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Today was a special day, and Emily knew exactly how to celebrate it.
For the past week, she made sure everything was perfect and ready, including herself. She wouldn’t have it any other way, especially on a day like today.
They had only been dating for two years now, but it wasn’t like it mattered. Whether they had been together for two months or an entire century, Molly deserved the best for their anniversary. For the past two years, she had given Emily nothing but love and gratitude for her efforts, so why wouldn’t she surprise with one of her favorite things?
For as long as she’d known that adorable spider winner, Molly had made it abundantly clear that she loved animals, but, more specifically, cats. She found them both entertaining and endearing, which is always a plus in both her and Emily’s eyes. Cat souls were always running around Heaven anyway, but Emily had the idea to go somewhere special to see some.
Emily had a lot of ideas, actually. She had been planning this anniversary for what felt like forever, mostly to make it better than the first, but also to show Molly just how much she loved her without failure. During her planning, she had come up with tons of ideas on what to do until she finally settled on a few.
Animals had been all over Heaven for as long as Emily could remember, so, of course, it wouldn’t take much of a fly to find some. However, she knew Molly deserved an anniversary that was more than just flying around and petting whatever animals they found. A few days prior, Emily made a very energetic appointment at a cat café she passed a lot, certain that it was the surprise that would make Molly squeal with excitement as soon as she was told. It was perfect.
But that wasn’t all their anniversary would be about. Emily knew they would have the time of their lives at that cat café, but they also needed a little more. They couldn’t spend time together in just one place during their anniversary. Who does that? They needed another activity to make the date extra fun.
And maybe a couple extra people, too.
Of course, today was supposed to be all about Emily and Molly. It was their anniversary after all. Either way, though, it’s not like they were required to only spend time with each other that day. Bringing along some friends would just make the time even more well spent.
Emily knew exactly who to invite. She was already on her way to see one of her favorite winners, certain that he would enjoy that day as much as her and Molly were about to.
Emily knew exactly where he would be. He wasn’t exactly a shut-in, but he loved spending time in his room playing an instrument or two or watching some movies on his own. It wasn’t like he didn’t like being around other people, though. Quite the opposite, actually. Emily was sure he would agree to come along as soon as she offered. He loved spending time with her, especially when they were spending time together by doing something he enjoyed.
When she landed on his balcony, stepping on a bit of wool on her way down, Emily walked up to his door and softly knocked a few times. “One second!” she heard a bewildered voice call from behind the door.
Abel was fixing his scruffy blond hair when he opened the door, seeming disorganized, but as soon as he realized Emily was who had knocked, a smile appeared on his face. “Emily! Hi! How’s it going?” he greeted her.
“Hey, Abel,” she replied, letting herself inside his room. “Everything’s great. I just wanted to ask you something.”
Abel closed the door behind them before responding. “Ask away,” he told her cheerfully.
“Well, as I’m sure you know, today’s mine and Molly’s anniversary,” Emily explained. She couldn’t help but blush as she spoke. Abel just nodded, so she continued. “I got us an appointment at that cat café close by, and I was wondering if you and Peter would wanna come with.”
There was a short pause between them before Abel finally answered. “Oh,” he said. He nervously scratched his head, prominent blush on his cheeks. “I mean, it’s your day. What do you want us idiots coming along for?”
“Oh, come on, I know you wanna come,” Emily insisted. “You never pass on an opportunity to spend time with your boyfriend.”
“That’s not why—“ Abel stopped himself and sighed. “Whatever. What I mean is, you two are always dealing with us doing something stupid. Why would you want us to come along on one of your dates, especially on your anniversary?”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because you’re our friends,” Emily told him. “As much as we push your buttons, we love spending time with you guys. At least, I know I do. Besides, I was considering getting us tickets to a rom-com after the café…”
As soon as she said it, Abel swiftly flew right in front of her face. Emily wasn’t even surprised. She just smiled when his face was right in front of hers.
“You didn’t just say what I think you said, right?” Abel asked nervously.
Emily giggled and playfully pushed him away with her finger. “If you think I said that I was considering getting tickets for a rom-com, then, yes, I did.”
“Which one? Oh, jeez, I don’t even know what’s playing right now.”
“Well, if you want, we could order them together before picking up Peter and Molly,” Emily suggested. “I’d rather leave the expert to choose what we watch anyway.”
Abel blushed again. “I wouldn’t say expert…”
Emily locked arms with him and smirked. “I say you are,” she said. “Now, let’s go.”
Now that the movie they would watch after the cat café was selected, Emily knew it was time to pick up their dates. Despite Abel’s constant protest, she decided to pick up Saint Peter first. He was also a pretty simple guy, usually just guarding the gates during his shifts or talking to the Elders. Emily didn’t know exactly when his shifts were, but she thought it would be easier to check the gates first.
Even when they had finally left, Abel insisted that they go get Molly. Emily had no idea what his problem was. Honestly, it concerned her.
