Superman Tonight (13/?)
Title: Superman Tonight (13/?)
Author: lonelyphoenix85
Rating: R overall, mainly for the odd swear-word
Genre: Pre-slash, angst, hurt/comfort
Pairing:Sam/Gabriel pre-slash, implied Dean/Cas
Spoilers: through to Changing Channels (5x08)
Warnings: None
Word Count: 2693 (this part, 27731 total so far)
Disclaimer: It only belongs to me when I'm dreaming! Bon Jovi owns the song, and the rest is property of the almighty Kripke!
Author's Note: Just wanted to say thanks to my awesome beta for this story, of_red_clouds - you're awesome!
Previous Chapters: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 And now:
Dean watched quietly as Gabriel came into the room - there was no spring in his step, no dramatic announcement accompanying his arrival…it was freaky how un-Trickster like he was being.
“Right, down to business, eh bucko? Time’s a’wasting and all that jazz.”
When he reached for Cas, Dean blocked his way.
“Explain first - I need to know what you’re doing to him…”
“Look, you don’t trust me, I get it - I’m not sure you’re wrong, even - but right now…right now, you need to trust that I know more about this than you do, and that, whatever else you might think of me, I love my brother. Let me see how he’s doing, then I’ll give you as much of an explanation as we’ve got time for, ‘kay?”
The earnest pleading in the shorter man’s eyes seemed genuine, but there was something else…he was hiding something…
Dean was about to ask what when he heard Cas’ breath falter behind him again - that was the third time since he’d come back in. Gabriel was right, this wasn’t the time for a pissing match.
“Fine, but you hurt him…”
“I know, I know, you’ll hunt me down and make me wish I was dead, right? Dean, if I hurt him, I’ll let you.”
Stepping to the side slightly, Dean watched as Gabriel settled carefully on the edge of the bed, and rested his hand on Castiel’s chest lightly.
The Archangel looked like crap, he had to admit - he was covered in blood, at least some of it his own, and Dean hadn’t missed the way the dressings were slowly reddening. He knew the guy was only in the state he was in because of them, and that he should give him a break, but this was Cas…he couldn’t take the risk that Gabriel might try to screw them over.
After all, Ruby had gone through all sorts of shit on their side before stabbing them in the back, hadn’t she?
“…th to Dean? You in there kiddo?”
Dean realised Gabriel was watching him with a bemused smirk.
“Yeah, sorry - how is he?”
“Well it’s not good, but I’m guessing you already knew that…how much has Sam filled you in on what happened with us?”
“You mean the bond shit?”
“Ah good, he told you, that’ll save time. So without Jimmy’s soul, Cas has nothing to act as a buffer between his Grace and his vessel…”
“You already mentioned that bit,” Dean cut in impatiently.
“…ergo,” Gabriel continued, ignoring the interruption, “to fix it, we need a buffer. How fond of my baby bro are you Dean?”
“Huh…?”
He felt like he was going to get whiplash from the speed Gabriel kept shifting topics - their bond, Cas’ problem, how freaking fond he is of Cas…
His eyes widened and he raised his hands in protest as his mind put the pieces together.
Gabriel couldn’t possibly be suggesting…
“What I wouldn’t give to see the freak-out going on in your head right now bucko! I’m guessing you just figured out two and two make four?”
“You’re not suggesting that I…that me and Cas…bond?!”
“Bingo!”
*What the fuck?!*
“You be my bro’s buffer, he doesn’t die, and if we’re very lucky, he might even be able to access his Grace again. Course, given our recent run of luck, I’ll settle for him just not dying…”
“Why me?”
“We not exactly swimming in options here Dean-o, but even if we were? You’ve been marked by his Grace before…”
Dean raised a hand to his shoulder absently.
“…With him unconscious, this’ll be tricky at best. I can provide a path for the bond, but his Grace needs to form it - I’m hoping it’ll sense the echo of Grace in you and reach out despite Cas’ lack of consciousness.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
Because Dean could tell the difference between hope and desperation, and Gabriel’s tone reeked of desperation. He wasn’t suggesting this because it might work, he was suggesting it because nothing else would, so this had to.
“Then you keep his body breathing while I take his Grace from him, and we pray I can fix the damage when it’s done.”
