Chapter Text
The counter is empty when Castiel enters the shop. He can hear some tinkering from the back room and assumes Bobby is busy with another car. The waiting room smells of gas and motor oil, and it mixes with the scent of fresh rain that Castiel brought in, reminding him of Dean when they first met at the side of the freeway. Castiel looks around the shop, realizing that, between the stress of his car breaking down and being distracted by Dean, he didn’t notice the shop at all the first time they were here.
Castiel tries to shove down the unexpected wave of emotions and walks up to the messy counter. It’s covered with browning ads for local shops, and next to the rusty register that sits at the end, there’s a daily calendar that hasn’t been flipped since some time last month. In front of the calendar, there’s an old bell and a small post-it note that has “ring for service” scribbled across it. He rings the bell.
“I’ll be right out!” a gruff voice yells out from the back.
After a couple of minutes, Bobby emerges from the other room, wiping his hands on another dirty rag. He’s wearing the same baseball cap he seems to wear everywhere, and he has that same disgruntled look that seems to be a permanent fixture on his face.
“Good to see you, Cas,” he greets. Castiel can’t tell from his voice if Bobby is actually happy to see him, but he assumes it’s just what the man sounds like and takes the words at face value.
“You as well,” Castiel replies easily. “Thank you, again, for taking care of my car so quickly. We appreciate it.”
Bobby’s eyes drop to Jack, and Castiel thinks he might have seen a hint of a smile. But when Bobby looks back up, his brows are pinched together again.
“Dean’s not with you?”
Castiel stands straight, hoping that the pain in his chest doesn’t show. “No, he—he had to leave. He had work to get to.” The explanation comes out stilted, and Bobby sees straight through it as well.
Bobby narrows his eyes and huffs out a sigh. “Did he talk to ya? About Sam?”
Castiel grits his teeth, that familiar shame clenching in his chest again.
Did everyone know that Dean was planning to offer him a job? That Dean felt pity on him?
Even worse, did the others feel the same way? Did they all see him as the pathetic, pining single father in need of help?
His eyes fall to the ground as his grip on Jack grows tighter.
Another sigh escapes Bobby’s lips.
“That idjit,” he grumbles.
Castiel looks up, eyes wide. “No, it was a very generous offer. But I—” His excuse dies at the tip of his tongue.
I have a life in the city.
(If it can even be called a life.)
I have to think of Jack.
(He could be so much happier in a town like this.)
I can’t just uproot my life.
(He has nothing to lose.)
I was embarrassed.
Ashamed.
Hurt.
“—I should really get going. I have to go back to work tomorrow, and I don’t want to disrupt Jack’s routine too much,” he concludes in a hurry before he embarrasses himself even further.
Bobby eyes him suspiciously (no doubt thinking that Castiel is being ungrateful), but thankfully doesn’t pursue it any further. He reiterates what repairs were made to Castiel’s car before reminding him thoroughly to consider getting a better car once he’s back in the city.
Castiel assures him that he’ll listen to his advice, and settles his payment. When he sees that Bobby didn’t charge him for labor at all, Castiel tries to leave a sizable tip. He’s quickly shut down with a gruff “don’t be ridiculous, son.”
It’s a kindness that Castiel still struggles to understand.
Bobby offers to watch Jack while Castiel packs up the Lincoln. He rushes to put everything away, installing Jack’s baby seat last, only to turn around and see Bobby playing peek-a-boo with Jack by covering Jack’s tiny face with his old baseball cap.
He feels like he might cry.
Bobby notices Castiel watching them silently, and he slips his cap back on his head. “Ready to go?”
“Yes.” Castiel clears his throat around the lump that’s formed there.
He watches Bobby bring his son over to the car and buckle him into the car seat. For as much flack as he was giving Dean for being the “baby whisperer,” Bobby seems to know a thing or two about kids as well.
“Thank you so much for your kindness, Bobby. Jack and I—we really appreciate it,” Castiel says again.
“Don’t you worry about it. Suppose this is goodbye, then?” He raises an eyebrow in question.
“I—yes, I suppose so.”
Bobby nods, gently closing the door behind Jack. “Well in that case, it was nice meeting ya, Castiel.”
