(no subject)

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Date: June 9, 2000
Status: Private (Adam, Gabriel)
Setting: Hospital
Summary: Checking in on Mictain (cont. from here)

Adam's trainers made little squeaky noises as he walked down the pristine hallways of the hospital wing that smelled strongly of disinfectant. He'd slept for two hours. He could have slept for ten, but he'd promised he'd come back and Adam always kept his promises.

Turning the corner, he found Mictain resting comfortably, eyes shut and breathing normally. Adam checked his pulse, looked at the neat row of stiches, and glanced up to see Gabriel watching him from across the room. He waved a quick greeting, not wanting to disturb the demon or the little imp asleep at the bottom of his bed, and crossed to where the archangel was standing.

"Everythin' all right?"

Comments

[dontcallmegabby.livejournal.com]

"I thought that was enough," he said on barely more than a breath, "I thought it would always be enough..." Gabriel was horrified to find tears stinging the edges of his vision, and promptly closed his eyes, taking a few shaky breaths before he dared let himself speak again.

One, and he no longer doubted the floor's ability to hold him. Two, and the fullness of Adam's words had sunk in.

Eyes snapped open, narrowing on Adam's ethereal face, and Gabriel asked carefully, almost frightened of the answer, "Tali - Tali died because of... all this?"

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Adam looked at Gabriel sadly, wanting so much to be able to provide some comfort to the angel that he would feel justified in accepting, but all he could offer was the truth and hope that it ultimately helped.

"Not because..." he said slowly, trying to find the best way of phrasing this, "It's not like that was prophesied and had to happen, but because it did, it allowed this. I don't think you or Aziraphale or Raphael or Uriel could've done what you've done here before then without consequences."

[dontcallmegabby.livejournal.com]

The idea wouldn't quite fit in with his thoughts, some piece in his puzzle whose edges were all wrong; his brow wrinkled in consternation, but the most tangible result Gabriel could muster was to wonder how he was ever going to face Chantinelle with this bit of information weighing him down. He stored the bit of information - doubting that Adam was ready to say more - to make sense of later.

"It's not fair, really," the angel said, in a metallic tone wrapped with all the casual airs of having just changed the subject with a remark about the weather. "All of us, expecting you to fix things. To keep the rest of existence at bay."

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

That made Adam snort in amusement. "God never promised anyone that life would be fair," he said. "He didn't even except his own Son. And I won't pretend that it's been easy. But for all that I'm doin' my part, you all are doin' yours. If I'm providin' the safety, you're providin' the change."

[dontcallmegabby.livejournal.com]

Gabriel said nothing in reply, simply gazed at Adam with impassive blue eyes, and in that moment, began to feel as though the idea of such was more admirable than foolish; began to feel a twinge of guilt that the Son of Satan held more hope in his heart than he, an angel of the Lord. But awareness of the Presence once more settled over him, comforting, cleansing, like some light misting of rain in the way it cleared his head; and there was something more there, as well. Adam, he realized: his good intentions in that moment overriding the archangel's own sense of doubt.

He smiled at the boy, or maybe to himself, and remarked quietly, "You are infinitely surprising, Adam Young."

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

Sensing that Gabriel had found some of what he was looking for, Adam half-smiled and looked away, feeling a little self-conscious. "Well, bein' predictable is borin', right?" he replied. "But mostly I'm just me. I dunno how to be anyone else."

He turned to glance at the demon again. "So, did you want to take a break then?"

[dontcallmegabby.livejournal.com]

There were, as it happened, very few places in the infinite universe that Gabriel wanted to be less than this room of this infirmary at this time, but he restricted himself to saying merely, "I would, if you don't mind, yes."

[average-adam.livejournal.com]

"Go on, then," said Adam with a faint smile. "I'll be here 'til you come back. Take however long you need, Gabriel."

[dontcallmegabby.livejournal.com]

Gabriel started to reply, but the words seemed too utterly lacking in the face of what had already been said; so he simply returned the Antichrist's faint smile, and slipped away.