Guardian Angel

2 Wings

Music pounded in his ears and it felt like they were going to start bleeding. He groaned and covered his ears with his hands trying to dull the heavy bass and guitar riffs drumming through his head. He closed his eyes, but all he could see was a kaleidoscope of colors exploding behind his eyelids. His body shook, suddenly, as a large hand landed on his back. He turned to look and his eyes connected with the wide, wild, dark eyes of his best friend.

"Come on, man!" his smile was fierce, "Isn't this music awesome?"

He winced as the music continued to pound through his skull like some military catapult from the Middle Ages. In fact, that was what if felt like and he should know since he was there at the fall of Jerusalem's walls during the Crusades; they both were, "Sure, man," he gave his best friend a fake smile before turning back to the tumbler glass on the bar filled with an amber liquid. Releasing one ear to the torture of his best friend's so called "music," he grasped the warm crystal and brought it up to his lips, tossing the liquid down his throat. It burned pleasantly on its way down his stomach. He sighed in peace as his brain became hazy from his sixth glass of whiskey, but he knew it wouldn't last long.

"Zak! Come on, man!" his best friend pulled him to face him again and he gave a glare as he turned. His best friend's hands grasped his own and pulled them away from his head. He winced once again as the music thudded through his ear drums, "It isn't that bad, you know? These mortals sure know how to play their guitars!"

Zak's glare hardened even more at the mention of mortals, "Shhhh, Aaron! Don't let them hear you! You remember the last time you mentioned the 'm' word in public?" Aaron gave a heartfelt laugh, "You brought the whole entire English country side to a mad man's knee."

"You got admit, though, dude," Aaron smiled. Zak really started to hate that smile, "That witch hunt was pretty cool," Zak's only response to that was his glare which Aaron burst into laughter at, "Dude! It was pretty cool," Zak was starting to think that Aaron spent too much time at this club picking up slang words, girls, and enough alcohol in his blood stream to knock out a horse. Zak stood up from his seat, his dark eyes roaming over the bodies on the dance floor rubbing against each other wantonly. The smell of aphrodisiac in the air was overpowering to his sensitive nose. He was disgusted at the sight. Aaron grabbed his arm, pulling him to stop. Zak looked back at the hand holding him and then up at Aaron, a snarl almost unleashed from his lips. Aaron saw the fire burning in Zak's eyes and let go immediately, having been at the receiving end of Zak's anger one too many times, "Don't tell me you're leaving already."

"Someone has to watch over the house," Zak said bitterly, "I don't particularly want another visit from some stranger... again," the way he said the word was distasteful and full of venom pointed directly at Aaron, though he knew it was only out of kindness.

His best friend smiled, remembering the time they both came back to their apartment and found a homeless man making himself at home with a bowl of ice cream. To say Zak was happy would have made Aaron feel whole lot better after that moment, but Zak's face was priceless and Aaron wouldn't let him down afterwards, "I don't know, Zak. I like the amusing look of shock on your face. Not every mortal has been able to pull that off," In fact, Aaron couldn't remember the last time a mortal had been the cause of such emotions in Zak. Was it the Second Great War when one of their mortal comrades thought it would be funny to hide Zak's combat boots, or that time they were attacked by a gang of bandits on their way to Italy on the Silk Road so long ago?

Zak scoffed and rolled his eyes, "I'll see you sometime tomorrow morning then?"

Aaron knew better than to fight with Zak about him staying and so nodded, "Maybe tomorrow night."