I'm not sure how long this story will be, but all I know for now is that I want it to be at least a multi-chapter fanfic, which I rarely do for this pairing.
I've had this idea for a very long time. Hell, I've even had this chapter on my laptop since around July. I just never got around to actually publishing it thanks to college and my part-time job. Anyway! I hope you enjoy this story.
Also, if you're interested, I'm taking Christmas Mooseley and Destiel prompts! If you would like to request a prompt, you can send me a pm here, or send me an ask/message on Mooseleyfics tumblr.
From where the demon was sitting, chained to an uncomfortable chair, he smirked as Castiel and Dean argued about whether they would take his offer. Sighing, he raised an eyebrow. Shouldn't the Moose have a say in this?
"Looks like we need a tiebreaker. Go get Moose, squirrel." He could always use a nice chat with the giant anyway. Sam proved to be more entertaining than these two idiots. Then he notices the change in expression, the guilt that starts to shine through in Dean's eyes.
So, this was why Sam hadn't been part of their conversation.
It looked like Moose was in trouble again, and despite the smirk on his face, he was silently worrying about the taller Winchester.
Damn the Moose, he had gotten under his skin and into a part of him that he once thought was long locked off.
He cared about Sam. Actually cared, damn it. This would be his luck, wouldn't it? Fall for a Winchester.
Bullocks.
.
.
He hated pushing those needles into Sam's head, hated it as much as Dean did, but he was better at hiding it. It might be the Angel screaming in pain, but that voice still belonged to Moose and the screams stabbed at him like the needles.
Worse, the damn Angel wasn't budging. The only thing they achieved was getting a name out, and that hadn't really done much in the first place.
It might have been Gadreel, the famous Angel who ruined everything, but Sam was more important. If only he could get to Sam, then the man could force the angel out. After sliding in another needle, there was gasping, and everyone hoped it would be Sam who would speak up.
No such luck.
"Go ahead. Poke and prod. I can sit in this chair for years and watch you fail over and over again." Crowley narrowed his eyes at him, taking a step back as he evaluated the situation. If the angel had truly been through worse and could deal with all the pain, then they had a serious problem on their hands. He couldn't keep shoving needles into Sam's head, the screams having already got to him. From where he was, he saw the raw emotion in Dean's green eyes.
"Shut up! All right. Plan "B." Cas, you got to possess him." Dean's furious, but desperate voice spoke up, nearly cracking with emotion. "You've got to." Castiel shook his head, a frown on his face.
"Dean-" Castiel didn't get a chance to finish, Dean's commanding voice overshadowing the angels.
"Tell Sam what's going on and help him kick that lying son of a bitch out!" The desperation in Dean's voice only grew. Again, Cas frowned more and let out a deep sigh.
"It might work. But I can't possess a vessel without permission." The angel reminds, his concerned gaze locked with Dean's, wanting to say more but not sure what to do.
Looks like he was getting dragged into this more, but with how things were heading, it was the only option to get Sam back. If it meant risking his life, then he would take it. For Sam, not the two idiots in front of him.
He cleared his throat, starting to raise his hand as if he were volunteering.
"Oh Hell no. That's not happening." Dean growled, crossing his arms. Scoffing, Crowley nearly rolled his eyes.
"Don't be daft. Demon's don't need permission to possess, and we can take what we want. Call me plan C." He says, looking at Dean and daring him to say no again.
If he didn't have these bloody chains on him or if Sam didn't have that damn tattoo, he would have done it without their okay. Cas, the ever so opposed Angel was glaring at him, wanting to say something but for the most part, he kept his mouth shut.
"You want to remove that angel, don't you?" Crowley asked again, his own voice turning hard. If Dean said no again-
"And if the Angel finds you?" Dean asked, causing Crowley to pause and think of something quick.
"I'll run. I'm not dying for you lot. And If I do this-" Crowley started speaking, but Dean cut him off with another sigh. Something he did a lot of these days.
"The leash comes off. I know." Crowley smirked again, nodding at Dean's harsh words. After going through all this trouble, those chains would stay off this time. He was tired of the dungeon and the interrogations, all the threats if he didn't provide names. Although, Sam had always been the kind one, coming down there just to simply speak with him some days.
That had always been the highlight of his day, and it was nice to see when someone respected him.
"And it stays off. I'm free after this." Even though he loved the moments with Sam, his freedom was still important as well. The chains hadn't exactly been comfortable to begin with, so finally having them off would be nothing less of a blessing.
