Take Two - Chapter Two - Destiel Fanfiction
Title: Take Two
Authors: pippin1983 & lotrspnfangirl
Pairing: Destiel, some Cas/Balthazar
Rating: R (may change)
Summary: Dean and Castiel get drunkenly married at 19. It's bold, it's rash, it's being a young and in love. After Dean walked out, Castiel tried to move and after ten years, he's decided to marry again. The only thing standing in his way is his legal marriage. Dean, however, wants a second chance to prove that he's grown up, he's matured, but his love for Castiel has never changed.
Warnings/Spoilers: Angsty! Totally AU.
Beta(s): Huge thanks and hugs to oldbatj for working with us on this! Jude, you’re fantastic!
A/N: We own nothing! We are taking these characters and playing with them nicely. Our fic was based off of this prompt.. Bibi primarily wrote Dean and Dani primarily wrote Cas. Our eye banners are used to signify scene changes and not POV, even if they coincide. We just think the boys have pretty eyes <3
You can find Chapter One here.
You can find lotrspnfangirl fiction index here.
You can find pippin1983 fiction index here.
Castiel pulled up the long driveway into Singer’s Salvage Yard, hoping he would be able to catch Dean before the end of the workday. He had tried to work himself up to this visit since early morning, making up all sorts of excuses to do other things first, and before he knew it the entire day had almost slipped past. Sighing, Castiel threw the car into park and leaned forward to rest his forehead against the steering wheel.
This should be easy. Quick, in and out. Dean just needed to sign the papers, they didn’t need to make a big to-do about it all. Then, by tomorrow evening, he would be at home in his own bed, wrapped around Balthazar and planning their wedding. He could do this.
Castiel slipped out of the car and picked his way around a few vehicles in various stages of repair. He headed across the wide concrete area in front of the myriad of repair bays. He glanced around as he walked, before cautiously moving towards a small building with a hand-painted sign simply stating: OFFICE. He couldn’t see anyone in the yard…
“Watch out!” A high pitched shriek came from his left and Castiel spun around, just in time for a young girl on a skateboard to slam into him. The board shot between his legs as the girl slammed into his chest, knocking him to the ground.
Dorothy was struggling to disentangle herself from the man, mumbling a litany of apologies when Dean came running over. He had seen the shiny green helmet zooming past the cars, heard Dorothy’s screamed warning and then there had been nothing.
“Dotty!” he called out. “Oh, God, Sir, I’m so sorry,” he called to his daughter’s victim, not seeing the man’s face yet. He rushed over and helped his daughter up. Then the man turned his head and Dean gasped loudly and stared. A few seconds of stunned silence later, though, he burst into loud laughter, holding his stomach and panting.
“I didn’t mean to, Daddy!” Dot’s eyes were wide as she looked up at her Daddy who was still laughing. Her eyes flitted over to the man, staring at them with his eyes blown wide. “My Daddy doesn’t usually have giggle-fits,” she whispered in apology.
“I… This was a mistake.” Castiel whispered, swallowing hard as he took in the sight before him. Dean had a child. Dean had a child.
“Cas!” Dean straightened up, clearing his throat as he quickly reached out to grasp Castiel’s arm and stop him from leaving. “I… Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.” Castiel nodded biting his lower lip.
“It’s… well, it’s kind of funny.” Dean continued, a mirthful smile playing on his lips. “Skateboards don’t really like you. Do they?”
“No, they really don’t.” Cas smiled softly, surprised at the pang he felt when he realized Dean remembered how they had first met. “I… I didn’t know you had a daughter.”
“I … Yeah, well, I didn’t think you ever wanted to hear from me or I’d have sent you a card,” Dean bit anxiously at his lower lip. “Well, Cas meet my little sunshine, Dorothy. Dotty, this is Castiel, an old friend of mine,” he said introducing them, his hand resting on his daughter’s head.
