This chapter was edited because I didn't like how it was. And I changed names.

Linger

Chapter Five

It All Leads Up to...

Cael

It's rather unnerving when your new boss just stares at you constantly.

It had been about two months since my transfer, when I was uprooted very rudely from my cozy home in Denver. My belongings are still packed in their nice labeled cardboard boxes; though Freya, my fiancee, still yells at me to unpack them, I can't bring myself to. I keep feeling as if I'm about to leave anyway. I've now created a nice niche in the office as the "strong, silent asshole", though Pika likes to come and annoy me. And though he was strange at first, I'm come to kind of like Badger, Angela's personal welcome mat.

However, as I earlier mentioned, Angela seems to… have a habit of staring at me. A lot. I didn't really care at first, because I thought she may keep expecting to see Lillian -the one I replaced- in my spot. But surely, after two months, that would have stopped. But no, it hasn't. She keeps staring. I took a sip of my coffee as I leaned against the counter in the breakroom, Pika and Badger sitting at the small, round table adjacent to my position.

"So are you guys psyched for the booze cruise tonight?" Pika asked excitedly. "I can't believe Angela's actually doing this for us."

Badger shook his head. "It's a guise; she's going to spring something on us. Like, telling us that our branch is closing down or something. She'd never do something simply out of the kindness of her own heart."

Pika nodded his head slowly. "Yeah… there is no kindness in there… Nor is there a heart..."

An unsettling silence settled over the three of us as we contemplated all of the evils that could possibly be behind this gesture of goodwill. Pika cleared his throat.

"W-Well, I heard that it wasn't even her idea," he stated with a twinge of hope in his voice. "It was the other owner's, Logan I think is his name."

I swirled my coffee. "And have you met him?" I asked as I watched the brown liquid circle in my cup. Pika shook his sandy brown head slowly.

"No, not personally…" The small glimmer of hope he had dissipated once again into the void of despair that lingered through the office.

I looked up from my coffee and smirked. "Then how do you know he's not like Angela? He could be hiding something and that's why she agreed to it. We could all be losing our jobs…" I commented loftily, making Pika and Badger shiver.

"M-Maybe he's completely different!" Badger cried out, his voice catching in his throat. I chuckled. His nervousness made his vocal chords reminisce his teenage years. "I mean… He… He always seemed nice…"

I cocked my head. "Thought you'd never met him?"

Badger shrugged. "I-I meant in the memos he would send out… Angela's are always angry and condes-s-scending."

I shook my head and glanced over to where the door to the break room was, and through the window, I could see Angela pause and take a lingering glance at me. I cocked my brow at her, and she seemed to have remembered what she was doing and left my line of sight. Pika laughed.

"Man, I think she has it for you!" he cried in a harsh whisper. "She is ogling you!"

I shuddered. "Ugh. Probably wanting to suck my soul out or something. I don't think that woman's capable of love."

Pika shrugged and leaned back in his chair. "Who said anything about 'love', buddy?" Badger managed a nervous chuckle and sipped his drink. Pika had a large smirk on his young face as he stared at me. I simply glared and downed the rest of my coffee and made my way back to my cubicle. Just thinking about the possibility that she was actually attracted to me made my stomach churn… and yet... there was something...

Something... I couldn't put my finger on...

Angelus

My heart raced every time I looked at him.

It was awful. Simply horrible. I couldn't believe that I -a DRAGON for Diety's sake- that at first, I actually hid in my office until closing, which scared the rest of my employees. And even now, two months later, it seemed that I can't keep my eyes off of him; if I look away, he'll disappear again… I let my head slip a little in my hand. I was sitting at my black obsidian desk, doing mundane paperwork.

Caim…

I took a deep breath and recomposed myself. Now was NOT the time to be wallowing in my own self-pity. I had work to do, most of it dealing with the stupid "booze cruise" tonight. It was Logan's idea, saying that it was "good for the employees to get out of the workplace every once in a while". Well, that's what they go home for. "Damn philanthropist…" I snarled to myself as I signed an insurance document. It felt like a trap. It always did with Logan.

There was a knock at my door. I looked to my computer, saw that it had been mysteriously turned off, and growled again. "If you're the one that turned my computer off, I'm going to kill you if you walk in this office."

There was a low sigh and I heard Cael's voice say, "I didn't touch your damn computer. I need to talk to you, though."

My voice caught in my throat for a moment. How was it that even his voice was the same? That same voice that choked out my name in my nightmares… I cursed every divine being I could think of that could have been responsible for it and growled out a sigh. "Fine. Come in, Wolff."

Cael opened the door and casually walked in, a hand in his nice slack's pocket. He didn't bother sitting down, but that may have been due to the fact that I didn't invite him to take a seat. "What do you need so desperately that you're taking time away from being productive to ask me?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's about the booze cruise. Are we allowed to bring spouses or is it specifically employees only?"

The shock went through me like lightning and my chest clenched. He was married? Someone wanted to marry him? I floundered for a moment before regaining control over the English language. "…You're married?"

He shook his head and some part of me took a deep breath of relief. "No, engaged. But you didn't answer my question."

