Beta: InThePalmOfMyHand
Warning: Let's be real here. If you made it this far, you shouldn't need to be warned about mature content, right? ^o*
But... just in case someone wandered in here, lost and confused: This chapter contains graphic material and loads of kinkiness (really, it got away from me...). Read at your own risk.
Enjoy!
Charlie kept casting worried glances through the doorframe of Castiel's office, watching him closely.
He looked pale and very worried.
Of course, who wouldn't after finding such a nasty little surprise? Who could've sent him those pictures? And how did they get them?
It must be horrifying to discover that someone was watching you during some of your most intimate and personal moments.
"Stop doing that." Ruby's quiet order came from the desk right beside Charlie. She turned to the other woman, who had not bothered to look up from her paperwork. "You're going to give him away. Stop staring at him before someone gets suspicious."
Charlie bit her lip, glancing down for a moment, before suddenly rolling her chair over right next to the blonde. She whispered lowly, "But-! What are we going to do? This is really bad. That was obviously a threat!"
Ruby sighed and finally looked up, annoyance clearly written across her pretty features. "The only thing we can do now is wait. They made the first move so they have the upper-hand."
"But, we have to do 'something'. Castiel is in danger."
Ruby stared at Charlie for several seconds, seeming to have some sort of inner debate. At last, she spoke. "I'm working on it, okay?" Charlie blinked and waited for her to continue. The blonde rolled her eyes and sighed again. "Alright, listen carefully. I've been working my way into the Executives' secretaries' circle, alright? I've been feeding them little tidbits and details about Castiel to get into their good graces. I figure, if they think they can pull me over to their side as a spy, then I can act as a double-agent and spy on them in return."
Charlie's mouth fell open. "That…that is the single most awesome idea I have ever heard in my entire life! I mean, except obviously anything that that the Doctor comes up with, but he's from a special species, so it doesn't count. Oh, and obviously when Sherlock planned out the Reichenbach Fall, but he's also kind of-" She trailed off at the expression on Ruby's face. "But, anyway- love the plan! How can I help?"
"All you have to do is act natural. Whenever the secretaries are around, I'll slip into character. You just need to pretend that you and I don't like each other."
"Oh, well that shouldn't be too hard." Charlie cringed as the words left her mouth. To her surprise, Ruby flinched as well. She almost seemed…sad for a moment, before hastily pulling her features back to their usual cold expression.
Charlie decided that it was time to ask the question that had been bothering her. "Ruby, I wanted to ask- why did you let me come with you guys? You know, back at the Lawrence airport?"
Ruby frowned at her before turning back to her paperwork.
Charlie decided she was already pushing her luck, might as well go all in. She leaned over, nudging the other woman gently with her elbow and humming cheerfully, "C'mon! No need to shy. We're practically BFFs now. Spill it!"
Ruby eyed her elbow as if it was a fly in her soup and mumbled, "Knock it off. We're supposed to be enemies, remember?"
Charlie moved away slowly, keeping her features schooled, but she continued, "Admit it. You want to my friend! That's why you told Naomi to let me come along. You had an epiphany about how cool and awesome and fun I am and decided to jump from that tall, cold ivory tower you keep yourself locked in, and free fall into the warm embrace of my undying friendship!"
Ruby lifted her wide, incredulous eyes to Charlie and stared as if she expected Charlie to suddenly shout, 'Smile! You're on Candid Camera!'
"Charlie. Shut up."
Charlie did shut her mouth, and even moved back over to her desk. But after a few seconds of silence she sing-songed low enough to be heard by Ruby.
"Best. Friends. For-ev-er."
The other woman sighed loudly and shook her head, groaning in a barely audible voice, "God, what did I do to deserve this shit…?"
…-^o^-…
It wasn't until lunch time that Ruby's plans finally began to bear fruit.
Charlie looked up to see several women walking over to their desks. She recognized them as secretaries from different departments. The blonde leading the pack was named Lilith, and she was the Head Quarter's CEO, Zachariah's personal secretary. Charlie had thought she looked like a Grade 'A' Bitch. The thought was confirmed as soon as she opened her mouth.
"Oh my God, Ruby! You were totally right. I thought you were joking when you said you worked with a freakshow! What was it? A ginger-hipster-lesbian? I can't believe you were serious!"
