FIC: Twitfics IIII-MayTwitfic, Part One
Jun. 1st, 2010 05:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cloudy_ficTitle: Twitfics IIII: MayTwitFic
Author: CloudyJenn
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairings: Dean/Castiel
Rating: R
Word Count: 14,000+
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Warnings: General Season 5 Spoilers
Summary: Too many for one summary. Supernatural characters doing things!
Author's Notes: A fourth collection of ficlets from my twitter. Many of these are longer series. The series indicated are ongoing in my twitter. Including a Soul Piece reference and a series based on my other fic, The Request. I hope you enjoy!
Slight Misunderstanding
"I made the dean's list," Sam says.
"I didn't know Dean had a list," Castiel says. "Though I'm not surprised you're on it."
"No, it's...never mind."
~~~
Fish Store series
New Friend
The only reason Dean agrees to get the fish is so Sam will shut up.
You live alone, man. Get a cat or a dog. Or hell, a fish.
The only creature on that list that Dean might be able to keep alive is the fish. So that's how he finds himself wandering around the nearest PetSmart, eyeballing row after row of tanks, plants, fish food and tiny castles.
"Can I help you?"
Dean whirls around and blinks. Damn, the fish guy is fucking hot as hell.
"Yeah. I need, um, I have to buy a fish."
Fish Guy frowns.
"It's an obligatory fish?"
Dean scratches the back of his neck.
"Yeah, kinda."
Fish Guy doesn't look too impressed and Dean sighs. Two seconds in and he's already struck out with the overprotective fish salesman. Great, Sam was right.
He really is a loser.
Srs Bzns
"These are betta fish," Fish Guy says. Okay, so his nametag says Castiel, but that makes Dean's eye twitch, so he sticks with Fish Guy. "You can only have one per bowl."
Dean leans down to stare at the row of individual bowls, each one occupied by a brightly colored fish.
"Isn't that lonely for them?"
Fish Guy narrows his eyes at Dean.
"They would kill one another and end up alone regardless."
Man, Fish Guy is hardcore. Dean grins at him.
He kinda likes it.
Selection
Dean picks out a mean little red fish that spends about five minutes throwing itself against the bowl in the direction of Dean's palm. Fish Guy looks pretty pleased with his decision.
"Come back in if you have any questions," he says, now all smiles and shining blue eyes and Dean has a feeling he's going to end up spending a crapload of money of pet supplies in the near future.
An Excuse
Dean names the fish Roger because it's the first name that occurs to him. Twenty-four hours into their master/fish relationship, he's back at the pet store.
"I need one of those scoop things for Roger," he tells Castiel.
"You named him Roger?" he asks and his mouth twitches.
Dean decides not to blush. After all, this is Fish Guy. He probably names all the fish in the store.
"Yeah, it seemed like a good manly name."
Castiel's mouth twitches again.
"I'm sure."
He shows Dean the scoops. Dean watches his ass as he walks away and thinks to himself that Roger is the best thing that ever happened to him.
Once More
Two days later, Dean decides that Roger needs one of those little castles. Just so the little guy feels like he's got something to defend. Castiel sees Dean first.
"Is Roger well?"
Dean nods and points to the small buildings. "Recommend one of these things."
Castiel glances at them. "You know him better than me," he says, but Dean's almost sure he's kidding. Twenty minutes later, they've picked out a suitable castle and Dean can't think of another excuse to take up his time. Castiel smiles at him as he leaves.
"I'll see you for the next fish emergency."
Which pretty much seals Dean's loserdom. He sighs as he walks out the door.
Turning Point
The next time they see each other, it's at Dean's workplace and totally unexpected. The most beautiful car he's ever seen in his entire life pulls up to the garage. It's a black Chevy Impala, a 1967 by the looks of it and Dean's in love instantly.
And then the door opens and it's fucking Fish Guy that steps out. Dean's mouth drops open.
"That's your car?"
Castiel looks down at it and frowns.
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
Dean stares at him.
"Please have sex with me."
That's when things start to change between them.
Marriage of Convenience
Turns out that Castiel inherited the car from his obviously badass uncle and doesn't know what to do with her. Which is why they immediately start dating, so Dean can take of her like she deserves.
He suspects that Castiel feels the same way about Roger.
Not Really the Reason
Sam accuses Dean of only dating Castiel for his car, but when Castiel does that growly thing and stalks him into the bedroom, Dean can't remember his own name much less anything about a car.
~~~
Jealous Wings series
The Beginning
Castiel looks up from his book when his left wing edges closer to Dean and wraps around his shoulder. There's no reaction from Dean other than to burrow in and sigh happily in his sleep, but Castiel notices how his right wing rustles angrily.
This could be bad.
Battle Tactics
When Castiel wakes up the next day, his right wing is massaging Dean's back. Dean's grunting softly, still half-asleep. The left wing is calm and laying on Castiel's other side. Which means it hasn't noticed yet. Castiel gathers the left wing and holds it. Seconds later, it begins thrashing in his arms.
This is getting old fast.
Pwned
Dean stares as the wings tangle and snap at each other.
"Are you okay?"
Castiel stirs his pasta. "Yes."
"But-"
"They just need to get it out."
Dean blinks. "Whatever."
He leans in and cups Castiel's chin, placing a firm kiss on his mouth. The wings pause, their tips peeking over Castiel's shoulders. Castiel tries not to smirk at them as Dean walks away.
Just by Chance
Hours later, in a lust-filled haze, Dean grabs the right wing at a very important moment. The left wing mopes for the rest of the night.
A Good Talking To
Dean's soft tone drags Castiel out of his light doze. He senses that Dean is still sitting between his legs. Both of Dean's hands hold the very tip of a wing.
"You guys are insane," he says fondly. His thumbs start to caress the wings and Castiel feels them flutter gently. "You know you guys are identical, right?"
The left one surges forward to poke Dean in the chest.
"Ouch! Geez, okay, calm down. Look, I'm just saying, I love you both the same and you're making him crazy, so calm the hell down." The right wing flutters out of Dean's grasp to brush against his neck while the left drifts across his chest. Dean's breath hitches when Castiel senses the left one moving down.
"Cas," Dean whines. "Your wings are perverts."
Calm Again
Castiel drifts off again and when he finally wakes up for real, Dean's wrapped up tight in both wings, snoring into Castiel's chest. He pets Dean's hair.
"I hope you understand how lucky we are," he says to them. They pull Dean closer and Castiel smiles.
They understand perfectly.
~~~
A Fairy Tale (ongoing)
There once was a fairy named Castiel.
He was of average height and build and his blue gossamer wings were considered rather plain by his fellow fairies.
It didn't help that he favored a boxy suit and trenchcoat over the revealing shimmering cloaks his friends all wore.
Or that he was the court accountant for the Fairy King.
In short, Castiel, though a stout fairy with a good heart, was a total snoozefest.
One day, Castiel's younger sister Anna sat beside him to have a talk. Anna was beautiful and interesting, able to catch a fairy's eye with her lovely red hair or his attention with her light crystalline laughter.
In other words, she was a hottie.
And she was worried about Castiel because he was dull and alone.
"Castiel," she said as she shook out her shining golden wings. "You'll never find a mate if you don't leave the tax room now and again."
Castiel didn't like going out. No one enjoyed talking to him and frankly, he wasn't much interested in typical fairy gossip.
"There's going to be a ball tonight! You should come. I know His Majesty invited you," Anna said.
Castiel frowned. "I don't remember him asking me."
