Chapter Text
After greeting several hundred guests with a warm, welcoming speech that he had spent almost an hour writing, Angel joined hands with his older brother, Eris, and began the opening dance, a slow, steady waltz around the ballroom that he had practiced for centuries beforehand. It was a muscle memory by now. He knew every step, every twirl and spin by heart.
He was feeling particularly jittery and nervous this evening, despite it being the forty-seven thousandth ball he’s attended in his millennia of a life . His hands were shaking slightly from the coffee he had drank an hour prior, and his mind was racing.
What if he didn’t show up? What if he felt too nervous, or too embarrassed to come? He had promised Angel he’d be there.
Angel scanned the large crowd of guests with quick, subtle glances, trying to see if he could catch sight of Solar out of the corner of his eye, but he could not. He felt a slight twinge of anxiety and slight hurt, but he brushed it off stubbornly. It wasn’t Solar’s fault if he simply just didn’t want to go. Angel knew that feeling.
The prince himself wasn’t entirely fond of the balls, and the only reason he stuck around was for the secret people watching he did after the dances were over and dinner and refreshments were served.
Eris must have seen him looking around, because he raised a sharp, blue eyebrow as he led them into another spin, and whispered quietly, almost too silent for the Seraphim to hear, “Nervous, brother?”
“I’m… sort of. I guess. I’m just looking for someone. All is well.” Angel didn’t meet his eyes as he spoke, too afraid that the Seraphim would see past his walls with those keen eyes of his.
“He’s going to come, Ange, I can guarantee you that.”
“How did you…?”
“I’m not stupid, brother, I can see the desperation to see your beloved in your eyes. He promised you he’d be here, and I’m sure he’s going to fulfill that promise.”
“He’s not my— shut up, Eris.” Angel deliberately reached down and pinched Eris’ side lightly, unable to hide the golden hue that spread faintly over his face and how his wing feathers puffed up in the slightest. He wondered if Solar also thought of him in that way, as impossible as the thought was.
Eris chuckled but said nothing more. He let the waltz lead on for a few more minutes in silence, aside from the beautiful orchestra playing from the royal musicians on stage in the corner of the ballroom that added to the elegance of the event. The music ended with a sharp crescendo, and the two princes bowed theatrically in the direction of the applauding audience before leaving the dance area.
Angel left with a wave to Eris to greet the guests, formally bowing and shaking hands with other nobles, princes and princesses until he thought it would never end. He turned with a barely-suppressed sigh of annoyance to the next guest, only to collide with them and cause them to stumble backwards.
Without thinking, he quickly reached out and caught their hand and waist to steady them with a string of muttered apologies, only to look up and meet Solar’s wide, surprised eyes.
“Oh.” They both said in sync, and Angel felt his heart leap into his throat at the sound of his voice.
“Solar. You’re here.” He tried to keep his words steady, but could not keep the subtle hint of excitement from seeping into his carefully monotone voice as he pulled him back up and released his hold on him, folding his arms politely in front of him and offering what he hoped was a kind smile as he bowed.
Solar bowed sheepishly back, refusing to meet his eyes for some reason that the prince couldn’t find the energy to look into yet. Angel’s golden eyes quickly scanned his outfit, pleasantly finding that he was wearing a formal, dark gray jacket with black pants and a burnt orange tie tucked under the closed, pressed gray jacket, and a white undershirt with a single button opened at the collar and a dark, orange rose pinned to the breast pocket. Angel thought he looked very nice. It suited his personality and the paint color of his rays and faceplate.
“Hey. Look, I-I’m sorry I’m late, I just lost track of time and this suit took a long time to press.” Solar scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, looking down at the floor with newfound interest of the gold, polished marble.
“Don’t apologize, please. I’m just glad you’re here, love.” The word slipped out without Angel’s permission, and he quickly cleared his throat to cover up the mistake that he hoped the animatronic hadn’t heard. “Everything’s not too crowded, I hope? Did the coordinates I gave you portal you to the right place?”
