Chapter 5
Dean bolted upright so fast that he was hit by a wave of dizziness. He threw a hand out, gripping the headboard to steady himself before calling out into the darkness with a hoarse voice, "Cas?"
There was a sound of rustling fabric and then the angel was there, right in front of him, a vague outline of a shadow in the pitch black room. "We need to talk," he rumbled.
"Damn right we do," Dean snapped angrily, now wide awake. "Where the hell have you been?"
"Dean, that is unimportant right now, I –"
"Unimportant my ass!" Dean cried out. "You leave without any explanation and can't be bothered to make a phone call to tell me where you are, what happened, if you're okay! You know how worried about you I was?"
He leaned over and switched on the lamp sitting beside the bed, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim light and Castiel came into focus. The angel's dark hair was as unruly as ever, and he had changed back into his uniform trench coat and suit. Azure eyes stared down at the hunter blankly, not giving anything away.
"I apologize for my absence, Dean," Castiel said quietly. "I will explain."
Dean's gaze traveled briefly up and down Castiel's form, assessing him for any damage before making eye contact and nodding curtly. "I'm listening."
"After Gabriel restored my grace," Castiel began, Dean making a look of disgust at the mention of the archangel's name, "I returned to Heaven. I remembered why I fell. I had to atone for my mistakes."
"What mistakes? What are you talking about?" Dean asked, confused.
"I broke the rules," Castiel stated simply.
Dean waited for him to continue, but after a moment's silence he urged, "What rules, Cas? You gotta give me something here, man, I'm not following."
Castiel sighed deeply and moved to sit on the side of the bed, dipping the mattress down so Dean rolled into him a little, his thigh brushing against Castiel's hip.
"We are not supposed to get to close to humans. Angels are not made to... develop relationships. We were not built with the capacity to hold strong emotions for others. It could jeopardize our work, get in the way of our duties," Castiel explained, his words dragging on his tongue, as if he was having a difficult time phrasing himself correctly.
"So, what, they're mad that you're friends with me and Sam, so they just took your grace away?" Dean was trying desperately to understand, but to him, all these rules-of-Heaven just sounded like a lot of bullshit.
"No," Castiel corrected him, "they were not angry, they were concerned."
"I still don't get it," Dean huffed. "We've been tight for a while, what's their problem now?"
Castiel's eyes shifted down to his hands resting in his lap, and he seemed to get uncomfortable all of a sudden. "I seem to have become more... emotionally attached to my charge."
Dean's heartbeat quickened and a spark of hope flickered within him before he swallowed it down. He had just gotten Castiel back; he wasn't about to push him away with his twisted fantasies by assuming he meant something more than he was saying. Better safe than sorry.
Clearing his throat, he asked tentatively, "What does that mean?"
The angel still averted his gaze, twirling his thumbs around each other in what appeared to be nervousness. "Dean, I..." He helplessly searched for words, but came up empty. Instead, he took a deep, calming breath and turned his anxious blue eyes on Dean.
The hunter waited patiently, searching Castiel's face, but was unable to read anything from him. The air was thick with tension, a heavy silence draped over them both for a long moment as they stared at each other, Castiel trying desperately to explain, Dean trying just as desperately to understand.
It happened so quickly that Dean's mind couldn't keep up; one second he was studying the cerulean oceans of Castiel's eyes and the next a pair of lips crashed against his, a hand on the back of his neck pulled him closer, and all of the breath escaped from his lungs in one fluid motion. He felt something warm in his stomach, a heat flooding him from the inside out, making his heart jump and his skin tingle and all of the blood rush to his head. It was liquid fire, it was fuel, it was pure energy and it was overwhelming, his entire body responding all at once to this kiss that was like electricity pumping through his veins.
And then as suddenly as it had started, it was over. He opened his eyes to see Castiel perched on the edge of the bed, eyes wide and cheeks flushed bright red, with embarrassment or arousal, Dean didn't know. It took his mind a second to catch up and process what had just happened, everything that had been said... and then it all clicked.
"Oh," he whispered, his eyes widening with realization. "You... oh."
Castiel nodded once, not taking his eyes off of the hunter's face. Another moment of heavy silence passed between the two of them before he spoke, moving to stand up. "I should go."
"No!" Dean leapt forward and locked his fingers in a vice grip around Castiel's thin wrist. "Don't... don't go."
