Music blared loudly in the crowded bar as Gabriel strolled in. Humans entertained him endlessly, and bars were the perfect place to find them. They were also the perfect place to pick up on the town's local ass-holes, and if there was one thing Gabriel loved more than his family, it was wiping jerks out of good people's lives. There was nothing better than seeing the looks on their faces as they fell to their demise. They were all going to hell, where they belonged, in his opinion.
As he sat down at the counter, he spotted a likely victim right away. Laughing too loudly and drunk, this man's eyes followed the bartender's movements hungrily. But there was no use jumping to conclusions, so Gabriel smiled knowingly to himself and turned to glance at the menu. However, the bartender was what caught his eye.
"I'll be right with you." She said with a smile as she ushered by.
The Trickster blinked after her and sat a little straighter on the stool, drinking in her appearance. She was short, even with the small wedge on her oak colored boots. Soft auburn locks tumbled down her back and stood out against the long sleeved black sweater she was wearing. The fabric exposed the top of her shoulders, which were splattered with freckles. Tilting his head slightly, Gabriel smirked as he let his eyes roam over her. She wasn't anywhere near the kind of girl he would conjure when he felt lonely, indeed she had a softer beauty.
"What can I get for you, darling?" She asked as she began to pour a few shots for another customer.
"A rum and coke, please." He flashed a toothy grin. Dark hazel eyes peered through the fringe of her bangs, and immediately she returned the smile. Gabriel felt his eyelids droop dreamily as she delivered the shots to the loud man on the far side of the counter, and grabbed a coke out of the clear fridge from behind. He hardly noticed when she slid his drink over to him, but they exchanged smiles again as she turned to tend to someone else.
After a few hours, the bar died down and Gabriel took the opportunity to speak with the enchanting young woman who he had been stealing glances with all night. But before he could work up his charm, she spoke first.
"We don't get many new faces around here, you must be new. What's your name?" She asked kindly as she swept a rag across the wooden counter.
"Gabe." He replied. "What about you, beautiful?"
She giggled softly and opened her mouth to reply.
"Hey Eden! Get me another drink will ya, sweetheart?" The loud man from earlier shouted. He laughed with the other men around him as if he had just said the funniest thing ever. She rolled her eyes playfully.
"It's Eden." She said with a wink before turning and leaning against the counter. Gabriel frowned slightly as he watched the man turn from cherry red with drunk giddiness, to hazed aggravation that she didn't rush over. "I'm cutting you off, Phil. You've had enough." She called over.
Phil grumbled but didn't argue, and turned to the rest of his friends to continue their jokes.
"Well, that's a pretty name, for a pretty girl like yourself." He was really laying it on thick, and enjoyed her giggle as she made him another drink.
"You're so sweet, you could put Hershey's out of business." She teased with a smile.
Gabriel felt his lips curl into a smirk as he let out a chuckle.
"Well Hershey factories make millions of kisses a day, but I'm only asking for one."
The glint in his dark honey colored eyes, and the inevitable charm of his smile caused a deep blush to grace her cheeks. Eden had been bested and he could tell that she knew such. Her rosy lips parted and shut just as quickly, all the while maintaining a large smile.
"Well played." The beauty muttered as she sat his drink in front of him. Acting on impulse, and disregarding consequences, Gabriel reached out and placed his hand over hers as it gripped the glass cup. For a tiny moment the sounds of the bar disappeared, leaving them in silence.
"You can't come back here!" The scream of another bartender shattered his realm of muteness. Eden tore her hand away from his and rushed over to help her fellow employee. She struggled to get the drunken Phil off of the black haired girl, but he messily swatted her away. Gabriel stood as she was pushed into the back wall, shattering the glass shelves and causing bottles to smash around her like tiny snowflakes, sending alcohol raining about her.
"I think you've had too much to drink, Phil." The Trickster muttered as he snapped his fingers.
Instantaneously the drunk began to seize violently, falling to the floor in seconds. The bartender began screaming again as he shook and then laid still. Gabriel snapped out of his sneer when he heard a groan from Eden, and the sound of hundreds of crystals falling to the floor as she stood.
"Somebody call the police." She ordered firmly, clutching her side with her bloody palm.
Gabriel pushed through the crowd to help her, which she accepted graciously. As the noise of the people around them roared in uneven waves, and the police showed, Gabriel stayed by her side. The police asked for them to step outside for their statement, at which the angel placed his jacket over his new friend's shoulders. Her lips twitched a small smile of appreciation as she clutched the fabric to her chest.
When the scene died down, and everything was taken care of, the pair were sitting on the curb in silence. Gabriel fiddled with his hands and wondered if his actions had been too rash. He peeked over at the woman beside him, who stared down at her feet. His eyes fell to her battered hands, smeared with blood, and then to the fragments of glass that were stuck in her hair. Gently, so as not to startle her, he reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him, wide eyed as he gave her a soft smile.
"Let's get you cleaned up." He motioned to the bar but she shook her head.
"Not here." She mumbled, and took his hand in hers. "My place is only a five minute walk from here."
Gabriel felt his heart beat a little harder against his chest. Of course it was difficult not to let his mind wander, so he swallowed and stood, following the pretty woman down the dimly lit street.
He mused at her small apartment when they arrived. Eden slipped off his jacket and placed it over a wooden hook by the door. The angel shoved his hands in his pockets and whistled softly.
"Nice digs." He complimented with a smile.
She offered one in return and swayed towards the kitchen.
"Can I get you anything?" She offered.
"No, no sweetheart." Gabriel shook his head and frowned. "We're here for you. First Aid kit?" He asked as he sat her down on the soft ivory sheets of her bed. Kneeling so that he was eye level, he placed his forearms on her knees, and took her hands in his. He turned her bleeding palms upwards to examine them. He could heal these easily, with a snap of his fingers, but blinked miserably and followed her directions to the first aid kit in her bathroom.
As he wiped away the dried blood, he stole glances at her face, occasionally locking eyes with her momentarily. He pursed his lips when he pulled out the disinfectant.
"It's going to sting." He warned.
"I know." Eden replied. Gabriel snapped his head up, regarding at her with concern. She smiled softly, "You'll just have to kiss it better."
He let out a laugh and smirked up at the cheeky woman.
"Atta girl." He teased. Nevertheless, she hissed against the pain, so that when he was finished cleaning out the scrapes and cuts, he ventured to press his lips lightly against her palms. The angel submitted a miniscule amount of Grace to ease the pain and to speed up the healing process. He heard the sharp intake of breath but ignored it. Then he carefully wrapped her hands with gauze and placed them back on her lap. They again shared tender smiles before he stood and nodded awkwardly; however, she reached out for his hand. Gabriel smiled at the touch, and leaned so that his lips were centimeters from her forehead.
"Get some sleep, Eden." He mumbled, letting his breath tickle her hair. She closed her eyes to the touch.
As he was heading out the door, he noticed his jacket, but walked past it with a smirk. He would collect it later, the perfect excuse to be at her apartment another time.