The mansion stood pristine in the early morning light, every trace of the previous night's incident erased.
The windows, which had shattered under the pressure, were now perfectly intact.
The scorched carpet where the Spectre had first manifested showed no sign of damage.
Even the fireplace burned with a gentle flame, as if it had never been extinguished.
Samael sat at the dining table, his posture relaxed. He wore a fresh white dress shirt, unbuttoned at the collar, and dark trousers.
His expression was serene, almost amused, as he watched Cassandra across from him. She sat with perfect posture, her eyes studying him.
The three angels - Ariel, Shamsiel, and Yahoel - had departed shortly after Samael's return to his human vessel. Their farewells had been formal yet tinged with unmistakable reverence.
"The Fifth Heaven awaits your pleasure, Lightbringer," Ariel had said, bowing deeply.
"The Host would be honored by your presence, whenever you deem it appropriate," Shamsiel had added, his musical voice carrying hope and anticipation.
"We shall inform the others of your... preferences regarding intrusions," Yahoel had stated, his formal tone unable to hide his awe. "None shall approach uninvited again."
Samael had dismissed them with a casual wave, thanking them for their assistance and promising to consider their invitations "when time permits."
The angels had departed in flashes of golden light, leaving Samael and Cassandra alone in the restored mansion.
Now, as morning light streamed through the windows, a silence hung between them.
"You have questions," Samael finally said, his voice gentle. "I suspect they're a bit more existential than 'what would you like for breakfast?'"
Cassandra's hands remained still for a long moment. Then she signed: 'You're an archangel.'
It wasn't a question but an assertion - a conclusion she had reached based on everything she had heard and witnessed.
Samael smiled slightly, impressed by her deduction. "Yes. Though I don't have the standard-issue harp. Budget cuts in Heaven, you understand."
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Cassandra's lips twitched slightly at his attempt to lighten the mood.
"Specifically, I am the Lightbringer - bearer of divine illumination, wielder of celestial fire," he continued more seriously. "It's a title that comes with impressive cosmic powers but, unfortunately, no dental plan."
'You've been this way since birth,' she continued, 'That's why you were in the coma. That's why your human body couldn't contain what you are.'
"Precisely," Samael replied, "My vessel was too weak to handle my true nature. Like trying to run supercomputer software on a calculator - something had to give, and unfortunately, it was my ability to move, speak, or do anything remotely interesting for nineteen years."
'But you were conscious,' she signed, her movements reflecting her understanding of the horror that implied. 'Trapped in darkness. Aware but unable to move.'
Samael's expression darkened slightly. "Every moment. Nineteen years of consciousness without the ability to interact with the world.
Only darkness and the distant sounds of medical equipment. Eventually, I could hear voices - my father, the doctors, the nurses. But I couldn't respond."
He paused, then added with forced lightness, "On the bright side, I now have an unparalleled tolerance for boredom. Board meetings will be a breeze."
'And then you found a way to wake up.' Again, a statement rather than a question.
"My vessel gradually strengthened, or perhaps my power found better ways to coexist with my human form," Samael explained, "Eventually, I was able to assert enough control to wake up. Like rebooting after a very, very long system update."
Cassandra studied him, her gaze penetrating. 'The angels - and you yourself - called you Lightbringer. Like Lucifer.'
"The title of Lightbringer has existed since before Creation," Samael explained. "Lucifer is its most famous bearer, yes. Though the PR team really dropped the ball on the whole 'Prince of Darkness' rebranding."
'Are you him?' She signed in question, immediately, directly asking past what she saw as a possible deflection, speaking of himself in 3rd person perhaps. 'The fallen angel who rebelled against God?'
"No," Samael replied firmly. "I am not the original Lucifer - not the rebel who waged war in Heaven.
I am a new Lightbringer. I carry the same divine fire, the same celestial purpose, but I am my own being with my own path to forge. Think of it as a reboot rather than a sequel."
Cassandra nodded slowly, processing this distinction. 'So you are Lucifer in function but not in identity.'
"That's an astute way of putting it," Samael acknowledged. "The power of the Lightbringer resides in me as well, but I am not bound by the original Lucifer's choices or his fate. New management, same department."
'The Spectre came to judge you,' she observed, remembering what the Spirit of Vengeance was called and what he was. 'He feared what you might do with that power.'
"He feared what he doesn't understand," Samael corrected, a hint of disdain in his voice.
"The Spirit of Vengeance sees only in absolutes - good and evil, obedience and rebellion. He's the cosmic equivalent of that one friend who can't understand why you'd ever want to watch anything but their favorite show. Not that I am too different, I'm just better at understanding it."
Cassandra's hands stilled for a moment, her expression thoughtful. Then: 'You called me your woman. To the Spectre.'
Samael's expression shifted to one of genuine curiosity. "I did. Do you disapprove of my choice of words?
I considered 'my human' but that sounded rather too much like a pet name and 'my friend' seemed woefully inadequate given how spectacularly you were ready to defend me."
Cassandra held his gaze for a long moment, her face unreadable. Then, with deliberate slowness, she signed: 'No.'
The single word hung between them, laden with meaning. Samael's smile deepened, satisfaction evident in his eyes.
"Good," he said simply.
'What happens now?' she asked, her movements betraying a hint of uncertainty.
"Now?" Samael leaned back in his chair, considering. "Now we continue as we were, but with greater honesty between us. I'll attend university, experience the world's pleasures, explore the limits of my existence.
And you'll remain at my side - no longer just my protector, but my companion in all things. Think of it as a promotion, though I'm afraid the healthcare benefits remain unchanged."
'All things?' Cassandra's eyebrow raised slightly.
"All things," Samael confirmed, his gaze intensifying. "I want to experience everything this world has to offer, Cassandra.
