Thirteen Missed Calls
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Summary: The prompt, "Pre-season 7; as in, Cass has not gone 'bad' yet/ever. Cliché fic where Dean realizes his ~feelings~." by its_rayning for the Multi Fandom Fic Exchange.
Rating: T
Warnings: Obvious slash, swearing, and some mild violence.
A/N: This fic takes place right after My Heart Will Go On and right before Frontierland. It is mostly non-AU but I added a few things for the sake of the story. Also, the POV will switch between Castiel and Dean from time to tim so if stories like that confuse you I recommend another fic. Hope you enjoy!
Castiel's POV
Flinching at the sharp chirps that shattered through the silence of the night, Castiel ground his teeth together as he looked back down to his cell phone once again.
Calling: Dean Winchester
Castiel sighed and shook his head, letting the phone continue ringing. He didn't want to betray Dean; in fact he'd spent an inordinate amount of time trying not to lie to him.
His deal with Crowley was… undesirable to say that least, but Castiel had to believe that what he was doing was for the better good.
He had to, because it was the only thing that kept him from going to Dean and telling him straight out that he'd been lying to him all along.
About Crowley, about how Sam had really been brought back, about everything. Castiel knew he couldn't though, because this information would not only leave the elder Winchester feeling betrayed, but angry, and when Dean got angry, he got even.
The angel had no doubt in his mind that even if was truthful about his deal with Crowley concerning the souls in Purgatory Dean would be in his beloved Impala and hunting down the King of Hell before Castiel even had the chance to finish speaking.
His rock solid conviction was a trait that Castiel both admired and despised about Dean's personality.
Sighing loudly to himself, Castiel stared somberly down at the offending item in his hand. It had been ringing almost nonstop with calls from Dean, none of which he could bring himself to answer.
He'd come close a couple times when the high pitched chirps of the cell phone had started to grate not only on his last nerve but also his resolve.
Thankfully, he'd managed to restrain himself from giving in to the clearly desperate attempts of contact from Dean and shoved the phone back into the deep pocket of his trench coat.
Finally, after almost ten straight minuets of incessant ringing the calls had come to a halt.
Castiel released a relieved sigh that he hadn't known he'd been holding in. Looking down at the small screen of the phone, he frowned.
13 Missed Calls it read boldly, flashing on the screen several more times before going dark.
He didn't delude himself into thinking that when the deal finally came to pass that Dean would be thankful and accept the angel back into his life with open arms.
No, he had no doubt in his mind that the hunter would hold a grudge for many years to come for his betrayal and deal with the devil, but it couldn't be helped.
If this is what he had to do to keep not only the Winchester's and Bobby, but the whole world safe from Raphael's clutches then it was a sacrifice that he was willing to make.
Castiel sighed quietly to himself before disappearing into the night.
Dean's POV
Dean let loose a growl of aggravation when he was yet again presented with the angel's message machine.
"Goddammit Cass, learn how to answer a damn phone! This isn't funny anymore." He snapped into the phone before forcefully punching the end button a little harder than necessary.
He was sick and tired of the elusive son of a bitch dodging his calls and he was especially tired of looking like some goddamn teenage girl by calling him over and over again. Dean had been trying to get a hold of Cass for days now and had yet to hear back from him.
Dean's once indignant anger had started to bleed into genuine worry. Cass had never ignored his calls this much before, whether they were by phone or prayer.
He was starting to worry that maybe something had happened up in Heaven with Raphael that was preventing the angel from picking up his damn phone.
Dean sighed and ran his fingers through his hair roughly.
That angelic bastard was going to be the death of him one of these days.
Castiel's POV
Castiel knew that he was going to regret this, but it had been almost a month since he'd returned any of Dean's phone calls or prayers and he could sense the hunter's anger quickly ebbing away into worry.
Guilt had flushed though his vessel when he'd first sensed Dean's distress, knowing full well that it was because of him that Dean was feeling that way.
Castiel he couldn't in good consciousness –which at the moment was severely lacking- leave the hunter to worry about his safety.
Castiel took a deep breath, which when he thinks about it is rather unnecessary seeing as he doesn't actually need to breath to live, but it gives him comfort nonetheless.
Bracing himself for the inevitable onslaught of questions, shouting and accusations sure to great him on his arrival Castiel appeared inside Dean's hotel room.
