Uriel threw himself haphazardly on his bed and watched as the door to the adjoining room closed behind Kagetsuya. The Miracle Voice glanced at the other archangel, who was staring at the spot the two former investigators had occupied moments before. There was a faraway look in Michael's eyes, the kind he got when he was debating over something with himself.
"So," Uriel began conversationally, lying back with his arms pillowing his head. "You going to tell him yet?"
The blonde blinked, then turned his gaze to him. "Not yet," was the quiet answer.
Uriel glanced at him out of the corners of his eyes. "Not yet? But why not?"
"I..." The Valhallan commander's crystal eyes were troubled. "I couldn't... I don't think he'd understand..."
Uriel closed his eyes. "Oh, Michael... Why wouldn't he? After all, he's... well, he's him."
Michael chuckled softly. "You just answered your own question, Uriel. That's exactly why I can't tell him."
"It'll haunt you until you do."
"Soon. I'll tell him soon, Uriel."
"You'd better. You've been keeping too many things to yourself lately, Michael-sama."
The angel gave a small start that would have gone unnoticed but for the fact that his companion had been watching him closely. "Mm-hmm..." was all he said.
Michael fell silent after that, with a small, almost inaudible sigh. He was sinking back into the gloomy mood Uriel had gotten familiar with recently. It only happened when he had far too much time to think, so the singer always made sure there were things for him to do. Already his mind was whirling, searching for a suitable activity to keep the other archangel busy.
"Well, since those two"--he gestured to the other room--"aren't up to going anywhere anytime soon, what say we go down to the mall?"
His companion turned a confused expression on him. "Why?"
A shrug. "Shop?"
"For what?"
Uriel fought the urge to slap his forehead in exasperation, instead giving another shrug. "Oh, gee, I don't know? Things you can bring back, maybe?"
'No, dolt, nothing about Eden!' he reminded himself a bit too late, and this time the urge to hit himself was even stronger.
They had both agreed that they would speak as little as possible of their planet, or even Valhalla, for that matter. He didn't call Michael's stay on Earth a vacation -- then again, neither did Michael -- with all the work he brought with him. Although he thought the idea of observing investigators from Earth itself a novel one, and with many possibilities, it wasn't the true reason for the commander of Valhalla's choice to travel there, and they both knew it. This particular method of supervising the angels on assignment wasn't sanctioned by anyone, as far as he knew. But, then again, as far as he knew, no one knew but himself, Michael, and now Kagetsuya and Chihaya.
"Besides," he added quickly. "It's a tourist spot. You're a tourist, aren't you?"
"Well, yes..."
"Come on, then!" He sat up. "I think this is the only place you haven't seen yet."
Of course, that was pure exaggeration. They had actually seen plenty in the three days they had been in Hawaii. Michael had been quite stubborn when he first arrived on Earth, those times he wanted to brood and Uriel tried to persuade him -- by much poking and prodding, and once or twice, half-joking threats -- to go out. The Miracle Voice thought of letting the subject go this time. He might have better luck later, anyway, with Kagetsuya and Chihaya more enthusiastic about gallivanting around the island. Or maybe just Chihaya, he amended with an inward smirk, while Kagetsuya would go along for the sheer fact that his mate was going. He wondered if Chihaya would have better luck than he was having at the moment in convincing Michael to go somewhere.
"All right, all right," Michael conceded, thoroughly surprising him. "I guess I need to get my mind off certain things, anyway."
Uriel stared at him as he offered a smile, then shook his head, giving a smile of his own. He would never figure out this superior of his. Although, it was much better when Michael was smiling, as was usual for him, and not moody. Moody, he did not know how to and did not want to deal with.
"Saa, shall we go, then?" he asked, hopping off his bed, congratulating himself silently at being able to get Michael out of whatever rut he was on the verge of falling into.
A nod and a grin that said the archangel knew his motives all along. "Let me just leave a note, in case the two wake up while we're gone."
The singer nodded and made a noncommittal gesture. "That's probably a good idea."
A faint nod, the other angel's grin never fading as he scribbled -- although with his handwriting, it was never 'scribbles' no matter how rushed his writing was -- hastily on a piece of paper. "Let's see... 'Have been kidnapped by Uriel. Don't follow on the consequence of torture by his singing.'"
