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It’s been over two months since the guy started showing up at the bakery. He’s got the bluest eyes Dean has ever seen and every time their gazes lock, it makes him feel weak in the knees. It’s only recently that Dean found out the guys’ name - Cas. He doesn’t know much aside from the fact that he seems to enjoy Dean’s pie special along with a good book and a good cup of coffee, but he wants to learn more. He just doesn’t know how to ask.
At the end of November, Dean puts up a help wanted sign, knowing that they’ll have their hands full with the Christmas season around. Garth’s wife Bess just gave birth to twins and he needs to spend some quality time with them. Hope arises within Dean when he sees Cas eyeing the sign with interest, but it slowly diminishes with each day Cas doesn’t apply for a job.
What they do get is two kids that make Dean feel old . They are both 18 and actually have some working experience. Alfie has worked at a Wiener Hut stand and Claire has worked in her uncle’s bakery back in LA. They both have good qualifications and Dean finds it hard to pick one, so he hires them both. After all, Christmas is around the corner and there is the neighborhood party where they’ll raise the funds for the Christmas Hunger event, which will be held on Christmas eve, when they keep the shop open, provide free meals, coffee and a warm place for the night. He’ll need all the help he can get.
One day, just an ordinary Tuesday, Cas comes in and orders his regular. Dean is manning the front, sorting out the mess the new kids made with price tags and the products while Benny bakes the cannoli and Claire and Alfie fill them. Dean gives Cas his brightest smile and his best piece of cherry pie, but the man only thanks him and almost runs off to his usual table. He stays a lot longer, going over some paperwork, and when Dean finally gets the nerve to go up to him to offer him a refill of his coffee, he sees the guy’s actually grading some essays.
Holy Christmas tree, Cas is a teacher. He doesn’t really wear those thick glasses, but it’s a good thing, because if Dean saw him wearing those, he would die on the spot. He’s got the hots for the teacher! Somehow, Dean manages to stammer his way through offering more coffee, barely avoiding cardiac arrest when the man shyly smiles and thanks him.
Best part is, Cas stays longer. The more time passes, the more it seems he’ll linger until closing time. Dean pointedly does not let any hope bubble up in his chest.
Just as the last customer leaves, Cas gets up. His order is already paid for, so Dean waits with a bated breath to see which turn the man takes - towards the door or towards the counter. He nearly squeals when Cas walks up to the counter where he’s standing, pretending to work.
Just then, Alfie and Claire burst through the door, giggling, covered with cream and flour. Dean wants to curse his luck, but the kids’ laughter is so intoxicating, he can’t help but smile at them.
“Dad! Hey! I told you, you didn’t have to wait for me, I could have walked two blocks,” Claire says, addressing Cas and Dean’s mind just stops working. Dad?
“I know you did, but I had some papers to grade and I thought I could do it here as well as the apartment,” Cas says with an odd sort of blush on his cheeks. Dean pretends to wipe down the counter. He nearly yelps when the man addresses him. “Mr. Winchester?”
“Oh, um, yeah, hi? Dean’s fine,” he stumbles over his words, and he doesn’t know what’s worse, the embarrassment he feels or the way Cas smiles at him, probably thinking he’s a dumbass.
“In that case, I am Castiel. I just wanted to thank you for giving my daughter this opportunity.” Even as he says it, Dean can hear Claire whine an embarrassed “Daaaaaad.” It seems like Cas wants to say more, but as he glances towards his daughter, he changes his mind. Dean knows that Claire’s mother isn’t in the picture anymore, though he doesn’t know why. There is more to their story and as much as Dean would like to learn more about them, he doesn’t want to pry.
“Of course. She’s a good kid,” he replies with a small smile and gets completely caught in that blue gaze. It takes someone clearing their throat for both of them to snap out of it. Dean knows his cheeks are burning, but what is surprising is that Cas doesn’t seem to be faring better.
“You know, dad, Dean here is taking part in the Raise a Little Spirit and the Christmas Hunger party, and I am sure he could use some volunteers to help out,” Claire says. Dean can see the twinkle in her eyes and as much as he would love to have Cas around more, he doesn’t want the guy to feel pressured.
“That’s a… You don’t–”
“I would love to help!” Cas blurts out a bit too eagerly, then slaps a hand over his mouth, hiding some of his horrified expression. Dean can’t help but chuckle.
“Alright. Um… The fundraiser is technically on Friday, but we will extend it into Saturday too. For every sale, half goes to the fund. And then starting Sunday to Monday we’ll keep the open doors for people who seek warmth, shelter and some company. Noon to noon, twenty-four hours,” Dean explains and watches as Cas’s eyes widen in surprise. Yeah, it’s going to be a lot and Dean is glad for all the help he can get. His brother and sister-in-law are already coming and so is his friend Charlie.
