He pressed the pedal a few times to wring out the mop and then ran it over the floor a few more times. One of the customers dropped a bottle of ketchup on the floor, it popped open and the ketchup splattered on the floor like blood. It didn't look like the photos Alpha had sent him. Ketchup just wasn't blood, and Dean knew it. It was just similar enough in a way that it gave him pause when he stood next to the spilled ketchup and was about to mop it up. He stared at it long enough for Roy to yell at him, telling him that if he slacked off he'd get fired.
He couldn't afford to lose his job, so he wiped up the ketchup honestly, just wiping off the residue so no one would slip on it. All that was left was a slightly damp floor, to which he set a small warning cone, then shoved the mop handle into the handle on the edge of the bucket and turned to drive it back into the kitchen when his eyes fell on the window.
The alpha was standing in the street. How long had he been there?
He was motionless, watching Dean through the glass with an impassive face and cold, blue eyes. When their gazes met, he squinted his eyelids a little and tilted his head to the side. They looked at each other like that for a few more moments before Castiel glanced briefly at the door to the diner, then back at him, and finally decided to enter.
He tensed in anticipation, literally watching every quick step Alf took towards him. He even watched the man himself, trying to read from his appearance and face what state of mind he was in. Alpha looked normal, dressed as always in his expensive jacket and trousers still the same black colour, off-white shirt and black tie. And showing off his money with a gold watch, a massive cross around his neck, a ring on his left hand and a bracelet that matched style.
If he had any of his subtle expressions on his calm, almost impassive face, Dean couldn't tell because he was too nervous and distracted.
Castiel stopped right in front of him, finally rearranging his face into some clear expression; a questioning raise of his eyebrows.
"Hey Alpha," he greeted him quickly, to which the Alpha didn't reply, so he looked around nervously. "I have to put this in the back. I'll be right back. In the meantime, have a seat somewhere... Please," he added quickly so as not to sound disrespectful.
Alpha's gaze wandered over his shoulder, how else but to the tables against the wall.
"I'll be waiting for you," he replied, and without another glance at Dean, went to find a seat.
He waited until the Alpha was seated at a table fully against the window, but also with the wall behind him, before pushing the cart with the bucket of water into the kitchen, where he deposited it in the corner where it belonged. On the way back he met Roy, who already looked like he was going to go to Castiel to take over his lunchbox. He waved him over to indicate that he had it, and grabbed the small green apron that held a pad for writing down orders. And made his way to Castiel's desk.
"Sit down," Castiel ordered him as he stood at the table, and it took some effort for Dean to disobey his order immediately.
"I can't. You have to order first. Roy... the boss has a rule that anyone who doesn't order food can't sit here, so... what do you want?" He asked, pulling the local menu off the rack to place it in front of Alpha. The latter pulled it towards him very briefly and ran a disinterested eye over it before pushing it aside.
"Pick me something."
"Okay. I'll get you our chicken special," he said, trying to keep his voice neutral and not let any of the sounds his inner Omega was making seep in, and made a note on his notepad. "I'll wait for it in the kitchen, you know... to make sure the cook shakes all the rat poop out of the bun," he added, and yes, he made a desperate attempt at a joke just to lighten the tension between them. He knew it was a bad idea when he started the sentence, and Castiel's blank expression only confirmed it.
He ducked his eyes obediently, like a proper Omega and it wasn't even too hard or against his beliefs, and quickly returned to the kitchen.
As promised, he did indeed stay in the kitchen, but all the while, from behind the door, he watched Alpha sitting perfectly still at the table, looking out into the thin night traffic. His hands were folded calmly in front of him, his face illuminated by the street lamps and the red lights of passing cars, and he looked not only composed but majestic and beautiful. And certainly not like someone who might have brutally butchered someone a few hours ago. Just like when they first met. He didn't look any different then either, and yet Dean had seen him snap the necks of two Betas like they were nothing more than chickens. There was something impressive about it then. Shit... there was something impressive about it this time, too.
He felt sorry for the Alpha from the arcade, and he felt guilty for his death, because while it was all unintentional with Lisa, it was completely intentional with this guy. There, he had put him and himself at risk of Castiel's wrath on purpose, though not entirely consciously - no, he hadn't realized then that Alpha could go that far. In fact, he hadn't even realized that he would find out.
