Summary: After losing her sister Anna to a demon, the Winchesters have taken Lexi under their wing. She studies and trains with them, tense friction quickly growing between her and Dean. When Sam and Castiel leave to take care of the demon that killed Anna without her, the levee of tension amidst Lexi and Dean breaks, flowing into something neither of them expected.
A/N: This is an edit of a fic I’ve posted previously. I meant to write a brief smutty one-shot and ended up developing the OFC a bit. I think I could do so much better with this, so I may eventually do a re-write. Since the word count is 10K+, I decided to chapter it out. There may still be some errors, so please forgive me as I haven’t had this beta’d yet. Thank you for reading and as always, if you’d like to be tagged just send an ask!
We all know that the Reader insert rules in fan fiction, but sometimes, someone creates an original character that is so well thought out and written, that you cannot deny their pull. When you read a novel, it is composed of all original characters, so let’s put aside any preconceived notions that the only good fan fiction out there is reader insert.
JANUARY 7 IS OC APPRECIATION DAY!
Please join us, @iwantthedean, @d-s-winchester and @atc74, as we pay homage to some of our favorite OC’s and maybe even come up with some new ones for you.
Do you have an OC that you love? YOur own or someone else’s? Tell us about them! Post your fics (old or new) with the tags:
#OC’s Rule and #OC Appreciation Day 2018 and be sure to tag us so we can read some new OC’s too!
Any genre is welcome (fluff, angst, fluff, crack)
One-shots, series, drabbles, imagines, whatever your heart desires.
Main pairing must be with an OC; please do not include children as your OC (unless they are the main character) as they are generally a result of a reader insert pairing.
Your OC can be you, a friend or the product of your beautiful and creative imagination!
NO SIGN UPS NECESSARY!!! Just post your fic on 1/7/18, don’t worry about time zones!
Tagging those that have previously written an OC: @rockhoochie @tankcupcakes @madamelibrarian @ellen-reincarnated1967 @wheresthekillswitch @mamaredd123 @chelsea072498 @growningupgeek @crazililwabbit @salvachester @hannahindie @docharleythegeekqueen @justanotherdeangirl25 @sammit-janet @hardertobreatheat-night @rainygalaxynerd @faegal04 @frenchybell @holywaterbucketchallenge @spn-hp-fanwrites @mrswhozeewhatsis @just-another-busy-fangirl @waywardjoy @percywinchester27
Warnings: Adult Content, Smut, Slow Burn, Somewhat Dubious Consent, Angst, Prescription Drug Abuse, Drinking, Knife play (very brief), Minor OC (sibling) Death, Language, Oral Sex (M/F receiving).
Summary: After losing her sister Anna to a demon, the Winchesters have taken Lexi under their wing. She studies and trains with them, tense friction quickly growing between her and Dean. When Sam and Castiel leave to take care of the demon that killed Anna without her, the levee of tension amidst Lexi and Dean breaks, flowing into something neither of them expected.
A/N: This is an edit of a fic I’ve posted previously. I meant to write a brief smutty one-shot and ended up developing the OFC a bit. Since the word count is 10K+, I decided to chapter it out. There may still be some errors, so please forgive me as I haven’t had this beta’d yet. Thank you for reading and as always, if you’d like to be tagged just send an ask!
Chapter One
I needed to get the hell out of this car.
This last hunt had been hell. It was supposed to be just a simple salt and burn, but the spirit had been exceptionally strong and incredibly pissed off. Sam had gone off to the cemetery where the corpse was buried, leaving Dean and I to fight the thing. After it blew out our salt circle, the spirit had grabbed me by my ankles, whipping me across the room before Dean was able to get a good blast at it with the salt gun. After Sam had torched the bones and the spectre finally went up in flames, Dean practically had to carry me out as one of my ankles seared in pain.
I knew the boys were itching to catch a break too. After hours on the road and several nights in one of the skeeviest motel rooms we had ever been in, it was good to be getting back to the bunker, the closest thing any of us could call a home.
Dean and I had been bickering on and off for several hours, and constantly during the last hour of the drive. He had been driving like a maniac for miles, refusing to play anything but Motorhead on the radio, ate the last of the snacks, and was just acting like a brooding oaf in general. I was making sure to tell him how I felt about it every twenty minutes or so, and Dean made sure to tell me exactly how much he valued my opinions. Sam had done a fairly decent job of drowning us out with his earbuds, but once his phone battery died, the only soundtrack he got to listen to was mine and Dean’s cacophonic symphony of bitching. By the time Sam had finally lost his patience and screamed at us to shut the hell up, we were just turning down the road that led to the bunker.
Sam, Dean and I immediately made beelines to our rooms when we finally got back, just as the sun was starting to rise.
Once in my room, I tossed my gear bag unceremoniously down on the worn wooden floor. I couldn’t stand the thought of going through it now - unpacking, cleaning weapons, and doing laundry. I sat on the edge of my bed, sighing in relief to have my ass on something other than the leather bench seat of the Impala. Catching a reflection of myself in the mirror above my desk, I barely recognized the woman looking back at me. My long dark hair was greasy, tangled and tousled halfway out of the messy bun I had tried to contain it with. The circles under my eyes seemed to tint themselves darker with each passing second. Scraping at some dried blood that had crusted on my forehead, I noticed a smudge of something black and sticky - I didn’t even want to think about what that was from - decorating my jawline. My eyes clamped shut as I let out a labored breath full of frustration and sheer exhaustion. There was no way I was getting in my bed without a shower. Grunting, I pushed myself up back onto my feet. I grabbed my shower caddy, some pajamas, and a towel from my dresser drawer and headed down the winding halls to the shower room.
The sound of running water met me at the door. I opened it a bit, just wide enough to poke my head in, my ears immediately assaulted with a desecrated version of Cherry Pie.
Dean. Dammit.
“Hey,” I shouted, “you guys both in here?”
“Just me, darlin’!”
“Ugh…I’m disgusting! Are you gonna be much longer?”
“Depends on how long you keep bugging me about it!”
What a little shit he could be.
“Fine. I’ll wait outside, but move your ass!”
Despite the close quarters the three of us would usually have to share on the road, I always wanted my privacy for showering. I shut the door, leaned against the wall, and slid down to sit on the floor. My eyes were fighting me as I willed them to stay open, my ankle was still a bit painful, and every aching muscle in my body was begging to be submerged in hot water. I started tapping my foot to keep myself awake while I waited for Dean to come out.
Waiting…and waiting…and waiting…
Growing increasingly vexed, I got back up and flung the door open.
“Dean! Come on, what are you doing in there?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know sweetheart!”
I was ready to scream. Fuck this.
I barged in. I could see Dean’s bare upper half over the ledge of the third shower stall, covered in bubbles.
“What the hell Lexi?!” he bellowed.
“Look,” I snapped, “I’m exhausted. I’m tired of waiting for you to finish up. I’m filthy. And I’m going to take a shower whether you’re in here or not, and whether you like it or not.”
I got in the first stall, leaving two stalls between us. Once I was sure he couldn’t see anything too far below my neck, I began stripping out of my grimy hunting clothes.
“Well, I was here first,” he grumbled.
“Whatever. It’s not like you’ve never seen a naked woman’s body before. Deal with it.”
I turned to look at him. He was resting his forearms over the ledge of his stall, that same look in eyes that he gave every cute waitress in a roadside diner. I half expected him to belt out one of his cheesy pickup lines.
“Never seen yours,” he said suggestively, grinning like an idiot.
I laughed out loud. “Ha! Winchester, you wouldn’t even know what to do with me.”
He mumbled something as I turned on the shower, stuck my head under the water and let it flow all over me. Dean had told me the first night I came to the bunker that the water pressure in the showers was marvelous – at least he was right about that. I lost myself in the warmth, the dirt and blood and god-knows-what-else skimming off my skin, flexing and extending every muscle I could to stretch them out.
