An Unconventional Kind of Place (7/?)
PG
3,578 words
Dean/Castiel AU. Dean runs a day care center for human and angel kids, the first of its kind. Castiel is a parent.
The usual thanks to C and to everyone who left comments. Thanks for reading!
An Unconventional Kind of Place
7.
After spending most of Sunday definitely not thinking about Castiel, and if he should call him, and if he called him what the hell he'd say, seeing him again on Monday morning is almost an anti-climax.
Castiel looks harried and tired and he hugs Lee for a lot longer than normal when he says his farewells. Wherever the tension's coming from it bleeds over to Lee who is unhappy and quiet when he files into the classroom. It's such a difference from the way the two angels had been at the barbeque just a couple of days earlier that Dean finds himself getting worried that this was all his fault somehow. He considers calling Castiel just to ask what's going on, if Lee's okay. If he's okay.
Something about Castiel's intensity, the memory of his graveness as he'd watched his son join his classmates stopped Dean. It's not his business. It could be anything, and as the day wears on Lee shakes off his restraint and unhappiness and grins and plays with the other kids and Dean could almost forget that anything had been wrong that morning. He sticks closer to John, though, and won't turn his back on anyone, keeping his wings well out of reach even of the other angels. Maybe the uneasy vibe he was getting from Castiel and Lee had been because of the wing touching thing, but somehow Dean doesn't think so. He keeps a close eye on Lee anyway because he's obviously still uncomfortable. And he keeps an eye on Alex and Camael too, because they've been sniping and eyeing each other all day. The weekend obviously hasn't calmed Camael's determination to get revenge. There is no way that isn't going to end in a fight.
"Lee says his dad has to go away soon," John tells Dean at lunch. John is chewing thoughtfully on his sandwich, watching Lee digging his lunchbox out of his bag. "He doesn't like it when his dad goes away."
Dean sits down beside his son and asks, "Did he say where his dad's going?" It's gotta be his work, Dean thinks, and Lee must know exactly how dangerous what his dad does is, if the unhappy look on his face is anything to go by.
It sucks that a kid so young knows what it's like to worry that someone they love is never coming home. Dean remembers what that's like.
There aren't many kids these days though who haven't lost someone to demonkind or one of their bastard allies. Vampires. Shtriga. Skinwalkers. Dean's seen them all and the damage they can do. He knows the damage they've done to his own family; what they've taken from him and John and Sam.
There aren't many times anymore when Dean thinks that maybe he shouldn't have quit hunting, but this is one of them. It's hard to remember all the bad shit that's out there and not want to stop it, but he's paid his dues and he has other responsibilities- other priorities- now.
Beside him, John shrugs. "To fight the bad guys."
"That sucks," Dean says, and really means it.
When Lee comes back to the table he gives Dean a watery smile and Dean squeezes the poor kid's shoulder. He doesn't like to make false promises, especially when he knows Lee's already lost one parent to the evil bastards, but he can't just ignore the kid's unhappy expression. So he assures Lee, "There's no way your dad won't do everything he can to keep himself safe so he can come back to you."
Lee nods and sets to eating his lunch. It's not much but it's all Dean's got. He remembers it was the only promise his own dad ever made to him and Sam when he went away hunting and it had always helped, just a little. Maybe it does some good because Lee's a lot happier in the afternoon, joining in the class game of catch, and working intently on building the biggest sand castle possible with John. So big that Dean's suspicious Lee is used magic to keep it together.
Not long before the end of the day Camael pushes Alex right into the sand structure and for what feels like an hour all hell breaks loose as Camael tries to pull out Alex's hair and Lee and John take offence to having their hard work messed up and the other kids all join in the shouting. It goes on until Uriel actually bellows at the kids. It's the first time Dean's ever heard Uriel raise his voice and even he feels like he should be cowering in fear in a corner and he hasn't even done anything wrong. He hopes.
He's pretty sure thinking about Castiel maybe more than he thinks about any of the other parents isn't a crime. A lot more. But Dean is just thinking that he likes hanging out with Castiel. That he'd like to get to know him better because they've got a lot in common, and the guy is interested in humanity rather than scornful of it like most angels Dean's ever met. Castiel said he liked Dean's home and he plays stupid games with his kid when no one's looking and he likes burgers. And Jesus, but it's been forever since Dean had an actual friend that wasn't family or as good as.
