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When Castiel found out Dean had never been to a theme park before in his life, he decided it was his duty to take Dean to his first one, to show him what it’s like to feel the thrill of the wind blowing through his hair as the carriage rolls fast along the tracks. So, it wasn’t long later that Cas found himself on his computer, buying two day passes for the closest theme park he could find, and it just so happened to be named ‘Rock ‘n Riding,’ appropriate for Dean’s favourite style of music.
Which is how Dean finds himself, walking into the theme park next to Cas, admiring the rock band posters aligning the walls of the entry booths as Cas shows the alpha behind the booth their tickets. The woman gives them a smile, “I hope you enjoy your thrilling day!”
Walking away from the desk, Dean looks around taking in the views of all the rollercoasters and his face pales as he takes in the height of them. Cas senses his apprehension instantly, and upon gazing at Dean’s face and looking to see what Dean is looking at, he realises what’s caused the omega to emit a nervous scent. “We don’t have to go on the high ones if you don’t want to Dean. There’s plenty of little one dotted around, and there’s always bumper cars indoors that we can do a number of times.”
“Thanks Cas,” Dean smiles at the alpha, the alpha who knows him all too well. They walk through the park and Dean takes in the amount of burger joins they have, and he makes note to drag Cas to the greasiest looking one the park has to offer, after they go on rides of course.
They weave through the crowd as they make their way to the bumper cars, an agreement from research prior to visiting that bumper cars are the first thing they will go on. To get the adrenaline going, Dean had claimed. As they get closer to the building, the more crowded the park seems to be. Dean stays close to Cas, although it’s been a little over two years that he’s been free, crowded areas scare him still. The thought of not being able to find Castiel when he needs him, is quite a terrifying thought when he comes to think of it.
Pushing his feelings to the back of his mind, something he’s gotten quite used to over the years, they enter the building where the bumper cars are. Somehow, it seems even louder in the building than it did outside, and there’s seemingly less people in the building than there was outside, although the loud music could be something to do with it.
They wander over to the queue and Dean’s smiling like a child, it warms Cas’s heart to see him look so happy. As they progress down the line Dean can’t stay still, he remembers from the TV shows he’d watch with Sammy how fun the bumper cars looked and he always wished he had the chance to have a go himself, and now look at him now!
“So, who’s driving?” Cas looks at Dean, who almost snaps his head as he turns to look at the alpha. “What? Do we not need to decide who will be doing the bumping?”
“Uh we both will be Cas! I want a car to myself,” Dean tells him, and Cas looks at him shocked. Dean nods to himself “we’re going to be competing Cas! See how often we can bump each other or see who bumps cars the best!”
Cas looks at Dean in surprise, he hasn’t wanted to leave his side for the last year and now he wants to be alone to ride these possibly dangerous contraptions. Cas can’t help but be sceptical as he nods to Dean’s request of a competition, not wanting to disappoint the omega or make him think he’s controlling him by making him share a car for him to make sure he’s safe.
“Well, make sure you’re seat belted Dean, safety over any competition.” Dean laughs slightly at Cas’s words, and Cas tilts his head looking at him. “I just want to keep you safe.”
Dean smiles at the words, still unable to believe an alpha wanted to keep him safe and not hurt him. “I know Cas, and I will be, I promise. But dude, seatbelts in bumper cars are for kids.”
“Please Dean, wear the seatbelt for my peace of mind, I don’t want to look, and you’re being run over by these cars.” Castiel’s eyes look sad and Dean melts, agreeing as he walks over to a free car, Cas following behind him before realising his car is opposite to Deans.
Settling into the car, putting the token he was given into the slot, Castiel puts the seatbelt on looking for Dean, who’s sat in his car looking happy, but his face shows signs of nervousness and Cas frowns. But before he can do anything, the person on the speaker announces that the cars will be starting and giving them instructions, all of which Cas makes sure to memorise as they speak.
Before he knows it, he’s going, and he’s swerving through people in cars, all laughing as they bump into strangers and loved ones. But Cas can’t help but find himself not relaxing. Too concerned by the fact his omega is in one of the cars, and a thought hits him, what if Dean’s panicking? What if Dean got cornered by alphas or bumped by them and it spooked him? He turns his wheel as he reaches the end, frantically searching for the omega.
He spots him and worry burns in his heart as he sees no seatbelt around Dean, seeing him thrown forwards as he’s bumped into, but Dean doesn’t seem to care as he bumps into another car. He looks like he’s enjoying himself and that sort of eases Castiel’s brain.
Except it doesn’t last for long because before he knows it, he bumps into someone and he instantly apologises, before realising upon receiving a look that what he done was the aim of the game. So, he keeps going, and he can’t see Dean and the worried feeling in the pit of his stomach is back.
