There'll be peace when you are done

[theadorablewinchester]

hall0wedcas·:

“It’s decided then.” He nodded. Castiel wasn’t immune to puppy eyes. There weren’t a lot of major life things he could give Dean while they were stuck inside the barrier. Maybe he wouldn’t be able to anyway, the drawbacks of humans dating angels. But he could make sure he had all the little things that made him happy. Safety and a home, good food, movie nights, barbecues with their friends. Pie was easy.

“Do you think he knows something about them? Or that he’d be willing to share?” He tilted his head, interested. They’d seen things like the rips before, enough to know they wanted nothing to do with them. But maybe that wasn’t what was happening here. He’d followed all the town group chat conversations about them, inane as they sometimes were, and he knew the theories.

.

Dean smiled happily at him, always pleased with the idea of pie. Yes, he was trying to eat better, live a little better. Wanting a long life with his angel could do that to a man, okay? But it didn’t take away the love of pie. He wasn’t sure that anything could. He wanted them both to have all the good things that they could, especially because they could have them together.  “He has to know *something*, because he never looks unsure around them,” he frowned a little at the memory. “It would be worth a conversation, at the very least.” With so many things in question, it didn’t feel like a smart idea to rule out any potential information until they’d had the chance to explore it for themselves. 

[theadorablewinchester]

hall0wedcas·:

“I might talk to him. I’ll bring home a pie,” he added, the corner of his mouth pulling up in a smile. It was a perfect pretext for talking to a baker, after all. He might not have tried such a direct approach at home, but so many people here just wanted to tell their stories, sometimes without much prompting at all. It was the difference between being safe and welcomed in a place and being hunted for their differences.

“No, I haven’t. That could be dangerous.” A slight frown formed between his brows. They’d done their own investigations of the rips, of course, but having walked through holes in reality before (and, y'know, dying in some of them), they were both understandably hesitant to do anything rash. Castiel liked it here. He didn’t really want another visit to apocalypse world, thanks.

.

“Yes, pie! Please?” He gave him his best puppy eyes, as ridiculous as he knew they could look. But it was PIE! This place was like no other he’d been in, and he’d been in some wild ones for sure. It wasn’t even his first cursed town. If the town had its way, it would be his last, though, so that was something new for it. He wondered how much different the world of hunters would be if more of them found a place like this, lived in it. 

“Definitely. And there’s no fear there,” he shook his head. He’d been keeping an eye on him from a distance, occasionally the other he saw with him. Poking around in the rips wasn’t anything Dean himself was going to do. 

[theadorablewinchester]

hall0wedcas·:

It had been disorienting at first, that there was no one they needed to take of, no one to save, no world-ending catastrophes to avert. They’d been in one crisis or another for so long that it was hard to remember anything else. Then again, neither of them had ever actually had normal, even before that. Now, he liked that there was no one who needed their attention. Their friends were fellow fighters who were fully capable of looking after themselves.

The corner of his mouth twitched at the words ‘real life.’ Was that what they were calling it. He settled at the table with him to eat, thinking over recent interesting encounters. There had been more than usual. He’d never observed any particular pattern, but every now and then, there was a surge of new faces. “I met a ghost who seems harmless. I think that baker is a banshee, but we’ll have to look into the lore. It’s not clear if they’re causing the deaths or just know about them.” Maybe it was the time in Sallow Hills, but he doubted it. Most of the ‘monsters’ there were just normal people trying to live their lives.

.

Getting used to be able to live his life for himself and not for his brother or the people that he was saving was something he wasn’t sure he could ever *entirely* get used to. He did know that he liked being able to pour his energy into Cas, into their life together, rather than hunting and traveling. They had made friends here that were just as skilled as they were, and more so in some ways. 

Settling at the table, he started eating while Cas thought through the people he’d seen. “I bet it’s more they just know about them,” he thought. “Have you seen the kid always in the woods and at the rips?” That one had him a little curious, he could admit. 

[theadorablewinchester]

hall0wedcas·:

“We’ll make them that way then.” It was an easy choice to make in their planning, going with Dean’s preferences. Castiel had been among his humans long enough to know that it was often the little things that went a long way, and they were often the things the Winchesters had to go without in their previous lives. Making sure Dean got a chance to be comfortable and settled meant a lot to him.

“Sounds like fun. Let’s eat, before it gets cold.” He smiled, picking up plates and glasses to bring to the table. He didn’t strictly need to eat, but even Cas knew it was weird to sit and watch someone have dinner. He wanted as close to a normal life for Dean as they could have, and that meant sharing all the everyday normal human things like meals. “There seem to be a lot of new people in town. Have you met anyone interesting?”

