Outlaw Blues: Metathesiophobia

“Re-re!” Kiaria cried bounding into the apartment from school later that afternoon. Reuel looked up with wide eyes just in time to catch the girl at she threw herself at him. Hugging her tightly, he laughed and rested his cheek on the back of her head.
“What is this ‘Re-re’ thing?”
The little girl grinned with abounding exuberance and leaned back so that she could touch a finger to the tip of the fallen’s nose. “’Re-re’ is you.”
“Oh,” Reuel said as if this explained the world to him. “And how is ‘Re-re’ me?”
“Because it’s cute and easier to say than ‘Reuel’,” Kiaria explained matter-of-factly. She even followed up her conclusion with a sharp nod to reiterate her words.
“O—kay…” Reuel shook his head as the girl squirmed to the ground and ran into the bedroom she was now sharing with her brother.
“I think it’s cute,” Reven said with a smirk from his seat on the plush chair.
“You, don’t speak.”
“No… ‘Re-re’.”
With a growl Reuel surged off of the sofa and launched himself at Reuel with a raised fist only to stop cold as Kenneth spoke up casually from the doorway. “Would you two mind not fighting when Ki’s here? It’s so hard to keep her believing that the two of you are lovers when you’re constantly bickering and uptight around one another.”
Turning to face the golden-blonde youth, Reven completely ignored the pouting angel. “I was thinking about that actually. I think it would be more convincing if Reuel and I were to be more intimate with each other.” The near white-blonde head shot up, and he stared with wide eyes at the demon. “What do you think?”
“Probably—“
“What?!”
Reuel was nearly shaking with stress until Kenneth smiled at him warmly and finished his sentence, “—but I wouldn’t recommend it. I don’t want her to have to think about such things just yet.”
“I can hear you, and you’re talking about me!” Kiaria called from the bedroom.
Laughing softly, her brother shook his head and walked between the relaxed demon and the twitching angel to go to his room. “Well, you shouldn’t eavesdrop,” he said as he disappeared though the door.
“Well, they’re in rare form today,” Reven said smiling broadly. “Something good must have happened to the girl.”
“Why do you say that?” Reuel asked glancing over as he walked past his tormentor and into the kitchen to make them all some hot chocolate to drink.
The demon followed him shortly. “Because—when have you ever seen Kenneth so playful when she was unhappy?”
Humming thoughtfully, Reuel nodded his head. “Well, you’re right in any case. She is more excited today that I have seen her in a while.”
The adoring smile that he wore thinking about the child faded slightly as his conversation with the demon returned to him. His movements became automatic as he started to frown thoughtfully. He needed to talk to Kenneth about some rather important things, but with the two of them in such a good mood, he was reluctant to bring it up. Of course, he admitted, even if they weren’t so happy today, it was still an awkward topic to bring up after so long.
Settling into one of the chairs around the small kitchen table, Reven smiled in malevolent delight at the thoughts he picked up the angel. He knew guardians rarely ever had to eat, devoting their every moment to their human wards, but a fallen wasn’t technically an angel anymore and needed the nutrients from food to survive. For an angel, the human concept of work and money was as foreign as a demon’s thoughts, and he was quite certain that Reuel had never used money to acquire the clothing that he wore or the food he ate.
Coming into the kitchen Kenneth raised an eyebrow at the smirk on the demon’s face and sighed heavily, drawing their attentions easily. “Do angels get mood swings this badly on a regular basis?” he asked as he went to pick up one of the mugs of hot chocolate.
Reuel blushed slightly and shook his head. “I don’t think so, but I don’t know many fallen either,” he said as he lifted two of the hot cup and carried them over to the table. Sitting one down in front of the black haired demon, he returned to his own mug and frowned. “Can I—“
Clearing his throat sharply as Kiaria came skipping into the kitchen with her hair lose about her shoulders and singing softly to herself, the blonde boy shook his head. “Ask me later alright?” Turning his eyes onto his sister, he smiled. “Well? Are you going to ask him?”
Kiaria nodded as she climbed into her chair beside Reven. “Re-re, will you come with me on a play date?”
“Of course,” Reuel replied, and his entire demeanor brightened considerably. “Where is it?”
“I told her we’d meet in the park near the school,” the girl said grinning and bouncing in her chair. “She’s so nice, Re-re! Today, she gave me her cookies during lunch, and we played on the swings. I can do a back flip off of them!”
