Hide In Plain Sight...

Nowe couldn't help the flicker of surprise that crossed his features when Zach finished his earlier thought about what else was special to him. He opened his mouth to say something but couldn't find anything to say and closed it again with a thoughtful look. What did one say to something like that? He'd had people tell him he was special before but never like that. And it had never affected him like Zach's words did. He allowed himself a small smirk at Zach's confident words that nothing bad could happen there and wondered just how true that was. And what would be considered bad enough to be disallowed by the magic of this place? He couldn't help but be curious though he knew he wouldn't do anything that would potentially harm Zach. But it did give his mind something to focus on besides the thoughts he was trying to avoid. He refocused on Zach as the Fae spoke again and he gave a small nod. "So the dark thing is a part of you?" Which all but said that Zach was talking about Reaper. And Nowe had to wonder where the other half of Zach's soul was lurking. Was he listening? If he was, how much of their conversation had he heard? As Zach pressed against him he slid an arm around him and just offered a bit of comfort in the only way he could think of. Zach's words were muffled and Nowe resisted the urge to laugh. The darkness wasn't going to go away no matter how much he wanted it to. Especially since Nowe didn't want it to go anywhere either. "There's no reason to fear the darkness. I don't. I embrace it. It is part of who I am and what makes me....me. Just as this darkness is a part of you you. I do not fear it in you any more than I fear it in me." He doubted it would have much effect on Zach but if Reaper was listening perhaps he'd catch the subtle message that was meant for him behind the words.

Being a vampire, Nowe's senses were rather sharp and he heard more than felt someone moving around nearby. So Reaper was watching them. Which made things interesting. He hid his feelings, however, as Zach looked back at him and awkwardly stroked one of Zach's wings when the Fae hugged him. He found the feather's soft under his hands and longed to continue to do so but Reaper had moved again and Zach was moving away ever so slightly. "I know he is. But as you said, nothing bad can happen here." He offered reassuringly, giving Zach a slight nudge in an attempt to distract him from whatever Reaper was up to. "I'm glad too. I've....never had anyone think I was special before. I've never meant that much to anyone I don't think. It's...nice." Though it was also strange to feel so light and happy with Zach it was also not a bad thing. It was only bad when it become distracting and after tonight and knowing, in a way, how Zach felt it wouldn't be. At least not as much. And, in a sudden urge to make sure Zach knew he felt the same way, the Vampire leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "It means a lot to me that I make you happy too. I just wanted you to know that." He said, taking a couple steps away and pretending to be suddenly very interested in the water. If he could blush, he would certainly be doing so right then.

Zach's gaze was crossed somewhere between distant and unsure as he looked back to the Vampire. He gave a small nod at his question, shuffling his wings a bit uneasily. "The dark thing is a part of me, but I don't want it to go away. Sometimes the dark thing feels...lonely. Like its missing something." He cast another look around, biting his lip a bit. Reaper, for the meanwhile, was busy peering around the stump of the tree again, almost uncharacteristically shy as he listened to what Nowe said. The words buried their way inside him, and he found himself leaning around the trunk of the tree a bit more, seemingly debating on coming out in the open. His outfit was somewhat different than Zach's, and almost looked to be a mix between Nowe's and the Angel's. Slightly more feminine than the other's, but more masculine somehow than his other half's. He slid a bit further out into view, though with each movement that brought him closer, his wings would flare just a bit more as if he was ready to bolt or fly off in the other direction if he got spooked. The kinder half, for the most part, was oblivious to what the dark one was up to and merely, stepped a bit closer to his friend again. The stroke to his wing made the boy tilt his head a bit and he half exteneded a wing helpfully for the other. "Do you like them?" He asked, smiling a little.

Despite him not realizing it, Reaper found himself glaring daggers at Zach for a reason he couldn't possibly recognize. He wanted to be close to Nowe too, but he didn't know that it was that which was making him feel the way he was. So instead he watched, eyes narrowed on his other half as he spoke with the man. The nudge was indeed distracting, and he turned his green eyes back to the man when he began speaking again. When he'd finished talking the first time, the boy shook his head a bit and pressed closer, wrapping his wings around them both in a subconscious move to shield them from view. "I'm happy I met you, Nowe. I-" What he was about to say next was cut off with a small noise of surprise at the kiss on his cheek, and he immediately hid his face in the man's chest to avoid letting him see how red he'd gotten. But then Nowe was moving away which made the Angel furl his wings against his back again, and he bit his lip shyly as he looked at the other. He didn't know what else to say but peered at the water as well, finally noting the ripples that were coming from the big tree behind them. Not wanting to be detected yet, the darker half gasped and pressed his back against the tree. He wasn't quick enough though, as it would be apparent by Zach taking a few steps back. "I saw you!" He called to his other half, not knowing that he had indeed just had a glimpse of his other self.

