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Anthony1 gave a vexed sigh as he wandered through the park. He didn’t mind the sunshine or lovely weather. He didn’t mind stretching his legs or observing the world before him. He didn’t even mind the sounds of nature, the people enjoying the day, or the city noise surrounding them.
He did mind that he couldn’t find Eric2.
Should’ve given him more specific instructions...
The naive angel kept texting him on his celestial phone, interrupting his lunch date—meeting—lunch meeting. He’d finally told his protege he would speak to him once he was done. This park was the closet to the restaurant. A lovely place for a brief meeting. Yet Anthony couldn’t find the wayward angel despite sensing his presence nearby.
The Star-maker wandered closer to the park’s playground. Perhaps Eric had gotten bored and started talking with the locals. Children seem to like him and parents tended to have a soft spot for his innocent-looking eyes. But as Anthony approached the colorful equipment, a loud yelp from some nearby hedges caught his ears.
A yelp of pain. A cry of discomfort.
An answering growl of distress. A scoff to hold still.
Two distinct and familiar voices…
Anthony sauntered over to the hedges with an eye roll and snapped his fingers to part the foliage. “What do we have here? A pair of lovebirds hiding in a bush?”
A spiky dark-haired demon wearing leather and ripped fishnets fought against the tangles of branches and leaves within that particular hedge’s interior. Beneath them, an angel in a blue sweater vest and matching converse struggled in a similar manner. Each being’s clothing was snagged in various places and tangled limbs seemed at odds with accomplishing anything other than remaining stuck.
Two pairs of panicked eyes stared back at the Star-marker—who promptly burst out laughing.
“Am I interrupting anything?” Anthony had found Eric—and his nearly ever-present demonic shadow these days, Abaddon3.
“It’s not what it looks like, Anthony,” Eric’s mumbled, wide eyes and reddening cheeks. “I got stuck and Abi was trying—”
“Oi! Who you calling lovebirds so causally, Angel?” Abaddon twisted their head fully around to glare at the standing angel.
Anthony’s laugh turned to a scoff as he cocked a well-groomed eyebrow, “You aren’t allow to call me that, Baddy. You know that.”
The small demon smirked back, “Not allowed to call you darling, dove, or Starlight.” They gave an exaggerated sigh and batted their eyelashes with a cheeky wink. “But Az4 doesn’t care if I call you Angel. Told me so himself.”
The Star-marker internal groaned at his partner—friend—Azazel’s lack of propriety when it came to the demon’s pet names for him. “Well, I’m telling you that only Azzzz is allowed to call me Angel or anything else like that. You know my name, little demon—use it.”
“Um, excuse me? Could we focus on freeing us instead of arguing about name calling? There’s a branch stabbing me right in the middle of my back.”
Abaddon turned their attention back the angel beneath them. “Your fault, you know. If you had listened to me and used your wings—”
“Did someone forget they have wings again, Eric?” Anthony quipped.
“No—I just—I’m not supposed to use ‘em out in the open like this. Got in trouble last time,” Eric sputtered as he wriggled uncomfortable. “Dagrún 5 is mad enough that I split my time between Heaven and working here with you on Earth, Anthony. You may be my supervisor, but she’s still my direct boss.”
Anthony sneered at the mention of his superiors in Heaven. They never understood him or his care of the Earth. Finally getting Eric officially assigned to Earth part time had been a blessing, but it only made the others more suspicious and angry. Especially after the whole “Bea and Gadriel”6 incident. They took it out on the scrivener angel since the Star-maker no longer seemed affected by their threats.
“What are you two doing in the hedge anyways?”
“Was trying to rescue this dummy, but he ended up pulling me down instead. Now I’m stuck too,” Abaddon pouted in a gruff tone.
“I’m sorry, Abi. At least I cushioned your fall,” Eric apologized with a shy smile.
The small demon accepted his apology, dropping their gruff exterior, “I know, sweetheart. I appreciate it. Your sweater is very soft. And you do smell really nice.”
