Dedicated to HarryPotterize for nominating this story for The Mystical Awards :}

"You cannot miss something you never had in the first place." - Lucifer Morningstar

Chapter XXII

A loud yawn left my mouth as I dragged my lazy ass up the stairs. "Where are you going?" Ghost called after me. Glancing back, I saw him standing at the bottom of the stairs. His mismatched eyes stared up into my own and the light of the lamp overhead made his pale hair look like a halo.

"Bed," I replied. "Lucas said he'd stop with the nightmares, so I should be able to sleep once more. Humans need their sleep, Ghost."

"Sleep well then," the angel nodded, "I keep watch over the house. Sleep for as long as you wish, it's Friday anyway."

Ghost disappeared around the corner once more and I climbed the last few stairs and tumbled inside my room, closing the door behind me and I fell face-down in bed – not bothering to put on some sleepwear.

Within seconds, I was in a deep dreamless slumber.

.

I woke up shivering from the cold. Wrapping my blankets around my shaking body, a harsh wind howled in my face. My eyes went towards the window, which was wide open. That explains it.

Ignoring the cold to the best of my abilities, I wrapped the blankets around myself and sprinted towards the window. Just when I was about to close it, something caught my attention.

Somebody tied a red lint to the window, a small note attached to it. Nothing seemed to hold it in its place. It was just hanging in the air, dancing along to the wind. I reached out to the lint with my arm and grasped it out of the air.

Holding the red lint in one hand, I closed the window with the other. I did a double take on the window when I noticed it was completely frozen over.

I touched the window with my finger, just to pull it immediately back from the cold. Yup, it's ice alright, I thought. Staring at my frozen window for a while, I noticed that somebody had doodled a pitchfork on the ice. That somebody probably being Lucas. What is he, five?

Lucas was in my room. Again. The first time being when he fixed and returned my scarf after it got destroyed by a dragon. "Couldn't he at least close the window?" I muttered to myself, walking back towards my bed, blankets still draped around myself like a cape.

Sitting back on my bed once more, I picked up my phone and checked the time.

Sunday. 1:34pm, it read. I arched up my eyebrows when I realized I slept over twenty-four hours, but I shrugged my shoulders. It's to be expected when you barely sleep for three weeks straight. Realizing my phone is about to die, I connected it to the charger and put it away.

I detached the note from the lint and unfolded it, curious to see what was written on it.

If you still wish to get to know me, meet me Sunday at Starbucks around 3.

-L

Staring at the single sentence Lucas had scribbled on the note, I couldn't help but think what could have him change his mind. One day he wants me to stay away and the next day he wants to meet up at Starbucks. "He's so confusing," I muttered, wondering if all fallen angels were like that or if Lucas was just a special case.

Looking down at my wrinkled clothes, I pulled a face, realizing I just slept in the same clothes for over twenty-four hours. "I need a shower," I muttered. "A quick shower," I added, looking at the time.

Throwing the covers of and jumping out of bed, I pulled some fresh clothes out of the closet and went towards the bathroom, stepping inside the shower as I let the warm water run down my back.

Within half an hour I was out of the shower and dressed in a purple hoodie with skinny jeans. Pulling my phone from the charger, I put it in my pocket. Fumbling around with a hair tie as I descended the stairs, I stilled as I heard noise coming from the living room. Is that... the TV?

Either Alec or Ana let themselves in or Ghost decided to watch some TV. I surely did not turn it on myself.

Entering the living room, I saw a guy with pale blond hair sprawled on my white couch. I panicked only for a second until I realized that it was Ghost in his human form.

My Guardian Angel looked up from the show he was watching and lazily blinked his eyes. "Did I startle you?" He asked.

"I just," I said, shaking my head, "I guess I just half expected you to turn into a cat once more."

Ghost shrugged his shoulders. "While you were sleeping I kind of switched between those two forms," he grinned widely. "I like this form better though," he held up his hand and waggled around with his fingers, "I have thumbs now."

"Unless of course, you're uncomfortable with me being like this. I can always switch back," he offered, noticing the look I was giving him.

I shook my head. "It's alright. I just need to get used to it," I muttered, my eyes quickly scanning the Archangel on my couch. I noticed some empty chips bags and coke cans carelessly thrown on the small table I had in front of the TV. He was wearing what appeared to be a blue striped morning gown with sweatpants and pink fuzzy socks.

Arching up my eyebrows at his attire, I couldn't help but let a small laugh slip.

"What?" Ghost asked baffled.

"You just," I laughed, "you look ridiculous!"

Sheepishly glancing down at what he was wearing, the angel shrugged his shoulders. "In my defense, it's super comfy."

"Sure it is," I grinned.

"Where are you going?" Ghost asked, changing the subject.

