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He was presented with two options: It was either this or starve. He supposes starving isn’t ideal and apparently Castiel’s brothers insisted that starving wasn’t an actual option, so here he is. In a restaurant he has never heard of with three of his siblings that seem to be playing the “who can embarrass themselves the most in public” game (patent pending)– of which they are all winning spectacularly. He supposes it is going about as well as it usually does. He’ll have to profusely apologize to the staff of the – He’s just now looking down at the menu for the name of the restaurant – Travelling Riverside Café and Bistro. They seem like nice enough people. They don’t deserve this. The hostess shows them to their table by the window and takes their drink order, announcing that a waiter called Charlie will be around when they are ready to order. So obviously the young hostess has taken about seven steps from their table before Gabriel opens his mouth.
“Why can’t Kali be on the menu?” He pulls the drool covered lollipop stick from his mouth where the hard candy had been chewed down. There is a silence. Everybody knows that Gabriel wants them to ask and it makes them not want to, but Anna is a kind enough person and the silence is getting awkward. Also she yelled at a kid running around in the waiting area loud enough to make him cry. She can bite the bullet on this one.
“And who is Kali?” Anna asks with a sigh in her voice.
“I’m glad you asked. Kali is the beautiful hostess who greeted us. She was looking at me like she wanted to see me naked. Don’t act like I was the only one who noticed our instant chemistry. It’s true love.”
“You’re an idiot. Why would a woman like that look twice at a guy like you?” Michael quips with a smirk at Gabriel’s mock-offended look.
“Maybe it’s my general positivity. Give it a try some time. Be positive!” Gabriel pops the sucker stick back into his mouth with a wolfish grin.
“Oh trust me. I’m positive.” Michael snipes.
“So, Castiel. How are things at the college?” Anna interrupts the escalation. There had been three arguments while waiting for seating. They don’t need a fourth.
“Things are going quite well. My students seem to be retaining the knowledge fairly well and are decently active. The morning lectures can’t be bothered to raise their hands, but my afternoon lectures seem to be going quite well.”
“You should talk about Jezebel. Everyone loves a good ol’ fashion slut-shaming!” Gabriel adds loudly just as their waiter – or rather waitress – appears and begins setting their drinks down. She gets a weird look on her face, eyeballs Gabriel, shrugs, and then stares at Castiel. Like. STARES at Castiel. Hard. While smiling. Most people do not stare and smile at Castiel. It’s usually one or the other. He doesn’t recognize the woman. It’s not like students are fighting to get into his World Theology and Mythology class, so she’s not one of his 24 students.
“Hi. I’m Charlie!” Her smile doesn’t waiver and she continues to make direct eye-contact.
“Yes.” Castiel agrees and immediately feels stupid. Anna, Gabriel, and Michael look at each other and then between Charlie and Castiel like they’re watching a slow tennis match.
“That was the part where you tell me your name.” She offers like she’s off-stage reading cues to an actor.
“Castiel?” He forms it like a question.
“… Are you not sure?” She smiles playfully.
“No. No I mean yes. I’m sure. I’m also confused.” Castiel looks at his siblings for help and they look equal parts amused and confused.
“What, are you gonna ask for his number next?” Gabriel jokingly attempts to break up the awkwardness. Charlie gives a look like she has been hit with sudden inspiration.
“Yes! That’s a great idea! Can I get your phone number?” She readies her pencil and paper that should be getting used to take their orders and looks at him expectantly, oblivious to the stunned faces at the table.
“Oh my god” Anna whispers and covers her mouth to hide her smile.
“Ok. As much as I love this and what it’s doing to Castiel’s emotional state, I gotta mention that he’s not really into girls.” Gabriel barrels through honestly. There is gratitude and pure horrification in the glare that Castiel sends him for essentially outing him to a complete stranger.
“Well I guess we won’t have that in common then, because I’m super into them. Even married to one!” She smiles and wiggles her left ring finger while still keeping the pencil and paper posed. “It’s not for me! The head chef in the back saw you walk in all chiseled and dreamy-looking, then proceeded to walk into the kitchen door, knock into a waiter, and has done nothing but stare at you since you sat down in a 6-top with a conveniently perfect view from the kitchen window that I’m sure was arranged intentionally. It’s embarrassing and gross, so I need your phone number.”
“I’m sure she’s nice, but-“ Castiel starts before Charlie interrupts.
“Kudos to you for thinking of the female chefs. Dismantle the patriarchy! But Dean is absolutely flustered and I’ve never seen him this bad.” Charlie looks dead honest.
“Ok. I’m sure he’s nice but-“ Castiel tries again.
“He is nice! And smart! He’s really funny, kind of a nerd, fiercely loyal, and a great handmaiden at Moondoor where we LARP. He loves Vonnegut, named this restaurant after one of his favorite Led Zeppelin songs, basically raised his younger brother and saved up enough money to help send him to Stanford! He’s really a great guy and it’s only a phone number. If you really dislike him – which you won’t! –, I’ll delete your number off his phone myself! His passcode is his mom’s name and the year of his car. He’s sentimental like that.” Honest to God if someone had told Castiel that someone could essentially say a novel’s worth of words in a single breath, he’d think they were reading from a comic book. She doesn’t even look winded after that monologue.
