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“Hey man, you okay?” Dean glances over to where Cas sits shotgun. He’d been quiet and tense since they’d left the motel almost twenty minutes ago.
The fallen angel turns from gazing out the window to give Dean a reassuring smile. “Yes, Dean. I just...am not fond of pain.” He frowns slightly.
Dean can’t help but chuckle at that. “Dude, nobody’s fond of pain. But this is the best way to permanently protect yourself from possession. You don’t have your angel mojo to help you out anymore.” Cas turns to the window again and Dean holds back a wince. Cas’s falling was still a touchy subject. He’d only been one-hundred percent human for a few weeks. It was still weird seeing him do human things like eat and sleep; it was especially weird seeing him wearing a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a regular jacket.
The next ten minutes are silent; there isn’t even any music. Once Dean’s parked and turned the car off he breaks the silence. “You ready?”
“I don’t really have much choice, do I?” Cas sighs quietly and opens the Impala door.
Dean follows behind Cas as he walks into the tattoo parlor. A mid-twenties woman with shocking pink hair, about a dozen ear piercings and arms full of tattoos and a small worn placard sitting on the counter that dubs her ‘Alex’ looks up from her book and smiles. “What can I do ya for, boys?”
Dean approaches the desk. “Hey, I had an appointment. It would be under Dean Winchester.”
Alex turns to the computer sitting in the corner of the counter and wiggles the mouse. “I have a Castiel Winchester.” Her voice raises slightly and she raises an eyebrow.
Dean winces and mentally promises Sam a beating when they get back. “Yeah, that’d be him.” He jerks his thumb towards the former angel, who is browsing through a binder full of tattoo ideas. “He’s gonna get this.” The hunter pulls the collar of his shirt down to expose the tattoo on his chest.
Her flirty smile falters for a moment before she gins widely. “Right on. I’ll just...” she picks up a camera and Dean nods. She snaps a picture and gets it up on the computer screen. “Same size and colour?”
“Yes please.” Dean almost jumps when Cas speaks right beside him. “Dean, I think I’d like to get another tattoo, after this. Some of the designs are really quite intriguing and beautiful.”
Dean rolls his eyes. “Yeah, okay you big baby. If you make it through this one we’ll talk about it.”
Alex snorts as she makes final adjustments to the picture. Printing it, she says, “I’ll be about five minutes getting this set up. You guys can go on back and get settled.” She gestures towards the back of the shop, where behind a half-wall a large black chair sits.
“Cool. Come on, Cas.” They walk back. Dean puts a hand on Cas’s shoulder, stopping him before he can sit on the chair. “You’ll need to lose the jacket and shirt.” Cas hesitates and Dean sighs. “Come on, man, it’s not like I’ve never seen you without a shirt. She’ll need to be able to see your chest to put the tattoo on.” Cas gives Dean a bitchface he’d learnt from Sam and strips off the jacket and shirt, handing them to Dean. Cas hops onto the chair and they’re silent until the tattoo artist appears with the outline. She quickly gets it on Cas’s chest and begins setting up the ink and gun.
Dean sees Cas eyeing the door like he’s gonna make a run for it. “It doesn’t hurt that much,” he says, awkwardly trying to reassure his—Dean still hadn’t found a title that fit right. Brother? Friend? Neither seemed adequate. “It’ll be over before you know it, and then we’ll go get burgers and pie. Sound good?”
Cas flickers his gaze to Dean and nods slowly. “That sounds like an excellent plan, Dean.”
“Okay, you ready to go?” Cas is instantly twitchy again as Alex swivels the stool closer to where he’s sitting. He gives a shaky nod and swallows loudly, his gaze not moving from the tattoo gun in her hand. “Dean.” His voice is quiet and strained, and Dean sighs, dragging the chair from the corner to the other side of Cas.
“It’s okay, I’m here.” Dean feels silly comforting Cas with the woman smiling goofily at him but he needs Cas to not bolt before this is over. “Cas. Hey.” He touches the former angel’s shoulder and those wide, impossibly blue eyes turn to him. “It’s gonna be fine. ‘Kay?”
