On a wing and a prayer

[the_baking_vampire]

This isn't the first charge he's ever had as a guardian angel, so it's not exactly as if he's new at his job. He's never broken the rules before or failed in his task. He's always followed strictly to the rules and protected his charges with the utmost care and diligence.

He never thought things would be so much different with John Grimm.

As a boy, he'd lost his parents, and Seere had been tasked to him without any real explanation of why. Sometimes, that's how it goes; an assignment without a reason. It's never bothered him. All he knew was that he needed to protect the boy, and by extension, that usually meant protecting his twin sister, as well, inseparable as they were.

For years, Seere watched him grow, a sad, shy, and reserved child who turned into a handsome young man.

It was difficult when John entered the military. Seere can't fix mental anguish. How does one protect against that sort of thing without keeping a soul from gaining the necessary experiences to benefit from having lived? So, he watches as John struggles through bootcamp, watches as he struggles with the deaths of his friends, with the guilt that comes with it. He wants to help, but there's nothing he can do. He can't protect everyone. Only John.

Seere is wary when John gets selected for the RRTS. It's such a dangerous squad. Protecting him becomes a full-time task, flitting in and out of John's vision, exploiting those fractional blind spots that all humans have to subtly change the trajectory of bullets or nudge him away from a falling object or protect him from an explosion.

During these years, he's grown closer to John. He knows he shouldn't get attached, but John is such a sweet, loyal person, Seere can't help but care for him. He's gentle and protects those around him, gives everything he's got to try to keep his friends safe. He's grown into a man that Seere is proud to watch over, even if it's become dangerous to do so. Angels aren't allowed to love.

Still, his job goes well up until John is in his 26th year -- and he suddenly disappears.

Seere tracks his last signature to the point where it disappeared. It's a portal to Mars. Seere knows this, but he can't go. He can't leave the sphere of influence that Angels have on Earth. He can't travel to Mars with him, can't protect him. For once in his eternal life, Seere is afraid he will fail. He's not afraid of the punishment for it, he's afraid for John.

So, he heads back to Heaven to wait, and never have two days seemed so long for someone with as much patience as he has.

As soon as John's familiar tug reappears on Earth, Seere seeks him out.

He finds him at the hospital, beside the bed of his sister, and he immediately looks the both of them over for injuries. John is perfectly healthy, as far as Seere can tell, but Sam seems as if she has been wounded. Not fatally so, thankfully.

He breathes out a sigh of relief. He is so glad to see his charge is safe.

Comments

[beautifulanimal]

"I'm not talking drugs. I was thinking maybe you can put some sort of binding thing on it? So you don't have to worry about waking up with me rutting against you again?"

[the_baking_vampire]

He shakes his head. "I don't have the ability to do that. I'm sorry.

[beautifulanimal]

"It's okay. I'll just- I'll just sleep on the couch and avoid the problem."

[the_baking_vampire]

"No. I'll leave at night. It's your bed. I can't take it."

[beautifulanimal]

"I feel better when you're here, though..."

[the_baking_vampire]

"If anything, I'll sleep on the couch. I won't take your bed."

[beautifulanimal]

"How are you going to fit on my couch with those giant wings of yours?"

He presses a smile against Seere's cheek. All he wants is to turn around and crawl into his lap. He realizes that ever since Seere came back, he has done nothing by physically cling to him, but it doesn't matter. He isn't ready for dealing with the world.

[the_baking_vampire]

"I'll just have to take a human form for a while." Well, it's not really a human form. It's just a visible form with incorporeal wings. Not the most comfortable of forms for angels, but it would do.

[beautifulanimal]

"Would you look any different than you do now?"

He turns a little more, and then some more after that. Until he's sideways on the edge of the bed and can nuzzle him better.

[the_baking_vampire]

Seere keeps his arms around him, despite all the squirming, and he smiles a little at the question. "You wouldn't see my wings."

