Castiel made a straight shot from the auto shop to his new condo across town. The humiliation of being seen in such a miserable state by the man Castiel had now mentally dubbed 'Dean, the super-sexy mechanic', finally overwhelmed all of his other concerns.
Fuck returning Crowley's car.
And screw Gabriel, wherever the Hell he washed up this morning.
And the kitten….
Castiel sent a disappointed glare in the direction of the small creature mewling loudly from the passenger seat floorboard. "Don't you act innocent with me," he mumbled lowly to the kitten, "The hell was that back there? You're like the worst wingman ever…."
The kitten blinked up at him and yawned widely.
Castiel released a frustrated sigh. Here he was blaming a freaking kitten for potentially cock-blocking him. From an almost definitely straight man.
God, his life was a disaster.
Castiel parked the car and raced with the kitten up to his apartment. The moving crew had delivered his things last week, and he was mostly unpacked at this point.
Unsure of what to do with the kitten in his 'unkitten-proof' apartment, he decided to bring the animal with him into the large bathing room, shutting the door behind him. A quick glance around turned up nothing that Castiel considered dangerous for a small animal.
He stripped fast, anxious to be out of the damp and musty clothing at last. They dropped heavily to the floor as the kitten explored around his feet.
The moment the hot water hit him, it was like the rest of the world didn't matter. He moaned loudly, feeling the tension release throughout his entire body.
Well, almost entire body, he mused with a small frown.
He was still sporting a mild erection from his meeting earlier in the garage. Really, what was a man who looked like that doing turning wrenches all day? There were so many other wonderful things he could be doing with those hands-
He shut down that dangerous train of thought quickly.
Castiel pointedly ignored his semi-rigid cock as he deep scrubbed his entire body, basking in the clean smell of soaps and shampoo.
But, after finally rinsing off completely, he faced the big question: How to handle it. It was uncomfortable, and the washing and scrubbing had done nothing to ease it.
The idea of masturbating to the image of an unknowing stranger was off-putting to Castiel. It felt wrong. Shameful... Too much like a stalker, taking advantage of the man.
Nothing good could come from it, he tried half-heartedly to convince himself.
He stood in the shower, hands pressed against the wall in front of him, leaning forward as the warm water poured over him, and let his mind wander.
Light green eyes meeting his from a distance.
The warm, honey voice playfully teasing.
The way the fucking coveralls hugged every tan muscle of his body, hinting at the golden masterpiece underneath.
Castiel slowly allowed his hands to drop from the wall and smooth their way gently over his body- a brief stop to caress his nipples, a few teasing strokes down his firm stomach, and lower.
A loud CRASH! shattered the air from the other side of the foggy glass shower pane.
Castiel's body tensed, his hands twitching just inches from his aching member. He let out a slow hiss of frustration.
Sliding the glass panel back, he took stock. The various bottles and containers that had lined the counter of his ornate bathroom sink were strewn across the floor- several still rolling.
At the top of the sink, the master cock-block itself was chewing on several cue tips. The little creature perked up at seeing Castiel staring from the open shower.
They both held each other's stare. Castiel tilted his head to the side. The kitten mimicked.
Finally, Castiel's voice cut through the silence low and accusing, "You're doing this on purpose."
The kitten mewled innocently and turned back to chewing on the cue tips.
Castiel shut the shower door more forcefully than necessary, but the private moment was already over. With a small growl, he turned the water temperature knob to ice-cold.
It took fifteen minutes, and absolute concentration on anything except cars and the color green to force the erection to finally subside.
…-^o^-…
Castiel decided that there would be too many questions if he showed up at the company car lot driving the missing vehicle. He opted instead to leave it in the small parking lot used by the oncoming guards at the start of their shifts. He figured the guards would spot it immediately and handle the matter quietly amongst themselves. Nobody particularly wanted to be on CRowley's bad-side, so he felt confident that self-preservation would be at the forefront of their minds. At least, he hoped as much...
He then proceeded to sneak as carefully as possible into the building, the small feline tucked in his dark blue jacket, and took the stairs up the ninth floor where his office was located.
The little creature had meowed the entire ride to the building in the Audi and all the way up the stairs to his office, earning him confused stares from the now occupied secretaries desks- with the exception of Charlie, who smiled knowingly and winked.
Castiel couldn't bother to care about the strange looks the women were shooting him as he darted past. It wasn't as if the man of his wet-dreams hadn't already witnessed him at his worst already today. At least now, if any more men that were built like greek gods crossed his path, he wouldn't look and smell like he had slept in a liquor store dumpster overnight.
