Hello! Sorry for the last post, I was trying all morning and afternoon but I couldn't get the site up :c Here ya go though - Enjoy! xoxo, Ship

Becky Breaks the Ice!

Becky Breaks the Ice! A love match by Becky Rosen! Becky scrawled across a fresh page in her diary. This would get Sam's attention on her for sure, even if Jess was really nice and they were kinda dopey cute together and Becky would ship it a little if she hadn't called INFINITE DIBS! Either way, she had a plan and It. Would. Work. She'd win the money, use it to take Sam to dinner at some swanky place with a new lbd and they'd fall in love love. Maybe even run away to Vegas together.

The tap room and walk in cooler were in the basement under the kitchen. It was simple – Point one: lock Dean in the walk-in. Point two: get Cas to help her lift a keg onto the tap in Dean's strange absence. Point three: Dean would make noise, Cas would investigate and bam! They'd be locked in together. This worked all the time in fanfiction. And, bonus! there was a camera in the walk-in. This would be awesome! If they weren't on each other within the hour, her faith in fandoms would be permanently bruised.

Dean had never not wanted to go to work so much in his life as he had this week. Ever since the prank war had blown up in The Roadhouse and he had a fit, going back there had felt off. It wasn't like him. Actually it kind of was. Dean wasn't receiving any awards in anger management or in keeping his mouth shut on the best days. Throw on top of that humiliation in front of Cas after a couple days of apparent purposeful embarrassing Dean in front of Cas moments and the result was a bitch fit that only served to make things more awkward and embarrass Cas too.

And then there was Cas' fit... which was weird. He had never seen the guy just storm out of work before. Cas was a very I'm going to take my half hour break in a bunch of little two minute shifts at the bar for drinks kind of guy. And he just went and sat outside for the entire half hour...when pretty much all of his little 2min breaks had been used up.

It was weird.

When he came back in, Sam apologized and Cas was cordial. But when Dean tried to apologize - the guy was like a robot. And they hadn't really talked since. Like at all. No movie nights, no water breaks, Cas'd been keeping a pitcher in the back for himself and had been making better friends with Ash. Looks like the guy had a weirdly good grasp on engineering and was bonding with the cook on physics. Then there was Jess who seemed adamant to fix it, always there when the two were forced to occupy the same space, which wasn't really hard because people needed drinks and Dean poured them, but in all honesty - he missed him. The day went by a lot faster when he had those little two minute breaks with Cas.

When the dye finally washed out of his hair and he wasn't afraid the green would leak onto his beard in the shower, he let his shadow come back. Jess noticed, but didn't say anything until Cas came in, pulling the guy to the bar to show her a button on the register Dean had seen her use all day.

"I like the scruffy look Dean, but I think Sam was right - I got the cute one." She giggles, elbowing Cas like he would in any way comment on that.

"I'm sorry, what?" Whether Cas was there looking uncomfortable or not, Dean wasn't going to let that one go.

"You're the pretty one." Dean gave her an offended scoff, that was ridiculous. She nudged Cas again, the guy looking about done with the situation as he kept start-stopping sentences, gesturing to the register while Jess and Dean continued their banter.

"I am not pretty. I'm ruggedly handsome, a very manly man. I could be a lumber jack, right Cas?" He asked before he remembered they weren't really talking for some reason. Cas had kinda turned into the one that fluffed his ego when everyone else was making fun, Dean just forgot.

For the first time in a few days, his friend didn't miss a beat before giving that sarcastic eye roll, "You're adorable." He said under his breath, seeming to remember himself too before quickly showing Jess the button in Dean's following silence and running back to his tables. Well at least that was something.

But did that make it weirder? Were they back to this did we just become best friends thing or was that a sarcastic, don't talk to me I'm still mad thing? And why was he mad anyway? They should both be mad at Sam. At everyone! For trying to get them together. He said Dean was right, that they were just friends and everyone should stop, right? He agreed! And then he looked really sad and took his break and stopped talking. ...Was he wrong about Cas? Did he like Dean? Holy shit.

Well, it was probably just a spacial thing right? They had been spending more time with each other than anyone else, they just needed some space. That's probably what Cas was trying to do. This was probably good, because Dean needed some space of his own if the too fast rhythm of his heart and butterflies, not butterflies -bigger and manlier like pterodactyls because he was not pretty, he was ruggedly handsome - were anything to go by. Yeah that was it, proximity.

He ran over the fight with Sam in his head...Maybe it was the gay thing? Dean pretty much labeled him. Not pretty much, he did and he didn't even know if Cas was actually gay. That was probably bad. Cas said he was really religious right? Or grew up that way at least, what if he was one of those? Would he really stop being friends with Dean because of something like that? Would he be one of the guys that tried to beat it out of him when Dean first came out? He didn't know whether to be sad or punch Cas in the face.

Now it was Dean's turn to be quiet. He finished up his shift brooding behind the bar with what was probably a fuck off look on his face judging by his lack of tips. And Jess, every time she had to ask him for something she looked half guilty, half like she wanted to run away. Good. Maybe that would get her to leave them alone.

