Chapter 13: Moment of Beauty

Chapter 13: Moment of Beauty

"Wake up" A voice hissed into his ear, causing the angel to stir. His eyes burned as he opened them to the waking world, feeling as though he'd been hit by a truck the blonde groaned inwardly. He was laying on the hard mattress of the old motel room, the sun of the once bright day was dipping down behind the skyline.

The blonde shut his eyes tight before opening them again, how long had he been asleep? Abel slept in the bed beside him, the man murmuring lightly as he dreamed. His hand gripping into the blankets below, his face slightly more pale than usual but Chamuel assumed it was from sleeping so long.

The angel forced himself out of the warmth of the covers, checking his phone with a groan. The two had slept nearly twenty four hours! Chamuel shook his head attempting to scatter the dreams that still settled above his head,

"Chamuel," The voice again, it was Uriel, which caused a tingle of anxiety to rush into his bones.

"Meet me outside. We need to talk."

Chamuel let out a breath of frustration, looking down at Abel once more. He brushed hair from the man's face, eyes dancing over a scar above the man's eye. It was something Chamuel had noticed often but never brought it up, making a mental note to ask at some point as he hunted for clean clothes. Tugging on one of Abel's old movie shirts and a pair of jeans the Angel slipped from the small motel room and into the fresh air.

Memories flooded him as the sleep vanished from behind his eyes, Donnie had practically dropped him and Abel off and ran, he knew the hunter was incredibly paranoid someone or something would find and break into his home. Cham wasn't sure what exactly his friend had hidden away but it must be big if his first reaction was to run as quickly as possible.

"Chamuel,"

Cham turned his head to the right, there they stood on the third floor, Uriel leaning against a gate that covered the balcony, watching the falling sun with a look of disinterest. The sky turning to bright pinks and purples, fading into the darkness of the night above.

"Come with me," he said,

Turning on his heels, the expensive dress shoes clicked against the ground lightly as he walked. Chamuel followed close behind, he felt like a child that had his hand caught in the cookie jar, feeling anxiety bit into his skin.

After a few short minutes the men came to a door, Uriel pushed inside to show a small laundry room. A washer and dryer was spinning lightly, letting out a whirl into the empty air, walls painted a rusty yellow with a few baskets of dirty clothes waiting to be washed. Uriel locked the door behind them, the click sent a wave of nausea through his system. Uriel turned to the blonde with his hands behind his back.

"We need to talk," his deep voice coming out in a growl,

"I've...been praying," Chamuel started

"Yes, and so have I. You haven't answered me once,"

"I wasn't... avoiding you," Cham defended himself, "I was just not praying specifically to you."

"Chamuel let me make this very clear," Uriel snarled like an angry dog, He could see the rage in the dark skinned man's face causing the angel to look down at his feet, "You pray to me! Not to Castiel, not to God, you pray to me if you have an issue."

"I try but you don't answer" Chamuel replied, "ET gets answers faster than I do,"

"ET?"

The blonde looked up at the man in surprise, blinking as he realized he'd just done an Abel to the other.

"Erm, I just...didn't think you'd understand," shuffling from foot to foot, his face turning red,

Uriel frowned at this, looking from Chamuel to the wall as if he could see something the other couldn't.

"What is it?" Uriel finally asked, though it sounded pained as if the thought of guiding the other physically harmed him.

Chamuel glanced at the man in light surprise, causing Uriel to clear his throat "tell me. After I help you with…" He paused, seeming to look for the proper words "your problem...we can discuss what I called you here for,"

Chamuel bit his lip, he never expected to talk to Uriel about this let alone in an old laundry room surrounded by dirty clothes.

"Well?" Uriel was growing impatient, he could hear it in his voice yet the man's face remained stone cold. Feel his throat going dry at what he was about to confess, it scared him yet, it also thrilled him.

"I uh," Chamuel fiddled with the beaded bracelet on his wrist that he wore for Abel's constant need to be fiddling with something. "I think I'm…" swallowing hard, Uriel was the last person in the universe that Chamuel wanted to talk about this with but he felt backed into a corner now as the others' dark eyes narrowed.

"I'm...not completely sure, but I...think I might have feelings for Abel," just saying those words made him feel high, a mix of anxiety and pure Bliss at saying it out loud for the first time.

Uriel's facial expression didn't change but the anger in his voice was something Chamuel wasn't expecting,

"Don't you dare,"

Chamuel recoiled, taking a step back as the man glared down at him.

"I-I didn't think--"

"No you didn't think," Uriel snapped, speaking to the angel as if he were a child, sending a wave of anger through the blondes veins but he remained quiet.