.

“Alright,” he agreed with a quiet chuckle. He knew what Cas was doing, that gentle way he had of making sure that Dean didn’t miss out on anything else. It was still strange, even after all this time, to be so cared for when he was the one used to doing the caretaking. Their lives now were drastically different, though, so it made sense for that to have changed so mcuh too.  “It definitely wouldn’t be as good,” he agreed, grabbing the rest of the plates and glasses. It put a warmth in his chest that Cas didn’t have to do the normal things but chose to anyway. Their lives would never be normal, it wasn’t in the cards for an angel and a human in love with each other, but the little things like this counted. “Not in particular. There’s a few faces that look freakishly familiar, but not from real life.” 

[theadorablewinchester]

hall0wedcas·:

Dean was responsible for almost all of Castiel’s smiles. He still didn’t emote as well or as often as a typical human, but it was easier around his partner because he didn’t have to pretend he was anything else. And, quite simply, Dean made him happy. “What do you prefer?” He generally deferred to his tastes in food, and most other things. Cas enjoyed it, but not in the same way a human did. He was still fond of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches though.

Dean might not say it in those words, but he thought of Laurie the way Cas thought of Jack, the way Steve and Bucky referred to their Space Kids™. She’d gone back to living on her own after Michael seemed to have vanished again–in a carefully warded apartment–but she still came over regularly for meals or movie nights. It made him soft to see Dean opening himself up to that kind of relationship. He’d always been all heart, but so few people got to see it.

He moved easily into the tug to kiss him, a small, fond smile on his face when they parted. “What kinds of foods are for grilling out?” He was sure that was a thing he’d seen in any number of movies or television shows.

.

Dean knew exactly who and what his partner was, and never expected him to be human. He hadn’t fallen for a human, no, he’d gone and fallen for an angel and wouldn’t change a thing. “I like them better with a rub,” he admitted. The sauced ones quickly turned into too much, and that was coming from a man who could eat double bacon cheeseburgers every day of his life. 

He had a long-standing habit of keeping his emotions close to his chest, and he couldn’t really see that changing. He loved Cas, and he thought of Laurie as the closest to a daughter he’d get. He made sure that the people who mattered knew that they did, and as far as he was concerned, that was enough.  Being able to reach over and tug him in for kisses would never fail to astound him on some level. Being responsible for that smile on Cas’s face was equally as world-rocking. “Hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, kabobs, depends on what we’re in the mood for.” 

[theadorablewinchester]

hall0wedcas·:

good things do happen | destiel

@theadorablewinchester·

It wasn’t Castiel’s first Pride with Dean, but it was their first with Laurie, and that meant more community events than they probably would have bothered with left to their own devices. Cas wasn’t a particularly social being, but he liked seeing Dean making friends and having a place in the town instead of just passing through and doing the job. He deserved so much more, and it was ironic that being stuck in the same town, with arguably much less of the world to see, had given him that.

He wouldn’t have turned down Laurie’s invitation to the rainbow bonfire, even if he thought Dean would go for it. (His partner would spoil the shit out of his children if he ever had them. Castiel was convinced.) Her enthusiasm was hard to resist. They’d encountered trickster gods before (or angels masquerading as them), but not this particular one. If he was as powerful as Gabriel, Cas preferred to keep his distance. The colors were lovely though, and the general atmosphere of community was pleasant.

.

He wasn’t really used to having a life with friends and family and having a place where he was known. He liked having this, a life with the person he loved and having a family that loved him and cared for him as he was. Getting to share Pride with the girl he thought of as the closest thing to a daughter he’d get, well, it was strangely special. 

When Laurie had invited them to the rainbow bonfire, he’d had no reason to turn it down and had been happy when Cas agreed too. Children of his own weren’t something he’d been able to give too much thought to in a very long time. He didn’t trust most creatures that could openly do magic to the scale he figured Loki could, but nothing about this seemed too harmful, and everybody seemed gently excited about it all. Sliding up behind Cas, he brushed a kiss to the side of his head before stepping around him. “Not a bad little thing,” he mused.

[theadorablewinchester]

thebvbysitter·:

Aside from adjusting to the fact that there were supernatural people here in Sallow Hills, Laurie had also had to adjust to a world that was more than forty years in the future. For the most part, those were good changes. The town was a lot more accepting than anything she would have seen back in Haddonfield of the 70s, and it gave her a lot to think about regarding her own identity. It had never felt like a safe thing to contemplate back at home.

