Even the sound of Balthazar's voice sent spikes of pain into Gabriel's temples. Seriously, he'd always known they were fragile, but were they just the weakest things to ever walk the Earth or what? He swallowed the whimper, didn't lift his head and whispered, "Thanks so much, bro, I'm glad you enjoyed my suffering."

It should've come out somewhere between sardonic, amused and bitter. Mostly it just came out really, really tired. And, well, pained.