A World Like That

Chapter XXVII

-Dantalion-

When Ariel landed in the tropical forest, he rushed to him and hugged him tightly. As he breathed in Ariel's flowery scent, he knew without a doubt that he was making the right decision. Ariel was worth dying for.

"What did you find out?" he asked, hoping that Ariel would have a better answer than the one he'd received.

"Just what I thought I would. If I enter Hell, I'll die. God said I would burn."

He pulled back from the hug and smiled at Ariel. "Well, luckily for us, it won't be as bad for me," he lied. "I'll just get sick."

"Really?" Ariel replied, his eyes briefly lighting up with hope. But then he shook his head. "No, I can't ask that of you."

"You're not asking. I'm volunteering. If you coming to Hell means you dying, and me coming to Heaven only means that I'll get sick, there's no contest. The choice is obvious."

"How sick will you get?"

"Like I was the other day, plus my eyesight may get worse."

He saw the alarm on Ariel's face.

"Dante...that's not okay."

"It's fine," he assured Ariel. "It'll be a minor inconvenience. I can deal with that if it means we'll be together."

"I don't know," Ariel said, shaking his head.

He reached out and took Ariel's hand. "I want to be with you all the time, more than I've ever wanted anything."

"I want that too, but not at the expense of your health."

"Maybe I'll get better over time," he said, trying his best to convince Ariel. "Like becoming immune to it. We don't know that isn't a possibility. Please, Ari," he pleaded. "I don't want to be in Hell anymore. My life will be better with you."

He could see Ariel giving in, so he leaned in and kissed him, wrapping his arms tightly around Ariel.

"I love you," he murmured. "Tell me I can be with you."

"I love you too," Ariel said, nuzzling their noses together. "I want you with me just as much as you want it."

"Then say yes."

Ariel sighed, closing his eyes tightly. "Okay. Yes," Ariel whispered.

-

The rest of the day, he felt a sense of freedom, a lightness that he'd never felt. He was going to be with Ariel. He could hardly wait to see what Heaven was like. The way Ariel talked about it made it seem like a magical place where everything was good and right and perfect.

As they prepared to fly up, Ariel turned to face him. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes."

"Don't you at least want to say goodbye to your friends?"

"If I want to see them again, I'll find them on Earth."

It seemed to bother Ariel that he wasn't making an effort with his friends, but Ariel nodded. "Okay. I warned my friends that you might be coming to Heaven. They aren't happy and they're probably not going to be supportive, but I hope eventually they'll come around."

"Anything I should do to help?"

"Just be yourself," Ariel said, smiling. "Except, well, maybe try not to show your teeth as much."

He laughed, grabbing Ariel's hand. "Got it, less teeth. Let's go."

As they passed through the clouds, his heart began beating faster in anticipation. His first glimpse of Heaven took his breath away, and he stopped, still holding Ariel's hand in his.