You're the Butter Cream on My Cupcake
Written by OpheliacAngel
Dean/Gabriel
Genre: Romance/Family
Summary: Gabriel falls to Earth and what does he decide to do? And does it really involve cupcakes in addition to one human in particular? Dean/Gabriel. Just total fluff I wrote when I was thinking about the awesomeness of cupcakes. You'll discover early on it's AH. It was only meant to be a thousand words or so, but it kinda ran away from me and this is the result. I've been writing a lot of angst on them lately and wanted to take a break to write something fluffy. Enjoy.
Dean woke up to the sound of pots and pans banging away in the kitchen. He sat up in bed angrily and willed Sam to stop snoring so he could hear better. They were at Bobby's, had been ever since they found Gabriel unconscious, human, and in pretty bad shape lying in the road in front of the Impala. Sam wanted to leave him there to die, but Dean forced himself to help the trickster who no longer was. He figured if Gabriel was human, what harm could he really do anymore?
They crashed at Bobby's until they could figure things out, or at least until Gabriel woke up. He had been out for two days and it appeared he had finally woken up. And of course it had to be in the middle of the night, when Dean was sleeping. Dean wondered why Gabriel had bothered to fall at all, and what his reaction would be to seeing the two Winchester brothers upon waking.
He threw back the covers and tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen, choosing to hide behind a wall to watch Gabriel from a distance. It was definitely him, rummaging through drawers and apparently looking for something in particular. This didn't go on for too long luckily.
"Just because I haven't got my angel mojo anymore doesn't mean I don't know you're there, Dean."
"Oh", Dean crept out from behind the wall and took a few steps into the kitchen.
To be honest he was a little nervous. Knowing Gabriel, he could either tackle him to the ground or do nothing at all. After a few moments passed though, Gabriel merely staring at him, he went gunning for the latter.
"Been wondering when you would wake up."
"Bout ten minutes ago. And imagine my surprise when I found myself in the home of your beloved father figure. Powerless."
"So you knew where you were?"
"I could smell you from a mile away, Winchester. Gunpowder and gasoline. Plus I found your bedroom just to make sure."
Dean hated that, angels watching over him when he slept. With Castiel it had been bad enough, and now Gabriel. It didn't matter if he was an angel anymore or not, it was still really fucking creepy.
"So, you're not human anymore."
"Nope."
"And you don't seem that mad about it?"
"Well, it's not like I can do anything. I mean, I did choose to fall, Deano."
"Why?"
"That's none of your biz."
Dean should have known better, Gabriel was still a total jerk no matter how much humanity was running through his veins. After looking under the sink, Gabriel turned back to the Winchester.
"Let me guess who my savior was. You."
Dean nodded, "You're lucky I convinced Sam to take you with us. He hates you."
"Why didn't you just leave me there?"
Dean shrugged, "I'm not that cruel. Even if you are."
"I wouldn't have left you, Dean."
Okay, awkward. Gabriel was looking at him like he wanted to say something more, that those words should mean something to him. But he'd be damned if he knew what. He was probably just playing mind games with him. Just because he wasn't a trickster anymore didn't mean he lost his knack for it.
He did take another step though, after that, but only one. It was clear Gabriel wasn't going to hurt him. And it was clear that he wasn't looking for a knife to gut him with, since he already searched through the utensil drawer.
"Not gonna bite ya, Deano."
"Can't be too careful."
Gabriel grinned and went back to whatever he had been doing before. He was going through Bobby's cabinets and drawers, throwing them open and slamming them closed. Without even turning around, he was the next to talk.
"Well don't just stand there. Help me."
What the hell was he doing? "With what?"
"I'm trying to find wrappers."
"Wrappers?" Gabriel's love for candy was legendary. But why would he want wrappers instead of candy?
Dean's slowness was annoying Gabriel greatly, "Yes Winchester, cupcake wrappers."
Cupcake wrappers? "What, your mission in life is to become Betty Crocker?"
"Don't insult me, Dean. I look nothing like a woman and cupcakes aren't girly food."
"Well, Dean admitted, thinking of Cas, at least you know who Betty Crocker is."
"Help me." Gabriel growled, freaking Dean out a little and sending him rushing to look through the nearest cabinet.
"Uh, by the way, I don't think Bobby's made any cupcakes lately."
"His wife used to."
"His wife? Wait, how do you know about her?"
Gabriel stared over at him briefly, "I know a little about everything and everyone, Dean. I was a god after all."
Was not is. Not anymore. He wondered how long he could last like this, as a human. No godlike powers to sustain him and no way to get back home.
