that Gerard had mentioned feeling began to resonate in Frank's chest as well, followed by a sharp cracking sound that shocked everyone, causing Frank and Gerard to jump slightly as the granite they had been leaning on began to move. Frank could see from his vantage point over Gerard's shoulder that a rift had appeared over Gerard's head, and as he watched, the gap widened until a space large enough for two people to fit side by side emerged.

"Holy shit," Brendon gasped in awe. "Who knew hugging could open a secret passageway?"

"This is so fascinating," Billie Joe hummed, bypassing Frank and Gerard's conjoined bodies so he could examine the newly opened area more closely. "I wonder how that worked, I mean - the carving would have to be linked to some sort of mechanism, unless it is old magic...that would add an entirely new dimension to the making of this doorway."

"Well however it happened, at least we can go inside now," Gerard smiled, untangling himself from Frank's limbs so he could peer into the gloomy cave that was emitting a pleasant warmth that Frank was very grateful for.

"Yes - you two should go. Brendon and I will keep guard out here just in case, plus I doubt we would be allowed within. The prophecy clearly states that only one angel and one demon can complete this task, and we wouldn't want to ruin your chances of retrieving the sword with our presence. We should still be able to communicate mentally if anything goes wrong though."

"Okay...ready love?" Frank asked, grasping Gerard's icy hand in his reassuringly.

"As I'll ever be," Gerard nodded quickly, a hint of fear passing over his face before he pushed it away quickly.

With a last wave to Brendon and Billie Joe, Frank took the first step forward, gently pulling Gerard after him into the ominous darkness which was hiding whatever was waiting for them in the mysterious cavern.

So I made you guys wait forever for a new chapter once again, which I really didn't mean to do, but there is some plot in this one at least - hopefully that makes up for it.

The story is moving along now, so things should start getting interesting very soon.

Also, do you guys like the new cover? It is actually a picture my dad took in California, and now it is gracing the front of some gay fanfiction which is what I am sure he wanted it used for.

I hope you all are having a lovely day/night and as always votes and comments make mine much better.

Chapter dedicated to Sinfulkilljoy

<3 starr