Chapter Two

Apologies, with a Side of Fries

April 7, 2010

Bobby hated this. Hell, he wasn't entirely sure how he ended up on this stupid outing, to begin with. Oh, right. Crowley fucked him by leaving him and Azrial in the middle of New York City before claiming he had to find Azrial a passport since they'd have to take a plane to Italy. The only saving grace, and Bobby wasn't sure it was one at this point, was that he'd given Azrial money before disappearing.

"Are you almost done?" Bobby sighed, watching Azrial pick through a rack of clothing.

"What's the rush?" Azrial asked, pulling a shirt off the rack to take a closer look. "Our train to Boston leaves in two days and I own literally nothing because some moronic peon decided to burn my house to the ground."

Bobby looked away at that. She had a point, but given his arms were laden with bags already he didn't understand how she still needed more clothing.

"Where are you even going to keep all this crap?"

"I'll buy a suitcase or hand it off to Crowley," she said dismissively. Azrial hung up the shirt and turned to him with a frown. "If I could use my wings, I'd just drop it all at my apartment."

"Will you ever let that go?" He growled the question and followed her out of the high-end boutique, ignoring the dirty looks that people shot at him every so often. Azrial had an eagle eye though and tended to glare back with increased ferocity. Bobby was sure that was the only reason he hadn't been asked to leave some of the stores the archangel had dragged him into.

"Not today," she said with a smile. He sighed again, not able to stop the annoyance from creeping onto his face. He followed her down the road and shifted the bags on his arms. They weren't really heavy, just awkward, but it was still annoying to be treated like a pack mule.

"What else could you possibly need?"

"We need to make one more stop today, and then I'll manage the rest on my own tomorrow."

"Fine."

At least there was an end in sight. He didn't mind being holed up in her tiny apartment/safe house in the East Village, but traversing the city was something he could honestly do without. The stress of the coming Vatican trip was driving him up a wall and being around massive crowds of people wasn't helping.

"Have you thought about what you want for dinner?"

The question took him off guard and Bobby shook his head. "No clue."

"I'll figure it out," she said. "Can't have you starving to death."

He was about to respond when someone slammed into him on the sidewalk. He almost dropped the bags on his right arm, but thankfully caught himself in time.

"Watch it," the man grumbled. Bobby glared but was going to let it go when Azrial stopped the man from walking away.

"How about you apologize and pay attention to where you're going?" The snarled question made the man roll his eyes, clearly not intimidated by the 5'5 archangel dressed in shabby jeans and a sweatshirt.

"Whatever," the man said. "Just move."

"Apologize."

The man huffed and shoved her aside, and Bobby found himself holding the archangel back from braining the moron as he walked away.

"Don't, Princess."

"What a dick!" She snapped loud enough that the man could hear over the crowd. They ended up with a one-finger salute in response, but at least that seemed to be the end of it.

"He reeks of alcohol," Bobby tried to pacify her. "It's why I didn't say shit."

"Still, he should have apologized."

"As cute as it is to have you defending my honor, I don't need ya too." The joke made Azrial smile slightly and Bobby relaxed. "Come on, you said we had one more errand before I could rest my poor feet."

"It's right in here," she said. "It may take some time, but it's necessary."

Bobby hummed and he found himself following her into a tailor shop. He wasn't sure what she was getting here, especially since it looked like they mostly catered to men, but he'd learned to just roll with it after hours of this nonsense.

"Madam," the thick Italian accent of the woman at the desk greeted them. "How may I help you?"

Azrial smiled and dug out a card from her pocket and handed it to the woman. Her eyes widened and she looked between them with understanding, and to Bobby's surprise, a large amount of respect.

"Yourbeau said you would be in, Madam." The woman stepped out from behind the desk and to his surprise walked up to Azrial and started circling like a vulture.

"He has rather exacting standards," Azrial said. "I'm sure he left you with a list?"

"Sì." The woman nodded and pulled out a tape measure. Azrial relaxed her body and didn't even question as the woman started taking measurements at a rapid pace.

"Now I see why it's gonna take a while," Bobby muttered. Azrial shot him a bemused glance as the woman stepped away with a nod.

"I will finalize the order he put in for you," the woman said. "Is this the other?"

Bobby frowned as the woman's sharp eye roamed over him.

"Yes. Just a basic suit will do, though I'm sure Crowley tried to order far more."

"He did Madam, but I will defer to you."

"Wonderful, how long-?"

Bobby cut Azrial off with an annoyed growl. "What the hell are you on about, Princess? I don't need a damn suit."

Azrial gave him a dry look that was compounded as the tailor rolled her eyes and muttered something that suspiciously sounded like 'men' before walking into the back room.

"You do, and it's already paid for."

"I have a suit," he deadpanned.

Azrial sighed. "You're hopelessly naive sometimes, Bobby."

"Excuse me?" He growled, anger welling in his chest. Naive? Where the hell did she get off calling him naive.

