Alistair watched the pretty face of the angel he still had trapped on the countertop morph from one of helpless breathlessness into furious anger. He had to admit that he found the change quite amusing.
There was indeed something very wrong with him.
How could he find a face filled with wrath against him so alluring?
Tristan looked like he wanted to bite him as he glared with those brown eyes that were so doe-like. Even with anger, he could see those shards of stars behind them, unable to be concealed by negativity.
He wanted those eyes to only look at him and no one else. He could not stand the thought of someone else knowing how it felt to be beheld by these orbs that made him feel warm from head to toe.
He felt guilty again, but he could not bring himself to care.
"You vile person! How could you do that?" Tristan asked with anger mixed with embarrassment.
It was obvious that he was trying to be harsh and brave, but he was failing because he was such a sweet angel.
"I am indeed vile," Alistair laughed lightly.
How could he deny it when his thoughts reflected his desires?
Tristan saw no repentance or contrition on the dark angel's face. He did not look like he regretted his actions. Instead, he licked his lips and looked at Tristan's lips as if he was considering another assault.
Tristan quickly covered his mouth with his small hands, but the other fallen angel simply leaned in. The hands on the surface of the counter, trapping him, were suddenly on Tristan's thighs.
Alistair gripped the thighs in his large hands and pulled Tristan until he was on the edge of the countertop, their bodies in intimate contact. The heat from the hands seeped through the divine clothing into Tristan's flesh.
His cheeks became even rosier as he glared at his captor.
"Do you think that would stop me?" Alistair threatened with his wicked grey eyes becoming darker.
Tristan realised his vulnerable position with the threat, but he got annoyed when he saw the amusement colouring the other man's face. He forgot to be afraid as he used his small fists to hit Alistair's shoulders.
"That tickles," Alistair said casually, unbothered by the assault.
"Why did you do that?" Tristan stopped with a pout and decided to ask directly.
Alistair stepped away from the counter, but he did not help Tristan down. He went to the fridge and got a bottle of water. He opened it and handed it to Tristan before answering the question.
"You are an improperly fallen angel. The life energy on Earth is tainted, but it is not something angels are meant to fix. The world exists as it is with both light and darkness because it is by design." Alistair explained indirectly.
"When angels fall, He strips our divine light because divine light cannot coexist with this world. Divine light can cleanse it in enough quantities, I assume. But I would not advise such an action even if you had that kind of power."
"Why?" Tristan tilted his head in that cute way, confused.
Alistair resisted the urge to coo at the perfect little angel.
"Humans like the darkness. They choose it. I would go as far as to say that they seek it out and relish in it. Even the best ones will always have a little darkness in them."
Tristan could not understand.
He knew humans made choices, and they did not always make the best ones, even with guidance from the angels. However, he never thought that the choices were in the form of such vile energy.
"Why? The light feels good. It is warm and comforting, and it makes people happy," Tristan asked with genuine innocence.
Alistair chuckled. "Everyone has their reason, but that darkness is the spice of life. Making the wrong choices makes most people feel like they are exercising their free will. The right decisions have a clear path, but the wrong ones always have undetermined consequences. That adds flavour to life."
Tristan still did not understand. "That does not make sense. I thought humans enjoy stability and knowing their future is secure. Is it not the reason that they work hard to build civilisation and gadgets? Is it not to reduce uncertainty?"
Alistair realised that Tristan's thoughts were like his before he fell. It was the assumption that when people are offered everything, they will settle and enjoy their lives. Angels lived like that, in harmony, until the earth was created.
He quickly realised that choice did not make people better.
It just confused them because, regardless of the right or wrong choice, people wondered what the other path could have brought. The worst part was that the right path was almost always clear.
Most people understood that having certainty was good, but they could not resist the lure of darkness. It was why they called him the devil and his fellow fallen angels, demons. They needed someone to convince them that the problem was not themselves.
The reality was a little simpler. The value of choice was freedom and knowing the world was always full of possibilities. The right path would always lead to one stable place, a boring life without flavour.
The only way for one to know they were truly free was to make the worst possible choice. Even when it ended badly, it was still the truest expression of Earth and humanity and their design.
"It is not that simple," Alistair sighed.
He did not know how to explain it simply to someone who had not interacted with other beings except for Him. He wondered what was so special about Tristan that He kept him from even heaven itself.
"Why do you do bad things?" Tristan suddenly asked.
"Why do you think I do bad things?" Alistair laughed deeply.
He could eat this angel up.
Tristan rolled his eyes. "Your blood has very thick, dark energy. If what you said is true, you have done a lot of bad things. Also, you assaulted me a few minutes ago, in case you forgot."
Alistair laughed a full belly laugh this time. Tristan was just so precious, he could not handle it. The innocence, the feistiness, and the curiosity were like ambrosia.
He wondered if this was the reason Tristan was hidden by Him.