#clockwork wings

So it was true. Sam swallowed. “I don’t know, if I –“

“Are you the best inventor in this city or did I waste my time coming here?“

Now that appealed directly to Sam’s pride. “I am.“ Technically Dean was better, when it came to actually building things, but he wasn’t in the city any more.

“Then tell me what you need. I can provide anything.“

That sounded almost too good to be true. “Well, I can certainly make wings. It’ll be a challenge to make them light and at the same time durable enough to carry your weight, but I think it can be done. I’ve been working on a new alloy, that –“

“I don’t need to know the details,“ Lucifer interrupted him again.

Sam licked his dry lips. “Yes, of course. There’s one problem though.“

The other man lifted an eyebrow in question.

“I can’t make them ... stowable. You know, the way you angels manage to hide them away completely? As far as I know, that’s magic. I’m not capable of –“

“Don’t bother yourself with that. Make the wings, I’ll do the rest.“

Sam nodded eagerly. “Good. In that case, I can do it. The only thing I need is money to buy materials. And then of course ...“ He wasn’t quite sure how to continue.

“Yes?“ Lucifer asked.

“Well ...“ Sam took a deep breath. “It’s basically a prosthetic, so I need to know what to work with. You know ... what’s left ...“

He prepared himself for anger, but it didn’t come. Instead, Lucifer sighed and handed his cane and his hat to Sam. “Hold this.“

Automatically Sam did as he was told. He watched Lucifer shrug out of his overcoat and west, then unbutton his shirt. There was a well build body underneath all those layers of clothing, and he only realized that he was staring, when Lucifer paused for a moment.

“Your mouth is hanging open, Sam.“ Still no anger, instead Lucifer sounded almost amused.

Still, Sam blushed furiously and looked away hastily. “Sorry.“

A low chuckle made him glad he didn’t have to meet Lucifer’s eyes at the moment. “The point of this exercise is for you to look, so look. Just try not to catch flies while doing so.“

When Sam managed to look up again, Lucifer was already putting aside his shirt. Then there was the rustle of feather.

Sam had always wondered how it worked. He had theories about it, about how to manage the folding of space that was required to hide something with the span of twelve feet under normal clothes. But all theories were forgotten, when he looked at Lucifer’s wings.

Or what was left of them.

There were still feathers, at least at the base of them. They were a silvery white and must have looked beautiful once. Now they were tattered and frayed. At the tips of the wings there were no feathers left at all, just scorched bones, a framework for something that wasn’t there any more.

Even that framework looked magnificent though. Angels didn’t show their wings often.

“So ...“ Lucifer’s voice made him snap out of his awe. “Can you work with that?“

Sam swallowed again and nodded. “Can you still move them?“

“The shoulder joints work best.“ Lucifer flapped his wings a bit to show Sam, what he meant. “I can barely fold the rest of them.“

Another nod, and now that he had a problem in front of him that he could solve, Sam got more confident. He walked around Lucifer, only half aware that blue eyes were following his every movement. “So you need your new wings to help with that.“

“I heard you make clockwork that rivals magic.“

“I wouldn’t go that far, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Can the bones still support anything?“ Sam reached out and stopped himself at the last second before touching the remains of Lucifer’s wings. Hastily he drew his hand back.

“They should be able to.“

“Good ... good ... I need to take measurement.“

Lucifer nodded. By now he watched Sam with something that almost resembled fascination.

Sam rummaged around for a tape measure for a while. When he turned back to Lucifer, the blue eyes were still on him. He felt like he should say something.

“I’m sorry, I’m trying not to be disrespectful, but I’ve never seen angel wings up close before.“

Lucifer huffed. “Mine are a poor example.“

“Well, I find them fascinating nonetheless.“

That put a small grin on Lucifer’s face for a moment. “Happy I can provide some form of entertainment.“

Oh shit. Sam knew he should probably just stop talking, before he made it worse, but he couldn’t. “No, I didn’t mean –“

Lucifer held up a hand. “I’m happy to have someone look at them without disgust. Now, measurements.“

“Yes, of course.“

For a while Sam busied himself with measuring every part of the wings and taking notes. He was kind of glad that Lucifer apparently wasn’t one for smalltalk, because Sam would have probably just looked like a bumbling idiot again.

