《Angel's Redemption (BL)》


 Chapter One

    ¡°How does this look?¡± The mover asked, wiping away the dust from his solid blue work shirt.


    Blaine brushed a strand of dark brown hair out of his eyes. ¡°Hmm. Maybe put it over there, instead.¡± He pointed to an empty spot in the corner of his living room.


    The tattooed man picked up the handle of the dolly, maneuvered it to the middle of the room¡ªbarely scraping past the television set, and positioned it between the stereo and TV. ¡°That good?¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡± He eyed the lifelike effigy which stood about eight feet high. The angel, a gift from an old family friend, was a male''s perfectly chiseled body sculpted in a neutral pose. Hands at his sides with palms turned outwards. And nothing obstructing the beautiful naked body.


    After it was kept in storage for years, Blaine had finally found a place with a ceiling high enough to display the massive figure and take in the breathtaking artistry.


    ¡°Hey,¡± the mover said, dabbing the sweat from his pierced brow with a handkerchief. ¡°You should put a light shining right on it.¡±


    Blaine agreed with a nod. His eyes locked in on the stone figure. It seemed as if the angel itself was moving. Its wings were trembling and it winked its eye. Blaine flushed and turned to the mover. ¡°I like that idea.¡±


    The man laughed. ¡°Well, I guess it''s your choice. I better get going. Got a lot of other jobs to do.¡±


    Blaine escorted the mover to the door, offering a tip on his way out. The guy climbed into his work truck. Blaine closed the door and stood for several moments with his eyes on the tiled floor.


    That damn hangover headache was making his eyes bleary. Statues can''t be alive. That''s absurd! No, he surely drank too much whiskey the night before, plus he hadn''t had a good night''s sleep at all which could be fucking with his head.


    But the statue was looking at him. He could swear up and down it was. When he crossed back into the living room, the statue remained just as they''d left it¡ªinanimate, granite, with its eyes focused on the couch, just like it should be.


    Blaine opened the refrigerator and grabbed a cold beer. He stood, debating if it would make his headache worse or cool his thoughts. The frigid moisture numbed his fingers and he popped open the tab to take a swig. It couldn''t hurt to find out.


    The bitter liquor slid down his throat, helping him to relax, and he sighed as he slid onto a hard metal stool at the counter.


    He grabbed the bowl of popcorn that he''d made the night before and popped a stale kernel in his mouth. His stomach protested with a hungry gurgle, wanting more.


    After a few minutes of fixing dinner in the microwave, he returned to the living room with a warm plate of pizza. With a quick glance at the angel''s fabulous muscled build and stone white eyes that seemed trained only on him, Blaine turned his attention back to the television, flipping the channels in search of a movie.


    Ring.


    He jumped at the noise of the phone and leaned over the couch. Juggling his plate on his lap, he picked up the cordless receiver. ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Hey, are you coming out tonight?¡± Katlinne''s familiar voice asked.


    ¡°I sure am.¡± He took a quick bite, chewing quickly to say, ¡°¡¯Round eight, right?¡±


    ¡°Blaine, I hate it when you eat and speak at the same time,¡± she gruffed. ¡°I''ll see you at eight on the dot. Don''t be late. We''ll practice first before heading over to the bar.¡±


    Blaine swallowed his bite. ¡°I''ll be there.¡±


    He hung up the phone and settled back on the couch with his plate. Blaine''s attention wandered to the statue; its eyes seemed to focus on him with a hard stare. The angel''s cheeks were modeled high and sharp with a round cut jaw. Lips carved perfectly emotionless. No smile, no scowl. Blaine wondered if the angel were alive, would he be friendly?


    His focused back on the television, taking another bite when out of the corner of his eye, the statue appeared to wink, again. He fixed his eyes immediately on the angel, but it was the same as always. Hmm, maybe I should lay off the beer for a while.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    After dinner, he cranked up his stereo, blasting the melodic metal tunes of his favorite band. Luckily, his neighbors were fellow metal heads, and he wouldn''t hear a single complaint. More like the question, ¡°Hey, who''s that you were cranking up last night?¡± He loved all the classic melodic metal bands and even his band, Til¡¯ Dark, had passed up the mainstream music to find their own style.


    Blaine stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, drawing black lines around the lower part of his eyes with eyeliner. He leaned across the sink to get a closer look, but accidentally bumped his elbow on a can of shaving cream, making him spread a little too much eyeliner across his eyelid. Damn bad luck. He sighed, ripped off a piece of toilet paper, and dabbed at the extra. Then, he fiddled with an errant lock of hair, deciding to grease it back along with the rest of his fringe.


    He slid into tight, black leather pants, threaded a matching belt through the loops, and closed a shiny chrome skull buckle with a snap. After throwing on a clean band t-shirt, he eyed himself in the mirror one last time. He turned to examine how the leather squeezed his ass cheeks.


    Yeah, he looked great for an on stage appearance. Tonight wasn''t about going to a bar to pick up dates; he was looking at scoring his band a permanent gig. This was their chance. The manager had been highly impressed when he''d listened to Til¡¯ Dark earlier in the week.


    That''s what it was always about¡ªthe band. They''d been friends for years, forming their band in high school as a side project for the hell of it. After a while, he didn''t care about anything that a teenager should: dating, friends¡ªexcept for the band¡ªor even school. Once he did graduate, he''d spent his entire days writing music and tabs and dreaming of playing a real show.


    The few times they had scheduled shows, the place always seemed to cancel for one reason or another. Such as the time the Battle of the Bands was canceled due to freak severe weather. Blaine had always chalked it up as bad luck; those long years of horrid misfortune.


    At twenty four years old, he dreamed of making it big more than ever. Maybe, tonight his luck would finally improve?


    Back in the living room, Blaine grabbed his leather jacket from the couch and threw it over his shoulder. He took another long glance at the angel statue in the corner of the room. Admired the magnificently carved abs and graceful pose. Those eyes... there was certainly something odd and majestic about them.


    Blaine stood near the angel, taking in its magical stare and it''s wonderfully carved feathered wings. The sculptor had certainly put a lot of skill into his artwork. Blaine scanned from the top of the statue''s head to the base. Nothing had been carved into the short base, not even the name of the sculptor. But Blaine knew who that was.


    Mr. Dominquez had been a friend of Blaine''s father for years. He remembered the man''s house from when he was a child. Whenever Blaine went to visit, the man was working tirelessly to complete the sculpture in his gallery. For hours he¡¯d labored; sometimes failing to greet Blaine and his father, or ignoring them all together.


    Blaine had always thought Mr. Dominquez strange. What was so important about the statue?


    He forced himself to step back, snapping back to reality. After slipping his arms into his jacket, he grabbed his keys, and disappeared out the door.


    ***


    ¡°Daddy, what is that thing in there?¡±


    His father''s big brown eyes looked down to Blaine, tugging on his pants. ¡°That''s Augustus'' statue he''s been working on.¡±


    Blaine turned his head, the gallery''s doors were opened just enough for him to see a sliver of the granite statue''s height.


    ¡°It looks kind of scary,¡± Blaine said with a shudder.


    His father chuckled, his voice a deep baritone. ¡°It''s not scary, son. Wait until Mr. Dominquez has finished and you will see.¡±


    Blaine stared wide-eyed at the sight of the statue. He could just barely make out the legs in the slab of stone the man was chiseling. The cracking noise of shattering stone sent chills down his spine. He wondered just how long they would have to wait until the man came out to greet them.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± he asked his father.


    ¡°Come on.¡± His father sat on the couch in the living room. ¡°We wait for Augustus to finish up.¡±


    Chip, crack, clunk¡ªthe pieces of stone fell to the floor. Finally, the man peeked his head out the door. ¡°I''ll be there soon, David. Why don''t you take Blaine to the kitchen for a snack.¡±


    Father walked with him into the kitchen. Mr. Dominquez always had the best foods. Tasty treats he bought from street vendors, such as candy and crackers, and a few unknowns from foreign markets. The room always smelled of chocolate and mint, too. But Blaine had thought it was funny that the older man had all these sweets when he never had a child of his own.


    ¡°Thanks for waiting, David.¡± Mr. Dominquez came into the kitchen, wiping the extra dust away from his jeans. ¡°And Blaine, glad you could come over today.¡±


    Blaine nodded, wildly. ¡°Yes, sir! Do you have anything new today?¡±


    ¡°New?¡± Mr. Dominquez tipped his head to the side. ¡°I think I do. Let''s check.¡± He reached into the cupboard and pulled out a box of animal crackers. ¡°I purchased these from a new vendor in the city.¡± He handed the box to Blaine. ¡°I bet they''re really tasty.¡±


    Blaine hurried to open the box. Golden brown crackers settled in the inside wrapper. He dug one out and noticed its shape.


    ¡°Um, Mr. Dominquez, this is a snake.¡± Blaine held up the cracker.


    The man grinned and patted the boy on the head. ¡°Indeed, I suppose it is.¡±


    ¡°These are weird,¡± Blaine said. He took a bite, the cracker crunched between his teeth and the taste of cinnamon and spice overwhelmed his tongue. ¡°Wow.¡± He chewed. ¡°These are good.¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°Hey, babe.¡± The blonde greeted Blaine at the door and kissed his cheek. ¡°Ready to practice?¡±


    ¡°Sure am.¡± Blaine slipped off his coat and tossed it on the back of the couch.


    The band had practiced in Katlinne''s parents'' garage almost every day. The space was small, with a dirty and torn loveseat on the outer wall, and a washer and dryer against the opposite wall serving as a table where they often went over their tabs. All their gear barely fit huddled together in the center of the musty, oil scented garage.


    Everyone took their places: Robert on drums, Katlinne on mic, and Vince on guitar.


    Blaine picked up the old bass guitar and held it tight across his body. He strummed and grimaced at the horrid sound from the amp. ¡°Did you tune it right? Sounds off.¡±


    ¡°Let me see that.¡± Vince snatched the guitar from Blaine''s hands and picked at the strings. ¡°Yeah, it''s a bit off. Who''s the dumbass that fucked with the gear?¡±


    ¡°I think Marilyn has been running around in here again,¡± Katlinne announced.


    ¡°Fuck! Would you tell the folks to keep Mary out of here, Katy?¡± Vince barked, adjusting the strings. ¡°We can''t play shit if she''s coming in here messing with the gear. What if she breaks something?¡±


    Katlinne stomped towards her brother. ¡°Why don''t you tell them? Besides, she''s only four. She doesn''t know any better.¡±


    ¡°Okay, can we just get going? We have a gig in a couple of hours.¡± Blaine had grown impatient. Katlinne and Vince always fought with each other, ever since he''d met them. And while Blaine figured it was the typical sibling rivalry stuff, when it interfered with band practice, it drove him nuts and he always had to play the referee.


    Vince huffed and shoved the guitar back into Blaine''s arms. ¡°Here. It¡¯s not perfect, but it should work.¡± He stomped back to the opposite side of Katlinne and muttered, ¡°It''s a good thing the club has their own equipment.¡±


    Blaine started with a tune and Katlinne followed humming along. Once Vince joined in with his melodic solo, the sound came together as something dark and deep.


    It was the perfect sound for Club Voodoo, the manager told them the day he''d watched the band perform. She offered them a gig and the possibility of more every Friday night. That was, if their show tonight brought people in. They were absolutely sure it would.


    ¡°Whoo,¡± Robert howled. He threw his drum stick into the air at the end of the song. ¡°That''s what I''m fuckin talkin ''bout!¡±


    ¡°Still sounded like shit on Blaine''s end.¡± Vince folded his arms in front of him, squeezing the guitar against his chest.


    ¡°Quit being a bitch.¡± Katlinne smacked Vince''s arm. ¡°Come on, let''s get to Voodoo and check out the other bands.¡±


    ***


    Dim fluorescent lights lined the club''s ceiling, with black lights scattered along the walls, illuminating the bar and crowded room. The chatter of people around the bar made it almost impossible to hear the band at the opposite side of the building even though the bright spotlight shining down on the stage was hard to miss.


    This was the first time they''d been in Club Voodoo together as a band; usually Blaine would just hang out, drinking booze and trying to hook up. He''d never been very successful though, most of the guys he took home were a little too tipsy to do more than pass out next to him once they arrived at his place.


    Tonight, he didn''t have to worry about that. This was a performance for the band, not a test to see how well he could flirt.


    They moved through the crowd, Vince stopping to chat with someone he recognized. The other three lingered, waiting for their band member.


    ¡°These guys sound like shit,¡± Katlinne mumbled just loud enough that Blaine overheard.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    Blaine focused on the other band''s appearances. Short hair with longer bangs spooled over their eyes enough to hide them; tight jeans, almost too tight, and black t-shirts that displayed other, more famous, band names. It was all the latest rage among teenagers and Blaine rolled his eyes in disgust.


    The singer''s voice crackled through the amplifiers while the guitarist''s tune was a little off making Blaine cringe.


    ¡°Fuckin screamo shit,¡± Vince snorted when he came back to the group.


    Two ladies had gathered beside the stage, presumably the band''s girlfriends, but that was it. The rest of the crowd sat farther away, watching with uninterested eyes, or they lined up at the bar to drown themselves.


    ¡°Are you Til¡¯ Dark?¡± A woman approached, dressed in a tacky white with pink striped business suit jacket and long skirt, unusual for the club. She carried a notepad at her side.


    This was it. Blaine''s stomach began to twist in knots. He knew they had to have a hell of a performance to impress the club''s owners. As he started to extend a hand out to her, Vince moved in front of him.


    ¡°Why, yes we are. And who are you, beautiful?¡± Vince asked with a wink.


    Katlinne nudged her brother''s side. ¡°I''m sorry, ma''am, he doesn''t know any better.¡±


    The woman flashed a doubtful smirk. ¡°Right. Anyway, I''m Vanessa, co-owner of the club,¡± she said while shaking Katlinne''s hand. ¡°Tommy''s really looking forward to setting you up for Friday''s¡ª¡°


    ¡°Uh, Tommy?¡± Vince interrupted.


    Katlinne smacked him on the arm. ¡°He''s the manager, you dumb ass.¡±


    ¡°Would you two knock it off?¡± Blaine huffed.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°You sure he''s not drunk?¡± Vanessa furrowed her brows at Vince. ¡°There''s a strict policy against drinking while on stage.¡±


    ¡°No, he hasn''t been drinking¡ª¡°


    ¡°Yet,¡± Vince added.


    ¡°Would you just go sit your ass down?¡± Katlinne clenched her fists.


    Blaine stepped in front of them before they could do anything that would sacrifice their first gig. ¡°Allow me, ma''am. I''m Blaine Schneider, bassist. We are very impressed by your club, and would love to be the front on Fridays.¡±


    ¡°Ah, wonderful. At least one of you has some manners.¡± Vanessa curled her plump red lips as she flicked her eyes in Vince''s direction. ¡°We''re hoping to add a different sound. Tell me, what kind of music do you play?¡± She readied her pen and paper.


    ¡°Melodic¡ª¡°


    ¡°Metalcore.¡± Vince interrupted.


    ¡°No, I wouldn''t say metalcore. Dark melodic metal,¡± Blaine continued.


    Katlinne shook her head. ¡°Its got more of a gothic sound, though.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, gothic.¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± Vanessa wrote in her notebook. ¡°Dark gothic melodic metal? Very interesting. Well, if you guys can pull in a crowd, it rocks. Plain and simple, right?¡±


    The group nodded their approval. Vince raised his fist in the air. ¡°Hells yeah.¡±


    Vanessa smiled brightly. ¡°You guys are on in fifteen minutes,¡± she said just as the music ended. A few dull applauds followed and Vanessa rolled her eyes before disappearing into the crowd.


    ¡°Metalcore?¡± Katlinne slapped her brother in the back of the head. ¡°There''s nothing on the set that sounds metalcore.¡±


    ¡°Ah, come on.¡± Vince shrugged. ¡°What about the song I wrote? It''s more metal than goth.¡±


    ¡°Not on the set,¡± Robert said, looking over the set list.


    ¡°Christ, let me see that.¡± Vince ripped the paper from Robert''s hand, looked at it and sneered. ¡°What the hell is this shit?¡±


    ¡°This shit is going to get us our Friday spot.¡± Katlinne snatched the list from Vince. ¡°Besides, you love the solo for Save Me.¡±


    ¡°That pussy song? Fuck no... no offense Blaine.¡± Vince patted his friend''s shoulder. ¡°But that song you wrote is about as whiny as...¡±


    Just then, the singer from the last band wandered out from the crowd.


    ¡°... this fucker right here.¡± Vince flicked the man''s ear as he walked past.


    ¡°Asshole,¡± the singer snapped.


    ¡°Yeah? Come on, you pussy fuck!¡± Vince tried to bolt after the man, but Blaine caught him by the arm before he could step further.


    ¡°Would you knock it the fuck off, Vince? You''re going to blow this for us.¡± Blaine tightened his grip a moment until Vince stopped struggling.


    Vince stilled and lowered his head. ¡°Get off me, man.¡± When Blaine dropped his grasp, he groaned, ¡°Let''s go.¡±


    The band stepped up on stage. Blaine looked out to the crowd gathered around the bar. The bartenders were frantically working to fill orders. Most everyone was at the bar, disregarding the tables in front of the stage. Only the previous band had sat near the stage with their girlfriends.


    Blaine examined the rest of the stage. The lighting controls which was a switch panel on the floor close to the front of the stage. Since he normally controlled the spotlights, he scooted the panel close to him with his foot, its long extension cord followed. Then he picked up the bass guitar, examined the club''s not so expensive property, and strummed a low chord. It sounded right, at least. He looked to Katlinne in her long black skirt and gothic eye make-up as she grabbed the microphone and pulled it off its stand, then to Vince who stared bright-eyed at the un-enthusiastic crowd.


    Vince jerked the mic from Katlinne''s hand. ¡°Hey, listen up, fuckers.¡± His voice came across the speakers. ¡°We''re Til¡¯ Dark and we''re going to blow the roof off this joint.¡±


    The commotion caused a few to turn their heads, but that was it. The singer of the last band held up his middle finger to Vince and shouted, ¡°Fuck you!¡±


    Vince cringed and threw the mic back to Katlinne.


    What a tough crowd. Blaine shook his head, fed up with everything already, and tapped a button on the floor with the toe of his boot. The club went dark. The crowd silenced, and, at last, Blaine could concentrate on playing a good show. He started with a low tune, perfectly played by memory.


    Katlinne gripped the microphone tight and began her harmonious vocals. Once Vince and Robert joined in, it was almost perfect.


    Blaine hit the spotlight button on the floor, and a few in the crowd started towards the empty tables close to the stage. He forced the smile from spreading on his lips; no, he had to remain neutral or pissed off. This wasn''t some jolly pop show. It was a metal concert.


    ***


    Despite the great start to their thirty minute set, as time passed, Blaine''s luck spurt had run out. Vince had missed more notes the more he drank. Blaine had pressed the wrong button with his foot and the spotlights turned to the crowd, blinding them. And during the long solo to ¡°Save Me¡±, the second to last song, a string on Blaine''s bass broke, sending an ear wrenching twang through the amplifiers.


    Blaine dropped his arms and hung his head, clicking the spotlight on the floor to send the club into darkness. He was tired of his shitty luck; that was the worst time for it to show up.


    ¡°Hey, it''s okay,¡± Katlinne whispered next to him. ¡°We brought our equipment, you know.¡±


    Blaine shook his head, knowing full well his bass wasn''t tuned right. ¡°End it.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It''s over.¡± He unsnapped the guitar strap and set the bass back in its stand. Then he stepped across the stage.


    ¡°Thank you everyone. Til¡¯ Dark,¡± Katlinne announced their end in the microphone.


    As Blaine stepped down the stairs, Vanessa stopped him. ¡°That was great. A little short on time, but very good.¡±


    ¡°It wouldn''t have been so short if the guitar string hadn''t snapped,¡± Katlinne said from behind.


    ¡°That bass has a bit of a glitch, but if Tommy liked it, you''re welcome to bring your equipment on Friday''s.¡±


    Blaine had his doubts that the manager enjoyed their performance. Sure, everything went fine for the first fifteen minutes, but the last ten minutes sounded worse than any of their practices.


    The rest of the band had crowded in close to Blaine. Vince threw his arm around him, leaning in towards Vanessa and asked, ¡°Think the manager liked that little performance of ours?¡±


    Vanessa''s grin wavered before she turned to look toward the bar. ¡°You guys want to stick around for a little longer, and I''ll see what I can do.¡± Then she stepped away, giving Vince one last grimace.


    ¡°Did you fuckin see that? I think we''re going to get the spot,¡± Katlinne said, leading the band to an empty table.


    Everyone remained quiet. Blaine couldn''t believe it. He searched past the crowd at the bar, spotting Vanessa and Tommy on the opposite side. The manager nodded his head and Blaine thought he saw a smile on the man¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yeah, but Vince missed so many damn notes back there,¡± Robert teased as he jabbed his elbow into their guitarist''s side.


    ¡°Don''t be hard on him,¡± Blaine said. ¡°At least we have a chance.¡± Though he was still skeptical.


    Vince shook his head and crossed his arms with a sour pout.


    ¡°Come on. What''s wrong?¡± Katlinne asked.


    ¡°Nothing. I''m happy, really,¡± Vince mumbled.


    ¡°Bullshit. I know that look. You''re pissed off about something.¡±


    ¡°Would you get off my ass? The show went okay, but do I have to be so happy about it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes you do, okay,¡± Katlinne said. ¡°We''ve been waiting for this for a long time.¡±


    ¡°You''ve been waiting,¡± Vince huffed. ¡°Not me. This isn''t my band. It was never my band to begin with. I only promised to help you out when you couldn''t find anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Then why have you stuck around for three years?¡± Blaine wondered.


