messenger: looking down, lips pressed, melancholy (❝ and i'm the worst mistake ❞)
castiel【 be a good little angel 】 ([personal profile] messenger) wrote in [community profile] etrayalogs2024-11-27 06:53 pm

( closed ) every day's an apple pie

WHO: Castiel ([personal profile] messenger) & Dean Winchester ([personal profile] venatoris)
WHEN: Shortly after the mingle
WHERE: In the bunker
WHAT: Castiel bakes a pie. Sort of.
NOTES\WARNINGS: n/a

[ castiel cuts a beeline to the liquor store immediately after briefly rubbing elbows with socialization. it doesn't suit him, that much is obvious. having his faith questioned was the final straw that saw him making generous use of the newly installed liquore store. he's tipsy-on-the-border-of-drunk by the time he diverts to the kwik stop to grab the necessary ingredients for dean's pie.

because god has some mercy on dean winchester, castiel had researched and planned the whole thing out several days in advance of becoming drunk. after reading through a small collection of recipe books, he'd decided his first foray into baking should be simplified, which was further encouraged by the presence of pre-made pie crusts and canned and frozen pie filling. harold had suggested he practice before presenting dean with the end result, but he had no idea how long it would take before he perfected his from-scratch skills, and he didn't want to wait. partly, because it would be a useless platitude if he waited until weeks after the race. partly, because he's drunk.

he picks out two cans of cherry filling, a few spices, a package that contains two premade crusts, and a roll of pre-made pie dough from the freezer. it's late. well past midnight, which means dean will have already eaten dinner and gone to bed. he also picks up a carton of milk, orange juice, a handful of candybars, a six pack of beer, and a frozen pizza. he may or may not knock over a corner display, but he leaves before the helper bots notice.

the groceries are shoved unceremoniously into the fridge/freezer.

and then there's the pie. it's ridiculous to feel intimidated by a confection, but here he is, hesitating. all his ingredients laid out before him, and suddenly it seems like the most difficult thing in the world.

it isn't. the most difficult step of making the pie is weaving the lattice out of pre-made pie crust over the top, but by the time he's reached this final step, his nerves have worn off.

and when the pie comes out of the oven, it looks... mostly okay. there's shiny, dark red cherry filling bubbling up from between the lattice strips, and the edges of the crust are a little burnt. he takes it from the oven barehanded and sets it on top of the stove to cool.

castiel turns away from the oven to lean his elbows on the island. little bits of this and that have been turning up around the bunker since dean invited him in. castiel tells himself it's scientific interest, little shells and feathers and small round stones, all checked over thoroughly to assess their origin. but the truth is, it brings him some comfort. the bits and scraps lying on the island aren't that, though. these are specifically for dean: a shed jackalope antler, a "bigfoot" incisor, and a handful of cowslips — fairy cups. ]
venatoris: messenger @ dw (2021-10-31 14_27_53-Netflix — Mozilla Fi)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-05 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Dean's dead asleep while Castiel is fluttering around and gathering supplies, buried beneath a mountain of covers and snoring lightly. The room is quiet save for that and the soft, repetitive click of a record still spinning long after the dulcet tones of Zeppelin's very own Robert Plant has tapered off. Dead silence isn't something Dean is particularly fond of; the ringing in his ears from repeated concussions is loud, deafening sometimes, and being left to his own thoughts leaves him restless, tossing and turning, never getting the sleep his body so desperately craves.

So instead he listens to the Stones, Zeppelin, Bob Seger, Nazarath's Hair of the Dog. It's easier to drift off when Ramble On is in your ear, rather than thinking about the things you've done, the mistakes you'e made, the things waiting for you at home that you're pointedly ignoring.

The scent of pie is rousing, though, and he rolls around, kicking at his covers, sniffing the air as he's dragged back to wakefulness, a groan vibrating his chest as his eyes finally open. ]


Dammit.

[ The word is grumbled, but the smell has him sitting up anyway, roused from odd dreams and restless slumber. It's not particularly strong, but Dean would recognize it anywhere, and it's one of the only few things that has the bear exiting his hibernation cave and heading to the kitchen.

He does not expect what he finds, and he has to pinch himself to make sure he isn't dreaming. ]


Cas?
venatoris: hollow art (Default)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-05 06:54 pm (UTC)(link)
What are you doing?

[ Cas has a question on his face, but Dean actually asks it. The angel is surrounded by supplies with a pie on the stove behind him, which Dean is leaning to look at, attention zeroing in on the steam curling from said freshly baked good. ]

Did you make that?
venatoris: supersuits @ ij (pic#15237543)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-05 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Dean's moving closer, dead guy robe wrapped around his body and knotted at the waist, slippers flip-flopping on the cold floor. ]

All by yourself?

[ Don't mind him scoooooching around Cas, leaning over to take a big sniff. Cherry, definitely - he'd known when he first got a whiff in bed, the filling making it obvious. ]
Edited 2024-12-05 19:26 (UTC)
venatoris: supersuits @ ij (pic#15237627)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-05 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Dean will absolutely not let that stop him and he'll burn his mouth first chance he gets. As it is, he's sticking a fingertip in to swipe a little filling thats bubbled over, licking it off. ]

Harold?

[ Who the fuck is Harold? His eyes narrow, but he reaches to look at the dough and crust, examining it before taking another swipe of filling. ]

Nothing wrong with a little cheat code. I've made pies like this.
venatoris: commissioned from @malagraphic (pic#14765697)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-05 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Hm.

