Chapter 4
Levi
Levi watched as Gabriel savored another sip of coffee, his eyes closed, his face lit in pleasure. Levi wondered if Buttons looked that way while he was getting pleasured, and he barely held himself back from asking the question.
It wasn’t that Levi didn’t plan on asking—he liked making the angel look slightly off-kilter. Gabriel was so straightlaced and uptight, and seeing him break that perfect facade for even a moment was fascinating.
It was also sort of adorable. It was hard to tell when Buttons got flustered, but Levi was starting to sense the signs.
There were moments when Gabriel looked like he was consciously holding himself still, like he wanted to fidget or fix his already perfect hair or his buttoned up suit, but of course he wouldn’t be so unprofessional.
Levi was quickly making it his mission to cause the angel to be as unprofessional as possible.
Who knew that food and drink would be one way to do it?
Levi hadn’t even considered it when he’d started breakfast—he had simply wanted some.
He now decided they would be stopping for meals very frequently.
Watching Buttons eat was way too fun. And, he had to admit, way too sensual.
He’d had sex with humans that weren’t as responsive as Gabriel was currently being.
It made him wonder what the angel would be like in bed.
The fact that Gabriel rarely partook of mortal food was astounding to Levi, and he wondered what else the angel had missed out on.
He bet that Gabriel very rarely partook in pleasures of the flesh, either.
Angels were a sexual bunch, as a whole, but they tended to stick with their own, and they didn’t always venture into the more risque areas of sex.
Levi, however, was a sea monster with a certain reputation, and he figured if he played his cards right, perhaps he could find out what kind of noises the angel made while being pleasured.
He’d have to be subtle. Buttons would scare easily, but it would be worth the effort to see Gabriel lick his lips and give little sighs of pleasure.
What fantasies could he tease out of Buttons once he got him into bed?
But he was getting ahead of himself. Levi watched, coffee cup in his hand, as Gabriel took the last bite of his omelette, his mouth chewing slowly, his throat swallowing.
Fuck. He was hard just from watching the angel eat.
It was a struggle to keep his tentacles from coming out.
They definitely wanted to play with Buttons, too.
A sudden, soft dinging sound broke Levi from his concentration, and he watched as Gabriel deflated the tiniest bit. Ah, so work was finally calling.
A message began to appear on one of the windows overlooking the ocean. It was truly a shame to ruin the view, even if Levi knew it would fade. He sighed and read over the missive, Gabriel obviously doing the same.
Pronouncement for Wilder Smith, hellhound:
Thou shalt journey forth in search of the one who is the same yet different, who holds a place amongst you yet stands apart, for your guidance and the wisdom of time is needed. Your gift is a place of belonging and understanding, and you shall impart said gift to those you find and keep.
Levi read it twice, but, yeah, didn’t make much more sense on the second reading.
“What. The. Fuck,” Levi said, turning to look at Gabriel.
“Looks like I’ll be finding a hellhound named Wilder. It shouldn’t be hard. I’m exceptional at sensing where beings are in order to deliver messages,” Gabriel replied.
“Yeah, but what the fuck is that?” Levi asked, gesturing to the window.
“Well, it’s a message. It doesn’t say who it’s from, but that’s not totally unusual, and it looks relatively harmless. I really only double check ones that call for negative action,” Gabriel answered.
For hell’s sake.
“Buttons, what the fuck does that message even mean? It’s indecipherable!
The management team is gonna give you shit about messages not being effective, but if that’s the idiocy you have to deliver, it’s not your fault messages aren’t effective.
No one is even gonna understand that shit!
” Levi was seething on Gabriel’s behalf.
He couldn’t help it; it was just fucking absurd.
Gabriel, strangely, smiled at him. “Yes, it is rather indecipherable, isn’t it?”
“Are they all like that? Because no wonder people don’t listen to messages. They can’t fucking understand them!” Levi ranted.
“Well, yes, they mostly are. Afterlifers don’t tend to speak clearly about things. You know how they are, especially the upstairs crew,” Gabriel answered.
“For hell’s sake. Well, there’s the problem. If you just deliver their shit messages, then no, they won’t be effective. That’s not your fault. You’ll need to decipher that shit and then deliver it. They don’t need a messenger—they need a fucking translator.”
Gabriel was looking at the message, but he looked over at Levi in surprise. “I don’t change the messages,” he said, sounding slightly shocked at the very idea.
Of course Buttons gave people their messages word for word.
