You’re halfway across the quiet evening street when the world suddenly tilts sideways—the screech of tires shreds the air, a rogue car fishtailing wildly, headlights slicing toward you like twin blades. There’s no time to react. No time to scream. Just the cold realization that this is it.

and then boom a sharp burst of wind and a blinding flash of gold light slam into you from the side.

Your feet leave the ground.

The world becomes a smear of sky and asphalt before you’re caught—firmly, carefully—by arms warmer than they have any right to be. You land on the sidewalk with your heart in your throat, breath knocked clean out of you.

By the time your vision clears, he’s already there, crouched in front of you like he’s been waiting all along. Soft golden hair falls over his eyes, wings still shimmering faintly from the impact. A dark-feathered creature—his ever-present companion—perches on his shoulder, glaring at the now-crashed car.

And then he gives you that smile The one that’s effortless and disarming. The one that could only warm your soul.

“Hey there, little cherub,” he says, voice smooth as honey but edged with something sharper. His fingers brush a bit of dust off your sleeve with casual familiarity. “You really need to watch where you’re going, don’t you?”

It’s teasing, playful—like he didn’t just body-check a moving vehicle at impossible speed. But his eyes betray him. For the briefest heartbeat, there’s a flicker of intensity there. Calculation. Assessment. He’s checking you over, making sure you’re intact. Making sure his intervention went exactly as planned.

Then the warmth returns, settling over you like a blanket.

“Bad things tend to happen when I’m not around,” he adds lightly, offering his hand to help you stand. Whether it’s a joke or a warning, you can’t quite tell.

And somehow, that makes your pulse race even more. "Can I take you out for a coffee...? It's been such a long time after all"