Unexpected Destinies Chapter 178
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: 3,694
Summary: Castiel searches for the perfect ring to give to his bond mate.
PRESENT
The tiny bell above the door tinkled when Castiel entered and he smiled to himself for not having forgotten to enter the store in the proper human fashion this time. The first jewelry store that he'd visited had possessed a similar device and he had badly startled the saleswoman behind the counter when he'd spoken as she'd thought herself to be alone since the bell hadn't sounded upon his arrival.
"Hello and welcome to Rajendro Jewelers," the salesman greeted. "My name is Pradeep, how may I help you?"
"I have been told that you specialize in custom made jewelry," Castiel replied, still amused that these stores often presumed that he would be English speaking based on his vessel's attire.
"It is a reputation that we are proud to have. What type of jewelry were you looking for, Sir?"
"Wedding bands."
"Ah, the sir is preparing for his lucky day? We have many different styles and types for you to choose from. If you would please come this way, I can show you some of our current stock, though we are always happy to create new items on request, either of our own design or based on specific customer requests."
Castiel followed Pradeep over to a counter further back in the store. At this one there were a number of rings on display beneath the glass, all of various different colors and metals. Many of the wedding bands were accompanied by what he had learned since the beginning of his search were engagement rings, and all of those were of matching styles to the wedding rings they were paired with.
"I assume that you already have an engagement ring, Sir?" Pradeep inquired. "It would be good to have a photo of it to ensure that the chosen wedding ring goes well with it."
"No, there is no engagement ring."
"Very well. What did you have in mind, Sir?"
"Something gold," Castiel replied. "I want it to be traditional enough to be instantly recognizable as a wedding ring."
"And yet different enough to be personalized?"
"Yes, precisely."
"As you wish, Sir. These rings over here are all gold."
His search had taken Castiel all over the world. At first it had been because he didn't know what it was that he wanted and therefore he had decided to view as many different rings as possible to see what the different options were. When he'd seen his first few, he had thought that he wanted to get something quite unique to show people how much he cared for his bond mate. When he had thought about it some more, however, he had realized that this wasn't the best way to go. Dean's attachment to the wedding rings came from having watched his father with John's own wedding band. A quick trip back in time had shown him that John and Mary Winchester had chosen the simple traditional rings.
The more that he'd thought about it, the more that Castiel became convinced that something less modern was best. Not only would the traditional rings mean more to his bond mate, but he found that he also preferred the idea of other people have no doubts whatsoever as to what the ring on Dean's finger signified. That decision had narrowed his search significantly, but it had also made it harder as well. Though he now knew that he wanted something more traditional, he still wished for it to be unique, so that there would never be any doubt that these were their wedding bands. That had made his search incredibly difficult. Most of the rings that he viewed which were unique were also non-traditional, while the others weren't quite unique enough. They possessed stones or jewels that humans deemed precious and while he had briefly flirted with the idea of using Dean's birthstone, he had soon dismissed the idea. His bond mate was not one for such frivolous adornments, indeed all of the jewelry that he had seen his hunter wear had some specific significance to Dean.
Castiel had also dismissed the idea of jewels due to the danger that they could pose on a hunt. Precious stones sparkled, which could draw a creature's eye and therefore their attention. It was the absolute last thing that he wished to happen. It left him without any ideas for what he did want, though, and he'd come here to Rajendro Jewelers looking for inspiration. He'd heard them recommended from several different sources and knew that they might be able to help him find what he was looking for.
"As you can see, we have done many different styles and patterns over the years. Now, from what you said, I assume that you're looking for a normal ring shape, yes?" Pradeep questioned.
"That is correct," Castiel confirmed, looking over the wedding bands in the indicated area.
The top tier of rings were all specially patterned and the engagement rings beside them were similarly shaped so that the two could come together to look like a single ring when worn on the same finger. The others, though, looked more like the wedding bands that Castiel had seen elsewhere. They were shaped like normal rings but sported a variety of different designs on them, some of them natural, some of them tribal and some of them whimsical or fantastical. None of them, however, sparked his interest and he made a displeased sound in the back of his throat, afraid that he would come up empty again here as well.
