Sam’s eyes were already threatening to close as they tried to stay focused on the words.

It had only been a few hours into their research session and the younger Winchester already felt like beating himself over the head just to get a few seconds of rest. If they could just figure out WHAT they were hunting, they could track it down, kill it, and be on their merry way. He just had to stay awake…

Despite his weariness, the youngest Winchester forced himself to stay conscious, flipping page after page like he had no other choice. Then, he saw it. Or rather he read it…

His eyes lit up with relief. He slammed his hands on the table and propped himself up, all sleepiness leaving his body as the words sunk in. He was eager to tell his older brother, who had been researching in an armchair on the other side of the room.

“Hey, get this! So, the campers heard their friends call-” He paused when he heard a snore on the other side of the room.

“Dean?” He called, but he didn’t receive an answer.

His gaze wandered from the table to the small living area. Sure enough, Dean was comfortably reclined, his head tipped back against the chair as he snored.

The younger Winchester’s expression instantly morphed into a scowl.

Typical… of course Dean was sleeping instead of ACTUALLY helping for once.

“Dean.” Sam grumbled, only to receive no response.

Dean was out cold, his jaw slack and mouth wide open. The sight boiled Sam’s blood a bit. His brother was over there napping while he broke his back searching for answers to their mystery.

His eye twitched and he tried again. “Dean!”

But Dean just continued to snore, unbothered by his brother’s calls.

That was the final straw.

Sam got out of his chair, the legs screeching against the wooden floors, though that didn’t seem to disturb Dean’s rest either.

If his brother wanted to be a lazy pain, then Sam would just have to teach him a lesson. He casually pattered over, not bothering to tiptoe since the hunter didn’t seem to be waking any time soon.

When he reached the elder’s destination, he took one last look at the sleepy expression before making his move…

“WAKE UP!!” He shouted as he dug his fingers into the older man’s ribcage, wiggling between the bones and showing no mercy.

If nothing else woke him, the tickling sure did. The shorter hunter shot up and flailed like a fish out of water, his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates as his sleep was rudely interrupted.

“SAMMY?! W-WHAT THE HEHEHELL?!”

Dean barked, arching his back and shoving at his brother’s hands. The reaction was more than satisfying to Sam.

“Seriously? Thought you could just sleep through the research and leave it all to me?” Sam huffed.

The tickling was relentless and sudden, giving the older Winchester no time to adjust to the sensations. He was barely awake and he was already screeching like a banshee… Sam could’ve at least had the decency to start with a less ticklish spot. His little brother could be such an ass… unlike him, who napped and let the younger do all the boring work.

“DAMMIT, SAMMY! STOHOHOP!!”

The younger brother let out a snort, enjoying having the upper hand. He should sneak attack his brother more often…

scribbling up to Dean’s armpits and scratching at the hollows. The change in spots tore a frantic shriek from the older man’s throat.

“Are you kidding?! I have so much revenge I need to catch up on!” Sam grinned, scribbling up to Dean’s armpits and drilling his thumbs into the sensitive hollows. The change in spots tore a frantic shriek from the older man’s throat.

It took almost as much effort to look annoyed as it did to stay awake.

How was he supposed to stay irritated when his big brother’s wailing laughter was echoing off the walls like that?

“You deserve every second of this, jerk!” He exclaimed, no longer able to keep the grin off his face. Sure, he was still pretty ticked, but he definitely felt some relief flowing through him as his fingers scurried up and down Dean’s sides, over his stomach, and up to his armpits again.

But then Sam decided he wanted to hear his brother REALLY scream… he deserved it after all.

The elder could feel the taller’s nimble fingers scampering down his flanks and hovering threateningly in one spot… just above his hips.

Dean’s eyes widened and his flushed cheeks went pale.

“S-Sammy, you wouldn’t…” He muttered, a shiver shooting down his spine as his eyes latched onto his hips as if watching them would keep them safe.

There was almost a pleading look in his gaze…

Sam gave a cheeky grin. He would almost look sweet and innocent if he weren’t threatening Dean’s most ticklish spot.

