Adam's Grace - 6. "Spes Est Infinita"

Thomas's lips climbed gracefully along Adam's naked body, relishing every inch of the angel's flavourful skin. Now, more than ever before, Adam's taste and smell seemed heightened, its potency enhanced by the transformation that took place the night before. The lovers lay together over a soft mattress behind the pulpit, Adam's wings resting graciously beside his body.

They seemed to respond to Adam's emotions, mimicking his emotional state, and exuded a powerful fragrance indiscernible to Thomas. Or any human, for that matter.

"Your skin is smooth again, like before," Thomas uttered softly, his lips reaching the back of Adam's neck where they lingered.

The angel didn't respond. Thomas noticed Adam's aloofness since his angelic form had been revealed, and his mind now seemed to occupy multiple places simultaneously. Thomas pulled away, frowning.

"Don't stop," Adam whispered, nudging his body back inside Thomas's chest. The stud smiled and leaned back down, kissing the angel's neck, who moaned softly.

"We can't stay in here forever," Thomas mumbled despite sounding unsure of his argument.

"You're right," Adam whispered. "Besides, Father Daniel is coming back," he added calmly, pressing his hands against the floor and pulling his upper body up. He sat there, staring down at Thomas before his lips slowly stretched into a gentle smile.

"How do you know?" Thomas questioned.

"I can feel him," Adam replied, his eyes darting vacantly.

Thomas pulled up, his heavy, muscular body forcing the old wooden floor to crack slightly. He picked his pants off the floor and threw them on, circling the pulpit before stopping. His golden eyes scanned Adam over the table.

"I need to run by my house. My Mom must be worried sick," Thomas expressed, walking up the steps again and kneeling beside Adam. "What's wrong?" he questioned as he gazed at the angel's eyes, which seemed yielded.

"I can hear everything," Adam mumbled. "All the voices...whispering inside my head," the angel revealed, his words layered with dread.

"There's something you're not telling me," Thomas whispered before a thundering silence took hold of the church.

Then, Adam's wings suddenly shivered before rising off the ground and fanning in surprise. Thomas turned to find Father Daniel standing in the middle of the aisle, his eyes gaping at the majestic white feathered wings that now rose above them. Thomas motioned to speak, ready to apologize as he was convinced the priest would scold them for desecrating his holy space. But he quickly felt Adam's hand grab him from behind.

"Father Daniel..." Adam uttered softly.

"It's happened," Daniel mumbled, his words wavering inside the large hall.

Thomas's eyes blinked, and he turned back, suddenly realizing Adam was still naked, his beautiful, pale, silk-skinned body on full display. But as his head returned to Daniel, he learned the priest's interest was far from any carnal craving. His gaze was filled with only one sentiment: awe.

"I should let you guys talk. I'll be back later." Thomas stated, sauntering down the steps and across the aisle, stopping a few inches from the door. He glanced back at them again before leaving the church and closing the door behind him.

Daniel and Adam stood there, held together by a muted gaze that harbored an overwhelming flood of emotions. Daniel's eyes began to glisten, and tears fell as he realized Adam was already inside his head, slowly uncovering and retaining everything that had happened to him while he was gone.

"I'm sorry you had to see that..." Daniel whispered. "I know he won't forgive me for doing it, but I had to," he stated, letting his depleted body fall over one of the first-row benches.

"I'm not here to judge you," Adam whispered back. Daniel's eyes squinted, stunned by how the angel's lips lay peacefully on top of each other. He was speaking, but his mouth wasn't moving, which meant every word they exchanged was happening telepathically. "We are all His children, Daniel," he added, with a soothing voice that seemed to travel through Daniel's body like a warm summer breeze.

"I thought...I would be able to find the words to describe what I would feel once I saw you," Daniel said, his glistening eyes trembling as he gazed at the ravishing angel before him. "But I don't think there are...words, I mean," he explained. There was another silence before Daniel's thoughts began to disclose the truth. "The stained glass on the church back in Devil's Haven..." Daniel muttered. "You've been here before, haven't you? On earth?" Daniel asked.

"Yes. Many times," Adam replied calmly, walking down the steps gradually, his wings coming down and cowering behind his back.

"Then...where's Adam? What's happened to him?" Daniel asked apprehensively.

"He's here. With me," the angel responded, prompting Daniel's face to beam at him.

"I think I always knew. I watched him grow into the gentlest, kindest, most generous young man," Daniel stated, thoughts spanning between their minds. "But there was always something...absent about him. A part of his spirit that seemed connected to something none of us could see or feel," Daniel added before his mind lingered.

Adam's gaze intensified, and with it came the spirited scent of marigolds. Daniel could feel the angel's thoughts brushing his mind.

"Now is the time to ask questions, Daniel," the angel suggested.

Daniel chuckled, nervously wavering his body.

"What's covering the town?" Daniel questioned.

Adam beamed, his wings shifting and glowing along with his lips.

"Examination of Conscience...Contrition and Sorrow...Admission of Sins...Absolution and Penance..." Adam quoted like a temperate blessing before Daniel's voice interrupted him.

"Resolution...and Amendment of Life," Daniel muttered. "The five stages of Confession," he whispered, lifting his head and facing the angels' unguarded truth. "But whose Confession is causing this?" the priest questioned, his eyes squinting, waiting for an answer.

Adam just looked at him and smiled. A peaceful silence ensued until Daniels's voice echoed inside their minds again.

