Robin

[whispersoflove]

Anael walked without aim in the streets of London, not like he usually did, to watch people and enjoy their love, but because he had had to get out of Coby's flat. He would probably go flying later, but for now, he was simply walking, shoulders hunched, that same muted pain in his back, from the wing he had still not healed since that blood-filled night.

The less he thought about it, the better, and yet he could not bring himself to heal his wing. Part of it was being afraid that God would not grant him that miracle, but he knew that it was more than that. He simply didn't want to look at it too closely.

He nearly walked by Robin without noticing him, sitting alone in a pub, at a table by the window. It seemed so odd, Robin being alone in any kind of social setting, that before he knew it, Anael had doubled back to walk into the pub, and headed over to the puck.

"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked, reassured, at least, that he felt no overwhelming heartbreak coming from him.

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[whispersoflove]

"I wouldn't want to bring you down," Anael told him honestly. Robin deserved to shine, high and bright.

[goodfellow]

"If you bring me down in a way I don't like I'll tell you to leave," Robin said. "You got something better to do?"

[whispersoflove]

"No," Anael answered simply. He would at least drink this one drink. "Tell me how you've been, Robin," he requested hopefully. Prometheus had said well, but Anael wanted to hear it from the puck. And given when he ran into Prometheus, the less he thought about it, the better.

[goodfellow]

"Sit," said Robin, gesturing. "And I've been fine. Well, except for fucking fairies fucking up my club. But it'll get fixed. Then I'll throw a big party, that always makes things better."

[whispersoflove]

"What's happened?" Anael asked with a frown, turning the glass in his hand.

[goodfellow]

Robin shrugged. "I mostly kept my head down during solstice but apparently someone decided to take their shit into my club. Probably on purpose, it's not like the fae like me all that much. It's fine, nothing a couple of days of a contractor won't sort out."

[whispersoflove]

Anael was still frowning. "But you and your people, you're all right?" He meant both his staff and his patrons.

[goodfellow]

"Oh. Yeah sure, we were closed," Robin said. "I guess that's why it had the space for whatever they were doing." He pushed another of the small glasses to Anael. "This one has a bit more of a kick to it."

[whispersoflove]

"Good," Anael said under his breath, sending a quiet prayer of thanks to God. Habit, even if he was mostly convinced They weren't listening anymore, not to him. Perhaps They hadn't in a long time.

He took the new glass gingerly, breathing it in again before taking a sip. "I think I liked the first one better." The kick in question made it hard to focus on the subtleties of the flavours.

[goodfellow]

Robin picked up the glass after he'd set it down, and knocked back the rest of it.

"Me too," he said.

Then - "I'm not going to ask you how you are, because it's obvious."

[whispersoflove]

Anael smiled softly. "But you still want to bring it up?"

[goodfellow]

"Nope," said Robin. "Just didn't want you to think I didn't care. I'm not entirely heartless. But I'm not particularly interested in rehashing it either, unless there's something you wanted to talk about."

[whispersoflove]

Anael reached out and put his hand on Robin's, squeezing it briefly. "Thank you, Robin." He pulled his hand back, and shook his head. "Talking about it won't help."

Robin wasn't heartless at all, but Anael didn't want to push him again.

[goodfellow]

Robin was actually pretty relieved to hear that.

"I really do wish you could get drunk though," he said, and knocked back the whiskey in one of the other glasses.

[whispersoflove]

"So do I," Anael assured him wryly.

It was not a tone anyone had heard much from the angel.

[goodfellow]

Robin's lips curled into a small smirk at the tone.

"Well," he said, and knocked back the liquid in the last glass, "not much reason to hang around here then is there? Let's go for a walk."

[whispersoflove]

"Done sampling, then?" Anael asked with raised eyebrows.

[goodfellow]

"Yep," Robin said. He pulled out his wallet and threw some bills on the table.

[whispersoflove]

Since Anael had no stakes in this whiskey sampling mission Robin had been on, he simply accepted that and walked out of the pub with Robin, sliding his hands into his pockets, shoulders slightly hunched the way they always were, these days. "Are we walking anywhere in particular, or just walking?"

[goodfellow]

"Just walking," said Robin, and put his hand at the small of Anael's back as they walked out of the bar. "Unless you'd like to go somewhere. We could be alone."

[whispersoflove]

There was something about Robin's voice, and it make Anael close his eyes for an instant, close his eyes and contemplate asking Robin for something he was not sure would be good for him. But then he opened his eyes, and stepped sideways, away from Robin's hand. "I told you," he added. "I'm not very good company right now."

He hated that he couldn't do it anymore, and right now, after what had gone on between them before, that Robin would offer... It made Anael want to cry, and scream, and rage.

[goodfellow]

Robin looked him in the eyes. "But I am," he said. "I am very good company. And I can't get you drunk, but whatever it is you need - I can give it to you."

[whispersoflove]

Anael stopped walking, so he could look Robin in the eye. He looked almost pained as he admitted, "I don't know what I need, Robin. But I haven't - I can't - and I hurt you, last time we were together." Being unable to voice things was also very unlike Anael.

[goodfellow]

Robin frowned. "You didn't hurt me. I'm actually pretty sure it was the other way around. Which is part of why I want to help you now. I can't get you drunk. But there's more than that."

[whispersoflove]

"Of course I..." Anael stopped himself before he might push, and hurt, Robin further. He shook his head. "Sex hasn't been helping, if that's what you're thinking." He clenched his hands into fists inside his pockets, then relaxed them. "I told you. I'm not good company."