Forbidden Fruit

[Ehcorn]

((Continued from Lost in Translation))

Except for strong winds that forced Remi to perform some stomach-turning maneuvers to keep from being knocked out of the sky, their flight to the Capital Building was uneventful.

Had Vretil been around, he would’ve insisted that cradling Sam close and allowing him to shove his face into his neck was the thing to worry about — not rough flying conditions. But just like the last time he’d flown with him, the vampire kept his fangs to himself. If it weren’t for the luminous sheen that Sam’s pale skin took on in the moonlight or the fact that he was the same temperature as the cold air rushing past them, Remi imagined he could've forgotten that he was a dangerous predator with a penchant for blood. Even if he couldn't forget Sam's nature, though, he didn’t fear being close to the vampire.

He'd begun to relish it.

When they eventually landed in one of the few cleared out pathways in his garden, he folded his wings at his back and carefully set Sam down. Now that his arms were empty, he was able to see what extent the wind had left its mark on him. He chuckled as he smoothed the bits of hair that stuck up in disarray and tugged on his blazer to straighten it, then slid his hands into his pockets up to the knuckles and appraised Sam from wind-ruffled hair to disheveled suit and back up again to meet his gaze.

"You shielded me from the worst of it, I think," he said laughingly.

[Existentially Odd]

"Cost of being a passenger, I guess," Samuel chuckled good-naturedly, shrugging as he ran fingers through his wayward locks. All sense of styling and decorum had been stolen by the wind, despite him keeping his face tucked into the warm cavity of Remi's throat as much as possible. This time, he'd been the one with the parcel - his laptop, inside his messenger bag, which he'd taken to the Academy in case Remi couldn't stand being indoors - but it had hung over his body without too much interference. He'd been able to snuggle into Remi freely.

Flying with an angel was crazy but exhilarating. The heights didn't bother him too much (the thought of falling did, but he hung on tightly) and the views were spectacular. Sam knew that the main draw wasn't the twinkling vista spread out below them, though; it was getting close enough to Remi that he imprinted on his skin, allowing Sam to scent the angel for hours after they were separated. It was a racing heartbeat thudding beneath his cheek and sleek, muscled arms around his body and the bass echoes of two enormous wings humbling the air to keep them aloft. It was a primal display of beauty and power that left him weak and awed.

Once he was done finger-combing his hair, Samuel pulled his bag over his head and put it down somewhere out of the way - against the end of the long settee they'd sat on the night before. He stood by it and set his clothes to rights by unbuttoning his jacket and taking it off, followed quickly by his tie. He stuffed the tie in the bag and draped his jacket over the end of the seat, eyeing the furniture as he started undoing buttons at his throat. He'd been told that this was where Remi slept and it was easy enough to imagine the angel splayed along it, shirtless (maybe completely nude? He could dream!) and beautiful in slumber. He smirked as he looked over at Remi.

"If you keep bringing me to your bed, I'm gonna start getting the wrong idea, you know," he teased, opening three buttons over his chest and turning his attention to the ones at his wrists, intending to roll his sleeves up to his elbows once they were undone. His gaze raked Remi as he spoke, wondering why the angel wasn't removing more of his clothes.

[Ehcorn]

Remi tried to laugh at Sam’s joke about the cost of traveling with him, except his voice cracked like soil in a long-neglected pot before it made it past his lips. Flying, especially with a passenger, was thirsty work. He swallowed several times, attempting to wet his throat, but all he succeeded at was causing his Adam’s apple to bob about wildly. He needed water. Desperately. Remi pulled a face as he coughed dryly and half-turned towards a spigot that jutted out from the wall a few paces away, right when Sam began shedding and unbuttoning his clothes. Remi froze.

He stood entranced as more and more pale, marble-like skin was exposed to him and couldn’t help but to think of the previous night, when he’d had his hand splayed against Sam’s chest and the vampire had generously opened his shirt so he could explore it unimpeded. The angel struggled to swallow again when he caught the way the vampire’s eyes passed over him. How could someone as cold as Sam give such heated looks? He huffed out a short burst of air through his nose, pushed his hand through the longest part of his hair, forcing himself to look away from Sam and complete his turn.

He’d never get anything accomplished otherwise.

