That morning, it was more peaceful than ever. At least, at first.
They were sitting in the main room, at one of the tables. Adam was flipping through a book, and this one, Michael was actually interested in. It wasn't a normal book, exactly - it contained symbols and pictures of various monsters. The archangel was particularly intrigued, and Adam wasn't exactly turning the book away, so he seemed to enjoy it just as much. For a moment, a smile tugged at Michael's lips, leaning their head against one hand and turning a page, himself. The demon was quiet, but content as could be. Neither of them were sure of how long they had been sitting there, and neither of them had grown tired, so time wasn't an issue, anyway.
Michael only looked up - and Adam grunted in disapproval - when Sam entered the room. The hunter was just stumbling through, looking exhausted, but he stopped short when he saw them sitting there. Adam quirked an eyebrow, while Michael raised a hand to wave slightly at the hunter, offering a hesitant smile in greeting, which Adam forced back at once. "... morning," Sam said slowly, shuffling past them. "Were you two up all night?"
"Guess so," Michael mumbled, sitting back with a frown. His theory of their exhaustion being tied to their stress must be right, considering how relaxed they were, and awake as ever. The archangel wasn't exactly sure of how to avoid getting stressed, but he was definitely going to try now, for the both of them, because the whole "getting tired" thing was a little irritating. Adam turned their attention back to the book, and Michael sighed a little, more amused than anything, as they settled down again, leaning their head against their hand once more.
"You guys want coffee?"
"No," Adam called back, slight irritation lacing his voice now, only because Sam was interrupting his reading time. Michael shook their head a little, forcing back a smile.
"Thank you," the archangel added politely, pointedly, bringing a snort from the demon.
And, so, it was silent again, peaceful once more. Adam relaxed again, and Michael, who had already been relaxed, simply turned another page and lowered their arm back to the table, rolling their shoulders back a little and stretching slightly as they continued to read. They were definitely a little stiff, but neither of them cared enough to move at that moment. They only looked back up again when Dean shuffled in, stumbling a little over his feet and rubbing at his eyes - the way Adam did, Michael noted, much to the demon's horror - as he headed in the direction of the kitchen - only to stop, blink, and turn back to look at Adam and Michael.
The hunter stared at them for a long time, seemingly having forgotten that they were even there in the first place. Michael raised a hand to wave, as he had with Sam, but he was a little hesitant to do so. He knew that Dean wasn't particularly… comfortable around them. And, at this point, he didn't even know if it was him or Adam that the hunter didn't like. He didn't see any reason as to why Dean would hate his brother, despite the demon's initial hostility, so…
Well, Michael was going to crush the hunter's skull with his bare hands after he'd learned that Dean had killed Lucifer. And he was still a little miffed about that, too - of course, Lucifer was alive now, but that didn't erase the fact that Dean had killed him… still, he was Adam's brother, so Michael was going to look past that for the demon.
"Morning," Adam offered dryly, irritation at its peak.
"Uh huh." Dean just continued to stare, eyes narrowing faintly, then took a step back, turned away, and headed off again. Michael frowned slightly, but Adam, unfazed and uncaring, shifted his attention back to the book with ease and flipped another page with a hum, going back to reading. Michael simply retreated a little bit, not wanting to distract the demon, but he was genuinely bewildered by the hunter's actions. Whatever problems Dean might have against him, even Sam was trying a little harder, at least for Adam's sake. Michael didn't understand.
"He's a little rough around the edges, pal," Adam muttered, resting their chin on their fist and quirking an eyebrow at the book, scanning one of the pages curiously. "Was when I first met him, hasn't changed a bit. Doesn't matter, though - don't like him any more than he likes us."
"Still…" Michael protested, sighing. How was Adam supposed to reconcile with his brothers if one of them was just… avoiding them? Michael honestly felt like he was getting in the way, in between Adam and his brothers - and that brought up a spark of irritation from Adam's end, meant as a reassurance that that definitely was not the case.
