4 - Calm before the storm

Horknath turned to look at Castiel. He blinked slowly, fully understanding the weigth of that statement, dropped so casually. "... so, you... you and Norway, then?", he asked, a bit embarrassed. "Uh. Well, I can't say I was entirely expecting this."

Corvus blinked, a bit startled that Sam didn't want to ask her any question, or had nothing to say about her face at all. But she was all too happy to kiss him back, gently cupping his cheeks as well.

".......Oh." Castiel seemed suddenly a little bit embarrassed. "It just occurred to me I wasn't supposed to mention this. I, uh-" He threw an awkward glance at Dean. "It's meant to remain private, for now. He doesn't want to bring this out publicly." Then again, it also meant there was no chance he and Carleen would ever be a thing again!

When Sam finally pulled away from her, he signed her a simple, sweet, "You're beautiful. Thank you." He was still beaming, and looked like he was about to burst from joy.

"Uhm... sure, I... don't worry. I can keep secrets", Horknath managed to answer awkwardly, patting Castiel's arm. Truth be told, he was a bit glad about knowing that Dean's attention was somewhere else now - but he still did manage to feel inadequate, in his own way!

Corvus giggled, a bit embarrassed, actually. And the fact that Sam could now see her blushing cheeks made her even more embarrassed. "Thank you", she signed. "You aren't bad at all yourself."

Castiel cleared his throat. "Thank you. To go back to our main topic, I'll be looking forward to the books you'll be giving me to read."

Sam smiled back at Corvus, and hesitated for a little bit, before he signed to her, "That's a great trust you have in me, for showing me who you are. I'd like to show you how much I trust you in return. Do you have a piece of paper I could write on?"

"I'll give you my favourite", Horknath answered with a nod. "It's a bit ruined on some pages, because I underline the passages I like. And because I read too close to the candles, and some wax ends up on the cover", he added a bit embarrassed. "But what can I do. With one eye, it's not that easy."

Corvus blinked, surprised by that question. What could Sam have to reveal, that could rival her own secret? "Sure. On that desk", she answered, then gesturing to a pile of white sheets of paper on a table nearby.

Castiel made a face. "I'm really sorry for what happened to your eye." Had he been able to tell Horknath who he truly was, he would have offered to heal it for him. But he knew better than to betray his friend. Well. He had already done so, by hiding to him that he was an angel. But there was no obligation for him to know about it.

Sam nodded, and went to the desk. He wrote a bit on a piece of paper, and offered it to them. It read "My name is Samuel. You may think of me as 'Sam'." He gently smiled at them.

"Oh, it was... long ago, by now", Horknath muttered He absently scratched his eyepatch, like he used to whenever he got reminded he did miss an eye. "Sure, it's not the best thing that can happen to a hunter. Or a mercenary. Which is literally all I would be allowed to do, for a honest living." He sighed. "But it's not like I can get it back."

Corvus read that message. Once, twice, to make sure she had read it right. She was almost scared about asking, at that point, but the question escaped her as soon as she gave that piece of paper back to Sam. "Samuel... Winchester?", she asked, tentatively.

"Some people could," Castiel replied before he could even think about it. "But it would be best if you didn't ask a powerful demon or angel about it," he quickly added.

Sam blinked. And looked a little wary, all of a sudden. Of course, a small voice in him wanted hard to believe there must have been a merry reason for which she knew that name. But he also knew it was whispered among angels, because he was bound to be Lucifer's true vessel. "How do you know my full name?" he signed to her, nervous.

"Oh, you know I don't trust magicians or the likes", Horknath immediately reassured him. "And- honestly, do you really think I would ask a demon? Or an angel? Really, who do you think is responsible for this? A common, human hunter?" His chuckle sounded a bit bitter, to be honest.

Corvus struggled to keep herself from betraying any kind of emotion on her face. "Well...", she started, and then stopped. Maybe it was better to show him, in fact. She rolled up her sleeve, showing the piece of cloth that hid her soulmate name, and undid it. In clear letters, the name of Sam Winchester was tattooed into her skin. It was clear on its own, as a gesture.

"No, I-" Castiel suddenly felt very embarrassed. "I figured they could be the only ones with such a power. I shouldn't have brought it up, I am sorry." He did look sorry. Even more because he knew very well that some angels raided orc villages, asked for vessels and then killed everyone.

The moment Corvus reached for her wrist, Sam stopped breathing. He only realized it when he gasp for air when he saw his name, his own birth name written on her wrist. He swallowed hard, and then undid his own cloth. He read her name, which he knew by heart, and then showed his wrist to her, without a word.

Horknath smiled at him. "It's alright. As I said, it happened long ago - maybe twelve years ago?" He scratched his chin, thinking about it. "I guess fifteen, yes. I was sixteen at the time, more or less - and I am more or less twenty-eight now." More or less, because orcs weren't famous for caring much about birthdays. They mostly kept track of the moment of time in which they reached adulthood, and of other important passage rituals.

Corvus read the name Sam was showing her in utmost silence, of course. She looked up at him, however, and smiled brightly. "Eileen Leahy", she read, in an uncertain voice. Also making him understand that yes, she was actually deaf.

