FREE FLYING HEARTS -- A collection of short stories from Tonig73

::: 7 :::

"What in Heaven, or should I say on earth, possessed you, Larry ?"  Larry sat opposite Karen in her plush white office, picking absentmindedly at his nails, glancing up at her sheepishly as she bawled him out.  She was not a happy bunny, and neither was he.  He knew he shouldn't have, but he couldn't help himself.  

"I couldn't help myself.  I'm sorry."

"But you're not, that's the problem."  Larry smirked at her, which was probably the absolute worst thing he could do right now.  He wasn't helping his own cause one bit.  He wasn't sorry, she was right.  His intention was to plant himself in Laurent's dream, and enjoy whatever it was that Laurent wanted to dream about.  He wanted to know what physical love felt like, only, and especially with Laurent.  Maybe it wasn't all it was cracked up to be, maybe it was awful, but he doubted that very much.  But he missed him so much, and he needed him so badly.  So Larry had actually appeared to Laurent, and everything that happened, the best, the only sex of his poor little life, was amazing.  Larry had thought it would help him get on with his business, that that one amazing time would quell his desire for Laurent, but it didn't, it only made things worse.  And he had broken the rules, the angel code, and apparently, it was a big deal. 

"These are the rules for a reason.  Every society needs to have rules and regulations in place, otherwise ?"  Karen glared at Larry.  He looked up at her guiltily.  "Hell in handbasket ring any bells ?  I can't just have my angels disappearing off on some little jolly, just because they want to, whatever the reason."  Her face was thunder.  This was the first time he'd been called before her, and he really did feel bad.  He felt like a little schoolboy who'd been hauled in front of the Headteacher.  But, he felt worst of all, because he had disappointed her.  He had proved his worth to her for hundreds of years, and she loved him to bits.  She'd always been able to rely on him, no matter what, and now ..... she was afraid that she couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Karen" he told her again, and he genuinely was.  It was unlike him to even think about breaking the rules, but this was Laurent.  Laurent just ..... was.  He was there, in Larry's mind and in his heart, and he knew he would never leave.

"What happens now ?"  Larry asked, almost afraid to peek out from under his lashes.  Karen sighed, thinking about what she should do.  Larry was invaluable to her, he could wrestle a mission from the jaws of defeat, sell ice to Eskimos like nobody else.  But she couldn't be seen to be playing favourites.  She couldn't have one rule for Larry, and another rule for everybody else, it wouldn't be fair.  And she knew Lucy would be on her back too, crying foul in 10 seconds flat once he got wind of this.  The angel that had wrestled Laurent Bourgeois' black heart and soul out from under the Devils nose, had broken the rules, and was allowed to carry on angel-ing as normal ?  No, she would have to think about the situation very hard.  One thing she knew for sure, there would be no winners.  Something, or someone, would have to give. 

--  --  --  --  --  --  --  -- 

Karen had instructed Larry to go talk with Gabby.  He needed to hear first hand, another story similar to his, and what the consequences of such a story could be.

"See, this is why you shouldn't have done this shit, Larry !  It never goes away.  It follows you everywhere."  Gabby was more than a bit miffed that Karen would make an example of her in this way.  She thought she and Karen were friends, but now, with Larry sat in front of her waiting patiently, she knew they probably never would be again.  At least, not like they used to be.  This was what breaking the rules could do.  Breaking the rules before there were any rules, could lose you everything.  

"Remember that day, in my office at "Heavenly Bodies" when I realized that you were in love with Laurent and that it wasn't allowed, but told you that it happened anyway ?"  He nodded at her, listening intently.