“Really? Trying a new cologne. Azazel’s got me an appointment with his barber and he suggested…”
Anthony cocked his hip as he crossed his arms on his chest and listened to the two tangled beings start to flirt. Honestly the two of them were equal parts adorable and infuriating some times.
Was this what he and Azazel were like in the beginning? Like now?
He shook the thought from his head and interrupted, “And neither of you used a miracle to free yourselves because…?”
Both the trapped angel and demon reddened more at the question.
“Forget you had miracles too?”
“Got yelled at Sandy 7 before coming up Earth-side. Limit my miracles or else.” Abaddon muttered.
“Yeah—same here. Dagrún threatened to send me to work in Slorchél’s 8 department for a month next time I go over my miracle allotment.” Eric mumbled.
Oh, for the love of—
Anthony growled but snapped, miracling both them out of the hedge and fixing their clothes.
He pointed a finger from each hand at the two underlings, “You—Eric— work for me, even if Heaven claims it’s just “part time”. Your angelic butt is still mine. And you—Baddy—work for Azazel. Sandy can take it up with him if you break any rules. Plus you’re a demon. Aren’t you supposed to rebel and such?”
Abaddon shrugged, but remained silent.
“Thanks, Anthony—”
“Don’t thank me, kid. Just use your head. Stop getting you and your significant other in trouble.”
“Oi!”Abaddon squeaked. “I’m not—we’re not—”
Eric was equally embarrassed, suddenly glaring down at his shoes.
Ah, young love.
“Look, why don’t you explain to me how you got into that hedge while we walked back to the park entrance. I’ve still got business to attend to elsewhere.”
Abaddon let out a cheeky quip, “Business with your significant other at his bookshop, Angel?”
“Abi! Stop! Behave!” Eric pleaded as he took their arm in his and dragged them forward.
“I’m a demon. Why should I behave?”
“It’s your fault we were even in that dreadful hedge—”
“My fault?! I told you to use your wings!”
“You pushed me off the swing!”
“I told you to jump and fly!”
“Children!” Anthony growled, silencing the bicker-flirting pair beside him. “Explanation as we walk, please.”
Eric sighed and told him how he’d wandered over to the playscape while waiting for him. Some children were swinging and he joined them because it looked fun. Then Abaddon found him.
The demon took over explaining how they got bored waiting at the bookshop for Az to finish his lunch date—Anthony didn’t bother correcting them—so they showed up at the park because they sensed Eric.
After the children left, the demon challenged the angel to a contest to see who could swing higher. He seemed to be struggling, so they gave him a few pushes.
“Pushed me right out of the swing and nearly across the park,” Eric moaned.
“So you landed in the hedge,” Anthony concluded, trying to keep the pair from bickering again. “And Baddy fell in while trying to help you.”
“Yeah,” the scrivener angel answered as they reached the park’s entrance.
“Right. Well,” Anthony stared at the both of them and then back at the streets before them. “Bentley’s 9 parked about a block down. I’ll give us all a ride to the bookshop. Eric—passenger seat so you can tell me about whatever Heaven-business you wanted to meet with me about. Abaddon—you ride in the back and don’t you dare repeat anything you hear to Hell.”
Both angel and demon nodded and gave a salute to the Star-marker.
“Let’s go,” he called out as turned to walk away.
But he noticed the way Abaddon’s face fell as they mumbled, “Not like everyone in Hell besides Azazel even listens to me. Even if I did have important gossip.”
“Same with Heaven and me, Duckie. That’s why we gotta stick together,” Eric whispered as he kiss the top of the demon’s head.
The punk-goth demon leaned further into the side of the preppy-nerd angel.
Anthony smiled to himself, but returned his focus ahead. He knew he wasn’t meant to notice the sweet moment. He understood the importance of hiding and denying the significance of a friendship—partnership—Arrangement.
Eric and Abaddon may have been on opposite sides, but they made a good little team. A team of two. A team of them.
Just like him and Azazel…