Hello again! Guys, you are the nicest bunch of people-thank you as always for the sweet reviews and comments! It always makes my day to see them in my inbox. As a treat, here is Dean and Castiel's "Not-a-date". (Haha, whatever, we all know it's a date!) Enjoy!
Castiel let Dean sleep in marginally later the next morning, but his excitement at the prospect of going outside was much like that of little Sammy's on Christmas morning. He sat quietly on the edge of the bed, creepily watching Dean sleep, but his wings fluttered excitedly behind him, causing the bed to vibrate so much that Dean woke up thinking he had spent the night in a motel bed with Magic Fingers.
"I don't suppose you'll let me shower?" he asked the angel doubtfully, dragging a hand down his stubbled jaw.
"Why?" Castiel asked, canting his head at the sleepy human. "You are still clean. You smell good."
Dean's freckled cheeks flushed—he seemed to be blushing a lot lately. "Uh, ok, Cas, you really need to stop smelling me." He ruffled his tousled hair. "Go get ready and I'll meet you in the living room. We'll just get breakfast out."
Castiel gave Dean a radiant smile and left Dean to dress. The man dragged himself slowly out of bed and shuffled to his closet. He reached out to grab his usual array of a T-shirt and button-down, but hesitated before touching them. Previously, he had never really cared what he wore around Cas, because it wasn't like the angel was going to judge his taste in clothing. But today would be Cas' first official day of full sight. His vision had still been blurry yesterday, but Castiel had said it should be nearly healed by the morning. The moment Dean stepped out of his dark bedroom, the angel would be able to see him fully. Dean was suddenly apprehensive at the prospect.
On a whim, he by-passed his casual gear and pawed his shirts out of the way so he could poke his head into the back of his closet. Near the end of the rack he found a soft, jade green Henley that Sam had given him for his birthday a few years back. It fit snugly and was only a shade or two darker than his eyes. Dean finished off his ensemble with clean, dark stonewashed jeans that were just a little too small and clung to his slightly bowed legs. The outfit was still informal, but he knew he looked good in it. He gelled his hair to perfection in the bathroom and checked his appearance critically in the mirror.
"Jesus, I'm acting like such a girl!" he berated his reflection before shaking his head at his antics and going out to join Cas in the living room.
Castiel blinked several times when he saw Dean and walked right up to him, inspecting his human closely now that he could see clearly.
Dean shifted uncomfortably. "Uh, like what you see?" he joked, scuffing the toe of his boot on the carpet. As usual, Castiel was super-close, but somehow it was different when the angel could see him.
"You are very pretty, Dean," the angel confirmed without hesitation.
The human gulped, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. "I think the word you're looking for is 'handsome'. And, uh, thanks."
"That as well." Castiel ran his piercing blue eyes up and down Dean's body and the man backed up a little, coughing to hide his embarrassment.
"We better get going. It's a few blocks to Mass Street," he told the angel. "Do you wanna take Baby or do you wanna walk?"
"May we walk, please?" Castiel begged, giving the human wide, pleading eyes..
Dean shrugged—at least it wasn't too hot this early. He let them out of the apartment and directed the angel which way to walk, letting him eagerly take the lead. Dean hung back, simply watching Cas walk and look around himself with avid curiosity at his surroundings. The angel had already gone over the apartment again with great interest, seeking out all the things that had been hidden to him when he couldn't see. He was like a newborn, excited about every little thing he saw.
Dean focused his attention on the angel, and grinned when he noticed what Cas was wearing. He didn't know if Castiel had consciously dressed up as well or if he simply liked the color, but he was sporting the deep blue shirt that Dean had picked out for him at Angelic Angles. The man noticed that the jeans encasing the angel's slim body were his own; the too-small pair he had given Cas when he first came to live with Dean. Dean hadn't noticed it much before, but it occurred to him now that he liked seeing Castiel wear his clothes. It was like the ultimate sign that the angel was his to provide for, literally giving him the clothes off his back, and the thought appealed to Dean in a caveman-like way.
He tried to quell any thoughts of that nature as they hit Massachusetts and Dean pulled Cas into Einstein Brothers for breakfast. They both got a bagel (Cas chose Chocolate Chip while Dean went with Everything) and ate them as they continued on to the South Park. The gardens that dotted the 6-block park were all in full bloom and even Dean had to admit that the place looked magical, like something out of a fairy tale. He walked beside Cas as the angel shuffled slowly along the trails in the flowers, stopped every so often to touch or smell them. A few early joggers gave the two strange looks, but Dean ignored them, simply enjoying watching Castiel rediscover the joys of nature.
