Chapter Text
"Pico, run!"
"No, I'm not leaving you!" The redhead exclaimed, "Come on, let's go!"
"I won't survive down there! And you won't survive up here!"
"You won't either! They'll kill you!"
"There they are! The demon! The traitor!"
"Come on!" The redhead tugged the other's arm.
"Pico, I love you. I'll always love you." The other smiled, kissing his lips.
Pico was confused until the other pushed him. It was like everything began to happen in slow motion as he felt himself getting teleported. He watched his lover fall to his knees, smiling as tears fell down his cheeks, bowing his head as the angels surrounded him, their weapons at his neck.
No, no, no, don't do it, don't, please, my love, my light, please-
He watched as his lover smiled at him, whispering out an "I love you" once more before he was stabbed in the shoulder, golden blood staining his perfect form-
"NO!" The redhead screamed, shooting up from his bed. He blinked, looking around and sighing, holding his head in his hands.
He was in Hell, in his home, walls decorated how he wanted. The walls were a dark green, with posters of both demon and human bands, animal and human bones hanging on the walls like christmas lights. The lights were off, but candles were burning bright, wax dripping and spilling onto the floor. He had his weapons hanging up on display, untouched.
Well, ever since that day.
His door was opened and the light was flipped on, making him wince at the suddenness.
"Hey..." A woman said simply, "We heard you scream..."
The redhead was silent.
"Pico? You, uh, wanna talk about it?"
"What's there to talk about, Nene?" He snapped. He instantly regretted it, looking at her, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"It's fine." Nene reassured, "I get it. I mean, we all miss him, but not as much as you. You two were..."
Tears came to Pico's eyes and he wiped them away, "I-I need to change."
Nene shut the door, Pico wiping his eyes. He stood up, getting out from under his blankets, looking over himself in the mirror. His black horns stood straight up, a stark contrast to his red hair. His black demon wings were small, but he didn't use them to fly anyways. They were more to give him a boost when jumping or to help ease landings. His demon tail flicked back and forth, pointed at the end with his stinger. He could use it to poison his enemies, but it was also prehensile.
"You're like a bat!" He teased with a laugh.
Pico's shoulders slumped before shaking his head, ridding himself of the memory. He looked over himself, his hand reaching his face. Demons didn't scar. Yes, they could get hurt, but they didn't scar.
Not unless the injury is from an angel.
He reached up, tracing the only scar he had. It rested on the right side of his face, going from his eyebrow, down to just below his cheek bone, glowing golden, a constant reminder.
He looked away from the mirror, grabbing some clothes. Pico threw on a light green shirt with dark green sleeves that ended right before his elbows. He grabbed a dark green and black leather jacket, throwing that on as well, mainly to just hide his wings. He pulled on some black boxers and black skinny jeans, then finally his red shoes.
Once he finished getting dressed, Pico left his bedroom, walking into the living room, collapsing onto the couch.
"You okay?" His friend asked.
Pico looked up at the man, "...No, I'm not, Darnell. I..." He looked away, "It's the same nightmare, over and over and over and-" He clenched his fists, burying his face into his hands, "I came back to the apartment to get away from that... and then I just have nightmares of it... Been having the same nightmare for months, almost a year now!"
Darnell stared at him, his white eyes looking over the redhead. He took a deep breath and gently pat the redhead's shoulders, "Maybe... Maybe you need some closure... I mean, after you came here? You never got your proper closure. You never even found out if he's-"
"He's dead, Darnell. We all know that! He was stabbed in the shoulder because he saved me and I-"
"Pico." Nene interrupted.
"...Right, sorry."
"Look, all I'm saying is... maybe we all could go to the surface together? As a way of closure." Darnell suggested, "Pick up some ice cream, pickpocket a couple of humans, visit Cherry and Aqua? You haven't seen them since the incident."
Pico was hesitant before he sighed. He looked down at his shaking hands. He really did need a change.
"...Fine. Just... let's visit Cher and Aqua first..."
"Hol' up, let me get changed, then!"
