The Truth is Out There
As Sam suffered through another before you become prelaw you must take this English prereq bullshit paper to the sounds of the X-files and friendly arguing between Dean and Cas, he thought back on how much easier it was to concentrate on things when the friends weren't talking but how much happier he was with some background noise to make the place feel like home. It seemed like things went from awkward silent studies one day and back to normal the next. Or, as normal as Dean having a sitcom worthy best-friendship could go. After Becky's little stunt with the walk-in, Cas' spot on the couch had been filled again and his studies went back to being constantly disrupted by cheesy sound effects and Dean burning snacks.
Jess had even gotten Sam to put in a new date in the bet pool. Seeing as it was too late for her to join the pool, Jess paid for Sam's reentry with a scarily firm handshake from both sides in aggreeance that if they won, they would split the cash. Jess picked Halloween. It had been a good plan. It was Sam's year to pick the theme so he figured maybe they could warp things their way without friggin' pranks. Dean and Cas needed some time to rebuild the friendship, a month was good and a party with paired off costumes would be a great place to try again. When he attempted to convince Cas to come into work dressed as an action movie star it had prompted a John McCain versus John McClain explanation that Sam really hadn't had the time or patience for. Instead, they went with Star Trek and he made sure to secure Dean's place as Kirk and Cas' as Spock. He didn't really get it, he thought it would just emphasize the friend thing but Jess and Becky insisted it was the way to go.
Turns out it was. Cas didn't even have to try to be Spock once the outfit was on, movie references were flying right over his head all night and he kept trying to maintain a business atmosphere when the party started and people commandeered the tables in his section to take a break from dancing, not to order a burger. It was pretty hilarious, Dean definitely thought so. His big brother also apparently had a thing for pointy eared aliens Sam didn't want to find out any more about and Cas just plain liked Dean in tight shirts. People kept mistaking them for a couple which they were too drunk to care about and all in all it was a good night. The only time things got a little weird was when one of the regular college kids joked that Cas was perfect for Spock because he was emotionless or something like that. Dean took it a little too far defending him, but that was about it. Nothing beyond your typical Halloween party happened. They had carved themselves Being John Malkovitch portal deep into the friend zone and almost a month later they still didn't seem ready to leave.
Maybe Ash was right, maybe that's just what they were meant to be – best friends. There was definitely chemistry there with all the staring, but they were so comfortable and happy, maybe they didn't need to change anything.
Sam left his room to take a break from his paper and grab a snack, maybe catch an episode of what the best buds were watching since he wasn't going to get to sleep tonight between the homework and Cas' gate curfew already being ignored in favor of an X-files marathon. That and he had a favor to ask Dean while he was in a good mood and hopefully wanted to look like a kind and caring big bro in front of Cas.
"I just don't see it. I agree they had a moment in the first episode but then they decided to put it aside and be friends and co-wirkers. There is nothing there-"
"No Cas, besides the blatant chemistry look at all the stuff they do for each other. He kept her necklace when she went missing. Everyone thought she was gone for good but he kept it because he believed he would see her again and she would want it back."
"I suppose they do share a profound bond, but-"
"No buts. Exactly! Profound bond or whatever. They belong together." Sam… didn't know what he walked in on but it seemed like a pretty ridiculous coincidence. Was Dean trying to say something through pop culture references, if so Cas was not the guy to do it with. Or did Cas get the reference and was saying no? He was like that sometimes, like this awkward sarcasm king – you never knew when he was actually using it, being serious, or just confused about something. "Sam! Tell Cas that Moulder and Scully are a thing!"
"Take your ship up with Becky. Until it's canon it's not real. Unless something changes when the movie comes out, I think it's pretty fair to say they're just friends." Sam said going for a beer and taking the arm chair. This could get interesting.
"Well they shouldn't be." Dean mumbled, fidgeting with the label of his own beer bottle. Interesting. Sam was going to have to talk Moulder and Scully with him one on one later. He kind of really wanted to do it now, but didn't want to risk another blow up between Dean and Cas.
