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1
Dean rubbed at his eyes. He’d been awake for almost twenty four hours now and his eyes were failing him. He was standing in the chilled food aisle at 3 am and he just couldn’t read the label on the pizza box.
Dean could risk it and buy it. But at the same time, if he came home with a pizza that wasn’t vegetarian, his brother would probably slaughter him.
Dean sighed and rubbed at his eyes again, hoping to clear the fuzziness.
“Can I help you?” a low voice called from down the aisle. He looked up to see the store clerk hovering.
“Ah. Yes, sorry. Can you just tell me what pizza this is? My eyes have given up on me.” Dean held the box out to the man, attempting a smile that was quite possibly a grimace.
He nodded and shuffled closer. The man put a hand into his pocket and pulled out an adorable pair of glasses. Dean should probably invest in a pair himself.
“Uh. Well this pizza has cheese, tomatoes, spinach and pepperoni. Is that alright?” the man asked, handing the box back to Dean.
Dean groaned, “Uh, I wish. I’ve been trying to find a vegetarian pizza for ages now, but I can’t seem to get it right. It’s like my hand is a meat magnet.”
The clerk stepped around Dean and pulled open a fridge. Within a few minutes, he had replaced the pizza box with another.
“That one is vegetarian. I really like it. It’s cheese, tomatoes, peppers and spinach.” The man tapped the box and smiled.
Dean smiled back, “thank you so much. Sam will love this.”
The man’s smile dimmed ever so slightly, “I’m sure your girlfriend will. I’ll ring you up if that’s everything.”
He walked back towards he front before Dean even realised what he was saying. Dean was so exhausted, all he could think about was heading to bed.
He shuffled after the man, paid for the pizza with a thank you and left.
Dean only realised what the man had said when he landed in his bed twenty minutes later. He huffed a laugh and fell asleep.
2
The next time Dean finished a long shift, he was more awake. He had managed to catch a couple hours in the middle because there wasn’t any emergencies called in. The most action he saw was a minor kitchen fire, which they put out within ten minutes.
Sam had sent him a list of groceries again and Dean pulled into the 24 hour store. He could wait until later today, but he might as well get it out of the way now.
He noticed he was the only person in the store. That made sense, it was 3 am again.
He made quick work of the groceries and found himself at the counter ready to pay.
“Oh hey! Did your girlfriend like the pizza?” the store clerk asked.
Dean was confused. He looked up and found himself staring at a familiar man. It was the store clerk from a few days ago.
“My girlfriend?”
The store clerk, Steve it said on his badge, scrunched up his eyebrows. “Yeah, I served you the other day. You were looking for a vegetarian pizza at 3 am? For Sam.”
Dean’s eyes widened. “Oh no!”
Steve frowned at the comment. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. If you’d like, I can recommend a different pizza.”
Dean shook his head. “No, I meant that pizza wasn’t for my girlfriend. Sammy’s my brother. I was just so exhausted that I didn’t catch what you said until I got home. I was just coming off of a 20 hour shift and I hadn’t had a chance to sleep.”
Steve nodded and started scanning the shopping. “So, did your brother like the pizza then?”
“Yes. He loved it, the bloody rabbit.” Dean chuckled.
Now that he had a chance, Dean took a moment to take in the man’s appearance. Dark messy hair, dark stubble covering a sharp jaw and bright blue eyes. Entirely Dean’s type.
“So, do you have a girlfriend… or boyfriend then?” Steve asked.
“I don’t… have a boyfriend. Do you?” Dean replied.
Steve shook his head. “I’m always working the dead shift, while I’m getting through college. So, I haven’t really had a chance to meet anyone.”
“What are you studying?” Dean felt the need to ask. If he could hear the man talk forever, he wasn’t going to complain.
Steve’s hand hovered over the last bit of his shopping. “I’m trying to finish my accountancy degree. I should be finished this year. Once I am, I will probably be able to meet more people.”
