They say that when an angel falls in love, they know immediately. And that, they only love one for the rest of their lifetime. But as heavenly beings, most people believe this to be only fictional.
Angels don't fall in love.
So, how is it that Sera can't take her eyes off of this human woman, with eyes as bright as the stars in the sky, and a smile that could rival the sun?
Sera stood at the far edge of the crowded street, half-hidden beneath the overhang of a shop's crooked roof, her wings folded tightly against her back and concealed beneath a carefully woven illusion. To the human eye, she was nothing more than another traveler, perhaps a foreign witch, judging by the way her gaze lingered too long on things most would ignore.
She was there to observe as ordered by the elders. That was all, a simple two-day observation, three at maximum. But here she was, still on Earth for a whole month. She knew the elders would be questioning her whereabouts by now, but she didn't care. Not now. Not when this mortal has her by the neck with intrigue and curiosity.
The one they called Lily—she had overheard the name once, spoken by a boy with black hair and an aura that rivaled the depths of hell.
And from that moment on, Sera felt lost.
The first time she saw Lily, it had been nothing more than a passing glance, a flicker of movement in a sea of faces at Diagon Alley. The street had been busy, as it always was, filled with merchants calling out their wares, children weaving through the crowd, and travelers pushing past one another without a second thought. Sera had been standing in a corner, observing the humans as she had been told, her presence almost nonexistent to the passersby.
And then she saw her.
Lily.
She was choosing her first wand then, her expression animated with a childlike mirth at the thought of magic. Sera nearly scoffed at the notion of a witch finding joy in magic, but that was when she realized Lily had been born in a world where magic was only in fairytales. And to finally have the chance to perform such feats was enough to cause obvious sparkles in her eyes.
Days passed. Then more. And still, Sera remained.
She began to learn Lily's routine without meaning to. The times she left her home, the places she visited, and the people she spoke to. There was a pattern to it all, a rhythm that grounded her in a way Sera had never experienced before.
Humans were fleeting. Temporary. Their lives burned bright and brief, gone before one could truly understand them.
But Lily felt different.
Even more so when she finally started studying at Hogwarts.
Sera shouldn't have followed her there; that was her worst mistake. Of all the lines she had already crossed, this one felt the most deliberate. The most dangerous of all the actions any angel could ever commit.
It was a place steeped in magic, old and layered, its very foundations humming with centuries of spells, wards, and intent. Even from afar, Sera could feel it. The castle rose from the cliffs like something alive, its towers piercing the sky, its presence both inviting and warning.
Angels were not meant to linger in such places. It contradicted every divine teaching she knew. Divinity and Magic contradicted each other because it made humans play the roles of gods with their wands and spells, and the ability to talk to snakes and cause immortality. Sera stood at the edge of the Black Lake, her form hidden beneath illusion, her gaze fixed on the distant silhouette of the castle. She could feel Lily somewhere within those walls, a faint, flickering presence among thousands of others.
It should have been impossible to pick her out.
But Sera did. She always did, "…This is foolish," she murmured to herself. But she didn't.
Days turned into weeks. And weeks turned into months. She kept on watching her like a stalker, observing from the Forbidden Forest, the hills, and even behind Hagrid's hut. She watched the students come and go, their laughter echoing through the grounds, their lives unfolding in ways so vastly different from the tales she was told as a young angel. And among them was Lily, Sera's eyes could always find her even amongst the sea of wizards and witches.
She walked its halls with curiosity, her eyes always searching, always learning. She spoke with others easily, forming friendships with a warmth that seemed to draw people toward her without effort. She argued, laughed, studied, failed, succeeded—she lived.
It was… mesmerizing.
And it made an unfamiliar twist in Sera's chest.
"You're going to get in trouble." The voice came from above. Sera didn't need to look up to know who it was, "The elders are wondering why you haven't returned yet. You've been here for months now, that's not normal for your usual observation missions."
"I'm aware."
The figure dropped from the branch above her, landing lightly on the forest floor with a soft crunch of leaves and dead branches. He folded his arms, white wings flickering into view for the briefest second before folding back into nothing behind him.
"You don't act like you do." He muttered under his breath. Sera's gaze remained fixed on the distant castle.
"I extended my observation."
"This is not observation, this is an obsession." He scoffed.
Sera finally turned her head to him, her expression calm and nonchalant, "You assume too much."
"And you're avoiding the gravity of the situation." He shot back, his eyes following the trail where her gaze had been, "... A human." Silence followed, but it was more than enough for an answer, "A human, Sera? Really? For all things that would pull you down to remain on Earth, it had to be a human? Have you gone mad?!"