"I think you're spending too much time with Becky." Sam joked. He knew Dean hid their friendship because the only thing they had in common were the books she kept letting him borrow. Sam asked him about them once when Dean was drunk and in a chatty mood. He said they were depressing as hell but in a kind of car crash way that he couldn't take his eyes off of, it was an addiction and he needed to stop. Sam could add that to the list with Dr. Sexy MD. They quietly watched the TV for a few minutes before Sam decided maybe poking the bear was worth it. Just one poke. "So Cas, if Moulder asked Scully out to dinner outside of work would that be enough to argue a relationship or are you waiting for a full on love declaration."
"See Cas, even Sammy admits it."
Cas shifted a glare between the brothers before going back to staring a whole through the TV as if the plot was equally the most important and frustrating thing in the world. "I would prefer it to be blunt so there is no chance at one of them getting their hopes up for nothing." Well that was enlightening. Was he waiting for Dean to make the first move? "I still don't see it happening." Or would he be the one to bluntly say no in favor of staying friends? Maybe he would have to dig into both of them separately later.
He waited until the credits were rolling before he fake yawned and segued into his favor. Not his best move, but maybe pulling out the help me I'm your lil' brother eyes would make up for it.
"Oh, I almost forgot. I spoke to Jess today."
"What else is new?" Dean asked reaching for the remote to skip to the next episode before Sam stole it away.
"Her big brother is coming to town Wednesday and staying the weekend for Thanksgiving. He's the only family she has." That's it, lay on the guilt before he even asks, Dean was a sucker for broken families. He could already see his brother looking defeated under the frustrated mask he put on, smelling the question in the air.
"Let me guess, he doesn't have a place to stay?"
"Well, he did. He had reservations at the Overlook but they just closed down for bed bugs."
"And he can't get another reservation somewhere else?"
"Every where's booked for the holiday."
"What about with Jess?"
"She lives in the dorms, remember? There's no room for him. Not even a couch. And even if there was her room mates are horrible, they would never let him stay." He was not saying Dean was the opposite of horrible or subtly nudging his hero complex into saying yes or showing off what a better person he was, not at all.
"So you offered up our couch and gleaming hopitality?" Dean asked behind the hand pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Well… I might have offered up your room?"
"Nooo. No no. He wants a room, he can have yours."
"Well I just figured since you guys always camp out on the couch late that maybe-"
"Sam." Dean sighed. "He can stay but he's not getting my bed. And if he's an asshole I reserve the right to kick him out. He knows we have long and late hours right? I mean, we get more shifts off since Jess started thank god, but no one's going to be here most of the day, I hope he knows how to entertain himself. I'd be worried about our stuff, but it's not like we have much."
"Your apartment is very nice, Dean." Cas cut in, always ready to cool his brother down before he blew. "And I've heard Jess talk about him, I think he would be very appreciative of the hospitality and shouldn't cause a problem." Score, if Cas was in so was Dean.
"I said it was fine already." Dean barked, snatching back the remote and pushing play before getting up for another beer. As much as Sam was excited that Dean agreed so easily, his nerves suddenly shot through the roof at Jess' big brother and pretty much father figure staying with them. What if he was just like Dean, what if Sam didn't measure up? Things had been going so well. They had officially been dating for almost two months, but if their relationship was anything like Sam and Dean's, and she had hinted plenty that it was, he was so screwed.
Tuesday night Bobby gets to the Roadhouse early. He doesn't know why he bothers setting up a pot luck list for Thanksgiving. It's technically 'his' holiday so he has to, but everybody brings the same thing every year and they don't even have it at his house anymore since it's not just him, Ellen and the kids like it used to be. He sees Ellen hanging up her holiday sign, just a decorative chalkboard he glazed over for her that read 'Closed for the Holiday. Any Without Family are Welcome to Join Ours Inside.'
