[Closed/Complete]
Characters: Michael and Gabriel
Date/Time: Monday, midday
Location: Hospital Parking Lot
Rating: PGish at most.
Warnings: Teeth rotting cuteness
Summary: Michael and Gabriel catch up at lunch.
The station had started to thin, and after the last nurse of the half-day shift had left, Michael leaned back in his chair and signed off the computer. After several years of this - the job, this particular one - the repetition left a strange tightness in his shoulders. Not stress. It couldn’t be exhaustion, but it was something more like a soreness. Of course, his decisions being what they were when he made them, there was no reason for him to regret. Regret was a very different creature from longing. And returning to the police would mean returning to the system, participating in the exploitation, the dishonesty that he never agreed to be a part of. Being human now, he thought about it sometimes. He wondered whether tolerating corruption was something he should’ve accepted as long as he pushed, fought fiercely for the justice he believed in.
Except time wasn’t a luxury, and the past gets no amendments. Living amongst humanity was bittersweet. And yet he came to feel something very endearing about his mortality. Even more, he appreciated the delicate humor of trying this journey alongside his brothers - his closest. Palm pressed against the work desk, he softly brushed away a flicker of dust. Gabriel usually left a green-lidded lunch box for him every morning; it was in its usual place, tucked away safely by the monitors. Something so simple: a gesture for solidarity, and a sign of Gabriel’s sweetness. It had slowly, affectionately, wormed its way into his routine, and now he never missed lunch - although the meal was never the primary concern.
Michael removed the box from its place and carried it with him as he walked out of the station exit and headed into the parking lot. He paused for a few beats as he scanned the parking lot calmly for signs of a blonde in bright green scrubs.
The blonde in question was running late today. He had had some particular difficult patients to see today, a rush in the middle of the morning in emergency care and by the time he looked up at the clock, he was startled to see it was already midday. He didn’t rush the last patient out though, taking the time to make sure they were all set before heading to the nurse’s station to let the head shift nurse know he was taking lunch as he dropped off charts, double checking that everything would be alright without him at least for a little bit. It had been a long day already but there was still a bounce in his step as he headed to the locker room to wash his hands and grab his own lunch. Michael would be off soon, waiting for him, so he didn’t want to take too long.
Their breaks rarely lined up at the same time on days they both were at the hospital but when they did, those were the times of the day Gabriel looked forward to, being able to relax and catch up with his brother made him feel on more steady footing for the rest of the day.
He took a back exit as he headed out to the parking lot, smiling brightly as he saw the other angel there looking around for him and waved to him before calling out. “I’m sorry I’m late, it’s been a busy morning and it was easy to lose track of time,” he admitted as he walked up to him. Only now did his stomach choose, at this moment, to loudly remind him that he had forgotten to eat this morning. “Let’s find a place to sit in the sun, it’s such a nice day,” he said, leading the way to a bench by the back door the nurses and other staff would use on their breaks but was thankfully empty now, there was no one but them out here at the moment which meant they could speak a little more freely.
Michael turned on his heel as he heard the bounced pacing coming from behind. He gave a small, attentive smile. Gabriel was a tall, reedy boy, and it showed when his stomach churned in the most conspicuous way possible. This caught him by surprise and drew out a brief, soft laugh. “Hungry?” The box he carried was held forward. “Here, why don’t you take this lunch too. I appreciate having it, but you’ll need it more than I do.”
He took the scrubbed boy by his gangly elbow and walked them to the bench where the sun was just beginning to peek through the leaf shade. Michael took a seat on the lukewarm end of the bench, leaving the cooler side for the younger angel. The lunchbox was left by his leg, where Gabriel would have access to it. Then he leaned forward over his knees and laced his fingers together. Father must be proud to see Gabriel truly taking in mortality with the energy and the cheerful optimism he had been created with. At least, Michael believed that it was exactly what he was incarnated on this earth to do. And it was a silent comfort that he kept with himself.
Gabriel was studied with a tilted glance. “The normal kind of busy or more busy than usual? You jumped back into work pretty quickly. I’m surprised you’re handling it without a hitch.”
Gabriel gave him a slightly embarrassed smile, but he had known Michael for too long to be worried about the other angel’s reaction. “I’m fine, you should eat it since I made sure to make yours with that turkey bacon you liked so much before,” he quickly reassured him. “This morning we got overwhelmed in emergency care so I didn’t have a time for a morning break,” he explained as he sat down by the other.
