Amor Vincit Omnia pt2

[moonshadows]

“A charity auction?” Gabriel gave him a puzzled look, petting Arael almost absently. Beside him, McCree was edging away from the demon bird even if it meant getting closer to the vampire, but Hanzo looked too interested in Jack’s words to notice. “Care to enlighten us, Jackie?”

Jack gave him a wry grin. “You know us mortals and our obsession with displaying wealth. It’s an event where antiques and other items of value are put up for sale, but the proceeds go to charitable causes.” He thumbed thrugh his phone with one hand while sipping his slightly-cooled tea with the other. “Big fancy event, excuse to show off both how rich you are and how generous you are because the money’s going to help the ‘less fortunate’. Satya was invited, and despite the security risk, she intends to go. It’s an opportunity to look for sponsors for her hardlight technology, and she said that Maximilien is going to be there.” He found what he was looking for and placed the phone on the table so the others could see. “When she put her teleporter schematics on display last year, Maximilien was also there.”

Hanzo hummed, a deep, thoughtful sound, but when Jack raised his eyes to check the angels’ reactions, Gabriel was grinning tightly.

“This makes things easier,” he said in grim satisfaction. “Easier to corner him outside of his compound, and he’ll think twice before making a scene. Hanzo, do you have experience in attending these sorts of events?”

“Of course,” he answered coolly, giving the Archangel a look that fell just short of being affronted. “I am no stranger to high society.”

“Good.” Gabriel nodded his head in McCree’s direction. “He doesn’t.”

“I got experience,” the younger angel protested. “There was that noble’s banquet, remember? I disguised myself as a waiter. Slipped right in.”

“And you got fired before the second course,” countered Gabriel dryly.

McCree crossed his arms petulantly over his chest. “That lady was bein’ rude. She had it comin’!”

Hanzo turned his head politely and cleared his throat, but Jack saw the smirk and took a bite of green-tea mochi to cover a smile of his own. The vampire may not have forgiven his guest for sneaking in and dirtying his floor, but he was too polite to outright laugh and amusement would blunt the blade of his resentment.

“In light of this new opportunity,” Jack said, drawing everyone’s attention, “I think we should re-think our plan. Come up with a strategy to take advantage of the auction.”

Hanzo nodded. “A wise course of action, Commander.”

~/~/~

“Alright, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page.” Jack arched his back, resisting the urge to rub his eyes or check the time. It seemed like they’d been plotting and debating for half the night. “Assuming we’re able to get a pair of invites from Satya, Hanzo and McCree will attend the event as buyers interested in purchasing unspecified antiques. They will blend in with the crowd, avoid attracting attention or arousing suspicion in any way, and track down Maximilien. When an opportunity presents itself, they will isolate him and get him out of the building quickly and quietly. Gabriel will be lurking around outside to provide cover and assistance, while I will be waiting with a getaway vehicle. We will take Maximilien to a secure location and interrogate him. Gabe, you’re sure Sombra will help out with the on-site security?”

The Archangel shrugged. “She seemed like she was interested for personal reasons, and I’m paying in information. She gave her word and she’ll keep it.”

Jack sighed. “Fine. So that’s our plan. Any questions, comments, concerns?”

Three heads shook no. Arael cawed in a negative-sounding way.

“Great. Gabe and I are going to visit Lucio and see if we can get those invites.” He stood and stretched, feeling three vertebrae pop and sighing in relief as his stiff muscles got a change of pace.

As he and Gabe were putting their shoes back on in the entryway, Arael somehow perched on his master’s shoulder, Hanzo cleared his throat.

“McCree,” he uttered in a militantly neutral voice, “where are you staying tonight?”

One boot in hand, the angel blinked. “Hadn’t thought that far,” he admitted. “Boss usually takes care of those details, so I guess I...”

The words trailed off as if something had smothered them, and Jack looked up. He couldn’t see his angel’s expression, but he’d felt that heaviness in the air before and Arael suddenly looked...sharper. Pointier. Distinctly unfriendly. Hanzo was looking mildly uncomfortable before he caught Jack’s eyes on him and schooled his expression back into stony disdain. But McCree...

The younger angel looked like he was being suffocated, drowned, pinned under the silence that was somehow thick and heavy as crystal and would slice him into ribbons if he shattered it. With an effort, he swallowed and forced his lips into a sickly smile.

“...I’ll...just...look around and take in the sights until he tells me where to bunk,” McCree finished weakly.

Gabriel and his familiar both relaxed, but Hanzo’s displeasure crystalized.

“You absolutely will not,” he snapped, yanking the boot out of the angel’s hand and putting it back on the shelf. “There are stringent regulations in this city for the protection of angelic residents and visitors, especially with a killer on the loose. Angels must be housed in secure locations, with the police made aware of their whereabouts. With you being our other undercover operative, we cannot risk your face being seen by the wrong people. You will stay with me.”

McCree looked back and forth between the vampire and the Archangel, then swallowed again. “Uh. Okay.”

“Good idea.” Gabriel looked far too pleased. “Keep this ingrate out of sight until we can get him some clothes that don’t scream ‘look at me’. And hide your wings, McCree.”

Jack snorted. “You’re one to talk about clothes that don’t draw attention.”