Kenneth’s face darkened a little at that news, but he let it slide and added, “I’d go with her, but I have a report I need to work on today.”
“And—“ Kiaria’s exasperated tone of voice made it clear that he brother had interrupted her thoughts. “We read the same books. Ms. Key said that we could start reading harder books for class and getting extra credit for doing reports on them, and that’s okay because she said we can work on them together which is going to be a lot of fun!”
“What kind of books do you like?” Reuel asked enjoying her enthusiasm.
“I like the ones Mommy sends me for my birthday,” Kiaria said around sips of her drink.
“Mom sends you presents?” Kenneth asked startled.
Looking up into his green-blue eyes, she nodded and pouted slightly. “She sends you presents, too, doesn’t she?”
“Ah—yeah,” Kenneth said turning away from her. His solemn expression was quickly replaced by a bright smile and he turned back to her. “Yeah, she always sends me a gift. You just never showed me yours.”
“I can if you want me to,” Kiaria said smiling brightly. “They’re in my room. I didn’t think you’d be interested. They’re about fairies and castles in the clouds, and well, you know… girl things.”
Laughing slightly, he walked over to his sister and ruffled her hair playfully. “That’s alright. I don’t need to see them. I’m just glad you like her gifts.”
“I do,” Kiaria said with a firm nod. She looked over to the white haired angel. “I told Tylanni that I would meet her at six. Is that okay?”
Reuel nodded with a smile. “That’s fine. I guess, though, that we need to get to making dinner. Kenneth, it’s you’re turn tonight right?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think I’ll be able to have it ready before you leave,” Kenneth said thoughtfully. “I had planned on us eating around seven or seven-thirty.”
“Oh… Kiaria, do you think two hours will be too short to play?”
Frowning slightly, the little girl shook her head. “No, no, that’s fine, I guess,” she said with wide eyes.
Nodding his head, Reuel turned to the refrigerator and opened the door. He took out some apples and cheese. “Alright then, I’ll make snacks to tide everyone over until dinner tonight. You two should go do your homework, alright?”
Kiaria nodded and hopped from her chair. Picking up her mug, she turned and hurried from the kitchen once more. Her golden haired brother dug though the freezer and laid out a few items on the counter.
“I’ll have dinner by a quarter after eight. That should give you enough time to walk home,” he said before heading off to do his work.
Watching them go, the fallen angel smiled warmly and began preparing snacks for them. He hummed softly, cutting the apples in half and then slicing them into thin wedges.
“You make a very good house wife—“
“What are you talking about?” Reuel demanded with a irritated glare at the demon. His hands hesitated as he began to slice the cheese.
Reven pointed a lazy finger at the cutting board. “That is what I’m talking about. You mother them.”
“Yes, your point being?” The angel returned to his work concentrating fiercely. “I learned from the mothers of my wards. I like taking care of the kids.”
Shaking with repressed laughter, Reven continued to watch the angel. “Alright, alright,” he said holding up his hands in mock defeat. “I look forward to this play date.”
“You’re not invited,” the angel said shortly as he laid the apple slices and cheese out onto a plate. He picked it up and went to take to the kids.
Chuckling softly, Reven leaned back into the chair and sipped his hot chocolate. “I never am,” he said with a proud smirk. “But it doesn’t keep me from coming.”
“And you’ve got a bad habit of talking to yourself,” Reuel commented shaking his head as he passed by the demon again. “You don’t have to follow me everywhere, you know. It’s not like I’m going to run away from here. They have given me a home, and I’m not going to give that up as long as it’s offered to me.”
“Oh, I know, but I also know that by following you everywhere, I annoy you very much,” the demon said with a contented smile. “That, my dear prey, makes it all worth the effort.”
Rolling his eyes, the angel cleared away his mess and picked up his cup. He swept out of the room and settled onto the couch, picking up the book he had set to the side earlier in the day. He glanced at his watch and then at the children studying in their bedroom.
The book took his attention away from the time rather quickly and two hours had passed without his notice. He glanced up when Kiaria called his name. She shifted from foot to foot in restless anticipation and took his hand to pull him to his feet.
“It’s time to go Re-re,” the little girl said with a slightly worried frown on her face. “It’s five-thirty.”
