The process for Samandriel to become human took place over the next month while they were choosing their new living space. First came the fever. When Adam kissed Samandriel's forehead, his skin felt like fire on his lips.

Sweat stuck his clothes to his skin, and his face was almost always red. His breathing was labored and ragged. Sometimes, it looked as if he wasn't breathing at all. The fever lasted almost a week before it finally broke.

By that time, Adam had picked out some choices, ranging from apartments to condos to houses. A few were to buy and many were to rent. Adam wasn't picky, but he wasn't sure if Samandriel was.

Adam brought Samandriel to the first place; an inexpensive, two-bedroom apartment overlooking the city. It was a few miles from the bunker, and the neighborhood was calm. The inside, however, was void of almost all appliances, the owners deciding to take all of their stuff with them.

But it just didn't feel right.

It happened with the next few places, as well. They went home disappointed and hungry. Adam cooked for everyone because it was one of those rare days where everyone was here at the same time.

Dean, Sam, Cas, and Samandriel all sat at the table while Adam brought out the plates. They would've each gotten up and done it themselves, but Adam had insisted they take a break.

As they ate, the brothers asked how the house hunting was going.

"Slow," Adam replied.

"I thought the last place was nice," Samandriel piped up.

"That's because you think everything's nice." Adam sighed.

"What was wrong with it?" Sam asked.

"It had a very weak structure. The ceiling had huge water stains, and there would be people living above us. We would've been crushed in our sleep." Samandriel's small noise of anger could be heard easily in the quiet room. Adam frowned as the lights flickered. He placed a hand over Samandriel's. "Babe, I was kidding. Calm down."

Adam had a feeling he knew what was coming next. Still, when Samandriel stood up, ripping his hand from under Adam's and his chair falling backwards loudly, and slammed his hands on the table, Adam still jumped. "Well I'm sorry, Adam. Next time you make jokes about me and my almost nonexistent grace, I will just ignore it. Like every other time. Like it doesn't-" Samandriel audibly snapped his mouth shut, and stormed out of the room.

Dean and Sam had their mouths open, but didn't look at Adam. Castiel was looking at the place where Samandriel just left. Adam sat there, unsure what to do.

He wheeled himself out of the room, not saying a word to anyone at the table, and followed Samandriel to his room. Samandriel was sitting on the bed, head in his hands.

Adam wanted to say something, anything, but nothing came out. He got out of the chair, and sat down next to Samandriel, not trying to touch him or talk yet.

But when Samandriel took in a ragged breath, Adam knew he had to do something. He gently placed his arm around the back of the angel's neck, and rested his forehead on Samandriel's left shoulder.

He still didn't say anything. Either of them. They sat in silence for a while before Adam cleared his throat.

"You know," he mumbled into Samandriel's shoulder, "there's a house for rent. Half an hour away, tiny thing it is, quiet neighborhood." Adam didn't look up yet. "Wanna check it out? Maybe the others can come too."

Under Adam's mouth, Samandriel's shoulders lifted, then fell again. A sigh. Samandriel turned to Adam, who didn't move his arm from Samandriel's shoulders, but pulled his head back.

Samandriel smiled a barely there smile. "Their input would be very helpful."

Adam grinned, and Samandriel helped him back into his wheelchair. "Let's go. They'd probably give anything to leave this place without the threat of monsters."

They walked, wheeled in Adam's case, out to the dining room, laughing all the way there. All eyes turned to them. Dean kept glancing between their hands, interlocked over Adam's shoulder, and Castiel.

Adam glanced back at Samandriel, who squeezed his hand. "Get your coats," Adam said to the group. "We've got a house to rent."

Zipping his duffel bag, Adam placed his hands on his knees. He looked around his room he's had for almost a year now, and grinned. He was finally leaving.

The process for actually getting the house was difficult. The owner wasn't a fan of Adam and Samandriel, and kept saying that there were more houses and apartments closer to the city. But Adam was persistent.

