Garden of Eden

[Ehcorn]

((Continued from Accruing Debts))

If Remi had been alone, he would’ve angled himself into a nosedive directly above the Capital Building, opening his wings at the last moment to halt his descent before he smashed into the roof. For Sam’s sake, he behaved more like an airplane, circling overhead, lowering his altitude and speed with every pass.

By the time he could make out the individual plants in his garden, he’d slowed enough that gravity took hold of his body and dragged his feet down, forcing him into a vertical positioning. He hovered like an overgrown hummingbird above a stretch of walkway that extended from one side of his garden to the other, always mindful of his proximity to the thick vegetation that threatened to overtake what little space he’d cleared out for exactly this purpose. It was a constant battle of cutting back encroaching vines and rearranging pots, but it was a war he had to wage, else he’d destroy what he’d worked so hard to cultivate.

Leaves bent and swayed and rattled against each other with every burst of air he created, but none of his plants toppled before he made landfall and he carefully folded his wings at his back. With an equal amount of care, Remi relinquished his hold on Sam, easing him to the ground and extracting his arms from around him. Wordlessly, he reached for the box the vampire had carried for him, and once he had it in hand, he made his way to the door that would lead downstairs if he'd been willing to break the lock. It was the only spot in his garden that had any semblance of an overhang and acted as a shelter for his belongings against the elements, should any appear. Even after he'd set the box down and tucked it into the corner next to a suitcase, Remi lingered near the exit casting furtive glances at the vampire.

There was a lot to take in, and he wanted to give Sam an opportunity to see everything without his input.

His garden held a veritable jungle’s worth of plant life in every shade of green: vines wrapped their way up and around trellises; there were plants with giant, elephant-eared leaves; as well as some shrubbery and a few small trees that had been sculpted to frame various statues and fountains. Enclaves that hosted tables, chairs, and couches had been formed in the same way, with trellises and the vines that draped over them acting as rudimentary rooftops. Everything worked together to make the place feel like it was removed from the city, despite being at its very epicenter.

Remi eventually began to drum his fingers against his leg until he realized he was doing so, then jammed both hands into his pockets. His body transferred the nervous energy into pacing, and he made several rotations until he couldn't take it anymore. He faced Sam and cleared his throat. "So, what do you think? About the garden?"

[Existentially Odd]

When Sam had been set so carefully on his feet, there'd been a moment where Remi looked at him that'd felt breathless and anticipatory, like their eyes met and maybe their lips would, too... but Remi had just been trying to get his box out of Sam's arms and put it away. To cover up his embarrassment, Sam began exploring in earnest.

Thankfully, the garden was a delightful distraction. Samuel wasn't a foliage expert or fan of greenery particularly but he could see that this rooftop had been nurtured by someone who was. He strolled around curiously, realising there was more to it than just plants, inspecting the little special areas to sit and bask and finding each of them wonderful in their own way. It felt like there was very little walking space in between but that each space was a form of seclusion, the plants different and each arrangement unique and somehow perfect.

He'd meandered back to almost where he'd started when Remi spoke, causing Sam to straighten away from the plant he'd been inspecting - it had insanely thick and glossy leaves that he'd just had to touch - and beam at him. "I think it's amazing! All of it, it's just... relaxing and beautiful! You've done an amazing job. You have to have been working on this for months," he enthused, strolling towards Remi with a smile on his dial and his fingertips tucked into the front pockets of his jeans. He was feeling a lot more relaxed now and it showed in the lack of tension in his shoulders.

[Ehcorn]

He’d been right, after all. Sam was able to see the garden for what it was, not what it should be. Vretil, in the rare circumstances he’d complimented the space, had always followed it up with some critique — that plant could be over there, this one needed more shade, he should really consider starting a compost bin. Sam’s reaction had been pure, unadulterated appreciation that made Remi’s heart fill to the brim. He grinned at the approaching vampire, untucking his hands from their pockets so he could dry his oddly sweaty palms on the sides of his pants.