“Oh…” He smirked, raising his hands and raising them so they floated right above the bones.

“I would.”

With that, he latched onto his brother’s hips, drilling into the divots and shooting electric sparks through his body. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t flinch at the frantic yell, followed by loud, boisterous cackles.

“SAMMY, YOU SONOVA BIHIHITCH!!!” Dean bucked his hips and kicked his legs, shoving at his brother’s hands and doing whatever he could to save his horribly ticklish hips from the torment.

Sam snorted, continuing the playful torture. “You shouldn’t really be name-calling in this position…”

“SUCK A- OH MY GOD, STOHOHOP!!!”

As the vengeful attack went on, Sam felt a sense of justice… he also felt far less annoyed.

Eventually, Dean was wheezing and gasping for breath, so Sam decided to have mercy. He pulled his hands away and gave a smug smirk, crossing his arms and sitting on the couch.

“I don’t wanna hear you bitching about my little naptime after that whole debacle…” The elder grumbled, wiping a hand over his face.

The younger hunter simply rolled his eyes and leaned into the couch.

“Whatever… can you just try to help out a little more? It kinda feels like I do all the work sometimes…”

Sam’s admission made Dean feel defensive, but he could tell his brother was serious… was he really that bad? He couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty.

He gave a reassuring smile. “Yeah… sure, Sammy.”

“Wait- really?” Sam asked, shocked. He expected Dean to fight back more…

Dean nodded, giving his brother a pat on the shoulder.

“Yeah… I guess I was being a bit of a jerk. But that doesn’t mean you’re not a little bitch for tickling the crap outta me.” He smirked.

The younger hunter blinked before accepting the situation. His brother was ACTUALLY taking responsibility for once.

“Well, anyway… I found out what we’re up against.” He said with a proud expression, sitting up straighter as he prepared to share his findings.

Dean raised a brow before leaning back, giving Sam the floor. “Alright… shoot away, Sammy.”

With a confident grin, Sam leaned forward…

It was a difficult day for Sam Winchester… everything small felt significantly bigger, and the world seemed to be crushing him and drowning him in stress.

Something about being a hunter, particularly a hunter that’s been to hell and back and seen the world nearly end about a hundred times, is that the future really starts to weigh you down. Anxiety creeps in and every sound, feeling, or occurrence feels like a warning.

It gets absolutely suffocating.

For Sam, it forced him to hide away in his room and burrow under his covers and hope that the world won’t spontaneously combust.

While Sam was doing just that, the archangel, Gabriel, popped up beside his boyfriend, sitting on the edge of the bed. The sudden dip in the mattress caused the hunter to gasp and shoot up from under the covers, his hair tousled and his eyes wide as he prepared to fist fight any threat in the room.

“Woah there, Sammich! Don’t get too excited to see me.” The archangel teased with a grin, his golden wings flapping slightly behind him as he raised his hands in mock defense.

The Winchester breathed a sigh of relief, but his expression quickly turned sour.

“I’m not in the mood for your games, Gabriel.” He grumbled before laying back down, facing away from his boyfriend.

The trickster cocked his head to the side and raised a brow, not expecting the abnormally cold remark. After a surprise visit, Sam usually relaxed and gave a playfully annoyed response… but this was a real annoyed response.

Gabriel could tell something was up.

“Someone’s down in the dumps, eh?” He hummed, moving closer to his lover and brushing a hand through his hair, trying to offer some form of relaxation and support.

Sam felt himself immediately relax under the gentle touches, leaning back against the archangel and closing his eyes. His brows creased, showing how stressed he really was.

He shuttered. “A little bit…”

Gabriel softened. He laid himself down fully, pressing his body against Sam’s and wrapping an arm around him, resting his chin on the taller man’s shoulder.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

Almost instinctively, one of his wings protectively draped over Sam like a blanket.

The younger relaxed further and he felt at least some of his anxiety melt away under the warmth.

“I-I don’t know… the world just feels suffocating…”

As Sam started to talk, one of his hands became drawn to the archangel’s wing, his fingers fidgeting with the soft edge of it. Gabriel didn’t expect it, but he didn’t fully mind… it just felt a bit… sensitive.