Charlie's back straightened at the undisguised insult. "Excuse the hell out of me, bitch?" She asked smiling carefully, tilting her head at Lilith and her giggling cronies.
Lilith ignored her completely, turning a warm smile to Ruby. "We're all going out for lunch. You should come with. Zachariah's name gets me into all the best restaurants."
To Charlie's mild shock, Ruby smiled back cheerfully at the woman, the happy look almost terrifying to see on her usually stoic face.
It didn't look bad- Ruby was a hottie. But it was so unusual that Charlie felt like she had just stepped into the Twilight Zone.
"Thank God you asked! I was afraid I was going to be stuck eating here. You have no idea the ridiculous things Mr. High-and-Mighty in there is making me do!" She gestured with an exasperated eye-roll to Castiel's office.
Lilith's smile widened like a crocodile's, and she crooned, "Oh, you'll have to tell me all about it over lunch. I feel so bad for you!"
"Ugh! Definitely!" Ruby stood and moved out from behind her desk, grabbing her purse as she went. She cast an disgusted look over to Charlie, who was glaring up at her, and snapped out, "Oh my God! Stop checking me out for like, five seconds, puh-lease!" She turned her eyes helplessly to the other women, giving them a look that obviously showed how freaked out she was by Charlie. "And take care of the rest of that paperwork on my desk while you're here. I'm sick of having to do ALL the work." She added, smiling smugly to the others and mouthing the word 'lazy'.
Charlie seemed to recover from her shock fast, rising slowly and biting out, "Slow your roll, bitch. I take orders from Mr. Novak, not blond tramps on power-trips. Except in the bedroom, of course. But, uh, you don't quite meet my high standards." She looked Ruby up and down, clearly not impressed.
Lilith stepped in at this point, smirking as she motioned Ruby away. She smiled a sickly sweet smile at Charlie and threatened, "Careful, freakshow. I have a lot of connections and sway with my boss, Zachariah. If you want to be employed this time next month, I suggest you learn your place."
Charlie frowned and sputtered for something to say back. Lilith didn't bother waiting, spinning gracefully away and sweeping out with Ruby in tow.
Just as they were almost out of the large office area, Charlie saw Ruby carefully glance back, her face showing a hint of concern.
Charlie threw her a wink and thumbs up, earning a genuine grin from Ruby before the woman turned back around and left.
…-^o^-…
Teddy was on the phone again.
Tessa had already tried eavesdropping like before, but she ran out of excuses to linger around the man. She wasn't trying to be nosy. It was just that, the few bits of conversation she had managed to overhear sounded…bad. She was afraid Teddy was involved in something serious.
"You going to stand there sighing all day, or would you mind refilling my coffee, Tess?" Henrikson's steady voice asked.
Tessa snapped her attention back to the man who was frowning at her. "Sorry, Sheriff. Just thinking." She moved to fill up his coffee cup. He was seated at the counter, half-way through a slice of pie, as he watched the news.
"Anything good on today?" She asked, wrenching her attention away from Ted in his corner.
"More about that corporate shake-up. Apparently the ADA founder and oldest son still haven't been seen and rumors are flying. Left the youngest in charge. Kid looks miserable, if you ask me. And he's supposed to go toe to toe with Cathy Campbell tomorrow." He shrugged as he sipped his coffee and began working on his pie again.
Tess frowned at the report, looking up at the old television. The image was grainy at best, but she could she the flashing images on the screen well enough. The words were harder, but she managed to sort them out. It was all about the new heir to the company. The image of a handsome, frowning man with startlingly blue eyes appeared on the screen.
Hmm… She thought in surprise. The man had just about the exact same eye color as Teddy. Lucky bastards, she thought with a smile. She was stuck with plain brown eyes.
The image changed, the words flashing 'Missing ADA Founder'. A new image appeared.
Tessa blinked, squinting up at the screen. The same blue eyes again. This time on a the clean-shaven face of an older man. His hair was shockingly white.
She frowned, trying to see better. He actually looked a lot like-
The TV cut off.
Tessa turned fast to see Chuck holding the remote. He smiled at her gently, but his eyes stayed locked on hers. After a moment, he turned them pointedly to the Sheriff sitting a few feet across from where she stood, then back to hers.
