Miracle Anti-Aging Cream (12/14)vikkiMarch 28 2010, 23:05:11 UTC
Patrick reached to pull out the appropriate number of chips; Castiel folded his knees up under himself, leaning across the table to cut the cards while bracing himself on the edge with his other hand. Patrick smirked at the sight. "You are in an interesting pickle." He passed the poker chips to Castiel.
Castiel stacked the chips neatly at his elbow; Dean shifted behind him. "It's nearly resolved," Castiel said.
Patrick dealt the cards. "Can your pride stand losing to a creature like me?" He stuck a toothpick in his mouth and grinned like a shark: Dean and Sam saw perfect, gleaming teeth. Castiel saw bleeding gums.
"You're barely a breath," Castiel answered as he picked up the cards and arranged them in his hand, holding them too low for Dean to see (even when he craned his neck). Sam sat still with a face that might as well have been made of stone, except that he kept bouncing his leg. Castiel looked up, one corner of his mouth turning up.
Patrick laughed, a low, slow chuckle of dark amusement. "All right, 'Cas'," he said, making quote marks in the air, "I'm doing you a favor here. I don't want any more years. So in return, you must do me a favor."
The smirk dropped off Castiel's face; the two not-humans stared at each other.
Dean casually drew the gun out of the duffel bag and casually rested the edge on the table. "How about not blowing your nuts off - is that good enough?" he asked.
Patrick and Castiel both turned to look at Dean. Patrick raised his hand; Castiel's head snapped back towards him. "Don't," he said warningly.
Patrick spread his fingers with an unimpressed sigh. "The favor?" he asked.
"Tell us what it is first," Sam suggested.
Patrick rubbed his temple with the hand not holding cards. "I can't wait to see your faces, you two clowns," he grumbled, before sitting forward and looking right at Castiel. "I want a feather."
Castiel furrowed his brows. "That's impossible."
"Then you are an angel." Patrick smiled. "Guarantee I won't go to Hell."
Dean's jaw dropped. "That's not ambitious at all," he grumbled.
"I'm in no position to," Castiel started, then stopped. "... I'll see what can be done."
Patrick grinned. "That was easy. Are you so desperate?"
"I can't restore my vessel on my own. It's an acceptable bargain." For having a body less than half the size of anyone else in the room, at the moment Castiel didn't look very small.
"Cas," Sam said uncomfortably.
"Are you thinking straight? You can bargain your way into Heaven?" Dean asked.
Castiel ignored them both, laying his five cards facedown on the table. "I'll bet twenty-five years."
*
Castiel lost.
*
Fifteen minutes later Castiel stepped out of the bar's iffy one-stall bathroom dressed in a pair of Dean's jeans and one of Sam's button-down shirts, looking not-quite like his old self; without the trenchcoat or suit jacket, he seemed narrow and slimmer than usual. Dean slapped a dollar into Sam's hand; Castiel blinked at the exchange.
("Need any help with that?" Dean had called through the door, and gotten kicked by Sam. "What? You ever seen him button a shirt before?"
"I think he'll figure it out," Sam shot back.
"I'll bet you a dollar he comes out with the buttons off one hole," Dean whispered.
Sam rolled his eyes. "Deal.")
"You look better," Sam said, stuffing the dollar in his pocket.
"Tall," Dean grinned.
Castiel nodded. "I feel ... tall. Ish. What should I do with these?" he asked, holding out the Optimus Prime t-shirt and ratty jeans.
"You planning on turning into a kid again anytime soon?" Dean asked.
"No." Castiel's eyes narrowed a little. The fine lines at the edges puckered.
"Then toss 'em." Dean shrugged. Castiel considered the small pile of clothes very seriously and didn't look up until Dean stepped so close their heads nearly touched. "So what the hell are you doing with Patrick? Going to Heaven? What's that all about?"
Castiel met Dean's eyes and held his gaze for a little while, one corner of his mouth turning up and up. "That isn't what he said, Dean."
Then he twisted to slide past Dean and went back to the poker room, shutting the door behind himself.