Castiel nodded, and said nothing for a little while. "I do hope that one day, some people will manage to undo the wrong Heaven did to humanity. Humans, orcs, dwarves and elves included." He himself felt particularly guilty from having been Heaven's soldier for most of his life.

Sam beamed again, and gently cupped Corvus - Eileen. Oh gosh, Eileen -'s cheeks, to kiss her again, and again. He tried to keep it gentle, but he felt so glad, filled with passion- And most importantly, knowing that Corvus was his soulmate had reassured him a great deal. He had feared for ages the mere thought of dragging someone who deserved nothing less than a normal life into this. But Corvus had been a hunter since God knows when. If anything, she knew the life. She embraced it. And she was both a legend, and the person he had come to love like never before.
She was perfect.

Horknath let out a small chuckle. "I don't know about that, my friend", he said more jovially, smiling at him. "We shouldn' think about that now anyway. If it ever happens that people manage to get rid of this Government, it will be in many, many years anyway. Better enjoy what we have."

Eileen wrapped her arms around Sam, holding him tight and kissing him back with passion. She felt as happy as she had never been before. She had hoped to find him, so much - even ready to simply watch her soulmate from far away, if he happened to be a civillian - but for him to be not only a great, well-known hunter, but also the sweetest, most precious and handsome man she had ever seen? A man that showed her his utmost affection even though he had never seen her face once before?
Well. That was just more than she could hope for.

"You're probably right," Castiel sighed, before he looked at his friend a bit. "Did you manage to find a bit of happiness these days, in spite of our travel?"

Sam kept on kissing her, and even lifted her up in his arms to bring her to the bed, where he sat under her, with a happy grin. He didn't need to sign to her how happy he was. He knew it could be read on his face alone.

Horknath hummed. "Well, I'd say so, yeah. More like because of our travel, not in spite", he answered, crossing his arms. "I think I can say, with very few doubts and for the first time since... well, a lot of time, I can say I found good friends here. You, and then Alces and Norway, Ursus... I feel accepted in here. It makes me happy, yes."

Eileen chuckled, feeling Sam move and sit on the bed with her. She didn't stop kissing him either, and instead pushed herself further up on his lap, settling herself very close to his crotch. She playfully bit his lip, opening her eyes to look at him as she smirked against his mouth.

Castiel smiled softly at him, and laid a hand over his arm. "I am glad that you see us as your friends, Sus. You are a dear friend to me too."

Sam shared a glance with her and chuckled against her lips. Soon enough, his hands moved in between them to unbutton her shirt. He stopped after the first button, though, and inched back a little to sign to her. "May I?"

Horknath smiled. "Well, that's nice to know", he answered, settling back against his chair. "Do you want to play cards?", he asked suddenly. "Staying sat here kind of makes me feel restless."

Eileen almost let out an 'aaw'. Sam had spelled out 'may' as May, the month, and that was just the cutest thing someone could do. She smiled and nodded, giving him her permission. "But first, your shirt", she added.

Castiel nodded. I suppose he must have learned a bit of card games, after travelling with the group for a little while! "Should we get other players as well?"

AW CUTE
Sam held back a chuckle. "Sure." He undid the buttons of his own shirt and got rid of it swiftly, revealing his nicely-sculpted torso.

"Ask whoever you want. I'll get the cards and wait for you at that table over there", Horknath said, getting up to go fetch a deck of cards.

Eileen greedily ran her hands over Sam's muscles, caressing his shoulders, his sides, his torso. She looked up at him, her smile getting larger. "I am very glad I won't have to imagine how nice abs look anymore, now that I can see some very nice ones up close", she joked.

Castiel nodded, and got up to find some playing partners. I suggest we leave them to their game!

Sam laughed kindly. "Last time I've check I was the one wearing a blindfold while we wore nothing," he signed to her, before he finally undid her own shirt, slowly, and gently took it off her.

Yep!

Eileen laughed. "Sure, that's true. But now I can tell you straight to your face", she signed playfully, before helping him with her shirt. She shrugged it off, and then reached for her own bra, slowly taking it off, without ever stopping to look straight into his eyes.

Sam smiled back at her, and held her gaze until he knew she was undressed enough for him to admire her. He gently cupped her breasts, and ran his hands over her naked body.

Eileen sighed softly, closing her eyes and tilting her chin up, to push her chest against Sam's large, warm hands. She smiled, and gently wrapped her arms around his neck once more, to bury her fingers in his hair and tug on it gently.

Since Sam was allowed to see her this time, he took in that pleasant sight, and smiled to himself, while he kept touching her, caressing her skin, and started kissing her neck in the meantime. He eventually shifted their positions a bit so he could have her lie down on the mattress, and traced his way down to her chest with his lips.

Eileen let Sam shift around and lay her down on the bed without protesting too much. In fact, she chuckled a bit, realizing that it was the first time she wasn't topping. She tapped Sam's shoulder, just to make him notice that small detail. "Now you'll be able to tell your brother that you are a switch, and not a bottom", she joked maliciously.