Tessa's mouth opened slightly, but she closed it after a few seconds. Her wide eyes shot over to Teddy, still talking on the phone and staring calmly out the window in his little corner booth.
When she finally turned back to Chuck, she had made a decision.
She nodded her head once. An unspoken agreement passing between the two.
"Sheriff, shouldn't you be getting on back to work? I'd hate for you to get into any trouble just because I make a damn good pie." She smiled brightly at the man, who glanced at his watch and hopped up quickly.
"You're right, I've been hanging out here too long. I'll see you two next time, alright?" He left without a second glance at her, Chuck, or the 'missing' ADA Founder who was sipping coffee in the corner booth of their small North Dakota diner.
…-^o^-…
Dean was pissed.
Actually, no- pissed didn't cover what Dean was feeling at the moment.
His Thursday was shit. It had started out shit. Progressed into more shit. And now, as the day was finally ending, was concluding- surprise!- as shit.
After making the announcement to everyone first thing in the morning that he and Lisa were back on and re-engaged, his friends had been giving him the silent treatment.
Who the fuck were they to judge him? He could damn-well decide who he wanted to spend his life with. Plus, Lisa was pregnant! As far as any of them knew, it was Dean's baby. Dean had been very clear about that.
Lisa had nodded her head quietly in response during the announcement, but otherwise stayed silent. She wasn't comfortable with the lie. The irony that it had been her plan in the first place didn't seem to make it any easier on her.
But despite all of that, their friends were hesitant to celebrate the news.
It was making Dean furious. Lisa didn't deserve to be treated like that. She was their friend. And Dean's fiancée, finally. The woman who was supposedly carrying his child.
It was all because of Castiel.
Just thinking the name was enough to elicit a pang of sadness in Dean, but he tried to ignore it.
Everyone was reluctant to welcome Lisa back properly because they had convinced themselves that Dean was meant to be with Castiel. As if Dean hadn't been clear when he warned them all to drop it; pretend like the past several weeks had never happened.
Instead, they frowned at him constantly. They watched him and Lisa together with sad eyes.
Almost as if they knew it wasn't real.
Which was bullshit.
Sam being a punk-bitch and drawing on his face had been bad enough. But then Ellen had cancelled their concert for Friday. She had very curtly explained that it was a matter of practicality. Everyone's minds were going to be on the 'Big Interview' that was happening that morning. Castiel's interview.
It didn't help anything that Castiel's face was all over the TV and newspapers. Dean couldn't go anywhere without seeing Castiel or hearing about him, and the fucking ADA.
It turned out, damn-near half the city worked for the ADA. It seemed like all of Lawrence was tuned in to the latest news- nervously waiting for the interview. The fact that the new head of the company had worked right here in Lawrence briefly only made people more interested in the reports. The Road House now kept at least one TV turned to the news at all hours. Rumor was that the woman interviewing Castiel was a real hard-hitter. She had a reputation for going off script to blindside people. And she was said to have a not-so-secret grudge against the wealthy.
Dean tried to not to let it show, but he was scared.
Scared that Castiel, who he knew was reserved and uncomfortable socially, was going to be hurt by the woman. He wasn't sure that he could watch that- Castiel being attacked in front of the whole world. Dean was pissed about their circumstances and Castiel's abrupt departure from his life, but he couldn't turn off the fact that he cared about the man. He was having to deal with that fact every time the man's name came up.
Castiel was thrown in his face no matter where he went. He heard his name discussed constantly in stores, in the auto shop waiting room, on the damn street as people passed him, chatting to one another.
And now, at nine o'clock Thursday night, it was Castiel who was on Dean's mind, again.
Dean had arrived home to find the house to himself. Sam was staying over at Jess's apartment- the fucking coward laying low after his little face marking tantrum. Dean still had no idea what the fuck was up with that. And Lisa was out with Jo, who blessedly was making an effort to treat Lisa like she wasn't a leper. They were shopping for baby stuff then hitting up dinner and a movie. She expected to be back well after eleven p.m.
Which had left Dean with an afternoon free to continue cat-proofing the house. Lucifer was still shut away in his cage, patiently watching Dean passing by through his sharp green eyes. Or as Sam had described it, 'biding his time'. And it wasn't just Sammy that Lu was giving grief to. Lisa had stepped close to the cage when she had arrived the day before, excitedly reaching out to stroke the kitten's soft black fur. She had barely managed to pull her hand back at the low warning growl in time to avoid fast moving claws swinging towards her head.