Then, just as Castiel was about to say something, Pradeep placed a ring binder on the display case and flipped it open to a section partway through.
"These are some photos of customized wedding rings which we have made over the past few years," Pradeep explained. "These particular photos here are of ones that were too specialized to have premade and on display for new customers, though we can make something similar if the sir desires."
Curious, Castiel flipped through the photos until he caught sight of some rings that he hadn't seen before. These were also tradition wedding bands only instead of having the same designs on them that the other rings had, these were different. The engraving here was in the middle of the band and done in a variety of different languages. Reading them he could see why these could not just be premade and placed on display as they contained the names of the couple and their wedding date. He pondered the idea for a moment, wondering if his bond mate would appreciate it. The thought was definitely an intriguing one, but he wasn't sure if he wanted complete strangers to be able to know so much about them at a single glance.
The idea came to Castiel so swiftly and suddenly that he couldn't believe that it hadn't occurred to him before.
"Does the sir see something which he likes?" Pradeep inquired.
"This engraving," Castiel began, tapping one of the photos. "Does it have to be in a known language, or can it be done in whatever shape or pattern I would like?"
"Our engraver can achieve many different patterns, but if the sir would like something new, then we would require an example of the design to be engraved," Pradeep replied, pulling out paper and a pen before hesitating. "It would also cost more."
"Cost is not an issue."
If Bobby did not possess sufficient funds in his account, then Castiel would obtain the necessary money elsewhere. He was not yet sure how or where, but now that he knew what he wanted, he wasn't going to let something like money stand between him and it. Not when he was sure that Dean would like what he had planned far too much. Picking up the pen, he quickly wrote out what he wanted each ring to say, being careful to make all of the details of the Enochian script clear so that the engraver would know precisely what it was that he wanted. He wanted nothing short of perfection for this.
/
As he loaded the last of the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher, Dean couldn't help but glance out at Raziel once more. The archangel was still seated sideways on the porch steps where he'd spotted him earlier when he'd first come down for breakfast, but now instead of looking about the yard aimlessly, Raziel's eyes had gone unfocused and had a faraway look to them that he easily recognized from his father in years gone past. Dad had always gotten that exact same look in his eyes around the anniversaries of Mom's birthday and death. If he didn't have some horrific inkling of just what it was that the archangel was currently experiencing then he might be tempted to think of it as beautiful for the love and devotion it signified, but he did know better. Much better.
"Aw, hell," Dean muttered, closing the dishwasher with more force than strictly necessary.
"Dean?" Bobby questioned from where the older hunter was still seated at the table with his mug of coffee.
"'s nothing, Bobby," Dean replied with a wave of his hand.
He couldn't quite believe that he was even considering this, but Dean knew that he'd not feel right if he didn't do it. Not when it could so easily have been Castiel or even himself in Raziel's shoes instead of his newest bond brother. With a silent rebuke to himself, he grabbed his coat off the hook by the door and stepped outside into the chilled morning air as he pulled it on.
"Hey," Dean greeted, dropping sideways onto the cold porch steps across from the archangel and leaning back against the railing.
"Dean," Raziel acknowledged, eyes losing their daze to focus on him.
"Look, man, I don't quite know how to do this as I've never really done it before, so please excuse me if I fuck it up."
"Okay. What was it that you wanted to try then?"
"I... well, see it's- ah, damnit."
Raziel laughed. "I can see what you mean about you not knowing how to do this."
"Oh, bite me, Raziel."
"One must ask why you're even trying this, whatever this is, given that you clearly have so little experience with it or desire to do it."
"'Cause I find that I just can't not do it," Dean replied honestly. "I- look, if you want someone to talk to about it, Cas and I are here, okay?"
"Talk to about what?"
Though Raziel was frowning at him in confusion, Dean got the impression that the archangel had some suspicion at least about what he meant, even if his newest bond brother might not fully understand his reasons for making the offer. There was a part of him that wanted to retract what he'd said or at least laugh it all off. The archangel clearly wasn't leaping at the chance to talk about it and he'd definitely prefer not to have to relive what was quite easily the worst experience of his life, his entire experience in Hell included.