“It’s been slightly more busy than usually but that’s common for summer with more injuries from outdoor activities coming in, not to mention effects of the warmer weather,” he remarked thoughtfully. “I prefer keeping busy, you know I don’t like being idle if I can help it,” he said as he opened his own lunch. He took a moment to say a short grace, even having a short break didn’t mean that he forgot to thank his Father for the blessings he had been given in this life. For a moment he peeked up at the sun and clear sky above, pushing down the feeling of homesickness that threatened to bubble up. As fortunate as he had been on Earth, he still missed his brothers who had not shown themselves as well as his Father in Heaven. Those thoughts were pushed away quickly though as he turned back to look at Michael as he ate, smiling cheerfully. “What about you? Have things been busy for you too?” he asked, it was hard to only see each other in passing some days, but he was thankful for this time together.
Michael found himself laughing again. A genial laugh. Pulling the green lid and setting it aside, the lunchbox was placed on his lap; he looked inside to confirm that it was, of course, nothing less than Gabriel claimed it would be. He didn’t doubt him, but it was very sweet. Michael was impartial about turkey bacon, but his apparent affinity with it was something he made up to seem less un-human, and to give the younger angel something to smile about. Revealing nothing to that regard, he signed the cross before picking up the fork and digging into the lunch that the other boy had painstakingly prepared for him.
“You’re sure everything’s fine?” Eating carefully, unhurriedly, he observed the healthy pink tint in Gabriel’s cheeks. “I was worried that I had to leave you on your own because I couldn’t take time off of work. Was Uriel able to keep you comfortable?” He put the fork back down and leaned into the warmth of the bench.
“Hmm.” A thoughtful murmur. “Not too busy,” he admitted, “but it’s not quite a slow day either. People come and go, but no one threatening.” Michael wrapped a hand over Gabriel’s wrist. “Of course, the work days are still long, but not draining. Although, I do miss having time to spend with you and our brothers. I want to be certain that we’re all still standing together in confident harmony. That hasn’t been the case with Samael’s presence.”
Gabriel smiled brightly at seeing Michael laugh, it always made him glad to make his brothers happy however he could, even if it was little things. It was those little things that usually meant the most.
“I’m sure. Uriel was very patient and him taking care of Lamby was a big help to me those days,” he said with a nod. “You shouldn’t worry, Uriel and Eve were good company when you were gone and otherwise I was able to get lots of rest which is the best thing for being sick,” Gabriel said firmly.
The simple gesture of Michael’s hand over his wrist was comforting and Gabriel leaned closer to the other without realizing as he ate his lunch. “I am glad to hear that,” he said, looking up at him as Michael mentioned their other brothers, his expression becoming a little more serious at the mention of Samael. “I know, but I pray that things will still work out for the best, at least some day,” he said quietly. “We just have to keep trying,” he said, though it was more for himself than for Michael.
“You’re so attached to the lamb. What if it had gone rolling around in a public restroom and was the reason why you got sick?” Michael hid a faint smile at the corner of his lips. “I rely too much on Uriel and Eve to keep you company. But I know I have my responsibilities to you as well.” This said, he let out a long breath and combed fingers through his hair.
Of course he had to hold some concerns about Gabriel - as much as he would for Raphael, even Zerachiel, Uriel, Metatron, and sometimes, yes sometimes, Samael. But with Gabriel, Gabriel was too trusting, optimistic, and he took it upon himself too hard to see his brothers righted. Gabriel exhausted himself, worked himself to the ground, and with the stress, the differences of opinions on Samael, Gabriel took too direct an approach to find a good ending - something which Michael admittedly avoided to keep himself from losing his temper.
But lunch wasn’t a good time to discuss the issue. Michael closed his eyes and felt the warmth on his skin, the comfort of what Heaven promised to give with or without his wings. “Gabriel, trying is something we will always do. It’s the only right thing to do. We’ll be persistent, but don’t bear the burden alone. There’s no reason why you can’t come to me. I’m never too busy to help you.”
“Lamby always gets his baths when I take him out on my off days,” Gabriel insisted quickly. “And when he’s with Uriel, he always comes home clean,” he added with a huff but there was a smile on his lips nonetheless. “I know you’re busy and I’m not going to selfishly demand more of your time,” he said as he finished his lunch, making sure to leave some for his break later that afternoon if he was able to take it. “I am just glad we have these times to catch up.”