Before he was killed the first time (he never thought he would ever string those words together in his head), Adam's mother had set up an account for him for college. It had collected a decent amount of money over the years, and he was ready to put it to good use.

No one else was stepping up to rent it, so it was smooth(er) sailing from then on. The owner gave them a tight smile, and shook both their hands, congratulating them.

Overall, it had been three months since Adam and Samandriel first took Dean, Sam, and Castiel to visit the place. Castiel liked the overall appearance, inside and out, while Sam and Dean knocked on the wood and checked for things Adam didn't care about.

By now, he got most of the feeling back in his legs, he had to use crutches, but it was better than a wheelchair. Oddly, the feeling between his knee and ankle was still slightly numb, but at least he could move his feet.

Samandriel got worse over the three months, but Adam was with him every step of the way. When Samandriel dropped a glass plate, sending shards all across the floor, Adam didn't scold or yell at him. He held Samandriel's shaking hands, rubbing the falling angel's back and whispering nonsense in his ear.

Castiel tried to ease Samandriel's pain as much he could, but even a full angel couldn't stop the pain of falling. Or at least getting cut off from Heaven.

The worst thing about Samandriel becoming human was his wings. Adam's hands had been shaking so bad, he could barely dial Dean and Sam's number to ask for help. Castiel was already there, holding Samandriel's hand, trying to lessen the pain.

The day started with mild back pains. Samandriel waved it off as nothing, and Adam gave him some painkillers. As the day wore on, Adam could see beats of sweat on Samandriel's forehead and the strain in his neck, the veins popping out.

Castiel flew in around dusk, right when Samandriel began screaming. Castiel had to cover Samandriel's mouth with his hand to muffle the yells, and when Samandriel began thrashing around, Adam called his brothers.

They took the normal thirty minute drive and made it there in ten. They bolted inside to find Adam crying silently on the couch, and muffled screams farther away. Dean glanced at Sam, who strode over to Adam, arm around his back.

Dean found the source of the commotion. Castiel had Samandriel tied down, hand over the kid's mouth.

"He's losing his wings," Castiel said without diverting his gaze from his brother. "It's a very painful process."

Dean couldn't really form words yet, the kid on the bed stealing his attention. Samandriel's face was red, shiny, and Dean could see the blue veins under his skin. The bonds around his wrists and ankles were strained from being pulled on constantly, and Dean wondered how the fabric didn't tear.

He took a step into the room. "Anything I can do?" Dean asked weakly.

Castiel didn't answer, and Dean was close to walking over and taking Castiel's job so he didn't have to see his brother in pain. "Ice. Samandriel's skin needs to be cooled down."

Dean nodded, not realizing Castiel couldn't see, and set off in search of a washcloth and ice.

Sam tried his best to comfort Adam. It wasn't working out very well. Sam didn't know what to say, couldn't think at all with the muffled screams from the other room, plus his younger half-brother crying right next to him.

Adam didn't move into Sam's arms, didn't really acknowledge the hunter next to him at all, just continued to sob on the couch, staring at the ground.

All of a sudden, Adam froze. Sam pulled his arm back, and touched Adam's arm. "Adam? You-? Are you-?" Both sentences were stupid to say out loud, so Sam just repeated, "Adam?"

He gasped, making Sam jump, and stood up. "Need to help. Can't sit here." Adam bolted from the room. Sam followed, and Adam was in the kitchen glaring at Dean, his breaths ragged and heaving.

"Give it to me, now," and not even Sam would argue with that tone.

Dean widened his eyes, then handed the ice over. Adam snatched it, and ran to Samandriel and Castiel. Dean looked at Sam.

Sam shrugged one shoulder. "I don't know."

Dean shook his head. "What should we do?"

Sam sighed. "Not much we can do. Cas is helping the best he can, and Adam's scared out of his mind. I mean, watching someone you really care about go through that much pain..."

Dean thought about Sam dying, Sam thought about Dean dying. They both chuckled, but another yell snapped them out of it. Dean motioned with his head, and they both went to the spare room in the house.

