Lore of the Angels Ch. 11

He needed a peace offering.

Looking around, he found a metal clothes hanger and passed it to her. She arched her eyebrow questioningly but gave a gasp when the metal began to twist and bend into what looked like...

"A flower?" At least it looked like one to her. It clearly had a stalk but instead of petals, the tip branched into many smaller stalks with a small plate-like ends.

"I tried my best." He smiled when he saw the anger on her face clearly replaced by fascination.

"What is it?"

"It's a dandelion." At her unreadable expression, he inquired cautiously, "Still angry?"

"Why dandelion?"

"You don't answer questions with questions."

"Okay, then I'm still angry." But she continued to study the flower.

"Do you like it?"

"That depends..." she wanted to remain angry but couldn't help smiling. "I get the hint –I'm like an annoying weed that gets blown away and disappear."

He combed his fingers through his hair; at a loss of what to respond to that. He'd thought she'd understood the significance of the flower –so overlooked yet so valuable as nature's own remedy and barometer. Maybe he should have just stuck with roses.

"You confuse me Aria... half the time; I don't even know what I'm doing around you."

The brutal honesty of his words surprised her.

Tucking the flower behind her ear, she walked towards him and looked up into his striking silver eyes. He expected her to say something but instead her fingers started playing with his shirt buttons.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to tend to your wounds," she replied, easing the shirt off his body and down his wings. "I saw the redness down your back when you tossed me over your shoulder."

"I'll be fine... it's just a burn," he insisted but she had already turned him around to study the extent of his injuries. Zilarrezko knew that his back bore the brunt of Anthony's final attack; scorched by the Metal melting directly onto his skin.

He might have healed all the self-inflicted Metal injuries but he knew the burns were still there, charring his image into imperfection. "Stop staring."

Her reply was to gently kiss the tender muscle joining his wing arch to his shoulder blade and down his back; her lips, a cold relief over his skin. To his surprise, he felt the burns gradually soothed; her expert manipulation of moisture and temperature as a natural balm for his wounds.

Zilarrezko had never met a mortal Cardinal before but if she was already of this caliber as a mortal... "You'd be an extraordinary Archangel, Aria," he concluded.

"I don't want to be one. I'm happy with being what I am and who I am," she reminded him.

"But I'm not happy." He turned; angling her head up to face him. "Be it another hundred years or a millennia, I want to spend it with you." He placed a finger on her lips when she started to argue. "If you wish to stay a mortal, then I will be a mortal for you and grow old together."

He lowered his head; lips claiming the spot his finger was holding. The kiss was slow and soft, almost like a gentle plea for her to accept his sacrifice.

Aria wanted to protest; to tell him it wasn't the right thing for an Archangel to do... but a tiny part of her wanted selfishly to consent. She knew it was impossible for her to spend an immortal life with him... so if this was the only way then...

"Okay..." she whispered, pulling away from the kiss to rest her cheek against his. Aria had no idea how he was going to achieve mortality; a discussion to have after the war. She knew that the crusade against Yuki was inevitable... but this –was something to look forward to after the casualties. The thought of deaths brought a hitch to her breathing but Aria refused to think about that now.

"Thank you," he whispered back as he held her; feet moving to a slow serenade in their heads. She had accepted him and that was enough. Everything else –especially the truth –would be secondary.

This was a moment to savor.

***

She had healed him a little more by the end of the hour but it would still take him a few more hours to fully recover –an immortal advantage he was going to miss.

After she left to meet her siblings for dinner, Zilarrezko called Julia for updates.

"What's the status Julia?"

"The ships are ready to disembark in a few hours. We've already loaded the necessary cargo; aircrafts are in perfect working condition and all the commanders have been briefed."

"Good. Estimated time of arrival?"

"About five days, Cardinal."

Zilarrezko nodded to himself and then asked, "How's Anthony?"

Julia clearly wasn't expecting that question. "He'll live."

"Did you see to it that he received medical attention?"

"Of course Cardinal," she paused. "You should too."

"I'll be fine Julia."

"Then you shouldn't worry too much about him." He could almost see her smiling when she said that. "I'll keep you posted Cardinal."

