Prologue Part 2
Dean's first Christmas spent with the Miltons was one for the books. He was seventeen going on eighteen, a senior in high school, and was seriously contemplating what to do after he graduated. Or attempting to anyway. The Miltons were no longer married, hadn't been for nearly a decade – in fact, Ms. Milton was no longer Ms. Milton anymore, but rather Mrs. Novak. Cas also had three sisters – Anna, his twin Hannah, and Rachel.
Cas still hadn't come out to his parents – Dean didn't blame him, for divorcee's, they sure believed in the sanctity of marriage and believed wholeheartedly that – divorced or not – the gays were ruining it for everybody.
They were at Cas' mom's house; he had invited Dean on the premise of them being best friends, even though they'd been dating for months. Dean's family knew, as did Cas' siblings, but Cas was still adamant that his parents know and accept Dean as Cas' boyfriend.
‟So, Dad,″ Cas began sitting at the dinner table, clutching tightly at Dean's hand out of sight. ‟Uh..."
But Mr. Novak interrupted him with, "Castiel tells me you play guitar, Dean. You any good?"
He wasn't, but he answered, "Yes," just for spite.. He knew Cas hated calling Mr. Novak dad, but him mom insisted. It was 'Dad' for Cas and 'Daddy' for his sisters. It was messed up and sexist and Dean hated them for it. Rachel caught his eye from across the table and smirked. She knew what was coming.
The table quieted while Cas looked down, working up nerve. The girls were all three staring at the two of them, but the parents looked only at each other, trying to come up with something to talk about that wasn't the butter-thick tension in the room.
"Dear," Mr. Novak said, spearing a potato with his fork, "these really turned out lovely."
"Dad, Mom, I have something to –"
Mrs. Novak spoke over him, "Thank you, honey, I -"
But she never finished, because Cas suddenly stood up, knocking his chair backward with a resounding clatter. He still held tightly to Dean's hand, now out in the open for everyone to see. "I'm gay," he exclaimed. "Dean's gay, and we're boyfriends. And I - " he faltered, and in the sudden silence, he gazed down at Dean's widened eyes. "I love you."
Vaguely, Dean was aware of the sudden explosion of sound that was Cas's parents shouting at him, and his sister's applauding and whooping with joy. But none of it mattered as he mouthed "I love you, too." He stood up and kissed Cas full on the mouth amidst the cacophony.
They, and the girls all go running out of the house and tumble happily into the Impala to go back to Dean's.
Cas's real dad passed a few years after that from a heart attack, right around the time Hael Novak, the surprise little sister was brought into the world.
Dean would like to say that she would be raised in a better, happier home, but the gay announcement only exacerbated things, even to the point that as soon as Cas turned eighteen, he moved into Mary's house where he was accepted into loving arms. And rest of their senior year had been the happiest they'd ever had.
Even in the Darkest of Times
Chapter Two – Not All Those Who Wander are Lost
Dean wakes the next morning, warm and comfortable, to the feeling of something shifting next to him. He doesn't move for a moment, relishing at the soft skin brushing up against his own in the warm morning light. A hand runs lightly up his chest, swirling around in the hair there before coming up to his face and brushing his cheekbone.
He opens his eyes to find Cas' deep blues mere inches from his own. ‟We've talked about this, Cas. Personal space.″
Cas just smiles and leans in, kissing Dean with the familiarity of years of practice. Dean wraps his arms around him, pulling him closer under the blankets, willing the moment to never end. Their tongues spar lazily with each other for a few minutes, but eventually Cas has to get ready for work.
Dean lies in bed, body relaxed and eyes drooping as he listens to the shower running in the next room. Twenty minutes later, Cas emerges from the steam, fully dressed in scrubs, the top of which is covered in gaudy blue and orange tulips against a pink backdrop. Cas works at a family clinic in town, and therefore keeps regular hours compared to Dean. Nine to five, Monday through Friday, and off most major holidays. Dean tries to stay away from the diner on weekends, but in the event that he has no choice, Cas usually tags along to help.