Here, there was an outpouring of support, both from the community and from her friends, who she knew would understand. That did not make it easy to figure out her own feelings for herself, much less try to talk about them with another person. She was happy to attend Pride events with Dean and Cas though, to support them and learn more about various identities.

Karaoke night was new for her, with or without Pride. She’d never have the nerve to do something like that on her own. She wouldn’t be drinking at all if Dean wasn’t there, but the rainbow cocktail was even better than the one that was just made out of fruit juice. “Of course! Are you?”

.

It wasn’t really about forcing her into anything. He just wanted her to be happy, to be comfortable with who she was (and figure out who that really was). If having some fun and going to Pride events with him and Cas was a way to get her more comfortable and start thinking about the ideas for herself. Knowledge was something he could help her get, however subtly and silently. 

Karaoke night was mostly just a way for them to have some fun and relax, not really think about anything else. The drink was for a good cause, and it looked fun as hell, so there was no reason not to. Usually, he preferred beer, but this was a special occasion. “Yeah, yeah I am,” he assured her. He couldn’t imagine a reason he wouldn’t have fun with her at something like this. 

[theadorablewinchester]

Dean was never one for blatantly interfering when someone was trying to work something out. Especially if they didn’t know they were working something out. He’d seen Laurie’s face from time to time, watched her face as something clearly made her start thinking. He had watched the town come alive in a different sort of way for Pride and started gathering an idea. 

He was never going to be the most blatant member of the community, that wasn’t his style, but he was never going to hide the fact that he loved Cas. Not here. So he’d invited Laurie to come out with him, to attend various pride events. Looking over at her, he shot her an easy grin. “Having fun?” 

@thebvbysitter​

[theadorablewinchester]

picturedspells·:

⋆៹ ✩۪۟۟≭  Dorcas && OPEN

Dorcas Meadowes loved living in Sallow Hills, and she was very, very excited for pride month. It was her first pride month ever, and she was thrilled to be able to take part in it. The only thing that would have made it better was if Marlene were here. Dorcas really, really wished Marlene were here to share in the joy of pride month. But she tried not to think about it too hard. Thinking about Marlene made her sad, and right now she just wanted to be happy.

Back in the old days, Dorcas had had to be careful who they told about their sexuality. All of their friends had been accepting and loving, but they’d never forget about how nerve wracking it had been to come out to them. 

Here in Sallow, coming out was easy. Nobody blinked an eye when Dorcas said they liked any and all genders. They were obsessed with the pride flags too. The rainbow pride flag had been around before she came to Sallow, but all the different pride flags that had come to be since then thrilled them. Dorcas had bought a bi pride flag for themself, and it filled them with glee to be able to fly it publicly.

She was sitting at a table at the White Rabbit, just enjoying a drink and the atmosphere, when she saw insert character here enter the bar. Dorcas waved to them enthusiastically, inviting them to pull up a chair at her table.

.

As a general rule, Dean didn’t feel the need to announce himself, but there were times a showing needed to be made. He’d been inviting Laurie to various Pride events with him, slowly working at coaxing her to comfort with herself. He loved Cas and never hid that, even if he wasn’t always the most affectionate in public, but that was just because he didn’t have the best self-control with Cas anymore. At home, that was fine. 

He’d decided to make his way to the White Rabbit a little early for one of their nights, knowing he’d be joined by his partner sooner or later. There were faces he’d become more familiar with over the course of the month already, and he couldn’t help but be happy that it was easier to just be here. His bi-flag angel wings were stuck to his shirt because there was no way he wouldn’t wear them after Laurie had put so much thought into them. 

Seeing himself get waved down by a familiar face, he gave a what-the-hell shrug and went to go plop himself down in the invited space. “Hey,” he greeted, ordering a beer as the waitress did a drive by, making him chuckle. “Having fun?”

[theadorablewinchester]

thebvbysitter·:

“Well, there’s no accounting for taste,” she teased quietly, a small smile pulling up the corner of her mouth. She’d never met Dean’s brother, so there was no way for her to form an objective opinion. She didn’t think she’d be able to anyway though. She already had an obvious bias toward Dean. She had enough clarity to know there was a bit of hero-worship there, but she just couldn’t imagine someone better than him.

