Humorous, pointless fluff because this season was more emotionally compromising than usual and I need a break from thinking about it before it comes back on. And because the idea of Cas and a guinea pig is still adorable to me.
Could be Dean/Cas if you squint a lot (like a lot a lot) but really it's just supposed to be friendly fun.
Warning for Sam and Cas probably being a little out of character, probably Sam more so because I highly doubt he'd actually be as gullible as I'm making him in this. Also a warning for Dean's mouth.
Giving In
When Castiel hears the sound of the bunker door opening, he pauses momentarily and listens to the dull thud vibrating through the floorboards. The footsteps are too heavy to be Sam's, but the angel also knows not many other's even knew of their location, so he's less than surprised when he sees Dean himself stomp down the hallway towards his bedroom without a greeting or even a wave.
Cas finds it slightly suspicious that he had managed to show just moments after Sam had stepped out for a grocery run and he stops to watch Dean reappear from his bedroom with a few fresh T-shirts and a new pair of sneakers. Castiel smiles warmly at him, an attempt to thaw the suddenly ice cold atmosphere, before he continues to thumb through the worn pages of the book he found in the library the day before.
His focus is interrupted only seconds later.
He actually feels Dean's presence before he hears the rhythmic sound of his breathing and his eyes stop scanning halfway down the page he had previously been reading. He half closes the books and peers over his shoulder while Dean just stares with knit brows and pursed lips.
"Don't even think about it," he says sternly, and Castiel has to fight to keep the pout off of his face.
"But Dean, I've been reading a lot these past few days and it says guinea pigs make excellent companions."
Dean looks at him as if he's lost his mind and shakes his head, shoving the extra t-shirts in a bag. "Don't care, Cas. You're not keeping an overgrown rat in the bunker."
This time Cas lets his mouth morph into a frown, setting the book down with more force than necessary. Dean notices, Cas can tell, but he never lets his eyes wander up to his angels face as he swaps out his shoes and grimaces at the torn, dirty ones before tossing them in the trash.
When he turns back around Cas is there, dangerously close with pleading eyes and Dean lets out a frustrated growl.
"Dammit, Cas, I said no! You want to start a zoo you do it somewhere else, alright?"
As far as Dean is concerned that's the end of the conversation and he ducks out of the room, slamming the bunker's heavy door to prove his point. Cas is less than impressed with the eldest Winchester's outburst and lack of a goodbye so he trudges back to the kitchen table, opening his book and scanning the page with just as much interest while he broods silently within the confines of his own mind.
It's then that the mischievous grin graces his lips and he glances at the clock, calculating the exact moment Sam would be back.
Cas takes his time approaching Sam once he gets back from the grocery, patiently waiting for him to finish sorting things into cabinets and haphazardly shoving a jug of milk in the fridge without even looking, before appearing seemingly out of nowhere as Sam spreads peanut butter on a piece of darkened toast.
He barely jumps but the irritation is present on his face.
"Uh, yeah, Cas? Need something?" Sam doesn't look up from his food but he can feel the angel's eyes burning holes into him and he sighs, finally looking up as he screws the lid back on the peanut butter.
"Dean was here today," is all Cas says at first. Sam's mouth forms a straight line, his expression suddenly blank.
"Good for him," he says, trying to keep any venom out of his voice. "Did he say anything?"
Castiel shrugs nonchalantly. "Not really. I did ask him if I could have a guinea pig though."
Sam smirks at that; Cas hadn't shut up about the guinea pig since the whole 'grace still floating around in his body' ordeal and around a mouthful of toast manages to ask, "And what did he say?"
This time Cas smiles wide and says, "He said yes."
Sam nearly chokes on his toast, sputtering in disbelief as Cas watches, slightly worried but also slightly impressed with himself for sounding so believable. He waits for Sam to compose himself once more and when he does, the younger brother looks slightly doubtful.
"Cas, are you sure he said yes? I mean, maybe you misheard him or something."
Shaking his head sharply Cas tries hard to squelch the panic in him, pulling out the book he had been reading earlier and showing it to Sam.
"While he was here I showed him the book and told him how guinea pigs make excellent companions and he thought it'd be a great idea since it was just the two of us here." He shoves the book in Sam's face for emphasis and much to his relief; he seems to be buying it.
With a slightly exaggerated and heavy sigh Sam shrugs and looks at Cas with raised eyebrows.
"Well if that's what he said, I guess I can take you to town tomorrow to look."
After that Sam walks out of the kitchen with his food while Cas sets the book on the counter top, letting out a triumphant chuckle before rummaging through the cabinets to see what Sam had bought.
As promised, the next day Sam takes him into town and finds the only pet shop around, the bell on the door chiming as they enter. It smelt mostly of cat litter and dog food but Cas doesn't seem to mind. He rushes Sam to the back of the shop and finds three guinea pigs huddled together in a pen, their high pitched chirps amusing to the awe-struck angel.
It takes nearly an hour and more than one reminder from Sam that he can only pick one of them to take home before they finally walk out of the store. Cas holds the cardboard box his new friend was put into while Sam staggers behind, carrying all of the other essentials they were told they needed. It was only once Cas was sure his new companion was settled comfortably in the backseat that he allowed Sam to start the car and the whole way home he nervously peeks over his shoulder until Sam grows annoyed.
"Cas, he's fine. We'll be home in five minutes and then you can watch him all you want, OK?"