Castiel settled back onto the bed gingerly and Dean looked up at the ceiling, willing himself to think clearly. There was still a lot left unsaid, a lot that he didn't understand, things that he needed to know. He felt like he was going to explode because Castiel kissed him, Castiel returned his feelings, Castiel wanted him back and that was absolutely the most amazing feeling in the world. But he was also extremely confused about the technicalities of it all. Was it against Heaven's 'rules'? Would Castiel have to leave? Would Dean ever get to see his angel again? A million questions crossed his mind, each more worrying than the last, but he shook himself, realizing he was jumping the gun a little, and decided to start from the beginning.
"So you fell because of..." With the hand not gripping Castiel's wrist, he motioned between the two of them.
Castiel nodded. "I broke the rules," he said for a second time.
"But how... I mean, you're back, and this... what just... that isn't... is it okay?" Dean spluttered incoherently, not really getting anywhere with the whole thinking-clearly thing.
The angel nodded again. "I atoned for my mistakes." He shifted his hips so that he was completely facing Dean and stared into his eyes with that intensity that Dean had only ever felt with Castiel. "But I also made a stand for myself. For this."
Dean knitted his eyebrows together, still not understanding. What did he mean by atone? If angels weren't allowed to have feelings for people, how was he back here with Dean? How could he just kiss him like that? And what did he mean, this? What was he making a stand for?
As if reading his mind, Castiel continued explaining, saving Dean the trouble of stringing enough words together to get his questions out. "They are concerned that any... feelings between us will get in the way of my protecting you. They will distract me, or cause me to lose my priorities. But they are giving me a chance to show them that I can take care of you no matter what I feel. And no matter whether or not you return those feelings," he added nervously, breaking eye contact with the hunter.
Dean was struggling to wrap his head around it all, still reeling from the kiss they had shared moments before. "What's gonna happen to you, Cas? If you can't... if it doesn't work?"
Castiel just looked at him, not saying a word, but Dean already knew before he asked. If it didn't work, Castiel would be gone.
He released Castiel's wrist and ran his fingers through his hair. "Jesus, man."
"This changes nothing, Dean," the angel stated calmly, suddenly regaining his composure, his face hardening and no longer betraying his nervousness. "None of this is your responsibility, and we may continue to just be... friends, if that is what you wish. I do not expect –"
"Cas," Dean interrupted, sitting up and bringing his face closer to the other man's, looking him right in the eyes. He knew what the angel was trying to say, but it was pointless. He wanted this just as much as Castiel did – hell, probably even more. And here he was, the only thing preventing him from acting on his latent desires being the incessant stream of apologies coming out of Castiel's mouth. The corner of his own curled up in a slight smirk. "Shut up."
Gripping the back of Castiel's neck, he pulled him in and pressed their lips together roughly. The sparks of heat and electricity he felt from the first kiss were nothing compared to this one. He gasped, feeling as though his insides were being lit on fire. Castiel's chapped lips brushed against his own urgently and he let out a moan as he felt the angel melt against him, practically falling into his lap. He slid his fingers up and twined them in the short hair at the back of Castiel's head while his other hand reached down and fitted itself against Castiel's hip. His tongue snaked past his lips and glided against Castiel's tentatively before the smaller man opened up, allowing Dean to sneak inside and taste him.
He tasted so good; sweet and warm and a little like honeysuckle. Dean explored for a while, running his tongue along Castiel's teeth and lips, twining them together before retreating and letting Castiel return the favor. It could have been minutes, it could have been hours, he didn't know and he didn't care, he never wanted to stop. His whole body pulsed with the warmth flooding through his veins and his fingertips tingled as they brushed along Castiel's back, mapping out the contours of his body through the layers of clothing he had on.
Castiel had his hands on Dean's bare chest, gently massaging the muscles there. He pulled away from the kiss and threw his head back, gasping for air, and Dean immediately went for his exposed throat, licking and sucking at the sensitive skin, sending shocks of pleasure through his body. Brushing his cheek against Castiel's, Dean noted the rough stubble along his jaw and, though he wasn't used to it, he realized that he kind of liked it. He had never been with another man before – never even thought about being with another man before, for that matter – but something about Castiel seemed so familiar and so right that it didn't feel nearly as foreign to him as it actually was.
