Nine
There were quite a few things Dean could count on during a hunt: good coffee, good tunes (because he was in charge of the radio nine times out of ten), and some good old-fashioned salting and burning if it came to that.
The few things Dean hadn't counted on presented themselves during the stake out.
Sam had sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck when he had mentioned Eileen Leahy was in town and hunting the same thing the brothers were. He hadn't so much as asked, but rather almost silently demanded that she join in the effort alongside him and Dean. Dean had only narrowed his gaze and tried his best to sound supportive, despite still thinking it was a bad idea for Sam to be hanging around her. He'd had too much floating around in his jumbled mind to argue though.
The second obstacle was Claire. She had wanted to join in, claiming she was itching for a good hunt. Jody was already occupying the west end of the town, hot on patrol for criminals along with specters. Sam and Eileen had taken off on foot. Sam having sensed Dean's awkwardness and figured it best to distance themselves. This left Castiel with Dean and Claire in the Impala, sitting on the east side and watching the train tracks.
"I forgot there weren't parts of hunting that were exciting." Claire piped up.
She picked underneath her fingernails. She had her feet kicked up onto the seat of the Impala, but she remained as vigilant as a hawk. Dean admired her ability to still relax in some way during a hunt. Of course, this particular hunt wasn't exceedingly high stakes.
"Sorry they left that part out in class." Dean replied, adjusting his back mirror so he could see her. "Feet off the upholstery."
"My shoes are clean," Claire retorted, looking off into the distance behind the Impala's rear end. "No sign of spirits yet. You?"
"Nothing from up front," Dean muttered, still a bit upset about the shoe issue, but willing to let it go based on how intently Claire was paying attention to what was happening around her.
"I suspect they'll be out soon," Castiel mentioned, motioning to the clock on the dashboard. "It's close to eleven."
"Did anybody bring coffee?" Claire asked. "I've got homework due tomorrow at noon."
"Thought you gave up school?" Dean asked, genuinely surprised at her question. Long ago Claire had explicitly stated that she would rather hunt than pursue anything academic. A sentiment which Dean both openly despised, but secretly hoped for. The world needed more hunters badly ever since Chuck had gone an initial round of playing games. Yet, he also had hope eventually for a normal life for anyone in the business.
He'd seen glimpses of his own normal life. Something that was just ever so slightly out of reach.
"I promised Jody I'd take at least one class," Claire replied. "Myths and Legends of America. Figured it would come in handy."
"Well I am proud of you," Castiel leaned back to face her. "As I'm sure your father would be too. You're a brilliant young mind."
"Way to lay it on thick Cas," Claire felt her cheeks flush and she smirked. "Thanks for the compliment though."
"You're welcome Claire." Castiel smiled and Dean found himself staring for a moment.
The angel's smile had always been a point of fascination for the hunter. It had been nonexistent when the pair had first met. Castiel's lack of emotion had made it harder to hide the initial attraction Dean had felt towards him. It had been so long since a man had turned his head, Dean had suspected it was simply a flight of fancy that would go away the moment he got somebody into bed with him. After all, it had been far too long. It was part of the reason he'd agreed to sleep with Anna.
The feeling had remained even after the passion that ensued. He'd felt Castiel's eyes on him the moment Anna had kissed him, and Dean had felt a twinge of guilt directed towards himself for still feeling the way he did. It had been the first emotion Castiel had shown: disappointment. Dean had seen it in those crystal blue eyes, and it had sent a punch straight through his gut to his spine.
As the years passed, the angel became closer to humans and thus developed more emotions. He'd fallen and become fully human. He'd struggled silently with adjusting and Dean had helped all he could, keeping his own feelings under wraps as it hadn't seemed appropriate.
That was the excuse he'd come up with. The timing. The supposed wrongness of it all. His own emotional stunting. That had to be it.
"Dean," Castiel spoke and snapped Dean out of his trance. The hunter realized he'd been staring. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah," Dean licked his lips, shaking his head and turning back to face the graveyard beyond the train tracks. His cheeks felt heated from embarrassment.
"I'm good."
He pretended not to notice Claire rolling her eyes in the back seat.
"There." Castiel pointed and from across the way Dean saw it too. Movement. A woman in a long dress walked out from the tree line and casually looked down and around at the graves surrounding her. Slowly, other spirits materialized and greeted her with silent nods and waves. Dean reached down to the middle of the front bucket seat at the same time as Castiel for the iron rods.
Their fingers brushed against one another for a brief moment, causing the both of them to pause, and Dean silently wished the moment would have lasted eternally.
As usual, that couldn't be the case. Castiel quickly exited the vehicle and Claire followed. Dean slid from the driver's seat, swallowing a hard lump that was starting to form in his throat and accidentally backing into Claire in the process.
"You good?" she asked, and Dean was at a loss for words for a moment before he nodded.
"I'll tell you one thing," she continued, shaking her head as she walked off to follow Castiel. "I could cut the tension in that car with the dullest knife on the planet."
Dean pocketed his iron and let her words take residence in his head. He suddenly felt as though all his limbs were going numb and he walked without much thought past the train tracks into the cemetery.
"We just want to talk." Claire announced to the spirits upon stopping before them.
Castiel, Dean, and Claire lifted their iron the second the spirits turned from calm beings to shrieking banshee-like creatures in a moment's time.
