Unexpected Destinies Chapter 43
Title: Unexpected Destinies
Rating: R
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 3,915
Summary: Christmas Day.
PAST
The wonderful aroma that Dean could smell as soon as he stepped out of the shower told him that his lover had stopped by and he hurried to dry himself off and get dressed. If he'd known that Castiel was planning to come by, he'd have showered faster, but the combined effects of a good water heater and decent pressure had meant that he'd indulged himself for once. The motel he'd chosen several days ago when the snow had started to come down a little too heavily for his liking was slightly more upscale then was normal for him, but as it was coming up on Christmas, he'd decided it was worth it just this once. Especially since it was close to the town center so he could reach the dinners, shops and library all on foot instead of risking his baby in the increasingly worsening conditions.
"Hey, Cas," Dean greeted, stepping out of the bathroom.
"Hello, Dean. Merry Christmas."
Dean beamed at his lover, giving him a kiss before pulling back. "Wait, I thought we humans had it completely wrong with Christmas?"
"You do," Castiel confirmed. "But I know it is traditional for you to spend this day with those closest to you and I didn't wish for you to be alone."
The admission made Dean swallow thickly and he was unsure of how to reply. Luckily he was saved from an embarrassingly chick flick moment by his stomach which chose then to growl loudly at the mouthwatering smell that drifted his way from the table. His lover's lips twitched and he mock scowled.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh at the human. Do I even want to know where this is from?"
"France," Castiel replied and then continued when Dean caught sight of the plate. "Eggs Benedict."
"Bene-what?"
"Benedict. I believe you will like the hollandaise sauce and I requested bacon instead of the usual ham."
"You're gonna make me fat, you do realize this, don't you?" Dean demanded with a fond smile.
Although it sounded like something fancy that he'd normally never order himself, Dean had found that Castiel'd become surprisingly good at figuring out what he'd like even if he'd never had it before. He was not proven wrong and made various approving noises as the first bite hit his taste buds.
"I'm sure we can find a way of working off any excess calories," Castiel stated.
Dean snorted before taking a sip of coffee. Although his lover had come far when it came to sex and dirty talk, there were still times when something like this would pop out. Strangely, he found himself hoping that it never entirely disappeared, it was so quintessentially Castiel that he was sure he'd miss it if it never happened anymore.
"I'm sure we can," Dean said instead.
As he ate, he watched Castiel examine the spare Christmas balls that he'd left on the table among the books he'd been looking through. After his arrival, he'd gone into the nearby woods on impulse with his machete and put the weapon to its most decidedly mundane task ever though it was the one it had originally been made to do: chopping down a tree. Oh it wasn't anything big or impressive, was rather pathetic actually if he was honest with himself, but it was a Christmas tree nonetheless. And, well, once he'd had the tree, he'd really needed some stuff to decorate it with even if he knew that he'd just have to leave it all behind when he moved on. Still, he'd gone to the nearest thrift shop and bought a box of mixed decorations to hang up.
"Did you put up these decorations yourself?" Castiel inquired.
"Yeah."
"I am surprised by how much they alt-" Castiel broke off just as Dean took his last bite of his trans-Atlantic breakfast.
He looked up to see what was wrong and nearly choked as he wanted to laugh with the food still in his mouth. Dean swallowed the eggs and bacon as quickly as possible as he watched his lover stand stock still, eyes narrowed as he looked at the ornament at the top of his pathetic little excuse for a Christmas tree. It had been a completely impulsive buy, but once the idea had occurred to him, he hadn't been able to resist it, especially not when the girl behind the helpdesk counter had seemed absolutely thrilled at the idea when he'd mentioned it to her. Apparently she was an art student at the local college and thought the challenge a perfect excuse to do what she loved at work.
The end result was stunning and Dean had made sure to leave her a healthy tip. What had once been a generic blue eyed, blond haired angel ornament, now bore a striking resemblance to his lover. Or, well, as striking a resemblance as could be gotten with something like that. Between the black spray paint that had been used on it's hair and wings, an impromptu haircut, the tan cloth now wrapped over it's white robe, the small blue tie and the miniature silver sword it held, it was unmistakable exactly who the little angel was meant to represent.
He'd wondered how long it would take his angel to spot it when he'd put it up and it had made Dean laugh every time he'd looked at it.
"Dean," Castiel said, turning his narrow eyed gaze towards him.
The tone of voice and look didn't fool Dean for an instant and he casually leaned back in his chair, a huge goofy grin on his face. "Yeah, Cas?"
