Standing Together

Chapter 140

Dean rips the bandage off his new tattoo with a quiet groan. "Voilà."

"Beautiful," Castiel says. "I too wish I had a pentagram tattooed on my chest."

"Of course you do," Dean says, ignoring his sarcasm. "It's a fantastic pentagram."

Castiel shakes his head, amused. "Well, I'm glad you're happy, at least."

"16-year-old me would be thrilled," Dean replies.

"Does it hurt?"

Dean shakes his head. "It feels fine, honestly. I would've forgotten it was there if there wasn't a giant bandage over it."

"At some point this week you're gonna look down and see it there and you're gonna freak out because you forgot you got it."

Dean shrugs. "Well, that does sound like my level of dumbassery."

Dean grabs his shirt and pulls it back on, and Castiel debates jokingly complaining but decides against it. He has other plans that don't involve looking at a shirtless Dean, as sad as this is.

"Wanna go to Lucifer's?" Castiel asks.

"Always."

~~

Claire opens the door for them, with Alex by her side. Alex hides behind her mom's leg, but watches the two boys with apparent interest.

"Hi!" Castiel says, waving at the child.

Alex smiles slightly.

"Oh, hi, Cas, nice to see you, too," Claire says sarcastically.

"Sorry," Castiel mumbles. "It's child."

"Well, come in," Claire says, stepping out of the way. Alex quickly follows to get behind her again.

"Where's Lucifer?" Castiel asks, because as much as he loves Claire and Alex, he really only came to see his brother.

"In our room," Claire says. "He's working on something or other. I'm sure he wouldn't care if you interrupted him."

"I'm gonna do that, then," Castiel says awkwardly, walking away.

"I'm gonna follow you," Dean adds.

"No," Castiel says quickly, then amends, "I mean, you can't just leave Claire and Alex hanging. I'm just gonna pop in for a second."

Dean raises an eyebrow. "Because that's not suspicious at all."

"Let me be suspicious in peace," Castiel whines before taking off down the hall.

Castiel knocks on the door to Lucifer's room, but there's no response. He opens the door slowly, peeking in to see Lucifer at his computer. He has his head in his fist, practically unmoving except for hand on his mouse. He looks exhausted.

"Lucifer?" Castiel says cautiously.

Lucifer spins around in his chair, instantly perking up. "Oh my god, it's Cassie!"

Castiel chuckles. "Yeah, it be me." He eyes the computer screen. "What are you working on?"

"The 'See You Then' music video," Lucifer says. "The party scene's done, if you wanna see that now, or you can wait 'til the rest is done and watch it all."

"Can I watch?" Castiel asks.

"Yee, c'mere."

Castiel walks over to his computer desk, and Lucifer full-screens the video and plays it.

The screen is dark as the instrumental plays, slowly fading in to show Misha pushing his way through the crowd, his glass high in the air as the lyrics start. Hester catches his arm and pulls him away, and Misha glances around uncomfortably as she flirts with him.