    Vince shrugged. ¡°Thought ya''ll could give me a chance, but I don''t see that happening.¡±


    ¡°Look, all you''ve done is tried to change us, Vince.¡± Katlinne folded her hands. ¡°It doesn''t work like that¡ª¡°


    Vince jumped out of his seat and slammed his hands on the table. ¡°Suggestions. They were fucking suggestions... Never-fucking-mind.¡± He stomped in the opposite direction.


    Katlinne bolted after him, leaving Blaine and Robert on their own.


    ¡°She''s right though,¡± Robert began. ¡°That''s all he''s tried to do is change the band. Remember his idea that we all ruffle our hair like Bon Jovi?¡±


    Blaine chuckled. ¡°Yeah. Or when he started rapping into the microphone to Live Dangerous?¡±


    ¡°You don''t think he really thought about going the Korn route, do you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit, I hope not.¡± Thinking back to the stunts Vince pulled in the beginning helped Blaine loosen up.


    They both laughed at the thought until Katlinne came back. She plopped into her chair. ¡°You guys need to knock it off.¡±


    ¡°Oh, come on. We''re just fucking with him.¡±


    ¡°He''s not leaving, is he?¡± Blaine asked, knowing full well how hard it was to find a guitarist in the first place.


    ¡°He''s at the bar getting a beer. But if you guys could lay off of him, that would be great.¡±

 Chapter 3

    The door swung open and Blaine stumbled in, feeling for the light switch on the wall. He''d been talked into staying at the bar with the rest of the band until closing.


    Once Vince returned, Blaine and Robert started back on their snarky attitudes towards him. Blaine just needed someone to pick on since their performance hadn''t gone so well.


    ¡°Remember when you tried to resurrect the dead in high school?¡± The buzz from the alcohol came on quick.


    ¡°Come on. Are you guys going to hound me about that forever?¡± Vince had whined.


    ¡°Sure as shit we are.¡± Blaine had snickered. ¡°Remember when you tried to contact Jim Morisson?¡±


    ¡°It almost worked too,¡± Vince had said with a sneer. ¡°Until you fuckers ruined it.¡±


    Everyone, even Katlinne joined in on poking at Vince until Vanessa approached with a pleasant look and explained that she would call the next week. It was almost a sure deal, depending on what Tommy had to say. According to the look on the manager''s face before Blaine left the bar, he was quite pleased with their performance.


    As he stumbled inside, Blaine couldn''t count on his fingers how many bottles he¡¯d tipped, mainly because he didn''t give a damn to keep count. All he knew was that crashing in bed sounded like a damn good option.


    Blaine meandered into the living room. In the corner of his eye, he spotted the granite angel stuck between the wall and the television, right where he instructed the mover to put it. The angel''s blank eyes stared at the opposite wall above the couch, it''s fully carved wings wrapped around its sides.


    For a moment, Blaine could swear its white feathers were curling. A ruffle seemed to echo through the room, but he blinked and realized it was probably just because he was tired. He staggered closer to the statue and peered up at its shape.


    Still beautiful. Magical. Almost realistic, and, yet, completely unreal. If the angel was gentle, and alive, it would fold its wings around Blaine and bless his cursed bad luck away. That would be a miracle.


    As Blaine stood, he couldn''t believe the detail Augustus had put into the statue. Every muscle crease was carved meticulously into the heavy slab of granite. It could have been something in a museum, behind a glass case for everyone to gaze at from afar. Instead, it was in his living room. The only piece of art Augustus finished. Granted to Blaine in his will, of all things. Why him?


    The desire to impress everyone who came in dawned on him. Come on, check out the awesome angel statue¡ªhe''d wave people down from the street if he needed to.


    The alcohol running rampant in Blaine''s blood began to make him woozy. The statue''s intricate face began to blur. Its marbled features swirled and blended. A wing, an arm, carved feathers: all began to fall.


    Blaine''s eyelids drooped. His knees grew weak. He knew he shouldn''t have drank so much. He braced himself against the front of the statue, trying to keep himself upright. With his eyes closed, he focused on every amount of strength he had left on preventing his legs from giving out from underneath him.


    The smooth granite texture warmed under his touch. His fingers slid against the front base, lingering on a strange rough patch.


    ¡°Set me free,¡± a humming sound, like the wind, swept through his mind.


    Blaine''s legs dropped from underneath him just as he opened his eyes to the unusual patch on the front of the statue. He thumbed over the dusty spot, then crumbled to the floor before he could make anything out of it.


    ***


    Ring, ring.


    A brilliant late afternoon sun blazed through the window, shining down on Blaine as he laid on his stomach stretched out across the floor.


    Ring, ring.


    The telephone buzzed. He could swear it was louder than it had been before.


    Blaine curled his fingers against the plush carpet underneath him. How did he end up on the floor? A breath came deep from his lungs, followed by a hack, and the bitter taste of booze burning at the back of his throat.


    Ring, ring.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± he spouted to himself, unable and unready to stand on his own wobbly legs.


    When he opened his tired eyes, the blinding light burned and he had to shut them tight again. He kicked his legs out, hitting the front of the statue.


    ¡°Shit!¡± he spouted to the pain shooting through his foot.


    A moment passed and he debated on standing up to answer the phone, or letting the voice mail grab it. With the fourth buzz, he heaved himself up on hands and knees and turned towards the statue.


    It took a massive amount of energy to pull himself up, using the statue for support as he tried to stand. The amount of stamina he didn''t think he had until he was clenching on to the granite for dear life. A tremble ran through his legs and he felt the alcohol burn at the back of his throat, again. If he tried to move, he''d probably fall back on to the floor.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He straightened his spine and opened his eyes. Surely, he didn''t want to throw up on the precious carving. But why was he so driven to protect the damn thing? Was it the money it was worth? He hadn''t even had the chance to get it appraised, yet.


    Knowing him, he would ruin it one day. He''d come home piss ass drunk and crash right into it, no matter where it was placed in his house. It would be better if he had sold it to a museum, then he could be assured it was safe and out of harm''s way.


    The statue¡¯s face seemingly stared down at him. Wait, that wasn''t right. He blinked, and the angel was now in its rightful stance, dull, lifeless eyes narrowing in at the wall above the couch.


    That is getting a little creepy, Blaine grinned nervously as he let go of the statue and stumbled back. He bumped the edge of the coffee table, and found himself tumbling back on his ass against the polished wood.


    Ring, ring.


    ¡°Shut it,¡± he hollered, thumbing his temples.


    Ring, ring.


    He reached over the table and picked up his cell phone. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Well, fuck you too,¡± Katlinne answered him.


    ¡°Shit. I''m sorry. I just... woke up...¡± Blaine''s voice faltered as his stomach tightened. He either needed to eat or run to the bathroom, the latter sounding like a better option.


    ¡°Feel like shit, do ya?¡±


    He nodded, cleared his throat, and answered, ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°How about some better news?¡±


    Anything was better than knowing your stomach was flipping over itself. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You remember last night when you mentioned you wanted that specialty light for the front of the statue?¡±


    Blaine flicked his eyes to the statue in front of him. ¡°Yeah?¡± Not really.


    ¡°Well, I found one down at the hardware store. It was only twenty bucks.¡±


    ¡°It''s for home use?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well...¡± There was plastic rustling in the background. ¡°Says ¡®Lighten up your garden or home with this powerful fluorescent light from¡ª¡®¡±


    ¡°All right. Sounds good,¡± Blaine interrupted.


    ¡°So can I come over and help you install it? I haven''t seen this thing, yet. I''d like to have a look.¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡± He curled over himself, clenching around his stomach. ¡°Yeah, gimme about an hour or so¡ª¡°


    ¡°You sound really bad, hun.¡±


    The phone slipped from Blaine''s hand and landed on his knees as the pain grew worse.


    ¡°I''ll be...¡± He choked. ¡°... fine. See you in a... bit.¡±


    He stood in a hurry, the phone landing on the floor with a thunk. Nothing sounded so much better than a trip to the restroom at that moment.


    ***


    An hour later, Blaine had wrapped himself in a blanket and curled up on the couch. He''d been trapped inside the restroom, unable to move after last night''s alcohol came up. Awaking to the foul odor of bile, and his head propped up on the side of the toilet, wasn''t exactly how he''d thought he''d spend his day.


    He couldn''t do a damn thing for the rest of the evening but lay on the couch and watch old reruns. Maybe later, he would try to steady himself enough to fix himself a small dinner.


    Buzz, the doorbell rang and he remembered that Katlinne had promised to come over with the spotlight.


    ¡°Come in,¡± he hollered.


    The door opened and Katlinne stepped around the corner with a plastic bag in her hand. She took one look at Blaine, bundled up and probably as pale as a ghost, and dropped the bag on the floor.


    ¡°Jesus, are you okay?¡± She darted to the couch.


    ¡°Too much, Katy. Way too much booze last night.¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡± She felt his forehead, his skin burned under her palm. ¡°God you have a fever, Blaine.¡±


    ¡°I feel like shit,¡± his voice wavered.


    ¡°You need to take something for it.¡± Katlinne turned, maybe to seek out some relief in the kitchen, before her eyes caught sight of the statue in the corner of the room. ¡°Is that...?¡± She approached the large decoration instead.


    ¡°Yep. That''s Augustus''s work. I think he ended up calling it The Angel in the Dark, or something lame like that.¡± Blaine attempted to sit up, curling the blanket around his torso.


    ¡°Jesus, it''s huge. Doesn''t it belong outside or in a museum? I wonder how much money it¡¯s worth.¡±


    Blaine remembered his decision to sell it. He knew he couldn''t afford such a precious piece of work, but something made him shiver as he thought of the movers taking it away. He wouldn''t be able to see it go.


    ¡°What? It''s not like it''s a kid or a dog. Besides, I''m planning on getting an appraiser here next week.¡± Blaine shrugged, the advice made to himself rather than his band mate.


    ¡°But you''ll have to keep it clean, and I don''t think it works well in this corner. I mean, it''s just crammed in here¡ª¡°


    ¡°It''s fine. I''ll reposition it when I can figure out a better place to put it,¡± Blaine insisted.


    Katlinne turned and retrieved the plastic shopping bag from the floor. ¡°Whatever you say. Anyway.¡± She pulled out the green box with a picture of a lamp from the bag. ¡°I bought that spotlight. Were you thinking of drilling a hole into the floor, or maybe bolting it into the wall?¡±


    ¡°Haha, very funny. No, I asked the landlord if I could bolt it into the ceiling.¡±


    ¡°They let you do that?¡±


    ¡°For an extra fee tacked on to your rent, yes.¡± Blaine stood, his legs stronger than earlier, and walked around the coffee table to the statue where Katlinne stood. ¡°Problem is that it will be a part of the building when I move. I can''t take it with me.¡±


    ¡°Assholes.¡±


    ¡°It''s their rules, Katy.¡± He pointed up at the ceiling, about a foot away from the sculpture. ¡°I want to put it right there.¡±


    ¡°Do you have an electrician coming in?¡±


    Blaine shook his head. ¡°I''m going to do it myself.¡±


    Katlinne backhanded him in the shoulder. ¡°You''re an idiot. You don''t know anything about wiring.¡±


    ¡°I know some.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, some. What, from splicing speaker wires?¡±


    ¡°I''ll have you know that I was really good at electronics in high school.¡± Blaine crossed his arms.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I remember that.¡± Katlinne rolled her eyes. ¡°After you put that lamp together, the wires started a blaze in the shop.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so I had a few screw ups.¡± Blaine shrugged. ¡°But I''m still gonna do this. It''s the perfect job today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hell no, Blaine, not with that fever,¡± Katlinne commanded, coaxing her friend back to the couch. ¡°You''re sick. You need to rest and let a skilled electrician do it.¡±


    Blaine stumbled back to the couch. ¡°You''re too worried, Katy. It can''t be any harder than hooking up that ceiling fan for your pops.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but you weren''t hung over then, either.¡± Katlinne reminded him. ¡°And besides, dad had to rewire the entire thing after that, remember? Just face it, Blaine, you are bad at that kind of stuff.¡± She set the light box on the coffee table and meandered into the kitchen.


    Blaine leaned back against the couch and eyed the statue again. No, he would keep the elegant trophy just as Augustus wanted. He would hook up the light fixture as soon as Katlinne left, well, as soon as he felt able to anyway. The light would shine down upon the sculpture''s face and torso, brightening every detail so he, and everyone who came to visit, could stare in amazement at the artist''s creation. He owed that much to his father''s best friend.


    ¡°So, where is the Tylenol?¡± Katlinne asked from the kitchen, shuffling through a cabinet.


    Blaine sighed and motioned to the bathroom. ¡°In the medicine cabinet.¡±


    Oh, Katy would certainly kill him if he attempted to mess with the electrical wiring in his condition. He''d better make sure the fever had broken before he tried to electrocute himself.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    With a final twist of the screwdriver, Blaine braced his fingers against the light fixture and gave it one last shake. It held firmly into the ceiling. Perfect handiwork.


    The job had taken him an hour to complete. He waited until Katlinne left, assuring her that he wouldn''t attempt such a task until he was sober enough to stand straight. After a small meal, he flipped the breaker switch in his bedroom, and got to work with the last bit of sunlight straying through his window.


    A part of him was anxious to see how it looked, while the voice in his head repeated the same warning that Katlinne had said: what if he shocked himself and no one was around to help him? No, he wouldn''t worry about it now that the job was done. He could only hope that he''d done a good job with the wiring.


    He eased down from the ladder, flipped the power back on, and prepared to flip the light switch. With a cross of his fingers behind his back, he flicked the switch, and a beam of white florescent light splayed across the sculpture from the ceiling.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Blaine whispered.


    Surprised, and feeling little arrogant, he strode over to study his efforts. Katlinne would have to eat her words when she saw this. The lights didn''t flicker, nor did the bulb catch fire. He had hooked up the spotlight correctly.


    Then he noticed the way the white granite statue glowed under the bright light, highlighting each and every feather Augustus had carved. Its once dull, lifeless eyes, now fully eloquent under the vivid illumination. There could be presence within those eyes. Movement under those fine, delicately carved lips.


    Blaine reached up and slid his fingers across every elaborate detail of the angel''s chest. His  fingertips tingled with excitement as he continued to trace a path down to its smooth stomach and stopped just above its hip.


    Augustus had left the sculpture exposed, choosing not to cover the angel''s lower half. Blaine focused in on the angel''s flaccid member, remembering his father talking about the work Augustus had put in to that element.


    ¡°It took him a good three months just to sculpt that thing,¡± his father had spoken to mother about the particulars.


    ¡°Does he think he''s the next Michelangelo?¡± his mother groaned, uninterested.


    Blaine had often wondered that himself. Augustus surely had the skill for what he did, so why not sell his artistry instead of keeping it locked away?


    When Blaine brushed against that unusual rough spot at the base of the statue, he froze. It hadn''t been there before, had it? He felt the way the granite curved under his fingers, like something was carved there. He huffed a breath, blowing the dust away from the spot. In the shining light, four eloquent words appeared.


    ¡°Solvo pro umquam magis,¡± Blaine attempted to sound out the foreign letters.


    As the last word spilled from his lips, a loud pop sounded from deep inside the statue. Blaine straightened and stepped back, sucking on his bottom lip in dread. That might have been the wrong thing to do.


    At first, the wings¡¯ delicate stone cracked. The din growing louder and louder. Each granite feather burst from the statue. The stone crumbled to the floor, breaking into smaller bits around the base. White dust built up as the face began to snap. Blaine stepped back, his heart racing, seeking the opposite wall with his palms tight to his ears.


    ¡°What the...¡± As he moved backwards, his heel caught on the carpet and he tripped, falling to his ass.


    The angel¡¯s face collapsed, next came the chest and the body.


    Blaine quickly pressed himself to the wall with arms crossed over his head to shield from the debris. Slamming his eyes shut, he couldn''t watch the fate of his precious statue, surely another unlucky omen.


    The vibrations rattled through his feet. His ears began to ring with each horrid grind. As the stone parts crashed to the floor, the dust spread, and Blaine coughed and hacked to the dryness seeping into his nose. When the last immense piece of granite fell to the floor, the atrocious noise ceased.


    Blaine peered out from under his arms at the cloud of ashen dust filling his living room. He struggled to flip off the light switch above his head, then went back to shield himself again for the moment.


    Small particles hovered in the air across the room. Blaine covered his nose with his hand before peeking out at the chaos, again.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    A gray silhouette came into view as the dust settled. Blaine blinked in confusion. On the floor lay a pale body with long, pitch black hair tangled messily on its head. Curled, damaged wings protruded from the creature''s back.


    Blaine couldn''t move. He couldn''t risk picking himself up and confirming it¡ªthat¡ªwas real. There was absolutely no way that thing was his... statue. He flicked his eyes at what was left of the base; the square plaque in which the angel once stood on. That couldn''t be his angel.


    A stirring made him turn his attention back to the figure laying on the floor. The creature attempted to rise to a kneel. Its wings drooped. Feathers brushed each other to create a brief whoosh in the air. ¡°I''m...¡± a voice echoed from the creature''s lips. ¡°Alive?¡± It held its pale hands out in front of its, now animated, eyes.


    It had to be a hallucination. Maybe Blaine''s fever came back when he was working on the electrical wiring, and he threw his hand to his head to check.


    The angel straightened and turned towards Blaine. ¡°You spoke the words?¡±


    The angel''s slender, yet built, naked body stood in the middle of Blaine''s living room. The creature''s pure black wings spread out behind him in the familiar arch which they had been carved. His pale skin highlighted in the remains of the sunset peeking through the window, and Blaine immediately spotted the angel''s flaccid member, pure and virtuous, just as the sculpture had been.


    Blaine lowered his arm. Fever or not, he wasn¡¯t hallucinating. A tremble ran through him. ¡°Who...¡± His words trailed, a lump building in his throat. He hacked, cleared his lungs, then tried again. ¡°What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°The words,¡± the angel repeated, as he tried to stand, only to stumble back to his knees. ¡°You spoke them.¡±


    ¡°On the front of the statue?¡± Blaine asked.


    ¡°Yes, the decree of abandon,¡± the angel confirmed, trying again to balance himself.


    Blaine staggered to his feet watching as the angel continued to struggle. He shook his head ferociously, still hoping that it was all some kind of illusion. When he stopped, the angel was still there. ¡°What the hell do you mean?¡±


    The angel''s black wings ruffled, stretched wide behind his back, then curled around his sides once he gained his balance. ¡°Do not speak that insolent word. You have offended me.¡± The angel threw his hand to his face, plump lips in a pout.


    ¡°What the¡ª¡° Blaine stopped himself. ¡°Fine. What are you talking about?¡±


    With a sudden amount of adrenaline, the angel dashed to Blaine, and took his hands in his. ¡°You spoke the words on the front of the statue.¡± The angel¡¯s lean chest heaved with rapid discovery. ¡°That means... Blaine?¡±


    Blaine''s eyes widened. ¡°How do you¡ª¡°


    ¡°You are? That''s wonderful. Then the rumors were true. Augustus completed the statue and I...¡± The angel lowered his head, distraught set into his face. ¡°How many years have I missed?¡± He pulled away, biting on a fingernail in concern.


    Blaine waved his hands in front of him. ¡°Hold up, now. Let''s start at the beginning. How about names, okay? Somehow, you know my name is Blaine. What''s your name?¡±


    The angel snapped his head up in excitement. ¡°Lynsael.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Blaine said. ¡°Now, how is it that you know my name?¡±


    The angel shook his head. ¡°Uh huh, a guardian is not allowed to... Oh, no.¡± He slapped his hand across his mouth. ¡°I gave away my name.¡±


    ¡°You''re my guardian?¡± A sticky sweat developed on Blaine¡¯s palms. Not only was this thing claiming to be his guardian, but he was sexy as hell. Blaine stepped away toward the mess of stone on the floor.


    ¡°I was. But then again,¡± Lynsael''s voice hitched to a whisper. ¡°Not anymore. At least, I don''t believe so anyway. You¡¯ve grown so much since then.¡±


    Blaine began to pace across the floor. He could feel his heart thump in his temples as he tried to get a handle on what had happened. ¡°Okay, I''m a little lost. What do you mean you were my guardian?¡±


    Lynsael turned his lean back to the man, and Blaine couldn''t help but stop and gaze at the creature''s firm, sculpted ass. ¡°I was your guardian until I was bound to that slab of granite.¡± He seemed to stare at the remains. He nodded his head, then focused his eyes to the floor. ¡°I''ve lost so many years,¡± he sighed, shoulders drooped.


    Blaine should do something, anything. He thought of consoling Lynsael. He''d wanted to know more. But maybe he should just insist this was all some strange delusion from the fever that apparently came back while he was working, and lay down for a bit. He could claim this thing, that happened to break out of his statue, was some weird stalker who thought it was Halloween. That wouldn''t sound right to the cops, though. And when he thought of it more, he just couldn''t bring himself to kick Lynsael out.


    ¡°Augustus must have known,¡± Lynsael whispered.


    ¡°Augustus Dominiquez? You mean to tell me that my father''s weird ass friend knew you were trapped in there?¡±


    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Lynsael twisted around, black hair curling over his shoulders to lie across his sculpted chest. ¡°But Augustus knew the language of the gods. He could have carved the scripture into the base.¡±


    ¡°I really don''t think that¡ªWait. How do you know about Augustus?¡±


    ¡°We know of everyone, Blaine. Especially those close to our ward.¡± Lynsael clasped onto Blaine''s shoulders. His hands warming through Blaine''s shirt, and a tingle shot through Blaine''s spine. ¡°I must find out how this came to be.¡±


    Blaine crooked an eyebrow. ¡°Yeah, you do that.¡± He shrugged away. ¡°I''m going to go lay down. I think I''m getting sick again.¡± He turned, prepared to leave the room.