Yet for all that his stupidity and indiscretion had caused, the feeling from that first night had returned. The nagging thought that this Alpha was exactly the kind of dangerous and deadly person he needed, because only someone like that was strong enough to protect him in a world full of shit. Which is also why he was the only one he'd be willing to trust with his safety and the safety of his pups. Who he could give himself to. Once. Maybe. Fuck, those were such twisted thoughts. I mean, Castiel was going to kill Lisa. He sent him pictures of the corpse. In his own way, he was threatening Dean himself... What kind of sick and diseased Omega would want to have puppies with someone like that?!
Well, what Winchester, you. And what are you wondering, man? Any other person would shit themselves in horror if they got a whole stack of pictures of a dead body from some mobster, and you? Your hands were just shaking a little.
Bill interrupted his thoughts by pressing the buzzer to announce that the meal was ready, even though Dean was standing right next to him. He gave him a cranky look and Beta just shrugged.
He picked up his plate and returned to Alpha's table.
In that time, the smell around where he sat had managed to settle down a little, so Dean could sniff the air cautiously and find that the pleasant aroma of roasting cherries was almost as strong as the bitterness of the almonds, and it was actually all subtly spiced with what he would have called sadness or perhaps insecurity in anyone else. It was a lot like the nervousness he'd smelled when they'd first met in the Virgin, but more... more unhappy or something.
He wasn't sure.
He set the plate down in front of Alpha, who immediately looked up at him.
"One burger with farm chicken, mushroom mayo, and sweet pickles and fries. And one iced tea with lemon," he added along with placing a glass of tea on the table as well, a long blue straw sticking out of it.
The alpha glanced over the food, whereupon he gave Dean a significant look.
"I'm taking a ten minute break, Roy," he called to his Beta boss before slowly sitting down across from the Alpha.
He waited to see if Castiel would say anything, but instead he picked up the burger and bit into it with as much calm as if he'd just come in for a very late dinner. Plus, he didn't even look disgusted as he swallowed the first bite and took another, finally glancing over the seed-sprinkled bun at Dean.
It was probably Dean's turn to start, so he licked his lips and decided to ask that one important question to be one hundred percent sure how he was doing. There was something, like a small spark of hope, that he wasn't responsible for someone's death.
"Those pictures... it was real, wasn't it?"
Castiel narrowed his eyes slightly, until it looked like irritation.
It was all it took to make even that small hope go away. So yeah, he really was responsible for the poor Alpha's death. Now it was absolutely certain and confirmed. He felt bad, but strangely no more bad than before. He kind of expected that having Alpha confirm it would make him feel even worse, except... The thing was, of course he regretted what he had done. It was all his fault, even if he didn't realize the risks. Still, the guy was just a stranger he'd seen for maybe five minutes. Even his stupid Omega instincts couldn't make him care after such a short time.
"If you don't trust the photos, you can see for yourself."
He blinked in surprise.
"Do you have it like... here?" he must have asked like a fool, because the Alpha made an irritated scoffing sound and the corner of his mouth rose in mockery. But what could he wonder? It sounded like Castiel had brought a dead body with him. And honestly, Dean was damn sure he'd be capable of something like that.
"Of course not. I don't take out the garbage myself anymore. Besides, the trunk of none of my cars is bulky enough to hold such a large load. But..." he wrapped his fingers around the jar and continued while holding it as if he were really just talking about taking out the trash, "we had to put it on ice. That's why I might as well take you to it and show you."
He frowned in confusion. Wasn't 'put on ice' slang for just killing someone? It used to be in the movies, but when it came to real life... yeah, he knew quite a bit of the bad side of the law, but he hadn't known any real killers until he met Castiel. The fact that he'd seen one guy stick a knife in another guy's kidney in a bar didn't count.
"That wasn't a euphemism," said Castiel, who must have noticed his confusion. "We literally had to put the bags of his remains in the freezer. We're having a little trouble disposing of the waste now. Police bitches are occupying the usual export routes. You didn't pick a good time," he added, taking another bite of his hamburger.
Bags...? That meant they'd cut the body up into extra pieces, which then had to be stored in some really big freezer. Big enough to hold the whole body, which was like... what? Two hundred pounds of meat, bone and fat. That's a hell of a big freezer, like they have here at the diner or any restaurant. For example... at the Doll.
"Is it at the Doll?"
The alpha turned a mildly surprised gaze towards him, his scent instantly filling with a soft wave of sweet happiness, as if pleased by Dean's quick deduction. He appreciated that he had a sense of where to hide someone's corpse. And while rationally it seemed rather disturbing, Dean actually liked that little bit of appreciation on Alpha's part.
