Suspicions And Jealousy
"So, you're saying that he's been acting strange around you?" Balthazar rested his chin on his wing tip.
"Yes, and he's been avoiding me. He seems to be tensed when I'm near. I really don't understand what I did wrong." Castiel sighed heavily.
Balthazar did not reply. He was summing up everything Castiel told him. There had to be a reason why Dean was acting like a jerk. The sounds of wheels turning in rooster's head practically could be heard. Balthazar was very clever and had a sharp intuition. Suddenly a thought popped up in his mind and Balthazar abruptly raised his head. A mischievous smile danced on his beak and he patted Castiel's shoulder.
"I think I know what's wrong with Dean."
"Really? It's not too bad, is it?" Castiel sounded hopeful.
"If it's what I think, then no, not bad… but pretty funny," Balthazar chuckled. "You know what, Cassie? I'll go and talk to Dean. Don't worry, we will fix everything."
Castiel smiled. He was really grateful. Balthazar seemed to be a nice person – or bird or whatever.
"Thank you, Balthazar, for your help. I really appreciate it," the duck said quietly.
"Pas de souci, Cassie. Ok, I'll go and talk to Dean. Everything will be parfait. See you later," Balthazar encouraged his new friend and walked over to Dean.
Dean was watching the whole Balthazar/Castiel dialog from a distance and he didn't like it one bit. He wanted to go over and beat the crap out the rooster when the bird was touching Castiel. His Castiel! But every time he made a step forward, he felt weakness in his knees and his heart pounded like a drum. The black duck wiped sweat off his forehead and closed his eyes. This could not last forever. He had to do something. And that something would be revealing his feelings to Castiel. Dean preferred to fight five Alastairs simultaneously than confess his feelings, but he was going to have to if he wanted to keep Castiel as even a friend at this point.
Meanwhile, Balthazar approached him and smiled broadly. "Hello, Dean. I am Balthazar. It's a pleasure to meet you." He reached his wing towards the duck.
Dean gave him a cocky smirk. "I see you made friends with Castiel." Jealous notes were obvious in the duck's voice.
Balthazar coughed awkwardly and withdrew his wing. "Um… Yes. He is a very nice collocutor."
"I'm sure he is," Dean hissed. His green eyes flashed with anger.
Balthazar studied Dean's face for a moment. Then he bent his head back and laughed.
Dean frowned. "What's so funny?"
"I was right about you. You're jealous. That's funny," Balthazar said, amused.
"Jealous? What the hell are you talking about? Why should I be jealous?" Dean's voice sounded an octave higher than usual and he instantly cleared his throat.
"Oh, don't try to fool me, my boy," Balthazar laughed. "You are showing obvious signs of affection for your friend. Even though Castiel isn't even here and we're only talking about him, you keep sweating and blushing. I bet your mouth is dry as well. I noticed that you cannot take your eyes off him, and you are ready to tear me into pieces only because I was talking to him a few minutes ago. That's called jealousy. Should I continue with the symptoms?" Balthazar asked with the tone of an experienced psychologist.
Dean's mouth kept opening and closing without saying a word. "You don't know anything," he hissed finally.
"Trust me, my boy. I know a lot of things." Balthazar winked at him. "Here is my advice for you: go and talk to your friend about how you feel about him. I am sure he will understand it."
The black duck laughed nervously and gave the rooster a deadly glare. "Bullshit. But I'm warning you: you touch Castiel and I'll deal with you."
Balthazar waved him off. "Oh darling, I'm not into males, especially not ducks. But if you feel you need further advice, feel free to approach and ask." Balthazar turned around and left, whistling merrily.
The black duck watched him, feeling puzzled and trying to get things clear in his mind. "Shit, shit, shit," he cursed silently.
At least Dean knew that Balthazar was not interested in Castiel. That was enough for the time being. Dean sat down and started to think about his strategy plan.