Samandriel was now on his stomach, his face pressed into a pillow, and shirtless. Adam sat in a chair next to the bed, pressing cubes of ice onto the falling angel's back, whispering small things that only Samandriel and Castiel could hear.

Castiel looked at the brothers as they stood in the doorway. He said something to Adam, who nodded, and continued cooling Samandriel down. Castiel walked to Sam and Dean.

Both brothers could see the distress and sadness on the angel's face. "I'm trying to stop as much pain as possible, but most of it cannot be prevented. Cutting off one's Grace was supposed to hurt."

They all looked at Samandriel and Adam. Samandriel was looking up at Adam with so much gratitude and adoration, Dean could feel it from all the way across the room.

"What about Adam?" Sam asked.

Castiel sighed, a very human gesture for an angel. Dean worried for a moment Castiel might follow the same path as Samandriel. "He's feeling just as much pain, just not of the physical sort."

"Why would he do this?" Sam wondered aloud.

Castiel smiled sadly. "Because he loves Adam. He loves him enough to go through this much pain for him." As he said "for him", Castiel glanced at Dean, who was biting his lip.

"How long is it going to last?" Dean asked.

"Probably for the rest of the night and into tomorrow. No longer than that." Castiel glanced back again.

"What about the whole thing?" Dean's been watching Samandriel suffer for five months now. When would it end?

Castiel frowned. "From past experiences," Dean shivered slightly, "the wings are the second to last to go. The whole process was meant to be drawn out, force the falling angels to feel their mistakes, and not be allowed back into Heaven."

Dean waited, but nothing more was coming. "So what's the last step?"

Castiel ducked his head. "We should all be here tomorrow," he said cryptically.

Even though Castiel told them they could go, Dean and Sam insisted they stay. Dean let Sam have the couch, since Dean would probably be up for a while anyway.

Right before Dean walked away from Sam, Sam said, "Dean."

"Sam, I'm not reading you a story," Dean joked.

"Shut up." Sam swallowed, then looked behind Dean, and pointed. "Look."

Propped against the wall were Adam's crutches.

Adam didn't leave Samandriel's side all night. He continually pressed ice to his back, and he didn't question when the bucket seemed to have an endless amount.

Castiel was on the opposite side of the bed, holding Samandriel's other hand while Adam held the other. If Samandriel was in pain, he would only squeeze the hand Castiel was holding. Adam grimaced every time Samandriel shut his eyes, which meant another burst of pain.

"It's okay, baby. It's alright. I'm right here. Right here. Not going anywhere. I'm here. Don't worry. I'm here," Adam kept murmuring into Samandriel's ear.

Samandriel couldn't reply. Too busy grinding his teeth together to keep from screaming. Adam watched the ice melt in between his fingers, making a small puddle on Samandriel's back.

By the time day broke through the curtains, Samandriel was in a considerably less amount of pain. He face would only contort once every ten minutes, and it would smooth over soon after. Adam used less ice so Samandriel wouldn't get too cold.

It was ten in the morning when Samandriel stopped moving, stopped breathing all together. Adam panicked, shaking him and tears began pouring down his face again.

Castiel tried to talk to him. "Adam, Adam. It's okay. This is good."

"How is this good? He's dead!" Adam shouted. Dean and Sam raced through the door a second later.

"He's... What?" Sam asked.

Castiel sighed. "He's not dead. This is part of the process. The reason I needed your help today." Castiel turned to Adam. "He's going to lose his Grace now."

Adam nodded, but it went over his head at the sight of his boyfriend lying on the bed, looking very much dead. He was too pale and quiet.

"Adam?" Dean asked from behind him. "You with us?"

"Why do Sam and Dean need to help?" Adam clenched his hands into fists.

Castiel untied Samandriel, and rolled him over onto his back. "You would think our Grace is stored in the center of our chest, or maybe our stomach. Both are incorrect." Castiel moved Samandriel's hands and feet. "In fact, our Grace is stored in the hollow of our throats, right where the neck and chest meet."

