"Aaand sign there, and initials here and another sign there. And just one more time, bleed here." I pointed out as we finalized the contract.

"Is it done?" He asked, exasperated.

[You did have him sign a 400 page contract. I'm exhausted and I was just looking at it.]

"Yep. That's it. All done." I clapped and slammed the thick packet shut. 

"Finally." Metatron groaned.

"Oh come on. Contracts are important. We have to make sure everyone and everything is accounted for you know?"

"Yes, but did it have to be 400 pages? I swear I could cut that down to less than 50 pages." Metatron huffed.

I wagged my finger.

"The devil is in the details, my friend. Never skip the details." 

He gave me a deadpan look and flipped the book open.

"In the case where both the contractor and contractee desire and/or believe a beverage, including but not limited to hot chocolate, coffee, vodka martini, vodka cranberry and rum and coke, should there be confusion in any form, new drinks may be procured after both parties consent." He looked up at me, "Why did this have to be included?"

"You know, because if we go to a gay bar and some guy spikes one of our drinks-"

"Why would we ever go to a gay bar in the first place?!" 

I leaned in with a smirk.

"Oh, sometimes daddy likes to get some free drinks and validation, even if I don't swing that way~" I rapped the table with my fingers, "I'm sure you've done it once or twice?"

Metatron rubbed his temples.

"One, never say that sentence, ever again." He shivered, "And two, no. I have not."

"Well, don't knock it till you try it." I shrugged.

"I'll pass, thank you very much." He groaned, "At least it's done." 

He fell back into his chair.

Heh. Seeing him all exhausted, I can tell that the purpose of that long ass contract has been fulfilled, instilling him with a false sense of security.

Now to hit the jackpot.

"So....now that that's done, all you need to do is wait around and hunker down for a while. In the meantime, I'll follow that lead on the Angel Tablet and contact you when I have it."

"Got it." He nodded.

"Okay. Now, before I leave, I had just a teeny, tiny little request. If you don't mind." 

"I have a bad feeling about this-"

"Yeah, I'll need your grace." I told him straight.

"No." He denied it immediately.

Angelic Grace. The source of an angel's powers and the most potent thing in creation, because it was pure creation itself. Capable of granting immense power to it's wielders, it was one of the few things worth trading with this world for. And as a drop of creation itself, it was something close to nature, hence, something that could restore my lifespan in full. Hopefully.

Why didn't I ask it in the contract you ask? 

Because if I did, he wouldn't have signed it. Ever. 

So I had to do it informally.

"No, no, no, I think you gave it wrong. I don't mean permanently. I just, uh need it for a minute. Right here, right now. I need a little healing and um...." I shuffled nervously, "If I let the Mark do it, I fall further. I don't know how much longer I have to fall fully, and I'd rather not risk it. I'm saving that up for when I kill Raphael."

"Oh, I can do that. Give me your hand-"

"No!" I exclaimed, before realizing and cleared my throat.

"Ahem, I mean no. It's too much power. It might backfire on you and such. I know a spell for it though so if you give it to me-"

"Teach me the spell." He offered.

"It takes a long time to learn and I really should be going, getting on the road, you know." 

"I'm a quick learner." Metatron insisted. 

I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. It's a secret spell. I worked hard on it and I don't want to reveal it just so soon. Magicians have their rules. Happy?" I huffed with pride, "But I do need that healing. So could you just...please?"

Metatron narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"What are you planning?"

"What am I-" I scoffed, "I'm not going to steal your grace, Jesus. If I wanted to do that, I have the Mark and you're just a regular, run-of-the-mill angel. I could have ripped it out of your throat like that." I snapped my fingers, startling him, "But I didn't. Because you're my friend. We have plans together my man. Big plans, bigger payout. I'm not going to sabotage all that for one grace, you understand that right?"

He wasn't the trusting sort so I was ready to just rip it out of him, but he yielded surprisingly quick 

".....yes." He sighed in relief as he weighed the situation.

"Thank you." I extended a hand and a small enchanted bottle appeared in it. 

"I have some conditions." Metatron hesitated.

"Sure. Shoot."

"You'll stay right here."

"Won't move a step." I agreed.

"No sudden moves."

"Still as a statue. Gotcha."

"And you return it to me immediately."

"Not a second late, promise." 

"And, I hold your hand while you do it."

I smirked, wriggling my eyebrows.

"And you said you weren't interested~" I teased.

"What-ew, no! Not like-" He glared daggers at me, "You're an asshole. You know that?"

"Know it, love it." I grinned.

He let out a long and tired sigh and his face told me just how done he was with this shit.

"Oh, cheer up. It's just a little friendly teasing." I slapped his back and laughed.

"I hate people like you the most." He grumbled.