“Seriously, we don’t have to get Peter right now,” Abel was saying. “I’m sure he’d be okay with being last.”
“Well, like I said the last fifteen times you’ve told me that,” Emily replied, “we don’t exactly have to get Molly first either. Are you okay? Did you guys get into a fight or something?”
Abel crossed his arms nervously. “No,” he said. “I just… I don’t think we should even come in the first place.”
“Why?” Emily made sure they stopped flying for a minute so she knew exactly what was going on. “I assure you, Molly and I won’t mind having you guys along. You’re our friends.”
“Yeah, you don’t mind,” Abel corrected her. “You haven’t told Molly about any of these plans yet. How can you be sure she won’t mind either?”
Emily wrapped her arm around him. “Because I know her,” she assured him. “I promise, it’ll be okay.”
“Are you sure? I mean, doesn’t Molly think rom-coms are stupid?” The more Abel spoke, the harder he held onto himself. Emily tightened her grip on him to keep him steady. “I remember her saying something like that last time…”
“You‘re not wrong, but if she argues, I’ll convince her it’s a good idea.” Emily softly nudged Abel in his side. “I promise. Besides, I only suggested the movies because I knew you and Peter would like it. She’ll understand.”
“Yeah, but today’s your anniversary. It’s supposed to be about you guys. If we come along, it just makes the day less about you and more about us.” Abel shook his head. “I know neither of you would want that.”
Emily’s expression softened. “Today’s a day like any other,” she said. “It might be our anniversary, but, trust me, the day would be pretty boring if we only spent time with each other. Having our friends with us during our festivities makes the day more fun, more memorable. We may tease you and Peter all day, but that’s just how we show our affection.”
“You really… think that?” Abel nervously met her gaze.
“Yeah.” To prove herself even further, Emily reached over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She usually did that when they had conversations like this. “I really do.”
Her gesture obviously surprised him, but Abel still managed to shake his head and smile warmly. “Okay,” he said. “If you say so.”
Emily giggled and led them into the air again. “Let’s go grab that boyfriend of yours, shall we?”
Abel tried to reply as he scratched his head, but Emily pulled him away before he could say anything. She wasn’t about to deal with him arguing with her anymore. Not at the moment.
When her feet found themselves on the shiny golden floor of the entrance of Heaven, Emily felt a bit more… at home. She couldn’t even explain why. She hadn’t left home, so why did getting even just a little bit out of its vicinity make her feel so much lighter? It didn’t make any sense.
She shook her head to rid herself of the confusion, turning to see if Peter had a shift. Surprisingly, he did, his bluish-green eyes sifting through his list of winners’ names. He didn’t even notice they had arrived. Emily grinned and swiftly flew up to his podium.
“Hi, Peter!” she exclaimed, making sure her freckles could be seen above his book of names.
Peter jumped, but that was about how far his surprise went. He managed to calm himself and just smile widely at his friend. “Hey, Em,” he greeted her. “How’s it going?”
“Great,” she replied. “I just had a little teeny-tiny question I wanted to ask you.”
“Well, I do kinda-sorta have a shift right now,” Peter told her, sarcastically uttering the words, “but go ahead.”
Emily didn’t say anything else. She just glanced to the side, watching from the corner of her eye as Abel slowly flew up to their level. When he joined them, she looked back at Peter, waiting for his reaction.
Since he hadn’t gotten a response from her yet, Peter looked up, his attention snapping away from Emily in a second. She didn’t mind. That’s what she wanted to happen.
Peter gasped dramatically and immediately dropped his book and just about everything else he had ever been paying attention to. “Abel!” he hollered enthusiastically as he flew right over to his boyfriend, trapping him in a hug and spinning him around in the air.
Abel laughed as he was spun around. Eventually, his face was exploding with redness as Peter showered him in kisses. It was obvious how overwhelmed he was getting with how rapid they were. Emily could tell he didn’t mind, though.
“Peter! Stop!” He continued to laugh the longer the affection went on for, revealing the truth behind his words. He didn’t want it to stop. Not yet. Although, Peter did eventually pull away, letting him breathe.
“What are you doing here?” Peter asked. “You know I have a shift.”
Abel giggled as Peter affectionately played with the tip of his hair. “Well, me and Em were wondering if you would want to join us today.”
“What exactly would I be joining?”
“Well… as you know, today is mine and Molly’s anniversary…” Emily began.
As she expected, Peter replied with an “Oh!” He shared a glance with Abel before continuing. “Congrats!”
Emily nodded. “To celebrate, I was thinking I would bring her to that cat café we pass all the time,” she explained. “And since I thought it would make the day more fun, I was wondering if you and Abel would want to come along.”
“Oh, you sure?” Peter replied nervously. “I mean, I wouldn’t want to intrude upon your—“
“Nuh-uh,” Emily interrupted him. “None of that. I had to deal with him saying that the entire trip here.”
Abel blushed with embarrassment and laughed. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Besides, we already bought four tickets to a rom-com after the café.”
