by T. R. Hamby
Barry shrugged. “Not anymore.”
Gabriel found this intriguing. Most humans liked to believe in divine Beings.
“How old are you now?”
“Twenty-four.”
Gabriel smirked and chuckled. “You must be the youngest human I’ve met.”
Barry looked a little taken aback. Then he laughed, and it was a nice sound.
“All right, then,” he said, coming into the room.
He plopped down on the couch, and Gabriel swung around to face him. He smiled, and Barry smiled back.
“Aliens,” Barry said, and Gabriel shook his head. “Vampires? Superheroes. Come on, let it be superheroes.”
Gabriel grinned. “You wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
Barry shrugged. “Maybe not.”
Gabriel sighed. It was a shame. Barry was likable, even a little cute. But he wasn’t going to believe what Gabriel said.
He got up and sat next to him on the couch.
“Angels,” he said, folding his arms and leaning back.
Barry took this in, thinking. He didn’t look remotely awed, shocked, or fearful--all signs that he didn’t truly believe him. Still, it was fun to watch him consider it.
Finally he shrugged. “All right.”
Gabriel frowned. “What? Really?”
“Sure.”
“You’re supposed to tell me it’s bull.”
But he shrugged again. “Better explanation than none,” he replied. “Besides, I’ve been around some strange people in my time. Being around Angels is a much better experience so far.”
Gabriel snorted.
They were quiet a moment. Barry was staring at him, and Gabriel finally gave him a look. “What?”
“Sorry. I’m looking at your tattoos. What do they say?”
Gabriel knew he meant the line of script on his cheeks. He hesitated.
Barry smiled. “Let me guess…‘love’ and ‘hate?’ Or, ‘good’ and ‘evil?’”
“Is that what humans put on their bodies?”
“Well, what does yours say?”
Gabriel sighed. “‘Blackbird,’” he said simply.
Barry frowned, and he explained, “It’s the first creature I saw when I landed on Earth for the first time.”
He shrugged, embarrassed.
Barry looked thoughtful. After a moment he said, “I have a raven. You want to see?”
“Sure.”
He stood, and Gabriel followed. Barry undid the buttons to his shirt, and Gabriel watched, shifting on his feet. He was pleased when Barry finally slipped his shirt off--his torso and arms were covered in ink. Some were colorful, others dark and gray. But they were all unique--one of a sunken ship with treasure underneath, another of a fiery dragon crawling up his ribs. There was a blue eyeball on his stomach, and large, flowing script beneath his collarbone.
But he pointed to the inside of his bicep, and Gabriel looked. It was a dark bird, captured mid-flight. Feathers were flying from its wings, and its eye was a deep green.
Gabriel shook his head. Humans were certainly better at tattoos, that was for sure.
He looked at Barry, who stared back at him. They smiled at each other.
Gabriel was gentle, reaching out a hand and brushing his fingers along the lines of his tattoos. He touched the curls of the script, wove a finger around the ship’s billowing sail. He counted the spikes on the dragon’s tail, chuckled at that ridiculous eyeball. All the while Barry kept still.
Gabriel finally looked at him again, and before he could do anything Barry raised an eyebrow.
“My turn,” he said, and he nodded at Gabriel’s shirt. “Go on.”
Gabriel rolled his eyes, slipping his shirt off. Barry looked him over, frowning. He touched the scars on Gabriel’s body--his sides, his chest, his arms.
“I fight,” Gabriel said quietly, knowing he wouldn’t understand. “Sometimes we use Blades.”
Barry chuckled vaguely. “Living on the edge, I see.”
He touched Gabriel’s ink, following the swirls and dots that made up the Angelic alphabet. Gabriel tried to keep still, though he wanted to shiver. Barry was making him tense, especially with those fingers on his skin. He was even more attractive without his shirt on, sporting a fit figure under all that ink. But Gabriel liked his eyes the best--and, right now, his fingers.
Gabriel finally held his face and kissed him. Barry growled, allowing his hands to roam freely. His touch burned, and Gabriel hissed. Suddenly Barry broke away, nodding towards his room. They grabbed their shirts and snuck across the hall, grinning.
