Logan always preferred to withhold his secrets. There were just things that his friends shouldnât know, so he⊠never told them. For example, the fact that he once danced, all within his room to things that made him truly feel, though he didnât realize it at the time he was feeling.
He saw no reason to inform his friends at the time, and much less so right now. It had been long ago, back when Thomas was a teenager, and sometimes emotions became too⊠overwhelming for him to handle with his usual methods.
It was in the past, and therefore, didnât matter.
When Roman decided to put on music Patton squealed at the concept of dancing together. Logan chose to sit out. It had been a long time since he did any kind of dancing. And besides, this was nothing like the kind of dancing that he had once done years earlier.
Roman had been passionate in his dancing, more than happy to sing along, much like Patton. Logan, who had been attempting to read, found his gaze straying back to Roman multiple times, caught by Romanâs elated smile.
Roman moved his way over to Logan.
âWould you like to dance?â Roman asked, giving Logan his signature smile that tended to lead to trouble more often than not when it surfaced on Romanâs face.
âNot if I can learn about the analysis of the orbital period of exoplanets from it.â Logan mumbled, glancing up from his astronomy book for only a moment. He could already feel himself being tempted by Romanâs simple smile more than Pattonâs puppy dog eyes ever could dream of.
Roman laughed, and⊠it was heaven and Logan heart felt like it was being wrapped in a warm and secure blanket while simultaneously feeling like it was running a 5k. Roman offered his hand, a smile on his lips, a twinkle in his eye.Â
Soft singing echoed around Logan.
There is not one hair on you that I would rearrange, I love you the way you are and that will never change...
With a sigh, Logan set his beloved book down. He knew Roman wouldnât take no for an answer. So he let Roman drag him up and close, and settled a hand atop his shoulder.
He hadnât even realized that Roman had pulled them into a dance until he was twirling, having let Roman lead without a second thought. When he was pulled back, Logan came face to face with Romanâs wide eyes.Â
God, it had been a long time since Logan had last danced. He was merely letting Roman guide him through the motions, and yetâŠit was...
âYouâve danced before. Huh... You learn something new everydayâÂ
Logan tore his gaze away from Romanâs face probably beet red.
âLogan?â
âYes Roman?â Logan hesitantly looked back at Roman, but was resolute in his next action.
Neither of them remembered who truly initiated the kiss, but it was one for the ages.
100 Ways Challenge Prompt #15: Can I have this dance?
Fandom: Kushiel's Legacy
Rating: M
Pairings: PhĂšdre/Nicola
Warnings: None
Summary: PhĂšdre attends a Royal FĂȘte and encounters someone by chance - or by fate - who will grow to be nearly as large a presence in her life as in her heart.
Notes: For @aliatori with thanks for the fun prompt! <3
I smoothed my umber skirts with a nervousness I hadnât felt since I was a younger woman. This was far from my first royal function, but it was one of the only Iâd attended under the auspices of my newly granted title. Comtesse de MontrĂšve. How dramatically my fortunes had changed over the years. No longer a girl sold into Her service, nor a courtesan-spy gathering intel for my lord. No, I was my own mistress now.
Save for those ephemeral, coveted moments in which I was decidedly not.
Ignoring the familiar fluttering such thoughts always gave me, I smiled and began to move through the crowded ballroom. I knew my bistre eyes would appear wide and awestruck; it was my hope that the guise of simple country lady would relieve the assembled Peerage of the disquiet most felt when seeing the blood-red fleck in my eye.
It was early enough that the sun wasnât quite risen yet. Dean blinked up at the ceiling, stretching and only half-awake. Beside him, a lingering warmth still clung to the sheets. Soft footfalls padded away from the room towards the other side of the house.
Dean didnât move to get up, preferring to lounge lazily across the bed. His absent companionâs scent still clung to the pillows, and though Dean would never in a million years admit it to Sam or anyone else, he was absolutely the type to go a little sappy and bury his face in his loverâs pillow.
It was the quiet sounds of the kitchen radio that finally roused him enough to get up. Pulling on a shirt against the morning chill, Dean made a quick stop at the bathroom before wandered into the kitchen to find Cas, drowsily making coffee. He walked over, wrapping Cas in an embrace, tucking his face into Casâs shoulder. Cas hummed in appreciation, pressing back into Dean.
