Chapter 22

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"Michael, where are we?"

"Somewhere in Iceland."

"It's beautiful here."

We were in a meadow full of flowers and sweet grass. There was forest to one side and moutains to the other. All that was beautiful in its own right, but the sky was something else entirely. It was like looking directly into space. Tearing my eyes away from the sky, I looked down at my changed clothes. My dress had been replaced with a loose shirt of the same color and white shorts. Michael no longer had the jacket from his suit or apparently shoes. He fell backwards, fannin his wings out across the grass. I layed down with my head towards his, spreading my wings out across the soft, cool grass. The tips of my wings overlapped part of Michael's as we lay there.

"Why here?"

"Don't know. I just remember Lucifer telling me about places like this. He was one of the only ones around when dad was making earth. He said that this was one of his favorite places to make and that dad always said it would be important one day."

I could hear the fond smile in his voice.

"Lucifer said that dad molded this land time after time until he decided it was perfect. Then he picked up his brush and painted it in the most beautiful colors he could find. Greens, white, yellow, pink, blue, purple, grey and brown. And then he looked to the sky. He said this sky had to be perfect, because it was very important that it was. So, he once again picked up his brush. It was one of God's masterpieces."

"You really miss your father, don't you?"

"Yeah. It's been such a long time since I last saw him. We still don't know where he went or why he left. But it's okay, because I know he still loves us and he left for a reason. Maybe he was angry. Angry that we neglected our job to protect the humans and the earth. Maybe we stopped caring when dad left. A lot of us were angry in the first place when dad told us to love them more than we loved him. I remember Lucifer being very angry, he told dad that he could never love anything more than he love him. God punished him that day, not much, but enough to make Lucifer even more angry but silent. I don't know how he feels anymore, even after dad left he never voiced against him again."

I reached up and twined my fingers with Michael. It wasn't much in comfort, but what could you do to comfort someone in this state. I didn't know the love and loss of a parent, I never had my parents. I didn't feel the same way Michael did, and I wasn't going to pretend I did. All I could do was let him know I was here for him.

"You were afraid to fly the first time." I said.

Michael laughed.

"Where did that come from?"

"Just remembering the first time I became strong. Do you remember how I used to be when we were tiny fledglings? How scared and shy I was?"

"Yeah, and then one day you were magically stupidly brave."

"Hey! Well, maybe I was. That's when I was bullied most, because I was to frighten to defend myself. Then I saw you, the next archangel. People praised you constantly. I remember thinking to myself, I could be just as good as him. I could even be better. I could be better than him and then people would notice me in the good way, I could make people notice me. So I changed, striving to be better than you. People stopped bullying me, but I traded that for Raphael's punishment. Do you know why I never voiced against him? I would think to myself as Raphael tortured me, Michael could handle this. If he could do it, so could I. That pretty much became my mantra, 'If Michael could do it, so could I'."

"We really were idiots in love along. While you strove to be better than me, I strove to be better than you. But, I don't think that's what it really was. Do you remember when we were at the piano and I told you that I never hated you, it was my own frustration? I wasn't striving to be better than you, I know now that I was striving to make you notice me."

"Idiots in love, huh?"

We were silent for awhile.

"You drive me nuts you know." Michael said.

"How so?"

"You took over my head and every day and night you continue to take over my head. You're quite greedy."

"It's not like it was intentional. Though I do have to admit there is a sense of pride in that."

I turned my head to see Michael's inches from mine. I smiled and he returned it.

"Idiots in love?" He asked.

"Definitely. Together forever, Partner."

*****
I groaned and open my eyes just slightly as the bed moved next to me. It was Rina getting up. She walked towards the bathroom, seeming wearing only my white button down. It was a very good sight. I had never cared about physical appearance, but then again, no one was Rina. I waited until the bathroom door shut to get up and search for clothing. I had only just gotten dressed when a scream came from the bathroom. Rachel came running in through the door that connected our room and to the bathroom.

"Rina!? Are you okay?"

The door was ripped open, bringing us face to face with a livid angel who had found a pair of shorts. She stormed towards me, forcing me back against the wall.

"How dare you! How could you do this to me!?"

"I-I-I don't know what I did."

She pulled the collar of the shirt down. My mind went blank and my jaw went slack. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was my name in Enochian along Rina's collar bone. I had marked Rina. We were tied as mates forever.

"Rina...."

She latched onto me, crying into my chest. That's when I was hit with the pain she was feeling. I remember being told that mates could feel each other's emotions, but there was no way to prepare me for this. All I could do was hold her and apologize profusely. I looked up at Rachel helplessly, seeking answers I knew she didn't have.

"I'm sorry."

It wasn't me that apologized that time.

"I'm not actually angry at you, I'm actually really happy. It's just I don't remember anything."

"I know, it's okay. Just promise me that you know I promise to do my best. I love you, Rina. I always have."

"I love you too, dork."

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