Title: Adventures in Driving
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Warnings:Language, Terrible Driving
Word Count: 2, 055
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, of course. I also do not own Castiel, sadly.
Summary: Cas knew it would be a bad idea to allow Dean to teach him to drive. The Impala was almost as important to Dean as Sam, and Cas had never had the need to even think of operating a motor vehicle. Things quickly turn out just like Cas was expecting until, suddenly, they don't.
Prompt: But Dean trying to teach Cas to drive the Impala. And Cas stepping on the brakes too hard and jerking the steering wheel too fast and they just end up yelling at each other, seeing who can be loudest, not actually listening to what that other is saying. And while they're yelling, Cas drives over the curb and something under the car breaks and they both just shut the hell up as the metal screeches against pavement. And they sit there in silence, Cas just waiting for Dean to tear him a new one. (Prompt by wekeepeachotherhumann on Tumblr)
"Get out of the car."
"Yeah."
"Dean this is ridiculous. I have no need for driving." Castiel said calmly from his place in the driver's seat of the Impala. He had been more shocked than Sam when the older of the brothers made the offer, and had accepted without really thinking. The fact that Dean was not only letting him drive the Impala, but attempting to teach him on it? Cas was confused.
"Humour me, Cas." Dean replied, "Now put the key in the ignition." Cas did as he was told, though he didn't start the car, instead looking to Dean. "Yeah, Cas. You've gotta actually turn the key, though."
"You don't have your seatbelt on."
"So?"
"Please put it on."
Dean sighed, "It's never bothered you before."
"You're a good driver, Sam is a good driver. I have never driven."
"Fine, fine. Fair enough." Dean pulled the strap across himself, and upon hearing the click Cas turned the key and felt the Impala rumble to life beneath him. He placed both hands on the wheel, holding it tightly in his grasp. Dean chuckled next to him, and Cas frowned. "You're gonna have to put it in drive otherwise we're not going anywhere." Cas frowned, looking down at where Dean was pointing. He couldn't understand what all the letters and numbers running alongside the stick meant, and it made him feel small.
Dean, however, seemed to know it would happen and pointed to each individually, explaining what they stood for and their purposes before telling Cas that the two he needed to worry about today were the D and the P. "Now, before you go check your mirrors. You're a bit shorter than me so you need to make sure that this one," He pointed to the mirror coming from the windshield, "Gives you a clear view out the back window. The two side mirrors should be okay."
Cas stared at the tiny mirror, Dean was correct and it was slightly too far up. Cas gingerly reached a hand out, tugging gently at the mirror until his vision was as Dean asked. "Okay, I can see."
"Okay, good. Lets get going then." Dean took a deep breath, "Put it into drive, but keep your foot on the brake." Cas did as he was told, one hand still firmly holding the steering wheel while the other came down to pull the gear shift to the D. He put his hand back on its spot on the steering wheel before looking to Dean.
"Good, okay. Now gently," He emphasized the word, "And slowly remove your foot from the brake." Cas did as he was told, feeling the car start to move forward. Panic rose in his chest as he realized he was in control of the car that Dean loved so much. He keeps letting the car roll, his foot hovering in its spot over the brake and his eyes fixated on the long stretch of (thankfully) empty road in front of them. His knuckles were turning white with how tightly he was holding onto the wheel. "Cas, you're going to have to add some gas if we wanna actually go anywhere."
Cas swallowed past the lump in his throat, allowing himself a quick glance at Dean. He didn't seem nearly as nervous as Cas thought he would be. This calmed him a bit, and he was able to shift his foot so it was hovering over the gas pedal. With one more deep breath, Cas pushed his foot down. The car jerked forward and suddenly they were going fast, too fast. Dean was shouting something, but Cas' ears were ringing and he couldn't process a word the man was saying. Instead, he moved his foot back to the brake and pressed down hard. The car jerked to a stop, tires screeching. "Jesus, Cas! What the hell!"
"I…" Cas bit his lip, "I didn't know what to do."
"I was shouting at you to ease up on the gas, not stomp on the fucking brake!" Dean shouted, "My poor fucking tires."
Castiel felt his anger flare. He was normally able to be patient with Dean, but he was the one to say this was a bad plan, and yet Dean had insisted they continue, the least he could do was realize that this was the first time Cas had even tried to operate a human form of transport. Still, he managed to keep his voice calm, "I apologize."
"Yeah, yeah. Let's just try again." Dean rubbed a hand tiredly over his face, and Castiel took it as his queue to continue forwards. He managed to drive at a steady pace, Dean only having to remind him of his speed twice, his voice deep and serious as he would say, "Slow it down, Cas." Or "Speed it up already, Jesus." Dean eventually pointed out the speedometer, and Castiel gradually figured out how the numbers corresponded with the road.
It wasn't until they were approaching a stop sign that Castiel felt the panic bubble up again. The road ended, meaning he would either have to turn, or park and give up. He came to another, jerky stop, though he was still a good ten feet away from the stop sign. He heard Dean sigh next to him, but the man said nothing. Cas took it as Dean's way of telling him continue, so he sped up to the legal speed. Once he reached the corner, Castiel jerked the steering wheel to the left. When he realized the car wasn't turning nearly enough, Cas started pulling it around. The turn was far from smooth, but the made it around the corner just barely.