"Aziel...was he supposed to be one of your vessels?" Daniel finally uttered, feeling his whole body tauten with anticipation. Adam's wings slowly opened, the outer layer of luminous, white feathers stretching outwards.

"Yes. But you already knew that," Adam replied, smiling compassionately at the priest as he finally faced the angel and exposed his vulnerability.

"Then why did he...? Why didn't you take him?" Daniel asked. But the angel sat there silently, his soul embracing Daniel's pain and silent outrage. "You left him there to rot...a life wasted," he whispered, almost unwillingly.

"We both know that's not true, Daniel," Adam gently responded, his every word brushing a new layer of the priest's pain off his spirit—and with it, the overwhelming revelation. "Look deeper. You already know the truth," the angel steered, his wings flaring wider.

"I..." Daniel stuttered as he began to accept what was being unveiled to him. "I wasn't ready," he finally acknowledged.

"Yes," Adam whispered, witnessing the shift in the priest's expression. "You see, Daniel...this was never about Aziel, Adam, or Thomas," the angel disclosed.

"But..." Daniel stuttered.

"Yes, Daniel?" Adam questioned, his words lingering like a whispering echo.

"Why me? I'm nobody," Daniel finally whispered as his head fell between his shoulders. He sat there, tears streaming down his cheeks, until he felt a shadow approaching. He lifted his head to find Adam's naked body standing in front of him, eyes burning with a radiant light.

"Because you're the one he chose," the angel's melodic voice finally stated, his words shedding the last fragments of Daniel's doubts. And from under them, his faith was revived.

"I don't want to lose Aziel...I know it's selfish, but..." Daniel stammered, his voice choking as he lunged forward, diving his head inside the angel's stomach, arms wrapping around his waist. He felt compelled to exhale, the intoxicating scent of Adam's skin coursing through his body. "Please...save him. Heal him." the priest implored.

"That's not my call, Daniel..." Adam uttered as his arms embraced Daniel. His lips touched the priest's head, diving inside his hair and kissing it gently. "But I'll try," he whispered into his mind.

"You promise?" Daniel whimpered, unable to cage his emotions.

"Yes, I promise," the angel replied as his soft hands brushed the back of Daniel's neck.

And there, in that church where they had spent innumerable moments together, Adam held Daniel inside his divine embrace, just as the priest had done to him so many times in the past, reciprocating every instant he had offered his hand, along with his compassion, to appease the boy's pain. A glorious light broke from the upper windows of the chapel, sprinkling its luminance over them, and Adam's wings circled the two, engraving Daniel's body with the most exalted peace.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Thomas walked inside his house, rushing past the kitchen in time to catch his mother and Maggie chatting as they sat on the kitchen table.

"Thomas?" Catherine called, forcing the stud to stop as he readied to climb the stairs to his room. He exhaled impatiently and turned around, slowly wandering to the doorway and leaning against it. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" she asked.

Thomas's eyes lingered on her, then on Maggie, whose lips stretched into a tamed, visibly discomfiting smile. At that moment, Thomas knew she was hiding something.

"I came to pick some stuff up," the stud replied, his golden eyes scanning both women. "What were you two talking about?" he pressed.

"Don't you want to sit down?" Catherine suggested, pulling out the chair next to her. As she did, Thomas took a step back.

"No," the stud immediately replied, reverting his eyes to Maggie. "What the fuck are you doing here?" he questioned defiantly.

"We've just been worried. You haven't really been yourself lately..." Maggie stuttered.

"I fucking knew it!" Thomas hollered, pushing back and running up the stairs.

"Thomas!" Maggie yelled as she ran to the bottom of the stairs.

"Mind your fucking business, Maggie. This is my life!" the stud shouted as he darted around his room, hurriedly stuffing clothes inside his backpack. He rushed for his nightstand and lifted the drawer's bottom, pulling out a stack of stashed money. As he hurried back down the stairs, Catherine was already blocking the exit. Thomas jumped over the railing and ran for the door, blasting through the front door.

"Thomas, please!" Catherine begged with desperation. "You're throwing your life away," she warned, pausing as her body wavered on the porch. "That boy will bring you nothing but misery!" she finally uttered, her words brewing with fear and prejudice.

Thomas's body froze, his hands holding the steering wheel of his bike, and his eyes closed with disgust.

"He's the only reason I'm still alive," Thomas countered. Despite his internal anger, his tone was calm and viscerally contained. "I love Adam," the stud finally professed, causing Maggie to gasp as Catherine's hands came up and covered her mouth.

"What has he done to you? Those nasty thoughts he's putting inside your head...the boy's sick, Thomas...just like his mother!" Catherine blurted out, her cruel words spewing out of her mouth like vomit.

"You're all the same..." the stud's voice whispered as he finally realized the truth.

He and Adam would never be happy. Not as long as they remained in Dog's Creek. He took one last look at his mother before climbing on top of his bike and pedaling off, his muscular legs lugging him out into the main road. Within seconds, he disappeared, leaving Catherine hopelessly crying her son's name.

Meanwhile, back at the church, Father Daniel paced from one side of his room to another, carefully folding all his clothes inside a large travel bag. Adam sat on the bed, his blue eyes following the priest's every move. He seemed eerily calm, his contemplative gaze becoming gradually more profound.