Nowe couldn't help but wonder what Reaper might be missing that could make him feel lonely. And was slightly annoyed at the fact that this chance encounter was giving him more questions than answers. But then again, he wasn't actually asking many questions was he? At least not the ones he wanted to ask. But he also wasn't sure how to go about asking said questions either. "I wonder what it could be missing. Perhaps we should ask?" He suggested, subtly alerting Reaper to his curiosity. Why? He didn't know but he did know he was going to find some way to ask and now Reaper had time to think about his answer. When Zach extended his wing, Nowe withdrew his hand and glanced away, not sure if he should have asked before touching or something of the sort. But the other didn't seem to have minded and he tentatively reached out a hand to touch the feathers again. "I do. They're softer than I expected." Though if asked he couldn't have said what he'd expected when he touched the Fae's wings. But he found that their thread of conversation had sort of dissolved and though he knew if they fell into silence it wouldn't be that sort of awkward or tense silence that people tended to avoid but he didn't want silence. And so he questioned something the Fae had mentioned earlier. "You said you wanted to show me something before. What was it?" He wasn't sure if what Zach had wanted to show him was simply the water or the tree or if it was something else entirely. But if he'd already been shown, he'd missed it and felt a little bad for having done so.

When he found himself enveloped in Zach's wings, Nowe resisted the urge to back away. It wasn't unpleasant but it was unexpected and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do, confined in a wall of feathers as he was. Should he step closer to Zach? Or just stand there like an idiot? But the moment was broken when he'd had that sudden urge to kiss Zach but it had made Zach furl his wings and gave Nowe the opportunity to move away a bit. He was still busy studying the water when Zach spoke again and Nowe moved closer, touching the Fae's arm reassuringly. He studied the spot by the tree that Zach seemed to be focused on and glanced from the Fae next to him and back to the tree. "You can come out of hiding. I'd like to talk to you." He called, unsure of what Zach might think but being unable to resist inviting Reaper to join them. He just hoped Zach would like...try to leave or anything. Nowe wanted to see how the two halves would react to one another. It was clear that Zach was afraid of Reaper but he didn't know what Reaper thought of Zach.

Nowe's previous questions would sadly be missed as Zach seemed to zero in on the spot where his other half had disappeared, the feathers along his wings rustling uneasily. He knew that dark thing had been around, and to be all but confronted with it was more than a little unnerving. He stepped back a few steps, bringing himself closer to the other and wrapping his arms around himself, biting his bottom lip nervously as he waited. A bit belatedly he realized that the other had asked what he'd wanted to show him, and he turned his head a little to be able to look at the man from the corner of his eye. "I...something on the tree. But..." But he's over there... He finished mentally, looking down at the water. Reaper, in the meantime, was busy cursing himself for being careless, his voice loud enough to confirm that he was, in fact, hiding behind the tree like the other had suspected. "Damnit..." He groaned, tilting his head back against the trunk and hitting it lightly a few times. Why did he have to be curious? He'd blown his cover and now they knew where he was. He probably could easily slip away and into the forest, but...he didn't want to do that. But he didn't want to get any closer either, so he was quite torn and not paying much attention to the two on the other side of the tree. So the man calling out to him made him jump badly enough to cause more ripples in the water.

Zachariel, at that moment, chose to look at the Vampire as if he had gone temporarily insane. "Why would you want to talk to it?" He asked, his voice trembling just a little. He stepped away from the other and partially wrapped his wings around himself, unable to help the look he gave the tree as he waited for the other half to respond. Reaper bite the inside of his cheek to keep from responding right away, slowly peering around the trunk of the tree, the exact duplicate to the crystal around the Angel's neck swinging slightly. He hesitated, his hands clenched into fists before stepping out from behind the tree, his bright crimson wings furled tightly against his back. "Why do you want to talk to me?" The Fae demanded, though his tone wasn't nearly as hostile as he wanted it to be. His gaze cut to the boy and narrowed again as the other backed up again, his eyes going unreadable again. "He doesn't want me here. Why do you?" However, now the boy was giving his other half a look of confusion, as if he wasn't sure why they looked nearly exactly the same. He was nearly behind his friend now, seemingly using him as a source of comfort and safety. "Don't make him mad..." Was all he whimpered before burying his face into the man's back, his hands lightly clutching the fabric of the assassin's outfit.

It was funny how they both had to ask the same question. Why did he want to talk to Reaper? The simplest answer was because he was there and he could. Any more complex reasons were not yet ready to be shared. So he merely shrugged in response to Zach's question and watched the other emerge from around the tree. "Because I'm curious." Was his reply to the question that had been asked of him and he had to think how to answer the next question. Zach's whimper made him lean into the other a bit in a small attempt to calm him down. "I'll try not to. Don't worry." He whispered back before turning back to face Reaper. "So just because he doesn't want you here means I can't? I am not him, after all. I have my own wants and curiosities. I'd like to get to know you. Perhaps if Zach knew you too he might be less afraid of you." He, rather knowingly, used the same explanation to Reaper now as he had earlier in the day and he wondered if this Reaper remembered any of that. If not....well.....it would certainly make the conversation less awkward. If he did then oh well, Nowe was adaptable. He could figure out a way to deal with whatever came up.