“Yeah, I got here fine.” Solar muttered and leaned against a pillar, crossing his arms and legs casually. “Nice place. I don’t think I’ve seen this room yet. It’s very… spacious.”
“Yes, well…” Angel spoke, twirling a loose feather he had pulled from his wing between slender fingers, feeling the soft down under his skin, “ballrooms are meant to be large to hold vast quantities of people and decorations. I have to leave to greet the other guests for a while, but I hope you’ll join me for a flute of champagne once this is over, and perhaps a dance..?”
“Oh, I don’t— I don’t really, uh… dance. But champagne sounds nice, I guess.” Solar’s rays shrunk subtly into his head, and he turned his head and looked off to the side to watch the guests swaying around with their individual waltzes with a blank, almost tired look, and Angel had the briefest, intruding thought to grip his chin and turn his head back to face him like a cliche romance novel move to see if he’d blush.
The prince shook his head briefly to banish the thought, desperately hoping that he wasn’t blushing himself as he felt his face begin to heat up.
“See you in a bit, then?” He tilted his head slightly to his right and smiled, feeling a little, giddy rush when Solar returned it with a little grin of his own.
“Of course. Your Majesty.” Solar snarked quietly, and Angel couldn’t help but chuckle at his blatant sarcasm.
He bowed as he backed away, biting his tongue to hold back the large, dorky smile that dared to tug at the corners of his lips as he turned away to greet the other waiting guests.
“Your Majesty,” a tall, older-looking Celestial with jet black, slicked back hair with hints of grey in it, and a dark green, sparkly suit with twin tails at the back bowed dramatically in his pathway, and Angel turned to bow politely back, “I am Lord Alaric Ravenswood, pleased to make your esteemed acquaintance, and this is my daughter, Lady Elowen.”
The man gestured to a woman to his left, an equally tall woman with her black hair done back in a long, tight braid that ended just below her knees, adorned in a sleek, elegant midnight-blue dress that reached the floor, a tiara with glittering sapphires embedded into it sitting on her head, and her arms and hands covered in long, lacy silver gloves that ended a few millimeters below her shoulders. Her two, pale blue wings were carefully groomed, and were tucked tightly and neatly against her back.
Lady Elowen gave the prince a polite curtsy and smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Perhaps she was as reluctant to be here as Angel was, the prince remarked to himself as he bowed in response.
“Your Highness,” she announced in a soft, charming voice as she rose from her curtsy, “pleased to make your acquaintance. May I have this dance?”
Lady Elowen held out her gloved hand, and Angel had no choice but to take it in his own slightly larger one, leading her out to where the other Celestials were dancing.
“Of course, My Lady,” Angel smiled his most charming smile, and was surprised when she didn’t blush and giggle like how all the other noblewomen did when he flashed them his classic grin.
He directed them into a slow waltz that matched the graceful music resonating around them, and as rude as he felt for it, he couldn’t help but look back at Solar every so often. Angel wondered why he didn’t want to dance with him. Perhaps he was shy, or maybe he had been too forward with his offer. Angel wondered what Solar thought of him. He knew they were close. They had known each other for almost a year, now.
And lately, Angel was slowly coming to terms with the fact that perhaps… Perhaps he held romantic feelings for the mechanic. He felt different around Solar, more so than he was around any other nobles he’d met who’d try to flirt with him. Angel thought that Solar’s quick wit and sarcasm was charming, and funny. He loved bantering with the animatronic, loved joking with him about how atrocious his royal life was, he loved—
“Something on your mind, Prince Angel?” Lady Elowen’s voice snapped him out of his rather distracting train of thought, bringing him back to reality. He quickly fell back into step with the dance, and muttered an apology.
“No, My Lady, I’m sorry, I just… I got distracted.”
“It’s him, isn’t it?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“That man you were just with before you met my father. What was his name?” Lady Elowen tilted her head, falling into another one-two-three step rhythm with Angel.
