Unexpected Destinies Chapter 114
Title: Unexpected Destinies
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 2,904
Summary: Michael has a surprise gift for Dean and Castiel.
PAST
The moment that Michael zapped them back into the apartment, the smell of pizza assaulted Dean's nose and not just any pizza either, but the really frigging amazing stuff that Castiel always brought him straight from Italy. If he'd been in control of his own meatsuit, his mouth would have been watering instantly.
"Well, it's been swell, but I'll catch you later," Dean said, mind already on his meal.
"Not just yet," Michael replied.
"Huh? What? We did everything we needed to!" Dean protested, almost able to feel his stomach growl even though he knew that was impossible with Michael in control.
"There is something else I wish to do first."
"Now? When there's delicious pizza ready to be consumed?"
With a ripple of Grace much like a sigh, Michael headed towards the pizza and Dean perked up. "You gonna do what I think you're gonna do?"
Instead of replying, his friend picked up a slice and bit into it. For a second Dean had the crazy urge to tell Michael to be careful as the cheese was still sizzling but then he realized that, hey, archangel, so it didn't really matter. The pizza was every bit as delicious as he'd expected it to be even with the peppers he saw on the slice. Castiel really was going to get him to like vegetables at this rate. The pizza, like the pie and the pancakes, was obviously a hit if the wave of surprise and delight he got from his friend was anything to go by.
"Michael?" Castiel questioned, coming to stand beside them.
"Sorry, Dean's enthusiasm for the pizza made me wish to taste it," Michael explained.
His lover shifted in a surprisingly human reaction and Dean wondered how much he'd rubbed off on Castiel. Well, he found himself tilting his head now on occasion, so it made sense that his lover had picked up some of his habits as well.
"Mike?" Dean prompted.
"What is it that you humans say?" Michael inquired. "When one person is so hopelessly smitten with another that they will do all that they wish?"
"Shut up."
"I know there is an expression."
"I'm not telling you."
"I can get more if you wish some as well," Castiel offered.
"That will not be necessary," Michael stated, finishing his slice. "There is something I wish to do for you, both of you."
"Really?" Dean asked. "What?"
And there was his lover's famous head tilt. "Brother?" Castiel questioned.
"Come," Michael said, walking straight past the sofa with Deirdre's prone form, down the hall and into the bedroom.
"Uh, Mike?" Dean questioned uncertainly. "What are you doing?"
"Shush, trust me."
Calmly, and clearly enjoying himself, Michael seated himself on the end of the bed with his back to Castiel. Dean frowned as he tried to figure out what his friend was doing. There was the shivery sensation of wing movement and his lover drew in a sharp breath.
"What?" Dean demanded. "What?"
"Brother, are you sure?" Castiel asked, amazed.
Michael turned his head to look over his shoulder at Castiel and Dean was startled at the expression of wonder on his lover's face. "I would not be offering if I was not. Think of it as a gift."
"What are you guys talking about?" Dean pressed.
"Hush, Little One, you will enjoy it, I promise."
"Mike!"
There was a ripple of fond exasperation before his friend caved. "I am going to let you experience what it is that you do for Castiel so willingly on a regular basis."
"Huh?"
Before Michael could reply and explain any further, Dean gasped as a sensation unlike any other washed over him. His eyes dropped closed as it morphed into pleasure not dissimilar to a really good massage, one of those full body ones, or a really nice, long session of magic fingers. Only it was better and he hadn't thought that was even possible.
"What's that?" Dean inquired before it hit him. "Oh. Oh!"
It was Castiel.
It was Castiel grooming him.
Or rather grooming them, but the essential fact remained. Now that Dean realized what it was he could feel his lover's fingers as they carded through Michael's feathers, carefully oiling them and setting them in their proper place. It felt amazing and he'd never realized just how sensitive an angel's wings were even given his lover's reactions to his own ministrations.
"Yes, do you like it?" Michael teased.
"Are you kidding me, this is awesome!"
