Much More Than a Hunch Part 4
Title: Much More Than a Hunch Part 4
Author: Gedry
Pairings: Dean/Cas
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1095
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Spoilers: none
Warnings: None
Summary: For lillyg who wanted FLUFF and got a daycare verse instead.
No beta, my bad!
Much More Than a Hunch
He holds onto Dean’s phone number all weekend without calling.
Cas could justify it with a hundred excuses but the hard truth of it is that he is ashamed and afraid. Dean is angry with him and justifiably so. Cas wronged him when they were children in the most horrible way he can think of looking back on it.
Dean had offered Cas his friendship, his protection, his comfort, and in the end he had offered up his heart for Cas to take as well. Instead of accepting the gift for the precious thing that it was Cas had told Dean he was going to Hell, that loving him that way was a sin. When that hadn’t been enough to stop Dean from reaching for him again Cas had punched him over and over in the face until Dean had fallen into the dirt at his feet sobbing only to stumble up and flee while Cas had screamed after him to never speak to him again.
Cas still has nightmares about the look on Dean’s face that night.
Seeing him again in the daycare was a shock. It had left him frozen and uncertain. Surely Dean wouldn’t be receptive to conversation.
But he had taken Cas’ hand and met his gaze. As the months passed Dean had continued to speak to him even though Cas had done little to seem interested. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to build some kind of bridge over the divide he had created between them. Because there are just no words for how much Cas needed a second chance with Dean.
He just has no idea how to go about it. How to you say ‘I love you too,’ sixteen years too late?
So to be here now, holding this number, he assumes it has to be a sign. There’s just no way his luck is possibly this good.
He just has to work up the nerve to call, to beg for forgiveness if that’s what is required. Dean’s worth it always has been. Cas is just so sorry he didn’t see that when he was so young and so afraid.
It’s Anna that finally makes him call. His beautiful, loving, socially awkward child likes Dean’s son very much. For the past week she has insisted that her name is actually Anna Winchester and nothing Cas can do will make her change her mind. But it gives him an opening, something to start off a conversation with when he has no idea what else to say.
“It appears we are in-laws,” he stammers as soon as Dean picks up the phone after the fourth ring on Monday night.
There’s a pause during which Cas assumes it might have been better etiquette to identify himself first. He can feel a blush burning up the side of his neck and is so grateful this is a phone call and not an in person conversation.
Then Dean chuckles and replies “Oh man, your house too? All I get all night long is ‘Ben Novak,’ it’s nuts and it’s driving Jesse crazy; which is actually kind of funny.”
“They appear to like each other very much,” Cas smiles to himself as he paces back and forth between his living room and the kitchen.
“Well the epic Novak and Winchester love story is now two generations strong,” Dean jokes but there is a hollow tone to it that makes Cas flinch.
“Dean…” he starts and then falters because he has no idea what to say other than to plead for forgiveness.
“I’m sorry,” Dean sighs on the other end of the line and he sounds so tired. “I was trying for funny but I guess that wasn’t funny at all.”
“You don’t need to apologize,” Cas assures him. “If anyone should apologize here it should be me.”
“Do you really want to do this over the phone?” Dean asks in a tone that Cas remembers as one he uses when he’s uncomfortable.
“No,” Cas says immediately. “I would much prefer to speak to you face to face if that could be arranged. I’m aware that with the children it may be difficult.”
“Yeah,” Dean snorts. “They kind of run everything don’t they?”
“Absolutely,” Cas agrees. “Could we meet for lunch one day during the week? Anna has been asking for a play date with Ben but the subject matter we need to speak of isn’t something I want the children to overhear.”
“Sure,” Dean agrees and after a pause adds “How about Friday? You’re already off that day and I get an hour for lunch.”
“Friday would be fine,” Cas breathes. He catches a glance of himself in the mirror hanging in the hallway. He looks….hopeful. It’s enough that he stops his pacing.
“It’s a date then,” Dean blurts. He sounds pleased. “See you Friday then. At that coffee place on Market?”
“That’s perfect,” Cas agrees. “Have a good night Dean.”
“You too Cas,” Dean answers. “Bye.”
Cas hears the phone go silent but it doesn’t stop him from pressing his cell phone to his chest and leaning his forehead against the mirror’s cool surface and he smiles so wide his face feels like it’s going to split in two.
*****
Dean leans back against the porch railing with a groan. The phone still clinched in his hand as it flops into his lap.
He called it a date. Cas must think he is a total jack ass.
Fucking idiot mouth just runs on without the permission of his brain.
A date.
Dean squashes the concept even as his heart beats a little harder. Only Cas, he decides, could bring this out in him right now when he’s such an emotional mess. He picks himself off the porch and walks as calmly as he can past Sam’s smirking face. Sam is oozing satisfaction and Dean wants to smack it off his face.
But he grins at himself in the mirror as he brushes his teeth. He crawls into bed that night feeling a little less empty.
It’s only three days until Friday and he’ll see Cas when they pick up the kids tomorrow.
Seems like it’s shaping up to be a good week.