A sneak preview of the art I made for my fic because im not sure if tumblr would like the full version
-> Full Image AO3 <- -> Bluesky <-
No AI was used in the making of this piece. Program: Sketchbook Pro ✏️
My new years resolution this year is to practice more anatomy. I'm trying to take the training wheels off. This pose was so specific I could not find a reference so all mistakes are my own.
Another thing I want to practice is color and lighting and I love how this turned out!
Holy shit. So I tracked down some more stuff in my blog related to this werewolf!Cas idea and APPARENTLY, I was planning a reverse!werewolf idea in that Cas is only human on a full moon and cursed the rest of the month. So, Dean only meets him on full moons and he’s been cursed for hundreds of years and can’t actually state what the curse is.
Also, Gabriel is his many times great grandson. :p
I have no idea how I planned the curse to end or whether it was a “bitten by werewolf” hereditary curse, what have you.
Okay. So Stanford era Dean, meets Cas a surly scruffy hunter multiple times, who is a damn genius with knives and always wears gloves on hunts (cause finger prints dean) and is just the hottest guy Deans ever seen, and Dads gone. Sams gone. He’s feeling a bit rebellious and a bit experimental. Except Cas, just happens to be a Remus lupin style werewolf... thoughts?
This is WONDERFUL Nonnie, and I am having A LOT of thoughts about it, so.I have a feeling this is gonna turn into a mini series ahhh Warning for a little gore and canon typical violence.
Now that Dean thinks about it, deciding to take out a whole nest of vampires only by himself might actually have been a little miscalculation on his part. He tries to catch his breath while he watches his savior decapitate the last vampire in one effortless movement, the long blade cutting skin and tissue with almost surgical precision. How the hell he makes it look that easy? Dean has honestly no idea ; he knows from experience that it’s actually a fucking hard thing to do.And yet, the stranger doesn’t even seem to be out of breath as he looks down on the body laying on the ground, the head motionless right next to it, where it landed with a dull thud. Dean never saw anyone move like that ; from the moment he walked though the door, dude was like a machine. It was like the machete was not just a tool but simply an extension of his arm. And it paled in compared to what he did with the knife he pulled out in the middle of the fight. He sliced the vampire open, from the belly to the base of the throat - how the fuck, there are bones in the way - and yanked the blade out - military, ten inches, sharp as hell - like it was nothing. The creature made a sound, awful and loud and wet, the blood coming out of it’s mouth landing on the man’s face, and then it’s head was off, rolling on the floor. The hunter didn’t even slow down, grabbing the next vampire’s hair. Dean would watch longer if he could, but the kick to his thigh successfully directed his whole attention to the sharp teethed monster on his left. Dean know he’s good - very good - but next to this man he feels like a complete amateur. He winces when his boots make a terrible squelching sound when he moves ( God, did he step on intestines? please don’t let it be intestines ) and suddenly the stranger is looking straight at him. There are smears of blood on his face and clothes, some still fresh and some already starting to dry. And maybe it’s the red that makes Dean notice it, but the man has incredibly blue eyes, almost unnaturally so, bright even in the dim light of the old naked bulb swinging from the ceiling. He spits and slowly runs his tongue over his teeth - they look sharp, like everything about him - and then, he asks, „What the fuck were you thinking?” Dean is part distracted by how low and rough the man’s voice is, part really, really offended, but before he can answer with anything else but a choked out ’what’ , the stranger speaks again. „That’s what I would like to know, ” he says calmly, looking around and then, finding what he was looking for, he steps over a corpse and grabs a shirt hanging on the leg of an overturned table. He wipes the blade, looks at Dean again and sighs, „ Are you okay?”Dean wants to say a lot of things - he really does, starting from how he was doing pretty good, thank you very much, it’s not like he asked to be rescued, and also hey, fuck you.In the end he settles on a simple, „Yeah, I’m good.” The man nods and then looks around. „Let’s clean this up.”
The barn bursts into flames, the roar of the fire almost deafening, the heat making Dean take few steps back. Castiel - getting rid of evidence and dead bodies makes you close enough to exchange names - leans on his car, ankles crossed, and takes out a pack of cigarettes from the inside pocket of his jacket. He offers Dean one and he accepts, letting Castiel light it for him and inhaling the smoke; it tastes almost like the air around them, gasoline and fire and death.They stand in silence, and Dean can’t help but look at the other hunter; there is still dried blood on his clothes and hands and face, his eyes wild and dark as he watches the dancing flames. Dean can feel a blush creeping up his neck that has nothing to do with the fire when he looks at Castiel’s lips as they close around the cigarette. He has a strong jawline, sharp cheekbones and straight nose, dark stubble covering his cheeks and neck ; he’s Dean’s height - maybe a little shorter, board shoulders and strong hands, probably in his early thirties. He’s handsome, in a way Dean is still a little to young to be. It makes Dean’s heart beat faster, for some reason; how there is nothing of a boy anymore in the man’s features.He looks up only to see Castiel’s eyes focused on his own. Dean quickly looks away, his hand trembling as he raises the cigarette to his lips and inhales, slowly letting the smoke curl in his mouth, letting it calm his nerves. His voice sounds rough when he says, „Thanks for, you know, saving my ass back there,” Castiel only hums and sends the remaining cigarette butt flying with a flick of fingers. He pushes away from the car and stands in front of Dean, his silhouette completely black against the flames. He looks to the side, to the abandoned house next to the barn and the forest that surrounds it. „Let’s get away from here.”
That’s how Dean finds himself trailing the Continental, first to a obscure gas station, where they visit the bathroom to wash off the worst of blood and change into clean clothes, and then to a bar. Dean knows he should probably be more cautious, but there is something exciting about it, about working with someone who isn’t Bobby or John or a friend of theirs.Castiel orders whisky, straight, and when he looks questioningly at Dean he asks for the same - he needs something stronger to wash out the taste of smoke and blood still lingering in his mouth. They end up sitting at a table in a corner, far away from the rest of the patrons. Dean takes a sip of his drink, relishing in the way it burns all the way down, the taste alone making his muscle relax.It’s a dangerous relationship, he knows, feeling like that about whisky. If Castiel notices, he doesn’t say anything, instead leaning back on the chair. „So, Dean,” his voice dips lower, sounding even rougher thanks to the smoke, „What the fuck were you thinking about when you decided that you can take out a whole nest of vampires alone?” Dean bristles, hand tightening on the glass; he thought they leaved THAT part behind, but apparently not. „Hey, fuck you,” he snaps, „I knew what I was doing, I’m not an amateur.” Castiel doesn’t look too bothered by his anger. He also doesn’t look too convinced; he hums, taking a sip from his glass, „ Oh I could see that. It was beautifully accented when those two jumped at you from behind. Did you even know they were there before they had you on the floor?”Dean clenches his teeth hard enough to feel the muscles of his jaw jump; he knows he fucked up - there is really no need to rub this into his face. Not now, not when he’s way too aware of what would his dad say about this kind of incompetence. „Dean, look at me,” the gentle command in Cas’s voice is unmistakable, and after a moment Dean looks up, right into those bright, bright blue eyes. „ That’s the thing Dean - you are not an amateur. I know. You are good,” Castiel leans a little bit closer, „ But if you won’t be more careful, you will never get the chance to be anything more than that. You will die a stupid death like hundreds before you, before you really learn anything. And you can be very, very good, Dean. The potential is there, but it’s your decision what you will do with it,” he straightens and Dean can finally breathe again; to be the center of Castiel’s attention can be suffocating. „ If you are only willing to listen I can get us another round,” he nods at their drinks, „ and then we can discuss everything that went wrong tonight and what can you do to make sure it won’t happen again.”Dean hesitates only for a moment. „Sounds good to me.” He could swear the corner of Castiel’s lips turned upward at that.
Summary: Castiel is the only prince in the long line of werewolves, soon to inherit all of his father’s rule. He until then occupies his time as a very known and respectable cop who just so happens to hate the owner of the roadhouse bar. Dean winchester is a human man who cares too much about money and doesn’t cut off his patrons till their card declines. Castiel hates him. Especially since Castiel has to come clean up their mess, and deal with the drunks every night.
After one drunken mistake, Castiel accidentally ends up mated to Dean, which is suppose to be IMPOSSIBLE! But if that wasn’t also a problem. Castiel is ALREADY engaged to a female chosen at birth to be his mate. He needs to clean up his mess ASAP. However, the only way he seemed to come up with is...to kill Dean...
Easier said than done, when all of Castiel’s plots to murder Dean keep end up with their clothes on the floor.
Comments: 8/10. If I remember correctly, there’s no actual smut, but it’s still pretty good. Set in a world where werewolfs and humans live in peace, only thing is that the humans don’t know it. Cas is a cop who helps Dean home every night after taking care of the rowdy drunks in the Roadhouse, and one night Dean invites him in. Cas eventually falls in love with Dean, after numerous failed attempts of murder, but then Cas’s father finds out.
Pairing: Dean/Cas, other background pairings
Rating: Teen+
Word Count: 6.3K
Warnings: John Winchester.
Written For: nickel’s storytime, and part 3 of the Runaway Series
On Ao3
Dean never realized how slow two weeks could actually move. Granted, the say was that time is a construct, not a set thing. He could measure it in different ways, just like they did in that one song from that one musical. All Dean knew was that the time, until Cas would be cleared from bed rest, was too damn long.
And it wasn't as though they didn't talk. Dean made a point of exchanging numbers, so they texted, they spoke on the phone. Dean may have also made his way to the homestead a couple times after getting off of his shift, under the pretense of giving Cas a house call.
No one ever believed him.
Dean sat back at his desk, kicking his feet up as he watched the monitors mounted above his desk. Only room two and room five were occupied, and both patients were resting. Dean let his eyes drift shut slowly in anticipation of climbing home and getting into his bed.
"Is Dr. Vaugier in?" Dean's feet slipped off of the desk, thanks to the sudden voice in the relative quiet of the nurse's station. A deep, hearty chuckle sent chills down his back, and he looked up to a wolfish grin. "I'm sorry. That shouldn't be as funny as it was."
"Hiya, Cas." Dean smiled, for once not caring who saw his excitement at his... something?... being at his place of employment. "What brings you in today?"
"I'd like to say that I'm here to visit you, which I am, but I do need to see Madison. It's been two weeks, and although I was would be clear after two weeks, Gabe has decided that I still can't do anything without the doc clearing it." Cas leaned forward on the pony wall and smirked. "Plus, there's something I want to ask you after I see her."
Dean raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "You can ask now."
"And kill the suspense? Wouldn't dream of it." Cas winked, albeit poorly, and stood back up straighter. "She hasn't gone home yet, has she? I know it's getting close to shift change."
"Nope. If I'm still here, that means she's probably still here." Dean picked up the phone and called the lunchroom, assuming that was where Maddie was still hiding. The phone rang, and the doctor picked up on the third ring. "What's up, Dean? I haven't heard anything about someone coming in."
"Walk-in, specifically asking for you, Doctor Vaugier. I can go set them up in room six if you'd like." Dean cracked a smile.
"Let me finish chugging this coffee, and I'll be right there." The phone disconnected, and Dean stared at it in feigned shock and disgust.
Cas waved his hand in front of Dean's face. "Uh, you alright there?"
"Madison has coffee, and isn't sharing." Dean frowned when Cas' face twisted, clearly holding back laughter. "Yuck it up, furball. Let's go. Room six." Cas' resolve broke, and he burst into laughter.
Together, they walked down to the examination room. Once inside, Cas slid off his shirt and hopped onto the bed. "Do you think she's going to ask me to shift?"
"It's always a possibility." Dean swallowed, quickly taking the conversation to hide the fact he was staring at the Were. "So, how are you feeling, honestly? And I just don't mean physically."
"Are you asking about..." Cas' finger wiggled back and forth between the two of them. "Whatever this is?"
"Yeah–" Dean started to comment as Maddie wrapped on the door. It swung open, and all five-foot-seven of the doctor came striding in.
"Castiel! It's good to see you, I hope." She stole a glance at Dean before crossing over to Cas. "To what do I owe the honor?"
"I look good, I feel good, I know my strength is back, and I'm restless. Gabriel won't let me do anything around the homestead unless you clear me." Maddie started to speak up, and Cas held up his hand. "And he specifically said it had to be a doctor clearing me. Otherwise, he'd figure that I was using Dean."