"The day I left Devil's Haven, I thought that the further I went in the world, the more likely it would be that I'd find God," Daniel said, suddenly halting before the mirror door on his wardrobe. He paused there, darting at his own reflection. His hand climbed up his chest slowly, fingers grabbing his clerical collar. "But he was here all along, wasn't he?" he whispered, plucking the collar from his neck. "I'm afraid my days of preaching are over," he stated, finally turning his attention to his angel.

"It's not what we put over our bodies that define us, but what we bear in our hearts," the angel whispered gently. His voice was changing, becoming strangely ethereal.

"Adam..." Daniel uttered, walking over and kneeling before him. "I can take you and Thomas far away from here. Some place where he can keep you safe." Daniel suggested, looking for the angel's approval. But Adam just sat there. Gradually, Daniel began to notice how the celestial being's blue-colored eyes were disappearing, and a luminous, resonant light was desperately crawling from under them. "Please...let me help you," Daniel beseeched.

There was a brief silence before the angel turned his head. The light emanating from his eyes grew, and he merely smiled. Daniel fell back, defeated by the angel's gaze, which seemed to fill Daniel's spirit with an unpreventable foreboding.

"One day, whenever that may be, I will die. And then I'll finally be in God's presence..." Daniel conveyed, holding Adam's hands inside his. "But when that happens...what will I say, Adam?" he questioned, a rugged emotion building in his voice. "When he finally asks: why did you forsake my most divine creation?" Daniel insisted. "What will I answer?" he urged, begging for guidance.

Adam slid his hands out of inside Daniel's and brought them to his face, leaning in and kissing the priest's mouth. Then, he slowly pulled back, his face lingering inches from Daniel's.

"You simply tell Him...I was honored to serve my purpose. And that I was proud to be your Guardian," the angel whispered, his basil-scented breath ushering a comforting wave over Daniel.

Seconds later, they heard a loud ruckus outside, a shouting match from which Thomas's voice seemed to rise above several others. Daniel stood up, his head catching the dim light piercing his bedroom window. Outside, the sun was beginning to set.

"Stay here," he counseled, rushing out of the room and stomping across the church gallery. The closer he got to the massive front door, the louder the voices became, and as he opened them, an explosion of visceral hate exploded.

"Finally!" Thomas's father vocifered, his rabid eyes shooting daggers at Daniel.

"What is going on here, Joseph?" Daniel calmly questioned. But he quickly realized things had escalated beyond his control.

"Shut up, you fucking pervert!" Joseph yelled, climbing the large stairs as he pointed his finger. "What? You think we wouldn't notice. Bringing these boys into the church, corrupting their heads with your perversions. You fucking deviant!" he yelled before the mob behind him burst into clangorous applause, shouting obscenities over each other. So loud that Daniel could barely listen to what Joseph was saying.

"I hate you!" Thomas roared, his words overtaken by rage and fear combined. Like a child speaking truth to power, his voice shook with dread, pervaded by an unshakable fear towards his abusive father.

"You can hate me, Thomas. But I'm still your father. And I'll die first before I see you drag this family name into the mud." Joseph threatened. "I'll beat that sickness out of you if I have to!" he yelled.

"You're the sick one, you fucking drunk!" Thomas cried out, propelling Joseph to lunge up the stairs, eyes gaping in rage. Daniel lunged forward and pushed himself between the two, preventing Joseph's hand from hitting his son.

"Joseph, stop!" Daniel ordered, his deep voice morphing and soaring above everyone else's. "You're making a mistake," he advised. Their faces were now inches apart, and he could feel the man's rage exude from his skin like a foul stench.

"I knew the moment you arrived in town, you were trouble," Joseph's raspy, drunk voice whispered, purposely counseling his words from the rest of the crowd. "Coming here with your fancy speeches and modern ways, trying to turn the people here into freaks like you...and that fucking faggot you're hiding inside your brothel," he said, pointing with his head towards the chapel.

"I've heard words of hate like yours before, Joseph," Daniel uttered, every cell in his body fighting to tame the man's bigotry and malignancy. "But trust me: your son is the only person you'll hurt in the end." Daniel tried to reason to no avail. He could feel the unrelenting power of hate, ready to wreak havoc. "Just let him go," the priest pleaded.

But it was too late. In Joseph's eyes, Daniel witnessed the extent of the damage anger and pain can cause if given the time to ripe.

"Never," Joseph professed, his hate unwavering. He pulled back and pushed Daniel, the priest's back slamming against the concrete stairs. "Thomas, come," he ordered as he turned around, descending the stairs towards the mob.

But suddenly, a thundering voice broke from the top of the church entrance.

"No," Adam proclaimed. "His soul no longer belongs to you," he conveyed, his words exploding over the crowd. They were vibrant and potently menacing yet bore a gentleness with them, like a wool blanket over a cold body.

You could feel the aftershock of the communal gasp that followed as the town mob finally gazed at Adam. The angel began to descend the stairs, the vibrancy of his eyes only matched by the magnificence of his wings, which spread outwards, soaring over his body.

"What the fuck..." Joseph mumbled as he stared back, eyes gaping in shock. "What sort of trickery is this?" he muttered.

"Adam..." Thomas uttered, lifting himself from the ground and instinctively running up the stairs, shielding him.

"Heresy...Desecration," Joseph whispered. "HERESY!" he bellowed, fueling the mob and turning their shock into roaring hate. A dark wave lifted like a tidal wave. "The fucking demon is trying to trick us. Defile our minds!" He instigated.

"Shoot it!" A voice hollered from inside the mob.

