Honey Apple Pie

Chapter Sixteen

Dean avoided entering the bakery for the next few weeks, but whenever Cas saw him in other places, he felt a sharp jolt in his chest and he would hold his breath until Dean was gone.

Similarly, whenever Dean saw Cas, he would scowl and look away. A few times Cas thought he saw a hint of guilt on Dean's face, but he realised it was just wishful thinking.

The days passed and eventually Cas's hurt curdled into a boiling anger, with his frustration at his new register as the catalyst.

Logically, he knew that it should be easy enough, but he was too easily confused by the touch screen and all the functions he wasn't used to. Alfie attempted to help, but in Cas's current state of mind, he wasn't able to take in what Alfie was saying to him.

Even Charlie tried to ask him what was going on, but after telling her he didn't want to talk about it, he switched off his phone and hid it underneath the register. Alfie saw him do it, but said nothing.

Cas threw himself into his baking and did almost nothing else, though he was a little too forceful with his utensils and broke several of them, which only served to anger him further. He only went home to make sure Gracie was fed and watered, and slept in the back room of the bakery. It was an all too familiar feeling being in the back room again, and he tried his best to ignore it. He couldn't face sleeping in his own bed, or even the spare, so he convinced himself that it would be easier staying in the bakery.

Sam too noticed the sudden change in both Cas and Dean's demenours, and went to both of them trying to figure it out, but neither would say anything. He would drop by the bakery on some afternoons and pick up food for him and Dean. Sometimes Dean waited outside, and it was on one of these afternoons that Cas snapped.

He was already irritated by the register. He hadn't been able to make it work properly all afternoon, so by the time Sam came in, he had given up and was attempting to decorate some cupcakes, but most of the frosting was just coming out in blobs rather than the neat pattern he normally liked.

'Hello, Sam,' he said when Sam came in, without looking up from his cupcakes.

'Hey, Cas. Is it cool if I grab some coffee?'

Cas shrugged, which Sam took as a yes.

'Are you okay?' Sam asked, waiting for the machine to fill his cup.

Cas shrugged again but didn't say anything.

Sam sighed and went back around the counter with his coffee.

Both of them jumped when a horn blasted outside and Cas gritted his teeth.

'Ah, yeah, Dean's waiting outside,' Sam said sheepishly.

'I see,' said Cas.

'Okay, so I'm after a few of these muffins.'

Cas nodded and started bagging up some blueberry muffins, the horn outside blasting again as he did so.

'All right, and some cookies, as always,' Sam said, attempting to keep his tone light. 'And I think Dean will have-'

The horn blasted again, and Cas dropped the cookies.

Sam watched him apprehensively.

'Tell Dean,' he said in a low growl, 'that if he wants something, he can come in here and get it himself.'

'That's it,' Sam said, dumping his muffins on the counter. 'I've had enough of this.' He left the bakery, and came back a moment later with Dean in tow.

Cas's stomach lurched horribly at the sight of him.

{What is your problem?} Dean asked him, signing angrily.