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Usually, the small town of Pryston was calm. It was known as a quiet and peaceful place, not a town where weird murders would happen; but that was exactly why Castiel was there.
The bodies were always found long after the death, and there were always witnesses that were sure they saw the victim after the date of death. The perfect type of case for Castiel. Castiel had been on this case for two weeks. After two weeks of searching, trying to find out what the creature was, he was finally going to kill it.
Castiel was observing the man, or more accurately the shapeshifter, from afar, waiting for the right moment to lodge a silver bullet in that asshole.
Castiel had to hurry up if he didn't want someone else to die and now was the perfect moment. Castiel had finally found the shapeshifter’s hiding place, a sewer.
He took a second to grab his gun; but the moment he turned back, the shapeshifter disappeared.
"Shit!" Castiel ran towards where the shapeshifter used to be. To his surprise, he realized that someone else, probably a hunter, was already fighting with it.
Castiel stood back, observing and hiding behind a wall. He didn't know if this new person was a potential enemy or not.
He watched the stranger, a man, stab the shapeshifter with what seemed to be a dagger.
This was a hunter.
"You're just going to stand there and watch?" The man asked out of nowhere, turning towards Castiel.
How the hell? Castiel came out of hiding, as careful as possible.
"Who the hell are you?" Castiel asked as he turned on his flashlight to get a better look at the other hunter. Green eyes, a strong jawline, and light brown hair. And somehow vaguely familiar. Like if he saw this face a few times, somewhere. Probably in a bar or roadhouse for hunters.
"Name's Dean Winchester."
"Castiel. How do you know I was here?"
"Been a hunter for a while." Dean chuckled. "Alright Castiel, let's get rid of him and get out of here."
"I hate this part," Castiel grunted as he looked at the body of the shapeshifter. Especially when it was shapeshifters, they were gross. Whoever thought that skin that could be completely taken off to change form was probably rotting in hell.
Castiel and Dean finally got out of the sewer, dirty from head to toe. They had gotten lost in the sewer and walked to find the exit for what felt like a few hours.
"Well, our ways separate here," Dean told Castiel.
Castiel looked at Dean leaving, the impression that he saw him somewhere not leaving, and at the last moment, he asked."Have I met you somewhere?"
"Maybe. I've met a lot of hunters in my life." Dean shrugged.
Castiel was sure he’d seen him somewhere.
A few weeks had passed since the meeting between Castiel and Dean; and, for some reason, Castiel couldn't stop thinking about it. Something wasn't right. But what was it?
The best place to get information about other hunters was a hunters roadhouse, which was exactly where Castiel was going.
When he arrived, he ordered a beer and sat next to the first group of hunters he saw.
"Need something?" One of the hunters asked.
"I need some information on someone. On a hunter, specifically."
"Shoot."
"His name's Dean Winchester."
"Heard about him," a woman told him. "His entire family were hunters. They died on a hunt. Except for Dean who disappeared after that. Why?"
For a few seconds, Castiel didn't say anything. Now that had an answer, he also had a lot more questions. He also remembered where he had seen that face. It was in an old photo in black and white. In the photo was a group of hunters, and one of them was Dean.
How could he possibly be...
"Nothing. I heard his name somewhere and wanted to know who he was. I'm going to leave now." Castiel decided that it was better if he didn't talk about what he had seen. All the hunters at the table were frowning at him, sensing that something was not right.
"The hell?" Castiel groaned once when he was in his car. Don't get him wrong, he was used to weird things. Ghosts, witches, and strange deaths were his everyday life. But this was a brand new kind of weird; and now, the more Castiel thought about it, the more his head hurt.
"Agent Johnson," Castiel told the police officer as he flashed his fake FBI badge. "I'm here to see the bodies."
A woman had been found near a lake, in a small town, dead. But they were no sign of murder or that she had been killed by some illness.
"Your colleague is already here," the police officer said as he stared at him.
"What? I mean, yes my partner needed some more help on the case." Castiel caught himself with a smile at the officer.
"All right." The officer didn't seem too convinced.
Castiel followed the officer, getting ready to possibly of having to fight an actual FBI agent.
"Agent, your colleague is here." The officer said when they arrived at the morgue.
Dean. The other agent was Dean. And now, Castiel's headache was back.
"Agent." Dean and Castiel nodded at each other. The moment the officer left the room, Dean laughed.
"What's so funny?" Castiel asked.
"I've run into you lately more than I have anyone else," and the last time we saw each other was two years ago..."
They stared at each other for a few seconds.
"That's just being a hunter," Castiel finally said, not knowing how else to answer.
"Moving on!" Dean said after another silence.
"Did you notice anything with the body?" Castiel asked.
"She seems to have died from lack of oxygen but there isn't any sign of strangulation on her neck."
Castiel took a look at the (corpse's) neck. There was nothing that could indicate a murder."Maybe a ghost?" Castiel proposed.
“Possible. A demon or a witch could have caused that. It could be a lot of things." Dean groaned.
"We are going to need to do some research, then."
As Castiel and Dean got out of the police station, Dean spotted Castiel's car, a Lincoln." Is that yours?" he asked, pointing at the car.
"Yes? Why?"
"That's not a car! That's an atrocity!"
"Hey! Rude! I like it!"
Dean shook his head, seemingly disappointed.
Dean and Castiel decided to do some research in Castiel's motel room.
"Hello, yet another crappy motel," Dean said as soon as he stepped into the motel. And now they were sitting in front of a computer, trying to find anything that could help them in this hunt.
"Wait, here! I think I found something!" Castiel's voice startled Dean, who had started to fall asleep.
"When was the last time you had a good night of sleep?" Castiel asked.
