Wow, it has been a long time since I updated. I've been so blocked that I can barely even read stories, nevermind write. But there are other reasons.
Here are a few: Holidays; Anniversary; Sewage backing up into the bathroom…twice (ew); lack of SPN on TV and the biggest reason for not updating.
I place my blame almost entirely on WoW and it's freakishly addictive nature. I got Mists of Pandaria…for gamers, that should explain it. O.O. But I should be back to updating. I'm so sorry for the delay.
. . .
Chapter 9: New Bond:
"So you are telling me that I won't be able to get drunk anymore?" Dean asked with disbelief as he polished off the rest of his bottle of whiskey. He wasn't feeling nearly a buzz.
"It will just take much more than that," Castiel replied as he finished off his own bottle.
"Great," Dean muttered as he focused on creating another bottle of booze. He smirked when it appeared in his hand. He popped off the top and took a swig, relishing in the warmth is sent through his body.
"You did fairly well fighting today," Castiel said as he made himself his own bottle.
Dean snorted, "I got my ass handed to me…I don't think I've ever been this sore before. I thought the grace was supposed to heal things."
Castiel sat cross legged on the bed and his eyes narrowed for a moment as if he were concentrating, "Grace heals injuries to the human vessel, yes," he said, "but you were fighting with another angel and they were directing towards your grace itself. It will take longer to heal from that."
Dean sighed as he let his wings fall on the bed around him. He stared at them for a moment, noticing the scars and burns on some of the feathers that had been there since he first gained them. He shifted his eyes over to Castiel's and the white radiating beneath the smoky blue aura. Dean had his own turquoise-like aura but Cas' seemed so much softer and easier on the eyes.
"Your wings are really awesome," Dean said, realizing how corny he sounded too late.
Castiel turned to him, blue eyes lit as he smiled lightly, "Thank you," he said, "You have beautiful wings as well."
Dean glanced down at the bottle in his hand and felt somewhat strange about his wings being 'beautiful'. Beautiful was a chick word. He shook out the thoughts and lifted up a small triangular box with a slice of pie in it.
He easily took a bite, noting that he wasn't even hungry. He just wanted to eat for some reason. He shrugged that off as he took a huge bite of the sweet, syrupy cherry pie.
An awkward silence took over and Dean decided to turn on the TV. The motel room was crappy and the TV was old but it still worked. He flipped through channels and eventually stopped on a movie that was playing. He knew it was corny but the cartoon Alice in Wonderland was just awesome. He swore the dude had to be on drugs.
Dean took a deep breath as he stared down at his pie, not really feeling up to eating anymore. He glanced over at Castiel, who was staring intently at the TV as the caterpillar did the weird smoke thing. Dean had to smirk at the way the angel's head tilted as he listened.
"Finish this pie for me," Dean said, passing over the rest of it.
Castiel narrowed his eyes at the food and then shifted his attention to Dean, "No thank you," he said politely.
"C'mon. I don't have cooties," Dean mused, smirking when Castiel squinted in confusion.
"Cooties?" he questioned, "What are cooties?"
Dean chuckled, "Nothing," he said, "Just eat the pie."
"I do not require food, Dean. You know that," Castiel said though his voice was losing the firmness.
"I don't care. It tastes amazing," Dean said, pushing it closer.
Castiel just stared for a moment then nodded, "Very well," he said before taking the food.
. . .
One hour, six pies and fifty bottles of Everclear later;
"I don't think I can drink anymore," Dean said, shaking his head as Castiel passed him another bottle of Everclear.
"You were the one who wanted to do this drinking contest," Castiel pointed out, a smile playing his lips. His eyes were glassy as he held out the bottle.
"That crap tastes like rubbing alcohol," Dean said, his throat burning from the last bottle chug. They had wanted something strong and Everclear was definitely an alcohol anyone could get drunk on.
"You know what rubbing alcohol tastes like?" Castiel questioned, his voice turning slightly serious, "Dean, that is not something humans should ingest."
Dean chuckled, "It's a figure of speech. It smells just like it so I am just guessing that's what it tastes like."
Castiel thought about it then nodded and switched the bottle into wine.
"Wine is for sissys," Dean said, shaking his head. He was feeling a perfect buzz and he only drank half of what Castiel did. Cas was a champion.
