AN: I'm so sorry about how late this is! I've been having technical difficulties for the last couple of weeks, no internet access. The good news is, first of all this is an M-rated Sabriel chapter! Yays! And even better, the next chapter is typed up and ready for posting, and the chapter after that is already half finished! The more reviews I get for this chapter, the sooner I'll be tempted to update. ;-)

Sam had to be careful, because sometimes a tiny feather would stick and come away on his lips. He'd have to pull it off, or risk accidentally breathing it in. Gabriel had settled into the mattress, pliant and languid, purring like a contented cat having his ears stroked. After a minute, Sam found an odd lump on Gabriel's left, second-pair wing. It was hard and smooth, like a malformation of the bone. "What happened here, Gabe?" The Trickster sighed quietly, but he answered without hesitation. "When I left Heaven, Michael almost caught me. He tried to stop me by grabbing my wing, and the bone snapped. All he got was feathers, though. A few got ripped out, but I managed to get away." The archangel gave a nonchalant half-shrug.

Sam hissed, promising himself that if Michael ever got out of the Cage, he'd beat the shit out of that asshole. "When I landed… Well, for the first century or so I was terrified that the second I let my wings out I'd be surrounded by every archangel in the Host, so the break healed badly. It doesn't affect my ability to fly or anything. I'd actually forgotten it was even there." Sam kissed the protrusion three times before moving on down the wing. When he was finished worshipping his lover's wings, Sam started carefully massaging them, just like he'd done Gabriel's back. Between gentle squeezes and firm rubs, he'd run his fingers through the soft feathers, occasionally tugging at them playfully.

The wings were enormous; if they'd been properly spread out Sam wouldn't have even been able to reach to the elbow joints. The only reason he was able to do so now was because Gabriel was keeping them folded close enough to his body for the tall Hunter to reach. Very slowly, oil started to seep out from the roots of his feathers, darkening his Scapulars and Marginal Coverts like a coat of varnish. It took a few minutes for Sam to notice, because of how focused he was on the task he'd set for himself, but the situation became pretty difficult to ignore when he kissed one of Gabe's Alulae and came away with a slick moisture on his lips.

The archangel watched out of the corner of his golden eyes as Sam curiously licked the honey-coloured substance. Gabriel groaned at the sight, impossibly turned on by the way Sam's eyes widened in surprise at the taste, and then lent forward to lick more of it from his wing. "Gabe, what is this stuff coming out of your wings? It tastes like really high-quality maple syrup, mixed with cinnamon. It's fantastic!" The angel snorted at the description. The stuff might always smell the same, but every angel's oil tasted slightly different. Gabe had never really thought about what his own flavour might be, but trust his oil to taste sweet.

Sam was shamelessly licking his wings now, and gently sucking on them, making Gabe's whole body shudder and flush with arousal. The Hunter's ministrations were drawing all sorts of delicious sounds from his archangel's throat, from quiet gasps and moans, to gravelly purrs. After a few minutes of this, Gabriel growled at the teasing, pushing his hips into the mattress out of sheer frustration. His breathing was starting to become laboured. "Watch it, Samsquatch. You're playing with fire back there." Sam just snickered, and tugged his handful of Primaries a little harder. With a snarl, Gabriel disappeared from under him.

Suddenly the archangel was behind him, roughly pushing Sam forward with a hand between his shoulder-blades. The Hunter instinctively grabbed at the headboard to break his fall. When he looked up there was a mirror in front of him which he was pretty sure hadn't been there a minute ago, and he blushed bright pink, knowing what was coming next. Whenever they used this position, Gabriel always conjured a mirror so he'd be able to see Sam's face when he came. Gabe was surprisingly romantic like that. Or he was just kinky. The archangel gripped his legs just above his knees, and slowly pushed them forward, simultaneously pulling them apart, and forcing Sam's hips lower.

Gabriel didn't top often, but they'd been doing this long enough that Sam's thigh muscles had turned to steel. There were a few minor downsides to their considerable height difference, but neither of them minded it very much. The sex was still incredible. Gabe didn't waste any time. He leant forward over Sam's back, kissing and nipping at the warm skin just below his shoulder-blades. The area wasn't as sensitive for Sam as it would be for an angel, but his moose still enjoyed the attention. Gabe wrapped an arm around Sam's waist, finding the Hunter's already fully erect length, and started slowly pumping him with loose, teasing strokes. It was more distracting than pleasurable, really.

