"Brendon, it's a freebie. You deserve it," Brendon's boss, Seth, tried convincing him. Brendon ran a hand through his hair and groaned in frustration. 

"I don't want to be paired with her again. You know how she just," Brendon clenched his fists and grunted angrily. 

"Okay, I'll see what I can do." Brendon sighed and nodded. 

"Alright. When does this start?" 

"When Dylan gets back with the information. I'll go talk to Reese and see about changing your partner." Brendon nodded in thanks. "Now go and get ready." Brendon nodded again and left the room.

He went over and sat back on a couch against the wall. He relaxed himself while he waited for Dylan. He'd been doing field work for centuries and he was grateful Seth gave him a freebie soul.

"Brendon." Brendon turned to see Dylan walking into the room with an envelope in his hand. He handed it over and Brendon tore it open. As he read over his new charge, he was pretty content. The man was a basic young freebie soul with all the issues that made Brendon's job easy. "Should be a piece of cake for you." Brendon nodded with a smile. He was one of the best in the business and who ever his partner will be should be able to see the loss coming.

˜˜˜

Brendon was sitting on the counter watching his new charge, Pete, making dinner. He was already bored out of his mind. Seth told him he was able to get him a new partner. Brendon was glad he wasn't working with Courtney. His new partner hadn't shown up yet. 

As if on cue, a short brown haired boy came stumbling into the room. His white wings were pressed against his back. He looked up and waved at Brendon. Brendon sighed in annoyance at the boy's enthusiasm. 

"Hello. I'm Ryan. It's an honor to be working with you." Brendon rolled his eyes and faced Pete. 

"Brendon," he answered.

"Oh, I know. We know all about you on our side. You have a very impressive track record," Ryan began rambling. 

"First time on the field I'm guessing," Brendon cut him off. He looked over at the boy with an eyebrow raised. Ryan had a blush on his cheeks. 

"Um, no. I've worked with souls that have come to our side and.."

"But you've never actually been here, fighting for one," Brendon concluded.

"No... There was a problem with your partner and they needed to reassign before she started. They chose me because we were pressed on angels." Brendon bit his lip to hold back a smile. When he told Seth he didn't want to work with Courtney, he didn't expect an amateur to replace her. 

"Ryan is it?" The boy nodded. "You've worked with the good souls, the pure one, the ones who have made it to the "good" side. Pete isn't one of those souls. The real reason you're here is because everyone else knew that they didn't have a chance with him."

"Well, we'll see about that. I think I can sway him. All he needs is a little guidance." Brendon laughed and nodded sarcastically.

"If you say so kid."

˜˜˜

Ryan huffed in frustration. Brendon was reclined back in a chair with his feet kicked up on the table. 

"Don't be so tense angel baby." Ryan sent Brendon a glare. They watched Pete holding a beer in one hand and his other arm around a girl.

"How can I calm down? He won't take any of my suggestions. You're barely doing anything and he's still doing what you want."

"I told you, he's not gonna listen to you." Ryan crossed his arm and plopped down in the seat next to Brendon. "Giving up yet?" Ryan shook his head fast.

"I can help him. I know it. I just need to try harder." Brendon eyed the pouting boy with a smile on his lips.

"Quite the determined angel aren't you?" Ryan nodded, keeping his head forward. "Any other angel would've given up already." Ryan turned and gave Brendon big, hopeful eyes. 

"Pete deserves a chance to see my side. Every soul does. If I don't try, I'm not being fair to him." Brendon kept his eyes on the boy as he turned to Pete. Brendon had never worked with an angel this dedicated. Normally, they were competitive and only wanted the glory of claiming countless souls. That was the goal in this business. Even as a newbie, Ryan seemed to care more about souls.

Ryan still had a pout on his lips as he thought about new ways to convince Pete. Brendon watched him in wonder. There was something about the boy that called for his attention. He was no longer focusing on what every Pete was doing. What matter was the angel concentrating next to him.

˜˜˜

Ryan was grinning and jumping around the room with joy. Brendon was leaning against the wall, watching the scene in front of him. Pete was on the phone, ordering a pizza. Ryan had given the suggestion to stay in tonight to watch a movie and order take out instead of going to the bar.

Ryan ran up to Brendon after his celebratory dance and pulled himself into the dark angel's arms. Brendon tensed up at the feel of Ryan against him. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around the shorter one's waist.