Anna huffed. "There is more to life than numbers, brother. Our king is entertaining visitors from the Land of Humans!" she said excitedly. "Can you imagine? Actual humans here in our very own castle!"
This greatly startled Castiel. Humans were such odd creatures, rough and aggressive beings. And they looked very bizarre with their wingless backs and thick bodies.
"Humans? Here?" Anna nodded. "And not just any humans! It's their own ruler, King Winchester and his two sons." She leans in. "I hear King Michael wishes one of us to marry one of the sons to form an alliance between our kingdoms against the demons."
Castiel scowled. "What has this to do with me?"
Anna grinned. "Don't you want to see our brethren throw themselves at the humans? They all want to be the delicate flower that captures the brutish human heart," she said with an amused eye roll and Castiel found himself smiling too. It did sound like fun.
"Perhaps it might not be so bad," he allowed. Anna squeaked happily and hugged him. "I will see you tonight then!" And she whirled away before Castiel could change his mind.
__________________
That night, Castiel walked to the ballroom without bothering to change his outfit. After all, if he couldn't interest one of his own kind, how could he hope to entice a human?
Anna sighed when she saw his bedraggled appearance, but it didn't stop her from looping an arm through his.
"Come and see the humans! They just arrived."
She dragged him towards a side door where they could peer into the main room without drawing attention. "There!" She pointed to a large human male dressed in a simple dark tunic. "That is King Winchester."
Castiel examined the man. The lack of wings was evenly more jarring in reality, but it didn't detract from his appearance. If anything, King Winchester was larger than Castiel expected. Not physically taller than Michael, but with a presence that filled the room.
"Impressive, huh?" Anna remarked. "Wait till you see his kids." She pointed towards the the dance floor where a positively massive human with shaggy brown hair danced a politely distant waltz with Tieriel. "That is the younger, Sam."
"Younger?" Castiel asked in surprise. "He is quite large to be called young."
"Nevertheless," Anna said. "It is so. The older, Dean, stands over there." She pointed to an alcove where another human stood. He held a glass of punch in one hand, but was not drinking. Instead, he watched the crowd closely with a suspicious look in his bright-colored eyes. Like his father and brother, he wore simple tunics that showed a fine physique underneath, a strong muscular body quite typical of this warrior race.
All this Castiel noted in an instant. But he could not process it. All he could feel was a strange falling sensation in his stomach and a weakness around his knees.
The human Dean Winchester was beautiful.
"Are you alright?" Castiel turned to her and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I did not expect the humans to be so appealing."
Surprise blossomed across Anna's lovely face. "You like them? None of our kind has ever held your attention and now that humans show up, you are enticed." She laughed and began pulling on his arm. "We must introduce you to them then." Castiel tugged away from her. He felt heat rising on his face and suspected he was working up quite the blush.
"Please don't. I'm not a good-"
"What? Don't even finish that sentence," Anna commanded. "Maybe you aren't the life of the party, but you're my brother and I love you. So if you like the humans, you're going to meet the humans."
Castiel had a great deal of practice with ignoring Anna when he didn't want to follow her orders, but when she again began pulling him towards King Michael and his guest of honor, Castiel didn't stop her.
He was going to meet the humans.
__________________
If there was one thing Dean Winchester hated more than politics, it was parties.
And if there was anything he hated more than parties, it was his father's constant pressure to finally get married.
Combine the two and Dean was pretty much completely miserable.
Dean wasn't stupid. He knew they needed this alliance with the fairy kingdom. The demon attacks of their own borders grew more common and violent as time passed and human strength could only accomplish so much. They needed fairy magic to help repel this evil and the only way they could ever hope to come to an agreement with the stern ethereal creatures was through marriage.
It didn't really matter whether it was Dean or Sam that entered into the marriage agreement, but Dean knew when they left for this journey that it would be him that did so.
Sam was terribly in love with a human girl back home, Jessica. She was the daughter of a powerful count and an excellent match in her own right. Dean could never allow Sam to miss out on marrying for love, not when the girl in question loved Sam back so very much.
No, it would be Dean that brought home a fairy spouse.
Now, if he could just find one that didn't make him long to turn tail and run out the door. Fairies were such a peculiar race. They were all slender and delicate, deceptively weak-looking. Dean knew their magic was more than powerful enough protection against even a caliber of warrior such as himself, who'd been training since he was old enough to walk. But he preferred a more solid figure. He didn't care for the mystical hocus-pocus nonsense. The fluttery clothes and the translucent wings. Each fairy, even their beloved King, seemed little more than a wisp of presence that would melt into nothingness the instant Dean reached out for them.
Sam was having fun at least, Dean thought to himself as he watched Sam twirl a young female fairy across the dance floor.
A few courageous types had asked Dean for a dance, but he'd turned them all down. He was risking a lecture from his father after the party, but Dean was holding out hope that someone would really catch his eye. He'd given himself until ten o'clock. If no one truly appealing turned up, Dean would have to choose the least offensive and begin the courtship ritual.
The thought made him want to sneak out the side door and find a great deal of alcohol.
A few moments later, after the dance music changed to a more stately waltz, Sam appeared at his side and elbowed him.
"You look really off-putting, standing over here and glaring at people," he informed Dean with a grin.
They'd already fought several times in a rather spectacular fashion about the subject of this inevitable marriage. Sam didn't like Dean sacrificing his happiness for Sam, but as Dean finally beat into Sam's thick skull, he had no real happiness to sacrifice while Sam would be giving up an already existing love affair. So it was good to see Sam smiling and teasing him again, since the whole situation had made him so very unhappy.
"I'm trying to discourage the faint of heart," Dean said. "I couldn't marry someone too afraid to approach me."
Sam snorted. "No one's approached you," he pointed out.
"Shut up, bitch," Dean growled, but the corner of his mouth twitched, the evidence of his amusement.
"Jerk," Sam shot back and maybe this was not a happy night for Dean, but no matter who he married, he would always have Sam nearby. The thought calmed the desire to run out, though it did not completely disappear.
The next song passed in relative silence, broken every so often as Sam pointed to this or that fairy and mentioned something positive. "That male has pretty eyes.' Or 'That female over by the refreshment table has a nice figure.' Dean merely grunted now and again. Although he did have to admit that the girl had a nice backside.
As the piece wound down, a hesitant voice from the left caught their attention.
"Excuse me?" The speaker was a tall female fairy with long flowing red hair and bright golden wings. She was pretty, like the rest of her kind, but again, too willowy and spare to make Dean feel more than admiration for the unreal sort of beauty fairies exuded.
"King Michael advised me to come and introduce myself," she said, her voice light and airy. "I'm Anna."
Sam took her offered hand and gave it a polite kiss. She smiled at him, but quickly turned her attention back to Dean.
"My brother very much wishes to meet you as well. He's a little shy," she said with a bit of grimace before turning and reaching back into the shadows. A quick yanking motion later and a male fairy appeared by her side.
This fairy didn't look like any of his brethren. His body was almost entirely covered by plain dark clothing and his blue wings were nearly opaque. They looked strong and thick. Solid. His hair was nearly black and his gaze was heavy with a kind of intelligence Dean hadn't yet seen among the fairies. All the others seemed to dance through life without a care in the world. This fairy looked as if he had many cares. He slumped a bit and his face was covered with light stubble. He looked tired.
He was gorgeous.
"This is Castiel," Anna said, pushing him forward. Castiel held out his hand to Dean and though he didn't look nervous, a blush crept up his neck.
"Hello," he said. Dean startled again. His voice was gravel rough and deep. It drew a wave of shivers up Dean's spine.