“His name is Solar. He’s a friend of mine. We met no longer than a year ago. He’s my guest of honor.”
“Yes, him. You seem distracted by him. Every time I look at you, your eyes are staring at him. Has he done something to you? I apologize for probing, but I am rather curious, Your Majesty.”
If by ‘something’ you mean the man has stolen my heart and made me feel like I’m either on cloud nine or the most idiotic, stuttering Seraphim known to Heaven so many times whenever I talk to him that I can’t count, then yes. Angel thought suddenly, leading her into a final spin before bowing as she curtseyed in front of him in a move that signaled the end of their dance.
“Thank you for your concern, Lady Elowen, but I’m afraid I must go. I had a lovely time dancing with you.” Angel gave her a curt nod and departed before she could say another word, weaving past the mob of guests that parted for him with ease and walking over to the tables that held the champagne flutes.
He took one off of the table and took a sip, letting the fizzy, crisp drink slide down his throat. Angel took a few more sips, feeling a bit better as he finished the drink and set the empty flute onto a tray with other drained flutes other guests had drank out of. He took two more off of the table and walked away, hoping to find Solar so he could share the drink with the mechanic.
Searching for a little while around the cluster of guests, he eventually found him standing near the back of the ballroom, slightly hunched over as if trying to curl in on himself. He seemed to be waiting for something, most likely for Angel.
The prince sidled up to him and unfurled his wing to brush his shoulder with it to grab his attention, and when Solar turned to him with a startled huff and a spin of his rays, Angel held out one of the flutes of champagne he had taken to offer it to him.
Solar took it with a small, grateful smile and clinked it against Angel’s in a little toast before they both took a sip.
“Not too loud in here, I hope?” Angel asked, leaning against the wall beside him and taking another swig of champagne and adjusting his glasses as they slipped down the bridge of his nose.
“It’s… it’s a little much. It’s also a little hot in here.” Solar swirled the champagne a little, watching the beverage form a little whirlpool in the glass with rapt attention.
“It is, isn’t it?” Angel sighed, looking out at all the hundreds of partnered guests dancing around the floor. He wondered again why Solar wouldn’t dance with him.
An idea seized the prince’s mind suddenly, and he looked up to meet Solar’s gaze.
“Come to the roof with me?” He asked rather excitedly as he set his champagne flute on a nearby tray, Solar doing the same as he swallowed the last of it down. Perhaps there, they could finally have some time to themselves without the heaps of nobles trying desperately to grab Angel’s attention to show off their daughters.
“What?” Solar turned his head to look at him like he had just asked him to jump in a pit of lava.
“You heard me. Join me on the roof? It’s much quieter and cooler I’m sure. I have a little hangout spot that I like to visit when I’m feeling overwhelmed every so often.” Angel subtly stepped closer and reached out his hand, praying to his ancestors desperately that the mechanic would take it.
And, thank his ancestors, he did, his cool, metal hand sliding into Angel’s warm, gloved one perfectly, like two puzzle pieces that were made to fit together. Angel subconsciously laced their fingers together as he led him out of the bustling ballroom and down the brightly-lit halls to a flight of stairs.
“There should be a ladder just on the side of the balcony…” Angel murmured lowly as he tugged him out into the chilly, open air of the balcony. “Ah! Here it is."
The prince carefully climbed up the metal ladder onto the roof to make sure the thing was still steady, before peering over the edge and offering Solar his hand once more with an encouraging grin. He couldn’t help the way his wings were vibrating with excitement, the downy feathers on the base floofing up into puffy clouds of softness as Solar took his hand and joined him on the roof.
The slight breeze offered a nice break from the stuffy ballroom, as large as it was. Angel leaned forward against the railing, crossing his arms and looking down at his kingdom. Heaven was a beautiful place, especially at night. The two moons, one full, one a waning crescent, shone down on the golden grasslands, ponds, and trees, giving everything a subtle glow.
