Learning Curve, Part Two

I'm trying to avoid too many fight scene descriptions, because I suck at them, so if you see some discrepancies, or have any ideas about how an action scene might play better, please let me know. There is a description of wing!kink and M/M sex in here, so forewarned. Sorry it's not better, let me know if you have ideas. Thanks!

Dean's face dripped sweat, and it ran in runnels down the center of his bare back. It was hot in the spare room they used as a gym, but Dean had refused to put AC in. He wasn't a wimp. It didn't help, though, that Castiel was unfazed by the heat. Despite the fact that he wasn't sweating, he too had removed his shirt. His skin glistened a little, almost glittered in places, accentuating hard muscle tones and lean movements. Dean shook his head. He was really going soft in the head for Cas, thinking like that.

Cas and Dean circled each other on the mat. By this time they had tried many different fighting forms- Krav Maga, various martial arts forms, American Collegiate Wrestling, Greco-Roman Wrestling. Cas had proved efficient in all forms, which Dean supposed made sense. His garrison was tasked with observing humanity- it stood to reason that they would all be proficient fighters, unlike most angels. Dean didn't know whether to feel betrayed or impressed that Cas had so successfully downplayed his ability.

Cas moved first, surprising Dean out of his reverie. His moves were so fast, Dean swore Cas was using his angel powers, if he didn't also know Cas would never cheat. Before he knew it, he was on his back with Cas straddling his chest, his arms pinned to his side. Cas's wings fanned out, their tips just brushing either wall of the spare room. Gently they fanned back and forth, creating a small breeze. The breeze felt wonderful to Dean.

'I win. Again.' Cas growled, leaning forward and placing both hands on the floor on either side of Dean's head. 'Do you even wanna' win, Dean?'

Cas leaned in, his face inches away from Dean's. Dean felt glad he'd been able to escape the djinn a few days ago, that had been a close call. But he couldn't seem to remember how he'd done it. Didn't that mean he might still be- abruptly, Cas leaned in and kissed him, soul searing and demanding. Dean lost his train of thought.

'Less thought. More action,' Cas growled again, his breath huffing warm over Dean's lips. 'You owe me again, Dean. How are you gonna pay up this time?'

Dean leered up at Cas.

'Oh, I can think of one or two things you might like.'

Dean spread his hands over Cas's bare chest and up to his wing, caressing the leading edge of Castiel's wing. Cas froze and took a deep breath. Dean could feel Cas's body responding to the stimulation. Dean grinned; it was the weirdest thing to him that Cas was so turned on by having his wings stroked. Dean continued to stroke Cas's wing, unable to take his eyes off the mesmerizing feathers – the color was amazing. Such a beautiful midnight blue, fading into black in most places. Cas had told him once the black came from flying down into Hell to rescue him. Dean knew he should feel bad, but all he could think was that the color looked so amazingly beautiful, especially on Cas.

'You need a minute to jet outta here, Cas, like last time?'

Cas's reply was slow in coming. His eyes were closed, and he was on all fours above Dean. Slowly he lowered himself so he was stretched out over Dean, but still supporting his own weight. Dean felt himself respond to Cas's closeness, like he always did. Damn angel and his inability to understand personal space.

'No, Dean, I can handle it,' Cas growled in his ear, and Dean felt shivers run up and down his spine. He stopped for a moment, enjoying Cas's closeness, Cas's breath in his ear, coming in short pants now. He could tell exactly how excited Cas was, and it was making him hard, to be honest.

'Dean, don't stop, please,' Cas's growl was a little pleading, and Dean resumed his caressing of Cas's wing. Cas lifted himself a little and began to frantically undo his pants, freeing himself. Dean managed to one-hand his own pants, but since he was in sweats, all he had to do was lift his ass off the floor and pull his sweats down a little. His cock rubbed against Cas's and they both forgot to breathe for a minute. Seeing Cas so turned on really got to Dean in ways he didn't really want to understand. He refused to admit, even to himself, that he'd do anything to-

'Dean!' Cas cried out as he came, warmth spurting over Dean's abdomen and up to his chest. Dean found himself not far behind. It seemed that when it came to Cas, he was more like a schoolboy than the experienced man he was, a little too quick to come himself. His hand fisted around the leading edge of Cas's wing as he came, quietly now. He wondered idly why it seemed to take so much out of him now. Every time Cas made him come, it felt like a little more of his life force leaked out. The irony of that made him chuckle.

