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blue_bells» Title: Impasse
» Fandom: Supernatural
» Warnings: 6x03 coda
» Pairing(s)/Characters: Raphael/Nick
» Summary: The angels just won't let Nick lie.
» A/N: Wherein I compensate![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
zekkass for letting me harass them. I have a weakness for rare pairings that boggle my brain.
He's ash, dust and splinters, but Raphael reforms him with a gesture and every last piece flies from between the floorboards and cracks in the wall until Nick is standing before him... almost standing.
"What--? Who.... ?" He winces.
Raphael catches his arm and holds him on his feet when he tips over.
Nick frowns, blinking heavily, relearning how to breathe. He groans a hoarse sound of question, but Raphael places a hand over his eyes and Nick's eyes slide closed with a look of relief. There's a brief flare from Raphael's palm and Nick steadies, breaths evening.
Nick finally looks him in the eye when Raphael's hand falls away.
"I'm back?"
Nick looks down at his hands and touches his arms, then his face. He looks confused and vaguely horrified.
"I've restored you," Raphael states, before the human can make him reiterate the obvious. "It's but one of many things I can do to you."
Raphael is unsure if it's the effect of his voice or the presence of his majesty, but Nick stares at him for an unseasonably long moment for the little air he breathes.
When the vessel responds, his voice is strained.
"Which one are you?"
Raphael's eyes narrow and the air crackles.
"I am Raphael. Well met, Nick."
Nick's body stiffens when Raphael abruptly takes his arm, fingers curling around his elbow.
"You will help me."
"I'm not going to be your vessel."
Raphael's fingers tighten until he hears the creak and strain of the bones he's just reformed. He knows how fragile these humans are and he has learned how easily they break. He's surprised when Nick only exhales, his already stiff frame unreacting.
"You will help me," Raphael repeats.
"You must have missed the memo," Nick says, sounding weak, bemused, "My last tenant was a pretty sore client. I'm not looking to rent anytime soon."
Raphael smirks and his hand burns through the thin jacket sleeve to the skin beneath. Nick frowns gently and regards the hiss of smoke.
"I have ways to persuade you."
"Trust me," Nick cuts him off, eyebrows raising slightly, "I've seen it all."
Raphael pauses. When he pulls back his hand, the burn on Nick's arm is healed.
Nick is too accustomed to violence.
"Six months," Raphael says.
Nick waits, eyebrows still raised expectantly.
"Serve me for six months and I will return you to Heaven if, it's still what you want."
Nick's face is surprised for the first time in their discussion.
"'If'?"
"You may be surprised what I have to offer you, Nick," Raphael says.
"I'm not falling for that."
"I advise you take the offer. Otherwise, I can arrange for you to live forever, hunted, and you will never see your family again."
Nick's expression is murderous. The tendons stand in his neck as he grinds his jaw and eventually swallows. The softness and amusement is gone.
It's more than Raphael had expected from a person worn down under Lucifer's grace and hunger.
This could be... delightful.
"I don't know why you call yourselves 'angels'," Nick growls under his breath. "Fuck you and the wings you ride on."
Raphael's grace swells with pride. Nick forces out a long breath.
He shakes his head, like he can't believe he's falling for this all over again, but his mouth forms his agreement.
For the second time, light floods into the street from that derelict apartment in Detroit.
» Fandom: Supernatural
» Warnings: 6x03 coda
» Pairing(s)/Characters: Raphael/Nick
» Summary: The angels just won't let Nick lie.
» A/N: Wherein I compensate
zekkass for letting me harass them. I have a weakness for rare pairings that boggle my brain.He's ash, dust and splinters, but Raphael reforms him with a gesture and every last piece flies from between the floorboards and cracks in the wall until Nick is standing before him... almost standing.
"What--? Who.... ?" He winces.
Raphael catches his arm and holds him on his feet when he tips over.
Nick frowns, blinking heavily, relearning how to breathe. He groans a hoarse sound of question, but Raphael places a hand over his eyes and Nick's eyes slide closed with a look of relief. There's a brief flare from Raphael's palm and Nick steadies, breaths evening.
Nick finally looks him in the eye when Raphael's hand falls away.
"I'm back?"
Nick looks down at his hands and touches his arms, then his face. He looks confused and vaguely horrified.
"I've restored you," Raphael states, before the human can make him reiterate the obvious. "It's but one of many things I can do to you."
Raphael is unsure if it's the effect of his voice or the presence of his majesty, but Nick stares at him for an unseasonably long moment for the little air he breathes.
When the vessel responds, his voice is strained.
"Which one are you?"
Raphael's eyes narrow and the air crackles.
"I am Raphael. Well met, Nick."
