A/N: So, I told myself I wasn't going to start another chaptered fic until I finally finished Mind Over Matter, but I lied. Not groundbreaking news, I lie to myself often.
I signed up for a LJ event called SPNPairingBingo (also the name of the community if you wanna check it out), and basically they give you a card filled with random pairings and you make art/vid/fic etc to go with the pairing. I lucked out and got Destiel (And Debriel, which I have SO many feels & ideas for I can't even begin), and then this fic happened and I couldn't suppress the awesome.
This is going to be a semi-short, 13 chapter fic with no pain. That's right, Supernatural without pain. How badass.
It's a cute, fluffy, feel-good, warm and fuzzy get-together fic. Over food.
January, 2013
Dean glared at the kid making faces at him across the crowded restaurant. Maturely, he stuck his tongue out at what had to be a five year old demon, who flipped him the bird in return. Dean was tempted to whip out the bottle of holy water he had in his pocket.
"Dean." The man across the booth from him admonished, as if he were reading Dean's thoughts – which, y'know, he'd damn well better not be – sounding exasperated.
The hunter dragged his eyes away from the boy, tossing aside his nearly formed plans to attempt an exorcism. He looked at Cas briefly before he snatched up a french fry and swiped it across the ketchup on his tray, took a bite with more force than necessary. "So, the big mighty tablet to end all tablets. Any luck?"
Castiel's gaze turned down to his salad, eyes emitting the answer to Dean clearer than if he'd said it. That'd be a nope.
It'd been a month since Cas had left Dean and Sam at the bunker and set out to locate the almighty Tablet of Creation. Kevin had dug up information about it, brief mentions really, from the angel tablet he'd been busting his ass on lately. It was supposed to be written directly by God Himself, no in-betweens, and Cas thought it would give him the answer, finally, to where his Father was. Dean thought it was a load of horseshit.
They had no proof the chunk of stone even existed, and it wouldn't be the first time Kevin had mistranslated something. But Castiel was determined to find it, and in exchange for not losing his shit Dean had made him swear that he'd meet up with him once every month to catch up.
And to let Dean know Cas wasn't dead, but the hunter left that unsaid.
Sam stayed behind at the bunker when Dean had gotten the phone call from Cas and he'd suggested getting a bite to eat because he was starving and there wasn't jackshit at the bunker in the way of food. Which was why Dean felt like he was in a really bad joke, a hunter and an angel go to McDonald's...
But fuck if it mattered, because there Castiel was – alive, unharmed, still hopeful. Dean just hoped the former two details stayed that way. And that when the angel ultimately didn't find the rock he wouldn't let it get him too down, like he had the last time he'd went searching for God.
"I met a tribe of people in Africa," Cas replied after taking a thoughtful bite of his salad. He politely finished chewing a second bite before continuing, "They had heard rumors of such a thing. I stayed with them for a time to gather as much information as I could, as much as they had to share. It wasn't a great deal, but it lead me to Peru. To a small town with a people whose culture handed down a legend of the word of God, a tale of several trials one had to complete to be blessed with the gift of knowing God's words."
Dean blinked at the angel, surprised he'd found anything at all about the tablet. He ate a couple of chicken nuggets as he listened to Cas's retelling of his journey, and when he paused Dean asked, "So you believe that? What're these trials?"
"Dean. Every story is rooted in truth, however small it may be." Castiel replied, frowning at him as if he should be well aware of that. And the words did ring awfully close to something he'd told Sammy once, so yeah, maybe he shouldn't be so quick to dismiss it. The angel continued, "The exact details of the trials were unclear, much of the tale had been lost in its numerous repetitions over the years. I gleaned that the first task was to locate a fire that does not burn, which will lead me to more information."
"Excuse me?" Dean coughed suddenly, nearly choking on his food. He reached for his drink and guzzled a good amount until his throat felt clear and he could breathe again. He stared at Cas incredulously, "You're shitting me. A fire that doesn't burn? The fuck is that?"
Cas's brow furrowed and he studied Dean's chicken nuggets intently for a moment. Dean pushed the box toward the angel reflexively, and Cas picked one up to inspect it. "I am... unsure."
"Well that's just great, man," Dean replied with sarcasm, rolling his eyes. "You go traipsing off around the globe after something we aren't sure exists to find a guy who obviously couldn't give a shit to be found, and you're unsure what the next step is."
"I have many contacts who may be able to assist me in figuring this out." Castiel leveled a narrow-eyed look at the hunter, dropping the chicken back into the box as if it were diseased. "You should not eat those, they are filled with more inedible ingredients than they have meat."
"Dude. Stop. They're chicken mcnuggets, they ain't supposed to be healthy. Everyone knows mcnuggets are questionable food. Try one, it's like a human rite of passage or some shit." Dean plucked the same nugget Cas had discarded out of the container and held it back out to the angel, staring at him expectantly.
The angel gave the chicken nugget a disdainful look. "No."
"You eat cheeseburgers and those sure as fuck aren't healthy." Dean pointed out, waving the chicken in his hand in front of Cas's nose. "One chicken nugget isn't near as bad as a whole cheeseburger. C'mon, Cas, live a little."
Castiel, with a look on his face that one might wear while going before a firing squad, took the chicken and took a small bite. He was frowning the entire time he chewed, and set the remaining piece back down on the table. Dean snorted in amusement. "Dude. Ever heard of smiling? We're at friggin' McDonald's, it's like their thing – y'know, smiling?"
Head tilting in confusion, Cas allowed the corners of his lips to twitch upward marginally. Dean figured it was a start and he let it go.
"I have tried the macnugget," Castiel pointed out, mispronouncing the word and it was too adorable for the hunter to give a damn to correct, "Now it's only fair that you should try the salad, something actually good for you."
Dean shook his head and scowled, "I ain't eatin' that rabbit shit, Cas."
First chapter's short just because I was getting the fic established. More to come, one for every month and an epilogue. Always, love you readers and please review!
