I Am No Angel Chapter 6
Title: I Am No Angel
Author: Miss Meh
Pairing: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Gabriel, Adam/Michael
Rating: R for swearing and implied sexual situations
Warnings: AU, copious amounts of fluff and sexual innuendo, fusion with Beauty and the Beast
Spoilers: None
Word Count: 5134
Status: WIP
Summary: His wings always seemed to be the problem, Castiel figured. But when he and his family move to Sioux Falls and he meets a Beast locked away in a castle, could his wings be the solution?
A/N: Thank you to my beta, Delu.
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Chapter Six: No one else will ever know how to love me
Baby I am broken
Deep inside, I believe that you belong to me
But this remains unspoken
--“Love You to Death” Stefy
Oddly enough, the first thing Adam thought after Michael made his announcement wasn’t, Oh shit, the angel’s father is in trouble. It wasn’t even, Who the fuck is Lucifer? No, much to his chagrin, the first thing to cross his mind was, Thank God, they’re brothers. It took a moment for him to even realize where his head was, then, Seriously? We’ve got all this crap going on and I’m going to have a gay crisis now?
“Who is Lucifer?” Sam asked, cutting Adam’s musings short. “And why would he take your father?”
Michael looked away from Castiel to stare at Sam, eyes raking over his tall frame before focusing in on the candlestick perched on his shoulder. He gave them an odd look but shook his head and directed his attention back to Sam’s face. When he spoke, his voice took on the tone of a military commander briefing his troops. “Lucifer is the leader of an army of supernatural creatures ranging from gods to rugarus and everything in between.”
Dean cut in, “Rugaru? That sounds made up. Is that made up?”
Michael ignored the interruption and continued. “They have been traveling steadily in this direction, killing indiscriminately. Three days ago, he came for Castiel and in his absence took our father as collateral. I have four days to bring my brother to him or-” Michael swallowed and struggled to continue in his emotionless tone of voice. “-he will do something horrible to Father.” He turned away from Sam to look pensively at Dean for a moment before carrying on. “Lucifer recently began recruiting angels to his cause,” he explained. “And he desperately wants Castiel. If my brother refuses to join him, he will kill him and my father as well.” His gaze seemed to grow more intense as he focused on Dean. That look must run in the family, Adam thought. “My father told me that you were to be trusted with my brother’s protection. It would be wise of you to keep to your word, Beast.”
Adam didn’t have to look to know that his brother’s hackles were rising. He saw the angel open his mouth, his brow creased in what appeared to be anger. Not wanting the situation to escalate, Adam spoke before anyone else had a chance to. “Well, it’s all well and good that you want to come here and insult my brother’s integrity-and trust me, it’s easy to do; he’s not exactly a pillar of morality. However, might I suggest that I take you to a room before you collapse in the middle of your argument? In my experience, that tends to undermine your position.”
Michael turned his surprised eyes on him and Adam dragged his gaze over the man’s body-which served the dual purpose of making his point and allowing him to check the guy out at this same time. For all that his military bearing was covering it up, he looked exhausted. He didn’t have wings to expedite his journey like Dean’s angel did and from what Adam knew of Castiel’s family, they probably didn’t own a horse, so he could have been walking for days to get here. And it wasn’t like there were any sign posts or maps to give direction. Any that might have existed had probably crumbled into dust years ago. It was a wonder Michael had made it there at all.
Michael raised an eyebrow at him. “And you are?” he prompted.
“Adam,” he supplied as he hopped forward. “The hairy idiot next to me is my older brother and as such it is my deepest desire to clean up after each and every mess he gets himself into,” he snarked. As he came to a stop in front of Michael, he added sardonically, “I live to serve.”
“Hey, wait a sec-” Dean’s affronted voice cut in right on cue before pausing. With a disbelieving snort, he changed his tack. “Unless you’re talking about your god-awful skills in tea service, you don’t do a damn thing to serve anyone.”
Adam turned completely around to glare at him. “You know, contrary to popular belief, sarcasm is not a Dean Winchester copyright.” He spun back around. “C’mon Michael. It’ll be easier to think of a plan tomorrow when you aren’t entirely off your rocker from lack of sleep,” he said before making his way down the hall, not stopping to make sure the man was behind him. He was almost positive that Michael would follow, and if he didn’t-well, if he wanted to go into a self-induced coma by forcing himself, that was his business.
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Michael felt completely out of his element. He was being berated by a teacup of all things-and such a forceful one at that. Michael found himself having no idea how to react, so when the kid had bounded off, he took a second to throw Castiel a look over his shoulder that clearly said, What have you gotten us into?, before rushing off to catch up to Adam. When he did, he noticed that the teacup was lagging behind-having to hop at least four times to match one of Michael’s strides. Checking to make sure they weren’t within view of the others, Michael leaned down to scoop Adam up in one of his hands.
“What the-?” Adam gasped. Michael held him up to get a closer look at his face. The teacup looked angry and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of such a fierce expression on such an innocuous-looking piece of chinaware. “What the fuck do you think you’re laughing at? Put me down! Why the hell are you carrying me?”
Michael schooled his features. “I am sorry for laughing. This entire situation seems rather ridiculous to me,” he admitted, running his other hand through his hair. “The exhaustion doesn’t help. I suppose I am-what did you call it-‘off my rocker’ and unable to curb my reactions.”
Adam glared at him for a moment before dipping forward a bit in the facsimile of a nod. “Okay, geez, I get it. If I hadn’t spent the last hundred and fifty years as a fucking teacup, I guess it would seem pretty bizarre to me too.” He was quiet for a second as though contemplating his state as a cursed object. He shook himself a bit to dislodge his unpleasant thoughts, then asked, “So can you put me down now?”
“I believe it would be faster if I carried you,” Michael replied, tightening his grip as, in reaction to his words, Adam attempted to throw himself out of his hand. He gaped at the teacup and questioned incredulously, “What are you doing? If you fall from this height, you could break.” He panicked internally at the thought, though whether this was a result of Castiel’s anticipated reaction upon hearing that Michael had broken his future brother-in-law or because of some other reason he didn’t have time to reflect on, Michael wasn’t sure.