"She's not just a 'human'."
"That's exactly what she is."
"No."
His gaze snapped back to her with a raised eyebrow, "No?"
"She is… different." Sera hesitated with the last word, feeling unfamiliar with hearing it on her tongue.
He let out a humorless laugh, one he rarely let out, "They're all different if you stare at them long enough." But Sera didn't crack, nor did she say a word. He continued with a twitch of his eyebrow, "Do you even hear yourself, Sera?! You've been stationed here for a month now! You've ignored direct summons, risked exposure, and all for what? A girl who should know you exist?!"
Her eyes flickered to him for a moment before going back to Lily, "... She knows." That made him pause.
"She… what?"
"I made contact."
His expression darkened, shifting from irritation to something sharper, "You what?"
"I spoke to her."
"And you thought that was a good idea?" His voice dropped dangerously low, "Sera, that's—" She cut him off.
"I'm aware of the consequences, Elyndar."
"No, I don't think you are." Sera turned fully to face her fellow angel, her gaze steady as she looked at him.
"I am."
"Then why?" The question came, but she knew she didn't have the answer. Not yet. That's why she went ahead and talked to Lily. She wanted to know why more than anyone else.
She wanted to know the reason why her hands clammed when she first talked to her, why she couldn't look her straight in the eyes, and why her stomach felt sick while her heart was doing somersaults at the sight of her smile. Because angels like her didn't feel those things. They were not made to feel human emotions, yet Sera somehow felt them all.
"I don't know." The words came quieter than she expected, almost lost beneath the rustling of leaves and the distant murmur of the lake.
Elyndar stared at her, "…You don't know?" he repeated.
Sera's gaze dropped briefly, as though the ground itself might offer an answer. "No."
"That's not good enough."
"That's all I have."
He exhaled sharply, frustration bleeding into every line of his posture. "You're risking everything for something you don't even understand."
Sera lifted her gaze again, steady now. "…Then I'll understand it."
"And if understanding it costs you everything?"
"I'll deal with that consequence once I come across it, Elyndar."
The angel went still. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then he shook his head, stepping back, "…You've already chosen," he muttered. Sera did not deny it.
The first time the angel let Lily touch her, Sera nearly forgot how to breathe.
It was accidental. At least, that's what Sera told herself. They had been sitting beneath the same tree by the lake, the late afternoon sun casting warm gold across the grass. Lily had been talking about something in class, a spell she had struggled with, and the way her professor had explained it in a way that finally made sense. And Sera had been listening. She always listened when it came to Lily, she realized.
And then the witch laughed. It was bright and full of life that made Sera take a step back.
Lily's hand came up as she spoke, her gesture too animated as it lay over the angel's hand. It was fleeting, but to Sera, it felt as if she finally understood something. She felt as if she were a frog in a well, too stuck in her small world of angels and heavenly principles.
The warmth of that touch spread, racing up her arm, then over her chest, burying itself deep inside where it burned and ached for something she couldn't name but only Lily could give. The girl didn't seem to notice, continuing her talking, her voice flowing easily, and unaware of the way she had Sera completely and utterly captivated.
"... And then! One time, professor—hm, Sera?" The angel blinked, shaking out of her frozen stupor.
"Yes?"
"You stopped listening."
"I did not."
"You did!" Lily laughed, the sound slowly becoming Sera's favorite, "I just told you something very important, you know?"
"... Repeat it." The girl laughed again, amused, and shook her head.
"You're unbelievable."
"I've been told that I was."
Lily's smile softened slightly at Sera's words. She found her strange, almost ethereal. Never in her life had she found someone like Sera, may it be a witch, wizard, or muggle-born, "... Are you alright?"
"Yes."
"You just… looked strange for a second."
"I always look strange to you."
"Not like this."
Sera looked down at their hands, still touching. At the gesture, Lily followed her gaze, then stilled. She hadn't even noticed that they were touching. The contact lingered for a minute or two longer than it should have before Lily pulled her hand back first, just slightly.
"... Sorry." She muttered quietly.
"What's there to apologize for?"
"You didn't mind?" Lily studied Sera's face, as if checking if she really didn't mind having her hand on hers. But the angel only met her gaze, burning with a subtle fire she wouldn't realize until a couple of years later in the future.
"No."
From there, something between them shifted. It was subtle, but neither could deny that it was real. Lily didn't pull away completely, inching her hand closer to its original position. Sera could feel the heat once again, this time more noticeable. And somehow, that felt more dangerous to Sera.
"You're getting worse." Elydar's voice was quieter this time, but Sera didn't respond, "You're interacting with her more, staying longer. You're not even hiding this properly from the elders anymore!"
