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

[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."

[the_baking_vampire]

Seere wraps his arms around him a little more firmly. "Then I'll hold you as long as you want me to, love."

It just slips in there. He doesn't even notice it, it sounds so natural.

[beautifulanimal]

It's good that he's still drowsy and doesn't really register it.

"Why is it so nice in your arms?"

[the_baking_vampire]

"Because it's safe. Or maybe because it's quiet and warm. Or because I care for you and want to protect you."

[beautifulanimal]

"That was a rhetorical question," he says with a soft chuckle. "Eternity among humans and you still don't get it?"

[the_baking_vampire]

"It's not that long ago that you developed a spoken language. There are currently around 7,000 languages on the planet and each one is different. Sometimes, I miss the nuances."

Yes, Seere can communicate in 7,000 languages.

[beautifulanimal]

"Is that why you couldn't figure out why hovering over my bed and offering to 'help me sleep' was a little on the weird side?"

[the_baking_vampire]

"I still don't understand why it's weird." Seere tilts his head to the side, wondering if John will explain it for him.

[beautifulanimal]

He looks up, pulling away just a little so there's a good inch between their faces and talking isn't too awkward. He's not gonna go far, though. Good luck getting him out of the safe cocoon those wings create.

"Because it sounds like you're trying to seduce me. It's the kinda thing you'd say if you were trying to fuck someone, but you wanna keep the suggestion lighthearted."

[the_baking_vampire]

Watch Seere's face turn to a cherry tomato shade of red. "Oh. I am so sorry."

He wasn't trying to seduce John! Not deliberately, anyway, but that John thinks of it that way... Seere's not sure if he wants that or not.

[beautifulanimal]

"It's okay. I know you didn't mean it that way. You're an angel. What the fuck would you want with someone like me? I just thought I'd let you know. So you don't freak out any of your other charges."

[the_baking_vampire]

"There's nothing wrong with you," he replies, immediately defensive. Why wouldn't he like John? He is an amazing man.

[beautifulanimal]

"Everything is wrong with me, and even if it wasn't... You're an angel. You're perfect."

[the_baking_vampire]

"I'm not perfect." If he were, he wouldn't have fallen in love with a human. "But you're beautiful. You are so kind to others. You genuinely want to help, even when you don't have to. You give others the benefit of the doubt. Those qualities are rare."

[beautifulanimal]

"Maybe you see me that way because of who you are. You've got like.. rose-colored angel glasses on and see the best of everyone."

[the_baking_vampire]

"No." Seere shakes his head. "We see people for who they are. You doubt yourself and refuse to acknowledge that there might be anything about you that would make you worthy of the regard of another. You are worthy. I would not lie about such a thing."

[beautifulanimal]

"Worthy of what?"

[the_baking_vampire]

"My regard."

[beautifulanimal]

"Aren't you supposed to love and serve ALL humans?"

Excuse him is his bible knowledge doesn't go beyond distant memories of whatever he was taught in school. He's always been a scientist like that. Not a believer.

[the_baking_vampire]

"No. Just you. And angels aren't allowed to love." Please do note that he's not saying he can't love.