Was it wrong, Raphael wondered, to feel a little bit vindicated by the strength of Erskine's reaction? Gabe was still hiding his wings and readjusting to being physical again, so much so that the younger Archangel couldn't do much more than yelp and rise, but he was already relaxing by the time Ravel offered Skulduggery his hand.
Rafe was watching. And he was chagrined to find he didn't have as much of an objection to the sorcerer's reaction as he should have. It wasn't like Gabe and Skulduggery's decision was hard to see. There was a tiny happy smile lurking around Gabe's mouth, one Rafe had never seen him wear before, and the sight of it made the healer angel simultaneously happy and protective.
Gabriel had crossed dimensions for this man. Raphael had seen this man's soul, knew he was worthy--as worthy as it was possible to be--and part of him still wanted to put Skulduggery through the wringer.
Even still, when Gabriel turned to him with a question in his eyes and unspoken on his lips, Rafe found he couldn't really say no. Not that he was going to make it easy, of course. He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What? Whatcha want me for, bro? I ain't your boyfriend's keeper."
The look of surprise, followed by Gabe's cheeks going pink, was oddly satisfying. That little lurking smile, and the way Gabe radiated happy contentment? Well, Rafe could get used to that. The elder Archangel grinned suddenly and flitted toward the skeleton, reaching through his back to deftly put the ribs back in place and heal them within a moment's thought.
"Oi!" Kenspeckle barked a split-second later, just a little too late to actually stop anything. He leaned on the wall to get to his feet, glaring, his finger out-thrust. "What did I just say about you Archangels resting your magic?!"
Raphael stepped back, raising his hands in an imitation of Erskine, except that he was laughing. "Don't smite me, Mister!"
"Don't make me tie you down," Kenspeckle threatened. "Archangel or not, I will find a way if that's what it takes to keep you idiots off your wings for a few days!"
"I like 'im," Rafe said to Gabe as he strolled back to the other angel. "He's like a puppy who thinks he's top dog. What're you laughing at?" Gabe's shoulders were shaking, the younger Archangel in a fit of silent mirth, but then he straightened and shook his head and just smiled, a smile that was more like a beam.
"Just glad you're here."
"You oughta be," Rafe grumbled. "Leavin' your things lyin' everywhere. Off comes the leash and suddenly you're a slob, Gabe, I dunno what we're gonna do with you." But the his expression softened, sobered, and he embraced his brother with a sudden fierceness Gabe returned. Rafe held him tightly, took a moment to work through the absolute terror he'd felt when he heard Skulduggery's prayer and ran into Gabriel's agony, and let it dissolve with the knowledge that everything was well. He planted a soft kiss into his brother's hair. "That's the second time you've left us to pursue things on your own and needed catching, brother. Please try not to do it again. I don't know what I'd do if we lost you when I knew I could have saved you if I'd only known."
"I know," Gabe said softly, and squeezed briefly before pulling back to glance around the room, wonder and gratitude written all over his face as he met each of the others' eyes--or tried, in the cases of those who weren't looking back. When his gaze lit on China Sorrows, something in his face grew gentle and proud at once.
The scan ended, predictably, with Skulduggery Pleasant. "But you're wrong. I wasn't alone this time, Rafe."
Raphael followed his gaze, but couldn't answer. He was too busy being floored by the wave of awed tenderness and amazement and sheer love his brother emitted in that moment. It was the kind of thing humans felt all the time, no less glorious for its frequency, but Raphael had never come even close to feeling it first-hand. Through Gabe, it was a several removes, but there. Pure, golden, a wild joy tempered by quiet peace.
"Yeah, well," he said gruffly, falling back into his human persona for lack of anything else he could do. A wicked grin slid slowly over his face. "Hope you know you're setting him up for a hazin'."
Gabe laughed quietly. "He'll manage, I'm sure." The look he cast up at Rafe was pure mischief. "He might even surprise you, Rafe."
"It's that you doubtin' your big brother I hear?" Rafe demanded mock-sternly. "I think that's earned a punishing. C'mere, you!"
With a yelp Gabriel found himself in a headlock, struggling back as Raphael tousled his hair playfully. The younger Archangel's laughter rang out across the room, even as he pushed at Rafe's arm. "Peace, peace!"
