Author's Note:
I am so sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out. I will spare you from the boring details but my computer crapped out on me and my town is in threat from lava, ah the troubles of living in paradise. I hope you enjoy!
CH 3.
Castiel slept with no nightmares. He felt as though he were at home when he woke up, but thats not right, angels don't sleep. Oh right he wasn't an angel of the lord anymore, and he was laying here in the arms of the most beautiful humans he had ever known. Cas watched the sleeping man from a much different angle than what he had been known to do on occasion when he had his grace and wings. This angle was from Dean's chest and looking up, the rise and fall from his powerful lungs, slow and calm, along with the thumping of his heart, Cas could see the stubble on his hunter's face that meant he was due for a shave for all it was beauty of that face is unrivaled in Castiel's opinion, it had nearly perfect symmetry, wars could be fought over that face, and depending on who you ask some had already occurred.
Even asleep Dean could sense Cas' eyes on him and slowly shifted to wake up. The green eyes opened and met blue. "Good morning Dean." Said Cas.
"Watching people sleep is creepy Cas." Dean said with a smile and pulled the man closer to him for a good morning kiss. Cas laughed, having been told that on several occasions by the Winchester, and returned the kiss. They snuggled up against each other loving the warmth that the other was giving off. Dean stroked Cas' cheek and looked at him carefully examining him.
"What is it Dean?" Cas asked as he blushed from being scrutinized so much.
"You need a shave, and so do I." Dean said matter of factly. "We should go do that now and get out of here." Dean said. "I would love to stay in bed with you all day but I think someone would figure out what was going on." he said quickly when he saw Cas' face fall slightly. Cas nodded and got up, finding a pair of boxers to put on, Dean following suit. Dean stopped the other man before he could get started on shaving. "How about you let me do it this time?" Dean asked.
"Oh okay." Cas said confusedly. "Why?"
"Because," Dean replied with a bit of a growl. "I don't want you to mess up that pretty face." Cas blushed even more. "Sit down on the toilet lid." Cas did as he was told as Dean ran some water and dampened a fresh washcloth, got the shaving cream and a razor. He gently rubbed Cas' face with the damp washcloth, instructing the man to keep it there until he was ready. Dean filled up the sink with warm water and went back to face his lover with the shaving cream. Cas handed the washcloth back to Dean who then proceeded to lather up the man's face, Dean so into his task wasn't phased by Cas watching his every move.
Dean wiped off his hands with the washcloth and proceeded to shave Cas' face with all of his years of practice on his own. Cas stayed as still as a statue the whole time, trusting the man with a razor at his throat, something he didn't think that he would have been able to do all that long ago. Dean washed off the cloth and tossed it back to Cas. "Wipe off your face, get dressed and go get wait in the kitchen or get breakfast or something." Dean said with a smile.
Cas got up and looked at himself in the mirror with a smile back at Dean. "Not a single cut." Cas said more to himself than to Dean.
"Did you ever doubt me?" Dean started the same process on his face.
"No. It just seems like something so simple that I should be able to do it." Cas said.
"You'll get the hang of it, I've got years of practice lover boy." Dean winked at Cas' reflection in the mirror, Cas swatted the other man's ass. "Hey careful there, you might make me do something to you and then they will really know what is going on."
Cas responded with a wink before he left the bathroom. Cas decided on a pair of sweatpants and a pull over shirt to start the day, he didn't think that they would be going anywhere today. Before he left the room he heard Dean turn on the shower, he thought to join his lover but decided against it since I am sure they would have time for that later.
Cas greeted Charlie, who was the only one awake so far, when he walked into the kitchen. "Good morning Charlie."
She looked at the fallen angel and smiled brightly. "Why hello Castiel. How was your night?" She smirked.
"It was good. I enjoy this routine very much." Cas said. "There is something comforting about it. I can't quite explain it. Though that may just be because its new."
"It can be tedious at times but you will get used to it."
"Dean says that about a lot of things." Cas replied.
Charlie got up and looked in the fridge. "Do you want to help me cook breakfast? I am sure you haven't had any practice in the kitchen yet."