"Would he not have accepted it from Bess?" Madison shook her head. "Or is he just sick of Dean coming by the homestead all the time?"
"Hey!" Dean cut in. "I resent that remark."
Maddie tried her best to put on a severe face and stared at Cas. "I think he means resemble, right Cas?"
"Absolutely." Cas nodded enthusiastically.
"Traitors. Both of you." Dean shook his head and handed the doc a stethoscope. "Do I need to go step outside?"
"Why, so you can just text Cas from out there? Don't think I don't know what you're doing on your phone at night, Dean." Maddie shook her head and laughed. "I need Cas here to stay calm, so I can read his vitals right. While I know you think that you and your texts are funny, I'm not sure he thinks they are."
Dean scoffed. "I think I'm adorable."
"Keep telling yourself that, Dean." Cas took in a deep breath as Maddie instructed him to do. "You may just believe it." He exhaled slowly, winking - yet again - as he caught Dean staring.
"I don't know how, with all the texting and talking you two do, you haven't scared the other off yet. Granted, it is the first thing in the morning." Maddie's nose scrunched up in amusement as she finished checking Cas' lungs. "Hold this one for as long as you can."
Dean watched in wonder as Cas inhaled deeply and sat calmly for almost a minute. As Cas breathed out slowly, Dean found Cas staring at him, and the pair locked eyes. Dean still couldn't get over how blue Cas' eyes were, and the color had become prominent in his dreams over the past two weeks.
"Alright, Cas. I just need to check your temperature, but as long as you're honest and not having problems shifting or walking, I'm fine with feeding you to the wolves," Maddie smirked. "Pun entirely intended."
"Thank goodness. Can I get it in writing? Or do you mind calling him?" Cas' eyes had turned hopeful. "I need to do something other than just mope in my room."
Maddie nodded. "I have his number. I'll go call him real quick." She pointed at Dean. "No funny business."
"Right. What am I going to do?" Dean rolled his eyes as Maddie left. He turned to Cas. "Ready to actually do things?"
"You have no idea." Cas slid his shirt back on, and Dean fought to keep himself from frowning. "So, I do remember having a conversation with you about two weeks ago."
"I may vaguely remember that conversation." Dean fought against smiling. "Perhaps you could remind me."
"Of course." Cas pushed himself off the examination table and stepped into Dean's personal space. "You had mentioned wanting to get to know me, and I mentioned wanting to discover Sioux Falls." Cas pulled playfully on Dean's badge. "I know we can't do much today, you're about to get off work, so I know you're tired, but I thought - maybe - you could show me a good place to get some breakfast?"
Dean suddenly found himself famished. "I know just the place, Cas." A cough caused Dean to jump, and he turned to shoot daggers at the person who walked in. "Hello, Garth."
"So, this is why Madison sent me in." Garth laughed. "She's on the phone with your brother, Cas. But you're good to go."
"Thank you, Dr. Fitzgerald."
"And Dean, Bess is ready for you to pass off your report." Garth turned and walked out of the exam room.
Dean waited until Garth left and ran his hand down his face. "So. You drive here, Cas?"
…
Cas' mind was set. He was going to have a great day. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. He got Madison to clear him, personally calling Gabe herself. Dean was excited to see him, and they were going on their first date. Well, Cas hoped that Dean would consider it a date. Breakfast after a long shift wasn't necessarily the most romantic of venues.
Dean had taken his phone and plugged in the address for a place called Andrea's Diner into his GPS. As Dean had handed the phone back to Cas, Cas watched as Dean's eyes moved, traveling down to his lips, and briefly pausing there before moving back to look Cas in the eyes.
Cas had wanted nothing more than to kiss Dean while still in the exam room. However, he refrained, knowing that Dean needed some sort of decorum to keep intact, especially after Garth had walked in on them, practically pressed together.
He let out a sigh as he pulled into the parking lot of the diner. It looked like it was straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting, the chromed exterior, and the blood-red neon sign flashing Andrea's out front. Cas stepped out of the car and walked up to the door. Entering the diner, he was hit with the scents of fresh baked goods, deep-fried treats, and even some things that would probably be on a special menu for creatures like him.
Cas walked up to the hostess stand and asked for a booth before being led to one tucked back in a corner. He made mention to the hostess that he was waiting for someone, and she promised to keep an eye out. As he leaned back in his seat, finding the section of the menu that catered to Weres, Cas found himself surprised when he heard people - not a person - slide onto the bench across from him.
"Well, if it ain't Castiel." A warm Cajun drawl caused him to put his menu down.
"Benny, Sam." Cas offered his hand across the table, taking their hands and shaking them. "It's nice to see you both in more pleasant circumstances."
"I was just at the homestead with Maddie like two days ago." Sam shot Cas a look that he couldn't quite discern. "That wasn't pleasant?"
"Lay off him, brotha." Benny gently shoved Sam. "Clearly he's up and about which means he's gone and got himself off of bed rest. That's gotta be better than just laying around all day."
"Thank you, Benny." Cas relaxed a little. "That's what I meant. I went to the hospital this morning to get Madison to clear me. Gabe insisted."
Sam shook his head. "Had nothing to do with Dean being there also?"
"Well, that was clearly an added benefit." Cas tilted his head in confusion. "Am I not supposed to go and say hello?"
"No, of course you can." Sam sputtered slightly before pushing forward. "What I mean is that you know. I, uh. He and I live together."
"I'm aware." Cas had to hold back a chuckle as Benny smacked his forehead. "I also know that Madison has come to stay with you a couple times this past week."
"Woohoo, this is gettin' spicy." Benny turned in his seat and looked at Sam. "You seriously gonna have this talk with our wolf pal here, considering he's got your number?"
Sam glared at Benny before looking at Cas again. "I'm assuming that Dean told you."
"As you're clearly aware, we've been talking." Cas closed the menu and rested his elbows on top of it, before resting his chin on his knuckles. "What's your concern, Sam?"
"Dean. I mean, I guess that part is obvious, but it's about how Dean's been acting." Sam ran his hand through his hair. "Have you done any research into witch bonding?"
"I understand that in order for a witch to cast a spell on a living, breathing, being, they must create a bond with said being. The bond passes magic through. In Dean's case, and I'm assuming yours, it's healing magic." Cas raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "I know there are concerns about the two of us being bonded more permanently because of how much magic he used to heal me."
"That's only part of it. Are you aware of the equivalent exchange aspect?" Sam questions.
Cas sat up straighter in his seat. "And what do you know about Werewolves, Sam? I understand you're an EMT, and you're able to treat us on the fly, but what do you honestly know about us, besides our anatomy? Has Madison told you anything yet?"
Benny shook his head. "Careful where you tread, Sam."
"Look, I'm just worried about my brother. I haven't seen him this... content, in years." Sam pointed at Cas, and Cas noted how Sam avoided his question. "I hope it's just because you two are getting to know each other, and not because of him accidentally bonding himself–"
"Cher!" A female voice interrupted, and Cas quickly looked to his side. A gorgeous woman with long black hair had come up to the table. Unlike the rest of the staff, she was dressed in a billowy white top tucked into black pants. Cas stole a glance at Benny, whose face had set into a wide grin. "I didn't see you or Sam walk in! Why aren't you back at the family table?"
"Andrea, this is Cas." Benny pointed to Cas. "Cas, this is my wife, Andrea. She's been puttin' up with my ass for almost 200 years now."
"Longer, Cher. We knew each other before we were married." She smiled sweetly, then looked carefully at Cas. "Oh, my sweet loup-garou. Are you the Were that was attacked?"
Cas frowned. "Does everyone know who I am?"
"'Fraid so, brotha. While we have a variety of creatures in this town, the highest population is of Weres. So I imagine that everyone knows about a new pack comin' in, and how y'all came in."
"Plus, your pack has already started to get around town and explore. Considering you've been stuck up on the farm and couldn't really get around? It's not going to take long to figure you out." Sam shrugged.
"Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable." Andrea rested her hand on Cas' arm. "What can I get you?"
"I'm waiting for Dean, but thank you." Cas frowned.
Andrea tapped his chin with her pen. "Turn that around for me, Cher." She pointed at Sam and Benny. "Get your asses back to the family table and leave this poor boy alone."
Cas watched as Sam and Benny looked properly chastised with Andrea merely telling them to leave him alone. He waited until she was out of earshot before speaking again. "You guys don't actually have to go."
"Oh no, we do." Benny nodded fervently. "Andrea is my partner in every sense of the word, except here. Here she's queen, and her word goes."
"Is that so?" Out of the corner of his eye, Cas saw Dean approaching the table. Dean held his finger up to his lips, and Cas continued speaking. "So does that make this her castle?"
"Don't let Benny fool you." Dean boomed his voice behind his brother and friend, and Cas laughed as the two of them jumped in their seats. "Anywhere Andrea is, is her castle."
"Jesus, Cher. Tryin' to scare me back to life?" Benny grasped at his chest as Sam shot his brother a death glare. "I ain't survivin' today, Sam."
Sam slid out of the seat and pulled at Benny's arm. "We should get back before Andrea comes out and finds us anyway." He shot a pleading look at Cas. "Enjoy your breakfast, guys."
No sooner than Benny had slid out of the seat and stepped away, Dean took his place. "Sorry about that, I was doing the shift swap with Bess, and we had one of the young harpies come in with a broken wing. I helped get her into a room and settled before leaving."
"It's all good, Dean." Cas forced a smile and offered his hand across the table. He relaxed slightly when Dean took it and squeezed. "I'm glad that you're vital to this community."
Silence hung in the air between them for a few moments, and Dean spoke up. "Cas, what's up?"
"What do you mean, what's up?" Cas shifted in his seat and forced himself to meet Dean's eyes.
"Something's bothering you." Dean laced his fingers into Cas' to keep him from escaping. "I mean, I can see the way that your smile doesn't meet your eye, but something just feels off. You're putting off an energy of disappointment."
"You're getting that, how?"
A blush filled Dean's cheeks. "Uh, I feel it. Off of you."
Cas' heart sunk. He told himself he was going to have a great day, but instead, he had jinxed himself. "So, the bond is still there." He hung his head and ran his finger along a not-so-interesting line of fake marbling.
"It appears so. Does that bother you, Cas?" Dean ran his thumb along Cas' knuckles, gently petting him.
"It does. What if this thing we're feeling isn't real? What if it really is just the bond working?" Cas frowned, "I don't want you to feel trapped with me."
Dean's eyes widened, and Cas felt himself wanting to move closer, wanting to comfort Dean. "Dude, Dean shook his head. "Didn't we legit have this talk, but from my perspective?" Dean waited for Cas to nod. "I'm the one who bonded us. You're the one who's been reassuring me that you do, in fact, want this. You suggested that we take this slow and that we get to know each other."
"I know." Cas gently squeezed Dean's hand.
"Do you not want to get to know me anymore? Are you already over it? I get that I'm pretty lame." Dean smiled, and while Cas could feel it hurting Dean, he could feel the honesty.
"I never said that, Dean. I just–"
"Then we keep moving slow. One foot in front of the other." Dean laughed out loud, and Cas found relief washing over Dean before it flooded him. "I get that this? It's not a common way for two people to meet each other, or get to know each other, but I want to try."
"I agree, Dean. I want to get to know you." Cas let himself relax again and hoped that it washed over Dean the way that Dean's relief washed over him. "And you promise you'll tell me if things aren't working?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die." Dean held up his fingers in the scout's salute.
"Hey, no dying in my diner. It scares away the customers." Andrea returned to the table, order pad in hand, and only privy to that last sentence of the conversation. "What can I get you two?"
…
Dean was surprised how long he had stayed with Cas at the diner. He had figured they would grab a quick bite and a drink, but Dean found himself not wanting to leave Cas' side. A part of that, he knew, had to be because of the bond.
The bond. There was something so strangely profound about it. It felt like more than an ordinary healing bond that he made with patients. Dean was nearly sure that it was because of the amount of magic he poured into healing Cas, into removing as much silver as he could. Yet the bond now had grown and changed and flourished. And it was apparently scaring Cas.
While at breakfast, he could feel Cas' emotions. It didn't take much for Dean to figure out that Sammy had said something to Cas, which made Cas doubt himself. Feeling and seeing the worry in the werewolf's eyes was unnerving to Dean. Not in that he could feel them, but the fact that Cas had those feelings at all. It had been Cas who want to try and pursue this bond thing between them.
