The Bodyguard (is the Omega)

8.

Dean was hanging around at the front of Castiel's cottage when he sprinted back into the compound. Dean's hair was still wet from the shower, the big grey bathrobe cinched around his waist. He looked like he didn't know what he was doing sitting on Castiel's front porch. Dean stood up when he saw Castiel, taking a few steps forward as if to greet him. Castiel looked down at the garden path, Dean looked so good, sitting there clean and a little anxious, like a mate waiting for him to come home. In some forbidden daydream.

"You were gone for an hour, thought the wolves ate you," Dean said half joking, running his hand through his damp hair.

"I'm alright Dean, I just needed to blow off some steam," Castiel said, still standing at the bottom of the porch. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Dean shrugged. "Of course. Not the first time someone got handsy in a shoot. First time in a long time though."

He looked at Castiel, his eyes steady. "You know you can't get upset when something like this happens."

"I'm not," Castiel started to say, but Dean had walked down the steps in front of the house and was standing right in front of him, looking into his eyes.

"I can smell how much you care," Dean said. "It's like lemon and mint."

"I just need to take a shower," Castiel said, looking impatiently past Dean's shoulder at the door.

"My life is kind of chaotic right now," Dean smiled wryly. "I don't wanna piss you off because I can't control what's happening to me. I don't wanna have to look for another bodyguard, I starting to like the guy I got."

Castiel sighed. "No, Dean. You didn't piss me off. I'm just getting too close to the people in my charge. To Sam, Jack, Charlie ..."

"Just to those guys, huh," Dean took another step in and there it was, the sliver of gold in his eyes, expanding rapidly.

"My job, it's like playing chess," Castiel struggled to articulate it. "You move the pieces around, you guard what you can, the most valuable pieces, the ones that'll kill you to lose. But if all you do is watch your Queen, you sacrifice everything to save her, you let fear drive your game and you'll wind up losing her for sure."

"So how do you win?"

"You keep your distance, you think before you make a move."

"I fucking hate chess," Dean gave a soft snort. "Makes me want to flip the whole board."

"You're more a Twister kind of guy?" Castiel said deadpan.

"Now that's a game of skill," Dean took a step back, tugging on the sleeve of his robe self consciously. "We should play sometime. But not tonight, you look tired."

"Yeah, I'd hit the hay but this guy keeps talking to me, I think he wants something."

"I wanted to check up on you," Dean hesitated. "And to say thanks."

"It's my job."

Dean pulled a face. "Yeah, I get it, boundaries. Night Cas."

Castiel watched Dean walk back to the main house. The electrician had newly installed a row of lights that connected the guest cottage to the main compound. Castiel could keep an eye on Dean until the moment he shut the back door. He could see Dean's bedroom light being turned on briefly, then out again.