He was shocked out of his reverie when Castiel produced a slender finger right under Dean's nose. He jumped when he saw the honeybee on the end of it. "What the hell, Cas?" he demanded, backing up. Like many people, he had been stung once as a child and since then had harbored a severe dislike of the insects.
Castiel turned his blue eyes to the bee, tilting his head as he watched it crawl up over the tip of his finger and back down the other side. He was completely fearless and obviously fascinated by the small creature.
"I like watching the bees, Dean," he said dreamily. "Each one has a job and a purpose and they all work together as a team for the good of the hive. Every one of them knows that his efforts are going to help his family and he does his job without fail, going from flower to flower, picking the best nectar to bring back to the rest." He lifted his head as the bee took flight again, going back to the roses Cas had found him among.
"Uh, I never really thought about them that way," Dean hedged. Was it just him, or did it sound like Cas was describing him for a moment there?
"Animals are so straightforward. I like that about them. There are no secrets and no deceit…" Cas grew quiet and Dean knew he was talking about his experience with Mikey. It surprised him a little when that knowledge came not from his own imagination, but from the celestial bond he shared with Cas. The sharp pang of hurt and doubt he felt in the back of his mind was not his either, but Castiel's. Instantly Dean reacted, sensing what his angel needed. He reached out and took Cas' hand, tugging lightly.
"C'mon, I wanna show you the best part of the park." Castiel sent him a grateful look and let Dean led him another few blocks before he could clearly see where Dean was headed.
"It's beautiful!" the angel breathed, detaching himself from the human and hurrying ahead. Before them loomed the great Bandstand of South Park. Its peaked blue roof stood out against the darker blue of the sky and the red brick foundation made a dramatic contrast. Perfect white pillars circled the outside and a short ramp of black wrought iron stairs led to the inside. When he noticed that Dean was not behind him, Cas ran back and took Dean's arm, dragging him faster towards the stunning landmark so they could explore it. Dean chuckled and followed his angel into the gazebo, and across the center to look out at the other side of the gardens. He could feel Castiel's wonder and excitement pulsing across the bond, growing stronger they longer they stayed in contact.
Drawn to his angel's strong emotions like a moth to flame, Dean came up behind Cas and leaned against his back and wings, bracing his arms on the railing on either side of him. Castiel rubbed back against his human, distracted by the beauty that surrounded them. It occurred to Dean that this would be the perfect spot for a kiss, but he held himself back, not wanting to ruin the moment. Cas could do better than him, even if they were bonded, and after what the angel had been through, Dean doubted very much that he was in the mood for any advances on his part. He contented himself, then, with small shows of affection, nothing much more than friends might share.
He hoped it would be enough, even as he suspected that he was slowly falling in love with his angel. A few weeks ago, that thought would have disturbed him, but a lot had changed in his quiet, single life recently. It was just so easy to love Cas, with his innocent demeanor and his sweet, caring personality; even that bit of dry humor that occasionally surfaced made Dean grin. Not to mention that the angel was incredibly beautiful—"pretty" more described him than Dean and Dean couldn't help the desire that rose in him every time he was close to Cas these days. The man supposed it figured that once he finally found someone he loved, he couldn't have him. Fate was a bitch like that. There was no way Castiel would want him, with his bad attitude and worse habits. Dean was hardly boyfriend material, especially not for a perfect, celestial being like Cas.
"Dean, is something wrong?" Castiel asked, noticing that the man behind him had gone very quiet.
Dean shook himself, clearing his head of more unwanted thoughts. He hoped that his emotions hadn't carried across the bond to Cas—the last thing he wanted to do was upset the angel with his forbidden feelings. "No, just lost in thought. So, what do you want to see next? There's the Roosevelt Fountain, and the Butterfly Garden on the other end of the park…"
"Those sound good, but first I want to try flying up to the roof so that I may get a better view." Castiel pulled lightly away from Dean and headed out of the bandstand and around the side. It took Dean a moment to realize what Cas had meant.
"Wait," he said, doing a comic double take. "Fly as in fly?! But your wings aren't fully healed yet." He followed quickly after the angel.
"I am only going up a few feet," Castiel pointed out. He flexed his wings a few times, and then opened them wide, feeling for the direction of the wind. Most of his new feathers were fully grown, but there were still a few bare patches and some grey primaries that needed replacing.
Dean crossed his arms stubbornly, eyeing the roof with misgiving. "I don't think this is a good idea. Why don't we just come back when your wings are all healed? Don't you need to, like, exercise them and rebuild muscles?"