It left Dean to wonder. If Cas doubted it, why was he, the white witch that accidentally forced the bond, now wanting to push it?
Led Zeppelin blared from his car speakers as Dean forced him to stay awake. He sang along to Black Dog while he worked on keeping his focus sharp, and only let up once he was home. Dean pulled Baby into her parking spot before turning down the music. As he climbed the stairs to his apartment, Dean felt a small sliver of hope shoot through him. Considering what he was thinking about, Dean briefly wondered if the emotion was Cas'.
Dean stopped in front of his apartment, hesitating for all of a moment before unlocking it and walking inside. Sam and Madison were curled up together on the couch. They look peaceful and content, and Dean silently cursed Sam for filling Cas with anxiety.
Quietly, Dean closed the door and watched the pair for another moment. He smiled as he realized that in all honesty, what they were finding was something he wanted.
Madison stirred slightly, opening her eyes and smiling at Dean. He waved and whispered, 'Sorry,' knowing that she would hear it before heading back to his bedroom. He closed his own door, crossing to the bed and collapsing on it, not bothering to change out of his outfit.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket and blindly swatted at his nightstand, looking for his charger. He plugged his phone in and stared at it for a moment before pulling up his texts. Dean quickly scrolled through, finding his conversation with Cas over the past two weeks and smiled.
They had shared a lot about each other, either trying to force the bond to break or nurture it. Cas had told Dean about life with the pack, being on the run. About how his position as Den Protector left him with little time to do things like watching tv or movies. Dean talked about being raised on the road, although not why he was raised that way, and about his love of all things pop culture.
They had talked about music, about books, about siblings. And Dean realized, not once did he feel obligated to do that because of some bond he had with Cas. He may have at first, but as the weeks went on, he wanted to know Cas. Dean wanted to talk to Cas, to have Cas in his life as a friend, maybe even more.
Dean swiped back down and started typing out a message.
[10:30 AM From Dean]: Cas, I know when we left the diner, we had gotten back to a neutral point. We both have this fear that maybe the bond is doing something, maybe it's not. I don't know. But I need to say something I should have said before we parted earlier.
[10:30 AM From Dean]: I'd rather have you, bond or not. I want to get to know you. And not just because of this metaphysical bullshit that happens to be my life.
Dean smiled as a sense of calm came over him. He laid his phone on the nightstand, hoping that if Cas responded back, he'd understand the delay in response. Dean rolled over, pulling a pillow to his chest, before dozing off.
…
A few hours later, Dean woke up to pounding on his door. "DEAN! DEAN! WAKE YOUR ASS UP!" Dean smelled the air and determining there was no smoke, lazily reached for his phone. Three PM. Less than five hours of sleep. He quietly cursed Sam's name for the second time that day and unlocked his phone to check his messages.
Text Messages: 3
Missed Calls: 6
Voicemails: 4
Dean ran his hand down his face and stared at his notifications in confusion. Who the fuck had been so desperate to call him. He pulled down the shutter to see the notifications and, since they were at the top, opened the texts first. All three were from Cas.
[11:00AM From Cas]: You're probably asleep by now, but I wanted to make sure I got my feelings straight.
[11:04AM From Cas]: I agree that there was a small step backward. While I never wanted to stop getting to know you, I doubted the feelings between us. But as we walked back to our respective cars, there is one thing I realized. Bond or not, the happiness I feel when I spend time with you, the excitement I experience when you text me or call me? Those are real, Dean. And I want to keep getting to know you.
[11:06AM From Cas]: Good things do happen, Dean, and I'm excited to find out what those things are. With you.
Dean's heart started beating a tattoo as his smile broadened across his face. The bond he made may have brought them together, but they were both on the same page, wanting to learn about each other before committing to anything.
"DEAN!" Sam banged on the door again, startling Dean. "WAKE YOUR ASS UP AND CHECK YOUR PHONE."
"What do you think I'm doing?" Dean mumbled to himself, as he protected the texts from Cas. He pulled down the notifications shutter and pressed on the missed calls. Bobby. Bobby. Unknown Number. Bobby.
Dean looked up at the door and realized that something was wrong. So very, very wrong. "Sam? It's unlocked."
The door opened, and Sam peeked in. "Uh, it's just me. I sent Maddie home. Neither of you are going into work tonight." He pushed the door open further and crossed into Dean's room. "Charlie and Ash both agreed to take the shifts later." He pointed at Dean's phone. "How many?"
"Six missed calls total." Dean turned his phone at Sam. "I haven't listened to the voicemails yet."
"Can you play them on speaker?" Sam sat next to Dean on the bed, causing Dean's anxiety to build.
"Do you know who the unknown number is, Sam?"
Sam nodded.
Dean pressed for his voicemails to open. The robotic voice came through the speakerphone. He closed his eyes as she repeated the information that he had four new voice messages. The first one started, and Dean relaxed slightly as Bobby's voice played.
"Dean, You're probably sleeping. Your brother better not be. I need you two awake ASAP.
"That's not so bad, right?" Dean clicked to play the next voicemail.
DEAN! I don't know why I'm yelling at this damn robot, but I need you to call me now. I'm going to keep calling between you and Sam, but you need to be awake, and you need to hear this from me before you find out on your own."
"I will say he was nicer to me on my voicemails." Sam shrugged.
Dean rolled his eyes and moved to the next message. As soon as Dean recognized the voice, the temperature in his room dropped below freezing, and he started shivering.
"Hello, Dean. You know it's not really nice to keep your phone number from your old man. I just wanted to let you know I'm going to be in your neck of the woods on some business. You're probably going to want to stay away from any of your freak friends. I got the proper permits to go after them, and there's no stopping me. I'll see you soon, boy".
Dean's stomach dropped, and he looked at Sam. "The proper permits?" Sam nodded and pointed at the phone.
"Dean, I finally got a hold of Sam. He still hasn't gotten a call, but I know you did. John's in town. He's been hired to go after a pack of Weres who were supposedly responsible for killing five people and injuring another out in Pontiac. He's coming after Cas' pack. I don't know who he bribed or what connections he has, but the permit is legit. I'm reaching out to an old friend out there who can prove they were Wendigo kills and get the permit revoked."
The call ended, and Dean immediately started to dial Cas' number. "Sam, can you call Bobby, tell him we're on the way?" Sam nodded and pulled out his phone, stepping out of the room to give Dean privacy. Cas picked up on the third ring, and Dean let out a sigh of relief.
"Dean, shouldn't you still be sleeping? It's only–"
"Cas, there is no time to explain. Your pack is in trouble." Dean interrupted, his words quickly exploding out of him. "A shady as fuck hunter was either able to bribe someone or exploit someone and got a permit to hunt Werewolves. I know this jackass doesn't normally go through the legal routes, but he knows he's wanted in Sioux Falls, and the permits give him immunity."
"Wait, what?" Dean could clearly picture Cas' head tilt, and it pained him that he wasn't there. "Immunity from what?"
"He's allowed in the town, and he can legally hunt you guys until he deems the pack destroyed. He's not going to come after you guys, he's going to try and kill all four packs. Or at least take as many of the Weres in town out as he can." Dean stood up and started pacing his room. "This guy is dangerous and unstable, and knows how to negate magic."
The silence between them was deafening. Dean wasn't sure if Cas had muted him and was shouting out directions, or if the call had disconnected. He started to speak when Cas' voice came quietly over the phone.
"It sounds like you know a lot about this guy. That he's caused issues in the past." Another pause. "Who is he, Dean?"
"He's my father, Cas. Mine and Sam's." Dean shut his eyes and squeezed, ready for Cas to yell or scream at him. After a moment of silence, Dean spoke up again. "Cas? Say something, man."
"It sounds like we have an advantage," Cas responded calmly. Dean held his breath, waiting for Cas to start yelling at him. "What do we need to know or do?"
"He uh... He's..." Dean stopped and knew he was going to regret his next words. "Why aren't you yelling at me?"
"Why should I be yelling at you?" Cas' confusion was evident in his voice.
Dean pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it, making sure he had called the right number despite knowing he was on the phone with Cas. "Because it's my father?"
"Dean, we've known each other all of two weeks. That's not a lot of time to tell me your full life story." Cas breathed out a rough chuckle. "I will start yelling at you if you don't tell me what we need to do. You're shaken. I can sense it. If you're scared, then I know I need to take this seriously."
"Thank you, Cas. I'm making a pit stop by Bobby's, and then I'm going to come to you at the homestead. In the meanwhile, I know that Gabriel had people work on fixing the bunker under the silo. Get all of your pack there and lock it down." Dean swallowed roughly, fighting down a million feelings threatening to unload. "John Winchester is a bull-headed asshole. He won't stop to think of other ways to get to you guys, he'll just try to brute force his way after you all."
"And when you get here? What's your plan?"
"I don't know yet, Cas. But the more time we waste on the phone, the more time he has to sneak up on you. Go." Dean paused, hesitant to hang up the phone. "Be safe. Please."
"Same could be said for you, Dean. I'll see you soon."
…
Cas stared at the phone in his hand. Dean's father was not only a hunter, but the hunter coming after his pack, and possibly even the hunter who had filled him with silver buckshot. And Dean thought that Cas would hate him for it.
Shaking his head, Cas pocketed his phone and ran to Gabe's room before banging on the door. "Gabe, we have a problem!"
"Hold on, Cassie!" A couple of moments later, Gabe opened the door in a robe. "What's so bad that you can't take care of it?"
"There's a hunter coming for us. He went through the legal channels to get a permit." Cas watched as Gabe went through the seven stages of grief in less than ten seconds. "Dean and Sam are working on getting him out of town, but Dean believes he's going to go after all the packs."
Gabe looked over his shoulder. "Meg, we gotta move. Now." He turned back to Cas and frowned.
"Find Anna, have her round up the kids, there's a–"
"A bunker under the silo, I know. Dean told me." Cas licked his lips and let out a worried sigh before leaning into Gabe to whisper in confidence. "The hunter is their father, Gabe. Dean warned me that he can negate magic, and he's not usually known for going through the proper channels."
"So the wards on the perimeter?" Gabe frowned.
"Will barely slow him down. I don't know anything about his skill at negating magic, but considering both his sons are witches? It's probably really fucking high." Cas frowned. "Gabe, go get dressed, we need to make sure you and Meg stay safe and get you in the bunker now."
Cas turned and bolted back down the hallway banging on doors. "Pack meeting in the foyer! Now!" He stopped in front of Anna's door and shoved it open. Anna was grabbing a bag and filling it. "I know, Cas. Pack bond. What am I doing?"
"So, you know what's going on, but not what you're supposed to do?"
"I started to panic!" Anna threw her hands up in frustration. "Just tell me what I need to do."
"Go round up the kids, get them in the bunker. I also need you to make sure that Gabe doesn't do anything bull-headed." Cas dragged his hand down his face. "Inias is one of the ones converting that old storage building into apartments, right? He's living in there?"
"Yeah. His room is the second one in on the left."
Cas kissed his sister on the cheek and ran out again. He sped out past the rest of the pack gathering in the foyer, hoping that Gabe would tell them what was going on. In the worst-case, he knew Anna would.
The building that the pack was working on converting sat next to the barn. Cas found himself stripping out of his clothes and shifting to cut the time it would take to get there in half. He skidded to a stop in front of the door and scratched at it, pushing through the pack bond for Inais to come let him in.
"Castiel? Why are you in wolf form?" Inais had opened the door and was squatting down next to Cas instantly. He placed his hand on Cas' head, taking a moment to listen to Cas as he explained everything he knew. "I'll gather everyone here, Castiel, but your Aunt Amara? She's going to need you to convince her to come."
Cas whimpered and paced in front of Inias. "Can you at least tell me where she is?"
"She found a glade, but she won't tell anyone where it's at. She said at her age, she's allowed a private place. I'm sure if you know," Inais tapped the side of his nose. "You can find her."
"Fuck." Cas howled in frustration and started back towards the main house. He was relieved to find the pack quickly evacuating, but frustrated to see Gabe leading it. He shifted back to human form and walked up to his brother. "You're supposed to be in the silo."
"Under the silo, Cassie, under it." Gabe gently touched the shoulder of one of the younger wolves, keeping them moving. "I'll go now since you're here. I already sent Meg ahead."