Dean turned back to the TV once the angel started to drink the red liquid. The channel had somehow ended up on Animal Planet with a documentary on about birds. There was a beautiful hawk hovering in the air, wingspan pretty impressive.
Dean glanced at his own wings then concentrated on lifting them until they were in his lap. He had meant to rub the muscles he knew were knotted up. He began at the arch and sighed in relief when he managed to smooth out the knot; he could feel the relief pooling through the rest of his wing. He winced slightly when he tried to reach the feathers closest to his back where he could feel something still causing it to throb; no way he could reach.
"Hey Cas?" Dean said, turning to the angel, who was staring at him with glossy blue eyes that seemed to be on him with an intensity that was somewhat unsettling.
"Yes?" Castiel asked, looking ready to do just about anything for Dean and it also made the hunter feel somewhat uncomfortable.
"I think there is something stuck right…here," Dean said, trying to reach back to where the pain was, "could you get it?"
Castiel seemed to stiffen, his feathers flattening for a moment before smoothing. He shifted and turned tilted his head to the side to see behind Dean.
Even though Dean had his back facing Castiel, he could literally sense the head tilt. He arched his neck to look back. Yup, the head was tilted and eyes squinted as the angel leaned his face in close, "Well?"
Dean lifted his eyebrows as he watched Castiel manifest a huge pair of tweezers, "Woah, what the hell?"
"This will hurt," Castiel said, glancing sapphire eyes at Dean before moving the tweezers over.
Dean swiftly went to move his wings back because they were damn sensitive. He didn't understand why angels would have something that seemed so vulnerable. He flinched slightly when his wing jerked back, hitting Castiel in the face.
"Be still, Dean," Castiel ordered, unfazed as he held up a hand.
"What is it?" Dean demanded but he relaxed his wings. He couldn't control the shiver that vibrated through him as he felt Castiel grip the arch of his wing firmly, sending that warm, tingly rush once more.
Dean took a deep breath then hissed out in pain as he felt the tweezers dig into the wing muscles closest to his back. He subconsciously tried to jerk away but the angel had a firm grip on him. After a moment, the hand released and a wave of relief washed over him at once, easing all of the discomfort he had been experiencing in his wings. Though along with it went the sensation of Castiel's questionable touch.
Dean shook out his wings, stretching them and folding them back in before turning to see what Castiel was holding. He arched an eyebrow as he eyed the at least two inch long…was that a stinger?
"This was pierced in one of the nerves," Castiel said, holding the stinger thing up on the tweezers.
"What is it?" Dean asked, wondering how he didn't know there was something like that in him.
"There is no name for the creature that I know of for it does not exist in reality," Castiel said slowly as he placed the tweezers and stinger on the end table.
"It seems pretty damn real to me," Dean said, staring at the intricate curve of the object, "Stinger?"
Castiel nodded, "I suppose. The creature resembles a hybrid of snake, scorpion and butterfly. I have seen it in a Heaven of a young man."
"What?" Dean asked, his mind already making up images of what that would look like. It made him grin.
"Though I have no idea how it managed to get in the training room," Castiel went on, mostly to himself.
"I'm sure I would have seen something like that," Dean said, still coming up with different mixes.
"It burrows beneath the ground and leaves the stinger protruding out. You must have fallen on it," Castiel said, "I had found the creature intriguing."
Dean just shook his head, "I'd really like to see one," he said. It was silent for a moment and Dean realized then just how close he and Castiel were on the bed. His mind soon roamed to what Gabriel had said about their bond. He only got that weird feeling when Cas touched his wings, not any other angel. He wanted to ask again but he was also somewhat worried about finding out.
"I should go…you need to rest," Castiel said, moving to get up.
Dean couldn't control it before he grabbed onto one of Castiel's wings, "Wait," he said.
Castiel stiffened and Dean could feel the silky, warm and somewhat electrical feathers twitch in his hand. Castiel's wings felt both solid and smoky, like holding a cloud; it was surreal and already Dean found himself trailing a thumb over a long feathers, watching the smoky aura swirl through his fingertips.
Castiel let out a sound that was like a purr and soft breath as he relaxed, muscles slowly loosening and posture slumping. Dean could feel feathers start to wrap around his wrist before he realized what he was doing and he wrenched his hand back.
