SPN: Shiny Happy People
Title: Shiny Happy People
Pairing: Chuck gen (featuring friendship with Dean, Cas and Bobby)
Rating: PG
Any warnings: Light drug use.
Summary: It's the end of the world, and Castiel's throwing a party.
Written for jacklemmon for the spnspringfling.
Chuck sat on Castiel's porch in their settlement at Camp Chitaqua, listening to the party going on inside. It never ceased to amaze him how the fallen angel could bring hope and light to others, even while feeling miserable himself. It had been six months since the Croatoan virus had erupted, and despite Dean's warnings that supplies weren't going to last forever, Cas put together a party at least once every month.
“Hey Chuck,” a familiar voice called from the darkness, and he looked around. After a beat, Dean stepped into the light, half a smile on his face. “You waiting for something?”
“Not really,” the retired prophet grinned a little as he shrugged awkwardly. “I just, y'know, get nervous around too many people.”
“I hear ya,” Dean nodded and sat next to Chuck. “How many in there now?”
“About fifteen,” Chuck replied, the awe clear in his voice. “I helped Cas get Bobby in earlier, and people have been coming and going ever since.”
“Of course Bobby's in there,” Dean sighed. If there was alcohol on offer, the wheelchair-bound hunter was willing to go anywhere. Add to that the fact that several of Castiel's girls weren't put off by an old coot in a wheelchair, and he rarely missed one of Castiel's shindigs.
Chuck and Dean sat together for a while, watching the stars and listening to the sound of people being happy. It was soothing, something that they both enjoyed without having to talk about.
“Hey guys, what are you doing out here?”
The gruff voice was easily recognisable as Castiel, and Chuck turned his head to see the beers that were being offered.
“Just killing time,” Dean smiled up at his friend as he took one of the bottles. “You having fun in there?”
“More fun than you two,” Cas answered easily, before squirming in between them to sit pressed against both men. He leaned his head on Dean's shoulder, and started poking Chuck with the other beer bottle.
“Hey, stop that,” Chuck tried to grab the bottle away, but somehow Cas had retained his angelic reflexes and didn't want to give up. “Are you gonna let me drink it or not?”
“Maybe,” Cas grinned back. He was so preoccupied by the mock-battle that he didn't notice Bobby wheeling out of the house and over towards them until the beer had already been confiscated. “Hey!”
“Idjits,” Bobby grumbled before handing the bottle to Chuck. “Drink up, lightweight.”
“Yes sir,” Chuck gladly took the bottle and drank. He didn't bother arguing with the moniker any more - compared to the rest of the hunters, and especially Castiel's iron liver, he really was a lightweight.
The four men sat comfortably together, occasionally bickering easily about nothing. Cas kept physical contact with them all, always rather tactile when he was tipsy. It was pleasant, as it usually was when they all managed to relax for a few minutes. While Bobby and Dean were discussing something to do with hunting patterns - Chuck didn't know, he never understood those conversations - Castiel pulled a pre-rolled joint from his pocket and raised an eyebrow at Chuck.
“Yeah, okay,” Chuck nodded. He was usually willing to light up with Cas, it was always interesting.
With that confirmation, Castiel turned and started going through Dean's pockets, not paying any attention to Dean's confusion.
“Cas? What the hell are you doing?”
“Looking for your lighter,” Castiel answered as though it was the most logical thing in the world, and kept digging. “I know you keep it in here somewhere.”
“Yeah, but - hey! Watch the groping Cas!”
“Can't help it, you're sitting on your pockets.”
Chuck tried to stifle his laughter, but wasn't having much luck. While Castiel had never had much concept of personal space, falling and becoming human seemed to have completely obliterated his barriers. Now Castiel was very tactile with the people he cared about, and completely ignored Dean whenever he tried to escape being hugged or casually touched. Chuck had the distinct feeling, though, that Dean didn't mind as much as he said he did.
