5- Behind the mask

It had been a few weeks since Chuck had decided to divorce Rachel and, truth be told, everyone could feel this time, he wouldn't back down at any moment. He couldn't really back down anymore. His sons had already began to help him gather other things from home, mostly because Rachel had threatened to throw everything away to get to see her own sons too a bit. None of them were too thrilled by that idea, but they had it coming.
Castiel had spent most of his free day by his dad's new place, that happened to be one of Balthazar's old apartments. While tidying out some boxes a bit, he had stumbled on one of Chuck's old, very old trench coats, that might have gone to the trash if he hadn't tried it on and loved it right away. That's with this coat on that he came back home, since the weather was getting a bit chilly outside. "I'm home," he called, while getting his shoes off.

"Hey, welcome back!" Dean yelled from the kitchen, finally done with washing the dishes. He didn't immediately walk to Castiel, since he was drying up his hands first. "How's your dad doing?"

By the other side of the city, an investigation had begun.
Crowley had started to snoop around, ask uncomfortable questions, and look into family trees. He had managed to find out that Zachariah's parents were basically... non-existing. The same could be said for Chuck's family, really - and he had been able to test his theory by meeting up 'casually' with both Hanakael's father and Lucien, his long-term client. Neither of their soul was real. He had lost interest in Zachariah, however, and now was trying to get to Chuck. Because Lucien's fake soul was probably the scariest thing he'd ever felt. He was currently in his office, in the late evening, busy calling one of his minions to hear if they had managed to get close to their new objective.

"Way better now," Castiel replied, while he dropped his bag in the living room. He walked all the way to the kitchen. "He's still got some unboxing to do, but he should feel at home in a week or two. Even Lucien is sort of helping, in his own way."

His phone call might stop abruptly, and the lights around his room would flicker a bit before Bobby appeared in the seat in front of him, brows furrowed in a slight frown. "Crowley. I should have figured you would have been a nosy cockroach one day or another."

"Lucien helping? Wow, that's new", Dean laughed, finally turning around to greet his boyfriend. His smile froze right in the moment he saw how he was dressed. That beige, worn out trench coat - for a second, he didn't see his cute boyfriend. What he saw instead was an older, more tired version of Castiel, standing awkwardly in an unknown house, looking at him in a stern, yet fond way. Foggy memories invaded his brain, memories he did not know how to embrance. Or whether to embrace them or not. He didn't even notice he was standing still like a statue.

Crowley - no joke - got startled when Bobby appeared in his office like that. He soon enough pulled out one of his usual, unctuous smile. "Mister Singer. Always glad to see someone high up on the stairs. How's the weather up there?" Again, no lie. He was far less at ease than he showed.

"I almost didn't believe it myself." Castiel... Did look a bit tired on that evening, which maybe made him look more like his previous self. But he did look fondly at Dean, and closed the distance between them for a soft kiss, like they usually did. He hadn't noticed yet how shaken his boyfriend was to see him in that trench coat.

"Stormy. I'm in a foul mood," Bobby replied with sarcasm. "Why are you that interested in the Christensen and the Davis families?" Better get straight to the point. He'd rather not reveal sensitive intel on his own if Crowley was still in the "genuinely curious" phase.

Dean stopped breathing altogether when Castiel - it was still his own Castiel, right? - kissed his lips. The foggy whirlwind of memories and gut-wrenching feelings settled to one in particular - one he couldn't really place. He was on his knees, Castiel was looking at him - but the light was leaving his eyes, and when he looked at his hands, there was blood. So much blood, on that stupid old trench coat. That other Castiel smiled weakly at him, and said something (but what), and then he grabbed him, and kissed him, and then he was not moving anymore - He didn't even noticed he was on the verge of tears now.

"Ah. So my little intel operation has reached your almighty ears", Crowley said merrily, leaning into his chair. "I'm honoured. As for the reason..." He threw him a smirk. "... let's say one of my business transactions has not gone... well. So I got suspicious. Started snooping."

When Castiel pulled back, he finally noticed Dean's state. His brows furrowed slightly with worry, and he gently cupped his boyfriend's cheek. "Dean ?" His voice was a bit low and raspy. A bit like before. "Did something happen today?"

"You might want to stop the snooping now if you care about whatever fog's left of you," Bobby grunted. "Which idiot tried to sell their soul to you? Please don't say Rachel Davis," he added quickly. He surely hoped she hadn't gone to sell her soul to Crowley to make Chuck's life miserable or something.