“What are you talking about, Jackie?” The Archangel’s expression went from mildly hurt to insufferably smug. “Don’t you like the suit I picked out?”

“Call if you need anything,” Jack told Hanzo, blushing furiously. “We’ll be in touch regarding the invites.”

 With Gabriel chuckling and Arael laughing along, they strolled back to the car leaving McCree standing in the entryway, in his socks, looking like he’d rather be somewhere, anywhere, else.

~/~/~

The drive to Lucio’s was mostly quiet and occasionally nerve-wracking, like when Arael figured out how to roll the back window down and poked his head out to caw at the other cars. Having a four-eyed raven the size of his torso sitting in the back seat was one thing, but having other people see it was quite another. Luckily, the trip was otherwise uneventful and soon enough he was flashing his badge to the parking attendant at Lucio’s highrise, which was even more exclusive than Hanzo’s private housing complex.

The building rose above the cityscape like something off the cover of a sci-fi novel from the 1970s, a jeweled pillar crossed with a towering pagoda, tall enough that the angel’s penthouse had a view of both the glittering nighttime city and the inky expanse of the ocean. The other penthouse also belonged to Lucio, and housed his recording studio. The lack of neighbors was a reassurance to Jack.

They parked in the secure lot under the building. Jack hesitated before getting out, unsure how to ask his angel about the giant demon bird and if they were taking him with them or leaving him in the car, but Gabriel seemed to guess his thoughts because he told Jack not to worry about it, he’d handle it, just lead the way. Jack nodded and set off for the elevator, listening to the angel murmuring something to his familiar as he went. Then the car door closed and echoing footsteps caught up with him. Gabriel had reverted to his holy garments, Jack saw, complete with the hooded, sleeveless Kevlar jacket.

The parking lot elevator took them to the lobby, doors opening onto a long stretch of carpeted marble and pristine cream walls adorned with modern paintings. Gingerly, trying to look even half as confident as Gabriel, Jack led the way to the front desk - because of course, access to the angel’s elevator was restricted. Again, Jack’s badge bought them entry, and moments later he and Gabriel were alone in a wood-paneled elevator.

 “This seems like a nice place to live,” Gabriel said casually. “The stone floors and color scheme remind me of Brigitte’s citadel.”

Jack gave him a curious look. “And Brigitte is...?”

“Brigitte the Shieldmaiden, patroness of innovation, justice, and the abandoned. Used to hate her, but now we’re good.” Gabriel shrugged, grinning just a little at Jack’s exasperated expression. “The third Archangel, Jackie.”

“You hated one of the other...” Jack shook his head.

“Hey, I told you I was an asshole.”

“You shouldn’t hate your co-workers, Gabe.” He tried to make it chiding, but found himself smiling instead.

“I don’t! ...now,” Gabriel amended.

“Asshole.” He was kissing Gabriel before the angel could do more than open his mouth to protest. “You never did tell me about the others,” he said as he turned to see how many floors they still had to travel past. It was a more innocent question than the others that buzzed at him: what did McCree mean by ‘consort’? Who had Gabriel killed before he composed that poem on justice? For that matter, he knew almost nothing about the Archangel’s backgound: where he came from, his upbringing, his family - if he still had any. Why McCree was an ingrate. How he’d lost the arm. Asking about the other Archangels seemed like a relatively tame discussion.

Gabriel shrugged. “What do you want to know?”

“I’m just curious about them. What they’re like, what they do, that sort of thing. Brigitte, Angela, and...uh...the other one.”

“Reinhardt,” his angel supplied. “Well, I just told you about Brig. Angela...” He huffed, but it sounded more like a resigned sigh.

Angela. Jack remembered that nickname. “The healer?”

Gabriel nodded. “Beauty, brains, and a heart beyond compare. Patroness of the sciences and revered by healers. If it pertains to medicine, she knows it. If it can be fixed, she can fix it. And if you’re being a dumbass,” he added dryly, “she’ll make sure you know it.”

Jack snorted. “Give you an earful once or twice, did she?”

“Maybe.” The grin he gave Jack was smugly unrepentant.

“Must be nice,” Jack said wistfully. “To have magic, I mean.” He wiggled his fingers at the angel. “My pathetic human ass is about as magical as a brick.”

Gabriel snatched those fingers up and brought them to his lips for a gentle kiss. “Hey, your ass is plenty magical. Especially after I’ve been in it.”

Laughing, Jack pulled his fingers back. “You’re such a fucking sap, Gabe.”

“You dare speak to the Angel of Death that way?” Gabriel mock-raged. Then he grinned. “Suck it up, Jackie, because you’re stuck with me.”

Guilt lanced through Jack. For how long? he wondered uneasily, but the elevator door opened and interrupted them both.

  The entryway between the two penthouses was every bit as elegant as the lobby had been, and Jack suspected that even the less-expensive units on lower floors were actually condos, far outside his price range. Gabriel could probably afford it, a thought he quickly shoved aside because he did not need to sabotage this case with feelings of inadequacy. As it was, even with his spotlessly-shined work shoes, he felt like he was dirtying the carpet while the Archangel beside him moved with the grace and arrogance of an apex predator, silent as a panther. He was outclassed in every way. Why was Gabriel with him? What could an Archangel possibly see in one pathetic wreck of a human?

