After Ascent (Tenshi ni Narumon, Raphael/Mikael)

Mikael had wings. The wings themselves were not exceptionally new, but he still caught himself sometimes marveling at the fact that they were there, attached to his back like they’d been there all along. He’d passed the phase where they were an odd, sometimes uncomfortable weight on his back that made him trip over himself like the gangly teenager he’d once been, and technically he still was but the gangly part had at least fallen mostly away. He was on the tail end of the phase where the mere sight of his own wings was a distraction, but the novelty was slowly wearing off. He actually went some days with them concealed.

Today was not one of those days. Today he was flying, or at least trying to. He’d gotten the basics down, enough at least to get from point A to point B with some measure of safety but he still needed to work on the rest. The finer points of grace and elegance were eluding him, but he was getting better. He had a ways to go before he was as good as Raphael, who flew like he was dancing on air, so confident in his movements that it made Mikael ache with envy, among other emotions. But, Raphael had had years of practice, whereas Mikael only had a few weeks.

He’d been an angel for a grand total of sixty-two days and still kept count, marking off each day when he thought Raphael wasn’t looking because after wanting it so long, part of him was constantly afraid that someone, somewhere was going to take everything away from him.

A sudden gust of wind hit him hard against the wing and he spun in the air, surprised enough that his wings stopped moving for a brief moment and then he was falling.

He didn’t go far. A hand caught him by his elbow, stopping his descent. He looked up and was only slightly surprised to find Raphael grinning over at him.