Honey Apple Pie

Chapter Six

It was quiet the next day, and Sam and Dean didn't turn up, but the day after, at around lunchtime, both of them entered the shop looking like completely different people. Sam in a sharp suit with his hair brushed back, and Dean absolutely covered in grime and oil.

'You got the jobs!' Cas smiled.

'Sure did,' said Sam, with Dean nodding behind him.

'You are not coming in my kitchen looking like that,' Cas said to Dean, pointing at the black oil covering his arms up to the elbow.

Dean held up his hands defensively, grinning.

'Where's Alfie?' Sam asked.

'Oh, he's just sick today. He'll be fine.'

'Oh, well...' Sam glanced at the coffee machine.

Cas rolled his eyes. 'Why don't you just come back here and get one?'

'Thanks, Cas,' Sam said, coming around the counter.

Cas moved along the counter out of his way, and stood opposite Dean. He felt his heart begin to pump faster. 'Dean, I wanted to show you something,' he said.

Dean watched him as he, slowly and hesitantly began to sign.

{Hello, D-e-a-n. How are you?}

Dean gaped at him, completely flabbergasted.

'What? Did I do it wrong?' Cas asked anxiously.

Dean shook his head hurriedly and signed back, slowly so Cas could keep up. {Hello, C-a-s. I am good. How are you?}

{I am okay, thank you.} Cas smiled widely. 'I'm not very good at it yet, but I can practice more.'

Dean didn't respond, and Sam came back around the counter with two cups of coffee.

'Jeez, what did you do to him?' Sam asked, handing Dean his coffee.

'Uh...'

Dean made a face and elbowed Sam.

'Hey, watch the suit!' said Sam.

Dean shook his head, and signed impatiently at him.

'All right, I'm doing it. Cas, can we please have a couple of slices of pie?'

'Sure. It's blueberry today, is that all right?'

'Yeah, that's fine. Sorry to rush you, but we gotta get back to work.'

'No, it's fine.' Cas cut them a slice each of the pie and wrapped it for them.

Sam hurried out of the door once he had paid, but Dean stopped by the exit.

{Thank you.}

Cas smiled. {No problem.}

Dean left, the bell tinkling as he did so, then Cas took a deep breath to steady his nerves.

He bumped into them again later that night, when he was shopping for new ingredients.

He was staring at a shelf of fruit, his brain stalling on any sort of decision, with a peach in one hand, when Sam's voice caught his attention. He looked in the direction it was coming from, but thought his ears must be playing tricks on him when there was no one there. But then Sam came around the corner with Dean, arguing with him about something.

'No, Dean, we can't just live on hot pockets and taquitos forever. We have to have real food eventually. Try eating a broccoli or something.'

Dean began signing furiously, but then Sam noticed Cas out of the corner of his eye.