~HOPE~

"Azriel, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

"You know I don't like surprises," I mumbled.

"That's because you’re just as impatient as my Princess."

"Hmph." I pursed my lips but tightened my hand around my angel.

Mako and Daniel were both asleep, taking a nap after having another round of mind-blowing sex.

Instead of going home, Daniel decided he wanted to take Makoto around the town, listening to the carolers singing while they drank hot mocha lattes.

They had relaxed on a bench in a park, Mako dozed off before I took over and then Daniel began to fall asleep. Azriel soon took control which led to us walking in the quiet area. I was confused as to where exactly we were headed and Azriel being as sneaky as he was, wouldn't tell me.

"Don't sulk on me, Hope. You know it only makes you cuter." Azriel looked over his shoulder to give me a wicked smirk.

"I don't get why us sulking makes you men think we're cute," I mumbled.

He stopped, turning to face me before his arm wrapped around my waist. I looked up at him with curious eyes - his golden orbs locked onto my matching ones.

"It does make you cute and tempts me to do very wicked things to you." He revealed; his words induced my cheeks to burn in embarrassment. I glanced to the side, avoiding his eyes.

"Well...if you say it that way," I replied, my voice small. He chuckled lightly, leaning down and kissing my cheek. I turned to face him.

"Hey, I want a proper ki- mhm." I began to protest but was cut short by his captivating lips.

I leaned into him, deepening the kiss as I moaned into his mouth. It was a struggle to pull away; the feelings of lust flowed through me as I stared up at him.

"Are you satisfied?"

"For now," I replied, smirking. He shook his head, grinning at my answer before slipping out of our embrace. He held out his hand.

"Shall we continue? Or would you like to delay the fun?" I placed my hand in his.

"I'd love to delay for multiple reasons, but you've caught my interest with such a word. What fun do you speak of?" I inquired, giggling at my changed tone. He looked over my shoulder, raising an eyebrow at me.

"You sound like a seraphim angel." He noted.

"Seraphim angels do not speak like that. And, they are pretty cool! They have tons of wings."

"The wing thing is rare though. Plus, we haven't seen seraphim angels in cycles. Their spirits are usually twins."

"Twins? Spirits can be twins?”

"Yup. One light, one dark. That's usually the case."

"Um, so kinda like me and rose? Or you and Stryker in terms of opposites?"

"Yup. But identical in appearance. When they shift, the only difference is their appearance being pure white or black. Still, extremely rare to have dual spirits."

"Hmm, are they considered as one?" I pondered.

"To some yes. Their wavelengths are exactly the same. You'd assume they were one spirit unless the host explains their duality."

"Hmm." I pondered for a moment to have a twin. If I was a dual spirit, I wonder if Azriel could handle both of us.

Azriel stopped in place, glancing down to give me a wide smile.

"I think having one of you is enough."

"Why? Can't handle my holiness?"

"Trust me Hopefilinia, I can handle every ounce of you." He reassured me. We took a moment to stare at one another; the silence surrounded us as the night creatures hummed away.

"Now, for your surprise," Azriel announced, pushing back a thick branch, leaves hanging off of it – revealing a cliff.

My eyes widened at the scene; my legs moved forward as I let go of Azriel’s hand to see the vast view before me.

The outskirts were beautiful; little balls of light twinkled from afar on what looked like a large island.

I looked down at the ocean that swayed quietly under the moonlight; small boats sailed by quietly. I looked up at the star-filled sky; the multiple, miniature twinkles surrounded the large, full moon.

I smiled feeling a bit nostalgic; wondering when I'd get to fly again. It'd been rotations since I'd last used my wings. I knew no matter where we were in the galaxy the sky was all similar. However, the thought of soaring through the sky in different atmospheres amazed me and made me crave to experience it.

Arms encircled me; the lavender aroma soothed the ache in my heart.

"Why don't we take a night stroll in the sky?" Azriel whispered in my ear. I turned in his embrace to face him, wide-eyed.