“Thank you,” Remi said, but his expression turned sheepish. “Months? I’m not sure how long that is, exactly, but maybe? If that’s how long it took for everything in the garden to turn from brown to green again. It didn’t take much, really. Plants want to survive.”

He half-turned to brush his fingers over the feathery soft edges of a fern; it was like Sam, preferring the darkness to the light. When he faced him again, Sam had drawn close enough to Remi that he could reach out and touch him. So that’s what he did. He brushed his fingers against Sam’s cool wrist the same way he’d touched the fern, then gestured for Sam to follow him to the largest of his hideaways, the one with a sectional sofa.

“Wisteria,” he said, looking at the thatch of vines that grew densely overhead, blocking what they might’ve seen of the stars. “When the growing season starts, it’ll be covered in purple flowers that smell—” He made a soft noise in the back of his throat. “—like home. If I’m still here when they bloom, you should come to smell them.”

Remi tore himself from imagining the mingled scent of ripened grapes and vanilla that would emanate from the rooftop when Spring came, breathed a short chuckle at himself, and then sat down at the end of the couch after pushing aside the wrinkled blankets and overstuffed pillows. The same couch that was big enough to sleep on was big enough for them to sit comfortably side-by-side on after he turned to ensure his wings weren't in the way. He patted the spot next to him so Sam knew that's what he'd intended.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel hadn't prepared himself for this at all.

When Remi had talked about his garden on the roof, Sam had pictured a few overflowing planters, maybe with some flowers bobbing in the breeze, not this lush sanctuary of green whispers and dancing moonlight that lent itself to lustful interludes.

When Remi had talked about flying him up here, he hadn't followed the thought through to realising he'd be finish up being wrapped in his strong, graceful arms only to be trapped up here until Remi saw fit to take him home.

And when Remi had agreed to work in close quarters with him, translating books, Sam had somehow forgotten how insanely attracted to Gene he'd been - crazy enough to make a fool of himself time and again - and hadn't seen any issue with cosying up to him in his romantic hideaway.

As he sank down onto the couch beside Remi, all of Samuel's ignorance came home to roost at once. He was suddenly, awkwardly aware of all of them when he looked over and found a beautiful angel turned sideways to face him - so that his glorious wings didn't get smushed on the seat back. He was sitting close and he'd just gently touched Sam's wrist. It was like a come-hither gesture... except he knew it wasn't. It was just Remi being friendly and kind. Oh, man.

He frowned, turning so that his elbow rested on the seat back and he was also facing Remi. He lifted his leg onto the couch and their knees met. He didn't move it away. "Wisteria, huh? Which home are you talking about, that it grows in?" he queried then realised it was a dumb question. Remi only remembered one home and didn't truly believe he'd ever had another. Sam was surprised to know a plant from here grew over there, in another plane, though.

[Ehcorn]

Remi answered the question in much the same way Sam had imagined he would’ve. “My only home,” he said, holding back a sigh. Earlier in the night, he would’ve let the sigh rip loose, rolled his eyes, made it clear what he thought of Sam’s belief that he hadn’t been born on the heavenly plane. Now, though, sitting next to him after having been on the receiving end of his kindness, Remi sought to be kind in return. He’d tell Sam something of his home, so he might begin to understand where he’d really come from.

“I’m not sure if it got its start here or there, but it flourishes on my realm. Take this,” he paused and lifted his hand to point at the living ceiling above them, “and imagine it everywhere. Some of the things the gardeners there can do with it… Like on my father’s estate?” Remi shook his head. “It’s astounding. There are whole walkways covered with the stuff. They’ll get it to wind its way up the columns and then it grows along the trellises between for miles if they let it.”

He went on to describe some of the other plant life that could be found on the heavenly plane, some far more fantastical and lush than anything that grew on Earth, but Hawaii, he said, came very close to feeling the same.