    ¡°You must help me, Blaine.¡±


    ¡°Yep, will do, but not until morning.¡± Maybe a little sleep and he would feel better, with no more strange, but handsome, hallucinations of naked angels standing in his living room.


    ¡°You promise me?¡±


    ¡°Sure. Goodnight.¡±


    Blaine strolled into his bedroom and stopped just as he passed the door. Maybe he should close it? Or better yet, if he turned around now, would that angel be gone? He looked over his shoulder. The pale skinned, black feathered angel stood at the door, like he''d been watching Blaine''s every move.


    ¡°What?¡± Blaine clenched his fists, irritation replaced the panic. He still hoped the angel was nothing but a delusion and it wouldn¡¯t answer him.


    ¡°I''m sorry, but where should I sleep?¡±


    ¡°On the couch,¡± Blaine mumbled. Where else did he think he''d be sleeping?


    A moment of silence followed until Lynsael''s soft voice asked, ¡°You don''t believe, do you?¡±


    ¡°No, Lynsael,¡± Blaine''s tone grew dense. ¡°I really don''t believe there is an ass naked angel standing right behind me claiming to be my long lost guardian.¡± Silence followed and Blaine took that time to close the door behind him.

 Chapter 5.1

    Under the thick comforter, Blaine tried to find some peace as he lay awake in bed. If it weren''t for the thoughts of his statue crumbled to the floor and a naked angel right outside in the living room all swirling in his head, he would be able to fully fall asleep.


    There was no way that happened, right? There''s not an angel with black wings and a sexy body out there. In the morning, he would find out Lynsael had been just a dream, the statue would be fixed, and that light he''d installed would be shining down on it, displaying its beauty just as he intended. But what a strange and, even somewhat, pleasant dream.


    He tempted himself with the thought of wandering into the living room to see if the creature was still there. Maybe he''d touch Lynsael, pet the side of his long locks, and glide his fingers against the angel''s chest to check for a heart beat. He''d have to pinch himself to make sure he wasn''t dreaming.


    A yawn escaped his lips and he settled his head into the pillow. He had to try to get to sleep. As he stretched his legs against the soft mattress, his feet hit something warm and firm at the edge of the bed.


    His head popped up. A shadowed silhouette lay with his knees tucked under him at Blaine''s feet. The body was warm, and he could make out two wings extended high above the bed.


    ¡°What the...¡± Blaine sat up.


    Lynsael rolled, his legs falling off the edge of the bed.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Blaine grumbled.


    Lynsael bounced up to his hands and knees on the foot of the bed. ¡°There''s that awful word again, Blaine. Must you use such obscenities?¡±


    ¡°I''ll tell you what''s obscene, it''s you barging in here uninvited.¡±


    ¡°But I couldn''t sleep on the couch, there''s not enough room to spread my wings.¡± Lynsael stuck out his lower lip in a pout.


    Blaine kicked the creature in the leg, threatening to push him out of bed.


    ¡°Don''t be so mean. Isn''t the bed big enough for both of us?¡±


    ¡°No. Sleep on the floor if you have to.¡±


    ¡°But it''s too hard,¡± Lynsael murmured.


    ¡°You can''t sleep here,¡± Blaine said, still kicking until Lynsael''s legs slid off the bed and he had no choice but to stagger back.


    ¡°I won''t cause you any problems, I promise. Please?¡± Lynsael knelt back on the bed, and began to crawl up the empty side.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    In protest, Blaine pulled back the blankets from the side of the bed. He wasn''t going to let Lynsael steal his comforter too, but when Lynsael flattened himself out on his stomach and laid his head down without another peep, Blaine''s anger softened.


    Lynsael''s wings spread wide, the right one stretched the width of the bed and curled on the floor, while his left wing arched down away from where Blaine was laying. His legs trembled with the cold, the spasm working up into his naked ass.


    Blaine drew in a heavy sigh, and then tossed the blankets across Lynsael''s legs, covering him to his lower back. Afterwards, he laid back down in defeat.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Lynsael whispered.


    Whatever. Blaine curled on his right side and attempted to close his eyes. Minutes passed by; the bed dipped next to him as Lynsael tried to get comfortable. With the warmth of Lynsael''s body next to Blaine, and the steady exhale of breath from Lynsael''s lips, reality had begun to set in. Lynsael was very real.


    ¡°Blaine?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Blaine sighed, knowing damn well he wasn''t going to get a wink of sleep if this continued.


    The bed shifted next to him. ¡°Tell me what happened when you turned eight.¡±


    Blaine turned to his back, Lynsael''s black feathers tickled under his nose. He bounced up and pushed the wing away. ¡°Please, stay on your side.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Lynsael said, and his wing bent to stretch across Blaine''s legs.


    Blaine crashed back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. ¡°Why do you want to know?¡±


    ¡°It''s my job. A guardian should know what happened to his ward,¡± Lynsael said.


    Another exasperated sigh escaped Blaine''s lips. He turned to his left side to take in Lynsael''s eyes which appeared black in the shadows. ¡°I don''t really...¡± It was hard to come to terms with a past he''d been trying to forget himself. ¡°That was sixteen years ago.¡±


    ¡°I''m sorry to ask...¡± Lynsael''s voice faltered.


    Blaine swallowed, he supposed he could try to recall his past for Lynsael, if it would shut him up. ¡°Well, my father died and my mother remarried a year later to some jerkoff.¡±


    ¡°It was cancer, wasn''t it?¡± Lynsael breathed.


    Blaine blinked in subtle response. ¡°How did you--? Right. You know all that... He never told any of us; he just let it go like it was no big deal.¡±


    ¡°He didn''t want to worry you,¡± Lynsael interrupted.


    Blaine felt his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. ¡°But why? He could have been saved if he just went through with the treatment.¡±


    ¡°Because the bills were too expensive and he didn''t want that burden on you.¡±


    ¡°Now I wish I didn''t know,¡± Blaine whispered. For years, he''d wondered why his father kept his cancer a secret.


    Lynsael silenced a moment. He twitched; his wing ruffled and fell flat across Blaine''s side, embracing him as if Lynsael was trying to console him. ¡°What else happened?¡±


    ¡°Too much... I don''t want to talk about it anymore,¡± Blaine huffed, flipped to his back and closed his tired eyes.


    ¡°I''m sorry. I¡¯d just like to know.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, after that my life just went to... hell.¡± He waited for Lynsael to digress his use of that word, but when nothing came, Blaine sighed, partly in relief and partly in sorrow.


    Everything that had happened to him after his father''s death was always a bit of bad luck. But he didn''t have time to dwell about the past, for it seemingly was left there to haunt him. He had the future to look forward to. Moreover, the fact that his career, his band''s career, would get a fitting start at Club Voodoo meant he could turn his piss poor luck around.


    As Blaine closed his eyes, the bed rocked, blankets pulled tight between him and Lynsael. That was going to get on his nerves, but he decided against jumping up and letting it be known. Instead, he laid still and tried to rest.


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± Lynsael''s voice came from behind.


    ¡°Night.¡±

 Chapter 5.2

    The next morning, Blaine rolled onto his left side and peered out with drowsy eyes, spotting Lynsael curled on his stomach. He was still there; it hadn''t been a dream at all. To top it off, the blanket had shifted with his movements in the night, revealing a strong lower back, and his right ass cheek.


    Blaine was tempted to touch the creature in front of him; to draw his fingers across Lynsael''s wing and arm just to make sure he was real. A heady warmth radiating from Lynsael''s presence certainly made him feel authentic but the pale skin, and black wings and hair, made Blaine reconsider.


    Unsteadily, he reached out between them and confirmed his suspicions, brushing his fingers against Lynsael''s feathered wing. Each soft feather rustled under his fingers before settling back into place. Intrigued, Blaine trailed his hand across Lynsael''s elbow. Warm, smooth skin, made his fingertips tingle. Unbelievable. Blaine ran his hand up Lynsael''s bicep, noting the strength despite Lynsael''s lean figure.


    Lynsael twitched, and Blaine pulled his hand away quickly. ¡°That tickles,¡± Lynsael chuckled.


    But his reaction didn''t stop there, Lynsael continued to writhe and kick his feet. The blankets rustled around him, quickly wrapping around his legs and Blaine sat up and fought to take back what was rightfully his. ¡°Stop... it tickles.¡±


    ¡°Would you knock it off?¡± Blaine groaned.


    Lynsael popped up off the bed, eyes wide, and turned to Blaine as he was pulling the blankets back to his side. ¡°Wh-what''s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You''re...¡± Blaine threw his arms in the air in frustration. ¡°Oh, never mind.¡± He rolled out of bed and staggered to the cold floor. ¡°I might as well get up anyway.¡±


    With a plop, Lynsael flattened across the width of the entire bed causing the springs to hitch as he took up Blaine''s spot and let his wings stretch their fullest. ¡°What are we doing today?¡± A bright smile spread on his lips.


    ¡°We? No. I am going to Katlinne''s for practice. You are going to stay here.¡± Blaine slid on his slippers and went to the dresser to dig out some clean clothes.


    ¡°Aw, but I thought we were going to look into what happened with the statue.¡±


    ¡°You can do that, right? Just don''t go out of the house.¡± Blaine turned back to find Lynsael on his feet, stretching his arms high above him until every muscle in his back and sides went taut. Blaine felt a flush through his cheeks as his gaze traveled down to Lynsael''s flaccid member. He turned around and huffed, ¡°Does every angel run around naked?¡±


    ¡°It''s a sign of purity, you know. This is how we''re born into the world. It''s man''s true form.¡±


    ¡°Well, you are not going to be flashing everyone that comes in here,¡± Blaine said, as he dug through his dresser and pulled out an extra pair of jeans. ¡°Here.¡± He tossed them to Lynsael. ¡°Put those on, please.¡±


    Lynsael yanked on the rough fabric over his legs, and shuddered. Once they were buttoned around his waist, he looked down at the stonewashed blue jeans and said, ¡°Too loose.¡± He wiggled his hips and the jeans threatened to fall around his ass.


    ¡°I''ll fix that,¡± Blaine said with a brown belt in his hands. He approached Lynsael and began stringing the belt through the jean''s loops, allowing Lynsael to turn as he threaded the belt through the back. ¡°There,¡± he said, as he tightened the buckle.


    When Blaine tipped his head, he caught Lynsael''s sparkling baby-blue eyes, and his heart threatened to choke him. He couldn''t drag himself away from those lush, full lips, nor that exotic lean, curved face. For a second, he imagined smelling Lynsael''s long, dark hair, and brushing his lips against that white, perfect skin under his chin.


    It wasn''t until Lynsael furrowed his brows that Blaine straightened and looked away. ¡°Guardian angels are from Heaven, right?¡± Blaine murmured.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Lynsael''s once proud smile wavered and he nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Then why are your wings black?¡±


    ¡°I''ve... done something,¡± Lynsael sighed. ¡°Let''s say, it''s not acceptable in His eyes.¡±


    ¡°Is that why I''ve always been a fuck up?¡± Blaine grabbed his jeans from the bed and stepped away.


    ¡°Certainly not, Blaine. My failures have nothing to do with you. There was a time I was in the Palace, a guardian of several beautiful children,¡± Lynsael said. ¡°It was something I''d always wanted and I dedicated myself to be the best guardian ever. But... things changed...¡±


    ¡°Sixteen years ago,¡± Blaine finished where Lynsael''s voice had faded. ¡°I-I''m going to take a shower. If the phone rings, don''t answer it, okay?¡±


    Lynsael plopped on the bed. Silence invaded the room behind Blaine as he disappeared through the bathroom door.


    ***


    The gush of the shower filled the unsteady quiet. Lynsael sat perfectly still, his hands stuffed between his thighs against the unfamiliar rough jean fabric. They were itchy, and he tried not to scratch his legs, knowing he needed to get used to the humans'' way of life. No one ran around in the nude here, he knew that well by looking over his young children.


    Within the palace in the clouds, only a few went nude as well, he remembered. Many of his fellow angels chose to wear dresses or, at least, frocks around their most private of areas. He was different; something about being pure seemed so right.


    He scratched at the belt digging into his abdomen. This thing had to go, but his pants would fall to his ankles if he decided against it. Instead, he stuffed his hands back between his legs.


    A mirror hung from above the dresser, and he flicked his eyes to his appearance before scanning the rest of the bedroom. Blaine kept it clean, for the most part, despite for a few pieces of clothing spread around and the corner of a Playboy peeking out from under the bed. The woman''s face stared back at Lynsael, her eyes covered in the blackest eyeliner like the kind that Blaine wore.


    Lynsael fiddled with the belt around his waist again, this time pulling the end of it through the first loop and then adjusting it back. He examined the brown leather and its shadowed creases, before unbuckling it and loosening it from his waist.


    That felt better. What would feel ten times better is if he stripped right out of them and swore never to wear them again.


    A clunk from the bathroom broke his attention away from his itchy skin. A soft yellow light shined through the crack in the door; Blaine had left it opened and Lynsael could smell the strong scent of soap escaping with the steam.


    Curious, Lynsael stood and approached the door. Inside, the fleshy figure of Blaine against a light beige shower curtain made Lynsael pause with interest. He pressed a hand above his head, and creaked open the door.


    Blaine''s broad, muscled chest moved as he spread his hands out in his hair; the shower spray hissed when he tipped his soapy head under the running water. His private member bobbed, the silhouette framed perfectly against the only protection between them, the shower curtain. Just then, drops of hot water fell across the curtain, the steam rose into the air, fogging up Lynsael''s view.


    Lynsael, tempted with the strange sensation between his legs, slid just inside the bathroom to get a better look.


    A hand darted between the tiled wall and the curtain to grab a clear blue bottle of cream. Blaine stood upright, squirted the cream onto his palm, and massaged it in his hair. More drops of water sprinkled against the barrier, plunk plonk plunk.


    With his fingers jammed close to the button of the agonizing jeans, Lynsael wrenched them loose from his waist, and let them fall down around his naked thighs. Carefully, he stepped out of them, leaving them in a bunch on the floor.


    The only thing he could think of was how wonderful it would be to slide under the water and take Blaine into his arms. He could only imagine how smooth Blaine''s tanned skin felt under his fingertips, and Blaine''s heavy breath if he''d kiss the tender spot of his neck just above his shoulders. It had been crowding his mind since yesterday when he''d been freed from the statue.


    Before he could take another step, Blaine bent down and the hissing of the water died. Four fingers clenched on to the side of the curtain and it rolled back on the plastic hangers.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± Blaine cursed as he grabbed for a towel and wrapped it around his waist.


    Lynsael bounced back and retrieved the jeans from the floor. ¡°Nothing. I was... needing to use the bathroom.¡± It was insane to hope that he could have a chance with Blaine, a human. Although he''d wished for the day to come that his human ward''s age would grant him the freedom of choice, there was always the fact that he was still an angel. A magical, and sometimes, unreal creature in the humans'' eyes.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Blaine stepped out of the tub basin. His eyes flicked to Lynsael''s rigid length and he sneered. ¡°You don''t have to be naked to take a piss.¡±


    Lynsael tightened his jaw, face flushed in embarrassment. ¡°I know that. It''s just these things are horrible. Have anything... smoother?¡± He tugged at the waistband in hopes that his human charge would agree.


    ¡°No. Now do you mind? I have to get ready to go.¡±


    Lynsael dropped his head, his long mane curled across his face and neck. ¡°Sorry for bothering you,¡± he whispered before leaving the bathroom.


    As guardian of the Palace, despite a fallen one, he still had to follow a sense of dignity and accept that Blaine couldn''t possibly be interested.

 Chapter 6

    Blaine stepped up on the shadowed porch and pressed the doorbell. Water dripped down his bangs, tickling his nose, and he wiped it away. He had rushed to put his clothes on and dart out the door after Lynsael''s mischievous attempt. What the hell was up with him anyway? Weren''t angels supposed to practice celibacy?


    Before leaving, he had given Lynsael the rules: don''t answer the phone, don''t answer the door, and don''t go anywhere. He could only hope Lynsael would listen.


    Inside, he heard Katlinne arguing with Mary, her bratty little sister. Blaine rang the doorbell again and the door swung open.


    ¡°We''re having issues. Come in,¡± Katlinne said, yanking Blaine into the house by his wrist.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡±


    ¡°Mary won''t stay out of garage. She''s gotten a hold of my song book,¡± Katlinne gasped before darting after the little girl with bright blonde pigtails and blue ruffled dress. She chased her sister around the kitchen and back into the living room past Blaine. ¡°Gimme that, you little¡ª¡°


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Her mother stopped Mary before she could jump onto the couch. ¡°Come on, now, Mary. Give Katy back her book.¡±


    ¡°Uh uh,¡± Mary laughed, tucking the notebook behind her back.


    Katlinne sneaked up behind the girl and snatched it away. ¡°You little twerp!¡± She thumbed through her book, confirming every page was still intact before meeting Blaine in the hallway. ¡°Sorry. We really need to put a lock on that door.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± Blaine nodded with a chuckle. ¡°So are we ready to practice?¡±


    ¡°Robert''s on his way, but we have a problem with Vince,¡± Katlinne said as they made their way across the kitchen to the attached garage. ¡°He hasn''t been home all day. Left this morning, something about needing to get away.¡±


    ¡°Is he still upset we didn''t play his song on Friday?¡±


    ¡°Don''t know.¡± Katlinne threw the notebook on a side table next to their equipment. ¡°But he''s been a jerk ever since then.¡±


    Blaine rolled his eyes. They''d been through this before with Vince when he insisted on getting his own place away from their folks. Right on his twenty-first birthday, he had packed up and moved to a studio apartment downtown and had demanded that the band practice there. But his plan didn''t work out. A month later he''d lost his job, couldn''t afford the rent, or the plans to turn the place into a recording studio, and was back living in his folk''s basement.


    ¡°Well, shit, what are we going to do without Vince here?¡± Blaine ran his hand across his face.


    ¡°Go through the set list for this Friday,¡± Katlinne said. ¡°Oh, and I have a new song I''ve been working on¡ª¡°


    A bang on the garage door interrupted them. Katlinne heaved up the metal garage door, and invited Robert inside. ¡°Vince isn''t here,¡± she repeated. ¡°He''s being a dick.¡±


    ¡°Probably has some new, stupid idea he''s working on,¡± Robert replied. ¡°Knowing that guy.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t doubt it,¡± Blaine agreed. ¡°So, let''s see that song, Katy.¡±


    Katlinne opened her notebook and pulled out a folded piece of lined paper. ¡°Okay, so I was thinking we could start out with a bass solo,¡± she began, as she pointed out the chords she''d darkened in with pencil into the paper. ¡°Vince, whenever he gets his head out of his ass, starts in with this...¡± She loosely demonstrated by air guitar and hummed the notes.


    Blaine stepped to the bass, picked it up out of its stand, and began tabbing the chords Katlinne had showed him. Katlinne''s eyes lit up in amusement.


    ¡°How about something like...¡± Blaine said, putting a slight twist in the original chord she''d planned.


    ¡°Oh, yeah, I like that.¡± She nodded.


    Robert jumped on the drum set, and Katlinne began to hum the lyrics she''d written underneath the notes.


    ***


    It had been two hours since Blaine had hurried out the door, leaving Lynsael trapped in the small apartment alone. At first, he plopped on the couch, twiddling his thumbs, unsure of what to do. He eyed the dark television set and the mess of broken granite all over the floor. It spread across the coffee table; the small particles even dusting the side of Blaine''s stereo.


    That was the mess he''d created, though it couldn''t have been helped.


    Lynsael stood and meandered to the kitchen where he spotted a red handled broom. Maybe if he cleaned up the mess, Blaine wouldn''t be so upset with him.


    Blaine always seemed a little resentful... scratch that. He seemed very moody that Lynsael was there. Even when Lynsael tried to make friends, Blaine did nothing but try to push him away, or yell at him like what had happened in the bathroom.


    No, that incident was Lynsael''s fault. He hadn''t been able to keep to himself, and even after that claim, Blaine didn''t ease up on him.


    ¡°Put a shirt on,¡± Blaine had said, throwing him a white, sleeveless top. ¡°Don''t go out of the house. I don''t want some naked angel prowling around the city.¡±


    What a meanie, Lynsael thought. Could he ever get through to Blaine that he wasn''t some child? Sure, he''d been a bit of a basket case, but he knew the humans ways well enough to know that purity wasn''t something you revealed to everyone.


    Scraping up the remains of the statue with the broom, he swept the larger pieces into a pile, deciding to scoop them into his palms and throw them in the trash bin in the kitchen. As he stood up, a sharp chunk of stone dug into his bare foot. ¡°Ow, ow, ow,¡± he cried, hopping on one foot. Unbalanced, he slammed into the wall and the picture above him shook free of its hanger, crashing to the floor.


    Lynsael slammed his eyes shut as the glass frame shattered. Once the chaotic sound stopped, he peeked out at the broken glass and the glossy picture of boyish Blaine beside his parents. He leaned down and gathered the photo, eying the young man.


    The image had been taken seventeen years ago when Blaine was just seven. Lynsael remembered that day as he watched the photo shoot from the clouds.


    Young Blaine groaned as he sat next to his parents, dressed in a handsome black suit and tie, his usually messy brown hair combed back, perfect for a family photo.


    ¡°I hate this,¡± he had murmured.


    ¡°Oh, Blaine,¡± his mother smiled down at him. ¡°Buck up, now, it will be over before you know it.¡±


    Lynsael had watched the flash as the pictures were taken, and finally, how Blaine had ended his trip to the photographers with a smile. Those photos couldn''t be sour; the boy needed a grin as big as his lips could go.


    Ring, ring. The jangle of the phone made Lynsael''s focus snap to the cordless telephone on the coffee table. He remembered Blaine''s rule: do not answer the phone. The noise came again, but Lynsael remained knelt over the broken glass, deciding he should pick that up too before Blaine came home.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    After spending the afternoon picking up broken glass, and chunks of stone from the floor, Lynsael plopped back down on the brown leather couch and closed his eyes. There wasn''t anything left to do but wait for Blaine.