If it comes down to you or them, you know who I'd choose.
Michael wasn't any less concerned. That's what I'm worried about.
Adam sighed a little and lifted their gaze from the book, seemingly putting his reading aside for the time being to focus on consoling the archangel - and, so, Michael was about to insist that he didn't need comforting, he was just worried - but they both paused, head turning, when they heard the voices in the kitchen rise. It was hard to make out when they weren't paying attention, but Adam tilted his head toward the doorway, eyes narrowing, the voices becoming a little clearer once he actually started listening. Michael was a little less content with eavesdropping, but he didn't say anything, didn't protest.
"What do you want me to say, Sam?" That was Dean, sharp and stony as ever. "You invited them here. You. Now, look, I'm sorry, I am! But if you expect me-"
"What I expect is for you to show a little more compassion," Sam hissed back, actually making more of an effort to keep his voice down than Dean was, but his words were easy to make out all the same. Adam leaned them back in the chair a bit, eyebrows raising, and Michael frowned. "That is our brother, in there, Dean, our brother."
"Yeah, I know that."
"I swear to God…" Sam stopped, abruptly, and for a while the voices in the kitchen quieted. Michael fell silent, hesitating a little - there was nothing from Adam for a moment, no pain or disappointment. If anything, he just seemed irritated, though that frustration seemed to be directed… well, it seemed to be directed toward himself. Michael frowned, flicking their gaze away from the kitchen and looking down at the book, though neither of them were reading now.
… you okay? Michael finally asked, and Adam hummed, a quiet, thoughtful confirmation. He did seem okay, aside from the frustration boiling in his chest. He wasn't angry, he wasn't hurt, nothing really in between. Just… annoyed.
"You know what," Sam's voice rose from the kitchen again, snapping both the archangel and the demon back to attention at once - though Adam seemed a little less intent on listening now, too lost in his own thoughts, Michael was the one who angled their head toward the kitchen. "This is Jack. All over again." Dean must have replied, too low for them to hear now, because Sam added, "you know damn well what I mean. What I don't understand is- this isn't the son of the Devil, Dean, this is our family we're talking about here, so why-"
"Adam isn't the problem!"
"Then what-" Another abrupt pause, but this one carried an air of understanding, rather than frustration. The tension from the other room seemed to dissolve, and Sam's anger had fizzled out just as quickly along with it as the hunter spoke next, his voice a little quieter. "Oh. Dean…"
Michael didn't know whether to be relieved or even more upset - on one hand, at least he knew that Dean didn't really have an issue with Adam, but on the other, the fact that the hunter didn't like him wasn't helping things at all, either. Truthfully enough, as confusing at it had been at first, the archangel couldn't really say that he blamed Dean for hating him - and it wasn't like the hunter was his favorite person in the world either - but with the chance that this could cause problems for Adam, the chance that this could tear them apart before they'd even managed to begin reconciling with one another… no, that didn't settle well with him.
Adam, on the other hand, had now directed his irritation toward his oldest half-brother, likely a product of the confirmation that Dean most definitely did have a problem with Michael.
They were interrupted, however, hearing the door open upstairs; Michael immediately turned his attention to the staircase, blinking, and while Adam was a little slower to bring his attention to it, he eventually tore his focus away from his brothers, who were still mumbling to each other from the kitchen. They didn't seem to be arguing, though, so that was good - but, again, Michael was distracted, when the door shut, and Castiel came wandering down the stairs, rubbing a hand down his face with a tired, broken look flickering through his deep blue eyes.
The angel paused when he saw Adam and Michael, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, but he didn't seem too surprised - he must have been notified that they'd be there. Michael offered a faint smile, and he would have waved, as well, but Adam was currently using their hands to flip through the book again, trying to find a page they had seen earlier. The archangel paused, sparing glances between the book and his brother as Castiel strode over to the table.
"Where are Sam and Dean?"