"I don't remember. Why do you care anyway?"
"You should take a nap," Castiel said, ignoring Dean's question.
"If we don't find out what the creature is, more people are going to die."
"If you're too tired, you won't be able to save anyone."
Dean sighed but went to go sleep on the couch anyway.
"You can use the bed."
"Ok, mom," Dean complained before going to the bed.
Castiel, on the other hand, decided to do some more research on Dean. He had no idea what was going on, and asking Dean was maybe not the best idea. After a while of not finding anything, Castiel grew frustrated and moved to do some research on the case.
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"Dean? Hey, Dean, wake up." Dean heard as someone was shaking him.
"Where's my gun?" Dean jumped off the bed.
"Whoa, calm down. No need for a gun. I found something for our hunt." Castiel told him, his hands in front of him.
"Sorry." Dean rubbed his eyes. "Reflex. How much time passed?"
"You slept for three hours."
"What??? You should have woken me up earlier! We have to work!"
"Dean, you were falling asleep."
"I'll survive," Dean answered and Castiel rolled his eyes. "Believe me, I'll survive. What did you find?"
"A legend in this town. A man drowned in this lake a century ago. The only name I found was Iannic. It seems to be from a Celtic language." Castiel handed Dean his notes.
"So, a ghost? But why the choking? Did the woman have any link with this man?"
"No idea. It seems like there was no reason behind this murder. I'm sorry. I didn't find anything else."
"It's okay. I propose we go tonight to the lake." Dean said.
"You're right. I'll get prepared."
Castiel and Dean had been walking around the cemetery for a while now. It was cold, and it was the middle of the night. Being a hunter wasn't always interesting.
"I'm sorry. This will probably won't lead us anywhere." Castiel said as he stretched. Right at this moment, they heard someone calling in the distance. "Well, never mind."
Dean and Castiel walked slowly towards the figure, their guns pointed at the ghost. The voice called out again. Both of them turned around towards the sound and saw a pale figure in the distance.
"Hello? Is everything alright?" Dean called out. The figure disappeared for a second and reappeared closer.
"Shit!" Dean cursed.
"What the hell?"
The figure called again.
Castiel shot the ghost with salt. "What was that?” he asked Dean. “That's not a regular ghost!"
"I have no idea what's going on," Dean answered. "Let's hurry up." Castiel and Dean grabbed their shovels again and continued searching for the grave.
The voice called again, (seemingly) closer than before.
Castiel and Dean looked at each other, not knowing what to do.
"Hello? Do you need help? We can help you pass on!" Dean called out.
"Dean, don't..." Dean and Castiel jumped at the same time as the ghost repeated right in front of Dean.
The ghost was staring at Dean, without moving.
"Ok, that's creepy. Cas...for the love of God, do something." Hearing that, Castiel snapped out of his trance and shot the ghost again.
"Ok, no more calling the ghost," Dean mused aloud.
"That's what I tried to tell you! If you’d listened to me, it wouldn't have happened!" Castiel shouted. "Why would you even call a ghost that probably murdered people!"
Dean apologized and they went back to searching for the grave.
"Found it! I think." Dean called out. There was indeed
written
on the grave.
They had started to dig the grave when the ghost appeared again, not far from Dean.
"Why do you do this?!" Dean shouted. Castiel pointed his gun for the third time at the ghost, but before he could do anything, the ghost snapped Dean's neck. , then disappeared again.
"Dean! No, no, no. This can't be happening." Castiel was staring at Dean's body, not being able to move a single muscle. A sound coming from Dean's body made him grip his gun.
Dean's head turned back into place, and he opened his eyes.
Castiel pointed his gun at Dean, ready to shoot.
"That was painful," Dean groaned.
"What the hell are you?"
Castiel, ready to shoot, watched Dean dig the ghost’s grave.
"You just saw me coming back to life,” Dean snorted, “shooting me won't do anything."
"I don't know what's going on, and I'm not taking any chances. I'm not putting the gun away until you’ve answered everything."
Dean rolled his eyes and continued digging. Once Dean finished digging, Castiel threw him the lighter and the salt. Dean burned the skeleton, the ghost reappearing one last time, burning, before disappearing for good.
"Can you put the gun down, now?" Dean asked Castiel.
"Let's go back to the car," Castiel said, ignoring Dean's question.
"All right, all right." They both went to the Impala; Dean had refused to climb into Castiel's car.
"So, what do you wanna know?" Dean asked.
"How are you still alive?"
Dean chuckled, confusing Castiel.
"That's a long story. And look...man, put the gun away before you hurt yourself. It's not like it’s going to work on me anyway."
Castiel stared at him, trying to figure if he should listen to Dean. He finally put his gun down after a few seconds. It’s not like he had a choice anyway. "First question: I saw a photo of you. An old one. How haven’t you changed and how are you still...alive?"
"A curse." Dean sighed. "My brother, uncle, and I found a new case: a witch who tried to bring back her son from the dead. And she needed to kill some people to finish the spell. When I stopped her, she got understandably mad. But before we had time to kill her, she cursed me."
Castiel stared at Dean while remaining silent.
"We didn't know what kind of spell it was until I got hurt on another hunt. I healed immediately. It was great in the beginning until it backfired."
"Your family died," Castiel said.
"Yes. And, as you might have guessed, I survived." He chuckled.
"How long have you been cursed?" Castiel didn't know how much of this was true, but something made him want to believe Dean.
"A long time. I’ve stopped counting by this point. Believe me, I searched everywhere for a cure but nothing."
"Sorry for all of that...and for freaking out on you. I didn't expect your death. And even less you coming back to life."