“Except for the volcanoes, though I can't say I mind not having those. I almost got caught above one that was erupting when I first came here.” He laughed and rubbed at the side of his face. “We might not have met if I’d hung around to see what all the smoke and fire was about.”

He didn't move his knee from Sam's, either.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel listened to Remi talk about plants not because he found the topic interesting but because he found the man talking about the topic to be. The way his face lit up with enthusiasm was enchanting, captivating Sam's attention beyond the words. The angel was always beautiful but filled with joy and coated in dappled moonlight? He was breathtaking. It was a good thing Sam didn't need to breathe.

"Your father has an estate? Sounds fancy," Sam drawled with a lazy grin, settling a little closer to Remi because he leant back and cradled his head in his hand, his other hand absently combing his hair - which had become tousled while flying - out of the way and then falling to his lap to fiddle absently with the hem of his flannel shirt. "Does everyone there have one of those? Does it have a house on it - do angels even live in houses?" he queried, multiple questions about the other plane given voice as soon as they popped into his head.

[Ehcorn]

Remi’s surprise at Sam’s onslaught of questions came out in a breathy chuckle, but he did his best to answer them all. “We do live in houses, yes, but not like yours. They’re more open like this.” On ‘this’, he indicated the garden with a sweeping gesture. “Most don’t have actual walls, just columns, and there are sections left open in the roofs that we can fly out of if we want. They're a lot like the ancient buildings in Greece.”

He hadn’t shied away from Sam moving closer. If anything, it encouraged him to mimic his open body language by resting his arm on the back of the couch and leaving his hand to dangle between them.

"Not everyone has an estate, though. My father is ah… special. He commands angels in the war. A general. I didn’t get to see him much because of it.” He shrugged and tried to appear as if it didn’t bother him as much as it did, but a frown still pulled at his lips. His father had been chosen to perform a duty for all of angelkind that didn’t warrant him feeling sorry for himself.

“Vretil stayed with me so I wasn’t alone,” he added, trying on a smile for size and finding that it mostly fit.

[Existentially Odd]

"There's a war?" Sam asked in surprise, picturing Remi's father fighting or commanding angel troops against... who? Evil enemies? Or was that too cliché? it was possibly Dark Angels - Sam had read texts about their diametric opposition to one another, so a fight between them made sense - but that seemed a little too simplistic, too. He began imagining hordes of dark, terrifying creatures prolific enough to warrant Angels at war with them.

And then, because he was a little devious and a lot arrogant, he decided to push back on the information Remi had provided about the people he'd had available to him on his plane. "And your dad was away fighting it so you were left with your mentor guy - Vretil - but your mama wasn't there? And they didn't mention why?" he guessed, knowing full well it was because she was here, on the Earthly plane.

But what had they told Remi to explain that away?

[Ehcorn]

Before Remi could elaborate on the ongoing war between the light and the dark, he was lambasted by an unexpected question about his parentage. If he’d suspected that’s where Sam would’ve steered the conversation next, he might’ve been better prepared and able to swallow his pain, but the best he could do was hide his stricken expression. He pulled his arm from the back of the couch with the sole purpose of picking at the edge of his thumb, using it as an excuse to look away from Sam while he gathered himself.

He inhaled deeply and on his exhale, dragged his eyes back to the vampire and wet his lips. “I don’t remember her, though it’s no fault of hers. Father said he lost her in battle. I didn’t get the details. He doesn’t like talking about it.” He chuckled abruptly and it forced the rest of his frown away, though a sad smile wasn’t much of an improvement. “He doesn’t talk much at all, really, so I’m not surprised, but any time I asked about her, he… I don’t know, he'd get this look and I quit trying."

Given who they fought against and protected their territory from, Remi had no doubt it had been a gruesome end that his father had wanted to spare him from.

