by CC Bridges
Gabe held one hand out, reaching for them both. For an instant Jeff had an odd vision of Gabriel the angel, as he was above, something ethereal and noble, a creature of Heaven, not Earth. But then his lover grinned, and the visual dissipated, leaving only the young man with a wicked smile and unfurled wings that dwarfed him.
“Want to fly, Kayla?”
His words sent Jeff’s stomach tumbling into freefall. Kayla up in the sky, with nothing but Gabe’s arms and wings keeping her from plummeting to Earth. Gabe met his gaze, as if reading the fear in Jeff’s eyes. Jeff bit his lip but didn’t say anything. How could he, when Gabe had saved Kayla’s life once before? Jeff trusted Gabe. And that just about broke his heart, because Jeff was the untrustworthy one. Gabe had put his life in Jeff’s hands from the second he woke up in Jeff’s living room.
Kayla turned to him, waiting for his permission. Jeff swallowed and made a split-second decision. “Go ahead. Don’t go far.”
“Yes.” She ran over to take Gabe’s hand.
“Wait,” Jeff called. He scanned the scattered tools left over from hooking up Gabe’s wing until he found what he wanted—a tracer box. “Hold on to that. It’ll warn you if any demons are nearby. They don’t usually fly their patrols ’round here, but you can’t be too careful.”
Especially when carrying Jeff’s very precious cargo.
Gabe nodded and took the tracer. “Got it.” He smiled down at Kayla. “You want to be in charge of this, Kayla? You can tell me where to fly.”
She nodded and clutched the tracer to her chest as Gabe scooped her up in his arms. Gabe squatted down, then leaped, his wings spreading wide to catch the air. They beat furiously and he took to the sky, moving farther and farther away. Kayla’s laughter faded into the distance.
Jeff waited with Trixie by his side and just watched.
GABE SHOULD have explained to Jeff that he was stronger than the average human. He tightened his grip around Kayla, knowing there was no way he would drop her. Not that Jeff had questioned him, but by now Gabe recognized the worry in Jeff’s eyes.
The skies were his again. He couldn’t have predicted he’d miss flying so much. When he decided on settling in Old Trent, Gabe thought he’d never have this again, but thanks to Jeff—gorgeous, brilliant Jeff—he could swoop and dive once more. The ache had disappeared from his shoulder. Gabe felt whole. He wanted to whoop and shout, to nosedive into loops and spins all over the junkyard.
Angels were supposed to be more dignified than that, although he remembered challenging his fellow Gabriels to a barrel roll or two, all in the name of training. You never knew when you would have to move quickly to get away from a demon. Even without his memories, he’d still maintained something of himself. Despite everything Heaven had done to them, Gabe couldn’t help but be grateful for this. He loved flying.
“Holy shit!” Kayla squealed as he banked into a curve.
“Language,” he said.
She made a face. “Like I haven’t heard my dad say worse. Shit. Damn. Fuck.”
“I can still drop you, you know.”
“You won’t.” Kayla grinned up at him.
He was proud to have inspired such trust in her. Gabe swallowed against the dryness in his throat. These past few weeks had done so much to wipe away the darkness from his memories. His grief for Rocco and his old life had settled, not quite out of reach but at a bearable level. It wasn’t only due to Jeff. Gabe had to give some of the credit to this little lady too.
Especially after visiting the college, Gabe knew he had to leave the past where it belonged. It had no place here in his new life. He bid a silent goodbye to Rocco, knowing he’d always mourn his lover in some way but glad to have the memories again.
They swooped around the junkyard, which looked so different from up here. It stretched on for miles. There was a reason Jeff used hover bikes to get around. The landscape was marred by one spot, however, a deep circle of blackness.
“What’s that?” Gabe asked, moving closer.
Kayla didn’t say anything for a moment, and then he realized what should have been obvious. Here had been where it had happened—the accident that Jeff still blamed himself for.
The crater loomed larger as they grew closer, a scar on the surface of the earth. Gabe gasped. “How did you survive?” She couldn’t have been very close to the center of the blast.
“So stupid,” Kayla said. “I was just a little kid.”