If he'd been in control of these wings, Dean would have been preening now, stretching them out and shamelessly begging for more. Michael chuckled before he obligingly stretched his wings for him. There was a laugh from behind them before he yelped as Castiel suddenly tugged at a feather.
"Bastard," Dean muttered before he all but melted at whatever his lover did next.
"Enjoying yourself, Little One?" Michael inquired, voice rife with amusement which then rippled over him.
"Dude, you can say whatever you want right now and I'm not gonna mind."
"I am pleased."
"What does he think of it?" Castiel inquired.
"He is enjoying it very much," Michael replied.
"Understatement of the year," Dean said before he hesitated.
"What is it?"
"Well it's just... uh... when I groom Cas it's quite often..."
"Sexual?"
"Yeah, that."
"A massage from your brother feels quite different from one Castiel gives you, does it not?"
"Sam never gave me a massage, but point taken," Dean replied.
And that was probably a very good thing too as he could only imagine how awkward it would have been if this had affected Michael in any other way. Actually no, he'd really rather not imagine that particular scenario. That was just wrong on so many levels, even for him and he firmly pushed the thought from his mind.
The knowledge that, between the two archangels, he was perfectly safe allowed Dean to bask in the wonderful sensations without needing to worry or keep a cautious eye out, just in case. In fact he was getting to do that so often the past few months that he wondered how he was ever going to deal with long stretches of hunting on his own or with just other human hunters. But then he thought of the kalsika and realized that if he played his cards right then he'd never be alone like that again, though even without the bonding that was most likely true, but he wanted it anyway. Wanted Castiel like that, as close as he could have him.
Time distorted even more than normal for Dean while playing vessel but on this occasion he totally didn't mind as he was floating on a sea of pleasure and relaxation. Michael's amusement and affection only added to the pleasant haze and he gave into the desire to just let himself go, burrowing as deep into the sensation as it was possible to get. He was suddenly very happy for the size and number of Michael's wings as it meant that there was a lot to groom. He happily returned his friend's affection as the archangel continued to obligingly stretch each wing he wanted as Castiel meticulously worked his way through them, one at a time.
/
Castiel had always found the task of grooming his brothers and sisters to be very soothing and, to be honest, he did miss it on occasion now that he no longer went to any of them to get his own wings groomed. He'd never give up having Dean groom them for him, but he did miss grooming itself a little. This opportunity- no, this gift- of Michael's though, he couldn't even begin to express his gratitude for it and he could only hope that his brother was able to sense enough of what Dean was feeling to understand how much they appreciated it. Or at least he hoped his human loved it as much as he did.
"How is Dean?" Castiel inquired.
"I have never felt him this happy and relaxed before. His soul is like a warm ball of light and pleasure at the moment, pulsing and shining brighter than ever. He is almost as radiant as the sun just now. And best of all, he is incoherent too," Michael replied before he laughed.
"What?"
"He just said that I am incoherent."
Castiel smiled at the words, more than pleased. Whenever Dean simply spat back what someone had said to him, generally something he didn't like, it meant that his hunter was at a loss as to anything better to say and that only happened on rare occasions when his mate was either caught off-guard or as incoherent as it was possible for Dean Winchester to get. Knowing how much it pleased his mate, he dug his fingers in extra deep, recalling each and every last thing he had ever learned about how his brothers and sisters liked to be groomed and performing it now. After all of the times Dean had taken care of his wings, he was determined to make this as good for his mate as possible. And if he made it so good that Michael wanted more later, then so much the better.
Far too soon, Castiel was finished grooming his brother's last wing and while ending meant that he'd get his mate back, he wished that there were more feathers and wings to groom as he enjoyed pleasuring both Michael and Dean at the same. Especially when it meant giving his hunter a gift such as this.
"I should get back to Heaven and continue my research," Michael finally said, as if reluctant to break the silence though he rose to his feet and stretched his wings languidly.
It was a gesture that Castiel easily recognized from all of the times that he had done the exact same thing after a good and thorough grooming and he found himself unconsciously mimicking the movements.
