So as promised, two updates in one week! This is probably the fluffiest thing I've ever written, but that's why y'all are here right?
Anyway, hope you like!
P.S. I know C2E2 takes place in the spring, but just go with it.
...
They were crammed in Charlie's car, speeding through city traffic on their way to the Chicago Ritz-Carleton where Dean was staying. Cas was in the front seat, Claire sitting on his lap since she refused to be out of his sight and honestly, Cas didn't particularly want her out of his either. Gabriel, Anna, and Michael were in the back, a clear breech of the rules of physics but they somehow managed it. Sam Winchester had given them the address but stayed behind because the idea of him squeezing into the petite green bug was laughable.
"Son of a bitch!" Charlie cursed as a car swerved unexpectedly into the lane in front of her without signalling, "learn to drive asshole!" She shouted as she passed him. Castiel frowned and covered his daughters ears.
"Charlie, could you maybe refrain from too much colourful language." He reprimanded.
Claire laughed and tugged his hands down. "Come on Dad, I'm ten. It's not like I haven't heard those words before."
Cas looked down at his daughter and a pang of longing burst through his chest at the thought of how much time he had lost watching her grow. Guiding her, teaching her, keeping her safe. Not for the first time, unkind thoughts toward Amelia surfaced in his mind, rants fuelled by righteous fury on the absence of her right to keep this all important part of himself from him.
But as Claire smiled back up at him, that anger melted to grateful love and he pressed a kiss to her temple, his heart warming when she responded by leaning back into him and resting her head on his chest. He stroked her arm and held her tight.
The green bug pulled up to entrance of the hotel and all six piled out, ignoring the doorman's feeble attempts at addressing them, and Castiel came to a nervous shuffling halt at the front counter. He had been running mostly on adrenaline and the natural high of finally having his daughter back and now he found himself having to actually think about what he was going to say to Dean when he saw him.
He knew he needed to thank the man for getting Claire back if nothing else, and a large part of him did want to forgive him and make up. It was the same part that ached in the morning when he woke to an empty bed, and longed for that feeling of bliss he felt when he was in Dean's arms, knowing he loved, and was loved by, that man. He had been pushing it away, refusing to give voice to the desires, but now that he was, they were flooding him with a need he wasn't entirely sure he could resist. And yet the pain was still there and even as he stood, ready to see the man again, he still wasn't sure what he was going to do or say.
The concierge looked up from his computer and Castiel said in a breathless voice, "Dean Winchester's room please."
The man looked placidly into the faces of the group people standing opposite him and said in a professionally detached tone, "I'm sorry, there is no one of that name staying with us."
For a moment, Castiel thought maybe Sam Winchester had lied to him as some sort of epic revenge - that for some reason involved reuniting him with his daughter - and then the penny dropped and he was confronted by the impossibly long list of rockstar aliases Dean had to choose from.
His brow furrowed and he worried his bottom lip with his teeth as he floundered in his mind for any inspiration from his pathetic knowledge (or lack thereof) of popular culture.
"Uhhhh, Paul McCartney? Mick Jagger? James Taylor?"
The man behind the desk stayed stoic, only a shake of the head dismissing his guesses. Cas dropped his head into his hands, elbows resting on the counter as he searched for something, anything, divine intervention even, that might lead him to the right name.
Dean's face popped into his head, eyes drowsy from sleep, vibrant green peeking out from impossibly long lashes as he roused from sleep. Fingers intertwining, hands resting on soft covers as morning light filtered through his bedroom curtains. Dimly lit by streetlights as he stared out over the vast expanse of Lake Michigan. Looking stunning and perfect in his well tailored tuxedo at the Law firm's gala. Eyes crinkling as he laughed at Gabriel's quips while sitting round the table in Anna and Inias's dining room. Opening the bathroom door half naked while Castiel held out a spare t-shirt, still too shocked by his presence to speak.
'Dude! I love AC/DC!'.
Castiel's head shot up. Hands shaking.
"Angus Young." He said in a thin, trembling voice.
The man's mouth twisted in disdain and Cas knew he was right.
"He isn't here." The concierge said, a smugness colouring his answer, or perhaps Castiel was just imagining that.
"Where is he?" He asked. The man shook his head.
"I'm sorry sir but I can't give out that information-"
"Oh come on!" Gabriel interrupted loudly and vigorously.
Cas put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's alright Gabe, maybe we can wait until he gets back."