"This isn't some magical journey, you," he jabbed a finger into the blondes chest, "are the archangel of war! This love nonsense isn't you anymore, you are in possession of the most powerful grace that's ever existed and when you reach your full power this body," gesturing angrily to Chamuel's form, "will crumble!"

Chamuel looked away, clenching his fists as his blood boiled.

"What's so wrong with having feelings?" Chamuel snarled back, keeping his voice low.

"Nothing, to a human,"

"Then why was I put on Earth for so long if I'm not meant to feel human? If I was supposed to be some killing machine why am I here? If I'm so powerful why did God put me and Abel together?"

"God works in strange ways," he huffed, "I can not speak for them, but what I can say, is to get rid of this infatuation!"

Uriel's anger was clean in his features, yet, Chamuel didn't feel the usual fear that came with angering the larger man.

"Why should I have to? Why can't I love him and be an angel of war? I can get a new body,"

"Bodies are sacred, you can't just get a new one," Uriel looked at the other in shock as his voice continued to rise, "Your mind will be far too focused on him if his feelings are returned!" Uriel yowled, "you'll get him killed, you'll get yourself killed. War...is powerful, he will not stop until he's satisfied, War isn't a toy." The angel seemed to relax, adjusting his tie as he spoke.

"Besides," Uriel seemed to relax now, shoving a hand in his pocket, "you've known him for only...two months? You'll get over it."

Chamuel wasn't so sure, shaking his head as the anger in his continued to rise.

"I figured you wouldn't understand,"

"No, because I'm not a human. I'm not a fool who falls in love with our most powerful human pawn,"

"Don't call him that, he's not a pawn,"

"God is using him like they are using you, you're a pawn Chamuel. So am I."

Chamuel continued to clench and unclench his fists,

"I saw what happened at the club, your power is great but you lack discipline and I fear Abel might be the reason. This will be life or death, you're not playing house. You, for some reason, were chosen to save the world,"

The blonde felt himself starting to calm down, refusing to meet the others eye.

"Besides," Uriel scoffed, "God made a mistake with Abel,"

Chamuel's head snapped up, the anger came again. Hot as a fire he felt it burning,

"What do you mean by that?"

Uriel either didn't notice the glow in Chamuel's eyes or he simply didn't care, unafraid of the others' anger.

"He's nothing like Dean, he's weak. He's not even half the man--"

Chamuel lost his control, he threw himself at the other like a rapid animal. Not allowing the man to finish his sentence as he plucked him easily off the ground and slamming him into the wall with such ferocity the wall crumbled slightly around him. Uriel gasped in shock at suddenly being thrown around as if he were made of nothing.

"Don't you ever ever ever say that about him," Chamuel's voice echoed if two people spoke at once, giving him a deep, angry tone. Fear flashed in Uriel's face, he hadn't expected the usual calm, submissive man to suddenly lash out at him with all the force war felt was needed.

Opening his jaw to speak only to.lose the words in his throat, grasping for something to say. Chamuel had never seen the other so terrified, flustered, feeling a mix of satisfaction and fear roll through his veins as he dropped the bigger man.

His feet touched the ground with ease, the wall behind him leaving a large dent where his body was violently thrust against it. Chamuel sucked in air as he attempted to fight off war,

"And this is why you can't tell Abel," Uriel hissed, attempting to brush off the cement that speckled his once wrinkle free suit.

"It's not just you in love, Chamuel, it's also war. And war...isn't going to care who he hurts."

Chamuel went to his knees, attempting to calm the storm inside him. Sucking air in as if he had run a few miles,

"And if you destroy everything in your path to protect your love for Abel, well, the world might not make it to the end. What a pity, the world's ending because an angel of the Lord couldn't stop a few people from insulting his play thing."

Uriel leaned down, placing a hand on chamuel's back. Chamuel felt warmth spread through him as the bruises from the night before vanished, his exhaustion lifted.

"You have a choice, Chamuel, to either love him," Chamuel glanced up at Uriel, tears racing down his cheeks as he felt his heart breaking in his chest, "or save the lives of thousands,"

"That can't be the only options," his voice hardly a whisper, practically begging the other to give him anything else. The idea of never being with Abel in the way he imagined made him feel empty in a way he never felt before.

"There is none, if War becomes too attached to Abel it's over. War will kill everything and everyone in his path to protect Abel," there was a softness to Uriel's tone for a few heart beats but it vanished almost immediately.

"If war falls in love, Abel must die to protect the human race." Uriel stood up tall, walking past Chamuel and yanking opened the door.