Dean had astonishingly found it in himself to finish cleaning up quickly. I stole a few quick glances at him as he rinsed away the soap, turned off his shower and stepped out of the stall with a towel wrapped around his waist. As he walked towards me, I glanced at his broad shoulders that connected to his fairly sculpted biceps, his firm chest muscles that accentuated the strength in his upper body, his tight abs that edged the slight v-line of his waist…
“See something you like?” he asked me, jolting me back to attention. He had one eyebrow cocked and a much-too-satisfied-with-himself smirk on his lips.
Shit. I wasn’t sneaking glances, I was staring.
I opened my mouth to make some kind of witty retort, but he had left the room before I’d had the chance, slamming the door behind him. I breathed out hard, irritated with myself for staring at him, irritated that he caught me staring at him, and irritated that I had kind of enjoyed staring at him. Who was I kidding, Dean was gorgeous – even though he could really drive me crazy sometimes. It was as though he knew exactly how to get under my skin. I slipped back into the enveloping warmth of the water, soaking, shaving, and scrubbing away the filth that covered my skin and the thoughts that bemused my brain.
***
On the way back to my room, a silhouette of a bottle sitting on the steel island in the kitchen caught my attention.
“Hello, beautiful” I said out loud, cradling the scotch in my hands.
I unscrewed the cap, raised it to my lips and took a huge mouthful. It burned down my throat, but I delighted in the tingle of that warmth only alcohol could produce as it spread through me like a soothing fire. I shuddered as the after-taste hit me – give me whiskey any day, I hated scotch – but it was a better flavor than the last few days and the gut-tingling thoughts I’d had as I stared at Dean in the shower. The bunker was dead quiet, thank god. I took one more pull on the bottle before screwing the cap back on, feeling more relaxed and slightly flushed while I walked down the winding hallway back to my room.
My ankle was throbbing now. Reaching into my gear bag, I pulled out a plastic prescription bottle. Sam had managed to find some painkillers somewhere – he had given them to me the night we killed the spirit. I took one out, hesitating before I swallowed it – maybe taking it with two huge shots of scotch wasn’t a great idea? Deciding I didn’t care, and reasonably sure nothing too horrible would come from it, I swallowed it down.
Tossing the top blanket back from the bed, I threw myself down onto the mattress like it was an old lover’s body. Wrapping my arms around the pillow while wriggling and nestling like a cat against the sheets, I prayed for sleep to come quickly and mercifully. I was so tired that I didn’t even bother to try to get the image of Dean’s bare chest and cocky smirk out of my head as I finally drifted off.
A/N: Hey! I’m back again, and here’s Allie’s POV! Enjoy and let me know what you think!
I threw mud at Corbin, who was standing near me, and who had just watched me struggle.
“What the hell was that for Al?!?” I shrugged, turning to stare at my boots in regret for a moment. I’d have to come back for them later.
“That was for standing there like an asshole and not helping me out of the damn mud. We have 5 mins before we really will be late. Let’s go change and clean up and then hightail it out of here.” Ma and Pops were at the market, selling some of our canned fruits and veggies, and they’d taken the only car to town. School wasn’t too far, and I liked walking anyways, so I’d told Ma and Pops to get going.
Corbin didn’t mind much either, even if he pretended to be bothered by it. It gave us time to catch up and talk about life. He just didn’t let anyone else know that we were actually really close. Mostly, he bullied me in front of his friends. Not real bullying, but. . . well it’s a sibling thing I guess.
I left my muddy socks on the porch, rushing up to my room. Guess I wasn’t wearing my muck boots to school today. I snatched my bag from my desk chair, pausing to stare out the window that overlooked the barn and most of our land. I decided that I needed some time with Midnight, my horse, after school.
Ma and Pops didn’t like it when we took the horses to school. “No where to park ‘em out there at the school pumpkin!” Pops had said when I’d asked if I could take Midnight to school with me. He was right. Our town may have been small, but it wasn’t that small.
“ALLIE WE’RE GONNA BE LATE GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE!” Ah yes. You can definitely see that my brother loves me with every fiber of his being.
“I’M COMING YOU ASSHOLE!” I loved him too.
We jogged down our long driveway to make up for some of the lost time, and near the end, I sped up so that I could beat him to the main road.
“Ha! I win! You’re getting slower Corby!” He hated when I called him Corby, but I also think he had a sort of grudging acceptance for the nickname. I was the only one who called him Corby, and that was how it was always going to be.
“Like hell. You jumped your way to your false victory!” He said in mock anger, and I shrugged. He was technically right. He rolled his eyes, starting down the main road without me.
“Wait up, chicken-butt!” I called, and that made him glance over at me.
“I don’t know why I love you.” He grumbled, and I knocked my hip against his.
“I am the BEST sibling in the ENTIRE universe and you can’t help loving me!” He laughed at that, making me smile.
“So what’s the dirt? What’s been going on in your crowd? Anything cool coming up that I should know about?? How are the college applications going?” Corbin wanted to go to a good college in a city somewhere. He was brilliant. He deserved it.
He’d worked hard his entire life, and Ma and Pops were supporting whatever he decided to do. He could go anywhere he liked, with the grades and scores that he got. I wasn’t sure I’d ever have that luxury.
“Well I mean there’s a party this weekend out at the Hunter’s place if you wanna go. I can catch us a ride with Matt and Ellie?” I nodded eagerly. The Hunter’s knew how to throw a party, and when they did, everyone who was anyone showed up.
I couldn’t help it. I imagined Mercy and I at the bonfire together, sneaking down to the Mouse River after everyone was drunk and couldn’t see straight, and we’d--
“OUch!! That was my foot, clumsy!” I startled, nearly falling into the road. I glanced up at him, be he was smirking, and I pouted.
“I didn’t even step on your foot stop trying to take advantage of my yonderly ways.” He laughed at my choice of words. What? Yonderly means ‘absent-minded.’ I know shit too.
“I know but I thought I lost you for a second there. Yes to the party then. You riding with us?” I shrugged. Maybe I could get Mercy and Cort to come.
“I’ll let ya know. What about all the college stuff Mr. Smarty-pants??” He glanced over at me, making a face.
“I don’t know yet. You know I’m not a city-slicker. I like my country skies and land and freedom. Can’t exactly imagine myself going to a college in the city.” This was confusing because he HAD been talking about it a few months ago. Going to a city and a fancy college and everything. I may have known him for years, but I’d thought that maybe I was wrong about him and that he was changing. Not that I appreciated it.
I liked my country-wild brother. The one who didn’t mind getting down in the mud, the one who stopped to help shovel out cars stuck in the ditch during the winter, the one who liked to help make breakfast with me for Ma and Pops when they were too busy to think about eating. I missed him.
“You were saying you wanted to go to a city college a few months ago weren’t you?” He sighed, and when he took a deep breath, it was like he’d pulled a bunch of tension into his shoulders.
“Yeah but I wasn’t saying that because I wanted to go to the city. I realized I was doing it cause of Izzy.” Izzy was his girlfriend of about a year now, and she was nice enough, but I didn’t ever really support them together. She’d taken my brother away from me. Why would I support her??
“Ya just now realized this? Dumbass.” I muttered, and he punched my arm. There he was!
“Ya alright I’ve been a dumbass for a year or so but I’m at least realizing it on my own. Don’t need your insults to add to the injuries of my heart.” I laughed, shaking my head.
“Hey okay don’t get into a whole sob-story thing. I’m good. I’m just glad you realized it. But what’s up with your whole obsession with your shirts thing. Is that her fault too? Cause she likes your shirts?” He narrowed his eyes at me in warning.
“I have some damn nice shirts you little shit head.” I burst out laughing, trying to catch my breath. Then I stopped in realization.
“So ya’ll broke up then?” He nodded, and I stayed silent. Even if I didn’t like them together, that didn’t mean that I didn’t love my brother and want his happiness.
“I’m sorry Cor.” He shrugged.
“When?” Had I not talked to him in that long??
“Just this past weekend.” He must have read my thoughts because he smiled slightly. “You’re not too out of the loop just yet, little sister.” I sighed, feeling kinda shitty for joking around with him about her.
“So you really need this party don’tcha?” He gave me a lopsided smile.
