Kapitel 6.

"I didn't expect to see you like this." Antonio murmured. Although he was more worried than happy, deep inside his mind, he was happy to see Feliciana. She was his second-most missed angel of his after all.

"How you've been doing?" Antonio carefully asked. This wasn't the first question popped-up in his head. There were too many questions he wanted the answers with, but he worried about Feliciana. Though they weren't related, she had been baby sister he never had. If Feliciana was in human world, there must've been a reason why. Therefore, Antonio told Elizabeta and Francis that he hadn't seen Feliciana for a long time and they needed to catch up. They —especially Elizabeta she almost fainted when Antonio said Feli and he knew each other since they were young, though he couldn't point out the reason why. Was it that surprising?— were suspicious but they made them cups of tea and gave a personal space to talk.

"Ve… I've been alright. I guess." Feliciana muttered with a tired shrug. Her fingers wrapped slowly around the mug of warm tea Elizabeta made for her. She was very surprised and happy to see Antonio as well but she didn't have it in her to cheerfully greet him right now. If the circumstance that she was brought up was different she would've already jumped onto him and gave him a big hug with her greet full of joy.

Feliciana didn't tell anyone about this not even Ludwig, but deep down she always had been lonely and scared and missed her family. Luddy… Suddenly it felt like someone was squeezing her heart with their icy cold hands. Her heart was aching and freezing at the same time.

Ludwig had no idea, but when she was living with Ludwig she cried alone whenever he was at work. No matter how much she wanted to cry in front of him and get comforted by him, Feliciana decided that she shouldn't because she always had suspected that Ludwig had scars: he was hurt more than anyone. Therefore, Feliciana slid into Ludwig's bed every night instead of whining for his affection.

Although, Ludwig didn't coo her with comforting words like she wanted him to whenever he woke up and found her in his bed, just by feeling the warmth of Ludwig's strong arms, muscular chest, and mostly his heart which got warmer everyday, Feliciana felt like she had everything she could ever need; she was happy. If anyone had asked her what was the happiest and saddest thing that happened to her life, she'd answer it was meeting a boy on a hill, but now she'd answer it was crashing onto Ludwig's apartment.

Meeting Antonio made Feliciana to recall about her family, she smiled— for the first time for a while. "Oh, the last time I saw them, Lovi missed you very much! Ve… but I don't think she'll ever admit it. And Grandpa wanted to see you too!"

Antonio kept silence about what he was thinking of Feliciana right now, but he knew little Feli. It wasn't hard to tell that Feliciana was on the burge to spill her tears. The first thing everyone would image when they think about Feliciana would be her beaming smile. Her smile was highly praised even among archangels. It was brighter than the sun and more beautiful than garden full of flowers. What Feliciana had on her face was an invisible mask to hide her sadness. He suspected that there was something going on with Feliciana, but looking at how sad she was, he couldn't bring it up.

"Eheheh, I thought so too." Antonio chuckled and smiled reminiscently. There was something obviously wrong with Feliciana but he decided that he could talk about it later. He focused about the joyful moments that he cherished with the Vargas angels. "I really miss Lovi as well. Can't believe more than an year had passed since the last I've visited."

Antonio was an angel who volunteered to be assigned to an individual seventeen years ago. Feliciana was supposed to be assigned. Prior to her assignment, she traveled around human world with her grandfather seventeen years ago. She became to be fond of it, but at the end of her third week she told her grandfather that she didn't want to stay on the human world. Although Feliciana told everyone that she wanted to stay near her family but everyone including Antonio knew there were more to it. They were desperate to know what it was but they decided not to pry: they could not pry —just like Antonio couldn't pry now— when they saw how Feliciana cried every time they asked her.

In the end, Antonio volunteered instead of Feliciana although he couldn't say there wasn't any plan or effort to impress Lovina. Since then, he had been dwelling back and forth between the human world and Heaven. He immediately regretted his choice as soon as his foot touched the human world. It wasn't happy. Most of the humans were selfish and evil. They didn't cherish the nature, they always lied to each other, hurt each other, and in extreme cases, they even killed each other.

Antonio's first impression when he met Gilbert was quite disappointing. The only good thing he saw in his job was nothing but his peculiar yet fascinating appearance: Well, at least he's guapo (handsome) was what he had originally thought. Not only he was attractive as a celestial-being, but Antonio had never seen anyone who could perfectly blend in with silver hair and blood-like red eyes, although he was creeped out when he saw them.

However, not even a month, Antonio started to realize what they meant to him and appreciated and cherished the unbreakable friend… no, familyship that he had build with Gilbert, Francis, and later on with Elizabeta too. Absolutely, there was no doubt that he could call them and love them like his his own family.

