It is Christmas day of 2006, and there is an angel in the backyard of that big old house in the neighborhood shared by Rosalli, Norm, Nick and Gabriel. The angel in question is Gabriel, and he is celebrating the holiday as best he knows how.

He is wearing white silk pajamas and going barefoot, blond hair windblown, but all of this is very hard to see beneath the golden-white light that coats him from head to foot, so that looking at him hurts. It forms blazing wings and a robe of light and in one hand is the golden outline of a sword, that same pale gold light that would be absolutely lovely if it did not shine so bright.

Having received no answer to a knock on the door, Bo found the solution that people who are not prone to trespassing and extreme nosiness, and walked around the back.

His jaw drops. That's...that's Gabriel, that's the darling, naive, lovely young angel, but he's somehow turned into an awe-inspiring sight.

An angel or a demon would not be troubled, but Bo has notoriously bad eyesight, and ends up both squinting and shielding his eyes.

"G..." He feels somehow breathless, almost...timid. He feels small. "Gabriel?"

The shining creature turns, and smiles a glory-bright smile. "Hallo," he greets cheerfully, comfortable with Bo seeing him this way. His voice is still the same old voice.

Bo flinches and closes his eyes against the brilliance. He can still see it through his eyelids as a red glow.

"H-hallo! I, er...I thought I would come and...and say merry Christmas! I--" he opens his eyes to slits with a somewhat pained smile.

"You look beautiful," he says honestly.
Beautiful and terrible. And isn't that how such things are supposed to go?

"Thank you," Gabriel says simply.

"Too bright?" He asks, though he doesn't stop shining just yet. It is his natural state, this blazing form, and it's rather like going around without pants - it's far more comfortable, but not something you can do in public.

"Ja." He rubs his eyes, as they are watering. "It's all right."

For future reference: bring sunglasses to Gabe's house.

"I can turn it off," he adds uncertainly.

Metaphorically, he can put his pants on.

"You don't have to."
He'll just keep his eyes closed, because that's not awkward or anything.

He does anyway, because he's thoughtful that way.

Now, he's just a blond young man in pajamas, a significantly less inspiring sight.

"Want to go inside?" He asks.

He opens his eyes, blinking away the spots in his vision, and straightens his glasses.
"Sure. How are you, Gabriel?"
It's much easier to converse with your friend if he isn't standing proudly before you in a blaze of glory.

"I like being a waiter. I talk to people and they're polite to me and if I'm nice then they give me money!"

It should be noted that he is more thrilled by this than most people would be. Are we surprised? Anyone?

I thought not.

Bo chuckles. There must be some people for whom waiting tables in this world, he supposes. Or the enjoyment might wear off eventually. Ah well, at least he likes it now.
"I'm happy to hear that. No more problems?" With people, that is. The sort of people who disturb Gabriel, like Arty and Keye.

"I've mostly just been going to work or staying home," Gabriel says, looking down and away. He doesn't really want to talk about it.

Talking to strangers no longer holds so much appeal.

Bo puts his hand on Gabe's arm.
"Do you get lonely?" he inquires worriedly.

He hunches at the touch, because he wants to lie, but lying is bad.

"I... don't not get lonely...."

He doesn't like to talk about it. Strangers are scary.

He frowns.
"You should call me more often." Bo is...to be honest, a tad forgetful about tending to people. But perfectly willing to keep Gabe company!
"I could probably introduce you to some nice people as well."
Enrique and Keye aren't the only people he knows, after all.

"I'll call more often," he promises, though he doesn't address the issue of introducing him to strangers.

He isn't sure he likes strangers very much.

"All right."
He kisses Gabe's hand. Gabe is so very touchable. It's one of the things he likes about the angel.

"I saw that you were holding a sword, earlier. What were you doing with it?"

"It's just part of being that way. I have a sword."

It seems simple, when he tells it that way.

"...oh."
Gabe doesn't seem the sort to have been born with a sword in hand. Bo shivers. There really is so much he doesn't know...

"Is that wrong?" He asks worriedly.

After all, he doesn't understand all these things that Bo understands. Bo is much smarter than he is.

"No."
His smile flickers, on-and-off.
"I just...didn't know you were a fighter."

"I can. That doesn't mean I want to." He flashes Bo a smile as he opens the door for them both. "I'd much rather play the piano."

Bo relaxes. How silly of him, to even think of being frightened of Gabriel.

"Of course. Have you learned anything new?"

"I... no."

Gabriel is pretending he doesn't have any issues to deal with. Won't Bo play along, please?

"Would you like something to eat?"

He's grown rather adept at feeding people things, working as he does.

He closes the door behind them.

"No thank you. You didn't go to the music store?"
He tilts his head to one side--wasn't that part of the point of having a job, to get pocket change for new piano pieces?
Gabriel is...being confusing. Not being orderly. Being troubling.
Bo frowns.

"No, I...." He glances away.

"I'm not quite sure what I'm doing."

He's having trouble finding his way in life.

"I--but you told me..."
He turns suddenly and takes Gabriel's hands in his, pulling them close to his chest, expression worried.

"Do you want to talk?"

He's not sure how to help Gabriel find his way, but the one thing he does know how to do is talk.