A/N: So, this is my first solid entry of anything Supernatural. Huzzah! Reviews and critiques are much appreciated.
Summary: Castiel finds himself more of an eye on Dean than on anything else. Balthazar offers some friendly advice. Destiel.
Happy Birthday, Jacky :)
It was going to be one of those days.
Castiel sighed from his place atop the clouds. He shouldn't be doing this- He knew he shouldn't be doing this. Still, he was doing it.
This little spying game of his had become somewhat of a habit lately. The angel would find himself checking on Dean and what were initially brief seconds intended only to ensure the man's safety soon turned into minutes, which then turned into hours of Castiel idly observing Dean do whatever it was he happened to be doing that day. The other angels in his garrison didn't understand why Castiel had developed such a penchant for the human, and, frankly, neither did he. All he knew was that there was something about Dean that drew him in like iron filings to a magnet. The angel watched, thoroughly perplexed, as Dean emptied the contents of a small plastic jug into Sam's shampoo bottle.
Why he found the man so interesting, Castiel doubted he would ever know.
"You're turning into quite the voyeur, aren't you, brother?" A voice chimed from somewhere behind the peeping seraph, a foreign lilt to its voice.
"Hello, Balthazar," Castiel replied, eyes still fixed to Dean. The man was grinning giddily to himself as Sam entered the motel bathroom, presumably to bathe. It wasn't difficult to come to the conclusion that Dean was up to no good. Castiel's lip twitched imperceptibly.
"You know," Balthazar began, voice thoughtful. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were becoming infatuated with Dean Winchester,"
"That's absurd," Castiel's answer was noncommittal. His brother clucked his tongue, walking leisurely around to seat himself beside the smaller angel and peered at him from the corner of his eye, curious.
"Is it, now?" Balthazar inquired after a long pause. His voice was laced with poorly disguised concern. Castiel met his brother's gaze for the first time since the other angel had appeared, a look of innocent bewilderment upon his face. "Well, for conversation's sake, let's just say it wasn't such an absurd theory. Let's say you were developing a proclivity for this man,"
Castiel's tongue darted out to wet his lips.
"That would make for a splendid weakness, wouldn't it?" It came out more of a statement than a question.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'm not trying to say anything. All I'm getting at is you should be careful about how much of a free rein you give your emotions," Balthazar snapped, wincing immediately at his unintended insensitivity. Castiel tensed noticeably, returning his gaze to Earth, and his companion let out a heavy sigh as he placed a hand on the trench-coated shoulder next to him. His eyes were full of empathy. "Angels aren't meant to feel at all, Castiel,"
Dean was clutching his stomach, practically roaring with laughter at the sight of his brother. The younger Winchester was pointing to his head or, more specifically, the hair upon it, which was now at least three shades lighter. Sam affixed his elder brother with an unforgiving glare, but this only served to exacerbate Dean's cackling. Thoroughly unamused and more than a little angry, Sam tackled his brother to the ground, trying his best to look intimidating whilst Dean lay limp on the damp, carpeted floor of the motel room, tears in his eyes and making no attempt to calm himself down. Castiel smiled wearily at their antics and, suddenly looking far more burdened than Balthazar had ever seen him, replied,
"I know,"