#pastapocolypse

Spending time together, all three of them, led to the gradual relaxing of boundaries that had seemed so very Important before and now just seemed silly. No one was around to care if Dean was more affectionate and touchy-feely than he usually acted, and Sam had always been happy to hug his brother and his mate whenever they wanted. Castiel was the least familiar with casual affectionate touch, but he was also the one with the fewest bad habits, and once he had been assured and reassured that his touch was welcome, not just with his mate but with Dean as well, then he could frequently be found cuddling up to one or both of the brothers at any given time.

Given that two of the three were an official pairbond and that people had been assuming Sam and Dean had more than just brotherly love between them for years, other physical boundaries slowly fell by the wayside. Where once Dean had quickly backed out of the room whenever he accidentally walked in on Sam and Castiel engaged in more carnal cuddling, now if he happened upon them he either settled in to wait or, as became more frequent, was invited to join in. That became Sam and Cas occasionally starting something while Dean was sitting with them and quickly pulling him into the middle. The day that Castiel boldly sat down on Dean’s lap and kissed him while Sam watched with a fond smile was the day Dean stopped pretending he wasn’t just as much a part of Sam and Castiel’s relationship as the two of them. The day Dean joined the pair of them on the couch and kissed first Castiel and then Sam full on the lips before settling back to watch whatever movie they’d picked this time earned him two beaming smiles and a lot of fun after the movie was over.

Sometimes all three of them travelled the roads, exploring the places the brothers had known in their youth and showing Castiel the joy their lives had held, inviting him into it. Sometimes it was just Sam and Dean who went, retracting old haunts and rewriting memories together where they had been apart. Sometimes Castiel would go with Dean alone, or with Sam alone, and show them wonders that existed before their time, shedding the boundaries of their human forms and making love within the heart of a star or playing tag across the wheel of a galaxy. It could have gone on forever like that, an eternity of blissful communion between the three of them celebrating their mutual love for each other in as many ways as they could imagine. It was Heaven.

And then, one day, the trio had an angelic visitor.

"Dean and Sam Winchester, Heaven has ne--” The unknown seraph was abruptly cut off when a flying pillow struck her full in the face. Given that the usual response from either of the two former hunters would have been to fire a gun or throw a blade in response to an uninvited intruder, a pillow was getting off lightly. The seraph, however, was not as familiar with the Winchesters as some other angels, and so reacted simply with a puzzled, "What?"

"Fuck off, feathers, it's Thursday!” Dean said cheerfully from where he had been mapping the planes of Castiel’s chest with his tongue. When the seraph made no move to depart, he added pointedly, “You know what happens on Thursday? Me and Sammy lay Cas here out on the bed and worship him until he's boneless."

"...It is Monday," the discomfited seraph said awkwardly.

"No it isn't,” Sam said from his place next to Castiel’s waist where he had been nibbling at the jut of hipbone before they were interrupted. “If it were Monday, it would be Dean's turn to be worshipped."

"Sam's day is Saturday," Castiel piped up “helpfully”. The seraph shifted uncomfortably.

"....It is Tuesday?" she suggested, only to be met with three glacial stares and a chorus of, "THERE IS NO TUESDAY."

“We’re retired!” Dean continued, glowering at the seraph. “Joshua said we were done! Raphael said we were done! Cas got kicked to the curb by that feathered douche for doing what the rest of you should have been doing helping to stop the freaking Apocalypse from happening early and now you want to drag us away from him for some--”

“Please,” the seraph broke in desperately, her voice catching. Dean shut up, startled, and both Sam and Castiel slowly sat up to look at her. “Please,” she said again. “Most of us agree that you have all three done enough and should be left to your retirement, but the situation is dire. Joshua would not have sent me if our need was not great.”

“Joshua sent you?” Castiel said, tilting his head to one side as he studied the seraph before them.

“Why?” Sam asked, frowning slightly. “Why now? Why us?”

“I don’t know,” the seraph answered, a hint of frustration entering her voice. “I don’t know what Joshua thinks you three can do that we are not already doing.”

“What’s going on?” Dean asked seriously, folding his arms. The seraph had Sam and Castiel’s attention now, so chances of ignoring this were slim to none. “And who are you anyway?”