"I knew you wouldn't be a good fit, I told God not to choose you, but here we are. Don't be a traitor to us. We are all counting on you to stop the darkness. Don't be selfish. It's funny, because this is exactly what I wanted to talk to you about,"

With that the door slammed behind him, Chamuel sucked in air again as he attempted to stop the tears that raced down his cheeks. Rubbing his eyes, he leaned against the old washer. Feeling it vibrate and move helped calm him a bit, rubbing his hands in a desperate attempt to comfort himself.

***

Despite the healing Uriel gave him, his head pounded from the sudden burst of rage, It came out so quickly he couldn't stop it. Yet the look on Uriel's face he wouldn't change for the world, having never seen the other so afraid even in the worst situations.

Making his way back to the motel room slowly, dragging his feet as he went. He was afraid of seeing Abel now, afraid of feeling that familiar warmth in his chest. Knowing now that it wasn't destiny, love at first sight, anything that he silently daydreamed about. He had feelings for the hunter from the second he saw him and it caused a battle in his mind.

After all, he was just a pawn. He wasn't meant to survive the war, he knew that now especially. Grabbing the cold.knob he felt the tears burn his eyes once more but blinked them away. He couldn't let the other see him like this, what would he even say?

Pushing the door open he stepped into the warm room, Abel sat on the bed with his headphones in and the laptop open. He grinned up at Chamuel but the smile vanished immediately,

"Cham?" He pulled the wireless earpieces out of his ears and placed them in their case.

"What's wrong?" He asked, Abel knew Chamuel too well. Even in their short time together, it felt as if they'd known each other forever.

The angel couldn't stop the tears once more, he was terrified and seeing the others face made his chest ache in a way he didn't think possible. Abel got to his feet the second the tears fell, placing a hand on the other's arm and guiding him to the bed.

"Hey, man." He murmured, wrapping his arm around his friend in a slight hug, "Are you okay?" His voice was soft, worried.

Chamuel shook his head, "No," he murmured, Cham couldn't tell Abel the real issue. He wanted to, he felt the intense desire to spill it all out but Uriel was right. He hardly knew Abel, and soul mates were so rare. Why would it happen to him? He continued to rub his hands together only for Abel to let his arm drop off him and place a hand over Chamuels.

Chamuel's heart raced as he started to fiddle with the hunters fingers, looking up at Abel who grinned at him with his usual cocky smile.

"What's got you so worked up? I know it's hard waking up to my ugly mug every day but you don't gotta cry about it," Abel teased

Chamuel laughed now, sniffling as he felt the tears beginning to stop. Brushing them away with the back of his free hand, watching Abel's fingers as he let them trace over his skin.

"I just…" Chamuel shook his head as if to rid his heart of the secret it had to keep. "I guess I'm overwhelmed," he whispered, lacing his fingers with Abel's. Noting how big his hands were compared to the hunters, making his heart melt.

"Well we do have to save the world," Abel pointed out.

"It's just…I guess I'm having a hard time figuring out why I'd even want to save the world," he admitted, "I mean, since I've been here...on Earth just," sighing as he attempted to find the words.

Glancing at Abel, who watched him with a puzzled expression.

"I...haven't really felt like anything is worth living," he felt cynical as he spoke but it was all coming out now, "since I've been here not only do people just...hurt each other for no reason but they hurt everything, nothing in this place is beautiful. When I was in heaven everything was so beautiful, vibrant, but here? Everything feels so dull and grey,"

Abel listened to the other, tilting his head, Chamuel felt warmth spread through his veins as he looked at the other.

"And...when I came here," he started, "I...I figured being the angel of love I'd be able to help people. Teach them about love and how to love, only...I don't think I know anything about love anymore," the last part came out in a whisper, looking back down at his hands. They covered Abel's completely, but the comfort he felt from the touch made the weight in his shoulders lift ever so slightly.

"What do you mean?" Abel asked, blinking a few times as if attempting to understand.

"I…" Chamuel bit his lip, "I'm...gay, Abel," he murmured, Abel looked at him in slight surprise, Chamuel had kept his sexuality so secret Abel was shocked at the level of trust the other displayed towards him. "and my first time coming to earth…" he ran his thumb over the freckles on Abel's skin, letting his words trail off.

"People suck, man," Abel whispered

Chamuel nodded, not wanting to go into details. Thinking back to the comments Abel had been getting online, feeling embarrassed by what little hate he had received compared to the other.

"but the right people are what makes it worth it," Abel offered,

"Yeah, maybe," Cham murmured, brushing a few tears from his cheeks as he did so.

"It just makes me wish I was in heaven again, it was...boring, but so beautiful," he murmured.

