Beta'd by Zana Zira. Thank you, darling!
Summary: To locate Rowena TFW decides to use an ancient spell, but something goes wrong when Cas reads the words...
Castiel sighs bitterly, rubbing his forehead. This is not what he had expected, damn, not in the slightest! A new headache, as if they had not been dealing with enough.
"Where is he?" the angel looks at the younger Winchester sorrowfully.
Sam shrugs. "In his room. Brooding."
"Which is understandable." Castiel looks at his hands with a trace of deep guilt on his face.
"Cas, it's not your fault," Sam begins.
"It is, Sam. I am the only one to blame for what has happened. If I'd only been more careful in deciphering the words -"
"But it'll only last for a day. Stop killing yourself over it. It's not like one of us died." Sam puts a hand on the angel's shoulder to show his support.
"I should go and talk to him. If he does not send me away," Castiel mumbles and stands up, making a few steps and then stops, like he's not sure what to do next.
"Go on, he won't yell at you," Sam says and nods and his friend.
Castiel shuffles towards Dean's bedroom, where the older Winchester has been hiding for the last three hours. After the angel had read the spell and the pink cloud of dust dispersed, Sam had started to laugh hysterically. As soon as Dean had found out the reason for his brother's strange behavior he'd fled to his room, refusing to come out ever since.
Castiel knocks carefully on the door, heart beating heavily in his chest.
"Dean? May I come in, please?"
There is a long pause and the angel is thinking of going back to the library to join Sam when Dean's gruff voice sounds from behind the door.
"Come in."
When Castiel steps in, he finds himself in the dark. He can see Dean sitting on his bed facing the opposite wall. Even in the darkness the angel can perfectly see a pair of cute, tiny cat ears that twitch on the hunter's head and a long, fluffy ginger tail, moving from side to side on the bed.
"Dean, I'm so sorry," Castiel stands in front of the hunter looking lost and miserable. His blue eyes are full of sorrow and the angel looks like he's about to cry.
Dean throws an irritated look at him, his eyes glowing with a green light.
"You should've been more careful with those damn words, Cas." His tail swooshes angrily to the left.
"I know. I thought I remembered the language well enough not to make any mistakes in reading. If it makes you feel better, Sam and I did the research and the spell will lose its power after twenty-four hours. Once again, my apologies, Dean." Castiel fumbles with the button of his trench coat, unsure of what to do with his hands.
Dean sighs. Alright, he can man up and deal with this shit. It's not like it's the end of the world. They've dealt with far worse. And if it helps cheer up Cas, who right now looks like a five-year-old kid whose puppy was just hit by a car, then he can definitely stop whining and brooding. Dean can't stand it when the angel who he loves so deeply (but like hell he's going to tell anyone!) blames himself for every existing evil.
"I will forgive you on one condition," Dean speaks suddenly and shifts on the bed.
"Anything you want, Dean!" Castiel's face lights up instantly.
"Sit down," Dean chuckles and pats the spot next to him with his paw.
The angel obeys without a word, waiting for the hunter to continue.
"I… uh… I have a request. Which… m-may sound a bit strange," Dean stutters, blushing bright.
"Whatever it is, I'm ready to fulfill it," Castiel nods seriously.
"Could you… uh… could you scratch behind my ears?" Dean wishes the ground to open up and swallow him. "I mean my cat ears."
The angel gives a soft laugh.
"I would love to do that."
Without any more doubts, Dean just sprawls out on the bed, putting his head into Castiel's lap and begins to make sounds which wickedly resemble a cat's purring.
"They are very nice. I should say they suit you well," Castiel says as he continues scratching gently behind Dean's ears.
"Shut up, Cas," Dean growls as his tail swats at the angel's thigh. But his tone is not angry. How can it be when Castiel's fingers are working such magic?
They stay like that for a while: the angel scratching, massaging and caressing the little feline ears, while the older Winchester purrs in contentment.
"Hey, Cas," Dean finally breaks the silence, sounding sleepy.
"Yes, Dean?" Castiel asks fondly.
"Do you think we have any tuna in the fridge?"