    He''d wanted to investigate the connection between Augustus, the statue, and his bounding to the stone, but Blaine had promised the night before that he''d help. There was nothing Lynsael could do on his own, and was determined to seek out Blaine''s assistance.


    The shirt''s fabric rubbed against Lynsael''s chest, it wasn''t as itchy as the jeans, but it wasn''t entirely comfortable, either. Those things felt alien to him, and he found himself picking at the creases in the shirt.


    The door creaked open, keys jangled and Lynsael jumped up to his feet. ¡°Welcome back,¡± he said as he stepped closer to the kitchen. ¡°What took so long?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Blaine furrowed his brow. ¡°I told you it would be a few hours.¡±


    ¡°But, I was so bored. I didn''t know what to do,¡± Lynsael pouted.


    Blaine threw his keys on the kitchen cupboard and opened the door to the fridge. ¡°You could have had a snack. Did you clean up that mess in the living room?¡± he asked, as he turned his attention to the broken bits of granite in the trash can.


    Lynsael smiled. ¡°Uh huh. But there''s a lot of dust left. What should we do about that?¡±


    ¡°I''ll get out the vacuum after dinner. You hungry?¡±


    At the sound of food, Lynsael''s stomach rumbled, a strange and curious feeling. He hadn''t even thought of food until then, and his mouth began to water.


    Blaine twisted to catch Lynsael''s eyes wide with interest at the containers in the open fridge. ¡°I''ll take that as a yes.¡± He leaned down and pulled out bags of various vegetables from the crisper. ¡°I''ve been trying this vegetarian menu that Katy gave me. Does a pasta and vegetable toss sound good?¡±


    Lynsael shrugged. ¡°I guess so.¡±


    The thin plastic bag crinkled as Blaine pulled a head of celery out. He stepped towards the sink, washed the celery under a stream of cool water, and retrieved a cutting board. Once he chopped a few sticks of celery, he opted for onion next.


    Tears filled Lynsael''s eyes as he sniffed in the bitter onion scent. He moved his hands across his face, wiping the tears from his cheeks. The rumbling in his stomach got louder. It looked, and smelled, all so delightful.


    A heavy steam rose into the air above the stove, Blaine had already retrieved a pan and filled it with water, letting it boil, but Lynsael''s attention was fully on the bits of chopped tomato in a bunch on top of the cutting board.


    Just one little piece before dinner wouldn''t hurt, right? As Blaine''s back was turned, Lynsael sneaked behind him and popped one in his mouth. Sour, but not too sour, the juice covered his tongue as he chewed. How delightful.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Blaine''s voice broke through Lynsael''s heavenly sample. ¡°Go sit down and wait until it''s done.¡±


    Lynsael stuck out his lower lip. He knew how to use his puppy dog blue eyes. ¡°But it''s so good.¡±


    Blaine pointed with a black, plastic slotted spoon to the couch. ¡°Go!¡±


    Lynsael''s shoulders drooped and he stumbled back into the living room. He''d supposed he could wait for dinner. He''d also wait for Blaine''s attitude to improve, though it looked as if it never would.


    ***


    Blaine carefully balanced the full plates as he made his way to the table. Lynsael sat quietly, for once, watching him set the plates down. Blaine couldn''t help but laugh to himself at the excitement in Lynsael''s eyes; the complete awe in his face to the steamed vegetables in front of him.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Blaine asked, watching Lynsael take the first bite of his dinner.


    Lynsael''s eyes glazed over. A smile spread wide on his lips. ¡°This... wow. You are a really good cook, Blaine,¡± he said after swallowing, and hurried to take another bite.


    A warmth of satisfaction swept through Blaine after knowing he''d prepared the meal well. It had taken him a few months to perfect his taste for vegetarian dishes; lots of vegetables, a little seasoning, and, sometimes, curly bow-tie pasta. This was only one dish he''d loved to prepare, and now he had someone to share it with.


    ¡°I''m glad you like it, Lynsael,¡± Blaine said.


    Lynsael lowered his head; his cheeks reddened. ¡°You can call me Lyn, if you like.¡±


    ¡°Is that a nickname?¡±


    Lynsael nodded, mouth full again.


    ¡°Okay, I''ll call you Lyn. So, did you figure out anything about the statue?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Lynsael swallowed. ¡°I thought you could help me with that.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn''t know where to start, Lyn, with all that heavenly stuff.¡± Blaine poked at a piece of pasta and shoved it into his mouth. ¡°Besides, wouldn''t you be better with all that?¡±


    Lynsael''s eyes softened. ¡°I guess, yeah. But there''s so much to be done. I hate to admit this, but I''m at a loss with where to start, too.¡± He scooped up a pile of tomato and celery to the end of his plate, and then pushed it the other way. ¡°When did Augustus pass away?¡±


    ¡°Three years ago,¡± Blaine answered.


    ¡°And did you visit him even after your father died?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I took my partner there to show off the statue.¡±


    ¡°Your partner?¡± Lynsael seemed to hesitate.


    ¡°Yes, my boyfriend.¡± Blaine paused to see the wonder in Lynsael''s eyes. ¡°Does this have anything to do with the investigation?¡±


    ¡°No. But¡ª¡°


    ¡°Look, if it''s irrelevant, then we don''t need to worry about it, okay?¡±


    Lynsael buried his hands underneath the table and stared down at the unfinished plate of food. Blaine couldn''t understand his need to know every single detail of his life. Sure, Lynsael might have been his guardian at one time, but that was a long time ago.


    He could see the sorrow in Lynsael''s eyes. It tugged at his heart. ¡°If you really want to know, it didn''t work out between us, okay? It was a long time ago. Are you happy now?¡±


    ¡°A little. I''d just like to know what happened¡ª¡°


    ¡°What happened, happened, Lyn.¡± Blaine dropped his fork on the crystal plate. ¡°We can''t go back and change the past no matter how much we''d like to. I''ve had a very shitty life so far, okay, there I said it. Something in the stars got really fucked up when I was born, leaving me with one hell of a streak of lifelong bad luck.¡±


    ¡°Don''t say that.¡± Lynsael popped his head up. ¡°Your childhood went well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah until I was eight. From that moment, I¡ª¡° Blaine stopped, a surprising revelation ran through his thoughts. ¡°You didn''t have anything to do with that, did you?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying? Guardians are only allowed to watch; we cannot intrude in our child''s lives like that!¡±


    ¡°Then why did the rest of my life go terribly wrong?¡± Blaine felt his shoulders tense, the heat rise through his veins, and all he wanted to do was forget what he''d tried to put to rest long ago. Having Lynsael bring it up wasn''t helping.


    Lynsael pursed his lips and returned to shoving his uneaten food around on his plate. The squeaking noise of metal against crystal irritated Blaine even more.


    ¡°Knock it off,¡± Blaine spouted.


    Lynsael froze, but that was all Blaine needed to realize he was being a jerk. Instead, he stood and stomped into the living room, away from Lynsael, away from the memories, and away from everything.


    The dusty remains of the granite buried into his carpeted floor had Blaine more upset knowing he had lost his precious statue. Well in a sense, it was still here, only now it could walk, it could talk, and it could piss him off. That wasn''t all, surely no. When Blaine wasn''t looking, it could also sneak up close, and do whatever it wished, just like what was about to happen in the bathroom this morning. There was no mistaking that that was what Lynsael had planned.


    Blaine tensed his fists until his knuckles whitened, and then unfolded his fingers. Just what did Lynsael want of him?


    Just then, the kitchen tap hissed, and Blaine turned to spot Lynsael at the sink. Dishes clanked together as he filled the basin with soapy water. Lynsael scrubbed at the dirty dishes, the baggy jeans that Blaine had loaned him barely held up by the belt. He even washed the bowl that Blaine had used for cereal before he''d left for practice.


    Clank, he set the first plate in the strainer, robust shoulders tensed as Lynsael stretched his body out across the double sink to reach. He seized hold of the loops of his jeans, yanked them up to his waist, and continued to the next plate.


    Maybe Blaine could apologize for being such an ass. Besides, he didn''t even ask Lynsael to do the dishes. In fact, Lynsael didn''t really have to do anything but be the marvelous creature that was originally carved in the sculpture; the strong, lean, handsome angel that had came alive under the pure white light.


    Bubbles of soap waved and fluttered in the air as Lynsael continued the job. His jeans threatened to fall around his hips, and, again, he jerked them back up. Black wings spread wide across his back, and his long, dark hair swayed behind him as he moved back and forth, setting the dishes to dry.


    He was that glorious angel Blaine knew from the statue. The same beautiful creature with delicately carved muscles, and an ethereal face.


    Blaine choked down the butterflies rising in his stomach. His heart thumped into his throat. Slowly, he stepped back into the kitchen and leaned against the counter next to Lynsael, who refused to look at him.


    ¡°You don''t have to do that, you know,¡± Blaine said, feeling a little foolish for the way he''d acted.


    ¡°I just figured I might as well.¡± Lynsael shrugged, stretching to put a fork away.


    Blaine reached out and grabbed Lynsael''s arm. ¡°Lyn.¡± He turned and furrowed his brows. ¡°Don''t¡ª¡° The words caught on Blaine''s tongue as he focused in on the perfectly sculpted face, the same one he couldn''t take his eyes off when he first saw the completed statue.


    Lynsael''s face flushed red; his arm began to tremble. Blaine tempted himself to pull him in and steal those full, inviting lips, but Blaine didn''t have the chance to struggle with his fascination. Lynsael leaned into him, and brushed his pale lips against Blaine''s.


    Blaine''s legs felt weak, and his heart thumped hard in his chest. It was perfect; the moist, plump lips on his, and the lean, warm body pressed so close. He just couldn''t take it. The heat built up into Blaine''s cheeks; he dropped Lynsael''s arm and backed away.


    ¡°That was...¡± Blaine couldn''t find the words.


    ¡°Wonderful?¡± Lynsael tried, as he closed the gap between them.


    Blaine pushed against Lynsael''s clothed chest. ¡°No. Weird.¡± He slid against the counter, and freed himself from Lynsael''s warmth.


    His feet had threatened to trip him as he staggered his way back into the living room. The flush of heat through his body lessened, leaving him flustered. ¡°I... gotta get ready for bed,¡± Blaine said, feeling Lynsael''s presence hovering behind him.


    ¡°But it''s early¡ª¡±


    ¡°Gotta work at six in the morning,¡± Blaine replied, stumbling off into the bedroom.

 Chapter 7.1

    Chapter 7


    Lynsael couldn''t force himself to move off the comfortable mattress. He''d been lying there all morning on his stomach with his left arm stretched the width of the bed, fingers dangling to the floor. The roar of a truck driving outside made him flick his eyes to the window. When it was gone, he focused back in on the light tan colored carpeting underneath his arm.


    Earlier in the morning, he''d been awakened by the buzz of the alarm clock, and Blaine rustling with the sheets. He''d lain in bed, listening to the running shower on the other side of the bathroom door, and imagined his human charge under the raining water. Blaine''s broad chest gleaming with soap; hot drops of water beading across his skin...


    The only thing between them was the closed door. Blaine had locked it this time, making sure Lynsael didn''t try anything like yesterday. But if Lynsael couldn''t win the human''s heart, he had no chance to love Blaine anyway. And the way it looked now, Blaine wasn''t going to crack.


    Lynsael sighed.


    Out of curiosity, he reached under the bed and pulled out a stack of Blaine''s magazines. Everything from Playboy to Men''s Health splayed before his eyes. As he turned the pages of the February issue of Maxim, the living room door slammed, and he bounced off the bed, prepared for Blaine to come into the room.


    The jangle of keys hit the counter top. Then he heard Blaine mumble to himself and call out, ¡°Hey, Lyn. Where are you?¡± Footsteps stomped on the floor, and the bedroom door flew open. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Lynsael smiled and spread his arms wide in hopes for a hug. ¡°Welcome home.¡±


    Blaine furrowed his brows. ¡°My magazines? Really?¡±


    Lynsael peered at the pile of magazines. He didn''t think he''d get into trouble for looking. ¡°Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°As long as you pick them up when you''re done,¡± Blaine said, leaning down to stack the magazines on top of each other. ¡°You didn''t read this, did you?¡± He held up a magazine, a partly naked woman stretched on her back with her hands spread against her naked thighs on the cover. Lynsael shook his head. ¡°Good, cause you don''t really need to look at that. You know, the whole purity, good virtue thing and all.¡±


    ¡°Sex isn''t all that evil,¡± Lynsael said, watching the man stuff the magazines under the bed.


    Blaine popped his head up; his jaw clenched. ¡°I never said it was.¡±


    ¡°It''s one of the most greatest things in the world.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Yeah, that''s wonderful.¡± Blaine stood quickly. ¡°Have you been in here the entire day?¡±


    Lynsael nodded, a coy grin spread on his lips. ¡°There''s not really anything to do when you''re not around.¡±


    ¡°I already said you could watch television. Just don''t turn it up too loud.¡± Blaine motioned to the living room, to the equipment on the other side of the wall. ¡°And you could always make yourself a snack.¡±


    ¡°Your cooking is really good, though. I''d rather save my appetite,¡± Lynsael said, a flush building through his cheeks.


    ¡°Right... Well, I''ll tell you what. I''ll make us something for lunch.¡± Blaine slipped his green work shirt over his head. ¡°Let me get out of these nasty clothes first, though.¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    The harsh scent of fried foods drifted towards Lynsael as Blaine threw his shirt on the bed next to him, but the horrid smell wouldn''t make Lynsael drop his eyes from the strong, athletic body in front of him. As Blaine moved across the bedroom floor, shadows stretched along the creases of muscles in his back. The light curved over the black outline of a full tattoo, the Celtic dragon stretching from Blaine''s shoulder blades to his lower back, and Lynsael tried to fight the flush from building through his face.


    Blaine unbuckled his work slacks, letting them fall around his waist to the floor. Blaine''s tight boxers hugged his firm backside as he dug through his dresser drawers. The sudden carelessness on Blaine''s part had Lynsael''s thoughts in a fury. His cock thumped inside the barrier of his uncomfortable jeans. He wanted to dash up behind Blaine and surprise him with sultry kisses, while pressing his hardness into the crease of Blaine''s boxers. It could work; he could steal Blaine''s heart instead of trying to win it over.


    Lynsael slid off the bed, trying his best to remain quiet as he advanced closer to Blaine, but his toe caught on a pair of dirty pants and he had to stop to shake them off.


    But Blaine turned around, buttoning on a clean pair of jeans. ¡°You ready?¡±


    Lynsael straightened his spine. ¡°Yep.¡± His rigid hard on still aching underneath the rough fabric.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Blaine asked, as Lynsael tried to adjust himself.


    ¡°Never better. So what are you making this time?¡±


    ¡°Um, I was thinking of flatbread wraps. Sound good?¡±


    Lynsael nodded; a rumbling in his stomach.


    ***


    ¡°You seemed kind of mad when you got off of work,¡± Lynsael said, the stuffed, toasted flatbread wrap close to his lips. ¡°Don''t you like your job?¡±


    ¡°Yeah...¡± Blaine rolled his eyes. ¡°No, actually, it sucks. Working fast food always sucks, though.¡±


    ¡°Fast food?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you know. Serving food to people in a hurry.¡± Blaine took a small bite from the corner of his wrap. ¡°It''s nasty, greasy, and...¡± he choked down his bite. ¡°Bleh.¡± Blaine trembled from head to toe just thinking about everything he''d gone through during his shift.


    ¡°Why don''t you leave?¡±


    ¡°I can''t. I really need the money. Besides, even if we get that gig at the club, it won''t pay for everything like rent and utilities.¡± Blaine paused a moment. ¡°I wonder if Vanessa''s going to call,¡± he murmured. He looked up at Lynsael, who sat stock-still, eyes dead set on him and sparkling in the lights. ¡°Vanessa''s the co-owner of the club,¡± Blaine continued. ¡°It''s really important that the band get this gig.¡±


    ¡°Will you be gone more?¡± Lynsael asked.


    Blaine shrugged. ¡°Friday nights, yeah. But you''ll be fine by yourself, Lyn.¡±


    ¡°What do you do in this band?¡±


    ¡°Play the bass. Don''t you know what a band is?¡±


    Lynsael nodded. ¡°I''ve watched concerts before from¡ª¡° He pointed up into the air. ¡°¡ªbut I always wondered how great they would sound right next to the stage.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it''s awesome, actually. Loud. You gotta have an ear for it, though. If metal isn''t your thing, then you wouldn''t want to come see us play.¡±


    ¡°Think I could see your band someday?¡±


    ¡°Not with those¡ª¡° Blaine stilled. He narrowed his eyes on Lynsael, noticing that his wings weren''t spread as far as normal. ¡°What''s going on with your wings?¡±


    Lynsael turned and grasped the tip of his right black, feathered wing. He ruffled the feathers through his fingers, concern etched into his face. ¡°I don''t know. They''re shorter... Why are they shorter?¡± He turned to his left and spotted his other wing had also shrunk.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Blaine watched Lynsael turn his head left and right in worry.


    ¡°This is... Weird. I just cannot... Were they this short earlier?¡±


    Blaine chuckled to himself. ¡°Look, I wouldn''t worry so much abou¡ª¡°


    ¡°No.¡± Lynsael interrupted. ¡°This is bad. I mean, there''s a story that guardians tell each other about an angel who went into the mortal world and lost his wings.¡±


    ¡°But your not losing feathers.¡± Blaine stood, leaned over the table, and stacked the dirty plates. ¡°Seriously, they look fine. Don''t get worked up about it.¡±


    ¡°You think they look okay?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Blaine let a smile spread on his lips to the fact that Lynsael''s wings looked more adorable than ever.


    The dishes rattled under Blaine''s hand. When he picked them up, the clanking stopped, but the trembling didn''t. Nothing could stop the flush, the boiling heat rising through Blaine''s face as Lynsael peered at him with those majestic eyes. Something unraveled within him; he had found himself enjoying Lynsael''s company.


    ¡°I''m... um, I''m going to jump in the shower,¡± Blaine choked out.

 Chapter 7.2

    He set the dishes on the countertop and headed for the bathroom. Silence followed him, and he imagined Lynsael back at the table, continuing to check his wings. Blaine welcomed the calm.


    After starting the shower, he left his clothes in a bundle on the top of the toilet lid, and slipped under the warm water. This was perfect quiet time to think about everything. Vanessa hadn''t called yet and it was getting late in the day. The band had strived for this since they got together in high school. If they didn''t get the gig, he didn''t know what they were going to do. To top it off, Vince was being an ass, again.


    Next, Blaine thought of Lynsael, and how every time he was close, Blaine would start to tremble. The flush that grew through his cheeks, and the way his heart stopped when Lyn kissed him. He was always so damned flustered when he saw Lynsael''s smooth pale skin stretched taut against his lean chest; his contrasting black hair drooped across his broad shoulders. If only he could touch him without getting all confused; all damned hot inside.


    The flush rose through Blaine again as he thought of pressing his lips to Lynsael''s. Those handsome wings would flutter and wrap around them; they would embrace each other tight in wanton need. He would smell Lynsael''s hair while kissing him sweetly across his neck.


    Blaine''s hardened cock quivered with the strain of the beating shower. He braced against the side of the tile, brushing a hand across his length. The water seemed to get hotter as he gripped his cock tight, imagining stripping Lynsael of his unsightly clothing. Lynsael''s ethereal body would light up in the florescent lamps above. Blaine would circle his tongue around Lynsael''s nipple, before taking his cock into his mouth.


    ¡°Shit...¡± he murmured; his own cock pulsed inside of his palm.


    He trembled; the delicious orgasm so close.


    A knock came at the door, followed by Lynsael''s angelic voice, ¡°Blaine?¡±


    The door creaked open, and Blaine straightened before reaching around the shower curtain for a towel. ¡°What?¡± he barked.


    ¡°I''m sorry to bother you, but you have a phone call.¡±


    ¡°Ugh,¡± Blaine pouted. Damn interruptions. ¡°Why are you answering the phone? Tell them I''m busy.¡±


    ¡°But it''s Vanessa from some Club Voodoo.¡±


    Blaine quickly shut off the water, wrapped the towel around his waist, and pulled back the shower curtain. ¡°Really? Shit!¡± He dashed from the bathroom into the kitchen, and quickly found the cordless phone lying on the counter. ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Blaine? Hey, it''s Vanessa.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Is this a good time? I told whoever answered your phone that I could call back,¡± she said.


    ¡°No, no, I''m not busy.¡± Water and soap dripped to the tiled floor underneath him.


    ¡°Oh? Well, I have some fabulous news. Tommy loved your band''s performance last Friday. We''ve decided to book you for the Friday spot. Can you guys be ready to come in this week?¡± Vanessa asked.


    Blaine swore his heart stopped for the moment. ¡°Yeah... yes, holy shit!¡± he breathed, hand to his dripping wet chest.


    Vanessa chuckled. ¡°Great. We do have a couple of things to go over with you guys before your gig, but otherwise, gather up a kick ass set, and the stage is ''Til Dark''s every Friday night. See you then.¡±


    ¡°This is... awesome. Thank you.¡±


    Just then, Lynsael strode into the room. Blaine set down the phone on the counter, reveling in the fact that they actually got the gig.


    ¡°What''s going on?¡± Lynsael wondered.


    ¡°I... We got the spot at the club,¡± Blaine stuttered, still in shock.


    ¡°That''s great.¡± Lynsael stepped close and stood beside Blaine.


    Blaine splayed his hand across his face. He shook his head. ¡°This is... unbelievable. I... this... it''s the best luck I''ve had...¡± He looked to Lynsael, whom leaned against the counter next to him. ¡°You sure you didn''t have anything to do with this?¡±


    Lynsael wrapped his arm around Blaine''s neck. ¡°I promise. This is all on you, Blaine. You made this happen yourself.¡±


    Blaine''s eyes widened to that fact. After years of shitty luck, he had finally turned it around.


