Amara watched the child run around the apartment in a mixture of amusement and exhaustion.
“You sure this is a good idea?”
Chuck nodded watching with a smile as the child climbed on the sofa and tried to get the remote.
“He needs to understand the beauty of humanity and they need to move on.”
“But he’s a child brother what if —”
“Don’t worry I have the perfect person to supervise this.”
He beckoned to the child who giggled and launched himself in his arms.
Chuck grunted at the impact and scooped him up in his arms.
Amara gave a soft smile as the child turned his head away shyly.
“He is cute, I can’t believe he did all those things.”
“Yeah neither can I. Well wish me luck.”
Azazel said softly giving a shy smile.
Chuck hid him for a moment and looked at Sam and Dean.
“So you sure your both up to helping?”
Sam and Dean shared a look before looking back at him and nodding.
“I mean yeah they’re dicks but you know anything we can do to help them.”
Chuck nodded his smile tight.
He waved his hand smiling as Azazel looked around bewildered before his eyes light up as he saw a computer on the couch.
“Hey kid. No. of course he goes for that.”
Sam chuckled as Dean swatted the kid away and gave him some keys to play with.
“What’s his name anyway?”
Chuck opened his mouth to answer when he footsteps, he swallowed hopefully it wouldn’t be too much of a shock.
Raphael walked into the room his eyes locking onto the small child. The towel that he was using to dry his hair fell from his hands.
Azazel looked up at the sound and his eyes suddenly shinned. His mouth splitting into the biggest grin ever.
He ran toward him Raphael fell to his knees holding his arms out, pulling into his arms and picking him up.
Raphael blinked at him, his hand touching his jawline and moving to card through his wings.
Dean looked between them.
“Remember when I said Chuck asked us for a favor, he wants us to take care of —”
Raphael tore his eyes away from Azazel to look at Chuck.
Chuck braced a hand on the table and gave him a soft smile.
“You’ll be here to watch out for him Raphael but they have to be the one to raise him.”
Raphael held him tighter.
“Dad. What is this? Why him?”
He hesitated but he’d been clear with the brothers from the start, no matter what they had to accept.
Which they’d grudgingly had.
“And Azazel needs to see the joy of humanity.”
Raphael exhaled shakily and walked to the couch sitting Azazel onto his lap.
He walked toward his sons.
“Raphael let them raise him, if you don’t I won’t you let see him.”
Raphael glared at him, his eyes snapping to Azazel who whimpered.
“I’m staying Az. I promise. No matter what I’m staying.”
He shot Chuck a look at the last line who nodded and flashed away.
Raphael sighed letting his head fall back. His hands relaxing around Azazel’s waist.
He smiled softly as Azazel relaxed against him and closed his eyes.
Mary let out a soft laugh.
“He was tearing through here earlier, you’re very good with him, Raphael.”
Raphael opened his eyes and reminded himself not to smite her.
“I raised him, I know how to calm him down.”
That wasn’t technically true, Gabriel had raised him but he had definitely helped a lot.
He leaned down to kiss Azazel’s hair.
Dean cleared his throat, Raphael blinked looking at him.
Dean looked between them.
“Raphael, can we, ugh, talk?”
Raphael sighed and nodded. He gently pulled Azazel from his lap. His heart breaking as Azazel whimpered.
“I know, and I’m keeping that promise. Dean needs to talk to me of boring grown up things.”
Azazel nodded waving the keys wildly.
Raphael frowned taking that from his fingers.
“You’re going to poke your eye out Luv. Here.”
He conjured a small ball of light.
“See if you can make me a —”
He bent down to kiss Azazel’s temple and finally got up following Dean out of the room.
“So that’s how he used to be huh?”
“Yes, more of a terror as he grew up. His teenage years weren’t the best.”
Raphael said with a chuckle.
“He was it, wasn’t he? He was the person you - you - you fell in love with?”
Raphael blinked and swallowed slowly nodding.
He breathed, he hated this conversation.
“Did - did Michael force you to —”
“I volunteered, it had to be me. It would have been a disservice to both of us to be anyone else.”
He looked away and rocked on his feet.
“I - you’re going to have to let me help Raphael.”
Dean said softly, too softly. Raphael closed his eyes. He couldn’t do this.
He straightened and whipped his eyes before striding back to the War Room.
Sam and Mary was cooing at him. He quickened his pace as he saw Castiel approaching them.
He wrenched Castiel back.
“No. stay away from him.”
Castiel’s eyes widened before he glared.
“Raphael, I know you don’t like me but I would never hurt a fledging. I —”
“What’s up why is — oh shit.”
Gabriel dropped the lollipop he was holding and rushed toward the couch pulling Azazel into a hug. He shot Raphael a look.
“Hey Azzy! You being good?”
“Good, why don’t you show Castiel how to make a snowflake.”
His voice sounded too broken to his ears. Gabriel shot him a look before ushering him toward Castiel.
He grabbed Raphael’s arm and flew them away.
Raphael finally stoped them and slid to his knees.
“It’s been years. He doesn’t remember Gabriel it’s killing me.”
Gabriel nodded and sat down next to him.
“Why is he with the Sun—”. He swallowed —" Sam and Dean?“
"Dad wants him to understand Humanity, says if I get too involved he’ll make me leave.”
