Outlaw Blues: Isolophobia

Coming awake early the next morning to the quiet, if hectic, noises of a busy household getting ready for the day was disorienting for Reuel. Moaning softly, he buried his face into the soft pillow beneath him. Last night he had slept in peace for the first time since he had been cast out of the heavens, and waking from that bliss to face the cold harsh reality of his every breathing moment was agony.

“Kenneth! I can’t find my hairbrush!”

“Where did you leave it?”

“I DON’T KNOW!”

“Try the bathroom.”

Unable to go back to sleep, the platinum blonde turned his head to the side allowing him to face the small living room in the Maccrea’s apartment. He slit his eyes open a mere fraction to watch the young brunette dash from one of the bedrooms into the bathroom. She wore a school uniform now—a knee length, gray dress-jumper with a short sleeved, maroon polo-shirt underneath, and her matching maroon socks were pulled up to just below her knees.

“It’s not here!”

“I found it. Come here.”

The boy’s voice issued from the open bedroom door, and for a moment, Reuel wondered if they had completely forgotten about him in the pattern of their usual day, but he dismissed that from his mind quickly. Surely they could not forget that they had a stranger in their house, especially with the boy being empathic, even if only randomly.

Kiaria hurried back though the living room. Her hair, now dry, fell to just below her shoulders in a mess of unruly curls. She would have looked like the classical angel if only her hair was blonde like her brother. Reuel heard the two talking softly in the other room and let his eyes close heavily again.

There was so much to do today--leaving the siblings was the foremost in his mind at the moment. The other was perhaps finding an apartment of his own. The man hated to admit it, but staying here had given him a nice taste of what ‘home comforts’ meant. He also needed to decide what to do with himself. If he was no longer wandering around in a black haze as he had been for the past six months, what else could he do? He had no skills, nothing to offer these humans.

“Ki! We’re going to be late if you don’t hurry.”

At the sound of Kenneth’s footsteps, Reuel partially opened his eyes again. The boy’s blonde hair gleamed like gold in the early morning sunlight streaming in though the windows above the couch the man was using for a bed. His school’s uniform consisted of black dress slacks, a blue mock turtleneck, and a dark grey jacket. For a moment, Reuel was puzzled. Such an outfit would be too hot for the sunny-day today was likely to be, but then the boy half-shrugged off the jacket, reveling the turtleneck shirt beneath was sleeveless.

As the blonde youth disappeared into the kitchen, Kiaria came hurrying out of the bedroom, slipping on her backpack. Her hair was now pulled up into two buns, one on either side of her head, and both with a small tuft of hair messily hanging down.

“Breakfast is on the table.”

Kenneth left the kitchen again, patting her on the head. He watched her for a moment then walked into the living room and crouched before the couch. Reuel offered him a half-smile, not awake enough to really pretend to be asleep.

“Morning.”

His voice was a rough tenor with the weariness of a full night’s sleep. He was pleased to see the boy’s own bright smile greet him in return. With a groan, he pushed himself up slightly so he could sit propped up against the arm of the couch.

“It’s good to know you slept peacefully. Kiaria and I are heading for school in a minute. Your clothes are dry. I laid them on the counter in the bathroom. We’ll be back here around four this afternoon, just in case you want to stay.”

Kenneth’s blue-green eyes shown warmly and Reuel nodded acknowledging his words. Without another word, the boy rose to his feet and walked away. The man closed his eyes as he listened to the two talking in the kitchen for a moment before the door opened, and they left.

Dropping his head back on the armrest, Reuel half-dozed for a moment. After a moment in the fuzzy bliss, he wearily forced himself to sit up straight. He threw back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the couch, straightening his kimono.

Only ten minutes passed before he was once again on the streets of the city. Unlike last night, they now bustled with the rush of people and cars. Threading his way though the crowded sidewalk, Reuel drew only a little more attention than he had the night before. A glance from a young woman or a long cold stare from an older gentleman were all that greeted him.

Until he rounded a blind corner and came face to face with a young mother and her child. They passed him by hurrying on their way to the store. It was the two angels behind them that stopped and stared at him. Despite his best attempts, Reuel’s head lowered guiltily.