By the time he got home and made some chili for his dinner and Sam's midnight study snack he was starting to get more and more angry without really knowing why. And then every time he thought about it, he just started getting sad and then he would be mad at himself for feeling sad and the cycle was viscous. He over stirred and burned the chili. Sam didn't say anything. Well at least not about the food.

"Dean?" Great, he knew that tone, therapy session time. Dean just gave him his best dead bored stare from the other side of the couch. "You okay?

"'m fine Sam." He had about two blissful moments of silence to catch up on Dr. Sexy's brother coming out of his coma.

"You just look... Are you having another gay freak-out? Because dude-"

"No, Sam. Shut up and watch the closet sex before they kill Liam off, you know he only came out of the coma to screw Jane." And for once his little brother let it go. They watched the incredibly predictable but still entertaining Dr. Sexy MD followed by the procedural dramas Sam snored through and made fun of from behind his books but was still addicted to and wouldn't let Dean turn off. When they finally went to bed, Dean could think.

He was not having a gay freak-out. Pfft. No. He already had one when he was trying to hide it from Sam and Bobby and they both figured it out before he told them and they both loved him anyway. Blahblahblah, roll credits on that abcfamily moment. But it's different now. That was when Sam was a kid, before he spent three years in a South Dakota high school alone after Dean got his GED, getting beat up because his brother was a fag. That was before Sam was old enough to vote and could go to the polling places where people gathered with their 'God Hates Gays' signs and Sam would throw a few words that maybe came to needing to throw punches in his brother's honor. Dean didn't need punches thrown for him. He could handle his goddamn self, if god damns him, if god is even real, whatever.

Point is - he can hide his rainbow flag pretty well with cars and action movies when he wants because the typical trouble in these parts usually look for stereotypes that Dean does not fit. The 50/50 shot at bringing home a lady friend instead of a guy probably doesn't hurt. But he wonders if he has hidden his flag too well from his friends. Obviously not Sam and his scheme to set him up with Cas, but has everyone else forgotten now? Is that what caught Cas so off guard? Do people think it was just a phase? He never had been in a long tern relationship with anyone. Well besides his little out of town vacation with Cassandra Robinson but that was in high school and at the time long term had meant two weeks. And then there was the question of Cas having a rainbow flag of his own. If maybe he had faced violence because of it and if he hadn't - could he shove Cas into that? Then again, what if Dean had made a mistake, or if worse Cas didn't know about Dean being bi and it would end their friendship.

Maybe he was having another big gay freak-out. Either way, Sam didn't have to know.

When Becky got to work, the plan was already set in motion. She had made sure to really push the Red Stripe the night before, but not to the point that it was ready to be changed just in case it would empty out that night or during the lunch shift before she came in. Sure enough though, with a little more encouragement to try it, the Red ran dry around 11 and Dean had to go to the keg room to swap it out.

"Ash, goin' down. If I'm not up in five make sure the walk-in lock didn't bust behind me again." Dean said, heading down the stairs.

"Si si, compadre." Ash called back. Becky waited until she heard the heavy metal door of the walk-in close before she snuck down and twisted the handle back so it would stick, giving it a few kicks into place for good measure. She nearly jumped for joy when the plan started coming together. She ran back up the stairs and pointed a strict finger at Ash.

"If anyone asks, you are too busy to go down and check. Don't you dare let him out."

"You're crazy, you know that?" Becky shook the finger at him again, ready to go into an Epic Poem about two lovers finding each other after nearly a year of pining because she was brilliant enough to get Dean to see the light in Cas' eyes and Sam would finally get it - Becky Rosen was the one. All of a sudden, Ash looked a little scared. She really needed to get her fangirl face under control for moments like this. "Too busy Becks, can't let him out."

"Good."

"Don't let him freeze, he won't fit in the fryer."

"Oh I won't." She went back down the stairs and heard Dean calling for Ash through the door. "Dean?"

"Becky! Go get Ash, the friggin' door is stuck again."

"Yeah he sent me down to check because he was too busy. I'll go get Sam."

"Alright, hurry up!" He shouted back. This would be the hard part. Not convincing Cas to let him out, but getting Cas inside the walk-in before Dean busted free. She could send him on a goose chase, that could work right? Revision to point two: tell Cas from the start and make sure Dean had something to do.

"Dean while you're in there, we need more Blue Moon, I just went to use it and it's dead."

"Fine. Just go get Sam, I'll get his girly beer."

"Be right back." That should take him a while. Ellen only ordered one keg per sell-by date because hardly anyone drank it and she knew it was changed last night, ergo - no Blue moon in the cooler until the next shipment came in Monday. She went upstairs and lucky enough, Sam was with a customer and Cas was headed her way. "Castiel, I need your help!" She called, maybe being a little dramatic in the big eyes and flailing hands, but she had to sell it since the boys knew about the matchmaking plans, rights to lick Sam's abs were on the line.

"What's wrong?"

"Dean got locked in the walk-in and everyone else is busy." He sighed but followed her down stairs to pull the handle into submission. He actually had some pretty big muscles she'd never noticed before. Hmm. Not as big as Sam's though. Well maybe as big, but not as nice. Nope. When he got the door open, he went to leave right away, but stopped because there was no Dean.