Cas brightened up more. "I would love to learn."
Charlie smiled and pulled out the box of eggs, milk and some cheese. "Wash your hands." She instructed before she placed the eggs and a bowl in front of Castiel's spot. "I want you to crack the rest of these eggs and put them in the bowl. Just the inside not the shell." Charlie said specifically and watched Cas crack the first one, and nodded in approval. "Perfect, make sure if you get any shell in there you get it out." Cas nodded, intent on his task. Charlie chopped up an onion and started on the bacon by the time Cas was finished with his eggy task, he did it well, only a couple bits of shell. "Alright now I would like you to whip these eggs."
"What why would I do that!?" Cas asked very shocked and confused.
Charlie laughed and grabbed a whisk. "Whipping means to put air in the mixture in this case, you need to whip the eggs so that they become nice and fluffy, let me show you." She took the bowl and started whipping the eggs, letting Cas finish. Charlie grabbed a large pan and started to saute the bacon and onions. "That should be good enough, grab the cheese and use this side of the grater to grate the cheese." Charlie returned to her bacon and onions, turning off the stove top and poured some milk in the eggs and stirred that up some more.
"Done." Castiel said when he had a huge pile of cheese in front of him, he had shredded the entire one pound block of cheese!
Charlie smiled sweetly at the extremely proud looking Castiel. "Thats a bit much for today but hey who doesn't like cheese!" She smiled and put a good handful in the eggs and mixed it up, she handed Cas the bowl. "Put this mix inside the pan, slowly alright so you don't splash." Cas very carefully did as he was instructed. Charlie took the bowl from Cas and put it in the sink. "Very good Cas, put some more cheese on the top." They each took a small handful of cheddar and sprinkled it around the top of the frittata. Charlie placed it in the oven. "Awesome job Castiel! I think everyone will be so proud that you made breakfast!"
Cas beamed. "I only helped. But thank you Charlie."
Dean walked in. "Morning Charlie, Cas." He nodded to both respectively. "Smells awesome!"
"Thanks! Cas did most of the work." Charlie laughed, and pushed Cas. "Make the gentleman a cup of coffee." Charlie did her best country accent.
Cas did as instructed and handed the mug to Dean who had sat down, their hands lingering just for a moment. Charlie, smart as she is, noticed and smiled. "What is it Charlie?' Dean asked.
"Oh nothing." Charlie smiled more. "Just glad that you and Cas are together, its about time." She laughed as Dean choked on his coffee, Cas went to Dean looking at him with worry. "Shit guys its not like it hasn't been obvious that you've been in love with each other since forever." She pounded on Dean's back to help.
"Is it that obvious?" Cas asked.
"To a lot of people, yes but to me especially since I have gay-dar and I am a genius." She danced to the oven to pull out the frittata.
"Gay-dar?" Cas was even more confused.
"Its a slang term for being able to spot people who are gay or bisexual." Dean explained when he got himself under control again. "I am not quite ready to tell Sam yet Charlie."
The redhead nodded. "I don't wanna take away from your coming out so I won't tell. Thats your business. I love it personally, its great that you found each other." She said honestly. "In lieu of Sam I will give you the traditional speech that has been passed down from sibling to sibling. Castiel I will hurt you if you hurt Dean." She mock glared at Cas, who looked as though he was just trying to keep up with Charlie. "Sam would be so much more eloquent than that and I know that you would never hurt Dean on purpose." She smiled. "Now kiss!" she laughed when they did.
Charlie served up a slice of fritatta for the three of them and Sam when he walked into the kitchen soon after. Dean loved every bite of the meal, more so because Cas was so proud of himself. After they were finished Dean cleaned up the kitchen, Charlie and Cas went to set up the movies, and Sam watched Dean.
"Dean I'd like to speak with you." Sam had to sound all serious, killing Dean's high.
"What is it Sammy?" Dean asked and turned around, noticing the difference in posture of his brothers body. "Oh Zeke." Dean sighed. "What?"
"Dean, I know you don't want me to bring this up again." Zeke said.
"Well then don't." Dean said dangerously, knowing where this is going. "They all got their tattoos so the angels cannot track them here."