Remi lifted and shook his wings briefly before he clamped them to his back again and angled them to the side, making it so he could lean down to his only source of fresh water on the roof without dragging his feathers across the ground. He twisted the handle and dropped to one knee to lean over and drink directly from the source. Once he’d slaked his thirst, he straightened and stood. His beard and the front of his blazer glistened wetly. He was able to wipe his face off with the back of his hand, but his coat was a lost cause. Remi faced Sam fully, already in the process of unbuttoning the offending piece of clothing.

"What? That I’m tired and want to sleep?" he asked, taking up the same teasing tone as he slid his coat off his shoulders and approached his makeshift bed to lay it next to Sam's.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel watched Remi drink from the tap and then approach him. The water dripping in his beard drew Sam's gaze like a magnet to iron, his enhanced vision able to follow as each droplet lovingly followed the curve and curl of each follicle. One slid from the tip of one hair to the middle of another and Sam was so struck by the way it glided that he longed to suck each droplet up - after following its path with his tongue.

Shaking his head to distract himself, he slid his hands into his pants pockets so that he didn't take off any more clothes. He'd also have liked it very much if he could spend the rest of the night pressing his bare flesh to Remi's and talking while they cuddled - platonically, of course. He knew it wouldn't stay that way, though, and the platonic relationship was his goal for the time being. Learn each other now, enhance the relationship - well, make it possible - forever.

So, his shirt stayed on and he didn't go lapping at Remi's face.

Remi's sassy reply had Samuel's mouth dropping open and his lips working, trying to decide whether he wanted to laugh, smile or whistle in response. He'd thought he'd miss sweet, shy Gene and his coy blushes but he really didn't, not when Remi was this entertaining.

"Yeah. That'd definitely be the wrong idea," he chuckled blithely, glancing skeptically down at the piece of furniture in question. "Maybe you do need a rest after that heal tonight but... I don't wanna leave you alone for that," Sam declared, dropping his voice to a decidedly husky level as he stepped closer to Remi. "But will this 'bed' even hold the two of us?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows suggestively.

There was only one way to know for sure, after all; get into it and test it.

[Ehcorn]

Remi propped his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes, making a show of examining Sam and the couch that doubled as his bed. Although the vampire stood taller than him, Remi didn’t imagine he’d have any trouble stretching out as much as he needed to in order to be comfortable — his concern was with the width of the couch. Sleeping solo with his wings out was already a tight fit. Add in another body, and it’d be even more of a squeeze. He smiled to himself. Not that it’d be a terrible thing to have an excuse to hold Sam close again.

"Suppose we’ll just have to find out," he said, echoing Sam’s thoughts without realizing it.

Following Sam’s lead in getting more comfortable, Remi tugged his tucked shirt loose from his jeans and then sat down at the edge of the couch. Next up were his shoes. He pulled them off, revealing his black sock-clad feet, and pushed them out of the way, beneath the coffee table hosting the Buddha bust that was no worse for wear for having been knocked over last night.

"Alright, let's see here," he said, and raised his eyebrows at Sam in an anticipatory fashion. He looked over his shoulder to watch where his wings were as he scooted himself as close to the back of the couch as he could. Then he eased himself onto his side, coming to rest on his elbow as he wiggled and scooted some more, aligning and folding his feathers carefully so that he didn’t bend any of them. He ended up with one side of his wings half underneath him and half pressed into the couch, while the other he held up, reminiscent of how one might hold a sheet and comforter to make room for someone in a properly made bed.

"Your turn," he declared, incapable of holding back his grin as he patted the spot next to him. A glance at the remaining cushion had confirmed that there'd be enough room for Sam, but he'd have to be on his side as well. Whether he faced Remi or let the angel spoon him, Remi would drape his arm and wing over him to pull him near.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel toed his shoes off when Remi did and also mirrored his shirt untuck, his grin broad. He wasted no time climbing onto the sofa Remi treated as a bed, managing to get his elbow wedged in between the cushions while he eased his way in, facing Remi.

“You know, a real bed isn’t quite so... tight,” he chuckled, winding his top arm around Remi’s waist and using it as an anchor to wiggle his body flush against the angel’s, his legs resisting the urge to twine and remaining straight for the time being. His arm beneath and between them was awkward but he tried to make it as small and unobtrusive as possible. He couldn’t help his fingers stroking the soft bed of wings they found below them.

Once he was in position, nose to nose and cradled happily beneath the warm umbrella of Remi’s wing (which he could feel even when it was hovering in the air above him), his smile shifted to something softer, his gaze roving over Remi’s face appreciatively. “But this one definitely has its benefits,” he murmured, doing his best not to think about how well aligned all their bits were. The term ‘masochist’ floated into his head and wouldn’t go away.

