RAFFE POV-
Despite my leathery wings and the ordeal with summoning a Pit Lord and fighting alongside humans during the bloodhunt. As the months have passed, I have had to serve as Messenger in the interim until Micheal gets his affairs in order. As I had assumed- being the Messenger even in a temporary position- is awful. I have had to take trips to Heaven and back to maintain order and peace the best I could. Thankfully the trips only had to be a week or two at a time but even the pleasantries of Heaven were truthfully nothing compared to the time I spend with Penryn back on Earth. While in Heaven again, I spent most of my time in my chambers or in meetings trying to do Micheal's job for him. This was supposed to be the last time I was supposed to return to Heaven for a while, as Micheal was finally supposed to step into the position. Knowing it would be one of my last times being here for a long time, I had a mission to bring something back for Penryn. While I loved her selfless, humble approach to life and I loved the fact that she spent a good portion of her days in the gym training and improving her fighting. She was still a woman, and not just any woman. She was the woman I was lucky enough to call mine. While I was new to the whole courtship and relationship thing, I knew that I wanted to give her the best in life. Even though she rejected my pig farm. She didn't like when I tried to spoil her, quite frankly she wasn't used to anyone trying to spoil her. Hell, the little warrior even got into an argument with me when I cooked her dinner because she wanted to make sure "we are still a team" and she didn't want me to do everything. I grinned thinking about how feisty she got, and how her nose crinkled and her lips pouted. Soaring into the metal works building, I was old friends with the head welder, Ezekiel. When I saw him, his face lit up. "Rapheal my friend! How good to see you after so long. What can I do for you? Shall I sharpen your blade?" he firmly gripped my hand. I shook my head, leaning against one of the chiseled pillars, "it's good to see you too, old friend. No, I am actually here to see if you have any betrothal necklaces?" I arched a brow at him. His shocked expression lasted a few moments before he rubbed his chin in concentration, "I haven't crafted one of those in a few centuries. But I might have a couple stored away. Just a moment." He said before taking off. I waited patiently, overhearing the russell of tools, cabinet doors opening and closing, a few mutters until I saw him reappear. "You're in luck! My apologies for the wait, it's not everyday someone comes in asking for one of these." I nodded, as he displayed three options.
I would be happy to get Penryn jewelry on Earth but she deserved the best. Angel jewelry was made out of the same material as our swords, so no matter how many times Penryn was in training, getting into fights, or she and I were being intimate, the chances of the necklace breaking or falling off would be slim to none. Much like swords, the metal would only react to it's carrier, so only she would be able to take it off, it would be perfect. I examined the different pieces, debating which one would suit her more. All of them were astonishing but the very last one was simple, beautiful and small, and reminded me of her. "This is the one" I told Ezekial while carefully twirling the jewel in between my fingers. He nodded, "if you don't mind my curiosity. Who is the lucky angel? I never thought I'd see the day you came in looking for a betrothal necklace." I grinned, "I'm assuming you haven't heard?" I eyed him curiously. "I guess Laylah finally wore you down?" he shrugged. I couldn't hide the grimace on my face, "no not Laylah. No angel either. I've found myself rather enamoured by a Daughter of Man." I watched as Ezekiel packaged up the necklace in a little velvet box, his face emotionless. "But Raffe… your Watchers? Don't you fear you will meet the same fate as them?" he asked quietly while handing me the box. I held the box carefully, "at some point in time, perhaps I would have. But any time I spend in the Pit will be worth it if I get to even spend a moment with her" I let my thoughts gush out before straightening my back and holding my head higher, regaining my archangel presence "I am happy for you, Raphael. I'm sure if she loves you a fraction of what you just expressed, she will love this" he glanced down at the box. I took in a deep breath, "I hope she will" I sighed. He grinned, "you also chose a special one, Raphael. That is an Angel Moonstone. As her mood shifts, you will be able to see what she is feeling" he told me. I arched my brow, "what do you mean, Ezekiel?" I eyed him. "While it will remain the same color to your love, it will shift colors based on her feelings. Well- six to be exact. Only you and other angels will be able to see the shift." He was dazzled over his work. I arched my brow, "how does it work?" I inquired more. He smiled, "when she wears it, it will remain the same iridescent color. But if she feels any of the six central emotions, the stone will shift to match her mood. Feelings like love or adoration will make the gem blue. Feelings of fear or foreboding will make the gem green. Feelings of anger or annoyance will be orange. Pain or sadness will be purple. Being playful or exuberant will result in yellow. And any desire or arousal will be red. The colors will shift and the saturation of the gems will also depend on how strongly she is feeling the emotion at the time. If it's a light orange she might just be a bit annoyed but if it's a vibrant orange, I suggest you start apologizing" he eyed me. I chuckled, knowing I'd be seeing a lot of orange at times. "Thank you, Ezekiel. It is perfect. I must be off though, Micheal should be here within the hour" I held the box tightly before nodding in his direction. "Farewell my friend" I called before jumping back into the sky. A few days had passed, and I was constantly checking my pocket or the side table to make sure I hadn't misplaced the necklace. I was getting ready to leave and return home to Penryn. Home. I thought warmly, knowing that her and my Watchers were all waiting for my return. I had given Micheal a run down on everything discussed so far, as well as my plans for my Watchers and I to remain on Earth, acting as guardians and to help in their rebuilding process. He nodded, clearly annoyed with the job already. I took that as my cue to leave before the job was placed in my hands once again. "Thank you for your service, Raphael," Micheal hollered to me before I took off flying to return home. My hand went to my pocket, making sure the necklace was still there.