Dean turned to another drawer and searched through an array of cleaning supplies. Utterly spent and bored fifteen minutes later, he collapsed onto the cool tile floor and Gabriel joined him a few minutes later.
"No luck. What a disappointment."
"Why do you want to bake cupcakes anyway?"
"Just want to do something human. I haven't tasted butter cream frosting in ages. Thought if I made them, they might taste better than if I bought them."
Dean understood perfectly. The day Bobby's wife had cooked those pies, was nearly the best day of his life. The taste of take out pies couldn't even come close to comparison. And Dean couldn't remember the last time he had eaten a cupcake. He could say he forgot what they tasted like.
"You know, we can always go out and buy wrappers."
Gabriel stood up excitedly, "Great idea. Let's go."
Dean merely looked up at him, clearly uninterested and unwilling to get up and follow him.
"I don't mean right now. I meant tomorrow or something. I'm exhausted because a certain person who was supposed to be unconscious woke me up."
He should have been a little more hesitant, it didn't take much to anger Gabriel. But there was no response, he only collapsed back beside him again, and folded his arms against his chest.
"Fine, we'll wait till morning."
Dean relaxed, relieved more than he could say, and leaned farther back against the cabinets.
"Where'd you find me anyway?"
He closed his eyes and started to drift a little. He was safe, Gabriel wasn't making any threats or future plans. Hopefully.
"In front of my car. You were practically dead."
Dean didn't see Gabriel looking at him, nor could he feel him scooting closer. He was nearly lost to consciousness now. But Gabriel moved so close that if Dean were to move to the right even an inch, he would feel him. Gabriel wanted to get close, wanted to look at him more closely, give off an air of protectiveness towards the hunter. It didn't matter if he was human, he would still keep the human beside him safe.
"I fell for you."
Dean swore they were just words caught up in his vivid dream. He had no reason whatsoever to believe they were true or spoken at all.
DxG
He woke up when sunlight was streaming through the small kitchen window, taking a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the bright light. He blinked a few times and when his vision cleared, he caught the gaze of a figure looming above him. Gabriel.
He shot up and then noticed he was in the kitchen, on the floor, a blanket that hadn't been there last night covering him. He threw it aside and glared at Gabriel, willing him to back off so he could get some decent personal space. Gabriel obeyed.
"Didn't want to move you. Thought you might wake up."
He nodded, glad Gabriel didn't carry him to bed. He never would have recovered from that. He stretched as he leaned back against the bottom cabinets slowly, looking around the kitchen.
"Almost thought you were a dream."
"I'm insulted, Dean. Am I really that fake to you?"
Dean didn't answer, just stared up at him. And it slowly started to sink in right then and there. Gabriel was back, and who knew if he was back to stay. Where would he go if he left anyway, and why did Dean even care? He had been the one to rescue him, and what the hell had he gotten himself into?
"So, you ready?"
Then he remembered the cupcake thing. He thought about saying no, if Gabriel would just let that slide. Probably not. He groaned and stood up, stretching his legs and wincing at the stiffness in his back. He had been lying on hard tile for half the night after all.
"Just let me get dressed."
He headed for the stairs and turned around to find Gabriel following him, "Give me five minutes, okay?"
He nodded and backed up, Dean rolling his eyes and turning away.
DxG
Gabriel waited very impatiently for fifteen minutes before the annoying little brother came down the stairs. As soon as he looked up, he stopped in his tracks, staring down at him in shock. But shock soon turned to hatred. Vicious hatred.
"What the hell are you doing up?"
"Didn't think I would sleep forever, did you?" He grinned and laughed when Sam took a step back as soon as he took a step forward.
After a few minutes of this, Sam finally gave in to his fear and moved back to his hatred, heading for the kitchen.
"You don't scare me anymore. You're human."
"Don't be naive, Sammy."
"Don't call me that, he snapped, you don't get to call me that."
Gabriel smiled and leaned against the wall of the kitchen, watching Sam with amusement, who was clearly struggling to ignore him. He gave up pretty soon, after futilely giving Gabriel some glares.
"Where's Dean?"
"Getting ready upstairs."
"Ready for what?"
"We're going shopping."
Sam choked on the coffee he just took a sip of, "Shopping?"
"That's right", Gabriel said with such pride that he knew he must have been shining brightly with it.
The competition for Dean's time was on. And right now, Sammy was gonna have to lay off. Dean was all his now, for the next few hours at least.
"Uh, Sam appeared confused, Dean doesn't shop. And even if he did, it wouldn't be with you."
