Unexpected Destinies Chapter 115
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: 3,140
Summary: Castiel, Dean and Michael try to figure out Dean's nightmare and how he came to have it.
PAST
Terror gripped Castiel as he stared at his mate, replete with Michael's wings, robes and fierce expression. He had not been assigned to the worst area of fighting during the Rebellion and had thus not witnessed the battle between the archangels first hand, but he had caught sight of the first created angel that day and it was enough to instantly recognize who and what Dean was subconsciously emulating right now. The thought of what this might mean was too horrible to contemplate, so he didn't, deciding to focus his attention to the problem at hand first.
"Dean?" Castiel tried softly.
Although it looked like Michael stood before him, Castiel knew that it couldn't be his brother, not really. Michael had left Dean hours ago and so only his mate remained no matter what Dean's mind might conjure up just now. The truly frightening part was how his mate had managed to so accurately reproduce a part of Heaven that Dean had never seen and especially from a time so very long ago. There was really only one explanation and it scared him in a way nothing else ever had before. Raphael's words of how Dean and Michael had almost seemed fused after performing the Rite of Contressa came back to him and he'd taken a few steps closer to his mate before realizing that he'd moved. A cry of denial threatened to fall from his lips but he managed to swallow it back just in time.
"Cas?" Dean replied, looking confused and shaken.
"I'm right here, Dean," Castiel reassured, closing the space between them and pulling his mate close, bring careful of the large wings protruding from his hunter's back.
"What's going on, Cas? Am I dreaming?"
"Yes."
The dreamscape was shifting around the edges, slowly morphing into something else and Castiel nearly cried with relief as he recognized one of the figures lurking in the shadows as Ruby and then another as Zachariah, but of his brother as he'd appeared on Earth, not in Heaven. It proved that his mate was truly still with him as those were not elements that were true or things which Michael would have bothered with. The blending of events like this, of fact and fiction merging into one, was a true indicator of the human mind and, more importantly, of a human dream.
"I don't like this dream," Dean stated plaintively and Castiel felt like he suddenly knew what humans meant when they said that their heart clenched.
The nightmare itself or something about how his mate had come to have it in the first place had left Dean feeling particularly vulnerable and now that he had his hunter's attention focused on him, he tried to pull Dean free once more. This time it worked and he grabbed his mate as Dean gasped as he woke and bolted into an upright position.
"Shh, it is over now," Castiel reassured his mate. "You are awake."
"Crap, I hate that nightmare," Dean muttered, reorienting himself.
The words crystalized the fear within Castiel and he tightened his hold on his hunter. "You have had it before?"
"Yeah, quite a few times lately as a matter of fact."
"Michael!" Castiel called out, desperately hoping that there was a reasonable explanation for this that he just hadn't thought of or was overlooking at the moment.
Anything but that. Anything but what he feared was true.
A quick glance down showed Castiel that Dean was far more exposed than his mate would like so he pulled the sheets over Dean's lap and then folded some of his wings over their lower bodies just before Michael arrived. His brother was on high alert, immediately scanning the room for any sign of danger before looking towards them and he could see the moment that Michael realized that something was wrong with his vessel.
"Castiel, what has happened?" Michael demanded, stepping closer to them.
"He had a nightmare," Castiel replied.
"Surely this is common for humans?"
"More so than I'd like, but this one was different."
"No it wasn't," Dean muttered, making as if to push himself upright before he froze, most likely remembering his state of undress. "I told you I've had it before, Cas."
"Yes, I meant that the nature of this nightmare was different from any that you have had before, even if you have had this one a few times."
"How's it different? It was just something my mind conjured up based on all those texts that I've been reading."
"No, it was not," Castiel disagreed before looking to his brother. "Dean was dreaming of the Rebellion. He was dreaming about it accurately."
Michael frowned and glanced at Dean briefly. "What do you mean, accurately?"
"I mean that every last detail he was seeing and hearing was correct. His mind wasn't making it up based on what he'd read, he was recalling it exactly as it happened."
"Huh, what?" Dean questioned and then looked at Michael as he gasped. "How could I do that?"
"Are you sure, Brother?" Michael demanded urgently. "Absolutely sure?"
"Yes, I wish that I were not, but I am," Castiel confirmed.