“Look, Cas,” Dean eventually managed to pull his lighter from his jacket pocket - while Cas was still trying to dig around in his jeans - and handed it to him. “It's here, in my jacket, where you know damn well I always keep it.”
“Oh yeah, so you do,” Castiel responded absently, not fooling anyone. He lit the joint and took a deep pull, before handing it over to Chuck who did the same.
“You really shouldn't smoke so much,” Dean scolded mildly. Chuck noticed that he didn't actually try to stop them though.
“Let 'em have it,” Bobby shook his head. Cas leaned back against Bobby's leg and grinned up at him, clearly having smoked at least a couple of joints before coming out to sit with them. “Not like they're gonna listen to you anyway.”
Chuck leaned back as well, liking the feel of warmth behind him. Castiel turned and nuzzled into him, and by the time the shared joint was gone both men were quite blatantly cuddling. Chuck knew that Dean would give him shit about it the next day, but for now it was nice and comforting. Besides, it was Dean who took the end of the joint and stubbed it out, making sure neither of them burned themselves.
“You two okay?” Dean asked softly, and Chuck nodded. Castiel made some sort of happy noise, before managing to twist around and link his feet with Dean's while still holding on to Chuck. There was muted laughter, probably from both Dean and Bobby, but Chuck didn't mind. He was quite comfortable where he was.
After a while, a burst of shouting followed by loud laughter from inside Castiel's house made Chuck flinch awake, and Dean glanced over at him sympathetically.
“Why do you throw these parties?” Chuck finally asked Castiel the question that had been bugging him for a while, a little slurred with inebriation. “What makes you want to celebrate surrounded by so many people?”
“It's the human spirit,” Cas shrugged before snuggling closer. “Think about it. It's the end of the world, but that room behind us is filled with shiny, happy people. Why wouldn't I want to perpetuate that?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Dean nodded. Chuck thought about it, and had to agree.
“Shiny happy people,” Chuck mused. “I think I like that.”
Pairing: Chuck gen (featuring friendship with Dean, Cas and Bobby)
Rating: PG
Any warnings: Light drug use.
Summary: It's the end of the world, and Castiel's throwing a party.
Written for jacklemmon for the spnspringfling.
Chuck sat on Castiel's porch in their settlement at Camp Chitaqua, listening to the party going on inside. It never ceased to amaze him how the fallen angel could bring hope and light to others, even while feeling miserable himself. It had been six months since the Croatoan virus had erupted, and despite Dean's warnings that supplies weren't going to last forever, Cas put together a party at least once every month.
“Hey Chuck,” a familiar voice called from the darkness, and he looked around. After a beat, Dean stepped into the light, half a smile on his face. “You waiting for something?”
“Not really,” the retired prophet grinned a little as he shrugged awkwardly. “I just, y'know, get nervous around too many people.”
“I hear ya,” Dean nodded and sat next to Chuck. “How many in there now?”
“About fifteen,” Chuck replied, the awe clear in his voice. “I helped Cas get Bobby in earlier, and people have been coming and going ever since.”
“Of course Bobby's in there,” Dean sighed. If there was alcohol on offer, the wheelchair-bound hunter was willing to go anywhere. Add to that the fact that several of Castiel's girls weren't put off by an old coot in a wheelchair, and he rarely missed one of Castiel's shindigs.
Chuck and Dean sat together for a while, watching the stars and listening to the sound of people being happy. It was soothing, something that they both enjoyed without having to talk about.
“Hey guys, what are you doing out here?”
The gruff voice was easily recognisable as Castiel, and Chuck turned his head to see the beers that were being offered.
“Just killing time,” Dean smiled up at his friend as he took one of the bottles. “You having fun in there?”
“More fun than you two,” Cas answered easily, before squirming in between them to sit pressed against both men. He leaned his head on Dean's shoulder, and started poking Chuck with the other beer bottle.
