all in the name of misbehavior

[freewill]

Who: Castiel Caston Shurley, Dean Winchester Dean Campbell, and Peter Rumancek Andrew Bell
Where: Storybrooke, Maine (at the mechanic shop)
When: 10/26
Rating: PG-13
Summary: It says a lot when the best part of someone's day is their visit to the local mechanics.
The Story:
It's Sunday, and after the bizarre things that Caston experienced the day before, the last thing he wants to do is have to visit with Michael and Luke. But it's Sunday, and the Hell he'll bring upon himself if he doesn't show up for Sunday dinner (with Gale in tow, of course) is not worth the relief he might get from not going.

If he's lucky, then whatever it is he experienced yesterday had been nothing more than a fluke. He could have sworn that a flick of his wrist had knocked some product off of one of the shelves at work, and he still can't quite remember how he got from the front door of the house into his bed after getting home from the late shift.

He's overtired, maybe. Or he's finally gotten so sick of his mundane work that he's starting to lose his mind.

What he can't do is spend the only part of day that he isn't expected to be around his older siblings holed up at home with Gale and his estranged son. Caston's gotten used to Daniel by now, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's comfortable around him.

He is comfortable around Dean, and that's worth a lot given how his weekend's gone so far. So that's why Caston picks up a cup of coffee and then drives over to the mechanic shop even though he doesn't need any repairs on his car, not even an oil change. Dean usually doesn't mind if he simply drops by to say hello.

Comments

[ganking]

The office is small and packed full of things from god only knows how many years back, but it looks well-used. Papers stack a small table, with memos littering a filing cabinet just beside it. Dean steps in to clear the surface of the table, making just about enough room for Caston to set down the bag.

"All the more reason to fill up so you can keep it as short and painless as possible," he laughs as he takes the mentioned sandwich from the bag, then promptly pushes it into Cas' hands. It might not have been meant for him, but Dean doesn't exactly need to eat two...

"Or could always ditch 'em and join me for a good old night at the bar. They make a mean pair of wings." Easy enough to have a plus-one when it's Dean's usual after-work routine either way. What's more, he's pretty sure Cas would dig it there despite the quiet demeanor he wears.

And yet... Dean knows what Caston will choose -- it's what he always chooses -- but he'll never not put it out there.

[freewill]

Dean won't take no for an answer, apparently. Caston takes hold of the sandwich if only because it's being shoved into his hands, and he peers down at it quizzically. If Dean insists, then he'll eat it, and he makes a good point about using it as an excuse to leave early.

Except it won't happen that way. Caston has to help with the dishes tonight, which means staying the whole way through. Skipping out early isn't done in the Shurley family.

Caston takes a seat in one of the office chairs and sets the sandwich in his lap, unwrapping it so that he can start eating. He ponders Dean's offer, one that he's been given plenty of times before, but the answer will always be the same. It isn't worth the strife that would come if he ditched his weekly family gathering.

"I can't tonight, but maybe another night," Caston says after a pause, and then he takes a sizable bite of the sandwich. It's greasy and delicious and the exact opposite of anything Michael will cook, which is reason enough to enjoy it.

[ganking]

What can only be described as a pleased smile lights up Dean's face when Cas takes the sandwich, as he's never nothing but happy to help Cas with anything that might make his family situation a little more tolerable. Even something as minor as feeding him so that he can hopefully excuse himself from a longer dinner.

Leaning against the table, Dean digs out his own sandwich and bites into it. "Not even after the weekly Shurley show," he asks with careful nonchalance in his voice, all the while chewing on the bread. He might be pushing a little-- more so than he would normally, even if he knows how difficult it is.

It's just that... the whole thing kinda sucks, if Dean's being honest about it. There's nothing shittier than knowing a friend's going through something crappy and family-caused.

"You know, one day I'm gonna be forced to just kidnap you. Hold you hostage at the bar, or something, with promises of free beer."

[freewill]

Afterward? It's not something that Caston had considered. He could, but he would have to drop Gale and Daniel back off at the house first, then drive back to meet Dean at the bar. It would mean a late night, but given that he's working closing shifts more often than not, what's the harm?

"It depends on how late you're there," he says. He hasn't quite agreed yet, but he's definitely considering it now. It would be a nice change of pace, and God knows he needs that.

Though at the mention of kidnapping, something like panic overtakes Caston's face and he almost chokes on his bite of sandwich. He forces the food down with a harsh swallow before he speaks.

"I don't want to imagine what Michael would do to you if you did that." He isn't being dramatic. Michael finds a way to get to people who wrong him (at least from his perspective). He'll find a way to implicate Dean in something and then sentence him to sit behind bars for a few months, just to teach him a lesson.

[ganking]

"Late enough. Way past your bedtime, I'm sure," he huffs with a quiet laugh, eyes on Cas curiously. It's the closest he's heard to Cas actually agree to anything he suggests, so color him a little hopeful. At least until he unknowingly ruins it.

The look of actual panic which flashes over Caston's face over the joke is alarming, especially since Dean hadn't thought anything about it before saying it. The sandwich is forgotten for a moment, with Dean waving a hand, then reaching to lightly touch Cas' arm.

"Hey, hey, easy. I'm just kidding. Kidnapping-- it'll be a last resort deal, alright? No need to look so freaked." He won't do anything that'll get Cas in trouble-- which, if Dean's being honest, is what he thinks it would be more likely. Ain't no asshole brother going to kick him where it hurts for trying to get Cas to have fun. It'll be the other way around.