    ¡°Lyn, I...¡± his words stuck on his tongue; the ethereal face carved in the bright lamps was so close, a soothing warmth radiated between them.


    He narrowed his eyes and leaned closer, pressing his lips to Lynsael''s. The flush rose through his cheeks, but he couldn''t care now; he allowed the heady need to take him. He cupped Lynsael''s face in his hand, opened his mouth, and sought out Lynsael''s tongue.


    Lynsael splayed his fingers across Blaine''s naked chest and his heated touch made Blaine shiver. He slid his hand down to Blaine''s stomach, and his rigid cock quivered against the soft towel around his waist.


    They both pulled each other close. Blaine gripped Lynsael''s sleeveless shirt and tugged it over his head, threw it across the counter top, and found those plump lips again. In the light, Lynsael''s pale skin had come alive alike the fabulous statue had done, and Blaine couldn''t help but glide his hands across Lynsael''s chest, against his nipples.


    A nip of cool air brushed against Blaine''s naked ass as Lynsael stripped the towel from around his waist, and dropped it in a rustle on the floor.


    Blaine suckled on Lynsael''s lower lip and broke away to breathe out, ¡°How is it... you do this to me?¡±


    ¡°What''s that?¡± Lynsael whispered.


    ¡°Make me fall for you.¡±


    Lynsael flattened his forehead against Blaine''s, and narrowed his eyes. ¡°I''ve already fallen for you.¡±


    The confession seized at him, and Blaine realized he''d fallen for Lynsael too; it just took him awhile to confirm it with himself.


    He found Lynsael''s lips again; his hands trailed down the small of Lynsael''s taut back to cup his ass. Blaine''s heart thundered in his chest as the intoxicating scent of desire wafted through the air. Lynsael had curved with him, digging his fingertips into his sides, and then lowered his hand to grasp hold of Blaine''s painfully hard cock.


    ¡°Lyn,¡± Blaine gasped.


    A wry smile spread across Lynsael''s face before he broke their kiss. ¡°All this time,¡± Lynsael said before dotting Blaine''s cheek with kisses. ¡°I''ve waited.¡± His lips trailed wet lines across Blaine''s jaw to his neck, where he nipped at skin sending shock waves through Blaine''s spine.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Blaine closed his eyes, his body weakening even more to Lynsael''s touch. He leaned back against the hard counter.


    Lynsael continued to suckle at his neck, up to his earlobe, and sent a warm gasp of breath through Blaine''s hair. Goosebumps rose up on his arms; his face went steaming hot. When Lynsael began to stroke Blaine''s length, he''d almost lost his footing and slipped on the wet tile; stopped by Lynsael''s hold on him.


    A chuckle left Lynsael''s lips, before he trailed down Blaine''s damp chest; his tongue brushing against his nipple making it pebble. As he lowered himself to his knees, he thumbed at the head of Blaine''s cock and lapped a bead of precome.


    Blaine reached for Lynsael, clasping his fingers into Lynsael''s smooth hair. ¡°Jesus,¡± the words fell unbidden from his lips. ¡°Lyn, you...¡± His muscles went taut as Lynsael took Blaine''s shaft into his mouth, down to the base. The words he''d meant spoken escaped him, while Lynsael''s wandering hands wrapped around his hips, and clenched on to his ass.


    With every movement, Blaine felt his desire burn through his face. The warm heat of those lips around his hardness, the way Lynsael gripped on to his ass as he rocked, and the rich scent of Lynsael''s lust made Blaine tense with needed release. And he wanted Lynsael to take him there.


    He''d began to thrust with Lynsael''s movements. Wanton moans broke through Blaine''s lips as Lynsael took his cock between his lips, and he felt his foot slide on the wet floor again. He dug his heel into the tile in hopes it would stop him.


    Soon, he couldn''t stop from going over. The heat threw his senses into overdrive, and his hard cock pulsed, sending a wave of come into Lynsael''s awaiting mouth.


    Lynsael looked up at Blaine in satisfaction. He wiped his red, puffy lips with a smile.


    Blaine narrowed his eyes down on him. ¡°Come here,¡± he whispered, heaving Lynsael up to his feet by the mess of long hair still in his grasp.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Lynsael protested.


    Once Lynsael was on his feet, Blaine pressed close to him, freed his hair and wrapped his arms around his sides. ¡°You''re naughty,¡± Blaine chuckled and smacked Lynsael''s ass.


    ¡°Is that right?¡± Lynsael tipped his head.


    Blaine nipped at Lynsael''s lower lip. ¡°Uh huh,¡± he moaned before pressing his lips to Lynsael''s. He opened his mouth wide, and Blaine could still taste his salty release on Lynsael''s tongue.


    The cool air had crept along his back, making him shiver now that his heated flush had gone. Blaine embraced Lynsael tight, but it still wasn''t enough. Carefully, he slid against the counter with Lynsael still in his arms, their lips pressed tight, and began to stumble into the living room.


    Blaine knew his apartment well enough to navigate, but with Lynsael in his arms, it made his dance backwards towards the couch difficult. Before he knew it, the back of his leg caught the edge of the coffee table and he tumbled to land on his ass with a thunk. ¡°Shit,¡± he spouted. Lynsael stood above him with his familiar enticing grin.


    Just when Blaine thought Lynsael would extend a helping hand, the angel knelt against the wood table between his legs. Lynsael''s smooth hands trailed up Blaine''s chest; his tongue drew a wet line against Blaine''s skin until he was face to face with Blaine.


    ¡°Lyn...¡± Blaine breathed, his half hardened cock throbbed against Lynsael''s stomach.


    Lynsael tipped his head again to the bead of Blaine''s precome cooling on his abdomen, and then furrowed his brows at the suffocating brown belt, and rough jeans. ¡°I hate these things,¡± he announced and straightened his spine. He wrenched at his jeans, letting them fall down around his knees, and then kicked them away.


    Taking that opportunity to move from the hard table, Blaine crashed back into the couch before Lynsael was completely stripped. He marveled at Lynsael''s figure, his strong, robust legs, and his rigid cock. How could Blaine have thought about covering that up?


    Blaine motioned for Lynsael. The angel narrowed his eyes and smiled before joining Blaine. Straddling Blaine, Lynsael sought out Blaine''s lips and buried his hands in Blaine''s short hair.


    As Blaine thrust, his painfully hard cock rubbed against Lynsael''s tight hole. The flush rushed through his body; sweat began to stick to his bangs. A wanton craving for Lynsael swept through him and he bucked again, sliding his cock between Lynsael''s ass cheeks.


    ¡°I...¡± he suckled at Lynsael''s lower lip. ¡°Want you so bad,¡± his voice trembled.


    At those words, Lynsael narrowed his eyes, and then turned to reach for the coffee table, picking up Blaine''s wallet. When he returned, he unsnapped the leather wallet, rustled with the pockets, and retrieved a foil wrapped condom.


    ¡°How did you know I keep that in there?¡± Blaine furrowed his brow.


    ¡°I was curious one day,¡± Lynsael answered.


    ¡°Nosy.¡± It was one thing that Lynsael rummage through his magazines, but when it came to Blaine''s wallet, he felt a little deceived.


    The foil crumbled under Lynsael''s fingers as he tried to unwrap the condom. Somehow, it seemed impossible for him to tear the edge away. Blaine chuckled, and snatched the condom from his hand.


    ¡°This won''t work,¡± he said. ¡°We need lube, too. I don''t wanna hurt you.¡±


    Lynsael buried his head in the man''s collar, and began to lick small lines across his skin. ¡°I don''t care,¡± he breathed.


    ¡°You don''t know what you''re saying. Haven''t you ever¡ª¡°


    ¡°Watched two gay men from the Palace? Yes.¡±


    The confession surprised Blaine. ¡°That''s not exactly what I was going to say, but since you mentioned it, why did you?¡±


    ¡°Curiosity.¡± Lynsael shrugged.


    Blaine softened his face, and trailed his hands up Lynsael''s sides. ¡°You''re a very curious creature, aren''t you?¡±


    Lynsael nodded and kissed the man''s skin. ¡°Please?¡±


    He sighed and gripped Lynsael''s sides, making him straighten his spine, and then tore at the condom''s wrapper.


    Lynsael moved just long enough for Blaine to slip the condom over his hard length, and straddled his legs again around Blaine.


    ¡°Just go slowly,¡± Blaine said.


    He carefully guided Lynsael against him, the warmth of Lynsael''s puckered opening gliding against the head of his cock. With one thrust, he could be buried deep inside, the temptation exhilarated him, but he kept steady and allowed Lynsael to slowly handle himself.


    Blaine felt an unsteady breath escape Lynsael''s lips as he drove himself on Blaine''s cock, and he braced himself against Blaine''s shoulders. Blaine noticed the trembling, the muscles contracting around his cock, and he embraced Lynsael tight around his neck to comfort him.


    Blaine thrust once, Lynsael let out a suffocated moan. When Blaine gripped on to his quivering cock, Lynsael whispered, ¡°Yes, Blaine...¡±


    He began to stroke Lynsael''s length while pressing deeper into his warmth. Wings fluttered and spread from behind him, before he cloaked his wings around them both. Shadows played against Lynsael''s soft face. A strong scent of musk spread from them both.


    The sweat built between their pressed legs; a drop of sweat ran down the side of Blaine''s face. Just as he began to thrust faster, Lynsael''s length pulsed in his palm, and another wanton moan came deep from his lungs.


    ¡°Mm, Blaine,¡± Lynsael whispered, focusing his blue eyes on Blaine''s, and his heart thundered in his chest. ¡°This feels so¡ª¡°


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Blaine''s voice hitched.


    Lynsael''s eyes widened, and then narrowed before he nodded and pressed his lips against Blaine''s. Soon, his moans came unbidden from his lungs, and his sticky release spread across Blaine''s fingers. That was all Blaine needed; he rocked fast into Lynsael''s tightness, the warmth of his partner''s embrace seizing at him. As the delicious tingle swept through his body, his balls tightened and he released.


    Blaine''s heart hammered within his chest, his entire body felt weak. He leaned his head back into the couch, closed his eyes, and dropped his arms at his sides.


    ¡°You are one hell of a¡ª¡° he huffed, catching that word. ¡°I mean, you''re really something.¡±


    Lynsael crashed his head into Blaine''s shoulder; both wings folded back and Blaine welcomed the cooling air brushing against his naked skin. He took the moment to breathe, and settle his excitement, his lax cock sliding out from between Lynsael''s warmth.


    A slight tickle on his thigh made him tingle. He tried to scratch his leg, and his fingers caught a soft feather. ¡°What''s this?¡± He held up the feather, examining the black strands wilted at the tip.


    Lynsael picked up his head and, immediately, his eyes widened in shock. ¡°My wings!¡± He twisted and turned left and right, checking his precious wings. ¡°Why am I losing feathers?¡±


    ¡°Calm down,¡± Blaine commanded, grasping on to Lynsael''s shoulders. ¡°Isn''t this normal?¡±


    Lynsael furrowed his brows. ¡°I''m not a cat, Blaine. I don''t shed.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so it''s just one feather.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but it could be two feathers tomorrow, then three, then four,¡± Lynsael huffed, sliding himself away from Blaine. ¡°By this time next week I won''t have any wings at all.¡±


    ¡°I think you''re getting a little carried away with this.¡±


    Lynsael thumbed across his right wing, letting the feathers ruffle through his fingers. Every one of them stayed in place. Once he was done checking the left wing, he turned to Blaine and said, ¡°Maybe you''re right. But we still need to figure out the connection between Augustus and the statue.¡± He pointed to the remains.


    ¡°Can we do that tomorrow,¡± Blaine yawned. ¡°after I get off of work? I promise, I''ll try to help you.¡± He reached out and clenched on to Lynsael''s hand. ¡°I''m ready to turn in for the night.¡±


    Lynsael''s face softened. He nodded his head and helped Blaine off the couch. As they both entered the bedroom, Blaine brushed his fingers through the fallen feather. ¡°I''m going to keep this, though.¡± And leaned it against a photo frame on top of his dresser.

 Chapter 8

    ¡°After work?¡± Lynsael asked as Blaine threw his coat over his shoulders.


    ¡°I promise.¡± Blaine leaned in, and kissed Lynsael''s forehead. ¡°Remember, you can watch TV or something other than ransacking my magazines.¡±


    A smile spread on Lynsael''s lips and he watched Blaine close the door behind him.


    It would be a long day of waiting, he knew, and he would just have to make the best of it. The morning had started with breakfast; a warped veggie wrap that he tried to make following Blaine''s procedure from the night before, but he''d ended up cooking the flatbread in the microwave too long, and scorched the broccoli.


    After that, he plopped down on the couch and meddled with the television. He changed the channels, stopping on a few somewhat interesting shows, but ended up turning the TV set off and settling back with a magazine instead.


    Something about the slick, colorful pages intrigued him. He''d flipped through every article in the issue of Men''s Health, before turning his attention on the Sports Illustrated. He''d always wanted to know more about people, what exactly made them tick, and about how they lived. The sports they played or the cologne they wore interested him. So many rich scents drifted from the pages of Maxim as he turned the pages.


    By the end of the day, he''d gone through almost every single magazine but that particular one Blaine instructed him not to. Instead of disobeying Blaine''s orders, he found himself lying on his stomach across the width of the bed, thinking about Blaine and the night before until he drifted into peaceful sleep.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Blaine''s voice broke through the calm.


    Lynsael popped his head up from the comfortable mattress. ¡°Hey! Welcome home.¡±


    Blaine unhooked his name tag from his shirt and threw it on the dresser. ¡°What did you do all day?¡±


    ¡°I couldn''t find anything to watch, so I read your magazines,¡± Lynsael answered, sliding off of the bed and strolling close to Blaine. He wrapped his arms around the man''s neck, craving his warmth and his touch. ¡°How was your day?¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Better,¡± Blaine said, before brushing his lips against Lynsael''s. ¡°Did you even turn on the television?¡±


    Lynsael nodded. ¡°But there wasn''t anything on.¡± He turned to retrieve something that he''d happened to find while digging deeper under Blaine''s bed. ¡°Is this what you needed last night?¡± He tossed a small, clear bottle to Blaine.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Blaine answered as he caught the bottle and examined the red lettering on the side. ¡°Lube.¡±


    Lynsael chuckled. He''d known it as soon as he saw the label. Excitement took over and he couldn''t wait for Blaine to get home. Now that Blaine was here, and the bottle readily there, he felt a tremble sink down in his legs.


    ¡°Think we could¡ª¡°


    Ring, ring.


    Blaine tipped his head. ¡°Let me get that real quick.¡±


    The smile on Lynsael''s lips wavered as Blaine rushed out of the bedroom. He cautiously followed Blaine out into the living room.


    ¡°What?¡± Blaine''s voice went from excited to dismal in a brief second. ¡°Fuck!¡± Lynsael could barely hear the chirp of another voice from the speaker. ¡°Don''t fuckin tell me that Katy. Yes, we got the spot at the club, but what the hell are we going to do without a guitarist?¡±


    Lynsael froze in place.


    ¡°Hell no, we''re not giving up on this,¡± Blaine commanded, then silence as the voice on the other end spoke. ¡°You think anyone could learn the set in three days?¡± Blaine pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed. ¡°Yeah... and I can try to head downtown and see if I can find someone.¡±


    There was no way this could be happening to Blaine. As much as Lynsael wanted this to be one sick, cruel joke, it seemed as if Blaine''s bad luck was back in full force.


    An ending beep sounded, and Blaine lowered the phone back to the counter top. ¡°I... I''ll be back, Lyn. I gotta deal with this shit.¡± He slid his hand through his short, brown hair. ¡°God, damn it!¡± He kicked the side of the counter, the wood panel cracked with the force.


    ¡°Blaine...¡± Lynsael breathed. He''d wanted to comfort him. Somehow.


    ¡°I''m sorry. I just... I gotta go find another damn guitarist.¡± Blaine flicked his eyes at Lynsael. He grabbed his coat from the back of a kitchen chair and disappeared out the door.


    Lynsael lowered his head, his long hair drifted into his face. He''d never seen Blaine so upset before. If only Blaine could have stayed, he would curl up against him and relieve his tension. But this was what Blaine had worked for, the chance to play at this so called club with his band. Lynsael couldn''t get in the way of that.


    Instead, he raced into the living room towards the base of the statue. There had to be something that he could do to help. Something about the statue, about Augustus, that he could determine himself.

 Chapter 8.2

    The slam of the front door made Lynsael jump up from the couch. It¡¯d been three hours since Blaine left in search of a new guitarist. Three hours, and Lynsael hadn''t accomplished much. But by the look on the man''s face, things were looking better.


    ¡°Any luck?¡± Lynsael asked.


    Blaine peeled his coat away from around his shoulders. ¡°Sort of. Thank god my buddy down at the tattoo shop knows a guy looking for a band.¡±


    ¡°So everything is okay now?¡± Lynsael strode close to Blaine.


    ¡°Well,¡± Blaine sighed. ¡°Tomorrow we''re going to have to practice for a few hours and go over the set with the guy.¡±


    ¡°At least you found someone.¡± Lynsael attempted to wrap himself around Blaine as the man''s face softened. He leaned close, needing to feel those lips on his, but Blaine slid away from him. Lynsael suckled in his lower lip, not sure why the man didn''t want to kiss him.


    ¡°What about you, did you find out anything about the statue?¡± Blaine sighed, as he meandered into the living room, kicking off his canvas shoes by the side of the wall, and crashing down on the couch.


    ¡°No, I...haven''t.¡± Lynsael followed him. Of course, now that Blaine had something more important to focus on, he wouldn''t have the time to help Lynsael.


    ¡°I''m sorry I can''t help you with this right now, Lyn. It''s just that the band is really¡ª¡°


    ¡°More important?¡± Lynsael sighed.


    Blaine closed his eyes and leaned his head against the back of the couch. He nodded, lips drawn into a fine line.


    Lynsael scooted closer and cupped Blaine''s cheek in his hand. ¡°It''s okay. I know the band is important to you.¡±


    Blaine''s eyes popped open. He turned towards Lynsael. ¡°But y-you''re important to me too, Lyn.¡±


    Lynsael''s heart thumped, threatening to lodge itself into his throat. After so long, was Blaine feeling the same as he did? He thought it was a miracle against his better judgment.


    Words stuck on his tongue as he stared into Blaine''s serious brown eyes. His lips began to tremble, and as he opened his mouth to let the words tumble out, Blaine leaned into him, stealing his lips instead.


    Lynsael melted under the sudden needy caress. He wrapped his arms around Blaine, pulling him even closer; his naked chest pressed against Blaine''s rough work shirt. The bitter scent of grease and sweat wafted from the man, but he didn''t care. If he couldn''t voice those words, he could kiss Blaine with just as much passion.


    His hands traveled down Blaine''s back and held on. He kissed deeply, enjoying Blaine''s taste. But moments into the embrace, Blaine pulled away and yawned.


    Leaning back into the couch, Blaine stretched his arms high over his head. ¡°Tired.¡±


    Lynsael nodded.


    ¡°Did you try to watch television at all?¡± Blaine asked, reaching for the remote on the coffee table.


    ¡°A little bit,¡± Lynsael said. ¡°But there wasn''t anything on.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Blaine left the remote on his lap. His eyes strayed towards the statue. ¡°Ar-Are you just as lost about what happened as I am?¡±


    Lynsael sucked in his lower lip, again. He should have known more. Should have understood what had happened, but everything about the situation led to more confusion. He didn''t want to think of it. Instead, he leaned against Blaine''s warm shoulder.


    Blaine smiled. Staring out at the black television screen, his eyes slowly shut.


    ¡°Blaine?¡± Lynsael whispered.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    In hopes he could persuade Blaine into the bedroom, Lynsael grasped hold of his hand, and slid off the couch to his feet. He lowered his eyes, trying to coax him through a lustful gaze, wishing he could enchant Blaine with his eyes.


    ¡°What do you have on your mind?¡± Blaine stood, an innocent smile on his lips, letting Lynsael tug at his arm.


    Lynsael remained quiet as they passed through the bedroom door, and towards the bed. He snatched up the bottle of lube on his way by, and then pushed Blaine on the bed, watching as he tumbled down to his ass, catching himself with his hands. What a wonderful position to land in.


    Slowly, Lynsael knelt over Blaine, his skin tingling with desire, and he grasped at the bottom of Blaine''s shirt, yanking it up and over his head. Once Lynsael had thrown it to the floor, he slid his fingers across Blaine''s broad chest and up to his nipples. He leaned in to lick one, watching it pebble.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Strands of dark hair slipped over Lynsael''s shoulders as he drifted against Blaine''s taut stomach. He caressed the soft hair that continued under Blaine''s slacks, before grasping the button that held them up and wrenching them loose. Blaine moved his hips, helping Lynsael to ease them around his ass and down to his knees.


    Lynsael licked his lips at the sight of Blaine''s cock, already dripping with pre come. His own cock quivered, painfully rigid. Without a word, he took Blaine''s length into his mouth, tasting that bitter, yet arousing, release on his tongue.


    Blaine writhed underneath him; his hips twitched. He tried to thrust into Lynsael''s mouth, but Lynsael pulled away, and tightened his grasp on the base of Blaine''s shaft. ¡°Naughty.¡± Lynsael smiled.


    ¡°Lyn, I...¡± Blaine hissed.


    A grin broke through Lynsael''s lips. He needed to see Blaine like this, with his hands gripping the sheets and his face so needy to Lynsael''s wanton desires.


    He continued to circle Blaine''s cock with his tongue, before taking his length into his mouth again, sucking and rocking faster. A hand in his hair, and Lynsael looked to see Blaine''s arm reached out, watching Lynsael''s ministrations.