I shook my head to clear it and waved a hand. "Yes, it's fine, if you only have one fiancée. I wouldn't be too appreciative if you brought your entire harem with you." I tried to hide my shock with my somewhat desperate humor.

It seemed to have worked. He chuckled and shifted his weight to the other leg. "No, it's just the one. I think she's the only one who can actually stand me longer than five minutes, so you don't have to worry about a harem." He gave a smirk and turned to leave. "Thanks. I'll go ahead and tell her." Before I could say anything else, he walked out.

I watched him go and sighed heavily. I should have thought that in this day and age, he wouldn't be warmongering and bloodthirsty… That some other woman would have grabbed onto him as fast as she could… By human standards, he was quite handsome. Not that I myself found him attractive, but there was still some part of me that wanted him near me… that wanted him to fill that void in my mind ever since the damn Nameless broke our pact…

I sighed again and leaned back in my wonderfully comfy chair, closing my eyes, letting my mind wander back thousands of years to when I soared above the land, my crimson wings holding the both of us in the sparkling night sky. To the nights when he and I were together…

…

"Angie, don't be so uptight!" Aaron, the receptionist from my branch cried as he clapped a drunken hand against my back, earning an "oof" from me. "You should loosen up, it's a party! A pretty girl like you should- hey, wait!"

I growled as I left the table. No one wanted to leave me alone, it seemed. And it didn't help that I despised parties. I sat down angrily at an empty table and heaved a furious sigh. It was settled. I was going to kill Logan for his ludicrous idea.

I spotted him mingling amongst some more sober employees, casually talking about some troublesome buyer. He was a tall man, greying black hair; an aged man, but still seemed young. His eyes, though hidden by blue contacts, were in actuality red: he too was a dragon in hiding, like myself. It was the only reason why I could stand him half the time, but sometimes, even that didn't save him.

For example, now.

I glowered at the back of his graying head, my arms and legs crossed tightly. He seemed to notice after a moment, turned to me, gave an amiable wave, and turned back to the employees. I growled. "You unimaginable bastard." I spat in his mind.

There was a low, masculine chuckle in my own before he said, "Just wait until I unveil my plans later this evening."

I cocked a brow. "Oh? And what would those be, Slime of the Earth?"

His voice was mockingly pained. "You wound me, my dear Angela. I think you'll enjoy what I've got planned…You shouldn't judge until you know what it is."

I snarled at him. "Don't call me by that name, Crow."

I saw him turn a little toward me, an indiscernible expression on his slightly tanned face. "…You've yet to tell me to call you anything else, Angela. Don't you trust me enough to tell me your name?"

My glare narrowed. "Not until you tell me yours," I replied simply. He laughed in my mind as he turned back around and walked away.

"Why don't you come out and learn more about your employees? It's rather fascinating to discover their intimate lives…I'm sure you're interested in one in particular…" I could feel his grin in his voice. I huffed and turned my head to the side, away from him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Another low, knowing chuckle rumbled in my mind. "Suit yourself…"

I sat there for a moment before rolling my eyes and turning the other way, to the window. We were on a large, man-made lake on a giant yacht that Logan had rented for the night. I frowned as I looked into the port window and stared longingly at the twinkling night sky. I imagined what it would be like to unfurl my wings once again and soar through the clouds… Everything was so much simpler then…

I closed my eyes as an angry tear threatened to fall. It was pure torture, looking at that damn sky. The same damn sky I flew in with Caim, fighting blindly for some lost cause… taking it all for granted…

…

Cael

More people had shown up than I expected, but it was a yacht after all; who wanted to pass the chance to gloat that they had been on a yacht?

...Well, excluding me.

But Freya was insistent that she and I go, or at least make an appearance. And even though it wasn't mandatory, there was a rumor going around that one of the partners was going to announce something, something big. So I figured that we could go, listen to the "big news" and then leave so I could get some decent sleep.

Freya fixed her long, wine-colored skirt and looked up at me with her bright blue eyes. We were standing on the deck, leaning on the railing and looking up at the sky. Romantic shit like that. "So, how are you liking it so far, Mr. Anti-social?" she asked happily.

I rolled my eyes. "The same as any party. I'd rather be home. So what, we're on a large, expensive boat. Whoopdee- freaking- doo."

She laughed and gave me a side hug. "You're so angry, honey… Do you need to take a 'chill pill'?" she asked, looking up at me with a witty smirk.

I frowned and shook my head. She thought calling my pills by a witty nickname made it easier on me or... something stupid like that. "No, Freya… I'm not feeling homicidal yet…" I smiled a little and ruffled her hair. "But when I do, I'll tell you so you can hide anything sharp or with projectile capabilities, okay?"

She smiled brightly back up at me. "Okay, dear." She gave me a kiss on the cheek and leaned away. "But though you hate every person on the earth, I would like to get to know some before you wind up killing them. I'm gonna go mingle." She kissed my cheek again before happily skipping inside, her light brown hair bouncing with her. I watched her until I couldn't see her anymore, then turned back to the starlit sky, allowing my mind to roam amongst it.