“Yeah. Something like that.”
“What are you doing after school?” Mercy sounded nervous, and I frowned.
“Thinking of riding Midnight. What’s up?” When she finally met my gaze, her deep emerald eyes were troubled.
“Just um. . . wondering if I could come study at your place tonight?” I scanned her face, down her neck, her arms, and I saw the fresh bruises. It’s a difficult thing when the preacher’s wife is hitting her daughter. You can’t convince anyone of it because she’s a lying scumbag that’s pretty damn good at faking.
I would know. I’ve tried, with Mercy’s permission. It’s never worked out.
“Of course. You can stay over as long as you need. Actually, we haven’t had a sleep over in a while, so I’m making it a sleep over!” I said cheerfully, trying to get her to at least give me a small smile. She did, and some of the tension eased from my shoulders.
“Thanks Allie-cat.” She said softly, tucking a strand of her long brown hair behind her ear. I nodded, and then smiled.
“I’ll ask Ma if she can stop by the store and grab some snacks okay? She’ll let your dad know that you’re staying over, and you’re lucky cause you already have stuff at my house.” It wasn’t exactly luck that her stuff was at my house. It was because this had happened before, and when her mother was in one of these moods, no one was safe but her dad.
“You’ll still ride right?” I nodded, face crinkling in confusion.
“Yeah. Did you uh. . . want to ride?” She shook her head, biting her lip.
“No I just. . . like to watch.” And if I’d died before, when we’d been at the river bank together, I was back alive again, only to be killed again, because that sounded like something more than just watching horse back riding. It was like she was saying she liked watching ME.
So today is a day for appreciating original characters in fanfics, and since I have a few that I love dearly, I thought I’d put them out there.
Like Ocean In The Desert - Alex is an independent woman with an understanding heart and hidden vulnerabilities. She’s just what Dean needs at the moment.
The Righteous Man series - Lasa appeared fully formed in my head and demanded I tell her story. She’s selfish, complicated, and devious, and so much fun to write.
Gimme Shelter - My first fanfic, basically novel-length, starring Fia Armstrong, the one woman who can save Dean’s life and boy, does he resent it. At least at first.
Tagging @iwantthedean, @d-s-winchester and @atc74, the wonderful people putting on this well-deserved day of appreciation.
Pairing: Gabriel x Reader
Word Count: 9518 (WHY SO MUCH)
Warnings: Angst, Tooth-rotting fluff, implied character death, betrayal, other OC’s, references galore, snarky comments from authors
Beta’d By: @sumara62 bless your soul
This was written for OC Appreciation Day, it was written by me and a friend (who wishes to remain unnamed).
October 19th, 1625,
The air had begun to turn crisp as it always did this time of year, and Luciana was more than eager. Especially since this would be her second year under Gabriel’s tutelage. She'd learned how to do many things thus far, such as teleportation of objects, communication with creatures, creating light sources and levitation. Tomorrow is Luciana's 26th birthday and yet, despite being in the company of Gabriel, she had yet to introduce him to her family. However, neither of them seemed to mind, as any time they spent together was full of wonder and laughter. Already she had begun to pick up his humor for playfully torturing the villagers.
Soon she would be on her family’s property, grooming their workhorse as she enjoyed the peace. "I think you would like Gabriel, Ezekiel," she told the horse, who only gave a huff in return. "why do I say that? Well, he's charming… helpful, funny.. and always knows what makes a person smile. And those beautiful eyes of his are the most gorgeous things I've ever seen; not even real gold could compare to the beauty of his eyes." Luciana often did this with the animals, telling them about Gabriel; Neither Rupert nor Amelia have heard personally from or even met him. Tonight, Luciana wanted to ask Gabriel if he'd like to meet her parents, present him to them as a member of the nobility, and pray it goes smoothly from there.
What was Gabriel up to at this point in time? Why he was chatting with an old friend- er, a young friend. This friend stood at only five feet, two inches tall, weighing a little over one hundred and twenty pounds, and had the oddest blue eyes one had ever seen, slightly reddish around the pupils, as if they were slowly changing over time. He had golden, curly hair, tied back into a knot and a permanently goofy grin on his freckled face He appeared to be around thirty-five years old, though this was no normal human. He was an angel, a fledgling, and one to whom Gabriel had taken a definitive liking "Well, I had better get going, Gabriel. Tatrasiel said he was gonna teach me how to swoop! Have fun!" The short angel reached up and managed to pat the archangel on the head, before taking off into the nearby woods.
"Strange fledgie," mumbled the whiskey-eyed male, shaking his head. "Heart's in the right place, but there's something...wrong with him, deep down. I don't think he knows what's in store for him if he goes through with what he has planned. God forbid he think before he acts..." he kicked a rock and exhaled, running a hand through his already mussed hair, which, having grown out slightly, had not quite reached the point where it was overly unruly. "I just hope he sees the error of his ways before then. It would be a shame for Heaven to lose a soldier like him, and to lose Tatrasiel, too? And Nuriel? What the hell are they thinking?" Gabriel kicked another rock and sighed. Oh well. He knew that there was still some time before the golden-haired fledgling would act upon his hare-brained scheme.
Gabriel rolled his shoulders. "Why is it that Tatrasiel gets into so much trouble, huh, squirrel?" He looked up at a squirrel in the nearest tree, who was chewing on a nut, tail bristling. "He already lost his archangel status when he sided with Lucifer. What business does he have messing things up for himself even further? I can only hope he's simply a spy...and that he manages to stop Emmanuel." And that was that. He shook his head again and snapped his fingers, a light amount of sparks flying from them. His head had begun to hurt; it felt like impending doom was descending upon him. Maybe he should lay off the communication with dangerous fledglings. Maybe, maybe not.
Gabriel appeared behind Luciana, eyes tired, temples throbbing; just in time to hear himself being placed on a pedestal,at that. Didn't help much, but it put a smile on his face, mayhaps the first one in a few days. The stress was slowly eating away at the trickster, like a mouse with a wheel of cheese. "Come now, I can't be that special... unless you're trying to flatter me just in case I decided to pop in." He put a hand on Luciana's shoulder, beaming, as if he had just won some sort of prize. He was a sucker for compliments, especially ones he wasn't really meant to hear. Any worry or stress about the angels had faded away, his eyes bright and shiny once more. "I think we both know the real beauty is you, right?"
Luciana flushed red when she heard Gabriel call her a beauty. It seemed anytime he complimented her it caused her to be flustered, "T-Thank you Gabriel." she said and looked at his hand before turning to him once more. The horse snickered before walking away, clearly muttering in horse-speak about dumb love. Luciana gingerly took the hand on her shoulder and looked up at Gabriel, "Gabriel I actually wanted to ask something of you." she said calmly. Her heart was racing, but that wouldn't stop her from being brave for a moment. "We've been companions for over two years now; I believe it is time we introduce you to my family." she said with a warm smile.
"It will be easy; I present you as simply a citizen of our town and go from there." she said and stroked her thumb across the top of his hand before letting him go. Luciana was glad to have Gabriel in her life; he made the bleak world seem so much brighter. Sometimes literally. "But only if you want to, that is, I’m not entirely sure how my father would react to me bringing a God home."
Gabriel used logic. It was...effective? "Luciana, I ask you to think about your father for a second. Don't you think he'd recognize me? What if he has some wards up to prevent me from entering? It's doubtful that that's a good thing, and I'd really rather not cause the entire village to riot," perhaps not as effective as he wished. This opened up some new questions: What was he hiding? There were for sure some plot holes here. What sort of ward could keep out a God?
The archangel let out a heavy sigh. "But I guess it would be a good idea if we met elsewhere. Must it be in your house? Why not the local tavern? I'm sure a few barmaids lurking around would not deter your family from getting to know me just the same." His cheeks were scarlet, his body tense. Oh, yeah.
He was worried about something.