Levi rolled his eyes. “Ok, fine, so you deliver the original message, but then you need to deliver a translation, too, because no one is gonna understand that shit.”
“Well, I’ve never… That is to say, it isn’t my place…” Gabriel trailed off, obviously uncomfortable with the very idea of straying from his normal routine.
“Listen, Buttons, they made us a partnership, right? I’ve lived topside for a long time, and I probably understand people better than they do.
Sure, when you’re delivering messages to afterlifers, you can keep the shit the same.
If humans need messages, though, you need to change things up.
I know it may not be how things have been done, but the whole point of this partnership is to try new things, right? So let’s try some new things together.”
Levi didn’t realize how suggestive that might sound until he noticed Gabriel looking vaguely flustered. He could tell the angel was literally holding himself still. Oh, he did hope he could get Buttons to fidget. Or even blush. That would be quite the accomplishment.
“Well, I suppose you are the expert on mortals, although a hellhound isn’t exactly mortal,” Gabriel finally responded.
Levi waved a hand. “Yeah, but they’ve been topside long enough that they’re not afterlifers either. They don’t walk around talking like that, that’s for sure. So, what the fuck does it mean?”
They both stared at the message for a moment, neither of them speaking.
“Maybe it’s meant for the listener to understand, and not us? It seems to be some type of directions about finding someone, but… I don’t often interpret the messages, so…” Gabriel trailed off, vaguely embarrassed-looking again.
Aww, Buttons didn’t know what the fuck the message said either.
Levi grinned. “So maybe we help this guy puzzle through the message when we give it. It’ll make more of an impact that way, too. You know, a little coffee break and deciphering afterlife bullshit.”
Gabriel gave a bit of a nod. “Shall we deliver the message now?”
“Don’t you need to find the guy?” Levi asked.
“I already did while we were talking. I can transport us to his location.” Gabriel turned the tiniest shade of pink after he said the last part.
A blush! Barely, but Levi was counting it. Because, yes, transport required contact, and Gabriel was looking at Levi’s naked chest as he spoke.
Levi could get places on his own, but no need to tell Gabriel that. Better if he hitched a ride so they arrived together. Yes, that was definitely his only motivation. For sure.
“Umm, perhaps an outfit that’s a bit more official looking?” Gabriel sniffed.
Levi didn’t take offense at the slight disdain. Poor Buttons was ruffled and trying to cover it up. Levi just grinned, conjuring a black linen shirt to go with his pants. If he left all the buttons open, well… it was summer, and he wasn’t someone who needed to be buttoned up.
He walked over to Gabriel, who looked more and more like he wanted to fidget the closer Levi got. When he was within touching distance, Levi raised his eyebrows. “Ready to go?”
Gabriel gave a nod, and Levi wrapped his arms around the angel’s waist. Gabriel was stiff, like the angel had no idea what to do with being touched.
Levi rested his head against Gabriel’s chest, figuring not looking at him might make him feel less awkward.
He heard the slight swish that meant Gabriel was bringing his wings out and around them both, and he felt the angel’s back muscles flex with the movement.
Very sexy. His tentacles again had the urge to come out and take a taste, but Levi managed to hold them back. He bet Buttons was delicious, though.
Everything went dark as Gabriel’s wings enfolded them, and then Levi felt the familiar swooping sensation of transporting. When Gabriel’s wings folded back, Levi took an extra moment to slowly slide his arms out from around Gabriel.
Aww, Buttons was trying not to fidget again.
They couldn’t draw the moment out, though, because Levi heard a thwack and looked around. They were outside a cabin, and there was a big, gruff, grizzled man chopping wood. Did Levi mention he was shirtless? And hairy? And muscled? And hot as fuck?
“Hello, Daddy,” Levi flirted.
The guy looked up, seemed unsurprised to see them, and chopped another piece of wood, barely fazed.
Gabriel, however, looked mortified. “You cannot call someone we are delivering a message to ‘Daddy,’” he hissed.
The guy just laughed. “It’s ok, Gabriel, I don’t mind.”
Ohhhh, Daddy knew who Gabriel was.
“You didn’t tell me you knew Wilder Smith,” Levi said, “or how hot he was. Don’t worry, Buttons, you’re still my favorite cutie. Daddy can take care of both of us, I’m sure.”
Levi wasn’t seriously considering getting it on with the bear of a man in front of them—or he guessed hellhound of a man—but it was just so damn fun to ruffle Buttons up a little.