"I'll see you in five days."

Zilarrezko didn't need to ask if she was taking over Anthony's position for he already knew she would. His Fire Ordinal might have one mean punch but he was also extremely loyal. Anthony was the kind of Angel who would think ten, twenty steps ahead before making any move and Zilarrezko was confident his Ordinal already had a working plan to ensure a smooth transition of power from himself to Marcus.

A knock on the door jerked him back to the present. He spied Aria walking in carrying a tray.

"Dinner," she announced, placing the serving by his bedside table. "But first... did a hurricane pass by your office?"

"What's that?" he peered –not at the food –but at the long cardboard box next to the plate. She narrowed her eyes at his obvious avoidance.

"That is your bandage."

He cringed. "I heal faster than mortals do... and seriously, that's aluminum foil, not bandages."

"It's a trick I learnt when dealing with burns. Besides, I think your body would take in the metalloid better than any other remedy."

He snorted and took the plate of pasta while she tended to him. Of course, he could have told her that his armor could be modified to aluminum but having her fuss over him was more appealing.

It was... homely.

"Where do you want to live when the war is over Aria?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"Whether you mind sharing the house with the little rascals. Angelo might move out when he comes of age but the other three are still minors."

"No privacy?" He made a face. "That'd mean you've got to be quiet. No screaming in bed."

"I'm not the only one who screams." She watched him grin mischievously. "Well, that's one thing and the other is that the twins like to bunk in with me when there's a thunderstorm."

"Great."

"Which reminds me... my bed isn't as big as yours so... you might need to sleep on the couch when that happens."

Zilarrezko almost choked on his food. "You've got to be serious..."

"Well, having second thoughts about being mortal now?"

He scowled at her and continued attacking the meatballs on his plate with his fork.

"I don't think you'd be the same without your wings though." Aria gently traced her finger over his feathers, moving up towards the sensitive ridge of his wing arch. "You know I only want you because you're an Archangel..."

"Oh really?" Zilarrezko kept his voice calm; not wanting to let her know much her touch excited him. "You have such high standards. I doubt any mortal man could satisfy you now."

"I'm sure you can prove me wrong," she teased, placing the last of the foil over his arm. "There you go. A good night's sleep should restore you to your peak tomorrow morning."

"I have to sleep with this thing on?" His eyes widened; looking down at the foil with distaste.

"Of course." Her eyes were twinkling as she laughed.

"Will you sleep with me tonight if I say I'm scared of thunderstorms too?"

"I'll think about it," she said with a wink as she walked towards the door. "I'll check on you after I've tucked the children in."

***

She was gone for almost an hour and despite his chagrin at being wrapped in foil, Zilarrezko found her little mortal trick working. The burns were not stinging anymore and when he took a peek beneath the wrap, he saw that scabs were already layering over the wounded areas.

Perhaps she was right after all; a good nights rest would restore him to full health. With a sigh, he began to pace his room, thinking about the life ahead of him.

Healing would not be as quick, his body would age and he'd fall ill and eventually there's death. Mortal lives seemed too short for him... It was like living on borrowed time, simply waiting for death to claim them.

One day he might wake up and find that Aria wouldn't open her eyes anymore.

But he wasn't going to regret his decision.

"Welcome back," he greeted her as she came in through the connecting door from his office. "Let me guess... someone needed an extra bedtime story?"

She tried to suppress her giggle. "Well, it was more like them telling me one." The look on her face told him that she'd found out about his soliloquy in the library earlier. "But... I've told them to apologize to you first thing tomorrow morning."

"I think I've lost my mean streak."

"Indeed," she humored him, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "Now, it's time for bed." He made a sulky face but Aria wasn't going to fall for it. "No, you cannot take it off until tomorrow morning or else..."

"Or else?"

Her eyes raked him from head to toe; eyebrows hunched in disapproval. "Don't push it Archangel."

"Is that a threat?" Arrogance in every word as he pulled her close; breasts crushed against his chest. Aria was suddenly awash with visions of his tongue licking those very curves –the image and sensations so vivid that she almost moaned.

