It had taken him weeks to get his hospital back up and running, nearly twice as long to get his fellow healers to not flinch away whenever he entered the room.

However, getting the others to come to him when they were in need of healing was a completely different matter. Raphael was at the point in his waiting game that he was just about ready to pluck up the next angel who went walking past the entrance and pulling them in for some much needed care.

'Hey Raph?'

'Yes Gabriel?'

'You still looking for someone to get your meat hooks into?'

'Normally I would scold such a thing, but yes, I am still looking for someone to aid.'

'Well than I've got good news for you!'

'Why do I get the feeling that your news is not as good as you are attempting to make it sound?'

'Because your a worrywart who thinks the worst of me?'

'You think you are so funny, don't you? Tell me Gabriel, who is in need of assistance?'

"...Me..."

Raphael turned at the sudden appearance of the voice and his eyes widened at the sight that awaited him. Gabriel was smiling sheepishly at him as he followed his mystified gaze to the burnt wing, hanging at an awkward shape over his shoulder.

His older brother rushed forward, his usually clouded expressions overtaken by the stronger emotion of concern.

"Gabriel what in our Father's Blessed Name happened?"

The Messenger chuckled breathily, "It's a long story big bro."

"Well I can assure you that we will have plenty of time."

Gabriel didn't need his brother to look at him to know that his eyes were not just filled with worry at this point, but a tad bit of scolding too.

"This is infected Gabriel!", Raphael took hold of the cleanest looking part of the wing and folded it this way and that to get a better look at it in a new direction, "How long did you wait to bring this to my attention? This is appalling Gabriel."

His younger brother fiddled with his hands.

"Ummmm..A few weeks.."

"What!?"

"I thought...I just thought...That.."

"That I would not want you to come to me?"

Raphael looked down at the shorter Archangel for confirmation. He sighed through his nose when Gabriel nodded sheepishly.

"I didn't want to bother you."

"You don't bother me, you runt."

The larger angel wrapped his arm around the shorter's neck and pulled him into a careful hug.

"You may be a nuisance and a trying one, but you are still my younger brother, I do care for you."

Gabriel smiled into his shoulder, "I just thought-."

"Something completely ludicrous."

"Yep."

Raphael shook his head, winding that arm around his shoulders, and guided him to walk side by side back into his Hospital.

"Come on you pain in the ass, I'll fix you up."

Gabriel looked down and grinned slightly.

"If anything your the pain in the ass!"

"I beg to differ little brother."

"A pain in the ass would."

"Hold still!"

Raphael grit his teeth, pulling the wing back towards him again. Gabriel whined, yelped, and tugged it away again.

"It hurts!"

"Of course it does! Do you see the condition it's in! I'd be more worried if it didn't hurt."

"Raph please! You've been at it for an hour and it hurts!"

Gabriel turned watery puppy eyes on his older brother, and they stared each other down for a good minute, before the elder sighed heavily and nodded in defeat. He let go of the wounded wing and stepped away.

"Fine, a few minutes break, but it'll have to be completely cleaned before I can bind it Gabriel."

The other turned to look up surprised when a warm body settled in next to him. It had been a while since Gabriel had seen Raphael comfort someone when they hurt, maybe things were changing after all.

Raphael spared him a look and rolled his eyes, "Oh come off it, I only tire of standing, you have nothing to do with my sitting here."

Gabriel smirked, "Sure big guy, sure."

He tested the waters though, and leaned into his brother next to him, Raphael moved but he was not moving away, he adjusted himself slightly and folded an arm carefully over his shoulders allowing him a more comfortable position.

"So, why don't you regale me with what I'm sure is a marvelous story as to how your wing came to be this way."

Gabriel smiled at the remark, "Bro, it could be the new Odyssey."

"Then I am honored to hear it from the great writer himself before anyone else."

The Messenger snorted.

"Okay, so you know how Cassie loves helping out those boys of his on hunts, right?"

"Unfortunately."

He ignored that and carried on as if he hadn't heard it.

"Well I went on down to 'help' for my own shits and giggles, we went on this mini little 'salt and burn' hunt of theirs and this bastard got the drop on me. Poured fucking holy oil on my wing and lit it!"

Raphael stiffened, "And what became of the beast that did such a thing?"

"I gutted it of course," Gabriel raised an eyebrow at him, "Why Raph? Does that grind your gears? Baby bro being hurt?"

His older brother looked at him as if he had quite possibly just asked the most asinine question ever known.

"Of course it does, if the thing had not been taken care of I would have done so myself, and I'm sure I could have done so much more creatively then you."

The Messenger stifled a chortle behind a poorly placed cough.

"Now that's something I'd beg to differ on."

"Of course you would, just for the sake of arguing."

"You know me so well, some might say you do care about little ole me."

Raphael rolled his eyes, "Please enlighten me as to who 'some' might be so I may smite them."

"Love you too Raphi."

"Gabriel! Honestly!"

The wing was pulled from his grasp again.

"OWW! You did that on purpose!"

"Stop being such a baby!"

Raphael yanked it back and slapped his hand full of salve down onto it. Gabriel yelped and twitched away.

"Hey! That was cold!"

"Well I would have been able to warm it if my baby brother would sit still!"

They glared at each other, and The Healer turned to pick up a dressing to bind it with. Gabriel stilled as he did this part, waited patently for him to be thoroughly done, and yanked his wing back in close.

"I almost forgot how much I didn't miss you horrible bedside manner."

"And I nearly let it slip my mind how much I detested how touchy you get when injured."

"I am not touchy!"

Raphael smirked, holding a jar out to him, "Lolli?"

Gabriel smiled brightly, pulling out one of the many he had of his favorite flavor.

"Bro, have I ever told you how much your my favorite?"

He yanked the wrapper off and plopped it into his mouth as he threw the paper over his shoulder. Sighing in delight at the old time sweet treat, and closing his eyes, The Messenger fell backwards onto the bed.

The older brother rolled his eyes, but smiled, and a large hand rubbed at the younger's belly in a manner that could be taken as fondness.

"I love you too Gabriel."