by Raquel Dove
“It’s ok,” he said, his face suddenly returning to the kind expression that typically radiated from him. “I know the owner. Costs me practically nothing.”
“Oh,” Gabrielle said, both relieved and even more embarrassed to have called him out like that now.
“Our table is already waiting for us,” he said, motioning for her to follow him. She did, her eyes scanning over the other patrons as they made their way through the restaurant. She noticed they were looking very strangely at them and she didn’t quite know why.
“Everyone is staring at us,” she said softly as he pulled a chair out for her. He looked up at the other patrons as if he hadn’t noticed them staring. They instantly looked away from his gaze. It registered as an odd thing to Gabrielle, but she brushed it off. She wouldn’t do anything else to ruin this date.
“It is unusual for someone from the Dark Ranks to be seen with someone from the Light,” he said in a soft whisper as he came around the table to sit across from her. “They’re curious is all.”
###
Kasen didn’t like lying to Gabrielle. Part of him wanted to scream out the truth to her. Everyone was staring because he was a General. They were gawking at him because there were only six Generals in the whole of the Death Angel Society and they weren’t often seen out and about. Much less on a date. He had at least been partially honest with her. It was unusual for the two ranks to mingle with each other. This only made the patrons more curious to see a Light General with someone from the Dark Ranks. He thought he was caught only a moment ago when she mentioned how expensive this restaurant must be. In fact, she was spot on. This place was way out of the budget of someone that was the rank he had claimed to be. He hadn’t thought about that when he planned his date. He only wanted to show her a nice evening and let her into his world a little bit. Gabrielle was new and there was a lot she still didn’t know, like who exactly he was, but she was smart and she was observant. He liked that about her quite a lot, but he would have to be more careful, until he was ready to reveal his true identity to her.
When the meal was over they sat and talked for a long time. It wasn’t until their nervous waiter interrupted their conversation that Kasen realized there was no one else in the restaurant and they were waiting for him and Gabrielle to leave so they could close. It was way past closing time, but he knew they had refrained from interrupting them because of who he was. Gabrielle of course wouldn’t know that. He left the waiter a sizeable tip, even for his status, and led Gabrielle out of the restaurant.
She wrapped her arm tightly around his and held her body close to him. Over the past few hours he felt like he had gotten to know her so well. The conversation had barely stopped even while they were eating. He knew her fears, her hopes, her likes and dislikes. He knew she loved the color turquoise and wanted so badly to wear a turquoise colored shirt. She hated yogurt, not because of the taste but because she didn’t like the way it rolled around on her tongue when she ate it. He knew that she was deathly afraid of wearing the color green, though she hadn’t yet disclosed to him exactly why. He knew that she giggled in a very specific way when she was nervous, and he knew that he was head over heels in love with her. The last thing he wanted to do was end this date, but he knew he had to. Tomorrow was a busy day for him, and he could see that Gabrielle was getting tired. Her eyes shone as she looked up at him, eager to spend more time with him, but he could tell that she was struggling to keep them up. He walked her home, taking the long way and going as slow as his legs could manage, and they continued to talk all the way. He hated the sight of her doorway, cause he knew that he would have to let her go. He would have to go another night without holding her body next to his. Another day without hearing her sweet chiming laughter.
“Thank you, Matthew,” she said as they came to a stop outside her door. “I had an amazing time, and the food was so good.”
“Thank you, for being such amazing company,” he said, as he raised his hand to caress her cheek. He took a step closer to her so that their bodies were practically touching. She pressed her face slightly harder into his grasp and his eyes focused on her lips as they both stood there silently. He bent in closer to her, his lips hovering above hers for just a second, testing to see if she was open to his affections. She inched her face closer to his, but stopped just short of pressing her lips against his. Finally, he couldn’t take waiting any longer. He hungrily devoured her lips in a kiss that tingled through his entire body. Her lips were soft and firm as they played curiously against his. His other hand wrapped around her hip, pulling her flush with his body as he deepened the kiss, parting her lips with his tongue so that he could taste her more deeply. His hand ran through her hair and he used every ounce of will power he had to pull away from her. He looked down into her hooded eyes, his breath nearly taken away by the desire he had for her.
“I don’t want tonight to end,” she said in a whisper that was shadowed by her sweet nervous laughter. Her cheeks blushed red hot, and Kasen wondered if perhaps they could take their affections a little further, perhaps they could prolong their night together.
“Perhaps, I could come inside, and we wouldn’t need to end our date just yet,” he said, his voice a thick whisper full of desire. Gabrielle pulled back just slightly, her mood suddenly shifting. He could see she was nervous, but in a slightly frightened way, not the excited way that he enjoyed seeing in her. He was fearful that he had somehow offended her. Before he could make an apology for his forwardness she spoke.