"What? We can't. It's cold up there and humans can see us. And..." I began to think of all the things that could go wrong. Of course, I was beyond excited with the mere thought of getting a chance to spread my wings and it made my insides flutter with excitement and adrenaline.

"Lily's spell is still in effect so the moment we get to higher altitude your body will adapt rather quickly. Kai placed the same spell on Daniel this morning when we came back. Humans won't see us from this area and there are no planes flying in this direction. Any other reasoning as to why we can't?" He explained; his hands slipped away from my waist as he crossed them over his chest. Ah right! Lily’s spell to keep our bodies warm during the winter.

"Um...I haven't flown in a while." I confessed, biting my lip as I looked down to the ground.

"Hope. Look at me." I raised my head to his request. His hand brushed against my cheek.

"Neither have I. We may be a little rusty, but it will be a fun practice session. If not, we can go skinny dipping." He mused, winking at me. I laughed.

"Your host HATES water with a passion. Don't go getting my hopes up in getting your butt near the water." I giggled, as he shivered. He tried to act tough but he hated water just as much as Daniel.

"I tried." He chuckled as I continued to giggle.

He gave me another mesmerizing kiss before taking a step back.

He lifted his shirt – his bare chest came to view before the markings on his shoulder blades began to glow a solid gold. I sighed in awe as his pure, white wings emerged from his back – spreading out to his sides as he shook them off. I could see the flicker of pain that flashed on his face but he let out a sigh when his wings were stretched out.

"That looked sexy as...fudge," I announced, taking my time to enjoy the view of his bare chest while reminding myself not to swear.

He gave me a smug grin as he walked towards me; the moonlight made him both inviting and tempting.

"Your turn."

I looked down at my sweater and back to him.

"You're not expecting me to fly with just my bra." He raised his eyebrow at me.

"How have you flown before?"

"Um...destroyed clothing," I replied, hesitantly.

"Take your sweater off." He ordered.

"But."

"Hope. Trust me." I sighed but nodded, lifting my sweater up to reveal the gold and white, lace bra – Mako's markings that slid down her rib cage on full display.

Seeing as she wasn't intending to take her clothes off after the massage session, she let the cloaking spell she usually applied to hide her markings wear off.

"Close your eyes for a moment." He encouraged. I closed my eyes, attempting to stand still as I tried to ignore the cold. My body began to warm up from the sudden change in temperature.

"Thy fabric of purity and essence. Shield my lover from the cold, yet give her freedom to soar the skies you bestow upon us." Azriel chanted; magic leaked off him before feeling the gentle breeze swirl around my top half.

In seconds, I felt a soft, fur-like fabric hug my chest. I opened my eyes to see a cloak-like, t-shirt dress. It was white; the interior lined with black fur. The top reached my waist before the back side continued on like one of those high-low dresses Earthala shifters were into. The white material had gold designs around it and a gold belt that wrapped beneath my breasts. I could still feel the chilly breeze at my back, attempting to peek over my shoulder.

I shuddered at Azriel’s touch; his finger trailed lightly from where the belt rested upwards to the bottom of my neck.

"That should be enough room for your wings. You like?" He questioned, kissing the back of my neck. I moaned, in response – his kisses sent tingles through me.

"I'm assuming that’s a yes." He mumbled against my flesh, continuing to kiss and suck. I knew for sure he was leaving marks behind where none of the others had. He could have easily healed the others love bites to be in the lead of their male competition, but he wanted to be “fair.”

"Are you guys in a battle of who can leave the most hickeys on my host's body?"

"Maybe. Too bad, Marcus' ones are fading but Daniel's in the lead." He announced, proudly; his hands returned to my waist as he motioned me around to face him.

"Hehehe, not for long." I giggled, already knowing Stryker’s and Azriel’s competitive sides. With Mako having a date with Ryder tomorrow, I’d bet two first class tickets to hell that he wouldn't leave Mako's body alone until she was plastered with hickeys.