His lover seemed to try for a little longer before giving up and allowing his expression to fall into a bemused sort of exasperation. "Why is there a representation of a warrior of God on your pagan tree?"
"Eh, because it's tradition to put an angel at the top of the tree?" Dean wasn't quite sure how that had come out sounding like a question, but it definitely had. His attempt at an innocent smile wasn't helping matters either.
"And why was it altered to look like me?"
"Ah, well, I didn't think you'd want me to put just any old angel on my tree, but if you'd rather I put one of your sisters up there, then I'm sure I can still find another one."
Dean could see it the moment Castiel got what he was saying and the way his angel shifted his stance before stalking towards him was enough to make him start getting hard in his pants.
"No," Castiel stated, leaning down and trapping him in the chair as if his lover thought that he might even want to try and escape. "You will not get another."
"Yeah?" Dean challenged, unable to resist.
The next thing he knew, Dean was hauled to his feet and pulled into a fierce kiss. He moaned, bucking his hips and then gasping as Castiel palmed his cock through his jeans before dragging him towards the bed. And to think he'd only just gotten out of that bed an hour ago. Not that he was complaining, not at all.
There was absolutely no finesse to what happened next, nor did they make it as far as actual fucking, coming instead from frantic rutting against each other, guided along by Castiel's hand on both their cocks. Dean couldn't find it in himself to care as he lay panting on the rumpled sheets. The day was still young and, besides, it brought up many enjoyable memories of the beginning of their relationship, before they'd worked up to proper sex. Or penetration as Cas had called it, he recalled with a smile.
It amazed Dean how content he was to just lie there next to his lover, dozing a little as he came down from his endorphin high. He was never in danger of truly falling asleep, but was rather just luxuriating in the fact that he didn't need to get up and get going for once. It was surprisingly refreshing.
"What do you normally do on Christmas?" Castiel finally asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
Dean snorted. "We didn't normally celebrate Christmas, not really. Sometimes we'd put up crappy decorations like these, exchange some gifts and drink some eggnog, but that's it really."
"Would now be an appropriate time for me to give you your gift?"
"My gift?" Dean questioned, sitting up against the headboard, an odd mix of exhilaration and childish joy rising within him. "You got me a gift?"
"It is custom to give those close to you gifts on Christmas, is it not?"
"Yes, but..."
Dean didn't really know what else to say as he watched his lover lean over the side of the bed for his coat and pull a small present from one of the pockets. The wrapping was clumsily done, as if wrapped by a small child or, in this case, someone who had never wrapped a gift before in their lives. That Castiel had not only taken the time to do so, but had attempted it the human way touched him deeply and he felt the emotions rising within him. Wordlessly, he accepted the present and felt it gently with his fingers, trying to guess what it was.
"Is something wrong?" Castiel inquired.
"No, no!" Dean hastened to reassure. "I was just seeing if I could figure out what it was, that's half the fun with presents. But, no, I'm coming up blank."
Whatever it was, it felt oddly shapeless, or rather like it was shifting within its packaging. There seemed to be another layer of wrapping- clothe if he wasn't mistaken- between the paper and the gift itself. Unable to be sure of anything beyond the fact that it was made up of several different shapes, Dean eagerly ripped off the wrapping paper only to be confronted with a little jewelry bag. His eyebrows rose in surprise and he looked at his angel.
"You got me jewelry?"
Castiel merely smiled indulgently at him before he motioned for him to continue, eyes glued to his face. "You'll see."
His lover's quiet assurance and words made the small bubble of doubt that had risen within him vanish and Dean undid the knot in the bag's strings. Once he got it open, he tipped the contents into his palm and felt his breath catch in his throat and his eyes widen in surprise and shock as he realized exactly what it was that he held.
"Mom," Dean whispered hoarsely, instantly recognizing the charm bracelet that had alerted him to the fact that she was a hunter.
Or at least it looked exactly like the one that she had worn. The thought had Dean looking up at Castiel, unable to get his voice to work again to ask the question and hoping his lover would be able to tell what he wanted to know. He didn't think his angel would just get him a look-alike, but how on Earth could he possibly have gotten hold of the original?
"Yes, it is the same one that your mother used to own," Castiel confirmed.
"How?"
"It took some effort, but I was able to track it down in the end. It is a magical object, heavily endowed with protection spells and thus easier to find than a normal bracelet."
But still a needle in a haystack, Dean suspected and leaned across to kiss his lover. "Thank you."
"It was my pleasure. Would you like me to put it on you? I took the liberty of enlarging it just enough so it would fit your wrist."
