SIOUX EMPIRE CHILDREN'S LIBRARY - AFTERNOON
"Time - if one were to look at time through the mindset of linear progression - is like a great river, with streams and tributaries. With every choice we make, we have the potential to create alternate timelines. Whole other dimensions built on our own past but wildly different from our present. But most of these dimensions are too similar. They take the path of least resistance, the fated course, and end up absorbed back together. Like soap bubbles merging."
Far back in the stacks of the children's library, Castiel stood on a rolling safety ladder restocking the shelves with books from his trolly. Dean, who had tagged along and instantly regretted it, sat on a step stool nearby with his back to the shelf and his ear buds in. Eyes closed, arms folded. He'd fallen asleep to one of Castiel's outdrawn explanations, one he probably should've been paying attention to.
"I'm starting to suspect your timeline and ours are becoming too similar," Castiel went on casually. "Soon enough they'll converge, either with one of the timelines winning out over the other or with both kaleidoscoping in a cosmological bloodbath - the bubbles bursting. If prophesies are becoming jumbled in your world, then the merging has already begun in places. Even for selfish gain, the Crowley of your dimension was justified in sending someone to jettison one of the branching timelines. As the catalyst for the divergence, it's only fitting that it should be you and Sam to decide. But then the question becomes... which line to sacrifice?"
He looked back to Dean. Fast asleep. Castiel took one of the heavier books he'd brought up with him, held it straight out in just the right way and let it drop.
When it hit the ground loudly beside Dean, he was shocked awake and yanked his earbuds out. "What happened - what was that?"
Castiel gave him a deadpan look. "I dropped a book, could you hand it to me?"
"Yeah... scared the hell out of me." Dean picked the book up, but it took him a moment to wake up enough to actually get on his feet.
"Tired?" Castiel asked.
"Nah," Dean said, "it's just... winter mornings. Blood's slow, hard to get moving." He finally dragged his ass up and handed Castiel the book.
Being a vindictive little snot, Castiel asked, "So which line would you chose?" knowing damn well he hadn't been listening.
Dean looked around, as if the answer would be somewhere nearby. "Hey, whichever line leads to coffee, I'm standin' in it."
Castiel shook his head. Why does he been bother monologing? But then he heard a noise that made him brace himself on the ladder. The too-loud voice of a young boy proudly roaring his own name like a battle cry:
"RASHAWN!"
The heralded Rashawn - a brown-eyed, runny-nosed, eight-year-old boy with a caesar cut, in a bright red winter coat - came barreling down the isle, smacking books off the shelves and growling. He was a warrior without a war - a casualty of winter inactivity. As he passed Castiel's ladder, he grabbed it and pulled, swinging it away from the shelf.
"Hey!" Dean barked after him, but let it go and dragged the ladder back to its place. When he looked at Castiel, he saw the dead-eyed shock of a man who'd seen too much death on the battlefield. These two clearly had a past together.
"Wild stab," Dean said, "might that be Rashawn?"
Castiel sighed. "I'm afraid so. He's the reason the library has safety ladders. Considering what happened to Tyson."
As an adult approaching the age of 'sad old guy at the rock show', Dean was thoroughly annoyed by this kid. But part of him was impressed. Rashawn caused mayhem on a level that changed policies in a public library. That deserved some level of respect.
"The kid just gets to tear around like that? And where's the parents? Or should I not ask?"
"His mother's probably close by. She's very attentive." Castiel nodded to himself. "She's... a wonderful woman. And she has a lot to deal with."
Dean knew what that look meant - or at least he assumed he did. "Hot, single moms - called it! It's always the quiet ones. Come on, point her out. We'll find a Waldo to hide behind."
If Castiel's resulting expression was any indication, Dean had said exactly the worst thing possible. He quickly climbed down the ladder, quietly scandalized. "Lower your voice," he said seriously, as though Dean was drawing attention to the resistance.
"Okay," Dean said in a quieter tone. "What's her name?"
Castiel was clearly embarrassed, but the question wasn't exactly loaded. "Dani. Mrs. Brennan."
