A Helping Hand
Rating: E
Tags: Destiel, Wing Kink, Canon fic, Love admissions
Words: 3034
Beta’d by: @alicethrutheburrows
Fic for the PBExchange for @river-bottom-nightmare! I saw Wing fics in your likes and knew I had to write it, wings are my favorite too <3
~~~
Underneath the dim bunker lighting, Dean sits alone at the table, cup of coffee in hand. His back is hunched as he looks over the books of lore strewn about in front of him. It’s inching closer to three am, yet somehow, Dean isn’t tired. The coffee is just a force of habit. Usually, he would be struggling to stay awake at this hour, but tonight is different. Tonight, He’s wide awake.
Everything is quiet, too quiet. Nothing makes a peep in the empty bunker with Sam and Dean as its only occupants. Castiel is off on one of his angel missions. Dean made sure to text him everyday to make sure he was still alive. The only response he usually got to his question of “are you alive?” was a simple “yes”.
Dean sips his coffee, and in the silence of the bunker, there’s a noise. It’s a knock on the door. Dean closes the book in front of him and walks up the stairs to the door. He looks through the peephole and spots a very tired looking Castiel. He opens the door for him and tilts his head in confusion.
“Dude, why didn’t you just fly in? How did you get here?”
Castiel looks around, seemingly relieved to be back in the bunker. “I’ve been walking for two days. It’s a long story.”
The hunter frowns. “What happened to your wings?”
Castiel starts walking down the stairs, ignoring Dean’s question. He’s moving slower than usual, like he’s exhausted.
Dean follows Castiel, looming over his shoulder like a concerned parent or partner. He follows Castiel all the way back to his room.
“Are you going to let me rest?”
The door frame props Dean up.. “Not until you tell me what happened. You look like crap, man.”
Castiel sighs, his shoulders slumping lower and making his body curl in on itself. “I said, it’s a long story.”
“I’m listening.”
Castiel stares at Dean, narrowing his eyes for a moment. “Fine. Close the door.”
Dean steps into the room and shuts the door behind himself. He backs up a little when Castiel starts undressing. It’s then that Dean notices just how dirty Castiel’s clothes are. His white shirt is stained a light brown, his trench coat is battered and frayed, and his pants have mud stains on them. Still, seeing Castiel undress makes Dean’s cheeks heat up in a way that makes him question their relationship. He had been having a lot of those moments. “Why are you taking your clothes off?”
“Just the top half. You’ll see.” Castiel sets his clothes aside until he’s naked from the waist up. He’s dirty under the clothes, and there are a few wounds that were slowly healing.
“Dude, what kind of fight did you get yourself into?”
“A bad one.” There it was, Castiel’s usual sarcastic tone. “They were rogue angels working for hell. I won, but at a cost.”
“The wounds don’t look too bad. You’re healing, right?”
Castiel nods. “I am. Slowly. It’s not my body that was injured, though.”
“Then what was it?” Dean takes a slow step forward. His eyes are trained on Castiel’s chest, and he tries to pull them away.
Castiel watches Dean for a moment before sighing. He rolls his shoulders, sits up straight, and something makes a noise.
Dean’s eyes are drawn away from Castiel’s chest to the big, black mass emerging from his back. The mass unfurls into a pair of massive black wings. “Holy shit. How am I seeing those?”
“I can bring them into this plane of existence. I don’t often. I had them out while I was fighting. They had theirs out, so I would have been at a severe disadvantage if I had kept them away.” He looks back over his shoulder at the wings, spreading them a little further. “They got several good hits on me. It’s nothing severe, but my wings are in such a desperate need of grooming from the fight that I can’t fly.”
Dean stares in awe, his jaw dropping slightly. He’s never seen anything like this in his life. In all those years of fighting monsters, demons, and even angels, nothing had shocked him like this. He gets his bearings back and speaks again. “Grooming? What does that mean?”