Dean nodded, “Yeah. I mean with my work, I barely get a chance to meet new people. Everyone I know, either lives with me or works with me. And it’s not like I want to date one of my colleagues.”
Steve finished scanning the shopping and rung him up. Dean handed over the money and smiled. “Well thank you, Steve. Maybe I’ll see you again sometime.”
He pushed away from the counter and walked away with his shopping.
3
The third time Dean walked into the store, he was fully intending to ask Steve on a date. He pulled into the nearly empty parking lot and tried to walk in as casually as possible.
Apparently, he had driven Charlie up the walls with how much he was talking about his late night shops with the adorable shop clerk. She had told him to either suck it up or ask the guy out.
The confidence he was barely clinging to drained out of him when he looked to the counter and noticed a woman behind the till.
Dean took his time walking around the store, making it look like he was going to buy something and ended up just grabbing a bag of chips.
He shuffled to the counter, disappointed he wouldn’t be able to talk to Steve.
“That will be two dollars please.” The woman smiled, waiting for Dean to grab the change from his pocket.
“I thought Steve would be working tonight?” Dean asked as he counted out the change.
“Oh, Steve hasn’t worked here for several weeks.” She replied putting the money in the register and pushing the bag over to him.
Dean frowned, he was sure it hadn’t been that long since he saw the man. Maybe he had lost track of the days, he was working way more shifts than he used to.
Disappointed, Dean turned and left, swinging the chips in his hand.
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Cas pushed open the staff door and smiled at Sarah. “Anyone come in while I was out back?”
Cas had been waiting for two weeks for the mysterious firefighter with beautiful green eyes, to walk back into the store.
Sarah smiled back, tugging at the apron and stepping out from behind the counter. “Yes, there was a guy. He bought a bag of chips and asked about Steve. Other than that, though, there wasn’t anyone else.”
Cas frowned. That must have been hot firefighter. He hadn’t had a chance to explain he wasn’t wearing his own name tag the last time they had chatted. He hadn’t even noticed that he hadn’t introduced himself to the gorgeous man, that the firefighter had been mistaken.
He had hoped to clear the mess up the next time they met.
Maybe Cas would get his chance the next time he came into the store.
4
Dean didn’t really want to go back to the store, especially now that the hot store clerk, Steve, didn’t work there anymore.
It was a month before he finally went back. Sam had been cramming for his finals and had completely run out of all food. He was desperate and apparently, ‘he would eat anything. Even a cheeseburger.’
Dean knew it was a dire situation if Sam was considering eating meat.
He pulled up to the store and checked his phone. 3:05am.
He rubbed his eyes, it was another long shift at work today. They had to fight an office building fire, it had taken hours to control and die down and Dean’s muscles ached from the exertion.
He was so tired that he didn’t notice the smile the clerk gave him. He walked straight to the chilled aisle and grabbed the first vegetarian meal he could find. This would have to tie Sam over until Dean could find the energy to properly buy some groceries.
“Hey! Buying food for Sam again?”
Dean’s head snapped up at the familiar voice. “I thought you didn’t work here anymore?”
Steve shook his head, “sorry. That’s the thing. My name isn’t Steve, it’s Castiel. Cas for short.”
Dean was confused. “But your name tag?”
“Yeah, I was new at the time and they just let me use Steve’s tag. He left like a couple days before I started, and they hadn’t had a chance to make me one. Company policy requires me to wear a name tag, even if it isn’t my own name.”
Dean looked at the new nametag, Castiel.
“That’s an interesting name. Does it mean anything?”
“Castiel was the angel of Thursday. My mother was pretty Catholic.”
Dean nodded. He could totally see Cas as an angel.
“What’s your name? I’ve just been calling you hot firefighter in my head.”
Dean smirked. “Hot firefighter? I like that. Actually, I think I prefer that.”
“But if you don’t tell me your name, how will I ask you out on a date?” Cas asked, nervously.
Dean flushed. “Okay, okay. My name is Dean. Dean Winchester. And I would love to go on a date with you.”
Cas flushed. “Wow. Even your name is hot.”