[beautifulanimal]

"I don't think I could live with the heartbreak."

That's mostly a joke, and you can bet he's moving closer.

"Do we have to be anywhere today?"

[the_baking_vampire]

Seere shifts to accommodate him, not at all minding the closeness.

"I thought you wanted to reapply for active duty?"

[beautifulanimal]

"I still have two months left before I'm eligible for another psych eval. I told you this."

He leans back and pulls Seere with him.

"Do you mind if we stay here. I can't think of anywhere I wanna be."

[the_baking_vampire]

"Yes, but I thought you were going to try again, just in case perhaps they would change their minds."

He struggles a little for balance, but he ends up landing on top of John, anyway. "Alright. If you would rather."

[beautifulanimal]

It's an automatic reaction to spread his legs and let Seere fall between them. It's a more comfortable position for both of them, than Seere balancing on top of John's legs. Of course that opens the towel he's wearing, but he doesn't really notice that.

"If I'm honest, I just want to spend the next to months right here. I don't even wanna leave the bed, let alone the apartment."

[the_baking_vampire]

Seere brushes his fingers through John's hair, shifting so they're both comfortable. As long as Seere's still wearing clothes, then it doesn't matter if John's naked. There's still a barrier between them.

"You have to leave the house sometime, love. You can't be a shut-in. You need human interaction."

[beautifulanimal]

"I will. After a while. Right now, I think you're my medicine."

There is a little twitch in him when Seere shifts. He can't help it. Seeer's rubbing against him and his body responds automatically.

[the_baking_vampire]

Seere looks down a little when he feels something poking into his hip. Oh. Again?

He clears his throat and tries not to notice. "I'll stay as long as you want, then."

[beautifulanimal]

He wraps his arms around Seere's neck and presses his nose against his skin to breathe him in. It's to help calm him back down, and it works like a charm. Seere's warm and soft and everything he needs to forget about this new handicap his body has given him.

[the_baking_vampire]

"Good, love. That's good."

Though, his mind has started thinking about ways to get John interested in associating with the outside world again. His only friend can't be an angel, right? That would be selfish of him.

[beautifulanimal]

Two months later John still isn't interested in the world outside of Seere's wings. He spends his days learning about his new abilities (in ways that don't hurt Seere)and his nights clinging to the angel like his sanity depends on it. It's possible that it does. The only reason he passes the second evaluation is because the months with Seere have kept him calm and grounded. He's a fucking zen master compared to last time.

So they want him back and John is busy packing up the apartment so he can go live at the compound again, and he's a little sad. He won't be able to rely on Seere as much, won't even be able to talk to him, and he'll miss him so much. He has grown used to having him there all the time. He's grown fond of him. He's a little addicted to is presence.

[the_baking_vampire]

"You know I'm still going to be there with you every step of the way, don't you? I won't abandon you. And maybe on the rare occasion you can have a 'visitor' and we can talk properly." Seere smiles as he watches John pack up. He's happy for him, he really is. It's good that he's getting to go back and do something to help others.

[beautifulanimal]

"I'll go crazy trying to ignore you."

He stops what he's doing to come over and kiss his cheek. "You can always come wrap your wings around me and hide us both if there's something important to discuss."

[the_baking_vampire]

Seere laughs quietly and presses a kiss to John's other cheek in return. "This is true. We will find ways to work around it."

[beautifulanimal]

"But I do. not. want to see you show up as a new recruit. I don't care what happens. You have to promise me that. I don't want your hands tainted." And then he smiles against his cheek. "I don't want to share you."

Which is odd to say, but he means it. Maybe he has, over the course of the past months, developed certain feelings for him. How could he not? Seere has been nothing but good to him. Seere is nothing but good, and he makes John feel so happy and relaxed and peaceful just by being there. How could he not grow to love him?

Not that he realizes this. It's been so gradual. Sneaking into his heart without him noticing and now it's taking over the whole thing.