Work Text:
Cas has been working at his local coffee shop during the summer to make sure he has enough money to take him through another year at uni and he loves working there. The other baristas are kind and his boss doesn't mind what he wears, as long as he wears the company apron on top, so Cas often wears his shirt and tie with a sweater vest, and of course his dusty blue beanie hat that he's had for years and won't let go of.
Then one day this guy comes in, and he's all worn jeans and short sleeved t-shirts with tattoos lacing up and down both arms and he's pretty sure there's one poking out his collar on his neck too. He wears a pair of thick framed glasses that Cas can only label as hipster glasses. This guy is also wearing a beanie, and it looks just as loved as his own and seriously cute on the guy. The guy comes up to the counter and Cas can see he's got a guitar case slung on his back.
"Hey." The guy says and Castiel near melts at the sound of his voice and he's close enough to notice the freckles littering his nose and cheeks and his vibrant green eyes. "Afternoon," Cas greets. "What can I get for you?" He asks, just like he does any other customer.
"Actually, I was wondering if I'd be able to play here for a couple of weeks? Maybe a couple of hours a week or something?" Cas doesn't know what to say, he's not in charge of this kind of thing.
"I can ask my boss, I'll be right back." Cas disappears and comes back a couple of moments later with said boss in tow.
"Hi, sir," He starts politely. "I was wondering if I would be able to play my guitar and sing a little in your coffee shop, I noticed a sign a couple of weeks ago."
"Of course. I'll move the table from over there and you can set yourself up!" He tells him and quickly rounds the counter to remove the table.
"Thank you. I could really do with the extra money at the moment."
"You're welcome. How often did you want to come by?"
"Not too often, maybe a couple of hours a week." Cas watches as the guy smiles and it's such as infection smile that Cas finds himself smiling too even though he's stood behind the counter and can barely see the guy.
It takes a short while for him to get set up, he's tinkering and strumming certain notes to get his guitar in tune and he smiles and Cas guesses he's finished.
He strums the guitar's strings once and begins to play out a tune which Cas thinks he recognises.
"She's a good girl, loves her mama; loves Jesus and America too..." Cas' breath hitches as he listens to his voice. It's beautiful and he's mighty glad that he's come here to play and he'd going to be able to hear him sing so often. He sings for about half an hour, a wide range of songs, all beautifully sung in his own way. Cas takes a cup of coffee and decides to bring it over to him. Maybe he can just have a quick chat, while he takes a break from playing.
"Hi... uh..."
"I'm Dean." He tells him
"Hi, Dean. I grabbed you some coffee."
"Thanks. I need this." Dean smiles and adjusts his beanie on his head and pushed his glasses up his nose.
"You're really good."
"Oh, thanks." Dean smiles that wonderful smile again. "So... what's your favourite song? I might be able to play it." Dean wonders, he's secretly hoping he'll be able to play his song.
"I like build me up buttercup."
"I can play that for you." He takes a gulp of the coffee and sets it down before starting to play. “Why do you build me up, buttercup, baby, just to let me down and mess me around.” Cas smiles as he starts to sing and mumbles the words under his breath. “Join in.” He tells him when he catches a break from the lyrics and Cas does, singing the backing vocals and smiling.
The song soon finishes and they both trail off from singing. “You’ve got a good voice.” Dean states.
“Thank you.” Cas runs a hand over the back of his neck.
“You ever sung in front of people before?”
“No… well… Yeah, I was a choir boy at the cathedral when I was younger.”
“Oh, yeah, I can see that.” Dean teases gently. “What do you say to Molly’s tonight? Say 8pm?” He asks, completely out of the blue and Cas is totally caught off guard.
“What?”
“Um… sorry. You don’t have to. I’m sorry. I’ll let you get back to work.” Dean apologises and hangs his head, fingering the taut strings of his acoustic guitar.
“No, it’s okay.” Cas says when his brain catches up. “I’ll see you there.” Cas smiles.
“Really?”
“Yeah, what do I have to lose?” Cas says and walks back over to the counter to serve two new customers who’ve arrived.