Chapter 15: A peaceful day

Tagas watched as the animals grazed peacefully from behind the fence. He rather liked the sheep. They were fluffy, and he had always liked talking to them, when he was in Eden.

Granted, they couldn't talk back, but they had this adorable stare they did that just melted his heart. Right now, he was on a picnic blanket, with the two little cherubs, Arthur, and Harry. They had invited Beth as well, but she had simply told them all she would be busy knitting today, so she was back home.

"Jake, say cow," Andrew spoke, as he thought that making his brother say words was the funniest game of all.

"Cow!" The three-year-old exclaimed, clapping his little hands.

"Now say sheep," Andrew urged, and the little boy puffed up his cheeks. "Come on, Jake. Sheep are the white animals. The fluffy ones."

"Sheep?" Jake asked, and then stood up. Arthur caught him, and brought him closer to himself.

"You can play with them, when we have them go home," the boy's father spoke, and the little boy nodded.

"Jake plays with Dean?" Jake asked, and Arthur had to blink a couple of times, until he remembered that this was Andrew's fake name.

"Not Dean, Andrew. Say Andrew, Jake," Arthur urged, and the little boy began forming the name in his mouth.

"Andrew," Jake spoke, and Arthur placed him back down.

"Yes, Andrew. Now, go play," Arthur released the boy, and Jake went and grabbed his older brother's hand in his. Andrew walked slowly, making sure that he didn't walk too fast for his brother's small legs to follow. Arthur sighed, and leaned back on the blanket.

"I never thought that he would speak," the farmer said, staring at the lazy clouds up above. "Tagas, you are a miracle worker."

"It is nothing, but we should teach the little cherub to say mom. We don't have much time. Audrey will melt when he greets her," Tagas said, and Arthur had to agree.

"Yes, she would be happy," Arthur blinked at that. There was a time when her happiness was his happiness. Now, that was a shallow memory.

"Who wants to play dice?" Harry asked, not liking the melancholic mood one bit. He magicked a pair of dice, and a cup.

"Playing dice sounds great. What are the stakes?" Tagas asked. Among the angels, he was quite the gambler. Something the Archangels had chewed him up on more than once.

"How about this, whoever wins three times, gets to say how the next date is going to go?" Harry asked, and he smirked at the two.

"The next date?" Arthur asked. Was he on a date now?

"Well, this is the first one," Harry looked to the side, where the boys were playing in the grass, he smiled. "And it is a good one, as first dates go. But there must be a second."

"I suppose," Tagas said, getting up from his lying position. "So, three wins? I say the die will fall on a five."

"Three here," Arthur said, and he focused on the cup.

"Well, I say that it will fall on a four," Harry spoke, smirking.

"I say we let Tagas throw the die," Arthur was suspicious. For, if Harry was so certain of the number, there was the possibility that he might cheat.

"You think he is beyond reproach? He can cheat too. If you really want it to be fair, then you throw the die," Harry handed the cup to Arthur. The die was already inside. He played with the other die, as Arthur shook the cup.

The farmer saw how intently the angel and demon were staring at the cup. He could sense that there was something thick in the air between them. Were they trying to cheat? He threw the die anyway.

"A four," he said, and Harry pumped his fists high.

"Told you all. Now, I think it will land on a six," Harry said, and Tagas frowned at him.

"You cheated," the angel accused, only to get a pocked tongue in response.

"So did you, angel cake. Don't pretend otherwise now," Harry said, looking at Arthur expectantly.

"Should I even place my bet?" Arthur asked. "If you are both going to try to out cheat each other, then what is the point in me trying?"

"It is no fun if you drop off, Arthur. Just place a bet," Harry winked at him, and Arthur nodded.

"Fine, then I say it will land on a two," Arthur then looked to Tagas. "And you?"

"Well, a five for me," Tagas said, and Arthur began to shake the cup again. He threw the die, and it landed on a six.

"Quit cheating," Tagas pointed a finger at Harry, who looked at him innocently.

"Same to you, angel cake. Do you know how much magic it takes out of me to overthrow your attempts?" Harry asked, and Tagas bit his lower lip.

"Ok, maybe this time you won't cheat, either of you, and it will land on a four?" Arthur placed his bet, and then looked to Harry.

"It will be six again," Harry told him, a sly smirk on his lips.

"Well, I say it will be a two," Tagas offered, and then stared at the cup. Arthur shook the die in the cup, and then threw it on the blanket. It rolled, stopped, rolled again.

"You guys are not even trying to pretend you don't cheat anymore," Arthur muttered, as the die stopped and rolled again.

"Quit it," Harry spoke, nose scrunched up.

"You stop it," Tagas said, just as disapproving.

"Dad, can we play as well?" Andrew came running to them with Jake in tow. Tagas looked to them, and the die stopped on a six.

"Six again, Harry decides," Arthur said, and then took the cup and the die, and handed them to his sons.

"Boys, cheating is no fun," he told them, as they began to reach out for the cup at the same time. "Remember that."

"Don't listen to him," Harry said, as he took the cup from Arthur, and handed it to Andrew. "Cheating is the best fun. If you can pull it off."

"You are a bad example, Harry," Tagas said, with a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Never change."

Harry responded with a grin, and then the three watched as the boys began placing bets and playing fairly. Although, Harry did try to tip the scales in Andrew's favor, while Tagas did the same for Jake. The cows and sheep kept on grazing peacefully, and Arthur's heart felt light as a feather.