"Will you join us? Or would you rather stand over there and watch like some sort of creepy stalker?" He smirked a little, knowing full well the most Reaper would be watching is Zach and Nowe standing around and talking some more but still....it was fun to tease a little bit. Leaving the invitation open, Nowe turned back to Zach and touched his cheek to get him to look up. "Show me what's on the tree? Don't worry about him. He'll most likely leave us alone. You don't need to fear him. I can protect you." He said quietly enough so that Reaper wouldn't be able to hear unless he came closer. He placed a comforting hand on the Fae's bare shoulder and briefly wondered if Zach would care if he took off the top of his own outfit. It was uncomfortably different than what he was normally used to wearing but he left it alone out of politeness. Because really, how did one bring up the subject? By the way do you mind if I take off my shirt? That sounded ridiculous.

Reaper understood the power of curiosity - after all, it had compelled him to become something akin to a peeping tom for a while. He didn't respond in any other way at first, other than to step around the tree and settle down at the side of it instead, kneeling instead of actually sitting in case he needed to bolt. A frown replaced the unsure look as he realized the two were whispering back and forth about something, and he raised his chin somewhat defiantly when the man turned his attention back to him. His answer caught him a bit off-guard, and despite him not having the bite wound from earlier, his hand flitted to his neck and rested there. "Get...to know...me...?" He asked, slowly standing from his kneeled position and beginning to inch his way closer. It took him a moment to recognize the logic behind what he'd been told, and when he did he couldn't help but snort. Yeah, he had a point. He remembered all too well how the two of them had talked earlier that day...He also remembered exactly what else had gone on, and a frustrated flush crept up his cheeks. At the moment he was torn between retreating and showing the other that he wasn't affected though he really was. Keeping his hand to his neck, he slowly sat down and leaned against the tree, his crimson wings furled tightly against his back. "I...guess I'll join you. When you come here."

There. That was simple enough. He chose to ignore the 'creepy stalker' comment and rolled his eyes, tilting his head a bit as he tried to listen to what Nowe was telling his other half. When he couldn't make it out, he frowned again, crossing his arms and more or less pouting. He didn't wanna know anyway, so there! Zach, on the other hand, relaxed when the Vampire had pressed a bit closer, his eyes closed up until he felt the other touch his cheek. His eyes fluttered a tad bit when they opened, and he looked at the other and blinked a little. What was he...? Oh! "R-right! I forgot. Come on." The reassuring words were rewarded with a bright smile and he reached to hold the man's hand. "Do you trust me?" He asked, flaring his wings to their full length before furling them again, starting to walk backwards and holding the other's gaze as the water began to rise. Once it'd reached their chests, he kicked off from the floor, moving his legs back and forth to keep himself floating. "A short swim and we can reach the tree." He informed the other, looking over his shoulder at where Reaper was watching with intent eyes.

It was progress, if only one tiny step of it. At least Reaper was out in the open and willing to talk. He resisted the urge to tell the Fae that joining them meant he came to them not the other way around. At least Reaper was cooperating somewhat. Now it was time to get Zach to cooperate. Which was easy enough to do though it seemed the kinder Fae wasn't going to let go of his hand any time soon. Not that Nowe was complaining, of course. "Yes, I trust you. What reason do I have not to?" He questioned, letting Zach take his hand and lead him toward the tree. He went willingly enough, at least up until Zach was taking them into deeper water. The water was at their chests and Nowe was eying the remaining distance to the tree warily when Zach confirmed his suspicions. He pulled away quickly and retreated a few steps back and shook his head. "S-swim? I'm sorry Zach. I....can't go with you." He said, edging back a few more paces until he was more comfortable in the water and didn't meet the Fae's eyes. He didn't want to see the look on Zach's face, nor did he much care to see Reaper's reaction to his sudden reluctance to go anywhere near the tree. Not that his retreat had anything to do with the tree or the two Fae.

Knowing one, or both, of them were going to ask, Nowe shifted a little uneasily and sighed, fidgeting with the sleeve of his outfit before speaking up. "It's nothing about either of you. It's just...." He gave them both a sheepish look and shrugged helplessly. "I can't swim." He admitted quickly, biting his lower lip a bit and hoping the pair of them wouldn't think he was foolish for not knowing. What reason did a vampire have for learning to swim?

Reaper watched them approaching with a somewhat unreadable gaze, canting his head a bit when the one backed away quickly. His gaze flickered quickly to his kinder half, watching the emotions fly across his face as he tried to figure out what he was feeling. "Zachariel..." His voice was quiet, and he was mostly trying to get the Angel's attention. Which...went over about as well as he thought it would. His face had just settled on hurt when Nowe had pulled away from him when the other made him jump, the boy doing an almost comical scramble to get away from the tree. His eyes were wide as he looked back at the other, and the crimson-winged Fae managed to keep the almost pained look from his eyes just in time to meet the green gaze of the boy. "Easy. I won't hurt you. I can't..." He leaned forward a bit, refusing to look at the Vampire. He was sure that it was because he didn't want to go near him, which was fine... After what they'd done earlier, it was amazing he wanted to be anywhere near the man. "But... But he..." His face was a tragedy as he finally looked back at his friend, his hurt expression changing to one of surprise.