"Uh, guys, what are you talking about?" Dean asked.
"Did you ever share that memory with him, Michael?"
"No, I did not. I would not wish to subject him to that," Michael replied.
"Then how did he obtain it?"
"I am not sure."
"Are you guys saying what I think you're saying?" Dean demanded, voice suddenly wary and hard with an edge of fear his mate probably didn't want to acknowledge, even to himself.
"Yes," Castiel confirmed, knowing his hunter had figured it out and deserved the truth no matter how much he wished that he could hide it from Dean in order to protect him from it.
Far too many people had already done that to his mate in Dean's life and most often with detrimental consequences. For once in his life, Dean deserved honesty and a fair say in what happened to him and Castiel was determined to give that to his mate no matter the personal cost to himself. Besides, more often than not, Dean would uncover the truth anyway and then end up taking far riskier action than what his mate would have done if he'd only just been told the truth from the beginning.
"Shit."
Michael snorted at his mate's response and Castiel couldn't help but notice what a Dean-like response that was and it chilled him. He had, of course, noticed how big of an influence his hunter had been on Michael, but he'd always assumed that it was a good thing as his brother had needed a strong dose of human perspective and who better to give it to Michael than his strong willed mate? Now, however, it was a blatant sign of just how strongly the two of them had been changing since Dean had said yes and the first time that his mate had housed Michael within himself. Was he going to lose both of them to whatever was happening? The thought had him clutching Dean closer to him and his mate made a startled sound that had an undercurrent of discomfort to it and he instantly loosened his too tight grip.
"Sorry," Castiel apologized, caressing the spot soothingly.
"S'okay," Dean replied softly.
When their gazes met, Castiel could see fear in his hunter's eyes and knew that Dean understood exactly how serious this situation was. His first instinct was to forbid Michael from ever taking his true vessel again, but he knew how unpractical that response was. Not only was it nearly impossible as their situation all but guaranteed that Michael would need to take Dean at least once more, but his mate would never not do something just because it might be detrimental to himself. At least these days he had the comfort of knowing that Dean would no longer do it out of a sense that he wasn't important or didn't matter to anyone. No, now his mate would regret needing to do it but still not let that stop him from doing what was right if it was indeed their last and only course of action.
Castiel was determined to ensure that it never came to that type of situation.
"How did this happen?" Dean asked.
"I do not know, it never has before," Michael replied.
"It must have something to do with the melding that Raphael mentioned before, after you performed the Rite of Contressa," Castiel stated.
"Yes, but it does not explain what it was or how it happened either."
"Unless it was meant to," Dean suggested softly.
Castiel could feel his mate tensing as Dean said it and he frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Well, it's never been used before, the Rite I mean, and it was clearly meant to be performed by Mike and I, so what if it was meant to do this? What if this was always going to happen as a result of using it?"
"You mean an unpreventable side effect?" Michael questioned with a frown.
Dean hesitated. "Yeah, or perhaps an intended one."
The sudden realization of what it was that Dean was implying hit Castiel hard and he knew why his mate was so tense. It wasn't that his hunter was worried for himself, but rather for them and how they would take this news.
"You think Father wanted this to transpire?" Castiel asked.
Dean shrugged. "I'm just throwing it out there as a possibility."
"But to what end?" Michael inquired.
"I don't know. You're really asking me what God's thinking? He's your Father, if you don't know then how the hell should I?"
"Do not underestimate yourself, Little One. I believe it has become more than clear that you are more in tune with Father's wishes and desire than any of us except, perhaps, for Castiel."
"I was merely following Dean," Castiel stated simply.
"Yeah, well, I've got no clue," Dean replied wearily. "I can't see what the use of this might be."
"Has there been anything else? Anything that you might simply have written off as being nothing at the time?"
"No, not that I can think of anyway."
"If you do think of something, let us know at once."
"Yeah, sure."
Castiel regarded his mate for a moment, their eyes locking together, as he sought for any deception. It wasn't that he didn't trust Dean, but rather that he knew his hunter tended to put himself dead last and would thus avoid saying something until Dean felt like it was the right time to worry others. He found none and he desperately hoped that meant that his mate knew better now, but he would pay extra close attention to ensure that it didn't happen again, just in case.