"So much for that." Claire remarked and took aim at the nearest spirit rushing at her.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-
Dean's arms hurt from the number of times he'd taken aim at a ghost and made it vanish. He'd sent the code word to both Jody and Sam in a pre-typed text. Sam was on his way with the spell to make them all vanish for good. The sooner the better, Dean was starting to grow weary.
Weariness often led to mistakes.
Dean hadn't anticipated a spirit to manifest behind him and he spun around to see her shrieking face and to be thrown a few feet into a gravestone. Dean's back cracked upon impact, his head lolling for a brief moment before he managed to lift it once again.
Castiel stood in front of him, facing the spirit with an outstretched arm and blasting her with a wave of his power. Dean closed his eyes tightly and shielded his face as Castiel blasted the spirit away. Claire was busy in the other side of the graveyard, narrowly avoiding headstones and plots as she kept each specter at bay until Sam and the others could arrive.
"Dean," Castiel kneeled down beside the hunter and begun to lift him up. "Are you alright?"
"You've been asking me an awful lot of that question lately." Dean chuckled and groaned as he got to his feet, still supported by Castiel's right half.
"It has relevance." Castiel looked over at him and Dean met the angel's gaze. Their faces were so close. He could've reached out to those lips at any given point.
Tires squealed across the way and Sam, Jody, and Eileen sped from where they stood towards the graveyard. Dean took the opportunity to shrug away from Castiel, despite not wanting to leave his grip. The angel flinched ever so slightly but composed himself upon seeing the apologetic look Dean was hoping he was conveying properly.
Sam shouted out the banishing spell and the spirits screamed as they contorted and bust into flames. One by one the combusted, until the last cry and then they were gone. Claire panted and leaned against a nearby grave, staring at Jody and the others. Dean nodded at her, then Sam. Eileen ran to Claire, walking with her back to the entrance of the graveyard.
"That should do it." Jody remarked and Sam nodded. "Where'd you get that book?"
"Eileen had it," Sam explained, knowing Dean could hear him. He could feel his brother's hard stare as the group started back in the direction of the cars. "She figured it would come in handy."
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
Somehow, they ended up at a bar. Claire casually forgot to mention her homework and Jody had the next day off. Eileen and Sam made their way over to the bartender, ordering a drink each, and Castiel joined them. Dean claimed a stool in between Claire and Jody.
"Forgot to mention this one's twenty-one now," Jody threw her arm around Claire, engulfing her in a side hug and Claire playfully rolled her eyes.
"I wasn't going to make a big deal out of it." Claire replied.
Dean broke into a smile. Sam, Eileen, and Castiel joined by their side, drinks in hand. Dean raised his and Jody and Claire followed suit.
"Well now we've got two reasons to celebrate." Dean remarked.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
The evening had turned into a blur by the time the group left. Jody and Castiel offering to DD the moment they realized the other hunters of the group had indulged a little too much. Claire climbed into the passenger side of Jody's truck, lazily waving, and smiling like a child. Dean caught a hint of sadness deep down. Claire had needed that night. Kaia still haunted her; he could see it deep down.
Jody nodded and drove off.
Sam and Eileen piled into the backseat of the Impala, giggling, and whispering things to each other that Dean couldn't hear. At one-point Sam snorted and Dean watched him throw his arm around Eileen, pulling her close to his chest, and clearly not caring if Dean saw.
Dean said nothing.
Instead, he watched the way Castiel's fingers gripped the keys as he turned them in the ignition and begged whatever other Gods were out there, so hard it hurt, that they could be entwined through his own.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
"Forgot it was Claire's birthday," Dean mumbled as he and Castiel stumbled through the door to Dean's bedroom. The alcohol had started to hit harder, and Dean was having a hard time walking, much less articulating most of his words.
"Feel like an ass about it."
"I'm sure she forgives you, Dean." Castiel assured him and let go once Dean reached the dresser, where his hand held tight onto the side.
The room was dull in color to Dean at the moment, but Castiel stood out like a beautiful flame. He broke into a bright smile.
"You know how hard it is to resist?" Dean asked, swallowing his cotton mouth.
"I'm not sure I understand, Dean." Castiel cocked his head and Dean chuckled at the sight. It had been so long since Castiel had been utterly clueless.
"You," Dean threw his arms around Castiel, pulling him in for a tight hug. "How hard it is to resist telling you the biggest thing I've been hiding."
Dean stared hard into Castiel's eyes, allowing his head to dip ever so slightly, and his lips to graze the corner of the angel's mouth for a mere drunken moment. It was quick, the half kiss, and Dean immediately backed up after, leaving Castiel to stare in shock.
"Don't know why I'm so damn afraid." Dean chuckled, but it sounded sad, scared.
Castiel backed away, giving the hunter space to sit down on the edge of the bed, and hesitated a moment before he spoke again.
"You're drunk Dean," Castiel shook his head, although his heart had begun to race. Dean removed his shoes, licking his lips, and limberly tossing them aside.
Though it was the closest to a confession Castiel would ever get, he'd take it for what it was.
"Get some sleep. I'll be here in the house when you wake."
The angel's gaze lingered even long after he shut the door.
The room was filled with gentle silence and Dean's chest begun to ache as he sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands.
Read and Review!
Whew the ending of this chapter was a bit of a doozy wasn't it my friends? Drunken Dean confessing is one of my favorite tropes and I'm glad I was able to use it. Don't worry, even if Dean might not fully remember this night, Castiel sure will, and it will definitely lead to a conversation or two in the future.
I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter and I will see you again soon in the next one!