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“Dean….you might want to hold off on the burgers for a while….”
“You callin’ me fat Sammy?”
“Well we haven’t been hunting much lately and not really eating better so maybe you have a gotten a little pudgy…”
“Thanks Sammy- I will not take that under consideration until you cut your hair.”
“Whatever Dean. Just trying to be helpful.”
Dean grabbed his beer and stalked out of the library towards his room. Sure, he might have had to buckle his belt one notch loser but he was still able to pick up any chick at the bar. Not that he had really picked anyone up at a bar in a while. Living in the bunker wasn’t good for his sex life. The ladies in the area around the bunker were old news and he rarely felt like driving further away.
Now that he was thinking about girls, he really hadn’t gotten any in a long time. Maybe he should go for a drive. It seemed like the cases were drying up and he was going a little stir crazy. He looked at the beer in his hand. Hell.
He turned around and stalked up to the garage where baby was sitting pretty. He loved this car and it gave him warm fuzzies whenever he looked at her. He started her up and meandered out of the bunker toward the main road. He hadn’t realized how much he had missed being out until he left the close air of the bunker behind.
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“Where is Dean?”
“Don’t know, Cas…is he not in his room?”
“No, he is not in the bunker.”
“Well he must have gone for a drive or something. He hasn’t left in a while so I bet he was getting a little cabin fever.”
“He needed to go out?”
“Sure, I’m not his keeper”
“Did you two fight?”
“Naw, he was just getting on my nerves”
“Well I will go find him I guess….do you know where his cell phone is?”
“The warding still keeping you from finding him?”
“Yah, its for the best though.”
“I will look it up and send it to you”
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Dean was nursing a third beer and chatting up a young thing at a bar. He had just driven until he needed a beer and then found the nearest bar. There were plenty of women and the establishment was not as shady as his usual haunts. But there was beer and girls so he didn’t really care all that much. He was making progress with one brunette but was getting attention from another blonde across the bar. Ah choices.
Then someone else caught his eye. Cas.
As soon as their eyes met he sighed and finished his beer. He was going to need another. Cas approached Dean on the opposite side of the woman and Dean was trying to give the hint that his attentions were focused on the beautiful woman.
“Excuse me Dean”
Dean sighed and excused himself from the woman.
“What do you want, Cas. Can’t you see I am busy here?”
“Yes, Dean, I see that you have found the attentions of a female but I am concerned about you.”
“Well why don't you go be concerned about me somewhere else?”
“Dean, come on, you and Sam are clearly fighting and…”
“It doesn’t matter Cas. If you want to go get in touch with your gushy feelings then you can go have a campfire with Sam and cry it out. I, on the other hand, am going to sit here, talk to this beautiful lady and drink beer. Now, if you will excuse me.”
He turned pointedly back to the chick next to him. “Sorry about my friend here, doesn't understand personal boundaries.”
She just giggled and went back to flirting. However Dean couldn’t help but notice that her eyes kept slipping over his shoulder. Dean finally turned around to see that Cas was still sitting there. Just sitting. Not drinking or even really looking around, just sitting. Dean just rolled his eyes. “Really sorry about him again. What do you say we get out of here?”
They left Cas sitting there and sauntered out with his arm around a beautiful woman.
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Dean slipped out of the woman’s house early the next morning. He wasn’t even interested in a little morning action. Sure the girl had been hot and good in bed but there was something bothering him.
He stomped out to the car and then drove back towards the bunker.
It was like there was an itch under his skin and his night with a lovely lady just hadn’t scratched it. Before, he would have been in no rush to leave a lovely thing but something was off.
About an hour or two into his drive, Cas appeared in the passenger seat. Somehow, Dean wasn't even startled. Cas’ sudden appearances no longer managed to startle him.
“Are you ok, Dean?”
“Sure, whatever, Cas”
“What is the matter, Dean? I can tell something is bothering you and I want to help.”
“I don’t think there is anything you can do to help me Cas.”
“But you could at lest let me try.”
“Don't bother Cas”
They rode in silence for a few more miles before Dean noticed a sign on the side of the road.
[Six-Ton Prairie Dog: Next Exit]
“Cas! We need to go see the giant Prairie Dog!”
“Why would we want to see a massive rodent?”
“Because it is Six-Tons!!”
“I imagine that would be beyond the laws of nature Dean. I believe these Prairie Dogs are only meant to be a few pounds.”
“That’s why a Six Ton one would be worth going to see!”