Peter gasped. “Really? Which one?” He looked up to the sky as he thought it over. “Oh, there are so many good ones playing right now.”
Abel smirked. “I won’t tell,” he told him mischievously. “It’s a surprise.”
“Okay, okay.” Peter laughed as he spoke. “I won’t prod.”
“Does that mean you’re in?” Emily asked. “I kinda need an answer, guys.”
Peter laughed nervously. “Of course, of course,” he said. “Yeah, I suppose we’ll come. As long as Molly’s okay with it.”
“I’ll convince her, don’t you worry.”
Abel giggled. “Does that mean we’re ready, then? I mean, if you still have a shift…”
Peter scoffed. “I’m sure I can get one of the other saints to cover for me,” he said. “They’re usually pretty chill about this sort of thing.”
“Usually…?”
Peter kissed Abel on the forehead to quell his anxiety. “Don’t you worry,” he told him. “If Em can convince Molly to watch rom-coms with us, I can convince one of my buddies to fill in for me.”
Abel blushed and giggled awkwardly. “If you say so…”
Emily smiled. She was used to this sort of thing, so she just couldn’t wait to watch more when they finally got to the movies. Although, she also knew they had a bit of a schedule before they could get to that part of the day.
She flew over to her friends and rested her hands on both of their shoulders. “If we want to get this show on the road, I would suggest talking to your buddies right about now, Peter.”
Peter chuckled and playfully saluted. “Yes, Seraphim,” he said with a laugh.
It didn’t take very long to get one of the other saints to fill in for Peter. As he said, they were pretty chill. They just let him off with a few “Have fun!”s and “Make sure to tell Abel how much you love him!”s. Abel had to leave the scene for “reasons” after a few of those came out.
After that, they were finally ready to grab Molly. Before she even left to tell Abel of her plans that afternoon, Emily had sent a very heartfelt letter to her girlfriend to tell her to meet her at the main court of Heaven. There weren’t too many good meeting places in her home, she had to admit, so it was the first place she thought of. She never got a response, but Emily figured it was sensible to believe Molly would be there.
And, just like she expected, her familiar pink and white form could be seen pacing in front of the entrance to the court from not too far away.
Emily didn’t even consult Abel and Peter before descending. She didn’t see a need to. Besides, they had their moments before the festivities of the day. It was her and Molly’s turn.
Molly didn’t even notice her girlfriend appear. It gave Emily the perfect opportunity to throw her entire body onto her at the speed of light, bringing them both to the blinding golden floor.
“Mollyyyyyy!” Emily squealed as she tumbled onto the floor with her. Molly screamed, but once she realized exactly what was going on, she calmed down and laughed hysterically instead.
When she could finally gain her composure fully, Molly squealed right back and trapped her favorite Seraphim in a tight hug. “Em!”
Emily wasn’t sure exactly what she was thinking. She just pulled Molly closer and kissed her. Her spider girlfriend didn’t argue, letting the sensation of the moment sink in fully. It was short but exactly what both of them needed.
“Happy anniversary!” Emily exclaimed when it was over.
Molly giggled. She gave her a kiss on the cheek before replying. “Happy anniversary,” she said, sounding a bit tired. “So… where’s my gift?”
Emily laughed. “Well, it’s a bit of a surprise,” she replied. “You’ll love it, though, I promise.”
“I never denied that,” Molly told her matter-of-factly. She opened her mouth to say more, but her voice drifted off when her gaze rested on something behind Emily. “Abel? Peter? What are you guys doing here?”
Peter grinned and pulled Abel closer to him with one arm. His boyfriend flushed. “We’re a part of the surprise,” he announced. Abel nodded next to him.
“Oh.” Molly paused. “Are we, like, gonna hang out? Just the four of us?”
Emily shrugged with a hearty smile. “Well… yeah,” she said. “I know today’s supposed to be all about us, but I thought it would be fun to bring along some pals. Don’t you think so?”
Molly tried to answer before Abel interrupted her. “Just so you know, I tried to argue against this plenty of times,” he told her. “Emily insisted.”
“That’s fine with me, to be honest,” Molly admitted. “As long as we get some alone time, I think we’ll be okay.” She raised her eyebrows suggestively at Emily a few times with a mischievous smile.
Emily giggled playfully. “I’ll try to get us some time alone,” she promised. “Now, let’s go!”
“Wait,” Molly said as her girlfriend tried to lead her into the air. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” Emily poked her girlfriend’s nose before taking her hand and guiding her into the air. Abel and Peter did the same across from them. “Now, let’s go!”
The closer and closer they got to the cat café, the more Molly’s excitement grew. Once the sign in front of the building advertising the festivities inside could be read properly from how far away they were, she met Emily’s gaze with wide eyes and a smile full of delight.
“You didn’t…” she murmured.
Emily nodded vigorously. “I did.”
Molly squealed, forcing her and Emily to fly faster. They left Abel and Peter in the dust, leading them to suddenly speed and catch up. Emily could hear Abel screech from behind her. She couldn’t help but laugh despite how scared he definitely was.