Dean could practically hear Casâs smile as he spoke.
âHello, Dean.â
âHey.â
âCoffee?â
âSometimes youâre a real angel.â
Cas snorted, passing over a mug. Dean, still wrapped around him, freed one hand to take it. No way was he letting go of Cas this early, even for coffee.
âThe amazing part is how you still think thatâs funny.â
âHey, Iâm hilarious.â
âIâd use the word deluded, but alright.â
âFuck off,â Dean laughed out.
âFuckinâ rude. And after I made you coffee.â
Dean only wiggled his eyebrows, taking a long drink. Cas rolled his eyes, hiding a smile behind his own mug as he turned to face Dean.
The early dawn light lit up the room with a pinkish glow, making everything look soft and unreal. Dean leaned back, eyes tracing over Cas all sleep-rumpled. He was human looking, hair a mess and slouching back against the counter and dressed in no more than an old shirt of Deanâs and a pair of boxers, but he so much more than that too. Grace and light and energy, a storm â a star! â all folded into this small body with only invisible wings left trailing out, and he still drank coffee every morning like an addict. He slept in Deanâs bed every night like it was a luxury, stealing the duvet every time and hell it was so perfect Dean didnât even care.Â
God, Dean loved him so much.
Cas took another sip, arching one eyebrow above a smirk as he studied Dean right back.
âYouâre looking hungry, Dean,â he said, voice far too innocent. âI could make you some toast?â
ââsâreal generous of you, sweetheart.â
âI wouldnât get too used to it.â
âWith your cooking, I donât wanna get used to it.â
âAsshole. Iâm not that bad.â
âYou burnt an omelette so bad we needed a new pan once.â
âOnly because you were distracting me.â
âI didnât hear you complaining.â
âDean, why in the world would I complain about you blowing me?â
âWhat can I say? Youâre tasty, baby.â
âLikewise. The pan catching fire is still your doing.â
âNot my fault your grace goes all wonky when you get a happy ending.â
âYour attempt at projecting innocence is both laughable and obnoxious.â
âIâm adorable.â
Dean was already in Casâs space, but he leaned in closer, putting his drained mug down before crowding him against the counter. His hands found Casâs waist, slipping under the shirt to brush across bare skin. Cas, still smirking, placed his own empty mug to the side before smoothing both hands up Deanâs chest and onto his shoulders. His thumb rubbed slowly at the skin of his jaw, drawing Dean closer until their lips touched.
âAgain, not the word Iâd use, but-â
Dean silenced him with another kiss, and another. Slow. Soft. Cas tasted like coffee, more bitter than Dean liked but he didnât care because beneath that he could taste that light bright buzzing that was Casâs grace. The real Cas, not just his vessel. Cas hummed, shifting until they were pressed closely together from chest to hips. Dean felt Casâs wings as they moved forwards to envelop him, a barely there sensation of pressure and static. The kiss stayed languid as Dean grinded against him a little, just to hear Cas groan. Sure, they were both horny, but there was no rush. This was good too, just enjoying each otherâs company.
Dean had never imagined it would be like this. That things could be this good. Half the time, he was convinced it was all another djinn dream. He knew it wasnât. No way could he have this. No way did he deserve it. But, hey, he was selfish enough not to question his good luck.
Two years ago, Lucifer had been walking the earth, causing havoc. Angels and demons alike had been hunting them. Sam was fighting an addiction to demon blood and Bobby had been in a wheelchair. Cas had been slowly losing his powers, turning more human every day, and Dean had been trying desperately just to keep everyone alive and safe.
Now, things were different. Better. So much fucking better.
They werenât even really kissing now, just breathing each other in. Cas was warm beneath his hands, vibrant and alive. Dean could pick out hundreds of shades of blue within his eyes.
The music changed, and Dean found himself grinning, something happy and silly growing in his chest. Reaching up, he took Casâs hands, stepping back into the centre of the room. Cas followed, a questioning tilt to his head, eyes shining with amusement.