"What do you need, Dean?" Castiel asked once he was able to speak again.
Dean took a deep breath, "What was Gabriel talking about?"
Castiel let out a very human-like sigh, "Dean, it is complicated to explain."
Dean knew he probably should let it go but he went on, "Just try."
Castiel hesitated for a moment, seeming to try and figure out what to say next, "Our profound bond has been…reestablished with the grace which is now intact in your soul."
"Huh?" Dean asked, lifting his eyebrows.
"The bond we had before was my grace touching your soul…that was why it was more profound," Castiel tried to explain, "Now that you have your own grace mixed with your soul… our graces are connected."
Dean arched an eyebrow, "So…what does that mean exactly?"
Castiel seemed at loss for words and for a moment, it had Dean wondering if he truly wanted to know.
"When angels…mate, it's a touching of their grace together," Castiel said slowly and Dean felt his stomach turn at the word 'mate'.
"So…your saying we like…mated?" Dean asked, not really knowing what to think of the situation.
"It's more than that," Castiel said, shifting a little, "Since my mark is permanently within you…it's more like…" he stopped for a moment.
Dean waited for an answer and almost smirked at the way the angel seemed worried about what he was going to say next.
"I wouldn't know how else to word this in a way you would understand…" Castiel started, his eyes intense once more, "We are considered to be…together."
"What?" Dean asked, hoping he didn't hear that right, "Like…together together?"
"A human word for it would be…marriage," Castiel said in a quiet voice, "Though it is much more profound than that."
Dean felt his blood turn cold for a moment, "So you're saying I'm angelically married to you?" he let out a laugh, knowing it had to be a joke.
Castiel just stared at him unblinkingly and Dean felt another wave of worry.
"You're being serious?" Dean asked, noticing how Castiel's wings were jittery, causing smoky aura to swirl.
"I am entirely serious, Dean," Castiel said, "and for that…connection to happen like it did, it would have to be consensual."
Dean just stared down for a moment, taking in that information, "So…is there a way to break the bond?" he felt bad when he noticed the slight frown on the angel.
"There is no way," Castiel said, staring at the wall, "Unless the dominant were to die."
Dean stared at the angel in shock, "Wait…whose the dominant one?"
"It's my mark on you, Dean," Castiel said, pressing his lips together.
"Are you saying that I'm not only angelically married to you but I'm also the bitch?" Dean asked, wide eyed and feeling a bit emasculated at those words.
"If that is what you refer to the less dominant of the pair, then yes, you would be…the 'bitch'," Castiel said slowly and Dean swore the angel was trying not to smile.
Dean had no idea why he was more upset about being the bitch than he was about the 'married' part. It was silent for a moment, "What exactly does all of this mean?"
"We will have a very strong connection with one another and when we touch, it will be very…pleasant," Castiel said, his wings stiffening once more.
Dean knew that it had to be true. He didn't really know how to explain the way it felt when Cas touched his wings but pleasant could be an adjective. He had no idea what to think of the situation.
"I should warn you that…you will start to feel differently around me," Castiel said, eyes back to their serious intense blue stare.
"What kind of different?" Dean asked worriedly.
"You will start to have the need to be close with me," Castiel explained, "as I will for you. At times, we will also know how each other feel even if we are very far away. It depends on how we take to the new connection."
"What if we act like it's not there?" Dean asked, feeling so confused at how he wasn't completely pissed about it.
"That would be nearly impossible," Castiel said, looking like a kicked puppy, "you will always feel it."
"I need to sleep," Dean said after a moment, his mind racing at all of the information he just took in.
Castiel nodded and stood up. He spread his wings out and took off without another word.
Dean felt awful but he just didn't want to think about the…new connection. He could already feel a sense of emptiness with Castiel gone and it scared the crap out of him. He always cared about Cas, that much he knew but this was too much. He groaned and fell back on the bed, pulling his wings up over his stomach and chest. He stared at the handprint left there and wondered if that was a big part of it. Without much thought, he ran a hand over it and shivered at the sensations. He sighed and waved a hand to turn out the lights before passing out.
. . .
If there was a lot of confusion, just let me know. As I said, I'm in a writer's block. Please let me know what you think. I know it took forever to update.