A bright angel with long and wavy pastel pink hair greeted them at the front desk once inside. “Hello!” they greeted. “Do you have a reservation?”
Emily nodded. “Yes,” she said. “Name’s Emily, reserved for four.”
The desk angel gasped. “Oh, my!” they exclaimed. “Seraphim! What a surprise!”
Emily blushed, giggling. “Oh, don’t even mention it,” she insisted. “I’m just here to hang out with some friends. And play with some cats.”
The desk angel laughed. “Yes, of course.” They typed some things into a computer before holding up a thumbs-up. “You’re all good. Go through that door just down the hall.”
“Thank you!” Emily said. She locked arms with Molly and led her friends to the door.
“I can’t believe you would do this!” Molly said in energetic disbelief. “I mean, this is perfect!”
Emily giggled. “Yeah, that’s why I decided to do this.”
Molly laughed in response and then looked past her girlfriend to talk to Abel and Peter. “You two agreed to this?” She snorted. “Prepare for a lot of squealing.”
“We’ve dealt with it before,” Peter assured her. “We’ll be okay.” Abel nodded beside him.
Emily did the honors of opening the door. As soon as they went inside, every cat in the room stared at them. They all had small angel wings, letting them fly into the air with ease. A calico cat glided right over to them, landing on Molly’s shoulder. It wrapped its tail around her shoulders.
“Aw!” Emily exclaimed. “Molly, look!”
She reached over and softly stroked the calico’s chin. Its wings fluttered as it purred. Molly giggled.
“You’re so cute!” she said. Molly held her hands out, letting the cat fly into her grasp. She slowly lifted it up to her face, smiling as it stood up and rubbed its head against her cheek.
Emily smiled at the sight. Molly looked so happy. Their time at the cat café had barely even started and she was already having a great time. She couldn’t be any happier with her decision.
This really was the best thing they could’ve done for their anniversary.
“I like this guy.” Emily shook her head to bring her back to reality, looking over in the direction of the voice she heard. It was Peter.
He was smiling giddily, pointing at a fat and fluffy gray cat with a flat face. It looked like it was napping, its tail softly swinging over the edge of the cat tree it was laying on. Peter chuckled as he softly patted the cat’s head. Its wings ruffled their feathers.
Abel made his way to his boyfriend’s side, resting his hands on his shoulders. Peter glanced over his shoulder to meet his gaze. He never moved his hand off of the cat.
“He’s cute,” Abel said. He tried to reach over to pet the cat before stopping himself, resting his hand back on Peter’s shoulder.
Peter noticed his hesitation and took his hand off the furball. “Go on,” he urged him. “He won’t bite.”
“I know,” Abel replied, “I just don’t want him to get mad at me. You know, I’d like to avoid getting scratched.”
Peter shook his head with a chuckle. “You won’t get scratched,” he promised. “Just give him a pat or two on the head. That’s what I did.”
Abel still seemed hesitant. Emily couldn’t help but smile. “I don’t know…”
With a playful sigh, Peter wrapped his fingers around Abel’s wrist and brought it closer to the cat. Abel blushed out of embarrassment and tried to fight, but it was hopeless. Peter made sure his boyfriend’s palm rested on the fluffy cat’s head as it lifted it and opened its eyes.
For a moment, Abel’s hand just lay there. He exchanged a glance with Peter, still seeming nervous. Before the situation could get any more awkward, Peter gave him some extra help. He laid his hand over his and helped it rub against the cat’s fur. Once Abel was finally able to relax, the cat smiled and purred under his skin.
“Told you,” Peter told him with a smirk. When Abel met his gaze again, they both smiled with content and rested their heads on each other.
Molly sighed as her calico flew out of her hands. “They’re such idiots,” she said.
Emily giggled. “Adorable idiots,” she corrected her.
“Can’t argue with that.”
Emily smiled before looking over her shoulder, searching for some more cats to spend their time with. Her eyes found a box filled with cat toys, a feather and a stuffed mouse sticking out of the top. A tiny black-and-white cat—likely a kitten—was desperately trying to paw at the mouse, really just aggressively smacking it. Its wings flapped in frustration, but they never actually took it off the ground.
Emily laughed. “Wanna play with that little guy?” she offered.
“You bet!” Molly replied enthusiastically. Before Emily could reply, her girlfriend was already crouched down beside the kitten, reaching into the box of toys.
By the time Emily joined her, Molly had a long stick in her hands, the stuffed mouse attached to it with a string. She slowly waved it around in front of the kitten like a hypnotic device, giggling as the shimmering amber eyes of the kitten watched its every move intently.
“Come on, buddy,” Molly said. “Come and get it!”
She swiftly pulled the mouse into the air. The kitten excitedly screeched, using its wings to fly to the mouse’s height. Its claws clung to the mouse’s soft body, sinking holes into its sides. The kitten growled as it dug its teeth into the mouse, aggressively shaking its head. It looked like it was struggling to eat the mouse.