Gabe's other hand caressed and rubbed the muscles in Sam's lower back, gradually getting them to relax. Given how glued to his brother Dean tended to be, they didn't often have the time for it. But, when they had the chance to be alone together for a few hours, Gabriel took great pleasure in teasing Sam until he was a quivering mass of nerve-endings. He made the Hunter spark all over the place, until Sam was practically rabid with the need to take him. Gabe had no qualms about making use of toys either, and Sam had been surprisingly accommodating of his kinks. This time, the archangel was already too aroused for that. He needed to be inside his lover, as soon as possible.

The first time he'd shown an interest in topping Sam, the young Winchester had been amusingly startled for a few seconds, and then he'd taken a minute to silently consider it. He nodded to himself, then looked back at Gabriel, shrugged, and said "You seem to thoroughly enjoy it. Why not give it a try?" After that first time, Sam had been reluctant to offer any opinion on it, but eventually he'd caved in, and admitted that he preferred being a top. Gabriel still couldn't understand why Sam had said it with a tone of voice which made it sound like he was twelve years old, and admitting to having disregarded the 'no tossing projectiles around indoors' rule, and broken a window.

Sam had even looked braced for a scolding, or at least a disapproving glare. It was hardly a surprise to Gabe that Sam was more of a top, he'd more or less figured that one out already. Even though Sam was the more dominant one, and Gabriel tended to be more laid-back, on the semi-regular occasions when Gabe wanted to top, Sam never questioned it or complained. The Hunter let Gabe have him, and he enjoyed it almost as much as Gabriel did. To make it up to Sam, topping him almost always meant that they were only on round one of what was going to be a marathon of debauchery. This time was no different. After carefully preparing him, using his own oil for lube, Gabriel slowly entered Sam, biting back a moan.

Sam grunted quietly with discomfort. He never really got used to the strange sensation of being filled, and it made him very nervous to be getting fucked by an archangel. It wasn't that he was scared Gabe would mistreat him or anything, far from it. He trusted Gabriel with his life, and certainly with his body. The trouble was, somehow being screwed by an angel seemed far more blasphemous than being the one doing the screwing. It didn't make much sense to him, but that was just how it was. He kept waiting to get smited by the hand of God or something.

Maybe it had something to do with the concept of sex being a way to worship your lover's body? Like, he was supposed to be worshipping his angel, and not the other way around? The thought of an archangel worshiping him in any way, shape, or form made him feel queasy. He was Sam Winchester, the demon Azazel's pet project, an ex-blood-junkie, and Lucifer's vessel. He'd said yes, and spent a year in the Cage. He was tainted and damaged, he always would be. He didn't deserve Gabriel as it was, even without the archangel doing his very best to bring Sam as much pleasure as he could. Nothing should be worshipping him.

The only reason Sam didn't tell Gabriel any of this, didn't ask him not to top, was because he was even more scared that Gabriel was eventually going to get bored of his Hunter, and leave him. He knew Gabe loved him, the archangel had told him as much many times before, but on the nights when he was alone in his bed, staring up at the ceiling, he couldn't help but think unpleasant thoughts. For two thousand years, when Gabriel had been hiding out as Loki, he'd done little more than indulge himself in alcohol, killing the scum of humanity in inventive and ironic ways, and debauchery. It was the debauchery part which got to him.

Sam had been with experienced lovers once or twice, but Gabriel took 'experienced' to a whole new level, and Sam would be lying if he said that this fact didn't intimidate him. The Hunter had no doubt whatsoever that Loki had tried every position in and out of the Karma Sutra, used every toy ever invented, and most likely role-played every fantasy he might have had a whim for. Sam was a normal guy. He was confident, and didn't mind being a little adventurous in bed, but all he really knew was how to have normal sex. He would go to great lengths to make it as pleasurable as possible for his partner, and was always very attentive, but compared to Gabriel he might as well be a fumbling virgin. It was nerve-wracking.