“Hi,” Dotty said, an angelic smile breaking across her face as she beamed up at Castiel.
“Hello.” Cas said, bending down on one knee and holding out a hand to her. “It’s nice to meet you, Dotty.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” Shaking the quiet man’s hand, she still beamed at him, her green eyes wide with joy. The smile dimmed a little as she added, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to knock you down.”
“You couldn’t help it, Princess. It’s the way Winchesters introduce themselves to Cas,” Dean said and smiled warmly at Cas.
“Exactly.” Cas glanced up and met Dean’s eyes. “At least you didn’t give me a scar me like your daddy did.”
Dorothy’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she looked up at her father. “You hurt him, Daddy?”
“Yes, I did.” Dean admitted, his eyes still on Castiel, adding an unspoken ‘in more than one way’. “Is it really still visible?”
“It’s nothing compared to some of my other scars.” Castiel said quietly, standing up from his crouched position and knowing Dean and his conversation was something entirely different than the one they were having with little Dorothy. “But, that’s all in the past. We’ve moved on from there, right?”
“Right … I guess …” Dean said with a small sigh. “So, well, what … what brings you to this humble place, Cas?”
Castiel cleared his throat, reaching into the pocket of his coat and pulling out the stapled papers he had gotten from his lawyer the morning he had left. “Some… adult business.” He said, handing over the papers to Dean. “It’s kind of important, adult business.”
Dean took the papers and glanced at them, then looked at Castiel with wide eyes. “Why don’t you go practice your boarding skills some more, little bear, while Daddy talks to Castiel?” he suggested, looking at his daughter.
“Okay, Papa bear!” Dorothy chimed back at him, skipping off towards the newly remembered skateboard. Castiel watched as she hopped back onto the board, her arms flailing to keep her balance as her little foot pushed the board along. He wished life could always be as simple as it was for little ones…
In reality? When an adult fell down, you couldn’t just pick yourself up and hop ‘back on the board’. In reality, when you fell, you had an entire ration of shit to deal with. Cas sighed and turned his attention back to Dean.
“I’m getting married.” He said simply, shrugging his shoulders. “This is all that’s stopping me.”
Dean gulped. He hadn’t thought about this in ages, to tell the truth, he’s never thought about it having any consequences after Castiel had left. Not that he ever had to bother considering any legal consequences until now. Dorothy’s mom and he had never thought about marriage, not even when they first found out about the pregnancy.
“Let’s go inside, I’ll make us some coffee,” he finally offered to break his own silence.
Castiel sighed, nodding once before he followed Dean through the salvage yard and into Bobby’s house.
“Dean, are you and Dotty staying for--” Bobby stopped mid-sentence, frozen in the hallway as he watched Castiel following Dean into the house. “Uh, hey…Castiel,” he stammered in surprise, eyes flicking between the two men.
“Hey, Bobby.” Castiel said, offering the man a smile. Bobby’s eyes were full of confusion but he swallowed it down and looked at Dean.
“Should I take Dotty out to dinner instead?”
Dean glanced at Castiel, then turned back to Bobby and shook his head. “Castiel wasn’t planning to stay long. But thank you very much for the offer.”
Castiel nodded quickly, letting them both know he was fully planning on this being a short visit.
“Alright, I’ll just be outside with Dotty then.” Bobby said, tipping his hat to Castiel before slipping out quietly past them.
Cas let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding and looked back at Dean.
“Let’s get this over with,” he sighed and made his way to where he remembered the kitchen was located.
Dean sighed as he followed Castiel. He didn’t want to get this over with. It was like breaking up all over again. He had to admit to himself that he felt actually jealous of the person Castiel was engaged to now. He wondered if Cas was truly happy.
He asked Cas to take a seat and set about making them coffee. “So, what’s he like? Or … well, I assume it is a he, right?” he asked, his back to Castiel.