Castiel shut his office door and collapsed into his desk chair, pitching forward to rest his pounding head in his hands. The scene at the auto shop kept replaying in his mind, forcing him to relive his humiliation.
What a horrible way to meet people. It was like the mortifying series of events had happened to someone else, and Castiel was watching from the outside.
He was NEVER going to be able to show his face in that auto shop again. NEVER be able to meet the warm green eyes, and see the bright smile crinkling the man's face again. NEVER be able to know if those lush lips were as soft and warm as they looked. Never be able grasp that tight looking ass….
The image had an immediate affect on Castiel. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, using all the willpower at his disposal to banish the lingering hardness in his cock. Again.
A month, he thought.
It had barely been one month since he got laid last. Grant it, it had been a quick and dull hook-up with Dick, scheduled a day in advance to avoid conflicting with the other man's 'busy schedule'.
But, it was still something. Hell, he had gone over three years without sex before that. It had been rough, but he had survived with just the occasional solo performance.
Now, he was practically daydream-humping a complete stranger in his shower less than an hour after setting eyes on him.
This is ridiculous, he thought mournfully. Odds were 1 in 1000 that 'Dean, the super-sexy mechanic' was even gay. Not to mention single. Castiel let out humorless laugh. No way someone like THAT was single.
He flashed back to the garage, trying to remember if there had been a ring. He realized belatedly that it didn't matter if he had not been wearing one. Surely he would take a wedding band off while working on cars all day.
Castiel moaned into his hands, hating that he was doing this to himself again. It happened every time.
Castiel's entire adult life had been like a bad record skipping over the same tune. Excited when an attractive stranger appeared. Sweet as Castiel let his hopes and emotions overrun his good sense. Sharp and fast as he was faced with their inevitable straightness. Slow and hopeless as Castiel watched from afar while the man of his affection found happiness elsewhere. And repeat.
He thought he was over this childish behavior. He had swore to himself that unrequited love interests were behind him. Now he was mature, and in control of his emotions. He could make realistic assessments- reign in his interests in to only men who were openly gay and single. Men who would return his feelings.
Men who wanted him and weren't concerned about gossip or social stigmas.
Men like Dick.
Castiel cringed, groaning loudly at the thought of his last 'mature gay love interest'.
Yeah, that had worked out great, he chided himself.
In an effort to force thoughts of sexy mechanics and lameass-ex's from his mind, Castiel focused on the more immediate problems.
For starters, the kitten had just used his fake tree on the far wall as an impromptu restroom. He was now sniffing around the large office making pathetic mewling sounds.
Castiel stared down at the animal. He had never really had a pet before, and certainly not a cat.
It dawned on him that little creature was probably hungry and thirsty.
With a sudden jolt of guilt, Castiel jumped from his chair and began throwing open drawers and cabinets, casting frequent stares in the small kitten's direction, as if it would fall over from hunger at any second.
Coming up empty in his search for food in the new office, he quickly moved to the door and poked his head out.
The three women were glancing worriedly at his office door, no doubt alarmed by the long silence followed suddenly by the banging sounds of opening and closing drawers.
Castiel put on his best possible smile, hoping he didn't look as maniacal as he felt, and proceeded to fumble his way through a lie, "I…I seem to have forgotten to eat lunch today. I don't suppose any of you have something…?"
All three women's faces broke into relaxed smiles, and they began opening the drawers of their desks and producing items.
Charlie laid out a huge assortment of candies, including a party size bag of snickers, half-empty.
Castiel frowned at it from his office door and shook his head. He was sure that chocolate was not good for animals.
The other two women did better.
Anna, another red-head with a completely different personality from Charlie laid out her items with a quiet smile. She always had a pleasant smile on her face, Castiel noted, and rarely spoke to people unless they addressed her directly. It was calming to Castiel, who was still recovering from his past experiences with lousy secretaries.
Beside her, Jess was also covering her desk with snacks. Yet another godsend, Jess was more active and talkative, but still very kind and job oriented.
Castiel's eyes took in the large array of food, mostly chips and candies. Jess had produced a large (and expensive looking) box of fine chocolates, which covered the entire right side of her desk.
The rest of the group stared at her and back to the box.
Jess blushed brightly, trying to hide an embarrassed smile.
Castiel's eyes returned searchingly to the desks, and spotted a tuna and cracker snack pack.