The rest of the day is a mess of tears and arguments and tantrums and Dean is glad when it's over.
For the first time ever it's actually a relief to see Balthazar at the end of the day, just so he can hand over Camael to someone else and have five minutes peace. The kid looks gleeful as she tells her dad all about how she totally beat up the human who touched Liwet's wings. Dean knows he's going to need to talk to Balthazar about this because he's laughing and looking way too proud of his daughter for bullying and that is not going to end anywhere good. Exhausted and unprepared to deal with Balthazar's brand of weirdness, Dean lets it go for today.
As often happens, Castiel is the last parent to leave. Long after all the other parents have finished chatting to one another and collected their kids, he's still waiting because Lee and John never seem to want to stop playing or talking. Like Dean, Castiel always looks unwilling to split them up. It's only logical to go and talk to him while they wait, or until it becomes so late it's impossible to let the kids hang out any longer. It helps that Castiel always welcomes him with a smile and a "Hello Dean" that Dean has become so used to he knows he'd miss it if he didn't get to hear it most days.
It's a warm evening and Lee and John are huddled together on a bench under the day care's porch, talking urgently. Anybody would think the kids weren't going to see each other for a month rather than for not much more than fifteen hours.
Dean smiles at Castiel in greeting, thinking how quickly he's become used to this life. Despite the days when the kids are difficult or hyperactive or infuriating Dean loves working at the day care and he doesn't want to change anything. He wants Castiel to wait with him in the afternoons, talking about random shit or just watching the kids. He doesn't want Castiel to have to go away to whatever hellhole he's been ordered to where he could be hurt. Or worse. It's hard not to ask Castiel about where he's going and what he's going to be doing, even when at the same time Dean doesn't want to know. Knowing would probably just make it worse. It surprises Dean how worried he is.
Castiel has this relaxed kind of contented look on his face as he watches the kids gossip and Dean doesn't want to mess that up. Instead Dean opens with, "I've been thinking of maybe getting some Enochian lessons for the human kids."
A few times now, when the angels form a little group and talk among themselves, or when John tells him a new word Lee's taught him, Dean has thought it might be a useful thing to do. When Dean mentioned the idea to Sam he thought it was an awesome idea, yapping on for a long long time about learning culture through language and mutual understanding. Mostly, Dean thinks it would be a cool activity for the kids to all do together, the angels helping the human kids in the same way the human kids help the angels understand earth stuff.
The only problem would be finding a teacher. It's well known that angels don't teach humans their language.
Dean feels a little bad, because he feels like he's always asking Castiel for something whenever he talks to him. But it's Castiel 's own fault for being the most approachable angel ever.
"I think it would be a valuable exercise," Castiel says, half surprised and half pleased. "Particularly if the angel and human children were to work together. "
Dean nods in agreement. "Exactly! That's what I thought."
He considers his next question, because it's the one thing he hadn't been able to extract from Uriel. Uriel who is of the opinion that teaching Enochian to humans is pointless. According to him, no angel would ever speak to a human in their own sacred language. But whatever. If Castiel says it's a good idea then that s good enough for Dean, but he has to be sure. "There're no weird laws or something against teaching your language to humans is there?"
Castiel looks thoughtful for a long minute before he replies, "No."
His certainty makes Dean smile in relief.
Dean is going to ask more but then suddenly Castiel does that thing where he tilts his head upwards like he's listening. He's been around angels long enough to know what that means.
When Castiel looks back down, unhappy and resigned, Dean asks, "You gotta go? "
Castiel sighs and nods, giving Dean a wan smile before turning away and calling, "We must go, Liwet."
Lee scowls rebelliously but he gives John a hug and Dean hears John telling Lee, "Ask your dad if you can borrow his phone and then you can call me when we're not at school," and Jesus Christ these two are worse than teenage girls for wanting to spend every waking second together.