But I guess they sent you here after all. Antonio thought. "So, who do you need to watch out for?" He assumed that this wouldn't be a sensitive question. Plus, as a senior of not only from age but also from his career, if Feliciana had obstacles from her work, he'd be more than content to help her out.

However, Feliciana's reaction was something that he did not expect. "V—ve…?" She confusedly blinked and faltered like she didn't know what Antonio was talking about.

Antonio stunned. What he asked Feliciana was the basic of the basic. "You're here because you need to clear the clouds away from their lives and guide them to the right places, right?" He thought of an idea which maybe he should've asked a detailed question since this was her first mission she had gotten from Heaven.

"Do… do I…? Ve… I didn't know." Feliciana winced and stuttered.

"Huh? Weren't you assigned to watch out for a person?"

Feliciana weeped and shook her head. Confusion was added on her sad expression. "Ve… I don't know the reason why I'm here. I can't remember anything! The last thing I remember is I was crashing into Luddy's apartment!"

"Now, now. It's okay, Feli. I can help you. Just… tell me the whole story from the beginning, ¿vale (okay)?" Antonio cooed and pull Feliciana into his arms for a hug. He continued to coo and patted her back to sooth her cry. However, he was as equally as confused. When she soothed, Antonio asked. "Do you remember the first human you met? Was it this 'Luddy'?"

Luddy… Feliciana gasped. It was painful enough to think of him. But she nodded. "Sì… I call him Luddy but he's name is Ludwig."

Antonio's eyes widened. "Ludwig? Ludwig Beilschmidt? Gil's hermano? Wait… is that why you're here? Because you know Gil and Lizzie?"

Feliciana slowly nodded.

Antonio couldn't believe that he didn't even wonder how Feliciana ended up in Gilbert and Elizabeta's house. Of course! How could I be so stupid? Though Gil and Lizzie are nice people but no one would just give a room in their house to a random stranger. Of course, he had been curious why no angel was assigned for Ludwig. As far as he could tell, he needed more help than Gilbert.

But why Feli?

As far as Antonio knew, Feliciana was the last angel who'd want to come to the human world. Sí, he agreed that she'd excel on easing the grief of hurt humans and bring them joy but she had more chances which she could come to the human world. There were much to discuss but first thing's first.

"Feli, could you show me your wings?"

"Ve? Buy why?"

Antonio stood up and spread his glowing white wings. Feliciana gasped; she was enchanted. It only had been a month but Feliciana thought it had been forever since the last time she saw a pair of angel's wings. From their stunning beauty, she gazed them with daze. Until Antonio relieved her from it by folding them away.

"Our wings are our sources of our powers. They're not just a symbol of an angel, they make us who we are." but Antonio answered differently in his mind. I have to check if I'm right.

Feliciana spread her wings as well. Hers were beautiful as well. However, their beauty was nowhere near Antonio's. Similar to compare a sparrow to a swan. They were short for starters. While he had wings that were bigger than his height, hers barely passed her arm's length. In addition, Feliciana's wings weren't glowing like Antonio's. They were plain.

"Oh my God…" Antonio covered his mouth. "What happened? Did someone hurt you?"

Feliciana cringed nervously. "What're you talking about? What do you mean who hurt me? Ve… no one hurt me!" She avoided but couldn't help herself but thinking of Ludwig and her last dinner with him… she remembered as if it happened right now. How horribly it went, how much Ludwig has scared her, and how everything went south since that night.

"Your wings… they shouldn't be so small like this. Yours should be like mine!"

"Ve…?"

Antonio explained, "Since our wings doesn't exist as a physical form. It can also reveal our conditions. You know how human's face turns red when they're sick? It's similar, but our wings tell much more. We don't normally get injured but—"

"But…?" asked Feliciana.

This is the only one way to explain this. But what if she gets frightened? However, there was no other way. Hiding truth won't do any good to Feliciana nor Ludwig.

"Feli, listen to me. This is important."

Feeling the seriousness in Antonio's voice, Feliciana agitated and swallowed as she felt the weight of what he was trying to tell her.

"You still understand the importance of the maintaining the goods in the human world, right?" Antonio continued as Feliciana nodded. "Good, so you know that there are goods and bads in this world that coalescent each other."

"Ve… humans have free will to live good or live bad."

"Right." Antonio continued. "However, sometimes the bads aren't necessarily evil. Strong sorrowful emotions like loneliness, hurt from one another, or loss of loved ones are like that.

Antonio sadly smiled as Feliciana gasped. She always cared about someone else before her; even if they were completely unrelated to her. We all love that about her. He muttered in his thought and continued. "But sometimes they could be stronger than evil. If this gets worse, the balance between the good and bad could collapse and chaos will reign to the human world. Therefore, in order to protect the balance and help the humans, Heaven sends angeles like us are sent to help or comfort those who are in need and as an extension— spreading the goods into this world."