"Uh... Cas. Can you grab him from the back? I just don't have time to hold this door for however long it takes and if I go it I might lock us in...please."

"Dean!" Cas yelled into the cooler, tilting his head to look between the shelves. They heard a crash from the back, like someone dropped a keg into the cases of bottles.

"Ohmygod. Go check and make sure he's okay. Call back if you need a mop or something." Cas looked like he was thinking about it and wanted to send Becky inside instead until there was some swearing from Dean and another bang and Cas went in to check it out. She waited for his yell back, not wanting to foil the plan but not wanting to leave if Dean got hurt.

"Becky, we need that mop!" Cas called.

"Okay. Be right back." She smiled and called in, letting the door swing closed.

"No!Don'tclosethedoor!"

She turned the handle as hard as she could and jammed one of the step ladders under it. She went to give it a few slams down just in case, but the rusted thing came right off. Opps. Well that worked. Now at least she didn't have to worry about them getting out before she had her winnings. She was an evil genius, or at least the internet was. But she was definitely awesome for utilizing the internet for love!

Now she just had to cover for Cas and make sure Sam could cover for Dean. She was sure he would help his brother out, especially since it would get Dean to stop moping around and in a little bit they could all watch the show on the security feed in Ellen's office. Speaking of which.

"Becky?"

"Um, yes Ellen?"

"Want to tell me why Dean and Cas are locked in the cooler?"

"Well, you know that door. I can call Rufus or Bobby if you want."

"It's your day in the bet pool, isn't it?"

"Yes ma'am. And I'll cover for Cas and Jess is still here training but she's good, she's ready to go on her own and Sam can cover the bar..." Ellen didn't look pleased. "I should have asked you first."

"You absolutely should have, especially since it involved a broken case of beer, a dented keg and you kicking off a door handle."

"That part was an accident?" She squeaked.

"Mhmm. You have until Bobby is ready to leave. Once he's gone, Dean and Cas better be out."

"Absolutely. I'll make sure of it!" Becky said, nodding and watching Ellen grab a basket of fries and a beer before heading back to her office. Snacks, Becky should put together some snacks for the show.

"Sam? Can you cover the bar?"

"Where's Dean?"

"Oh, you know. Locked with Cas in the walk-in talking about their feelings." Becky smiled. She heard Jess laugh a couple tables over and knew Sam was in just to impress her. Well that had pros and cons.

"Seriously?"

"Well, I'm not sure what they're saying, but they are definitely stuck in the cooler together."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side."

"That's impossible." She winked, getting back to work. "Jess, can you handle Cas' section by yourself?"

"Absolutely. Good work Becky!" Grr, why was she so hard to hate?

"Thanks, if you need any help let me know!" That's it, Becks - smother nice with more nice!

Dean maneuvers around the shelves and gets to the front in time to see Cas pick up what looks like the door knob, button on a metal rod... thing. It's old fashioned, whatever. He looks to the cooler door, and yeah, that's definitely their side of the handle. Shit. "Becky? Becky you still out there!" No one answers. He steps forward to pull the handle away from Cas and try to finagle it back in the door, if the other side is still in, this just might work. Nope, that is definitely light shining through from the other side. He tries shifting some pieces around anyway, hoping to trick the latch but no, it's just all freezing cold metal with sharp, pinching corners rusted stiff that barely want to move when the right pieces are in place. It's not long before he cuts himself and gives the door a good kick. "Son of a bitch."

"Are you okay?"

"Fine. Becky's just a friggin' idiot." There was awkward silence as Dean paced as much of the cooler as he could without getting in Cas' space or bumping into a shelf. "Should've just wedged a crate in the damn door."

"Sam should be down in a minute." Yeah right.

"No he won't. Becky's either talking his ear off, Sam's avoiding her like the plague, or he's letting us stew down here."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because it's Sam and he thinks we're fighting. Either way, the handle's broken so we're going to be in here a while." They go back to their silence, too many layers of cold in the room for Dean to deal with right now. Eventually Cas goes to the back to start trying to clean up Dean's mess. It's not bad, the draining was pretty good so most of the beer from the couple bottles that broke was gone or drying. All that was left was the glass. "Cas, leave it. No use getting cut, if it's bad we won't be able to do anything about it."

"Says the man who just cut himself on rusted metal. When's the last time you had a tetanusshot?"

"It's not even deep."

"That doesn't make me feel any better." And silence again. His long day was turning into a worse night. Dean paced the rows of the cooler while Cas sat quietly in the corner on a pile of crates. The cold didn't seem to be bothering him, but he didn't think Cas would say anything even if it did. Neither had their cell phones on them or a watch. Cas didn't wear one, and Dean always put his under the bar so it wouldn't get wet or stained. He didn't know how long they were down there but it was definitely long enough for someone to notice they were missing and come looking. So they knew and they weren't doing anything. That was great, real nice. Class act people he called friends. When the time kept ticking and still no one was outside trying to help, Dean went to go sit with Cas on the crates.

