Title: Of Pie, Rock Salt and Twenty Questions (2/2)

Author: kira_bouviea

Fandom: Supernatural

Genre: Some humor, maybe angstish, oh um… hints of romance…very vague hints.

Characters: Dean, Chuck, and a mention of Castiel

Pairing: pre-slash Dean/Castiel

Warnings: Spoilers from 4x18, Gratuitous use of Pie

Summary: “Are you telling me that God likes Penthouse Forum style writing?”

Disclaimer: Kripke and co own Supernatural, and my name isn’t Kripke. I’m poor so don’t sue. Oh and Kripke thanks for all the Dean/Cas moments!

Authors Note: Yeah, I’m just going to ignore the fact that Chuck first meets Zachariah at the end of the episode. Just bear with me folks.

Of Pie, Rock Salt and Twenty Questions (2/2)

Twenty minutes later and Chuck is about to pull out the card for a therapist he knows who specializes in troubled marriages, he also holds phone sessions so that Dean wouldn’t have to drive back to the same town week after week. Not that Dean ever would, but that’s beside the point.

Everything was going fairly smoothly, until Castiel had shown up with Zachariah.

*20 minutes ago*

“So, uh, Dean, I was wondering, now that we’ve covered some of the basics in Hunting 101, could I ask you some questions?” Chuck half wondered if Dean would renege on their deal, but by the expression of resigned acceptance on Deans face Chuck figured that he was going to get an answer to some of his questions.

“Okay, fine, ask away.” Dean muttered, figuring that he might have to answer some questions about Sam, but never figuring that Dean himself along with Castiel was going to figure prominently in the following questions.

“What’s the deal with you and Castiel.” Chuck couldn’t believe that he had actually said that. He had been planning on asking Dean a couple of other questions that would slowly lead up to this one, but there ya go, whenever a Winchester is involved you don’t make plans.

It didn’t help things that Chuck always got very nervous around people with power, and make no mistake Dean had power, not that he knew about it or anything.

Dean’s power came in his charisma, and his desire to protect people. The hunter had a saving-people-thing, and now Chuck knew he had issues if he was borrowing phrases to use from the children’s series in his self-monologue.

Dean looked a little taken aback, but also confused. “What thing? Castiel and me don’t have a thing. Dude, what are you talking about?”

Chuck sat back, and sighed. Yeah Dean had decided to take the self-denial route, what a shocker.

He was going to have to be more forward about this in a way that wouldn’t earn a fist to the face, not, he amended, that he thought Dean would punch him. Chuck would never going to tell Dean this but even when Dean had been threatening him with the possibility of being shot, chuck had never even considered the possibility that Dean would go through with it.

Yeah, Dean was trying to protect his brother, but Chuck didn’t think that he would actually harm him to do it. Drag him kicking and screaming to the hotel where
Lilith was at? Absolutely. But he wouldn’t let the evil bitch actually hurt him. Chuck was fairly sure about that. Like 95 percent sure anyways.

But back to the matter at hand.

“Dean, I write you. I know that freaks you out, but it’s true. I get these visions of you and some of the time I can guess at what you think. But these visions are just… It’s like watching a TV show. You can guess at the characters motivations but you can never be sure because you don’t know what they’re thinking at any given moment. Every time I see you with Castiel, there’s this connection between you two. I don’t know what it is and it’s driving me insane. And don’t you sit there and tell me that there is no such thing. You know it’s true Dean.”

When Chuck finishes speaking there is silence for a few painful moments and Chuck is sure that Dean is going to get up and leave, because this is something that he definitely does not want to discuss. But Chuck also thinks, hopes, that Dean will honor their agreement, even if it is not a serious pact, because Dean is nothing if not honorable, if perhaps not in the general sense of the word.

Dean glared at a particularly ugly carpet that Chuck had thought about getting rid of before, but just couldn’t for some reason. If a person could burn a hole in the carpet just by looking at it, it seemed Dean would have, well if he could have.

“Look, I don’t know what you want me to say here Chuck. I don’t… I mean he’s an angel for fucks sake.” Chuck sat up straighter because Dean couldn’t be implying what he thought, right?

