There had been a time way back when that the Archangels themselves had taught the younger generations of angels, they had been jovial and happy, teasing each other as they went about teaching their own classes. Healing and Messengers and Choirs and Warriors, among other things.
Those were simply the main four things that every angel knew to do. Fix things, deliver things, Sing, and Fight.
Balthazar had been in a few of their classes, he wasn't much older then a youngling (or a 15 year old in human terms), he's not about to say that he was the prized pupil either though every class had one. Or a few.
He was one of the ones who sat in the back of the class whispering and passing notes, smiling as innocently as one can when their archangel teacher turned with eyebrows raised to tell them all playfully quiet down again, then they'd be right back at it again.
They had gotten away with it in Raphael's class more then anything, the Healer and Gardener didn't have eyes on the back of his head like the other older two did, and Gabriel had the tendency to walk among them as he taught, not because of their doing but because he detested standing still for so long.
Raphael was peaceful though, a warrior when the need arose, but he was often more times then not found standing in the same place for hours simply examining a new plant or what not.
Though their note passing days and inside jokes in the back of the class came to a quick end when Zachariah decided to be a snitch and Balthazar had passed the latest note to the wrong angel. He took one read, smiled this creepy smile, and raised his hand high. Raphael stopped mid sentence at the sight and gave a smile, questions were always encouraged.
"Yes Zachariah? Do you have a question?"
That creepy smile was back again and he held up the note for the Archangel to take, Raphael's brows furrowed as he stepped forward to take the offered contraband, the rustling of his robes was what Balthazar was sure would be the last sound he'd hear before he was sent to his doom.
Zachariah was still smirking when Raphael took the note, unfolding it to read with deft long fingers, and leaned down to hear whatever it was the snitch was telling him. He gave a few quick nods and his eyes narrowed as he read the demeaning note about him and his brothers age.
"Balthazar, stay after class, would you?"
He nodded and gulped, not liking the tone of voice nor the way Zachariah was giving him that accomplished smile he gave when he knew he had just gotten one of them into trouble. He was a tattle tail who had no friends, so joke was on him.
Why is it that when you know your in for it and you don't want class to end, that is seems to end in a blink of an eye but when you do want said class to end it takes forever? Balthazar isn't sure, as he sits there and watches the others leave and a few of his friends give him sympathetic looks behind the smiles they give their archangel at the door. Raphael pats them on the head and rubs their shoulders as they file out and turns his gaze towards the miscreant in the back of the room seemingly attempting to see if they can well and truly shrink in their seat.
Balthazar watches on baited breath as the archangel takes his time in collecting the papers on his desk and the files and tests and such that he had brought with him when class had begun. He even takes his time to feed their class pet Psittaciformes his evening meal, its a hard name that no one really uses and they all just call it Parrot.
"Um...Sir?"
The archangel sets his papers in a nice stack that he intends to use the following day in class and gathers the confiscated note up in one hand, motioning him to come with the other.
"Yes Balthazar?"
He gulps, "Are you guys...You guys gonna smite me?"
That gains a reaction, one that he did not expect, but it was better then the one he had been preparing himself for. Raphael stares at him a moment in concern and shakes his head, a warm large hand settles on his shoulder and inches up around the base of his neck.
"Of course not! Is that what you had been thinking? Relax little one, I can see teasing when it's there, you only meant this for fun. Come now, I'm not that stiff."
He smiles a bit and even giggles under his breath when the elder smiles at him and ruffles his blonde locks.
"Come."
The hand is still settled a bit too hard around the base of his shoulder for him to completely let his guard down though. Somethings going on here and he knows it too.
Raphael guides in down the hall towards the set of doors that they pass but never go in, it leads to the path that goes straight for the archangel's private garden, and though they had never been forbidden from going there they were all too afraid to try it.
At the end of the hall, right before the door that leads to the outside path, is another classroom. On the door hanging is a pair of music notes, a decoration for the choir master from his students who aren't quite old enough to be in his class yet. Lucifer steps out of the classroom and is in the process of shutting the door when he spots Raphael...And Balthazar.
"Brother, what brings you here, and with a little one in tow?"
Raphael's hand massages lightly at Balthazar's shoulder as he hands up the note to the older archangel.
