Heavenstruck (Guardian Angel AU)

Earthbound

Okay. Wait.

"Guardian angel?"

"Yes, your guardian angel. Why're you so surprised by that?"

What the hell?

Dream furrowed his eyebrows. "Oh, I don't know, because I didn't even know you existed? And I don't mean to offend you or anything, but I'm still not entirely sure you're not fucking with me."

"You literally saw me fall out of the sky."

"Good point, but..." He frowned. "Actually, are you hurt? That looked like a long fall."

The man stared at him in disbelief. Were guardian angels supposed to be this indignant? "You only just now ask me that? And no, the only thing hurt from that fall was my pride. I don't follow the same rules of mortality as humans."

Dream looked him up and down.

Seeing as how the man was well enough to stand up on his own and didn't have any discomfort visible on his face, he probably wasn't lying about not being hurt. Dream knew for a fact there weren't any buildings that even went near where the man fell from. The tallest tree was visible from where he was standing, too. And he wasn't a certified expert on angel wings, but the man's fluid control over them certainly hinted that they weren't some complex mechanical system...

Oh, shit. Was this actually his guardian angel?

"Say my name," Dream said.

The man's nose wrinkled. "Why should I?"

"If you're really my guardian angel, then you should know my name by now. You've been with me my whole life, right?"

"No, that was the bastard that got promoted. I drew the short end of the stick and had to fill his position a month ago. Anyway..." A sheet of paper materialized in front of the man. "You're Clay."

Dream's nose wrinkled. "Ugh, if you were actually my guardian angel, then you'd know I prefer Dream."

The man frowned and pursed his lips. Before he could say anything, lightning clapped much too near for Dream's liking.

Dream turned towards the noise.

Flames licked the treetops, spiraling to the ground within a single blink. There was no way that was good, not with the way the fire ate away at the particularly large branches of the tree. The rain had no effect on how intensely it blazed.

"Look out!"

A fireball rained from the sky right above Dream. That was all he could see before the man rushed forward and flapped a wing. Then the fireball streaked towards the other side of the path.

Did... Did he save him?

"God, you are literally the worst person at staying alive," the man grumbled. "There's a flaming branch coming towards you, and that's your first instinct? Just sit there and watch it burn? Fucking idiot."

The man's insults flew past Dream's head. Dream's eyes flittered from the man to the direction the branch was pushed away, then back to the man.

"Holy shit, you're actually my guardian angel," Dream breathed. Then when the man finally smiled, he burst out laughing. "Dude, I am so sorry! You're the poor guy that got assigned to me? You? What kind of sin did you commit for you to get stuck with me? Oh my god, this is insane."

The smile vanished as quickly as it came, replaced with a scowl. "Whatever. Get to your apartment so less things can potentially kill you."

A smile was still present on Dream's face, but the laughter stopped. "Huh? How're you gonna explain the wings on your back, genius?"