Slowly, Dean began to shift to the beat, not so much dancing as swinging their arms together and dragging Cas to follow his movements. Cas looked close to laughing, which only made Deanâs grin wider, and he exaggerated his movements in response, wriggling his shoulders and shimmying his hips until Cas snorted out, covering his face with one hand in a vain attempt to stifle his sniggering. Stepping closer, Cas lifted their joined hands until Dean twirled, following the lyrics of the song. Dean stumbled as he came out of the spin, dragging Cas closer again and they were both laughing now. Slipping an arm around his waist, Dean led Cas in some terrible imitation of a waltz, rocking back and forth as they shuffled around the kitchen, bumping into the table and the counter on the way. Dean even tried lowering Cas into a dip, and the angel played along, throwing one leg into the air and throwing them both off balance.
As the song ended, they were a little calmer, swaying slowly as the song came to a close. Cas still looked about a second away from laughing. A faint glow was coming from his cheeks, almost imperceptible in the morning light but definitely there beneath his skin. Dean traced his thumb across it, nearly reverent. That glow was the real Cas, Castiel the angel, shifting and singing beneath the skin of his vessel, the Cas that was so bright and holy he would burn out Deanâs eyes. It seemed impossible that this celestial being could even take notice of little olâ Dean, all human and imperfections, let alone love him.
Because Cas did love him. Dean could see it in his eyes, feel it in his touch. Cas would whisper it against his skin when they lay in bed together, bite it out against his lips when a hunt went by and Dean had been in danger.
Dean didnât question it. Cas deserved better, he deserved so much better than a battered part-time hunter, but if it was Dean he wanted he certainly wasnât gonna tell him no. Because this way, Dean got to have Cas too, and he couldnât think of a better person to fall in love with.
âYouâre glowing again.â Dean whispered, pressing a kiss to Casâs cheek. Cas hummed, ducking to hide his face as the glow got brighter.
âYouâre imagining things.â
âIâm not, you always glow when youâre really happy.â
âAnd why would I be happy, here?â
Dean kissed the top of Casâs head, one hand trailing down his back as he shuffled closer.
âMaybe âcause a gorgeous guy is all wrapped around you?â
âCertainly not a humble guy.â
âWhat do I got to be humble about? Iâm awesome.â
The air behind Cas shimmered slightly, something that could easily just be the sunlight picking out dust motes. Dean knew it was something more, his eyes tracing eagerly across the arching shapes. There were three pairs, all moving slowly and fluidly as if they were absorbing energy from the sun. Casâs wings, only ever visible like this or as dark silhouettes picked out by grace-fire.
âMaybe youâre all happy, âcause this gorgeous guy loves you.â
âNah. Itâs definitely from watching your attempt at dancing.â
âYou saying I canât go professional?â
âPretty much. It was awful.â
âBastard. Say that to my face.â
Cas, still grinning, lifted his head to meet Deanâs eyes.
âYour dancing was awful.â
Dean kissed him. Cas sighed into the kiss, following it with another. In the background, the radio switched over to the 6 am broadcast, a far too energetic host beginning to chatter about the news.
âWeâre going to be late at this rate.â
âSammy wonât mind.â
âYouâre the one who wanted to drive. Iâm not flying us across the country just so you can be lazy.â
âAh, fine.â
Cas hummed, making no move to disentangle them, the hypocrite. His glowing began to fade a little before the brightening sunlight, but it was still there, illuminating his eyes from within.
It was the rumbling of Deanâs stomach that finally separated them. Dean rolled his eyes, stepping away to check the fridge. Cas turned back to the coffee machine, probably to make a new batch. If he was human, Casâs coffee addiction would be a serious problem.
They managed to leave by around 7:30, heading out from their secluded house on the edge of Lebanon, Kansas, for San Francisco. Turns out Sam missed the big city life, or something. He was all set up now, taking classes part-time to get him back up to scratch after five years out of the system, and working as a computer tech the rest of the time. That job was how he met Charlie, a computer genius and a complete nerd who Dean had practically adopted as a little sister. Sam still ran hunts sometimes, couldnât stay away, but tended to stick to the west coast area, along with his hunter girlfriend Eileen.
Things had been a bit more complicated for Dean.
