Fic: By how much you are loved by others, part 16/? in Oz
By how much you are loved by others
1000 words, SPN Dean/Castiel slash. Spoilers for all of season 4.
Thanks to kayote_pb_rl for agreeing to take part in my madness!
Continuing my Welcome to Oz series. Master post of links here.
“You didn’t say, ‘honey, I’m home’,” Dean says as he looks up from the Sudoku puzzle he’s half done with. Castiel’s standing at the doorway to the kitchen,
By how much you are loved by others
“You didn’t say, ‘honey, I’m home’,” Dean says as he looks up from the Sudoku puzzle he’s half done with. Castiel’s standing at the doorway to the kitchen, regarding Dean with a faint expression of surprise.
“I didn’t know you were home.” Castiel drops his briefcase on the floor against the wall and loosens his tie. “What are you doing?”
“What’s it look like?” Dean gestures grandly at the box of pizza and six-pack set out on the kitchen table. “Got dinner.”
“You don’t need to close out the store tonight?” Castiel slips out of his suit jacket and hangs it on the back of a chair before pulling a beer can out of the plastic rings.
“Emma’s got it covered.” Dean says and puts his Sudoku puzzle to the side. “So how’s it feel, Cas? Ready to rage against the machine already?”
Castiel pops open the can and takes a long drag of beer before speaking. “I don’t know what that means.”
“It’s the end of your first week on the job. You sick of it?”
“I doubt my real job will be anything like this week,” Castiel says tiredly. “Interminable meetings, endless presentations on school policies, and horrible icebreakers.”
“I dunno,” Dean grins. “Sounds like school to me. Of course, I always cut class, so what do I know.”
Castiel takes a closer look at the six-pack on the table. “I thought you hated ‘Rapture Brown’.”
“I do, which is why I bought my own.” Dean holds up his own glass bottle of ‘Patriot’s Finest’. “That’s all you, big guy.”
“You even got the Hawaiian,” Castiel murmurs when he opens the pizza box.
“Yeah, well, I figured the end of your first ever week of work only comes once, so…” Dean tapers off as he reaches for a slice. “So how was your day?”
“Tedious. Dull. Long.” Castiel says, and then eats a piece of pineapple off his pizza. “Only a few of the faculty were ever actually teachers. Most had other careers before they got here too.”
“Sounds like the makings of a quality educational system right there,” Dean says. “Makes me glad I don’t ever have to go back.”
“Next week we begin teaching,” Castiel says. “They’ve given us three weeks of lesson plans in order to get us started. Then we have to develop the rest of the year’s lesson plans on our own.”
“You saying you have homework, Teach?” Dean raises an eyebrow. “You gonna be up late at night, studying for next day’s class?”
“I suppose you could call it that,” Castiel says, before beginning to eat his pizza in earnest.
“You know, sometimes I still can’t believe this is really happening,” Dean says as he starts in on his second slice.
“What? My teaching assignment?”
“No, this. All of this.” Dean waves the neck of his beer bottle at the house, the pizza, the beer. “Sitting here, eating pizza, talking about your long day at the job. It’s fucking weird, is what it is. Domestic.”
“I thought we agreed that the best thing we can do is integrate ourselves into the community and be ready when an opportunity to escape presents itself?” Castiel says. “Have you changed your mind about that?”
“I’m not changing my mind, I’m just starting to wonder how long we’re gonna keep doing this.” Dean shakes his head. “We’ve been keeping your heads down, staying low key and pretending to be upstanding members of the community, and for what? Waiting for the Mayor to lower his guard? Waiting for another hot air balloon ride?”
“I expect those qualify as opportunities, yes.”
“I know, Cas, I-” Dean shifts in his seat with the familiar restlessness that comes whenever he stays in one place for two long. “I’m supposed to be out there stopping the end of the world. Or at least hunting things and saving people. No sitting like some tool behind the counter of a general store.”
