Equals (AO3)

Summary: Castiel has one shot, and if it involves punching Crowley in the face? All the better.

Rating: Teen

Word Count: 1,372

Tags: AU, Human AU, Prison AU, angst with a happy ending, secret relationship, prison/guard relationship.

Written for the Writers of Destiel server ‘Weekly Words’ challenge, with the prompt ‘white wings’.

He could let it go.

It was just a sarcastic comment, a friendly joke that Castiel had been made the butt of. Normally he’d be the first one to laugh that off. But today he didn’t want to. Castiel had been looking for an excuse to crack skulls all day and now he’d found one.

There was a buzz of excitement from the other inmates as Castiel leapt from his seat, fist flying towards Crowley’s face. There was a sickening crunch that almost certainly loosened a few teeth, and Castiel savoured in his triumph for just a moment. The guards hovering at the sides of the yard had yet to notice that a full-blown brawl was about to break out, but they’d figure it out soon enough.

Crowley rubbed his jaw and clicked his fingers, an ugly scowl on his face that was laced with smugness. Naturally, he wouldn’t do his own dirty work. Not when he had lackeys to do it for him.

Castiel quickly found himself surrounded, four against one. Not his favourite odds, but he’d be damn sure to send a couple of them to medical before the guards came in and dragged him away. And that was exactly what he did, fists and elbows flying in a blur as the other inmates surrounded them, chanting. Most of them chanting for Castiel, although not because of any popularity contests he might have won. Everyone just hated Crowley.

It was over too quickly, whistles blowing and guards shoving their way into the fray. Castiel grinned, his teeth all bloody as he was pinned to the floor and handcuffed.

“What the hell is going on here?” A voice barked. Benny Lafitte, head guard and total hardball.

Castiel was yanked to his feet, a baton shoved under his chin, forcing his head back. “Auditions, sir.”

“Auditions?”

“I was thinking of starting a fight club. Although I kinda broke the first rule now, so I guess I should give up on that idea.”

Castiel could pinpointed the exact moment that Benny registered his comment and was done with him. There was no verbal cue, but the guard holding him began yanking him away, back inside the building. Sparing a glance over his shoulder, he recognised the guard as Mr. Singer. He was one of the decent ones.

“Am I going to White Wings? Which one?”

Bobby glared at him. “You know you are, kid. It’s solitary for you. Why’d you have to go and start that fight, huh? You got a death wish or something? You want Crowley to shank you?”

Castiel didn’t reply. No, he didn’t have a death wish and he was going to have to find a way to square things with Crowley once this was done. He’d painted a target on his back, but he’d done so for a reason. Ultimately, Castiel didn’t have a plan for when they let him out of solitary – otherwise known in these parts as White Wings. Castiel didn’t know where the name came from, nor did he care. Maybe it was because both solitary confinement and the hospital ward stretched out from the main prison building at an angle – almost like wings.

The handcuffs were taken off him and he was bundled unceremoniously into the room – but not too roughly. Singer was never heavy-handed with the inmates.

The door closed and Castiel was plunged into darkness. The cell held nothing more than a lumpy mattress, a sink and a toilet. A small roll of toilet paper that was more like sandpaper than two-ply. Castiel didn’t care. He just settled on the thin mattress. Now it was just a matter of waiting. It wouldn’t be long.

Two hours later, he heard the grating sound of the bolt, and the door opened. He recoiled from the bright lights, his eyes struggling to adjust after the darkness. The guard who entered said nothing, just eyed Castiel disapprovingly.

“And this is supposed to change my mind? You starting a fight the second you don’t get your own way?”

Castiel stood and looked at Dean bitterly. “It was the only way I could get you to come and see me. You broke things off with me and then vanished. You don’t get to do that.”

“I’m a guard and you’re an inmate, Novak, you don’t get to dictate-”

“Oh, we’re back to Novak now?” Castiel interrupted, turning his face away from Dean to shield himself from the look on Dean’s face and to hide how much that stung. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Guard and inmate. I don’t know why you didn’t just hold me down and take what you wanted –”

Fists balled in the front of his shirt and his back impacted with the wall hard enough to make his teeth rattle in his skull. Dean’s face was so close to his, close enough to kiss, but Castiel didn’t lean in. He just kept his eyes averted, refusing to look into the green eyes that would undo his resolve.

“Implying I took advantage of you? Damnit, Cas, this was a consensual relationship, don’t you dare make it sound otherwise. I loved you. I still do.” Dean’s hands slowly loosened their grip, but he didn’t back up.

Castiel snorted. “But we were never equals, were we? You got to say everything you wanted and then you left me. I didn’t even get to ask why. I didn’t even get to tell you I understood, that I never wanted you to risk your job by sneaking around with me. That I’d never ask you to wait for me, but that I would wait for you. You just ended it and didn’t give a crap what I thought.”

Dean took a step back and Castiel took a deep breath, feeling like he could breath again now he wasn’t overpowered by Dean, the touch of his hands, his addicting scent.

“That’s not true.”

“Of course it is. You can’t even see it.”

“That’s not it, Cas. I didn’t stick around to hear your side of things, because I knew that if I did, I’d change my mind. I’m in love with you, asshole. When you’re not doing stupid things like attacking Crowley of all people, you’re an idiotic, beautiful, caring son of a bitch.”

Castiel could think of a million replies, but Dean was right there and he didn’t want to lose this opportunity. He caught his lips in a burning kiss, fingers biting into Dean’s shoulders to stop him escaping. Closing his eyes, Castiel gave his everything into that one kiss, determined to make the most of what would surely be the last time. Because any moment now Dean would shove him away and disappear –

Strong hands knotted into his hair as Dean’s lips parted against his. Castiel’s momentary surprise faded quickly, to be replaced by something aching in his chest, but he focused on the sensation of Dean’s mouth on his, tongue coaxing all kinds of muffled moans from him.

They separated naturally, chests heaving from the adrenaline rush, and Dean pressed two gentle pecks to Castiel’s lips as he withdrew. Castiel’s hands slipped away from his shoulders and he looked at Dean, almost fearful of what would happen next.

“I’m sorry.” Dean rasped, straightening his uniform. “You were right. I should have heard your side of things.”

Castiel closed his eyes, feeling despair and resignation flood through him. Dean still wanted to end things between them, he hadn’t changed his mind. There was nothing else he could do, this plan had been his only option and it had failed.

“I love you. And I know you won’t ask me to wait for you. But I will.”

Castiel’s eyes flew open. “You will?”

Dean shrugged, a smile tugging at the side of his mouth. “What can I say, I’m pretty gone on you, Cas. But you have to keep out of trouble. You’re probably going to get another six months for this. If you keep your head down and finish your sentence, then I’ll wait for you. But no more fooling around in here. Okay?”

Castiel reached out and took Dean’s hand, bringing it to his lips. It would be hard, but he could do that. For Dean.

“Okay.”