Amelia & Tuzo - 1 - Star-Crossed

[Shadowess]

Before Sebastian had been found at the ADIEU facility, back when Damien and Amelia's sibling bond was just beginning, and Atma had tried once again to open a bar as a neutral meeting place, the pair entered the building with a cocky yet cautious air about them. "Are you sure this is safe?" Amelia asked as they stood in the doorway and looked around for an empty table.

On one side of the building, the Angelic aura was so strong that they could practically smell it. But despite a few glares their way, none of the Angels made any attempt to confront them. On the other side of the building, the Demonic aura was just as strong as its opposing counterpart. This side was far more welcoming as a few Demons raised their glasses and cheered the arrival of their missing King's protégé.

"Relax, sis. This isn't the first neutral bar to exist and Atma is seriously good at keeping the peace. She might be a Spirit of Life and incapable of killing anything but she sure knows how to make your life hell for crossing her. Besides, there are always a few dozen loyal Demons around to watch our backs." Damien explained as they walked towards the bar. Despite still being on his guard, Damien seemed to be considerably more at ease than Amelia was. But then again, Amelia was still new to Earth, being a Devil, being hunted by Angels and the war. So she was far more tense as a result. "Just don't get too drunk, keep your wits about you and don't stray too far to the Angel's side of the bar."
"Got it." Amelia nodded as she placed her arms on the bar and smiled at the bartender.
"Demon's Brew?" the bartender asked in a bored tone.
"You go ahead. Relax here and mingle with a few Demons." Damien surprised Amelia.
"You're not staying?"
"I've got a lead on something... I can't say right now but I'll tell you about it when I know more. I just gotta meet someone upstairs to get some details. I shouldn't be long." he explained and patted her on the shoulder.
"Um-!" Amelia's eyes darted over to the Angels nervously. Seeing this, Damien leaned in to whisper into her ear.
"Don't forget what I told you. If they see your fear they'll use it against you. You'll be fine and I'm not far."

She turned to say something but found that Damien had already left. She sat on one of the bar stools in a huff. The bartender placed the glass of Demon's brew in front of her. Still getting used to the idea of money and having to pay for services, Amelia pulled out her purse with an uncertain look. "How much is it?"
"Free. Compliments of that guy." The bartender told her while nodding to the Angel's side of the bar. Following his nod, Amelia's eyes landed on a dark-haired Angel who raised his own glass at her with a charming smile. Unlike his fellow Angels, he seemed friendlier. Amelia genuinely couldn't tell if he was being sincere or if he was trying to mess with her. Either way, he paid for her drink and she knew there was no risk of it being poisoned as the drink had been made by the neutral bartender. So, to be polite, she took the glass and smiled with a nod of thanks to the Angel, hoping that would be that. She then tensed and felt her heart freeze when the Angel stood from his stool and started walking over to her. She hadn't meant to invite him over!

The Angel's eyes glanced behind her as he walked and then he stopped and seemed to hesitate moving any closer. Amelia turned her head and saw a couple of Demons had risen from their tables to glare at the Angel. A warning not to try anything funny. The Demons glanced at Amelia questioningly and she knew immediately that they were looking to see if she was ok with his approach. She thought about it for a moment. It's risky but if what Damien said was true then there wasn't anything the Angel could do here that wouldn't result in earning Atma's ire, Not to mention, the Demons that already looked prepared to defend her despite Atma's rules. For the first time since their arrival, Amelia actually felt she was safe when visiting Earth.

She nodded to the Demons to assure them. She was curious to see what the Angel wanted. After all, she could always tell him to piss off if he got on her nerves. She turned back to watch the Angel who looked back at her with a relieved and thankful smile. He began to cautiously move closer again. He sat on a stool next to her while maintaining a short, respectable distance. "Thank you for the drink." Amelia greeted him.
"Thank you for allowing my company," he responded.
"Aren't you worried what your friends will think?" she nodded to the Angels behind him who were watching with a mixture of disgust and curiosity. The Angel didn't bother looking behind himself as he simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Not really. It's not every day that I get to sit next to or even talk to a Devil. They can judge all they like, but really..." he leaned forward a bit and whispered with a cheeky smirk. "They're just jealous. Most of them are Arch Angels that would get royally bollocked by their superior for so much as saying 'Hello' to a Demon."
"You're not an Arch Angel, then?"
"Oh no, that life isn't for me." the Angel grinned as he sat upright in his seat again. "I'm practically a civilian in comparison." he hesitated before extending a hand to her to shake. "My name is Tuzokath Amor but you can just call me Tuzo."
Amelia hesitated before taking his hand and shaking it a bit. "I'm Amelia Magpie."
"Lovely to meet you, Amelia," Tuzo said and Amelia felt his thumb gently caress the back of her hand before he let her hand go.