Walking closer to him, I held up the note. "I found this attached to my window with a red lint," I told him.

The angel's face fell only slightly, taking on a more serious expression. "Lucas?"

I nodded. "Most likely. It is signed with a 'L' after all."

Taking the note from my outstretched hand, Ghost scanned over the sentence before he handed it back. "Are you going to meet up with him?" He asked. I couldn't read his expression, he had carefully put up a wall around himself, making him impossible to read.

"I should at least hear what he has to say and what made him change his mind," I replied. I am curious.

Ghost turned back towards the TV. "Who am I to tell you what to do?" He asked. "You don't need my permission if you want to go that badly."

"Really?" I asked, feeling slightly stumped.

The angel glanced back over his shoulder. "When God created life, he did include free will for a reason," he said. "Just be careful. That's all I'm asking."

"I'll be careful," I promised, walking towards the door. I wrapped my scarf around my neck and put on a grey beanie as I grabbed a small purse with my wallet in it, glancing down at my silver bracelets. Ever since finding out about the existence of all things supernatural, I haven't taken them off. Silver is effective against most monsters, so it made me feel slightly at ease.

My hand hovering over the door handle, I turned back. "And Ghost?" I called after him. The angel tilted up his head. "If you wish to stay in your human form, at least clean up your own mess." With that said, I left my home and closed the door behind my back, putting the keys in my purse as well.

Taking in a deep breath of the cold air, I pulled up my shoulders as I walked through the streets, heading towards the Starbucks where I found Lucas all those weeks ago, knowing that was the Starbucks he meant in the note.

.

Pushing the door open as it dinged above my head, I looked around the café, trying to spot Lucas – if he arrived before me, that is.

He wasn't here yet.

I couldn't help but feel a slight pang of disappointment, but I pushed it back. I'm still early and he did not exactly say 3pm, he just said around three, I told myself.

Shrugging my shoulders, I ordered a Frappuccino and a slice of apple-pie for myself and sat down at a table in the corner of the room, where I had a good overview over the café.

Grinning to myself as I dug into my delicious apple-pie, I failed to notice as the entire store grew silent and all eyes went towards the door where a tall man stepped inside, the cold air following him as he went.

Suddenly, a shadow hung over me. "Very charming," a voice spoke. Looking up in shock, I found myself staring into Lucas' dark eyes as the scent of burning wood washed over me. The corner of his lips was slightly curled up in a sly grin. "There uhm," he tapped his chin, "is some apple on your chin."

Quickly wiping the apple crumbles off my face, I glared at the fallen angel as he casually sat down in front of me. "Hello, Kitten," he greeted me.

"Hi, Lucas," I replied, feeling like I should at least say something.

"Nice doodling, by the way," I added, referring to the pitchfork he had drawn on my frozen window. "Why were you even in my room?"

He tilted his head to the side. "To leave you the note of course."

I stared at him and Lucas grinned, seemingly greatly amused by our conversation.

"Alright, then," I said, taking a sip of my Frappuccino.

Noticing Lucas staring at my drink in horror, I nearly started laughing. "What?" I asked him. "You don't like Frappuccino?" I asked him.

Lucas dramatically shook his head. "Coffee?" I tried. He pulled a face.

I small gasp left my mouth. "How can you not like coffee?" I blurted out, unable to imagine a life without any coffee in it; it seemed like such a dark and sad place.

"My senses are different than yours," he told me, leaning backward into his seat. Slowly, the customers in the shop around us started minding their own business again – still keeping their distance though. "Certain foods and drinks are... overwhelming to say the last."

"What does coffee taste like to you then?"

His nearly black eyes sharply looked at me. "I taste every molecule all at once. I can even vaguely taste it from where I'm seated."

"Are there things you cannot taste at all?" I asked in curiosity.

He nodded slowly, his expression tense and guarded. "There are things... certain things... I cannot taste at all. Chocolate milk for instance, or chocolate in general. I just drink it to get the illusion of fitting in." A whirlwind of emotions flashed behind his blue eyes, but it was gone as soon as ice melting in fire.

"That is..." I started to say, baffled with what he shared. "I'm sorry."

Tilting his head to the sides, he gave me a confused look. "What are you apologizing for?"

"Chocolate is one of the best foods there is. If you cannot taste it... it's just so sad." I tried to explain, failing to do so in my opinion.

"You cannot miss something you never had in the first place," he simply said, shrugging his shoulders.

Before I knew it, he had snatched my apple-pie away from under my nose. As I was gaping at him, he winked and scooped a spoonful into his own mouth. "Hey!" I complained loudly, leaning over the table to try to get my pie back.

Lucas pulled back his arm, using his length to his advantage. "I thought you couldn't taste things!"

