Chapter 1
Castiel Novak is a baker. He has always loved baking. The smell, the taste, the atmosphere and the happiness his bakes brings to the people who eat them. He has recently set up shop in a small but homely rundown building that had sat on the corner between two main busy streets for a few years unused. He had saved up for it with his earnings he had worked for in a grimy café that had made him want to escape the strict owner and set up his own place. His sister, Anna, had always said it was miracle that the café hadn't put him off wanting to set up his own. But he had persevered and earned more than enough to buy the establishment he now proudly owned.
It had taken him a month to clean, fix and make up the empty shop into his now quaint bakery. He was pleased with how well the shop had scrubbed up. At first he had begun to think he had bitten off more than he could chew. However with the help of some of his many brothers and sisters and cousins as well as pulling in a few favours from friends he had managed to transform the place. He had his kitchen which was at the back and an in store counter space where he prepared some of his bakes. There was also a small seating area where people could sit and chat over a coffee and one of his cakes or whatever suited their fancy. From the tip it had been when he had bought it, it was now a comforting place and was gathering good business. He had expanded his range of products from just cakes to include sweet and savoury pies, breads, desserts, biscuits and had even a small chocolatier work station. The pies were the most recent endeavour. His savoury pies came out gloriously but there was still something he couldn't quite get right with his sweet and fruit pies. He decided to start by making free samples to give to customers as a trial run to see if they would give him some feedback. After a couple of trial and errors he seemed to have cracked it and was making delicious fruit pies that everyone seemed to enjoy. In fact, they began to grow in demand and customers were even asking if he did a delivery service.
It was a busy day and he was in the midst of putting together a rather large order when his sister Anna popped her head round the door of his kitchen.
"Hey Cas, how you doing? Looks like Meg is swept off her feet out the front!"
Meg was his new counter assistant, with the extra demand he had needed the help and Meg, who had been one of his first customers had offered, after a day when he was looking exhausted and rather ill. They had gotten talking about the baking and the processes, which to his delight Meg was a huge enthusiast herself so he had taken her on gratefully. They had become firm friends and often spent long hours discussing new techniques of baking. Meg had recently taken a course in patisserie and so had a whole new skill set to share with him which he was gradually working into his own selection.
Startled by Anna's entrance he turned to greet her, with flour all over his hands and apron,
"Oh hey, Anna! You've caught me at a bad time. I'm in the middle of baking a rather hefty order." He smiles apologetically at her, gesturing at the supplies around him.
"No worries! I've brought some volunteers to help out actually." He looked at her expectantly as she beckoned to someone behind the door. A girl and a boy about, 14 years of age shuffled around the corner, one was her daughter and Cas's niece, Charlie, who shared her mother's firey red hair and the other was a tall gangly boy with moosey brown hair looking as if this was the last place he wanted to be.
"This is Sam Winchester, Charlie's friend from high-school." She looked them over, before pushing them forward
"Go on. Uncle Cas will give you something useful to do, seeing as you were lazing around the house with nothing better to do"
The boy, Sam, looks at Anna grudgingly, "Dean would never make me do this.." he grumbled
"Dean is busy and that was incredibly rude, apologise" Anna reprimands the kid.
Cas watching all this bemused, stepped in, "It's alright Anna if they really don't want to be here I can handle this all myself."
Anna steps forward and in a hushed tone that confuses Cas explains, "Sam's brother is a mechanic and is fixing my car. I wouldn't mind if you know helped me out a bit,"
Cas still not getting it, looks blankly at his sister,
"I want some alone time with him" she hinted, she lowered her voice to whisper sighing, "he is really hot and I want to see if I have a chance!"
Cas looks at her bewildered, "his brother? Anna, I don't think…"
"Cas! No, its fine! Dean is just slightly older than you, he practically raised Sam"
Clarification dawning, Cas nods "I'm sure I can find something for them to do"
Anna thankful, kisses him on the cheek, "Thank you, I'll pick them up later! Who knows Dean might too" She winks at Cas on her way out as he gives her the thumbs up, pondering what could be so amazing about this Dean to make his sister abandon Charlie and her friend for the afternoon.
Charlie and Sam who have been bickering in the background, fall silent as Cas turns to them.
Sam pipes up first "Please don't make us work…." He begins to whine, Charlie digs her elbow into his ribs cutting him off.
