Day 7: Fine Wine
“You aged like fine wine.”
Castiel chokes on his drink. He slowly turns on his barstool to see a stranger swaying slightly in place. A light sheen of grease – or cheap gel – reflects off his hair in the lights behind the bar, and twin lilac bags sag underneath each eye.
“Pardon?” Castiel says. He discreetly sniffs, but the man must have showered more recently than his appearance suggests. Either that, or he simply drank enough so the scent of alcohol masks the smell of body odor.
“You’re Cas – Castiel,” the man says as he braces himself on the bar and laboriously climbs on the stool next to Castiel. He adds, almost accusatory. “Dr. James Novak of Seattle Mercy Hospital.”
Castiel’s jaw drops.
He hasn’t gone by Dr. Novak in close to fifteen years. He was twenty-two when he got his first role on a longstanding medical soap opera (an impossible age for a doctor of his character’s reported caliber, but Castiel was assured this was normal at SMH).
When Dr. Novak was killed off for the sixth and final time, Castiel went on to play a few bit parts in CSI and Law & Order spin offs. He reached the pinnacle of his acting career a few years ago with his starring role in Hell Hazers II and a seven-line part in a Marvel movie. Afterwards, the acting jobs seemed to dry up, or maybe Castiel was tired of the constant sisyphean cycle of auditions chewed him up and spit him out a little worse than before.
Currently, he teaches high school drama in a local private school. While it doesn’t fill him creatively, he can’t say the same for his bank account.
“I, yes, I was,” Castiel fumbles. He hasn’t gotten recognized since his Dr. Sexy, MD days, and, even then, it didn’t happen frequently.
The man beams, and the smile transforms his face. He looks almost handsome. “Knew it,” he says. “’M Dean.”
“You already know my name,” Castiel replies, unsure of how to proceed. He’d come to the bar for a quiet celebratory drink – he’d finally finished all his college recommendation letters in time for early decision deadlines. On the other hand, Dean wasn’t technically bothering him as Castiel didn’t have many plans to bother.
“Yeah,” Dean agrees with a long sigh. “Figures I’d run into you today.”
Castiel has no idea what that means.
Dean points a shaking finger in Castiel’s face. “You’re the reason I became a doctor.”
Castiel’s mouth falls open. After a beat, he forces out, “You’re not serious.”
“As a heart attack.” Dean chuckles, the sound grim and humorless.
“I – I’m sorry?” Castiel tries, feeling entirely off balance with the abrupt turn of their conversation.
“Don’t be,” Dean says bitterly. “Not your fault I killed a patient today.”
Castiel shoves his horror down. With a determinedly neutral expression, he says, “I’m sure it’s not your fault,” because he didn’t act in 147 episodes of a medical soap opera for nothing.
Dean shakes his head, tapping the bar to get the bartender’s attention. “A double of Jack for me, and one more of whatever my friend here is drinking.”
As the bartender moves back down the bar to prepare Dean’s order, Castiel frowns. “Are you sure you should be having another?”
Dean scowls. “’M not on call for another 48 hours.”
Castiel gives him a deliberate once-over. “I was referring to your current state of drunkenness.”
Dean waves his concern away. “’M fine.”
“You don’t seem fine.”
Dean exhales an explosive sigh. “You fuck up a aortic dissection repair on a twelve-year-old who just wanted to perform in her school dance recital next month, and tell me you’re all hunky dory after.”
He’s a surgeon. A pediatric cardiac surgeon.
Castiel inspired a pediatric surgeon?
He leans in, his heart twinging in sympathy for both Dean and his late patient. “I’m sure there were complications.”
Dean mutters, “High blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.”
Castiel lays a hand on Dean’s arm. “I may not be a real doctor, but I spoke often enough with our medical experts to know those aren’t inconsequential conditions when it comes to your specialty.”
Dean harrumphs and greedily grabs the drink the bartender sets down before the pair of them. He takes a long pull of his whiskey. “But enough about me. How come you quit acting?”