Dean couldn’t bring himself to question the man any further - he sounded so bleak and almost broken…he sounded like Dean the day he’d made that God-forsaken deal.
Whatever else he might be, Gabriel was trying to be what his brother needed right now, and that was enough for Dean.
“Do it.”
The look of surprise on the other man’s face was a shock - had he honestly thought Dean would refuse?
It quickly cleared, and the more familiar cocky grin was back.
“Awesome! Right, I need you to sit on Castiel’s other side, and hold his hand over where he marked you - skin to skin contact is best. Put your other hand on his chest over mine.”
Dean quickly pulled his shirt off, pulling the sleeve on his t-shirt up to reveal the scar as he rounded the bed to sit next to the unconscious angel.
As he reached for his hand he noticed that Gabriel had undone the white shirt halfway, and settled his hand over the slowly darkening bruise from Dean’s earlier chest compressions. Dean fought back the stinging in his eyes as he placed Castiel’s hand to his shoulder before resting his other hand on Gabriel’s.
“What do I need to do?”
“Honestly? I have no idea…”
Right. Because that just inspired all the confidence in the world.
“…you get the honour of being part of the second-ever attempt at an Angel-Human bond - you Winchester’s do love breaking rules and boundaries, don’t you? Just, relax, think of Cas, and if anything starts to happen, do not fight it.”
Okay, think of Cas.
He could totally do this.
His friend’s life wasn’t riding on this or anything.
Nope, no pressure…
Dean stifled a slightly hysterical giggle, and took a deep breath.
“Ready when you are.”
“Dean - if this goes wrong, I’ll have to act fast, and I’ll need you to do what I say when I say it, no questions asked, do you understand? As soon as I start using my Grace to draw his out, that’s it - Castiel’s life will be measured in minutes, maybe even seconds, unless we get this right. So any issues you have with me, you need to forget them until this is over…”
He’d have to place complete trust in the Archangel.
Could he do that?
*For Cas. You can do it for Cas. And if the fucker is playing you, you can show him exactly why you were Alastair’s best student later.*
Dean took another deep breath, and nodded resolutely.
“Then forget about me, and Sam and Bobby, and everything else going on right now, and focus on Castiel.”
Dean turned to look down at the angel, and nodded again to himself. He could do this for Cas.
It was a tingling sensation in his hand first, the one resting on Gabriel’s.
The Archangel’s hand was getting warmer and warmer - it was almost burning Dean now.
Fighting the instinct to pull his hand away, Dean pressed down harder, gripping Gabriel’s hand tightly.
*Come on Cas…* he urged silently. *Come on man, you can do it!*
Pain flared unexpectedly in his shoulder and he nearly pulled his hand (and by extension Castiel’s) away in shock, stopped only by another hand pressing over them.
“Don’t you dare screw this up Winchester! Hold the fuck on!”
Gabriel’s voice sounded strained, his breathing laboured.
He tightened his grip again, and fought through the pain to focus on Cas. He noticed that Castiel was paler now, the bruising on his chest more prominent against the pasty white skin surrounding it. His breathing was shallower too, his chest barely moving beneath their hands.
*Cas, wake the hell up dude! I need to yell at you for doing something this stupid - come on Cas! Please…*
The pain in his hand was excruciating - he would be surprised if he didn’t have third degree burns at least. His shoulder throbbed as the skin around his scar reddened and blistered before his eyes, and he tightened his grip and breathed through gritted teeth.
*This has to work, it has to! Please God, it has to…Come on Cas!*
Dean’s whole body was suddenly on fire - everything burned, everything ached…it took all his will power not to cry out as his eyes darted over Cas in panic. His fingers itched to reach out, to check for a pulse, but Gabriel held them firmly in place.
Almost as suddenly as it had started, the pain began to fade, and Dean let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding as the pale chest rose and fell slowly, the movement gaining strength and certainty with every breath.
“Did it…”
“Shhh!”
Dean watched as Gabriel loosed his hand from Dean’s shoulder, reaching instead to place his fingers alongside Castiel’s temple.
“Come on Cassie, time to wake up and stop scaring the human…”
Before Dean could say anything to that, a muffled groan came from the still form on the bed.
