#option 2: sam asked ‘hey what happened to cas’ and dean went ‘yeah he seemed like he wanted to sacrifice himself i think we should honor

[quietwingsinthesky]

so because nick was able to almost raise lucifer from the empty, we really have to assume that anyone could do it. like all he had was some determination and a hammer, and he could have pulled it off. so. what im saying is that this leads us to assume that in-universe, dean just didnt feel like it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[440mxs-wife]

Tea of Love

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Other Characters: Sam, Castiel, Crowley, Rowena

Imagine: You’re hunting a witch with Sam and Dean, only to fall victim to her curse.

A/N: This is my contribution to the SPN Bi-Weekly Writing Challenge offered by @supernatural-jackles. I signed up to contribute on a monthly basis, but it looks like I missed the deadline. Here it is all the same. Enjoy!

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

Dean parked the Impala a good distance away from the two-story farmhouse. Far enough away to be hidden from sight, but still within running distance for a quick getaway if needed.

You had received word that a witch was causing trouble, and had tracked her to the town of Smithville, Arkansas. The plan was to sneak in to the house, with you going in through the back entrance, while Sam and Dean went in through the front door.

"All right, weapons check," Dean whispered. Each of you ejected the clip from your handguns, yours from your .380, to make sure it was full of witch-killing bullets. Satisfied, you re-inserted the clip and pulled back on the hammer so that a round was in the chamber. After a successful weapons check, Sam went up the steps and started picking the lock on the front door.

"Ready?" you asked as you turned to head for the back door.

Dean nodded. "Hey? Be careful," he remarked softly.

You sent him a quick smile. "Always, Dean. See you inside," you replied. You and Sam be careful too, Dean, you said in silent prayer.

Quickly and quietly, you made your way to the back door. The wooden steps to the porch looked like they had seen too many blistering summers and frostbitten winters to still be stable. You carefully climbed the steps, sticking to the edges where the wood appeared to be less worn.

You gingerly tested the doorknob, only to find that it turned easily in your hand. An unlocked door could mean one of two things: a careless witch or you had just walked into her trap. While you were hoping for the first option, with your luck, you had a feeling it was probably door #2. You tiptoed through the kitchen, through the living room and down the hall to the bedrooms. First bedroom on the right was clear, second one across the hall was also clear.

As you carefully approached the last bedroom, you realized that you hadn't seen Sam or Dean yet. You stopped and strained your ears for any confirmation that they had even entered the house yet. Just as you were about to resume your progress towards the bedroom door, you felt a hand on your shoulder. You whipped around, only to be confronted by the mossy green orbs of one Dean Winchester.

With your heart hammering in your chest, you took a moment for it to return to normal before continuing your trek down the hall. "What is wrong with you?" you hissed. "You shouldn't just sneak up on me like that!"

"Well, excuse me," he shot back. "First of all, I didn't expect for you to have gotten this far without running into the witch. And 'B', isn't it better to go in knowing you have backup than only hoping you do?" he retorted.

You took a deep breath before answering. "You're right. Sorry Dean," you whispered. "Let's get this witch taken down so we can blow this popstand," you replied.

Dean nodded and motioned for you to continue down the hall. You turned the doorknob and slowly swung the door open. You entered the room first to assess the situation, while Dean stood just outside the door, ready to bust in if needed.

The witch had her back to you as she sprinkled something into a bowl. All of a sudden she raised her arms above her head as if in victory and turned to face the doorway. "I was wondering when you hunters were going to show up. I've been expecting you," she smirked.

Before you could raise your weapon, she picked up the bowl and threw its contents at you. The blue powder from the bowl doused you almost completely from head to toe. As she chanted some words in Latin, the powder started to glow and burn a bit wherever it touched bare skin. You cried out in pain, at which time Dean entered the room and fired his weapon. The witch fell to the floor, dead from the witch-killing bullet he fired.

"Dean," you pleaded softly as you started to feel faint.

"Whoa, hold on there. Stay with me, sweetheart," Dean said as he rushed to catch you before you could hit the floor. He called out for Sam, who had finally caught up with you and Dean. Sam scooped you up in his arms and carried you out to the Impala.

Dean filled him in on what had happened between you and the witch. "I don't know what kind of spell she got hit with, so we're going to have to be ready for just about anything," Dean said grimly.

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

You carefully opened your eyes enough to notice that you were back in your room, in your bed instead of the backseat of the Impala. You decided to sit up, only to be met with a splitting headache. A groan of pain escaped your lips as you eased back onto your pillow and draped your bandaged arm across your eyes.

There was a soft knock at your door, then you heard it creak open. "Hiya, sweetheart," Dean said softly. "How're you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I got hit by a truck. Twice," you grumbled.

Dean chuckled. "Here, I gotcha," he said as he handed you a couple of painkillers and a bottle of water. He helped you up to a sitting position, putting pillows between your back and the headboard.

"Thank you," you replied. "What the hell happened? The last thing I remember is that witch throwing a bowl of some kind of powder at me. Then I remember her chanting something, the powder burning into my skin, then you killed her," you finished.

"Well, that's about it, you collapsed after that and we brought you back here in the Impala," Dean explained. "Sam brought you in and put you on your bed," he remarked.

"How long was I out?" you asked.

"You've been out for about a day and a half, sweetheart," he remarked softly. "We called Rowena to see if she could tell what you may have been hit with, so we'd know how to counteract it. And, oh yeah, Crowley tagged along, just so you know," he grumbled.

"Oh. Fabulous," you deadpanned. "I'll bet he's just been a joy to be around," you snorted.

Dean laughed. "Yeah, he said he was bored in Hell, so he latched on to Mummy's magic bag to show up here," he grinned.

You reached over and took Dean's hand in yours. "Hey, in case I forgot to tell you, Dean....thank you for getting me out of there and taking care of me here," you remarked softly.

He shifted a little in his seat and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, sure, no problem. All in a day's work, you know," he said as he jumped up from the chair. "Um, I'm uh....gonna just....yeah. I'll check in on you later," Dean then bolted out of your room.

What the hell was that all about? you thought, as you replayed the conversation in your mind. When you got to the part where you took his hand, you mentally smacked yourself in the forehead. He was fine until then, you realized. After that it was awkward, because he doesn't want you to get the wrong idea. He's telling you that he doesn't think of you in 'that way'. You leaned your head back against the headboard and squeezed your eyes shut, willing the tears not to fall.

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

It's been almost ten years since you came to live in the bunker. You met the Winchesters through a mutual friend, Sheriff Donna Hanscum, whom you've known since high school. She never knew you were a hunter until after Sam and Dean showed up at that spa she went to. You had caught wind of some strange things happening at that spa, so you went in with her, but undercover as a patient.

You and Sam clicked instantly, becoming best friends. You both nerded out about the same things, like books, sci-fi, and research. You liked the same kinds of movies and were more at home in a library than the bar.

You and Dean were a different story. At first, you didn't get along at all, because he thought you would be someone else he'd have to be responsible for. That is, until you stepped in front of the swipe of a werewolf's claws to save his life. Despite your condition, you still managed to fire off three silver bullets at its heart to kill it before collapsing from your injury. After that, Dean seemed to see you as a fellow hunter, rather than a civilian he had to constantly keep watch over.

Too bad he didn't also see you as a woman--full of passion, kindness and understanding, with eyes only for him. You watched as he showered his attention and affections on countless other women, just not on the one woman who truly knew and loved him. So, you handled your feelings by using the Winchester Method: you shoved them down out of the way and pretended that they didn't exist.

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

A couple of hours later, you carefully got out of bed and wandered into the kitchen. You picked up the teakettle, filled it with water and added several pinches of your special blend of tea. While you waited, you grabbed your favorite cup from the cabinet and took a seat at the table.

"Well hello, dear! Nice to see ye up and around, 'specially after what ye've been through, darlin'," a voice from behind you said. You turned to see it was Rowena, which brought a small smile to your face.

"Hello, Rowena," you replied. "Any luck figuring out what we're up against?" you asked.

"Not yet, dearie. Still workin' on it, but don't ye worry abou' it," Rowena assured you.

"I hope so," you murmured. "Would you like some tea?" you asked.

Rowena shook her head and smiled. At that moment, Sam, Dean and Castiel came into the kitchen and walked over to the table. Sam and Cas each squeezed your shoulder as they took their seats. "Hey, sweetheart, you must be feeling better," Dean remarked as he kissed the top of your head.

You smiled and nodded. The teakettle whistled that it was ready to serve, so you rose from the table. "You guys want some tea? I made some from my secret stash," you grinned.

The boys all nodded, so you got out three extra cups, along with the cream, sugar and honey. You poured cups of tea for everyone, then resumed your seat at the table. You added a bit of creamer and some sugar to your tea.