He manages to do as Sam says and once they pull in in front of the bunker Cas jumps out and takes the box straight inside while Sam huffs and gathers the rest of the things from the back seat before following him in.
With a little (a lot) of help from Sam, the guinea pig's new pen is put in the spare bedroom they now deem Cas' and as soon as Sam stands back and gives Cas the all clear he puts the box inside and waits for the little brown creature to explore its new home. Cas smiles widely as he watches and Sam nearly shakes his head in amusement, leaning against the door frame before casually asking,
"Have you picked a name yet?"
At that Cas pauses, eyebrows knit tight before he shakes his head. He hadn't even thought of what he was going to name it had the plan actually managed to work and now that he was standing in his bedroom staring at it, he had absolutely no idea. He looks back at Sam for help.
"What do you think Dean would name it?"
Through a snort Sam answers, "He probably wouldn't. He'd probably just go around and call it 'rat' most of the time if I had to guess."
Cas frowns at that. There was no way he was going to call it that so he wracks his mind for a suggestion only causing his frown to deepen when he comes out empty handed. He looks over as Sam pats his back and smiles.
"It's alright; you can take a few days to think about it. I'm sure he's not a rush for you to think of something."
That night Cas stays up watching the guinea pig waddle around and hide in the plastic castle he and Sam had bought, still no name coming to mind as he sits and ponders. He sighs heavily and listens to the chirps and squeals coming from inside the pen before deciding he'd have to do some research tomorrow once Sam woke up.
Nearly two full days pass and he still hasn't come up with a name. Sam had pulled up numerous websites with suggestions on them and Cas had denied nearly all of them with a simple shake of his head as he held the animal in his hands with admiration. If the sight wasn't so damn amusing Sam would be well passed pissed right now but he couldn't bring himself to feel that way. Watching the angel interact with his new pet was the most entertaining thing he'd seen in a while.
Near the end of the second day Sam's cooking in the kitchen when the bunkers door fly open and his older brother appears seconds later, hauling a duffle bag behind him. It falls to the ground with a loud thud as Sam just stares, nearly forgetting the pot of boiling noodles on the stove.
They don't actually exchange words but Sam does give him a simple nod before turning back to the food he's preparing. He hears Dean go to the fridge, grab a beer and pop off the cap. By the time he turns around half the beer is gone and Dean is leaning against the fridge, exhausted. He twists the beer cap around between his calloused fingers, pausing when Sam begins to speak.
"Ya know, you actually surprised me this time. And not in a bad way either."
Dean raises an eyebrow, slightly irritated at Sam's tone, but decides to humor his brother anyways.
"And what exactly are you talking about?"
Sam snorts and stirs the noodles again, looking at Dean over his shoulder.
"Dude, you know what I'm talking about."
Suppressing a growl from somewhere deep in his throat Dean tightens his grip on his bottle and manages not to launch it at Sam's head.
"No, Sammy, I don't know what the hell you're talking about so please just spit it out for fuck's sake."
He's not sure why but when Sam drops the wooden spoon he's holding Dean has a sinking feeling deep in his gut that something isn't right. And, when his brother finally turns to look at him with something akin to fear in his eyes, Dean knows whatever comes out of his mouth next will only serve to piss him off.
And he's right.
Sam clears his throat and keeps his eyes on the wooden floor, already feeling Dean's gaze burning a hole through him. "You, uh…you didn't tell Cas he could get a guinea pig, did you?"
Dean nearly drops his beer.
Once he's able to breath normally again, he sets his bottle down and pinches the bridge of his nose. Sam actually manages to look the tiniest bit ashamed, running a hand through his hair as his brother takes a few more deep breaths before looking at him.
"I told Cas when I came here to pick up some things that there was no way in hell he was keeping a giant rat in this bunker. "
Sam sighs, cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment. "He told me you said yes, so I believed him."
Dean shakes his head and chugs the rest of his beer, looking at Sam with a shared look of humiliation.
"Conned by a freakin' angel, man."
Sam's just about to add his two cents to the situation when the sound of footsteps catches their attention and both brothers look up to see Cas striding towards them. Except, when he looks up and sees Dean, the smile on his face vanishes and he holds his cupped hands closer to his body. It's only then that they realize he has the guinea pig with him and Dean actually has to hold back the urge to rip it out of his hands and let it loose in the forest behind the bunker.
"Cas," Dean says carefully, knowing full well Cas was not above vanishing into thin air when tensions were high, "what did I tell you about the damn rat?"
Cas narrows his blue eyes. "It's a guinea pig, and you said no, I couldn't have one in the bunker."
"Then what is the damn thing doing here?"
Guiltily, Cas stares at the floor and for some God-forsaken reason the sight nearly breaks Dean's heart. He sighs loudly and looks at Sam, who just shrugs and turns back to the stove, leaving Dean completely on his own.
The bastard.
Any other day Dean would say no. He'd put his foot down like the man he is and make Cas take the damn thing back to wherever the hell he found it, but today (he chalks it up to the exhaustion, the stress of working with the King of Hell and all of the shit that's been going on these past few weeks) he finds the only thing he can say is,
"Just…don't let the thing in my room, alright?"
And the smile Cas gives him is just enough to convince him it isn't the worst decision he's ever made.
End
I know some of you are probably wondering what Cas actually named his guinea pig but to be honest I am horrible at naming things so I purposely steered clear from it. So, I'll leave it up to you guys. What do you think Cas would name it?