Chris sits watching as his friends dress Angelo up like he is a doll.
They'd give him clothes to try on and he'd walk out of the dressing room to show them how he looks. Some would like his outfit some wouldn't. JJ wants him to dress in dark clothes.
Kira and Wendy want him in bright clothes. At the end of the day, Chris knows he's going to end up picking both dark and bright-colored clothing. The ones he likes of course.
It's a no for patterned and floral shirts, a yes to baggy trousers and a no for skinny jeans. Well, he can only take two or three. Socks and sandals are forbidden. He needs more sneakers and more boots. He has to look like a star, a hot musician. Wearing shirts with a white tank top underneath like how Michael J dresses.
It's been nice seeing Angelo have fun, Chris is sure he's been confused and scared about the whole halo thief thing. A dangerous man looking for him to join his stupid fan club of humans turned angels.
Angelo's protected, Chris is going to make sure of that. And he's going to make sure Angelo can protect himself and that's by training him to fight. He's an angel more powerful than any Nephilim in the headquarters. If he gets some training then he'll be just as skilled as anyone.
Chris knows Angelo has a purpose because of what Father Guzman said in his study. Normally he would not agree to go back to high school, a public high school filled with humans for that matter but he said it's God's plan, and when God speaks to Father Guzman that means it's something serious.
It's almost like God knew that Angelo was going to receive that halo, and that's probably why Angelo hasn't been claimed by the halo thief yet and he's the only human turned angel in the headquarters right now.
There is something about Angelo that's fascinating to him and it's not just because he has an angelic halo in his chest.
"Chris you haven't said anything about all of Angelo's outfits," Kira says folding her arms.
"I— they're all great!" Chris grins briefly and that grin disappears as quickly as the grin appears.
Kira shakes her head. "Oh, Christopher always the quiet one. I can't wait to see the person you fall in love with."
Chris doesn't smile at all but instead, a sad expression crosses his face and he looks away from his friends.
"HA! Chris fall in love? The only thing he's in love with is his sword." Says JJ and the three laugh. Angelo doesn't laugh, he doesn't know what's so funny, and he doesn't think that's true. Angelo believes anyone can fall in love because love is too powerful not to be felt. And Nephilims are part human so yes they do have emotions. And love is one of them.
He watches Chris as he puts on a fake smile on his handsome face.
"Excuse me," Chris says getting up from his stool.
"Chris, you're not offended are you?" Wendy asks. Worry is written all over her face.
"Come on bro I was just playing." Says JJ.
"Nah, I'm not offended. I just need to get something real quick." Chris leaves the store and Angelo knows for sure that Chris is upset. Not upset at JJ's joke but upset that there's a possibility that no one will ever fall in love with him because of his parents' crimes.
He shouldn't be feeling too bad for Chris because he knows Chris is a tough guy who doesn't let things get to him.
"Okay, shall we continue?" Kira asks Angelo and he nods.
"This will look good on you Angelo," Wendy says blushing giving him dark green cargo pants. He takes it, winks at Wendy and rushes into the dressing room.
This has to be the best day ever.
Chris is outside with his arms in his pocket as he looks at the humans going about their lives not knowing what lurks in the shadows. Most of them don't know there will be demons coming out to claim them at night, to torture them and make their lives miserable.
They don't know that they're being protected by nephilims who will destroy those demons. They know nothing of the supernatural world or the supernatural battles that happen close to them.
Chris isn't thinking about falling in love, he doesn't have the right to fall in love when he has to right the wrong of his parents by doing what's right by the Nephilim, he has to prove that he's not like them or going to be like them someday.
All eyes are on him waiting to see if he'll fall, waiting to see if he'll break the covenant. But there's no way he's going to do that. He's not his parents he's his person.
Chris stops looking around when he spots someone from across the mall staring at him.
He looks like a teenage boy but at the same time, he doesn't. His hair is in a buzz cut and is coloured white he has pale skin, round face, thin lips and he's quite tall, not too tall though.