"Yeah, sure."
It wasn't like he'd never worn bracelets before and even if this one was far more girly than anything he'd ever gotten for himself, Dean wasn't going to let that stop him. He'd never had much of his mother's, the fire having destroyed most of their belongings, and he wasn't going to let some stupid sentiment of what guys should and shouldn't wear stop him from holding on to what he did have.
"Thanks," Dean said again, once his angel had put the bracelet on.
The look Castiel gave him told Dean that his lover also heard the words that he couldn't seem to say just now. He still wasn't sure how they'd slipped out so easily before, but he was just glad that he'd gotten the sentiment across.
"I got you a gift," the words were out of Dean's mouth before he even realized he was going to say them and it made him wince internally.
He still wasn't sure what had possessed him to try and find a gift for Castiel in the first place, but once he'd made the decision, he'd been determined to follow it through. Now he was thankful for that inherent stubbornness of his even as the memory of what he'd gotten made him wince. It was so freaking inadequate and worthless, especially compared to what he'd just received, but he hadn't been able to think of anything else. What did you get an angel that didn't seem to value material possessions and was able to get anything he did want with almost no effort?
Castiel must have followed his gaze as he'd looked towards the pathetic little tree because the next thing Dean knew, his lover stood beside it before flitting back to the bed. Even his choice of wrapping paper seemed hopelessly juvenile and stupid now that he looked at it. His lover had taken the time to get some genuine stuff somewhere and he'd used the comics section of a random newspaper.
"Dean, do you recall telling me once never to change?" Castiel asked softly.
Dean's eyes snapped up to his angel's face only to find himself the center of Cas' focus. "Yeah, of course."
"Have you considered that perhaps I would like the same of you?"
"Huh?"
"This," Castiel said, holding up his present, thumb and forefinger stroking the newspaper. "Is you. The use of this wrapping paper tells me that you took the time to wrap it yourself instead of having someone else do it for you."
"Still coulda gotten something better," Dean replied, though a reluctant smile tugged at his lips.
"And what use would you have for the rest of the roll? It wouldn't have lasted in the trunk of the Impala until the next time you'd want to use it and we both know it."
"No," Dean admitted, shaking his head. Only Castiel. "So, you gonna open it or what?"
With one final look at him, his lover turned his attention back to his gift and started carefully opening it, undoing each bit of tape instead of ripping right into it. If Dean had felt any more confident about his choice of present, he would have teased Castiel about it, as he felt strongly that gifts should be opened with a little more fanfare, but as it was he let it go. Perhaps he should have gone with the new wardrobe idea after all? Give his angel some style of his own instead of the holy tax accountant garb he still wore over two years after arriving on Earth.
"Dean."
Castiel's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and Dean looked over to see his lover carefully pick up the key ring from the center of the sheet of newspaper he'd used to wrap it in. On it was just one key, but it was a duplicate of the most important one in his life seeing as he hadn't had a real home since he was four and thus no house key.
"Look, I... eh, know that you don't really need it to get around or anything," Dean stammered. "And that you can just zap yourself in and out without it, but... well, I-"
Dean finally managed to cut himself off as his lover ran his fingers gently over the key itself before looking up at him. "The Impala?"
"Yeah."
The look that crossed Castiel's face now was one that Dean had seen before, but generally only after they'd had sex and his lover was watching over him afterwards as he started to drift off to sleep. It made him think that perhaps he hadn't been so far off with his choice of present after all.
"I am honored," Castiel stated, before his lips twitched. "Though I must confess to being unable to drive."
"Really?"
"It is not a skill Father deemed necessary to endow us with at creation."
"Oh."
"Though I could acquire it."
As he said that, his lover brushed his fingers lightly across his forehead, far too lightly to actually be doing anything, but Dean understood what he meant perfectly. "Yeah? Well why don't you grab that knowledge now and we'll see about getting you some practical experience later, when we're somewhere where the roads aren't covered in snow and ice."
"I would like that very much."
This time when the fingers brushed his temple, there was more force behind it and then Dean could feel something else, inside of him. In most ways it was almost exactly like when Castiel had downloaded Enochian into his brain, only without the accompanying pain. Probably because nothing was being dumped into his mind this time he figured. He still must have lost a little time, though, as when he blinked his eyes open, he was leaning against his angel with his head resting on his shoulder. One of Cas' arms was wrapped securely around him while his lover toyed with the two key rings he'd chosen. Well, only one was truly a key ring, the second was merely clipped to the ring of the first. He hadn't been able to resist the latter as it was of a wing and he'd loved the irony. The first was a simple little black plastic square with the words 'Rebel with a Cause' carved into it.