"Hey," Dean answered. He'd always imagined fairies would be cool to the touch, but Castiel's skin was warm. The move wasn't required for males, but Dean couldn't resist lifting Castiel's hand to his mouth and brushing a kiss across it. When his lips touched him, Castiel's breath stuttered briefly. Dean smiled against his hand.
"I am Dean Winchester," he said, making sure to start the sentence while his mouth hovered over Castiel's hand, so the fairy would feel the heat of his breath. Judging by the way Castiel wilted to the side a bit, he wasn't unaffected by the move.
"It's very good to meet you," he said. His little emphasis on the word 'very' did not pass by Sam's attention. Beside him, Dean felt his brother stiffen and then turn to stare at him. Dean smiled. Sam understood perfectly.
Dean had made his choice.
~~~
Babysitter series
Introduction
The new nanny can't come soon enough. Andrea and Morgan are climbing the walls. Literally, in Morgan's case. Dean scoops him off the curtain.
"Stop it," he says before slinging the kid onto the couch. "Just be quiet for a minute."
She has to get here soon because Dean has to work and school's been cancelled for snow. Sam said this woman was highly recommended. But she's almost about to get late and...the doorbell rings and Dean leaps towards it, wrenching it open, relief pumping in his veins. But instead of the nanny, it's a man. A tall man with dark hair and the brightest eyes Dean's ever seen.
"Um," he says stupidly.
"Hello, Mr. Winchester?"
Dean blinks.
"Do I know you?"
"I'm Cas."
It takes a moment for Dean's brain to catch up. Not Cass, short for Cassandra. Cas, short for...God knows what.
"You're a dude," Dean says. A really hot dude with a dorky coat and wild hair. Cas nods.
"I'm aware. Is that a problem?"
Oh, it's a problem. Because he's not been on a date in weeks and Cas is gorgeous and he's too desperate to turn him away, but having this guy in his house every single day for hours and hours and not having him? Yeah...that's going to be a problem.
"No," Dean grunts. "Come on, in."
Meet the Kids
"This is Morgan," Dean says as the child in question flings himself into Cas' arms. "And this is Andrea."
She hides behind Dean's legs. So basically, business as usual. Cas gathers Morgan against his chest and nods solemnly.
"Hello, children."
Playtime
When it's time to leave, everything falls apart. Andrea freaks out and Morgan won't shut up and Dean can't stop staring at Cas. It's chaos and Dean's not sure if he should panic or feel humiliated that his small family is such a mess.
"Sorry, man," Dean says over top of Morgan's made up story about a family of pigs. Cas only nods again and smiles.
"Don't worry."
He then sets Morgan on the floor and then walks to the back of the house. Morgan stops talking, Andrea stops crying and Dean continues to stare.
"Where's he going, Daddy?" Morgan asks. Dean shrugs.
"I don't know."
They follow after him like a herd of chicks chasing their mother and soon discover Cas sitting on the floor of Andrea's bedroom floor, changing her favorite Barbie into a bright red cocktail dress. Dean knows he should say something, ask something, but his mind blanks out at the strange image and all his focus zeroes in on Cas' deft slender fingers sliding over the doll. It turns out that he doesn't need to say anything.
"What are you doing?" Andrea storms into the room, hands on her hips. Cas turns his head into an angle as he looks up at her.
"Playing."
"That's not her dress," Andrea says. She throws herself to her knees and snatches the doll away from him. "This is Brittany's dress, but this is Caroline. She doesn't look good in red."
"I apologize," Cas says.
Dean's so caught up in being amused by Andrea's telling-off that he almost doesn't see the obvious.
Andrea is talking to Cas.
"Caroline likes this dress," she explains patiently, holding up a long blue number Dean doesn't remember buying. Maybe Sam got it for her.
Morgan drops to his knees beside Cas and begins digging in the toy box. He pulls out another dress, this one orange.
"Use this one instead," he urges.
As the kids fall into a light bicker, Cas catches Dean's eye over their heads and gives him another little smile. Dean relaxes. Maybe he can leave the house after all.
Heaven Sent
He knows he shouldn't, but Dean can't help coming home during lunch to check up on the situation. What he finds is Andrea and Morgan conked out in the living room on small mats he doesn't recognize. They look...peaceful.
Dean is pretty sure he's going to have to keep Cas forever.
Curiosity
"I'm five," Morgan says. "And so is Andrea. We're twins." Cas wonders if their mother is still alive and if so, why she would ever leave a man like Dean.
A New Plan
"You're doing it wrong," Andrea complains one night when Dean tries to make her a peanut butter sandwich. "Cas cut them into circles," she explains.
Dean glances at her.
"You really like Cas, huh?"
Andrea nods. "Can he live with us?" she asks and Dean thinks, Yes, please.
"Um, well, he has his own house."
She shakes her head. "I'm going to ask him."
Dean tries not to worry when he doesn't tell her not to.
Big Act
Dean watches quietly as Andrea tugs on Cas' trenchcoat when he tries to leave.
"Cas? How come you always go right home?"
Cas frowns. "Where else would I go?"
Andrea's smile is coy and pretty freaking obvious, as far as Dean's concerned. "You could stay for dinner."
Cas' gaze flicks up to Dean. He grins. "Yeah, we're having spaghetti." Cas seems uncertain, so Dean leans in with his own obvious smile. "It's no problem."
When Cas finally agrees, Dean has to restrain himself from giving Andrea a high five. Project Move Cas In is a go.
New uses
Morgan climbs into Cas' lap after dinner. "Let's watch a movie now!" Dean should have set his kids on potential dates ages ago.
Not Quite Yet
Two hours later, Andrea and Morgan lay across Dean and Cas, both fast asleep. Cas smiles at Dean over Morgan's head. "I believe it's time for bed."
And Dean knows he means the kids, but he still feels heat flash through his body at the words.
"Yeah."
It takes some time to drag the kids upstairs and into their pajamas. After five years of being alone with them, it's strange to look over and see another person. Strange, but nice. Dean walks Cas to his door and he wants. Wants to say something. Invite him to stay. Kiss him. Something. Instead, he sighs and gives him a gruff goodbye. He watches Cas walk to his car and thinks about his empty bed upstairs.
He won't sleep well tonight.
Switching Roles
The last thing Cas expected to see on his front porch was Dean Winchester holding a bowl and carrying a bag from Walgreen's. "Dean?" he rasped, trying to resist the urge to cough.
Dean hands him the bowl. "Soup," he said, not quite meeting Cas' eyes. "And cold medicine."
"Don't you have work?" The soup smelled amazing.
"Told them I'd be late."
"The twins?"
Dean finally looked up and smiled shyly. "Sam," he said. Cas' heart flipped over in his chest.
"Let's get you inside."
Cas let Dean steer him back into his home and thought to himself that it was pretty nice to be taken care of for once.
Comfort
Cas looks terrible as Dean takes the bowl from him and drags the quilt up around his ears. "Man, you really got a mean bug."
"Hmm," Cas murmurs, obviously half asleep. "You goin'?"
Dean wants to brush the damp locks off Cas' forehead, but doesn't. "Nah. I'll stick around," he says. Cas smiles sleepily and Dean's pretty sure he won't survive this.
"Good," he slurs. "S'better with you."
Yep. Not going to survive.
Realization
Cas wakes up to find Dean snoring heavily, his face smashed against the sofa arm. He reaches for him, watches his hand as it strokes through Dean's hair. "I think I might love you," he tells him. Dean continues to sleep, oblivious and out-of-reach.
Set up
Andrea calls Cas that weekend. "Um, could you come over here?" she asks. "I want to show you something."