"Can't...swim?" Though there was reluctance in the move, he glanced over his shoulder at his crueler half, tilting his head a bit as if to ask a silent question. Reaper snorted at the look and peered back at the man, his eyes gentler than they had been a moment before. "Some of our siblings couldn't swim either." He offered, flicking his wings a bit. "Can't swim? Then let the mea-...Let him pull you over." The Angel looked away before muttering quickly, "And it's not like either of us would let you sink. Show a little faith."

Nowe really felt like a fool when Zach questioned his words and he bit back a snarky remark. He'd already hurt the Fae's feeling, albeit unintentionally, so he really needed to not say something that would just make things worse. Instead he merely crossed his arms over his chest and looked both stubborn and highly embarrassed. "Is that supposed to make me feel better, Reaper?" He questioned, when the other mentioned that some of their other siblings couldn't swim either. Though he had to wonder which ones it it was. Perhaps it was something he could use to his advantage later.

He shot a brief glare at the Fae when he almost called Zach meat-puppet and managed to smooth his features again at the suggestion. Let Zach pull him to the tree. It didn't sound like it'd be too difficult. Though he did raise an eyebrow at the Fae and offered him an almost teasing smirk. "Him I trust not to let me sink. You, however, I'm still not sure about." Especially after what happened earlier. He said, adding the last bit in his head, inching closer to Zach even as he teased Reaper. When he'd once again reached the spot where Zach had pushed off and glancing at the Fae. "Alright so...now what? I could stand here all night if I wanted but you wanted to show me something over there." He indicated the tree with a sweep of his hand and then waited. He had no idea what Zach would do next buy it was clear he was expecting the Fae to do something.

The look on Reaper's face turned from one of almost gentleness to a scowl in a flash, and he glared at the other fiercely. "Well, it's supposed to, but whatever." He huffed, looking away from the Vampire and debating on just getting up and leaving them there. It was Zach that stopped him as he prepared to stand, his voice timid as he addressed the Death Angel. "No... S-stay..." He was looking down at the water when he spoke, the feathers of his wings quivering just a tiny bit. "You..." He gave the boy a long look before settling back down, looking crossed between thoughtful and confused. Why had he told him to stay? And how did he know he was going to leave when he had his back to him? Zach took a few steps away from Nowe, twisting his hands on the fabric from his outfit. "Just...Just go back to the shore..." He said quietly, his voice wavering. "I...don't want to make you uncomfortable..." His chest grew heavy and he put a hand over his heart, bowing his head a bit to hide his face from the man.

Reaper, despite the clear animosity he had for his innocent side, got to his knees and crawled to the very edge of the land where the tree was sprouted from, looking from Zach to Nowe and back again. "Zachariel. You wanted to show him. Show him." The boy shook his head a bit, wrapping his arms around himself and partially hugging himself with his wings. "Some other time..." The darker Angel frowned, then turned to give the Vampire a 'Fix it or else' kind of look.

Ah. Just brilliant. How did he always manage to make things worse? Now that both Reaper and Zach were upset with him Nowe was feeling even more helpless than ever. Zach's words stung more than expected and there was no way for Nowe to hide the look of hurt and confusion that overtook the stubbornness of a moment before. "But....Zach I-I'm sorry." He blinked as if there were tears in his eyes and crept a bit closer to the Fae taking a steadying breath as he reached out for Zach's hand. "Please? I would really like to see what's there. It's important to you right?" He crept closer still, the water edging ever closer to his head, until he could touch the other and all but clung to the Fae. "I am already this far. Why not go the rest of the way?" He questioned quietly, trying to keep his discomfort from showing on his face or being betrayed in his words. He gave Reaper a discreet 'help me' look then, hoping the other Fae might offer some encouragement to coax Zach into proceeding. At that point Nowe didn't much care which direction Zach went as long as he started moving. "Maybe...maybe later you could teach me to swim? I would like to learn. I just never had a reason to before." He suggested, more to keep some sort of conversation going than anything else.

Zach was eying the water as if he wanted to dive into the deeper part of it, not noticing that his friend was creeping closer to him. His arms tightened around his chest as he bowed his head more, trying hard to keep himself from quivering. Why was he so upset? Was it because Nowe had jerked away from him, or was it because the dark one was trying to not be so dark? Reaper continued watching his other half, an odd glint in his eyes as he watched him nearly going to pieces. There was a sort of protectiveness to his gaze that he probably didn't even recognize, so watching the Vampire approach the Angel made him lean forward a bit. The boy jumped a little feeling the other's hand slip into his own though he didn't move away from it. He lifted his head enough to be able to look at the man without showing his face and nodded a little, squeezing his hand and turning enough to reach for the man's other hand. "It...is important, yes..." His words barely above a whisper. He didn't immediately start moving though, which prompted the Death Angel to tilt his head a bit. "Bring him here, Zach. While the moon is still young." Not much as far as encouragement went, but it got the boy moving.

He kicked off from the ground again, pulling Nowe closer to him as he started swiming backwards. The boy was careful to keep both of their heads well above the water, and he smiled weakly at the man's suggestion. "I...could. We're here..." He pulled his friend close again, though this time it was to allow him to climb up onto the land first.

