The Things We Left Behind Part 22
[Part 22] Takes place during the second half of 8x20 Pac-Man Fever.
He was quiet through dinner and Charlie suggested stopping by the rooms again before going to the bar. She had claimed to have forgotten something but really just wanted to give Cas a chance to talk to Dean.
“I know what you’re doing,” Dean entered after Cas.
“What am I doing?” Cas turned with an amused glint to his eye.
“You’re checking on me but trying to be all casual about it, and I’m letting you know I’m fine,” Dean held his hands out as if to show him as much, “I guess I’m just… feeling guilty for taking time off -and I know you’re gonna tell me that I shouldn’t, but shouldn’t I?”
“Why don’t we have Sam check on the body, see if there’s a case there, and in the meantime, we can go to the bar,” Cas wrapped his arms around the hunter’s neck, bowing slightly to capture his eyes, “That way, it’s being looked into and we can get Charlie distracted enough to stay out of it.”
Dean let out a huff of a laugh and looked down before his eyes returned.
“Yeah, that… that would be great…” his hands rested on the Angel’s hips as he nodded gratefully.
“I’ll call Sam and we can head out,” he placed a chaste kiss to Dean’s lips before pulling away to fish out his phone.
Sam was happy to have something to do and began right away, freeing the rest up to head out in Baby with a little less guilt hanging over them than before.
“This is it up here on the right,” Charlie pointed in between Dean and Cas from the backseat.
Dean drove to the end of the road then into the parking lot, and the group stepped out once the car was parked.
Dean’s eyes found Cas’ over the Impala’s roof and they held there for a moment.
“I wonder if we could afford to get you anywhere close to tipsy,” the hunter grinned, starting toward the front of the car and watching as Cas followed.
“We have a pretty big budget,” Charlie flashed a card at them.
“That settles it,” Dean lit up, wrapping an arm around Cas’ waist, and starting the group toward the entrance.
They found a table and claimed it quickly, Dean’s eyes scanning the room, an unfortunate habit that came with his line of work. He noted the exits and kept his back to the nearest wall, yet another habit.
“So what’re we drinking?” Charlie broke the silence, eyeing the room for an entirely different reason.
“I enjoyed tequila quite a bit,” Cas spoke up offhandedly.
“Shit, we’re having that kind of night, okay!” Charlie laughed as a server stopped by.
“Hey what can I get you guys?” she asked with a charming smile.
“Tequila please,” Charlie smiled back.
“For the whole table or just you, cutie?” the server, whose name tag read ‘Willa’ asked with a smirk.
“Whole table, one for you too if they’ll let you,” Charlie flirted back as Dean and Cas just watched the exchange in amusement.
“I get off in an hour,” Willa bit her lip at the edge, trying to hold in the smile splitting her face, “Think the offer will still be good?”
“Absolutely,” Charlie nodded.
“Then, let me get you those shots,” Willa winked before walking back toward the bar.
Dean laughed as he watched her grab a co-worker and point toward Charlie with a huge smile on her face.
“That has to be a record,” he shook his head fondly.
“I don’t think it would’ve taken you guys much longer considering how many eyes are staring a hole through both of you right now,” she countered, leaning in conspiratorially.
Dean glanced around before letting a smirk crawl up his face.
“Still got it,” he grinned, pulling Cas’ chair a little closer.
“Here you go,” the server returned, placing the shots around the table.
“Thank you,” Charlie can’t help her eyes from following the woman.
“Sorry to run you, but could we get two more each?” Dean asked with an apologetic smile.
“Sure,” her eyes widened in surprise, “Just no puking in the bar.”
“You have my word,” he put on a fake seriousness that pulled a laugh from the woman before she disappeared.
Dean grabbed all of the shots and placed them in front of Cas.
“All you, babe,” he winked and Cas downed them like they were water.
Willa returned moments later and Dean put Cas’ two as well as his extra one in front of the Seraph.