Her breaths came in hitches as she narrowed her eyes at him. "You know the rules Zilarrezko..." Yet, her mind seemed to welcome the mental foreplay, willing her body to arch just a little closer to satisfy the tactile stimulation.

"Should I stop?" he teased, distracting her even further by physically pulling the hem of her shirt up to reveal lean abdominal muscles. Just north lay his prized mountains and he made sure her mind captured every single detail of what he intended to do with them –from kissing the sensitive underside of her breasts to sucking and biting on those...

His lips curved when she urged his hands to move higher.

Lace and satin padding greeted his fingers as he explored her fullness, plumped up by the wicked contraption. Impatient to see what he felt, Zilarrezko pulled her shirt up and over her head, tossing it carelessly to the floor.

The sight made him whistle. He couldn't help it –his eyes had zeroed in on its target like a bee to a flower –one that was enticingly beautiful and smelled as sweet as the color of her skin. He wanted to tear the offending material off but found the sight of her honey skin encased in blood red equally erotic.

"Take off your jeans," he commanded, wanting to see her standing completely naked except for the strips of lace.

She complied; eyes focused on him watching her fingers undoing the sole button, unzipping the metal teeth and shimmying the denim past her hips –the act bringing his attention to her jiggling breasts once more.

The momentary distraction allowed her to step out of her jeans to pose albeit shyly in front of her Archangel.

His eyes had turned shimmery, lusty gold as they feasted on every inch; the idea of licking her up made him wet his lips in anticipation.

Except...

"All this is getting you is frustration," she reminded him. "You're still hurt."

"A little pain is pleasurable," he insisted, closing the gap between them. Aria wanted to be stern in her discipline but the awareness of her skin pressed perilously close to his bare chest...

"What happened to the foil?" She shifted her gaze up quizzically.

"Did you forget whom you came to seduce?" he whispered, lowering his head to capture an earlobe between his teeth. She whimpered at the teasing contact; resting her palm on his chest to steady herself. Oh, she remembered who he was –and she knew how dangerously sexy he could be –it was like waking up to the most savage lion in the jungle and rather than taking your life, it licks you and purrs.

As he was now.

A low, flirty sound in his throat reserved just for her. It made her want to stroke and pet the virile creature before her, enticing him to make those throaty pleas for her pleasure. She wanted to kiss and lick down the sexy column on his throat, to taste the salt on his skin, feel the pulse of his desire, and brush her fingers along the rigid length of his...

"Aria!" His sudden shout jerked her from her thoughts. "Did you just..."

"Did I what?" Her fingernails toyed with his nipples absently, eliciting a low growl from him. Taking one hand away, he brought it down between their bodies to wrap her fingers around his painfully hard cock. "Thought of doing this?"

He let go of her hands, shutting his eyes to the feel of her stroking him, the secret intimacy of their connection pushed to the back of his mind.

All he wanted to think about was the pleasure she was offering him –her hand clenched tight around his engorged length, jerking up and down to an irregular rhythm that was driving him crazy. When his hips started to thrust into the vice of her fist, he forced himself to stop.

She wanted to –what was that again? –yes, stroke and pet him so he was going to oblige her; his moans as an aphrodisiac to her ears.

But even an Archangel had his limits.

"Aria... bed..."

"Come," she whispered; hands still holding onto his cock as she led the way to the bed. Lying down, she motioned for him to rest on top of her –a deliberate move to help his back avoid contact with the sheets.

Bracing his weight on his elbows and knees, Zilarrezko positioned himself above her. The feel of his cock rubbing against her soaked lace panties was excruciatingly torturous but he wasn't going to take them off yet. She was lying beneath him like a forbidden fruit waiting to be devoured.

"So beautiful..." He pressed a kiss to the centre of her chest. "Makes me want to take a bite." And he did; teeth closing over the delicate flesh just above the lace-lined rim. Aria moaned, arching her breasts closer to the source of her torment; an offering to sate both their appetites.

What she really wanted to do was beg him to tear her panties and drive himself deep inside her. She wanted to wrap her legs around his waist and demand that he take her over and over into the realms of sexual bliss –one that she was becoming so accustomed to. Just the thought of his thickness invading her slippery folds made her moan in anticipation.

