Chapter 7
Gabriel
Well. Well, then. Yes. Ok.
So Gabriel was a bit… muddled. He floated up to the surface and opened his wings to fly himself back onto the deck of the boat. He stood there for a moment, naked and wet, before he blinked, drying himself and donning his usual white suit.
He could hear Levi climbing up the boat behind him, but he didn’t turn around. He didn’t think he could look at the demon yet. He just needed a moment to… He didn’t even know what.
He still wasn’t thinking clearly. His body felt rubbery and soft.
No one had told him that sex had such an aftermath to it.
Of course, he knew it was supposed to be pleasurable, but he hadn’t understood exactly how pleasurable.
He thought it was just a nice feeling in one’s nether regions.
He had no idea that the pleasure would extend throughout one’s entire body, leaving a person weak-limbed and muddle-minded.
He’d just had sex. With his work partner, as it were, which he was totally going to put out of his mind for now, or he would panic at the very thought.
Levi was a demon, after all. Demons had sex all the time.
Surely it was nothing new or exciting to him, and they would probably pretend nothing had ever happened, which was just fine with Gabriel.
Yes, that was just fine. Even if Gabriel felt weirdly disjointed and lost at the thought.
Levi cleared his throat behind Gabriel, and the angel finally turned around.
Levi was standing there looking all sexily disheveled, water droplets still glistening on his torso and in his hair.
He had on pants, at least, even though the black linen ones he wore were adhering to him in a rather distracting manner.
“Buttons—” Levi started, but Gabriel cut him off.
“Well, then. Perhaps we should see to the rest of the messages, and I’m sure some new ones have come in.” He couldn’t help straightening his suit jacket cuff a bit, even though he knew he was perfectly put together.
“Buttons—” Levi began again.
Gabriel couldn’t say what in heaven overcame him, but he was suddenly angry that Levi viewed him as some stuck-up, buttoned-up jerk.
He huffed to cut off Levi, then he stared straight at the demon while he reached up and undid the top button of his shirt.
He jerked it so hard that it actually flew off, landing on the deck.
He regretted it almost instantly. He was an archangel, the Messenger of God, and now here he was standing with his throat bared in some sort of sullen (and inappropriate) display when Levi had been nothing but kind to him.
He could just make the button reappear and do it up again, but that wouldn’t solve his tantrum at Levi.
The demon really didn’t deserve his ire, and Gabriel wasn't even sure why he was upset.
Levi, however, didn’t seem the least bit offended.
In fact, the demon smiled. Not even a smirk—a genuine smile.
He walked over until they were only a few inches from one another, and Gabriel swore he could feel heat coming off of Levi.
The demon reached a hand up, produced a button, and attached it to the shirt, doing the top button back up.
“I like that you’re all buttoned up. It makes it more fun when I get to undo them,” Levi said softly, and he sensed no mockery in the demon’s tone. “Tell me, Buttons, have you never done that before?”
Gabriel felt cold and then his face burned. Had it been so easy to guess his inexperience? “Did I not do it… correctly?” he asked, looking over Levi’s shoulder and out to sea. He couldn’t bear to see mockery or pity in Levi’s eyes.
Levi reached a hand up and touched his face gently, causing Gabriel to meet his eyes. “Oh no, Buttons, you were perfect. Absolutely wonderful. I never would have guessed if you hadn’t said anything.”
Oh, dear. What exactly had Gabriel said? He cast his mind back to try and remember, but he’d been so overcome by the pleasure and the sensations and… everything. He remembered being amazed at the experience, and finally understanding what all the fuss was about. Had he said that out loud?
“So? Have you never done that before? Surely you’ve had a bit of fun with humans?” Levi asked. He waited, staring at Gabriel, obviously unwilling to let the subject drop.
“I can’t very well fornicate with humans.
It would be wholly inappropriate to do something with someone I had given a message to.
They might feel compelled because they knew I was an angel, and that would be unacceptable.
As for random humans—whatever would happen if I had to deliver a message to them after?
That would be rather awkward, don’t you think? ” Gabriel said stiffly.
Levi laughed, leading Gabriel over to the bench on the deck and sitting them both down. “Yes, I can see how that would be awkward. But surely other afterlifers…”
Gabriel couldn’t help the slight grimace he gave, and Levi reached down to hold his hands. It was rather intimate, and Gabriel couldn’t help staring at their hands clasped together.