Cas looks between the pair, "I don't like this arrangement any more than you do, but you might as well make yourselves useful while you're here and besides" He turns to smile at Charlie "you get to spend more time with your favourite uncle"
Charlie gives him one of her winning smiles, before elbowing Sam again, "Great.." He drawled
"Charlie why don't you go help Meg out front and Sam you can learn a new skill to impress your brother, hmmm"
Charlie happily goes to work out front having done so before. He always enjoyed her visits and help as she really connected with the customers. Still a bit unsure of why they were here though and not entirely sure why they couldn't just entertain themselves somewhere else away from Anna's house, he turned to view his charge with an apologetic shrug,
"Sorry about this, but seeing as you're here, I could actually use the help"
Sam nods reluctantly, resigning himself to whatever task his friend's Uncle set him. He didn't know why Charlie's Mum was treating them like kids to be pushed on somewhere else. They could have quite easily looked after themselves elsewhere, if it was alone time with his brother she wanted. He shuddered at the thought, not wanting to imagine his best friend's mom with his brother, but no one could miss the looks Anna gave Dean when he had come to collect Sam when he was younger and now every time she seemed to find something else in her house that needed fixing. It was so obvious it made him want to puke, he was at least thankful that Dean didn't appear to return her advances. Charlie still hadn't noticed being more engrossed in her fictional characters and batting any of Sam's complaints away with a shrug and her favourite reason of the house being cursed.
He looked up at Charlie's uncle prepared for another mad relative. Yet the man before him appeared calm and collected. Being a baker was a weird concept for Sam, but like Cas said if he could learn how to make a pie and give Dean something for all the times he had looked out for Sam, maybe there would be something to this afternoon after all.
"Well I'm just in the middle of preparing this pie for baking, would you like to help with that?" Cas enquired.
Sam gave Cas a measured look before replying, "Can I make it for Dean?"
Cas nodded his consent and set to work showing Sam the basics of pie baking. "So he likes pie huh?"
Sam nodded happily, "Yup! He loves pie! Its his favourite!"
….
The day passed quickly after that, and Cas was utterly relieved to have the help. He had managed to finish the big order an hour earlier than expected. Sam had picked things up very quickly enabling Cas to deal with the order while Sam busied himself replenishing the counter supplies when they ran down. Having finished, he took over from Sam and began showing him the more delicate areas of baking such as adding detail to a pie crust or styling the icing of a cake. Leaving Sam to finish the pie he was making for Dean, Cas went out front to check how business was going.
"How's it going out here?"
Charlie turned to give him a big smile, "Great!" she replied enthusiastically
"She has been a real help today" Meg joined in "It got real busy around lunch, couldn't have coped without her" she winks at Charlie.
Cas happy with the days takings after checking the till, glances at his watch. "Thank you for everything Charlie, you have been a great help. There is a little something out back for you" he grinned as Charlie squealed and rushed past him to see what her treat was.
"Thank you Meg, I don't know what I would have done today if you hadn't been here to hold the fort"
"My pleasure, I'm always happy to help and remember our business plan baking buddy" she playfully punched his shoulder
Cas groans at her bad nickname but smiles at her anyway before looking round and continuing, "You can head off now if you like, doesn't look like we will get many more customers and I can shut up shop"
"If you're sure" she smiles. She collects her things and kisses Cas on the cheek before leaving with a cheery wave, "See you tomorrow"
He waves back smiling fondly after her.
…
Sam had begun to quite enjoy himself, though he wouldn't admit it to Anna or Charlie, when seemingly all too soon, he saw his brothers Impala pull up outside the back of the bakery through its kitchen window. He hadn't realised how much time had passed, looking at the clock he now realised it was almost half five.
He had just finished inscribing the pie pastry with Dean's name, when Charlie came rushing up behind him,
"So….? Did you like today? Cas said he had made us some treats!" she gushed
"It was alright" He replied, she turned to look at him eyebrows raised
"Just alright?" she prods until she notices the little icing sculptures with little tags that say their names in Cas's swirling handwriting.
Picking hers up, she squeals, "oh! It's an icing Hermione! He always knows what I like!"
Sam wonders over to the counter and picks up the icing figure for him, it's a miniature Sam holding a pie. Sam marvels at Cas's prowess and expertise working with foodstuff. He makes a note to himself to ask Cas if he can come back and help out. Charlie looking out the window sees the impala and sighs.
"Looks like your brother is here, which probably means my mom is too!" She sighs "Come on lets go"
"Just a minute I'm just finishing up" Sam replies returning to the pie on the counter in front of him.
…..
Cas busying himself with wiping down the counters doesn't notice the shop door open and close. He hears someone clear their throat and looks up into the dazzling green eyes of the eldest Winchester.
