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Before the beginning, all they did was fight, wrath of eons discharging. The moment they arrived, Sam threw Lucifer out, so Michael let go of Adam to battle his brother in his true form. When Sam left, first his body and half a century later his soul, Adam was alone. He watched the archangels fight for a while, a very long while actually. About three hundred years of hatred and hurt, two beings made of energy and light twisted around each other in an endless struggle for dominance neither ever won. One day, or rather, one moment sometime later still, Adam had enough.
It was a big part boredom. Yes, they were beautiful to watch, even in their cagematch-to-death, but a human mind could only focus on one thing so long. He had tried to remember things about his life more than once, but the recollections were an inefficient, weak distraction from what was happening before his hurting eyes. And what was happening was one thing above all: repetitive.
Another part of it was pity. Adam had always tried to be a decent human being, he had wanted to become a doctor to help people, and the idea of two brothers fighting and hurting each other for the rest of eternity rubbed him in all the wrong ways. Especially now that he knew, if ever so briefly, what having brothers felt like.
And yet another part of what moved him, the smallest and most ignored part, was a nagging want in the back of his mind, a need that he neither dared nor wished to define any more precisely.
He rose when they hurled apart to take a run-up to plunge at each other again, and walked between them with two steps- distance in the cage was funny like that. “You need to stop.”
They did, for the exact time that three breaths of questionable necessity took. Then Michael somehow – he was a thing of light, colours and waves of sound and radiation, so somehow would have to suffice concerning vocabulary- relaxed. He came down and a tendril of his grace touched Adam in his chest, and that was when Adam knew that they had indeed forgotten that they were not alone in the cage.
What did you say?
“I said you need to stop.” Adam replied sternly. “Whatever you’re trying to do, it isn’t working.”
And how exactly are you going to make us, little ant? Lucifer asked, maliciously sweet.
“I’m not going to make you. But your eternal fighting is getting on my nerves. Could you maybe find something else to do, just for a while?”
Are you saying that you find us aggravating? The plain, baffled disbelief that Michael conveyed perfectly without an actual voice made Adam snort, for the first time in what probably was a millennium.
“Aggravating is a little pretentious. Try annoying.”
The ant finds us annoying. Lucifer said in wonder and Adam sent the tangled mass of light and shadows a stern glance. “Hi, my name is Adam and I’m a human. We’ve never been introduced formally, but since you wore my brother to the Apocalypse, you could at least try to be polite.” On second thought, Adam had probably gone mad. Yes, that was very likely, seeing as he was coolly insulting two archangels he had no way to escape from and his pulse was still gong calm and steady. To hell with it. Adam thought and then almost laughed at the irony of the thought. “I refuse to believe neither of you has any better idea about spending eternity than bashing each other’s head in.”
And what would you suggest, Adam the human? Lucifer asked, curling nearer to him and Michael.
“Anything but fighting.” Adam replied. “It’s not benefitting either of you.”
What peculiar little things you humans are. Lucifer reached out to him, but Michael was around Adam instantly. Do not hurt my vessel.
“Yeah, I’d appreciate that, too.” Adam said dryly, but he felt himself smiling. Had to be an effect of the very long time span, probably with individual differences, too. Adam knew that Sam had been well on his way to screaming, raging madness before he was retrieved, while Adam himself seemed to have developed a more benevolent, quieter kind of insanity.
You’re not insane. Michael disagreed and his grace weaved through Adam’s body like an absent-minded caress.
“I fail to see what difference it makes.” Adam gave back dryly.
You amuse me. Lucifer stated and brushed a part of Michael aside to touch Adam’s forehead. For a moment, then, Adam shared his mind with the Devil. Anger, exactly as old as humanity, unbendable pride, the omnipotent knowledge he was right, but also a need to be loved that Adam recognized. John Winchester had never been very present in his life, so Adam knew the feeling of missing a father. Now, hundreds of years after Dean had busted Sam out of the cage (there was never a question who ultimately had made that happen), Adam also recognized what it was like to be disappointed in his brothers. Disappointed but not surprised. Lucifer clarified and Adam agreed.
I am sorry. Michael said, for the first time.
“For what exactly?” Adam asked curiously.
For bringing you here.
“You didn’t make me say yes. That is still my own mistake.”
As far as mistakes go, there have been worse. Lucifer commented.
“I guess that’s a matter of perspective.” Adam replied.
Is this what you would have us do? Michael asked. Recollect all our wrongs?
Our wrongs?
“Well, it breaks the monotony at least.”
It was the beginning.
