Page 88 of How Not to Date an Angel

Without Julian’s interference, the bubbles disappeared almost completely, and Rami stood before switching the shower on.

Once they wereactually clean,they shut off the water and stepped out, toweling off and—oh. They didn’t have any clothes—

A knock on the door, followed by Julian’s voice. “I’ve got one of your little plaid numbers here,” Julian said. “I’ll set them outside the door.”

Rami smiled, chest expanding with something as easy as a breath but much heavier. They retrieved their sleep clothes and tugged them on before finally opening the door and escaping the warmth of the bathroom.

Julian was already seated on the bed, the television turned on and the pastry box placed in the center on a pillow.

“You’re not freaking out, are you?” Julian asked, sipping his wine with a pointed glance.

Rami chuckled. “No, for once,” they said. Their mind was blissfully free of their general anxiety.

“Well, what a surprise,” Julian murmured, and patted the bed. “Come sit. Fancy a cuddle?”

Rami arched a brow at that, cheeks flushing. A cuddle?

“Oh, come on,” Julian urged.

Rami sat, pulled the covers over their lap, and scooted closer to Julian, who was practically sitting in the middle of the bed.

Their shoulders brushed before they leaned close together, the press of Julian against them warm and lovely. Not quite a cuddle in the way Rami had envisioned it, but a safer option.

It struck them that they might have enjoyed the not-so-safe option, too.

The two of them ate their pastries and drank their wine that Julian re-chilled, and each time a modicum of space dared to separate them, Julian was quick to eliminate it.

Rami began to wonder if this whole cuddle business was for their own sake, or Julian’s.

They found they didn’t mind even if it was.

As the night wound down and they shut the lights off, Rami couldn’t help but wonder, in the safety of the darkness, if Julian wouldn’t be interested in showing them a few other things.

Julian

Julian slept soundly. His favorite part of Rami’s entire home was this bed.

It was soft, pulling him in deep and refusing to release him until the early morning sun threatened to blind him.

Distantly, he noticed the ache in his broken horn was finally, blissfully gone. It might not grow back, but at least it didn’t hurt anymore.

He floated in half-sleep, more positive thoughts washing over him.

Like the events of the night before.

Julian found his lips curling. He couldn’t believe it had happened. Not now, or after the fact, and hardly during the act, too. Julian hadn’t expected Rami to take him up on the offer, but he’d apparently underestimated the curiosity of a virgin angel.

He could still feel them in his hand, feel their lips against his. It was better than he could remember his past hookups ever being, and Rami hadn’t even touched him back.

When he blinked his eyes open, he frowned at the absence of Rami’s weight atop his chest.

Instead, he found the angel inches away, watching him sleep.

He stretched beneath that gaze and groaned just for show. “Like what you see?” he teased.

Rami pursed their lips as if they were considering agreeing and, well. Julian felt a little warm at that.

“I’ve been thinking,” Rami said.

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