"Cut off his fucking wings!" Another voice yelled from under the rubble of people slowly climbing the stairs.

Daniel rolled on the floor and rushed for Adam, but the angel locked eyes on him, stopping him in his tracks.

At the same time, Joseph's hand slid inside his pocket, and he pulled out a large knife, lifting it in the air, ready to strike down on Adam's wings. Thomas, sensing his father's reckless move, jumped in front of the angel's body, shielding it as his back faced the sharp knife. Then suddenly, a loud gunshot reverberated across the square, causing everything to go silent. Moments later, a voice broke from behind the crowd, which parted slowly, revealing Leonard as he stood over the bridge, holding a rifle.

"Get the fuck away from my son, Joseph!" Leonard's deep voice hollered. You could hear the murmuring rising among the surprised crowd, which began to part, allowing Leonard to rush past them and walk up the steps cautiously, rifle pointed at Joseph's head. "Step back..." he uttered, walking up with his back facing the church.

"Did you suddenly grow a conscious, Leonard?" Joseph stirred.

"I said step back, you drunk piece of shit," Leonard sounded, pushing the butt of the rifle against his shoulder and gently pressing his finger against the trigger.

"I guess crazy runs in the family," Joseph continued, his greedy eyes craving blood. "Amelia would be proud..." he muttered, his tone shifting slightly.

"Don't you fucking dare say her name," Leonard warned, coasting the gun's muzzle inches from Joseph's face, who grinned sadistically. "You never got over her choosing me, did you?" He questioned, sadness escorting his words. "You chased her around town like a moth, feeding off her beautiful light. But she knew...she knew how hateful you were. How much darkness you carried inside," Leonard added.

"You're a weak man, Leonard...and that weakness killed her..." Joseph mumbled, his voice changing, his rage unexpectedly subdued by a creeping sadness. "If she had been mine, I would have never allowed that freak to be born. And she would still be alive..." Joseph finally confessed, his admission bringing with it a murdering silence.

Leonard's eyes scanned the crowd, locking on Catherine's glistening gaze. One filled with shame, of someone who had allowed herself to be trapped in a loveless marriage, perpetually the shadow of another woman's memory.

"Inside, you three. Now!" Leonard ordered the others, slowly stepping back, escorting Daniel, Thomas, and Adam to the top of the stairs and inside the large church doors. He glanced down at Joseph, whose hateful expression surfaced, his momentary vulnerability rapidly buried inside his heart again.

"Leonard..." Daniel uttered as he noticed him stop under the doorway.

Leonard looked at Adam, scanning the boy's naked body and traveling through it with awe and wonderment. His eyes glistened at the sight of the boy's wings.

"I failed her," he stated with tears in his eyes. "But I never stopped loving her...never," Leonard stuttered.

"I know," Adam replied before Leonard pushed the doors, slamming them shut.

Daniel rushed over and slid his keys in, locking the massive doors from inside. He signaled Thomas, and they ran for one of the large benches on the last row, picking it up and slamming it against the entrance, blocking it. But it wasn't long before they heard the mob's footsteps climb up, the sound of their angry voices filling the air. Then, Leonard's body was pushed, kicked, and tossed around as he groaned in pain, which slowly dwindled under the townspeople's violent screams.

"Jesus, they're killing him," Thomas mumbled as he paced nervously, the muffled sound of dozens of fists slamming against the poor man's body growing around them. Seconds later, the massive door began to shake.

"It's time, Daniel." The angel whispered into the priest's mind. "Leave now, and don't look back," he ordered.

"Adam..." Daniel faltered, struggling to concede to his Guardian's request. But the angel's thoughts felt sovereign now, no longer dependent on Daniel's consent. They weren't requests but commands.

The pastor turned around, ran to his room, grabbed his bag, and rushed past the back door into his truck. He tossed the bag into the back seat, jumped inside the car, and drove off. Daniel's mind argued viciously with his body, trying desperately to force it to turn back and stop whatever was about to happen inside that chapel. But his muscles seemed to have their own mind, steering him away from the town square. He drove past the bridge, eyes hopelessly glancing at the rearview as he watched the ravenous crowd close around the church, their bodies like ants in the distance, crawling over each other, pounding the doors, and throwing gasoline aimlessly around the building's perimeter.

"Burn it to the fucking ground!" Thomas heard his father yell from the other side of the door as he stepped back. He turned to find Adam's gaze waiting for him. It was calm and peaceful.

"Adam...we need to go," Thomas stated.

But at that moment, as he stared into his lover's eyes, he finally understood that their fate wouldn't be the same as Daniel's. Suddenly, a peaceful silence took hold of them, and all the loud voices and clangorous sounds suddenly faded away, leaving only the peace and overwhelming serenity of their love.

"We're not leaving, are we?" he asked as Adam shook his head slowly. "I see," Thomas mumbled before chuckling, finally accepting his fate. "So this is it... it's funny...I thought I'd be scared, but..." he uttered, surprised by the peacefulness his spirit was being bathed with.

"This isn't the end, Thomas. Not for us." Adam appeased, lifting his hand and calling Thomas over to him. The stud smiled and obliged, and together, they calmly walked back to the pulpit. Adam sat down, and Thomas slid between his arms and legs. And then the angel's wings grew tall and slowly encircled them, their brilliance blinding.