"Wait!" Charlie screeched, practically vibrating with excitement and earning a dirty look and a curt 'shhh!' from another hotel employee attending to a rich looking couple a few feet away. Charlie stuck her tongue out at him before turning, a triumphant smile on her face, "I know where he is."
...
McCormick Place sprawled out along the edge of the lake and it was swarming with people in all manner of dress, costumes ranging from extravagant to borderline inappropriate, and converging on the convention centre and Castiel stared out in wonder.
"What is this Charlie?" He asked,
"C2E2 dude! Best comic convention east of San Diego!" She gushed, pulling her car into a loading bay and stepping out.
"Four words." Gabriel rebuked, "New York Comic-Con."
"Shut your face." Charlie answered.
"How in the name of the father are we expected to get in?" Castiel asked in an attempt to get his squabbling siblings back to the task at hand. It was a veritable sea of people that stood between him and Dean and God knows where he even was in the massive complex.
"I have my ways." Charlie winked, setting off around the side of the building and pulling out her phone.
Castiel frowned but followed, familiar enough with his youngest sister's flair for the dramatic to trust her.
Rounding the corner he found her waiting by an unmarked side door. They stood in silence for a few moments, long enough for Castiel to get antsy and open his mouth to demand answers, when the door swung open, and a tall brunette woman with a walkie-talkie on her belt and an official looking lanyard hanging around her neck ushered them inside.
Before anyone could question what was going on, Charlie had her hand wrapped around the woman's neck and had pulled her down for a kiss.
When Castiel had come out to his family, Charlie had been the first he'd told and the first to stand by him, so it was only natural that a year later she'd confided in him her own emerging sexual identity and how afraid she was to tell anyone else. Castiel had assured her he would stand by her no matter what and though she had ended up telling Gabriel, Anna and Inias, he didn't actually know if she had ever come out to her oldest brothers. Judging by the shocked look on Michael's face, she hadn't.
The kiss ended and Charlie stepped back, turning to the rest of her siblings, eyes focused on Michael, "So this is Dorothy." She introduced and proceeded to stare him down.
The eldest Novak remained silent but from beside Castiel, a voice spoke up.
"Is Dorothy your girlfriend?" Clair asked in the innocent way only children could truly pull off.
Charlie smiled, looking up at the woman and intertwining their hands.
"She sure is."
"So you like girls the same way Daddy likes boys?"
Charlie smiled down at her niece and glanced up at Cas.
"Yeah." She answered.
Clare nodded, "okay."
Castiel looked over at Michael who had still not said anything, pride and love blooming in his chest for the person his daughter was growing into. He squeezed her shoulder, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes, lump growing uncomfortable in his throat. His eldest brother looked from Charlie to Claire to Castiel, his face holding an expression of apology. He said nothing, but nodded his head. The room let out a collective sigh of relief and Charlie turned back to Dorothy.
"So you got my text?"
"Yeah." She answered, stealing a glance at Castiel.
"And you can get us in?" Her smile widened and she bounced on the balls of her feet.
Dorothy sighed and her face told Cas she could likely get in real trouble for this but before he could protest, her expression hardened into a look of determination and she nodded, a small, mischievous smile curling the corners of her mouth.
"I sure can."
...
Their trek through the building took them first through a labyrinth of service hallways before opening up into the building proper, though they kept having to shortcut through the back ways to avoid the throngs of people packed into the convention centre. Eventually they reached a somewhat abandoned hallway and stopped in front of a pair of double doors. Dorothy peeked in first before ushering them in, holding a finger up to her mouth for silence as they entered the room.
It was dark and packed to the brim, the air was hot and stuffy and a makeshift stage was set up at the far end of the room and on it, lit by a bank of overhead lights, stood Dean, talking into a microphone and garnering a roar of laughter from the crowd every few seconds.
The group filed in, settling along the back wall and Charlie moved so she was standing next to Cas.
"So? You ready?"
Cas gaped at her, "You expect me to do this in front of all these people?" He hissed.
Charlie looked affronted.
"Of course I do!" She whispered back, "Come on! This is your chance!"
Cas shook his head.
"No way."
Charlie opened her mouth to retort but someone beside them 'shushed' them and she snapped her mouth closed and leaned back against the wall, arms folded in a show of petulance.
The crowd roared with laughter and Dean laughed with them although even from the back of the room Cas could tell by the set of his jaw and the tension that prevented the smile gracing his lips from reaching his eyes that he wasn't entirely comfortable being the centre of attention.
"Anyway," He shrugged, wrapping up whatever story he'd been telling, "it was pretty embarrassing, and now you guys all know that, so...that's great."
