// Castiel's POV
Castiel closed the door to his house, smiling widely as he leaned against the door, biting his bottom lip.
He had just kissed Dean. He had fucking kissed Dean. He had kissed his soulmate! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE EMOTIONS GOING THROUGH HIM RIGHT NOW?!
Of course Dean thought Cas wasn't seeing any color so there's that.
Maybe Cas should tell him...but maybe not.
What if he had a huge douchebag as a soulmate? It was better to keep his mouth shut.
But Dean didn't seem like a douchebag, per say.
Castiel placed his fingertips against his lips, remembering what it felt like to have Dean against him.
The way everything felt warm and amazing and just so right.
Castiel removed his trench coat and hung tossed it on his bed.
He ran his hands through his hair and sighed, walking further into his house.
"Gabriel?" Cas called once he heard the sound of rapid typing from a distance.
"Yeah?"
"What are you doing?" Cas asked, finding Gabriel on the couch, typing furiously on his laptop.
"Research." He said simply.
"Research? Since when do you do research?" Cas asked, amused.
"Since now, dumbass." Gabe retorted, glaring up at him.
"Okay, okay, calm down! Sorry!" Cas laughed. "What are you researching?"
Gabriel clicked something and scrolled down before speaking.
"If a person witnesses color at the first touch of their soulmate or if it takes time..."
Castiel's smile faltered and he sat on the couch next to his brother.
"Gabriel...is this...is this about Sam?"
Gabriel went silent. His typing stopped and he just stared blankly at the screen.
"It's possible! Oh my god! Okay this means it'll take time! It can take time!" Gabriel yelled happily, pushing the computer aside and standing up.
"Gabriel...you didn't answer my question."
Gabriel looked back at Cas and sighed.
"We shook hands, Cas. We touched-- and I saw color! For the first time in years! The last time I saw color was in high school when some kid with shaggy hair bumped into me! But you see the thing was, there were multiple people who were pushing past me but I was sure it was him! But I never saw him again after that. And now, I meet Sam Winchester and I can see color again! I see the color in his eyes and oh my god they're beautiful!" Gabriel sighs, looking up into a daydream land. "But he didn't see any of it."
"Wait what?" Cas asked, sitting up.
"I asked him if he saw it and he just asked what I was talking about." Gabriel sulked.
"Does that mean he's not y-- "
"He's my soulmate, Cas."
Castiel stood up and walked up to his brother, placing a hand on his shoulder, smiling sadly at him. This whole situation was just like him and Dean.
"Gabriel...he may be your soulmate but that doesn't mean that you're his sou-- "
"No, Castiel! That's why I did research! And it's possible-- rare, but possible that a person doesn't see color right away when touched by their soulmate. It's possible that it may take time for the person to develop feelings for the other person. So I'll do anything-- anything! For him to see color." He insisted.
Castiel sighed and sat back down.
"It's worth a shot...but if it doesn't work out..."
"I know...it'll be my own fault." Gabriel mumbled. "Anyways! How was your date?"
Castiel felt his ears heat up and he looked away from his brother.
"It um...it went well, Gabe."
"Well? As in you totally fucked or as in nothing happened cause you're a socially awkward fuzzball?"
Cas snickered at the comment and rolled his eyes.
"We did not have sex if that's what you were expecting. We ate burgers at a diner and he walked me home."
"That's it? You two ate burgers and he walked you home?" Gabriel asked, shocked.
"And...I kissed him."
"I mean come on! If it were me on a date, I'd be all over the person! Well, not right away but you know! And well-- wait, what?!"
"I um...I kissed him?"
"Oh my god." Gabriel sniffled, wiping away a fake tear. "My baby's growing up."
"Oh shut up." Cas grumbled, tossing a pillow at Gabriel. "The weird thing was that...well, after I pulled away from him...there was still color. It was weird. I mean, I just met him so why was I seeing color for that long without touching him?!"
Gabriel's eyes widened.
"Wait, what do you mean there was still color? You've seen color with him before?!" Gabe questioned.
"Um...yeah."
"Does Dean know? When I was in the flower shop, he told me he had seen color with you but that he doesn't think you saw anything. Castiel, does Dean know?"