“We’ll be there bright and early,” Cas says, making Claire groan. Technically, she is supposed to work the afternoon shift, but Dean isn’t about to point that out. Maybe she and Alfie can switch or something. The two say their goodbyes and Dean feels added excitement at the prospect of working with Cas. He’s probably going to be too busy to be able to do more than say Hi to the guy, but still.
Dean’s plan is to work Friday the whole day, go home, rest and come back to work all day Saturday. Then he would rest up on Sunday, come in to open at noon and, somehow, power through for the next twenty-four hours. Everyone tells him he is crazy, and Dean thinks they might be right, but this is his shop and he wants to make sure everything runs smoothly.
True to his word, Cas and Claire are there bright and early on Friday. They come in only a few minutes after Dean’s opened the backdoor, a good half an hour before the bakery normally opens. Claire gives her dad an extra apron and leaves them in the kitchen while she goes out to prepare everything in the front. Dean can’t linger much, as he has a lot of premade batches of cookies and dough to work through, but as he works, he is able to talk to Cas for a little bit. It turns out, the guy sucks at cooking, but he can follow simple instructions. Dean gets things done way faster, so by the time Sam and Jess get there, there is very little work to be done in the kitchen. Which is good, because the front is a madhouse. Dean’s products are good and they do have their loyal customers, but apparently, everyone wants to buy extra today, as they know where the money from their purchase will go.
It warms Dean’s heart, and along with Cas’ occasional touch and a shared gaze, Dean feels like he’s on cloud nine. He doesn’t even notice the time fly by, going in the kitchen to prepare some more creme and coming out twenty minutes later only to find the place basically deserted. Only Benny, who came to help out in the afternoon and Cas, who apparently stayed all day, even after Claire went home, remain. Benny takes off as soon as the kitchen is cleaned, but Cas lingers all the way until both of them step out to lock the door.
“Same time tomorrow?” He asks with an enthusiasm one should not have after working a thirteen-hour shift. And yet, Dean feels a strange sort of giddiness at the prospect of being around the guy again.
“If you can. I don’t want you to overwork yourself,” he offers, torn between the excitement and concern. They have all taken several breaks and took a few moments to sit down when they became too tired, but still, this has been a long day, and tomorrow is looking about the same.
“What about you? Are you going to be here all day tomorrow?” Cas counters and Dean reluctantly nods. “Then this is where I’ll be too,” he says with a smile that threatens to melt Dean into a puddle.
By the end of the second day, Dean is dead on his feet, and the only thing that is keeping him afloat is Cas. The guy is somehow always there, be it with a glass of water, half a sandwich or a cup of coffee. He even learned how Dean takes his and every cup is just perfect. Dean even manages to make stupid joke about marrying him if he keeps it up, but it is the light blush and a pleased smile on Cas’ face that completely throws him off, making him all warm and gooey on the inside.
Like the day before, Cas stays throughout Saturday and Dean can see how tired he is. Still, he persists and when it gets to closing time, he is right there with Dean to lock up.
“So noon, tomorrow?” Cas asks, smiling brightly despite looking as drained as Dean himself feels. He wants to say Yes, and return the smile, heck, he wants to kiss the guy, but guilt and concern poke at him and he knows he couldn’t say it without it weighing on his conscience.
“Don’t get me wrong, man, I am thrilled to have you around and I really appreciate all the help, you went above and beyond. But are you sure you can… I just don’t want you to overwork yourself.” Cas’ look turns soft, perfectly complimenting the small smile.
“Don’t worry about me, I know my limits. Besides, tomorrow we start at noon, right? So I’ll have time to rest up,” Cas says and then sort of pauses, like he wants to add something else. Instead, he quickly leans in and gives Dean’s cheek a peck. It’s so fast, Dean barely has time to gasp and Cas is already ducking his head and practically running away with nothing but a barely audible “see you tomorrow”.
The kiss replays in Dean’s dreams over and over, and when he wakes up in the morning, he feels so rested and filled with energy, he almost forgets his morning coffee. The buzz under his skin doesn’t subside, and the excitement only grows as noon approaches.
But when Dean gets to work, Cas isn’t there. Only Claire. One hour passes and then another and Dean works, serving as many people as he can and giving them the best smile he can muster. It is just when the second hour is up that Claire follows him into the kitchen, a smug smile on her face. (She is too young to be pulling off that much smugness). “So? Aren’t you going to ask?”
“Ask what?” Dean plays dumb. He knows he’s been a bit obvious with his affections, but Cas not showing up is making him want to close off. He feels a little vulnerable right now.
“Where my dad is?”
