Mainline
As soon as they were able they took off from the wastelands, goodbyes weren't necessary on any account. Dean had no intentions of saying anything to the bad tempered raider, Cas didn't want to speak with the undead version of Dean, Sam hadn't actually met himself and Jet would just as well have punched the other him in the face. All in all it was a clean get away, no hurt feelings at any point.
Castiel sighed lightly as they strolled down the mainline, eyes scanning for some kind of sign that a world was in trouble. He wasn't looking at Dean but he could feel him there, a gaze that all but screamed 'I'm concerned' at him. Cas was a bit slower than usual and he all but dozed off while standing still. It was clear to everyone that he was exhausted but no one knew what to say. The entire mission was a mess half the time and it had become too obvious to everyone that no one actually knew what was going on.
Everything Cas had thought was true turned out to be questionable at best and when it came down to the magical abilities he carried he couldn't even really say what was wrong. They didn't work the way they should have and for some reason did a number on him.
"You know," Cas started to speak first, catching everyone's attention immediately. "It's so weird how things have changed… We haven't been together that long but it still feels like forever."
"I think it has been, we're just bad at telling time." Jet smiled and shrugged, doing his best not to injure himself further. He was also moving a bit slower, his head a bit spinny and though he wouldn't tell the others, feeling nauseous.
"Maybe." Castiel chuckled and looked over at Dean who's expression softened toward him. They shared their moment, the words lingering between them with every stare and it was making Cas feel tingly inside. He remembered the feeling all too well and yet somehow it was all brand new. "What else is strange about all this, though? Before I met you all the celestials were holy beings that never altered aside from vanishing on me a few times every now and then. My magic can't decide whether it's sucking me dry or trying to blow me up. And Dean can't connect to his magical abilities like I do."
"Sam's hair." Dean added and earned himself a punch to the shoulder. "What? It's so long!"
"You know what I think?" Jet tried not to laugh at Sam but it was kind of true. They both had shaggy hairstyles but Jet kept his fairly short in comparison.
Sam rolled his eyes, getting ready for a stupid comment but decided to amuse the other wounded member of their party. "What do you think, Jet?"
"I think we should visit a world that's not in imminent danger. Most of this stuff is timeline crap, right? Well what's the harm in leaving it for a little while? I vote we pick a world with a less intense trail of fire around it."
Surprisingly it wasn't as stupid as Sam had expected. He looked over at his brother with a shrug, "That kind of sounds like a good plan to me."
Dean nodded, not even having to look at Castiel to know that he was unimpressed with their decision. "I think we could use a break, what do you say Cas?"
"I'd say that we need to keep moving but…" Cas looked down at the road below him and the void swimming beneath that. "I think I need to get my mind off all this lest I lose it."
"Good, then it's settled. Jet, pick a fire and follow it."
"Done deal." Jet smirked and for the first time led the group to the new reality they'd be visiting.
Pleasure My Angel World: Part 1
The same feeling of travelling through space, time, and dimension opened up as always and for the first time Dean felt safe. There was no underlying vibe that he was going to stumble into a world of hurt first thing. Which, after the last realm they were in, was a very exciting prospect. He'd only just learned to be cautious as soon as he stepped through the portal and that thought had made more of a home in his mind than he'd originally thought. Feeling the safety of this new world was a surprise but welcome all the same.
The first thing he noticed was the atmosphere of the room he stepped into. Dean knew it all too well, the dim lighting, flashing advertisements on screens high above them, and a giant crowd of people mingling. It was an indoor arena made out for what looked like a massive concert. And by what he could tell the warm up bands had finished not too long ago, meaning the main act was about to make center stage.
"Dean!" Sam caught his arm after wriggling through the crowd, "See Cas anywhere?"
Dean looked at Sam then Jet who was right on his tail, "Uh, not yet. We'll find him."
"Guess it's not a 'danger is imminent' thing with that whole separating us deal, huh?" Jet joked, looking up to the stage as people started rushing toward it, all chit chat and excitement.
"Looks that way..." Dean trailed off as he witnessed the amount of people emerging from all over for the next performance. "Wonder who we're here to see?"
"No idea who they are but they're called 'Pleasure My Angel.'" Sam pointed toward someone's shirt as they all but screamed as they passed.
"You don't know who they are?" Someone sounded astonished, "How?!"
"Uhm... living under a rock apparently." Jet shrugged and made a gesture to shoo the guy away, "Off with you now, not interested in your fan-boy syndrome."
"Hope they're good." Dean frowned, able to tell by the crowd that the music they'd hear wasn't going to be to his tastes.
The room was suddenly deafened when the sound of a guitar rumbled over the speakers and people screeched in response. Jet raised his eyebrows and exchanged a look with Dean, neither knowing what they'd gotten themselves into with this one. Sam seemed to enjoy the opening jingle as a single spotlight lit up the microphone, an all too familiar figure standing by it.