Castiel bit his bottom lip and slowly shook his head.
"No?! Castiel you have to tell him! He thinks that he's not the right person for you! Do you have any idea how stupid this all is?!"
"I know! I know! I'm sorry! I just don't know what to do! It overwhelmed me! I had never seen color before, Gabriel! Never! So when Dean offers me a flower and our freaking hands touch and there's color everywhere, I freak out! Because I had labeled myself as 'asexual'. I freaked out because I had never had the privilege of being in a relationship that's meant to be. That's already written for you!" Cas cried, covering his face in his hands.
"No, no, no! It is not written for you! Life just throws you a person who you're destined to be with! You take it from there."
"But that's the problem! I don't know what to do! I mean what if I don't even love him? Hmm? Or um, what if he falls in love with someone else even if their not his soulmate?!" Cas panicked.
"Cas! Calm down! That'll take time! I doubt he'll fall in love with someone else, besides, I don't think it's possible to have two soulmates-- OH MY GOD." Gabriel yelled suddenly.
"What?" Cas asked, looking up at him, his eyes like puppies.
"Hold on." Gabe grabbed the laptop and began typing again.
Castiel waited patiently and tried wiping away tears.
"Oh my crap." Gabriel sighed after a while. "This is ridiculous."
"What?" Cas asked curiously. "What did you find?"
"Well um...when Dean had told me he had seen color with you, he had mentioned not being able to see color since his ex broke up with him and I'm guessing he never saw her again...so I just thought it wasn't possible but turns out someone can have two soulmates." Gabriel explained. "So we've both got weird Winchesters, hm?"
Castiel groaned loudly and rolled off the couch and onto the floor, making loud crying noises.
Gabriel sighed and closed his computer.
"I'm sorry, little bro."
"I-- I just want to be left alone in a-- a tub...of ice cream."
"Me too."
Half an hour passed before Gabriel got up and went to bed.
Castiel lay on the floor for another fifteen minutes before getting up and looking out the window.
He looked out at the boring gray sun set across the horizon of houses and trees.
Cas remembered Dean latching onto his hand and running around random buildings before entering the diner.
He thought of how amazing Dean's eyes looked. A beautiful green-- like, well, he didn't really know how to describe it since he had never seen anything that green before. They just looked like some kind of jewel.
He thought about how Dean's lips felt against his. It was all shocking and quick. It was less than a moment but it felt like forever. It wasn't Castiel's first kiss but it felt amazing, as if it was his first.
Castiel closed his eyes and imagined Dean. Dean smiling and laughing. The scattering of freckles all over his face. Little angel kisses.
When Castiel opened his eyes he nearly screamed.
The neighborhood bloomed with color.
It took a moment to register but once he did, Cas tried to take everything in at once, the colors of the houses and trees.
The beautiful orange and reds and yellows of the sunset.
But as soon as he blinked, it was all gray again.
Castiel blinked rapidly a few times and sighed, walking away from the window and into his room.
He changed into his sleep attire and curled up in his bed.
Cas thought and came to the conclusion that if he wanted to see one color for the rest of his life, it would be green-- or whatever color Dean's eyes were.
Yeah, Cas would be okay if that's the only thing he saw for the rest of his life.
+++++
// Dean's POV
Dean walked along the quite empty streets of the city, a coffee in his hand. His scarf covering his mouth and he shivered against the winter wind, wrapping his coat further against himself.
It was around 7:00AM and he needed to open up the shop.
It was all quiet. Only a few cars were on the streets as well as people, hurrying in and out of stores, carrying giant boxes and bags-- seeing as Christmas was only four days away.
Dean smiled and adjusted the glasses on his nose.
He pulled out the keys from his pocket and opened the door to the shop, trying to hurry inside.
He set his coffee down, flipped over the 'CLOSED' sign so it read 'OPEN' and walked back outside where they had flowers at display.
He was dragging a small cart with him and began placing flower pots on it. It was way too cold to keep these outside for display-- he'd put them in the window instead.
Once he finished that, he walked back into the small flower shop at the corner of Odesa and Mabel and arranged some of the flowers at the window.
