The Caretaker: Part Two
Note: Ok, someone said that Gabe/Charlie should meet May later on (after the first part of this story) so this is it. So, there's been a war between Heaven and Hell, the angels won, but Zac's idea of paradise on earth leaves a lot to be desired. The humans are basically slaves, just trying to survive. What happens when Gabe finds May again? (Smut, that's what.)
May looked up from the table she was clearing for a moment to peer around the packed club. So, this is paradise, she thought silently, chewing the inside of her cheek in thought. The war between Heaven and Hell was over and the angels walked amongst them freely now. However, from what she could tell nothing much had changed. The world was still full of people drinking, eating, fighting and fucking too much, except now those people were powerful, immortal beings instilled with a sense of holy righteousness and the ones that often found themselves on the receiving end of their excesses were people like her, humans. She remembered being relieved, happy even, when the angels had finally expelled the last demon and defeated Lucifer. After everything she'd lived through, everything she'd seen, she'd believed that paradise on Earth couldn't be such a bad thing. She had been so wrong. Humans had become slaves; many of them had joined the angels, providing the women, drugs and alcohol they wanted in return for safety and fair treatment, but the vast majority lived in fear and had just tried to keep their heads down and stay out of trouble.
She picked up two glasses and headed back towards the bar. Placing them down on the wooden surface, she picked up a cold glass of water and took a sip. Many of the other girls took the opportunity of free alcohol that working in a bar granted them, choosing to walk around in a happy, drunken daze so that they did not have to see the harsh reality around them. May was different, she hadn't touched a drop since the angels had won; she just needed to stay unnoticed and for that she needed to stay clear-headed, so no alcohol for her.
Feeling a tap on her shoulder, May turned slowly, only to have a foul gust of cigarette smoke blown into her face. Ah, another fine habit they've succumbed to, she thought as her eyes watered ferociously and the smoke poured into her lungs causing her to cough until she was sure she could taste the salty tang of blood on her tongue. The angel in front of her was looking at her with that odd mixture of curiosity and hatred they all shared when looking at humans, "You work here."
It was a statement, not a question, but May thought it was probably best to answer and make a quick escape, "Yes, I do. I'm sorry though, I can't talk now, we're about to close and I have to clear the tables." She angled her body to slide past him, but her heart fell when she felt a strong hand close around her wrist.
"There are others who can clean up; I wish to speak to you." May had seen this kind of thing happen before, although she had hoped that she would always manage to fly under the radar. It made perfect sense really that they paid such unwanted attention to human women; angels had been massively repressed for millennia and now they were here on Earth with free reign to do anything with no consequences. The biggest problem was that they were unpredictable; they were not supposed to feel anything and yet, years here surrounded by human vices had rubbed off on them in some way; one minute they could be smiling and perfectly calm, the next they could be angry, flailing knives around and cursing drunkenly in Enochian. It was probably best, May thought, to just do as he said.
"It's nice to see you getting along so well with my friend, Elijah." On hearing the voice her eyes widened involuntarily, it was familiar to her, really familiar.
"Would you mind going away? I'd like to talk to her." That voice again. May allowed herself to glance to the side, and on doing so and catching a glimpse of her would-be rescuer, she instantly closed her eyes tight shut. She did know him, or had known him, a long time ago. Back when she was at Crawford Hall. He'd been the caretaker. Charlie. She risked looking back at the angel standing beside her, certain that she was about to see a long-lost friend eviscerated in front of her.
May was surprised when the angel, Elijah, backed down, nodding at Charlie and heading back into the throngs of people. She frowned and glanced back at Charlie. She knew from experience that he was not human, not in the strictest sense anyway. All he'd said was that he liked to play tricks on people, but she'd assumed he was at least a moderately powerful demon. Surely he was not powerful enough to intimidate an angel though.
"So, Doc, we should go." He raised his eyebrows at her and she nodded once, leading the way behind the bar and towards the fire door, stopping only to collect her coat from her locker. Once outside May felt her chest ache as the cold air hit her. The ringing in her ears from the loud music in the club buzzed annoyingly, making her head ache.
Suddenly Charlie had his hands around her upper arms, she realised dimly that he was holding her quite tight and it hurt. He was shouting at her, "What were you doing working somewhere like that, May? Do you know how dangerous that is?" Why was he shouting at her? This was not what May had been imagining for so many years; she had daydreamed about Charlie coming back every day since he left and he hadn't shouted at her in any of her fantasies. He'd done lots of other things though, which made her blush now as she thought about them.
Sighing he backed away, dropping his hands from her arms, "You can't go back there. Please, come with me, I'll look after you."
May had so many questions spinning around her mind that she found herself unsure of which one to ask first. She knew there was something important about what had happened in the club between Charlie and Elijah, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. She reached out, placing a hand on his arm, "Charlie, why did that angel listen to you? He looked terrified. Why would he be afraid of you?"