Nodding, Reuel smiled at her and set his book aside. “I lost track of time. Did you get all of your work done?”
Kiaria took him by the hand and pulled him towards the door as she answered. “No, but I’m just about done, and Kenneth said that he would help me with the rest after dinner.”
Frowning slightly, the angel finally sighed. “Alright, I guess that’s fine. Just don’t forget to do it. Your teacher was really complimentary about your work when I saw her last, and I don’t want you to fall behind for any reason, alright?”
“I won’t, I promise!” Kiaria said bouncing as she waited for him to put on his shoes and follow her out into the hallway.
Glancing up, Reuel found the demon standing next to the door, and he narrowed his eyes slightly. The demon didn’t say a word but held his hands out palm up in quiet assurance that he wouldn’t interfere too much. Taking the little girl by the hand, they headed down to the street and began the twenty-minute walk to the small park.
With Reven trailing a good twenty feet behind them, Reuel allowed himself to forget that he was hunted. He saw a few guardian angels on the sidewalks walking with their wards, but most only spared him a passing glance. Occasionally, one would startle at the sight of him with the little girl, and once, he caught one gazing at him with an almost envious expression in his eyes. That one had turned away quickly when he found himself being watched and hurried to catch up to the young red-headed girl who was skipping down the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street.
The sight brought back a deep ache in Reuel’s chest as he remembered his own longing to be able to interact with Kaida. He tightened his grip on the little girl’s hand and smiled wistfully down at her as they neared the playground. Looking up, his eyes narrowed as he scanned the area for any sign of demons. With none in sight, he allowed her to go scampering away into the playground.
“You’re dealing with this very well,” Reven commented as they approached the entrance.
Inside, Kiaria ran up to a black haired girl about half a foot taller than she was. Reuel assumed she was Tylanni when they hugged and then ran off towards the swings hand in hand. A blonde man caught his attention as he stepped away from a tree, his eyes swinging from the two girls to rest on the white haired angel.
Beside him, Reven hissed with surprise and stopped cold. Turning his head, Reuel raised an eyebrow questioningly. Without a word, the demon glanced at his prey and then back at the man, shaking his head. He spun around and walked away leaving a very confused angel to stare after him.
“Hello,” a warm husky voice said from behind the fallen.
Glancing over his shoulder, Reuel found himself face to face with the smiling blonde man. With a last glance over his shoulder at the empty street behind him, he turned to look at the man and smiled in return.
“Hello.”
“I’m Amadeus. You’re Kiaria’s guardian?” the man asked raising a slender eyebrow.
The question caught Reuel off guard, and he felt his heart turn over in his chest at the implications that question could have. Slowly he nodded. “Yes,” he said in a hesitant voice. “My name is Reuel. I take it you’re Tylanni’s guardian.”
Amadeus offered him an enigmatic smile before nodding and waving a hand towards the inside of the park. “Why don’t we go make ourselves comfortable?” he asked lightly.
As his eyebrows pulled together for an instant as a wave of confusion washed over him, Reuel nodded and followed the taller man as he lead the way over to a bench under a large oak tree that offered them a clear view of the two girls. They sat down to watch the girls while they swung back and forth laughing at some story they were sharing each other.
A warm comfortable feeling filled the fallen angel’s heart, and he smiled tenderly at the little brunette. Sitting here like this felt like he was once more a guardian and talking to a fellow as their wards moved about their lives without noticing them. He allowed himself to daydream for a while about his former jobs until he was pulled back to reality by the sound of Amadeus’s voice.
“Huh?” he asked turning to look at the man.
“You really did phase out just now,” the man said with a short bark of laughter.
Ducking his head with a small, embarrassed smile, Reuel nodded. “It’s a really beautiful day out today.”
“Yeah it is,” the other man said thoughtfully as he looked at the clouds scuttling across the sky. “Anyway, did your friend have something to do?”
“Eh—my friend?” the platinum blonde angel blinked once before his mind kicked into gear. “Oh Reven?” He instinctively turned his head to look down the street where the demon had disappeared. “I guess he did. He didn’t tell me though. I thought he was going to be spending the afternoon with us.”
Amadeus nodded acceptingly of that explanation and nodded to the girls. “We’ve only been in town for about a month. Tylanni was very excited when Kiaria asked her to play today. She’s needed something to occupy her mind.”
