(part 3/? of popstar!Cas/fan!Dean; read part one, part two)
They talk every night. Sometimes for only a minute or two, Cas gives him an update, “I’m in California,” “I’m in Michigan,” “I’m in New York.” Enough for Dean to know he’s made the trip and safe and happy and has to go do a show now. Sometimes they talk until the sun comes up. Dean tells Cas about his life in a small town, about his mechanic job, about Sam. Once, in a quieter moment, Dean tells him about his mom.
“I miss her,” he says.
Cas says, “She would have been proud.”
Dean tells him all about the boring aspects of his life: went to the coffee shop today, stood in too-long a line for overpriced coffee. When he relents, “I’m sure you don’t want to hear about this,” Cas shoots back with, “It’s normal. Sometimes I miss normal.” Softer, he adds, “I love listening to you talk.”
Dean ignores that last bit, because his face is burning and he doesn’t know what to say. “Well, why don’t you come see me sometime? I’ll take you on the most boring, normal date of your life.”
He half-means it as a joke. He knows Cas is busy with the tour, and he didn’t exactly pitch himself very well. Boring, Dean? Really?
So when Cas says, “Okay,” Dean’s more than a little surprised.
He stammers his reply, “O-okay. Good.”
It’s a week later and today’s the day. They’ve talked about it every night. Dean’s got it all planned. Still, when he opens his front door and finds freaking world-famous superstar Castiel standing on his front porch wearing a black leather jacket and tight jeans, Dean’s breath hitches. His heart races. It’s too surreal.
And he’s nervous, been that way for a full week. They’ve talked on the phone a lot, sure, but they haven’t seen each other. What if Cas decides he doesn’t like the look of him anymore? What if -?
“Hello, Dean,” Cas says, his smile gentle and his eyes bright. “It’s nice to see you again.”
“Yeah,” Dean says, and clears his throat. “You, too.”
Cas has a small overnight bag beside him. He can only stay one night before he’s got to get back. They put it inside, then Dean leads Cas out to his Impala.
“She’s beautiful,” Cas says. “Just as you described.” A pause. “Many, many times.”
“I didn’t mean to...” Dean glances at Cas, sees the smile there and knows he’s joking. “Yeah, well. Baby deserves all the attention.”
Dean drives them to his favorite diner. Fortunately he had the presence of mind to set the radio to the rock station the night before. All of his Castiel albums were tucked safely under his seat. No accidents there.
He couldn’t account for the diner radio, however, and Castiel’s voice greeted them through the speakers as they walked through the front door. Dean gets embarrassed, maybe they should just leave, but Cas doesn’t seem to mind. He’s glancing around the room, eyes stopping at a booth where a little girl is singing along.
The waitress seats them. Dean asks for the corner booth. She’s looking at Cas a lot. When they sit in the booth, the next group over looks too.
“What should I order?” Cas asks, burying his face in the menu.
“Their burgers are the best.” Dean says. A girl at the counter is getting out her phone. “Cas -”
“I’m sorry,” says someone, and suddenly there is a teenage boy by their table. “But you look just like... Is there any chance you are...” The boy’s face is going redder by the second.
“Oh,” Cas says. He lowers the menu. “Would you like a picture?”
The boy nods so hard he looks like his head might bobble clean off his neck.
“I’m sorry, Dean,” Cas says. “Do you mind?”
“No, man. Of course not.” Dean’s not a monster, after all. He wouldn’t deny this kid a picture with his idol. Especially because Dean would have hoped for the same thing, if he’d been that teenager.
By the tenth picture, Dean’s starting to feel a bit more monstrous. The waitress distracts him, approaching him for their order. Dean orders for both of them, “Two burgers with the works.”
By the thirtieth picture, Dean’s about to go green and turn into the hulk. Cas has already taken pictures with the whole place, and now that teenage boy is back again for round two. Cas’s burger is on the table and its getting cold. Dean tried to wait to eat his, but it smelled so good and he hadn’t eaten all day - all week really, from his nerves - and... is anyone going to let Cas eat his freaking lunch?
This date is a disaster.
By the time his adoring public finally lets Cas sit down, his fries are limp and the top of his burger has slipped through the ketchup and mayonnaise and fallen straight off the patty and his plate. Cas looks at it where it sits unceremoniously on the table top, then up at Dean. He doesn’t say anything.
The waitress tries, “We can make you another?”
There’s new people at the door. They take one look at Cas and start coming over.
“I think maybe we should get back,” Dean says. They could make him burgers all day, and he’d never get to eat them.
Cas frowns, but nods. He follows Dean out of the diner, stopping only once more to take a picture with the new arrivals.