"It's okay." Dean chuckled. He suddenly stopped and frowned. "How did you know my family was dead?"
"I may have asked some other hunters about you. Dean, I saw a photo of you from the sixties and you haven't changed even a little; you can’t exactly blame me."
Hearing that, Dean laughed loudly and with his whole body.
"Fair enough, fair enough. Okay, I’ll take you back to your crappy motel, now?" Castiel nodded and Dean started the car. The rest of the ride was completely silent, Castiel looking out of the window.
When they arrived at the motel, Castiel turned to Dean. "Do you wanna stay?" Castiel asked. "It's late."
"Uh, sure. I'm tired and don't know if I could drive safely to my motel. Do you have somewhere I can sleep?"
"I can always sleep on the couch?" Castiel offered.
"No, I'm good. I can sleep on the couch."
Dean ended up on the bed. A lot happened in the last hours. It had been a while, a very long while since he’d talked about the curse. He knew he had to leave Castiel fast as he could before he ended up getting attached. But right now, he was too tired.
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The first thing Dean noticed when he woke up was a door closing and then the smell of fresh food. Making sure not to alert the other person in the room that he was awake, he reached under his pillow for his gun...which wasn’t under it as it should have been.
"Oh, right Castiel." He said as he remembered the events of last night. He hadn’t put the gun under his pillow last night. He hadn’t felt the need for the first time in a long time. Dean put this thought aside and walked into the small motel's kitchen.
"Good morning," Castiel greeted him. "I don't know what you like, so I got some fruit and a pie."
"A pie!" Dean grabbed the supermarket bag from Castiel's hands and got the pie out of it.
"I get the impression that the pie was a good idea." Castiel chuckled. Dean nodded as he started to cut the pie.
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Dean waved goodbye to Castiel from the Impala. Castiel waved back from his own car and smiled at him before starting his car.
Well, Castiel tried to start it anyway. He tried over and over again to no avail.
"Everything alright?" Dean shouted from his car.
"It's not starting," Castiel groaned.
Dean got out of the Impala and looked inside of the car. "You're lucky I happen to be a pretty good mechanic." He turned the ignition again so that he could listen to it. . "Mind if I look under the hood?" Dean asked.
"Sure." Castiel searched for the lever to pop the hood, then got out of his car to look at it with him.
"I think it's your fuel filter. It seems to be clogged." Dean said after a moment. "I don't have the tools on me to change it though. We're going to need to call someone."
"Dammit." Castiel groaned. "I think it would be wise to take out the weapons first. This would not be the best time to get arrested."
“We could always escape.” Dean laughed as he helped Castiel hide the weapons in the Impala. “Won’t be my first time.” Dean grabbed his phone to search for the closest mechanic. Once they called the mechanic, Dean waited with Castiel, both of them sitting next to the car.
"I'm sorry about that," Castiel told Dean in the middle of the conversation. "You would be gone by now if I took better care of my car."
"It's okay. I haven't had an actual conversation for a while. It’s kind of refreshing."
Castiel smiled at him. It had been a while for him too. “Yes, the company is...not unpleasant."
The mechanic arrived right at this moment, and both Dean and Castiel stood up at the same time. Finally, Castiel's car was brought to the mechanic's shop.
"You should be able to take your car back this afternoon, sir." The mechanic told Castiel.
"All right, thank you," Castiel answered, then turned to Dean."Well, it seems I'm stuck here for a bit longer,” Castiel said, chuckling. “Anyway, thank you for everything, Dean."
"Hey, I'm not going anywhere until you get your car back. I mean unless you want me to go." He could stay with Castiel for a few hours.
"Nah, you can stay. I like having company." They decided to visit the town. It was a small country town with a little art museum that they decided to check out. They talked for two hours in the museum, which was too long for this small museum and neither of them had any idea what paintings were in there, since, instead of paying attention to the paintings, Dean and Castiel had talked to each other the entire time.
"Want to go grab some food?" Dean asked when it was lunchtime. Castiel nodded and they headed to the nearest restaurant.
"I would like a cheeseburger and a fruit salad, please," Castiel said to the server. "I love cheeseburgers," He added to Dean while looking at the table.
Dean grinned at him. That was kinda cute. "Castiel, you remember the cop we saw at the police station?" Dean asked, all of the sudden.
"Why?"
"He's right here." Dean tried to point at the man.
"Crap. What do we do if he talks to us?" Castiel asked. The two of them were in civilian clothes and his fake FBI card was in Dean's car with the rest of his stuff.
"Improvise, I guess." They started at the table, hoping that if they kept a low profile, he wouldn't come to see them.
"Agents?"
Well, never mind. Time to improvise.
"Oh, hello officer," Dean said.
"How is the investigation going?"
"We found some new clues. We can't disclose anything, yet." Castiel answered.
The officer frowned at them. "All right. By the way, a grave has been violated. I thought it may be related to this case."
Castiel nodded. "Thank you, officer. We'll look into it."
"Well, I say we get out of here as soon as possible and never come back. What do ya say?" Dean whispered as soon as the officer left.
"Agreed."
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Castiel was resisting the urge to punch someone. His car wouldn't start, again.
Dean was watching him, getting annoyed. It was not ideal to stay too long close to someone, but right now Castiel needed help. He had to help him.
"Castiel?" Dean asked, putting his hand on Castiel's arm, startling him. "Maybe, you could just come with me.” Dean shrugged. “I mean until you have a new car..."
"Dean, are you sure? I don't want to bother you."
"I'm sure."
Castiel thanked him, profusely.
"Oh, by the way, you should really get another car beside a Lincoln."