"I am aware of that Dean. That still does not change the fact that we are all in danger while Castiel is here." Said the angel controlling Sam.
"I don't care Zeke."
"Who's Zeke?" Cas asked when he came into the kitchen, looking between his lover and Sam. "What's going on guys?"
"Hello, Castie-" Zeke was unable to finish his sentence
"You shut up." Dean snapped. "Sam was really hurt after the trials." Dean explained to Cas, begging him to understand. "I prayed to you, but Sam was dying and I was desperate. I am sorry not to have told you this before Cas, this is Ezekiel, he is possessing Sam to heal him."
"Ezekiel, pleasure to see you again." Cas offered his hand and the angel clasped it firmly.
"The pleasure is all mine brother."
"I am no longer a brother in arms of Heaven, I am just a human now. So what were you talking about?" Cas asked. "It looked intense." Cas thought that Dean had been about to punch Sam/Zeke when he walked in.
"We were talking about something that is not going to happen." Dean said with another glare at Zeke. "Not ever."
"I asked Dean to have you leave, apparently me healing his brother is no longer a priority when you are around Castiel." Zeke said. "I really hate putting you both in this position but I was going to tell Dean that if you stay here I will have to leave."
Dean looked at Zeke, afraid for his brother. "No, you can't we had a deal!"
"Why do I need to leave?" asked Cas.
"Are you really so naive brother? Most of our fellow brothers and sisters are looking for revenge on the angel that is responsible for the fall." Zeke explained.
"I was tricked, surely they must understand." Cas looked at Zeke with hope in his eyes.
"You know how they work!" Zeke exclaimed. "They don't care if it was accidental, most of them are looking for blood! Those who have found vessels anyway."
Cas sighed and looked down in defeat. "You are correct, as usual Ezekiel." Cas said softly, with a frown. Dean sputtered and sounded indignant. "Ezekiel could you excuse us for a moment." Ezekiel nodded and left the room.
As soon as the angel left Dean glared at his lover. "You are not leaving!" Dean walked up to him and grabbed the other man by the shoulders.
"Dean," Cas said in a frustratingly understanding way. "I cannot be responsible for Sam not getting better. Ezekiel is right about the angels."
"If you want to go so bad then leave, you don't need excuses." Dean spat.
"I do not wish to leave Dean." Cas said, trying to understand the anger that Dean was having.
"Well you sure seem to jump at the task of leaving! First fucking chance you got" he growled.
Cas found himself grow angry at Dean as well. "You do not seem to be trying very hard to keep me around."
Dean saw red. "Leave then." he whispered dangerously.
Cas stormed out of the room and Dean went to his room, slamming the door shut behind him. "Fucking Cas!" Dean yelled into the empty room, punching the door. "Son of a bitch." Dean paced the room, working out his anger. There was a knock at the door about an hour after his and Cas' fight. "Go away Cas." He said with as much leftover anger that he had.
"Its not Cas." said Charlie, Dean opened the door and let her in. "What happened? Where is Cas?" the redhead looked into vivid green eyes.
"What do you mean where's Cas?" Dean forgot his anger for a moment.
"He isn't in the bunker anymore." Charlie said. "I heard yelling and then I couldn't find anyone. I found Sam, he went to his room, Kevin hadn't woke up yet, and you are in your room. The front door slammed shut, but I thought I was hearing things or an echo of your door slamming." She looked at him, very sad.
"Cas left." Dean said and immediately regretted everything that had happened in the last hour, having an extremely hard time realizing that it really happened.
"Dean what happened?" Charlie and Dean sat on his bed.
Dean told her everything that happened since the angels fell, Cas, Sam, and Zeke. "So Cas left." Dean rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. He got up and started pacing, angry again, he looked like a predatory animal. "Fucking stupid Cas."
"Dean, he will be back. I know it." Charlie said looking at him with her brown eyes sad, honestly cause her OTP was having some major issues. "You just have to have faith in him."
"Faith in him? How can I possibly have faith in that man, after everything he's done." Dean threw back with venom.
