The sun beat down on the concrete that covered the streets of the city. It was not an unusually hot day; in fact it was more pleasant than the usual temperature. Thin clouds lined the sky and filtered some of the otherwise smothering rays. They also provided a pleasant sight to gaze upon as they floated gracefully across the sky, propelled by the gentle wind that reached all the way to the ground. Through these streets, a couple walked hand in hand happily as they admired the scenery and the sight of other couples doing the same. Angela gazed at a pair who walked past them on the other side of the street before pulling herself up against the arm of the man beside her. She was wearing a casual day dress and a wide brim hat, all part of a comfortably cool outfit for a sunny day. It was warm enough to block the wind and perhaps even the night chills should they stay until then. Even if it wasn't, she knew that regardless of her insistence, the man beside her already managed to sneak her sweater into his backpack. As for Genji, he was wearing a thin t-shirt and some slacks to cover up his cybernetic body. While it was a strange concept, he simply wanted to limit the amount of his body that he revealed. Regardless of the city's tolerance for omnics, making a scene would not be exactly ideal for their plans for the day.
They walked together comfortably in silence, with Angela's body being inseparable from Genji's arms except for hasty street crossings. While they were always keen on interacting and chatting with each other about numerous things of varying importance, just for today they wanted to simply enjoy each other's presence. Even without exchanging a single word, the warmth that they shared through simply being so close to each other made them feel at ease and carefree of everything else around them. It was not an extravagant date by any mean; in fact it wasn't technically supposed to be a date anyways. Angela had simply wanted to go outside to get some fresh air and to return some books to the library rather than having someone do it for her, and Genji simply decided to accompany her. Yet here they were, walking without a single regret in the world to concern them. Soon enough, they arrived at the city's main library, a massive structure that stood as a proud landmark within the city. Angela eagerly led the way to the book return by pulling on his hand, bringing Genji along with a smile at her almost childish eagerness. It almost seemed as if in that moment, she was a child eagerly showing her loved ones her love for reading and the library. Dropping off the books into the return chute daintily, Angela turned around and gave him a sweet smile before heading inside, letting go of his hand for once. He knew that it was necessary considering their separate needs at that moment, yet he couldn't help but feel somewhat sad without her hand in his.
They went their separate ways to obtain the book that they wanted to read for the day. Genji finished first, returning with only a small book in his hand. He looked around and secured a comfy bean bag chair in the corner for them. He patiently waited for Angela to make her reappearance, not wanting to be too engrossed his book as to miss her coming should she not spot him or need help. Soon enough, he spotted her carrying a stack of thick books in her arms, a sight which made him sigh and get up to assist her with. They soon found their spots in the chair, snuggling up to each other sides and picking up their books. Genji opened his faceplate, both to fully appreciate the book and the sight beside him. He left it at an angle as to hide most of the scars on his face, though his obsidian eyes still shone brightly from under the shadow. From just a glance, he knew that she was doing her research as always, though simply choosing to do so at the library rather than checking it out. He wasn't complaining of course, though he had a sneaking suspicion that it was for his benefit as well. It wasn't too often that they got to spend time together like this, since Angela was often too busy with her lab work. Regardless on his insistence that it was fine and that her work was more important, Angela had a habit of doing these things for him all too often. He was not complaining of course, not when he got to snuggle up so close to the woman he loved with all his heart and watch her be so focused. Angela was cute when she was focusing he supposed, with her hair tied up and her face making small expressions that times while she read. He wasn't sure whether she realized she was making faces at her books all the time, but he wasn't about to ruin the fun. Today, the sunlight that shone gently through the light-filtered window gave her untied hair a soft shine that trailed down its entire length past her shoulder. With a soft sigh, he smiled to himself as he turned his attention from the angel by his side to the book that he had chosen for the day.