"I'm aware."
"You keep saying that it means something."
"It does."
"It doesn't!" He snapped, "Not if you keep doing this."
Sera's gaze remained fixed on Lily's in the distance, watching her as if she were her assigned guardian angel, "She is not a 'this'."
Elyndar exhaled slowly, as though trying to rein in something deeper than the frustration he was feeling, "…You're attached." The word lingered in the air, heavy. Sera didn't deny it. He continued, "That's dangerous, Sera! For her, for you—"
"I will not harm her."
"That's not what I mean."
Sera finally looked at him.
"…Then what do you mean?" Elyndar hesitated before letting out a soft breath.
"When this ends, you'll come to understand." Sera's expression didn't change, but something inside her did, a subtle shift she chose to ignore.
The next time she saw her, Lily wasn't alone. As Sera paused at the edge of the clearing, her presence hidden as always, her gaze fixed on the small group gathered near the lake. Lily stood among them, laughing at something one of the others had said. There were four of them. All of them were boys. Their energy was loud and bright and chaotic in a way Sera was still learning to understand.
One of the boys, dark-haired with glasses perched on his nose, stood closer than the others, too close as Sera noted. She felt something ugly and unfamiliar tighten in her chest; it was not the same warmth she had come to know and recognize. This was sharper, and unpleasant. Deep within her, she felt the need to confront the mortals surrounding her Lily.
"... You're staring." Elydar's voice rang out again.
"I'm observing."
"No," he said quietly. "You're not." But Sera said nothing.
Below, Lily turned slightly, her laughter fading as she said something to the others. The dark-haired boy leaned closer, saying something that made her roll her eyes, though the corner of her mouth twitched upward. They looked comfortable, familiar, and close. Sera's fingers curled faintly at her sides.
"…What is that?" she asked suddenly.
Elyndar blinked, "…What?" He asked.
"That feeling." He then followed her gaze and saw what she was looking at. He sighed.
"…That's jealousy."
Sera frowned slightly.
"…Explain."
"You don't like seeing her with other people."
"I don't mind her interactions."
"That's not what I said."
Sera's gaze sharpened, "…Clarify."
"You…!" He sighed, Elyndar studied her for a moment. "…You don't like that she's close to him. Or that he's the one making her react like that."
Sera's eyes flicked back to the boy. "…Why?"
"Because you want to be the one to do all those things."
Silence.
The words settled heavily above her. It felt uncomfortable. Sera didn't speak for a moment, the gears in her head clacking and spinning with the information.
"…That's what this is, Sera," Elyndar said quietly. "It's not a curiosity anymore. It's not an observation. It's—"
"Enough." Her voice cut through the air, sharp and final. Elyndar fell silent this time as Sera turned away, but that feeling remained. But if she just looked back again at her, she would have seen the way the witch looked in the vague direction of where she had been.
That same night, Sera couldn't find Lily.
Sera moved through the grounds in silence, her presence barely brushing against the wards as she searched. The usual places were empty; the tree by the Black Lake, the edge of the Forbidden Forest, or even the small clearing near the hills. Nothing. A strange unease settled in her chest.
"…You're restless." Sera didn't respond, somehow, she found herself not replying when it came to Elyndar nowadays. The angel leaned against the trunk of a nearby tree, watching her, "You've checked the same places three times."
"I am ensuring accuracy."
"You're worried."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Sera stopped and turned to him, her expression was calm and controlled, "…I am not worried."
Elyndar raised a brow, "Then why are you still looking?"
Sera hesitated, but only for a moment. "…She's not where she should be."
"And that bothers you."
"…Yes."
The admission was quiet, but it was the first real truth from the female angel. Elyndar watched her carefully. "…This is exactly what I was warning you about."
Sera did not respond once more. Instead, she moved as if something caught her attention. She could feel her presence slipping through the edges of the castle hallways, brushing against them every now and then, but settled through it all the same. She moved, leaving the angel in surprise.
Her gaze kept moving until she found Lily in one of the corridors. Alone and sitting against the wall, with her knees drawn up slightly, and a book resting loosely in her hands. But she wasn't reading, merely staring, her gaze distant and unfocused.
"…Lily." The name slipped out before Sera could stop it as soon as she entered the hallways. Lily's head snapped up.
"Sera?" Relief could be heard immediately from the sigh that left the angel's lips. Lily felt it like a shift in the air itself.