"I'll beat him."

"Uh huh."

"You have no confidence in me."

"I never said that."

"Do you agree I'll win?"

"Nope," I replied confidently before bursting out into laughter at the adorable frown that crept onto his angelic face.

"Babe, you're supposed to support me."

"And I thought we agreed not to lie to one another." I reminded him of our shared, pet peeve. He groaned, closing his eyes for a moment.

"How about if we make this an exception," I smirked at him, attempting to hold back the snickers that threatened to escape as my shoulders shook. He sighed.

"I'll beat him at something, just you wait. Then, you have to praise me, and I’ll get a reward."

"Oh really. What reward are you requesting?" I raised my eyebrow as I leaned into him; my hand slid down to his groin. He stilled; his golden eyes dilated at the bold move. He licked his bottom lip before he continued.

"An entire evening with you and me. No interruptions. Well…the Princess can join."

"Hmm...and why can't we do that tonight?"

I unzipped the gold zipper of his jeans; a low growl escaped him as his eyes stayed locked on mine. His reaction only contributed to my confidence; my hand reached in to pull out his length which was already hard, making my heart escalate with desire.

His body grew stiff as I began to glide my hand up and down his cock, continuing our staring contest.

"No sex tonight."

"Why not?"

“Your host is worn out, that's why."

"But I'm not."

"Hope." He groaned as I continued to stroke him.

"I guess I'm too tired to give you an enjoyable hand job hmm? Maybe, if you behave, a blowjob." I suggested; my flirtatious voice sang.

"Starlight's, Hope baby, fuck."

I allowed my hand to continue pumping up and down his length at a fast pace. He moaned; his eyes closed while his breathing became uneven. He trembled before his body went rigid, climaxing; his cum shot out from his cock and dripped from the tip down my hand. I smiled wickedly as he opened his eyes – his hooded gaze made me feel more daring. The other guys loved to please Mako, but tonight I wanted to do the pleasing – at least for now. Hmm, this may not count as being holy, but there were only a few morals we liked to abide to. This wasn’t one of them.

I knelt down, summoning multiple white strings to create a match of intertwined strings beneath me; shielding my knees from the snow below.

My eyes never left his heated gaze as I began to stroke him yet again – his cock was hard and twitched as I continued the slow strokes. Azriel breathed rapidly, attempting to calm down from his orgasm. Too bad, I wasn't going to give him a long break – my tongue trailed lightly around the top of his cock. I tasted the salty remnants of his climax and smiled as he hissed loudly.

"Babe...uhh."

If only Azriel knew how his moans turned me on; feeling my own wetness pool between my legs. But I would stick to my silent vow to only please him – my mouth lowered on his length. I began to move up and down, sucking his cock greedily. Every grunt and moan that escaped his throat contributed to my arousal as I worked towards my goal – making Azriel cum in my mouth.

We hadn't been intimate for so long and I wanted him to realize I was still madly in love with him.

"Hope, faster." He pleaded; his hand slid into my hair – gripping my loose, brown locks before he began to move his hips; his cock slid in and out of my mouth in a rough and fast pace.

"Yes baby, that's it. Oh, yes, fuck, ah." I steadied my head as he continued to pound into my mouth; his erect cock felt hard and swollen in my mouth. I knew he was close; about to cum at any moment.

He let out a strained groan as he thrust three more times; his body froze on the last thrust as he climaxed; his warm cum shot into my mouth. I swallowed every drop, pulling back and catching my breath as I stared at his bulging cock that hung in the air. I gave it one final, thorough lick, making sure to clean off any remaining cum before I rose to my feet; tucking his cock back into the safety of his pants and away from the frigid cold.

"Did you like -" I began before his lips smashed against mine; his hands greedily roamed my body. One hand landed on my ass, squeezing my butt cheeks while the other slid beneath the waistband of my leggings. I shivered at the cold touch of his fingers as they slid down and landed on the lace fabric of my panties.

