7 comments/ 8974 views/ 9 favorites Love of an Angel Ch. 01 By: moonlitmorning This is my first time writing anything like this. I hope you all enjoy my story. A lot of it is about me myself. Please, don't take my work and use it as your own. Also, if you were looking for a quick fuck-read, this isn't for you. There will be sex, but it's coming later. I can't say that I'm any masterpiece of manhood. I'm not the most athletic person in the world, and it shows. Frankly, I got some pudge. Doesn't bother me in the slightest, not at all. I suppose it bothers the girls, though. I just can't see why. Isn't love supposed to be something beyond the physical? I used to think, when I was little and watched my parents, that there was someone for everyone, no matter what they looked like. I dropped that like a rock a long time ago. You see, in my twenty short years of life, I've barely been able to approach a girl romantically without some form of disgust or the like. Oh, I've got girlfriends aplenty, just not in the good way. I guess I just understand them, is all. It occurred to me that most girls of this day and age fit the stereotype of the hot-guy, bad-boy seeking woman who could be after any number of things, such as money, influence, some guy with a hot body, or some of that ilk. Don't ask me why, because I can't claim to know. Oh wait, yes, I can. It's because most girls want to be set for life, whether there's love or not. I'm not being an ass, I just see this all the time. My friends always come crying to me whenever their newest boyfriend breaks up with them, asking me why, why Danny, why did they break up with me? I just respond with the usual; you're way too good for him, and he doesn't know what in the hell he's missing. As it so happens, that's quite true. Most of my girlfriends are real gems, stars of womanhood, if you will. How I came to be acquainted with them is of now consequence right now. I grew up alone, being adopted my parents at birth. I had no brothers or sisters, or at least none that I knew of, even though I desperately wished for a little sister. It's just in my personality to want to take care of girls younger and smaller than me. And with my 6 foot 5 inch stature, ALL girls seem small to me. No, it's not a sister complex, it's just an instinct. And most of my girlfriends treat me like a brother, so it isn't all bad. But anyways, because I grew up as an only child, I always felt disconnected from everyone and everything. Even my parents, who loved me deeply. I loved them too; just... it never felt like... family. I know I was better off than a lot of kids in this world, but it just didn't ever gel for me. When I finally left for college two years ago, I was truly happy. It meant a new beginning for me. I could start over meet lots of people, and branch out. To be sure, I did plenty of that. Hence my network of girlfriends. Well, I can't really blame them for not liking me in the slightest romantic way. Like I said, I'm not anywhere near a masterpiece of manhood like several of my male friends. But I always told myself that there was a girl out there for me who would see me for the person and not what I'm not. Well, that didn't exactly work out. I know I haven't really been alive long enough to know for sure, but what are you going do when you're heart is full to bursting with so much love that it feels like there's a giant gaping hole inside your very being because the love has nowhere to go, and your heart, mind, and soul are all screaming out at your incompleteness? I managed. I settled into the role for close friend and brother, which is fine for me, I guess. In the long run, neither myself nor my happiness is very important to the Grand Design that runs our lives. At least, that's what I used to think. Let's jump to the present, shall we? It happened one night as I was walking back to my apartment off campus from a very, very long meeting with one of my closest friends who simply insisted I was the only one who could comfort her through her break-up. Like a good friend, I went and consoled her, because God damnit, I do care about my girls. And it's plainly obvious they adore me, just not in the way I would like from some of them. As I was walking, I just happened to look up at the sky in a northerly direction, and I thought I saw something much like a shooting star. Only, it moved way to slowly to be a shooting star, and it seemed to be... descending, to a point not to far away from where I myself stood. Ok, now I'm a sci-fi, supernatural junky, not at the point of being a complete geek, but close. And so enthralled, I went to the place where I assumed the light would make contact with our fair planet. I reached the site, and hid behind a tree as the light touched