Golden eyes stared into silver for a long silent moment, the other guards on duty at the gates breathed not a word, watching the first of many exchanges with rapt attention, ready to pull the two apart should the need for it arise. The two of them stood about as high as German Shepherds, one a rich black color with a golden collar around it's neck, the other a brown and black hound, a leather collar around it's neck, and they stared at each other in tense stillness, a ball in one's mouth and a length of rope in the others.

The two hounds circled each other silently, as though eyeing the other for a chance of possible threats, huffing and sniffing deeply.

There was a collective sigh when the two of them changed forms.

One into a tan young man, red and gold skirts hanging down his legs, golden manacles around his wrists, and his thick black hair gathered in one thick tail down his back.

The other, a young man slightly paler then the first, though tinted in his own way, a loose pair of trousers belted to his waist and a silver ring curled through his ear.

Both wore no top and no foot wear.

"So, you're Erathaol."

The other boy nodded, "And that would make you Anubis."

"I played with your ball."

Erathaol looked mildly offended. "You played with my ball?"

Anubis held his hands up in defense. "Hey, man, they had it on them and who would question someone when their throwing a ball for you?"

"Touche." The angel hound wagged a finger at him slightly, "Touche."

"I got a rope toy if you want it though." Anubis tried not to sound smug when the others face fell slightly, Erathaol looked like someone had just teased him with his favorite treat "You got a rope toy!"

"Yea, Raph got it for me."

The angel hound looked utterly dejected, "Wh—What? He got you one but didn't even think to get me one?"

"Wh—What?" Anubis looked distressed for him, "That…. That's not cool, not at all, I'm sorry man." He gestured behind him, where the toy he'd come with lay forgotten, "You can have mine if you want it."

"No, no." Erathaol was at a loss for words, waving the offer away absently, turning away to pace a few steps. "I can't believe he'd do this to me." He crossed his arms over his chest tightly. "I mean, I bite Castiel only sometimes, but I'm a good boy, I deserve a rope toy."

"You bite Castiel!"

He nodded, glancing at the other over his shoulder. "It makes Michael upset, but he doesn't really mind."

"Dude, that's awesome, you're so lucky. I'm not allowed to bite anyone."

"Yea, Raph's strict like that, sorry friend."

Anubis shrugged absently, as long as Raphael didn't find out, he was alright to do as he pleased. A grin slowly began to form over his features, so much so that it caused the angel hound to halt his pacing to watch him, a smile forming over his own features as though their thoughts synced together.

"Wanna be friends?"

"Sure."

Anubis bounced on the balls of his feet. "Wanna go guilt Raph into getting you a rope toy?"

Erathaol's eyes went wide, and he nodded quickly, "Do dogs chase balls?"

"Yes!"

"Then let's go!"

Both turned forms once more, one gathering up the ball they'd carried and the other their rope and trotted through the gates together.

One of the guards wiped a hand over his forehead, "Their going to cause trouble together, aren't they?"

"What did he say?" his companion turned to look at him, "Do dogs chase balls?"

…

"Hey."

The Healer looked up from the leg he had been wrapping at the hand that settled on his shoulder, Rachael nodded in the direction of the entrance, "I think you should see this."

"See what?"

She looked back down to him. "Just look."

Sighing deeply, he set the swath of bandages down on the edge of the bed, rubbing the angels calf softly in a silent promise to return after a moment away, and stood from the chair he sat on to see what had caught her attention. Trotting down the length of the aisle was two rather large hounds, one a rich black and the other a mixture of black and brown, one was carrying a green ball and the other a blue rope toy. They both came to rest at his feet, and he stared down at them in surprise, trying to piece together when the two of them had met one another and why he couldn't remember it.

"Hello Anubis, Erathaol."

He held his hands out to them and they both jumped forward to lick at his fingers in greeting, rubbing their snouts over his arms, and the Healer knelt to rub at their necks.

"What brings you here?" he looked between them as though searching for injury, "Are you both alright?"

The jackal huffed, shaking it's fur out, laying on its belly on the cool tile flooring.

He turned to look at the angel hound in concern. "Erathaol, has something happened?"

The angel hound whined pitifully, pawing at the blue rope toy that had been dropped next to him, and the Healer turned to look down at it.

"Yes." He nodded slightly. "Yes, the rope, what of it, Era?"

The hound lowered itself to it's belly to, whining pitifully, nudging the toy with it's snout and then his hand. The Healer looked confused for a moment, the confusion taking over the concern, "What about the toy, Era?"

It threw it's head to the jackal, huffing softly, and then nudged the toy closer to him with its snout again. Raphael sighed, taking the toy into his hand, holding up for the hound to see.

"What about Anubis's toy?"

The angel hound whined and crawled forward, nudging his hand with his snout again, nipping at his fingers softly.

Realization dawned on him after a moment of pure staring, and he groaned in exasperation as he stood, tossing the toy back to the jackal who caught it happily, and placed his hands on his hips. Rachael was giggling into her hand behind him, the angel in the bed chuckling into his arm, and he turned to glance at them into silence over his shoulder. As soon as he turned away, they started up again.

"Are you trying to guilt me into getting you the same toy?" The angel hound crept forward again, licking at his toes, looking up at him with wide innocent silver eyes. "You both are as bad as fledglings."

It whined again, this time the jackal joined in, both staring up at him with wide innocent eyes. The very definition of giving one the 'puppy dog eyes'. The Healer sat back in the chair he had stood from only moments before, giving them both a particular look of equal parts fondness and exasperation, leaning forward on his knees.

"If you wanted one that badly you could've just asked, I would have gotten you one, no need to give me those big puppy eyes."

The angel hound surged forward, yapping happily, and licked at his face before he had a chance to sit up straight again. He scrunched his face up as the warm tongue lapped at his face, chuckling softly, he pushed him away. "Alright, alright, you are most welcome." He gestured to what he had been doing before he'd been pulled away. "Let me finish here and we'll go get you one."

Both jackal and hound barked once in unison, crawling forward to lay at his feet, and he shook his head as he turned back and picked up the bandages once more.

"I swear," he looked up at both Rachael and his patient, "they are the most fearsome hounds on the battlefield, but they are the biggest puppies I know."

Two rather offended yelps came from under him, and he turned back to binding the leg before him, "Yes. You two are. Just big puppies."