Molly laughed at the sight. Emily sat down on the floor next to her and exchanged a playful glance with her girlfriend. When they both looked back at the kitten, it had ripped the mouse to shreds and flown back down to the floor. It flicked its tail with satisfaction and stared up at the girls as if searching for approval.
“Oh.” Molly managed to smile despite the demise she had just witnessed. “Alright, then. Good job, buddy.”
The kitten meowed proudly and flew out of sight. Molly looked over her shoulder at Emily. They both snickered.
A slim, pure white cat was stretching on the floor beside the toy box. Emily noticed it while she put the stick and attached string Molly had used back into it. When the cat was done, it sat down and began licking its paw.
“Hey, little fella,” Emily said softly, slowly leaning over to the cat. It looked up, obviously annoyed that its grooming had been interrupted. However, it seemed to get over it quickly, getting to its paws and rubbing its head against her hand.
Molly shuffled herself closer to her girlfriend. “Looks like you made a friend,” she pointed out.
Emily shrugged. When the white cat moved its head away from her fingers, she reached over to scratch it on the head with one. It smiled and purred.
“I guess I did,” Emily replied. She smiled playfully at her girlfriend.
“You know, I love this anniversary a lot better than last year’s,” Molly said, catching Emily off-guard. She managed to keep scratching her kitty affectionately, but her attention definitely snapped to Molly after she spoke.
“Really?” she asked. “I would say I’m surprised, but, truthfully, I knew you would love this.”
Molly giggled. “Well, yeah. That’s why you picked it.”
Emily was about to reply before her white cat spread its wings and glided into her lap. It spun around for a moment, trying to get comfortable, before curling up and resting its tail over its nose. Emily smiled and softly ran her hand through the cat’s fur.
“Of course,” she answered. “These past two years, I’ve gotten to know you more than I ever thought I would be able to. I mean, I thought friendships were a great way to get to know someone. But a relationship… it’s, like, the real deal, you know?”
Molly nodded. “I get that,” she said. “You know, back when I was alive, I had never even thought about a relationship. It was kinda difficult, considering the whole mafia thing.”
Emily chuckled softly before frowning. “Yeah.”
“In any case, these past two years, spending time with you, I’ve felt happier than ever before, I think,” Molly continued. “The only moments that might top that would be back when I could see Anthony.”
Emily glanced to the side hesitantly before smiling and softly resting her hand on Molly’s cheek. Her girlfriend slowly turned her head to make eye contact with her.
“And now?” she wondered. “How does this moment make you feel?”
Molly looked down to stare at the peaceful cat napping in her girlfriend’s lap. Its tail flicked as she stared at it as if telling her to look away. She laughed and looked back at Emily.
“Good,” she said softly. “Really good. This is the best date we possibly could’ve gone on.”
Emily was about to reply with another sweet comment until she heard hearty laughter from behind her. She looked over her shoulder to see Abel softly crying while he held a cat in his arms, Peter cooing the soft little kitty. The longer it went on, the louder he laughed. Abel just continued to cry.
Emily smiled warmly as she turned back to Molly. “Even with those two accompanying us?” She pointed behind her with her thumb.
Molly nodded. “Yes,” she replied. “I can tolerate them for one day.”
“Good.”
Emily continued to stroke the white cat on her lap as Molly rested her head on her shoulder. She rested hers on top of it, letting their hair touch. It felt electrifying.
Molly sighed as she wriggled beside her girlfriend. “I love you, Em,” she said.
“I love you, too,” she replied.
And with that, they both closed their eyes and let the time pass without a care in the world.
It was finally time.
Abel could hardly contain himself. For one, it was great to just go to the movies with his lovely boyfriend. They were even going to see a rom-com! They were his favorite genre! Albeit, they were also a bit of a guilty pleasure, but that’s not the point. The point is that Abel managed to get to come along with Emily and Molly during their anniversary, joining them as they went to a cat café and, right after…
The movie theater.
The Multiplex.
One of Abel and Saint Peter’s favorite places, especially for dates.
It was pretty difficult to avoid staring at them as they flew through the air, the theater getting closer and closer. Abel was so busy squealing and giggling, he didn’t even bother wondering if he was causing too much of a scene like he usually would.
“Someone’s excited,” Peter commented with a smirk. Abel didn’t hear him. When he realized that, Peter reached for his hand and squeezed.
Abel gasped. “Sorry, did you say something?”
“I said, someone’s excited,” Peter said, still smirking.
Abel blushed and glanced to the side. “Maybe just a little bit.”
“Now, are you ever gonna tell me which one we’re watching?” Peter wondered. “We’re almost there. Might as well.”
Abel shook his head with a hum. “Nope,” he said matter-of-factly. “It’s a surprise. Besides, don’t you love me enough to wait?” He blinked a bunch of times dramatically.
Peter scoffed. “I don’t know.” A smirk was still prominent on his face as he spoke. “I’m really gonna have to think about that one.”