Letting Zach pull him across to the tree was not an unpleasant experience (though Nowe could think of far better things to be doing that did not involve the water) and tried not to move too much and disrupt Zach's swimming. When they reached the other shore and Zach shifted to let him climb back onto land first he did so quite happily, standing off to one side so Zach could climb out after him. He occupied himself with trying to wring out the sleeves of the shirt he was wearing to hide his relief at being out of the water and back on dry land. He gave up rather quickly, however and merely wiggled out of the top with a huff. Reaper and Zach were running around topless anyway and at least being sans top was more comfortable. "What did you want to show me Zach?" He questioned, though his gaze lingered on Reaper, silently wondering if he would stay apart from them or if he'd be more willing to actually be nearer them now that they were all on the small island.

Before Zach could take his hand and lead him closer to whatever was on the tree, Nowe held out a hand to Reaper. "You said you would join us if we came here. We're here now. Come closer. I won't bite. I promise." He said with a wink Zach wouldn't see and only Reaper would understand even if Zach did catch the gesture.

Once Zach had clambered out of the water, he sighed, flicking his wings to get the water off of them and peering at the Vampire for a bit. Was he alright? When he didn't seem distressed at all the Angel relaxed, smiling faintly when he tried to squeeze the water out of his clothing. "I don't think that- Oh!" His eyes widened as a delicate shade of red crossed his cheeks, and he glanced away after a moment of looking over the man's body. Not that he realized what he'd done, but that wasn't the point. "I-I... I carved something here. Y-years ago." He bit his bottom lip and looked back at the assassin, moving to the tree and placing his hand against it. There was an ornate tree, though there were twelve orbs nestled into its branches, seemingly coming in pairs. At the two of the tree were three orbs in particular, one having an infinity symbol, the other two having an 'L' and a 'D' respectively. In the 'water' circling the tree were delicate looking words, and he turned to Nowe when he spoke them aloud.

However, much to his surprise, Reaper spoke at the same time he did and had inched just a tiny bit closer while the two had been distracted. "You will return to where your heart is. This is the true Word of Wing." The Death Angel looked away when the other half tried to look at him and shrugged, though Zach's attention quickly returned to his friend. "The Word of Wing is a sacred promise... You give it, and a feather, to the one you care most about or something you're close to." He was about to say something else when he was distracted, peering over at his other half with faintly anxious eyes. The darker half inched forward again but froze when Nowe offered his hand, looking torn between accepting it and going back to where he was. The wink and the promise were given a half-lidded look and he snorted. Right, sure. He moved close enough to be a part of the conversation but not close enough for either of them to touch, and simply waited to hear what he said to the boy's explanation.

Nowe was too busy still trying to wring out his clothes a bit and didn't notice Zach eyeing him. Reaper either for that matter. He wasn't really thinking about what the others might think of his actions. He gave up trying to dry off when Zach spoke up again, canting his head curiously at the stutter but opting not to ask about it. Instead he approached the tree where Zach was standing and inspected the carving tentatively reaching up to run his fingers over the cuts in the wood, counting off the orbs in his head. Twelve plus one and each with an element. Were these meant to represent Zach and his siblings? If so why pair them up so? Was it merely each element being paired to his or her opposite? Or was there some deeper meaning.

When the paire of angels spoke up from basically on either side of him, he looked from one to the other and wondered what the words meant aside from what he was hearing. There seemed to be some deeper meaning to it that he didn't understand at all. But Zach explained, to an extent, and Nowe could only nod. What did one say to something like that? Of course, on the tail end of that thought came the wonder of why they should share something like that with him? And since they had shared the promise with him....would either of them give him a feather? He immediately pushed the question away and merely stayed silent. Other questions occured to him, though, and he knew he could not continue to remain silent. he just...wasn't sure what to say. "I..." He struggled to find words, any thing at all, to say but came up blank. "Thank you. For showing this to me." He didn't look at either angel as he spoke, but instead turned away from the tree and moved to the edge of the small area of land they were standing on and settled down, looking back across the water at the trees beyond. It wasn't very often he was left speechless but Zach had accomplished it. He had shared something deeply important with the Vampire and he really hardly knew Nowe at all. And Nowe could think of nothing he could share with either Fae that had half as much meaning as that did to them.

Zach's gaze finally trailed over to the Vampire, a small smile curving his lips to watch him inspect the carving, his head tilted just a bit to the side when his fingers touched the one representing him. What did he think of it? "I did this, you know..." He said quietly, looking at the paired up orbs and biting his lip a bit. "I stayed here for days working at it, ignoring my hunger and my thirst until it was completed." His eyes grew fond at this point and he smiled a bit more. "It was worth it. Even First came to tell me it was beautiful..." Reaper lifted his head at that point to look over at the carving, his mean look softening for just a moment. "Said he was proud of him and that he was getting better." A tone entered his voice that he couldn't quite understand so he merely shut up again and furled his wings around himself to block the others from view. The Angel peered at his darker half thoughtfully before shrugging a bit and shuffling the wings on his back. The silence that came next wasn't all together unpleasant, but he wanted to talk more.