"Then why did he agree so early on?"
"Maybe because you threatened him."
It was clear the fear wasn't going to come back, the loathing he saw in Sam's eyes threatened to become a physical presence, spark to life and burn Gabriel to a crisp before the Winchester's pleased eyes. Sam took a step closer and now it was Gabriel that wanted to take a step back.
"I would think twice before manipulating my brother. Because if you do, he got so close to Gabriel his breath was tainting his neck, you'll have me to answer to."
"Everything okay in here?"
They simultaneously turned around to watch the missing Winchester saunter down the stairs, putting on his coat and staring at them curiously. He was afraid he would have to use physical force to prevent Sam from killing Gabriel. But Sam merely smiled up at him and backed away, sipping his coffee calmly and grabbing a piece of toast.
"Yeah, everything's fine. How about you?"
Dean stared hard at his brother for another minute before jumping back to the question.
"Fine. I'm going out for a while. Gabriel's going with me."
"Sounds great."
"Don't wait up for me, Sammy." Gabriel followed him out the door, staring back at the younger Winchester for a brief moment before shutting it behind him.
He was human now and he was vulnerable. Utterly vulnerable to a human who cared for nothing but his brother. Who would kill anyone and everyone for his brother. And what was he getting himself into?
DxG
Dean started up the Impala and they took off, finding a cupcake supply store a few hours out. The car ride was tense, neither of them knew what to talk about and Gabriel was still getting used to being human. Which was becoming increasingly difficult. He felt strange in his vessel, not necessarily uncomfortable, just that he didn't feel right as something that was made up of just blood and skin and bones. He guessed it was his grace that he mostly missed, but it was also power. He no longer had the pride he once had being an archangel. Sam intimidated him and Dean made him awkward and unsure. If this was what he gained by receiving humanity than it sucked.
He felt instantly better when they pulled up to the little store in the downtown area, excitement flowing through him and overtaking all confusion and despair. He had the day with Dean and he felt lucky because he had that.
As soon as they entered the relatively empty store they were greeted by the sound of a bell ringing above the door, and the cashier's warm greeting. Gabriel grinned and Dean smiled a little, looking nervous and wishing to appear invisible. How had he let Gabriel convince him to drag him into a girly cupcake shop? He didn't belong here and it couldn't be more obvious. That was probably why he didn't feel up to flirting with the super hot cashier.
He glanced briefly around at the assorted aisles filled with frosting, wrappers, candles, and endless party supplies. There was a little café near the back, and he could already smell the butter cream and chocolate frosting. He thought about sneaking away to go grab a cup of coffee, but Gabriel pulled on his sleeve and directed him to an aisle overflowing with wrappers. He could hear his excited gasp.
"Isn't it great, Dean?"
He sounded just a kid in a candy store. And Gabriel's obsession with anything sweet really did turn him into a little kid. Why would he think this would be any different?
"Uh, I guess."
"Pick something out. I don't even know where to start."
Gabriel walked farther down the aisle, and Dean watched him before rifling through the nearest stack of wrappers. It didn't take long before he resorted to watching Gabriel again. He wasn't lying when he said he was glad he was happy. He didn't think Gabriel would make it after all, more than prepared to have to bury him before the month was out. Yet here he was, fitting into humanity perfectly and doing the strangest thing in the world: shopping for cupcake wrappers. But at least he was motivated to do this and not trying to convince Dean to help him kill some demons or to just go die in a hole.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer."
"Huh?" He looked up a little to see Gabriel staring straight at him, grinning.
"Don't just stand there, go get some frosting or something. That is, if you're getting bored watching me."
Yeah, Dean wanted to admit he would never grow bored watching Gabriel. His excitement was starting to rub off on him. But he had his pride to maintain, and things would be more than awkward between them if he said that. So he snuck off into the next aisle and started searching for the butter cream frosting.
He lost track of time, heard Gabriel rummaging around every once in a while but other than that he was alone. His arms soon became completely full with containers of frosting and boxes of various cupcake mixes. When he couldn't possibly hold anymore, he exited the aisle and before he was able to reach the register, ran into none other than Gabriel himself.
"Whoa, easy there, tiger."
He picked up a few fallen cans and handed them to Dean, trying his best to catch the hunter's gaze and succeeding. He smiled and Dean smiled back a little. Then Gabriel looked down at the wrappers in his hands.
"You won't believe it, but I found some with Impalas on them."
Dean's face lit up with joy, "Black?"
Gabriel nodded and smiled at the look on Dean's face.
"No way."
"Way, Deano. Found some ones with wings on em too."