"Yes and Dean should eat," Castiel agreed.
Michael nodded once and looked at him. "Thank you, Brother."
"No, thank you."
"It was a pleasure, truly. You are very good at grooming, Castiel."
"It is something I have always enjoyed."
Michael flew into the other room and Castiel followed, smiling as he could hear his mate's complaints about the necessity of 'zapping' across such a short distance. He stood close by as his brother transferred back to Deirdre Winchester's body and it was a good thing that he did so as Dean slumped sideways as soon as Michael was gone and only his quick reactions prevented his mate from losing his perch on the sofa.
"Dean?" Castiel inquired worriedly, already reaching out with his Grace.
As soon as he touched his mate's soul, Castiel relaxed, sensing that it was a deep state of relaxation to the point being only partially aware that caused the lack of control instead of something far more serious. In fact the discovery made him feel rather smug and very, very pleased, knowing that it was he who had done this to his hunter. Dean hummed deep in his throat, looking up at him through half-lidded eyes before taking hold of his tie and pulling him closer for a kiss. For them it was a very tame and chaste kiss, but for all that it touched him deeply, the sheer emotion and gentleness behind it reverberating far more strongly with him than a more fierce kiss ever could.
Afterwards, Dean rested his head against his shoulder and Castiel could feel the sudden wave of exhaustion that swept through his mate and he was abruptly reminded of the fact that Dean had only recently helped them create a new seal and would not yet have had the time to recover from that. Without a moment's hesitation, he swept his hunter up into his arms and turned them so that he sat on the couch with Dean in his lap so that both of his mate's legs were on one side and allowing Dean to lean against him and use him as a pillow. The fact that his mate only made a small noise of protest told him that he'd been right, as did the sudden loud growl of Dean's stomach.
"Here, Little One, eat and build up your energy once more," Michael said, suddenly appearing by their side with the pizza box.
Castiel took hold of the box with the hand that wasn't securely wrapped around his mate waist and held it so that Dean could easily get at it. The rate at which the first few slices disappeared would have been amazing to anyone who didn't know his hunter. As it was it made Michael shake his head in a mixture of amusement and fondness before his brother left with a final farewell. He continued to just hold his mate and watch him eat as Dean didn't seem awake enough to do more than one thing at a time and he wondered instead at the pleasure he got out of just watching Dean eat. Was it simply because he knew that it was something that his hunter enjoyed? Or was there something more complicated behind it? He knew that he had learned a lot about emotions and what it meant to feel them, but there was also still much that he didn't yet know or understand.
One thing that Castiel did know for sure was that Dean was not going to get all the way through the pizza no matter how much his mate might want to. Dean was slowing rapidly and having to blink his eyes more and more so he put aside the pizza box and took them back into the bedroom. If it wasn't for the utterly relaxed state of his mate, he would have been worried at how passive Dean was as he undressed his hunter, doing it the human way to be able to enjoy just touching his mate and slowly revealing more of his beautiful body. His human was so tired that he was sure that Dean was asleep before he even got his mate horizontal and he smiled as he undressed himself and climbed in next to him.
For a few minutes Castiel just enjoyed lying in bed with Dean, letting the warmth and feel of his mate soak into him, before he reached out towards Xarael to see how the hunt for the newly escaped demons was going. He made a few suggestions when he learned of the progress before they moved on to the other tasks he had to oversee as Sheriff of Heaven as Dean had so aptly dubbed him. Or at least he so assumed as he wasn't entirely sure what a sheriff was or how it different from any other type of cop or FBI agent that he had encountered with the Winchesters, but there had been no hint of teasing in his mate's voice when Dean had called him that so he assumed the title was genuine if no doubt misguided due to Dean's lack of knowledge regarding Heavenly protocol and structure.
