.-.-.-.-.
Fishsticks
.-.-.-.-.
Charlie led the way as she, Dean, and Castiel hiked along an overgrown trail. She glanced around, looking for a familiar landmark.
'Are we there yet?' Dean whined. He kept stumbling and tripping over tree roots and small stones, and his legs were getting tired from the exertion.
'Almost,' Charlie said distractedly. Her eyes landed on a large tree, and she pointed. 'Just past that tree! There's a nice, hidden pool back there.'
The trio made their way through the wooded area and into a small clearing. Castiel stared up at the tall waterfall that poured into the pool they now stood at the edge of. He gripped his notebook and tape measure tighter as Dean's hand landed on his shoulder. He glanced at Charlie, who was kicking off her sandals. 'And you're sure you don't mind?' he asked.
'I've already been looked over head to tail by Gilda,' Charlie replied with a big smile. 'It's…kinda fun to watch. I uh… kinda get off on nerdgasms,' she admitted.
'And with Spot you get to see what a proper mermaid looks like,' Dean said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.
Charlie laughed as she shook her head. 'I'm as far from a "proper mermaid" as you get. But yeah… White as a base color is probably seen as the best…' She crossed her arms over her chest and stared expectantly at Castiel.
'What?' Castiel asked uncertainly.
'I ain't strippin' 'til you're naked,' she replied.
'Oh, um…' He looked to Dean, who was already half undressed. 'Well, I'm okay with it…'
Dean looked up from unzipping his shorts and grinned. 'I'm good, too,' he said, letting his eyes trail down Castiel's body.
Castiel set his things on the ground and began to pull his shirt off. He paused and gave Charlie a wary look. 'Wait. Why do I have to be naked?' he asked.
Charlie rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her hip. 'In case someone comes along,' she replied as if it were obvious. 'Then you can pop out and say we're skinny dipping. Scare 'em off.'
Castiel nodded and continued to pull his shirt off. He heard a pair of chittering clicks and whistles, and couldn't help but feel like he was being catcalled.
'She's lying,' Dean said as Castiel set his shirt on a nearby rock. 'She just wants to see your ass.'
'Hey!' Charlie slapped Dean's arm and gave Castiel a friendly smile.
'I don't blame ya'. Cas has a great ass,' Dean said, rubbing his arm. 'You have an ass meant for porno, babe! Trust me, I did my research.'
Castiel shook his head in amusement as he stripped down. His boxers came off, and Charlie whistled appreciatively.
'And I wanted to see the tattoo,' she said as she stepped closer and bent down to get a better look. 'Your sex tape doesn't do you justice.'
'My…' Castiel spun around, blushing bright red and staring at Charlie with wide eyes. 'You…you… How much did you see?' he asked carefully. He didn't feel particularly exposed or naked under Charlie's gaze.
'Gabe cut us off before you got anywhere really good,' Charlie replied with a disappointed frown as she pulled off her shirt and bra.
'Well, I'm not giving you a private show, if that's what you're hoping,' Castiel said, crossing his arms and heading toward the water.
'What if we threw money at you?' Dean asked as he struggled with his socks. He was getting better at dressing and undressing standing up, but his balance was still iffy.
Castiel stumbled into the water, blushing brightly. He couldn't remember if he had told Dean about his short stripping stint or not. 'W-what?' he asked, trying to come off as if he didn't understand the reference, but his voice shook too much to come off as casual.
'Y'know? Like stripping. Putting on a show,' Dean replied, oblivious.
Charlie smirked as she kicked off her shorts and placed her hands on her hips. 'You've stripped,' she said knowingly. The more she learned about Castiel, the more it made sense that he and Gabriel were actually related.
'It was amateur night! I was drunk!' Castiel shouted defensively. 'Besides, you're so-called producers did it, too!'
Dean grinned widely as he walked to the edge of the water. 'Hope I get a private show later,' he said. 'I can throw Monopoly money at you, and you can seduce me. Like in… Which one was it? Party Pole 2?'
