a librarian with too many ships

Mikael was a light sleeper. The habit was ingrained in him after years of service as chief of heaven’s army. So when Audrey lurched from their bed in the early hours of the morning, the archangel was right behind her, holding back her hair as she heaved over the toilet bowl.

He rubbed soothing circles on the woman’s back, pushing aside his own concerns. It was only when she leaned back against his chest, exhausted, that he allowed himself to fully focus on the burst of power he sent seeking through her body for the cause of the sudden illness. But there was nothing to be found.

The discovery had him tensing, recalling the last time his powers had failed him - when he’d hurried to heal her after the incident with Furius, and he hadn’t detected the poison lying in wait. The poison that had her choking on blood alone in the garden while they all fought, meters away and oblivious.

“Mikael?”

Her soft voice brought him back to the present moment.

“I can’t heal you,” he admitted. “I don’t know why.”

“That’s because there’s nothing to heal.”

He frowned, confused. “I don’t understand.”

“Try using your powers again. Don’t try to heal me, just…feel.”

Bemused, he obediently followed her instructions. The light coursed through her body once more, feeling like the warm summer rays. The archangel was about to give up and demand an explanation, when he picked up on some sort of flicker. Unconsciously, his hands followed the movement, encompassing her stomach. And the realisation hit him like a freight train. “Audrey, you…”

“Surprise?”

“How long have you known?”

“Only around a week. I was planning to surprise you on your birthday, but obviously he had other plans.”

Mikael’s next words came out slightly accusingly. “He?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I have a feeling it’s a boy.” She smiled a little shyly. “I thought we could name him after your brother.”

Mikael exhaled, long and deep. “I think he’d like that.”

The couple finally stood up, leaving the cold bathroom tiles for the warmth of their bed.

As they nestled together, Mikael whispered, “Thank you, Audrey. For giving me a family again.”