"Did you have to ruin this moment?" Castiel groaned, making Dean laugh. And with that, they were back on the road in Dean's car and with the music very loud. They had no idea where they were going, and for the first time in a long time, Dean felt comfortable and relaxed.
Sitting next to him, Castiel was staring out of the window.
"You all right?"
"Hm? Oh, yes I'm fine." Castiel went back to looking out of the window. "Why are you doing this for me?" He asked.
"What...you thought I was the kind of guy that would abandon you at the first opportunity?" Dean chuckled but stopped when he saw Castiel's face. He was frowning and seemed slightly annoyed. He sighed. " No, man. I wouldn't have left you on your own. That would have been shitty."
"Thank you," Castiel said softly with a smile. A comfortable silence came back into the car.
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"Hey, I found a case. Or...something that looks like a case anyway." Castiel called out.
They had been staying in another town, Dean helping Castiel to find a new car. The motel room they stayed in was bleak, with two full beds, an archaic television, and a door to what barely passed for a bathroom. The front door had three massive locks on it, which didn't bode well for the security of the town.
"What is it?" Dean called from the motel's kitchen.
"Multiple people have been trying to tear down a house where a family was murdered, but nobody has succeeded. There may have even been some people that have seen ghosts. Now it's for sale."
Dean came from the kitchen to look at Castiel's computer screen, food in hand.
"Yeah, sounds like our kind of thing. Want something to eat, by the way?"
"Yes. Thank you.” Castiel grinned up at Dean. “So, what fake job are we pretending to have this time?"
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"You're sure you want to buy this house? It has an awful past. And there have been rumors..." the woman looked around her, before continuing "that this house is haunted. A few people have already left the house, terrorized, and never came back."
Castiel and Dean had decided to pretend that they were a couple, Jimmy and Michael Milton, searching for a new house.
"We would like to see the house before we decide anything," Dean said, taking Castiel's hand, making Castiel blush. Castiel stared at their hands fascinated. "Right, Jimmy?" Dean asked Castiel who kept looking at their hands. "Jimmy?" He continued, giving him a slight nudge and startling Castiel.
"What?" Castiel said, realizing he hadn't been paying attention this entire time. Dean was looking at him, concerned.
"We would like to see the house before we decide anything, right?"
"Yes. Sorry."
The woman shook her head. "Is Monday afternoon good for you?"
Both of them nodded.
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When Monday arrived, Castiel and Dean entered the haunted house.
"The house is selling for rather cheap for its quality." The woman showing Dean and Castiel told them.
"It's huge," Castiel murmured to Dean when the woman was farther from them.
"It's different from cars and motels." The house had a grand living room with a glass chandelier and stairs leading to a second floor.
"We'll never be able to buy this. Even if we used fake credit cards." Dean leaned towards Castiel and replied.
"Well, thanks. That's depressing." Castiel smiled at the woman when she turned back.
"Let's visit the house?" They walked around the house, seeing the bedrooms, bathroom, and kitchen. Everything was big and shiny.
To Castiel’s surprise, Dean wrapped an arm around his waist. “I’d like a minute to talk with my husband.”
"Sure. Call me when you're ready." Castiel let Dean lead him to another room, blush the entire time. Dean closed the door behind them to make sure the woman wouldn't hear them.
"Noticed anything?" Dean asked.
"Not yet. I don't think we're going to find anything until we're on our own." Castiel answered. They had already planned to come back at night. But for now, they needed to know as much as they could about this house, i.e.how to get in and get out as quickly as possible and any supernatural activities that may be present.
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Castiel and Dean were leaving the house, weapons in hand.
"Murderous ghosts are the worst," Dean complained.
"I thought he wanted our help, but no! He tried to stab me!" Castiel complained.
"Thinking back on it, your face was hilarious." Dean laughed but stopped immediately when he saw Castiel glaring at him.
"Where are we going now?" Castiel asked with a smile after they both climbed into the Impala.
.
"How about a break?" After saying that, Dean froze. He was not supposed to go that far with Castiel. He was just supposed to help him find a new car and then part ways.
"Dean? Are you all right?" Castiel asked, putting his hand on Dean's arm.
He nodded. "We should...probably find a place where we can get a new car for you, I guess?"
"Sure." Castiel turned around to gaze out the window, seeming disappointed.
Seeing Castiel like this, Dean felt a terrible weight on his shoulder. But that didn't matter, right now. Dean gripped the steering wheel tighter and started his car. The entire ride was silent.
_____________________________________________
Dean and Castiel were walking into a car dealership. They had finally gotten every paper they needed, both real and fake. Castiel was walking behind Dean, pensive.
"Do you have an idea of what you want?"
Castiel looked up at him."What? Oh, no sorry, I don't know much about cars. One like my older car would be fine."
"You all right?" Dean stopped and asked.
"Yeah, don't worry. I was just absorbed in my thoughts. And for the car, I trust you.”
"Well, let's choose then."
Castiel followed Dean around, listening to him comment on every car they passed. It was rather endearing. Dean would critique details of cars Castiel wouldn't even think about. He had chosen his old car because he liked how it looked and it worked.
"So, what do you think about this one?" Dean asked.
"Oh, yes. I like this one." Castiel answered, realizing that he hadn't even been looking at the car Dean was pointing at.
“Dude, are you even listening?" Dean chuckled.
Castiel was thinking of how to answer when he heard a couple speaking behind them. He managed to hear about weird disappearances in the town.
"Dean, did you hear that?" He murmured, trying to divert the attention from himself.
"Hear what?" Castiel pointed at the couple as discreetly as possible.
Dean stared at them. "Well, it seems like we have a new case on our hands." Dean grinned at Castiel. "But first, we still have to get you a car."