Darnell sat with Pico as the woman changed. Nene came out, wearing pink overall shorts that were cuffed, falling to her upper thighs, She had wrapped her black demon tail around the belt loops to make it look like a belt. The end of her tail was a big pink heart, so rested it in the middle, just to help with the illusion of it being a belt. Under the overalls, she wore a white long sleeved button up shirt with the collar folded down, two pink pins resting on the collar. The ends up her sleeves were folded up and around her wrist with pink heart cufflinks. She had small pink horns that stuck out in her black hair, but she fixed that by putting on a pink headband that had holes for her horns to fit through, making it all look like a headband.
Nene sat by Pico and allowed Darnell to change, putting on some pink platformers to give her a bit of height. Darnell came out wearing a purple letterman jacket, with yellow sleeves, unbuttoned and unzipped. Unlike Pico, his black demon wings were big, used for flying, which he was able to shrink and hide them under his jacket. He also wore a black crop top and black jeans, his purple and yellow tail wrapped in the belt loops like Nene's. He slipped on some white sneakers and, after Pico wrapped his tail in his belt loops and used some magic to hide his horns, Darnell snapped, teleporting them to Earth.
Once on Earth, they stood outside a church.
"Never ceases to amaze me how they live in a church of all things." Pico chuckled, looking around the town, "...Hasn't changed a bit."
Nene stepped towards the door, pushing it open as Darnell gently pat the redhead's shoulders. They stood outside for a minute, Pico taking in the sight of everything.
"Heyo! We brought Pi-" Nene's yell stopped.
The two turned around going to step inside. Before they could, a man came out, shutting the doors behind him. The man had bright blue hair and eyes. He wore a white button up shirt under a dark blue vest to match his angel wings, dark blue jeans, and brown slacks.
"Aqua, what the hell?" Darnell asked, confused, "What's going on?"
"W-We were going to tell you guys soon, b-but he just arrived a couple months ago!" Aqua started to defend himself.
"Tell us what? Who arrived?" Pico asked, confused. He shook his head, pushing open the doors, "You know what, no, I don't care."
"Pico, wait-!"
The redhead stepped inside and looked up, stopping in place.
Chapter Text
"Tell us what? Who arrived? You know what, no, I don't care."
"Pico, wait-!"
The redhead stepped inside and looked up, stopping in place.
Nene stood beside Cherry, who wore a red virgin killer sweater dress, a black cardigan hanging off her shoulders, red heals giving her a bit extra height. Not that she needed the height, she was the tallest out of all of them. She had sort black horns, black wings, and a black tail, her wings and tail stiff as she stared at Pico.
But Nene didn't just stand beside Cherry.
In the middle of the two women, was a man. He had tan skin and dark red eyes, short black hair with a red streak that fell to his shoulders. He wore a black crop top shirt that was open in the back, a black jacket hanging off his shoulders, red pants, and black shoes. However, what caught Pico's attention was the dark red angel wings on his back.
Dark wings means a fallen angel.
The man blinked and waved with his left hand, smiling, "Hi, you must also be Cherry and Aqua's friends! My name is Garnet, it's so nice to meet you!"
A golden ring rested on his ring finger, on his left hand.
"Pico-" Darnell whispered.
The redhead ignored his friend, walking towards the fallen angel. The man smiled and offered his hand, Pico staring at it for a second.
Then, he smiled, taking his hand and shaking it, "Name's Pico, nice to meet you. Do you mind if I ask what all you remember? Before becoming a fallen angel?"
Garnet shook Pico's hand, humming, "Well, my name... That's kinda it."
"So, same as you, huh, Aqua?" Pico turned to face the blue fallen angel, a strained smile on his face.
Aqua smiled awkwardly, "Hey, uh, Cherry! Why don't you show Garnet how to hide his features while I talk with them?"
"Oh, yeah!" Cherry took Garnet's hand, pulling him away.
Once they were gone, Pico's tail uncurled around him, his wings flaring up under his jacket, and his horns appearing as he bared his teeth.
***
"They seemed nice!" Garnet said.
"You think?" Cherry asked as she gently folded Garnet's wings bit, making sure not to hurt him.
"Mhmm." He shrugged, "I know they seemed shocked by me, maybe a bit nervous, but... I don't know, I just..."
The woman paused, "You just what?"