“C’mon, Cassie!” Anna starts with a nudge. “I dunno about you, but he seems kinda sweet.” She’s laughing at him.
“Think about the potential free food.” Gabriel whispers surprisingly well. Usually his “whisper” is a dull shout mixed with a stage whisper. This must mean a lot to him.
Michael just shrugs when Castiel looks at him. So he figures why the hell not?
“Well, okay.” And the squeak of excitement from Charlie as she writes down his number and runs off to the kitchen is enough to distract him from realizing she hasn’t taken their order. He’s about to call her back when another waitress steps forward.
“Hi. Charlie can get a little… distracted sometimes. I’ll take your order to the kitchen for her.” ‘Lisa’ says warmly. They begin telling her their orders and she repeats them perfectly. Before she leaves, she looks back at Castiel.
“She’s right, by the way. Dean is an amazing man,” She starts with a nostalgic look in her eye that tells more than Castiel can read into. She silently walks away and heads to the kitchen to place their orders.
“I can’t believe that just happened.” Castiel mutters to himself.
“That was so sweet! Do you think he’s cute? I hope he’s cute.”
“What does it matter what he looks like?” Castiel asks, head tilted in question.
“What if he’s one of those really ugly chefs that hides in the back and scratches his wart covered back with the spatula when he’s not using it to squash flies?” Anna’s eyes sparkle with mischief.
“I’m sure this restaurant has passed health inspection.” Castiel offers.
“I’m sure it has. Doesn’t mean Phantom of the Opera can’t open his own Bistro.” Anna teases. Castiel gets a rush about the situation again. This doesn’t happen to him. People don’t notice him like this. He wears earth tones. Who the hell notices the person in earth tones?
“I can’t believe that just happened.” Castiel repeats.
“Neither can I!” Gabriel adds. Castiel can sense he’s about to get offended in a second. “Especially considering I'm sitting right here!” He gracefully waves a hand over himself like a showcase model displaying a perfume.
“I thought you were dead set on Kali. Something about ‘chemistry’? She’ll be heartbroken to learn about your apparent love and that you’re moving on to the head chef. A person can only take so much, Gabriel.” Michael smiles mockingly.
“I’ll break it to her easy.” Gabriel points the wet end of the straw at Michael, sending drops of orange Fanta onto the table.
“Over the phone? Because only one person has their crush’s phone number here and it’s nobody at this table.” Michael tosses Gabriel a napkin to wipe the table by balling it up and aiming for his forehead. Light bickering and teasing Castiel continue for another 10 minutes before the idiocy is halted by Charlie’s reemergence with a tray of food.
“That was awfully fast!” Anna remarks.
“He had extra motivation.” Charlie says with a wink as she places their orders in front of them. “He went bright red. It was adorable. He was all ‘Should I text him after he leaves? Would it be weird if I did it now? What am I supposed to do, Charlie?’ It was hilarious.” Honestly this has Castiel flushing to the tips of his ears. Anna coos and Gabriel and Michael laugh at his expense. The rest of the meal goes fairly smoothly with extra ribbing on his behalf. When they flag Charlie down to order desert, she waves him off.
“Don’t worry. It’s taken care of.” She says mysteriously as Lisa comes from behind with a large tray of what has to be all 11 options of desserts in small portions.
“He realized he wanted to pay for your dessert and was proud of himself until he also realized he didn’t know what you would like so he frantically made small portions of everything to be on the safe side.” Charlie explains. She and Lisa are smiling so brightly and the whole debacle has drawn the attention of the patrons around them. Some of them grinning at having overheard the situation and others staring wide-eyes at the table that plans on getting diabetes in a single sitting. Gabriel looks like he was just proposed to and whips his head from the tray to Castiel so hard that he probably got a mild head-rush.
“Castiel.” He says seriously. “If you do not date and/or marry this man, I will literally key your car and shave your cat.” The specificity of Castiel’s fears being voiced by Gabriel lead Castiel to believe him and renders him momentarily speechless. Michael ignores the threat between his brothers and reaches for what appears to be a beautifully put-together apple pie a-la-mode that looks to be slightly larger than the other samples.
“Ah.” Charlie interjects and lightly grabs Michael’s wrist. “That I suggest Castiel try first.” Charlie and Lisa share a look and smile back at the table. Castiel has no clue what that means, but heeds their advice and moves the pie in front of himself. With an audience of what has grown to be 12 people, Castiel takes a bite of the apple pie and goodness gracious was it a great idea. His eyes close as the flavors dance on his tongue. It’s warm and crispy, the fruit and crust baked to perfection, the juxtaposition of the ice cream complementing the flavors stupendously and eliciting a light moan of approval from Castiel’s lips.
