C Angel Wings

[Sam260]

Charper Beach was like any other large town in the United States.  It had old-world charm with modern-day upgrades.  There were suburban homes surrounding the main portion of the city, there was farm lands surrounding the area outside of those suburban communities.  Charper Beach couldn't be compared to somewhere as large as New York City, but it certainly wasn't a small nowhere town, either.  

Of course, with the population of 250,000, give or take, that did not mean the city went without its problems.  As every city, there were gangs and just general bad people who enjoyed crime over peace.  The Charper City Police was about 30,000 strong; they were trained and knew how to deal with the problems that this city dealt with on a day-to-day basis.

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Marshall Rhodes was one of those police officers.  He was just twenty-seven years old but he had experienced life enough to know that these mean streets of Charper Beach were nothing compared to what he had seen when he was serving for the United States Marine Corps.  He enlisted at eighteen, right out of high school, did twelve weeks of boot camp, four weeks of additional training, and then finally- finally, as if that were an actual good thing- he was sent off to war.  He was overseas for eighteen months, he came home for a total of six months before he was send back out for his next tour.  It went on like that for eight years, until he finally decided to retire from the Marine Corps and settle down in Charper Beach; he immediately signed up to join the police force there, went through the academy and passed, of course.  He was no longer a rookie officer, no longer had to spend his nights and days attached to the surly old bastard he had been partnered with.  They all thought Marshall would have crumbled under Sergeant Wayne's aggressive nature, but they clearly hadn't seen Marshall's service record, and they clearly did not know the drill instructors or platoon leaders he had been subjected to in the Corps.

Now, anyway, Marshall was simply able to do his job as intended.  He was a foot patrol officer, something he chose to do.  He enjoyed just simply walking around the city, enjoying what the world had to offer.  The scents, the sights, the people one got to meet whilst working out on the streets.  However, today was not a great day, or so Marshall would soon find out.  He was simply walking along what was considered a more 'unsavory' part of town.  He didn't know what happened from one minute to the next, but suddenly there was screaming, arguing, and then gunshots.  He pulled out his gun, ready to fight for his life... the danger was growing closer, the gunshots growing louder, his heart was pounding as he waited for the hammer to drop....

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With his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, Cael wandered the streets of Charper Beach, looking for all the world to be an average person going from one place to another. His hoodie was drawn up over his head to cover up his average length white hair-- while it could be pulled off as a dye job it prevented a lot of glances in his direction. Unlike the other people walking around around him however, he was out there looking for trouble, following this instinctual pull towards wherever he was needed. Whether it was to save a soul or escort it to peace he wouldn't know until he got there. He'd only arrived to Earth two hours ago, walking the entire time, when the pull within him grew stronger. He'd been in this part of town before, perhaps more times than he had any other in this area, and knew that it was here that he needed to be.

It didn't take long for him to watch a man take out a gun and open fire. If Cael had to guess, with the way things could be in this area, it was perhaps a drug or gun deal gone wrong. The two small groups of people started firing on one another, neither noticing the man in the police uniform that was reacting immediately to the scene. Cael did though, and as soon as his ice blue eyes landed on the officer he knew that's who he was here for and that he was not here to protect him. Everything seemed to go in slow motion for the angel, he was after all not of this time or space. He watched as the officer pulled his gun in time for one of the men to notice him and immediately fire in his direction before the cop could even pull the trigger. Something tugged in Cael, something that had nothing to do with his duty, and without a second thought he found himself in front of the cop. The bullet bounced off his skin-- human made weapons no match for him.

Cael spoke in a foreign tongue, at least for those around him as Enochian was the language of the angels, and the men fell to the ground unconscious but unharmed. Anyone around that saw or witnessed soon forgot and continued on their way as if nothing had happened, all except the man behind him. He wouldn't forget; because Cael had saved him he now saw what the rest of the world could not. Turning around, Cael turned to offer a hand up to the man that had stumbled back when he has suddenly appeared. "You're not injured, are you?" He was sure the other man must have been staring at the wings that were typically hidden away from the humans around him, each wing as long as he was tall.