But he couldn't, he just couldn't.
Not when Castiel had so very nearly been in Raziel's position and Dean would have wanted someone to be there for his husband if things had gone differently. Besides, just because his new bond brother had been strong enough to survive all these millennia didn't mean that the archangel couldn't use a sympathetic ear or two. And when exactly had he become such a sap? Though he didn't quite feel the same urgency to check that he still had his dick as he once might have, this type of behavior was still so far from what he normally did to make him shift in discomfort and he felt a tendril of concern reaching out across his bond. He bit back the smile that wanted to form on his face and silently reassured his husband that he okay.
"Jophiel," Dean finally stated bluntly, figuring that there was no need to beat around the bush. Not only wasn't it his way, but Raziel already knew it was what he meant anyway. "About your bonding and what happened to her."
There was a familiar shift of wings and Dean literally threw himself across the space between them to grab hold of his bond brother's nearest wrist before the archangel could fly off.
"Let me go," Raziel demanded.
"Not until you hear me out."
"I've heard enough."
"No, you really haven't."
"Either let me go or I'll make you let me go."
It said a lot for how much that he went with his instincts that Dean didn't even blink at the threat. He of all people knew how unbelievably powerful even the weakest archangel was and he somehow doubted Raziel happened to be that one. Yet, despite all of that, he didn't so much as feel a frisson of fear at the threat when, rightly, he should have been downright terrified. Maybe it was because he knew that his newest bond brother would never follow through on it, or maybe it was because he fully believed that Raziel would never do to one of his brothers what had been done to him, but either way he merely tightened his hold on the archangel's wrist.
"We know what it's like," Dean explained. "Cas and I, we know."
"What?" Raziel thundered. "What makes you think that you could possibly understand what it feels like to lose a bond mate?"
"Because we have."
That clearly shocked the archangel enough that Dean felt comfortable shifting his grip slightly in order to move into a more dignified position rather than the ungainly sprawl that he'd ended up in when lunging forwards to prevent Raziel's rapid exit. It really was no wonder that he didn't tend to do this kind of thing more often given how badly it always seemed to go when he tried. His bond brother had better appreciate this later as he wouldn't have done it for just anyone. There was just something about Raziel that drew him in and he wasn't entirely sure what it was.
"Impossible," the archangel declared. "I can both see and feel your bond even now."
"Well, yeah, that's because it was restored, but it was abruptly severed. Look, when Simiel pulled my grandfather from Heaven and resurrected him, she implanted a compulsion within him to seek me out and utterly destroy me. Towards that end she gave him some First Darkness."
Raziel's eyes opened wide in shock and disbelief. "No, that's impossible. No one survives First Darkness."
"They do if Death decides to step in and do something about it, which he did. Obviously. But the point is that before he did so, the First Darkness rended our bond, so I do know what it feels like to lose a bond mate like that. And, if that's not enough, Cas can relate even better because Death arrived only just before I was completely obliterated and after the point at which all of your brothers thought that I was completely gone. There was hardly even a sliver of my soul left apparently."
Because he was so close, Dean could feel the shudder that wracked the archangel's body and he shut his mouth immediately. Obviously he'd gotten his message across so there was no need to torture either of them any further. Maybe that was all that this had been; torture. He'd started this with the best of intentions, but he of all people knew exactly where that could lead, and just how easily it could do so as well. Gently he let go of his bond brother's arm and pulled back despite the fact that Raziel's wings were still poised for flight. Now that the archangel knew that what he and Castiel had gone through, Raziel could go if the archangel still wished to do so. He wasn't about to force anything onto his bond brother- he knew only far too well how awful that felt from plenty of personal experience with a little brother who just really didn't know when to leave things well enough alone- he'd just wanted him to know that they were there for him if Raziel needed it.
Raziel's wings started trembling and the sheer agony in his bond brother's eyes when the archangel looked up and met Dean's gaze was more than enough to send him hurtling back in time to the moment that his own bond with his husband had been so brutally severed. He struggled to banish the memory but it was already far too late and he could feel Castiel rushing towards them. His angel's arrival startled Raziel and he could feel his bond mate's confusion but the moment that Castiel's eyes locked with his brother, he could practically feel realization dawning and his angel was beside them in an instant.
