When Angels Fall

Chapter 24

I manage to convince Abel to go get some rest, telling him that he'll be so tired by tonight that he won't be able to focus. He heads directly to Mara's room, closing the door behind him as the rest of the group disbands, off to do their own thing. I decide I should try to read or something, since worrying about Mara isn't going to make this evening come any sooner.

I find a book and sit on the sofa, sighing as I try to get into it. But nothing holds interest to me, even though this is my favorite book, The Hobbit.

I look up when Kuzo sits beside me, setting my book down. He looks tired, maybe even sad, and the feathers of his wings are ragged and unkept.

"What's wrong?" I ask, scooting closer. He suddenly pulls me to him, kissing me deeply but gently.

"Everything," he says when we break apart. "I'm too worried about you to think about anything else."

"I'll be fine," I try to assure him, resting my head in the crook of his neck. "You've given me some training, and I'm not going to be alone. You heard Abel, you'll be at my side. I just won't be able to see you."

"I know," Kuzo sighs. "Doesn't mean I can't worry that something will go wrong. And it's my job to keep you safe, anyway."

I smile, cuddling up into his lap. He's tense, I can feel it, and we still have hours until sunset. "Hey, let's go check out the game room," I suggest after a few minutes. He looks surprised.

"Right now?"

I nod. "Right now. Come on, it'll be fun. I want to see if I'm still any good at basketball."

Kuzo takes a deep breath, then nods. Before I can get up, he stands, holding me bridal style. I squeak in surprise, wrapping my arms around his neck as he carries me from the library, not setting me down until we enter the noisy game room.

"Where's the basketball?" I ask, taking my jacket off and draping it on the back of a chair. Kuzo grabs one from the bookshelf, balanced precariously atop several board games, and takes his jacket off, too.

"I'm not very good at basketball," he says, smiling slightly. I laugh as I step onto the court, facing the single hoop.

"Well, I'm kind of good," I shrug. Kuzo smirks as he passes the ball to me, and the game starts.

I dribble past Kuzo and grin when he tries to grab the ball away. His wings move with him, opening and closing with each movement. It makes him seem very graceful, and I forget to focus on what I'm doing. Kuzo snatches the ball from me and dunks it, landing on his feet and grinning. My cheeks are scarlet, but I laugh it off.

We continue on for several minutes, and I soon realize that Kuzo is cunningly distracting me with his wings, as he scores over and over again. Deciding to turn the tables, I let him dribble right up to me, then kiss him suddenly. His face goes red as he drops the ball, and I snag it, scoring and laughing.

"That's cheating!" Kuzo yells, even his ears red. I laugh even harder.

"How so?"

"You're not supposed to make physical contact with the other players!" Kuzo says, rolling his eyes. I giggle as I dribble around him, passing the ball between my feet as Kuzo tries to take it back. He steps on his open wing, which keeps him from moving properly, and my eyes widen as he stumbles, knocking both of us to the ground. I land on top of him, our faces inches apart. We both blush.

"Sorry," Kuzo stammers quietly. I smile, resting my chin on his chest.

"Don't be. I needed a break, anyway."

Kuzo chuckles, sitting up and kissing me. I stay in his lap, letting the ball roll away as I run my fingers through his hair. I adore how gentle he is, like he's nervous he'll hurt me, every touch light and delicate.

My fingers catch on something, and I open my eyes, frowning slightly. "What's this?" I ask curiously, turning Kuzo's head to the side. I spot a thin hoop cuff near the top of his left ear, gold, hidden by his hair. Kuzo laughs awkwardly.

"Uh...it's an earring."

"You have a piercing?" I laugh. Kuzo nods sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah. I thought it would look cool."

"It would look cooler if it was visible," I point out. Kuzo shakes his head with a smile and kisses me again, hands rested lightly on my waist.

We're sadly interrupted by Maxmillian poking his head into the room. His eyes go wide when he sees us kissing, and he looks like he's either going to throw up or pass out.

"Dude!" he shrieks at Kuzo, who jumps in surprise. "What the hell?!"

"What?" I ask, confused. "Is this a problem?"

Maxmillian shakes his head. "No, I guess not, I mean, it's not like you're related," he grumbles, rubbing his eyes. "But seriously, get a room. I don't want to see you snogging while I'm playing Minecraft."

Kuzo laughs and stands, pulling me to my feet beside him and holding my hand. I'm still mildly confused, but I wait until we're out of the room to ask.

"What did he mean?" I ask Kuzo. "When he said, 'it's not as if you're related'?" Kuzo laughs, shaking his head.

"A lot of people believe that angels and archangels, or rather all angels, are related. But we're not, not really. Angels are all family, and archangels are all family. We aren't related to each other." I finally get what he meant and nod.

"I see. So we aren't cousins or anything," I laugh. Kuzo shakes his head again, kissing my forehead.

"Nope. No worries."

I glance at the grandfather clock, which I finally managed to locate, to see that it's three in the afternoon. "What do you want to do?" I ask. Kuzo shrugs, but yawns, too. I chuckle. "Sleep. Sounds good to me."

We head upstairs, and I plan on leaving Kuzo in his room. But he pulls me inside with him and kisses me, and we're soon laying together on the bed, my head on his shoulder as he runs his fingers through my hair.

"You sure you want me to stay?" I ask, looking up at him. He nods, tucking his wings around us.

"Absolutely."