“I know, Dean.” Castiel takes another swig of his beer. “Once upon a time, I worked the will of God. Now I teach third graders how to multiply fractions.”
Dean laughs despite himself. “I guess I could be worse off.” Castiel offers a small smile in return and Dean sighs. “Look, maybe it’d be better if there were something to do in this damn town. Everything’s so damn wholesome, and I haven’t gotten laid in so long that looking at linoleum’s starting to turn me on.” (Among other things, Dean thinks, but doesn’t say.) “What the hell kind of town has no bars anyway?”
“The government-sponsored, family friendly kind?” Castiel says. “There is nothing stopping you from pursuing sexual gratifications in other contexts.”
“You mean dates? Taking a chick to the movies, buying her popcorn?” Dean says. “Forget it. I like to keep things clean and simple-no muss, no fuss. Dating’s a damn hassle that isn’t worth the trouble.”
“I see,” Castiel says, voice neutral.
“What about you, man?” Dean turns his beer bottle over in his hands and picks at the peeling label. “You guys ever get time off to do the funky chicken? A little horizontal mambo, if you know what I mean?”
“As far as I can recall-” a small crease furrows Castiel’s brow. “I have not had the occasion to engage in such acts.”
“Then you must have the biggest case of blue balls known to man,” Dean says as he manages to peel the entire label off, and tosses it on the table. “If you ever, y’know, have the occasion, all you gotta do is put a sock on the doorknob so I know to clear out.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary.” When Dean looks up at Castiel, Dean can’t read his expression.
“Great.” Dean takes a big gulp of beer and doesn’t know why his chest feels looser, somehow. “But if you’re ever interested, I saw Mrs. Solomon checking you out last week. Could probably land yourself some hot MILF action if you wanted.”
Castiel stares down at his pizza, mouth in a straight line. “I will keep that in mind.”
There’s an awkward pause, and Dean looks away. “Anyway, It Happened One Night is playing at the Flick ‘n Shake. Wanna see it?”
Castiel does.
Onto the next chapter: Well, my little pretty, I can cause accidents, too
1000 words, SPN Dean/Castiel slash. Spoilers for all of season 4.
Thanks to kayote_pb_rl for agreeing to take part in my madness!
Continuing my Welcome to Oz series. Master post of links here.
“You didn’t say, ‘honey, I’m home’,” Dean says as he looks up from the Sudoku puzzle he’s half done with. Castiel’s standing at the doorway to the kitchen,
By how much you are loved by others
“You didn’t say, ‘honey, I’m home’,” Dean says as he looks up from the Sudoku puzzle he’s half done with. Castiel’s standing at the doorway to the kitchen, regarding Dean with a faint expression of surprise.
“I didn’t know you were home.” Castiel drops his briefcase on the floor against the wall and loosens his tie. “What are you doing?”
“What’s it look like?” Dean gestures grandly at the box of pizza and six-pack set out on the kitchen table. “Got dinner.”
“You don’t need to close out the store tonight?” Castiel slips out of his suit jacket and hangs it on the back of a chair before pulling a beer can out of the plastic rings.
“Emma’s got it covered.” Dean says and puts his Sudoku puzzle to the side. “So how’s it feel, Cas? Ready to rage against the machine already?”
Castiel pops open the can and takes a long drag of beer before speaking. “I don’t know what that means.”
“It’s the end of your first week on the job. You sick of it?”
“I doubt my real job will be anything like this week,” Castiel says tiredly. “Interminable meetings, endless presentations on school policies, and horrible icebreakers.”
“I dunno,” Dean grins. “Sounds like school to me. Of course, I always cut class, so what do I know.”
Castiel takes a closer look at the six-pack on the table. “I thought you hated ‘Rapture Brown’.”
“I do, which is why I bought my own.” Dean holds up his own glass bottle of ‘Patriot’s Finest’. “That’s all you, big guy.”
“You even got the Hawaiian,” Castiel murmurs when he opens the pizza box.