"Kitchen," Michael responded, expecting Castiel to head off immediately - instead, the angel just nodded, sinking into the chair across from them and closing his eyes for a moment, looking much more worn than the archangel had realized. And, now that he was thinking about it, Castiel had seemed rather tired, de-energized recently. He was still more powerful than Michael was right now, but with that said, he wasn't nearly as powerful as he should have been.
But he didn't say any of this in between glances from the book to his brother, and Adam was a little less than focused on the current conversation. Michael did speak, though, after a moment. "So, where have you been?"
"Searching," Castiel murmured, blinking his eyes open. "For Belphegor." At this, Adam's hands tensed around the book, grip tightening considerably, knuckles turning white, and Michael was sure all of the color had drained from their face at that moment. He could feel it, as their blood ran completely, icily cold, eyes widening. Adam was struggling to mask the expression almost immediately, while Michael simply diverted his gaze from Castiel, unable to hold eye contact.
"Oh- oh," the archangel mumbled, a rush of anxiety slamming straight into his chest, and Adam fought to steady them both again. They took a deep breath, holding it for a good few seconds, before Michael let it out in a deep huff and cleared their throat. "Uh, why- uh- why?"
Castiel blinked, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, and frowned. "Well, because… he…" The angel cleared his throat, suddenly looking uncomfortable, and he shifted slightly in his seat for a moment before quietly averting his gaze to the table, mouth twisting. "He is still… just… running around freely in Jack's body. Wearing him like a coat," the angel nearly spat, closing his eyes. "That abomination…" The angel shook his head, and Michael winced, struggling to push down his own fury along with Adam's at those words.
"I'm sorry, Castiel," Michael spoke up after a moment, hesitant, not quite knowing what to say, how to console his brother. The other angel just sighed and leaned back, his tense shoulders slowly relaxing again, and opened his eyes with nothing more than a half-hearted, tired shrug. Michael watched him for a moment, watched the way his eyes would drift shut again every so often, and the struggle he seemed to be having with keeping them open. Finally, unable to bite his tongue any longer, he leaned forward, looking down as Adam returned his attention to the book, but Michael kept his focus on Castiel for the most part. "Are you… alright?"
Castiel looked slightly taken aback by that, just for a second. And he sounded even more confused than his expression gave away, at least at first. "I am…" The angel paused, swallowed, cleared his throat, and continued, a little quieter this time. "I am as… alright as I can be given the circumstances," he replied carefully, his eyes searching Michael's carefully. This time, the archangel managed to hold his gaze for a few moments longer before Adam flicked their eyes back to the book, still scanning for the page he'd been searching for. "We won. I suppose that- that's all that matters," Castiel added, looking away.
"Perhaps…" Michael started, carefully, as he ran their tongue over their lips and cleared their throat a little bit. Adam flipped another page, scanning it quickly, and Michael waited a moment before looking back up at his younger brother, studying his face intently. "It's understandable, you know… being troubled about Jack," he added, his frown deepening slightly as he furrowed his eyebrows together, watching the other angel's expression change. "Are your powers…?"
A look of realization flitted across Castiel's face, blue eyes flickering faintly as he responded, quiet and distant once more. "My powers are…" He trailed off, seeming hesitant to continue. After a while, however, he finally spoke again, shaking his head. "Not as well as they once were. They're depleting - rapidly so. I can't figure out why, but…" The angel trailed off, sighing.
Michael furrowed his eyebrows, his concern only strengthening further from that. "Have you spoken to either of the Winchesters about this?" He questioned, as Adam spared another glance down at the book, flipping another page backwards with a sigh.
"Yes, I've tried… speaking to Dean, but he's… angry with me." Castiel folded his hands together over the table, not meeting his brother's gaze now, eyes rooted directly to the table as his eyebrows pinched together. "I can't blame him, of course, but I- well, I don't…" The angel shook his head, seeming slightly frustrated for a second. "I suppose there's no point in trying now."
