#every nonbinary dean thing i write is like. deeply personal but it's not something i will be v open abt

[angelsdean]

this isn’t really directly related to anything but just something that’s been on my mind for a while which is. that it’s hard sometimes wanting to write abt certain topics or themes that you do have some form of experience with but also you don’t want to have to come out with a list of all ur past experiences and traumas just to be taken seriously or considered valid or “allowed” to write those topics like. this is an issue not just in fandom but in larger literary spaces that has cropped up in recent years with the push for own voices stories, which i def think own-voices stories are Very important and crucial !!!!! but. it’s done something to fiction spaces where people now play this game where they like demand proof that a person is Allowed to write abt certain things. and it forces a lot of writers into a tough position where they either have to out themselves re: sexuality, gender identity, experiences of abuse or trauma just to justify writing those topics, or else their work will be deemed as “not valid” or not real representation or whatever. like just using sexuality as an example but lots of queer stories might be written by seemingly “straight” authors who just are not out yet or are still discovering their own sexuality. i think we can both uplift explicitly stated own-voices stories while also enjoying stories that have been well written / researched but where the authors have not explicitly come out as having directly experienced such topics. i think it becomes really harmful when we become obsessed with policing who can / can’t write certain topics or themes and no one should ever feel like they have to come out abt anything in their lives to justify their creative works 

[nicolabarth]

Fire and Lightning - Chapter 2

Read Chapter 1

Pairing: Michean (main pairing), Samifer (pretty important for the plot, too)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Sovereign!Dean, Mage!Michael, Mage!Raphael, Necromancer!Lucifer, Knight!Sam, nonbinary!Raphael (they/their pronouns), Blood Magic, Graphic depiction of Violence, Curses, past Michifer, lots of brotherly feels

Summary: Dean is still not used to Sam’s new lover, the necromancer and blood mage Lucifer, when even more mages show up on the Winchester lands. Michael and Raphael claim they’re after Lucifer because of crimes he commited and they have to bring him back to their homeland so he can be brought to justice. But is Lucifer actually guilty? And then there’s the fact that having Lucifer taken from him will break Sam’s heart. Dean can’t allow that, even though the more he talks to Michael the more he starts to like the stubborn bastard. And Michael knows it’s his duty to capture and return his brother Lucifer home, but the more he talks to Dean the more he starts to doubt that everything he thought he knows is true.

Notes: This is a sequel to Blood and Bones, even though it can probably be read on its own. Thanks to @askatosch @coplins and @brieflymaximumprincess for beta reading and keeping me motivated while writing.

Read it on AO3

The great hall had a second exit that led straight to a small garden inside the castle walls. That’s where Dean led his visitor now, taking a lamp from a hook by the door as he stepped out. While he fumbled for flint and iron to light the lamp, Michael extended a hand. “May I?”

Dean shrugged and handed the lamp over.

The (presumably) mage half turned away from Dean and lifted a finger toward the wick inside the lamp. Before Dean could wonder what good that was supposed to do, a small flame sprang to life on Michael’s finger tip. Dean couldn’t help but curse under his breath. So the bastard was showing off his powers now? If it was supposed to intimidate Dean, he’d have to try harder, though.

A moment later, Michael handed the lit lamp back with a smile that showed off dimples that Dean tried very hard to ignore. “Here you go.”

He had definitely been showing off to intimidate, Dean decided. No better way to get what you wanted than making clear from the start that you only chose to play nice. Dean took the lamp back and led the way over a gravel path towards a bench that he knew was in plain sight from the castle walls. So what if the mage could burn everything to crisps, if he wanted to? Burning anything would be hard with a few arrows in his chest.

Michael sat on the bench, and Dean put the lamp on the floor nearby, before he sat on the other end. He leaned back draping an arm over the backrest, trying to look as relaxed as possible. No way some mage was going to think he managed to scare him.

And since he was already at it playing unimpressed, he let his eyes wander, too. He wasn’t checking Michael out (well, maybe a little bit, and he definitely did his best to make it look like he was), but looked for clues of what else the mage could do. The leather clothing he was wearing that was a bit too thin to be armor made a lot more sense now. If you’re playing with fire on a regular basis you want to have as few flammable things on your person as possible. The sword made less sense, though. Maybe he knew just a little bit of magic and was mainly a fighter?

When Dean’s gaze returned to Michael’s face there was just the hint of a smile tugging at the other man’s lips. Then his gaze traveled down Dean’s body in turn, lifting an appreciative eyebrow in the process. That was unexpected, but kind of nice. Would’ve been nice, if they hadn’t been in the situation they were in.

“You just going to enjoy the view or are you actually going to start talking any time soon?” Dean asked, handily ignoring that they’d been doing the exact same thing.

The corners of Michael’s lips twitched, but he turned serious again fast. “We’re here to bring Lucifer to justice for his crimes.”

Dean would have had to lie to say that came as a surprise. Of course the necromancer had some skeletons in his basement. Literally probably. “I know the guy is hardly innocent, but what kind of crimes are we talking about here?”

“High treason to begin with. And I assume you know about his magic? It always needs a life or blood in the least. He’s tortured and murdered countless people to cast his spells.”

Dean thought about the cuts on Sam’s arm. “You think he’s using my brother for his spells, too?” If Lucifer was hurting Sam, it didn’t matter how deeply indebted Dean was to him. Then Dean would gladly present the necromancer to Michael and Raphael, complete with a nice little bow and a thank you card.

The question was, though, why would Sam let him? Sure, Lucifer wasn’t exactly easy to kill, but Sam wasn’t exactly helpless either. And Michael had said none of them was under any kind of spell, hadn’t he? So no messing with Sam’s mind. A terrible thought occurred to Dean. “Or do you think he’s teaching Sam his kind of magic?”