"I did it Bren. I told you I could do it." Brendon chest clenched at the nickname. He told himself that he wasn't excited to see Ryan's reaction to his first accomplishment, but he wasn't very convincing. 

"As adorable as you are, I think you forgot we're not on the same side," Brendon said teasingly. Ryan pulled out of Brendon's arms and took a few steps back. Brendon stopped himself from looking too disappointed. 

Ryan ran his fingers through his hair while keeping his head down. Brendon could see the blush painted on his cheeks. He could still feel the excitement buzzing off of the angel.

"Sorry, I just got a little carried away." 

"It's no problem. You can be excited all you want," Brendon replied with a smile. Ryan bit his lip to stop a growing smile. He was failing to keep himself calm. He let out soft giggles and bounced on the balls of his feet. Brendon wanted Ryan to continue his celebration and to have more chances to celebrate these victories. 

˜˜˜

"Brendon?" A small voice spoke behind Brendon. He turned away from Pete to face Ryan. The smaller boy was looking up at him with big, curious eyes. "What are you doing?" Brendon pressed his eyebrows together in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Ryan motioned to Pete laying across the couch, watching tv. Brendon didn't turn his head and started blankly at Ryan. 

"You told me Pete was an easy soul for you." 

"He is," Brendon said hesitantly.

"Then why has he been listening to me?" Ryan asked with an eyebrow raised. Brendon dropped his head, not answering. Ryan took a step closer and duck his head to look Brendon in the eyes. "Brendon."

"Guess you're better than you thought." As Ryan moved to stand up straight, Brendon kept his eyes locked on the angel's. 

"What's going on?" When Brendon didn't respond, Ryan moved even closer and placed his hand on the man's chest. Brendon gasped at warm spreading across him from Ryan's touch. "Are you giving me Pete because you feel sorry or something?" Brendon shook his head. "Then what is it?"

Brendon hesitantly wrapped his arms around Ryan and pulled him in until their bodies were pressed against each other. Ryan's hand moved up Brendon's chest and snaked around to the back of the other man's neck. His fingers gently gripped Brendon's hair. They leaned in, pressing their foreheads together. Brendon shut his eyes and focused of slowing down his pounding heart. 

"I can't explain it. You do something to me and it just..." Brendon let out a ragged sigh. "You just, this just feels..." Brendon felt soft lips press against his own. He tensed in surprise before melting into the kiss. His arms tightened around Ryan, finally finding what he didn't even know was missing. When they pulled away, they kept their eyes closed and foreheads together.

"Right.." Ryan finished the other's sentence. Brendon smiled and connected their lips again. It felt more than right.

˜˜˜

"What the fuck is going on?" Brendon jumped up from the couch. Ryan moved to the opposite end of the couch, staring at the stranger who just came in. 

"Seth, I can explain." Brendon kept his arm out as Seth moved up to him. 

"Oh you can? Alright, explain why you're losing a soul to a newbie." Seth made to go to Ryan, but Brendon got in his way. "Oh, I see," Seth laughed and looked between the two.

"It's not what you think." Brendon shook his head quickly.

"You're supposed to be the best man I have on the field. You asked me for a new partner and this is the thanks I get?" Brendon bit his lip nervously. "Do you even know where your charge is?" Brendon stayed looking at Seth with his mouth shut. "Answer me!" Seth growled.

"No," Brendon answered obediently. Seth shook his head in disappointment. 

"I can't believe you let one of them distract you. It's insulting." Brendon clenched his fist. He felt his wings tense against his back as he fought to keep them tucked in. Seth laughed as he watched Brendon struggle  to choose between his loyalty to his side and his new feelings for Ryan.  

"Didn't think I'd see the day where you became a traitor for, for what? For a fairy?" 

"Don't call him that," Brendon snapped reflexively. What he had with Ryan was starting to feel more important than anything else he'd ever done. 

"Sorry." Sarcasm dripped from Seth's mouth as he rolled his eyes. "Is Pixie better?" He added with a smirk. "Or would you prefer bitch?"

"Watch it," Brendon gritted his teeth and took a step forward. Seth scoffed and turned to Ryan. 