"He wrote an opinion about us that I believe needs to be rectified."
Lucifer raises an eyebrow as he takes the note and opens it to read. Again eyes narrow as they read the quick short single sentence. His eyes shoot up in the same fashion Raphael's had and he knows that he's in for it. Again.
In for what he's not exactly sure.
But he is in for it most definitely.
"Indeed it is brother, I could not agree more", Lucifer's hand closes around his other shoulder and he about faints from fear.
They push the doors open and guide him up their path, there in the middle of the clearing is the other two, Michael is leaning with his back resting on the side of a maple tree, eyes closed as he relaxes in the sun and Gabriel is next to him seated on a low hanging branch chatting away.
The one opens an eye and the other hushes up at the sight of the last two of their four person fold, and their prisoner. Balthazar wishes and prays as hard as he can muster that the ground will swallow him up then and there.
He's going to be taken to Michael and never seen again.
Good bye cruel world.
"Hey kiddo! Guys why are you holding Balthy like he's done something ubber wrong and he's about to be punished for it?"
Lucifer passes Gabriel the note, who raises his eyebrow too in confusion as he opens it and skims over the passage on the inside, he hums and passes it down to Michael. The eldest takes the longest time, as if he is reading it and then rereading it to make sure he read it right the first time before passing it back over to the creator of such a thing.
Balthazar takes it in shaking hands and crumples it in his fist, Micheal shakes his head and makes a motion, Gabriel is vocal about his command.
"No no kiddo, that there is a pretty creative insult, why don't you read it out loud to us old timers to make sure we got it down right."
He gulps and nods, unraveling it and lifting it with shaking hands, and he reads, "I bet the...the archangels...as old as they are...wouldn't be able to best...the monkeys Father just created in the Garden...and probably have to...grace up their appearances...because they are so gray...and fragile..."
Michael hummed, "Is that so little one?"
Gabriel laughed viciously, his eyes gleaming, "And what, dear brothers, shall we do to this little guy to ensure he learns this valuable lesson to respect his elders?"
Balthazar gulps as they exchange looks and his grace flutters in fear. That stops them if only for a moment, concerned eyes turn towards him from four different directions, Gabriel looks prepared to jump from his branch but stops when Lucifer bends slightly.
"Why so frightened little one, you know we would never hurt you, you are our baby brother."
He stammers, "But-but-but I insulted you!"
"That you did, but we do know humor when we hear it, we would never hurt you."
"As I already told him, are we really that terrifying?"
Balthazar nodded shyly and Raphael hummed, "I see. That's just unexceptionable. Come", he's lifted under the arms and he grabs the branch Gabriel's seated on without having to be told to, instinctively, "We shall see if you are young enough to best those monkey's, shall we?"
Lucifer shares a grin with Gabriel and Michael pipes up from below, "An excellent plan Raph, we shall settle this once and for all, you must hang there little Balthazar, and if you let go we each get a round with you."
"Show you just how elderly we really are."
He's about ready to ask what he means when he says that they each get a round with him, when he feels fingers itching at his underarms, his head shoots up and his eyes are wide as they take in Gabriel's grinning face.
"Don't let go Kiddo, Michael's absolutely brutal, Luci's not much better."
"You would know, wouldn't you, you little dork."
Balthazar giggles softly and bites his lip, trying to distract himself from the tickly feeling, Lucifer bats a wing out at Gabriel in jest and he wobbles, his knees press into Balthazar's knuckles and fingers, Gabriel falls backwards and he lets go to pull the appendages into his chest instinctively. Gabriel lands on his back with a loud thud and a gust of dirt, but his eyes are on the falling figure of his younger brother and damning himself for choosing such a high branch to sit out.
And Raphael for being so damn tall.
He only drops for a second before he's caught though and the Messenger flops back in relief. Balthazar opens his eyes after a moment and he realizes that he has not crashed yet. He peers up to see who his savior was and gulps when Michael smiles down at him, leaning back to take his seat once again with the younger still well trapped in his grip. He squirms to be set free but if he ever thought he'd escape the grip of an archangel he was kidding himself.
"You let go."
"Only because Gabriel crushed my fingers!"
"Yea? Well only because Luci smacked me in the face with his wing!"