'Lapping the Lap,' Charlie added, nodding. 'That's a good one.' She caught Castiel's surprised stare and rolled her eyes. 'I don't discriminate when it comes to porn.' She ran to the edge of the water and jumped out as far as she could. After a moment, she resurfaced, flicking her tail out of the water behind her.
'Come on in and show your boyfriend how we say "hi"!' she said, waving for Dean to join her.
Dean clicked in reply and backed up to get the same running start.
Castiel watched with a soft smile as the two mermaids swam around each other, splashing water about with their tails and fins. They clicked and whistled back and forth, and Castiel tilted his head as he listened. Now that he was listening carefully, he could hear the subtle differences between them and the typical dolphin sounds he was familiar with. The sounds died down, and the pair remained underwater. He licked his lips before swimming out to where he had last seen them.
He reached the middle of the natural pool and looked down, trying to get a clue of where they had gone. He could see Charlie's tail trailing along in a small circle on the floor, but he couldn't see Dean. 'Dean?' he called out. He yelped as his butt was pinched.
Dean surfaced behind Castiel, laughing—his soft clicks coming through. He lightly kissed away the annoyed look on Castiel's face. As Castiel kissed him back, he loosely wrapped his tail around his mate's legs. Castiel's arms looped around his neck, and he deepened the kiss as he let his primary fins spread out wide around them. They slowly sank to just below the surface, and Dean let out quiet, happy whines as he held Castiel tightly to his chest.
After a minute had passed, Castiel pulled away, tapping at Dean's shoulder. He gasped for air when Dean brought them back to the surface, and he blinked away the lightheaded feeling he had. He glanced to the side and saw Charlie lightly skimming her hands along the water's surface, blushing and avoiding looking in their direction.
'It's just kissing,' Castiel said in confusion. 'You've seen me jerk off, and this makes you uncomfortable?'
'Er… Well, from where I stand…or swim…whatever… It looks like a mating,' she said, her eyes darting back and forth from Castiel to the water in front of her.
Castiel's eyes widened, and he gripped Dean's shoulders tightly. 'Oh. L-like marriage… A ritual. Right. I almost forgot… I'm probably making a mess of it. What am I supposed to do?'
Dean frowned as Castiel's tone shifted from frantic to monotone. 'Well… It's more intuitive… But uh… Hey! Let's do it later. In private. Sorry, I uh… I got caught up in the moment,' he said as he unwrapped his tail from Castiel, his fins going down to his sides and only flaring out enough to keep him afloat. 'You're supposed to be measuring us, not getting freaky with me in the water!'
'You sure? You don't mind?' Castiel asked, his mind calming at the prospect of friendly numbers. Numbers didn't involve confusing marriage rituals.
'Considering I get to see your ass while you get your stuff? Not at all,' Dean said with a sly grin.
Castiel nodded before swimming off to the shore.
'What do I do?' Dean whispered when Charlie came up to his side.
'Well, he's still…normal…ish,' she replied.
'He looked like he was about to break.'
'At least you won't be surprised when he does finally break,' she pointed out.
The pair forced casual smiles as Castiel settled on the shore, the water up to his chest and his notebook resting on a rock. He waved them over before he opened his notebook and began making a table.
'For now, let's keep him busy,' Charlie said.
'Agreed,' Dean replied.
They swam to the shore and lounged with their tails still in the water. Charlie busied herself with applying sunblock while Castiel measured her fins.
'I just don't understand your coloration,' Castiel mumbled as he compared Dean's fins to Charlie's.
'What? The bright colors? That's straight up nature,' Charlie replied. 'Better for attracting a mate, and it helps with keeping track of the rest of the colony.'
'No… I mean... Based on your tails, I would have assumed that you were the male and Dean was the female,' Castiel replied.
'Hey! Very male here!' Dean snapped as he crossed his arms and pulled his fin from Castiel's grip.
Charlie giggled as she rolled onto her front. 'He means that there are a lot of animals out there where the girls are camouflaged and the boys are flamboyant,' she explained. 'Not us, though. We're all flamboyant.'