“Yeah, well, I figured the end of your first ever week of work only comes once, so…” Dean tapers off as he reaches for a slice. “So how was your day?”
“Tedious. Dull. Long.” Castiel says, and then eats a piece of pineapple off his pizza. “Only a few of the faculty were ever actually teachers. Most had other careers before they got here too.”
“Sounds like the makings of a quality educational system right there,” Dean says. “Makes me glad I don’t ever have to go back.”
“Next week we begin teaching,” Castiel says. “They’ve given us three weeks of lesson plans in order to get us started. Then we have to develop the rest of the year’s lesson plans on our own.”
“You saying you have homework, Teach?” Dean raises an eyebrow. “You gonna be up late at night, studying for next day’s class?”
“I suppose you could call it that,” Castiel says, before beginning to eat his pizza in earnest.
“You know, sometimes I still can’t believe this is really happening,” Dean says as he starts in on his second slice.
“What? My teaching assignment?”
“No, this. All of this.” Dean waves the neck of his beer bottle at the house, the pizza, the beer. “Sitting here, eating pizza, talking about your long day at the job. It’s fucking weird, is what it is. Domestic.”
“I thought we agreed that the best thing we can do is integrate ourselves into the community and be ready when an opportunity to escape presents itself?” Castiel says. “Have you changed your mind about that?”
“I’m not changing my mind, I’m just starting to wonder how long we’re gonna keep doing this.” Dean shakes his head. “We’ve been keeping your heads down, staying low key and pretending to be upstanding members of the community, and for what? Waiting for the Mayor to lower his guard? Waiting for another hot air balloon ride?”
“I expect those qualify as opportunities, yes.”
“I know, Cas, I-” Dean shifts in his seat with the familiar restlessness that comes whenever he stays in one place for two long. “I’m supposed to be out there stopping the end of the world. Or at least hunting things and saving people. No sitting like some tool behind the counter of a general store.”
“I know, Dean.” Castiel takes another swig of his beer. “Once upon a time, I worked the will of God. Now I teach third graders how to multiply fractions.”
Dean laughs despite himself. “I guess I could be worse off.” Castiel offers a small smile in return and Dean sighs. “Look, maybe it’d be better if there were something to do in this damn town. Everything’s so damn wholesome, and I haven’t gotten laid in so long that looking at linoleum’s starting to turn me on.” (Among other things, Dean thinks, but doesn’t say.) “What the hell kind of town has no bars anyway?”
“The government-sponsored, family friendly kind?” Castiel says. “There is nothing stopping you from pursuing sexual gratifications in other contexts.”
“You mean dates? Taking a chick to the movies, buying her popcorn?” Dean says. “Forget it. I like to keep things clean and simple-no muss, no fuss. Dating’s a damn hassle that isn’t worth the trouble.”
“I see,” Castiel says, voice neutral.
“What about you, man?” Dean turns his beer bottle over in his hands and picks at the peeling label. “You guys ever get time off to do the funky chicken? A little horizontal mambo, if you know what I mean?”
“As far as I can recall-” a small crease furrows Castiel’s brow. “I have not had the occasion to engage in such acts.”
“Then you must have the biggest case of blue balls known to man,” Dean says as he manages to peel the entire label off, and tosses it on the table. “If you ever, y’know, have the occasion, all you gotta do is put a sock on the doorknob so I know to clear out.”
“I don’t think that will be necessary.” When Dean looks up at Castiel, Dean can’t read his expression.
“Great.” Dean takes a big gulp of beer and doesn’t know why his chest feels looser, somehow. “But if you’re ever interested, I saw Mrs. Solomon checking you out last week. Could probably land yourself some hot MILF action if you wanted.”
Castiel stares down at his pizza, mouth in a straight line. “I will keep that in mind.”
There’s an awkward pause, and Dean looks away. “Anyway, It Happened One Night is playing at the Flick ‘n Shake. Wanna see it?”
Castiel does.
Onto the next chapter: Well, my little pretty, I can cause accidents, too