“I know, I will try not to,” he promised, leaning his head against Michael’s shoulder, a gesture of apology. He knew he was easily frustrated with his limitations of being human, it was something he had struggled with since he remembered who he once was. He just had to remember that there was a reason his Father had sent him and his brothers to Earth, and he did his best to try to learn to do what he could but it was still difficult when there was so much he wanted to fix around him. But for now, with the sun on his face and leaning against Michael’s shoulder, he was starting to feel tired even if he had many more hours on his shift so he forced his eyes to stay open.
“I always trust your opinion. Whether it’s about Lamby’s hygiene or how much time I should be spending with you. But try not to be too generous with me. We are family now, Gabriel. As close of a family as we can be.” Michael softly rubbed his palm against the crown of the golden blond head, before pulling Gabriel into a safe-guarded hug. Looking down at his own lunch, Michael realized that he barely dug two bites into it. Not willing to look too disinterested in the meal which Gabriel had made for him, he took another bite before setting the box back down and replacing the lid. One arm he kept wrapped around the younger boy as the lunchbox was stowed away to a safer place on the bench.
“Now,” he sighed, “is it time for you to get back inside or did you want to take a short walk with me?” There was a raggedness to those soft blue eyes. And he could read it for what it was - a moment of honesty, which Michael had brought out with a gentler persistence than he’d been used to carrying out. At least, however, he could give the younger boy empathy; the kind of empathy that only a creature who’d once seen Heaven could pass onto its fellow creature. Michael stood and offered a firm hand. “Come, I’ve decided that we’ll walk.”
“I know Father would be pleased that we have managed to find each other in this life and made a life for ourselves,” Gabriel agreed, relaxing against the other angel. Michael’s presence kept the homesickness and longing for his Father’s presence at bay. He was content with what he had now, appreciative of the blessing of his brother’s presence even so far from Heaven.
At Michael’s question, he dug his cell phone out of a pocket to check the time. “I have 15 minutes, unless they page me but it was quiet when I left so things should be alright to take a walk today,” he sat up, not wanting to get too comfortable to the point where he would get stiff and not want to move at all. He smiled as he reached out to take Michael’s hand as he stood. “Good idea, lead the way then,” he said cheerfully.
Date/Time: Monday, midday
Location: Hospital Parking Lot
Rating: PGish at most.
Warnings: Teeth rotting cuteness
Summary: Michael and Gabriel catch up at lunch.
The station had started to thin, and after the last nurse of the half-day shift had left, Michael leaned back in his chair and signed off the computer. After several years of this - the job, this particular one - the repetition left a strange tightness in his shoulders. Not stress. It couldn’t be exhaustion, but it was something more like a soreness. Of course, his decisions being what they were when he made them, there was no reason for him to regret. Regret was a very different creature from longing. And returning to the police would mean returning to the system, participating in the exploitation, the dishonesty that he never agreed to be a part of. Being human now, he thought about it sometimes. He wondered whether tolerating corruption was something he should’ve accepted as long as he pushed, fought fiercely for the justice he believed in.
Except time wasn’t a luxury, and the past gets no amendments. Living amongst humanity was bittersweet. And yet he came to feel something very endearing about his mortality. Even more, he appreciated the delicate humor of trying this journey alongside his brothers - his closest. Palm pressed against the work desk, he softly brushed away a flicker of dust. Gabriel usually left a green-lidded lunch box for him every morning; it was in its usual place, tucked away safely by the monitors. Something so simple: a gesture for solidarity, and a sign of Gabriel’s sweetness. It had slowly, affectionately, wormed its way into his routine, and now he never missed lunch - although the meal was never the primary concern.
Michael removed the box from its place and carried it with him as he walked out of the station exit and headed into the parking lot. He paused for a few beats as he scanned the parking lot calmly for signs of a blonde in bright green scrubs.
The blonde in question was running late today. He had had some particular difficult patients to see today, a rush in the middle of the morning in emergency care and by the time he looked up at the clock, he was startled to see it was already midday. He didn’t rush the last patient out though, taking the time to make sure they were all set before heading to the nurse’s station to let the head shift nurse know he was taking lunch as he dropped off charts, double checking that everything would be alright without him at least for a little bit. It had been a long day already but there was still a bounce in his step as he headed to the locker room to wash his hands and grab his own lunch. Michael would be off soon, waiting for him, so he didn’t want to take too long.