Upon his arrival, the hunter looked up with wide, startled eyes from the pistol he'd been cleaning at the slightly timid looking angel standing not six feet away from him.
"Hello Dean… I, uhm, I received you calls." Castiel stated lamely, mentally smacking his forehead at the stupidity of the words that had just nervously stumbled out of his mouth.
Thankfully he'd managed to keep a fairly calm demeanor and tone of voice, but on the inside was another story.
Several emotions passed across the hunters face. Shock, disbelief, anger, and for one second, though Castiel couldn't be certain, he could have sworn he saw a brief flash of hurt cross Dean's features before finally settling into an unreadable mask.
"Cass… you son of a bitch!" Dean hissed out furiously.
Castiel flinched harshly at the words, expecting the insults and acts of useless physical violence to come.
Yet somehow Dean Winchester still managed to shock him as always when before he even had time to process what was going on the hunter was yanking the angel into tight hug.
Castiel went rigid with shock for three long beats before hazardously reciprocating the awkward –but none the less powerful- hug.
Feeling Dean's hard, sculpted body pressed up against his own caused Castiel to gulp a little to himself, willing his vessel not to respond… inappropriately.
Of all Dean's expected reactions, this certainly was not one of them.
Dean's POV
If Castiel's surprised grunt as Dean yanked him into a bored-line violent hug was anything to go by, the angel was most likely just as stunned by his reaction as Dean was.
He'd just- no, currently is hugging Cass. Why the hell is he hugging Cass?!
Because you thought he might dead not even five minutes ago and you're a gigantic girl? His douchey inner voice offered.
Shut up! He thought back to himself begrudgingly.
Castiel remained stiff against him for five long beat before hesitantly relaxing into the hunters tight grasp and awkward wrapping his arms around the hunter's torso as well.
They stood like this for almost a minuet before Dean decided it was time to nut up again.
Pulling back with a loud cough, they both stared at each other with twin expressions of wariness and uncertainty.
Dean abruptly decided to be the one to break this awkward stalemate.
"Where the hell have you been the past month you jackass?" He snarled.
Castiel jumped a little, somewhat startled at Dean's drastic shift in demeanor, but not for long.
After almost four years of being around the Winchesters, he'd become somewhat immune to the emotional whiplash that plagued their lives on a daily basis.
Righting himself and standing a little straighter, Castiel cleared his throat.
"I was attending to pressing matters in Heaven and lost track of how much time has passed. I didn't realize it had been so long since I'd last contacted you, forgive me." He spoke quietly.
It still surprised Castiel how easily lying came to him these days. Dean stared at him with an expression that consisted of both disbelief and anger.
"You didn't realize? Dammit Cass! I thought your ass might be mounted over Raphael's mantle and your excuse is you friggin forgot?"
Castiel nodded grimly, expression unchanging. "Yes Dean, please forgive me."
He noted the small note of desperation in his voice that came with those last two words.
Even though they intertwined themselves with the web of lies he was spinning, the held a deeper meaning on more levels then Dean could ever understand.
Dean seemed to take notice of this fact as well, though not fully understanding it at the time, and frowned.
His expression morphed into one of concern once again.
"Cass… Is there something you wanna tell me?"
The angel had to physically restrain himself from telling Dean everything at that exact moment. The look of genuine concern in the hunter's eyes was chipping away at his once steely resolve and Castiel knew that he needed to get out of there soon.
When he stayed silent, Dean's eyes furrowed deeper and he shook his head.
"Cas, if you got something to say, say it. Don't pussy foot around the truth for my sake dude, I'm pretty sure I can handle anything you've got to throw at me."
No, he couldn't. That much Castiel was certain of.
Shaking his head sadly, Castiel let his eyes slide guiltily away from the bright green eyes of the worried hunter.
"It is nothing Dean. I'm sorry again for not contacting you sooner, I will try to make sure it does not happen again. Good-bye." Dean's expression went from that of concerned to panic almost instantaneously.
"Wait- Cass, don't leave yet dam-"
He was gone within a matter of seconds with the somewhat frantic beat of wings.
"-mit. Fucking fantastic!" The hunter groaned out loudly to the empty room.
TBC
A/N: WHOOOO! Go comeback fics! :D I'm trying to get back into the game so any and all forms of support and constructive criticism in the form of reviews are appreciated :). Thanks for reading!