Adam stopped struggling and shot him a confused look upon seeing the alarm on Michael’s face. “I don’t believe for a second that you actually care about whether I end up in a million pieces, but hey, I’ll put your non-worries to rest anyway. I can’t die. Not while I’m still a teacup at least. There have been several mishaps over the years, but every time I just sorta pass out for a bit, then when I wake up I’m whole again. I think the only one of us who could actually get hurt for real is Dean. He is still flesh and blood after all.” He paused for a moment with a grimace at the thought of his brother coming to harm, then continued, “Good, now that we’ve got that settled, you can put me down. I’m not a damn baby.”
“Of course not,” Michael agreed. “I didn’t mean to insinuate that you were. I am in great need of sleep, however, and I feel that it would be in my best interest for us to get wherever we are going quickly so that I may be up and ready to plan a rescue for my father as soon as possible. The most expedient way to do that is to carry you.” Having made his point, he started walking again.
Adam grumbled as he settled down in Michael’s grasp. “All right, fine, we’ll do it your way,” he gave in, then stiffened. “But don’t ever mention this to my brothers or Gabriel, got it? I’d never live it down.” He wiggled a bit and scowled at his captor. “Lighten up, dude. Loosen your grip a bit. I’m not going anywhere.” He looked forward again and, noticing where they were, began giving direction. “Go down that corridor right there. Yeah, that one,” he confirmed when Michael pointed. “My room’s the last room on the right.”
Michael was confused. “If I’m staying in your room, where are you sleeping?”
Adam snorted. “Where do you think?” he asked, asked sarcastically. When Michael didn’t answer, he sighed and responded, “I’m a teacup. I sleep in the kitchen.” He eyed the door of the room they were approaching mournfully. “I can’t even reach my bed or any of my things. And how unpractical is it for a teacup to sleep in a bed anyway?” he scoffed. “In any case, the castle staff doesn’t keep any of the beds made up but my brothers’ and mine so it’s not like we have a guest room available immediately and the others actually use their bedrooms. By process of elimination, that leaves my room. Help yourself to it.”
Michael opened the door and stepped through it forgetting for a second that he needed to put Adam down before the teacup rudely reminded him. “’Night Michael!” he called as he hopped down the hall. “Sweet dreams and all that shit.”
“Goodnight Adam,” he replied automatically. He stood there watching Adam proceed down the hall for a second before closing the door. He slowly removed his shoes and stripped down to his under things-folding and stacking his clothing neatly like the properly trained soldier he was-before pulling back the covers and climbing into bed.
Adam, he mused wearily, moments before sleep claimed him. I wonder if he was as weird a human as he is a teacup.
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With all of the excitement in the castle the night before, Gabriel wasn’t sure how his plan was going to work out. He had planned on luring his boyfriend to their bedroom where a spread of Sam’s favorite foods would be laid out on a table with flowers-if he could find any-and an extra tall stool for him so that he would actually be at eyelevel for once. Then, while Sam was completely overwhelmed by his debonair charm and stunning good looks-no one else could hold a candle to him in Sam’s eyes, well, at least he hoped so-Gabriel would finally after all these years tell him those three words considered to be magic by teenage girls, guys looking to score, and apparently overly large, yet surprisingly delicate boyfriends everywhere. Sam would, of course, swoop Gabriel up into his arms and say the words back and then there would be kissing and groping and more non-sex and they would live happily ever after. It would be perfect.
It had to happen like that. Gabriel wouldn’t let it play out any other way. He seriously thought that if it didn’t get done today, he might actually lose his nerve and not say it at all.
No, he thought determinedly. Nobody is going to ruin this for me. The angel’s brother won’t be awake for several more hours. The food’s already made and I spotted some flowers outside, so all I have to do is grab them and set the table and get Sam here and it’ll be all set. Sam will accept this date and let me say what I have to say if I have to tie him down and gag him to do it. He pondered for a second before hurrying to their dresser to rummage through it. Are there any socks left in here from when we were human?
An hour later, Gabriel had everything ready. Now all he had to do was find Sam. He had it all flawlessly planned out. When he found Sam he would drip candle wax from there to the bedroom and then attract his boyfriend’s attention by knocking over a suit of armor or something equally noisy. Sam would follow the trail and when he arrived back at their room, Gabriel would say, “How do you feel about having lunch by candlelight?” His boyfriend would be completely overwhelmed and yada, yada, yada, they live happily ever after.
He figured the best place to begin his search would be the library. For the most part, when he wasn’t with Gabriel, Sam could be found holed up with a rather large and often incredibly boring book. Although, lately he had taken to bringing his unbearably dry tomes elsewhere because, surprisingly enough, Dean and his angel were spending large amounts of time in the clock’s usual haunt. Still, Gabriel felt that the library was the most logical place to start.
Sticking his head through a small crack in the door, he saw that Dean and Castiel were talking quietly in one corner but there was no sign of Sam. Gabriel closed the door, sure that the lovebirds were still in their own little world, and checked the dining room. Sam wasn’t there. He checked the kitchen. No Sam. Ditto the first floor sitting room, the tower, and the courtyard outside. Gabriel huffed impatiently and feeling somewhat dejected, went back to their bedroom. Well, where the fuck is he?
He threw the door open rather violently and stalked through it, mumbling under his breath about no-good cogheads who didn’t have the sense to be where they were supposed to be. He stopped short when he spotted Sam standing next to the table examining the meal and holding the coil of rope and the old pair of underwear Gabriel had found in his boyfriend’s drawer loosely in his hands. When he heard the crash of the door hitting the wall, Sam turned around and gave him a look that clearly said, What the hell, man?
Gabriel tried to remember what he was supposed to say, but his mind chose that moment to take a break from thinking anything other than, Oh shit.
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Michael wasn’t sure what to do when he woke up. He had no idea how he was supposed to navigate the castle. Even if they had taken the time to give him the grand tour last night, he hadn’t exactly been at his best and probably wouldn’t have remembered most of it anyway. Luckily for him, Adam knocked on his door shortly after he had risen and dressed. He opened the door and, seeing who it was, immediately bent over to lift the teacup to his eyelevel.