Cas is more than a little suspicious, but he doesn't want to give up the opportunity to visit the Winchesters. When he gets there, Andrea tugs him into the kitchen and makes him sit at the table, which is set with paper plates filled with pizza.
"What the heck, dude," he hears Dean say as Morgan leads him into the kitchen. Dean's eyes light with understanding when he sees Cas and he flushes a dark red. "Guys..."
"Time for your date!" Andrea exclaims before she grabs Morgan and escapes, leaving Cas alone with Dean, feeling exposed and uncomfortable.
Not a Problem
"I didn't-" Cas starts, but Dean lifts a hand.
"I know, man. They're just...determined."
He falls into his chair with a sigh, wondering if Cas will quit for sexual harassment issues or because it'll just be too awkward. Then Cas picks up his piece of pizza and smiles shyly at Dean over it.
"Oh," Dean says in surprise. He grabs up his piece. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
Somewhat Later
Morgan tugs Cas aside several weeks after he's started dating Dean.
"Tomorrow is Daddy's birthday and he's gonna be old and he told me and and Andrea he wanted ice cream, but Andrea said she heard him saying to Uncle Sam he wanted you to spend the night, so you should come over and have a sleepover like the one we had for our birthday last year because it was fun."
Cas contemplates this idea. He'd purchased a set cassette tapes he thought Dean would like, but perhaps Morgan had a good point.
Perhaps Dean would enjoy a 'sleepover' even more.
A Very Happy Birthday
Dean's arms slip around Cas' waist and he looks down over Cas' shoulder at the pancakes he's cooking.
"Happy Birthday," Cas says and Dean squeezes him.
"Thanks, man." Cas presses back against Dean, earning himself a sharp intake of breath.
"Morgan tells me you wish to hold a sleepover."
Dean stills. He's going to have to have a talk with that kid.
"I think it sounds very entertaining," Cas continues. He turns in Dean's arms and settles his hands on Dean's shoulders. "Will there be games?"
Dean knows there's a clever answer out there somewhere, but he's too busy kissing Cas' smirking mouth to search for it.
~~~
Chess (ongoing)
It was Saturday night and Castiel was playing chess.
Again.
Which wasn't a problem as far as Castiel was concerned, but his friends were a little worried that he always played alone. Castiel wasn't averse to playing a living foe, but none of his friends knew how to play. Certainly not well enough to seriously challenge him.
No, he preferred to play alone, rehashing old games or studying famous matches. It didn't really matter as long as Castiel got to spend time with the old beloved chess board he'd inherited it from his grandfather. Over a hundred years old, the board and pieces were made from polished mahogany wood. Each piece was carved to be entirely unique. It was like a tiny village with 32 different citizens.
Castiel sometimes felt he preferred them to real people.
"Victor says I need to 'get a life'," Castiel said to the wavy-haired white queen as he moved her across the board. Her name was Ellen. At least in his mind.
"But I feel like I have a fine life," he continued. After all, he had a successful career teaching college history. He had a slew of siblings who loved him, even if they were difficult to get along with. His friends cared enough to worry about him. He didn't want for anything.
"Not everyone gets married after all," he murmured to Chuck as he slid the little bishop over a few spaces.
Not that he didn't think about it. He was human after all. There were plenty of men who caught his attention. Made him look twice and wonder how it would work. But people bemused him. They were odd and complicated and Castiel felt certain most wouldn't understand why he was sitting alone on a Saturday night talking to his chess pieces.
The chess pieces listened to him.
"I don't mind being pathetic," he added as he picked up his favorite piece of all. It was one of the black knights. The pair was similar enough in appearance that Castiel always thought of them as brothers. This one was the shorter of the two. A fierce handsome piece named Dean.
Castiel absolutely did not have a crush on his chess piece. He just thought that if Dean were real, he'd be rather bewitching. His charming grin, tall muscled frame and obviously boisterous personality would definitely capture Castiel's attention. He liked to imagine that Dean had dark brown hair and bright eyes, possibly a sparkling blue or vivid green.
The brother Sam was taller and calmer. His face wore a grimace rather than a grin and Castiel thought that Sam did not enjoy the fight quite as much as his brother. But nevertheless, Sam was his second favorite piece. He would make an appealing reality as well.
"You a real piece of work, you know that?"
Castiel flipped out of his chair, nearly hitting the ground and spun to face the unexpected voice. A short man with a cocky expression leaned against his living room wall.
"Who are you? How'd you get in here?" Castiel spluttered.
The man snorted.
"Flew in. The name's Gabriel and I'm your fairy Godangel."
Castiel frowned. His heart thumped a million miles an hour in his chest and he was beyond alarmed at the odd stranger in his home, but those concerns quickly fell away in the face of this affront to logic.
"How can you be a fairy and an angel?"
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "I can see why you need my help. Look." He moved closer and seemed surprised when Castiel didn't move away. "We've been monitoring you for awhile now, but when your sister Anna prayed for you, we decided to send in the cavalry."
"I don't understand."
"Don't worry about it. This is where the fairy part comes in. You got one wish for happiness and thirty seconds to make it," Gabriel said. He lifted his arm and an expensive gold watch appeared on his wrist.
"Wait, I don't know what you want me to do!" Castiel exclaimed.
"Twenty seconds," was all Gabriel said.
Happiness. Castiel thought he was happy. Didn't he have everything? What more could he ask for?
An image flickered across his mind's eye, a brief instant of shiny black and a heart-stopping smile.
Gabriel laughed. "Seriously? You are one weird dude."
"Excuse me?"
But his attention was torn away from Gabriel as a crackling noise like electricity skittering across metal exploded into his senses from behind him, followed by a flare of intense heat. He ducked away from an eye-searing flash of white light and fell to the ground, head under his arms.
Silence fell a moment later. When Castiel finally chanced a look, Gabriel was gone. But Castiel wasn't alone. A man stood beside his chess table. A tall handsome man in a suit of heavy black armor. He had light brown hair, soft green eyes and he was even more beautiful than Castiel imagined.
"D-Dean?" he stuttered, disbelief coursing through his every fiber.
Dean stared down his own body for a long time, occasionally shaking a limb, then looked at Castiel. That wide gorgeous smile spread across his lips.
"Cas?"
Castiel fainted.
~~~
Final Spin
Sam looks around the empty room.
"Where's Cas?"
"Laundromat," Dean says.
Sam huffs. "Geez, don't you ever do your own laundry? Cas is always at the Laundromat."
Dean scowls up at him. "I volunteer to go! He won't let me. It's like Disneyland for angels."
When Sam walks down to the mat to confirm, he finds Castiel in a chair, nose pressed up against the dryer, watching underwear and socks tumble over and over.
"Weirdo," Sam says under his breath as he leaves Castiel to his laundry theatre.
~~~
A Certainty
On the eve of battle, Castiel smiles and bumps against Dean's shoulders.
"You know I'll still be here, no matter what, don't you? So long as you look for me."
Dean frowns at him.
"I don't understand."
Time stretches, their breaths slow to match.
"They are not seen nor are they heard unless the soul they love searches for them," Castiel says. It sounds like he's quoting something.
"What the hell...?"
Castiel moves, leans, close enough that Dean feels the warmth of his body.
"Not many angels are called back from the brink as often as I've been, Dean Winchester. Yours is an unusual soul." He smiles, an odd curve of lips to match the alien affection in his eyes. "Even when I sent myself away, you called me back." His lips brush Dean's and then he's moving away. "Whatever happens, I'll find you and you will find me. It's inevitable."