He glanced up when Michael stepped closer and placed a hand on his mate's forehead. Dean frowned, looking up at Castiel's brother but made no move to pull away and instead his hunter closed his eyes as Michael ran his Grace over his human's soul. There was a surge of jealousy that he had to fight down, knowing that his brother wasn't trying to claim his mate but the ease and familiarity of the possessive gesture still rankled. He wasn't sure if the fact that Michael had earned the right to act like that with Dean made it any better or worse. In the end he took some satisfaction in the fact that his brother had to be constantly battling the same territorial instincts when it came to himself and Dean, even though he knew it was not a particularly angelic emotion to have.
With an effort, Castiel made himself look past his own reaction to observe how Michael was scanning Dean. What would normally have been an arduous and difficult task was made to seem easy and quick due to the way his mate's soul responded, readily allowing the archangel's touch and almost seeming to revel in it. The new flash of jealousy was quickly drowned out by worry as he noticed spots where Dean's soul almost seemed to attach itself and stick to Michael's Grace instead of just sliding along it. That was most definitely not normal and he watched as his brother carefully separated them once more before stepping back a little.
"Uh, not that I'm complaining or anything as I'm definitely not, but what was that for?" Dean inquired, slowly opening his eyes.
"I needed to check something," Michael explained before covering his true vessel's eyes. "Castiel, please do it as well."
Dean huffed as if annoyed at being passed around like some soul toy, but his mate didn't actually complain and Castiel could see the way his soul flared brighter in anticipation. That was all the invitation that he needed so he placed a hand on Dean's head and reached out for his mate's soul as he had watched Michael do. Any residual jealousy was quickly washed away at the enthusiastic way Dean reached out to him, his mate's soul readily entwining itself with his Grace, as if seeking to burrow into his very essence. Despite that, however, he didn't feel the same sticking and melding that he had observed with his brother's Grace. Despite both of them seeking as much closeness as they could get, they remained two distinct and separate entities. Which was normal and a good thing, but it still begged the question of why it was happening with Dean and Michael, though it probably had something to do with the bond between an archangel and his vessel. Yet that didn't make a whole lot of sense either as vessels were specifically designed to hold an angel's Grace, not blend with it.
It was with great reluctance that Castiel finally pulled back. The knowledge of how difficult it would be to do so was one of the reasons why he hadn't really done this before. That and the fear that Dean might view it as far too invasive given his mate's former fierce resistance to saying yes. Clearly that had changed drastically and it allowed him to think of and consider possibilities that he'd denied himself the luxury of indulging in before. For a moment he thought that he wouldn't be able to do it, to break away, as Dean clung to him and he didn't have the heart to push his mate away, but then Dean slowly relaxed his hold and finally let him go.
When he turned his attention back towards his brother, Castiel found a pensive expression on Michael's face. "It appears to be specific to you and Dean."
"Yes, which would seem to lend credence to Dean's theory," Michael agreed.
"It's just one possibility," Dean shrugged. "We could be overlooking the other options here without even realizing it."
"Could you tell the difference, Little One?"
"Uh, yeah, kinda."
"Kinda?" Castiel prompted, letting the colloquialism roll off his tongue. It earned him a quick smile.
"I could feel that something was different, but I wouldn't be able to describe how or why."
"I shall go speak with Raphael and a few others about this, see if they can divine another reason for what is going on."
"Good luck," Dean said before looking to him once Michael had flown off. "Can you stay a while longer or do you also need to go?"
"I have some more time, but then I must go aid in the hunt for the demons that escaped today as some of them seem to have eluded our pursuit," Castiel responded. "I can guard your sleep for the rest of the night, though."
"Do you think there's any chance of catching them?"
"It may be difficult as they seem to have gotten help from other demons."
"Demons helping other demons? Oh that can't be good."
"No, I fear that Lucifer might have given some of them tasks to accomplish for which they must work together. It is one of the only reasons that they would do so, especially with some of them only just out of Perdition."
"Crap."
"I believe that describes things quite well," Castiel said, garnering himself a quick little laugh.