The movements were slight at first, but they instantly captured Castiel's attention as it had been a long time since Dean had fallen victim to a true nightmare, especially while in his presence. He reached out and softly brushed two fingers across his mate's forehead, intending to send Dean deeper into sleep, safely beyond the realm of dreams and nightmares, but something resisted his touch. True he could push harder, but he didn't know why it wasn't enough and he didn't want to risk hurting his mate. Instead he reached out with his Grace and connected with Dean's mind, slipping into the nightmare.
Castiel gasped as one of Heaven's many landscapes took form around him. There were clouds everywhere, dark and gray, threatening; ominous. Thunder rumbled all around him and electricity crackled all along his being though there was no actual lightening just yet. It was only a matter of time though as he could taste the storm in the air and everything was balanced on a knife's edge, just a hair away from exploding with truly ferocious violence. With a sudden terrifying clarity, even for an angel, he remembered and recognized this scene despite the fact that he had only ever seen Heaven like this once in all of his long, long life. The memory brought back all of the emotion that he had felt back then and exactly why he hadn't wanted things to take that final step as he'd rightly feared that this was one storm from which they might never recover. He'd known that it could tear them all apart leaving only scattered and broken remnants in its wake when it blew over.
If it blew over.
He now desperately wished that he hadn't been so right in fearing that, but Castiel knew better than to give the desire more than a fleeting thought. Instead he turned his attention to his mate though he was terrified of what he might find given that there was no way that Dean could have any recollection of these events which had taken place countless thousands of millennia before his mate's birth.
As Castiel had feared, it wasn't Dean that he saw when he turned around, but rather it was Michael in all of his brother's terrifying glory as the Right Hand of God and their Father's Instrument of Judgment.
A.N.: If part of the end here seems familiar to you, don't worry you're not going crazy, it comes from the middle of chapter 88.
Also, I just wanted to say that I've decided that I really want to do nano this year. I'd intended to write an original novel for it last year but this fic kinda snowballed on me and I ended up doing more than 50k for it instead. This year I really do want to get back to that other, original idea. What this means is that I'll have less time to write this during that time. I'm gonna really try and still do some of this, but I can't promise anything as I might get swept up in nano madness!
Chapter 115
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 2,904
Summary: Michael has a surprise gift for Dean and Castiel.
PAST
The moment that Michael zapped them back into the apartment, the smell of pizza assaulted Dean's nose and not just any pizza either, but the really frigging amazing stuff that Castiel always brought him straight from Italy. If he'd been in control of his own meatsuit, his mouth would have been watering instantly.
"Well, it's been swell, but I'll catch you later," Dean said, mind already on his meal.
"Not just yet," Michael replied.
"Huh? What? We did everything we needed to!" Dean protested, almost able to feel his stomach growl even though he knew that was impossible with Michael in control.
"There is something else I wish to do first."
"Now? When there's delicious pizza ready to be consumed?"
With a ripple of Grace much like a sigh, Michael headed towards the pizza and Dean perked up. "You gonna do what I think you're gonna do?"
Instead of replying, his friend picked up a slice and bit into it. For a second Dean had the crazy urge to tell Michael to be careful as the cheese was still sizzling but then he realized that, hey, archangel, so it didn't really matter. The pizza was every bit as delicious as he'd expected it to be even with the peppers he saw on the slice. Castiel really was going to get him to like vegetables at this rate. The pizza, like the pie and the pancakes, was obviously a hit if the wave of surprise and delight he got from his friend was anything to go by.
"Michael?" Castiel questioned, coming to stand beside them.
"Sorry, Dean's enthusiasm for the pizza made me wish to taste it," Michael explained.
His lover shifted in a surprisingly human reaction and Dean wondered how much he'd rubbed off on Castiel. Well, he found himself tilting his head now on occasion, so it made sense that his lover had picked up some of his habits as well.
"Mike?" Dean prompted.
"What is it that you humans say?" Michael inquired. "When one person is so hopelessly smitten with another that they will do all that they wish?"
"Shut up."
"I know there is an expression."
"I'm not telling you."
"I can get more if you wish some as well," Castiel offered.