“Hey, Jackie, smile. It’s okay.”

The soft words of encouragement drew his eyes to the angel’s, deep brown ringed in glimmering silver, eyebrows beetled in warm concern, and Jack found a small smile somehere as he gazed at his angel.

“You should smile more often,” Gabriel said with a gentle smile of his own that made his whole face light up. “It suits you.” 

Jack had no words to respond to that, so he reached for his angel’s hand and let their intertwined fingers speak for him. Gabriel’s smile widened and he reached out to run one thumb down the curve of Jack’s jaw, a gesture somehow reassuring and praise, as if Jack was a work of art that would gain value over time in whatever celestial mansion the Archangel had in his home realm. 

Then the moment was over and Gabriel was all business again, and Jack stuffed his emotional crisis down into the place where he kept memories of Vincent. Crisply professional, he reached out and rang the doorell.

“I’ll get it!” called a cheerful male voice from the other side of the door. “The pizza guy must be h- oh, you’ve got to be kiddi-”

The security camera flashed; the door swung open to reveal a young-looking man of medium build, dark skin and long dreds pulled back into a thick ponytail, his usual gleaming smile replaced by a shocked gape as Lucio laid eyes on Gabriel, and when had the Archangel brought his wings back out? The younger angel took two respectful steps back and bowed, right hand pressed to his chest, moss-green wings with their golden striations parting in what looked like a formal motion.

“Hey, Lucio,” Jack said sheepishly. “Sorry to drop in without warning.” He glanced at Gabriel, then back at the star-struck guardian angel. “Do I actually need to introdce you?”

The younger angel shook his head. “Gabriel, in the flesh-! I-I mean, sire, I didn’t think I’d have the honor of meeting you this soon!”

“At ease, young one,” Gabriel soothed with a tolerant smile. “Your feathers are fluffing up.”

Self-consciously, Lucio slicked them back down. “Please, come in,” he urged, opening the door wider.

In the room behind him, a familiar figure turned to see what had their host so excited. Amelie was on the couch, a book forgotten in her hands, her violet wings draped comfortably over the low back. As they stepped in out of the hall, a head of ebony hair twisted into an elegant braid poked out of a doorway before stepping fully into the room. The simple sari she wore was a dark blue that complimented the lighter blue of the wings that glimmered in the living room’s lighting, and she pulled large safety goggled off as she moved towards them, setting them neatly on an end table before offering Gabriel the same courteous bow Lucio had given him. Behind her, Amelie stood to bow as well.

“Sire,” the blue-clad angel said as she rose from her bow, “I am Satya. It is an honor to meet you.”

Gabriel gave them all a small nod of acknowledgment, accepting their obeisances as his rightful tribute. “Thank you for the warm welcome,” he intoned. Then he smiled. “Now that all the formality is out of the way, be at ease; we are all friends here.”

“We came to check on you,” Jack said, the familiar urge to protect them washing over him. Although they were centuries older than him, they were his charges and it was his responsibility to keep them safe while they lived in his city. “And,” he added with a nod to Satya, “to follow up on that thing we discussed earlier.”

“What of the attackers?” Amelie asked with a frown, coming up to stand beside Lucio. “Have you found a lead?”

Jack opened his mouth to respond, but Gabriel beat him to it. “Maximilien,” he said grimly. “Does the name ring any bells?”

“Yeah, I know that guy,” Lucio said darkly. “I don’t like him. He tries to cheat you anywhere he can; he’ll take the shirt off your back if you’re not careful.”

Amelie crossed her arms. “He had tried many times to evict me from my studio so that he can tear the place down to build a commercial shopping center.” Her tone was bitter, almost spiteful. “For years he has tried, but I will not let him succeed.”

Given that two of his charges felt so strongly about the man, and especially considering his vast array of connections, Jack thought it very likely that Maximilien had either had a hand in the theft of Satya’s teleporter schematics, or knew who did. Before he could voice any of that, however, the doorbell rang again and Lucio perked up.

“Now I’m sure that’s the pizza guy,” he announced. “Gimmie a sec. You’re staying for dinner, right?”

Without waiting for an answer, he moved towards the door and Satya gestured them to a doorway opposite the one she’d emerged from. “Please,” she said graciously, “this way.”

Jack opened his mouth to decline, but Gabriel was already walking past him. Mentally shrugging, he followed his angel and Amelie followed him into a comfortable dining room. Lucio joined them a minute later, as Satya was passing out plates with Amelie handing out glasses, and set a stack of pizzas on one end of the table before taking three two-liters of soda out of a plastic bag.

“Alright,” he said cheerfully, accepting a glass and twisting the lid off the root beer, “let’s dig in!”

~/~/~

Dinner was lively, even more so than the occasional meal he shared with Ana and Fareeha. The warmth of the small gathering swaddled him like a blanket, the angels chatting and laughing and joking with each other and with Gabriel. They asked him for news of their home realm, as none of them had been back in a human lifespan or two, and Jack listened in silence while they talked about their realm and their culture. He soaked up like a sponge, hungry for the stories they told each other, and learned that travel between realms was possible thanks to doorways and portals that existed in certain areas and could be opened...with enough power. None of the guardian angels had the power to open one of these portals by themselves, and McCree’s earlier comment on the subject now made sense to Jack. The Archangels had such a vast surplus of angelic power that opening a portal would be a trivial matter, much like him opening an actual door. They could open the gateway and hold it for squadrons, even entire armies, to pass through in order to wage war in other realms.