The angel ignored Dean's protests and gave a few experimental flaps, kicking up a cloud of loose grass and dirt. Dean watched as Cas was lifted a few inches off the ground, then touched back down. Looking pleased with his progress, Castiel bent his knees, flapped his great wings with more power this time, and with a last big wave, propelled himself up into the air. It only took him a couple pumps to get himself to the blue roof, where he perched, looking like an angelic gargoyle.
Dean caught himself staring in awe at his angel's flight. He had known in theory that Castiel's wings were mean to carry him through the sky, but actually seeing Cas fly was something else. The big powerful wings lifted him easily and Dean could glimpse the potential for great strength in the small angel. It was something he kept hidden away usually, but was perfectly obvious in flight. It reminded Dean that, despite his innocence and weakness upon their first meeting, Castiel had been a warrior of God, with immense power and ability at his disposal. Just because he acted sweet and demure, didn't mean he wasn't fully capable of taking care of himself once he healed. It hit Dean then, would Cas even want to stick around once he got all his strength back? After that, what did had he of Dean?
The man sighed—his emotions seemed to be all over the place today. "Stop being such a chick!" he muttered to himself. He cringed as he watched Castiel stand up and walk tentatively across the roof. Cas may be powerful, but that didn't mean Dean would stop worrying about him.
"Yeah, ok, you've seen the sights. Now get your feathery ass down here before you break something!" he called. He felt like a parent coaxing a child out of a high tree.
"Dean, I appreciate your worry but—" Castiel was interrupted as a Frisbee suddenly whizzed through the air past his nose. He flailed, loosing his balance on the shiny tiles. He beat his wings frantically, trying to right himself, but only managed to push himself off the edge of the roof. He fell for but a moment before he felt a pair of strong arms catch him and hold him close. He squinted up at Dean, still a bit far-sighted.
"Goddammit, Cas!" Dean growled, green eyes flashing with panic and anger. "Don't you ever do that again!"
"You know, you shouldn't take the Lord's name in vain," the angel commented calmly, wriggling a little.
"Shut up, Cas," Dean snapped and he bent and pressed a kiss into the angel's untidy hair. Then he pulled away to check his angel for signs of injury. Castiel lay stunned and still in Dean's hold, breathing quickly; he was more shocked by Dean's angry show of affection than his fall off the gazebo rooftop. He wobbled a bit when Dean set him down and stiffened when the human began running his hands carefully over his wings, making sure they hadn't been damaged.
"I'm fine, Dean," Castiel said, although he submitted quietly to Dean's ministrations.
"You know, for an angel you're not very graceful," the man grumbled, running his hands over the carpal bone in Cas' wing. His heart was beginning to slow from its frantic pumping a minute ago, but his body was covered in a cold sweat of fear. He was pretty sure he was never letting Cas fly again, even if he had to chain his angel's ass to the radiator to keep him from trying it. Dean couldn't survive another near heart attack like he'd gotten today.
"It was not my fault that that…thing came out of nowhere," Castiel said primly. Ok, so he couldn't fly perfectly at the moment, but he shouldn't be blamed for his reaction when a large piece of plastic came flying at his face.
Dean sighed and grabbed Cas' hand. "Whatever—let's just get as far away from the bandstand as possible. And if I find the punk responsible for that Frisbee I'll kick him in the balls!"
The pair toured the rest of the park, walking more or less aimlessly for the next couple of hours. By the time noon rolled around, Dean was hungry, so he took Castiel to one of his favorite restaurants in Lawrence: the Free State Brewing Company. Once they were seated, Dean ordered an appetizer of onion rings for them to share. He couldn't wait for Cas to taste one of his own favorite foods.
"Would you like to try a beer with that?" their hostess asked politely, eyeing Dean favorably.
The man grinned back, in a good mood now that he was about to be fed. "Sure, I'll have the Wheat State Golden on tap."
The hostess then turned her cheery smile on Castiel. "What about you, hon? What are you thirsty for?"
The angel shifted uncomfortably, eyeing the girl with wide nervous eyes. He looked at Dean for help, begging silently for him to make a decision.
Dean came to this rescue as usual. "He'll have a Coke and a couple of waters when you get a sec." Not that Dean thought sugar and caffeine was good for his angel, but the thought of Cas drinking beer was just wrong. The girl nodded and went off to fulfill their order. She returned a few minutes later while the two were perusing the menu. Dean already knew what he wanted, but he pretended to look, giving Castiel the time he needed. The angel was examining each item thoroughly with a solemn frown, as though his choice of entrée was a life or death decision. It occurred to Dean that perhaps Castiel had never been in a real restaurant outside a diner before and he found it endlessly adorable when Cas tried new things.