Dean wasn't sure what to make of it.
The poor guy probably missed Castiel and the spacious apartment.
And, deep-down, hidden away from the sharp eyes of his friends, Dean missed Castiel, too. And he hated himself for it. Hated the urges to call him. Hated the need to hear his deep voice cutting like gravel through the air. Hated that everything blue reminded him of Castiel's eyes. He just hated everything.
Dean managed to get most of the large house finally cat-proofed, while trying uselessly to banish thoughts of blue eyes and messy hair from his mind. He found a stopping point, and decided to call it a night, dreading the inevitable dreams of Castiel that were sure to come.
As the hot water of the shower washed over him, Dean urged his body to relax. It had been days since he had gotten-off last. Monday morning in fact. In that deep-blue bed with Castiel as the sun began to break outside the bedroom window.
Dean groaned at himself for allowing his mind to remember that morning. His dick twitched enthusiastically, clearly missing the memo from his brain that thoughts of Castiel were not welcome.
With an annoyed sigh, Dean cut the shower off and stepped out. No helping it, now. Little Dean was already perking up. Might as well take care of it.
He reached into the cabinet under the sink, pulling out his stashed 'Busty Asian Beauties' magazine.
He could knock this out quick, then get to bed and, try to fall asleep before thoughts of Castiel could harass him, hopefully.
Twenty minutes later, Dean was cursing furiously at his traitorous dick, panting helplessly as it refused to respond to the posing figures on the pages. Not even page thirty-two! And she had a lot going for her…
He released himself with a groan and leaned against the sink while he stood over the toilet.
He wasn't going to do it.
He knew exactly why he wasn't getting off, and what he needed to do if he wanted to.
But, he wasn't going to go there.
His half-hard dick waited limply for him to cave, occasionally sending a short pulse of heat and need through his body.
Dean cursed angrily. All he wanted to was to get-off so he could get to sleep. It wasn't like someone was going to suddenly pop out from the towel closet and shout, 'Haha! Caught you wanking off to Castiel! Loser!'
He heaved a sigh and released the floodgates of memory.
Castiel's eyes meeting his in the darkness as flashes of fireworks burst high above him.
Castiel's warm smile as he looked up at Dean in the early morning light of dawn, hair ridiculously messed up and wild.
Castiel hot hands grasping for his shoulders, nails digging deep as Dean pumped into him hard from behind. Letting his lips graze over that tantalizing little tattoo just below the back of the man's neck.
Dean's breath was ragged, his cock finally getting onboard with his mind, hardening as he stroked with each imagined thrust into Castiel.
But his final release still eluded him.
Dean worked at it for several more minutes before finally letting out a roar of needy rage.
He couldn't understand it! Ever since meeting Castiel he had never failed to come at the thought of the man. And now, when he went against his own best wishes and allowed himself to fantasize about the him- it was useless!
Dean stomped his foot.
He HAD to get-off. NOW. He refused to quit so far into the game. He'd never be able to get to sleep.
He let his tired mind drift, focusing on his breathing. And then Dick Roman's words suddenly flashed across his mind. 'What I think is that Castiel is not going to put up for long with a straight boyfriend who won't bottom for him.'
That single line slammed through his mind like a train, smashing through the haze of horniness that surrounded his thoughts.
In his desperation to latch on to anything that could help him get off, Dean made a decision.
A terrifying, desperate decision...
He clenched his jaw tight, stomach fluttering at the thought of what he was going to do. He grabbed his towel and wrapped his lower body with it, the soft cotton material rubbing against his hard member.
With the stealth and caution possessed only by ninjas and chronic-masturbaters, Dean slowly opened the bathroom door, the sudden rush of cold air creating goosebumps across his still damp skin. He poked his head out slowly, ear tuned to even the slightest noises. It was never safe to assume a house was empty, especially when the stakes were high. The last thing Dean needed was for Sam or Lisa to suddenly show up while he was half-naked and fully hard.
When he was confident that the coast was clear, he made a dash for his room. The lights were off throughout the house, only the dim lights from streetlights shining through the window helping him navigate the darkness.
A sudden meow from the direction of Lucifer's cage startled Dean, but he recovered quickly, face reddening slightly as he mumbled, "Don't you judge me, Lu."