"Hey."

Cas looked at him for a moment before staring straight ahead again. "Hello Dean." It was rougher than usual, like he didn't really want to say anything but Dean still let a little smile slip. It had been days since he heard the formal greeting that was so Cas and he hadn't realized how much he had missed it.

"So..." He didn't really know what to say. Well he knew what he wanted to say, to ask, but he wasn't usually the one to bring up that kind of stuff. That was Sam's job, he was the sensitive one. Sam forgave and forgot, Dean held grudges. But he didn't exactly want to hold a grudge against Cas, it just felt wrong.

"Yes?"

"You stopped coming over after work." If it was possible for Cas to become anymore still, he did, just sitting straight up and staring forward like the answer was in a keg of Heine.

"I didn't think you would want me to. After everything."

"Everything what? Sam was a prick and then we both got mad about it. You stormed off, which, no big deal man because I did too but then you kind of... I don't know why we're not talking.'

"We are talking. We're talking right now. We talked yesterday."

"Yeah, but I don't know." Alright, awkward, this is why he didn't do the feeling chat things.

"It's different." Cas said with a shrug. "I understand."

"So..."

"So, let's talk. Unless you want it to stay different?"

"No. I mean, yeah. Yeah let's talk. It'll probably get them to let us out faster too."

"Right." Cas said, looking serious again, what the hell did he do this time?

"Want to play 20 questions or something? Somebody should let us out before we finish that right?"

"How do you play?" Yet another thing about Cas and his weird home schooled, boring fratness that had Dean smiling,

"Just like it sounds Cas, you get 20 questions, I get 20 questions, we take turns."

"That's fine."

"Okay."

"Okay."

"You going to start?"

"Oh alright. Um... you have a tattoo."

Dean ran a hand down his face, this was going to be a long captivity. "Yeah. You saw it, is there a question that goes with that?"

"Yes. Sam, he said it meant something?"

"Are you trying to ask what my tattoo means?" Cas nods, looking a little exasperated with himself. "It's a pentagram. Pentagram's a protection symbol, we picked protection from fire." He didn't know if Cas knew the whole story already, about his parents and why fire was a thing Sam and Dean needed protection from, but 20 questions wasn't for whole stories, just stupid facts to pass the time. "What does yours say?"

"What?" Cas looked a little nervous, did he not think the question would come back to him?

"Your ink. I didn't get a good look at it, there's lettering right? What does it say?"

"I choose free will"

"Isn't that from a Christmas song or something?" Dean laughs a little, he's pretty sure it is.

"Possibly. That's not why I got it, but I think it's my turn to ask a question now. What's your favorite song?"

"Tie between Ramble On and Traveling Riverside Blues. My turn, what language is it in?"

Cas sighed again, not looking thrilled that they were still on this subject. "Enochian." Dean's eyebrows shot up at that. Sam had been talking about some weird languages since picking up linguistics but he had never heard of that one before. He couldn't even think of a country that it matched up with. "It's a dead language. It's supposed to be the language of angels."

"Right wings." Dean nods, that was a little weird but he guessed so was walking around with meaningless tribal tats or the Chinese symbol for fish you told everyone meant love because you got screwed.

"Why fire?" Well karma's a bitch. Dean frowned to himself for a second, trying to think of a way to keep this short or maybe coming up with a lie. "You keep asking about mine, it's only fair."

"Touche." Dean let out a sigh and leaned forward to brace his forearms on his knees and talk to his shoes, easier that way. "Alright story time. How much do you know about me and Sam?"

"Well... I mean." He took a peek at Cas who was floundering, probably trying to grasp at what little information he had. So he probably knew nothing. Great. "I don't think I know what you're referring to."

"Alright, don't worry about it. I know Jo used to make a big deal of it when we were in high school so I just expect her to tell everyone."

"I'm getting the feeling maybe I shouldn't have asked."

"Maybe. But you did so let's get it over with." Dean went back to staring at the floor and pretending Cas wasn't there. If he wanted full disclosure from Cas for the questions he had in mind later, he could give it now. "When Sam was still a baby we lived in Kansas with my mom and dad, it was right around the time of Azazel. Remember him?"

"I can't say I do exactly, but it sounds familiar."

"He was a serial killer. Arsonist. He targeted families with the whole American dream. Middle America, 2.5 kids and the white picket fence. That was us. There was this big tree outside Sammy's nursery, he came in and my mom caught him right after the fire started, like he wanted to watch and make sure somebody was hurt before he got out. Dad got Sam out of the nursery and gave him to me, told me to run. Azazel got away, my dad got out of the house just in time. My mom didn't."

This was usually where people that hadn't heard the story stopped him to offer condolences, tell him there was nothing he could have done, nobody ever stayed tuned for the rest. Cas seemed to get there was more and sat quietly next to him, Dean took another peek and he was still staring straight ahead at the kegs, but now with a furrow to his brow.

