"I did everything he asked me to."

He pet the back of his head tenderly. "I know you did, little bumblebee."

"I even protected that nasty little seraph he likes."

"I know." He stoked his fingers through his thick wavy locks. "And I'm so proud of you for doing it."

"I led his flock without prompting."

"And you did a great job." He rubbed soothing circles over his back.

"I caught him when he was rendered unconscious." There was a soft sniffle somewhere within the folds of his tunic. "I could have just let him fall."

"I know you did." He spoke gently over his head. "I tended to your hands."

"Then why wasn't I good enough?" watery blue eyes looked up at him and he gave a sad little hum at the sight of them, leaning down to press his lips to the younger angel's temple. "Because he is an idiot."

The Healer stood with his old charge, just recently reelected back into the ranks, holding onto him just as tightly as the younger held on to him, swaying side to side as he listened to the exmessenger voiced his upsets against his chest.

He'd been a good older brother, he'd warned his younger brother that he was losing his second, that Zaveriel was going to pull away if he didn't get his act together. Gabriel had agreed, much to his surprise, and they'd set up a time for them to get together and just spend the day together. Reacquaint themselves with each other and begin to mend the rifts that were growing in their relationship.

Raphael had been serious when he had said he could not fault his younger brother with wanting to spend time with his children, any parent would want to, but to continually promise something, and break it, was something he could be faulted for. Zaves was the type of angel that gave everyone second chance upon second chance, but he'd seen it, every time the Messenger would promise for the next weekend, Zaveriel began to pull away. Until he had just had enough of being pushed to the side and had come to him, asking to rejoin his flock, and watching the treatment he'd received for the last two months, the Healer had taken him back with open arms.

There came a knock to his door.

Resting his chin on the soft hair under him, Raphael looked to his office door. "Enter. Quietly." The door opened and his Captain poked his head in. "Hello, Oren." His Captain, bless his heart, had immediately found a place for the younger angel amongst his ranks. Zaves had skills that would be quite the loss not to make use of. "What can I do for you?"

Oren spared the young exmessenger a sad glance. "The Messenger is here. He wants to speak to you."

"Get rid of him. I'm tending to someone right now."

He gave a slight nod. "We've been trying to. He pulled rank."

Raphael heaved a sigh, it was the third time in the same week that his younger brother had come to him demanding him rescind his grant for reentering his flock, he never received the outcome he always came seeking.

"You speak in my steed, there for you outrank him, tell him to leave."

"Sir." Oren nodded and pulled his head back out the crack. The door shut softly behind him.

Zaveriel sniffled softly. "I'm alone now." He squeezed the back of his neck gently, scratching fingers against the smooth skin. "That's nonsense and you know it." He dug his thumb in a particularly tense spot on the base of his neck. "You have me. You have little Akeelah." He felt the younger angel shiver as he worked away the knot that had formed from his constant tension. "All the Powers are especially fond of you, Nisroc in particular, thinking of you as a younger brother." Zaves melted, slightly, against him when he found another knot and began to knead it free. "Oren's rather fond of you. He found you a place among his ranks without any prompting."

"He only did because he knew you'd ask him to."

"Zaves," he rubbed his shoulders lightly, his wings, kept in that mirror dimension that all angels kept them in when not using them, curled inwards in comfort at the feeling. "You know that's not true. He knows your talented. He found a place for you because he cares for you, and likes the compassion you have, you fight for what's right even if it means disobeying orders. He doesn't like his orders being disobeyed," he rubbed at his neck again. "But would give you that leeway because he knows that you follow your heart, first and foremost."

"If that's true, then why didn't my own master want me?"

"Hush." He kissed the outer shell of his ear. "I am your master now and I wouldn't have you anywhere else but at my side."

He felt the younger angel nod against his chest. "You're the best, big brother."

"I am only as good as my younger brothers are."

Zaveriel turned to look up at the Healer, greeted by a smile and a soft peck to his nose, and despite his sorrowful mood he smiled up at him. "Thanks for letting me come back."

"Always." The archangels tone was firm. "Without any hestitation."

Another knock at the door had him sighing in slight frustration. "Yes, Oren?" the Virtue poked his head inside again, smiling sheepishly at interrupting them again. "He's refusing to leave. He's demanding to talk to him."

"Yes, well," he beckoned the Captain into his office, and Oren entered quickly, closing the door behind him. "That's just not going to happen." He reached for the Virtues wrists, wrapping his arms around the younger angels waist securely, and without prompting, Oren pulled the young exmessenger back into his chest.

Oren had just been granted his position as Captain of his Virtues when Zaveriel had been given to him for raising, there was no one else he would trust with the fragility of his heart at this time, and the Captain had always been quite enamored with the younger angel, right from the very first meeting.

"I will deal with the matter myself, if that's how he wants to be, you stay with him until I return."

Oren nodded, his chin rubbing against the soft wavy locks under him, and tightened his hold around the younger angels lower midsection.