Dean felt on top of the world. “Well, I’ll catch you later Cas. If I don’t get this to my brother, I have a feeling he may just pass out and die.”
Cas watched as Dean sauntered out of the store. He stared as Dean started up a sleek vintage car and slid out of the parking lot.
5
Dean had come back to the store the very next night, exactly at 3 am to ask for Cas’ number. Cas rattled it off and watched as Dean saved it into his battered phone.
“So, I work a lot of long shifts, but I have a day off on Thursday. So, how about dinner and a movie?”
Cas nodded. “That sounds perfect. What time and where?”
Dean drummed his fingers on the counter between them. “How about we grab a bite at Ellen’s at 7 and catch whatever’s playing at the drive through?”
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Cas was so happy. He had spent the last two hours preening for his date. He had deliberately finished his coursework and made sure Sarah knew to cover his shift later. Cas wanted nothing to go wrong. He hadn’t been on a date in four years. And he really liked Dean.
He arrived at Ellen’s five minutes early. He had driven past the cute diner before but had never stopped to eat there. He pushed open the door and found a booth close to the front.
Cas sat and nervously fiddled with his sleeve. He hoped he hadn’t dressed up too much. He was wearing a light blue shirt that Gabriel had told him would make his eyes pop. He was wearing his nicest jeans, but only because all of his others were torn and dirty from all the gardening he had been doing recently.
After ten minutes had passed, a waitress came to ask his order. Cas had politely declined to order any food and just asked for a glass of water. After thirty minutes had passed, with no sign of Dean, Cas started to panic.
Maybe Dean had decided he didn’t want to date Cas. Maybe he didn’t like him and was only being polite. Cas told himself not to worry, that Dean was probably just late and would walk through the door any minute.
After an hour had passed with no sign of Dean, Cas had lost his appetite. He went to the counter to pay for the soda he had bought and left.
The worst part was that Dean hadn’t even sent him a text. Cas would have been fine if he had just let him know. He checked his phone and realised he could make his shift after all. At least he could earn some money tonight.
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Dean hated everything. Bobby had called him in at the last minute, apparently there was a forest fire and it was all hands on deck. That was nine hours ago.
He was extremely late for his date with Cas. He hoped the frantic text Dean had sent reached Cas. He hoped he hadn’t royally messed up his chances.
Bobby had finally given the all clear and Dean didn’t even grab a shower. He legged it to his car and sped to the only place he knew Cas could be.
Five agonisingly long minutes later, Dean pulled up in front of the store. He could see a person sitting behind the counter but couldn’t tell if it was Cas or not.
Dean steeled himself and pushed through the doors. He was greeted with a frown.
“So, you’re alive then?” Cas asked coldly. Dean guessed his text didn’t go through.
“Cas, I am so sorry. Bobby called me in last minute. There was a large forest fire. I tried to text you, but I was trying to change out of my date outfit and find my car keys as well.”
Cas’ expression softened. “I guess that’s a decent reason for standing me up. Was the fire big? Did anyone get hurt?”
Dean shook his head, the tension starting to leach out of his body. “Nobody was injured, but we only just finished. I left as soon as I could.”
Cas nodded. “Does that mean you haven’t had a chance to eat then?”
Dean smiled. He hadn’t completely fucked up then.
5 +1
“Hey babe, what time did you say you were finishing work?”
Dean checked the clock again. Cas had told him that he should be finishing at six today. Dean had timed everything according to that. But it’s been an hour since and Dean was concerned.
Cas hadn’t been home late in months. When he first moved in, he was still finishing off his degree, so his schedule was all over the place. But after he landed his job with the small accountancy firm, he maintained regular hours, generally nine to five.
This week, Cas was trying to secure a new client. He was supposedly a CEO of a large company. If he succeeded, his company would finally get that boost it needed.
“I’m so sorry Dean. I thought I would be out of here by six but I’m only just leaving the office now. I should be home in ten minutes.”
“No worries, I’ll see you when you get home. I love you.”
“I love you too, Dean.”