Dean was about to explain further when Zachariah and Castiel had shown up.

And then?

Things went to shit.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dean was going to punch an angel, he really was. And right now? He couldn’t decide which one to punch.

Castiel had helped him, so that was a point in his favor. But he was also so damn confusing. Half the time Dean just wanted to stab him again, the other half, well Dean wasn’t too sure about the other half. Sometimes it felt like they were friends, but that didn’t quite cover it. It was like there was this connection between them.

The guy did pull you out of hell, you idjit, his inner Bobby chided, that’s bound to create some kind of connection.

And right now, Castiel was looking at him, with that patented inquisitive puppy dog look. The one he used when Dean had utterly confused him.

Dean was very used to that look.

Now Zachariah, he was another matter.

Dean honestly didn’t want to stab Zachariah in the chest, like he did Castiel. That would be too nice. No, Dean wanted to; as he had said before, stab him in his goddamn face.

Zachariah got on his nerves, saying that Dean was whining because he was upset about what happened to him in hell. What the fuck was up with that shit?

But strangely, Dean had a, if not respect, understanding for the man… uh, angel. Not a very good one, but just enough that he wasn’t going to stab Zachariah, just yet.

Besides, dude, he’s an angel. Back when Uriel hadn’t been dead, or a known betrayer, the worst Dean would have done to him, was what Dean did already. Annoy the hell out of him. Uriel was a dick and he did deserve all of the harassment Dean gave to him, but Dean would never have tried to dill him. He wouldn’t have even considered it, and he wouldn’t have let Sam try to either. Not that he had much control over his brother lately, but that was anther matter entirely.

“I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again Zachariah. Angel or not I will stab you in your face. I’m not trying to intimidate your prophet, and I’m not trying to corrupt him. I’m trying to give him some basic preparation if something nasty comes knocking.
And I’m not apologizing about saving Sam either.” Dean snapped, already tired of the angel’s presence.

He had hoped, rather futiley, to leave this town without talking to them again. Well he wouldn’t have objected to talking to Cas, but he didn’t count in Dean’s book.

Castiel was good people, and Zachariah hadn’t proven that he was yet. It didn’t help that Dean hadn’t fully forgiven him for the fugly clothes that he’d had to wear while he’d been Dean Smith, among other things.

“Dean,” Castiel said in that weary voice that Dean was so familiar with, “No one is accusing you of anything, but Chuck is already protected, he does not need to be protected further.”

Zachariah nodded, he still had that smile on his face. The one that implied that Dean didn’t know shit, but that Zachariah would tolerate it, for now.

And that just made Dean angrier, but Chuck was in the room and he didn’t need to see Dean get smitted for attacking an angel.

That didn’t mean that Dean was just going to accept his shit like a good little soldier.

“Yeah, I know that Chuck is protected by a freakin’ scary Archangel. But, I still wanted him to know the basics. How do I know that Chuck will be protected beyond what you guys feel is useful, huh? What if, after all this, Chuck is attacked, and he doesn’t get the backup that he’s counting on?”

Castiel just cocked his head to the side, perplexed by his charge. “Chucks protection is not on a time limit. Chuck will be under the protection of an Archangel until he dies.”

Zachariah butted in, “Heaven’s protection does not have boundaries or conditions when it comes to prophets, Dean. When it is time for Chuck to die, he will still be protected.”

“Well that’s comforting!” Dean snapped.

“Can we not talk about this,” the somewhat queasy voice of Chuck came from the sofa. He looked like he was about to be sick.

That, of course, caused Dean to back down immediately. Dude probably doesn’t want to hear about his own death, or rather the possibility of it.

“Sorry Dude.”

Dean’s comment actually caused Zachariah to smile, which confused the hell out of Dean, but whatever, at least they weren’t arguing anymore.

“You should leave Dean. The prophet will be protected. He is no longer your concern.”

“Yeah, fine, whatever.” Dean got ready to leave Chucks house, rather glad that he had gotten out of the psychoanalyzing that Chuck had wanted to do, but still pissed about Zachariah.

“I will accompany you to back to the hotel.” Castiel announced.

