Chapter 3: Around the Camp
"…Thank you, Dean."
Dean was a little startled when he heard that gravelly voice finally speak his name, an acknowledge him. He felt his chest warm up, a smile playing on his usually tense face. "Hey it's no problem man. Do you have anything to change into?"
Just now he was actually looking at Castiel's exterior. He wore dress pants, a dress shirt with a suit top, plus an unruly blue tie. Then to top it off he wore a long brown trench coat on the outside. It would be uncomfortable to sleep in.
He watched Castiel's eyes flicker to the ground, then back to Dean. "…I didn't bring any clothes… I'm sorry…" Now fidgeting his hands, Castiel seemed weirdly nervous.
Dean stood up quickly, putting his hands up. "Hey hey, don't worry about it Cas. I got you covered. It might be a bit big, since you're smaller than me." He didn't want Castiel to be afraid of him.
Turning around, he walked over and shuffled through some bags. He pulled out some sweatpants along with one of his tank tops. This should be nice to sleep in, and it's the middle of summer so it shouldn't be uncomfortably hot.
"Here, you can have these, I grew out of them. Use these as your pajamas. We can wash your clothes if you want, and we also have showers." He motioned to the other side of the room, they had about 3 showers in each of the cabins.
Castiel nodded his head slightly as he took the clothes from Dean, their hands brushing together lightly. Dean gave him a small smile as walked him to the bathroom. There was a big mirror spread across the wall, three sinks spread out across the wall. Then there were 3 bathroom stalls with showers right across from them.
"This shower hasn't been used yet, so you can take it over if you want. We can try to get you shower supplies on our next Walmart raid if you like, but you can use mine for now." Castiel gave a quick nod as he began to shed his clothes right in front of Dean.
Subconsciously licking his lips, Dean's eyes were glued to Castiel as he shed his clothing. "…Dean? Is something wrong?" He snapped his gaze back to those piercing blue as he felt the heat rising in his cheeks. Turning away quickly he gave a slight wave of the hand, he didn't trust his voice.
As he walked out of the bathroom, he felt those eyes follow him, which just made him want to run away. Letting a sigh escape the moment he left the bathroom, he once again felt eyes on him, but this time it wasn't Castiel.
"What do you want?" He questioned the tall figure staring at him. He must've looked exhausted, this guy took more energy that he expected. The tall figure cracked a smile and gave Dean a rough pat on the back.
"What a day, eh?" His brother, Sam spoke to him. Hearing the shower run, he raised a quizzical eyebrow to Dean, and was answered with a nod. Dean got up and shed his own clothing, changing into something more comfortable, but easy to maneuver in case of trouble.
Plopping backwards on his bed, he watched Sam as he eyed the bathroom, he seemed to contemplate going in. Why not? They all share the bathroom, but now Dean was worried he might startle the poor man.
"Hey Sammy, announce that you are entering, I don't want you scaring the poor man. He might think you're a wild moose." He let out a chuckle at the glare he earned and watched him saunter off to the bathroom, letting Castiel know he was there.
Closing his eyes, he drifted his thoughts to the events of the day. Not much actually happened, but he reminded himself that on their outing in the next few days he needed to pick up some more showering stuff if he could find some.
Hearing the water shut off, Dean's eyes snapped open, turning his head towards the bathroom entrance, wondering who was going to come out. Not long after that he heard water turn on, so he assumed Sam was taking a shower now.
Listening to the shuffling of feet, he watched as Castiel exited the bathroom. Wow. Water dripped down his hair, running down his muscled but thin arm, and it would be stopped by the tank top that actually fit the man nicely.
The pants were a little big as they loosely hung at his hips, showing off his hip bones, making Dean lick his lips again. He could feel his heart rate pick up just slightly as he ignored the feeling in his stomach. He wasn't attracted to Castiel.
Giving him a small smile as they made eye contact once again, he sat up, watching the man closely. "Alright, so you can just relax if you want, I'm gonna go shower now, there's some books on the desk if you like that stuff."
Dean shrugged as he walked off to the bathroom, running into Sam on his way out. Weird. He had his eyes fixated on Castiel again. Maybe he was excited to make another friend, but it was freaking Dean out.
Placing a hand on his brother's chest, he made eye contact with him, trying to figure him out. "Hey, leave Cas alone for now, kay? I want him to be comfortable and he doesn't seem to like talking much. So just let him relax."
Seeing the rebellion in his brother's eye he sighed, "I mean it Sam." After acquiring a nod from his brother, he stripped down. He really wanted to make sure Castiel was comfortable here. Tomorrow would probably be the most uncomfortable for him, since he was going to have to socialize with him.
After his shower, Dean felt refreshed. He was always able to think clearly under the running water. He didn't really like how his thoughts kept drifting back to the mysterious stranger only a few feet from him.
Sighing, he dried himself off and walked back out, only to find Castiel fast asleep in his bed. He saw Sam watching Castiel closely. He really didn't like that, but he had no right to call him out for it, since he'd been ogling over him all day.