"Looks, and by extension first impressions, are extremely important. You wouldn't go on a hunt without the proper supplies, so why would you think I'd let you accompany me to the Vatican without a decent business suit?"

"Let me?" Bobby parroted, annoyance dripping through his voice. "You've got some damn nerve."

"Yes," she snapped back. Her calm demeanor started to crack and Bobby could feel the tension in the room rise. "Let you. I could just leave you and Rowen on your own if you'd prefer."

"Oh, trust me, Princess, I'm sure we'd get a lot more done without you."

Bobby didn't realize how crass that would sound until the words were out of his mouth. For a split second the hurt on Azrial's face was clear but she closed off quickly.

"You'd get more done without me?" She parroted, but Bobby wasn't stupid enough to double down. Though he doubted silence would do him any favors either.

"In the same way you got more done without me after I died?" she snarled softly. Bobby stiffened at the crack in Azrial's voice, but before he could respond she continued talking. "No, no. I'm sure you were referring to how you could get more done without me during our offensive against Lucifer."

"Azrial-" Bobby tried to cut in, but her eyes flashed a furious silver as she stepped closer to him.

"Shut up!" her voice cracked with emotion and he fell silent. Her eyes were shining and it took him a moment to realize there were tears in them. He swallowed, knowing silence had just become the better part of valor.

"I saved your son's life," she snarled. "Hell, I saved both of their damn lives! Yet, have you thanked me?"

Azrial was shaking and she wiped her face but it didn't do much to hide the tears. Bobby was sure they were more due to frustration at this point, but at the same time the pain in her eyes was immense. She yanked the sweatshirt over her head and grabbed his hand placing it square on the scar that dominated her chest, barely covered by the tank top she was wearing.

"This is your family's fault! Yet you haven't even thanked me." She shoved him away, but it didn't have the force he expected. It barely put any distance between them as she looked away.

"Do what you want," Azrial whispered. "What the hell would I know about playing a role anyway?"

She stormed out of the store, slamming the door hard enough that the small bell on it fell off.

Bobby shut his eyes, all the anger he'd felt at her trying to tell him what to do gone. "Balls," he muttered.

The sound of movement had him turning to see the woman come out of the backroom. The disapproving gaze really just compounded the shit day he was having.

"What exactly did Crowley order?" Bobby quietly asked. He'd at least look at it, and hopefully, the fuming archangel would return. The woman tutted, clearly unimpressed, but went to retrieve the items.

Line Break

Azrial ducked into an alley taking a deep breath. What the hell had gotten into her? Of all the people to go off on, it just had to be Robert fucking Singer. She ran a shaking hand over her face trying to slow her breathing.

"Get a grip," she muttered to herself. "You can't afford to be weak right now."

It helped, at least a little. She wiped the tears from her eyes and shook her head. It was foolish to get upset about not being appreciated. The only person alive who appreciated anything she did was Crowley. It was foolhardy to expect a group of hunters to be grateful for anything she did. She sighed and pulled the sweatshirt back over her head and leaned against the alley wall.

"Why do I care what he thinks? He's just another human." Azrial shook her head and pushed off the wall. While she was sorry for yelling at the man, she wasn't sorry for what she'd said to Bobby. Hopefully, he'd forgive her lapse of judgment in expressing it. She didn't need things to be tenser than they already were. She slowly made her way back toward the shop, doing her best to draw all her emotions back inside her. She stopped at the shop window in shock before she could open the door.

Inside, Bobby was allowing the seamstress to finalize his measurements in the suit without much more than a light scowl.

She couldn't help the small smile that pulled her lips as she watched him. It was silly, but this small act meant a lot. Maybe building some trust between all of them wasn't completely hopeless. Or maybe she should stop having a soft spot for emotionally unavailable men. Azrial snorted and walked into the shop. Like that would ever happen.

Line Break

Bobby winced as a pin poked his skin. He was starting to think the tailor was doing that on purpose. The sound of the door opening, muted without the bell to announce people's arrival, made him stiffen.

"Stop that," the tailor reprimanded. Bobby forced himself to relax just as Azrial came into view. He'd never guess she had just been crying or even upset as she ran a critical eye over the suit.

"Why Crowley would recommend a tie, especially in that color, is beyond me."

Bobby shot her a surprised look as the archangel moved forward and gently undid the red tie while staying out of the tailor's way. She looked around the store and let out a pleased hum as she walked over to a display he couldn't quite see. The tailor stepped away from him just as Azrial walked back over.

"Grey suits you well," Azrial complimented. "A tie though just isn't your style."

"What would you suggest?"

The careful question saw a brief smile directed at him as Azrial offered the accessory she'd picked up. Bobby took it, looking curiously at the familiar item.

"I didn't think you'd approve of a bolo tie," he said. He rolled the accessory over in his hands, noting it was heavier than expected though that was probably due to the quality of the materials. The onyx gem seemed a bit over the top to him but he could admit with the silver backing it was a rather stunning piece.

"I think you can pull it off," Azrial casually rebutted. "May I?"