Castiel shrugs. “It’s a hard life,” he says vaguely, continuing as Dean makes a go on gesture with his free hand. “I was tired of not landing parts and struggling to make my rent each month. I gave it until I turned thirty, and, well, you can guess what happened next.”
Dean snorts into his glass. “At thirty, I wasn’t even done with my residency.” He casts Castiel a surprisingly shrewd look for how much he’s had to drink. “I think you gave up too early. You were doing good stuff.”
Castiel’s biggest sore spot throbs painfully. “Forgive me for tiring of living off PB&Js and inhabiting a technically illegal bedroom according to the housing code of Los Angeles.”
But Dean just huffs a dry laugh. “You haven’t suffered until you try to convince your way too smart younger brother that fluff marshmallow mix and macaroni is exotic and not a move of pure desperation.”
Castiel chokes on his next sip. “That sounds horrendous,” he says, his temper softening.
“Yeah, well, it was food, so,” Dean shrugs, “he ate it eventually. There weren’t that many options while snowed in at the Royale Motel in Scranton.” He tips back the rest of his drink. “We moved around a lot, growing up,” he says, spinning the empty glass between his fingers. “Sometimes the only things I could rely on were the daytime soaps.”
Castiel’s heart breaks. “I would have thought you would have become an actor, in that case.”
Dean laughs. “My old man said actors made shit money, so I picked something else.”
Castiel can’t help rolling his eyes, chuckling lightly under his breath. “Your father was right.”
“Guess so,” Dean says thoughtfully. “D’you miss it?”
Castiel nods. “Every day.”
Dean leans in and lays his hand over Castiel’s. He throws a significant glance at their empty glasses. “Whaddya say we get out of here?” he asks in a suggestive voice.
Castiel blinks. “I – I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Dean pulls back at once, but not before Castiel catches the hurt on his face.
“You’re drunk,” Castiel says gently. “I wouldn’t want to take advantage.”
Dean grunts but gets to his feet without arguing. “’S fine,” he mutters. “Had to shoot my shot, right?”
“Of course,” Castiel says, not exactly sure what he’s agreeing to, but it’s evidently the right thing to say since Dean just nods and starts to walk away, reaching into his jacket. But, to Castiel’s alarm, he pulls out a set of car keys instead of his phone to call a taxi.
Castiel hurries after him. “Dean!” he calls.
Outside the bar, Dean turns around, a smirk playing across his lips. “Change your mind, big guy?”
“What? No,” Castiel says as Dean tenses. “But you can’t drive,” he says helplessly.
Dean scowls. “I’m not that drunk.”
“I’m pretty sure you are.”
Dean rolls his eyes so hard Castiel is surprised they don’t pop out of his skull. “Out of the two of us, only one has a real medical license.”
Castiel crosses his arms over chest. “If you won’t call a cab, come to my apartment. It’s just down the street.”
Dean step forward, and Castiel lets out a silent sigh of relief. “Your apartment?” he repeats.
“So you can sober up,” Castiel says resolutely.
Dean shoves his hands in his pockets. “Lead the way, Dr. Novak.”
* * *
Castiel wakes up with a crick in his neck and a shooting pain in his lower back. He never made it to bed after talking with Dean for hours on his sofa in his living room.
A muttered swear comes from behind him, and Castiel cranes his head around to see Dean, still wearing his clothes from last night, bent over Castiel’s finicky coffee machine.
“You have to flip the switch on the side,” he tells Dean as he gets to his feet.
“Mornin’,” Dean says with a grin. “Thanks for letting me stay over.”
“Thanks for not throwing up on my couch and trying to make me coffee.” Castiel slides around Dean to open the cabinet with his mugs. He pulls out his favorite sky blue cup.
“C’mon, I wasn’t that bad.”
After some rooting around, Castiel finds the novelty Dr. Sexy, MD mug he received in a gift basket on his last day of filming.
Dean laughs out loud as he takes it from Castiel. “It’s even got his cowboy boots!” he exclaims as he inspects it from every angle.
Castiel nods, turning so Dean can’t see his smile. “You’re welcome to take it,” he says. “I have far more mugs than I need for one person.”
“Aw man, don’t tell me that,” Dean groans, “or else I’ll actually do it.”