Adam made a face but didn’t protest this treatment. “Good morning, Michael.” He looked past Michael to where the midday sun was shining through the windows and corrected, “Well, I suppose technically it’s afternoon, but whatever. You want breakfast before we go find my brothers or would you rather go straight to the unfulfilling and emotionally distressing part of our day?” Michael ignored Adam’s sarcasm and opened his mouth to tell him to lead the way to Sam and Dean, but before he could get a word in, his stomach complained loudly. Adam laughed and continued on as though Michael had actually given him an answer. “Breakfast it is then. C’mon, let’s go.” He hooked Michael’s thumb with his handle and tugged in an attempt to get the man to move.
Michael found dining with Adam to be… an experience, to say the least. The little teacup wasn’t exactly effusive-unless he was angry, Michael noted-and since he wasn’t the most talkative person himself, the conversation was a bit stunted at first. It mostly consisted of Adam begrudgingly asking him for help cutting his food into bite-size pieces-his brothers usually did it for him-and them chewing silently while trying not to look at one another.
Adam finished eating first and after a short, awkward pause, started asking questions. “So, you were a soldier right?” When Michael nodded, he continued, “Do you know anything about this crazy general that kidnapped your father? He sounds like a total asshole.”
Michael stiffened and his face went blank to cover the strong reaction he had to Adam’s words. The emotions brought on by the insult to Lucifer were somewhat of a surprise to him. Although his former brother-in-arms had done many horrible things, it seemed that his protective instinct for the man was still intact despite the years that had passed since their falling out. He found himself wanting to defend Lucifer to Adam, even though he knew that the teacup’s description of ‘asshole’ didn’t do Lucifer justice in the least. He looked up and saw that Adam was still waiting for a response.
Struggling to preserve his emotionless façade, he said, “He served under me several years ago, but we had irreconcilable differences. He always had a tendency to blame others for his own actions and I’m afraid that he has held a grudge for an occurrence he considers to be my fault. My relation to Castiel has only made Lucifer want him more and although my father is a useful tool he can use to get my brother to serve him, Lucifer most likely wouldn’t have taken him if I weren’t involved.” His lips twisted bitterly at the thought. Before, he had been so overcome with a combination of worry and the rush to get here that this notion hadn’t occurred to him. Now that he had a chance to slow down and think again, he realized that it really was his fault.
“He’s going to take everyone I love, just to spite me,” Michael stated quietly and with complete certainty. Something akin to horror was growing inside him. This was bad. This was very, very bad. He could handle wars, violence, death, but usually, it wasn’t in any way connected to his family. What was he supposed to do if he lost them? They were all he had. He let out a shaky breath, trying to resume control over his emotions, and passed a hand over his face in an unconscious gesture he used in times of stress.
Seconds passed then he felt something cold and smooth touch the back of his hand. He looked down and saw that Adam had somehow made his way across the table without Michael any the wiser. How did he do that? Michael wondered. His time as a soldier had drilled into him a certain awareness of his surroundings. The fact that a teacup-who couldn’t move without making loud clacking noises-had been able to get so close without his notice made him rather uneasy. He met Adam’s eyes and saw the desire to comfort and a curious heat that he couldn’t-wouldn’t, didn’t want to-name. In spite of-or perhaps, because of-the nameless emotion, he somehow felt himself relax.
A moment later, Michael realized that he and Adam were still touching. He debated with himself for a moment before pulling his hand away slowly and, deciding to completely ignore whatever had just happened between them, suggested they attempt to find their brothers.
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Gabriel had a tendency to lean toward the dramatic-anger, happiness, sadness, whatever-when he felt it he made sure everyone knew about it. At the moment, however, Sam could tell that whatever emotion his lover was feeling, he was trying to cover it up and he wasn’t doing a very good job of it. Gabriel was nervous with little wax sweat drops trailing down his face-a face that pretty much screamed, Uh-oh, busted. Sam wasn’t sure what he had been up to, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Whenever Gabriel was scheming, it usually ended in pain or humiliation for the rest of them. Like the time he had instigated a fight between Sam and Dean by doing things each was sure would only be done by the other, like messing with Impala or drawing lewd pictures in Sam’s current book. They were on the outs for a week before Adam finally put everything into perspective by telling them that Gabriel was tricking them.
Whatever he had done this time had to have been really bad. The only time Gabriel was ever nervous was when Sam banished him to the sitting room for the night and even then, it was only after he was back in Sam’s arms that he would ever admit to it. To have it happening before Sam had even said a word-well, this apology lunch must be making up for something huge.
“Gabriel,” he said, trying to keep his tone even. “What did you do?”
The question wasn’t condemning and Sam didn’t mean it to be accusatory, but Gabriel appeared to take it that way. He was immediately defensive, crossing his candlesticks in front of his chest. “I didn’t do anything,” he spat. “What? A guy can’t prepare a meal for his boyfriend without an ulterior motive?” He glared at Sam as though daring him to agree.
Sam quickly backtracked. “No, no, it’s just, well, you don’t. Ever. So I thought…” He trailed off.
Gabriel looked hurt. “What, so I can’t plan a date for us unless I want to apologize to you?”
Sam stared at Gabriel, completely stunned. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally found his words. “A date,” he breathed. A silly, happy smile stretched across his face. “You wanted us to have a date? Oh, Gabriel, I-” He brought his hands up to reach for his boyfriend and remembered the rope and underwear he was holding. His brow creased slightly but he was still smiling like a fool. “What were these for then?”
Gabriel grinned back at him sheepishly, but there was hope in his eyes. “Well, those were just in case you said no. I was gonna tie you up and force you to sit through it.” He waggled his eyebrows in the usual fashion. “I’ve always wanted to try bondage. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind but hey, I’m flexible.”
“And the underwear?” Sam asked, confused.
