Prompt: Secret Kisses

Pairing: rafurelis (rafurael/urelis)

Word Count: 812

vmv // @vampire-mythoverse

note: rafurael uses a neopronoun set (ae/aer/aer/aers/aerself), while urelis uses they/them.

(cw: cult mentality, internalized fear and guilt due to religious beliefs/worship, ask to tag, proceed with caution)

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The halls of the plane of Angaea were bright. They shimmered with holiness, with pure white purity and strength of unity. They were never completely silent, the soft murmuring of seraphs to their teams as they set out to do their jobs and the quiet rustling of feathers as wings flexed and readjusted themselves echoing through the halls.

The high seraphim of trial made aer way across the lobby of their great plane with ease. With aer six wings held high and aer arms crossed behind aer back, nobody would question where ae were going. And ae would keep it that way, as ae spoke to no one on aer journey.

Not a single angel thought to question aer. Not one of the hundreds in the lobby of Angaea bat an eye as Rafurael entered the mercy wing. Aer face was set, aer mask empty and blank, only the faint joy expected of being an angel on aer face.

Urelis was where they always were when Rafurael thought to come visit. Not that anyone had noticed that Rafurael visited often. The seraphim of Angaea were not to be questioned by the lower angels, of course, and so everything a seraphim did was normal behavior, important, but unimportant. So, nobody paid Rafurael any attention as ae made aer way over to the seraphim of mercy.

"Seraphim Urelis," ae spoke, aer right arm held across aer chest to aer left shoulder. Ae bowed, aer purple tinted wings spread just enough to show proper angaeic respect to another angel of aer rank. "Might we speak? There is something we must discuss."

Urelis looked up at aer, their eyes cracked just slightly open to see who had addressed them. It was so slight that unless one knew to look for it, they would miss it entirely, but when Urelis recognized Rafurael, the corners of their mouth twitched up.

"Certainly, Seraphim Rafurael," they responded, their voice soft and light, and their face a blank mask of faint, but inherent, angelic joy expected of each angel. They stood from their seat, and the seraphs in the room immediately lined up and filed out. They needed no prompting; the matters of the seraphim were for seraphim ears only.

Once the room was vacant and the chamber doors shut so that none could see or hear, Urelis stepped forward into Rafurael's embrace. They wrapped their arms around aer, and ae held them close, tucking their head into the crook of aer neck.

"I've missed you," Rafurael dared to whisper out loud, and Urelis huddled closer, leaving a hesitant, shy kiss on the side of aer neck. "I've missed you much more than you can ever imagine."

"And I you as well," Urelis whispered, looking up at Rafurael. They lifted a hand, cupping the other seraphim's cheek, and leaned up, gently pressing their mouth to aers.

Though the kiss was chaste, Rafurael knew it had kicked up familiar feelings of guilt in each of them, fear twisting them from the inside and stilling their hearts. Ae pulled away not long after, and purple eyes met soft white ones.

"Is it so much to wish," Urelis murmured, guilt shining in their eyes, "that I could love you without fearing what will happen to us if I do?"

"No," Rafurael whispered, with such force that it surprised them both. Ae spoke again, aer voice softer. "No, my love, it is not."

"Then," Urelis spoke slowly, low and quiet, "I wish I could love you without feeling as though I am betraying our God. I long so much to spend my time with you, to see you every second that I am able, to be with you without fear or worry that we are betraying Angaea."

Rafurael's heart stuttered in aer chest. Aer mind screamed at the words, shouting that their words were blasphemous, that Urelis was in dire need of correction. That if ae truly loved them, ae would turn them in to the prophet angels right then and there so the prophets could set them straight.

"I wish as well," Rafurael whispered, aer voice hollow and choked up. It became hard to speak, and ae silenced aer thoughts as Urelis wiped aer tears away. Ae let aer heart speak, instead. "I long to kiss you, to be with you. I care no longer for Angaea if it would not allow me to be with you."

Urelis' pale white eyes filled with shock, and Rafurael felt fear fill aer again as aer own words caught up to aer mind. They both should visit the prophets, they both were in dire need of correction, how could ae even think to leave Angaea behind like that-