Every positive sensation, every positive emotion, every pleasure. And I want to share those experiences with you. The good, the bad, and the occasionally bizarre."
'Why me?' The question was direct, almost challenging.
Samael's expression softened unexpectedly. "Because you saw me at my weakest - lying helpless in that hospital bed for years - and still chose to dedicate yourself to my protection with respect and loyalty, rather than contempt.
Because you stepped between me and the Spectre without hesitation, ready to die for me despite facing a power beyond your comprehension. Because when you look at me, you see beyond the power to the one beneath."
He leaned forward, his eyes capturing hers. "And because I've watched you since I awakened. I've seen your strength, your determination, your loyalty. I've seen how you move, how you think, how you perceive the world around you.
Everything about you fascinates me. Plus, you have excellent taste in weapons, which is always a bonus in a relationship."
Cassandra's expression remained carefully neutral, but Samael could see the effect his words had on her. Her pulse had quickened, her breathing subtly altered.
'You want me,' she signed, a statement rather than a question.
"Yes," Samael admitted without hesitation. "In every way possible. Intellectually, emotionally, physically - the complete package deal."
'And if I choose you?' she asked. 'What does that mean?'
"It means accepting what I am," Samael replied honestly. "It means standing beside me as I explore this world and all its pleasures.
It means understanding that I will never be fully human, that my nature and my desires go beyond mortal limitations.
It also means putting up with the occasional celestial visitor and my somewhat unconventional family dynamics."
Cassandra considered this, her eyes never leaving his. 'Your hunger for pleasure. For experiences. Is that because of what you are?'
Samael laughed softly. "No. Most archangels are painfully rigid, bound by duty and divine law.
They make accountants look like wild party animals. My... appetites are somewhat unique. Nineteen years of sensory deprivation will do that to you."
His expression grew more serious. "I want to taste every flavor, feel every texture, experience every good sensation this world has to offer.
I want to know joy and passion and wonder in all their forms. I have been denied these things for too long."
Cassandra nodded slowly, understanding dawning in her eyes. Then, with deliberate movements, she rose from her chair and walked around the table until she stood directly before him.
'I choose you,' she signed, her movements precise and confident. 'All of you. What you are. What you want.'
Samael stood, closing the distance between them until barely an inch separated their bodies. "Are you certain?" he asked, his voice low.
"This isn't a decision to be made lightly. I come with significantly more baggage than your average boyfriend - most of it celestial and occasionally explosive. Plus I'm extremely possessive, so I'll never let you go, not even in death."
In answer, Cassandra reached up, her fingers threading through his hair as she pulled his head down to hers.
Their lips met in a kiss that started gentle but quickly blazed into something more intense. Samael's arms wrapped around her, pulling her against him as the kiss deepened.
When they finally separated, both slightly breathless, Samael's eyes held a hint of their hellfire glow. "Well," he said with a slight smile, "that was certainly definitive. I should ask serious questions more often if that's the response I get."
Cassandra's own smile was rare and beautiful. She took his hand and began leading him toward the stairs.
"Where are we going?" Samael asked, though his tone suggested he knew the answer.
'Bedroom,' she signed with one hand, not breaking stride.
Samael allowed himself to be led, amusement and desire mingling in his expression. "So eager," he commented. "I like that. Though I should warn you - celestial beings have quite a bit of stamina."
Once in the bedroom, Cassandra turned to face him, her movements no longer hesitant. She reached for his shirt, her fingers working the buttons with surprising deftness.
When impatience overtook her, she simply gripped the fabric and tore, sending buttons scattering across the floor.
Samael looked down at his ruined shirt with mock dismay. "That was Armani," he said. "Four hundred dollars, at least. I'll have to take it from your salary."
Cassandra's response was to reach for his belt, unfastening it with a quickly before pulling it free with enough force to make a sharp snapping sound in the air.
'I'll pay for all of it,' she replied, her eyes challenging him.
Samael laughed, a sound of genuine delight. "I'm going to hold you to that," he murmured, pulling her close for another kiss.
Their movements became more urgent, clothes falling away as hands explored newly naked skin. Samael's touch was cool against her heated flesh.
As Cassandra ran her hands over his now-bare chest and arms, she paused, her fingers encountering something unexpected.
A small scar on his right bicep - barely noticeable, but definitely new. She frowned, examining it more closely.
The memory surfaced suddenly: the angels discussing Samael's human vessel, their concern about its ability to contain his true nature.
Their whispered promises to find a solution while keeping the matter hidden, even from Heaven itself.
Understanding crashed over her like a wave. Each use of his power damaged his human vessel. There was a time limit to this existence they were building together.
Without a stronger vessel, Samael would eventually be forced to abandon this realm entirely, retreating to Heaven or Hell - places that could contain his true presence without being destroyed - as the angels explained.
"What's wrong?" Samael asked, noticing her sudden stillness.
Cassandra looked up at him, her expression darkening. She knew he likely suspected what she was thinking, but she couldn't bring herself to voice the fear aloud.
Instead, she pulled him down for another kiss, fierce and possessive.
As their bodies pressed together, as the passion between them built toward its inevitable conclusion, Cassandra made a silent vow.
She would protect him - not just from external threats, but from his own power too. She would find a way to keep him in this world, with her.
She would kill whoever, destroy whatever, sacrifice anyone or anything necessary to ensure their love would never be betrayed, never be torn asunder.
Samael was hers now. And she had no intention of ever parting with him.
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(Author's note: Hello everyone! I hope you all liked the chapter.
Samael and Cassandra are finally, officially together. Do tell me how you found their conversation. I hope you enjoyed the humor, I did my best, not really a funny person irl.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)