“Cas?!”
SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN
Pain.
It was all he knew, all he could feel. His vessel burned with it, he burned with it.
He’d known how it would end, tying himself to his vessel as he had - he only wished he’d had more time to help, or even just chance to warn Dean and Sam about what would happen…
Sam.
He had to warn Dean about Sam! He’d seen it, before the pain had started, before darkness had wrapped him up.
Sam, shining with a Grace he shouldn’t have - a Grace that could only have come from one place…
He’d thought…he’d hoped…that Sam would be stronger than this, that he could hold out. It had been a mistake to leave him alone. To leave him vulnerable.
And now Sam was paying for it.
He should’ve known better - Dean would never forgive himself, never forgive Castiel…
But he needed to know first. Because when they’d seen him he’d been pretending to be Sam.
He had to warn Dean.
The pain had faded now, and he knew that probably meant he was almost out of time.
He tried to speak, but all that came out was a groan.
“Cas?!”
Dean was here, he could hear him! He summoned his strength and tried again, turning towards the voice and forcing his eyes open.
Dean’s face hovered above him, blurred as his eyes fought to find their focus.
He tried to speak again.
“D’n?”
“Cas! Oh thank God! Cas man, you had us worried!”
He grabbed at the hunter’s leg with his unrestrained hand.
“Dean…Sam’s not…s’not Sam.”
“Cas, you’re not making sense…”
“S’Lucifer…saw it…saw his Grace! S’not Sam…”
Father help him, he was so tired! He felt his eyelids droop slowly, and didn’t fight it - he’d warned Dean, it didn’t matter now if he died.
From the edge of consciousness, he could hear snatches of a whispered conversation, and wondered vaguely who else was there.
SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN
When he heard Dean call out Castiel’s name, he couldn’t sit there not knowing any more. Sam pulled himself up from the sofa, grunting at the effort it took - God but he was tired! - and walked determinedly down the hall.
He could hear Bobby following closely behind him.
As he neared the room he could hear voices, and when he reached the doorway he froze in horror as Castiel spoke.
“S’Lucifer…saw it…saw his Grace! S’not Sam…”
Cas had woken up, which was awesome.
Cas was apparently under the impression that Sam wasn’t Sam anymore. That wasn’t so awesome.
In fact it was the opposite of awesome. Castiel thought he’d given in, been weak, said yes…
It hurt.
Sam glanced at the other figures in the room to find Gabriel stood in front of Dean, gripping the hunter by the shoulders tightly.
“Sam’s Sam Dean, you know that! Cas was so out of it he couldn’t tell one Archangel’s Grace from another, that’s all.”
“I…”
Sam could hear the hesitation in his brother’s voice, see the indecision on his face, and something inside Sam felt like it was breaking.
“…yeah, you’re right. I know that - Sam’s not Lucifer. Lucifer wouldn’t have helped me help Cas in the car, wouldn’t have warned me in time to stop…but Sam’s not Sam either.”
The conviction in Dean’s voice as he spoke grew until there was no room for argument, no room for disagreement, and Sam stood there, unnoticed, listening quietly.
“I…he was Sam when I came back, from Hell I mean - he was angry and hard and cold, but he was still my brother…”
Gabriel had dropped his arms back to his sides, and was watching Dean with a slightly confused look on his face.
Sam could sympathise with the Archangel - Dean wasn’t making a whole lot of sense. Even so, there was something in his tone - an openness, a rawness - that captivated its audience’s attention. Sam held his breath, not wanting to interrupt before his brother was finished.
“These last few days…these last few days he hasn’t been Sam. He’s been Sammy - my baby brother who smiles and actually gives a shit about everything…he was nearly passed out from pain on the highway earlier, and the first thing he asked me was how Cas was. It…I don’t know what you did, and you’d better not be thinking this means I like you - because I still think you’re an annoying arrogant dick - but, I think…maybe...aw hell, just thanks, ‘kay? But hurt him and you’ll be dying painfully, Archangel or not.”
Sam’s lips twitched upwards in a grin at the last sentence, even as he didn’t know what to think about the rest of it, and when he felt a hand rest lightly on his arm he looked back at Bobby with what he was sure were tears in his eyes.