Sam had loosened them occasionally, and a few times, the demon had seen hesitation on those eyes, like he was debating on taking them completely off. Crowley had pondered on that look more than he cared to admit and tried to use it to his advantage once or twice. He comes to it when he hears Dean finally speak up.
"Cas, burn off Sam's tattoo."
"Dean-"
"Do it, Cas. Do it." There wasn't an ounce of hesitation in Dean's voice, the desperation returning. Castiel didn't say another word, quietly walking over where Sam was strapped, unbuttoning two buttons before touching the tattoo, burning it off the skin. Then Dean was back to glaring at him again, something dark and promising in his eyes.
"If you mess with Sam, if you try anything –" This time, Crowley did roll his eyes.
"I keep my bargains." Like he would try anything in the first place, not when it was Sam who was at stake. Besides, he usually did keep his bargains, unlike some people, which were ironically the two angels in the room. Dean was still upset, but the eldest Winchester finally relented with another nod.
"When you find him, say 'Poughkeepsie'. It means drop everything and run."
Crowley hummed in response as he sat in an adjacent chair, sighing in relief when the demon cuffs came off. He looked at Sam's face, smirking when Gadreel spoke up, threatening him. This rouge angel had made a big mistake, and Crowley was more than ready to help Sam kick him out.
"Eat me." Crowley snapped, red smoke leaving his vessel as it went into Sam's.
.
.
He had to admit, Gadreel had planned this exceptionally well. There was no reason for Sam to be suspicious since everything seemed to be meticulous, even the case.
"Not bad." Crowley hums, walking towards Sam who was as always, doing research through the laptop and the available books.
"Crowley?!" Alarmed, the taller man stood up, but Crowley surprised him in a matter of seconds.
"Poughkeepsie," The word Dean had instructed him to say. Almost immediately, Moose stopped dead in his tracks, looking at the demon with a concerned look. He was about to speak up when Crowley beat him to it. "Look, Moose. We don't have a lot of time here. Dean sent me, the real Dean. You've been possessed by an Angel and locked away in a corner of your own mind."
He was expecting Sam to not buy a word of it, but to his surprise, the human bites his lips. There was a moment of silence as Sam furrows his brows, something clearly on his mind. After a few tense moments, Sam starts to speak up, a look of revelation slowly crossing over his face.
"You're telling the truth, aren't you?" At least he didn't need to use the gun.
"I wouldn't be here if I weren't. I know how possession works, Sam. You've seen everything that he's seen, even if you can't remember. That's what I need you to do. I need you to remember." His voice, despite being urgent, was soft. He was relieved that Sam seemed to trust him. After all, why would he lie about something like this in the first place, right? Again, he's a little surprised that Sam follows his instructions without making another comment about the situation they were in.
Sam closed his eyes, and when he reopened them a few seconds later, there was a heartbroken look on his face, disbelieving tears in his eyes.
"Did I kill Kevin?" Sam asked, and Crowley shook his head.
"No, you didn't. He did." The demon said firmly. Of course Sam would think he did it, when it was a fucking Angel that had committed the crime. Knowing how the younger Winchester could be, he would still believe that because it was his hands, it would still be his fault.
Even if he wants to comfort the human more, they're running out of time before Gadreel figures something is wrong and appears, so the demon speaks up again with an urgent tone. "You need to take control, Sam. Blow it up and cast that punk-ass, holy roller, out!"
But things could never be that easy, could they?
He catches the way Sam's eyes dart behind him, and he knows what awaits.
"Bullocks." Crowley cursed, turning around to look at Gadreel, who had a disappointed frown on his face.
"Hello, Sam." The angel moves closer, and Crowley knew a fight was bound to happen. He stands there, separating the angel from the human.
"So, which Angel are you?" Sam glares at the unknown angel that keeps moving closer.
"His name is Gadreel. The original chump." That ticks the Angel off, and Gadreel stops in front of Crowley, sneering down at him.
"Was a chump. Now, I will help lead my people back into Heaven and be a hero. But you, demon, will always be a coward. You should be running."
Oh, Crowley knew that, but when it came to Sam Winchester, he did stupid things.
Like punch an Angel in the face when he was supposed to be running away.
So much for being a coward, but he wasn't going to leave Sam in this mess. Not when this angel was still possessing him. He's not surprised when the angel frowns more, moving to make his attack. If it weren't for the fact that this was a powerful angel and he wasn't at his full potential anymore, he would have been able to do something else.
