Standing Together

Chapter 30

A/N I started a new fanfic and I'll probably give up on it soon and never publish it but if I don't update this a lot, I'm probably writing that one

Castiel knocks on Ruth's front door the next morning, just to make sure nobody's home before he steps inside. Her house is small, shockingly similar to Dean's, though he should have expected that, knowing she lives next door.

He's greeted almost instantly by a small calico cat. Well, it wasn't that hard to find her, was it? He crouches down on the floor, holding a hand out to her. Maybe he can make a new friend while he's here.

Princess slowly walks over to him and sniffs his hand; her cold, wet nose gliding across his fingers. She presses her head against his hand, almost petting herself. Castiel chuckles and scratches her head gently, a small smile on his face as he listens to her purr.

"Alrighty, come on," Castiel says quietly, pushing himself to his feet. He walks to the kitchen slowly, the cat right on his heels — almost close enough for him to step on her, which is hard to avoid.

There's a note on the kitchen counter — which is conveniently right where Dean's kitchen is located — with instructions, but as soon as he steps up to the counter, Princess jumps up, about to sit down on the paper, and Castiel has to rip it away before she can.

"Thank you for taking care of Princess!" the note begins, written in neat, loopy handwriting. "There should be a stack of paper bowls and a few cans of wet food on the counter. Just give her one can of food (any flavor) twice a day, and refill her water bowl once a day. She shouldn't run out of dry food, but if she does, there's some on the counter, too. You're welcome to give her some treats if you want to make friends with her! She's allowed to go outside, but the garage is her only way in and out if you don't open the front door for her. We do know that it's still open, but it's just a crack, so Princess can get in and out."

At the bottom, there are a couple phone numbers — Ruth's, her husband Rob's, Princess' veterinarian, and a friend living a few towns over in case of an emergency if the couple can't come home in time. Castiel puts the note back down on the counter and turns his attention to the cat.

"Well, fancy seeing you here," Castiel says.

Princess walks over and rubs her head against his chest.

"Aw, I love you," Castiel tells her, as if she'd understand a word he's saying. "Now, let's get you some food." He picks up a paper bowl and a can of wet food, but he has to hold it up above his head to keep it away from the cat, who tries to eat it before it's even open. He dumps the food in the bowl and swaps it out for the old bowl on the counter, which he throws in the trash.

Princess ignores him after that — too excited about her food, it would seem. Castiel waits for a moment to see if she'll come back, but when she doesn't, Castiel just shrugs and turns to leave. He barely makes it to the front door before Princess is by his side again, rubbing against his legs in what seems to be an attempt to stop him from leaving.

Castiel sits down on the floor, and Princess hops in his lap. She curls up between his legs, which is not an invitation for a sex joke, but someone will probably make one, anyway. Castiel gently runs a hand down her head, over and over and over. She doesn't move, and the only way he knows she's even still alive is her soft purring.

"Great, now I can't leave," Castiel mutters, not that he minds too much. He's not a big cat fan, but he kind of loves this one, even if they've only just met.

He takes out his phone, recording a quick video to send to Lucifer. You can barely tell it's a cat with the shitty phone quality and how tightly curled up she is, but he'd appreciate her anyway. He'd appreciate any animal, really.