There was a short pause. He knew it was a joke, but Abel couldn’t help but frown and stare at the ground as that was the last thing he heard his boyfriend say.
All his life and afterlife, he wasn’t sure if anyone in his life truly loved him. Back on Earth, he may have been perceived as the “favorite” out of him and his brothers, but it wasn’t like he was the best one. Far from it, in his eyes.
Abel’s dad never really loved him. Lute made that abundantly clear every passing day. His brother fucking killed him, which you’d think is the opposite of love, most likely. Sure, Emily had always treated him like the brother she never had, but that was about how far any love he ever could have had went.
But then he met Peter.
Most of Heaven saw him as nothing but one of the saints that watched the gates. He was nothing but one of the smiling faces that greeted winners as they ascended. But, to Abel, he was more than that. He was much more than that.
Peter was the guy who would always make him feel better when he was feeling down. He was the one who always knew how to crack the perfect joke, say just the right thing he needed. He was always who he turned to when all he needed was someone to care for him, someone to tell him it was going to be okay.
And that’s what he always did.
Abel knew Peter loved him—he knew that since the moment he first somehow built up the courage to ask him out with encouragement from Emily—but moments like these always made him second-guess himself. He just always took so many things the wrong way even when he knew what the right way to take them was.
Why was he like this?
Luckily, Peter had a talent for knowing when his boyfriend was upset. “Hey,” he said, his smirk and joking nature completely gone. “You okay? Did I go too far with that one?”
Abel shook his head. He felt ashamed. Why did the smallest thing always make him go into an emotional spiral of nothing but the worst thoughts he could possibly think of? His mind was such a confusing place.
“No, it’s not you,” Abel insisted. “It’s just… I always go straight to the worst outcome of everything and I don’t know why.”
Peter didn’t respond right away. He first released his hand from Abel’s, then firmly held onto both, forcing his boyfriend to stare right into his eyes. Abel couldn’t help blushing and squirming awkwardly in the air.
“Well, you shouldn’t have to worry about any bad outcomes of anything at all right now,” Peter told him firmly. “I do love you, and we are going to have the best time watching whatever goofy romantic comedy you chose to have us watch, you hear me?”
The blush came first. Then the realization that an answer was what his boyfriend really wanted, not his usual awkwardness and nervousness when he said anything. Finally, he nodded and blurted out, “I… hear you loud and clear, Saint Peter.”
Peter couldn’t contain himself. He first let out a few snickers before he burst out laughing. He released himself from Abel’s grasp and flew back slightly, trying to contain himself. Abel’s whole face went golden as he held it in his hands pathetically.
“Oh, my fucking God, that was so lame!” he shouted, his voice muffled by his hands.
Peter was still struggling to keep himself calm as he flew back over to his boyfriend and rested one hand on one of his arms. “No…” he managed, still laughing. “That was actually really… adorable…”
Abel groaned defeatedly.
Peter let himself breathe for a moment or two before finally saying something else. He wrapped his arms around Abel in a hug and rubbed his face against his hands that were still hiding his.
“I thought it was cute,” he said.
“It was stupid!” Abel argued.
Peter laughed again, much softer than before. “Well, stupid is cute.”
Abel’s shoulder’s sagged.
“But, hey, you know what else is cute?” Peter didn’t wait for an answer. He released Abel from the hug and wrapped his fingers around his hands as he spoke. “That adorable face that you’re hiding from me.”
Abel made a soft half-whine, half-grumble as Peter forced him to take his hands off his face. It was still golden. As if it would make it better, Peter leaned over and kissed his cheek affectionately. When Abel didn’t protest, he did it again. And again. And again.
“Peter, stop!” Abel finally protested, still letting out half-whine, half-grumbles.
Peter giggled. “No,” he replied playfully. So, the cycle continued.
This went on for a while until they heard a commanding voice from far below them. Abel recognized it as Molly.
“Are you two done?” she called annoyedly. Emily was giggling beside her. “We’ve been waiting here, like, an hour for you dumbasses.”
Emily placed a hand on her girlfriend’s arm. “Molly!” she scolded her jokingly.
Abel couldn’t help but grumble as he side-eyed his boyfriend. Peter grinned. “This is all your fault,” he said. When he finished, he wiggled out of his arms and crossed his angrily. Jokingly, of course.
Peter laughed. “Yeah…”
“Coming!” Abel called back to Emily and Molly. Since Peter was still laughing and giggling at his own jokes, he had to drag him down to the ground below to join the girls.
“What the hell were you two doing up there?” Molly demanded.
Emily giggled. “It looked fun.”
Peter’s smirk returned. He playfully shoved Abel. “Oh, trust me, it was,” he confirmed.
“For you, maybe,” Abel replied bitterly, crossing his arms again.
He must’ve known it would get him all riled up again because Peter kissed Abel’s cheek once again. It immediately made him blush and cry out. “Peter!”
“Whoops. My lips slipped…”
Abel groaned indignantly. “Anyway!” he shouted. “Let’s go.”