Sometime during the fifth century after the beginning, Adam loses track of time. Around him, the deepest pit of hell is burning, without ever hurting his unaging body. Michael is curled around him protectively, and Lucifer’s true form is intertwined with him. Adam’s mortal (does this still count as mortal?) eyes have long since grown used to the two true forms of the mightiest entities in the universe. He feels their presence, their nearness, the pure intimacy of sharing the cage’s limited space changing him, and sometimes he wonders if his being here has an effect on them as well. Well, they have come to some sort of peaceful amity, at least.
From time to time, Adam starts talking. Sometimes he asks questions about the structure of the universe, sometimes he shares stories of his life, sometimes he tries to remember an interesting fairytale or book or movie to pass the time. Most times Michael answers, other times Lucifer does, sometimes both of them, and sometimes neither. Adam supposes there could be worse eternities to spend, especially when Michael and Lucifer share their memories with him in return.
Lucifer remembers the earth for him, back when it was still a glowing, rotating glob of mostly iron, finding its way around a very young sun. The newborn angels, flitting around a fresh solar system excitedly, so beautiful in their youth.
Michael shows him the forming of continents, evolution, entire species developing and dying, while the angels were watching and the glowing pulse of life on the pretty little marbel in space grew stronger and stronger, like a spark kindling a bonfire. It was magnificent.
Lucifer gives them both the memory of the first plants, insects, birds. So delicate and innocent, and as the angels played with them, so were they. Fragile, breakable purity.
Michael recalls in turn Lucifer, his younger brother, his first sibling, radiant and so dazzling, breathtakingly graceful, beautiful, before he turned away, and Adam’s heart breaks for both of them.
He bites his lip and swallows heavily, and then he says: “Not for nothing, but your Dad, sometimes, can be kind of an asshole.”
For a long time, it is the last thing said between the three of them.
Then something changes.
Lucifer stirs first, looks up, reaches out, and then, in the blink of an eye, he is gone. The next thing Adam feels is Michael, all around him, wrapped so tightly that he couldn’t breathe, if he still had need to breathe, that is. And then Michael lifts him up, through air, flames and darkness, up, through the ceiling, through solid rock, up.
And then he is on all fours, jeans soaking on his knees, fingers buried in wet, cold grass, his breath in small clouds condensing in the air, and he is panting and his heart is hammering, on the sturdy ground of Stull cemetery, Lawrence, Kansas.
“Adam?”
Adam looks up, and blinks. Michael is standing in front of him, offering him a hand. A hand, attached to an arm, attached to a tall, black-haired, Caucasian body. Grey, concerned eyes meet his, slightly tousled hair moves in the strong breeze that whips over the fields of Kansas, and Adam takes Michael’s hand.
“Is this a vessel?”
“Not exactly.” Michael says and tilts his head. Looking for English words, Adam knows, because now he knows Michael, better than himself, probably. “It’s a… body. Almost human, but without a soul to grant permission to enter.”
“How did you get in, then?”
“Enochian marking permitted me, and only me.” Michael explains and Adam frowns. Something about that doesn’t completely add up… “They wrote out your name?”
“Both our full names.” Lucifer corrects him and steps nearer cautiously, watching both Adam and Michael carefully. His body is also Caucasian, blonde, blue-eyed, with stubble on his chin and absurdly friendly dimples.
“So an archangel made these.” Adam concludes with a frown. Lucifer nods once. “Gabriel.”
“Gabriel?” Michael looks up sharply. “But you killed him.”
“I thought I did.” Lucifer agrees, his voice unwavering, but both Michael and Adam have felt his agony at that particular memory, so Adam smiles. “He opened the cage, then?”
“I think he did.” Lucifer says slowly and meets Michael’s eyes warily. Michael stiffens, and suddenly the air is full of energy and tension between the brothers. And Adam groans. “Oh for fuck’s sake, could you get over yourselves already?”
“I beg your pardon, Adam?” Lucifer asks softly.
“No vessel is going to say yes again. No vessels, no second apocalypse, right? You slapped it out in the cage and we all agreed that there won’t be a dramatic destiny showdown.” Adam glares at Lucifer and then at Michael. “Now behave like adults and figure out what to do with the rest of your lives.”
“Are we annoying you again, Adam?” Michael asks, and Adam lifts an eyebrow, unimpressed and unafraid. “Do you happen to know what year it is?”
“2014 A.C. March, I believe.” Lucifer replies. Adam does the math quickly. Almost four years since Sam pulled them all into the cage. Adam lived through more than one millennium in the time. He wonders how old he is.
“Your body did not age.” Michael answers the unspoken thoughts.
“Good to know.” Adam says because they all know that’s not what really matters. And suddenly, Adam is hesitating. What now?
The logical thing would be to seek out his family, tell Sam and Dean they’re back, only that he doesn’t really know them, and has no real desire to change that, either. Mom is dead, in heaven, good for her, and if Adam learned one thing from his family then it’s that dead people, however loved, should stay dead. The same thought should probably dutifully be applied to John.
