Chapter Text
Prompts: Eye Contact & Crystal
--Dean
Ding. Dean looked up from the row of crystals that he was organizing as the bell over the door of his little magic shop rang.
"I'll be right there," he called out. Making sure to carefully place the last amethyst in line with the others and not to accidentally take it with him, he climbed down the step ladder and headed for the front counter. Ever since he’d turned eighteen he’d been running Mystic Dragon Books and Gifts, it was his way to pay back his mentor, Rowena, for saving him. The moment he turned sixteen and his magic manifested, he had thought his life was over. No hunter has a witch for a son, he heard John’s voice in his head. Dean knew he’d have to leave. Protect the Winchester name at all costs. Protect Sammy… He disappeared that night.
Now at twenty-one Dean was well versed in white magic and herbal remedies. He worked hard to keep the shop stocked and ready, enabling him to help whoever walked through the door. Another hunter adage: Always be prepared. He was determined to be the exception to John’s rule about the supernatural; Dean’s gifts would help people. He looked over his shoulder toward the book section and called out to his best friend/little sister, Charlie.
“You go ahead and finish what you're doing,” Dean called, “I'll take care of the customers.”
“Thanks,” she hollered back, from between the stacks of crystal encyclopedias and herbal studies.
Dean approached the two men waiting patiently at the counter. He smiled politely and held out his hand in greeting, "I'm Dean. Welcome to my little shop. Is there anything specific I can help you find?"
The smaller of the two held out his own hand with a bright grin, "I'm Gabriel and this is my little brother Castiel. We were in the area and wanted to check your place out."
Dean shook his hand and turned to look at Castiel. As green eyes met blue, there was an intense pull behind Dean’s ribcage. He held eye contact with the man a moment longer, before tearing his eyes away. “Just curious then?” he asked, shaken by the encounter. He'd never felt that around a human before, and it wasn't from lack of contact with them. New Orleans runs on myth and magic, most of his regulars were human.
He decided to give the brothers some space, going back to the crystals as they looked around. Even while his work kept him occupied, he couldn't help but think about the man with blue eyes. Nothing was so captivating as a pair of eyes, no matter who they belonged to. Knowing Rowena and Charlie had helped Dean accept his less-than-traditional sexuality pretty early on, so he didn’t let a thing like gender stop him, he was more for the emotional connection. Was there an attraction beyond the physical? What did his magic have to do with it? Magic had never played a part in his romantic encounters before... He shook those thoughts from his head and took a step back to look at his work.
Satisfied with the placement of his crystals, he went over to check on his guests, "I'll be in the back room. Call if you need anything, alright?"
Gabriel nodded, already distracted by the book in his hand. Castiel smiled at Dean, “Thanks. I'll call you.” They made eye contact again, and again Dean felt his magic spark under his skin in response.
Shaking the feelings away, Dean headed for the back of his shop. He knew better than to get involved with a mortal. He walked past the boxes of inventory and through the curtains that led to his workshop. He had one in the shop and one upstairs in his flat. That was one of Rowena’s rules: she had been clear that personal magic was to be kept at home and the spells he cast for his customers were to happen in his shop. It's all about balance, Dean. That's where most witches go dark. They forget who they are and lose themselves to power. Every witch needs a safe place free from outside influence.
That lesson he took to heart, never bringing work home. His home was his safe place, the one spot where the outside world couldn't reach him. It was the only place he felt that he was truly able to be himself. The only people he ever allowed into his haven were those he trusted. Reaching for a sprig of dried sage, Dean lit the tip and allowed the fumes to purify the area, as he gathered the rest of the ingredients he needed. It was a simple spell, a good luck charm for a customer’s job interview.
Keeping his focus centered on the nature of the spell, Dean added each ingredient to the bowl while chanting. Once the ritual was complete he carefully placed the ingredients into a leather pouch and tied it closed. With the pouch secure, Dean headed back to the front counter.
He combed through pages of neat cursive in the little black book near the phone. “Aha! Knew alphabetical was the right call.” His gaze wandered as he waited for her to pick up, lighting on Gabriel and Castiel approaching. “Is this Rebekah? This is Dean at Mystic Dragon. I have that charm you wanted. No hurry, just come pick it up when you can.” Smiling and hanging up, Dean placed the pouch in a drawer for safety and looked up as in time to address the brothers. Gabriel was holding a book of healing herbs in his hand. “So I take it you found something to your liking after all?”
Gabriel nodded with another cheshire grin, "You have such an amazing selection of herbal books. I’ve been looking for this book everywhere!”
Dean grinned back, "My mentor is who you should be thanking." Dean swept a hand around his shop, "She's the one who helped me get this place running. She usually checks in at the end of the month with something unique, if you know what I mean."
Gabriel nodded in understanding, “Well, next time she drops by, tell her I said thanks.”
Dean nodded and rang up the total. Gabriel paid for his book and Dean watched both brothers leave Mystic Dragon Books and Gifts. As the door closed, Charlie emerged from the stacks looking a little worse for wear and dusting off the sleeves of her shirt. "So how'd it go with the customers?"
“Good, they were brothers and the older one bought one of our herbal anthologies,” Dean smiled, “Was impressed with our selection.” Dean shook his head, “My magic was acting weird around the other guy though, and I have no idea what's going on?”
Charlie frowned in concern, “Do you think maybe you should call Rowena? She might have answers for you.”
Dean nodded, “I'll call later,” he decided, “I'm expecting a customer to stop by for a charm I made and I wanna be here for it.”
Charlie nodded, “So while you wait for the customer, how about I run over to the Creole place you love so much and get us lunch?”
Dean grinned, “Have I told you lately how awesome I think you are?”
Charlie grinned back, "Only every day since we met."
Dean shrugged, “Still true.”
As Charlie backed out the door, Dean’s thoughts turned once more to Castiel before he caught himself. Out of sight, out of mind, right? They would probably never see each other again anyway. “Gotta do paperwork. God, I hate paperwork.” He groaned, his head falling to the counter, before pushing himself up and getting to work.