No One's POV

Michael walked through the gardens, having come from a meeting with his Father, and now needed time to reflect and think.

Being Heaven's Viceroy of the Heavenly Host was not everything it was made out to be. While he enjoyed being leader in most aspects, he doubted his ability, and his own strength. Was he truly the right one to lead Heaven's Hosts of angels? His Father put so much faith and trust in him, and he never wanted to let his Father down.

He often envied his brothers, Lucifer and Gabriel, for their more carefree and laid back nature. They did not worry as much as he did, nor did they feel the pressures to lead as he often felt, or the pressures to be the ever perfect son.

Gabriel would say it was because Michael was a stick in the mud and boring, Lucifer would say it was because Michael was always trying to be the best over his brothers, and Raphael mostly just tried to stay out of things; Michael would say it was because he was afraid of failing.

Continuing his walk towards his favorite spot in the garden, Michael comes across Cassiel, seated beneath the shade of the large oak tree, watching otters play in the river.

Pausing to observe Cassiel from the distance, Michael smiles softly, taking in Cassiel's features. She was beautiful. More beautiful than any angel or Seraph had the right to be Michael thought. Her beauty was breath taking, and it made his grace thrum wildly in his chest and made him stumble over himself at the mere thought of speaking to her. Which was why he hadn't, and resigned himself to watching from afar.

So Gabriel wasn't really wrong, at least in part, he was horrendously horrible at being romantic. Lucifer was better at sweeping Cassiel off her feet. Not that Cassiel had noticed, even if Lucifer was doing his best to do so, if the last several days had been any indicator.

Michael had never been so thankful that Cassiel seemed completely oblivious to Lucifer's romantic affections and only seemed to see Lucifer's gestures as friendship rather than what they were.

Either way, Michael had watched in silent, fuming and ever growing jealousy as Lucifer and Cassiel's friendship had grown over the last several days, ever since the training incident and obstacle pairs run.

Suddenly losing his balance from where he leaned against a nearby tree, Cassiel startles from where she sits, Michael coughing lightly and straightening himself, turning slightly red in the face.

"Co- Commander Michael!" Cassiel says, immediately moving to stand and fist a hand over her heart and bow.

"I- No need to stand. I didn't mean to startle you, Cassiel. My apologies. You- you looked very peaceful." Michael waves off.

"I- I- Okay. Do- do you want- want me to leave?" Cassiel asks, looking awkward.

"No- no, it's fine." Michael rushes to appease, mentally face palming himself. Could he make more of a fool of himself right now? He could literally hear Gabriel sass him. He really was an idiot.

"I- Okay." Cassiel says, settling again, an awkward silence falling between them, as Cassiel shifts, her wings twitching nervously.

"May- may I join you, Cassiel?" Michael finally asks, breaking the silence awkwardly.

"Of course, C- Commander Michael." Cassiel nods, looking slightly nervous, moving over to offer Michael a spot in the shade under the tree.

"You are welcome to call me Michael, if you would like, Cassiel. And, thank you." Michael replies, sitting beside Cassiel, his large fiery wings folding neatly behind him.

"Oh, okay, M- Michael." Cassiel stumbles out, still nervous around the Viceroy.

Michael internally sighed, he didn't want Cassiel to be nervous around him. How did Lucifer manage to get her to be at ease with him so fast?

"You know, this is one of my favorite places in Heaven's gardens. I often come here when I need to think." Michael comments, smiling at Cassiel lightly, and hoping perhaps revealing something about himself might put her at ease.

"Mine too." Cassiel says shyly, twirling a piece of grass between her fingers.

Michael internally sighed again, wow he was really getting somewhere with her, he thought frustrated with himself. So much for Gabriel's advice, 'just go talk to her, it is so easy'. He was so going to pour glue on Gabriel's bedroom floor in the middle of the night and then lock him in, see if he walked out tomorrow morning.

"Are- are you- you o- okay?" Cassiel asks hesitantly.

Michael looks at Cassiel, surprised that she asked him a question.

"I- I sorry. It's- it's probably none of my business." Cassiel back tracks, looking back down at her lap.

"No- no- it's fine. You can ask. I just- most don't ask me that." Michael explains.

"Oh, well, that's- no one?" Cassiel asks.

"Other than Gabriel, or Lucifer or Raphael." Michael responds.

"I'm sorry." Cassiel says.

"I'm used to it. I'm the Viceroy. I'm supposed to know everything." Michael says, perhaps a bit more bitterly than maybe he should.

"That's kind of silly." Cassiel replies softly. "Only Father knows everything. And he gets frustrated too. He killed off the sea monsters because they were too dangerous, but he didn't know that until he made them."

"That's true." Michael replies, smiling at Cassiel. He wondered about her, wondered how Father had made a Seraph so gentled natured, uniquely kind and compassionate, but fierce and strong.

It made Michael want to protect her, protect her with everything he had in him, from the horrors of Darkness and the universe that he knew lie beyond the borders of Heaven's gates.

"So- so are you okay?" Cassiel questions again.

"I am now." Michael responds, meaning it honestly. He was, now that he was with her.

"Good." Cassiel says, smiling at him.

"Come, there's something I would like to show you." Michael beckons, offering a hand for her to take.

"Where?" Cassiel asks, looking nervous again.

"You'll like it, I promise. It's just a place, further in the gardens. It's hidden. I'd like to show you." Michael assures, smiling warmly.

"Okay." Cassiel agrees, taking Michael's offered hand.

Edited 2/11/19