His dress is specific. He's wearing all black. A black leather coat, black shirt, pants and boots. He's handsome, for sure. A beautiful man who's looking at him. It's not the first time this has happened. He's had a lot of men and women check him out. But this one's different, this is less of sexual desire or admiration and more wonder and mystery.
The boy smiles and he walks away clearly gesturing for him to follow and that's what Chris does. He follows the boy. He walks past a crowd of people and a bunch of girls who giggle to themselves after he asks them to move out of his way politely.
"He's so hot." they giggle. Chris doesn't smile neither does he blush. He gets such compliments all the time but he doesn't really care. Chris rather people compliment his skills as a demon hunter than his beauty.
He pushes past more people as he follows the stranger. It leads him to the exit, the door's open and as he walks out of the mall a gush of wind grazes his whole body. The stranger has disappeared and he wonders where that gush of wind came from. And then it hits him.
"Shit." he curses under his breath and runs back in making his way to the store.
Luckily they're done playing dress up and they've packed his clothes in a bag.
"This was fun," Angelo says with a smile on his face. "Thank you guys for dressing me up and picking the right clothes for me to wear even though I would have picked those clothes on my own anyway."
JJ slaps Angelo on his back, a habit that Angelo's going to get used to.
"You're welcome, bro. You're going to look like a like a star."
"I agree." Says Kira and Wendy just looks at him with admiration in his eyes. He doesn't want to sound like a narcissist but he's starting to believe that Wendy has a crush on him. He sure hopes not because if she does it'll be bad, real bad.
"If I become famous Kira you're going to be my stylist," Angelo says and Kira places her hand on her chest.
"It would be an honour."
"So what am I gonna be? Your bodyguard?" JJ asks.
"Nah, you'll be my gardener."
"Wow!" Kira laughs and Wendy follows.
"Wow, Hernandez really?"
"Sorry, bro." He shrugs and they all jump when Chris barges into the store.
"Christopher, what's wrong?" Kira asks on high alert.
"An angel, not the ones from the silver city the one the halo thief created."
"What?" Wendy says.
"Where?" JJ's ready to fight so are Wendy and Kira. Angelo just cowers behind them.
"He left but I'm sure it's one of them. He came to spy on Angie."
"Okay, you guys have to go now!" Kira turns to Angelo. "Angelo stay safe, okay, we'll meet again soon." Angelo nods.
"Thank you." He leaves with his three friends walking close to him, protecting him as they rush out of the mall for JJ's car.
"Are you sure it was one of them?" JJ asks as he starts the car and begins to drive at full speed.
"Yes, now make us invisible." Chris commands and JJ does just that by putting his hand on the car. The car briefly illuminates a white light and a confused Angelo looks at Chris.
"You can make the car go invisible?"
"Nephilims can turn invisible they can also turn other people or things invisible but nephilims can only turn invisible after a few hours. An angel can be invisible for a long time." Chris explains looking over his shoulder. Angelo still has a lot to learn.
"How did you know it was an angel?" He asks Chris.
"He flew."
"He flew? You saw him flying." JJ asks.
"No, but I know he did. He was watching me, he wanted me to follow him to send me a message that the halo thief and his followers are watching."
Angelo keeps forgetting the major detail that makes an angel an angel and that's their wings. He remembers Angel Gabriel's wings in his dream it was so beautiful, like a dove's but larger. Do all angel wings look like that? Or is it just his because he's an archangel? He wants to see Gabriel again but he doesn't know how. Maybe if he sleeps again then he'll see the archangel.
They're safely in the headquarters in Father Guzman's study. Mother Evangeline is standing next to him.
"What did he look like?" Father Guzman asks.
"He had snow blond hair, tall and he's young."
"I see." Father Guzman says looking at Mother Evangeline. Mother Evangeline only sighs.
"They're still looking for the boy." Says Mother Evangeline. "Which means we have to keep him safe more than ever. Father Guzman, are you sure the boy going to a public school filled with humans is God's plan?"
"Yes, it is he wants Angelo to go there, but he didn't say why."