When the door was closed they were on each other, kissing roughly, unzipping their pants. Barry touched the tattoos on Gabriel’s legs, impressed, and Gabriel kissed his neck, loving his taste, his scent.
Gabriel got on his knees, giving Barry an evil grin. When he touched him Barry swore under his breath, tangling his fingers in Gabriel’s hair, and they stayed like this for a while. Then Gabriel stood and kissed him again. Barry groaned, cupped his face in his hands. They broke apart, catching the other’s eye, and grinned, laughing.
“I like your laugh,” Gabriel said, as they lay down on the bed.
Barry was grinning, breathing heavily.
Gabriel grinned too, looking him over. “And I like your eyes.”
“Come by it honest,” Barry murmured, turning over. “Come on.”
Gabriel tutted, placing gentle kisses on his back. “So impatient.”
“You’re killing me,” he moaned, shivering at Gabriel’s touch.
Gabriel raised up, gripped Barry’s hips, feeling a surge of lust. He leaned forward again, and Barry turned his head. He kissed him gently, allowing himself to get lost in him.
Barry’s bed was very comfortable, and Gabriel didn’t want to leave it, even though he knew he should. They talked for a long time, about everything. Gabriel didn’t hold back; he talked about the Immortal World, his trade as a fighter, his Talent. Barry, to his credit, didn’t question any of it, and in turn talked about the last few years of his life--his mother and her drinking, his old friends, the drugs, the month in jail. Life had flipped upside down in the blink of an eye. He had been on the street for a while.
Private thoughts were so easy to speak aloud in those situations. Gabriel listened to Barry talk, squeezed his arm, kissed his neck. Barry asked many questions, and Gabriel answered them all, including the reason they were all there--to hunt down rogue Angels, of course.
“Believe me now?” Gabriel joked, kissing his neck again.
Barry chuckled, tilting his head. “It’s….a lot, I’ll say. I was raised Christian, what a shitshow.”
He thought for a moment. “This makes more sense.”
Gabriel paused. There was something in Barry’s tone that worried him.
He looked at him. “What?”
Barry shrugged. “What? It does.”
Gabriel stared at him. “You’re not supposed to believe it.”
He gave him a look. “’Course I believe it. I knew there was something funny as soon as I met Mr. King. What he made me feel was….I don’t know, fucking supernatural.”
“Just an adrenaline rush.”
Gabriel had heard of those somewhere.
Barry smirked. “You know the more you try to change my mind, the more stubborn I get.”
“You can’t seriously believe this.”
He raised an infuriatingly calm eyebrow. “You believe it.”
“I live it.”
“Well, now I do, too,” he said, unmoved.
He thought for a minute, brushing his fingers down Gabriel’s side, while Gabriel still stared at him in disbelief.
Barry looked at him. “You know what this means.”
“What?”
He grinned. “It means I fucked an Angel.”
“You’re a shithead.”
“You started it,” Barry said, raising up and kissing him.
Gabriel closed his eyes, losing track of his thoughts wit
h that little shithead’s kiss. Well, what did it matter if he knew the truth? He was living there anyway; he was bound to find out. Besides, it wasn’t like there would be any consequences. What was Barry going to do, alert the media?
Suddenly there was a Presence, and the door burst open. Gabriel and Barry broke apart, looking to find Serene at the door.
For a moment she looked shocked.
Then she looked exasperated. “Gabriel, are you serious?” she shrieked, enough to make Barry jump. “All the shit we’re going through and you’re fucking whatshisname?”
“Hey,” Barry said, clearly offended, “my name isn’t whatshisname.”
Gabriel sat up. “Serene--”
“No, don’t give me that. Gilla and I just came back from the club and we have something to tell you. Upstairs, now.”
And she turned on her heel, slamming the door shut behind her.
Gabriel wasn’t sure whether to feel annoyed or ashamed. Well, what was wrong exactly? There hadn’t been anything for him to do. That didn’t necessitate sleeping with the houseguest, but still.
