Cas should know by now that the grizzly, stubbly, love of his life was a permanant grouch 9 out of 10 times. He should know that sometimes it's useless to try and cheer the harsh little guy up, unless you had some fruit and sugar baked to perfection in some dough. In which case, you were in luck. As Cas drove and swerved his way to the nearest 7/11 he was feeling lucky.
It was 3:30 AM, and Dean had just gone to sleep, furious with himself for God knows what now a days. But, as he rolled out of bed and Dean's warm embrace, Cas noted that it was getting worse and worse with everyday Cas was losing strength and grace. Cas would have been stupid if he hadn't noticed Dean's constant fight with himself inside his own head, but up until now he had drowned it in beer, or laughed it off with Sammy, or just taken a drive. But things were different now, Cas realized as he coughed. Things have been different since Dean and Cas became exclusive a couple months ago, and Cas saw all of him for the first time, and at one time Cas thought that maybe, just maybe he finally understood Dean. But, these past few sickly weeks, Cas thinks he doesn't even know him anymore. He's seen him like this perhaps twice with Sam, but after things got fixed up in whatever sense, he returned to the little kid he was. But Cas wasn't going to get better. And that just about killed Dean.
So that is why Castiel drove 15 miles per hour all the way to the 7/11, which felt like years away from the bunker. That's why Cas parked in two parking spots instead of one, getting his trenchcoat stuck in the car door as he tried to get out, tearing slightly up the seam. As he walked into the big, illuminated doors he scrunched his nose at the various smells, hoping he could trace one to where the pie was. Cas stumbled aimlessly to the back of the store, making eye contact with two men twice his size, tattoos just about everywhere and smiled, making a mental note that the crowd here got a bit more...superatural with the fall of night. After distancing himself with the men who were big enough to eat him, Cas saw it : the old, tinted, musky case that held pies that could have been there since Dean was raised from perdition. But something told Cas that Dean wouldn't mind, that in his eyes, pie was pie, and if it made him happy, then you bet your ass that was good enough for his angel.
Cas picked three pies and brought them to the counter, his giddiness erupting from his pores, filling the air around him with an impenatrable happiness. He didn't notice he was being talked to until the blonde cashier cocked her head, putting her hand on her hip saying
"Uh, hello? I said that will be $10.45 please." with an accent so southern, Cas believed she was faking it.
"Oh, uhm yeah of course." he said, fumbling with his pockets. He looked wideeyed at the cashier and felt his face begin to flush.
I mean, it was pretty safe to say that Castiel wasn't completley adapted to the whole 'human' thing yet, judging by his out turned pockets that held nothing but lint.
"I don't really have the money.." Cas said anxiously, feeling his palms begin to sweat.
I left it on the fucking counter....again. Cas thought to himself.
The cashier looked slightly baffled, slightly tired as she began to slide the pies behind the counter, Cas grabbing them right before she did.
"Listen I really need this pie. Can I come back later today and pay you?" He said hopefully, sneezing red splotches into a tissue. He watched the sassy blonde cringe and step back a few, gaining her distance from whatever sickness she believed Cas had.
"Sir. You cant have this pie unless you pay like everyone else. Now please leave." she countered.
Now, Cas really wasn't one to just hate people, but he assumed this was a special case. Because currently, this woman who obviously didn't see the issue in the matter, smacking her gum so loudly Cas thought his father could hear, whose accent smelt of a small town and crab chips was the only thing between Cas getting Dean his pie. Cas rolled his eyes, something he picked up from Sam doing constantly to Dean, and he hoped he had done it right. He pleaded once more, explaining the sheer importance that this pastry held. After a harsh 'no' and a threat to call the police, Cas decided that sometimes, morals weren't really the most importnant thing. Cas decided that in some cases, pie was the most important thing.
To say that Cas 'stole' the pie might be a term that is used a tad loosely, regarding his 'grand escape'. After grabbing the pie, a plastic fork, and running to the Impala, he had to search an extra minute for his keys, in which time the cashier could have easy done something if she wanted to bad enough. Although it was five minutes later, and obviously nobody was coming for the grand pie theft, Cas still assumed he was a wanted man, and zoomed on the main road like he had seen in one of the car movies Dean always watched which Cas just assumed weren't supposed to have a plot.
He walked into the bunker with a smlie the size of Sam and a torn trenchcoat. If this wasn't love, Cas was going to be extremely put-out.
Cas sat at one of the tables in the library, knowing Dean would walk through there first. He checked his watch which read 5:00. Knowing Dean would probably be up soon he decided to just wait readily at the table, wishing to be the first thing he sees in the morning.
*
Dean came sprinting out of his room with only underwear on, his face relaxing completley when he saw Cas.
"I didn't know where you were.." he sighed as he walked closer to Cas, pulling him into a warm hug and longer kiss that made Cas feel as if he were beginning to turn into a puddle. Dean pulled away and smiled, sitting down next to Cas, not seeing the pie yet.
"How are you feeling?" he said as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.
Castiel grinned and studied Dean's eyes, promising himself that one day he would find out what color they truly were.
"I'm fine, Dean. How about you?" Cas said hinting to the pie, but Dean still didn't notice in his haze of slumber.
"I've been better...I've never been this scared to lose someone this bad...I dont know what to do without you, Castiel, I really don't." he finished as he put his head in his hands and leaned backwards, stretching the bones in his spine.
Cas heard a few more cracks then he thought he should, then coughed into his elbow, causing Dean to look at him, brow furrowed. Dean sighed and put Cas' hand to his mouth, kissing it then leaving it up against his coarse face, wanting to keep it there forever.
"Honestly Cas, what I could really use is some goddamn pie." Dean croaked out, still oblivious.
Cas couldn't help laughing, staring at the pie directly in front of them. Dean looked up at Cas in confusion, then followed his eyes to the pie. Cas watched a smile spread on Dean's face that resembled a sky comepletley scattered with stars. Castiel thought he felt himself heal a little bit at the sight of it. Dean scooped Cas up in a hug so tight and comforting, Cas thought he would be okay dying right there. Dean put him back down and opened all three pies, grabbing the plastic fork in the bottom of the bag as he did.
Cas watched as Dean scarfed down an unholy amount of pie, thinking this was the happiest he had seen him in weeks.
Cas decided that sometimes, sickness, stress, reality, and hardships weren't the most important thing.
Cas decided that sometimes, the most important thing was pie.
