Just Last Night

[Trillian]

The shower was a great deal more sensual that he'd anticipated. He'd thought Saraekiel would join him just to fuck again but the touching was intimate and gentle and Ben almost asked a few times if the dark angel would allow his wings to get wet so Ben could touch them again. After running his fingers through them in bed the first time, he didn't think Rae's wings could get wet. They weren't normal feathers even though they were soft. They pulsed in time with his heart and were strong beneath Ben's fingers. It made sense, that they would remain dry even in the rain. Birds flew in the rain if they had to, but didn't they have oils in their feathers? Mostly they bunkered down. What did angels and dark angels do?

Rae's touch and the warm spray was making his mind wander over inane things. Ben returned to focus when he was asked about fleeing.

"Flee, escape, they're the same," he said. "I don't want to run away again. I don't want Jake to lord it over me, to think that he drove me out of the city. Fuck that," he said, making a fist and pounding it against the shower tiles, not so hard that he broke them. "Kerr says not to care what he thinks or what everyone else thinks, because I don't owe them. But I don't share that perspective. I've spent my entire life running away from shit and he wants me to keep doing it. It hasn't worked for me yet so I don't know why he thinks it'll work now."

Ben sighed, not wanting to have said all this to Rae because it really belonged to Kerr.

"I'll go, eventually. Unless something big keeps me here," he said, running his hands down Saraekiel's chest and then all the way to his cock, which he gripped with a hand and then puffed laughter because of what he'd just said. "Something important. Something grand," he said, letting go after giving Rae a few milking turns of his hand and then wrapping his arms around his waist.

He was still hurting from Saraekiel's 'no way' response of leading the north with him, but he didn't let it show.

[Seragil]

He didn’t know how to respond to what Ben had said, on one hand he was happy Ben trusted him enough to talk openly about his problems and discontent with things, but the rest? Was the vampire looking to him to provide this important and grand gesture that was meant to keep him here? And what was it meant to consist of? A diamond necklace or a Bugatti Chiron? Saraekiel doubted it was anything so pedestrian. Was he meant to go grab a District all Jake style and offer it to Ben on a silver platter? Before irritation had a chance to grow within him and ruined his mood, the Dark Angel put the matter aside and got back to business, and used the shower opportunity for what it was meant for. Fucking.

After they were once again washed and dressed Ben took him to the garden where Saraekiel let loose his wings now that there was once again air and sky around him and enough space to move in. The garden much to Saraekiels pleasant surprise turned out to be more like a botanica. He loved nature and missed living at Shae’s woodland estate. He visited his old home when he could but for the most part he now found himself tied to the office and the small apartment room he had there.

“The garden is beautiful, but is it merely a pleasant spot to spend some time or does the Academy use it for more practical reasons?” he asked quietly as he gently trailed his fingers over the delicate petals of a vibrant red orchid. He turned his head slightly to Ben who was standing beside him, almost huddled withing his folded wingspan and smiled with open curiosity. “ I mean this is an Academy for the supernatural. Do you grow medicinal and magical plants, poisons and such for study and use?”

He didn’t know much about the subject or even plants in general, he was no horticulturist or botanist but if the Academy was offering such knowledge, well. Learning was nothing to be ashamed of.

[Trillian]

"Yes, there are a couple of different classes in witchcraft," Ben pointed towards the small shack-like building and lawn where those classes were held - but also where neither of them could see because there was a high hedge that separated that part of the lawn from the rest. "So most of these plants do something or other." He shrugged. The magic class wasn't running yet because the prerequisite class of ethics in magic had only started up this year. They had sixteen students in it and Ben was interested to see if all of them would follow through into the magic class next year. "We only have sixteen students signed up for it when it starts next year but it's expensive because of all the components. Some of them make items, the others do moon spells or whatever, I don't know exactly. I've read the prospectus but I... I don't mess with magic."

He was fascinated by it but magic had been used against him very early on - a demonic ritual magic - which had caused him to become possessed by an earth demon and then lost three years of his life to it. Things had turned out okay in the end but it could've also gone very, very badly.