“Are you going to defend my honor?” Barry joked, getting out of bed and handing Gabriel his pants. “What do you think they found?”
“Hell if I know,” Gabriel replied, pulling his clothes on. “Must be important.”
They stood, and he looked at him. Barry’s cheeks were pink, and he still wore a pleased smile on his face. He blushed at Gabriel’s gaze, and Gabriel grinned.
He cleared his throat. “Listen--”
“I know. We shouldn’t do it again,” Barry murmured, shrugging.
Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Come on. We’re doing it again. I was about to say--you know--it was good.”
Barry grinned. “Not bad, eh?”
“Not for a whatshisname.”
He hurried upstairs, anxious to hear what Serene and Gilla had found--and hoping Serene hadn’t told everyone what he had been up to.
Everyone was waiting in the living area--everyone except Mel, who was asleep in bed. It had almost been four hours since his last “suppression,” so Gabriel went to him and carefully touched his arm. He felt the power go out of him, and nodded to himself. That would do it for another few hours.
Then he turned to find all four of the others staring at him. He deflated--goddammit, Serene.
He tutted, throwing himself on the recliner. “Tattletale.”
“You slept with Barry?” Nora whispered in disbelief.
Gabriel shrugged, and she sighed.
“You couldn’t keep it in your pants for a couple weeks?” Serene demanded. “What, are you going to couple with him now? Like everyone else in this house?”
Gabriel couldn’t help but shrug again; the idea seemed rather attractive.
“You know I’ve never had a mate before,” he said.
“So that means you need to pick your first one now?”
“You didn’t tell him anything, did you?” Nora asked worriedly.
Gabriel hesitated, looking around at them. “Define….”
“Gabriel!” Nora hissed, apparently keeping the volume down for Mel’s sake. “Are you serious? Does he believe you?”
“He can’t believe it,” Michael said quietly.
He looked serious, but his lips were twitching, amused.
Gabriel shifted in his seat. “He says he does.”
The four stared at him, struck.
“I wouldn’t have told him if I thought he’d believe it,” he said, holding out his arms. “But what does it matter, anyway? He’s a smart kid; he’s not going to knock on doors and preach about it.”
“Gabriel, it’s dangerous,” Nora sighed. “People are already dying.”
“He’s already living here,” Gabriel pointed out. “He’s in the safest place he can be. And I should add,” he said chidingly, “that he was put in danger as soon as you and Kira recruited him.”
There was a silence. Nora bit her lip, and Gabriel knew she was feeling guilty.
“Let’s move on,” Michael sighed. “What did you find?”
Serene and Gilla looked at each other. They were dressed provocatively, with heavy makeup on their faces. Gilla’s looked smudged, and her hair was tousled.
Serene nodded, and Gilla looked to Nora for help. She began to sign, and with Nora’s voice her story began to unfold.
Gabriel listened, frowning. It was the two main discoveries that caught his attention: one, that the mysterious man with the long hair was called Grayson, and lived in Chelsea, and two, that Gilla had Angel strength.
Michael was horrified. He went to get up, but Gilla beat him to it, going to him and sitting beside him.
“You’re all right?” he breathed, looking her over.
She nodded, albeit shakily, and signed to him.
Serene sighed. “I’m sorry, Mica. I was right there.”
Gilla signed again, and Michael nodded. “I know. It’s fine, Seri.”
Nora was holding her head in her hands. Gilla touched her arm, and she raised her head, looking bewildered.
“I just don’t understand.”
“None of this has made sense,” Michael murmured darkly.
“But this is a whole other level. I mean--is she an Angel now?”
“Angels aren’t made, they’re born,” Gabriel said, frowning. “Except for Michael, and my aunts and uncle. They were Created.”
There was a silence. Gabriel studied Gilla--the human his father had, somehow, fallen in love with. Had it all been a part of Father’s twisted plans? It was convenient that the one human Michael would come to love after millennia would just so happen to be special--so special, in fact, that she had somehow obtained Angelic powers. How was any of this possible--Angels who could love, humans becoming Immortal? What was Father thinking?