"...I have the same feeling I felt for you and Aqua. Like, it was comforting and i just knew you were safe... I feel the same around them. I'm not sure why, because i barely know them, but... maybe I did know them before and that feeling just stayed?"
"...You know, Aqua said the same thing before he recovered his memories." Cherry chuckled, "I guess Heaven can take away memories, but not the feelings."
"Maybe." Though, that redhead... Pico... Garnet thought.
"Okay, I think I got it. Here, I'm going to shrink your wings, ready?"
The man nodded.
The demon used her magic and, once she finished, she had shrunken them to be about the size of her hand. Garnet pulled on his jacket and the two walked out, seeing the three demons sitting down with Aqua in front of them.
"Everything okay?" Garnet asked.
Nene was the one to speak, "Yep. Everything is fine. Aqua explained everything!"
The last demon, the one Garnet didn't get to meet yet, stood up, walking over. He offered his hand, "Darnell. Nice to meet you, Garnet."
The raven smiled, shaking the other man's hand, "You as well!"
"Well, anyways, Pico, Nene, and I were going to go around town. We wanted to invite Aqua and Cherry, but it'd be rude not to invite you too. So, wanna come with?"
"Sure!" Garnet exclaimed, excited.
Aqua shrunk his wings and hid them under his vest while Cherry made her horns, wings, and tail disappear. The group left, with Aqua and Cherry holding hands and leading the way, Nene and Darnell in the middle, and Garnet and Pico at the back. The raven kept stealing glances, hoping the redhead wouldn't notice as they walked the ten minutes into town.
"You need something? You keep looking at me."
Garnet blushed, looking away, "S-Sorry, I just-!" He hesitated, "Um, well, you know how I don't remember anything?"
"Yeah." Pico looked at the raven.
"Well... I don't remember anything, but I have these feelings that I can't necessarily describe." Garnet twiddled with the ring on his left hand, "When I first arrived on Earth, I just... I was drawn to the church and Aqua and Cherry opened the door and brought me in, hugging and saying they missed me. I was confused cause I don't remember them and they seemed to realize that and explained we were friends."
"And you believed them? They could have lied."
"Well, yeah, I know, but, like I said, I have these feelings." Garnet held where his heart would be, "When they told me all this, I... believed them because I just... I felt so safe and comfortable around them. And then you and Nene and Darnell show up and I... have the same feeling." He stopped, Pico stopping with him, "But for you... it's different."
Pico stared, "Different how?"
"...I'm not sure. All I know is... it's a good different." He smiled, "A happy different!"
Pico widened his eyes as Garnet turned, catching up with the group. The redhead hesitated before shaking his head, catching up to them as well.
Chapter Text
They ended up at a restaurant, being seated at a booth. Aqua, Cherry, and Nene sat on one side, the raven sitting by the window. Garnet, Pico, and Darnell sat on the other side, the group looking over their menus.
"Woooooah!" Garnet was amazed, "I don't know what any of this is!" He looked over at Pico, who didn't bother to open his menu, "What's wrong, not hungry?"
"I know what I'm getting. I've been here enough times to know." The redhead responded, playing with the paper from his straw.
Garnet nodded, "What're you getting?"
"A-"
"Wait, actually, let me guess!"
"Didn't you just say you don't know what any of this stuff is?" Darnell teased.
Garnet chuckled, "Yep! So it'll be a one in fifty chance!"
Cherry and Nene laughed, Aqua and Darnell chuckling.
Pico looked at Garnet, a smirk on his face, "Alright, go ahead, guess."
The raven felt his heart skip a beat at the look. He looked down at the menu, reading over the items. He could just guess at random, sure, but it was more fun to try to figure things. He didn't remember anything, but he felt things. Aqua had told him that it was normal, that it had happened to him too, before he regained his memories. Garnet continued reading over the menu before stopping.
"....A burger?" Garnet looked at Pico, "Cheeseburger." He decided.
Pico widened his eyes.
The raven stared at him, everyone silent around them. He then smiled, "Did I get it right?"
Pico blinked before he chuckled, "Burger with fries, but yeah. Must be lucky!"
Garnet chuckled, "I told you! It's a feeling!" He looked at his menu, "What would I like, though...?"