Was? Still was as far as Gabe was concerned. She’d always be a child compared to his hundreds of years. He snorted at the thought. Jeff was a child compared to Gabe.
“I remember chasing a butterfly.” Kayla tucked her head against his chest, and he cradled her a bit closer. “Never saw one before. Mom started to come after me. But Old Man Giambi told her to let me be. Wouldn’t do me any harm to run around some. Last thing I ever heard him say.”
Gabe changed direction, beating his wings hard to get away from the dark place. His action sent them moving farther from the junkyard, toward the ribbon of water that bordered it. He’d seen the river of course, but Gabe hadn’t realized it came this close to the junkyard.
Now the sight of it, with broken bridge supports jutting out above the fast-moving water, had a memory flashing before his eyes. He knew this place, this city. He’d come here before, when Kevin had an apartment here during college. They’d driven across this very bridge, filling up Daniel’s tiny car without care for seat belts or safety.
“Gabe, demons!” Kayla shrieked. The box in her hands pulsed and squealed.
“Hold on.” Gabe ducked into a dive, closing his wings long enough to get good speed before unfurling them in time to catch the wind and settle them on the ground near a crumbling concrete edifice.
He let Kayla go. She trembled, but she moved on steady legs as she walked away from him. Kayla squinted at the sky, trying to see the creatures her device had warned her of.
“There.” Gabe pointed. His vision was far better than hers, another perk of his modifications. At least that one held true even without the halo.
Three demons flew in formation, like giant geese heading for migration. He bit his lip to keep from giggling at that thought. He’d never be able to explain it to Kayla.
“Why are they so close to us?” Kayla murmured. “You think they’re watching Dad?”
“Would they have a reason to be watching your father?” Perhaps the demons didn’t like someone else providing equipment and tech to the people of Old Trent. Jeff might be cutting in on their monopoly.
Kayla shook her head. “No. No, they shouldn’t.”
Gabe wondered why she hesitated before she answered.
JEFF MADE one last round—checking all the locks in the house, flipping through the monitors, setting all the forceshield alarms—before heading up the stairs to tuck Kayla in for the night. He found her sitting up waiting for him with Trixie lying on the edge of the bed, tail thumping hard against the covers.
“Too excited to sleep?” He hoped she’d get tired soon so he could sneak upstairs to Gabe’s room.
Kayla frowned at him. “Maybe I’m too old for this.”
Jeff sat next to Trixie, dislodging the dog. He ruffled Kayla’s hair. “You’re never going to be too old for your dad to kiss you good night.” He pressed his lips to her forehead before moving to arrange the covers around her.
Kayla settled against her pillow, only looking slightly mollified. “Is Gabe going to live here now?”
“Would that be a problem?” Jeff smoothed the blanket to keep his hands busy.
“I like him,” she said, which took a weight off Jeff’s shoulders. “But how are we going to hide him from the demons?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart.”
“We’ll figure it out.”
Jeff wished she could, since he wasn’t having much luck himself. He kissed her cheek before standing to make his way out of the room.
“Dad?”
He turned. “Hmm?”
&nbs
p; “Say good night to Gabe for me.” With that she reached out and flicked the switch to turn off her light.
A little shell-shocked, Jeff walked away, making his way to the set of stairs that went to the attic. Maybe he hadn’t been as suave sneaking upstairs as he had thought. Had he just gotten his daughter’s approval for shacking up with the angel? He shook his head before tapping against Gabe’s door.
Gabe opened it. “You’re early.”
“Apparently I’m not very good at being sneaky.” Jeff closed the door behind him.
Gabe stood in the center of the room, wearing nothing but a pair of Jeff’s sweatpants that hung so low on his waist they were practically indecent. His pale skin glowed in the light of the single lamp shining in the corner. Jeff found himself missing the wings that were tucked away, compressed into their pocket forms on Gabe’s back.
“Can’t say I’m not glad.”
“You’re amazing,” Jeff blurted, crossing the room to catch Gabe around the waist and seize his mouth. The angel’s skin was always slightly cool to the touch. His lips tasted like metal and a rainstorm. “Let me see them.”