“I’d like to hear them,” she encouraged with a small nod. She wanted to hear anything he wanted to tell her. His life was fascinating. By comparison, Laurie felt like she really only had one story to tell, and he already knew it. Frankly, she wasn’t sure she wanted any more. Life was happier when it was boring and safe. “You distracted me, and you gave me comfort. Both worked,” she said softly, knowing that was why he’d told her at all.

“Would you mind if I stayed? Until you get off work? I won’t bother you. I just… I don’t want to walk home by myself.” She wasn’t sure she was focused enough to sit back there and read or do homework, but she didn’t think she could stand to be alone right now. Michael had let her walk away this time, but for all she knew, he was just messing with her.

.

“None, whatsoever. His hair is ridiculous,” he snorted, glad to see her softening and relaxing. He’d crack all the jokes in the world at his brother’s expense for it at the moment, really. He tried to be better for her, to fit the image she held of him but there was no way he could ever be that good. 

“Whenever you’re ready,” he agreed. He had more stories than actually made sense, and some of them were genuinely fun or funny, not just frightening. Others were flat out ridiculous, really. “Good. I just needed you to be... better,” he mused, knowing that okay was a bit of a stretch at the moment. 

The request made him smile and run a hand over her hair gently. “I would prefer if you did, and then we’ll stop by your apartment,” he was very stern on that last half, “So you can pack a bag and come with me. I’ll send Cas a text to let him know what’s up. I’ll feel better if you just... don’t stay alone.” 

[theadorablewinchester]

onyourleftrogers​:

“Especially when you never speak to the other side,” he mused, thoughtful. He’d been out of the ice for mere weeks when the attack on New York happened. He’d had reservations about S.H.I.E.L.D., but not enough–that had become painfully obvious the longer he’d been with them. It hadn’t stopped him from going where he was pointed and fighting it out. It had turned out to be the right thing, but still, Steve knew he should have been asking more questions at the time.

“I’d like to meet him.” He grinned, thinking Dean and Bucky would get along just fine. It made him wonder about Dean’s partner, whether he had more in common with Dean or more in common with Bucky, or neither. He was guessing it took a special kind of person to love reckless idiots. “Sometimes obvious things aren’t so obvious when you’re in the middle of them.” He shrugged, gently setting the hood back in place and starting to put away his tools. It was a habit to pick up after himself as he went, as much as that was possible.

.

“Yeah, that definitely doesn’t help a thing,” he agreed with a soft chuckle. He’d won via trial by fire when to ask questions and when to not, and rarely was it easy either way. There were always times it was best to just make the deal necessary with the devil and ask as few questions as necessary to achieve what you knew was necessary. It didn’t make it easy to swallow. 

“I’m sure he’ll be there,” it wasn’t often either of them pulled new people into their world, so it wasn’t something either of them really resisted when it happened. “He’s the calm one,” he offered with a grin, fondness evident in his face, “But hell when he’s pissed off.” That made him laugh because angel. “What’s that saying, can’t see the forest through the trees?” He shrugged easily as he worked at finishing up.

[theadorablewinchester]

holy-rovia​:

Though he wouldn’t have wished it on anyone, there were times Jesus wondered what it would have been like to have people like Dean or Kate back home. They were good people to have at his back, people he trusted to do the right thing even when it was hard. They would have thrived at a place like Hilltop or Alexandria, as much as anyone could in a zombie apocalypse. The world was a better place because of people like them. “Sounds great.” He was the furthest thing from a picky eater. Just being able to eat in a restaurant was a luxury that hadn’t yet gotten old. He liked being able to choose the healthy options, and his fridge was usually full of whatever fresh produce was in season.

They had to pass by the cathedral on their way back to town. It had been quiet when he and Kate checked it out and ever since, as far as he knew, but it reminded him that he had something to ask Dean. “Can I run something by you? Kate and I checked out the cathedral for vampires and didn’t find much. But someone or something’s definitely been in there. There’s a sort of altar or something set up. I’m not sure what it is. I thought maybe you could take a look, since that’s more your thing than mine. See if it’s anything we need to be worried about.” Jesus had experience with exactly one kind of supernatural. Anything else, and he was out of his depth. If anyone in town was qualified to know what was going on in the church, it was Dean and Cas.

.

Once upon a time, Dean would have been excited at the idea of some kind of zombie thing. But then he’d lived it in a way and had quickly reconsidered that opinion. Being a movie junkie and enjoying those things really only went so far. As much as he hated it, getting older really did mean getting smarter if you actually paid attention. “Cool deal,” he knew that Jesus was never really picky, but it was never going to change him asking if he had a preference. Eventually, he might get one.