"Thank you for sharing your home with me," Castiel stated when Dean looked up at his face.
Dean ducked his head and shrugged. "Thanks for taking the time to join me today."
"If we lose track of why we are fighting, then Lucifer will have won even if we defeat him."
Now there was a philosophy he could get behind. Unable to help himself, Dean had a flash of one of the bitch faces Sam had given him once when he'd tried to argue for a day off back during their hunt for Lilith. Quickly, though, he shoved the thought aside. He would not let the memories of his little brother taint today of all days.
"What do other people do on Christmas?" Castiel asked.
"Eh, similar stuff, I guess, though they'd normally do some kind of family get together, with those who live further away coming home to celebrate. Some people go out and sing Christmas carols or go sleighing or build a snowman..." Dean trailed off as something else occurred to him and a large grin formed on his face. "Or they might make snow angels."
As expected, his lover's head tilted to one side as he considered this. "What are snow angels and how does one make them?"
Dean laughed even as he had to admit that Castiel was showing great progress by realizing that he hadn't meant the words literally or meant him or one of his siblings. Excitement rose within him and he got out of bed. "Come on, get dressed and we'll go outside so that I can show you!"
Once they were bundled up, and Dean had not let Castiel get away without doing so by pointing out that though the cold might not affect him, nobody else knew that and he'd draw far too much attention to them if he didn't at least look like he was dressed for the weather. Not that he didn't think two grown men making snow angels wouldn't draw a certain amount of attention on its own, but that would be more the kind of 'haven't they grown up yet?' attention instead of the 'look at that freak over there' kind. It was an important distinction as far as he was concerned.
"Here's good," Dean decided when he'd found a nice patch of pristine snow. "Now watch."
With those words, Dean lowered himself onto his ass in the snow, wincing slightly as the cold started to seep through his clothing immediately. Castiel was watching him with a frown that he figured would only grown when he lay down completely, but he was far too excited to care. He hadn't made a snow angel in years, not since Sammy had declared himself too old to do such childish things anymore and he found that he'd missed it. He'd used to make them with Mom all of the time as she'd had no problems getting down into the snow.
"Dean?"
"Just watch."
Once flat, Dean stated moving his arms up and down and his legs side to side until he was satisfied that he'd properly flattened or pushed aside all of the snow. Sitting up, he turned around slightly so he could draw a halo above the snow angel's head before turning back to face his lover and holding out his hand. Castiel obligingly pulled him up and he jumped a little so that he wouldn't put too many boot marks in his creation.
"See?" Dean said, brushing the snow off the back of his head. "That's a snow angel." Castiel was looking at it with a slight frown and Dean sighed. "The bit where my arms were are supposed to be the wings."
"And what you did with your legs?"
"Well, the robe, obviously," Dean replied, shooting his lover a mischievous grin. "Everyone knows that angels wear robes, duh."
Castiel looked from the snow angel to him and back again before a smile spread across his face. "Of course they do. How silly of me to forget."
Dean laughed. "Go on, your turn," he said with a little push.
For a moment, he thought Castiel wouldn't do it, but then his lover moved to the side a little and lay down in the snow. Instead of imitating what he'd done before, though, Cas simply got back up again.
"There, I have made a snow human."
Unable to come up with a good reply for that, Dean fell back on his usual response when there was snow about; he threw a snowball. It wasn't until he called a halt to their impromptu war forty-five minutes later when his fingers felt frozen even in his gloves, that he paused to think of what they must have looked like, running around having a massive snowball fight, but he found that he just didn't care. Castiel had the biggest smile on his face that he'd ever seen and he himself was really happy, if both cold and wet.
He didn't see the kiss coming, but Dean didn't mind it in the slightest, especially when he was able to pull Castiel closer as his angel seemed as warm as always, completely unaffected by the cold. The next instant they were back in the motel room, though it took him a second longer to realize that not only were they in the bed once more, but they were both naked. A wicked grin crossed his face as he looked up at his lover.
"Dude, you're awesome!"
Castiel merely smiled before he leaned down for a kiss, covering Dean's body with his own.
A.N.: Yes, I know this chapter was sugary-sweet, I couldn't help myself for once. For those of you who prefer angst, don't worry, there's still plenty of that to come as well.
As for why I missed the posting yesterday, well, I needed to shift a day at some point this week and I figured it was better to do so when I'd posted another fic then when anyone checking the site would find nothing no at all. And, hey, this chapter was extra long!