"You're inside," The witch said, her voice dropping slightly as she looked around, her tone slightly surprised, "You're really not supposed to be here. I mean… It's the first time I ever saw you in the halls, a-and if the professors find us, we'll get an earful from McGonagall…"
"I am aware." She was aware of the consequences, though she wasn't sure who McGonagall was.
"Then why—?"
Sera stepped closer, "…Because you were not outside."
Lily blinked, "…What?"
"You were not where you usually are."
"…So you came looking for me?"
Sera hesitated for a moment before muttering, "…Yes."
Lily stared at her, "It's night, Sera. We're not supposed to be outside by this time, let alone in the hallways. We should have been in our rooms and—" The witch paused, all logical thinking thrown out the window at the realization her mind thought of, "…You were worried."
It wasn't a question, more like a statement. Sera didn't answer, but she did not deny it either.
Lily's expression softened, "…I'm fine," she said gently.
"…You do not appear fine." Sera studied her face. Lily let out a quiet breath, leaning her head back against the wall.
"…Just tired," she admitted. "Classes. People. Everything."
Sera stepped closer still, close enough to see the faint shadows beneath Lily's eyes, "…You should rest."
"I will."
"You are not."
Lily huffed a quiet laugh, "You're very observant, aren't you, Sera?"
"It is my purpose."
"Is it?" Lily asked softly. Sera stilled, she shouldn't have said that. But at the same time, she didn't want to lie to her, not anymore.
"…Yes."
"Because it doesn't feel like that's all it is."
Silence, the air shifting between them. Lily looked up at her, her gaze soft yet, and wouldn't take any excuse as an answer, "…Why did you really come?"
Sera's breathing hitched. This was it, the moment where the truth came to light. This was supposed to be against all protocol, she'd have her wings removed, drowning in the depths of hell she so despised. Yet, she didn't try to hide it. Seeing that boy from earlier awakened something inside of Sera, one she desperately tried to ignore, "…Because you were not there."
Lily's gaze softened, "…That's not what I meant."
Sera stepped closer, close enough that the space between them felt fragile, "…It is what I meant."
Lily's breath hitched slightly this time, "Sera…"
"I did not like it," Sera continued, her voice quieter now. "Not knowing where you were. Not seeing you."
Lily swallowed the lump in her throat, the words making her heart beat loudly, "…Why?"
Sera met her gaze, and this time, she understood. Not fully, but enough to understand the mortal thought to it. "…Because it matters."
Lily's fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her book, "…I matter to you?"
"Yes." The word came without hesitation and without doubt. Lily froze at the confession.
"…You barely know me."
"I know enough." She did. As an angel, it had its perks.
"That's not how this works."
"It is how it works for me." Lily laughed softly, though there was something fragile in the sound.
"…You're impossible."
"I have been told that as well."
Lily shook her head. Then slowly, she stood and closed the distance between them, "You're serious."
"Yes."
"…You really don't understand this, do you? Any of this?"
Sera hesitated before speaking, "…No."
Lily studied her face, searching for anything that might give her an answer. She had always thought that the girl in front of her was a mystery, no one knew of her in Hogwarts and yet, here she was, in front of her, "…Then why?"
That question again, though this time, Sera had an answer. It wasn't perfect, but it was real. "…Because when I am with you," she said softly, "I am not what I was."
Lily's breath caught in her throat, "…And what were you?"
Sera's gaze softened slightly, "…Empty." The silence that followed felt heavy, too real for the words to sound like a joke.
Lily's hand lifted, hesitant as she gently rested it against Sera's arm. It was warm, as expected of a human's touch.
"…You're not empty now," she whispered.
Sera closed her eyes briefly.
"…No." And that terrified her more than anything. Not being empty went against heavenly principles, feeling something for this mortal made her destined for damnation. And for once in her existence, she had something to lose. And even with all that, deep down, she knew she'd choose to do it all over again. Sera did not pull away from Lily's touch.
For a being who had spent centuries untouched by anything truly real, the simple pressure of a human hand felt like something far more dangerous than any blade or spell. It grounded her. It made everything she had once been certain of feel distant and irrelevant.
Lily's fingers curled slightly against her sleeve, tentative, as though she expected Sera to vanish if she held on too tightly.
"…You're shaking," Lily murmured.
Sera blinked, as if only just realizing it herself. "…I am not."
"You are," Lily insisted gently. "Your arm—"
Sera stilled. Then, slowly, she exhaled.
"…I am unfamiliar with this," she admitted.
"With what?" Lily asked softly.
Sera hesitated.
Everything in her nature told her to stop. To step back. To dissolve the illusion, to leave, to return to the heavens and pretend none of this had ever happened.
But she didn't.
"…With wanting to stay," she said.