Dean smiles at Cas. ‟You're so cute, babe,″ he says.
‟I know,″ Cas replies, and kisses Dean again, smoothing down his bedhead, before heading out. ‟Have a good morning.″
Dean listens to Cas grab something from the kitchen for breakfast, and then get into his quiet, little, energy efficient Chevy and drive away. Dean slowly drifts back to sleep.
The after-school lull is upon the diner, and Dean has taken upon himself the task to train the new kid on the finer points of customer service.
‟I'm in advanced placement,″ says Kevin Tran, the new after school part-timer, heavy on the attitude. ‟I know how to count money back.″
‟Don't back sass me,″ Dean says. He slaps the counter from the other side of the register. ‟Put your money where your mouth is and prove it. Now, on a total of $3.85, I give you a twenty. Count it back.″
Kevin rolls his eyes and huffs out a breath. ‟Fine. ‟ He opens the register and takes out the money. ‟Change makes four, five, ten, and twenty.″
‟Good job,″ Dean says and hands back the money. ‟Now, how are you on taking food orders.″
He shrugs petulantly.
Dean rolls his eyes and yells out, ‟Charlie.″
They are answered by a loud bang! coming from the cooler. Charlie emerges several moments later laden with boxes of cereal. ‟What?″ she demands, making her way over the grocery and putting them in their place.
Dean points at Kevin. ‟The newbie needs to learn how to take customer's orders. Train him.″
She narrows her eyes, dangerously at the 17-year-old. He gulps in response. ‟Okay,″ she says walking up to the counter. ‟I'll have - ‟ she looks at him pointedly. ‟Aren't you going to write this down?″
He fumbles for his notepad and pen, and Charlie starts before he even has them in hand.
‟I'll have a cheeseburger, no lettuce, no onions, oh, and make it a turkey burger, I'm trying to slim down. I'll also have a small chocolate milkshake with extra whip cream and a two cherries, and put two straws in it so I can share it with Scarlet Johansen wearing a Princess Leah bikini.″
Dean bites back a laugh as Kevin quickly writes down everything Charlie says to the letter, mumbling to himself the order, but Dean snorts when he gets to the end and looks up in confusion. 'What?″ he asks.
Charlie raises her eyebrows. ‟You heard me.″
‟Are you, uh, gay?″
Charlie just grins a big, mad grin, and leans in close with a serious expression on her face, ‟Oh, sweetie. We're all gay here.″
Dean laughs. ‟Nice Alice ref,″ he says and they high-five. ‟Don't get those very often.″
Kevin looks to Dean, questioningly. Dean nods and shrugs in the affirmative. ‟Yep, me too. You'll probably meet my boyfriend Cas when he gets off work here in about an hour.″
Then Kevin looks around to make sure he won't be overheard. ‟Is Matt gay?″ he asks.
‟No,″ calls the cook from the kitchen, ‟Matt is not gay.″
‟No, Matt isn't gay,″ Charlie repeats. ‟But we're pretty sure he's ace.″
‟Not ace either,″ he says. ‟I have a girlfriend.″
‟Then how come we've never met her?″ asks Dean.
Matt comes out of the kitchen in his dirty apron, his dark hair ruffled with sweat, waving a spatula. ‟Just because we're not freakishly co-dependent like you and Castiel doesn't mean Amy's not real.″
‟Whatever you say, chief,″ says Charlie throwing out a little salute.
Matt mimes flinging hamburger grease from the spatula at her, and then vanishes back into the kitchen.
‟Take a jacket,″ Charlie calls out to his retreating back. ‟I hear Narnia's cold this time of year!″
‟He's totally ace,″ Dean whispers to Kevin.
‟I heard that,″ Matt calls once more.
‟And he has amazing hearing.″
Cas shows up and hour later, as predicted, as Dean is working in the kitchen while Matt is on break. He gives Dean a 'hello, Dean' and a quick peck on the lips, and then grabs a spatula to flip a burger.
