*So I know I just started writing a Klaroline fanfic and I should update that more often but I saw this post on tumblr and had had had to write a story about it. I realize it's also not in the same fandoms I usually post about so I'll understand if my regulars don't read it. I just hope somebody does. :)

"I wish circumstances were different."

Dean strolled into the store, fingering a list of items to buy in his pocket. Lisa figured he might as well do something, ever since he quit his job as an accountant, "to do something more meaningful with his life." He started in the produce section picking up some apples and bananas before passing through the bakery aisle to get to the dairy. He didn't quite make it through however, when he noticed a small tray with little cups of something delicious.

Inside those cups, next to a plethora of scattered forks were small bite size pieces of berry pie. Dean grabbed two, glancing around to see if anybody noticed before he did, and downed them in two massive bites.

He careened into the dairy aisle, wanting to get out of the store as soon as possible and ran directly into another quickly moving body. The motion propelled him backwards and he brushed his chest down, almost symbolically removing the embarrassment.

"Watch where the hell you're going!"
"I am sorry," a flustered voice responded. "I did not predict you coming around the corner. Truly, I am sorry." Blue eyes met green and Dean couldn't find it in him to keep berating the guy. He didn't even have the heart to tell the guy to step back even though he was awfully close. Inches away, in fact.

"That's alright," he said, slapping the guy on the shoulder. The guy looked strangely confused for a few moments before composing his face and smiling tight-lipped. He didn't shift his eyes ever from Dean's and Dean felt heat rising in his body and an odd desire to fan himself.

"I'm Dean," Dean said to ease the tension.

"I'm Cas."

"Interesting. What's that short for?"
"Why...how...why would that be short for something?" Cas bumbled.

"No reason I guess. What brought you to the grocery store?"

"I am," Cas glanced down at the box of Goldfish in his hands, "I am...I don't really know. I am on a mission, but I have no desire to complete it."

Dean would've normally moved on from conversing at this point, but this man had the most curious responses to his questions that Dean became more and more interested in what this man had to say. And then it hit him. This guy reminded him of someone, maybe they had even met before.

"Do I know you?"

"No," Cas responded without hesitation but almost too quickly. And too firm.

"What kind of mission?"

"I cannot say."

"God you're more complicated than that Bella Swan chick. And nothing she did or said ever made sense."

"I do not understand that reference."

Dean smiled. "It's just some stupid teenage book. I really wouldn't bother."

Cas smiled, and glanced down at his hands. Dean thought he looked like a tiny child in an oversized trench coat, but in an absolutely adorable way. Dean couldn't remember a time in his life he ever swayed this way, but this was a guy he didn't want to lose contact with. And he got the sense that Cas felt the same way, strangely enough.

"Well, I have to run," Dean said, sounding like every character ever in a romantic comedy, and yes he did watch some of those not that he would ever tell anybody, in fact he would deny it, who had no desire to not talk to this person for the remainder of the day.

"It was very nice meeting you, Dean," Cas smiled, stretching out his hand. Dean slapped and grasped and felt a shock wave up his arm. At first he thought it was from the harsh contact of flesh, but the tingling didn't go away. It was a tingling that he wanted to feel across his entire body. Dean abruptly let go, terrified of what that meant and blurted, "What's your phone number? I mean...you know...it might be nice to catch up sometime," Dean recovered as best he could.

But Cas just grinned knowingly to himself, completely aware of what was happening to Dean at that very moment. He knew because he knew Dean. He knew because this was the chance he'd always been waiting for. He pulled a pen from his trench coat pocket. "Your arm." Dean obliged without question and Cas scribbled down a phone number on his forearm.

Dean didn't know what to say and so he just walked away. He practically slammed his head into wall afterwards, when thinking about the encounter because it wasn't like him to walk away from a challenge. But an emotional challenge, maybe so.

Throughout the day he kept glancing down at the phone number, like it was an itch he was unable to scratch. Lisa soon noticed and jumped up and down excitedly as any sister, adopted or not, would when a phone number appeared on a brother's arm. She asked who she was, what she had been wearing, where they'd met. Dean hadn't been able to respond, not ready to say the undeniable truth. That this was the phone number of a man. A ruggedly handsome man he'd met in the store and had felt tingles over, like he was some young, romantic school girl, which he wasn't anywhere near that as far as he was concerned. He walked into the living room to find Sam polishing one of the many guns they owned for when the hunting season came around.

"The deer are almost in season."

"I know. Dude, you missed a spot there," Dean pointed out.

Sam shoved Dean playfully and rubbed it spotless. He felt Dean's uncertainty flowing off him in waves but knew asking was practically futile. Not that that had ever stopped him before.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Dean, come on man. I'm not stupid."

"Let it go, Sam."

"Alright."

Dean slid open his phone and stared through all the contacts of women who he barely knew. They were just a list of fuck-buddies that had worn down to a bunch of women he just wanted to have a quick five minute hook up with and not even look at their faces. They irritated him that much. He inputed Cas' number into his phone and considered texting or calling it but refrained. Sam watched Dean carefully and noticed that new contact addition by the name of Cas.

"Who's Cas?"

"Cassandra," Dean replied. "She looked like fun. Hot ass in those jeans, man." Dean acted like whatever he was making up and not visualizing was the sweetest thing he'd ever seen. Sam bought it and backed off. That was, until Cas called, but Dean hadn't remembered giving Cas his number.

"Better pick that up. She's probably feeling lonely."

"Shut up."

"Hello?" Dean answered, strolling away from Sam and into his bedroom where he shut the door. Lisa observed his actions and approached Sam.

"That's not normal Dean behavior."

"I think this girl might have actually meant something to him."

"Mind equals blown," Lisa whispered.

"Dean," Cas said over the phone, in the sam gristly voice. "I wanted to make sure this number was working."

"How'd you get it anyways?"

"I looked you up in the phone book and pretended to be a pizza delivery service and asked for you cell number. Some girl answered the phone."

"That would be Lisa."

"Lisa? You are with Lisa?" Cas asked, anxiety obviously thickening his voice.

"I guess...she's my adopted sister."

"Oh. Right. Well, um, that would be all I suppose."

Dean took a deep breath and gathered strength from the memory of Cas's hand brushing against his arm deliciously gently while writing down his number. "I'm glad I met you."

"And I you, Dean." And he hung up. Apparently this guy wasn't very good at goodbyes.