Chapter 44
Rating: R
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 3,915
Summary: Christmas Day.
PAST
The wonderful aroma that Dean could smell as soon as he stepped out of the shower told him that his lover had stopped by and he hurried to dry himself off and get dressed. If he'd known that Castiel was planning to come by, he'd have showered faster, but the combined effects of a good water heater and decent pressure had meant that he'd indulged himself for once. The motel he'd chosen several days ago when the snow had started to come down a little too heavily for his liking was slightly more upscale then was normal for him, but as it was coming up on Christmas, he'd decided it was worth it just this once. Especially since it was close to the town center so he could reach the dinners, shops and library all on foot instead of risking his baby in the increasingly worsening conditions.
"Hey, Cas," Dean greeted, stepping out of the bathroom.
"Hello, Dean. Merry Christmas."
Dean beamed at his lover, giving him a kiss before pulling back. "Wait, I thought we humans had it completely wrong with Christmas?"
"You do," Castiel confirmed. "But I know it is traditional for you to spend this day with those closest to you and I didn't wish for you to be alone."
The admission made Dean swallow thickly and he was unsure of how to reply. Luckily he was saved from an embarrassingly chick flick moment by his stomach which chose then to growl loudly at the mouthwatering smell that drifted his way from the table. His lover's lips twitched and he mock scowled.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh at the human. Do I even want to know where this is from?"
"France," Castiel replied and then continued when Dean caught sight of the plate. "Eggs Benedict."
"Bene-what?"
"Benedict. I believe you will like the hollandaise sauce and I requested bacon instead of the usual ham."
"You're gonna make me fat, you do realize this, don't you?" Dean demanded with a fond smile.
Although it sounded like something fancy that he'd normally never order himself, Dean had found that Castiel'd become surprisingly good at figuring out what he'd like even if he'd never had it before. He was not proven wrong and made various approving noises as the first bite hit his taste buds.
"I'm sure we can find a way of working off any excess calories," Castiel stated.
Dean snorted before taking a sip of coffee. Although his lover had come far when it came to sex and dirty talk, there were still times when something like this would pop out. Strangely, he found himself hoping that it never entirely disappeared, it was so quintessentially Castiel that he was sure he'd miss it if it never happened anymore.
"I'm sure we can," Dean said instead.
As he ate, he watched Castiel examine the spare Christmas balls that he'd left on the table among the books he'd been looking through. After his arrival, he'd gone into the nearby woods on impulse with his machete and put the weapon to its most decidedly mundane task ever though it was the one it had originally been made to do: chopping down a tree. Oh it wasn't anything big or impressive, was rather pathetic actually if he was honest with himself, but it was a Christmas tree nonetheless. And, well, once he'd had the tree, he'd really needed some stuff to decorate it with even if he knew that he'd just have to leave it all behind when he moved on. Still, he'd gone to the nearest thrift shop and bought a box of mixed decorations to hang up.
"Did you put up these decorations yourself?" Castiel inquired.
"Yeah."
"I am surprised by how much they alt-" Castiel broke off just as Dean took his last bite of his trans-Atlantic breakfast.
He looked up to see what was wrong and nearly choked as he wanted to laugh with the food still in his mouth. Dean swallowed the eggs and bacon as quickly as possible as he watched his lover stand stock still, eyes narrowed as he looked at the ornament at the top of his pathetic little excuse for a Christmas tree. It had been a completely impulsive buy, but once the idea had occurred to him, he hadn't been able to resist it, especially not when the girl behind the helpdesk counter had seemed absolutely thrilled at the idea when he'd mentioned it to her. Apparently she was an art student at the local college and thought the challenge a perfect excuse to do what she loved at work.
The end result was stunning and Dean had made sure to leave her a healthy tip. What had once been a generic blue eyed, blond haired angel ornament, now bore a striking resemblance to his lover. Or, well, as striking a resemblance as could be gotten with something like that. Between the black spray paint that had been used on it's hair and wings, an impromptu haircut, the tan cloth now wrapped over it's white robe, the small blue tie and the miniature silver sword it held, it was unmistakable exactly who the little angel was meant to represent.
He'd wondered how long it would take his angel to spot it when he'd put it up and it had made Dean laugh every time he'd looked at it.
"Dean," Castiel said, turning his narrow eyed gaze towards him.
The tone of voice and look didn't fool Dean for an instant and he casually leaned back in his chair, a huge goofy grin on his face. "Yeah, Cas?"