Benny still wasn't here and he doubted he'd have many customers this early and cold in the year.
Dean removed his coat and scarf and put it up on the rack.
He was wearing his flannel over his long sleeved faded green shirt. Dean pulled off the flannel, tossed it onto his chair and pulled on his dark green, dirt-covered apron.
((So much green))
Dean sighed and pulled off his glasses, rubbing his eye before putting them back on.
He hated being here so early.
And being here so early during the winter.
Like, who goes to flower shops in the winter?!
Sure, people still came and bought stuff but they're flowers were guaranteed death.
Dean had tired many times to convince Benny to let them have shorter work hours during the winter but Benny refused because, "One day, some random guy will walk in and need a bunch of flowers for his wife or girlfriend or something and what if we're closed?"
Yeah, right.
"Excuse me?"
Dean looked up and found himself staring at a very frantic teenager in a huge football jacket.
"Um, hi. How can I help you?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, hi. I'm um-- looking for some flowers." The boy said.
Dean scoffed and walked from behind the counter and stood next to him.
"Yeah, that's real specific."
"N-no! You don't understand! I um-- okay listen, there's this girl I like okay? And well she doesn't really want to be played with-- me being a jock and all and well I guess you could say she's the shy nerdy girl no one really talks to. And I'm pretty sure the football team would tease me about it nonstop but I don't care! I don't! I need to prove to her that we can be something and that I wont play with her like she thinks I will. Man come on, you gotta understand. She-- she's my soulmate." He explained, rapidly.
Dean raised an eyebrow and slowly nodded.
"Okay then. Um...do you know what her favorite flo-- "
"Roses. White Roses." He interrupted. "I really need to be somewhere."
"Okay um, follow me." Dean rolled his eyes and walked into the isles of flowers.
He stopped at the first ones where the roses were.
He looked at the variety of grey and whites and black colored roses.
He had no idea which one it was.
Well, it was guessing time.
Dean picked a bouquet of the lightest colored roses he found and walked back to the register.
"That's fifteen."
The boy pulled off the backpack he was wearing and frantically looked through it before pulling out a twenty.
Dean gladly took it and began looking for the kid's change when he just grabbed the flowers and ran.
"Hey! Your change!" Dean yelled, running after him.
"Keep it! You could use it to by your soulmate flowers or something!" The boy ran faster before he rounded a corner and disappeared.
Dean sighed and walked back inside.
"What was that about?" Benny asked, walking in and closing the door quickly, cowering away from the cold breeze.
"Young love, Benny." Dean smiled. "Young love."
+++++
It was around noon when the door opened, the little bells rang and Castiel ran inside, wearing nothing but an oversized Christmas sweater, jeans, red fingerless gloves and converse to protect him from the cold. His cheeks, nose, and tips of his ears were pink and his breath was visible.
"Cas?"
"H-hello, D-Dean." Cas smiled weakly, his arms wrapped around himself, trying to keep warm.
Dean smiled widely and ran up to him.
"Hey! I didn't think you'd come! Are you okay?!"
Castiel's teeth were chattering and he was sort of in this standing fetal position.
"Y-yes, I'm okay. Just a b-bit c-cold." Cas laughed.
Dean didn't really know what to do, Cas just all of a sudden seemed to be in some sort of danger and needed protecting and well, Dean sighed and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closely to his own body.
Castiel's eyes widened as his cheek was pressed against Dean's chest. Normally, his head would be around a bit below Dean's eye level but he was being held down weirdly and was stuck in this position...not that he was complaining or anything.
Having Dean's arms wrapped around him changed everything. First, the sudden burst of color, then the warm, safe feeling Cas was getting.
It felt as if Dean's embrace were a shield against anything that wanted to harm him. He felt protected.
Cas wanted nothing more than to live like this forever. He wanted more than to sink into this feeling and never leave.
Of course, like all other things, the feeling soon ended when Dean pulled away, his hands on Cas' arms. But he didn't want to end!
"Uh, Cas? You're kinda holding onto my shirt there." Dean said, smirking down at him.
