"May I ask where your boots are?"

Raphael looked down to his Captain's bare feet in amusement, raising an eyebrow in question, and looked back up to meet his companions eyes. Oren was equally amused, despite the situation, and chuckled a bit. "Someone decided to fill our boots with syrup."

He chuckled in return, nodding in understanding. "Ah, indeed, it is a good change of pace for him."

Oren nodded in agreement. "I can't find the nerve to be angry about it. The lightheartedness of such a thing is improvement beyond measures. I only want him to be happy." He looked down to his bare feet for a moment, huffing a laugh. "Even if it be at our expense."

"You all are good older brothers." They turned to look at the one that stood as the focus of their conversation, leaning back in a chair reading through his patients files with his feet propped up on the table, as they slept peacefully unawares. "Are we sure he doesn't drug them?"

His commander chuckled softly, nodding his head in affirmation, and shook his head in exasperation. "He truly doesn't. I've checked."

"How does he get them to sleep so fast?"

"That is a secret that I haven't figured out just yet."

Raphael hummed in amusement. "I trust you'll all get your revenge?"

"Of course." Oren nodded. "When he least expects it."

…

He hummed absently to himself as he wrote vigorously in the grand book that he and Akeelah shared, their grandest ideas ever to be thought, tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth as he concentrated on documenting his latest and greatest job.

Nothing but the wind rustling the leaves in the trees and the soft sounds of birds chattering above him.

"Where did you even find that much syrup?"

He snorted, slamming the grand book closed at the voice, turning over on his back to see Oren kneeling behind him. There's unmistakable amusement in his eyes as he watches his youngest Virtue grin up at him.

"That's for me to know."

"And for me never to find out?"

Zaveriel grinned cheekily, nodding his head slightly. "Got it in one."

"You're a cheeky little thing, you know that?"

"I like to think it's my best quality."

"I'd disagree." He watched with wide eyes as his older brother fell to his knees, straddling his legs, and tugged his tunic out from under the leather belt around his waist. "This is your best quality." And dug all ten fingers into his lower belly.

Laughter exploded from him immediately, arching his back at the suddenness of such a merciless attack, his older brother grinned at him in amusement and pulled him back around as he turned onto his side.

"Orihihihi! Nohohoho!"

"You should have thought more on the aftermath when you decided to drown my boots in syrup."

His fingers moved up from his lower belly to the sides next to his belly button and he shrieks brightly, his fingers curling around his older brother's as he tried to pull them away, Oren shook his head and digs his fingers in deeper.

"You let go right now." He leaned over him, meeting his eyes, smiling at the laughter that shone in them. "Or I'll do something I haven't done since you were a fledgling."

Zaveriel's eyes widen at the threat and he immediately lets go of his hands, curling his fingers in the grass under him instead, shaking his head frantically. The older brother smirked, leaning forward even more, resting his hands at his sides.

"I think I'll do it anyway."

The prankster's eyes widen as he leans over.

"Ori! Nohoho!" He shrieks when he burrows in. "Yohohohour beheheahahard mahahakes it sohohoho much wohohohorse!"

"What did you say?" he smiles into his belly. "I think it's my best feature."

…

Zaves sighs as he leaves his latest files on his new commanders desk, as he had been ordered to, scratching at the back of his neck lightly as he makes to turn around, yelping when he's pulled so suddenly back against someone's chest.

"Hello, baby brother."

He groans at the moniker, they remind him of that fact every chance they can get, looking over his shoulder to greet his older brother in return.

"Hey."

Constantine smiles down at him. "I just managed to clean my boots of all the syrup."

"Bet that was quite the mess."

"Oh, you have no idea." He leaned forward as though spotting something. "You've got something," curling his left hand around the side of his head and he pulls it against his shoulder, in the crook of his neck. "Right here."

Zaveriel sucks in a surprised breath when he scratches lightly at the side of his neck, and without restraint holding him in place, he makes to step away from the light touch. Constantine stills his finger, speaking into his ear, as he curls the fingers of his other hand around his forehead.

"If you step away, I'll burrow into you neck so harshly that it'll make you scream as if you were a fledgling again."

He shakes his head quickly, settling back against his chest, and the older Virtue chuckles softly. "That's what I thought." He moves his fingers again, dragging it up to a point behind his ear and down to his collar, again and again, and Zaves bites his lip to keep the giggles from gushing out.

The giggles overpower his willpower when the finger wiggles a path from the side of his neck, over the front, and up under his chin.

Shaking his head frantically, in an attempt to dislodge the finger, a snort escapes from him and light high-pitched giggles fill their commanders office.

"Cohohohostahahahaha!"

Constantine chuckles warmly, pulling his head back against his shoulder, to keep him from shaking his head in a vain attempt to escape his punishment. His younger brothers shrieks once, brightly, when he strokes all five of his fingers down the front of his neck and back up to scratch lightly under his chin.

"Yes, baby brother?"

"Stohohohop!"

He hummed in amusement. "Why should I?"

"Behehehehcahahahause I ahahahaskeehehehed nihihihicehehely!"

"You did, I'll give you that, but is that good enough a reason for me?"

"Yeheheheheheeessss! Costa!"

Zaveriel goes tense when he feels his older brother lean closer. "I don't think it is." And screams brightly when he burrows into his neck.

…

His class looks up at the appearance of the elder Virtue, and Zaves goes tense immediately, it's been going on for everyday this week and he prepares himself for the oncoming attack.

"Hello everyone." Ephraim curls his arm around his lower back and pulls him snug against his side. "Little baby brother."

"Eph." He shoves against his older brother but doesn't move him an inch. "Stop."

"What?" His tone is amused as he turns to smile down at him, a few members of his class giggle at them, and he feels his face heat up. "Can't I stop and see my precious little baby brother?"

"Eph, your embarrassing me!"

"Oh," there's something in his older brothers tone. "You want me to embarrass you?" He nods seriously. "Okay." He feels fingers curl around his hip. "Remember when you were a fledgling, and every time we did this," he digs harshly into his hip, "and you'd do that." Zaves shrieked brightly, jolting against him, his own fingers curling around his older brothers arm.

Ephraim smiles at the reaction, and turns to address their newest youngest Virtues class, chuckling at the amusement he sees in their eyes.

"Class, who can tell me why, when I do this," he digs into his hip again, "he does that?"

…

The Healer stands at his Captains side as they watch Akriel and Zed bring their youngest brother to tears with rather cruel torture directed to his feet, laughing at his begging, and reaching forward to squeeze at his knees when he tries to tug away.

"I take it you've all had your revenge?"

"Oh, yes." Oren smiles when Zaves manages to kick them both in the chest, forcing them back, and flips over the back of the chair. "We are very pleased."

"You enjoy tormenting him?"

"No more then any older brother would their younger."

Akriel and Zed laughed at him as he glared over his shoulder, struggling to pull his boots back on as he crossed the threshold to stand at their side, huffing still to catch his breath.

"Oh, baby brother." He pulled him into his side. "Were they being mean to you?"

Raphael chuckles in amusement, petting the youngest Virtues hair back, Zaveriel looks up at him. "How does it feel to be the youngest?"

"Unfair!"