Re: Miracle Anti-Aging Cream (12/14)sea_wrenMarch 29 2010, 00:40:34 UTC
I'm loving this story so much! There are so many bits that made me laugh, but then there are the darker moments, too. And I love the details of Patrick's true looks.
Castiel stacked the chips neatly at his elbow; Dean shifted behind him. "It's nearly resolved," Castiel said.
Patrick dealt the cards. "Can your pride stand losing to a creature like me?" He stuck a toothpick in his mouth and grinned like a shark: Dean and Sam saw perfect, gleaming teeth. Castiel saw bleeding gums.
"You're barely a breath," Castiel answered as he picked up the cards and arranged them in his hand, holding them too low for Dean to see (even when he craned his neck). Sam sat still with a face that might as well have been made of stone, except that he kept bouncing his leg. Castiel looked up, one corner of his mouth turning up.
Patrick laughed, a low, slow chuckle of dark amusement. "All right, 'Cas'," he said, making quote marks in the air, "I'm doing you a favor here. I don't want any more years. So in return, you must do me a favor."
The smirk dropped off Castiel's face; the two not-humans stared at each other.
Dean casually drew the gun out of the duffel bag and casually rested the edge on the table. "How about not blowing your nuts off - is that good enough?" he asked.
Patrick and Castiel both turned to look at Dean. Patrick raised his hand; Castiel's head snapped back towards him. "Don't," he said warningly.
Patrick spread his fingers with an unimpressed sigh. "The favor?" he asked.
"Tell us what it is first," Sam suggested.
Patrick rubbed his temple with the hand not holding cards. "I can't wait to see your faces, you two clowns," he grumbled, before sitting forward and looking right at Castiel. "I want a feather."
Castiel furrowed his brows. "That's impossible."
"Then you are an angel." Patrick smiled. "Guarantee I won't go to Hell."
Dean's jaw dropped. "That's not ambitious at all," he grumbled.
"I'm in no position to," Castiel started, then stopped. "... I'll see what can be done."
Patrick grinned. "That was easy. Are you so desperate?"
"I can't restore my vessel on my own. It's an acceptable bargain." For having a body less than half the size of anyone else in the room, at the moment Castiel didn't look very small.
"Cas," Sam said uncomfortably.
"Are you thinking straight? You can bargain your way into Heaven?" Dean asked.
Castiel ignored them both, laying his five cards facedown on the table. "I'll bet twenty-five years."
*
Castiel lost.
*
Fifteen minutes later Castiel stepped out of the bar's iffy one-stall bathroom dressed in a pair of Dean's jeans and one of Sam's button-down shirts, looking not-quite like his old self; without the trenchcoat or suit jacket, he seemed narrow and slimmer than usual. Dean slapped a dollar into Sam's hand; Castiel blinked at the exchange.
("Need any help with that?" Dean had called through the door, and gotten kicked by Sam. "What? You ever seen him button a shirt before?"
"I think he'll figure it out," Sam shot back.
"I'll bet you a dollar he comes out with the buttons off one hole," Dean whispered.
Sam rolled his eyes. "Deal.")
"You look better," Sam said, stuffing the dollar in his pocket.
"Tall," Dean grinned.
Castiel nodded. "I feel ... tall. Ish. What should I do with these?" he asked, holding out the Optimus Prime t-shirt and ratty jeans.
"You planning on turning into a kid again anytime soon?" Dean asked.
"No." Castiel's eyes narrowed a little. The fine lines at the edges puckered.
"Then toss 'em." Dean shrugged. Castiel considered the small pile of clothes very seriously and didn't look up until Dean stepped so close their heads nearly touched. "So what the hell are you doing with Patrick? Going to Heaven? What's that all about?"
Castiel met Dean's eyes and held his gaze for a little while, one corner of his mouth turning up and up. "That isn't what he said, Dean."
Then he twisted to slide past Dean and went back to the poker room, shutting the door behind himself.
tbc
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Looking forward to the rest.
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