[Seragil]

“Why not?” he asked curiously. “I am assuming vampires can learn the arcane arts. I mean, if it’s power you’re after, there is no better path to explore.” It was rumoured the Seraphim knew angelic magic, which was how they made their weapons but as of yet Saraekiel had made no inroads into acquiring that knowledge, that power for himself. He wasn’t sure he was able to learn witchcraft or the arts of a sorcerer either, but that didn’t stop him from trying. His lack of skill was what lead him to gather and surround himself with those who had it. Like his fae friend Shae and the Gorgons. The true alpha of the wares was the reason he offered the pack an alliance rather then just using and discarding them, as he had originally intended.

“I love magic and mysticism. It’s a true power, one that is wholly yours to claim, if you have the talent and knowledge.” He said as he gazed wistfully in the direction of the magical classrooms

[Trillian]

"Mmn," Ben murmured noncommittally, thumbing his jeans pockets. While Saraekiel thought of the seraphim path beside him, Ben struggled with the acknowledgement of his past. His beginning as a vampire had been rushed, he'd had to re-learn all of his skills with the mild bonus of being a little older than a fledgling and having it feel fresh and new to him. He'd missed out on a lot of emotional memories, though. Six days with Kerr and then an intense relationship. Six days with Kerr and then eternal night bonded to him.

And don't forget Arles - that faint bond that was somewhere in the East. The only memories he had of his other sire were moving images but the idea of him going somewhere to meditate seemed to suit him. Namaste.

Their short walk through the garden came to a natural end when they arrived at the birdbath which was at the end of the manicured gardens. An iron fence separated the boundary of the Academy with the Meadowcrest Woods, and Ben knew if he travelled in a straight line he would arrive at the Sacramentum estate.

"Have you spoken with the other District Leaders lately?"

He doubted it. They locked themselves up into their own gilded towers and preened within them, thinking themselves and their territory mightier or better than the rest. Nobody did anything for their constituents other than run at the mouth. He broke his bitter gaze from Saraekiel to look at the stone birdbath beside them.

"I have to meet with the Dean, you know?" he said after not enough pause for Rae to answer his question about the District Leaders. Who cared about them? It wasn't any of Ben's business, was it? "That's why I drove down here. Not for sexy times with you," he said, glancing up and smirking before plucking at one of Rae's shirt buttons, not hard enough to pull it off though.

[Seragil]

Talk to the other District Leaders? As much as he would like to they seemed rarer to get his hands on then angelic magic. Sabrina had disappeared after her run in with Tess, Zoheret and Zeus were enmeshed in their own schemes and rarely stuck their heads out of their hidey holes, Charon was a recluse and Jake. Gods no. Jake would be the smuggest bastard right now. Saraekiel had no intentions of meeting with him anytime soon.

Saraekiel raised an eyebrow as he looked down at Ben playing with his button, his eyes glinting with sudden amusement. "Are you trying to politely tell me to fuck off because you have stuff to do?"

He supposed he had stuff to do as well. There was a district to run and he needed to get onto Via and finalize the new werewolf compound and he had his usual day to day business to take care of as well, though he could easily ignore it all, would ignore it all if it meant spending the rest of the evening with Ben, but he could tell the vampire wished otherwise and he knew a dismissal when he heard one. "I suppose I should get on with my paper pushing duties too."

[Trillian]

Ben chuckled, grinning at Saraekiel because yes, he was telling the dark angel that he was busy. He hadn't come here to have his attention diverted with sex and a tour of the campus but it had been a worthy distraction. The small laugh had disappeared but returned when the dark angel spoke of 'paper pushing duties'.

"Go on, then," he said, stepping back to give Rae room to take off. He was intrigued how it would be done. Would Saraekiel zoom straight up into the sky like Superman, making the takeoff look supernatural before his wings took over? Or would he need to flap his wings a lot, like a bird, and gradually rise into the air. It would be amazing to see, either way, and Ben's interest was apparent on his face.