As they sat together, a faithful reenactment of the stained glass image Daniel had stared at all those years ago in the abandoned church in Devil's Haven, the two young lovers finally locked eyes. Adam's wings began to emit an overpowering glow, creating a sphere of translucidity around them, blocking all the bluster, smoke, and flames that slowly ate through the chapel's old structure.

"What's on the other side?" Thomas questioned.

"You tell me," the angel replied, smiling.

Thomas's golden gaze became shrouded in Adam's light, and the most glorious vision was revealed to him inside the angel's glow.

"A green ocean of blossoms and grass, stretching as far as our eyes can see. And beyond it...a lake where the water isn't too cold or warm. It's just...right," the stud described as his eyes became enveloped by a white layer. "There's a pier with a small boat. We'll take it out every morning and lay naked in it, making love under the stars until our bodies fall asleep inside each other," he continued, tears falling down his cheeks. "We'll never grow old. Our bodies will never tire. And we'll always be together. Forever," he affirmed.

"If that's what you see, then that's what you'll find," Adam professed, gently brushing the stud's face with his hand.

"I love you, Adam," Thomas whispered.

"I love you, Thomas," the angel whispered back before he leaned into his lover and kissed his salty, tear-covered lips.

Flames and smoke devoured everything around them, yet the cocoon that shielded them seemed to expand, growing in scope and vibrancy. Like a gravitational force, it began to consume everything around it. Fire, wood, glass, and tile were being ripped off the walls, ceiling, and floors, and as they hit the sphere, they turned into tiny particles of light, causing the sphere to increase further.

Meanwhile, on the other edge of town, Daniel's truck sped towards the oversized crown that covered it. But as he closed in on it, the translucid light dome began to shrink, moving towards him like a fierce sandstorm. He felt the car getting heavy and soon realized he was being sucked in.

"Fuck..." the priest muttered. He shifted gears, punching his foot into the accelerator pedal, forcing the car to push through the force field and puncture the mystical cloud. "C'mon, c'mon...c'mon!" he yelled with desperation as he felt the entire vehicle shudder as it finally speared the shrinking hex.

Daniel hit the brakes, the car wheels swerving loudly over the dirt road before stopping. He collapsed over the steering wheel, huffing, before his head rose, eyes scouring the distance. They gaped in shock. Daniel couldn't believe it. The dying crown was rapidly washing everything off from sight—every road, every house, every barn, every person, every stone, every brick.

Dog's Creek was being erased from existence.

Daniel opened the car door and hopped out, a faded, indistinct sound reverberating in the distance suddenly ringing in his ears. He took a few steps forward, stopping as the noise died down and came to a stop, covering the landscape with a deafening stillness. After a few moments, Daniel inhaled, a nervous chuckle following it. His eyes glistened in marvel. There was nothing left before him. The last 15 years of his life were stripped to a bare landscape of nothing but dirt and dust.

He started pacing around, his mind meandering beneath the star-studded sky. What purpose did all of it serve? Why spare him? And why would God allow him to witness such miracles only to strip any evidence of it from the earth? Amid such thoughts, an unexpected calmness floated down and touched Daniel's spirit like a warm, caring hand on his shoulder. He giggled, his boyish laughter echoing across the silent night. He returned to the car and unhurriedly drove off.

And for twelve straight hours, he didn't stop, his body guided by an unwavering stamina. The further away from Dog's Creek he drove, the stronger he felt, his youthful vibrancy a testament to his renewed sense of faith. And now, only a few miles away from returning to his soulmate's presence, Daniel realized he was returning to himself. To that robust, rugged, recklessly untamed boy he once was. Full of love, compassion, desire, and lust. Perfectly imperfect.

The way God intended him to be.

He slowed the car to a stop, the windshield facing Aziel's house. It seemed eerily quiet until Fatima walked out, face covered in tears. Daniel's heart froze, his eyes closing in silent prayer. When he opened them again, Fatima stood by the side of his door, so he rolled down the window.

"Am I too late?" Daniel stuttered, dreading the worst. "Fatima, where is he?" He questioned, words fuming with apprehension. But to Daniel's surprise, from under her tears, Fatima was smiling.

"I don't know," she wept.

"What?" Daniel asked, his voice stumbling.

"Last night, out of the blue, he started talking to himself. He kept whispering as if someone was in the room with him," Fatima explained, visibly shaken by whatever she had witnessed. "Then this morning he..." she blubbered, attempting to cage her emotion and allow her words to come out. "He just got up and left," she revealed, her semblance overtaken with bewilderment.

Daniel's body fell back, melting into his seat. And from under his stoic expression, the most beautiful smile emerged.

"I think I know where he went," he uttered, sliding the carkey back in the ignition and rearing the truck into the road.

He raised his hand, waving reassuringly at Fatima, and drove off, circling their house. He proceeded through the side road that stretched alongside the cornfield to his uncle's farm, finally parking just a few yards from the barn. He stepped out and wandered over to it, immediately noticing the busted lock on the ground and the nudged door. Daniel took a deep breath and walked inside.

There, standing a few feet from him, was Aziel. He had his back to the door, holding a small army knife as he carved something into one of the large wood beams that held the barn's upper plate.

"I was planning to come here that morning after we went inside the church," Aziel said as he kept carving. "I wanted to leave this here so you'd see it. I was so scared but eager to tell you how much it had meant to me," Aziel revealed, his hand finally coming down. He blew into the old shaft, his breath cloud dusting off the tiny splinters of scraped wood, revealing their names carved into it. Then, he turned around.