The cathedral sent a chill down his spine from time to time, but then he’d never really been fond of vampires at all. As they walked past it, he shot a look at it, keeping it in his sights as they did out of pure habit. Jesus’s request pulled his attention and he nodded. “Yeah, Cas and I can go check it out and let you both know. That’s weird though, the vamps aren’t usually the altar type.” 

[theadorablewinchester]

hall0wedcas​:

Few would ever call Castiel an optimist, but he had more hope in this past year than maybe ever in his life. He didn’t fully believe the universe would leave them alone and let them be happy, but he hoped that they would find a way to hold those bits of happiness close even when things got difficult again. It was a very human thing to hope for, but he supposed he had been one of them for a time.

The sound of Dean’s laughter made him smile, and he was glad he’d suggested it, even if he only understood the concept in the abstract sense. There hadn’t been a lot of occasions for cooking out in the bunker. “Do you know how to make them, or do we need to practice?” Do we need to ask Laurie was sort of implied. She knew her way around a kitchen far better than Cas did, especially when it came to baking. When he asked her about it, she said she found it soothing, especially to cook for her friends.

.

He liked seeing a smile on Cas’s face, knowing he was responsible for it even in the smallest way. It didn’t matter how often it happened, it warmed something in his chest every time. Cooking in the bunker had definitely never included a grill, but that was okay. “Ribs I’ve actually done before,” he admitted with a little chuckle. 

“We just have to decide if we want them saucy or just seasoned,” he mused. It had been a while since he’d done it, but he had faith in his memory. Often, they went to Laurie when they had questions when it came to cooking, and Dean was content to think of it like a knowledge exchange. Reaching over, he tugged him close for another quick kiss when food was done and ready to pull off and get plated. “We can see what else they might want.” 

[theadorablewinchester]

thebvbysitter​:

As far as Laurie was concerned, Dean was acing this particular scenario when it came to handling emotions. He gave her a safe place to panic and calm down, and she couldn’t think of a single other person in town who could do that for her. Even at home, there weren’t a lot of people she trusted enough to lose control around. Her eyes filled with tears again, and she was blaming it on the recent panic attack that all her emotions were right on the surface. She blinked them away, not wanting to make him feel worse when he was being so kind to her.

Her eyebrows went up faintly at the words, but after hearing there was an angel in town, the king of hell wasn’t such a stretch of the imagination. “You’re friends with the mother of hell,” she repeated, the corner of her mouth quirking upward in a smile. It was so absurd, she didn’t know how else to react to that. She’d heard some of Dean and Cas’s stories about hunting before, but she was realizing now that they’d toned it down a lot for her.

She pulled in a slow breath, feeling calmer, in large part because he’d distracted her with something else. “I… might want to hear that story sometime. But not today.” She gave a little laugh, rubbing her hands over her temples as she shook her head. She wasn’t sure she could handle anything more today. She leaned forward to hug him tightly, burying her face in his shoulder. “Thank you, Dean.” She wanted to clarify it but didn’t think she could get the words out right now. She thought he would understand though.

.

He couldn’t blame her for the emotions continuing to ride high. It was a hard thing to rein in, especially when trauma was part of the equation. Emotions weren’t really subject to logic. He was glad she felt safe and comfortable enough with him to not try to hide it all and he was going to keep trying to be that safe place for her. 

An absolutely unrepentant grin crossed his face when her eyebrows rose and she smiled, knowing that could help pull her out of the funk she was in. “Yep, she is kind of funny as shit, actually,” he chuckled. “She also likes my brother better, but whatever.” He rolled his eyes playfully, having never really cared much who liked who better. 

Feeling that slow breath he immediately relaxed and was willing to keep distracting her if it was working. “Any time you want, just ask. It’s not like I don’t have an extra amount of frankly ridiculous stories you can know now.” He could absolutely understand her not wanting to hear any more of it today. “I dumped a lot on you with one truth,” he acknowledged easily. His arms wrapped firmly around her and he pressed his face into her hair gently. “Any time.” 

[theadorablewinchester]

hall0wedcas​:

Castiel didn’t worry about Laurie’s sweetness. If she’d managed to hang onto it after the slaughter of all her friends, he didn’t think she was going to lose it now. Confidence was an issue for her, but she was young. It took time to learn to trust in her abilities. “She doesn’t have to. She could choose to stay a victim. You’ve seen it before. She’s made the wiser and more honorable choice. She’ll be alright, Dean.” He gave his shoulder a light, reassuring squeeze. Learning to defend herself and others was nothing to pity. There was no safety in willful ignorance.

