The Middle Chapter 7

is now up!

With art from the amazing @kirakkkchs!!

At eighteen, Castiel Novak thinks he’s an adult. The X’s on his hands at the music venue say otherwise. So does the bartender who shuts him down with, “I don’t think so, kid,” when Castiel asks for his number.

Here’s my final collab for the @destielaureversebb ! Thank you so much @tea-or-die for claiming my art! It was a joy to work with you and see this lovely story come to life!

Go check out the fic here: LINK TO FIC

This is a special birthday gift dedicated to @castielstolemyheart! To my favorite cute person, happy birthday, ilysm! 💜

Being a bartender at a 360˚ open bar right on the beach had many perks. Dean couldn't complain. Sun and sand, free and fun. He'd only meant to take a couple week vacation here after Sammy had gone off to college, and yet here he was, many years later, still in Hawaii and loving every second of it.

The company wasn't bad either. Tourists with fun stories and coworkers who were actually awesome to work with. Everything was easy and laid-back, until a certain someone had caught Dean’ eyes, and suddenly he had no interest in the casual hook-ups offered by the tourists.

"You're the king of confidence and you can't walk over there and ask him out?" Charlie asked, leaning over Dean to grab one of the little umbrellas before popping it open and placing it in a Pina colada for a customer.

Dean snapped his eyes to Charlie before looking back out towards the beach. Towards Cas; local surfing instructor and the guy Dean had been crushing on since the gorgeous man had moved to town six months ago.

Dean had been caught breathless the first day he'd met Cas; casually making him a drink while desperately trying to make words come out of his mouth, which had gone sticky and dry at the sight of Cas.

Things had only gotten worse, or better, depending on how you looked at it. Five days a week, after finishing his surfing lessons (which Dean definitely didn't watch from his spot at the bar, eyes glued to Cas as he elegantly surfed the waves and pushed his wet hair from his dazzling blue eyes), Cas would come over and order a drink. He'd stay sitting at the bar, sometimes for half an hour, sometimes for a couple hours, just talking to Dean. They'd struck up an easy friendship, and it had fast become Dean's favorite part of the day.

On days when the rush was crazy, customers angrily demanding more Hawaiian-esque vibes to their drinks, Dean all but counted down the seconds until Cas was done with his lessons so he could unwind listening to Cas' molasses thick voice.

But the best days were the quieter ones, when Dean could let Charlie handle the few customers and he'd make himself a drink and sit down on the other side of the bar with Cas, discussing the pod of dolphins that swam past earlier that day, or a new trail just up past the coast that would be perfect for a hike.

Sighing, Dean finally tore his gaze away from Cas in his wetsuit to look at Charlie as she handed a drink to the last customer in line. "I can't, Charlie. Have you seen him? He's like an Angel fell down from Heaven, and I'm just me," Dean said, gesturing to himself vaguely. "He's so far out of my league it's unfathomable."

“You really don’t see it, do you?” Charlie asked, jutting her hip against the counter and tying her fiery red hair into a loose ponytail.

“See what?” Dean asked, reorganizing the bottles of alcohol just for something to do with his hands.

“The way he looks at you. I swear the two of you spend all day every day looking at each other when the other one isn’t looking,” Charlie said, picking up a strawberry and hurling it at Dean’s head.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dean huffed, plucking the strawberry and plopping it in his mouth.

“For God’s sake, Dean. Ask him out. I’ve watched you two make heart-eyes at each other for six months now. Anytime you have a day off and he comes over here looking for you, he sulks and spends the entire time telling me about you, as if I don’t have to work with your insufferable ass all day every day.”

“What’s your point?” Dean asked, finally turning and facing Charlie.

“My point is- his lessons just finished for the day, which means he’s gonna be over here any minute. Please, for my sanity, ask him out on date. Maybe then you two can stop making bedroom eyes at each other over the counter. Your drooling over each other scares the customers away,” Charlie huffed, even though there was nothing but teasing fondness to her tone. “Here’s your chance, Romeo. Go get your Prince Charming.”

Dean winced. “That wasn’t a horrific clashing of references.”

“Don’t care,” Charlie called, moving around the circular bar to serve the next customers.

“Hey, Dean,” Cas said, plopping himself down in his usual bar stool.

“Heya, Cas. Good waves today?” Dean asked, even though he knew the answer. The waves had been gorgeous, but not nearly as breathtaking as Cas had been catching the last few waves.

“Yeah, they were some of the best in weeks. In fact, I was going to ask if you wanted to go out and catch some waves with me before the sun sets?” Cas asked, looking up at Dean expectantly.

Dean froze midway through making Cas’ favorite drink- a Mai Tai- and he felt the air leave his lungs in a sharp rush. “Wh-what?”

“Unless you don’t know how to surf? I can teach you, if you don’t. Private lessons, just you and me,” Cas offered almost shyly.

New chapter of The Middle!

Chapter 8 is now up.

Chapter 12 of The Middle is now up!

Bartender Dean and Emo/Musician Cas

Excerpt:

There was movement out of the corner of his eye, so he assumed Ash had finally decided to show his face. He didn’t bother getting up, but asked, “Hey, Ash, could you go check—”

“Hey, mister, can I get a beer?”

Not Ash. Not even trying to be Ash.

Chapter 11 of The Middle

Is now live!

Older bartender Dean and younger emo (and now budding musician) Castiel finally talk and use their words.

He groaned. “So I guess this is where we actually talk about it. How I had a crush on you.”