Summary: Before the first apocalypse, when Dean was still in his twenties and he didn’t fully trust Castiel; what if an accidental trip into another realm changed everything?
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
When I saw "The Photo Shoot". You know the one. The EW shoot for the last season of Supernatural, complete with flowing champagne, long hugs, and a sneaky kiss; I was inspired.
Here's my little head canon drabble. Enjoy!
Too Close
Jensen sees the struggle on Misha’s face. It’s subtle; only a handful of people would recognize the tightness around his mouth, the jerkiness of his movements for what they are. But Jensen knows him, knows everything about him, and more importantly, can give him what he needs.
Not letting his perfect actor mask slip for a moment, he makes meaningful eye contact with Jared, who steps up to take his place as a distraction. The photographer is guiding them as she is shooting, asking for playful and celebratory. That’s why they have the champagne, after all. So, of course, Jensen pours his bottle over Jared’s head and sidles closer to his hurting friend. He tries to prop up Misha’s smile through sheer force of will, and it works. For a minute. They’re supposed to be ecstatic. This is the end of their last big photo shoot. The last one.
So many things are coming to an end. This show that he’s been on for the entirety of his adult life. The exhausting, but incredibly fulfilling promotion of the show through conventions and fan events. The ability to split his time between his family and his hidden life.
Most people assume that they are emotional because the show is ending, and sure; they are right. Of course the lead actors are invested in a project they’ve spent over a decade working on. But the last season of the show is also the end of what has come to be an essential part of his life. He is losing his touchstone, his compass, his North Star.
His life is so inexplicably entwined with Misha now that it brings tears to his eyes when he contemplates no more Sunday mornings lazing around in bed together. He hates the thought of extricating his clothes, his albums, and especially his photos from Misha’s. That they’ll have to stop going on the goofy stealth dates that no one has ever found out about, except for one - their ten year anniversary. Even that one, they played off as simple friendship. Sure, there is speculation. Well, less speculation and more conspiracy theory, but the occasion was too important not to commemorate. They honestly didn’t think it was that overt, but their fans are not stupid, and for actors, they don’t always do a great job hiding their emotions.
Jared has been their gatekeeper for years. He keeps people from looking too closely at Jensen and Misha by playing the clown. He propagates the idea that they don’t really like Misha, which Misha is totally fine with. Growing up with a hippie mother who dressed him in girl’s clothes and sent him to school, Misha had to grow a thick skin. Jared’s always on the lookout for hugs that last too long, eyes that lock too longingly. He blocks the camera’s view of them, misdirects media and fans, anything to protect his two best friends and the insane pull they have on each other.
Daneel put it best when she called Misha Jensen’s gravity. He’s in orbit, and without him, he would drift back to the mundane world he knew before. Misha has opened up his mind to new perspectives and ways of thinking that blew his sheltered, Southern mind. They practice yoga and meditation together, and up until Misha blew out his hips, they ran together, too.
Never in a million years would have put himself out there to sing in public if it wasn’t for his own heaven-sent sunshine. He also wouldn’t have contemplated getting into charity work, which is now one of the driving forces of his existence.
Misha calls Jensen his rock, the presence that grounds him and keeps him focused. He honestly doesn’t see what the charismatic man sees in him. He is proud that he’s been guiding Misha’s interest back into politics. For years, he would get frustrated with the state of affairs in American government, but he did it from the sidelines. Jensen convinced him to step into the ring and use the influence (not that kind of influence) he has as a celebrity to affect change like he wanted to back in college.
Jensen notices a wobble in Misha’s chin when their eyes meet, and he responds instantly. Bringing him in for a hug, he whispers to Misha. “This is the last year we have to hide. We just have to make it through this year.”
“I can’t believe we signed those fucking contracts,” Misha huffs and sniffles just a bit. Their hug has gone on way too long, but Jensen will be damned if he lets go while he’s needed.
“I love you, Mish. It doesn’t matter if anyone else knows, as long as you know.”
“I do, I just keep thinking about what’s going to happen after…” The shine of his breathtakingly blue eyes gets brighter through the tears, and Jensen knows that he has to intervene. Tonight, when they are alone, this tender-hearted man can feel all of these deep emotions. Jensen will gladly hold him, let him bring them all out to the surface and deal with them. He’ll sing him to sleep like he does whenever Misha has had a rough day.
For now though, they have to get through these last few pictures.
“We’ll figure it out, baby. I’m not going to let you go.”
Misha lifts his lips at that earnest statement and pushes back gently. “Stalker,” he mutters under his breath, just to make Jensen smile.
It’s such a perfectly Misha thing to do, to take care of him even when he’s the one hurting, that he laughs and can’t bear to let go of him just yet. Thankfully, the photographer calls for them both to look at her, and it’s the perfect opportunity to drag Misha closer. They slot their bodies together, side by side, and although he knows it will cause an uproar, Jensen can’t help but kiss his temple. When he hears the warm, content hum in response, he thinks that it’s worth any amount of trouble they get into.
Novobranets (The Recruit) by InvictaAnimi is now online.
Read the second part of the Angel of Moscow series on AO3 here.
Summary:
Castiel is the Avtoritet of the Solntsevskaya Bratva. They are the largest organized crime syndicate in Russia, and one of the wealthiest in the world. Castiel was called back to Moscow to serve his Pakhan, Mikhail, but he cannot leave Dean in prison, even if he is ordered to do just that.
Dean is more than his lover. He is his Novobranets, a highly coveted position that few will ever reach. As Cas's chosen recruit, he is elevated to the upper echelons of the Bratva. He is now powerful beyond his understanding, and he's never set foot inside of Russia. Yet.
I know you are not supposed to ask writers when the next update of one of their stories is going to happen, but I've got trust issues, so I have to ask IF there is an update planned for Novobranets. An answer would be appreciated, but I don't want to annoy anyone.
You can ask me anything! I have been super busy with two collaborations for the WHC (Wayward Hunters Collabang) this year, but I am posting both of them this month. Imponderable Bloom (with the lovely Marsajar) is posting on Monday, and You Mustn't Live So Lightly (with my dear Soluscheese) is posting on the 14th.
After that, Novobranets and another WIP of mine, Among the Ruins, are going to start updating very quickly. They are my projects for Camp NaNo this July.
I'm glad that you're enjoying Novobranets enough to be curious. I know I've left it languishing for far too long. I'm really looking forward to getting back into the world of the Russian Mafia.
That was not the ending I wanted for our angel, but I should have known. Cas has been sidelined for years. He was made impotent early on, too powerful to co-exist with the other 'creatures'. But, they never took away his heart. He loved more purely and loyally than any other character in all of the universes.
Instead of stewing in our rage, here's a more productive way to cope. Donate to The Castiel Project, a fundraising event for The Trevor Project.
This little guy was sitting in the middle of a major road tonight, all by himself. My adopted daughter rescued him and brought him home. He is the most mellow little thing. I think he looks pretty happy with the new development.