His lover seemed to try for a little longer before giving up and allowing his expression to fall into a bemused sort of exasperation. "Why is there a representation of a warrior of God on your pagan tree?"
"Eh, because it's tradition to put an angel at the top of the tree?" Dean wasn't quite sure how that had come out sounding like a question, but it definitely had. His attempt at an innocent smile wasn't helping matters either.
"And why was it altered to look like me?"
"Ah, well, I didn't think you'd want me to put just any old angel on my tree, but if you'd rather I put one of your sisters up there, then I'm sure I can still find another one."
Dean could see it the moment Castiel got what he was saying and the way his angel shifted his stance before stalking towards him was enough to make him start getting hard in his pants.
"No," Castiel stated, leaning down and trapping him in the chair as if his lover thought that he might even want to try and escape. "You will not get another."
"Yeah?" Dean challenged, unable to resist.
The next thing he knew, Dean was hauled to his feet and pulled into a fierce kiss. He moaned, bucking his hips and then gasping as Castiel palmed his cock through his jeans before dragging him towards the bed. And to think he'd only just gotten out of that bed an hour ago. Not that he was complaining, not at all.
There was absolutely no finesse to what happened next, nor did they make it as far as actual fucking, coming instead from frantic rutting against each other, guided along by Castiel's hand on both their cocks. Dean couldn't find it in himself to care as he lay panting on the rumpled sheets. The day was still young and, besides, it brought up many enjoyable memories of the beginning of their relationship, before they'd worked up to proper sex. Or penetration as Cas had called it, he recalled with a smile.
It amazed Dean how content he was to just lie there next to his lover, dozing a little as he came down from his endorphin high. He was never in danger of truly falling asleep, but was rather just luxuriating in the fact that he didn't need to get up and get going for once. It was surprisingly refreshing.
"What do you normally do on Christmas?" Castiel finally asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
Dean snorted. "We didn't normally celebrate Christmas, not really. Sometimes we'd put up crappy decorations like these, exchange some gifts and drink some eggnog, but that's it really."
"Would now be an appropriate time for me to give you your gift?"
"My gift?" Dean questioned, sitting up against the headboard, an odd mix of exhilaration and childish joy rising within him. "You got me a gift?"
"It is custom to give those close to you gifts on Christmas, is it not?"
"Yes, but..."
Dean didn't really know what else to say as he watched his lover lean over the side of the bed for his coat and pull a small present from one of the pockets. The wrapping was clumsily done, as if wrapped by a small child or, in this case, someone who had never wrapped a gift before in their lives. That Castiel had not only taken the time to do so, but had attempted it the human way touched him deeply and he felt the emotions rising within him. Wordlessly, he accepted the present and felt it gently with his fingers, trying to guess what it was.
"Is something wrong?" Castiel inquired.
"No, no!" Dean hastened to reassure. "I was just seeing if I could figure out what it was, that's half the fun with presents. But, no, I'm coming up blank."
Whatever it was, it felt oddly shapeless, or rather like it was shifting within its packaging. There seemed to be another layer of wrapping- clothe if he wasn't mistaken- between the paper and the gift itself. Unable to be sure of anything beyond the fact that it was made up of several different shapes, Dean eagerly ripped off the wrapping paper only to be confronted with a little jewelry bag. His eyebrows rose in surprise and he looked at his angel.
"You got me jewelry?"
Castiel merely smiled indulgently at him before he motioned for him to continue, eyes glued to his face. "You'll see."
His lover's quiet assurance and words made the small bubble of doubt that had risen within him vanish and Dean undid the knot in the bag's strings. Once he got it open, he tipped the contents into his palm and felt his breath catch in his throat and his eyes widen in surprise and shock as he realized exactly what it was that he held.
"Mom," Dean whispered hoarsely, instantly recognizing the charm bracelet that had alerted him to the fact that she was a hunter.
Or at least it looked exactly like the one that she had worn. The thought had Dean looking up at Castiel, unable to get his voice to work again to ask the question and hoping his lover would be able to tell what he wanted to know. He didn't think his angel would just get him a look-alike, but how on Earth could he possibly have gotten hold of the original?
"Yes, it is the same one that your mother used to own," Castiel confirmed.
"How?"
"It took some effort, but I was able to track it down in the end. It is a magical object, heavily endowed with protection spells and thus easier to find than a normal bracelet."
But still a needle in a haystack, Dean suspected and leaned across to kiss his lover. "Thank you."
"It was my pleasure. Would you like me to put it on you? I took the liberty of enlarging it just enough so it would fit your wrist."
"Yeah, sure."