“Watch your hands.” Gabe’s wings unfolded slowly, feathers rippling like ribbons in the wind. They flexed and extended, taking up the entire width of the room, tiny dots of light reflected in the shiny metal.
Jeff slid his fingers upward, tracing the spot on Gabe’s back where metal met flesh. Gabe shivered and moaned. He was so sensitive there. Jeff hadn’t dared this before, too worried about hurting him by brushing against the wires and metal from his missing wing. Now Gabe was whole and Jeff could do what he liked.
“No one’s ever….” Gabe quivered at Jeff’s touch.
“Get on the bed,” Jeff ordered. “I think these wings could use some oil.”
Gabe grinned, a pink flush rising in his chest and cheeks as he stepped back. “I can think of a better use for the oil.”
Jeff’s breathing sped up just imagining it, finally being inside Gabe. Demon’s balls, he shouldn’t be doing this. He didn’t deserve this. But fuck if he wasn’t going to do it anyway.
Gabe slid out of the sweatpants and stretched out on his belly on the mattress, his wings arching out to either side. Jeff pulled off his shirt, picking up the container of oil before crawling over Gabe’s toned legs. He was a work of art, skin stretched over perfectly formed muscles and bones. His ass curved sweetly, and Jeff had to touch, running his hands over those taut buttocks.
At the contact Gabe jumped, startled. “Wasn’t expecting you to start there.”
Jeff chuckled, moving to press his lips against Gabe’s lower back, kissing up his spine until he reached his shoulder blades, the point where his wings began. He mouthed at the sensitive flesh, which was split by metal and made into something more.
Gabe shivered and shuddered beneath him, throwing his head back to cry out. His wings flapped once, then stilled, though they vibrated slightly, as if Gabe could barely control them.
Jeff smiled, lifting his mouth from Gabe’s skin. “Sensitive?”
“You’ve no idea,” Gabe answered, burying his face in his forearms.
“I like it.” Jeff slid his hands down Gabe’s back, not wanting to lose contact. “We really do need to oil these wings, you know.”
Gabe groaned. “You want me to combust, don’t you?”
He couldn’t help but laugh again. It had been a very long time since he’d laughed during sex. Jeff tried not to think about how long. Instead he pushed himself up to shuck off his pants before crawling back, container of oil open in one hand.
“What does it feel like?” he asked, smoothing the oil onto Gabe’s new wing, just where it met his body.
Gabe took a moment to answer, his breathing heavy. “It’s like lightning. Your touch. Tiny sparks everywhere.”
“Mmm.” Jeff hummed, drizzling oil as far as he could reach without moving from his place crouched over Gabe’s waist. This wasn’t about actually oiling Gabe’s wings. He stroked through the metal feathers, loving the sounds Gabe made beneath him, the way Gabe rolled his hips into the mattress.
He had to press the heel of his hand against his own erection. Jeff wanted this to go slow. He wanted to enjoy sinking into Gabe for the first time. But he knew if he took too much longer, neither of them would be able to last.
“Hands and knees,” he ordered, shifting back far enough for Gabe to get into position.
Gabe moaned but obeyed, pushing himself backward so his plump ass was right in front of Jeff’s face. Jeff bit at one fleshy cheek, unable to resist, especially when Gabe squeaked at the action.
“Just like a bird,” Jeff said, holding Gabe open long enough to breathe heavily over his hole.
“Don’t…,” Gabe started to say, but then couldn’t finish, his words dissolving as Jeff nuzzled and licked at him.
With one hand on Gabe’s hip to steady himself, Jeff slid his already oil-slick fingers inside. He needed to make sure Gabe was good and stretched for him. The last thing he ever wanted was to cause him any pain. When Gabe gasped and pushed back against him, Jeff knew he was hitting the right place.
“Relax.” Jeff caught more oil to coat Gabe’s channel. His own cock twitched, impatient to get inside that tight heat.
Gabe let out a breathless chuckle. “Can’t. God, it’s been so long….”
“Shh.” Jeff moved between Gabe’s legs, getting himself into position. He let the head of his dick drag along the crack of that perfect ass.