down, and got ready to watch history in the making. Seriously started pondering which planet the light may have come from... until I noticed the large, bright, white-feathered wings seemed to be lowering the light to the ground. I was still to bright to make out anything within the light itself, but I could see the wings clearly enough. "No way," I whispered. Then I started thinking about what it could be inside that light, and only one answer came easily to mind: angel. But that couldn't be... could it? At long last, the light touched down delicately. For some reason, it seemed that whatever was inside the light was feminine. The light started to fade, and seemingly the wings started to fade out with the light. In its place stood something that could barely be described with words. As it turned out, it was a woman, and what a shining example of womanhood she was! She was clad in a simple one piece; close fitting, cotton dress that hugged all of her curves marvelously. Her round, firm breasts were accentuated, her small, round buttocks stood out clearly under the fabric of the dress. Her silvery-blonde hair fell in grand-curls to her shoulder blades, framing her heart-shaped masterpiece of a face in the silky strands. To say her face as perfectly formed would have been an insult. Like I said, it was beyond description. Her eyebrows were perfectly arched along her narrow forehead. Her puffy, plump lips were the perfect shade of pink imaginable. Her small, button nose was the perfect size for her face. Her high cheekbones and graceful chin had the perfect definition and curve to them. Her pale, almost porcelain colored skin had the faintest tint to it, giving it a warm glow, despite being rather white. But the most stunning part of her was her eyes. They were like nothing I had ever seen before. The irises were an almost swirling silver-grey color, and the pupils seem to be as deep and vast as the universe itself. Well hell, if this was and angel (and by now I was convinced she was), she must have seen much of the world in her immortality. Well, it was at that moment that I took notice of the fact that if I could see her thus, she could see me too. And I was right. She had indeed noticed me. Those silver pools of eyes focused on me and held me captive as she took a few steps in my direction. It was then we caught the sounds being made from the opposite side of the courtyard we were in. Her head snapped around at the sounds. Released from the spell of her eyes, I turned and was about to run off; when I heard one of the people who had just enter the courtyard speak up. "Well, well, well. I just got done with my girlfriend, but I was kind of in the mood for dessert. And look what we found, boys. I think we need to give her a hand with that dress of hers," said a voice from behind me. I turned. There were three of the university football team's players on the other side of the courtyard, eyeing the woman up and down hungrily. The two of the players who hadn't spoken yet advanced on her. Before she could even open her mouth to scream, or do anything of the sort, one clamped his hand over her mouth, and another onto her arm. The other player came up and grabbed her other arm. The one, who had spoken, who I now recognized as the team's captain, James Richards, advanced and grabbed the woman's legs. He pushed her dress up and started undoing his pants. "Mom, you look good enough to eat, sweaty. I haven't seen you around before. Doesn't matter though, you'll be passed out cold before the three of us are done with your sweet, sweet body. Be sure to hold her now, guys," he said huskily to his two subordinates. They smiled wolfishly and tightened their grips on the woman. For her part, she struggled quite a bit. I think the robbing of her voice was the biggest shock, at first. Then what they planned to do settled in and she fought, or tried to at least. Those guys were strong. I could hear a zipper unzipping and pants dropping. Then there was the ripping of cotton. That was enough of that. I felt around until my fingers wrapped around a rather strong, sturdy branch. I hefted it, testing the length and thickness of it as a weapon. It would do. Quite nicely, in fact. I really, really don't like guys who force themselves on girls. Its so... wrong. Women should be regarded as goddesses, and accorded the respect of such. That's what I think, despite my luck. And so I nursed the pure, unchained rage that bubbled up from somewhere deep inside me at the sight of there idiots trying to rape this vision of perfection. Raping an angel. How low can a man go, truly? Well, they didn't seem to notice what she was, even if I did. Maybe if they had, they would have left her in peace. I ran across the grass, silent