When Bobby gestured back towards the other room, Sam nodded. They weren’t supposed to hear that, Dean wouldn’t want Sam to know, but he was glad he did all the same.
With a last glance at his brother, Sam began backing away quietly to follow Bobby.
Gabriel had looked flabbergasted - Sam would’ve said speechless, expect the smaller man had already been opening his mouth to respond.
As Sam finally turned, he heard instead of the expected snarky comment, a sharp, painful cough.
The muttered “oh shit!” was quickly drowned out by Dean’s shout.
“Fuck! Bobby! Sam! We need help in here!!”
Sam spun on the spot and raced into the room to see Gabriel sprawled, half sat, half led, on the floor with Dean knelt beside him. Gabriel’s right hand was splattered with red, his eyes slightly glassy and lips red with blood as it trickled slowly down his chin.
“Sammy…?”
His voice was quieter than usual.
“Shit! Gabe? What the hell?!”
“Think I’m a bit screwed Sasquatch…”
He chuckled grimly, but quickly broke off into another coughing fit, and Sam winced to see more blood coating the hand he’d held over his mouth.
“Cas is fine, isn’t he? You can use your Grace again, heal yourself, can’t you?”
“Tried that, guess I left it a bit long - there’s too much damage for me to fix Sammy…Cassie’ll be fine though - he just needs some rest, burned too much energy - he won’t wake up for at least twelve hours, but when he does he’ll be good as new. S’funny in a way…”
“Funny?!” Sam squawked incredulously - nothing about this was funny. Fucked all to Hell, yeah…funny, no.
Sam watched as Gabriel pressed his hand lightly to the wound in his side, the bandage over it now completely red with blood.
“Hael did this…In your Bible, Hael’s the Angel of Kindness - how many people can say quite so literally that they were killed by kindness, hmm?”
Sam watched quietly as Gabriel’s grin - a blood-red mockery of his usual cocky smirk - faded into a pained wince.
Unable to watch helplessly as Gabriel slowly slipped away, Sam climbed to his feet and stumbled from the room as fast as his feet would carry him.
He couldn’t just watch it happen…he couldn’t.
Next Chapter
Author: lonelyphoenix85
Rating: R overall, mainly for the odd swear-word
Genre: Pre-slash, angst, hurt/comfort
Pairing:Sam/Gabriel pre-slash, implied Dean/Cas
Spoilers: through to Changing Channels (5x08)
Warnings: None
Word Count: 2693 (this part, 27731 total so far)
Disclaimer: It only belongs to me when I'm dreaming! Bon Jovi owns the song, and the rest is property of the almighty Kripke!
Author's Note: Just wanted to say thanks to my awesome beta for this story, of_red_clouds - you're awesome!
Previous Chapters: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 And now:
Dean watched quietly as Gabriel came into the room - there was no spring in his step, no dramatic announcement accompanying his arrival…it was freaky how un-Trickster like he was being.
“Right, down to business, eh bucko? Time’s a’wasting and all that jazz.”
When he reached for Cas, Dean blocked his way.
“Explain first - I need to know what you’re doing to him…”
“Look, you don’t trust me, I get it - I’m not sure you’re wrong, even - but right now…right now, you need to trust that I know more about this than you do, and that, whatever else you might think of me, I love my brother. Let me see how he’s doing, then I’ll give you as much of an explanation as we’ve got time for, ‘kay?”
The earnest pleading in the shorter man’s eyes seemed genuine, but there was something else…he was hiding something…
Dean was about to ask what when he heard Cas’ breath falter behind him again - that was the third time since he’d come back in. Gabriel was right, this wasn’t the time for a pissing match.
“Fine, but you hurt him…”
“I know, I know, you’ll hunt me down and make me wish I was dead, right? Dean, if I hurt him, I’ll let you.”
Stepping to the side slightly, Dean watched as Gabriel settled carefully on the edge of the bed, and rested his hand on Castiel’s chest lightly.
The Archangel looked like crap, he had to admit - he was covered in blood, at least some of it his own, and Dean hadn’t missed the way the dressings were slowly reddening. He knew the guy was only in the state he was in because of them, and that he should give him a break, but this was Cas…he couldn’t take the risk that Gabriel might try to screw them over.