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Once Castiel finally had a car - it was a large, grey car, more discreet than the previous one - they headed back to their motel. Castiel arrived first.
"Are you regretting helping me with the car now that I'm faster?" Castiel chuckled when he saw Dean's slightly offended face.
"Oh, shut up." Dean groaned. "We have better things to talk about."
Castiel, still chuckling, walked into the room behind Dean. It was one other small motel with nothing special distinguishing it from the other ones.
"So, what information do we have for now?" Dean asked.
"Just that some people disappeared without leaving any trace,"
Castiel answered while Dean grabbed his computer.
After approximately one hour of research and not finding much, Dean stood up, tired. He sighed. "I'm going to need a quick walk. I can't concentrate anymore."
"Ok, I'm going to stay. Have a nice walk!" Castiel shouted as Dean walked out the door. It was weird researching without having Dean at his side for once.
As he walked around town, Dean found a little coffee shop. He decided to enter it, as hunters didn’t usually have much time for nice things. He ordered one coffee for him and one for Castiel.
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Balancing two cups of coffee in one hand, Dean opened the door to their motel room with his other hand. As he stepped inside the room he called "Hey, I'm b-" Before Dean could finish his sentence, a gun was pointed towards his face. Dean flinched, dropping one of the cups of coffee and spilling coffee all other his shirt and his plaid.
“Jesus! Cas, it’s just me!” Castiel blinked and lowered his gun.
“Sorry. I’m used to living alone. And when I heard the door being opened, I assumed the worst.”
"I get it.” Dean checked the cups. One of them was still full. “I got you coffee by the way," Dean told him as he handed him the coffee cup.
“What about you?” Castiel asked.
“I’ll just change.”
Castiel thanked him and grabbed his cup."How did you know how I like my coffee?" Castiel asked after taking a sip.
"You make your coffee every morning. Not that complicated." Dean said as he grabbed another shirt.
Castiel kept smiling at him. It felt weird to have someone care like that. When Dean took off his shirt, Castiel stared for a second.
"Did you find anything?" Dean asked, startling Castiel who immediately took his eyes off Dean, hoping Dean wouldn’t have noticed.
"Nothing interesting." Castiel sighed. "Just an article that summed up what we already know." Dean sat down next to Castiel and grabbed his computer.
"Ok, let's go back to the boring stuff." Research always took a lot of time, didn't led everywhere, and mostly consisted of sitting down for a few hours.
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Castiel was hiding behind a wall, gripping his gun and trying to figure out where Dean was. They had gotten separated in the middle of the hun, and the next of vampires coming after them now was larger than they’d originally expected.
"Where the hell are you Dean?" He muttered. Castiel peeked from behind the wall to see if it was safe. Seeing no one, he continued walking down the corridor and sent another message to Dean to ask where he was.
The corridors were empty, but Castiel could still hear people running and a few shouts from afar.
After a few seconds of walking, Castiel spotted Dean at the end of the corridor. "Dean!" He began to run toward him.
"Wait, Castiel! Don't!" The last thing Castiel saw and heard was the werewolf attacking him and the sound of a gun.
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"Castiel, come on, Castie,l wake up...please." Dean was holding Castiel’s head in his lap, cradling his face. Castiel was still breathing, but the thought of Castiel being badly hurt was too painful for Dean.
"I'm so sorry, Cas. This is all my fault. I knew I shouldn't have stayed." Castiel's eyes started opening.
"Dean? What happened?"
"Oh God, you're awake. The werewolf attacked you and knocked you out. I got you. You're gonna be okay."
"Right, I remember. My whole body hurts," he said as he stood up. Castiel looked back down at Dean’s lap, seeming to realize something.
"Did you...put me on your lap?" Castiel asked, blushing slightly.
"Yes, umm, sorry about that."
"No, it's okay. Let's just take care of the werewolf and go back to the motel, please."
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"Almost done," Dean said as he was helping Castiel band his injuries.
"It hurts," Castiel groaned. "Thank you, by the way."
"For what?" Dean frowned. All of what he did was let Castiel get hurt.
"For saving me. I would be dead by now without you. And for helping me with my injuries." Castiel had a wide smile on his face. Dean on the other hand was very close to telling Castiel that everything was his fault.
"Dean?" Deep in his thoughts, Dean simply hummed. "Can I kiss you?" He muttered.
Dean immediately looked up at Castiel. "What?" Dean asked, his brain frozen. "I mean, yes."
Seeing Dean's face Castiel started laughing. "Sorry. It's just you look like a deer in the headlights."
"Shut up." Dean laughed, slightly embarrassed. Castiel grabbed the labels of Dean's shirt roughly and kissed him. Dean kissed him back as much as he could.
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Dean Winchester was a moron. He was lying in bed, with Castiel, who had his head on Dean's chest and was still sleeping. He shouldn't have stayed with him. He shouldn't have kissed him, and he shouldn't have gotten in bed with him (they didn't even do anything there, but he still shouldn't have done that).
He got out of bed as discreetly as he could, although Castiel laying on him made it more difficult. He had to go. Now. Fortunately, Castiel didn't die yesterday; but because they are hunters, it could happen at any moment. Dean couldn't take seeing one more person he loved dying. He knew he was going to hurt Castiel by leaving, and he didn't like that either, but it was better if he left.
He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and left a note for Castiel. When Dean was about to close the motel's door he looked back at Cas who was still sleeping and had no idea what was happening.
"I'm sorry."
A few moments later, Castiel was woken up by the sound of a car.
"Dean? What's going on?" Castiel looked around him, searching for Dean.
