Chapter Text
When the four Archangels announced they were going to be taking in a human, the others were completely falling all over themselves, which made them roll their eyes quite a bit, and shake their heads, turning away from them to prepare for their new little one’s arrival.
It had been Michael and Lucifer who’d gone to pick one out from the keepers, it was distasteful, to see sentient creatures being treated like they were animals, pets to be had, they’d searched for a while, checking through the different shops, trying to find the perfect little one to take home with them, peering through the collections the shop keeper had in their inventory. Not all of the shops they visited were noteworthy, some were rather unkept, dirty, the humans dirty, not taken care of, in dire need of a bath, the conditions they were kept in was less then sanitary. They didn’t often wave their authority around, being Archangels, but when they happened upon the unsanitary shops, the humans mistreated, little little ones crying from fear at the sight of them alone, they pulled on that authority, humans had been in this position for years, for little little ones to be so frightened of them, there was only one explanation, and they confiscated the keepers license and called on the authorities, to take the keeper into custody and send ones to tend to the humans that had been in their care.
They happened up him in one of those shops.
He was filthy, laying down in the corner of the display box they were kept in, unmoving, and they feared they’d found a deceased one, and immediately turned on the keeper, demanding him to explain himself, there was a difference between indifference and maltreatment, and had him taken into custody for neglecting his batch of humans to the point that one of them had died.
“Michael…Micha is he dead?” Lucifer leans over the edge of the case, staring down at the boy in concern, before turning to look up at his older brother. “Is he?”
The older Archangel shakes his head sadly, looking down at the unmoving form sorrowfully, his arms crossed loosely, waiting for the caretakers to arrive so they could tend to the others. “I don’t know, Luci, he hasn’t moved in all the time we’ve been here, I fear he may be.”
The Morningstar frowns, turning back to the human in the case, and reaches in, poking the boy in the belly, and smiles, feeling his older brother step closer, when the boy squawks, flailing around at the feeling of the second oldest Archangel’s finger poking his belly, and smacks at the large finger. “What the hell man! I was fucking sleeping! Goddammit!”
“He’s alive!”
The boy pushes at his finger, he quickly withdraws, and clambers to his feet, glaring up at him with as much heat as a human can muster, Lucifer snorts at the sight of it. “Of course, I’m alive, fuckwad! You poked me to see if I was dead? Who the fuck does that! I’m like a cockroach, impossible to kill!”
Michael chuckles softly behind him. “Raphael would detest his language.”
“He could curtail it though; you know he could.” Lucifer looks up at his brother. “I like this one.”
“My names Adam, asshole, not ‘this one’!” Adam raises his hand, one finger in the air, and Lucifer laughs softly. “I’m gonna call you ‘this one’! See how much you like it, fuckwad!”
“I’m sort of starting to detest his language, too.” The older Archangel grumbles, resting his hands on his hips, looking down at the young human sternly. “He needs to be taught some manners.”
The second born looks over at his older brother. “Raph could most certainly do that. This is the one I want.”
Adam backs up a step, staring up at him, holding up his hands defensively. “Wait, wait, wait, you want me to be your pet? Oh, hell nah! I’ve heard about the way your kind treats us! I’d rather stay here, thanks, but no thanks, I think I’ll pass! Have a nice day!”
“Oh, I definitely want him now.” Lucifer smiles, reaching for the boy, he tries to turn to bolt, and yells when large fingers snag him up, squirming in the Archangel’s grasp as he’s lifted higher and higher, and settled in the tall Archangel’s palm. “We’re taking this one.”
Michael smiles at his younger brother. “Alright, I’ll get what we need.”
It was a starter package, in a bag, containing things the human would need, necessities. Clothes, hygiene products, a bed frame, a mattress, pillows and blankets, a dresser for the clothes, their shots and instruction manual on the care and maintenance of a human, which they were positive none of them were ever going to read. Nothing too much, hence the reason it was a starter package, they’d have to get him actual things later on.
