Work Text:
Dean was sitting at the table in the motel he was currently staying at with Sam, they were hunting again as usual, and Dean was stuck with the research.
They take turns every once in a while, and Sam insisted they rock-paper-scissors to choose who does what this time around.
Of course Dean had lost, and now he was stuck doing what he thought Sam enjoyed. Sam had got to talk to the victim's family alone.
Dean was sure he already knew what this monster was.
A vampire, because the victims were drained of all their blood, but Sam had once again insisted they look it over once more because there was something different about the victims that vampires usually didn't do. All the victims were shaved bald, all their hair gone, and they weren't like that before.
Dean has the feeling that it's just a vampire who is part creep, Sam had told Dean that he thought it might be a witch as well.
When Sam gets back, Dean's gonna make him go get him some pie.
-----
After about a half an hour of doing the wretched research, Cas appears behind Dean, and Dean doesn't realize he's there until Cas says his name.
"Hello Dean."
Dean jumps what he thought to be 10 feet in the air out of his seat.
He turns around to face Castiel.
"Dammit Cas! How many times do I have to tell you to give me a freaking warning?"
Cas' face doesn't change from his usual stoic manner. "My apologies."
Dean stands up, almost thankful Cas showed up, because now he has a way to educate Cas, and avoid- I mean take a break from his research task.
"Okay Cas, I think it's about time I teach you about personal space, since you obviously understand it perfectly..."
Dean mutters sarcastically.
"Was that sarcastic...?" Cas asks, genuinely confused.
Dean looks at Cas with an (obviously!) kind of look.
"Yes Cas, it was, now are you up for the talk?"
Cas nods. "I do apologize for making you uncomfortable, It's not my intention."
"I know Cas, just, let me try and explain it okay?" Dean sighs.
"Of course."
They're still pretty close. Dean swallows, and steps away from his table to sit on the bed.
"Okay uh- look, Cas, you can't just be super close to me all the time, I don't really um- I mean it's not you or anything but, It's just...too close, you know?"
Cas nods, and Dean continues.
"So um, maybe instead of just appearing right next to my face like that."
Dean stands up and walks over to the opposite end of the room.
"You could appear here if you really need to, or maybe even right outside the motel door and you could just knock and I'd let you in."
Cas nods again absentmindedly. He only caught a bit of what Dean was saying, he was too busy staring into his eyes, looking at his hands when they made gestures, and glancing at his bow legs, thinking about when he had rebuilt Dean, and how glorious of a job he had done.
He was startled out of his trance when Dean suddenly clapped his hands together.
"...Cas, you listening?"
Cas blinked a few times, shaking off one his now frequent bouts of daydreaming.
"Ah- my apologies Dean, I had a moment of distraction, could you repeat that last part?"
Dean sighs, rubbing a hand over his face.
"Cas, man, I'm trying to teach you personal boundaries here, were you even listening at all?"
Cas nods, still an apologetic look on his face.
"Of course, I only missed the last few bits, again I apologize."
Dean puts his hands on his knees, shaking his head before standing straight again, rolling his eyes.
"Okay, if you were listening, I said, "What do you think, do you think you could manage?"
"That sounds alright, thank you for explaining the concept to me Dean."
Dean sighs again. "It's alright man, I know that being an angel comes with not knowing social ques. You're proof of that anyways...What were you so hung up on huh Cas? Got a lady on your mind or somethin'? Dean flashes a cocky grin, wiggling his eyebrows a bit.
Cas blinks rapidly again, slightly surprised. "No- I was not thinking of any female, I have no attraction towards anyone, angels don't have attraction in general...Or at least we're not supposed to..." Cas mutters the last part, thankfully Dean doesn't catch it.
"Yea yea I know, junkless and emotionless...being an angel sounds kinda sucky."
Cas nods, however, more glumly than before.
"I do not feel the things you as a human feel, but I try my best to mimic them at times, as not to freak anyone out with my noticably blunt emotional responses."
Dean raises his eyebrows at Cas. "Wow uh- yes that's one way to put it, but Cas, you know...to me your just- Cas, and that's all that matters, sure you're...noticably angel or whatever, but you look human enough, and you're getting the hang of being a piece of society...kind of."
Cas smiles, a small but genuine feat. "Thank you Dean..."
Dean takes another step forward and pats Cas on the shoulder.
"Don't mention it, and besides, teaching you human stuff can be fun at times."
Cas tilts his head "How so?"
Dean snickers "Well- for one, your reaction to things are really funny, like when I couldn't believe you didn't know how to tie your shoes, so I had to teach you myself, man it was like teaching Sammy all over again." Dean lets his hand fall from Cas' shoulder.
"You taught Sam how to tie his shoes?"
"Yea, who else?" Dean chuckles, fondly remembering the memory that happened so long ago.
Cas' face remains stoic.
"Your father, I heard somewhere that the parents are supposed to teach children those types of things."
Dean tenses up, but he doesn't stay that way long. "Ah well, dad was out and Sam wouldn't stop bugging me about it. He saw some kid do it in a book or something, I don't know."
Cas gazes fondly at Dean, having been reminded of just how caring Dean was. Especially towards his little brother.
"That was very kind of you."
Dean rubs the back of his neck. "It was nothin' I teased him a little during the process too, and even tried to bribe him into stopping with all the practicing he was doing, but he was a stubborn kid that's for sure... And anyways, he got it eventually and he was so proud of himself."
Dean smiles, he thinks about reminding Sam of this time when he gets back.
Cas is sitting on the bed now, still gazing just as fondly, if not more fondly at Dean.
Dean sighs. "So, do you need anything else to be hammered down or do you think you've got it?"
Cas shakes his head. "I remember what you said, and I'll try my best to use those suggestions from now on." (LIAR ALERT, LIAR ALERTTTTTT)
Dean's face twists into one of mock annoyance. "Good, because I'm so over you doing...whatever that was you were doing before." Cas simply nods.
୨୧・・・・୨୧・・・・୨୧・・・・୨୧・・・・
They continue chatting until Sam comes back, and they finish out the hunt smoothly for the most part.
It was a vampire, and a creep. A creepire (according to Dean).
Turns out that the vampire was collecting hair as trophies...
Dean: Weird stuff dude.
Sam: Ugh- totally.
Dean: So Sam... do you remember when I first taught you how to tie your shoes?
Sam: Dean, no, you tell this story too much! *Insert done-with-Dean's-shit-Sam*
Dean: Oh come on! It's the best! *Also insert too-cocky-for-his-own-good-Dean.*
Castiel watches, sitting on the bed and observing them fondly.