[Sam260]

Marshall took that hand and hoisted himself up. His eyes were wide as he continued staring at those beautiful wings adorning the other's back; all of his life, he had been told to believe in Angels, that one day they would save his life. That was his mother's belief, anyway, and clearly her theory held true. When the man-Angel- spoke, Marshall came back to himself and quickly checked if he felt any pain "I've got a headache, but I had that before all of this happened..." He spoke honestly but quietly, voice deep and smooth, almost like silk. His eyes were drawn back to those wings, tracing their curves and the long feathers "You weren't supposed to do that... Were you?" It was slowly becoming obvious that, maybe, he had gotten really lucky, and that maybe, just maybe, he was not supposed to be standing here right now.

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Cael hummed in response to the man being okay, for some odd reason feeling slightly lighter just from the knowledge. He didn't speak for a moment though it was not because he was debating on lying or not, angels are not known for their lying capabilities, but simply whether or not he should offer that kind of information. Cael had never saved a human that wasn't supposed to be saved before he he wondered how that thought would process for a mortal; the idea of their death being planned for this moment and then suddenly interrupted. There might be trouble in the future for this and Cael wasn't quite sure why he felt compelled to do it or where to go from here. "No," he answered anyway, deciding it might be more profitable in the long run the be forthcoming. "I suppose I wasn't." He looked around at the men behind him, still knocked out from his words. "You should call it in now."

[Sam260]

Marshall blinked a little as he looked around, trying to figure out what the Angel meant. It suddenly clicked "Right!" He released the other's hand and exhaled slowly as he grabbed his radio and called in the situation. He reported one man down, unconscious, and that he was fine. Well, he might have been a little shaken, but he was otherwise okay. "I... Thank you." Marshall whispered, looking at the Angel again and smiling at him "I'm... I'm sure you already know this... I'm Marshall. Marshall Rhodes." He held his hand out to the angel again.

Sirens were building in the distance and people were starting to mill about "Can people... can they see those?" He asked, eyes flitting to the wings that were still very visible to Marshall. He had no idea if anyone else could see them, but he wanted to protect this angel, just as much as the angel had protected him. It only seemed fair.

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It took a moment for Cael to realize that the outstretched hand was for before he remembered it was a common way humans introduced themselves. He'd never really stuck around to speak with any of the humans he's protected before, usually they saw a glimpse and that was all-- something they would dream about for years to come. This wasn't a normal situation however, and he'd acted without thinking or without any attention to his duties as a guardian. Taking the hand and shaking it lightly, using as little strength as possible when touching something as delicate as a mortal, looking around at the other people around them at Marshall's question. The wings he spoke of shifted at the mention of their presence, folded against Cael's back in a relaxed position. "Only people I have protected can see them and if they don't quite understand or believe they will forget and lose the ability to see me as I am." Turning his clear blue eyes back towards the tall and muscular cop, Cael finally released his hand after the shake. "I know you, Marshall Rhodes. You may call me Cael."

[Sam260]

"Cael..." The name left Marshall's mouth in a soft breath, almost singing the name as it was. Marshall smiled and nodded his head "I believe that's a very fitting name for you, warrior..." He squeezed that hand before it was released and slowly dropped his arms back to his side. He was still pretty shaken from the event "The paramedics will probably want to look me over..." He glanced at the medical personnel and police cars that were pulling up "My boss will want a full report of what happened..." He looked up at Cael again "Are you planning on sticking around? They'll probably expect an incident report from witnesses, too, and since you're... visible and clearly here, they might try and make you give a report as well..."

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A fitting name for a warrior? Cael wasn't so sure about that, it was simply the name that was given to him on the day of his creation. Human names had meaning, his was simply his designation, though he supposed he was pleased to hear the human thought so anyway. Cael shook his head at that, listening to the sirens getting ever closer. "No, it's best if I do not speak with them. I should go." It wasn't a good idea for Cael to speak to any officers of the law, especially in a situation like this. Angels wouldn't lie, it wasn't in them to do so, and there were some things that mortals just didn't need to know about. Speaking of his need to leave, his wings uncurled from behind him and spread with a short and quick pump of muscles. "You're safe for today, Marshall Rhodes."

[Sam260]

Marshall nodded as he listened to Cael speak. It all made sense and he wasn't going to hold the man back "Then go. I will look forward to meeting you again, some day." He couldn't help himself as he leaned up and pressed a chaste kiss to Cael's lips before backing away and watching as those wings unfurled from his back. He smiled and gave a small wave to him "Thank you, Cael."

