An Angel's Heart

Finally, A Night Out

Arthit frowned, looking at his watch. He'd been standing in the shadows for a very long time, but at this point it looked like Mau was wrong. Pring wasn't coming tonight. He grabbed his phone, looking at the pictures he'd received earlier. His frown deepened, the expression making his face only slightly less lovely. The pictures showed his cherished younger brother, Yo, and the tall form of Pha standing side by side in front of their apartment building.

It wasn't that Arthit had anything against Pha specifically. It was more a vague feeling that Pha wasn't ready and might never be ready. The human world was full of fear, hatred, and intolerance. Two male lovers was one of those things that seemed to be a source of displeasure to some humans. People feared things that they didn't understand. And fear quickly lead to hatred and rage.

Arthit knew that more than one person had decided to hide their true feelings rather than face the hostility and even violence that came with honesty. It required courage and an acceptance of self that Arthit was not sure that Pha would ever have. As a being who knew perfectly their importance in the eyes of their Creator, angels had no such hesitation. Yo might have learned how things worked in the human world in the classes he had to take before coming, but angels seldom truly understood how that would affect them until they faced it themselves.

Arthit couldn't allow Yo to be hurt. So here he was, searching for a demon princess who was far too close to his little brother. Kong had already called in backup. Probably unnecessary, but Arthit would rather be safe than sorry when it came to Yo's happiness.

After sending a quick text to remind his friends to make sure that Yo and Pha were never alone, Arthit was ready to give up his search and find something to eat when he saw the demon's form walking through the door. He crouched even further into his ragged clothes, clutching the whiskey glass close, like a man intent on his alcohol. Pring ignored him, her eyes scanning the room and then concentrating on her target. Arthit waited to be sure who she was meeting, then he downed the drink and slumped out of the bar, keeping his head down and staggering a little to appear drunk.

He didn't have to know what they were saying, if Pring was meeting that particular person, Arthit needed to get his brother home immediately. As soon as he was far enough from anyone that the use of power would go unnoticed, he blinked directly to Yo's room.

Arthit looked around the room desperately, not seeing his brother, "Mau! Where's Yo?"

Mau nodded toward the bathroom, prancing forward to rub her body along Arthit's legs. The feeling usually calmed the older angel, but in this case, it just wasn't enough.

"I'm right here," Yo came out of the bathroom with hands still covered with soap. "What's wrong?"

"No time to explain," Arthit said, grabbing for the soapy hands and pulling his brother close. "Let's get back to Heaven, then we'll talk."

"But I can't go back yet," Yo pulled away, stopping Arthit in his tracks. "I haven't finished my mission."

"I'll explain to Father," Arthit hushed his brother's worries and continued to try to gather the concentration to take them both home.

"You're not listening to me," Yo continued, waving away Arthit's arms once again. "I literally can't go back. Father made me promise. I can't return until I finish my mission."

"You made a promise?" Arthit suddenly stopped, focusing on his brother's words.

"An angel never breaks a promise," Yo reminded Arthit, though the older angel didn't need it. He understood. An angel's words held weight. An angel's promise was as binding as a physical force. Arthit's brow furrowed and he was very tempted to curse. He just couldn't seem to catch a break. He thought through the options and came to a decision.