Dean has no seatbelt on if he gets hit at the wrong angle anything could happen. Cas is sure his worry is showing on his face now as he drives, bumping into the odd people and not seeing Dean again. His thoughts instantly wander to think what if situations again. What if-
BAM!
Cas launches to the side as a car hits his fast, a feral scream being emitted from the occupant of the car. When Cas looks, he sees Dean. Dean in all his glory, a big smile on his face and he looks genuinely happy. “Hey Cas!” Dean shouts over the music. “I’ve been trying to get to you for ages!”
“I’ve been trying to find you, I was worried about you,” Cas admits as they end up driving side by side for a bit before he decides to get his own back, although he gently turns to the side hitting Dean’s car. “You’re not wearing a seatbelt.”
“I’m fine Cas! I’ve been having fun!” Dean tells him, hitting into him again, this time with not as much force. “I do have a seatbelt, I put it over my legs.”
Castiel nods in relief and Dean frowns as the cars come to a stop. “Do you want to go again?”
“Yeah! But please Cas, lighten up this round, have some fun and stop worrying.” Dean gives him puppy dog eyes and Cas sighs but agrees to loosen up. They queue again but it doesn’t take as long this time, and they’re given another token for the car. Dean looks at Cas as they climb into a car next to them. “Good luck, let the best guy win.”
Cas keeps his promise, and he does loosen up on worrying about Dean on this go around, and Dean is happier knowing Cas is at least having some fun. Cas manages to bump into Dean at least five times, however Dean is clearly the more superior bumper car driver out of them both with his ten bumps. Which in itself is surprising because considering how… terrible Cas is at driving real cars; he seems cautious in the cars that are actually meant for bumping.
Leaving the area of the bumper cars with much persuasion on Cas’s part, Dean looks at all the rides with nervous look on his face, he would have quite happily stayed playing bumper cars all day. Cas looks at the map of the park. “Why don’t we go on the ‘Treetops’ ride? It’s sort of like a rollercoaster but it’s not too far off the ground. It goes through the trees. We can go take a look and see if it’s something you would want to try.”
Dean looks at him as Cas points to a spoiler photo of it, and he nods. Making their way over to the Treetops ride, Dean listens to the screams of people on the big rollercoasters and he can see by Cas’s face he wants to ride one. Maybe after a few small ones I’ll get the courage. Dean thinks to himself, he doesn’t want Cas to miss out just because of his fear.
They come to a stop and Dean looks at the small rollercoaster in the trees, and he looks at Cas. “This one doesn’t seem too high.” He comments and Cas nods with a smile. There is no queue for the ride and there is only another two people sat on the carriage that’s in the shape of a caterpillar. The young alpha who’s manning the ride tells them -or mostly Cas to put in better words- where to sit. Dean follows him to their seats, and he slides in next to him and he looks at Cas. “Cas, there’s no seatbelts… we’re going to go flying out of this thing.”
“The ride doesn’t go fast enough or high enough to require seatbelts,” Cas tells him, squeezing his thigh in support. “Nothing is going to happen, I promise.”
With that, the ride starts moving and Dean watches as they go higher off the floor. Turns out, Cas was right, the ride didn’t go fast enough, and it wasn’t too high that he needed a seatbelt. Dean walks off giddy, but he looks at Cas. “I want to stick to the little ones, for now.”
“Of course, we can stay on the little ones if you’d like,” Cas tells him softly, taking his hand in his and giving it a small squeeze. “How about we go on the ghost train?”
Dean nods in agreement and they make their way to the ghost train. Once they’re seated, Dean taps his leg in anticipation as their cart starts moving. The first thing to jump out at them is a skeleton, which scares Cas who leans into Dean. The stereotypical, evil vampire laughs are heard as they round another corner and its Dean’s turn to joke as a ‘Count DROCKular’ jumps out at them. Faintly in the background of all the laughs, Dean recognises the song as Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven.’
Not long after, the train goes through the doors, and it comes to a stop. Once they’re allowed out of the cart, they’re back to wandering around the theme park. Dean looks at Cas noticing he’s staring at a wooden rollercoaster as if he wants to go on it and Dean tugs his hand. “Let’s go on it.”
“Are you sure Dean?” Cas looks at him. “We don’t have to.”
“I’m sure, it’s not fair for me to have all the fun and you miss out on going on the bigger rides because I’m scared.” Dean says. Cas goes to argue about wanting Dean to be happy and to tell him he is having fun without having to go on the big rides, but before he can get any words in, Dean’s already led them to the queue of the ride he finds out is called ‘Megafobia.’
