FIC: Penguin Verse
Mar. 11th, 2012 02:52 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cloudy_versesTitle: Penguin Verse
Author: CloudyJenn
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairings: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Jess, Gabriel/Kali
Rating: R
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Warnings: None
Summary: Dean is a zoo Penguin. Castiel is the new Penguin from the actual real ocean.
Author's Notes: Posted here because twitlonger hates me and people expressed interest. Written in twitfic form. Enjoy!
"Okay, watch this," Dean said with a wink to…Greta or Geena…he couldn't remember. Whoever she was, she watched Dean take a flying leap off the cliff and slide down the side at breakneck speed. When he popped out of the water, Sam was frowning down at him. "She's not gonna lay your egg, dude."
Dean made a face as he waddled back up onto the ground. "Who says I wanted that?"
Sam started to answer, but Dean immediately got distracted by flapping his wings at the things honking and flashing lights at them. The things loved Dean. Especially the mini-things. And Dean loved them. Show-off.
"Everyone wants eggs, Dean." Personally, Sam had his eye on a cute little thing named Jess. Dean tap-danced to one side and continued to ignore him. Sam sighed. Dean would never be serious or, as Sam feared, happy.
***************
The things sometimes brought a new bird in. Like after Rufus died. Or when Madison got sick from eating those ashy white sticks. But this time, the new bird shows up for no reason at all. And she was fucking hot.
"Who's that?" Chuck whispered.
Dean gazed at her sleek black tail feathers. "No idea," he murmured. "But I'm gonna find out."
***************
"Don't stare, Dean. It's rude," Sam said after sidling up to him. "Why not? She's hot." Sam snorted and flapped one wing. "Dean, that's a guy." "What?" But then the new penguin circled to face them, revealing quite clearly….a dude. Dean had been perving on a dude. Crap.
Dean also immediately saw what Sam meant about not staring. The new bird's left wing is shriveled and half-mangled, as though he'd been viciously attacked. Dean's wings fluttered with distress he didn't understand. "What happened to him?"
"I don't know," Sam said sadly.
Dean hobbled over to the injured bird. To his dismay, the penguin was even more attractive up close. Probably because he smelled really good. Like frigid ocean air. "Hey new kid, what's with the wing?"
The bird blinked bright eyes at him and turned to dive off the cliff. Oops.
***************
The next time Dean saw the new bird again was at feeding time. The bird stared at the way Dean's friends greedily gobbled up the delicious fish the things gave them. He nearly asked him if he was okay when the bird did something that shocked Dean. He caught a fish, bit it in two, then waddled over to Jo to offer it. What. The. Hell. Either that bird was trying to mate a mated girl or he was from way outta town.
Dean couldn't remember a time when a bird gave up food for anything. Why should they when the things gave them all they want?
"Why'd you give that fish to Jo?"
The new bird cocked his head. "The female has a child," he said with a 'duh' tone. In a really throaty voice.
"Okay, but…what?"
"We must protect the young," he said. Oh. Right.
***************
"Where are you from?"
The bird folded his bad wing down, hiding it from Dean's view. "The ocean."
Awe filled Dean's chest. "The real ocean?"
The bird nodded. Wow. Just….wow.
***************
"The new bird is from the real ocean!" Dean whispered feverishly to Sam after the lights went away.
"Well, that's cool. He's…oh hey," Sam said, as the new bird suddenly showed up.
"I would like to sleep together for warmth," he announced to a slack-jawed Dean.
Dean dragged the new bird into a little alcove and scooted close to him. Warmth seeped into his feathers. He tucked his beak against the bird's neck. "What's your name anyway?" Dean asked, his voice muffled.
"Castiel," he says, rubbing his cheek on Dean's head.
***************
It wasn't long after they started always sleeping together that Castiel started bringing Dean gifts. Extra fish, rocks, bits of branches. Very obvious piles of mating gifts that made Dean's feathers ruffle.
"He's male," Sam said in confusion. "How will you have an egg?"
"Shut up. I don't know."
But Sam wasn't the only one who asked. The other birds whispered and stared and Castiel just merrily went along his way dragging his presents to Dean's side and Dean had no idea what to do.
***************
They were curled together one cold night when Dean ran the tip of one wing along Castiel's injured limb.
"What happened?"
Castiel didn't answer for so long that Dean nearly withdrew the question. But then Castiel drew a soft breath and the words began to quietly appear.