“Oh, those were to gag you with,” Gabriel said. “Not exactly ideal, but once we get out of here we can invest in more… professional… equipment.” He gave Sam a lewd once over then paused, looking torn for a moment, before sobering up. “About the date,” he continued seriously. “There was something I wanted to tell you and-”
Gabriel’s words were cut off when Dean burst into the room. “Cas’s brother is finally awake. Let’s get a move on. Cas is really worried about his father and I don’t like it.” He was gone as quickly as he had come, yelling behind him as he rushed back to his angel, “We’re in the library. Hurry the fuck up!”
Sam looked over at the meal Gabriel had set out for them and then back into his lover’s eyes. “Gabriel, I’m sorry, but we really have to go help them. Bobby’s running out of time.” Sam turned away from Gabriel’s frustrated face and made his way to the door. “Are you coming or-”
“I love you!” Gabriel said suddenly. Sam froze and then swiveled in place and was back over to his boyfriend faster than he had thought it possible for him to move. He leaned over and picked Gabriel up.
“Say it again,” he commanded, catching his lover’s gaze with his own and holding it. Gabriel was the one who seemed shocked now and Sam had to prompt him. “Say it again,” he repeated. .
Gabriel licked his lips and looked back at him anxiously. “I love you, Sam.”
Sam didn’t answer right away, but in between kisses, he managed to get out, “I love you, too.”
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Dean was getting impatient. Where the hell were Sam and his drip-stick boyfriend? He had gone to get them half an hour ago, for fuck’s sake. Didn’t they have any sensitivity? They were leaving him alone. With his angel and the man who might or might not be his future brother-in-law. Well, Adam was there too, but in Dean’s opinion teabrain didn’t count. From what Dean was seeing, his little brother had gone and joined the other side, even going so far as to lean against Michael’s arm as he sat on the table next to it. Why the hell were they being so affectionate after one fucking day? Damn it all! He needed a drink.
Still he couldn’t help but smirk when Sam and Gabriel wandered in looking equal parts dazed and flustered, having obviously just been making out. Upon closer inspection, he noticed smudges of Gabriel’s wax on Sam’s face, which was disturbing considering it looked kinda like-okay, ew, that was just gross. Shaking his head slightly and ignoring Cas’s questioning look, Dean forcefully pushed all thoughts of Sam and Gabriel together out of his mind and did what he usually did when he didn’t know what to do.
“Well, now that the lovebirds have decided to grace us with their presence, can we move this shit along?” he demanded sarcastically. He couldn’t help but notice that Gabriel’s wax started dripping slightly just as Sam’s second hand started doing laps around his face at double time. They looked over at one another and exchanged dopey smiles. What the- he thought, then decided, I really don’t want to know. “Michael,” he said as he pointedly moved his gaze to Cas’s brother. “What’s the plan?”
They listened attentively as Michael outlined his plan to save Bobby and defeat that son of a bitch, Lucifer. As far as Dean could tell, it was a good idea. Not foolproof, but, hell, nothing in their lives had ever been that easy.
A few hours later, they had finished arguing the logistics, thank God, and Dean was getting hungry. He stood up and arched his back to stretch out the kinks. “Hey, Cas, can we finish that thing you were reading me after we eat dinner? I’m starving!” He gave Cas a big toothy grin and was gratified when the angel reciprocated.
“Of course, Dean,” he agreed and moved to walk beside Dean as he headed for the door. “What are we having for dinner tonight?”
Dean was talking excitedly about the bacon cheeseburgers that they would be serving that night when he heard Michael call his name. “Dean, may I speak with you for a moment?” he asked. For all that his words were polite, Dean could hear the iron will behind them and realized that this wasn’t a request; it was an order.
Dean nodded after a slight hesitation and said, “Cas, you guys can go down to the dining room. We’ll be there in a minute.” He turned and made his way back over to his angel’s brother as everyone else filed out of the room. He couldn’t help but feel slightly apprehensive. Just being in the same room as Michael made him nervous. Although he would never admit it, Michael had the right to judge him as Cas’s potential future mate and Dean was scared shitless of the very real possibility-in his mind at least-that Michael might try to separate him from Cas when all of this Lucifer business was taken care of.
Michael stared at him in contemplative silence for a second, and then his face softened to some extent as he spoke. “I have noticed that my brother seems to be very happy here. I don’t think I have ever seen him smile so openly or so often. For that, I believe I have you to thank.” Dean was stunned. He nodded in acknowledgement, but for once was unable to speak. Michael continued, “I do have to ask you something. I believe it is my brotherly duty to do so.” The man straightened ever so slightly and caught Dean’s eyes in a gaze that was impossible to look away from. “What are your intentions towards my brother?”
After a few more moments of surprised silence, Dean’s tongue seemed to remember how to work. He licked his lips before parting them to speak. “I want to marry him,” he stated, trying to project a degree of calm he didn’t feel. “With your blessing, of course,” he added hurriedly.
Michael was quiet for a time before he nodded. “You may marry my brother, if-” He stopped as though wondering what to say, but almost immediately seemed to find the words. “Do you love Castiel?” Dean didn’t hesitate, nodding almost before Michael had finished speaking. The man looked at him approvingly. “Very well, then, you have my blessing."
Dean didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.
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Adam watched the next morning from one of the windows as Michael opened the gate and disappeared into the forest. Though he wasn’t stupid enough to show it in front of his brothers, he was really worried about what would happen when Michael found Lucifer. The man was crazy, or so he’d been told. Adam dwelled on horrible visions of bloody swords and decapitated heads for a moment before he shook himself and attempted to think rationally. Fact: Michael knew what he was doing. Fact: Michael knew Lucifer better than anyone else did. Fact-well, okay, uncertain truth: Michael had probably been in more dangerous situations before. Oh, geez, I’m acting like a soldier’s wife waiting for her husband to come home. God damn it, Adam, snap out of it.
Since he was being honest with himself (for the moment, anyway) Adam would admit that he was attracted to Michael. Sure, nothing would ever come of it, but still, it was another fact to add to his list. He was certain that this worry or whatever it was,-completely uncharacteristic of his usual ‘I couldn’t give a fuck’ attitude, must stem from that. Wherever it came from, he was having a hard time getting rid of it.
He looked out over the forest one more time before hopping off the windowsill, intent on finding one of his brothers to distract him.