Gabriel answered every question they had about the angelic realm, detailing recent events and passing along family news. The realm was at peace, something that made Amelie sag in relief. Her family had several members in various military unit, it turned out, and her great-grandmother was one of Gabriel’s squad leaders. He told them stories of the other Archangels, and Jack learned that Reinhardt was the patron of warfare and warriors. Reinhardt the Crusader, Gabriel declared cheerfully, whose creed is his honor and who leads God’s armies. The overt, daytime counterpart to Gabriel, who did things quietly and under the cover of darkness.

He told a story of how Angela had been courted by bold and arrogant royals who waged wars for her love and only succeeded in earning her ire. Finally, she marched right up in the middle of the battlefield, in all her Archangelic glory, and told everyone to knock it off and go home before se exiled them all to the Wastelands.

Jack opted to not ask about the Wastelands, given how the other three were wincing or shuddering. “No one put up a fight against her?” he asked instead.

 “You saw what happens when someone pisses off an Archangel,” Gabriel told him.

“Yes, but you...” You’re a warrior, he wanted to say. An assassin. Angela was not.

As though he’d heard Jack’s thoughts, Gabriel caught his eyes and held them. “Never,” he said somberly, “piss off a healer.”

And that was the end of that.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Jack said to the other three as they cleaned up from dinner, “is being a guardian like a job of some sort?”

Lucio shook his head. “We guardian angels have no need for compensation, commander. Sure, getting paid is nice in that it makes it easier for us to do our thing, but it’s not our driving force. We have a calling; the desire to nurture and protect. I love composing music infused with angelic magic to help the listener in some way. For example, the album I’m working on now is for trauma victims. Helps prevent recursive thought and encourages the rebuilding of healthy neural pathways.”

“It is true, Jack,” Satya said with a nod of agreement. “Callings are engraved within us, just as you humans have a passion for art or - in your case - service. As Lucio said, it is the same for us. I could no more stop inventing for the good of all than I could stop breathing.”

“Like the teleporters you invented to help lessen air pollution,” Jack said, earning himself a nod. “But as a group, you are against committing violence.”

He couldn’t help giving Amelie a quick look, remembering her nonlethal rifle and ruined Parisian rug, and she returned his gaze with a wry smile.

“When I was but a girl,” she said softly, her voice warm and wistful, “Mamie asked me if I wanted to serve in one of the sire’s squadrons, as many of our family have done.” She dipped her head to Gabriel in a nod of respect, earning a faint smile from him. “I come from a long line of hunters and soldiers, and even as a child I was familiar with the art of hand-to-hand combat and the use of firearms. But I realized that such a life was not for me,” she said firmly. “I prefer the simplicity of my life now, following my calling in this realm, caring for these humans the best way I know how: teaching the art and freedom of dance. When the battle is over, there must be those who pick up the pieces and help the survivors rebuild, and that is my purpose.”

That got murmurs of agreement from the other two guardians, and even an understanding nod from Gabriel.

“You three definitely make this city better,” Jack said quietly, touched by the passion he hadn’t realized drove his charges. “There’s no doubt about that.”

“Being under your guardianship allows us to more efficiently follow our calling,” Satya pointed out. “However, I do worry that you drive yourself too hard.”

Lucio chuckled and leaned back in his chair, tipping it onto two legs. “Yeah, commander. How many vacation days do you have saved up?”

Jack coughed and looked away. “Uh. They only let me carry over about three weeks. I get the rest paid out, usually.”

“In the decade of your service,” Amelie declared, outrage in her voice, “you have never taken your proper rest? You, monsieur, are a martyr to your cause and I am concerned for you.”

“It kinda...comes with the job,” Jack muttered, not looking at Gabriel.

Lucio uttered a sound of revelation and smacked one fist into his palm. “I have an album I recorded to help with fatigue! I’ll get you a copy!”

“That’s really generous, but I don’t want to impose,” Jack protested, ears burning at the choked-back snicker that had come from Gabriel.

That got him a bright, generous smile. “Nah, man, you can have it! You do so much for us - can’t do a job well if you’re booped out of your mind and body, right?”

Well, great, now Jack was thinking about the possibility that the disaster of a stakeout the other night could have been prevented if he hadn’t been so much of an emotional wreck. Just what his self-worth issues needed: a nice, juicy snack. On top of that, it was sinking in that in the decade of watching over the city’s guardian angels, he’d never really sat down and gotten to know them. He had a good professional relationship with them, sure, but he’d learned more about them in one evening than he had in the entire time he’d known them. His dedication to his job had robbed him of Vincent, and the resulting issues had robbed him of the friendships he could have had with his charges. His charges...and how many others? He prioritized his duty above even his own health; he didn’t have friends outside of work, and even the friends he had on the force were more like acquaintences with the possible exception of Ana.