"Tuna pack!" he shouted, with too much excitement, he realized, when the women's eyes widened. He tried to tone down his enthusiasm before calmly pointing and restating, "Anna, may I have that tuna pack?"
Anna nodded gently, walking the the snack to where Castiel stood in the opening of the office door. Before she could reach him, a small shape leapt out from the office and froze between the two of them. Castiel reacted fast, diving forward and wrapping his hands around the small kitten in a split second.
There was a brief moment of stunned silence from the three women, followed by a loud chorus of 'ooohs' and 'aaawwws' and 'what a cutie'.
Castiel quickly signaled the women to keep their voices down, nervously looking towards the other offices in his area.
Charlie noticed his fearful glances and pointed out, "No one else but you made it in this morning- not even the interns. A few of them called late to say they were sick, but most are still missing in action. And Ruby, upstairs, has been asking around if anyone has seen your brother, Gabriel. Apparently he hasn't checked-in at all today, either."
Castiel remembered the scene from this morning, noting that, yes, he had recognized coworkers from his office amongst the unconscious bodies strewn out across Gabriel's back yard.
Good lord, he thought, they were probably not used to Gabriel's wild weekends. He felt a flash of pity for the poor bastards.
He shrugged the feeling off, relieved to discover that the only witnesses to his horrible day were just the smiling secretaries in front of him. He relaxed, and faced the women. "I, uh, I don't suppose any one of you would like to keep this little guy?"
All three shook their heads sadly, casting remorseful glances at both Castiel and the black ball of fur wriggling in his hands.
He huffed a sigh, and accepted the proffered tuna snack from Anna. Bidding the ladies farewell to return to their work, he reentered the office.
Castiel watched as the tiny cat ate enthusiastically, planting its entire face into the can and barely coming up for air. Castiel fought back a chuckle, still remembering the little creature's consistently piss-poor timing over the course of the day.
Pulling his attention away from the hungry kitten, he googled a map for the nearest cat rescue. He found one quickly and was relieved to see that they would be open when he got off work later.
Content that the cat issue would be resolved by the end of the day, Castiel focused his attentions onto a much more difficult task.
Locating Gabriel.
…-^o^-…
Charlie smiled to herself at her desk. Castiel was anything but boring, and she loved that about the guy. Despite his usually serious appearance and intense stares, he was actually extremely laid back and considerate. Not what she had expected from an ADA heir, and least of all Gabriel's brother. The incredible contrast between the two men was a topic of much gossip throughout the building.
Where Gabriel was lacking in physical appearance, he made up for it with impressive presence and an 'impossible to hate' attitude. The guy could, and given the opportunity would, swoon the pants off any woman he spoke to. And even men were inexplicably drawn to his charisma.
The little guy was a fire cracker of energy, and had the near-magical ability to get along with absolutely anyone. He was regarded by the media as a eccentric playboy, but endearingly so.
Castiel, on the other hand, was extremely reserved and quiet. He handled work, social situations, and even his snack choices at the vending machines with a heavy consideration.
And, according to the few lucky women who had managed to steal a word with him, 'when he looked at you with those deep blue eyes, you felt like he could see right through to your soul'.
Charlie snorted, grinning at the description. She had been dutifully fending off horny office women since the first day Castiel arrived. Some she had even threatened with physical violence to get them to back off. It seemed like all Castiel had to do was smile and mumble a 'hello' at a random woman in the elevator, and suddenly an army of high-heeled Amazonians were descending on the ninth floor, desperate for equal attention from the blue-eyed hottie.
Charlie wasn't sure if they were more attracted to his good looks, or his wealth. It was a pretty close tie….
She would have been more distressed by the constant confrontations she had to handle, but the fact that Castiel was confirmed as gay, and completely oblivious to the attention, cracked her up something terrible.
To her left, she noted, Anna was gazing distantly at the door to Castiel's office.
THAT was far less amusing, Charlie thought.
She liked Anna. Anna wasn't pretentious or catty like the majority of women working at ADA. She was quiet and always happy to be helpful.
And she was apparently harboring a hopeless one-sided crush for Castiel.
It was so sincere and sweet that Charlie had been losing sleep about whether or not to break it to her that he wasn't likely to be interested. He had mentioned during their brief chats that he had been Bi through most of college, but Charlie was confident that he had settled into being fully-gay at this point in his life. She had way of knowing these things... even if he wasn't aware of it himself.