Luciana gave Gabriel a curious look and took the man’s hand, "Gabriel, you're the most handsome man I’ve ever met; I doubt my family would have any trouble with you, long as you behave." she told him honestly and took a deep breath of air. "Please Gabriel, I would rather not have my family meet my friend at some pub; I respect you more than that, and they need to see it too." she said politely before letting his hand go walking out of the barn in which they stood, while watching as William stalked a mother cat and her kittens. "Augh.. William, I swear."
The archangel's one weakness, besides sweets, was being flirted with. It made his entire body go tingly, his fingertips go numb, and caused a goofy smile to spread across his face, which was reflected in his eyes, which seemed to glisten with tears. This made him genuinely happy. For the most part, his prior relationships, platonic or not, were filled with him lifting them up, constantly. It was taxing. Gabriel had needs, too. Clearing his throat, recovering himself from his "moment", he followed very quietly behind Luciana. "While I agree, us meeting in a tavern would be better for...me. I do better when I've had my liquor."
"I just believe it would be better if were to find a quiet room to meet. The tavern has those, right, hon?" Gabriel put his arm loosely around the woman, pulling her in a bit, eyes trained on the cat. Now, he liked cats. The thing he worried about most, however, were the cats that were naughty. "Ever thought about chopping his gonads off?" The archangel questioned, pursing his lips, still a little tense.
The younger female rather enjoyed his arm around her; it was a very comforting sensation. A warm smile graced her lips as she looked at the cat, "I'm not entirely sure what 'gonads' means…” she said peacefully, and turned the subject back to the meeting of her parents, "Well, I suppose if we could find a private area to let you three communicate, it might not be too horrible." she said and looked up at Gabriel, a loving smile on her face. "And I do mean what I said."
In the past two years, Luciana had developed strong feelings for Gabriel. He was almost Prince Charming to her, perfect in every way. Sure, they got into arguments sometimes, but what f friends didn’t? It was unnatural for people to not argue about something, as Free Will was created to allow for humans to have varying beliefs. Luciana believed in the Norse Gods, primarily.
Before Gabriel could speak, something attached itself to his side. It was the young blond from before, his eyes wide and bright. "Gaaaabe, Tatrasiel won't help me. He's such a fucking a- ooh, who's that?" He peered around Gabriel's side, and stared at Luciana, eyes stretching even wider. "Is she your, um, lady? Have you guys had sex yet? Ooh, she's pretty, what a catch!" Enthusiasm practically radiated off of him. The tie that had been keeping his messy hair back had vanished, letting it fall down to his waist; his roots were visibly black, as if he had tried dying them, or had dyed all but his roots. "Gabriel, Gabriel! C'mon!"
Gabriel gritted his teeth. Fuck. "Erm- Emmanuel, this is Luciana. No, she's not my lady. And no, we have not had sex. Down, rover. And put THEM away," he gestured to a pair of thick, golden wings that were lightly fluttering behind the tiny angel, and wheezed. This wasn't good; not at all. Turning his attention back to Luciana, he apologized, "Sorry, um- he's a friend of mine. He's very excitable, and no, he's not a child. He's- what, thirty? Something like that; time tends to run together." he scratched the back of his neck and coughed; the red had vanished, but his face was quite pale, a sure sign that he was nervous.
"Gabe, why is it you always choose pretty women? Why don't you ever choose ugly ones? I'm sure they need a chance, too!" Emmanuel enthused, rocking on his feet, now standing in front of the pair; it was here it could be seen that he was wearing a toga-like outfit, a pale gold color, his feet covered only by golden sandals. In either side of his collarbone rested a silver stud; his ears held single studs, and a golden ring stood out in the middle of his lower lip. A strange sight for anybody who could see him- it appeared that would only be Gabriel, and Luciana (seeing as she can see Gabriel, of course). "But, ma'am, I do have to warn you, Gabriel isn't-"
The archangel slapped a hand over the angel's mouth. "Um, ignore him. About the meeting with your parents...what about in the tea parlor? There's surely one around here, right? Some tea and getting to know each other never hurt anyone!" Gabriel's eyes were wide. Fuck today. He had a lot of explaining to do. "Because it isn't just your parents and I that need to get to know each other."
"Yeah, because you might wanna know more about Gabriel being an angel!" Emmanuel blurted, shoving away Gabriel's hand.
Fuck.
Luciana was startled and confused, needless to say. She was predominantly confused by the boy angel in front of her, but even more confused about Gabriel being an angel? "Get that headache out of here!" she finally blurted, Emmanuel was annoying the living shit out of her as she was trying to think. "Gabriel.. you're an angel?" she asked slowly, still trying to process the information. Not once had she ever seen his wings, yet she saw this fledgling’s wings not but a few moments ago. "That.. That does not make any sense." she sighed.
Her head was pounding from the annoying energy that radiated from Emmanuel; the young angel was toxic it seemed. "I am - going to my house." she told them and began to walk away. Suddenly it seemed her body had contorted into a spiraling mess of energy; within seconds she was standing at her front door. Looking down at her body, she blinked a few times. "Did I just..?"
Apparently, that wasn't the way to talk to someone like Emmanuel. Before he could do anything, feathers bristling, something like smoke hissing from his pores, Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder. He was pissed, but he wasn't going to take it out on the angel, who was clueless in his own right, those angelic blue eyes having gone fully red. That was never a good sign when it came to creatures meant to be holy and pure. "Get on and find Lux. Or Jophiel- anyone. I'm not mad at you, alright?" It appeared the archangel knew shouting would only serve to make matters worse. "Run on. I'll catch up later."
"Fuck you." Emmanuel raised a pale middle finger, and then crossed his arms. It seemed the "enthusiasm" about him had vanished, replaced with a cold, Southern drawl. "'Ah'm here to stay. 'ah gonna getcha outta this damn mess, since 'ah gotcha into it." With hands as cold as ice, he led Gabriel along, nails digging into the older man’s arm.
Gabriel sighed and shook his head; it was one thing that the young angel had spilled his greatest secret; it was another that Luciana had teleported before his very eyes. Nothing was going as planned, and he certainly needed to work out all the kinks before he could be truly excited about anything. Emmanuel seemed to stop a bit before the front entrance. "'ah can't go further. Feels wrong." The blond shifted from foot to foot, scowling, and looking tremendously uncomfortable. "If there's wards up, 'ah can't go with ya. Still ain't partick’ly keen on doing any damage to m'self, Lord knows it takes me forever to heal."
"Good," Gabriel pulled his arm away from Emmanuel. "Stay here." He stepped a bit closer to the entrance; he wasn't going to risk getting too close to the front door, in case the little angel knew what he was talking about; but knowing the angel, he had about a five in ten of being correct. "Firstly- nice teleportation work," his voice was raised higher than normal, almost a shout at that point. "Secondly, does it fucking matter if I'm an angel or not?" Ooh. Watch it, Gabriel. It’s one thing for Emmanuel to drop f-bombs; but you need to keep a lower profile. "Thirdly, are you alright?"
Real smooth, Gabriel. Real smooth. Emmanuel was still leaning against nothing, chewing on something. "'course it matters, Gabe. Nobody wants dealin's with angels no more. We can't be trusted..." No, Gabriel can. You can't, you rebelling little cock ring.
Luciana heard footsteps approach and looked behind her to see the two angels, her eyes falling to Gabriel hearing first his praise, then his question. Walking towards Gabriel, she looked into his eyes with curiosity. "It doesn't matter" she said politely before looking to the younger angel, "I am sorry for calling you a headache… Emmanuel?" she already forgot the boy’s name, but she was more focused on Gabriel. "I was just...surprised." Luciana was treading carefully at this very second. "I'm fine, really." she assured, and took the Archangel’s hand, just looking at it for a moment. "Your being an angel doesn't change the fact that I requested you to teach me magic. Nor does it change the fact that you're my friend." she said, smiling and looking into those eyes of gold once more. "But I suppose if you're an angel, I'll have to find the wardings in my home." she said, and then finally wrapped Gabriel in a hug. "I still need you, my friend."
For years, Luciana had prayed for a companion; originally she was Christian, like her mother; however, discovery of her father’s books changed her mind on religions. So, after meeting Gabriel, she was beyond pleased to have made him her friend; he was an important part of her life, bringing excitement to her otherwise dull world.