"Well he ca-"
"Now now fledglings", Michael sounded amused, of course he would, "Gabriel you called him a name, Lucifer retaliated with his wing, and you, little one, let go."
Balthazar gulped again and prayed once more for the ground to take him away from this place, it didn't, again, and he was left to stare up into Michael's amused eyes.
"So who should get the honor of going first?"
Raphael settled beside Gabriel, running his fingers through the golden feathers and took up a lightly grooming, Gabriel sighed and inched closer until he lay his head on his brothers lap.
"I say you, as eldest, should have that right."
Lucifer nodded his agreement, focusing on his own wing, a few feathers had fallen out of line when he'd smacked Gabriel and now there were becoming a noticeable annoyance.
Michael returned his gaze to the little one and lifted him up, high above his head, and for a fearful moment Balthazar was sure he was going to be thrown away. He closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable impact and preparing himself for the pain...
Then there was a loud screech, youthful eyes flew open and hands thrust themselves upwards to push at the archangels head. Michael had buried his face into his belly, rubbing his nose against his belly button and pressing kisses to that spot right underneath, there he blew a dozen raspberries to his side, and here he nibbled on his lower ribs. Balthazar had tears springing to his eyes, shrieking and laughing as he pushed against his older brothers head, fingers threaded through his dark hair and yanked as hard as he could.
The other three were chuckling at his predicament and when Michael grunted when he gave a particularly nasty tug.
"Balthy", he ground out, "Stop pulling at my hair."
He could barely get any actually words out, "The stop tickling me!"
Michael only growled and pulled him down, cradled in his lap, and lifted an arm above his head. Balthazar went wide eyed and he shook his head, kicking out and yanking at his trapped arm. But he was well and thoroughly captured, and Michael buried his face into his exposed armpit and blew as hard as he could.
He absolutely screamed, kicking and tugging at his captured arm to try and pry it free from its hold, Michael grinned into the smooth skin, pressing a kiss to the tender skin. Balthazar shrieked and giggled, his little chest heaving, when his oldest brother finally let up, chuckling and pulling his little top back into place.
"Now that was fun."
Balthazar rubbed his belly in hopes to rub away the remaining tingles after such a mean attack. A moment later and he yelped as a golden wing whisked him up and into the grasp of the Healer and the Messenger. He looked up at the two of them with wide eyes, not ready for their attack after such a mean one from Michael.
His only saving grace was that Lucifer seemed to have lost interest in such things, too busy allowing Michael to groom his wings and falling asleep as he did.
"Oooooohhhh I wanna play with his little toes! Look at'em! They're so small!"
Gabriel lifted a foot up and wiggled the teeny toes playfully, Raphael gave a smile of fondness and amusement, nodding along with his excitement.
"Hey watch this!"
Raphael started when there was a sudden prick to his wings. He swatted at Gabriel when the messenger held up a feather he'd plucked from his brother's wing.
"You are lucky I favor you so."
Turning the feather around using the quill to scratch lightly at a toe, Balthazar giggled and wiggled his foot, Gabriel smiled down at the fledgling. Ahem, youngling, my apologies. Raphael smile at the sound of his giggles, and shook his head at his younger brother, "You are doing it wrong."
Gabriel made a face and bowed dramatically as he passed his brother the feather, Raphael gave a sigh at the feather from his wing, turning to focus on the foot before him instead lest he become upset and bothered by it. The younger archangel had a habit of plucking their wings, what he did with the feathers was beyond them.
Focusing on his little toes, he brushed the feather tip across them slowly, "Let me show you how this works."
Dropping the feather he assaulted the sole with five fingers. Balthazar shrieked and kicked with his still free foot, anything to get away from this new torture. Why was this happening to him!
"Raphy! Stooooop! I'm sorry! I am soo sohohorryyyyyyyy! Please! Please!"
"Now I don't know, I was quite insulted with that note you had passed, I think you have more then earned this!"
Least to say Balthazar was given many many reasons as to why he should remember never to make fun of their age again, and by the time they let him go it was well into the night. Not that they actually let the boy go, they only let up from their punishing torture, and cuddled him close instead. Petting and grooming his wings and humming gentle lullabies from their own childhoods.
And he never passed notes nor made fun of their ages again.
He learned that lesson rather well.