He smirked against my lips as his fingers slid up and down across the thin fabric – the material wet with my arousal.

"You're wet already, Hope. You can't possibly think I'm going to allow you to walk away without me returning the favor. Especially, after giving me such a pleasurable experience." His low, husky voice whispered as he sucked greedily at my neck.

"Azriel, ah. We shouldn't...someone could hear."

"No one will hear you, love. Although I have to admit, I'm going to make you moan so loud, I may be testing that theory." He vowed; his fingers pulled the fabric aside and slipped into me.

"Oh baby, yes." I whimpered as he began to move his fingers in and out alternating between one finger and then the other before moving them both simultaneously. He clearly wasn't in the mood to delay my climax – his fingers moved quickly and deeply with each stroke.

I moaned over and over; my breathy voice echoed around us as he continued; his fingers plunged so deep before he alternated between circling the bud of my clit before another series of thrusts.

"Yes, yes...ah...Azriel...I'm gonna cum." I warned, panting rapidly as my pussy clenched around his fingers.

"Come for me, Hope," Azriel whispered into my ear; his smooth words matched with the fast, pumping thrust of his fingers enough to make me cry out in ecstasy; climaxing around his fingers. I shuddered; his hand tightened around my waist to keep me up as I rested against him; my head rested on his bare chest as I slowly came down from my high.

He removed his fingers, pulling his hand from my leggings. He allowed me to relax in his embrace till I calmed down; my eyes trailed up to see him lick his fingers clean. He noticed my gaze; giving me a seductive look before lowering his lips on mine – sharing my sweetness mixed with his addicting taste.

We pulled away; his hand found mine.

"Now, we're even." He smiled; his expression showed his satisfaction.

"Fine. But one more thing." I replied; my hand slipped out of his as I tapped him on the nose. He blinked, confusion written all over his face.

"You're it." I declared, turning and sprinting towards the cliff.

"Hope! Wait, you haven't flown, dammit -" He called out; his approaching footsteps crunched in the snow, but I was already at the edge, turning to give him a playful wink before falling backward.

I watched his eyes go wide; his wings spread out before he disappeared from my view as I fell downward.

I allowed my body to calm within seconds – centering my energy to my back as it began to burn. I hissed at the pain that pinched me as my joints cracked – my wings released from their internal hold and stretched at my command. I opened my eyes in time to see the water a few seconds away.

I felt the adrenaline rush kick in as a smirk formed on my lips – my mind signaled my wings to begin working as they spread outward before conducting a large flap; the power enough to send a wave of wind towards the ocean as I stopped just a few inches from impact.

I didn't delay; my wings ached to be used and abused. I powered myself forward; the rush of the cold breeze hit my face as my hair whipped around me. I lowered just above the water, allowing my outstretched hand to flow through the chilled water. I felt beyond happy; turning my body so I could look back at where I’d jumped while I flew backwards; my eyes landed on Azriel who wasn't too far behind. I could see the relief on his face and a hint of happiness. I watched as a mischievous grin formed on those lips – a warning sign that my sinister angel wasn't going to be behind me for long.

I turned over – my chest parallel to the water instead of the sky as I flapped my wings harder, increasing my speed.

"Don't attempt to race me, Hope. You won't win." Azriel called out; his voice sounded closer, making my adrenaline spike.

"Just you try," I called out over my shoulder, giving one last look before shooting upward, attempting to lose him.

"You’re gonna exhaust yourself and Makoto. And don't go so high! You’re gonna catch a cold." Azriel scolded; his voice still clear, which gave me enough information to know he was still close behind.

"We don't get sick! The last one to go around the outskirts and back has to massage the other's back!" I yelled over the wind, allowing my power to leak into my wings; the surge of energy enough to make me move even faster.

"Don't say, I didn't warn you." Azriel acknowledged but continued trailing me. I laughed, enjoying every second of our time together. I never believed such an opportunity would arise to fly again, especially with someone I truly cared about. But I guess when Christmas was involved, anything was within reach.