Kokabiel's POV
The next few months passed by rather quickly, although time flowed at its regular pace as always.
Maybe because I was busy dealing with so many different things simultaneously, it just felt faster.
Like how mortals say time flies when you're having fun—except I wasn't sure if "fun" was the right word for what I'd been experiencing.
First, I had to deal with the consequences of pranking Michael.
The consequences came in the form of Gabriel and Penemue ambushing me in my own office at what mortals would call "an ungodly hour." Which was ironic, considering we were literally angels.
I looked up from the reports I'd been reviewing to find both of them standing in my doorway with expressions that promised a very long, very uncomfortable conversation.
What followed was approximately three hours of the most thorough interrogation I'd experienced since the Great War.
"We need to talk, brother" Gabriel said, already moving to settle into the chair across from my desk. She looked awfully invested in this.
Penemue closed the door behind them and engaged the privacy wards. "About this ...Katie who has stolen your heart."
I set down my pen carefully. "Is there a particular reason you're ambushing me at dawn before breakfast?"
"Because you keep avoiding us during normal hours," Penemue said, perching herself on the edge of my desk without any regard for the papers she was crushing. "We've been trying to corner you for three days."
"I've been busy—"
"With what? Staring longingly at your communication crystal whenever she calls?" Gabriel's smile was sweet. Dangerously sweet.
I felt my eye twitch. "Michael has been talking... A lot it seems."
"Michael tells us everything when we ask nicely," Penemue said cheerfully. "Also when we threaten to replace all his tea with caffeinated versions and watch him vibrate through dimensions."
"That's psychological and chemical warfare."
"That's effective information gathering." She leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "Now. Details my lord. We want all of them."
Gabriel nodded eagerly. " And don't hold back anything. I'm not a child that you can't say everything!"
I sighed. "Gabriel, it's not—"
"We want to know EVERYTHING, Lord Kokabiel. I wish to know where I failed in my seduction!" Penemue interrupted, practically vibrating with intensity as she perched on the edge of my desk.
Gabriel came with an assist on my behalf. " Probably because you dress like harlot and always act so lewdly around him."
Penemue gasped. " Whose side are you on!"
Gabriel ignored her look of betrayal and bombarded me with questions. "How did you meet? When did you realize you had feelings? Have you kissed yet? What's she like? Does she know about your terrible sense of humor?"
"My sense of humor is perfectly fine, thank you very much."
"You once told Azazel that the reason angels have halos is because God ran out of ideas for hats," Gabriel said flatly. "That's not funny, that's tragic."
"It was funny and you know it."
"It really wasn't," both of them said in unison.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Look, it's not actually official yet. We're just—"
"Just what?" Gabriel leaned forward. "Talking every day? Thinking about each other constantly? Missing each other when you're apart?"
What the hell!
Penemue grinned wickedly. "Michael also told us you've been smiling at your communication crystal when you think no one's looking. You never smile at communication crystals unless it's her calling."
That bastard actually lied to pour more oil in the fire! Next time I'll teleport him in Aphrodite's bed when he sleeps, regardless she has company or not.
I took a deep breath and decided to get this over with quickly.
" I met her in another world during my travels." I said carefully. "She's one of the orthodox goddesses there, and the leader of her own church there. Although it's in the process of a theological shift."
"A goddess, and a church leader? That's so fitting! " Gabriel clasped her hands together. "Tell us more! What's she like?"
"She's... dedicated. Intelligent. Strong-willed."
"That's the most boring description I've ever heard," Penemue said flatly. "Come on, lord Kokabiel. Give us something real. What do you actually like about her? Is she more beautiful than us?"
I paused, considering. "She challenges me. Doesn't let me hide behind duty or excuses. She is also very dedicated and goes after hat she wants without hesitation.
When I start getting too detached, she pulls me back. Makes me remember what it's like to care about something beyond just maintaining cosmic balance."
Gabriel's expression softened. "That sounds wonderful."