"I was swimming," Castiel said, beak close to Dean's shoulder, effectively hiding his face. "There were things there with black boxes and they watched us. I was with my brother. We swam too far away." His tone became flatter with each sentence. "A big fish attacked us and bit me. My brother told me to swim home." He paused for a very long time. Dean slid his wing around Castiel's shoulder.
"And then?"
"And then I did. I never saw him after that. I got back to the land, but only because a thing pulled me out. And they took me with them."
"That's…" Dean couldn't think of words for it. If he'd lost Sam like that, he wouldn't have survived. Not like Castiel. Odd brave Castiel who didn't care that the other birds mocked him and his mating rituals. Who showed up out of nowhere and claimed Dean for no apparent reason.
Dean pulled him tighter against his chest.
"Thanks for the presents," he muttered.
Castiel's head jerked up so he could see him. "You…accept my gifts?"
Dean shrugged.
"Yeah, whatever. Sure."
His brusque sentence earned him a gentle brush of a beak against his own. But as great as that was, Dean liked the joy that didn't leave Castiel's eyes for the rest of the night even better.
***************
The next morning at breakfast, Dean wrestled a oversized fish away from Victor, carried it to Castiel and plunked it down at his feet. Then he turned and scanned the silent bird crowd with a challenging glare. The shocked group watched in fascination as Castiel gobbled up every last bite of the offering, nearly choking himself in his haste. By the time he finished, the claim was official.
Dean was off the market.
***************
A few days later, Dean woke up alone and shivering. "Cas?" A pile of rocks surrounded him. "…what are you doing?"
Castiel waddled towards and dropped the rock he'd been carrying. "Building our nest."
Dean's stomach flipped. His very own real nest. So weird.
***************
Even working together, it took three long days of odd glances and increased visits from the things before their nest was built. It encompassed their old alcove as well as several feet around it, a cozy space large enough for an egg, should they get a hold of one.
"You know, we might not ever get an egg," Dean said.
Castiel gave him a beak rub. "I had nothing." He waddled into their nest and settled down. "And now I have this. I am not disappointed." Dean eagerly crowded in after him.
***************
Early the next morning, Dean was woken by a high-pitched squawk and desperate flapping. "Wha…what's wrong…Cas!"
One of the things had hold of his mate and was carrying him away, even as Cas flailed and bit at it. Dean charged the thing, attacking its feet with beak and wing. But it didn't matter. The thing went through the hole in the wall, back to where they took Madison when she was sick. And Rufus when he died. In a panic, Dean flung himself against the door, but the thing didn't return. Cas was gone.
***************
The things brought Dean food, but he didn't want it. Sam tried to cheer him up, but he didn't care. Dean laid at the center of his lonely nest and remembered exactly why mating was a bad idea.
***************
Castiel thought Dean was the handsomest penguin he'd ever seen. He was tall and his chest shone white as snow. He'd never cared that Dean was male. All he cared about was how being with Dean made him feel less alone. Made him stop missing Gabriel so much.
The things came to see Castiel every day. They poked and played with his bad wing. It hurt at first, but as time went by, Castiel began to notice that movement became easier. He could swim as well as the other birds. Finally, he was strong and worthy. And it was time to start gathering gifts for Dean.
The day Dean presented him with fish was the happiest of his life; the day they built their nest the second happiest. But both were immediately followed by the most frightening desolate times he'd ever known. The things took him away. Stole him right out of his nest and took him away from Dean. They put him in a terrifying white room and stuck sharp things in his side. No matter how much Castiel begged they did not take him back to his mate and by the time five light-and-darks passed, Castiel feared they never would.
The things honked all the time, but Castiel couldn't understand them. "I'm worried about Jensen," one said. "He won't eat. I think he's pining for Misha."
"Don't be ridiculous. Misha's only been here for a few weeks." Castiel chirped at them, but unfortunately, they couldn't understand him either.
At the end of the fifth light-and-dark, a short blond thing that petted Castiel head so gently sat down beside him and began honking quietly. "Don't worry, sweetie. This won't hurt for long."
Then she made a sharp pain in his side and everything went dark.
***************
When Castiel next saw light, a thing was carrying him and it was cold. "Dean?" he mumbled. Were they taking him back to Dean? The thing set him on the frigid ground and then Castiel was alone. "Dean?" he honked mournfully.
This didn't look like their home; this looked like… "Castiel?"
Shocked numbed Castiel's mind. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.
"Gabriel?"
"Goddamn, Cas, I thought those big ugly things ate you!" Gabriel declared. Castiel just kept staring. "I've been worried sick."