Gabriel glanced around him one last time, and then they placed their items down on the counter. He suddenly worried that Dean didn't have enough money, but when he dug through his wallet and whipped out several twenties he wanted to hug him right then and there. He was barely able to restrain himself.
He pulled on Dean's sleeve again to lead him into the café, where they stood staring at vivid displays of cupcakes on the counter, behind the counter, and on shelves on the walls for what must have been fifteen minutes. Finally, Gabriel took a huge leap and selected three of them: red velvet with the signature cream cheese frosting, dark chocolate with coconut frosting, and the traditional vanilla with butter cream frosting.
With their coffees and cupcakes they sat down at a small table, the chair backings shaped like hearts and suddenly Dean felt like a girl again. But when his companion cut the vanilla in half and handed it to him, he smiled and took the first bite. The frosting immediately flooded his mouth and set his taste buds on fire, and he couldn't stop himself from moaning at how good it tasted. As good as pie. Gabriel laughed and split the red velvet with him next. And Dean was so far gone after that cupcake, that he was slightly ashamed to say he didn't stop Gabriel from feeding him the chocolate one.
And thinking about it later, that was one of the best days of his life. Surprisingly without Sam. And Gabriel was making him happy, and he had no doubt that he was making Gabriel happy too.
DxG
They left with huge smiles on their faces, driving back to Bobby's in the dark and it was no longer tense. Gabriel talked about cupcakes and baking and Dean listened with enthusiasm he thought he'd never conjure up. The fact that Gabriel was involving him in everything made him feel happy, he had thought for a second that he'd be left out. And surprisingly, neither of them were tired. As soon as they burst through the door around twelve o'clock, they threw their bags on the counter and got to work.
And the entire night was dedicated to making cupcakes. Dean was revved up and stuck on fast forward, and Gabriel spun around the kitchen like a ballerina. They literally could not stop. Even when they had a couple dozen they didn't stop, just made more and more and more. As the first light of dawn shone through the window they finally took a break, laughing, exhausted, and staring at the flour and sugar and whatever else there was coating their bodies, and making them all sticky. But as Bobby and Sam walked into the kitchen and they got to see the look on their faces, it was all worth it.
"What the…"
Sam's shock pleased Gabriel to no end, but he was also mindful at the look on Bobby's face. The look that threatened to kill. It was then that he finally looked round the kitchen, noticing mounds of flour coating the tile floor and counter. He'd be lucky if he and Dean got out of this alive.
"Greetings Winchesters, Gabriel grinned, cupcakes for breakfast?"
"How long have you been up?" Sam wondered, as he stared at the trays of cupcakes behind them.
"All night, the eldest Winchester looked over at Gabriel and smiled, and what a great night it was."
"Dean Winchester, my kitchen is not some sort of playground!"
Dean flinched a little and thought about trying to slip past Bobby and make a run for it. Didn't look like that was gonna happen anytime soon though.
"Don't worry, Bobby, he tried instead, we'll clean it all up."
"You better, he growled, fore I shove you and your angel full of rock salt."
He left the kitchen mumbling, "Idjits" on his way out.
Sam didn't know whether he wanted to laugh at the situation and the sight of his brother covered in cupcake batter, or get worried and angry over Dean's increasing time spent with Gabriel.
"Seriously Dean, what time did you get back last night?"
"Around midnight."
"And you've been doing this all night? Why?"
Dean shrugged, "Gabriel wanted to bake cupcakes."
Sam turned his attention onto Gabriel, glaring at him when he held up one to offer him.
"If I found out you poisoned those cupcakes, you're dead."
He skulked off, didn't think getting mad at Gabriel right then and there would solve anything. He'd just have to have a discussion with Dean later. The real question on his mind wasn't why Gabriel was baking cupcakes, but what his agenda was. If Dean believed he had fallen just to bake cupcakes with him, they could both be in some serious danger.
DxG
They munched on a few cupcakes during the afternoon, sprawled out in the now squeaky-clean kitchen and talking, on the floor again.
"What's your plan anyway?"
Gabriel licked the frosting from his upper lip, "My plan?"
"Cut the bullshit, Gabriel. Don't tell me you became human just to bake cupcakes."
"Well, it's part of the reason."
"And what's the other half?"
Gabriel sighed and played around with a sticky wrapper in his hands for a few minutes.
"What if I told you, and what if it would freak you out?"
"I doubt it would. Unless you told me you came down here to kill me."
Gabriel shook his head, "No, it's not that at all."