"So, what's in this 'special blend' of tea you made?" Sam asked.

"Well, it's got some dried orange zest in it, some cinnamon, black tea leaves, ground nutmeg. And a few other secret ingredients," you winked conspiratorially.

"Mmm, I think it's delicious," Cas remarked as he took another sip, with Sam nodding in agreement.

Dean watched as you absently stirred your tea, while the others talked among themselves. Your furrowed brow showed him you were still coming to terms with what had happened in the past few days.

It had not yet been determined what kind of curse you'd been hit with, and he knew you had to be worried. Your eyes glistened a bit with unshed tears which told him you might be more than a little scared of that unknown. You stood up from the table just as he was about to reach out for your hand to comfort you.

"I think I'll go take a shower. Might feel a bit more human if I do, after wearing the same clothes for the past few days. Excuse me," you murmured as you left the kitchen. Dean stared after you, wanting so badly to help you. To show you it was okay to be scared, and that he would do everything in his power to figure out how to reverse the spell.

At that moment, Crowley waltzed into the kitchen. "Hello, Mother, Feathers, Moose, Squirrel," he drawled. "Where's our little Mouse? Can't complete the clubhouse roll call unless she's here to sound off," he smirked.

"She left to go take a shower," Dean grumbled as he brushed past Crowley out of the kitchen.

Crowley noticed Dean's full cup of tea and took a drink. "This is wonderful, delicious, wherever did it come from?" he asked. Sam told him it was from your own homemade blend of tea and spices. Crowley shrugged and continued to drink the tea.

As the men continued to drink the tea, Rowena noticed a bit of a change in each one. Their thoughts seemed to become more focused towards you, and had also turned more amorous in nature. Before she could voice her observations, Sam left the table after downing the rest of his tea.

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

After your shower, you brought your favorite book and settled into a chair in the library. Once you had made yourself comfortable, Sam approached you and knelt beside your chair. He smiled up at you as he took your hand in his and brushed his lips across the back of it.

"Sam, what's going on?" you asked in bewilderment.

"N-nothing, I just wanted to spend some time with you, be around you. What book are you reading?" he asked.

You were a bit confused at the sudden focus of Sam's attention on you. But you pushed it aside for the moment and explained the plot of the book you were reading. He asked if he could read it aloud to you, which you politely declined. Then he broke out the best version of his puppy-dog eyes, and you were powerless to resist. You relented with a smile, and he suggested that you curl up with him on the couch to be more comfortable.

Moving from your chair to the couch, you made sure to bring your favorite blanket with you. Once you got all settled, you showed Sam where you left off in your book so he could start reading. The gentle lilt of Sam's voice as he read to you caused your eyelids to feel heavy until you could no longer keep them open.

Dean walked through the library just in time to see you curled up with Sam, and for Sam to press a kiss to your forehead. An uncomfortable feeling settled into his chest, but he had no idea why. He shook it off for the moment and headed for the garage to work on the Impala.

About an hour later, you awoke to find Sam's arms around you and his cheek pressed against your forehead. You tried to extract yourself, but Sam tightened his embrace a bit more. "Mmm, don't go Baby, stay here with me a little longer," he mumbled.

Baby? you wondered. Since when am I 'Baby' to anyone around here?!? your thoughts screamed.

You managed to wriggle yourself out of his arms and into a upright position. "Sam, wake up. Sam! Wake up!" you shook his arm to try and rouse him. Your efforts were unsuccessful, because he stayed asleep. Puzzled, you picked up your book and your blanket then returned to your room.

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

The next morning, you woke to find that Castiel had set the table for the two of you to have breakfast. "Good morning," he greeted you with a wide smile.

Not quite awake yet, you answered him with a yawn then a smile. "Good morning, Cas. What's going on here?" you asked, gesturing towards the table.

"I thought it would be nice to have breakfast made for you when you awakened, Honeybee," he stated.

'Honeybee'? What is going on with the men in this bunker lately?!? you thought. "Well, you certainly brought out one of my favorites, peanut butter and banana toast," you grinned.

You reached for two slices of bread from the wrapper. Cas took them from your hands before you could put them in the toaster. "Please, allow me," he said. He added the bread to be toasted and proudly pushed down on the lever.

When it was finished, the bread popped up, perfectly golden brown, with no burnt edges. Cas placed the toast on a plate and set it on the table. Just as he was about to pick up the knife to spread the peanut butter, you stopped him. "Cas, not that I don't appreciate it, but I don't mind fixing my own toast. You've done so much already, why don't you take a little break?" you suggested.

His face fell a bit, then all of a sudden lit up. "I just remembered that you like to drink milk with your peanut butter toast. Be back in just a moment," he grinned, tapping the end of your nose before heading to the fridge. Cas returned shortly with a small glass of cold milk. "Here you are, Honeybee," he remarked shyly.

"Thank you, Cas. Exactly what I needed. So, what are your plans today?" you asked.

"I'm glad you asked. I was going to see if you would like to go on a walk with me, maybe see some wildflowers? I know of a lovely field we could visit, if you are interested....?" he asked, his voice full of hope.

You were planning on doing some research to try and find something to counteract the curse. You also didn't want to be too far away from the bunker in case a cure was found. From the look on Castiel's face, though, you couldn't bear to disappoint him.

"That sounds lovely, Cas. We could leave in an hour, if you wish. That would give me time to finish my breakfast, take a shower and all that," you added.

"I shall endeavor to keep myself busy until you return, my sweet Honeybee," Cas said as he took hold of your hand and gently kissed the back. With a whoosh of his wings, he was gone.

As soon as he had gone out of sight, you slumped over the table, putting your head in your hands. Dean arrived in the kitchen shortly after hearing you let out a groan of frustration. "What's with you this morning?" he asked.

You returned to an upright position. "Good morning, Dean. Cas made me breakfast today, which was very sweet, and now he wants me to go with him to check out a field of wildflowers. I think there's something very strange going on around here. I wish I knew what it was," you grumbled.

"Why is Cas wanting to spend time with you and do things for you 'strange'? Do you not enjoy his company? I mean, if you don't want to go, just tell him. Don't string him along, Princess," Dean retorted.

You looked at Dean with a mixture of shock, anger and hurt on your face. "Like I said, something strange is going on around here. First Sam, then Cas, now you," you retorted as you bolted from your chair.

Dean closed his eyes and instantly felt remorse for what he had said, because he knew you weren't like that. You didn't play games with people's emotions, and when you loved someone, you did it with your whole heart. Unfortunately, doing so had led to your heart being broken by too many others along the way.

He understood about your independent nature, which was one of the things he admired about you. To have anyone do anything for you was sometimes hard for you to accept. You were so used to being the one who cared for or catered to others, not so much the other way around.

As he gave it more thought, he realized that neither Sam nor Cas had shown any romantic interest in you until recently. Dean began to wonder if maybe you had a point about strange things going on in the bunker. He promised himself that when you came back from your outing with Cas, that he would apologize.

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

You and Cas spent a lovely afternoon walking through a field of wildflowers. Cas told you about every species of flower and what each color meant. He found a spot underneath a willow tree, where he produced a picnic basket containing assorted fruits and cheeses. You showed him how to make flower crowns as someone had once shown you. Then you placed one on his head and took a picture.

Upon your return to the bunker, you searched for a vase to hold the wildflowers you and Cas had picked. As you arranged the flowers, Cas placed his hands on your shoulders, then began to run them up and down your arms. When you had finished with the flowers, Cas took one of your hands in his and led you into the library.

Cas punched some buttons on his phone. After appearing quite frustrated at times, he finally relaxed and music started playing from his phone. He pulled you into his arms and started dancing with you, a love-struck grin on his face.

At one point, Cas spun you out away from him, which is the exact moment that Dean walked into the library. He looked at you and Cas dancing with a raised eyebrow, which caused your face to grow warm. "C-Cas, th-thank you for a lovely afternoon," you stammered. "Sorry," you mumbled as you brushed past Dean and out of the room.

"Cas? Is there something going on between you two?" Dean asked.

A large grin spread across Cas' face as he sighed deeply before answering Dean's question. "I'm not sure, Dean. I've never felt the way I do except when I'm with her. I would be the luckiest man in all of Creation if she loved me," he answered dreamily. Then he seemed to snap back to reality. "I must go, I am needed elsewhere," Cas said, returning to what Dean considered "normal" for Cas.

Dean shook his head, even more confused as to what was going on. First, you were snuggled up with Sam, then dancing with Castiel. He decided to check in with Rowena to see if she knew anything more.

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

While Dean was in the library trying to figure things out, you were sitting on the edge of your bed trying to do the same thing. A knock on your door interrupted your thoughts. Your visitor was literally the last person you ever expected to see. Crowley had on an apron, covered in flour and bits of what looked like cake batter stuck to it.