Cas snorted. “I’m not the one with a daughter, Dean...” He said and winced when he saw Dean’s shoulders stiffen. “Yes, he’s a he. Balthazar… and he’s… he’s good for me. We met about five years ago at the office Christmas party and I haven’t been able to get rid of him since. He’s been… well, he’s been consistent.”
“Work Christmas party...” Dean snorted. “Maybe I should suggest to Bobby that we declare our Christmases ‘office Christmas parties’ since we nearly always have to go tow somebody’s car out of a snowbank during our gift giving. We could write off Dotty’s presents against taxes.” He turned slowly around and looked at Castiel. “And I never made it a secret I like both male and female. Dotty is the best that happened to me since … since … well ever.”
“Jesus, Dean… I didn’t mean--” Castiel sighed, running a hand across his face. “I didn’t mean anything against your daughter. I’m glad you have her, just… surprised is all. I didn’t think I would find you with a child. Where’s her mom?”
Dean gulped and turned back around. He needed to hide the emotions flitting across his handsome features, and pretended to be busy making sure the coffeemaker was working correctly. “She’s … She’s with the Angels, watching over Dotty with them,” he murmured soft and low.
“Oh, shit… I’m so sorry, Dean.” Castiel whispered, looking down at his hands. “It’s really none of my business, but I’m sorry for you loss.”
Dean nodded but refrained from answering, continuing to work on making their coffee. Castiel leaned back into the kitchen chair, suddenly feeling out of place. He glanced over at Dean, eyes gazing at the way his shirt pulled tight against his broad shoulders. He swallowed hard, forcing himself to tear his eyes away. This was a mistake… he had no business being here, interrupting Dean’s life when he could have just as easily mailed the papers.
He bit at his lower lip thoughtfully and reached forward to pull the divorce papers to him. “They’re pretty straight forward,” he stated, breaking the silence. The sooner this was over with, the better. “We have nothing to fight over, you know?”
Once the coffee was ready, Dean took the pot and two cups and moved over to the table. “I’m not fighting you.” he sighed as he set down the cups and poured them each some coffee. He sat down opposite Castiel and traced a finger over the papers. “So, what are you doing lately apart from going to Christmas parties and getting yourself engaged?”
Castiel rubbed an unsteady hand across his tired face with a sigh. “Dean,” he said softly, shaking his head. “We can’t do this, okay? We can’t… we can’t pretend that we’re friends. We can’t sit here and drink coffee and shoot the shit, okay?” He let his hand drop and looked across the table at Dean. “It hurts too much...” And the moment he said the words, he realized they were true.
He started to push his chair back from the table a bit, “Why don’t I just come back tomorrow for the papers, okay?”
“Cas! Please!” Dean suddenly reached over to catch his hands, almost automatically, but he stopped just short of them, realizing Castiel would not appreciate the gesture. “It’s been ages since we last saw each other, why can’t we catch up a little?” Dean sighed, and let his gaze drop to the papers. Yes it hurt, and it hurt badly enough for Dean to not want to sign those damned papers.
Castiel pulled his hands back across the table, his heart had jumped into his throat when Dean had reached out, almost grabbing them. “And whose fault was that?” He whispered, letting the anger overtake the hurt he was feeling. “I didn’t ask for this, Dean. It was a mistake, I get that. We were young and drunk and impossibly stupid… But it was still a decision we made together, and you’re the one that walked out on me after three months.” Cas felt the tears stinging the back of his eyes and he looked away, anywhere except for Dean’s face. “I waited for you, you know. Yeah, I left for school, but I still waited. I waited for you to call me, to text me, anything… And you never did. So now? I need you to finish what you started, okay? I need you to sign the goddamn papers so I can move on with my life.”
Dean took a deep breath, readying a retort, but he felt at a loss for words. Castiel was right, it was his fault. Everything was always his fault, but at least this one he admitted was his. He wished he could turn back time and make it up to Castiel properly. He wished he had called, or texted or just bloody posted those damned letters he’d written, instead of crumpling them up and tossing them away.