Uriel made a face at him. "Watch it or you'll be the one under torture."
The other angel just laughed. "Come on, let's go."
Michael was in quite the mood now, for which his companion was glad. Although his spirits have dropped before for some reason Uriel did not have the heart to discuss with his friend, he still had no idea how to deal with the archangel when he wasn't being himself. Whatever it was that was bothering him was quite personal, he knew that, and had no wish to push the subject unless absolutely necessary. Even if he was not sure about what constituted 'absolutely necessary.'
As they wandered about the crowds of the Ala Moana Shopping Center for sometime over an hour, he noticed Michael adopt a contemplative manner underneath what he showed outwardly. Of course, he didn't think of it much, since it was still a better mood than in other times. At least he kept the angel from going deeper into his thoughts by pulling him into random stores to browse around. Even despite the looks he got from the store employees when 'random' meant a place like Louis Vuitton or some other high-end store.
After a while, Michael began to express wishes to return to the hotel. Unable to say anything to change his mind, Uriel agreed.
"One more store," he promised and his companion shrugged agreement.
That store ended up being the Body Shop. Michael detached himself from his friend to wander around. With a shrug, the singer watched him go to the back of the store.
He turned to the nearest shelf and busied himself with reading the labels of the scented candles arranged there. An employee or two came up to him and asked if he needed any help, to which he answered with a vaguely negative answer and a smile, then went off again. He had no real purpose in coming here, after all, except to stall for time. He moved on through the shelves as soon as he was done with the candles, deciding that he would leave either when Michael wanted to or when he ran into the other angel.
Michael was in the aromatherapy section, gazing thoughtfully at the array of products. A woman was beside him, explaining the various fragrances and the symptoms each was used for. The blonde was listening intently to her, nodding every so often in reply to what she was saying.
Smirking in amusement, Uriel plucked a bottle of lavender bath essence off one of the shelves and held it out to Michael. The angel looked at him in confusion while the Earthian smiled.
"Lavender," she explained, "helps with many things. Headaches, insomnia, depression, vertigo, stress relief. Add a few drops to your bath water and you're all set."
Uriel ignored his superior's unreadable expression. "I think we'll take a bottle," he told her, then, as an afterthought, took another bottle from a lower shelf. "This too."
Michael said nothing as the woman walked them to the cashier and rung up their purchase.
"A penny for your thoughts, Michael-sama," the singer commented offhandedly as they headed back to the hotel, then chuckled at the strange expression the angel gave him. "An Earthian saying when one is a bit too quiet for quite a while."
"It's nothing, Uriel. Just letting my mind wander." A pause. "Why did you..."
His companion glanced sideways at him. "Because, Michael-sama, vacation or not, you need it."
Silence fell between them after that. When they entered the hotel, Uriel went past the elevators, instead making his way to the front desk.
"Any messages for room thirty-five-fourteen?" he asked the clerk on duty.
It took a moment for her to check. "Yes, sir, one. A Mr. Jansen invites you up for a drink."
"Up...?" he mused to himself after thanking her and leading Michael to the elevators. "Ah, I see." He punched the button for the thirty-fifth floor. "Aaron's."
"You're talking to yourself," his companion pointed out.
"Hm?" They stepped out when the elevator came to their floor. "I think it's called thinking aloud, Michael-sama. No, no, no. Out!"
Ignoring the blonde's frown, Uriel stopped him from entering their room. He propped the door open with a doorstop, tossing their things on his bed. There was another set of handwriting below the note Michael had written earlier, hastily scribbled down.
"Huh. What d'ya know."
"What? What is it?" questioned his superior as he went back into the hall. Then, indignantly, "And why aren't you letting me in?"
"To answer your first question, it looks like that son of yours has more energy than we credit him for. He and Kagetsuya have gone to that fair down by the beach." He took hold of Michael's arm and veered him back towards the elevator. "To answer your second, you're coming with me."
"But--"
"You're not getting any time with whatever demons are plaguing you, Michael. That's why you wanted to come here in the first place, remember. It's time I made good on my 'mission.'" He paused when the elevator arrived and he took the archangel with him, pushing the button for the top floor. "You've got to relax, you know. Or all this trouble will be for nothing."