Dean felt their waitress set a mug down by his elbow and thanked her, reaching out to grab his beverage and take a swig. It wasn't until the alcohol hit his tongue that Dean realized something. "You know, since we met, I haven't had a single drink. Come to think of it," he mused, looking at the angel over the top of his menu, "I haven't had a smoke or picked up a girl either. I know I've been busy and all, but that's like unheard of for me…" His suspicion grew when Castiel peeked up at him, then immediately turned his eyes back to the pretty food pictures.
"Cas? What's going on?" Dean asked. "Did you have something to do with my sudden dry spell?" As much as he drank and had sex, Dean thought he would have at least missed such things, his body going into withdrawal, but he hadn't felt a thing. Not that he wanted to, but urges like that didn't just vanish overnight…
The angel flicked his wings nervously, rubbing the bottom ends together so they made a soft silky sound. "It's not my fault," he said, gravelly voice low and fearful.
Dean sighed patiently. "I'm not mad, Cas. I just don't like being messed with. Do you know that's going on?"
"It's part of the bonding," Castiel admitted. "Just as it has been healing me, it has healed you, too. Your body was not well, Dean. Your lungs and kidneys would have eventually failed. You should be almost whole again now…"
"And the lack of cravings? I mean, I'm not like a sex addict or alcoholic, but I should be feeling something."
"That's part of the healing. The bond doesn't just heal our bodies—it has been repairing my Grace and your soul. Those things that are tainted, that weigh our celestial selves down, it heals those as well, though much more slowly. Your addictions and my scars from Michael—eventually they will mend as long as we are together."
Dean nodded his understanding and took another drink. He didn't feel any different physically, but he trusted that what Cas said was true. He had always known that his sins had consequences, but to be faced with them, then have them abruptly vanish…it was all a little surreal.
"Are you upset?" Castiel asked, hiding behind his menu again.
The man stared at his mug for a long moment before he looked back up at his angel. "No, Cas. That would be pretty ungrateful, right? I'm just a bit confused, I guess. I mean, not like it was a good thing, but those vices were a part of me. To have them taken away just like that? How am I supposed to feel?"
Castiel shook his head firmly. "Dean, you are wrong. Your bad habits are not a part of you, just something you clung to for your own reasons. They did no define you."
"Well, at least it's good news for you. If my soul's on the mend, you should get better faster too.
"Dean," Cas gasped, realized how this all sounded, like he had engineered the absence of Dean's vices for purely selfish reasons to help the recovery of his Grace. "I didn't—"
Dean held up a hand. "No, I know that, Cas. I'm pretty sure you don't have a devious bone in your body. What I meant was, I would have done it anyways—give up all that stuff for you. I was even gonna mention it the other night. It's just…I wish it had been my choice to give it up for you. Seems…I dunno…more noble that way."
The angel's face broke out into a wide smile and he raised his wings like an extension of his grin. "That means a lot to me Dean, thank you. I believe in this instance that it is the thought the counts."
"All right, no need to get mushy," Dean said and pulled up his menu once more.
Luckily, their waitress showed up a moment later to take their orders. Castiel liked the picture of the Artichoke Tomato Tortellini, so he ordered that, and Dean went with his usual, the Fish and Chips. They had a good time, eating and discussing their day at the park. When the meal was over and the check paid, Dean flashed a winning smile at his angel.
"Do you wanna go home, or do one last thing?" He didn't want to tire Cas out, but there was one final thing that would make their not-a-date complete.
Castiel canted his head curiously. "What is the last thing?"
"Nope, it's a surprise. Take it or leave it," Dean teased.
His angel blinked, considering. "I believe I would like the surprise, please," he decided. Dean chuckled and led him out of the restaurant. They hurried back to the firehouse, but Dean by-passed the steps to the apartment and instead opened the garage.
"Get in," he said, indicating his Impala. "It's a bit of a drive."
They rode in silence, Castiel with his head practically out the window, watching the scenery flash by as they spend along the pavement. "Do you trust me?" Dean asked as they neared their destination.
Cas smiled over at him. "Of course," he said easily, as though the fact should be perfectly obvious.
Dean tried no to let on how pleased he was by the angel's response. "Ok, then, I'm gonna ask you to do something a little weird, but trust me when I say it will be worth it." Castiel nodded his assent, so Dean went on as he turned a corner. "Cas, close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you."