as death despite my bulk, and swung the branch behind my head. I brought it down with a crack on the back of one of the guys holding the angel's arm. He dropped like a rock. Ouch, that's gonna hurt tomorrow morning. This is what you get for rape, pal, I thought to myself with grim satisfaction. Only then did the other two take note. I cracked the other one a glancing blow to the top of his head, and he let go of the poor angel and fell backwards away from my swinging rage. By now, James had his pants back up (blessedly, he hadn't been able to penetrate the angel, due to my timely, if ill-advised rush to her defense). He got inside my guard and punched me square in the jaw. I reeled, dropping the stick. The angel rolled out of the way, trying to avoid us. I cocked my arm back and smashed James right in the center of his smug face, and he went reeling away. Unfortunately, my punch sent him close to the stick I had dropped. He smiled, an evil smile, hefted it, and rushed me. I suddenly found I couldn't move. His minions had appeared from off the ground and attached themselves to my arms, pinning them and rendering my helpless. "I'm gonna pay you back triple for that, you fat bastard," James growled and spat blood. He began beating my with the stout stick, beginning in the legs, and moving upwards. He attacked my arms, my chest, my thighs, even my feet. Smiling evilly, he dropped the stick low, and brought it straight up, hitting me full on in the crotch. Oh god, did that hurt. I sagged in the minion's arms, gasping for breath and seeing stars before my eyes. I looked over at the angel, and saw tears streaming from her beautiful eyes, watching my beating. Oh, god, she shouldn't be seeing this brutality. Deep inside, I vowed to prevent anyone from ever making her cry again, which of course depended on the facts that I survived this and that I saw her again if I did. The players were drunk, so there was no telling how far they would go. It was at that time James caught sight of where my gaze lingered. "Oh, so this valiant effort was for that bitch? What, she your girl? Wait, that couldn't possibly be. You're ugly as sin, and she's obviously way out of your league. Hmm, well, whatever. I promise not to hurt her... too much," he said with an evil smile and brought the stick down on my head, sending me into the grasping darkness of unconsciousness. When I finally regained consciousness, the first thing I felt was the pain from every inch of my body, especially my special place. There had better be no lasting damage. I still had dreams of starting a family, and if James had ruined the most base chance of that, I swore I would do all in my power to reciprocate or even kill him. Bastards like him are the worst, I thought to myself. The second thing I noticed was that my head wasn't lying on the grass. Rather, it seemed to be resting on... legs? I opened my eyes, and saw the tear-stained face of the beautiful angel above me, looking down at me anxiously. When my eyes opened, I heard her heave a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god and everything holy. I was terrified they had done something truly terrible to you. You are ok, right? Nothing is seriously damaged? And why did you do something so stupid? It was senseless and irresponsible and... and..." she choked back a small sob, "heroic." A tear fell onto my face. I reached up with one, pained hand, feeling the fire of pain that ignited at my slightest movement. I stroked her pale cheek, feeling the exquisite softness of her skin, the warmth of her flesh and blood pounding underneath. "Why do you cry, beautiful one? Angels shouldn't cry. Angels should be happy. And more importantly, are you ok? You're more important than I am. They didn't hurt you, did they? And where did they go? If they're still here, I'll pick this broken body of mine up to defend you," I said as my arm dropped. The pain, ah, the pain! Near blinding, it was. She sobbed and shook her head. "They didn't hurt me. I managed to scare them away. Yes, I'm ok. I cry because you were hurt for my sake. And... and... how do you know I'm an angel?" she asked nervously. "Oh, fair one, 'tis simple, really. Someone as beautiful as you could be nothing else. And anyways," I said with a wry smile, "I saw the white light you descended in. But the real giveaway was the wings. And those, lady, were beautiful." She started crying again. I looked at her with concern. I realized my lip was cracked and bleeding. "You saw my wings? Don't they repulse you, or make you fear?" she asked quietly in between sobs. "No, beautiful, of course not," I said with a smile. "They are beyond gorgeous, and I will forever be blessed to have seen them. Why would you think I would fear them or you?" I