“Take it,” Castiel says firmly as he pours coffee into Dean’s new mug.
Dean cradles to his chest, breathing in deeply. He inhales half of it in one go, to Castiel’s concern. “Christ, that’s the stuff.” He meets Castiel’s astounded gaze with a little grin. He polishes off his cup in the same time it takes Castiel to add enough sugar and cream to his satisfaction. “Coffee is practically a pro sport for surgeons; you have no idea. But I’ll get out of your hair after this,” Dean says, an apologetic note to his words, “but do you mind if I leave my number before I head out?”
Castiel gapes at him before he realizes Dean doesn’t see his answer as so obvious it goes without saying. “Yes, of course,” he says in a rush, half a beat too late.
Dean grins. “Awesome. You were always on my celebrity hall pass list.” At Castiel’s furrowed look of confusion, Dean’s smile broadens. “You know, that list of longshots that’ll never happen so you might as well give your girlfriend the OK to sleep with Idris Elba or Hugh Jackman or Chris Hemsworth.”
Castiel watched enough Marvel movies to prepare for his own role to know what all those actors look like. “I’m nothing like those men,” he splutters.
“Well, yeah, everyone has a weird one – my last boyfriend would’ve fucked Scar from the Lion King if given half the chance.”
“A flattering comparison,” Castiel deadpans as Dean chuckles.
Once Dean washes out his mug (he insists on it), grabs his jacket, and inputs his phone number in Castiel’s cell, there’s no reason for him to linger.
Castiel awkwardly trades goodbyes on his threshold before he shuts the door behind Dean.
He thinks about calling for the rest of the day. Dean is his first thought on Saturday morning too, but he concludes it’s too soon.
He debates reaching out on Sunday, but 48 hours have passed since their first meeting, so Dean’s probably in surgery. It’s clearly a bad time to make contact.
By Monday, Castiel talks himself out of it altogether. Dean is a pediatric surgeon at one of the most prestigious hospital systems in the county (Castiel looked him up on the off chance Dean wasn’t being truthful, but his degrees are published on the hospital website for all to see.)
Dean saves lives every day.
Castiel is a washed up actor who peaked a decade ago. The closest he got to saving a life was convincing Siobhan that getting bangs a week before school picture day would not be in her best interest.
But Castiel won’t let his strange run in with Dean mean nothing. In a fit of productivity one weekend, exactly one month after Dean stayed the night at his apartment, he stops by the local theater and marks down the day of their next auditions.
In January, he tries out for a small play written by a local playwright, and wins a part. Not the lead, but a good, meaty character part.
He mostly forgets about Dean in between classes and his own rehearsals – until the director hands out their complimentary tickets. None of Castiel’s family live in the area, and his friend, Meg, is out of town that week.
As Castiel wracks his brains for someone to invite, he can’t help but keep coming back to Dean.
He chickens out of actually calling Dean and instead sends him a picture of the tickets with the date prominently displayed and a short text, “If you’d like to come.”
Dean texts back four hours later.
Dean Winchester 5:22
Sorry surgery just ended
Of course I wouldn’t miss *the* Castiel DeAngelos’s big comeback!
222 notes
·
View notes
Day 12: Crossover
Audio Transcript of I Don’t Get that Reference, Episode 148: When a Stranger Calls
[IDGtR intro music]
Castiel: Welcome to I Don’t Get that Reference, a pop culture podcast that analyzes beloved movies, television shows, and the occasional meme that I have never heard of before. On today’s third annual Halloween crossover episode –
Dean: Fuck, don’t hype it up too much; it’s just me. Shit, can I swear?
Castiel: – episode my guest is, once again, Dean Winchester. Dean is the host of American Nightmare, a podcast that looks at a different urban legend every week.
Dean: Cas?
Castiel: [Sigh] Yes. Like you ask every year, you can swear on this podcast.
Dean: Fuck yeah.
Castiel: Dean, do you have anything else to add to your introduction?
Dean: Nope, you covered it. My brother is a true crime freak, and I love horror movies, so we figured urban legends would be a happy medium.