Dean watches in silence as Castiel walks away.
Part Two
Author: CloudyJenn
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairings: Dean/Castiel
Rating: R
Word Count: 14,000+
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Warnings: General Season 5 Spoilers
Summary: Too many for one summary. Supernatural characters doing things!
Author's Notes: A fourth collection of ficlets from my twitter. Many of these are longer series. The series indicated are ongoing in my twitter. Including a Soul Piece reference and a series based on my other fic, The Request. I hope you enjoy!
Slight Misunderstanding
"I made the dean's list," Sam says.
"I didn't know Dean had a list," Castiel says. "Though I'm not surprised you're on it."
"No, it's...never mind."
Fish Store series
New Friend
The only reason Dean agrees to get the fish is so Sam will shut up.
You live alone, man. Get a cat or a dog. Or hell, a fish.
The only creature on that list that Dean might be able to keep alive is the fish. So that's how he finds himself wandering around the nearest PetSmart, eyeballing row after row of tanks, plants, fish food and tiny castles.
"Can I help you?"
Dean whirls around and blinks. Damn, the fish guy is fucking hot as hell.
"Yeah. I need, um, I have to buy a fish."
Fish Guy frowns.
"It's an obligatory fish?"
Dean scratches the back of his neck.
"Yeah, kinda."
Fish Guy doesn't look too impressed and Dean sighs. Two seconds in and he's already struck out with the overprotective fish salesman. Great, Sam was right.
He really is a loser.
Srs Bzns
"These are betta fish," Fish Guy says. Okay, so his nametag says Castiel, but that makes Dean's eye twitch, so he sticks with Fish Guy. "You can only have one per bowl."
Dean leans down to stare at the row of individual bowls, each one occupied by a brightly colored fish.
"Isn't that lonely for them?"
Fish Guy narrows his eyes at Dean.
"They would kill one another and end up alone regardless."
Man, Fish Guy is hardcore. Dean grins at him.
He kinda likes it.
Selection
Dean picks out a mean little red fish that spends about five minutes throwing itself against the bowl in the direction of Dean's palm. Fish Guy looks pretty pleased with his decision.
"Come back in if you have any questions," he says, now all smiles and shining blue eyes and Dean has a feeling he's going to end up spending a crapload of money of pet supplies in the near future.
An Excuse
Dean names the fish Roger because it's the first name that occurs to him. Twenty-four hours into their master/fish relationship, he's back at the pet store.
"I need one of those scoop things for Roger," he tells Castiel.
"You named him Roger?" he asks and his mouth twitches.
Dean decides not to blush. After all, this is Fish Guy. He probably names all the fish in the store.
"Yeah, it seemed like a good manly name."
Castiel's mouth twitches again.
"I'm sure."
He shows Dean the scoops. Dean watches his ass as he walks away and thinks to himself that Roger is the best thing that ever happened to him.
Once More
Two days later, Dean decides that Roger needs one of those little castles. Just so the little guy feels like he's got something to defend. Castiel sees Dean first.
"Is Roger well?"
Dean nods and points to the small buildings. "Recommend one of these things."
Castiel glances at them. "You know him better than me," he says, but Dean's almost sure he's kidding. Twenty minutes later, they've picked out a suitable castle and Dean can't think of another excuse to take up his time. Castiel smiles at him as he leaves.
"I'll see you for the next fish emergency."
Which pretty much seals Dean's loserdom. He sighs as he walks out the door.
Turning Point
The next time they see each other, it's at Dean's workplace and totally unexpected. The most beautiful car he's ever seen in his entire life pulls up to the garage. It's a black Chevy Impala, a 1967 by the looks of it and Dean's in love instantly.
And then the door opens and it's fucking Fish Guy that steps out. Dean's mouth drops open.
"That's your car?"
Castiel looks down at it and frowns.
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
Dean stares at him.
"Please have sex with me."
That's when things start to change between them.
Marriage of Convenience
Turns out that Castiel inherited the car from his obviously badass uncle and doesn't know what to do with her. Which is why they immediately start dating, so Dean can take of her like she deserves.
He suspects that Castiel feels the same way about Roger.
Not Really the Reason
Sam accuses Dean of only dating Castiel for his car, but when Castiel does that growly thing and stalks him into the bedroom, Dean can't remember his own name much less anything about a car.
Jealous Wings series
The Beginning
Castiel looks up from his book when his left wing edges closer to Dean and wraps around his shoulder. There's no reaction from Dean other than to burrow in and sigh happily in his sleep, but Castiel notices how his right wing rustles angrily.
This could be bad.
Battle Tactics
When Castiel wakes up the next day, his right wing is massaging Dean's back. Dean's grunting softly, still half-asleep. The left wing is calm and laying on Castiel's other side. Which means it hasn't noticed yet. Castiel gathers the left wing and holds it. Seconds later, it begins thrashing in his arms.
This is getting old fast.
Pwned
Dean stares as the wings tangle and snap at each other.
"Are you okay?"
Castiel stirs his pasta. "Yes."
"But-"
"They just need to get it out."
Dean blinks. "Whatever."
He leans in and cups Castiel's chin, placing a firm kiss on his mouth. The wings pause, their tips peeking over Castiel's shoulders. Castiel tries not to smirk at them as Dean walks away.
Just by Chance
Hours later, in a lust-filled haze, Dean grabs the right wing at a very important moment. The left wing mopes for the rest of the night.
A Good Talking To
Dean's soft tone drags Castiel out of his light doze. He senses that Dean is still sitting between his legs. Both of Dean's hands hold the very tip of a wing.
"You guys are insane," he says fondly. His thumbs start to caress the wings and Castiel feels them flutter gently. "You know you guys are identical, right?"
The left one surges forward to poke Dean in the chest.
"Ouch! Geez, okay, calm down. Look, I'm just saying, I love you both the same and you're making him crazy, so calm the hell down." The right wing flutters out of Dean's grasp to brush against his neck while the left drifts across his chest. Dean's breath hitches when Castiel senses the left one moving down.
"Cas," Dean whines. "Your wings are perverts."
Calm Again
Castiel drifts off again and when he finally wakes up for real, Dean's wrapped up tight in both wings, snoring into Castiel's chest. He pets Dean's hair.
"I hope you understand how lucky we are," he says to them. They pull Dean closer and Castiel smiles.
They understand perfectly.
A Fairy Tale (ongoing)
There once was a fairy named Castiel.
He was of average height and build and his blue gossamer wings were considered rather plain by his fellow fairies.
It didn't help that he favored a boxy suit and trenchcoat over the revealing shimmering cloaks his friends all wore.
Or that he was the court accountant for the Fairy King.
In short, Castiel, though a stout fairy with a good heart, was a total snoozefest.
One day, Castiel's younger sister Anna sat beside him to have a talk. Anna was beautiful and interesting, able to catch a fairy's eye with her lovely red hair or his attention with her light crystalline laughter.
In other words, she was a hottie.
And she was worried about Castiel because he was dull and alone.
"Castiel," she said as she shook out her shining golden wings. "You'll never find a mate if you don't leave the tax room now and again."
Castiel didn't like going out. No one enjoyed talking to him and frankly, he wasn't much interested in typical fairy gossip.
"There's going to be a ball tonight! You should come. I know His Majesty invited you," Anna said.
Castiel frowned. "I don't remember him asking me."
Anna huffed. "There is more to life than numbers, brother. Our king is entertaining visitors from the Land of Humans!" she said excitedly. "Can you imagine? Actual humans here in our very own castle!"