When Sam got to the long bone that ended at Lucifer’s shoulder blades, his fingers brushed feathers. They felt so soft it was almost like he was touching nothing at all. Curious, he took some of the downs between his fingers. A shudder went through Lucifer’s body. “Careful, Sam.“

Sam pulled his hand back at once. “Sorry, did I hurt you?“

“No, but there’s a reason we don’t have our wings on display often. Touching them is somewhat intimate.“

Great, even without talking he’d made a fool out of himself. “I’m so sorry.“

“Oh, don’t be.“ There was that hint of amusement in Lucifer’s voice again. “I just thought you might want a warning.“

What was that supposed to mean? Sam tried to get a look at Lucifer’s face from where he was standing behind the angel, but all he could see is a slight upwards quirk of the corner of Lucifer’s lips.

“Are you done?“ Lucifer asked.

“Oh ... uhm ... yes ...“

“Good. Step back.“

Sam did as he was told, and with the rustle of feathers Lucifer’s wings folded into themselves again. It was confusing to watch, because it shouldn’t be possible, but after a moment there was only a faint outline of feathers and bones on Lucifer’s skin left.

“Hand me my clothes, will you?“

Sam hurried to comply.

What followed were days of almost feverish work, first drawing a design, then building parts. It became obvious pretty fast that this would be the most demanding but also most satisfying project Sam had ever done. After a week a first prototype was done and Sam sent a message to Lucifer.

The angel showed up at his workshop only hours later.

“It’s just a framework so far,“ Sam explained, while Lucifer examined the delicately arched beams of metal that were held together by clockwork and leather stripes. “I need to see, if it fits.“

“Of course.“ Lucifer was already shrugging out of his overcoat again.

A while later Sam was struggling to fit the framework to Lucifer’s wings without touching any feathers. It wasn’t going well. Finally, Lucifer growled in frustration. “Sam, I have to eat dinner at Lady Lilith’s at seven, and my brother will kill me, if I’m late. So don’t be shy, touch them.“

“But I thought it was –“

“You’re a good looking man, Sam. I don’t mind, if you don’t.“

“Oh.“ This time the heat didn’t go into Sam’s cheeks. He met Lucifer’s eyes and found them dark and dangerous. Oh. “Well then ...“

It went better after that. Sam fastened his framework with leather stripes to the remains of Lucifer’s wings and tried to ignore the shudders that went through Lucifer’s body occasionally. There were almost now reactions, when he was working near the tips of the wings, but they got more obvious the more Sam moved to the base of them, where there were still feathers.

“Won’t a prosthetic like that be ... somewhat irritating?“ he asked after a while.

“It’s only the touch of something living that does it.“ Lucifer sounded a bit hoarse. The thought of burying his hands in the downs near Lucifer’s shoulders and making the angel sound even more wrecked flitted through Sam’s brain, and he hastily shoved it away.

“I’ll be done in a minute.“

“Take as much time as you need.“

“Oh, do you like being teased?“ Sam knew he shouldn’t have said that. He regretted it almost instantly. He regretted it even more, when a hand closed around his wrist, and Lucifer pulled him in front of him. For a moment, blue eyes stared into Sam’s as if searching for something. Sam was completely transfixed.

There was still no anger in Lucifer’s face though, he looked more like he was debating something. Then he leaned forward and kissed Sam.

It was more of a questioning meeting of lips at first, as if he wanted to test, if Sam was okay with it. After a few seconds Lucifer drew away, but Sam grabbed his neck and pressed their lips together again.

Lucifer chuckled into the kiss, then he slowly licked Sam’s mouth open, carefully exploring it.

When they separated again, they were both panting.

Lucifer grinned. “Now back to work.“

Sam groaned. “Are you serious?“

“This needs to be done. At least now you’re sharing my frustration.“

“I don’t want to be bold, but there is something I could do about that later.“

Lucifer watched Sam through heavy lidded eyes. “I like you bold, but you’re forgetting  the dinner invitation I told you about. Let’s keep it in mind for next time, though, shall we?“

The framework needed to be adjusted a bit, but after that it was mostly work on the feathers. They needed to be able to turn and move like real feathers did. Never before had Sam made so many tiny clockwork parts. Never before had he build something so complex.