Chapter Five | Masterpost | Chapter Seven
Author: Miss Meh
Pairing: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Gabriel, Adam/Michael
Rating: R for swearing and implied sexual situations
Warnings: AU, copious amounts of fluff and sexual innuendo, fusion with Beauty and the Beast
Spoilers: None
Word Count: 5134
Status: WIP
Summary: His wings always seemed to be the problem, Castiel figured. But when he and his family move to Sioux Falls and he meets a Beast locked away in a castle, could his wings be the solution?
A/N: Thank you to my beta, Delu.
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Chapter Six: No one else will ever know how to love me
Baby I am broken
Deep inside, I believe that you belong to me
But this remains unspoken
--“Love You to Death” Stefy
Oddly enough, the first thing Adam thought after Michael made his announcement wasn’t, Oh shit, the angel’s father is in trouble. It wasn’t even, Who the fuck is Lucifer? No, much to his chagrin, the first thing to cross his mind was, Thank God, they’re brothers. It took a moment for him to even realize where his head was, then, Seriously? We’ve got all this crap going on and I’m going to have a gay crisis now?
“Who is Lucifer?” Sam asked, cutting Adam’s musings short. “And why would he take your father?”
Michael looked away from Castiel to stare at Sam, eyes raking over his tall frame before focusing in on the candlestick perched on his shoulder. He gave them an odd look but shook his head and directed his attention back to Sam’s face. When he spoke, his voice took on the tone of a military commander briefing his troops. “Lucifer is the leader of an army of supernatural creatures ranging from gods to rugarus and everything in between.”
Dean cut in, “Rugaru? That sounds made up. Is that made up?”
Michael ignored the interruption and continued. “They have been traveling steadily in this direction, killing indiscriminately. Three days ago, he came for Castiel and in his absence took our father as collateral. I have four days to bring my brother to him or-” Michael swallowed and struggled to continue in his emotionless tone of voice. “-he will do something horrible to Father.” He turned away from Sam to look pensively at Dean for a moment before carrying on. “Lucifer recently began recruiting angels to his cause,” he explained. “And he desperately wants Castiel. If my brother refuses to join him, he will kill him and my father as well.” His gaze seemed to grow more intense as he focused on Dean. That look must run in the family, Adam thought. “My father told me that you were to be trusted with my brother’s protection. It would be wise of you to keep to your word, Beast.”
Adam didn’t have to look to know that his brother’s hackles were rising. He saw the angel open his mouth, his brow creased in what appeared to be anger. Not wanting the situation to escalate, Adam spoke before anyone else had a chance to. “Well, it’s all well and good that you want to come here and insult my brother’s integrity-and trust me, it’s easy to do; he’s not exactly a pillar of morality. However, might I suggest that I take you to a room before you collapse in the middle of your argument? In my experience, that tends to undermine your position.”
Michael turned his surprised eyes on him and Adam dragged his gaze over the man’s body-which served the dual purpose of making his point and allowing him to check the guy out at this same time. For all that his military bearing was covering it up, he looked exhausted. He didn’t have wings to expedite his journey like Dean’s angel did and from what Adam knew of Castiel’s family, they probably didn’t own a horse, so he could have been walking for days to get here. And it wasn’t like there were any sign posts or maps to give direction. Any that might have existed had probably crumbled into dust years ago. It was a wonder Michael had made it there at all.
Michael raised an eyebrow at him. “And you are?” he prompted.
“Adam,” he supplied as he hopped forward. “The hairy idiot next to me is my older brother and as such it is my deepest desire to clean up after each and every mess he gets himself into,” he snarked. As he came to a stop in front of Michael, he added sardonically, “I live to serve.”
“Hey, wait a sec-” Dean’s affronted voice cut in right on cue before pausing. With a disbelieving snort, he changed his tack. “Unless you’re talking about your god-awful skills in tea service, you don’t do a damn thing to serve anyone.”
Adam turned completely around to glare at him. “You know, contrary to popular belief, sarcasm is not a Dean Winchester copyright.” He spun back around. “C’mon Michael. It’ll be easier to think of a plan tomorrow when you aren’t entirely off your rocker from lack of sleep,” he said before making his way down the hall, not stopping to make sure the man was behind him. He was almost positive that Michael would follow, and if he didn’t-well, if he wanted to go into a self-induced coma by forcing himself, that was his business.
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Michael felt completely out of his element. He was being berated by a teacup of all things-and such a forceful one at that. Michael found himself having no idea how to react, so when the kid had bounded off, he took a second to throw Castiel a look over his shoulder that clearly said, What have you gotten us into?, before rushing off to catch up to Adam. When he did, he noticed that the teacup was lagging behind-having to hop at least four times to match one of Michael’s strides. Checking to make sure they weren’t within view of the others, Michael leaned down to scoop Adam up in one of his hands.
“What the-?” Adam gasped. Michael held him up to get a closer look at his face. The teacup looked angry and he couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of such a fierce expression on such an innocuous-looking piece of chinaware. “What the fuck do you think you’re laughing at? Put me down! Why the hell are you carrying me?”
Michael schooled his features. “I am sorry for laughing. This entire situation seems rather ridiculous to me,” he admitted, running his other hand through his hair. “The exhaustion doesn’t help. I suppose I am-what did you call it-‘off my rocker’ and unable to curb my reactions.”
Adam glared at him for a moment before dipping forward a bit in the facsimile of a nod. “Okay, geez, I get it. If I hadn’t spent the last hundred and fifty years as a fucking teacup, I guess it would seem pretty bizarre to me too.” He was quiet for a second as though contemplating his state as a cursed object. He shook himself a bit to dislodge his unpleasant thoughts, then asked, “So can you put me down now?”
“I believe it would be faster if I carried you,” Michael replied, tightening his grip as, in reaction to his words, Adam attempted to throw himself out of his hand. He gaped at the teacup and questioned incredulously, “What are you doing? If you fall from this height, you could break.” He panicked internally at the thought, though whether this was a result of Castiel’s anticipated reaction upon hearing that Michael had broken his future brother-in-law or because of some other reason he didn’t have time to reflect on, Michael wasn’t sure.