So, studying. Med School. The idea alone is hilarious. He was murdered, bloodily, last time he checked, so he’d have to come up with a new identity. Not incredibly difficult, but the ideas of paper trails, curriculums, credentials and registrations all seem so laughable and insignificant, considering where he just came from, what he’s seen, what he did. And then there are the two… people, for lack of better term, watching him with unreadable expressions.
“Stay with us.” Michael says, meets his eyes, and Adam is as surprised as Lucifer. “Us?”
“Adam is right.” Michael says and glances skyward. “Nobody noticed we’re back. Gabriel doesn’t seem to have told anyone.”
“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” Lucifer asks coolly.
“Let’s leave before anyone notices us.” Michael nods. Lucifer stares at his brother for a very long moment, and then he grins, like sun breaking through clouds, and lifts his hand to snap his fingers.
Adam laughs, despite the rain that suddenly hits his face. “Detroit?”
“I like the city.” Lucifer replies with a shrug and glances at the grey street they’re standing in. A beggar is cowering away from the breeze next to a few trashcans. A bit down the street, a stray dog is pissing against an abandoned building. There’s graffiti everywhere, and not the pretty, colorful hip hop kind of graffiti but the black, menacing gang territory kind. “It’s a prime example of all my favourite aspects of humanity.”
“You’re a dick.” Adam says and starts walking down the street. Michael falls in step beside him. “Where are we going?”
“I’m going to look for a job. It’s what human adults do.”
“Ah, but you’re moving in with us, right?” Lucifer asks him winking and Adam shrugs. “If you’ve got a spare room, sure.”
Lucifer laughs softly and in the blink of an eye, teleports them again, causing Adam to stumble and almost fall flat on his face. “Okay, could you please warn me before you do that?” Freaking archangels.
He looks around, and his eyes widen ever so slightly. The house they are standing in, or rather, the foyer of the house they’re standing in is tall, with large glass windows, white walls and a dark, expensive hardwood floor all three of them are currently dripping on. Two sets of stairs and several doors lead to the rest of the house- mansion.
Lucifer sighs contentedly. “Home, sweet home.”
“Where are we?” Michael asks curiously.
“In a part of Detroit called ‘suburbs’,” Lucifer explains, “which means it’s where the wealthy humans live so they don’t have to endure the ugly and poor.”
“That’s a nice summary.” Adam says sarcastically and frowns. “Are you telling me Archangels own real estates?”
“Just the one.” Lucifer shrugs. “I had this place built back when I wasn’t sure when Sam would say yes to me. I always knew that it would happen in this city, so it made sense.”
“That’s convenient.” Michael says, smiling faintly. They remain standing there like that for a long moment, neither of them knowing what to do, and, it’s definitely beginning to form a pattern, Adam moves first. He glances at both stairs and then turns to Lucifer. “Alright, so are you gonna show us around or do we have permission to go snooping on our own?”
“I don’t need to snoop. I can sense the entirety of Detroit and everything that’s happening there with ease if I want to.” Michael says indignantly.
“Well, I can’t. Now, do I get a tour or what?” Adam may not be an nigh omnipotent entity older than time, but he is better at erasing awkwardness than both archangels combined, so that’s definitely a point in his favour.
“Follow me.” Lucifer says, and takes Adam’s warm hand in his cool one.
The first two weeks in Detroit are sad and adorable, like the tree-legged puppy Michael brings home from his daily walk five days after they got out of the cage. Adam is sitting on the living room couch, reading an anatomy book from the huge library Lucifer only has disdain for. The sun is setting and Lucifer, having spent the cool late March afternoon standing on the terrace, staring at the garden still swathed in frost, comes inside the same moment.
“What is that?”
“I found it in a box in an alley in the city.” Michael replies. The brown-grey bundle in his arms whimpers pathetically. Lucifer looks at it with mild disgust. “Why?”
“I don’t want it to die.” Michael says defensively, and Adam can’t. It’s too cute. He closes the book and stands up. “Let’s get you two cleaned up, then.”
“I am not cute.” Michael states sternly.
“Of course not.” Adam says earnestly and leads him to the ground floor bathroom. It has a shower, two sinks, a toilet, a bathtub fit for a medium sized orgy and a cupboard full of fluffy towels in all colours of the rainbow. Whoever was Lucifer’s interior designer, they had taste as well as a sense of humor.
“Put the puppy in the sink.” Adam instructs after it becomes clear that Michael is not quite certain what to do. It’s a little funny, actually. “Plug the drain and fill it with warm water. Make sure it’s not too hot.” Adam adds and then catches Lucifer’s eyes. The blonde angel is leaning in the doorway with crossed arms and risen eyebrows.