There was just no way for him to tell Gabriel about his insecurities, they were far too embarrassing. He felt like an idiot for having them at all. Gabe loved him, and wanted to be with him, and it had nothing to do with sex. But still, he couldn't help but dwell on just how easily the former Trickster tended to get bored. Boredom had been how their little affair had started, to begin with. How long would it take for Gabriel to lose interest in him? If he could turn his back on his family, how hard would it be for him to turn his back on Sam? It wasn't a fair question, and he'd never even think of asking it aloud, but it still haunted him.

Gabriel noticed the distant, contemplative look in Sam's eyes, and slapped the Hunter's ass to gain his attention. "Sorry, Samsquatch, am I boring you?" Sam could see his smirk in the mirror above the bed, but lurking in the back of his golden eyes, and in the tone of his playful voice, was a hint of uncertainty. Sam silently cursed, and fought the urge to kick himself. Of all the times for his mind to go wondering, he never thought he'd get distracted while Gabriel was making love to him. Sometimes he genuinely wondered whether or not he might have ADD. "Sorry babe, I didn't mean to be rude. You know me, I'm always thinking too much. Sometimes I give myself a headache."

The archangel's expression subtly softened. He knew for a fact that one downside of being as intelligent as Sam was, was that the human often had trouble shutting his brain down long enough to relax. It was one of the reasons why clever people were more prone to depression. "Want me to switch your mind off for you?" Coming from Loki, that question probably should have scared Sam, but he understood what his lover meant. Gabriel was basically just offering to fuck his brains out, until he couldn't think straight even if he tried. It was a very welcome offer. "Please, make it so that the only thing I can remember is your name."

The pupils of Gabriel's dark eyes dilated even further as he grinned, gripping Sam's hips with both hands. "You might want to hold on tight, then. This ride is about to get a little bumpy." Sam rolled his eyes at the corny innuendo, even as it made him smile. That first round was wild and rough, leaving them both panting for air. Gabriel mercilessly wound him up, staving off Sam's orgasm with a tight fist at the base of his cock, making him moan and beg for release. When all he could do was brokenly chant Gabriel's name, the archangel finally took pity on him, letting go of his cock and pounding into him four more times, hitting his prostate with every thrust.

They came together, tightly curled against each other, their eyes meeting in the mirror. Gabriel's wings stretched out, tense and trembling with his orgasm, before wrapping gently around the two of them. His feathers were so soft and warm, Sam passed out with a contented smile on his lips. They only slept for two hours before Sam stirred again, ready for round two. With a warm smile, he kissed Gabriel's face until the shorter man's eye's fluttered open. The archangel didn't need to sleep, but he could when he wanted to, and he felt safe with Sam. Besides, falling asleep meant he got to experience being woken up with kisses, or occasionally with blowjobs. They both lost count of how many rounds they'd gone that day.

~X~

On the third day of their vacation, Dean woke up to the sound of retching. He cringed, and followed the sound to their small en-suite bathroom. Castiel was on his knees, with his head over the toilet. With his short hair, Dean didn't need to hold it away from his face. Instead, he wet a facecloth with hot water in the sink, and wrung it out until it was only damp. He patiently waited for Cas to finish so he could gently clean his sweat off. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Castiel looked tired and miserable. The angel heaved a sigh, then shook his head. "I don't know. Would those pills you gave me when I had that hangover work for morning sickness?"

Dean winced. He hated thinking about Cas taking pills. Besides, was that even safe now that the angel was pregnant? Dean decided to tell a small lie. "Sorry Cas, those pills are strictly for hangovers. I could get you some crackers, though. My mom used to eat those a lot when she was expecting Sammy. Dad said they helped settle her stomach." Castiel raised a sceptical eyebrow, but he was desperate for the painfully human nausea to go away, so he nodded his acquiescence. "If you think it will help, I am willing to try." It took twenty minutes for Dean to go downstairs, get directions to the nearest convenience store, drive there, buy a basketful of different brands of crackers in a variety of flavours, and drive back.

