Any anger, any doubt stirred up by Raphael's spiteful words suddenly became secondary to the tears that welled in his fellow archangel's eyes. It had been obvious that Raphael must have been quite upset about something to be this vehement, but Gabriel hadn't realized the issue had struck the other archangel quite so harshly. Then again, he thought soberly, he couldn't imagine what it would be like to be the object of another angel's lust...

"My dear Raphael," Gabriel murmured, and he wrapped one arm cautiously around the other's shoulders. "You'll never be alone."

When the other angel put up only meager objections, Gabriel pulled him into a familiar embrace, patting his back gently and murmuring soft words of comfort into Raphael's coppery hair.