“Could you conjure up some dog food from somewhere?” Adam asks. A tin-packed dog meal drops onto his head out of the empty air and Adam rolls his eyes. “Thank you. A feeding bowl would be great as well. And some dog shampoo, since ours is intended for humans.” He barely manages to catch both items before they hit the floor and sighs.
The puppy barks at Michael when he lowers it into the sink, and the first few layers of dirt immediately tint the water brown. Adam takes of the plaid shirt he had been wearing over his t-shirt and steps next to Michael to get to work.
Shampoo, rinse, repeat, five times, until the little dog is revealed to be a female, cream white coloured crossbreed with brown flecks.
“Have you thought about naming her?” Adam asks Michael. The angel tilts his head in consideration. “I have not named anything in a very long time.”
“Sleep on it. Finders keepers.” Adam advises smiling, wraps the puppy in a towel and hands her to Lucifer who looks at the bundle in his arms with an annoyed expression. “Adam, take it or I will drop it.”
“No you won’t.” Michael says and Lucifer glares at him viciously.
“Just hold her for a minute.” Adam rolls his eyes and pulls his now dirty t-shirt of over his head. He eyes Michael. “You should probably take a shower, or do that mojo cleaning thing of yours.” He says with a glance at Michael’s general rain-soaked appearance and the mud stains on his shirt.
Michael looks at him, and there is something in his light grey eyes that Adam can’t decipher, which is a first ever since he was lifted out of the cage by him.
“Yes.” Michael agrees and proceeds to unbutton his shirt, his eyes not leaving Adam’s face.
“Okay…” Adam says and turns to pick up his warm, familiar plaid shirt. He pulls it on, refusing to believe the feeling that both Archangels for some weird reason are suddenly watching his every movement. He does the buttons up, looking at the feeding bowl contemplatively, concentrating on their new charge. “Can the dog sleep in your room?”
“We should set something up in the living room.” Lucifer says. Adam meets his eyes confused, but shrugs, deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth. “Alright, if you’re okay with that.”
And that’s how the puppy comes to live with two Archangels and a former vessel.
Michael names it Eliel, Adam shortens it to Eli and Lucifer calls her ‘mutt’ affectionately.
Time passes in the big house, and it’s much more bearable when the sun’s presence behind the wall of clouds makes it possible to differentiate nights from days and subsequently count them. Adam spends his days reading, eating and getting used to the feeling of being alive. Lucifer likes to stare at the garden, all but pouting, but since Eli is getting fed regular meals, she’s getting more active every day, and when the two daily walks Michael takes her on aren’t enough to use up her energy anymore, Adam makes a point of letting her out through the backdoor. She always hobble-jumps to Lucifer in that peculiar three-legged walk of hers, and the Archangel never once disintegrates her on a molecular basis, so Adam figures he’s not too bothered by the puppy. It’s beyond adorable to watch him ignore her, huffing out exasperated breaths of air from time to time, while she hops in circles around him, barking encouragingly.
One evening, a few days later, Adam is sitting on the white leather couch in the spacious white living room, watching TV. It’s some documentary about the English countryside, because Adam can’t stand action flicks and Lucifer won’t stand for anything remotely similar to a soap opera. Michael is sitting next to Adam, a handbreadth distance between them, and Adam is letting his mind wander, the pleasant documentary voice helping him relax. Human. I’m human, alive, breathing. On earth, on a couch, watching a documentary. The thought is still a novelty, his subconsciousness still caught in endless years of fire and shadows, but it’s getting better. More believable. Every time a ray of sunshine falls through the glass or Adam catches a glimpse of the moon, his being here becomes a little more plausible.
Eli yelps softly, nips his toes, and then somehow jumps high enough to scramble into his lap. Adam flinches, not having noticed the dog approaching, and Lucifer snickers from the armchair where he’s lounging, epitome of the rebellious slouching teenager pose.
The puppy is not concerned with the startled human and instead proceeds to nudge Michael’s and Adam’s thighs apart, making room between them near the edge of the couch, which results in Adam’s shoulder brushing against Michael’s, because apparently, he flinched instinctively closer to the angel. Michael smiles at the puppy and at Adam gently, and Adam sighs and relaxes. “You know, you’re gonna have to teach her manners eventually.”
Michael mumbles four soft words in Enochian, and Eli whines and looks up at Adam with literal puppy dog eyes.
“Yeah alright, you’re adorable.” Adam smiles and scratches the puppy behind its ears. Eli barks softly and Adam allows his head to fall against Michael’s shoulder. It’s been a terrible long time since he has cuddled with anyone physically - the last hug he got was from his mom, and he’s not quite sure the bodiless embracing in the cage counts. This, right here, is very nice. Eli is warm on his legs, Michael’s shoulder more comfortable than he would’ve thought, and the documentary is going on about century old English rose gardens. Lucifer is watching it with unusual interest, and Michael carefully places his arm over Adam’s shoulders. Adam lets him, and the last thing he notices before he falls asleep is Lucifer glancing at them.
