Work Text:
“Dean, I can’t do this alone.”
Cas’s huge eyes, as blue as ever, were glaring at him, half pleading, half challenging. Dean knew he wouldn’t last much longer if he kept looking at him like that. But he would not give in to this.
“It needs a team effort -”
“Yeah that’s a great way to put it, Cas, but NO. Claire called you, I am nowhere in this whole picture. No way am I gonna be the scapegoat in one of your father-daughter feuds again.”
“Claire isn’t my daughter, Dean. She just needs some help at school. Something about bringing your father….”
“Yeah well that’s what she has Jody for. Besides, if it’s bring-your-father-to-school day, I still don’t see how I come into this.”
Castiel sighed audibly. “Because, Dean, I’m nervous, and I wouldn’t know how to act, and I don’t want to let Claire down. Again.” He averted his eyes. “And you’re the only one I can think of to take with me.”
Dean just glared back at him.
“Look, I would have asked Sam, but he’s busy with some research, he couldn’t make it.”
“Well screw Sam! Wait. Did you really ask him to father Claire with you?”
Cas furrowed his brows. “No, just to help me at Claire’s school. But if that’s how you want to put it -”
Dean blushed. “No! Eww. Gross. That would have been awkward.”
Castiel was still staring at him wide-eyed. “Right. So. Will you come with me or not?”
After a long silence (and a lot more staring), Dean sighed and went to fetch Baby, muttering “- can’t believe I actually thought I could win this.”
Cas loved road trips.
The scenery zooming by, the wind on his face, Dean singing along to his crappy music - it made him feel happy and content. So different from their everyday lives.
He was almost sad when they reached Sioux Falls. But Jody’s hug made up for it.
“You boys! It’s been so long!” she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Dean. “Claire! Alex!”
The girls came into view, and Claire flashed Castiel a huge grin.
Jody was rambling on, “- have to make chicken for dinner. And oh, where’s Sam?”
“He’s at the library,” Cas answered quickly.
Dean snorted. “Yeah the nerd.”
That got him a friendly punch from Alex. Jody laughed. “And you two just stopping by? Is it a case?”
Cas tilted his head in confusion. Dean seemed to be baffled too. But then Claire caught their eye and shot them a warning glance.
Dean took control of the situation. “You know, just wanted to catch up with you girls. And Cas here missed Claire.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Claire, who glared at him but couldn’t stop an amused smile.
“Aww that’s so sweet,” said Jody. “Well you all catch up, I’m gonna go whip up some dinner.”
Dean immediately started chatting with Alex, a clear indication that Castiel should talk to Claire.
“Claire, you didn’t tell Jody about your school…. thing?” Cas narrowed his eyes.
Claire looked down. “Yeah… the school… thing…. Jody doesn’t know I pretend to still have my father. I didn’t want to tell them. They would look at me all weird.”
Cas’s puzzlement increased. “But Claire, I am not -”
“Not my father, yeah I know. Look I never thought I would have to ‘bring my father’ to school. But now… everyone’s dads are coming tomorrow, and I have to take you -”
Cas’s gaze softened. He took her hands in his. “It’s okay. I understand.”
Claire gave him a small smile.
Dean ambled up to where they stood. “You two seem to have warmed up. So Claire, reasons for me to haul my ass up here, and Jody doesn’t even know?”
“Sentimental reasons,” Cas said, knowingly.
Dean nodded. “Well at least tell him it’s ‘dad’, singular, and he won’t be allowed to take me along.”
Claire stared at him for a long moment. Then she swivelled her eyes between them and grinned. “Actually, two is better.”
“I can’t believe she played us like that.”
Dean’s heart was beating too fast. He was pretty sure he would be the one to mess up their whole charade. Damn, he cursed despairingly. This was exactly the kind of situation he avoided at all costs. And yet, here he was, about to play couple with an angel he may or may not be in love with, and dad to an extremely pissed teen. Yay.
Claire shuffled along in front of them, dragging her feet. She didn’t look nervous, just…. sulky. Dean could relate.
Cas was looking at everything with an awed expression. As they entered the auditorium, Claire suddenly turned and hissed, “Hold hands.”
“What?” was Dean’s incredulous reply.
“Hold. Hands.” Her tone was earnest.
Dean looked over at Cas, who was in the act of tilting his head in his signature I’m-confused gesture. “Please, God, don’t make this awkward,” Dean prayed, gently taking the angel’s hand in his. There it was, that spark he always felt when he touched Castiel. And the fact that this was more than a casual touch, that the angel was nudging their fingers to lace together - Dean could feel his face growing hot.