After Lucifer was slam-dunked back into the Cage by Death â turns out nothing pissed the horseman off more than attempts to control him, who knew? â theyâd both been a bit lost. With Azazel dead and Lilith dead, there was no one left to get revenge on, which wasnât a bad thing of itself but it did settle a lot of the anger that drove them to hunt. Gabriel had shown up in time to give Lucifer the finger, before flying upstairs to have a go at Michael. Everything had been tense for a few weeks before Cas got a call. Turns out Gabe had managed to talk some sense into his dick brothers, and they were putting an indefinite halt on Armageddon. Casâs powers were restored in full, and before he headed back up to Heaven he made sure Bobby got his legs healed. Finally.
There was nothing really keeping them from living a normal life.
Except when were things ever that simple? Hunters didnât get out of the life â they didnât settle down or have families. Even if they managed to kill whatever brought them into the life, most couldnât leave knowing innocent people were out there getting killed. Dean certainly couldnât just sit back and ignore the poor suckers.
Bobby saw things different. With Ellen and Jo practically moving into his house, he saw no reason why either of the brothers couldnât at least try to make a life for themselves, hunting or not. Dean had to admit he had a point, but mostly because the house was getting a little crowded, even with Ellen and Bobby sharing a bed.
The thing was, Dean hadnât known where to start. He was a high-school drop out with loads of skill at semi-legal ways of making money, but not a single marketable skill besides fixing cars. Turns out these days, they wanted a certificate even for that. He was good at organising stuff, and charismatic enough to do anything that involved talking to people (his brief role in Sandoverâs marketing team had proved that, thank you Zachariah) but the idea of working in an office again just wasnât him. Besides, it would be a lot harder to duck out and take care of a quick hunt while working somewhere with regular hours.
Sam had suggested Dean try things with Lisa again, but honestly Dean wasnât too fond of the idea. What sort of guy turns up out of nowhere and just asks to be part of your life? Dean couldnât just leave his baggage at the door, he knew he was a little fucked up after everything, and Lisa deserved better than that. Besides, being with her would mean giving up hunting completely, and Dean just couldnât do that. He couldnât bring that home to her.
What it all came down to was Dean didnât know how to do normal.
And then Cas came back.
Honestly Dean had never expected to see the dorky little guy again. To say he was thrilled was an understatement. Dean didnât know when exactly it had happened, but Cas had managed to get onto Deanâs unfortunately short list of friends and loved ones, and seeing him fly up to Heaven to never return had been harder than expected. Honestly, Dean hadnât taken it too well at all, but that hadnât stopped him from sending prayers up to Cas. Just updates about life, really. Sam getting accepted to school again. Jo meeting a guy who appreciated her knife collection. Ellen failing to scare the guy off when Jo announced she was dating him. Stuff like that.
Now Cas was back, and apparently for good. Turns out after hanging around Heaven for a few months, heâd managed to get himself âdemotedâ to guardian of the Winchester line as punishment for his rebellion. Gabriel had sent him to Earth to think about his actions and repent, or some shit, and he was forbidden to return to Heaven until Dean and Sam had both died. Dean had to admit, on occasion he liked Gabeâs sense of humour.
And maybe Dean still didnât know what to do with his life, with Sam and Bobby and Ellen and Jo all moving on with things, but his best friend was back and the guy was even more clueless than Dean. Bobby had had enough, though. There just wasnât the room at his house to have three extra houseguests hanging around all the time, even if one of them never slept. Heâd practically thrown them all out, sending them on a road trip to âfind their own goddamn house, idjits, and stop sleeping on his couch like a couple oâ freeloadersâ. Dean didnât take it too harshly.
After travelling for around a month, sorting out a few demon hunts (blessing an entire townâs water supply was a genius move) and fixing Cas up with his own proper fake ids, Sam decided it was time to move back to California and get settled before the new term started.
Dean dropped him off at a small place in San Francisco a few weeks later, after a send-off at Bobbyâs of course. This time, both brothers swore to keep in touch.
Travelling around with just Cas was different somehow. Of course, Dean knew why now, but back then heâd still been a little naĂŻve when it came to crushing on guys. He would have sworn he admired Dr Sexy for how good he was with the ladies, rather than admit maybe he liked the idea of making out with the sexy doctor in an elevator. Or admit that maybe Dr Sexy began to morph a little in Deanâs mind until he had short wild hair and vibrant blue eyes with a voice low enough it did funny things to Deanâs insides.
