This chapter is rated M - contains material that is not suitable for minors.
Angel was unused to being weak. Dependent. It was demeaning. Embarrassing. Having to rely on another person to do even the most basic things, it was not something he accepted easily. But it was the way it had to be for now. Temperance had taken on the task of his daily care without complaint. She loved him, adored him and assured him every day that she was certain it would be temporary. But she was tough. He had to regain strength, learn to use his body all over again. Her insistence on daily physical therapy was helping. Painful. But helping. Light weights to build up the strength in his arms. Gentle walks around the back garden. Massages to help the cramping that he still endured. His muscles were soft and thin, and struggled to carry his tall frame at first. But she massaged and worked with him to build them up. And he was getting stronger. He could feel it. But it was taking so long.
He had never felt less like a man than he had this last few weeks. He had even had to give up his job. The museum needed someone to work and in light of his illness, obviously he could not give them a return date. They were understanding, and sorry. But, on the plus side, they had told him to contact them once he was well again. They would love to have him come back and work at the museum. They would find a position for him. And for that he was very grateful. It was bad enough having his wife do almost everything for him, but supporting him too? That was too big a blow to his ego, even though she told him not to be silly. It was tough. Angel was a proud man. Man. he liked the sound of that.
But, by far and away, the most embarrassing thing he had to deal with were his bodily functions. The aftermath of that first meal was terrible. He had not had to use a toilet for over 260 years. And now it seemed he spent half the day using one. His digestive system was underdeveloped and therefore, he had to learn to eat for sustenance again. His body simply did not process foods very well at the moment. So, after that first disastrous meal of egg and toast, Temperance had put him on a very basic diet of what he referred to as baby mush. Light, bland, soups and mashed meals that did nothing for his tastebuds, but allowed his stomach to slowly learn how to digest solid foods again. So while his children sat at the dinner table enjoying tasty stews and salads and sandwiches. He was relegated to slurping down soup, mashed vegetables and custards and jello. Oh to sink his teeth into a rare steak, or a succulent roast chicken dinner.
Angel looked down at his bowl. "What is this again?" he asked, poking at it with a spoon with a teddy bear on the handle. It was Seeley's favourite spoon and he had given it to Angel to use. Temperance sat at the other end of the table and smiled "It's creamed corn and mashed potatoes. And I've pureed some chicken for you to try." Angel looked at her then back at the bowl, which he poked at again. "It's nice Daddy. Seeley and I used to eat that when we were little" Cordy tried to encourage him as she popped a juicy morsel of roast chicken into her mouth and chewed noisily. "mmmm, yummy" Angel said frowning as his fingers itched to grab just a little piece of chicken and try it.
His thought was interrupted by Temperance. "Angel, I know what you are thinking and I'm warning you. Don't even try it. You remember what happened last week? I almost had to buy some of those adult nappies." she grinned at him. Angel frowned at her and unceremoniously shovelled a large spoonful into his mouth and swirled it around on his tongue, trying to extract some texture. He swallowed and smirked unhappily at her "Funny. Thanks for reminding me of that." He knew she was right. "If it's any consolation, I'm not blending it so smooth anymore." She said, trying to make him feel better. Not very successfully. "Yes, I can tell. It actually stuck to the spoon" he answered, trying not to sound too sarcastic. He scraped the last of the mash from his bowl and sucked it off the spoon and then sat and watched his family finish their dinner. His tastebuds rippling on his tongue and his salivary glands working overtime. "Maybe next week we can introduce some more solid food" Temperance said, hoping to placate him. Angels eyes sparked and she smiled. He could be such a little boy sometimes, she thought.
Temperance knew how hard this was for him. The change in his body was immense. He had survived for over 260 years on blood for nourishment. His digestive system had basically been shut down. It did not need to function. Now his human body required the nutrients that were found in everyday foods, only his stomach had shrunk so much that it could not handle normal solid food. She had researched cases of severe stomach ailments and worked with an online dietician to design a diet that would nourish his now human body, and enable his stomach to slowly return to that of a normal man. He ate six or seven times a day, small, almost liquefied meals that would not stress his digestive system.
He had lost a lot of weight in the days after the Shanshu. But she could see he was starting to regain it slowly. Holding him in the early days, she could feel his ribs and hip bones pushing through his skin. It pained her to see his face gaunt and pale. But slowly, with perseverance, he was starting to gain a little weight, and colour. His face, less gaunt, his ribs less prominent. He was slowly starting to look like the Angel she knew so well, and loved so dearly.
After dinner, she bathed the twins and put them to bed. Angel sat and read them a story then slowly shuffled to their bedroom where she waited for him. He stripped off his clothing and lay on the bed on his stomach. She started her nightly massage. They had found that massaging his body before going to sleep helped with the night cramps that he had been having. She kneaded his shoulders firmly, working her way down each of his arms, then down his back moving to his legs, adding small amounts of the lavender oil she used. She spent extra time on his calves as they still cramped up badly during the night. She sat back and wiped her hands. He flipped over and lay looking at her. He ached for her. They had not been together since he had come back. He had held her and kissed her every night, but they had not made love. He wanted her so badly. She worried that he was not strong enough, that she would hurt him somehow. But enough was enough. He could not wait any longer.
Angel raised his hand and picked up a strand of hair and let it slip through his fingers. It was like a silken ribbon. His hand trailed down her shoulder and slipped down her back to her hip slipping his hand under her shirt. He was amazed at how soft her skin was under his fingers. She turned and smiled at him. He could not stand it. He sat up and threaded his hand through her hair and pulled her to him kissing her firmly. His kiss grew stronger and more urgent. She tried to pull back, but he stared into her eyes and shook his head. "No. Don't stop. I want you Temperance. I need you. Please". She stared into his eyes "But what if" He cut her off, placing his lips over hers. Murmuring into her mouth "Nothing is going to happen Temperance. I love you. Love me. Just love me." he begged.
He slowly unbuttoned her shirt and slipped it off her shoulder, looking at her body, kissing her neck, her shoulder, letting his lips slide down to her breast. He moaned and she let her head tilt back. He reached behind her, undoing her bra, pulling it from her. He gasped at the beauty of her breasts. His mouth lowered and exploring each one in turn. She drove her hands into his hair and pulled him to her, kissing the top of his head as his mouth slipped from one nipple to the other. He lifted his head and kissed her, his tongue teasing hers. She let her hands wander down his back, making circles on his skin, then slipping in between his legs and grasping him.
He was completely aroused, her touch inflaming him even more. He could not wait. He lay back and pulled her on top of him, sliding easily into her. He groaned as she moved up and down. She was as ready as he. She rode the wave with him and he came quickly, exploding inside her. She was not surprised. He was apologetic. She lay on top of him, smiling. "Don't be sorry Angel. It's been a long time. We have to expect things to be a little different at first." He held her to him "But I wanted" This time it was she silencing his worries with her lips "Everything was fine. Next time will be better". She kissed him and rolled off him. She curled into his side and wrapped her arm around him. He covered her hand with his, picking it up and kissing the palm. She smiled and purred into his ear. "I love you Angel" He closed his eyes and smiled. "I love you more." She murmured "Impossible". They lay together, comforted by each other, murmuring their love to each other and drifted off to sleep safe in each other's arms.