asked quizzically. "Because, every other time I have come to Earth, the people nearest to me have always run screaming in terror. Or they try to beat me because I'm not like them. Or any number of horrible things. Like what your... protected me from..." her voice trailed off. "You really think my wings are gorgeous?" she asked with a little smile. "Of course I do. And I think you are the most beautiful woman I've ever met. Not like it matters, though. You're an angel, and incredibly beautiful, and I'm... well... lots of things that you wouldn't be attracted to in the slightest," I said wistfully. "What makes you think that?" she asked as she stroked my hair. I almost responded, but I felt consciousness fading again. She noticed, and asked me where I lived. I gave her the directions, figuring she would get someone to help move me, and then I faded back into blackness. When I woke, I was in my own bed. I lifted my arms, and saw they had been wrapped delicately in bandages, as had the rest of my body. Stripped from the waist up, the cross-work or bandages covered all of my wounds. I could feel more on my legs. I tried sitting up, and grunted at the effort and pain. This was worse than any hangover. Ever. I looked at the clock. 10:45 A.M. Not bad. Then I looked to my right, at the other half of my bed. The angel was laying there, curled up, sleeping peacefully. My breath caught in my throat as I watched her sleep. How beautiful, I thought to myself. I raised my wounded and bandaged left hand and stroked her cheek, pushing a few stray locks of silver-blonde hair out of her face. She stirred. I pulled my hand back. She opened her eyes just as my hand moved away from her face. She sat up and looked at me warily. "I really don't fear you, do I?" she asked. "Not at all. Well, besides the fact that you're immortal and a celestial being. But no, not really," I said, smiling at her. That seemed to make her feel better, because she relaxed and smiled back at me. "How are you feeling? Are your bandages ok? I did the best I could last night, but..." she trailed off. "They're fine," I replied, "You did a good job with the bandages, too." She let out a relieved sigh and gave me another smile. "So," I said, "You've spent the night in my bed and I don't even know your name. Perhaps now would be a good time for introductions, don't you agree?" I smiled at her wryly. She let out a small giggle, and then said, "I do agree. Well, as for me, you know I'm an angel, so I guess my name wouldn't hurt either. It's Cadence," she said with a smile, extending her hand to me. I took it in mine, and brought it to my lips. After I kissed the back of her hand, I said, "What a beautiful name, Cadence. As for me, you know I'm going to do my best to protect you, so I guess my name could be useful, huh? It's Daniel. Though most of my girlfriends call me Dan or Danny. You, of course, can call me whatever you like." She gasped as I kissed her hand, and smiled when I let it go, and gave her permission to pick what she wanted to call me. It's nice to meet you... Danny," she said with a small smile. "Danny it is, then," I replied. "Cadence, I want to know a few things, like what you're doing here, and all that junk, but more importantly, where are you going to be staying? It should be somewhere you feel safe," I said. She glanced around and then said to me in a quiet voice, "Well, then, how about here? I feel safe with you around, and I noticed you have an empty bedroom, and you're the first person to ever really be nice to me on one of my trips to Earth, and... and... I like it here." I considered her for a moment. When I didn't say anything, she looked like she was about to start crying. "Oh, oh, of course you can stay here! Don't take my silence for me about to say no. I'd love to have you here with me. It's kind of lonely living all alone. And this way it will be much easier to protect you, won't it?" I said to her with a smile. She grinned and started nodding franticly, and then she threw her thin arms around my neck and kissed me on the cheek. "Oh, thank you Danny! I feel. so much better now! What happened last night was terrifying. And if you hadn't come to my rescue, they would have... would have... taken something precious..." she said in a small voice. "Are you saying... you're a virgin?" I asked her. She nodded. "Figures, though, you being an angel and all," I mused. "Well, looks like I got there in the nick of time, huh?" She nodded again. "Glad I could be of assistance. That's definitely something you should save for the person you love the most. If it makes you feel any better, I'm the same," I said to her. "I did have someone I loved, once. It... was definitely not meant to be. I almost gave in, but I didn't, in the