The crowd chuckled and another question was asked.
"So how long have you known Dorothy, and why wasn't I informed?"
Charlie ducked her head and glanced over at the woman standing a few feet from them.
"We met in Moondoor and we've only been going out a few weeks. I just didn't want to tell you while you were still dealing with Dean."
Cas sighed and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in for a half-hug.
"You know whatever's going on with me, you can always tell me things. I'm never going to hold your happiness against you just because I'm miserable."
His sister grinned and nodded.
"I know, I was going to tell you soon, honest."
Cas nodded.
"Good, now, this isn't going to turn into another Gilda situation is it?"
Charlie rolled her eyes and pulled away.
"Cas, Dorothy isn't crazy and she's not going to get me to join any cults."
"You would have said the same thing about Gilda."
"Yeah, well... shut up."
He grinned down at her and she playfully slapped him on the arm before pulling out her phone which had begun to vibrate. She conferred with Dorothy for a moment before both of them stepped out of the room only to reenter ten minutes later with Sam, Bobby, and Inias in tow.
"Sorry, I totally forgot this was today." Sam whispered as he settled against the wall beside Cas who shook his head and gestured that it was fine.
On stage Dean was wrapping up an anecdote about pranks that happened behind the scenes on some of his movies and a question was asked that sent Castiel's heart racing.
"Hi Dean," the speaker was a girl, young by the sound of her voice, and obviously nervous to be speaking, "I'm gay and it hasn't been an easy thing for me to deal with, I'm just wondering what sort of advice you would give to your fans who are maybe struggling with their sexual identity and having a hard time coming to terms with that."
The room fell into an awkward hush as Dean considered the question for a few moments. The implications of the question were not lost on most of the room and Castiel's stomach churned at the thought of what Dean's answer might be.
"Well," Dean began, clearing his throat and shifting on the stool on which he was perched, "I guess I'd tell them they weren't alone."
He paused, his demeanour serious and he licked his lips before taking in a breath and saying, "I myself have struggled to come to terms with my own sexuality and my choice to hide it for as long as did I think ended up doing more harm than good. I hid it because I was afraid of what people would think; not just the general public, but my friends and family. I didn't grow up in a particularly accepting home, my father was about as tolerant as you would expect an ex Vietnam vet and marine to be and there was really only one way a man could be in his eyes and I guess I carried that with me even after he died." He cleared his throat again and began fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he continued, "I realized I was bisexual quite early on I think but it was never something I acknowledged, even to myself. And that ended up hurting a lot of people. People I cared for, people I loved. And it ended up hurting me too so I think the best way is just to accept it. Accept yourself and love yourself and if the people around you can't or won't do the same, you have to decide how important they are to you in your life. And if those people are your parents...it's tough, I know. I never had a chance to come out to my dad. And I'm not sure what would have happened if I had. But you know, my dad had this friend. And we used to stay at his house all the time when my dad didn't have enough money to feed us or afford a motel or when he was so drunk he couldn't take care of himself. And about a month ago I told him I was bi and you know what he said? He said 'that's great boy, now get back to work 'cause that corn won't shuck itself.'"
The audience chuckled.
"We were in the middle of making dinner and here was this huge secret that I'd been carrying with me for so long and he acted like it was no big deal. Which, it really isn't. Or it shouldn't be. I guess what I'm saying is that no matter how much you might hide it or fight it or hate it, it's a part of you and it's not going away and the sooner you accept it, the easier it will get and the happier you'll be."
Applause followed the speech, applause Sam joined in on beside him and a warmth flowed through him as Claire took his hand and squeezed it.
The clapping died down and another voice spoke up.
"I know you've spoken a bit about it in interviews but I was wondering if you could elaborate a little on the picture that surfaced a few months ago."
Up on stage, Dean sighed, clearly tired of discussing the topic but humouring the question nevertheless.
"The picture was taken and posted without my consent. And I did want to thank everyone who stood by me through that as well as the photos that surfaced before, ummm." He paused, rubbing at the back of his neck with one hand, microphone held loosely in the other. "As for what happened, I don't have a whole lot to say. The other person in the picture is someone I care very deeply about and someone who got hurt because of it. He didn't deserve what happened and now that everything has pretty much blown over, the thing I'm most upset about is how much I hurt him in the process."
The room was silent and then a familiar voice spoke up.
"Now that this has blown over, what are the chances of you reconciling with this person?"
Castiel looked around to find Charlie holding a microphone and looking very self-satisfied about it. On stage Dean was shifting again.
