Page 6 of How Not to Date an Angel

Julian watched as the angel walked away and peered through a hole in the door. Their shoulders relaxed, and so did Julian.

Then they opened the door and accepted a plastic bag carrying a delicious scent from a human who did not smell so delicious.

“Thank you. Have a good evening,” the angel told him in a kind voice.

Julian didn’t bother hearing what the human had to say. Instead, his attention was all on the angel.

They were dressed… rather human-like. It was surprising. He’d expected robes and wings and a halo to go with their pompous attitude that matched their lofty status but, well, Julian supposed that would be rather obvious, even to humans.

Instead they were in plaid pajama pants and a cardigan. They looked… cozy. Soft.

Julian sneered as the thought passed his mind.

So that was how the angel turned to find him once they’d shut the door quietly. Sneering at them.

Julian tried to mask his expression but didn’t quite manage in time.

“You were the one who interrupted my night, I’ll have you know,” the angel said. “I was waiting on dinner when I found you on my doorstep instead.”

“Sorry for the inconvenience,” Julian drawled, gesturing down his beaten and bruised form.

The angel, Rami, shot him a frown as they deposited their bag of food on the table.

Julian wondered what it was they’d ordered. Whatever it was, it smelled good.

One of the things he was most excited about visiting Earth was thefood.

“If you want help up the stairs, you’ve got to put your wings away,” Rami reminded him. “It’ll be easier to get you up the stairs.”

“Right, yeah,” Julian said, and propped against the wall. He grimaced at the ache as he tucked them out of sight, molding into his back once more. His tail also melted away, and his skin changed, too, from demon gold to pale human. “There.”

“Now, come here,” Rami said, and looped an arm around his waist. It pressed into his ribs, but Julian really didn’t know if he could make it up the stairs by himself. In fact, as they took the first stair together, he knew he couldn’t.

Grumbling, groaning, and cursing the whole way, he leaned into the angel. His knee was sore, too, and in the haze of memories he was pretty sure he remembered a bat being taken to it at one point.

Had the bat been totally necessary?

For just a moment, he was thankful the angel was there. They were surprisingly warm and soft against his side, their other hand held out in case Julian wanted to take it.

He didn’t, gripping the handrail all the way up instead.

“Nice place for an angel,” he muttered as they made it to the second floor. It all led to a loft bedroom and a huge bathroom.

“Thank you. I quite agree,” Rami said, pleased with themself.

Julian resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and instead huffed out a relieved sigh as they stopped moving, finally.

“Your hair is disgusting,” the angel told him, and Julian let all of his distaste show in his expression. “I think a bath will be more comfortable for you, though it will hurt to get in and out. I can assist you.”

“Lucky me,” Julian drawled.

The angel’s face went all pinched before they turned away. Then the hush of the water filling the bath was the only sound in the room. The angel’s water. Which, from what he understood of humans, was quite a precious thing. And here this angel was, sharing their own.

And even though they were technically enemies, and he should revel in the angel’s discomfort and hurt littlefeelings, even though it was what Julian was counting on, something in his chest… itched, and he feared it had nothing to do with his injuries.

He sighed.

Damned selfless angels.

---