An Unholy Alliance

Chapter 6

Naomi gave it two weeks with the hope that things would sort themselves out. She couldn't deny that things had gotten a little better, she felt less awkward eating downstairs.

After hanging her blazer up and setting her bag down, she headed downstairs and was greeted by a familiar face. Gabriel. His hair was still messy but he no longer wore a suit; he wore more casual clothing, jeans and a t-shirt.
“Naomi, how are you?”
She shrugged. “Alright, I guess.”

Gabriel nodded and stood in the doorway, watching as Michael taught Abigail something about God.
“And how are you dealing with that?”
“Not very well,” she said honestly.
“Didn't think you would,” he said. For a moment, Naomi wondered why but she remembered what Samiel said about jealousy and realised it probably had something to do with that. “Raphael never dealt with it well, not that he deals with anything well, mind you, but I suppose Michael does have a bad habit of showering the youngest with affection.”
“Right…”

Naomi wasn't sure how to feel about being compared to Raphael considering most of what she'd heard of him had been bad. Then again, Lucifer was supposed to be mean and cruel and manipulative and he wasn't as bad as everyone had said. Although, he was still sort of manipulative but everyone might just be exaggerating about Raphael.

“Gabriel!” exclaimed Michael as he walked over to the doorway. “How are you doing?”
“Good,” said Gabriel, nodding as he looked around the living room. “Just thought I’d pop in before I start on my next orders.”
“It’s nice to see you,” said Michael, smiling at his brother. “Would you like to sit down, have a drink?”
“Just one,” he said as he walked into the living room.

He sat down in Michael’s usual spot and MIchael headed into the kitchen to make him a drink. Naomi stayed in the doorway, not really wanting to sit with everyone else.
“Hello, I’m Abigail,” said Abi with a wide smile and bright eyes.
“Hello Abigail,” said Gabriel, hesitating slightly. Abigail stared at him for a moment before returning to her drawings with Naomi’s colouring pencils.

He looked into the kitchen before turning to Naomi. “Still a shame I can’t raise any angels, don’t you think?”
Laughing a little, she nodded. This would be better if he could. Gabriel could have looked after Abigail and nothing would have changed for her and Michael.

“I’m still glad you’re not looking after anyone,” said Michael from the kitchen.
Gabriel grinned. “You’re just scared I’d do a better job than you would.”
“I doubt that.”
“How do you know? It’s not like he’s been given the chance,” said Naomi. Gabriel nodded in agreement.
“See, that’s my point,” he said, pointing at Naomi as Michael brought in Gabriel’s cup of tea. He only ever drank tea with a little bit of milk and one sugar, he hated coffee and found water bland and juice to childish.

Gabriel took the mug from Michael and sipped it despite it still having lots of steam rising from it. The heat never seemed to bother him.
“What are your next orders?” asked Michael as he sat next to his brother on the sofa.
“Been ordered not to say. Typical, isn’t it?” sighed Gabriel.

Naomi watched him from the doorway and noticed he had clumps of wet sand stuck to his shoes.
“Have you been to a beach?” she asked.
Gabriel’s head snapped towards her with raised eyebrows. “I have, I had to destroy a cult and they used to hold their weird rituals in a cave you could only go in when its low tide.”
“Destroy?” repeated Naomi. She had the feeling she didn’t want to know.
“Yeah,” said Gabriel before gulping down almost half of his tea. He was leaving it vague on purpose.

“I’m going to go back upstairs,” Naomi said before turning and doing what she said. She sat at her desk, she had homework to do. It was maths too and she wouldn’t be getting Michael’s help for the third week in a row. She felt too awkward to ask Ryan either and he was the best at maths out of her friend. Sighing, she picked up a pen, she guessed she could try.