The Sexiest Angel in the Garrison is currently not available. I'm probably having sex with your crush or having fun doing the things you always wanted to do but never had the balls to try. Leave a message.
[ Oh, Little Hades is easy. Sometimes it's too easy, and that's what makes it dull. You need to stick a spanner in the works every so often or you'll just go completely stir crazy. Gabriel knows that. As a member of the LHPD though, Andy might prefer boring and sedate. Gabriel did walk in on him sleeping, after all.
Not that it's anything to do with him. Paperwork is no fun at all, Andy can ignore it all he wants. What Gabriel cares about is when they go out on patrol. He does not want Greg taking any more dives out of windows. But he'll bring that up in a bit.
What he's far more interested in is that change, the shift between small and reptilian to tall and humanoid. It's fascinating the way bones elongate and limbs twist. The end effect is really very nice too, and Andy knows that. Still, Gabriel isn't going to pretend he isn't impressed, his face showing his approval. ]
Very nice. Tall dark and handsome isn't too far from the truth.
[Okay, it's actually spot on. The red glint of those eyes doesn't even detract from how good looking he is.]
Nope, no complaint.In fact, it's good to see you. I've been looking forward to meeting Greg's partner ever since you two were matched.
[ Andy likes to show off a little now and then, he'd have to admit. Sometimes it's not just about stroking his ego. Right now would be one of those times, since he's just going to stretch out in Greg's chair, folding his arms behind his head as he watches Gabriel. There's the hint of a more usual smirk threatening to appear, though.
He used to be much more adept at changing his shape into whatever suited him. One of the few drawbacks to being here is the fact that those abilities have been repressed - he doesn't think that dying had anything to do with it, it's this place - and anything outside of these two forms is prone to... varying degrees of success. But at least this much he can do with impressive fluidity. ]
He said you'd probably come around to introduce yourself sooner or later.
[ Incidentally when Lestrade isn't here to mediate. Unsurprisingly. ]
Not that you need to. I know who you are. [ He will give Gabriel a sly grin now. ] I was expecting you to be a little... taller, but this isn't a bad look for you. I like it.
[ Of course he likes to show off. He's very attractive. Gabriel's noticed that creatures with younger human forms tend to go for the ego-stroking more than older ones. It's certainly true of all the demons and angels he knew back when he was alive, and it seems to have proven true here too.
Hell has had strange effects on many people's powers. Gabriel can't change his shape either, and it's only in the last few months he's been able to transport himself. Considering he's been in hell seven years, things probably aren't going to change any time soon. It's not really a problem, but the fact is Gabriel does feel a little... restricted staying in the same shape for so long.]
He did? He knows me so well.
[ Greg has had a long day. He needs a rest. Besides, he wouldn't approve of this at all. ]
Thanks. Believe it or not, this was pretty tall, back in the day. [When malnutrition was common] And extremely handsome.
So, you know who I am, and I guess you know what I want to talk to you about? It's not your devastating good looks, unfortunately.
[ This place is restrictive enough on someone like him, he can't imagine what it must feel like to someone like Gabriel. Not that they have much of a choice, though, do they? He's personally spent enough time in a Hell that made this city look like Heaven by comparison. He figures that the inner cities are that way, but he doesn't have any desire to find out.
He's been thinking about this since he learned who his stick-in-the-mud not-angel partner has been sleeping with. Andy tends to keep his cards very close to his chest, but that's hard to do here when Gabriel can see half of them, anyway. Probably closer to two-thirds. ]
Nah, it wouldn't be. I'm betting you're here to read me the official riot act. Don't hurt the human, don't fuck around with him, don't try to seduce him, don't let him get mauled by hellbears. Did I miss anything?
[ He shrugs. ]
To be honest, I don't have much to lose, but fortunately for you, you don't need to threaten me unless you just want to for shits and giggles. I'm not quite suicidal enough to pick your human apart just to see what makes him tick, and it's more convenient for me to have him around in one piece. I kinda like him, anyway, even if he is painfully uptight.
[ It's like being bound and gagged 24/7. Which is fun in a sexy sort of way, but less so in a body that feels two sizes too small. It isn't too small, of course, that's just how it feels once he's been in it too long. Still, he can't do anything about it and as long as he has something else to focus on, then it's fine. Andy is a good distraction.