It's like with the barbeque thing; an impulse that Dean doesn't think twice about before he's asking Castiel, "You wanna get coffee some time this week? " It's just that Castiel has to go- Dean gets that- but there's a ton more stuff he wants to ask. Stuff he wants to talk about that Dean sure as hell knows he can't discuss with any other angel. He doesn't know how long it'll be before he sees Castiel again. Dean might've been out of hunting for a while now, and he might not know much about the angel strategy, but he knows how long these things-hunts- can take. From what Lee's said, Castiel can be away for weeks at a time and it can't be an easy job, maintaining the tenuous status quo they all fought so hard in the War to achieve.
God, Dean hopes Castiel will be okay.
Why he asked Castiel to coffee though Dean has no frigging idea. He could have asked Castiel and Lee over again for the kids to play. That would've made more sense. Except he didn't, because apparently around Castiel Dean has no control over his own damn mouth. And Castiel still hasn't said anything.
"If you have time," Dean adds and he refuses to think he just asked something weird and that he wishes Castiel would just give him an answer because all the waiting was making him nervous.
Castiel's head tilts to the side, thinking, and Dean would've killed to know what about.
Finally, Castiel says, "I have never drunk coffee. Is there some ritual surrounding it?"
Oh crap, Dean thinks. Why does he never ever remember that Castiel has no concept of human stuff like this. Not that Dean really knows what he's doing anyway, or has asked anyone to coffee since before the War.
"Not really," Dean shrugs. It's just a chance to talk to Castiel without interruption, so he can run some ideas past him. See what he thinks, as an angel and as a dad. Stuff like that.
"Liwet and I have some free time next weekend," Castiel offers.
It would be the easiest out, to take the offer of this just being about their kids, but Dean knows that deep down he wants to get to know Castiel for himself. Shit.
It's cool though, Dean thinks, how easily Castiel agreed. It's cool that weird human food and Dean's messy house and Sam's freakiness didn't scare Castiel away. Dean hopes he's not just imagining it, but Dean gets the impression Castiel wants to hang out with him too.
"Cool. Awesome, " Dean says, "But I was kind of just asking you. You know. Adult time." Which, oh fuck, makes this whole thing sound dirty. "I mean, to discuss the language thing. Take a break from everything, you know?"
Dean loves John more than anything but sometimes he just wants to have a conversation with someone older than five. Of course he's got his brother but Sam is tied up with his own stuff and Dean hates to hassle him too often.
He wonders if Castiel ever feels that way. But then, he's a soldier, and probably all he ever does is talk about adult shit.
It doesn't help that Dean can't interpret the look on Castiel's face. "It's all good though," he adds, suddenly aware that maybe he just broke some angel taboo. "If you wanna bring Lee too. You know how attached at the hip they are."
Dean looks pointedly over to the two boys who are still sitting on the bench, looking sorrowfully at each other like they were being cruelly separated forever. Lee is doing exactly the same wide-eyed intense staring thing Castiel gives Dean sometimes.
When he turns his head back to face Castiel Dean finds himself being watched curiously, like something that needs working out, and Dean shifts nervously under the angel's gaze. There's no reason to be so anxious, Dean tells himself. It's not like he asked Castiel out on a date or anything.
Softly, Castiel answers, "I would like that." It's kind of an ambiguous reply, but then Castiel goes on. "With you. I'd like to have coffee with you."
He knows he must look like an idiot, but Dean grins anyway, patting Castiel's shoulder warmly. "Awesome," he smiles, "That's awesome."
The best thing, though, is the half unsure smile Castiel gives him, like Castiel has no idea what he's gotten himself in for. Again.
"I am sorry," Castiel says then, closing his eyes. "I must go." A pause and then cautiously, "I will call you?"
"Yeah," Dean nods. "Okay."
Castiel smiles again before going to collect Lee.
It's not until John is tugging on his sleeve impatiently that Dean realises Castiel and Lee are gone and Uriel is locking up, pointedly ignoring Dean like he tends to do outside of the working hours.
"Dad," his own son scolds him, "You've been standing there doing nothing for, like, an hour."
Frowning down at his watch Dean can see it can't have been any more that a couple of minutes. The drama queen.
"I was just thinking of a new prank to play on your uncle," Dean improvises. Dean's gotta admit, the half-exasperated, half-gleeful expression on John's face is pretty damn entertaining.
They plot on the way home, coming up with increasingly ridiculous ideas for messing with Sam.
"Lee says his dad is really good at magic," John says. "We can ask him to turn Uncle Sam into a toad." That catches Dean by surprise and he bursts out laughing.