It wasn’t made easier by the fact that Lucifer’s smirk and his blue eyes were following Sam into his dreams, from which he woke up hard and wanting more than once. He was half in his mind to find some kind of excuse to call on Lucifer again, but the angel probably wouldn’t have appreciated Sam wasting his time.

Finally the wings were done.

Sam sent for Lucifer. This time it only took an hour for him to show up.

The best part was to see the way the angel struggled to keep his features unimpressed, when he looked at Sam’s work. The wings were a silvery white all over, the color of that new extra light alloy Sam had used. There was clockwork on every joint and partly hidden between the feathers.

“If you start a movement,“ Sam explained, “the clockwork will amplify it. It’ll take a bit of practice to use them right, but ...“

He stopped talking, when he realized Lucifer wasn’t listening. The angel was pulling off his clothes already.

It took less time to fit the wings on now that Sam had a bit of practice. Still, when he was done, Lucifer’s pupils were lust blown, cheeks rosy. Sam fought the urge to kiss him right then and there and stepped back. If the son of the Emperor had meant what he’d said last time, he had to be the one to start it. Overstepping would get Sam into real trouble.

“Try it.“

Lucifer moved his new wings. They folded themselves forward with the slight whirr of clockwork. An eyebrow shot up. Carefully Lucier flapped them, spread the feathers. Sam had to make minor adjustments a few times, but he knew he was grinning like mad. They worked. They actually worked.

The next moment he found himself pinned between Lucifer and his work table, the angel’s face only inches from his own. “They work.“

Sam smiled. “I am the best inventor in this city.“

“Don’t get cocky.“

“I thought you liked it.“

“I said I like you bold.“

“Fine.“ Sam leaned forward for a kiss.

This time it was fierce and passionate, all the happiness about the success poured into the touching of lips and tongues. Lucifer’s hand moved to the small of Sam’s back, pulling him closer until their hips touched. Sam gasped as Lucifer ground against him.

The whirr of clockwork made Sam open his eyes that had fallen shut at some point. Lucifer’s new wings were spread above them, tips almost touching the high ceiling of the workshop. The metal feathers rustled almost imperceptible with small involuntary movements that took Sam’s breath away. He hadn’t expected his own creation to look so alive.

“Admiring your own work is a true sign of vanity.“ Lucifer kissed down Sam’s neck.

“I’m admiring how it looks on you.“

Lucifer lifted him up, until he was sitting on the table, and Sam wrapped his legs around the angel’s hips. One of Sam’s arms went around Lucifer’s neck, the other reached out and grabbed a handful of feathers.

Lucifer groaned. He ground against Sam harder, then fumbled with his pants. After a moment Sam helped, freeing them both. Lucifer slapped Sam’s hand away, when he reached out, taking them both in hand himself.

The angel jerked them off with precise movements that had Sam moaning and gasping in seconds. He couldn’t do much more than hang on, head falling against Lucifer’s shoulder. It didn’t take long until bliss blocked everything else out and Sam threw his head back and came with a long groan.

When Sam opened his eyes again, it was to the sight of Lucifer licking come from his hand. At once heat surged into Sam’s groin again. “Are you trying to kill me?“

Lucifer chuckled. “Yes, one small death at the time.“ He pulled Sam’s pants up, then his own. “I think I have another project in mind for you. You should come to the palace soon so we can discuss it in detail.“

Sam nodded dizzily. “Your wish is my command.“

That lit a dark spark in Lucifer’s eyes. “I think, next time you say that I want you on your knees.“

Sam shuddered. He wasn’t quite sure yet what he’d gotten himself into, but he knew it wasn’t going to be boring.

He slid down from the table. “There’s one thing you haven’t tried yet.“

Lucifer lifts an eyebrow.

“Fold them.“ Sam nodded towards the wings. “Let’s see, if it works.“