Soon enough the police chief was walking in Marshall's direction and Cael was quickly gone from sight, though definitely not out of Marshall's mind. He would be there forever, he knew. Answers were questioned, he was looked over by paramedics, and soon enough he was given a clean bill of health. Though, as per department policy, he was required to take a few days leave. And Marshall did so. He went to the beach following the incident, rented a small house and was just sat in the sand near said house, watching the waves peacefully crash along the shore.

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Cael left quickly after other humans had started arriving, careful to make sure he wasn't noticed as he took the the skies. The air was crisper and cold so far up but it did nothing to provide answers as to why he felt so interested or drawn to the mortal cop. Cael had been around this area of the world for longer than he cared to remember, time passed differently for him and human lifespans were so short he felt it pointless to involve himself aside from doing the job he was created for. Today, however, he'd abandoned everything he'd been created to do and saved a life that he should have escorted home to Heaven. It was a confusing and admittedly mortal thing for him to do and the curiosity of it only made the pull to the cop that much stronger. After their parting he had tried to continue on with his duty, following the pull within him. Yet every time he did, he found not a soul in need of help but simply the young cop he'd rescued that day. The pull led him to random moments in the cop's daily life, though he hadn't seen him in his uniform so Cael could only assume he had been given some time off due to the incident.

This particular afternoon, following the pull as if it would lead him to something other than what it had been recently, Cael found himself on a set of old wooden stairs leading down a small banking and onto a warm sandy beach. There were some houses scattered about, a bit more expensive for humans considering they were so close to the water, but nice and organized. A warm wind wrapped around him and ruffled his feathers as it passed, the appendages flicking behind him when his eyes spotted the source of the pull. Of course it was him. It was always him these days.

[Sam260]

A strong gust of wind picked up and a white feather, from a dove or something, flitted past Marshall. His eyes tracked it as the small feather fluttered across the white sand, but then his eyes were caught on the shadowed figure. He smiled as he turned to look up at the man standing just feet away from him "I thought I'd never see you again... Am I staying alive today?" Marshall asked as he stood. The man was presently shirtless, muscles were sweaty from just sitting out in the sun, he was lightly burned but not too badly; his shorts came up to his knees. Tattoos glistened under the sunlight "I've felt this strange presence the past few days... Had that been you? Have you been watching me? Are you afraid that I'm still on death's doorstep?" Was he asking too many questions of Cael? He felt like he was "I'm... glad to see you again, Cael. Whatever the reason."

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Cael was a little surprised that Marshall had noticed him, unlike the other times their paths crossed and Cael walked away without his presence having been known. Looking up to the sky, clouds slowly moving across the sky as they were pulled along by the wind. "I don't know why I keep finding myself being pulled to you," Cael admitted without thinking about how the mortal might take that. Ice blue eyes looked around the beach around them before settling back on the muscular body a few feet away from him. Even when he had been in his uniform Cael could appreciate the shape of this human, how his muscles moved beneath the ink on his skin. "You don't seem to be in danger," he stated matter-of-factly.

[Sam260]

Marshall even looked up and down the length of the beach "I don't feel like I'm in danger, either." He admitted, nodding his head and smiling softly. He headed closer to Cael, holding his hand out to the man "I've felt drawn to you, as well, if it makes a difference. I have felt you strongly... and I keep dreaming about you." He couldn't help the blush that darkened his cheeks and ears "I'm drawn to you, Cael, and I don't understand why..."

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Marshall's words made him feel something inside that he couldn't quite explain, instead he rose an eyebrow at the hand offered to him. They had already been introduced so Cael found himself curious as to why they needed to do the hand motion again, but he took it in his own hand and shook once more. "I seems we're in similar positions then, Marshall Rhodes. I don't understand it myself, though I've been trying to figure it out." Noticing the human's change in color, Cael brought his hand up to place on the skin of his cheek, head cocking as he examined the taller and broader body. "Are you feeling alright? You're warm."