Feliciana fiddled her fingers nervously. "So am I here because I have to make Luddy happy?"

"I think so," Antonio nodded. "However, well, unless they find it out themselves, we must never reveal our true identities to humans."

"Why?"

"When humans acknowledge the our existence… they become rather flamboyant target to—" Antonio gulped as he thought of the sinister existence. Despite never crossed path with them, he had been afraid of them. "To other celestial beings and other beings."

"Ve?" Feliciana gasped. "T—then how could I not realize Gil was blessed by you?"

"Maybe because you're new and you were so used to my blessing it became numb to you." And I guess it's because you're not well…

"The thing is, humans cannot hurt us nor can we hurt them. Someone near Ludwig knows your existence and that someone must've had hurt you, the only ones who can do that is—" Antonio hesitated. The thought circled around in his head, but there was no way to state this information without scaring Feliciana.

Her eyes moisturized as Feliciana trembled in fear. Although she had never met any of them, she had always been aware of their existence. Whenever, she asked for bedtime stories to her grandfather when she was young, sometimes he told about them. The beautiful creatures with human figures. Humans believe their presence would be extremely hideous but their beauties and charms were ineffable even to the great archangel Romulus Vargas.

Unlike angels they could appear and reveal themselves freely to the human, corrupted them, and take them with no penalties. There was only one specie who fitted the category of everything Antonio said and Feliciana knew.

"A demon…" Feliciana's voice shook from the fear of their existence.

Antonio nodded and exhaled tiredly. "But question is: what does it want from Ludwig?"

"Are you really not going to tell me your name?" The girl pouted. She crossed her arms and blowed her cheeks.

I shook turned my head away from the girl. "Not a chance. What did I say before?" I discreetly grinned as I singlehandedly milked the moment. Secretly enjoying to see her cheeks enlarging themselves as she pout. I had no idea why but I loved teasing her and watching her whine.

When we first me she eventually found her way back to her grandfather as she looked at the stars. Whatever it meant, she said they could communicate with each other by writing messages with the stars. Therefore, when sun began to fall, she found her way back to her grandfather, leaving pecks on my cheeks. No need to mention my cheeks got very red— NEIN! What am I thinking! Without noticing I slapped myself.

"Ve! But it's been a week!"

Just like she whined, it had been a week since we met. The girl told me she wasn't from here and she was looking around with her grandfather. She wanted to meet me here everyday. I would never admit but I became to fond of meeting her. Her presence itself was comforting enough. It mended the wounds and soothed the pains I had to suffer after the…

I shut my eyes and clenched my chest. Times passed but it still agonized my heart.

"W—what's wrong?" The girl faltered.

I cleared my throat to "Nothing! I'm fine, Fe…" What was her name again? For whatever reason, I couldn't remember her name. "Hey, what was your—" Before I could finish, the girl put her small hand on my forehead. It was very soft and warm… I shrieked. "I said I'm fine!"

"Waah! I'm sorry!" The girl knelt down and covered her face like an ostrich burying its face into the sand when its predator was spotted.

I felt like a bully. Though it was completely unintentional, I was practically bullying her right now!

"T—tut mir leid." I cleared my throat. However, I also wondered why did I scare her so much. We were almost the same height! Then I quickly scanned myself and her. Okay, not completely same size, but still! What made her so scared of me?

The guilt combined with the friendship —sort of— I shared with the girl compelled me to tell her what happened. I took a deep breath before disclosing what I had in mind for weeks, making sure I was ready.

"You… asked me why I… I was crying when we first met."

The girl's eyes widened and her ears stood like a bunny.

"Recently, I lost someone I cared about." My voice cracked. "I don't know what happend. It happened so fast b—but my Vati…" it took me few deep breath to calm myself down.

There were tears of sympathy on the girl's eyes. She was calmer than ever, listening carefully to every word I said.

"He hates me. He said it's all my fault! H—he shouted at me and hit me and I…!" I clenched my teeth and my chest, trying to hold my tears. The pain hurt me. It ripped me apart. My father hated me, my brother left with our uncle leaving me behind, and my—

I couldn't help it. I wrapped my arms around my chest and slumped down. I missed them. I missed them. Every time I close my eyes I could see them smiling, waving their arms at me, and telling me to come.

But I can't. There was no one. Nothing.

Why. Why was I still alive? I—if I didn't make it that day I could've joined her. It wouldn't have hurt this much. A—and I wish I had di—

A warm pair of arms wrapped around me and held me tight into her chest.

"Ve… it's alright." her coo chased away all the pain. "This way I can't—" The girl closed her mouth but I knew what she wanted to say.

I can't see your tears like this.

This time I replied the hug. Then I closed my eyes.

( A / N )

I'm really sorry it took me this long ;( This chapter was seriously hard to write and it took me so long to write ;( Thank you so much for waiting!