Once he made it to the safety of his bedroom he shut and locked the door fast. He allowed himself one steadying breath, before dropping the towel and moving quickly across the space to the closet.
If he slowed down or let his brain catch up, he might wuss-out.
He pulled Ash's box of gifts from its hiding place in the back of the closet.
At the top of the box were several guidebooks with pages bent to mark the sections that covered anal sex. Dean's mind flashed back to only last week, when he had enthusiastically perused the sections, taking in as much information and tips as possible.
All for Cas, so Dean could impress him. Make him feel good…
Dean caught himself staring at the volumes and shook the memories from his mind. He removed the books, casting them to the side and searched deeper in the box. He remembered seeing several items that would suit his needs. His hands found a box shaped like the ones he remembered and he pulled it out with shaking hands.
'Crystal Jellies Anal Starter Kit' the package read under the dim light.
Dean felt a shiver run through his body. Am I really going to do this...?
He stared at the three cock-shaped toys in the box, each one a varying size, small, medium, and large.
Yep...I'm really going to do this….
Before his nerves could build up more, he tore into the package and pulled out the smallest dildo and a complimentary bottle of unscented lube.
Alright, he thought, you've done this kind of thing with Cas. You've read up on all of it. Nothing to be freaked out about. It's supposed to feel good. At the very least he would be prepared for the not-too-distant-future prospect of prostate exams….
Geez, his mind was delirious from nerves….
He positioned himself awkwardly on the bed, resting on his knees, his cock bobbing in anticipation.
Uncapping the lube, he poured it generously into his hand, letting it coat his fingers, before placing the small bottle on his nightstand. He paused for just a moment, staring at his slick hand in the dim light of his dark room. His breath caught as the full magnitude of what he was about to do hit him.
There wasn't any going back from this point. If he did this and…and 'liked' it, then he couldn't just go back to normal, could he?
And if he didn't like it, then what? Would that mean Dick was right? Dean wasn't really gay?
He frowned at the thought, the urge to prove Dick wrong surprisingly being the motivation he needed to proceed.
He reached his hand behind himself and shifted forward to give himself better access. He let his fingers glide tentatively across his tight hole a few times. It was sensitive, small tingles ghosting through him.
He took a deep breath and slowly pushed in a finger. He felt himself clench, shying away from the alien sensation. He stopped for a moment, letting himself adjust.
The guides had all said that going slow and having patience was key for first time penetration. He had pretty much skimmed over those sections, just because Cas already had that part down. Naturally, he hadn't expected to be fingering himself open on his bed only a week later.
He checked his breathing, forcing himself to remain calm as he pushed his digit further inside. It felt... strange. He could feel his muscles tightening and loosening around him, small shudders shaking him each time the gripped around his finger. He pulled out partially, then pushed back in faster.
It didn't 'hurt'….
Encouraged, he pulled his finger out and pressed slowly back in with two slick digits now. His body resisted the intrusion more this time, causing him to roll his hips a bit to accommodate the stretching. There was the presence of a dull, aching sensation, coming from that entire area. But not necessarily pain. Just a mild discomfort from the intrusion.
He allowed his body several more moments to relax before pushing both fingers deeper. The feeling of being filled and of having his muscles squeezing against him was different from anything he had ever experienced. He had never imagined that he would be able to feel so much sensation in that part of his body. He decided to add a third finger, easing it in extra-carefully to join the other two.
He thrust the digits in and out, increasing the pace as he grew more relaxed and comfortable. The dull pain was still present, but there was no searing pain or sharp tearing sensations like his mind had always imagined came with anal sex.
Dean removed his fingers, exhaling slightly at the feeling of loss. It surprised him that he felt empty without them.
His cock had softened during the process. He gave it a few gentle pulls to keep it roused, then reached over to pick up the smallest dildo.
He hesitated. The toy was certainly small. It was shorter than the average dick (not that Dean made a habit of checking or anything), and had a smaller girth. He held his other hand up to it and estimated that it was approximately the same size as his three fingers together.
He carefully squirted lube on it, rubbing all over to ensure that it was completely coated. Once he felt comfortable, he leaned forward again and positioned it at his entrance. The head of the toy rubbing against his hole felt weird, but he began to apply pressure despite the fact.
