Standing Together

Chapter 143

"Some people don't tip at all," she says, "so thank you, and, trust me, I don't hate you in the least. Now, I'll have those breadsticks right out for you."

As she walks away with a big smile on her face, Dean takes a very content sip of his apple juice.

Yes, the Dean Winchester ordered apple juice at Olive Garden.

Castiel was just as dumbfounded.

"Well, you guys got along well," Castiel remarks, and he's not quite sure how he feels about it.

Dean shrugs. "I'm pretty sure I haven't talked to anyone whose last name isn't Novak, Winchester, or Milligan in months. Gotta get my not-family human contact in while I can."

"You know, she might have just pretended to think you were funny so she didn't come off as rude," Castiel says, then immediately bites his tongue before he says more stupid shit. Just because he's an awkward dumbass doesn't mean Dean can't be social. Who cares if the person he's being social with just happens to be a hot girl waiting tables?

Okay, he's a little jealous.

But come on. Did he have to do that? Castiel was just wondering an hour or so ago if Dean thought he was good enough, or if it bothered him that Castiel never wanted to have sex or play dirty games or whatever. Watching Dean hit up that waitress isn't making him feel any better about himself or their relationship, even if, logically, he knows she and Dean aren't going to sneak out of here and fuck. They wouldn't even be able to; Castiel is staying by Dean's side all night. That's what going out to eat means with your fiancè means, after all.

Dean isn't privy to any of Castiel's private thoughts, though, so he just answers him like he would any other question — honestly.

"You could be right," Dean says. "But, hey, now we're not wasting any food, and she knows she's getting a good tip. Granted, she doesn't know how good of a tip it will be, but that's not important right now, is it?"

"And how good will that be?" Castiel asks.

"I always tip 10 grand," Dean says, "no matter where I go or how much I buy or whether I like the server or not. I feel like I've told you that before."

Castiel is about to ask how he can afford that, which is when he remembers that that's the exact question he asked last time Dean told him this almost 50 chapters ago, though the author is too lazy to find the exact chapter number. He does vaguely recall that Dean's answer was something like "I had a multimillion-dollar contract with the NFL and rarely go out to eat."

All Castiel says is, "Oh, yeah, that sounds familiar."

"See, I knew you listened to what I say to you occasionally!" Dean says with a grin.

Castiel shakes his head, amused. "If you want, we can use my card. I'm the one buying the food, after all — and my bank account is a lot bigger than yours."

Dean shrugs. "I don't care. Way I see it, I've got more than enough money to take care of my family for the rest of our lives and still tip my waiters a hell of a lot more money than any normal person would. But, hey, so do you, so I don't really care where the money comes from."

"That was a very long and wholesome answer that I'll take as a, 'Sure, Cas, we can use your card if you want.'"

"Did I not tell you earlier today that most of what comes out of my mouth at this point is just utter bullshit?"

"You absolutely did, Dean," Castiel replies, "and I really appreciate the demonstration."

"No problem, Cas," Dean says with a grin. "Any excuse to ramble incoherently is a good thing to me." 

A/N Taylor Swift just surprise dropped a new album and it's gorgeous. It might be her best one yet. It's so soft and gentle but it's also heartbreaking as fuck. She started it in April and finished it last week. It's her first non-autobiographical album, and every song is a story, some from characters she made up (there are three songs that make a full story of three members of a love triangle at different points in the relationship, and if I had to guess, I'd say it's Betty, Illicit Affairs, and Cardigan?), there's a song about the people who used to own her Rhode Island house, and one about her grandfather in the war. It sounds weird and sporatic but it all flows so well from one song to the next, and I can't recommend it enough. The critics are eating it up. 

This is the music video she shot while social distancing (she had to do her own hair and makeup and everything) and with health professionals present