“Maybe it’s you too,” Michael said to Nora.
“I would think I would know by now whether or not I had Angel strength,” Nora said uncertainly.
“Lift the couch?” Gabriel suggested, somewhat jokingly.
Nora shot him a look, and he knew he hadn’t been forgiven for his antics with Barry.
“It’s a good idea, actually,” Michael said calmly. “Try to lift Gilla; she’s the lightest.”
Nora and Gilla stood, both looking embarrassed. Nora glanced around, flushing at everyone’s eyes on her. Gilla must have decided to just get it over with, because she grasped Nora’s shoulders and jumped into her arms.
Nora immediately dropped her, and everyone raised out of their seats. But Gilla was fine, giggling silently. Nora giggled too, and helped her stand. Then Gilla grabbed Nora’s waist and scooped her into her arms, spinning her around. Nora let out a little shriek, and Gilla paused, glancing at Mel, who was still out cold.
She set her down, and they looked at each other, amazed.
Michael stood, folding his arms and looking disturbed. “Maybe you are an Angel,” he murmured, frowning at his wife worriedly.
There was a pause, then Nora turned to Gilla. “Come on, Gilla. Knife trick.”
They went to the kitchen. Gabriel watched, confused, until he saw Gilla slide a knife down her palm. Ruby red blood blossomed on her hand, and she washed it under the water.
“Well, knives don’t bounce off your skin,” Nora said as they returned to the couch. “Which must mean that you’re still human.”
“It must be whatever Father’s planning,” Serene said, and there was an edge to her voice. “Whatever the hell that is, I don’t know. But….”
She hesitated, then continued, “it is a positive. Gilla is strong now--truly strong. With some training….”
“Yeah,” Nora whispered, nodding. “You’re so strong now, Gilla. You can….Jesus, you can fight Angels.”
Michael went pale. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
Gabriel looked at Gilla, who was frowning at the floor, clearly thinking hard. Finally she signed, and Nora and Michael nodded.
“Let’s focus on our clue,” Nora t
ranslated. “Grayson, apartment in Chelsea.”
“It hardly narrows it down,” Serene sighed.
Nora looked at Michael. “Dark Web, maybe?”
He sighed. “Even with it, it would take too long. All we have is half a name.”
Gabriel frowned and raised a hand. “What about an app? A dating app. Humans still use those, right?”
Michael raised an eyebrow. “Yeah.”
Gabriel nodded. “He might be on one. Actually, if he’s anything like what he sounds like, he’ll definitely be on one. It would be easy to lure young women using one of those.”
“Why would he be on a dating app when he can pick women up at clubs?” Nora asked.
Gabriel shrugged. “Probably easier than going out. You know….human men.”
“You would know all about human men, apparently,” Serene said under her breath.
“Don’t be jealous,” he said, and her lips twitched.
Michael
Serene volunteered to be the bait on the dating app. Nora did a photoshoot of her, in the skimpiest clothes they could find, and made a profile. It made Michael’s skin crawl, and he largely stayed out of it, preferring brief updates. Serene, Nora, and even Gilla seemed to have fun with it, laughing over the different messages that popped up on the app.
No one named Grayson appeared though, and none of the potential suitors had long dark hair.
While they waited on the app, Serene and Gabriel patrolled Croydon, and Michael and Gilla patrolled Hackney. There was no word of another kidnapping yet, but they all expected one soon. Mel continued to recover, now able to walk around the house, though he still tired easily. Barry did his own thing--including inviting Gabriel to his bed every night.
“Can I ask you something,” Gabriel said one night, as they washed the dinner dishes.
Everyone else was in the living room, except for Mel, who had gone back to bed.
Michael waited, and he said, “What does falling in love feel like?”
He looked around at him. “Why?”
Gabriel shrugged, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn spot on a plate. “Curious. You know, no Angel has ever felt it but you and Mel.”
Michael still hesitated. Gabriel was now….involved with Barry. How likely was it that he, too, would fall in love with a human? At this point, maybe any Angel could.