The Roadhouse holidays wouldn't be the same if their friends or a few random strangers didn't wander over. Hell, one of the times she decided to stay open when Bill would be working Christmas was the first time John Winchester and his boys wandered in and look how that turned out. Bobby nodded to her and went through to the kitchen to set up pot luck list. He didn't even have the tac in the holey as hell cork board yet when Dean was already on him.
"Hey Bobby. Anybody sign up for desserts yet? You know I would do Karen's pies justice if you'd just give me the recipes me don't cha?"
"Dean, what'd I tell you the last time you asked that?"
"You'd give them to me when you were ready. I know, just thought I'd remind ya."
"Well you did, now just sign up for sides like you always do." Dean did, making sure to mumble about passing veggies off on Sam and getting some of the good stuff, probably meaning stuffing with a pound more butter than actually tasted good, even to Bobby.
He was a little surprised when Cas started to hover closer and closer, looking nervous about what Bobby was hanging, only one way to deal with that – give him a reason to be nervous.
"Cas, come here." The boy looked a little surprised at being found out, it wasn't like he had been acting subtle or anything. "You're coming this year. I'm going to put you down for desserts because I'm too old to be playing with piesand fixin' a turkey." Castiel looked over Bobby's shoulder where he was filling out the paper for him like it was the most important thing he would ever have to sign.
"I don't know, I've never-"
Bobby just rolled his eyes, "I need to ask you a favor." The boy's eyes looked like they were 'bout ready to pop out of his head but Bobby trudged on. If he wanted his date in the pool to work, he needed Cas at the dinner table and with pie. Karen always said she tricked him into marrying her with her baking, let's see if the old recipe book could pop out another proposal and a weekend away for Bobby. "Tomorrow's your night off, right?"
"Yes…"
"I want you to come over mine and I'm going to show you how to make a couple of my wife's pies." Cas started shaking his head, but Bobby stopped him before he could say no. "Someone should know how to make them. It's my favorite, Dean's too but he'd abuse the privilege if I handed over her recipe." That wasn't necessarily true, he did plan to give it to Dean one day, but he wanted the boy to have a family to share it with, not Dean getting pudgy sitting on his couch alone with a pie a day. Bobby wouldn't blame him either, his beer gut wasn't exactly from beer. "One condition though, you don't give Dean the recipe or tell him where you got it."
Castiel was nervous to say the least. He knew Bobby's house behind the scrap yard was a meeting point for everyone in Dean's makeshift family, more so when the Winchester brothers still lived there from what Dean told him, but still a very important place. A place Castiel had never been to. If the snarling Rottweiler chained to the pickup truck it was sitting on was anything to go by, this might not be the best experience.
"Rumsfeld! Stop that you old tire cruncher. Sorry Cas, he's a little territorial of the cars, looks mean as hell but he wouldn't hurt a fly." Castiel was fairly certain the beast was chewing on an old muffler, jaws crimpling the metal.
"Maybe the flies only got away because they didn't pose a great enough challenge."
"Good thing you don't look much worse than a fly." The man said, showing him into the house. It was large and rustic, he could easily picture it being beautiful and much more welcoming with a fresh coat of paint and a few repairs. He knew Bobby was quite capable of maintaining the house, as Castiel's eyes settled on one of the only dust free picture frames in the room holding a photo of a blonde woman posing on what might be the same porch steps outside with a younger Bobby, Castiel thought he probably choose not to keep it nice. It's easier to forget that way.
When he was led into the kitchen, Bobby handed him an apron with a bit of a red face and told him to wash up. "Didn't seem practical to just throw 'em out." He mumbled as Castiel smiled down at the yellow buttercups decorating the apron he was tying at his waist. Bobby was wearing a blue one, obviously much more worn with the pockets torn off and fraying ties. He didn't mind, Bobby was right, they would protect their clothes from whatever pie baking entailed, it didn't matter what color the aprons were, he was glad to have one. Especially if it had sentimental value to the cranky man already barking orders about passing things and keeping his work space clean.