Dean's hands traveled down the angel's back before coming around to his front, slipping inside his trench coat and pushing it off of his shoulders along with the suit jacket. His deft fingers began working at the buttons on the dress shirt as he reattached his lips to Castiel's. They kissed fervently, not breaking contact except for when Castiel tugged his tie off over his head and threw it haphazardly across the room. The dress shirt fell onto the floor along with Castiel's other clothes and Dean splayed his fingers across the newly uncovered skin, reveling in how soft it was. He had always thought of men as being rough and hard, but Castiel was surprisingly smooth and fluid. His body moved with Dean, fitted against him, matched him perfectly and it felt incredible. It was already the best sex he had ever had, and they hadn't even gotten to that part yet.
Not that they would get to that part. At least, not tonight. Dean was in completely uncharted territory, and it was somewhat terrifying. He pushed Castiel back until he was laying down on the bed and hovered uncertainly over him on his hands and knees. After admiring the body sprawled out beneath him, he fixed his gaze on Castiel's lust-darkened eyes and the fear in his own must have been noticeable because Castiel pulled him down into a slow, passionate kiss and whispered, "It's okay, Dean. You don't have to."
"No," he growled, swooping down and crashing their lips together roughly, "I want to." As if to emphasize his words, he rocked his hips down on Castiel's, creating friction between their clothed erections.
Castiel moaned loudly, tossing his head back and gripping Dean's shoulders tightly. He bucked his hips up as Dean moved, grinding into him, setting a steady pace for them to rub against one another. Before long, Dean felt himself getting dangerously close to the edge, and he pushed himself up away from Castiel, not wanting it to be over so soon.
Tilting his head to the side, Castiel gazed up at the hunter and panted, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Dean assured him, kissing him briefly, "just wanna take it slow."
Castiel nodded in agreement and tangled his fingers in Dean's short hair as the hunter kissed down his neck to his chest. When he reached Castiel's nipples, he took one in his mouth and sucked hard, biting gently then swirling his tongue around it to sooth the sensitive skin. He smirked at Castiel's gasp of surprise, kissing across his chest to give the same treatment to the other side. Looking up, his sparkling green eyes met with bright blue, and he relished the look of pure ecstasy on the angel's face.
It suddenly hit him that this was probably the first time Castiel had ever been with someone – anyone. He had never been kissed before, never been touched. If Dean was scared for his first time with a guy despite his abundance of experience in bed, he could only imagine how Castiel must be feeling. He paused in his ministrations and crawled back up so that he was directly above Castiel's face.
"Cas... have you ever done this before?" he asked softly.
The angel shook his head. "You are the only one, Dean."
Those words seemed to stoke the fire burning inside Dean. He let out a feral growl and dove in for a fierce kiss. "Gonna take such good care of you," he breathed out between kisses, receiving a pleasured moan in response.
Dean made his way back down Castiel's chest, exploring the curves of his abs and spending time worshiping the hipbones that had haunted his dreams ever since he first saw them. He buried his nose in the thin trail of hair that led down past the waistband of Castiel's slacks, peppering kisses along it until his lips brushed coarse fabric. He looked up into Castiel's face once more, silently begging permission, and Castiel nodded to grant it, biting his lower lip in anticipation.
Keeping his eyes locked on Castiel's, Dean popped the button of his pants and pulled down the zipper with his teeth. He sat up and began tugging them off of the angel, watching as each bit of skin was uncovered with unwavering awe. Discarding them onto the floor, he ran his hands up Castiel's bare legs and felt him shudder beneath his touch as he brushed along his inner thighs.
He leaned down and ran his tongue along the waistband of Castiel's briefs, catching the fabric between his teeth, listening to every sharp gasp that the angel made, knowing those blue eyes were watching his every move. Hesitantly, he brought his hand up and placed it over the bulge in Castiel's underwear, causing the angel to arch his back and call out his name loudly. He massaged Castiel gently through his underwear before finally sitting back up and coaxing them off.
Castiel was splayed out on the bed, panting heavily, legs spread wide to allow Dean to sit between them. His cheeks were flushed red and his pupils were so lust-blown that there was barely any blue left in his eyes at all. A thin sheen of sweat was already covering his body, making his muscles glisten as they tensed and relaxed under Dean's touch. His fully hard cock was leaking precum onto his stomach, and Dean couldn't help but notice that his angel had an impressive package. His eyes trailed up and down Castiel's body, taking in every detail and every curve.