"I do taste some things just fine without them overwhelming me! Pie for instance!" He said, taking one last bite of the pie before he gave it back with what looked like a sheepish grin.

I stared sadly at the remains of my pie.

Why must he take such large bites?! My subconsciousness complained.

I saw Lucas roll his eyes from the corner of my vision. "If it upsets you that much, I can always get you a new one."

"It's fine," I muttered, giving him a glare. He didn't budge, his piercing gaze taking me in. "If you do decide to share again out of nowhere, give me a heads up, alright?"

I started eating the last few bites of my pie, keeping my eyes on the fallen angel in front of me just in case he decided to take my food away a second time. Lucas watched on in a mixture of amusement and curiosity as he watched me eat the pie, which quickly turned to horror once I started sipping on my Frappuccino once more.

I couldn't help but let a small laugh slip. "Is it just you who doesn't like coffee, or are all angels like that?"

"As far as I know there isn't a single angel – fallen or not – who actually likes coffee. If there is one, that angel is an abomination," was the reply I got.

So Ghost most likely doesn't like coffee as well, I thought to myself. I should try this out once.

"Hold on," I said, suddenly remembering something. Lucas gave me an almost startled look. "Back then at this Starbucks, you were fine with me drinking coffee! Why are you suddenly making such a big deal out of it?"

Lucas leaned forward on the table, his dark eyes narrowing slightly. "If you really want to know, back then I was puking on the inside. My skin was crawling by the mere idea alone. I'm just a very good actor."

Something in his demeanor had changed. The easygoing attitude was gone, replaced with something else. He has personality issues alright. I watched on wide-eyed how pigments of a glowing red appeared in his irises as he glared at me. The temperature dropped in the room and I could hear the people around us starting to complain, yet I couldn't hear a word they were saying, my full attention on the mesmerizing creature in front of me. My breathe puffed out in clouds and I shivered, yet I could not move to pull on my coat.

Lucas' ears had grown more pointed and his nails elongated into thick, long claws. Soon his irises were completely red, and I even swore I saw blue flames burning deep within his slitted pupils. "You can see this, can't you?" He asked. I nodded my head.

"You are something else alright," he said, more to himself. "Most humans cannot perceive my transformation unless I want them to. Not even hunters."

Lucas sat back down in his seat once more, his fiery eyes scanning me.

"Why did you suddenly decide to meet with me?" I asked softly, afraid I was overstepping any boundaries but really wanting to know the answer. "Before, you were rather adamant at keeping me away. What changed your mind?"

His eyes narrowed and he tilted his head slightly. With his slightly pointy ears and slitted pupils, he almost had something cat-like about him. I did not dare tell him that, though. "I thought about what you said," he told me. "I figured that your halo friend was right. Nothing can make you change your mind. And I guess part of me started to respect your decision as well. And I just think that you are... fascinating, to say the least."

I stared at him slightly wide-eyed. He pointed a clawed finger my way. "I still think this is a very bad idea, though."

"Why do you think that?"

His piercing gaze seemed to stare straight through me, burning into my soul. "You're not strong enough to withstand the storm," he told me.

I stared back. "There seems to be a miscommunication here," I replied, "I am the storm."

His jaw tensed in annoyance. "You will only end up dead, or worse," he warned me, yet he did not seem fully into the argument, the tension in his jaw almost seeming uncertain.

"I don't think so. I plan on living. I like it here too much."

Lucas narrowed his eyes. "You really are stubborn, you know that, right?"

"I've been told," I simply said. Watching on in fascination how his features softened and turned back to normal once more.

The fallen angel leaned back in his seat and stared up towards the ceiling in annoyance. My eyes fell on the feather tattoo on the left side of his neck, pocking up from underneath the collar of his black suit. And I noticed a necklace as well, hidden underneath his shirt.

He wears quite some ornaments for a guy, my subconsciousness noted, recalling the strange glass-ring I noticed on his hand months ago. Glancing at his hands, I saw the ring with the fiery blue gem again. Blue flames could be seen burning deep in the heart of the stone. The last time I bought up the ring he stormed out of this very café.

Lucas waggled his hand in front of my face, a sly grin on his face as sunlight reflected off his ring. "You like this, Kitten?"

"It's a nice ring," I said, "maybe a bit too sparkly for a guy though," I mocked him, smirking myself.

Lucas' eyes narrowed once more. Something he seemed to do a lot around me. "It's a Relic of Heaven. Older than Earth and humanity itself. Worth more than all of Earth's treasures combined," he replied, his left eye dropping down in a wink, "that's all I will tell you about it though, so save your breath."

I huffed and leaned back in my seat, taking another sip of my Frappuccino. The fallen angel glared at my drink and I forced myself not to grin in amusement. "Suck it up," I told him instead.