"We hotel hopped for a while. I don't think my dad wanted to settle anywhere. Occasionally we would stop in and visit Bobby. His wife was still alive then and would always try to get us to stay but my dad wouldn't have it. We'd just bounce around and stop in when it got too tough. When I got older I figured out that we only circled back around to Bobby's when the food got short and we always slept in the car for the few days it took to get there. It wasn't that bad. Alcohol could've done a lot worse things to our childhood then make it impossible for dad to hold down a decent job. And it did eventually. By the time Sam was in double digits he would throw a fit every time we had to move and dcyf showed up a couple times. When Bobby's wife had her accident we moved in with him. Things were rough, but they got better. We had Jo and Ash and a few other friends. We stayed in the same school for years and it turns out Sam is a genius even when he wasn't taking the same test for the same books 12 times a year. My dad finally got his shit together and became a volunteer firefighter on the side while he helped Bobby run the scrap yard. He was still the stereotypic alcoholic firefighter but at least he wasn't as angry and was always busy. It left me to raise Sam mostly, but it was a lot easier to do when I didn't need to take care of my dad too."

Dean had to stop, he was painting a really bad picture here. It wasn't that bad. He had more responsibility then most kids, but when you didn't know different and you wanted to keep what was left of your family together, you just did what you needed to do.

"He was a hero Cas. He was a Marine and he saved a lot of lives as a firefighter. I don't want you to think bad about him because he made a few mistakes. They could have been a lot worse."

Cas just nodded along. Still listening as he stared ahead with that harsh face.

"Couple years after we moved here, he was caught in a fire with his partner Bill, Ellen's husband. He pressured Bill to go back in and make sure everyone was out. They did save one more girl but the roof collapsed. Dad made it out but Bill didn't. It put some hard times between Ellen and us. I think if it wasn't for Jo sneaking out and tagging along everywhere me and Sam went Ellen would have never talked to us again. She didn't really, not until dad died. She never forgave him but I think she felt bad for taking it out on us because after that she kinda pushed her way in as the best adoptive mom she could be even though Bobby got guardianship." Dean fell quiet again, thinking of that year where the makeshift family he built up was lost yet again. Jo had been perfect though, and Ellen did come around eventually. Still, that was a long year of lucky charms and spaghetti-os. That never used to be a problem, but when they had been following Jo home for dinner most nights before the fire, the dollar shelf at the convenience store was a little hard to go back to.

"Was it another fire? Your father I mean." Cas asked the kegs.

"Smoke. We didn't know he was still looking into Azazel until he went out on a hunting trip and didn't come home for a few days. He tracked him down to Nebraska based on some newspaper articles of fires and some pattern he came up with. And he found him. They had the big revenge show off I guess he always wanted and both of them ended up in the hospital. Bobby drove us there. We thought he was injured, they said he inhaled a lot of smoke and was on oxygen but he would be fine. We barely got there in time to say good bye. One minute he was making me promise to finish the job and protect Sam, acting weird but just fine. The next he was on the floor. They said heart attack from all the stress and the smoke. Sam got his words in with Azazel before they carted him off. The nut said some crazy shit about experimenting with traumatizing kids, building an army just like him, Sam was next. I don't know, scared us but they arrested him. Bobby took us home and filed the paperwork for legal guardianship and Sam came up with the tattoos and we got them when he turned 18. That's about it." He rushed through the end. He didn't know how Cas dragged the whole story out but he didn't want to get through everything and then break down on the little details like starting high school a week later and feeling like he failed because he 'didn't finish the job' if that's even what his dad meant.

"What happened to Azazel?"

"My dad wasn't the only one that wanted revenge. He's dead, hell's too good for him if you ask me, he probably feels right at home."

"Your turn." Was all Cas said. It was kind of refreshing to not be offered the I know how you feels or typical grief bullshit along with some underhanded remarks about the way they were raised. Dean let out a sarcastic laugh, leaning back to look at Cas again who was smiling like he missed the punch line but still found it amusing. It was awkward, but at least it was a little familiar. Maybe the night wouldn't be so long after all.

By the time the bar is closing and the last of the regulars are leaving, Bobby has... well he's been made aware of the situation. Becky almost had a heart attack when she thought the man had left only to find him in Ellen's office with a beer laughing at the security monitor and placing more bets on how far the two would get in the cooler, if they were going to fight and how many more things would be broken before they were let out. Soon enough Jess and Sam were crowding in too. Becky was annoyed for a minute at the tight squeeze until Sam was leaning over her to see better and she could feel his chest against her back. It was so firm, he might even have more muscles since the blessed beer incident.

It didn't look like the boys were getting very far in the walk-in but at least she had this.

"Well they're sitting next to each other again. And talking. That's improvement right?" Jess asked.

"Definitely improvement. Maybe we can lower the temperature and get them to share body heat or something!" Becky said excitedly, hand not so accidently flailing to smack against Sam's peck. Oh yeah.

"You're evil." Sam told her. Evil could be sexy sometimes, she'd take it as a compliment. He definitely didn't sound mad about it. "Whoa, scratch that. What're they doing?"

Becky's eyes shot back to the screen. Castiel was… why was he taking off his shirt? It had to be freezing in there. Who cared! Go Cas! The button up was off and over one of the piles of crates and he was lifting up the back of the Tshirt under it. "Oh, his tattoo. I got a little excited there for a second." Ash came in to say his sayonaras while they watched Dean approach and say something before touching it.