[ He tucks that tidbit away - it's good for Cas to make friends but he's not exactly the best judge of character. Metatron comes to mind, not that Cas is aware of that yet. ]

You did this for me? [ He looks surprised - people don't do things for him just...because. If they do, it's because they want something in return. It's never simply because they wanted to do something nice. ] Really?

[ He looks pleased, almost a little bashful as he reaches for a knife, flicking his eyes between the pie and Cas, like he's deciding if he should hug the angel or cut into it. He settles for reaching a hand out to grope at Cas' shoulder to pull him in for a one shouldered hug while he pokes at the pie with the knife. ]

That's, uh - that's really nice of you, man.
venatoris: @cornballer (undefined - Imgur (59))

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-06 01:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Cas' touch is close enough, and Dean pulls him in, turning his head a little on 'accident' so he can breathe in the scent of angel, surprised how nice it is in his nose, his lungs.

The half hug doesn't last too long, Dean too awkward to linger, and he drops his hand, fingertips tracing over Cas' shoulder as it falls. ]


Thank you, Cas. Can I have some now?
venatoris: @tweak (pic#15665417)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-07 01:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Get another plate for you. Gotta taste your own creation, you know.

[ He's reaching for a knife to start slicing - it's warm and it's going to be messy, oozing all over the place, but that's the best time to eat it, in his opinion. Nice and warm and gooey. With ice cream, but he's not being picky because this is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for him.

And so he's gonna cram his mouth full of pie and make a very happy noise, a pleased groan around his too full bite. ]


This is great. [ Crispy crust and all. ]
venatoris: hollow art (Default)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-07 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah.

[ He has to pause to swallow, gulping down his bite and flashing Cas an easy grin. It's obvious Dean is pleased, and he himself is all warm and tingly inside, relishing his pie because it was made with, well. Love. Or something.

Stuff like that always tastes better. Cas could've blackened it and Dean would've enjoyed it, because it's the thought that counts. ]


It's awesome.
venatoris: commissioned by @tomwaits (pic#14857979)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-08 01:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ He swallows the bite he'd just stuffed in his mouth, surprise on his face. ]

...You did?

[ 'why' is on the tip of his tongue, but that seems like a rude thing to say. Dean's not exactly Mr. Manners, but he's got some. ]
venatoris: hollow art (Default)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-08 02:20 am (UTC)(link)

[ He jams another bite in before setting his plate down to inspect what Cas has brought him. He's mildly confused by it, but touched, heart thumping against his ribcage, a butterfly caged in his chest. ]

Did you find this stuff when we were getting those pictures?

[ The little flowers are pretty; Dean likes flowers, doesn't tell people that. It's weakness, to like such frilly, feminine things. He does all the same, though. ]

These are cute.

venatoris: commissioned from @malagraphic (pic#14765697)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-08 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
God, no. Definitely don't do that.

[ He has far too much experience with fairies and he doesn't wanna repeat that, thanks. ]

I like them. They're pretty. [ Pressing, that's what he's gonna do. After he sticks them in a cup of water - cup being a whiskey tumbler because that's what's on hand. But he wants to save them. ]

This is all really thoughtful of you, dude. What brought all this on? You're spoilin' me.
venatoris: nidavellir @ ij (pic#15076447)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-08 03:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ His smile is slow and warm like a summer sunrise, and he reaches for the antler, picking it up and examining it closely. ]

This is cool.

[ Looking up at Cas and meeting his eyes, his lips quirk, expression turning wry. ]

You don't have to be useful to be a good egg, Cas. I'm just glad you're here. [ And all of this does cheer him; he'd been irritated they lost the race, but there's nothing to be done about it but sulk. Which he'd been doing up until this point. His bad mood has evaporated, and in it's place settles something warm and undefinable, a thing unknown burrowed in his chest. ]
venatoris: supersuits @ ij (pic#15237625)

[personal profile] venatoris 2024-12-08 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Dean came through because he was on the brink of a very bad decision, ultimately making it and enabling him to stab the bitch in the chest.

Not that that's a thing Cas knows yet, but ultimately they are all flawed in some ways, a lot of ways. Dean, at the time, had thought his usefulness had also run out, and that saying 'yes' to Michael was the only solution to the problem. Maybe it was cowardice, maybe it was some grand gesture to save the word and ensure salvation and paradise for angels and humans (hopefully) alike. Besides, who wouldn't want paradise?

At any rate, that's years past for Dean, and this time it's Dean who's unleashed a devil.

...nevermind it was low-key Sam's fault for pushing the spell, a thing he never should've done. Dean deserved insanity on a faraway planet, deserved to be lost to the sands of time in a frenzy that could never be soothed. In the end Sam deserved death too; the world would have been better off without the both of them (as evidenced by the appearance of the Darkness). But the Mark has a mind of its own, self preservation kicking in and Dean found himself swinging that scythe at the horseman himself, killing Death with his own blade. The irony isn't lost on Dean, wasn't even as it happened, Death crumbling into dust at their feet.

He drags himself out of memories and regret and self-hatred and blame, focuses on the angel in front of him and smiles. ]


It's not your fault. We got each other, and we got the kid. [ And they're all fucked up and maybe that's how Dean likes it. Normalcy doesn't suit him, he'd tried. ]

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