"Children," Merlin sighed from where he still lay motionless, eyes closed and hands folded on his chest. "They won't even let a man take a nap."
But there was a smile in the lines of his face as he spoke.
no subject
Rafe was watching. And he was chagrined to find he didn't have as much of an objection to the sorcerer's reaction as he should have. It wasn't like Gabe and Skulduggery's decision was hard to see. There was a tiny happy smile lurking around Gabe's mouth, one Rafe had never seen him wear before, and the sight of it made the healer angel simultaneously happy and protective.
Gabriel had crossed dimensions for this man. Raphael had seen this man's soul, knew he was worthy--as worthy as it was possible to be--and part of him still wanted to put Skulduggery through the wringer.
Even still, when Gabriel turned to him with a question in his eyes and unspoken on his lips, Rafe found he couldn't really say no. Not that he was going to make it easy, of course. He folded his arms and raised an eyebrow. "What? Whatcha want me for, bro? I ain't your boyfriend's keeper."
The look of surprise, followed by Gabe's cheeks going pink, was oddly satisfying. That little lurking smile, and the way Gabe radiated happy contentment? Well, Rafe could get used to that. The elder Archangel grinned suddenly and flitted toward the skeleton, reaching through his back to deftly put the ribs back in place and heal them within a moment's thought.
"Oi!" Kenspeckle barked a split-second later, just a little too late to actually stop anything. He leaned on the wall to get to his feet, glaring, his finger out-thrust. "What did I just say about you Archangels resting your magic?!"
Raphael stepped back, raising his hands in an imitation of Erskine, except that he was laughing. "Don't smite me, Mister!"
"Don't make me tie you down," Kenspeckle threatened. "Archangel or not, I will find a way if that's what it takes to keep you idiots off your wings for a few days!"
"I like 'im," Rafe said to Gabe as he strolled back to the other angel. "He's like a puppy who thinks he's top dog. What're you laughing at?" Gabe's shoulders were shaking, the younger Archangel in a fit of silent mirth, but then he straightened and shook his head and just smiled, a smile that was more like a beam.
"Just glad you're here."
"You oughta be," Rafe grumbled. "Leavin' your things lyin' everywhere. Off comes the leash and suddenly you're a slob, Gabe, I dunno what we're gonna do with you." But the his expression softened, sobered, and he embraced his brother with a sudden fierceness Gabe returned. Rafe held him tightly, took a moment to work through the absolute terror he'd felt when he heard Skulduggery's prayer and ran into Gabriel's agony, and let it dissolve with the knowledge that everything was well. He planted a soft kiss into his brother's hair. "That's the second time you've left us to pursue things on your own and needed catching, brother. Please try not to do it again. I don't know what I'd do if we lost you when I knew I could have saved you if I'd only known."
"I know," Gabe said softly, and squeezed briefly before pulling back to glance around the room, wonder and gratitude written all over his face as he met each of the others' eyes--or tried, in the cases of those who weren't looking back. When his gaze lit on China Sorrows, something in his face grew gentle and proud at once.
The scan ended, predictably, with Skulduggery Pleasant. "But you're wrong. I wasn't alone this time, Rafe."
Raphael followed his gaze, but couldn't answer. He was too busy being floored by the wave of awed tenderness and amazement and sheer love his brother emitted in that moment. It was the kind of thing humans felt all the time, no less glorious for its frequency, but Raphael had never come even close to feeling it first-hand. Through Gabe, it was a several removes, but there. Pure, golden, a wild joy tempered by quiet peace.
"Yeah, well," he said gruffly, falling back into his human persona for lack of anything else he could do. A wicked grin slid slowly over his face. "Hope you know you're setting him up for a hazin'."
Gabe laughed quietly. "He'll manage, I'm sure." The look he cast up at Rafe was pure mischief. "He might even surprise you, Rafe."
"It's that you doubtin' your big brother I hear?" Rafe demanded mock-sternly. "I think that's earned a punishing. C'mere, you!"
With a yelp Gabriel found himself in a headlock, struggling back as Raphael tousled his hair playfully. The younger Archangel's laughter rang out across the room, even as he pushed at Rafe's arm. "Peace, peace!"
"Children," Merlin sighed from where he still lay motionless, eyes closed and hands folded on his chest. "They won't even let a man take a nap."
But there was a smile in the lines of his face as he spoke.