Suddenly, he wanted more. More than the occasional meal with Ana and Fareeha, more than exchanging stories with a bartender who cared more about is money than his words, more than an empty apartment and one-night stands and running through the city at night or drinking himself to sleep. He was wasting his entire life, and why? Because he couldn’t balance his job with his relationship, and now he was running from the possibility of repeating that mistake? Every day could be his last day, and if it was, what would he leave behind? He wanted to have something for himself, for a change.

The warmth of Gabriel’s hand around his was a shock, knocking him back into the moment.

What’s wrong, sunshine?

Jack started, surprised and more than a little - maybe not hurt, but vulnerable and maybe betrayed - that his angel had used the nickname he’d only heard once before, and done so in front of his charges. When he fixed Gabriel with a startled look that begged for explanation, however, he found the Archangel giving him a mildly puzzled look. Furthermore, the other angels were watching him with mild concern and no hint whatsoever that they’d heard the deeply intimate nickname.

That’s when he realized he hadn’t heard the question at all. It had been in his head; he’d imagined it.

Great. Just what he needed - hallucinations.

“Jack,” Gabriel said carefully, thumb rubbing circles into his hand under the table, “are you okay?”

“Just tired, Gabe,” he answered absently. Only after the word had left his mouth did he realize he’d just let slip that he was someone the Archangel of Death allowed to call him by nickname, but he didn’t have any energy left to worry about that. “It’s been a long day,” he said by way of explanation, pinching the bridge of is nose with the hand Gabriel wasn’t holding.

“You were injured defending me,” Amelie said, standing abruptly. “No doubt you have not allowed yourself sufficient rest to heal from the fight. I shall fetch medicine.”

Somehow, Jack doubted that would help. “No need,” he protested. “I have to drive home, anyway. I’ll sleep tonight, I promise, and listen to that album. I just need...” He rubbed at his eyes for a moment, trying to push past all the feelings of inadequacy and self-recrimination enough to think. “I just need some fresh air. Lucio, okay if I smoke on your balcony?”

The angel nodded, dreads bouncing. “Yeah, sure. There’s an ashtray on the table outside. I’ll get that album for you.”

“Thanks,” muttered Jack, reclaiming his hand and standing.

Sliding glass doors separated the spacious balcony from the rest of the penthouse, and a little wrought-iron table discreetly off to one side held a glass ashtray shaped like a frog with its mouth open, as well as a box of matches. Jack slid the glass door shut behind him, sighing in relief when the murmur of conversation inside was cut off. Alone with the night sky, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, sucking in the sweet nicotine-laden smoke and holding it for a long moment before blowing it into the cool night air. The wind danced around him, obscuring the sounds of traffic fifty floors below and giving him the illusion of being - for the moment - utterly alone with the stars. Even the moon was hiding, either new or not yet risen or just on the other side of the sky. He took another drag and felt a bit of the tension leave his muscles, giving him a little bit of space to think.

If he was imagining Gabriel’s voice, then he needed to use those vacation days and give some serious thought to making lifestyle changes. He couldn’t help his charges if he was so wound up and stressed out that he was hallucinating, and if Ana caught wind of it, he’d never hear the end of it. But he couldn’t afford to take time off now, when they were so close to getting some real information about the killer. It was a lose-lose situation, he thought grimly as he took another drag.

Then the glass door slid open behind him, and a familiar itching at the back of his neck told him that he was being watched by dark, silver-ringed eyes.

“Gabriel,” he said warningly, and the sliding door scraped shut again - but the feeling of being watched increased. Jack didn’t turn away from the thick concrete wall ringing the balcony. “If you sneak up on me, I swear, I’ll shoot you. I won’t hesitate.”

“You know it won’t hurt me,” the Archangel retorted in a low, purring voice. “Up for a little company?”

There was no smugness to the words, just a simple offer, and Jack turned to see his angel leaning against a giant earthenware pot housing a small palm tree. The reminder that Gabriel was choosing to invite pain later because he couldn’t bear to see Jack hurt made heat steal up his cheeks, and the smoke-laden breath felt like it was sticking in his throat. Taking his silence as assent, Gabriel stood and pulled Jack into his arms, one wing curving around him like a cloak as the angel caressed Jack’s cheek before leaning in to kiss him tenderly.

“We’re not alone, you know,” Jack protested as the kiss ended, fighting the uge to just curl up in his angel’s arms.

“They know we’re...involved,” Gabriel countered, warm and teasing, but that just made Jack think that they’d be watching him with pity, knowing that he was a mayfly to Gabe’s lifespan, and with guilt curdling in his belly he pulled out of the angel’s arms. Gabriel let him go, his expression one part affront and one part hurt. “Do you regret it, then?” he asked in a quiet voice.

“What? No, of course not!” Jack shot back instantly. “I don’t regret it. It’s just...” He glanced at the sliding door and saw that someone had drawn a thick curtain in front of it. Nothing they did would be visible to those inside. “...I’m not one of you,” he finished lamely, feeling even guiltier for having pulled away like that. To avoid Gabriel’s eyes, he took a drag on his cigarette and turned away to blow the smoke out into the wind.

It came as a complete surprise, then, when the angel snatched it from his fingers to take a drag for himself, inhaling smoothly and blowing the smoke up into the open sky. Then he gave te half-spent cigarette a look of utter distaste. “What the fuck are you smoking, Jackie?”

