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GREECE. 450 BC.
Raphael was looking down at the village bathed in the warm light of the sun setting. He liked this island, there weren’t too many people, it was covered in beautiful green vegetation, and he could spend the day doing minor blessings and enjoying the mild weather. He hated cold temperatures.
What he loved the most about that place, though, was a particular cliff from where you could see the whole town overlooking a crystal clear sea and, during the night, the stars shined brightly as ever. If there was something he was proud of, it was the stars, and they were just starting to appear in the sky above him.
As he was lost in thought, he heard steps approaching from behind him. He turned around to see a face that was already familiar and most definitely welcome.
Zira.
He had met him millenia before, in Eden, and had then run into him quite often all around Earth. Raphael couldn’t say he minded. Actually, he particularly enjoyed the demon’s company. Some could have said he liked it too much, but the archangel had stopped caring for what the other angels thought a long time before.
The demon smiled and stood next to him. “Fancy seeing you here, Raphael.”
The archangel smirked and looked back at the view in front of him, the sun completely set by now. “Likewise. We’ve seen each other pretty often lately, I’m starting to think you’re doing it on purpose.” He glanced back at the demon for half a second, in time to see him smirking as well.
“Who tells me it’s not you doing it on purpose?”
Raphael broke into a wide smile. Maybe he blushed a little too.
Zira spoke again, “I’m here for a couple temptations, nothing too big.”
“Mhh, should I trust you?” the archangel mocked.
The demon brought his hand to his chest mocking offence. “I would never lie to you, my dear.”
“Alright, alright, I believe you.”
They spent a few seconds in comfortable silence, then Raphael shivered for the cold.
The temperatures were starting to go lower and lower in the evening, announcing the arrival of autumn. Raphael began to regret the choice of the sleeveless dress he was wearing as the chilly wind blew softly on his shoulders. That caught the demon’s attention. “Cold?”
The Archangel nodded, “I hate cold,” he mumbled, crossing his arms trying to shield himself a little from the breeze.
Then he felt something warm and soft being placed on his shoulders. A shawl Raphael knew Zira must have just miracled out of nowhere, since he didn’t see him carrying anything with him when he got there.
“Don’t want you to discorporate from coldness,” the demon said, as he finished fixing the cape as comfortably as he could on Raphael. The Archangel melted, both from the sudden heat on his skin and inside his chest.
“Thank you,” he murmured low, but he knew Zira heard him, given the smile on his face widening just a bit.
A few more second of comfortable silence passed. Maybe minutes.
“The stars are beautiful, I always find myself looking at them” Zira said, as he was looking up to the sky.
“Why, thank you,” Raphael replied, sounding a bit too smug than necessary on purpose.
Zira looked at him, frowning a little, then his face lit up in understanding. “Oh! Right! You created them, didn’t you?” the demon’s voice was full of what Raphael thought- hoped- was admiration.
“I did, yes,” he smiled as he recalled how it was like to be up there, “I spent so much time making them, it was so peaceful, so beautiful. Sometimes I miss that, flying around, making up patterns, putting colors here and there. It was wonderful.”
He hadn’t meant to ramble about it. He looked down at Zira again, who wasn’t looking bored as he thought he would, but captivated, interested in what Raphael was saying.
“That sounds amazing.”
“It was.”
After a second, the archangel looked back at the panorama in front of them.
“The view is spectacular, isn’t it?”
“It is.” But when Raphael turned around to look at him again, Zira was still looking at the archangel.
Raphael couldn’t hide the blush this time, so he decided to play confident. “Now, now, Zira, I may start thinking you actually like me.”
The demon burst out laughing and finally looked back at the sky. “Of course I like you.”
That wasn’t the answer Raphael was expecting.
Of course he liked him, he liked Zira too, spending time with him was always so pleasant, he just didn’t think he’d ever hear the demon say it.
Raphael sighed. “Yes, of course. I like you too.”
Zira looked at him with a big smile and a raised eyebrow. “Do you?”
“Of course I do!”
“Good.”
More comfortable silence.
“As much as I like being here,” Zira said, marking the word “like” on purpose, earning a playful glare from the archangel, “I really should go. Work to do, you know.”
“Oh, yes, of course,” Raphael smiled as he started walking away and couldn’t help but feel like he would have very much preferred if the demon stayed there with him. Then remembered what was placed on his shoulders. He turned his back to the town, to call him as he was leaving. “Oh, wait! Your shawl-”
“Keep it,” Zira smiled, “suits you better than it suits me, anyway. See you soon?”
It was a question. Of course I want to see you soon again.
“Sure. Maybe when you’re done with your job,” he suggested, smiling maybe a little bit flirty, but nobody needed to know.
Zira’s smile never failed to make Raphael’s heart melt. “It’s a plan, then.” And he was gone before the archangel could add anything.
He turned around again to face the sky and the village under the cliff, tightening the shawl around him, and smiled so wide his face almost hurt.
It’s a plan, then.