The redhead pointed to one of the items, "You like- would like the pizza. They have a good sauce and dough. But get only two slices, not a whole pizza."
"Well, if he did, he'd have leftovers for a couple days!" Aqua teased.
The group fell into playful banter, Garnet getting to know the three demons a bit more. They lived on Earth for awhile, but then Pico got into a fight with some angels (which explained the scar on his eye) and they moved back to Hell. They lived there, just to stay out of the spotlight, and only came to visit temporarily. Upon hearing that, Garnet was a bit upset. He liked these guys! He didn't want them to leave.
The redhead hummed, "Actually, i might stay for a bit."
"Really?" Nene asked.
"You guys were right. I need some closure and... I think some exposure therapy will help."
"'Closure?' Oh, from the fight?" Garnet guessed.
Pico nodded, "Something like that."
Before the raven could ask more, the waiter came over, taking their orders. The topic switched and they continued their playful talk. Garnet tried asking the others a couple questions about himself, seeing as he felt like he knew them before, but they shook their heads. He knew why, they thought if they did, it would influence him to act like that and they wanted Garnet to figure out himself.
Still didn't make it any less annoying. Garnet thought.
Their food came out and Garnet was amazed by his pizza. He took one bite and fell in love. He was glad past-him seemed to be friends with the group, because if this is the food Pico thought he would like? He could only imagine what else they could show him that is good!
Garnet managed to eat the two slices before sighing, "Oh, god, I'm full..."
Cherry chuckled, "Human food always filled- is always so filling." She corrected herself halfway.
The raven then looked at Pico's plate, seeing him halfway done with his burger, fries still on the plate. He looked at Aqua, who met his eyes. They both looked down at Pico's fries then back at each other, Garnet raising an eyebrow. The other fallen angel smirked, nodding slightly before looking away, pretending to butt into the conversation.
Garnet looked at Pico, who was rolling his eyes, "Shut up, D, that's not true and you know it!"
"I'm just saying, you got four ear piercings and get scared of Nene's knives!"
"No, no, no! I am not scared of Nene's knives! I'm scared of Nene holding a knife! There is a huge difference!"
"And what's that difference?" Aqua teased.
"The fact that if Nene is holding a knife to you, you should run because she will stab."
Garnet managed to grab two fries and pulled back. However, before he could put them in his mouth, Pico grabbed his wrist.
The redhead faced him, smirking, "Nice try, pretty boy."
Pretty boy? The raven repeated in his head. He ignored the weird feeling, choosing to instead whine, "Come ooooon, please?"
"Beg." Pico said automatically, smirking. He then widened his eyes, letting the raven go, "S-Sorry, that was rude, I shouldn't-"
"Pleeeeeease?" Garnet ignored his apologies, leaning into his shoulder, "Pretty please with a strawberry on top because cherries suck?"
Pico seemed to stiffen more before he chuckled, "Alright, fine. But get up, I gotta go to the bathroom."
Garnet stood up, allowing the other to go. Aqua followed him, claiming to also need to use it. The raven sat down and ate the fries he had sort of stolen, looking at his hand with his ring.
Did I make him upset? Garnet asked in his head, twiddling with the gold.
The ring turned ice cold.
Then why did he act like that?
Chapter Text
"He's not suppose to remember anything and yet he still fucking acts the same!"
"Pico, it's okay-"
"Aqua, how the fuck am I suppose to act like I don't know him when he literally hasn't changed?!" The redhead sobbed, "He even used the 'cherries suck' line when I told him to beg!"
"I know, I'm sorry. C-Cherry and I should have prepared you better-"
"No, don't, I don't think I'd ever be prepared..." The redhead whimpered, "God, it fucking hurts, Aqua... He's just acting like this because it's him and I just have to sit there and pretend not to know..."
The fallen angel hugged the redhead, "I'm so sorry..."
***
Garnet hummed, "Should we get dessert?"
"Do you want dessert?" Nene asked.
"Not sure. I'm still new to this."
"Let's not get it here. If you want dessert, you have to try the ice cream shop nearby!" Cherry exclaimed, "It's amazing!"
"Maybe you can try to guess Pico's favorite again." Darnell suggested.