Adam arched an eyebrow, finally seeming interested in the conversation. Michael leaned forward, crossing his arms over the table and directing his attention back to his brother. "Well, why is Dean angry with you?" The archangel questioned, blinking. After everything the angel had done for the Winchesters - following Michael's orders to protect him, even long after Michael had seemed the hunter useless to Heaven's plans, he had never strayed from their side. That kind of loyalty was… well, Michael could say that it almost equaled what he'd used to feel for his Father. Almost.
"I made a mistake. People got hurt. His mother- his mother…" Castiel ran his tongue over his lips and cleared his throat. "He still blames me for what happened. I'm not sure if there's anything I can do this time." The angel faltered for a second. "Nor am I sure that I want to try."
"Why?" Michael tilted his head a little, puzzled. Castiel seemed… resigned, too tired now to even fight back anymore, to win the Winchesters' affections back. "You're no quitter, Castiel."
"Sometimes you have to ask yourself if a battle is worth fighting," Castiel replied simply, leaning back in the chair and lifting his tired eyes to his brother's face as he hesitated. "And I have… I continue to bleed, and sweat, and cry for the Winchesters. And I will always love them, I will always see them as my family. But lately…" His eyes narrowed, eyes straying toward the kitchen. "I've been doubting that those feelings are returned. That they've ever been."
"Family fights," Adam piped up, tone blank, and Michael, although surprised, fell silent to listen as the demon continued, "people argue. They blame each other, they blame themselves. That doesn't mean they care about you any less." The archangel furrowed his eyebrows, looking away from Castiel for a moment. "Hell, sometimes that's the only way you can tell that they do." Adam's thoughts had trailed, back to their argument, and Michael paused, fixing his eyes on the wall. Seems that their fight had more of an impact on Adam than either of them had realized.
Castiel didn't say anything for a moment. He didn't seem entirely convinced, but he seemed to be thinking those words over, at least. "That's what I told myself. For a long time," he finally responded, inhaling through his teeth and looking toward the ceiling. "Everything I've ever known has just begun to crumble before me. I just recently began to trust our Father again, only to realize that He'd been the villain from the beginning. Controlling us, from the beginning. And even though I've tried to tell myself, console myself - console them… that what we have - the Winchesters and I - is real, even then, I can't help but- but wonder…" He trailed off, looking back down.
"What you feel for them is real, Castiel," Michael pressed gently, and the angel's gaze flickered back up to him, silent. "Clearly, it is. Father is…" He hesitated for a moment, swallowing hard, struggling against the betrayal, the anger, building up, as he continued. "Father is gone. You're still here - they're still here. You're all still fighting, and you still care. That means something."
Castiel simply stared at him for a moment, blue eyes flickering. Eventually, Adam directed their attention back to the book, flipping back a few pages further - and stopping, finally, when he found the page he was looking for. Something about ghouls, Michael caught a brief glimpse of it before he looked up again when Castiel spoke. "You're very… different."
"So I've been told," Michael mused, recalling Gabriel's words - you're so different now. "Hell does that to you, I guess," he added, half-heartedly. The slight chuckle from Castiel was unexpected, but most definitely not unwelcome. Even Adam snorted a little.
"I suppose so," Castiel replied quietly, falling silent for a while after that. Michael looked toward the kitchen for a moment, blinking faintly as a few mixed smells hit him all at once. He didn't recognize any of them, but Adam snapped back to attention almost at once. The smells made their mouth water instinctively, an odd sensation on Michael's end, and the demon breathed in.
Bacon…
"Hm." Michael tilted their head slightly, and Adam continued to stare for a while before, finally, they both turned away again. The demon redirected his attention to the book again, and Michael scanned the page for a bit longer, blinking. Adam was silent, though his eyes seemed to narrow slightly as his eyes flickered across the book, taking in the words and pictures printed across the paces. Then, finally, with a quiet huff, the demon reached out and flipped ahead again, tense.
Michael didn't have to ask why. He just kept silent, attempting to reassure the demon without words. Adam relaxed, if only slightly, but he was just as quiet.