When he wakes, Eli is gone, and morning sun is shining into the living room. The TV is still on, a cooking show right now, and Adam is all but draped over Michael. He sits up quickly, before it gets too awkward, and notices that Lucifer is reading something. A tilt of his head allows him to read the book’s title. It’s a about gardening. Adam looks at Michael, who shrugs and then he smiles. “I’m gonna catch a shower. Anyone else want breakfast?”
Nobody answers, so Adam leaves for his bathroom. Only when he’s upstairs, stripping in front of the shower and taking of his shirt, he notices that for one, the very faint scent of Michael is clinging to it, and for two, it smells really damn good. Brushing the thought aside, Adam takes his shower, gets his breakfast and feeds Eli- since he’s the only one who needs regular meals, he has taken on the responsibility of feeding her, because he is the least likely to forget.
When he’s done eating and placing what he used in the dishwasher, Lucifer appears beside him. “I need your help.”
“Okay? With what?”
Lucifer grabs his shoulder, and the next moment they’re standing in a DIY-superstore. “I want a garden.”
“…okay.” Adam looks at Lucifer, who is watching him with expectation and faint impatience. “Alright, cool. Er, which plants? I know jack about gardening.”
“These plants.” Lucifer says and shows him a piece of paper that has a list of Enochian words scribbled on it.
Okay, baby steps. Adam sighs. He’s going to help Satan plant a garden, and he’s going to keep the few scraps of sanity he has left. “Alright, come on. Let’s get a caddy. I really hope you have money.”
Lucifer has money. Lucifer has an American Express Card blacker than his soul, or grace, or whatever. Adam does not ask where it’s from and Lucifer is probably kind enough not to tell him. They buy a metric fuckton of flowers, seeds, mulch, flower soil, compost and various tools. At some point, Adam stops loading the caddy and simply dictates a list of the things Lucifer wants to the gaping employee, and since they arrange cheap delivery, this is also the first occasion Adam gets to learn his new home address. Lucifer is charming and scary at the same time, and Adam is amused by the clerks’ shuffling more than he admits. Lucifer winks at him when they push the cabby with the stuff they want immediately around a corner of the building and end up on the terrace at home.
Eli barks excitedly and Adam smiles. “You know that stealing shopping carts is not a petty crime.”
“Being Satan has its perks.” Lucifer shrugs and then smirks at Adam. “You are going to help me to dig over the garden.”
“I am?”
“Yes.”
“You’re an archangel.”
“So?”
So Adam helps Lucifer dig up the garden. There’s nothing better to do. It takes them three days during which Michael starts to cook Jamie Oliver Recipes. He claims he does it because he wants to learn more about human culture, but they all know it’s because of that documentary about anorexia and proper balanced diets they watched the other night. Adam is too tired from the hard work to whip up more than a PB&J, but Michael’s humble attempts at human food are actually edible. After pronging comes planting which takes another day, and then Lucifer spends two more setting up rows of seedlings on all available windowsills in their house.
Five weeks after they left the cage, Adam’s biorhythm catches up with him. He sleeps in regular intervals now, gets hungry at the same times every day, and going to the supermarket feels real instead of like a vivid, too bright dream. And that night, he dreams about the cage, but not the dark, fiery aspects, but about the being intertwined, tangled up in each other, sharing pleasurable memories. And that dream twists into something more, somehow mingles with the memories of Michael’s scent and Lucifer’s smirk, and it becomes a thousand what-ifs…
Adam wakes, pulse hammering in his ears, his whole body throbbing and a wet spot in his boxers. He’s a healthy, human male, his body is twenty years old, and he really should have expected this to happen. It’s no consolation, because if there is one thing in the whole wide world that Adam can never have, it’s what he just dreamed about.
He rises, changes his underwear, gets dressed and then goes downstairs. There is only one viable option: He needs to get laid, and drunk, in that order, soon.
The light in the living room is on, so Adam figures if he thinks very hard about Alcohol and what he’d like to drink, it will consume enough of his thoughts so no mind-reading entities catch anything they shouldn’t while he tells them he’s going out, but what he sees when he comes into the room makes all his thoughts stop.
Michael and Lucifer are kissing.
It should not be such a surprise, not be so shocking. Of course they didn’t want Eli in Michael’s room. Of course Lucifer accepted the puppy nonetheless because Michael had brought it. If they had been human, Adam would have bet his ass that they were together. Actually, scratch that, he’s seen their human counterparts interact, and Sam and Dean are so way beyond brotherly, Adam should have just known. He really, absolutely should have fucking known. And yet he can’t tear his eyes from them. Michael is cupping Lucifer’s cheek ever so gently, and Lucifer’s whole body is leaning into the touch. It’s the most beautiful thing Adam has ever seen, including all the memories they shared with him, and suddenly watching hurts too much. He turns around, reconsidering his plans and wondering just how much alcohol it will take to delete this whole fucking night from his brain- he was in Med school, shouldn’t he know that stuff?- when Lucifer steps in his way.