Castiel: Do you have a favorite episode to promote, for people who have never listened to your show before?
Dean: Uh… oh, right! Our Killer Clowns episode. Sam nearly shits himself halfway through ’cause he’s scared of ’em.
Castiel: It’s a pretty common fear, to be fair.
Dean: Yeah, but most people can watch a Ronald McDonald commercial without hiding behind the couch.
Castiel: But he is very… humanoid for a fast food mascot. During my Star Wars series with Charlie Bradbury, we discussed the uncanny valley phenomenon, and I’d say it applies here. I can see how Ronald McDonald would be alarming to any child.
Dean: By “child”, are you including 17-year-old juniors in high school?
Castiel: … no.
Dean: [laughs] Yeah, so in that episode we talk about John Wayne Gacy, Poltergeist, and Plucky Pennywhistle, of course.
Castiel: I have heard of John Wayne Gacy.
Dean: Alright, that’s just tragic. You listen to me, we’re gonna do a Halloween lightning round next year: Nightmare on Elm Street, Saw, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre... shit, it won’t be a proper education without Hell Hazers, I, II and III and All Saints’ Day. You’ve gotta see All Saints’ Day and my favorite, All Saints’ Day 4: Hatchet Man Live, plus Hatchet Man V: The Search for David Yaeger since it's so fucking weird.
Castiel: That seems like a lot of content to cover for one episode.
Dean: You have a lot of catching up to do.
Castiel: That’s why I have this podcast.
Dean: We could do a two-parter?
Castiel: I think you’re vastly overestimating my interest in horror movies. If it wasn’t for people’s inexplicable obsession with Halloween, I wouldn’t watch them at all.
Dean: Aw, are you scared?
Castiel: No.
Dean: I think you are!
Castiel: I simply refuse to let you bait me into watching a dozen hours of fake blood sprays and jump scares.
Dean: C’mon, you know it’s more than that. Don’t make me bust out my horror movie conspiracy theories.
Castiel: Dean –
Dean: You asked for it!
Castiel: [indistinguishable muttering]
Dean: Horror movies are all about economic anxiety. I got the idea from Sammy, but here’s the gist: the classic horror movie protagonists are all white middle class kids or grown-ups. The movies are set in their “safe spaces”, like summer camps or suburbia –
Castiel: Like in When a Stranger Calls and The Sixth Sense.
Dean: Exactly! [pause] Hell, you watched The Sixth Sense without me?
Castiel: I watch most movies without you, Dean.
Dean: Dude… that’s cold.
Castiel: It’s a plain fact. You talk too much. I’m there to watch the movie and not listen to your commentary, especially when we have a podcast to discuss it later.
Dean: Ouch.
Castiel: But, I’m more than happy to watch a movie for the second time with you! I already know what happens, so I’m less worried about missing crucial plot points.
Dean: I guess that’s fair.
Castiel: Good. I hope you’re not offended?
Dean: [pause] A little. Y’know how you can make it up to me, though?
Castiel: Oh no.
Dean: A horror movie marathon!
Castiel: I can’t believe you just did that.
Dean: Better believe it, sweetheart.
Castiel: [a long pause] Will you talk over the scary parts?
Dean: For you? Of course.
★★★★★
CemeteryBoysGB, 09/15/22
Love this podcast
I discovered this podcast a week ago, and I am hooked! Castiel asks such good questions and his voice is so easy to listen to.
★
Potoooooooo, 09/18/22
Waste of time, probably fake
The host can’t really be this clueless. Who has never heard of the Sopranos before?
★★★★★
Spoopys_of_Love, 10/01/22
Favorite
As a newcomer to the USA, this podcast is a lifesaver! I especially liked the series on Steven Spielberg’s movies.
★★★★
Deanspie, 10/17/22
Awesomest
I came here from American Nightmare, and the vibes are great, but wayyy different. Dean’s normally pretty flirty when they have guests on (shoutout to Lisa!) but this was off the charts. Are Castiel and Dean a thing? Their banter is A+
Skip to 15:18 if you want to hear them talk about the actual movie, lol
95 notes
·
View notes