Cora Stein and her peers had just become full angels of Heaven when God himself interrupted the ceremony.
"Wait!" he cried, authoritative voice shaking the chapel. Everyone fell silent instantly, cleaving desperately to every word God had to say. "I have one minor change to make!" he said, then he walked right over to Cora and once they were mere inches away, he held out his hand. Nobody needed him to say a word to understand what he was asking of the young woman.
"Sir?" the girl squeaked, voice almost two octaves higher than normal as her heart practically tore itself from her chest. God only continued to hold his hand out silently and Cora felt herself start shaking. What did God want with her badge? With her? Surely she wasn't being punished or demoted! Especially not before she'd even made it in! And besides, she had been nothing but perfectly obedient ever since June took the fall and that had happened a few months ago. Why was Cora being singled out now? But Cora knew it was not her place to question the author, so she obediently handed away her new armband. God took it from her with a smirk before pocketing it. Cora gulped. All eyes were on her, wide and horrified. What had she done?
But then, God's unreadable expression changed and he began to smile at Cora with undisguised pride and joy. It was such a shift that Cora had to blink a few times to be sure she wasn't just hallucinating. But now, God was grinning from ear to ear, looking like he was about to burst from joy. He pulled his hand back out of his pocket and handed Cora a new armband. This one had a bright red four on it. Before handing it to her, however, God held it high in the air for all to see and the moment the crowd realized what they were looking at, they went hysterical. Crying and clapping and congratulating, they chanted Cora's name while Cora, feeling lightheaded, took the armband from God with a subdued expression.
"Thank you, sir," she gasped weakly, swaying as she put on the armband. Looks of awe and excitement surrounded her as she pulled the thing on. God steadied her with a good-natured look before turning back to the crowd and quieting them once more. Then he looked back at Cora.
"Perhaps, you could grace us with your first song as a four?" he asked. It was not a request, no matter how gently he had asked. Not that Cora wanted to argue at this point. She was far too relieved and honored at her fortune to do more than nod and clear her throat and sing.
Cora had intended to sing a song of praise written after the first war against Heaven but as the verses rolled on, as enchanting as her voice was, notes of sorrow and longing began to creep in. Only a few people in attendance to the ceremony picked up on them, but those few began to frown. The song Cora had chosen was a triumphant one, but the way she sung it was sad and mournful, reflective on all that was lost instead of celebrating all that was gained. God was among those frowning slightly. He allowed the girl to finish the song and he clapped just as hard as everyone else once it was over, but Cora could see in his eyes that he was asking her what in his name she thought she was doing. Truthfully, she didn't have an answer. That sadness wasn't supposed to spill out into her singing, it just kind of happened. She hoped her genuinely confused look was able to convey that, but she was never able to get a confirmation on it because God took leave of the little chapel immediately thereafter.
There was one other person in the crowd, however, who had understood the true meaning behind the song Cora was singing and, unlike God, he stayed behind to get her alone and speak with her. It was Agent. He had been watching the whole ceremony and even after it ended, people complimenting Cora and her divine voice, he continued to watch. But finally, Cora managed to excuse herself from the crowd. Agent made his move at once, quickly running after her.
"Ms. Stein!" he called out to her as she walked away down one of Heaven's emptier halls.
"Sir?" the woman turned obediently out of habit but was a little less than happy to realize who it was that had stopped her. Although Cora had never spoke to Agent before and, by the natural fact that he outranked her, she respected him like she was supposed to, a genuine dislike rippled just beneath her surface. That dislike stemmed from the fact that he had stole June's attention from her and then had directly caused her fall from grace. Warranted or not, Cora never truly forgave the archangel for taking away her lover.
"I need to speak with you," the man said. Cora only bowed demurely, knowing she couldn't refuse him either way. She allowed him to lead her up to his office, thoughts of June, that fallen angel, swirling in her mind. June should've been with them at the ceremony…
"You have quite the lovely voice," Agent began once he and Cora had taken seats at his desk. Cora bowed again. "I must ask, though, why did you choose that particular song?" he inquired. This time, Cora wasn't able to get away with a nod or a bow. She took a deep breath as she mulled over an answer that was honest and believable yet not too revealing. At last, she had something.
"It was just instinct, sir," she said.
"Explain," Agent insisted.
