Page 138 of How Not to Date an Angel

Now they just had to fix it.

Rami tucked their wings in and with a slight tug of the magic that always existed just out of sight, they left Heaven to return… home.

They could start there, at the very least. And then they’d—well, they’d find Julian, some way. Somehow. And they’d use however much magic it took.

Rami blinked, and the sound of rushing water disappeared, replaced with the silence of their home on Earth.

Usually Rami reveled in the quiet, the peace, but this time it just felt… wrong.

Their gaze trailed to the couch, to the open doors of the office across the way.

All empty.

“Okay, how do I fix this?” Rami asked the couch quietly, beginning to pace.

Their pale human-colored hands were sweating and they rubbed them on their pants before huffing a breath. If Julian wasn’t on Earth, how was Rami supposed to find him?

“Can we go to Hell?” they asked, as if something would answer. “I suppose I’ve never tried. But magic—it can do anything, right?” Rami rambled nervously.

With every passing minute they felt as if there was no solution, as if they’d fucked up monumentally. What if therewasno fixing this?

They shut their eyes and drew in a deep breath.

“Calm down,” they told themself.Focus.

I can go to Hell. Find Julian that way. And then…

Thump.

Rami’s eyes snapped open, the pulse in their ears fading as they zeroed in on the sound.

In quick succession,thump, thump, thump.

Slowly, Rami turned toward the door.

The sound didn’t return, but Rami’s feet carried them the few steps, and their hand was turning the knob before they even realized.

They pulled the door open.

“Oof,” the person said as they spilled across the threshold.

Julian gazed up at them from the ground, upside down.

“Oh,” he breathed. “You’re back.”

Rami

Rami reached down, taking Julian’s hand and pulling him to his feet before tugging him closer.

They collided, chest to chest, and Rami wrapped their arms around him, relief filling them until they couldn’t even take a breath. Their throat was tight and their eyes were definitely more than a little damp.

When they could finally take a breath, they pushed Julian away just far enough so they could look at him, blurry as he was from their tears.

“I don’t think you’re bad,” Rami said in a rush. “I was just hurt—”

“—and you had every right to be—” Julian said at the same time.

“—and I lashed out. I didn’t mean it—”

---