Their breaks rarely lined up at the same time on days they both were at the hospital but when they did, those were the times of the day Gabriel looked forward to, being able to relax and catch up with his brother made him feel on more steady footing for the rest of the day.
He took a back exit as he headed out to the parking lot, smiling brightly as he saw the other angel there looking around for him and waved to him before calling out. “I’m sorry I’m late, it’s been a busy morning and it was easy to lose track of time,” he admitted as he walked up to him. Only now did his stomach choose, at this moment, to loudly remind him that he had forgotten to eat this morning. “Let’s find a place to sit in the sun, it’s such a nice day,” he said, leading the way to a bench by the back door the nurses and other staff would use on their breaks but was thankfully empty now, there was no one but them out here at the moment which meant they could speak a little more freely.
Michael turned on his heel as he heard the bounced pacing coming from behind. He gave a small, attentive smile. Gabriel was a tall, reedy boy, and it showed when his stomach churned in the most conspicuous way possible. This caught him by surprise and drew out a brief, soft laugh. “Hungry?” The box he carried was held forward. “Here, why don’t you take this lunch too. I appreciate having it, but you’ll need it more than I do.”
He took the scrubbed boy by his gangly elbow and walked them to the bench where the sun was just beginning to peek through the leaf shade. Michael took a seat on the lukewarm end of the bench, leaving the cooler side for the younger angel. The lunchbox was left by his leg, where Gabriel would have access to it. Then he leaned forward over his knees and laced his fingers together. Father must be proud to see Gabriel truly taking in mortality with the energy and the cheerful optimism he had been created with. At least, Michael believed that it was exactly what he was incarnated on this earth to do. And it was a silent comfort that he kept with himself.
Gabriel was studied with a tilted glance. “The normal kind of busy or more busy than usual? You jumped back into work pretty quickly. I’m surprised you’re handling it without a hitch.”
Gabriel gave him a slightly embarrassed smile, but he had known Michael for too long to be worried about the other angel’s reaction. “I’m fine, you should eat it since I made sure to make yours with that turkey bacon you liked so much before,” he quickly reassured him. “This morning we got overwhelmed in emergency care so I didn’t have a time for a morning break,” he explained as he sat down by the other.
“It’s been slightly more busy than usually but that’s common for summer with more injuries from outdoor activities coming in, not to mention effects of the warmer weather,” he remarked thoughtfully. “I prefer keeping busy, you know I don’t like being idle if I can help it,” he said as he opened his own lunch. He took a moment to say a short grace, even having a short break didn’t mean that he forgot to thank his Father for the blessings he had been given in this life. For a moment he peeked up at the sun and clear sky above, pushing down the feeling of homesickness that threatened to bubble up. As fortunate as he had been on Earth, he still missed his brothers who had not shown themselves as well as his Father in Heaven. Those thoughts were pushed away quickly though as he turned back to look at Michael as he ate, smiling cheerfully. “What about you? Have things been busy for you too?” he asked, it was hard to only see each other in passing some days, but he was thankful for this time together.
Michael found himself laughing again. A genial laugh. Pulling the green lid and setting it aside, the lunchbox was placed on his lap; he looked inside to confirm that it was, of course, nothing less than Gabriel claimed it would be. He didn’t doubt him, but it was very sweet. Michael was impartial about turkey bacon, but his apparent affinity with it was something he made up to seem less un-human, and to give the younger angel something to smile about. Revealing nothing to that regard, he signed the cross before picking up the fork and digging into the lunch that the other boy had painstakingly prepared for him.
“You’re sure everything’s fine?” Eating carefully, unhurriedly, he observed the healthy pink tint in Gabriel’s cheeks. “I was worried that I had to leave you on your own because I couldn’t take time off of work. Was Uriel able to keep you comfortable?” He put the fork back down and leaned into the warmth of the bench.
“Hmm.” A thoughtful murmur. “Not too busy,” he admitted, “but it’s not quite a slow day either. People come and go, but no one threatening.” Michael wrapped a hand over Gabriel’s wrist. “Of course, the work days are still long, but not draining. Although, I do miss having time to spend with you and our brothers. I want to be certain that we’re all still standing together in confident harmony. That hasn’t been the case with Samael’s presence.”
Gabriel smiled brightly at seeing Michael laugh, it always made him glad to make his brothers happy however he could, even if it was little things. It was those little things that usually meant the most.
