In Eight Months Time 2/?
Title: In Eight Months Time
Characters/ Pairing: Dean/Cas, Ash, Ellen, (later mentions of Sam, Mary, and John)
Ratings: PG-13, Later NC-17
Warnings: None
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Supernatural and its characters belong to Eric Kripke and the CW.
In Eight Months Time
No one ever told Dean about being saddle sore. It was an evil, evil detail that had been left unmentioned. He rolled out of bed and went to take a step when his thighs locked up on him, causing him to fall.
"What the hell?" He looked around as he stood, rubbing his inner thigh as he did. It was more sore than he had ever been, (at least ever remembered) and it hurt. He walked to his drawer a bit more bow-legged than usual, pulling out a pair of jeans and a top, putting them on, topping it off with his new precious hat. He slowly climbed down the stairs and was just in time for breakfast. He grabbed his tray and was about to sit down at an empty table in the back when a voice called out to him.
"Hey, Winchester!" Dean turned at saw Laken waving him down. He nodded and went over to him, stiffly sitting in the open chair. Laken smiled. "Bit saddle sore, yeah?" he asked. Dean rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, thanks for the warning," he hissed back. He picked up his fork and pushed his eggs around his plate before bringing a forkful to his mouth. He hummed in approval before continuing. Laken introduced him to the other men, Alek, Morus, James, Nicholas, and Lucas. Dean nodded and made a mental note, putting names to faces, and trying his best to remember.
Once breakfast was over, Dean and Ash made their way to the stables to tack their horses. Dean expected to go back down to the training arena, so when Laken took him past it, Dean was a little more than confused.
"Wait, dude, were are you going?" Dean asked. He swivled his head back and forth to look down at the arena before looking back at Laken.
"What? We're going to get the cattle," Laken replied. When Dean kept his utterly confused look on his face, Laken clarified. "We go up to where all the cattle are grazing and round them up, check them for any obvious injury and count them to make sure they're all there. Then we come back down, eat sleep, ya-dee-da, and the days done." Ash stopped at the front of the gate that marked the cattle roaming area and leaned down, undoing the gate from horseback. Dean followed him through and closed the gate behind him.
"So, tell me, why does this take all day to do? We're just catching a few cows," Dean said. He gave Chev a squeeze and caught up with Laken. Laken scoffed and turned to Dean with a smile.
"We're catching over two-hundred cows, and they're all spread out over thirty-five acres- trust me, it'll take all day." Laken gave Count a click and kicked his sides, sending the horse into a gallop. Dean quickly followed, catching up with Laken within seconds. As unfamiliar with horses as Dean was, he had to be impressed with the power that Chev held. She was pure muscle, and Dean could feel her legs beat the ground, could feel her muscles bulge and and twitch through the saddle under his legs. With each step she took, Chev huffed out a breath, putting all she could into getting Dean to where he needed to be.
When Laken pulled Count to a stop, they had reached a big willow tree, who's leaves brushed along the grass, branches bending in a graceful bow. Dean halted Chev and took in the amazing sight. The tree was so random, in the middle of wide open grassland. There wasnt another tree in sight, and it looked like it had been growing in it's spot for over two-hundred years.
"This is where we'll always meet. None of the other guys are here yet 'cause we're early. Wanted to show you where it was before we had to work, just in case you needed to get here on your own for some reason." Laken's words pulled Dean from his admiration of the old tree.
"It's kinda random- the tree being all the way out here with nothing else," Dean said half-minded, more to himself than to Laken. Laken nodded in agreement.
After about twenty minutes, Dean could hear a few hooves clomping their way towards the tree. Dean turned his head to be greeted with a few men on horseback (he later found out that their names were Jonathan who prefered to be called John, a man named Robert, and younger boy named Evan). Dean and Evan made fast of becoming friends, and the others weren't unfriendly. Three other men arrived before Dean thought it was time to go. Laken grabbed his arm and shook his head, letting him know that there was one more guy they were waiting on, the man who directed the whole cattle wrangling section of Falcon Ranch.
Another half-hour had passed before the Mystery Man showed his face.
Dean couldnt make out many of his features apon first glance, his face being shadowed by distance and his cowboy hat, but as Mystery Man drew in closer, Dean could make out a few things- like how his crystal-blue eyes contrasted with the nice cream colour of his hat, and how his dark brown, almost black hair, stuck out from the bottom of his hat in every-which-way. Dean could see that this man had been through a lot, and had climbed his way, tooth and nail to get to the leader position he was in now, and when crystal blue met emrald green and held, Dean's blood ran cold, the hairs on the back of his neck standing straight. The man glared at him as he passed on his horse, and halted his horse next to the willow tree.