“Cheers,” he let his free hand rest on the back of Cas’ barstool as he clinked their glasses together and then with Charlie’s as well.
Once that one was gone, Charlie slid her second across the table.
Dean raised a brow and she shrugged, “Need to stay somewhat sober for the next hour.”
“Oh yeah, right,” Dean grinned and downed the extra shot, “For Willa!”
“We’ll see,” Charlie’s eyes searched her out and found the server looking back.
They spent most of the next hour drinking and goofing off and at one point, Charlie and Cas were dancing around the table as Dean just watched with an absolutely smitten look on his face.
“I gotta piss,” the hunter hopped up, “See if she’ll get him another shot, will ya?”
He crowded up to Cas as he stood and kissed him before passing.
“On it,” she spun around excitedly to cross toward Willa.
Dean walked into the bathroom and up to the urinal, pleasantly surprised to find himself alone in the room, but as soon as he opened his jeans the door swung open. Alone no more.
The other man left a respectable amount of space between them, and the hunter thought he’d luck out and leave without having to make small talk.
He zipped up and heard the other man do the same as he crossed to the sink to wash his hands.
“That your boyfriend?” the man asked from behind him, “At the table with you…”
“Uh, yeah,” Dean grabbed a few paper towels and dried his hands before turning.
“You guys are cute,” he grinned a crooked sort of smile, and Dean felt himself relax a bit despite himself.
“Thanks,” he tossed the towel into the trash as the other man stepped forward toward the sink and the water turned on again.
“I’ve never seen you here before,” he continued as Dean was about to leave, “Just passing through?”
“Yeah, just a small, sort of vacation, I guess… time off.”
He smiled again as he dried his hands and turned.
“Fun,” he passed him and opened the door, “Nice talking to you.”
“Yeah,” Dean’s brows furrowed as the door closed behind the man, “Right.”
Then he heard it. Muffled through the door, but it was very clearly Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love on the jukebox, and he just knew.
He stuck his head out first, body tumbling after as he saw what was clearly the back of Cas still standing at said jukebox.
He crossed with purpose, closing in probably a little too closely but it was a dark bar and those shots were making him bold.
“That for me?” he spoke into the Angel’s ear.
“You were taking too long,” he turned his head just a fraction toward Dean as his brow arched upward.
Dean let out a bark of a laugh, “Where’s Charlie?”
“Also in the bathroom,” he sighed, “You do that a lot.”
“What got you in a mood?” he turned him to face him, hands gripping his hips.
“Men keep talking to me,” he shook his head, “One was rather forward.”
“Damn, I wasn’t gone that long!” Dean looked around as if he’d know the guy if he saw him, “I’m taking you with me next time.”
“Dean, I don’t think I like it here that much,” Cas looked disappointed to admit it.
“Not a bar hopper?” Dean grinned.
“I haven’t tried hopping, but I don’t imagine it will help,” Cas’ brows dropped.
Dean softened, “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Cas’ arms tightened.
“If things look like they’re going well for the girls, we’ll head back to the hotel room early,” Dean wiggled his eyebrows.
“That sounds like a vast improvement,” Cas leaned forward to brush his lips against Dean’s cheek as he said it.
“Yeah, it does,” he breathed out.
Cas smirked at him as he passed to head toward the table at Charlie’s return.
“When’s your waitress done?” Dean asked a little too eagerly as they took their seats around the table.
“Right now actually,” a voice spoke from over his shoulder.
And the last thing Dean remembered was turning toward her and feeling his phone buzzing in his pocket before he was waking up on his back.
“Cas?“ he groaned, rolling onto his side to find himself face to face with the Angel in question, only he was sleeping and the room wasn’t their room.
This room was bright and had windows- a house. They were in a normal, rather comfortable looking house.
“…Cas?” he asked in a near panic and the familiar blue eyes shot open.
“Where are we?” Dean looked around, pulling himself into a seated position, “What happened?”
