Chapter 3: To the Edge

He drew in a steadying breath, let it out. Sam cautiously drew his gun and held it out, mentally and physically prepared for anything that should spring up on him while walking into the lion's den. Well, maybe not the lion's den, Sam thought dully, noting the stack of pornographic magazines on a shelf near him.

Sam began to ponder Walt and Roy, the two hunters that had sent him on this merry chase. Walt and Roy were good hunters. Their lifestyle echoed that of Dean and Sam's. Stay on the road, city to town, case to job. Everything from hunting ghosts to demons, they did it. Apparently Walt and Roy also pissed off the occasional angel.

Sam had no clue why they would want to steal this weapon from Balthazar. He knew only two things about this mysterious stone. It was powerful and only angels could harness its power. So why would two back-water, road warrior hunters be interested in something like that?

His eyes scanned the storage locker. Shelves of trinkets and trash covered the majority of the space, along with the occasional double-barrel shotgun and other used and replaceable weapons sat collecting dust. Nothing in the storage locker indicated to Sam that these hunters knew anything about angels other than the basic supernatural creatures they dealt with regularly. And the fact that Balthazar told him that invisible angel symbols covered the outside walls and inside floor.

"Find anything interesting?" the heavy accented British angel asked from a distance. Sam glanced over his shoulder to send Balthazar a look of contempt. If he would have found something he wouldn't still be wondering around in a potentially dangerous storage locker…

Suddenly Sam felt the trip wire against his ankle too late. The shotgun blast was loud and deafening in the locker. Sam pivoted and rolled downwards, hoping to escape it. But he didn't. The sudden sting radiated up his side. Two bullet pellets from the blast hit his left side, lodging under his skin, blood pouring out from the wound. The feeling was literally gut shearing. His hand fisted in rage and pain, as he wrapped one around the wound. Blood seeping through his fingers. At least it wasn't full impact to the chest, he thought grimly. He hissed out a breath as he examined the wound.

"Sam!" Balthazar voice carried to him. Panicked, "Sam! Are you okay?"

Sam took a deep breath, "I'm fine- for the moment."

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" Balthazar asked upset.

"I've been shot," Sam replied, slowly getting to his feet, noticing the blood beginning to seep out from under his shirt and down his jeans. He surveyed the area where he'd been shot at. The trip wire was cleverly disguised and if Sam had been paying more attention, he might have seen it. Cautious now, Sam stepped around the second trip wire and went further into the locker.

He planned on finishing the job he came here to do, even if that meant fighting through the throbbing pain in his side and the new urge to escape while he could still walk.

"Sam- stop being a hero!" Balthazar yelled out. "Get out here now and let me heal you!"

The idea of Balthazar laying his smooth hands over him and given him some angel mojo love, made Sam hesitate. It sounded good and his body responded to the idea, his stomach coiling into an unwelcomed knot. But he refused to let Balthazar touch him again. Once had been too much and twice would be a disaster.

"Do you want this friggin' stone or not?" Sam retorted hotly. When no reply came, he considered it Balthazar's consent.

Ignoring the pain in his side, he walked to the end of the locker and saw an empty shelf. It had been used recently since there was less dust covering it. He strode toward it when his eye caught a glimpse of a white stone. He sighed in relief as he snagged the stone, but not before carefully checking the area around it, before pocketing it.

Sam walked out less than a minute later, bloodied, pissed off, and successful.

Wincing he dug out the stone and tossed it to Balthazar. He caught it midair and gazed over the white murky stone. "This is it," he said. His cool blue eyes then turned to Sam's. Concern etched his face, "let me see your wound."

"I'm fine- just a scrape. Nothing I can't handle on my own."

"You're bleeding all over the place," Balthazar looked unconvinced. "If you're trying to act all macho man on me- just stop. Let me take a look."

As Balthazar took a step closer, Sam took a giant one back. "No, Balthazar. Just finish your part of the deal. Tell me where Walt and Roy are."