    ¡°Lyn¡­¡± Blaine hissed as Lynsael traveled a hand to his balls, and rolled them in his hand.


    The ache in Lynsael''s own rigid cock grew. He needed Blaine inside; wanted to feel his length thrusting deep. He grabbed the bottle of lube from the bed and he flicked his thumb across the lid, trying to pop it open. A rustle on the bed, and Blaine had propped himself on his elbows, watching as Lynsael fought with the lid.


    ¡°Come here.¡± Blaine smiled and reached for Lynsael, who eased himself on top of Blaine, straddling his hips.


    Their lips pressed tight against each others; mouths opened and tongues darted in. Lynsael felt Blaine''s rigid cock thump on his inner thigh, and the bottle slipped from his hand. Blaine embraced Lynsael and rolled to his side, pinning Lynsael in place. Though his right wing began to ache, he didn''t care, the heat from Blaine''s taut body had his thoughts spinning, and he could stay just like that.


    Blaine''s smooth hand darted between them and grasped his hard prick. A moan escaped him as Blaine began to stroke. He felt the heat of Blaine''s cock thrust against his, and he flicked his eyes open to see Blaine''s fingers wrapped around them both.


    The thought enticed him, and he started to move his hips in sultry time; Blaine''s grip gliding across his rigid length. He felt Blaine''s racing heart beat through his skin, and he laid his head into Blaine''s shoulder in shear defeat.


    Blaine dotted his neck with kisses, and Lynsael heard the same chorus of moans protrude from Blaine''s lips, his heavy breath wafted through Lynsael''s hair as he began to suckle on Lynsael''s neck.


    With their bodies pressed tight, the scent of musky sweat and desire, and the wanton moans of both men, Lynsael could barely keep it together. Another thrust, and he felt the hot, stickiness of Blaine''s release dot his stomach.


    Lynsael tightened his arm around Blaine as he felt Blaine''s cock slip from his grasp. He rocked his hips, the need seizing his stomach, and down his thighs. As Blaine stroked faster, the ache in his balls increased until the warmth of his come mixed with Blaine''s on both of their stomachs.


    With a huff of satisfaction, Blaine pressed his lips to Lynsael, and then clutched his sides tight and rolled to his back with Lynsael in his arms. His hands traveled to cup Lynsael''s ass, and there was another twinge of anticipation rolling through Lynsael''s spine.


    But, before Lynsael could reach for the cool bottle of lube that had rolled against his knee, Blaine''s eyes opened wide in shock.


    Blaine broke their kiss, and reached down beside them. In his fingers, another lost feather. He held it up for Lynsael. ¡°Maybe we should take a look at what''s going on.¡±


    Lynsael snapped up. They both scanned the bed around them, and noticed several feathers scattered across the mattress.


    ¡°This,¡± Lynsael picked up a couple of feathers, his voice shaky. ¡°can''t be happening.¡± He pulled away, and gathered up every feather that had fallen across the bed. ¡°I-I''m losing my wings.¡±


    ¡°They are a little shorter today,¡± Blaine said as he sat up.


    ¡°Do you know what this means?¡±


    Blaine sat stock-still, and quieted. Lynsael hated the silence, if they would have begun to investigate on the first day, Blaine would have known instead of sitting there with a blank stare on his face.


    ¡°I''m turning human,¡± Lynsael gasped.


    ¡°Isn''t that what you wanted?¡± Blaine asked suddenly, the question made Lynsael freeze.


    It was something he had thought of a lot. To become human and live with Blaine. Would could it be like? From the time that the little boy was born into his mother''s arms, he''d watched Blaine grow, and dreamed of the day he could walk beside him, and love him.


    Still, the thought of living in the mortal world scared him. There were things out there beyond the comfort of the apartment that he''d only watched from the Palace. Things about human''s that he''d struggled to comprehend.


    Blaine sighed a heavily, and pulled Lynsael close to him. He settled into the warmth of Blaine''s chest; he felt his worry dissolve.


    ¡°Lyn, it''ll be okay,¡± Blaine said and Lynsael buried his head against Blaine''s chest. Blaine pulled back Lynsael''s hair behind his ear; his hand trailed down the small of Lynsael''s back, and he tightened his arm around him. ¡°What kind of trouble did you get yourself into, anyway?¡±


    ¡°You don''t wanna know,¡± Lynsael breathed into the man''s skin.


    ¡°Was it that bad?¡±


    Lynsael nodded. ¡°You know, I go on and on about purity and maintaining virtue, but I''ve lost mine a long time ago. I... he was a friend, a fellow angel, who angered me, and I¡ª¡°


    ¡°You killed him?¡±


    ¡°That''s a really harsh way of saying it,¡± Lynsael huffed. The memory ran through his thoughts; he''d always hated that term but what else could it be called? ¡°But...I just couldn''t believe he''d blamed me for¡ª¡±


    Blaine sat up promptly and scooted away to the edge of the bed. ¡°I can''t believe it. I mean, you''re so gentle.¡±


    ¡°Blaine, it was an accident. It just happened.¡± Lynsael crawled towards Blaine, but the horrified look in his face made him stop.


    ¡°Murder doesn''t just happen, Lyn.¡±


    ¡°So now you''re going to blame me too?¡± Lynsael slid off of the bed and hovered over Blaine.


    ¡°I''ll have you know that there was a very good explanation for why I did what I did.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then what is it, Lyn?¡±


    He couldn''t find the words. What he had done hadn''t quite been the accident that he''d claimed, but he''d never meant for it to happen either. For a moment, his reasoning shattered. There was no excuse for what he''d done, even if it led to him being here with the man he''d always dreamed of.


    ¡°I-I-don''t,¡± Lynsael struggled with his emotion, feeling as if he didn''t deserve to be here at all.


    ¡°It''s really hard to explain.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Blaine huffed. He gathered up his comforter and scooted off the bed on to his feet. ¡°Don''t tell me. At least I know why I''ve had such shitty luck, my guardian angel is corrupt.¡±


    ¡°That''s not¡ª¡± Lynsael tried, but it was too late. Blaine had already disappeared out of the bedroom door.

 Chapter 9.1

    The electric guitar wailed over the amplifiers; the man behind the equipment playing every chord from the tabs in front of him almost perfectly.


    Katlinne''s voice hummed into the microphone, her beautiful and melodic lyrics spoke of life beyond death in a dream world of nothingness. A pleased smile spread over her lips as she looked to the new guitarist beside her.


    Blaine had listened to his sound and, as Vince''s replacement; the man had hit every single note in their song as if he''d played with the band all along. His blond, spiked hair, dark tattooed arms, and ears full of chrome metal rings would fit within the band. Pure metal.


    ¡°Damn, dude, that was awesome,¡± Katlinne interrupted the rest of the band''s playing. ¡°Where did you learn to play like that?¡±


    The man shrugged. ¡°Been playing since I was little. A lot of Metallica and Pantera.¡±


    ¡°Awesome,¡± Katlinne''s eyes sparkled.


    Blaine chuckled at Katlinne, whom appeared to be a little hot for the new guitarist. ¡°So, Raz, right?¡±


    ¡°That''s my name,¡± the guitarist said.


    Blaine focused on their new guitarist. ¡°I swear you seem familiar. Have I met you before?¡±


    ¡°I don''t think so.¡± Raz shook his head.


    Maybe it was just a coincidence, but Blaine swore he''d seen Raz before. Once at the club. And wasn''t Raz the guy who moved the statue into the apartment? Blaine blinked and shook the thoughts away. ¡°Anyway, what do you think about the sound?¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Seriously, man, this is a sweet deal you got going on. I''d love to fill in, if that''s what you''re asking,¡± Raz affirmed with an excited smile.


    ¡°Nice. That''s what I was hoping to hear,¡± Blaine said. He''d found himself a suitable guitarist, hopefully one that would stick around for a while, and not try to the change the band on his own. Hell, this would be a lot better than getting persuaded into ruffling their hair with spray.


    ¡°Well, shit, let''s get back to practice, huh?¡± Katlinne snapped her fingers, impatient to play more, or see the guitarist in action. Blaine wasn''t sure which.


    Raz strummed a long, electric chord, the sound reverberating through the amplifiers. It had everyone stoked and ready to go. Katlinne hung around Raz, swinging her head in time with his intriguing guitar rhythms.


    Blaine began a low bass line, while Robert tapped on the high tom.


    It couldn''t get better than this, Blaine thought, as he looked out at everyone so damn excited. As if his bad luck had finally taken a breather. Could his angel truly not be a part of this?


    But, how could he believe Lynsael after everything he''d said the night before? Blaine nibbled on his lower lip, his enthusiasm wavered. Lynsael had killed someone? That couldn''t be right. Things started to go right after the angel appeared. Well, besides for Vince''s deal, which could have just been Vince being a typical ass.


    Blaine thought back to Lynsael trapped in that apartment. What could he have been doing at that moment? He hoped he wasn''t moping. He still didn''t understand quite what had happened with Lynsael, nor the statue, he did know one thing. Every time he saw that round face, that lean body, and those handsome blue eyes, his entire body came alive with solace.


    ¡°You have this weird look about you, my friend,¡± Raz had whispered.


    Blaine''s head snapped up, his eyes opened, and he was back in the garage. Raz was standing close beside him. The interruption made him stop his playing. ¡°What do you mean?¡± He crossed his arms over the guitar.


    Raz shrugged. ¡°I don''t know. Just a very passionate expression.¡±


    ¡°I love what I do. Don''t you?¡±


    ¡°Of course, but there''s something else about you.¡± Raz narrowed his eyes. ¡°Someone else¡ª¡°


    ¡°Are we going to play or talk?¡± Robert huffed.


    ¡°Yeah, come on. Let''s get our asses in gear. We have three days before the gig,¡± Katlinne said.

 Chapter 9.2

    Keys jangled in Blaine''s hand as he unlocked the apartment door. It had been a long day of practice, and of getting to know their new band member. Despite the strange thing Raz had said earlier, the rest of the day had gone well. They had practiced their entire set; the only song that the new guitarist seemed to have a problem with was Blaine''s own: Save Me. It was only a couple of missed notes. Something he could learn easily with a little bit of practice.


    As Blaine entered his apartment, evening shadows weaved and danced across the walls in the darkened kitchen. He peered around the corner. ¡°Lyn?¡± he called, noticing that even the living room was dark.


    He shrugged his coat off and threw it on top of the kitchen counter. ¡°You here?¡± Damn, he better still be here. Blaine didn''t know what he would do if Lynsael had just disappeared.


    The intense silence had him in immediate panic. He''d expected Lynsael to run up to him, arms open, ready for an embrace. Even if Lynsael was still upset from last night''s argument, it definightly didn''t demand the silent treatment.


    He dashed into the living room. ¡°Lyn?¡± Next to the statue''s base, he spotted Lynsael in deep concentration, staring at the front of the sculpture''s remains where the words were still carved. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked, as Lynsael thumbed across the granite.


    Lynsael began to whisper in a foreign tongue; he repeated the same syllables over again until he spoke loud, ¡°The words have been scratched over.¡± He brushed against the granite, wiping away more dust. ¡°They were written in Hebrew.¡±


    ¡°What? Let me see that.¡± Blaine tipped his head and walked towards Lynsael. He leaned down to look at the base. In the darkness, he couldn''t make anything out. ¡°How can you see without the light?¡±


    ¡°I don''t need to see them, Blaine. They''re clearly right here.¡± Lynsael tapped his own forehead. ¡°Like I knew they were there all along.¡±


    Blaine stepped back and furrowed his brows. ¡°That''s... well, is that a good thing or a bad thing?¡±


    ¡°Bad. That means the statue was altered. Think it could have been messed with before Augustus was finished?¡±


    ¡°Don''t know.¡± In the shaded living room, Blaine focused on Lynsael, his wings were less than half the size they''d been the day before; hanging crumbled and torn from Lynsael''s back. He reached out and touched the wings. Lynsael''s body tensed as Blaine''s fingers glided against the remaining feathers, they ruffled and began to wither and decay under his touch. ¡°Your wings.¡±


    Lynsael flinched, his eyes wide. ¡°Don''t touch,¡± he warned.


    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± Blaine whispered, pulling his hand back and running it through his hair. He couldn''t bear to watch his angel suffering. If he could hold Lynsael without causing more pain, he would. He''d miss the feeling of those soft feathers through his fingers. Was Lynsael right about turning human? ¡°Have you been at this all day?¡±


    Lynsael nodded, and then flicked his eyes towards Blaine. ¡°You were at practice, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°There''s this... air about you, an illusion. Was that new guitarist there?¡±


    ¡°Raz? Yeah. He''s pretty cool; hit all the chords except for during Save Me. Why?¡±


    ¡°Just wondering.¡± Lynsael turned and stepped away from the sculpture. ¡°Do you think that I could come with you to the club on Friday?¡±


    Blaine shook his head. ¡°You should stay here, Lyn. I mean, you have figured out something, right?¡± It was for his safety that he stayed at the apartment, or so Blaine told himself. ¡°You think someone messed with the statue?¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure. Where was the statue before it was here?¡±


    ¡°Augustus''s family put it in a storage shed for me, but it was always locked up pretty tight.¡±


    Lynsael lowered his head. ¡°I don''t know, Blaine. I''m still not sure what it all means.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you need a break from it,¡± Blaine said, stepping close to wrap Lynsael in his arms, and tell him everything would be fine. But what if everything wasn''t fine? More black feathers had been falling from Lynsael''s gorgeous wings since last night, scattering across the living room floor, but when picked up, the feathers would dissolve into ash. The only feather still intact was the one that Blaine had kept. He''d promised himself that he wouldn''t touch it.


    ¡°I can''t,¡± Lynsael pouted. ¡°Something is going on, far worse than losing my angelic nature. What if you are in danger?¡±


    ¡°Oh, now you are just being paranoid,¡± Blaine chuckled. But what if he was right? Blaine''s laugh died at the thought. ¡°Well, at least come have dinner.¡±


    At the sound of food, Lynsael''s disheartened look seemed to disappear. ¡°I guess that would be okay.¡±


    Blaine let a smile warp his lips before closing in on Lynsael. ¡°Come on. I thought maybe a vegetable bake with all your favorites. You wanna help?¡±


    A shy smile softened the remaining tension in Lyn''s face. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ***


    After dinner, Blaine had mentioned jumping in the shower, and Lynsael was to follow him. Lynsael thought back to his wings, and how they wrinkled to even the slightest pressure.


    Steam rose from the basin, humid and warm, fogging the bathroom. Lynsael stood watching Blaine step out of his jeans and ease his foot over the bathtub''s ledge. Seeing Blaine''s taut ass, he couldn''t help but get excited.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Blaine reached out for Lynsael, who hesitated a moment. ¡°But my wings?¡±


    ¡°They''ll be okay.¡± Blaine winked. ¡°We''ll be careful not to get the water directly on them.¡±


    Lynsael let his tension ease. He clutched Blaine''s hand, and stepped into the warmth of the water on his face. He loved the way it washed away his fears; the way it drowned out everything he''d thought of throughout the lonesome day.


    Enjoying Blaine''s muscled shoulders, and firm back in front of him, he eased closer, finding that warmth more comforting than the water. His cock went rigid as he pressed against Blaine, and he pressed his head between Blaine''s shoulders.


    ¡°Lyn...¡± Blaine stilled a moment. ¡°Here.¡±


    Blaine turned slowly, a bar of soap in his hands. He ran the soap against Lynsael''s skin from his neck to his abdomen. A sparkle ran through his eyes as he peered down at Lynsael''s wanton ache. He pulled away just enough to rub the soap between his hands, white bubbles foaming between his fingers and lowered his hands to Lynsael''s hardness.


    Lynsael flushed as Blaine''s hands traveled between his legs, smoothing the soap over his balls, causing him to spread wide. He''d wanted to grab on to Blaine, to thrust up and beg for his lips, or to simply melt into Blaine''s hands like putty. A stifled moan escaped his closed lips as Blaine slid foamy fingers across his perineum.


    Blaine stopped, flicked his eyes at Lynsael, and smiled.


    ¡°Don''t stop,¡± Lynsael hummed in sheer pleasure.


    Blaine straightened his spine. With the bar of soap back in his hands, he slid around the tiled wall and disappeared behind Lynsael. Slick hands ran down the small of Lynsael''s back making him shudder, and then slid his hands around Lynsael''s sides to his stomach, pressing against his back and the remains of Lynsael''s wings.


    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± Blaine whispered before placing a kiss on the side of Lynsael''s neck.


    Lynsael closed his eyes and rolled his head back onto Blaine''s shoulder, enjoying the warmth, a heated flush rising into his face. ¡°For what?¡±


    ¡°Last night,¡± Blaine breathed. ¡°Everything that has happened in the last few days... it''s just; I don''t know what to think of it all.¡±


    Lynsael settled his hands on top of Blaine''s. He took a sighing breath, ¡°I know.¡±


    Blaine sucked at the back of his neck, drawing a wet line to his nape. Lynsael trembled with Blaine''s needy touch, his own desires depleting any remaining worry and confusion. He''d wanted Blaine to hold him, to comfort him; he''d wanted Blaine to know his pain because he knew Blaine''s all too well.


    Soft, soapy hands caressed Lynsael''s stomach again, down to his still rigid length, and began to stroke. Blaine''s heady breath wafted through Lynsael''s hair as he licked and suckled on his earlobe.


    Drops of water splashed across Lynsael''s soapy body, the foam trickled down his chest into Blaine''s tight grip. Blaine continued to stroke, speeding his pace. His heart beat thundered into his throat as he felt Blaine''s hard cock thump against his ass.


    Another wanton moan escaped his opened lips. ¡°Blaine,¡± he whimpered with the delicious tingle running through his body.


    He pressed as close as he could to the warm body behind him, the excitement rushed through his body as Blaine''s shaft thrust so close to his tightness. An enticing ache ran through him, he needed Blaine inside him, but he hadn''t the voice to ask.


    Blaine''s warm lips continued to suck on the back of Lynsael''s neck, his tight grip working fervently.


    Lynsael''s thoughts began to swirl from the heat building through him. It was just as well that the water began to cool as it splashed across his face. Despite that, Lynsael didn''t want it to end; he''d wanted to stay in this pleasurable moment as long as he could.


    As the need for release seized Lynsael, Blaine slid his water slicked cock between the angel''s ass cheeks, and deepened his kiss on Lynsael''s neck.


    ¡°Yo-you''re a horrible tease,¡± Lynsael choked out.


    He felt Blaine smile before his lips pulled away. ¡°I guess we''re both a little evil in our own way,¡± Blaine said, his breath hot against Lynsael''s neck.


    With those words, Blaine slid a hand between Lynsael''s legs and gently cupped his balls. His right hand continued to stroke, altering his pace, starting fast then slowing enough to thumb against Lynsael''s slit.


    His technique kept Lynsael on edge. While the intense need to come had passed for the moment, it left him just as excited, and even slightly flustered, with the cooling water splashing against his heated skin.


    Blaine began to thrust against Lynsael''s body, causing Lynsael''s weakened legs to give way. Lynsael clutched on to Blaine''s arms, steadying himself. Blaine chuckled a moment but continued his play.


    ¡°Please,¡± Lynsael''s plead echoed through partly closed lips.


    ¡°Please what?¡± Blaine hummed.


    ¡°D-don''t tease. It''s starting to get cold.¡±


    ¡°You want to come?¡± Blaine asked.


    Lynsael pursed his lips and nodded.


    Blaine quickened his pace, sending a wave of pleasurable heat flashing through Lynsael''s head down to the pit of his groin, zeroing in and tightening in his balls. He couldn''t think; he could barely breathe. With Blaine''s cock wedging Lynsael''s tight hole, probing ever so slightly, and his own neediness spewing in labored gasps, the building pressure within released.


    Frigid water ran across his chest and his spent length; when Blaine finally pulled away, Lynsael turned and embraced him, desperately needing his warmth.


    Just as Lynsael pressed his lips to Blaine''s, he pulled away. ¡°Your wings are getting wet,¡± he said.


    The cold water washed the remains of Lynsael''s wings, and Lynsael finally noticed the pain rolling through his shoulders. He snapped back into reality and quickly dashed from the comfort of Blaine''s arms to the outside of the shower.


    Water and soap dripped on the tiled floor, and Lynsael struggled not to slip.


    Blaine pulled back the shower curtain and chuckled. ¡°Get back in here.¡±


    Lynsael grabbed hold of the towel rack for balance. ¡°Uh uh.¡±


    ¡°You still have soap all over you, Lyn.¡±


    ¡°It''s cold and it hurts my wings.¡± Lynsael slid across the floor, close to the bathroom mirror in hopes he could have a peek at his wings, but the mirror was covered in a layer of steam.


    ¡°Lyn, they''re fine,¡± Blaine said. ¡°I know it''s cold but we need to wash the soap off.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    Blaine nodded, smiled in affirmation, and extended a hand for Lynsael.


    Supposing it couldn''t hurt anymore than it already had, Lynsael swallowed his fears and took Blaine''s offered hand, stepping over the ledge and back into the running shower. He shivered to the cold water streaming down his skin, but made sure all the foam was gone before stepping back out to the floor.


    Soon, the water shut off, and Blaine scooted up behind him with a warm towel around his chilly body, helping to dry him.


    ¡°So, say if you do find out what''s up with the statue, and Augustus...¡± Blaine''s voice hitched. ¡°What do you think would happen?¡±


    Lynsael felt his nerves tumble at the thought. ¡°I don''t know,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Do you think that we''ll still be together?¡±


    Lynsael stilled. He had tried not to think of the dangers, the serious repercussions of being so close to a human. It could mean that he would face the inevitable; to be taken away from his human charge. Or that Blaine would suffer the consequences of being with someone so pure. That thought scared him to the point of losing hope.