"Stop the car." Dean said sternly. Cas did so, pressing his foot down on the brake entirely too quickly yet again and causing them both to be pushed forward and then slammed back into the seats. "What the fuck was that?" Dean yelled.
Cas looked down as his lap. "I'm sorry, I cannot seem to push on the brake pedal softly enough."
"Not that, Cas. The fucking corner. What the fuck were you thinking going at it at that speed? Are you stupid?" Dean asked, "Or do you want to fucking kill us?"
Cas' jaw clenched again, and when he spoke this time his voice was deeper, stricter. "You have given me very little instruction to work off of, Dean."
"It's called common sense, Cas." Dean's voice was getting louder, and Cas found it only appropriate to raise his so it was raised slightly higher.
"I am an angel, Dean. We don't need to know common sense for such a petty thing."
"You mean you were an angel." Dean was shouting now, his words cutting into Cas' heart. "You fell, Cas. You need to learn to be human, now."
"You still maintain no right to speak to me like that. I may be human but I still deserve the respect of an angel."
"Fuck that! You're. Not. An. Angel. Fuck that!" Dean spat in his face. The words hurt, and Dean's voice was louder in the enclosed space.
"No, fuck you!" Castiel had never heard himself sound so human, both in words and the tone of his voice. He used to pride himself in managing to keep his voice at a speaking level (excluding the one time in the alleyway, but they didn't speak about that), and he had never used such vulgar, pathetic language before.
Dean fell silent as well. He turned away from Cas, his gaze falling back on the road in front of them. "Well, what are you waiting for? Keep driving." His voice had returned to it's normal level, maybe even softer than usual.
Castiel didn't wish to continue driving, but he also knew that it was better than arguing, so he put the car back in drive and pressed down on the gas. Cas flinched when the car jerked forward, but Dean didn't say anything. He continued along the straight road until it reached its end, where Cas was forced to make another turn. This one wasn't any better than the last—if anything he was even closer to the curb—and it sets Dean off again.
"I just told you to fucking watch your speed around corners!" He boomed. "God, do you not listen to a thing I say?"
"Try and be a bit more considerate of my current position, Dean." Cas shouted back, not caring at this point that they were arguing or that it wasn't a good idea for Cas to be distracted.
"You're driving the Impala, I am not going to sit here comfortably and wait for you to crash my fucking car!" His voice was louder again, and it set Cas' teeth on edge.
"This was your idea!" He shouted back louder, another corner was coming up but Cas wasn't even thinking about that, "You wanted me to drive!"
"Yeah well I thought you'd be able to handle it with how high and mighty you act all the fucking time!"
"I told you this was a bad idea, Sam told you this was a bad idea!"
"I mean you act so fucking smart all the time, and yet you can wrap your head around the simple task of driving."
"Maybe if your brother was teaching me, this wouldn't be so infuriating!" Cas screamed. He had stopped paying attention to Dean, only knowing that with each time the hunter's voice raised, Cas' followed. They were getting closer to the corner and Cas decided that he wanted to try going right instead of left like the past two times.
"I mean you've seen me drive, it can't be that hard to just fucking follow what I did!"
"Somehow I doubt Sam would react so harshly to my mistakes. He would most likely remain calm and actually civilized!" Cas went to turn the corner, this time a bit sooner than the last two in attempt to not hit the opposite curb.
"Sixteen year old idiots can fucking drive, and yet—" Dean was cut off as Cas roughly hit the curb. The front right wheel of the Impala forced itself over the edge of the curb and then suddenly the screech of metal against concrete is filling the car and Cas' eyes go wide, but he can't just stop there so he keeps steady, even as he feels Dean tense beside him and even as they hear something break under the car and then the back wheel is forcing itself over the curb and Cas is pulling over the Impala as quickly as he can, putting it into park and staring wide-eyed out the front window. He waited bitterly for Dean to lash out, to hit him, to shoot him, even.
When he speaks, Dean's voice is of normal speaking level, but it is incredibly serious and Cas wants to disappear, but he can't do that anymore. "Get out of the car."
So instead of disappearing, Castiel nods, "Yeah." He steps out of the car shortly after Dean, but when he stands straight, Dean is already there. Cas flinches, expecting a blow of some sort. Instead Dean's forehead lands on his.
"What am I going to do with you, Cas?" He asks quietly. The anger Castiel expected to hear isn't there, instead replaced by a tired amusement.
"I apologize for… breaking your car, Dean."
Dean shrugged, "It's nothing I can't fix."
"You're not angry?"
"No. I shouldn't have just… sent you out like that. I keep forgetting that you've gotta learn everything all over, y'know?" His hand comes up to touch Cas' cheek, "I shouldn't have gotten so upset."
"We are both at fault." Cas says, eyes slightly brighter, "I should not have yelled at you, either."
"Next time we'll get a different car, okay?" Dean smiled, "That way I don't have to worry about my baby so much and I can focus on you."
"You'd be willing to drive with me again?" He couldn't hide the wonder in his voice, the fact that even after that horrible experience Dean would be willing to keep trying? Cas appreciated it more than Dean could possibly imagine.
"Yes. Just not in my car." He pressed a chaste kiss to Castiel's lips, "Now let's get back to Bobby's so I can show you how to fix up a car."