"Good evening, Love," he bowed and took your hand in his. "I was wondering if you would consider, um, helping me with a small problem. You see, someone told me you were a fan of cheesecakes, and I ran into some difficulty trying to make you one. Might I request the honor of your assistance in the kitchen, so you can show me the proper....technique?" he suggested.

It took every ounce of self-control you had not to break out into laughter or tears. The absurd events of the last two days were leading you to believe the witch put an insanity curse on you. Quickly regaining your composure, you told Crowley that you would meet him in the kitchen in about 10 minutes. "Until then, my darling," he remarked softly, placing a lingering kiss on your cheek.

As soon as the door was closed, you sank down on the edge of the bed again. "This is too weird," you whispered to yourself. "Now Crowley wants to spend time with me?? This is some curse I've got on me. I think it's making me lose my mind," you mused.

When you opened your door, you heard a heated argument occurring in the kitchen between Sam, Cas and Crowley. You walked slowly to the kitchen, catching bits and pieces of the harsh words spoken between the men. Each one claimed to love you more than the other two, and promised to fight anyone who dared try and take you away.  Insults were traded and fists were raised, ready to do battle.

You turned around and were headed back to your room when you ran smack into Dean. "Well, Princess, looks like you hit the jackpot in there," he snarled, his arms folded across his chest.

"I--" was all you could say.

"Congratulations, you've got every woman's fantasy going on in that kitchen. Three men fighting for her affections," he taunted.

"Not every woman, Dean. Not me," you choked out as you pushed away from him, tears streaming down your face.

Dammit! How did I end up doing and saying the exact opposite of what I wanted? Dean thought. I need to go talk to Rowena, see if she knows anything else about this curse, he decided. First things first, though, he was going to put a stop to what was happening in the kitchen.

"ENOUGH!" he thundered. Sam, Castiel and Crowley all turned to look at Dean. "Everyone retreat to a neutral corner until we can figure out what's going on," he ordered.

Dean turned down the hallway to Rowena's room. As he came around the corner, you briefly met his gaze as you passed him in the hallway, only to quickly drop it again. Dean reached out his hand for yours. "Wait," he pleaded.

You shook your head at him, fresh tear tracks evident on your cheeks. "No, Dean. I don't want to talk to you right now. I never meant for any of this to happen. I think it's best if I remove myself from the equation for the time being. At least until Rowena can figure out how to reverse the spell," you finished. With that, you closed and locked your bedroom door.

Dean's heart ached to hear the pain in your voice and to see your tear-stained face. He knocked on Rowena's door and entered her room when she granted him access. "What can I do fer ye, Dean?" she asked in her lilting accent.

He mentioned how he had just left the kitchen, where Sam, Cas and her beloved son were fighting over you. "They've all been paying extra attention to her, being all romantic and stuff. What's weird, is that they've never even shown any kind of interest in her before," Dean explained.

"Sam's reading with her and snuggling on the couch, Cas is taking her out for a picnic and to pick wildflowers." He turned to Rowena, pointed his finger at her and narrowed his eyes. "Your son is wearing an apron, asking her to teach him how to bake a damn cheesecake," he huffed. "I swear, it's as if that witch cast a--" he broke off.

"A love spell?" Rowena asked. "Tha's exactly what it was," she confirmed.

"Can you reverse it?" Dean asked.

"I can, but.....," she started.

"But what?" Dean asked.

"It's no' real love that Samuel, Castiel and Fergus have for her. When they realize that fact, it's bound to be a bit awkward at first. They may act a little distant towards her, and she will think she’s done something wrong to make them pull away. She'll believe that the friendship she has with each of them has been ruined, that it's over. It could break her kind and generous heart," Rowena explained.

Dean dropped his gaze to the floor. He knew Rowena was right, and that you would probably isolate yourself in an attempt to maintain order in the bunker.

"Of course, once the right man declares his feelings for the wee lassie, her heart will mend. In time, anyway. Then Samuel, Castiel and Fergus won't feel like they have to stay away from her," she continued.

Dean noticed how she had suddenly focused her attention on him and scoffed. "Whoa, do you mean me? That I should declare my feelings for her? I'm not--"

"Aren't ye?" Rowena asked softly. "Search your heart, Dean. Ye've been in love with her for a while now, haven't ye? Seeing her together with another man, let alone three? Doing the type of romantic things that ye've thought abou' doin' with her? I'd say it's enough to make any normal man just a wee bit jealous. I can only imagine what it's doin' to ye," she remarked.

"Pfft," was the best response he could muster for the moment. "Start working on that spell reversal. I need to head into town for some supplies," Dean replied.

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

The next morning, Rowena announced that she had prepared the antidote for the witch's love spell. Turns out, it was your tea that had triggered the exaggerated feelings of love. You touched the tea blend with your fingers to add it to the water in the teakettle. Then, the effects of the spell were transferred to whomever drank the tea.

Each man drank the concoction and waited for its effects to kick in, which didn't take long once the antidote was consumed. As predicted, there were profuse apologies to you from all three men. They all assured you that though they didn't think of you romantically, they still loved you in their own way. You smiled and assured them that you were fine, no harm done, that you knew that the right someone was still out there.

But behind your closed bedroom door, it was a different story. At night, you laid awake, staring at the ceiling. You understood that their attention to you was only because of the spell.

You remembered how Sam, Castiel and Crowley all looked at you. You tried not to think about how it would feel to have Dean look at you just once the way they did. Still, you knew that the chances of Dean feeling that way about you for real were slim to none. Especially after everything he said while the others were under the spell.

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

Today marked a full week since you'd gone into hiding, emerging only for little more than a shower and something to eat. You took most of your meals in your room, instead of eating at the table with everyone else. Dean was growing increasingly worried about you, and was determined to get you to break out of your sanctuary.

He knocked at your door relentlessly, trying to coax you out with offers of a movie marathon with your favorite snacks. He even suggested a midnight stargazing outing in the Impala. However, nothing seemed to be working.

At one point you heard, "You can't ignore me forever, sweetheart," he muttered against your door. Oh yeah? You thought defiantly. Watch me.

Halfway through week two of your self-imposed exile, you needed a new book to read. You carefully unlocked and opened your bedroom door, then looked down the hall. No one was in sight in either direction, so you tiptoed out of your room and into the library. You chose a nice, thick book, then rushed back to your room before anyone could see you. Once back inside your room, you quickly closed and re-locked the door, breathing a deep sigh of relief.

"Hey, sweetheart," a voice rumbled from someone sitting in the chair in the corner.

The heavy book dropped from your hands and nearly fell on your toes. You gasped in surprise and clutched at your hammering heart. "What did I tell you about sneaking up on me?!? Not to do it, if I recall," you retorted.

"Didn't really leave me much choice, though, did you? I wasn't sure if you ever wanted to see me again, but I wanted to see you. Been hiding in here for almost two weeks now," Dean remarked softly.

"I've had my reasons, Dean. This whole curse thing has left me more confused than ever. Sam, Cas and even Crowley never thought of me romantically until that spell came along. And you? You've made your feelings clear about the whole situation at every turn.

"So," you continued. "On the one hand, it takes a 'love spell' for guys like Sam, Cas and Crowley to want to be with someone like me. On the other hand, when I am with someone like them, you don't like it and make nasty remarks about the whole thing. Please tell me, Dean, where's the incentive to make me want to be anywhere but in my room by myself? Hmm?" you challenged.

Dean rose from the chair in the corner and strode over to the door where you were still standing. He stood close enough for you to detect his woodsy cologne, mixed with the mint of his mouthwash. He reached up and tenderly tucked a stray lock of hair behind your ear.

"I understand how you feel. But, before I do this, I need you to know that I have always loved you," he said softly. The hand that had so recently fixed your hair slid around to the back of your head. It pulled you closer until your lips meshed with Dean's in a hungry, demanding kiss.

Dean swallowed the soft moan of pleasure that escaped your lips. His free arm snaked around your waist to bring you flush against his body. His kisses roamed everywhere, trying to leave no territory untouched. Your cheeks, your neck, collarbone and more was all fair game for Dean. "So beautiful," he murmured against your shoulder.

"Dean," you whispered. You reached up to cup Dean's face with your hands, stroking his cheek with your thumbs. You tangled your fingers into his spiky hair and gently tugged on it, earning a groan of appreciation.

Dean's hands roamed up and down your back, gripping and releasing the fabric of your shirt. When the need for air became too great, the kissing was broken, leaving you and Dean each trying to catch your breath. You put your foreheads together as your breathing slowly returned to normal.

