Summary of previous chapter: AU Dean is a music store owner who is neighbours with "Gabriel's Gelato" and an empty store. After several applicants a Castiel Novak is accepted to run a pet store and invites Dean over to his place to get acquainted. They get on like a house on fire and Cas asks Dean to help him build Ikea hutches. Dean leaves happy but wondering how long it would be before he messes it up. (aww bby)

Disclaimer: The characters aren't mine, all the songs here referenced are property of their respective writers and the only thing I own here is the plot.

A/N: This is a short one I'm afraid, blame exams and a new found John Green obsession. Anyway, sorry if the characters are OOC, it's one of my many flaws. Oh and any Americanism mistakes are because I'm British.

Thanks for the great response! Please review cause they make me very happy yayayayay

Dedicated to Rex because I'm a lousy letter sender and she's a perfect friend and ADORABLE!

{oh and also Ness cause she's a unicorn xoxox}


Chapter Two

The next day Dean woke up at nine thirty, pulled on a plaid shirt and jeans before stumbling down to Gabriel's Gelato and ordering an espresso. Gabriel left Alfie at the till again and sat across from Dean.

"How come you're up so early on a Sunday?" Gabriel asked as he slid the espresso over.

Dean took a sip of the espresso and relaxed into his chair and when he blinked at Gabriel it wasn't as sluggish as before. Damn that Die Hard TV Marathon last night.

"Well, you know how you sent Cas to me yesterday? He showed me his store but the guy just doesn't understand the Ikea things he bought so I'm going to help him build some hutches and stuff."

Gabriel raised his eyebrows. "Cas?"

Dean tilted his head and glared at him. "The whole sentence and you choose to focus on that? Yeah, Cas, it's a nickname, like Gabe."

Gabriel leant back in his chair and raised his hands. "Okay, Mr Defensive, never mind." He squinted at Dean's hair. "Is that something other than a band shirt?" Gabriel paused and sniffed the air. "Is that cologne? Did you style your hair?"

Dean took another sip of espresso before answering. "Yes, I wanted to try something different, I wanted to actually smell nice for once and the hair? I just put some wax in it, not good?"

"Nah it looks cool," Gabriel grinned. "Don't suppose you're dressing up for a certain pet store owner?"

Dean gave him a disbelieving look. "Yeah you keep telling yourself that Gabe, maybe one day we'll get married and you'll be my best man and there'll be rainbows and glitter!" Dean glared at him before downing his espresso and standing up.

"Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit," Gabriel smirked.

"Yeah well, at least I have some wit," Dean retorted. "Anyway, I best be off, it's almost 11."

Dean turned to walk to the exit when Gabriel stopped him. "Hey, that'd be two dollars. Sorry, I can't keep giving you them on the house, I'm trying to make a living here!"

Dean sighed but smiled. "Gabe, it's fine, I've been feeling kind of guilty about not paying for some anyway." Dean paused before remembering. "Hey Gabe could I get a black coffee and a tea to go?"

Gabriel grinned. "That for you and your new boyfriend?"

Dean rolled his eyes and pushed Gabriel towards the coffee machine. "If you make it snappy I'll leave a tip," he called and laughed as Gabriel hurried towards the counter and hustled a startled Alfie out of the way.

When Gabriel had returned with Dean's change, tea and coffee, Dean was almost out the door as he blurted out: "Hey Gabe it's alright if Cas and I steal some ice cream and coffee during the day right? Yeah? Thought so, kay thanks see ya!" all in one breath. He didn't wait for an answer and ran down the street laughing as Gabriel stood fuming in the doorway.


Cas's store was locked and Dean felt really awkward as he knocked softly on the door, juggling a tea and a coffee and tried to peer around the blinds covering the wide windows. After five minutes, when Dean was contemplating going back to Gabriel's, he heard the sound of a key turning and the door swung inwards to reveal a flustered Cas wearing dark jeans and a cream shirt.

"Hello, Dean."

"Hey Cas, what's up?" Dean gestured at Cas's flustered appearance.

Cas looked down. "I was trying to assemble some of the hutches before you arrived, to try and get the ball rolling, but I have gone completely astray. is that a tea?"

Dean handed Cas the tea and he smiled gratefully, stepping sideways to let Dean into the store. It was brightly lit by floor and ceiling lights that Dean hadn't noticed before and for a second he thought he was in an aeroplane and felt a surge of panic. But then he noticed the pieces of wood and nails flung all over the floor and calmed down.

"No need to fear, the master is here," Dean grinned. He shrugged off his jacket and placed it on the counter with the coffee before turning around and cracking his knuckles. "Let's get to work, eh?"


Three hours, four coffees, three teas and six bowls of ice cream later, they had not been able to construct a single hutch. Between frequent bouts of profanity emitting from underneath piles of wood, Cas had called out random matching letters:

"It says here that E goes with E (2) not E (1) and B slots into F!"

"I tried that but, shit, I just snapped something!"

