When Angels Fall

Chapter 15

I peak through the door, and my jaw drops. We're now on a wide, crowded street. It feels like late evening here, people bustling about and talking to each other in French. I squeal softly, clamping my hands over my mouth, then turn and quickly hug Kuzo. He laughs, patting my back and closing the door behind us. I can't help but notice a ring of light that flares up around the door, before dissipating.

"This is amazing!" I laugh, keeping an arm around Kuzo as I stare at everything. He laughs and nods, rubbing my shoulder.

"Yes, it is. I know we just ate, but there's a café there..." He points to a building down the street that rises above the others, balconies open with tables and chairs, and a sign that reads "Castel Cafe". I nod happily.

"It's France! Let's go!" Kuzo grins and takes my hand, pulling me with him across the street. Soon, we're inside the café, which is much ritzier than I originally thought. Still, I'm enjoying myself. We take a seat out on the top balcony, and I peer around, unable to keep the smile from my face.

A waiter comes and places menus before us, and my eyes widen as I pick it up.

"Oh, good grief. Everything is in French!" I exclaim, laughing. Kuzo chuckles.

"That's usually how it works in France," he teases. "But I can read the menu to you, if you'd like. All languages look the same to me." I raise an eyebrow.

"How do you mean?" I question. Kuzo shrugs.

"Angels have their own unique language that humans can't understand. It is written as well as spoken, and every written word appears to us in our language, whether it is French, English, Korean, you name it."

"Elvish?" I ask, giggling. Kuzo rolls his eyes with a smile.

"Technically, yes. However, angels do speak all languages. Here, I'll order something for you." He gestures for the waiter, then begins speaking to him in fluid, effortless French. I watch in awe as the words flow from his mouth, sounding perfect even to my uneducated ears. When he's done, the waiter hurries off, and Kuzo smiles at me. I return it.

"What did you order?" I ask, propping my chin on my hands.

"For you, hot chocolate and a croissant, and for me, hot chocolate and a croissant." I laugh and shake my head.

"You're impossible," I scold lightly. Kuzo grins, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

"But you like me." I feel my cheeks heat slightly, and I look down. Before it can get awkward, I change the subject.

"So, I know maybe five words in French," I chuckle. Kuzo smiles.

"Well, the formal 'thank you' is 'Je vous remercie', which literally translates to 'I thank you'. But the informal is simply 'merci'." His accent is flawless, and he sounds like a native speaker. I smile at him as the waiter brings our drinks and pastries.

"How do you say 'you're welcome'?" I ponder, sipping my drink. It's perfectly hot, with lovely cream on top. Kuzo carefully tears his croissant apart.

"That would be 'de rien'," he says, popping a lump of the flaky dough into his mouth. I catch a glimpse of his perfect teeth as I set my cup down.

"'Je t'aime' means 'I love you', right?" I ask, my stomach jumping for no reason at the words. Kuzo nods.

"Mhm. That's the informal, though, the formal is a bit more complicated." I nod, then glance up at him.

"Um...Kuzo?" I ask softly. He looks up from his mug and smiles.

"Yeah?" I gulp, suddenly very nervous.

"Uh...j-je t'aime..." I whisper.

Kuzo's face lights up, and he grins at me. "Je t'aime, aussi, Paris," he says. I blush strongly and smile down into my cup, my heart beating wildly.

We continue to eat in silence, but it's mutual, and in no way awkward. I'm trying to think of what to say when Kuzo suddenly grabs my hand. I glance up in surprise to see him looking out over the city.

"What?" I ask.

"You can see the Eiffel Tower from here," he breathes with a smile, and I turn to follow his gaze.

We can indeed see it, rising grandly a mere mile or so from the café. It sparkles in the waning light, glowing merrily. I turn back to Kuzo.

"Can we go see it?" I ask hopefully. He is still holding my hand, but lets go as he nods, wiping his mouth with the cloth napkin before pulling euros from his pocket and counting them out onto the table. Then he stands and holds his hand out to me. I take it and stand.

"Shall we?" he asks, smiling charmingly. I nod, mirroring the smile.

"We shall."

Together, we troop down the steps and back onto the street. But Kuzo pulls me into an alley as opposed to heading to the Tower.

"How about we skip the lines?" he says slyly, and with a rush of wind and a flash of light, we're on the observation deck of the tower. It's very breezy up here, but there isn't a soul in sight. I lean against the railing and stare over the city with wonder. Kuzo is beside me, smiling.

"Are you happy?" he asks, leaning over as well. I nod and grin at him. The setting sun sets his hair afire, making it seem to glow with reds, oranges, and purples.

"This is wonderful! Thank you so much!" I exclaim, ecstatic. Kuzo nods, slipping his hand into mine. I blush like mad, but give his hand a light squeeze.

"This is beautiful," I say after a few moments, watching as the sun begins to sink below the horizon. "Is there a way I can repay you? For both saving my life and bringing me here?" I ask hopefully. Kuzo shakes his head, but he hesitated.

"What?" I press, turning to face him. He looks at me a second, then smiles and shakes his head.

"Don't worry about it," he says. I chuckle, taking a step closer.

"Tell me," I say softly, smiling up at him. Kuzo pauses, watching me intently.

"I...would dearly love to kiss you..." he murmurs. My breath catches in my throat, my heart skipping a beat and my cheeks blushing scarlet. I nod.

"Okay," I agree. Kuzo steps closer and rests his hand on my waist, then hooks a finger under my chin and lifts my head to him, before kissing me. I forget how to breathe for a few seconds as I kiss him back, feeling as he pulls me closer. My mind is a blur, and it's honestly the best thing ever.

We stay this way for a moment, my hands lightly placed on his chest, our eyes closed. The breeze around us disappears, and it's not until we break the kiss that I realize he's revealed his wings and wrapped them around us.

Kuzo opens his eyes and smiles at me, then kisses my forehead and pulls me to his chest. The last rays of the sun shimmer across his feathers, before it finally dips below the edge of the world. I laugh quietly, tucking my head under Kuzo's chin.

I didn't expect this for the world, but it was perfect.