“I like you so much,” she said, biting her bottom lip as she looked away from him shaking her head, “but…I just…well, I’ve never…ya know. And it’s not that I don’t want to. I want to… do that, but I just…,” Her eyes shot up to his, wide and glistening as she tried to stammer out her answer in a rush of nervousness. “And I’m not saying that’s what would happen or anything, but—“
“Say no more,” Kasen said, holding his hand up to stop her. He loved her even more in that moment, and he also realized that was probably the first time she had even been kissed. The thought made his groin tighten and his chest constrict. “I completely understand. I’ll say goodnight, and I hope I’ll see you again soon, Gabrielle.”
He was prepared to leave, his mind was telling him to turn around and walk away, letting her go inside before he embarrassed her too much, as that certainly wasn’t his intentions. But as he pulled further away from, she instinctively reached out to him.
“I…,” she looked back at him as she bit at her lip again, unable to say whatever it was she wanted. She didn’t have to say it though, because he could see what it was she wanted, and he was all too happy to give it to her. He slowly, deliberately pulled her close again, his eyes burning into hers. He bent his neck to reach his lips to hers and once again gave her a goodnight kiss that nearly made his heart stop.
Chapter Fifteen
Gabrielle glanced at herself in the mirror by her door just before she opened it. Her hair hadn't been very cooperative this morning, but she didn't have time to keep messing with it. Matthew was waiting for her outside her quarters and when he knocked a second time, she stepped away from the mirror and opened the door. Even though there seemed to be no locks on the doors in the Society, no one ever really just barged in. It was like an unspoken rule of etiquette. She was learning quickly that there were a lot of those here.
Matthew was standing at her door, looking as handsome as he ever did with his blonde hair styled back and his kind blue eyes twinkling as they landed on her. A smile instantly parted his lips as their eyes met. It had only been half a workweek since she had seen him last, but it felt like entirely too long. She had to fight the urge to throw her hands around his neck and pull him into the most heated kiss her lips could conjure up. But she restrained herself and settled for smiling back at him.
"Are you ready?" he asked, his eyes looking her up and down. "You look beautiful as always."
"You still won't tell me where we're going," Gabrielle
said, forcing a frown at him. He chuckled softly as he shook his head.
"I already told you, its a surprise," he said, his smile widening as he held out his hand for her. She put her hand in his and the heat immediately traveled up her arm and rested in her stomach. He pulled her forward suddenly, his arms snaking around her and keeping her from falling as a small yelp left her lips. She looked up at him in shock as he smiled down at her, pulling her body closer into his.
"I think you'll be pleased though," he said, running his fingers into her hair. Gabrielle almost shrunk away from the touch, knowing that her hair was so full of hairspray that there was no way it felt good. But his lips against hers pushed out any thoughts in her mind that didn't consist of him. He kissed her softly at first, but his attentions quickly turned more eager as his tongue delved into her willing mouth. He broke away from the kiss but kept his lips hovering just over hers, his breath ghosting deliciously over her skin.
"We could always forego the surprise and spend the day in bed," he said, his voice husky with a hint of mirth behind the words. Gabrielle felt her cheeks burn at the insinuation behind his words. She was seriously tempted to take him up on the offer. She had never felt the things that Matthew made her feel, and she wanted to feel so much more of what he could do to her. His lips touched back down on hers before she could form a response, but this time his kiss was chaste. He pulled back from her and wrapped her hand around his elbow so that he could guide her along.
"Come on," he said, smirking down at her as he stepped away from her door. "We should get there as early as possible."
"Get where?" Gabrielle asked, looking up at him as she let him lead her.
"You won't get it out of me that easily," he said, his words echoed with a chuckle. Gabrielle just smiled back at him. It was the first day of her second weekend off and she could already tell it was off to a good start. Spending the day with Matthew would be blissful, no matter what they did. She didn't like surprises, and she had told him that. But he insisted that she would be happy with this one and promised he would never try to surprise her ever again. She had reluctantly agreed.
The hallways of the Death Angel Society blurred into one giant maze as Matthew and her walked along, talking happily of anything and everything. Conversation flowed so easily between them, one would have thought that they had known each other for decades. There were a lot of people in the hallways, as Gabrielle had realized was common on the days off. They gave her and Matthew odd, almost reverent looks, but Gabrielle had learned quickly to brush that off. Matthew stole most of her attention anyway. After what felt like an hour of walking, Gabrielle was starting to get a little tired. Matthew must have noticed because he interrupted the conversation.
"It’s just up here, not much further," he said, looking down at her with concern and understanding. "But we can stop and rest if you like."
"No," Gabrielle said, shaking her head. "It's alright. I'm ok. I just don't know if I'll ever get used to all the walking around here."
"You will," he said kindly. His hand fell over hers and squeezed tighter for just a moment. "It just takes some time, but before you know it, you'll know this place like the back of your hand. Everything will just become second nature for you."
It was true and Gabrielle knew it. Even though she had only been here for a short amount of time, she was already starting to learn and adjust to the way the Society worked. Certain things like times and locations were like an instinct and she could feel that instinct working its way into her bones. She was glad to know that physical endurance was also something that would come to her with time.
