Here's the next one-shot for you! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and faved so far :) This one was requested by Aini NuFire who wanted Cas learning to do the laundry. She also writes awesome family stories for TFW so do check her stories out, you won't be disappointed!

Title: Cas Does the Laundry

Setting: Season 5

Warnings: None

Cas Does the Laundry

Set Season 5

It was rare, but sometimes the Winchesters actually did get a day off from fighting evil and trying to stop the apocalypse. Sometimes, they took those days to relax and other times they had to use them to do chores. When they were at Bobby's that usually meant Sam would bury himself in books and Dean would tinker with the Impala, but when they were on the road, there were other things to be seen to, such as cleaning their weapons and doing laundry. And not just washing monster—and their own—blood off their clothes in the motel bathtub, but actually doing a proper wash so they could enter society without frightening off women and children with their stench.

One of these days, Castiel happened to be with the brothers in their hotel room and decided to accompany them to the laundry mat, always interested to see the inner workings of human existence, even something so mundane as washing clothes. Dean shrugged when he relayed this to him, and they drove down the street to the laundry mat.

Sam went to pick up some supplies at the Quick Mart down the block and Dean grabbed the bag of dirty clothes out of the trunk. Castiel followed him inside.

"Okay, Cas," Dean said as he set the bag beside one of the machines and opened the lid. "You seem interested in this, so let me show you how you use one of these. You might need to know someday, even though you just seem to be able to mojo your clothes back into off the rack cleanliness." He cast a reproachful look at the trench coat, and Castiel ran his hands over it almost protectively. He had actually come to be rather fond of it.

"First things, first," Dean said, grabbing the bag of clothes. "The most important thing to remember is to separate whites and colors. I know that sounds all Martha Stewart, but you don't want to end up with funky colored whites because you washed them with all the colored clothes. So we put one set in one washer and the other in another."

Castiel watched him as he sorted the clothes. A kid who was sitting on a chair on the other side of the room waiting for her mom watched them curiously, giving Castiel an odd look. He tried to smile at her but she still watched him suspiciously.

"You'll need quarters to run it," Dean told him, fishing in his pocket for money. "Just stick as many as will fit into the slots and push it in."

"After that, you start the washer by turning this knob and put the soap in," Dean said, showing him a carton that he opened, and poured the blue syrupy contents into the cap. "About one cup full will do." He poured it in and bubbles began to form. Then he closed the washer and did the same with the whites.

"Then we just wait until they're done," Dean said and went to sit down on a bench, shuffling through the magazines and wrinkling his nose at the choices.

"What then?" Castiel asked.

"You have to dry them."

Castiel watched the people go about their business, doing washes and folding clothes into neat, or not so neat piles. Dean showed him how to work the dryer, which didn't have as many steps as the washer and also apparently didn't need the clothing separated. When they were done, Cas wondered whether he should help Dean fold the clothes, but the hunter just shoved everything back into the bag, without bothering.

"Come on, let's go get Sam and find something to eat, I'm starving!" Dean told him.

It was several weeks later that Castiel decided to use some of this new knowledge for good. They had just completed a hunt that had taken them several days to figure out, and Sam and Dean had both been bashed around quite a bit. Castiel had helped see to their wounds and they were now resting in the motel room, trying to gain a little of the sleep they had lost over the last few days. Castiel had planned on having food for them when they woke up, but he didn't want it to get cold either, so he looked around for something else he could do to pass the time. He knew Dean didn't really like it when he sat and waited for them to wake up, watching them sleep. He didn't really understand the problem, only wanting to keep an eye out for trouble, but Dean had some very strange quirks that Castiel wasn't sure he would ever figure out.

Then he remembered seeing a laundry mat across the street and decided he would take their clothes for a wash. He was sure he could remember what Dean had shown him, and then it was one more thing that the brothers wouldn't have to do. He gathered the clothing strewn everywhere and put it into the bag with the other dirty clothes and flew across the street, appearing at the door of the laundry mat. It was late in the afternoon and there were only a few other people there. He tried to look natural, like a normal human going about normal business. He selected a washing machine and dumped the clothes into it, trying to remember what was next. He reached for the quarters in his pocket that he had taken from the motel table and pushed them into the slot before he turned the knob on the machine which made the water go in. He was satisfied that he had remembered that and then found the soap and poured a cup in.

He waited for the wash to finish, feeling good that he had actually accomplished a simple human task without apparent catastrophe. It really was a stupid thing to feel accomplished about, and rather sad when he thought about it. This was all he could do after he had once been a full-powered angel. Laundry excited him. He had certainly fallen very far.

The wash ended, pulling him from his melancholy thoughts and he grabbed the wet clothes and put them into the dryer, digging out more quarters. He waited that out too, watching the other people in the place, washing and folding clothes. When the load was finally done, he pulled the warm clothing out of the dryer and set it on a table, deciding he would fold it, figuring Sam would be impressed, even if Dean didn't care.

However, as he began to lay out the clothes, he realized that he had made a grave mistake, forgetting the most important thing Dean had taught him.

He held up a t-shirt that had been white, but was now a light pink.

It seemed his enthusiasm had been premature. All of the white clothes, t-shirts, underwear and even the white parts in the plaid button-downs were pink. Sam and Dean were not going to be happy about this.

Castiel sighed and threw all the clothes back into the bag and appeared a second later in the motel room.

Dean woke to Cas standing over him with a pained expression on his face and a pile of something in his arms.

"Dude, what, I haven't gotten my four hours yet," he slurred, wincing as he sat up.

Castiel held out the pile and tumbled it into Dean's lap. "I'm so sorry, Dean. I was just trying to help but I seem to have made a mistake."

Dean frowned, sorting through the pile and grabbing a pair of his underwear, holding it up for closer inspection. "What the…Cas, did you wash this?"

"Yes Dean," Castiel said as if he were doomed for the gallows. "With the darks. I forgot."

Dean was fighting the urge to laugh, even though he was kinda ticked that his clothes were pink. "Dude, now I'm gonna have to wear pink underwear."

"I'm sorry, Dean," Castiel said again but Dean reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his coat.

"Hey, Cas, it's okay, we've all done it once. No big deal. I'll just throw all of these into Sam's bag," he grinned and Castiel felt a little better, knowing that Dean wasn't mad at him.

"It was nice of you to wash our stuff though," Dean added. "Next time, just remember to separate the whites and darks."

"I will," Cas told him.

When Sam woke, and they were getting ready to leave, he opened his bag and groaned. "Dude, what happened? Why are my clothes pink? EW! And why are your underwear in here!"

"I don't know, Sam, it wasn't me," Dean called, winking at Cas.

Castiel couldn't help a small smile. Dean could use all the amusement he could get, even if it came at his brother's expense and because of the angel's mistake.

"Come on, Samantha," Dean called. "Let's hit the road!"

Sam grumbled as he zipped up his bag and Cas followed him and Dean out of the room.

"Coming Cas?" Dean asked him.

Castiel confirmed and got into the back of the Impala, feeling at home. Glad that he could be with people who still cared about him despite his shortcomings.

Even if he had caused them to wear pink underwear from then on.

Hope you all enjoyed this, and that you had a good weekend! Remember to get your requests to me if you think of anything you want to see Cas tackle. I'll have more up next weekend. In the meantime, check out my other stories if you are inclined. I have more of the boys and Cas guaranteed slash free.