The angel gave Dean his frowny face, eyes wide with confusion. "But Dean, I just got my sight back, why would you—?"
"You don't have to, Cas, but the surprise will be so much more fun if you don't see it until the last moment." He certainly wouldn't make Castiel do anything the angel was uncomfortable with, but Dean hoped he went along with this. He couldn't wait to see the look on the angel's face when he realized where they were.
Castiel took a long breath then turned away, closing his eyes but clearly unhappy about it. Dean placed a gently hand on his knee.
"It's nothing bad, I promise. Just let me led you and we'll be there in a few, ok?" Cas gave a faint nod and Dean turned off the road, pulling into a car park. He went around and opened the passenger door, helping Cas out. The angel's wings were plastered to his back (a sure sign of unease) but he willingly let Dean direct him. The man took his hand to lead the angel up a few steps and into a building. He told the angel to remain at a bench and went off, returning a few minutes later and pulling Cas further in. A myriad of strange and enticing smells assaulted the angel's sensitive nose as they went deeper into the building, but Dean didn't stop until they entered a room with loud music playing. Castiel was led up a long flight of stairs, then directed to sit. He was distracted by the comfort of the plush chair when he felt something touch his nose and settle behind his ears. Finally, the stage was set.
"Ok, Cas, you can open your eyes now," Dean said. He trained his own eyes on his angel, anticipating his reaction.
Castiel's blue eyes fluttered open and he looked around himself with a moment of fear, then great interest. His wings slowly unfurled behind him as he took in the sights from their seats. He was in a very large room with dozens of red chairs lined up in ever-higher rows. They were all the way at the top in the middle, facing a huge screen. Upon the screen was a movie of singing food—a concession commercial.
"Is this a movie theatre?" Cas asked with wonder. When Dean nodded, he looked around again. "I've heard of them, but never been in one. And this is where movies come from?"
"Well, this is where they play them first, so people can see them on the big screen. Makes it seem more real, I guess," Dean explained.
"And, what is this?" the angel wanted to know, plucking the foreign object off of his face. He toyed with the black-framed spectacles until Dean took them from him and perched them back on Cas' nose.
The man smiled at his childlike naïveté. "They're 3D glasses. You have to wear them to get the full effect of the movie. I figured you'd never been before, and what better way to celebrate being about to see again than use your eyes to the fullest and see a 3D movie?"
Castiel nodded like he understood, then inquired what film they were going to watch.
The previews had started, so Dean lowered his voice to answer, "Finding Nemo. It's about fish."
"Oh. I like fish," Cas commented.
"I thought you might, dude." Dean rolled his eyes amusedly, but Castile couldn't see it as the lights had already dimmed.
Needless to say, Castiel watching the movie was much more fun than the movie itself. Dean laughed every time the poor angel couldn't control himself and reached out in an attempt to touch one of the fish or bubbles that seemed right in front of his face. Cas was on the edge of his seat for the full 100 minutes, completely entranced by both the plot and the wonders of modern cinematography. When the lights came back up and the credits rolled, Dean was horrified to see that the angel was crying.
"Cas, are you ok?!" he demanded, turning to him and whipping off the 3D glasses.
Castiel merely smiled. "The ending made me very happy. I am greatly relieved that Nemo and Marlin were reunited and that Dory was able to become a part of their family."
Dean chuckled in relief. "Oh, Cas," he sighed and reached up to cup the angel's face in his hands, using his thumbs to rub away the salty tears that had left trails down Castiel's cheeks. He found himself leaning in and Castiel was staring at him intensely, but the moment was broken when one of the theatre attendants barged in to begin cleaning the seating area before the next show. On their way out, Castiel inquired about the concession stand, so Dean thought What the hell?, and bought Cas a blue raspberry Slushie for the drive home.
When they returned, Dean offered to groom the angel's wings, seeing as they had been outside most of the day. Castiel assumed his regular position, lying facedown on the sofa-bed, wings fluttering in weary anticipation. He murmured sleepily as Dean began to drag oil-slick hands through his feathers and relaxed into the mattress, simply enjoying the feeling of Dean touching his wings. He was asleep long before Dean was done and once he had finished, the man carefully picked up the limp noodle of an angel and carried him to bed. Getting in next to Cas briefly roused him, long enough to whisper "Thank you for today, Dean," in an even deeper version of his already gravelly voice.
"You're welcome, Angel," Dean whispered back, and he placed the lightest of kisses onto Castiel's blue-tinged lips before settling down to sleep.