"Aria... you're killing me," words forced out through clenched teeth. Zilarrezko had felt every sensation that she had unconsciously pushed into his mind and his cock throbbed at the need to concede to those very thoughts.

So much for taking it slow.

"I'll buy you another one," he whispered apologetically as his hand reached between them to rip the lace aside. Her gasp of surprise turned to moans at the sensation of being drilled by two fingers. Aria was ashamed at the ease in which he slid them inside of her –it was evidence that her body lusted for him even when her mouth said otherwise.

And that body was now rocking with need; bucking against those fingers, wishing it was his cock...

"If that is what you want..." The fingers were gone but before she could protest, he sheathed his entire length inside; hands pushing her thighs back to rest on his shoulders, giving him more access to her aching hot pussy.

"Zilarrezko!" Her needy cry was the only encouragement he needed to move faster; sinking as deep as he could inside her silky heat then pulling all the way out and doing it again. He could feel her clenching tight around his cock, making the drive in and out painfully delicious. All the more reasons to accelerate the pace.

Her screams were ambrosia to his ears. He watched as her hands fisted the satin sheets; anchoring herself down for his onslaught even as she squeezed her pussy muscles to the first of her many orgasms.

She had barely recovered when he dropped her legs to the bed and leaned forward; hips moving in slow erotic circles.

"No I can't..." she tried to stop him; palms pressed against his chest –futile attempts. The second his curls rubbed against her sensitive clit, Aria saw stars. She could still feel him grinding into her through her second orgasm; the double stimulation sending her into another world in her mind.

Zilarrezko stilled himself inside her, aware that a few more lust-guided thrusts might push her into another orgasm; his own not far behind. But fuck she was so tight! His balls were already starting to tighten. He needed to finish.

"Aria, look at me baby..."

Pleasure-sated eyes opened slowly; a calm blue surrounded by black –but not for long. As soon as his hips began moving again, the stillness faded.

He began to drive in and out of her, crushing his weight on top of her to deepen every downward stroke. She was clenching her pussy around him; a heated glove snapped tight around his cock. The sensation was too much. Tilting his head back, he grunted as the first shocks of his release claimed him; his body jerking violently as he emptied himself inside her.

Their heavy breathing was the only sound he could hear, their mingling scents all he could smell and her pearl smooth skin was all he could feel.

Then he opened his eyes and his universe centered on her.

Looking down at her this way made his heart thunder in his ears; the beat erratic and unpredictable.

Just like their future together.

***

He must have been staring at her for she reached up to stroke his cheek gently. "Darling? Is it the pain?"

That was probably the third time she had addressed him that way but Zilarrezko found it endearing. He knew that most of the burns on his arms and legs have healed but he could still feel the rawness of the injury on his back. Nothing to worry about.

Shaking his head, he lowered his face to touch her nose with his; eyes boring into each others.

"I love you."

Aria gasped, lashes casting a shadow on her apple cheeks as she lowered her gaze.

"You don't have to say anything," he assured her. "I just wanted you to know."

He drowned her response by sealing his lips over hers.

***

When the first beam of sunlight pierced through the bedroom window, Aria grimaced at its invading glare. She huddled closer to the sexy male body next to hers; legs tangled like ivy, anchoring her to his heat, his scent, his love...

Yes, he said he loved her... and she had stupidly remained silent.

What was she to say? "I love you too?" That was just too mechanical; a response to a stimulus. It had no depth to the truth of what she felt for him.

He was exactly like that ray of sunshine –an annoying reminder of reality, no longer shielded by the peace of night and yet in that sliver of warmth, he was also her comfort, her passion... her life.

A life that was so painfully mortal, she wished she could offer more –thousands of years more just to wake up and experience eternity with him.

"Now that, is love..." she murmured, lips imprinting on his forehead. Easing herself slowly, Aria got off the bed to inspect his back.

To her surprise, not a single scratch marred his skin. Perfect.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, she turned to look at the sleeping Angel; her heart skipping a beat at the reminder that he was sacrificing immortality for her.

"Zilarrezko..."

His eyelids parted slightly like curtains hiding silver irises.

"Good morning," she smiled, moving her head forward to meet his kiss.