Daniel's eyes welled up. Aziel stood tall and beautiful, his blue eyes twinkling as the sun crept gently through the ceiling. His body was healed, his blonde curls more vibrant than ever, his smooth, pale-skinned upper body peeking through his sheer shirt, and his leg muscles teasing Daniel's eyes through the thin fabric of his sweatpants.

"How?" Daniel whispered.

"Adam...he came to me," Aziel bluntly revealed.

"What did he say?" Daniel asked. Aziel's mouth opened slightly, the moist holding them together slowly unfurling into a smile.

"He said...it wasn't my time yet," the blonde beauty uttered. "And that I needed to stay behind because...he had a promise to keep," Aziel disclosed.

Daniel's knees buckled, and he fell to the floor, sobbing.

Through God, Adam had stricken Aziel of his divinity and graced his former vessel with something far more significant: his humanity. And with it, a chance for him and Daniel to grow old together.

They were finally allowed to rewrite their story, which was no longer one of sin, suffering, hardship, and pain.

"I can still feel the taste of your cum in my mouth. Even after all these years." Aziel's sultry voice uttered, forcing Daniel's sobbing to halt abruptly, his convoluted tears turning into joyous laughter. He raised his head and smiled. They lingered there, gazing at each other as their cocks hardened inside their pants. Aziel grabbed his shirt, pulled it over his head, and tossed it aside. Then he tugged his pants down, revealing his stiff 7-inch, pink shaft as it sprung up from under the fabric. His hands immediately grabbed it, and he started stroking it very gently. "I think we should finish what we started that day," the blonde suggested with a smirk on his lips.

Daniel towed his knees from the hay-covered floor, his hands brushing off the tears from his face. And as he unbuttoned his shirt, he paused, overwhelmed by the intensity with which Aziel stared at him. It was as if his friend's gaze was undressing him. With each piece of clothing torn off, his vulnerability was exposed like a deep secret that had been kept hidden for too long, and in the blonde beauty's deep blue puddle, he saw himself reflected, his nude, adult body finally revealed. Daniel couldn't even remember the last time he had looked at himself in the mirror. His thick skin, layering the most perfect set of musculature, spread evenly across 5.9 feet of manly flesh. His cascading dark brown hair and nutmeg eyes, whose inner light seemed brighter as the sun hit them, now reflected his profound lust. Between his fuzzy legs, the most perfect, girthy, uncircumcised 9.5-inch cock, its foreskin stretched slightly back as a thick string of precum oozed from it.

Aziel walked up to him, their hard cocks brushing together, and he wrapped his arms around Daniel's neck. The hunk's thick hands descended along Aziel's rear, coasting gently on his lower back.

"Am I...tickling your pickle?" Aziel whispered, taunting the hunk, his nose slowly traveling across Daniel's face. "I wonder if you still taste as I remember," he added, his lips dangerously close to the hunk's mouth. But he pulled back, prompting Daniel to exhale in ecstasy. He dropped his knees on the floor and immediately grabbed the hunk's massive shaft in his hand. From there, Danny's thighs seemed even more prominent, a stout, sexy layer of dark fuzz covering them and a dense, dark bush framing his perfect cock. "Yeah...I remember this," Aziel teased, and without missing a beat, he dove his mouth into the hunk's prick, pulling the skin back, swallowing the tip, and making sure to snag the string of precum with his tongue. A soft yet eager moan broke from his throat.

"Oh my God...this can't be real," Daniel whispered blissfully. There they were again as if no time had passed and all their misery had been a bad dream from which they now awoke.

Daniel threw his neck back, closing his eyes, mouth agape as groans started spewing from it. Aziel was eager, determined to recover every single second stolen from them. His head moved effortlessly back and forth, his tongue teasing the base of Danny's cock, every single muscle on his mouth hugging the hunk's dick as if he owned it.

And by how Daniel moaned, and as far as he was concerned, he did.

Daniel's hands swung up, and he pulled his hair back before they lunged down, fingers sliding inside Aziel's blonde curls. Daniel immediately noticed the tense heat emanating from his lover's body. And as his grip tightened, so did Aziel's moans become sharper, less reluctant to hold back.

"That feels so good..." Daniel groaned before he felt Aziel's tongue slide under his gland, massaging it. "Shit...fuck...Aze..." he whimpered, feeling his muscular asscheeks tightening and his pelvis shivering. He could feel an electrical charge build in his groin, pumping blood into the tip of his cock and up his body, into his head. He tried to pull the blonde's mouth away but to no avail. Like second nature, Aziel teased his load, edging Danny's orgasm like a pro. And just as Danny felt that familiar heat building in his stomach, Aziel pulled out, a loud popping noise escorting his movement. "Holy shit!" Daniel exclaimed, forcing the cutest giggles out of Aziel's mouth.

He looked down at his cock, covered in the blonde's spit, twitching as it held his load at bay. Aziel came up, his lips kissing Daniel's stomach and chest, tongue teasing the hunk's nipples on its way up. The blonde paused, their faces inches apart, their breaths coating each other's skin. Then, like a perfectly coordinated move, he jumped into Danny's lap, scissoring his legs around the hunk's waist while Daniel's hands and arms secured his weight.

"Danny?" Aziel questioned, breathing into the stud's mouth.

"Yeah?" the hunk groaned, eyes closed, lost in Aziel's seductive verve.

"Are you nervous?" The blonde asked, gently licking Daniel's lips.

"No..." the hunk replied.