Castiel's eyes widened and he quickly let go of Dean's shirt, mumbling his apologies.
"So what can I do for you today?" Dean asked. "Here to buy flowers or something?"
"I don't understand. I came here to see you, Dean." Cas said, his forehead wrinkling in confusion as he tilted his head to the side.
Dean tried his best not to blush at that comment and the adorable face Cas was making.
"Dean? What's wrong?" Cas asked, narrowing his eyes at him. "Your ears and cheeks are red but it's not that cold out here."
"W-what? No! I'm fine!" Dean tried to convince, waving his arms around.
"Perhaps you have a fever..." Cas mumbled and placed a hand on Dean's cheek.
"C-Cas! I'm fine! I just, I um-- "
"You're even cuter when blushing." Cas smirked.
Dean opened his mouth to say something but couldn't and just closed it before a fly flew in it or something. He felt his neck and whole face heat up even more. God dammit Castiel.
"You fuck face." Dean mumbled.
"I'm sorry? What was that, sweetie?" Cas asked, looking at Dean with these big innocent eyes.
Dean cursed under his breath and quickly walked back behind the counter, pretending to fix things.
"Anyways, I came here to talk to you." Cas smiled.
Dean continued with his pretending to do things and nodded.
"Obviously. What is it?"
"I'm leaving."
"What? You just got here Cas!" Dean laughed, looking through the cupboards behind him for more packs of seeds.
"No, Dean. I mean, I'm leaving the country."
Dean dropped the bags he was holding and turned back around to face Cas.
"W-what?"
"Dean...I'm here on my winter break. Visiting my brother. I've been here for about two weeks. I study abroad."
"What?!"
Castiel smiled sadly and looked down at the floor.
"Where are you going?"
"I study in London." He mumbled.
"London?! Wow." Dean scoffed, running his hands through his hair.
"It's not that bad, Dean! I walk by 221B Baker Street on my way to the University so it's got its perks." Cas shrugged.
"When do you leave?" Dean asked, facing him.
Castiel bit his bottom lip and exhaled deeply.
"A week..."
"A-- A week...right. Of course." Dean scoffed and began to pick up the bags he dropped.
"Dean...don't worry. I'll...I'll be back in the summer..." Cas smiled softly, walking up closer to the counter.
"The summer? What about spring? Don't you get a spring break?" Dean asked, facing him again.
Cas pursed his lips and shook his head.
"I um...listen, my family's complicated. I stay with Gabriel during the winter, and my other brother during the spring...in London. I only visit my parents for a bit in the summer and the fall is all mine.
"You don't have anywhere for yourself?" Dean asked.
"I...no. I don't really have money. I can't afford an apartment for myself, let alone a whole house!"
Dean covered his face with his hands and shook his head.
He could live with us! What no, shut up. Aww why not? We just met him...it'll be weird, besides, there's Sammy. Sam lives by himself, asshat. Oh yeah-- still no. Think of all the se-- NO.
"Well, then there's only one thing to do." Dean sighed.
"What?"
Dean looked at Cas dead in the eyes with such determination, even-- um-- well it was a lot of determination.
"In these next seven days you have left with me, I'll make sure you fall in love with me."
Castiel's eyes widened and a blush crept up from his neck up to his cheeks and tips of his ears.
"W-wha-- "
"I don't care what it takes. One way or another, I hope you fall in love with me."
"I-- I..." Cas couldn't find anything to say. His face was burning right off of him!
Then, Dean leaned over the counter, his lips at Cas' ear and whispered,
"You're even cuter when you blush."
Cas' eyes widened as Dean pulled back and winked at him.
Benny awkwardly cleared his throat as he stood at the doorway of his office.
"Oh hey, Benny!" Dean smiled widely and innocently.
Castiel blinked rapidly before pulling the sleeves of his jumper way over his hands and wrapped his arms around himself.
"I-- I should go. I gotta buy things for my brother's cat." He mumbled, walking towards the door.
"Gabriel has a cat?" Dean asked.
"No. My other brother-- in London."
"Oh...hold up!" Dean called and grabbed some things and ran after him.
"Dean, I really should go."
