Chapter 22
Tirael
A year later
When I let Raphael into my room, he immediately made a beeline towards the windowsill.
“Hello, Michelangelo,” he cooed at the small cacti in a green pot with an orange stripe.
It was a gift from the angel and it amused me to no end that he was so attached to it, to the point of giving it a nickname which continued our joke about the ninja turtles. I was pretty sure collecting the whole mutant turtle squad in the form of plants was only a question of time.
I wasn’t opposed to it. In fact, the gift had been a response to when Raphael and Beelzebub were allowed into my room for a second time and discovered the changes I had made since being officially accepted as a part of the Embassy. I set down my roots quite literally; by taking on a new hobby of gardening. Looking at the greenery sprawling around my room soothed me and watching the plants grow under my care was rewarding. Unlike in Heaven, I could cultivate flowers, herbs, even small dwarf trees here. Beelzebub and Raphael supported my newfound green thumb enthusiastically. In Beelzebub’s case maybe even too enthusiastically.
I sighed, seeing a bundle in the demon’s hands.
“Please, tell me it’s not another penis-shaped plant.”
“Of course not!” Beelzebub put his hand to his chest as if I wounded him. “That would be too predictable. It’s a butt plant this time!”
He tore the protective cover off, not caring that the wrapping fell to the floor, and revealed a pot full of succulents that, indeed, looked unfortunately butt shaped. Each plant had a roundish shape with an ass-crack like line between two halves.
“I think we agreed: no more plants until Tirael gets the greenhouse going?” Raphael huffed, likely in envy, as the agreement was a roadblock to him gifting me a whole ninja turtle plants set.
“Please, this is just a small pot of succulents that won’t grow high. I’m sure Tirael can find a place for them somewhere. If not, we can throw Michaelangelo out and make space that way.”
“Don’t you dare! You scoundrel!” Raphael gasped.
“Not here! Go outside,” I said, seeing the incoming confrontation. Three broken pots from the last play-fight turned vigorous love-making taught me to be firm with this boundary.
Beelzebub opened the door and Raphael pushed him through it. I heard the sounds of a scuffle, then, predictably, sounds of kissing. Beelzebub enjoyed pulling pigtails and was delighted when it worked.
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Michaelangelo,” I said seriously, stroking my finger over the green pot of the cactus. Gingerly, I picked the planter Beelzebub left on the table and touched one of the butt plants, admiring the different colors and textures. A soft smile spread over my lips. “And I’m going to give you a new friend.”
I made a space for the new succulents, just like I made a space for Beelzebub and Raphael in my heart.