[Sam260]

A bolt of electricity shot through Marshall as that hand cupped his cheek, leaning into it and sighing "Yeah... I'm perfectly fine." He whispered, smiling as he looked at the other. He brought his own hand up to cup Cael's opposite cheek, thumb gently stroking that smooth, porcelain skin "It's called blushing. We do that when we're... embarrassed or aroused, or just generally bashful about something." He quietly explained a few other instances where blushing happened, "So, I'm not sick... Though I am rather sunburned, I believe I've spent more than enough time out in the sun today..." He glanced around and shrugged lightly "Would you like to accompany me back to my rental place? I'm staying here for a few more days..."

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There was no pull inside Cael that told him he had other things to do or places to be, that feeling had stopped as soon as he set his eyes on Marshall. So instead he found his lips turning up in a small smile, a strange feeling for him who really had no need to show such human expressions. Perhaps some time with the man would provide him with some answers about why things suddenly were so different for him when everything had been simple and routine for centuries. "Alright," he agreed, wings tucking in closer to him, a habit he had when entering human structures. "I would be very interested in spending some time with you, Marshal Rhodes."

[Sam260]

Marshall slid his hand from Cael's, though turned and held the hand again, leading him back toward his rental property "You can call me Marshall, Cael. You don't have to be so formal, I promise I won't be upset by it." He offered, smiling over at the Angel as he led him on. Fingers were loose but holding that hand as they came up to the small one story yellow home along the beach. The home was dwarfed by multi-storied homes and condominiums, "This house has been in my family for ages... My great-great-great grandfather built it." He opened the door and smiled over at Cael "After you, please."

Once they were inside, Marshall set about opening up a few windows to let the beautiful ocean breeze into the house. "Would you like anything-" he paused, blinking, as he looked over at Cael "Do you even drink or eat? I feel like I should know these things, but... I'm at a bit of a disadvantage... My knowledge on angels is purely spiritual, not factual."

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Looking around the home he was lead into, Cael stayed relatively close to Marshall, fingers touching the wood of the house that had been in the family for generations. "It's very beautiful," Cael commented, eyes going to where Marshall was going around opening windows around them to let the fresh air blow around them. He did appreciate the feeling of the wind slipping through his fingers, as close as to the feeling of flying that he could get while still on the ground. "I don't need to eat or drink," Cael informed him, running a hand through his stark white hair. "I can though, if you'd like or if it would make you more comfortable. My body runs on celestial energy." Offering a polite smile, Cael met Marshall's honey colored eyes. "You're not at a disadvantage, we're probably more equal in knowledge than you realize. What I know of mortals I've only discovered because of watching, not spending significant time with them. It seems you're a rare exception."

[Sam260]

Marshall did feel awkward, so he poured two glasses of lemonade and handed one to Cael before moving to settle on the couch, inviting the other to sit and join him "I just... I've always learned that being a gracious host made people feel more at ease, especially when they had a drink in their hand." He shrugged a little and held his cup loosely "And it just gives someone something to hold onto, especially if they're nervous..." he looked up at Cael, face running red once more "I'm glad we have an equal amount of knowledge... Perhaps we could help each other? I could teach you and you could teach me..."

He looked down into his glass briefly, biting on his bottom lip. Soon enough he looked back up at Cael "Why did you save me? Why did you break the rules and save me?" He asked quietly, not accusing Cael of anything. He was simply just curious.

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Sitting next to the human, Cael looked into the glass of yellowish liquid. If it made Marshall more comfortable than Cael would do his best to act as a gracious guest, even if he would need some direction on exactly how to do so. Head turning towards Marshall's face, Cael seemed genuinely surprised when he asked; "Do I make you nervous, Marshall?" Taking a sip of his lemonade as if that would help, Cael was surprised at the slightly bitter taste it had and he made a face without intending to. "Sorry-- it's fine. I was just not expecting the taste. I think it needs more sugar, the sweet stuff." He wasn't familiar with many human things but he was rather fond of things that tasted sweet.

Meeting Marshall's eyes when he asked why Cael had saved him, Cael found his eyes wandering back to the cup in his hand, eyebrows furrowed in thought. "I don't know. I act when I need to, it's my duty... But for some reason I wasn't able to stop myself from standing in front of you. It was like my body moved on it's own. I still don't know why. And now no matter where I go it pulls me to you, whatever it was that lead my to my destined duty here on Earth now only leads me to you."