"I knew I wanted to sing a song of triumph and celebration, we were graduating, after all, but I'm not sure why I went with that particular hymn. I suppose it just sounded so lovely and was so upbeat, it was in celebration of our first victory against Hell, you know?" she asked, though she knew he knew. Agent may not have been around for that first battle, but he knew all about it and that hymn had been written by an old friend of his. "I sang that song," Cora continued, "because I liked the message. It was all about triumph after a loss and the hope of a new and better future. I hadn't meant for it to sound so sad…" she trailed off, eyebrows creasing.
"Who were you thinking of to make it sound so sad?" Agent asked. Just for a moment, a flash of bravery filled Cora's being and she looked him dead in the eye when she answered.
"I think you already know the answer to that question," it was a plain answer, but the implications were heavy. Agent, however, didn't get mad.
"You're right," he agreed instead.
Silence filled the air around them for a moment more before Agent leaned in closer to the newly made songbird.
"What did she mean to you? The fallen angel?" he asked.
"The fallen angel?" Cora echoed, frowning in distaste.
"You know we are forbidden from speaking her name," he replied and Cora conceded. "So tell me, then, what did she mean to you?" Agent asked again. Cora wanted to ask him what he meant by this but, as with her own remark, the implications were clear. A small part of Cora wanted to plead for silence, knowing that confessing her love for June, especially to Agent, could get her into serious trouble, but a larger part of Cora convinced her that, as insane as it sounded, Agent was someone she could trust…
"I loved her," Cora answered. "I loved June. She and I were lovers."
"Mmmm," Agent only nodded, leaning back again in his chair, as though Cora's vague answer had placated him. "You loved her?" he asked.
"Yes," Cora repeated, unafraid to admit it anymore.
"Tell me, what did you love about her?" Agent asked next.
The next hour was spent with Agent and Cora simply chatting about June. Neither of them knew it, but the only reason either of them was having such a daring session was out of loneliness and desperation. Despite June having fallen months ago, neither of them were even remotely close to getting over the trauma of seeing June fall. On the contrary, this was the first time either of them had confronted the issue head on and tried to do something about it. This little therapy session between angels of vastly different personalities and lives was the first time either of them had spoke of June, the fallen angel. It was a dangerous game to play but both of them were far too in need of comfort to care. Instead, as the evening bled into night, Agent excused Cora from having to follow the curfew and instead, they continued to share stories about June until everything was on the table. Both of them had confessed to loving and sleeping with the fallen angel.
"I hope you know how jealous I am of you, sir," Cora remarked in a matter-of-fact-tone. Agent gave her a small laugh.
"I do understand," he said. "And I apologize."
"Hmmm," Cora replied, then their talk went on.
Though the pair still wouldn't consider themselves friends, the loss of June had united them in a way deeper than common friendship ever could. Instead, they were two broken hearts using each other's fragments to fill in their own injuries. Perhaps it was selfish, but for the first time since June fell, both of them found themselves able to smile, just a little. Talking about June with someone after keeping her bottled up for so long was very liberating and both Agent and Cora felt mutually bonded by their shared secret love of the fallen angel. Nobody else in all of Heaven would ever be able to hear what they had said that night and because of that, the two knew they were united against the world. However different they were and however infrequently they had or would interact, they were forever bonded by something and that was all that mattered.
"I think I should go," Cora murmured finally.
"You should," Agent agreed hollowly, holding the door open for Cora as he led her back to the elevator to the fourth floor.
"Goodnight, Agent," Cora said.
"Goodnight, Cora," Agent replied. That was their last exchange for quite some time but even after the elevator doors shut, neither of them would forget the other or the conversations and secrets they'd shared about their fallen angel.
AN: I honestly love the Agent and Cora platonic ship. I like to imagine them being each other's beards both in the sense that they act like a loving couple to fool Heaven and they act as each other's emotional support since nobody else in Heaven would ever understand what they were going through after June fell. I think these two would honestly be cute together, but once again, in a nonsexual and nonromantic way. And no, Cora's song was not a real one. I just like the idea that she tried to choose a victory song but accidently turned it into a mourning song as her subconscious dedicated it to June. I had no particular song in mind, so feel free to add one in.
Also, if you notice, we've got more of God being a grade-A jerk by scaring the daylights out of Cora with a fake "you're in trouble" shtick which was kind of what he did after "Down at the Midnight Rectory" when he entered the speakeasy all serious and angry but then began to sing a happy little song that set everyone at ease. God is such a troll!