“Leaving so soon?”
“I’m sorry; I did not mean to intrude.”
“You weren’t intruding.” Michael corrects him, from directly behind him, and Adam jumps a little. “Okay, one thing, please. Personal space, okay?”
“Stop freaking out.” Lucifer says, slightly irritated, and Adam has to suppress a bout of hysterical laughter. “Sorry. Just, I didn’t know- no, I didn’t think that you two…” He looks for words and finds none, and his thoughts are a tumbling, confused mess. Michael nods. “We noticed your surprise.”
“Yeah, again, sorry for interrupting.”
“Don’t be.” Lucifer says casually. “Your surprise wasn’t the only thing we noticed.” His smirk, the way he looks Adam up and down, eyes dark and knowing, is enough to make Adam blush crimson. For the first time since he was a teenager, he feels the heat crawl up his neck, ears and into his cheeks. “I can’t do anything about that, sorry.”
“Why do you keep apologizing?” Michael asks. “You must be aware that we do desire you, Adam.”
“You what?”
“Told you so.” Lucifer grins smugly and takes a predatory step nearer to him. “You heard right, we want you, Adam, in more ways than we already got you. All kinds of ways, really. Kinky, filthy, naughty ways…”
“Stop. Just.” Adam takes a deep, careful breath, and exhales just as pointedly. “Give me a minute to comprehend that, please?”
“You humans are so slow.” Lucifer complains, but there’s a teasing tone to his voice that goes a long way to relax Adam. Michael meets his eyes calmly, confident and affectionate. “Do you have an answer, Adam?”
His mind is still a hurricane of thoughts, questions, ideas, images and uncertainties, but in the eye of the storm, there is one thing Adam knows for sure.
“Yes.”
Life on earth is beautiful. Life with Lucifer and Michael more so. April turns to May, and May to June. Michael admonishes Lucifer mildly for messing with the local weather so his roses bloom early, but he doesn’t really mean it. Lucifer conjures garden furniture from somewhere. He also gets Michael the Jamie Oliver pan set, and Adam and Lucifer spend a week pretending not to notice how excited Michael is about using all of them. Adam finds a nice, quiet job at the local college library, and he starts thinking about School in earnest again. Lucifer agrees to watch Scrubs in exchange for Adam permitting a Bruce Willis marathon. They adopt an old, arthritic, grey cat by the name of Greebo which Michael brings home from the shelter where he volunteers. And Adam does not spend one single night in his own bed anymore.
All in all, it’s as close to perfect as it will ever be, and Adam is happy.
One day, the doorbell rings. That never happened before, mostly because nobody of significance except for presumably Gabriel knows they are even on earth right now. And even more because, while neither Michael nor Lucifer openly mentioned it, Adam knows this place is protected and hidden with all spells and sigils two archangels could come up with.
Michael goes to open the door. A small, dark-haired man grins up at them, Gabriel, Adam knows from Lucifer’s memory. Behind him, Castiel and Sam and Dean Winchester are staring at Michael and Adam.
“Hi bro! Long time no see. Nice to meet you, Adam. Can we come in?”
“What do you want, Gabriel?” Michael asks, voice dangerously calm. Adam frowns at Michael- okay sure, he’s not too excited to see his brothers and Castiel, but he doesn’t exactly want them smote either- they don’t deserve that. Michael meets his eyes, with a look that begs to differ, and Adam can’t help but roll his own. “Let’s hear them out.”
“Just a little family reunion.” Gabriel beams at Adam, and sighing, Michael lets them in. Adam leads the way into the living room, and Gabriel bounces into step with him. “Please tell me Lucy’s home?”
“If I hadn’t been when you rang, I would be now.” Lucifer says. He is standing in the door to the terrace in ratty, dirty jeans and his favourite gardening t-shirt, of some black metal band Adam never recognizes. His hands are dirty with soil, and there is a smudge of it on his slightly sunburned cheek that Adam wants to wipe of very badly. Lucifer smirks, without doubt reading the sentiment, and Adam is almost tempted to give in to it, except for the fact that Sam is suddenly tense beyond compare. “You!”
“Me. Missed me, Sammy?”
Sam is white as a sheet, and Dean growls lowly. “You bloody bastard, I’m gonna kill you!”
“The Winchesters, out for blood. How surprising.” Lucifer rolls his eyes and fixes Gabriel with his bright, cool stare. “Why did you bring them here again?”