Gabriel cleared his throat, stood slightly straighter, and answered, “Yes, I do know him. He wasn’t Wilder Smith last time I delivered a message, though. It’s nice to see you again, Wilder.”
Daddy Wilder grinned good-naturedly. Levi didn’t like many people (or hellhounds, or afterlifers), but he got automatic good vibes about this hellhound.
“Yeah, well, mortals get suspicious if you don’t ever die, so names have to be changed. I’m a first gen hellhound, so I’ve been topside since the beginning. Gabriel has delivered a few messages over the centuries. What do you have for me today?” he asked.
He swung the axe into the tree stump he’d been cutting logs on, and Levi resisted the urge to drool.
“Yes. Your message,” Gabriel said, clearing his throat.
Suddenly the angel was blindingly bright, and his white suit was traded for a white robe (buttons included) as he delivered the message.
“Wilder Smith, thou shalt journey forth in search of the one who is the same yet different, who holds a place amongst you yet stands apart, for your guidance and the wisdom of time is needed. Your gift is a place of belonging and understanding, and you shall impart said gift to those you find and keep.”
Then Gabriel was standing in front of Levi again in his white suit, and Wilder was scratching his beard, looking thoughtful.
“Do you know what the fuck that means?” Levi asked.
Gabriel gasped “Language!” next to him.
Wilder just grinned. “You two are quite the pair. Never seen you with an apprentice before, Gabriel, and I have to say he’s definitely a different style than you.”
“Oh, he isn’t…” Gabriel started, but he looked flustered, and Levi didn’t want him to have to tell someone about the management team’s bullshit.
“I’m not your typical apprentice, that’s for sure. But it’s about time Gabriel got a little assistance in all the message delivery shit he has going on,” Levi said. “I was telling him we ought to offer translation services along with the messages.”
Wilder laughed, a deep, rumbling, sexy sound. “Well, I can help a little, since it’s not the first message I got.”
Gabriel added, “Yes, Wilder collects stray hellhounds that were born topside and need someone to care for them. I’ve given him messages about finding some of his pack in the past.”
Wilder chimed in, “Yes, so it’s clear I’m on the hunt for another lost hellhound, but the wording isn’t much to go on. Whoever he is, he needs my wisdom, guidance, and a family. That’s the easy part. Finding him is the hard part. All that same yet different shit isn’t much to go on.”
“And how are hellhounds the same yet different? Does it mean not a first generation hellhound?” Levi asked.
Wilder hummed. “No, none of my pack is first gen. It probably means a mixed blood.”
Gabriel and Levi both stared at him, confused.
Wilder laughed again. “Ah, yeah, you lot and your forgetfulness. One of my pack is half witch and half hellhound. Or I suppose full hellhound and full witch, because neither part is lacking.”
“There aren’t witches,” Gabriel insisted.
“No, you just don’t remember there are. Just like ghosts,” Wilder added.
“Of course we know there are ghosts,” Levi argued. “There’s a whole department for them.”
“Yes, but you’ve never seen one, have you?” Wilder asked, winking at them.
Fuck. Levi looked at Gabriel, who was looking at him with a slightly surprised expression. No, Levi had never seen a ghost, and wasn’t that odd? Based on Gabriel’s face, he hadn’t either.
“There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy,” Wilder quoted.
“We know everything that is in heaven and earth, since we are afterlifers,” Gabriel sniffed. “And Shakespeare was an insufferable annoyance who ended up putting divine messages into his plays. Of all the things…”
Levi laughed at that. Yes, he’d seen a play or two, and he could guess there were some divine messages thrown in there. He bet that had really ruffled Button’s feathers.
“Well, I’ve got to figure out how to find my hellhound. Thank you both for the message,” Wilder said, turning back toward the cabin.
“Enjoy the journey, Daddy!” Levi called out, unable to help himself.
Wilder turned back around, looking a little confused. “Journey?” he asked.
“Well, sure, you have to ‘journey forth’ or whatever, so I’m guessing you’re going to take a trip,” Levi answered. “I hope you end up going somewhere fun! Coastal towns are beautiful this time of year.”
Most of the message hadn’t been clear, but Levi had understood that part, at the very least. Gabriel and Wilder were just staring at him, though, like he’d said something profound.
He shrugged at them, and looked at Gabriel. “Ready to head back, Buttons?”
Gabriel nodded, and Levi went over and wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s waist again. Yes, he could get used to this partnership. It wasn’t quite as fun as eating ships and sleeping with sailors, but it would do for a spot of amusement.