“Claire!” A perky voice spoke up from somewhere in the crowd ahead of them. “Claire, is that your dad - oh!“
The speaker, a blonde woman of about Dean’s age, came into view, an indulgent smile plastered on her face. It took Dean a moment to realize that the smile was directed at him and Cas and their joined hands.
Claire was sporting a very forced smile. Dean mirrored it.
“Ms. Jones, these are my dads. Both of them wanted to come along so -”
“Oh that’s not a problem, sweetie,” Miss Jones’s voice was sickly sweet. “Nice to meet you….?”
Dean sensed the question mark and answered, “Dean. And Castiel. Winchester,” he added as an afterthought.
Cas tried a wide smile like the teacher’s. Dean thought he looked ridiculous. Ridiculously cute, he thought, then shushed himself.
Ms. Jones seemed to buy it. “Mr. Winchester. Mr. Novak.” She smiled at each of them in turn. (Of course, Dean mentally kicked himself. One of them had to be a Novak.) She cast a glance at Claire, who was looking bored, then directed her gaze at Castiel.
“Gentlemen, before you make yourselves comfortable, if I could have a word…?” By which, she obviously meant “in private”. They complied, and she steered them a little way off, away from Claire.
“Your daughter is a very bright student, Mr. Novak. She is sharp and perceptive. But her behaviour,” Ms. Jones shook her head. “She is very short-tempered at times, and otherwise very quiet. She hardly talks, doesn’t really have friends…. it worries us.”
Cas was nodding gravely. “She is rather reserved, yes. We will talk to her, see what we can do -”
Dean broke in. “Ms. Jones, I don’t mean to be rude, but have you considered other kids might be giving her a hard time? Claire - our daughter isn’t the type to pick fights without a reason.”
“Mr. Winchester, I’m sure -”
“I will talk to her, and I think she can explain. We will have to leave it at that.”
Ms. Jones pursed her lips. “Very well.”
They made their way back to Claire, who was casually surveying the hall. Spotting them, she raised her eyebrows quizzically. Dean mimicked slitting his own throat and saw her laugh. He felt a warmth in his chest. He could understand Claire. She was lonely, she was a drifter. Dean had been the same way in high school. Never really had friends. There were always some jerk kids giving him a hard time, no matter what new school he went to. He had never complained of course. Not that John would have listened anyway….
Dean had the sudden urge to hug Claire, and tell her she would be fine. But then he thought back to himself at that age and smiled ruefully. Claire would definitely not want to be hugged.
“Your teacher seems to be upset with you,” Cas was telling Claire in a matter-of-fact tone.
She scowled. “Ms. Jones is upset with everything. I don’t think I’m special.”
"She’s loony," Dean winked, eliciting a grin.
Cas glared at him. Dean bit back his chuckle and said, “I mean, that’s something you should never think about your teacher. You should always respect them, even if they’re mean and stupid and a pain in the a-”
“Dean!” Cas sounded scandalized.
Dean clammed up, shooting Claire a meaningful look. But she was staring down at something, her mouth twitching. Dean followed her gaze and realized with a horrifying start that he was still clutching Cas’s hand. Blushing furiously, he quickly untangled their hands and shoved his in his pockets, not looking at Cas. Claire was smirking. He decided he wanted to smack her more than hug her.
The day flew by. The programme was boring (“Kids singing and dancing - bleh” was Dean’s verdict. Claire agreed.) Cas just looked on curiously, and when it ended and everyone was applauding, he concluded that it had been “interesting”.
They were stopped a few more times. Surprisingly, Cas turned out to be better at the everyday talk. (“And how do you find married life,” someone was clapping him on the back. “Quite enjoyable. He does most of the cooking so...” Hearty laughter.) Once, a teacher tried to flirt with Cas. (“Excuse me ma'am, but he’s married” Dean chimed in, pulling an extremely flustered Cas by the arm.) Then a lanky guy, with a weird hairdo walked towards Claire with a “Well well, if it isn’t Claire the queer-”. Both Dean and Cas stepped forward menacingly, and the boy raised his hands and rushed off. Dean turned back to Claire. She rolled her eyes at them, but couldn’t hide a small smile.
Finally, as they walked out and piled into Baby, Dean realized he was smiling too.
“Talk to me.”
Dean was kneeling in front of Claire, his voice low but firm. Castiel watched them from the doorway to her room. This was one situation Dean could handle better without his assistance.
“About what,” Claire asked, staring down at her feet.