Charlie sighed, knowing that he was finally going to have to come clean. It was one of the many reasons that he had stayed away from May for so many years. He couldn't bear to have her turn away from him. He looked at her, "I promise you, I will explain everything. But not here, we need to get inside."
Despite her anger and disillusionment with him and his behaviour, May trusted Charlie and she didn't want to lose the opportunity to speak to him now that he was finally back. She nodded and fell into step beside him, smiling slightly when he looped his arm through hers.
May had never seen Charlie's flat when she was at Crawford, she had never seen Charlie outside of work. It was not what she had expected, and had she not known better she would have sworn that a woman lived with him. This flat was tidy, clean and well decorated. She'd never seen so much cake though, or bottles of wine, and she gasped audibly as she stepped through the front door. Thinking back to her own poky, damp apartment, where the wind on a night like this would be blowing through the badly fitted windows, she felt relieved that at least she would be warm tonight, even if the conversation she was about to have would be hugely uncomfortable for them both.
Charlie stepped past her and headed towards one of the doors at the back of the room, he was carrying her coat. "I'll put this in here, you can have this room." He turned to look at her in the doorway and then pointed at the mountain of cakes, "Eat something, May. You're skin and bones."
She looked down at herself and realised that he was right. Her wage at the club had been poor, and she had not been able to eat properly for a long time. She was embarrassed suddenly by the way she looked; by the way her hip bones jutted unhealthily through her jeans. She had had a much fuller figure when she was at Crawford Hall; she's been much happier in general then. When May looked back up she found Charlie staring at her from the doorway of her bedroom and she shifted uncomfortably, hoping that he didn't think she looked disgusting.
He sighed and walked towards her, "So, I owe you an explanation." He waved a hand towards the sofa, "Sit down. I'll get you a drink, you'll need it." He busied himself in the kitchen for awhile, whilst May sat with her hands in her lap, her fingers knotted together anxiously. When he returned he held a glass of wine out to her, and looked at her expectantly. Slowly she took it and drank. She had not had wine for a long time, and the liquid burned down her throat. The warm, fuzzy sensation it gave her in the pit of her stomach was pleasant though, so she drank more.
Charlie watched her for awhile, and then spoke. "So, I told you that I liked to play tricks on people. What I didn't tell you was that I've been playing those kinds of tricks for a long time. Six years at Crawford and thousands of years before that." He looked down at his own hands.
Maybe it was the wine, but May laughed slightly, "Well, you look good for your age then."
Charlie grinned at her, "Thanks, Doc. But, this isn't my body. Not really." May just looked at him until he continued.
"I started living amongst humans because I needed to... leave home. I was tired of my family arguing about ...stupid things. So, I came here and I just watched the people around me. I thought some of the things they said and did to each other were horrendous. So, I started playing pranks on them, dishing out just desserts I guess." When he fell silent, May reached out and took hold of his hand, pulling it gently into her lap.
"There's no easy way to tell you this, May." He sighed, and finally it all spilled out. "So, I left home and came here. Home before I came here was Heaven. My family were constantly arguing. My family before I came here were, primarily, Michael and Lucifer. I'm one of them. I'm an angel."
May pulled her hand away, standing up abruptly almost spilling the wine, "You're one of them? How could you be part of everything they've done here? How can you sit here, being so nice to me, when you're exactly like the rest of them?"
Charlie's face fell when she pulled away, and May was confused. He had feelings, obviously, that much was clear. But his reaction had been, well, human. "You should know that I had nothing to do with what Heaven did, May. I tried to stand up to my brothers, but in the end they were too strong and ..."
May looked at him and desperately wanted to throw her arms around him, he looked so apologetic. She sat down on the sofa and turned towards him, "Charlie, I'm sorry about my reaction. It's just...difficult. I've seen your kind being so cruel to people, and... I hate them. I don't even feel like I know you. I don't even know your real name." She sniffed, feeling tears threaten to spill onto her cheeks.
"My name's Gabriel." He said, gently. "You say that you hate my kind? Well, that's one thing we agree on."
May smiled, "I've missed you, Charlie."
"I've missed you, Gabriel." He parroted, correcting her mistake.
She looked at him and for a moment felt like she did back at Crawford, when her research was going well and she would go for lunch with Charlie regularly. He could always make her laugh. "It might take awhile for me to get used to that," she admitted, "you've always been Charlie to me. I hope you don't mind."
"Hell, you can call me anything you want, Doc." He pointed at her wine glass, and she eagerly drank the rest. "So, does this mean you're going to be sticking around for a bit?"
"I'd like to stay. At least for tonight anyway; I have more questions for you." She pointed at him, and narrowed her eyes. "But, for now, would you mind if I go to bed? I feel really tired."
She placed her glass down on the table and stood up, "I don't mind. Need any company?" He had that cheeky grin on his face that she knew so well.