Caught off guard, Cas blinks startled as an extremely handsome man, with dark blonde hair and a strong jaw line looking out of place in his jacket and boots in his bakery stands gazing around,
"Can… Can I help you?" he manages to get out.
A deep voice that almost sounded, to Cas' mind, what whisky would talk like if it could, replied,
"I'm Dean, Sammy's brother. I was told he has spent his day here? Now that's a surprise!" He chuckles, his laugh gently shaking his whole body.
"Yes that's right! Pleasure to meet you Dean. Sam's out back. He made you something" Cas gestured behind him to the kitchen.
…
Dean entered the bakery incredulous that Anna had managed to get Sam to come here, let alone stay. He watched as a dark haired man wiped down the counter tops. He cleared his throat to catch his attention. As the man raises his head, Dean is stunned by the intense blueness of the other man's eyes. He leans against the counter as a gravelly voice reaches his ears.
"Can I help you?"
Watching the man before him he realised he has yet to make a reply, there was something about this guy, but what he couldn't quite figure it out. Had he seen him before?
"I'm Dean, Sammy's brother." Unsure of why he felt nervous he continued speaking, "…I was told he has spent his day here! Now that's a surprise!" He chuckled to ease the tension he had felt rising through him. Why the hell was he feeling like this?
Cas held his stare, before responding. After motioning to the kitchen and implying something along the lines of Sam having made him something. Dean shook his head,
"Made me something? Like baked?"
"Yes, he has picked it all up very quickly. I'm impressed. Any baker would be delighted to take him on"
At that moment Anna's over excitable daughter came squealing through the back door.
Dean had grown fond of the girl after spending many afternoons at their house fixing what seemed just about everything in the house. It had started off when he had come to fix a break light in Anna's car and she had asked if he knew how to fix a normal lamp in her living room. At the time he had been happy to help out a customer, but now she rang him for every little thing that broke. Charlie had made up a story about how the house was haunted and that only her toy models of the Harry Potter books could save them. Dean wasn't blind and could see through Anna's ploys. As attractive as she was, he just hadn't felt the connection with her and found her fussing when he was working, a little annoying. Besides Anna unfortunately reminded him of his last hook up, so he felt slightly weird around her. Yet he enjoyed the conversations he had with Charlie, when Anna was making him a coffee. She would bounce down the stairs with her latest tale of how one of the mythical creatures she loved had been on a quest or a rampage and accidently broke the item he was repairing.
She rushed up to the blue eyed man, giving him a hug,
"Oooh! Thank you! Uncle Cas! I love her! You got all the detail right! Thank you!"
Cas, that was his name. Anna had said she was dropping the kids off at her brother's bakery, but she had so many brothers that she talked about all the time, he had no idea which one this was. But know he knew and Charlie obviously thought the world of him. In her hands was a little icing sugar figurine of Hermione Granger. It had robes and even a small wand. Dean was impressed. Such skill. He had no idea someone could craft something like that with icing.
"Wow Charl, that's awesome"
Charlie beams at him, "I know right! Uncle Cas is the best!"
Cas laughs, a wonderful deep sound that has Dean joining in.
"I'm glad you like her Charlie. Thank you for helping out today"
"You're welcome!" She sings, her face drops slightly as she notices that Dean is holding the Impala keys. "Is mom here?" her face brightens momentarily as she thinks of something, "Or are you taking me home?"
Dean shrugs toward the open door, "Sorry Charl, I was able to fix your mums car so she drove it out here to pick you up"
Charlie's face drops slightly as Anna walks in smiling. "Hi Cas! See you've met Dean" Winking at Dean she walks over to give Cas a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks for looking after the kids, how were they? Not too much trouble I hope?"
"Not at all they were a great help" he smiles.
Dean looks around, conscious that Sam still hasn't made an appearance, "Where's Sam?"
"He was finishing something off" Charlie answers.
"Sam!?" Dean called, looking apologetically at Cas.
"Coming!" A voice calls back.
A moment later and Sam comes through the back holding a box and a similar sugar icing sculpture to the one Charlie has.
"You had a good day kiddo?" Dean enquires.
"Been alright" Sam replies not looking at Anna or Charlie.
"He loved it really!" Charlie bursts out "I know he did!"
Sam glares at Charlie, as the adults' chuckle endearingly.
Anna smiles, "I'm glad, although it's time we give Cas some peace and quiet from you monsters."
"But mum!" Charlie begins to complain
"Come on. Home"
"I've enjoyed their company and grateful of their help. They can come back any time" Cas says generously.
Anna smiles her thanks and Charlie gives Cas one final hug before they leave to go.
