Quiet cries and moans woke Kilo in the dead of night when the moon was at its highest. The angel opened his eyes to see Castyr in a sweat with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"No. Don't. Stay away!" The star moaned, his head turning from side to side in distress. Kilo was quick to take the star in his arms and begin comforting him. "It's okay...it's okay..." The angel soothed Castyr lovingly as he stroked the star's head.

"Kilo!" Castyr called out when he grasped onto the angel's arm.

"It's okay. I'm here. You're safe." Kilo looked down at the star in worry. Castyr's nightmares had become more frequent, and he had yet to recover his full range of emotions; the trauma was still too fresh for the star to be able to heal thoroughly.

"No...don't come near! No!!" Castyr's eyes snapped open as he cried out. The star breathed heavily when he came back to reality, and his gaze took on a veil of blankness. 

"It's okay; it was just a dream," Kilo assured Castyr gently. The star nodded in understanding and sat up straight, moving out from Kilo's arms. Kilo's heart ached while he watched his star recover from yet another terrifying nightmare, that same look present. The look that Castyr had while he was back in Hades before he fell; the look of struggling through pain and torment.

"Castyr," Kilo voiced softly before cautiously reaching out and tenderly placing his hand on the star's shoulder. The star did not respond in a repulsed manner, so Kilo slowly wrapped an arm around Castyr's shoulders and gently brought him into his arms. Castyr melted at Kilo's touch and leaned against the angel's chest while fresh tears began to flow. Kilo continued to soothe the star until Castyr was able to finally fall back asleep.

Kilo looked at the sleeping star fondly as he reached down and moved a loose strand of hair from Castyr's forehead. A soft coo left Castyr's mouth when he reacted to the angel's touch. Kilo pet Castyr's head as he gazed at the sleeping beauty before him, the moonlight making the star seem as if he was glowing. Wait... Kilo looked closer, a smile forming on his lips as he realized Castyr was glowing!

The angel released a deep sigh. Castyr was glowing again; he was happy. Kilo realized just how much he had missed Castyr's glow when he found himself staring at the star lying beside him with heart-shaped eyes for nearly the rest of the night. The angel's heart was light as he eventually fell back to sleep; Castyr was content and safe.

<<<<<<<>>>>>>>

"Kilo!!!"

"Hm?"

"My eyes."

"What is it, love?" Kilo inquired when he followed the source of the star's quiet inquiry. The angel entered the bathroom to find the star staring at his reflection in the mirror.

"What happened to my eyes?" Castyr asked when he widened his dark orbs. "They're black."

"Mm hm," Kilo sounded matter-of-factly with a nod.

"And the stars are purple," Castyr added, clearly not satisfied with the angel's short response.

Kilo nodded once again.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The star whirled around to face his angel who was smiling at him softly.

"It didn't seem to be life-threatening," Kilo answered, his voice soft and deep.

"It's been months since I woke up," Castyr added, furrowing his brows slightly.

Castyr's eyes which had once been a deep blue with silver stars had turned to black orbs with purple stars when he had fallen. Kilo had noticed the change the moment Castyr opened his eyes when coming out from the coma and had decided to let Castyr discover his new eyes for himself. It was not a life-altering change, so Kilo was not worried about the consequences of not telling Castyr.

"And you haven't looked in the mirror yet?" Kilo teased with a hidden smirk while he watched the star shake his head at his angel for not alerting him to the change in his eyes.

"I haven't had time to look in the mirror, Kilo." The star pointed his finger at the angel before continuing, "You don't give me a chance to look at myself when I'm in the shower or even after-" The star stopped himself when he saw Kilo's satisfied smirk. "Why are you so smiley?" Castyr asked while the angel advanced toward him.

Hearing Castyr's words gave Kilo a naughty idea. "So...then, do you not like the attention I give you?" Kilo inquired slyly as he slowly closed in on the flustered star.

"W-what? I never said that," Castyr denied, his cheeks heating.

"So you do like it," Kilo confirmed as he leaned in closer.

"I-I never said that either," Castyr returned while turning his head to the side, hoping to escape from Kilo's seductive gaze.

"Mm-hm." Kilo was not convinced. The angel placed his hand under the star's chin and turned Castyr's head toward him. "So..." Kilo began in a low voice as he savored Castyr's flushed face and bashful glances. Castyr kept his gaze lowered as best he could while Kilo lifted his chin. "...then you don't like it when I do this," Kilo finished before entrapping the star's lips in his.

A moan escaped the star's mouth as Kilo opened his lips wider and tasted Castyr's mouth with his tongue, causing the star to grab ahold of the counter behind him. Castyr closed his eyes as his knees grew weak from the arousal in his body. Sensing Castyr's falter, Kilo slipped his hand under the boy's shirt and up his back to support the flustered star. Castyr's grip on the counter tightened with Kilo's hand on his skin.

"You were getting ready for a shower?" Kilo assumed as he ran his hand up the star's back and tugged Castyr's shirt over his head.

"Don't...don't change the subject," Castyr said between breaths while the angel removed his shirt, his hands landing around Kilo's neck once it was off. Tingles ran down the angel's spine as Castyr's thumb stroked the back of Kilo's neck.

"Don't worry. We'll get back to it," Kilo assured breathily before he entrapped Castyr's lips in another deep kiss and lifted the star onto the bathroom counter. Kilo pulled back briefly to admire the man gazing up at him. Castyr's eyes were hooded, and his lips were parted ever so slightly as he panted quietly, his chest rising and falling gently. "You're beautiful," Kilo breathed as he slid his hand behind Castyr's ear to cradle the star's head. Blush flushed Castyr's cheeks as the angel leaned in and pressed their lips together in a passionate kiss.

Castyr's heart raced when Kilo's hands roamed his bare skin and his lips caressed his soft neck. The star's breath got caught in his throat, however, when he heard Kilo voice, "I love you." The star's eyes widened when, as if a switch had been flipped, memories of Kilo bloodied and wounded filled Castyr's mind. I love you. Those were the last words Castyr had told Kilo before disappearing into the utter darkness that he had been pulled into upon falling from grace. Burning coldness crept over Castyr's body when he felt the sensation of sudden weightlessness and bewilderment. Just like that, he was back in the dark abyss fighting the darkness that was threatening to take control.

The suffocating nothing of the abyss mingled with cries of pain and shouts as Castyr was tossed back and forth from the scene of the battle to the utter silence of the abyss. Castyr squinted his eyes closed and clutched the sides of his head as he heard Ilios' final words and Rae's shouts and cries.

"YOU JUST WON'T DIE!!" The harsh bellow from the demon king rang in Castyr's ears while the memories of the fight in Hades overtook the star's senses. Castyr pulled away from Kilo, and his breathing became panicked. 

"Castyr?" Kilo inquired, his voice full of worry when he examined the star's frantic state. Seeing Castyr's fear-filled eyes, Kilo immediately pulled the star into his arms and began soothing his love. "It's okay, it's all okay, love."

The angel's efforts of comfort were successful as Castyr's breathing eventually slowed and his racing heart steadied its pace. However, the star had withdrawn back into silence, and Kilo's heart sank when he leaned back to see Castyr staring ahead blankly. He was back to being numb and new to emotions. 

Kilo's eyes filled with tears when he watched Castyr look up at him with no emotion. A single tear drop fell from Kilo's eye as he pulled the star into a soft embrace and repeated, "I love you," through the pain that filled his heart. "I'm so sorry my love."... "I love you."