The oldest Archangel tucks the starter package in his pocket. “We’ll wait for the caretakers to arrive before taking him home.”
…
“Let me see! Let me see! Let me see!”
The two oldest Archangels chuckle at their youngest brother’s excitement, and Lucifer holds his hand out, the humans sitting in his palm scowling, and Gabriel leans in close, reaching out to poke him.
The boy points up at him. “I swear to God, if you fucking poke me, I’ll kill you! I don’t know how! But I’ll figure out a way!”
“Oh, I like him.” The Messenger chuckles as he withdraws his finger. “He’s got some bite.”
“Yes, but his language isn’t to be desired.” The youngest Archangel looks up at his older brother, coming to stand at his side, Raphael spares him a glance before peering down at their newly acquired human. “He looks young, and filthy, where did you find him?”
Michael frowns lightly, clearly still upset at the state of the shop they’d found him in, and hums lowly. “It was not a well kept shop, we thought he was dead at first glance, he was motionless.”
“And, this asshole first thought was to fucking poke me!” The boy turns to point at the one holding him and glares at him heatedly. “Fuckwad!”
The Healer frowns lightly. “We’ll have to curtail the disrespect immediately.”
“Well, Raph, seeing as how you’re the Healer in these here parts, we’ll leave him in your capable hands, to check him over and get him taken care of and curtail anything that needs to be curtailed.” The third born nods, reaching out to pick the small human up off his older brother’s palm, the boy yelps as he’s scooped up, the hand he rests in now is warmer, and he relaxes just a bit. “What’s his name?”
Lucifer snorts. “Adam, just a note on the wise, he doesn’t like being called ‘this one’.”
“Noted.” Raphael smiles down at the human. “Come, little one, we have much to do before supper.” He looks up to his older brothers. “Did either of you get the starter package?”
Michael nods lightly, fishing it out of his pocket. “I did, what do you need?”
“The shots, soap, and a new pair of clothing.” The oldest nods, fishing the requested item’s out of the bag, the shots were their size, huge, compared to the humans, but the needle was thin, it wouldn’t leave too much of a prick when used. “Thank you.”
The Healer nods at his two older brothers, turning away, and making his way through the living room to the hall. Adam sits in his palm, looking around as they make their way down the hall, looking around as they turn into a bedroom, everything is so huge. The room is organized, but a tad on the messy side, books are piled up on one side of the desk, the curtains on the window are pulled open, sun shining into the large room, there’s a large bed pushed up against the far wall, a bookshelf, it looks like a normal bedroom.
He looks around as they draw nearer to the desk, and he crawls forward over the Archangel’s fingers to see why they’re heading that way, and his eyes widen when he spots the bowl of soapy water, and immediately knows what it’s for. “Oh, hell no, I’m not going in there, man! No way, no how, I like being this way!”
“Oh, you’re getting in.” The boy yelps when he turns his hand and he drops from his palm into the bowl of water, Adam surfaces after a moment, glaring at him, and he drops the bar of soap down to him. “Don’t forget to get behind the ears.”
“Fuck you, man!”
Raphael raises an eyebrow, pushing the boy back with a finger to his chest, humming softly. “We’ll deal with that when you’re done washing.”
“I’ll just sit here, then, I don’t fucking care!”
“You can either bathe yourself, or I’ll bathe you myself, either way, it’s going to happen.”
Adam splashes water at him as best as he can, if anything, it soaks the cuff of his sleeve. “Dare you to fucking try!”
The Healer sighs, but nods, accepting the boy’s challenge, and leans over for the fourth drawer of his desk, pulling the drawer open, and withdraws a scrub brush. The boy’s eyes widen when he sees it, and he thrusts his hands out defensively, backtracking on his challenge quickly. “No, no, wait! I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”
He sets the scrub brush down beside the bowl on his desk. “You’d best hurry then, you’ve got ten minutes, if you’re not done by then, I’m taking over.” The boy huffs in aggravation but nods and he turns away to give him a sense of privacy, he keeps track of the time in his head, because he’s an Archangel of his word, and he has ten minutes to wash up.