Dean managed to get a grip of himself. He had no idea how, but he did. He hugged Castiel without a word, hiding his face against his shoulder so that nobody could see how moved he was. "You wouldn't understand if you never saw Casablanca", he answered, still trying to joke. "Dressed like that, it feels like you have to go away on an airplane and never come back!"

"Rachel Davis? Miss Repressed Christian 2018? Please", Crowley huffed. "I wouldn't touch that woman if she begged. No, it was my... intern. Hanakael Davis", he answered, hesitantly. "I was going to make it a very, um. Particular contract. But at the moment of sealing it, I felt his soul was... lacking. Cold, artificial." He squinted. "Is it your doing?"

Castiel ran a hand through Dean's hair. "Do you want me to take the coat off?" He still felt quite concerned by his boyfriend's reaction. Had he sort of made Dean recall a painful moment of his human life?

Bobby had stiffened a bit at the mention of Hanakael. "Maybe," he answered hesitantly. "Why would Hanakael want to sell his soul for, to you of all people?" He was clearly being really, really careful with his answer. As if he had a vague clue about what was going on.

Dean waited a second - he had to get back to a somewhat normal state of mind - before finally looking to Castiel. He smirked, and raised both his eyebrows. "I'd much rather you to get off everything. You know that."

Crowley scowled and looked away, for a brief second. "Well. Maybe he thinks I'm pretty", he quipped, irritatingly. "He knows what I am, don't get your beard in a notch. We agreed it would have benefitted our... relationship, if he could just, you know. Not die." He looked back at Bobby again. "Maybe is not an answer, Robert."

Castiel rolled his eyes, but held back a smile. "Aren't you preparing dinner? I wouldn't want to waste it." He took off his trench coat and went to hung it in the entrance, so Dean wouldn't have to look at it. "What are you cooking, by the way?"

Bobby remained silent for a little while, then sighed, and ran a hand on his face. "You fell for each other. Really. As in... he doesn't mind you being a demon, and you wouldn't mind him being... a fraud. If he happened to be one." He was still careful with his words, but he could sort of see through Crowley. If he had feeling for the boy, then... maybe he could let out a bit of the truth. In exchange for him protecting that poor Hanakael.

Dean put on his best pout - actually glad that the trenchcoat was now well out of his sight. "I will have you know that dinner is already on the table", he pointed out, putting the last dishes away. "It's pasta tonight. I made your favourite sauce!" He was awfully proud of himself.

Crowley seemed to get irritated as Bobby pointed that out. "I don't see how that's your business", he snapped. "It's already unnatural how I actually care about him - I don't need you to act weird about it." He straightened his jacket in a nervous gesture. "And yes. We have our differences, but we don't care."

Castiel let out an actual smile. "I see that! thank you, Dean." He walked to his boyfriend and pecked his lips again, before he sat down at the table. "How was your day?"

Bobby hesitated for another while, but then took a deep breath. And settled down in his chair, while crossing his arms. "You wouldn't recall it, you've never met him before. But Hanakael used to be an angel." He paused for a bit, to let that idea alone sink in. "A fallen guardian angel, bound to guard the doors to Heaven for eternity."

Dean pecked Castiel back with a smile, and sat down at his place. To start eating right away, of course! "A bit boring", he confessed with a shrug. "After I finished working my turn I wasn't really feeling like walking around, so I came home earlier. Sat down, made dinner. Washed dishes." He smiled a dorkish smile. "Yours? Did you miss me?", he asked cheekily.

Crowley listened in silence, his expression neutral. After the silence had stretched long enough to get uncomfortable, he spoke again. "So that's why he has no soul, then. I see." He paused. "I guess he knows nothing of it. Why has he been punished in mortal form?" Because that had to be a punishment, right?

"I did," Cas replied candidly. "But it wouldn't be fair for my father if I brought you along everytime I visit him." He was smiling, though. He knew Dean was flirting with him. That idea alone pleased him to no end everytime.

"He knows nothing of it because that's the one condition under which he was allowed to be reborn as a human." Bobby looked at Crowley intensely. "Being human ain't a burden to everyone, Fergus."