“It’s like no matter how many times we stop the apocalypse or the end of the world, there’s always more… I-I hate not being able to predict it… disaster is just always looming over me and I can’t-”

Sam’s anxious ramblings were interrupted by a muffled chuckle. What the hell? Was his boyfriend laughing at him?

Sam continued to fidget, his other hand joining in to play with the feathers, his irritation growing as the archangel continued to laugh.

“What the hell, Gabe? How is that funny?!” He growled, his fingers fussing more intensely as he got more anxious.

When they accidentally dug into the base of the wing, it gave a harsh flap and the archangel fell back, nearly tumbling off the side of the mattress as he barked out a laugh.

“I-I’m not laughing at you!!! Quit messing with my wing like it’s some stress toy!”

Sam startled as his boyfriend hastily sat up, clutching his wing and brushing it off. He tilted his head and observed before a look of realization took over his features. A smile tugged at his lips and he stifled a giggle of his own.

“Oh… ticklish wings, huh?” He snorted, causing a blush to spread on Gabriel’s cheeks.

“Oh, shut up! You’re one to talk about ticklishness!” He pouted playfully, giving Sam’s tummy a poke, which resulted in a squeak and a jolt.

The hunter huffed and shot his boyfriend a glare before becoming slightly mischievous.

“You know, I still feel kind of anxious… I need to keep my hands occupied for a bit.”

He then grabbed the archangels wing to hold it still, using the other to scribble over the soft, feathered surface. Gabriel squawked and fell back, erupting in loud, frantic laughter.

“Sammy, you evil, evil, soul!” He cried, kicking his legs and flapping his free wing while the other twitched helplessly under the gentle assault.

Sam’s fingers were thorough, but careful, not wanting to cause any harm to the golden appendages. He began to notice that as his boyfriend continued to laugh and squirm, the room felt brighter and things suddenly didn’t feel so terrible. He felt the weight lifting from his shoulders and his anxiety melting away.

All this from a little tickling?

Sam began to laugh with the archangel, his eyes crinkling in mirth as his fingers scratched at the most sensitive parts of his lover’s wing. He loved the sound of the archangels laugh… it never failed to rub off on him and draw out a similar sound.

“Sammy, stohohohop! This is torture!” Gabriel whined, his hair mussing up as he whipped his head back and forth. Tears of mirth began to fall and his cheeks were brighter than the Winchester’s expression.

“Why would I stop? This is pretty stress relieving.” Sam teased, but slowed down, not wanting to overstimulate the archangel, knowing that the wings can be quite sensitive. Besides… he felt lighter already.

Gabriel gave Sam a mock glare, seizing the opportunity to push him off and straddle him, his wings flapping playfully.

“You like fidgeting, huh?! Well my wings feel pretty fidgety too!” He growled, smirking at the younger’s wide-eyed expression. Sam looked like a dear in headlights and it was almost impossible for the archangel not to laugh.

“I think you deserve a taste of your own medicine!” With a cheeky grin, Gabriel let the tips of his wings flutter against Sam’s neck, eliciting a burst of embarrassingly squeaky giggles and soft snorts. The gentle flitting of the feathers against his skin was enough to drive him up the wall, but also melt away the rest of his anxiety, leaving none at all.

He felt so happy and… free.

“Hey!! T-That’s cheating!” He protested, shaking his head and using his hands to try and cover his neck, only for the archangel to pin them to the side.

“Oh, I think it’s fair game… you torture my wings, I torture you with my wings.” Gabriel grinned and a squeal rang out as he flicked the tip of his wing against his boyfriend’s ear.

“Oh yeah… totally fair.”

Sam’s laughter echoed through the room, blending with the archangel’s warm chuckles and occasional teasing. For the first time that day, Sam’s chest didn’t feel heavy and his mind wasn’t swimming with dark thoughts.

Gabriel decided to ease up, his fingers brushing gently against Sam’s flushed cheeks as he leaned down, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose.

“Feeling a little less suffocated, Samshine?” The older man teased, his golden eyes full of affection.