Dean clicked off the phone and rested it on the kitchen table. Okay, Dean could stay calm for ten minutes. Well, he could stay distracted.
He walked around the living room, fluffing up the cushions Cas had bought. Most of them were a yellow and black striped design, it was crazy how obsessed with bees his boyfriend was. Dean had drawn the line at getting the matching bedroom set. He didn’t really want to wake up in a giant bee.
He had already cleaned the dishes and wiped down the mess he had made while cooking dinner. He readjusted the placements on the table. The bouquet of home grown lavender resting neatly in a vase at the centre with their matching plates and cutlery side by side.
Maybe he should cut more lavender? Before he could decide, Cas’ key slid into the lock and the door swung open.
“I’m home!” Cas called, dropping his keys into the dish next to the door and shrugging off the brown trench coat that was a staple of his outfit.
Dean popped a head around the corner into the hall. “Hey, love.”
It was crazy to think he had first said 'I love you' to Cas almost six months ago now. It had been a lazy morning, Cas had made pancakes and Dean whipped up some bacon to eat with it. They were sitting together at Cas’ place, Dean had looked over and watched him. Cas was a messy eater, always getting food on him no matter how hard he tried not to. The sun cast a beautiful glow around him, and Dean just knew.
“I love you” he blurted out. He was shocked that it came to him so easily. He had only said that to three people in his life: his mother, his brother and his adoptive father, Bobby.
He would have panicked too if Cas hadn’t looked up, smiled and replied, “I love you too, Dean.”
He had never been happier.
Of course, their relationship had its ups and downs. They both struggled when Dean’s work meant that they wouldn’t see each other for days. They had fights about the garden, the laundry and the stray cat that Cas kept feeding. But they always made up.
Sam had loved Cas when he met him, so had Bobby.
“You found yourself a keeper,” Bobby had said, slapping a hand on his back and passing a beer.
That’s when Dean knew. That’s why now he was sitting next to Cas, the box burning a hole through his nice jeans.
“You’re looking wonderful today, and why did you cut the lavender?” Cas leant to smell the bouquet Dean had placed on the table.
Dean shrugged. “Well, it is our anniversary.”
Cas scrunched up his nose. “Our anniversary isn’t for another month Dean.”
Dean nodded. “Okay, yes that’s our anniversary of our first date. But I’m celebrating the anniversary of the first time I knew I wanted to date you. A year ago, today, I walked into the store, fully intending to ask ‘Steve’ out on a date.”
Cas blushed, he was always embarrassed when Dean told that part of their story. How for weeks they didn’t know each other’s names.
“I didn’t know that.” Cas whispered, grabbing Dean’s hand and squeezing.
“Well, that day I didn’t get to ask you out, but I was hoping to remember this day differently in the future.”
Dean took a deep breath and pulled out the box.
Cas breathed in sharply, tears forming in his eyes. “Dean… is that what I think it is?”
Dean nodded and slid onto a knee. “Castiel Novak, from the day I met you, I knew you would be someone important in my life. Those 3 am grocery shops were the highlights of my weeks. And now, the last year we have spent together, the good and the bad, I know I want to spend the rest of my life like that.”
Cas had tears streaming down his face by now. Dean steeled himself and popped open the box to reveal a slim silver band. “Cas, my love, will you marry me?”
Cas surged forward and planted a kiss on his lips. Dean could taste the honey from Cas’ sandwiches, and the salt from his tears.
“Of course. Yes!” Cas was kneeling on the floor with Dean now, his hands holding Dean’s face gently.
Dean reached up and pulled his hand down, grabbing the ring and placing it on his finger.
“Wow, that looks amazing on you.”
Cas huffed a laugh, pecking him on the cheek before getting up and walking to the living room cupboard.
“I was going to wait until our actual anniversary, but I guess I don’t have to anymore.”
He returned with his own little box, a slim gold band resting in a cushion of red velvet.
Dean laughed and let Cas slip the ring onto his hand.
“This will be a great one to tell the kids.”