https://youtu.be/ytbJTi79XyM

The phone was on the floor across the room. A state of sheer rage that he had rarely experienced before took over his every thought. How dare this puny human threaten him like that? To take away something—someone—he loved and cherished?

Love.

His love.

A simple thing, yet so daunting, so hard to hold onto, even when he was the one who held both Heaven and Earth in his hands, at least until Father came back.

What was the surprise, really? He knew it would be his weakness a while ago.

He was going to explain the situation, but was he given a chance? No. Did he owe it to them? Of course not. He didn't owe them anything.

His vessel's heart raced like a wild horse, and blood wanted to bust through his veins. His hands were tied. Killing those humans would feel good right then, but what about after that? What did it achieve? What could he even say to her? She would not forgive him. He couldn't change what he did in the past, but he had promised her not to harm or kill a human being without just cause ever again. He would honor that promise.

This was just a temporary situation, no need to lose his composure over a taunt. Humans liked to play mind games, he knew that. He had to be better than them.

He looked down at the messy desk. Large puddles of black ink, pens, and papers scattered all over the pristine marbled surface. Some documents were crumpled up into balls. They could be important, who knew?

He exhaled sharply and slumped into the chair. He needed to do something, anything, to take his mind away from this dark place before he burned this whole building down.

...

It was an open area. His hasty landing had destroyed several trees and small plants, leaving behind a large ring of scorched ground. Whooshing winds blew his tie and hair in all directions. He squeezed his eyes in the glaring sun and braced himself forward.

The grey electric fence was right ahead. He could see the camp from where he stood. The trail of dead grass under his feet led straight to the western side of it.

At some random times of the month, the wardings got a little weaker than usual and the connection opened for a short period. He had been taking advantage of that.

The longing was so unbearable sometimes and fragments of her voice and laughter got through all the statics to ring like a bell in his mind. She pulled him here today as usual and he gladly obliged.

Just a few more days until he found the bastard and made sure things were safe. "Just a few more days" was what he had been telling himself to get through the days and nights without her. "Just a few more days" had turned into weeks, then months before he knew it.

What if she would eventually forget about him? Or worse, thought he had forgotten about her and let her hope die already? What would he do?

The human mind was fickle, there was no secret about it. Didn't matter how many promises were made or how good things had been before. How he wished they had said goodbye on better terms and he had taken the time to tell her how he really felt, how everything was not what it seemed, and asked her to be patient, but anger, disappointment, and feeling of betrayal were all he felt at the time. They clouded his eyes, forbidding him from doing that. Then it became too late.

He just hoped it was not too late.

The sky was so blue and clear. He opened his senses as best as he could and filtered through all of the faint laughter, gunshots, tableware clanking, mundane stories, disgusting chewing, and slurping noises to a single voice that mattered.

"Please, just a little more... You haven't eaten all day, Ruby."

"Just leave me alone. I want to sleep."

"Just one bite and I won't bug you anymore. You can't take medicines on an empty stomach."

"I said leave me alone! I'm gonna puke it all out later anyway..."

"Come, one spoon only, please!"

"No..."

The back and forth went on for thirty minutes or so before he heard a sigh and the sound of utensils hitting a bowl or plate. Her footsteps thumped on the wood floor, then finally, the feeling of her small body dropping onto a soft surface. He wished it could be his arms instead that she had fallen into.

Things quieted down for so long that he started to wonder what happened there. The connection was very limited at the moment.

It had become a habit of his to come here every day since he discovered the wardings' weakness. Sometimes it was all in vain and he just stood there for hours like a fool without receiving anything. Sometimes it felt almost as if they were in the same room, skin to skin. Those days made it all worth it for him to continue making the trip.

It was not that he couldn't hear or feel her from the loft or wherever he was. He just wanted to be this close.

He was standing here today in the middle of the day, drowned in the sounds of the cicadas singing their hearts out before their fleeting lives came to an end. So much like humans.

The conversation with Bobby Singer had rattled him so much that he didn't know what to do but come here. It was stupid to get so woke up over a taunt when everything was still under control. Lately, he just got provoked so easily. One mention of her name and he lost it. He had to stop acting like a damn human.

I'm right here.

However, sometimes, he wished he could act like a human. A simple human man could scream the name of someone he loved, disregarding all the looks of annoyance and judgment, baring his heart to the whole world. A human man would not be afraid to let his love know that he was there and that he was not going anywhere. How amazing that would feel.

He could drill a hole in the fence with his eyes right there and then if he was not careful with these thoughts. That would not be good.

My body aches so much... It's only noon but I'm already exhausted. I wonder what you're doing?... I miss you, Michael.