Emmanuel spat to the side; he still wasn't too happy, but he'd gotten over it. "'s fine, Luciana. Just don't spew insults so eagerly." And away he went, leaving behind a single, golden feather, tipped with black, soft as a baby bird's fluff. After a moment, it disintegrated into a pile of ash, swept away by a light wind, leaving nothing in its wake other than the mere memory of the scowling angel. It was certain he'd be back, however, considering how much he enjoyed being around Gabriel, whom he considered his best friend.
It appeared, too, that a light change in moods had taken place within Gabriel. Where normally his hugs were weak, one armed, and distant, this one was different. It was warm, for one. It seemed to radiate with positive energy and grace. He was happy; that much was for sure, and it was obvious in the soft laughter shaking him, as he fought for a second to find the correct words, very slowly pulling away from the hug, keeping his hands tightly, but gently, on Luciana's shoulders. "I'm glad to hear that. Most people get scared off when they hear the word angel; it's a little disheartening. But I'm glad you aren't like them. I'm glad you need me.” There was a small pause, “But, yes, the wards...was Emmanuel right? Is the house warded against angels?" A mixture of curiosity and worry filled his voice. "Because as much as I like the idea of sharing a tiny house with you in the woods, at some point, I'd like to see the missus's room."
Luciana smiled when she heard the soft laughter of the angel, and the fact that he gave such a warm hug was pleasing to her as well. "I've seen them around the house in just the most bizarre places." she said, in reference to the wards. "I think my father was just trying to keep anything that isn't human or witch out." she muttered, gazing into those beautiful sockets of honey, taking a moment to just admire them. "I never tire of looking into your eyes." she hummed out.
A few moments passed before she took his hands off of her shoulders, "Do you mind drawing what wards are for the angels, so I don't tamper with the wrong ones?" she asked. She was curious as to how much longer she'd be able to keep Gabriel as her teacher and friend, knowing that she would eventually get older, dying long before her friend was ready.
"I hope you never do." Gabriel's voice was quiet, and he sucked on his teeth for a second before snapping his fingers; yet another angel appeared, this one sporting, long ginger hair and mismatched blue eyes, one darker than the other. A single golden ring hung from his right ear. And boy, he looked pissed. Swearing softly, his Irish accent clear, he snapped his head toward the archangel, shoving a staff into his hands so he could rummage in the pockets of the odd waistcoat he wore; then he took the staff back, and shoved a parchment into Gabriel's hands, vanishing with a snap. "Sorry. That was Tatrasiel. He aided Lucifer, and to avoid falling from heaven as well, he sort of became my metaphorical bitch."
He pulled a quill out, seemingly inked, and rested the parchment on his knee, sketching and doodling intricate symbols and designs, not stopping for a good four minutes, before handing the paper to Luciana. "Look something like that. Sometimes they aren't as well-drawn, and sometimes they're well hidden. You have to knock them all out before I can enter. It's weird, I know." He tutted, crossing his arms, and shaking his head.
Luciana saw the strange angel appear, noting that he seemed rather annoyed. And rightly so if Gabriel only summoned him for parchment. Watching Gabriel draw the sigils, she took the parchment and nodded, a warm smile on her lips "I've seen these symbols in my bedroom and under the rug under my father’s chair." she said happily and took the parchment inside and eagerly began to scratch the symbols away, defacing them just enough to break the warding so the angels could enter later.
The biggest challenge was finding an opportune time to get under her father’s chair, under that rug, and destroy that symbol. Thankfully though, her parents were gone. But she was unsure when they'd return, likely soon, as they rarely left for long. Scratching desperately at that symbol, she broke it and put the furniture back where it was prior to her tampering. She then searched the rest of the house; it wasn't very big, but large enough that it would take her time to search thoroughly. After about an hour of searching, she stopped when she heard the front door opening, having discovered no other sigils. Quickly tossing the parchment into the fire, she went outside to find Gabriel.
She found the angel closer towards the barn, likely to avoid contact with her parents. "I believe I found every one of them; I destroyed the parchment paper as well." she told him, and smiled warmly offering her hand to Gabriel, she asked, "Shall we meet them here or elsewhere?"
In her absence, Gabriel had taken to fooling around with a tiny metal cube, strange things etched into the sides of it, almost as if they were hand done by the angel himself. But as soon as she approached, he stuffed it hastily into his pocket and took Luciana's hand, lifting it up and very gently pressing his lips to the back of it, before releasing it just as quickly. "That would be a smart idea- meeting them here. I reckon my previous idea of meeting them elsewhere would raise suspicion, and I'd rather that not happen, if that's alright with you?" Gabriel raised his eyebrows and gave a wily grin, teeth bright, unusually so for this era. "Would you rather me bring myself and some wine, or perhaps just myself?"
Ah, yes. Get her parents drunk, Gabriel. Really smart, you are. "And a quick warning." His eyes flicked to a nearby tree; blue eyes were watching from a high up branch. He looked to the top of the barn; red eyes, there. "Now that you know, I've asked a few of my most trusted to guard the exterior. Shouldn't be too hard. There's three of them." That there were. In another tree sat a tan-skinned angel, half his head shaved, the remainder being braided. His eyes were soft, the color of coffee. "All of them I'd trust with my life."
"Now, onto other things. When shall we meet them?" Gabriel questioned, taking Luciana's hand up again Luciana's face flushed with color when he kissed it again as he reached out to take her other hand as well.
She looked into his eyes once more. "Meeting them here would be wise, as for what to bring.. Yourself should suffice." she said, smiling, though her smile faltered upon hearing him give a quick warning about the three guardians he had placed on her property to ensure their safety. "If you trust them, so will I." Luciana answered while looking toward her home now.
She felt him squeeze her hands as she answered his question of when. "They just got home, perhaps give them a moment to relax." she said calmly as she saw the horse from the carriage walk itself to the barn. "Always leaving me to care for Mary." she sighed, and entered the barn to unharness her white mare. Putting the mare into her stable where she had food and water, she walked back out to Gabriel, her hand reclaiming his. "So yes, let’s give them a few moments and then I'll announce that I am bringing a friend to visit and introduce you." she suggested, "How does that sound? Or should I be more direct?"
"Good! Better, trust me!" Emmanuel called down from the top of the barn. A bow was strapped to his back, as was a quiver. He seemed to be radiating energy again, looking as though anybody who crossed him would get an arrow to the head. Gabriel waved his hand to settle the young angel, and looked toward the ginger in the tree, gesturing to Emmanuel; Tatrasiel assured him that he'd keep an eye on the blond, and hopefully he’d keep to his word. Emmanuel could be an awful handful at the best of times.
Gabriel gave her hand a squeeze, then. "I think being direct is easier. Get it up and out of the way, eh?" And hopefully he'd never have to see them again. This was as awkward as the time he walked in on some sort of weird orgy downtown. That was a wild time. "And perhaps your father would appreciate it much more." Probably more so than beating around the bush. Gabriel squeezed her hand again, and let out an airy sigh, looking left, right and up, making sure everyone was in position. "Shall we? Don't want them to get too far away from each other, now..." mumbled the angel, head lowered, voice merely inches away from Luciana's ear. Seemed Gabriel was playing it up now.
Luciana smiled meekly at Emmanuel when he hopped down and spoke, her eyes falling to Gabriel now as she nodded. "Let us go then." she said softly and walked with Gabriel toward the door, her heart thumping wildly. Opening the door and walking in, she spoke, "M-m...Mother! Father.. I have a visitor that I would like you to meet." she said, and her mother entered the room. She had wild, curly dark brown hair and was dressed in white, wearing the jewels of her family in Italy. Her father, on the other hand, sported navy-blue breeches and waistcoat, his face shaven, and wearing circular glasses. Her father, known as Rupert had short hair; a dirty blond mixed with red, creating almost a creamy orange. "Well do bring him in, my dear." her mother spoke eagerly; it appeared her mother was always happy to meet friends of her daughter.