"Is that Cas?" Dean furrowed his brow, knowing neither of the two beside him had probably heard because the screaming only got louder when Castiel made an appearance. Dean would have squinted and tried to see if it was his Castiel but he knew already that it wasn't. First off he wasn't wearing the uniform, second as soon as the music picked up his hips started to move and that wasn't something the other priest had ever demonstrated.
"Not our Cas." Jet shouted back at him, sounding distant in such a large crowd. People shrieked for 'Angel' and 'Castiel' and 'PMA' all at once, it was a miracle any of the three travellers understood a word.
The first song as was normal in most concerts was a chart topper, something to pump the crowd up and something that would make an awesome opening act. Cas could really move, his stage presence was dominating over everyone else up there with him and quite frankly Dean had almost completely missed the other people. The costumes were thought out and only added to the ambiance the rest of the band made up. Dean would have been lying if he said he wasn't impressed.
The big screens showed close ups of the band for those that were in the nose bleeds and far away seating, one shot flashed across Castiel's hand and Dean noted the wedding ring immediately. 'That probably means the other me is around here somewhere.' He thought somewhat amused, looking around for someone who'd get V.I.P. treatment.
"He looks older," Sam pointed out just in time for the song to end and everyone cheer all over again. Dean had heard him, though. Castiel did look older and the weird thing was maybe that was even hotter than all the younger Castiel's he'd come across. Cas not only 'still looked good' when he was aged but he might've even looked better. Dean could only hope that he's image did the same.
"Good evening! How're my little sinners doing tonight?" Castiel called into the microphone, smiling wickedly as the crowd screeched for him, "As you all know tonight's show is a charity event so please remember to buy something, all proceeds-"
As he made the opening speech Dean couldn't help but notice all the eyes glancing his way, over and over someone looked at him then nudged a new person to stare. Whisperings and excited smiles all around him made him think that maybe his alternate self wasn't entirely a nobody.
"Are you a Winchester?" Someone finally had the nerve to ask, her eyes sparkling as she stared at his face.
"Uh... Yeah."
"Are... are you related to Dean and Castiel?"
That was the question and Dean wasn't sure how to answer it. He was Dean so did that count as being related? "Yeah, we're not famous so they don't talk about us much." He heard himself lying and wanted to stop but the way they lit up was spectacular. He felt like a celebrity by association and if that wasn't the coolest thing.
Sam rolled his eyes and looked back to the stage as people started to get rowdy again, though many of them were started to turn toward Dean in the crowd. "What's this, then?" Castiel squinted through the stage light to try and see. "Is somebody upstaging me over there? C'mere, let me see you."
Sam and Jet both looked at Dean, one grinning and shoving him forward the other wearing a 'what have you done' expression. Dean shrugged and moved forward, people stepping aside so he could get to the front, he looked up to see Castiel's cocky features slip, eyes widening slightly the closer he got. Though that didn't mean he lost composure, Cas reached down and pulled Dean up onto the stage, his gaze lingering on Dean's face and barely faltering to go lower or anywhere else. Something about Castiel, he had eyes that forced your attention and when he had it the look was that much more intense for it.
"Dean?" He asked into the microphone and if Dean could have measured the amount of confusion in the crowd at the moment he'd say it was off the charts.
"Yeah," Dean smiled at him, not sure where the hell he could possibly go from there so a single worded reply was all that he had.
Cas smiled wildly at him and Dean could only really question the man's actual age, the air around Cas didn't exactly say 'I'm an older man.' "I suppose we'll have to talk later, Dean. For now don't interrupt me, hm?" He gave a quick wink that burned a blush into Dean's cheeks.
"Right, sorry." Dean looked out at the crowd and felt his limbs tense. There were so many people and he could only imagine that the camera was aimed directly at his face for the world to see. "You're... pretty famous huh?"
Castiel opened his mouth to speak but instead he had to turn away laughing, "Yeah, yeah I guess I'm pretty famous. What do you guys think?"
Dean couldn't believe the wall of noise coming at him, the masses of people moving and waving and shouting all at once. It was overwhelming but exhilarating. Dean smiled at them and gave a wave, Castiel was playing the situation and he could see that. A charity event usually had weird stunts and things to convince people to dish out extra cash, Cas was using the appearance of a different Dean as if he'd planned for it. All the people in the crowd would most likely believe it was either incredible cosplay or an amazing make-up job. Regardless of what they believed, though, Dean was still standing in front of thousands of people.
"I don't believe you," Dean shrugged and looked at Cas like it really didn't matter to him. "From what I hear you're not making much with this charity event, spending more to please people than help the needy. Real fans would help out more."
The crowd was riled of course, especially by the look on Castiel's face when he reacted. "Well I never! The nerve of some people!"
Sam looked at Jet for some kind of hint that the other was as unimpressed with Dean as he was, but Sam tended to forget that Jet was Dean's best friend. Jet was laughing and jeering with the rest of the people around him, shouting random things like the fans that were really into it. "I can't wait until I find the other adult of our group..." Sam muttered with a smile, folding his arms over his chest to look up at Dean again.