The words settled between them, quiet and heavy.
Lily's gaze softened further, her thumb brushing unconsciously against Sera's sleeve. "…You can stay," she said, almost instinctively. "You don't have to go anywhere right now."
Sera's expression flickered, something fragile passing through her usually composed features.
"…You do not understand," she said quietly.
"Then help me understand," Lily replied just as softly.
And there it was again, that pull only Lily could bring out. That impossible, unwavering insistence that made Sera falter in ways she never had before. The angel looked at her for a long moment, then she spoke.
"…I am not what you think I am."
Lily tilted her head slightly. "…I never said I thought you were anything."
"You did not need to," Sera replied. "Humans assume. They categorize. They define what they see so they can understand it."
"And you don't want me to understand you?" Lily asked, though in the back of her mind, a thought passed by, 'Humans? We'd usually say that people assume…'
"…I do," Sera said, almost immediately. The honesty of it startled them both, especially Sera. She inhaled slowly, steadying herself, "…But understanding me will change everything."
Lily didn't pull away, "…Then let it," she said.
Sera's gaze searched hers, as if looking for hesitation, for doubt, anything that might give her an excuse to stop. But there wasn't, only quiet certainty.
"…I am not human," Sera said at last.
Lily blinked at the answer. Of all things she thought Sera would say, that was not one of them.
"…Okay," she said slowly. "Then what are you?"
Sera hesitated for only a fraction of a second.
Then the illusion fell. It didn't shatter dramatically or explode into light. It simply unraveled like threads being gently pulled apart, and her wings spread as if she had tucked them away for so long.
White, vast, and radiant wings unfurled behind her in a slow, deliberate motion. They brushed against the stone walls of the corridor, feathers catching the dim torchlight and turning it into something softer, something warmer. Lily's breath caught in her throat.
Sera stood before her, no longer pretending.
"…I am an angel," she said quietly. And for a moment, Lily didn't move. She even forgot how to breathe for a moment.
Her eyes traced the curve of Sera's wings, the faint glow that lingered around her, the subtle shift in the air that made everything feel different.
"…An angel," Lily repeated, barely above a whisper.
"Yes."
Another pause.
"…That explains a lot," Lily murmured, almost to herself.
Sera blinked, caught off guard by the casual reaction of the girl in front of her, "…It does?"
"Well, yeah," Lily said with a faint, almost disbelieving smile tugging at her lips, "The way you just appear out of nowhere, or the way you always know where I am. Even the way you talk like you've never had a normal conversation in your life—"
"I have not," Sera interrupted.
Lily huffed a quiet laugh, "…I can tell with the way you're always so formal while speaking. You don't even get most of my jokes."
Sera stared at her as if she had grown another head, "…You are not afraid."
Lily's gaze lifted back to hers.
"…Should I be?"
"Yes." The answer came without hesitation, "…I am not human. I am not bound by your world's rules. In fact, I should not be here. I should not be speaking to you, nor seeing you. I have already broken more laws than you could understand just by staying."
Then she stepped close enough that Sera could feel the warmth of her again.
"…And yet you are," Lily whispered.
"Yes."
"…And you came to find me," Lily continued.
"Yes."
"And you said I mattered to you."
"Yes."
Lily tilted her head slightly, studying her. "…Then I think I'll take my chances."
Sera went still. She wasn't expecting Lily to choose her despite being non-human. This girl made her question what she knew about humans, "…You do not understand the consequences."
"Then explain them to me. I'm sure I can understand that," Lily whispered as the angel hesitated.
"…If the elders discover this… if they learn that I have revealed myself, that I have grown… attached—" The word felt foreign, heavy on her tongue. It was the first time she ever admitted, "—I will be cast out."
"…Cast out?" Lily's expression faltered slightly.
"Stripped of my wings, of what I am. They will cast me out of heaven to fall to hell," Sera said. "Angels were never meant to interfere. We observe. We guide sometimes. But we do not feel like this."
"…Like what?" Lily asked quietly.
Sera looked at her, really looked at her. Her gaze went to the curve of her brow, to the shade of her eyes, and to the thought of her lips against hers, "…Like this," she repeated, softer now.
Her hand lifted—hesitant, uncertain—before coming to rest lightly over Lily's.
The contact sent that same warmth surging through her again, stronger this time, deeper.
"…When I am with you," Sera continued, her voice almost unsteady, "Everything changes. The world becomes… unimportant."
Lily didn't pull away, "…That sounds awful for an angel," she teased gently.
"…It is," Sera muttered before pausing, "…And it is not."
Lily smiled faintly, "You're contradicting yourself, you know?"