Gabriel's grinning. Maybe it is closer to two-thirds? Angels, proper angels, have a whole multitude of ways of sensing each other and reading each other. Gabriel is a little out of practice, but he's still an archangel. Tiny little seraphs must be like an open book, right?]
No, I think you're pretty close. He told me you were smart.
[How smart exactly remains to be seen]
Right now Andariel, I don't need to threaten you, do I? I shouldn't ever need to threaten you. You know what I'll do if he gets hurt because you were a lazy, bad little angel. I'm probably just as inventive as Lucifer, although I hope you don't find that out.
[He kicks his legs back, heels touching the wooden panel of Greg's desk as his tone changes, suddenly light and friendly]
He's not actually all that uptight. If you do the minimum he expects of you, then you're on the right track. You know he could go far in this place, in time. Having him on your side from the get-go is probably better for you. Do some of your paperwork. Get one of those adorable interns to do it for you on the sly.
[Personally, if Gabriel was in Andy's position, he'd ask Greg for help and be so totally hopeless that Greg took the paperwork on himself. But he's not suggesting that. Greg has enough to do, and Gabriel doesn't want to put more pressure on him]
[ 'Tiny little seraph'? Excuse you. He's no archangel, but he held his own against the strongest of his brothers, back in the day.
Which is why if Gabriel wants to know how to really intimidate him, he'd have to do some digging. That makes Andy uneasy, though, that much is obvious enough even when he covers it up with a wicked grin. ]
Careful now. The promise of new and inventive punishment might pique my curiosity.
[ He shrugs again at the advice, though he knows it's true enough. Doing the minimum amount of work that he has to do to get by is his specialty. As for the rest of it... ]
He'll only get so far with Blue Sky backing him, but if he cuts ties with them, I could see it. You know they're never gonna let him have real authority around here when he's reserving the option to skip on back home if he can't take the heat.
[ It's nothing personal against your human, Gabriel, he's just saying. Would you want to hand Heaven actual power down here, even if it's just a little? That's a very slippery slope. ]
[ Oh even seraphs can knock an archangel for six, if the archangel is too big for his boots. But mostly, they tend to be smaller and younger, and get given all the crappy miracles to perform.
Gabriel can dig. Trust him on that. But he'd rather Andy just get with the program. Their afterlife would be so much nicer all-round if Andy does what he's asked without making things difficult.]
It's not BlueSky. It's the Reform Branch that are the ones smoothing his way. They're the ones behind all the angels being here, you know that. BlueSky probably wouldn't ever have suggested it themselves.
[No offense taken. But while all these angels might increase Heaven's influence, the fact that they've been kicked out of their homes and forced to live amongst demons for the last week or more, well, Heaven hasn't lifted a finger. You'd think they'd be more concerned.]
[ Sure, Gabriel can dig. They both know that. He just won't really need to. Andy's not really interested in making enemies of anyone who can punt him into that nice lake of fire just outside of the city limits. It's just not his idea of a good time. ]
He might be in this job because of the Reform Branch, they're just using him for their own ends, but you don't think that Blue Sky has their claws in him? My point is, as long as he's a card-carrying citizen of Heaven, he's a second-class citizen here.
[ If you ask Andy, he thinks that Heaven wouldn't put up too much of a fuss because they'd be happy to just have all their angels back. Leave the rest of them to burn? Well, yeah. Historically that's what they've always done. ]
But who knows, yeah? I bet he could run this place if they gave him a chance. It wouldn't bother me, anyway.
[ He's really looking at Gabriel now, and yes, he's wondering idly how these two got together in the first place, and what kind of crazy stuff his respectable partner gets up to on his own time. Yes, he's got a dirty mind, he's not sorry. He's also dredging up old memories of the Gabriel he remembers, comparing it to what he's looking at now. And underneath all of that, the stirring of something almost wistful, just for a moment. ]
[ He wouldn't go so far as to say they have their claws in him. They'd like to, no doubt. But surely anyone who has read a file on Greg Lestrade knows that while he's often by-the-books and well-behaved, there's also a streak of disobedience in him when he comes to what he loves and what he believes in. The bureaucratic machine of New Scotland Yard witnessed it, and no doubt BlueSky will too, if they push him too far. He's not a loose canon, but a trusted one that will explode if too many forces act upon it.
