Work Text:
Location: Angel War Room
Time: 2200 hours
RE: Post battle debriefing
“Right foot red,” Marcus called.
The collective gasp that echoed through the war room brought Castiel’s lips into a grim line. If he leaned on his left hand, he could balance just enough to scoot his foot right. He spared Hannah a glance as he slowly made his way to the red dot. Her profile was a paradigm of concentration as she too leaned left and scooted her right foot under herself and to the red dot in the far corner.
Castiel had planned for this simple diversion to help build camaraderie amongst his troops as they took turns trying to work out how to balance best. The group had quickly separated into two friendly but rival factions, he should have seen that coming, between the younger and older angels. Each side cheered heartily as by rounds, players were eliminated and the last two angels standing, bent over and barely balancing, were Castiel for the older angels and Hannah for the younger. She was honored to represent the younger angels and was proving a formidable foe.
At this stage, they were facing the same direction with Hannah’s back to Castiel’s front, Hannah bent backwards and Cas bend forward, sharing a yellow dot. As she leaned further, stretching her foot to the red space, she started to lean back, her balance pulling her towards Castiel’s face. He braced himself when he saw he slipping, fully expecting her to fall into his shoulder but huffed when she planted her foot and sighed at cheering angels.
She was very close now, her face just inches from his and when he took a breath, he could smell the scent of her vessel. She smelled like sunshine and honey, of all things, and he closed his eyes to take in the image it conjured. She was an open field with flowers and bees and daylight. He opened his eyes when the next appendage/color pairing was called and paled a bit when he saw her look of wonder.
He could tell that she’d seen his changing expressions as his imagination took him and he felt warmth in his belly at her unwavering stare.
“What did you see, Castiel?” She whispered so the cheering angels wouldn’t hear her question. The fierce drive to win that had hardened her featured just moments ago melted into the childlike questioning he so admired in her now.
He was forced to lean forward and her back again to reach the blue spaces and they found themselves pressed cheek to cheek while he spoke. “I saw a field and flowers and bees. Have you been there, Hannah?”
His breath and stubble tickled her neck, a sensation she was not used to, and she wiggled her shoulders against the feeling, hitting Cas in the chin. His head tipped up with the force and he wobbled off balance before righting himself with his mouth pressed against her shoulder.
It was Hannah’s turn to pale as corner of his lips brushed a bare patch of skin before settling on the material of her blouse. Instantly, they both came crashing down on the mat, the angels playfully arguing over who caused the fall. Over the sound of the laughing and halfhearted jeering, Castiel heard Hannah mumble something as she pick herself up from the mat and accepted the congratulations from various angels. She quickly crossed the space and left the war room.
Was she embarrassed by their draw? Was she that hopeful to win? Cas made his way through the crowd and out into the hall where she leaned against the wall. “Hannah, are you alright?” Castiel’s voice held concern and he grabbed her shoulders gently to make her look at him.
“I’m ok,” she assured him, “I just… my vessel…” She stuttered her reply not really sure of what happened but knowing that the heat from Castiel’s lips against her skin was brief but exciting and scary and dreadful and wonderful.
“Is it burning out?” he asked, “Are you in pain?” He ran his hands down her arms and then clutched her face, turning it side to side looking for signed of destruction.
“No,” she smiled at his concern. “It reacted to you… your lips.” Her reply was hesitant and she looked away for a moment before clearing her throat and pushing Castiel gently away. “I just wasn’t prepared, that it all. I don’t expect there to be a problem.” She turned her back on him so he wouldn’t see as she wrung her hands. She had a tiny sample of temptation and she really wanted more; whatever more was.
She turned when she heard Castiel chuckling, offended now that he was laughing at her. He ran a hand across the back of his neck, such a human gesture, and gave her a shy smile. He wasn’t laughing at her, she realized, he was laughing at himself. “Mine did too,” he confessed and stepped into her space, slipping his hands around her face again, this time with a much different purpose. With eyes open, he pressed his lips to hers gently letting his tongue slide across her mouth in a tender kiss.
“Did your vessel like that?” he asked a serious note to his voice.
“No,” she answered honestly, standing on her tiptoes to and bringing her face to his again, “I did.”