Take Two - Chapter Seven - Destiel Fic
Title: Take Two
Authors: islanderbib83 & pdlessard07 (pippin1983 & lotrspnfangirl)
Pairing: Destiel
Rating: R (may change)
Summary: Dean and Castiel get drunkenly married at 19. It's bold, it's rash, it's being 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.
“Go to sleep,” Castiel hissed in the darkness, shoving Balthazar’s leg off of himself for the third time. “I am not very happy with you right now.”
“But Cas,” Balthazar whined, trying to climb up over him and losing his balance, plummeting back into the pillow.
“You embarrassed me. You embarrassed me in front of Dean and that whole fucking bar.”
“Who cares about Dean or those people? It’s not like you live here...” Came the muffled, slurred response.
Castiel shot up, throwing the covers off his body. “This is my hometown, Balt. My father lives here, people I grew up with live here. It matters to me.” Balt rolled his eyes and Castiel snapped. “Fuck you, Balt. I didn’t ask you to come here and I definitely didn’t ask you to make me look like a moron. Sleep it off and call me in the morning.” He reached down for his discarded jeans and pulled them back on before yanking his cell phone and charger from the wall.
“Drama queen…” Balthazar muttered from the bed, seconds before Cas slammed the door.
“Good thing no one’s sleeping.” His Dad’s voice made him jump.
“Fuck, Dad, I’m so sorry…. I didn’t mean to wake you…”
“Well… your boy there sounds like a herd of elephants when he’s drunk.” Cas could see his smile in the moonlight and felt his shoulders relax. “You going out?”
“Yeah, I… I don’t want to be here right now. I’m sorry, Dad.”
“I’ll give him hell in the morning, lots of banging of pots and pans.” His Dad smirked and squeezed his shoulder. By the time he got to his car, he had his phone out and dialed before he could even comprehend what he was doing.
“Cas?”
“Dean, I know it’s one a.m… and I’m really sorry, I don’t know why I’m calling and bothering you… I just.. .I didn’t know… I don’t know who else to call, you know?” Cas stumbled over the words, slipping into his car and starting the engine.
“Are you in your car?” Dean’s voice was thick with sleep and had Castiel’s stomach flipping.
“Yeah, couldn’t stand to be with Balthazar anymore tonight. Fuck, not that I have anywhere else to go…”
“Come here, I’m at Bobby’s.”
“Dean…. I shouldn’t…” But right then and there he realized just how much he wanted to. The thought of submitting and crawling back into bed with his fiance’ made his stomach churn and bile rise to his throat. But the idea of driving over to Dean? Of collapsing into his arms and spilling all of his fears and worries and problems like he had every day for most of his young adult life? Well… “You don’t mind?”
“I’ll see you in five.”
Dean rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he got out of bed and headed downstairs to let Cas in.
He felt miserable. Not because it was 1 a.m. and Cas had awakened him, but because Cas was miserable, because Cas didn’t want to stay with his fiancé but rather stay with the man he had come to with divorce papers to sign.
That was really insane. Dean shook his head and sat on the couch, watching out the window for Cas’s headlights when he arrived at the yard.
Dean felt really bad for Castiel. As much as he wanted to rejoice in the fact that Balthazar was a real dick and had given him grounds to lay the foundation for his reasons for not signing the papers, he just couldn’t take advantage of that. He couldn’t rejoice in Castiel’s misery.
“Back earlier than I would’ve expected… Dotty went to bed about half hour after you left… finally.” Bobby said as he found him in the kitchen. Without needing to ask, he pulled two beers from the fridge and sat in the seat beside Dean. “What happened?”
“They left early. Balthazar ...” Dean took one bottle and just held it. “Son of a bitch! Bobby, I had hoped he’d be an asshole, so I might have a chance to get my Cas back, but … whoa, he’s … he’s just such a huge dick… I have no idea how Cas even got as far as getting engaged with him.”
“Hmmm,” Bobby said after a moment, taking a sip of his beer and leaning back into his chair to watch Dean. “So he was an ass… did Cas like that, or is he unhappy?”
“Cas was so embarrassed by him. It was horrible to watch him suffer. And … damn, he can’t even take hints. Or maybe he can and is just such a damned dick that he ignores them. I wanted to punch him. If it had only been that dick and me, I probably would have.”
“Poor Cas… Wonder how long he’s been dealing with that guy... “ Bobby bit his lower lip in thought, clearing his throat once before continuing carefully. “You know… he probably settled… found the first person after… well, you know.”
“You think so?” Dean looked at Bobby surprised and yet understanding completely what he was trying to say. “But that he’d go ahead and marry the first guy who’d ask him …? He’d had a bad experience before,” Dean glanced down in embarrassment, “shouldn’t that have taught him not to do that again?”