"Well, I have spoken with him and he has made it clear the he doesn't want to have anything to do with me and I honestly can't fault him for that."
A chorus of sympathetic awww's sounded from the crowd and he held up his hand.
"No. Don't do that. Really, I behaved very badly and I don't deserve your sympathy." He looked thoughtful, crossing his arms and holding the mic sideways, "I know that I screwed up and there's really no excuse. It's not that surprising, I screw things up all the time, but this...this was something special and I'll always treasure that. But I hurt him and he didn't deserve that. He deserved nothing but the best because he's honestly, the nicest, kindest, awesomest person and I don't think I really realized how much I loved him until he was gone and I have only myself to blame for that. I just hope that he's happy. But to answer your question, I don't think we'll be seeing each other again."
Castiel stared up at Dean from his spot at the back hidden in the shadows, watching the only man he had ever loved express his own feelings for Castiel to a room full of strangers. A momentary rush of anger flared in him at the thought that Dean was so much more comfortable spilling his heart out to an anonymous group of people than he was to Castiel but as he felt Claire shift beside him, the anger was immediately replaced by gratefulness and love that grew and grew until he wasn't sure he could contain it for much longer.
Yes, Dean was an actor. Yes it was his job to play parts and imitate emotion. But Castiel had gotten more than one glimpse behind the wall Dean erected to protect himself and in this moment, everything inside Castiel screamed that this was real. He felt a release of the anger and resentment he had been holding inside for the past three months and once it was gone, all that was left was longing and love.
A movement to his side caught his eyes and he looked to see Charlie holding out the microphone to him with an eager look in her eyes. Up on stage, Dean was looking around at the darkened crowd for the next question.
"If this person was here though, and told you that he'd forgiven you and that he wanted you back because he realized you're it for him, that he can't imagine spending the rest of his life with anyone but you, what would you do then?" The microphone shook in his hands at he lowered it, heart pounding in his chest as he watched the reaction to his question.
Dean blinked, stunned, brow furrowed and he brought his hand up to shield his eyes from the lights that shone only on him as he stood from his perch.
"Can we get the house lights up please?" He asked in a breathless voice.
The room flooded with light and Castiel had to blink at the sudden change but when he could see again, Dean was staring down at him with a look of awe and disbelief.
"Cas?" He asked softly, as though afraid anything louder would banish him from the room.
"Hello, Dean." He answered. The crowd erupted into a frenzy of excited chatter before dying down just as quickly to watch the drama unfold.
Dean's hand was over his mouth, and he was shaking, his eyes suspiciously moist. "Sorry, could you repeat the question?" He asked once he'd gotten himself back under some manner of control.
"If this person you were speaking so eloquently about before were here now, telling you he was sorry too, that he loves you too, that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you," He answered, eyes locked with Dean's, "what would you do?"
Dean's lips turned up in a trembling smile and he nodded, closing his eyes for a moment.
"I'd do this." He said softly, stepping off stage, mic dropping to the ground as he pushed his way through a suddenly rowdy crowd but all Castiel could do was watch as Dean moved closer and closer until he was there and then he was in Castiel's arms again and it felt so right. Dean pulled back a little to stare in wonder at him, a smile broke over his face, a real smile, not the politely fake, media smile or the sultry smirk staring out from the cover of Vanity Fair, but a full on, eye crinkling smile that had Cas beaming in return.
Dean's head moved towards him slightly before hesitating, teeth worrying his bottom lip, eyebrows pinched in worry. Castiel's smile softened at the show of uncertainty and decided Dean had suffered enough. Closing his eyes he moved in, not needing sight to know where Dean's lips were, his found them of their own accord. The pandemonium that erupted around them at the kiss faded away to nothing as Castiel's hand came up to caress Dean cheek even as Dean's own came up to tangle in his hair. The crowd was still screaming when they parted, panting. Dean's hand came down to rest on his cheek and he brushed the pad of his thumb softly across it.
"Why?" He asked softly, staring in wonder down at him.
Cas turned and laid a hand on Claire's shoulder, pulling her gently towards them.
"Dean, this is my daughter. Claire."
Claire stared up at Dean with a smile but said nothing. Dean smiled and nodded knowingly.
"It's nice to meet you Claire." He greeted.
"Thank you." She answered. "For letting me see my Daddy again. And for making him so happy."
Dean nodded and looked back at Cas.
"You know I didn't do it to…"
Cas waved his hand. Seeing Claire may have been the impetus to get him here, but the forgiveness had come all on its own.
"I know." He answered simply. "I know."