"No, seriously, the last time was bad enough, but for it to happen again... We just have no luck. Okay, so I think we need to think about how we could find out where the demons might hav-"
Suddenly his mate's eyes went wide and Dean was scrambling out of Castiel's arms. He let his human go, admiring the view as Dean turned to stretch across the bed for his cell phone. Once his mate had it, Dean rolled over and lay carelessly stretched out as he selected a number from his contact list. Although he was curious who his hunter was calling, he found himself distracted by all of the naked skin on display and Dean's half hard cock so it wasn't until he heard Crowley's voice that he returned his attention to what his mate was doing.
"Hello to you too, Crowley," Dean snarked, shifting slightly and Castiel couldn't help but watch the resulting play of strong muscles under soft skin.
"Ready to talk to me yet, cupcake?" Crowley drawled.
The nickname had Castiel's hackles rising and he forced himself to pay more attention to his mate's gorgeous body in order to keep his temper.
"I need information."
"On who?"
"Some demons."
"Sorry, darling, but I'm not helping you hunt down my kind, just Lucifer."
"The demons I want just got let out of Hell by Lucifer today when he blew open one of the gateways. Who do you think that they're gonna be loyal to? We also have reason to believe that your dear father has given them an assignment or two. Do you really want to see those come to fruition?"
"All right, all right, you've made your point. I'll see what I can dig up, but I am not going after them."
"Of course not, I wouldn't dream of you getting your hands dirty," Dean retorted.
"That smart mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one of these days, cupcake."
"Bite me."
The plan was a good one, Castiel knew. Crowley was far more likely to be able to pick up something useful than they were, but the best part was that it gave them more time to themselves while things were still being done to track down the demons. Time which he had no intention of wasting. The moment that Dean ended the call, he pounced, fully intending to take his mate. His hunter, however, seemed to have other plans, moving at just the right moment so his momentum rolled them and he was underneath his human.
"No," Dean admonished, placing biting kisses along his neck and chest. "I wanna fuck you."
A.N.: I was jumping about LJ the other day when I came across a photo on v_e_vancollie's journal and it is of the coolest ad ever! You have to check it out! Do they have this Supernatural ad in the US? I totally want to see this, though I don't think that I'd be able to resist breaking the glass, so perhaps it's a good thing I've never seen it?
Chapter 116
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 3,140
Summary: Castiel, Dean and Michael try to figure out Dean's nightmare and how he came to have it.
PAST
Terror gripped Castiel as he stared at his mate, replete with Michael's wings, robes and fierce expression. He had not been assigned to the worst area of fighting during the Rebellion and had thus not witnessed the battle between the archangels first hand, but he had caught sight of the first created angel that day and it was enough to instantly recognize who and what Dean was subconsciously emulating right now. The thought of what this might mean was too horrible to contemplate, so he didn't, deciding to focus his attention to the problem at hand first.
"Dean?" Castiel tried softly.
Although it looked like Michael stood before him, Castiel knew that it couldn't be his brother, not really. Michael had left Dean hours ago and so only his mate remained no matter what Dean's mind might conjure up just now. The truly frightening part was how his mate had managed to so accurately reproduce a part of Heaven that Dean had never seen and especially from a time so very long ago. There was really only one explanation and it scared him in a way nothing else ever had before. Raphael's words of how Dean and Michael had almost seemed fused after performing the Rite of Contressa came back to him and he'd taken a few steps closer to his mate before realizing that he'd moved. A cry of denial threatened to fall from his lips but he managed to swallow it back just in time.
"Cas?" Dean replied, looking confused and shaken.
"I'm right here, Dean," Castiel reassured, closing the space between them and pulling his mate close, bring careful of the large wings protruding from his hunter's back.
"What's going on, Cas? Am I dreaming?"
"Yes."
The dreamscape was shifting around the edges, slowly morphing into something else and Castiel nearly cried with relief as he recognized one of the figures lurking in the shadows as Ruby and then another as Zachariah, but of his brother as he'd appeared on Earth, not in Heaven. It proved that his mate was truly still with him as those were not elements that were true or things which Michael would have bothered with. The blending of events like this, of fact and fiction merging into one, was a true indicator of the human mind and, more importantly, of a human dream.
"I don't like this dream," Dean stated plaintively and Castiel felt like he suddenly knew what humans meant when they said that their heart clenched.