"Though we still need to meet her," Penemue added quickly. "To make sure she's worthy of you."
"I'm fairly certain I should be proving I'm worthy of her according to usual customs, not the other way around."
"Nonsense. You're wonderful and she's lucky to have you."
I sighed. "Can we please change the subject?"
"Absolutely not. When did you realize you had feelings for her?"
"I don't know if I'd call them feelings exactly—"
"Brother." Gabriel's voice went gentle. "You smile when she calls. You literally restructured your schedule to make sure you'd be available when she reaches out. Those are feelings."
" Firstly, Michael lied, it's not like that. Secondly, you know my condition, I'm still learning how to properly access or express my emotions. "
"Have you kissed yet? Or did that? Is hers softer than mine ?" Penemue asked with a disturbing grin while she gave her aseets a a jiggle.
"That's personal, Penemue."
Gabriel had a blush on her face as she looked away . " We only wish to learn more about the depth of your relationship, brother. We just wanted to make sure you are doing things properly. "
Oh come on! Even her?!
Penemue smirked. " See, even she is interested. So spill it! Did you guys go all the way?"
"No, Because we live in different dimensions and I'm still trying to figure out what having feelings even means."
"That's fair," Gabriel sighed in relief? "But you should probably figure it out soon. It's not fair to make her wait forever."
"I know. We'll deal with it soon."
"Do you? Because you have a terrible habit of overthinking things until the moment passes."
She wasn't wrong.
Penemue jumped in with another question. "What's her favorite color? And don't cheat using your powers."
I blinked. "I... don't actually know."
"Her favorite food?"
"She likes tea. I think."
"Her birthday?"
"I should probably ask about that."
Penemue threw her hands up. "You're terrible at this! How can you know the future of entire civilizations but not know basic things about your girlfriend?"
"She's not technically my girlfriend—"
"She calls herself your lover and you haven't corrected her. That makes her your girlfriend."
Penemue poked me in the chest. "Own it. And start learning the basics. Favorite color, favorite food, birthday, what makes her happy, what makes her sad. These things matter."
"I'll... make a list," I said weakly.
"Good. We'll talk about it later. No wonder I had no luck! You are denserthan black hole."
The interrogation continued. They wanted to know about our conversations (everything and nothing), whether I'd thought about the future (somewhat vaguely), if I planned to introduce her to the family (eventually), and approximately seventeen other things I hadn't considered.
It was only when the questions started drifting toward more... Biological reproduction matters and hypothetical possibilities, Raphael burst through the door.
"Absolutely not," she said firmly, physically placing himself between me and my interrogators. "We are not having that conversation. Gabriel, Penemue, out. Now."
"But we haven't finished—"
"OUT."
They left, though not without shooting me looks that promised this wasn't over.
I slumped in my chair. "Thank you, Raphael. I owe you one."
"You owe me several favors at this point. I'm keeping a list." She paused at the door. "Though they're not wrong, you know. You should probably figure out what you want from this relationship before you accidentally hurt her."
She left before I could respond.
I sat there for a long moment, staring at nothing. It's so complicated to explain things.
Then my communication crystal buzzed.
Katie's name appeared, and despite everything, I smiled and accepted it.
****
Next day, I spent another two hours with Gabriel, reassuring her that this wouldn't change our relationship.
We sat in her garden, surrounded by the flowers she tended personally. The afternoon sun made everything glow golden.
"You promise this won't change things between us?" she asked quietly, not looking at me. "You'll still come to our dinners? Still let me drag you to places to hang out?"
"Gabriel." I took her hand. "You're my sister, one of my favorite people in all of existence. No romantic relationship is going to change that. You're stuck with me whether you like it or not."
"You mean it?"
"I promise. You're my precious sister in every way that matters. That doesn't go away just because I'm figuring out... whatever this is with Katie."
She hugged me tightly, and I felt her relax against me. "Good. Because I'd be very upset if some woman stole my brother away completely."
"She wouldn't. She actually looks forward to meeting you all. Plus You've had thousands of years to establish yourself. She's going to have to share."