“For cuddles and entertainment value, mainly.” Gabriel gives back with a shrug. “Down, boys, I thought we all agreed to be civil?”
“You kidnapped us out of our motel room.” Dean growls.
“Okay, so let’s pretend we did. Nobody here is killing or smiting anyone else, alright?” Gabriel insists firmly.
Lucifer shrugs and saunters past them to the bathroom. “I’m not even taunting. I don’t know what more you could ask for.”
“I’m very proud of you, Lucy.” Gabriel gives back bitingly joyful.
“Why did you bring us here?” Castiel speaks for the first time.
“Isn’t that kind of obvious?” Gabriel rolls his eyes. Michael sighs again and gestures towards the couch. “Have a seat.”
They all sit down, and the awkward silence is only ended when Lucifer comes back from the bathroom, hands now clean. “I didn’t miss anything yet, did I?”
“Adam, I’m so sorry.” Sam says, looking at his younger brother, and there is heavy guilt on both his and Dean’s faces. “We had no idea you got out, if we had known-”
“It wouldn’t have changed anything. It’s okay, Sam.” Adam says, and weirdly enough, it is. Everyone here knows that Sam and Dean didn’t really go head over heels to get Adam out of the cage, like Dean did for Sam, and Adam is not mad anymore. A little sad, and a little hurt, but if they had busted him out, he never would have gotten what he has now, and what he has now is without a doubt better than anything he could’ve had living with Sam and Dean.
Lucifer sends him a sardonic smile at the notion, and Michael actually strokes his hair, Dean’s and Sam’s eyes budging at the simple gesture. “Oh, you gotta be kidding me.” Dean mutters.
“Why are you here?” Michael asks, sterner now, and to Adam’s surprise, it’s Castiel who speaks, lowering his head. “I made a mistake. No, I made several.” His eyes light up briefly, and so do Michael’s and Lucifer’s as their little brother shares his memories. Michael’s face is gold, pure, baffled disbelief, while Lucifer simply starts laughing, deep and full-bellied, like he just heard the most hilarious joke of creation. “Well, at least you kept busy.” He is honestly wheezing a little as he catches his breath.
“You destroyed Raphael?” Michael asks indignantly and Castiel lowers his head in shame.
“Well, so far, so good. The leviathans are dealt with and Sam and Dean dramatically almost closed hell.” Lucifer recounts. “Way to go with the possession track record by the way. I’m proud of you, Sammy.”
Sam stares at Lucifer as if he could set him on fire by willpower alone. Michael fixes Gabriel with a glance of similar intensity. “What do you need us for?”
“More recent developments call for Archangelic intervention, and since I was enjoying my witness protection, I figured I’d get someone with a little more expertise.” Gabriel explains. “Gotta say, Mickey, I really did not expect you to pull a, well, me, and just vanish of the map. With Lucy and the kid in the carry-on luggage no less.”
“What can I say? Adam and I are just too much fun to pass up, aren’t we, sweetheart?” Lucifer drawls and winks at Adam with the most lewd, sultry smile he can muster. Adam rolls his eyes for what feels like the tenth time in twenty minutes. “Could you stop trying to rile my brothers up?”
“But it’s so easy. Look at how they’re fuming.” Lucifer says delightedly, and Adam sighs. “What does it take for you to contain your excitement?”
“Depends. What are you offering?”
“Okay stop. Everyone shut up, I can’t deal with this!” Dean interrupts and looks at Adam with a mix of horror and concern. “You’re… with Lucifer and Michael?”
“Yes.” Adam states, simple and calm, allowing Sam and Dean to process the information. Sam opens his mouth and Adam speaks before he can. “Out of my own free will, no one forced me, nothing depended on it, I did not have to, but I wanted to.”
“You can’t know that.” Sam says. “The cage, what they did to us…”
Lucifer tenses, but Adam does them all a favour and cuts him of, too. “They never did anything to us.”
“Yes they did. Sam’s soul was a mess when it got out.” Dean growls.
“It was without a body for a considerably long time.” Michael points out.
“If you ever trusted me, then trust me when I say this: Neither Michael nor Lucifer did anything but fight with each other for the whole time Sam was in the cage.” Adam adds and meets Sam’s eyes. “Nobody was torturing you. You went mad with worry over Dean first, and you were hallucinating most of the time. Watching them was intense. But nobody deliberately hurt you.”
Sam nods faintly, and Adam understands that he’ll need some time to accept that, but they need to make progress with this conversation, because both Michael and Lucifer are growing more and more uneasy, and Adam won’t have that. “Why are you here, now?” He asks Gabriel firmly.
“Heaven is shut down.” Gabriel replies simply.
Michael sits up straight and Lucifer narrows his eyes. “Come again?”