Nick's body stiffens when Raphael abruptly takes his arm, fingers curling around his elbow.
"You will help me."
"I'm not going to be your vessel."
Raphael's fingers tighten until he hears the creak and strain of the bones he's just reformed. He knows how fragile these humans are and he has learned how easily they break. He's surprised when Nick only exhales, his already stiff frame unreacting.
"You will help me," Raphael repeats.
"You must have missed the memo," Nick says, sounding weak, bemused, "My last tenant was a pretty sore client. I'm not looking to rent anytime soon."
Raphael smirks and his hand burns through the thin jacket sleeve to the skin beneath. Nick frowns gently and regards the hiss of smoke.
"I have ways to persuade you."
"Trust me," Nick cuts him off, eyebrows raising slightly, "I've seen it all."
Raphael pauses. When he pulls back his hand, the burn on Nick's arm is healed.
Nick is too accustomed to violence.
"Six months," Raphael says.
Nick waits, eyebrows still raised expectantly.
"Serve me for six months and I will return you to Heaven if, it's still what you want."
Nick's face is surprised for the first time in their discussion.
"'If'?"
"You may be surprised what I have to offer you, Nick," Raphael says.
"I'm not falling for that."
"I advise you take the offer. Otherwise, I can arrange for you to live forever, hunted, and you will never see your family again."
Nick's expression is murderous. The tendons stand in his neck as he grinds his jaw and eventually swallows. The softness and amusement is gone.
It's more than Raphael had expected from a person worn down under Lucifer's grace and hunger.
This could be... delightful.
"I don't know why you call yourselves 'angels'," Nick growls under his breath. "Fuck you and the wings you ride on."
Raphael's grace swells with pride. Nick forces out a long breath.
He shakes his head, like he can't believe he's falling for this all over again, but his mouth forms his agreement.
For the second time, light floods into the street from that derelict apartment in Detroit.
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no subject
Date: 2010-10-21 02:37 pm (UTC)Thank you for writing this!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-22 12:52 am (UTC)Secondly, I'm glad the fic delivered and these two worked for you! I've read a few stories now with Raphael and there's a long sliding scale for his patience that confused me. I went with his characterisation in the show, though he seems a bit close to Lucifer: flat and threatening, with less baggage. :P I remember cracking up at Nick's first meeting with Lucifer and I like the idea that he was strong enough to still put up a fight.
It's the first time I've written them both as more than window dressing, so I'm glad you liked! :D
no subject
Date: 2010-10-22 01:21 am (UTC)Raphael has had...two? episodes. I am not surprised that his characterization has been all over the place, but sticking to the show is always the best option. (I am suddenly struck by the idea of how, if things had gone a bit differently, Raphael could have wound up helping Lucifer. They're both angry at an absent God, want it to be over, and anger issues. On the other hand, well. Maybe not. *shrugs* Forgive my rambling.)
Nick, for his ten minutes of showtime, is amazing. He didn't immediately jump at the offer to get justice/revenge, and if you'll notice Lucifer had to take some time to give him bad dreams/bring the memories back. Unfortunately for him, though, he was a perfect target once Lucifer buttered him up, and he didn't have any of Sam's a) knowledge of what being a vessel is like, b) that Winchester stubbornness, and c) wasn't a main character.
And I am rambling again, so please forgive me. I like talking about these two, and I enjoyed this fic. :3
no subject
Date: 2010-10-22 05:38 am (UTC)From Raphael's introduction, he was certainly in league with Lucifer's cause. He was probably the highest ranking angel Hell had successfully turned to their side. He's finishing Lucifer's work; but I can cite his speech because I lost my episodes of everything prior to S6!
I really enjoyed Nick and I'm glad there's growing number of fic for him now!
no subject
Date: 2010-10-22 05:47 am (UTC)...really? I was convinced that Raphael was on Michael's side, and wanted everything to be over, basically. How'd you figure that out?
no subject
Date: 2010-10-23 04:19 am (UTC)John and Adam both experienced Michael, too. I wonder if there's any merit in that, even though John doesn't remember (now I'm just fishing).
Haha! Like I said, don't quote me on Raphael's motivations -- I don't have my episodes on hand to verify my sketchy recollections, but we can all at least agree that he was at least on the wagon 'Apocalypse is a go'.
no subject
Date: 2010-10-23 04:28 am (UTC)We can agree on that, and I went and rewatched Raphael in his first appearance again (in the fire ring speaking to Cas n Dean) and I am convinced that he's on Heaven's side, at least in that he wants the Apocalypse to go through and he wants Michael to win. (But if you get a chance to watch that and come up with something entirely different, I want to hear your thoughts.)