Luciana turned to Gabriel and took his hand, guiding him inside slowly in case she missed a sigil. Thankfully she had not. "Mother, father. This is my friend, Gabriel."
Amelia smiled widely, seeing the handsome man that her daughter pulled to her side. "Why isn't he a gloriously handsome man, don't you think Rupert?" she asked her husband, who had seated himself in his chair, opened a book and was beginning to read, "Do you want me to answer that, or shall I just glare?" he snorted.
Gabriel inclined his head, his gaze transfixed upon Amelia. "Ah, Luciana, I can see where you got your looks. You are a very lovely woman, madame," he bowed low, but kept his eyes up and forward, tense. He could never be too sure of anyone; they could pull a knife on him and gut him where he stood. Standing back to full attention, he turned his focus to Rupert. "And I can see that she got...hopefully nothing from you, sir. No offense, but you're as charming as a cactus in mid-winter."
He shook his head slowly, and clicked his tongue against his teeth. "As Luciana stated, my name is Gabriel. She and I are friends, and hope to remain so. I do not imagine anything shall drive us apart, and may we ever be merry and full of togetherness. I do hope we stay in touch.
Milady, sir.," Gabriel tilted an imaginary hat at both Amelia and Rupert, snickering under his breath. The grin on his face was unmistakable. It was if it had been glued on, permanently affixed to his face. "Because if courting does happen, and at this rate, it shall," he joked, not being serious in the slightest, "I do think you both would like to know firsthand, especially you, Rhubarb."
Rupert glared at Gabriel, and shutting his book he rose to his feet, his gaze filled with daggers as he confronted the Angel. "Do not think that because my daughter invites you to our home, you are free to mock me, Mr. Gabriel." he growled, his voice thick with a British accent.
Both Amelia and Luciana could see Rupert was extremely angry with Gabriel's attitude, and Luciana grabbed hold of Gabriel's hand, "P-Perhaps this was a bad time to introduce you three." she said desperately. But alas, Rupert wasn't having it.
"Not at all Luciana; in fact, why not let him come further into our lovely home." he growled, and with a wave of his hand, Gabriel was then pulled towards him. "Do not think for a second that I don't know what you are. I have been around for centuries."
"Luciana. How did you come across an Archangel of all things?" he asked his daughter while glaring at Gabriel. "Was it chance, was it.. God’s Will perhaps?"
Gabriel, unintimidated in the least, faced the man. A sneer came across his face, somehow suiting his features more now than it had the last time. It was almost piteous, mocking. "I'm not stupid, Rhubarb.”
“You know what I am. Is it that obvious now? And what's the big deal, sweet cheeks? Little old witch like yourself shitting his drawers over something like an archangel?" Whatever his voice normally sounded like- this was not it. It was darker, twisted, like a vine choking the life out of a tree. He held his ground and stood as tall as possible, not in the slightest affected by the current change of moods.
"But are you as powerful as you claim? A simple sleight of hand, tugging me forward like a horse, is that all you can do, Rhubarb? I recommend you don't try anything too damaging. I've heard four angels fucking you up at once isn't too fun," his eyes flickered to the side, baring his teeth in his sneer now, before returning his gaze to Rupert. "I've got my reasons for being with Luciana, even now. She summoned me, and I chose to stay with her, which I plan to do until she or I fall dead." Gabriel let out a strange, cold laugh; it didn't sound anything like the honeyed laugh he normally used. "Which isn't today. You can be sure of it."
Oh boy.
Luciana wasted no time in trying to end this sudden and inevitable betrayal. She reached forward, grabbing Gabriel's shoulder and teleporting them to his home. Once on the ground Luciana felt the blood rushing to her brain, causing a pounding headache. "Bloody Hell!" she gasped, and fell to her knees as she cupped her frontal lobe. She felt a warmth below her nose and swiped across it with the back of her hand. Blood. Either it was the teleportation itself, or trying to teleport Gabriel that caused it. Looking up at the angel she panted softly, "Apparently.. that was a bad idea."
Luciana never ever thought that it would go so awry, especially the way that it did. She assumed Rupert would grow irritated by Gabriel's presence, but never so much that he'd immediately try to shut the angel out. All Luciana knew right now was that she was in incredible pain; she felt as though her brain was melting into mush at this point.
There was still darkness in Gabriel's eyes. Pure, uncontrolled darkness. It wasn't easy to make him angry, or even sardonic, but there it was. A split second later, all three of his comrades appeared, two on one side, one on the other. They chattered amongst themselves before looking to the archangel for further instruction. Quietly, he instructed Nuriel to take Emmanuel home and for Tatrasiel to remain, the ginger nodded and rested an arm on Gabriel, being all of six foot three, including high heeled boots. Away went Nureil and Emmanuel, leaving the trio.
"Ye shouldn't try teleportin' such ah powerful bein', Miss Luciana, it ain't safe," Tatrasiel spoke aloud for the first time, dark red brows furrowed, flat teeth chewing on his lip. "Be more careful. Never know when ye gonna need to ‘port yerself."
Gabriel patted Tatrasiel's hand. "He's right. I appreciate the gesture of getting us both out of there, but it's detrimental to your health to do something like that," he crouched down, and put a hand on either side of Luciana's face, fingertips lighting up. "Er, Tatrasiel- mind lending me a bit of your...what the hell did you call it? Sauce? God, you're weird." He shook his head, as Tatrasiel nodded, snorting. He rested a hand on Gabriel's back, his own hand lighting up gold. Gabriel's were an almost greenish-blue color. "This might hurt a bit. Its to take care of the nosebleed and the headache, alright?"
He exhaled and pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes for a moment.
Tatrasiel snorted. "How cute." He let out a sharp yelp as Gabriel elbowed him.
Luciana was disoriented, needless to say; her eyes had fallen shut due to the pain, however, she was still thankfully conscious. She heard the angels talking around her; soon, Gabriel crouches down before her, his hands on her head, she opened her eyes.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening, but she managed a nod when Gabriel told her he was going to fix the pain. "Uh-huh." she groaned out, and even though she wanted to laugh at Tatrasiel's torment, she couldn't manage quite it at the moment. Feeling Gabriel's forehead against hers, she shut her eyes, sighing through her nose. Feeling much-needed relief in just a few short moments, Luciana leaned into Gabriel's touch now, never wanting this feeling to fade.
It was something she couldn't describe, the sensations she felt. But most of all, she felt calm and relaxed. But she felt loved as well - it may have been platonic in every sense of the word, but it was love, nonetheless. She found the strength to reach up and hold Gabriel's hands; slowly opening her eyes as she felt the pain recede. She felt much, much better now. "Thank you, all of you.."
Gabriel let out a soft chuckle. Tatrasiel had moved again and was standing a few feet away, checking his staff, which had turned into a sword, long and sharp. "There's no need to thank me. I'd do this again in a heartbeat." His head was starting to hurt from all the exertion. While he was powerful himself, the teleportation had managed to drain him a great deal, and the fact of the matter was- he wasn't as strong as he might have been centuries ago, as painful as that was for him to admit. He gave Luciana's hands a gentle squeeze and stood up, pulling her with him. "I suggest you don't go home for a few days...he might take his anger out on you, and I-"
"We." Tatrasiel butted in. The ginger was the older of the two, and thus the more powerful, though sometimes he did let that power go to his head. "We don't want to have to patch ye up again. Not that isn't a great feeling for Gabriel, it's just the fact that two angels pumpin’ force out is a good opportunity to get stabbed in the back by demons or what have ye." He leaned against his sword, the end digging into the ground.
The archangel cleared his throat. "He's not wrong. But still...even when I'm not around, I'll come when you call." It might have just been the headache talking. Or it might have been reality.
Luciana smiled upon hearing his chuckle, a sound that always brought her joy. Standing up with Gabriel’s help, her eyes snapped to the red-headed bird brain amongst them when he butted in. Turning back to the Archangel she smiled. "Just, next time don't get so.." she paused for a moment, "Flashy about it." she said, in reference to the almost war he’d had with her father.