“Why do you want to know about her, anyway?” he asked, straightening and popping his arm back to the couch, though now his body was rigid and he tugged at the seam of the cushion fitfully. Something in Sam’s tone had made him feel like there was more to his questions than simple curiosity.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel felt like slapping Remi - not angrily, just in a 'wake up, you beautiful fool!' kind of way. He was infuriated on the angel's behalf because the two men he was closest to in his life were clearly deceptive beings that didn't deserve the love and loyalty they received from a soul as trusting as Remi! Still, he wasn't going to win the angel over by continually bashing him on the head with his theories or by slandering his nearest and dearest, questioning their motives.

He suddenly couldn't wait to meet Vretil the next time he was in town.

"I was contemplating your species," he answered blithely, frowning convincingly and bouncing away from his true intention in a manner he hoped was a convincing as it felt. "You spoke of having a father so naturally I wondered about your mother and - forgive my crassness - but is that what it takes to make an Angel? Are y'all born and grow up? Are there Angel kids going to school over there? Or do you... pop out of a beautiful chrysalis fully formed and have to dry your wings before you can fly?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and grinning cheekily.

[Ehcorn]

“Oh,” Remi said, his hand becoming still as he ceased his assault of the cushion. Entire earthly religions had been formed around the idea that angels were benevolent celestial beings created from nothing to act as emissaries for God, so he could understand Sam’s confusion. Why would he mention a father if he hadn’t been born to a mother?

“Yeah, that’s all it takes to make an angel child — a mother and a father. I’d say we’re very similar to humans in that regard. We're born, we grow up. We don’t age like you, though… Well, like humans do. I won’t ever look any older than I do now." None of them did. Vretil sometimes talked about seeing the pyramids as they were being built in Egypt and he looked no older than Remi.

He bumped his knee against Sam’s. “So, no, we're not butterflies. Sorry if that's disappointing,” he laughed.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel couldn't help but grin as Remi knocked his leg and teased him him about his butterfly analogy. The joke was on Remi because he was definitely a beautiful, exotic butterfly with his soft white wings and enchanting features. Sam's gaze flicked to the feathers in question, admiring them momentarily before he looked back into Remi's eyes.

"You're far prettier than a butterfly. How could that be disappointing? A bit more furry than one, though," he teased, reaching over with his free hand to caress Remi's beard, the tips of his fingers and thumb splayed either side of his face and stroking downward until they met at his chin. He was surprised at how soft Remi's beard was. It took a great deal of willpower to resist touching the lips buried within the fur.

[Ehcorn]

When Sam reached for him, Remi’s curiosity about what he meant to do had him lean forward to better accommodate the vampire. A part of him was convinced Sam wanted to remove a piece of lint or fleck of apple from his beard, but when his chill fingers remained, rifling through the hairs on his face to press into the sensitive skin beneath, his lashes fluttered and a smile ghosted his lips.

"Perhaps I’m more closely related to moths," he said, capturing Sam’s wrist and pulling at it until the vampire’s hand rested on his upper leg. Remi looked down with his head canted to the side as he conducted his own inspection, this one of Sam’s fingers. They appeared as if they'd been chipped from marble, and felt like it, too: smooth, cold, and hard, yet they’d been gentle upon his face. He lifted his hand from the vampire’s for a moment, but a notion to see if he could warm the cold flesh struck him and he curled his fingers around Sam's hand again.

He looked up. "Perhaps you’re a statue come to life." An admiring glint caught in his eyes as he traced Sam's strong features — brow to cheekbones to pouty mouth.

[Existentially Odd]

At that moment, Samuel rather wished he were a statue. Statues wouldn’t be excruciatingly aware of just how close their face was to Remi’s, since he’d tugged him forward. And a statue wouldn’t be able to feel too many details about the corded muscle of the leg beneath his hand, nor imagine what might happen if he slid his hand higher. A statue wouldn’t feel resultant tingles and a livening in his jeans at that thought, either. At least he had the pulse rate of a statue so that his desires weren’t broadcast... unless Remi started paying closer attention.

