AN: Inspired by this tumblr post: "We're both cosplayers and we somehow always manage to meet each other at cons dressed as a popular ship and people want photos of us in compromising positions and oops now we're kissing" AU
i should probably add that i have never been to a con (*sigh*) and haven't cosplayed. my cousin is actually really into it (and her work is friggin *amazing* omg), but my own personal experience in these matters is lacking. which is why i tried to be vague.
yeah i know, i've got four WIPs and shouldn't be working on other stuff instead of that blah blah blah. this wasn't even an exercise in writing concisely, either. it's more of a "i didn't feel like writing all week and this is the only thing that could get me writing so i went with it" type of fic. i have spring break starting today, so i'm really hoping to get all of my WIPs updated and maybe do a couple side projects. (look at me, all optimistic)
i.
The first time is at Awesome Con.
Dean's not super local to DC, but he'd heard it was a fun con. And since he was nervous about doing his first cosplay, he decided to debut at a smaller one. His costume had taken a lot of time, probably because it was his first time sewing anything more complicated than a pillow.
All he's ever worn before this are modified versions of things he's purchased online. But this time, oh no, this time he was actually wearing something he had made. He was super proud, walking around in his Magneto costume. Loads of people stopped by to compliment him, and he blushed each time.
There's another Magneto, but her costume is based more on the X-2 style whereas he'd stuck with the Days of Future Past look. People ask for their picture together, and he gets a high from all the attention. It's awesome (pun intended).
That's not the problem, though.
The problem is the guy in the Charles Xavier costume. And it's obviously the young Charles from First Class, because he's got the suit and Cerebro (hand-made, by the looks of it... really fucking cool, Dean has to admit) and no wheel chair. Dean actually seeks him out to compliment him on it and ask about how he made the suit.
(It has nothing to do with the fact that they guy's also adorable. The messy bedhead especially.)
Before he can open his mouth, a group of young girls starts squealing in delight. Stunned, both young men are frozen like a deer in headlights. The girls start rattling off compliments and absolutely begging to get some pictures of them together.
Just remember that this was the first time it happened. Dean's still nothing but pleased to have people admire his hard work, and the Xavier guy's costume goes really well with his. So they pose for a few pictures for the girls. And then for the group that comes after them. And for some more after that.
The poses start as those generic superhero-esque poses. Some of the people are obviously shippers, because they ask for some more, ahem, specific poses. Nothing overtly inappropriate, but there's just something weird about hugging a dude you've never met before. And staring into those eyes (those beautiful blue eyes that he gets lost in...).
By the end of it, he's late for a panel and doesn't really have time to say much to the Xavier cosplayer. There's some quick chit chat about their costumes before Dean's running off, belatedly realizing he didn't get the guy's name. Oh well.
ii.
The second time is at Comic Con. Dean doesn't really feel ready for the big leagues yet, but it's Comic Con. There's no way he's missing it.
He also thinks he can go with something a little more obscure. Not that Game of Thrones is obscure, but Loras Tyrell isn't as recognizable as being someone like Joffrey. The costume's a bit more intricate, and he'd paired up with Charlie to make it. She'd been a godsend when it came to the embroidery.
So here he is, Sir Loras accompanying Arya Stark to Comic Con.
("You don't wanna be Sansa? You got the hair for it-"
"Uh, no way. Arya is badass-"
"Sansa has her moments-"
"Do not interrupt me, Winchester. Arya is badass AND is totally a lesbian. Therefore, she gets the honor of me cosplaying as her."
"I'm not sure Arya's a les-"
"Oh my god Dean, you're so blind.")
Realistically, what were the chances someone would come as Renly Baratheon?
When they spot Renly with a bearded Circe and a Kahleesi with dragons resting on her shoulders, Dean is surprised. So of course he has to meet this guy. Practically dragging Charlie, he makes a beeline towards the other GoT group. He is downright *floored* when they get closer and he realizes he recognizes the Renly.
He nudges Charlie in the side. "Dude!" he hisses, trying not to be too loud as they approach. "It's that Charles Xavier guy from Awesome Con!"
Charlie's mouth does an "O" before she frowns and does a quick double take between the Xavier-turned-Renley and Dean. Even if she doesn't make a sound, he can *hear* her giggling in the mischievous glint in her eyes.
Some similar exchange must have happened with the other group, because Xavier Renly is staring at him with wide eyes while the Circe dude has a huge fucking grin plastered on his face. Dany just looks curious.
"Hey, funny seeing-"
Before Dean can get any further, they're interrupted by the arrival of a Stannis and Joffrey. The resulting chaos of acting out fake arguments with the other characters distracts from the butterflies in his stomach. He's sort of aware that they're drawing a crowd, but this is fun (and he honestly has no idea what he'd say to the -cute- Renley guy anyway, so maybe it's for the best that he got interrupted from making a complete idiot of himself).