Emily nodded and took Molly’s hand before leading the way through the Multiplex doors. Abel and Peter followed close behind. A tall angel with bright blue spiky hair and large blue wings was handling the front desk. A huge stash of popcorn, pretzels, candy, and other movie snacks decorated the space around them.
The angel looked up as the four of them walked up to their desk. “Hello!” they greeted them. “How can I help you?”
“Hi, we have four tickets to, um… What was it called?” Emily paused to read the name of the movie they were watching listed on the four tickets her and Abel had ordered. “Oh, right! We have four tickets to ‘Cattails.’”
Peter chuckled as Emily handed the tickets to the angel working the desk. “I’m seeing a bit of a theme here…”
Abel shrugged. “I thought Molly would enjoy it, too,” he explained.
“You actually considered what I would like when buying those tickets?” Molly wondered sarcastically. “Shocking.”
Abel blushed as he scratched his head. “I was trying to be considerate…” he said.
Molly smiled. “Maybe the kitties can distract me from the trash humor rom-coms think is hilarious,” she offered.
Peter gasped dramatically. “Blasphemous!”
Emily laughed at their conversation as the desk angel handed her some popcorn. “The theater is number 14,” they said. “Enjoy the show!”
“Thank you!” Emily replied before joining her friends. She handed Abel the tub of popcorn. “Here. I bought this for you and Peter.”
“Don’t you and Molly want some?” Abel asked.
Emily shrugged as Molly shot over to her side, hugging her arm. “We’ll holler if we decide we do,” she told him.
Peter devoured a handful of popcorn before linking arms with Abel and leading him over to the hall of theaters behind them. “This way, guys,” he said, his voice muffled as he was still chewing.
The theater was mostly empty. The only other group of angels occupying it were two sitting near the front. They laughed over something or other while they waited for the movie to start. Abel had no idea who they were, but he couldn’t help but smile at the sight of them. Peter loved to make him laugh like that while they watched rom-coms.
“Where do you guys wanna sit?” Emily wondered. “We have tons of options.”
“How about we split up?” Molly suggested. “I don’t want to be subjected to those two being idiotic for longer than I have to.”
Peter shrugged. “That’s fine with me.”
Abel shuffled his hands that were holding the popcorn nervously. “Are we sure that’s the best idea?” he asked. “I mean, isn’t this supposed to be about all four of us hanging out?”
“Yeah, but we didn’t exactly huddle together at the café, now did we?” Molly chided. “Besides, it gives you some space with your boyfriend, doesn’t it?”
“We got plenty of that before we even walked in here, but I wouldn’t argue about getting more alone time,” Peter added. “Would you, bud?”
Abel still hesitated. He turned to Emily. “Em?”
“I’m okay with splitting up, but it doesn’t look like you’re comfortable,” Emily said. “Do you want to stick together?”
“Not if you guys don’t want to…”
“How about this:” Peter began, “what if we split up, but still stayed relatively close? Say, for example, you and Molly would sit at the end of one row while Abel and I sat at the end of another one, just a few feet away. How does that sound?”
Molly shrugged. “What do you think, Abel?” Emily asked.
He took a deep breath before replying. “Yeah,” he said, managing to smile. “That’s fine.”
Peter clapped at his decision. “I already have a spot in mind,” he said, leading Abel across the theater. “Come on.”
Peter had chosen a duo of seats at the very edge of the theater. There were only two seats in the row, a long row of about twenty only a few feet away. Emily and Molly sat together at the end of that one.
Peter wiggled into the seat beside the wall, letting Abel squeeze in beside him once he got settled. He set the tub of popcorn on the arm between them carefully.
“I’ve seen a few sneak peaks of this one floating around recently,” Peter said as he took Abel’s hand. “Did you guys only pick it because of Molly’s tastes or did you see those, too?”
Abel thought for a moment. “Oh, well, I read the little summary on the website, but that’s really it,” he replied. “Apparently, it’s about this guy that falls in love with an animal shelter worker that he met when he got a couple cats.”
“I know,” Peter told him. “Actually, I was planning on inviting you to see this, too. Good thing I decided to wait.”
Abel laughed. “Yeah. This would’ve been pretty awkward if you hadn’t.”
“It’s been pretty awkward anyway, but, hey, I’m not complaining.” Peter grinned. “Awkward’s always great when it’s with you.”
Abel didn’t have the energy to protest anymore. He had been doing it so much the last ten minutes, it was getting tiring. So, he just blushed and softly chuckled, letting himself get comfortable.
“Cattails” wasn’t any different from what Abel expected. It was everything he loved about rom-coms with the extra plus of having to do with cats and two idiotic boys falling in love. It reminded him a lot of the past day.
The movie had a lot of witty jokes in it, too, just like most rom-coms. The real kicker, though, was definitely how much those jokes hit Abel right in the heart. They reminded him a lot about his relationship with Peter, even exactly how Emily and Molly would make fun of them.