The nightmare itself or something about how his mate had come to have it in the first place had left Dean feeling particularly vulnerable and now that he had his hunter's attention focused on him, he tried to pull Dean free once more. This time it worked and he grabbed his mate as Dean gasped as he woke and bolted into an upright position.
"Shh, it is over now," Castiel reassured his mate. "You are awake."
"Crap, I hate that nightmare," Dean muttered, reorienting himself.
The words crystalized the fear within Castiel and he tightened his hold on his hunter. "You have had it before?"
"Yeah, quite a few times lately as a matter of fact."
"Michael!" Castiel called out, desperately hoping that there was a reasonable explanation for this that he just hadn't thought of or was overlooking at the moment.
Anything but that. Anything but what he feared was true.
A quick glance down showed Castiel that Dean was far more exposed than his mate would like so he pulled the sheets over Dean's lap and then folded some of his wings over their lower bodies just before Michael arrived. His brother was on high alert, immediately scanning the room for any sign of danger before looking towards them and he could see the moment that Michael realized that something was wrong with his vessel.
"Castiel, what has happened?" Michael demanded, stepping closer to them.
"He had a nightmare," Castiel replied.
"Surely this is common for humans?"
"More so than I'd like, but this one was different."
"No it wasn't," Dean muttered, making as if to push himself upright before he froze, most likely remembering his state of undress. "I told you I've had it before, Cas."
"Yes, I meant that the nature of this nightmare was different from any that you have had before, even if you have had this one a few times."
"How's it different? It was just something my mind conjured up based on all those texts that I've been reading."
"No, it was not," Castiel disagreed before looking to his brother. "Dean was dreaming of the Rebellion. He was dreaming about it accurately."
Michael frowned and glanced at Dean briefly. "What do you mean, accurately?"
"I mean that every last detail he was seeing and hearing was correct. His mind wasn't making it up based on what he'd read, he was recalling it exactly as it happened."
"Huh, what?" Dean questioned and then looked at Michael as he gasped. "How could I do that?"
"Are you sure, Brother?" Michael demanded urgently. "Absolutely sure?"
"Yes, I wish that I were not, but I am," Castiel confirmed.
"Uh, guys, what are you talking about?" Dean asked.
"Did you ever share that memory with him, Michael?"
"No, I did not. I would not wish to subject him to that," Michael replied.
"Then how did he obtain it?"
"I am not sure."
"Are you guys saying what I think you're saying?" Dean demanded, voice suddenly wary and hard with an edge of fear his mate probably didn't want to acknowledge, even to himself.
"Yes," Castiel confirmed, knowing his hunter had figured it out and deserved the truth no matter how much he wished that he could hide it from Dean in order to protect him from it.
Far too many people had already done that to his mate in Dean's life and most often with detrimental consequences. For once in his life, Dean deserved honesty and a fair say in what happened to him and Castiel was determined to give that to his mate no matter the personal cost to himself. Besides, more often than not, Dean would uncover the truth anyway and then end up taking far riskier action than what his mate would have done if he'd only just been told the truth from the beginning.
"Shit."
Michael snorted at his mate's response and Castiel couldn't help but notice what a Dean-like response that was and it chilled him. He had, of course, noticed how big of an influence his hunter had been on Michael, but he'd always assumed that it was a good thing as his brother had needed a strong dose of human perspective and who better to give it to Michael than his strong willed mate? Now, however, it was a blatant sign of just how strongly the two of them had been changing since Dean had said yes and the first time that his mate had housed Michael within himself. Was he going to lose both of them to whatever was happening? The thought had him clutching Dean closer to him and his mate made a startled sound that had an undercurrent of discomfort to it and he instantly loosened his too tight grip.
"Sorry," Castiel apologized, caressing the spot soothingly.
"S'okay," Dean replied softly.
When their gazes met, Castiel could see fear in his hunter's eyes and knew that Dean understood exactly how serious this situation was. His first instinct was to forbid Michael from ever taking his true vessel again, but he knew how unpractical that response was. Not only was it nearly impossible as their situation all but guaranteed that Michael would need to take Dean at least once more, but his mate would never not do something just because it might be detrimental to himself. At least these days he had the comfort of knowing that Dean would no longer do it out of a sense that he wasn't important or didn't matter to anyone. No, now his mate would regret needing to do it but still not let that stop him from doing what was right if it was indeed their last and only course of action.