An impromptu photo op breaks out as con-goers see them. They kind of just pose on their own. He barely has to do anything, just kind of lets himself be shuffled around by Charlie and the other cosplayers. When he *happens* to be close to blue-eyed Renly's group, he strains to overhear anything he can.
("Ow! Gabe, you're standing on my foot."
"Chill out, bro, ain't that bad - I've got dainty little feet anyway."
"Stop confusing yourself with your character. You are not Circe Lannister."
"You kidding? Who the fuck would describe Circe as dainty? I'm talking about my own feet, bro-chatcho.")
Dean's so engulfed in his eavesdropping that he doesn't hear the request one of the con-goers makes.
"Sorry, what?"
"This lovely lady has expressed an interest in seeing the very handsome King Renly and the average looking Sir Loras in a picture together." Charlie's eyes glow mischievously as she gently nudges him forwards.
"What?" he almost squeaks but then coughs, straightens his outfit and obliges. He can do this.
His confidence shakes a bit when Renly Xavier's blue eyes lift through those gorgeous lashes to meet his own. The shyness makes his heart skip a big (or is he being coy? oh fuck that actually might be even cuter). The end up with an arm slung around each other's shoulders for a couple pictures and Dean is pretty sure his cheeks are beet red and he can feel his pulse in his friggin ears and oh god what if he starts hyperventilating-
"Thanks!" And with that, it's over. All the other members of their little GoT group are chatting and obviously starting to part ways. For the moment it's just the two of them though. Hesitantly, Dean pulls away. Just enough to pull his arm back and slide it down the guy's arm before all the contact is gone.
"So uh-"
"I guess-"
They both cut off at the same time, an embarrassed laugh shared. He gestures for the other guy to go first, but is cut off by someone pulling violently on his arm. "Dean! The panel's starting!"
Flustered, he tries to get away from Charlie or at least spit out an invitation to meet up later. All that earns him is an even harder tug as Charlie starts walking (and somehow, she's managing to pull him away with alarming strength considering he's got a good half foot on her).
"Dammit, Charlie!" he hisses out when he finally gets his equilibrium back. He's lost sight of the other group in the crowds and can't stop moving or risk losing Charlie. "I didn't even get the guy's name."
"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie." And she does seem genuinely sorry. "I figured you'd have gotten those digits by now if you were interested. And I am not missing the Screen Junkies panel just so you can ineptly flirt with that blue-eyed cutie."
With no small amount of resignation, Dean just gives out a long-suffering sigh. Oh well. There was probably ever going to be this weekend, anyway, then he'd never see the guy again. So what if Charlie's just cut everything short a little preemptively?
iii.
THIS WAS JUST GETTING RIDICULOUS.
He hadn't even *planned* on coming as Poe - his original costume had been Han Solo, but he wanted to do something new for cryin' out loud! (And also he couldn't convince his brother to dress as Chewie, despite how *perfect* it would've been with the hair and the height and dammit Sam can't you just help me out this *one* time!)
So he's walking around with his sweet Poe Dameron costume that honestly feels the least like a costume as any of the other outfits he's worn. He's getting a lot of attention, too. He's got (in his humble opinion) just the right swagger to pull this off. The chicks dig it, the guys dig it, fuck he just feels great.
It's Pax Prime and there's a ton of cool stuff he plans on doing. (He's got a PA print he's going to get Gabe and Tycho to sign if it kills him.) There aren't as many people in costume here, but he still gets a few thumbs up from people he passes by.
Ahead at one of the booths, he sees a guy obviously dressed as Finn. Which is pretty awesome. Fanboy that he is, Dean loves seeing the new Star Wars get the love it deserves. So he walks over to say hi.
And it's him.
Xavier Renly Finn.
"Oh, give me a fucking break," he mutters when their eyes meet. He crosses the last few feet between them. "Hey," he says, hoping his smile doesn't look too forced.
And yeah, the guy sounds equally surprised as he gives Dean an appreciative once over. "Hello, Dean."
Dean can't help how badly he flushes at hearing the guy say his name. Because fuck. That voice. Somehow his expression must read as something else though, because now blue eyes is blushing and looking away. "I, uh, overheard your friend call you that." Struggling to make eye contact again (and it looks more like he settles for a spot just to the right of Dean), he adds, "I hope I didn't misinterpret-"
"No, no, you got it right. I'm Dean." He holds out a hand.
With a blinding smile, formerly Xavier Renly now Finn reaches out to shake it. It's like fucking electricity jolting through Dean at the contact (which makes no sense, he's basically had to hug the guy already, why the hell should a handshake be any different). "I'm Cas-"
And then there's a lot of flashing lights and they're both dazed, gripping each other's hand tightly. When the spots start to fade from his eyes, Dean realizes they're surrounded by a bunch of people snapping pictures of them. And he growls slightly because why would so many people keep the friggin flash setting on their phone in this day and age, c'mon people!