"You coming Dean? Sam?" Anna asks as she turns to leave.
"Yeah, you ready Sam?" Dean asks.
"Just a minute" Sam replies, looking meaningfully at Anna, wanting her to leave so he could give Dean his pie without her there.
Anna looks between the brothers and getting the hint, says, "Ok, well I'll see you round then" she smiles at Dean before ushering Charlie out the door.
Sam waits until the door has fully closed on the girls retreating backs before turning to face Dean and Cas. Looking to Cas for encouragement, Sam takes in a breath and puts the box between him and Dean on the counter.
Cas winks at Sam, motioning him forward. "He has been working on this all day. I'm very impressed with the outcome" he explains to Dean.
Dean opens the box to reveal a pie with his name baked into it on top. He grins at Sam, ruffling his hair.
"Wow Sammy! This is awesome. Thanks kiddo."
Sam evidently relieved and pleased, beams at Dean. "Glad you like it! We could have some for pudding tonight"
"Of course we can." Dean winks at Sam before turning to look at Cas who is watching the brotherly scene before him. "Thanks man. I appreciate you looking after Sammy like this."
"No problem, I couldn't have done it without him. Which reminds me" He turns to Sam who is admiring his little sugar sculpture, "How would you like to help out some weekends? You did such a good job and your work would be sorely missed"
Sam who had been itching to ask something along those lines, but not wanting to seem pushy or silly in front of Dean, couldn't believe his ears when Cas made the offer. He wildly looked between Dean and Cas.
"Really?! Dean? Can I?"
Dean surprised Sam is so eager but happy he has found something he enjoys instead of reading all the time, nods,
"Yeah, sure, why not?"
Sam delighted hugs him and turns to Cas thankful he brought it up first,
"Thank you so much!" he grins
"It's my pleasure" Cas ruffles Sam's hair grinning back
"All right kiddo, you go wait in the car while we adults discuss the boring arrangements for this to work out" Dean suggests.
"Ok! Thanks Dean"
Dean laughs softly as he watches Sam rush out to the car. He turns back to Cas, struck again by the same odd feeling flitting about in the pit of his stomach that seemed to occur when he looked at him.
"Thanks for this. The kid really seems to have taken to you."
"Like I said it was a pleasure to have him here and I really could use the help" Cas laughs
Dean offers a small smile in return, but not wanting to fuel the fluttering's in his stomach cut it short by shifting his weight and asking,
"So how is this going to work, when do you want him?" Dean clears his throat wanting to leave now not knowing why Cas is making him feel this way.
Cas realising Dean was cutting straight to the business side, took out his phone, to check his calender.
"Ummm, Saturday from 11-4 would be great, if he doesn't mind working that long and then two hours on a Sunday afternoon would really help me out"
"Yeah alright, I will run that by him"
"I will pay him for the Saturday, as those hours are quite long for a kid."
"Oh no, you don't have to do that" Dean protests, thinking it would be good for Sam to have something productive with which to occupy his time.
"It will ease my mind for putting him to work so long." Cas smiles gently, taking out a pen and paper as Dean shifts uncomfortably, "This is my number, if there are any problems don't hesitate to contact me"
"Err thanks, do you want mine in case Sam backs out? You know what kids can be like! Always changing their minds!"
Cas nods and watches as Dean writes his number down on the bottom and tears it off, sliding it across the desk and carefully placing the bit of paper with Cas's number on in his wallet. Just this simple act of exchanging numbers sent Cas's heart into a hurried pace. Since Dean had walked through the door, Cas had felt there had been something about him. Anna had been right, he was hot. He hadn't had a boyfriend in a while and the last one hadn't ended so well. So to feel familiar feelings begin to stir made him feel uncertain of himself and wary. Dean didn't seem like he was interested in other guys though, after all Anna had tried flirting with him. Cas makes a mental note to ask Anna more about the Winchesters next time he sees her.
Dean clears his throat again, Cas blinks realising he has been staring.
"Sure thanks. I hope to see you soon, I mean Sam soon" Cas stuttered. He kicked himself mentally, he had only just met this guy and he was already stuttering what the hell?!
Dean unsure of himself and unsettled by Cas's gaze, shakes it off, saying gruffly,
"Well I'll let you know then what Sammy decides"
Raising a hand in farewell he swiftly leaves, scolding himself for being so weird around someone he has only just met.
As the door closes behind Dean, Cas lets out a tight breath, leaning against the counter he shakes his head unable to believe the way he just acted in front this guy he had known for no more than a few minutes but already found attractive.