“Hey, stop that,” Chuck tried to grab the bottle away, but somehow Cas had retained his angelic reflexes and didn't want to give up. “Are you gonna let me drink it or not?”
“Maybe,” Cas grinned back. He was so preoccupied by the mock-battle that he didn't notice Bobby wheeling out of the house and over towards them until the beer had already been confiscated. “Hey!”
“Idjits,” Bobby grumbled before handing the bottle to Chuck. “Drink up, lightweight.”
“Yes sir,” Chuck gladly took the bottle and drank. He didn't bother arguing with the moniker any more - compared to the rest of the hunters, and especially Castiel's iron liver, he really was a lightweight.
The four men sat comfortably together, occasionally bickering easily about nothing. Cas kept physical contact with them all, always rather tactile when he was tipsy. It was pleasant, as it usually was when they all managed to relax for a few minutes. While Bobby and Dean were discussing something to do with hunting patterns - Chuck didn't know, he never understood those conversations - Castiel pulled a pre-rolled joint from his pocket and raised an eyebrow at Chuck.
“Yeah, okay,” Chuck nodded. He was usually willing to light up with Cas, it was always interesting.
With that confirmation, Castiel turned and started going through Dean's pockets, not paying any attention to Dean's confusion.
“Cas? What the hell are you doing?”
“Looking for your lighter,” Castiel answered as though it was the most logical thing in the world, and kept digging. “I know you keep it in here somewhere.”
“Yeah, but - hey! Watch the groping Cas!”
“Can't help it, you're sitting on your pockets.”
Chuck tried to stifle his laughter, but wasn't having much luck. While Castiel had never had much concept of personal space, falling and becoming human seemed to have completely obliterated his barriers. Now Castiel was very tactile with the people he cared about, and completely ignored Dean whenever he tried to escape being hugged or casually touched. Chuck had the distinct feeling, though, that Dean didn't mind as much as he said he did.
“Look, Cas,” Dean eventually managed to pull his lighter from his jacket pocket - while Cas was still trying to dig around in his jeans - and handed it to him. “It's here, in my jacket, where you know damn well I always keep it.”
“Oh yeah, so you do,” Castiel responded absently, not fooling anyone. He lit the joint and took a deep pull, before handing it over to Chuck who did the same.
“You really shouldn't smoke so much,” Dean scolded mildly. Chuck noticed that he didn't actually try to stop them though.
“Let 'em have it,” Bobby shook his head. Cas leaned back against Bobby's leg and grinned up at him, clearly having smoked at least a couple of joints before coming out to sit with them. “Not like they're gonna listen to you anyway.”
Chuck leaned back as well, liking the feel of warmth behind him. Castiel turned and nuzzled into him, and by the time the shared joint was gone both men were quite blatantly cuddling. Chuck knew that Dean would give him shit about it the next day, but for now it was nice and comforting. Besides, it was Dean who took the end of the joint and stubbed it out, making sure neither of them burned themselves.
“You two okay?” Dean asked softly, and Chuck nodded. Castiel made some sort of happy noise, before managing to twist around and link his feet with Dean's while still holding on to Chuck. There was muted laughter, probably from both Dean and Bobby, but Chuck didn't mind. He was quite comfortable where he was.
After a while, a burst of shouting followed by loud laughter from inside Castiel's house made Chuck flinch awake, and Dean glanced over at him sympathetically.
“Why do you throw these parties?” Chuck finally asked Castiel the question that had been bugging him for a while, a little slurred with inebriation. “What makes you want to celebrate surrounded by so many people?”
“It's the human spirit,” Cas shrugged before snuggling closer. “Think about it. It's the end of the world, but that room behind us is filled with shiny, happy people. Why wouldn't I want to perpetuate that?”
“Yeah, I guess,” Dean nodded. Chuck thought about it, and had to agree.
“Shiny happy people,” Chuck mused. “I think I like that.”