"I don't get why he has to come."
Akeelah grumbled, crossing her little arms over her chest, the archangel heaved a sigh and rubbed a hand down his face. He had told her more the once why he was allowing the youngling to come with them and join their day in the garden.
"I've told you this, little one, more than once in fact."
"I know! But he's gonna ruin it!"
"You've got to learn to share."
"I know how to share!", she glared up at him with as much might as she could manage, despite her desired affect it only served to amuse him, and Michael chuckled, "I share all the time! Just not with meanies!"
"Oh, really now?" he turned to look down at her, packing a few fruits into a small net sack for their afternoon spent at the sparking lake in the garden "So Nisroc must be lying to me when he tells me of how you truly get along with him on resting days?"
"Well, now that you know."
Michael chuckled and knelt, tucking the rucksack over his shoulder as he did, and pat her cheek lightly "I shall look into it immediately, I am under the impression that if you weren't so stubborn, the two of you could become good friends."
"I don't want him to come with us, Micha."
"I know, you've told me many many times, but he still is."
She huffed and turned away, only serving to get more upset when the archangel only chuckled and stood, guiding her out of their villa and down to the gate. The Captain waited for them there, thumbs tucked into the folds of his trousers, the young cadet standing patiently by his side.
He eyed the furious little fledgling amusedly "I am surprised she is still coming with knowing that Paul will be joining us this afternoon." The archangel nodded "She must learn to share." They watched the fledgling glare at the other for a moment before guiding their own young charges in the direction of the garden. They had joined the youngling in the shallows, but their fledgling companion had refused, choosing to sit next to their resting place and glare at him, though it was to be desired they had to hand her credit for her willpower.
Michael bid them his pause with a raised hand, trudging his way from his place waist deep in the sparkling lake, to kneel before the stubborn little thing so close to his heart.
"Are you sure you do not want to join us?"
She shook her head angrily "I wanna play with you, not him."
"Well, those are your choices, you can play with us all, or remain here alone with your stubbornness."
Akeelah turned away from him, clearly still unhappy that he had invited the other to join in on their day together, he knew that she did not mind Nisroc's being there but detested that the youngling had joined them.
Day turned to dusk, and soon they were leaving each other's sides for the evening, Nisroc returning to the Pavilion with the young cadet and the Archangel to guide his young fledgling back to the villa. The sun was quickly setting, and it was time to get ready for bed, night was fast approaching, and she had to be to bed by a certain hour lest they all wake up to a grumpy fledgling the next morning.
"But Micha, I'm not tired!"
She grasped tightly at his robes, hanging from the front of them, and he sighed deeply. He knew this would happen after the anger had worn off and she realized she had wasted the entire day away stubbornly refusing to join in on their fun.
Michael stroked a hand over the back of her head, "I know you aren't little one, but it is coming close to bedtime, and you must be ready and tucked in for it."
"But I didn't get to do nothin today!"
"By your own choice, we offered a number of times, perhaps this will serve as a lesson in the future."
"Why you gotta be so mean! First you invited Paul! And now you're makin' me go to sleep without doing nothin!"
He scooped her up, holding her close to his chest, and kissed her on the nose.
"I'm not being mean to you, little one, despite what you think. I am merely trying to get you to share with others, including young Paul, you can't continue to be so stubborn."
"But I didn' get to do nothin, Micha! Nothin!"
"And I am sure you will be willing to share next time with this as your lesson.", he bounced her lightly and turned for his own room down the hall "But you'll sleep with me this night so that we may spend time together between just us."
"And you'll read to me?"
"Two stories, as we do every night, and we shall curl together as you like to do."
Akeelah settled down, laying her head on his shoulder, she hated to acknowledge that he was right, but she would just share next time.