The two men were beautiful by human standards, even though plain to the angels. The one standing to the right had deep auburn hair swept back into a low ponytail. His green eyes flashed with emerald lightning as he watched the pale blonde man. The other, far younger with golden hair and eyes, spoke to the red haired man.

“Isn’t he a fallen?”

The dark haired angel didn’t respond, and neither did Reuel acknowledge the question.

“The fool who fell in love with his human and killed a—“

The younger angel was cut off suddenly by a swift sideways wave of the other’s hand. There was a stiff silence before the older angel spoke, his eyes drifting past Reuel to fall on their guardianships.

“There is no one here. We mustn’t lose our posts.”

The golden haired man nodded and followed the elder as he stepped around Reuel and headed off down the street. Trembling, the platinum blonde leaned heavily against the bricks of the building beside him. The people passing him occasionally shot him curious or pitying looks.

//Of course. They all think I’m insane. They can’t see them.//

After a few moments, Reuel seemed to come alive again from his daze. Stumbling slightly, he moved off into the alleys that he had become so familiar with over the past few months. If he had thought it would make things easier, he was wrong, and he finally settled down amongst the garbage cans.

Holding a hand up, the man smirked to see it trembling.

//Should have known better than to walk the streets—especially during the day.//

He grabbed his forehead groaning. Condemnations ran though his mind like wildfire, and several hours passed before he even considered looking up. As his stomach growled, he stood and made his way slowly to an alley behind a rather well off restaurant where he found a half-eaten sandwich. He ate it slowly as he walked out of the alleys into a park.

Reuel settled into the lower branches of an old oak tree overlooking a small pond filled with geese and goldfish. It was just about noon now, and several groups of people strolled or played on the grassy lawn.

//It’s like when Kaida was alive.//

The man’s grey-violet eyes closed as a small smile stretched across his face. One year ago he had walked in a park similar to this one nearly halfway around the world. Kaida had been so beautiful that day, just out of her university classes and reveling in the autumn warmth. The trees then had started to turn radiant reds and golds. Her long brown hair had been swept up into a dancing breeze, and she had spun in place her pleasure spilling over onto everyone around her.

Thoughtfully, Reuel plucked a leave from the tree in which he sat. He had been there that day. Not that she had ever seen him before. Working as her guardian angel had been a joy beyond all others. No human had ever been so beautifully pure before, so joyful of every tiny aspect of life.

Of course, Kaida’s innocence had been the reason he had fallen from the council’s graces. She had drawn admiration from many men and a few women, but she had always withheld from them saying she was waiting for the right person.

The wrong person had found her first.

Reuel winced as pain shot across his shoulder blades. He opened his eyes. He hurt every time he thought about it. He deserved to as well, for all the suffering he had caused.

Rubbing the tattoo running over his right eye, the white-blonde man sat up away from the tree trunk. He stretched lazily and leapt lightly from the tree. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he strolled though the park. With the light moving towards the evening, he was finally settling down to his real thoughts.

//Where am I going to live?//

Tilting his head back to look at the sky, Reuel considered his options. He could find a small apartment, or even look for another fallen angel to stay with. That route might prove rather difficult. Most fallen angels like himself tended to avoid everyone, or they were killed.

While that thought wasn’t the most pleasant in the world, Reuel admitted that it was the truth, and he was damned lucky to have survived as long as he had considering just how inattentive he had been since his fall.

//Then again I could always go back to the Maccrea apartment.//

Reuel wanted to kick himself and would have if no one had been watching. Unfortunately, a group of teenagers passed by, a demon in their midst. The silver haired man was laughing and cutting up with the kids. He caught sight of the blonde and a cruel smile crept over his beautiful, porcelain face.

Gritting his teeth, Reuel turned and took off down the alley. He wasn’t ready to fight for his life just yet, and the demon would probably use the humans to help, which would make it ten times more difficult. Immerging on another bustling street, the blonde man sighed and headed east away from the setting sun. After twenty minutes the crowd thinned again, and the fallen angel blinked up in the grey light of the setting sun. He was startled to see a familiar face smiling at him from an open doorway.

With a small shrug, Reuel turned and walked up the stairs.

“Welcome back.”

Kenneth’s smile was a warm spot in Reuel’s mind as he followed the boy up the stairs to their apartment.

***
End Chapter Isolophobia
***

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