“I never realised wings were so warm,” he breathed, glancing up at it.

[Ehcorn]

For a moment, Remi feared Sam was unhappy with their arrangement and would want to get up, but eventually, the vampire settled and relaxed against him. He smiled in return and pillowed his cheek on his bicep and curled his arm up and around the back of his head. His remaining hand landed on Sam’s hip and he flirted with the hem of his shirt until he realized what he was doing, blinked, and curled his fingers into his palm.

They’d been this close before — not once, but multiple occasions now: When they’d stood chest to chest and he’d rested his head on the vampire’s shoulder, and every time they’d flown together. Lying down with their noses practically touching, he could feel puffs of air when Sam spoke; it made him keenly aware how much more intimately they held each other, and how easy it’d be to kiss him.

When Sam offered the opportunity to do something other than despair that he'd inadvertently created a test he'd fail, he leaped on it. His feathers hissed against cloth as he curled his wings more tightly around Sam. To an outside observer, all they’d see was a feathery cocoon. And perhaps their feet poking out at the end of the couch, since neither of them seemed inclined to bend their knees and risk pushing anything from the hip down together.

"They’re uh…" He trailed off to clear his throat and swallow as he tried to remember what Sam had said and what he should say in return. Wings. He’d said they were warm. "Yeah, I don’t really need blankets," he answered. Remi's eyes grew unfocused and he fell into silence again. He'd snuck underneath Sam’s shirt despite his earlier efforts not to. Once he'd stroked the toned waist he'd discovered, he couldn't bring himself to stop. "I wasn't sure you could feel the difference between warm and cold," he finally continued, though his voice was much lower than it had been before. "You never seem uncomfortable when we fly."

[Existentially Odd]

"Temperature doesn't affect me the same way it does you," Sam agreed. "I'm sensitive to the differences of hot and cold but I don't have flowing blood to respond to it, it just... is," he mused, pausing to think it through for a moment before he brightened. "Which is not to say I don't enjoy getting warmed up," he grinned. "Because I do love feeling it against me."

Samuel's gaze was drawn upward to Remi's wing, examining it with a reverent look on his face. He lifted his hand and reached up to tentatively stroke it, his fingertips running along spines and feathers with little ruffling sounds that delighted him, moving downward as far as he could reach. The wing exuded physical warmth but the feel of it embracing him filled Samuel with another kind altogether; a sensation of contentment, wonder and delight. All of it because of Remi.

He turned to look into the angel's eyes again, smiling. He'd planned on being close and spending time with him to comfort Remi after his challenging night but was quickly finding it was working the other way. Remi's heart was unfathomable in all the best ways.

"You know, I think you're the most generous soul I've ever met," he announced, thinking that it had been true when he was Gene also, but he wouldn't make that point for fear of disrupting the peace suffusing their cocoon. "If the world was filled with people like you, we'd all be happy," he smiled, distracting himself from the desire to kiss by tapping Remi's chin with the tip of his index finger.

Of course, that drew his gaze to those plump, heavenly lips but he remained exactly where he was.

[Ehcorn]

Each night before bed, Remi would methodically stroke every feather from base to its tip to get it aligned just so. The process not only ensured his wings remained flight-ready, it was also a relaxing ritual that helped him rest. He wasn’t sure Sam realized he was, in essence, preening him, but that didn’t change how nice it felt to have his fingers in his feathers. A soft hum of satisfaction made its way up his throat, his eyelids grew heavy, and it became a struggle to maintain more than half of his contented smile.

If it hadn’t been for Sam striking up the conversation again, he might’ve been lulled to sleep. As it was, he blinked owlishly until he could focus on Sam while he told him things that made his heart swell up and his smile grow to encompass the entirety of his face. When the vampire’s fingertip made an appearance on his chin and he realized his eyes were riveted to his lips, Remi inhaled and held onto his breath, anticipating that Sam would seal what he'd said with a kiss. 

But he didn't, and Remi was surprised by how disappointed he was. He should be relieved, shouldn't he? His tongue peeked out as he wet his lips, and he shifted closer, sliding his hand from Sam’s side to his back. Everything about Sam was thrown into sharp relief: the musky scent of his cologne, a small scar that interrupted the line of his eyebrow, the curvature of his face, his mouth.

Remi leaned forward, brushing his nose against Sam’s before pressing his lips softly to the vampire’s.