“Hey, asshole!” Turning at the sound of the boy’s voice, he looks over at him, arms curled over the edge of the bowl. “I’m done.”
Nodding, he returns to his desk, holding a finger out for him, to which the human curls his arms around it, and he lifts him from the bowl, setting him down on a towel, it’s large, huge compared to the small human child, but it works just fine, and he passes him the clean clothes, everything but the top, to put on.
Raphael lifts him back up, he rests in his palm lightly, cleaner this time. “It’s time for your shots.”
“Um, thanks, but no thanks. I think I’ll pass.”
He snorts softly. “It’s amusing that you think I was giving you a choice.”
“Don’t you fucking dare!”
The Healer sighs softly. “I can give them in the arm, or somewhere less pleasant, but you are getting them.”
“You’re fucking bluffing!”
Adam learns, rather quickly, that the Archangel is not bluffing, when he’s turned over in his hand, held in place with his thumb, the back of his pajama pants tugged down slightly, and the five shots inject through his left cheek. He grumbles, when he’s righted in the Archangel’s hand, rubbing miserably at his cheek, glaring up at him the entire time. “Asshole.”
“Now, about that distasteful language.” He looks around for something to use as a deterrent, nothing he sees is appropriate, he doesn’t want to seriously injure the small human, just teach him, and hums when his eyes locate something, and he smiles, nodding to himself, that’ll work. “This will do.”
The boy yelps when he’s pushed down by a finger, the Archangel’s thumb pressing over his waist, and squeals brightly when he twirls a feather over his bare belly.
“Wahahahahahait! Wahahahhaait! Nohohoho! Aaahahahahahahahahaha aahaahahahhahahahahaha aaaahahahahhahahahahaa! Nohohoho! Stohohhop, yohohohohou ahahahhaasshole! Aaahahahahhahahahahaaa stohohohohop! Aaahahhahaaahahhahahaa!”
“Tsk, tsk, little one, I’m not stopping until you apologize.”
“Neheheheever! Aaahhahahhahahahahaa nehehehheever!”
Raphael smiles down at him. “Then, I’ll never stop.”
He squeals again when the very tip of the feather dips into his belly button. “Eeieieieaiaiaiaaahahahahahhahahaha aaahahahahahahahhahahahaa nohohohohohoho! Aahahahahahahhahahaaa pleehehehehheheeease! Nohhohohohhoo! Aahahahahahhahahahaa aahahahahahhahahahahaa aaaahahhahahahahahahahhaa eeieieiaieaieaaiaahaahhaahahahahhaha Iihihihii cahahahahan’t tahahahahake ihihihihit! Eeieieieiaeiaiaaeiaaahahahhahahahahahahaa aaaahahahahahhahahahahhahahaa aahahahahhahahhahaha! Ohhohohohokay! Ohohohohokay! Ihihihi’m sohhoohohorry! Ihihihihi’m sohohohorry!”
The Archangel hums softly. “Sorry, for what?”
“Aaahahahhahahahahaa eeieiieieiaiaeiaiaaaahhahahahahhahaaha aaahahahahahahahahhahahahaa aaaaaaahaahhahahaahaahahhahaha! Nohohohoho mohohohohore! Nohohohoho moohohohohore! Ihihihihi sahahahahahaid ihihihihit! Aahahahahahahaa eieieieiaieaiaiaaahahahahahahhaaa aaahahahhahahahhahahaa I sahahahahhaaid ihihihihit ahahahahangel! I sahahahahahaaid sohohhoorry!”
“I know you did.” He twists the feather back in the boy’s belly button and the child squeals again. “I asked what you were sorry for?”