Watching as the last of the pack exited the house and made their way to the silo, Cas shifted back into form and ran towards the woods that lined the one side of the farm. If there were any glades to be found, they would be there. He sprinted through the trees, realizing how much he had missed being able to just run. He knew it was an inappropriate time to have that thought, but the wind through his fur, the moss and dirt under his paws, the scent…
He smelled his Aunt. Cas made a sharp turn and followed the scent to an opening in the trees. In the center, his Aunt Amara was in human form, sitting in the Lotus position with her eyes closed.
"Castiel."
"Aunt Amara, we need to go." Cas walked up to her and bumped against her arm with his snout. "Please. There's a hunter on his way."
"I'm well aware, Castiel. His aura taints these woods." She opened her eyes and gently scratched behind Cas' ear. "He's trying to destroy the magic that we are using to ward our home, but I won't let him do it."
"He knows how to negate magic, Aunt Amara. If he gets too close to you..." Cas sat on his haunches next to her and whimpered. "From what I've been told, he won't care what you are, he'll shoot first and ask questions later."
"Your Dean told you this, didn't he?" Amara rested her forehead against Cas' and pet his side. "I'm not surprised. He's afraid of what he does not understand. Including his own sons."
A branch snapped nearby, and both Cas and Amara's attention locked to it. Cas sniffed the air and found himself unnerved not by what he smelled, but by what he couldn't smell. "Please, Aunt Amara. There's no time. We can stay safe if we leave now."
"You've always been such a good member of the pack, Castiel. You knew when to obey and when to question. You always did everything to keep those you love safe." Amara sighed. "Very well, let's get to the safe house."
The sound of a long rifle racking froze them both in their place.
Pairing: Dean/Cas, background ships
Rating: Teen
Word Count: 6.9K
Warnings: Cas is still recovering from his injury
Written For: nickel’s storytime, also Pt. 2 of the Runaway Series
On Ao3
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Please note - I hesitated sharing this today. But in dark times, we sometimes need a mental break, we need to take care of ourselves. You don’t have to use this, but make sure to take time for yourself.
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Castiel stared at the ceiling as Anna talked to him about everything and nothing. Well, it felt that way. He wasn’t entirely focusing on his sister’s words. Instead, Cas tried to count the dots on the ceiling to distract himself from the strange itch under his skin.
“Castiel, are you even listening?” Anna playfully pushed at his shoulder and smiled at him. “What’s going through that head of yours?”
“It feels like something’s under my skin.” Castiel’s forehead knitted into frustration. “I know that they got almost all of the silver out, but I’m wondering if the little bit that’s still in there is what’s driving me crazy.”
Anna tilted her head. “Silver burns, Castiel.”
“I know, Anna.” He inhaled deeply through his nose, closed his eyes, and exhaled slowly through his mouth. “That’s why I’m wondering if it’s the fact that it’s only a little bit that’s in there. Not enough to burn.”
“Anything I can do to help?” Anna rested her hand on Castiel’s arm, and he shivered in response. He knew very well it wasn’t silver that was causing this reaction, but he didn’t know what it was. “Castiel? What can I do?”
“Shift. I need to shift back. Maybe that’ll cause this to go away.” He started to pull at the wolf in the back of his mind when Anna stopped him.
“Castiel, you’re in the hospital.”
He hung his head and nodded. “Can you go ask Dean or the Doctor if I can shift?” Castiel watched as Anna nodded and quickly made her way out of the room before resuming his counting of the perforations in the ceiling tiles. He had gotten to almost 200 when Anna returned with Dean.
“Cas?”
Castiel shot up in the bed, wincing slightly as the room spun around him. “Dean?”
“Hey, Cas.” Dean shot a smile at Castiel that didn’t quite reach his eyes before crossing over to the medical cart in the room. “Anna tells me you want to shift?” Cas nodded enthusiastically, so Dean continued. “Cool, that’s fine. Let me just take a few vitals, grab this cart, and then Anna and I will step outside, okay?”
“Thank you, Dean.” Castiel wanted to grab for Dean, needed to pull him in and hold him. The itch that had been driving him crazy was thrumming, and his heart started pounding quickly.
As Dean laid the stethoscope on Castiel’s bare skin, he nearly melted into Dean’s touch as the nurse started taking his vitals. Dean’s touch was calming, It was soothing, and Castiel found his mind clearing, like a deep fog was lifted from it. Dean hummed in acknowledgment and jotted down some numbers on a piece of paper before speaking to Castiel.
“Do you think you’ll be okay to shift, Cas?” Dean’s green eyes appeared to be boring into Castiel, and he could only nod. “Alright. Just need to get your temperature, then I’m gonna drag Anna out of here so you can ‘Wolf Out.’” Dean slid the disposable sleeve over the thermometer. “Lift your tongue.”
Castiel obliged, and for a split second, he thought of the numerous other fun things he could be doing with his tongue at that moment. He kept his tongue still, waiting for the beep to sound, and let out a sigh of relief when everything came back clear. “So, I’m good to shift?”
“Yes, but we do retake your vitals when you shift to make sure nothing’s too far off the charts. You suddenly shifted in your sleep before and were cold to touch, so we went right to just warming your body back up.” Dean ran his fingers through his hair and started to turn when he appeared to remember something. “I’ll be back once you’re done shifting to come check you. You can either stay here in the room or join me at the nurses’ station. We have a much more comfortable bed for our canine pals out there. Chosen by our Were staff.” Dean winked, and Castiel felt his heart melt.
Castiel waited until Dean led Anna out of the room. The door clicked shut. He heard a lock click - most likely a safety precaution, considering the number of wolves that could shift at any time. Castiel let out a deep sigh and reached deep into himself, searching for his wolf.
After a moment, Castiel found what he was searching for. The shifting and popping of his body as it transformed from human to wolf was familiar and comforting. As he moved to all fours, his fur grew out. The jet black color was uncommon in his clan, let alone almost Weres, he often dreaded its meaning. One the transformation was complete, he took a sniff of the air and looked back at his hind leg. It had been shaved, and while he knew why, he still huffed, allowing himself a small moment of vanity. Castiel crossed to the door and started scratching at it.
“Hi there, Cas.” Dean was the first to greet him, leaning down and giving him scritches behind the ear. “Can you jump up here for me?” Dean patted back on the bed, and Castiel whined as he took the position to try and make the jump. His leg couldn’t take the energy coiling up inside of it, and Dean frowned. “Too much?”
Castiel nodded and sat down on his haunches, letting out a whimper as Dean waved a hand at him. “Then I think you’re going to join me out at the Nurses’ Station. I promise to not blare my soaps to loud at you.” Dean laughed, sitting on the ground in front of Castiel. He pulled out his stethoscope and started listening to Castiel’s heart, which Castiel knew was speeding up, yet again, because of Dean’s touch. “Alright, everything appears to be in order, Cas. Do you want up on the bed, or do you want to join me out at the nurse’s station?”
Castiel quickly stood back up, slightly regretting how fast he was moving, and pushed him with his head.
“Alright, I get it, Cas. But you can’t blame me for watching Dr. Sexy. It’s a new episode tonight.”
Castiel harrumphed, as though insulted, and nudged Dean, forcing him to his feet. “Pushy Wolf, aren’t you?” Dean let out his own chuckle but walked outside where Anna was waiting for them.
"Feeling better, Castiel?"
“Much.” Castiel replied, keeping his eyes on Dean. He nodded for effect, not sure of how much Dean knew about Pack Bonds.
“The feeling under your skin?” Anna crossed her arms over her chest.
“Shut up.” Castiel glared at Anna. He tried to continue to follow Dean when he found Dean had stopped in front of him.
“A feeling under his skin?” Dean looked down at Castiel. “I thought you just said he was feeling odd?”
Anna nodded. “I mean, a feeling under his skin is him feeling odd, is it not?”
“Yeah, but I need to know more about that, and I don’t talk wolf. Unless your Pack has that telepathic thing that most packs do.” Dean looked back and forth between them.
“Dammit.” Castiel looked up at Anna again then looked at Dean. “Might as well come clean.”
“We do. I was talking to Castiel earlier, and when I noticed he wasn’t paying attention, I asked what was going on. He said he was too busy distracting himself from some strange feeling.” Anna leaned on the top of the pony wall that Dean’s desk was pushed up against. “He said he figured if he shifted, that maybe the feeling would stop.”
Dean sat in his desk and beckoned Castiel over to him. Castiel obliged him and sat in front of him while Dean did a little more thorough of a check on him. Castiel melted into the touch, feeling whole and complete as Dean’s fingers ran over him. “How are you feeling now that you’ve shifted, Cas?”
Castiel looked up and let out a soft, throaty growl before looking at Anna. “Tell him to keep petting.”
“Who are you, and what have you done with my brother?” Anna shook her head before looking at Dean. “He said he wants you to keep petting.”
“Well, with fur like this, you don’t have to ask me twice.” Dean winked again, and Castiel suddenly wished he hadn’t turned into a wolf, the ideas floating through his mind. “I am going to check a few more things, and then you should try and get some rest.” Dean pointed to a pet cot that was covered in blankets and pillows. “I think it might smell a little like Tasha, but get in there, it’ll smell like you in no time.” Dean scratched under Castiel’s jowl, causing a happy huff to escape Castiel’s chest.
Anna snorted and brushed her nose. “I’m sorry. This is...” She bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “I’m going to go meet up with the Pack. Castiel, behave.”
“I will bite you.” Castiel shot a glare at his sister, who chuckled and turned to walk away. He let out a sigh, well, what constituted as a sigh for a wolf anyway, and looked back up at Dean. While his eyesight was always sharp, it was at its best when he was a wolf, and he took a moment to appreciate Dean’s features.
“You okay there, Cas?” Dean was checking Castiel’s ears, but the way he did it felt like pure joy compared to the tugging and stretching others had done to him. It was like being massaged, and Castiel was grateful that he couldn’t speak. “You almost look like you’re going to fall asleep on me.”
Castiel huffed and shook his head.
“Okay, not going to fall asleep on me. Good to know.” Dean started on the other ear, and Castiel took the chance to rest his head on Dean’s knee. The extra contact between the two was comforting. Castiel briefly hoped that Dean would just keep petting him after he finished checking on him. “You still feeling that weird feeling under your skin, Cas?”
Castiel lifted his head long enough to shake it in the negative before resting it back on Dean’s knee. He wasn’t lying. The feeling wasn’t weird anymore. It felt a tall glass of cold water on a hot day or crawling into a warm bed at the end of a cold night. It felt like finding home.
A brief thought flitted through Castiel’s mind. He remembered the concern of an artificial bond accidentally being built between them, due to Dean draining all his magic to save him. But Castiel brushed it off as quickly as it entered his mind. He didn’t feel bound by magic. While it was comforting to be close to Dean, Castiel refused to attribute it to Dean’s magic. Dean just felt right.
“Earth to Cas. You with me, Space Cadet?” Dean scratched behind Cas’ ear again, eliciting what Castiel would refuse to acknowledge as a purr.
“I need you to go try and get some rest.” Dean pointed at the cot again. “You’re still recovering from the silver in your system, and I’ve got to go check on other patients.”
Castiel whimpered, and Dean playfully rolled his eyes.
“I’m serious, Cas. You can’t come to the other rooms. Plus, the sooner I go do my rounds, the sooner I can come back.”
With a disgruntled snort, Castiel pulled away and crossed over to the cot. Dean had been correct in that there were faint smells of another wolf lying there previously. By his guess, a young female, unpaired, and had been in some kind of non-illness related pain. He looked over to Dean.
“Tasha was hit by a car. She’s fine now. Just needed to set her radius, and her healing factor had her back within a week and a half.” Dean wrote something before putting his pen down and standing up. “Please try and sleep some more, Cas. You and I both know Weres heal faster when they’re calm and resting.”
Castiel whimpered before laying his head down on his paws. Dean was right, but it didn’t mean that Castiel had to like it. He waited until Dean walked away to do his rounds before closing his eyes and drifting off into a mostly peaceful slumber.
…
Dean cursed his luck. He had been so willing to let Cas shift because there was a chance for the bond to break. But if anything, when Cas was in his wolf form, Dean found it nearly impossible to keep his hands off of the wolf. The thick black coat matched Cas’ thick dark hair. And the eyes? God, they were the blues eyes Dean had ever seen. He could, and probably would drown in them.