The angel remained silent, blue eyes focused on the floor.
"In any case, if we're lucky, Jansen's here because the place is ready. No more traipsing about around here. And anyway, this won't take long."
His companion made a noncommittal noise in his throat and shrugged. If he was going to say something, he was interrupted by the ding of the electronic bell sounding their arrival. As the doors opened, a blast of cold air hit them both. The tinted, ceiling-to-floor windows and dim lighting of Aaron's gave the effect that it was nearing dusk. The blaze of the Hawaiian afternoon sun was muted, yet illuminated the beautiful view of the city. Michael left the singer's side, heading past the bar to the far windows to admire Honolulu from above.
There was quite a crowd present, but Uriel easily spotted Jansen standing at the windows opposite the direction the other archangel had taken. The sunlight gave his unruly, chestnut hair highlights of muted gold and made his jade-colored eyes flare.
"Is it safe for me to presume that everything's ready?" the angel inquired as he approached.
The man nodded. "You could go to the house today -- hell, right now -- if you want to."
He raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Why didn't you just leave a message for me?"
"Well..." A shrug and a small smile. "Needed a drink and a way to pass the time away. In any case, I ought to be going now. Gotta go back and make sure no one screws anything up. See ya."
Uriel gave a small wave as the Earthian left. Scanning the place for Michael, he found the archangel still glued to the same window. An amused smile playing upon his lips, he decided against getting him and going back to the room. Instead, he settled for going over to the bar, taking an empty seat with a sigh.
"Margarita," he told the tender on a whim.
As he waited for his drink, he let his mind wander. He had acquired a property in Hawaii Kai the year before. He'd toured Hawaii every time he visited Earth -- since the meeting on Kauai that one Christmas -- never tiring of the island scenery and the things to do. Of course, he'd never really had any use for the place before. He must have even regretted getting it once or twice in the past -- or, at least, cursed his choice to be in the middle of Earthian suburbs; he loved the Earth, but its people... well, they were something else completely. But now, with Michael visiting and Kagetsuya and Chihaya persuaded to a vacation, the house wouldn't be catching dust anymore.
Uriel barely blinked when the margarita was presented him, taking an idle sip as he glanced briefly at the archangel at the window. Michael's expression was unreadable, but his bright crystal eyes flickered in fascination.
He swallowed a curse and stifled a start when his gaze lowered to the reflective surface of the bar counter. Slowly, very slowly, did he turn his pale brown eyes to meet a very familiar pair of stormy gray ones.
"You're definitely not the type of person I'd expect at a bar," he muttered, giving a lopsided grin, "Raphael-sama."
Amusement flashed across those dark orbs. "I might say the same thing about you."
"In fact," the singer lowered his voice to a quiet murmur meant only for the other's ears, "one would wonder why you're on Earth at all."
"One would," the archangel agreed. "I have reason to believe Michael's here."
Surprise came easy to Uriel's expression. "Oh? Really, now? And do you think..."
"That you know where he is?"
"Earth is a big place, Raphael, and the Earthians are many." He glanced to the subject of their talk, who had not noticed anything but the view, let alone their little exchange. "He could be anywhere."
The other's expression didn't waver. "But there are quite a few places where our investigators aren't stationed. You must have some idea where he could be."
Uriel focused back on his drink. "I may."
A brief flash of irritation that quickly passed. "You may?"
"If he came to Earth, maybe he doesn't want to be found."
"Nevertheless, it wasn't sanctioned. Caused quite a stir back home."
"So I've heard."
"Look." An exasperated sigh. "If you know anything, please tell me. Please, Uriel." Then, quietly, "Everyone's worried about him. I'm-- We're afraid someone might start a rumor that he's -- dead. If such talk..."
Raphael's voice faded into a barely audible, sharp intake of breath. The Miracle Voice glanced at him, wondering why he trailed off suddenly.
Bright blue the color of a crystalline lake met the dark shades of a stormy sky. No escape route available, Michael tore his gaze away and closed his eyes, wishing he was lost in the freedom of the skies beyond.