Finally, Nowe seemed to think of something to say, but Zach's smile turned thoughtful when he moved away from them both. That left nothing between him and his darker half, and he wasn't entirely sure he was okay with it. Lifting his green gaze from his friend, he made eye contact with Reaper and seemed to ask a silent question; the Death Angel responded with a shrug and by looking away. Alright then. The boy extended a wing, selecting a strange feather that had been mostly shielded by the others; it looked as if it had been split in half. He moved as if to get closer to his friend to offer it to him, but stopped to meet the other Fae's eyes once more, though he was reluctant to address him. "It's not right to make half of the promise... I can't do it by myself..." He all but whispered, almost cringing in on himself when the other stood. "Yeah, yeah. Hold on." The other grumbled, extending the opposite wing that the other had and selecting one of his crimson ones - though it was split in half as well. Without another word he inched close enough to hold it out to his kinder half, retreating almost immediately once it was taken.

Holding both halves in his hand, he pushed them together where they were split and murmured something to make the feather glow. When the crimson glow had faded, the feather would be left intact, as if it had naturally come in half black and half red. He moved over to his friend and settled next to him, extending the repaired feather in the palm of his hand. "Nowe... I give you the Word of Wing..." He began, voice shy. "To break this vow has dire consequences, but I don't plan on doing that anyway." Zach lifted his voice just a bit more, a smile in his eyes. "I will return to where my heart is." After he'd said it, he held the feather out more, formally presenting it to the Vampire. How would he react?

((OOC: I'm going to be out most of today... Family is being horrible to me. I'll reply later tonight when I get home. <3 ))

After moving away, Nowe had no idea what to do. There was no way he was embarrassing himself by trying to leave their little island and he really didn't want to go back to the others right then. Lost in his own thoughts, he only vaguely registered that Zach and Reaper were talking and certainly wasn't paying attention to what they were saying. He didn't even hear Zach approaching and looked almost startled when the other sat down next to him. He gazed at the feather for a long moment, almost as if he had no idea what it meant. When Zach spoke, his immediate thought was to refuse. It didn't make sense. It was too soon. How could Zach make that promise to someone he knew nothing about? But after the shocked look he gave the Angel, he returned his gaze to the feather and thought about it a moment. This promise was obviously a major deal for the Fae. Why he'd make it to someone like him, Nowe may never know. But to refuse would be....unforgivable. He'd already hurt Zach once by simply refusing to cross the water with him. What would refusing this promise do to him?

And what of Reaper? Could Zach make the promise for both halves of his soul? Or was that what they'd been talking about? Realizing the silence was stretching to dangerous lengths and he hadn't said anything nor moved to accept the feather he look up at Zach again, surprise and curiosity in his eyes tinged just ever so slightly with sadness. Sadness that he had nothing to give in return. "Zach I....don't know what to say. " Which was true enough. He had plenty of questions but asking them now seemed....tactless. But, looking at the feather, there was one question he had to ask. But not before he accepted the feather and leaned in to kiss Zach's cheek. "Thank you. It is an honor to accept such a gift. But there is something I must ask, if you'll forgive my curiosity." He whispered before standing an turning to Reaper. "I cannot help but notice the way this feather is split. Does half of this promise come from you as well, Reaper? Or does it come from Zach alone?" He hoped they would forgive him being so blunt but he had to ask. He needed to know what Reaper felt about the promise.

Watching the other's face carefully, Zach began to bite his bottom lip when Nowe took a while to say or do anything about the feather. He subconsciously began to curl up a little, his wings threatening to hug him and block him from view much like the way his darker half was sitting. This was making him nervous... Had he done something stupid? His gaze darted over to the other Fae, almost as if asking him what he'd done wrong. But Reaper only shrugged and looked up at the tree, more or less leaving the other to fend for himself. Which wasn't exactly helping any. He sighed a little, starting to fidget as he continued to hold the feather out. When he gained a reaction, he wasn't sure if it was a good one or not - he understood being shocked, but he still hadn't reacted much besides that. "Nowe, I..." He what? He was sorry for making the promise and putting him on the spot? Glancing back down at the water, his eyes somewhat glossy from being unsure about this.

When finally the other spoke up, the boy only manged to nod again, not trusting himself to look at the man. "It's okay. Nowe, you don't-" His eyes flew wide open at the kiss to his cheek, and he glanced over at the other and allowed him to watch his face turn bright red. What...? The Angel blinked rapidly, not quite understanding where the kiss had come from but not disliking it at all. Realizing how red his face must be getting, he turned and burrowed it into the man's arm, mumbling something but not raising his voice. He lifted his head a little at the words he spoke and nodded slightly, looking a bit curious though his face was still the color of a tomato. When he addressed Reaper, the Death Angel lifted his chin a bit in acknowledgement, tilting his head a bit before blanching. He just had to ask that... He didn't ignore the Vampire though. Lifting his gaze, he stared up at the canopy as he spoke, though it was through gritted teeth and with great reluctance did he answer. "It comes from both of us. We are one and the same, so it can't exactly only come from Me-...Zachariel." Despite his reluctance to answer, there were no negative feelings as far as the promise itself went. "And...it's not just because I felt like I had to either. So yeah. Take the damn feather, would you?" No, that wasn't a hint of hurt in his voice at all. You're hearing things.