"Yes. You guessed right. Grigory may not be happy about it, but everywhere else was either already full or threatened to be raided by the police." He finally took a sip of his tea, only to grin in disgust and set it down again along with his burger. "There's certainly ice and lemon in it, but it's nothing to do with the tea," he commented in a way he hadn't just moments ago, as if he wasn't talking about the corpse hiding in the freezer, and then he pushed the chewed food away with finality and looked pointedly at Dean. "I assumed you'd invited me here to tell me something."
Dean returned the look.
He was well aware that an apology was Lisa's only hope, and he was determined to apologize, but the words were stuck in his throat. He'd replayed the whole scene a thousand times in the nearly hour it had taken the Alpha to get here, trying to come up with the right words, only Castiel had kind of taken the wind out of his sails with how calmly he'd acted. If he was at least as angry as he was last time... apologizing would be a lot easier.
He did what was expected of him; he put his face into that properly contrite expression and lowered his eyes to the tabletop.
"I'm sorry, Alpha."
"Sorry for what?"
"I'm sorry for mocking and humiliating you in front of your men."
So that was out, so he could start haggling over Lisa? No, probably not. Not by the displeased expression and the whiff of bitterness and sourness that reached his nose. What was wrong? I mean, he apologized.
"That's all you expect me to apologize for?" A sharpness bordering on a growl slipped into his voice.
"Yes... you yourself..."
"Not only did you humiliate me, you hurt me," he interrupted. "You hit me right here." He tapped his fingers on his chest as he suggested that perhaps Dean had stabbed himself in the heart. "I trusted you, Dean. I trusted you and asked for nothing in return and you abused my trust and cheated on me. That's what I want your apology for. A sincere apology. And until I get it... I'll be the one hurting you. That's fair, don't you think?"
It wasn't fair. It wasn't fucking fair! Yeah, he could understand what bothered the Alpha because he was like all Alphas; a jealous, possessive fucker. But it wasn't fair to accuse Dean so harshly and mercilessly of infidelity because... he wasn't being unfaithful, okay? He never would have been. He couldn't even imagine being with anyone other than Castiel anymore. Except maybe fantasies about porn actresses, but even an Alpha as possessive as Castiel couldn't accuse him of that.
Shit. After all, after a day without at least talking to Cas, he felt like some poor sap without his fix. He was addicted to his cherry scent, his crooked smile, his fucking blue eyes...
The righteous fury with which he slammed his palm on the table overcame him.
"I didn't cheat on you!"
He realized immediately that it was a mistake, because Roy immediately rolled out from behind the counter and headed towards them. At that moment, the Alpha raised his hand in the same commanding gesture he used on his men, and since it didn't have the proper effect - Beta hesitated, but didn't stop - he bared his teeth some more. It was only that that really made Roy pause, and after a quick glance between Castiel and Dean, both of whom returned it, he muttered something under his beard, turned on his heel, and walked back behind the counter.
Few Betas wanted to get in between Alpha and Omega.
"Keep your voice down, Omega. You're attracting too much attention," Castiel ordered as soon as he turned to him.
He had to grit his teeth to keep from growling loudly in anger.
"How am I supposed to keep my voice down when you're accusing me of..." he swallowed the rest of his sentence, which would have sounded too wronged, and instead really lowered his voice to an angry whisper. "I didn't cheat you! I would never do that! I couldn't, do you understand?" He growled at Alpha, who responded by straightening up and holding his head up in a lesser pose, but he didn't do anything Alpha enough that Dean couldn't resist. "I didn't know that Alpha at all. That was the first time I saw him and all I wanted was for him to move away from the machine so I could play. That's all!"
"Did you offer him a dime a game?" Castiel asked sharply.
"Yes! No! No..." he ruffled his hair desperately and wearily. His Omega was whining softly and he really didn't want to argue with the Alpha, but he had to clear this up. He looked Castiel firmly in the eyes, determined not to flinch no matter what his instincts told him. "I don't have money like you do. I can't buy everything and everyone. I can't do anything really useful in life, like fixing cars at most, but no one's going to give job to a sixteen-year-old Omega. Few people will give a job in garage to any Omega. Yeah, I'm good at stealing, but... I'd say you know that pickpocketing doesn't make a living for two. I simply have nothing but... this," he touched his hand to his own shoulder. "I've learned how to take advantage of being an Omega and make the Alphas do what I want. I had to learn that because sometimes it was the only way to get Sammy something to eat. It was either that... or I could go sell myself on the corner. Do you understand?" he asked pointedly. "I didn't want... I never wanted that Alpha, I just wanted him to do something for me."
