Love. Angel. Music. Baby. --pt. 3
The apartment was in good shape when Brad got home because Daphne had cleaned up that day while she and Galen packed the things he acquired in his short time there. He grabbed a can of Coke Zero and settled down to watch Jimmy Fallon. He watched until they started a game of of Lick It For Ten. Bradley decided he was ready for bed, so he drained the last of the Coke Zero. After crushing the can, he tossed it into the recycling bin, then frowned. Daphne brainwashed Galen into recycling and the angel had played Brad clips on youtube of trash in the oceans until he agreed to recycle as well. Now that Galen was living with Daphne, Brad was sure it was only a matter of time before Galen was in PETA and telling him all about the poor seakittens.
He went to his room, stripped down to his boxer shorts, and slipped beneath the covers. It was nice to stretch back out on his bed. Or was until he got poked by loose feathers. Throwing back the comforter, Brad cleaned up all the strays. They were mostly down feathers, but they still poked. He set them on the bedside table and stared up at the ceiling.
A couple hours later, Brad gave up on trying to fall asleep and went to the living room instead. He was used to the couch anyways, so it wouldn’t suck too much if he managed to fall asleep out there. He found a made-for-tv-movie that had the words “mega” and an animal in the title playing, so he settled down and let the carnage unfold while he spaced out. He came back to himself a few hours later when there were infomercials playing and he couldn’t remember the movie ending, but he also couldn’t remember sleeping. He turned the tv off.
When Brad got in the car the next morning, Terri had coffee waiting. It was unusual, but looking at her gave him a pretty good idea why she’d done it.
“I was already getting one,” she said, as if she was reading his mind. “Thought I might as well get two.”
“You look like shit,” he said, determined to not reward creepy mind-reading behavior.
“Thanks. You don’t look too hot either.”
“Couldn’t really sleep,” he admitted.
“Join the club. You didn’t mention that your angel doesn’t fucking sleep.”
“Are you kidding me? He’s dead to the world as soon as his head hits the pillow.”
‘Well, not last night. He was up the whole time and the dogs followed him everywhere and they bark every time he whips out his wings, which he was doing constantly.”
“Wow, uh, sorry.”
“Would you mind coming over tonight?
"Sure. Your couch is bigger than mine anyways."
***
The dogs rushed the door, but Daphne was right behind them, shooing them away.
"Hey," said Terri as the redhead tucked herself into her girlfriend's arms.
"Hi. Don't leave me again." She tilted up for a kiss. When she pulled away, Terri was grinning.
"Okay. What's up?"
Daphne pointed an accusing finger. "His angel is a brat."
"You know how it is. You try to raise them right, but then they go visit their lesbian godmothers and get spoiled. What's a mortal to do?"
"Dicksmack," Daphne grumbled as Terri pulled her into another hug.
"Okay, okay, you two. Brad if you would."
"He won't come out of his room," Daphne added as Brad went down the hall.
Brad knocked first, but when he didn't get an answer he opened the door.
"Galen?"
The angel was sitting cross-legged on the bed playing on a Nintendo DS.
"Hey, is that my DS?"
Galen looked up long enough to glare at Brad.
"Hey, no, it's fine. Whatever. Mind if I sit?"
Galen ignored him, so Brad sat anyways.
"Daphne's worried about you," he tried.
Nothing.
"We all are. I'm worried. Did you sleep at all today?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because you're supposed to sleep at night."
Brad sighed. "Okay, Mr. Sassypants. Come on, man. Talk to me. You didn't exactly come with an Angel Care Guide. I need some hints here."
Galen shrugged and continued to play his game.
"Pause that, we need to talk," said Brad, earning himself another glare. But Galen did as he asked after a minute and set the DS aside. "Thanks. So what's up? What's the matter?"
"Nothing," he said, wings hitching up.
"Uh huh."
"I'm just... I don't know. Last night was weird. Without you here."
"Do you want to go back to my apartment?"
"No, it's fine. That would be more hassle for everyone. I like it here. I like being with all of you."
Brad couldn't help but smile. "We like having you."
Galen's expression changed and Brad didn't understand the look of gratitude and sadness.
"What? No, come on, don't look like that."
"Sorry," said Galen, dropping his head. His hair fell in his face.
"Look, I'm not sure what's going on with you, but everything is fine. We all love you."
The angel stayed quiet.
"Okay. Maybe you need some alone time. I get that. Dinner will be soon though, and I'm sleeping over, so I'll be pretty sad if you spend all night cooped up in here."
The angel's wings perked up, but the angel's face was guarded. "I kind of yelled at Daphne earlier."
Brad raised his eyebrows.
"I feel really bad about it."
"Well, it's been my experience that Daphne is very forgiving if you hug her enough."
"Really?"
"Total sucker for hugs."
Galen nodded and got off the bed. "Okay."
Brad opened the door and left the angel to go apologize.