Take Care of My Baby

Fourteen

"What's wrong, Sammy?" Dean asks, his voice immediately coated with worry. His entire body tenses up.

"No, no, no, it's nothing like that," his brother assures him, holding his hands up in a placating motion. "It's just... Jess and I have been talking. And..."

"And...?" Dean prompts.

"And I'm gonna ask her to marry me," the younger man spits out in a rush. "She's been talking to her parents, and they're okay with us getting an apartment. We've got one picked out, and we're looking to move in soon. I just wanted to... to let you know before I did anything."

"Hey, don't worry about me, man. I want you to be happy, Sammy," Dean tells him. However, his body hasn't relieved its tension. He and Sam have been nearly inseparable ever since Sam was born, and it'll be weird to have him out of the house and living his own life.

"Dean..." he sighs, knowing exactly what's running through his brother's mind.

"No, I'm serious, Sam. I've always wanted you to have that normal life. Wife, a job you're willing to wake up for every damn morning, two-point-five kids, and a nice house that makes everyone wrinkle their noses. And if you're ready for that..." he makes a wide gesture with his hand, "go for it."

"But you'll be okay?" The concern in Sam's voice is touching, but Dean brushes it off like it's nothing.

"Sammy, I'll be fine. Don't make your life decisions based on me," he says.

However, the man doesn't seem convinced. He just eyes Dean with an expression that says, 'if you're lying to me, I'm gonna know, and I'm gonna do what I can to make you happy'.

"I've got Cas now, anyway," Dean tells him, waving off the concern that is being forced his way.

Sam smiles knowingly at that, and it makes his brother roll his eyes; sentiment really isn't his thing.

"Guess that's true," he says. "Well, I just wanted to let you know. Didn't want to spring anything on you last minute."

"I'm proud of you, Sammy," Dean states. Sam wrinkles his nose, but his brother protests, "I'm serious, man. You're growin' into a real fine man."

"Aw, shut up." Sam, however, can't contain his smile. It means a lot to him to have Dean's approval; he's spent the past few days worrying himself sick about what the man would think. He knows that their father may not have been as pleased, but he should have known that Dean wishes nothing but the best for him.

Dean stands up and, in the fashion of Cas before him, ruffles Sam's hair. "You're a damn good kid, Sam." He turns to leave and cut the sentiment short, but he finds himself being turned around and embraced before he has any say about it. It's more toned down than their back-slapping-and-manly-as-hell hugs, but neither of them say anything. When they part, Dean pushes Sam playfully, a content smile on his face.

"You better invite me to the wedding," he says faux-threateningly, pointing a finger at Sam and raising his eyebrow at him.

"Jesus, Dean, why wouldn't I invite you?"

"Bachelor party?"

"Don't push it," Sam laughs, shaking his head. He turns to pick up his coffee mug.

"Aw, c'mon, Sammy! Don't be such a Debbie Downer!"

"I don't need a bachelor party, Dean," he protests as he shooes Dean away with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I already said all the stuff I needed to. Go bug Cas now, not me."

"Oh, shut up, you love me," he calls over as he heads out of the room. Truth be told, he doesn't want to bug his brother any further. Sam has opened up to him, and that's all he can ask for. So, he follows Sam's advice and heads back to his bedroom.

Castiel is already there, sprawled out on his stomach on the bed with a book in front of him. His hair is damp and sticking up every which way.

"Aw, I thought you were gonna wait for me before you showered," Dean whines, crawling onto the bed next to Cas. He pushes the man over, and Castiel promptly responds by whacking him playfully with the book.

"We're running on a time limit, Dean. If we got in the shower together, you'd never make it to work on time," Cas smiles. He pecks Dean on the cheek and then pushes him to the edge of the bed. "Go take your shower before you get me distracted."

"Yes, sir," Dean grins, saluting Castiel like a soldier. He ducks under the pillow that Cas throws, snickering as he runs out the door.

___________

"Sammy's gonna propose to Jess," Dean says on their way to The Roadhouse. Castiel had tagged along to the garage with Dean because he didn't have any college classes.

"Really?" That doesn't exactly surprise Cas. It was only a matter of time.

"Yeah. He's thinkin' he'll do it this weekend. Got reservations at some fancy restaurant and a ring and everything," he says, focusing intently on the road. It's a very obvious indicator that there's something on his mind.

"Are you worried?" Cas asks.

"Um..." Dean trails off, looking for a good lie. Cas, he knows, will see right through whatever he tries to make up, so he simply opts for the hard truth. "It's been me an' Sammy for so long, it'll just be weird to see him starting a new life. Not that I don't want him to," he adds quickly.