When Cas was feeling better, they sat curled together on the sofa. "So, you're definitely pregnant then?" Cas sent him a 'That is not amusing, Dean' sort of glare. "Yes, Dean." Dean nodded, colouring slightly from the admonishment. He thought for a minute before asking another question. "That vampire chick, the blonde, if her knife had got you, would that really have hurt the baby?" Cas blanched at the memory. "Hey, it's okay. You protected the kid, you did good. The baby is fine now, right?" The angel didn't relax. He gritted his teeth, anger flaring in his eyes, but Dean could tell it wasn't directed at him. "What's wrong, Cas?"

The angel huffed. "I was foolish to put our Nephil in danger like that. Smiting those creatures used up far more Grace than I should be expending in my condition." Dean's frown deepened, worry creasing his brow. "You're both okay though, right? There wasn't any lasting damage?" Cas shook his head. "We're alright, but I will definitely be avoiding all vampire nests for the next thirty-one weeks." The angel stayed tense, but Dean didn't push the issue. Castiel would tell him whatever it was the angel was holding back when he was good and ready. "You keep calling the kid that, a Nephil. What is a Nephil, exactly?"

Cas nodded, he'd clearly been waiting for Dean to ask that question. "A Nephil is just a half-angel, half-human child. They've existed before. You've even met some of them, although I doubt you would have known it at the time." Dean's eyebrows rose halfway to his hairline with surprise at that news. "Really? Do you know who?" Castiel nodded, and shifted nervously. Clearly he didn't think Dean would be happy with whatever he was about to say. "Azazel was one, and Crowley." Dean blanched. "Azazel and Crowley were Nephil? How come me and Sam have never heard about this before?"

Cas spoke quickly, his tone reassuring. He didn't want Dean to be upset. "The plural is Nephilim, Dean, and yes, they were. You need not look so worried, our child will not become like them. It's something of a long story, but I feel I should explain this from the beginning. A few thousand years ago, an angel named Shemihaza led a small rebellion. He believed that humans should serve the angels with their bodies. His plans involved producing as many Nephilim as possible, and using his small army to overthrow Heaven. It was extremely foolhardy and poorly thought out, especially considering that our Father was much more hands-on with us back then. It didn't take Him long to see what was happening."

Dean listened raptly, his expressive face telling Castiel every thought his words inspired. The Hunter was particularly curious about God's reaction to one of his sons messing with his favourite creations. "He ordered Uriel to condemn Shemihaza and his followers to spend the rest of eternity in Tartarus. You would know it better as 'Lucifer's Cage'. They even got their wings ripped off, like Lucifer's were." Dean flinched, and glanced at Castiel's shoulders. He'd kill anybody who ever tried to do anything like that to his angel's beautiful wings. "As for the Nephilim, He had most of them destroyed by Gabriel, who was ordered to make them go to war with each other."

Dean growled at that, and shot a protective look at Castiel's middle. The angel smiled at that. "Gabriel mostly only agreed to it because he thought death would be a kindness for them, although he didn't like the violence. He would have been happier to kill them himself, painlessly, but he wasn't about to disregard a direct order from our Father. God permitted some of the Nephilim to live; fifteen of them. They had a part to play in His grand plan I suppose, just like everyone else. Most of those Nephilim died over the centuries, but two persisted."

Dean nodded, his face grim. "You're sure there were only those two left?" Cas nodded, his eyes brimming with certainty. "Azazel was one of Shemihaza's three sons, but back then his name was Razael. Shemihaza named him after the archangel Raziel. Lucifer gave him the name Azazel after he'd wiped his memories of his life as a Nephil. He wanted Razael to believe that he was a fallen angel, like Lucifer, and it worked because of the powers he had as a Nephil. Crowley was the son of Shemihaza's favourite brother, the true Azazel, although he never knew the name of his father."

Dean looked away, chewing the inside of his cheek contemplatively. "So, is that why the Nephilim turned into monsters, because their fathers were douchebags?" Cas smirked dryly at the Hunter's phrasing. "That's part of it, I believe. If they hadn't rebelled, then the Nephilim never would have existed. The true problem though, is that their fathers were condemned before most of the Nephilim were even born. It would have appeared to the humans that their mothers were having children outside of wedlock. That is something which was heavily frowned upon back then, often it was even illegal."

