spncentral | TFLN

"I hate to think of that." He sobers a little. "You getting staked, I mean. It must hurt."

Balthazar doesn't do puppy eyes very often, but he's making the attempt now. "Umn? There was a Farmer's Market I went to yesterday. The same girl was selling the cheesecake and the cherry topping in jars."

"Of course it does. Getting stabbed usually does. And they tend to leave splinters behind for me to get rid of later."

He raises an eyebrow at his brother. "What's the puppy look for?"

"Splinters are horrible." He grimaces and reaches out lethargically to tug at the hem of Gabriel's shirt. It's meant to be a sympathetic gesture, but he's so uncoordinated he may not even connect.

"Be..cause I hate the thought of you getting stabbed?"

Yeah, he misses by several inches. Gabriel's eyebrow goes back down. "Enh. Gives me a chance to curse my own stupidity. And fake my death for that particular hunter. Or hunters. Do you happen to remember what the chick you got this from looks like or catch her name?"

"Ohh...she wasn't your type." He grins, playful, and rests his chin on the edge of the tub. "One of those hippie-goth hybrids you see at craft markets all the time. I have her card in my trousers pocket. Left one."

He gestures loosely at the pile of clothes on the floor. "Sherry or Cherry or something, if I remember right."

If Gabriel gets the card out, he'll find the name is actually Shani. Shani Robbins, with an email address and a cell number attached. Close enough, though, right?

Gabriel could sort of see how Balthazar got those names in his current state of loopiness.

"How would you know what my type is? You've never seen me hit on anyone," Gabriel asks absently as he looks at the card, memorizing what it said.

"I'm going to be paying her a visit. Think you can manage to not drown in the air your tub is filled with?" he asks, giving his little brother an ornery grin.

"I thought you were hitting on me once or twice." He sighs and makes a rueful face. "And I've heard rumors."

"I can refrain from drowning in the air. Are you saying she drugged me? What the hell for?"

"Don't know yet. I haven't had the chance to ask." Said asking will probably be accompanied by his hand around her throat and holding her off the ground. Assuming she's short enough for him to do that with.

"I'm sure it goes without saying, but stop eating the cheesecake. I'll be back to deal with it later." And he's gone for at least the next fifteen or twenty minutes, which should give Balthazar some time to pull himself back together.

"I'll...oh. All right." Balthazar looks vaguely disappointed. "Try not to kill her, will you? It's good cheesecake."

Maybe he's too forgiving, but a good dessert seems to be worth being drugged stupid, to him.

As it turns out, the young witch is more hapless than vicious, and plenty small enough to be held off the ground. It should be simple enough to resolve things to Gabriel's satisfaction. When the archangel returns, he'll find Balthazar sprawled in bed, rather than in the bathtub, although he's still just as naked. He's got a glass of water though, that has to be a good sign.

Little brother needs to work on his priorities. Gabriel's eventually back, disposing of the cheesecake and arrowing in on his brother's room, following the feel of Grace.

"She's an idiot that had no idea what you actually were. She's well aware now. Along with me being an archangel," he says, sitting on the edge of the bed. She almost fainted when she found out just what she pissed off. "She's learned her lesson and won't be doing that again. Any of that crap get out of your system yet?"

Enjoyment is always his number one priority.

"Mmm. I was able to walk in here. That's an improvement." He rolls over and sits up. "What did she use? I'm impressed. I haven't been this foggy since the first time I tried opium."

He's a little sad the treats went away, but he knows better than to argue with Gabriel.

"Besides magic? A couple other things." He's not going to get too specific.

"Anyway, good to know that you didn't have to inchworm your way in. Although that could be amusing to watch." Time to redirect Balthazar's attention, he thinks.

"I could have flown. I don't know, is it a bad idea to fly drunk?" Since Gabriel's sitting so conveniently close, he leans in and rests his chin on the archangel's shoulder.

Personal space? What's that?

Gabriel winces faintly as he pictures how badly that could have gone. "I'm now imagining you managing to embed yourself in the wall. Just as well you didn't."

One of his hands goes up to absently ruffle little brother's hair. If Balthazar's going to invade personal space, there shall be (minor) consequences.

"But I'd be the most elegant fresco." His eyes close at the touch.

"You're staying a while, aren't you." It's not really a question. Gabriel would have already left to let him sleep it off if he wasn't interested in sticking around a little. "You're far too good to me."

"I think the cleaning lady--if you have one--might freak if she saw the mess," Gabriel comments drily. "I think I can manage to stick around awhile. Call it making up for fucking off to parts unknown for a handful of millennia."

"Don't have one, don't want one. I can't do all of what you can, but I can keep the place tidy with minimal effort."

Hopefully Gabriel was prepared for being cuddled, because that appears to be what's happening. "Mm. I've mostly forgiven you for that, though. I missed you--I think we all did--but you're here now."

He wasn't entirely expecting it, but he wasn't too surprised either. "Mmm. I kinda hit my limit for the amount of fighting those two were doing I could handle."

"The entire universe hit its limit for that, love." He pats Gabriel's knee gently, sympathetic despite the continued grogginess.

"You were just the first to act on it." Or second maybe, if you count God Himself?

"I love that I don't have to specify which two," he says in an ironic tone, absently ruffling his brother's hair again.

"Mmmm. What other two could there be?" He sighs.

"You know, for all your flaws, you're the best brother I know. I'm sad to have lost my dessert, but thank you for flying to my rescue."

"I suppose that Raphael could have always lost his mind and picked a fight with Michael." Even if Gabriel is having trouble imagining that. "No problem."

TFLN

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