"Cough it up Bobby. We have shirt off and contact made."

"His shirt's still on! Technically." Bobby said, not making any moves for his wallet. Ellen rolled her eyes before gluing them back to the screen, waiting to call him on it. Dean's hands were at the start of Cas' pants before he backed off to say something else and Cas shrugged out of the bunched up t-shirt and unbuttoned his pants!

"Oh my God!" Becky couldn't hold it in. "Is he? I am so gunna win this!"

"Bobby?" Ellen asked and the grump made for his wallet to thumb through a few bills and begrudgingly hand some over.

But Cas only moved the pants down a little, showing off more of his tattoo that apparently continued onto his bum. A butt that Becky was kind of curious about now that she was getting an eyeful of his front.

"Mom!" Jo was calling before she stumbled into the office, barely getting through the door before meeting the wall of bodies scoping out Cas' surprisingly impressive bod. "What the -Whoa! What are you doing? Why is Castiel... oh, hey. Tattoo." Jo climbed over the desk and went to perch on the arm of her mom's chair. "What are we doing? Why wasn't I invited and why is Cas shirtless and pulling up his pants? Did I miss the good part?"

"You missed a lot. Sam started a prank war, there were wet Tshirts and Dean's hair was green but then it all kind of blew up and they weren't talking and I had to fix it because it's my day so I locked them up and look. They're talking. And almost naked!" Becky summed up, frowning when Cas' pants were buttoned back up and he was going for his t-shirt. Crap. "Welcome back by the way. How are you feeling?"

"Thanks. I'm good, should be back tomorrow. Way to include me in on pranks Sam!"

"Sorry Jo. Hey, meet Jess, she just started."

"I heard. Welcome to the Roadhouse, Rahrahrah and all that cheery stuff. You scared off yet?"

"Not yet." Jess smiled her perfect smile. Becky tried really hard not to ship them. So hard! But it was impossible, Sam and Jess were so nice and fun and were going to have beautiful beautiful babies and Becky was going to die alone. Such was the fate of fangirls. ...maybe Sam had a cousin. Or a movie star look alike - it could happen.

"Good. How long have they been in there?"

"Oh..." Becky thought back "Since around eleven?"

"You guys know it's almost three right? I saw all your cars still here and thought I was going to come down and find a murder scene or something."

"Guess that's my cue." Bobby grumbled, maneuvering his way out of the office. Becky groaned, she was so close. Maybe they would be super relieved and hug it out or something and that something could turn into a kiss and that kiss could be the kiss that changes everything! A girl can dream.

And if it didn't work out - well, there was always love potions.

"So. You got my sob story, tell me yours." Dean asks and Castiel starts. He's not very fond of this game. Though it is teaching him a lot of things about Dean and who the man is, Castiel doesn't want to play fair. He had expected more simple questions like colors, songs and food, not this. He should blame himself for that. Needing protection is a pretty big clue that the story behind the tattoo would be complicated, but why did Castiel have to share his complicated stories too?

"Mine?" He tried to feign ignorance.

"Yeah, what's the story behind your back piece?"

"What makes you think it's sad?"

"Because it's huge and has to have a shit ton of meaning behind it for someone like you to get it. That and the whole free will thing, I'm guessing it's not great." Well that's annoyingly perceptive.

"They're wings, wings typically take up your whole back I don't see-"

"Cas. if you can't get the meaning of something out in one sentence then you either don't know what you're talking about or you're lying. Sorry man, can't bullshit a bullshitter. Try again."

Castiel gave his best glare a shot before setting back against a shelf, almost knocking over some more bottles in the process, and starting again. "They represent my fall from grace. Or at least from my family's good graces."

"Alright."

"Alright?" He asked, Dean was going to let him get away with just that after everything he just shared about his upbringing?

"I'm damn curious Cas, but it's your choice to talk or not. Free will and all that."

He couldn't hide his smile even though he tried to bite it back. That was exactly the point. It was so good to talk to Dean again and out of everyone, he would probably understand best.

"My adoptive parents, I told you they were a religious, they had very black and white meanings of right and wrong. They wanted a family to pass their ideas onto but they didn't really know how to raise kids, I think they wanted students, not children. The oldest was responsible for second oldest and so on down the line because our parents were too busy with their jobs and being a part of the community. My three eldest brothers got to go to public school when they were kids before our parents pulled them out because they didn't agree with what was being taught. We were a raised a little like a militia. Later when we were old enough they made us do some violent things and some of us didn't come home. My brother Gabriel, he was one of the ones that got to go to school for a while, he ran away and I knew once I was 18 I would too. And I did, I went to college which was kind of the same thing. It made them happy and I got away for a while until they found out what I was studying and gave me an ultimatum. I was cut off either way, but I could come home and be retaught, or I could never come home again. So I left, stayed with a fraternity brother, Bal, for a while and eventually travelled here."