“Just brushing out all the dead feathers and debris. There’s a lot of debris and they’re just a mess right now. It’s going to take me hours to finish.”
Dean tilts his head and approaches the bed. “Can I help? Seems like you wouldn’t be able to reach most of that,” Dean offers, his mouth moving faster than he’s thinking.
Castiel flinches, much to Dean’s surprise. He opens and closes his mouth, trying to find the words he needs. “I don’t think you should. My wings are very sensitive.”
“I can be gentle. To be frank, I’d kill to touch those. They’re awesome.” Dean lets out a breathy laugh, his lips curled in a crooked smile.
Castiel watches Dean, seemingly searching his face for something. “Okay. You can help. Just be very gentle with them.”
Dean walks around the side of the bed and climbs on behind Castiel, sitting cross-legged behind him. “So, what do I do?”
“Brush your fingers through the feathers, take out any damaged feathers, and pull the debris out. I can feel the sticks and leaves in there.”
Dean looks over the mass of feathers and starts to notice just how out of place everything is. There are dozens of small sticks and leaves poking out, and none of the feathers are uniform. Instead of a row of neatly placed feathers that Dean would imagine on a bird, the feathers are facing every which way like a bad game of fifty-two card pickup.
He takes one more survey of the wings before slowly reaching out to touch them. But right as he’s about to sink his fingers into the messy plumage, a thought stops him. “This isn’t going to burn my eyes out or anything, right?”
“No, it should be perfectly safe.” Castiel’s voice is a little tight. He sounds nervous.
“Okay. I promise I won’t hurt you, buddy.” With that reassurance given, Dean begins. He plunges his finger into the feathers and slowly drags his hands down. He starts on the left wing, since it looks a little more beat up than the right.
As his hands move, feathers, sticks, and leaves fall to the bed. Dean feels feathers coming loose and frowns. “You’re losing a lot of feathers, here.”
“That’s to be expected. My wings really aren’t supposed to be in this plane when I fly. Don’t worry about how many I lose, I have plenty.”
Dean nods slowly and continues. His fingertips brush against the slightly rough skin beneath the feathers. On the second pass, he gets to feel just how soft the feathers are. His fingers feel like they’re brushing through smooth silk. The sensation is unlike anything Dean has ever felt.
The wing under his hands twitches slightly with each pass of his fingers. The feathers along the ridge start to lift off the top, puffing up and flaring out. Dean watches with morbid curiosity, wondering what that could possibly mean.
Time passes quickly. Dean becomes entranced by the work of grooming Castiel’s wings. By the time he starts on the right wing, his arms are aching. He doesn’t care. The act is calming and it’s all Dean can think about in the moment. The entire world had shrunken down to just that room, where Castiel and Dean sit.
Dean stops abruptly when he hears a noise. It’s followed by a round of coughs from Castiel. “You alright?”
Castiel rubs a hand over his face, which is still hidden from Dean. “I’m fine. You can keep going.”
Dean pauses, waiting a few seconds before continuing. He wonders if he accidentally pulled a feather too hard, so he decides to be even more gentle.
The puffed up feathers along the ridge of Castiel’s wing refuse to go down when Dean runs his hand over them. He tries several times before huffing. “These just won’t go back into place.”
“They’re not out of place.” Castiel seems to be having a hard time speaking. “My wings are...reactive to touch.”
Dean raises a brow at that. He scoots to the side and comes up on his knees to peer over Castiel’s wing. He finally gets a good look at his face and what he sees shocks him. Castiel’s entire face is beet red. His bent index finger is between his teeth and his hairline is damp with sweat. He looks like he either just had the workout of his life, or…
Castiel’s eyes meet Dean’s and his face gets impossibly redder. He removes his finger from his mouth. “You can leave. I-I’m sorry-”
“Dude, does this turn you on?”
Castiel looks away. “I told you my wings are sensitive.”
“So all the angels in heaven get off while they groom each other?”