"He'd make a massive toad." Dean grins at the thought. "But I'm pretty sure angels have rules against turning people into animals for fun."
John looks disappointed, but by the time Dean's pulling into their drive the kid is busy telling Dean about how Lee was going to start learning to fly soon and how he'd promised to take John flying when he was old enough. If Dean had anything to say about it, that wouldn't happen until they were both about thirty, and Castiel would go with them. With a net.
Thinking about Castiel just reminds Dean what he's just gone and done; he's asked a guy out, just the two of them, and now that Dean's thinking about it he might be slightly panicking. What if Castiel hates coffee? What if they have nothing to say to each other? He feels like he's just asked a girl out on a date or something and it's not like that.
He needs to check with Sam that he hasn't just done something really weird. Also, he needs a babysitter.
There's still plenty of daylight left, the sun still warm, and John heads straight for the back yard as soon as they get in the door. Dean follows, picking up the phone as he passes through the front room. He watches as John starts rearranging the patio furniture to his liking, dials Sam's work number. It's unusual for his workaholic of a brother to leave his office much before eight and it's nowhere near that yet.
Sam picks up after a few rings and he sounds harried when he answers, "What's up, Dean?"
"I asked Castiel to coffee." It's easier to just spit it out before he thinks about it, or considers all the ways Sam could interpret this. Misinterpret this.
Back in the car on the drive home Dean had resigned himself to the inevitable teasing. He knows exactly all the things he'd say to Sam if he'd done what Dean did. God, he's teased his brother for years about his angel fixation.
The long silence on the other end of the line isn't unexpected before Sam asks slowly, "I'm guessing this isn't a play date?" And Dean doesn't like the way he emphasises the date part at all.
"No," Dean says, "This isn't a play date."
"Okay." Sam pauses like he doesn't quite know what to say, which Dean can't blame him for because he hasn't a clue how to explain this.
"To talk about the day care," he decides on. "We were talking about the kids learning Enochian."
"And you needed to go have coffee to do that?" Sam sounds doubtful.
"He's busy," Dean defends.
"You know that's not an answer, right?"
It makes perfect sense to Dean. They're both busy and they have a shit ton of responsibilities to take care of, so it's only sensible that they set aside time to meet. "It totally is an answer," Dean says.
Sam snorts. "Then why are you calling me?"
"I just want to check this isn't something weird to ask an angel." Not that Castiel had seemed at all freaked out. If anything he'd looked kind of pleased.
"It's a weird thing to ask an angel," Sam confirms. "But doing weird things is pretty much normal behavior for you. Hey, I take it this means Castiel agreed to go with you?"
"Yeah, he did," Dean replies suspiciously, because Sam suddenly sounds gleeful. Somewhere in the background Dean can hear papers being shuffled around.
"Great. I've got some more questions I'd like to ask about-"
"No, Sam," Dean interrupts, and he really should have seen that coming.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sam says dryly. "Would it get in the way of your attempts to woo Castiel."
"I'm not wooing Castiel," Dean snaps. "And who the hell says wooing anyway?"
"People talking about asking angels out to coffee," Sam retorts, laughing.
"This isn't funny, Sam," Dean protests, and Dean is not surprised when Sam laughs even harder, replying, "It really is, Dean."
Sometimes Dean wonders why he bothers asking for Sam's advice at all when all he gets is abuse, but his little brother knows more about pretty much everything than Dean ever will. In his lifetime Dean has made some pretty shitty decisions and he's learned a hundred times over that checking with someone else- Sam or Bobby or Ellen or Jo- that he's not about to mess things up is the best way to stay grounded. Sam's learned this too, and they've been called co-dependent and overly reliant on each other by outsiders too many times to count, but it works for them. It kept them alive during the War and it keeps them together now and that is the most important thing.
"I just don't want to get this wrong," Dean admits, and Sam has to know Dean doesn't just mean with Castiel. He means the day care and he means raising John and he means this life they've built for themselves. Too often Dean still gets terrified that this is all just some incredible dream and any second he's going to wake up and be back in Detroit.
Sam sobers instantly. "You won't," he assures him, and watching John pushing lawn chairs around the yard like it's the most fun thing in the entire world Dean can almost believe him.