That was the gist of it. The story didn't really explain the details on the tattoo, but he thought Dean was smart enough were he could fill in the blanks without the whole story. "That blows man. I will never understand rich assholes. How many brothers did you have? Don't tell me they cut you out too?"

"We weren't really family. Most of us were adopted so we could be 'saved' and they renamed us and maybe they brainwashed us, I was one of the youngest so I didn't garner as much attention from them personally so I don't really know."

Dean was looking at him angrily. He knew the man, especially after opening up about his childhood, had very high expectations of how you treated your family. Castiel didn't want to say anything more, but he couldn't have Dean looking at him like that. It had taken him years to face himself and work up the nerve to actually leave, he deserved his freedom and he wanted Dean to be a part of it.

"There were dozens of us. We were all expected to be angels 100% of the time, guardians around or not. They picked me because of my name. Later when I left I looked for my birth mother but it was too late. I was able to find one of her friends. She was nice. She told me my mother named me Castiel because she was addicted to 'angel dust', that if she hadn't been on it I'd never have been born. She wanted to pick her guardian angel in some strange reference to that and to make sure I would be watched over, but she spelled it wrong on the birth certificate. She od'd a couple weeks later and whoever was with her I guess left me at a shelter. No one knew who my father was or where to find him. I looked for a long time, but there was nothing."

Dean was still staring at him, brow still furrowed in an angry expression that Castiel didn't understand. He didn't know what the man wanted, should he not have said anything? Did he say too much? Was he being judged, Castiel was tired of judgment. He tried to carry on, fill the silence, finish the story and if Dean hated him, well he had free will, he could choose to see Castiel as he wanted and whether or not they could be friends or ever be more.

"So the wings. I guess they're not real but I tried to be an angel and failed, I got them after I left school and found out about my birth mother. They're burned because I fell, the words down the middle are a prayer to be better-"

"Cas-" Dean cut him off in a sad sounding breath that he would never have heard if it weren't for the silence of the cooler but he couldn't let him talk yet, not until he was finished. Then he could yell, agree, disagree, whatever he wanted.

"No. I have free will now. I catch myself thinking like them sometimes and it scares me, but the more of the world I see… it gets better. And you've helped a lot. More than you know. I don't think I've ever learned so much about what it means to actually be human from someone until I started working at The Roadhouse." Dean shook his head as Castiel continued until he could finally cut in.

"I barely talked to you until a few weeks ago."

"Yes. But you were nice."

And it was true. Even if they hadn't been anything more than co-workers before September, Dean was always there to help, always nice to and protective of everyone, and always stuck up for Castiel when he did something other people thought was odd even if he got a laugh in afterwards for himself. Castiel smiled at the blank look on his friend's face. He didn't seem offended anymore, maybe he had been offended for Castiel like all those time Ash or Jo or the rest of the crew poked fun at him. He didn't really trust himself to say anything more tonight, not after dredging up so many memories, ones he shared and haunting things he didn't dare speak of so he did the only thing he could think of.

"Do you want to see it?" He asked, standing up and backing away as he started to unbutton his shirt. He pretended not to notice Dean's eyes tracking his fingers' progress. He blushed as he turned around to throw the shirt on some crates lining the opposite shelf. He opted for just hiking up the back of his Tshirt, feeling too emotional and exposed to take that off as well. Maybe this wasn't the best idea.

"Can I?" Dean asked from right behind him. He didn't know when the other man got up, but it definitely wasn't helping the blushing situation as it brought heat back into his freezing cheeks. He hoped Dean would just think it was from the cold and nodded. Dean's fingertips were almost warm were his back had been resting against the chilled kegs, "They're beautiful." Maybe this was a good idea.

Dean listened to Cas' story about growing up. It didn't have any serial killers or blazing fires but it didn't sound spectacularly peachy either. Dozens of kids probably picked up for the tax credit of fostering and adoption and brainwashed into some religious fanatic militia. Well those weren't his exact words, but they sounded like dicks. Damn straight he chose free will, if he hadn't Dean would have beat some sense into him. Or they probably never would have met. As strange as it was, he can't imagine his life without the weirdo in it now. Cas'd grown on him.

And then Cas said he, Dean, Dean Winchester was teaching him how to be human again. All he did was order some cheeseburgers and watch 80's shows and movies with him. Maybe he should be upping his game. If Cas was looking up to him that much, he needed to be better, he could be better.

Then, it kind of hit him how bad he'd been treating Cas since Sam's reasons behind the pranks were outted. Shit. Maybe he wasn't the only one being ignored and feeling lonely and betrayed. The phone worked both ways.

Cas asked him if he wanted to see the tattoo and Dean barely got the chance to nod before he had to swallow against the lust thickening his throat at watching Cas back up slowly and start unbuttoning his shirt. It probably wasn't meant to be this sexy slow-mo thing Dean's mind was turning it into. It wasn't seductively slow, Cas' fingers were just too cold to move faster.

