Shattered Reflection

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Date: May 30th, night (after the Truth or Dare game)
Location: the bar
Status: Public (Joe?)
Summary:Raphael has always kept his promises.


Shattered Reflection

It was late and Raphael remembered a certain promise he had made that had not yet been fulfilled. Granted, he had been in a bad state, but that did not excuse what the angel had done. Raphael, distressed and searching for a relief from pain that could not be quenched, had turned to alcohol and left Joe's bar a complete mess.

It seemed the man had forgiven him, but Raphael still wanted to make things right. So, when the bar was a little more emptied for now and good-byes said, he miracled some work clothes and began cleaning up. Not the celestial way of willing everything in order -Joe certainly had not been able to do that- but by getting on his hands and knees and scrubbing.

He smiled, humming happy songs to himself as he did.


((*))

Comments

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"Hey," Joe said as the angel set to work. "It's okay. I'll clean up."

It was his bar after all, and everyone had looked rather tired towards the end.

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

"I promised, remember?" He moved to rinse out his brush in a bucket that was there simply because it needed to be. "Unless you want me to start the dishes?"

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

Joe used the table to push himself to his feet. If Raphael did the floor now, Rose wouldn't have to tomorrow morning.

"No, I'll start on the dishes."

He glanced at the many glasses and cups standing by the sink and on the table. This would be a long night still.

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

Raphael cleaned the floor until it was clean enough to eat off of. There was not a single baseboard, corner or piece of linoleum that he had not scrubbed until it shone like the streets of Heaven. Pleased with himself he rose to his feet and moved to where Joe was. Without being asked he began to dry the dishes and put them away.

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"Aren't you tired at all?" Joe asked the red-head. The enthusiasm he seemed to put in his work belied the late hour.

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

"Nope!" he said simply. "I am an angel, I can last longer than humans." He put the last glass away and began with the counters.

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

Joe, in contrast, was a human, and he was very much in need of a break. He'd been up and about serving people drinks all through the game. He didn't even want to know how many miles he had walked that way tonight. It was a good kind of exhaustion, but boy were his legs aching by now.

[halosphere.livejournal.com]

"Go ahead and rest, I got this," the Archangel smiled. "It's almost all done anyway." He looked around. "Or... Was that everything?"

:)

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"We need to wipe off the tables and put them back where they belong," Joe said.

He also still had a few flights of stairs to climb to his room. Suppressing a sigh of regret, he pushed himself to his feet again and reached for a rag.

I'm going to PM you an idea if you don't mind?

[rhaphael.livejournal.com]

Raphael nodded and began to pushing the chairs back so he could move the tables. Tilting his head to one side he looked over at Joe. His heart went out to him, sensing exhaustion and pain. "Joe...? Are... Are you okay?"

I'll keep an eye on them. AIM's on, too

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

Joe raised his eyebrows as he looked at Raphael.

"Yeah," he claimed. "It's been a long day, that's all."

Oh! I'll just catch you on AIM later :3

[rhaphael.livejournal.com]

Raphael didn't move. He wrestled with asking, fearing he would offend but... "Joe? If... If you're in pain, I can... I'm a Healer, I could... If you want I mean... I could heal it..."

He didn't breathe, just waiting to hear what he would say.

Have Ricky send me a message ;)

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

"What do you mean?" Joe asked, carefully guarded. "How would you do that?"

He remembered the last offer someone had made to 'heal' him quite vividly. It still gave him nightmares.

[rhaphael.livejournal.com]

Raphael put his hands up to show he meant no harm. "I could heal the pain away. No side effects, no signing away your soul or anything like that. It would... You'd feel warm. Maybe some tingling. I wont even have to touch you."

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

Joe visibly winced at the suggestion of signing away his soul. He had come awfully close to that.

"If it's that easy, go ahead," he made himself say anyway.

[rhaphael.livejournal.com]

It would be easiest if he could place his hand hand on Joe's shoulder or something, but there were ways around it. He brought his hands up and a small sphere of warm green light formed between them. Raphael let it float over to where Joe was, the sphere now hovered in front of him like a particularily bright fairy.

"Just reach out and take it," he told him. "It'll disappear inside you and heal anything that hurts."

[josephdawson.livejournal.com]

Joe hesitated only a fraction of a second before he obeyed.

He raised his eyebrows at the immediate effect.

"That," he said, "is one very handy feat. Does it take a lot out of you to make those?"

[norseloki.livejournal.com]

"Not really, no," he answered honestly. "I do have to be careful but just a little bubble doesn't take much. If you need another feel free to let me know, but that one should last you awhile." Raphael smiled and started moving the chairs back.

"I sure will," Joe said. "You should sell them, you know. I bet people would pay a small fortune for that kind of effect."

There was something to be said about tidying the bar with some help. It went that much faster.

"No, no, I couldn't sell something Father gave me. It was a gift and I choose to share it." He stood and looked around. "What else?" he asked.

Joe looked around the bar again.

"I think we're done," he said. "Thanks again. You were great help. Both with the bar and..:" he gestured, then sighed.

He was still tired, and he still had two flights of stairs before he could fall into his well-deserved bed.

"Is there anything more I can do?"
"No," Joe said. "I think that's it. Let's go to bed, shall we?"

He switched off the lights at the counter and moved to the door.

"And thanks again for the help. Both ways."

Raphael smiled at him. "Anytime Joe." He folded his winglets against his back and started for his room. Sleep sounded like a good thing to have right now.