"Then fucking kiss me already," Aziel pleaded.

Daniel's eyes unfurled, locking on the blonde's mouth. He lingered there, his whole body charging with desire and lust before he finally lunged forward, mouth opened and tongue out. He dove into Aziel, plunging his tongue inside the blonde, tasting his alluring flavor for the first time. It was sweet, clean, light, and familiarly tender. It was home. Their heads began to dance, tongues swirling together in a beautiful and effortless choreography, one only years of a deep-rooted connection could result in.

"Danny..." Aziel whispered into the hunk's mouth, every syllable lit like wildfire.

Carrying the blonde's body, Daniel took a few steps to the back of the barn and laid Aziel on his back over a tall stack of hay, ass hanging from the edge. His arms clutched Danny's back, holding him down as Aziel's dove deeper and deeper inside his mouth. The hunk beamed internally, feeling Aziel's insatiable tongue drill into him, sucking on his lips, trying to garner as much of Danny's spit as he could. And as he did, the hunk could feel his slobbering cock rub against the blonde's pristine taint.

Daniel groaned, growing impatient. The truth was, he couldn't wait to feel himself slide inside Aziel. But he knew his lover's virgin body deserved all the love and devotion only Daniel could offer.

"Danny, I..." Aziel whimpered submissively.

"I know, I know..." Daniel muttered from inside the blonde's mouth, his arms trying to pull Aziel away from him. "Shhh...relax," Danny directed, finally unclutching Aziel's arms and sliding his sweaty body down the blonde's torso, locking his hands behind his knee caffs and raising his legs. He smiled as he felt the musky scent of the blonde's hole blow straight into his nose. "Christ, look at it," Daniel uttered, chuckling.

"Danny...go easy," Aziel pleaded.

"Trust me. I know what I'm doing," Daniel promised, leaning forward and licking the blonde's sphincter from his crack to the base of his ball sack in one single swoop.

"Oh my God," Aziel exclaimed, his curious head coming up to check, mouth gaping in rapture.

"Just lay back and relax. I got this," Daniel stated, lunging back in, tongue out.

He started teasing Aziel's sphincter, small, steady licks that allowed the hole to get a taste of what was to come. But by the third or fourth jab, his mouth became greedy, intoxicated by the blonde's flavor. He began to slide the tip of his tongue inside, feeling the silky pink skin soften and stretch slightly, inviting it to slide in. Daniel's lips hugged Aziel's taint, creating a suction around it, while his tongue darted insistently. Soon, he felt Aziel's hole open, and he was finally allowed access, his wet tongue skating inside the warmest paradise, reeking of musk.

"Fuck, Danny," Aziel moaned.

Daniel just groaned back, their voices like two animals in heat, surrendered to their most primal desires. For the next few minutes, Daniel munched on Aziel's hole, lathering the blonde with his spit and making sure that every inch of it was lubed and ready. And soon, he felt his massive cock twitch, beckoning his attention. So he brought his right hand down and discreetly began to tease it. This simple action was enough to wake Aziel from his sexual stupor, and he raised his head just as Daniel was pulling away.

"What are you..." he whined, visibly annoyed that even an inch of Daniel had dared pull away from him. What he didn't know was that Daniel had bigger plans. Much bigger.

"Fuck it, I'm going in," Daniel announced, raising his body and spreading Aziel's legs wider, pushing the blonde's knees to the sides. "Keep looking at me," Daniel steered as Aziel nodded, his face wholly bound to the hunk's dominance.

Daniel brought his pelvis down, leaned his body into Aziel, and directed the tip of his cock inside his lover's hole. Then, he began to push himself inside, his eyes locked on Aziel's face, scanning every breath, every twitch, every gasp, and every blink, using it as a roadmap to carefully unlock the blonde's body to a new world. One where only the two of them existed.

"I waited twenty years for this." Daniel groaned, completely surrendered to the beauty of what was happening. He could see Aziel's painful expression shift as he carefully drilled another inch. And another. And another. Until his dark bush was brushing against the blonde's crack.

"Oh fuck..." Aziel moaned.

"You're so beautiful," Daniel whispered, his right hand touching Aziel's face. "And you're mine. All mine," he professed, his eyes beginning to glisten.

"Yes..." Aziel consented. The blonde's hole was fully stuffed, its walls stretched thin, yet he smiled. Daniel's sweat dripped into Aziel's chest, the heat causing small steam clouds to erupt from the skin's surface on impact. "Danny..." he whimpered.

And just like that, Daniel began to fuck him. Slowly at first, trying to be patient as he felt the blonde's inner muscles contract and adjust to his massive girth. And with each new thrust, they widened, accommodating Daniel with incontrovertible eagerness.

Daniel's pelvis gained momentum, his ass bouncing up and down between Aziel's legs, pushing the blonde's body across the haystack. And soon, Aziel's moans became whimpers of pleasurable pain. Each shot of his sweet voice ushered Daniel's orgasm closer to the finish line. The hunk closed his eyes, fearful that the overwhelming pleasure he felt as he pushed his cock in and out of his lover's hole would soon end. But suddenly, he felt the blonde's hands hold his face, and he unfurled his eyes.

"It's okay...you can let go," Aziel whispered, pulling Daniel in, their bodies merging in a puddle of sweat. "I want to feel you cum inside me." The blonde whimpered, his voice tainted by lust.

And that was all the hunk needed to hear. There, through Aziel's words and in the comfort of his love's embrace, Daniel finally surrendered.

