Work Text:
Crowley had got it into his head to give Dean Winchester a proper Christmas for once, and he was certain he would succeed. He always did.
Plus, now that he had abdicated, there was more than enough time on his hands.
And, really, there was every chance that being forced to spend time near him would annoy Dean, and wasn’t that the most pleasant part of being acquainted with the Winchesters?
At least that was what he would say if anyone pressed him for his ulterior motives in seeing Dean’s face (hopefully) light up with joy on Christmas Day.
But, as with all good plans, something had to ruin it.
Or rather someone.
“Crowley, why are you here?”
He rolled his eyes at the question and turned to the angel.
“What do you mean?”
“A Christmas market is hardly the place where I would have expected you – “
“First of all, Vienna is beautiful this time of the year –“
“I thought you would be disgusted at the snow –“
“And second of all, where do you get a really good glass of Punsch anyway these days?”
Cas raised an eyebrow, and suddenly Crowley understood. “That’s why you’re here too, isn’t it, Cassie.”
He shuffled his feet. “Sam and Dean deserve a nice Christmas.”
Well. He hadn’t thought much about Moose when he’d made his decision admittedly, but no one needed to know that.
“Fine. So why don’t you just grab your drink and flatter off –“
“Crowley, are you here for the same reason?”
Of course he’d figured it out. The feathered dicks didn’t allow anyone to become the garrison leader.
“Yes” he admitted.
Cas frowned. “It seems rather strange to me that you would want to –“
“Look, I don’t have time for this. I have a feast to arrange. You can either come with me or you can –“
Cas was already falling in step next to him.
Crowley couldn’t say why he had even offered him the chance to accompany him.
Crowley, no, we won’t go to Karaoke –“
“Dean likes it.”
“He liked it when he was a demon. And you didn’t, if I recall correctly.”
“Yes, well, isn’t that what Christmas is all about? To put someone else’s needs before one’s own?”
Castiel frowned. “I don’t think Dean needs karaoke.”
“It’s just an – forget it.”
He was starting to think this wouldn’t be as easy as he’d thought, mostly because of the angel at his heels.
“I fail to see why you are doing this in the first place” he said eventually.
They were busy looking at Christmas decorations.
“How about an angel on top of the tree?” he gleefully suggested. Castiel frowned.
“Against popular conceptions, we are not –“
“I know, Feathers, I know. A star, then.”
He really wished the Winchesters – Castiel included – wouldn’t be able to get under his skin so easily. Why else would he have dropped the matter? But for some reason, annoying the angel until he got angry and left was not something Crowley wanted to do.
He sighed.
Everything had been easier before Sam had tried to turn him into one of those meat sacks with feelings.
A few hours later, he was ready to strangle Cas. Or let his frustration out on him in a completely different way (hey, the angel had picked a rather good-looking vessel).
“No mistletoe.”
He had long picked up on the tension that existed between Cas and Dean, and if there was something he didn’t need this Christmas, it was the two of them finally hooking up and leaving him to deal with the most annoying Winchester sibling.
“But it’s a tradition that generated in –“
“I don’t care where it comes from, no. Mistletoe.”
And it is then that Castiel shocked him, for he simply said, “I have been thinking for a while now that you would have nothing against catching Dean under it.”
Crowley really really hoped that he wasn’t blushing, but again, that damn human blood treatment Sam had subjected him to had caused many problems he was still battling on a daily basis. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Cas shrugged. “I believe the phrase humans would use in this context is “takes one to know one””.
Alright, put that on the list of “things he had never expected to hear” as well. “Wait and you’re just… okay with the status quo?”
“I hardly see how it could change, considering it is Dean’s choice” Cas said drily.
Yes, but there was one important thing Cas had failed to take into consideration.