Sam’s breathing evened out, his giggles fading into contented sighs as he glanced up at his boyfriend, a small, relaxed smile spreading across his lips.

“Yeah…” He whispered, “Thanks, Gabe.”

The archangel grinned, moving to lay beside Sam.

“Anything to get you smiling like that, sugar.”

The rest of their agenda had nothing to do with research or hunting… only cuddles and laughter.

When Sam walked by one of the bunker’s spare rooms, he spotted Castiel sitting on the edge of the bed, his expression one of solemnity and thoughtfulness, but mostly exhaustion.

“Cas?”

The angel looked up, trying to ease the worry from his features.

“Hello, Sam. I didn’t hear you come in.” He spoke in his usual low, gravelly voice, trying to give a somewhat convincing smile.

However, the youngest Winchester saw straight through the facade, having used the same one countless times.

“Cas, I know that you’re-”

“Sam, I assure you I’m quite alright. There is no need for you to worry.”

Sam’s expression softened, his eyes laced with the exact emotion that Castiel had dismissed. He tilted his head, his brows knitting together as he employed his most powerful weapon…the puppy dog eyes.

He looked deeply at the angel, his big, expressive eyes holding a slight desperation, conveying a silent plea.

“No, Cas, you’re not alright, but that’s okay. Just let me help… please..?”

Cas knows that the moment he looks into those eyes, it’s over, and he tries his hardest to keep his gaze away, but those pleading eyes just sucked him right in.

With a sigh of defeat, Cas properly meets the younger’s gaze, giving in to the puppy dog eyes.

“Alright, I’m not alright. It’s just so much to bear…” He began, Sam giving his full attention.

“The angels, the archangels, the never ending celestial wars… it’s just a lot, that’s all.”

Sam nodded with understanding, then he went silent, thinking of ways he could help relieve at least some of the stress.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

“Whenever I’m stressed out, Dean tickles me until I can’t think straight… it always makes me feel better.”

The dark haired angel rose an eyebrow, his face taking on a look of slight nervousness.

“That is very thoughtful, Sam, but I really don’t think it is necessahahary- Sahaham!”

The angel was interrupted by a fit of his own chuckles, Sam’s fingers having crept towards his ribcage while he was talking.

The Winchester’s eyes sparkled with glee at the sound of his friend’s laughter, his fingers making haste in their diligent dance, evoking more lighthearted noises from the angel.

“See? Doesn’t it feel nice to laugh?” Sam smiled, lightly spidering over the angel’s ribs.

“I-I suppose it is rather nihihice…” Admitted Cas, though he couldn’t help but squirm.

Sam’s touch was gentle, filled with love and care, keeping it hard enough to tickle but light enough to not overwhelm.

Castiel could feel the tension being released with each tickle, Sam’s nimble fingers picking apart his worries piece by piece, releasing them through laughter.

Sam went from spot to spot, giddily exploring and finding which spots are best.

“You’re pretty ticklish here… what about here?” He moved his fingers to drag up and down Cas’s sides, bringing forth a yelp and a torrent of titters from the angel, who was starting to squirm more incessantly.

Sam couldn’t help but giggle. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

As Sam’s fingers fluttered and grazed all over the many tickle spots, he could feel the joy radiating from the angel, and he found himself imitating that same joy, giggling along with his friend.

They were almost bouncing off of each other; Sam’s laughter and dimpled smile would make Castiel even happier and laugh even more, Sam in turn replicating the contagious happiness with his own amplified giggles.

The taller man began to brush his fingertips gently over Cas’s neck, eliciting a burst of light titters and even a snort, making Sam’s eyes light up with mischief.

“I didn’t know angels could snort!” He exclaimed, continuing the careful ministrations, picking up the speed only slightly.

“Sahaham! That spot is q-quite tehehender!” The angel giggled, another snort slipping, making him blush with mild embarrassment. He raised his shoulders to try and protect himself, only to find that the defense was futile and simply served to trap Sam’s agile fingers.

“I see that! Your neck is almost as bad as mine, haha!” Teased Sam, his voice soft, carrying a tone of sincerity.