Castiel was determined to ensure that it never came to that type of situation.
"How did this happen?" Dean asked.
"I do not know, it never has before," Michael replied.
"It must have something to do with the melding that Raphael mentioned before, after you performed the Rite of Contressa," Castiel stated.
"Yes, but it does not explain what it was or how it happened either."
"Unless it was meant to," Dean suggested softly.
Castiel could feel his mate tensing as Dean said it and he frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Well, it's never been used before, the Rite I mean, and it was clearly meant to be performed by Mike and I, so what if it was meant to do this? What if this was always going to happen as a result of using it?"
"You mean an unpreventable side effect?" Michael questioned with a frown.
Dean hesitated. "Yeah, or perhaps an intended one."
The sudden realization of what it was that Dean was implying hit Castiel hard and he knew why his mate was so tense. It wasn't that his hunter was worried for himself, but rather for them and how they would take this news.
"You think Father wanted this to transpire?" Castiel asked.
Dean shrugged. "I'm just throwing it out there as a possibility."
"But to what end?" Michael inquired.
"I don't know. You're really asking me what God's thinking? He's your Father, if you don't know then how the hell should I?"
"Do not underestimate yourself, Little One. I believe it has become more than clear that you are more in tune with Father's wishes and desire than any of us except, perhaps, for Castiel."
"I was merely following Dean," Castiel stated simply.
"Yeah, well, I've got no clue," Dean replied wearily. "I can't see what the use of this might be."
"Has there been anything else? Anything that you might simply have written off as being nothing at the time?"
"No, not that I can think of anyway."
"If you do think of something, let us know at once."
"Yeah, sure."
Castiel regarded his mate for a moment, their eyes locking together, as he sought for any deception. It wasn't that he didn't trust Dean, but rather that he knew his hunter tended to put himself dead last and would thus avoid saying something until Dean felt like it was the right time to worry others. He found none and he desperately hoped that meant that his mate knew better now, but he would pay extra close attention to ensure that it didn't happen again, just in case.
He glanced up when Michael stepped closer and placed a hand on his mate's forehead. Dean frowned, looking up at Castiel's brother but made no move to pull away and instead his hunter closed his eyes as Michael ran his Grace over his human's soul. There was a surge of jealousy that he had to fight down, knowing that his brother wasn't trying to claim his mate but the ease and familiarity of the possessive gesture still rankled. He wasn't sure if the fact that Michael had earned the right to act like that with Dean made it any better or worse. In the end he took some satisfaction in the fact that his brother had to be constantly battling the same territorial instincts when it came to himself and Dean, even though he knew it was not a particularly angelic emotion to have.
With an effort, Castiel made himself look past his own reaction to observe how Michael was scanning Dean. What would normally have been an arduous and difficult task was made to seem easy and quick due to the way his mate's soul responded, readily allowing the archangel's touch and almost seeming to revel in it. The new flash of jealousy was quickly drowned out by worry as he noticed spots where Dean's soul almost seemed to attach itself and stick to Michael's Grace instead of just sliding along it. That was most definitely not normal and he watched as his brother carefully separated them once more before stepping back a little.
"Uh, not that I'm complaining or anything as I'm definitely not, but what was that for?" Dean inquired, slowly opening his eyes.
"I needed to check something," Michael explained before covering his true vessel's eyes. "Castiel, please do it as well."
Dean huffed as if annoyed at being passed around like some soul toy, but his mate didn't actually complain and Castiel could see the way his soul flared brighter in anticipation. That was all the invitation that he needed so he placed a hand on Dean's head and reached out for his mate's soul as he had watched Michael do. Any residual jealousy was quickly washed away at the enthusiastic way Dean reached out to him, his mate's soul readily entwining itself with his Grace, as if seeking to burrow into his very essence. Despite that, however, he didn't feel the same sticking and melding that he had observed with his brother's Grace. Despite both of them seeking as much closeness as they could get, they remained two distinct and separate entities. Which was normal and a good thing, but it still begged the question of why it was happening with Dean and Michael, though it probably had something to do with the bond between an archangel and his vessel. Yet that didn't make a whole lot of sense either as vessels were specifically designed to hold an angel's Grace, not blend with it.