"And I love you too, buddy. Now grace?"

"No foul play. No tricks." He repeated.

"None at all, sheesh. Have a little faith. Aren't you an angel? That's like your kind's whole shtick."

"I'm built different." He smiled and said with a straight face and I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing.

"You did not just say that." I chuckled, "Cringe AF." 

"Do you want the grace or not?" He huffed in annoyance.

"No, no. I do. Sorry." I suppressed a laugh. 

"Please." 

He nodded and picked up the bottle. Summoned an angel blade, the quintessential weapon of all angels, in his hand, and hesitated a bit as he plucked up the courage. 

Then, with one clean nick, he carefully slit his throat and let the grace pour out. The white, murky stream of angelic power swam out lazily like a thick smoke and congealed into a thin dewey mist as it swirled into the bottle.

"Thank you-" I went for it but he held out his other hand first.

"Your hand." 

"Of course." I held out my left hand and let him grab it. His grip was tight, so much so that I doubted I could get out even with Reinforcement.

Almost too firm for a man who lives a sedentary lifestyle, but then again, he was an angel, even with his grace in a bottle. Or maybe he kept a little for himself in case I tried something. Actually, no, that's probably what he did.

Finally, he let go of the bottle and handed it to me. Grabbing the bottle, I chugged it down, swallowing it whole as my mystery connected to the grace within, pulling on it's power which I pumped it into PK.

PK, do the thing.

[On it.] PK replied, and the ring shone brightly with a prismatic glow, [High Healing!]

Instantly, I felt as if I had drunk water for the first time in days, after wandering a desert parched. I could feel my soul flutter and my heart beat faster as the world became just a tad brighter and colorful around me. Within me, my lifeforce swelled and I felt instinctively healthier. 

My skin became rosy, my eyes twinkled like the stars and my bones cracked as a fatigue I didn't even know existed vanished, melting away into thin air. Every breath felt fresher and I could just about taste the air. Reality positively thrummed with life in my eyes.

And then, like a flooding dam rushing into a balloon, it suddenly popped and hit a cap.

What happened PK?

I asked as the spell came to a screeching halt.

[I think we hit a cap.]

A cap?

[Yeah. A biological and conceptual limit to your existence. I couldn't extend your lifespan beyond ten years.] PK replied.

The maximum lifespan for a homunculus. I should have known.

I sighed.

[Hey, don't worry. Ten years is plenty of time. Especially if you don't reckless blow your load onto more unsuspecting gods and immortals anytime soon.] PK joked as he softly assured me, [We just need more data, a couple of homunculus blueprints and we'll make a newer, better spell that'll solve your problem. And if not, there's a whole multiverse of lifespan increasing treasures out there. Worst case scenario, I can help turn you into a lich.]

Thanks PK. You're a good friend. 

[The best there is.] PK gloated.

Such a brat.

Well, ten years will do for now. I'm sure I'll find more ways to immortality soon enough. 

Silently, I siphoned off a smidgen of grace from the stream and then, putting the bottle to my mouth, I exhaled the rest of the grace back out into it.

"There you go." I handed Metatron the bottle back and he looked a little surprised. Guess he expected shenanigans from me. Can't say he's wrong to be suspicious.

Not that I was going to do much. Don't wanna ruin the relationship before I'm ready after all.

He let go of my hand and I rubbed it a little as I thanked him.

"Thanks for the help. Appreciate it."

Metatron nodded and quickly swallowed his grace back, putting the bottle down on the table.

His eyes began to glow with a white hot light that flashed across the room, the sound of thunder echoing throughout as shadowy wings projected on the walls behind like a ghostly spectre, appearing for the briefest moment before it all faded to the dim luminosity inherent to the room again. 

"Yes." He cleared his throat, "No problem. Just....don't expect me to do this again."

"Of course not." I nodded, "Completely get it. No one likes being powerless."

"Glad you understand. Now leave. I'd like some time to myself. And my new light novel." He slapped his thighs and got up, "I think I've had enough social interaction for this century." 

I smiled. 

Truly, a shut-in, through and through.

"Alright, alright. I'll leave you alone to have some 'me time'." I winked.

"Why are you saying it like that?" He realized, "No, not like-"

"Hey, Holo is pretty cute. No shame in having a little-"

"Out!" He shouted, "Out!" 

Hehehehehehe.

_________________

Yo!

MC makes a friend-ish and solves his lifespan problem, for now.

Next time, mentor and training arc 2.0 with a hot redheaded sensei. 

Till then, see ya. 

Thanks for reading. 

Donate your powerstones.

Let's get to top 20 at least, please?

Oh, and add the fic to your library. Doesn't cost you a dime, and hey, you might just like it.