Once Dean had finally been able to convince Cas to go rest in the cot, and he found himself strangely understanding Cas. Not that Cas was speaking, but the gestures, the expressions? Dean was not having a one-sided conversation like he usually did with shifted Weres. There was an insane amount of communication.
As he started his rounds, Dean kept thinking about going back to check on Cas. Something was pulling at him, demanding that he needed to get back to Cas. But Dean knew that Cas was okay. His vitals were fine, he was resting, he was sleeping. Dean stopped between room one and room two. How did Dean know that Cas was sleeping?
He shook his head and entered room two, finding Pamela, one of the town’s legit psychics, curled up on her gurney. The lights were dim, and it sounded like Madison had put on a white noise generator for Pamela. He stepped up to the side of the bed when she rolled over and smiled at him. “Hey there, cutie.”
“Well damn, didn’t think I was too loud. Sorry for waking you.” Dean frowned as he picked up her chart. “How’s the migraine?”
“You didn’t wake me. Your new wolf friend did. He’s thinking too loud.” Pamela smiled. “Think you’ve got enough mojo back to shoot me a little something, Dean?”
“Aww, and here I thought you liked me for my charming personality.” Dean pressed two fingers against Pamela’s temple and sent a small amount of healing through. “That good for now?”
“Of course, sweet cheeks.” Pamela reached up and patted his cheek. “Also, it’s okay to let things grow.” She smiled and rolled back over, falling asleep almost instantly.
Dean shook his head as he left Pamela’s room. Yes, Pamela was psychic. Yes, she read auras and could sort of read minds, whatever it was she called it. But he seriously had no idea what Pamela was talking about when she said it was okay to let things grow. For all he knew, she could be telling him to be okay with Sam growing his hair out long. Dean shuddered at the thought.
Walking down the hall, Dean peaked into room three to see Mildred sitting up in bed, crocheting or knitting. Whatever witchcraft she did with her yarn. “Hiya, Mildred.” He pointed to the craft in her lap. “Whatcha making?”
“A baby blanket for Amy’s kit.” She lifted it up and shook it out, and Dean smiled at the work. “I had her give me some of her fur from her last shed, and I mixed it into the yarn. A little of my magic added, and ta-da! A protection charm for that little dear she’s brought into the world.”
“Look at you. Not even recovering from surgery can hold you back.” Dean gently patted Mildred’s shoulder as he started going over her vitals. “Any pain or discomfort?”
“Nope, but I did feel your magic last night. One of the strongest spells you’ve ever pushed out, Dean.” Mildred shot a look at Dean, and he knew that he was in for a lecture. “You know the rules of being a Healing Witch, Dean. And the last time you tried...”
“Mildred, I love you, you know that. You’re like the grandmother I never wanted.” Dean was grateful that older witch laughed at his joke. “But you also know I’m never going to let an innocent die. Not if I can help it.”
Mildred smiled sadly and took Dean’s hand into hers. “You always were a stubborn student. But always one of my best. I just don’t want to see you hurt again.”
“I know Mildred. I’ll be careful.” Dean pointed up to the clock. “You do know it’s almost one AM, right?”
“All witches do their best work at night, do they not? Also, part of the reason you work the overnights.” Mildred winked before shooing him off. “Go find Maddie and send her to me, please.”
Dean nodded his acknowledgment and walked out of the room. He skipped room four, as no one had come in to fill it, and went to room five. Madison was speaking with Rufus, one of the few non-cryptids that insisted on coming to the Cryptohospital. He said he found it more comforting to be around creatures than humans. Still, Dean secretly believed that Rufus was just some kind of deity.
“Hey, Maddie, sorry to bother, and I can take over if need be, but Mildred is asking for you.”
Rufus waved Madison off and kicked his feet back up on the bed. “She was just checking my vitals like you two bloodsuckers do. No offense to the actual bloodsuckers.”
“Yep, I’m going to run right to Benny and Andrea and Lenore and tell them all about you calling docs and nurses bloodsuckers. Watch how offended they’ll be, old man.” Dean rolled his eyes before stepping back and out of Madison’s way. “Just press the button if you need me. I’ll be at my desk. Drinking my bloody wine cooler.”
“Smartass.”
“Don’t you know it.” Dean closed the door behind him and shrugged as Madison cut him a look. “What? I’ve known him forever. Gotta give him some shit.”
Madison turned and walked down to Mildred’s room as Dean crossed back to his desk. Cas was still asleep in the cot, and it took all of Dean’s willpower to not cross over to the wolf and stroke his fur. He sat back in his chair after grabbing Cas’ chart and kicked his feet up on the desk. He worked on updating it as a howl-like yawn came from his side. Dean turned to see Cas resting his head back on his paws, and the deep blue eyes watching him. “Hey there, Sunshine.” Dean looked up at the clock and wrote down the time on Cas’ chart. “Looks like you got about ninety minutes of rest there.”
Cas pushed himself to his feet and stepped down off of the cot before crossing over to Dean and resting his head on Dean’s thigh.
“Yeah, okay, I get it. You don’t want to sleep anymore.” Dean reached over and started scratching behind Cas’ ear again.
Several hours later, Anna and Gabriel showed back up, smiling at what Dean assumed to be their brother up and moving around. Cas had napped once more, his head practically glued to Dean’s leg, and he had a bit of a second wind when they walked up to the desk.
“Dean, Cas is asking if he can shift back,” Anna spoke up as Cas walked up to her.
“Uh...” Dean hesitated, looking at Cas before looking at Anna and Gabriel. “Let me go get Dr. Vaugier so she can take his vitals.”
Cas whimpered and crossed back over, staring at Dean with his large blue eyes.
“Cas, I think it’s best if Dr. Vaugier does your check-up this time.” Dean froze as Cas growled, and Gabriel rolled his eyes.
“Gabe, can you take Castiel back to his room? I’m going to talk to Dean for a moment.” Anna bent down to hug Cas, and shoo him back to his room. From the corner of his eye, Dean watched Madison follow them in, and tilted his head in confusion. “Dean, what happened while I went home to freshen up and catch Gabriel up with what was going on?”
“You know damn well. I know Garth explained to you and your Pack what I did.” Dean crossed his arms over his chest.
“You saved our brother and almost risked your own life. That sounds pretty damn big.” Like earlier, she leaned on the half wall and stared at Dean. “So what’s eating at you?”
“The whole bond thing. I’m trying to make sure it doesn’t form. Or, if it’s already there, it needs to be severed.” Dean ran his hand down his face. “I was eager to let him shift earlier, cause I thought it would erase anything I might have done. But I know that’s not the case. I could...”
Anna turned her head and side-eyed Dean. “You could what, Dean?”
“I knew he was sleeping. Like, I knew when he fell asleep. I knew that I didn’t have to worry about him while I was doing my rounds.” Dean shook his head. “And despite knowing all of that. I needed to be near him. I used my magic on him without his consent, and now he’s probably bound to a half-wit witch.”
“I can’t believe you right now.” Anna pushed herself off the wall and pointed at Dean. “You’d rather cut off a bond then try and nourish it?”
“He didn’t have a choice, Anna.” Dean frowned. “He–”
The door to room six opened and closed, and Madison and Gabriel stepped out, with Madison locking the door.
“Fuck. I need to step away for a few.” Dean tried to stand up but was quickly pushed back down into his chair by Anna. “What the hell?”
“Look, Meg and Gabriel spoke with our Pack’s... I don’t know what the best word to compare to is, but they’re like our magic-user. If the bond isn’t supposed to happen, it won’t. It will fade away naturally. Why cause permanent pain now and make everything awkward, when you can just get to know each other?”
“And if that doesn’t work?” Dean closed his eyes and hung his head. “I think I know a thing or two about how this bond works, Anna. I was born this way, baby.”
Anna glared at Dean. “You did not just quote Lady Gaga at me.” She threw her arms up in protest before walking back to the other side of the desk. “All we’re saying is talk to Castiel. Get to know him. If the magic isn’t meant to be, it won’t stick.” She leaned forward, over the wall. “I could let you in on a little secret.”
“And what secret would that be?” Dean found himself leaning closer to her. “Black fur, like Cas’? It usually means–” Anna was cut off by the door opening and Madison and Gabriel walking into the room. Anna winked and moved to join the pair in checking on Cas.
She didn’t get very far, as Cas came out, wrapped in a robe, and walked down to the nurse’s station. “You are anything but a half-wit, Dean.” Cas wrapped his arms around Dean’s neck and hugged him. “Thank you for taking care of me.”
Dean watched as Gabriel and Anna walked back down towards them, Madison behind them. He gently pulled out of Cas’ embrace and patted him on the shoulder. “It was nothing, Cas. Just doing my job.”
…
Castiel had stared in disbelief when Dean said that he was just doing his job. While he was sure Dean was attentive towards all his patients, he highly doubted that Dean sat there and pet them for hours while they cuddled and used his warmth for comfort.
But when the other nurse, Bess, arrived, Dean practically ran out the door. Anna had explained to Castiel that Dean felt guilty, like he was forcing an unwanted bond on him. If anything, instead of making Castiel want to break the bond, he wanted to get to know Dean more.
So when Dr. Fitzgerald came to officially discharge him several hours before Dean was slated to start his shift, Castiel felt his heart drop. He hadn’t gotten a chance to say goodbye or ask Dean how to contact him. And the hospital sure wasn’t going to give him any of that information.
As he left the hospital, a part of Castiel contemplated leaving something behind for Dean. Something that would show he was actually interested in the witch and not just because of some accidental bond. He knew he’d never hear the end of it from Gabriel or Anna if they caught him doing it. So he did what he thought was the next best thing.
When he went into thank Bess, he pulled her in a little closer and whispered in her ear to have Dean find him. She smiled knowingly and nodded vehemently.
Her enthusiastic response clued in Anna and Gabriel almost immediately. They at least waited until they were in the car Gabriel was borrowing before teasing Castiel relentlessly.
“So, Cassie, did you not actually learn anything from what we warned you about?” Gabriel looked back in the rearview mirror, wagging his eyebrows at his younger brother.
“I learned that Dean is a kind and compassionate soul and that I would like to know him better.” Castiel shot a glare at Gabriel. “He did everything in his power to save me. He went through and took care of all of his charges, and he still took the time to take care of me.” Castiel blushed at the reminder of Dean stroking his fur.
“Leave him alone, Gabe.” Anna looked over her shoulder and smiled at Castiel. “Besides, you remember what Aunt Amara said.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Gabriel grumbled, and Castiel swore he could hear the steering wheel whine under Gabe’s grip. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“What did Aunt Amara say?” Cas tilted his head and started to lean forward before Gabriel snapped at him to sit back and buckle up.
“Basically, that because of your abilities, if the bond isn’t supposed to be there, it’ll fade away after a few days.” Anna shrugged. “I may have tried to mention that to Dean. But he was really upset about using his magic without your permission already. So, I’m pretty sure it went in one ear and out the other.”
Castiel shook his head. “He saved my life with his magic. That what you guys told me. Does he regret saving it?” Castiel frowned. There was no way that Dean would have that kind of feeling, would he?
“Oh, gods no, Cassie. I’m pretty sure your boy toy back there would have drained himself so you could live.” Gabriel looked up at the mirror, his whiskey-gold eyes finding Castiel’s sapphiric-blue. “It’s more regret that he didn’t give you a choice to bond. He takes his magic very seriously. At least that’s what I’ve heard from the other wolf packs.”
“Then why did he call himself a half-wit? He seems like kind of a big name around here.” Castiel frowned.
Gabriel laughed. “Cassie, not all of us are born with your levels of self-confidence.” Anna nodded in agreement, holding in her own laughter. “Sometimes, the roughest diamond is the one that’ll shine brightest of all.”
As Castiel contemplated Gabriel’s words, he felt the car slow down and pull onto a long dirt road. He slightly kicked himself for not paying more attention to the drive, but his mind had truly been stuck on Dean almost the entire time. Castiel stared out the window as Gabe pulled up to a large farmhouse. “What is this place?”
“Welcome to our new homestead, little bro.” Gabe parked the car and hopped out
“Wait, what?” Castiel scrambled out of the car and looked around. “Homestead? I thought they were lending us a place to stay until we can get on our feet?”
