Work Text:
Castiel shuffled into the garage with an air of subtle frustration, his trench coat rustling, catching Dean's attention as he tinkered away on Baby. "Dean," Castiel began, his tone tinged with a rare hint of annoyance. "I find myself in a quandary."
Dean glanced up, immediately noting the unusual tone in Castiel's voice. "What's up, babe? Everything alright?"
"It's the father-daughter dance," Castiel sighed, a furrow forming between his brows. "I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany Claire."
Dean arched an eyebrow, setting down his tools. "Wait, what? Why not? You put in leave for that weeks ago."
"Adler rostered me on for a fucking night shift, even after I specifically told him that couldn’t work that night." Castiel explained, a note of frustration seeping into his voice. "It seems like the insidious fool has it out for me."
Dean nodded sympathetically, understanding the weight of Castiel's responsibility. "That sucks, man. I know how much you were looking forward to that."
"It's an important moment for Claire," Castiel lamented, his eyes reflecting a mix of regret and disappointment. "She's been preparing for weeks. I promised I'd be there."
Dean wiped his hands on a piece of rag before dragging Castiel over, wrapping his arms around him. "Cas, you don't deserve this crap. It's a father-daughter dance, for crying out loud. Adler should know better."
The tension in Castiel’s shoulders easing slightly as he rested his head on Dean’s shoulder. "I just don't understand why he's making it so difficult. It's as if he takes pleasure in making my life more complicated."
“Adler is a fucking dick with wings,” Dean agreed, kissing Castiel’s temple.
Castiel let out a faint chuckle at Dean's colorful description. "I couldn't have put it better myself."
“You know I, uh—nah, don’t worry about it,” Dean replied. Castiel lifted his head from Dean's shoulder and looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
"No, tell me. What were you going to say?" he pressed, his blue eyes searching Dean's green ones.
Dean shifted uncomfortably, his fingers nervously fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "Well, I was just gonna say... I have an idea," he finally admitted, his voice hesitant.
Castiel's interest was immediately piqued, and he leaned in closer, urging Dean to continue. "What kind of idea?" he asked, and Dean shook his head.
"It doesn't matter. How about you go get cleaned up for dinner, and I'll finish up here? We'll get takeout."
Castiel studied his boyfriend for a moment before raising his brow. "You're not getting out of this that easily," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "I want to hear your idea."
He kissed Dean gently before letting him go, and walked back into the house.
🪩
"Oh, Master Chau's," Claire exclaimed as Castiel walked down the stairs from his shower. Dean nodded as he took a seat at the kitchen table, a beer in his hand.
"Yeah, I've heard good things about their food," he replied.
Castiel, still drying his hair with a towel, raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "What's all this talk about Master Chau's?" he asked, joining them at the table.
Claire grinned mischievously. "Well, Dean said we're ordering in, and we haven't tried it yet," she said, pulling out her phone and handing Castiel her phone. "They are a new fusion restaurant. Think Texas barbeque meets Asian cuisine. They've got this menu with a unique twist, like spicy bulgogi tacos and barbecue pork fried rice. It's supposed to be amazing."
"She had me at barbeque." Dean chuckled, reaching across and eagerly grabbing the phone from Castiel's hand, and began scrolling through the menu. "I can't resist a good fusion restaurant," Dean admitted, his eyes scanning the list of mouthwatering dishes.
"You can't resist food in general, Hasselhoff," Claire quipped, and Dean laughed.
"Hey, food is one of life's greatest pleasures," he defended himself with a grin. As he continued scrolling, his excitement grew with each new dish he discovered. "Oh man, they have kimchi-pulled pork sliders too! And Korean BBQ chicken wings!" Dean exclaimed, his stomach growling in anticipation.
Handing Claire her phone back and pulling out his credit card, Dean declared, "Order a little bit of everything."
Claire raised an eyebrow, clearly amused by Dean's enthusiasm. "Are you sure you can handle all that food, Dean? You might need to roll yourself out of here by the end of the night," she teased.
Dean chuckled, undeterred by her comment. "Good thing you’re dad’s strong enough to lift me then, hey?" Winking at Castiel as Claire shuddered.
"I don't need to hear about that, gross no thank you!"
Dean laughed even harder at Claire's response. "Don't dish if you can't take, blondie!"
Castiel sat back and watched the exchange between his daughter and his boyfriend.
He couldn't help but smile at the playful banter between them and knowing that he'll have to bring the mood down soon to tell Claire about his inability to attend the father-daughter dance is hovering in the recesses of his mind. Castiel knew that his absence was going to disappoint Claire.