"Nah, i don't want to overwhelm him." Garnet looked down, "Am I... making him uncomfortable?"
"What? No, why would you think that?" Cherry asked.
"I-I just... maybe it's cause I don't remember knowing him, but he seems so stiff around me. He seems so on edge and, even though I'm trying to joke with him, make him feel comfortable, he runs away. Maybe I'm being too pushy? I don't know..."
"Listen, Garnet, it's not like that at all." Nene reassured, "You see, a year ago-"
"Nene..." Darnell warned.
"I won't say all of it, geez!" She huffed, "Anyways, a year ago, Pico got into a fight with the angels. First time ever almost getting caught. However, he managed to escape, just barely."
"Oh..."
"A... friend saved him. And that friend is no longer with us." Darnell added, "This is the first time he's come back to Earth, so being introduced to an angel, even though your fallen, might have just shocked his system a bit."
"Trust us, if Pico didn't like you or was uncomfortable with you, he would let you know!" Cherry joked, Garnet chuckling and easing his mind a bit.
"Hey, we're back!" Aqua called as he and Pico walked back over.
Garnet stood up and let Pico back in the booth, the redhead smiling as he thanked the raven. The booth continued talking until the bill came, Cherry paying. She used her magic to make some human cash and waited for the waiter to return. The waiter took the bill and money, left to get change, and then brought it back to Cherry.
The group then stood up and left. They began walking to a nearby ice cream shop, in their groups of two just like before.
"I never realized how small this town was until this day. Usually, I stay in the church with Cherry, her parents, and Aqua." Garnet hummed, "Though, it'll be nice to have a friend around. Hanging out by myself with those two love birds can get really annoying!"
Pico hummed, "I actually own an apartment here. Well, thanks to some forged paperworks and documents and the like. Share it with D and N."
"Oh, really? So, you'll probably stay there then, huh?"
"Yeah. You can come, to? We actually have an extra room."
"Really?"
"It's a nice apartment. Four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and living room. It's nice."
"Why not get a house at that point?" Garnet teased.
Pico waved him off, "We own the fancy apartment! Why move?"
"True." The raven hummed, "Well, if you don't mind?"
"Not at all. It'll be lonely by myself. Darnell and Nene will probably head back to Hell, they're not huge fans of Earth."
Garnet smiled, "I'd be happy to join!" He then hummed, "Oh, but how will we pay for things?"
"Did you forget that we're magical?" The redhead teased.
The raven's shoulders slumped, "I'm not..."
Pico seemed confused before he widened his eyes, "O-Oh, Gar, I-I'm sorry! I-I forgot- I-I'm so used to Aqua being able to use magic because he remembers, I-I didn't mean-"
"It's okay, Cherry and Aqua forget too." Garnet chuckled, "Though, why did you call me 'Gar?'"
"Oh, uh... as a nickname, I suppose. Sometimes I call Darnell 'D' or Cherry 'Cher.' Just a nickname. D-Do you not like it?"
"No, it's okay, I don't mind!" The fallen angel smiled, "I never had a nickname, I don't think?"
Pico smiled, "Well, I'm glad I'm the first."
Chapter Text
After the group got dessert, they went back to the church, just making small talk and Garnet getting to know everyone. He learned a lot more about the individuals and the group as a whole. They seemed to so easily accept him as well, which made him happy. He was scared he wouldn't fit in when they were all already so close. And he, well... he didn't remember them or the relationships he might've had with them.
"So, you guys staying up here?" Aqua asked.
"I don't think-"
"I am, actually." Pico interrupted Nene, "And I'm stealing Garnet."
The raven laughed, "Yeah, I think I'm gonna move in with Pico!" He smiled, "I like you, Cherry and Aqua, but being the third wheel constantly gets super awkward! Plus, Mr. Dearest kinda scares me..."
"He does that to everyone." Cherry smiled awkwardly.
Aqua, however, stared at Pico with a knowing looking, "...Are you sure that's a good idea, Pico?"
"Why not?" The redhead brushed it off.
"What? I'm a good roomie!" Garnet playfully huffed, puffing out his cheeks.
"That's not-" The other fallen angel hesitated before smiling, "You are, Garnet. I was just a bit worried for Pico. With his recent trauma."