He was met with resistance immediately. He couldn't be sure if it was all in his head or if the toy was just shaped in a way that made it harder to push in than his fingers. His breaths became more harsh as he steadily increased pressure, willing himself to loosen up and allow it in.
A sharp, burning pain began to grow the more he pressed, causing a sweat to break out all over his body, but he continued to add more and more pressure, afraid to lose his progress by backing out now.
After a few more pained seconds he felt something give and knew immediately that he had made it past the tight ring of his entrance. His muscles clenched and released as he let his body adjust to this new feeling.
The sharp burning was still present, but fading fast as his body slowly relaxed around the toy.
Very slowly and carefully, he inched the dildo in further, paying close attention to every sensation and the increasingly full feeling. Once it was fully in, Dean began pulling it slowly back out, feeling his body resist the loss and try to grip it tightly. He hummed at the feeling, heat flushing his body.
His ass was beginning to feel sore from being stretched. The dull ache was distracting him, but it was still manageable.
He reached down to stroke himself with his free hand, simultaneously pulling and pushing the toy in and out.
Not so bad at all, he thought to himself with a small flash of pride. It didn't feel great, but it was nowhere near as painful as his fearful mind had built it up to be over the years. He had done it.
Feeling a strong sense of courage at his victory, he began to experiment more with the small toy. He slowly tilted it and let it roll widely. His muscles ached at the stretching movement, tightening as he tested his boundaries.
Meanwhile, his hand continued its steady pace on his dick, urging it back up.
He returned to the thrusting movements, this time allowing his mind to wander completely free.
He pictured Castiel, grinning sexily up at him. Imagined it was his fingers working themselves in and out of him. His hand pulling at Dean's cock.
Dean felt his breath deepen as he increased the pace.
Castiel's blue eyes locked on his, enjoying watching Dean succumb to the new sensations he was causing.
Dean moaned loudly, intentionally tightening down on the firm bulk of the toy inside him. Fuck. Ah, holy shit….
His cock was hard and heavy in his shaking hand, precum already dripping slowly from the tip as Dean milked the heated length.
'Do you like that Dean? Like me pressing inside you- feeling you up good? Do you want more?' The sound of Castiel's imagined voice, raspy and light, had Dean rocking further into his movements.
Dean was so close his whole body was shuddering and bucking into the thrusts of the toy.
The dull aching had disappeared under the more prominent, tantalizing burn that was spreading and all over his body.
His movements grew erratic as the hand grasping the bottom of the toy tried to push it further and deeper into him, reaching for something.
One deep thrust at just the right angle ripped a keening moan from Dean's breathless mouth.
There! He needed more- right there!
He pushed deep again, desperate, searching as he tried to mimic the thrust. He tilted the toy again going as deep as he could, cursing the wide, flattened bottom of the toy that was inhibiting him from pressing deeper.
He groaned with helpless fury, rocking himself fully backward, the semi-firm surface of the mattress pressing the toy deeper as his hips rolled uncontrollably.
Please-please-please-!
He felt his eyes stinging from the tears that were building.
God-! If he didn't hit that spot again he was going to die of frustration!
He rocked and circled his hips around as his hand fisted his aching cock, so close to finally reaching that release.
Suddenly, he rocked in just the right way and saw stars. His body jolted with pleasure. He held it there, rolling barely enough to repeatedly hit the spot with each movement, heat and sensation and toe-curling pleasure accompanying every brush of the nerves.
He felt his orgasm build thickly, deep inside him. Tried to breath, to prepare himself. Holy shit-! He had never felt it coming on so strong before!
His body moved on its own, keeping the contact deep inside him as his muscles started clenching up uncontrollably to squeeze down on the toy.
The sudden wave of heat and strained nerves choked the breath out of him as his body shot up and tightened. He teetered for an eternity, body frozen, then his world started crashing gloriously around him. He shot his release in several short, mind-racking bursts, as his hand pulled at his pulsing cock with tight, hard strokes. His throat burned, and he realized that he was shouting helplessly as his body shuddered through the orgasm.
The last pulses of pleasure finally faded enough for him regain control of his trembling body. He pitched forward numbly, shoulders grazing, then sliding down, the wooden headboard in front of him. He collapsed, boneless, in a gasping heap on top of his pillows.