More silence. Gabriel sniffed the air. "Did you accept fish while you were gone?" A leering grin appeared on his beak. "You sly sea lion, you."
Castiel suddenly sprang into action and waddled at full speed to Gabriel's side, throwing himself into his big brother's wings. "You were dead."
"Dead?" Gabriel closed his wings around Castiel's shoulders. "Moron. As if a stupid tooth fish could get me. I came back to shore, but you were gone. Where'd you go?"
Castiel thought of his warm nest and big arrogant wonderful mate.
"Home. I went home."
***************
Gabriel dragged Castiel back into the circle. His friends welcomed him warmly, especially Gabriel's mate, Kali, who wanted to organize an attack on the things on Castiel's behalf. It was good to see them, but Castiel missed Dean terribly.
"Alright, kid. Tell me all about this mate of yours," Gabriel said once the birds dispersed. Castiel didn't stop talking for the rest of the night.
***************
The next morning, Gabriel woke Castiel up with a kick to his side. "Wake up, kiddo."
Castiel looked up to see Gabriel and Kali grinning down at him. "What's going on?"
"We've been talking and we've got a plan." Gabriel practically glowed with smug anticipation. "It's time to get you back to Dean."
***************
"The things have been watching us," Gabriel explained. "A few light-and-darks after you left, one of them accidentally hurt Anna and they took her away."
Castiel's heart leapt. "So if I get hurt, they might take me home?"
“Geez, don't get maudlin, Cas. But the things are pretty easy to guilt into giving us fish." He clapped a wing on Castiel's head. "All we need to do is guilt them into much much more."
The first part of the plan involved the entire clan. They waited until they knew the things were watching and when Castiel padded into the circle, the other birds turned away from him. Shunning him, the one tainted by the things. Even though he knew it was an act, it still hurt to see his family and friends reject him, keep him out of the food and even push him around. But if it would help him get to Dean… Castiel would suffer anything.
The second part of the plan belonged only to Castiel and it would be difficult. His wing, though now misshaped, worked perfectly well. But the things didn't need to know that. He waited until they had a black box pointed towards him before crashing into the water and pretending to drown. It only took a few moments for the things to pull him out. Gabriel gave him an encouraging wing flap from across the circle. Success!
"Kali heard from Gordon that the things are getting the boxthing ready!" Gabriel said excitedly. "It worked!"
Castiel knew he should be nothing, but grateful and indeed, his heart throbbed with relief and anxiety to reach Dean. But…he did not want to lose Gabriel again. "Brother-"
"Hey." Gabriel curled his wing around Castiel's. "You be good, okay? Make sure and give those things a good show every night and make Dean treat you right."
"I wish…well, I wish…"
Gabriel waddled close enough to cover Castiel's feet with his own, like he always did when they were young and Castiel was frightened. "You don't belong in this world, kiddo. Not anymore. But I do. I'll miss ya though."
Castiel knew he was right. Gabriel belonged here with Kali and the egg they were sure to lay soon and Castiel belonged with Dean. But that didn't stop it from hurting. "I'll miss you too," he murmured as he hid his beak against Gabriel's chest.
***************
Dean tiptoed along the edge of the pool. The others were swimming, but he didn't feel like it. Not without Cas there swimming along beside him.
"They put you on their TV," Sam said when Dean puttered past him. His new mate, Jess, gave Dean a sympathetic look. "Yeah?"
Sam knew more about the thing world than Dean. He could even understand some of their honking. "Yeah, it's a big story. About how they didn't think…" He paused, obviously uncomfortable.
"What?" Dean snapped.
"Didn't think you could really mate with another male."
Rage boiled through Dean's body, down to the tip of each black and white feather. "Fuck them. Fuck those stupid fucking things!" Jess chirped softly and settled in next to him, offering him warmth and comfort. Which Dean appreciated, but…it just wasn't the same as Cas. "I hate them," he muttered.
"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Me too."
***************
The next morning, the things set up a great deal of their boxes outside the birds' enclosure. A bunch of things in long pants and dresses stand in front of the boxes, holding sticks to their faces and honking into them.
"What's going on?" Dean asked the group at breakfast.
Jo shrugged and pulled her daughter Cara closer against her side. "I don't know, but I wish they'd stop. They're scaring everyone."
Sam padded over from his nest, concern written on his face. "I can't tell what's going on. They're talking too fast. They keep saying Jensen and Misha over and over."
"Who the hell is-" But Dean's word were cut off when the hole in the back of their enclosure opened and a thing walked through. The things along the fence all began honking excitedly as that thing stepped aside and crouched down, beckoning to something still inside the hole.