Dean took your hands and guided you to sit next to him on the edge of your bed. "Baby, I'm so sorry for what I said to you before when that whole thing with the spell was going on. I guess it was because I was jealous of Sam, Cas and even Crowley," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, my love. There wasn't anything to be jealous of. It was kind of weird, all of a sudden having those guys chasing after me," you giggled. You brought your hand down to cup his cheek, running your thumb over his stubbled jawline. "It's always been you that I've been in love with for so long. But, I thought you'd only ever see me as a fellow hunter, or at most, a best friend. Never as the woman who loves you," you replied softly.

"Darlin', what I see before me is a woman who lights up a room whenever she walks into it. A woman with a kind and generous heart that tends to put the needs of others before her own. I see a woman with an exceptional sense of humor, who's smart and sexy as hell. And just as she has chosen me, I choose her. Every time," he finished.

"I love you, Dean," you said softly.

"I love you too, sweetheart," he replied as he leaned in to recapture your lips in a soft, sweet kiss.

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

Tags: @supernatural-jackles @wayward-mikaelson @jawritter @deanwanddamons @janicho88 @magssteenkamp @lyarr24 @miss-nerd95 @hobby27 @jay-and-dean @waywardbaby

[sidecarghost]

Suptober20 - Day 21 Fear Part 1

HighSchool!AU with a little bit of Soulmate trope - this AU has a phone app that can tell you the fears of your soulmate

Part 1/2 (part 2 is an epilogue that kind of changed the feel of the story enough that I decided to split into separate post)

Summary: Dean wants to get Castiel on a date and asks his best friend Charlie for help. Charlie tries to convince Dean just to talk to Castiel, but Dean is sure that Castiel doesn't even know he exists.

“Please Charlie, have some pity on me,” Dean laments tragically. He sits at the lunch table across from his best friend Charlie. He attempts his best puppy eyes to help his cause.

“Just talk to Castiel or I can talk to him. Your plan to rig his soulmate app results is so bizarre. I really can’t believe it has any chance at working,” Charlie counters.

“You just need to have faith, and I’m sure you can do it Charlie. Please don’t abandon me in my hour of need,” Dean begs his friend.

“Okay, okay enough with the guilt trip. You owe me after this Dean. But I’m not hacking Cas’s phone. We share a CompSci class. I’ll just ask him to beta test a soulmate clone app that will be loaded with a few random things you can try to be scared of,” Charlie explains.

“Thanks Charlie, you’re my hero,” Dean smiles enthusiastically.

“I’ll work on the app later, and text you after school,” Charlie tells Dean as she picks up her lunch tray and leaves the cafeteria. Dean floats to his next class with complete optimism that this plan will work.

~~ Later on, Charlie texts Dean ~~

Charlie: How is this for the list of your fears for the soulmate clone app?

Clowns

Cockroaches

Opening up to people

Germs

Demonic Possession

Cat jumping out of locker

Dean: Really “opening up to people?”

Charlie: Yeah, you can walk up to Castiel and tell him that you like him, and you were scared to tell him before. And then we can skip the rest of this bizarre plan.

Dean: Not happening.

Charlie: Okay, then back to our overly-complicated and sure-to-fail plan. How about this list?

Clowns

Cockroaches

Public speaking

Germs

Demonic Possession

Cat jumping out of locker

Dean: Okay this will work, and I have some awesome ideas how to pull them off. Cas is in a few of my classes, so I just need to do some prep and everything will run as smooth as a drive in the Impala.

Charlie: So what are you thinking?

Dean: my awesome plan:

When I see Cas at bus drop off area, Garth can help scare me with a clown mask

During our HomeEc class I'll put a cockroach in my pie batter to scare me

Presenting our projects in civics, I can do a mini panic attack or something

During gym maybe I can get someone to sneeze on me and then overreact

I have a charm from my Uncle Bobby that he said would ward off evil spirits according to lore. But since monsters aren't real I'm not sure how that one will work.

Who has cats at school? I don't think this one will work, can you take it off the list?

Charlie: Ok, so 4 is probably enough, but ig wear your evil charm just in case. And you have totally grossed me out with #2.

Dean: hey, the things we do for love right? I do feel bad for the pie batter tho.

***

Charlie makes her soulmate clone app, and she asks Castiel if he wouldn’t mind beta testing it during their Computer Science class. Castiel looks at Charlie with a fair amount of skepticism, but Charlie is his friend so he decides to indulge her request and installs the app. Charlie tells him a story about how she hit the original app with some machine learning algorithms to feed her clone app. So her soulmate app should be just as reliable as the original. Castiel figures they can just test that theory by opening the original app and seeing if the fears listed in both the original app and Charlie’s app match. Charlie sighs, and says that is very sensible, but she thinks her algorithms may have actually found flaws in the original app, so the results could be different because hers are more accurate.

"Really you think your app could be more accurate Charlie?” Castiel asks with a heavy amount of skepticism. “As in, there is actually a chance that a random generator on some server, is in fact not random but knows who we are destined to be in love with. I don't think soulmates are even something I believe in, do you believe in them?"

"Well, I never used too," Charlie replies thoughtfully. "But I have a friend, and he has been pretty unlucky in love. Maybe some people just keep striking out, because they really were meant to be with one particular soul. And until they finally end up with that person, they just have a lot of heartbreaks and casual flings. Seeing my friend struggle, is enough to make me think that sometimes, cupid can be a soulmate app. Or maybe I'm cupid in this metaphor and the soulmate app is my arrow, I'm not sure. But anyway, I guess what I mean is, romance doesn't only have to exist in romcoms. Sometimes we can let go of our fears, and believe in some greater force like destiny or soulmates or a very efficient machine learning algorithm will find us something we never knew we were missing, like the love of our lives."

"It sounds like your friend is lucky to have you," Castiel says.

"Yeah, he totally is," Charlie smirks.

"So what can I do with your soulmate app to help you and your friend's cause?" Castiel asks.

"Just look over my soulmate app results to see the kind of things that it lists as your soulmate’s fears, and I guess let me know at the end of the week if you found your soulmate, potential soulmate, or at least someone worth a date or two," Charlie says sheepishly.

Castiel checks the clone app results and laughs, "Okay, Charlie I'll keep you posted."

~~

Charlie: Castiel has the app. Good luck! Dean: Awesome! Tyyyy!

~~

Dean is not having good luck with these fears, and is beginning to think Charlie may have been right calling this plan too bizarre or complicated to succeed.

The first failure was the clown. Everything was going smoothly. Castiel was walking by him after leaving the bus drop off, and Garth jumped out with perfect timing wearing his creepy clown mask. But before Dean could say a word, Sam started screaming like a kid possessed. It was all Dean could do to calm his kid brother down and show him that it was just Garth playing a prank. Sam gave Dean and Garth the ultimate bitchface, and any hopes of that fear establishing his soulmate status with Castiel were gone.

Then there was the crisis with the cockroaches. For some reason, Garth was able to give him a cardboard box of several large cockroaches. And Dean was feeling pretty good about his chances of success, because Sammy wasn't there to scream bloody murder at the bugs. But when he went to get the cardboard box he found it empty. As the emptiness of that box registered in his brain, the shrieks from Meg and Jo's station gave him a good clue where the cockroaches were. Dean shook his head, and he looked over to see Castiel watching Meg and Jo take their rolling pins to squash the bugs. "Crap, now Cas is going to think Meg or Jo is his soulmate." Dean was definitely going to have to sell some panic for the Civics presentation.

But it seemed that fate was mad about Dean trying to rig the soulmate clone app results because the Civics presentation ended as the worst failure so far. Dean and his Civic project partners Anna and Kevin had taken their place at the front of the class. Dean checked out Castiel, who was seated in his desk and watching him and his partners attentively. Dean ran through in his head how he could nervously drop some things and sell the whole paranoia for public speaking. While Dean daydreamed a bit about Castiel's sexed up looking hair, he was snapped back to reality by the sound of vomiting coming from his left. He turned to see Kevin had upchucked all over Anna. Apparently Kevin was actually afraid of talking in front of people and that stress had affected his digestion. And it turned out that Anna was a bit of a germaphobe, because she seemed equal parts afraid of catching a disease and disgusted that her clothes were stained in barf.

Dean was faced to admit defeat, every fear meant to establish him as Castiel's soulmate had slipped through his fingers. And unless a demon suddenly appeared he was out of options.

Gym class was the last class he shared with Castiel. Dean was not going to bother to try to get sneezed on. Seeing Anna covered in upchuck was enough germs for one day. His gym teacher told the class to run laps around the building, and Dean began to run at a steady pace.

"Hello Dean," Castiel had run up alongside Dean and matched his speed so they could chat.

"Oh, hey," Dean turned to see Castiel had a slight smile and that was enough to encourage him to return with his own smile. Maybe Dean should try Charlie's original advice and just talk to Castiel. "How's it going Cas?"