end. And how can someone like you be the same? I would have thought you would have someone very special to you already," she said. "Why is that?" I asked her. "Well, you seem to radiate humbleness, kindness, love, and loyalty. Isn't that what every woman wants?" she asked me with a confused expression. "Well, you'd think so, wouldn't you? No, it's... more my physical appearance than anything else, I suppose. Unfortunately, I'm not what any girl I've ever run across is looking for, mostly for that reason alone," I said sadly. She looked at me with sympathy. "I see nothing wrong with your appearance. Those women clearly don't know what they let go," she said. "Funny, that's what I tell my friends when they get dumped, and it's more or less true," I said to her. For a moment, we gazed into each others eyes, and I nearly got lost in them again. Love of an Angel Ch. 01 "Well, we better go see to your room, huh?" I said before I lost myself in her eyes. She bounded off my bed in glee. "Oh, yes, that sounds like fun! Thank you again, so much, Danny!" she said as she dashed from the room. I laughed sadly. Seeing her so gleeful made her seem like she... shone. Ah, her beauty truly was something to behold. I followed her out of my room and down the hallway to my empty spare bedroom. She was already standing in the middle of it, looking around with wonder and delight in her eyes. Odd, considering that, as an angel, you would have thought she would have seen a few rooms in her time. She caught the expression on my face. "I've never had my own room before. Every time I came to Earth, like I said, I was pursued and feared and hated for my differences. So I was never able to blend in well wherever I went. So this, having my own room in the home of someone I trust, is new and refreshing and... fun," she said delightedly. "Well, you're more than welcome to it," I said with a smile. "I daresay it's a little lonely living all by myself, and having your beautiful self here will certainly brighten my days." She blushed when I said that. "Well, I'm happy that you're letting someone... and something... like me stay here with you," she said shyly. I looked at her in confusion. "Why wouldn't I? You're an angel. That's nothing to be afraid of or angry at. You're beautiful... every part of you," I said, implying her wings in the description. Again, she smiled that heavenly smile in my direction, and I almost melted. "Why do you keep calling me that?" she asked. "What, beautiful?" I asked. "Yes, beautiful. I know I'm an angel and celestial and all, but still... no one has ever treated me like you have... no one has ever... called me beautiful. Even the other person I loved before... he... didn't think the same way as you," she said. "Oh, well, sorry to hear that. He really didn't know what he let go, then. No, the reason is, I suppose, because I spend a lot of time among women, I have developed the knack for discerning why and how a woman is beautiful, rather than just thinking about her body. Oh, that plays a part, too, don't misunderstand," I said with a grin. "But I tend to look deeper at a woman than a lot of guys will. I'm really intuitive, too, so when I say I think you're beautiful, I really mean it." Cadence shook her head. "I just can't see why you think so." "Well, I've never met a girl with all the things you have going for you wrapped up into one package, that's for sure. Nor can I say I've seen a girl with glorious white wings that seem to glow with perfection, like yours. But enough of this. I suppose you'll need to settle in here, and what better way to do that than to go buy you some new clothes? They, uhm... seemed to have ripped your dress last night," I said lightly, changing the subject. She looked down at the large tear in her dress and gasped. "Oh my, so they did! Well, that was rude. But where shall we go? I have a limited knowledge of the way of things here on Earth, but I do know what I would like to wear," she said. "Well, we could always go to the mall," I said. "I've got some money set aside that we can put to use helping you out. So let's get going, huh?" She looked at me and nodded, smiling again. I smiled back at her. I went and grabbed my wallet and keys, and we walked out of my apartment, heading for the parking lot. I unlocked my 2006 Toyota Camry, which I happened to get for a great deal, and she got into the passenger side and I buckled my seat belt on the driver's side. I turned the ignition and the car started straight-away. I backed out of the parking space, and exited the lot. I pulled onto the main road and began the medium distance sojourn to the city mall, which was only a mile or two away. When we finally reached the mall, it was only 12:30. We had plenty of time. I took