"That will not be necessary," Michael stated, finishing his slice. "There is something I wish to do for you, both of you."
"Really?" Dean asked. "What?"
And there was his lover's famous head tilt. "Brother?" Castiel questioned.
"Come," Michael said, walking straight past the sofa with Deirdre's prone form, down the hall and into the bedroom.
"Uh, Mike?" Dean questioned uncertainly. "What are you doing?"
"Shush, trust me."
Calmly, and clearly enjoying himself, Michael seated himself on the end of the bed with his back to Castiel. Dean frowned as he tried to figure out what his friend was doing. There was the shivery sensation of wing movement and his lover drew in a sharp breath.
"What?" Dean demanded. "What?"
"Brother, are you sure?" Castiel asked, amazed.
Michael turned his head to look over his shoulder at Castiel and Dean was startled at the expression of wonder on his lover's face. "I would not be offering if I was not. Think of it as a gift."
"What are you guys talking about?" Dean pressed.
"Hush, Little One, you will enjoy it, I promise."
"Mike!"
There was a ripple of fond exasperation before his friend caved. "I am going to let you experience what it is that you do for Castiel so willingly on a regular basis."
"Huh?"
Before Michael could reply and explain any further, Dean gasped as a sensation unlike any other washed over him. His eyes dropped closed as it morphed into pleasure not dissimilar to a really good massage, one of those full body ones, or a really nice, long session of magic fingers. Only it was better and he hadn't thought that was even possible.
"What's that?" Dean inquired before it hit him. "Oh. Oh!"
It was Castiel.
It was Castiel grooming him.
Or rather grooming them, but the essential fact remained. Now that Dean realized what it was he could feel his lover's fingers as they carded through Michael's feathers, carefully oiling them and setting them in their proper place. It felt amazing and he'd never realized just how sensitive an angel's wings were even given his lover's reactions to his own ministrations.
"Yes, do you like it?" Michael teased.
"Are you kidding me, this is awesome!"
If he'd been in control of these wings, Dean would have been preening now, stretching them out and shamelessly begging for more. Michael chuckled before he obligingly stretched his wings for him. There was a laugh from behind them before he yelped as Castiel suddenly tugged at a feather.
"Bastard," Dean muttered before he all but melted at whatever his lover did next.
"Enjoying yourself, Little One?" Michael inquired, voice rife with amusement which then rippled over him.
"Dude, you can say whatever you want right now and I'm not gonna mind."
"I am pleased."
"What does he think of it?" Castiel inquired.
"He is enjoying it very much," Michael replied.
"Understatement of the year," Dean said before he hesitated.
"What is it?"
"Well it's just... uh... when I groom Cas it's quite often..."
"Sexual?"
"Yeah, that."
"A massage from your brother feels quite different from one Castiel gives you, does it not?"
"Sam never gave me a massage, but point taken," Dean replied.
And that was probably a very good thing too as he could only imagine how awkward it would have been if this had affected Michael in any other way. Actually no, he'd really rather not imagine that particular scenario. That was just wrong on so many levels, even for him and he firmly pushed the thought from his mind.
The knowledge that, between the two archangels, he was perfectly safe allowed Dean to bask in the wonderful sensations without needing to worry or keep a cautious eye out, just in case. In fact he was getting to do that so often the past few months that he wondered how he was ever going to deal with long stretches of hunting on his own or with just other human hunters. But then he thought of the kalsika and realized that if he played his cards right then he'd never be alone like that again, though even without the bonding that was most likely true, but he wanted it anyway. Wanted Castiel like that, as close as he could have him.
Time distorted even more than normal for Dean while playing vessel but on this occasion he totally didn't mind as he was floating on a sea of pleasure and relaxation. Michael's amusement and affection only added to the pleasant haze and he gave into the desire to just let himself go, burrowing as deep into the sensation as it was possible to get. He was suddenly very happy for the size and number of Michael's wings as it meant that there was a lot to groom. He happily returned his friend's affection as the archangel continued to obligingly stretch each wing he wanted as Castiel meticulously worked his way through them, one at a time.
