The Hunter and The Angel (a Destiel Fanfic)

Grace

The smell of whiskey filled the small apartment, sending shivers through Dean's body. Everything seemed to stand still as his head fell into his hands, pain shooting through his brain as a child's cry rang out through the house. Damn it, Cas. He threw his head back in frustration, his hair clinging to his forehead with sweat. And in that same moment, a sweet, melodic voice echoed through the tiny apartment, the music filling Dean's ears as he slowly rose to his feet, his ears perking up as if he was a dog ready to attack.

"Cas?", he said in a harsh tone, his voice loud and clear as he made his way down the hall, his boots pounding against the wood floor. "Cas!", he repeated, his heart pounding in his chest as he broke into a run.

As he got closer to Grace's room - the two-month old baby they adopted soon after she was born - he could sense that something was up. His blood flow to his brain seemed to be cut off as he rounded the corner, stopping in his tracks with a sigh of relief.

Standing in the center of the room with a wrapped up bundle in his arms was his fiance, his hips swaying as he rocked the small girl back and forth, a sweet lullaby rolling off the tip of his tongue.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word. Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird won't sing, Papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring turns brass, Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass.", he sang, his soothing voice filling the nursery.

A smile spread across Dean's face as he watched, his back resting against the doorway. He grinned as he laid the baby in the crib, her chest slowly rising and falling with each little breath she took. And as Dean focused on her, he could feel his own eyes slowly fluttering shut, his eyes being swallowed up by darkness. In that one minute, he couldn't help but dream of the sleep he hadn't had ever since they adopted Grace.

But his sleep was suddenly interrupted when two hands gripped his shoulders, gently pushing him backwards as Cas pulled the door closed behind them, slowly until it clicked shut. In a quick second, Dean's eyes sprung open, only to see the ocean blue eyes that he had woken up to every morning for the past two years.

"Cas?", he mumbled, his words sounding foreign, even to him.

"Yes, Dean?", he asked, his hands on his hips as he leaned against one of the walls, sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Um...you have a little-", he replied, gesturing towards his own shoulder as he watched Cas turn his head, a sound of disgust escaping his mouth.

"Why do kids 'spit up'? I mean, can't they just run to the bathroom like everyone else?", Cas asked in a harsh tone, briskly walking to the bathroom where he grabbed a towel from the rack, dabbing at the puke on his shoulder.

Dean smirked as Cas stood there, his eyes locked tight on his fiance. He couldn't help but notice the wrinkle that formed on his forehead when he was angry. Damn it, Cas. Once again, Dean sighed and threw his head back before joining the man who would soon be his husband.

"You're doing it all wrong, Cas.", Dean said in an irritated tone, quickly taking the towel from his hand and dabbing gently at the stain on his shirt. "You have to dab it gently, not completely rub the hell out of it."

Cas stared at him intently, watching as he dabbed at his shoulder. He noticed how his movements were so swift, almost as if he was used to this by now. How could a man who hardly even cleaned the stains off of his own shirts clean the stains off of someone else's? For a long moment, he watched as Dean laid the towel on a bench, brushing his hands together as if he'd gotten something on them. Dean must have realized Cas's eyes were locked tight on him because he suddenly looked up, a confused look on his face.

"What?", he asked in a harsh tone, leaning his back against the doorway as he stared intently at Cas, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Nothing, it's just that I...", Cas replied, but paused as the sound of a baby crying rang out through the apartment yet again.

He stared as Dean sighed, kicked off of the wall, and opened the door to the room, leaving it open just a crack as he entered the nursery. Even through the small opening in the door, Cas could hear every word his fiance was saying to their daughter.

"Hey, Grace. What's the matter?", he asked in a childish voice, gently scooping her up into his arms. All of a sudden, like a sudden wave of silence had swept over them, the crying stopped.

With a shocked expression, he carried her to the other side of the room where a mobile hung on the ceiling, the figures casting shadows on the ceiling. Dean found himself more intrigued by the neon animals than the baby. But, then again, she never had been a huge fan of lions. The muscles in his arms twitched as he swayed back and forth like he'd seen Cas do, his mouth forming the words to his favorite song.

"Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more.", he sang softly, his head tilted downwards to watch as her eyes fluttered shut, her chest slowly rising and falling as he continued. "Once I rose above the noise and confusion, just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion. I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high."

He stopped as he realized she was fast asleep, her mouth hanging wide open as she slept, the same way his always did. His mouth turned up at the corners into a smile as he laid her in the crib, her head turning to one side like Cas' did. My little Grace, he thought silently, his heart beat audible in his ears as he made his way to the door, turning back around one last time before closing the door behind him.

Cas stared at him yet again as he faced him, his brow furrowed as if he was confused about what he'd just seen. Something in his eyes told Dean that he was extremely happy. But another part of him told him that what he had just done wasn't really necessary.

"Damn it, Cas, it's not that big of a deal.", Dean said harshly as he turned to go down the hallway to their room. But he was suddenly stopped by a hand.

Just as he began to turn around, he could see the affection in Cas' eyes as he pulled him close, the gap between their bodies closing as Cas flung his body onto Dean, his arms wrapping around him in a warm embrace as he led him down the hall.