Bobby hesitated but handed the bolo tie back to her. She kept a respectable distance between them and quickly undid the top button of the dress shirt as she pulled the tie under the shirt collar.

"It's good to let a bit of yourself shine through," she whispered as her fingers quickly situated the tie. "The key is balance and knowing what face to show in any given situation."

"And what face do you show, Princess?"

His question had her looking up at him for a brief moment. "It depends on who I'm with."

The honest admission surprised him and Azrial stepped away gesturing toward the mirror. He eyed his reflection trying to find fault in what he saw. Beyond feeling slightly uncomfortable in the unfamiliar outfit, he couldn't find anything to complain about. The dark grey suit was clean-cut and looked good with the dusty blue dress shirt. Azrial was right though- the red tie would have stood out a bit too much where the onyx bolo tie seemed to fit perfectly. With the top button undone he also didn't feel like he was being choked by the damn shirt, and it gave a small breath of casualness to the otherwise strictly business ensemble.

"Is it acceptable, sir?" the tailor curtly asked, clearly expecting him to reject the work. Bobby met Azrial's eyes in the mirror and was surprised to realize she wasn't speaking for him this time. She'd fully backed off the topic and was letting him decide what he wanted to do.

"Yeah, it's good," Bobby said. He fingered the onyx bolo tie in thought realizing Crowley likely hadn't paid for it given he'd picked out the other. "How much for the tie?"

"Don't worry about it," Azrial said, handing the credit card to the tailor who looked pleased with his choice.

"Azrial," Bobby cautiously began but she shook her head.

"Not here," she said quietly. "Get changed, I'll handle my stuff tomorrow."

"If you need to try on stuff, I can wait."

The offer hung between them and Azrial seemed to consider before shrugging.

"It's just a dress. I'll try it tomorrow; that way you don't have to be out any longer. I've made you suffer enough and I'm sure you're hungry."

"The alterations will be done by tomorrow as well, Madam," the tailor said as she finished ringing up the purchases.

Bobby winced realizing he'd have to come by for the final fitting, but given it would be the only stop for him it wouldn't be too bad. Azrial looked over at him and waved toward the dressing room.

"Get changed and then we'll grab some dinner and head back to the apartment."

Line Break

Bobby was pleasantly surprised to find himself with a decent order from a Sabrett stand and sitting comfortably back in Azrial's East Village safe house. He'd expected her to drag him to some high-end restaurant, but instead, she beelined to the nearest stand and declared the day over. The only thing bringing down the mood now was the awkward silence that hung stubbornly between the two of them.

"What time do ya wanna go out tomorrow?" Bobby asked as he finished off his food.

"The earlier the better. That way you can come back and relax as soon as your suit is finished."

Her tone wasn't terse, but it was definitely closed off. Bobby sighed and set down the beer he was drinking.

"Azrial," she glanced over at him briefly but didn't give him her full attention. "I'm sorry."

She looked at him fully, surprise clear on her face. "Pardon?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated. "You were right, about the whole thing with Lucifer. I didn't try as hard as I should stop the boys from barging in."

Azrial seemed to weigh his words, and Bobby was waiting for her to reject the apology or come up with some reason to blame him further.

"Thank you, but-" Bobby sighed, bracing himself for her to tear into him about how she'd been right all along. "I should apologize as well."

"What?" He choked out. Azrial gave a small smile at his surprise and Bobby quickly schooled his features. She picked up her drink, running her finger over the bottle's rim.

"I asked a group of hunters to trust me without giving you any reason to do so. That was...foolish. It doesn't matter if I was right or wrong to stop you from coming because you were always going to find a way to be there."

Bobby was speechless at the archangel's admission. She seemed genuinely apologetic for the request of blind faith. Azrial coughed and looked away, a slight blush overtaking her face.

"I'm also sorry about earlier. While I don't regret what I said, I certainly regret how I said it. Of everyone involved, you didn't deserve me lashing out at you."

Bobby swallowed, not sure where to take the conversation now. He hadn't expected Azrial to apologize. Hell, he didn't need an apology for her actions earlier. He was surprised she hadn't lost her temper sooner if he were honest.

"Don't worry about earlier," he said after a moment. "As for the blind faith...maybe now we can actually work on building some trust."

Azrial glanced over at him, her guarded look slowly being replaced by a tentative smile. "I'd like that."

A comfortable silence stretched between them and Bobby finished his beer before turning back to Azrial. "So what should I expect when I get to the Vatican?"

The archangel perked up and quickly dove into an explanation without further prompting. Bobby listened carefully, but couldn't help but note the way she lit up while going into the history of why certain things would happen. It was kinda nice if he were honest. It took away some of the weight Azrial seemed to perpetually carry around with her. If only the moment could last, but Bobby knew that was a fruitless wish.

Author's Note: I will be out of town the Saturday I planned to post, so the chapter will be up on a Tuesday. I'll return to my regular schedule after that. Thanks for reading!

The next update is Tuesday, June 22, 2021