They turned a corner and Gabrielle almost stopped in her tracks. The hallway opened up into a massive room. She had never seen anything like it before. The ceiling was so high that she had to bend her head all the way back to see it. There were people everywhere bustling about, all of them dressed in gray. In the center of the room was a large structure that was made of glass and steel. It was like a small building inside of the larger room. Through the windows, she could see offices and people hustling around. She counted six floors to the building.
"What..." her question trailed off as she stood there, awed by what she saw.
"This," Matthew said, taking her hand from his elbow and gripping it with his own. "Is the Central Bureau."
"The Central Bureau?" Gabrielle said, her head whipping away from the amazing structure to look at him. He shrugged then looked back at the building.
"You said you wanted to petition the Central Bureau, correct?" Matthew said, his lips turning up in a smile. "To find out about your life before you died."
"I..." Gabrielle was too dumbstruck to answer. She did want to petition the Central Bureau, more than anything she wanted to know about who she was and how she had died. It was just that she had really only mentioned it to Matthew in passing and she was incredibly touched that he had even remembered, much less was willing to sacrifice a date to bring her here. "You remembered..."
"Of course I remembered," he said. His smile faded slightly and for a moment Gabrielle thought that he looked concerned. He turned around to face her straight on.
"What's wrong?" she asked, suddenly growing a bit apprehensive.
"Nothing," he said, shaking his head. His smile grew but this time it didn't reach his eyes. "It's just...you should probably do this alone."
He looked back up at the Central Bureau. Gabrielle didn't understand at first. She thought maybe he was second guessing himself, but then it clicked. There was no telling what she would uncover if they actually approved her request. Maybe he was just trying to protect her from any embarrassment.
"It won't be hard to find your way inside," he said, still not looking at her. "As soon as you walk through the door, there will be a reception desk. Just tell them you want to make a petition. They'll tell you were to go."
Gabrielle lifted herself up on her toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek, her lips widening in a smile as she stepped back and dropped his hand.
"Thank you so much for this," she said, feeling her eyes begin to sting. She bit back the tears. "You don't know how much this means to me."
"Gabrielle," he said, stopping her as she turned around toward the Central Bureau. "I don't want you to get your hopes up. I've never heard of them approving a petition for information on a previous life."
"I know," she said, flashing him a knowing smile. "But I want to try anyway."
He nodded and she turned around again, making her way towards the imposing structure that housed the Central Bureau.
Matthew had been correct in his directions. As soon as the large glass doors slid open, Gabrielle was greeted by a reception desk that took up the entire length of the room. Off to the left side there was a small walkway that she could see led to a corridor of offices. There was a young looking woman with a kind face behind the desk that instructed her to follow that corridor all the way to the end and take the stairs up to the second floor. As soon as she got upstairs, she saw the little plaque on the door that said petition office.
Gabrielle didn’t notice how noisy the rest of the Central Bureau was until she opened the door to the petition office and stepped inside. As the heavy wood door clicked shut behind her, a buzzing quiet met her ears. There was a small waiting room set up, with three chairs along one wall and a glass window set into the wall across from it. Gabrielle could see a woman sitting behind the glass, her chin resting in her palm as her eyes telling the world how bored she was. When the woman’s gaze landed on Gabrielle, she perked up.
“Can I help you sweetie?” the woman said, her voice cheerful. The broad smile on her petite face instantly made Gabrielle feel more comfortable. She walked over to the glass and bent a little so she could look at the woman evenly.
“Yes, I hope so,” Gabrielle said. “I was hoping to petition the Central Bureau for information on my life.”
“Of course you are,” the woman said, her already broad smile widening. “That’s the only reason peopl
e come here.”
The woman sat still, looking at her with that same smile. Gabrielle didn’t know what else to say, she just looked back at the woman, waiting for her to give her some instructions on what to do next. After an uncomfortable few moments that seemed to bother only Gabrielle, she decided to speak up.
“Um…so,” Gabrielle said, hoping the woman would take the hint. She didn’t. “What do I need to do?”
“Oh,” the woman said, jumping a little in her seat as if she had just been shocked. “Sorry, we don’t get a whole lot of people in here. Ya know, seeing as we don’t ever approve the petitions. I guess people just don’t try.”
“Then why do they even allow petitions to be made if they have no intention of approving them?” Gabrielle asked. The woman sighed heavily and shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know,” she said. Her lips bent up into another wide smile. “My boss says that we have to allow people to make requests but that doesn’t mean we have to approve them.”
“Oh, ok,” Gabrielle said. She didn’t know what else to say to the woman. For a moment Gabrielle thought she was going to have to ask the woman again what she had to do, but finally she spoke up again.
“I’ll just need your name and your rank number,” she said, her gaze turning back onto the computer monitor in front of her. Gabrielle told her and the woman’s fingers ran along the keyboard for a few moments. Her face scrunched up in confusion and she looked at Gabrielle for a moment, pursing her lips. Then she looked back at the screen and tapped at the keyboard some more. Finally, her face cleared of confusion and was replaced with utter shock.