Dean gets to the car first. He sits behind the wheel and watches Cas interact with his fans. He’s got to be tired by now - and hungry - but he’s patient and kind. He shakes every hand, returns every hug. He loves his fans. Maybe too much. He’d let himself starve before turning them away.
The whole thing gets Dean fired up. His grip is firm on the wheel. When Cas gets to the car and closes the door behind him, Dean doesn’t even look at him. He starts the car and Baby comes to life with a roar.
They’re halfway home when Cas says, “I’m sorry about back there.”
“My fault,” Dean says. Cas had warned him, had told him normal wasn’t part of his life anymore. Dean didn’t believe him. He tried to force it. He should have been more careful, should have -
“I can get a hotel tonight,” Cas says.
Dean snaps out of his thoughts. “What?” At a red light, he glances over.
Cas’s curled into himself, shoulders down, gaze in his hands, fingers curled together in his lap. “You’re having doubts.”
“Cas, that’s not -”
“It’s fine,” Cas says, in such a sad, quiet voice that makes it clear it’s not fine. Not fine at all. “This is my life, Dean. I won’t turn them away. They are a part of me, and if you want to be with me...” He swallows. “If we really are going to try to make an us, they are a part of that. I’m sorry.”
“Cas.” Dean’s not good at this - this, talking about emotions. But God, for Cas, he has to try. “You got this all wrong, buddy.”
Cas looks at him, and his watery gaze makes Dean’s heart ache. The ache gives him courage. He can do this, for Cas.
For the two of them, and any future they might have together.
“I promised you normal, and I threw you to the wolves,” Dean said. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know how it would be. That’s on me.”
Cas’s face crumples. He opens his mouth to speak.
Dean holds up a hand. “Hear me out, okay?” When Cas’s mouth closes again, Dean presses on. “You spend all of your time taking care of other people. Your fans. Hell, even me. You’ve listened to me blabber on about everything, Cas, but what do I really know about you? You never even mention your family.” Dean knew, of course, that Cas was the youngest of many, many siblings, but he never heard any of it from Cas. “You don’t have to do that. Not with me.”
The tears are drying up in Cas’s eyes. “Everyone already knows everything about me. I didn’t think... you’d want to hear it again.”
“I want to, Cas.” Softer, “I love listening to you talk.”
The car behind them honks. The light’s turned green.
“You take care of everyone. You need someone to take care of you.” Dean licks his lips. “I want to be that person.” He shakes his head. That’s too presumptuous. “I want to try.”
Cas is silent a moment. Two. Then three, and Dean chances a glance off the road. Cas is smiling, and Dean’s whole world brightens back up.
“Now,” he says, eyes back on the road. “Let me take you back home and I’ll make you the actual best burger in town.”
Cas laughs a little. “Alright, Dean.”
Later, they are in the kitchen, Dean cooks Cas a burger on the stove while Cas watches over his shoulder. The closeness has Dean’s heart racing; Cas’s warm breath tickles his neck.
“I never learned to cook,” Cas tells him. “I never had to. My siblings always took care of me.”
@601218764 replied to your post “alright so i don’t have time to read a lot of fic these days and i...”
Do it throughout the week!! Us fic-partched peeps need SUSTAINANCE!! (Also, it’s likely less frustrating for the people who don’t want fic recs to scroll through 1 or 2(or 8 or10) a day than like 30 all in a block on fridays)
@wanderingcas replied to your post “alright so i don’t have time to read a lot of fic these days and i...”
I vote Fridays, so Fridays can just be total fic madness :p
Hey. I know what you’re going through right now, and may I just say, I get it. You’re not alone in any of that. If you would like a fix, may I suggest getting some outside time? That’s what usually helps for me. Just remember you’re not alone.
Thanks for the ask dude💙💙
I am going out to meet my college friends(and complete some formalities), so going out will be refreshing i suppose
Hiya, punkin!! You reblogged that ask thing and... 22 & 23(among MANY others. I read them out loud and it was like half that list(it was way more than half.) and I’m not gonna make you go back and forth for that!) I’ll seeya!! I gotta get my stuff organized for the delivery TOMORROW NIGHT!!! Loveyabye! 💛💛🍊🥧💛💛
22. You’re mine
23. I never want to lose you
Good news is you’re mine too and I’m not going anywhere so you aren’t losing me anytime soon. Or ever. You’re stuck with me for life. I love you. Also you’re adorable for saying way more than half of those on the list you would have sent me. You are the cutest. I have the cutest bestie in the world. Love ya, my diamond! 💜💜💎💎💜💜