"I don't know who the fuck you think you are, but you're gonna pay for making me lose my best man," Seth stepped toward Ryan. Brendon heard Ryan whimper in fear and pushed Seth back. He moved in front of Seth, blocking his view of Ryan. He wouldn't let Seth touch a hair on Ryan's head if he could help it.

"Leave him out of this." 

"It's too late for that," Seth smirked. 

˜˜˜

"You can't do that," Ryan screamed. Brendon squeezed Ryan's hand in his own. He was shooting his own daggers at Seth and Ryan's boss, Reese. 

"I'm sorry Ryan, but you know the rules," Reese spoke gently. He was a lot nicer than Seth, which was understandable seeing which side he came from. It didn't make Brendon hate him any less. They were trying to separate him and Ryan. "I wish I could help."

"But you can't," Seth cut in. "You should've just done your job, but you couldn't keep it in your pants. Could you Brendon?"

"That's not what happened." Brendon was fuming. Ryan tucked his head into gap of Brendon's neck. He wrapped his arms around the boy, wanting to calm his shaking body. 

"Whatever your excuse is, you have to face the consequences," Seth smiled.

"But he had nothing to do with it," Brendon said quickly. Seth and Reese exchanged glances before motioning of Brendon to explain. "It was me. I convinced him to be with me," Brendon shrugged his shoulders and pulled away from Ryan.

"Oh really?" Seth said unconvinced. "Why would you do that?"

"You keep me working all the time. When else do I have time to have fun?" Brendon winked at Ryan. "Wasn't hard to get the newbie to do what I wanted." Brendon felt Ryan tug at his shirt, but ignored him.

"You do understand that if that's true, then you will still get punished," Reese questioned. Brendon shrugged as if he didn't care. He kept his nerves to himself. All he wanted was for Ryan to be alright. "And you're fine with that?" Brendon gave a nod. 

"We will find a replacement for your charge and then you will be sent to the other side for punishment," Seth growled, not liking the idea of losing Brendon. 

"Okay then," Reese spoke up. "You can.. say goodbye for the time being." Ryan tugged at Brendon's shirt again. He turned away to continue with his lie. 

"Brendon," Ryan whispered, tugging at his arm. Brendon shut his eyes tightly, doing his best to ignore Ryan. "B-Brendon.." This was what's best for Ryan. That's what Brendon continued to tell himself. "Please..." Ryan whimpered. After ignoring him again, Brendon heard the smaller blurt, "he's lying!" 

"Ryan," Brendon warned when he turned to Ryan. The boy was wiping away a few stray tears as he faced Seth and Reese.

"We care about each other and you can't keep us apart."

"And why not?" Seth asked.

"Because," Ryan looked over at Brendon. "Because we're soulmates." He reached out and grabbed Brendon's hand. They locked their fingers and looked back at their bosses. 

"Ryan, that's a very serious assumption," Reese warned in a gentle voice. 

"I'm not assuming," Ryan stated and moved into Brendon's arms. 

"What makes you so sure?" Seth groaned in annoyance. 

"We're trained to recognized soulmates with our charges, but we're never told that we can have some of the same signs."

"That's because there are no soulmates among our kind," Reese spoke before Seth could.

"There actually have been. Three cases to be exact." Seth's sigh turned into a groan. 

"How are you going to prove yourself?" Ryan moved Brendon so the man's back was facing Seth and Reese.

"For humans, they seem to glow in a way only we can see. We use that to indicate that they found their soulmate. For us," Ryan slowly ran his fingers down the black feathers of Brendon's wings. A gold tint was left trailing after Ryan's touch. "We can show our glow."

Brendon felt his body shudder as Ryan continued moving his hand over his wings causing more gold to appear. When he stopped, Brendon turned back around and Ryan immediately stepped into his waiting arms. 

"You can't interfere with the bond between two souls," Ryan said confidently. 

"You know the rules," Brendon added mockingly. 

"Watch yourself," Seth sneered. "We have different rules from the humans."

"You can't keep us apart." 

"Maybe we can make a deal," Reese suggested. Ryan let out a soft gasp that only Brendon could hear.

"What kind of deal?" Brendon asked cautiously. Reese and Seth exchanged another look. 

"Well, you know we don't change partners to a charge," Reese started. 

"You were going to replace me," Brendon interrupted. 

"You are a traitor who was going to be punished," Seth spat out. "Now you want to be released. We can't just let you go that easily." Brendon looked down at Ryan before turning to Reese. 