Dean frowned thoughtfully. Where had he heard that name recently? "Huh. And no Mr. Brennan?"
"No." The question clearly offended Cas. Poor taste! "He disappeared. I suspect a demon deal. I've never met the man, but... when I looked in Dani's eyes-." When he noticed the look Dean was giving him. "Stop making that face; it's inappropriate. Dani and I are friends. Barely. That's all I want."
It really was baby steps with this guy. "But you like her a lot?" Dean asked.
"Of course," Cas said. "Why shouldn't I?"
"And you wanna maybe... hang out?"
Castiel took a breath. It's not like she was the only person in town he liked spending time with,... but he did think about her a lot. With some other people, talking felt like work. They made him feel like everything he said was crazy. But Dani had a way meeting him in the middle, and not making him feel weird about it. Calming him down when he got nervous, which - depending on the day - could be a lot. She made boring winters at the library go by so much faster. He nodded.
Dean started pulling Castiel over to the end of the isle, hoping he'd point out Dani. "Come on, you wanna ask her out? Talk to her. What's the worst that could happen?"
"I could burst into flames," Castiel said. "It's unlikely, but if what you want is a worst case scenario..." He peered out of the isle and spotted a tall woman pleading with Rashawn to sit at a work table. Beside them was a quiet little girl in a pink coat with puffy pigtails. They were sitting by themselves, so Dean knew which one was her.
Danielle Brennan, middle-aged widow. She was a pretty mom, though not any prettier than the others. But she did have a look about her that stood apart from the Sioux Falls PTA set. She dressed like she was going to a fancy lunch and her black, micro-braided hair had a bluish tint and was pulled back in a low bun. So a little more formal than the beach-hair-in-winter moms in ugg boots and jeans, which might've had something to do with why she always sat alone.
Cas ducked back into the isle. He was very cool about it, but 'what if she saw me looking?' was all over his face.
Ever the life coach, Dean put a hand on Castiel's shoulder to steady him, gesturing with the other hand. "Look, talking to women is easy-."
"Don't patronize me," Castiel said, overly-offended. "I talk to women every day."
"Focus," Dean said. "I mean flirting, asking 'em out."
That seemed to put the fear into Cas, so much so that he didn't have the words to protest.
"Look - they're just people," Dean said, in the most reassuring tone he had on tap. "Okay? But there are a lotta scum bags out there who can't handle a hard no, so women... the gentler ones... got a high 'medium-friendly'. Nice all the time, to everyone. You wanna know if she means it, you gotta read the signals."
Castiel took a quick glance at Dani then turned back to Dean. "Right. I think demons killed her husband."
"Okay... We'll put a pin in that." Dean struggled to get his head back in the advice mind frame. "If you're interested in someone, first you have to put it out there, so they're not on the spot. And don't be too obvious, don't come on like a creep."
He caught a second look at Dani, an appreciative smile tugging at the corner of his mouth - she was growing on him. Nice normal lady. It was a hell of a lot better than watching him moon over demon chicks.
"Really listen," Dean went on, "Respond. Maintain eye-contact." When he looked back, Castiel was staring at him quizzically, as usual. "Yeah, okay, you got the eye-contact thing down. But if she's into it, she'll find ways to let you know. Right? Like, maybe,... she'll hold the gaze, smile a lot. Find ways to touch you, but like a safe kinda-."
Castiel looked at Dean's hand, which was still on his shoulder. Dean reeled it back and snapped by Castiel's ear.
"What' I say? Focus. You'll know it when you're in it, just go for it." Without anymore warm up, Dean started leading him out to talk to Dani. "And don't talk too much."
"Spontaneous human combustion," Castiel whispered, his fear mounting. "I'm now proportionally similar to a human."
"It's alright, buddy," Dean said, "I'll be there. Right there with ya the whole time."
And when they made it to Dani's table, Dean took off so fast it was practically a special effect. Castiel was left looking around a moment.
This was fine. He could do this. Hopefully without combusting.