He saw Solar take the same position next to him from his peripheral vision, and felt a little happy flutter in his chest when he leaned slightly against him, like he wasn’t sure whether or not he was allowed to rest his full weight against him.
Angel slung his wing over Solar’s shoulders and wrapped his feather-ended tail around his ankle, subtly pulling him closer with silent permission. He felt Solar relax, and he couldn’t help the poorly-stifled purr that escaped him when the animatronic leaned his full weight against him.
He looked away sheepishly when he felt him let out an amused huff at the sound.
“Did you just… purr? I didn’t know Seraphims could make that noise.” Solar teased, looking up at him with a playful smirk.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, really. I’m offended that you would think such a thing. Seraphims are too sophisticated and proud to make such an outrageous noise.” Angel snarked back. Fuck it, he thought as he slowly wrapped his arms around Solar and pulled him into a loose, nervous embrace, letting him rest his head in the crook of his neck.
He felt Solar huff a quiet laugh against his skin as he burrowed further into the warmth of his feathers, lifting his arms to hug him back.
“You can hug me, you know. I’m made of metal, not glass.” Angel heard him mutter into the floofed-up feathers of his collar.
“I know, I just… didn’t want to overstep any boundaries.” Angel murmured, finally tightening his hold with a gentle squeeze and resting his forehead on Solar’s shoulder as he wrapped his wings around them both in a warm, downy cocoon, letting his purrs grow louder as he felt Solar melt into the embrace with a quiet, content hum.
Angel let the silence between them stretch on for several comfortable seconds, his tail swishing back and forth like that of a happy dog’s as he held Solar in his arms like he was the most precious gift anyone had ever given him.
“I’ve been wanting to do this all day you know,” Angel murmured finally into his jacket, his purrs dying down so he could speak, “just… hold you.”
“Sappy motherfucker,” Solar scoffed into his shoulder, shifting his head to look up at him with a playful glare. “I think I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“I’ve heard worse, trust me.” Angel murmured with a fond smile as he looked down at him before putting on his best impression of desperate princesses and noblemen that chased after him with every chance they had, “‘Your Majesty, oh, how I’ve waited for this day! You’re more handsome than I could have ever imagined!’ ‘Your Highness, please marry my daughter, she’ll give you however many children you want!’ ‘Oh, but I couldn’t possibly, My Lord. You see, I’m probably the only gay Seraphim in Heaven and I’ll have the entire kingdom of Heaven plotting against me if anyone finds out. Even so, I couldn’t possibly fuck your daughter because I have a psychotic sister out to kill me and I can’t take care of children right now, not to mention the very thought of sleeping with a woman makes me want to…’”
Angel trailed off, looking down to see Solar staring up at him with wide eyes.
“Ah… My apologies, I didn’t mean to go on a rant there.” Angel murmured, feeling his face begin to heat up as he rested his chin on top of Solar’s head, watching with interest as the ray on the top of his head shrunk down into the compartment in the animatronic's head to give him space.
“That’s uh… a lot to unpack.” Solar muttered back. “When— I mean, how did you…?”
“Find out my preferences? Well, when you eventually put together the several moments of attraction you’ve felt towards other princes you’ve met at balls and galas alongside the absolute disinterest you’ve felt towards women your entire life, you start to really wonder.” Angel replied.
“Yeah, that’ll do it, I guess.”
“What about you?”
“Me?”
“No, stupid, the guy next to you.” Angel huffed lightheartedly and poked his side playfully, and Solar rolled his eyes, nudging him in his arm rather forcefully with his elbow.
“I don’t know, I’ve never really thought about it. Both, I guess.” Solar shrugged.
Angel hummed, falling silent. He closed his eyes, feeling a warm, full feeling of contentment bloom in his chest, and he gently squeezed Solar around the waist.
"…You know," the Seraphim started, "I—"
"Prince Angel." The voice was low, stern, angry, and Angel froze, slowly turning his head to the direction where the entrance to the balcony was.
"Father—"