Giving up, he placed a glass of water on Castiel's nightstand, before giving in to the sleep that threatened to take over.
The next morning he woke up to find Castiel not in his bed. A moment of panic settled until he heard running water in the bathroom. Looking over he saw Sam fast asleep still, it was 6 a.m., and no one was required to get up till 9 a.m. when breakfast was served.
A smile plastered itself on his face as he walked in, to see Castiel washing his face. Silently doing the same, Dean splashed water on his face, feeling the stubble growing in. He needed to shave soon.
"…Good morning Dean." Looking over to Castiel, he felt his heart skip a beat as he was given a shy smile, those blue eyes inspecting the floor, with him fidgeting his hands.
"Ah, mornin' Cas. How'd ya sleep?" He was content when he achieved a nod from the fragile man.
"It was good." Wow. Castiel had been talking to him more than before, it was a weird feeling of satisfaction. A smile played on Dean's face as he found himself enjoying even these short conversations.
"Why're you up so early anyway?" Dean questioned, because he always had work to start early in the morning. He shivered slightly as he felt Castiel's eyes on his, he noticed his shakiness as well.
"I-I… I had a nightmare." He admitted, looking at the ground nervously. Dean felt his heart ache a moment as he watched the man fidget. Clapping his hand on his back, Dean gave him a bright smile.
"Hey don't worry about it. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm always here! Anyway, wanna grab some grub with me? They don't open till later, but I can make you something?" Another shy smile played on Castiel's face as he nodded slightly.
Putting on real clothes, he lent Castiel some old ones as well. The dark clothes really brought out his eyes. Dean took a moment to admire this creation of God. Shaking his thoughts, he held the door open for the man, greeted by the crisp cool air of the morning.
One reason he loved being in a forest was that it was always nice and cool in the morning. It's like a really long camping trip with a sick twist. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took in the clean smell of the forest.
Despite being in the middle of an apocalypse, Dean tried to keep his camp as clean as he could, and compared to other camps it was. He wished he could keep it cleaner, but there were other priorities. Licking his lips, he gave a small smile to Castiel, leading him towards the mess hall again.
Following closely behind, Castiel stayed quiet, which Dean was slowly getting used to.
A few minutes later, Dean unlocked the doors and was greeted by a pleasant smell of waffles. Who was up this early? Hearing hums coming from the kitchen, he figured it was Jody, but to his surprise it was Lisa. Lisa Braedon. Of course he had to run into her.
Reaching the kitchen, he knocked on the wall, peeking his head in with a forced smile. Startled, she looked up, obviously not expecting anyone to pop in at this time. The serene atmosphere vanished almost instantly and turned into tension. Her eyes searched Dean for some unknown answer, and then he eyes lingered on the figure behind him.
"Dean." She gave a nod and went back to her cooking, obviously more strained now. Feeling his eyes on the back of his head, Dean bit his lip.
"Lisa." He nodded to her and was about to pass her when realization hit.
"Wait. How the hell did you get in here? Only I have the keys, and Bobby has the spares." His eyes searched her now. She seemed a bit nervous, now that two pairs of eyes lingered on her. He was kinda glad Castiel didn't say anything.
Shrugging her shoulders, she sighed. "Don't worry. I asked Bobby to let me borrow the keys. Ben's been hungry lately and I was worried." He could see the worry flash through her eyes as Dean narrowed his.
"Wait what? What's wrong with Ben?" Lisa avoided eye contact and finished up cooking.
"Don't worry Dean. He's not showing symptoms. He just hasn't been getting enough food. Anyway, who is the new guy?" She added, quickly changing the subject. Dean turned slightly towards Castiel, seeing him tense up as the focus was now on him.
"This is Castiel. He just appeared out of nowhere, and before you say anything, he was in the safe box for well over 36 hours." Lisa opened her mouth only to close it again before giving them a curt nod.
"Castiel. I'm Lisa, I'll introduce you to my son Ben later." Her introduction was short and simple, maybe a bit malicious, but Castiel didn't seem to mind as he nodded his head towards her as well, obviously glad the conversation was over quickly.
Licking his lips, Dean let out an audible sigh as he heard the doors slam behind them. "Well, I said I'd make you food, so let's do this." He cracked his knuckles like he was about to fight, causing Castiel to tilt his head slightly, but not saying anything.
Not much later, the two had finished eating. Castiel stayed quiet throughout as Dean talked about the camp, and how Castiel was going to enjoy it here. The blue eyed man didn't know what to say. Dean trusted him so much, and they'd barely met.
Castiel couldn't deny that when his eyes met with those fanfiction green, it sent a shock of electricity through him. He definitely wouldn't deny that he often found himself examining every bit of the man named Dean.
The splash of freckles on his face, the way he tenses up when he feels uncomfortable, the way his face would light up when Castiel would actually reply to his ranting. He felt himself wanting to respond to this man. This beautiful man.
It intrigued Castiel, how could one man be so beautiful? His features so delicate for such a weathered man. He was very similar to his brother, Sam. But there was something different. Dean was more… experienced? He had obviously seen much more of the world's cruelty than Sam. But he couldn't say, because he's also seen so much that would ruin a person forever.