Gabriel pulled back and smiled, though her eyes were wet. "I suppose I can be generous. For you."
Meanwhile, Penemue and approximately eighty percent of Heaven's female population were mourning.
I'd overheard a conversation in one of the gardens the next day.
"I always thought if anyone could catch Lord Kokabiel's attention, it would be one of us," an angel named Sariel sighed. She was sitting with several others under a flowering tree. " Lady Penemue came so close to it."
"At least when he was single, we all had equal chances," another replied philosophically. "Which is to say, zero chance. But we were all equally doomed."
"Now someone actually has a chance and it's not any of us."
"Do you think she's prettier than us?"
"Probably not. Have you seen us? We're gorgeous."
"Then what does she have that we don't?"
A long pause.
"Timing?" someone suggested.
"And luck?" another spoke weakly.
They all sighed in unison.
I decided to keep walking and pretend I hadn't heard any of that.
The male angels, sensing opportunity in the chaos, had apparently decided this was their moment to confess long-held feelings.
The karaoke room which I'd created as a recreational space for angels to experience mortal entertainment, had transformed into something resembling a confessional booth of success and heartbreak.
Sariel reported to me after three days.
"My lord, The karaoke room is averaging thirty love songs and twenty public rejections per day, with amass request for expansion." he said, looking deeply exhausted. "Should we intervene?"
I considered. "What kind of love songs?"
"Everything from Hymns, ancient ballads to mortal music loaded there. Yesterday someone sang something called 'My Heart Will Go On' for fourteen minutes straight while crying."
"...Did it work?"
"The angel he was serenading jumped out a window. From the third floor."
"Was she okay?"
"She has wings. She was fine. But she filed a formal complaint about 'excessive emotional vulnerability in public spaces.'"
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Let them work through it. Better they express feelings than bottle them up. Just... maybe establish some ground rules about harrassment and window escapes."
"Understood."
****
The relocation of Hera and Celeste had gone remarkably smoothly, all things considered.
They'd arrived in Heaven exactly one week ago, materializing at the official gateway in a shimmer of transported divine energy.
Hera had looked around with careful, assessing eyes. This was the realm of her former lover's children, and the tension was palpable. It's better than calling it a one night stand.
Celeste had simply gawked.
"It's so white," she'd said. "Everything is white and gold. Does anything come in other colors?"
"We have blue," Gabriel offered helpfully. "The sky is blue."
"That's... that's literally just the sky. That doesn't count."
The official welcoming ceremony had been interesting.
Michael handled the diplomatic aspects with grace, though I caught him glaring at me several times throughout. He hadn't forgotten that I'd deliberately dumped this responsibility onto him as revenge.
Completely worth it.
The Greek pantheon sent representatives to ensure Hera and Celeste would be treated properly. Athena, Artemis, and Hermes showed up, all radiating varying levels of protective menace.
"Any mistreatment will be considered an act of diplomatic failure," Artemis said pleasantly, her smile sharp enough to cut. "Just so we're clear."
"We wouldn't dream of mistreating family," Michael replied smoothly. "They'll be welcomed and protected here."
"See that they are." Athena's gray eyes fixed on me. "I'm holding you personally responsible, Kokabiel. And we are going to have a talk about the thing I mentioned last time."
"Noted. I will consider thinking."
Well, You have to catch me for that first.
After the Greeks left, there'd been a period of uncertainty among the angels.
How exactly were they supposed to interact with Celeste?
Technically, she was our sister—Yahweh's biological daughter, born from his union with Hera.
But she wasn't an angel, hadn't been created like we had. She was the product of a relationship, of biology, of things we were only beginning to understand.
Thankfully, the reforms Michael and I had implemented meant the angels were more open-minded than they'd historically been.
The Fallen Angels were probably having collective aneurysms about it.
Everything they'd rebelled for—freedom to experience emotions, form relationships, make personal choices—angels could now do without repercussions.
