On a wing and a prayer

[the_baking_vampire]

This isn't the first charge he's ever had as a guardian angel, so it's not exactly as if he's new at his job. He's never broken the rules before or failed in his task. He's always followed strictly to the rules and protected his charges with the utmost care and diligence.

He never thought things would be so much different with John Grimm.

As a boy, he'd lost his parents, and Seere had been tasked to him without any real explanation of why. Sometimes, that's how it goes; an assignment without a reason. It's never bothered him. All he knew was that he needed to protect the boy, and by extension, that usually meant protecting his twin sister, as well, inseparable as they were.

For years, Seere watched him grow, a sad, shy, and reserved child who turned into a handsome young man.

It was difficult when John entered the military. Seere can't fix mental anguish. How does one protect against that sort of thing without keeping a soul from gaining the necessary experiences to benefit from having lived? So, he watches as John struggles through bootcamp, watches as he struggles with the deaths of his friends, with the guilt that comes with it. He wants to help, but there's nothing he can do. He can't protect everyone. Only John.

Seere is wary when John gets selected for the RRTS. It's such a dangerous squad. Protecting him becomes a full-time task, flitting in and out of John's vision, exploiting those fractional blind spots that all humans have to subtly change the trajectory of bullets or nudge him away from a falling object or protect him from an explosion.

During these years, he's grown closer to John. He knows he shouldn't get attached, but John is such a sweet, loyal person, Seere can't help but care for him. He's gentle and protects those around him, gives everything he's got to try to keep his friends safe. He's grown into a man that Seere is proud to watch over, even if it's become dangerous to do so. Angels aren't allowed to love.

Still, his job goes well up until John is in his 26th year -- and he suddenly disappears.

Seere tracks his last signature to the point where it disappeared. It's a portal to Mars. Seere knows this, but he can't go. He can't leave the sphere of influence that Angels have on Earth. He can't travel to Mars with him, can't protect him. For once in his eternal life, Seere is afraid he will fail. He's not afraid of the punishment for it, he's afraid for John.

So, he heads back to Heaven to wait, and never have two days seemed so long for someone with as much patience as he has.

As soon as John's familiar tug reappears on Earth, Seere seeks him out.

He finds him at the hospital, beside the bed of his sister, and he immediately looks the both of them over for injuries. John is perfectly healthy, as far as Seere can tell, but Sam seems as if she has been wounded. Not fatally so, thankfully.

He breathes out a sigh of relief. He is so glad to see his charge is safe.

Comments

[the_baking_vampire]

The reception Seere gets when he returns to Heaven isn't exactly what he was expecting. Normally, nobody minds his coming and going. He's just a peon.

This time, though, he's greeted by two angels a little higher up on the chain. And they invite him to take a walk to the Office with them.

This can't be good.

[beautifulanimal]

The mission is a regular one. Easy, by RRTS standards. No unknowns cropping up, just go in, follow orders and try to get back out in one piece. Not a problem for him, and not a problem for the others either because John's there to discreetly shield them from every bullet and attack. He doesn't really get to much actual combat. He's mostly running around pulling them to safety.

At nights, sleeping in dark shadows of a wet and warm jungle (pretending to sleep), he has to constantly fight the urge to call for Seere. It's not really that he needs the comfort. Not at all, actually. He thought that he would maybe completely break down when back on mission, but being out here keeps him calm and cool, and on edge in this balanced alert way that makes him feel alive.

The reason he wants Seere there at nights is just for the sake of having him there. He misses talking to him. He misses making Seere smile and he misses making him blush even more. No, he mostly misses when Seere calls him "love" and the few times when he actually takes the initative to kiss him. It doesn't matter how chaste and light they are. The little kisses Seere gives him fills his heart and soul and makes him want to pull the angel's clothes off and cover every inch of him in the same soft, loving kisses. It makes him want naked bodies that slide together and getting to purr "I love you" in Seere's ear as he pushes inside him.

Fuck.