To reassure him and coax him into talking he tried a different method, "Listen, I doubt anything you could say would make me think any less of you."
That caused Gabriel to look up at him and smile, "You sure?"
Dean nodded and Gabriel sighed loudly again, "I fell for someone."
It was awkward to say it and Gabriel knew it would only get more awkward when he began saying specifics. But Dean didn't appear to want to push him too hard, he just sat there and waited.
"Is this someone a girl?"
He shook his head no, "But it's someone I care about greatly. Have cared about for a while."
There was a long pause while Dean thought of another question to ask, but Gabriel beat him to the punch.
"What if I told you that it was you, another deep breath, that I fell for you?"
Dean just stared at him, wanting to laugh and blow it all off, wanting Gabriel to laugh too and tell him he was only joking. But when he avoided the past angel's gaze, stared at the cupcake wrapper in Gabriel's hands instead, he remembered. The words he had thought were a dream.
I fell for you.
His first impulse, the Dean Winchester way of handling extremely awkward situations, was to get up, deny everything, and run out the door. Was to say he didn't roll that way, and to make Gabriel feel humiliated that he had even said the words in the first place. But he had spoken the truth, as painful as it might have been. And Dean couldn't not respect him for that. He also couldn't claim that it was all painful. In a way, deep down, he really liked Gabriel. Didn't want him to leave and didn't want him to feel bad.
The new Dean Winchester way caused him to sit there, staring at the ground, looking up at Gabriel every once in a while to find him doing the same. And he didn't know what to say, just knew that he had to say something.
"Why would you do that?"
He didn't look up, just answered a little nervously, "Because I'd like to be with you."
Dean swallowed thickly, saw Gabriel out of the corner of his eye look up and stare at him. He switched his gaze to match his own.
"So you like me?"
"I like you."
He swallowed again, a few times actually, "Is there something more? I mean, he ran his hand through his short hair, anything more than that?"
He was too much of a coward to say it himself, and he was more than happy that Gabriel looked like he was going to say it for him. It took a huge weight off his chest.
"Love you."
Dean's body felt like it had been slammed into a wall and he met Gabriel's gaze again only to fall into him, first into his honey eyes and then into his arms, where Gabriel took him and held him and kissed his hair and his neck and his lips. And when they were completely spent it was Dean who pulled away to say what he needed to say.
"I… I think I love you too."
He smiled and kissed Dean again, "Then that's all I need."
DxG
Later that day, Gabriel confronted Dean on opening up a cupcake shop, where they would be partners and simply bake cupcakes all day. The Winchester only smiled and answered that there was nothing else he would rather do. And three months later they were there. They had rented a little building close to downtown and called it ButterCream Wings. It was small, which meant that they could only convert it into a café, but it was enough. They grew rather quickly and they gained quite a reputation in town. This meant that they could expand and start doing catering, deliveries, hiring more staff. And not to mention doubling their little café in size.
Life was great. By owning their own business and working together, they were able to see each other every day, which did wonders for their blossoming romance and imaginations. Gabriel had so many ideas for so many different kinds of cupcakes, and half the fun was trying them all out, seeing which ones to keep and sell and which ones to place on the never again list. It was literally heaven.
Sam and Bobby stopped by every once in a while, to see how they were both doing considering Dean moved out early on and into a cozy apartment with Gabriel. They all missed each other, a lot, but they decided it would be better for the two. Dean honestly didn't think he could be any happier. Gabriel devoted all his time to him and that was just the way he liked it.
"Here try this."
Dean looked up from his list of deliveries for the upcoming week, and scooted over to where Gabriel was beckoning him from behind the counter. He eyed the cupcake in his hand: plump and a rich maple brown color.
"New cupcake?"
Gabriel nodded and held him out to him, watching in pleasure as his lover took a bite.
"Been working on it for a while now. Wanted to get it perfect."
Perfect for Dean.
"Mmm, Dean moaned, this is delicious."
"Maple with butter pecan frosting, sprinkled with a dash of nutmeg and spritz of maple syrup. Topped with a cherry and my favorite part…"
He watched the grin slide across Dean's face as the taste finally hit him, "Bacon bits?"
Gabriel laughed as Dean enveloped him in a huge bear hug, "Whoa Deano, take it easy. I'm fragile now, only human."
"I love you. So much."
He nuzzled Dean's neck affectionately, licking some leftover frosting from the Winchester's lips.
"Not as much as I do. But I forgot the best part."
"What?"
"Its title: The Official Dean Winchester Cupcake."
He could feel Dean's grin through his shirt, and it was more than enough to last him through his humanity.
FIN