I found myself remembering fuzzy dreams of flying. Those were my most cherished dreams, as strange as it would seem. It was always either a cloudy afternoon or moonlit evening, but the dreams were pretty consistent. I always remember a strange, low-pitched, steady sound all around me or the occasional roar of a beast. Fire would spring all around me, but never burn me… The strangely soothing touch of something rough and hard beneath me…

I shook my head. My psychiatrists always told me that my dreams were simply my subconscious wanting to get out of a situation I happened to be in, or away from my troubles. Everyone had them from time to time. But, to me, it didn't seem like that. It was too different to seem like it was simply my subconscious wanting to escape. I could never quite put my finger on it, though…

I heard a sound behind me and turned, glad for the distraction from my thoughts. I was a little surprised to see Angela, expectedly angry about something. She paused when she saw me, but nodded and walked calmly over to the railing, leaning on it beside me. She wasn't close, but she wasn't far, either. "…Having fun, I see," she commented quietly.

"About as much as you, looks like," I replied just as softly. Strangely enough, I didn't feel the fear or nervousness around her like everyone else seemed to. I felt… calm… "Can't stand them anymore?" I asked, nodding my head back to the party.

She growled and rolled her eyes. "God, no. I swear, Crow does things like this just to piss me off." She heaved a heavy sigh and turned away, still muttering angrily. I made a face.

"Shouldn't you like him?" She turned to my question, brow raised. "I mean," I continued, "you run a company together, shouldn't you at least like each other?"

She sighed and put her cheek in her hand. "I like him when I don't see him, if that counts. His branch is in New York, so we get along when we're apart. I suppose the only reason why the company hasn't gone under is that we think alike when it comes to the business itself; we don't have to communicate all that much to make certain decisions." She shrugged. "Though, right now, I'm really thinking about killing him and taking over the company myself."

I smirked. The more I talked to her (and the more she didn't stare at me) the more I grew to like her. "What's stopping you?"

She gave me a tired look and turned back to the lake. "I'd have to do all the work myself… Unfortunately, I don't have that great a work ethic when it comes to running the company. Crow does most of the work, really." I chuckled a little and she gave a small smirk. She switched hands to lean on and glanced at me before asking, "So where's your fiancee? I'd like to meet her."

I gave her a mildly surprised look; I hadn't expected her to ask about Freya. "Uh… inside. These social events are more her thing than mine. She actually likes people." I shrugged. "…Do you really want to meet her? She's another human being."

Angela shrugged as well. "…If she can stand you, she might be able to stand me, and someone that can stand me isn't that horrible of a person."

I chuckled and nodded. "Yeah… She's really great…" I shrugged and smiled at her, to which she gave me a strange look. "…I'll go get her, okay? Stay here."

…

Angelus

It almost broke my heart, the way he looked when he spoke of her.

I sadly watched him leave, my forced smile fading quickly. I had never thought my lunatic, rabid Caim capable of love… I shook my head. It wasn't Caim. He was Cael Wolff, an angry, yes, but not psychotic, human. He wasn't Caim.

My face was in my hands as I tried to get my thoughts in order. He had given me that look once and only once- a few days before his untimely demise. I didn't think it was provoked, or caused by something I did or said, he simply turned and gave me that look… A kind, gentle smile I never imagined possible on his normally deranged face. And as soon as it disappeared, he turned and it never returned…

I growled out a sigh and rubbed my sore eyes, frustrated. It was infuriating that after all of this time, I still didn't have my emotions under control. I was like a yearling again, sobbing or sniveling whenever something struck a nerve. Ridiculous. Maybe it WAS time to hit the alcohol... But before I could start to try and release my anger, I heard footsteps behind me.

Turning, I saw Cael and a small, frail-looking woman next to him. My eyes widened in shock and humor. Really? Despite my need to laugh uncontrollably at how the Fates had ironically formed Cael's life, I held out a friendly hand to the girl. "Hello, miss. I'm Angela, Cael's boss. You must be his fiancee."

The girl smiled and nodded, taking my hand and shaking it lightly. I had expected a light grip from her; after all, it wasn't in her nature to be forceful. "Hello, Ms. Regall. Yes, You're right, I'm Freya. It's an honor to finally meet you."

I nodded and my smile grew, but not in friendliness. 'Oh, Caim, the gods torture you still…' I whispered in my mind. 'If you only knew who your fiancee is… or rather, was…' "Thank you, Freya. I see you're having fun. I'm glad."

She nodded and smiled more. "Oh, yes, I love parties. Cael usually sulks outside, though…" She smirked and nudged him with her elbow in his side, earning a low grunt from him. "But it's good to see that he has someone to talk to while he's being anti-social." She shook my hand again and kissed Cael's cheek. "Oh, and I think the other owner is about to make that announcement." She almost skipped back inside and I couldn't help notice Cael watch her as she left.

I took a calming breath and smirked. "Bouncy, isn't she?"

He stuck his tongue out at me and turned to leave as well. "Better get inside then, huh?"

…

There was going to be more in this chapter, but I felt that 10 pages is enough. I feel like it's rambling a little. It probably should be two chapters, but I don't feel like lengthening it to make it two. :3