"Fuck...me..." he groaned, feeling his whole body contract before a jolt of energy traveled to his groin, exploding inside Aziel. The blonde's hole contracted, gripping the hunk's cock as it fired thick strings of batter into it.

Daniel's body shivered, emptying his seed into Aziel's body. After what seemed like an inexhaustible surge of pleasure, his body succumbed, and he fell deeper into Aziel, all his weight pushing them closer.

"I'm sorry," Daniel apologized, panting, his cock twitching inside the blonde's hole.

"We'll have a lot of time to practice, don't worry," Aziel whispered, a satisfied grin on his face. But as he caressed Daniel's back, brushing his fingers over the hunk's skin, he felt it shiver. Daniel was crying. He tightened his grip on him and held his body without uttering a word. Words were meaningless at this point. Aziel knew the nature of Daniel's tears: they were happiness. They lay there until Daniel's eyes closed, and his exhausted body fell into a deep slumber.

Hours later, he woke, startled as his right arm stretched sideways, unable to find Aziel. He had slept through the night, and the most lovely, pink aurora sunlight peeked through the cracks of the barn's roof. Daniel rose from the hay bed, popped his pants on, and rushed outside, his eyes nervously scouring the grounds.

"Aziel!" he called out. But there was no reply.

That is, until he heard the most exquisite, melodious whistle, like a bird, coming from the back of the barn. He circled the shack, his eyes scanning the surroundings. And it wasn't long before he spotted a very familiar sight. A large oak tree, one of the oldest on the property. The tree he climbed every day as a child and where he sat, watching every sunrise and sunset. He smiled, slowly approaching the bottom of the massive trunk. He finally spotted Aziel's smooth legs dangling playfully from the highest, thickest branch. He was whistling.

"Well...are you coming?" Aziel teased, finally noticing Daniel's presence.

"I think I lost my touch..." Daniel shouted, his voice overcome with dread as he stared at the tree's height. Suddenly, climbing it didn't look as fun as when he was younger.

"Danny, stop being a pussy! Just get up here already," Aziel shouted, simulating the tenderness of an old memory.

The hunk took a deep breath and started ascending. With each step, his body gained confidence, and he recalled every one of those branches as if he had touched them yesterday. It wasn't long before he reached Aziel, carefully sitting next to him. They lingered silently for a few minutes before Aziel finally turned to look at his lover.

"So...are you going to tell me what happened?" he questioned.

"I don't think you'd believe me. I can't even wrap my head around it myself..." Daniel confessed.

"Yesterday, I was in a wheelchair, and now I'm sitting next to you," Aziel countered. Daniel chuckled before another silence took hold. "Is he gone? Adam, I mean?" the blonde asked.

"No. I don't think so," Daniel uttered, his eyes roaming over the cornfield into the distance.

"Do you think we'll ever see him again?" Aziel questioned.

Daniel smiled, his heart teeming with serenity.

"I don't know," he said. "But I hope so," he whispered, leaning his head gently on Aziel's shoulder.

There, where their story had begun, and as the sun rose over the horizon, with the promise of a brighter future ahead of them, Aziel and Daniel's bodies merged in a tight embrace, their love finally consummated. They relished in it, blissfully oblivious to what lay in store for them or how long their newfound, precious freedom would last.

But they were content, for nothing else mattered as long as they had each other.

I write these words to you, my dear reader, hoping you'll one day come across them, read them, and find it in you to believe them.

So that from now on, every time your eyes gaze into the darkest night sky, Adam and Thomas's spirits will be there to greet you, now safely concealed in the grace of God, shining their beautiful light from within the most brilliant star. Tending to your souls as you store their love and their legacy alive in the memory of your hearts.

And I'm sure you'll feel compelled, occasionally, to ask yourself: How could anyone, in the face of so much hardship, choose to continue to fight so fiercely? But I suspect that deep down, you already know the answer...

(Somewhere in the future)

"Hey, are you done?" Aziel's voice called from the bedroom doorway. He leaned against it, strenuously pulling a pair of gardening gloves off his sweaty hands.

Daniel's pen froze inches from the large notebook, and he leaned back, slowly swirling the chair around.

"Almost," he said, beaming at the sight of Aziel's blue gaze. No matter how many years passed, it still took Daniel's breath away.

"I need your help straightening the magnolia we planted yesterday. The branches are crooked," Aziel informed, looking slightly peeved.

"I'll be right there," Daniel replied, noticing how Aziel tilted his head to the side whenever Daniel was brooding over something. The hunk followed his movement and smiled.

"What?" Aziel questioned.

"I love you," Daniel uttered, lost inside his lover's eyes. Aziel chuckled, his whole demeanor suddenly changing. He walked over, glided into Daniel's lap, and clad his arms around his neck. He leaned in and kissed him softly.

"I love you too," Aziel whispered, sensually skating his tongue over Daniel's lips. He could feel his lover's cock harden under his asscheeks. He smiled and pulled away, playfully whistling as he left the room, leaving a marigold-scented cloud behind him.

Daniel took a deep breath, overcome by the peacefulness he felt. Then, he spun the chair around and resumed writing.

Even though life might seem inherently meaningless and indifferent to our happiness at times, we must choose every single day to live and die on our own terms. It's who we are.

We resist. We survive. We endure.

Why, you ask? Well, what point is there in living if one can't find it in himself to hope?

THE END