At one point, he had to point it out. “This is getting a bit too accurate…” Abel murmured about halfway through.
Peter laughed. “I get what you mean,” he agreed. “Doesn’t that make it a bit more enjoyable, though?”
Abel smiled. “Yeah, I guess so.”
Peter affectionately rubbed his cheek against his before resting his head on his shoulder. Abel ate a bit more popcorn before relaxing along with him. They stayed just like that for the rest of the movie.
Well, until the very end.
It was pretty obvious that it was ending. The final scene began with the two main guys meeting in the middle of a park for something or other. After a pretty sweet and heartfelt conversation, they met each other’s eyes for a moment before moving in closer and closer. Abel knew what was coming next. And he knew Peter did, too.
“You know what this means,” his boyfriend said with a smirk.
Abel laughed nervously. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Peter rolled his eyes. “Come on,” he prodded. “We always do it during scenes like this.”
“Yeah, but Emily and Molly usually aren’t only five feet away to watch,” Abel argued. “You already know how they’ll react.”
“And you seriously care about that?” Peter cupped Abel’s face in his hands so he would meet his gaze. “Today might be their anniversary, this whole thing might be about us all hanging out, but you know what it’s also about? They invited us because we’re their friends, but also because they want us to spend time together as if it were our anniversary. And you know how we get on our anniversary.”
Abel chuckled. “Yeah…” he said. “Yeah, I know.”
“So… let’s forget that they’re there,” Peter suggested. “Let’s forget that anyone’s here but us. Shouldn’t be hard. That way, we can finally do whatever we want without worrying what other people think.”
“Well, this is also me we’re talking about here…” Abel added matter-of-factly.
Peter sighed. “I know. And that’s why I love what we’re talking about.”
Abel blushed. He glanced to the side to watch the big screen. The main guys were still standing close together, but nothing seemed to have happened yet.
“We’re running out of time,” Peter commented, watching the screen as well. “Are you ready?”
Abel thought about it for a moment, but he knew what his answer was. He just wasn’t sure if he had to say it or not. He nodded instead.
Peter smiled. He kept a watchful eye on the screen to make sure his timing was right. When it was finally time, he pulled Abel closer and kissed him. It felt as warm as every other time, so he managed to just close his eyes and relax like he always did.
Besides, it was even more perfect since the main guys of the movie were having their session at the same time.
They hadn’t even been trapped in the moment for long before they heard a soft whisper from no more than a few feet away. Abel’s entire face was golden again as he pulled away from Peter’s warmth and looked over his shoulder.
“Boo!” Molly joking whispered from her seat. She showed them a thumbs-down as she snickered, Emily giggling beside her.
Abel just wanted to cower and hide like he always did in moments like these, but he didn’t get the chance to. Peter took him off-guard by forcing him over to him with a hug. Once he was right up against him, Peter looked past him to stick his tongue out at Molly. Abel didn’t get to see what her reaction was, but he laughed at what he imagined it was.
Once they left the Multiplex, Molly went off. “Well, that sucked,” she said firmly. “Even those adorable cats couldn’t take enough focus off of that… humor…” She shivered.
“Hurtful,” Abel told her sarcastically. Peter playfully shoved him.
Molly gasped dramatically. “Abel speaks sarcasm? This is such an interesting development.”
Before Abel could reply, Emily laughed nervously and took her girlfriend’s arm. “Stop messing with him,” she told her.
“Nah, I get it,” Abel said. “It’s usually Molly and Peter that go off in sarcasm.”
Peter shrugged. “I suppose so.”
“Well, in any case, I’d say it’s time we all go home,” Emily offered. “We’ve had enough fun for one day, right?”
“Yeah,” Molly agreed. “I’ve definitely had enough of watching those two make out.”
“Hey! We only did it once!”
Emily giggled at Abel’s protest. “Yes, yes, I know,” she told Molly, hugging her with one arm. “By the way, when’s your next shift, Peter?”
Peter waved a hand ahead of him. “Oh, don’t worry about it,” he answered. “I don’t have to go back to the gates for a while yet. Before then, I think I’ll go with Abel. Maybe get a taste of some of his breath-taking performances.”
“Peter…”
“Alright, then,” Emily said, taking Molly’s hand. “See you guys tomorrow?”
Abel waved as all four of them flew into the air. “See you.”
And with that, Emily and Molly flew away into the distance. Abel watched them go with a smile before Peter took his hand.
“So… how far is it to your place again?” he asked with a smirk.
“You were serious?” Abel blushed again with embarrassment.
“Of course!” Peter confirmed. “You know I love your music. I really don’t know why you decide to hide it from everyone.”
Abel shrugged with a nervous laugh. “Well, you know, I just don’t want to show off…”
Peter sighed. “You’re so modest,” he said. “Anyway, before you try to argue any more, let’s go, shall we?”
“I suppose.”
Without another word, fingers entwined, they left the Multiplex behind them, on their way to another one of their favorite places to spend time together.