Adam stopped struggling and shot him a confused look upon seeing the alarm on Michael’s face. “I don’t believe for a second that you actually care about whether I end up in a million pieces, but hey, I’ll put your non-worries to rest anyway. I can’t die. Not while I’m still a teacup at least. There have been several mishaps over the years, but every time I just sorta pass out for a bit, then when I wake up I’m whole again. I think the only one of us who could actually get hurt for real is Dean. He is still flesh and blood after all.” He paused for a moment with a grimace at the thought of his brother coming to harm, then continued, “Good, now that we’ve got that settled, you can put me down. I’m not a damn baby.”
“Of course not,” Michael agreed. “I didn’t mean to insinuate that you were. I am in great need of sleep, however, and I feel that it would be in my best interest for us to get wherever we are going quickly so that I may be up and ready to plan a rescue for my father as soon as possible. The most expedient way to do that is to carry you.” Having made his point, he started walking again.
Adam grumbled as he settled down in Michael’s grasp. “All right, fine, we’ll do it your way,” he gave in, then stiffened. “But don’t ever mention this to my brothers or Gabriel, got it? I’d never live it down.” He wiggled a bit and scowled at his captor. “Lighten up, dude. Loosen your grip a bit. I’m not going anywhere.” He looked forward again and, noticing where they were, began giving direction. “Go down that corridor right there. Yeah, that one,” he confirmed when Michael pointed. “My room’s the last room on the right.”
Michael was confused. “If I’m staying in your room, where are you sleeping?”
Adam snorted. “Where do you think?” he asked, asked sarcastically. When Michael didn’t answer, he sighed and responded, “I’m a teacup. I sleep in the kitchen.” He eyed the door of the room they were approaching mournfully. “I can’t even reach my bed or any of my things. And how unpractical is it for a teacup to sleep in a bed anyway?” he scoffed. “In any case, the castle staff doesn’t keep any of the beds made up but my brothers’ and mine so it’s not like we have a guest room available immediately and the others actually use their bedrooms. By process of elimination, that leaves my room. Help yourself to it.”
Michael opened the door and stepped through it forgetting for a second that he needed to put Adam down before the teacup rudely reminded him. “’Night Michael!” he called as he hopped down the hall. “Sweet dreams and all that shit.”
“Goodnight Adam,” he replied automatically. He stood there watching Adam proceed down the hall for a second before closing the door. He slowly removed his shoes and stripped down to his under things-folding and stacking his clothing neatly like the properly trained soldier he was-before pulling back the covers and climbing into bed.
Adam, he mused wearily, moments before sleep claimed him. I wonder if he was as weird a human as he is a teacup.
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With all of the excitement in the castle the night before, Gabriel wasn’t sure how his plan was going to work out. He had planned on luring his boyfriend to their bedroom where a spread of Sam’s favorite foods would be laid out on a table with flowers-if he could find any-and an extra tall stool for him so that he would actually be at eyelevel for once. Then, while Sam was completely overwhelmed by his debonair charm and stunning good looks-no one else could hold a candle to him in Sam’s eyes, well, at least he hoped so-Gabriel would finally after all these years tell him those three words considered to be magic by teenage girls, guys looking to score, and apparently overly large, yet surprisingly delicate boyfriends everywhere. Sam would, of course, swoop Gabriel up into his arms and say the words back and then there would be kissing and groping and more non-sex and they would live happily ever after. It would be perfect.
It had to happen like that. Gabriel wouldn’t let it play out any other way. He seriously thought that if it didn’t get done today, he might actually lose his nerve and not say it at all.
No, he thought determinedly. Nobody is going to ruin this for me. The angel’s brother won’t be awake for several more hours. The food’s already made and I spotted some flowers outside, so all I have to do is grab them and set the table and get Sam here and it’ll be all set. Sam will accept this date and let me say what I have to say if I have to tie him down and gag him to do it. He pondered for a second before hurrying to their dresser to rummage through it. Are there any socks left in here from when we were human?
An hour later, Gabriel had everything ready. Now all he had to do was find Sam. He had it all flawlessly planned out. When he found Sam he would drip candle wax from there to the bedroom and then attract his boyfriend’s attention by knocking over a suit of armor or something equally noisy. Sam would follow the trail and when he arrived back at their room, Gabriel would say, “How do you feel about having lunch by candlelight?” His boyfriend would be completely overwhelmed and yada, yada, yada, they live happily ever after.
He figured the best place to begin his search would be the library. For the most part, when he wasn’t with Gabriel, Sam could be found holed up with a rather large and often incredibly boring book. Although, lately he had taken to bringing his unbearably dry tomes elsewhere because, surprisingly enough, Dean and his angel were spending large amounts of time in the clock’s usual haunt. Still, Gabriel felt that the library was the most logical place to start.
Sticking his head through a small crack in the door, he saw that Dean and Castiel were talking quietly in one corner but there was no sign of Sam. Gabriel closed the door, sure that the lovebirds were still in their own little world, and checked the dining room. Sam wasn’t there. He checked the kitchen. No Sam. Ditto the first floor sitting room, the tower, and the courtyard outside. Gabriel huffed impatiently and feeling somewhat dejected, went back to their bedroom. Well, where the fuck is he?
He threw the door open rather violently and stalked through it, mumbling under his breath about no-good cogheads who didn’t have the sense to be where they were supposed to be. He stopped short when he spotted Sam standing next to the table examining the meal and holding the coil of rope and the old pair of underwear Gabriel had found in his boyfriend’s drawer loosely in his hands. When he heard the crash of the door hitting the wall, Sam turned around and gave him a look that clearly said, What the hell, man?
Gabriel tried to remember what he was supposed to say, but his mind chose that moment to take a break from thinking anything other than, Oh shit.
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Michael wasn’t sure what to do when he woke up. He had no idea how he was supposed to navigate the castle. Even if they had taken the time to give him the grand tour last night, he hadn’t exactly been at his best and probably wouldn’t have remembered most of it anyway. Luckily for him, Adam knocked on his door shortly after he had risen and dressed. He opened the door and, seeing who it was, immediately bent over to lift the teacup to his eyelevel.