/
Castiel had always found the task of grooming his brothers and sisters to be very soothing and, to be honest, he did miss it on occasion now that he no longer went to any of them to get his own wings groomed. He'd never give up having Dean groom them for him, but he did miss grooming itself a little. This opportunity- no, this gift- of Michael's though, he couldn't even begin to express his gratitude for it and he could only hope that his brother was able to sense enough of what Dean was feeling to understand how much they appreciated it. Or at least he hoped his human loved it as much as he did.
"How is Dean?" Castiel inquired.
"I have never felt him this happy and relaxed before. His soul is like a warm ball of light and pleasure at the moment, pulsing and shining brighter than ever. He is almost as radiant as the sun just now. And best of all, he is incoherent too," Michael replied before he laughed.
"What?"
"He just said that I am incoherent."
Castiel smiled at the words, more than pleased. Whenever Dean simply spat back what someone had said to him, generally something he didn't like, it meant that his hunter was at a loss as to anything better to say and that only happened on rare occasions when his mate was either caught off-guard or as incoherent as it was possible for Dean Winchester to get. Knowing how much it pleased his mate, he dug his fingers in extra deep, recalling each and every last thing he had ever learned about how his brothers and sisters liked to be groomed and performing it now. After all of the times Dean had taken care of his wings, he was determined to make this as good for his mate as possible. And if he made it so good that Michael wanted more later, then so much the better.
Far too soon, Castiel was finished grooming his brother's last wing and while ending meant that he'd get his mate back, he wished that there were more feathers and wings to groom as he enjoyed pleasuring both Michael and Dean at the same. Especially when it meant giving his hunter a gift such as this.
"I should get back to Heaven and continue my research," Michael finally said, as if reluctant to break the silence though he rose to his feet and stretched his wings languidly.
It was a gesture that Castiel easily recognized from all of the times that he had done the exact same thing after a good and thorough grooming and he found himself unconsciously mimicking the movements.
"Yes and Dean should eat," Castiel agreed.
Michael nodded once and looked at him. "Thank you, Brother."
"No, thank you."
"It was a pleasure, truly. You are very good at grooming, Castiel."
"It is something I have always enjoyed."
Michael flew into the other room and Castiel followed, smiling as he could hear his mate's complaints about the necessity of 'zapping' across such a short distance. He stood close by as his brother transferred back to Deirdre Winchester's body and it was a good thing that he did so as Dean slumped sideways as soon as Michael was gone and only his quick reactions prevented his mate from losing his perch on the sofa.
"Dean?" Castiel inquired worriedly, already reaching out with his Grace.
As soon as he touched his mate's soul, Castiel relaxed, sensing that it was a deep state of relaxation to the point being only partially aware that caused the lack of control instead of something far more serious. In fact the discovery made him feel rather smug and very, very pleased, knowing that it was he who had done this to his hunter. Dean hummed deep in his throat, looking up at him through half-lidded eyes before taking hold of his tie and pulling him closer for a kiss. For them it was a very tame and chaste kiss, but for all that it touched him deeply, the sheer emotion and gentleness behind it reverberating far more strongly with him than a more fierce kiss ever could.
Afterwards, Dean rested his head against his shoulder and Castiel could feel the sudden wave of exhaustion that swept through his mate and he was abruptly reminded of the fact that Dean had only recently helped them create a new seal and would not yet have had the time to recover from that. Without a moment's hesitation, he swept his hunter up into his arms and turned them so that he sat on the couch with Dean in his lap so that both of his mate's legs were on one side and allowing Dean to lean against him and use him as a pillow. The fact that his mate only made a small noise of protest told him that he'd been right, as did the sudden loud growl of Dean's stomach.
"Here, Little One, eat and build up your energy once more," Michael said, suddenly appearing by their side with the pizza box.