"So what's the deal?" 

"You two will need to find your charge's soulmate."

"What?" Ryan whispered. The two have been around Pete long enough to know that boy was not the loving type.

"Can't have a perfectly good soul running around. If he has his soulmate, neither of us can touch him," Seth said with a grin. Brendon looked at Ryan before the boy nodded. 

"Okay, we'll do it." Seth let out a laugh. 

"Hold up. We're not finished. Eager aren't you?"

"Don't drag this on." Brendon frowned at his boss. 

"We'll give you two years," Reese said. "If you don't find his soulmate, you will be punished. Brendon will come to my side for punishment."

"And Ryan comes with me," Seth growled as he eyed Ryan. Brendon moved Ryan behind him, keeping him out of Seth's view. 

"And if we don't take the deal?"

"Purgatory!" Seth chimed. 

"We didn't discuss that," Reese turned to Seth.

"Did we really have to? What else were you going to do? I'm pretty sure Brendon would prefer sending lover boy to purgatory rather than let me get my hands on him anyway." Brendon watched as Reese nodded in agreement. The two turned back to Brendon. 

"Do we have a deal?" Brendon felt Ryan grab his hand and lock their fingers. He needed to keep this boy safe. Whatever it took. His mind raced as he contemplated the deal. 

"We'll give you till tomorrow to decide." 

˜˜˜

Ryan was pacing the room, shaking his head repeatedly. Brendon was sitting down watching Ryan. He was bouncing his knee vigorously. He let out a heavy sigh. 

"Ryan, this is our only chance." Ryan continued to shake his head.

"It's too risky. I-I can't lose you."

"You're not going to lose me. We'll have plenty of time."

"But if we choose purgatory, w-we might find each other there. We could be together there." Brendon watched Ryan's body trembling in fear. His pure white wings pressed behind him. Brendon knew Ryan would struggle in his side. He couldn't imagine his innocent angel being stuck in purgatory. 

"I mean if we agree and fail, who knows what they'll do to us." Brendon had an idea what Seth wanted to do with Ryan and it made him sick to his stomach. "But if we just take purgatory, there's a chance we can be with each. It won't be ideal, but we might have a chance and.." Brendon stood up and stopped Ryan's pacing. He held the smaller boy's face in his hands, looking deeply into his eyes.

"I can't let that happen to you. Seth will not send you straight to purgatory. The only way to keep you safe is to take this deal. If we don't he's going to," Brendon's eyes filled with tears. His soulmate was in danger and it was all his fault. If he would've dealt with working with Courtney, Ryan would be safe on his own side. Now, he's at risk of Seth hurting him. "I'm so sorry."

"No, no, no." Ryan pulled Brendon to his chest as the man wept. "It's going to be okay. We'll figure it out." 

"I just want you to be happy."

"I know, but this deal is too risky."

"What do we have to lose?"

"Each other," Ryan whispered. Brendon pulled back and held the sides of Ryan's head. 

"I promise I will not let anything happen to you. We can do this. I know we can." Brendon pressed his lips against Ryan's briefly. "Then we can be together." 

"Bren, I'm scared." Brendon ran his thumb over Ryan's cheek, wiping away a falling tear. 

"There's nothing to be scared of mein engel. As long as I'm still standing, I won't let anything hurt you." Ryan nodded and kissed Brendon's lips lightly. They were silent before Ryan giggled softly. 

"Mein engel?" Brendon shrugged with a smile.

"Thought I'd try the cute nickname thing I've seen couples do." Ryan smiled and Brendon pulled him into a hug. Ryan rested his head on Brendon's chest. His nerves slowly calmed as he felt Brendon's heart beating steadily. Brendon kissed the top of Ryan's head and ran his hand up and down his lower back. 

"Okay," Ryan spoke in a small voice. Brendon's hand stopped and he leaned back to look at Ryan.

"Okay?" Ryan nodded.

"We deserve the chance to be together." Brendon pressed his lips hastily against Ryan's. They smiled against each other's lips. 

"We're gonna be free Ry. We're gonna be able to live our lives together without worrying about anyone else," Brendon said excitedly. He planted quick kisses all over Ryan's face. The small boy let out cute giggles, leading Brendon to leave more kisses. When he finally pulled away, they stared into each other's eyes with matching smiles on their faces.

"I can't wait."