Castiel makes a face. “No, of course not. It’s not like this with other angels.” There’s a brief pause. “I’ve only ever had this reaction with you.”
“So why did you expect it? You were nervous before we started, like you knew this would happen.” Dean ducks under Castiel’s wing and moves to sit beside him.
“Angels do have that reaction, with their mates. The feathers sticking up, it’s part of angel mating. I can’t control it. I knew it would happen with you because,” he sighs, “because of how I feel about you.”
Dean stares at Castiel, searching his face for a lie. He looks sincere, and that’s what scares Dean the most. “You consider me your...mate?”
“Not mate, at least, not yet. Potential mate.”
Dean takes a few seconds to process that information. This all feels very sudden, and not what Dean expected to happen at all. As he thinks about everything, the feelings he had bottled up for years start coming to the surface. All of the staring, the touches, and the longing had built up into something big and terrifying. It’s a pool that Dean stands at the edge of. He knows that if he dives into it, there will be no return.
Just as Dean is about to say what’s on his mind, the bedroom door opens, and Sam walks in.
“Hey guys I found a- Holy shit!”
Castiel’s eyes widen and his wings curl up to his body. “Hello, Sam.”
Dean puts his hands over his face. “What did you find?”
Sam stares at Castiel, his jaw dropped. “I found a case but this is way more important. How did you bring those out, Cas?”
“I just can. They needed to be groomed.”
“Groomed?” Sam looks between Castiel and Dean, then back at Castiel. “Can I touch them?”
“No!” Castiel and Dean speak simultaneously.
Castiel looks at Dean, then back at Sam. “No, I don’t think that would be wise. I can show them to you later.”
Sam narrows his eyes at the pair, then nods. “Alright. I’ll hold you to that, Cas. Have fun with your...grooming.” He backs out of the room and slowly closes the door.
Dean groans. “I should have known that he was going to barge in.”
“What were you going to say?”
Dean meets Castiel’s gaze again. He swallows. The pool lingering in front of him, inviting him in. He stares into the water, and with a deep breath, he dives in. “Look, I know I’ve always been a little weird around you. We’ve had a strange relationship. We’re friends, but that’s never been enough, has it?” Dean chuckles nervously. “I know how I feel about you. You’re more than a friend to me. I’ve shoved it down for years, but I’ve always known.”
Castiel stares into Dean’s eyes a little too heavily. He glances away to nervously take Dean’s hand. “If we both know how we feel about each other, then what are we waiting for?”
Dean accepts Castiel’s hand, holding it tightly. “I don’t know. I just...I can’t lose you, Cas. I’ve already lost you a few times, and it’s too much. If we do this, I really won’t be able to lose you.”
“In all fairness, I don’t take the best care of myself. With you, I’ll try to change that. You deserve someone who plans on sticking around. You won’t lose me.”
Dean’s eyes flick from Castiel’s eyes to his lips a few times. They inch closer together, hands still holding each other tightly. Dean closes the gap and kisses Castiel, his eyes flickering shut. The moment is made that much sweeter by Castiel’s arms wrapping around him. Something tickles the back of Dean’s neck, and with a small peek, Dean sees Castiel’s wings wrapping around both of them.
When Dean pulls back from the kiss, they’re enveloped in a feathery cocoon. Dean brushes his fingers over the feathers and smiles softly. “This...This is easier than I thought it would be.”
“What made you think it would be hard?”
“Relationships are hard for me. There’s so much to think about. Even in the beginning, like this, it’s been hard. But, it isn’t now. This is easy. It feels right.”
Castiel smiles softly back. “It does, doesn’t it?” He leans forward and kisses Dean’s cheek.
Dean runs one hand through the feathers in front of him, eliciting a gasp from Castiel. “You seem more sensitive here.”
“Yes, the front of my wings are much more sensitive than the back.”
Dean hums and moves forwards. He swings a leg over to straddle Castiel’s waist and seats himself comfortably. He reaches forward and plunges his fingers into the feathers.
