Disclaimer: I don't own SPN.
I thought that Cas and Rose needed some bonding time so here's a chapter for them :) Also, I'm not keeping strict track of the timeline but canonically, S10 ends in 2015 and that's where I picked up this fic and since Cas and Dean have been together for over two years as of this chapter, I imagine it to be sometime in the summer of 2017. Just in case anyone was wondering.
Thanks to Siriusly loving densi, masterjediratgrl31, mollienaturerocks, meet-the-winchesters, RangerHorseTug and CaptianAckles for your reviews :)
135. Gold
"Thanks for this, Cas!" Rose chirped as they left a shop with two bags. Rose had wanted to go shopping for some new outfits (nothing much; just a new pair or two of jeans and a few tops) and since she also wanted to buy her boyfriend a present to celebrate two years of being together, bringing Sam along wasn't an option. Charlie was nowhere to be found as of late (though she regularly called to let them know she was alive) and there was no way Dean would ever be dragged along on a shopping trip, so Rose had managed to rope Castiel into accompanying her.
"It's no problem, Rose," Castiel said, pausing to shift a bag he was carrying. "I enjoyed our afternoon together."
Rose beamed and leaned over to kiss Castiel on the cheek.
"You're such a sweetheart!" she said. "The books don't do you justice!"
Castiel felt his cheeks begin to heat up so he looked away, peering into the window of the shop they were passing. His eyes were drawn to the gleaming jewellery in the window and he slowed down so that he could catch a quick glimpse before they moved on. But Rose noticed his line of sight.
"Let's go in here!" she said. Before Castiel could say anything, she grabbed his arm and steered him into the shop. "Look around, Cas!"
Rose moved away to examine a shining silver necklace. At a total loss, Castiel wandered around aimlessly before being drawn to a glass display of rings – wedding rings, he believed. He knew that it was human custom for a married couple to wear rings to symbolise their belonging to each other and, unbidden, an image of a grinning Dean with a ring on his fourth finger swam into his mind.
'Dean and I, married?' Castiel thought. He found that the thought filled him with an unexplainable, unmeasurable joy and a goofy grin wormed its way onto his face.
"Oh, I know that grin." Rose appeared out of nowhere, grinning widely. "You're thinking about Dean, aren't you?" Her eyes landed on the rings and widened. "Oh! Are you –?"
"It doesn't matter," Castiel said quickly, his eyes fixed on a shimmering golden ring. "You know that Dean is not one for marriage. I am just thankful that he has chosen me to be his lover for two and a half years."
"You've got it bad," Rose laughed. "But how do you know he won't go for it? Have you asked?"
"No," Castiel admitted. "But you know Dean. Do you really think that he will agree to a big wedding where he will be forced to show emotions that he only shows a select few in front of people? I see more of his vulnerable side than you, Sam or Charlie and I am still sure that I don't see all of the real Dean."
Rose was quiet, studying the rings.
"He loves you, Cas," she finally said. "And I know that I'm probably the least qualified person to say that, since I've only known you guys for two years when Charlie's known you for five and you literally pulled Dean out of Hell nine years ago and Dean and Sam grew up together. But trust me, Cas. Dean acts so differently around you and anyone with eyes can see just how much he frigging loves you. It's like you said, Cas – you see more of his vulnerable side. He shows you more than he's ever shown anyone; hell, he shows you more than we even get in the Supernatural books from his point of view."
Rose was panting slightly after her speech. Cas was staring at her, slightly stunned.
"Just pluck up the balls and ask him," she said. "Or, if you don't want to waste hundreds of dollars if you're unsure, I can poke around for you and ask what he thinks about it. But only if you're totally sure that's what you want?"
Castiel allowed the image of Dean wearing a ring to once again come to mind and it brought another silly smile to his face.
"I think I desire that very much, Rose," he said. Rose just snorted.
"You are so whipped, Cas."