He pulled back, looking abashed. "Sorry, I was trying really hard not to do that yet," he said.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel's grin was slow, one side of his mouth lifting before the other as he gave a small, surprised laugh. He hadn't expected Remi to indulge and kiss him. He'd seemed quite content with cuddling up to him, of course, but that was as far as Sam had expected it to go. Here Sam was, telling himself to hold back, to not rush into anything and suddenly... a lovely world in which he got to taste Remi's warm lips opened up to him. His tongue curled out to capture the taste of him from his lower lip but it was much too faint.

"No need for sorry. I'm not arguing," he told Remi, a husky laugh of wonderment slipping out to fill the minimal space between them. The fact that Remi admitted to trying to hold himself back filled Samuel with cockiness because it was undeniable proof that he was as attracted to Sam as Sam was to him. The thought freed a million tingling butterflies into the cavity of his chest, his heart feeling both light and squeezed with astonishment at the same time. Sure, Remi had agreed that, once they got to know each other, there was a definite possibility of something happening between them but that was abstract. This... this dizzy, happy feeling and the tingle of fading heat on his lips was real and substantial and now.

Samuel could put his faith in the future because of now.

He could also close the distance between he and Remi just as easily as the angel had and so he did, tentatively pressing his face forward until his top lip was slotted between both of Remi's, his bottom lip below the angel's. He remained frozen in that position for a few moments, counting Remi's accelerated heart beats before his lips began to quiver with the strain of just holding them there. He gently squeezed Remi's lip between his own, pulling back to switch positions, landing around Remi's upper lip this time and slowly forcing it to be compressed by his own lips. He kept his tongue out of it - apart from split-second swipes of his own lips whenever he pulled back to change position - and continued to slowly explore the delightful texture of Remi's mouth and the forest of hair around it.

[Ehcorn]

When Remi said that he wanted to take things slow with Sam, he’d partly sought the opportunity to learn if his first impression of the vampire was as wrong as he’d begun to suspect it was. Early on, especially in his dealings with Dom, Sam had hinted that he was capable of cruelty, and it’d only served to verify everything Vretil had told Remi about the predatory species. Yet… he'd never gone out of his way to cause pain or suffering in another — he’d always been kind and generous and considerate.

Now was no exception.

Remi had led them to stand at the edge of a precipice with a kiss, and Sam ventured the long way around instead of plunging off headfirst into the unknown. The vampire's lips were soft and as cold as he’d imagined they might be, but they were also gentle and wound a meandering path around his mouth. Sam was in no more of a rush than he had been since Remi had made his wishes clear.

There was nothing to stop Remi from delighting that each time Sam’s mouth returned to his, it was a little warmer than it had been before, until their temperatures were indistinguishable from one another. The same went for the hand he circled at the small of Sam’s back and up towards his shoulders — the longer he maintained contact, the warmer Sam’s skin became.

And the longer they kissed, the more intangible and fuzzy around the edges everything became. If it hadn’t been for the undulation of sensations coming from every point of contact he shared with Sam, or the pounding of his heart in his head, he might’ve been convinced he was having a dream.

It would’ve made hearing his mentor call his name from nearby plausible, too. The really good dreams always ended abruptly.

"Remiel! I need to speak with you and I don’t have much time."

Remi’s eyes shot open and his lips grew slack against Sam’s, but otherwise, he didn't budge.

"Remiel, really. I know you’re not sleeping in there. Come out." 

Groaning, he shoved his face into Sam’s shoulder. "That’s Vretil," he muttered. "If we stay really still, maybe—"

But he was cut off before he could finish by the hand that grabbed the edge of his outermost wing and lifted it, exposing them to an exasperated and well-dressed angel with wavy auburn hair and wings that looked like they’d been dipped in liquid gold. "Send your companion on his way," he said, blue eyes flicking to Sam, "and let’s talk."

Remi shook his head without looking up. "Not unless he wants to go. Do you wanna go, Sam?"

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel relished every touch, every brush of a lip or a hand, delighting in Remi's warmth. It was difficult to restrain himself, the good feelings thrumming through him made him want to squeeze Remi closer, stick his tongue down his throat and generally ravish him. The most he allowed himself was sliding a hand beneath Remi's shirt to explore the ridges and hollows of his perfect abdominals, the gentle curve of his waist and the smooth expanse of his lower back.