"Dean!" She scolded. "He gave up everything for you, every single fucking thing that he had, he gave it up FOR YOU. Yeah he made some mistakes, but who the fuck hasn't?" Charlie got up and pushed Dean into a corner. "I know you have made plenty of mistakes yourself. I know that right now you are in a lot of pain as well but seriously! Have faith in your angel!" Charlie yelled at him. "He deserves at least that much from you."
Dean looked at her, and sighed. "Ya know you're right."
"Of course I'm right I'm Charlie fucking Bradbury, bitch." She said with bravado.
"Though you didn't have to corner me and go all mama bear." Charlie realized how close she was to Dean and they both laughed. "Do you really think he will come back for me?"
"I do, he always does. If not, you will find him." Charlie hugged her brother from another mother. "And if that fails I'll kill you both for ruining my OTP."
"Your what?" Dean asked.
"OTP, One True Pairing? God you guys really need to spend some time on the internet." Dean begged her to explain more, Charlie only laughed and said "Spoilers."
Several days later Castiel made his way to a homeless shelter, there was a feeling that he couldn't shake. In his chest he felt that there was a heaviness that he didn't understand, at first he thought that he was sick but one of the men in the shelter explained, when he heard about what happened with his lover, that it sounded like heartbreak. Another something in this new life for Cas that was confusing. He worked in the shelter for a few days and moved on, hitchhiking and not staying in one shelter for more than a week.
Eventually in his travels Castiel made his way into Idaho. With very little incident with angels, not much that he couldn't handle anyway. Cas was in a nice shelter for a few days, going by the name of Steve. The guy who ran the shelter, who really liked Steve and appreciated his work ethic, offered to write him a letter of recommendation for the local Gas 'n Sip since they were hiring. Cas decided that maybe settling down in a discrete town would be a good idea, maybe it would get his mind off of Dean. Jóse was very kind and introduced Cas to the very nice woman who ran the store, named Nora.
She liked Cas and hired him on the spot, he seemed a bit weird but he understood most things that he was taught, and really how could you screw up the things that were required. Cas quickly understood what he needed to do and enjoyed it, feeling a quiet human dignity in what he was doing. Being Steve also allowed Cas to pretend that what happened with Dean hadn't.
Dean waited. He waited for Cas to come back home, he waited for a phone call, he waited for anything from his fallen angel. They got Charlie to check out the computer, they fought the wicked witch of the west and Charlie went off with Dorothy. They checked out a hunt in Oklahoma, where Dean became a dog. Mostly Dean hid what Sam was from Sam, and missed Cas. He kicked himself continuously for not giving Cas that cell phone before their fight, so he could get ahold of him somehow.
Months passed and the hunter heard nothing. Dean sat around pretending to do research, when really all he was doing was moping around the bunker. Sam stopped trying to set up hunts since Dean just wanted to find a way to get the angels back into heaven.
Dean's phone rang one morning, as Kevin and Sam were starting the day's research about the angel tablet, Dean answered "There is a God." Dean smiled before answering "Hello?"
"I think I may have a case for you, four missing in Rexford, Idaho. Presumed dead but no bodies have be released to loved ones." A familiar voice spoke from the other side of the phone, Dean's eyes widened and he stood up. "And there were reports of a strange substance at the scenes."
In an angry whisper into the phone Dean said "Oh, well, hello to you too, Cas. How are you?" He asked more rhetorically than anything.
"I… am busy." Cas said simply.
"Alright. So, how do you wanna do this?" Said Dean with slight hope. "Want to meet up and the latest scene? Want me to pick you up? What?" Dean heard liquid from the other end of the phone, and looked very confused.
"I have my hands full over here. I umm thought you umm would like to know about the case." Cas said as he obviously was struggling with something.
"You sure everythings okay?" click the phone call went dead. "I am going to go for a possible case in Idaho." Dean raised his voice to let the other men know about the phone call.
"Want me to come with you?" asked Sam, who was nose deep in one of the volumes.
"No, no need to waste two bodies on only a possible case. Besides Cas is there, he is a hunter in training after all." Dean said with what he hoped came off as cheer in his voice before going to the armory and his room to pack for the trip.