Mainly that Dean wouldn’t hesitate when it came to his angel hitting on him (not that Crowley would have had many objections – as stated before, Cas’ vessel was a sight to behold) while Crowley would undoubtedly be rejected, no matter how much he tried. Dean had made it clear again and again that they weren’t even friends, despite all the howling at the moon they had done, and Crowley would just have to live with it until he got rid of these pesky feelings.
He didn’t answer. There was no point.
They still continued to shop for the holidays, however.
Eventually, Cassie began, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
“I’m not. If I am uncomfortable about anything, it’s about this whole situation. Demons aren’t meant to have feelings for anybody.”
“Dean told me he met two demons once who he believed were truly in love with one another.”
“Demons will do a lot when they’re bored. Might have just pretended for fun.”
“I just think it is futile that you try and rationalize everything by blaming the ritual Sam attempted” Cas said evenly. “You were focusing on Dean long before that.”
“Anyone ever tell you you’re way too blunt, Feathers?”
“Oh yes, Dean lets me know on a regular basis.”
He clearly still hadn’t taught him anything about sarcasm, Crowley thought.
“I have found that usually when it comes to feelings –“
“Oh God, will you shut up already? This is not a sleepover, we’re not having a pillow fight and talking about feelings.”
Cas just shrugged again.
Damn angel had learned much too well from the Winchesters.
Specifically Dean.
And here he was thinking about Dean again, when really, planning the Christmas festivities had supposed to be his strategy to not think of him –
Why had he believed again that that would work?
“Crowley –“
“Let’s just get this over with” he muttered, because it was far easier to live with the truth than to allow himself to pretend that a single member of Team Free Will cared about him for just a second.
On Christmas Morning, the Winchesters woke up to Winter Wonderland in the bunker. Crowley had expected Cas to power down the warding, but instead he’d found eh could just enter the Men of Letter’s old home, no questions asked.
Almost as if the boys wanted him to be able to drop by.
Cas was already busy decorating when he showed up, although the angel certainly had little sense for interior design.
“Not there – the lights just look tacky – why are we even doing this?”
With a snap of his fingers, everything was ready; and soon enough Sam and Dean came stumbling out of their rooms, Crowley’s eyes going towards the older Winchester, of course, as always.
He sighed.
Time to go.
“Cas? Crowley?” Dean looked around. “You do all that?”
“No, it was Santa’s little fairy helpers… Of course we did it, who do you think –“
“Yeah, yeah Crowley” Dean interrupted him. “Whatever. I’ll take a shower, and then I’ll cook. Turkey, everyone?”
It took him a few moments to realize that Dean was including him in the question too, and he nodded.
As the Winchester went to get dressed, Cas quietly told him, “Emotions can be rewarding, too.”
Not in his experience.
And yet…
There was something in Dean treating him as part of the family, as if he had had every reason to beam over on Christmas morning; and even Sam seemed to be resigned to his presence, only grumbling now and then about “boundaries” and “I really don’t need to see that” which didn’t make much sense, but then he was used to such from Moose especially.
It was Dean too who decided that they’d watch Christmas movies after dinner, with him sitting between Cas and Crowley on the couch and Sam taking the chair next to them, now and then throwing them suspicious glances.
Crowley only learned why when the younger Winchester eventually retreated to his room, calling out, “I better not hear anything, jerk!”
“Then put on headphones, bitch!” Dean answered, looking rather cheerful. “Cas, did you get the mistletoe?”
Oh God, he was going to have to watch them make out after all. Before he could escape, however, Cas had handed Dean a branch of the green stuff and he’d responded by –
Dragging Crowley into a passionate kiss.
He really hadn’t expected this, but he had never been one to deny himself a pleasure, and he gave as good as he got.
Crowley would admit he was a little confused when Dean pulled back to give Cas’ tonsils the same treatment, however.
But not for long.
Dean pulled back and stated, “Yes, this will work out fine.”
Crowley caught Cas’ eyes and was surprised at the heat in them.
Alright then.
Yes, this could in fact work out fine.