“That’s what we thought too.” Gabriel, for once in his life, looked humbled. “I don’t think Naomi could have ever dreamt this up.” Castiel felt his brother throw his arm over his shoulder and start to lead him up to the house. “Long story short, we’re not getting this for free. We’re expected to return this to a working farm.”
“Which, we know we can do,” Anna added. “Inias tested the soil yesterday, and it’s in good shape. We have multiple pack members working on fixing the barn and the house and the stables up.”
“And the other packs have also chipped in too.” Gabriel pointed over to a truck with a livestock trailer attached to it. “Each Pack has sold us, at a discount, a few of their own breeders. “We’ll be able to feed ourselves and have some to return to the community.”
Castiel stared agape at his surroundings. “This is almost like back ho–” He stopped himself and shook his head. Pontiac wasn’t home anymore. Sioux Falls was now home. And if they were staying... “This is better than back there.”
“Hmmm,” Anna hummed. “I wonder why.”
“Go find Meg, and help her with whatever she’s doing, Anna.” Gabriel gave their sister a shove before leading Castiel to the house. “So, this is the main house. Some people will have to share for a bit. However, there’s an older building a little closer to the barn. We’re already talking about refurbishing it into apartments. You know, for people who don’t want to be in the main house or any newcomers to the Pack.” He helped Castiel up the front stairs and into their new home. “However, the one thing we all agreed on was that you do get your own room.”
“What? Why?” Castiel turned and looked in shock at Gabriel as they stopped in front of one of the rooms in the house. “I’m perfectly okay with sharing. Or sleeping on a couch.”
“Well, for starters, you’re still healing. Second, you saved my life, as that shot would have been lethal had it hit me. Third, well...” Gabriel opened the door to the room, exposing a massive library. “It’s not one hundred percent your room, but there’s a closed-off area that’s private, mostly soundproof, and completely yours.” Gabriel led him back to the space and found that he had already been set up with a bed. “I know there’s not as many pillows and blankets as back home, but we’ll get you more as we settle in.”
Castiel climbed up onto the bed and laid down, instantly finding his energy drained. “This is...” He yawned widely and grabbed a pillow. “Thank you.”
“It’s not much Cassie, but thank you.” Gabriel leaned down and gently patted Castiel’s leg. “Get some rest. You’re not going to be able to use the ‘I’m a cripple’ excuse forever.” He turned and walked out of Castiel’s nook, leaving his younger brother to enjoy his space in privacy.
Castiel let out another large yawn that ended in a whimper. He grabbed a few more pillows and pulled them in closer. While he appreciated the gesture from his Pack, the bed was much too large for him alone. They probably thought that he’d still be available for cuddles and whatnot, and wanted to make sure he had a bed to accommodate multiple pack members.
Considering not only the past 48 hours, but the past week and a half or so, he felt far too alone in the large bed. And the only person he thought of to join him in it was Dean. He pulled the pillow close to his chest and closed his eyes.
Castiel pictured the soft smile when Dean was modest. He imagined the bright green eyes sparkling in amusement. He thought of the way Dean called him Cas instead of Castiel. And most of all, he thought of the gentle way Dean ran his hands through his fur.
Dean may have thought that he forced some sort of bond unwillingly on Cas, but Cas knew damn well, that if allowed to know Dean, he’d fall in love all on his own.
…
Dean ran his hand down his face before picking up his mug of coffee and taking a swig. Madison had come home with him that morning, keeping him from sticking around for too long, and she was currently curled up with Sam on the couch, watching the morning news. Dean was trying his best to ignore them, being all cute together, when Sam spoke up.
“So how about the new wolfpack?” Dean wanted to gag as he watched his little brother run his hand through Madison’s hair, tucking it back behind her ear.
“Remember the old Allen Farm?” When Sam nodded, she continued. “We told them to take it at no charge, under the condition they get it back to functioning condition.”
Dean perked up at that piece of information. Cas’ Pack was staying in Sioux Falls?
“Sounds like a plan, but weren’t they on the run? I doubt they have much more than the clothes on their back.”
Madison spoke up after having what sounded like a large chug of her coffee. “Each Pack pulled aside some breeders that we could part with and sold them at a huge discount. Kate’s Pack lent some physical labor, as did mine. Garth’s Pack provided seedlings and starters and used their resources to ward the land from danger.”
“That’s incredible. Like, Benny and I knew that you guys would have no issue with a new pack in town, but... I mean, Maddie, that’s incredible!” Dean pretended to throw up as heard Sam and Madison kiss.
Dean found himself saved by the phone. The ringtone for the hospital went off, and he picked it up. “Hiya Dean, it’s Bess!”
“Bess, everything okay?” Dean looked up to see Madison walk into the kitchen
“Oh yeah, we’re fine.” Dean waved at Madison as Bess continued. “Just wanted you to know that Garth cleared Castiel to leave earlier. He’s under strict orders to come back if he feels any kind of burning, or if his limp doesn’t improve within two weeks.”
“Okay, so why are you calling me?” Dean took another swig of his coffee.
“Castiel wanted you to know he was sorry he missed you.”
Dean felt himself blushing and looked up briefly to see Madison smiling at him. “Thanks, Bess. Is that all?”
“Nope! See you when you come in!” The call disconnected, and Dean stared at the phone for a minute.
“What was so important that Bess had to call, Dean?” Madison leaned up against the doorframe. “And apparently, only you.”
“Uh, Cas was discharged today.” Dean quickly racked his brain for any tips to stop blushing.
“You knew that was a possibility.” Madison jumped slightly as Sam walked up behind her. “So, what was so important that Bess had to call?”
Dean looked at Madison, then looked at Sam and then looked back down at Madison. “Uh, Cas wanted to make sure I knew he said goodbye.”
“You know...” Madison looked up at Sam as a mischievous smile cracked her lips. “I’m fairly certain you remember where the Allen Farm is.”
“Uh, yeah.” Dean nodded.
“Why don’t you go and swing by and do a house check. Sam and Benny can hang out at the hospital for a bit unless they get pulled out on a call. And if you head out now, you have some time before your shift starts.” Madison pushed back against Sam, directing him out of the room.
Dean let out a heavy sigh before draining his coffee. Madison was right. He could easily swing by the Farm. That wouldn’t be weird. He’d be doing it to introduce himself to the rest of the Pack and not just to check in on Cas. Dean wouldn’t be doing it because of some profound bond he accidentally created. Nope. Not at all.
He pushed himself from the table and headed to his room. He quickly got dressed and made sure to throw a clean pair of scrubs in his bag before heading out to the Impala to make the trip over to the Farm.
The drive was relatively quick. Growing up in the area, Dean knew all the backroads and all the shortcuts, and he found himself pulling up to a large mass of Werewolves working. He pulled up in front of the house and shut off Baby’s engine. As he walked up the front stairs, he was met by none other than Gabriel.
“It appears I lost that bet, Dean-O.” Gabriel stood at the top of the stairs, arms crossed over his chest. “Cassie’s sleeping.”
Dean tried his best to hide his disappointment. “Well, that’s not the only reason I came.”
“But a major part of it.” Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Come on, I’ll introduce you to the pack.”
“Sounds good.” Dean allowed Gabriel to take him by the arm and lead him to the barn. He noticed a fair number of Weres from Madison’s Pack there, assisting in cleaning and repairing. Gabriel took him around, introducing him to so many new faces he could only dream of remembering. Dean also quietly reminded Gabriel of the names of some of Madison’s Pack.
As Gabriel continued leading Dean around the homestead, finding the other members of the Pack - Pack Novak, as Dean came to learn - Gabriel slowly took on the role of an overprotective father.
“How do you know all the Weres in town, Dean?” Gabriel asked after Dean reminded him of probably the 15th name.
“Practically lived here all my life.” Dean shrugged. “I wouldn’t say I know them all personally and in-depth, but I know all their names at least. Besides, my little brother is dating one of the pack leaders. At least I think he got his head out of his ass.”
“And the other creatures in town?”
Dean let out a sigh. “I know almost all of them, Gabriel. I work in the hospital. My brother’s an EMT. We’re both Healing Witches. Who do you think Cryptids come and see?”
“So, you see them outside of your shifts?” Gabriel stopped in front of the stairs to the house and turned to Dean.
“Only for small things. I don’t work twenty-four seven, Gabe. And there are some things that me and Sam can do faster than the hospital.” Dean carded his fingers through his hair before rubbing the back of his neck. “What are you really getting at?”
“I’m the Patriarch of this Pack. Even if Cas is my brother and not my son, it’s still my duty to watch over him. I’ll be damned if I’ll let any random person try and sweep him off his feet.” Gabriel jabbed a finger at Dean.
“Gabriel!” Cas stood in the doorway to the large farmhouse and glared at his older brother. Dean couldn’t help but smile, seeing the man he had nursed back to health up and walking and just being so... So...
Dean’s mind short-circuited for a moment.
“What, Cassie? I was just going around and introducing Dean to the rest of the Pack. He’d only met me, Meg, and Anna.” Gabe shrugged. “And well, of course, you.”
“And now you’re giving him grief, why?” Cas walked down the stairs, past Gabe, and stood next to Dean.
“Uh, I think you overheard that part.” Gabe stumbled over his words a little before climbing the stairs. “You know, I was going to point out that Dean is a good guy. You kinda just...” Gabe held up the finger he had jabbed Dean with to pause, then pointed over his shoulder. “I should go.”
Cas rolled his eyes and turned to look at Dean. “What are you doing here, really?”
“House call?” Dean looked down at the ground and took a deep breath before meeting Cas’s eyes. “That and I didn’t get to do my own personal check on you to actually clear you.”
“Don’t trust Dr. Garth?” Cas smirked, clearly indicating he was teasing.
“I do, but somethings... Some people, I just need to see with my own eyes. That’s not a bad thing, is it?”
Cas shook his head before reaching for Dean’s hand. He hesitated, and Dean wanted nothing more than to grab Cas’ hand instead. But this needed to be Cas making a move. Cas showing he wanted this. Dean had already screwed up with the magic. Cas just needed to prove it was real.
Dean let out a sigh of relief as Cas looped his fingers into Dean’s. “Is this okay, Dean?” Cas asked, clearly confused.
“It’s awesome, Cas.” Dean smiled. “I just... There’s a lot I’m worried about, a lot I’m unsure about. I know I overstepped some lines, and I just want to make sure that this...” Dean pointed between himself and Cas with his free hand, “that this is done right.”
“Well, then we take it at any pace you need.” Cas gently squeezed Dean’s hand, and he felt a blush run up the back of his neck. “I know you fear that the magic is what’s bringing us together, but I want you to know that it may be connecting us, but it’s not the magic that makes me want to know more about you.”
“You want to get to know me?” Dean felt his heart start beating faster and prayed to any and every deity he knew of that he wasn’t dreaming.
“Pretty sure I just said that, Dean.” Cas’ confused face turned into a hopeful, toothy grin. “Perhaps when I’m off of bed rest, you can show me around town?”
Pairing: Dean/Cas
Rating: Mature
Word Count: 5.2K
Warnings: Minor Character Death
Written For: nickel’s storytime, part 4 of the Runaway Series
On Ao3
Dean anxiously paced back and forth in Bobby's study. He was on the phone, and while Bobby was making some noises of approval, he couldn't get a read on the Old Man.
"Sit down." Sam hissed, pointing at one of the chairs by the window. "You're making me nervous."
"I'm making you nervous? Our old man is hunting down an innocent pack, you know, the one that has a member that I accidentally bonded with? How do you think I feel?" Dean snapped before listening to his brother's advice and sitting down.
Bobby set his phone down on his desk. "You both can knock it off." He pointed at the free seat next to Dean. "You sit down too, Sam. I need your head in the game as much as Dean's."
"What did you find out?" Dean reached for the whiskey Bobby kept on the table between the two chairs, only to have his hand slapped at by Sam. "Bitch."
"Jerk."
"And I said enough." Bobby huffed out before covering his face with his hand. He let out a sigh and dragged his hand down. "Looks like an old hunting colleague of ours got himself into a position of power out in Illinois. Name's Kubrick. He took John's application and approved it with little fanfare."
"Sounds like there's more to it." Sam leaned forward, resting his elbow on his knees. "Something fishy?"
"You two remember Annie Hawkins, right?" Bobby waited until Sam and Dean acknowledged him. "Well, I had her look into it. The patron for the license is listed as one Amanda Tapping. However–" Bobby picked his phone back up and turned it to the brothers. "The lady on the left is Amanda Tapping. The lady on the right is the one who claims to be Amanda Tapping."
