Angel Machine

Castiel stared up at the blinking claw machine towards the back of the arcade. Unlike Balthazar and Gabriel, Castiel wasn't going to waste his last quarter of the day on a silly game of Pacman or Dance, Dance Revolution. No, he had something far greater planned for his little quarter. Sitting between a purple lion and a frightening looking Smurf with a smashed face sat a little bee. It had white wings with blue stitching and had a fuzzy yellow and black body. Castiel wanted it more than anything.

Cas pushed his quarter into the slot and the machine chimed to life. Castiel grabbed hold of the handle, fire in his eyes as he guided the claw back and forth until it hovered over the bee. Taking in a big breath, Castiel pressed the red button on the game. He watched the claw lower itself, holding his breath the entire time. The claw claimed its prize and Castiel shrieked. It grabbed the Smurf!

The claw carried the ugly Smurf to the compartment that lead to the inside of the machine. The Smurf fell in and Cas reached in, pulling out the Smurf. He glared at the hideous creature, cursing at it hatefully in muttered enochian. He glanced back towards the glass and stared at the bee seated next to the purple lion. That had been his last quarter that Dean had given him and he had failed in his mission. The young angel's heart sank and he opened the compartment again to put the Smurf back inside and pretend he never got it. His hand froze as he held the Smurf over the opening. He pulled the stuffed toy back and turned his head to the side as he stared at the opening curiously. It was about his size. Castiel's eye glimmered as the idea struck him.

Cas dropped the Smurf to the floor and crawled into the compartment.

"Cas!" Dean shouted, looking worriedly through the arcade. It had been a solid 20 minutes since Cas had vanished into thin air. Dean had been playing a game of air hockey with Kevin while Charlie played Pacman with Gabriel and Bobby watched Sam and Balthazar play Dance, Dance Revolution. Cas had just vanished from his side without a single word and Dean was starting to get worried. He already had a thing against taking the angels to grocery stores; he did not want to add arcades to that list too.

Dean was just walking past the Whack-a-Mole game when a blur of tan and blue moved in the corner of his eye. The hunter whirled around, spotting the claw machine sitting in the corner of the arcade. Sitting abandoned on the floor next to it was a disfigured Smurf doll. Dean walked over to the machine and picked it up, frowning at the toy.

"Hello, Dwean." The hunter's head shot up painfully fast and his hand dropped the toy. Dean glanced around himself, turning his head towards the machine when something started tapping the glass. The older Winchester's eyes widened. Sitting next to a purple lion was Castiel with a bee plushy pressed protectively to his chest.

"Cas, what the hell?!" Dean shouted, pressing both hands to the glass. Castiel smiled and triumphantly held up the stuffed bee.

"I ran out of quarters, but look, Dwean! I got it!" Dean lowered his head, taking in deep breaths as he tried to calm himself. Of course. Of course Castiel would crawl into some damn machine for a fucking bee toy. Of course he'd give Dean a fucking heart attack just by being his adorable little self. "Dwean?" The hunter looked up at the angel and Castiel looked uneasily towards the compartment he'd crawled through. "I can't get out." Dean's brows fell into a frown.

"Can't get out? Cas, you crawled in. You can crawl back out." Cas shook his head and pointed towards the compartment.

"When I crawled in the toys fell away from the hole. I don't have anything to help me climb back up to the hole. I tried to move them, but they keep falling back down and I can't use why wings with all these people around." The angel's lip started to wobble and he clutched tighter to the bee in his hands. "Dwean, I'm trapped," the angel choked. Dean's face fell to one of sympathy and he tapped lightly at the glass. "Hey, hey, Buddy, it's okay. It'll be okay, Cas." Dean hushed, trying to keep the angel from crying. "I'll get you out." Dean glanced around; thinking about calling for the manager, but that wouldn't get Cas out right away. The manager would probably call for the police or the fire brigade or something. That would take forever. He needed Cas out now and there was only one way to do that.

Dean pulled a quarter from his pocket, ignoring the confused look Castiel gave him. He shoved the quarter into the slot and the machine chimed to life. Dean grinned through the glass at Castiel.

"Hold on, angel," he whispered before moving the stick back and forth carefully. Cas stared up at the claw, watching as it carefully aligned itself above him. Dean squinted at the claw carefully, adjusting it a few centimeters to the left and then to the right before finally deciding to call it. Dean slammed his hand down on the button and the claw dropped, hooking Cas' trench coat. Dean shouted out with glee and punched the air with his fist as the claw lifted the angel and his bee into the air before dropping them into the compartment. Dean quickly pushed open the door hiding his prize and Castiel peaked out at him with a large smile. The angel lunged into the hunter's arms, burring his face into Dean's shirt. Dean smiled down at the angel, hugging Cas close.

"Looks like I got two prizes in one, huh?" Dean chuckled as Cas pulled back a little and revealed the bee still safe and sound in his hands. Castiel grinned back at him, reaching out for another hug that Dean quickly gave him. "You know…" Dean hummed into the curls atop Castiel's head. "…you could have just asked for another quarter." Cas pulled back and glared up at the hunter. He opened and closed his mouth like some sort of fish before finally crossing his arms and looking away.

"That wouldn't have been any fun," the angel sassed, cheeks flushing a bright shade of pink. Dean laughed again and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, Cas," Dean chuckled, ruffling Castiel's hair. "Let's go make sure your jumping into games isn't contagious. God knows what your brothers could have climbed into by now," Dean joked. Castiel hummed in agreement and Dean stepped forward.

Squeak!

Dean and Castiel both jumped at the loud noise and glanced at what was beneath Dean's foot. Crushed beneath Dean's boot was the hideous Smurf doll that had been dropped there. Dean leant down and picked it up with his free hand, setting it in the arm holding Cas. The angel grimaced and leaned as far from the Smurf as he could. A loud laugh pushed past Dean's lips as he watched the interaction. Cas glared daggers at him, but Dean laughed all the way back to the others and long after.

Thanks, SFninja39DragonStar, for the request!