This greatly startled Castiel. Humans were such odd creatures, rough and aggressive beings. And they looked very bizarre with their wingless backs and thick bodies.
"Humans? Here?" Anna nodded. "And not just any humans! It's their own ruler, King Winchester and his two sons." She leans in. "I hear King Michael wishes one of us to marry one of the sons to form an alliance between our kingdoms against the demons."
Castiel scowled. "What has this to do with me?"
Anna grinned. "Don't you want to see our brethren throw themselves at the humans? They all want to be the delicate flower that captures the brutish human heart," she said with an amused eye roll and Castiel found himself smiling too. It did sound like fun.
"Perhaps it might not be so bad," he allowed. Anna squeaked happily and hugged him. "I will see you tonight then!" And she whirled away before Castiel could change his mind.
__________________
That night, Castiel walked to the ballroom without bothering to change his outfit. After all, if he couldn't interest one of his own kind, how could he hope to entice a human?
Anna sighed when she saw his bedraggled appearance, but it didn't stop her from looping an arm through his.
"Come and see the humans! They just arrived."
She dragged him towards a side door where they could peer into the main room without drawing attention. "There!" She pointed to a large human male dressed in a simple dark tunic. "That is King Winchester."
Castiel examined the man. The lack of wings was evenly more jarring in reality, but it didn't detract from his appearance. If anything, King Winchester was larger than Castiel expected. Not physically taller than Michael, but with a presence that filled the room.
"Impressive, huh?" Anna remarked. "Wait till you see his kids." She pointed towards the the dance floor where a positively massive human with shaggy brown hair danced a politely distant waltz with Tieriel. "That is the younger, Sam."
"Younger?" Castiel asked in surprise. "He is quite large to be called young."
"Nevertheless," Anna said. "It is so. The older, Dean, stands over there." She pointed to an alcove where another human stood. He held a glass of punch in one hand, but was not drinking. Instead, he watched the crowd closely with a suspicious look in his bright-colored eyes. Like his father and brother, he wore simple tunics that showed a fine physique underneath, a strong muscular body quite typical of this warrior race.
All this Castiel noted in an instant. But he could not process it. All he could feel was a strange falling sensation in his stomach and a weakness around his knees.
The human Dean Winchester was beautiful.
"Are you alright?" Castiel turned to her and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "I did not expect the humans to be so appealing."
Surprise blossomed across Anna's lovely face. "You like them? None of our kind has ever held your attention and now that humans show up, you are enticed." She laughed and began pulling on his arm. "We must introduce you to them then." Castiel tugged away from her. He felt heat rising on his face and suspected he was working up quite the blush.
"Please don't. I'm not a good-"
"What? Don't even finish that sentence," Anna commanded. "Maybe you aren't the life of the party, but you're my brother and I love you. So if you like the humans, you're going to meet the humans."
Castiel had a great deal of practice with ignoring Anna when he didn't want to follow her orders, but when she again began pulling him towards King Michael and his guest of honor, Castiel didn't stop her.
He was going to meet the humans.
__________________
If there was one thing Dean Winchester hated more than politics, it was parties.
And if there was anything he hated more than parties, it was his father's constant pressure to finally get married.
Combine the two and Dean was pretty much completely miserable.
Dean wasn't stupid. He knew they needed this alliance with the fairy kingdom. The demon attacks of their own borders grew more common and violent as time passed and human strength could only accomplish so much. They needed fairy magic to help repel this evil and the only way they could ever hope to come to an agreement with the stern ethereal creatures was through marriage.
It didn't really matter whether it was Dean or Sam that entered into the marriage agreement, but Dean knew when they left for this journey that it would be him that did so.
Sam was terribly in love with a human girl back home, Jessica. She was the daughter of a powerful count and an excellent match in her own right. Dean could never allow Sam to miss out on marrying for love, not when the girl in question loved Sam back so very much.
No, it would be Dean that brought home a fairy spouse.
Now, if he could just find one that didn't make him long to turn tail and run out the door. Fairies were such a peculiar race. They were all slender and delicate, deceptively weak-looking. Dean knew their magic was more than powerful enough protection against even a caliber of warrior such as himself, who'd been training since he was old enough to walk. But he preferred a more solid figure. He didn't care for the mystical hocus-pocus nonsense. The fluttery clothes and the translucent wings. Each fairy, even their beloved King, seemed little more than a wisp of presence that would melt into nothingness the instant Dean reached out for them.
Sam was having fun at least, Dean thought to himself as he watched Sam twirl a young female fairy across the dance floor.
A few courageous types had asked Dean for a dance, but he'd turned them all down. He was risking a lecture from his father after the party, but Dean was holding out hope that someone would really catch his eye. He'd given himself until ten o'clock. If no one truly appealing turned up, Dean would have to choose the least offensive and begin the courtship ritual.
The thought made him want to sneak out the side door and find a great deal of alcohol.
A few moments later, after the dance music changed to a more stately waltz, Sam appeared at his side and elbowed him.
"You look really off-putting, standing over here and glaring at people," he informed Dean with a grin.
They'd already fought several times in a rather spectacular fashion about the subject of this inevitable marriage. Sam didn't like Dean sacrificing his happiness for Sam, but as Dean finally beat into Sam's thick skull, he had no real happiness to sacrifice while Sam would be giving up an already existing love affair. So it was good to see Sam smiling and teasing him again, since the whole situation had made him so very unhappy.
"I'm trying to discourage the faint of heart," Dean said. "I couldn't marry someone too afraid to approach me."
Sam snorted. "No one's approached you," he pointed out.
"Shut up, bitch," Dean growled, but the corner of his mouth twitched, the evidence of his amusement.
"Jerk," Sam shot back and maybe this was not a happy night for Dean, but no matter who he married, he would always have Sam nearby. The thought calmed the desire to run out, though it did not completely disappear.
The next song passed in relative silence, broken every so often as Sam pointed to this or that fairy and mentioned something positive. "That male has pretty eyes.' Or 'That female over by the refreshment table has a nice figure.' Dean merely grunted now and again. Although he did have to admit that the girl had a nice backside.
As the piece wound down, a hesitant voice from the left caught their attention.
"Excuse me?" The speaker was a tall female fairy with long flowing red hair and bright golden wings. She was pretty, like the rest of her kind, but again, too willowy and spare to make Dean feel more than admiration for the unreal sort of beauty fairies exuded.
"King Michael advised me to come and introduce myself," she said, her voice light and airy. "I'm Anna."
Sam took her offered hand and gave it a polite kiss. She smiled at him, but quickly turned her attention back to Dean.
"My brother very much wishes to meet you as well. He's a little shy," she said with a bit of grimace before turning and reaching back into the shadows. A quick yanking motion later and a male fairy appeared by her side.
This fairy didn't look like any of his brethren. His body was almost entirely covered by plain dark clothing and his blue wings were nearly opaque. They looked strong and thick. Solid. His hair was nearly black and his gaze was heavy with a kind of intelligence Dean hadn't yet seen among the fairies. All the others seemed to dance through life without a care in the world. This fairy looked as if he had many cares. He slumped a bit and his face was covered with light stubble. He looked tired.
He was gorgeous.
"This is Castiel," Anna said, pushing him forward. Castiel held out his hand to Dean and though he didn't look nervous, a blush crept up his neck.
"Hello," he said. Dean startled again. His voice was gravel rough and deep. It drew a wave of shivers up Dean's spine.