Darnell looked at Pico, also raising an eyebrow, "Yeah, are you sure this is good for your mental health?"
"Guys, chill out. It's fine." Pico huffed, getting annoyed.
Garnet quickly spoke up, "Oh, I-I've been meaning to ask! Nene! Your headband! Are the horns part of it or...?"
"Oh, no, those are my actual horns." Nene removed her headband, "I'm a type of demon that focuses on more magical elements, so curses, spellbinds, rituals, that kinda stuff. Because of that, my horns have to stay out."
"Why's that?"
"They're sort of like a magic lightening rod. When someone attacks me with magic, my horns absorbs it and they grow. Then, I can use that magic and give back tenfold!"
"Woah, that's so cool!" The fallen angel exclaimed, the woman looking smug.
With that tone switch, everything went back to normal. Eventually, the sun was starting to set and Garnet quickly excused himself and ran out into the back, looking up at the sun. He stood on the porch of the chuck, leaning against the white railings, watching in awe as the sun slowly began to move down, the sky turning into a beautiful orange, pink, and light pastel purples.
"Watching the sun set?"
Garnet turned around, seeing Pico walking over. He smiled, nodding, "I don't remember them, obviously, so I always watch them. I love the colors, so I don't want to forget them again!"
Pico leaned against the fence next to him, "Sunsets and rises are pretty. I'm not a fan of Earth, but I love the sunsets and rises."
Garnet nodded, looking back at the sunset, twisting the ring around his finger.
"What is that?" Pico asked.
The raven hummed, looking at him before looking down at his ring, "Oh, this? I'm... not sure, to be honest. I was just... when I woke up here, I had it on my finger and... well, I don't know. I get really uncomfortable and uneasy taking it off, like I'm missing something. So, I just keep it on."
"That's c- nice." Pico smiled, correcting himself halfway.
Garnet nodded, "...I... I just wish I remembered anything about it... Like, I know it's something important, just from the feeling of it. But I... I don't know who gave it to me, what it means, what it is exactly... It's just... frustrating, a bit."
"...Don't rush it." The redhead stepped closer to Garnet, "You're going to hurt yourself trying to force yourself to remember. We... We're careful with what we say about you, about your past, and everything because we had to deal with Aqua and when he first was fallen. We made mistakes and Aqua got hurt. We don't want to hurt you."
Garnet nodded, looking at Pico, "...Can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"All of us were friends, right? I'm not just imagining it, am I?"
"No, you're not. We were all friends, we're still friends!" The redhead smiled, "Just cause you don't remember, doesn't mean we can't be friends."
Garnet smiled and nodded, "Good!" He looked back at the sunset, which was getting lower and lower, "Tomorrow is another day."
Pico nodded, doing the same, "Spend the night here with Aqua and Cherry, I gotta get the guest room ready at my place."
"Okay. I'm excited!"
"...Me too."
Chapter Text
A few minutes later, Pico and Garnet walked back inside the church, the fallen angel saying he was gonna head to bed. He wasn't used to going out or being outside for too long. So he went to the bathroom, took a shower, and got ready for bed.
Meanwhile, Pico sat on one of the church benches, head in his hands, arms resting on his legs, one of his legs bouncing. Darnell and Nene sat beside him, the man rubbing his back, as Aqua and Cherry sat in front of them.
"Hey, it'll be okay, man." Darnell reassured.
"I just... I don't know what I'm going to do, what I'm suppose to do when... when he..."
"He'll be fine, Pico!" Nene promised, "We will get him back. We got Aqua!"
"After nearly a year. I'm not as strong as Cherry, I can't handle that for a year."
The blue fallen angel gently grabbed his wrist, "The only reason it took a year is because you guys didn't know what you were doing. You guys would accidentally trigger memories, and that would hurt me, which made me pull away. But now you all know what to do, we all do." Aqua lifted his chin, smiling, "We'll get him back. It might take a month or two, but we'll get him back."
Pico bit his bottom lip, tears coming to his eyes. He looked at Cherry, "...How? How did you do it?"
Tears came to Cherry's eyes as she smiled sadly, "I cried every night until he remembered. And then some after he remembered."