"Pretty good. How's your brother? I think I saw him get upset on the way in to school today," Castiel says.

"Oh, he's okay," Dean grins sheepishly. "He is afraid of clowns, and I kind of had this prank idea with Garth. But since I can be a self-absorbed, older brother I didn't really think through how that would affect Sammy."

"Yeah, it seems like there has been plenty of weird stuff going on at school today between the clowns, cockroaches, and vomit," Castiel says cocking an eyebrow at Dean.

"Tell me about it. Sometimes I just wish I could hit a restart button, and start the day over without all the weird," Dean shakes his head.

"You know Charlie Bradbury right? If it was possible to program a restart button I would talk to her," Castiel replies. "We are in Computer Science together, and I think she knows more about the subject than our teacher."

"Oh yeah, I know Charlie. We have been best friends since kindergarten," Dean tells Castiel. "And I have no doubt that she is smarter than your Computer Science teacher."

"Do you mind me asking what that charm is on your necklace?" Castiel asks.

"Oh, just this thing from my uncle. Supposed to ward off evil things or bad spirits." Dean tells Castiel.

"I guess that would be a good thing to wear if you were afraid of demon possession," Castiel deadpans.

"Uh..." Dean finds himself at a loss for a response. Dean has the sneaking suspicion that Castiel has figured out everything about “beta testing” Charlie’s soulmate app. He considers changing course from circling the school, and instead running flat out the entire way back to his house. Maybe Charlie can get him an assumed identity.

Before Dean has a chance to flee, Castiel continues the conversation. “Do you have a cat in a locker somewhere?" He asks with interest.

"Of course not," Dean tries to hold back a laugh and fails. "Charlie was supposed to take that off the list. So I guess you found me out." Dean glances towards Castiel to get a read on his expression.

"Well, I did tell Charlie I'd give her app a chance," Castiel replies with a soft smile towards Dean. "Would you like to go on a date with me later? Maybe we can find out if we are soulmates or not."

"Yeah, Cas," Dean says with a dazzling smile. "I really would like that."

[jo-ships]

Of Free Will and Butterflies - chapter 2

Summary: Team Free Will finds themselves in another universe on a mountain with 9 teenagers and as the night goes on, they find that they need to make sure these teens survive.

"So, who the hell are you guys?" A voice spoke from behind Johannah, startling her.

She slowly turned around and gave the guy looking at her expectantly a nervous grin. "Uhh, good question." After a moment, she noticed something about him, he seemed awfully familiar. 'Rami Malek?' She thought to herself.

"Wait, Johannah? Did you-, did you dye your hair?" 'Rami Malek' asked as if he knew her. "You brought friends? I mean, that's totally fine but I wish you woulda told me before." He laughed awkwardly - Johannah wasn't even sure if he was genuinely feeling awkward or if that was just his laugh.

She grimaced, finding herself putting the pieces of this puzzle together. "Uhh, alright, I think I'm just gonna go ahead and say this since I'm thinking you're gonna find out soon anyway: I'm not the Johannah you know." As she spoke, Gabriel peeked his head out of the cable car station to see what was going on. "And I say you're going to find out because I just saw someone who looked uncomfortably like me but with orange hair get onto that gondola or whatever with two blondes who I'm assuming you probably know."

"Hey, sugar, what's going on?" Gabriel walked over, inserting himself into the situation.

'Rami' looked confused and then started laughing. "Oh man, Johannah, you really got me for a sec. Come on, you and your friends can ride up with me. I know you're probably dying to see Sam and Chris." He gestured around the side of the station. "Are they with you too? Let them know the cable car's almost here." He walked off into the station before either of them could respond, leaving them both confused.

"What was that about?" Gabriel asked.

Johannah shrugged, blinking. "I don't know, I think he thinks I'm the Johannah he knows. Guess that's why you and Cas could tell that wasn't Zoey. This might be a good thing, though. It means we can get up there without any hassle."

Gabriel nodded. "True. Want me to get the chuckleheads and you go help Cassie deal with that guy?"

"Can do." Johannah reached a leg out to walk back to the station before stopping and looking at Gabriel again. "That guy looked like Rami Malek. Y'know, the actor in Night at the Museum I like."

Gabriel looked at the door and then back at her. "You're right. Funny, you and Dean both recognize someone here."

Johannah smiled, responding with a small laugh and turned back to the station. "Hey, Gabe, let them know what's going on, alright?" Gabriel gave her a thumbs up and walked around back to retrieve the boys. The moment Johannah walked through the door, Castiel looked at her, pleading for help with his eyes. She laughed noticing 'Rami' was laughing and put her hand on his shoulder, deciding to play along with what he thought was happening.

"You got your friends in on this too? Wow, you really went to some great lengths for this prank," he said.

Johannah laughed in response. "Oh yeah, I wanted to make sure I really got ya going."

'Rami' nodded, still laughing a little and held out his hand to Castiel. "Hey, the name's Josh. How long have you known Jo here for?"

Castiel shook his hand and introduced himself. "I'm Cas," he looked at Johannah for approval to which she nodded. "I've been good friends with her for some years now."

"Yeah, same with the others," Johannah added.

"Really?" Josh asked, looking at Johannah. "How come you've never told me about any of them?"

Johannah shrugged. "Guess they've just never come up in conversation."

Gabriel suddenly walked in the door with Dean, Sam, and Jack in tow. Jack raised his hand in greeting. "Hello."

Josh imitated him, "Hello right back to you."

Johannah smiled at her friends and gestured at Josh. "Hey, guys, this is Josh." 'Apparently,' she added in her head, then gestured at the group and looked at Josh. "Josh, these are my friends, Sam's the tall one, Dean's the second tallest, and Jack's the other one. The one you saw earlier is Gabe." She hesitated, debating whether to mention Gabe to be her boyfriend. "He's my boyfriend."

Josh looked surprised. "Wow, and here I thought you had a thing for our pals Sam and Chris." He looked at Sam and added, "The girl Sam, not him." Johannah shrugged, not entirely knowing how to respond. Thankfully, she didn't end up having to as the cable car arrived right then. "Alright, friends and fans. Looks like we can get this show on the road," he pointed with both hands to the cable car and spun around to walk onto it as he spoke.

Johannah looked at her friends, mouthing at them, "This is weiiird," before joining Josh in the cable car. The two of them waved the others in. "You think we'll all fit?"

"Sure, sure, only 7 of us, right?" Josh asked, sitting on one of the benches with space for two to sit next to him.

Johannah hesitated before sitting next to him, Gabriel sitting next to her. Across from them, Sam, Dean, and Castiel sat down, leaving Jack standing - not that he really minded. Johannah took a breath and thought carefully about what to say that wouldn't make Josh think she was losing it or anything.

"You know, even if you brought some friends with, it really means a lot that everyone's back this year," Josh said, breaking the momentary silence. "After last year, I really hope we can put everything behind us and my sisters can feel at peace - wherever they are."

Johannah nodded, now understanding the situation better. "Yeah, of course. I hope you're doing okay. I know they meant a lot to you." She felt terrible pretending like this right here, but she really didn't have any other options.

Josh nodded. "Yeah, I just wanna," he stopped to chuckle, "I just wanna forget it ever happened, right? So let's all just fucking party when we get there." He ended the statement with another one of his awkward-sounding laughs.

"Hey, I'm super forgetful, Josh. Do you mind reminding me who else is supposed to be there?" She wasn't entirely sure what "there" was but she knew there were a bunch of friends meeting on this mountain and her other self was one of them.

"Everyone from last year. I'm sure you already know Chris and girl Sam are gonna be there, right? I mean, they're like your best friends." Johannah nodded, adding that to her mental list of things she knew about other Johannah. "Then there's Mike and Emily, apparently they broke up. Mike's gettin' it on with Jessica now," Josh laughed again, this time Johannah figured out that it really was just the way he laughed and not just a nervous laugh. "Matt and Em got together. And then Ashley, Chris's big crush." He paused and chuckled. "Hey, think I should try to get them together since you're off the table now?" Johannah suddenly felt really bad for her other self. Hopefully, when Josh saw both of them next to each other, it would change this.

"Haha, maybe."

Prev / Next

[warlockwriter]

To Lose Thee Were To Lose Myself: Chapter 4

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Chapter 4/10

Pairing: Gabriel/Sam

Chapter Word Count: 1744 (Story so far: 6474)

Summary:  Sam didn’t believe the “new man” speech from Gabriel, but he understood recovery and knew sometimes you just had to put on a brave face. He still struggled with his own recovery journey. Perhaps the two of them could help each other? And gank a few monsters along the way?

A/N: Begins right after 13x20 and goes canon divergent from there. Title from Paradise Lost by John Milton. Many thanks to @archangelgabriellives for the beta read and a couple of awesome suggestions/additions! Story is complete. I’m just trying the serial approach because I’ve never done it with a fanfic before.