"I am aware."
"…So which is it?"
Sera's fingers tightened slightly around hers.
"It is terrifying," she admitted, "An angel such as me should find the world important as is taught in our principles.
Lily's smile softened, "…And?"
Sera hesitated for a moment. It was the first she ever hesitated, and the beginning of many, "…I do not wish for it to stop."
Something in Lily's expression shifted at that, something deeper that neither of them could explain..
"…Sera…"
"I do not understand this feeling," Sera continued, the words coming more quickly now, as if once she had started, she could not stop. "I do not understand why you, out of all the beings I have observed, are the one I cannot look away from. Why your absence unsettles me. Why your presence—" She faltered, as if just realizing the words spilling out of her lips. But Lily waited patiently, "…Why your presence makes me feel like I am no longer what I was meant to be." Sera finished.
The corridor was heavily filled with silence, and only the breath leaving the angel could be heard.
"…And what were you meant to be?" Lily asked softly.
"…Unchanging," she said. "An angel whose devotion is absolute, and the orders of The Speaker are law."
Lily's hand shifted, turning slightly so her fingers laced more fully with Sera's.
"…And now?" Sera looked at their joined hands, then back at Lily.
"Now I am none of those things."
"That doesn't sound so bad," Lily murmured.
"It is a flaw."
"Or maybe it's growth."
Sera frowned slightly, "Angels do not 'grow'."
"Maybe you do now." Lily smiled at her.
Sera didn't respond, but she didn't pull away from the witch's hold either.
"…Sera," Lily said after a moment, her voice quieter now, more serious, "what you're describing… It's not something strange or wrong."
Sera's gaze sharpened slightly, "Then what is it?" What could it possibly be other than something wrong? Lily hesitated before she took a small breath.
"It's what people feel when they care about someone," she said. "When they… when they like someone." Sera stilled.
"Like," she repeated.
"…Or more than that," Lily added softly. Sera felt her chest tighten, as if wanting to know what it was, at the same time, not.
"Define 'more'."
Lily let out a small, nervous laugh, "You're like a sheltered kid. You really don't know, do you?"
"No."
Lily looked at her for a long moment, then smiled softly, "…It's love," she said.
The word landed between them like something fragile and dangerous all at once. Sera didn't react immediately, "Love…?" she echoed.
"Yeah."
Sera's gaze drifted, distant for a moment, as though searching through everything she knew and everything she had been taught, "Impossible. Angels do not feel love," she said slowly.
"Maybe they do," Lily replied gently. "It just hasn't happened yet, with all the guiding and watching that you do."
Sera looked back at her, contemplating her words, "If this is love," she said quietly, "then it is not what I was told it would be."
"What were you told?"
"That it is a weakness," Lily's expression softened.
"It can be," she admitted. "But it's also a lot of other things."
"Such as?"
Lily smiled faintly.
"It makes you care. It makes you want to protect someone. It makes you… happy, sometimes, even when everything else is wrong. It makes someone strong enough to stand in front of someone even if they're too weak to handle it."
"… And it makes you afraid," Sera added. Lily could only nod at that.
"Yeah. That too."
Sera's grip on her hand tightened slightly, "… Then I understand it," she said.
"You do?"
Sera met her gaze, steady and certain despite everything else, "Yes…" Sera said, her voice quieter now, more deliberate, "I believe… I am experiencing this 'love' you describe."
Lily's breath caught, as if realizing the implication behind the confession.
"Sera—"
"I do not know if I am saying this correctly," Sera continued, cutting the witch off, her composure cracking just slightly at the edges, "but I do not wish to remain apart from you. I do not wish to observe you from a distance any longer. I do not wish for you to be with others and not with me."
Lily's heart pounded, "You mean—"
"I mean…" Sera cut her off again, "... That you are the reason I remained. The reason I disobeyed. The reason I am… like this." Her hand lifted, placing it lightly against where her heart should be, as though trying to feel the way her heart kept beating loudly in Lily's presence, "You are the reason I am no longer empty."
Lily's eyes stung with unshed tears, "Oh, Sera…"
"I do not know if this is something you can return. I do not know if humans feel this the same way. But I needed you to know."
Lily stared at her, surprised at the level of vulnerability Sera was showing her, that divine being stood in front of her as the first of her kind to feel uncertain..
"You really don't understand anything about this, do you?" Lily whispered.
"No."
Lily laughed softly, though her voice trembled.
"That's… kind of unbelievable."
"I have been told that as well."
Lily shook her head, then she stepped closer, close enough that there was barely any space left between them. Sera stilled at the proximity.