"Is this Ms. Tapping a family member of one of the people the wendigo got?" Dean asked.
"Nailed it in one." Bobby nodded. "However, thanks to Annie being as good as she is, she found out that this lady on the right here is a woman by the name of Naomi Novak."
Dean sat up straighter in his chair. "Novak? Like Clan Novak." He looked at Sam. "Gabriel mentioned a Naomi."
"Who is she?"
"I'm not sure, Sam. I'm thinking she's their former Pack Leader. Gabe mentioned something about how 'female pack leaders are normally cold, like Naomi,' when we were talking about Maddie in the hospital." Dean ruffled his hair. "Maybe she is, and she was ousted. And now she's trying to get revenge on her clan?" Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
"Calling your wolf?" Bobby sat on the corner of his desk.
"If his old Pack Leader is coming after him, I should probably warn him." He let out a heavy sigh. "Come on, Cas. Pick up." The phone went to voice mail, and Dean hung up before trying to call again.
"Dean?"
Dean hushed at Sam and waited until the phone went to voicemail again. "Shit." He jumped up from his seat and pointed at his younger brother. "Go find Maddie, protect her and her Pack. Bobby, can you get other witches or hunters to Garth and Kate's packs, please?"
He was out the door and behind his Baby's steering wheel in a matter of seconds. Cas simply did not not answer his phone. He'd pick up, say he was busy, and that he'd call back. Something about being polite and punctual. As he sped down the road to the Homestead, Dean tried two more times to call Cas, both going straight to voicemail. He hoped that it only meant that Cas was down in the bunker, and there was no signal for his call to get through.
Once he pulled up in front of the farmhouse, Dean quickly shifted Baby into park and hopped out. He didn't see any of Clan Novak's Weres out and about working, and his anxiety began to skyrocket. Dean ran up to the house and banged on the front door. When no one answered, he tried the knob and let himself in. As Dean looked around, he realized that he had come across the scene of a house left in a hurry.
"CAS?" Dean cried out, running around the house. He searched each floor quickly, pushing open bedroom doors and looking for any Weres that may have hidden. Both satisfied and unsatisfied that there was no one left in the house, Dean made his way outside and started running towards the silo.
Before he made it halfway, a single solitary gunshot rang through the air. "CAS!" Dean cried out. He paused for all of a moment listening for the echo of the shot to fade before determining the location of the shooter. Dean broke out into a sprint, making his way towards the woods on the far side of the house.
…
"Well, I knew I was right in hiding out in these woods. Breaking one or two of your wards was sure to send one of you running out here to check it." Cas fought down a growl as the man standing in front of him aimed the gun at his Aunt Amara. "Didn't think I'd be lucky enough to have a two-for-one special. Granted, I won't leave until I've killed every single one of your Pack members. That's what this nice little permit here entitles me to."
"You were able to procure a permit to kill us?" Amara's voice rang steady, helping to calm and center Cas. "I'm not sure how you achieved that legally, considering we were proven innocent."
"Then why were you so afraid?" The man took another step closer and switched his aim to Cas as Cas started to move between the two of them. "Back up, Mutt. I've been hunting with this my whole life. I'll get you and still get her before she can shift."
"Aunt Amara, if I tackle him, you can run. Please," Cas pleaded. "The Pack needs you."
"Hush, sweet Pup," Amara reached over and ran her fingers through the fur at Cas' nape. "It will all be okay."
"Like hell, it will." The man used the rifle to prod and nudge Amara, causing the distance to grow between her and Cas. "Maybe I should line you two up, no point in sparing a bullet on both of you. It would just be a waste." The hunter lifted the gun, aiming it Cas. "Sorry, Mutt, nothing personal. Just hate creatures, and the money made it so worth it."
Before he could pull the trigger, a bright streak of silver came out behind the man, biting at his arm and trying to knock the rifle free.
"You stupid beast!" The man whipped his arm back and the shirt tore away, revealing a Kevlar arm guard. "You think you're my first creature to hunt?" Before the wolf could get back to its feet, the man delivered a swift and strong kick to the wolf's ribs, sending it tumbling against the ground. "Well, you've got the honors of being the first of your pack to die, friend."
"Inias!" Amara cried out, as Cas howled and started to charge at the hunter.
A loud, solitary gunshot stopped Cas in his tracks, and the hunter turned around, racking his rifle for another shot. Cas growled and prepared to pounce on the man when Amara jumped onto him. "No, Castiel. No!"
"You think you're going to get off the hook? I've got enough silver bullets for over two hundred wolves." The man smirked. "And as far as I'm concerned, there's no one out here to hear–"
"ABI!"
The man flew across the glade and slammed into a tree. He hit with a sick thunk and slid down, collapsing at the trunk. Both Cas and Amara looked to the source of the spell, and Cas' heart started pounding rapidly at the sight of Dean, panting, resting his hands on his legs.
"Inias!" Amara wailed, scrambling to her feet, tripping as she made her way to the silver wolf. Cas watched as Dean ran next to her, and he quickly followed, using his nuzzle to move Amara out of the way. Through their bond, Cas felt as Dean's heart sank, and he instantly knew that his pack member, one of his closest kin growing up, was gone.
"Hold on for me, please." Dean started pushing magic into Inias. "Please, your pack needs you, Inias."
Cas whimpered and nuzzled against Dean. While he knew that Dean could understand what he was saying, he hoped the message was clear.
"I'm sorry, Cas. I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough." Dean got to his feet and helped Amara to her feet. He bent back down and picked up Inais' body, cradling it carefully. "Show us where to go, Cas. I need to get you two to safety before John wakes up."
Cas focused his nuzzling on Amara's hand. "You heard him, Aunt Amara. We need to go."
"I know, sweet Pup." Amara wiped at her face and fell in line behind Cas, with Dean bringing up the rear.
…
Dean stood at the rear of the room, closest to the door. It felt wrong to be there, he felt like an intruder on the Pack's grief. Sure, he had gotten to know Inias over the past couple of weeks, and he mourned for the loss of a pack member beloved to Cas, but this wasn't his place.
So he stood a silent vigil in the back. While it was unlikely John would figure out how to get in the bunker, he wouldn't let anymore harm come to Clan Novak. Dean watched as Cas held his Aunt Amara, and briefly remembered that Inias was his cousin. Was Amara Inias' mother?
As Amara sunk to the floor crying, Dean felt Cas' pain and guilt wash over him. He knew that Cas took his position of Den Protector seriously. The fact that Inias died, coming to rescue him and Amara had to weigh on Cas's shoulders. Unable to cross the room to comfort Cas, Dean thought about their bond for a moment. If he could feel Cas' emotions, could Cas feel his?
Dean started small, pushing through what he hoped was a feeling of comfort. He closed his eyes and imagined pulling Cas into a warm, comforting embrace. Dean opened his eyes and found Cas whipping his head up, their eyes locking instantly. Cas' head tilted to the side and Dean inhaled sharply, knowing that Cas had felt it.
Yet, as quick as Dean had made use of their bond, Cas quickly closed it off. Unsure of what Cas meant by his actions, Dean nodded and turned towards the door, exiting the room. He quickly found the stairs and made his up, pulling his phone out of his pocket. Once Dean had a signal, he promptly swiped through his phone, pulling up Sam's number.
"Dean, how are things going over there?" Sam answered after the second ring.
"Sam. He got one. The Old Man got Inias." Dean wiped his hand over his mouth and hung his head. "I was too late getting here."
"You got there as fast as you could, Dean." Sam calmly replied, a valiant attempt at trying to comfort Dean. "I'm sure you saved a lot more of them by calling and getting Cas moving."
"Not enough, Sam." Dean leaned back against the wall and slid down it, sitting in the stair landing. "What's going on outside of here?"
"I'm not completely sure myself. I'm with Maddie's Pack, we're all in their safehouse. Bobby went to Kate's Pack, a couple of their members are out of town, but they called them to keep them out of town for an extra day or two. Rufus is with Garth's Pack, and they're all accounted for."
Dean let out a sigh of relief. "Glad to hear the old man's not had a chance to sow grief and chaos in the other packs."
"Well, it gets better. I was talking to Bobby before I called you. Annie was able to get John's permit revoked."
"Seriously?" Dean perked up and briefly contemplated running out of the bunker to help with any kind of manhunt.
"Seriously. Annie presented the evidence to the rest of the council that that Kubrick guy is on. They were apparently already pissed with Kubrick approving the permit without consulting with the rest of the group. Add on the fact that the evidence was clearly pointing to a Wendigo, not a Were or a pack."
"Cool, so state the obvious, obvious is recognized. Now we go after the bastard." The sound of steps on metal caused Dean to look down the stairs. "Since the permit is considered Null and Void, will that make what John did..."
Sam's side of the call remained quiet, and Dean pulled the phone away from his ear to make sure the call didn't drop. "...illegal kill. That's murder, Dean."
"Good." Dean closed his eyes and rested his head back against the wall. So we've already got people going after him?"
"Pretty much. Jody and Donna have already put out an APB, and I know they're personally on the move as well. John hurt a lot of people when he went dark side, Dean." Sam sighed.
"I think they're asking for assistance from the rest of the cryptid community. Specifically, the ones without weakness to silver, like Charlie and Ash, among others."
"As long as they're careful, the more, the merrier." Dean pushed himself back up to his feet. "I'm going to let the Pack know I'm heading out. Having a witch or two could be beneficial to the manhunt as well."
"I mean, don't let me stop you, Dean, but maybe you should stay in place. Cas and his Pack need you right now."
As though summoned, Cas appeared, looking up the stairs. Dean frowned. "I'll let you know, Sam. Keep me informed." Dean hung up the phone and looked at it in his palm. "Hiya, Cas."
"Hello, Dean." An awkward silence fell between them briefly, before Cas spoke up. "You're leaving?"
"I'm just getting in the way here, and if I'm out there, I can bring my father in. They revoked the permit, which means that killing Inias was illegal." Dean cringed at how he said that. "There's no way I can fix that, can I?"
Cas walked up the few steps between them. "I know what you meant, Dean. I know that hunters have their place in this world, we all do. And we know that some people are just evil." Cas hesitantly rested his hand on the side of Dean's neck.
"Cas, I'm sorry I wasn't here fast enough. I should have come right here, I should have..." Dean silenced as Cas placed a finger on his lips.
"There's nothing you could have done, Dean. I, nor the rest of the Pack, blame you." Cas removed his finger. "Inias wouldn't have let anything happen to our Aunt Amara."
"So you don't hate me?"
Cas stood up straight, the surprise evident on his face. "Why would I hate you?"
"When I tried to reach out to you through the bond?" Dean felt the blush rise on his cheeks and focused on the pattern in the steps.
Cas let out a sad chuckle. "You surprised me." Cas brought his other hand to rest on the other side of Dean's neck and pulled him in for a soft, sweet kiss. "You came to save us, Dean. You protected me and Amara."
"I had to, Cas." Dean rested his forehead against Cas'. "I heard that gunshot, and I froze."
Cas nodded slightly before dropping his hand to take Dean's. "Amara and Gabe want to talk to you. And I promise, they're not mad, they just have a lot of questions."
"I would if I were in their shoes too." Dean shook his head and smiled sadly at Cas. "Lead the way?"
…
To say that the warm feeling that Dean had pushed through their bond had been a surprise was an understatement. It had left Cas in shock, and he needed to slam down any mental barriers to keep himself composed. Cas wanted nothing more to experience the bond, to feel it and feed it and nurture it, but it didn't feel right to do so while standing next to Inias.
Inias, who wouldn't get to find out if Hayden, from Kate's Pack, returned any interest. Inias, who had lost his mother early, and was raised by Amara. Inias, who had grown up with Castiel, side by side.
Cas felt bad slamming Dean out, but at that moment, he couldn't handle two overwhelming emotions at once.
When Amara pulled him aside and asked him to go get Dean, he almost refused. Not because he didn't want to see Dean, but because it made him feel worse about being the one to live, and not Inias. However, knowing that Amara would be disappointed in him, he started the search for Dean, quickly finding him sitting on the stairs.
Once back with Amara and Gabe, the main thing on Cas' mind was the brief, but sweet, kiss the two had shared, and how he initiated it. Cas knew he should be listening to Dean explain about John, but he couldn't focus on the words coming out of Dean's moving lips.