It took about a two days flight, but soon enough I had landed my feet on the ground. I stood on the grounds of the house that Penryn and I shared. It was small, having the master bedroom, an office, and a guest room for Paige. Being two of the most prominent figures during the rebuilding process, DeeDum ensured that our house had running water, working plumbing, electricity, internet for wifi, and was routinely stocked with food. I felt more relaxed when I left knowing that she had everything she needed when I was gone. I stretched out my wings and cracked my limbs before I planned on heading inside. Before I finished, I heard the door open and quick footsteps coming down the porch steps. "Raffe!" Penryn's voice filled the air and my lip curled up. I could see the relief on her beautiful face, she wouldn't openly admit it to me but I knew my trips always bothered her. Worried I would leave and never come back to her. If only she knew truly how deeply I was in love with her, and even leaving for a short amount of time makes my chest ache with a desire to be close to her. Her arms wrapped around my torso and I engulfed her in my arms, breathing in her vanilla and lavender smell. She nuzzled her cheek against my chest, "mm, I missed you" she whispered. After being denied any chance to touch her for all of the weeks we served as partners during an apocalypse, once we were able to be together I found myself using any opportunity I could to touch her and be physically affectionate with her. I kissed the top of her head, "how was everything while I was away? My Watchers were on their best behavior?" I arched my brow at her. A playful smile tugged her lips, she opened her mouth to reply but a gaggle of laughing filled the air. Howler swooped down, "would you ever doubt us, Boss?" I tightened my arms around Penryn, "when it comes to my girl, yes. I need to make sure all of you are well behaved" I felt her heartbeat quicken the slightest amount at hearing me call her mine. Howler huffed, his hand over his heart defensively, "why I never! You hear this guys, the Boss doesn't trust us with his daughter of man! Even though the little Maggot Slayer was the one who kept all of us awake by blasting her music until all hours of the night! Unbelievable! We spend eons fighting beside him and this is the thanks we get for keeping his girlfriend safe!" Howler teased mercilessly with a wide smile. Penryn still clung to me, but I felt her smile against my chest. I rolled my eyes, "you're exaggerating, I've had to wake up all of your lazy asses in the heat of battle because you managed to sleep through war cries. Besides, if my girl wants to blast her music across the entire neighborhood, I'd love to meet the unlucky bastard that tries to tell her to turn it off" I held her defensively. One of the first times I left for a trip, I returned in the middle of the night to find her listening to music as loud as it could be while she slept. I found out that whenever I leave and she is by herself she thinks it is too quiet and her nightmares would come back. I kissed the top of her head before I released her from my hold, "head inside, I'll be in shortly" I rubbed my thumb against her hand before letting her walk away. She smiled, "goodnight Howler, goodnight guys" she called while walking away and into our house. I smiled warmly watching her leave, seeing how fast she connected with the Watchers in the short time they had returned to Earth. Cyclone punched my shoulder, "aww is our proud Commander, the Wrath of God, hopelessly in love?" he grinned. I shifted my warm smile into a cold hard expression. "Shut up before I have her send you back to the Pit" I shoved him back. He chuckled, "how was business back up top?" I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You all know what Micheal is like. I swear he took his sweet time in coming back. Everything else is fine though. Most of the warriors are just confused about their stance with the whole "False apocalypse". Many of them are guilt ridden while many feel no shame since they were just following orders. I'm glad to be away from politics" I admitted, my eyes glancing at the house where Penryn was waiting. "But things are starting to look like they are going to sort themselves out and we can finally have some peace and quiet" I sighed. Howler chuckled, "let's go boys. I have a feeling it's not going to be so peaceful and quiet here in a little bit" he winked at me. I glared at him, "dismissed. I'll see you guys tomorrow" I said flatly. Ignoring their suggestions. Cyclone shrugged, "see you in a few days, Commander. I have a feeling you aren't going anywhere tomorrow" he laughed while they all took off.