"Hey," Dean answered. He'd always imagined fairies would be cool to the touch, but Castiel's skin was warm. The move wasn't required for males, but Dean couldn't resist lifting Castiel's hand to his mouth and brushing a kiss across it. When his lips touched him, Castiel's breath stuttered briefly. Dean smiled against his hand.
"I am Dean Winchester," he said, making sure to start the sentence while his mouth hovered over Castiel's hand, so the fairy would feel the heat of his breath. Judging by the way Castiel wilted to the side a bit, he wasn't unaffected by the move.
"It's very good to meet you," he said. His little emphasis on the word 'very' did not pass by Sam's attention. Beside him, Dean felt his brother stiffen and then turn to stare at him. Dean smiled. Sam understood perfectly.
Dean had made his choice.
Babysitter series
Introduction
The new nanny can't come soon enough. Andrea and Morgan are climbing the walls. Literally, in Morgan's case. Dean scoops him off the curtain.
"Stop it," he says before slinging the kid onto the couch. "Just be quiet for a minute."
She has to get here soon because Dean has to work and school's been cancelled for snow. Sam said this woman was highly recommended. But she's almost about to get late and...the doorbell rings and Dean leaps towards it, wrenching it open, relief pumping in his veins. But instead of the nanny, it's a man. A tall man with dark hair and the brightest eyes Dean's ever seen.
"Um," he says stupidly.
"Hello, Mr. Winchester?"
Dean blinks.
"Do I know you?"
"I'm Cas."
It takes a moment for Dean's brain to catch up. Not Cass, short for Cassandra. Cas, short for...God knows what.
"You're a dude," Dean says. A really hot dude with a dorky coat and wild hair. Cas nods.
"I'm aware. Is that a problem?"
Oh, it's a problem. Because he's not been on a date in weeks and Cas is gorgeous and he's too desperate to turn him away, but having this guy in his house every single day for hours and hours and not having him? Yeah...that's going to be a problem.
"No," Dean grunts. "Come on, in."
Meet the Kids
"This is Morgan," Dean says as the child in question flings himself into Cas' arms. "And this is Andrea."
She hides behind Dean's legs. So basically, business as usual. Cas gathers Morgan against his chest and nods solemnly.
"Hello, children."
Playtime
When it's time to leave, everything falls apart. Andrea freaks out and Morgan won't shut up and Dean can't stop staring at Cas. It's chaos and Dean's not sure if he should panic or feel humiliated that his small family is such a mess.
"Sorry, man," Dean says over top of Morgan's made up story about a family of pigs. Cas only nods again and smiles.
"Don't worry."
He then sets Morgan on the floor and then walks to the back of the house. Morgan stops talking, Andrea stops crying and Dean continues to stare.
"Where's he going, Daddy?" Morgan asks. Dean shrugs.
"I don't know."
They follow after him like a herd of chicks chasing their mother and soon discover Cas sitting on the floor of Andrea's bedroom floor, changing her favorite Barbie into a bright red cocktail dress. Dean knows he should say something, ask something, but his mind blanks out at the strange image and all his focus zeroes in on Cas' deft slender fingers sliding over the doll. It turns out that he doesn't need to say anything.
"What are you doing?" Andrea storms into the room, hands on her hips. Cas turns his head into an angle as he looks up at her.
"Playing."
"That's not her dress," Andrea says. She throws herself to her knees and snatches the doll away from him. "This is Brittany's dress, but this is Caroline. She doesn't look good in red."
"I apologize," Cas says.
Dean's so caught up in being amused by Andrea's telling-off that he almost doesn't see the obvious.
Andrea is talking to Cas.
"Caroline likes this dress," she explains patiently, holding up a long blue number Dean doesn't remember buying. Maybe Sam got it for her.
Morgan drops to his knees beside Cas and begins digging in the toy box. He pulls out another dress, this one orange.
"Use this one instead," he urges.
As the kids fall into a light bicker, Cas catches Dean's eye over their heads and gives him another little smile. Dean relaxes. Maybe he can leave the house after all.
Heaven Sent
He knows he shouldn't, but Dean can't help coming home during lunch to check up on the situation. What he finds is Andrea and Morgan conked out in the living room on small mats he doesn't recognize. They look...peaceful.
Dean is pretty sure he's going to have to keep Cas forever.
Curiosity
"I'm five," Morgan says. "And so is Andrea. We're twins." Cas wonders if their mother is still alive and if so, why she would ever leave a man like Dean.
A New Plan
"You're doing it wrong," Andrea complains one night when Dean tries to make her a peanut butter sandwich. "Cas cut them into circles," she explains.
Dean glances at her.
"You really like Cas, huh?"
Andrea nods. "Can he live with us?" she asks and Dean thinks, Yes, please.
"Um, well, he has his own house."
She shakes her head. "I'm going to ask him."
Dean tries not to worry when he doesn't tell her not to.
Big Act
Dean watches quietly as Andrea tugs on Cas' trenchcoat when he tries to leave.
"Cas? How come you always go right home?"
Cas frowns. "Where else would I go?"
Andrea's smile is coy and pretty freaking obvious, as far as Dean's concerned. "You could stay for dinner."
Cas' gaze flicks up to Dean. He grins. "Yeah, we're having spaghetti." Cas seems uncertain, so Dean leans in with his own obvious smile. "It's no problem."
When Cas finally agrees, Dean has to restrain himself from giving Andrea a high five. Project Move Cas In is a go.
New uses
Morgan climbs into Cas' lap after dinner. "Let's watch a movie now!" Dean should have set his kids on potential dates ages ago.
Not Quite Yet
Two hours later, Andrea and Morgan lay across Dean and Cas, both fast asleep. Cas smiles at Dean over Morgan's head. "I believe it's time for bed."
And Dean knows he means the kids, but he still feels heat flash through his body at the words.
"Yeah."
It takes some time to drag the kids upstairs and into their pajamas. After five years of being alone with them, it's strange to look over and see another person. Strange, but nice. Dean walks Cas to his door and he wants. Wants to say something. Invite him to stay. Kiss him. Something. Instead, he sighs and gives him a gruff goodbye. He watches Cas walk to his car and thinks about his empty bed upstairs.
He won't sleep well tonight.
Switching Roles
The last thing Cas expected to see on his front porch was Dean Winchester holding a bowl and carrying a bag from Walgreen's. "Dean?" he rasped, trying to resist the urge to cough.
Dean hands him the bowl. "Soup," he said, not quite meeting Cas' eyes. "And cold medicine."
"Don't you have work?" The soup smelled amazing.
"Told them I'd be late."
"The twins?"
Dean finally looked up and smiled shyly. "Sam," he said. Cas' heart flipped over in his chest.
"Let's get you inside."
Cas let Dean steer him back into his home and thought to himself that it was pretty nice to be taken care of for once.
Comfort
Cas looks terrible as Dean takes the bowl from him and drags the quilt up around his ears. "Man, you really got a mean bug."
"Hmm," Cas murmurs, obviously half asleep. "You goin'?"
Dean wants to brush the damp locks off Cas' forehead, but doesn't. "Nah. I'll stick around," he says. Cas smiles sleepily and Dean's pretty sure he won't survive this.
"Good," he slurs. "S'better with you."
Yep. Not going to survive.
Realization
Cas wakes up to find Dean snoring heavily, his face smashed against the sofa arm. He reaches for him, watches his hand as it strokes through Dean's hair. "I think I might love you," he tells him. Dean continues to sleep, oblivious and out-of-reach.
Set up
Andrea calls Cas that weekend. "Um, could you come over here?" she asks. "I want to show you something."
