"I went behind your back." Castiel sighs at Hannah's apology. It's not that he doesn't appreciate it, but that he knows what will come next. "It was- That I even considered releasing him, after everything he's done to Heaven-" She turns to Castiel, distressed. "It's unforgivable."
"Hannah…" He coughs, and that does nothing to calm her. He recognizes the desperation in her eyes. He couldn't have spent so much time with the Winchesters without learning it. She has realized she will do anything to save him, and it scares her.
"I should be punished," she says, but he hears I should be stopped, the way all disobedient angels have been stopped. Her hand trembles and her fingers curl as if to summon her blade to her. The moment it slides into her hand, Castiel takes hold of her wrist. "Castiel-"
"No," he says, as firm as he can make his voice be while restraining her. Hannah tries to force her hand up, to offer her blade to him, as if he could hurt her. "No," he repeats, gripping her harder. "Put it away. Now." Hannah obeys, reluctantly. Only when Castiel is certain she won't draw it again does he pull his hand back. "The punishment doesn't fit the crime," he says, gently. He's had years and years to learn these lessons, often painfully. Hannah has not, but he can be patient for her. If he teaches her moderation, maybe she can pass it on to the rest of Heaven once he's gone. His grace flares like a scraped nerve inside him at the reminder, and he grimaces.
"I would have put all of us in danger," she argues.
"And you are also the angel I trust most," he says. Her vessel's eyes widen unconsciously, and her cheeks begin to flush before her grace quickly tempers her bloodflow.
"Then what?" She's looking to him for guidance again. He has no desire to be a leader, but that's not what they are. Right here, they're only brother and sister, and he has some experience she doesn't. He looks away, a smile coming to his lips. They're good memories.
"There are ways humans deal with disobedience-"
"Imprisonment," Hannah says, because her thoughts must still be on Heaven's cells. Castiel doesn't want them there.
"Um. No. Less drastic ways. For smaller crimes." This is their own little corner of Heaven, but even if another of their siblings came across them, it would be none of their business. This is only between Castiel and Hannah now. "You thought about releasing him to save me"—Hannah nods—"against my wishes, which means that the punishment should be mine to decide." She nods again, but she's tense. Afraid of him, he realizes. It makes sense. He was not the only angel Naomi ever harmed, and he's sure she would have justified her torture the same way. Castiel will not be like her. He reaches his hands out, palms up. Hannah blinks down at them, confused, and hesitantly extends her own to meet them. They rest over his. "The point of this isn't pain," he says. "It's trust. I won't force this on you. When it's over, you'll be forgiven."
"What… is 'this'?" she asks. He smiles.
"An old trick taught to me by…" He trails off. She wouldn't understand. "It doesn't matter. We're going to sit, and I'm going to put you over my lap and slap your rear."
Hannah blinks at him.
"It's a punishment," he says.
"That humans do?"
"Sometimes. It can be very cathartic." It can also be… other things. That's not the point of this exercise. Hannah frowns. "It's up to you."
"How hard are you going to hit me?" Castiel opens his mouth to answer not hard, to reassure her again. Only, when Hannah meets his eyes, he recognizes something very familiar in them. It's missing the smirk and the teasing, the 'Come on, Clarence, where's your righteous fury? Hit me!', but it's still obvious desire, no matter if Hannah understands it or not.
His chest clenches suddenly. He takes a breath and releases it.
"As hard as you want." Hannah smiles. It's brief, quickly hidden, but it puts him at ease.
Hannah doesn't squirm as much as he's expecting her to. She's very still over his lap, waiting obediently for him to strike. He puts a hand between her shoulderblades, pressing her down until she goes to her elbows. Her hair falls over her shoulders, hiding her face from him. "I'm going to give you twenty to start. If you want it harder, say so. If you want to stop-"
"I won't make you stop." He's sure she says it because she doesn't want to disappoint him.
"Hannah," he says, dropping his hand to the back of her neck, "I want you to tell me if you need to stop." He weighs his next words carefully. "That's an order."
"Yes, Castiel," she says, bowing her head. She's much more relaxed than she was a few minutes ago. He still takes his time working her up to the first slap. He rests his hand against her rear, letting her get used to the feeling and allowing him to find where he should hit her. His vessel is too excited. This is strictly a punishment for Hannah's benefit, he reminds himself, though it doesn't help much. He cups his hand against one cheek, draws it back, and slaps her.
Hannah gasps. Her shoulders shake.
"How was that?" he asks, keeping his hand against the spot he hit. Hannah takes a moment to respond, and when she does, it sounds breathy.
"Fine. Good." She shifts. "Could you do it harder?" Castiel nods.
"Thank you for asking me." Hannah's shoulders shake again with her exhale, and she nods. Castiel lifts his hand. He hits her and hears her gasp a second time.
"Harder?" she asks again, her voice strained.
"That's good," he encourages her. Castiel spanks her, hard enough to jolt her forward an inch before she sways back into position. He does it again before she asks a final time,
"Please, harder?" He gives her what she needs. Hannah shivers and gasps under his strikes, but she never tries to get away and never tells him to stop. On the contrary, she bows her head against the ground and gasps out more pleas, "Punish me, Castiel? Absolve me? Make me earn your forgiveness!"
"You are," he reassures. Hannah lets out the smallest moan when he hits her again. He swallows. "Only a few more."
"A few?" she asks. He licks his lips.
"When we're done…" Against his better judgement, he lets himself say it. "You can ask for more. We have to make sure that you have no guilt left. I need to punish you. Thoroughly."
"Yes, Commander." He should correct her. He doesn't.
Castiel raises his hand again, and he brings it down hard.