"I'll stay with him."

"I know you will." Raphael pat his cheek fondly. "You always did."

He bid them a slight farewell, promising to return shortly, and closed the door behind him as he stepped out. Oren swayed them from side to side, spinning them in a slow lazy circle, the younger angels arms crossing over his.

"You need to cheer up, little brother." He spoke softly into his ear. "This doesn't suit you in any way."

Zaveriel sighed against him, folding back against his chest lightly, fingers scratching at the back of his hand.

"I just can't, Ori." He fell silent for a moment. "I'm just really sad."

The Virtue smiled at the name. "You haven't called me 'Ori' since your Choosing Day." He nudged the younger angels ear with his nose. "Why'd you stop?"

"I grew up." The fingers scratching at the back of his hand stilled. "And you were a Captain." He went silent for a moment. "Others said it was improper."

Oren hummed behind him. "Since when do you care what others think?" He kissed the side of his neck lightly, smiling when goose pimples formed at the light touch, and kissed it again. "You should call me 'Ori' more often, it makes me happy to hear it again, I miss how close we used to be." He hummed lightly when Zaves shook his head.

"I can't call you that anymore."

"You can if I say you can." He leaned in closer to his neck, smiling when the younger angel shivered at the feeling of his breath fluttering over sensitive skin. "That's an order."

"You can't make that an order! I'd be the only one calling you that! It would be embarrassing!"

"I believe I just did."

Oren smiled as he eyed the spot he chose and slowly burrowed into it. Zaves squeaked lightly, scrunching his shoulder upwards, tilting his head to he side when a single kiss was pressed into the skin. "Oren!" he chuckled against his neck, the vibrations making giggles gather in his chest, and he tried to push him away with his elbow. "Get out of there!" the Virtue nibbled softly at a spot under his ear and he squeaked again, breathy giggles finally escaping from his chest, and he could feel the elder smile against his neck. "Make me."

Zaveriels hands immediately shot to his, attempting to pry them apart, but he locked the fingers of his right hand around the wrist of his left, and dug those fingers into the lower belly under them.

"You're not getting away from big brother that easy."

Zaves fell back into his chest, strong giggles turning into laughter, and his struggles began anew soon after the shock wore off. The Virtue was taller then him, at least by a head and a half, possibly two, and folded down around him. He adjusted his hold on the younger angel, moving his right hand to stand beside his left, and dug all ten fingers into his lower belly.

"Big brother will cheer you up."

"Orehehehen! Stohohohop!"

"No, no, no." his hands moved up to his ribs, digging into either side with careful practiced ease, arms closed over his fingers as the youth tried to protect his rib cage, laughing brightly against his chest, but they did nothing to deter him. "I ordered you to call me something else."

"I cahahahan't! Plehhehehease!"

"I'm not stopping until you say it." He raised his hands, easily pulling them out from under the arms attempting to trap them, wiggling his fingers against the underside of his chin and down to his collar bones. Oren smiled at the high-pitched giggles such a thing produced from his younger brother, he shook his head in an attempt to dislodge his fingers, it didn't, he followed him wherever he turned his head. "I can do this all day. Theres no telling when he'll return. You're mine now."

The elder was waiting for him to lift his arms and try to pry his fingers away, and smiled when he finally did as he desired, immediately moving his hands down to dig his fingers into his underarms. Zaves shrieked in laughter, thrusting his arms back down, trapping his fingers under them.

"Look at you! It's like you're a fledgling again!"

"Orehehehehe! Orihihiihihihi! Pleehhehehehease!" Zaves managed to speak between bouts of bright pitched laughter. "I sahahahaid ihihit! I sahahahaid ihihihit!"

"Yes, baby brother?" he moved his left set of fingers back up to wiggle under his chin, laughing softly when his younger brother squeaked again and raised his head, trying to get him away, it only gave him more to play with. "What can I do to help?"

"Stohoohohohohop! Stohohohoohop ihihihit! Get out from under my chin!"

"But listen to those high-pitched giggles it produces for me." He dragged his finger down from the tip of his chin, across the taught skin, down to his collar, and spider'd all five back up again. "Just let me listen to them a few moments longer. I haven't heard these in quite some time."

"Orihihihihi!"

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you what," he itched a finger just under his chin. "If you turn around and give me a hug, I'll stop, and you have to promise to call me 'Ori' again."

He raised his arms when he felt the turn coming, chuckling when the younger angel hugged himself deeply against his chest, fingers clutching at the back of his leather vest. He slowly lowered his arms around him, hugging him back just as tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. Zaves was breathing rapidly, it was a rather harsh attack on the elder's part, the older brother rubbed soothingly at his back and gave him a gentle squeeze of affection.

"Do you promise, Zaves?"

Zaveriel nuzzled closer, an action that could be interpreted with a simple nod in affirmation, but Oren knew what it truly was, and it brought a smile to his face.

"I promise, Ori."