Authors note: I hope this chapter isn't too hard to get through. The more I write, the more I come to admire authors that seem so at home with a slow pace. I just want to dive in to the plot already! Which should appear in the next chapter~ As always, thanks for reading!
After Dean settled in, he and Cas went about trying to tidy up the house - or at least attempting to make it look less like a horror movie set.
Dean stood up on a stepladder, wiping a cloth over the top of one of the wooden bookshelves while singing under his breath to the music blaring through his headphones.
"Ramble On, And now's the time, the time is now, to sing my song! I'm goin' round the-huh?" Dean pulled his headphones out as he felt his pocket vibrate. Pulling out his phone he hit answer. "What's up, Sammy?"
"I guess that means you haven't heard the news. Last night, some patrons of a bar not far from here had their eyes burned out. I'm not sure if angels being this close is on purpose or just coincidence."
"How close?"
"A town just over from where you and Cas are staying."
Dean gripped the cloth in his freehand tighter. "Damn. Thanks for the heads up."
Cas looked at him from across the room, eyes narrowed slightly in concern.
Sam sighed over the phone, "I still don't know why you and Cas can't be here, but be careful Dean."
"Yeah, I will. You too, Sammy." Dean exhaled and put his phone back in his pocket.
"What was that about?"
"Apparently some of your estranged siblings walked into a bar and flashed people, angel bits and all. It was close by, but we don't know if they're here looking for you, or if they just happen to be passing through."
Cas hesitated for a moment before replying, "Are you sure you want to be here?"
"Look, I told you-"
"I know, but what exactly do you expect to do against angels? We're both just humans."
"Stab their ass!...well, not their ass, but you know what I mean."
Cas sighed, "Dean, you're not the only one worried. You should-"
"Nope, that's the end of this discussion. I'm not going to go anywhere and I'm not talking about this anymore. Now get back to dusting, Cinderella."
"I do not underst-"
"Never mind. Just clean." Dean gestured towards the shelf with his dusty rag.
A few hours of strenuous cleaning later and the house was actually looking respectable. The finished wood floors were shiny and clean, the windows were no longer dingy and discolored, and Dean was convinced that they had removed enough dust to fill purgatory. Twice. And he should know.
Walking into the kitchen, Dean opened the fridge, only to find it completely empty.
"Really man, no food?"
"When I got here last night I fell asleep almost immediately. My vessel felt heavy, which I have come to associate with a need for rest."
Dean stared at him and Cas, of course, was staring back- resulting in a stare off. A car horn honked outside in traffic and Dean jumped.
"Right, food. We should-"
"Yes."
"-go. Yeah." Dean cleared his throat before walking over briskly to grab his jacket, pulling it on swiftly and grabbing the keys of the Impala from his pocket.
When the pair arrived back at the house, it was a little past noon, the sun was high in the sky, the sunlight bathing everything in warmth. The air was brisk and a light breeze blew softly, causing the leaves of the maple trees along the road to dance lightly. Dean grabbed two handfuls of groceries and stepped up onto the sidewalk, pushing the small wrought iron gate open with his hip- though it took some effort due to the rusted state it was in. Cas followed suit and they walked up the steps, waiting for a beat while Cas fished the house key from his pocket and slid it home, unlocking the door.
"Ugh, I'm gonna eat my hand."
"I really hope that was a figure of speech. Otherwise, my people skills are more off than I formerly believed."
Dean huffed a laugh, "You're lucky I'm here. We gotta get you up to speed if you're going to be interacting with people now. It's a good thing that you're a good looking guy, people will let a lot slide." He paused from where he was putting the groceries in the fridge. "Man, I think that's the gayest thing I've ever said."
Dean finished fixing the burgers and slid Cas' plate over to him on the counter, sitting down on a stool across from him. He was about three bites in when Cas spoke up.
"Dean? You look troubled."
"I always look troubled. Except…"
"Yes?" Cas tilted his head in question.
"Something I've always wondered about, but never really had the chance to ask…what happened in the crypt when we got the angel tablet?"
Cas finished chewing and swallowed, suddenly feeling somewhat tense.
"That night-" He cut himself off, shifting uncomfortably as he figured out what to say. Licking his lips, he started again. "That night, and since purgatory, I was being controlled by another angel named Naomi. I even wonder if perhaps I was being brainwashed before that."
"Let me get this straight, some broad brought you back from purgatory to use you as a puppet? So you could what? Gank me? That's kind of a crappy goal."
"The main purpose I believe was to retrieve the tablet. I think killing you was an afterthought when she believed you would get in the way of what she wanted."
"Then what? She called it off?"
"No." Cas took a steadying breath before trudging forward. "She trained me to be able to kill you. There must have been hundreds, if not a thousand, attempts." He looked down at his hands where he had them rested in his lap. "But, even after all that, I…I could not do it." He looked up at Dean, his blue eyes shining warmly, and smiled softly. "You are too important to me."
Dean held his gaze for a few seconds before he could feel his face heating up and quickly dropped his eyes to the floor. He rubbed his neck and coughed awkwardly.
"Just eat your stupid burger." Dean mumbled, willing the blush to drop from his face. A dude should not be blushing because of another dude, it just wasn't natural. Yet honestly, when was anything in his life natural? Never, that's when. He doubted anything could surprise him by this point. He was wrong, of course.