As the deafening buzz in his mind finally ebbed away, all he could manage to think was, 'Well, I'll be damned...'
And because that didn't even begin to cover it, he repeated it out loud, his hoarse voice sounding foreign and distant.
"I'll be damned…"
…-^o^-…
"We need to get back, Balthazar!"
Castiel tried to shout the words over the loud music of the club. He had lost his tall friend for nearly thirty minutes in the huge, crowded space. The lights were kept turned down, the occasional strobe light flashing as the only real light in the place.
He didn't have time for this. Tomorrow morning he was going to be facing off with the scariest woman on live TV for an interview. The last thing he needed was to show up unprepared. She would 'destroy' him...more than she was already going to as it was.
Castiel was tired. He had been jostled, pushed, elbowed, and worst of all, 'hit on', for the last several hours. At one point, he had tried to dig out his phone to call Balthazar to find the man, and had discovered that his cell phone was gone- probably pick-pocketed.
He was furious that he had even agreed to sneak out in the first place.
Balthazar had been insistent. He refused to take no for an answer, stating that Castiel needed to get out and let loose if he was ever going to get over Dean.
His solution had been that they escape from the ADA building- after curfew- and hit up the most popular gay club in Down Town San Diego.
And then, to apparently ditch Castiel, leaving him to fend off handsy men the whole night.
He'd even made the mistake of crossing the dance floor while looking for Balthazar. It was a terrible decision. He had suddenly been ambushed on all sides by random men enthusiastically dry-humping him.
It was horrible.
By the time he finally found Balthazar- taking shots from the belly-button of a handsome young man's toned stomach- he was borderline pissed and more than ready to leave.
He tried to pull on Balthazar's shirt to get him to move away from the cheering crowd.
Suddenly, Castiel's eyes caught on a flash of green. He did a double take, eyes falling upon a smiling face nearby.
The stranger seemed to have been hoping to catch Castiel's attention, giving him a small smile and a wink when their eyes met.
Castiel was too focused on the man's face to care.
He had short, styled blond hair and light green eyes.
Just like Dean...
Unfortunately, the similarities stopped there. The stranger was tall and thin. He was wearing a high-end collared shirt and nice slacks that Dean would probably never be seen dead wearing.
But, those eyes….
The man was already moving towards Castiel.
He panicked for a moment, debating running, but he was too lost in those damn eyes.
The man arrived in front of him, smiling widely and leaning in close. His voice was friendly and edged with hope. "Hi there."
Castiel realized he was staring into the man's eyes still, and hurriedly looked away. "Hi. Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to stare."
"No, it's fine. Really. I like the attention." The man seemed surprisingly easy-going compared to the rest of the people in the club who were desperately throwing themselves at him all night. Castiel felt himself relax, just barely.
"My name's Ryan." The man said loudly over the music and louder cheers (Balthazar did five sequential shots, each out of a different man's naval).
"Cas," Castiel answered, flinching when he realized that he had told the man his nickname. The one Dean gave him….
"Nice to meet you, Cas." Ryan smiled and shook his hand. There were more loud cheers (Balthazar bought a round of shots for the whole group). Castiel and Ryan both cringed at the noise. "Hey, do you want to, uh, maybe go somewhere…quieter?" Ryan asked, leaning close to Castiel's ear, his breath tickling the sensitive flesh.
Castiel glanced back over to Balthazar (who appeared to be spanking a young man, who looked to be enjoying it immensely).
Castiel turned back to Ryan, who was waiting patiently, eyes clearly saying that he was willing to beg.
"Um...I-I guess-"
"No. He's leaving. Right now." A firm hand on his arm and Dick's voice had Castiel spinning around fast.
"Dick? What the hell?" Castiel stammered. Ryan seemed uncomfortable, eyeing the two men carefully.
"I'll take you back. Let's go." Dick tugged on his arm, but Castiel wrenched it away, more confused than angry.
"How did you even know we were here?"
Dick frowned at him. "What? What do you mean, how? I got your text. How drunk are you?" He leaned down, apparently inspecting Castiel's eyes in confusion.
"I-I'm not drunk, Dick. And I didn't text you. I lost my phone earli-" Castiel stopped. He had reached into his pocket automatically at the mention of his missing phone, but his hands had suddenly wrapped around it.
As if it had been there the whole time.
