anonymity was never an option

102: castiel

"What is this place?" Dean looked around as they approached the door.

"It's a bakery."

"A bakery?"

"Yeah um... a bakery." Castiel said again with a straight face as he nodded towards the sign on the front.

Culani's Cookies and Cakes.

"Well thanks, that made it so much clearer." Dean laughed as he pulled on the silver metal door handle.

Castiel stepped in the room and immediately smelt the cinnamon rolls he used to wake up to in the morning.

Whenever Michael would pick up Lily from work, he would bring Castiel a cinnamon roll from Culani's. Anna always got so jealous because he would only bring back two, and by the time she would wake up in the morning Gabriel would've eaten the other one.

The sweet smell of melting sugar brought a smile to his face, as he heard the bells hit as the door behind him closed.

"Castiel?" A twangy soft voice behind the counter spoke.

"Hi, Ashley." He smiled as the young woman behind the counter hurried to the front.

"How are you dear?" Her empathetic southern accent echoed through the empty room as she scuttled her way across the floor.

"Been better."

"I'm so sorry about your brother sweetie." She reached her arms out to him and Castiel gave her a small hug, bending over slightly to accompany for her shorter height.

"How's Lily doing?" He mumbled quietly as he pulled away from her.

"Honestly... I don't believe she's getting any better. The doctor says pray for a miracle, but I'm not quite so sure they exist given what happened to Michael. He truly was an angel to my sister. It's a damn shame."

"Yeah." Cas grimaced.

Ashley turned around and looked at a boy behind the counter, scurrying him off with the flick of her hand. He left the front and started walking back towards the kitchen, looking behind himself a few times as if curious what had given him sudden time away.

"So, what brings you in town? Been awhile since I've seen you around here."

"Yeah I know... I just wanted to check in. Aaaaand... this one right here loves pie." Castiel nudged Dean with his elbow.

"Culani's, hands down, has the best apple pie in Kansas." He continued, this time turning to his side to face Dean.

"Oh really now." Dean tilted his head with a smile.

"You like pie, huh?" The girl across from them crossed her hands over her chest.

"That's an understatement Ash, he is literally in love with pie."

"Well..." Dean started to defend himself, but stopped.

"I'll have AJ getcha some then." She smirked at Dean.

Castiel smiled at Dean, and tilted his head over towards a small metal table that sat right next to the window.

Dean took the hint to go sit down and left Castiel's side with a short smile.

Castiel watched him walk over and pull out one of the small metal chairs with floral designs etched into the back. It made a screeching noise against the tile as he pulled it out causing him to outwardly cringe as he glanced out the window. Castiel unknowingly smiled as he watched him, forgetting Ashley was right beside him.

"Friend...? Roommate?" She asked, shifting Castiel's attention back on to her.

"Uh yeah... something like that."

"Boyfriend?" Her voice changed.

Cas paused looking at her face, carefully watching her expression. He was finding it hard to read her. He didn't want to say the wrong thing and have another person hate him for the rest of his long gay life.

"Are you gonna shun me if I say yes?" Castiel whispered hesitantly.

"Heavens, no. My roommate back in college was into girls. I don't mind. Don't mean nothing to me." She shook her head.

"Oh." Cas smiled. "Cool."

"How'd you meet him?"

"That's uh... a long story." Castiel laughed to himself, remembering how just a year ago Dean was just an anonymous person on the other end of desperate conversation.

He never really thought about how weird it all was. That out of pure instance, Dean just so happened to be that one person. The one person that he didn't even hesitate to talk to on a bad day, or the one person who made him comfortable when the world didn't.

The person that was on the other line of the conversations he held value to in his heart, just so happened to be the one that saved him from himself at a party, and made sure he was safe, without even knowing who he was.

It was a beautiful thing.

How by pure coincidence he happened to be that one person.

Castiel couldn't have asked for anything more.

"He texted me... on accident. And I just so happened to run into him at a party... and we just... it's confusing, but we just kinda happened."

"Must've been fate then." Ashley smiled, nodding her head.

Castiel let the thoughts continue to roll around in his head. How lucky did he have to be?

"I guess so."