The Unseen

Chapter 11

It feels like I am in a fairy tale.

Delicate cherry blossom petals cover the ground around us, turning everything into a captivating shade of pink. Above us, the branches are filled with gorgeous blossoms, swaying in the wind. It feels magical to be here, to share this moment with the person I love the most.

The sun is warm on my skin, getting hotter by the minute, but that doesn't deter me from settling more comfortably on the ground with my head on his shoulder. I don't want this moment to ever end.

"We should get going. It's getting hot, and you know your skin is too sensitive," Andromalius says as he looks up at the sky through the beautifully decorated branches of trees.

I like seeing him like this, unafraid to show his gentler side, removing the armor of indifference, sarcasm, and teasing while baring his soul to me. It sure took him a while, but I love all of him. I adore all sides of him.

"No, no," I say hurriedly. "Let's just stay here for a while. Enjoy our alone time before both sides start bothering us again. Please."

I make the 'please' sound so whiny that I am cringing myself. Still, it works as Andromalius settles us more comfortably against the tree trunk, lifting his dark wing to shield me from the sun. He had so much love and care for me that it makes me, once again, question Heaven and Hell's definition of good and evil.

"You were telling me about the changes you wanted them to make in your job," I gently prompt.

I love listening to his ideas because they are unlike what one would expect from an Angel of Death.

"I just think that we should devote more attention to after-death care, make their transition easier, painless," he goes on, more passionate about the subject than I've ever heard him be about his job in general. "We could provide counseling, help them let go of their loved ones, embrace the afterlife. I don't have to be just a cold face that takes them away without showing any empathy."

I look at him, fascinated. Usually, when he talks about his job, I can see how much he dislikes it, but I never could understand why. Even more so because he is the first to say that death is a natural process that should neither be hated nor loved. Yet, I have always thought that he hated his job. Now I can understand that it's not the job itself that's the problem but how he is required to do it.

Death is far too much like an actual business, or at least that has been my conclusion. It's a transaction between two parties without any emotions involved. So, it makes sense that someone like my boyfriend, a secretly kind and caring person, would have problems continuing in that line of work.

"That way, people would be less afraid after dying, and our jobs as Angels of Death wouldn't be so soulless and hated," Andromalius explains.

His passion and dedication to those ideas make him even more attractive. Thus, I can't help but lift my head up and kiss him gently on the lips, like a falling petal brushing his skin.

Of course, that isn't nearly enough, so I soon deepened the kiss loving the smell of ocean and wind that still clung to his skin as the waves crash against the nearby shore. His response is immediate and as passionate as I expected. It feels like we are melting into the kiss, getting lost in the flavor of each other's lips, in the fire of each other's hearts.

When I finally break the kiss, I am gasping for air.

"You forgot to breathe again," he says teasingly through a smile. "How can you even forget to breathe?"

"It's your fault for being so mesmerizing," I laugh, brushing my fingers through his hair, putting a stray strand behind the tiny horns he hates so much.

"How are you never bothered by them?" he asks, feeling my motion.

I shrug my shoulders, too worked up by his presence to be able to immediately form coherent sentences.

"They are part of you. I love you. So, I love every part of you, horns and all," I say, looking up at Andromalius with all my love and admiration.

"Even this doesn't bother you?" he asks, pointing at his eyes that have now turned red.

"I kind of like that. It shows me how much of an influence I have on you," I say teasingly.

The thing about his horns and eyes is that he can usually keep them hidden. However, when overwhelmed, his demonic marks unconsciously pop up. He is highly embarrassed about it, but I don't mind it. It shows me that his feelings for me are as strong as mine for him.

"You are like no one else, you know that?" Andromalius says, strong emotions obvious in his voice. "Better than any angels, demons, humans, or any other creatures combined. You are also the first person who fully accepted me for me, no questions asked, no conditions."

Tears start flowing down his cheeks, and I hurry to gently wipe them away. I know he has been through so much and that neither angels nor demons have shown him much kindness. So, I can understand him being emotional, although he rarely is.

"Don't forget what I told you. No matter what they say and how they try to bully you, you are an amazing, caring being. You deserve to be accepted as you are," I say firmly, taking his face into my hands. "I need you to believe me and accept that I will never leave you, and you are worth my love."

Not only are my words the absolute truth, but it's also something I know he needs to hear every day so he can finally start believing it for himself. I hope he begins loving himself, starts being confident, and brings about the changes Heaven and Hell need.

Many think I am the special someone to bridge the gap, but I never thought it was me. Individuals like him who dare defy who others want them to be and become themselves are the true bringers of change.

I might be able to see all the rainbow colors, as my parents like to say. But I've always believed people like Andromalius are different colors. They make the world unique, and I am determined to show him that. To shower him with all the love and support he never had and show him his true potential.

He isn't destined to be good or evil. No one is. He needs to be himself. That will be enough and bring vibrant colors to the dull world of black and white.

Then he hugs me like I am the most precious thing in his life, making me feel all the warmth and love that his cold exterior usually hides, and I feel like things will always be like this between us. Perfect.

My eyes suddenly snapped open, and I started weeping. I knew the dream was not a dream but a memory of one of the precious moments that Andromalius and I had spent together. And no matter how nice it was to have the confirmation of what he was to me, how I actually felt about him was also so utterly painful.

"Angela?" I heard Andromalius's raspy voice say before I was even fully awake. "Are you okay?"

He was stabbed because of me, left by me, and hurt in who knew how many ways because of me, and yet he was still worried about how I was.

I notice that I was curled up against his body in the most intimate way that would have been embarrassing if I wasn't so utterly angry at myself and hurt by what I did to him. Instead of getting up, I lifted my head to look into his eyes. The worry and love I saw there, which I finally recognized, had me gasping for air.

"I am fine," I said after a few moments of staring into those eyes and letting the new memories settle into my mind. "I am just so very sorry."

Then I continued sobbing as I leaned against his shoulder to hide my shame for what I had done. Carefully, he hugged me closer as if he was afraid that I would push him away, as if his injuries no longer mattered to him compared to the pain my rejection could cause him. Like I was his only priority.

Selfishly I reveled in the feeling fearing it might be fleeting. That Andromalius might blame me for breaking his heart.