Ao3 Link

When Sam drifted awake, he was briefly disoriented. Dean's breathing was even, and Sam's nose was filled with cheap motel funk mixed with old cigarette smoke. Those things were all normal. What wasn't normal was the warmth curled up against his back and the arm thrown casually over his chest.

Wait, what? Was Gabriel cuddling him? So much for not making things awkward.

Sam listened to his brother's breathing again. After so many years of sleeping in the same room, Sam could gauge to within in a few minutes when Dean was going to wake up. Based on the sounds coming from the next bed, it was still going to be a little while.

Which was good because Sam was actually enjoying the feeling of waking up in bed with someone, even if that someone was male and technically not human. Sam's bed had been empty for years, and, while he tolerated the lack, he really enjoyed being touched, which obviously didn't happen often enough in his life.

He closed his eyes and decided to appreciate this for as long as it lasted.

As he lay there, basking in the warmth, he gradually became aware of something moving against his back. He frowned, trying to figure it out. Then he got it. The movement was Gabriel's grace curling like slow waves under his skin. It wasn't something he'd ever experienced before, and he wasn't sure he'd know how to describe it if someone had asked him, but it was...nice.

As he lay there, the motion of the grace shifted, as if becoming concentrated in one spot. Okay, that was weird. What became weirder was the sensation that the grace was reaching out to him.

The warmth at his back vanished, and Sam heard Gabriel backpedaling off the bed. He cracked open one eye and saw Gabriel dashing for the couch. He threw himself on it and managed to look as if he'd been there all night.

Dean rolled over in his sleep, and Sam heard the rhythm of his breathing change. His brother would be awake soon. Which meant if Sam wanted the shower, he'd better get it now.

Pushing off the covers, he got out of bed, glancing over at Gabriel on the couch. One hazel eye was cracked open, watching him. Sam nodded by way of greeting, grabbed a change of clothes from his drawer and padded into the bathroom.

When he came back out, showered and changed, Dean and Gabriel were sitting at the small kitchen table, apparently bonding over coffee. "Hey, guys. Shower's free for whoever wants it."

Gabriel shook his head. Right, angels, even de-powered ones, didn't need showers. Dean gulped back his coffee and stood up. "Pack up, Sammy. We're going as soon as I'm out of there."

Dean walked to the bathroom, leaving Sam's plaintive, "What? No breakfast?" in his wake.

Sam packed his bag, which took only a couple of minutes. As he worked, he kept glancing over his shoulder at Gabriel sitting at the table. The angel hunched over his coffee, occasionally drinking, but mostly just staring at it.

Once his bags were packed and dropped by the door, he poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down opposite Gabriel. He listened to the sounds in the bathroom. At least ten minutes before Dean would be out.

"Hey," he said to Gabriel. "My brother apologized?"

The angel nodded. "Yeah. And told me that I could hang around pretty much as long as I wanted. Power or no power." He paused. "Your brother's more okay than I thought. I think my brother has been good for him."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, he's been a lot easier in himself." He wasn't sure how to ask his next question.

Before he could work it out, Gabriel said, "Sorry about this morning."

Sam tilted his head. "Sorry for what?"

The angel waved his hands, almost knocking over his coffee. "Umm. You waking up with me all over you. I didn't mean to do that."

Sam smiled, considered for a moment and then decided to chance it. He reached out and clasped Gabriel's forearm. The angel looked down as if he'd been burned, but Sam left his hand where it was. When Gabriel didn't pull back, Sam said, "Look. I didn't mind. I like physical contact, but-" He motioned with his head in the direction of the bathroom. "Dean's not much for that. So, I guess what I'm saying is that sometimes I get a bit touch-starved. It was nice to wake up to that this morning."

Gabriel just looked at Sam as if he'd been transported to a different universe where the laws of time and Winchesters didn't apply. "You're serious?"

"Yeah."

"But how can you be serious? What do you think is happening here?'

Sam shrugged. "No idea, actually. But I'm willing to figure it out as we go along." He noticed motion under his fingers. "By the way, your grace is still trying to do that thing. Should I move my hand?"

Gabriel looked at Sam's hand on his arm and nodded, although he looked reluctant about it. "Yeah. You need to know a bit more about what that entails before you say yes to anything else."

Sam nodded and removed his hand. His palm felt oddly cold.

The shower turned off and both turned to look at the bathroom door. "We can finish this conversation later," Sam said.

By the time Dean came out, they were both drinking coffee as if nothing had happened.

***

Halfway to the Bunker, of course, they had to stop for pie. While waiting for Sam and Gabriel to get back the previous evening, Dean had Googled for pie along the route and found Granny Scott's Pie Shop in Lakewood, Colorado.

Sam noted that Dean was in a particularly good mood, considering everything that was going on in their lives, and he was happy for his brother. If going back to Cas had this effect on him, Sam was all for it. There had been times when he'd worried that his brother had too little to live for, and if that had changed, it was all good.

Everyone ordered pie. Dean had apple with ice cream. Sam opted for pumpkin--it was the healthiest option available--while Gabriel went for lemon meringue.

Sam was checking a notification on his tablet when Dean motioned to Gabriel's pie. "I thought angels couldn't taste."

Out of the corner of his eye, Sam noted Gabriel's utter confusion. "Where'd you get that notion? Did you see me all those years ago?"

Dean put his fork down on his empty plate and eyed the menu as if considering another piece. "From Cas. Metatron stole his grace, and he became human and had to eat like regular people. When he got his grace back, he said all he could taste was molecules."

Gabriel gave an elaborate eye roll. "Come on. You're taking the word of my little bro, who, I might add, has occupied his vessel for little more than a couple of years."

Sam continued reading the article on his tablet, only listening to the conversation with half an ear.

"Cas has been in that vessel for more like a decade, man."

"When you're as old as I am, that's an eye blink."

Something in Gabriel's tone caught Sam's attention. In the time he had known the archangel, he had heard humor, anger, fatigue, pain and exasperation in the angel's voice. What he hadn't heard, until now, was age. The age that only comes when you've existed for centuries, watching people be born, live their lives and die. Over and over again.

As quickly as it has come, it was gone, and Gabriel continued. "Anyway, I've been in my vessel for centuries now. It's a part of me and I'm a part of it. I've learned to experience its senses the way you do, while still retaining my angel senses. Give Cas a few more years. He'll get the hang of it."

"So you're going to continue eating candy like there's no tomorrow?" Dean asked.

Gabriel shook his head and took another bite of his pie before he answered. "No. Most of my sweet tooth in those days came from carrying Loki's power. Now my tastes run a lot closer to human normal." He looked down at his plate. "I like texture almost more than taste. And the best pie for texture is lemon meringue." He took another bite and held it in his mouth, obviously savoring it.

Sam took another bite of his own pie and appreciated the texture in a way he hadn't before. Huh. Gabriel might be on to something.

"Whatever. As long as you don't just eat rabbit food like Samantha here."

Absently, still finishing the article on his tablet, Sam gave his brother the middle finger.

Dean laughed but suddenly appeared to notice where his brother's attention was focused. "What are you reading?"

Sam looked up at two sets of eyes regarding him. He idly noticed that Gabriel's eyes looked almost golden in this light. "I think I've found a case. It's even on our way."

Dean sighed and pointedly looked at his watch. "Cas is expecting us in a few hours."

Right, because Dean just wanted to introduce his angel to the concept of texture. Sam's mind shied away from that thought almost as soon as he had it. He handed over the tablet. "Take a look."

With obvious reluctance, Dean took the tablet and started reading excerpts out loud. "Mysterious death. Throat torn out. Bite marks don't match any animal."

"Read the next paragraph," Sam prompted.

Dean swiped up and stopped. "Bodies completely drained of blood." He handed the tablet back to Sam. "Okay, definitely our kind of case." He looked at his watch again.

"Hey," Sam said. "How about this? Drop me and Gabe off. We'll work the case while you go get Cas." Suddenly realizing he was making some pretty big assumptions, he looked over at Gabriel, who seemed amused by the whole thing. "Assuming you're okay with that. I can probably work it myself if you'd rather stay with Dean. I can always hot wire a car to get back."

Gabriel shook his head. "I said I'd help you guys. Working a case is way more like helping than riding several hours in a car with Dean pining over my baby bro. I'm game. Let's do it."