We fell into a silence, me drinking my Frappuccino and Lucas staring at me with what almost appeared to be a puzzled expression, his brow furrowed in deep thought. "What is it?" I asked him, arching up a single eyebrow.

Lucas shook his head. "I just don't understand," he said in bewilderment. "Why is Heaven so interested in you?"

"Are they?"

He looked at me like I was stupid. "You have Metatron defending you and Raphael keeps pestering me to leave you alone. And you have another Archangel pretty much perched upon your shoulder. But as far as I can tell, you appear to be an ordinary girl."

He really doesn't know about the prophecy, does he? I thought in bewilderment, thinking back to the note Christopher left me about my destiny – which is apparently entwined with Lucas's. I was just about to tell him about it when I thought again. I barely knew anything about Lucas, except for the fact that he is a powerful fallen angel who does not like coffee. And there's the fact that he had tried to kill me and seems to love messing around with me.

He might be kind of nice now, but for how long would that last? A few minutes, hours, days maybe? It was hard to tell with him.

Let's give it a few days and see how it goes, I decided.

"I don't know," I said instead.

Lucas narrowed his eyes slightly and I could tell he did not fully believe me. However, he decided to let it go – for now. He pulled his lip piercing with his teeth, seemingly an unconscious gesture, as his gaze swept over my face. Finally, he shook his head and muttered something about mortals.

A silence fell over us, with us simply staring at each other, trying to figure out the other. Our little staring contest was disturbed when a Led Zeppelin song started up. Breaking up eye contact, Lucas' hand disappeared inside his suit jacket and he pulled out a sleek black iPhone, staring down at the screen with a scowl.

He glanced at me. "I have to take this. A second please." Without waiting for my reply, he answered the phone and put it against his ear. "What," he barked down the line.

I watched his expression change as he heard what the other side of the line told him. It went from annoyance to shock and amusement and back to annoyance once more. "What did he do this time?" he said to whoever he was talking to, sounding almost bored. The other side said something and Lucas face-palmed himself. "You got to be kidding me," he muttered in disbelief.

Lucas nodded his head, a lock of his black hair falling in front of his eyes, he barely seemed to notice. My hand was itching to pull the lock of hair back, but I firmly clenched my hands shut and put them on my lap to prevent myself from doing anything stupid. I sincerely doubted that Lucas would appreciate me touching his hair.

"I will be there soon," Lucas said, making my head snap up. "Make sure he does not do anything else stupid," he added and hung up the phone.

"What happened?" I asked him, doubting he would answer but still curious enough to try to ask.

Lucas surprised me by answering, typing a few things on his phone as he did so. "It appears my twin brother turned my living room in a swimming pool." He seemed rather upset about it.

Twin brother? I thought, silently arching my eyebrows. "You have a twin?"

"Yes, I do," he replied, "you know siblings. They annoy you to no end."

"I don't actually," I said, Lucas looked up from his phone, "I don't have any siblings."

He muttered something that sounded a lot like 'lucky', but he spoke so softly I couldn't be sure. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. To make sure he doesn't do another stupid thing." He almost seemed apological.

"It's alright," I waved it off, "it seems like your brother needs you. Go."

He gave me a surprised look but stood up nevertheless. I gave him a smile to let him know it was really okay. "It was nice seeing you, Lucas."

He nodded his head and realization dawned on him. His hand disappeared in the pocket of his pants and he pulled out another phone. This one startlingly familiar. "Before I forget," he said with a smirk, "you probably want your phone back." He put it down on the table and sliced it my way as I gaped at him.

His left eye dropped in a wink. "See you later, Kitten."

Before I could say anything or complain to him about not only stealing my food but my phone too, he has already left the Starbucks café we were at. Watching his tall frame disappear into the distance I shook my head. "I cannot believe that guy," I muttered under my breath, glancing down at my phone on the table, glad it did not appear to be broken at least.

As I stared at my phone, the screen beeped from an incoming text message. Picking up my phone to read the message, I stared at my screen in disbelief.

Sexy Creature: Don't be mad at me stealing your phone. I just wanted your number.

"Sexy Creature?" I read aloud, assuming it must be Lucas. Who else would steal my phone and put themselves on my contact list under such a ridiculous name? Quickly changing the name to 'Lucas', I typed a reply. Couldn't you just ask?

I got a reply within seconds, emoji and all.

Lucas: It was more fun this way ;)

Shaking my head. You are an idiot, I typed back and put the phone away, wondering just what exactly is going on with my life.

"How much weirder can it all get?"

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Because this update is kinda late - my apologies - I will keep this note short. Hope you guys liked it, I tried to make the chapter kinda long-ish!

Just tell me what you thought of it and what your predictions are and don't forget to vote/comment/share if you liked it! I don't bite! Until the next time, my little demons :)

Hugs and knives,

- Luci