“Hannah,” the seraph answered, causing Castiel to go still. “To put it most simply, Heaven is collapsing. When Gabriel was killed by Lucifer, the pillars of Heaven linked to his Grace started to collapse as well. No one noticed at first because Michael and Raphael were... busy. When Michael and Lucifer became trapped in the Cage, Raphael was left to rule us alone. Instead, he tried to reopen the Cage.”

Sam flinched hard at that, causing Castiel and Dean to pull in closer to him in quiet support. “I’m guessing it didn’t work out the way he hoped?” Dean asked for them. Hannah shook her head.

“While his efforts to open the Cage did have an effect,” she said grimly, “the result was that the Cage collapsed inwards with two of the three remaining Archangels inside. Now there is only Raphael to shoulder the weight of Heaven, and he is failing. Naomi wanted to seek out Metatron and the angel tablet in hopes that one or the other would possess the key to our salvation, but Joshua insisted on sending me to you.”

“Cas?” Dean turned to look at Castiel, raising an eyebrow in question.

“I don’t know either, Dean,” Castiel said apologetically, visibly shaking himself out of his thoughts. “I was only a soldier, and my history of doubting my orders from Heaven was both extensive and well-known. If I was ever told about the Archangels being the literal Pillars of Heaven, I don’t remember it.”

“I don’t think it was something well-known, even by the Archangels,” Sam offered. “Otherwise, don’t you think Michael and Raphael would have known Gabriel was alive until....” he trailed off, unable to bring himself to voice the thought, until he died to save us from Lucifer.

“But that still doesn’t answer the question of what we can do that all the other angels can’t,” Dean pointed out. “I mean, yeah, we’re awesome, but we’re still just human. Or mostly human,” he added with an apologetic squeeze to Castiel’s shoulder.”

“You two are the best of humanity, our Father’s most cherished creation,” Hannah answered him, drawing their attention again. “Dean is the Righteous Man, with a will greater than the Archangel Michael. Sam was meant to be a reflection of Lucifer, and yet his soul outshines the Grace of angels. Castiel may have been only a soldier, but he had more heart than any other angel; Michael and Raphael and Naomi may have believed that to be a failing, but he was brought back from death while other angels were not, so perhaps....”

“Perhaps he was just what God wanted angels to remember you were supposed to be?” Sam suggested, finding Castiel’s hand with his and gripping it tightly.

“Perhaps,” Hannah agreed, and smiled faintly. “Regardless, only Joshua can tell you what you want to know. I have told you all that I can.”

“Give us a sec,” Dean said with relative politeness, tugging gently on Sam and Castiel. The three huddled up together, creating the illusion of privacy. “So, what do you think? Cas, is this Hannah chick on the level?”

“I didn’t know Hannah personally, though I knew of her,” Castiel said. “She has a reputation for being loyal and honest, and she served with distinction when called upon, though she was was not one of the ones sent against me during the Apocalypse.”

“Okay, good angel,” Dean agreed. “Sam?”

“This is way outside of anything we’ve ever read lore-wise,” Sam said with a slight shrug. “Gabriel didn’t say anything about it, and he seemed pretty convinced that his brothers thought he was dead. Still, it’s Joshua asking, and the last time he wanted to talk to us....”

“I hope this will not result in my desire to consume another liquor store,” Castiel said dryly, causing Dean and Sam to snicker faintly. “But as you say, it is Joshua.”

“Once more unto the breech, dear friends?” Dean asked, raising an eyebrow. He didn’t look the least bit surprised when Sam grabbed him and kissed him, just pulled Castiel close to kiss him next, then watched fondly as Castiel kissed Sam in return. “Should we put on pants first?”

“I doubt anyone’s going to care much up here,” Sam said with a shake of his head, though he was still smiling. Castiel narrowed his eyes and reached up to stroke back Sam’s hair, his fingers brushing against the feathers clipped into the soft brown locks. The next moment, all three of them were clothed, making Dean snort and Sam chuckle. “Show-off angel.”

“Bite me,” Castiel deadpanned. “Shall we go save the world now?”

“If we must,” Dean heaved a mock-sigh and got up off the bed. Sam and Castiel followed suit, and the three turned towards Hannah. “Ready when you are, I guess.”

“Thank you,” Hannah said sincerely, looking at each of them in turn. She opened the door to the cabin’s bedroom, the doorway glowing before filling with the familiar view of the Cleveland Botanical Gardens. Dean straightened his spine and led the way through, followed by Sam and Castiel.