vietnam drabble [dean/cas]
Title: vietnam drabble
Pairing: Dean/Castiel (pre-slash)
Rating: PG-13
Warning: swearing, set in the Vietnam war
Length: 640 words
Summary: Dean and Castiel are soldiers in Vietnam, and are stuck waiting in a monsoon. Inspired by this image.
Note: I recommend reading about the ace of spades and how it's used in war, esp. the Vietnam war quickly, just so this all makes sense.
“This fucking sucks,” Dean says, slamming the lid of his zippo, flicking it up again, trying to light it. “Fucking - shit.”
“It ain’t gonna stop anytime soon, brother,” Benny says, staring out across the jungle. He slaps a hand against the back of his neck, the buzz of a mosquito suddenly silenced.
“We’re literally sitting ducks,” Dean says, angrily slamming the lid of his zippo shut with a click and shoving it into his pocket.
Cas shifts beside him and looks up into the sky, scrunches his face up. Dean watches him, feels his fingers itching for a cigarette again, settles instead with pulling his ace of spades from his helmet and fiddling with it.
Cas looks calm, eerily so, as he watches the monsoon around them, the fat raindrops that are landing on the surface of the muddy river. He’s always been good at calming Dean when he’s felt too high-strung. He gets jittery when they’re like this, feeling like the VC are going to jump from between the trees and fire at them.
“Who wants to play cards?” Dean asks, holding up his ace of spades.
Victor laughs. “Sure, I’m up for a round. You just jump outta this boat, swim until you find Charlie, kill him, and slap that ace of spades right on his forehead. You can go first, Winchester.”
Dean raises his middle finger at him and Victor turns away, laughing.
Cas holds out a deck of cards in a ratty cardboard case and Dean turns to him, grinning.
“Fuck yeah,” he says. “Knew I loved you for some reason, Cas.”
“Gin Rummy,” Cas says, a slight blush on his cheeks, angling his body closer towards him.
Dean grins. “Sure thing.”
Dean deals the cards and they waste some time, get through two games before there’s a rustle on the other side of the river and they’re dropping the cards in the boat, aiming their guns towards the sound.
“Hold your fire,” Singer whispers.
A Parakeet squawks, flies out from the trees and everyone lets out a slow breath and Dean grins, shaking his head.
“That’s a weird looking Gook if ever I saw one,” Benny drawls.
Smoke blows into his face and Dean looks to his right, sees the cigarette dangling from Cas’ lips. He pulls it from his mouth and takes a few drags before handing it back.
Cas takes it and slips it back between his lips, closing his eyes as he takes a long inhale.
The rain is beginning to let up now, and they’re getting ready to make a move.
“Alright boys, we’re moving out!”
Dean winks at Cas, enjoys the fresh blush that comes over his cheeks, and then they carry on down the river, get to the other side and carry on their patrol through the jungle.
That night Dean’s sat with his back against a tree eating his cold C rations in the darkness when Cas comes over, sits down beside him and doesn’t say anything.
“You alright, Cas?” Dean asks, once he’s swallowed his mouthful.
“I don’t like fire ants,” he says, and Dean can hear him scratching.
“Don’t scratch,” Dean says, placing his hand on Cas’ arm. Cas’ hands still, and then settle onto the ground beside him.
Dean’s fingers find Cas’ on the dirt, and they rest there, thumb rubbing gently over Cas’ skin. Cas turns to him with a soft smile that Dean only just catches in the darkness. They sit there in silence, listening to the buzz of mosquitoes, the occasional hiss of a snake and the murmur of other men.
“Thanks,” Cas says, softly, and Dean can hear the rest behind that one word: thanks for sticking by me, thanks for watching my back, thanks for giving a fuck.
Dean squeezes Cas’ hand and he smiles. “Don’t mention it.”
(Link on tumblr)
Pairing: Dean/Castiel (pre-slash)
Rating: PG-13
Warning: swearing, set in the Vietnam war
Length: 640 words
Summary: Dean and Castiel are soldiers in Vietnam, and are stuck waiting in a monsoon. Inspired by this image.
Note: I recommend reading about the ace of spades and how it's used in war, esp. the Vietnam war quickly, just so this all makes sense.
“This fucking sucks,” Dean says, slamming the lid of his zippo, flicking it up again, trying to light it. “Fucking - shit.”
“It ain’t gonna stop anytime soon, brother,” Benny says, staring out across the jungle. He slaps a hand against the back of his neck, the buzz of a mosquito suddenly silenced.
“We’re literally sitting ducks,” Dean says, angrily slamming the lid of his zippo shut with a click and shoving it into his pocket.
Cas shifts beside him and looks up into the sky, scrunches his face up. Dean watches him, feels his fingers itching for a cigarette again, settles instead with pulling his ace of spades from his helmet and fiddling with it.
Cas looks calm, eerily so, as he watches the monsoon around them, the fat raindrops that are landing on the surface of the muddy river. He’s always been good at calming Dean when he’s felt too high-strung. He gets jittery when they’re like this, feeling like the VC are going to jump from between the trees and fire at them.
“Who wants to play cards?” Dean asks, holding up his ace of spades.
Victor laughs. “Sure, I’m up for a round. You just jump outta this boat, swim until you find Charlie, kill him, and slap that ace of spades right on his forehead. You can go first, Winchester.”
Dean raises his middle finger at him and Victor turns away, laughing.
Cas holds out a deck of cards in a ratty cardboard case and Dean turns to him, grinning.
“Fuck yeah,” he says. “Knew I loved you for some reason, Cas.”
“Gin Rummy,” Cas says, a slight blush on his cheeks, angling his body closer towards him.
Dean grins. “Sure thing.”
Dean deals the cards and they waste some time, get through two games before there’s a rustle on the other side of the river and they’re dropping the cards in the boat, aiming their guns towards the sound.
“Hold your fire,” Singer whispers.
A Parakeet squawks, flies out from the trees and everyone lets out a slow breath and Dean grins, shaking his head.
“That’s a weird looking Gook if ever I saw one,” Benny drawls.
Smoke blows into his face and Dean looks to his right, sees the cigarette dangling from Cas’ lips. He pulls it from his mouth and takes a few drags before handing it back.
Cas takes it and slips it back between his lips, closing his eyes as he takes a long inhale.
The rain is beginning to let up now, and they’re getting ready to make a move.
“Alright boys, we’re moving out!”
Dean winks at Cas, enjoys the fresh blush that comes over his cheeks, and then they carry on down the river, get to the other side and carry on their patrol through the jungle.
That night Dean’s sat with his back against a tree eating his cold C rations in the darkness when Cas comes over, sits down beside him and doesn’t say anything.
“You alright, Cas?” Dean asks, once he’s swallowed his mouthful.
“I don’t like fire ants,” he says, and Dean can hear him scratching.
“Don’t scratch,” Dean says, placing his hand on Cas’ arm. Cas’ hands still, and then settle onto the ground beside him.
Dean’s fingers find Cas’ on the dirt, and they rest there, thumb rubbing gently over Cas’ skin. Cas turns to him with a soft smile that Dean only just catches in the darkness. They sit there in silence, listening to the buzz of mosquitoes, the occasional hiss of a snake and the murmur of other men.
“Thanks,” Cas says, softly, and Dean can hear the rest behind that one word: thanks for sticking by me, thanks for watching my back, thanks for giving a fuck.
Dean squeezes Cas’ hand and he smiles. “Don’t mention it.”
(Link on tumblr)