"I'm sure Sam will be over all the time, Dean," Castiel assures him with a smile. "He's probably just as nervous as you are."

"You think so?"

"Absolutely."

"Guess that's true," he shrugs, pulling into his usual parking spot. Then, Dean turns to grin at Castiel. "Least we'll both have someone to keep us company, huh?"

Before Cas has a chance to respond, Meg is there, leaning into Castiel's window with her usual sly smile on her face.

"Well, hey there, Clarence," she purrs, giving Cas a meaningful look before turning to Dean. "And you, too, Dean."

"Whattya want, Meg?" Dean asks with hard eyes. The two of them aren't exactly friends. She was the first girl Sam dated in their charming little town, and she had the worst influence on the kid that Dean had ever seen.

"Oh, I just thought I'd come grace you with my presence," she smirks, "maybe see Clarence's pretty face."

Dean tries, but he can't keep his jaw from clenching. There's not much he can do about Meg. It's not like he can publicly declare his relationship with Cas, not unless he wants to get them both killed.

"Oh, calm down, Dean. I ain't gonna hurt him," Meg states, reaching over to squeeze Castiel's shoulder. "I just got some news for ya."

"What?" he asks grudgingly.

"Word is, the Leviathans are comin' back to town. They say Dick Roman is stewin' worse than a summer storm," she informs them. Her eyes have a dangerous glint in them; where there's trouble, there's Meg.

"Yeah? When's he comin'?"

Meg shrugs. "Nobody knows. But I'd watch your back, Dean. I bet he ain't gonna be so easy to beat this time."

"Hah, yeah. I'd like to see him try to beat me," Dean smirks. "Nothin' worse than a sore loser."

"Nothin' worse than a sore loser who's obsesses with beatin' your ass," Meg amends. "Don't underestimate him, Dean-o. He seems like a real hot shot, and it doesn't look like he's handlin' his loss very well. That's a pretty bad combination."

"Well, when he comes, you let me know. 'Til then, I got better things to think about," Dean tells her.

Meg shrugs. "Don't say I didn't warn ya." Then, her sugar-sweet smirk appears on her red lips again, and she trails her finger down the side of Castiel's face. "I'll see ya later, Clarence." With that, she's gone.

"Bitch," Dean mutters under his breath as she sashays back to her group of her friends.

"Dean, why does she call me Clarence?" Castiel asks. His brow is furrowed in confusion as he watches Meg go, looking like the whole conversation has just gone right over his head. Dean laughs at first, until he realizes that Cas gives him his signature 'I'm serious, Dean, I don't know what's going on' face.

"Wait, you've never seen It's a Wonderful Life?" he asks.

Castiel narrows his eyes and tilts head in his usual fashion when he doesn't understand something.

"Cas. Everybody has seen this movie," Dean tells him, completely sobering. "Have you never watched those movie marathons on Christmas eve?"

"No, I don't believe I have."

The older man stares for a second before shaking his head in disbelief. "Where have you been, man? Livin' under a rock?" He sees Cas open his mouth and cuts him off with a quick wave of his hand. "No, no, I know you haven't. Looks like it's just somethin' else I can introduce you to, huh?"

Cas smiles softly. "Yes, I'd like that." However, he turns another piercing gaze at Dean. "But I don't understand what this has to do with Meg calling me Clarence."

"Well, there's an angel in there. Clarence. And you kinda give off that whole angel vibe, so," Dean shrugs, "that's probably where she got it."

"Oh." Castiel turns away from Dean and ponders it for a few moments. Then, he says, "I do not understand why she would think I'm an angel."

"Beats me. Maybe you should ask her," he shrugs. He can kinda see how Meg would get that; Cas swooped down into his life and raised him from the perdition of self-loathing, much like the guardian angel in the movie.

Castiel, however, takes his meaning literally and makes to leave the car. Dean reaches over and grabs onto the sleeve of his coat. "Woah, woah, hold your horses, Cas. I didn't mean right now."

"Oh. My apologies."

Dean is still snickering at him when Jo pops her head in the window and taps on his shoulder. "You two gonna order, or are you gonna keep crackin' jokes and keepin' me waiting?"

"I think we're gonna keep crackin' jokes, if you wanna just sit there and wait for us," Dean tells her, then turns back to Cas. Jo gives off a heavy sigh and punches Dean's shoulder. He snickers and turns back to her. "Cheeseburgers and Coke for the both of us." He looks at the man next to him. "That okay, Cas?"

"Perfect."

He gives Jo his best grin. "We'll have that."