Though the tickling was fun, Castiel was beginning to feel a tad overwhelmed, so he finally called out. “Okay, Sam, enohohough!”

At those words, Sam immediately retracted his hands, allowing the angel some space to breathe.

“Are you okay? Did I go too far?”

The raven haired angel merely shook his head with a grin, catching his breath and releasing the rest of his titters.

“Not at ahahall… I’m quite alright, thanks to you, of course.” He assured, giving the youngest Winchester a grateful smile.

Sam returned the smile with one of his own, nodding warmly.

Once the angel caught his breath, he put a hand on Sam’s shoulder, looking at him with utmost sincerity.

“You are a good friend, Sam. I know you question yourself at times… but don’t ever doubt that you have the purest of intentions. You have a heart of gold, Sam.”

The hunter’s face was a picture of gratitude, touched by the words of his celestial friend.

“Thanks, Cas… that means a lot.”

They sat in comfortable silence for a couple more moments, enjoying each other’s company.

“You wanna go hang out in the kitchen? Dean is making pie.” Sam piped up, watching Cas raise an eyebrow at the statement.

“Since when does Dean make pie?”

Sam chuckled at the angel’s (warranted in Sam’s opinion) confusion.

“Trust me, Cas… I asked the same question.”

Regardless of their skepticism towards Dean’s sudden baking escapade, they migrated to the kitchen to hang out and converse, sharing amused glances whenever Dean would boast about his pie, claiming it was going to be the best pie ever.

“Calm down, Betty Crocker… the last time you tried to make a pie, you nearly blew it up and made a mess in the kitchen.” Sam teased, rolling his eyes at his older brother’s cockiness.

Dean, apron and all, shot his little brother a deadpan expression.

“Watch it, Sammy… don’t make me come over there.”

The angel and the hunter chuckled, looking at each other with charmed expressions.

“Dean, I do not doubt your cooking capabilities… but baking is a diligent process if you want to do it correctly.” Cas critiqued, earning a scoff from the older Winchester.

“Pfft- cooking, baking, what’s the difference? Actually, I’ll tell you the difference… pie!”

Sam and Cas chuckled with pure amusement, endeared by Dean’s typical charm and humor.

It was a well known fact that Dean was a professional in the field of tickling, having had years to master the art and refine his skills. Sam, his little brother, and Castiel, their angelic friend, fell victim to Dean’s tickle attacks more often than not.

But this time, things were going to change!

At least for the day…

The angel and the younger hunter sat in the bunkers library, hunched over the table with focused expressions.

“Alright, here’s the plan…” Sam started,

“Dean is in the living room watching tv, so his guard will be down. As long as we’re coordinated and quick, he’ll never see it coming!”

Castiel nodded to show that he understood, just as eager for revenge as Sam.

“Right. He does tend to get quite engrossed in his odd doctor show.” He commented with furrowed brows, getting a chuckle from the youngest Winchester.

“Exactly. So I’m thinking we ambush from behind, you get his armpits and I’ll get his sides. And then, when we have him weak enough, I’ll go for his hips.” Sam spoke like an old war general, knowing better than anyone that they would have to execute this perfectly.

“I will warn you that in the past when I’ve gone for his hips, he always breaks free after a few seconds. But since there’s two of us, we should be fine as long as we hold on. I’ll give you a heads up before I attack, got it?”

The angel stood up, ready for battle.

“Loud and clear. Now let’s go exact our revenge.”

Sam couldn’t help but laugh again, amused by the angel’s eagerness.

Together they stealthily entered the living area, spotting Dean sitting on the couch, engrossed in an old rerun of Doctor Sexy, just as Cas had predicted.

They crouched down, slowly approaching the older hunter, sharing a look of determination.

Sam looked at Cas, mouthing an “On three” before counting with his fingers.

As soon as Sam’s ring finger went up, the duo leaped over the couch and pinned their target, Castiel holding him from behind and Sam perching himself on his thighs.

“Wha- HEY!” Dean shouted, voice filled with surprise as he writhed to break free.