*****
The rain falls loudly on the windshield, with each back and forth of the old wipers grinding at Castiel’s frayed nerves. It hasn’t even been ten minutes since he hit the road, and he can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right.
He’s checked on Jack in the rearview mirror numerous times; while he seems slightly downtrodden, he’s safe and secure in the seat. The car is running better than it has in years, thanks to Bobby, and there isn’t anything that Castiel can pinpoint as wrong.
It just isn’t right.
The last two days have felt like nothing short of a dream. Castiel has never experienced the kindness of strangers in the way he did in this town. He never felt so welcomed and supported.
And it’s all thanks to one man who took him and his son under his wing without question.
He thinks about the confusion and hurt in Dean’s eyes as they parted ways this morning. The last thing Castiel left him with.
The windshield wipers are too loud, and Castiel releases a frustrated groan. He signals to pull over, grateful for the lack of cars in the area, and parks the car. His knuckles are white around the steering wheel, and he has to take a deep breath to calm himself before he can even think the words.
He doesn’t want to leave.
It’s completely irrational, and Castiel knows it’s a ridiculous idea. But there’s something about this small town that calls to him, and for the first time in his life, he can’t stop his heart from following that call.
“I don’t know, Jack. Am I being ridiculous?” he asks through the rearview mirror. Jack babbles back at him, and it may be incoherent, but Castiel swears it’s encouraging. He chuckles dryly, shaking his head. “God, I was such an ass to Dean.”
Jack perks up, perhaps at the mention of Dean’s name (and hopefully not at Castiel’s swearing, which Castiel fully understands is an irrational worry at six months), and gurgles happily.
Castiel watches him for a second, trying to gather his thoughts. He knows he overreacted with Dean, and he hates the thought of that being their final interaction. If he were to actually make this drastic move, he would want to at least be friends with the man.
Could Castiel be friends with a man he’s halfway in love with? (The thought is ridiculous—Castiel’s only known him for two days.)
He frowns at the reflection of his son, and picks up his phone.
“Dean? I’m so sorry to call, but I—I need a tow.”
****
This time it only takes about fifteen minutes before he sees the flashing of Dean’s tow truck lights. Fifteen minutes is enough time for Castiel’s nerves to build to a peak, and his hands shake slightly as they tap against the wheel to the soft music playing from the radio.
Even through the heavy raindrops on the windshield, Castiel recognizes Dean’s tall outline. He’s wearing that bright orange rain jacket again, and it’s almost enough to bring a smile to Castiel’s face.
“Wish Daddy luck, Jack,” he whispers. “He’s about to make a fool of himself.”
He doesn’t wait for Dean to get to his car (Dean seems to hesitate before walking over, and Castiel can’t blame him). Instead, Castiel cracks a window so he can keep an ear on Jack and steps out into the rain. The rain’s louder outside, surrounding him and echoing in his ears. Heavy raindrops quickly begin to seep into his shirt, but Castiel ignores it as he walks up to Dean. He’s urged on by a determination, brought upon him by his newfound clarity.
“Cas, you’re getting soaked!” Dean exclaims over the rain. He’s tugging off his jacket as he rushes toward Castiel, and it doesn’t take long for Castiel to realize he’s trying to give it to him. Affection grips tightly at his heart.
Before Dean can even hand him the jacket, Castiel reaches out to stop him. Dean’s brows slant down, his green eyes waver uncertainly.
“I was embarrassed, earlier,” Castiel blurts out before he can think better of it. “I thought you asked me out on a date, but when you brought up your brother, I realized I had it all wrong.”
Dean’s eyes widen and he seems stunned silent, so Castiel continues.
“I’m sorry I was so rude. I was hurt when I realized you had just invited me out because you wanted to talk to me about your brother. It was selfish and inexcusable. You—you’ve been so kind to me and Jack, and I’m not used to others being so generous to us with no ulterior motive.” Dean winces at that. “I suppose it was inevitable for me to develop feelings,” Castiel falters for the first time. “But I was hoping we could start with a clean slate. You were right, I am unhappy, and I do want a better life for Jack. And you’re right that there’s something about this town—”
His rambling monologue is interrupted by Dean pulling him into a tight embrace.