She blushed, unsure of how to react. She instinctively pulled her hand away. "So, um..." she stammered while tucking some loose hair strands behind her ears. His approach, cool manner, and unexpected contact had caught her off guard and she found herself feeling something new. She wasn't entirely sure what it was yet but she knew that she was fascinated by the Angel sitting near her. "What kind of Angel are you then? If you don't mind me asking."
"That's an interesting question." Tuzo chuckled. "You're still new to all of this, aren't you?"
"To Angels, at least," Amelia admitted. "So far the only Angels I've met since becoming what I am have tried to kill me on sight."
"I'm sorry to hear that... to answer your question though, not all Angels have titles. Some, like I say, are merely civilians. The only time they get called for any work is if it's something small but impactful. Like helping someone with a drug addiction to get clean. Those kinds of Angels aren't trained to fight and would usually just avoid Demons or Devils as best they can."
"Oh, I didn't know. So, is that what you are? A Civilian Angel?"
"Almost." Tuzo winked with a smirk and Amelia couldn't help but blush again. "I specialise in primal passions."

"What does that mean?" she asked naively. Although Amelia was in her early twenties by this point, she hadn't had the time or the opportunity to find romance. That and being sheltered for most of her life meant that she was still quite innocent.
"May I whisper it to you?" Tuzo asked quietly. Intrigued, Amelia nodded and sat perfectly still as Tuzo slid from his stool and slowly approached her. The way he looked at her, the warmth radiating from him as he drew closer, the way his fingers felt as they gently moved her hair away from her ear and his hot breath on her cheek made her feel a sort of excitement that she'd never felt before. When he whispered into her ear she felt a shiver run through her as well as a tingling sensation run down her spine. "Come to the Equilibrium sometime and I'll be happy to show-"
"The fuck are you doing?!" Damien's bark as he pushed Tuzo away from Amelia had made her jump. Tuzo had stumbled back. He immediately held his hands up and backed away a bit. Amelia looked at her brother and was alarmed at how furious he appeared to be. He looked ready to tear Tuzo apart.
"Damien wait, he wasn't doing anything!" she pleaded while jumping from her stool.
"We were just talking-" Tuzo tried.
"That didn't look like talking to me!" Damien raged as he grabbed Amelia's arm and pulled her behind him. "You stay the fuck away from her! You hear me? You look at her again and I'll burn you to a damn crisp!"

By this point, all the Angels on the other side of the bar had gotten up from their seats and looked ready to defend Tuzo. Meanwhile, the demons on their side had also gotten to their feet and also seemed ready to fight. "Damien, stop! It was nothing! He was just being nice!"
"Their kind aren't nice without an ulterior motive!"
"Pfft! This coming from a Devil!" One of the Angels snapped back.
"You wana say that again? You feathery fuck!" One of the Demons shouted.
"ENOUGH." a woman's voice boomed and immediately, everyone in the room had the look of a sheepish child who had just been caught doing something they shouldn't. Atma, with her golden locks loose and covering her eyepatch, stepped into the room with a very stern look. "Unless you all want a multi-lifetime ban from my establishment, I strongly suggest you all behave like civilised adults!"

The room was still for a moment before both Demons and Angels began slowly returning to their tables but not without exchanging a few nasty stares. Atma turned to Damien who hadn't moved and was still glaring at Tuzo. "You should know better." she scolded him. "Lucifer wouldn't have behaved so irrationally."
"What would you know about him?!" Damien snapped, sounding almost hurt by the statement.
"I knew him better than most think," Atma said simply then walked away, making it clear that she had no intentions of elaborating further.
Damien glared at her then back at Tuzo. His shoulders dropped in defeat but his gaze remained menacing. "I meant what I said. Stay away from my sister," he warned before marching towards the door. He hadn't let go of Amelia's arm so naturally he pulled her along with him, whether she wanted to go or not. She gave one last apologetic look to Tuzo before being pulled through the doors. Once outside, she yanked her arm free and rounded on Damien. "You didn't have to do that!"

"How could you be so stupid?" Damien hissed at her while turning to stare her down. "After everything I taught you. After all the times we've been hunted and attacked by his kind and you let him get that close to you? What were you thinking?!"
"Oh, come off it!" Amelia rolled her eyes. "They can't all be in support of the war! If they knew- if we just tried my idea-"
"Here we go again!" Damien threw his arms up dramatically while shaking his head.
"But it could work! I know it can!"
"It's just a dream, Amelia! They hate us! They will always hate us! We will always be hunted by them!-"
"Not if it ended the war-!"

"Oh for fucks sake will you grow up?!" Damien shouted. "It will never happen! It's a childish dream and it's about time you let it go or it'll be the death of both of us!" he shook his head. "Pfft! I've been coddling you. All the more reason to find Lucifer. He'll set you straight." he turned and started to walk away. "C'mon, I have a lead-"
"No." Amelia's voice broke a little but she stood firm. Surprised, Damien turned to look at her. Her cheeks were red and she was shaking with rage as she held back tears. He saw faces in the windows of the bar behind her and knew their fight had drawn some attention from the patrons inside, both Angel and Demon alike.
"Amelia-"
"Just leave me alone," she growled and vanished.
Damien sighed heavily. He knew she just needed some time to calm down after their fight. He decided he'd wait for her inevitable return before he'd talk to her about it. Maybe she'll see how silly she was after having some time to think about it.