After all, Ruby had gone through all sorts of shit on their side before stabbing them in the back, hadn’t she?
“…th to Dean? You in there kiddo?”
Dean realised Gabriel was watching him with a bemused smirk.
“Yeah, sorry - how is he?”
“Well it’s not good, but I’m guessing you already knew that…how much has Sam filled you in on what happened with us?”
“You mean the bond shit?”
“Ah good, he told you, that’ll save time. So without Jimmy’s soul, Cas has nothing to act as a buffer between his Grace and his vessel…”
“You already mentioned that bit,” Dean cut in impatiently.
“…ergo,” Gabriel continued, ignoring the interruption, “to fix it, we need a buffer. How fond of my baby bro are you Dean?”
“Huh…?”
He felt like he was going to get whiplash from the speed Gabriel kept shifting topics - their bond, Cas’ problem, how freaking fond he is of Cas…
His eyes widened and he raised his hands in protest as his mind put the pieces together.
Gabriel couldn’t possibly be suggesting…
“What I wouldn’t give to see the freak-out going on in your head right now bucko! I’m guessing you just figured out two and two make four?”
“You’re not suggesting that I…that me and Cas…bond?!”
“Bingo!”
*What the fuck?!*
“You be my bro’s buffer, he doesn’t die, and if we’re very lucky, he might even be able to access his Grace again. Course, given our recent run of luck, I’ll settle for him just not dying…”
“Why me?”
“We not exactly swimming in options here Dean-o, but even if we were? You’ve been marked by his Grace before…”
Dean raised a hand to his shoulder absently.
“…With him unconscious, this’ll be tricky at best. I can provide a path for the bond, but his Grace needs to form it - I’m hoping it’ll sense the echo of Grace in you and reach out despite Cas’ lack of consciousness.”
“And if it doesn’t?”
Because Dean could tell the difference between hope and desperation, and Gabriel’s tone reeked of desperation. He wasn’t suggesting this because it might work, he was suggesting it because nothing else would, so this had to.
“Then you keep his body breathing while I take his Grace from him, and we pray I can fix the damage when it’s done.”
Dean couldn’t bring himself to question the man any further - he sounded so bleak and almost broken…he sounded like Dean the day he’d made that God-forsaken deal.
Whatever else he might be, Gabriel was trying to be what his brother needed right now, and that was enough for Dean.
“Do it.”
The look of surprise on the other man’s face was a shock - had he honestly thought Dean would refuse?
It quickly cleared, and the more familiar cocky grin was back.
“Awesome! Right, I need you to sit on Castiel’s other side, and hold his hand over where he marked you - skin to skin contact is best. Put your other hand on his chest over mine.”
Dean quickly pulled his shirt off, pulling the sleeve on his t-shirt up to reveal the scar as he rounded the bed to sit next to the unconscious angel.
As he reached for his hand he noticed that Gabriel had undone the white shirt halfway, and settled his hand over the slowly darkening bruise from Dean’s earlier chest compressions. Dean fought back the stinging in his eyes as he placed Castiel’s hand to his shoulder before resting his other hand on Gabriel’s.
“What do I need to do?”
“Honestly? I have no idea…”
Right. Because that just inspired all the confidence in the world.
“…you get the honour of being part of the second-ever attempt at an Angel-Human bond - you Winchester’s do love breaking rules and boundaries, don’t you? Just, relax, think of Cas, and if anything starts to happen, do not fight it.”
Okay, think of Cas.
He could totally do this.
His friend’s life wasn’t riding on this or anything.
Nope, no pressure…
Dean stifled a slightly hysterical giggle, and took a deep breath.
“Ready when you are.”
“Dean - if this goes wrong, I’ll have to act fast, and I’ll need you to do what I say when I say it, no questions asked, do you understand? As soon as I start using my Grace to draw his out, that’s it - Castiel’s life will be measured in minutes, maybe even seconds, unless we get this right. So any issues you have with me, you need to forget them until this is over…”
He’d have to place complete trust in the Archangel.
Could he do that?
*For Cas. You can do it for Cas. And if the fucker is playing you, you can show him exactly why you were Alastair’s best student later.*
Dean took another deep breath, and nodded resolutely.