When the voice interrupted them, Sam was bewildered, watching Remi's reaction and hearing the words 'That's Vretil' without fully comprehending the implications. The fact that anyone was interrupting them was beyond him at that moment; all he could think about were Remi's lips and the feel of him. Dazed with lust, he blinked as Remi's wing was lifted by a gorgeous redhead, looking from him back to Remi as he was asked if he wanted to go.

"No?" he answered immediately, glancing back at the angel peering down at them. The reality of the situation finally hit him and he realised he was pinning Remi into the seat; he needed to move so he could let him up. Brushing a reverent hand over Remi's head - and following it up with a kiss pressed in his hair - Sam rolled away reluctantly. He moved into a sitting position, finding himself being peered at by an imperious angel with wings so gorgeous they made his jaw drop. The red of his hair, the gold of his wings, the blue of his eyes... Vretil was like a beautiful, intimidating, glaring rainbow come to pass judgement on him.

"Uh... excuse me?" he asked politely, noting that it took a good ten seconds of deliberate thought before the angel acquiesced and took one step back to allow Sam room to move. Once Vretil was out of the way, Sam stood, twisted around, bent over and reached a hand down to Remi, planning on helping him to his feet - not because he needed the help but because Sam was thoroughly intimidated by the presence of the other angel. Hanging onto Remi's hand would make him feel better about being here during his visit. He smiled hopefully at Remi, struck by how incredibly sexy he looked lying there in his wings with mussed hair, flushed cheeks and kiss swollen lips.

Yeah, there was no way Sam was walking away from this man willingly.

[Ehcorn]

Remi toyed with the idea of using Sam’s outstretched hand to pull the vampire back down onto the couch so he could wrap his arms and wings around him and resume where they’d left off, but his mentor’s ugly expression made him reconsider. Vretil looked at Sam with his mouth snarled up and his nostrils flared like he’d caught a whiff of rotten fish. It made Remi wish he could take Sam in his arms and fly off to some secluded spot far from The Capital, even if he knew Vretil wouldn’t allow it. He’d chase after them and he’d be able to outlast Remi since he wasn’t carrying a passenger.

The only way to protect Sam was to stand with him.

Remi pushed himself up onto one elbow, swung his legs over the edge of the couch, and slid his feet onto the cold tile. Before he stood, he took Sam’s hand, and he didn't release it because Sam hung onto him more tightly than he usually did. Vretil fluffed his wings up and made a noise like another rotten fish had been added to the mix, causing Remi to give him a reproachful look and guide Sam another few steps away, giving them some additional breathing room.

"I need to speak with you, Remiel, not the creature. Send him away or I will," said Vretil. He took a step forward, stealing some of the space they’d managed to claim for themselves.

"Sam. His name is Sam, and no, I won’t."

"Creature," Vretil insisted. "He’s a vampire. Do you not remember anything I’ve told you about them? I suspect not, else you wouldn’t be here with him." A pause, and then Vretil took another step, his head canted to the side as he peered at Remi’s neck. "Has he—"

“No! He hasn’t tried either." There was a mischievous glint in Remi’s eyes when he glanced at Sam. "Though he's had plenty of chances when I've flown with him."

"You've what?" Remi thought Vretil might try to throttle them both, but the golden-winged angel threw his hands up scoffingly, spun on his heel, and marched off to retrieve a black duffle bag from the walkway he’d likely landed on. "Here." He shoved the bag at Remi’s chest for him to catch before it hit the ground. "I brought you more clothes. I wasn’t able to obtain more human money, but I gave you enough last time that it shouldn’t be an issue."

"Er," Remi said, struggling to grab the strap of the bag. "About that. I bought groceries and then… I gave the rest away."

Vretil sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Look, I know. I get it. I should’ve kept some, but Sam and I already got it all sorted out. I’m working for him, translating some Enochian texts that he has."

The other angel dropped his hand to stare hard at Sam. "Why does a vampire have angelic texts? Enlighten me."

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel glowered at Vretil as he maligned him, trying to take comfort from Remi's touch and his insistence that he had a name and hadn't tried to bite him but Vretil was extremely intimidating. And adamant vampires weren't trustworthy.

The glint in Remi's eye when he pointed out that Sam had had plenty of opportunities to drink from him while they flew was flat out startling. He hadn't considered such a manoeuvre - or even thought about drinking from Remi - because it seemed inherently dangerous. If he sank his fangs into Remi's throat a hundred metres in the air and he got horny, how well would he be able to concentrate on keeping them up? Not very well, he'd bet!