The angel stared at him helplessly for a moment. The concerned helplessness in his face quickly vanished within seconds as it was replaced by a burning anger. "Fine," he retorted. "I'll return you to your room and give you their location."

Sam waited a beat before saying, "Thank you."

Balthazar seemed to ignore this and took his wrist coldly. The sensation of falling hit him, along with the pain from the bullet wounds. Sam had the sudden urge to vomit. He grabbed his side and returned to the motel room, practically doubled over from the pain engulfing him.

"Damnit, Sam…" Balthazar knelt besides him, about to place a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"No…" Sam muttered, feeling Balthazar getting closer.

Sam pushed the angel away, got to his feet and rushed to the bathroom. Wavering, he flicked on the lights and clutched the marble sink, waiting for the nausea to pass. The lights burned brightly, washing out whatever images of the storage locker he had as he focused on himself in the mirror. He was pale, sweaty and shaking. He hated getting shot. Except he feared that this wound was worse than the usual flesh wound he acquired on the job.

He slowly took off his jacket, grimacing when he got to his shirt and peeled it off over his head. He tossed the blood soaked shirt in the trash. Sam unbuttoned his jeans and was about to take them off but quickly realized that Balthazar was still in the room and it wouldn't be a good idea getting completely undressed with him so close by.

Sam sighed, teeth clenching as blood oozed from the two small dime size bullet wounds on the side of his abdomen. He took the wash cloth from the shower and pressed it against the sensitive, abused flesh.

Damnit, he didn't want to get hurt. How was he going to explain this to Dean? He wouldn't hear the end of it from him once he admitted on helping Balthazar, which Sam had no intention on disclosing that information to Dean. Now he might have to, how else would he explain a bullet wound?

He cursed out loud when he touched his back to feel if the bullets had existed, but they didn't. He was going to have to dig the pellets out, he thought in dismay. This was Balthazar's fault, Sam decided. He would blame getting shot because of the angel. He opened his traveler case that sat on the sink and pulled out tweezers. This was really going to hurt.

Eyes diverted downward on his stomach, hand slightly shaking from having to operate on himself- Sam didn't see Balthazar approach from behind. Suddenly he felt a sharp pain shear through his side, dropping the tweezers, as Balthazar pulled Sam backwards, slamming his back against the wall of his muscled chest. The angel slid a hand under Sam's opposite arm, strong-holding him with his superior strength.

His other hand shot out and he held it precariously over the bullet holes. Balthazar's strength was incomparable to anything he'd ever encountered and trying to fight it would only cause more damage to his tender side.

A hiss escaped Sam's parted lips when he felt Balthazar's fingers rest right above the sensitive flesh. He shot his gaze to Balthazar's in the mirror.

Balthazar's cool blue eyes weren't playful or amused now. He was determined. "Don't fight me," he demanded in a gruff voice. His hand moved over Sam's bicep and pulled him closer towards him, as though expecting a fight from him.

Sam's jaw flexed, angry eyes locked onto his. "Balthazar…" he warned dangerously. He couldn't help the sudden flutter in his stomach when the angel placed his palm over his nipple and rubbed ever so slightly. He gulped, feeling his body begin to betray him even through the pain.

"It'll just take a second, Sam…" he whispered his name out in a soft drawl as his lips carelessly brushed the shell of his ear.

Sam's breathing already quicken, their eyes locked through the mirror. The angel mojo felt warm as it spread out over Sam's whole body and just as quickly as it happened, it vanished. The faint sound of the two small bullet fragments hit the bathroom floor.

His eyes strayed down to his side. The bullet wound had healed completely. The only remaining evidence was from the blood on the washcloth in the sink.

Balthazar's hold however, didn't release or even relax. Sam shot his direct gaze back to him through the mirror. The angel's ocean blue eyes were surveying his naked, heavily muscled chest and slowly moved to the unbuttoned clasp of jeans. Sam held his breath under Balthazar's scolding gaze.