“Now, Cas!” With that signal, they had begun their attack. Sticking to the plan, Castiel dove his fingers under Dean’s arms while Sam dig into his sides, getting a bark of laughter from the older Winchester.

“GAH- WHAT THE HEHEHELL?!”

Sam broke into a bright smile, filled with a giddy sense of accomplishment.

“This is payback for tickling us so much!”

The angel couldn’t hold back his own amusement, warm laughter mingling with Dean’s.

“I believe this is what you call… sweet revenge.” He smirked, drilling his thumbs into the tender hollows, receiving loud, hearty laughter in response.

“CAHAHAS, YOU FEATHERED SON OF A-”

Sam and Castiel relished in their vengeance, taking in the sight of the suave Dean Winchester overtaken with hysterical laughter.

“I wouldn’t finish that remark, Dean. Don’t forget that we’re in control here.” The angel teased in a low, warning tone, taking pleasure in the growing blush on Dean’s face.

“Looking a little rosy there, Dean. This doesn’t tickle, does it?” Taunted the youngest of the three, skittering his fingers up to Dean’s ribs, knowing that was a tickle hot spot.

“SHUT UHUHUP! Y-YOU ARE SOHOHO GONNA GET IT!!”

Sam giggled a little in response. “You’re all talk, Dean. Aaall talk.”

The older hunter thrashed and kicked with all he had, but no matter how hard he tried, Sam and Castiel were far stronger when they worked together. That, and the overwhelming tingling sensations under his arms and on his ribs were driving him mad.

“KNOCK IT OHOHOFF!”

He shouted through his laughter, glueing his arms to his sides, only succeeding in trapping Castiel’s hands, though the fingers kept wriggling. This only seemed to make the sensation even more unbearable, but he just couldn’t raise his arms. His body wouldn’t let him.

“It is very difficult for me to 'knock it off' when you’re imprisoning my hands.” Castiel spoke in a blunt manner, wiggling his fingers harder for emphasis.

Dean let out a snort, throwing his head back in hysterics.

The incessant tickling was draining his energy and he could feel himself getting weaker and weaker as time went on.

Noticing the significant lack of force, Sam decided that now was the time.

He looked at the angel as if saying “get ready”. The angel nodded and ceased his tickling in favor of tightening his hold on Dean, recalling Sam’s earlier comments.

The youngest Winchester hovered his fingers above Dean’s hips, flexing his fingers playfully with a mischievous grin.

“Prepare yourself, big brother… this might tickle~” Sam taunted, eyes glittering with mischief.

“S-Sam, I swehehear… don’t you dAHAHAHARE- SON OF A BIHIHIHITCH!!” Dean howled with laughter, boisterous cackles filling the room as he bucked and jerked with renewed force, just as Sam said.

Sam drilled his thumbs into the divots of his older brother’s hips, digging into the hypersensitive bones, sending ticklish electricity coursing through Dean’s nerves.

Dean’s face was bright red by now, eyes watering with mirth.

Dean’s laughter wasn’t the only sound that filled the room; Sam and Cas joined in, one bright and boyish, the other warm and deep. Together, they performed a symphony of joy and silliness.

Seeing that Dean was struggling to breathe, the duo backed off, satisfied with their revenge.

Sam hopped over to sit beside Cas, putting some distance between him and his brother on the off chance that Dean decided he wanted revenge at this very moment.

Sam and Cas watched triumphantly as Dean tried to catch his breath.

Dean leaned against the arm of the couch, looking at his brother and angel.

“Hah.. I have to give you guys credit…” Dean panted.

“You got me prehehetty good…” He commended, crossing his arms and looking at the two with an impressed expression.

“Couldn’t have done it alone.” Sam gave the angel a nudge, grinning proudly.

“Well, as the saying goes… teamwork makes the dream work.”

Sam and Dean both laughed, the cheesy saying paired with Castiel’s monotone voice far too amusing.

Dean, having caught his breath, sat up, a certain spark in his eye.

“Well, I hope you two had fun… because when I’m done with you, you won’t be able to think straight for days~”

He wiggled his fingers tauntingly, noticing the way their eyes widened, Sam in particular looking rather nervous.