“Marlboro,” Jack answered, shrugging.

Gabriel took another drag. “Tastes like burnt hay,” he declared before stabbing it out into the frog-shaped ash tray. “I’ll get you some cigars from Reinhardt’s territory. Quality tobacco products are one of the specialties of that region.”

It was yet another reminder that Jack was not, and could never be, his lover’s equal, and his hands gripped the concrete railing as he stared out into the glittering cityscape. After a moment, Gabriel came to stand beside him, close enough that Jack could feel the heat of his body but without touching. A minute, or two, or five, trickled by in silence as Jack wrestled with his conflicting feelings.

“If you’re worried about what other angels will think about me taking a human as my beloved,” Gabriel began softly, “don’t be. It’s none of their business, and they wouldn’t dare cross me.”

Beloved. The word echoed in Jack’s mind, making his exhausted heart sing in tired joy. Beloved. Gabriel’s beloved. He wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat.

“I got the invitations from Satya,” Gabe said when there was no response, and fished out two holocards from somewhere in his holy robes to display for Jack. “I’ll give these to Hanzo and McCree tomorrow,” he added, making them vanish again. “But tonight, sunshine...” One arm slid around Jack’s waist. “Tonight, we enjoy the evening. You work yourself too hard; so do I. We both deserve some time to ourselves.”

Jack couldn’t argue with that sentiment, but every time he tried to utter even a single sound, his mind circled back to the catch-22 of needing to rest to protect his charges but needing to catch the killer before he could let himself rest. Then warm fingers were tilting his chin gently up and turning his head to look straight into those inhuman, silver-ringed eyes.

“What happened in there, Jack?” Gabriel asked softly, worry making his eyebrows draw together.

Somehow, that glowing gaze freed his frozen words. “I heard your voice,” Jack confessed, “but you hadn’t said anything.”

Gabriel looke even more worried at that, something that made Jack’s heart sink. “What did it say?”

“It said...” Jack took a deep breath, feeling foolish. “What’s wrong, sunshine?”

Surprise flooded the angel’s features, so complete that it left Gabriel staring blankly.

“You called me that in the car,” Jack continued, heart sinking even lower. “Sorry. Guess I’m so strung out that I’m hearing things.”

“I suspected this might happen,” the angel murmured, surprise fading into concern, but I didn’t think it would be this soon.”

“You suspected-“ Jack broke off, swallowing hurt. “You suspected I’d crack and start hallucinating. Thanks for the vote of confidence, asshole.”

Gabriel shook his head, as if that last word had knocked him out of his thoughts. “What? Jack, Jackie no,” he protested, pulling Jack closer as he struggled to back away. “You’re not hallucinating. You haven’t cracked. It’s something else. Something...” He swallowed, fingers trembling ever-so-slightly against Jack’s skin. “...intimate,” he finished in a whisper, looking both elated and terrified.

Beloved, whispered Jack’s heart, the word cutting through his emotional turmoil.

“Our potential,” Gabriel said, searching Jack’s eyes for the slightest hint of understanding or rejection. “A side effect of angels bonding with their consorts. A...sharing, of sorts. Every bond is different, and I didn’t know if...”

“If it would happen with a human?” Jack filled in dryly.

Gabriel nodded. “It’s not- you have a choice, Jack. You can choose to reject the forming bond and that won’t happen again. But if you give your consent...”

He was having trouble keeping eye contact, Jack realized. His eyes flickered down, or to the side, and he was speaking hesitantly - as if he expected, or was afraid, that Jack would reject him.

Reject them.

“Consent to what? Talk to me,” he said, trying not to sound as petulent as he felt. “What’s going on, what am I potentially getting into, and what’s this ‘consort’ thing McCree mentioned?”

Gabriel turned to gaze at the stars for a long moment before he drew in a deep breath. “Humans call it husband or wife,” he began, “although you have no magic. Vampires use bride and groom. Among angels, the term for our significant others is consort and the bond means that we...share a piece of ourselves, share our hearts. You heard my voice because I was speaking with my heart, and you heard it with yours.”

For a long minute Jack just stared out at the cityscape, struggling to absorb and process this new development. He wasn’t desperately overworked after all; he could protect his charges without endangering them with his exhaustion. And Gabriel - they’d apparently gone from just barely dating to discussing marriage. But more than that, because Satya had said your Archangel and McCree had picked up on the consort thing immediately. Yes, he’d made the decision to give the relationship his best effort and be in it for the long haul, but that was before he’d known that there was an actual, magical bond involved. Did he want that kind of commitment? Was he ready for that kind of commitment?

Had he secretly been craving it ever since things had fallen apart with Vincent?

Beloved. Gabriel had chosen him, chose to give Jack his heart knowing that it would only be a matter of time before Jack’s death broke it. Somehow, that settled the whirling emotions, and Jack knew what his answer would be.

“You mean to say,” he said slowly, “that I’ll get a telepathic channel with you if we get married?”

The Archangel snorted, bringing a small smile to Jack’s lips. “Marriage, right,” he muttered. Then, in a voice as warm as his wings, he continued. “It’s more intimate than what you humans have, but yeah, that’s one of the perks.”