"I'll go with you."
"N-no! You have work...you can't leave him alone." Cas said, pointing at Benny.
Dean laughed and looked over at Benny.
"He'll be fine. Besides, not many people'll be buying flowers this time of year, and it's my lunch break anyway, so I might as well go with you." Dean shrugged.
"Oh...okay." Damn.
Cas reached for the door to push it open when Dean stopped him and turned him back around.
"Dean, what are you- "
"You need a bit more than that if you don't wanna catch a cold." Dean said and then he was putting this orange scarf with white puffs at the ends around Cas' neck. Next, he pulled out a matching orange beanie with the white puff on top and placed it on Cas' head.
Dean pulled on his own jacket, earmuffs, and mittens and fixed Cas' beanie.
"There we go." He smiled.
Cas looked down at the floor, blushing. He didn't dare look up at Dean, especially with all the color happening. He didn't want to see the gorgeous green eyes he was falling in love with.
"Thank you, Dean." He managed to mumble, slightly looking up and instantly regretting it.
Dean was looking at him with this loving, lopsided smile and ughhh Cas' legs became jelly. Dean's eyes seemed so soft and skdkcnsjcjd. Dreamy sigh.
Castiel quickly looked back down and bit his bottom lip.
"Shall we go?" Dean asked, opening the door, the burst of wind violently breaking in, causing a high-pitched scream to erupt from Benny's throat.
"Have fun! And close the damn door!" He yelled, hiding behind the counter.
Dean laughed and pulled Cas out of the store.
+++++
"So what are we looking for exactly?" Dean asked, picking up a rubber duck.
"Well first of all, we're looking for cat toys, not squeaky toys for dogs." Cas bitch faced.
"Riiight." Dean smiled and squeezed the duck once before tossing it back in its place and walking towards Cas who was looking at food bowls.
"I don't think those are toys." Dean smirked.
"Shut up."
They made their way to all the cat things and looked around.
They ended up buying a bunch of catnip and mouse toys and string toy things, and were headed back to the flower shop.
"Sorry, my break wasn't that long." Dean mumbled, outside the shop.
"I-It's o-okay, r-really!" Cas smiled, his hands stuffed deeply into the pockets of his jeans.
"Well, maybe I'll see you tonight?"
Castiel was practically running in place from all the cold.
"Yeah! That'd be great!"
Dean smiled widely and nodded.
"Great! Well, I gotta go! See ya, Cas." And then he proceeded to kiss Castiel's cheek before walking inside.
Castiel stopped moving and stood there with wide eyes.
Holy fuck, Dean just kissed my cheek. Okay, calm down! You guys have like already kissed! On the mouth! Why am I so worked up about this?! Maybe because the world as you know it is colorful?
Castiel blinked back into reality and witnessed the beautiful color or a woman's bright red lips and pink cheeks and she rushed by, her white hat, flopping in the wind.
He bright lime green jacket worn by a young boy running alongside his mother with a long navy blue coat.
The beautiful, white snowflakes falling from the sky and onto the earth.
Castiel smiled widely and made his way back to the pet store, to return the items he had bought.
Truth was, his brother didn't own a cat. He just got flustered and said that from all the commotion.
What a smart idea, Cas! You are brilliant!
Still, he was excited to see what Dean had in store for him for the rest of the week.
He was sure he was developing feelings for Dean...but he just needed a bit more. He didn't really know Dean so there was that. And a bunch of other things. Sigh, it's gonna be a long week.
*Hello hello! I hope you guys enjoyed this! I just wrote this a while ago and just finished it up.
Can you guys believe this fic hasn't been updated since March?! Like whoa.
Anyways, yeah, this story does take place in the winter and Cas is in college, if you've forgotten. He is currently on winter break and will be going back to London in a week! So yeah.
What do you guys think Dean should do to win Cas over in only seven days? Do you think he can?? Dun dun duuun!
Okay, that's all CX
ALSO, A HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR BABY MISHA COLLINS! *wipes tear* he's growing up guys, oh god, dONT LOOK AT ME!
*EMOtioNaL SobBInG*
ComeAlongHolmes_ *