I Don't Deserve Love: Alternate Ending

Chapter 19: Castiel's POV

I followed Opal casually along the roads towards the open market. Somehow Opal had convinced me to tell her about how I had gotten Demon. I usually hated talking about myself, but for some reason I wanted Opal to know about me. So I told her the story of how Demon as a puppy chewed through five pairs of my mom's designer slippers. That made her chuckle, so I told her the story of how he had scared away the last two nannies mom had hired for me, which was when they decided to have me be legally independent. That had made her laugh lightly so I racked my brain for an even better story.

"Do you want to hear about the first time Demon met a guinea pig?"

Opal looked up from her map and blinked her large eyes at me, slowly smiling. "A guinea pig?" she asked with expectation.

I smirked, looking down at Demon who was walking in between Opal and me obediently. As soon as we left the beach I had put his leash on him, but not once had he tried to pull away and sniff at anything and I had a sneaking suspicion that it was because of Opal's hand on his head.

"I had only owned Demon for about two weeks, so he was still a puppy, and I decided to take him with me to the pet store to pick out some toys and treats for him. I had him on a leash and as I was walking towards the dog section Demon all of a sudden stopped so I almost tripped over him."

Opal giggled and I paused to listen to the small sound. I had always hated when girls giggled because it usually meant they were making fun of a guy, but Opal made it sound cute and innocent.

"So I stop to see what had gotten his attention and I notice that we were next to the rodent cases. You know, hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs. The guinea pigs were on the bottom, just at Demon's eye level, and there was this massive guinea pig staring him down."

Opal sputtered and held a hand to her mouth, trying to hold back her laughter, and I could tell she was mentally imagining it.

"So, I knelt down to tell Demon that it's just an overgrown mouse when all of a sudden the guinea pig charges! It runs smack into the glass and Demon freaks out and takes off, ripping the leash out of my hands." Opal couldn't hold back her laughter any longer. She laughed as I explained how it had taken me almost ten minutes to finally catch Demon who had chosen to hide behind a fish tank.

"Those tanks reeked! And while I was reaching for him one of them almost tipped over!" Opal continued to laugh so hard that she held onto her stomach as if she was in pain. I grinned and quickly tried to make it a smirk.

What is it about Opal that made me want to smile all the time? I wondered with mild confusion. Demon barked and licked Opal's hands which were clutching her stomach. Opal knelt down, still giggling, and scratched Demon's ears while rubbing her nose against his.

"You are a funny doggie, aren't you? Poor guinea pig was probably just trying to play and it bonked his head on the glass. Silly puppy."

Demon wagged his tail like crazy as Opal stroked him. I watched the exchange with amazement since Demon was usually standoffish when it came to new people. Demon licked Opal's face and she laughed, pushing his muzzle away gently before standing up and smiling one of her sweet smiles. I looked away to hide my own smile.

"The map says Albany Street is only a couple more blocks away. Come on!" Opal walked confidently ahead and Demon pranced after her, keeping his head high so that she could continue to rub his ear.

"You know you can't keep him. He's coming home with me," I said gruffly, wondering how she would react. Opal turned around, and walking backward she fixed me with the most pitiful puppy dog eyes I had ever seen.

"I know," she sighed with an innocent sadness. I swallowed, trying to form words for a response, but instead, Opal suddenly grinned and skipped while still facing me. "Which is why I was so happy you decided to come with me! Now I get to spend the whole day with him! Isn't that right, buddy?" she said while rubbing Demon's chin. Demon barked happily and I scoffed.