He blurted it all out with a primal relief that quickly began to dissipate. This was definitely not a good defense, especially since he had tried to use Alpha Castiel in the same way a few times. On the other hand, that was what their whole deal was about. Alpha didn't have to be surprised that he was doing it, because he was willing to pay him in gifts and money, so everything was working as it should.
"Okay," Castiel surprised him with a simple answer that seemed to acknowledge what Dean had told him. "You'll never do that again. If you need anything, you'll ask me for it. I'm your Alpha and I'll take care of you. Always! Do you understand, Dean?" He added, his voice much softer than he'd spoken before, and the way his shoulders slumped looked like he meant it. As if he was trying to make himself smaller, more harmless, and thus prove that he meant his words despite his anger.
Dean opened his mouth to contradict him. Castiel wasn't his true Alpha, as much as he liked to pretend he was, and yet Dean's Omega, and indeed himself, wouldn't have minded. Not anymore. But in the end, he said nothing. It was much nicer to enjoy the false sense that the Alpha really cared about him, really cared about him. And that it wasn't just general Alpha jealousy, possessiveness, and obsession with controlling what the Alpha thought was his.
He lowered his eyes with a sigh
"Yes, Alpha. And I promise I'll never do it again," he replied in the way he was sure Alpha wanted to hear, though he simply couldn't mean it. Relying on Alpha would have been nice, but life experience had taught him a lesson. "Also... I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry if it offended you. I didn't mean to," he continued with an apology, which was what Alpha wanted to hear.
If he could also believe that he had truly hurt Castiel, himself and his feelings, not the Alpha's pride, he would be truly sorry and his apology would be completely sincere.
There was such a long pause on the other side of the table that he finally looked up and met Castiel's eyes. It was only then that the Alpha moved. He relaxed and gave a slight nod of his head.
"All right. I accept your apology," he said, almost ridiculously formal, and if he hadn't known it was a stupid thing that would surely cost Lisa her life, he might have actually laughed at the tone.
He swallowed that laugh and lowered his eyes again like an obedient Omega. This brought the unfinished burger and fries into his field of vision, as well as the tea the Alpha had so criticized, and not knowing what to do with his hands or himself he reached for his drink and took it before he realized it was a bad idea. It was very easy to annoy Alpha by taking something out of his hands without permission. One of the important lessons one learned quickly when delivering food in businesses like this one. Or even worse.
He looked up quickly, but Castiel didn't seem offended by the fact that he'd taken his tea, so he finished the motion he'd started and sipped. The tea wasn't bad, pleasantly sweet, very lemony, just the way he liked it. He didn't know what the Alpha was complaining about.
He took another sip and the silence began to lengthen.
His ten minute break seemed to have long since ended, but Roy surprisingly didn't come to pull it out. Alpha's presence was probably reason enough to give him a break, but it certainly wouldn't stop him from taking some of Dean's paycheck. He had to get back to work soon, but first...
"What about Lisa?" He said as he set the glass back down where Castiel had it earlier.
"What about her?"
He looked at him.
"I apologized to you. I begged for her. Is she still next on the list?"
Castiel didn't answer right away, instead he squinted his eyes and slowly began to tilt his head to the side, that impossibly piercing gaze fixed directly on Dean with such force that he almost ducked under it, but held himself and didn't lower his head. Though maybe that was what the Alpha wanted, or should have done, to have a better chance of convincing him that he didn't need to kill Lisa.
"You really care about her," he finally uttered in a way that sent chills down Dean's spine. It wasn't because he had anger or jealousy in his voice, no, oddly enough, it was more like a calculating sort of thing. Like he'd just been dealt a good hand.
He could deny that he cared about the Beta girl, but that would be a lie, because he did. Maybe he wasn't as attracted to her as he used to be, but... it was Lisa. A sweet, good-smelling Lisa who, if nothing else, was his friend. So no, he couldn't deny anything, and if he tried, Alpha would surely know a lie.