Her thought cut him like a hot blade. This was not the first time but the pain never got old. It never appeared to him until this very moment that not only torturing others feels good but also inflicting it on himself. Maybe even a little better.

It was probably his most favorite, sweetest pain when she started talking to him in her mind that way. He could hear everything but was never able to reply. He had surely tried, but the human mind was not so perceptive under all restrictions.

It frustrated him so. He paced in circles like a caged animal and left burned hand marks on the trees here and there. If he could come just a little closer without triggering anything, maybe he could try to take a walk in her mind again?

The thought was tempting but, as usual, didn't work.

A two-way connection was hard under this condition. His power was poured in like water and as much as he wouldn't mind it, any more and the whole camp's warding system would light up like a Christmas tree. Every single angel in the vicinity would be aware of his arrival. It would not be the welcoming party he wanted.

If only he could connect to her somehow, it would be good...

He stood there, listening to her thoughts and feelings of worries, pain, tiredness, yearning...over and over again like a depressing song. Each one wore him a little thinner.

When the sun dipped on the horizon, he zapped away, knowing he would be back soon...

Michael's blue eyes are fixed on Kye's face, haunted by the memory. He will tell her someday when everything is back to normal that in all of those months, she was never alone. He was always there, just on the other side of the fence.

"Why do you worry about the angels?" He gently touches her cheek.

"My sister..." Kye hesitates for a moment before remembering that Michael has already known everything. "She's in a relationship with one of them."

"So, like us?"

"Yeah, like us."

Kye blushes with the answer when she sees Michael's small smile. Her heart feels twice the size and contains the flutters of a thousand butterflies. They have never needed to label what they are, but it feels good to finally say it out loud. Kye looks away from the sparks in Michael's eyes, trying to calm herself down.

"So my sister is really in bad shape right now. Her old trauma gets triggered by his absence. She refuses to take treatment from the camp healer. I said that I wanted to, but the truth is I don't think I can go back to the city leaving her like that. She needs her angel back. She will listen to him and let him heal her. The medicines can only help so much, and she doesn't even remember to take them most of the time. As nice as this is," Kye gestures around. "I don't think we can do it very often."

She bites her lower lip and lays her head back on Michael's shoulder. If she looks at the archangel one more second, her calm facade will crumble. Her hand finds his, and they interlock.

"The angels are better. Not near where they used to be, but they will survive... As soon as their grace fully recovers, I will send them back."

"My place is with you, Michael. I would rather take being in danger next to you than stay in a safe place, not knowing what happens to you. It would kill me. I can't stand another 8 months like this. This punishment—"

"It's not a punishment." Michael looks up to the sky. A sense of impatience burns inside of him. "It never was... Please, be patient and don't worry too much. I promise nothing will happen to either of us. I won't let it. Just trust me and wait for me. Can you do that?"

There's nothing he wants more than having Kye back and ending his dreadful trips, but there are things he needs to take care of first.

"Do I even have a choice?" Kye chuckles sadly and pulls her hand away, ignoring the hurt look in Michael's eyes. "I've been doing it anyway."

She can't give him any comfort right now when there is none in her heart. She just needs a minute. Kye stays quiet, squeezing her hands together and lowering her head as in a prayer. The archangel isn't sure what to do besides observing her. He doesn't like this silence one bit. All he has ever wanted to do is keep her safe. Is it too much to ask?

He tries to grab her arm and pull her back to him. The moment Kye turns around with her misty eyes, Michael knows whatever demand comes out of her mouth next, no matter how unreasonable it is, he will oblige. To his surprise, the girl doesn't say anything. All she does is stare at him, and after a long moment, Kye comes closer and rests her head on his chest again.

He hopes that she is not crying. Her tears come easily but they are never an easy sight for him to witness. Michael feels helpless every single time, and all he can do is hold her tightly, but he so wants to fix whatever is wrong in her world and make everything better. Michael just doesn't always know how.

***

The archangel's steady heartbeats slowly lure Kye into a slumber, even as she tries to fight it. Michael's clean scent fills her lungs, making Kye feel safe and, at the same time, heartbroken. It's never easy to say goodbye. She dreads the next morning already.

***

Michael reads Kye's every thought and emotion, but he doesn't say anything. There is nothing to say. He loves her, so he will do what is required. He only hopes that she can stay strong. All the archangel can do now is help the girl fall asleep. There are only a few hours before they have to go back to their own battle.

A few more hours to stay like this, hold her, and watch over her.

Michael touches Kye's forehead and puts her into a peaceful sleep. No dream. She needs to rest. The last thought before she drifts away doesn't surprise him, but it makes his heart beat a little faster.

You'd better make it fast, Michael... But doesn't matter how long, I will be right here waiting for you.