"Two cheeseburgers and two Cokes, comin' right up," she smiles, and then she's off to the next car. No sooner does Jo leave than her place is taken by yet another person: Benny.

Of all the things about Dean, Castiel has found that this is the hardest thing to adjust to. Everyone wants to be around him. People constantly stream in to speak to him, to say hello, to ask him questions, or to simply bask in the presence of the fabled Dean Winchester. It's not that Castiel is jealous; he simply finds it interesting. Though many of his siblings have electric personalities, he's never met anyone who attracts people like flies to a light before. Such is the charm of Dean Winchester.

"Hey, brother," Benny greets him with his dripping-with-molasses accent and a handshake. "We got a group of people over there, if you'd be interested in joinin' us." He peers into the car and nods at Cas. "Invitiation is extended to him, too."

Dean looks over at Cas with the question written in every line of his face: is Castiel okay with going. He gives a short nod, and Dean breaks out into a smile.

"Sure thing, Benny."

Benny claps him on the shoulder and heads out to a group of people that have pushed a few tables together outside The Roadhouse. Following Dean's lead, Cas exits the car, and they head over. He recognizes Benny, Garth, Becky, Meg, Pamela, and Ash, and there are a few people he's seen before but never met.

"Chuck, Adam, and Charlie," Dean whispers to him, nodding to each person in turn. It's an interesting amalgamation of people. Cas really wouldn't have expected half of these people to be able to stand sitting in the same room together, yet here they are, laughing and debating and eating together.

"Cas!" Becky squeals, jumping up to drag him into a hug. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I've been a little busy," he tells her sheepishly.

"I heard you moved in with the Winchesters." Becky taps on the arm of the man next to her, Chuck, and squeezes onto the bench next to him and Cas.

"Yes, I did."

"Ooh, that's so exciting!" she exclaims happily. Then, in a conspiratorial tone, she leans forward and asks, "How are things going?"

"They're going well," he tells her, ignoring the questioning glance that Dean is giving him.

Before Becky can say anything else, Chuck puts a hand on her shoulder. When she looks over at him, he removes it immediately, apologizes, then says, "Why, uh, why don't you give him some room to breathe, Becky?"

"Oh!" she exclaims, completely unaware of her overbearing nature. "Sorry, Cas!" However, as she begins to move back to her previous spot, she points at him with a serious look on her face. "But you better come fill me in on how things have been going."

"I will. Soon."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Becky seems to be placated after that, and she sits back down in her place once more. Dean raises his eyebrows in an exasperated expression, but Cas elbows him under the table.

"Ow!" Dean hisses, even though he's grinning.

"Don't be rude."

Dean gives him a sheepish smile, and all he wants to do is duck his head into the crook of Cas's neck and kiss him until the man forgives him, even if Castiel isn't upset in the first place. Their gaze lingers for a few moments longer than is appropriate, but they completely forget about everyone else. Dean just gets sucked into the oceans of Cas's eyes, wanting to drink in their sustaining intensity for years to come.

They only break their stare when Jo sets down their food, muttering about how Dean disappears so many goddamn times in a night that it's impossible to try and find him.

"You know you love me," Dean coos at her. She glares at him and whacks him upside the back of the head before walking away.

Garth snickers. "Oh man, Dean. Gettin' beat up by a girl won't make anybody scared of you."

"Shut up, Garth, she didn't beat me up," Dean mutters, flicking a french fry at the man. Garth weirded him out at first; he's clumsy and dopey and just plain strange, but Garth worms his way into your affections faster than anyone else Dean's ever met, and he's always willing to give you a hand. It's questionable whether or not he has a single negative thought in his head, and Dean's pretty sure that the kid would help him bury a body, if only you could stand him long enough to do it.

Garth just shrugs with an airy smile, returning his attention to the story that he's expounding to Charlie.

"So, Dean," Ash begins in his slow drawl. "Dick Roman's talkin' shit 'bout you and spreadin' it all over the damn place."

"Yeah, that's what Meg said." Dean feigns disinterest and munches on his french fries instead.

"Well? You just gonna take that, Winchester?" the man demands.

Dean shrugs. "Last I checked, runnin' your mouth's got nothin' to do with how good you can race."

"Amen, brother," Benny agrees, tipping his beer in Dean's direction. Dean reciprocates with his own bottle of Coke, and a general murmur of agreement goes up around the table.

"They say he fixed up his car. Figured out a way to make himself unbeatable," Adam butts in, and everyone goes silent as they look to Dean.

"You really believe that crock a' shit?" he asks with a nose wrinkled in disgust. "'Course he's gonna say that. He's gonna go 'round tellin' everyone that he's the best damn thing to grace this earth, tryin' to get me all worked up. And that ain't gonna happen."