“Dude, I can’t believe—” Dean’s voice is strained in a way that’s either completely exasperated or potentially relieved, and Castiel struggles to tell the difference without seeing his face. But Castiel is currently pulled tightly into the nook of Dean’s neck and he can’t bring himself to pull away as Dean continues. “I don’t go around trying to convince just anyone to upend their lives and move closer to me, you know. Or to work with Sammy, for that matter. He’d have fucking killed me by now if I did,” he huffs.
That gives Castiel pause, and he carefully untangles himself from Dean’s arms.
“What does that mean?” he asks. He’s never been good at reading between the lines, and after the emotional rollercoaster that’s been this day, he needs to know exactly what Dean means.
“Fuck.” Dean scratches at the back of his neck and clears his throat. “Come on, man. I like you, Cas.”
The rain continues to fall, but Castiel’s long lost track of how it soaks into his clothes.
Dean likes him.
The words are still sinking in even as Dean keeps talking.
“Obviously you don’t have to make any decisions right away. But if any part of you is interested in moving out here, maybe you could meet Sam and see how you feel. And—and maybe we could hang out a bit more and see how that goes, too.” He shrugs as he says it, like it’s just a passing thought he’s had. Castiel gets the sense that it isn’t just a passing thought. “Maybe you’ll like Sam, but not me, and that’s cool too. Sam’s a good kid, and he wouldn’t hold that against you.”
A faint blush paints Dean’s cheeks. His eyes are darting around uncomfortably, which is when Castiel realizes he’s been quiet for far too long.
“I would like that,” he says. A warmth spreads in his chest when Dean’s surprised gaze finally meets his.
“You would?”
Castiel nods. “Just so you know, Jack and I, we’re a package deal.”
Dean’s lips quirk into a crooked grin.
“How many times do I have to tell you? I love kids.”
They’re both smiling, sharing a small huff of laughter between them as Dean pulls him back close. His forehead gently knocks against Castiel’s, and their noses brush against each other. Castiel’s eyes flutter closed at the feeling and when he tilts his head a tiny bit, Dean follows his lead.
Their lips meet in a soft grazing touch. It’s cold and wet from the rain, and somehow still perfect. Castiel wraps his arms around Dean’s waist, softening in Dean’s arms. Dean brings his hand up to Castiel’s cheek, caressing his face and gently guiding him to a better angle. Their kiss remains tender, but they let each touch linger longer than the last. A ticklish excitement makes its way through Castiel’s body, and his fingers grip tightly at Dean’s coveralls.
When they finally part, Castiel doesn’t think he could wipe the smile off his face if he tried. Dean’s mirroring grin causes a new wave of flutters.
“I may have called Bobby to yell at him for doing a shoddy job with your car,” Dean laughs.
“What? Why would you do that?” Castiel asks, mortified.
Dean crosses his arms. “You said you needed a tow! What was I supposed to think? He was supposed to take care of you and Jack. Why wouldn’t you just come back to town and call me like a normal person?”
Castiel huffs, ready to talk back, but deflates before he responds, “I—I wasn’t sure if you’d still want to see me.”
“Cas.” Dean visibly softens, and he’s about to say something else when they hear a high pitched scream.
Without hesitation, Dean takes a step toward the car. He only seems to notice that he’s moving when he gets to the car door and he looks up at Castiel. There’s a wordless question in his eyes, with a mix of nerves and concern. Castiel is surprised to find how comfortable he already is at the thought of Dean with his baby—the protective instincts that were flaring just this morning are comfortably settled.
“I think he already misses you.” Castiel smiles at him.
Dean beams back before opening the door and is greeted by a wailing baby. Castiel can just make out Dean’s cooing over the rain, and he’s suddenly reminded that he’s drenched to the core.
“Let me get you a towel, Dean,” he calls out. He rounds the car to the trunk when he hears Dean.
“Looks like we might be seeing more of each other, kiddo.”
The words are followed by a squealing giggle from Jack, and joy bubbles up in Castiel.
For the first time in a very long time, he’s excited for what his future might hold.