After Samantha worked her magic, he awoke the next morning with a feeling he recognized very well, as if he were at home. But not only that, today would be the day when two universes would be turned upside down because of what they had decided!
Jophiel, like every Angel, needed little sleep so she sat quietly on a couch in the living room. She was reading a book. An innocent pleasure. A hobby, a pastime she had not been able, allowed to do for so long. With Godfry gone, she could again manifest a copy of every book on Earth and indulge herself to the fullest. Her first choice was Mark Twain more specifically Tom Sawyer. The banished God thought his Angels had better things to do. As if an Angel whose very raison d'être was spreading love and comfort and protecting children and innocents could become a good warrior. A thought she had had many times over the past millennia but had never dared express, and she doubted she had been the only one. Although she was engrossed in her book, she kept an ear open for any sounds in the suite. The pain she had felt coming from her new God's room had been almost enough to break her heart. Later she felt that pain slowly subside, she knew he had fallen asleep, sleeping deeply and quietly. Early in the morning, Azrael had risen. She looked better than she had in ages and with renewed enthusiasm, enjoyment and satisfaction she wanted to visit her volunteers.
Jophiel heard a soft knock on the door. Since everyone in the suite was still silent, she decided to open the door instead of calling them to come inside. Standing in front of that door were Ella and Lucifer. He looks a little bored. She almost trembling on her legs. Jophiel stood looking at them smiling, wondering if the trembling in Ella's legs had to do with her curiosity or with her night in Lucifer's bed. Probably both, she decided. Jophiel put a finger to her lips and with a motion of her head she pointed in the direction of the sitting area.
"The children are slowly beginning to wake up. The first real miracle Raphael was able to perform in thousands of years along with some water from the cleansing pool did some good. It was Raphael as our head healer who took care of the children and he gave everything he had. While they were still awake in the infirmary they wanted above all to meet their new God and the Angels who saved their lives. Especially the youngest wants to meet our Lord."
She still had a hard time addressing him as Alexander or speaking of him in such terms.
"Believe me once they will be awake they will be very excited."
Lucifer with a smirk on his face:
"Jo, don't let him snap at you for addressing him by his title in his suite, his private sanctuary. Here's his name Alex, better get used to it."
Clearly not quite at ease, the Angel nodded. It was Ella who asked concerned while Lucifer became equally concerned as the words were spoken:
"It's Alex we're more concerned about. He was in such a bad bad place yesterday after the ceremony for the children. We wanted to see if we could help him."
With a thick smile on her face, Jophiel replied:
"Oh, I guess you don't have to worry about that anymore."
Ella and Lucifer sat looking at her uncomprehendingly, and the Angel spoke:
"It is not for me to elaborate; you will have to wait because he too is waking up."
In Alexander and Samantha's bedroom, the day was slowly beginning to get underway. The windows to the balcony were wide open. He had not felt her get out of the bed so some divine power had been at work. He felt the sunlight streaming into the room and smelled the fresh air. Sometime in the middle of the night he must have calmed down and fallen asleep. Now they lay like spoons in the middle of the big bed. He had pulled her close to himself. As if he was afraid she would disappear like a mirage in the desert. As if he'd dreamed it all. He was in a half-awake state, her warm body against his, he smelled her hair that smelled like fresh green apples.
"I know you're awake Alex. We really need to get out because it's starting to get a little lively out there."
The smile could be heard in her voice. To him it was like hearing crystal bells on the brightest white Christmas Eve:
"I know. I can feel anxious parents. Which is a very strange feeling when I talk about Lucifer and Ella."
She laughed a little louder at these words from Alexander.
"If things continue like this with those two you will have to get used to that idea."
"Spare me that image. Lucifer the worried father, monogamous with Ella. A stepmother six thousand years younger than myself. Why not invent a little brother or sister to go with it and I'll need therapy from Doc Martin for the next few centuries, pffff."
Her bright laughter was quite a bit louder now. She found the image of God on a therapist's couch hilarious.
"Get up! The children are going to wake up. They want to see you. Just expect an onslaught of a few million questions in your near future."
"I know..."
He hummed playfully because honestly, he couldn't wait to meet the children. He didn't know where that feeling or desire came from but he felt it to the depths of his being.
"But first a shower. Surely, as their new God, I want to look a little clean and presentable. But I also don't want to get out of this bed and release you."
"Me neither love, but otherwise they'll start asking questions."
"Pfff, if that's my future as God that everyone wants to know every detail of my existence, then feel free to let someone else have the job."
He growled but this time sincerely. Samantha turned to face him. Took hold of his face with both hands and really kissed him for the first time now that he was put back together again. Not like she had kissed him before in moments of deep sorrow and high emotions. No, for the first time for real. For both of them it felt like an explosion was taking place in their minds and this was still only a rather chaste kiss of a few seconds.
"I do find that new two-day short ring beard of yours very cute and sexy Alex. But now get out! Surely our Lord must look a little divine."
He stepped out of the bed naked as she had wrapped him the previous evening. He felt her gaze pass over every inch of his body and on the way to the bathroom he muttered:
"I need a fucking ice cold shower!"
He was barely under it for a minute or two when he heard her say:
"If you turn the water on snugly warm I can share the shower with you."
Without turning around he did as he was asked and then turned around. What he saw took his breath away, his dream for thousands of years. An enchanting smile with stars in her eyes. Dressed in a short nightgown if it could be called that. Wafer-thin material, virtually transparent which she teasingly slowly lowered. She stepped into the shower right into his arms. Their next kiss was anything but chaste. Filled with deep passion and unconcealed desire. Both felt his, their, arousal rearing its head. He moaned in her ear:
"I don't want sex with you, not now. I don't want a quickie in the shower. I want to make love to you."
She pressed herself against him so that his arousal was palpable between the two of them. She nuzzled his neck for a moment and said:
"I know my love. Maybe later when you are a good God."
After which she whispered in his ear:
"But once that making love part is out of the way I also want you to fuck me straight through this shower wall!"
With that, she stepped out of the shower. A snap of her fingers and she was dry and dressed. A summer dress that did full justice to her beauty but again did not leave too much to the imagination of what was underneath. She turned on her heels and disappeared back into the bedroom. Her last sentence had robbed him of any ability to think for a few seconds after which he said to himself:
"Damn, now I need another ice cold shower!"
A few minutes later, he stepped into the bedroom. Dressed in tight jeans, a gray shirt that emphasized his muscular upper body and a pair of black cowboy boots. Samantha sat on the edge of the bed and said:
"I thought it would be better if we braved the mob together."
Her eyes slid softly over his body, she was glad his old injuries had faded during the night and his informal outfit as always carried away her approval. He said playfully:
"Okay enough of that Sam, or I will be needing another cold shower right now. Come let's start turning the Silver Cities upside down because this is going to run like wildfire through both universes. This isn't boyfriend girlfriend anymore. This is us wanting to start becoming husband and wife."
"You have no idea!"
She laughed. He took her by the hand and braced himself for a moment. This was going to be only the first of many furtive and not so furtive reactions that would follow over the course of the day, the days that would follow. Jophiel who already knew the big news smiled broadly from behind her book. Lucifer sat open-mouthed watching Alexander and Samantha walk hand-in-hand into the room. His brain too slow to come up with one of his typical ambiguous comments. Ella had a smile on her face that couldn't get any wider without tearing up her face. Before anyone could say anything, three children more or less stormed into the room and looked at Alexander uncertainly.