Sam couldn’t be stupid enough to dabble in dark magic, could he? Not Sam, who was always trying so hard to treat everyone fair, who had asked Dean to stop executing thieves and beggars as soon as Dean was declared sovereign of their small piece of land. Yes, John had always seen a dark side in Sam, had told Dean that he had to look out, that his younger brother was trouble. But John had also never quite gotten over their mother who had died giving birth to Sam, trusting some charlatan a bit too much in the process. Even after John had married anew he’d never gotten over her loss.

Michael gave an apologetic shrug. “All I can say is that scars like that are common, if you frequently draw blood for spells. Lucifer has quite a few of them himself.” For a moment Dean pressed his lips together, thinking. He had to confront Sam about this, he had to know the truth. After he dealt with their visitors. “So what are you planning to do?” he asked. “Kill Lucifer?”

Michael shook his head, almost looking a bit shocked. “He’s getting a trial, I made sure of that.”

That sounded fair, Dean had to admit. Especially if Lucifer actually committed the crimes Michael accused him of.

The mage shifted a bit on the bench, leaning forward, locking eyes with Dean. His eyes had looked green in the great hall, now they seemed hazel in the light of the lamp. And Dean didn’t know why he was thinking about that at all. “I’m not asking for your help. Just stand back and let us do what we came here for. You don’t want to get caught in the middle of a fight between mages anyway.”

That was very true. Still … “Any chance he could’ve changed since you last saw him? He saved the whole village a while back.”

That made Michael blink in surprise. “He did?”

Dean nodded. “He probably just did it so Sam wouldn’t make sad puppy eyes at him, but we would’ve been raided by bandits, if it hadn’t been for him.” For a moment Michael looked at him with a thoughtful expression. “Say,” he said after a while. “What are Lucifer and your brother to each other?”

Dean knew where that was heading, and he didn’t like it one bit. “If you plan on using my brother as leverage against Lucifer, you’re a dead man! I don’t care what kind of powerful mage you are. I don’t care, if I’m maybe not even capable of kicking your ass personally.” He didn’t even realize that he’d been leaning forward himself until his face was suddenly inches from Michael’s. “Hell, if you hurt Sam, I’ll gladly donate all the blood Lucifer needs for a spell to rip every bone from your body and smash you to bits.” For a moment he stayed right in Michael’s personal space, gaze drilling into those hazel eyes. “Understood?”

The bastard had the nerve to smile a little smile again as if he was somehow pleased with Dean threatening him. “I respect you wanting to protect your family. And I don’t want any bystanders to get hurt in this.” Michael lifted a hand, and Dean expected the mage to push him away, but instead he smoothed out the collar of Dean’s shirt. So showing off his powers wasn’t enough, he had to play little dominance games, too. Dean made a point of not shying away from the touch. He didn’t mind it anyway, feeling Michael’s body warmth seep through the fabric at the point of contact. “I will not harm your brother, if he keeps away. But no matter what Lucifer did recently, he has to be brought to justice for his crimes.” With that he pushed Dean away gently and stood up. “I guess it’s better we leave. Please consider my words and thank you for your hospitality.”

He started to walk down the path.

“Wait!” Dean called after him, getting up himself.

Michael stopped and turned towards him again, tilting his head to the side. “You’re not going to break the rules of hospitality, are you?”

Yeah, the rules of hospitality. You didn’t attack a guest unless they broke the rules first. Michael didn’t look like he expected an attack, though. Instead he stood there completely relaxed.

“No, but if you don’t want me and my knights on your ass right the second you step out of my castle, you better prove to me that Lucifer did something to hurt or manipulate Sam. Because that’s the only way you get me to back out of this. I really hate the guy, but I owe him my life. Twice.”

And that’s what is came down to. Dean had to make sure Sam was alright, but if he proved to be, there was only one right thing to do.

Michael lifted an eyebrow. For a moment he just looked at Dean as if he was reevaluating him. Then he slowly lifted a hand. A small flame flickered over his fingertips. “I could burn your castle to the ground in minutes.”

Dean tensed, but he stayed where he was. He was pretty sure he heard the creaking of a bowstring being pulled back from the walkway on the walls above. The second Michael tried something, he would be dead. “So you’re the one who’s going to break the rules of hospitality?”

That made Michael smile again, and the flame died down. “Fine,” he said. “Talk to your brother. Make up your mind about what he has to say. And if he lets me, I can show you his aura, take a closer look for signs of magic influences.”

“I’ll make a decision about this in the morning. You’ll stay here until then.” No way Dean was letting two potentially dangerous mages just run free on his own damn land.

That got him another lifted eyebrow. “I’m not going to sleep in a cell tonight.” It was a plain statement, no arrogance in it.

“You won’t, unless you insist.”

And there was that smile again, like Michael appreciated the thinly veiled threat. “In that case, I’ll gratefully accept your offer for me and my sibling to be your guests for a while longer.” He stressed the word ‘guests’. “And if you contact Lucifer – which I don’t mind, by the way. He knows that we’re here anyway –, please stress to him that I’m very willing to keep everyone of importance to him out of this, if he doesn’t do anything rash.”

“I’ll have someone show you and your … sibling to your rooms then.” Dean picked the lamp up and gestured for Michael to start heading back towards the hall. This was going to be a very long night.

Tagging:  @lucibae-is-dancing-in-hell@humongouscandycoffee @schizonephilim @coffee-queen448 @secretlydaydreaminglifeaway @wizardwinchester@samwise-the-true-hero @rarepairsrock @deanbiaced