"Brother," Castiel said, his voice rife with emotion.
Apparently that was the final straw as Raziel closed the gap between himself and Castiel and clutched at his brother. Dean bit his bottom lip at the sight and suddenly felt superfluous. Not quite sure what to say or do, he slowly started edging backwards, intent on leaving the two brothers alone to heal, when midnight wings that he'd respectfully never touched closed around him and pulled him close. Then his husband's own wings closed around them and he was pulled between the two archangels in some strange kind of three-way hug. He stiffened for a moment, only all too aware of how visible they were out here and that Bobby had still been in the kitchen when he stepped out, before he relaxed. He'd been the one to start this and, besides, he could feel how much this was helping his husband as well as his newest bond brother.
Dean wasn't quite sure of how long that stood there like that, but after a while he realized that he'd relaxed far more than he'd have thought possible in this kind of situation. His husband was close to him, though, and that was always soothing let alone after remembering what had happened to him not all that long ago in the barn that he wasn't entirely sure he could enter anymore as he hadn't done so since, the memories of what had happened in there the last time far too potent still. But there was more to it than just that, Raziel's presence was soothing as well all on its own. Perhaps it was because of the kinship that he could already feel between them from having both experienced such a horrendous experience as the loss of a bond, or perhaps it was because the archangel had saved not one, but both of his brothers from the horrors of what he'd thought at the time as an eternity stuck in Hell with the devil himself for company, regardless of the why it was there and it allowed him to relax further until it was Raziel himself who began to move and pull away.
They let him go easily, Castiel and himself, but Dean found that he couldn't help casting his new bond brother a good once over as he did so. The archangel looked a little better but since he'd never met Raziel before Jophiel's death and his memories from Michael didn't extend back that far, he wasn't entirely sure how far from normal his bond brother looked. He wasn't entirely sure what to say now, not knowing what might be appropriate and what wouldn't be, but a little nudge from his husband, wordlessly asking him to steer the situation away from what had just happened and onto something new had him blurting out the first thing that came to his mind.
"So, how's Michael doing?" Dean asked, eyes flickering between his angel and Raziel, trying to pick up on whatever his husband had but failing to do so and therefore writing it off as an angel thing.
"Michael?" Castiel inquired, confused.
"Yeah, you know with the whole power decay thing and the lock of Chuck's hair? How's that working out for him?"
"Ah, yes, it seems to be working well."
"It will work," Raziel chimed in confidently. "It might also even help undo some of the more recent damage to his vessel as well."
"Really?" Dean questioned, surprised that his new bond brother knew about this.
"Yes, if not then I would not have this vessel," Raziel stated, indicating himself.
"That's not your true vessel?"
"No, his twin brother was."
"Twin? You mean they don't both do it?"
"No, Dean, when twins are born to a vessel bloodline, the ability to house the archangel is only inherited by one of the two," Castiel explained.
"Oh, so why did you end up in the wrong brother?" Dean asked Raziel.
"One of Lucifer's demons managed to kill my true vessel before I was able to take him. I had made the mistake of telling my brother about the fact that my one true vessel had been born shortly before the Rebellion."
Dean winced at that. "And he didn't want you able to use him."
"Yes. What Lucifer didn't count on or understand is that my vessel's brother would be more than willing to let me in if I promised to do all that I could to avenge his brother's death. Father told me shortly afterwards to go seek a gift from the prophet and she gave me this."
As he said it, Raziel reached into a pocket and pulled out a locket of dark auburn hair and Dean couldn't help but wonder how ancient that locket of hair was. He brushed it aside though and was just grateful that Becky's solution would work as the absolutely last thing that they needed right now was to have to find Michael another suitable vessel or have his friend either sidelined or constantly with him. While he wouldn't mind being that close to Michael on a regular basis, he did still want to be able to have private alone time with his husband, regardless of what certain crazy fangirls thought about the matter.
A.N.: Thanks for all of the book suggestions. I've gotten one of the series and will look into the others for a birthday present.