Castiel pulled it out and stared at it, lost as to how it was back. He was sure it hadn't been in there an hour ago….
He turned it on and checked his sent messages and, sure enough, there was one sent to Dick.
C: need a pick-up fast. very drunk at the reaper bar in down town (few blocks from ADA). help!-guys keep touching me.
Castiel read and re-read the text incredulously.
NO WAY he had sent it.
He looked up at Dick who was mean-mugging a very worried looking Ryan.
"Dickie! So glad you could make it!" Balthazar's loud voice cut through the crowd.
Dick froze, his eyes widening almost comically as Balthazar suddenly wrapped his arms tightly around him from behind.
"You here to Par-tay, Dickie?" Balthazar asked, emphasizing 'Par-tay' by thrusting his hips against Dick's ass with each syllable.
Dick's face turned bright red and he clawed furiously at Balthazar's arms. "Get the hell off of me you drunk moron-!"
Castiel shook his head. Balthazar had been drinking, but was certainly nowhere near drunk. Hell, drowning in a tank of scotch wouldn't phase the man.
No, he was faking it- as usual- just to rile Dick up.
And it was working- extremely well, judging by the fluent curses spewing from Dick's mouth.
Castiel sighed and turned back to Ryan, who at this point had his eyebrows raised so high they were almost shooting off his forehead. "It was nice meeting you, Ryan. I'm sorry, but I have to go."
The eyes that looked so much like Dean's met his again, and the man smiled sadly. "Yeah, I guess so. Maybe another time…?" He asked, face flushing a bit.
Castiel looked at the man. He liked the young man. He seemed mature and friendly. Actually, a pretty good match to the type Castiel was usually into. But, he looked just a little TOO much like Dean. And Castiel couldn't pretend that he wasn't considering saying yes to the man based soley on his appearance.
"Uh…maybe." Castiel answered weakly, and he could tell Ryan caught the underlying 'no'.
The other man nodded, and slowly walked away.
Castiel huffed a sigh. It was just too soon for all this. He should never have let Balthazar convince him to come out.
He turned back to the two men. Dick was using all his strength to fend off a kiss from Balthazar, the blonde man's head locked tightly in his shaking hands.
"Alright, Dick. Let's head back." Both men paused, turning to Castiel as if they had forgotten he was there.
Dick took advantage of the moment, ducking out from under Balthazar's grip and letting out a very out-of-character gleeful victory shout once he was free. He seemed to recover himself quickly at Castiel and Balthazar's raised eye-brows, straightening out his suit nervously.
He cleared his throat and spoke to Castiel. "Yes. For god's sake, let get out of this… disgusting pit."
He pointedly did NOT look at Balthazar as he turned and walked away, Castiel following behind him.
A glance back showed a grinning Balthazar watching the tall man with sharp, sober eyes as he disappeared into the crowd.
Castiel winced, almost feeling sorry for Dick.
He knew that look, but he certainly wasn't expecting to see it directed at Dick Roman.
People were so surprising sometimes, he thought as he turned back, leaving Balthazar and his Cheshire Cat grin behind.
...-^o^-...
Shortly after Castiel and Dick's departure, Balthazar felt a sharp pinch on his ass.
He turned fast, smiling at the aggressive offender.
He froze.
Never one to be caught off-guard for long, he smirked and drawled out, "Lovely ascot, Gabriel."
Gabriel grinned broadly at him. He was dressed in what only his twisted mind would consider 'incognito'.
His outfit consisted of leopard print skinny jeans, a flared-sleeve white pirate shirt that was unbuttoned ALL the way down his chest, exposing pale skin and dark curls of hair.
And of course, a neon-orange ascot.
Balthazar decided to not even go there. He chose instead to ask the most obvious question.
"I take it you're the one who called Dickie in to take Cassie away?"
Gabriel gave an elegant bow, dipping forward lowly.
Balthazar assumed that was an acknowledgement of guilt. Probably...
"I also take it you have some sort of idea to help get Cassie out of this missing-money predicament?"
Gabriel grinned darkly. "Idea? Balthazar, baby, I have a whole fucking War Strategy. I'm going to to bring Heaven and Hell crashing down by the time this is all over."
He winked up at the taller man and asked lowly, "Wanna help?"
Next up: THE INTERVIEW (Dramatic Reverb)
