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Being an elementary school teacher had a lot of perks. Summers off. Influencing the youth of America. Snack time. Exposure to fifteen germ incubators on a daily basis was not one of them.
Once a year, usually in the fall when his immune system was acclimating to being surrounded by children who did not consistently cover their mouths when they coughed, Castiel got hit with what always felt like the worst head cold of his life.
This year he had eight-year-old Ellie Winters and a poorly timed, uncovered sneeze to thank.
Thanks to Ellie, Castiel currently found himself in the local drugstore, looking for the best over-the-counter cold medicine his teacher salary could buy. He grabbed a box of tissues, some Afrin, a bottle of Nyquil, and trudged to the pharmacy counter for the good stuff – the extra strength, extra awesome decongestants that could only be purchased directly from the pharmacist.
“Hey there. What can I do for you?”
Castiel narrowed his eyes at the perky blonde store clerk. Her healthy, energetic presence seemed like a direct insult to his current state of being. “Hello. May I please have some of the prescription strength Sudafed?”
“Sure thing. Let me see your ID and I’ll have someone grab a box for you. Winchester!” She called over her shoulder while simultaneously giving Castiel’s driver’s license a once over. “I need a box of ultra Sudafed.” She eyed Castiel sympathetically as she handed him back his ID. “And hurry up, would ya? Not sure how much longer this one is gonna make it.”
Castiel glared at the girl in annoyance. He did not appreciate her broadcasting his misery to the entire pharmacy department. He opened his mouth to say as much, but the words got stuck in his throat when the store’s pharmacist, who could only be described as the most gorgeous man Castiel had ever seen, approached the counter.
“Here you go, Jo.” The beautiful newcomer looked at Castiel and gave him a kind smile. “Hope you feel better, man.”
And just like that, Castiel’s white coat wearing, Sudafed bearing, pharmacist angel was gone, back into the storage room to undoubtedly make the medicinal fantasies of sick people everywhere come true.
***
The next day, Castiel decided he needed more tissues. Yes, he had purchased tissues the day before but what he really needed were the special ones with lotion in them. At least, that’s what he told himself as he headed to the pharmacy check out counter again.
The fact that Castiel happened to make the briefest of eye contact with the tall, handsome pharmacist as he restocked the shelves behind the counter where Castiel was once again being checked out by the blonde store clerk named Jo had absolutely nothing to do with Castiel’s sudden need for higher-grade tissues.
Castiel also definitely did not take note that the pharmacist’s eyes were the greenest he’d ever seen.
***
Jo seemed genuinely amused when Castiel showed up at the pharmacy for the third day in a row. When Castiel placed three different brands of cough drops on the counter, she gave him a look as if to say, You are fooling no one with your diverse lozenge selection, buddy, I know exactly why you are here.
If she did know why Castiel had returned for a third day in a row, he had to assume she found it sweet because she made a big scene over “accidently” swiping Castiel’s credit card incorrectly, which – of course – required the pharmacy manager to come over and enter a special code into the register to fix the problem.
Mr. Green Eyes – Dean, Castiel noted the name on the pharmacist’s name-tag this time – resolved the supposed credit card issue quickly but made sure to chime in on Castiel’s choice of cough drops before heading back to work.
“The cherry ones are my favorite.”
Castiel had no idea cherry cough drops could make him blush so fiercely.
***
On his fourth consecutive trip to the pharmacy, Castiel was not prepared for what awaited him. As he approached the counter, he felt his heart rate accelerate. Jo – his glorious blonde buffer of a store clerk – was nowhere to be found. Instead, green-eyed perfectly proportioned face pharmacist Dean stood in her place.
“What can I do for you?” Dean smiled at Castiel.
“Uh,” Castiel’s brain short-circuited for a moment. The pharmacist was even more handsome up close. “Nyquil.” He blurted out. “I need more Nyquil.”
Dean gave Castiel a suspicious look as he placed the Nyquil bottle on the counter. “Can I see your ID please?”
“What?”
“Store policy. I need to check your ID before I can sell you more Nyquil.”
“Oh. Sorry. I wasn’t aware.” Castiel was pretty sure carding someone for Nyquil was not actually a policy. He was too flustered to dwell on the thought for long, though, and fumbled with his wallet to produce his driver’s license.
“No worries.” Dean smiled at him. “Just need to make sure you aren’t stock piling drugs in an effort to start your own illegal drug empire. Can’t have you trying to break bad now can we…” Dean trailed off as he looked at the ID in search of a name. “Castiel. Castiel? Really?”
“My mother likes angel names.”
Dean raised his eyebrows, suspecting Castiel wasn’t telling the whole truth.
“And she was on a lot of post labor drugs when she named me.” Castiel added quickly.
“No kidding.” Dean chuckled. “Well I like it. Suits you.”
It was Castiel’s turn to raise his eyebrow at Dean. “You don’t even know me.”
Dean shrugged. “I know you like fancy tissues, cherry cough drops, your head cold drug of choice, and now I know your name, birthday, and that you take a surprisingly good driver license picture.” Dean winked at Castiel conspiratorially as he handed him back is ID. “I’d say we’re basically on our third date already.”
Cas’ eyes went wide at the word date, a flush spreading across his face. Before he had a chance to get too embarrassed, Dean spoke again.
“Ya know what else is good for a cold? Tea.”
“Tea?”
“Yup. You drink tea, Cas?”
Thrown off for a second by his gorgeous, stranger of a pharmacist already calling him by a nickname, the only response Castiel could muster was, “What? I mean, yes. I guess.”
Dean’s brilliant smile widened across what Castiel had now determined was definitely a perfectly proportioned face. “Awesome. How about I take my break and we go get you some tea at the cafe next door. Unless, of course, you’re still too sick for that.”
Dean gave Castiel a knowing look. Castiel’s blush deepened. Obviously, his daily pharmacist stalking adventures to the drugstore under the pretense of obtaining more cold medicine had not been as stealthy as he hoped.
“Tea would be good.” Castiel laughed nervously. “I have been feeling much better recently. Must be the excellent pharmacological care.”
Dean smirked in Castiel’s direction. “Must be.”
As Castiel watched Dean get ready to take his break, he smiled.
Thank goodness for Ellie Winters and the common cold.