Crowley groans as Gadreel throws him back against the table, kicking him in the stomach and trying to kick his face in, but to his surprise, Sam comes to his rescue, trying to force the angel away. It ends with Gadreel throwing Sam across the table, the human fighting the angel on his own now. Large hands find Sam's neck when the human tries to speak, cutting him off. That doesn't stop the tall man, who opens his mouth again, only to be choked again.
Crowley tries to stand and provide some sort of help, but curses to himself when Gadreel's grace keeps him pinned down, effectively trapping him against the floor. If he had his full power, the damn angel would regret the day he even touched Sam.
"Get out of-" Sam chokes out, trying to peel the hands off of his neck, only for the Angel to strangle him more. He keeps trying to get the words out, and Gadreel keeps adding pressure to shut him up.
"You sure you want me to go? I might be the only thing holding you together, and if I leave, you might die." But Sam did something unexpected. He was able to kick Gadreel over and stand up, foot against his neck. There was a furious look, so much anger and determination that the angel knew he had lost.
"I said; get the hell out!"
Sometimes even the demon would forget how frightening the youngest Winchester could be when angered. Even if Gadreel was a powerful angel, Crowley was sure he saw a glimpse of fear in those eyes before he was expelled in a bright, blinding light.
After the bright light vanished, it was just Sam and Crowley.
Color the demon surprised, but Sam immediately went to his side, helping him up. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." He dusts off his suit, then looks back to the frazzled human.
"Thank you." Sam manages to say. Crowley is momentarily speechless, but soon nods, looking up at Sam's colorful eyes. He's rarely been thanked for things, but it's nice. Especially since it was coming from his favorite Winchester.
"You're welcome, Moose. Couldn't let you stay a prisoner to that angel any longer." He smirks a bit, but it falters when the dark circles underneath Sam's eyes become more obvious. What if that angel was right? What if Gadreel was the only thing keeping Sam alive, and the moose of a man could fall apart any second?
But he starts to doubt that when he notices how bright Sam's soul is, considering all the damage the human had done to his body and possibly soul.
Crowley wants to reach out and gently touch the soul, to heal it of any damages it faced during the trials. But he's been looking at Sam for longer than he needs to, so he quickly clears his throat. "You haven't forced me out yet."
Not that he even wanted to leave. Possessing Sam felt wonderful, and that was probably because, at this point, the younger Winchester was allowing it. Crowley hadn't used too much force when he possessed Sam, just enough to make it through without Gadreel immediately noticing. But now that the angel was gone, he had no walls built up and could easily be forced out.
Sam wasn't doing that, surprisingly. In a way, it almost felt like the other man was keeping him there. And Crowley certainly didn't mind.
"I don't think you're a threat," Sam admitted, something inside of the demon catching at the words. "And for the most part, I trust you." He says, biting his lips. "More than I trust Dean right now." There's no denying the bitterness in Sam's voice, or the way those colorful eyes flashed with anger. Whenever those two keep secrets from each other, nothing good ever comes from it and it always leads to more suffering than necessary.
But this once, he can't help but be torn on who he agrees with. Sam was dying, and Dean found a way to keep his brother alive. Because of that, the demon understands why the elder Winchester did it. Sam would have died. The thought sends dread through his entire body, the ice freezing his veins. He had been so close to losing Sam, to not being able to look into those colorful eyes or listen to him laugh. It might have been sentimental, going against everything he once stood for, but he didn't care. For some odd reason, Crowley doubted that it was only Sam's humanity that did this to him.
The demon frowns to himself when Sam's eyes lose some of the shine they held, something more sickening surrounding the once bright human. He's afraid that the human is going to pass out, the dark circles under his eyes becoming more prominent. The sight causes Crowley's stomach to drop, a different type of nausea overcoming him.
For a moment, he was back in that church with Sam, the same image in front of him. All those months ago, Crowley had seen the death clinging to Sam, and looking back, he had been just as scared. Back then, he wanted the same thing he did now.
Crowley wanted his moose to live, no matter what it took.
He was about to say something, but his stomach drops more when he notices the way Sam stumbles, eyes clenched shut.
"Sam?" On instinct, Crowley reaches out and keeps him steady, his hands landing on his hips.
Again, the human surprises him when he leans into his touch, soul still shining so brightly even when Sam passed out, kicking him out in the process.
It might have been his imagination, but Crowley could have sworn that Sam's soul had brightened at his touch before passing out.
When I started this story, I originally planned to make it a long one-shot. Kind of what I did with 'A Witches Pyre' but I realized that because of all I wanted to add, it would be better to make this sort of story more than one chapter.
I'm not sure when I'll get around to the next chapter, but I hope it'll be soon.