Cas notices Dean pulling at the sleeve of his plaid shirt, as they advance in the queue. The queue takes ten minutes to go down before they are finally boarding the carriage. Dean watches as this ride is being run by a young beta and he sits in his seat watching the beta lock the seatbelt in place and he starts getting more nervous. He taps Cas’s arm and Cas looks at him, brows furrowed, and worry etched into his skin. “Cas, can you do my seatbelt please? I don’t- I don’t want another person… constricting me into something, I trust you.”
“Of course, I’ll ask the worker how to lock the seatbelt.” Cas says. “You know, we don’t have to do this.”
“I want to.” Dean says determined. Cas nods, and once the worker comes around, he explains that Dean wants him to lock the seatbelt and the worker nods hesitantly agreeing, but he explains all the instructions clearly. Cas hears a click once its down, but that doesn’t stop him from checking that its secure a few more times until Dean stops him. “Cas, I think it’s fine.”
“If you’re sure.” Cas says cautiously before allowing the worker to lock his seatbelt. The worker leaves and continues buckling the last two rows in and he notices him soon going back to his podium and starting to announce to keep hands and feet inside the carriage at all times and telling them where the photo is. Cas looks at Dean who looks pale and who’s pushing at the metal bar locked across his lap. “Dean, are you okay?”
“Too tight, Cas! It’s too tight.” He panics and whispers to him shaking his head. “I need to get off.”
Cas goes to call the worker, but the ride starts, and Dean grips the bar. They go forward for a bit before they start ascending up a steep hill, Dean grips the bar tighter as it feels like they could roll back at any second. He focuses on what’s in front of him until they get to the top and around a corner except, they almost come to a standstill. That is until the carriage starts going down hill and gets faster and Dean lets out a scream as they go down the drop unexpectedly. The ride gets faster and it’s not long before they get to the start again.
“That… That wasn’t too bad.” Dean admits, looking at Castiel in shock, shocked that he actually faced his fear of heights and rollercoasters (although, Ferris Wheels will always be a big no for him, getting stuck up the top? No thank you).
“Good, I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Cas smiles, looking at Dean feeling proud. The worker doesn’t come to unbuckle them instead he announces that there isn’t a queue or anyone waiting so they can all go again. “Looks like we’re going again. Are you okay with that?”
Dean nods as the ride starts moving and this time he takes in the view. Finding it looks higher from on the ground than it is on the actual rollercoaster. Dean manages to smile, or at least he thinks he does, at the point that the cameras are and they’re soon getting off and he pouts at Cas. “I wanted to go again!”
“Do you want to try another ride maybe?” Cas offers and Dean nods eagerly. “Let’s get our photos from the stall first.”
Dean follows him and they pick the second one as surprisingly, they’re both smiling, and their eyes are open. “I love it.” Dean says as they’re handed a cardboard picture frame that’s like a card with the photo inside.
They decide to try a higher rollercoaster and after queuing for thirty minutes, they’re soon sat in the carriage and all buckled in. The ride starts going and it’s instantly faster than Megafobia, although the name ‘Speed’ sort of gives away that the rollercoaster is going to be fast.
This rollercoaster includes a loop which Dean was worried about, but it goes around fast and they’re back at the start. “Cas, can we go again? Please?”
“I think I’ll be sick if we go again Dean,” Cas says and Dean frowns, but Cas sees the disappointment in Dean’s face and he sighs, swallowing and he nods. “Okay, we’ll go one more time.”
“No Cas, we’ll get off, I don’t want you to be sick.” Dean frowns, not happy that Cas is willing to risk being sick to make him happy. But before he can argue anymore, Cas has already told the worker they want to go again.
Once they’ve gone around again, Dean insists they have a break from the rollercoasters, mainly because as soon as they got off the rollercoaster, Cas was leaning into a bush and emptying his guts. Which is how they now find themselves sitting on the bench of the park, listening to the screams of people on the rollercoasters and eating the greasiest burgers and fries they could find.
Castiel watches Dean lovingly as he eats his burger. Over the amount of time, he has known Dean for, he knows that what makes him happier other than himself and his Sammy, is food. He reminds him of a squirrel with the way he fills his cheeks with his food and the way he chews. He smiles admiringly at the brave man. Who knew the omega would walk into the theme park having never been on any of the rides and having a big fear of them, would turn out into being a thrill junkie? Because Cas certainly didn’t see it coming but he is incredibly happy that Dean seemingly enjoyed his day at the park. And if Cas lost another round of bumper cars, then no one has to know, except the next time, Dean sees Balthazar and Sammy -on the same day because Dean insisted-, he is all to happy to tell them that he, Dean Winchester, is the superior bumper car driver out of himself and Cas. And as he lays in bed with Cas after their long day out, he realises just how much life is like a rollercoaster.