Bobby shrugged and let out a short chuckle. “Better than you… who barely tried to have another relationship. Don’t get me wrong…” he hurried to finish, seeing the look on Dean’s face. “You cared for Ashleigh, but if she hadn’t gotten pregnant with that little angel you have upstairs? It wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did and you know it. You never got over Castiel, you never found trying to find someone else worth it. Neither one of you ended up behaving in a healthy manner, relationship-wise…”
“So … what do you suggest I do now, wise old man?” Dean asked, with a playful smirk meaning no offense. “I can’t just go and say, ‘hey Cas, your boyfriend sucks, come back to me’ …”
“No, but you can show him what it means to be loved. You have to prepare yourself Dean that Cas may never come back to you, he doesn’t owe you anything. But you owe him.” Bobby gave him a look before taking a sip of his beer. “You owe that young man what you owed him years ago… respect enough to show him how truly special he is and that he deserves to be treated that way. If he comes back to you? I wish you both happiness. But if he just finally gets his self-worth back and is happy? I’d say you did a damn fine job.”
Dean nodded. Bobby was right, as always. “Any suggestion on where to start?” he asked with a hopeful smile.
Bobby reached up and adjusted his hat, eyebrows raised. “You got your work cut out for you, kid.” He laughed. “I think first step is getting some sleep and we can talk about it more when Dotty goes to school tomorrow.”
“Okay. Sleep sounds good.”
It felt like only a few minutes had passed since he had crawled into Bobby’s spare bed and fallen asleep when his phone started ringing. He leaned back into the couch cushions now and was just contemplating getting up to start a pot of coffee when the glare of headlights poured in through the windows, alerting him to Cas’s arrival. He pushed off the couch and made his way to the door, opening it just as Cas was about to knock.
He smiled at him softly and beckoned him inside.
“Hey.” he said, barely above a whisper so he wouldn’t wake up Bobby or Dot. “Come in.” His instincts told him to hug Cas tightly and tell him that everything was going to be fine, but his senses told him to give Cas space and let the man come to him in his own time.
Cas nodded once, slipping past Dean into the house. He cleared his throat once, his stance screaming how uncomfortable he was. “I’m sorry, Dean...” he whispered, shaking his head. “You were probably sleeping… I shouldn’t have called you and woken you up. This is my shit to deal with, not yours.”
“Cas, don’t be silly, it’s totally fine you called. This isn’t only your shit, I had my part in it and I’m sorry about that.” Dean laid his hand on Castiel’s shoulder, always ready to draw his hand back in case Cas didn’t want him to touch him.
Cas let out a short laugh, trying to offer Dean a reassuring smile over his shoulder. “I’m so pathetic.” He shook his head again, hesitating a moment before pushing past Dean and into Bobby’s living room to sit down on the couch. “I still am sorry for the things he said to you, I’m sure when I left to go to the car the conversation was more than a little unpleasant.”
Dean followed Cas into the living room. “It was actually kind of more okay than when you came back from there.” Dean gave a small smile. “I was asking him about his proposal, out of genuine curiosity. But he then started to pick at how I hadn’t proposed at all, except to get you drunk… trying to get to me...” Dean sighed. “I’m sorry I let him.”
Cas snorted, watching as Dean lowered himself to sit beside him. “Yeah, the ‘proposal of the century’ as he called it. God, I wanted to melt into the floor. The entire restaurant was staring at me, I think someone even took our picture… I was mortified and Balthazar didn’t even look at me, he just looked around the room to see how many people noticed...” Cas rolled his eyes and then flushed. “I shouldn’t be saying this to you or talking about him with you. Even after ten years, I can’t manage to put a filter on with you.”
Dean smiled, feeling slightly proud that he did indeed still know Cas well enough to know that that hadn’t been the proposal he’d have wanted. “It’s … am I making you uncomfortable? See, you don’t have to tell me anything, I’m just happy to be there for you.”
“That’s the problem… I am too comfortable with you,” Cas replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Words just keep pouring out. You don’t want to know about Balthazar anyway…” He leaned his head back against the couch. “How did everything get so fucked up, Dean? I don’t know why I ever wanted to be an adult. Those old teenage problems seem so easy compared to my adult problems.”
Dean huffed an amused laugh. “Not just yours, Cas, not just yours. Do you ever wish we could be back in Math, trying not to fall asleep with that monotone voice of Mrs. Finch?” Dean asked, not wanting to press Cas on the Balthazar topic, though he was curious what Cas would have to say. But, honestly, he was also happy to not think about that dick and simply to enjoy Castiel’s company again.
“Yeah, actually I do,” Cas laughed, the sound breaking something inside of him and his smile was genuine for the first time that night. “I liked her, couldn’t stand to listen to her, but she would write me hall passes with no questions asked so I could sneak out and meet you by our lockers for a quick make out session.”