As for being a second class citizen, Gabriel shrugs. A second class citizen that gets air conditioning, a house that isn't crazy, a nice neighbourhood despite the twitching curtains of the neighbours. He gets to work at a job that, despite his frustrations, he is making headway in. He does have to do community service. He doesn't get routinely tortured. Oh yes, Greg certainly suffers for being down here.]
He wouldn't want to run in. He wants to be in a position where he's useful, and that will be enough for him.
[And Andy won't impede that. Probably won't help but he'll be less of a ball and chain than most of the demons here. It'll be good for Andy to be exposed to a good man anyway. He can't expect good habits to rub off, but he can hope.
Then he catches the look Andy is giving him, thoughtful and with a slight spark in those red eyes]
I promised not to tell you any sexy stories, sorry.
[ Andy has a very different perspective than Gabriel. He only sees the side of Greg that has to cope with the casual derision that most demons have to throw at the man and deal with the extra grief that they shovel on him around here. Andy's more observant than most people realise, he sees the way those dozens of petty jabs weigh Lestrade down on a daily basis.
But then, he also knows that Lestrade doesn't carry all of that around with him. He has a port in this storm, and as long as he has that, he comes back to work in the morning ready to face it all again. He's persistent. He's got faith. Hope. Better than Andy would expect from a human, honestly.
He still thinks this place will break him eventually. It's just a matter of when. That's a bit of personal cynicism creeping in on his part. He's seen beautiful, pure things break before. ]
Yeah, yeah, he's shy, I know. These repressed human types usually are. It's just a shame, is all, I'm actually very good at working the kinks out of said repressed types. [ Whoops, he wasn't supposed to flirt. He doesn't intend to do anything with either of them, though, so no harm done, right? This grin is far from ashamed. ] Maybe you are too, though? Theoretically, obviously.
[ Gabriel knows Greg tries to hide how much work bothers him. But he's almost certain that he was ground down in the Met too, because police work is thankless and unrelenting. True, it must be harder here, because none of his colleagues seem to support him. At least when he was alive he seems to have had a good working relationship with some of them. But he has Chloe here, and Milton, and perhaps Andy, or at least, sometimes he might have a little support from that corner.
Gabriel does what he can. He isn't the best, but he tries, and he'd like to think he Greg feels better once he's come home, had a coffee or a beer. Gabriel's always ready to listen to whatever frustrations Greg has about work, even if he's mostly all over Greg when he gets home. Hopefully that release of tensions helps too. Because Gabriel is not going to let the LHPD or Hell or the Reform Branch hurt Greg. It will not break them, it will not break Greg. Gabriel will pull it all down if he has to, stomp the whole city into the ground and salt it before it gets to that point.
It if ever gets there, Andy better have a good place to hide.]
Kiddo, I can assure you that as good as you think you are, you don't come close to matching me. [Gabriel hadn't believed for one moment that there wouldn't be any flirting. Andy can't control himself, clearly.]
Besides, he's not repressed. It's restrained. It's a different thing.
[ Andy doesn't have any plans to get in the way of vengeful archangels if he can help it. That always gets ugly, he thinks, in every possible universe ever, because once one of them really throws down, the rest of them are obligated to get involved one way or another, and it just snowballs from there. He doesn't know where the lines in the sand would be drawn here, and he's not really interested in finding out if he can avoid it.
Oh, is he being patronised? He is, isn't he? Clearly he thinks this is the most amusing thing to happen to him all day, as he has his chin propped up on the back of his hand on the desk now, and is watching Gabriel with an even more pleased grin. Now, he is controlling himself just fine, though, thank you. This is perfectly acceptable behaviour compared to how bad he can be. It's all relative. ]
Not even close? That's pretty arrogant, don't you think? [ He leans back in the chair, tapping his fingers together thoughtfully. ] Maybe you are better, but by that much? I guess it's hard to prove that without getting in trouble.
Also restrained. You know he's a bit repressed, too.