Part 8
3,578 words
Dean/Castiel AU. Dean runs a day care center for human and angel kids, the first of its kind. Castiel is a parent.
The usual thanks to C and to everyone who left comments. Thanks for reading!
An Unconventional Kind of Place
7.
After spending most of Sunday definitely not thinking about Castiel, and if he should call him, and if he called him what the hell he'd say, seeing him again on Monday morning is almost an anti-climax.
Castiel looks harried and tired and he hugs Lee for a lot longer than normal when he says his farewells. Wherever the tension's coming from it bleeds over to Lee who is unhappy and quiet when he files into the classroom. It's such a difference from the way the two angels had been at the barbeque just a couple of days earlier that Dean finds himself getting worried that this was all his fault somehow. He considers calling Castiel just to ask what's going on, if Lee's okay. If he's okay.
Something about Castiel's intensity, the memory of his graveness as he'd watched his son join his classmates stopped Dean. It's not his business. It could be anything, and as the day wears on Lee shakes off his restraint and unhappiness and grins and plays with the other kids and Dean could almost forget that anything had been wrong that morning. He sticks closer to John, though, and won't turn his back on anyone, keeping his wings well out of reach even of the other angels. Maybe the uneasy vibe he was getting from Castiel and Lee had been because of the wing touching thing, but somehow Dean doesn't think so. He keeps a close eye on Lee anyway because he's obviously still uncomfortable. And he keeps an eye on Alex and Camael too, because they've been sniping and eyeing each other all day. The weekend obviously hasn't calmed Camael's determination to get revenge. There is no way that isn't going to end in a fight.
"Lee says his dad has to go away soon," John tells Dean at lunch. John is chewing thoughtfully on his sandwich, watching Lee digging his lunchbox out of his bag. "He doesn't like it when his dad goes away."
Dean sits down beside his son and asks, "Did he say where his dad's going?" It's gotta be his work, Dean thinks, and Lee must know exactly how dangerous what his dad does is, if the unhappy look on his face is anything to go by.
It sucks that a kid so young knows what it's like to worry that someone they love is never coming home. Dean remembers what that's like.
There aren't many kids these days though who haven't lost someone to demonkind or one of their bastard allies. Vampires. Shtriga. Skinwalkers. Dean's seen them all and the damage they can do. He knows the damage they've done to his own family; what they've taken from him and John and Sam.
There aren't many times anymore when Dean thinks that maybe he shouldn't have quit hunting, but this is one of them. It's hard to remember all the bad shit that's out there and not want to stop it, but he's paid his dues and he has other responsibilities- other priorities- now.
Beside him, John shrugs. "To fight the bad guys."
"That sucks," Dean says, and really means it.
When Lee comes back to the table he gives Dean a watery smile and Dean squeezes the poor kid's shoulder. He doesn't like to make false promises, especially when he knows Lee's already lost one parent to the evil bastards, but he can't just ignore the kid's unhappy expression. So he assures Lee, "There's no way your dad won't do everything he can to keep himself safe so he can come back to you."
Lee nods and sets to eating his lunch. It's not much but it's all Dean's got. He remembers it was the only promise his own dad ever made to him and Sam when he went away hunting and it had always helped, just a little. Maybe it does some good because Lee's a lot happier in the afternoon, joining in the class game of catch, and working intently on building the biggest sand castle possible with John. So big that Dean's suspicious Lee is used magic to keep it together.
Not long before the end of the day Camael pushes Alex right into the sand structure and for what feels like an hour all hell breaks loose as Camael tries to pull out Alex's hair and Lee and John take offence to having their hard work messed up and the other kids all join in the shouting. It goes on until Uriel actually bellows at the kids. It's the first time Dean's ever heard Uriel raise his voice and even he feels like he should be cowering in fear in a corner and he hasn't even done anything wrong. He hopes.
He's pretty sure thinking about Castiel maybe more than he thinks about any of the other parents isn't a crime. A lot more. But Dean is just thinking that he likes hanging out with Castiel. That he'd like to get to know him better because they've got a lot in common, and the guy is interested in humanity rather than scornful of it like most angels Dean's ever met. Castiel said he liked Dean's home and he plays stupid games with his kid when no one's looking and he likes burgers. And Jesus, but it's been forever since Dean had an actual friend that wasn't family or as good as.
