Chapter Text
18 months later
“Gabriel, will you calm down.” Balthazar shouted into the phone. “I won’t miss it.”
“You missed the baby shower.” Gabriel snarked back. “I had to eat extra cake.”
“Well, you’d think you’d actually be thanking me for that.”
“True, it was really good cake.” Gabriel agreed. “Twins are early, Balthazar and I’ll not have their only family miss them showing up.”
“I will hand my bar over to my second in command the moment Donna calls me. You are a three hour drive away. I will make it in plenty of time with an absurd amount of gifts for my two nieces. Now go lie down and rest. Your ass is getting giant.”
“I hate you.”
“You love me and are grateful every damn day I found Donna for you.” Balthazar replied.
“Go pour some wine.” Gabriel hung up without another word.
Anna looked at Balthazar with a smile. “Only two phone calls today, he’s doing well.”
“Donna had put his phone under the sofa figuring that would cut me a break. He fished it out with a selfie stick.”
Anna laughed. “We should have a good crowd tonight for match night.”
Every third Friday was meet your match night at The Fallen Angel . Balthazar poured drinks and told people what to look for in mates, let them know if a perfect match was there. He always put on a hell of a show that night and people drove in from surrounding towns and the city to take part.
Balthazar crouched by the bar fridge and looked at the photos on it. One of Dean and Benny in Benny’s diner, Sam visiting Kevin in London, and an extremely not safe for work one of Meg and Jo.
And one of Castiel flipping off the photo booth it was taken in, the one time Balthazar forced him to go to a mall.
He stood with the chilled glasses and poured a pre-work drink for Anna. They clicked and talked plans for the bar for the next few weeks, when the waitress Tessa came in.
“Tonight should be a good night, already a line forming outside the steps Balth.” She said as she stashed her coat. “Thought several are ducking into the bookstore while they wait. I hadn’t realized that you finally found someone to run the shop downstairs.”
Balthazar put his drink down. “I hadn’t.” He ran down the steps that were on the side of the house that he had converted into the two businesses and went in the front door, which lead into the bookstore that had had a coming soon sign on it for 5 months.
Sure enough there were people milling about and waved to him, and told him it was exciting that the bookstore was finally open. He made his way to the back of the shop where Castiel was carefully making a sale.
“I am sorry, I am new to this system.” Castiel pushed a few buttons. “Should this machine be asking for my soul? That feels wrong.”
Balthazar rolled his eyes and took it from the man. He finished the sale and shooed the woman away.
“We have a cat.”
“That is what you open with after 18 months - we have a cat.” Balthazar looked at him. There was a new tear in the coat, and Castiel was all scruffy. And gorgeous.
“Bookstores need a shop cat. She may or may not be an international jewel thief.”
“You look tired.”
“It was a long bus ride to here. I do not sleep on buses. They smell.”
“Have you eaten?” Balthazar tried not to whimper as Castiel’s scent filled his nose. It was so happy. The happiest he had ever felt Castiel be. He wanted to never let go of that scent. He wanted to never let go of Castiel.
“Yes.”
“You can set your own hours here.” Balthazar looked around the shop. “I had hoped that you would -”
“It is perfect Balthazar.” Castiel said quietly. “I would very much like to work in this bookstore, below your wine bar.”
“It is also below where I sleep.”
“I would very much like to sleep below you as well.”
“I could put a cot in the storage room.”
Castiel pulled Balthazar into a kiss. “That isn’t what I meant.”
“Oh thank fuck.” Balthazar said. “Would you like to come upstairs for a drink?”
“I’ll close up the bookstore in a couple hours and then come up to your bar.” Castiel leaned into him. “Is this where I tell you how much I missed you and how desperately in love with you I am?”
“Good heavens no.” Balthazar smiled. “Much too sentimental for us, don’t you think?”
Castiel smiled. “Indeed.” He gave Balthazar another kiss. “I’ll see you in a couple hours.”
“Excellent.” Balthazar stepped back. “I named my bar for you.”
“No sentimental declarations remember?”
“Of course, silly of me.” Balthazar couldn’t stop staring at him. “Did I ever tell you that I know who your perfect match is?”
“I think I managed to figure it out.”
“Good.” Balthazar gave him a wink and went upstairs to poor some drinks.
People were going to fall in love tonight.