Nowe knew he'd been silent for far longer than was probably acceptable or expected and it hurt him a little to know he'd upset Zach a little by not saying anything. But he'd been utterly shocked. How did one just...reply to something like that? At least things were fine now as he gave the Fae a slight hug. He wasn't entirely sure why Zach was so embarassed by the quick peck on the cheek. He hadn't put any feeling into it and he hadn't gone for the lips (though he'd seriously considered it). But still, as Zach buried his face in Nowe's arm, the Vampire hugged him a little and tried not to focus too much on how soft and warm Zach's skin felt next to his own. That was certainly not the thing to be thinking about just then. As it was, he was too busy trying to think about anything else to really notice Zach muttering something.

When Reaper responded to the question, Nowe watched his back and tried to figure out what the Fae's tone meant. He didn't seem angry, but then Nowe was finding he was a poor judge of Zach and Reaper's feelings. Which was odd for him but not terribly important. He did sound hurt when he finished speaking and Nowe glanced at the feather in his hand. "I already took it." He stated simply. He supposed Reaper hadn't seen him take the feather if he wasn't watching and gave Zach and curious look. "I-" He what? He didn't know what he'd been about to say but with a small smile and a motion for Zach to stay quiet, Nowe stepped away from Zach and took a few carefully silent steps toward Reaper. Before he'd really realized what he'd decided to do, Nowe moved swiflty and silently over to the other half of Zach's soul and wrapped his arms around him as best he could to trap him long enough to palnt a quick kiss on the Fae's cheek. "Thank you, Reaper. I...forgot myself earlier. I hope perhaps you can forgive me for my actions today and we can work things out between us." He spoke quietly, in case Zach chose to approach, and then stepped away from Reaper, retreating out of reach of either Fae and watching them both with the feather held carefully in one hand.

At Nowe's motions, Zach nodded, shutting his mouth and leaning back on his hands to watch whatever was going to happen. He glanced away for a moment to look around, peering at the sparkling trees with bright eyes. He really did love this place, even if he had to share it with the dark thing that looked like him. Reaper gave little to no response to the man's statement, a barely discernable nod if that. He stiffened a bit when his other half went to say something and waited, relaxing slightly when he didn't say anything. Not that he knew what the boy had been about to say; it was the thought of all the things he could have said that had him tense like that. Peering at the ground moodily, the Death Angel's wings pressed closer to his back, completely unaware of the Vampire's approach. About half a second before the other's arms wrapped around him, the Fae realized that there were arms floating on either side of him, and he instinctively jerked backwards to try and avoid them. Which...only forced him backwards into the man. "Ah!" He let out a short, sharp noise and began to writhe, unsure of what he was doing.

When he felt the other's lips on his cheek, he froze momentarily before beginning to flail, undecipherable noises escaping him. His crimson eyes were wide as he listened to what the other said, his struggling becoming less frantic. What? "I...whatever." Reaper managed to grunt, though his tone was far from angry. It was closer to being somewhere between surprised and unsure, with a tiny bit of fear mixed in there. He was afraid of taking the 'Leap of Faith' the other had spoke up much earlier that day, but he was willing to try easing himself closer to the edge. Just a little. Don't get your hopes up. Zach seemed to be almost as shocked as his other half, for he was sitting straight up with his eyes wide open. 'Did you really just do that?!' his posture seemed to scream though he seemed to be mute for the moment.

The sudden silence stretched on with none of them seeming to know what to say. It wasn't an unpleasant silence but Nowe wished someone would speak up and say something. He was also hoping that someone wouldn't have to be him. He was just starting to accept the fact it might have to be when he noticed something odd. The dream was fading, getting fuzzy around the edges and more actually dream-like, or at least what Nowe assumed was dream-like. Being a vampire he hadn't dreamed in a very long time. The scene didn't continue it's slow fade like he expected it to but went dark rather unexpectedly and he found himself back inside his own head (though he wasn't sure he'd ever left) and burrowed his face into the source of warmth next to him to block out the light shining on his eyelids.

He'd have stayed that way too had he not breathed in Zach's scent and all but fell off the bed trying to put a politely respectful distance between them. It occurred to him only after he was perched precariously on the edge of the bed that they had fallen asleep on the couch and he had no memory of either of them moving to the bedroom. Trying to cover his initial reaction (and his confusion), he gave the Fae a small smile and stretched, as if he'd only moved away to do just that. "Good morning. You hungry? You haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday." He questioned, though he wasn't sure if Reaper feeding on his blood counted or not. "D'you like pancakes? I don't make them very often but today feels like a pancake day." He added, even as his mind raced wondering how much of the dream Zach and Reaper would remember. Hopefully not much. He really wasn't sure he wanted to get into a discussion about whom he'd kissed when and why and he certainly didn't want to talk about the promise Zach had made to him.

It wouldn't be until later in the day that Nowe would return to his bedroom to make the bed and discover a single feather, one side crimson the other black, poking out from under his pillow.