'Except me,' Dean grumbled.
'Well, yeah.'
'But I would think that you'd all have a more camouflaged look,' Castiel said as he lined his tape measure up with one of the longer spines at the base of Charlie's back. 'It makes more sense. How else would you be able to sustain multiple populations and never be seen?'
'We move around,' Charlie replied with a shrug. She flattened her spines as she yawned.
'We're smart enough to avoid your ships,' Dean added.
'Says the guy that got caught in a net!' Charlie said with a laugh. She flicked her tail and splashed water onto Dean and Castiel.
Dean buried his face in his arms as he groaned. 'It was an accident! At least I never swam head first into a…a…those underwater boats.'
'Submarine,' Charlie said evenly, avoiding Castiel's curious gaze.
'You hit a submarine? What happened?' Castiel asked.
'I bruised my head. And my ego,' Charlie replied. 'It was just a sunken one, anyway.'
'So like hitting a parked car,' Castiel said with small grin.
Charlie quickly brought up her tail and smacked Castiel on the side, pushing him over. 'Let's see you chase a school of fish and not run into shit!'
.-.-.-.-.
Gabriel was on his way back into the dining room when the lobby door opened, revealing Charlie. He thinned his lips as he stared at her. 'I still don't know what to make of you,' he said.
Charlie smiled and gave a bashful shrug. 'I'm still me,' she replied. 'Uh, how are—oh!' She was pushed out of the way by Dean, and she threw him a glare.
Dean stuck his tongue out as he held the door open for Castiel.
'Cas!' Gabriel's confused feelings about Charlie vanished as he took in his brother—completely absorbed with making notes in a battered and water-splotched notebook. 'How're ya' doin'?'
'Fine,' Castiel replied distractedly. 'I wish I had access to an x-ray machine…' He walked past his brother and stopped in front of the dining room door.
'Got it,' Dean said, opening the door for Castiel before following him into the dining room.
'I'm doing okay, too. Got myself sorted. Thank you for your concern,' Gabriel said to the spot where Castiel had been standing.
'He's in a lull,' Charlie said. 'He does fine when he's busy with his notes, and it gives us a break from having to actively find things to distract him with that won't set him off. Just uh…don't mention anything relationship related. Or his old job. Or his new job.'
Gabriel sighed heavily and nodded before heading into the dining room. 'Thanks,' he said quietly, making sure the rest of the crew couldn't hear. 'I'm good to go if you're ready to break him.'
'Then we'll just stop being careful and let it happen. Don't see any reason to push it,' Charlie said as she stood next to Gabriel and watched Dean pull out a chair for Castiel. Dean glanced up at her, and she gave him a grin and a thumbs-up. He nodded and looked down before taking a seat next to Castiel.
'Cas. Cassie. Hey, Cassie-belle!' Balthazar tapped his glass on the table in front of Castiel to get his attention. He grinned when Castiel's head shot up and the notebook snapped shut loudly. 'Welcome back.'
Castiel stared at Balthazar with wide eyes. He looked around the table and saw the rest of the film crew looking at him. Had anyone seen what he was writing? It was mostly shorthand and numbers, but what if they could still make something out?
'So where've you been all afternoon?' Balthazar asked, glancing knowingly between Castiel and Dean.
'W-what?' Castiel swallowed. Did Balthazar know?
'Thought you were gonna help edit. Pick out some underwater shots,' Balthazar explained. 'You could have just said you wanted to ditch to play with your new boytoy.'
'We weren't…' Castiel's mind caught up with what Balthazar had just said. He was in the clear. No one knew. Dean's secret was still safe. 'I'm sorry. I completely forgot.'
'It's fine,' Balthazar replied before taking a swig of his drink. 'You just lost any creative input is all.'
'Oh… Okay.'
'Ass shots galore.'
Castiel's shoulders slumped. That was not how he wanted to be immortalized.
'Oh, and your boyfriend called.'
Castiel frowned and looked at Dean. 'You have a phone?'