Adam subconsciously reached up to touch the spot Castiel was talking about on his own neck.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Adam said.

Castiel had moved Samandriel's hands so they were bent slightly at the elbow, and to the side. Samandriel's legs were splayed outward in a comfortable manner.

"I can hold down one arm and one leg, Dean and Sam have to hold the others. Adam, you are going to do the most important part."

Adam was next to the bed in a heartbeat. "What? Anything."

Castiel gave a tired smile. "You have to hold his head up. His Grace is going to slide out by itself. It wants to return to Heaven, but Samandriel does not. It will travel up his throat, and out his mouth."

"Seems easy enough," Adam muttered, going to grab Samandriel's head.

Castiel grabbed Adam's wrists. "An angel who decides to remove its Grace does so for many reasons." He released Adam's wrists. "For Samandriel, one of them is you."

Adam stared at the angel. "So?"

"You have to urge the Grace to leave. You have to tell it to return to Heaven." Castiel smiled reassuringly. "You can do this, Adam."

Adam shifted on his feet, staring at Samandriel's neck. "Okay, what do I have to do?"

"Get on the bed." Adam kneeled next to Samandriel's right hip. "Now, you have to sit on him." Adam glanced up at Castiel, who was staring him down. He rolled his eyes, but complied, now kneeling above Samandriel's hips.

Adam reached down to touch the base of Samandriel's throat. Nothing felt out of the ordinary, and then his entire body felt like it was buzzing.

"Adam!" Castiel exclaimed. Adam yanked his hand back, staring at his fingers. "Not yet. Sam, Dean, get into position." Castiel grabbed his left arm and left leg.

Dean grabbed Samandriel's right arm, Sam grabbing the right leg. They nodded to the angel, and at Adam, who was looking at all of them.

"Okay, Adam. You have to sit down. More contact helps the process. It lets Samandriel know you're there."

Adam didn't want to in fear of hurting him, but he lowered himself onto Samandriel's hips. "Now?"

Castiel glanced one last time at the brothers, then nodded. "Now."

Adam placed both hands on Samandriel's throat, and leaned down. The buzzing started back up again, and amplified tenfold. Adam started to think his cells were separating and he was lost in space, spread out over the entire universe.

He didn't feel Samandriel's body begin to fight under the restraint.

The once smooth skin of Samandriel's throat now came alive under Adam's hands. Adam wanted to move his hands, but he might let go too long, and he wanted Samandriel back as soon as possible.

He felt his nose graze the side of Samandriel's throat. The skin pulsed. Tentatively, he pressed his lips to the skin. He felt lighter.

Adam remembered what Castiel said, so he leaned back, and lifted Samandriel's head with him, one of his hands going to cup the back of his head while the other remained on his throat.

Samandriel's mouth was tipped open in the process, and light began pouring out of the opening. Adam pressed his forehead against the side of Samandriel's, and began remembering.

Lazy days at the bunker. Watching TV, movies, making fun of reality TV. Sparring in the gym. Samandriel reading a book, his eyes darting back and forth across the page while simultaneously moving down. Samandriel teaching Adam different languages. Sitting on the love seat. The accident. The blush that would rise when Adam called Samandriel pet names. Their first kiss. Their first fight. Samandriel yelling at Adam. Samandriel being endlessly patient while Adam re-learned how to walk.

All these things made the room brighter, hotter. Adam kept his eyes closed in fear of losing them, and Adam planned on seeing this new Samandriel with his own eyes.

"Samandriel. I love you."

The room burst in white light. Adam kept the side of his face pressed against Samandriel's, and whispered the phrase over and over in his ear.

Adam didn't open his eyes, not even when he saw black behind his lids. He didn't dare move above Samandriel, still holding his neck, front and back, faces pressed together.

"Adam." Castiel gently laid a hand on Adam's shoulder.

"Adam," he heard breathed into his ear, and felt the air expand and contract underneath his body. Adam pulled back, and grinned.