Heading into the house, I rolled my eyes while I tapped my pocket to make sure the box was still there. Penryn was laying in bed, her legs bare and dressed in an oversized t-shirt while reading a book. I leaned against the door frame, admiring her. She looked up over her book, eyeing me. "What?" she asked with a smile while she pulled her bottom lip in between her teeth. Wordlessly, I walked over to her sitting across from her. I reached out and moved the dark hair out of her face, my fingers grazing over her silky skin. She leaned into my touch letting out a sigh, "it seemed like you were gone longer than usual" she looked up at me with her dark eyes. "I'm home now" I breathed before pressing my lips to hers. My lips trailed down her neck as she let out a loud breath. I couldn't help but imagine what kissing her neck would be like once she was wearing the necklace. Her fingers dove into my hair, and I breathed out her name. Her name on my tongue felt like honey and heaven, it was ecstasy and euphoria getting to call her mine. "You made me lose my spot in my book" she whispered in my ear before nibbling on my jawline. I grinned, "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you. You know I'm good at finding certain spots" I chuckled suggestively in her ear. She moaned quietly, "oh are you? I think I need to see some proof of that" her dark eyes twinkled with her playful and flirtatious challenge. "Happily" I leaned down and began kissing the inside of her thigh, earning a gasp. I growled, knowing that Howler was right.
The morning came quickly after a night full of heavy breathing, moans and a lot of I love you's. Waking up with Penryn in my arms was like no other feeling. I kissed her cheek, "rise and shine, beautiful" I hummed, running my fingertips up and down her bare arm. She was a bit too distracted last night to notice how I carefully took off my pants, careful not to reveal the box too soon. I heard her grumble, knowing she probably hadn't slept that well while I was away. Surprisingly, she rolled over and opened her dark eyes, her lip pouty. "Christ, you're the best thing to wake up to" I said softly, running my fingers down her face. She closed her eyes, leaning into my touch, "let's just stay a little longer" she murmured before nuzzling into my chest. "Anything for you, love" I lulled her back to sleep by running my fingers through her hair. I rarely used pet-names for her, but occasionally I did love using them for her, and seeing the little blush she got when I did. I preferred classy ones like Love or Sweetheart but I'd toss in a modern one like Baby every now and then for her. Shortly after she fell back asleep, I also dozed off but I gripped her tight so she knew I was there. Hours passed, before we both woke up and she stretched her arms out. I wrapped my arms around her waist, kissing up her bare spine. She tried to hide the shivers I gave her, so I pretended not to notice. I chuckled before handing back her oversized t-shirt. We spent the day together, and like Cyclone predicted, we hadn't gone anywhere. The sun was setting and we were outside on the porch while she sat in my lap and I lazily drew shapes on her hand with my thumb. "Penryn'' I said softly kissing the side of her face, the pink and orange hues of the sun illuminating her features, "hm?" she hummed while leaning against my shoulder. I reached into my pocket, pulling out the box. "Listen, I know you don't like when I spoil you but-" she bit her lip, "Raffe, you didn't have to-" I silenced her with a quick kiss before gently placing the box in her hands "I know I didn't have to. But I wanted to. I want to give you the world and this was the least I could do. Now don't ruin the moment and open it up" I kissed her forehead teasing her playful. She slowly opened the box, and I heard her gasp. "Raffe, it's beautiful. But- but-" she stammered nervously. I chuckled at her being nervous, "shhh. Do you like it?" I asked softly, my body tense with nerves. She smiled brightly, "Raffe, I love it. Thank you" she said softly and sincerely before pressing a kiss to my lips, and wrapping her arms around my neck. I helped her take it out of the box, and I clasped it onto her neck, kissing her shoulder. "It looks perfect on you" I whispered, admiring her and how it fell at the perfect length on her neck. I watched the necklace begin to shift to a bright blue. I let out a subtle sigh of relief. The reassurance that she loved me, or the necklace as much as I loved her. "Who would have thought that you were good at picking out jewelry" she laughed, while a streak of yellow passed into the gem. I kissed her neck, murmuring "I'm a man of many talents" against her skin before moving up to place a kiss to her lips. She let out a content sigh, and a streak of red passed over the yellow. I grinned, this was going to be fun.
Life was much simpler on Earth. Despite the chaos of social rebuilding, I much preferred the mess on Earth over the one left in Heaven. It kept Penryn and I busy and often apart during the day. But the few times our paths would cross in a day, I adored seeing that her necklace would be a fiery orange from afar but the moment our eyes caught sight of each other it would become a sky blue everytime. It was a constant reassurance of her love for me and it helped that she never took it off even when she trained, showered, or slept. It always shimmered around her neck. It didn't take long for the Watchers to figure out what the necklace was either. I told Penryn and the Watchers about it being angel metal but I kept the color changing to myself. Or I tried too until the Watchers figured it out. Thankfully Penryn still didn't know about the color changing but Cyclone was the first one to figure it out. "What do the colors mean boss?" Howler asked while we were all gathered. "Blue for love, Yellow for fun, Orange for anger, Purple for sadness and Green for fear. But none of you are to let her know about the colors. As far as all of you are concerned, it doesn't even change colors at all" I glared at them.