Adam made a face but didn’t protest this treatment. “Good morning, Michael.” He looked past Michael to where the midday sun was shining through the windows and corrected, “Well, I suppose technically it’s afternoon, but whatever. You want breakfast before we go find my brothers or would you rather go straight to the unfulfilling and emotionally distressing part of our day?” Michael ignored Adam’s sarcasm and opened his mouth to tell him to lead the way to Sam and Dean, but before he could get a word in, his stomach complained loudly. Adam laughed and continued on as though Michael had actually given him an answer. “Breakfast it is then. C’mon, let’s go.” He hooked Michael’s thumb with his handle and tugged in an attempt to get the man to move.
Michael found dining with Adam to be… an experience, to say the least. The little teacup wasn’t exactly effusive-unless he was angry, Michael noted-and since he wasn’t the most talkative person himself, the conversation was a bit stunted at first. It mostly consisted of Adam begrudgingly asking him for help cutting his food into bite-size pieces-his brothers usually did it for him-and them chewing silently while trying not to look at one another.
Adam finished eating first and after a short, awkward pause, started asking questions. “So, you were a soldier right?” When Michael nodded, he continued, “Do you know anything about this crazy general that kidnapped your father? He sounds like a total asshole.”
Michael stiffened and his face went blank to cover the strong reaction he had to Adam’s words. The emotions brought on by the insult to Lucifer were somewhat of a surprise to him. Although his former brother-in-arms had done many horrible things, it seemed that his protective instinct for the man was still intact despite the years that had passed since their falling out. He found himself wanting to defend Lucifer to Adam, even though he knew that the teacup’s description of ‘asshole’ didn’t do Lucifer justice in the least. He looked up and saw that Adam was still waiting for a response.
Struggling to preserve his emotionless façade, he said, “He served under me several years ago, but we had irreconcilable differences. He always had a tendency to blame others for his own actions and I’m afraid that he has held a grudge for an occurrence he considers to be my fault. My relation to Castiel has only made Lucifer want him more and although my father is a useful tool he can use to get my brother to serve him, Lucifer most likely wouldn’t have taken him if I weren’t involved.” His lips twisted bitterly at the thought. Before, he had been so overcome with a combination of worry and the rush to get here that this notion hadn’t occurred to him. Now that he had a chance to slow down and think again, he realized that it really was his fault.
“He’s going to take everyone I love, just to spite me,” Michael stated quietly and with complete certainty. Something akin to horror was growing inside him. This was bad. This was very, very bad. He could handle wars, violence, death, but usually, it wasn’t in any way connected to his family. What was he supposed to do if he lost them? They were all he had. He let out a shaky breath, trying to resume control over his emotions, and passed a hand over his face in an unconscious gesture he used in times of stress.
Seconds passed then he felt something cold and smooth touch the back of his hand. He looked down and saw that Adam had somehow made his way across the table without Michael any the wiser. How did he do that? Michael wondered. His time as a soldier had drilled into him a certain awareness of his surroundings. The fact that a teacup-who couldn’t move without making loud clacking noises-had been able to get so close without his notice made him rather uneasy. He met Adam’s eyes and saw the desire to comfort and a curious heat that he couldn’t-wouldn’t, didn’t want to-name. In spite of-or perhaps, because of-the nameless emotion, he somehow felt himself relax.
A moment later, Michael realized that he and Adam were still touching. He debated with himself for a moment before pulling his hand away slowly and, deciding to completely ignore whatever had just happened between them, suggested they attempt to find their brothers.
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Gabriel had a tendency to lean toward the dramatic-anger, happiness, sadness, whatever-when he felt it he made sure everyone knew about it. At the moment, however, Sam could tell that whatever emotion his lover was feeling, he was trying to cover it up and he wasn’t doing a very good job of it. Gabriel was nervous with little wax sweat drops trailing down his face-a face that pretty much screamed, Uh-oh, busted. Sam wasn’t sure what he had been up to, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Whenever Gabriel was scheming, it usually ended in pain or humiliation for the rest of them. Like the time he had instigated a fight between Sam and Dean by doing things each was sure would only be done by the other, like messing with Impala or drawing lewd pictures in Sam’s current book. They were on the outs for a week before Adam finally put everything into perspective by telling them that Gabriel was tricking them.
Whatever he had done this time had to have been really bad. The only time Gabriel was ever nervous was when Sam banished him to the sitting room for the night and even then, it was only after he was back in Sam’s arms that he would ever admit to it. To have it happening before Sam had even said a word-well, this apology lunch must be making up for something huge.
“Gabriel,” he said, trying to keep his tone even. “What did you do?”
The question wasn’t condemning and Sam didn’t mean it to be accusatory, but Gabriel appeared to take it that way. He was immediately defensive, crossing his candlesticks in front of his chest. “I didn’t do anything,” he spat. “What? A guy can’t prepare a meal for his boyfriend without an ulterior motive?” He glared at Sam as though daring him to agree.
Sam quickly backtracked. “No, no, it’s just, well, you don’t. Ever. So I thought…” He trailed off.
Gabriel looked hurt. “What, so I can’t plan a date for us unless I want to apologize to you?”
Sam stared at Gabriel, completely stunned. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally found his words. “A date,” he breathed. A silly, happy smile stretched across his face. “You wanted us to have a date? Oh, Gabriel, I-” He brought his hands up to reach for his boyfriend and remembered the rope and underwear he was holding. His brow creased slightly but he was still smiling like a fool. “What were these for then?”
Gabriel grinned back at him sheepishly, but there was hope in his eyes. “Well, those were just in case you said no. I was gonna tie you up and force you to sit through it.” He waggled his eyebrows in the usual fashion. “I’ve always wanted to try bondage. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind but hey, I’m flexible.”
“And the underwear?” Sam asked, confused.
