This ficlet refers to the scene from "Free to be you and me" (5x03) and was inspired by a certain tumblr post. The characters don't belong to me, obviously (how beautiful my life would be if they did). Hope you'll enjoy it. It's my first work published here, so I'm a little nervous... anyway, reviews are most welcomed :)


The familiar flutter of wings filled the room and Dean didn't even have to look up to know that Castiel was standing behind him, eyes probably fixed on the hunter's back.

'You called.'

'Yeah... listen, I need to take your picture.'

There was a moment of silence.

'Why?' asked Cas eventually, clearly confused.

'I need it for a fake FBI ID I'm gonna make you. It may come in handy some day, y'know.'

'Why would I need an ID, Dean? I'm an angel. Not to mention that I am not a member of this institution you...'

'Cas! Do you think I don't know you're not a fed? I'm just saying there may come a time when it'll be easier to pretend you are one.'

'But why...'

'Cas. Could you trust me on this? It'll take five minutes tops, I promise. Five minutes and you can go back to your fluffy angelic business.'

Castiel tilted his head slightly, as if pondering on Dean's request. They gazed at each other for a while, and it felt as though Cas's piercing blue eyes could see past Dean's green irises and straight into his soul.

'If this will make you satisfied, then I agree,' came a calm answer.

'Thank you,' Dean said, a slight note of sarcasm in his voice (which Castiel, of course, didn't pick up).

'What do you want me to do?' the angel asked, looking around the room. It was only now that he noticed a white sheet hanging on two hooks on the wall and a tripod with a camera fixed on it.

'Where did you get it from?' he demanded curiously.

'I swiped it from the local store for photographers,' Dean answered. Seeing Castiel's expression, he quickly added: 'But I'm going to return it as soon as we're done, obviously. Actually, you may say I just borrowed it. For an hour. No big deal. Okay. So... stand against that wall, would you?'

Castiel took a few steps and positioned himself as Dean had instructed him, almost leaning on the sheet. Dean gulped involuntarily. It was really strange, ordering the Angel of the Lord like that. It was even stranger seeing that the Angel of the Lord actually obeyed. He was now standing tall and confident, his eyes still fixed on Dean's, waiting for the next instruction. Dean demanded himself how it was even possible. No human could command Cas to do anything, yet he just did. The hunter had to blink a few times to snap out of his disbelief and concentrate on the task. He turned on the camera and peered through the viewfinder. What he saw was the top of Cas's right arm.

'Move a little bit to the left.'

Castiel moved a bit to the left.

'No, not that... the other left. My left.'

'You mean my right. If you want your instructions to be exact, you need to reverse the directions, Dean. Your position is opposite to mine by one hundred and...'

'Jesus, Cas, I know, OK?!' Dean growled, waving his hand impatiently. 'I'm not an idiot. Your right. Fine, I see you now. Smile.'

'Why?'

Dean looked up from the viewfinder and gaped at the angel.

'Why? Because... that's what people do when someone's taking a picture of them.'

'So it is customary? Is it meant to showcase one's teeth?' Cas asked in all serioussness.

'WHAT?'

'Why else would it be a common practice?'

Dean rolled his eyes.

'I don't even know how to explain it to you, Cas. It's simply what people do. We look better when we smile, I guess.'

Cas frowned in contemplation.

'Does it mean you need to be good-looking to work for this FBI institution?'

'You know what, forget it. It doesn't matter. Besides, I don't think most feds smile on their real ID photos, either. Now, stand still.'

Dean placed his finger on the right button and peered through the viewfinder again.

'No, Cas, you need to look at the camera, not at me.'

It was rather reluctantly that Castiel moved his gaze away from Dean and fixed it on the little red light flickering in the right corner of the camera.

Short bleep, flash of light and the picture was taken.

Dean examined the result on the little LCD screen and a faint smile lingered on his lips. Cas was as serious as ever, with his intense gaze, ruffled hair, firmly pursed lips and prominent cheekbones. There was, however, something more to his expression, as though he had tried to test the "smiling-for-the-picture" theory without dropping his grave look.

'It came out quite well,' he announced with satisfaction.

Castiel remained motionless.

'Cas, you can move now. I already got what I needed.'

'It has just occured to me that this whole procedure was pointless, Dean'.

'Think what you want, Chuckles, but one day you may thank me for it'.

'No, that is not what I meant. You were not in need of my photograph, merely my vessel's photograph. I could have visited Jimmy Novak's house and take it from any of his old documents.'

Dean stared at the angel for moment, then looked back at the camera screen. Damn it. Cas was right, of course. It probably would have been easier.

'Well, it's done now, so...

'Hold on,' Cas interrupted and before Dean could say anything, he was gone.

'Cas, wai... damn it. Friggin' angels.'

But before he had time to remove the camera from the tripod, Cas was back again. There was a wallet in his hand.

'Here. Driving license, library card... I believe the photographs you'll find there will prove most suitable for your purposes.'

'Right...' Dean said, automatically taking the wallet from Cas's hand.

'Of course now you can delete the picture you have taken,' added the angel. 'Those are certainly more appropriate.'

'Right...' Dean repeated, staring down at the image of Cas that was still displayed on the LCD. 'Yeah, I'll probably just use one of those. Thanks, Cas.'

'You're welcome'. And with these words Castiel was gone again.

Some time later it turned out that Dean was right all along and the fake ID did prove useful. When Cas held it out for the police officer to see, there was a picture cut out from Jimmy Novak's driving license in it.

What Castiel never found out was that Dean hadn't deleted that 'unnecessary' photograph; instead, he printed it out and put it in his wallet, right next to Sammy's.

Dean didn't have a proper home and apart from the guns, he never had many personal belongings either. The things he did have, however, and held dear, were meant to remind him of his loved ones. And except for the Impala, those two photographs were his most treasured possessions. Photographs of his brother and his angel.