“You heard me just fine.” Gabriel says and looks at Michael incredulously. “You didn’t try to return like once? Sneak a peek, make sure all’s in working order?”
“No.” Michael says. “I tried to do my ultimate duty to father and the host, and father decided for the story to go otherwise. Therefore I consider myself relieved of those duties until I am told different.”
Sam and Dean are slightly startled and confused. Castiel looks at Michael as if he just grew a second head. Gabriel’s mouth is hanging open. And Lucifer is a blur of motion as he tackles Michael into the couch and kisses him, not caring for the four outsiders in the room. Adam can’t suppress the wide grin that takes over his face as he watches his lovers, appreciating the view relaxed. After a minute, he pointedly clears his throat. Michael and Lucifer break apart to watch him, that familiar, identical dark look in their eyes, and Adam blushes and nods at their guests who are regarding the exchange with puzzlement (Castiel), consternation (his brothers) and mad glee (Gabriel).
“I love you.” Lucifer says and means both of them.
“Aaaas I said,” Gabriel interrupts. “Heaven is shut down. More specifically, was shut down, by Metatron and our poor, unassuming Cassie who, we can probably all agree on that, is blessed with a much too trusting nature.”
“What?” Michael asks. Lucifer turns and sits down between him and Adam, and he lifts an eyebrow at Castiel. “Never doing things by halves, do you, little brother?”
“There is no way for me to make up for what I did.” Castiel says morosely. “I devastated heaven, and then I helped close it. Angels lost their lives in the fall, so many, and more lost their wings…”
Dean reaches out and takes Castiel’s hand in his. Sam lays his long arm around the angel’s back. “You were trying to help, Cas.”
“Oh, the road of good intentions.” Lucifer says and looks at Gabriel. “The Fall? And did you say Metatron?”
“The one and only. Someone tracked him down after they managed to lose their prophet, tablet inclusive.” Gabriel explains. “Told him all about our failed little showdown. He subsequently killed some angels, stole Castiel’s grace to complete his spell, cast the whole heavenly host out of heaven, had the current prophet killed by the angel that was possessing dear Sammy here, stole all words of Dad and interrupted the line of prophets permanently.”
The temperature in the room drops ten degrees, and when Adam turns to look at Lucifer, he is wearing the single most frightening, calm expression Adam has ever seen on a human face. “He did what?”
“Cast the whole heavenly host out. Made them fall, crash and burn in a few cases.” Gabriel repeats, a grim smile on his lips. “Figured you’d sympathize.”
“Michael, I am going to have to take a vacation from our vacation.” Lucifer says, cold, seeping rage in his utterly controlled voice. Michael frowns. “Are you sure?”
“Gabriel is not strong enough. If I don’t do it, you’re going to end up with the task.” Lucifer says and rises. “Besides, I am the designated villain of this universe, and even I have my limits. Nobody does this to my little siblings and can expect to get away with it.”
Michael nods earnestly. Lucifer leans down to brush a kiss over his lips, then kisses Adam a tad longer, ignoring the faint choking sound Dean makes. When Lucifer turns, his eyes are ice. “Castiel? I expect you want a part in this.”
“Yes.”
“If Cas goes, we’re going.” Dean says and Lucifer shrugs. “Try to keep up.” Wings flutter, and then they’re gone. Gabriel groans. “I guess I’d better go after them and make sure the boys get back in one peace, huh?”
“You can stop pretending you don’t care about them.” Michael says. “It’s rather childish and nobody is believing you anyways.”
“Pff, go suck a dick, Michael.” Gabriel says and sticks out his tongue at his big brother. Then he grins at Adam. “Take care, kiddo. Think you might let the boys visit on occasion? They’re crap at saying it, but they’d love a proper chance to make up with you.”
“I’ll give them a call.” Adam promises and Gabriel beams at him. “Wonderful. See you around!” And then he is gone, too, and Michael pulls Adam against him, burying his face in Adam’s shoulder. It’s a surprisingly human gesture, and Adam laces his fingers through Michael’s. “It’s okay. Let him do this for you.”
“Words do not exist in any language to convey how much I love you two.” Michael mumbles.
“I know.” Adam replies. “We both do.”
They don’t move from the couch for the rest of the day, just cuddling and waiting.
When Lucifer returns that evening, he is still wearing his gardening outfit, soil on his jeans and all. He carelessly throws a bag containing three engraved stone tablets into the corner of the living room. Greebo sends it a disinterested glance before he decides that whatever is in it, is most likely not edible and therefore not of import. Eli greets Lucifer with the usual enthusiasm, and Lucifer takes a moment to lean down and pat the puppy’s head. Then he joins them, lets Michael and Adam draw him into a crushing hug. Adam kisses him and Michael presses his lips hot against his neck, and all three of them are home.