The rest of the day is a mess of tears and arguments and tantrums and Dean is glad when it's over.
For the first time ever it's actually a relief to see Balthazar at the end of the day, just so he can hand over Camael to someone else and have five minutes peace. The kid looks gleeful as she tells her dad all about how she totally beat up the human who touched Liwet's wings. Dean knows he's going to need to talk to Balthazar about this because he's laughing and looking way too proud of his daughter for bullying and that is not going to end anywhere good. Exhausted and unprepared to deal with Balthazar's brand of weirdness, Dean lets it go for today.
As often happens, Castiel is the last parent to leave. Long after all the other parents have finished chatting to one another and collected their kids, he's still waiting because Lee and John never seem to want to stop playing or talking. Like Dean, Castiel always looks unwilling to split them up. It's only logical to go and talk to him while they wait, or until it becomes so late it's impossible to let the kids hang out any longer. It helps that Castiel always welcomes him with a smile and a "Hello Dean" that Dean has become so used to he knows he'd miss it if he didn't get to hear it most days.
It's a warm evening and Lee and John are huddled together on a bench under the day care's porch, talking urgently. Anybody would think the kids weren't going to see each other for a month rather than for not much more than fifteen hours.
Dean smiles at Castiel in greeting, thinking how quickly he's become used to this life. Despite the days when the kids are difficult or hyperactive or infuriating Dean loves working at the day care and he doesn't want to change anything. He wants Castiel to wait with him in the afternoons, talking about random shit or just watching the kids. He doesn't want Castiel to have to go away to whatever hellhole he's been ordered to where he could be hurt. Or worse. It's hard not to ask Castiel about where he's going and what he's going to be doing, even when at the same time Dean doesn't want to know. Knowing would probably just make it worse. It surprises Dean how worried he is.
Castiel has this relaxed kind of contented look on his face as he watches the kids gossip and Dean doesn't want to mess that up. Instead Dean opens with, "I've been thinking of maybe getting some Enochian lessons for the human kids."
A few times now, when the angels form a little group and talk among themselves, or when John tells him a new word Lee's taught him, Dean has thought it might be a useful thing to do. When Dean mentioned the idea to Sam he thought it was an awesome idea, yapping on for a long long time about learning culture through language and mutual understanding. Mostly, Dean thinks it would be a cool activity for the kids to all do together, the angels helping the human kids in the same way the human kids help the angels understand earth stuff.
The only problem would be finding a teacher. It's well known that angels don't teach humans their language.
Dean feels a little bad, because he feels like he's always asking Castiel for something whenever he talks to him. But it's Castiel 's own fault for being the most approachable angel ever.
"I think it would be a valuable exercise," Castiel says, half surprised and half pleased. "Particularly if the angel and human children were to work together. "
Dean nods in agreement. "Exactly! That's what I thought."
He considers his next question, because it's the one thing he hadn't been able to extract from Uriel. Uriel who is of the opinion that teaching Enochian to humans is pointless. According to him, no angel would ever speak to a human in their own sacred language. But whatever. If Castiel says it's a good idea then that s good enough for Dean, but he has to be sure. "There're no weird laws or something against teaching your language to humans is there?"
Castiel looks thoughtful for a long minute before he replies, "No."
His certainty makes Dean smile in relief.
Dean is going to ask more but then suddenly Castiel does that thing where he tilts his head upwards like he's listening. He's been around angels long enough to know what that means.
When Castiel looks back down, unhappy and resigned, Dean asks, "You gotta go? "
Castiel sighs and nods, giving Dean a wan smile before turning away and calling, "We must go, Liwet."
Lee scowls rebelliously but he gives John a hug and Dean hears John telling Lee, "Ask your dad if you can borrow his phone and then you can call me when we're not at school," and Jesus Christ these two are worse than teenage girls for wanting to spend every waking second together.
It's like with the barbeque thing; an impulse that Dean doesn't think twice about before he's asking Castiel, "You wanna get coffee some time this week? " It's just that Castiel has to go- Dean gets that- but there's a ton more stuff he wants to ask. Stuff he wants to talk about that Dean sure as hell knows he can't discuss with any other angel. He doesn't know how long it'll be before he sees Castiel again. Dean might've been out of hunting for a while now, and he might not know much about the angel strategy, but he knows how long these things-hunts- can take. From what Lee's said, Castiel can be away for weeks at a time and it can't be an easy job, maintaining the tenuous status quo they all fought so hard in the War to achieve.