It wasn't like he'd never worn bracelets before and even if this one was far more girly than anything he'd ever gotten for himself, Dean wasn't going to let that stop him. He'd never had much of his mother's, the fire having destroyed most of their belongings, and he wasn't going to let some stupid sentiment of what guys should and shouldn't wear stop him from holding on to what he did have.
"Thanks," Dean said again, once his angel had put the bracelet on.
The look Castiel gave him told Dean that his lover also heard the words that he couldn't seem to say just now. He still wasn't sure how they'd slipped out so easily before, but he was just glad that he'd gotten the sentiment across.
"I got you a gift," the words were out of Dean's mouth before he even realized he was going to say them and it made him wince internally.
He still wasn't sure what had possessed him to try and find a gift for Castiel in the first place, but once he'd made the decision, he'd been determined to follow it through. Now he was thankful for that inherent stubbornness of his even as the memory of what he'd gotten made him wince. It was so freaking inadequate and worthless, especially compared to what he'd just received, but he hadn't been able to think of anything else. What did you get an angel that didn't seem to value material possessions and was able to get anything he did want with almost no effort?
Castiel must have followed his gaze as he'd looked towards the pathetic little tree because the next thing Dean knew, his lover stood beside it before flitting back to the bed. Even his choice of wrapping paper seemed hopelessly juvenile and stupid now that he looked at it. His lover had taken the time to get some genuine stuff somewhere and he'd used the comics section of a random newspaper.
"Dean, do you recall telling me once never to change?" Castiel asked softly.
Dean's eyes snapped up to his angel's face only to find himself the center of Cas' focus. "Yeah, of course."
"Have you considered that perhaps I would like the same of you?"
"Huh?"
"This," Castiel said, holding up his present, thumb and forefinger stroking the newspaper. "Is you. The use of this wrapping paper tells me that you took the time to wrap it yourself instead of having someone else do it for you."
"Still coulda gotten something better," Dean replied, though a reluctant smile tugged at his lips.
"And what use would you have for the rest of the roll? It wouldn't have lasted in the trunk of the Impala until the next time you'd want to use it and we both know it."
"No," Dean admitted, shaking his head. Only Castiel. "So, you gonna open it or what?"
With one final look at him, his lover turned his attention back to his gift and started carefully opening it, undoing each bit of tape instead of ripping right into it. If Dean had felt any more confident about his choice of present, he would have teased Castiel about it, as he felt strongly that gifts should be opened with a little more fanfare, but as it was he let it go. Perhaps he should have gone with the new wardrobe idea after all? Give his angel some style of his own instead of the holy tax accountant garb he still wore over two years after arriving on Earth.
"Dean."
Castiel's voice snapped him out of his thoughts and Dean looked over to see his lover carefully pick up the key ring from the center of the sheet of newspaper he'd used to wrap it in. On it was just one key, but it was a duplicate of the most important one in his life seeing as he hadn't had a real home since he was four and thus no house key.
"Look, I... eh, know that you don't really need it to get around or anything," Dean stammered. "And that you can just zap yourself in and out without it, but... well, I-"
Dean finally managed to cut himself off as his lover ran his fingers gently over the key itself before looking up at him. "The Impala?"
"Yeah."
The look that crossed Castiel's face now was one that Dean had seen before, but generally only after they'd had sex and his lover was watching over him afterwards as he started to drift off to sleep. It made him think that perhaps he hadn't been so far off with his choice of present after all.
"I am honored," Castiel stated, before his lips twitched. "Though I must confess to being unable to drive."
"Really?"
"It is not a skill Father deemed necessary to endow us with at creation."
"Oh."
"Though I could acquire it."
As he said that, his lover brushed his fingers lightly across his forehead, far too lightly to actually be doing anything, but Dean understood what he meant perfectly. "Yeah? Well why don't you grab that knowledge now and we'll see about getting you some practical experience later, when we're somewhere where the roads aren't covered in snow and ice."
"I would like that very much."
This time when the fingers brushed his temple, there was more force behind it and then Dean could feel something else, inside of him. In most ways it was almost exactly like when Castiel had downloaded Enochian into his brain, only without the accompanying pain. Probably because nothing was being dumped into his mind this time he figured. He still must have lost a little time, though, as when he blinked his eyes open, he was leaning against his angel with his head resting on his shoulder. One of Cas' arms was wrapped securely around him while his lover toyed with the two key rings he'd chosen. Well, only one was truly a key ring, the second was merely clipped to the ring of the first. He hadn't been able to resist the latter as it was of a wing and he'd loved the irony. The first was a simple little black plastic square with the words 'Rebel with a Cause' carved into it.