"So beautiful," he murmured, sliding his calloused hands up Castiel's chest and back down again, where they settled on his hips.
"Dean," Castiel whimpered, "please."
"Shh, you're okay, I got you Cas," Dean whispered as he spread light kisses along the insides of Castiel's thighs. Laying down on his stomach between the other man's legs, he sized up the admirable length in front of him. It wasn't like he was clueless; he knew what he liked, and he had done it to himself plenty of times, but it was different doing it to somebody else. With a deep breath, he decided to just go for it and wrapped his hand around the base of Castiel's shaft, causing the angel to inhale sharply and tense his muscles.
He gently rubbed up and down, twisting his wrist and swiping the pad of his thumb over the tip on the upstroke, spreading the precum along his length to make it smoother. Dean licked his lips a couple times, working up his courage, before leaning forward and sealing them around the head of Castiel's cock.
Castiel cried out loudly and his hands curled into fists, gripping the bedsheets so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He bent his knees and wrapped his legs around Dean's shoulders to bring him closer as he begged, "Don't stop, p-please... don't stop..."
Dean bobbed his head up and down, taking in as much of Castiel as possible, using his hand to cover what his mouth couldn't. The sounds coming from his angel were purely pornographic, and he had to admit, he was a little proud of himself for it. It may have been Castiel's first time, but damn it all if Dean wasn't going to put everything he had into making him feel good. This wasn't just sex, and this wasn't just anybody; as corny as it sounded, making Castiel feel good made Dean feel even better. He never thought giving head to another guy would make him so hard it was almost painful, but he found himself working his hips against the bed to gain some much needed friction, bringing himself dangerously close to the edge again – and he hadn't even been touched.
He ran his tongue along the sensitive vein on the underside of Castiel's shaft and swirled his tongue around the tip, hollowing out his cheeks and sucking hard. Castiel writhed beneath him and bucked his hips up, surprising and nearly choking Dean, who held onto the angel's hipbones and pinned him down.
"D-Dean... I don't know... I need... It's too much," Castiel cried out, his whole body shaking as the hunter brought him closer and closer to his climax.
Dean took that as his cue to pull off and climb back up the angel's body, cupping one hand on his cheek while his other hand continued to work Castiel's cock.
"It's okay, Cas," he whispered, capturing his lips in a gentle kiss. "Just let go. Come for me."
Castiel cried out once more, locking onto Dean's shoulders, digging his fingernails into the hunter's skin as all of his muscles tensed up and he came hard, coating Dean's hand and his stomach with thick white fluid. Dean stroked him through his orgasm, holding him close as his body shook with pulses of pleasure, kissing his neck and his face. When he pulled back, he sat in awe for a moment, trying to burn the image of Castiel's blissed out face into his mind so he would never forget it. The flushed cheeks, the parted, kiss-swollen lips, the dark hair even more mussed up than usual. The only thing Dean could think while staring down at his angel was that he was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life.
When Castiel's breathing slowed and he removed his legs from where they were wrapped around Dean's waist, the hunter rolled over onto his back and pulled Castiel with him so that he was curled into his chest. They laid there like that for a while, basking in Castiel's afterglow, despite the fact that Dean was still painfully aware of the bulge in his pants. He didn't care, though; the moment was perfect and as Dean closed his eyes to drift off to sleep, he couldn't help but wish that it would never end.
The next morning Sam woke up from the best sleep he'd had in a while. He stretched out his long limbs and yawned before heading upstairs to the bathroom to take a quick shower. When he arrived in the kitchen, he was surprised to see a familiar face sitting at the table chowing down on a homemade breakfast.
"Bobby! You're back!"
"Mornin', Sam," Bobby greeted him gruffly. "Got back last night. Had to drag in your idjit of a brother, probably still sleepin' off an ugly hangover." He shook his head and bit off another mouthful of bacon. "What the hell happened while I was gone? And where'd those angels get off to?"
"Nice to see you, too," Sam sighed and dropped into a chair, resting his head on the table with a thunk. "Cas got his grace back. He and Gabriel left a few days ago. There was a fight. Not a big deal." He shrugged.
Bobby raised his eyebrows, knowing there was more that Sam wasn't telling him. "A fight?"
With a heavy sigh, Sam ran a hand over his face. "Gabe had Cas's grace, he kept it from him. I knew about it and Dean found out. Now he's all pissed off."
