Letters From The Sky (JoongNine AU)

Chapter 15

Joong

I held my beloved person in my arms. Though we both were really tired, we felt blissful still. The quiet that ensued stretched for a while, both lost in our own thoughts. I caressed his back lightly, unconsciously, starting from his hips, tracing his spine, up to the back of his neck and then went down again. The circle repeated itself, giving a sense of loving and comfort. I didn't know whether it was to comfort him, or myself. The love act only could deter my question that was unanswered for a while, and afterwards, which was now, I was again feeling the unrest.

"Joong...", suddenly I heard my name was called again by my baby. I hummed to let him know that I was listening, though he was calling me with such little voice that if I was still lost in my own thought, I wouldn't hear it. He supported himself on his arms and raised his head to look at me. I just waited for him to say or do anything. Heck, I was even willing if he wanted to go again for another round. But, looking at the concern in his face, maybe the guess was way too wrong, damn I was too hungry.

He moved closer and kissed my lips lightly. I returned the kiss just as light. Another comfort, aside from the caresses. But the kiss was cut short, and Nine pushed away from lying on top of me, and sat at the edge of the bed. He took a long breath and let it out. Again, he decided not to say things that were running inside his head. Although it was frustrating to be kept in the unknown liked this, the best way to not let myself felt down was to accept that he needed time. He turned his head at me and smiled, reached his hand out and said, "I want to take a shower, want to come?". Alright, let's just enjoy the night as it progressed, since it seemed that I was not the only one who was famish.

Nine

I stretched both my arms and rubbed my neck. The work for today was not as hectic as always, but yet, somehow tiredness consumed me and it had progressed to become a headache. Was it because we were together every night for the whole week?. I could feel a sudden heat on my face, lucky there's no one with me, now, or else to them I looked like a cook lobster. Gosh, what could I do? I couldn't refuse...no...let me rephrased it...I wouldn't refuse...since that was the only time Joong had with me before the long shooting schedule continued again.

I continued to work for another 2 hours, and then it was time for me to leave. Back to my own place. Joong already went to the shooting location this morning, so there's no need for me to go to his house. My headache had worsened in these two hours. Even though I'd taken a painkiller, it seemed the pain was not reduced. But, I toughened myself up and still walk back to my home, since tomorrow was my day off. As I was walking, I could sense someone was tailing me. I turned and saw Areo. Seeing him was something I needed right now, in case I fell down somewhere, he would know where to bring me to.

"Areo...why are you following me from the back liked a stalker", I said teasing him, "Next time, appears besides me, okay?". Areo just nodded and walk towards me as I waited for him. "You have some soul to be taken up tonight? Is that why you came down this late? Usually, you visited me at my room". Areo shook his head. "Oh! So you did just come down to see me?". He showed me the sign for YES with his left hand, while his right hand was kept secured inside the side pocket of his trench coat.

I almost laughed, because who wore trench coat in a warm country, this must be copied somewhere from a magazine. Anyway, the formation was just as a precaution, in case someone liked Joong existed and saw Areo, they wouldn't know that he was an Angel. As for now, I was the only one who could see him, so he could wear anything out of the ordinary.

We walked together in silence. Having Areo besides me felt liked I was secured from any danger in this world. Though my head was throbbing inside, my face showed a contented smile. He accompanied me up to the entrance of the lobby and stopped about a step behind me. I turned around, to say goodbye to him. Somehow, that sudden turn, cause a dizziness and I almost fell down, if not for Areo's quick reaction of holding both my arms to keep me steady and help me back on my feet. I shook my head and gave him a smile. I tapped his hands lightly, to signal that I was already stable on my feet. When he let go, that was the moment I saw his right hand that was kept inside his pocket before.

Two of his fingers were as black as a charcoal. I grabbed his hand before he could put it back into the pocket and examine them. I never saw anything liked this wound on any Angels before, but it was common when treating a burn injury. That must hurt liked hell. "How did this happen, Areo? Could Angel of Death visit hell? Is that part of a new procedure that I don't know about since I live here?". Areo just made a gesture that said, it's nothing, not that bothersome. I looked at him skeptically and only half believe his nonsense. But, maybe, it was indeed not hurting, how would I know, when his face was as blank as always.

In the end, I just caressed and kissed it better, liked how a mother did to their children to sooth the pain away. I just hope that it looked this bad because this was seen in his human form. I was more human than Angel now, that sometimes I forgot to separate the two beings. As soon as I said goodbye, Areo disappeared.

The Sky

Areo

I was howling silently while cooling my fingers in the Water of Destiny. I took it out and looked at the wound. Actually, the burn looked better in human form and more putrid in this Angel form.

I was with the other Angels, when I could feel the Leaf had warmed up again. I rushed to the Water, and saw that Nine was more tired than usual, had taken a tablet, medicine maybe, while rubbing his forehead and eyebrows repeatedly. The first time it happened, Nine's eyes had become blurry. Again, I pinched the source of the heat, a sizzling spark, so as to not start a fire that would burn a larger part of the Leaf. After my finger burnt badly, the spark died. Immediately, I went down as fast as I could to be with Nine, although the pain was almost unbearable.

I was lucky, there's no expression on my face. I just hoped, Nine couldn't detect the change and everything would look normal. But then, Nine almost fell and it was a reflex to hold him first, rather than thinking about hiding the wound. He is a doctor, he must be able to tell that the wound was not normal. I kept my composure and dismissed his concern as if it was not serious. Though I didn't think Nine buy my act a bit, he played it down, by kissing my finger better. Such and always is a sweetheart, this petite being.

I realized, there's no other case liked Nine. It seemed, even I couldn't predict when the exact time would be. All I know for now, I could only delay it by putting out the spark, never mind the pain at all. Since no call for offense had been issued by The Sky Guardians, I think they couldn't find any reference to point which procedures I had violated.

Zala had once said to me, that Joong and Nine always caused The Sky to be in haywire, confusion, and taken aback by peculiarity. Zala had more keen eyes than other Angel, maybe because she had vast experiences in detecting love; something ambiguous, unseen from human; that she knew thing was not always as it's seen. Her words sometimes were confusing to others, but I was a friend of Nine; who was unliked any other Angel ever existed; so, I could mostly understand her point of view.

That was such an eye opener, meaning, nothing is definite, there must be a way to manuever "things"; that's what I believed. But, whenever you changed something, just liked Joong's Book of Fate, the ensuing consequences would also change. That too, I truly believed, but no matter what it would be, I am willing to face it all, for him.

I gritted my teeth, bore the pain and dipped my hand into the Water again.