“Hey, I know high school’s a bitch.” Dean placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “I hated it too. Especially the other kids. But trust me, it sucks more when you grow up and realize how you wasted all these years’ worth of opportunities to talk to people, make friends. It’s all a downhill ride after this.”
Claire was looking up at him now. Cas felt like he was intruding on a moment as the two shared an understanding silence. He wondered how young Dean had coped with this evidently stressful high school life. If he ever even had that life. For as long as Cas knew, Dean had been a hunter. It made him sad to think there might once have been a Dean of a different identity, one who laughed more and worried less. About survival, about his brother, about the world. About Cas.
He shook himself and turned his gaze back to the real Dean, his Dean. This was the Dean whose eyes took on that familiar intensity whenever he looked at Cas, whose rare sudden smiles made his heart flutter. This was the Dean who had touched his hand so gently, as if asking for permission to take what was already his.
This was the Dean who was patting Claire’s arm, so obviously brilliant at the role he refused to accept.
“So what I’m saying is,” he continued. “Just go out there. Talk to people. You’ll find it’s not that bad when you have people who care about you.” He smiled wistfully. “And if things go wrong, just remember, it’s high school. Literally no one gives a shit.”
He stood up grinning. “Go kiss a few boys. Or girls. Whichever way you roll.” That earned him a genuine laugh.
“I’ll try. Promise.” And Dean beamed, knowing he had got through to her.
They turned to Cas, still leaning against the doorframe. “Got anything to add, Cas?”
He straightened up, and walking up to Claire, took her hands in his. “If you need anything, just call. I’ll make Dean come over. He’s better at this.”
“I’d like you to come too,” she said in a small voice.
Cas’s heart swelled. He nodded, returning her smile. “Oh and Claire,” he looked at her gravely. “Do not call your teacher that incredible expression Dean used earlier.”
Both of them burst into laughter. “I promise.”
“We should probably get going.” Dean was looking at his watch. “Tell Jody we’ll catch up again some time later.” Cas hugged Claire, and Dean dropped a kiss on her head. “Take care, kiddo.”
They went outside and settled themselves at their seats. Claire stood watching as Dean turned on the engine.
“One last thing,” Dean said, rolling down his window. “Why did you order us to hold hands back there?”
Claire’s smirk was undeniably cheeky. “Oh I just thought you’d look cute.”
Dean sputtered and Cas couldn’t help laughing. Claire looked smug. She leaned down beside the open window.
“You know, you both will make great dads someday.”
Cas’s heart skipped a beat. She means individually, he told himself. Get a grip!
But even as Dean turned the car onto the road, Claire still waving behind them, Castiel’s mind flitted over a dozen what-ifs.
“Kids, huh?” Dean said lightly, trying (and failing) to shake off the visions that Claire’s last comment had conjured up.
“Yeah kids, plural. You weren’t much better than a 15-year-old.”
“Hey! One of us had to be the cool dad. I can’t help it if her other dad is a grumpy old dick.”
“I’m not grumpy, but I am old. You can’t -”
“Okay shh shh,” Dean held up his phone. “Seven new voice mails from Sammy. Some research.”
He pressed play and put the phone on speaker.
“Dean answer your phone.”
“Dude, where are you? Always taking off without telling me. Cas hasn’t called in a while either. Does that make you want to call back?”
“Okay, what the hell. I didn’t know you could switch off your phone. Where are you, geez. Call me back.”
“Dean it’s been a whole day. Answer your phone goddammit.”
There were a few more along the same vein. Dean raised his eyebrows at Cas. He was staring straight ahead.
“I thought he was at the library.”
“He was.”
“And you called to check in?”
Cas didn’t answer.
“Dude! You didn’t even call him?”
“I thought he would be busy with research, and wouldn’t mind you gone for one night.”
“Well obviously he does.” Dean laughed. “Wow, you could just have asked Sam for help, couldn’t you?”
Cas was still staring studiously at the windshield. “Well, like you, I thought it would be awkward.” He turned to face Dean. “Although I understand it was probably awkward for you too and I’m sorry if I caused you discomfort.”
Dean suppressed an affectionate smile. This unbelievable idiot.
Without a word, he placed his upturned hand on Cas’s knee, hoping he would see the invitation.
He did. He frowned down at Dean’s hand for a while, then tentatively place his own on top of it, a soft smile slowly spreading across his face. It was one of those expressions which made his angel look more beautiful, more human than he already was.
Sitting there, with his angel beside him, their fingers intertwined, the only thought in Dean’s mind was - if this was what awkward felt like, he could live with it.