“Then forget about me, and Sam and Bobby, and everything else going on right now, and focus on Castiel.”
Dean turned to look down at the angel, and nodded again to himself. He could do this for Cas.
It was a tingling sensation in his hand first, the one resting on Gabriel’s.
The Archangel’s hand was getting warmer and warmer - it was almost burning Dean now.
Fighting the instinct to pull his hand away, Dean pressed down harder, gripping Gabriel’s hand tightly.
*Come on Cas…* he urged silently. *Come on man, you can do it!*
Pain flared unexpectedly in his shoulder and he nearly pulled his hand (and by extension Castiel’s) away in shock, stopped only by another hand pressing over them.
“Don’t you dare screw this up Winchester! Hold the fuck on!”
Gabriel’s voice sounded strained, his breathing laboured.
He tightened his grip again, and fought through the pain to focus on Cas. He noticed that Castiel was paler now, the bruising on his chest more prominent against the pasty white skin surrounding it. His breathing was shallower too, his chest barely moving beneath their hands.
*Cas, wake the hell up dude! I need to yell at you for doing something this stupid - come on Cas! Please…*
The pain in his hand was excruciating - he would be surprised if he didn’t have third degree burns at least. His shoulder throbbed as the skin around his scar reddened and blistered before his eyes, and he tightened his grip and breathed through gritted teeth.
*This has to work, it has to! Please God, it has to…Come on Cas!*
Dean’s whole body was suddenly on fire - everything burned, everything ached…it took all his will power not to cry out as his eyes darted over Cas in panic. His fingers itched to reach out, to check for a pulse, but Gabriel held them firmly in place.
Almost as suddenly as it had started, the pain began to fade, and Dean let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding as the pale chest rose and fell slowly, the movement gaining strength and certainty with every breath.
“Did it…”
“Shhh!”
Dean watched as Gabriel loosed his hand from Dean’s shoulder, reaching instead to place his fingers alongside Castiel’s temple.
“Come on Cassie, time to wake up and stop scaring the human…”
Before Dean could say anything to that, a muffled groan came from the still form on the bed.
“Cas?!”
SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN
Pain.
It was all he knew, all he could feel. His vessel burned with it, he burned with it.
He’d known how it would end, tying himself to his vessel as he had - he only wished he’d had more time to help, or even just chance to warn Dean and Sam about what would happen…
Sam.
He had to warn Dean about Sam! He’d seen it, before the pain had started, before darkness had wrapped him up.
Sam, shining with a Grace he shouldn’t have - a Grace that could only have come from one place…
He’d thought…he’d hoped…that Sam would be stronger than this, that he could hold out. It had been a mistake to leave him alone. To leave him vulnerable.
And now Sam was paying for it.
He should’ve known better - Dean would never forgive himself, never forgive Castiel…
But he needed to know first. Because when they’d seen him he’d been pretending to be Sam.
He had to warn Dean.
The pain had faded now, and he knew that probably meant he was almost out of time.
He tried to speak, but all that came out was a groan.
“Cas?!”
Dean was here, he could hear him! He summoned his strength and tried again, turning towards the voice and forcing his eyes open.
Dean’s face hovered above him, blurred as his eyes fought to find their focus.
He tried to speak again.
“D’n?”
“Cas! Oh thank God! Cas man, you had us worried!”
He grabbed at the hunter’s leg with his unrestrained hand.
“Dean…Sam’s not…s’not Sam.”
“Cas, you’re not making sense…”
“S’Lucifer…saw it…saw his Grace! S’not Sam…”
Father help him, he was so tired! He felt his eyelids droop slowly, and didn’t fight it - he’d warned Dean, it didn’t matter now if he died.
From the edge of consciousness, he could hear snatches of a whispered conversation, and wondered vaguely who else was there.
SPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPNSPN
When he heard Dean call out Castiel’s name, he couldn’t sit there not knowing any more. Sam pulled himself up from the sofa, grunting at the effort it took - God but he was tired! - and walked determinedly down the hall.
He could hear Bobby following closely behind him.
As he neared the room he could hear voices, and when he reached the doorway he froze in horror as Castiel spoke.
“S’Lucifer…saw it…saw his Grace! S’not Sam…”
Cas had woken up, which was awesome.