, Still exhausted from the teleportation, she gave Gabriel a gentle hug. "But, at least I can teleport things now." she said, smiling, a note of enthusiasm in her voice as she lay her chin on Gabriel's shoulder. "I just can't teleport something like you." While this was true, Luciana wished she could be that powerful one day. A part of her loved Gabriel, to be sure, but she knew that she would become a bore to the angel at some point, especially as she aged. She removed herself from the hug after a minute, "When you've taught me everything you can, will you leave me or stay here?"
Tatrasiel snorted. "A warnin' won't stop 'im. Gabey-wabey baby likes to make deals outta nothin', like when he made Raphael- a story for another day." The ginger snapped his fingers, causing his sword to turn into a staff once more, a light coming from the top of it, almost like a giant lamp. "If you two will excuse me for a second. 'm gonna check back at your place, Miss Luciana. To make sure your father didn't implode." And away he went.
Gabriel shook his head, slowly. "Just be careful, Luciana." His voice quiet and strained, his head tilted and his face hidden in her hair. It was the most intimate gesture she’d experienced from him yet. His hands were very gently tracing small shapes in her back in a soothing sort of way, his breathing just as slow and relaxed, as if he were about to fall asleep. "I'll stay as long as you need me to," he promised, not an ounce of insincerity in his voice. "I'll only leave if you wish me to leave, and even then, I would feel wrong doing it."
Luciana gripped his shirt tightly, feeling her heart aching. “Never leave me.” She whispered and placed a chaste kiss to the exposed part of his neck. Pulling back slightly from the hug, she looked into his eyes,. “I don’t ever want to see you go,” She told him honestly,. The bond she had with the archangel was like no other. It was painfully obvious just by the way she watched him demonstrate magic or the way she looked into his eyes. “Let’s go inside, it’s late.” She said looking up at the night sky, the milky galaxy shining above them as she admired the stars. Anyone who knew her knew that she loved astronomy. Taking his hand, she gingerly began to lace her fingers his, a loving smile on her face. “Tomorrow is my birthday, Gabriel. What do you think we should do?”
As much as every part of him enjoyed the kiss despite its chasteness, Gabriel stopped himself from speaking any further for a moment. He swallowed, collecting his thoughts. "I never intend to leave you." The truth was there, right there. But the mood for him ended abruptly at the rustling behind them: soft, barely noticeable. Gabriel paused. "Now, now, Emmanuel. If you wanted to join us, you could have asked." He turned around, pulling away from Luciana with a frown. "You've been outed. How stupid do you think I am, to not have eyes everywhere? And to go after the archangels? For what purpose are you doing this?" He put his fists against his hips, glaring down a section of the field. "Come out where I can see you. I'm not playing games."
"Sorry, Gabe. Power calls me; it calls the people of Heaven. It feels good...it tastes...divine...it must be mine, right?" Fast as a bolt of lightning, a blurred form zipped forward, plunging a knife into Gabriel's gut. "Send my regards to our Father. I'm sure He'll be glad to reshape you...right?" Emmanuel snorted, and yanked the knife out, an arc of blood following it. "See ya, bud. Have fun closin' that. I know you're all outta grace..." And with that comment, Emmanuel disappeared.
Gabriel coughed. "Well, can't say I'm surprised." Damn, he was bleeding badly. "Anyway, now that that sack of turd has gone away...I think tomorrow we shouldn't do a thing but spend time together. That is, if I don't bleed out. Doubtful that I will, though." He shook his head, one arm tightly wrapped around his stomach. "Don't know how to stitch, do you, Luciana?" He regarded her with hopeful eyes, grinning meekly.
Luciana had felt uneasy when she heard Emmanuel rustling around. She backed up a few feet and was stunned to see Gabriel with a gaping, bloody wound in his stomach. “I.. Oh Gods!” She gasped as she watched him calmly straighten up. Getting him inside, she desperately set about gathering needle and thread. “I’ve only sewn clothes, but surely skin and clothes can’t be that different!” She found the tools needed and grabbed a bag of flour she found in the kitchen. Taking the flour, she sprinkled it onto the wound, causing the blood to coagulate while she fought with the needle and thread. “It’s gonna be ok, It’ll be just fine!” She was obviously trying to force herself to relax. But having Gabriel’s blood on her hands was terrifying.
Finally, she got the needle ready and quickly stitched the wound. It was frightening she wanted to hold him close and make the bleeding stop. “Tomorrow, you need to begin teaching me healing magic.” She choked out while she worked Hearing him groan in pain and seeing the way he winced broke her heart but she knew she had to keep going. Finishing the final stitch, she noted that the bleeding had stopped. “Thank the Gods.”
Gabriel was probably more shocked than he was in pain. He was surprised that Emmanuel had been so...bold. Brash. It was a stupid and dangerous game that one was playing, the only outcome was him falling to Earth, clipped. "Healing...no. If you want that, you'll have to ask Tatrasiel. He's better at it than I am. Has something to do with being blessed with some of God's light, but much less so than Uriel," he mumbled half under his breath;, his forehead was feverishly warm. The wound itself, despite the already crusting blood, had a somewhat greenish tinge encircling it, much like spider webbing. "Or you could...look at one of your daddy's spellbooks, eh...?"
It was obvious blood loss was taking its toll on his humor. As if hearing his name summoned him, Tatrasiel whisked forth, having popped up quickly and quietly. "Gabe, yer a bloody eejit. I tol’ yeto be careful. Never turn yerr back. I'm sure he's back in Heaven again, nobody knowing what happened." Gabriel’s already pale skin had blanched going even more white, if possible. "Miss Luciana, ye need to be careful as well. Emmanuel is hardly the most dangerous, but...there's for sure worse that could attack," he chewed his lip, and exhaled.
The golden archangel snorted. "I won't let anything happen to her; don't worry your head there, gingersnap," he weakly nudged at Tatrasiel, then turned his focus to Luciana. "He's right. Mostly. But like I said, I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." He hissed in pain and gritted his teeth, moving slightly. "But do keep an eye out for anything...suspicious. Now...is it bedtime, yet?" He questioned, giving Luciana a raised eyebrow.
Luciana saw Tatrasiel appear after she had fixed Gabriel and sighed shakily. “Yes, I understand. And.. No, I don’t.” She said, looking at her blood-caked hands. “What did you do to make people go after you?” She asked, looking up at Gabriel as she gently washed the stitched wound, cleaning up what blood she could. “There might be some flour in there, but it’ll dissolve.” she sighed and wrapped her arms around Gabriel’s neck, giving him a light hug. “I love you too much to let you go so soon.” She said without thinking.
She loved him. Luciana was in love with Gabriel. Not that anyone but perhaps some of the angels could have foreseen that, given that some of them were there watching when God was making the humans. Her arms unlinked from Gabriel’s neck as she looked Tatrasiel, “Can you.. fetch me a bucket of water so I may wash my hands, please?”
" Emmanuel...I can't explain, I'm sorry Luciana, but it isn't just me he's after," Gabriel gave his head a minuscule shake, and popped his jaw, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, opening them again, the golden colors faded to a dark whiskey; he gave Luciana a narrow look, his humor sparking slightly. There was a bit of pink crawling slowly up his neck, only to vanish a split second later. "And how long have you loved me? Is this a new revelation? And in what way do you love me? There's many different ways." The look on his face was neutral, but with a hint of teasing.
Tatrasiel wheezed. This was awkward. "Luciana, sweetheart, um, are ye sure? To love a man like Gabriel is to love danger." He tilted his head, but went outside for the bucket, returning to fill it from the pump. Plumbing wasn't the greatest in this century, and it took a moment for the slightly brown water to run clear, but all was well. He handed Luciana the bucket slowly. "He does nothin’ but talk about ye, ye know. Even during our lessons with Jophiel, he talks and talks and talks," the ginger inclined his head, poking his chin out almost proudly.
"Do not!" Gabriel whined, pouting in a very childish way. "Don't listen to him, Luciana. He's delusional."
