The Inbetween

Jinxx lay flat on his chest staring down past the hazy edge of the clouds and into the human world below, his pearly white wings fanned out behind him. When he visited earth he typically took a human form since the wings could be burdensome at times, but here in the heavens he was free to use them as much as he wanted.

His day had been relatively uneventful so far. After escorting the man from the hospital to heaven earlier this morning, Jinxx had been summoned to lead another two souls and after that...well, nothing.

It had been a slow day, and since he had little to do Jinxx had decided to come home for a while and watch from afar. Or up close, depending on how one looked at it. Like the other angels here Jinxx could bring any chosen location closer to view through the small gaps in the clouds, allowing for easier observation.

Although viewing in this way lacked the excitement of actually being in midst of what was happening, it was an easy way to pass the time. Currently Jinxx was focused in on a scene in which a young couple walked along a park sidewalk, holding hands and chatting amiably with each another. Occasionally the two would stop to admire a particularly nice view of the landscape, or say hello to a friend passing by, their hands never once losing contact.

It was a sharp contrast to some other couples Jinxx had seen, who seemed to always be arguing over some small matter, or otherwise be tapping away on their phones and completely ignoring one another's existence. Yet this couple seemed to thoroughly enjoy spending time together. It wasn't the most romantic of scenes, their conversation covering relatively dull topics like what to make for dinner. Still, they seemed so happy and comfortable, so... in love.

The word came as a shock to Jinxx, and as he continued watching he realized that perhaps that word could be used to describe the emotion he saw between these two humans.

After a while the couple turned around and began walking back to the park entrance, the bright afternoon sky fading into a dreary gray. They were still a good distance away when the first raindrops began to fall, and Jinxx watched with mild fascination as the man took off his jacket, draping it around the woman's shoulders and playfully flipping the hood up to shield her from the rain. The woman smiled, leaning up to kiss his cheek and wrap her arm around his shoulders in an ineffective yet sweet attempt to help protect him from the rain too.

Yes, Jinxx thought, this seems like how love might be. And for the first time since he could remember, Jinxx felt jealous of the humans. He too wanted to be able to experience this strange emotion that bonded people together.

"Love is such a pointless emotion."

Startled, Jinxx turned to see that a familiar angel had joined him in watching the couple.

"William. Good to see you." Jinxx greeted, shifting so that he was now sitting facing his friend, who was still eyeing the humans with a doubtful expression.

"Nice to see you as well, Jinxx." William replied, folding his wings behind his back as he too sat down. "Why are you watching them anyways?"

Jinxx shrugged, not entirely sure why. "Just curious. They seemed so happy together."

"For the present, maybe. But eventually their relationship will be over, and then they will be overcome with sadness." William stated knowingly. "Humans have such fleeting lives, yet they waste them away with trivial dreams that only cause them heartbreak in the end. If it causes such pain, then what is the point of feeling it?"

Jinxx didn't know how to answer that and so he remained silent for a moment, now feeling slightly ashamed of his earlier desire to feel human love. What was he thinking? Surely William was right, and Jinxx himself had seen more than enough suffering caused by love. He should consider himself lucky that he didn't have to feel it.

"I suppose you're right." Jinxx agreed finally, waving his hand in the air and causing the scene to fade away. He looked over to see that William was observing him with a scrutinizing look. "What?"

"You've been spending a lot of time watching the humans lately, Jinxx." William stated, raising an eyebrow at said angel questioningly.

"I'm only doing my job, watching over them is what we're supposed to do." Jinxx replied, a bit defensively. He didn't see anything wrong with watching the people, it was more interesting than just lounging about in paradise all day.

"Watching over and guiding those who die is our job, yet you are watching humans who have not yet been called for." William countered, not buying Jinxx's explanation at all.

"Remember what you are. We are not humans. We have no need to understand mortal perceptions." He warned, troubled by his friend's lack of caution. Angels were strictly forbidden from interfering with human affairs, and he worried about what might happen if Jinxx overstepped his role too much. "It can be dangerous getting so close to them, Jinxx."

Jinxx sighed, brushing off William's concern with an easy smile. "Relax, Will. I know what I'm doing and I won't get too close. You don't need to worry."

As if on cue, the familiar buzzing from Jinxx's book caught their attention, the pages glowing in waves of light. William stood, stretching out his wings before turning to give Jinxx a parting wave. "Be careful, my friend." With that William disappeared, the clouds swirling up around where he stood previously.

Jinxx paused, contemplating his Will's words for a moment before he opened the book and flipped to the page that was glowing brightly. At the top of the page bright gold letters spelled out the name of the one he was called for, the man’s portrait below looking out at him with a piercing gaze.

“Andrew Biersack”

Notes

Second chapter is finished! Please do comment and let me know what you think ^^ I appreciate all feedback very much, thank you~