‟How was work?″ Dean asks, dropping a basket of fries in bubbling oil.
Cas shrugs, ‟The usual. Panicked parents, old people. That new doctor just came over from emergency medicine, so she's still kind of a dick.″
‟You put her in his place?″ Dean smirked.
‟Sherrie did. Apparently she'd missed breakfast this morning. It wasn't pretty.″
Dean nods. ‟Always knew I liked Sherrie.″
‟So, what about you?″ Cas asks. ‟See you hired someone.″
‟Yeah, that's Kevin. He's in advanced placement. Charlie likes him.″
‟He any good?″
‟Surprisingly, yeah. For his first job.″
They work together for another few minutes until Matt comes back, and then they go out to the counter. Cas sits down while Dean begins wiping it down. Cas watches Kevin for a minute where he is stocking shelves, and then reaches behind the cash register for the Goosebumps book Dean had hidden there.
‟What's this for?″
‟Oh,″ says Dean, tossing the rag into the sink to be washed. ‟I'm holding that for a little girl who was in here yesterday. I don't think she finished it, and I don't want someone else to take it.″
Cas ponders it for a moment, and then shrugs his shoulders and puts it back.
Shauna doesn't come in for the rest of the night.
That weekend, Dean and Cas are at the mall, shopping for a new pair of work shoes for Cas, when he inquires about the book again.
‟No,″ he replies. ‟She hasn't come back yet.″ He shrugged. ‟Maybe she won't come back at all, but I'll hold it anyway. And Charlie and Kevin both know what she looks like if she does.″
Cas nods, picking up a pair of shoes and taking them to the stool to try them on. Dean follows him and sits down as well. Cas is just getting his own shoes off when Dean says, ‟So, uh, I've been thinking.″
‟Never a good sign,″ he quips without batting an eye.
‟Shut up, Cas,″ Dean says rolling his eyes. He straightens his back and soldiers on. ‟Anyway. You know same-sex marriage has been legal in Oklahoma for almost a year now – ‟
‟Dean – ‟
‟Yeah yeah, I know. Neither of us grew up with great examples of marriage, but that doesn't mean it has to be completely off the table. Look at Sam and Jess.″ Sam is a junior partner in a law firm in California, and Jess is a sergeant in the Sacramento Police Force. They've been happily married for three years. Cas can do little but grudgingly accept his point.
‟Come on, man. We've been together for nearly a decade, and we knew each other way before that.″ Cas ties up the new shoes, but does not break eye contact with Dean. ‟I mean,″ Dean continues. ‟I know it's just a piece of paper, and we'll be able to file our taxes together, and I'm gonna spend the rest of my life with you anyway, but...″
‟But you want something recognized as legitimate,″ Cas states.
Dean shrugs. ‟'Boyfriend' just sounds so cheap. I'd much rather call you my husband.″
The corner of Cas' mouth lifts up, but he bites it back. ‟I'll think about it,″ he says.
Dean's eyebrows shoot up. ‟Really?″
‟Really.″
They spend the rest of their Saturday in pleasant comfort.
It's a week later, that Shauna finally shows back up at the diner. Dean is working the at the market register and sees her immediately when she walks in. He quickly finishes with the customer he's ringing up, and calls out to her from where she is looking in the books. ‟Hey! Uh, Shauna right?″ he says, even though he hasn't really forgotten. She looks up and approaches the counter. ‟I saved that book for you.″ He reaches behind the register and brandishes it out to her, and she takes it with a quiet 'thanks.'
‟You know you can take it with you right? They're free.″
‟Yeah, I know,″ she replies. ‟But my mom doesn't want me reading scary stuff.″
‟What? Goosebumps isn't scary. Er...not that scary, anyway.″
‟I know. But she's stubborn like that. You should've seen her face when I asked for a Steven King book at Wal-Mart a couple months ago.″
Dean barks out a laugh. ‟Yeah, well. King might be a bit much for a ten year old.″
‟I'm eleven!″ she chimes.