Cas is more than a little suspicious, but he doesn't want to give up the opportunity to visit the Winchesters. When he gets there, Andrea tugs him into the kitchen and makes him sit at the table, which is set with paper plates filled with pizza.
"What the heck, dude," he hears Dean say as Morgan leads him into the kitchen. Dean's eyes light with understanding when he sees Cas and he flushes a dark red. "Guys..."
"Time for your date!" Andrea exclaims before she grabs Morgan and escapes, leaving Cas alone with Dean, feeling exposed and uncomfortable.
Not a Problem
"I didn't-" Cas starts, but Dean lifts a hand.
"I know, man. They're just...determined."
He falls into his chair with a sigh, wondering if Cas will quit for sexual harassment issues or because it'll just be too awkward. Then Cas picks up his piece of pizza and smiles shyly at Dean over it.
"Oh," Dean says in surprise. He grabs up his piece. Maybe this won't be so bad after all.
Somewhat Later
Morgan tugs Cas aside several weeks after he's started dating Dean.
"Tomorrow is Daddy's birthday and he's gonna be old and he told me and and Andrea he wanted ice cream, but Andrea said she heard him saying to Uncle Sam he wanted you to spend the night, so you should come over and have a sleepover like the one we had for our birthday last year because it was fun."
Cas contemplates this idea. He'd purchased a set cassette tapes he thought Dean would like, but perhaps Morgan had a good point.
Perhaps Dean would enjoy a 'sleepover' even more.
A Very Happy Birthday
Dean's arms slip around Cas' waist and he looks down over Cas' shoulder at the pancakes he's cooking.
"Happy Birthday," Cas says and Dean squeezes him.
"Thanks, man." Cas presses back against Dean, earning himself a sharp intake of breath.
"Morgan tells me you wish to hold a sleepover."
Dean stills. He's going to have to have a talk with that kid.
"I think it sounds very entertaining," Cas continues. He turns in Dean's arms and settles his hands on Dean's shoulders. "Will there be games?"
Dean knows there's a clever answer out there somewhere, but he's too busy kissing Cas' smirking mouth to search for it.
Chess (ongoing)
It was Saturday night and Castiel was playing chess.
Again.
Which wasn't a problem as far as Castiel was concerned, but his friends were a little worried that he always played alone. Castiel wasn't averse to playing a living foe, but none of his friends knew how to play. Certainly not well enough to seriously challenge him.
No, he preferred to play alone, rehashing old games or studying famous matches. It didn't really matter as long as Castiel got to spend time with the old beloved chess board he'd inherited it from his grandfather. Over a hundred years old, the board and pieces were made from polished mahogany wood. Each piece was carved to be entirely unique. It was like a tiny village with 32 different citizens.
Castiel sometimes felt he preferred them to real people.
"Victor says I need to 'get a life'," Castiel said to the wavy-haired white queen as he moved her across the board. Her name was Ellen. At least in his mind.
"But I feel like I have a fine life," he continued. After all, he had a successful career teaching college history. He had a slew of siblings who loved him, even if they were difficult to get along with. His friends cared enough to worry about him. He didn't want for anything.
"Not everyone gets married after all," he murmured to Chuck as he slid the little bishop over a few spaces.
Not that he didn't think about it. He was human after all. There were plenty of men who caught his attention. Made him look twice and wonder how it would work. But people bemused him. They were odd and complicated and Castiel felt certain most wouldn't understand why he was sitting alone on a Saturday night talking to his chess pieces.
The chess pieces listened to him.
"I don't mind being pathetic," he added as he picked up his favorite piece of all. It was one of the black knights. The pair was similar enough in appearance that Castiel always thought of them as brothers. This one was the shorter of the two. A fierce handsome piece named Dean.
Castiel absolutely did not have a crush on his chess piece. He just thought that if Dean were real, he'd be rather bewitching. His charming grin, tall muscled frame and obviously boisterous personality would definitely capture Castiel's attention. He liked to imagine that Dean had dark brown hair and bright eyes, possibly a sparkling blue or vivid green.
The brother Sam was taller and calmer. His face wore a grimace rather than a grin and Castiel thought that Sam did not enjoy the fight quite as much as his brother. But nevertheless, Sam was his second favorite piece. He would make an appealing reality as well.
"You a real piece of work, you know that?"
Castiel flipped out of his chair, nearly hitting the ground and spun to face the unexpected voice. A short man with a cocky expression leaned against his living room wall.
"Who are you? How'd you get in here?" Castiel spluttered.
The man snorted.
"Flew in. The name's Gabriel and I'm your fairy Godangel."
Castiel frowned. His heart thumped a million miles an hour in his chest and he was beyond alarmed at the odd stranger in his home, but those concerns quickly fell away in the face of this affront to logic.
"How can you be a fairy and an angel?"
Gabriel rolled his eyes. "I can see why you need my help. Look." He moved closer and seemed surprised when Castiel didn't move away. "We've been monitoring you for awhile now, but when your sister Anna prayed for you, we decided to send in the cavalry."
"I don't understand."
"Don't worry about it. This is where the fairy part comes in. You got one wish for happiness and thirty seconds to make it," Gabriel said. He lifted his arm and an expensive gold watch appeared on his wrist.
"Wait, I don't know what you want me to do!" Castiel exclaimed.
"Twenty seconds," was all Gabriel said.
Happiness. Castiel thought he was happy. Didn't he have everything? What more could he ask for?
An image flickered across his mind's eye, a brief instant of shiny black and a heart-stopping smile.
Gabriel laughed. "Seriously? You are one weird dude."
"Excuse me?"
But his attention was torn away from Gabriel as a crackling noise like electricity skittering across metal exploded into his senses from behind him, followed by a flare of intense heat. He ducked away from an eye-searing flash of white light and fell to the ground, head under his arms.
Silence fell a moment later. When Castiel finally chanced a look, Gabriel was gone. But Castiel wasn't alone. A man stood beside his chess table. A tall handsome man in a suit of heavy black armor. He had light brown hair, soft green eyes and he was even more beautiful than Castiel imagined.
"D-Dean?" he stuttered, disbelief coursing through his every fiber.
Dean stared down his own body for a long time, occasionally shaking a limb, then looked at Castiel. That wide gorgeous smile spread across his lips.
"Cas?"
Castiel fainted.
Final Spin
Sam looks around the empty room.
"Where's Cas?"
"Laundromat," Dean says.
Sam huffs. "Geez, don't you ever do your own laundry? Cas is always at the Laundromat."
Dean scowls up at him. "I volunteer to go! He won't let me. It's like Disneyland for angels."
When Sam walks down to the mat to confirm, he finds Castiel in a chair, nose pressed up against the dryer, watching underwear and socks tumble over and over.
"Weirdo," Sam says under his breath as he leaves Castiel to his laundry theatre.
A Certainty
On the eve of battle, Castiel smiles and bumps against Dean's shoulders.
"You know I'll still be here, no matter what, don't you? So long as you look for me."
Dean frowns at him.
"I don't understand."
Time stretches, their breaths slow to match.
"They are not seen nor are they heard unless the soul they love searches for them," Castiel says. It sounds like he's quoting something.
"What the hell...?"
Castiel moves, leans, close enough that Dean feels the warmth of his body.
"Not many angels are called back from the brink as often as I've been, Dean Winchester. Yours is an unusual soul." He smiles, an odd curve of lips to match the alien affection in his eyes. "Even when I sent myself away, you called me back." His lips brush Dean's and then he's moving away. "Whatever happens, I'll find you and you will find me. It's inevitable."
Dean watches in silence as Castiel walks away.
Part Two