“Whatever makes you happy Dean.”
“Yes!!”
They did take the detour. It was only a mile off the highway so it didn't take long and Dean’s excitement grew the closer they got. He hadn’t felt this excited about something in a long time. Let along a giant prairie dogs. But then there it was and Dean was not disappointed.
“Cas look! It’s huge!! We gotta take a picture!”
Dean leapt form the car and pulled his phone from his pocket to start snapping photos. Cas followed more reluctantly but didn’t leave Dean.
“Get up by the doggie, Cas!”
“It is not real, Dean.”
“Duh, Cas. Now get over there and pose with the giant rodent.”
“Sure thing, Dean.” Cas did wander over and stood, his usual stoic self, in front of the giant statue of a prairie dog. It was really rather ugly and the color clashed with Cas’ trench coat but it made for a great picture.
“Now get one of me, Cas!”
They switched places and Dean did his best to climb up the prairie dog and when that failed he started to make the most ridiculous faces and poses he could think of. He honestly didn’t even know if Cas knew how to take a picture with the phone.
By the time they were back in the car Dean was flipping through the photos. There were a few of Cas and several of ‘Dean’. Several of the photos Cas had taken were out of focus and most had at least one of his fingers in the frame. He loved all of them. The pictures of Dean were more ‘Cas’ than the pictures of Cas himself.
They were back in the car and silent. Not like they had anything to really talk about. But their quiet drive seemed to calm the itch.
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“Where have you guys been?”
“Don’t ask stupid questions, Sam”
“Come on Dean, you could have at least told me you were leaving.”
“You aren’t my babysitter Sammy.”
“Whatever, Dean”
“You aren’t going to tell him about the giant dog?”
“What giant dog? Dean, did you do something stupid?”
What? No. Cas and I just took some time to stop at a roadside attraction. That happened to be a several toned prairie dog…”
“Oh. OK”
“Yah nothin’ to tell really.”
Dean grabbed another beer and wandered back to his room. Just like he had never left. And the itch was back. Shit.
So his little outing hadn’t really done him any good after all.
He sat down on his bed and pulled up his laptop so that he could see if there was a case somewhere. Anywhere.
“Are you sure you are ok, Dean”
This time Cas had startled Dean.
“What have I told you about appearing in my room? You know I have to have my space.”
“I do recall that but your door was open so I assumed…”
“That doesn’t mean that you can appear here.”
“I’m sorry Dean. I shall remember that for next time. However, in the meantime I am still concerned about you. It seems odd that the thing that would make you the happiest is a massive fake rodent. I don’t think you are ok.”
“Well I said I was ok so I guess I am.”
“I don’t think it works like that Dean.”
“Well I say it does and its my room so what I say goes.”
“I don't think that is how that works either. “
“Just drop it Cas.”
“No.”
“What?”
“I said no, I don’t need you and Sam babying me. I. Am. Fine.”
Cas just huffed and kicked off his shoes. Before Dean could ask what he was doing, Cal had climbed into bed with Dean. And Dean was stunned.
Sure Cas had no sense of personal space, or boundaries, or social norms but then he had never gotten in bed with Dean before. While Dean was stunned Cas reached around and pulled the computer off of Dean’s lap. He then settled into Dean’s arms with his head against his chest.
“Cas…what...are you doing?”
“During my research I have found that cuddling is how people comfort each other and I wish to comfort you. So I have concluded that the best way to comfort you would be to cuddle.”
“Where the hell did you learn that?”
“I have been watching humanity for a while and many people seem to enjoy cuddling and you need to feel better.”
“I am not interested in cuddling, Cas.”
“Too bad.”
“What has gotten into you Cas?”
“I am worried about you and I care. Let me take care of you.”
“What brought this on?”
“You paid more attention to that woman for me and I have always been here for you. I guess that hurt more than I would like to admit.”
“What did you think was going to happen? I went to the bar to find a girl and I see you all the time. I was there to talk to her, not you.”
“But I wanted to talk to you. I always want to talk to you.”
“You didn’t say much on the drive home.”
“I was kinda mad at you.”
“Oh, well you can talk now.”
“Now, I don’t have much to say. I just like to be with you.”
“Well you better enjoy it all that you can since I doubt it will ever happen again.”
“Why not? You already seem much more relaxed and happy than before.”
That was only met with silence since Dean had no answer. The itch was gone.
He was home.
“Your tummy is really soft”