When Abby awoke, she was aware that she sore, tired and her throat hurt. She was also
aware of the alarm clock going off, telling her it was 6:00 am. It promptly shut up when she
bashed it to pieces. It was then, that Abby remembered everything that happened last night.
Like the reason that something comfortable and soft was currently being held in her
arms. Abby looked down to see Sakura's head lying on her shoulder, her snowy white hair
spread out along the pillow. She would have enjoyed stroking it, if it weren't for the fact
Sakura scared the bejeezus out of her by suddenly looking up.
An awkward silence passed as Sakura stared deep into her eyes. "...how long have you
been awake?" Abby asked and Sakura said, "I rarely require sleep. I've been awake for 5
hours." The blonde woman didn't know what to say. "...you've been lying there, doing nothing
for 5 hours?"
"I've been lying here... watching you... for 5 hours." Abby could have chosen that
moment to make a smart ass remark to lift the mood, but the look on Sakura's face convinced
her not to. "...I didn’t want the night to end," Sakura whispered, burying her face in
Abby's bosom. "I wish time could stop... just long enough so I can find out everything about
you... touch you everywhere... burn you into my memory, but... time would never flow again
if that happened."
Abby lifted the other woman's head and gave her a soft kiss. "...I'm afraid... that
reality is a pain in the ass, but... we can make this short amount of time last as long as
possible... but first," Abby started to get up from the bed and Sakura clung to her. "I want
to spend every minute with you," Sakura murmured and the blonde woman nodded.
"As much as it surprises me... the feelings are reciprocated." Sakura's response was
to start touching her everywhere again, making Abby want to melt into her arms and go back
to the bed so they could indulge in each other. Luckily, she glanced at the clock and
remembered the time. "S-Sakura, I have to make lunch for Eveon," Abby said and the white
haired lady merely moved so her arms were wrapped around the other's waist.
"...Last night... we... erm, well, let's just say that we need to..." Abby mumbled,
but Sakura stared into her eyes, looking for the rest of the sentence. "I understand... I
owe you an explanation," the white haired woman said simply, getting off of the bed and
pulling Abby with her. "Perhaps you should shower? You're..." Sakura blushed and Abby pulled
her towards the bathroom with a sigh.
"I get it... we've got a little of each other on us," Abby murmured, walking into the
bathroom. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she was a bit startled. It looked like
the clock was still ticking backwards... she looked like she was in her mid twenties, but
barely now. It wouldn't be long until she'd have to be carded. Not that she'd be around that
long.
Sakura followed in after her and watched as Abby started the water for the shower.
"You wanna take it with me?" Abby asked, already knowing the answer. Sakura merely tilted
her head, as thought remembering something. "...I haven't bathed in a long time..." Abby
frowned at the thought as Sakura walked over to her. The blonde woman (a young woman now)
impulsively began to suckle on the delicate skin of Sakura's neck.
Her white haired lover let out several coos and ran her fingers through Abby's hair.
Eventually, she pulled away, swiping her tongue over the red spot on Sakura's pale neck.
"...strange, you taste quite clean," and yummy too, but Abby wasn't about to say that. The
last thing she wanted - at least, not at the moment - was for them to start going at it in
the bathtub.
"The armor is... was sterile." Abby had a feeling that if they continued this
conversation, it would start going down a weird path indeed. She started the shower and
pulled Sakura into the tub with her. "Well, it's time for us to get clean," Abby said,
droplets of water pelting her. Sakura shivered as the warm water hit her, not used to a
shower. The white haired woman soon relaxed as Abby lathered soap on her and removed the
bandages. Her wounds had all but healed now... The women took turns washing each other
(somehow keeping it innocent) and that was when Abby saw it.
On Sakura's back, there were two scars, paler than her skin. They were long, each on
her shoulder blades. The white haired woman shivered as Abby ran her hands down them.
"...Sakura? What are these scars from?" The other woman looked over her shoulder at her.
"Ah... I was... I am an angel. When I cast myself down into Hell, I gave up my wings in
exchange for my armor, my eyes and my duty." Abby let out a sigh and gave Sakura a kiss.
"Too bad... if you still had them, I would have loved to snuggle up with them," Abby
murmured. That was when she noticed Sakura was crying. "Why...? Why do we have so little
time when I've finally found you?" Sakura asked. Abby turned off the shower and kissed away
her tears. "You and I... have much to talk about, so please... save the tears for a
different time... We'll talk soon... soon."
*****
"Eveon, I'm sorry," Abby said, rushing into the kitchen, with the intent of hurriedly
making her daughter lunch. In a couple of minutes, Eveon had to be out the door to meet up
with Mina and walk to school. The 13 year old looked at her tiredly, putting her empty
cereal bowl in the sink.
"What's wrong? You look tired," Abby murmured, walking over to her daughter. Eveon
rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah... maybe because the boogeyman kept me up all last night!"
Abby flushed red. Boogeyman? Oh, boy... "I can't believe you slept with the Living
Inferno!!!"
Abby waved her hands defensively. "Hey! I'm going to die in a couple of days! Give me
a break!" Eveon just scoffed, "You always make jokes about me and Mina, so there's no way
you're living this down Mommy! I can't believe you got him out of his armor and slept with
him!" Abby sighed and ruffled her blonde hair. "...Eveon, you're not mad at me, are you?"
"No... I'm just cranky and mentally disturbed. Why do you have to be so loud? " Abby
sighed and hugged her daughter. "Let me go make your lunch." Eveon shook her head. "Nah.
I'll just buy lunch today. Who knows where your hands have been?" Abby gave Eveon a stern
look. Her daughter was just smiling happily.
"Is this some kind of revenge for all my lesbian jokes?"
"Oh yeah."