The last two nights of that mission, it's an equal struggle between resisting the urge to call for Seere, and resisting the urge to sneak off and jerk his dick off while everyone else sleeps. He can't afford that kind of distraction, so he resists and holds back, and promises himself that once they get back, he'll apply for a personal day so he can sneak Seere off just for a bit.

When they DO eventually get back, the first second he gets that he's alone, he starts calling for him. Not outloud, he's pretty sure he doesn't really need to vocalize it. It's more like a prayer, really.

Seere. I need you.

[the_baking_vampire]

That prayer gets answered, and soon, there's an angel standing next to John. Except it's not Seere. Not Seere by a long shot.

No, this angel is scruffy, like he's run a little ragged, and there's no curls. Instead, his hair is straight messy and short-cropped. And then there's the trench coat...

He doesn't even talk to John. He doesn't think John can see him, so he's busy scanning the area for danger, and when he can't find anything, he snorts and stares at John, looking him over.

[beautifulanimal]

"Who the fuck are you?"

John looks straight at him. He doesn't like this guy, but that's only because he showed up when John wanted Seere.

"Where's Seere?"

[the_baking_vampire]

He's understandably very confused. He wasn't meant to be seen. Humans can't see him.

So, he looks around to see if there's somebody else John might be talking to, but it's just the two of them. And then there's the fact that he's asking specifically for Seere.

"What spell is this?" He can't see any glyphs. Maybe it's an incantation of some sort. "How can you see me?"

[beautifulanimal]

You'll have to excuse him for being a little on edge, and the hand that is literally instantly around the new guy's neck to pull him close. And the snarl.

"I asked you something."

[the_baking_vampire]

Castiel vanishes, only to reappear a few feet away from John again, looking thoroughly unruffled. Except maybe for his scowl, but that's been there since he showed up.

"My name is Castiel. I've been assigned to you. I don't know where Seere is, but my guess is that he's somewhere in Lewiston, Maine, fighting demons," the angel replies gruffly.

"Now I think it's your turn to answer my question: how can you see me?"

[beautifulanimal]

"Demons."

The thought of Seere being in any kind of danger twists his insides around in the worst way possible.

"You have to take me to him."

If Castiel says no, he'll instantly turn around to get his bike and drive to Maine. Fuck the consequences of going AWOL.

[the_baking_vampire]

"I can't do that, and I can't let you do that, either." Castiel moves to block the way, wings spread wide to prevent John from going any further.

"Why do you think I'm here and he's there? The Powers That Be have decided that he's too close to you. If you go rushing after him, you'll only cause trouble."

Let's not mention that Castiel is in the same boat that Seere is. That part isn't relevant.

[beautifulanimal]

"Do you think I care? Whatever powers you serve have no rule over me. I'll rip your fucking wings and shove them up your ass if you don't get out of my way."

[the_baking_vampire]

Castiel scowls even more. "I can and will put you in a time-out that you will not be able to escape from, unless you calm down."

This charge is even more surly than Dean, and that's saying something. He is thoroughly unpleasant and Castiel has decided that he doesn't like him.

It's got nothing to do with him not being Dean.

"The best case scenario is that you drive all the way to Maine and they've moved on somewhere else. Worst case is they're still there and Seere will be recalled until they can figure out what to do with him."

[beautifulanimal]

"Okay. Fine."

Pissed as he is, he's not stupid.

"So tell me how I can get rid of you and get my angel back. You're not qualified for this job. Trust me."

[the_baking_vampire]

"I'm over-qualified for the job," Castiel replies, a little agitated. "He's a guardian angel. He's not meant to be a warrior. He's going to get my charges killed."

Yes, technically Sam and Dean are no longer his charges. John is his charge now. Officially. "Just stay here, do your job, and don't get killed. I'll make whatever appeals I can. And don't call me unless you actually need me. I'm not your servant."

Then he's gone again, just as suddenly as he came.

[beautifulanimal]

"Fuck you!"