Once the two finished eating, Dean cleaned up for the two of them. They hadn't realized how much time they actually spent talking. They could hear the morning birds singing and could hear distant chattering, as people were rising.
Dean was going to introduce everybody to Castiel today. "Hey, let's get you a tour of the camp, you gotta meet everyone to be considered part of my posse." When he spoke the last word, he winked and made a clicking sound with his tongue, which seemed to confuse Castiel, but he didn't speak up.
Leaving the mess hall, the two ran into Jody, heading in to start on the breakfast for everyone. She didn't say a word but narrowed her eyes and silently scolded them. Dean knew she wasn't really mad, she just doesn't want to run out of portions early.
"First we go to Bobby's, then we can stop by the first aid center, then we can make a stop at each other cabins. Sound good?" Dean took a sharp turn, confusing Castiel a little, but then they reached the biggest building in the camp.
Knocking, they heard grumbling come from inside, then the slow unlocking of the doors, revealing a man who looked older than he probably was. He looked very tired and worn, it actually concerned Castiel. He had a mustache and a short beard, it was well kept considering the circumstances.
"Whaddya want?" He glared to Dean, but soon his eyes fell on Castiel, once again tense and standing straight. Dean just gave him a sarcastic smile and motioned with his hands.
"This, my dear Bobby, is Castiel. He's the one who just showed up out of nowhere, but he's clean." His eyes met with the man named Bobby, and they seemed close enough to converse through their eyes. Bobby grunted and whispered something under his breath before giving him a weak smile to Castiel.
"Nice ta' meet ya. I'm Bobby Singer, my cohort Garth is here somewhere. He's a… friendly guy." As if summoned, Garth popped up with a bright smile, considerably healthier than Bobby.
"Hey there! I'm Garth Fitzgerald the IV!" He gave Castiel a huge smile and pulled him into a hug, causing Castiel to completely freeze up. His entire body tensed and he seemed to go into a panic. Sensing this, Dean quickly pulled Garth away from Castiel, soon placing his arms on his shoulders, their eyes meeting.
Those dazzling green eyes helped to calm Castiel down. He searched through them, while Dean spouted something at him. He took a few deep breaths and came back to reality, though his blue still entranced with those green.
Hearing Bobby scolding Garth, he finally looked away and muttered a small apology. Feeling Dean's grip leave his shoulder kind of made him sag. He missed the warmth. "Hey Cas? You okay? Sorry about Garth, he's a… hugger." He spoke the word with distaste as he walked away, Castiel following suite.
"Next stop first aid!" He smiled and wandered off.
An hour or so later, Dean had finally introduced Castiel to everyone in camp. He'd met so many people, though a lot of them seemed wary of him, which didn't surprise Castiel in the least. They were probably wondering what got their leader so pumped.
Castiel could be a spy, a threat for all they knew. Biting the inside of his cheek, Castiel followed Dean, though not listening to a word he said. It was almost time for the strategy meeting. Where they would plan out their outings with people properly assigned places.
Reaching the big pit in the middle, he noticed everyone gathering. He felt a bit more comfortable as he'd met most of the people. There were some he obviously hadn't met yet, but he recognized Lisa, and assumed that the child next to her was Ben.
He saw Bobby and Garth arguing about something, though it was obviously Bobby trying to extinguish a stupid idea from Garth, Jody was with them as well. He saw the brilliant red headed Charlie, bobbing up and down about something she loved.
He acknowledged Rufus as he stood a lone warrior from everyone else. Giving most people heated glares, he didn't trust anyone but Bobby and the brothers. Then there was Kevin and Chuck, side by side, seemingly nervous.
Then he saw the love birds Benny and Andrea. They were always attached at the hip. He kind of liked Andrea, she ran the clinic with Lisa. There weren't many trained medics and they were lucky that the two knew what they were doing. Pamela and all her glory, she weirded Castiel out, but she was honest, and blind, he felt sympathy for her, but she was damn good with her medical skills.
Then his eyes lingered upon Dean as he met with Sam, their conversation distant. He felt the two turn their eyes simultaneously snapping towards Castiel. That was enough to make a man nervous. Fidgeting, he watched the two smile at him before taking off towards the center. He was sitting all alone now.
"Alright everybody listen up!" All of a sudden, everyone was quiet and their attention was focused fully on Dean, even Rufus. Dean's voice was loud, but pleasant to the ears. Castiel could listen to him speak all day.
Sam stood towering next to him, how could someone be so tall?
Shaking his thoughts, he heard Dean begin their game plan.
A/N: Ohgosh I am sorry it took so long to get through, I just can't stop writing! I would've had this up earlier, but I left my computer charger at my sisters (it's still there) so I had to borrow a friends charger. But I hope you liked this! My chapters just keep getting longer and longer… I hope you liked it from Cas's povish! I wanna write more his side, but I just have so many ideas and ughh! I promise next chapter will actually have something other than my ogling!