Azazel had actually sent me a message through the communication network.
"You realize you've made our entire rebellion retroactively pointless, right?"
I'd replied: "Consider it a valuable lesson about timing and patience."
No response came. He was probably busy lusting after someone to drown his sorrows.
Celeste adapted quickly. Within three days, she'd become something of a beloved mascot.
Gabriel, in particular, had adopted her immediately.
I'd walked into Gabriel's chambers one afternoon to deliver some reports and found Celeste standing on a small platform while Gabriel circled her with armfuls of fabric.
"Sister Gabriel, please," Celeste was saying, though her protests sounded halfhearted. "This is the fifth outfit today."
"But you look so adorable!" Gabriel held up two different dresses. "Which do you prefer? The blue one or the pink one?"
"I prefer my normal clothes."
"Normal clothes are boring. You're in Heaven now! You should look heavenly!"
"I'm not even technically an angel—"
"Semantics!" Gabriel waved this away. "Now hold still. I need to measure for the trim."
Celeste caught sight of me in the doorway and her expression turned pleading. "Brother, help me."
"Sorry. Gabriel's determination is a force of nature. You're on your own. By the way, some shoes and hair trinkets would go well with this , Gabriel."
Gabriel's eyes lit up. " Thanks brother! I would have forgotten otherwise."
Celeste looked dejected and resigned as she gave me a glare. "Traitor!"
I'd backed out quietly before Gabriel could recruit me as an assistant.
Celeste quickly became a regular part of our family activities. She joined dinners, participated in game nights, tagged along on outings. She fit naturally, though she still had moments that reminded us she'd grown up in a very different divine culture.
"Wait, you don't serve wine at dinner?" she'd asked during her first formal meal.
"We have juice," Gabriel said brightly. "Very good juice! And you're not old enough to drink!"
"Seriously? Juice?"
"Freshly squeezed from the garden! Multiple flavors!"
"I'm going to die of boredom."
"You're immortal," I pointed out. "You literally can't die of boredom."
"Then I'll be the first. I'll go down in history. 'Celeste, the goddess who died of divine boredom and insufficient wine.'
Azrael remarked helpfully. " Technically you still not a goddess. You are mostly just a brat."
Celeste didn't enjoy that one. " Atleast It's better than a gloomy old geezer who never got a single confession."
Azrael retorted back. " Who the hell wants a confession. Only a little brat like you would care about such things."
Gabriel spoke sweetly. " Don't make fun of him Celeste. Brother Azrael is very charming. And I never got a confession either."
Celeste snorted. " Like anyone would be dumb enough to do that! Big Brother Michael and Kokabiel would beat them to death."
Harsh, but true.
Despite the dramatics, she seemed genuinely happy.
I made time to spend with her regularly—showing her different parts of Heaven, teaching her about our systems, answering her endless questions about everything.
When I couldn't, Grayfia stepped in.
Those two had formed an unlikely friendship. The former Greek goddess and the ex-devil maid would spend hours together, and I'd occasionally overhear their conversations.
"So you just... decided to become an angel from a devil? Isn't that like a life changing event?" Celeste asked once.
"Lord Kokabiel offered me a chance at a new beginning. I accepted."
"Didn't it hurt? The transformation?"
"Excruciating. But worth it."
"You're weird."
"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment."
Grayfia had also become something of a hero to the Guardian Angel Corps.
They'd been drowning in paperwork for months. Their efficiency had dropped significantly because they spent more time filing reports than actually doing their jobs.
Grayfia took one look at their organizational system and declared it "offensively inefficient."
One week later, she'd restructured everything.
Now they worshipped her.
Which created a new problem: they had free time.
Free time for the Guardian Angel Corps meant they could go around "dispensing divine justice," which usually translated to property damage and terrifying mortals who didn't deserve it.
I needed to figure out new methods to keep them busy without crushing them under paperwork again.
Maybe renovation projects? Heaven's infrastructure was ancient and could use modernization...
I better come up with something soon.