A Christmas Angel by Surreal Feedback: surreal666@hotmail.com Rating: PG Pairing: Langly and Byers Archive: Anywhere that wants it! Note: A Holiday Challenge response for the LGM Slash list Hope you like this, LL!! Summery: My first songfic. John thinks about Ringo while away on Christmas Eve. ~~<_>~~ December 24th, 11:23 pm Byers sighed restlessly as he shut down his laptop for the night, having checked his email one last time for a message from his lover. The older man had sent a short message to him earlier that evening, a single sentence that spoke volumes of his current state of loneliness and solitude. "Ringo--Wish you were here with me. Love, John." As he stood, he grimaced as he silently paced his small hotel room, the thought of spending Christmas Eve alone when, for the first time in too many years he actually had someone to be with putting a dark, heavy damper on his mood. Riffling through his suitcase for his flannel pajamas, his hand hit a hard, sharp object and he stopped. He didn't remember packing any CDs, at least not of the musical kind. He turned the hard case over in his hand, finding nothing to tell him what was on it. He opened the lid, finding a small, folded note laying on top of the disc. "Our song" was the only thing written on it, in Langly's fluid handwriting. A fond, longing smile lit Byers' face as he took the CD to the stereo and he put it into the machine, hitting play. Soft, dreamy piano chords struck unevenly filled the air with their presence, demanding full attention as they drifted into his mind. //Spend all your time waiting for that second chance For the break that will make it OK// The lightly accented, beautifully mesmerizing female voice caught him off-guard. He was used to Langly's style of music, the hard-rock and this was the last thing he had expected to hear. As he let the words sink in, he realized how strong a chord they struck with him. Second chance...a break. He'd waited so long for his second chance with Suzanne, fully aware what it would mean to his growing intimacy with Langly. He'd gotten his break in Las Vegas, all right. In finding that the woman had the good sense to move on, it was okay for him to move on with his new love, with no strings attached. //There's always some reason to feel not good enough And it's hard at the end of the day// He'd often wondered what it was about him that Langly had found attractive. The older man had found it difficult to accept, for too long a time, the unconditional love and mutual attraction so opening offered to him by his young friend. //I need some distraction or a beautiful release Memories seep from my veins// Beautiful release...memories of long, heated nights laying in the arms of his lover, the aftermath of their lovemaking still pulsing through their bodies as they clung to each other and the outside world was, blessedly, forgotten for all too brief a moment. //Let me be empty and weightless and maybe I'll find some peace tonight// Byers aimlessly, distractedly, undressed and wrapped his body in the warm fabric of his night clothes; Ringo's favorite. He sat on the edge of the bed, and listened to what his lover was telling him. //In the arms of the Angel far away from here From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent revelry You're in the arms of the Angel; may you find some comfort here// 'Oh, god,' he choked on a silent sob, pulling his legs up to his chest and wrapping his arms around them, his head resting on his bent knees. He closed his eyes against the stinging tears, feeling through his own memories the warm, soothing arms wrapping around him as if his lover were really there, holding him, caressing him and making him feel not so alone. //So tired of the straight line, and everywhere you turn There's vultures and thieves at your back The storm keeps on twisting, you keep on building the lies That you make up for all that you lack// Too many years fighting to stay in the shadows while bringing to light the things those who they hid from wanted to keep behind closed doors, or deep underground, as the case may be. Constructing layers upon layers of lies, killing an innocent woman only to save her life, to give her a new one. Even in the darkness, the hopelessness of it all he had found the most basic of human needs, the one thing he had needed more than anything was there in front of him the whole time. That in itself made up for everything he had lost by persueing a life of servitude to what he most believed in. Just knowing that at the end of it all, he could collapse under the weight of the world and know that there was someone right there to catch his fall and never let go. //It don't make no difference, escaping one last time It's easier to believe In this sweet madness, oh this glorious sadness That brings me to my knees// The music so deeply holding his being, he was not aware of his own body, trembling, tears now freely trickling down his soft cheek. //In the arms of the Angel far away from here From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent revelry In the arms of the Angel; may you find some comfort here You're in the arms of the Angel; may you find some comfort here// As the final chords drifted around him, he slowly found his way back to reality, the pressure in his chest lifting slightly as he somehow had the presence of mind to wipe the wetness from his cheek. His mind rerunning the lyrics over and over, he only belatedly heard the soft knock on the door to his room. Cursing whoever it was for finding it necessary to disturb his agonized brooding, he didn't even check the peephole, simply yanking the door open with an fierce "What?" on the tip of his tongue. The impulse was lost the moment he met the familiar hazel eyes staring into his. "Oh, my God..." he whispered, stumbling back to let the figure into his room. "Ree--" "Hi, baby," Langly replied softly. He wrapped his arms around his still-trembling lover, feeling as the older man's knees gave and he held him up without question. "I got your message." Still too shocked to think straight, Byers simply clung to the younger man desperately. Finally, reluctant to leave the warm embrace, he pulled back just enough to meet those eyes again. "I got yours, too." ~~<_>~~ Merry Christmas and all that stuff to the LGM slash people!! Lyrics and music belong to Sarah McLaughlan for the song "Angel".