He lowered the hand from his side, down the front of his abs, his fingers burning a trail down Sam's flesh. He shivered when Balthazar's hand slid down his belly, to his opened jeans. Sam pulled his eyes away from the hand that had stilled to Balthazar. The angel was watching him with a crackling intensity that Sam couldn't pull away from. The arousal Sam had felt building in the pit of his stomach, now flared to life between his legs, his cock filling with desire and ache.

Suddenly Balthazar's hand quickly moved as though fearful Sam would protest. He clenched his teeth down hard and his head fell back limply against Balthazar's shoulder when he grasped his erection with a rough hand. He gasped when he pressed the pad of his thumb over the tip of Sam's cock. His hips jerked forward, his body tensed, excitement building inside him. Balthazar stroked him through his jeans, slow yet with a firm grip.

Sam weakly bent forward, gripping the angel's hand still clasped over his bicep. He could feel Balthazar brush his own towering erection into him, insistent but not demanding- yet.

He trembled at the knowledge that Balthazar felt the same burning need too. He felt lips pressing into his neck, kissing and sucking. Sam groaned wantonly, loving the feel of those soft lips against his neck.

"Sam…" Balthazar whispered in an edgy, thick voice, as his hips rotated forward, mimicking the motion of love making.

Sam knew what the angel wanted. He wanted it too. And badly. But this was dangerous. He wasn't sure if this was a good idea, except feeling his hand on his cock and seeing the hungry lust in those brilliant blue eyes, made him rethink if Balthazar was really a bad decision.

They both wanted each other. Sure, Sam barely even liked the angel yet he had healed him and his hand was down his pants… Oh God, Sam moaned loudly when Balthazar grabbed him by the base of his cock and slowly tugged all the way up to caress the tip of his head.

Sam felt almost completely weaken with the force of his desire and the building between his legs. He was about to climax and Balthazar wanted him too. Right there, right then.

Suddenly Sam heard the door to the motel room being unlocked. He knew instantly it had to be Dean. Balthazar too heard the noise, their eyes met through the mirror.

"Stop…" Sam said pleadingly when Balthazar didn't still his hand.

"Who's at the door?" the angel asked, pumping Sam harder than ever now. His hand was as demanding as his voice, tugging and pulling until Sam's knees almost buckled.

"It's Dean…" he breathed out, frantic because he was so close to the edge.

"I'm not done with you," Balthazar said as his lips and mouth sucked the side of his neck, bruising him.

"Stop, Balthazar… Oh God…" Sam bucked his hips forward when Balthazar pushed his erection roughly into his ass and pumped his throbbing cock with the strength and gentleness only a supernatural being like he possessed. Sam realized than that Balthazar wouldn't stop until Sam came apart in his hands.

Sam erupted in that second, spilling uncontrollably into his palm as Balthazar continued stroking until he was completely spent.

Balthazar bit down hard on his neck, his own erection still pushing into him. "I'll be back later to give you their location." He said promisingly, startling Sam with the abrupt change.

Balthazar's voice was thick with arousal as he continued, "…and to finish what we started here."

Sam stared at him, heavy limbed and panting. He heard the door open to the motel room. Balthazar was about to vanish and Dean was seconds away from finding them. Mind racing, Sam knew what he wanted to do more than anything in that moment. He knew he might regret it later, but he didn't care.

He acted quickly even in his daze, spinning on his heels and grabbed Balthazar by the back of the neck and pulled him in for a smoldering kiss. He swept his tongue thoroughly through the angel's mouth, giving him one hot, searing kiss. When Sam finally pulled away, Balthazar stared at him, shocked and aroused, yet pleased. He smiled, "I'll see you soon, darling," he drawled out in his charming British accent, which sent a rush through Sam's chest.

And he vanished right as Dean called out Sam's name in the motel room.

TBC