"Thank you for sharing your home with me," Castiel stated when Dean looked up at his face.
Dean ducked his head and shrugged. "Thanks for taking the time to join me today."
"If we lose track of why we are fighting, then Lucifer will have won even if we defeat him."
Now there was a philosophy he could get behind. Unable to help himself, Dean had a flash of one of the bitch faces Sam had given him once when he'd tried to argue for a day off back during their hunt for Lilith. Quickly, though, he shoved the thought aside. He would not let the memories of his little brother taint today of all days.
"What do other people do on Christmas?" Castiel asked.
"Eh, similar stuff, I guess, though they'd normally do some kind of family get together, with those who live further away coming home to celebrate. Some people go out and sing Christmas carols or go sleighing or build a snowman..." Dean trailed off as something else occurred to him and a large grin formed on his face. "Or they might make snow angels."
As expected, his lover's head tilted to one side as he considered this. "What are snow angels and how does one make them?"
Dean laughed even as he had to admit that Castiel was showing great progress by realizing that he hadn't meant the words literally or meant him or one of his siblings. Excitement rose within him and he got out of bed. "Come on, get dressed and we'll go outside so that I can show you!"
Once they were bundled up, and Dean had not let Castiel get away without doing so by pointing out that though the cold might not affect him, nobody else knew that and he'd draw far too much attention to them if he didn't at least look like he was dressed for the weather. Not that he didn't think two grown men making snow angels wouldn't draw a certain amount of attention on its own, but that would be more the kind of 'haven't they grown up yet?' attention instead of the 'look at that freak over there' kind. It was an important distinction as far as he was concerned.
"Here's good," Dean decided when he'd found a nice patch of pristine snow. "Now watch."
With those words, Dean lowered himself onto his ass in the snow, wincing slightly as the cold started to seep through his clothing immediately. Castiel was watching him with a frown that he figured would only grown when he lay down completely, but he was far too excited to care. He hadn't made a snow angel in years, not since Sammy had declared himself too old to do such childish things anymore and he found that he'd missed it. He'd used to make them with Mom all of the time as she'd had no problems getting down into the snow.
"Dean?"
"Just watch."
Once flat, Dean stated moving his arms up and down and his legs side to side until he was satisfied that he'd properly flattened or pushed aside all of the snow. Sitting up, he turned around slightly so he could draw a halo above the snow angel's head before turning back to face his lover and holding out his hand. Castiel obligingly pulled him up and he jumped a little so that he wouldn't put too many boot marks in his creation.
"See?" Dean said, brushing the snow off the back of his head. "That's a snow angel." Castiel was looking at it with a slight frown and Dean sighed. "The bit where my arms were are supposed to be the wings."
"And what you did with your legs?"
"Well, the robe, obviously," Dean replied, shooting his lover a mischievous grin. "Everyone knows that angels wear robes, duh."
Castiel looked from the snow angel to him and back again before a smile spread across his face. "Of course they do. How silly of me to forget."
Dean laughed. "Go on, your turn," he said with a little push.
For a moment, he thought Castiel wouldn't do it, but then his lover moved to the side a little and lay down in the snow. Instead of imitating what he'd done before, though, Cas simply got back up again.
"There, I have made a snow human."
Unable to come up with a good reply for that, Dean fell back on his usual response when there was snow about; he threw a snowball. It wasn't until he called a halt to their impromptu war forty-five minutes later when his fingers felt frozen even in his gloves, that he paused to think of what they must have looked like, running around having a massive snowball fight, but he found that he just didn't care. Castiel had the biggest smile on his face that he'd ever seen and he himself was really happy, if both cold and wet.
He didn't see the kiss coming, but Dean didn't mind it in the slightest, especially when he was able to pull Castiel closer as his angel seemed as warm as always, completely unaffected by the cold. The next instant they were back in the motel room, though it took him a second longer to realize that not only were they in the bed once more, but they were both naked. A wicked grin crossed his face as he looked up at his lover.
"Dude, you're awesome!"
Castiel merely smiled before he leaned down for a kiss, covering Dean's body with his own.
A.N.: Yes, I know this chapter was sugary-sweet, I couldn't help myself for once. For those of you who prefer angst, don't worry, there's still plenty of that to come as well.
As for why I missed the posting yesterday, well, I needed to shift a day at some point this week and I figured it was better to do so when I'd posted another fic then when anyone checking the site would find nothing no at all. And, hey, this chapter was extra long!
Chapter 44