"…Lily?"
"You're wrong about one thing," Lily said quietly.
"I was?"
"You said you don't know if I can return it, right?"
Sera's breath hitched. She didn't want to believe it, didn't want to hope—such a mortal emotion, in her perspective, but a feeling she was beginning to learn nonetheless—to bloom in her heart, "Can you?"
"…I think I've been returning it for a while now," she admitted, a soft smile on her lips. Sera froze, was this the truth? Had she been blind to Lily reciprocating her feelings, too consumed with confusion over her own?
"You have?"
"Yeah," Lily said, a small, nervous smile forming. "I just didn't have a word for it either."
Sera's world slowly tilted, it was the most wonderful word she had ever heard, "Then…"
Lily reached up, her hand brushing lightly against Sera's cheek, finishing the angel's words, "…Then I guess we're both figuring it out."
Sera didn't move, didn't even dare to breathe, "Together?" she asked, almost cautiously.
Lily smiled, "…Together," And for the first time since she had descended to Earth, Sera understood what it meant to fall.
Not to the depths of hell, but in the arms of someone who she would choose over and over again.
Suddenly, the sounds of footsteps jolted them out of their reverie, making Lily panic. This was a hall monitor, she'd be caught if they didn't leave the hallway fast enough. Sensing this, Sera pulled Lily down the corridor, her instincts guiding them through the winding halls.
"S-Sera, where are we going?"
"Somewhere. I am not sure."
She turned a corner, entering a cramped room, sealing the words with divine words, "Sera…"
"Shh.." She placed a hand over Lily's mouth, their faces close.
Then their eyes locked, making both of them freeze. The tension from earlier carried through, the cramped space only making it worse. Sera's heart beat loudly, and she could even feel something poke through her.
"S-Sorry…" It was as she had suspected. It was Lily, "It's… just a bit cramped."
"I… do not mind."
"I kinda do, it's embarrassing."
"There is no reason to be embarrassed. It is a biological reaction." Lily was androgynous, that much she knew. She was an angel, it was impossible not to. But why does she only feel warmer as the second passes by?
It twitched, the both of them freezing a second time.
"... Sera…"
"You are affected."
"Don't say it like that!"
"Is it painful?"
"You're so straightforward, has anyone ever told you that?" The words left Lily before she even realized it.
"I have been told so. Is it painful?" She asked again.
Lily swallowed the lump in her throat. She could lie and suffer in silence, but the other part of her wanted to be truthful to the angel, "... Yes." The latter won.
"How can I help?"
"Are we really doing this here?!"
"Yes."
Lily swallowed, wondering what she should do. Before she could even make that decision, she felt Sera's hand over the bulge in between her legs. She squeaked, "Sera!"
"I am only helping. Though, I do not know what I am supposed to do." Her hand worked through the cramped room, palming it with a passive look on her face.
"J-Just—ah… N-Not fair…" Lily whined softly, her breathing turning ragged.
Sera kept palming it until Lily grabbed her wrist, "... I… I won't be satisfied just by that."
"Then, how should I do so…?"
Lily swallowed, feeling as though she'd be pushing it past the line if she said it. But this was the only time she'd be able to say it without the feeling of being judged, "... Ride… R-Ride me, please…"
"Ride? How?"
She groaned softly, how was it that this angel was so pure and innocent, and here she was with the dirtiest thoughts. Forcing herself, she pulled up her uniform skirt, tucking it around her waist before pulling her panties down, her cock springing up with precum dripping from its tip, "... You… You're going to ride this… I… need to be inside you, Sera." The angel paused, it was the first time she ever saw one. Her head swirled with thoughts, inside her? But how? were one of the few. The witch then slipped her hand over her clothed pussy, feeling how the angel slowly became wet under her touch, "See…? You're just affected as I am, Sera… So, please… let me make us both feel good."
"Teach me how then." Lily's breath hitched before she moved, one hand Sera's thigh and the other, pulling her dress's skirt upwards, bundling it until she could pull the angel's panties to the side.
"We have… limited room, so this is the only position that we can do…" She swallowed, readying herself, "Are… you ready? I'll try to go slow and… learn with you, because admittedly, it's my first time doing this that isn't my hand."
"Okay. I will trust you, Lily."
The weight of those words meant more to Lily than she had imagined as the witch lined her cock against the slit, before pushing it in slowly. She let out a groan, feeling how tight the angel was. She wanted to roll her eyes back so badly that she couldn't help but push it to the hilt in one stroke.
Sera stiffened, gripping Lily's shoulders tightly, "Sera, are you okay? I'm sorry… I couldn't help it."