Dean was about to leave the living room when a “Wait, Dean I have something for you,” From Chuck stopped him.

Chuck was digging around his desk looking for something. Finally, after knocking several stacks of paper onto the floor in his search, Chuck picked up a little business card victoriously. He wrote something on the back of it before handing it to Dean and shooing him out of the house before the hunter had a chance to read it.

Dean, somewhat bemused by how active Chuck had suddenly gotten, didn’t balk about the prophet’s sudden bossiness.

It wasn’t until the front door shut behind them that Dean realized that he was out of the house.

Castiel was looking equally bemused. “Is that how humans normally act towards guests?”

“Not really, but Chuck did have two angels in his house, he was probably freaking out, and we were arguing too, dude didn’t want to have someone smitted in his house. I don’t blame him.”

Dean ignored the already familiar itch of the angels gaze and strode towards the Impala. “Coming or what, angel boy? I don’t have all night.” Dean was giving Castiel an out; if he didn’t want to stay with Dean on his drive back to Sam he didn’t have to.

“I will accompany you.”

Dean was already sitting in the car with the engine running before he realized that Castiel hadn’t climbed in.

“Hey Cas, you usually have to be in the passengers seat if your gonna come with me.”

Castiel was giving Dean an unexpectedly questioning look. “You would not mind if I sit in Sam’s spot?”

Oh.

Dean stomped down on an unexpected feeling of loneliness because Sam, the Sam he knew anyways hadn’t sat shotgun in a long time. “Nah Cas, you can sit shotgun, I don’t mind.” Dean didn’t mention that he would actually prefer Castiel sitting shotgun right now to Sam.

*~*~*~*~*~*

After Castiel had gotten into the Impala and Dean had explained the concept of seat belts. Which involved actually leaning over into the passengers seat to fasten it around the angel.

“I do not require a ‘seat belt’ Dean, angels are more than capable than protecting themselves.”

“Yeah, but you still have to wear it Cas. My car, my rules.”

Dean started driving towards the motel where Sam was at.

“Dean, you did not have to give Chuck weapons or other means of protecting himself. You knew that there was an archangel to watch out for him, and yet you did. Why?”

Dean could hear the underlying question in Castiels voice. Did you not think that the forces of heaven were sufficient?

“I owed Chuck, Cas. I forced him to come with me and face Lilith. The least I could do was give him the basics.” Dean didn’t mention how he felt that Chuck was his responsibility. Castiel wouldn’t understand how people like Ron and Chuck and oddly enough Hendrickson (after he had stopped being a total dick) became Dean’s responsibility, not because they were helpless or victims, but because they had this life about them, that was suddenly interrupted by the presence or knowledge of the supernatural. Dean understood how that felt.

“You are a good man Dean Winchester,” Castiel murmured. He was looking at Dean in that way that somehow conveyed awe and admiration and fondness all in one. It was the stare that Dean didn’t understand, because Castiel had seen Dean at his worst, doing things that Dean would never ever forgive himself for, and Castel still thought he was good despite all of that.

Dean didn’t answer Castiel and probably wasn’t expected to. The rest of the drive was made in comfortable silence. Dean didn’t even, for once; feel the need to turn on the radio. Castiels soft breathing was enough. It calmed him and softened the anger and hurt that Dean felt for Sam right now. And that was just something that Dean did not want to think about.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When Castiel left, there were no farewells because both knew that they would see each other again, and Dean was glad for that, because goodbyes just sucked.

Dean sat in his car for a few minutes just enjoying the silence and the lingering feeling of peace that Castiel exuded, even when he was at his most frustrating.

Dean remembered the card that Chuck had shoved into his hand as he was leaving the prophets house and pulled it out of his jacket pocket.

As soon as Dean read it he decided that if he ever saw Chuck again he was going to have to do something terrible to him.

Maybe itching powder.

Sam’s reaction had been hilarious.

The card read:

Edith Mitchem

Marriage Counselor

Specializing in long distance relationships

And on the back of it was written:

Dean, I know that you’re going to want to kill me but she really is a great counselor and you and Castiel look like you need some help. Give her a try.

~Chuck