"I guess...I just want a reason to keep doing this," Chamuel said, his voice cracking as the tears continued to flow. "I'm sorry, I…"

"Don't apologise, Chams, I know what you mean."

Chamuel nodded, rubbing his eyes again as he attempted to hold back the hopelessness that settled in his gut. It felt like a hot fire that threatened to burn him up.

Abel seemed to be thinking hard, his eyebrows creased as he listened to what the other had to say. There was a long silence before Chamuel awkwardly broke it,

"If you keep thinking so hard smokes going to start coming out of your ears," Chamuel joked.

Pulling his hands away from Cham he stood up with an extra kick of energy, though the angel could see the exhausted look in his eye. He held dark rings on his features which was strange, after all, they just slept for an entire day.

"What?" Chamuel asked, spotting the shit eating grin flashing on the man's features.

"Close your eyes,"

"What? Why?" Chamuel asked, bewildered.

"Do you trust me?" Arching an eyebrow at Chamuel, causing the angel to visibly roll his eyes.

"Unfortunately," he chuckled, shutting his eyes as he was told to do.

Chamuel could hear Abel shuffling through something, the sound of the guitar being bumped nearly made him open his eyes but he forced them to remain shut.

"That guitar is worth more than your life, don't break it," Chamuel teased, he heard Abel scoffed towards the words but he didn't answer.

"Alright, Don't look!" Abel called to him, the shuffling stopped as it seemed the hunter had found what he was looking for. The sound of the lights being flickered off with a soft click cause Chamuel's attention,

"What are you doing?"

"Just trust me, Goose!"

He heard Abel curse under his breath before a triumph "got it," came from where he was in the dark room.

"Can I open them now?"

"Nope! Keep 'em shut no matter what!"

"No matter what?"

The sudden feeling of wetness slashed over him, it was as if a sprinkler was going off but only a small bit of the water caught onto your clothes.

"Abe?"

"Don't worry, Chamuel, trust me," hearing Abel say his full name put him more at ease, feeling a familiar trickle of warmth splash over his system. His name sounded like poetry coming from the other's throat.

The feeling of wet droplets continued to fall over him as he sat on the bed. Curiosity burned into his mind, putting a hand over his eyes as he attempted to keep himself from ruining whatever surprise Abel had.

"Okay, open them," Abel's voice excited as he spoke, Chamuel's eyes slowly opened to the scene before him. He gasped, standing up out of pure surprise.

The room had been turned pitch black, with curtains drawn and lights all shut off. All around them were small, droplets of glowing light. The lights sprayed everywhere, from the floor to the ceiling all in different colors, sizes and shapes.

Chamuel looked down at his own body, he was covered in the glow. Letting his fingers brush some of the still wet paint like substance off his skin. It spotted his clothes, danced in his sandy blonde hair, glowing vibrant in the ever deep blackness. His eyes moved from the beds to the ceiling and everywhere in between until finally, he looked to Abel. The man grinned from ear to ear, his face and hands covered in smeared glowing paint, he could see it dripping from an empty plastic tube in the hunters grip. Abel was also covered in the stars, green eyes reflecting the light like a Christmas tree.

"Abel how--" he started, looking around yet again. It was as if Abel had taken the night sky and dropped it in their motel room, filling it with all colors of the rainbow. Tears rolled down Chamuel's face at the beauty and awe of it all,

"Moment of beauty?" He said with a smuggest look the angel had ever seen, his heart swelled, "I thought yaknow...we could watch a movie, order some take out maybe, and sit in our own personal heaven! Better than the dump upstairs, am I right?"

"How did you…do this?"

Abel leaned up, brushing the man's cheeks lightly with a thumb leaving a glowing smudge on his cheek.

"Glow sticks," he chuckled, "those tears better be good ones,"

"They are, Aren't these toxic?" Cham asked as Abel let his hands fall back to his side,

"I'm not that dumb," he laughed, "I carry a handful of the non toxic stuff,"

"Why? For this?" Chamuel gestured around them.

"No, and yes," Abel admitted, "mostly for emergencies. But...sometimes," the hunter grinned at the stars that surrounded the two.

"Sometimes...I like to remember that the world is beautiful,"

"That was so cheesy," Chamuel chuckled nervously, he couldn't stop the flutter in his stomach as Abel laughed.

"Yeah, I guess so. I used to do this all the time when I was a kid, like a comfort thing," Abel seemed to be looking through memories for a few heart beats as he glanced around at the stars, his eyes settled on the angel once more.

Chamuel smiled so big it hurt his cheeks, brushing the tears that ran down his face. He took a step towards the other, his brain telling him to hug the man but his heart singing a different tune; instead he found his hands pushing themselves against Abel's cheeks. The others stubble scratching lightly at his palms as his thumb races over the stars that settled on the other's chin, smearing it lightly.

