Fame Crazy (Sequel to Strings Attached)

Chapter 56

A/N I accidentally published this a second before 55 so go read that one first

With a single puff, Castiel blows out all the candles. He takes each one out as licks the base clear of frosting before dropping them all on a plate.

Michael ends up cutting the cake, being the responsible person he is. No one else could be trusted to cut everyone decently sized, equal slices. Everyone takes their own ice cream, though, because no one feels like policing that.

As the birthday boy, Castiel gets the first piece, but he decides to be polite and wait for everyone else to get theirs before eating.

Lucifer looks around, then holds his phone out to Castiel. "They're your fans. You live stream with 'em."

Castiel rolls his eyes but takes the phone anyway. "Hey, guys! It's meh birthday! I just want to take a moment to thank Michael for doing absolutely everything because god knows no one else would."

He aims the camera at Michael, who gives it a small smile before returning to his work as the cake cutter upper.

"Usually, my dad would be doing this, but he's on a trip," Castiel adds.

"This has to be the first time Dad's missed any of our birthdays," Gabriel observes.

"I think so," Samandiel agrees.

"Well, I mean, I'm twenty-one," Castiel reminds him. "By this point, it kinda stops being a special occasion."

Charlie scoffs. "Are you kidding me? Birthdays are always special, Castiel. Always."

"It's just an excuse to eat cake to me," he replies with a shrug.

"And gifts!" she reminds him.

"I told you guys not to get me anything."

"Yeah, but we don't follow directions well," she replies with a grin. "You're getting at least one present today, whether you want it or not."

"But —"

"Whether. You. Want. It. Or. Not."

He chuckles. "Alright, I get it. But cake comes first."

As Michael finishes giving it out, Castiel pokes around at his. One layer chocolate, one layer vanilla, separated by the white whipped cream frosting that he adores. It's obviously store bought, because no one at home could do the frosting border like this, and the "Happy 21st Birthday, Castiel!" is far too neat to be their doing. He can't say he's complaining, though. Cake is cake.

"I'm gonna set this down 'til we've all eaten before I start the live steam again," Castiel tells his brother's phone. He places it on the table, held up by the ice cream so it's facing him and Gabriel, mostly for the sake of convenience.

"This is delicious," Gabriel announces, taking a huge bite.

"It's cake," Lucifer reminds him. "It can't not be delicious."

"Touché," he agrees.

"Where's this even from?" Castiel asks curiously.

Everyone looks at Michael expectantly, because god knows no one but Michael would buy the cake.

"I made it," he says, not making a big deal out of it. He just continues eating as if not everyone is gaping at him.

"You made this?" Lucifer repeats. "You made this?"

"Mm hmm."

"But it's so... good," Samandriel tells him, seeming confused.

"Well, I do have skills outside my ability to start a lighter," he replies with a dismissive shrug.

"This isn't just skill," Lucifer tells him. "This is black magic. That's the only explanation I can think of."

"I don't know whether to be offended or take this as a compliment," Michael says uncertainly.

"Compliment," Gabriel tells him, reaching across the table to poor himself a soda. "Definitely a compliment."

"You should start a cake store," Lucifer adds.

"You mean a bakery?"

"Yeah. That. You should start a bakery. And give us free cakes."

"I just found a recipe online," he tells them. "I don't know what you're so excited about."

"It's not just the recipe," Samandriel tells him. "This is some expert frosting, too. In fact, this whole thing is amazing. Seriously, Mike, you gotta bake us cake more often."

"During what free time? Summer ends and I'm booked 'til Christmas."

"Oh, true," he agrees.

"Let's all have a moment of silence for all the cakes Michael could make but doesn't because of school," Lucifer adds.

Michael just sighs. "It's not a very good cake so I don't know what you're all exited about."

"It's an amazing cake," Adam tells him. "I was gonna make a 'needs more protein' joke to annoy Samandriel, but I feel like that would be a dishonor to the cake."

Samandriel sighs. "You're never gonna stop that, are you?"

"Not 'til you decide you like Jacksfilms."

"So, you're never gonna stop that," Samandriel repeats.

"You will join my side," Adam tells him. "It'll just take a push in the right direction."

"Okay, now I'm a little scared."

"You should be."

A/N This wasn't originally going to be a chapter but the chapter I combined it with is now almost three chapter's worth in one chapter so I separated this into a different chapter. I just said chapter a lot.