He expected the angel to continue, but when he didn’t, discovered that he didn’t really want to break the silence. Between the wind and the curtain blocking them from the sight of those inside, it was easy to pretend that they were the only two people in the world, the only witnesses to the glory of the night sky. Side by side they stood at the thick concrete wall, just reveling in each other’s nearness. At some point, he realized that soft music was pulsing inside the apartment; Lucio’s surround-sound system, of course, even if he wasn’t the one who had chosen the music. When the next song began, Jack was startled to realize that he recognized the old, acoustic song: Unchained Melody, by the Righteous Brothers.

“Last time I heard this song,” he murmured, “I think I was, like, six. Used to hear it on the radio Sunday mornings when I was a kid, helping my mother wash dishes after breakfast. After that, she’d send me upstairs to get ready for church.”

Gabriel listened in silence for a moment. “It’s nice. What’s it called?”

“Unchained Melody,” Jack answered softly.

In silence, they listened together for another minute.

“Is it significant to you?” Gabriel asked quietly.

Jack shook his head. “Just a song I haven’t heard in forever. Doesn’t mean anything specific.”

In a single, fluid motion, Gabriel somehow went from standing beside Jack to crouched on the concrete wall, one hand extended in an invitation. “Do you want it to?”

Although the barrier was thick for a wall - nearly a foot - that was still a precarious perch for a grown man. A loss of balance would mean an abrupt introduction to the sidewalk fifty stories below - but this wasn’t the first time Jack had trusted his life to the Archangel. Hell, this wasn’t even the first time Gabriel had been the only thing between him and a fall to his death. The smile was automatic, and almost before he’d thought the idea through he was taking that offered hand and being pulled up onto the wall. The instant both his feet were on it Gabriel stood, Jack held close to the angel’s chest with one bronzed arm securely around his waist. The blood lilies glowed a faint red in the darkness, their black vines nearly invisible. Reflexively, Jack mirrored the angel’s pose and placed one hand on his shoulder while the other shifted from grasping to merely holding Gabriel’s.

A dance on the edge; a dance with Death.

Slowly at first, they began to sway to the music, dancing with safety to one side and a deadly drop on the other, but for the first time tonight, there was no fear or worry in Jack’s heart. Gabriel would not let his beloved fall. Unsurprising for the patron of art, music, and literature, the Archangel was incredibly light on his feet and Jack found himself forgetting about the danger of their perch.

“Never pictured you as a romantic, Gabe,” Jack teased. “What with you being an asshole and all.”

“Hey!” protested the Archangel, brow furrowed and lower lip stuck out in an adorable pout that made Jack want to lean in and nip at it. “Not so loud! I have an image to maintain, you know.”

The slight quirk at the corner of his mouth was an invitation to laugh at the joke, so Jack did. He’d never been much of a romantic himself, and was shit at dancing, but he let Gabriel lead and together, they moved and swayed in perfect balance.

Time goes by so slowly

And time can do so much

Are you still mine?

I need your love

I need your love

God speed your love to me

In Gabriel’s arms, the world melted away and Jack laid his head on his angel’s shoulder, eyes closed to better focus on the warm body pressed against his. He still had doubts about what he was getting himself into and feelings of inadequacy to sort out, but right now, none of it mattered.

Lonely rivers flow

To the sea, to the sea

To the open arms of the sea

Lonely rivers sigh

"Wait for me, wait for me"

I'll be coming home, wait for me

With a fancy bit of footwork, Gabriel spun them around on the wall and Jack let himself be spun, away from his angel’s body, dipped down low to drape over one strong arm with his leg extended for balance. The night air rushed around his hair, traffic roaring faintly below him, and when he opened his eyes his sight was filled with the field of stars overhead.

On the balcony wall, Gabriel admired his brave, beautiful human. Wind-tousled hair of spun gold reflected the gentle light of stars above and streetlights below, giving the illusion of a dull glow framing his face. Eyes bright as the cloudless sky opened, like windows into daytime, and a soft smile curved the lips that he’d kissed so happily. His beautiful human, his beloved. Beautiful and mine, whispered his heart, sang his soul, and with an artist’s eye he memorized the scene so that the memory could bring him comfort in the empty centuries yet to come.

As the song drifted into the final notes of its meoldy, the Archangel pulled Jack back up to his feet, one arm still locked protectively around Jack’s waist. Jack fairly melted against his angel, head once more on his shoulder, and suddenly the thought of facing his charges - even to say his goodnights - felt like a gauntlet to endure.

“Gabriel?” he murmured into the XXIV on the angel’s neck, and got a questioning hum in response. “It’s been a long day. Let’s go home.”

He raised his head to catch the angel’s expression, a flash of disappointment dulling the silver around his irises before Gabriel pressed their foreheads together. Guilt squirmed in his gut at the realization that Gabriel had been subtly asking if Jack wanted to be his consort, waiting for an answer, and Jack hadn’t given him one.

“Of course,” Gabriel murmured, a rustling sound indicating that the angel’s great nightsky wings had manifested. “If that’s what you want.”

Arms tightening around his angel’s body in a wordless confirmation that yes, that was what he wanted. He’d have to come back tomorrow for the car, and to make his apologies to the guardian angels, but after the discussion about vacation days he trusted that they’d understand needing a moment to indulge himself. A minute nod to show that he was ready, and he did not so much as flinch as the Archangel tipped them both over the edge.