Just then, Sakura walked into the kitchen, watching the scene before her. Abby looked
over and gave her a kind smile while Eveon looked confused. "Oh, hi," The young girl said
before looking at her mother. "Who's that? Oh and where's the Living Inferno? I want to see
what he looks like..." Abby laughed and tugged Sakura over to her.
"Eveon, I'd like you to meet Sakura, aka the Living Inferno without the armor." Eveon
just stared and then looked at her mother. Then stared some more. She was trying to piece
this together. "W-w-wait! If the Living Inferno is a girl... and you slept with him...!" The
girl's jaw dropped, but before she could say more, Abby hustled her out of the door.
"Wow! Look at the time Eveon! You should hurry up; Mina's waiting to walk to school
with you!" Abby swiftly shoved Eveon out the door and closed it hurriedly. The young woman
laughed to herself and turned around to see Sakura blushing.
"...this is... awkward," the angel murmured as Abby walked over. "I know... but now we
need to talk. Let's go back to my room, okay?"
*****
"...Can you just tell me about what happened... I mean, with Tycara and her father,
you know?" Abby was currently sitting on the bed, Sakura's head lying on her lap. The angel
looked up at her and nodded. "There... isn't much to tell... I'm not sure if you realize
this, but the angels and demons that exist here are not the same as the ones in heaven and
hell." Abby nodded and figured that it kind of made sense. Actually, it didn't, but she
wanted Sakura to continue.
"I lived a little farther away from the village of the other angels because I didn't
like the rigid structure and preferred the countryside. When I was 18... that was when I met
Tycara's father." She frowned. "I can't remember his name. He was my best friend, even if he
was a demon. He'd stop by to visit and I enjoyed his company, but... I was... I am... rather
dense. I didn't know he was in love with me."
Abby could see where this was going... "Demons act on their emotions and instincts...
sometimes they don't think. He got frustrated when I couldn't figure out his feelings.
That's how it happened," Sakura murmured, looking quite sad, "After that day, he never came
back. I never saw him. I was devastated and hurt, but my older brother was there for me. I
couldn't bring myself to turn in my friend, so I told him that I didn't see who did it."
Sakura was immediately calmed as Abby placed a hand on her forehead. The angel smiled
and continued on. "My brother wanted me to give up the baby to some people. I agreed and I
gave birth when I was 20. But... Tycara was so... she was so wonderful that I couldn't give
her away. My brother was so upset after I told him that... but I remember the next day he
came by with a doll saying that he had to take care of his niece no matter what." Abby gave
her a soft smile. "Tycara spoke fondly of you... she doesn't hate you. She said that her and
her mother had such great times."
The angel smiled brightly, tears starting to form. "She said that? I'm surprised... I
thought she would hate me... or be scared of me, but... The village always had a festival
every year, but since I had Tycara, they didn't want either of us in the village anymore. My
brother served as a go-between for us. Everything was peaceful, none of the other angels
attacked us, or anything... Tycara and I would watch the fireworks from a hill every year."
Abby briefly wondered how the angels had gunpowder long ago, but she continued to
listen. "That evening, I had to talk to my brother about something. Tycara was anxious to
see the fireworks... I told her to go wait for me. But... Tycara went too close to the
village and some of the other children saw her. Abby... did you know that an angel is never
born with wings? Instead, between the ages of five and ten, they sprout out in a single
moment, usually thanks to trauma or frustration..."
Sakura closed her eyes. "Tycara looked like an ordinary angel child without wings...
an angel will always be born with light colored hair and eyes, so... they didn't know. The
adults thought her parents were somewhere else and saw no harm in taking care of her. The
problem... the problem came when they asked who her parents were. Once they realized she was
my daughter..." As the woman trailed off, Abby could see it in her mind.
The other angels had beaten Tycara, called her names and when the girl grew her wings
from that... it must have been chaotic. "I held her as she was dying. She kept saying that
it hurts and asking why they hated her. She said she loved me, but... but..." Sakura sat up
and gripped Abby's shirt tightly, tears starting to spill. "What if she doesn't? What if
she hates me? I killed her... I killed her!"
Abby wiped away her tears and let out a long sigh. "She doesn't. She doesn't hate
you... Tycara misses you and... I'm content to know that once I'm gone, you'll be with your
daughter again." Sakura looked away, still upset. "...but that's the problem, isn't it?
That... that you're going to die. What am I supposed to do? How can I just...!" Abby never
thought Sakura would be so emotional, but...
She was going to die in a few days. "We... only have a few more days," Abby said,
trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "Tycara told me that it will be a couple more days
until she shows up. Let's make the most of it, alright?" Sakura pulled Abby down until both
of them were lying on the bed. "...alright..." Sakura murmured, not wanting to ruin the time
they had left.
They stared at each other before Abby said, "That means you were 28 when you stopped
aging... right?" Sakura nodded and Abby gave her a wry smile. "Since I'm 32 but look like
I'm 23, does that mean you're older?" Sakura only smiled and leaned in to give her a kiss.
Abby had a funny look on her face when the angel pulled away. "You know... this still
feels strange... I mean, both of us being women and all." Sakura started to scoot away. "Do
I make you uncomfortable?" Abby shook her head and pulled the white haired woman back. "No,
no... it's just going to take some getting used to. I love you, no matter how you appear."
"I love you too..."
There was a bit of silence until Abby felt Sakura snake her hands under her shirt. The
angel wanted so desperately to touch her, apparently not tiring of Abby's presence. The
blonde woman snuggled closer into Sakura. "...Eveon won't be back for quite a few hours, so
we have time to cuddle..." Abby said, smiling at Sakura's happy expression.
"That's good... I wish every hour was a year, but..." Sakura sighed, her face buried
in the crook of Abby's neck. For now, she would push back the tears... she had to make these
moment last.
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