Cas turned around to lift the back of his shirt and Dean was behind him with a hand outstretched before he even thought to do it. "Can I?" He asked, barely waiting for Cas' nod before touching the cool raised skin under the ink. He took in the ancient lettering he knew the meaning behind now and felt the anger at Cas'experience and shit childhood bubbling up in him again. He didn't deserve that, no wonder he was so awkward sometimes. Dean really was going to do his best to pump some more humanity through him and try to make up for everything. He hoped Sam didn't feel this way about being raised by his older brother instead of a proper mom and dad, but Dean liked to think that he did a better job than the asshats that took Cas in. "They're beautiful." He said as he moved his fingers to trace over an intricate pattern of feathers. It was a black tattoo but the artist had left out these lines of skin that almost made it look like lightning or electricity was flowing through them.

Dean pushed at the Tshirt a little to get a better look at where they crested against his shoulders, some red shadowing making them look more like brands as if the wings had actually been burned into Cas' flesh as he fell. The imagery was something that broke his heart as his fingers paused over a feather covering a scar. Cas shrugged out of the shirt and Dean watched his muscles give the wings life. He had a moment to imagine how those wings would move under him, if it would feel like flying before Cas looked over his shoulder and Dean quickly looked down, studying the feathers towards his lower back. For such amazing artwork, there was no clear shape to the end of the burning wings, full, black, electrified feathers that slowly flowed into burning embers floating away like ash, some blowing over his spine and a few getting as far as Cas' ribs until he understood. "How far do they go down?" He asked, curious now that he could finally take them in and trying to memorize every line in case he never could again. His heart almost stopped when he heard Cas undo his belt buckle and saw him hook his thumbs inside the pants to pull down. They only moved down a few inches though to rest low on his hips as he pulled the left side a bit lower to respectfully keep most of himself covered. Didn't stop Dean from feeling warm for the first time since they got trapped. He had to put his hands in his pockets to keep from tracing the burning ink over the slight curve of Cas' hip and what little view he had of a seemingly smooth and perfect ass. God Dean was so screwed. He had to sit back on the crates and clear his throat before he could talk again.

"They're amazing Cas. You had a great artist. Anyone famous, should I look for an episode of Miami Ink or something?" He joked as Cas pulled his pants back up and went to put back on the shirts.

"Me."

"What?" No way, he saw the guy doodle on his order pad sometimes but nothing like this.

"I'm… I don't trust many people. I wanted it to be as perfect as I could make it. I had a lot of tattoo artists redraw it and found a girl, Meg, who put in the red and added flames here and there so I picked her. She knew what I wanted, but that was in Missouri, not Miami."

Dean grinned, a little shell shocked that no one knew this about Cas. That no one knew any of this about him. Well, at least Dean didn't, and Jo certainly wouldn't have kept her mouth shut. She lived for family drama and wouldn't have said half the things she typically did in front of Cas if she knew. He had so many more questions but didn't have time to ask as Cas' attention went back to the door as a pounding knock sounded from the other side.

"Boys, you still alive in there?"

"Yeah Bobby! What the hell took you so long?"

"Shudup ya idjit. You're just lucky Ellen went to her office before leavin' and I was still here."

"Where the hell did you think we disappeared to?"

"I don't know boy. Maybe to do whatever had Cas' shirt off in a 40degree cooler!" Bobby yelled through the door. Dean sputtered for a minute looking back at a beet red Cas whose eyes were wider than he'd ever seen them.

"We…I…" Cas was trying to say, looking back and forth between him and the door.

"Dean? You got the other side of the handle in there?"

Something else to focus on, he'd clear the air later. "Yeah Bobby. What do you need?"

"I'm going to reattach this end, when you see it on your side, push the rod through and we'll see what happens." That was encouraging. It took about ten more minutes of grumbling and swearing before the door was creaking open and the warmth of a humid South Dakota basement was giving feeling back to his face.

"Thanks Bobby."

"Don't mention it. Just prop the door open with something small enough to not let too much cold out. I'll get new parts when the hardware store opens." Cas followed out with the pile of glass Dean told him not to touch earlier as Sam galloped down the stairs.

"Ready to go?" His brother asked, looking tired but way too amused and curious to not have known exactly where they were this entire time. For the sake of exhaustion, a long ass day, and finally being on speaking terms with Cas, he was just going to pretend he didn't notice.

"Yeah Sam."

"Cas, it's almost three. Is your gate going to be locked?" Sam asked, trying to hide everything under a concerned face.

"Unfortunately." Cas murmured, dumping the glass and propping the door open with one of the unbroken bottles from the busted case.

"Wanna crash at our place?" Dean asked, there wasn't really any other options. Cas gave that lopsided smile and nodded. Dean would probably feel guilty about thinking of Cas' body hidden under the baggy uniform and the tattoo he wanted to study some more as he watched Cas go up the stairs after Sam and Bobby. Cas trusted him, with his story, with showing him the tattoo. He shouldn't think that way about his friend. Because that's what they were. Even if Dean was starting to get that maybe he wanted a little more.

Back to friends. He wanted Cas in his life, it shouldn't be that hard.

btws - I'm on tumblr now :D well I always was, but now I have a special fics page with gifs and fun facts about my fics and stuff. yay. come check me out thebadassisin tumblr com
Thanks for reading!

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Chapter edited 21 January 2014
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Thank you - WT