The evening passed by quickly. They had barely talked at first, just instructions and Bobby correcting him whenever he misunderstood. Once Castiel started asking questions on how best to do things and showing his genuine interest, Bobby seemed to relax and then the conversation had begun. They talked about holiday traditions and lost loved ones. Castiel didn't have much to share, but once Bobby started talking, more leaning back to monitor his student's progress and drink some whiskey from on top of the fridge than actually bake, the stories didn't stop. He found out more about Dean, Sam, Jo, and Ash than he had in his entire time at the Road House. And he never knew Bobby was such a nice man, a good man yes, but he was kind and truly loved his family. It was good to know his friends were so cared about. On top of that, he was a borderline genius. The things the man knew about history, language and architecture were astounding. At one point he even mentioned Dean told him his tattoo had Enochian in it and showed Castiel an entire library devoted to dead and exotic languages in his living room slash study, one that was still being studied in by the state of the papers and what looked like demon lore strewn across the desk.
A terrifying afternoon quickly turned into a new friendship Castiel hoped to keep for a long time. The first two pumpkin pies might not be perfect, but Castiel was sure that the two apple and two pecan cooling on the counter as he continued to listen to stories and be shown books would be just fine.
It was nearly time for Dean's shift to end before he left, getting completely lost in Bobby's history and fascinating home, even his hell hound of a dog turned out to be friendly when they went out to feed him. He made his way home to drop off the pies so they would stay safe and Rumsfeld jaws free for tomorrow's dinner at the Roadhouse before he cleaned up a bit and headed out to see what Dean had planned for tonight. He wasn't getting cleaned up for Dean, not really. He just still had on his uniform and there was flour in various places. If he wasn't supposed to tell Dean he had been baking pies with Bobby all evening, then questions about patches of flour needed to be avoided.
When he finally got across town to Sam and Dean's apartment and climbed the five flights of concrete steps he would never be a fan of it was to hear a lot of laughing coming from inside and Sam's yelling. Cas should have expected a drunk Dean seeing as they all had an early night and the day off tomorrow. He opened the door, remembering to knock first but not actually doing it because he'd rather surprise Dean and they probably wouldn't have heard it over the noise anyway. Only, by the time he's inside the noise has quieted and there is another man in Dean's space holding his jaw and complimenting his perfect teeth. Castiel knew Dean had perfect teeth, his smile was bright and beautiful and never failed to make his day better when he was losing his patience with customers but he had never said anything about it, certainly never touched Dean's face. The two laughed before the new man swayed, grabbing Dean's shirt to keep his balance.
"Whoa there cowboy. How much have you had to drink?" Dean slurred.
"That thing you made me and a whole beer. I'm going to be hung over before I even overdue it on turkey tomorrow."
"It was a mudslide and a Blue Moon! You're worse than Sam." The man hiccupped and Dean wrapped an arm around his waist to lead him through the kitchen and into his bedroom and it turned into a hug. "Bed. Now. Come on."
Castiel watched unseen in the door he still held wide open. What had just happened? Well… he knew what happened, Dean brought someone else home. Not someone else, just someone. Castiel shouldn't think anything of it. They didn't have scheduled plans just something they typically did when neither was working lunch shift the next day. You didn't cheat on friendships and this was just a friendship so, it was fine. He heard Sam's bedroom door open and left, closing the door quietly behind him on his way out.
A/N addressing comments: This 'verse is set two years before Sam moves to Stanford, that will become a little more clear as the chapters continue but there was some X-files timeline discrepancies with the Scully/Moulder ship and I just wanted to clarify that the movies wouldn't have come out yet. Sam is an undergrad, I'm thinking Junior (21, old enough to drink girly beer, young enough to still be pre-law). So pre-2005 Supernatural series premier date and 2004 first movie release, but close enough to the movie where the news of the movie or a trailer would be out and Cas might admit to never having seen the show, prompting a marathon. Make sense? For questions please feel free to comment any time or stop by thebadassisin tumblr com :) thanks for reading!
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Chapter edited 21 January 2014
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Thank you - WT