TBC

Tag list: @sageclover61 @snips-snails-skittles @idabbleincrazy@ihaveallthesefeelsokay@calamitychaos @gryffindorofcabin21 @kydrogen-monoxide @everyoneforgetsadam

[samwinlover-blog]

Penny For a Cup- Part 2

Masterlist Here! Part One Here

Pairing: Sam x Reader Characters: Sam, Reader, Dean Warnings: fluff, light swearing, little bit of angst, businessman!Sam, barista!reader, coffee shop AU Summary: The reader owns a little coffee shop in New York city called, The Manhattan Mocha, and Sam Winchester is a frequent costumer of hers. She’s always had a slight crush on the sharp business man who comes in for coffee everyday, and has even memorized his order: black coffee, double shot of expresso- intriguing and mysterious just as he is. A/N: Part three will be up soon! Make sure to send me an ask or leave a comment if you like what you’ve read:) Also, there’s something wrong with my tags I think! So if I suddenly stop tagging you, it’s because tumblr’s glitching it’s not anything you or I have done!  Tag List: @amanda-teaches @myplaceofthingsilove @evyiione@mogaruke@aliensdeservebetter @spnfanficpond​ @amanda-teaches@myplaceofthingsilove@evyiione@mogaruke@aliensdeservebetter@27bmm@craving-cas @spnfanficpond​ @amanda-teaches  @myplaceofthingsilove  @spectaculicious@bambinovak@bambinovak@writingthingsisdifficult@padackles2010@mamaredd123@milkymilky-cocopuff @iwantthedean@zeppo-in-a-trenchcoat@spntrista @d-s-winchester@just-another-busy-fangirl@winchesterprincessbride@waywardjoy@supernaturalyobsessed@whywhydoyouwantmetosaymyname@sandlee44@fangirl1802@kittenofdoomage@evyiione @winchestersmut@purgatoan@mogaruke@therewillbeblood@megansescape @taste-of-dean@leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid @scarlet-soldier-in-an-impala@deathtonormalcy56@wildfirewinchester@notnaturalanahi@jensen-jarpad@impalaimagining@fangirlextraordinaire@itseverythingilike@jesspfly@lovekittykat21@mysteriouslyme81@mrswhozeewhatsis@aiaranradnay@supernatural-jackles@girl-next-door-writes@spnsasha@27bmm@spnfanficpond @amanda-teaches@myplaceofthingsilove@spectaculicious@bambinovak@writingthingsisdifficult@spn-imagines-to-feel@spn-ficfanatic@cleverdame@saxxxology@jensen-jarpad @keepcalmandcarryondean dancingpanda137

*feedback is the best form of flattery!*

After you’d tucked the five dollar bill into your back pocket, and rolled your eyes at Alisha’s girlishness, you went on with the rest of your day. Business had been pretty hectic, but it was nothing you couldn’t handle. At around noon Jack, Haley and Braden, the lunch time employees, arrived and you were able to go home with Alisha. 

The entire car ride she pestered you about Sam, “(Y/N), come on!! You gotta call him! You’ve been crushing on him forever!!”

But you just swatted her shoulder and pumped the gas, driving the two of you to your shared house. You and Alisha roomed with two of your other friends: Erin and Mia. Each of you owned shares in The Manhattan Mocha, but you and Alisha had the better part. That was because Mia and Erin were still in law school, where all of you had met, studying for their degrees. 

They hadn’t decided to quit school when you first started thinking about owning your own shop, but Alisha had jumped at the idea. She to was aimless at Cornell, and even though- like you- she had a bright future in law ahead of her, it wasn’t one that she wanted. So she quit and threw herself into the work just like you did, but unlike you she’d found another job immediately. 

Alisha had always been really good with numbers, like scary good- if she hadn’t have wanted to be a lawyer she could have easily been an accountant. Which was basically what she did at The Manhattan- balanced books. And you were more than happy to let her handle those things, you’d always been pretty terrible at math anyways. 

When the two of you pulled up to the house, you found Erin and Mia lounging on the front porch soaking up the rare October sun. It was uncharacteristically warm for the fall, and you could see they were taking full advantage of the weather. 

“Look who’s finally home!!” Erin called from where she was stretched out on a beach chair to you and Alisha. 

“Guess what happened today?!” Alisha yelled back and you knew, much to your chagrin, that she was about to tell them about Sam and the note he’d left you. 

“What??” Erin and Mia called back in unison as the two of you joined them on the porch, pulling up chairs and stretching yourselves out. 

“Well,” Alisha moved to sit on the end of Mia’s chair and lowered her voice, as if what she was about to say was the hottest gossip she’d ever spewed, “(Y/N) here got Sam’s phone number!” 

Mia and Erin gasped and both put hands to their mouths, “Oh my god, (Y/N)!!!” 

“Shut up, you guys it was nothing,” You joked back, rolling your eyes and swatting their hands away before pulling the bill out of your pocket and holding it up. 

Mia and Erin’s reactions were all but comical while Alisha just stood there smirking and waving her phone in the air, “She’s gotta call him, right?” 

“Yes! Definitely yes, (Y/N), you’ve been crushing on him forever,” Mia put a hand to your shoulder before holding up her own phone and dangling it in your direction, she wanted you to call him. And from the looks both Alisha and Erin were giving you, they wanted the same thing. 

But you were hesitant, you always had been around guys you actually liked. It was funny, even though you didn’t know a lot about Sam, you really did like him. Maybe it was his looks, or what little you’d seen of his personality, or maybe it was just those sharply pressed suits he wore everyday, but something about him drew you in. You wanted to know more about him, and it seemed that calling him was the only way to do that. 

You shrugged and ran your hands through your hair in response to Mia, “I don’t know, I might just wait a few days, ya know?” 

“Yeah, except you’re going to see him tomorrow morning,” Alisha cut in, and she was right. You’d end up seeing him whether you called or not, so why not just wait? 

“Maybe you shouldn’t call then, you’ll see him tomorrow anyways,” Erin added, folding her arms and earning a nod of approval from Mia. 

“I think that’s what I’m gonna do, it’s better to talk to him in person right?” You tossed your phone from hand to hand while weighing your options. But when you looked around and saw that everyone else agreed, you’d made your decision.

Hours passed and, you didn’t remember who’s idea it was, but the four of you ended up going to a bar that night. Even though both you and Alisha had work the next morning and weren’t on break like Erin and Mia, you still danced and drank along with the two of them. The night became a blur of shots and wild music, and when you woke up the next morning you had the worst hangover of your life. 

“Oh my god my head,” You said, rubbing your temples and gladly accepting aspirin and water from an equally as hungover Erin. 

You downed the liquid and the pills before groaning and turning to Alisha, who was lying down on the kitchen counter in pure agony, “We have to be at The Manhattan in 15, and I think I’m gonna puke,” 

She let out a wry chuckle and sat up, punching Erin’s shoulder, “Why the hell did I let you convince me to go out last night??” 

Just as you and Alisha were about to head out the door, Mia came stumbling down the stairs and into the kitchen. She was running her hands through her mussed up hair and groaning, no doubt nursing a hangover even worse than you, Alisha or Erin’s. She had always been the partier out of the four of you, and last night she’d really gone to town. 

“Here ya go, Mi” Alisha walked over and handed her a bottle of aspirin with a smile, “(Y/N) and I are heading off to The Manhattan, we’ll see you guys at 12?” 

The two of them smiled in return before you and Alisha headed out the door, making sure to shut it quietly and save your pounding heads some grief. You felt like you were sitting on eggshells the entire car ride over, and it seemed that any noise in the slightest earned winces or groans from you and Alisha. 

If you didn’t own The Manhattan Mocha you wouldn’t have gone to work as hungover as you were, and you knew your head wasn’t going to get any better as the day went on. You and Alisha exchanged subtle laughs and smiles at how dumb you both had been the night before- seriously, what were you thinking? 

When you finally reached the shop at around 7 am and got to work, your headaches only worsened. The first wave of customers came in at around 7:30, your typical early birds. They each ordered their drinks and were on their way, all save for a few of your regulars who liked to eat in the shop and take their time. 

The minutes passed pretty slowly, being as even the slightest noise made both you and Alisha’s heads pound. But, honestly, you were just counting down the seconds until Sam arrived, and the fun would really begin. It would totally suck to have him see you so hungover, hopefully he wouldn’t notice, but you couldn’t wait to see him.

You were so set on him arriving at 8, you barely lifted your head when the front door jingled at 7:45. It was Alisha who nudged your arm and whispered, “(Y/N)! He’s early, look.” 

Sam walked through the front door in one of his usual suits, neatly pressed and wrinkle-free. His hair flopped back and to the side, striking the perfect balance between professional and casual. Upon his arrival, you quickly fixed your hair and walked towards the counter to take his order, “Hey, look who’s early today,” 

He gave you a shy smile and ran his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit you’d picked up on, “Yeah, I wanted to eat here with you today instead,” 

Alisha let out a low whistle and you hit shoved her away, looking at Sam who was blushing almost as much as you were, “Alright then, let’s go sit,” 

You grabbed a breakfast scone before spinning around the edge of the counter and joining him at a table by the window, “This table’s my favorite,” 

“Yeah? I kinda like it too, the view’s nice,” He replied, but you could tell he wasn’t talking about the streets beneath the shop, he was talking about you. 