Cas was apparently under the impression that Sam wasn’t Sam anymore. That wasn’t so awesome.
In fact it was the opposite of awesome. Castiel thought he’d given in, been weak, said yes…
It hurt.
Sam glanced at the other figures in the room to find Gabriel stood in front of Dean, gripping the hunter by the shoulders tightly.
“Sam’s Sam Dean, you know that! Cas was so out of it he couldn’t tell one Archangel’s Grace from another, that’s all.”
“I…”
Sam could hear the hesitation in his brother’s voice, see the indecision on his face, and something inside Sam felt like it was breaking.
“…yeah, you’re right. I know that - Sam’s not Lucifer. Lucifer wouldn’t have helped me help Cas in the car, wouldn’t have warned me in time to stop…but Sam’s not Sam either.”
The conviction in Dean’s voice as he spoke grew until there was no room for argument, no room for disagreement, and Sam stood there, unnoticed, listening quietly.
“I…he was Sam when I came back, from Hell I mean - he was angry and hard and cold, but he was still my brother…”
Gabriel had dropped his arms back to his sides, and was watching Dean with a slightly confused look on his face.
Sam could sympathise with the Archangel - Dean wasn’t making a whole lot of sense. Even so, there was something in his tone - an openness, a rawness - that captivated its audience’s attention. Sam held his breath, not wanting to interrupt before his brother was finished.
“These last few days…these last few days he hasn’t been Sam. He’s been Sammy - my baby brother who smiles and actually gives a shit about everything…he was nearly passed out from pain on the highway earlier, and the first thing he asked me was how Cas was. It…I don’t know what you did, and you’d better not be thinking this means I like you - because I still think you’re an annoying arrogant dick - but, I think…maybe...aw hell, just thanks, ‘kay? But hurt him and you’ll be dying painfully, Archangel or not.”
Sam’s lips twitched upwards in a grin at the last sentence, even as he didn’t know what to think about the rest of it, and when he felt a hand rest lightly on his arm he looked back at Bobby with what he was sure were tears in his eyes.
When Bobby gestured back towards the other room, Sam nodded. They weren’t supposed to hear that, Dean wouldn’t want Sam to know, but he was glad he did all the same.
With a last glance at his brother, Sam began backing away quietly to follow Bobby.
Gabriel had looked flabbergasted - Sam would’ve said speechless, expect the smaller man had already been opening his mouth to respond.
As Sam finally turned, he heard instead of the expected snarky comment, a sharp, painful cough.
The muttered “oh shit!” was quickly drowned out by Dean’s shout.
“Fuck! Bobby! Sam! We need help in here!!”
Sam spun on the spot and raced into the room to see Gabriel sprawled, half sat, half led, on the floor with Dean knelt beside him. Gabriel’s right hand was splattered with red, his eyes slightly glassy and lips red with blood as it trickled slowly down his chin.
“Sammy…?”
His voice was quieter than usual.
“Shit! Gabe? What the hell?!”
“Think I’m a bit screwed Sasquatch…”
He chuckled grimly, but quickly broke off into another coughing fit, and Sam winced to see more blood coating the hand he’d held over his mouth.
“Cas is fine, isn’t he? You can use your Grace again, heal yourself, can’t you?”
“Tried that, guess I left it a bit long - there’s too much damage for me to fix Sammy…Cassie’ll be fine though - he just needs some rest, burned too much energy - he won’t wake up for at least twelve hours, but when he does he’ll be good as new. S’funny in a way…”
“Funny?!” Sam squawked incredulously - nothing about this was funny. Fucked all to Hell, yeah…funny, no.
Sam watched as Gabriel pressed his hand lightly to the wound in his side, the bandage over it now completely red with blood.
“Hael did this…In your Bible, Hael’s the Angel of Kindness - how many people can say quite so literally that they were killed by kindness, hmm?”
Sam watched quietly as Gabriel’s grin - a blood-red mockery of his usual cocky smirk - faded into a pained wince.
Unable to watch helplessly as Gabriel slowly slipped away, Sam climbed to his feet and stumbled from the room as fast as his feet would carry him.
He couldn’t just watch it happen…he couldn’t.
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