[ Gabriel really shouldn't be surprised. He knew Greg was stressed, he could feel it through his phone, every message Greg sent proved how much strain he was under, how much worry coursed through him. Gabriel was well aware that a small amount of that was at least his fault- he'd reacted to Lucifer without thinking about consequences, about who would read what he'd said and be hurt by it.
He'd hurt Greg before by being stupid, by not thinking, and he'd done it again. Now at least he could fix it before it got too bad. Greg is so tense you can taste it in the air, the room is filled with it. It's probable that anyone with a better sense of smell than a regular human could smell it down the hall.
That's not fair. Greg works so hard. Most of the time, he's actually got a great handle on this, the paperwork is always there, there are always a torrent of cases to investigate, but he could never claim to be bored. But Greg doesn't see how successful he's been, he only sees where improvements still have to be made. It hurts him, and Gabriel can see that. He wishes he could do something, pour soothing oils somehow, but it's not as easy as that.]
I always want to talk to you. I'm sorry, what I said to Luci was... wrong.
[Callous, cold, inhumane. Any of those work too. But he's not upset about Greg. Greg has a job to do, he feels the heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He has a moral compass that might be even more finely tuned than anyone Gabriel has ever met before. It's certainly better than Gabriel's, which is as battered and beaten as it can get, without being completely bent out of shape.
He shifts, moving around Greg's desk, standing in front of him, a few inches between them, and after a moment of uncertainty, reaches out to touch Greg's arms. The tension in his muscles is horrible.]
You did what you had to do, Greg. I won't be upset about that, you know that. Brimstone have dealt with... a version of him in the past, they'll have to deal with him again. It probably won't be the last time. He's... broken. The Cage broke him, and expecting him to behave like a human would...
[He shrugs, and looks up at Greg's face, trying to read something more than just his expression. Something deeper, something in his soul. If he sees it, he doesn't show it.]
no subject
He'd hurt Greg before by being stupid, by not thinking, and he'd done it again. Now at least he could fix it before it got too bad. Greg is so tense you can taste it in the air, the room is filled with it. It's probable that anyone with a better sense of smell than a regular human could smell it down the hall.
That's not fair. Greg works so hard. Most of the time, he's actually got a great handle on this, the paperwork is always there, there are always a torrent of cases to investigate, but he could never claim to be bored. But Greg doesn't see how successful he's been, he only sees where improvements still have to be made. It hurts him, and Gabriel can see that. He wishes he could do something, pour soothing oils somehow, but it's not as easy as that.]
I always want to talk to you. I'm sorry, what I said to Luci was... wrong.
[Callous, cold, inhumane. Any of those work too. But he's not upset about Greg. Greg has a job to do, he feels the heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders. He has a moral compass that might be even more finely tuned than anyone Gabriel has ever met before. It's certainly better than Gabriel's, which is as battered and beaten as it can get, without being completely bent out of shape.
He shifts, moving around Greg's desk, standing in front of him, a few inches between them, and after a moment of uncertainty, reaches out to touch Greg's arms. The tension in his muscles is horrible.]
You did what you had to do, Greg. I won't be upset about that, you know that. Brimstone have dealt with... a version of him in the past, they'll have to deal with him again. It probably won't be the last time. He's... broken. The Cage broke him, and expecting him to behave like a human would...
[He shrugs, and looks up at Greg's face, trying to read something more than just his expression. Something deeper, something in his soul. If he sees it, he doesn't show it.]
I guess coffee isn't going to cut it, huh?