"Hey, baby," he whispered.

Samandriel looked tired. Like he hadn't slept in years. "Hey."

Adam chuckled, and nuzzled his nose against Samandriel's neck. He felt feather light arms run up and down his back.

"Welcome home."

Dean, Sam, and Castiel left Adam and Samandriel soon after. Neither of them noticed. Adam kissed a trail from the side of Samandriel's neck, up the side of his face, across his forehead, down the other side, across a cheek, and finally stopping on his lips.

They didn't do much other than kiss for a while. Samandriel was getting used to feeling everything. He traced Adam's face, his arms, hands, his back, chest, legs.

Legs. "Adam. You can feel this?" Samandriel ran his hand over Adam's entire leg. Adam's mouth slowly spread into a grin as he felt the trail of Samandriel's hand.

"Yeah." He leaned forward and laughs. "Yeah, I can."

Clothes, water, food, the couch. Everything felt different.

Adam didn't let go of Samandriel's hand once, and let Samandriel drag them back to bed after feeling every single inch of the house. Both of them felt tired (Samandriel from losing his Grace, and Adam from helping), and were probably going to sleep for the next 72-hours, minimum.

Samandriel lay on Adam's chest, feeling the steady heartbeat under his ear soothing and comforting.

He traced patters on Adam's shirt. "Everything is new."

Adam hummed. "But better?"

Samandriel leaned up to kiss Adam again, and grinned. "Much better."

Adam was half a second from falling asleep, when Samandriel whispered, "I love you, too," in his ear. He was too far gone to do anything, but whatever time they woke up again, Samandriel was going to hear those words without being essentially dead.

As it turned out, it was a good thing Dean and Sam had been present for the de-Gracing of Samandriel.

Of course, Dean had to be reminded by Adam what he needed to do too many times. Adam took him aside in the privacy of an empty room.

"Dean." Adam grabbed Dean's wrists, holding them still. "Dean, listen to me."

"What if I can't do it? What if I can't convince it to leave? What happens then? This is bull," Dean said, then started chewing his bottom lip.

Adam smiled. "Hey, I'm a bunch of years younger than you, and I did it. You can most definitely do it too."

Dean nodded, but didn't look convinced.

"Do you want to know what I did with Samandriel?" Adam asked. Dean looked hesitant, but nodded. "I thought about all we'd been through together, good times and bad. Well, at that point, nothing really bad happened. But you get the point." Adam smiled. "Show him how much he means to you. How he's changed you. How you feel about him."

Adam smiled reassuringly, then Dean steeled his expression. Adam followed him into the bedroom, Castiel laying lifeless in the center, Sam and Laura on one side, and Samandriel on the other.

Adam stood next to Samandriel, glanced at Sam and his girlfriend, who worried they might not be able to hold down Castiel, but they'd be damned if they didn't try.

Dean sat atop Castiel, one hand cupping Castiel's jaw, the other at the base of the angel's throat, and leaned close.

Thrashing limbs, a bruise or two, and one blindingly white room later, Castiel was awake, and running one hand through Dean's hair, the other on Dean's bicep. Their foreheads were pressed together, and they clasped their hands.

Sam, Adam, and Samandriel left quickly. Adam and Samandriel walked hand in hand to one car, Sam and Laura to the other. They all waved at each other, then Adam drove to their house.

"Wonder when their wedding's gonna be," Samandriel quipped, and Adam laughed as he kissed Samandriel's empty fingers, and strangely, that brought a weird sense of sadness with it.

And now he's here. In Castiel and Dean's home many, many months later, nervously asking Castiel if he can marry Samandriel. Castiel chuckles.

"I don't mind at all," Castiel says, and he motions Adam to follow him to the kitchen. Adam watches as Castiel dons a pair of oven mitts, and pulls out a cookbook worthy pie. "Dean's going to be home in a few minutes, and he usually has the first slice, piping hot." Castiel gives Adam a cheeky smile. "But you are a guest. You get first pick."