Castiel took hold of the box with the hand that wasn't securely wrapped around his mate waist and held it so that Dean could easily get at it. The rate at which the first few slices disappeared would have been amazing to anyone who didn't know his hunter. As it was it made Michael shake his head in a mixture of amusement and fondness before his brother left with a final farewell. He continued to just hold his mate and watch him eat as Dean didn't seem awake enough to do more than one thing at a time and he wondered instead at the pleasure he got out of just watching Dean eat. Was it simply because he knew that it was something that his hunter enjoyed? Or was there something more complicated behind it? He knew that he had learned a lot about emotions and what it meant to feel them, but there was also still much that he didn't yet know or understand.
One thing that Castiel did know for sure was that Dean was not going to get all the way through the pizza no matter how much his mate might want to. Dean was slowing rapidly and having to blink his eyes more and more so he put aside the pizza box and took them back into the bedroom. If it wasn't for the utterly relaxed state of his mate, he would have been worried at how passive Dean was as he undressed his hunter, doing it the human way to be able to enjoy just touching his mate and slowly revealing more of his beautiful body. His human was so tired that he was sure that Dean was asleep before he even got his mate horizontal and he smiled as he undressed himself and climbed in next to him.
For a few minutes Castiel just enjoyed lying in bed with Dean, letting the warmth and feel of his mate soak into him, before he reached out towards Xarael to see how the hunt for the newly escaped demons was going. He made a few suggestions when he learned of the progress before they moved on to the other tasks he had to oversee as Sheriff of Heaven as Dean had so aptly dubbed him. Or at least he so assumed as he wasn't entirely sure what a sheriff was or how it different from any other type of cop or FBI agent that he had encountered with the Winchesters, but there had been no hint of teasing in his mate's voice when Dean had called him that so he assumed the title was genuine if no doubt misguided due to Dean's lack of knowledge regarding Heavenly protocol and structure.
The movements were slight at first, but they instantly captured Castiel's attention as it had been a long time since Dean had fallen victim to a true nightmare, especially while in his presence. He reached out and softly brushed two fingers across his mate's forehead, intending to send Dean deeper into sleep, safely beyond the realm of dreams and nightmares, but something resisted his touch. True he could push harder, but he didn't know why it wasn't enough and he didn't want to risk hurting his mate. Instead he reached out with his Grace and connected with Dean's mind, slipping into the nightmare.
Castiel gasped as one of Heaven's many landscapes took form around him. There were clouds everywhere, dark and gray, threatening; ominous. Thunder rumbled all around him and electricity crackled all along his being though there was no actual lightening just yet. It was only a matter of time though as he could taste the storm in the air and everything was balanced on a knife's edge, just a hair away from exploding with truly ferocious violence. With a sudden terrifying clarity, even for an angel, he remembered and recognized this scene despite the fact that he had only ever seen Heaven like this once in all of his long, long life. The memory brought back all of the emotion that he had felt back then and exactly why he hadn't wanted things to take that final step as he'd rightly feared that this was one storm from which they might never recover. He'd known that it could tear them all apart leaving only scattered and broken remnants in its wake when it blew over.
If it blew over.
He now desperately wished that he hadn't been so right in fearing that, but Castiel knew better than to give the desire more than a fleeting thought. Instead he turned his attention to his mate though he was terrified of what he might find given that there was no way that Dean could have any recollection of these events which had taken place countless thousands of millennia before his mate's birth.
As Castiel had feared, it wasn't Dean that he saw when he turned around, but rather it was Michael in all of his brother's terrifying glory as the Right Hand of God and their Father's Instrument of Judgment.
A.N.: If part of the end here seems familiar to you, don't worry you're not going crazy, it comes from the middle of chapter 88.
Also, I just wanted to say that I've decided that I really want to do nano this year. I'd intended to write an original novel for it last year but this fic kinda snowballed on me and I ended up doing more than 50k for it instead. This year I really do want to get back to that other, original idea. What this means is that I'll have less time to write this during that time. I'm gonna really try and still do some of this, but I can't promise anything as I might get swept up in nano madness!
Chapter 115