[ Gabe will vouch that it never goes well. Normally they all take sides- traditionally he takes Luci's and Raphael takes Mike's. But as none of his brothers are here, it can't work out that way. Besides, when the chips really are down. Gabriel doesn't take any sides at all.
If he was controlling himself, he wouldn't be flirting. Like he promised. Still, he isn't completely out of control yet, and that wide, cheeky grin is very just on him. What is it with men with such angular jaws?]
It's not arrogant if it's the truth. [Although Gabriel is fairly up himself about his own abilities.] If you feel you have something to prove, feel free. Get into all the trouble you like.
Well, I'll give you that. But he's human, it's part of the territory. You can't tell me you aren't bury anything deep down?
[ Now now, Andy made no promises. Unlike certain virtuous types, he can and will lie, if it happens to suit him, but he doesn't generally bother. He is what he is, at least down to a certain point before things start to get murky and dark. If he wasn't behaving himself, there would be a lot less in the way of personal space. There may be some insolent mischievousness in his eyes, but it lacks the kind of predatory intent that he often has when he's entertaining ideas. ]
I don't think you really want me to get into some kind of dick-measuring contest with you, Gabriel. If I start taking clothes off in here with you, Lestrade would not be entertained.
[ He knows that's not what Gabriel was thinking. But how else would he really know if Gabriel's better than him? He'll believe it when he sees it. Or perhaps hears from an impartial third-party. Hmm. ]
Sure, but not along the lines of sexual desires. I'm not ashamed of anything I like. I dunno why they are.
[Gabriel can deal with a few lies. He would be a hypocrite if he told Andy off for telling untruths. But that's demons for you. Crowley lies constantly, naturally and unashamedly. Andy can too no doubt. But he could no doubt be worse but Gabriel would like to hope Andy can occasionally be frank and honest with him.
Not too frank though. They don't need to start stripping off or closing distances. This is fine.
Let's face it. Dicks have very little to do with it. If you can't seduce someone with all your clothes on, then you don't deserve to get your clothes off. [He isn't in competition with you Andy. He isn't in competition with anyone, he has what he wants. He knows he's better. End of.
Andy can ask Greg if he needs confirmation. But he's hardly impartial.]
They were built differently to us. Dad gave them shame so they would know when they had done wrong. But it sort of got screwed up with all sorts of other things too. And I didn't mean you were repressing anything sexy. Just stuff.
[ Andy's been honest with him so far. For the most part. Almost completely. Maybe just a little cheeky, evasive rounding off of the truth. Definitely staying away from the really heavy personal issues. They're not really talking about him, anyway.
He sighs heavily and shakes his head at Gabriel. ]
You've been hanging around a certain serious, literal human too much. I was just teasing, and the metaphor amused me, so I ran with it. Can you really blame me?
[ Yeah, he's repressing a few things. If he wasn't... well, existence would be more overtly torturous. He much prefers the easy routine that he's fallen into here. ]
[ Dancing around the truth is okay. There's a difference between that and truth. It's a fine line, but Gabriel knows that there is one. Greg might not agree, he'd say the absence of the truth was the same as a lie, but he's a copper, they don't think the same way as the rest of the universe. The point is Gabriel has been... selective with the truth as it is, avoiding certain unpleasantness for the time being with Greg. It'll come to light soon enough, but what Gabriel wants to do is pick the time and place they have that conversation.
At the mention of the serious and sexy Lestrade, Gabriel grins from ear to ear.] Well, I wouldn't say too much. Probably not enough, recently. That's why he's grumpy.
You're not all bad, you know that? Not that I'd say that in public, I know you've got a reputation to protect. But you're okay kid. Which is more than I can say for a lot of your colleagues.
[And with that, he slips off the edge of the desk and stretches, letting each of the vertebrae in his back pop and his shoulders crack.] I think we understand each other, don't we?
[ Andy knows that he's not all bad. He never was, though for a long time those 'not bad' parts were repressed so much that he's started to think that they had burned away completely. They hadn't. Where that leaves him, exactly, he's not sure anymore, but he's out of the business of sowing misery, violence, and destruction.