Mother Evangeline's brow raises as she nods as if to say yep, that does sound like God.
"You just have to be extra vigilant as you go to school tomorrow," he says to Chris, JJ and Wendy. "As for you Angelo every day after school you're going to be training. Learn how to use your angelic powers." Father Guzman says. He can't believe Nephilims are going to be fighting angels. These angels aren't from God they're created by… he doesn't even know what the halo thief is but he knows he's not human or a demon because demons can't go to the silver city but what about humans? Can the living go to the Silver City and back?
Angelo agrees to train and learn about his angel powers. This is him now, not that gay teen who has homophobic parents but an angel who lives with nephilims and is hiding from a scary man who wants to start a war.
"You're all excused." Father Guzman commands and they all begin to walk out of the study, Angelo follows the rest out of Father Guzman's office.
"Not you Angelo." Angelo pauses facing the door. Chris fixes him a look before disappearing.
Angelo turns around to meet Father Guzman with a smile on his face.
"Whatsup Father G," Angelo says.
"You're scared aren't you."
"Me Scared?" he scoffs waving Father Guzman off.
Father Guzman raises a brow and Angelo sighs.
"This is all pretty scary Father D." he sits down. "What will the halo thief do when I don't agree to join him?"
"He's not going to do anything to you because you're going to stop him before he does. I believe in you, Angelo."
That's all it takes, for someone to say he believes in him for him to believe in himself. He has never heard his father say those words to him because he always thought his dream was laughable. But here is someone else telling him that he believes in him.
"How did the shopping go?" he asks with a smile changing the topic.
"It was great. Kira is so nice. Well, when someone doesn't cross her."
Father Guzman laughs. "Kira is still the same as she was when she was with us. I miss her dearly."
"So nephilims can have other lives other than fighting demons."
"Of course, we are humans after all. We can have other lives that's why I'm a priest and Kira owns a store. We can't let lose our human selves." he says and Angelo nods so that means he can be an angel and be a musician at the same time.
"I want to add one last outfit to your shopping." Father Guzman goes down and he brings out folded clothes, they're dark and Angelo thinks he knows what they are.
"Your own personalized and customized nephilim uniform." Angelo beams and takes the uniform from him.
"I cannot wait to try this on!" he says.
Later that night. Angelo and Chris are done with dinner and they're both on the bed. Chris reading a book and Angelo looking up at the ceiling. He looks over to Chris. He looks so peaceful reading his book.
"What?" he asks. Angelo's not even surprised Chris knows he's staring at him without even looking at him.
"Were you scared?"
"I- no."
He was scared, just not for himself but for Angelo but he's not going to admit that.
"Of course you weren't you're very brave." Chris drops his book and looks at Angelo. He had debated on asking Angelo personal questions but he just has to because he's curious.
"Do you have a family, parents? Friends?"
"Why do you ask?"
Chris is taken aback by Angelo's defensive tone. "Forget I said anything." he picks his book back up. Angelo doesn't want to talk about his parents because that will only give him more heartache and it will lead to him telling Chris why his parents kicked him out of the house and he doesn't want anyone to know that part of him yet.
"I did have friends but I had one close friend. His name was Joshua Harding. We would do anything for each other, we always had each other's backs. We were kind of opposite but we were still the same."
"What happened to him?" Chris asks
Angelo swallows and he fights back tears. "He died, he uhm took his life because…" because he was gay and he hated it. "He was sad."
"Whoa Angelo I'm so sorry," Chris says and he sounds genuinely sad. No source of sarcasm in his voice.
"Thanks. I just miss him."
Chris wants to tell him he understands what he's feeling, but he doesn't bother. Instead, he puts his focus back on his book and continues reading it.
Angelo has forgotten to tell Father Guzman about his encounter with Angel Gabriel. Maybe if he sleeps he'll have another dream of himself and he hopes so because at this point dreaming about being in a beautiful place and talking to a beautiful angel is better than being on earth where evil people are lurking around.
He sleeps off.