Greedily, you breathed in the world, a combination of greenery, lake water, and dirt filling your lungs. A smell that was familiar. A smell that your brain sweetly cataloged from dewy summer days like this. Outstreathed like a cat you splayed yourself neatly on the grass, a fresh glass of homemade lemonade rendering itself cool to the touch—condensation peppering the tips of your fingers.

Nature had always been one of your safe spaces. You found enjoyment in the abundance of flowers that grew around the land, tending to your chickens and cows and horses—it fufilled you. Outside of the farm element, you bathed in how the water would sing to you, how the birds would draw you in with their unintentional tune, how the sun would gently kiss your skin and gift it with warmth.

Yet like many things, mother earth proposed a drawback: insects. Something crept against your ankle, jolting your eyes open. Your gaze swam to just between your feet. Not an insect but a feather: lithe as air, tickling your ankle white and a couple inches long.

Confusion struck you, then came curiosity. What creature could have left these? Surely not any bird around here—it looked longer than any bird that would have reasonably been in the area. You had been living on this land since you were a child, naturally becoming well-versed on some components of wildlife.

Your fingers twirled around the silky feather. Then, just like before, came another white feather rolling still in the river's hands. You slid off of the grass ledge, missing the surface’s warmth once it left. However, you had a bigger mission ahead of you.

The array of feathers felt like they were almost leading you to something. Water bleeding into rocks and rocks bleeding into grass ledges with more water. How far you traveled was lost on you. It couldn't have been that far. The creek only stretched about a mile from where you were prior. And even then, your farmhouse was right next to the creekside so is would be nothing except intentional to get lost.

Then you saw him. Knee deep in the water, wings spread out large and wide. His feathers basked in the sun’s rays, illuminating a flurry of whites which slowly faded into a soft yellow. It appeared he was...preening himself? Or at the very least refreshing himself in the creek's natural abundance.

A man such as himself, betrothed such beauty which could not be from this world. A mix of awe and confusion played in your chest and more than likely lingered on your face. What was he? An angel?

When you were young and it was time to curl up nice and snug in the warmth your sheets, your parents would always tell you stories about the supposed 'angels'. Recounting heroic tales of creatures who resembled humanity and wandered the forest floors. However you believed them to be just that: stories. Something to lull you to sleep and paint your dreams.

When you would travel a couple miles from your farm the folklore of angels remained ever present, yet, no one had solid proof of their existence outside of word of mouth and information absorbed from old books.

Yet, here you are. Seeing one with your own eyes. The best way you could describe it was surreal, a tight curl of something you failed to accurately describe warmed in your abdomen. Maybe nervousness. Maybe excitement. You couldn't tell but the more you stared the larger this feeling became.

From what you could recall of your parents' stories, whispers spun tales of these angels falling from the sky as their wings guided them to the earth's floor. Allegedly, they were believed to be very musically talented entities, humming their hyms and brimming with curiosity of the mortal world. However, that was as far as the extent your knowledge stretched.

The closer you got, the louder the sound of this angel’s melody became. The hymn rang deep in your ears, pulling you closer and closer to the tune’s source. The sight came as a suprise to you.

You had never seen a creature such as him.

He was akin to the brightest spring day the sun had to offer.

His voice was as sweet as honey; as velvety as silk.

“You sing so well. I don't believe I've heard a ballad quite as sweet as yours.” you called to the man, balancing through the water's rhythm.

“Oh!” a surprised smile on his lips. “Thank you.” he looked away, wings tensing behind him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Pardon me. I just didn't expect that. I thought I was alone..”

“Are you embarrassed?” you teased, trudging closer, grass tickling the soles of your feet.

“No... Maybe.” He chuckled nervously, hands flying up to the expanse of his face.

“There's no need to cover yourself from the world, angelface. Your beauty is beyond just you. It's a gift you should bask in. Especially with your voice. ” you replied sweetly, leading his hands from his radiance, like a shepherd leading its sheep to water.

He tilted his face further to the side in attempts to escape the honeyed words you spoke.

"Please.. You flatter me.."

"Its true though."

Now you were presented with an opportunity to truly revel in the features you couldn't make out from a far.

Dark doe eyes lurked on yours in an essence swirled with sheepishness and desire. Almost like he felt embarrassed to want yet couldn't pull himself from temptation.

"I'm not supposed to speak to humans." He spoke out after a beat of silence, yet nothing about him was pulling away.

"How come? Surely you've already broken that rule."

"I've been told that humans are rude. Barbaric."

"Do I seem like any of those things?"

His dark eyes gazed into yours and he toyed his bottom lip between his teeth. It seemed he already knew his answer.

"Well, no. I suppose not."

And thats how it started.

You'd meet him in the same spot by the creek. Sometimes you would have picnics, basking in the water's tune, the sun peeking between the trees, sipping on lemonade. And he–who you later discovered was named Michael– would tell you how it was to be an angel.

Eventually you took him to your farm.

The door to your farmhouse creaked slightly as you both crossed its boundary. The floorboards creeked slightly with each step and it smelt like a mix of fabric softener and apples.

It was one of those evenings where the sun retired for the night and the moon took over.

A movie played on the television—a movie long forgotten as you layed your head in his lap, filled with the otherworldly scent of him.

His hair pristine as it curled behind his ears, fanned out along the stretch of his forehead. Everything about him was so delicate and all consuming.

He breathed out.

You breathed him in.

When your lips intertwined with his they tasted like the sweetest of nectar. Nectars passed down from the heavens themselves for mere mortals to bask in. It was almost intoxicating and you found it hard to let go.

You felt the seed of selfishness sprout within your gut, swriling into a fruitful tree of desire.

In that moment you knew you could gourge yourself purely off his beauty alone.