The oil made it almost too easy to slide inside. Jeff caught his breath, every thought of laughter gone from his mind. Gabe took all of him, like he had been made for nothing but Jeff’s pleasure. Jeff bracketed his hands on Gabe’s narrow hips, holding him still as he thrust against him.
Jeff struggled to keep his eyes open, wanting to fall into nothing but sensation. He needed to see how those wings trembled and flexed, how Gabe completely fell apart, speared on Jeff’s cock.
“Please,” Gabe begged.
Jeff leaned over so his chest pressed against the beginnings of Gabe’s wings. He snaked his hands around to trail across Gabe’s abdomen and tweak his nipples. Gabe bucked beneath him, held only by Jeff’s strength. Even though Jeff had a feeling Gabe could have thrown them both over if he wanted to, Gabe remained under Jeff.
The thought of Gabe’s willing submission had Jeff’s orgasm rushing in far too quickly. He captured Gabe’s cock—swollen and full in his hand—and jerked it roughly. “Come on, angel boy.”
Gabe’s moan turned into a growl. His hips stuttered, caught between Jeff’s cock and his hand. Warm fluid hit Jeff’s fingers and he finally gave in. Jeff let go and came, biting against Gabe’s back as he did so.
They were pressed together so tightly. Jeff closed his eyes and felt the warmth sink into him. For the first time, Gabe didn’t feel cold at all.
“May I retract my wings now?” Gabe asked, words muffled against the pillow.
“Mmm,” Jeff murmured. “You asking permission? Want me to get you a collar like Hank?”
Gabe rolled with one smooth motion, dumping Jeff on his side as he pulled in his wings. Jeff marveled at the workmanship, at the way the feathers rippled and contracted until they lay flat against Gabe’s back. Even without the huge wings, Gabe still looked timeless and beautiful. Jeff wondered how anyone could look at him and not know him for something not of this Earth.
’Course that awed feeling might also be from the glow of sex that surrounded them both. Jeff grinned as Gabe settled on his side, facing Jeff.
“All right?” Jeff traced his hand along Gabe’s side. They should really clean up. He reached for a discarded shirt.
“I had a lover,” Gabe blurted.
Jeff dropped the shirt. Gabe hadn’t spoken of his past before, and Jeff knew he needed to hear this.
“I mean….” Gabe curled around the pillow, looking so untouchable at the moment it made Jeff’s heart hurt. “When I was human.”
“You’re still hu
man,” Jeff rumbled.
Gabe smiled at him. “Do humans live for two hundred years without aging? I’m something else, Jeff. I know it. You know it.”
Jeff met the challenge in Gabe’s eyes with his own stubbornness. “You gonna say that to Kayla?”
Finally Gabe dropped his gaze. “Well, before I was an angel, then. Satisfied?” At Jeff’s nod, he continued. “We’d been together a long time. Things had gotten bad. This was just after the Collapse. I went to work for Heaven Corp so we could eat. I never came back.”
“What happened to him?”
Gabe shook his head. “I don’t know. He died, I guess. I didn’t even remember him, Jeff.” His hand went to the ports around his forehead. “They took that from me. Everything I was. Made me into what they wanted—a perfect soldier.”
Jeff pulled the pillow away and drew Gabe into his arms. “You’re not there anymore. They can’t have you again.”
Jeff hoped he could keep that promise.
Chapter Fifteen
WHEN HANK called, they were all in Jeff’s workshop—Kayla working on an assignment, Gabe reading one of the rescued novels Jeff had given him, and Jeff stationed at the main screen doing more inventory. Gabe made a mental note to ask Jeff to teach him about that, in addition to his other lessons about life in Old Trent. Although, there hadn’t been many lessons lately, both of them too caught up in each other’s bodies, giving in to passion like the new lovers they were.
Jeff grinned at the display, which he expanded so Hank and Ian’s faces were taking up the entire main screen. “There’s a face I haven’t seen in a while. What’s your excuse for not visiting us lately?”
“Jeff,” Hank said. “You need to get out here. It’s Mattie.”
The smile drained from Jeff’s face. Gabe dropped the novel and moved to his side, putting his hand on Jeff’s shoulder, which felt stone hard beneath his hand. “What happened?”