"Castiel?" Amara asked, her eyebrow raised in interest. "Dean was telling us about his father. Did you catch any of it?"
"It's okay, Amara. Cas and I can talk about it at another time. You said you had other questions?" Dean took Cas' hand and gently squeezed it.
"If this question is too personal, I understand, but I have this need to know, much like Castiel, I'm sure." She paused and looked at Cas before looking back to Dean. "Are you a natural-born witch?"
"Yes, ma'am." Dean nodded.
"Your mother, I'm assuming."
Dean looked at Cas and nodded again. "Yeah. She was natural-born, as was her mother, and then there's magic woven throughout all of those branches. My brother and I can trace magic back so far in our line that we can go back to the beginning of written history." He turned to look at back at Amara, and Cas focused on her as well.
"That explains a lot." Amara smiled softly and rested her hand on Dean's shoulder. Cas tilted his head and felt anger build up inside of him. "Anna told me that she tried to tell you the significance of Castiel's fur?"
"She had mentioned something about Cas not being able to bond if he didn't want it. And then she had offered to let me in on a secret about his fur." The surprise must have shown on Cas' face, as Dean immediately apologized. "Sorry, Cas. It wasn't something I exactly asked to know."
"I'm not mad at you, Dean. I'm more surprised that she thinks it's okay to share Were Trade secrets."
"To be fair, she was using it to keep me from fighting our bond." Dean rubbed the back of his neck.
Cas felt his eyes go wide. "You wanted to fight the bond?"
"At the very beginning, yes, Cas." Dean turned to face Cas and grabbed his other hand. "You know how guilty I feel that I took your choice away from you."
"While it's commendable, and it does make me fonder of you, Dean, that's not something you would have had to worry about," Amara commented. She pulled their attention back to her. "Tell me, have you heard of the term 'Noćnivuk?'"
Cas let out a heavy sigh, knowing the lesson that Dean was about to receive.
"Can't say that I have," Dean replied.
"As a Cryptid nurse, I'm sure you're aware that all Werewolves have dormant magic. It's what we draw on to shift, what we use for our healing factor. It's what makes us who we are."
"I'm aware of that, yes."
"Noćnivuk or 'Night Wolves' are the wolves whose magic doesn't lay dormant, and can be drawn upon for other things." Amara smiled at Cas, and he let out another heavy sigh. "In our clan, if you have black fur, you're all but guaranteed to be a Noćnivuk."
"Dude, you can use magic?" Dean looked at Cas in awe.
Cas shook his head. "While I can, it's not what one would ever compare to a witch level of skill and training."
"You selling yourself short, Cas?"
"He's not exactly wrong, Dean. Castiel's magic is not like yours, but special in its own way." Amara clarified. "It's why he's our Den Protector."
"Part of why." Cas let go of Dean's hands and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm like a focus, for the Pack. They can - for lack of a better word - leech magic off of me when they're about to run out."
"So, like a conduit?" Dean offered.
"That's actually a pretty good comparison, Dean." Gabe finally spoke up after sitting quietly for a while. "It might also be one of the reasons why I give you a rough time. You see, Noćnivuk reach out for other magic users. Their power calls out for power. You can't give power if you don't have it or take it from somewhere."
"So, Cas can pull from my magic when we're together?" Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't understand what that has to do with our bond."
"Your magic is incredibly strong, Dean. I can feel it calling out to Castiel like Castiel's is calling to you. Even if you never healed him, the bond would have formed naturally. What you two have between you is profound and rare." Amara smiled at Cas, who looked down at his feet in response. "If you don't mind, Dean, Gabriel wanted to talk to you more about your father. There are some words I need to have with my nephew."
Dean cupped Cas' cheek before exiting the room behind Gabe. The small gesture sent a warm feeling through Cas' chest.
"Castiel?"
"Yes, Aunt Amara?" Cas looked up from the floor.
She tapped the side of her nose. "You're nervous."
"Dean was worried all this time about forcing the bond on me, and here I am, and I would have forced a bond on him eventually." Cas walked over and sat next to Amara.
"Castiel. Do you regret how much you've come to know Dean? How much you've let this grow between you?"
"Of course not. Dean has given me a choice every step of the way. But I can't help but feel like this is spiraling so quickly. We're moving at the speed of light when we both said we wanted to go slow." Cas rested his head in his hands, pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes.
"The bond of a Noćnivuk and their partner is life long, sweet pup. The creation of the bond is rough, and it hurts, and there are growing pains. But at the same time, it is swift, it is sweet, and it is thorough." Amara gently rubbed Cas' back. "In the case of you and Dean, when he opened his bond to heal you, I doubt he knew that he was inviting your magic in."
"Great. So I basically locked Dean into a bond while I was sleeping." Cas scoffed. "He's going to hate me."
"Doubtful, Castiel. And as I mentioned before, you two would have drifted towards each other anyway. Certain magics call out to one another. Would it be as swift and quick like it has been?" Amara shook her head. "I doubt it. But that wouldn't be you, and I don't think that would be Dean."
Cas chuckled at that. "Are you saying that I move fast?"
"I'm saying that your heart knows what it wants, Castiel." Amara smiled softly before standing up. "Do not let your cousin's death be in vain. Survive, Castiel. Live and love."
"You make it sound so easy. Inias shouldn't have been there." Cas frowned. "He came running after me because he knew that I went running after you."
"All the more reason to honor his sacrifice." Amara walked towards the archway connecting to the room where Inias was still laid out for respect.
Cas waited until his Aunt left the room before standing up himself. Taking a sniff of the stale bunker air, he found Dean's scent and headed in that direction. He turned down the hallway, stopping in what Gabriel had gotten converted or fixed up into living quarters. Continuing down, he stopped in front of a room filled with several bunk beds. On one, Anna sat, sobbing into Dean's shoulder, their backs to the door.
"You know, I know you think I hate him." Gabe's voice caused Cas to jump in place. "But he is a good person."
"You admitted that you're the one that's constantly giving him shit, Gabe." Cas rolled his eyes and leaned on the doorframe. "Do you believe all of what Aunt Amara said?"
"I believe you have the opportunity that others only dream of. It's not unheard of, but it's rare. And the fact that it's attached to someone that good looking?" Gabe mocked a chef's kiss before turning serious. "In all seriousness, I get your fears."
"Say this situation was you and Meg, instead of me and Dean." Cas crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you really understand my fear?"
"Meg and I are not an apt comparison."
"Humor me." Cas rested his head against the door frame as he continued to watch Anna and Dean, only catching brief parts of their conversation.
Gabe let out a sigh. "Meg and I are like Mentos and Diet Cola. Mix us together, and it's explosive in all the right ways."
"And messy and gross afterward?"
"No. Maybe. Stop, you're knocking me off my train of thought." Gabe paused. "But, just like Diet Coke and Mentos, we're boring as separate people."
Cas rolled his head to the side and looked at Gabe. "I disagree, but continue."
"If it weren't for Naomi arranging for us to get together, it wouldn't have happened. Not naturally. She wouldn't have looked at me twice, and I never would have thought I stood a chance. Our chemistry was forced together, but it ended up working out for the best." Gabe poked Cas' cheek and turned his head back towards Dean. "Your chemistry is natural and flowing freely. But it almost seems like you're fighting it. Let it happen, Cassie."
"Is it natural if it's jumpstarted?" Cas questioned as Dean gave Anna a bear hug.
"Yeah. Just because it's moving a little faster than you anticipated doesn't make it any less natural." Gabe hesitated before speaking again. "You know, he does fit nicely into the pack dynamics, even if he isn't a wolf." Their sister stood and walked towards them. "Go get'em, tiger." Gabe clapped Cas on the shoulder before holding his arm out for Anna.
Cas turned his attention back into the room and watched as Dean got to his feet and stretched. He felt like a creeper and prepared to walk away when Dean turned around, and their eyes met. "Cas."
"Hello, Dean." Cas pushed himself off the doorframe just in time to be enveloped in Dean's arms. "What's going on?"
"I know you can close off our connection, but I don't know how to do the same." Dean pulled back enough to look into Cas' eyes. "I could feel your emotions, mostly of fear and anxiety. And I knew it was because of me."
"Can I explain?"
Dean shook his head. "You don't have to. All I feel right now is the amount of relief flowing from you."
"But, you were worried." Cas cupped Dean's face, stroking his thumb over the apples of Dean's cheeks. "I'm sorry I did that to you." Cas surprised himself by leaning back in and kissing Dean again. He was even more surprised - pleasantly so - when Dean deepened the kiss.
He didn't know or cared who stopped the kiss, but Cas found himself wanting more, chasing after Dean's lips.
"Cas." Dean moved his head to the side and kissed Cas' cheek. "If we keep this up, we're going to do something very private in a not so private area." Dean carded his fingers through Cas' hair, and Cas was briefly reminded of Dean stroking his fur while in wolf form. "And it's probably not a good time to do this."
"I don't understand." Cas tilted his head, frowning. "Do you not want me?"
Dean laughed heartedly, and Cas relaxed a little. "That's the furthest thing from the truth, Cas." He rested their foreheads together. "I want our first time to be us. On our terms, in one of our beds. Not a quick fuck out of horniness and desperation in your safe house."
"Fair enough." Cas readjusted and wrapped his arms around Dean's waist as Dean wrapped his arms around Cas' neck. "We continue to let us grow, we keep nurturing what we have, and when we're past all this..." Cas stole another kiss. "We find time for us."
"Sounds like a plan, Cas. I–" Dean's phone rang, causing Dean to jump in surprise. "I guess I have signal here." He pulled it out and smiled. "Hey Sam, what's the news?" Cas listened to the warbling of Sam coming through the earpiece. With each phrase, Dean's smile turned into a frown.
"Dean?" Cas lightly squeezed Dean's sides, hoping to provide him some comfort.
"Sammy, I'm with Cas. I'm going stop you where you're at and put you on speakerphone, so you don't have to repeat everything twice." Dean pulled the phone away from his ear and held out the phone between them. "Okay Sam, go ahead."
"Alright, so what I've already said. Jody and Donna haven't found our father yet. What they have found is the trail he's leaving behind." Cas perked up at Sam's words and looked at Dean. "He's using his skills from his stint in the military, and his time at war, to stay hidden. John's doing a good job of making himself scarce, and he's constantly staying at least one step in front of them."
"Basically, he knows that the permit's been voided," Dean commented, and Sam confirmed with a hum.
"Sam, you said he's left a trail?" Cas asked, holding his breath, as he hoped it wasn't what Cas thought Sam meant.
"Besides Inias, he's killed a human officer, a vampire, and a vetala. Which will end up killing another vetala as they were a mated pair. At each scene, he's left the same, exact message." Sam's voice was trembling, and Dean lost all color from his face.
"What's the message, Sammy?" Dean moved the phone out to the side as Cas pulled him back into a tight embrace.
Sam's swallow was audible. "The long and short of it? The Old Man is here on a job, and he's staying until the job is finished. He's been offered a large amount by one Naomi Novak, and he intends on collecting it. John is demanding the children of Naomi Novak, or he's going to continue to take out innocent people until he finds them."
Cas' knees went out from under him, and he barely registered Dean calling his name or calling out for Gabe and Anna.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
„Maybe you could really get ot of it alive,” Castiel admits - which yeah, Dean could tell him that himself - and he looks at Dean, blue eyes dark in the dim room, „ But you would probably pass out in the car.”
Dean really wants to protest but no, yeah, that’s actually quite possible - he was really sure there are only six vamps inside; those two that jumped on him were a very unwanted - and extremely unneeded - addition. He’ pretty sure that he would survive it without help, but it would indeed be messy and ugly and he would definitely have problems with getting away after it.
Hell, his left side is gonna be purple tomorrow, the same goes to his thigh; his whole body kinda really hates him right now and Castiel was the one who took out over half of them all by himself.
„ Probably,” he allows with a sigh, finishing his drink.
Castiel smirks and Dean’s heart totally doesn’t flutter at the sight, „ Less of stupidly heroically-suicidal bravery and you will be good.”
Dean opens his mouth to protest, but Castiel is faster again.
„ It’s a sin that every single hunter out there commits notoriously,” he shrugs, „and you just got the chance to learn and avoid making the same mistake again.”
He makes everything sound so easy.