"Enough that I don't want her to die, but not the way you think. Not anymore," he uttered, immediately pausing; he shouldn't have said that, and the way the Alpha straightened up it was clear he'd noticed the small remark all too well. He had to quickly think of something to explain it. Something like... yes, he already knew and he was sure it would work. "I used to like her, but that was before I met you, Alpha," he said quickly, reaching across the table to place his hand on Castiel's forearm; Alpha looked down at his hand. "After all, we are... True Mates. That's a bond no Beta girl can break, right?" He asked, and Alpha looked up at him again. "Or... do you think so?"
Alpha watched him for another few long moments before answering:
"No, of course not. True Mates come by the will of God, and nothing mundane is strong enough to break such a bond."
"So you see," he put enough positivity in his tone to make it seem like he was pleased as well. "Whatever it was with Lisa, it meant nothing. You don't have to get rid of her because she can't threaten us."
"You're trying to trick me."
The statement was said with such unaffected calm that Dean didn't know what to say for a moment. Fortunately, he recovered in time.
"No, absolutely not. I'm just saying..."
"Oh yes, you are, and not for the first time," he interrupted with a ruthless statement, pulling his hand out from under his. "You didn't think I didn't know about this, did you?" He asked significantly; Dean just lowered his eyes. "I'm not blind or stupid. I know you try to manipulate me sometimes, just like you did with that Alpha in the game room. I tolerate you because it's fun, but this time you're asking too much of me," he said it with such seriousness, as if it really meant something, though Dean had no idea what it was supposed to mean.
Castiel gave him another, long look before his gaze wandered behind his back with what sounded a lot like a tired sigh. And his scent took on a faintness that was very much suited to the look of resignation with a hint of irritation that was reflected on his face in the form of a taut upper lip and wrinkles at the root of his nose.
"Our business has been under too much police scrutiny lately for me to afford to attract attention by leaving behind the bodies of beautiful white middle-class schoolgirls just because my Omega can't keep his hands to himself. I can show her mercy for it and my men will overlook it, but Dean... my men aren't the only ones in this game. Not even close. If you do this again," he stressed in a very firm voice that made Dean involuntarily cringe a little, "I won't be able to forgive you anymore. I'd lose face and respect, and if I lose respect, I'll lose the power to protect you." With those words, and much to Dean's surprise, he stood up and reached into his pocket for a wad of money. "I suspect you don't understand that yet, but in time you will understand how things work in our world. For both our sakes, I hope you don't find out too hard," he finished, tossing a bill on the table.
"Alpha..." he addressed him as it looked like he was going to leave without anything else.
Alpha looked him in the eye with a slightly questioning raised eyebrow and shoved the bills back into his pocket
"Does this mean... we're good?" He asked instead of caring about Lisa, because he cared a hair more about whether Alpha was angry with him... if they were still 'together' rather than his friend's life. God, Winchester, you're an utterly pathetic, needy Omega, nothing else, he thought with some self-loathing, but that didn't stop him from waiting with bated breath to see how the Alpha would express himself.
It took far too long for the corners of Alpha's eyes and lips to relax and his expression softened as he reached out and cupped Dean's chin between his thumb and forefinger.
"Of course you do, moy milyy Din," he replied, leaning in a little. "But it'll be a while before I trust you again like I did before," he added as he let go and straightened up again, whereupon he sized Dean up, his head tilted a little to one side and his expression quizzical. "I have one question... why does your breath smell like cheap marijuana?"
He blinked in surprise at the absurd turn the whole conversation had taken.
"I took a couple of choudas to calm myself down," he admitted, also what else was there to do since the Alpha could tell anyway, and then raised his hand in front of his face and breathed to see how bad his breath smelled. Yeah, there was probably a little something in there, but that it was strong enough for anyone to tell if the weed was cheap or not. Like he didn't suppose Bill had the best stuff available, considering how much he'd smoked and that he had to fund it on his salary here.
"You shouldn't smoke that shit."
He looked up at Alpha in disbelief and simply couldn't help a sarcastic smirk.
"Says the drug dealer," he snapped, tensing. It probably wasn't the best idea to irritate Alpha with his insolence right now, since he could barely get him to stop being angry and not kill Lisa.
"Yes, says the dealer who has a nose for the good stuff," Alpha replied calmly. "Come with me, I'll give you something better," he urged, and without waiting to see if Dean would follow suit, he simply headed for the door.