It had been a very good time, those first few months with Cas, driving across the country, trying to convince him to try as much human stuff as possible. There had been loads of firsts. First burger. First milkshake. First cinema trip. First time wearing clothing that wasnât a suit and trench coat. First time driving.
Casâs first kiss wasnât with Dean, unfortunately. By then, she had been drunker than was probably appropriate, but sheâd been flirting all night and Dean had nudged Cas towards her. Flirting was a useful skill for any hunter, after all, and Cas could be far too blunt. The kiss was unexpected, the girl launching herself onto Casâs lap and practically assaulting his mouth. Luckily her friend was a bit more sober, and guided her away when it was clear Cas wasnât into it.
Dean had spent the rest of the night complaining about lost opportunities. It was clear Cas deserved to have an awesome kiss, and that had not been it. It was only when Dean realised heâd been imagining teaching Cas kissing technique until they were both breathless that Dean realised he had a bit of a crush on Cas. Which had been awkward. Cas, of course, was none the wiser to his midnight revelation.
After a few days of trying to convince Cas to try flirting again, Dean gave up. If one bad kiss was enough to turn the obstinate angel from the idea of kissing, then Dean wasnât going to force him. The upside was that Dean didnât have to watch him sucking face with anyone else. The downside being Casâs obvious disappointment at the idea of failing when it came to human courtship rituals, as he called them.
It all became moot after their next hunt anyway. It had been a bad one, the creature some sort of dog spirit gone vicious. Dean still wasnât the best at dealing with large dogs after his run-in with Lilithâs hellhounds, and he had frozen at the wrong moment. Cas had got him out of the way, but it turned out pissed-off Japanese dog spirits were enough to actually harm an angel when normal weapons didnât. Dean had been ready to leap back into the fight before he realised Cas had calmed the damn mutt down. Apparently, some hunter had attacked it out of nowhere, managing to chop off its leg and sending the dog into a rampage. It hadnât actually meant to hurt anyone, and hadnât killed a single soul, so Cas set the thing free after easing its pain a little.
Dean had learned later that spirit dogs like it tended to act as guardians against other supernatural stuff, and the inexperienced hunter had managed to mistake it for the werewolf the dog had already taken care of. It was a weird hunt.
In that moment, though, full of angry worry and adrenaline, Dean had grabbed Cas close and kissed him full on the mouth. Cas had jerked back almost immediately, eyes wide and startled, his blush visible even in the low light from the nearby warehouse, his fingers coming up to trace his lips. A second later, and the angel was gone, flying away. Dean had felt like an idiot.
At least until he got back to the hotel room an hour later. Cas had appeared within seconds of Dean entering the room, pressing Dean against the door as his lips made an unskilled but enthusiastic assault on Deanâs mouth. Dean had gotten with the program pretty quickly, guiding the angel until his technique was practically flawless, even spinning around to press Cas into the wall at some point. Cas had really liked that.
So that was how Dean found out Cas had been nursing a crush on him too, since at least that awful time back when they got kicked out of the brothel. Cas just hadnât imagined Dean would ever like him back, having shown a preference almost entirely for girls and exclusively for humans. That had been an awesome couple of weeks, filled with a whole different list of firsts.
That had been a year ago now, last summer. The house, settling down, finding a legit form of making money, all that had come later.
Dean looked over to where Cas sat beside him in the Impala. Cas was staring out of the window, a gentle smile on his face as he watched the scenery go by. It was a 25 hour drive to get to Samâs place, so Dean was planning on stopping at this great diner he remembered from a small town in the middle of Utah. They had some of the best home-made pie of any place heâd ever been.
Cas caught him watching, his smile growing wider as he took Deanâs free hand. Yeah, there were some times Dean couldnât believe his life. That they had all lived through the actual fucking Apocalypse. That Sam was training to be a bigshot lawyer again, with a steady girlfriend. That Deanâs best friend was an angel. That said best friend was living with him, would stay with him literally his whole life, whether it was hunting or domestic. That he and Cas loved each other.
Screw normal. Life was awesome. Theyâd work out the details later.