God, Dean hopes Castiel will be okay.
Why he asked Castiel to coffee though Dean has no frigging idea. He could have asked Castiel and Lee over again for the kids to play. That would've made more sense. Except he didn't, because apparently around Castiel Dean has no control over his own damn mouth. And Castiel still hasn't said anything.
"If you have time," Dean adds and he refuses to think he just asked something weird and that he wishes Castiel would just give him an answer because all the waiting was making him nervous.
Castiel's head tilts to the side, thinking, and Dean would've killed to know what about.
Finally, Castiel says, "I have never drunk coffee. Is there some ritual surrounding it?"
Oh crap, Dean thinks. Why does he never ever remember that Castiel has no concept of human stuff like this. Not that Dean really knows what he's doing anyway, or has asked anyone to coffee since before the War.
"Not really," Dean shrugs. It's just a chance to talk to Castiel without interruption, so he can run some ideas past him. See what he thinks, as an angel and as a dad. Stuff like that.
"Liwet and I have some free time next weekend," Castiel offers.
It would be the easiest out, to take the offer of this just being about their kids, but Dean knows that deep down he wants to get to know Castiel for himself. Shit.
It's cool though, Dean thinks, how easily Castiel agreed. It's cool that weird human food and Dean's messy house and Sam's freakiness didn't scare Castiel away. Dean hopes he's not just imagining it, but Dean gets the impression Castiel wants to hang out with him too.
"Cool. Awesome, " Dean says, "But I was kind of just asking you. You know. Adult time." Which, oh fuck, makes this whole thing sound dirty. "I mean, to discuss the language thing. Take a break from everything, you know?"
Dean loves John more than anything but sometimes he just wants to have a conversation with someone older than five. Of course he's got his brother but Sam is tied up with his own stuff and Dean hates to hassle him too often.
He wonders if Castiel ever feels that way. But then, he's a soldier, and probably all he ever does is talk about adult shit.
It doesn't help that Dean can't interpret the look on Castiel's face. "It's all good though," he adds, suddenly aware that maybe he just broke some angel taboo. "If you wanna bring Lee too. You know how attached at the hip they are."
Dean looks pointedly over to the two boys who are still sitting on the bench, looking sorrowfully at each other like they were being cruelly separated forever. Lee is doing exactly the same wide-eyed intense staring thing Castiel gives Dean sometimes.
When he turns his head back to face Castiel Dean finds himself being watched curiously, like something that needs working out, and Dean shifts nervously under the angel's gaze. There's no reason to be so anxious, Dean tells himself. It's not like he asked Castiel out on a date or anything.
Softly, Castiel answers, "I would like that." It's kind of an ambiguous reply, but then Castiel goes on. "With you. I'd like to have coffee with you."
He knows he must look like an idiot, but Dean grins anyway, patting Castiel's shoulder warmly. "Awesome," he smiles, "That's awesome."
The best thing, though, is the half unsure smile Castiel gives him, like Castiel has no idea what he's gotten himself in for. Again.
"I am sorry," Castiel says then, closing his eyes. "I must go." A pause and then cautiously, "I will call you?"
"Yeah," Dean nods. "Okay."
Castiel smiles again before going to collect Lee.
It's not until John is tugging on his sleeve impatiently that Dean realises Castiel and Lee are gone and Uriel is locking up, pointedly ignoring Dean like he tends to do outside of the working hours.
"Dad," his own son scolds him, "You've been standing there doing nothing for, like, an hour."
Frowning down at his watch Dean can see it can't have been any more that a couple of minutes. The drama queen.
"I was just thinking of a new prank to play on your uncle," Dean improvises. Dean's gotta admit, the half-exasperated, half-gleeful expression on John's face is pretty damn entertaining.
They plot on the way home, coming up with increasingly ridiculous ideas for messing with Sam.
"Lee says his dad is really good at magic," John says. "We can ask him to turn Uncle Sam into a toad." That catches Dean by surprise and he bursts out laughing.