her to several different stores, where she looked at all the things she could get in her body size. She would randomly ask me how something looked on her, or if I thought something was cute or not, and I tried to give my honest opinion, or select something I thought would be better. I had been through this routine many a time, and while it wasn't something I particularly enjoyed, I was glad to be of assistance to her. Most of what I said or offered seemed to please her, so I assume everything was alright. We browsed through many stores for hours, and she would always come away with one or two things that she really liked. I'm not rich, but I'm definitely not poor either. She could have bought much more than she did, and it wouldn't have hurt my savings in the slightest. A generous inheritance is always a nice thing to receive. And the profession I chose to pursue after college would help insulate me for a good long while... provided I was successful, of course. Finally, we arrived at the inevitable: Victoria's Secret. She looked askance at me. I just smiled and pushed her lightly through the entrance, where she was immediately swarmed by several pretty, middle-aged women who started measuring her up and down with just their eyes. They'll take good care of her, I thought to myself, as I waited outside with all the bags. I made it a point to never enter that particular store with any of my friends. It would have been a little awkward to help them pick out lingerie for the man they were trying to please. So, after about an hour of waiting, I started to feel the pangs of hunger growing in my stomach. I picked up the bags and walked a short distance from Secret in search of nourishment. I bought myself a nice turkey sandwich from a little moveable cart not too far away, and when I turned around, I saw Cadence standing outside the door to Victoria's Secret. She was looking from left to right, apparently trying to find me, and she had an expression on her face that was half-way between terror and crying. My heart swelled with compassion and I hurried back to her. Half-way there, I saw a man walk up to her and start talking. As I got closer, I heard him say, "Hey babe. What's a fine young thing like you doin' out here all by her lonesome? You need some company? You could hook up with me, sweet thing, and I'd take real good care of you." She looked at him, and I could tell from her eyes that she was about to break down crying. Hmm, they must have treated my little angel really badly whenever she decided to come to Earth. Wait, when had I started thinking of her as 'my little angel'...? Dismissing that for more important matters at hand, I walked up and stood next to her. She turned, took one look at me, and threw her arms around my neck in glee and relief. "Sorry, pal, she's with me. Get lost," I said to him with as much courage as I could. "Pfft, you? Bullshit. No way that fine piece of ass would be with you, you fat fag," the guy said with a really disgusted tint to his voice. I bristled, and Cadence pulled her face out of my neck and looked at him. "He's right, you jerk, I'm with him. Please, go away," she said. Bravo, Cadence, I thought happily. The guy gave us a disgusted look, looked hungrily at Cadence one last time, and turned on his heel and left us alone. Cadence left go of me. That was a sad feeling. "I was worried when I walked out after buying some things and you weren't here. I thought for a minute that maybe you had... had..." she trailed off. "I had what, beautiful? Left you? Abandoned you? Deserted you? No, I would never leave you by yourself unless you were comfortable with it. Like I said, I'm here to protect you. And I plan on doing a damn fine job of it, too," I said with a smile. She brightened immediately. A glowing smile like that from her is something to behold. It almost seems like the sun shines solely on her, and her entire body seems to radiate warmth and kindness and... beauty. It was a real treat. "So, are you happy with your purchases?" I inquired. She nodded avidly, and dove into the bag to pull things out to show me. "Whoa, whoa there, girl. Those are your personal things. You shouldn't show those to someone you don't want to... hmm... give your... gift... to, ok?" I said to her, stopping her from pulling out God-knows-what from the bag. She looked at be with a puzzled expression for a moment, then it dawned on her what I meant. She blushed profusely and looked down at her feet. "Oh, there's nothing to be ashamed of, darling. You just didn't know, is all. But I'm glad you like what you got. Come on, we have one more place to go," I said to her. "But, Danny, that's why I wanted to show you," she said so softly behind me as I walked away that I almost thought