Today's color:
Platinum
plat·i·num (/ˈpladənəm/)
a color that is the metallic tint of pale grayish-white resembling the metal platinum.

This one was tricky... and I'm not sure how platinum inspired a bakery AU, but there ya go.

This chapter is a Bakery AU (featuring Benny!), rated K.

Enjoy.


It's been goin' on for weeks now and Benny is done. Completely over the tension and stolen glances, the way his confident friend turns into a blundering idiot at blue eyes and a uniform.

It's almost painful to watch his best friend and business partner go through this rigmarole on a daily basis. It pains him, right to his heart, and it's gotta stop before he ends up knocking their heads together (or finding a way to stuff 'em the dry pantry together like a buncha kids until nature takes its rightful course).

It happens on a Monday. Nobody likes Mondays. Well, nobody except Dean. Because Mondays mean their small bakery gets their friendly neighborhood police officer in bright and early for his usual. Extra early, so he has time to chat. To Dean. (He's friendly enough to Benny, even if there's all of a dozen words between them, polite as anything. Benny doesn't mind not being in the man's attentions—he was the sort of youth that attracted trouble like flies to manure and he's had a less then pleasant relationship with the law. He's happy to keep a polite distance).

It's that morning Benny decides he's going to actively do something to help Dean woo the sexy cop he's been staring at every morning for the past two months when the man comes in for a dozen doughnuts (plus some extra because Dean can't seem to help himself from adding a few more in there in a way Benny can only guess is his clumsy attempts at courtin') and three coffees to go.

Benny'd be blind not to notice the way Castiel looks at Dean, all bright smiles and warm gazes. He's amazed Dean doesn't see it when half their regulars do and frequently ask Benny if they're a couple. (Most seem pleasant enough about it, some smiling and giggling like it's a damn matchmaking game-show—at least when his back isn't turned. He imagines the ones that would kick up a fuss about it don't come back.)

He's tried to be subtle about nudging the two together, dropping hints and whatnot, but neither man seems to get subtly. The one time he came right out and asked about it, Dean turned into this shy little thing, eyes downcast as he shrugged and shook his head. He could count the times on one hand he'd seen Dean like this, shaken from his 'give 'em hell' attitude and freely showing his insecurities.

"No way a guy like Cas would be interested in a guy like me."

Benny tried real hard to keep his temper, but he didn't have much patience when it came to people bad-mouthing Dean. Especially Dean himself.

He scoffed and gave Dean a forceful clap on the shoulder, shaking him a bit in the hopes it'd get his brains working again. "Brother, if that ain't the biggest pile o' horseshit I ever heard."

Dean only shrugged again and gave him a look that said he best drop it.

So he did.

But after another morning of looks, smiles and Dean going around the customer side of the counter to make small talk (not at all bothered by Castiel all up in his personal space), Benny has had enough.

Castiel is punctual (a man could set his watch by the fella), so he's got 10 minutes to get everything done. He gets out Castiel's normal selection of doughnuts—changing a few out but minus the 'few extra' that always manage to get in there when Dean does it—and boxes them up in a platinum box. He ignores Dean's curious glances as he fills a #2 tipped pastry bag with their signature metallic platinum buttercream (that took ages to perfect but so worth the effort when he admires the end result).

He carefully arranges the doughnuts and gets to piping, movements quick and efficient with years of practice. He has to move twice to keep Dean from peeking, blocking his handy work with his broad back, but he finally gets done moments before Castiel walks in. He tucks the box closed and tapes it up just as Castiel gets to the counter.

He has a moment to wonder if he's done the right thing, wondering if maybe he should be minding his own business, but then Dean laughs at something Castiel says (a real, throw his head back and belly laugh kinda laugh that he doesn't see enough of), a light blush among his freckles.

Oh, yeah; he's sure.

Benny nudges Dean out of the way with a playful hip check and slides the prepared box of doughnuts across the counter to Castiel with a friendly wink and a toothy smile. There's a moment of confusion; Benny doesn't usually butt in on their moments, leaving Dean to settle up orders. Castiel looks to Dean with narrowed eyes and his head tilted in a way that Benny knows Dean thinks is absolutely adorable, but it all ends well when Dean slides over the cardboard carrier with the coffees in it.

There's a long moment of smiles and staring.

Benny absolutely does not feel bad for breaking the moment with an amused snicker.

After another round of staring, Dean going out of his way to lean over the counter to give Castiel a thump on the shoulder, Castiel heads out to continue his day.

Benny can feel Dean staring at him now, brow furrowed and mouth turned down at the corners. He's saved from explaining why he'd gathered Castiel's order this morning when a customer comes in. Dean gives him one last look, one that makes it clear he's got questions, and turns away to give Mrs. Tran a charming smile and a bright greeting.

He makes his escape to the back, wiping his hands on his apron as he goes. Good lord, he hopes Castiel opens the doughnuts before he gets to work...

.

Castiel opens the platinum bakery box, steps faltering as he looks inside. His eyes widen with surprise and he just stares. A smile slowly grows on his face when he sees the message iced onto the doughnuts.

'Call him! 785-555-0802'