A Longer Night

Differences

The notes were wrong again. He slammed his hand into the keys, groaning. Every sound clashed against long white walls, echoing off the marble. Gabriel bent over the piano, forced his hands to still. He knew the chording. He did. But again, his fingers tripped and it all sounded wrong, too dark, a chord to low. He didn't recognise the melody. Gabriel slammed down the lid. How was he going to ask her? That was the real problem here.

"Don't stop." Gabriel spun around, half rising from the stool, as a hand squeezed his shoulder. "Really, don't," Fabian said. He sat back down cautiously.

"It wasn't right. It wasn't supposed to sound so... off." The small angel squeezed onto his bench, shoving his legs together so she could fit.

"Well do it again. I liked it." She threw a grin at him. "Very moody."

"I don't have moods."

"' Course not, feeling is for the weak and you are strong." Gabriel didn't like how she said 'strong'. Made him feel decidedly... not.

"I am what the Almighty made me." He said sharply. "The only feelings I need is a love of all things and praise for our God, the only meaning of our existence."

"Ooh, that's a bit preachy." Fabian's smiled dimmed. "She is the cause of our existence, yeah." She worked slowly through every word as if each one was a scrap of cloth muffling her tongue.

"And she is the point in everything we do." Gabriel stood, walked briskly to the window.

Fabian followed him, gazing out at The Silver City. "It's very beautiful, isn't it?" Her hand traced a light pattern on the glass.

"It's God's creation," Gabriel said simply. Fabian huffed a low laugh.

"Yes."

All was quiet.

"Sorry, hello Fabian. I'm glad you're here." He turned to her stiffly. "Work has been frantic." Not a lie, not really.

"It's fine, busy days for everyone." He grasped her waist, pulling her into him, pressing her against his chest. They leaned together for a moment; Fabian relaxed into the curve of him. Gabriel could almost forget about-

"What's wrong?" Fabian said, leaning back; her eyebrows drawn close in worry. Gabriel tried to ease himself out of a tension that'd suddenly cramped in him.

"You were with Lucifer today." She blinked at him.

"Yes."

"Did you-" his jaw worked uselessly, "-are you searching for something?" She stepped away but he pressed on. "Because the Almighty will have answers for you."

"I was just interested." She picked at her robe, listless. "What he is saying isn't all that bad you know. Most of it is just questions." Gabriel stared.

"Fabian, what he speaks against is God. It's Blasphemy."

"Not all of it. Some of it I don't agree with, but some –"

Gabriel grabbed her hands. Holding tight. "Don't say you believe him."

"No! I mean-" she clung to his arms as if she could drag him into her mind "–oh if you just listened to him, you'd get what I'm –"

"Listen to him? Listen to yourself. He is speaking against divine love. He is speaking against what is right." He stepped away from her. His voice was shaking, throat aching. This was dangerous. This was simple.

"Divine love? Is that you working until your own essence is stretched to snap for a world that will never hold you? Or is that wall you hold around your thoughts because one question may turn the wrath of God against you? Is it love, that demands your autonomy, that demands your mind?" She was breathing so hard her whole body trembled. Fists clenched at her sides; her stance flared out. Who was she?