The boy woke slowly, reluctant to open his eyes and scrunching up his face a bit when he woke up enough to realize it was bright outside. He groaned quietly and buried into the pillow, and he would have been content to lay there until he felt something nuzzle into him, in which his eyes snapped open to see what it was. By that point the Vampire had already moved away and he blinked at him a few times. What had been doing there? Wait... Turning his crimson gaze to the bed then back to Nowe, he flailed slightly and backed up quicker to put more distance between them. His eyes were wide as he peered at the other, his chest heaving from the unexpected scare, and he could really only tilt his head slightly at the smile. Good...morning...? Reaper looked out the window before sliding his gaze back to the man. The Fallen was off-guard, so instead of cursing up a storm like he normally would have, he scooted a tiny bit closer to the other, though not by much. "I...could eat." Was all he said in response to the other asking if he was hungry, though his hand flitted to his stomach and he scrunched up his face again when it growled. Okay, so he was very hungry. He wasn't about to admit that yet though.

However, not even the grouch that Reaper normally was could resist perking up a bit at 'pancakes'. Even his crimson gaze brightened just a tad at the mention of them, and for a moment he forgot to interrogate the man on his little dream visitation. "I haven't had pancakes in years... Rose used to make them for us. Usually the morning after I threw a fit and destroyed more than half our home." Was that a hint of regret in his tone? "Anyway. Sure. Make what you want." He swung his legs over the side of the bed, staring at the floor thoughtfully before he decided it was probably a good idea for him to get dressed. He stood carefully and wandered back to the guest bedroom, claiming some of his clothing and calling to the Vampire from the hall. "Nowe, I'm gonna shower!" Without waiting for a response he padded into the bathroom and closed the door, stripping and getting into the warm water to relax. The door, however, hadn't been closed all the way and a crack in it was barely visible. Not that he'd notice that.

It took Nowe several minutes to realize that, despite having fallen asleep next to Zach, it was Reaper that he'd woken up with. How that had happened he had no idea and he wasn't about to try and figure it out. Instead he listened to what the other had to say and nodded. He'd make pancakes then. It sounded as if Reaper would really like that, even if he was trying to sound like he didn't care. When Reaper left the room, Nowe relaxed a bit and was half tempted to flop back on the bed and try for some more sleep. He didn't feel as well rested as he usually did and figured it had something to do with his involvement in Zach's dream. Instead, he slid off the bed and went to pull the covers up, pausing when he spied something sticking out from under his pillow. He pulled it free and was surprised to find a feather identical to the one Zach had given him resting in his palm. Not sure what to do with it just then, he set it on his bedside table and proceeded to make the bed, all the while trying to figure out what to do with the feather.

In the end, he decided that putting it away was the best idea and once he was finished tidying up the bedroom, he headed for the workshop he'd set up in his basement to put the feather away. He tucked it in with some other odds and ends he wasn't sure where else to keep and headed back upstairs to start breakfast. By the time Reaper got out of the shower, Nowe would have ginger pancakes from scratch ready to cook as well as bacon and eggs set out. He had waited to actually start cooking so that Reaper wouldn't have to eat a cold breakfast because he'd been in the shower.

The shower worked wonders on him and Reaper managed to relax completely under the nearly scalding water. The dream he'd been dragged with Zach into was still weighing heavily on his mind, and he still wasn't sure why Nowe had been there in the first place. A small scowl claimed his face as he opened his eyes, glaring at the water as if it was its fault he was feeling like this. But he'd already made an effort to be nice to the man that morning and it wasn't going to hurt anyone to continue doing so. As he toweled off and got dressed, shaking his still-wet hair off before padding out and down the hall, his gait unintentionally slowing slightly as he neared the kitchen. Unlike Zach, the Fae walked in like he owned the place, leaning against the counter and peering at the things the man had set out. He tilted his head a bit and sniffed experimentally towards the pancake batter, frowning slightly when he couldn't figure out what was in it. "Whatcha making?" He asked, inching just a bit closer as he eyed the mix. Whatever it was, he was bound to love it, since pancakes were amongst his favorite foods... Though he hadn't told the Vampire that the last time they'd talked about favorites. Maybe because he had certain memories tied in with pancakes that he was still reluctant to share.

Nowe was rummaging in a cupboard for something when Reaper came in and leaned against the counter. He spared the Fae a quick look and went back to his search, emerging triumphant a moment later as the Fae asked what he was making. With a raised eyebrow look for the Fallen, Nowe shooed him out of the way and sprinkled dried apple bits into the pancake batter. "Spiced apple pancakes. A bit of ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg with some dried apple mixed in. It's one of my favorites. They're particularly good with honey or whipped cream on them instead of maple syrup." He explained, pouring some batter onto the pancake griddle and starting the bacon. With luck, everything would be ready at about the same time. "You can make yourself useful and tend the bacon or you can set the table. Plates are in the cupboard behind you, glasses are next to that and silverware is in the drawer next to the fridge." He instructed, indicating the cupboard and drawer as he spoke. He half-expected Reaper to refuse and just stand there but who knew. Maybe he was feeling helpful that morning.