Adam smiles as he digs into the pie. He moans appreciatively. "This is damn good," he says around a full mouth.

Castiel looks like he wants to say something, but something is holding him back.

"Cas? What's going on?" Adam bites into another forkful.

Castiel sits at the kitchen island next to him. "Can I see the ring?"

Adam smiles around his fork, then places it on his plate. He reaches into his pocket, and withdraws a small blue box. Castiel is beaming, and gently opens it. He gasps.

It's a gold band, set with a single blue gem. Castiel runs his finger over the rough surface of the gem. "It's gorgeous."

"You bet your ass it is." Castiel carefully places it back in the box, and closes it. He smiles again.

"This is- He'll love it." Castiel hands it back to Adam, and quickly jams it back into his pocket as the door opens. Adam is in the process of bringing the fork to his mouth to finish the last bite, when Dean walks into the room.

"You gave him the first slice?!" He exclaims.

Castiel reaches over and pinches Adam's cheek. "He's irresistible. What can I say?" Castiel walks over to Dean, and kisses him gently. "You get second slice. Same difference, right?" Castiel winks at Adam over his shoulder. Course it's not. Not to Dean.

"No!" Dean stands behind Castiel as he washes the dishes. Dean's hands are on Castiel's hips, whispering something in Castiel's ear. Adam doesn't even think about walking over there to give Castiel his dish. He shudders.

Adam slides off the stool. "Thanks again, Castiel." Castiel turns around, Dean stepping back to glare at the pie that's missing a piece. A piece that's now digesting in Adam's stomach.

"No problem. Remember, he'll love it."

Dean's head shoots up, finger in his mouth as he tastes the pie. "Who will love what?" He whips his head at Adam. "Did Cas give you something?" He looked back at Cas. "What did you give him?"

Adam has an idea of what Dean's referring to. "Oh, he gave me something alright." For extra measure, as he walks out of the kitchen, he calls back, "Can't wait to see his face when I put it on him!"

Adam laughs as Castiel loses it and Dean chokes.

Samandriel comes back shortly after Adam gets home. He's pacing back and forth in the living room. "Sammy!"

"Adam!" Samandriel says with equal enthusiasm. "How was your day?" Samandriel leans in to peck Adam on the lips and drops his bags by the front door.

As he turns around, Adam is on one knee. "Okay, so I love you. Like, a lot. And I can't think about a day where I don't want you to come home. I want you to be here, with me, always. Maybe get a dog or a cat. Who knows. Who cares. Samandriel, will you do me the unbelievable honor of becoming my husband?" Adam pulls out the box, and flips it open with shaky hands.

Samandriel is staring down at Adam. Not saying anything. And Adam's stomach is slowly turning to ice. Either way, his smile isn't going anywhere.

"Sammy?" He says quietly.

"Oh my god!" And Adam laughs. "Yes!" Samandriel presents his left hand, and Adam puts the ring on. He lifts Samandriel up and kisses him breathless.

"You... literally... gave... me... a... heart... attack..." Adam says in between kisses.

"Sorry," Samandriel mumbles against Adam's lips. "It's kind of funny though."

Adam gives him a questioning look. "What is?"

In response, Samandriel reaches into his own pocket, and pulls out a box not unlike the one Adam has. Adam chuckles.

"No way."

Samandriel opens the box. Inside, a gold band sits with a single green gem. "I asked Dean and Sam for their permission today."

"I asked Cas," Adam says, smiling as Samandriel slips it on his finger.

Samandriel links their left hands, smiling when there's a faint clink of metal against metal.

"Now, the real question is," Samandriel starts, "when Dean going to ask for my permission."

One day, Adam will talk with God again. He knows and accepts this. But he also knows Samandriel will be right next to him when he does, and hopefully He will have some explanations for the fallen angel.

For now, Adam laughs. Samandriel kisses it off.

Thank you for reading! This was my first fanfic I've written, so let me know how I did ;)