Chapter 179
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 3,694
Summary: Castiel searches for the perfect ring to give to his bond mate.
PRESENT
The tiny bell above the door tinkled when Castiel entered and he smiled to himself for not having forgotten to enter the store in the proper human fashion this time. The first jewelry store that he'd visited had possessed a similar device and he had badly startled the saleswoman behind the counter when he'd spoken as she'd thought herself to be alone since the bell hadn't sounded upon his arrival.
"Hello and welcome to Rajendro Jewelers," the salesman greeted. "My name is Pradeep, how may I help you?"
"I have been told that you specialize in custom made jewelry," Castiel replied, still amused that these stores often presumed that he would be English speaking based on his vessel's attire.
"It is a reputation that we are proud to have. What type of jewelry were you looking for, Sir?"
"Wedding bands."
"Ah, the sir is preparing for his lucky day? We have many different styles and types for you to choose from. If you would please come this way, I can show you some of our current stock, though we are always happy to create new items on request, either of our own design or based on specific customer requests."
Castiel followed Pradeep over to a counter further back in the store. At this one there were a number of rings on display beneath the glass, all of various different colors and metals. Many of the wedding bands were accompanied by what he had learned since the beginning of his search were engagement rings, and all of those were of matching styles to the wedding rings they were paired with.
"I assume that you already have an engagement ring, Sir?" Pradeep inquired. "It would be good to have a photo of it to ensure that the chosen wedding ring goes well with it."
"No, there is no engagement ring."
"Very well. What did you have in mind, Sir?"
"Something gold," Castiel replied. "I want it to be traditional enough to be instantly recognizable as a wedding ring."
"And yet different enough to be personalized?"
"Yes, precisely."
"As you wish, Sir. These rings over here are all gold."
His search had taken Castiel all over the world. At first it had been because he didn't know what it was that he wanted and therefore he had decided to view as many different rings as possible to see what the different options were. When he'd seen his first few, he had thought that he wanted to get something quite unique to show people how much he cared for his bond mate. When he had thought about it some more, however, he had realized that this wasn't the best way to go. Dean's attachment to the wedding rings came from having watched his father with John's own wedding band. A quick trip back in time had shown him that John and Mary Winchester had chosen the simple traditional rings.
The more that he'd thought about it, the more that Castiel became convinced that something less modern was best. Not only would the traditional rings mean more to his bond mate, but he found that he also preferred the idea of other people have no doubts whatsoever as to what the ring on Dean's finger signified. That decision had narrowed his search significantly, but it had also made it harder as well. Though he now knew that he wanted something more traditional, he still wished for it to be unique, so that there would never be any doubt that these were their wedding bands. That had made his search incredibly difficult. Most of the rings that he viewed which were unique were also non-traditional, while the others weren't quite unique enough. They possessed stones or jewels that humans deemed precious and while he had briefly flirted with the idea of using Dean's birthstone, he had soon dismissed the idea. His bond mate was not one for such frivolous adornments, indeed all of the jewelry that he had seen his hunter wear had some specific significance to Dean.
Castiel had also dismissed the idea of jewels due to the danger that they could pose on a hunt. Precious stones sparkled, which could draw a creature's eye and therefore their attention. It was the absolute last thing that he wished to happen. It left him without any ideas for what he did want, though, and he'd come here to Rajendro Jewelers looking for inspiration. He'd heard them recommended from several different sources and knew that they might be able to help him find what he was looking for.
"As you can see, we have done many different styles and patterns over the years. Now, from what you said, I assume that you're looking for a normal ring shape, yes?" Pradeep questioned.
"That is correct," Castiel confirmed, looking over the wedding bands in the indicated area.
The top tier of rings were all specially patterned and the engagement rings beside them were similarly shaped so that the two could come together to look like a single ring when worn on the same finger. The others, though, looked more like the wedding bands that Castiel had seen elsewhere. They were shaped like normal rings but sported a variety of different designs on them, some of them natural, some of them tribal and some of them whimsical or fantastical. None of them, however, sparked his interest and he made a displeased sound in the back of his throat, afraid that he would come up empty again here as well.