"Abel, thank you," he whispered, "this...is better than anything I've ever seen," he murmured, looking into the man's gaze.

Abel leaned into the others touch, Chamuel could feel his heart pounding against his rib cage. The high that flowed through his veins felt better than any drug ever could as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead to the others.

Every part of his brain was screaming at him, he wanted more than anything to taste the paint that dotted the others lips.

"You can choose to love him, or save the earth," Uriels voice broke over the haze that clouded his mind. The pain that struck in his heart made him wince inwardly.

His lips only inches from brushed Abel's before he pulled away, his face red as he let his hands drop to the man's shoulders. Clearing his throat, the look of surprise on Abel's face made his heart ache.

"W-well if you're going to order food we better do it soon, cause I could...sure use some drugs…" Chamuels voice hardly a whisper, his heart sank.

The awkwardness faded as Abel smiled again, chuckling nervously as he pulled out his cell phone in an attempt to distract himself.

"Yeah, and pick a movie," he agreed, Chamuel could see how red the other was even in the starlit darkness.

"I get to pick the movie this time," Cham said as Abel stumbled to the bed, clearing his throat to scatter the awkwardness around his brain.

"Aw no, you'll pick some dumb romance comedy,"

"Shut up you liked Bridesmaids," Chamuel chuckles,

"Help me I'm poor!" Abel said quickly, mimicking the line from the movie causing Chamuel to laugh

"There's a colonial woman on the wing!" Chamuel mimicked

"She was churning butter. I saw her," Abel replied, causing the two to howl in laughter.

As the night went on Chamuel made sure to take in every moment like it would be their last. Laying beside the hunter well after the movie, laughing and chatting with one another.

"Hey Cham," Abel murmured, Chamuel could tell Abel was about to fall asleep. Whenever they slept Abel would talk until he fell asleep, usually it was mid sentence and the many sentences Abel had said right before falling asleep always made Chamuel laugh.

"Hey what?" Chamuel asked, the stars in the room had started to lose their glow. Chamuel could see a splash of color in the nighttime sky.

"Thank you," Abel murmured, his eyes falling shut.

The angel let out a breath, "For what?" He whispered now. Watching as Abel fell into the darkness of sleep, the angel brushed the others brunette hair lightly out of his face.

"For saving me,"

Chamuel blinked at the words, saving him? For what?

"Abel? What did I save you from?"

Silence, the hunter was fast asleep. Chamuel shuffled uncomfortably for a few heartbeats as he attempted to piece together what the man said. He froze, a chill tore down his spine. Sitting up quickly as a rush of cold air passed by him, Chamuel felt his grace kick in as he waited, but nothing came. The sky is now filling with purples and pinks, covering the room in a warm light. Chamuel laid back down, confused but too exhausted.

"I think you're losing it, old buddy," Chamuel murmured to himself. Scooting closer to Abel, relaxing into the deep darkness of sleep.

***

"I have to warn him, I have to--" Slamming a closed fist on the ground he sat on, glaring into the deep, dark puddle that sat before him. He was surrounded by trees, all growing tall and dense.

"Cas," The man growled, practically tearing the grass apart like a cat.

"Dean," The man murmured, his voice held a sympathetic note to it. Racing a hand down the man's back.

"I can just-- ghosts can throw things, I can't even do that?"

"You're not a ghost, Dean."

"You have to give me something, Cas. My boys down there getting drugged by this son of a bitch,"

"You can not interfere, I brought you to the forest of life so you could watch him without restriction."

"Restriction, in heaven! Bullshit, Cas. Somethings going on that you're not telling me about, I can see everyone else I want but not him?!"

Dean turned his attention back to the large puddle that sat before him. Inside the puddle was a vision of Abel and Arphaxat,

"Don't do it, kid," Dean murmured, dread flooding his body as he watched his son pop the drug into his mouth. Dean watched in horror as the puddle slowly dried up a half an inch. Castiel placed a hand on his chosen one's shoulder.

"I'll….see what I can do," Castiel murmured, standing up, kissing the other softly on the head before vanishing into nothingness, a single dark feather sat where Castiel had been only heart beats before.

Dean glared at the puddle, eyes occasionally glancing to the puddle of Cain before moving back to his own sons. He could also see Sam's and Sam's family, beyond that was Chamuel's. The puddle had mysteriously been moving towards Abel's, the hunter let out a sigh. Leaning against the tree behind him.

"Don't take drugs from strangers you stupid idiot," He shouted into the sky.