Gabriel had sneaked in to snap pictures of Dean's butt to upload to Twitter:

"Smile, Deano, yes, perfect! ... 'BobbySinger I have managed to capture the extraordinary experience of a squirrel trapped inside its own nest! #DIYfail'"

"Gabriel, I am going to rip off your fucking balls!"

And Misha (Catsiel) had run out of the apartment upstairs and started nuzzling Dean's leg while he was lifting a particularly heavy piece of wood which promptly fell onto his leg.

"Where do you need this piece of – holy shit what is that oh MOTHERFUCKING HELL THAT HURT, SWEET BABY JESUS..." as well as a long string of words that would have certainly made Castiel's parents pass out.

All in all it resulted in a highly amused Gabriel, a mildly terrified Castiel, a profusely angry Dean and a total of zero hutches.

Dean collapsed on the floor and wiped his brow. "Well Cas, I don't know about you, but I need a beer."

Cas nodded and both he and Dean walked over to Dean's apartment.

As Dean opened the door to his apartment, he cringed in memory of Cas's awesome one. His in comparison was messy, with dirty plates stacked high and tapes, shirts and jeans flung around the floor like the path of a hurricane.

Cas however didn't seem to mind and sat down on Dean's couch. "Do you mind if I use your computer? I'm going to do some research."

"Sure, knock yourself out." Dean tried to discreetly kick his things into his bedroom and scooped up some clothes. I'm going to have a shower, a beer and then how about we take another swing at the hutches?"

Cas nodded, his eyes glued to the screen.


After his shower Dean got dressed and looked at himself in the mirror which he had wiped down with his hand. He rubbed his hand through his hair and snorted. So much for style he thought. Before he left the bathroom he scrawled some lyrics on the clouded mirror and opened the door in a rush of steam.

Cas was stood by the printer. "What're you doing?" Dean called as he wandered over to the kitchen.

"I'm just getting some advice about building hutches," Cas called back. "I emailed my brother Balthazar."

"I'd take help from a voodoo priest at this point," Dean quipped and Cas laughed. "You want a beer?"

Cas didn't reply and Dean turned around. Like yesterday Cas was staring at him intensely and frowning. Dean raised his eyebrows at the silence. After a couple of heartbeats Cas replied, "I think I will, please."

Dean snorted as he turned back to the fridge. "You sure do take your time thinking sometimes." He opened the beers and went to sit on the couch. He gave one to Cas on the way who followed him from the printer to the couch.

"Some of the things you say surprise me. I've lived a very sheltered life, Dean, and this is the first time I've been completely independent. You are so different from my siblings and most of the people I've met. You're much more... colourful."

Dean, shocked, looked over at Cas, who was staring at the beer bottle as he rolled it between his palms. "Well, er, thanks man." Dean paused. "You're kinda different as well, I don't think I've ever gotten along with someone this well this quickly."

Cas flushed and smiled and looked up at him. "Thank you, Dean. That means a lot to me."

Dean quickly looked down because he was starting to feel things he didn't recognise deep in his gut and this conversation was getting too touchy feely and he liked Cas and he didn't want to ruin it and oh hell he was panicking dammit Dean breathe-

Glug, glug, glug

He looked up sharply at a glugging noise to see Cas drinking his beer in one go. His eyes widened as Cas swallowed deeply and held out an empty bottle as a trophy.

"Dude, why'd you do that?"

"Because I want to get back to work let's go go go!"

Cas leaped off his seat and practically danced to the door, waving the papers around like pompoms. Dean frowned at him before seeing that he was grinning really widely. Cas was really happy.

Dean quickly finished his beer and together they headed back to Cas's store to face the dreaded Ikea hutches.


It turns out that Cas's voodoo priest advice worked really well because with Cas calling out much clearer instructions and Dean putting the pieces together, they managed to build four big hutches which sat in the middle of the store.

Cas was glowing by the late afternoon and thanking Dean at every opportunity. "I'll just put the water, food and hay in and I'll call Anna this week! Thank you so much Dean, I've been wanting to do this since I was little."

Dean yawned and headed out into the darkening hues of the autumn evening. "It's fine dude, really, I had a good time."

"Yes but still, thank you."

"I'm going to get some dinner now Cas, I'll see you later."

"Dean I had lots of fun today, I really feel like I'm achieving my dream."

"Well I'm glad I could help, have a nice night," Dean called as he strolled to his apartment.

"Hope you have a good evening!" Cas called back.

As Dean wandered back to his apartment he realised that, despite all the swearing, he had actually had fun today as well. Fun, he thought, haven't had that in a while.


In the dark pet store, small tears streaked down Cas's cheeks as he realised that he was happier than he'd ever been, and it was all thanks to a mischievous ice cream fanatic and a wonderfully different music enthusiast. Friends, he thought, they are my friends. He sighed with content, wiped his facw and headed upstairs to cuddle Misha.


Yes it's short and cheesy and gloopy and yeah

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- Molly