“I would like to stay on her good side,” he chuckled. He didn’t interact a lot with Kate, but he liked what he knew of her. She went out of her way to take care of the people in this town. He wouldn’t like to see anything happen to her bar. “It’s getting warmer. Perhaps outdoors would be an option as well. We could ‘grill out.’” He said the words like they were an odd bit of slang he didn’t quite understand. He grasped the concept, of course, but they’d never been in a position to do something so normal with their friends.

.

It was always nice to have Cas and his perspective to keep him balanced. He’d become much more of a pessimist over the years and there had been a time he thought he’d lost every bit of hope. He knew better now, knew there was still a faith there, just very carefully placed. He put a lot in Laurie. “She’s smarter than that,” he agreed softly, reaching up to squeeze Cas’s hand in return. She’d been fighting longer than she’d been here, he knew. 

“Exactly,” he grinned, thinking that she was definitely not one to upset if they could ever avoid it. The fact that they all genuinely enjoyed the White Rabbit was just another reason to add to the list. A laugh escaped him and he nodded in agreement, “Yeah, we can definitely do some grilling. Ribs sound pretty good, actually.” The normalcy of it all would be startling if he looked too long and hard at it, but he was learning to just kind of roll with what their life had become: normal.

[theadorablewinchester]

onyourleftrogers​:

“No, which makes me think I didn’t have the whole story about what happened in New York.” He shook his head, frowning a little. It had been niggling at the back of his mind of a while, but Dean had helped him put it more plainly into words. Loki in Sallow Hills didn’t behave at all like the Loki he’d seen in that time. Either something big had changed, or he’d never really understood them in the first place. It was something he needed to talk about in more depth with Bucky. His partner hadn’t been there, but Steve trusted his perspective more than anyone else’s. He didn’t know that he’d do anything about it regarding Loki because there was no reason to go digging into old wounds, but it might help him get it straight in his own mind.

He chuckled softly as he straightened out from the hood, reaching for a towel to wipe his hands. They needed a proper washing, and he was just about finished up here. He didn’t press that particular issue though. He was guessing he had about as much a chance of persuading Dean he was a hero as he did of persuading Bucky. Less, probably, since Dean had no reason to trust his opinion. “I’m meeting my husband down at the White Rabbit after work. Care to join us for a beer? Seems like the least I can do after sending you into an existential crisis. Your partner is welcome too, of course.”

.

“Whole stories are hard to come by, dude,” he pointed out with a little chuckle. It was distressing how many times he hadn’t gotten the whole story until it had been too late. It was an unfortunately painful reality where anything remotely like a villain or a monster was concerned. Dean wasn’t really one for going around and poking at old wounds, usually content to let the past stay there unless it was really impacting the present. 

Chuckling, he looked over at him, the offer making him grin. “I can definitely let Cas know. Sounds like a good time to me,” he agreed. “You would think I’d have been a little more braced for that particular idea after all this time.” The idea of spending time with someone who could definitely become a friend was nice, something he was enjoying more and more. 

[theadorablewinchester]

holy-rovia​:

“I guess I wouldn’t know. I’m not much for secrets,” he chuckled, shaking his head. Jesus never wanted to be in power over anyone. He’d been briefly in charge of the Hilltop by default while Maggie was away, and he’d been miserable. He just wanted to survive and help other people do the same. If being open about his story helped the people here, then he was glad to share it.

They weren’t even going to discuss the number of weapons he had stashed away in his apartment. Old habits died hard, and he’d rather be paranoid than unprepared. “I’m up for anything.” He was a fairly regular visitor at all the restaurants in town, not that there were many, except maybe the tea shop. He didn’t have anything against tea, but he felt awkward around things that delicate and fancy.

.

“Secrets are a pain in the ass,” he admitted, having kept too many of his own for a long time. They weren’t something he really enjoyed, never had been. They were similar in a lot of ways, especially in not wanting to be in charge and just survive. Hunting had always been about helping people and surviving, and it had become his life. Having the chance for something different was a massive change of pace but he’d learned to like it. 

He hummed in consideration, his head tipping back and forth for a moment. “Spicy. Let’s go to the Indian place,” he decided. Dean had always been a burger guy, but trying to eat better and do better for life with Cas had him far more willing to eat a lot of other things.