And there it was. A realisation of Gabe's feelings, just as Gabe had realised Skulduggery's--although in this case it wasn't without a bit of prodding, to be fair. Gabe didn't shift his gaze. Didn't even really blink.
"There isn't really a policy," he said quietly. "It's a matter of fairness and balance. No relationship can be healthy when the power scale is skewed so much toward one person. That's why all those of my faithful siblings who fell in love became mortal to be with those whom they did. And no, before you ask, they couldn't have just waited for those they loved to die and be with them that way. To do that would have been a misuse of power on its own."
It wasn't the same, couldn't possibly be the same, when methods of existence were so different. Mortals' lives were physical. Angels' were metaphysical. For an angel to assume that they could just wait for a mortal's soul to come to them, for the mortal to live out their life in joy and suffering and not be there with them as they did--no. Merlin had been old, when he took a wife, but at least he still had been mortal, still existed on their plane, still understood their state of existence even when he waded into that of his 'uncles'.
Gabe's eyes weren't intense, and yet ... there was something there. Something solid. A piercingness. An age, but not an ancientness. An understanding. A matter-of-factness, and yet a quietness which acknowledged the complexity and importance of these matters.
"The thing is, Skul ... you're not mortal. And you're powerful enough to make even an angel sit up and take notice." Not powerful enough to fully take on an Archangel, at least not without help, preparation or delving into magicks that would destroy him, but that didn't matter. He had enough. On that alone, they were already closer to being equal than most. Since Skul wasn't mortal, it meant he could understand what it meant to see how time passed, given the experience. And since he had been mortal, he understood things about self-will Gabe was only just beginning to realise even existed as a possibility for himself.
Gabriel's voice was soft. "When I look at you, I don't see someone whose method of existence is incompatible with mine. Who would have to submit to my power, or depend on my benevolence, or trust solely to my own experience, to maintain harmony. And that ... means a lot to me."
To him. There were reasons why Gabe hadn't dared to think about it. Because acknowledging it meant bringing it to the fore, meant the possibility of Skul finding out, and that meant ... well, Skul had been married, once, and loved his wife dearly. Gabriel had no intention of being a replacement. And while he knew Skul's feelings, Skul didn't. Not yet. Gabe didn't want to interfere with them in any direction until the detective was ready.
All of a sudden the Archangel's eyes took on an uncertain caste. "Do you mind?"
no subject
"There isn't really a policy," he said quietly. "It's a matter of fairness and balance. No relationship can be healthy when the power scale is skewed so much toward one person. That's why all those of my faithful siblings who fell in love became mortal to be with those whom they did. And no, before you ask, they couldn't have just waited for those they loved to die and be with them that way. To do that would have been a misuse of power on its own."
It wasn't the same, couldn't possibly be the same, when methods of existence were so different. Mortals' lives were physical. Angels' were metaphysical. For an angel to assume that they could just wait for a mortal's soul to come to them, for the mortal to live out their life in joy and suffering and not be there with them as they did--no. Merlin had been old, when he took a wife, but at least he still had been mortal, still existed on their plane, still understood their state of existence even when he waded into that of his 'uncles'.
Gabe's eyes weren't intense, and yet ... there was something there. Something solid. A piercingness. An age, but not an ancientness. An understanding. A matter-of-factness, and yet a quietness which acknowledged the complexity and importance of these matters.
"The thing is, Skul ... you're not mortal. And you're powerful enough to make even an angel sit up and take notice." Not powerful enough to fully take on an Archangel, at least not without help, preparation or delving into magicks that would destroy him, but that didn't matter. He had enough. On that alone, they were already closer to being equal than most. Since Skul wasn't mortal, it meant he could understand what it meant to see how time passed, given the experience. And since he had been mortal, he understood things about self-will Gabe was only just beginning to realise even existed as a possibility for himself.
Gabriel's voice was soft. "When I look at you, I don't see someone whose method of existence is incompatible with mine. Who would have to submit to my power, or depend on my benevolence, or trust solely to my own experience, to maintain harmony. And that ... means a lot to me."
To him. There were reasons why Gabe hadn't dared to think about it. Because acknowledging it meant bringing it to the fore, meant the possibility of Skul finding out, and that meant ... well, Skul had been married, once, and loved his wife dearly. Gabriel had no intention of being a replacement. And while he knew Skul's feelings, Skul didn't. Not yet. Gabe didn't want to interfere with them in any direction until the detective was ready.
All of a sudden the Archangel's eyes took on an uncertain caste. "Do you mind?"