Castiel sucks in a breath and bites his lower lip, his head falling back. His wings unwrap from around both of them.
Dean grins and continues his ministrations. He drags his hands through the silky soft feathers, dragging moans from the angel beneath him. He shifts his weight and starts grinding his ass against Castiel. “I’m sure you’re feeling a little pent up from all of this. Why don’t we relieve that?”
Castiel’s eyes open and meet Dean’s. There’s a moment of silence, and then it happens. Castiel grabs Dean by the hips and flips him over onto the bed, hovering over him with his wings spread out behind him.
Dean stares up at Castiel with wide eyes, heat pooling in his belly from arousal. “Damn, Cas. You like to be in control?”
Castiel nods and straddles Dean’s thighs. “I think so, yes.” He leans down and presses heavy kisses along Dean’s neck.
Dean reaches down and grabs the hem of his own shirt, pulling it off over his head. This makes Castiel pause to wait for the shirt to be out of the way before diving back in. Dean’s hands move down to grab at Castiel’s belt, unbuckling it and tossing it aside. He makes quick work of the button and zipper of Castiel’s pants, pushing them down as far as he can.
Castiel sits up a little and grins at the marks he left on Dean’s neck and collarbones. He shifts his legs and slides out of his pants. He grabs Dean’s pants and yanks them down, the sound of seams ripping echoing through the room.
Dean kicks his pants the rest of the way off and leans up to kiss Castiel again. His hands find the massive black wings and plunge their way into the feathers. Dean is a little less gentle now, but Castiel seems to like it.
Castiel straddles Dean’s waist and grinds his boxer-clad crotch against Dean’s, creating a delicious friction that draws moans out of both of them. His wings are low, the primary feathers draping over the bedspread.
Dean uses one hand to stroke the feathers of Castiel’s wing and uses the other to cup the back of his neck. Their foreheads touch and their eyes are closed. The world is small again, reducing down to just the pair of them.
Dean lets go of the back of Castiel’s neck to reach down between them. He pulls each of their cocks out of their boxers and takes them both into his hand. He strokes them together and the pleasure is heightened.
Castiel groans. “Dean, I’ve never...This is amazing.”
“I’m right there with you, Cas. I’m almost there.” Dean’s hand tightens unintentionally in Castiel’s feathers and it makes Castiel cry out. “Shit, did I hurt you?”
“No! God, no. Do that again.” Castiel is breathless, rolling his hips into Dean’s hand. His wings are fluttering and puffed up with arousal.
Dean grabs a fistful of feathers and gently pulls, watching in awe of Castiel.
Castiel lets out a shout, and light forms behind his eyes. He slaps a hand over Dean’s eyes just in time for the room to glow with a light Dean could still see behind Castiel’s hand.
Dean squeezes his eyes shut and moans as his own climax overtakes him, flooding his body with warmth. He shudders and takes his hand away, breathing heavily.
Castiel takes his hand off of Dean’s face and looks into his eyes with concern. “Are you okay?”
“Cas, I’m friggin’ awesome.”
Castiel smiles fondly at Dean. “I could say the same for myself.” He slowly moves off of Dean and lays down beside him. One wing stays straight out behind him, and the other gently covers him and Dean.
Dean brushes a hand over the feathers again. “So, what now?”
Castiel hums. “I think my grace has decided that you’re my mate, so I suppose that’s where we start.”
“What does that entail?”
“You’re my life partner. Forever. I’ll follow you to heaven when your life on this earth ends, and we’ll spend eternity together.”
Dean finds Castiel’s hand and holds it tightly. “I think that sounds perfect. It’s a little scary, thinking about eternity, but eternity sounds nice when it’s spent with you.”
Castiel leans forward and kisses Dean softly. “I love you.”
Dean swallows down his fear. Those three words used to be his biggest fear, but with Castiel, it feels easy. “I love you too.”
