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"A White Rose.

The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O, the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.

- John Boyle O'Reilly (1844-1890)" 

I smiled as I finished reading it. "It's beautiful."

"I know that one," Gabriel said. "It's one of my favourites."

A smile tugged at my lips as I set my English book beside my bed. "Favourites?"

He wrapped his arms around my waist and rolled me on top of him. "When I read it in the 1800's I loved it."

"Tell me something," I put my hands on the pillow both sides of his head and lifted myself up. I stared down at him with a curious smirk. "How is it I met you when you were ten and you grew up to become an angel, instead of you never ageing like in books and movies?"

He smiled. "It's all part of how I became like this."

I waited for him to elaborate but instead, he rolled us over again so this time he was almost on top of me. 

"When are you going to tell me your story?" I asked him.

He curled a hand around my thigh and squeezed. "Later,"

A thrill of excitement coursed through me. "Today?"

He shook his head and the thrill was extinguished. Gabe and I were told yesterday that we had early English entry exams in two months. So we decided to start studying every so often on the weekends. He said he didn't need to study because he'd learnt almost everything to learn about English in his existence so he'd agreed to help me. 

So far all we'd manage to do was listen to music, sleep, and read that one poem.

He sighed and stared into my eyes with a tender expression. "Alexis, you know how much I adore you-"

"Do I?" I asked playfully. "I'm trying to remember when you last said it to me... An hour ago? Half an hour?" I sighed dramatically and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm afraid I've forgotten."

His arm slid around my waist and he tightened his arm bringing my face closer to his. "Do you want me to remind you?

"Hmmm..." I ran my hands up his strong hard chest. My hands bunched on the front of his t-shirt as I said, "Sure why not?" 

His lips pressed down on mine lightly at first but soon enough, his hands were lingering on my leg and moving up my waist. 

Bolts of electricity started at the tip of my toes and started coursing through my body. My heart started pounding in my ears as the kiss became more desperate. I could feel his pulse under my hand as I moved from his chest to his neck.

The adoration he wanted to remind me of showed in his every touch and every kiss. Although it were desperate it was still somehow soft touch my heart.

I didn't even notice the door open until I heard a startled gasp.

Gabriel pulled off me and turned his head toward the door. I looked beyond him to look at my mothers very wide green eyes. Gabriel rolled his weight off me and stared at her with a pale face.

This had to be the first time my mom has ever caught me in a position like this. And what makes everything all the worse was that it was with my best friend. The boy my parents trusted with their hearts. The boy that was now making out with their only daughter on a Saturday night.

"M-mom-" I stuttered.

She held up her hand to silence me and walked out. I glanced at Gabriel quickly before jumping up and following her out. She had already made it to the staircase. "Mom!"

"I'm scarred for life baby, don't make it worse." She said.

I followed her downstairs and stopped her when she got to the kitchen. "Mother, please listen---"

"Baby, there's nothing you could say as an alibi for that." She made herself look busy as she went through the fridge and cupboards ignoring all eye contact with me. 

I sat down at the island and ran a hand through my hair. She was right though. I couldn't say he had something on his tongue and I was helping him get it off could I?

"Mom-"

"I knew something was going on with you two for ages but I didn't want to say anything just in case I was wrong. But walking into your room and seeing you two... Like that, shocked-"

"Mom please let me speak!" I interrupted. "I know what you're going to say and I just want to get this out: I love him, alright? I didn't admit it to him or to myself until last week. I know you're probably thinking I'm not serious about him that I would only think of him as an easy la--"

"Ah!" My mother gasped. "Too much information there! But, I have to say now that I don't think any of that. I don't think that you're not serious about him. I don't think that you think he's a good... Lay." She flinched. "The way you look at him is one of a kind, sweetie. And the way he looks at you is as if he's seen the light for the first time in ten years. I could feel the love practically radiating off of you two. I had a feeling you two were some how always meant for each other." She shook her head. "But, I'm a mother and we always say things like that so it might just be imbedded into our mother like brains." She smiled at me and came toward me to kiss my forehead.

"Thanks mom." I said. "And I, er, I'm sorry about..." I pointed upstairs. 

She waved it away. "You're eighteen years old. I'm not stupid, Alex, I know that you're... Active."

My eyes widened. "Say what?"

She sighed and sat down opposite me. I leant back in my chair and stared at her. If she was about to give me the speech I thought she was going to give then I'm gonna scream...

"I know yore sexually active, Alexis."

Okay, I'm going to scream. "Mother! I am not!" This was going to be awkward. I didn't exactly want to tell my mother that I was still a virgin, but with the way she was going that's where it was headed.

"Mom, I'm a... A virgin..." I stuttered out.

She sighed with obvious relief. "Oh thank Jesus. But, I'm not stopping you if you feel that it's the right time. You've known Gabriel for a very long time now, and I wouldn't be surprised if you lose it to him now that you're together." She said. I nodded and looked down at my hands feeling the blood shoot upwards to my face. "I'm not asking you to tell me when you lose your virginity, sweetie, that would be crossing all boundaries for a mother and daughter," I chuckled. "But just stay safe and make sure you know." She finished.

I smiled at her; it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I honestly thought she would pull out a condom and a banana and demonstrate how to put it on a guy.

That would have been eventful.

"Do you want me to put you on the pill?"

Okay, crossing the line now. I stood up abruptly and said, "I'm going now. Bye mom."

I heard her start laughing as I walked out of the kitchen and to the stairs. When I walled into my bedroom, Gabriel was standing near the window with his back to me.