Only once Vretil stalked away did he realise Remi had deliberately talked about them flying together to anger his mentor. He was standing up for him, humanising him and goading an authority figure. Samuel hadn't realised Remi was such a badass. It restored his confidence a little - enough that he could speak when Vretil turned the full force of his suspicion on him. Mostly speak, anyway...

"B-because they're p-part of m-my boss' c-collec-sh-tion," he stammered, chagrined that his words were suddenly lodged at the back of his throat, where he was unable to pry them out without embarrassment. He paused, clenching his teeth together and inhaling air through his nostrils in order to finish his answer. He couldn't think of the poor impression he was making or it would undermine him completely. He was doing okay, he just had to relax... which was easier thought about than done, especially since he'd had to let go of Remi's hand so the angel could get control of the bag Vretil had shoved at him.

Sam clenched his fists and soldiered on, eliminating any extraneous details in order to expedite the delivery of his message. "Th-they youuu...you... used to belong t-to the Oligarchy." Somewhere, his brain was just laughing hilariously at him, he was sure of it; he could say 'Oligarchy' but a word like 'used' almost undid him? Ridiculous. "N-now they b-belong t-to the Ac-cademy. I'm Head Lib-brarian. The t-text w-we started w-with isn't very rrrrrr," he broke off and had to take another breath, "rrrrelevent. I-it's a journal of aaaaaan angel's journey I-in the y-year eight hu-hu-hu-hundred."

He licked his lips and wished he'd taken the option of leaving when it had been offered to him. It would've saved him a whole lot of humiliation because the sneer on Vretil's face was completely demoralising. He was afraid to even look at Remi or reach for his hand again for fear of the shock he'd see in his friend's eyes.

[Ehcorn]

Although he couldn’t tell for certain how Sam felt by reading his aura, the vampire made it clear enough to Remi that Vretil had managed to unsettle him. First, with how he’d clung to his hand before Vretil had forced their separation, and then it was his stuttering, gasping explanation that Remi knew would’ve come out smoothly if it’d only been the two of them. His heart twisted around itself miserably. He should’ve known better than to let Sam stay. Vretil had made his views on vampires abundantly clear. Just because he’d been convinced that Sam was a wonderful kind of different didn’t mean his mentor would be able to see Sam for who he really was.

“Is the creature broken in some way, Remiel?” the angel asked, raising a lofty eyebrow. “Or can you translate?”

Had Sam turned to look at Remi, he would’ve seen the expression of shock that he’d feared, but it wasn’t directed at him — it was directed at Vretil. “Sam is not broken and you know it. He was fine before you got involved,” Remi said, speaking with the same amount of force that he threw the duffel bag at a chair opposite his coffee table with. The chair screeched backward on the tile floor and thudded against a trellis pole, shaking the wisteria leaves above their heads.

Remi didn’t let the commotion distract him from what he had to say.

“You’re just being cruel because you don’t like this. He hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s the opposite.” Vretil’s second eyebrow lifted to join the first, but he didn’t say a word, not even when Remi forced his fingers through one of Sam's clenched fists to resume holding his hand. The golden-winged angel’s continued silence emboldened Remi. “Sam helped me. He made sure I had food and made sure I could pay off that Ward fine and..." Remi dug into his jeans and extracted his phone. "He got me this. He didn’t even ask me to pay him back.”

Vretil laughed lowly. “Of course he didn’t. Vampires naturally seek leverage, and what do you think that is?”

Remi huffed and shoved the phone back into his pocket. Clearly that hadn’t resonated with him.

“How is Sam providing a job where I get paid leverage?" Remi asked, attempting a different tactic. "It’s freedom. I don’t need to wait on you or depend on him for anything. I can buy what I need when I need it.”

“A job translating Enochain texts,” Vretil said, anger sifting back into the lines of his face.

“It’s not a big deal. Sam’s right. It’s something by this angel, Pravuil, and all he talks about is where all he went in Greece. Ancient Greece. It’s just a travel log.”

“What you have done is forbidden,” Vretil snapped. “Innocuous as it may seem, that log could very well contain damaging information if it fell into the wrong hands. Safe entrance spots to this plane, artifact names, abilities, locations.” He shook his head. “If it weren’t for your father, I swear, Remiel, I would drag you home and see you punished for this. If you recall, we don’t give out fines on the heavenly plane.”

Remi's mouth thinned and his hand tightened on Sam’s.