“Eeieieiieaaieiaaahahahahahhahahaa nohohhohohot theheheheheeere! Nohohohot theheheheheheere! Aaahahahahahhahahahahahaa eaeieieiaiaaiaahahahahahahhaha pleehehehehheease! Nohohohot theheheheheere! Eeieieieiaiaiaiaaaahahahahahahahaa aahahahahhahahahahaaha aahahahahhahahaha abaahahahahahahahahhhahaha eieieiaiaaiaaahahhahahahahhaa! Ihihihihi’m sohohohorry fohohohohor caahahahahahaalling yohohohohou ahaahahahahaan ahahhahahhaaasshole! Eeieieieiaiaaiaaahhahahahahahhaaa Ihihihihhi’m sohohohorry! Plehehehehheease! Nohohho mohohohore! Eeeieiieieieiaiaaaaahhahahahhhahhahahhaaha ahahahahahahahhahahahahha bbabaahahahahahahhahahahaa!”
“I accept your apology.” The Archangel sets the feather down on his desk, chuckling at the panting mess he’s created, and pet’s the boy’s hair back with his finger. “If ever cross me, you’ll be right back under the feather, do you understand me?”
Adam curls his arms around his belly, giggling as he turns over onto his side, and nods quickly. “Uhuhuhunderstood! Understood!”
“Good,” Raphael hands him his top, and turns, as the boy sits up in his palm to pull his top over his head. “Let’s go see what’s for supper.” He lifts the boy up to sit on his shoulder as he turns away from his desk, heading towards the door, Adam sits there mutely, holding onto the collar of his robes with his left hand, taking in their surroundings as they make their way out of the Healer’s room and down the hall.
Michaels serving the plates on the table when they come to the table, and he turns, holding his hand out for the small human to climb onto, and the boy nods, carefully rising to his feet, and hops over into his hand, holding out his arms cautiously as the Archangel lowers his hand to the table, onto which the boy hops down to.
Raphael takes his seat, resting his hands on the table, the boy rests his hand on his ring finger, watching Gabriel and Lucifer take their seats, and he blinks in surprise when the oldest holds his hand out to him, a small fork resting on his finger. “You mean, I get to eat actual food?”
They frown down at him and Michael tilts his head. “Of course, you do, what did you eat at the shop?”
Adam shrugs. “Nothin’.”
Lucifer leans forward on his elbows. “You mean, they didn’t feed you food?”
“No, nothin’.”
The Healer nudges him with his finger. “You mean, they didn’t feed you at all?”
“What part of nothin’ don’t you folks understand?” Adam turns quickly when he hears the Archangel behind him clear his throat in warning to his tone. “I mean, no, no they didn’t, or, not all the time, at least. They forgot most of the time.”
The Healer hums deeply. “That’s most unacceptable.” He looks to his oldest brothers, they’d know, seeing as they were the ones who went for their human. “What became of the shop keeper?”
Lucifer reaches for his own fork. “He was taken away, mistreating his humans, unacceptable.”
“Good.” He cuts a piece of chicken into small pieces, very small pieces, and pushes a small amount of mashed potatoes over to the edge of his plate. “Here, little one, you can eat off my plate.”
“Thanks, gigantor.” Gabriel snorts, choking on his drink, at the name bestowed on his older brother, Adam pays him no mind, sitting next to the Healer’s right hand, and reaches for a forkful of potatoes. “I appreciate it.”
The older Archangel raises an eyebrow and nudges the human with a finger. “Excuse me?”
“What?” The small human looks up at him. “If you’re going to call me ‘little one’ in reference to me being tiny compared to you, then I’m going to call you ‘gigantor’ because you’re so heckin huge.”
Gabriel chokes again and Raphael turns to glare at him. “Oh, for God’s sake, Gabriel, stop drinking if you’re going to laugh.” And looks down at the small human, pushing him slightly with a finger. “Two can play at that game, pipsqueak.”
Adam pushes his finger again. “You’re on, big foot.”
Gabriel snorts once more, but this time he doesn’t choke, he took his brother’s advice and put his glass down.