    No. He couldn''t let that get to him. Protecting Blaine was much more important, even if it meant that he have to fight to destroy anyone who tried to get in the way.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Lynsael let out a sigh. ¡°I''ll make sure of it.¡±


    Blaine caressed Lynsael''s shoulders. ¡°I still don''t understand everything, Lyn.¡± And Lynsael felt his heart attempt to lodge in his throat. He didn''t have the will to answer anymore questions about his past. ¡°But maybe you''ll tell me sometime, right?¡±


    Lynsael nodded.

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Come on, Lyn, pick up,¡± Blaine whispered to himself as he dialed the phone for the third time. He had explicitly told Lynsael never to answer the phone, but he desperately needed to get a hold of him. With fingers crossed, he prayed Lynsael would disobey, at least just this once.


    After the fourth ring, he heard the click. ¡°Hello?¡± Lynsael''s hushed voice answered.


    ¡°Lyn. Hey, it''s Blaine.¡±


    ¡°Blaine?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Um, Raz, the new guitarist, is coming over to go through some songs with me. Can you, you know, throw some clothes on?¡± the last few words whispered from Blaine''s lips. He wasn''t about to try and explain why he had a naked angel running around.


    ¡°You''re okay with having company over?¡± Lynsael asked.


    ¡°Sure. But if you can throw on a coat to cover your wings, that would be best.¡±


    ¡°All right.¡±


    Blaine paused a moment. Something caught in his throat. It had been another long day at practice with the band, and though he loved every minute of it, he couldn''t wait to go home and see his angel. He''d have Raz with him, though, so he would have to make sure to save what he''d wanted to say for later.


    ¡°See you in a bit, okay?¡± Blaine said after clearing his throat.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    The phone clicked, and Blaine lowered the handset back on the base. Katlinne and Raz were in the middle of going through one of her songs. As Blaine approached, Raz immediately stopped and turned to him.


    ¡°You got everything cleared up with your roommate?¡± he asked.


    Blaine nodded.


    ¡°Good, so let''s head¡ª¡°


    ¡°When did you get a roommate, Blaine?¡± Katlinne interrupted.


    Shit, he never told Katy or the rest of the band about his new roommate. He''d never thought the topic would come up. Besides, it was just a one bedroom apartment; he''d hoped that Katlinne wouldn''t get suspicious.


    Blaine flicked his eyes to his band mate. ¡°A couple of days ago. It''s easier to share the bills, and everything.¡± He gulped down the uneasiness building in his stomach. How else should he refer to Lynsael but as his roommate? But he wanted to distinguish him as so much more than that.


    ¡°Right,¡± the tone in Katlinne''s voice was skeptical as she furrowed her brows. ¡°Well, Raz has been looking for a place to stay.¡± She curled her arm around Raz''s shoulder and softened her face. ¡°I''m thinking of asking the folks if he could have Vince''s old room.¡±


    Raz stood with an all to easy smile on his lips, seeming to enjoy Katlinne''s grip on him.


    ¡°So Vince finally moved out, huh?¡± Blaine asked.


    ¡°Yep. Got himself a little efficiency apartment above Schnooker''s Place downtown.¡±


    ¡°That nasty place?¡± Blaine chuckled. ¡°Damn, he had it made living here compared to there.¡±


    ¡°He can keep it. Besides, I''d rather Raz be my neighbor.¡± She smiled wide and batted her dark, mascara lined eyelashes. Yep, she was definightly hot and bothered for their new guitarist. Blaine laughed to himself at the thought.


    ¡°Come on, Katy, you know relationships between bands members never work out,¡± Blaine said with another chuckle before turning to Raz. ¡°So, you ready to go?¡±


    ¡°Lead the way, man.¡± Raz unfolded himself from Katy and motioned for Blaine to go first.


    Blaine led Raz to his car parked out in the driveway and they both hopped inside. He cranked up his new stereo, the loud music drowning out the revved up engine, before pulling out of the driveway and on to the street.


    Patting his hands in beat with the music, Raz looked around the car''s leather interior. ¡°Nice ride,¡± he hollered out.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Where did you get it?¡± Raz asked again, making Blaine turn down his stereo.


    ¡°The shop on the corner of Harrison Street downtown. Buddy of mine owns the place,¡± Blaine answered, proud that he''d gotten a good deal on the car because of his connections.


    Raz nodded. ¡°Sweet. Can''t wait to get a car.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it beats walking everywhere.¡±


    Another block, and Blaine pulled into the parking lot in front of the apartment complex. A bit of apprehension seized through him as he began to hope Lynsael had done as he asked. He didn''t know how he''d answer the question of why his roomie had wings.


    ¡°Here it is.¡± He swung the driver''s door open, and twirled the key ring around his finger as he led Raz up to his apartment. As a precaution, he had always locked it up before leaving Lynsael alone.


    Just as the lock clicked, Raz leaned in, his arm wrapping around Blaine''s shoulders. ¡°You always keep the door locked when someone is home?¡±


    Blaine clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, ¡°Yeah, it''s just for the peace of mind, you know.¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Raz pulled away. ¡°Okay, I get that.¡± A smug look weaved in his face.


    Blaine flicked his eyes back to the half opened door. That was a weird thing for Raz to question, don''t normal people lock the door of their own homes, even if someone was inside? He shook it off and stepped inside.


    A faint light shined from the living room, and it was too quiet. Blaine began to wonder where Lynsael was. Had he been studying the base of the statue again? Or had he gone to the bedroom?


    ¡°Hey, Lyn?¡± Blaine called out.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Lynsael''s voice echoed back from the darkened living room.


    Raz stepped by Blaine as they both entered the room. ¡°Nice place. Hey, how ya doing?¡± He nodded towards Lynsael.


    ¡°Good,¡± Lynsael spoke with a similar head nod to Raz.


    Sitting cross legged on the couch, Lynsael had done exactly what Blaine told him. Wearing the same blue jeans that he had loaned him, with the white sleeveless shirt underneath Blaine''s black leather jacket. Who said he could wear my jacket? Just seeing Lynsael in his jacket irritated him. The black leather looked ten times better on Lynsael that it did on him. Blaine narrowed his eyes and focused on Lynsael; the thought of the angel in just the jacket and nothing else flashed through his mind.


    The flicker of the television had Blaine even more surprised. Lynsael had never sat down to watch the TV before.


    Raz stepped to the end of the coffee table and extended an offering handshake to Lynsael. ¡°Name''s Raz. New guitarist in your roomies band.¡±


    At first, Lynsael began to reach out. ¡°Um, Lyn...¡± but something passed through his eyes, and he pulled away. ¡°Sorry, I''m... feeling like I have a cold, you know,¡± he said as he settled back on the couch.


    A cold? Blaine began to feel his stomach bubble with concern.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Raz stepped back. ¡°That''s cool. Nice to meet you.¡±


    Lynsael seemed to force a smile before turning back to the television.


    Blaine felt a tremble run through him. Something wasn''t right about the situation, but whatever that was, he couldn''t quite figure out. With a cough, Blaine turned to Raz. ¡°Well, you ready to check out those tabs?¡±


    ¡°Sure, man.¡± Raz slid around the coffee table and plopped down on the couch next to Lynsael.


    Lynsael moved to the opposite side, a smug look on his face. Blaine paused a moment, still unsure of what was wrong. ¡°Hey, Lyn, can you turn the TV down?¡± he asked, and Lynsael tapped the remote, turning the television off. ¡°O-kay.¡± Blaine shook his head and walked into the bedroom to retrieve his song book.


    He''d kept all of his tabs in a notebook under his bed, along with everything else. As he knelt down, he paused as Raz''s voice spoke up. ¡°So, Lyn, you from around here?¡±


    ¡°Um, no. I guess you could say I just moved to town,¡± Lynsael had answered, though Blaine could clearly hear the distress in his voice.


    ¡°I see. Same here.¡± The was a rustle of clothing, followed by, ¡°It''s been fun. Kinda like it here.¡±


    Moments of silence before another stirring.


    ¡°Hey, Lyn, can you grab me a drink while you''re at it?¡±


    Blaine grabbed his book and peered out into the room; Lynsael had walked into the kitchen and hovered over the refrigerator, his hand gripped on the handle. There wasn''t any emotion in his face as he stared hard into the white of the fridge door for the slight moment. Soon, he furrowed his brows and said, ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Hang on,¡± Blaine said and Lynsael froze before reaching into the open refrigerator. Raz looked in shock at Blaine. ¡°He''s not a waiter, man. What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Just a beer,¡± Raz said with a shrug.


    ¡°Yeah, we don''t drink.¡±


    ¡°No shit? Well, how about a soda, then?¡±


    Blaine started for the kitchen, and slid past Lynsael, grabbing a soda can. He flicked his eyes to Lynsael, and sighed, ¡°You okay?¡±


    Lynsael turned to Blaine, his mouth trembling. Blaine didn''t know if it was true that he was feeling ill, or if something else was wrong. ¡°Maybe you should go lay down?¡±


    ¡°Blaine,¡± Lynsael whispered. Instead of finishing the sentence, he nodded and sauntered his way to the bedroom.


    Whatever was eating at the angel, Blaine wanted to know. Lynsael hadn''t been acting right since Raz showed up, and while Blaine could understand that he wasn''t used to company, it didn''t call for this kind of treatment. He worried that he''d done something terribly wrong by inviting Raz over.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± He handed Raz the pop can along with the song book. ¡°Take a look at those, and let me know what you think.¡± Blaine was determined not to let Lynsael''s attitude bother him.


    ***


    An hour later, Blaine knocked on the open bedroom door and announced he was going to take Raz home. Lynsael had curled himself up on the bed, surprisingly on his side. It could only mean one thing; Lynsael''s wings had become smaller, and that sent fear running through his already busy thoughts.


    ¡°You gonna be okay?¡± Blaine asked, his tone soft.


    Lynsael nodded.


    ¡°Okay. Well, I''ll be right back.¡±


    After grabbing his coat from the back of the couch, Blaine headed for the door with Raz close behind. They were back in the car, with the song book in Raz''s hand when Raz shook his head. ¡°You know, I don''t think your roomie likes me.¡±


    ¡°Ah, he''s just not used to having company,¡± Blaine said.


    ¡°He seems like a cool guy, though; wouldn''t have minded to get to know him a little better.¡±


    Blaine tightened his grip on the steering wheel; his shoulders tensed. How much better did Raz mean?


    Silence followed and Blaine fought to not to grab Raz by the shirt collar and ask exactly what he meant by that comment. Maybe it was just something friendly; he''d wanted to hang out with Lyn more, maybe listen to some music, or talk about sports.


    ¡°Well, anyway, maybe next time, huh?¡± Raz interrupted the calm.


    There wasn''t going to be a next time if Blaine had anything to say about it.


    After the seemingly long, quiet drive, Blaine dropped Raz off at Katlinne''s garage and took off; passing the speed limit in order to get back to Lynsael and finally hear what was going on. There was something about the entire thing that fueled some strange tension Blaine never thought existed.


    ¡°Lyn!¡± he called out as soon as he was back in the door. ¡°What the hell was all that about earlier?¡± Blaine stepped into the living room to find Lynsael back on the couch with his hands to his lips, brows creased in deep thought.


    Lynsael flicked his eyes to Blaine a moment. ¡°It''s Raz...¡± Lynsael stuttered.


    ¡°Yeah I kinda figured that.¡±


    ¡°The-there''s something about him,¡± Lynsael choked out.


    ¡°He was kind of an ass,¡± Blaine said, matter of fact. ¡°But that doesn''t mean¡ª¡°


    ¡°No, that''s not all.¡± Lynsael shook his head, and then stood up. The baggy leather coat hung low over his waist, a corner stuck to his jean pocket. ¡°I just have a weird feeling about him.¡±


    ¡°Wait. Are you,¡± Blaine crossed his arms. ¡°Jealous?¡±


    ¡°What? No! It''s just... maybe you need to find a different guitar play¡ª¡°


    ¡°Stop.¡± Blaine went rigid. ¡°Okay. Just stop. I''m not going to go through having to find a different guitar player because you have some weird feeling about the guy,¡± his voice shook. He just couldn''t believe Lynsael was doing this.


    ¡°But what if¡ª¡°


    ¡°I said stop.¡± Blaine grabbed Lynsael by the collar, knuckles turning white with the irritation boiling through him.


    ¡°Blaine?¡±


    Blaine pulled Lynsael forward then back again, letting go of the coat in the process. The back of Lynsael''s leg hit the edge of the couch and he struggled to balance himself.


    That moment of anger turned straight to shame and Blaine lowered his head. He clenched his fists tight at his sides. There was no way in hell he was going to search out someone else this close to their first gig. Tomorrow, he''d wanted to be up on stage with the entire band, Raz included, bringing in hordes of people to watch them play.


    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± Blaine whispered. ¡°But Raz is our guitar player now. If you have something to say about it, keep it to yourself.¡± He flicked his eyes to Lynsael.


    ¡°But¡ª¡°


    ¡°No. I don''t want to hear it.¡± Blaine stepped around the coffee table and hovered in front of the bedroom door. ¡°I''m going to practice a bit, then I''m going to bed.¡±

 Chapter 11.1

    It was finally Friday evening. Lynsael settled on the couch, wondering what Blaine was doing.


    They could be preparing to go on stage, talking to the managers, or even practicing before the show. But when did it even start? He''d known nothing about the concert other than it was at some Club Voodoo, and Raz was going to be there.


    Raz. That man had Lynsael spooked, but he couldn''t put his finger on it. There was an eerie feel about him, something that emerged from the inside of his core. Evil. Clouded.


    It was dangerous for Blaine to be with him, Lynsael knew that, but he couldn''t risk making his human upset with him, again.


    He''d tried to focus on the television throughout the morning while Blaine was at work. When it wasn''t helping to soothe those thoughts, he curled up in bed to reread the magazines. That wasn''t working either. Back and forth from the bedroom to the living room grew tiring, and he finally plopped down on the couch with the television off.


    Another problem that constantly nagged him was the fact his wings were now all but gone. What was left was a few black limbs protruding from his upper back, and the pain that rolled through his shoulders and down his spine made the situation all more frustrating. He found himself stretching to relieve the searing ache, missing the days when he could ruffle his feathers and feel the breeze through them. It was pure joy, absolute freedom. He had felt more human today than any other day. Bored and scared.


    When Blaine came home after work, Lynsael had been curled up on the bed, watching as he dressed for the concert in his usual leather pants and a black t-shirt. Afterwards, he disappeared into the bathroom without much of an acknowledgment.


    A last ray of sunlight blazed through the small window, signaling the start of evening. Blaine would be at the club. If only Lynsael could see him play. The band''s sound may be erotic and thrilling; they had practiced a lot after all. And Blaine would look magical¡ªlike he always did¡ªup on stage under the bright, sparkling multicolored lamps.


    There was that glimmer of hope, too, that Blaine would welcome him. If Lynsael could admit all he''d wanted was to see him play then Blaine would have to invite him to stay, right?


    But there was someone else, of course, and his name was Raz.


    Lynsael jumped to his feet, and dashed into the bedroom. He''d been wearing the same clothing that Blaine had loaned him; maybe it was time for a different getup. After throwing on a dark blue stonewashed pair of jeans and a black t-shirt from Blaine''s dresser, he threw on the rough leather jacket and headed for the door.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Hesitant, he stepped out into the open air. His hands shook with fear, but he''d need to find a sense of faith. Looking out across the street, a certain excitement filled him. Confidence in himself to find the club, and hope that he could hold his own in the world where humans play.


    ***


    ¡°Blaine,¡± Katlinne hollered over the rumble of the crowd.


    He hadn''t been home for almost the entire day, and started to wonder about Lynsael. How was he doing? Did he eat something? Was he upset about last night?


    In the morning, Blaine had quietly slid out of bed and gotten ready for work without waking Lynsael, who was sleeping peacefully on the far right side of the bed. And when he went home earlier to change, it seemed as if Lynsael was still sleeping, or else he was ignoring him.


    After what happened the night before, Blaine hadn''t known how to react. He just couldn''t believe what Lynsael had said about Raz, and there was no way he could afford to search for another guitar player.


    ¡°Hello?¡± Katlinne waved a hand in front of Blaine''s face. ¡°Are you in there?¡±


    Blaine blinked, the cool black lights of the club faded into view. ¡°Uh, yeah...¡± He wiped his eyes with his palms. ¡°Just tired.¡± Which was, at least, part of the truth.


    ¡°Well, come on, we have a gig to play.¡± Katlinne patted Blaine''s back and stood, as banners with the band''s name in large letters and their logo streamed down from the back wall of the stage.


    Everyone had gathered, prepared to walk up to the stage, except for Blaine. When he looked out towards the crowd, something in him had wished he was back home with Lynsael in his arms. He would tell Lynsael he was sorry, kiss his neck, and hold him tight.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Raz leaned down, his hand cupped on Blaine''s shoulder. ¡°You okay?¡±


    Blaine nodded and stood. He should be excited for this night. Ready to play, to entertain, not worried about Lynsael back at home.


    Raz wrapped his arm around Blaine''s shoulder. ¡°Nervous or something?¡±


    ¡°No. I had to work earlier this morning. It''s nothing,¡± Blaine answered, walking towards the stage with Raz by his side.


    ¡°Bummer. Yeah, I bet that''s tough waking up early, working all day.¡±


    ¡°What, you don''t have a job?¡± Blaine stilled a moment.


    Raz unraveled himself. ¡°Well... I''ve been looking. But, I don''t think I''ll¡ª¡° The loud applause of the crowd interrupted him.


    Katlinne had already crossed the stage, while Robert chimed on his cymbal.


    Blaine stepped up on to the stage, and stood opposite of Katlinne with his guitar strapped across his body.


    Raz began to play their opening song, Katlinne joined him with her melodic vocals. With that, the crowd''s chaotic rumbling grew louder with cheers and claps.


    Every table had been filled, even those close to the stage. The place was almost full. Even the rest of the standing room beside the entrance was overcrowded. The perfect scene, they had almost sold out the entire club.


    Heat soared up on stage as Blaine played that first song. This was what he''d waited for. Why had he considered leaving?


    Satisfaction and excitement poured through him as he looked to Katlinne, humming her wondrous vocals, and the man next to her. Every electric note that poured from Raz''s guitar was just as perfect as they had been during practice. Ha, and Lynsael wanted Blaine to replace him. After four minutes of that first musical bliss, Blaine had put Lynsael''s suspicions in the back of his mind.

 Chapter 11.2

    A half an hour later, Blaine was still up on stage, jamming out his own slow, harmonious tune, Save Me. The band had been ready, playing everything almost perfect, and so far, it had been a great success.


    The lights were darkened to set the mood, with only one spotlight set on Katlinne. ¡°Save me in my greatest time of need. Save me,¡± her sweet vocals during the song lit up the crowd. Some ladies down on the floor swayed their hips, and lighter flames rose into the air.


    Blaine narrowed his eyes at another group of patrons coming in. The typical rocker bunch, a couple of guys with shiny piercings and tattoos layered up their bare arms like a sleeve. They filed in past the entrance, sliding past the crowd towards the front of the club. But there was one figure that stood out. A black leather jacket, long, black wavy hair, pale skin: there was no way it could be...


    He caught the twang of a missed note he made and straightened his spine. Katlinne flicked her eyes to Blaine a moment, but he lowered his head and closed his eyes to focus on the song.


    There was no way that could be Lyn, Blaine thought. He raised his head again; the familiar figure was sitting at the opposite end of a crowded table close to the stage. The character stared bright-eyed at the stage. Blaine knew that jacket, he knew that face.


    ¡°Lyn,¡± he whispered to himself.


    Twang, came another missed note, this time the accident didn''t go unnoticed by the rest of the band. Robert hollered across the stage, ¡°Hey¡±, but Blaine had ignored him and prepared to sing the ending solo, as he normally did.


    He cleared his throat and leaned into the microphone. ¡°We''re going to have a quick break.¡± The change made the entire band stop suddenly. ¡°Be back in thirty.¡±


    Blaine set his guitar on its stand, and dashed down the steps on to the floor.


    ¡°What the hell, Blaine?¡± Robert huffed loudly, but Blaine was already next to the familiar silhouette with his hands splayed out on the table.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Blaine asked in irritation.


    Lynsael turned; his excited look wavered as he caught the anger raging through the man''s eyes.


    ¡°I''m sorry,¡± he pleaded. ¡°I know you said I couldn''t come, but I¡ª¡°


    ¡°Damn right you know what I said.¡±


    ¡°I just wanted to see you.¡±


    ¡°Bullshit. You wanted to investigate Raz,¡± Blaine huffed, his eyes flicked to the stage and the band was gone.


    ¡°Who''s this?¡± Katlinne''s voice took Blaine off guard.


    He turned to see Katlinne and the rest of the band standing next to them. ¡°This is... my roomie,¡± he sighed.


    ¡°Oh, well, hell Blaine. Why can''t you introduce us?¡± Katlinne stepped around to the opposite side of Lynsael and extended her hand. ¡°I''m Katy.¡±


    Lynsael took her hand in his, tipped his head, and said, ¡°Lyn.¡±


    ¡°We don''t have time for this.¡± Blaine trembled with anger as he seized Lynsael''s arm. ¡°He has to leave. How did you even get in here?¡±


    ¡°Why, is he underage?¡± Katlinne asked.


    Yeah, underage, the thought swirled through Blaine''s mind. It could be a reasonable explanation. Blaine tipped his head to look at the doorway, the doorman was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Where the hell is the bouncer when you need him?¡± Blaine shook his head. ¡°Never mind. It''s time for you to leave, Lyn.¡± He forced Lynsael out of the chair by his sleeve.


    ¡°We got a show to do, Blaine.¡± Katlinne said, stomping her foot.