"Thank you," Castiel spoke up suddenly, sounding awkward but genuine. Michael lifted his gaze to his brother at once, blinking, and the angel took a deep breath and leaned forward a little again. "For your reassurance. And for… simply listening." Castiel paused, holding his gaze for a moment, then looked away again. "I suppose I really needed… someone to talk to."
"You can always talk to me, Castiel," Michael replied softly, ignoring the internal snickers from Adam, as well as the unspoken - such a sap - as he continued, "I'm always willing to listen." Castiel only managed a nod in response, and Michael waited a few seconds before speaking again, exhaling slowly through their teeth and clearing their throat. "For whatever it may be worth, brother, I'm proud of you. You're one of the few who actually understood."
"Understood what?" Castiel questioned, eyebrows furrowing faintly in confusion.
"That loyalty, respect, equality, they go hand in hand," Michael replied, his voice quieting a little bit for a moment, eyes trailing away from his brother to instead root his gaze back to the book, much to Adam's relief - the demon needed something else to focus on aside from the chick-flick moment he was having to endure - Michael was almost amused by that, actually. "You chose your battles, you chose your side, and you chose the right one. For you, and for them. You understood before I did. You were brave enough to figure it out, and in your own way. And even then, in doing so, you managed to follow the orders given to you. You're a good angel, Castiel. You always have been. And despite whatever mistakes you may have made, I'm sure you've been an equally good friend."
Castiel was silent now, a look of surprise flickering across his face. Michael finally managed to bring his gaze back to his brother's face, just in time to see the gratitude break through the confusion, the shock, the uncertainty. "That means…" He faltered, inhaling deeply. "That means lot, actually." He fell silent, just for a few seconds. "Thank you, Michael."
Michael only smiled back in return, fighting back a laugh as Adam tore their gaze back to the book, adamant on reading now. And, so, the archangel fell silent, amused, to allow him to focus again, much to the demon's relief. Unfortunately, he didn't get as far as he wanted to; Just as he was about to turn a page, Sam and Dean left the kitchen. The oldest hunter had a beer bottle in one hand, a sandwich in the other, and didn't look at any of them as he walked off to his room.
"Hey, Cas," Sam greeted, sparing a glance after his brother, and he frowned slightly before redirecting his attention back to the other two. Castiel only nodded back at him, while Adam and Michael turned their attention back to the book - and the demon groaned when Sam spoke up again, then promptly slammed the book shut, seemingly deciding he wasn't getting any reading done today. Michael offered an unspoken apology as he shifted his gaze back to the hunter. "Are any of you hungry? I got breakfast going, so…"
"No, thank you," Castiel responded quietly, eyes tracking Dean as the hunter left the room. The angel seemed to falter, but only slightly, taking a deep breath and looking back toward the others. Adam, on the other hand…
"I am. I'm hungry." The demon raised a hand slightly, and Sam's lips twitched, looking over at him. "Starving, actually, yeah. I want bacon."
Michael had to bite their tongue to keep from laughing.
"Shut up, Michael."
Sam's face broke into a small but genuine grin, and even Castiel looked faintly amused, staring at the two. "Alright, noted. Just a few more minutes, it's almost done," the hunter added, taking a sip of his coffee - and sparing one last glance in the direction Dean had gone - before he turned and left the room again, ducking back into the kitchen. Adam sat back, satisfied, and Michael just shook their head a little with a smile.
"Seems like the two of you are adjusting well," Castiel noted, watching them curiously. "It's a bit curious, I have to say, the two of you… possession has always been, more or less, one being in control at a time. Sometimes switching. Never both at once, as far as I've seen."
"Like Michael said." Adam shrugged in Castiel's direction, picking the book back up. "Hell does that to you." Michael only hummed slightly in agreement, and Castiel just raised his eyebrows slightly, giving a slow, albeit confused nod in response. "Now, if you guys are done, I'd like to get through this book. So, please, shut the hell up already."
Michael sighed a little bit, but he couldn't exactly scold the demon. He had said please that time.