"He'd make a massive toad." Dean grins at the thought. "But I'm pretty sure angels have rules against turning people into animals for fun."
John looks disappointed, but by the time Dean's pulling into their drive the kid is busy telling Dean about how Lee was going to start learning to fly soon and how he'd promised to take John flying when he was old enough. If Dean had anything to say about it, that wouldn't happen until they were both about thirty, and Castiel would go with them. With a net.
Thinking about Castiel just reminds Dean what he's just gone and done; he's asked a guy out, just the two of them, and now that Dean's thinking about it he might be slightly panicking. What if Castiel hates coffee? What if they have nothing to say to each other? He feels like he's just asked a girl out on a date or something and it's not like that.
He needs to check with Sam that he hasn't just done something really weird. Also, he needs a babysitter.
There's still plenty of daylight left, the sun still warm, and John heads straight for the back yard as soon as they get in the door. Dean follows, picking up the phone as he passes through the front room. He watches as John starts rearranging the patio furniture to his liking, dials Sam's work number. It's unusual for his workaholic of a brother to leave his office much before eight and it's nowhere near that yet.
Sam picks up after a few rings and he sounds harried when he answers, "What's up, Dean?"
"I asked Castiel to coffee." It's easier to just spit it out before he thinks about it, or considers all the ways Sam could interpret this. Misinterpret this.
Back in the car on the drive home Dean had resigned himself to the inevitable teasing. He knows exactly all the things he'd say to Sam if he'd done what Dean did. God, he's teased his brother for years about his angel fixation.
The long silence on the other end of the line isn't unexpected before Sam asks slowly, "I'm guessing this isn't a play date?" And Dean doesn't like the way he emphasises the date part at all.
"No," Dean says, "This isn't a play date."
"Okay." Sam pauses like he doesn't quite know what to say, which Dean can't blame him for because he hasn't a clue how to explain this.
"To talk about the day care," he decides on. "We were talking about the kids learning Enochian."
"And you needed to go have coffee to do that?" Sam sounds doubtful.
"He's busy," Dean defends.
"You know that's not an answer, right?"
It makes perfect sense to Dean. They're both busy and they have a shit ton of responsibilities to take care of, so it's only sensible that they set aside time to meet. "It totally is an answer," Dean says.
Sam snorts. "Then why are you calling me?"
"I just want to check this isn't something weird to ask an angel." Not that Castiel had seemed at all freaked out. If anything he'd looked kind of pleased.
"It's a weird thing to ask an angel," Sam confirms. "But doing weird things is pretty much normal behavior for you. Hey, I take it this means Castiel agreed to go with you?"
"Yeah, he did," Dean replies suspiciously, because Sam suddenly sounds gleeful. Somewhere in the background Dean can hear papers being shuffled around.
"Great. I've got some more questions I'd like to ask about-"
"No, Sam," Dean interrupts, and he really should have seen that coming.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Sam says dryly. "Would it get in the way of your attempts to woo Castiel."
"I'm not wooing Castiel," Dean snaps. "And who the hell says wooing anyway?"
"People talking about asking angels out to coffee," Sam retorts, laughing.
"This isn't funny, Sam," Dean protests, and Dean is not surprised when Sam laughs even harder, replying, "It really is, Dean."
Sometimes Dean wonders why he bothers asking for Sam's advice at all when all he gets is abuse, but his little brother knows more about pretty much everything than Dean ever will. In his lifetime Dean has made some pretty shitty decisions and he's learned a hundred times over that checking with someone else- Sam or Bobby or Ellen or Jo- that he's not about to mess things up is the best way to stay grounded. Sam's learned this too, and they've been called co-dependent and overly reliant on each other by outsiders too many times to count, but it works for them. It kept them alive during the War and it keeps them together now and that is the most important thing.
"I just don't want to get this wrong," Dean admits, and Sam has to know Dean doesn't just mean with Castiel. He means the day care and he means raising John and he means this life they've built for themselves. Too often Dean still gets terrified that this is all just some incredible dream and any second he's going to wake up and be back in Detroit.
Sam sobers instantly. "You won't," he assures him, and watching John pushing lawn chairs around the yard like it's the most fun thing in the entire world Dean can almost believe him.
Part 8