One of the girls jumps up and down and rushes over to the two of them to show off the picture. She perfectly captured their handshake... and what Charlie would no doubt describe as Dean's "flirty face." He tries to keep his cool as he comments on the shot she took, hoping Finn Cas doesn't notice the intense smolder Dean's working in the picture.
"So, uh," he starts when the mini-crowd starts to dissipate. "That was awkward."
Cas gives him a gummy smile before laughing. Fuck that was cute. "People are going to start thinking we've planned this."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Charlie already thinks we do and that I'm lying about it just to fuck with her."
"Charlie? Oh, is that the red-head you were with at Comic Con?" Dean nods. "Is your girlfriend with you here, too?"
Somehow Dean almost chokes at that. "Girlfriend?" he squeaks. "God no! I mean, yes, she's here, but she's not my girlfriend. She's gay. Like, super gay." Oh my god, shut up, Dean! Thankfully, he does just that.
"Oh." Is that relief? Is the guy happy that Charlie's not his girlfriend or is he imagining it. "So, Poe Dameron, would you like to grab lunch with me?"
He forces himself to count to three in his head before practically yelling, "Yes!"
They chat for a bit, end up visiting a few booths together. Along the way a few more people take their picture, and each time Dean gets more confident until at the end he's got his arm comfortably around Cas' shoulder and doesn't bother moving it once the picture's over.
iv.
It finally happens at Dragoncon.
After lunch at Pax, they really didn't get a chance to hang out much. Dean and Cas have texted a few times, really just comments about movies that have come out or shows they're binge watching. And they both know they're going to be here, so they agreed to meet up for a bit.
He didn't mention his costume because he wanted to surprise Cas. (Cas was equally silent on the matter, so Dean didn't even have to evade the question.) Dean absolutely loves his Captain America costume. It was a great excuse to spend hours watching Marvel movies and reading comics as "research" and he just loves how he feels wearing it. He just feels confident (and maybe a little sexy, it does highlight his biceps pretty well) and he really hopes to channel that feeling to ask Cas out for real.
About a hundred feet away he spots a Winter Soldier and his heart flutters a bit. No way. No fucking way. He's passed a bunch of Winter Soldiers already, but they all came with a Captain America. This is just a solitary Winter Soldier, accompanied by a Loki.
He pulls away from Charlie (who makes a hot Black Widow if he doesn't say so himself) and lets his feet carry him over to the other cosplayer. The whole time he wonders what the hell the chances would be. None, right?
But he definitely recognizes the Loki, who nods towards him as he approaches. And he's steps away when Cas turns around with those gorgeous blue eyes widening in surprise. They stare at each other for a while, Dean trying not to let his eyes wander to Cas' lips for too long (but also trying not to drown in those eyes).
He's pretty sure people are taking pictures. After the other cons, he's gotten a sense for when it's happening. It's not enough to break the spell though, Dean's way too lost in those eyes to even dream of it.
"Kiss him!" someone yells. (Later Dean will claim that voice sounded a lot like Charlie, whereas Cas will insist it was his brother Gabriel. Both Charlie and Gabriel will explain that it was actually a small boy in a wolverine costume, who both will declare was "the real MVP of Dragoncon" for saying "what they were all thinking anyway.")
So he does. He closes the last few feet of distance, puts his hand gently behind Cas' head, buries his fingers in those black locks, and pulls him in. It was *supposed* to be gentle, just a quick peck and then he pulls away. Cas growls at him when he tries, instead diving after him and deepening the kiss.
They are full on making out and the crowd that they've attracted is going nuts. There might even be chants of, "Stucky! Stucky! Stucky!" Neither of them care, way too lost in what is definitely the best kiss of Dean's life.
When he finally has to pull away to breathe, Dean cradles Cas' face in both hands. "Hey, wanna get out of here?"
v.
They were both going to the New York Comic Con anyway, but schedule to meet up. By mutual agreement, they refuse to tell each other about their costumes. They really just want to see if lightning can strike five times in a row.
(Sam jokes that if they match again, they're obviously soulmates. Charlie looks at him seriously and wholeheartedly agrees.)
After checking in, he texts Cas to give him his hotel room info. Fifteen minutes there's a knock at the door. Dean finishes putting on the boots to his King Arthur costume before walking over.
Outside stands a messy-haired, blue-eyed Merlin.
Charlie and Sam are never going to get over it when they find out...
vi.
They get married at Awesome Con the next year (it's where they met after all). Cas makes a very handsome Sherlock.
("You are much more beautiful, Dr. Watson."
"Oh my god, Cas, stop calling me beautiful.")
AN: Awesome Con (June) - Professor X/Magneto
Comic Con (July) - Renly Baratheon/Loras Tyrell
Pax Prime (August) - Finn/Poe
Dragoncon (Labor Day) - Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers
New York Comic Con (October) - Merlin/Arthur