In response you just blushed and shook your head back and forth, “You’re kind of a flirt you know,” 

"Kind of,” He repeated, smirking in response. 

You opened your mouth to say something witty back, but before you could get the words out the front door’s bell rung with a jingle. The noise made your head throb, and you groaned in response, putting a hand up to your temple and rubbing in small circles. 

“Headache?” Sam questioned, and you could have sworn you saw worry on his face. 

“No,” You chuckled and looked back at him, “A terrible hangover,” 

“Really?” He grinned in response, looking a little shocked, “I didn’t pin you as a party girl,” 

“I dabble, I dabble, “You joked back, having to stop yourself from laughing aloud at the pleasantly surprised look on his face. 

Within moments, Alisha sauntered over to the table with Sam’s steaming hot coffee in hand. But when he reached into his pocket for his wallet, she held a hand up to stop him, “No charge,” She turned to smirk at you, and you knew you weren’t about to like whatever she said next, “(Y/N)’s date drinks for free,” 

[awed-frog]

Hey! So obviously everyone loved the episode last night - there was just so much destiel feels in there it's enough to fill up an entire football stadium. BUT I keep thinking that the writers might be trying to set Cas and Kelly up, because you know, it's supernatural, and I just feel like the possibility of destiel going canon is too good to be true. I mean, Kelly is great, but it would be the worst romance ever - weird and force and kinda cringey. Maybe I'm paranoid, idk. What do you think?

(via @anon) Idk if i like where this story is going… i dont want to see cas kelly baby stories and him raising the child :/ i want cas with the brothers :(

Hi - I’m squishing these two asks together, hope you guys see it. :)

The Nephilim: what’s next?

Look, the thing is - maybe the Nephilim will die in the finale, or maybe he’ll be the Big Thing in S13 - we still don’t know. What we do know, on the other hand, is that it would be very hard to work him into the story in a way that’ll keep Cas away from Sam and Dean. Like, you know - from a narrative point of view, what do you do with this thing?

Option 1 It’s born and it grows at a normal human rate. If this happens, the Nephilim will have no place whatsoever in the show, because babies are both hard to work with and boring boring boring, and as much as we, the demented viewers, want to see Dean and Cas making nonsense noises and cooing at this second Antichrist, it’s not going to happen. If this is where they’re going, we’ll have a Jesse situation: the Nephilim will be carted off to live with some other hunter (not Cas, because Cas is one of the main characters and is needed elsewhere), and we’ll never hear from him again. 

Option 2 It’s born and grows Amara-style, turning from adorable creepy baby who moves stuff with his mind to overly attractive teenager who winks at Dean and makes him uncomfortable. I hope they’ll avoid this narrative, because we’ve seen the exact same thing last year, but if they do something like that -

Option 2a If the Nephilim is a bad guy, he’ll probably become S13′s Big Baddie, and Cas will have no reason to stick with him, so we’ll have the usual ‘only you can break me free from this mind control spell but nobody knows why’ trope and TFW will spend the rest of the season staring gloomily into space and wondering how to kill a semi-god, again.

Option 2b If the Nephilim is a good guy, he’s gone. There is simply no way they can keep around an allpowerful and benign deity without having massive problems. This is why they keep hurting Cas, remember?, because if Cas had his wings and his courage and his cold logic and his angelic self-confidence, Sam and Dean could spend their days playing beer pong in the Bunker. Cas would simply teleport himself wherever a monster has been spotted, look around with his x-ray vision, and then lift a finger and make a whole abandoned neighbourhood explode. And that’s it. So, well - like they did with Jesse, and even with Amara and Chuck - if this new kid is a Good Person, he’ll probably wander off on his own.

Option 2c If the Nephilim is a Gabriel-like morally grey trickster, it’s likely the Winchesters will still vote to hunt him down and kill him. They did it to Gabriel, after all, and if he hadn’t died (*wails forever*) in the war against Lucifer, I’m sure Sam, at the very least, would have gone after him. Tricksters work fine, or more than fine, as characters, but you don’t want one living in the same reality as you. Look at the messes Loki manages to whip up every couple of weeks - nope, if something is too powerful and you can’t understand how they think and feel, unfortunately the best option is to take them out. Better to be safe than sorry.

It’s still possible, at this point, that something happens and the Nephilim dies, likely with Kelly. This would make sense for a number of reasons, including that everyone except Cas, Lucifer and Kelly really wants this thing gone. The Host is gunning for him, Crowley would surely prefer he died, the BMoL (if they knew about him) would probably launch a nuclear grenade wherever Kelly is and to hell with ‘collateral damage’, and even Sam and Dean - they want to be normal and kind, but they might have no other choice, and if it comes to that, they know they must at least try to kill this child, because, yeah, NOT A CHILD, PEOPLE, and look at what happened with Amara. So maybe it’s not the Nephilim’s life that’s the big plot of next season, but his death and how it happens. We know we’re headed for some massive family conflict, and, in this sense, what’s going on with Cas is part of that. It’s those old what’s right and wrong, who’s your family, who do you trust questions Supernatural likes to throw at us, but, as we’ve seen in the past, whatever happens the endgame is what Dean just told us to our faces - him, Sam, and Cas working together, Team Free Will, because they’re better together and they’re family and that’s not gonna change, demonic baby or no demonic baby. So don’t worry too much - Cas won’t stay away for long.

Cas and Kelly: a romance in the works?

As for the romance part - I really don’t think that’s going to be a thing. I’m actually very surprised by the fact Supernatural’s gone out of its way, both in S11 and in S12, to show us that what you’d consider as ‘normal’ and ‘appropriate’ love stories aren’t a good idea at all. While we’ve seen some (brief but) wholesome examples of queer relationships, there’s usually something wrong with straight ones - from Kelly sleeping with Lucifer to those rabid people breeding in the street in The Chitters to that guy killing Sam to save his wife in Red Meat all the way down to the most glaring example - Amara’s unhealthy obsession with Dean - it seems the show is doing a lot to question the ‘normal’ way of doing things (getting married, having babies, ???, profit). 

This is not surprising, since Supernatural, despite the monsters and the occasional blurring of focus, can be really ferocious in its social critique, and the breaking down of traditional marriage, just as the current erosion of women’s rights, are just as apparent as Supernatural’s traditional motive: the deindustrialization, and death by unemployment and desperation, of rural America. Like, I know we’ve all noticed that rich people normally equal jackasses, and we all joke about the ‘abandoned factory of the week’, but watching this show from Europe, where our traditional media vision of the US is glittering cities and top models and trust fund kids sipping cocktails by the pool, is really shocking. Those rapidly depopulating towns they stop into, the motels in the middle of nowhere, and even - can’t believe they went there - some meat processing plant kept alive by human sacrifices - that’s powerful stuff, and part of the reason, I think, this show is so appealing to Republicans. And, as I said, Supernatural’s been showing the breaking down of traditional families as well - only this season, we’ve spent some time with Jody and her unusual household of stray and rejected kids, and seen Mary walk away instead of assuming her ‘appropriate’ role of stay-at-home mom for Sam and Dean. 

Cas and Kelly, I think - that’s the same pattern. Apparently, Kelly now regrets her relationship with President Whatshisface (“embarrassingly unprofessional,” she terms it) which is, again, a reversal of the traditional ‘the commoner married the prince and they lived happily ever after’ trope, because Kelly seemed happy and in love and it looked like the perfect thing, right? And we now know it wasn’t. So, again, this thing with Cas - on the surface, it could be a perfect ‘a child needs a mom and a dad’ kind of situation, but Supernatural’s message, which has gotten almost deafening over the last two seasons, is that free will and love trump all - that you shouldn’t do something just because that’s what we’ve always done - that you should queston things, find your own way, be true to who you are. So, well - Kelly is not a 1950s Stepford mom (she used to work in the White House, remember? which means she’s incredibly career-driven and most likely a shark) and Cas is no longer a mindless servant of some divine entity. It’s perhaps easier, for both of them, to go with that for a moment, because this is what they’re supposed to be - women are supposed to take care of children and be mothers even if it kills them, and angels are supposed to be fully dedicated to the mission and follow orders no matter the price - but the truth is, we have free will. We can decide who we want to be, and this is why Cas and Kelly teaming up rings so wrong and will never be framed in a positive light. So, again - whether Destiel becomes canon or not, Cas’ place is with the Winchesters, and this is just one more obstacle to overcome. That it takes the shape of that traditional family Cas was encouraged to form as a human and Dean can never give him (the pretty wife and the chubby baby), well, that was unnecessary and yet another fuck you to legally enforced normativity.