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]

"Asshole."

His patience only lasts so long before he gives up and turns to try to sleep again. Or stare at the other wall. It's all the same, really. Better than trying to pretend, at least.

[the_baking_vampire]

"Do you need help sleeping?" The offer stands from the last time he asked. Seere doesn't like watching John struggle to get rest.

[beautifulanimal]

"You know, you should look into the connotations that come with humans asking each other that question. Use my computer."

That probably means no.

[the_baking_vampire]

"What?" Seere blinks, not understanding what John means. Still, he gets up and goes to look at the computer. He only knows how to even use it from watching John, so he turns it on and sits in the chair, waiting for it to load.

And waiting. And waiting. It's a good thing he has a lot of patience.

Finally, he loads up the internet and does a search for "do you need help sleeping?" All he gets are ads for memory foam mattresses and sleeping pills and tips for sleeping better.

An hour later and he still doesn't understand what John means.

[beautifulanimal]

An hour later and John gives up on sleeping. He comes looking for Seere and kinda half-smiles when he sees him actually at the computer.

"Busty Asian Beauties is a good site."

[the_baking_vampire]

"What's that?" Seere's so ridiculously naive that he has no idea. He always left if John started anything even remotely sexual. There was no reason for him to torture himself, after all.

[beautifulanimal]

"Check it out. I'm gonna grab a shower."

He leaves Seere to go to the bathroom, locks the door behind him and turns the water on. "Shower" in this case will mean undressing and sitting on the floor of the shower stall. The sound of water rushing around him blocks out everything else and it's more relaxing than trying to sleep. He'll be in here for hours if left alone. Not even the hot water running empty will bring him out.

[the_baking_vampire]

Seere's eyes nearly fall out of his head when he sees that site and he turns the computer off hurriedly, feeling like he's committed some great sin.

He shakes himself, feathers ruffling, as if casting off water, but he still feels a little... tainted.

So he goes to knock on the bathroom door. "That wasn't very nice."

[beautifulanimal]

He can hear that and smiles to himself, just a little, but he won't say anything. He's content in here and doesn't want the bubble to burst.

[the_baking_vampire]

Seere ponders on what to do, and he eventually decides that there isn't any point in bothering John further, so he goes and perches by the window, just watching the world outside while he waits.

[beautifulanimal]

John really will stay in there the rest of the day if he can. He might even be dozing off a little. He hasn't slept right since Olduvai, he hasn't eaten since before then, and with his new body he's burning through his remaining fuel a lot faster than normal.

[the_baking_vampire]

Seere gets worried after two hours. People don't shower for that long, and although he hasn't heard any breaking glass, he still fears for John's safety.

Locked doors mean nothing to him. He walks right through it and reaches into the shower to turn off the water. It's freezing. "John."

[beautifulanimal]

He's sleeping by then, legs hugged to his chest and his head resting on his arms. His skin has that tinge of pale that comes with being too cold, but he doesn't seem to notice the water anymore, or the fact that it gets turned off.

[the_baking_vampire]

He picks John up very, very carefully and he carries him to the bedroom, where he tucks him tightly, and he sets his hand on John's forehead, running some of his grace through him to warm him up again.

Then, he sits on the floor at the foot of the bed and listens to him breathe.

[beautifulanimal]

Now that he's finally asleep, it'll be one of those half-coma states where his body shuts everything down to focus on mental healing. He'll sleep for days. A week even.

[the_baking_vampire]

Seere frets the whole time, but he keeps monitoring John's breathing. He frets more if anything changes, but so long as he keeps breathing, Seere reminds himself to be patient. He doesn't leave the bedroom. Sometimes, he paces around a little bit, sometimes he waits at the foot of the bed, and sometimes, he sits on the bed and pulls John into his arms, as if that will somehow help.

Seere has decided that he hates waiting.

[beautifulanimal]

There's no change while John sleeps. Just steady breathing and peaceful, dreamless sleep that seems like it might last forever. It doesn't, luckily, and one day, when Seere's holding John in his arms, there's a hand that tightens on the angel's bicep.

"Seere?" His voice is a little groggy and hoarse, but he's blinking awake now.

[the_baking_vampire]

"John!" That actually startles Seere a little, it's been so long since John was last awake. It feels like forever, and with somebody who usually has such an apathetic view of the passage of time, that's saying something.

"How are you feeling?"

[beautifulanimal]

"Cold"

He would be freaked out if he woke up with anyone else just randomly in his bed, but Seere's an angel. He can smell that he can trust him, and those arms give him a comfort that's beyond human. It's like being home, and makes him snuggle closer. He has no idea it's been several days.

[the_baking_vampire]

"You haven't eaten in a week, I don't doubt that you're having trouble keeping yourself warm." Seere wraps his arms around John, and his wings, too, making a little cocoon that he tries to keep as warm as he can. He's just so relieved that John's awake now.

"Are you hungry?"

[beautifulanimal]

"No."

He likes being wrapped up in those wings. They keep the world out. He rests his head against Seere's chest and closes his eyes. This is nice. This is...healing.

[the_baking_vampire]

"Alright." He figures John's appetite will come back around at some point, and that he'll eat when he really needs to. What Seere can do for him, though, is keep him safe and warm and give him a place where he doesn't have to explain himself or worry about anything.

Seere will protect him.

[beautifulanimal]

"Did you hold me all night?"

[the_baking_vampire]

"It's been a week, John." He's certain his charge doesn't realize how long he's been asleep. "I did not hold you the whole time, no, but I never left the room."

[beautifulanimal]

"A whole week, huh. Shit."

He's too groggy to fully grasp the meaning of that. He's still staying close because it feels better than being alone. It's still cold in the room.

"I think I sleep better when you do."