“We’re home, nothing’s happened,” Cas sat up and wrapped an arm around Dean’s shoulders, “I think you’ve just had a nightmare.”
And just as Dean was opening his mouth to argue, a sound broke through. A cry from another room. It was a baby’s cry.
“I’ll get him, just try to breath, okay?” Cas stood to leave.
“Get who?” Dean’s brows knit together.
“Our son,” Cas looked at him in humored question, “I think you might still be half asleep.”
Dean’s curiosity got the better of him and he rose to follow, but as he rounded the corner he came crashing into Cas.
“What’s wrong?” Dean looked over his shoulder, “Is it the baby? Is something wrong?”
“No, Dean,” Cas reached out to touch his chest, “It’s me.”
“Dean?” a second Cas voice called from the room down the hall.
“We have a baby?” Cas asked with the softest look in his eyes, and Dean’s ears reddened as he nodded back, “I’m sorry we have to leave.”
His hand moved from the hunter’s chest and two of his fingers tapped Dean’s forehead lightly.
Then Dean awoke again. This time in the alley with Charlie holding her knees to her chest and crying a few feet away.
“Charlie?” Dean looked concerned.
“Can we go home?” she avoided eye contact, “I want to go home.”
He looked toward Cas who offered a hand to help him up and the look on his face said not to press further, so he didn’t.
“Yeah,” he was pulled to his feet, “I’m over gaycationing.”
He crossed to offer her his own hand, and she pulled herself up gracefully with his help, touching a hand to his shoulder as she stumbled passed him.
The ride back was silent with the exception of Charlie’s sniffles and when they got home, Dean led Cas straight to their bedroom.
“Djinn, huh?” he rolled down his sleeves and began undoing the buttons, keeping his back to the Angel, “The server, I’m guessing?”
“And the man you apparently spoke to in the bathroom,” Cas sighed, “They were working together… Got to you, and I had to get you out after I dealt with them.”
“Charlie too?” he asked with a nod and Cas looked down in guilt.
“Yeah, they caught me off guard,” he admitted, “I had about a bottle or two in me… it didn’t do much, but it was enough to dull my senses.”
“Hey, wasn’t your fault,” he turned, stroking the other man’s hair at the back of his head before starting to undo his shirt buttons instead, “She okay?”
“I think Charlie might need a friend over the next few days…” Cas gripped his hips, “I saw what she was seeing and it’s something I think she will need to work through… something from her past.”
The Angel shifted slightly before his eyes turned up again, but Dean’s focus stayed on ridding him of his shirt.
“Can we talk about yours?” he asked softly as the fabric slid off of him.
“I don’t know what it means…” Dean looked up with a vulnerable look in his eye, “You were human… ‘least I think you were.”
“Is that something you wish for?” Cas undid the last two of Dean’s own buttons and pushed the shirt off of his shoulders.
“I don’t know…” Dean answered honestly.
“And the child?” Cas began on Dean’s belt.
“This isn’t the life for kids,” Dean’s response was automatic, practiced almost.
“I don’t think we were in the life in that reality…” Cas ventured, pulling the belt free.
“No, I don’t think we were either,” Dean mumbled, rubbing his hands over his face as his pants were loosened open and fell to the floor.
Dean stepped out of the jeans and kicked them away.
“What if this is making me soft… weak…” Dean breathed out the thoughts racing through his mind, “What if it gets them killed?”
“‘This’ being us…” Cas concluded.
“Yeah,” Dean turned to him to see a look of heartbreak already flooding the Angel’s eyes.
“I can’t apologize for our softness, Dean,” Cas shook his head, “It’s what I cherish most in the world.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Dean wrapped him into his arms, “I don’t know what I’m saying, I just… I think I need sleep.”
“Of course,” Cas tried to reign in the fear coursing through him.
@spuffy-destiel @destieliscanon5nov @hotsocke
[The Great Escapist] Takes place during 8x21. Sam’s health is declining rapidly so Dean takes it upon himself to get help.
“You’re leaving
