"You've been avoiding me."
His shoulders stiffen, muscles tensing under his skin, ready to snap at a moments notice, and his fingers curl tightly around the strap of his armor as he finishes putting it away. He knows that voice behind him, it's a voice from his fledglinghood, one he remembers quite well, one that used to give him night terrors in the Infirmary, before the Grigori knocked some sense back into their archangel with that poison of his.
They really owed Semyaza so much.
"I am not."
"I raised you, Haniel, I know you better then anyone." He hears him step into the room behind him. "I know you're having trouble." He comes to stand behind him, he can feel the warmth he emits, it's like the warmth of a crackling fire, the ones they light in the lounge's fireplace in the cold of winter. "I want to help you, but I do not know how, I don't want to push you away."
"There's nothing to help." He doesn't sound so convincing to his own ears. "I'm fine."
"Not even you sound convinced that statement is true."
He looks down, bending forward slightly, scrunching his shoulders up. "I'm fine."
"Talk to me, Hani, I cannot help if you do not talk to me."
The Power heaves a sigh, feeling ridiculous as he does, he's a Power, he should be fearless. This is ridiculous. It's embarrassing, really. This isn't how a member of Heaven's most terrifying Legion should be feeling, should be acting, he needs to take a deep breath and regain his composure.
He can't.
"I'm scared you'll follow through with what you threatened to do."
Haniel can feel the confusion coming from his commander, Michael doesn't remember much while he was away from himself, it didn't come as a surprise that he didn't remember saying what he had.
"What did I threaten to do to you, Hani?"
"You….You said I was too lighthearted for your Legion." He turns a quick glance over his shoulder. "That perhaps Thaddeus should show me how a true Power should act."
There's a moment of silence that follows his careful admission, a long moment of silence, as though the archangel is having trouble comprehending what he'd just said. It's not easy to digest, he had once been one of Michael's favorites, if he were to openly admit he had favorites, all of his Powers were most certainly it. Especially Haniel.
"I—I don't know what to say to that, Haniel, I honestly don't." He's tripping over his words, not sure how he should say what he wants to say, how to put it into words. "I cannot—Thaddeus is a shameful example of how my Powers should behave. I assume that you are frightened that I might follow through because I had not acted on those words."
He shakes his head. "No. Nis talked you down." He holds his hand up, pointer finger and thumb a mere inch apart. "You were this close though."
"I wouldn't want you to change who you are, Haniel, you are perfect just the way you are."
"You didn't say that though." Haniel looks down again, heaves a deep sigh, and lifts his hand to set his chest piece on the designated hooks. "You said I was too kind. I was too fledgling-like. That I needed to grow up and act like the soldier I was."
"I would want you to be no other way then the way you are."
"But, that's not what you said."
"I was wrong to say what I did." A hand curls over his shoulder. "Haniel, turn, look at me."
He turns, timidly, to face him, curling in on himself as he turns to face his tormentor. Michael looks like he normally does, which is so much different then how he looked when he was not himself, when his eyes were hard, and his expression was stony. Emotionless. But now his eyes are bright, their concerned, confused. He's frowning lightly, its so full of concern, it's a far cry from how he was before.
"My little Hani, there are no words I can use to express how sorry I am." He lifts his hand to caress his cheek. "To see the fear in your eyes as you look at me hurts beyond belief." His thumb rubs over his cheek. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you, I know it's a lot to ask, but I don't want to lose you."
"You weren't you anymore."
"But, I'm me now." Michael leans closer to him. "I'm not going anywhere." He tries for a gentle smile. "I will never leave you again." He hesitantly lifts a hand to curl over the archangel's, his archangel's, this is the Michael he knows. Caring and loving and kind. So careful with them, always worrying over their wellbeing, a good brother and a great commander to follow.
He feels like he's a fledgling again. "Promise?"
"With all my grace."