“I’m sure. Uriel was very patient and him taking care of Lamby was a big help to me those days,” he said with a nod. “You shouldn’t worry, Uriel and Eve were good company when you were gone and otherwise I was able to get lots of rest which is the best thing for being sick,” Gabriel said firmly.
The simple gesture of Michael’s hand over his wrist was comforting and Gabriel leaned closer to the other without realizing as he ate his lunch. “I am glad to hear that,” he said, looking up at him as Michael mentioned their other brothers, his expression becoming a little more serious at the mention of Samael. “I know, but I pray that things will still work out for the best, at least some day,” he said quietly. “We just have to keep trying,” he said, though it was more for himself than for Michael.
“You’re so attached to the lamb. What if it had gone rolling around in a public restroom and was the reason why you got sick?” Michael hid a faint smile at the corner of his lips. “I rely too much on Uriel and Eve to keep you company. But I know I have my responsibilities to you as well.” This said, he let out a long breath and combed fingers through his hair.
Of course he had to hold some concerns about Gabriel - as much as he would for Raphael, even Zerachiel, Uriel, Metatron, and sometimes, yes sometimes, Samael. But with Gabriel, Gabriel was too trusting, optimistic, and he took it upon himself too hard to see his brothers righted. Gabriel exhausted himself, worked himself to the ground, and with the stress, the differences of opinions on Samael, Gabriel took too direct an approach to find a good ending - something which Michael admittedly avoided to keep himself from losing his temper.
But lunch wasn’t a good time to discuss the issue. Michael closed his eyes and felt the warmth on his skin, the comfort of what Heaven promised to give with or without his wings. “Gabriel, trying is something we will always do. It’s the only right thing to do. We’ll be persistent, but don’t bear the burden alone. There’s no reason why you can’t come to me. I’m never too busy to help you.”
“Lamby always gets his baths when I take him out on my off days,” Gabriel insisted quickly. “And when he’s with Uriel, he always comes home clean,” he added with a huff but there was a smile on his lips nonetheless. “I know you’re busy and I’m not going to selfishly demand more of your time,” he said as he finished his lunch, making sure to leave some for his break later that afternoon if he was able to take it. “I am just glad we have these times to catch up.”
“I know, I will try not to,” he promised, leaning his head against Michael’s shoulder, a gesture of apology. He knew he was easily frustrated with his limitations of being human, it was something he had struggled with since he remembered who he once was. He just had to remember that there was a reason his Father had sent him and his brothers to Earth, and he did his best to try to learn to do what he could but it was still difficult when there was so much he wanted to fix around him. But for now, with the sun on his face and leaning against Michael’s shoulder, he was starting to feel tired even if he had many more hours on his shift so he forced his eyes to stay open.
“I always trust your opinion. Whether it’s about Lamby’s hygiene or how much time I should be spending with you. But try not to be too generous with me. We are family now, Gabriel. As close of a family as we can be.” Michael softly rubbed his palm against the crown of the golden blond head, before pulling Gabriel into a safe-guarded hug. Looking down at his own lunch, Michael realized that he barely dug two bites into it. Not willing to look too disinterested in the meal which Gabriel had made for him, he took another bite before setting the box back down and replacing the lid. One arm he kept wrapped around the younger boy as the lunchbox was stowed away to a safer place on the bench.
“Now,” he sighed, “is it time for you to get back inside or did you want to take a short walk with me?” There was a raggedness to those soft blue eyes. And he could read it for what it was - a moment of honesty, which Michael had brought out with a gentler persistence than he’d been used to carrying out. At least, however, he could give the younger boy empathy; the kind of empathy that only a creature who’d once seen Heaven could pass onto its fellow creature. Michael stood and offered a firm hand. “Come, I’ve decided that we’ll walk.”
“I know Father would be pleased that we have managed to find each other in this life and made a life for ourselves,” Gabriel agreed, relaxing against the other angel. Michael’s presence kept the homesickness and longing for his Father’s presence at bay. He was content with what he had now, appreciative of the blessing of his brother’s presence even so far from Heaven.
At Michael’s question, he dug his cell phone out of a pocket to check the time. “I have 15 minutes, unless they page me but it was quiet when I left so things should be alright to take a walk today,” he sat up, not wanting to get too comfortable to the point where he would get stiff and not want to move at all. He smiled as he reached out to take Michael’s hand as he stood. “Good idea, lead the way then,” he said cheerfully.