XXVIII - The Healing

Ravenna returned home from her trip to Canden, ready to have a quiet evening after spending the afternoon in the village. She was becoming more open to the villagers about her return home, but was still keeping the details about her disappearance to herself; Anne had taught her that gossip always travels quickly in small towns. 

She started to empty her baskets in the kitchen, wondering where Michael was. He hadn't come into the kitchen when she entered the home. –Perhaps he is resting, recovering.– She set aside the rolls of fabric she had purchased, as it would have to wait. 

Ravenna had paid a little extra from Peter's still-hefty coin purse for chicken that was already cooked, and added it to the gently simmering broth from the previous night. She sliced up the vegetables she had been given from the elderly Quills, as Audrey insisted she had purchased too many from the market earlier that week. The last of the ingredients added, she lidded the pot and went in search of the other occupant of her home. 

"Michael?"

No reply came from the infirmary, and Ravenna went to see if he was resting. –Sleep is good for him right now, he will recover sooner if he rests properly.– Michael was nowhere to be found in the infirmary, and he had not been in the parlor when she passed by. She furrowed her brows. –He has gone outside before, he did bring the rose in. Perhaps he's outside? He does seem to enjoy the outdoors.– 

Ravenna stepped out into her gardens, seeing the herbal garden behind the cottage, and the flowers that Anne had planted years ago begin to bloom again. The stream that ran behind her home bubbled happily, but no Seraphim was there to hear it. 

The gardens empty, Ravenna frowned again. –Where is he?– She began to worry; she knew he was a capable man, but he was still hurt, and the idea of him being hurt again made her stress. She had told him she wouldn't be long in the village, he couldn't have gone far. –Unless he had enough strength to realm-travel... he could be anywhere…–

Ravenna decided to push the worry from her mind. Michael had always found his way back to her this far, and she was certain he would again. She went back into the cottage, wanting to change into some more comfortable evening wear. Her dress felt heavy in the warming weather, and her light nightdress was calling to her.

She began unlacing the back of her dress as she walked toward her room, certain that she was alone. The dress began to loosen and slip from her shoulders, and she felt the relief from the restricting garments. When she stepped into her room and saw Michael sitting in front of the mirror with his bandages tossed to the floor, she quickly grabbed the top of her dress, making sure she was covered. 

"Michael!" I didn't know you were here!"

"... you weren't supposed to." He curled his knees toward his chest, placing his chin on his knees. 

"What are you... oh, Michael." Ravenna realized what she had done. By trying to make him understand why she hadn't been as close to him, she had made him see for himself what he was missing. "How long have you been here?"

"Since about an hour after you left. I didn't want to see it, but then I couldn't bear not to. And then I ripped the bandages off...I had to see how bad it was... the Ruler made me a monster..."

Ravenna grabbed her robe from behind her door, and shrugged it above her loose dress. She sat next to the despondent angel, facing him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "You're not a monster. You're still beautiful to me. And you're still you, whether the wings are there or not."

"But you always seemed to like them..."

"Because they were a part of you. And it was you that mattered. And it's still you that matters."

"Were Lucifer's scars really that bad?" Michael's eyes finally met hers, and she could see the hope in his eyes, pleading with her to tell him that he would be okay. 

"... they were, but he had no one. I promise that I will do my best to make sure yours do not look like his. I can't promise perfection, but I promise you my best. I promise that unlike Lucifer, you won't be alone through it."

Hearing Ravenna's vow, Michael gave a sad smile. Noticing she sat on her robe on the wooden floor, his smile grew wider. He stretched his long legs out, and easily turned her to face him better. He pulled her legs to rest across his, before attempting to lift her, to pull her forward to sit between his thighs. A sharp pain ripped through his wounds, and he grit his teeth. He felt fresh blood drip down his back, and he let out a sharp exhale. 

"Maybe, uh, if you wanted to sit here, that would help me out?" 

"Only if you promise not to try to lift me again until you heal. "

"I'll be good. "

Ravenna shifted, sitting between his legs. Michael bent his left leg behind her, supporting her back, and she laid her legs across his right. He put his hand along the back of her neck, drawing her close. 