It was with great reluctance that Castiel finally pulled back. The knowledge of how difficult it would be to do so was one of the reasons why he hadn't really done this before. That and the fear that Dean might view it as far too invasive given his mate's former fierce resistance to saying yes. Clearly that had changed drastically and it allowed him to think of and consider possibilities that he'd denied himself the luxury of indulging in before. For a moment he thought that he wouldn't be able to do it, to break away, as Dean clung to him and he didn't have the heart to push his mate away, but then Dean slowly relaxed his hold and finally let him go.
When he turned his attention back towards his brother, Castiel found a pensive expression on Michael's face. "It appears to be specific to you and Dean."
"Yes, which would seem to lend credence to Dean's theory," Michael agreed.
"It's just one possibility," Dean shrugged. "We could be overlooking the other options here without even realizing it."
"Could you tell the difference, Little One?"
"Uh, yeah, kinda."
"Kinda?" Castiel prompted, letting the colloquialism roll off his tongue. It earned him a quick smile.
"I could feel that something was different, but I wouldn't be able to describe how or why."
"I shall go speak with Raphael and a few others about this, see if they can divine another reason for what is going on."
"Good luck," Dean said before looking to him once Michael had flown off. "Can you stay a while longer or do you also need to go?"
"I have some more time, but then I must go aid in the hunt for the demons that escaped today as some of them seem to have eluded our pursuit," Castiel responded. "I can guard your sleep for the rest of the night, though."
"Do you think there's any chance of catching them?"
"It may be difficult as they seem to have gotten help from other demons."
"Demons helping other demons? Oh that can't be good."
"No, I fear that Lucifer might have given some of them tasks to accomplish for which they must work together. It is one of the only reasons that they would do so, especially with some of them only just out of Perdition."
"Crap."
"I believe that describes things quite well," Castiel said, garnering himself a quick little laugh.
"No, seriously, the last time was bad enough, but for it to happen again... We just have no luck. Okay, so I think we need to think about how we could find out where the demons might hav-"
Suddenly his mate's eyes went wide and Dean was scrambling out of Castiel's arms. He let his human go, admiring the view as Dean turned to stretch across the bed for his cell phone. Once his mate had it, Dean rolled over and lay carelessly stretched out as he selected a number from his contact list. Although he was curious who his hunter was calling, he found himself distracted by all of the naked skin on display and Dean's half hard cock so it wasn't until he heard Crowley's voice that he returned his attention to what his mate was doing.
"Hello to you too, Crowley," Dean snarked, shifting slightly and Castiel couldn't help but watch the resulting play of strong muscles under soft skin.
"Ready to talk to me yet, cupcake?" Crowley drawled.
The nickname had Castiel's hackles rising and he forced himself to pay more attention to his mate's gorgeous body in order to keep his temper.
"I need information."
"On who?"
"Some demons."
"Sorry, darling, but I'm not helping you hunt down my kind, just Lucifer."
"The demons I want just got let out of Hell by Lucifer today when he blew open one of the gateways. Who do you think that they're gonna be loyal to? We also have reason to believe that your dear father has given them an assignment or two. Do you really want to see those come to fruition?"
"All right, all right, you've made your point. I'll see what I can dig up, but I am not going after them."
"Of course not, I wouldn't dream of you getting your hands dirty," Dean retorted.
"That smart mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one of these days, cupcake."
"Bite me."
The plan was a good one, Castiel knew. Crowley was far more likely to be able to pick up something useful than they were, but the best part was that it gave them more time to themselves while things were still being done to track down the demons. Time which he had no intention of wasting. The moment that Dean ended the call, he pounced, fully intending to take his mate. His hunter, however, seemed to have other plans, moving at just the right moment so his momentum rolled them and he was underneath his human.
"No," Dean admonished, placing biting kisses along his neck and chest. "I wanna fuck you."
A.N.: I was jumping about LJ the other day when I came across a photo on v_e_vancollie's journal and it is of the coolest ad ever! You have to check it out! Do they have this Supernatural ad in the US? I totally want to see this, though I don't think that I'd be able to resist breaking the glass, so perhaps it's a good thing I've never seen it?
Chapter 116