Chapter 18

Credits: Reference to the Pendragon series

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

Ryoma was nose deep in his parchments. He was reading up on the basics of guardianship; last minute, but it's hard to do so when he first gotten the manual when you have 5 persistent lovers who just can't get enough of you.

Upon his graduation, they have since showered him with personal gifts that they had all given to him in their own private times. Ryoma sighed; Genichirou's feathers flew gently in the wind at his waist. The Seraph of War had promised to gift him with his feathers that one time they were together; the first time they were, intimate. Ryoma had remembered the strong red fire wings that had shivered under his touch, so sensitive yet so powerful. His. Ryoma smiled. It all began with Keigo.

Keigo, that monkey king.

Keigo had prattled for some time afterwards about Ryoma rejecting his gifts. Ryoma scoffed. They had been ridiculous, extravagant, yes, but useless and ridiculous, nothing short of showing off. Ryoma rolled his eyes. Ironically, he was the one showing off, always appearing at any one time with a Seraph or more. And then all hell broke loose when Keigo dropped the bomb.

"What about Seiichi's death anklet? Why had you accepted that?" demanded the Seraph of Prayers.

"I got it since I was a baby! How was I supposed to know if I had accepted it when he just placed it on me?!"

"Then take it off, it's unfair."

Seiichi said from behind the Book of Deaths, not looking up, "Ryoma, take it off and you are dead."

"There's still that earring on the left ear," Kunimitsu remarked quietly.

The 4 Seraphs turned quickly and stared at Ryoma's left ear.

Seiichi let out a hiss, "The demon sign."

Atobe groaned, "What is this! Before Ore-sama could mark you, you go along and get yourself marked by Seiichi. He's fast I'll give you that, but the demon sign? What am I to do with you?!"

"Ryoma, did you know about it?" asked Genichirou quietly.

"Yeah, but it was after he pierced it."

Genichirou didn't say anything. Kunimitsu continued flipping through the load of parchments on his table, the light caught his glasses; Ryoma couldn't read his eyes. Seiichi was behind the large Book of Deaths; was it Ryoma or was it slightly bigger now that it hid the whole of Seiichi's upper half body. Syusuke still had that ghostly smile on his face, playing with Karupin in the corner of Kunimitsu's office. Keigo huffed and stalked out of the room. Ryoma shrugged, touched the earring and continued to read his manuscript on being a Guardian Angel.

Ryoma was in Madam Kios' office. He was told that since he had finished second (his toy duck was not saved in the end); he would have to receive a more complicated job. He shrugged; second was fine with him. The rest who had taken the examinations with him were 3 grades higher. It was the 'more complicated job' that he had more problems with. He wanted a normal guardianship, lounge around in one of the earths, and live a simple angel life. Was it that hard?

Apparently, he had received an assignment to go down to the second earth to be the guardian angel of some human. This assignment would take around 2 years, give or take, as the human would be the turning point for that century and they had to make sure that nothing wrong happened. As such, Ryoma is assigned to 'bodyguard' the human, befriend the human and aid him in anyway.

"It would be interesting. We'll be enrolling you in every institution that the human is in and make sure that you are near him in any given time," said Madam Kios, "Read this insert behind on the cultures and behaviours of humans in second earth, especially since you are supposed to be a young human, you have to take real care to be like them."

Ryoma nodded; his throat dry. It was his first assignment; he didn't think he'll actually be afraid.

Ryoma headed back to his room in the Haven to pack up his things. It was estimated that everything would be set in place for him in 3 days time. When he reached his room, he realized that his door was ajar. Stepping in cautiously, he found a pair of grey purple tinged wings standing in the middle of his room.

"It's rather small," sniffed the angel, without turning around to acknowledge Ryoma's presence.

"It's the normal size of rooms here," Ryoma stepped into his room, closing the door softly behind him. What did the Seraph want? When he turned around to look at the Seraph, he found a pair of purple eyes staring back at him. Ryoma stiffened; the purple eyes were looking at him with such intensity, something swirled behind the eyes. Keigo stepped closer to him until Ryoma was clammed in between the door and the Seraph. He looked anyway but at the Seraph, who was behaving weirdly.

"Where's that defiance in your eyes?" Keigo lifted Ryoma chin to look into his gold eyes.

"Knock it out, Kei. What's wrong?"

Keigo eyes flashed purple and before Ryoma knew it, the Seraph swopped down like an eagle catching its prey and locked his mouth with Ryoma. Ryoma squirmed a little; Keigo's hands held onto his shoulders tightly, mouth interlocked with mouth, Ryoma had nowhere to run. Keigo growled; the vibrations sunk low in Ryoma's body. Ryoma kissed him back. As the kiss deepened, Keigo snaked an arm over Ryoma's waist and pulled him closer, arching over him as Keigo was much taller than Ryoma.

Ryoma broke the kiss, gasping, "My back, Kei."

Keigo let go of him and stepped away, as if afraid that he'll lose control again. Ryoma stood there, catching his breath. He moved past the Seraph, who seemed to have turned into a block of stone. Older angels tend to do that; be very still. Ryoma packed up his table, sorting out what to bring with him, what needed returning like books and maps and clear up his space as he figured he wouldn't be back for quite some time. Suddenly he felt a pair of arms hugging him from behind, crushing his white wings. Ryoma let out a very uncharacteristic squeak. Upon realizing that the Seraph wasn't going to let go of him any time soon, Ryoma relaxed into Keigo's embrace.

Ryoma turned his head around and caught Keigo's lips, catching him by surprise, nibbling at it, "Keigo, I'll be gone for a while, not forever."

"I don't want you to go."

"Possessive much?"

Keigo didn't reply.

"You could come visit me," said Ryoma.

"Really?!" Keigo sounded quite shocked.

Ryoma deadpanned, "Have that thought never crossed your mind? Dummy, monkey king."

"Awesome!" Keigo let go of him and started to fumble for something in his pocket, he picked out something glittering.

"Here, this is my ring. Wear it." Keigo picked up Ryoma's right hand and stuck the purple ring on his middle finger. He kissed it and it flashed purple; there was a sign carved into the purple stone- the sign of the Seraph of Prayers. Ryoma sighed inwardly; he's like a marking stone for them to mark him.

"And don't you dare take it out."

"I wouldn't dream of it…" drawled Ryoma. Keigo kissed him again before leaving the room.