Sam couldn’t let that happen but he was also fixed in place - not by a cement plinth but by indecision. His gaze was riveted on Remi’s mouth at first, and it filled him with warmth as he remembered kissing Gene. He didn’t care what Remi thought, he had intimate knowledge of those lips and he was keen for a reunion. Damnit. He forced his gaze away lest he get swallowed by temptation, his body lurching eagerly again upon lifting and viewing those ridiculous eyelashes and the mischievous glance they framed. There would be no respite, apparently.

Remi is only signalling relaxation, that’s all, Sam lectured himself, attempting to coach his thoughts away from deviance. Remi was his employee now, technically. Making a move on him would be the height of unprofessionalism. The angel was finally comfortable enough around him to touch him freely and joke with him and how did Sam plan on repaying that? By tainting it with a tawdry kiss. It would sour everything, burn up all the good faith he’d engendered tonight after Dominic had so easily painted him in a boorish light (which had also been accurate, unfortunately). It might even ruin their future working relationship, making spending hours upon hours poring over text and keyboard agonising with awkwardness.

How could even contemplate such disquieting consequences??

The answer was Remi. His eyes, his lips, his leg and everything in between had Samuel thrumming with inappropriate thoughts, his body quickening and his soul yearning. There’d always been something about this man that set him off, turning him into someone he wasn’t; bold, lascivious... predatory. Yes, that was it. Remi evoked his most fundamental instincts, the desire to chase, catch and conquer. He was temptation personified and Sam was drawn to him like the moth Remi joked he was. No one in history had had any luck fighting biology but Sam wanted to be the first? He was doomed.

Sam licked his lips, knowing Remi’s gaze was nearby. His hand was held in the warm cocoon of Remi’s but his thumb was free. It brushed firmly back and forth against the material covering Remi’s inner thigh, subtly reminding him of just how close to his crotch Sam’s hand was, how easily it could be slid higher. He held eye contact with Remi, acknowledging the compliment with his look while his brain struggled to craft a response that didn’t reveal everything he was thinking, rejecting hardness and better endowed and coming to life hastily.

“Would you like me to strip so you can position me in your garden? I assure you I’m a lot more manipulable than marble,” he teased, raising his eyebrows and giving Remi a half grin that felt rather wicked on his face.

[Ehcorn]

Remi’s mouth parted and he sucked in a short, surprised breath when Sam’s tongue made a brief appearance at the same time the vampire began swiping his thumb over his thigh, sending jolt after jolt directly to his groin. The same involuntary reaction that caused his heart to increase its tempo and heat to rise in his face made him tighten his hand around Sam’s, but he didn’t push him away yet.

He should’ve.

Then, perhaps, it would’ve been less of a struggle to stop the growing tell that his brain was losing a battle with his hormone-ridden body. And Sam wasn’t helping. Nor did Remi imagine he meant to. Not when he offered to shed his clothes and allow him to run his hands over him, feeling for himself the strong musculature that he’d only seen hints of so far. The prospect sent an electric tingle racing up Remi’s spine and into the base of his neck and over his scalp. Somehow, though, the shock managed to kickstart a small part of his brain that worked to remind him that he hadn’t spent more than a night in the vampire’s company.

He didn’t know Sam — not really. So far, Remi had learned that he was easy to talk to and laugh with, that he was capable of kindness and empathy, but most recently, he’d learned that Sam also had a knack for finding and pushing buttons that Remi didn’t know he had, and it was muddling everything up.

With a resigned sigh, he rearranged his fingers over Sam’s to trap his wayward thumb.

"I'm sure you’d," Remi began, but stopped and blinked when he heard his voice, thick with strain. He cleared his throat before he continued, "I’m sure you’d make a beautiful addition, but I prefer permanent statues.” And with that, he found the strength to push Sam’s hand farther away, closer to his knee. "You wouldn’t be able to stay there during the day," he elaborated, smiling softly.