The older hunter stared at him incredulously. "What'd Gabriel want with Castiel's grace? And you were helpin' him?"
"He didn't mean anything by it," Sam insisted. "He just thought Cas and Dean should spend some... quality time together."
Bobby snorted. "Quality time, yeah. If those morons spent anymore quality time together they'd be married already."
"What?" The younger Winchester's jaw dropped.
"Oh, c'mon, Sam, you're slow but ya ain't blind," Bobby said through a mouthful of eggs. "Those two were made for each other."
"Try telling that to Dean," Sam muttered.
"Anyway," Bobby ignored him, "y'all better kiss and make up soon cause I ain't no landlady, and there's a whole lotta hell spawn out there waitin' for you boys, so you oughta get movin'."
"Right. Except he won't even talk to me. He walks around here acting like I don't even exist," Sam complained, dropping his head into his hands.
"Give him another day or so, I'll try to talk to him," Bobby reassured him as he slid over a plate loaded with eggs and bacon. "Now eat."
The hunters ate in silence, both mulling over the situation at hand and worrying about Dean. Before long, they heard the tell-tale sound of footsteps coming down the stairs and made nervous eye-contact. Sam muttered under his breath, "Here we go."
Dean waltzed into the kitchen with a bounce in his step and a bright smile on his face, humming under his breath. "Mornin', Bobby! Heya, Sammy," he said cheerily, ruffling Sam's hair as he passed by. "I knew I smelled bacon," he added as he reached for Sam's plate and grabbed a couple pieces. He turned to pull out a glass from the cabinet and poured himself some orange juice.
Behind his back, Sam just stared at him, mouth hanging open in shock. Bobby raised his eyebrows and cleared his throat, swallowing down the food in his mouth. "Somebody's in a good mood."
Dean turned around to face the two men sitting at the table, nodding as he chugged his juice.
"No hangover, then?"
"Nope," Dean replied, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and smacking his lips. "I feel great, actually. What do you say we drive around and go gank some sons of bitches? Been a while, eh? I'm down, what about you, Sammy?"
"Uh," Sam looked at him suspiciously, "sure, Dean. I gotta... find something, I guess. I'll let you know."
"Great," the older Winchester grinned before striding out of the kitchen and bounding back up the stairs, leaving the other two hunters sitting in a stunned silence.
"Was that..."
"Weird," Bobby agreed, still staring at where Dean had been a minute ago. "Maybe it was just his time of the month."
"Yeah," Sam nodded, still unsure of what just happened. "I guess I'd better, uh... go look for anything weird, then." Bobby shrugged in response and turned to Sam with a look in his eyes that clearly showed that he was just as lost as the younger hunter.
Sam blinked a couple times before pushing away from the table and standing up, heading to the panic room, where he left his laptop. Perched on the edge of the bed, he ran a hand through his long hair and murmured, "What the hell..."
"Guess again," piped a voice from behind him.
Sam jumped and spun around, nearly falling off of the bed. "Gabriel," he gasped.
"Now you've got it," the archangel teased. He stood up against the wall, hands in his pockets, a mischievous grin plastered on his face.
"What the – where have you been?" Sam demanded. His thoughts were all over the place; first his brother, now this? He had no idea what was going on.
"I fixed it," Gabriel said simply. "By the way, you're welcome."
"What did you... how?"
"This, that, the works," the archangel shrugged nonchalantly, pushing off from the wall and taking a couple steps toward Sam. "Pulled a few strings."
Sam stared at him with wide hazel eyes, taking in the fact that his angel was standing there right in front of him after disappearing for four days, and suddenly a wave of relief washed over him. "You just left," he breathed. "You didn't even say anything. I didn't know..."
"I couldn't." The lighthearted glint in Gabriel's eyes faded and was replaced by a wordless, somber apology.
Sam sucked a sharp breath into his lungs and nodded, accepting it immediately. "Yeah... but why? I mean, what did you even do?"
With a heavy sigh, Gabriel looked down at the ground and cleared his throat. He hadn't planned on this when he came back to see the hunter, but he should have known he'd demand an explanation. It would be awkward, but he wasn't leaving without it, so he sucked it up and began, "When Cassie got his grace back, I knew he'd go straight home. So I followed him, and I beat him to Raphael. He's the ones who threatened him in the first place."