“Big foot, huh?”
The human smirks at him. “Nothing but fact, goliath.”
….
When asked where he wants to stay, after the surprise that came that he had a choice, and their concern for thinking he had no choice in where he stayed, he chooses to stay in Raphael’s room, he likes the big guy, he was cool, he was nice, a bit rough around the edges, perhaps strict is a better word, but overall he’s a nice guy.
He makes his bed once it’s set on the Archangel’s nightstand, and turns to stare at him as he reads a book in his bed, looks down over the edge of the nightstand, looks back up at the Archangel, back down again, judges the distance between the edge of the nightstand to the big bed, looks back to the Archangel, back to the edge, and smiles, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?
Taking advantage of the Archangel being distracted, he steps closer to the edge, turns around, spreads his arms, and falls back. It’s like he’s falling from the top of a skyscraper, the rush is amazing, adrenaline pumping, and he yelps when he’s caught, groaning dramatically as he’s lifted.
The Healer doesn’t so much as spare him a glance, leaving him to wonder how he’d known he’d fallen, purposefully, he yelps as gigantasauras leans over to the bedside table on the other, side, opens the drawer to withdraw something, and sits back, righting himself, lifts his legs slightly to rest his book against them, and he yelps as he’s flipped over, dangling by his ankles, and shrieks with laughter when the Archangel starts swirling a feather around his belly.
After he’s put down, he rubs at his belly for a moment to try and rub the remaining tingles left from the feather, and groans, flopping backwards on the side of the Archangel’s bed.
Raphael chuckles softly, lifting him up by the back of his night shirt, and pulls him in close to sit on his chest.
Sighing, the boy lays down, more accurately, he flops down, sprawled on the Healer’s chest.
“If you’re going to lay like that, I simply can’t pass up on the opportunity presenting itself to me.”
Adam yelps, he does not want to get the feather again, and turns over to lay on his belly. The Archangel’s chest rumbles when he chuckles softly, and he smiles when he curls a hand over him, closing his eyes lightly.
I think I’m going to like it here.
…
He gets a few minutes with the feather the next morning, when he wakes first, he’d fallen asleep on the Archangel’s chest, he’s really warm, so he stays there for a few minutes, before crawling out from under his hand, still curled around him, and slides down off his shoulder, deciding it was time for him to wake up, and screams into his ear.
Raphael starts away, sitting up quickly, looking around for a threat, then turns his head to the side, down to the little human standing on his pillow, arms curled around his belly as he laughs boisterously, and narrows his eyes.
“Did you just wake me up by screaming in my ear?”
“Dude! That…That was priceless! Oh my God, big foot! I can’t! I can’t! That was too good! You fucking flew up, man! Oh my God!”
The Healer stares at him for a moment through narrowed eyes. “You’re just asking for it now, aren’t you, bug?”
Adam hasn’t any time to process the implications of that statement before he’s being scooped up, dangled upside down, and that dreaded feather swirling over his belly again, it lasts a tad longer this time, most likely for the wake up call and his rude awakening.
The boy doesn’t really mind this form of punishment, it was nice, it made him laugh, and most of all, it wasn’t painful. It was a far cry from how his keeper had treated him when they’d thought he needed to be punished, he didn’t want to think about it, it wasn’t good, but this, the feather, while torturous, was painless, if one didn’t include the sore belly from laughing so much, he didn’t count that, the feather was better, it was nicer, kinder, and it didn’t hurt.
Most importantly, it didn’t hurt.
So he didn’t mind this kind of punishment.
He loses track of the time he suffers under the feather flicking and swirling around his belly as he shrieks with hysterical laughter, and the Archangel lays back down, closing his eyes once more, his punishing not inhibited in the slightest as he rests lightly, it’s still early, the sun just poking over the horizon, and he did not appreciate being awoken in such a manner, especially this early in the morning.
He’d make this little gremlin suffer just a bit.