"Well I think it's time to shun the non-believer." Cas motioned toward security, "Get this guy off my stage."
Dean chuckled as he was escorted away, pretending to throw a big fuss about it until he was let go, hurrying through the crowd back to where Sam and Jet were located. "Did you guys see that!?"
"Kind of funny, dude." Jet fist bumped him when prompted, "Feeling a bit of stage fright were you?"
"Do you know how many people are here? This is crazy! It's the biggest charity event I think I've seen."
"It is kind of amazing," Sam looked around, a smile on his face as he looked up toward the nose bleed section to see just how many people were enjoying the show from up there despite being so far away. "I guess he's famous enough for this."
"I'd say so, yeah." Dean turned his attention back to the stage, eyes lit up and face full of excitement. A concert was what they needed, though Castiel was supposed to be among them. Dean tried not to let that get to him, that he was always separated from Cas and that again he didn't know where the guy was, but he reminded himself that the world they were in wasn't meant to be dangerous.
The thought of Cas lingered until one of the stage props opened near the end of their concert. Dean's eyes widened even further when he watched his Castiel stumble out next to the original performer. The band looked at one another, Gabriel and Balthazar shrugging as Anna turned to stare at the new comer. Cas, the singer, looked just as surprised as everyone else but only for a split second. He moved to the priest's side and leaned up to his ear, whispering something to the terrified looking Cas who had just spent the last hour stuck in a box of some kind.
"Oh dear god." Jet snorted and covered his mouth to try and hide it in a thoughtful stance, "This ought to be good."
"Oh Cas..." Sam sounded empathetic for him though Dean could hear the little snicker behind the intended emotion.
The three expected a disaster or at least something to laugh at but that wasn't what they got. The music hit hard, catchy and overwhelming. Lights started to flicker and Castiel's voice crackled over the speakers, his control over his vocal chords was nothing short of amazing. He sang a song that many in the crowd recognized but the three travellers had no idea what everyone was so happy about, at least not until the lyrics became a little clearer to them. As the Castiel they had come to know slowly walked across the stage, a dim spotlight hitting him to illuminate his extruding features, Dean felt the weight of the song. It was about not really knowing yourself, seeing a different person in the mirror and not being what you had expected. Having one Castiel wasn't quite enough to demonstrate it but with another appearing for his use it quickly became many fans' favourite performance.
Approaching the climax the two Castiel's came face to face, the lyrics saying something about the reflection being flawed, that it flowed and copied but was never on time with the original. And though they didn't expect the singer's performance to be mimicked, the priest broke out the same dance moves he'd just witnessed, only moments after. The crowd cheered as soon as the two danced face to face, never looking away from the other and building up a level of tension between them that no one in the crowd could even fathom. Dean's face lit up even more as he watched his partner move, seeing Castiel let loose like that, seeing him dance was more than astounding, not to mention hotter than hell.
"Damn," Jet clapped and looked at his other two slack-jawed companions, "I didn't know he could move like that."
"I thought if he tried his hips would break." Dean laughed, not looking away from the stage to make the comment. He didn't want to miss a second of Castiel's performance.
The song ended with a bang, Castiel taking his alternate's hand lifting it in the air, leading the priest in a bow to the crowd, "Thank you all! And have a wonderful night!"
The roar in response was heartfelt and Dean, Sam, and Jet were all apart of it. Even if they hadn't enjoyed it they would have cheered, Castiel managed to do something other than a fated magical action or deal with a void monster. It was worth celebrating.
"He's taking Cas backstage," Sam pointed, "Come on, let's go get him." Dean and Jet were right on his heels, all of them swept away in the excitement and rush of the crowd. It'd been a while since they'd had real fun so none of them were really complaining about the level of jumping around they had to do to get by people. Losing the energy seemed to be the utmost of impossibilities.
They managed to get by security just on their looks alone, the guards having noticed that Dean was on stage previously so clearly he must have been a guest of Castiel's. The three looked around, trying to find the door to the backstage when someone called out to them, "Hey! What was that about?"
Dean turned his head to see a young man approaching him, his features resembling Castiel's but not quite, a similar mess of dark hair on his head. "What was... what about?"
"I thought you were staying home for this one, too much of a crowd or some bullshit. What're you doing here? And interrupting mom's performance-"
"Mom!?" Dean, Sam and Jet all blurted it out at once, eyes popping in unison. "Who's your mom? The red-head?" Jet continued, always a bit of a loud-mouth.
"Very funny, whoever you are." The young man rolled his eyes and looked Dean over, "You look good though, was it Balthazar or Gabriel that pulled the fancy magic stuff?"
"Neither, who are you?" Dean furrowed his brow, watching the stranger make the exact same face.
"Uhm... are you on something? It's Tommy, you're son?" The amount of sarcasm would have been insulting if Dean hadn't just heard the word 'son' come from him.