she hadn't spoken. Had she really said that? No mind, we had one more store to visit. Of course: shoe store. I followed her into this one, because it wasn't nearly as embarrassing as Secret would have been. She browsed around, and we managed to flag down a helpful young sales attendant who helped her pick out and try on several pairs of sandals and heels. I think she was more partial to the sandals and flats that were presented, which didn't really bother me. She may on be 5 foot 6, but she's just the right size for me. And so she made her final purchases of the day. And boy, did we have a haul. I'd bought a few odds and ends for her that I thought might help, and a few things for myself that I simply wanted. All in all, it was slightly on the expensive side, but it hadn't made any sort of dent on my inheritance. I'd be set for awhile, even with living with someone now. One of the first places we had stopped was Bath & Body Works, so she had all her necessary toiletries. It was time to go home. Yes, home. I hauled everything out to and into my Camry, and Cadence got into the passenger side. Once I was finished loading everything away, I climbed into the driver's side and started the car. Cadence started talking avidly about all the things she had seen and bought, and how happy she was to be living me, and many other things as I pulled out of the mall parking lot and onto the main road. I glanced at the clock. 6:53. Wow, we'd been at it for awhile. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. "So why were you so scared that I had up and left you? And why did you look like you were going to cry when that guy came up to talk to you?' I asked curiously. "I was scared you'd left me because you finally couldn't deal with... what I am," she said quietly. "And as for the guy, he reminded me of those thugs you saved me from when we first met. I was scared because you weren't there to protect me, and I thought you weren't coming back for me, and it just made me sad and scared. I'm sorry I'm such a burden." I reached over and covered one her hands, which were resting palms down on her lap, with my own. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Like I said, I would never just up and leave you. I'll be around for as long as you want me to be. I'll protect you for as long as you want me to protect you," I said with a smile. Her hand turned over under mine and her fingers laced together with mine. "Thank you," she said. "The women in Secret started talking about you as soon as you turned around. They immediately identified you as someone who is important to me. I told them that you were very important to me, and they just smiled knowingly and immediately brought me several very interesting items," she said with a giggle. "Oh, did they now?" I said, only barely aware of what was going on, divided as my attention was between staying on the road and under the speed limit and the fact that she was voluntarily holding my hand. Ah, I thought, now here was a girl I could fall for in less than a second. Sadly, I also thought, it's not to be. Still, basking as I was in my happiness, I simply kept hold of her delicate, warm, soft hand all the way home. When we finally reached the apartment parking lot, I reluctantly let go of her small hand. We got out, and I went got all her bags. I hauled them bodily up to and into my apartment, where I promptly deposited them into her room. She was extra giddy with the excitement of putting all her things away. I left her to it. I walked into the kitchen. 7:15, the clock read. Time for dinner, I suppose. "Hey, what would you like for dinner?" I called to her. "Oh, please, just make extra of whatever you were going to make. I haven't had many mortal dishes you know," she called back. Right, I remembered, I'm living with an angel, who until a day ago, was living in Heaven. Of course she wouldn't have had many Earth courses. Hmm, what do they eat in Heaven? Do they even eat...? Well, that's not important, I thought to myself, I have dinner to prepare for a lovely lady who is now living under the same roof as me. Oh, right, and I need to eat too, I suppose. I started the preparations. Truth be told, it was a rather simple affair. Skillet-fried chicken breast, for two this time, some mini red-skin potatoes with dill and lots of butter, and my personal favorite veggie, green beans, made the right way. I set out all the utensils and dinner-ware, and two cups of water on ice. Cadence chose this point in time to walk in. I looked up, and the first thing I noticed was that she had changed. Whereas before, she had been wearing a ripped one piece cotton dress, now she wore loose-fitting jeans and red cotton t-shirt, which, I noticed, accented her full breasts and