Despite his best efforts, the thought kept nagging at him, casting a shadow over the lighthearted moment. He hoped that he could find a way to make it up to her, to show her how much she meant to him, even if he couldn't be physically present at the event.
Dean looked over at him and shook his head, silently relaying that he shouldn’t say anything, and Castiel nodded. It'll just have to wait, he thought to himself, pushing the worry to the back of his mind for now. As the laughter and conversation continued around him, Castiel knew that he needed to come up with a plan. He couldn't let Claire down.
The doorbell rang and Claire shot up from her seat. “That’ll be dinner.”
As she exited the room, Dean quickly turned to Castiel. “Hey, don’t stress too much. We'll figure something out. Now put a smile on your face and enjoy some fusion barbeque."
🪩
Dean exited the bathroom and saw Castiel lying on the bed, scowling at his laptop. He kicked off his slippers and climbed on top of him, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. “You know, if you keep frownin’ like that, you’ll give yourself wrinkles.”
Castiel turned his head towards Dean, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "But I thought you liked the whole rugged older man look?"
Dean chuckled softly, running a hand through Castiel's messy hair. "Oh trust me, Cas, the rugged look definitely works for you. Wrinkles or no wrinkles, you'll always be the most handsome man in the room." Castiel's smile widened, and he pulled Dean in for a tender kiss.
"So what was the idea you came up with in the garage?" Castiel asked, his lips still tingling from Dean's kiss.
Dean leaned back, his arm still draped around Castiel's shoulders, and took a deep breath. "It's stupid, it doesn't matter."
Castiel tilted his head, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Dean, you know I don't think anything you come up with is stupid. It was about the father-daughter dance, wasn't it?"
Dean sighed, his gaze fixed on the wall as he nodded. Castiel took Dean's face between his hands, slowly turning it so that their eyes met. "Would you take Claire if you had the chance?"
Dean's heart skipped a beat at Castiel's question. He couldn't help but admire the way Castiel's eyes held so much understanding and tenderness. "Yeah, I would," Dean admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I mean, I know I'm not her dad, and she doesn't see me as one, but I've been there for her, you know? I've watched her grow up, helped her through tough times, and been a constant presence in her life. It may not be the same as being her biological father, but it doesn't make my love for her any less real." Dean's voice wavered with emotion as he spoke, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Castiel's grip on his face tightened, a silent reassurance that he understood and accepted Dean's feelings. "Dean, you don't have to be her biological father to be her dad," Castiel said softly, his voice filled with conviction. "You've shown her love, support, and guidance, and that's what truly matters. You've become a father figure to her, and she sees you as such. Don't underestimate the impact you've had on her life."
He wiped the tears threatening to fall from Dean’s eyes, and pulled him in for a kiss. "Now you're going to be there when I tell her in the morning that I can't go, right?"
Dean nodded, and with the conversation now finished, Castiel rolled them over with a smile gracing his face. "Now how about we stop talking, I want to spend some time with my boyfriend."
🪩
Castiel was closing the waffle maker when Claire walked into the room, her body still heavy with sleep, and made a beeline straight for the coffee pot that Dean had started before his shower.
She let out a tired yawn as she poured herself a steaming cup, and Castiel glanced at her with a small smile. "Good morning, sleepyhead."
Claire returned Castiel's smile, the corners of her eyes crinkling slightly. "Morning," she replied, taking a sip of her coffee and sighing in contentment as Dean walked in.
"Ah, she wakes." Dean said with a teasing grin, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. Claire playfully rolled her eyes and took another sip of her coffee.
"Too early," she mumbled, setting the cup down on the counter as Dean chuckled and walked over to the coffee pot, pouring himself a cup as well.
"It gets worse as you get older. So, enjoy your youth."
Castiel chuckled softly at Dean's comment, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. "I suppose we should cherish these moments of youthful energy," he added, joining the group by the counter.
Claire nodded in agreement. "Well, lucky for you two, I plan on staying forever young," she quipped, raising her coffee cup in a mock toast.
Dean clinked his cup against hers. "Here's to eternal youth then," he proclaimed, taking a mouthful of his coffee as Castiel pulled up a seat next to her.
"Claire, I need to talk to you about something." Castiel said, and Claire looked at him from the corner of her eye. Castiel cleared his throat and quickly glanced over at Dean, who nodded before focusing his attention back on Claire.
"I won't be able to take you to the father-daughter dance. I know that you have been looking forward to it, and I did book it off. Dr. Adler knew I needed the night off, but he rostered me on to work anyway. I'm sorry."
Claire shrugged and took a bite of her waffle. "Dean can just take me; it's not a big deal."
