Her taking that hand obliged her to take the mug away from him, and Gabriel let her without objection. He swallowed hard at the feel of her cheek under his fingers, unable to keep them from trembling slightly. It wasn't that he didn't need the touch; it was grounding. It was all he had nowadays. But there was an intimacy to the action which surprised him, both that she was allowing it and that he was aware of it and cared.

There were two parts of the face that were the most expressive--the area around the eyes and the area around the mouth. If he touched the former, he'd only block her own sight, and that was just stupid. Instead the Archangel let his fingers drop to her lips to rest there while she spoke.

"Possibility four," he said quietly. "I messed up the execution and the backlash warped things in a way they shouldn't be. I wasn't overdrawn, Re-l. I know what that feels like. What I was trying to do with reality is like--like playing with playdough. I dropped the ball and got some bits in my eyes. The limits I have now make my skills more difficult, not impossible. And they make it so the things I can do don't last."

That was the part he was clinging to. He didn't know for sure, but if his constructs weren't permanent unless he put extra into them, maybe this wouldn't be either. He hadn't gone for a very big reality-warp, after all.

"I don't believe they have that much power over us," he added firmly. "They're only human themselves. Probably." He had to believe that. Had to believe it, despite the power they'd already shown just in catching them. If they could limit powers, why give it back to them at all? Why not just keep them vulnerable? It didn't make sense.