"Zaveriel." He set a hand on the younger angels head lightly. "You know that you have duties to be completing in the Infirmary when we are not called to battle."

His companion was bent over on himself, doing something with his hands, the muscles in his shoulders gave way to that inclination and Oren smiled at finding him so distracted.

"My patients are all sleeping."

The Captain looked to his designated area in surprise. "Did you drug them?"

"No?"

Raising an eyebrow, the healer pet his head lightly, gesturing around the Infirmary as a whole. "There are plenty of others to take under your watch." He frowned when the exmessenger only hummed at his words, distracted by whatever he was doing, the elder tried to spy over his shoulder to see what held him captivated as much as he was, but couldn't see what was so interesting.

Zaveriel was leaning back in the chair, legs propped up on the table that stood at the other of the beds that were under his watch, folded over himself as he focused on whatever it was he was doing at that moment.

Oren tugged on the ends of his hair. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes?"

"What are you even doing?" he stepped out from behind him, coming to kneel at his side to see what was so intriguing, and something within him instantly cracked as he finally saw what had him distracted so much. "Zaves, no." He reached out to take the small dagger from him, but the smaller angel pulled it away from his reach, shaking his head as he slowly began to uncurl. "It's mine."

"Zaves, give me the dagger please." He held a hand out for it patiently. "I need you to give it to me."

"No."

"Zaves."

The young healer shook his head. "It's just a flower." He laughed softly, and for the first time, the older Virtue heard the crack within. For the first time, he heard the pain that was well hidden within it, and sorrow filled his being at the knowledge that this was most probably not the first time the pain had come through that no one had picked up on. "What's what with a flower?"

"Zaves."

"It's just a flower, Ori." He watched the younger angels hands tremble lightly. "Flowers are harmless."

Flowers were indeed harmless, roses were harmless, tulips were harmless. Just not when they were drawn into the skin, painted by the blood that was raised, and with such intricate detail. Oren shook his head, hand still held out for the dagger, and gave a sad sigh.

"Zaves, you need to give it to me."

"No, Oren, you're completely overreacting!", there was a slight crack in his words. "I've been doing this for so long! It's fine. I got it under control. It's just flowers. Harmless beautiful flowers."

He bit back the urge to order him to elaborate on what he meant by the statement and let his mind wander to the possibilities of just how long this had been going on, under everyone's noses.

"Zaves, please, do you trust me?"

Zaveriel nodded immediately, without any sign of hesitation, tilting his head to the side in confusion. "Of course, I do. You're my Captain. And my older brother. Of course, I trust you."

"Then I need you to give me the dagger."

"But—Flowers."

"Zaves." He flexed his fingers lightly. "Please."

The younger healer looked over to his treasured dagger, and then back to his older brother, back to his dagger once more, and gave a sad sigh as he nodded softly. Leaning forward, he set the hilt of his dagger in the older Virtue's palm and watched as his long fingers wrapped around it and he reached back to tuck it into his belt, and his fingers curled around the exmessenger's outstretched hand. "I'm going to hug you, okay?"

Zaves nodded, leaning forward against his older brothers shoulder when his arms curl around him solidly, resting his chin against his shoulder silently. "They're just flowers, Ori."

"I know." He rubbed soothing circles over his back. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Zaves nodded, again, curling his fingers in the Virtue Captain's tunic tightly. "They're just flowers."

"Even some flowers have thorns."

Oren pulled back, taking his face in his hands, and looked him in the eyes. "You're going to be alright." He nodded in assurance. "Come with me?"

Zaves nodded, taking the Virtues hand when he held it out, and allowed himself to be pulled up from his seat. They left his section of the Infirmary. "Ori, what about my patients?"

"We'll take care of it."

The older Virtue led him through the rows, to his section, and sat him on the edge of a bed. He pulled up a chair and sat in front of him, waving their intwined hands, gazing down into his younger brother's eyes. "Can I see?" he waited patiently for the younger angel to give his consent, and when he nodded, he turned their arms over and reached forward to push his sleeve up.

They painted up his arm, raised scars in the form of flowers, from his elbow down to his wrist. Intricate flowers, made with great detail, some large and some small, but covering every inch of his arm.

He stroked his fingers over the raised skin gently, tracing the flowers with mystified sorrow, looking up at him. "You said it's been a while?"

"Since Gabriel left." Zaveriel frowned lightly. "The first time."

Oren nodded, having trouble absorbing the information being presented to him by his young companion, it was a wonder that no one had noticed. He had hidden the activity so well. His jokes and laughter hid a dark secret successfully for quite some time.

Scooting to the side, to the table that sat next to the bed, he grabbed a glass bottle with a rag and some bandages, before returning to his position in front of the grief-stricken youth.

He glanced up as he wet the cloth with the liquid in the bottle. "This may sting a bit." Zaves shrugged. "I'm used to things stinging." Something within him cracked even more at such a simple statement. He set the bottle aside and dabbed at the intricately drawn rose, the petals distinguished, thorns coming to a sharp end, and hummed softly when the younger angel still gave a slight hiss in discomfort. "Why?" he glanced up, breaking their silence, as he wrapped bandages around the self-inflicted wound.

The younger Virtue gave another shrug. "I can't be happy all the time." He rubbed at his right eye and he took a moment to notice the glistening in them. "Something I get sad too."

"Oh, baby brother." Oren reached out to rub a tear away as it unwittingly escaped from his eyes. "Can I hug you again?"

Zaves nodded, as his face scrunched up and his composure slowly cracked away, burrowing into his older brother as his arms curled around him again. Sobbing deeply into his chest, as he clutched at his tunic with all his might, breaking in the soft comfort that was offered in the embrace. A hand curled around the back of his head, bigger then Oren's, and he knew who it was. He could barely hear what was being spoken, the words just a soft rumble in his older brothers chest, as he slowly sobbed himself into ragged silence.

Oren adjusted slightly, moving his left arm as the Healer knelt into view, rubbing at the back of his neck lightly with his warm hand.

"Zaves, I'm going to have to take your sword and daggers, alright?" he nodded along with him. "And one of your older brothers will have to be with at all times for a while, okay?" he nodded again, pressed against his older brothers chest, clutching at his tunic as tight as he could manage. "If you ever feel the urge coming on again, you tell one of us, alright, can you do that?" Zaves sniffed slightly, nodding again, pulling himself closer to his older brother. Oren smelled like pine trees. Raphael gave him a comforting smile, running his fingers from the back of his neck to his cheek, brushing his thumb under his eye to catch the straggling tear as it fell. "Good boy, very good." He stood out of view, and said something to the Captain above his head, but he paid it no mind as he closed his eyes. Someone knew his secret now, two someones, and more to come.

He knew the Healer stepped away when Oren curled around him more securely.

"What will the others think?"

Oren pressed his chin to the top of his brothers head. "They'll be concerned. Sad. But there will be no judgement from them."

"How do you know?"

He sighed deeply. "Because their healers, first and foremost, we all understand it." He rubbed his thumb over his arm. "And you are their younger brother. They will be concerned. But they would never think differently of you."

"I'm sorry, Ori."

"Don't ever apologize." He rubbed his back gently. "Never apologize." The Captain of the Virtues pressed his lips to his head. "You did nothing wrong." Gently releasing him from the hug, he pulled him back, caressing both sides of his face in his hands, and rubbed his thumbs over his cheek bones. "You were just really sad, and after everything that's happened, I understand. So, don't apologize." He guided him back against the pillows, tucking the blankets up over him, and stroked his forehead with the back of his fingers. "You sleep. I'll take care of everything."

"Don't leave me, Ori."

"I would never leave you."