It was a simplistic book filled with a short and sweet story and illustrations, though not overwhelmingly simple. It would be a book that could be considered a classic piece of Japanese literature, one that middle school students may have to study in their culture classes. However, it was also a book that he had loved since he was a young teen for various reasons. As he grew, the story's meaning changed slowly and in different ways. Even now, when he thought that he had grown to his full potential, it changed. Perhaps it was his death that gave it a new meaning, to see it through a new pair of eyes. But more than likely, it was because of the woman next to him. Regardless of the reason, he always found himself picking up the book whenever he saw it and at the very least skim through it. He had a copy of course; however he had not gone back to his room for many days and nights. When he was not busy on missions, he was spending the precious time he had with Angela. Even at night, she always managed to entice him into staying in her room, a very pleasant experience that he did not at all disagree with. He simply did not want too many rumors circulating about their relationship and all, even if Angela teased him about it and always told him that it was fine.
Genji smiled softly at the memory of all the nights they peacefully cuddled together, along with the array of tactics that Angela has used thus far to get him in her bed. Sure a few nights were more than just cuddling, but that was the fun part he supposed. Either way, being close to his lover was the best thing he could ask for at any given day. His thoughts concluded themselves and he focused on his book once more, admiring the cover art for a moment before opening it. He had the story almost memorized by heart really, yet every word that he read captivated him all the same. From the mesmerizing tale to the illustrations that weaved the world around him, Genji felt as if he was entering a whole new world with every time he read the book. He held and flipped through the book with his right hand, using his thumb to expertly hold and change pages at will. Within minutes, he already cleared a dozen or so pages, even with his pauses to admire the illustrations. Soon enough however, his focus was broken as a soft sigh came from his side, followed by a head falling down gently onto his lap.
Genji looked down from his book, not quite placing it aside. What he saw at his lap was a spread of golden hair and a cute pout from Angela, followed by a soft whine. "Genjiiii, this book is so boring. Why does yours look so much nicer? That's not fair." Genji sighed and chuckled, leaning down to give her a kiss on the forehead as he replied, "Well, I suppose your books look more like bricks than books really. You should read for fun sometimes too you know."
Angela mocked a glare at him for his comment on her book before glancing over at the stack, sighing before placing a bookmark on the page she was reading. With that, she placed the book aside from the chair, closing it gently before melting into Genji's lap once more and looking up at him. She squirmed her way up his stomach slightly, only to comment, "So what are you reading dear?" as she looked at the illustration on the page he was reading. Genji watched her movements for a moment with a smile before gazing at the book once more.
"It's called The Dragon and The Angel. It's a story about how the mythical beast got almost killed one day by humans, hence turning to deep hatred of them. Then an angel came and tried to change his way, only to one day make him fall in love with her and coming to accept human and his own nature once more." Genji's left hand found its way to her head, playing with her hair gently as he spoke. Angela's lips pursed for a moment, her eyes on him thoughtfully as he explained. He felt as if she had something to comment about the whole situation, as if what he said was apparently related to the two of them. However, after a moment Angela simply smiled and said, "Read it to me~"
Genji blinked in surprise at the request, looking at her for a moment as she squirmed her way into a comfortable laying position in his lap. With a small tsk and a smile, he returned to the first page and began reading to her, pausing to show her the illustrations. As with anyone, his verbal reading speed was slower than most he supposed. However, it was a relatively small book and they did not pause too long on illustrations outside of small comments. He went through the story, his eyes on the book and occasionally glancing down at the smiling face below him. His left hand stroked her hair and head gently, an overwhelmingly pleasant motion and feeling that he soon did not even have to think about. In that position, they read together for the hour, making their way through his favorite book.
Genji finished the last sentence of the story, closing the book gently with a satisfied sigh and smile. He looked down at Angela, who seemed to have drifted off to sleep near the end of the story without him noticing. He let out a small chuckled as he petted her head, stopping his stroking motion for a moment. When the small smile on her lips turned into a small pout and Angela pushed her head slightly against his hand, he had no choice but continue though. With that, Genji simply sat still, watching his lover quietly nap in his lap with an adorable smile on her lips. He watched as the sun moved past the form of her body as the time slowly changes, no longer highlighting the gentle movements of her breathing. With his free hand, he pulled out the cell phone that he had been given to relay a short message to the base. He simply told them to delay the return flight until further notice, seeing as the two had engaged in unforeseen plans. After all, he didn't want to wake her up, not while she looked so peaceful. It was just as if their lives were that of the story, down to the very last sentence.
With that, the dragon silently thanked the angel who laid there in his nest with a grateful smile. For in that moment, nothing can be wrong in the world, not when she was there with him, and he was there with her.