Dean laughed softly. “Oh, yeah, she was great that way.” He tried to ignore the pang in his chest when Cas mentioned their make out sessions. At the same time, he couldn’t be any happier that Cas was comfortable enough to talk about their past like this. “Oh God, do you remember that one time when that Biology teacher - what was his name? - when he busted us that one time in the gym locker room?”
“Yes!” Cas gushed, eyes wide and a smile on his lips as he turned to Dean. “He called our parents and I was so afraid to go home. I thought my Dad was going to ground me for the rest of my life… Instead he sat me down to have ‘the talk’.” Cas chuckled again, leaning slightly closer so their shoulders brushed. “I had to tell him that the talk was already unnecessary… talk about embarrassing….” They fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts. “Hey Dean?”
“Yes?” Dean asked and gazed up at Cas with a soft, contented warmth reflected in his eyes.
Cas cleared his throat once again and shrugged his shoulders gently. “I just… I know things didn’t end up exactly how we imagined them to but… I don’t regret any of it,” He nodded his head once, meeting Dean’s eyes. “I’m glad that you were my first… my first boyfriend, my first lover… I just… I thought you should know that.”
Dean didn’t say anything, he just smiled. He was so thankful for Cas’s words. To know he didn’t regret their past was like a huge gift, like Christmas and a birthday rolled into one. No, …. all his 30 birthdays so far altogether. His eyes lit up and he hugged Cas lightly.
Cas hugged him back, wrapping his arms around Dean’s back and squeezing gently. When they broke apart, he shifted and leaned against Dean’s side, his head resting on Dean’s shoulder. He sighed, content. “Everything happens for a reason,” he murmured after a moment, stifling a yawn. “I don’t know if we would’ve been happy together or not… but I’m glad you got your daughter, she’s really beautiful, Dean.”
“Thank you, Cas. I’m very glad, too, that I have her,” he nodded. “Hey, you know, earlier, when I said she had her own car? She actually has. She got it from Bobby yesterday.”
Cas raised an eyebrow, looking up to see Dean gazing down at him, an amused expression on his face. “Bobby got her a car? Really ?! Can she even reach the pedals?”
“It’s a Power Wheels car. He’s redone it for her to look like mine, but he painted it frigging pink. Can you believe it? He got my girl a damned pink Impala! There needs to be a law against pink Impalas.”
Cas’s shoulders shook with laughter as he pictured the pink little car. “I don’t know… maybe you should ask Bobby to paint your Impala pink. It’s obviously in fashion.”
Dean nudged Cas’s shoulder. “You, Mister, are horrible! You can sleep on the floor, the couch is too good for you,” Dean chuckled.
“Oh, that’s definitely a good way to treat your guests.” Cas rolled his eyes, pushing away from Dean and leaning on the other side of the couch. He leaned on one of his arms and looked at Dean, expression serious. “You really don’t mind that I came here?”
Dean shook his head. “No. No I don’t mind,” he reassured Cas. “More like the contrary. I’m kind of honored you’d come here, rather than run off to some motel or something.”
Cas smiled, trying to fight back another yawn and failing. “Yeah… I don’t know…” he shrugged, leaning back into the couch and letting his eyes fall closed. “I didn’t even realize I had dialed your number until you answered the phone. Just… came naturally I guess. Can’t wait to tell Balthazar that,” he snorted.
“Oh, he’ll be thrilled.” Dean got up. “I’ll get you a blanket. Would you want some water or anything?”
“No, blanket’s fine.” Cas smiled at him and watched as Dean pushed up off the couch in search of the closet. He sighed to himself softly, toeing off his shoes and kicking them so they were half under the couch, out of the way.
Dean came back fairly quickly with a blanket and a couple of big fluffy pillows. He remained standing this time and handed Castiel the blanket and pillows. Grinning happily he plopped the pillows in Cas’s lap. “Snagged you a couple of Bobby’s great goose-down pillows,” his tired green eyes sparkled proudly. “Anything else you need, just ask me.” He smiled.
“Thanks, Dean, really.” Cas smiled, accepting the blanket as well and laid it out over the sofa and himself. He looked up towards Dean, eyebrow raised, “Is this ‘goodnight’ then?”
Dean swallowed once, shrugging his shoulder before sinking back down beside Castiel on the couch. “Unless you want to talk some more?” Dean asked, giving Cas a small smile.
“I’m all talked out I think...” Cas said, letting his eyes fall closed and leaning back against the couch. “It’s been too long of a day.”
“I hear that,” Dean scoffed. Starting with breakfast yesterday morning and everything that happened over the past two days, he never would have expected to be sitting on Bobby’s couch at nearly two in the morning, talking with Castiel like it was normal. He felt relaxed, content, comfortable sitting beside him but lack of sleep was catching up with him and he yawned, leaning back into the couch.
“I’ll see you in the morning.” Cas said softly, sleep already threading into his voice, and Dean nodded. He would get up in a second; he was too comfortable right then. Just another minute…
| Chapter Eight |