"Well, you ladies just gonna stand there looking dumb, or are we ready to go find some cow?" The man scanned the group of men before taking off in a random direction. Men began to file in behind him, Dean and Laken taking up the behind.
"Why's this guy off his temper today?" Dean sniped quietly to Ash. The other man scoffed and turned to look at Dean.
"The man's not in a mood, man, thats just him." Dean shook his head and snorted out a small laugh.
"Damn. I would hate to be on the receiving end of that attitude," Dean quipped. He was cut short when a whoop rang out over the few men in the feild, and the steady walk turned into a full blown gallop. Dean followed suit and looks around to try to find out what happed. And find out he does.
To his left, Dean can see a herd of about fifteen cows running away from the herd of men. The Myster Man (Dean forgot to ask Laken his name) is leading the group of men, turning cows back, making a large cluster. A few men stray, going around the front and on the sides to trap in cows that are trying to stray away, trying to escape being counted. Dean watches as ropes fly above heads, watches cow after cow be pulled back into the group.
As he observes, he sees a cow abruptly stop and turn around, darting past Chev's legs. The horse reeered slightly before Dean got her back under control and was able to turn her to chase after the quickly straying cow. Dean unwrapped his rope from the horn of his saddle and swung it once, twice over his head before he let it loose, sending the rope sailing through the air, landing perfectly around the cows head. The animal mooed as it was carefully turned, guided back towards to herd. Once there, Dean leaned down carefully and quickly undoes the lasso from the young animals neck, releasing it back into the herd. Dean huffed out a breath and moved back to Laken's side, assisting him in keeping the cows in a group.
"Not bad, Winchester. You seem to be a true-born natural," Laken complimented. Dean rolled his eyes and shook his head, causing Laken to laugh heartily. Dean was returning the smile when a deep, gravely voice called out to who he was assuming to be him.
"Hey, fresh meat, c'mere, now!" Dean blinked at Laken and turned Chev in the direction the voice was coming from. He was greeted by Myster Man.
"Yes," Dean asked, adding "sir," quickly after. Mystery Man glared at him for a moment before speaking.
"You trying to up-step us, kid?" the older man asked. Dean's brow crinkled in confusions before he shakes his head. "Good," the man replied. "So the next time you wanna play fancy, do it on your own time!" The man turned his horse away from Dean and made like he was going to leave.
"um, I was catching a cow- that's what we're here for, isn't it?" Dean snapped. The man swiveled his head around to glare back at Dean.
"Watch it, young blood." With that, the man kicked his horse ahead of the group and shouted, "Keep those cows in line. If theres a stray, take care of it!"
Dean took to wrangling rather quickly, the words that Mystery Man said still bouncing around in his head. He kept to himself for the rest of the day, talking only to Ash and sometimes Evan. He found one cow that seemed to be limping, and another that had a major cut on its left flank. He thought he was helping- that's what they're here to do, help the animals- but every time Dean opened his mouth to tell Mystery Man he had found something, glares from everyone he wasnt acquainted with came flying his way. After the particularly long glare from him telling about the flank cut, Dean decided on telling Laken about anything he saw, having the man deliver the news.
"Dude, what the fuck is that guys problem?" Dean asked. The day was finally winding down to an end, and after twelve hours of hard labor, Dean was ready to get home, get a nice shower, and avoid eye contact with the Mystery Man at all costs.
"I guess he thinks you're showing off..." came Lakens answer. From the beginning of the day, Dean had gotten three death glares and a few passed words. He had no idea what he was doing wrong, but the man was picking up on it.
"Whats that asshole's name, anyways?" Dean asked. They finally reached the gate and Dean bent down and unlocked it, letting Lake through.
Ash chuckled. "The mans name is Castiel. He's been here since before I was- and that's a long ass time." Ash looked up like he was remembering something, and when Dean gave him a look, he returned to his story telling. "All's we know is that boss-man don't like new comers- always tears them a new hole."
"Well, that's comforting!" Dean joked.
Dean may have been playing it cool, but he couldn't ignore the feeling that something was a bit off with him and Castiel. Thy way the man immediately locked eyes with him, the was Deans blood ran cold when those blue eyes pierced his- and God, those eyes! Dean felt chills to down his spine and he had to mentally shake himself down because, what the fuck Dean? He didn't swing that way... okay maybe once or twice but that was different, he was like, drunk half the time! There is no way you're going to let this blue eyed asshole get you all twisted like a hornball of a teenager! Dean told himself.
Yet throughout diner and in his shower, and as he lie on his bed, all Dean could think about were those crystal eyes, and that mussed hair, and those full lips on his, over his body. Dean groaned and turned on his side, trying to wipe everything about the blue-eyed man- Castiel- from his mind. He knew that this was going to come back and bite him right in the ass in no time.
And boy was he right about that...