“At least tell me more about him, so I know I’m letting you go into a great life, the awesome life you deserve.”
Cas closed his eyes, licking at his lower lip slowly and biting back the snarky remark at the tip of his tongue. “He’s a writer,” he started, sighing gently as he opened his eyes again and looked at Dean. “He writes for the New York Times. That’s where I’m living now. He gets to write from home, so during the day he volunteers at a nearby school to help with student teaching for the art classes. He’s pretty good with kids, actually. He… He makes me lunches.” Cas smiled, shrugging his shoulders. “I don’t really know what you’re looking for. I’m… happy.” Cas tried to pretend the smile he offered Dean then wasn’t forced.
“Sophisticated. Writer and art teacher … wow,” Dean said and it was only halfway snarky. “I make lunches too … and breakfasts, and dinners.” he said, mumbling low under his breath. He sighed, he had no right to begrudge Castiel his luck. That was… as long as Castiel was sincerely happy, but he was still as readable as a book to Dean.
“I didn’t realize there was a competition.” Castiel spat, knowing he would succeed in riling Dean up.
Dean got up and took the papers. “I need to read those properly. Come back for them tomorrow.” he started walking out the back door. “How about you can pick them up before I take Dotty to school? Bobby will give you my address.” With that, he left.
“Fuck,” Castiel whispered to himself, running a hand through his hair before letting himself out of the house. From the porch, he could see Bobby throw a look his way before returning his attention to Dorothy, who was still struggling on the skateboard. He made his way over to them slowly, and after explaining the situation as briefly as possible, made his way back to his car with Dean’s address written on a scrap piece of paper in his pocket. Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.
Dean had run off to the back of the salvage-yard, where he sat dejectedly in the car he was rebuilding for himself in his spare time. He didn't know how long he’d been sitting there, crying, before Bobby found him to tell him dinner was ready.
He and Dorothy spent all evening with Bobby. Dean and Bobby talked until after Dorothy had fallen asleep on the couch. Dean had to carry her into his car.
He couldn't sleep at all that night. He lay awake and thought about Castiel, about his missed chances.
Bobby was right. Dean still loved Castiel. The guys he went on dates with all got written off after a single night, if it even lasted that long at all, because mentally he compared them all to Castiel and none could touch the standards he had set from his memories.
But Dean had missed his chance. He had had years to contact Cas, get back in touch with him. He was too late now. Castiel was engaged and their teenaged stupidity was the only thing standing between Cas and his new marriage.
But if he really loved Castiel he couldn't torture him by not signing the papers.
Or could he? Not torture him of course, but make him stay longer; spend a bit more time with him and Dorothy.
Dean chewed on his lower lip, contemplating. If Castiel truly loved this Balthazar? Then, no harm, no foul... In the end, all Dean truly wanted was for Cas to be happy. It wouldn't hurt to show Cas that he had grown up.
Dean thought back to their conversation at Bobby's kitchen table... There was no denying there were still strong feelings between them. Maybe for Cas that feeling was only anger. But if it wasn't? What if some part of Cas was still in love with him, with what they’d had? Dean felt his stomach roll in anticipation. He smiled for the first time since he’d walked out of the kitchen and away from the one man he had ever truly loved.
He owed it to Cas... He had a lot to make up for after the way he had treated not only their relationship but also Cas himself. He had freaked out back then, he could admit that now. He owed it to Cas to show him that he had never stopped loving him. And if Cas wanted it, still wanted Dean, he would make sure Castiel never second-guessed that fact again.
Even lacking a good night's sleep, Dean was smiling when he got out of bed and climbed into the shower. He was early, of course, but it was good because it gave him time to prepare a proper breakfast including bacon and eggs. He even had time to pick out a few more old photographs of him and Cas and place them in different spots around his place.
Now… all he had left to do was to hope that Castiel would accept the offer to stay for breakfast.
Chapter Three