“Damn, Cassie. Keep it PG.” Gabriel whistles from across the table.
“I take it you like it then?” Lisa and Charlie smile widely.
“Yes. This is the most delicious dessert I’ve eaten and I’m honestly not a huge dessert person.” He forks another bite as the others reach for the other desserts hoping to get the same experience. He almost misses it when Charlie and Lisa turn around towards the kitchen and both put their thumbs up enthusiastically. Everyone at the table as well as the spectators turn to see who this mysterious chef is, but get a small disappointment when they just catch a head of hair frantically ducking out of sight at having been caught watching. Somehow, that’s the most endearing part of this man Castiel has experienced.
“I would…” Castiel hesitates when everyone’s eyes shift back onto him, but he continues strong. “I would really like to meet him. If at all possible.” He can feel himself flushing and his heart picks up when Charlie sprints away from the table and to the kitchen yelling “Entering!” to any unsuspecting waiter coming through.
“Oh my God, Cas!! Oh my God!” Anna repeatedly slaps his arm in absolute delight.
“Anna, relax. You’re going to make him panic.” Michael tells her. He looks at Castiel and continues. “I honestly didn’t think you’d work up the courage to make it to this point.”
It may sound like an insult, but Castiel takes it for what it is. Castiel usually doesn’t have the courage for stuff like this. He’s too withdrawn. Too shy. Too average. Too predictable. He’s not outgoing like Gabriel, friendly and likeable like Anna, righteous and handsome like Michael, or even funny like their other brother, Uriel. But this man - this Dean - apparently noticed Castiel. Earth-tones and all. He has to try because this guy seems to be giving it his all.
And apparently that’s the best decision he could have made because the man who is heading over to their table has to be one of the most beautiful men he has ever seen.
“Holy shit what I would give to be a wart on his back.” Anna voices aloud as she stares wonderingly at Dean. Gabriel chokes on his forkful of chocolate cake and Michael looks quietly impressed like when he gets under par in golf. Castiel just stares in awe as Dean makes his way over to them.
His lightly freckled face accentuates his strong jaw-line and cheekbones. Deep green eyes with long, straight eyelashes. Sandy-blonde-almost-brown hair cut at just the right height. All of this beauty on broad shoulders, a trim waist, and slightly bowed legs that are now standing right in front of the table. Dean appears to be playing with his hands and his head is slightly ducked, embarrassed. His neck and the tips of his ears are a pretty shade of red and he appears hyper-aware of the people watching him. He’s nervous and Castiel finds it absolutely adorable that a man that looks like that can be nervous.
“Um. I’m sorry. I was being creepy. I didn’t mean to be. I don’t know, man. If you’re uncomfortable, I totally get it. Like. Nobody would wanna get hassled when they’re just trying to eat a meal. I swear I didn’t tell Charlie to force you into giving me your number.” He tries making eye contact and his eyes go wide. “Not that I don’t want it! I’m glad I have it actually! REALLY glad! Unless you don’t actually want me to have it, ‘cause I’ll delete it if you don’t. I’m just saying-” Dean is getting more flustered as he speaks and a few people in the nearby tables cover their smiles of amusement.
“Castiel, my God, put this man out of his misery.” Michael huffs a laugh. The eavesdropping patrons chuckle along. Castiel’s throat unsticks itself.
“Dean, I presume?” He smiles lightly.
“Oh my god I forgot to introduce myself.” Dean says mortified, blush deepening when an ‘aww’ comes from someone behind them.
“I’m Castiel.” He says as he puts his hand forward, offering a handshake. Dean looks at it stunned and grasps his hand, going through the motion in silence. They shake hands for a few seconds before Castiel offers “That was the part where you tell me your name.” He can hear Charlie snort from behind Dean. He has no clue where he got the courage to pull a joke, but Dean seems to be stealing all the nervousness in the room in pure adorable fashion.
“Right. Um. I’m Dean. Dean Winchester. I’m the chef and owner here.” They are still shaking hands and Cas catches Anna’s head moving up and down between them as she watches. He reluctantly lets go and continues to look into Dean’s eyes. They are so beautiful. A great reflection of what has to be a beautiful soul. Castiel feels a warmth and confidence that is foreign to him.
“Hello, Dean.” He starts, a small smile on his face as he thinks about his reluctance to even coming here. “I would like to present you with two options: Reciprocate by letting me have your phone number, or offer to take me to dinner tomorrow night. I would like to inform you that giving me your phone number is not an actual option as I would very much like to speak with you again. But the date can be of your choosing.”
The smile that breaks across Dean’s face is one of the most beautiful things Castiel has ever experienced and something he would love to continue to experience. Light spills from the open blinds of the window, the golden rays trapping Dean and Castiel like insects in amber as they continue to lock eyes and share shy smiles.
“See, Gabe? Now that’s chemistry.” Michael quietly remarks to Gabriel. And Castiel supposes his brother is right.