Terrifyingly fast, they hurtled through the night towards the tiny dots that were headlights and taillights, and Jack felt the familiar rush of adrenaline in his veins. Once before, they’d done this together. Gabriel hadn’t let him die then, and he certainly wouldn’t let him die now.

That was no reassurance to his instincts, however, and Jack squeezed his eyes shut as they fell past countless windows, past the billboards, and towards the asphalt that grew closer every milisecond.

Gabriel! Jack’s heart shouted, as faith in his angel warred with the fear of falling to his death.

The Archangel smiled; their connection was weak, but it was there and he heard the cry of Jack’s heart. It would need a great deal of work to turn it from the fragile link between them into a soul-deep bond, but honestly, this was amazing progress for how new and delicate their relationship was. With time, nurturing, and acceptance, it would become unbreakable.  

...ha..v...you...

The reply was choppy, broken, like a radio station dissolving into static as he drove through a tunnel, but Jack heard it all the same. Maybe that was where they stood now: in a dark tunnel, working together to find their way out into the light. That thought flashed through his head and was driven out by the snap of the Archangel’s powerful wings opening, and then they were hurtling up instead of down, shooting into the sky like a bullet where Gabriel’s gorgeous wings masked them, just another patch of glittering light on an expanse of darkness.

On the balcony, three pairs of eyes watched the pair streak past. They had intended to offer coffee, biscotti, and music to the pair, but they had pulled the curtain open to see their guests standing on the balcony wall and then toppling over the edge.

“Well, would you look at that!” Lucio whistled, the kalimba he’d intended to play tucked under one arm. “They’re dancing in the sky! I’ve never actually seen it done before,” he announced cheerfully.

“The sire courts the commander,” Satya said, setting her biscotti-laden platter on the table next to the frog ashtray. “Or perhaps Jack was too tired to drive. Is it a true courtship dance if one party does not have wings?”

Amelie made a sound of disagreement as she set her coffee tray next to the biscotti. “Even without wings, it is a gesture of deepest trust and intimacy. Perhaps especially without wings, as Monsieur Morrison has no way to save himself should the sire lose his grip.”

Lucio tore his eyes away from the sky and gave her a curious look. “So, are they courting, then?”

“It could be mere transportation,” the ballerina replied, pouring herself a cup of coffee. “After the battle, the sire carried him to the hospital personally. But...”

Satya arched one elegant eyebrow. “But?”

Amelie winced at the memory. “When I went to the commander’s apartment seeking the sire, he was filled with terrible rage at the very fact that the commander had been injured. He was protective far past the demands of hospitality. There is definitely something between them, and they are trying to learn the rhythm of their own waltz.”

Light-blue wings glimmered in the starlight as Satya perched gracefully on one of the wrought-iron chairs beside the table. When she spoke, her voice was almost hushed. “But Jack is mortal.”

Amelie nodded grimly as she took her own seat, and even Lucio seemed dejected as he set his kalimba down to sit. The lavender-winged angel poured them coffee, leaving two cups on the tray that had been meant for their guests.

“Hey now,” Lucio said with a brave smile, “love is love, yeah? Who are we to judge? Gabriel has gone millennia alone; he deserves some happiness.”

Satya nodded. “That is true; the sire deserves happiness wherever he can find it.” A thoughtful sip of coffee made her smile. “Ah, Amelie, this is lovely.”

“When have I ever made a pot of coffee that is less than perfect, cherie?” Amelie allowed herself a small, pleased smile at the compliment, the feathers of her lavender wings fluffing up slightly in happiness.

Lucio sipped his own coffee, nibbled a biscotti, and then picked up his kalimba to pluck at the flattened tines with his thimbs. Although the song he played was a melancholy one, telling a story of heartbreak many centuries old, he played in a soft and upbeat style that made it sound more like a lullaby than the epitaph it was.

“That song,” murmured Amelie, looking up from her coffee. “It is Goodbye, Isabella?”

Wordlessly, Lucio nodded, thumbs never hesitating as he continued to pick out the tune. Sometimes actually sung as a lullaby, it was a song Gabriel had composed when he sang his first consort’s soul to its rest. He had buried her himself in an unmarked grave somewhere in the heart of his domain, or so it was said. Some versions of the story included a smaller grave beside Isabella’s, one surrounded by the tulips and peonies that she had tended to in life.

Although Gabriel the Wraith refused to talk about the song, every angel knew that his story was a lonely one.

Satya sighed, eyes searching the moonless sky where Archangel and human had disappeared. “Let us hope, then, that Jack will not be the next Isabella.”

That got a hum of agreement from the other two. They spent the remainder of the night together, Lucio contentedly plucking at his kalimba as he played songs from their homeland and the other two conversing quietly in the angelic tongue. What none of them said out loud, however, was that they knew their hope for their sire’s happiness to be futile. No matter how true his love was, Jack Morrison was mortal and that was that. How cruel was Fate, to allow Gabriel to find love again after so long and then snatch it back almost before he’d had a chance to taste happiness again? So they sat, and they sought comfort in each others’ company, and they breathed quiet thanks that they were nobody, ordinary, living quiet, ordinary lives while Fate’s attention was on others.