Then, just as Castiel was about to say something, Pradeep placed a ring binder on the display case and flipped it open to a section partway through.
"These are some photos of customized wedding rings which we have made over the past few years," Pradeep explained. "These particular photos here are of ones that were too specialized to have premade and on display for new customers, though we can make something similar if the sir desires."
Curious, Castiel flipped through the photos until he caught sight of some rings that he hadn't seen before. These were also tradition wedding bands only instead of having the same designs on them that the other rings had, these were different. The engraving here was in the middle of the band and done in a variety of different languages. Reading them he could see why these could not just be premade and placed on display as they contained the names of the couple and their wedding date. He pondered the idea for a moment, wondering if his bond mate would appreciate it. The thought was definitely an intriguing one, but he wasn't sure if he wanted complete strangers to be able to know so much about them at a single glance.
The idea came to Castiel so swiftly and suddenly that he couldn't believe that it hadn't occurred to him before.
"Does the sir see something which he likes?" Pradeep inquired.
"This engraving," Castiel began, tapping one of the photos. "Does it have to be in a known language, or can it be done in whatever shape or pattern I would like?"
"Our engraver can achieve many different patterns, but if the sir would like something new, then we would require an example of the design to be engraved," Pradeep replied, pulling out paper and a pen before hesitating. "It would also cost more."
"Cost is not an issue."
If Bobby did not possess sufficient funds in his account, then Castiel would obtain the necessary money elsewhere. He was not yet sure how or where, but now that he knew what he wanted, he wasn't going to let something like money stand between him and it. Not when he was sure that Dean would like what he had planned far too much. Picking up the pen, he quickly wrote out what he wanted each ring to say, being careful to make all of the details of the Enochian script clear so that the engraver would know precisely what it was that he wanted. He wanted nothing short of perfection for this.
/
As he loaded the last of the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher, Dean couldn't help but glance out at Raziel once more. The archangel was still seated sideways on the porch steps where he'd spotted him earlier when he'd first come down for breakfast, but now instead of looking about the yard aimlessly, Raziel's eyes had gone unfocused and had a faraway look to them that he easily recognized from his father in years gone past. Dad had always gotten that exact same look in his eyes around the anniversaries of Mom's birthday and death. If he didn't have some horrific inkling of just what it was that the archangel was currently experiencing then he might be tempted to think of it as beautiful for the love and devotion it signified, but he did know better. Much better.
"Aw, hell," Dean muttered, closing the dishwasher with more force than strictly necessary.
"Dean?" Bobby questioned from where the older hunter was still seated at the table with his mug of coffee.
"'s nothing, Bobby," Dean replied with a wave of his hand.
He couldn't quite believe that he was even considering this, but Dean knew that he'd not feel right if he didn't do it. Not when it could so easily have been Castiel or even himself in Raziel's shoes instead of his newest bond brother. With a silent rebuke to himself, he grabbed his coat off the hook by the door and stepped outside into the chilled morning air as he pulled it on.
"Hey," Dean greeted, dropping sideways onto the cold porch steps across from the archangel and leaning back against the railing.
"Dean," Raziel acknowledged, eyes losing their daze to focus on him.
"Look, man, I don't quite know how to do this as I've never really done it before, so please excuse me if I fuck it up."
"Okay. What was it that you wanted to try then?"
"I... well, see it's- ah, damnit."
Raziel laughed. "I can see what you mean about you not knowing how to do this."
"Oh, bite me, Raziel."
"One must ask why you're even trying this, whatever this is, given that you clearly have so little experience with it or desire to do it."
"'Cause I find that I just can't not do it," Dean replied honestly. "I- look, if you want someone to talk to about it, Cas and I are here, okay?"
"Talk to about what?"
Though Raziel was frowning at him in confusion, Dean got the impression that the archangel had some suspicion at least about what he meant, even if his newest bond brother might not fully understand his reasons for making the offer. There was a part of him that wanted to retract what he'd said or at least laugh it all off. The archangel clearly wasn't leaping at the chance to talk about it and he'd definitely prefer not to have to relive what was quite easily the worst experience of his life, his entire experience in Hell included.