'Your other boyfriend,' Balthazar reiterated as Dean shook his head. 'Crowley.'
'Oh.' Castiel pulled his phone from his pocket, wondering why Crowley hadn't bothered to call him directly. He grunted in annoyance when he realized that his phone was dead. He looked back up at Balthazar expectantly.
'He said the bungalow's free tomorrow, and that he'll know if you touched the bed,' Balthazar said, looking between Castiel and Dean. He rolled his eyes at Dean's friendly smile. At least Castiel had the decency to blush. 'And your uh…box is next to the TV.'
'Oh. Good.' Castiel smiled as he licked his lips. He couldn't wait to show off his costume in front of Dean. He hoped he was still the same size.
'Do I even want to know what's in the box?'
'Probably not.'
Balthazar leaned back in his chair and chewed his lip in contemplation. Given the new information he had about his ex… 'Is it bondage related?'
'That's in a different box,' Castiel automatically replied.
'What?!' Balthazar stood up suddenly, making his chair fall over. 'How— Why—?! Why didn't… Argh! I am never going to find a kinky, nerdy…sexual deviant again! Right under my nose the entire time!'
Castiel rubbed the cover of his notebook self-consciously. 'I'm not nerdy,' he quietly argued.
Balthazar threw his hands in the air as everyone around them laughed. Grumbling about the unfairness in the world, he left the dining room.
Alfie watched in amusement as Balthazar left. 'Maybe I should let him answer Miss Kismet's letters,' he said.
'Why? She threaten to tie you up and spank you?' Anna asked.
'That's the short version, yes,' Alfie replied.
Castiel frowned as the name rang through his head. He knew a few Kismets when he and Crowley had hung around Lucifer and Michael. 'Kismet? Does she have two sisters?'
'Yeah. She's the youngest. You know them?'
Castiel took a deep breath. 'In a way.'
'Which one did you sleep with?' Gabriel asked in a tired tone as he pinched the bridge of his nose.
'We went to some of the same…parties,' Castiel replied. He could feel his face heating up. In all honesty, he couldn't remember if really had slept with any of the three Kismet sisters.
'You—' Gabriel broke off, shaking his head. He didn't want to get into this conversation with his brother just yet. He was still too worked up about Sam, and Castiel was on the verge of a mental breakdown. When they were both back in their right minds, then he would corner his baby brother and interrogate him. 'Never mind. You want a drink?'
'What?' Castiel was thrown by the sudden change in subject.
'Sam's making margaritas. They're really good. Never woulda thought someone like him could make one,' Gabriel replied.
'Someone like him?' Anna repeated. 'He is the ultimate handyman! I'd be surprised if he couldn't make a simple margarita!'
'Well, it did take me a few days to learn a decent recipe,' Sam said as he set a tray of drinks on the table. He glanced at Castiel and gave him an uncertain smile. He sighed in relief when he received and uneasy smile in return.
.-.-.-.-.
That night in bed and wrapped securely in Dean's arms, Castiel's heart raced. Tomorrow he would essentially be getting married. Were there supposed to be witnesses? Would Muffin qualify as a witness? What if he did something wrong? Would Dean hate him? Was he supposed to give Dean something to signify their relationship?
A soft, trilling whistle drifted through the air, and Castiel relaxed as he focused on the sound. It stopped for a moment and he felt a kiss on the back of his head.
'Cas? You okay?' Dean asked.
'I'm fine,' Castiel insisted. He refused to believe that his brother was right, and that he was about to freak out over the turn his life had taken. He was just a little stressed. He could deal with it. So what if he had lost his job and was stuck on some joke of a show halfway around the world? So what if mythological creatures were real and he was currently sleeping with one? So what if…
The soft trill was back, and Castiel smiled as he listened. It wasn't exactly a song or particularly pretty. But he found comfort in in nonetheless. If he had to pick a sound that it was similar to, he would have to say it was like a constant, chirpy purr. He breathed a soft sigh as he closed his eyes. 'I'm fine.'