“Okay, Dean.” He relaxes until Alex turns on the gun. His hand shoots out, grabbing Dean’s hand, and Dean can only be thankful that Cas isn’t as strong as he once was or his hand would be crushed.
He sits as Cas winces through the first few strokes of the needle before he shifts and, feeling even more awkward, runs the fingers of his free hand through Cas’s slightly too long hair. He’d done it before—it always helped when the former angel had nightmares—but he still marvelled at just how soft the black locks were. “Hey,” Dean speaks quietly, both to distract him from his thoughts and Cas from the pain, “remember when we replaced Sam’s shampoo with nair?”
Cas smiles slightly, wincing as the needle etches through his skin. “He looked very funny bald.”
“He always looks funny,” Dean replies, smirking. His fingers brush through Cas’s hair again.
“Who’s Sam?” Alex asks, not looking up from her work. “And why’d you put nair in his shampoo? If you don’t mind my asking.”
“Dean’s brother,” Cas tells her. “He used all the hot water in the shower twice in a row.”
“You all live together?”
“Road trip,” Dean says before Cas can blurt out something about their life. He still hadn’t quite mastered lying. “We’re doing a week-long bachelor’s party before Sammy gets hitched.” Which wasn’t entirely false; he and Amelia had been together almost a year and Sam was looking to settle down, now that Dean wouldn’t be going on hunts alone.
“Shouldn’t he be the one getting a tattoo, then?”
“He has no interest in further marking his body,” Cas chimes in. She nods and they fall silent for a moment before Cas starts wincing again.
“Where d’you think we should go for dinner after this?” Dean asks him. “I’m thinkin’ anywhere with apple pie. I love me some pie.”
“Then why did you not eat the pie I made for you?” Dean’s birthday had been a few days ago and Sam had convinced Cas that he should try to make Dean a pie.
“Dude, your pie sucked ass. No offence.”
Cas sighs. “I am aware that my baking skill is less than ideal.” Dean snorts but doesn’t reply. It was less than ideal all right; he’d burnt the pie almost beyond recognition. Their gazes catch and Cas smiles, clearly thinking the same thing Dean was.
“So.” Dean almost jumps at Alex’s voice and feels his cheeks heating when he realized he’d been staring at Cas. “How long have you two been together?”
Dean blushes even more—even his ears feel hot—but before he can rearrange his incoherent thoughts to correct her Cas is speaking up. “Almost nine years.”
She whistles softly. “Impressive. I’ve never managed to keep a guy longer than two months. What’s your secret?”
“Trust, a good sense of humour and copius amounts of alcohol,” Cas replies seriously. Dean laughs with Alex despite himself, surrendering to the fact that this woman thinks they’re together. It wasn’t the first time and it probably wouldn’t be the last.
“Good plan. I’ll be sure to remember that.” Conversation drops and the parlor remains silent but for the sound of the needle and Dean’s quiet humming. He goes through his and Cas’s favourite songs, trying to distract him from the pain. Cas hums disjointedly along to the songs he knows.
Finally the tattoo gun is turned off and Alex leans back, smiling as she sets it on the tray. “There you go! Your first piece of ink is complete.” She smiles slyly. “You wanna book an appointment now for your next one?”
Cas shakes his head almost violently and sits forwards. Dean is a little surprised when his hand falls from where it had still been carding slowly through Cas’s hair. “I think that one tattoo is plenty, thank you.”
Alex laughs. “I figured as much. Let me bandage that for you and then I’ll ring you through.” She does so quickly and then heads around to the counter.
Dean helps Cas put his shirt on (“I told you to wear a button up shirt”—“No you didn’t”—“Oh. Well, I meant to”) and leaves Cas to slip into his jacket as he goes to pay.
“Cheers, darlings. Have a good evening!” Alex waves as they leave the store.
“Well that was an experience,” Dean mutters back in the Impala. “You ready for burgers and pie?” He starts the ignition and looks over at his angel. The fallen angel, he corrects himself, feeling his cheeks grow warm again.
Cas smiles and nods. “Yes, Dean. Food sounds like a wonderful idea.” Dean pulls out onto the road and they drive off in comfortable silence, a hunter and his fallen angel.