“Where did you come from?”
“Oh,” Amadeus said with a flippant wave of his hand. “We move around a lot. We don’t stay in one place long enough to say that we’re from there.”
“That must be hard on her,” Reuel said with a saddened expression, but the man shook his head.
“Not really. That’s how she likes it. I think that if we stayed in one place too long, she would worry about getting too attached to the people around her. She’s very nervous about losing anyone she’s close to.”
“Why is that?”
“You know, I’m really not sure,” Amadeus said tilting his head to the side to watch the black haired girl as she leapt from the swings landing on her feet in a mock of a gymnastics dismount. He heard Reuel’s hissing gasp as Kiaria repeated the stunt and landed with equal ease. “Have you never seen them out here on the swings?”
“No,” the platinum blonde replied.
“I’ve stopped by to check on Tylanni occasionally during school. There’s a group of them who get out and do this on the swing set every recess. It’s really quite fun to watch,” Amadeus mused. “They’re not the best at it by far. There’s one girl—I think her name is Charlotte—who must take gymnastics. She has somehow managed to do back flips out of the swing.”
“And the teachers don’t say anything about it?” Reuel asked as the girls ran back to the swings again and began pumping their legs again to gain height.
“No, not really,” Amadeus said with a small shrug. “They watch them of course, but for the most part, they leave them alone.”
“That’s dangerous.”
Nodding his head in agreement, Amadeus smiled at Reuel. “It probably is, but that’s the way it is.”
Falling into an easy silence next to the man, Reuel relaxed a little after the girls moved from the swings to the merry-go-round. Their squeals and giggles as they tried to go faster and faster warmed the fallen angel to his very core. Kiaria and Tylanni had returned to the swings before he glanced down at his watch. The face glowed in the growing darkness, and he was reluctant to bring their fun to an end for the evening. With a sigh, he rose—causing Amadeus to look up at him curiously. The other man moved to follow him in quiet understanding.
“Kiaria,” Reuel called as he drew nearer. “It’s almost time for dinner now.”
The little brunette pouted at him for a moment, which had the angel about to cave in, but she hopped lightly off the swings and came to his side. “Can Tylanni and I come play again tomorrow, Re-Re?”
Smiling tenderly at the child, Reuel laid a hand gently on her head. “Of course. I think that would be alright if Amadeus doesn’t mind.”
The blonde man shook his head as Tylanni took a hold of his hand. “I would enjoy it very much, actually,” he said with a smile. “Perhaps your friend can stay and talk with us next time.”
“I’ll be sure to ask him. Are you ready to go, Ki?”
She nodded taking his hand eagerly and waving back at Tylanni as they walked from the park towards their apartment.
“Did you see us on the swings, Re-Re? Tylanni got so high tonight. I was almost scared to jump with her, but she told me that I’d be all right so I did. It was so great. You should try swinging sometime. I think you would have a lot of fun, and then we could swing together…”
Reuel’s smile never wavered as the little girl talked on about all the things she had done or they could do. He was quite happy to listen to her talk like this, and for this simple pleasure of standing at her side, he felt he could endure eons of pain and regret. She was a perfect innocent and her out pouring of warm affection towards everyone she met made him happier than he had ever felt before.
Deep in his heart, he wished that his time with Kaida had been like this—a comfortable companionship. For the chance to be able to walk down the street with his former ward, he would have given up his rank as an angel willingly, if not even eagerly.
As they approached the doorway to their apartment building, Reuel frowned suddenly as he wondered where Reven had gone. This was the longest he had been without the demon in months, and to his consternation, he was actually concerned about the other man.
Opening the door, they made their way up the stairs and entered their apartment to the wonderful scents of dinner. Kenneth called out a greeting to them as he moved around in the kitchen, and the two joined him as Kiaria regaled her brother with her tales from the playground.

“He seems well adjusted to living on Earth don’t you think?” Amadeus said watching the fallen angel walk from the park. Tylanni hopped up on the rock wall beside him and nodded her head slowly.
“Yes, though I do suspect that things are about to get a lot more difficult for him….”
“Because of the demon?”
“No.” Tylanni turned her face up to the sky and closed her eyes. “—because of Hythen.”

***
End Chapter Metathesiophobia
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