"Dean?" He called again when he didn't see Dean. He searched around the motel room, calling for Dean. But he quickly realized that he was alone. Castiel grabbed his phone to call Dean just to hear Dean's phone, still in the motel room, ringing.
"No, no, no. This can't be happening." Castiel stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do. He saw the note left by Dean.
Dear Castiel,
I'm sorry but I have to leave. I hate this, but I have seen too many of my friends, family, and loved ones die. I can't do it anymore. I wish there was another solution.
Sorry. Dean.
"No, no, no." Castiel turned page after page of the notepad, trying to see if Dean had written anything else and this was a sick joke...but there was nothing. He ran out of the motel, but the Impala was gone.
And so was Dean.
Castiel closed the door and fall to the ground. He knew he shouldn't have to get attached when Dean told him about the curse. And now he was sitting on the ground, crying for someone who left him right after he admitted his feelings. And it was all his fault.
_____________________________________________________________________
3 years later:
"I found it!" Castiel shouted. A few weeks before, another hunter had asked him and some others for help. She had spotted a coven that was making sacrifices and gaining a lot of power. Lately, Castiel and the other hunters thought that the strange gain of power was caused by a book. One particular book: The book of the damned.
But now they were looking around the house after hours of fighting the coven.
Castiel opened the book, looking at the spells and rituals noted in it. When Castiel landed on one particular page, memories came rushing back. He had to sit down for a moment. He grabbed the book again to check if he’d read it right.
Written on top of the page was: Immortality. And in the middle: Cure.
It had taken time for Castiel to get over Dean leaving him out of the blue. He’d gone from motel to motel, not going out of the motel out he was staying in. Castiel almost tried to find Dean a few times.
He really hadn’t expected himself to get attached as quickly as he had to Dean.
He kept acting this way, until one day when he called one of his old contacts, drunk, and told her everything that had happened. By far, it was the most embarrassing thing he’d ever done.
However, after doing that, he started getting better. It still hurt him when he thought about it, but he was getting better and better as days passed.
Until he opened this book.
"Castiel? Is everything all right?" He heard come from outside the room.
"I'm fine!" A thought went through Castiel's head, and before anyone came in the room, he grabbed his phone and took as many photos as he could of the pages on immortality. "I found the book we were searching for!" He said after hiding his phone and closing the book.
"Amazing, Castiel. Can I take a look?" One of the hunters he worked with asked. He could hear the hunter call the others and talk about the book and what to do with it, but he was starting to zone out. Right now, thinking about how he could call Dean and if it was a good idea seemed better.
"Castiel, do you agree?" Castiel snapped out of his trance. All of the other hunters were looking at him.
"Sorry, can you repeat that? Zoned out for a minute."
"We agreed to burn the book. No one should have access to it. It could be a catastrophe. " Castiel nodded, but his phone in his coat pocket had never felt so heavy.
_____________________________________________
Castiel was searching for Dean, as much as it felt weird and creepy to do that. Knowing Dean, Castiel knew it wasn't going to be easy. But fortunately for him, Dean had a very recognizable car that he loved too much to get rid of the Impala.
It took a few days for Castiel to find him and where he was staying, but even then he still had no idea how to contact him as he only had the number to Dean’s old phone. The only solution was to drive to Dean's motel and hope he would still be here when Castiel arrived.
He would have to see Dean face to face, three years after being left behind.
When Castiel got into his car, he sat for several long minutes. He wasn't ready to confront Dean. He didn't know what he was going to say. Maybe he could just print the photos he took and put them under Dean's door with a note. Dean did leave
with only a note, after all.
Castiel took a deep breath and started his car. The sooner he dealt with it, the better. After driving for a day and a sleepless night, Castiel finally arrived in front of the motel Dean was staying in. He looked at the motel before driving away and drove to the closest dinner. He needed to think about it a bit more.
Castiel was sitting in the dinner, repeating in his mind everything he was going to tell Dean, his burger long forgotten.
"Is everything all right?" A waitress suddenly asked him. Castiel simply nodded, hoping she would go away. Castiel slowly ate his food. He wasn't getting anywhere and had no idea what he was going to tell Dean. But he had to do it.
Castiel left the dinner, took a deep breath, and walked towards the motel Dean was staying in. The entire way, Castiel repeated to himself to calm down.
Castiel stood in front of the door, his hand raised ready to knock. He closed his eyes and knocked on the door. Fours seconds later, Castiel turned around.
This was a mistake, and Dean wasn't going to come. But as Castiel was leaving, he heard the door opening.
"Castiel?" He turned around slowly only to face Dean who was looking at him like he couldn't believe that Castiel was here.
"Hey, Dean. Nice to see you again." Castiel said.
He thought.
_____________________________________________
Dean and Castiel were standing in front of each other, neither of them knowing what to say.
"Castiel, I'm sorry for what I did, but..." Dean started.
"Dean." Castiel interrupted him. "Please, let's not talk about that. It's not why I'm here anyway." Castiel took the photos of the Book of the Damned out of his pocket and handed them to Dean.
Dean took them and gasped when he realized what it was. "Castiel, where did you find this? If this is a joke, it's not funny."
"It's not a joke. I promise. I found this in the Book of the Damned."
"In the what?"
"An old book of magic."
"No, I know what it is," Dean interrupted him. “You can’t live as long as I have and not have heard of it. But, dude, the Book of Damned is
something you want to mess with."
"It has been destroyed." Castiel tried to reassure Dean and put a hand on Dean's arms. "It took us time, but we got rid of it once and for all."
"How hard was it?"
"It threw fire at us when we tried to burn it," Castiel said, making Dean chuckle.
"Wait, us?"
"You're not the only hunter out there."