Adam decides to voice all of their fears. "What if it's true?"

"It's not."

"Yeah, but what if it is?" he persists.

"Look," Dean begins, abandoning his food for the moment, "Roman's one of those guys who's gotta compensate. I mean, he ain't exactly a looker, and did you see his racing skills?" That gets him a few snickers. "So, no. I'm not worried 'bout him beating me, 'cause it ain't gonna happen. He's gonna cruise in here, makin' a big ol' fuss, and then we'll get to the race, and I'll smoke his ass again."

Ash reaches over to clap Dean on the shoulder, and a few of the men make some whooping noises. Dean just grins and starts eating again, bumping his leg into Cas's beneath the table. He can't help it; talking about racing always gets him excited, even if he tries not to show it, and he has to share that with someone else.

"I don't know about you, Winchester, but I got a bad feelin"g about this one." It's Pam who speaks up this time. She gives him a meaningful look, one that immediately cuts through the clamor and turns it into silence once again.

"Yeah, Sammy said the same thing," Dean says quietly. But then, he puts on his brightest smile and looks back up at the group. "What is this, huh? You guys all losin' confidence in me?"

They all erupt in a chorus of negation and assurances that they still have faith in Dean. Of course they do; they've never known him to do anything but win, and even their bad feelings can't override that.

"Now, c'mon," Dean says, waving his hand to settle them down. "Let's not talk about work at the dinner table."

Cas rolls his eyes at Dean as the man asks for everyone's opinion of a movie he's never seen. Conversation immediately picks up around the topic, effectively taking the focus off of Dean. Becky and Charlie get into a heated debate almost immediately and Dean returns to his burger, but not before giving Cas's leg a quick squeeze under the table.

The two are able to eat in relative peace after that, only being dragged back into the conversation by someone demanding their opinion on a subject to break a tie or prove a point. When they finish their meal, Dean turns to Cas and raises his eyebrows in a silent question. Castiel nods.

"Well, I think we're gonna head out," Dean announces to the group. There's a chorus of "aw c'mon guys" and "stay a while!" and "but we're just getting started!", but Dean shakes his head. "Got some errands to run, and Cas has homework. We'll catch you guys later, though."

They all say their goodbyes, a few hugs are exchanged (namely, Becky needed to hug Castiel and whisper in his ear that they need to talk), and Ash and Benny find it amusing to toss a few french fries at Dean until Ellen shouts for them to knock it off.

"Sorry, ma'am," Ash calls sheepishly, despite the fact that he's still grinning mischievously.

"You better be, boy. Don't think that just 'cause I ain't your mother means I can't whack you one!" Ellen tells him. "And you can wipe that silly little grin off your face, you hear me?"

"Yes, ma'am." He turns and ducks his head so that she can't see because he can't stop smiling. And as soon as Ellen turns, he flicks one more french fry at Dean as he and Cas run off to the Coupe.

"Buncha idiots," Dean laughs as he pulls out of The Roadhouse parking lot. He flips everyone off as he goes, then turns his attention back to Castiel.

"They seem like a nice group of people," Cas says, and that's true.

"Yeah, most of 'em are. Couple of 'em can be real dicks when they try, but I guess that goes for anybody," he shrugs.

"Why does Benny call you 'brother'? I thought Sam was your only brother," Cas asks in confusion.

Dean laughs. "I had a real rough time a couple years back. Me n' Sammy got into a fight, and it was hard to cope. But Benny was there, and he helped get me back on my feet. He's kinda like a brother, just not through blood."

"Oh."

"Hey, whattya say about goin' to our spot in the woods? Maybe we can try that thing on the hood of the Coupe?" he asks, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"I think we can do that," Castiel agrees. The other man reaches over and slides his fingers in the spaces between Cas's.

Silence falls between them then, and a slow tension builds in the car, but not the tension that they were hoping for. Castiel can feel a small twisting in the pit of his stomach, and it feels suspiciously like anxiety. He doesn't know why he's worried; he knows it's not in conjunction with their most recent plans.

Dean looks at him through the corner of his eye. "You worried about that race with Dick Roman, too?" he asks.

He hit the nail right on the head. Castiel nods sheepishly.

"Why?"

"I don't know. You're a great driver, so I know it's not that. It just... doesn't feel right.""

"Hm." Dean chews his lip. He doesn't know what the hell everyone is worried about. It's not logical that they'd all be so terrified of something that they can't even put a finger on. He wants to roll his eyes at the fact that there's a weight settled in all their stomachs and that they're all worrying themselves sick over it.

The thing is, Dean is worried, too.