But he couldn't, he just couldn't.
Not when Castiel had so very nearly been in Raziel's position and Dean would have wanted someone to be there for his husband if things had gone differently. Besides, just because his new bond brother had been strong enough to survive all these millennia didn't mean that the archangel couldn't use a sympathetic ear or two. And when exactly had he become such a sap? Though he didn't quite feel the same urgency to check that he still had his dick as he once might have, this type of behavior was still so far from what he normally did to make him shift in discomfort and he felt a tendril of concern reaching out across his bond. He bit back the smile that wanted to form on his face and silently reassured his husband that he okay.
"Jophiel," Dean finally stated bluntly, figuring that there was no need to beat around the bush. Not only wasn't it his way, but Raziel already knew it was what he meant anyway. "About your bonding and what happened to her."
There was a familiar shift of wings and Dean literally threw himself across the space between them to grab hold of his bond brother's nearest wrist before the archangel could fly off.
"Let me go," Raziel demanded.
"Not until you hear me out."
"I've heard enough."
"No, you really haven't."
"Either let me go or I'll make you let me go."
It said a lot for how much that he went with his instincts that Dean didn't even blink at the threat. He of all people knew how unbelievably powerful even the weakest archangel was and he somehow doubted Raziel happened to be that one. Yet, despite all of that, he didn't so much as feel a frisson of fear at the threat when, rightly, he should have been downright terrified. Maybe it was because he knew that his newest bond brother would never follow through on it, or maybe it was because he fully believed that Raziel would never do to one of his brothers what had been done to him, but either way he merely tightened his hold on the archangel's wrist.
"We know what it's like," Dean explained. "Cas and I, we know."
"What?" Raziel thundered. "What makes you think that you could possibly understand what it feels like to lose a bond mate?"
"Because we have."
That clearly shocked the archangel enough that Dean felt comfortable shifting his grip slightly in order to move into a more dignified position rather than the ungainly sprawl that he'd ended up in when lunging forwards to prevent Raziel's rapid exit. It really was no wonder that he didn't tend to do this kind of thing more often given how badly it always seemed to go when he tried. His bond brother had better appreciate this later as he wouldn't have done it for just anyone. There was just something about Raziel that drew him in and he wasn't entirely sure what it was.
"Impossible," the archangel declared. "I can both see and feel your bond even now."
"Well, yeah, that's because it was restored, but it was abruptly severed. Look, when Simiel pulled my grandfather from Heaven and resurrected him, she implanted a compulsion within him to seek me out and utterly destroy me. Towards that end she gave him some First Darkness."
Raziel's eyes opened wide in shock and disbelief. "No, that's impossible. No one survives First Darkness."
"They do if Death decides to step in and do something about it, which he did. Obviously. But the point is that before he did so, the First Darkness rended our bond, so I do know what it feels like to lose a bond mate like that. And, if that's not enough, Cas can relate even better because Death arrived only just before I was completely obliterated and after the point at which all of your brothers thought that I was completely gone. There was hardly even a sliver of my soul left apparently."
Because he was so close, Dean could feel the shudder that wracked the archangel's body and he shut his mouth immediately. Obviously he'd gotten his message across so there was no need to torture either of them any further. Maybe that was all that this had been; torture. He'd started this with the best of intentions, but he of all people knew exactly where that could lead, and just how easily it could do so as well. Gently he let go of his bond brother's arm and pulled back despite the fact that Raziel's wings were still poised for flight. Now that the archangel knew that what he and Castiel had gone through, Raziel could go if the archangel still wished to do so. He wasn't about to force anything onto his bond brother- he knew only far too well how awful that felt from plenty of personal experience with a little brother who just really didn't know when to leave things well enough alone- he'd just wanted him to know that they were there for him if Raziel needed it.
Raziel's wings started trembling and the sheer agony in his bond brother's eyes when the archangel looked up and met Dean's gaze was more than enough to send him hurtling back in time to the moment that his own bond with his husband had been so brutally severed. He struggled to banish the memory but it was already far too late and he could feel Castiel rushing towards them. His angel's arrival startled Raziel and he could feel his bond mate's confusion but the moment that Castiel's eyes locked with his brother, he could practically feel realization dawning and his angel was beside them in an instant.