Not for anyone else. Not while he still has a choice. ]
I'm not that worried about my big scary reputation. I'm more of a lover than a fighter, you know? [ Despite the disarming, if slightly bitter smile, Gabriel would know that's not exactly true. He knows what Andariel really is, after all. Maybe better than he does in some ways. ] I think we do. We don't really have a conflict of interest, after all.
You should call me sometime. While the cute little human-angels are out getting drinks, maybe we could do the same?
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Not that it's anything to do with him. Paperwork is no fun at all, Andy can ignore it all he wants. What Gabriel cares about is when they go out on patrol. He does not want Greg taking any more dives out of windows. But he'll bring that up in a bit.
What he's far more interested in is that change, the shift between small and reptilian to tall and humanoid. It's fascinating the way bones elongate and limbs twist. The end effect is really very nice too, and Andy knows that. Still, Gabriel isn't going to pretend he isn't impressed, his face showing his approval. ]
Very nice. Tall dark and handsome isn't too far from the truth.
[Okay, it's actually spot on. The red glint of those eyes doesn't even detract from how good looking he is.]
Nope, no complaint.In fact, it's good to see you. I've been looking forward to meeting Greg's partner ever since you two were matched.
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He used to be much more adept at changing his shape into whatever suited him. One of the few drawbacks to being here is the fact that those abilities have been repressed - he doesn't think that dying had anything to do with it, it's this place - and anything outside of these two forms is prone to... varying degrees of success. But at least this much he can do with impressive fluidity. ]
He said you'd probably come around to introduce yourself sooner or later.
[ Incidentally when Lestrade isn't here to mediate. Unsurprisingly. ]
Not that you need to. I know who you are. [ He will give Gabriel a sly grin now. ] I was expecting you to be a little... taller, but this isn't a bad look for you. I like it.
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Hell has had strange effects on many people's powers. Gabriel can't change his shape either, and it's only in the last few months he's been able to transport himself. Considering he's been in hell seven years, things probably aren't going to change any time soon. It's not really a problem, but the fact is Gabriel does feel a little... restricted staying in the same shape for so long.]
He did? He knows me so well.
[ Greg has had a long day. He needs a rest. Besides, he wouldn't approve of this at all. ]
Thanks. Believe it or not, this was pretty tall, back in the day. [When malnutrition was common] And extremely handsome.
So, you know who I am, and I guess you know what I want to talk to you about? It's not your devastating good looks, unfortunately.
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He's been thinking about this since he learned who his stick-in-the-mud not-angel partner has been sleeping with. Andy tends to keep his cards very close to his chest, but that's hard to do here when Gabriel can see half of them, anyway. Probably closer to two-thirds. ]
Nah, it wouldn't be. I'm betting you're here to read me the official riot act. Don't hurt the human, don't fuck around with him, don't try to seduce him, don't let him get mauled by hellbears. Did I miss anything?
[ He shrugs. ]
To be honest, I don't have much to lose, but fortunately for you, you don't need to threaten me unless you just want to for shits and giggles. I'm not quite suicidal enough to pick your human apart just to see what makes him tick, and it's more convenient for me to have him around in one piece. I kinda like him, anyway, even if he is painfully uptight.
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Gabriel's grinning. Maybe it is closer to two-thirds? Angels, proper angels, have a whole multitude of ways of sensing each other and reading each other. Gabriel is a little out of practice, but he's still an archangel. Tiny little seraphs must be like an open book, right?]
No, I think you're pretty close. He told me you were smart.
[How smart exactly remains to be seen]
Right now Andariel, I don't need to threaten you, do I? I shouldn't ever need to threaten you. You know what I'll do if he gets hurt because you were a lazy, bad little angel. I'm probably just as inventive as Lucifer, although I hope you don't find that out.
[He kicks his legs back, heels touching the wooden panel of Greg's desk as his tone changes, suddenly light and friendly]
He's not actually all that uptight. If you do the minimum he expects of you, then you're on the right track. You know he could go far in this place, in time. Having him on your side from the get-go is probably better for you. Do some of your paperwork. Get one of those adorable interns to do it for you on the sly.