“Oh, those were to gag you with,” Gabriel said. “Not exactly ideal, but once we get out of here we can invest in more… professional… equipment.” He gave Sam a lewd once over then paused, looking torn for a moment, before sobering up. “About the date,” he continued seriously. “There was something I wanted to tell you and-”
Gabriel’s words were cut off when Dean burst into the room. “Cas’s brother is finally awake. Let’s get a move on. Cas is really worried about his father and I don’t like it.” He was gone as quickly as he had come, yelling behind him as he rushed back to his angel, “We’re in the library. Hurry the fuck up!”
Sam looked over at the meal Gabriel had set out for them and then back into his lover’s eyes. “Gabriel, I’m sorry, but we really have to go help them. Bobby’s running out of time.” Sam turned away from Gabriel’s frustrated face and made his way to the door. “Are you coming or-”
“I love you!” Gabriel said suddenly. Sam froze and then swiveled in place and was back over to his boyfriend faster than he had thought it possible for him to move. He leaned over and picked Gabriel up.
“Say it again,” he commanded, catching his lover’s gaze with his own and holding it. Gabriel was the one who seemed shocked now and Sam had to prompt him. “Say it again,” he repeated. .
Gabriel licked his lips and looked back at him anxiously. “I love you, Sam.”
Sam didn’t answer right away, but in between kisses, he managed to get out, “I love you, too.”
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Dean was getting impatient. Where the hell were Sam and his drip-stick boyfriend? He had gone to get them half an hour ago, for fuck’s sake. Didn’t they have any sensitivity? They were leaving him alone. With his angel and the man who might or might not be his future brother-in-law. Well, Adam was there too, but in Dean’s opinion teabrain didn’t count. From what Dean was seeing, his little brother had gone and joined the other side, even going so far as to lean against Michael’s arm as he sat on the table next to it. Why the hell were they being so affectionate after one fucking day? Damn it all! He needed a drink.
Still he couldn’t help but smirk when Sam and Gabriel wandered in looking equal parts dazed and flustered, having obviously just been making out. Upon closer inspection, he noticed smudges of Gabriel’s wax on Sam’s face, which was disturbing considering it looked kinda like-okay, ew, that was just gross. Shaking his head slightly and ignoring Cas’s questioning look, Dean forcefully pushed all thoughts of Sam and Gabriel together out of his mind and did what he usually did when he didn’t know what to do.
“Well, now that the lovebirds have decided to grace us with their presence, can we move this shit along?” he demanded sarcastically. He couldn’t help but notice that Gabriel’s wax started dripping slightly just as Sam’s second hand started doing laps around his face at double time. They looked over at one another and exchanged dopey smiles. What the- he thought, then decided, I really don’t want to know. “Michael,” he said as he pointedly moved his gaze to Cas’s brother. “What’s the plan?”
They listened attentively as Michael outlined his plan to save Bobby and defeat that son of a bitch, Lucifer. As far as Dean could tell, it was a good idea. Not foolproof, but, hell, nothing in their lives had ever been that easy.
A few hours later, they had finished arguing the logistics, thank God, and Dean was getting hungry. He stood up and arched his back to stretch out the kinks. “Hey, Cas, can we finish that thing you were reading me after we eat dinner? I’m starving!” He gave Cas a big toothy grin and was gratified when the angel reciprocated.
“Of course, Dean,” he agreed and moved to walk beside Dean as he headed for the door. “What are we having for dinner tonight?”
Dean was talking excitedly about the bacon cheeseburgers that they would be serving that night when he heard Michael call his name. “Dean, may I speak with you for a moment?” he asked. For all that his words were polite, Dean could hear the iron will behind them and realized that this wasn’t a request; it was an order.
Dean nodded after a slight hesitation and said, “Cas, you guys can go down to the dining room. We’ll be there in a minute.” He turned and made his way back over to his angel’s brother as everyone else filed out of the room. He couldn’t help but feel slightly apprehensive. Just being in the same room as Michael made him nervous. Although he would never admit it, Michael had the right to judge him as Cas’s potential future mate and Dean was scared shitless of the very real possibility-in his mind at least-that Michael might try to separate him from Cas when all of this Lucifer business was taken care of.
Michael stared at him in contemplative silence for a second, and then his face softened to some extent as he spoke. “I have noticed that my brother seems to be very happy here. I don’t think I have ever seen him smile so openly or so often. For that, I believe I have you to thank.” Dean was stunned. He nodded in acknowledgement, but for once was unable to speak. Michael continued, “I do have to ask you something. I believe it is my brotherly duty to do so.” The man straightened ever so slightly and caught Dean’s eyes in a gaze that was impossible to look away from. “What are your intentions towards my brother?”
After a few more moments of surprised silence, Dean’s tongue seemed to remember how to work. He licked his lips before parting them to speak. “I want to marry him,” he stated, trying to project a degree of calm he didn’t feel. “With your blessing, of course,” he added hurriedly.
Michael was quiet for a time before he nodded. “You may marry my brother, if-” He stopped as though wondering what to say, but almost immediately seemed to find the words. “Do you love Castiel?” Dean didn’t hesitate, nodding almost before Michael had finished speaking. The man looked at him approvingly. “Very well, then, you have my blessing."
Dean didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.
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Adam watched the next morning from one of the windows as Michael opened the gate and disappeared into the forest. Though he wasn’t stupid enough to show it in front of his brothers, he was really worried about what would happen when Michael found Lucifer. The man was crazy, or so he’d been told. Adam dwelled on horrible visions of bloody swords and decapitated heads for a moment before he shook himself and attempted to think rationally. Fact: Michael knew what he was doing. Fact: Michael knew Lucifer better than anyone else did. Fact-well, okay, uncertain truth: Michael had probably been in more dangerous situations before. Oh, geez, I’m acting like a soldier’s wife waiting for her husband to come home. God damn it, Adam, snap out of it.
Since he was being honest with himself (for the moment, anyway) Adam would admit that he was attracted to Michael. Sure, nothing would ever come of it, but still, it was another fact to add to his list. He was certain that this worry or whatever it was,-completely uncharacteristic of his usual ‘I couldn’t give a fuck’ attitude, must stem from that. Wherever it came from, he was having a hard time getting rid of it.
He looked out over the forest one more time before hopping off the windowsill, intent on finding one of his brothers to distract him.
Chapter Five | Masterpost | Chapter Seven