Dean doesn’t stop what he’s doing, and he doesn’t say anything for a few moments. Finally, when the silence becomes too heavy, he replies with a simple “Nope.”
“Ugh!! You’re no fun,” Claire groans out and Dean takes a bit of satisfaction in the fact that she can’t tease him like she obviously wanted to. He is, in fact, itching to ask, but he knows her well enough by now. All he has to do is wait her out. It takes only a minute or two before she finally concedes. “Fine. Uncle Gabe showed up, he wanted to surprise us for Christmas. Dad wanted me to let you know he’ll be here by three.”
“Okay. Thanks,” he tells her nonchalantly, like it’s all the same to him, but inside, he feels that giddiness bubble up again. Cas didn’t stand him up. And not only that, but he’ll still come, even if they have company.
Dean didn’t expect Cas to bring his brother along to help out. And he certainly didn’t expect his brother to be Gabriel Odinson, LA Baker King ! The guy’s a freaking celebrity and Dean simply adores his creations. (He might be fangirling a little, sue him).
Gabriel, or ‘Uncle Gabe’ as Claire calls him, dives right in. He teases everyone around him and makes everyone laugh, but not once does he take over. None of the customers recognize him, and he seems to prefer it that way. Not even Charlie, who comes for the afternoon shift to help out, figures out who he is until she sees him decorate muffins.
Before Dean knows it, it’s creeping up on 3am and his eyes are closing on their own accord. He decides to go into the breakroom and just sit for a moment. There are a bunch of people in his bakery, most of them sleeping on the chairs and booths - all part of the Christmas open doors. He is glad he could provide shelter for some of them on this day, and he just needs to make sure all the extra blankets they have are distributed. He brings out a few more, but then he notices that the coffee pot they left out for everyone is empty, so he goes to make some more and nearly faceplants onto the counter.
Gentle hands catch him and hold him steady as he sways. He thinks he hears someone say that they’ll finish the coffee and for someone to take Dean to the breakroom, but he’s not sure. His mind is barely functioning and he’s putting all his energy into staying upright, but even then, he stumbles a few times and has to lean heavily on the person leading him. Whoever they are, they are strong.
“Cas…” Dean breathes out when he catches a glimpse of dark hair as the person deposits him in a chair. He still sways, so the person, or Cas, holds him as they drag another chair close to him. Between one moment and the next, Dean’s half horizontal, his head pillowed in someone’s, Cas’ lap.
He thinks someone snaps a picture, but he is too tired and too cozy to care.
When Dean wakes, it's with a jolt that startles his pillow. It takes him a moment to realize where he is and another to figure out his position.
“Good morning,” Cas' voice rumbles above him and Dean turns to look up at him, not thinking how nice it would be to wake up to hear that every day.
“Um, good morning,” Dean says back, feeling only slightly awkward. “What time is it?”
Cas shakes his hand so his watch would turn towards him then glances at it before he replies. “It's almost nine.”
“Oh, shit. I missed the breakfast–”
“Don't worry. Sam was here. He, Benny and my brother have it all handled. You were tired and you needed some rest.”
Dean hums, eyes locked with Cas’. He just can't look away. The man above him smiles softly and runs his fingers through Dean's hair. “You work way too much.”
“I know,” Dean breathes out, not really registering what he's saying. It feels nice, the touch, the attention. He doesn't want to move, he doesn't want to do anything to disrupt this moment. But his mouth didn't seem to get the memo. “Why are you so nice to me?”
Cas huffs, his smile never wavering. “Because you take care of everyone around you. You need someone to take care of you,” Cas says and pauses. Dean holds his breath, waiting as his heart hammers in his ears. “I– I would very much like to be that someone.”
“I would like that too,” Dean says, staring up at Cas. He's having a hard time trying to convince himself that no, he's not dreaming, this is very real. They spend a few seconds just staring at one another until Cas speaks up.
“And I would very much like to kiss you now, but unfortunately I cannot bend like that.”
Laughter bubbles up and Dean lets it out as he gets up. He is barely upright, bones settling back into their proper place when there are hands on his cheeks, pulling him close. The kiss is nice, chaste and makes Dean's whole body tingle. They break apart way too soon, but they are both smiling.
“Merry Christmas, Dean,” Cas whispers, making Dean chuckle.
“Merry Christmas, Cas.”
A year later, Hey Jude bakery hosts another fundraiser followed by a Christmas Hunger party. More people come to help, and even some big companies make donations.
High up on the wall, behind the counter, there is a picture of Cas, sitting on a chair, leaning on his hand that is propped on the table. Dean is in the chair next to him, half sitting, head in Cas’ lap. Both are asleep.
Underneath it, Cas and Dean work side by side, smiling, and serving baked goods, coffee and whatever else the people need.
Merry Christmas indeed.