He doesn't even care, He stomps out of there, stopping only to grab every weapon he can take out of the compound without ending up locked up for treason, and then he's out to hop on the bike and head for Maine. If whatever Seere is being forced to do needs a warrior, then he's the guy for the job. He's a warrior and a fucking demon. And he'll kill them all if they touch Seere. Even Castiel's charges.

[the_baking_vampire]

Castiel's not stupid enough to think that John will have stayed put without further interference, which is why his bike is completely gone. Where is it? Nobody knows.

Maybe that will get the point across.

[beautifulanimal]

Fine. He'll walk off the compound and steal the first car he finds. DON'T UNDERESTIMATE HIS RESOLVE, ASSBUTT.

[the_baking_vampire]

Sigh.

Castiel appears in the back seat. "While your resolve is admirable, you're only making things worse. Like I said, even if you make it there, Headquarters will just call Seere back until they can figure out how to keep him away from you on a permanent basis."

Humans. Stupidly stubborn things, scurrying around without a thought for the bigger picture. "Why do you care about him so much? I assure you, I'm more than sufficient as a replacement."

[beautifulanimal]

"You're not pure enough. You stink of weakness. You wouldn't handle half of what he does. You have no idea."

[the_baking_vampire]

Castiel's jaw tightens a little. "Not sure you've got any right to comment on my purity. You're not even human."

He picked up on that a little bit ago, but he hadn't analyzed it thoroughly. Now, though, he's leaning forward and peering at him, eyes narrowed. "I don't even know what you are, but for whatever reason, Heaven wants you protected, otherwise you'd be hunted down like all the other monsters out there. Now turn this car around and get back to your post. You have a task to do."

[beautifulanimal]

"Exactly. I'm not. I can smell how easily you could be corrupted. Seere's not like that. Not that I would need to smell it. It's simple logic. You said it yourself. Seere's not a warrior and he's been put with your charges. That makes you the warrior, doesn't it? They don't make the pure ones warriors. The killers, the filth, the ones who aren't good enough for anything else, they become attack dogs. The pure and good, the ones who are really blessed and light, they're the ones they make guardians."

He looks at him through the rearview mirror.

"You're the same filth I am. Why should I listen to you?"

[the_baking_vampire]

"I don't have time for this." He reaches forward and touches his fingers to John's forehead, fully intent upon putting him to sleep.

Yes, while he's driving. They're on an empty, flat road. The car will just roll off into the ditch.

This is this plan, anyway.

[beautifulanimal]

It doesn't really work on him. His eyes slip closed and he almost loses control of the car, but his body isn't fucking tired and snaps him out of it again. And he turns to Castiel with a frown.

"The fuck are you doing? Don't ever touch me. You don't have that right."

[the_baking_vampire]

"You're supposed to be sleeping," he says matter-of-factly, both surprised and unimpressed. "This is problematic."

So he can't put John to sleep. That's highly inconvenient, and it means he needs some other way to keep him from getting to Maine.

This means he needs to take more drastic measures. "Don't you care what will happen to Seere if you persist?"

[beautifulanimal]

"I care about what happens if I don't do anything. Again, you said it yourself. Seere's a guardian, not a warrior. He's made to love and protect. He's too pure to be fighting demons. They'll rip him apart. How can I can sit there and watch?"

Just thinking about this makes him grip the steering wheel hard enough that sections of it crushes to plastic dust in his hands. He just moves them and keeps his eyes on the road. He has to get to Seere, and any blind fool could be able to see why it's SO important.

[the_baking_vampire]

"You can't go about it this way. Give me time to make an appeal to the Powers That Be and I'll try to get this sorted out as soon as possible. Believe, I don't like this situation any more than you do."

He eyes John in the mirror, lips pulled into a tight line. "You're bull-headed and arrogant and I don't like your aura. I have better things to do than watch you ignore all logic. The point remains that if you go to Maine, you risk making Seere's sentence worse than it already is, so turn this car around and let me deal with this through the proper channels."

Oh, he'll be filing a complaint about this one, that's for sure.