The redhead nodded his head, looking down.
"Here, let's get home." Nene gently stood, "You're probably exhausted. I'll clean out Gar's room and-"
"No, I-I'll clean it." Pico wiped his eyes, "T-There's stuff in there I wanna keep."
"Okay."
The three demons gave Cherry and Aqua a hug before they left to their shared apartment. Once they got home, Pico went into Garnet's bedroom. It was white with a light red trim, a bed with dark red sheets and black pillowcases. On the bed was multiple stuffed animals that Garnet had collected over the years. Pico took them all and placed them on the floor. He also took ll the clothes from his dresser and closet, placing them on the bed. There was a desk with all his knicknacks and drawing stuff. Garnet also had a bunch of framed pictures on his desk and dresser, as well as pictures taped to the wall. Some were of pretty landscapes or animals, some where him with Darnell and/or Nene.
But most were of him and Pico.
The redhead gently picked up the photo that was sitting on the center of his desk.
It was of him and Garnet, hugging one another tightly, with the sunsetting behind them.
"...You really are cruel, God... And you wonder why your angels become fallen..." Pico hissed, tail flicking in anger.
***
"Here you go!" Pico exclaimed as he let Garnet into the bedroom, "What do you think?"
It was a room with white walls and a light red trim, a large bed with red sheets and black pillowcases. It had a closet he could open and put his clothes in, as well as a dresser with a TV on top of it. There was also a desk in front of the window, a rolling chair pushed into the desk.
"It's so nice!" Garnet smiled, putting his satchel down on the bed, "I like it! Like the red!"
"Good." The redhead smiled, "Is red your favorite color?"
"I... think so? It's hard to know... S-Sorry, that probably makes no sense-"
"No, it does." Pico reassured, "You don't remember anything, so how could you possibly pick something as simple as your favorite color?"
Garnet nodded, before smiling, "What about you?"
The redhead motioned to his outfit, a teasing smirk, "I'll let you guess."
The raven playfully hummed, as if thinking about it, "Pink?"
"Ugh, hell no. That's Nene and her Hello Kitty wannabe self."
"I HEARD THAT!"
The two laughed before the redhead stepped back, "I'll let you unpack."
Garnet chuckled as the other shut the door. He opened the closet and saw black hangers already in there. He didn't have very many clothes, so he easily hung up all his shirts and folded his shorts, pants, and boxers into his dresser. He did have a pillow sized stuffed animal, a cute white bunny in the shape of an oval. If he remembered correctly, it was called a Squishmellow? He didn't know, Cherry bought it for him. He placed it on the bed and then went to the desk, opening the drawers to see how big they were and how much they could possibly fit.
As he opened one of the desk drawers, he saw a golden necklace with a crescent moon charm with a red gem hanging from the moon. It was beautiful, reminding him of his ring.
Garnet picked it up and gasped-
"Here, for you." Someone gave him the box with the necklace inside.
"Huh? Why? What's this for?" Garnet asked.
"Just wanted to give it to you. I also know what generosity is!" The person teased, "Besides, I saw you looking at it the other day, figured i would surprise you."
Garnet looked up at him, but his face was unclear, unrecognizable. He smiled, however, taking it, "Thank you... I-I don't... usually get surprises."
"Well, if you'd like, I can surprise you more?"
"Not too often, I'll end up hating surprises!" Garnet giggled, "But, I wouldn't mind being surprised every once and awhile."
The raven gasped as he came back to reality, clenching his head as he dropped the necklace, groaning and whining at the pain. That-! That was a memory! B-But how?! I thought fallen angels only remembered everything when we had to choose?! He looked at the necklace, Fallen... Fallen angels only remember when we have to choose whether we want to go return to Heaven or stay on Earth, and we don't remember things in fragments. So, why?
"Hey, Garnet?" Pico knocked on the door, "I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to the store? I-I figured you might want to buy some decor for your room or something?"
"I-I, uh, yeah!" Garnet exclaimed, putting the necklace back in the drawer, standing up. He dusted himself off, "S-Sorry, I'm changing, just give me a minute!"
"Okay, no problem. Take your time." Pico called back.
