Chapter 9

A/N: Wrote this in a rush to meet deadline, hope it is not too bad! Follow me on tumblr, thatfanfictionauthor, where you can see much of my progress and help me write too, by providing ideas and answers to my questions!

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters that appear in PoT. Perhaps, this story is from inspirations, from everywhere and anywhere, above and beyond.

Caught in a whirlwind of Seraphs, Ryoma found himself busy, very very busy.

The very next day after the meeting with the Seraphs, Ryoma found himself awake on a wooden table. His body was curled up at the corner of the wooden table, which was surprisingly long, and his white wings were hanging freely from the table. He looked around him at the room that he doesn't exactly remember walking or even sleeping in.

"You are awake?" A maroon robed angel stepped into the room.

"Ah." Ryoma was not quite awake, "Why are you…?"

Then it finally clicked. Ryoma remembered that after the meeting, he had followed Genichirou to his headquarters, which was actually his room, to discuss Ryoma's opinions and what they should change their tactics to. Ryoma remembered that they had discussed past dawn and when Ryoma finally couldn't take it anymore; he had just laid his head on the table and went to sleep.

"I tried to take you to a more comfortable place; you hugged the table, refusing to let go." Genichirou stated, placing the tray they he walked in with next to Ryoma on the table. And then he looked into Ryoma's eyes, "And I didn't read your mind; I'm just good at reading expression."

Ryoma shrugged, it didn't matter much anyway. He had set his mind to helping them out this one time and going to back to finish another 6 grades of school and probably be some guardian angel somewhere. Ryoma cracked his head, front and back. The table he slept on was really uncomfortable. Suddenly a shadow passed him and a body was in front of him. Genichirou had stepped in in front of him and placed his large hands on Ryoma's shoulders.

"It must have been uncomfortable."

Ryoma shook his head. Although he woke up now feeling uncomfortable, when he slept, he normally couldn't really tell his surroundings. Ryoma took this opportunity to really look at this War Seraph. He seems so gentle, especially with him, softly kneading his shoulder and neck. Ryoma looked down at Genichirou's belt and saw white feathers with crystals hanging from it. It made wonderful tinkling sounds. Ryoma reached out to touch it, making soft musical sound with it. Such gentle and fragile items that are found on a war leader were indeed curious. Ryoma reached out to touch the stone red feathers of the Seraphim in front of him and moved his hand to stroke it lightly, daringly. The hands on his shoulders came to a standstill and they started to squeeze his shoulders really tightly. Genichirou felt a certain delightful shiver go down his spine, at the ends of his wings. He couldn't control his reaction to that tiniest touch of the small boy in front of him. His wings unfurled out and the tips spread highly and wings wider.

Ryoma's eyes widened at the reaction of the Seraphim. He never really expected that the wings of Seraphs were that sensitive. It was granted that the wings were the strongest yet the most sensitive. Ryoma continued to stroke, except this time he picked a particular ruby feather that ran throughout the span of the wing. At mid-stroke, a large hand grabbed his. He looked at the owner of the warm hand; Genichirou's black eyes had turned red, it was as if Ryoma had seen living fire burning within the black orbs.

"Stop," Genichirou's voice came out, very controlled and calm.

Ryoma immediately placed his hand back down on his lap and picked up a piece of toast but his golden eyes still stared at the red wings with black outline with curiosity.

"Anything," Ryoma mumbled, in between bites.

Genichirou felt a little hot around but looking at the little pouting angel, his normally stone heart melted. He placed his hand on Ryoma hand and petted him, like a little kitten that needed coaxing. Genichirou cannot have anything happening between them while he was on the job. Moreover, he got his hands full with his lovers and not to mention, Ryoma is far too young to have such a complicated relationship. Genichirou was worried; worried that he might not be able to control his feelings that started to spark a little. So he decided that he should continue to be rational and be work-oriented.

"If you like my feathers, I can perhaps give you one but for now, eat up. We have got work to do."

Ryoma looked up from his crunchy toast and met black eyes and smiled.

Ryoma found himself caught between day and night, literally. During the day, he'll be with Genichirou, sometimes with his Dominions and Team, usually hanging around his rooms which doubled as the War Headquarters. They'll discuss what should be done and assess the losses from the old strategy, what they had fallen behind on, how to implement what they had decided, decide what to implement (which is main bulk of the discussion) and the pros and cons of it.

Ryoma tended to nod off in the middle when it gets boring. The Dominions didn't understand why the tiny angel, who kept nodding off, was present, but no one dared to question the War Seraph. They just assumed that it was either someone of importance to be present at the meetings or his latest squeeze; they decided it was the latter. Ryoma didn't understand why discussing was so important when what they should be doing was to figure out the big plan and who this Leviadon devil dude was. Genichirou had tried to explain to Ryoma that angels had to discuss. It doesn't matter that he was the Seraph; the Dominion had equal rights to debate and discuss. According to Ryoma, he felt that though the Dominion could rattle off their mouth, the last decision would always be left to Genichirou and they tend to shut up when they realized which direction he wanted to head off to.

At night, Ryoma would be off to the library to read up on anything and everything, since he has the permission to enter the Hall of Oreicas and Seraphim Athenaeum. He usually hung out with Talom, who seemed to be forever stuck trying to figure out which pictures to hang up for Syusuke.

Kunimitsu would sometimes enter the library to do some reading. Secretly, he had gotten hang of Ryoma's schedule and would take a turn down the road heading down to the library to meet Ryoma. He liked to discuss affairs with Ryoma, who always had an easy way of viewing things or had weird and workable, unique ideas that actually helped him with the running of daily affairs. Sometimes, he would find Ryoma resting his head on some old volumes of book. He would bring Ryoma to one of the old sofas and lay the boy to sleep there.

Ryoma had also found it somewhat disturbing that he would sometimes go back to his dormitory and find a certain blue Seraphim waiting for him in his room. He had a lot of stares, murmurs and rumours after he started helping the Seraph with the Leviadon Case. He figured that Syu was making things difficult for him but waiting for him. Sometimes he would wait outside his room; that gathered more angels around to watch and stare and Syu wouldn't take matters into his room until he called him Syu, which had apparently stuck on as a habit now.

Now, the stubborn Seraph liked to spend the night with him and leaving his room only at the peak hours when everyone was going for class. Ryoma would always groan at the thought but he had no choice, does he?

Ryoma didn't see much of Seiichi but he would pop by, unknowingly like a shadow, when he is discussing matters with Genichirou, at the library with Kunimitsu or arguing with Syu outside his room. He would always be that cheery Seraph with this glint of something else that gives Ryoma shivers; he hoped he would not be at the end of that glint when it explodes out. At rare moments, they would meet each out in the Wilderness and they would sit silently, watching the Celestial Animals play around in the fields.

To make matters worse and complicated, he met another Seraph. A grey one this time, the one he recognised from the books as Seraph of Prayers but really, Ryoma felt this angel was too much of a prick to actually help people and he was too egoistical and self-loving.

"Stupid Monkey King."