‟Oh,″ he holds up his hands in surrender. ‟Of course. My bad.″ And he winks at her. ‟So, do you want anything to eat?″
Her eyes widen momentarily. ‟Uh, I don't have any money.″
Dean waves a hand, dismissively. ‟On the house for a horror fan like you. I recognize a kindred spirit when I see one.″ She still looks uncertain, so Dean adds, ‟Tell you what, I'm thinking of adding something to the menu. You can taste test it for me, tell me if it's good.″
She nods, still hesitant, and goes to sit at one of the stools with the book while Dean goes into the kitchen. Minutes later, he reappears, with his new Sweet Pepper Burger on a plate with a pile of fries on the side, and he sets it in front of her, saying, ‟You're doing me a favor really. Cas always tells me everything tastes delicious even when it doesn't.″
‟Who's Cas?″ she asks.
Dean blinks, suddenly a little worried that Shauna might not like that he's with a man. Who knows what her parents think, and kids are impressionable. He decides to give her the benefit of the doubt, and says hesitantly, ‟My boyfriend.″
She doesn't react harshly. In fact, she barely reacts at all, giving only a slight shrug. ‟That's nice of him,″ she says, picking up the burger and taking a bite.
‟He thinks it's nice,″ he says, relieved, ‟but it's not really helpful if he won't tell me when something's awful.″
She chews slowly and swallows. He raises his eyebrows expectantly, waiting for her decision. She nods her head semi-approvingly, and makes a so-so gesture with her hand.
‟You hate it,″ he says.
‟It's not awful. But it could use some work.″
He narrows his eyes at the little connoisseur. ‟Like what?'
She takes another bite, and says, mouth full, ‟Too much cinnamon.″ She chews some more. ‟Actually, cut the cinnamon.″
Dean stands scratching his chin as she continues eating, but looks up when he hears the bell above the door. Cas is there in bumblebee scrubs, sweating from the heat, the harsh sunlight streaming through his hair. But when he sees Dean, he smiles like none of that matters.
‟Hey, Cas,″ he says softly, and Shauna turns around, with a french fry still in her hand, mid-dip into the ketchup. Dean points at her and says, ‟This is Shauna.″
Cas looks down, mildly confused, unsure if he should know Shauna, but then he spots the book and says to her, ‟You're the girl who's never read Lord of the Rings.″
Shauna turns beet red, and looks back to her food. Cas looks worried for a moment, but Dean nods in encouragement. ‟Hey,″ Cas says, ‟Can I tell you a secret?″
Shauna looks up and nods.
‟Neither have I.″
Dean looks at him in shock, like he was just seeing his boyfriend for the first time. ‟What?″
Cas just shrugs, while Shauna giggles. ‟I've only seen the movies.″
‟Our relationship is built on lies,″ Dean says, over-dramatically, and storms off into the kitchen. ‟Wait 'til I tell Charlie.″
Cas yells out to his retreating back, ‟I'll have a cheeseburger while you're back there.″
‟A cheeseburger of lies!″
‟No lettuce, please!″
When he comes back a few minutes later, Cas has gotten Shauna and himself some sodas from the fountain, and they are laughing hysterically. He walks up to them and places the food in front of Cas. They both look at him, and only laugh harder. Dean raises an eyebrow. ‟Something I did?″
Shauna continues to giggle, but Cas manages a straight face. ‟Just telling her how we met. And how you cried when you thought your mom was going to ground you until graduation. Not to mention all the puke there was once the adrenaline had died down.″ Shauna laughs harder.
Dean shakes his head. ‟You guys suck,″ he says, but has to fight to keep back a smile.
Cas reaches across the counter and pulls Dean over for a kiss on the lips, and after that, Dean laughs with them.
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not whither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken:
The crownless again shall be king.
AN: I have not read The Lord of the Rings. I tried to in high school but I got distracted and never finished the first book. I did, however, read Harry Potter so many times that I lost count somewhere around 30 times. Per book. This is why the story title is from Harry Potter and just the chapter title is from Lord of the Rings.