"Your mother still thinks a lot of me. If she knew what I really was she wouldn't trust me as much." 

I shut the door and leant back on it. "What do you mean?"

He turned around and slowly walked toward me. "I'm not human, Alexis. If your mother knew that, she wouldn't let you near me let alone leave you in the same room as me."

Oh. 

I knew what he was getting at. "Oh, Gabe-"

"You've been saving yourself and... And I don't know what you're thinking but I don't think I should be... That one."

I felt a twinge in my chest. 

"I hadn't even thought about it until my mom started talking about it. I told you that I didn't care whether you're a demon or a fallen angel. I love you no matter what. And if something leads to another, then..."

He was now towering over me. 

"Then... Then I..." I moved my gaze past his head to the ceiling. "Then..."

"Lexie..." His hand lightly caressed my cheek. My head rested in his soft large hand and I closed my eyes. "Don't think about it."

"Have you?" I blurted out. 

"Yes." He answered in a changed voice. I opened my eyes to stare into his lust filled ones. "I've thought about it."

It was silent for a moment as we stared at each other. It was getting dark outside and my room was almost in complete darkness. The only thing I could see was his bright blue eyes.

He lowered his head and his lips were suddenly on mine. My hands buried in his velvet soft hair as he deepened the kiss and wrapped his arms around my waist. 

Gabriel pulled me from the door and carefully started moving us until my back softly hit my bed. With Gabriel, everything felt right... Everything felt normal. I was safe with Gabriel. I was protected. And the thought of loosing my innocence to him didn't scare the crap out of me like it would with everyone else.

I grazed my hands down his chest and felt his muscles harden under my touch. I heard a small groan from within his throat.

A knock on the window made me jump. Gabriel was up in a second by the window waiting for whoever it was to come in. I stood there staring at the window as it slid open. A dark muscled figure stepped in and stood facing me.

Gabriel then threw a perfect punch to his jaw and receiving a startled grunt and a, "What the hell?!"

I felt my way to my lamp on the dresser table and glared at Tristan. "You want to tell me why you're sneaking into my bedroom?"

He rubbed his jaw and stared at Gabriel. "Yeah. Gabriel isn't supposed to be here so I was going to take my shift."

"It doesn't give you the excuse to sneak into my room and give me a heat attack."

He chuckled. "Okay, I apologize. I'm sorry."

He scoffed and fixed my t-shirt. 

"So... What were you two doing before I got here?" He pointed at Gabriel's wrinkled shirt and his messed up hair.

Before I could speak, Gabriel said, "Nothing." He walked to the end of the bed and grabbed his shoes. "I better go. Alexis, I won't be back for a couple of days."

My eyes widened. "Wh-why?"

"Lover boy here is off to meet the Messengers. No angel can actually meet or speak to the elders in person apart from the Messengers. And with Gabriel being a sinner," He tugged on Gabriel's hair. Gabriel slapped his hand away. "That makes it harder for him to get in contact with a Messenger so, he's going to try his luck and meet one."

"Why do you need contact with the elders?" I asked him.

They both exchanged looks I didn't understand. It was along the lines of sadness or pain. 

"It's best if I leave now." Gabe said completely ignoring my question. "Tristan, can you give us a minute?" 

He nodded and jumped out the window. 

Gabriel turned to me with furrowed eyebrows and a frown. 

"What's going on?" I asked him. "Why are you leaving all of a sudden?"

He pulled me by the waist and frowned down at me. "I love you. Don't ever forget that okay?"

I nodded. "But Gabriel---"

"I have to leave. I'll be back soon. I promise." He kissed me so passionately it almost knocked me off my feet. There was a new edge to this kiss. A desperate and wanting edge, but yet the love poured out of it.

 As soon as his lips left mine, I heard the sound of the window opening and closing.

I opened my eyes to stare at my empty room. What just happened? Everything was fine until Tristan got here saying he needed to go. And what was with that goodbye? 

He's never said it like that before. He's never kissed me as if it were the last time he was going to kiss me...

"Lex, I'm coming in now." 

Gabriel would have told me if he were leaving. He wouldn't just leave and not come back for a year without saying anything.

"Tristan," He turned to me. "What's going on? Why did Gabe say bye to me as if he's never going to see me again?"

Tristan stared at me with wide eyes. "I didn't even notice-"

"Don't pretend that you weren't listening. I'm not that stupid; Gabriel has never rushed off or kissed me like that. What's going on?"

Tristan raised a hand to his eyes and sighed. "Alexis, do you trust Gabriel and I?"

I nodded.

"Then don't ask questions." He stated firmly.

I was startled by his tone of voice. He shook his head and walked into my closet. What the hell going on?

Gabe and I have a great day, an awesome evening and all of a sudden everything turned from better to worse in the matter of five minutes. What made me curious was why Gabriel didn't bother to tell me he was leaving for more than a night this time.

I sighed and dropped back until my head hit the pillow.

If it were something of importance, either one of them would have told me... then again, thinking about everything they HAVEN'T yet told me, made me wonder what other secrets they were hiding from me.

 Like the exact day I'm going to change.

Gabe told me not to worry or think about it, but now I wanted to know. My dreams were getting worse, and every time I woke up I was always burning up. I had to take a fifteen minute cold shower the other day to cool down.

I sighed.

I was worried about the pain.

But apparently its different. I'm different. A hand full of angels agreed that I'm different.

Maybe if I'm different it won't be as bad...

Right?

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(Edited: 2023)