"Hey, you're hitting me hard," Rafe protested. "I flew high when cameras were aimed! No one saw nothin'! ... Or at least didn't believe it when they did." It wasn't like anyone was going to believe anyone who just saw a dinosaur flying overhead, if they were even able to recognise it as such. There was such a thing as overcompensation.
The Archangel shrugged, the humour never leaving his face. "Couple of possibilities. I'da let you arrest me and vanished oughta my cell, or I'd've distracted the guards on the way to the gaol by talkin' loudly 'bout how adorable y'are when you blush."
"Raphael, enough!" Gabriel exclaimed, struggling with his cheeks tingeing pink himself, but a moment later he stopped and narrowed his eyes. Not as if there was something he'd just realised--but as if there was something he'd kept secret he was about to pull out. "You're jealous."
"Jealous? Of you?" Rafe laughed. "You could spend a thousand years on Skul-man's hang-ups, bro. I can think of a lot of things to do with that time!"
"Of Skul," Gabe said quietly, and lifted his gaze until Rafe didn't have a choice but to look at him. The dark-skinned angel's face was suddenly near to blank--save the frustration. Gabe reached out to take his hand, squeeze it. "Home lasts forever, brother."
Raphael's shoulders slumped, but he took Gabriel's hand in both of his, turning it over. "You're going to stay here as long as he wants you," he said, frustration and resignation in his voice. "You've never been out of reach, Gabriel. Not until your exile, and not until twice now this last year. I don't like it. I can't protect you when you're out of reach."
"I thought Michael was meant to be the protective one," Gabe teased, but gently. Rafe's mouth tilted, but not much more than that.
"Michael should have called me for help the last time. Home isn't Home without you, Gabriel. At least with the others, I knew they were just on Earth. The Cacophony isn't as easy to navigate."
"Then we'd better get better at navigating it, shouldn't we?" Gabriel said lightly, and squeezed Raphael's hands. This time he didn't let the pressure up. "Skulduggery's got as much incentive to keep me safe as you do. Just ... different reasons."
Raphael exhaled, a long steadying exhale, and pulled his hands away. It was only to reach out, put his hand around the back of Gabe's neck, and pull him forward to kiss him on the forehead. "Just ... give me a bit of time. I never expected this, brother. You, him, me feeling this way."
"None of us did," Gabriel said softly, leaning into his brother's tenderness. "But it's okay. That's the point, isn't it? It's all okay."
After a moment Raphael tweaked Gabe's hair and pulled back to shake a finger at Skulduggery in the rearview mirror. "Don't make me give you the big brother talk, Skul-man. 'Cos I will, and I'll do it good."
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The Archangel shrugged, the humour never leaving his face. "Couple of possibilities. I'da let you arrest me and vanished oughta my cell, or I'd've distracted the guards on the way to the gaol by talkin' loudly 'bout how adorable y'are when you blush."
"Raphael, enough!" Gabriel exclaimed, struggling with his cheeks tingeing pink himself, but a moment later he stopped and narrowed his eyes. Not as if there was something he'd just realised--but as if there was something he'd kept secret he was about to pull out. "You're jealous."
"Jealous? Of you?" Rafe laughed. "You could spend a thousand years on Skul-man's hang-ups, bro. I can think of a lot of things to do with that time!"
"Of Skul," Gabe said quietly, and lifted his gaze until Rafe didn't have a choice but to look at him. The dark-skinned angel's face was suddenly near to blank--save the frustration. Gabe reached out to take his hand, squeeze it. "Home lasts forever, brother."
Raphael's shoulders slumped, but he took Gabriel's hand in both of his, turning it over. "You're going to stay here as long as he wants you," he said, frustration and resignation in his voice. "You've never been out of reach, Gabriel. Not until your exile, and not until twice now this last year. I don't like it. I can't protect you when you're out of reach."
"I thought Michael was meant to be the protective one," Gabe teased, but gently. Rafe's mouth tilted, but not much more than that.
"Michael should have called me for help the last time. Home isn't Home without you, Gabriel. At least with the others, I knew they were just on Earth. The Cacophony isn't as easy to navigate."
"Then we'd better get better at navigating it, shouldn't we?" Gabriel said lightly, and squeezed Raphael's hands. This time he didn't let the pressure up. "Skulduggery's got as much incentive to keep me safe as you do. Just ... different reasons."
Raphael exhaled, a long steadying exhale, and pulled his hands away. It was only to reach out, put his hand around the back of Gabe's neck, and pull him forward to kiss him on the forehead. "Just ... give me a bit of time. I never expected this, brother. You, him, me feeling this way."
"None of us did," Gabriel said softly, leaning into his brother's tenderness. "But it's okay. That's the point, isn't it? It's all okay."
After a moment Raphael tweaked Gabe's hair and pulled back to shake a finger at Skulduggery in the rearview mirror. "Don't make me give you the big brother talk, Skul-man. 'Cos I will, and I'll do it good."