shapely buttocks very well. I just shook my head in wonder. How much more beautiful could the girl be, truly? Well, she was an angel, so I guess she could pull and extra few notches out of nowhere. She smiled when I appraised her new ensemble. "Does it look alright on me? I wasn't really sure the look would work for me, but from your expression, I guess it does," she said with a smile. "Oh, yes, I looks awesome on you. You do look spectacular, Cadence. Well, sit, sit, dinner will be ready in 3 minutes or so," I said, returning her smile. She had left her hair down, thankfully. I love girls with long hair, and ponytails are really pretty, but Cadence's hair down was even better than that. The silky tresses fell in grand-curls around her beautiful face, the silvery-blonde the perfect accompaniment to her pale skin. Dinner was ready, and I played the gracious host as I served it to my new roommate. After we were both served, we began chatting about random things as we ate. She talked about all the things she had seen today, in greater detail, and I found I was able to pay attention more easily, and even add my own comments, now that we were in a safe place settled down after the long day. I realized I loved listening to her melodious voice. She was a perfect-pitch alto, and it was a real treat to listen to. Her voice was calm and soothing, and I almost became so enraptured that I stopped eating, but I realized what was going on and forced myself to continue. Once dinner was over, I cleaned the table off and washed the dishes. Cadence went into the living room and lounged on the couch. Once I was done with the dishes, I came in and sat down next to her. She leaned her head onto my right shoulder, and my heart fluttered. It just felt so right, her and I, sitting there talking like we had known each other for forever. I talked to her about my past and my ideals, and she told me things I would never have expected about herself and even Heaven itself. What an interesting conversation. Eventually, the conversation died down, and I heard her breathing steady and deepen, and I realized she had fallen asleep. Laughing softly, I extricated myself from her gently as I could, and then leaned over and picked her up in my arms. She didn't wake up, but she did bury her head into my chest, despite the fat there. I sighed. What an amazing girl. I carried her into her new room and deposited her on her bed, pulling the covers up and over her, tucking her in snugly. She murmured something that I didn't catch, and then I leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead, before taking my leave of her room. I walked into my room, and removed all my clothes down to my boxers. I unwound all the bandages, feeling that the wounds were fine by now, which to my delight I found that they were indeed fine and on the mend. I walked to my mirror and turned, back to the mirror, and looked over my shoulder at my back. The scars I had accumulated were still there, all of my past follies clearly visible on my pale skin. I sighed. I hoped Cadence hadn't seen them when she bandaged me. I thought not, considering she hadn't asked about them yet. Oh well, if she did see them, I would just have to explain some of my darker and sadder past to her. I walked to my bed and got in, pulling the covers up as I lay there staring up at the ceiling above my four-poster king sized bed. I mused about what had happened in just the past day. I did realize that my life was changed forever. I found my thoughts drifting more and more to Cadence. She was so beautiful. I wondered if all angels were as beautiful as her. Maybe, maybe not. I was just happy to know her. But, try hard as I might, I just couldn't stop thinking about her. My heart fluttered when I remembered her taking my hand in hers and lacing our fingers together. My mind reeled as I thought about those words, so softly spoken in the mall earlier, But Danny, that's why I wanted to show you. Had she really said that, or had my ears been playing tricks on me due to my wishful thinking? I wasn't sure. All I did know was that I loved being around her, and it wasn't because she was an angel. She had a really vibrant personality, and I realized I loved absolutely everything I knew about her. And I knew her happiness meant a lot to me. What did all this mean? Against all odds and careful precautions on my part, had I fallen in love with an angel? Was there any possible chance she would reciprocate? I didn't think so. I was mortal, and not a fine specimen of mortality, either. Well, whatever. All I knew was she was amazing, and I had vowed to never let anyone make her cry. All these things were spiraling through my thoughts as I fell asleep. My last conscious thought was, "Am I in love?"