But then Cas would be the one caught in the crossfire.

[freewill]

A last resort. Caston wonders what that would even look like. He doesn't want to think too hard on it. Hopefully it will never come to that.

It's not as if he meant to unnerve Dean, either, but Michael isn't someone that anyone should underestimate. It might seem ridiculous for any grown man to be scared of an older sibling, but his particular situation is... unique, to say the least.

"Sorry," he mumbles as he takes another bite of the sandwich to give himself a moment to gather his thoughts. Once he's swallowed, he speaks up again. "I'll come by afterward. I don't have to wake up early tomorrow, so it should be fine."

Though it occurs to Caston that even though he's aware of Dean's after-work activities, he's never learned the specifics. "Which bar do you go to?" he asks.

[ganking]

Dean shrugs eventually, too used to this odd routine of theirs-- Cas will always live in fear of his brothers, Michael especially, and Dean will always try to pry him away from it all. Mostly to little avail.

"S'alright," he says, and a beat later his words find something a little more cheery again. "The Fish Hook's the place. It's small, but they got nice beer on tap and it's cheap." One of those simple joys in life type of deal, even if there's nothing fancy about the place.

But it's good enough for Dean, at the least.

"I bet you've seen it-- towns not exactly big enough to get lost as far as bars go." Though there are a few options in Storybrooke, most of the pretty similar in the end. He sometimes rotates through them -- hell, sometimes in one night, too -- but those are details Caston doesn't really need to know.

"But awesome, I'll keep a seat all cozy and warm for you," he chuckles before biting into his sandwich.

[freewill]

No, there's not a surplus of bars in Storybrooke. Caston's familiar with all of the establishments, he'd simply needed to know which one to go to.

He's usually not one to stop in at bars. He's been to The Fish Hook before -- he goes once every few months, if that, which is likely why he and Dean have never actually run into each other there.

Still, even making a small change in his life might make him feel better about the rut he's gotten himself into. Even if it's something as trivial as going out to a bar with Dean a few nights each week.

No doubt Michael will love that if it ever gets back to him. And it will, no doubt, but Caston doesn't let that stop him this time around. He's not sure what's changed, but he's not going to question it.

"I know it," he says with a nod. "I'll need to drop off Gale and Daniel after dinner, but then I'll come by." His lips twitch into a brief smile and then he takes another bite of his own sandwich. He feels surprisingly good about this idea, like his chest is just a little lighter.

[ganking]

It's always a small victory to get a confirmation from Cas, so Dean all but beams at his friend, a grin on his face looking every bit genuine. It'll be a nice change of pace from his usual nights at the bar, that's for sure, so color him excited-- something he's poorly hiding at the moment.

"Sweet." Have a hard smack on the shoulder, one that might leave a grease print or too. It's common knowledge that when you work at a mechanic's shop, you never really leave or enter completely clean. Sorry, Caston.

"Haven't had something to look forward to in a bit, this is great." It's not only Caston's day that's gotten considerably better, that's for sure. Dean enjoys his work, the people he surrounds himself with, but this is a little more special... even if it's just a bar outing.

"Anyway, I should hurry up with this," he says before biting into the sandwich, working double to wolf it down now. "Cars don't fix themselves weirdly enough." And thankfully enough.

[freewill]

It's rare for anyone to be that excited to get to spend time with him, and so Caston isn't entirely prepared for the bright smile or the hand that claps onto his shoulder. He spends a few seconds staring at the stain that's left behind, but he can clean it later. It doesn't bother him; in fact, he's used to it by now.

Trivial as it may seem in the grand scheme of things, Caston's excited too. After holding himself back for so long, it feels as if he can finally take a few steps forward. He's not sure why it suddenly feels attainable. Maybe he simply woke up on the right side of the bed today.

While Caston had wanted to discuss Andrew with Dean, as his conversation with him earlier had been rather enlightening when it came to the other mechanic's past, it seems that Dean's in a hurry. That's all right. They can talk it over at the bar later.

"Of course," he says as he takes another large bite of his sandwich in an attempt to finish it off. "I need to get going anyway so I can get cleaned up for dinner."

[ganking]

There's always a lot to do at the shop, with the frequency at which they get cars and such to fix, too. He's never really without work, a fact Dean can hardly complain about. Whatever keeps his hands busy is fine with him. But it also means he never has too much time to spare during the day, and even this extended lunch break has gone on for a little too long...

Though for Caston he's always quick to break the rules.

But the excitement in the air is enough for him to not feel too bad about forcing himself back to work. If anything, it technically means that the evening will come sooner. Sort of. Valid reasoning on his end, he thinks.

Gulping down the rest of his sandwich, Dean's done in no time and wiping his hands some off-hand towel. His smile grown a little smaller, though no less pleased with their plans.

"I'm glad you stopped by," he admits, as it's always a nice break during the day. "I'll see you tonight, Cas."

Caston should know his way around the shop by now, so Dean doesn't hesitate to slip out of the office.

[freewill]

Just a few more bites and Caston's polished off his sandwich too. He tosses the wrapper into the trash can and then stands up and stretches. "Thank you for the food," he says with a nod. It's not like he had come here for free hand-outs, but Dean hadn't really given him the chance to refuse.

It's nice to know that they'll be seeing each other later, and so Caston doesn't feel his stomach sink when Dean disappears out the door. He just has to get through family dinner and then he'll actually be able to have a good time.

So after he tidies up a few things in the office, Caston returns to his car and takes off back to the house to get ready.