[Personally, if Gabriel was in Andy's position, he'd ask Greg for help and be so totally hopeless that Greg took the paperwork on himself. But he's not suggesting that. Greg has enough to do, and Gabriel doesn't want to put more pressure on him]
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Which is why if Gabriel wants to know how to really intimidate him, he'd have to do some digging. That makes Andy uneasy, though, that much is obvious enough even when he covers it up with a wicked grin. ]
Careful now. The promise of new and inventive punishment might pique my curiosity.
[ He shrugs again at the advice, though he knows it's true enough. Doing the minimum amount of work that he has to do to get by is his specialty. As for the rest of it... ]
He'll only get so far with Blue Sky backing him, but if he cuts ties with them, I could see it. You know they're never gonna let him have real authority around here when he's reserving the option to skip on back home if he can't take the heat.
[ It's nothing personal against your human, Gabriel, he's just saying. Would you want to hand Heaven actual power down here, even if it's just a little? That's a very slippery slope. ]
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Gabriel can dig. Trust him on that. But he'd rather Andy just get with the program. Their afterlife would be so much nicer all-round if Andy does what he's asked without making things difficult.]
It's not BlueSky. It's the Reform Branch that are the ones smoothing his way. They're the ones behind all the angels being here, you know that. BlueSky probably wouldn't ever have suggested it themselves.
[No offense taken. But while all these angels might increase Heaven's influence, the fact that they've been kicked out of their homes and forced to live amongst demons for the last week or more, well, Heaven hasn't lifted a finger. You'd think they'd be more concerned.]
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He might be in this job because of the Reform Branch, they're just using him for their own ends, but you don't think that Blue Sky has their claws in him? My point is, as long as he's a card-carrying citizen of Heaven, he's a second-class citizen here.
[ If you ask Andy, he thinks that Heaven wouldn't put up too much of a fuss because they'd be happy to just have all their angels back. Leave the rest of them to burn? Well, yeah. Historically that's what they've always done. ]
But who knows, yeah? I bet he could run this place if they gave him a chance. It wouldn't bother me, anyway.
[ He's really looking at Gabriel now, and yes, he's wondering idly how these two got together in the first place, and what kind of crazy stuff his respectable partner gets up to on his own time. Yes, he's got a dirty mind, he's not sorry. He's also dredging up old memories of the Gabriel he remembers, comparing it to what he's looking at now. And underneath all of that, the stirring of something almost wistful, just for a moment. ]
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[ He wouldn't go so far as to say they have their claws in him. They'd like to, no doubt. But surely anyone who has read a file on Greg Lestrade knows that while he's often by-the-books and well-behaved, there's also a streak of disobedience in him when he comes to what he loves and what he believes in. The bureaucratic machine of New Scotland Yard witnessed it, and no doubt BlueSky will too, if they push him too far. He's not a loose canon, but a trusted one that will explode if too many forces act upon it.
As for being a second class citizen, Gabriel shrugs. A second class citizen that gets air conditioning, a house that isn't crazy, a nice neighbourhood despite the twitching curtains of the neighbours. He gets to work at a job that, despite his frustrations, he is making headway in. He does have to do community service. He doesn't get routinely tortured. Oh yes, Greg certainly suffers for being down here.]
He wouldn't want to run in. He wants to be in a position where he's useful, and that will be enough for him.
[And Andy won't impede that. Probably won't help but he'll be less of a ball and chain than most of the demons here. It'll be good for Andy to be exposed to a good man anyway. He can't expect good habits to rub off, but he can hope.
Then he catches the look Andy is giving him, thoughtful and with a slight spark in those red eyes]
I promised not to tell you any sexy stories, sorry.
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But then, he also knows that Lestrade doesn't carry all of that around with him. He has a port in this storm, and as long as he has that, he comes back to work in the morning ready to face it all again. He's persistent. He's got faith. Hope. Better than Andy would expect from a human, honestly.
He still thinks this place will break him eventually. It's just a matter of when. That's a bit of personal cynicism creeping in on his part.
He's seen beautiful, pure things break before.]Yeah, yeah, he's shy, I know. These repressed human types usually are. It's just a shame, is all, I'm actually very good at working the kinks out of said repressed types. [ Whoops, he wasn't supposed to flirt. He doesn't intend to do anything with either of them, though, so no harm done, right? This grin is far from ashamed. ] Maybe you are too, though? Theoretically, obviously.