The raven stared at the drawer, biting his bottom lip. He grabbed at his ring, twisting it in his finger, Is that necklace suppose to be for me?
The ring turned warm.
Who gave it to me? He wondered.
Chapter Text
Garnet changed into a black shirt with a dark red sweater and black jeans. He stepped outside of the bedroom, looking uncomfortable.
"Something wrong?" Darnell asked, the three demons looking at him.
Garnet smiled awkwardly, "Ah, well, because of my status as a fallen angel, I don't have my magic. So, my wings are just under my clothes-"
"Ah, shit, here, let me see!" Pico stepped forward.
He stood behind Garnet, putting his hand where the raven's wings were. The redhead focused and was able to shrink his wings, the raven sighing in relief. They were shrunk to be about the size of Pico's hands, Garnet smiling at him.
"Thank you!"
Pico smiled gently at him, "Better?"
"Yeah, a lot better!" Garnet nodded, "Let's go now!"
The redhead nodded. Before they left the apartment, Nene explained her and Darnell would probably head back to hell soon, so expect the door to be locked. Garnet smiled and gave them both a hug before he and Pico left, the redhead merely waving at the two. They left the apartment building, Garnet smiling as Pico hid his horns and tail, walking beside him.
"So, where are we going?" Garnet smiled, practically skipping.
Pico smiled, "A specific place. It sells decor, plants, and other stuff you'll- you might like."
Garnet nodded, "Like what?"
"There's little mini fake plants, cute signs, rugs, stuffed animals-"
"I love stuffed animals! I only have a couple, but they're so soft and squishy and I love 'em!" Garnet giggled.
Pico chuckled, "I kn-" He stopped himself, clearing his throat before changing the subject, "Um, they also sell candles and LED lights and stuff, so there's a lot of stuff to choose from."
The raven nodded, smiling, "You'll help me pick out some stuff, right?"
"If you want."
"I would like you to!"
The redhead smiled and nodded.
They arrived at the store, Pico grabbing a cart and leading Garnet to a specific aisle. The aisle was full of fake plants that could be put on dressers or desks, hung on the wall, some fake hanging plants, fake flowers, they were really cute. Garnet picked a couple of tiny fake plants in pots that he would put on his desk and dresser, just to give his room more life. They continued looking around, Garnet grabbing some LED lights, Pico picked out some glow in the dark stars he could put around the room or on the wall, they got a couple of floating shelves they could put on the walls, Garnet picked out a simple white lamp while Pico picked out a strawberry lamp.
"That's adorable!" Garnet took the strawberry lamp, giggling, "I love this! I think I want this one instead!"
"Yeah?" The redhead hummed.
"Mhmm! Do you think it's weird?"
"No, no, not at all."
"You sure?" The raven bit his bottom lip, "....Like, I just mean... I'm a dude and... I get excited over cute things... isn't that weird?"
"No, why would it be?"
"Because... I'm a guy."
"So?" Pico shrugged, "You can still be a guy and like cute things."
"I-I guess it's just..." Garnet paused, trying to word things correctly, "Okay, so, I like to dress more masculine and stuff, byt I guess my personality doesn't seem, like, too manly? I mean, I like stuffed animals, I like flowers, I like these cute lamps and stuff... that stuff isn't manly."
"Says who?"
The raven looked at Pico, eyes widening.
The redhead huffed, "Listen, I hate the idea humans and angels have of gender, sex, and what's considered 'masculine' or 'feminine.' A fucking color doesn't make something for girls or boys, fluff vs scales does determine if something is more masculine or feminine. Just be yourself. Demons, while we do have genders, it's more specifically to differentiate pronouns. Trust me, I know a ton of women who are way fucking stronger than me, who work out like there's no tomorrow, and make sure they're body is riiiiiiiiiped. And I know plenty of men who prefer painting their nails, taking care of their skin and doing makeup, cooking and cleaning, etc. Just because humans and angels say x is for men and y is for women, doesn't mean shit. Do what you like and say you're a man. That's all you need to know and do."
Garnet blinked, staring at Pico for a second.
"...Gar-"
"You've.... told me this before, haven't you...?"
The redhead widened his eyes, "...What?"
"I... remember bits and pieces of before."