Dean and Castiel stayed in front of each other, this time enjoying each other's company.
"So, what do we do now?" Dean asked, breaking the silence.
_____________________________________________
Dean was sitting in his car, looking at the spell Castiel found, waiting for him to arrive with the last things he needed. They hadn't looked much at the ingredients before (too excited about the cure to care), but Dean needed to check for any tricks or things that would make the creation of the spell harder. All of this seemed too good to be true.
However, there was nothing. Nothing could indicate that this was a trick.
"I'm good to go," Castiel said, getting into the Impala. Dean immediately folded the photos.
"Did you find anything interesting?" Castiel asked.
"Nah. Mostly just a bunch of ingredients that are going to be a pain in the ass to find," Dean said, making Castiel chuckle.
He would have to break it to Cas at some point, would have to tell him about how the spell worked. He just...didn't know how yet.
Dean took a quick look at Castiel, who seemed to be on top of the world. The last time he’d seen Castiel that happy, he left him. That wasn't going to happen again.
Dean took a deep breath and started his car. Everything was going to be fine.
Dean and Castiel drove for two long hours, chatting about things they did during those three years, both carefully avoiding talking about the last day they saw each other.
But during the ride, Dean noticed a car that seemed to have been behind them for a while. Hoping it was just a coincidence, Dean didn't say a thing about it.
"Dean, there's a gas station. We could stop here."
"All right," Dean said as he parked the car next to the gas station. They both got out of the car, stretching a little bit before putting gas again in the car.
"Would you like some snacks?" Castiel asked.
"Oh, sure. I'm just going to stay in the car for a minute. I want to get a better look at the spell."
"Is everything okay?" Castiel was frowning at Dean, trying to figure out why he seemed off.
"Everything's fine. I just want to make sure we didn't miss anything." Castiel walked towards the gas station, sometimes looking back at Dean to make sure everything was all right.
Dean went back to the Impala, looking at everything in the photo. But, something in the rear mirror got his attention. The same blue car that he’d seen earlier was parked close by. A man was getting out of it, heading towards the entrance of the gas station.
"Shit. Castiel." Dean drew his phone out of his pocket and called Castiel.
"Dean? What’s wrong? I've only been gone for a minute."
"Get out of the gas station. We're being followed and one of those people is coming toward you. I'm going to try to distract him." Dean started his car while the man that had been stalking them in front of the Impala before violently pressing the pedals.
"Sorry! I didn’t see you there!" Dean apologized to the man, after scaring the shit out of him. Dean saw Castiel coming out of the station from the corner while the man was shouting at him. As soon as he was gone, Castiel, who had been staying as far as possible from the stalkers, climbed into the Impala.
"That was one of the hunters I worked with to destroy the book of the damned. They must have somehow seen me photograph the spell."
"Will they listen if you explain what's going on?"
"Dean, we destroyed the book for a reason. There are things in this book that could cause mass destruction and hundreds of other catastrophes."
"Ok, ok, I get it. Let's run away." Dean started the Impala, keeping an eye on the blue car. He saw the other man coming out of the station, realizing that he got tricked.
"Dean. You're not gonna like it, but if we're being followed, we're going to need to get rid of them
and find a new car." Castiel told Dean as they drove on the highway.
"What??? I'M NOT GETTING RID OF MY BABY! I had it for years and it's one of the best cars out there!"
"Do I have to remind you that there are people after us; and, unlike you, I CAN DIE," Castiel shouted back.
Dean didn't answer but grumbled under his breath. "Do you have a plan at least?”
Right at this moment, Castiel's phone rang.
"Castiel. We know you have spells from the book of the damned. Whatever it is, it's not worth it. Either you give it to us voluntarily or we'll take it by force." One of the hunters warned him. Not knowing what to do or say, Castiel looked at Dean for help.
"Listen, lady, Castiel and I need to do that spell. The only person who will end up hurt will be you and your friends if you try to stop us." Next to Dean, Castiel was staring at him in disbelief. “Got it?" Dean hung up before the other hunter had the chance to answer and gave the phone back to Cas.
"Do you have a plan?" Castiel asked, still shocked by what just happened.
"We lose those fuckers, and then we..." Dean sighed before continuing. "hide the Impala."
"I'm proud of you for accepting the future loss of your car."
"Oh, shut up!" That was the only thing Dean could think of.
Castiel looked behind them. There were only three other cars behind them. But one of them was driving particularly fast.
"Shit! They're right behind us!" Dean swore and stepped on the gas. But right at this moment, the other hunters started to fire at them.
"I was friends with those people. What's wrong with them?!" Castiel shouted as he tried to find anything that could help him fight back.
"Here you go. Be careful, please." Dean told him as he handed a gun from his glove compartment. Castiel grabbed it and aimed at the wheels of the car behind them.
But a bullet from the other hunters broke the (back window) and pierced Dean's shoulder. Dean lost control of the car for a split second, the car almost draping.
"Dean!" Castiel screamed, stopping aiming at the other car for a moment.
"I'm fine, I'll survive." Dean continued to drive as well as he could. Dean tried to concentrate on the road in front of him, repeating to himself that he is going to heal anyway. Castiel aimed again at the car and shot.
"I got them!" He shouted as soon as the bullet pierced the wheel. "Dean, how are you doing?"
"I'll be fine. Just no talking right now, please." Dean said, his eyes not leaving the road.
_____________________________________________
"Goodbye, sweetheart. I'll see you as soon as possible." Dean told the Impala, right before he and Castiel left it in the hiding place they found.
"Should I be jealous?" Castiel asked. He had been watching the scene, trying his best not to laugh.