She had flushed red when she realized what she had previously blurted out, however, she relaxed when the bucket appeared before her. "Gabriel, I love you as any woman would love a man." she finally responded, and yet, despite Tatrasiel’s words she wasn't deterred by her feelings. Washing the blood from her hands, she watched as the already muddy water shifted to a tone of red, making her stomach churn. Listening to the older angel tease Gabriel caused a smile to appear on her face. "I talk about you all the time, too." she said, lifting her eyes to look at Gabriel. She grabbed for a nearby rag to dry her hands, glad of something to do., "Sure it's mostly to animals who can't tell anyone else, but I still talk about you regularly." she hummed.
Her cinnamon brown eyes flickered between Tatrasiel and Gabriel, "If anyone is delusional right now, it's likely you, due to the blood loss." she reminded Gabriel. "Now I don't know how an angel heals, but you shouldn't be moving for a little while." she told him. Looking to Tatrasiel she gave an awkward smile, "So how was my father doing back home?"
Gabriel let out a soft 'hmph' and looked toward where a few of the cats were sitting, muttering under his breath. Fruit Bowl was watching him with wide, blue eyes and he could hear the feline purring from where he sat. What a loud cat. "Good to hear. I would be disappointed if it were any other way." His voice sounded rather flat. Maybe it was the blood loss talking. Or maybe he was losing interest, like a cat chasing a mouse after it has darted into a hole. "But Tatrasiel is right to some degree. Loving me isn't like loving a suitor. It's like loving a pile of burning coals. It can hurt you if you get too close." Gabriel exhaled, and finally turned back to look at Luciana with narrowed eyes. But he said nothing more.
"Erm. I couldn't get back to th’ house. He put up loads more wards. I couldn't even get close without me skin burnin’." Tatrasiel scowled, and crossed his arms moodily, shaking his ginger head. "It appears daddy is paranoid, and rightfully so. I don't expect Gabriel or meself to be able to get through to your house anymore." Not that he minded. He had significantly better things to be doing, like practicing his "sauce".
Luciana looked at Gabriel as he spoke, somewhat concerned by his words, but dismissed it as blood loss. Standing up she glanced at Tatrasiel as he spoke of her father, "My father is never paranoid, he's just cautious." she said finally. "Gabriel, do you mind if I try to levitate you to your bed?" she asked, as she could hear the malfunctioning cat vibrating intensely. "I think the bed would be much more comfortable than here." she assured. Luciana had done well with her magic; she could levitate many objects, including herself. She could even teleport an Archangel, albeit it turned her brain to mush, but she could still do it. She would just have to save teleporting herself and Gabriel for absolute emergencies. Her fingers gently stroked the Archangel's hair, a light smile on her face as she contemplated what to do.
Should she and Gabriel just flee once he was healed? Hop from place to place? She would rather not abandon her family, but it seemed her father had no intention in allowing her to consort with angels and the like. It was clear the thoughts were bothering her as she fell silent.
"Cautious is warding the house. Paranoid is warding the trees outside the house and warding the houses nearby." Tatrasiel narrowed his eyes. "Don't strain yerself again. I'm not willing to give up any of me sauce to help Gabriel patch ye up again, lass. He's too powerful for ye to use most magic on him. It's just the way ‘tis. Now, I've got to get going. Nuri won't wait in Paris forever for me to get there for our date." And away he went, snapping his fingers softly and disappearing in a shimmering golden light.
Gabriel tutted. "I can get there myself. I'm not helpless just because I've had a blade in my gut. I don't want you giving yourself another nosebleed, especially not when he's gone off in a tizzy." He shook himself, and took a deep breath, before straightening up, and limping very slowly carefully headed toward the bedroom, which smaller than he remembered. Ah, hallucinating. It certainly was fun, wasn't it? "You should be getting home. I'm sure your father would like to speak with you. And I don't think making him wait is very smart. He could come looking for you, and all of my angels are out right now. I'm not strong enough to take him on my own," he hesitated, and turned his head. "I think I need to leave. I've caused quite a ruckus, haven't I?" He questioned quietly, eyebrows raising, frown playing on his face.
Luciana heard Tatrasiel's words and sighed deeply as she watched the angel zap out of their presence in a puff of golden light. Her eyes shifted to Gabriel as she watched him stand up; immediately the witch tried to assist him, but was shooed away. She was ready to respond to his comment telling her to go home, but felt her heart sink when he suggested he should leave.
"You can't leave Gabriel." she said quickly, "I-I... I want to go with you." she stuttered out. Luciana wasn't about to let her companion run away with her common sense. She followed him to his bedroom and helped ease him onto the bed. "Please.. If you leave, take me with you. I don't think I could even try to face my father after what just happened. Besides, I feel far much safer around you as it is. Even in your weakened state."
Luciana was desperate to keep her friend, though only moments ago she had admitted her love for him,; she could never dream of him leaving her in any situation under any circumstances. Her brown eyes followed his movements, he needed to rest, that was for sure. "I'll stay here while you rest… protect you if my father does come. And... if any angels come here to harm you, I will at least try.."
"If I leave, I go alone." Gabriel's tone was final, his eyes dark, clouded. He was staring straight up at the ceiling, watching small bits of dust fall from it. "I'd prefer it if you listened to me, and went home, where it's safe. Being around me is anything but safe. You could be killed, instantly and painfully. You aren’t anything like me. You can do magic, sure, but can you survive being stabbed? Shot with an arrow? Turned into a statue by a gorgon?" His gaze shot back downwards so that he was glaring at Luciana, sparks flashing in his eyes, nose quivering, face slightly red. "You're not as powerful as you might think. Just because you managed to teleport an archangel once does not mean you could do it again."
He closed his eyes for a moment opening them slowly. "The only angels you could fend off are the weaker fledgies, anyhow. Emmanuel shows up to strike and you're finished. You are no match for him. He's a soldier, and despite seeming a little too eager, it wouldn't take long for him to dispatch you." Gabriel let out a snort, and shook his head, closing his eyes again. "I recommend you be careful. No matter what you decide to do. It's a dangerous world out there," he warned quietly, as Fruit Bowl hopped up onto his chest. "And the game it plays, you can't win."
Luciana felt her heart break even further as she listened to his plea. She walked to the side of the bed where his head faced and sank to the floor; taking his hand into hers she gave it a squeeze, "I'm not ready to lose you, Gabriel." she sighed and looked at the angel with a pained expression. "For the last two years, I've felt nothing but joy at having you around." She heard the grandfather clock in the living room chime,. signaling midnight. It caught her off guard for a moment, but now she was 26 years old. "At least let me stay for a while longer." her eyes shifted away from him as she felt a thickness in her throat. There was no reason to cry, yet here she was, resisting a tear. "Just... please." Luciana sighed and used her other hand to gently smooth his hair. "If you do leave.. Please do not hesitate to visit. Or.. or even teach me to speak to you through my own mind, so I may talk to you even when you're on the other side of the world."
Gabriel shrank away from her touch, as if he'd been burned. "You could find someone else to keep you company. I'm sure that there are plenty of men out there waiting for someone such as yourself." He resumed petting Fruit Bowl, who was purring as loudly as possible, which caused Gabriel to begin to shake himself. Silly cat. "The longer you stay, the more attached you're going to become, and the worse it will hurt when I leave." His eyes turned to the wall, which was blank save for a desk stacked high with papers. A few papers held journal entries; the rest were merely receipts from his tab at the tavern. "I don't think teaching you to do that is the best idea. Thoughts can be intercepted as easily as carrier pigeons..." Gabriel was tired now, a yawn stretching his jaws. A few seconds later, he was asleep.
Finally giving in, she watched him fall asleep, and began to walk through the house quietly, tears pooling in her eyes as she exited through the front door. It pained her to leave, but Gabriel was right. It was dangerous for her here. If she stayed any longer, she might wind up dead. And judging from the various energies she felt around the tiny house, she was certain of that fact. Taking one last, final look around, she shut the door and teleported home. There, she was met with an angry father, threatening her horribly for bringing an Archangel into their home.