She pressed her forehead against his, feeling the tip of his nose against hers. "I really did miss you. I hope you know that. "

"Show me. "

Michael's voice came out in a low, husky whisper, trying to entice Ravenna to ignore the bruises, to see the man he was beneath the wounds. 

She tried to be careful, to stay with her resolve; he was still injured and needed care. But she also had missed the way his lips felt against her own, the way his hands felt gripping her waist. Hearing the way he asked, the way he wanted her, Ravenna was not able to deny the angel she sat with any longer. 

Her hands wound through his golden curls, pulling him closer. She felt his breath hitch, a sharp inhale of excitement as if he was not expecting her to give in to him. As their lips pressed together, Michael wrapped his left arm around her, his right hand dropping low to her waist. 

After a few gentle kisses, he tested her resolve, parting her lips with his own. Finding no resistance to his gestures, he teased the tip of her tongue with his own, feeling her melt in his arms as he tasted her sweetness. Feeling her react as he had hoped only encouraged Michael more, and he deepened their kiss, his split lip aching slightly. He ignored the sting in his lip, focusing on the way Ravenna felt, tasted, melted. 

He drew back for a moment, glancing toward Ravenna's bed. "Would you like to move off of the floor?"

Ravenna tried to catch her breath, her cheeks flush from their kiss. "I...I... yes." She stood, and offered her hand to the Seraphim, who took it, grimacing as he stood. "Should I put those bandages back on you first?"

"I don't want them right now. I don't want you to see my back and see me as injured right now. I want you to see me as me." He gestured for her to sit on the bed with him, his hair tousled from her hands. 

Ravenna tightened her robe over her loose dress, having forgotten about the way the garment was untied until she stood. She bit her lower lip, and sat next to the angel on her bed; the way she bit her lip seemed to make him only more interested in her. 

Michael laid on his side on the bed, and Ravenna took a deep breath before lying next to him. -Is the Ruler watching? Is this going to be something held against us later?- As if he could sense her unease, Michael ran his fingers through her long hair, tucking it behind her ear.

"We don't have to do anything that you don't want to do."

Ravenna took another deep breath. "I'm just... I'm sorry. The whole incident with the Ruler, and what your Brothers saw... and everything that happened with Peter... I'm just nervous."

"I have waited centuries for someone as perfect as you. I will wait as long as you need. And the Ruler cast me out. He has no reason to care about me anymore, no reason to watch me anymore."

"I'm just... I'm scared, Michael." 

Michael wriggled himself over to Ravenna, cautious of pulling her close to him, as the effort would rip his wounds open again. –Bleeding on her bed is a bad form of encouragement.– He held her close to him, feeling her cheek press against his strong chest.

"It's okay to be scared. But you promised to be with me every step of my healing, and I'll be with you every step of yours. You went through something big with Peter, and even though I made sure he won't come back, it's only normal for you to be nervous. I wanted you since the moment I saw you, and I never thought I could have you. I will wait for you until you tell me you want me."

Ravenna teared up against Michael's chest. She had very little time to process what had happened to her in the meadow with Peter Jones, and the feelings of violation and helplessness she had repressed began to bubble up. 

"L-Lucifer and Edward... they offered me to t-torment P-Peter in L-Lucifer's realm. I sh-shouted at him, but they... they wanted me to hurt him...to sh-show him how badly he hu-hurt me. I-I couldn't do it! I told him h-he deserves everything that the demons do to him, b-but I couldn't hurt him."

Michael ran his hands through her hair, the way he always did when he wanted to comfort her. "You're a good person. I know he hurt you, and I know he did so many things wrong to you..."

"You d-don't understand! L-Lucifer asked me if I would e-ever be able to look at you without seeing the reason why you c-came to save me in the first place!"

–I need to break Lucifer's ribs next time I see him.–

"Ravenna...I don't think I could have ever forgotten you or stayed away from you forever. If it wasn't for Peter, I would have found another reason to expose my existence to you. I'm sorry it had to be this way, but your allure was too strong for me to resist. I think I would have done it eventually. You don't have to associate the two of us... even though that must be incredibly difficult for you."

She pulled away from his embrace, and looked into his eyes. "Help me heal, Michael. I don't want to be afraid anymore."