"What? She's been by my side for a long time," Dean grumbled.
Castiel grabbed Dean's hand, making him shut up immediately. "I propose that we find somewhere to rest. We’ve had a rough day."
They walked hand in hand towards the closest motel, trying to be as discreet as possible.
"Is your shoulder feeling better?" Castiel asked once they were alone in the motel room.
"Completely healed." Dean hit his shoulder to prove it but hissed afterward. "It still hurts a little bit."
Castiel chuckled before he remembered their situation and sighed."We should add some more protection. They’re probably still after us."
Dean walked towards Castiel - slowly, cautiously - and hugged him. "Hey, everything's gonna be all right."
Castiel relaxed in Dean's arms and rested his head on Dean's shoulder. "Thank you, Dean." They stayed like that for a few minutes, taking advantage of each other’s presence. Eventually, they reluctantly separated and looked around the motel to make sure they were safe.
_____________________________________________
"Oh come on! They're still after us?" Dean groaned.
after us?" Dean groaned.
Dean and Castiel had been searching for the spell ingredients for months. For months, they had been hiding from the group of hunters that Castiel had worked with. But now, finally, they had found all of them. They found an abandoned warehouse that was far enough from any populated areas to do the spell.
While Castiel was preparing the ingredients, Dean had been watching through the window in case anyone came searching for them. He had been sure those hunters wouldn't find them and they’d finally gotten rid of them...until he saw three cars heading toward them. "Fuck! How the hell did they find us?"
Castiel hurried up to finish the spell as quickly as he could. Dean grabbed his gun and hid behind the door, ready to defend himself and Castiel.
"I'm almost done," Castiel said behind him. "Okay. It’s done." A big cloud of smoke rose from the bowl they were using, making Castiel cough.
"Well, there goes discretion," Dean grumbled. He headed towards the potion, giving his gun to Castiel. "God, I hope this works," Dean said, looking at the potion with apprehension before drinking.
"Hurry,” Castiel said, glancing towards the window. “They’re coming."
Dean finished drinking the potion, disgust all over his face. Immediately after that, they ran toward the exit.
Before they could reach it, the door was being forced open with a loud bang.
"You don't choose your friends well."
"It's not the moment for this kind of discussion, Dean." They crouched behind a fallen rack pallet. As much as neither of them had thought they were still followed, they’d still prepared a backup plan.
"Dean?" Castiel asked his hope that Dean would be free of the curse.
Dean fell to the ground, trying not to groan from the pain. "The potion is working. Not in a good way."
Castiel heard the other hunters coming towards them. They must have heard Dean.
Dean grabbed his bag as well as he could, opened it, and pulled out a small jar to hand to Castiel. "Throw it," Dean said. "Emergency potion." He explained.
Castiel threw it at the other hunters. A wall of flames appeared in front of them. The other hunters stepped back as heat and smoke filled the room.
"Listen! How about we make a deal?" Castiel shouted, still behind the rack pallet. "We finished the spell. We're not going to hurt anyone, I swear. Unless you force our hand."
"Go to the point, Castiel!" A woman shouted back.
"I'll give you the spell so you can destroy it once and for all. And you'll never hear about us again." The hunters didn't answer right away, making Castiel fear that they wouldn't accept their deal.
"If you ever become a threat in any way or we find out you’ve lied to us, we will hunt you down. And this time, no second chances."
"I'll take this as a yes, then." Castiel grabbed and made a paper ball out of the copy of the spell, and threw it over the wall of flames with his phone as best he could. They fell to the ground on the other side with a dull sound.
"You can go." The woman grumbled after picking up the phone. Without a word, Castiel helped Dean stand up and walked out. Dean was gripping him and limping the entire way.
"How are you feeling?" Castiel asked as they got in the car they had stolen to drive in place of the Impala.
"I feel like I’ve been trampled by an elephant," Dean said before going into another coughing fit. "I hope the potion is worth it." He grumbled.
Castiel took a look at Dean who was trying to stay awake. They were so close to their goal, and it wasn't some stupid potion that was going to stop them.
"I can't wait until we find my baby," Dean said, half-awake, making Castiel laugh.
_____________________________________________
Someone was slightly shaking Dean. He grabbed the arm of the person and twisted it around their back.
"Dean! Calm down, it's me, Castiel!" Castiel screamed. Dean met Castiel's blue eyes and immediately let go of his arm.
"I'm sorry." Castiel picked up his breath. He knew Dean tended to be always on his guard he was too, but he still didn't expect that to happen. I guess you're feeling better?"
"Actually, yes," Dean said as he got out of the car and stretched his legs. "Wait. I think it worked." He searched for anything sharp he could find. There was surprisingly nothing like that in the glove compartment or his pockets.
"Dean? What are you doing?"
"Do you have a knife?"
Castiel stared at Dean, frowning.
"I just want to see if the spell worked."
"Oh, right!" Castiel grabbed the knife he was carrying and gave it to Dean. "Here you go."
Dean slightly cut the palm of his hand, then stared at it, waiting. It wasn't healing. It was just bleeding.
"It worked," Dean breathed. "Castiel, it worked!!!" He took Castiel in his arms, tears coming to his eyes. He won't have to live forever watching everything around him grow old and die.
"Dean, you're crushing me." Castiel managed to mumble.
"Sorry." Dean stepped back, but still held Castiel's hands. "I don't know about you but I feel like celebrating this win. And perhaps creates some fake IDs afterward. Maybe a house?"
"I'm down with that," Castiel answered, a huge smile plastered on his face. "I'm surprised you didn't mention the Impala."
"Oh, don't worry, it's part of the plan," Dean answered, making Castiel laugh.