"Well, now that I know the truth about you, I also know that you have a good few centuries on me, old man. It would be obscene." She smiled, nudging him with her hip as she went past.
He shrugged. "Well, can't blame a guy for trying."
(Later that night)
May shot upright in bed, her heart was hammering in her chest and a dull, throbbing ache pounded behind her temples. She leaned forward, resting her head on her knees which were curled against her chest. Her breathing was shaky and far too fast.
"You alright, Doc?" There was concern in Charlie's voice, but May didn't want him to see her like this.
"Sorry, I just had a nightmare. I sometimes have them about what happened at Crawford when the demons came and..." She kept her head buried in her knees, but felt the bed shift slightly as Charlie sat down next to her. Finally she looked up at him and smiled, "I'm ok, honestly. Thank you for checking on me."
He stood up, ruffling her hair slightly and started to make his way back across the room. Suddenly, and before she'd really thought about what she was saying, May called out to him, "Wait. Can you stay?"
"I don't think I should." The angel was staring at the floor now.
"Please, Charlie, I mean, Gabriel. I trust you and I feel better when you're around. I would really appreciate it if you could stay." She held the covers open, so that he could climb in next to her.
Finally he smiled and walked back towards her, "I thought you said I was too old for you, Doc."
"Stop kidding around." She scolded him, as he climbed in and lay down on his back next to her.
"Now that is a really big thing to ask..." He fell silent when May moved towards him, placing her head on his chest, ear pressed above the spot where his heart was.
As she rested against him she heard his heart beat faster and faster until she could feel it dully thudding against his rib cage. She understood in that moment what it might have been like for Gabriel to be on this Earth for so many years, with nobody who knew the truth about him and nobody who could truly understand him. She wondered what it must have felt like to not understand much of what you saw happening around you; all the unkindness's and violence humans did to each other must have been hard to see when you weren't capable of feelings like hate and anger. Sitting up she began to pull the shirt she had borrowed up, and as it passed her face she could smell his aftershave still lingering on the material. She wished she had been able to wash; her shift at the club had been long and hard and her hair smelled of cigarette smoke. Gabriel didn't seem to mind as he entwined his fingers in the long strands. May sighed as she rested her head back on his chest, she loved the feeling of his hands in her hair, but he was being too gentle with her; in her fantasies he had grasped huge chunks of her hair, rolling her onto her back and making love to her, all the time tugging at her hair making her cry out. Finally he did move on top of her, still with his hands gently wrapped in her hair, his forehead resting against hers; she felt his other hand at her waist, and then at her hips stroking the hem of her underwear. As he breathed so close to her she could smell icing sugar and alcohol on his breath. His eyes were full of passion and she nodded at him, softly, bringing her lips closer to his.
As he kissed her, May remembered the old Charlie, who was always throwing around sexual innuendos as though they were going out of fashion. But now he was finally with her he was treating her like she was a porcelain doll, all of his touches tentative as though he was afraid he would hurt her. Slowly she reached her hand down to guide his, helping him to push her underwear down. Then grasping his hand she led him towards the heat between her legs. He looked at her, as though unsure, and she gently guided his finger to the right spot.
When he brushed against her, she rolled her head back, biting her lip to stifle a moan. Finally, she felt his hand tighten in her hair as he pulled her head back further, exposing her throat to him. As he pushed two fingers inside her she gasped, moaning, "Yes, that's it..." and following the directions she was giving him he began to kiss her throat. Unable to stop herself, knowing she had been thinking about this moment for too long she cried out his name, "Charlie".
"Gabriel." He corrected her, this time firmly, and slid another finger inside her, pressing her hips into the mattress as he worked his fingers inside her more quickly. Reaching down again, May wrapped a hand around his erection, "Please, Gabriel, now."
He shook his head, continuing to move his arm, "No, not yet."
"Please, I can't wait much longer." She bit her lip again, trying to hold off the waves that were hitting her.
Unwinding is fingers from her hair, he grabbed the hand that was holding him and pressed it into the pillows above May's head, "No, it's too fast, May. I've waited for this for six years. I don't know how long I'll have you for. Please, just let me make you happy."
May closed her eyes as her orgasm rolled over her. She cried out, hand still wrapped around his as he held her down. It was only then, as she felt the contractions of the muscles inside her, that he drew her into his lap and entered her. She could only hold onto him as he slowly thrust into her, her head buried in his shoulder as she kissed him. His arms tightened around her as she cried out again. When she had regained her breath she looked at him, "You're not going to leave again are you, Gabriel?"
He stroked a piece of hair away from her face, "Not unless you're planning on going anywhere. You're not are you?"
She smiled, looking away, "Why would I want to do that? I've been thinking about you for six years, I have a lot of catching up to do."
Laughing, feeling freer than he had for a long time, Gabriel laid her back against the pillows, curling up against her and whispering in her ear, "Glad to hear it, Doc."