'You're killin' me, Cas,' Dean mumbled, unable to stay awake now.

What was wrong with him? Usually getting his rocks off left him feeling some weird combination of calm and jazzed; why did it feel like every time he came lately, he died a little? Cas lifted him up gently and blinked him to his bedroom, lying beside him on the small twin bed. He felt rather than saw Cas's smile.

'It's a good way to go, though, don't ya' think?' Dean smiled at this and drifted away, idly wondering why Cas seemed to be experimenting with a soft Southern accent at times…

'Hey, Cas, havin' any luck?' Sam and Castiel were in the Control Room at the Bunker, researching local djinn populations, and waiting on word through the police scanners about the stolen vehicle they'd gotten off the video of the front drive.

'There are several possible locations we can investigate.' Castiel replied, still focused on his research on the computer. As he worked on the computer, part of his mind was working through the chemical combinations in the poison he'd smelled. He was mentally working through possible antidotes, but it was difficult to do both at once.

'Sam, can you handle this research for now?' Sam looked up, surprised.

'Sure, Cas, what's up?'

'I've been mentally running through possible antidotes based on the chemicals I smelled in the lingering poison scent, but it would be quicker if I could devote my entire mind to the task, and have tools to test possible antidotes with.'

Sam's jaw literally dropped.

'Wow, Cas, I had no idea you could do that. Sure, no problem. Just let me know what you need if you can't find it.'

Sam just watched, stunned still, as Castiel got up and left the Control Room, heading for what passed as the Bunker's little-used laboratory. Curiousity got the better of him, and Sam soon followed, watching as Cas made his way around the lab, cataloging ingredients and tools. At some point Cas found a pad and pen, and began writing down complex formulas in Enochian.

'Wow, Cas, I had no idea… I mean… It makes sense, I guess…'

Cas didn't look up from his writing.

'Are humans really not able to parse smells into individual chemical formulae?'

'Um, no Cas, we're not. We can barely smell anything at all, and we can barely tell the basic identity of what we smell, at that.' Cas looked up from his writing for a moment.

'That's not surprising, I guess. I'll never understand why Father limited your senses and dimensional awareness so greatly when he made you.' Cas refocused his attention on his writing. 'Even dogs can tell the chemical makeup of what they smell, most animals can.'

'I had no idea, Cas. I had no idea that animals were so much smarter than us.'

Cas looked up again at this.

'Oh, they are not quantifiably 'smarter' – they may have the information, but it's just data, it's just how they perceive the world. They lack the intelligence to 'put it all together' as you say.' Cas flicked a brief smile at Sam, then resumed his calculations. Sam rapped his knuckles on the counter and pushed away from the counter, towards the door.

'Right. Well, I'll leave you to it. Just let me know if you need anything.'

Cas didn't give any indication of hearing him, and seemed so focused on his task that Sam didn't want to disturb him anymore, so he left quietly, returning to his task at the computer in the Control Room.

It wasn't long before the police scanner squawked. The authorities in Concordia were reporting finding a vehicle with stolen tags, matching the description of the vehicle other authorities in Lebanon were keeping an eye out for. Sam reluctantly found Cas in the lab again. Hesitantly, he knocked on the door jamb before entering.

'Um, Cas?'

'Yes, Sam?' Cas was deeply absorbed in his calculations, and didn't bother to look up.

'Um, that stolen vehicle report we've been waiting on came over the police scanner. They found it on the north side of Concordia. I thought it would be best if you blinked over there, since you can smell any traces of them, maybe tell us what direction they headed in? I'll get the Impala ready to go, and meet you there, or you can find me on the way.' Cas finished an equation and looked up.

'Yes, that makes imminent sense, Sam. It shouldn't take long for me to have a look around, see what we can find. Hopefully they haven't moved the vehicle yet. I'll find the Impala when I'm done.'

With that, Cas blinked out of the lab, and Sam went to find his backpack and the Impala keys.

Thanks to those who have managed to like my fanfiction! :-) I've been getting ToS reminders, so I'm moving over to Archive of Our Own. Look for these and further stories and chapters under 'QuietWriter48' as soon as I figure things out!