“You’re fucking kidding me?”
Raphael shook his head. He rolled to his back his eyes going to the wedding ring on his finger. He pulled a chain from around his neck watching the blue and gold ring dangled in the setting sun.
Gabriel whispered, Raphael nodded.
“Course I do, the agreement was we’d only take them off if we stopped loving each other. The only reason I’m not wearing it because Michael would have thrown a fit.”
“So what are you going to do?”
“Suck it up, I can’t just let Dean raise him.”
“Yeah. Not everything, but the gist of it. Yeah.”
“Call me if you need me okay?”
“Aren’t you taking Castiel somewhere romantic for your one year anniversary?”
“I can cancel it it’s not —”
“Gabriel I’ll be fine. I promise. I just it’s been so long, it just threw me.”
Gabriel nodded sighing softly as he saw Raphael sit up and place the ring back around his neck and hid it.
“I might try to kill Lucifer if he comes and Michael would just hover, I can’t — I need to do this alone.”
“You’re not alone. Not anymore.”
Gabriel reached over to squeeze his hand.
Raphael squeezed back before pulled them to their feet and flying back.
“Where are you taking Castiel anywhere?”
“Hawaii. Where did you take Azzy an island right?”
Raphael smiled and nodded.
“Yeah, it’s still there. Azazel loved it.”
“So how long is too long? How long did you stay there?”
Raphael laughed and ran a hand through his hair.
“Ugh, I don’t think any time is too little but I get where you’re coming from. Castiel will get restless. We stayed I think for two weeks? Yeah. Two weeks.”
“Why did you both leave anyway, I mean I doubt Azzy would have been insisting on leaving.”
“He didn’t, but I think it we both just missed everyone. It was nice but it was the longest he’d been away from Heaven and I had been away from all of you.”
Raphael snorted as Gabriel pulled him into a hug.
“Yeah, yeah, now let me go Gabriel.”
Gabriel laughed as he opened the door. Azazel looked up and grinned.
“Raphie look!! I helped Castiel make it!!”
They both moved to see. Gabriel let out a low whistle.
“Well done Azzy, what do you want?”
Azazel grinned and kicked his legs thinking.
“Castiel was telling me your going to Ha-Haw— Castiel was it called?”
Castiel gave a small smile.
“He said it was really pretty, so maybe a flower?”
“That’s all? I’ll get you the most beautiful flower ever okay?”
Azazel giggled turning into a shriek of laughter as Gabriel picked him up and twirled him.
Dean watched with a tight smile.
“So, ugh, why can we see his wings?”
“His power is very low, closer to Earth power than Heaven’s.”
Raphael smiled softly as Dean looked at him in confusion.
“Basically his power is low enough that your human senses can see and touch them.”
“That’s awesome. I mean I like his wings.”
“Yeah, his wings are pretty.”
Dean gave a nervous smile.
“I - uh - Castiel was saying something about the importance of wings and consent I wasn’t really paying attention.”
Raphael blinked smiling opening his arms as Gabriel gently deposited Azazel into his lap.
Gabriel whispered back crouching down in front of him as Azazel giggled.
Azazel looked at Castiel who was talking to Mary and Sam and then back at Gabriel.
Gabriel blinked and nodded.
Azazel smiled softly. His voice went lower.
Gabriel blinked before beaming with a nod.
Azazel borrowed into Raphael’s arms for a moment before looking back at Gabriel.
He beamed when Azazel nodded with a shy smile.
He kissed Azazel on the cheek.
“Hey I have an important task for you okay?”
Azazel nodded seriously, relaxing softly as Raphael gently threaded his hand through his wings.
“I’m going to be gone for a couple weeks. So I need you too keep Raphie company okay? Make sure he smile lots okay?”
Raphael snorted putting his head in Azazel’s shoulder to hide his smile.
Azazel nodded in seriousness.
“Thanks Azzy. You’re the best. Bye Raphie.”
Raphael smirked at him as they both left. He relaxed against the chair, one hand holding Azazel in place. The other gently coming to grip his wrists as he tried to get the ring.
“Luv no. That’s not for you to touch.”
Azazel pouted but closed his eyes and relaxed against him again, curling into his arms.
“You don’t need to worry about consent and wings Dean, everyone grooms a fledgling’s wings. It’s only when they a get a little older does that come into play.”
Dean asked as Sam and Mary came to sit down at the table.
“Angels usually once they are able to groom their own wings. For another angel to groom their wings is a huge sign of trust. Wings are very vulnerable and highly sensitive, so even the slightest tug at a not no matter how gentle can hurt.”
Raphael smiled and nodded.
“He always let me do it, but it’s not like we spent every moment together Dean. He had classes and training and I had my only work to do. When he was younger it was easier, but it got harder as he got older.”
“That’s not what I’m referring to and you know it.”
Raphael averted his eyes but he nodded.
“Yeah, yeah we did that.”
“Did - did he let anyone else? Or…?”
Raphael shot him an amused look.
“Are you asking me if he had friends?”
Dean threw his hands up but nodded.
“He did, you’ve met one. Well Sam did, you duped him into it.”
“Gadreel? They were friends?”
Raphael beamed and nodded.
“Best friends. They were inseparable.”