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Gabriel does what he can. He isn't the best, but he tries, and he'd like to think he Greg feels better once he's come home, had a coffee or a beer. Gabriel's always ready to listen to whatever frustrations Greg has about work, even if he's mostly all over Greg when he gets home. Hopefully that release of tensions helps too. Because Gabriel is not going to let the LHPD or Hell or the Reform Branch hurt Greg. It will not break them, it will not break Greg. Gabriel will pull it all down if he has to, stomp the whole city into the ground and salt it before it gets to that point.
It if ever gets there, Andy better have a good place to hide.]
Kiddo, I can assure you that as good as you think you are, you don't come close to matching me. [Gabriel hadn't believed for one moment that there wouldn't be any flirting. Andy can't control himself, clearly.]
Besides, he's not repressed. It's restrained. It's a different thing.
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Oh, is he being patronised? He is, isn't he? Clearly he thinks this is the most amusing thing to happen to him all day, as he has his chin propped up on the back of his hand on the desk now, and is watching Gabriel with an even more pleased grin. Now, he is controlling himself just fine, though, thank you. This is perfectly acceptable behaviour compared to how bad he can be. It's all relative. ]
Not even close? That's pretty arrogant, don't you think? [ He leans back in the chair, tapping his fingers together thoughtfully. ] Maybe you are better, but by that much? I guess it's hard to prove that without getting in trouble.
Also restrained. You know he's a bit repressed, too.
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If he was controlling himself, he wouldn't be flirting. Like he promised. Still, he isn't completely out of control yet, and that wide, cheeky grin is very just on him. What is it with men with such angular jaws?]
It's not arrogant if it's the truth. [Although Gabriel is fairly up himself about his own abilities.] If you feel you have something to prove, feel free. Get into all the trouble you like.
Well, I'll give you that. But he's human, it's part of the territory. You can't tell me you aren't bury anything deep down?
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I don't think you really want me to get into some kind of dick-measuring contest with you, Gabriel. If I start taking clothes off in here with you, Lestrade would not be entertained.
[ He knows that's not what Gabriel was thinking. But how else would he really know if Gabriel's better than him? He'll believe it when he sees it. Or perhaps hears from an impartial third-party. Hmm. ]
Sure, but not along the lines of sexual desires. I'm not ashamed of anything I like. I dunno why they are.
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Not too frank though. They don't need to start stripping off or closing distances. This is fine.
Let's face it. Dicks have very little to do with it. If you can't seduce someone with all your clothes on, then you don't deserve to get your clothes off. [He isn't in competition with you Andy. He isn't in competition with anyone, he has what he wants. He knows he's better. End of.
Andy can ask Greg if he needs confirmation. But he's hardly impartial.]
They were built differently to us. Dad gave them shame so they would know when they had done wrong. But it sort of got screwed up with all sorts of other things too. And I didn't mean you were repressing anything sexy. Just stuff.
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He sighs heavily and shakes his head at Gabriel. ]
You've been hanging around a certain serious, literal human too much. I was just teasing, and the metaphor amused me, so I ran with it. Can you really blame me?
[ Yeah, he's repressing a few things. If he wasn't... well, existence would be more overtly torturous. He much prefers the easy routine that he's fallen into here. ]
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At the mention of the serious and sexy Lestrade, Gabriel grins from ear to ear.] Well, I wouldn't say too much. Probably not enough, recently. That's why he's grumpy.
You're not all bad, you know that? Not that I'd say that in public, I know you've got a reputation to protect. But you're okay kid. Which is more than I can say for a lot of your colleagues.
[And with that, he slips off the edge of the desk and stretches, letting each of the vertebrae in his back pop and his shoulders crack.] I think we understand each other, don't we?
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Not for anyone else. Not while he still has a choice.]I'm not that worried about my big scary reputation. I'm more of a lover than a fighter, you know? [ Despite the disarming, if slightly bitter smile, Gabriel would know that's not exactly true. He knows what Andariel really is, after all. Maybe better than he does in some ways. ] I think we do. We don't really have a conflict of interest, after all.
You should call me sometime. While the cute little human-angels are out getting drinks, maybe we could do the same?