He hesitated a little, confused by the complete change in Alpha's demeanor, but then he rose to his feet and quickly followed. He caught up with him still at the door, which Castiel had stupidly gallantly held open for him, and then led him a short distance down the street to his car. It was the Ferrari from their first meeting, parked on a blinker not far from the parking meter, and since Castiel hadn't taken out the key to open it, he'd left it unlocked the whole time. Dean wasn't sure if he valued his belongings so little, since he could easily buy new ones. Even shit as expensive as luxury cars were. Or maybe he's just so confident that no one will steal from him, because after all, everyone knows who he is and what awaits him if they touch his stuff.
The alpha slid into the passenger seat just so he could get into the glove compartment, his long legs sticking out of the door, and started rummaging in the glove compartment. There were books, two tattered paperbacks, a paper map, stacks of cigarette packs, some empty, and a couple of disposable lighters and condoms. Not one or two, but right away a whole roll of the cheapest one-pack condoms you could get. Finally, he pulled out two plastic bags. One, the one that contained a couple of latex gloves - he suspected that Alpha's reasons for having them there wouldn't be entirely legal - he put back, and with the other he slipped out of the car.
In it were several nicely rolled butts that looked like real cigarettes. Not the crumpled and somewhat slobbery thing Bill was rolling.
"Lady Scratch." He patted the bag.
"Lady Scratch?" He asked incredulously, because it was a ridiculous name.
"Don't ask. We don't grow it or give it a name, but it's quality stuff. Far better than the garbage you're pulling," he replied, unzipping the bag and pulling out one cigarette, then handing the rest to Dean. "When you want more, just ask my men. Most of them always have something on them."
He took the packet and turned it over in his hand, inspecting the lovely joints that were perhaps a shame to smoke. Then he looked at Alpha.
"Do you just drive around with this in your car?"
"It's legal." He shrugged slightly and rolled the gum between his fingers. "Five or fewer pieces packed is defined as personal use. The police can't even confiscate it from me."
"I didn't know that..." he let the sound trail off and looked down at the bag in his hands. It was enough to allow him to examine it properly. In fact, probably more than he'd ever owned
"Dean," the Alpha addressed him; he looked up to him and Castiel placed his large, warm hand on his cheek, looking closely into his eyes as he leaned in a little. "I want you to stay home this weekend. No more trips with your friends. I want to know where you are and who you're with."
"Yes, Alpha," he agreed without hesitation. Come to think of it, after the way he'd treated Lisa, he probably didn't have any more friends. Not that he minded that much. He already knew the quiet whine of his Omega, who didn't like to leave people he was 'friends' with, and could easily ignore them.
The alpha made a low sound, similar to Dean's now familiar growl, but it wasn't as intense as other times. Still, it was almost a growl, and a moment later a hand fisted in his hair, and Alpha pulled him close so he could bury his nose in his throat.
He froze for a small moment, but as the heavy heady scent of roasted cherries with bitter almonds and sweet honey filled his nose, he simply relaxed, resting his head against Castiel's shoulder and wrapping his arms lightly around his back. In his sober state, and considering what had happened, he wasn't so brave when it came to actual displays of affection.
"I have to go," the alpha sighed close to his ear, enveloping his sensitive skin with his hot and in the autumn night air also very moist breath before pulling away enough that they could look into each other's eyes, their noses almost touching. "I wish I could kiss you..." he sighed a second time, moving his hand to Dean's cheek again and running his thumb over his chin, just below his lip.
He nodded and looked at Alpha's mouth for a small moment. Those damn confident lips that not only knew how to suck the breath from his lungs when they kissed, but looked perfectly stretched around Dean's cock. He definitely remembered that part of their last encounter fondly.
"You can kiss me," he blurted out, looking again into the blue depths that were so close. "I mean... I know we've had arguments and whatever, but... kissing and maybe even something more conciliatory... that's like a classic."
He watched with pleasure and a growl from his inner Omega as the Alpha's corners twitched in amusement.
"I'd still prefer that to kissing, but..." he pulled away to a safe distance, "... I've got work to do."
"A kiss won't take much time..."
"No, it won't..." he agreed, then lifted Dean's hand to his lips and pressed a wet kiss to his pulse. "Good night, Dean, and don't forget to write when your shift is over," he added, letting go and stepping back completely.
"Right. Good night, Alpha."
He stayed out long enough to watch Castiel round the corner, then went back inside to clock out for the rest of his shift and make Bill happy for once with Lady Scratch.