Charlie glanced over at the far desk where Jess sat, very un-subtly grinning as she texted on her phone.
Then there was THIS chick, Charlie mentally rolled her eyes, but smiled.
Jess was so obnoxiously in love with her 'mystery man' that Charlie was afraid of accidentally drowning in the excess cuteness. She and her Prince Charming had been dating for four months of absolute bliss and butterflies, and unicorns, etc. Charlie had been waiting for the inevitable end of the 'honeymoon phase' of their relationship. Instead, it was like volcano spewing higher, and building upon itself.
Based off what Jess shared with her during their girl-talks, her boyfriend was the sexiest, most intelligent and thoughtful man in the history of his gender.
Charlie wasn't even into dudes, but she was itching to catch a peak at Mr. Perfect. Just to offer some objective perspective, of course.
She was interrupted from her thoughts by the light ding of the elevator arriving.
Ruby, Gabriel's secretary, emerged, looking like a harpy out for the kill.
Here we go, Charlie thought with a deep breath.
"Where is Mr. Novak?" Ruby practically hissed, angrily flipping her long bleach blond hair from her face.
"And, would that be the elder Mr. Novak, or the younger?" Charlie asked in her most sarcastic professional tone. She fought not to smirk as Ruby glared at her.
"Well, since I am damn sure that the 'elder' Mr. Novak has dropped off the face of the fucking planet, I am referring instead to his younger brother." Her voice grated as she spoke of her missing boss.
Charlie felt a small twang of sympathy for the woman. Gabriel went through secretaries the same way he did candy- quickly and unapologetically. Most had very violent breakdowns.
Ruby looked like she was about to follow suit...
The craziest thing of it all? Gabriel absolutely adored Ruby. She had lasted longer than any of his previous secretaries, mostly because every time she had threatened to quit, Gabriel had personally convinced her to stay on.
That was just part of his charm- he found the best qualities in everybody. Apparently, he thought her habit of chucking the nearest heavy or sharp objects at him in a rage was endearing and he would miss it terribly if she left. Charlie didn't think that was the building block for a healthy relationship, but she was willing to accept it as it was.
Unfortunately for Ruby, she had a bad habit of picking on Anna and trash talking both Jess and Charlie every chance she had. They had bad-blood between them, and Charlie wasn't the type to be intimidated easily. She squashed the small spark of pity, and proceeded to turn bitch-mode up to full blast.
"And do you have an appointment with Mr. Novak, the younger?" She asked sweetly.
Ruby's nostrils flared, and her eye twitched. Charlie began to worry that the nervous breakdown was closer than she had first thought. She slowly edged her cup of sharpened pencils out of the woman's reach.
"You listen to me you flaming lesbo-" she began to grit out, but was immediately cut short by both Jess and Anna jumping to their feet in offense.
Charlie was flattered by their show of loyalty, however unneeded it was. She rose gracefully from her seat, smiling at Ruby, who was quickly realizing that she was outnumbered AND on their turf.
Charlie smiled her brightest smile, holding eye-contact with the woman as she began backing up cautiously. "Mr. Novak, the younger, is having an important lunch meeting in his office. He is not available to waste his time helping you do your job. I suggest you run along, now, before Crowley realizes that he can upgrade from you, to a tracking collar, and save money."
Ruby's eyes slid angrily to each of the women. For a moment, she seemed as if she was going to speak.
Charlie cocked one eyebrow up, and stared her down.
After a few seconds of tense silence, Ruby made the wise decision an retreated with a condescending huff.
Then, she proceeded to look like an idiot as she furiously pushed the elevator up button and waited for it to arrive while the other women watched in no small amount of amusement.
As soon as the door finally shut behind her, Jess and Charlie erupted into loud laughter. Even Anna managed a small chuckle.
As they were laughing and chatting about how ridiculous Ruby was, the phone at Charlie's desk began to ring.
She answered it, wiping a tear from her eye. "ADA Concept Management and Utilization Office, desk of Castiel Novak, how may I help you sir or ma'am?"
The two other women watched as Charlie frowned into the phone, then cast a nervous glance at Castiel's office door.
"Yes, Captain, I'll let him know immediately." She put down the phone with a pained grimace and made her way to the door. After a firm knock, she stuck her head in and spoke. "Um, boss? The Lawrence Police Captain just called. He says you need to come pick up your brother again."
Next up: Where has Gabriel been hiding?
How pissed off is his secretary, Ruby?
Cas meets cat ladies.
And who is Jess's mystery man?