Page 3 of Cupid’s Flight

Servant was a loose term to describe the tennyo, a subgroup of tennin. Tenshi were a related, but different, subgroup. Tenshi were messengers, helping the celestial world by passing the words of God and the buddhas, while Tennyo were servants, but they were also courtesans in the Eastern definition. Their main role was to play music, sing, dance, and play games. They were generally the definition of a party companion. However, they also offered their bodies for sex should the situation warrant. To Leo, that sort of life sounded like torture, so running away from it all made sense. The problem was, when this tennyo said he had run away, he sounded about as mature as the kids who thought it would be easy to buy expensive animatronics.

“Why don’t I show you?” the tennyo said, finally uncurling from his protective ball. He stood, his body lean and willowy, although compact, as he was shorter than Leo. His hips rolled, visible even through his informal yukata, as he glided over to Leo. “If you help me escape from here, I’ll show you all the delights of the celestial realm.” He bit his lower lip, pulling the plump flesh through his teeth, and looked up at Leo through his long eyelashes, his silver eyes practically glowing. He lifted his long fingers as if he wanted to run his knuckles gently over Leo’s cheek, but Leo caught his hand in his.

“I think you’re misunderstanding something,” Leo said, fighting to keep his voice normal, rather than the growl his libido desperately wanted him to use. “The goblins rescued you from a bad situation and brought you here to protect you until they could find me. Since we’ve likely reached the limit of goblin hospitality, I’m going to take you home with me until a better solution can be found. There’s no need to try to seduce me to get what you want.”

The tennyo’s pout was fleeting, but still there, as if he was actually disappointed Leo had stopped him. He sighed as he stepped back.

“I appreciate the help, then,” he said, but he curled his fingers around Leo’s, holding his hand when Leo tried to let him go.

“Right,” Leo said, coughing to try to clear his throat and get his mind back on track. “Best way to get through the tunnels is to tuck away your wings. Can you do that…er… Do you have a name or something I can call you? I’m Leo.”

“Hello, Leeeooo,” he replied, the three letters of Leo’s name elongated into something obscene as he squeezed Leo’s hand again. “I’m Hei.” He pronounced it hee-eyh, although he didn’t sound like he was playing anymore so that was probably his actual name. “I do appreciate the help, but I’ll tell you now, I’m not returning to the celestial realm.” His wings rustled and then faded away, replaced by a hagoromo scarf. The feathered ends of the scarf draped over his elbows, but the curve that should have rested on the small of his back instead defied gravity to float over his head.

“Let’s get out of the goblin caverns, Hei,” Leo said. Since Hei was still holding his hand, Leo led the way out to where Giblets waited. “Please show us the way outside, Giblets,” Leo added.

Giblets’s grin at Leo took in both their clasped hands and the way Hei clung close as they passed the female goblin outside, but he thankfully didn’t do anything worse than wink before turning and leading the way back to the entrance. When they reached the ladder, Hei finally let go, but as soon as they were back in the park up top, he wrapped his arms around Leo’s left arm.

“Thanks, Giblets,” Leo said.

Giblets had only climbed high enough to grip the grate to close it again, but he nodded. “Happy to garner a newly owed favor from you, Purple.” He closed the grate with a clang, vanishing from view.

Hei had resumed gripping Leo’s arm, but he was looking around at the moonlit park with his mouth open. He caught sight of the stars overhead and gasped.

“It’s so pretty,” he whispered. “Do you live here?”

“This is Earth, specifically North America,” Leo replied. He started walking, heading toward the portal spot. “I come down here for work, but I live up there.” He pointed upward with his free hand.

“The celestial realm?” Hei gasped. He stopped walking, dragging Leo to a stop by his grip around Leo’s arm. “I’m not going back there!”

“I don’t live in the celestial realm or any sort of heaven. I’m a cupid. I live in the clouds.”

They were close enough to the portal spot. Leo called on his wings, which activated the portal. A beam of light flashed over them, and within a blink the park vanished, replaced by the clouds he called home.

“Whoa!” Hei clutched tighter at Leo’s arm, looking around in awe. “You really did mean in the clouds!” He turned his head to look behind him, where the shine of the moon frosted the clouds as silver as Hei’s hair, but paused when he caught sight of Leo’s wings. “They’re so pretty!” He released one of his hands from around Leo’s arm and gently slid his fingers through the edge of Leo’s feathers. Most of the feathers were still black, but some had lightened all the way to pale lavender. Every few years he found another feather had turned purple; his age was really starting to show.

“If you say so,” Leo replied. “Can you fly? It’s the only way to get around up here.”

Hei’s hagoromo scarf shimmered and vanished as his silver wings reappeared. “These aren’t for show.” He winked. “Where are we flying to?”

“I want to find an elder to let them know you’re here,” Leo explained. He didn’t add “and figure out what to do with you,” but he was certainly thinking it. With Hei still wrapped around Leo’s arm, flying wasn’t exactly possible. Nothing Leo had said yet had convinced Hei to let go, though, so he wasn’t sure what to say now. Except, Hei flapped his wings and lifted into the air, his hands sliding along Leo’s arm in a gentle caress of his fingertips against Leo’s skin. He stopped when they were at arm’s length and slid his fingers in between Leo’s, now clutching at his hand instead.

“Are you coming?” Hei asked, impatient as he tugged upward on Leo’s arm.

In response, Leo flexed his wings and jumped into the air. They flew together, still holding hands, over the moonlit clouds. The portal area was fairly isolated, kept separate from the rest of their city so cupids didn’t accidentally fall down to Earth, so it took a while before buildings came into view. They reached a shopping center first, all the stores dark and firmly shuttered for the night. The park was just beyond the shopping center, and the next cloud past that was where Elder Parnus lived. Parnus would definitely know what to do about Hei.

Unlike the shopping center, however, the park was brightly lit. Chatter and music were audible even before it came into view. The bonfire flickered brightly, illuminating the sky and clouds in vivid red and orange. Leo hadn’t realized it was that late. The festival parties started at sundown when Samhain officially began but ended just before midnight so everyone could head to the nearest park for the bonfire which was lit at midnight when the moon shown fullest overhead.

“Oh! What’s that?” Hei asked. He stopped flying forward, hovering instead, as he stared at the bonfire and the people dancing around it in celebration.

“Today marks Samhain—the beginning of winter—so they’re holding a party. It’s meant to honor our ancestors, ward off negative spirits, and prepare for the coming season of cold.”

“The closest-sounding holiday I’ve ever celebrated is Obon, but that’s in the middle of summer.” Hei was drifting lower, his eyes shining as they darted around at everything going on. “Let’s go take a look!” His grin at Leo was bright with excitement, like a child receiving a present, and Leo found himself unable to fight back as Hei pulled him down to the surface of the cloud and right into the melee.

A band played and people danced singly and in groups, arms over their heads and flung with abandon, and Hei immediately joined them.

“Come on!” he called, tugging on their joined hands. “Dance with me!” Almost everyone around them was either drunk or quickly heading there and didn’t notice Hei as he spun around, using his grip on Leo’s hand for balance.

“I’m definitely too old to dance like this,” Leo replied, resisting when Hei tried to spin him. When his tugging on Leo’s hand didn’t work, Hei instead lunged forward, plastering his chest against Leo’s and forcing him to sway side to side.