"It's… okay. Feel free to do what is next when you are ready." She couldn't believe how the angel still gave way to how she felt rather than her own comfort. It only made her want to make her feel good.
"Okay… I'll go slow." And slow she went, watching the way her cock disappeared in Sera amazed her more than magic ever did. A soft moan left her lips, and so did Sera. The pressure built, spreading through Sera's core. Lily's hips rocked into a slow and deliberate rhythm, each thrust deeper than the last. Sera's nails dug on the witch's shoulders, pulling her closer, urging her on. The feeling was unlike any other to the angel.
A low groan rumbled in Lily's chest with a sound of pure, unadulterated pleasure, "You're so tight," Lily breathed, her voice thick with desire and the words barely audible above the rising tide of their shared lust. Her forehead pressed against Sera's, their breaths mingling, hot and ragged.
Sera arched her back, a desperate plea for more of this new feeling, "Don't stop," she whispered, her voice a fragile thread. Her legs, tangled with Lily's, pressed forward, matching against the human's thrusts. Lily's pace quickened into a powerful, driving force. The wall behind Sera creaked into a quiet protest, a counterpoint to the wet, slapping of skin. Each thrust brought a fresh wave of sensation, a deeper plunge into the abyss of pleasure.
The world outside the cramped room disappeared, leaving only the two of them, entwined, breathless, and utterly lost in the moment.
It felt so sinful to Sera, yet she didn't care. Not anymore.
The air in the cramped room thickened, heavy with the scent of aroused skin and something wild, untamed. Sera's spine arched, an involuntary curve that pushed her hips towards Lily even more, a silent offering, "Don't stop," she breathed, the words tearing from her throat in desperation. Her legs, slick with sweat, wrapped tighter around Lily's waist. Each frantic thrust from Lily met the angel's own insistent thrust.
Lily's breath hitched at the words, a ragged sound leaving the human's throat, as her pace quickened even more. Her thick cock buried deeper, stretching Sera's pussy to its absolute limit, each thrust a fresh wave of sensation that threatened to shatter her. Lily's lips found Sera's neck, nipping it gently then soothing it with her tongue, leaving faint marks on the skin, "You like that, don't you?" Lily's voice, a low rumble against her ear, sent shivers down Sera's spine.
Sera's head lolled back, exposing the throbbing pulse at her throat. "More. Give me more." Her fingers tightened. Lily's cock, slick with Sera's wetness, slid out almost completely before plunging back in with brutal force, eliciting a sharp cry from Sera. The sound was raw, uninhibited, a testament to the exquisite pain and pleasure that she only felt from Lily. Her pussy clenched around the witch's shaft, milking it, drawing every ounce of sensation.
"You're so tight," Lily gasped, her hips grinding, the friction building. Her balls slapped against Sera's ass with each powerful stroke, a rhythmic and filthy thud that vibrated through Sera's core. Sera bucked her hips to meet Lily's again, her clit throbbing against Lily's pubic bone.
"Harder. Please, harder." The words that left Sera were barely a whisper, lost in the heat of their shared passion. It felt so sinful, this abandonment, this complete surrender to instinct, to the insistent demands of her body despite being an angel. Yet, she didn't care, not even a single bit of guilt.
Lily pulled back, just enough to catch Sera's gaze, her eyes dark with desire, "Look at me, Sera. Look at what you do to me." Her hips drove forward again, a deep, guttural groan escaping her lips as her cock buried itself to the hilt. Sera's legs trembled as she came without notice, too hard for the first time.
Lily's eyes widened, thrusting harder and faster as she chased her own high while making sure she drew every last bit of pleasure from Sera. The witch kissed her, muffling the moans that left, swallowing it quietly.
And with a final thrust, she spilled every bit of cum she had inside Sera, "Fuck…!" The curse left her lips easily as both of them panted. Cum dripped from between them, dirtying the floor, not that they minded.
"Are… Are you okay?" Lily asked, brushing away the hair that stuck to the angel's face.
"... Yes. I am… okay. Tired…"
Lily laughed, "I think that was expected after what we did." She then looked down at the mess, "... Sorry, I didn't pull out. I don't suppose angels take pills?"
"No."
"Thought so… You won't… get pregnant, right? I mean, it's the first time and it's not like I'll abandon you. But, I don't know… Just a precaution, I think." The girl rambled, the adrenaline slowly wearing off.
"I do not think so. It would be unprecedented if that were the case but…" She smiled softly, the first ever emotion she had ever shown ever since they met, "... I do not think I mind having a child with you."
Lily stared at her for a long time before matching the smile, "Me too…"