    ¡°I know. Just let me take him home.¡±


    ¡°What''s the manager going to say?¡± Katlinne asked, but Blaine was already leading Lynsael towards the door. ¡°You better fucken hurry up, then.¡±


    Blaine moved past the hordes of people with Lynsael in his grasp.


    ¡°Blaine, please,¡± Lynsael whined as he stiffened his knees. ¡°I just wanted to see you play.¡±


    The protest caused Blaine to have to drag him the entire way. ¡°Stop dragging your feet,¡± he said as he lead Lynsael out the door and onto the damp sidewalk.


    ¡°Let go,¡± Lynsael yowled as he yanked his arm away.


    ¡°H-how did you even get here?¡±


    Lynsael lowered his head. ¡°I got a ride.¡±


    ¡°Yo-you have no ID¡ª¡°


    ¡°Oh... that''s what the doorman wanted. When I told him I didn''t have one, he said I couldn''t get in.¡±


    Blaine stilled. ¡°You didn''t...¡±


    ¡°I might have,¡± Lynsael whispered.


    Blaine looked back at the club and spotted the bouncer walking through the club doors with a nasty black and blue bruise across his left eye.


    ¡°Shit,¡± Blaine spouted and grabbed hold of Lynsael''s arm again. ¡°Let''s get out of here.¡± He sped his pace across the sidewalk, heading towards his car a few blocks away. ¡°I can''t believe you did that, Lyn. God...¡±


    Hopefully, the doorman wouldn''t know that his attacker had anything to do with Blaine. He''d be lucky to ever get into the club again after that.


    A cool, light rain began to pour down, soaking Blaine and Lynsael as they made their way to the car. It tinkled off of car windshields next to them, and they splashed into puddles created by the heavier downpour earlier that night.


    The car was just up ahead, and Blaine took his keys from his pocket and tapped the alarm button. The car''s alarm system beeped and the headlights flashed. Another splash of water came from behind, followed by the sound of heavy boot stomps on the concrete.


    ¡°Where you guys going?¡± Raz''s voice echoed out.


    Blaine turned to the see the guitar player standing behind them, a curious look etched on his face.


    ¡°I''m taking him home, Raz,¡± Blaine answered. ¡°I''ll be right back.¡±


    ¡°That''s a bummer. You''re not going to let him see the show?¡±


    ¡°He shouldn''t be out here, okay.¡± Blaine persisted.


    ¡°Really? Why''s that?¡± Raz furrowed his brows as he stepped closer.


    Blaine shook his head, irritation returned to tense his shoulders. He didn''t need to give Raz a damn explanation.


    Just as Blaine tried to find the words, Raz darted out and seized Lynsael by the arm. There was a blinding flash, and a horrid shockwave boomed against the quiet night air. Blaine''s eyes widened. Raz stood in front of him with a full pair of black wings protruding from his back. The force had torn his shirt from around his back, leaving it shredded.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    He spotted Lynsael; the black jacket hanging from his arms, and the familiar black wings blooming from his back.


    ¡°Rasiel,¡± Lynsael shrieked as he tried to escape the strong hold.


    Raz yanked on Lynsael''s arm, pulling him closer until he was trapped in Raz''s embrace. ¡°Thanks for noticing, but I do believe you already knew I was here. Am I right?¡±


    ¡°Let him go.¡± Blaine darted close. He swung his fist, pummeling Raz in the jaw.


    The clash caused Raz to drop Lynsael. He held his jaw, tensing his muscles. ¡°You shouldn''t have done that.¡±


    Blaine eyed Raz, ready to dodge any attack. But the pain came too quickly. As if Raz had moved faster than Blaine could track. He felt a fist ram his stomach. Another came barreling across his nose. The taste of blood infuriated Blaine as it dripped into his mouth.


    ¡°Stupid fucking human,¡± Raz said, continuing to punish Blaine for getting involved.


    ¡°Stop,¡± Lynsael''s commanded in a frightened squeak. As the last painful smack dazed Blaine, he looked out towards Lynsael. The angel had grasped onto Raz''s arm, stopping him from attacking.


    ¡°Don''t hurt him, Rasiel. I''ll do anything you want,¡± he whimpered.


    Raz cupped Lynsael''s chin in his hand, forcing him to look into his pitch black eyes. ¡°I knew you had been freed of that statue. You''re coming back with me,¡± he said.


    ¡°Damn it, Raz. I said let him go,¡± Blaine said, tasting his blood with every word spoken.


    Raz laughed sharply. ¡°What if I said no? Lyn, here, has a date with the devil. He''s to serve a century of punishment for his deeds.¡±


    ¡°I don''t care what he''s done¡ª¡±


    ¡°Ah, he hasn''t told you everything, has he?¡±


    ¡°Told me what?¡± Blaine thought he''d heard it all already.


    Raz grabbed hold of Lynsael''s hair, and forced him to his knees to look out at Blaine. ¡°Go on, tell him Lyn. Tell him why you got in trouble in the first place.¡±


    Lynsael tried to lower his head, but Raz tightened his hold on him, forcing him to look straight at Blaine. ¡°I-I,¡± Lynsael stuttered. ¡°Interfered.¡±


    ¡°Lyn,¡± Blaine whispered, afraid of what was next.


    ¡°With your past. I knew I shouldn''t,¡± Lynsael continued. ¡°But I just had to make sure everything was right for you.¡±


    Blaine furrowed his brows. ¡°You mean, the bad luck was because of you?¡±


    Lynsael nodded. ¡°If I had known what would happen, I never would have messed with fate. But, I just couldn''t stand to see you when you were sad, Blaine, so I changed things in your favor.¡±


    ¡°Until I was eight...¡± Blaine''s voice hitched. He couldn''t believe it. Lyn had lied to him about that when he''d asked before.


    ¡°And we all know that guardian''s aren''t supposed to mess with fate. Bla. Bla. Bla,¡± Raz spouted as he jerked on Lynsael''s hair, making Lynsael yelp. ¡°Ah, but I suppose that murder is a much more of a crime, isn''t it Lyn?¡±


    ¡°Stop it,¡± Blaine hollered. ¡°He doesn''t deserve this.¡±


    ¡°Who are you to command me, human?¡± Raz''s tone darkened. ¡°Lynsael has perpetrated the ultimate sin. Because he was caught in the act, he murdered his accuser. And for what, your love?¡±


    Blaine swallowed in hesitation, fear wrenching in his gut as he watched Raz pull Lynsael up to his feet. Couldn''t he fight against Lynsael''s persecution?


    As Raz held Lynsael tight against him, a glowing pair of cuffs appeared to wrap around his wrists. Lynsael struggled, trying to push away, but Raz only laughed at his failed attempt. Their bodies began to disappear. Glowing particles raised into the air around them.


    Blaine reached out, but the force surrounding them burned his skin, forcing him back.


    ¡°Lyn,¡± he hollered. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°So much for goodbyes,¡± Raz chuckled, as their figures disappeared.


    Blaine clenched his fists and dashed inside the circle, for one last bid at trying to save Lynsael, but it was too late. He landed on his hands and knees on the wet concrete, water splashed into his face. The last few white particles disappeared around him. So close, damn it. If only he could grab for Lynsael earlier, but it wouldn''t have made a difference.


    He clenched his fists, and pounded them into the concrete. ¡°Shit.¡± His heart thundered in his chest.


    Lyn was gone; everything he''d known for the past week, for the past sixteen years, had fluttered away in that moment. His luck had changed when he''d lost his angel, and though Lynsael had denied it, Blaine''s luck had gotten better while Lynsael was there.


    Water rippled in the small puddle underneath him. His shadowed face peered back, his black eyeliner soaking down his cheeks. He hadn''t felt the tears welling in his eyes until one dripped into the puddle. He finally realized that conscious feeling he''d had for Lynsael throughout the entire week. The words he''d wanted to say to Lynsael loosened from the tightness in his throat.


    He picked himself up. What could he do now that Lyn was gone? There had to be a way to find him, to retrieve him, to hold him in his arms and whisper those words.


    A crazy idea sprang into his thoughts. He dashed down the sidewalk, past his car, and to Schnooker''s Place, the old bar just a couple of blocks away. Upstairs, he''d hoped Vince would be home, and not out partying like usual.


    In the back alley, Blaine found the doorway leading up to the apartments. He yanked on the door, his hand slipping against the metal knob. Locked. He pressed the one of the faded buttons next to the door, hoping his intuition was right.


    Nothing.


    He pressed the buzzer again, letting his finger linger and was tempted to press them all, apartments one through five, just to get someone''s attention. Finally, Vince''s voice came from the speaker. ¡°Who the fuck is it?¡±


    ¡°Vince. Hey, it''s Blaine. Let me in.¡±


    ¡°Blaine?¡± Vince mumbled, sleepily. ¡°What the hell are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I can''t explain out here. Just let me in.¡±


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Vince grumbled, and Blaine heard the door unlock.


    He threw open the door and took the stairs up, skipping steps by twos until he was on the second floor. Lights flickered in the old hallway; the wallpaper ripped and splashed in spray paint. Vince stood outside of his apartment with his hair tousled and a baggy pair of sweats.


    Blaine stilled a moment. He hadn''t expected to see Vince in bed already.


    ¡°You look like shit,¡± Vince said. ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡± He led Blaine inside the small apartment and closed the door.


    A dim lamp sat on the floor near an air bed in the corner of the efficiency apartment, barely doing its job. Blaine could hardly make out the shadow of Vince, moving ahead of him. His guitar sat leaned up against the wall, and dark, tattered blinds were pulled down to block the night outside. The room he had back at his parents had been ten times better than this dump.


    ¡°Having... issues. Look, this is going to sound weird; just don''t question me, okay?¡± Blaine started and Vince nodded. ¡°You remember back in high school when you tried to... resurrect the dead?¡±


    Vince turned his back to Blaine, and folded his arms. ¡°You''ve come to tease me about it again?¡±


    ¡°No, no! Listen. I need your help. Do you remember what you did, or the words you said?¡±


    Vince took a couple of steps forward, and then turned to face Blaine. ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I said don''t ask. Do you remember?¡±


    ¡°Yes, okay. Of all the stupid things I retain through my life, it''s gotta be that.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Blaine let a relieving breath escape his lungs. ¡°Get dressed, you gotta do something for me.¡±


    ¡°What, now? Can''t it wait until tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No, it can''t. I need your help, Vince, now!¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± Vince huffed as he threw his hands into the air. He swiped something from the top of a chair. ¡°I swear you...¡± his voice faltered as he slipped a t-shirt over his head, and stepped into a pair of slippers. ¡°This better be good.¡± He walked to a dark corner of the room to retrieve something before going to the door.


    They both dashed downstairs, Blaine taking the lead, and outside into the moist air. Vince faltered behind a moment, clearly realizing it had been raining. When Blaine looked back and waved at him, Vince finally caught up.


    ¡°So, what the hell? Didn''t you guys have a gig to play tonight?¡± Vince asked.


    ¡°I-it''s a long story,¡± Blaine huffed as he lead Vince to the area where Lynsael and Raz had disappeared.


    Water splashed as they ran, and Blaine had found the spot close to his parked car. Or, at least, he knew it was around there somewhere. He stopped in his tracks and turned to Vince. In Vince''s hand, he carried a small, hardback book with an old brown cover; a red ribbon hung out from its end.


    ¡°What''s that?¡± Blaine asked.


    ¡°It''s the book with all those resurrection spells. Good thing I kept it, huh? Because after all your damn teasing back in high school, I seriously thought of burning the thing.¡± Vince tapped the book on his palm. ¡°So what are we doing then?¡±


    ¡°We''re going to bring back the dead... or semi-dead, I guess.¡± Blaine took a step forward, searching the exact spot. ¡°Here.¡± He pointed to the ground next to a rounded puddle of water.


    ¡°Are you serious, man?¡±


    ¡°Dead fucking serious. Now, open that thing up and let''s get started.¡±


    Vince rolled his eyes before he cleared his throat and opened the book. He flipped through the wrinkled pages until one of them caught his eyes. ¡°All right. This might do it.¡± With that, he began to chant in a language that sounded slightly familiar.


    As he continued, Blaine remembered back to the day that Lynsael had been hovered against the statue, humming those strange words. Something wasn''t right. It felt too empty here. ¡°Stop,¡± Blaine commanded. ¡°This isn''t going to work.¡±


    ¡°You think?¡± Vince asked with sarcasm in his voice.


    What could he do? If he wanted Lynsael back, this was the only option, though he wasn''t even sure if it would work in the first place. There had to be something more; something he was missing. He''d remembered those words inscribed on to the statue, the fact they were scratched and rewritten in Latin. ¡°What language is that?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Hell if I know. Latin maybe.¡±


    Blaine tapped his chin, searching for the answer, when he arrived at a curious thought. ¡°I got another idea.¡± He turned towards his car and jumped across the curb. ¡°Get in.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Vince didn''t have time to ask. He jumped into the passenger''s side seat and Blaine revved the engine to take off down the road.


    ¡°Would you just tell me what''s going on. Did somebody die, or something?¡±


    ¡°No. I...¡± Blaine swallowed. There wasn''t a single explanation he could come up with. ¡°Just don''t ask okay, man? Seriously.¡±


    Vince leaned his head into his hand. ¡°Whatever.¡±

 Chapter 12

    The drive to the apartment seemed to take too long. It had only been twelve blocks, but with the way Blaine''s night had been, it felt like fifty. Once they pulled into the driveway, Blaine bolted to the door; Vince''s tired, gasping breath huffed behind him.


    Blaine juggled his keys and quickly unlocked the door, letting it swing open. ¡°Come on.¡± He motioned to Vince who had barely had a chance to take a breather.


    Once in the house, Blaine froze in the darkened living room. The only memory left of Lynsael was the base of the statue in the corner. Its small, granite stand still dusty from when Lynsael had broken free from its bounds.


    ¡°Whoa.¡± Vince stopped behind Blaine. ¡°What the hell is that?¡±


    ¡°A statue,¡± Blaine said. He stepped close to the base. ¡°Or what is left of it. Can you start reading that here?¡±


    Vince paused a moment. ¡°You gotta be kidding me, Blaine. You really think somethin¡ª¡°


    ¡°Just do it, Vince.¡±


    Vince mumbled, ¡°Yes, sir¡± as he flipped through the pages, searching the page he''d been on. He stepped past Blaine and stilled just inches from the statue''s base. Again, he began to speak in the language of the past, and again, nothing happened.


    There had to be something missing. If this wasn''t bringing Lynsael back, Blaine wasn''t sure what would. There was nothing left for him to try until he remembered the last feather on top of the dresser; the feather that hadn''t disintegrated.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Blaine commanded and Vince stopped.


    He dashed into the bedroom. Up on the dresser, leaned against a picture of his parents, was the feather in its perfection. Blaine stilled a moment, he couldn''t bear to see the last remains of Lynsael turn to ash like the rest of the feathers. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and touched the fine hairs. For a moment, he couldn''t breathe as he waited for it to disappear, but when nothing happened, he picked up the feather and embraced it in the palm of his hand.


    ¡°This might work,¡± he said in hopes, stepping back into the living room.


    ¡°What''s that?¡± Vince flicked his eyes to Blaine.


    Blaine approached the statue and set the feather on top of the base. He stilled a moment, and then ran his thumb across the scratched front where the inscription was inset. ¡°You are freed,¡± he whispered to himself. ¡°Solvo pro umquam magis.¡± Blaine turned towards Vince. ¡°So that''s Latin... you took Latin in high school, didn''t you?¡±


    Vince shrugged. ¡°Hey, I dropped out after a half a semester. Fuckin lousy ass class, man.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember any of it?¡±


    ¡°What the hell, man? Maybe a little bit, but that was five years ago.¡±


    ¡°Okay...¡± Blaine thought a moment before motioning to Vince. ¡°What''s the opposite of free?¡± After everything that had happened, he couldn''t think anymore.


    A curious look wavered on Vince''s face as he began to come up with words from the top of his head, ¡°Trapped, stuck, bound...¡±


    ¡°Bound. Is there something in your book?¡± Blaine approached Vince, and leaned over to try to get a look at the book in his hands. ¡°Like how to trap someone, or something. Or maybe how to chain someone up?¡±


    ¡°Not sure if I wanna be part of your freaky, dinky thing, man.¡± Vince raised a brow, but began to flip through pages again. ¡°There is this one thing I tried on Katy,¡± he snickered. ¡°But, of course, it didn''t work. Ah, here it is.¡± He stopped on a particular page, and ran his fingers across the text. ¡°Can you turn on a light or something? I can''t see shit.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Hit that switch behind you.¡± Blaine pointed to the light switch that led to the spotlight he had installed above the sculpture.


    Once Vince flipped the light on, the pure white light shined on the remains of the statue, lighting up the entire corner like it had the same day that Blaine had released Lynsael. ¡°Damn man, that''s a weird place for a light.¡±


    ¡°Now read it,¡± Blaine commanded. He could only hope this would work.


    As Vince began to read the words, Blaine felt his legs tremble. He''d been through enough; he just wanted Lynsael back in his arms. If anyone, or anything, came for him, they''d find a way to hide together. The raging beat of his heart thumped in his chest. He could barely keep still. The sound of a car horn wailed from outside, making him jump.


    ¡°What is that you are saying?¡± Blaine flicked his eyes to the book.


    ¡°Um,¡± Vince turned the page. ¡°It''s something like ¡°I bound you to these chains of anguish¡ª¡°


    ¡°What the hell are you reading?¡± Blaine snatched the book from Vince''s hands. He flipped through the pages, the text written in the same language as the scratched inscription on the statue. A couple of pages through, he found something that caught his eyes. Slowly, he approached the statue, and focused his attention on the feather. ¡°Vos es reus.¡±


    A flicker of blue light extended through the feather, making it glow. The beam rose up towards the ceiling. Blaine found himself backing away. A loud crackle reverberated through the room, followed by streaks of golden particles forming through the air above.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± Vince muttered. ¡°What the hell did you say?¡±


    Blaine dropped the book on the coffee table, his eyes wide at the sight of Lynsael''s figure appearing in front of him through the streaks of light. Who cared what he said, his angel was coming back, and that was all that mattered.


    ¡°Blaine,¡± Lynsael''s angelic voice echoed through the aura.


    A smile spread wide on Blaine''s lips. ¡°I brought you back.¡± He stepped close to Lynsael, and extended his hands out. Blaine tried to touch him, but his fingers went through Lynsael''s figure like he was a ghost. His heart dropped into his stomach. ¡°What''s wrong? It''s not complete.¡±


    He turned to Vince, who stood with his jaw dropped, the light sparkling through his eyes. ¡°It''s not working, Vince.¡±


    But Vince stood frozen; eyes bright and in awe at what was in front of him.


    Blaine flicked his eyes back to Lynsael, who leaned down and reached out his hand to Blaine''s face. His features softened. ¡°At least you''ve tried,¡± his voice echoed.


    ¡°Lyn.¡± Blaine tried to touch the lighted hand, hovering just above it, needing Lynsael''s warmth more than ever. ¡°What do I do? Please, tell me. I cannot let you go.¡±


    Lynsael lowered his head. ¡°There''s nothing¡ª¡°


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Blaine. This is my fate.¡±


    ¡°No it''s not, Lyn. Your fate is here... with me.¡± Blaine lowered his hand. ¡°Please, Lyn. I love you.¡±


    Lynsael lifted his head, eyes bright with a smile on his lips. ¡°I love you too.¡±


    Blaine leaned in close, white particles hummed around him; he''d wanted to brush his lips against Lynsael''s, but Lynsael cupped the back of his neck, instead.


    ¡°The words...¡± Lynsael began. ¡°I''ve been waiting to hear.¡±


    There was no way this could be it, Blaine wouldn''t settle for this. He thought back to the words he''d read, those words spoken that brought Lynsael back. All he wanted to do was to wrap his arms around Lynsael, and make him his forever, no matter what Raz or anyone said.


    He gulped and noticed the light beginning to fade. ¡°No.¡± He attempted to clamp on to Lynsael''s disappearing body. ¡°Please. Vos es reus...¡± The last word he''d read from the book ran through his memory. ¡°Volo.¡±


    With the last word, Lynsael''s figure began to reappear, and a loud pop crackled around the apartment with a bright, shining light. Blaine closed his eyes a moment, praying his angel had come back, and when he looked back to the statue, Lynsael was standing there, looking out at his paled hands.


    Lynsael spread his full wings, feathers ruffled in the breeze. He met Blaine¡¯s gaze with a smile.


    ¡°You did it. How did you¡ª¡°


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Blaine hopped up on the base and wrapped Lynsael in his arms.


    Their lips found each others, warm and inviting, and their bodies pressed up close. No one could break them free, not even Vince who began to stutter.


    ¡°Um, Blaine. What the fuck?¡±


    He didn''t care, let Vince freak out. Blaine had only wanted to speak those words to Lynsael for days, but this situation had put a damper on them. After he found the voice to actually say them, the tension had lifted from his shoulders. He had his angel in his arms and nothing would interfere with that.


    The bright aura began to fade and with it, Lynsael''s wings began to crumble. Black feathers fell to the floor, shriveled and disappeared until there was nothing left of the ethereal wings. Lynsael pulled away, but instead of breaking down like he normally had, he watched the last part of his wings break and fall to the floor.


    ¡°Lyn... you''re¡ª¡° Blaine stuttered.


    ¡°I''m becoming human. You''ve bound me, haven''t you?¡± Lynsael embraced Blaine. ¡°Thank you. Now no one can come for me ever again.¡± He buried his head in the crook of Blaine''s neck.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Blaine sighed, his hand caressing Lynsael''s dark hair. He supposed he had bound him, unknowing of what the spell would do, but if it meant they could be together without burden, so be it. Lynsael was his; Blaine would live in his guardian angel''s arms. And Lynsael would live in his.