Castiel saw Dean's head whip up from his coffee cup, his eyes wide as he looked at Claire in surprise.
"You want me to take you?" Dean asked, his voice filled with both uncertainty and a hint of excitement.
Claire shrugged again. "Yeah, why not? It'll be fun," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant as she stabbed at her waffle.
Castiel watched as Dean's expression shifted from surprise to a mix of excitement and nervousness as he looked back down at his coffee. Castiel picked up his own cup and looked at Claire. "Did you need a dress? I can leave my card for you to go shopping."
Claire nodded as she got up from the bench and took her plate to the sink. "Dean can take me after school."
Dean looked like he was still in some sort of shock, and Castiel nudged him with his foot. "Uh, yeah, sure," he stammered, glancing at Claire for confirmation.
She flashed him a smirk. “See ya at 3, Hasselhoff."
Dean nodded. "Uh, yeah, see ya at 3," he replied, trying to play it cool as Claire left the kitchen.
Castiel came up behind Dean, wrapped his arm around his shoulder and pulled Dean's back against his chest. Dean leaned into Castiel's embrace, finding comfort in the warmth of his touch. Castiel pressed a gentle kiss to Dean's temple, his lips lingering for a moment before he spoke softly. "Are you okay, Dean?" he asked.
Dean sighed, his body relaxing against Castiel's. "Uh, I think so."
Castiel chuckled and turned Dean's chair so he was facing him. "Thank you for doing this."
Dean tipped his head back, and Castiel leaned down and kissed him softly. The kiss was brief but filled with tenderness, a silent reassurance of their unspoken bond. Dean's lips curled into a small smile as he pulled away, his eyes meeting Castiel's intense gaze.
"No need to thank me, Cas," he replied. "You know I'd do anything for you."
Castiel's expression softened, his hand reaching up to gently caress Dean's cheek. "I know, Dean. And I appreciate it more than words can express." He pulled Dean up from his chair. "Now you better get going before you're late to work, and I need some sleep before my shift."
Dean chuckled. "Alright, alright. I'll leave you to your beauty sleep, angel," he teased, giving Castiel a playful wink, and Castiel flipped him off as he walked out the door.
"Love you," Dean called back as he made his way down the hallway. Castiel's heart swelled with warmth at the sound of those three words.
"Love you too, Dean," he whispered to the empty room, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
🪩
Dean tugged at his bowtie, and Claire pinched the inside of his arm. "Don't be nervous," she whispered as she pulled them over to the line for photographs.
"Easy for you to say, you've been to these dances before," Dean muttered under his breath, as they lined up.
Claire looked at him. "You didn't go to school dances in the dinosaur ages?" she asked, and Dean snorted.
"Nah, we moved around a lot, then I ended up dropping outta school and got my GED, so..."
The photographer motioned for them to step forward, and they got their photo taken with smiles plastered on their faces.
Claire guided them over to a bunch of tables and Dean pulled out her chair. "Wow, who knew you could be a gentleman," Claire snarked.
Dean glared at her. "Just sit down," he replied.
Claire rolled her eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in her expression. As they settled into their seats, the room buzzed with the sound of chatter and laughter. The tables were adorned with elegant centerpieces and soft candlelight, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. Claire glanced around, taking in the sight of other couples chatting animatedly and enjoying their meals.
"I have to admit, this is a lot fancier than I expected," she admitted. "Dad would have been so out of place here."
"Know the feeling. I feel kinda wrong being here," Dean agreed, and Claire turned towards him.
"Look, I'm gonna be real here, and if you tell anyone I said this, I'll deny it. But you kinda are like my dad—not because you've been dating my actual dad for like millennia—but Dean, you've been there for all the big shit, the good and the bad. You've been a constant in my life, and you're actually not too bad, ya know."
Dean smiled at Claire's words, a mix of gratitude and surprise evident in his expression. "Wow, Claire, I..."
Claire threw a napkin at him. "You don't need to respond. Just know, you know, I'm happy you're here, so let's can the chick flick moment and go have some actual fun. This dance blows."
Dean chuckled, catching the napkin mid-air and playfully tossing it back at Claire. "Alright, alright, no need to get all sentimental on me," he teased. "But I gotta say, it means a lot to hear you say that. And don't worry; I'm always up for some fun. What do you have in mind?"
She grinned mischievously, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Well, I heard there's this new arcade downtown. How about we go check it out? I bet I can beat you at every game."
Dean raised an eyebrow, a competitive glint in his eyes as he stood up and offered his hand to Claire. "Challenge accepted, kiddo."