"Brother," Castiel said, his voice rife with emotion.
Apparently that was the final straw as Raziel closed the gap between himself and Castiel and clutched at his brother. Dean bit his bottom lip at the sight and suddenly felt superfluous. Not quite sure what to say or do, he slowly started edging backwards, intent on leaving the two brothers alone to heal, when midnight wings that he'd respectfully never touched closed around him and pulled him close. Then his husband's own wings closed around them and he was pulled between the two archangels in some strange kind of three-way hug. He stiffened for a moment, only all too aware of how visible they were out here and that Bobby had still been in the kitchen when he stepped out, before he relaxed. He'd been the one to start this and, besides, he could feel how much this was helping his husband as well as his newest bond brother.
Dean wasn't quite sure of how long that stood there like that, but after a while he realized that he'd relaxed far more than he'd have thought possible in this kind of situation. His husband was close to him, though, and that was always soothing let alone after remembering what had happened to him not all that long ago in the barn that he wasn't entirely sure he could enter anymore as he hadn't done so since, the memories of what had happened in there the last time far too potent still. But there was more to it than just that, Raziel's presence was soothing as well all on its own. Perhaps it was because of the kinship that he could already feel between them from having both experienced such a horrendous experience as the loss of a bond, or perhaps it was because the archangel had saved not one, but both of his brothers from the horrors of what he'd thought at the time as an eternity stuck in Hell with the devil himself for company, regardless of the why it was there and it allowed him to relax further until it was Raziel himself who began to move and pull away.
They let him go easily, Castiel and himself, but Dean found that he couldn't help casting his new bond brother a good once over as he did so. The archangel looked a little better but since he'd never met Raziel before Jophiel's death and his memories from Michael didn't extend back that far, he wasn't entirely sure how far from normal his bond brother looked. He wasn't entirely sure what to say now, not knowing what might be appropriate and what wouldn't be, but a little nudge from his husband, wordlessly asking him to steer the situation away from what had just happened and onto something new had him blurting out the first thing that came to his mind.
"So, how's Michael doing?" Dean asked, eyes flickering between his angel and Raziel, trying to pick up on whatever his husband had but failing to do so and therefore writing it off as an angel thing.
"Michael?" Castiel inquired, confused.
"Yeah, you know with the whole power decay thing and the lock of Chuck's hair? How's that working out for him?"
"Ah, yes, it seems to be working well."
"It will work," Raziel chimed in confidently. "It might also even help undo some of the more recent damage to his vessel as well."
"Really?" Dean questioned, surprised that his new bond brother knew about this.
"Yes, if not then I would not have this vessel," Raziel stated, indicating himself.
"That's not your true vessel?"
"No, his twin brother was."
"Twin? You mean they don't both do it?"
"No, Dean, when twins are born to a vessel bloodline, the ability to house the archangel is only inherited by one of the two," Castiel explained.
"Oh, so why did you end up in the wrong brother?" Dean asked Raziel.
"One of Lucifer's demons managed to kill my true vessel before I was able to take him. I had made the mistake of telling my brother about the fact that my one true vessel had been born shortly before the Rebellion."
Dean winced at that. "And he didn't want you able to use him."
"Yes. What Lucifer didn't count on or understand is that my vessel's brother would be more than willing to let me in if I promised to do all that I could to avenge his brother's death. Father told me shortly afterwards to go seek a gift from the prophet and she gave me this."
As he said it, Raziel reached into a pocket and pulled out a locket of dark auburn hair and Dean couldn't help but wonder how ancient that locket of hair was. He brushed it aside though and was just grateful that Becky's solution would work as the absolutely last thing that they needed right now was to have to find Michael another suitable vessel or have his friend either sidelined or constantly with him. While he wouldn't mind being that close to Michael on a regular basis, he did still want to be able to have private alone time with his husband, regardless of what certain crazy fangirls thought about the matter.
A.N.: Thanks for all of the book suggestions. I've gotten one of the series and will look into the others for a birthday present.
Chapter 179