Angel's Hero

Chapter 17

Conner looked at his friend. Bristling.
He'd never hit him before, but we wanted to now. He had an almost uncontrollable urge to walk up to one of his oldest friends, and plant his fist in the center of his friend's perfect face, and forcibly remove his hands from Angel.
Then he wanted to throttle Angel, too.
What was wrong with him?
"Earth to Conner!" Robert's hand waved in front of his face.
"What?" He snapped.
"Shirt off buddy," Robert smiled devilishly. Conner narrowed his eyes at his friend.
What is he up to?
When Michelle had given him the lowdown on the outfit choice, he'd more than hesitated at having to go shirtless.
She'd stressed it was professional, and if he at anytime felt uncomfortable, he could opt out.
Yeah, like that was going to happen now with Robert here. He'd end up teasing him mercilessly for the rest of his days if he chickened out of having his picture taken.
"Tuck the shirt into the back of your shorts, so it hangs down like you were out running this trail, got too hot with your shirt on half way through, and took it off," Michelle indicated on the back of her jeans where she wanted him to stick the shirt, her hand going into the waist band.
"Yeah, okay," he sighed.
He ripped his shirt off, and without raising his eyes he stuffed the shirt like Michelle had asked.
Angel was standing off to his side, and he heard a strangled sound from her. His cheeks flamed.
"You too, babe," Michelle said after a moment.
"What? Oh," he heard Angel unzip her sweatshirt, and only looked at her feet as she walked past him to hand the long-sleeved garment to her friend.
"Off you go, you two," Robert motioned with his hands.
Finally looking up, his eyes followed Angel as she jogged back up the short path she had just run down.
His feet were heavy as he took the path behind her.
She turned at the top, and jumped on the spot for a few breathtakingly glorious seconds, before she rolled each of her ankles, showing him she was no stranger to running. Not that he cared about her ankles just then.
He'd had no idea just how shapely she was, and the sight of her cleavage tore at his insides, reminding him painfully of how it had felt to have his hands cupping her flesh while she'd moaned.
Christ man, get a grip on yourself! You can't have her.
Why, again?
Virgin. Deeper commitment. Ring a bell?
Oh, yeah.
Shaking himself, he moved to stand behind Angel, deliberately keeping his eyesight focused above her shoulders, not quite sure what to say.
"I feel ridiculous."
Okay, well, you didn't have to say that.
"You look nice."
Okay, you definitely shouldn't have said that.
"Do I look nice?"
Oh, jeez, just stop talking!
Angel looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes travelling over his exposed torso briefly before returning to his face.
"You look..." he felt something resembling hope flutter in his stomach. It turned to lead. "Fine. You look fine."
She locked eyes with him briefly before she turned her back on him. He'd been unable to read anything in her inscrutable gaze.
"Alright, I want you two to look like you're having a good time, like you enjoy doing this outdoorsy stuff," Michelle's raised voice carried over to them. She resettled herself on the ground off to the side of the log, aiming her camera where they would enter the frame.
The image would be looking up at the pair as they vaulted over and around. Conner waited for Angel to set off, before following her down the path.
He hedged his speed until she was almost to the fallen log before he pushed his sprint, his long legs carrying him quickly into place.
"Yes! Amazing!"
Michelle flicked the photos back and forth on the little display screen afterwards, zooming in here and there. Conner, Robert and Angel crowded her, all peering over her shoulder, Michelle nodded and made affirmative sounds as she rolled the dial and played Angel's leap as if in stop motion. The images looked good.
"A few more times, and I'm pretty sure we got it," Michelle looked to the two of them.
"Great, let's get it then," Angel said with a nod.
They ran the same route with the same jump four more times. They were poised for their fifth, and hopefully final time.
"How are you not panting?" Angel asked as she huffed her breath, and bent to retie her loosened laces.
"I spent five years, on and off, jogging everywhere alongside a tank, for days at a time," he shrugged, avoiding her look.
He really didn't like to talk about his time over in the war; the pity it generated made him feel like a three-legged dog.
"Damn," she said straightening, facing him. "Intense."
And that was it. No pitiful looks, or morose questions. She turned back to their task at hand.
"I think we got it!" Michelle called over to them. "One for luck?"
Angel laughed with Michelle and turned happy eyes to him.
Considered him for a moment.
"Race you back?" She raised her eyebrows at him, and smiled widely, showing all her teeth.
She was challenging him?
Releasing a small giggle, she ran off.
His own smile was slow, but his feet were quick as he dashed after her; not one to back down from a challenge like this.
She looked back at him and squealed a laugh out as he closed the distance between them. He raced around the fallen tree as she leapt over it, his laugh following her.
They continued past the two onlookers, the shutter whirring as it followed the pair.
Dodging around the trees, Angel continued on towards the cars. He reached her before she could and circled his arms around her waist lifting her off her feet.
"Put me down, you oaf!" Angel was laughing, hard, as he spun her around once before putting her down.
His own laugh boomed around them as her feet touched the ground, and she turned within the loose circle of his arms. She faced him, raised her hand to his bare chest, hesitated with it there a moment, then lightly pushed his shoulder in a friendly manner as Michelle and Robert walked over to them. Conner felt warm inside. Happy.
"That was great you guys," Michelle walked to her camera bag and took out a shorter lens than the one currently on the camera.
Conner didn't have a clue about photography, so he couldn't pretend to know the difference using one made against another.
"Costume change!" Robert announced.
"Oi! Who made you assistant?" Angel teased. "And when are you going to get in front of the camera?"
"Not today, actually," he responded, bringing a questioning look to Conner's face. "Gonna do my bit at the farm, too, when we get Ray involved. Just wanted to help out, and watch you dance like a monkey." He shoved Conner before ducking out of the way when Conner instinctively tried to grab him in a headlock. Conner grabbed Robert's legs and flipped him onto his back, the two men hitting the ground and rolling around in their playful wrestle. The women laughed at their antics, and looked at each other before rolling their eyes and saying in unison, "boys."
Robert let a out a laugh, "Okay, okay! I give up, you win!"
Conner helped him to his feet, laughing as they dusted themselves off. He'd really missed his friend; the three of them had easily settled back into their youthful friendship since the barbeque the other night, and it added to his sense of belonging to have his closest friends so close to him again.
"Come on, Rob," Conner pulled a twig out the shorter man's hair. "Stop playing around."
Their laughter rang through the trees as the two men moved towards the vehicles where Conner could change his clothes.