When he looked up, Levi was staring expectantly at him. He really was tenacious. Gabriel supposed he wasn’t going to get out of answering. He wasn’t even sure how to explain, which was part of the problem.
“Are you not interested in sex? Did I force something on you?” Levi said, suddenly looking appalled at himself.
“No, you definitely did not force me into anything, rest assured,” Gabriel said stiffly.
“I quite enjoyed that… experience.” He cleared his throat.
“I deliver messages to angels as well, and I am an archangel. Another angel would not deem it appropriate to approach me, and I just never… I was rather busy, after all…”
“But I know demons have offered,” Levi said. “There’s no way they wouldn’t offer.”
“Yes, well, I know teasing when I hear it. They weren’t really interested in having sex with me,” Gabriel said, drawing his hands back and looking down, a blush heating his cheeks.
He had forgotten for a moment who he was, and who Levi was, and the demon was probably vastly amused at Gabriel’s inexperience.
Still, he didn’t regret the encounter, and he didn’t want Levi to feel poorly, either, so he added, “It was a lovely experience, however, so thank you. I appreciate it.”
Levi was quiet, and eventually Gabriel couldn’t help looking up. Levi looked rather aggravated, and Gabriel wondered if perhaps those were not the appropriate words to say.
“Very nice. Truly,” Gabriel added, hoping to take the slight scowl off Levi’s face.
“Very nice,” Levi muttered to himself, and then Gabriel was being pulled into Levi’s arms and their mouths were pressed together again.
Gabriel opened his mouth without thought, his hands going up to grab onto Levi’s shoulders.
The kiss was hot and wet, and how could someone taste so good?
Levi tasted like sunshine, an ocean breeze, and some dark, musky flavor with a hint of sweetness to it.
Levi devoured his mouth—there was no other word for it.
He felt like a feast laid out before the demon.
Levi nibbled on Gabriel’s bottom lip, running a hand up through his hair, eventually softening his mouth and lips, making the kiss something gentle, bringing them down from the frenzy. It was softer, less frantic, yet Gabriel still yearned to climb into Levi’s arms.
Devoured then savored. That was all Gabriel could think as Levi eventually pulled away. “You taste even better than the coffee you made me this morning,” Gabriel said, still slightly off-center.
Levi laughed, and Gabriel smiled, glad the demon didn’t look aggravated anymore.
“I’m sorry if I offended you before, Levi. It wasn’t my intention. I’m not sure what to say or do,” Gabriel admitted. “Obviously the leadership team is correct that I’m unschooled in some things.”
Levi gave him a quick peck on the lips, which was almost more surprising than the heated kiss they’d just shared.
There was a… familiarity to it. A casualness that Gabriel so rarely experienced with others.
It made him feel warm and soft, so of course he sat up a little straighter and fixed his tie.
He realized a moment too late that he wasn’t wearing a tie, so then he made one appear, but then that just seemed awkward, so then he made it disappear again, and, well…
It was all rather awkward, but Levi didn’t say a word.
He just smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners.
“Yes, well then,” Gabriel said, at a loss as to what to do next.
“Hey, it’s ok,” Levi reassured him. “First of all, you didn’t offend me. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t underwhelmed by our… encounter.”
Gabriel gave a very unprofessional snort at that, because he had certainly not been underwhelmed. Levi just smiled, so he thought the demon knew that.
“And I can’t believe I have to tell you this, Buttons, but those demons over the millennia? They were not teasing you or poking fun. They were flirting with you. You’re amazingly attractive, and I’m sure none of them realized you were… inexperienced.”
Gabriel gave a shrug at that. He knew he was attractive—it went with the whole awe thing he was supposed to inspire. But he also knew that he was a bit standoffish. Well, maybe more than a bit. He didn’t think demons or angels thought of him in a sexual manner.
“Which brings me to the other point. It’s totally fine that you haven’t done anything before. I got the impression that you enjoyed yourself.” Levi looked closely at Gabriel as he spoke.
“Umm, yes. Yes, I did. Enjoy it. Yes,” Gabriel babbled, nodding his head. By all the angels in heaven, he sounded absurd, and he probably looked absurd because he couldn’t seem to stop nodding.
Luckily Levi only smiled again. “Good, then. There’s lots more things to learn, so I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
Lots more things to learn? What was Levi talking about?