Dear Readers,

I sincerely apologize for the long wait. There was...school. And snow. LOTS of snow. And school...and...well, it's here now, so be happy. This is the first little oneshot from Nikola's POV. I hope you enjoy, and Happy Valentine's Day! Thanks SO MUCH for all the lovely reviews!

Best Regards from a Bookworm,

Miss Pookamonga ;-P

IV. Angel

Andjeo. Angel.

It's the first word that comes to his mind as he lays eyes upon the golden-orange glow cast upon her slumbering form by the fire's last embers.

Her swan-like neck is arched slightly to the side, her head tilting almost as if she is asking a question in her sleep, as her dark curls cascade down the back of her armchair to dangle above the tip of her elbow. Her cheeks are still rosy, flushed with the heat of the fireplace, as are her lips, which are parted barely an inch to allow tiny breaths of air to pass between them. Her stomach swells and falls with each said breath, simultaneously moving the arm laid casually across her torso in a steady up-and-down rhythm. Her eyes flicker behind her closed eyelids as she drifts from dream to dream in a world so far removed from her everyday reality.

To any other person, she might merely be the overly ambitious woman who has yet again worked herself into a stupor, but to him, she is the pure image of unscathed heavenly beauty. If she were to suddenly sprout luminous wings of feathery white, it would come as no surprise to him. In his eyes she is nothing less than the queen of all the angels, even in the state of being slumped quite ungracefully against the side of her chair.

He remains in this trance, gazing softly at the figure whose beauty has yet again seized a hold of his heart, until he realizes suddenly that perhaps it would be best if she didn't spend the entire night sleeping in such an awkward position. For a moment, he considers waking her, but then he catches another glimpse of her face. The weary lines of exhaustion are all-too evidently etched upon her soft features, and he feels a sudden pang of guilt at the thought of wrenching her away from her long-overdue and well-deserved rest.

So instead, he carefully approaches her and gently slips his arms around her, hooking one arm across her back and the other beneath her legs. In one swift but gentle motion, he scoops her off the chair and cradles her against him so that her head can lean lightly against his chest. He is surprised at how natural this kind of intimacy with her feels, at how perfectly her curves seem to fit against his body and how easily her head nestles into the fabric of his shirt. Reveling in the divine sensation, he slowly makes his way to the couch, almost unwilling to let the moment pass. But nevertheless, he finally lays her down upon the couch's surface, making sure to slip a few pillows beneath her head before letting go of her completely.

He allows his eyes to roam over her figure once more before he moves to kneel on the floor beside her. His deft fingers quickly work to unbuckle and slip her high-heeled shoes off her tired feet and place them neatly upon the carpet before he stands again to pick up the throw hanging off the back of the couch. Draping the blanket over her body, he carefully tucks the edges around her chin and over her toes, making sure that no part of her except her head is exposed.

He is about to step back and survey her again when a soft sigh issues from her throat, and she shifts her body to snuggle into the warmth of her blanket. His face cannot help but melt into a smile at her sudden contentment, and he stretches out a hand to brush his fingers gently against the smooth skin of her cheek. He traces the outline of her cheekbone with his thumb, moving his hand to tuck a few curls behind her ear before letting his palm come to rest against the curve of her jaw. At that, she unconsciously sighs yet again, her lips moving slightly this time to murmur something softly to the air.

"Nikola…"

His heart and his lungs suddenly freeze within his chest as a wave of some unidentifiable emotion surges throughout his entire body. For one long moment he is completely paralyzed, unable to breathe, move, or even think. It is only when she nuzzles her cheek against his palm that he snaps back to his senses. But even then he feels as if he is still living in a waking dream, hovering in the ethereal space between the imaginary and reality. His entire body prickles inside and out with a buzz of almost innocent joy not unlike the beginnings of a simple electrical current.

As the charge seeps through him, thrilling every nerve and fiber of his being, a much broader smile slowly creeps across his face until he is beaming vibrantly from ear to ear and glassy tears are glistening in his steel blue eyes. Leaning forward, he plants a tender butterfly kiss against her temple, lingering just a moment to feel the throb of her pulse against his lips.

"Slatki snovi, moj andjeo," he murmurs, before reluctantly pulling away.

Sweet dreams, my angel.

He moves to put out the last remnants of the fire, then turns to face her again in the now dim, shadowed lighting of the room. Taking one last glance at her heavenly visage, he smiles one final tiny smile before turning and leaving his angel to sleep peacefully through the night.