That news didn't shock Dean, he already knew that there hadn't been much in the way of women's rights before the last century or so. "Without the protection of their Nephil's Grace, many of those women would have been killed as soon as their pregnancy started showing. The Nephilim were ostracized and tormented from the moment of their birth, Dean. They also had nobody to teach them how to use their Grace, or how to control it. It's hardly surprising that after being offered the worst of humanity for several centuries, they'd become less inclined to use their power for the good of mankind."

It was sad, but Dean couldn't argue with that. "There were also many creatures and demons who were quite happy to take advantage of the disillusioned Nephilim, such as Lucifer and Lilith. They twisted and tainted the Nephilim into monsters, but no Nephil is born evil, Dean. It won't be like that with our child. Our Nephil will have a family, and know love. I'm not saying they'll never meet a bully, especially given a Nephil's considerably extended lifespan, but our baby will be far more accepted by modern society than the original Nephilim ever had a chance of being."

Dean nodded, smiling, before a worrying thought struck him. "You don't think God is suddenly going to decide to start giving a shit about the angels again, and toss you in the Cage with Shemihaza and his buddies for this, do you?" Castiel shuddered, remembering what he'd glimpsed of Tartarus when he'd gone to pull Sam's body from it. "I certainly hope not. If that is the case though, then I know Gabriel at least would be willing to step in." Dean nodded. Even if Gabriel had been ordered to off the Nephilim once, he hadn't been God's bitch for a very long time. "Don't forget me, Cas. If anything happens to you, I won't stop until I find a way to bring you home."

Cas nodded, smiling. "Thank you, Dean. That means a great deal to me. I just really hope it doesn't come to that." Dean blushed a little, and turned his face away so Cas wouldn't catch him at it. "Sam would help out too, you know. You're his friend." Cas nodded, and snuggled against him until Dean turned and wrapped his arms around him. Cuddling on the sofa had become a habit of theirs, not that Dean would ever let Sam find out about that. This time, Dean tentatively rested his hands on Castiel's flat stomach, gently stroking his bare skin with the tips of his fingers. He could have sworn he hear Cas purr.

~X~

After five days of being in the same place and having no objective to think about, Dean had started going a bit stir-crazy, and decided it was time to face the world again. The first thing he did when he got back was kick Gabriel out of Sam's motel room so they could have that private discussion he'd been meaning to have with his little brother. He didn't bother wasting time with preamble. "Sam, why didn't you just tell me? I thought we promised no more secrets?" Sam spluttered, so incredulous that he was literally speechless. "Seriously, Dean, you're really asking me that? You are the king of holding grudges, Dean."

When the older Winchester just raised an eyebrow, Sam elaborated. "When you're in a good mood, you make jokes at Gabe's expense. When you couldn't be bothered, you completely ignore him. When you're in a bad mood, you snipe at him and take all your frustrations out on him. Gabe does his best to pretend that he doesn't care, but you're my brother. Of course he cares what you think of him. I try telling you to cut it out, that it's not cool to treat him that way. Most of the time you have enough sense to just shut up, but you never really take me seriously. A few days later you'll be right back at it again. You never show any remorse."

Dean snorted. "Gee, I wonder why that is, Sammy. Oh yeah, it's because Gabriel's a feathery douchebag. You still should have told me Sammy, I'm your brother!" Sam glared at him. "I was going to tell you eventually, but I wanted to wait until you'd warmed up to Gabe a little bit first. I didn't want to be standing there with you yelling at him, and threatening him with holy fire. He'd be gritting his teeth and trying his best not to smite you, or snap his fingers and send you to the middle of the Himalayas to cool your head." Dean scowled, and shot a dark glare at the door to the motel room.

Sam sighed loudly. "But, even though you'd probably deserve it, Gabriel would hold himself back because he wouldn't want to do anything to upset me. I didn't want to be caught between the two of you, trying to figure out who I should be more worried about, and who I should be upset with." Dean shifted uncomfortably. He really hated conversations like this, but he'd make an exception because this was Sam he was talking to, and life was too damn short. "Look, I know I don't treat him all that well. He hurt you, Sammy, and I do not forgive anyone who hurts you in a hurry. That doesn't matter, you still should have told me."

AN: Don't forget to hit that big shiny 'review' button, if you want me to hurry the heck up and post the next chapter. ;-) But seriously, I love all you guys so much! *hands out free hugs to all the readers*