Heaven's Hesitant Touch
Okay, so the idea of the
Angel of Death intrigued me. I wasn't
particularly thrilled by how he was presented in Death Takes A Halliwell, so
this my little interpretation, with the usual LP focus *g*
Part ½
Leo and Piper sat quietly by
the window, curled into each other's arms; content to listen to each other's
heartbeats. Soft music played in the
background, perfectly complimenting the calmness of their breathing. For hours they sat with each other,
occasionally engaging in small bursts of conversation, although it was more
often that their silence was broken by tender kisses and the consequent smiles.
Are you sure?"
"Yes. The time has come."
"Which one do I have
to take?"
"Not 'take'…think of
it as 'accompanying a soul to heaven'."
"They're so happy,
so much in love. Which one?"
"When the time
comes, you'll know."
Piper was just drifting
between the conscious and subconscious, basking in the comfort of love when Leo
gently waved a flower under her nose.
"What else are you hiding behind there?" Piper opened her eyes and grinned, taking
the single red rose in her fingers.
"Nothing." Leo whispered; pressing slow kisses to her
shoulder and neck.
Closing her eyes briefly,
Piper opened them and ran her fingers over the petals. "One." She said quietly and seductively, removing the single petal and
allowing it to fall to the ground. Leo
watched it fall and pressed a solo kiss to her forehead. "Two." Another petal, another kiss, this time to her temple. "Three." Piper threw the next petal into the air and they watched it float
slowly and freely to the floor. Leo
pressed his lips to the corner of her closed eye, lingering momentarily while
his fingers danced along her exposed stomach.
"Four." Leo tilted his
head down to kiss her shoulder, rubbing his thumb over her abdomen.
He watched silently from
above, an invisible representation of what was awaiting them. They were so intent on each other,
completely oblivious to the world around them and so much in love. He hated taking young people, drawing them
away from their family and future. It
wasn't right. It wasn't in the correct
order. He once believed, not so long
ago, that only the elderly died. People
who had had a chance to live their lives, to chase dreams and to experience a
lifetime of love; they were the only ones that left this earth. But he was young and invincible, until death
came to him. He remembered the pain of
leaving behind the people he loved, a future and innocence.
Now, he had to take people
like him away from earth every day. And
this was no exception. This beautiful
couple was going to be separated, it didn't matter which one he was going to
have to escort to heaven. It was just
going to be one. He turned away then,
disappearing into the night and leaving them to one more night of pure
exhilaration.
Twenty petals had fallen to
the floor and surrounded their recliner in a ceremonial symbol of their
union. Breathlessly holding a single
green stem with a small red bud, Piper held her palm out and let it fall. Wrapping her arms around Leo's neck, she
relaxed in his embrace as he lifted her and carefully placed her on their
bed. Reaching up, she drew him to her;
their cries of ecstasy prevailing over the gentle music that played until dawn.