Oh, yeah. Dean was definitely flirting. He hid his smirk behind his glass of beer, sipping it distractedly. "Yeah, I guess it's true. On the other side, I have you all to myself quite a lot of time, so. Maybe I shouldn't complain." He kept eating, before adding, "Or maybe I should, since you don't get naked nearly as often as I'd like." He grinned, waggling his eyebrows in a silly way.

Crowley made a displeased sound, as he heard Bobby say his former name. "Allow me to disagree", he answered coldly. "But I am guessing this... favour wasn't extended only to Hana, hm?"

Castiel held back a smile. "Dean," he said, trying hard to sound like he was scolding him. He couldn't hide the fact that he liked whenever Dean made him feel he loved it just as much, if not more than at the beginning of their relationship.

"No. But that's the maximum answers I'm allowing to you. Because if you keep probing at the hidden graces, you might awaken a few of them, by triggering the return to their memories. Best case scenario, you awaken the wrong one and get yourself killed. I honestly wouldn't mind." He offered Crowley a short, cold smile. "But worst case scenario... this plane ceases to exist, and so might your little flirt."

"Yes?", Dean answered playfully, cleaning up the already emptied dish. He grabbed his beer, drinking slowly from the glass as he held Castiel's gaze, a mischevious light in his eyes. Yes, he was in an amorous mood that night. Maybe getting that much emotionally upset had helped in fact!

"Wash your mouth, Robert", Crowley hissed, clearly unhappy about how the other man had defined his relationship. "If this was nothing but a little flirt, he would have already found himself kicked out of my office." He eyed him distastefully for a second. "But, fine. Thus saith the Lord", he said mockigly. "My demons will stop their surveillance job."

Castiel observed Dean with a glint of amusement in his eyes for a while, before he shook his head, and emptied his plate. "I was wondering," he started after a while. "Will you ever want me to make love to you?"

Bobby sighed. "Good." He stood up, and was about to leave, but then pondered over something for a moment. "Take care of that boy. Life wasn't easy on him the first time around."

Dean chocked on his beer at that one question. He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a blush creep up his cheeks. "Well, I. Um. I would have nothing against it?", he answered finally, a bit unsure. He was quite... convinced he would have been severly upset about it, back when he was human. Now, though? Not so much.

Crowley huffed. "Because it was much easier this time around, wasn't it", he answered bitterly. "Look better, next time you give your angels human lives. His father is a utter piece of shit."

Castiel remained thoughtful. "I know you want to make love to me tonight, but- maybe we could switch the roles around for next time?" He looked up to Dean. "I really want to make love to you too."

Bobby held back a breathless, joyless chuckle. "First of all, I'm not the one who allowed it. Second- I can't deny Zachariah is piece of shit. But he's also Hanakael's father. And has always been." He held Crowley's gaze. He hadn't completely said the truth when he had told him Hanakael was an angel. He did have a grace rather than a soul, though.

Dean swallowed, holding Castiel's gaze. "Yeah. We can definitely do that", he muttered, licking his lips. He was now busy wondering if Castiel would have seduced him into it, or be blunt and just tell him 'I'm topping tonight' while in the heat of the moment.

Crowley squinted at Bobby, suspiciously. "A nephilim", he observed simply. "Well. I suppose then, if you weren't the one allowing this, I am at freedom to keep Hana away from Zachariah at least in this life."

Castiel stood up at some point, and gathered the plates. "Do you want me to wash the dishes tomorrow morning, or... can you wait another twenty minutes ?" His tone was somewhat playful, though. He knew Dean wasn't an animal, but he was always so eager about sex that it was sort of a joke between them.

"Please do," Bobby replied instantly, before he raised a finger. "Don't try to get Zachariah dead either. I don't want that bastard to get his wings back before at least another 30 years."

Dean rolled his eyes, getting up from his chair. "I can wait just fine", he answered pointedly. "Maybe I can wait until tomorrow, if you want to do something else, you know?" He was just provoking him now, of course!

"So he'll get them back", Crowley answered, sounding disgusted. "Well, I'll make sure he dies old and stupid, then."

Castiel pressed his lips together, and turned around to face Dean. "... This isn't fair, Dean. You've hinted so much at it I would feel terrible to have to wait until tomorrow for it."

Bobby held back a smirk. "Good. Now... don't forget to keep your curiosity to yourself, Crowley." He snapped his fingers and disappeared from the room, as if he had never been there in the first place.