"Threatened him? Why?" Sam pressed, sitting up on the bed and leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Angels aren't supposed to get attached to their charges," Gabriel explained. "It can get in the way of their job. And we all know Castiel just threw that one out the window," he chuckled. "Raphael told him that if he didn't stop being so touchy-feely for Dean, he'd interfere, make sure he never saw him again. So Cas ripped his grace out to escape him. Bastard," he added darkly.
"Cas ripped his own grace out? Damn," Sam whistled, slightly impressed.
"That's part of the reason why I wanted him to stay with Dean," the archangel continued, "'cause that's why he was here in the first place. But when he went back, I knew Raphael would have his ass. So I talked to him. I'm stronger than he is, and he couldn't touch me even if he wanted to, 'cause I'd kick his ass six ways to Sunday if he tried." Gabriel rolled his eyes. "I convinced him to give Castiel a chance, to show that his attachment to Dean wouldn't get in the way of his job to protect him. Saved his skin. And mine," he added under his breath, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.
"And yours?" Sam knitted his eyebrows together in confusion.
Gabriel cleared his throat again, avoiding eye contact. "Cassie's not the only one who's breaking rules around here, Sam."
The hunter blinked a couple times before realization hit him like a ton of bricks – though he should have been used to that by now. His jaw dropped for what felt like the twentieth time that morning and he let out a quiet, "Oh."
"Anyway," Gabriel waved his hand and changed the subject with a smirk, "Cas is back, probably hitting the sheets with Dean-o, if he's lucky. Hence the good mood this morning. And I'll say it again; you're welcome."
"Gabe," Sam said softly, standing from his spot on the bed and taking a couple tentative steps toward the archangel, who suddenly found great interest in the ceiling. "Gabriel, do you really mean that?"
"I will admit that you have yet to properly thank me, but yes, of course I mean it, you're very welcome," he joked, still trying in vain not to discuss what he had said moments before.
"I'm talking about... breaking the rules," Sam insisted, taking another step forward so he was almost right up against the shorter man, looking down at him intensely.
Gabriel chanced a glance up at the hunter and immediately regretted it when he found himself unable to look away. He swallowed the lump in his throat and muttered, "There's lots of rules. I'm a freaking trickster, what do you want from me?"
"Honesty," Sam replied sincerely. His body started reacting to their closeness; his stomach filled with butterflies and his breathing got slightly heavier.
Gabriel followed the movement of Sam's tongue as it slowly darted out across his lips before his caramel colored eyes met with bright hazel. "I...uh..."
Without warning, Sam swooped down and captured his mouth in a delicate kiss, just an experimental brushing of lips. The hunter pulled back and brushed away the strands of golden brown hair that had fallen into his eyes, searching Gabriel's face for a reaction. They stood like that for a long moment, just looking at each other, both of their minds racing, trying to process what had just happened. And then Gabriel reached forward, standing on his toes, gripping the back of Sam's neck to pull him down and lock their lips in a much more fervent, passionate kiss.
They melted together, their bodies fitting like pieces of a puzzle as Sam wrapped strong arms around the archangel and pulled him into his body. Gabriel's free hand wound itself into the hunter's long hair, moaning at how good it felt to be wrapped up in his embrace. Lips parted and tongues met simultaneously, tangling together in a slow, sensual dance. Both men lost track of time as they stood in the middle of the panic room, gripping each other as if they were scared to let go, slotting their bodies together with uncanny familiarity.
Sam pulled away first, gasping for breath, eyes closed as he leaned his forehead against Gabriel's and rubbed circles into the small of his back. When his eyelids fluttered open and his gaze met with the archangel's, he couldn't help himself from breaking into a wide grin and laughing, pulling Gabriel into a bear hug and burying his face in the crook of his neck.
"What's so funny?" Gabriel asked, unable to suppress the chuckle that bubbled up in his chest at the hunter's outburst.
"Nothing," Sam reassured him, kissing his neck gently, "I'm just... happy."
"Aw, Sammy," Gabriel teased, though his face turned bright red and his smile grew impossibly bigger. "Me too," he whispered into Sam's skin, holding him tighter. And it was true; he didn't think he'd been happier in his entire life. Not just because he had his hunter in his arms, but because he knew his brother was satisfied, and so was Dean – which he wouldn't normally care about, except that he knew it would make Sam feel better. So he had made good on his word; he had fixed it. And holding Sam close, he promised himself that he was going to keep it that way.