"What's going on?" Dean demanded, marching over towards the hole with a rush of righteous indignation. "You better…" A small ball of white and black burst through the hole and crashed into Dean's side, knocking him to the ground. "What the-" A smell washed over Dean. The scent of icy ocean air and crystal blue water and home.
"Dean! Dean!" The things cooed and honked and flashed lights at them, but Dean didn't care. Not one bit. Not with Cas shouting at him and rubbing his beak against Dean's and trembling with happiness. "Cas? I don't…what's…Cas! What happened?"
"It was awful and Gabriel helped and Dean, I was gone so long, I hated it, are you okay? Is our nest okay?" Castiel babbled and all Dean could do was laugh.
The first thing Dean did was drag Castiel away from the things, the other birds and especially those boxes. He tucked them as far into their nest as possible and proceeded to show Castiel just how much he'd missed him.
***************
"Stupid things," he muttered against Castiel's cheek. "Keeping you in here until they all go the fuck away."
Castiel sighed happily. "That's sounds acceptable."
***************
When Dean squeezed back into their nest, he found Castiel hovering over an egg. A perfect beautiful little egg.
"What…the hell happened?" he demanded.
"I don't know!" Castiel said, wings flapping nervously. "I came back from swimming and one of the things put this egg here!" They both stared at it.
"What do we do with it?" Dean whispered.
Castiel straightened his back with sudden determination. "Go get more twigs and rocks," he said as he carefully snuggled up close to the egg. "I'll keep it warm."
For a moment, Dean could nothing more than stare at his weird little mate curled up around a totally random and amazing little egg. Then Castiel glared up at him. "Now, Dean." Dean snapped into action.
***************
Sam tilted his head so far to one side that Dean thought it might actually tumble off his body.
"But…but where did it come from?"
"The things brought-" Dean started to say, but Castiel's feathers bunched up and he hissed softly. "It's ours. It's not a thing egg."
Dean snapped his beak shut. Castiel had become rather sensitive about the egg.
"I don't think things lay eggs," Sam said. At Castiel's dark glare, he hurried to add, "It's a very beautiful egg."
***************
Dean padded up to Castiel and rubbed his beak against him in a familiar purposeful way. But instead of cooing or shivering or any of his normal responses, Castiel pulled back and gave Dean a stern look. "Not in front of the egg."
Dean recognized that tone. Without a word, he spun around and marched out of their nest.
"Where are you going?"
"To see if Sam will egg-sit!" Dean called back.
***************
Dean ultimately decided to blame it on the egg. Being that the egg showed up out of nowhere, both were understandably worried that it would disappear before it hatched. Which led to a rather tense nest, as one might imagine. Even when Dean convinced Sam to egg-sit, neither of them really relaxed until they were back at the nest and resting comfortably atop the egg. So that was probably why Castiel snapped when he saw Dean joking around with Bela that morning. They'd entertained a brief flirtation before Castiel showed up and sometimes Dean thought she forgot he had a mate. Although in this case, they really were just teasing each other.
"How's the wife?" she said.
"Hotter than you ever thought about being," Dean retorted.
She grinned and flipped a wing at him. "Can't believe you're having an egg. That poor kid won't know up from down."
Dean smacked at her wing and stepped on her foot. "You leave my egg outta this, wench." So yes. At that moment, with Dean's feet covering Bela's and their wings intertwined…it looked bad. Really bad. But Dean still felt he didn't deserve to be pushed over the ledge without warning. All he heard as he fell was Castiel's angry growling and Bela's muffled laughter. It was going to be a long day.
***************
Dean crept towards the nest. The last he'd seen of him, Cas was stomping away from the ledge and throwing dirty looks over his shoulder back at him. Dean wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Part of him wanted to smack Cas around for thinking he'd ever even look at Bela like that. But another, not insignificant part, wanted to do whatever necessary to stop being in trouble.
"Cas?"
Castiel looked up from the egg. "Dean." He waddled over, moving even more slowly than Dean had and carefully sank down, laying his cheek against Dean's chest. "I would like to blame the egg."
Dean rubbed his beak against the top of Castiel's head. "Fine by me."
***************
Dean was awakened by a hard wingflap to the head. "Ngh?"
"It's hatching!" Castiel shouted. "The egg is hatching!" It took everything in him not to faint dead away.
By the time the baby finished utterly destroyed its egg, Dean and Castiel were the proud new parents of a tiny bumbling ball of gray fur. It tottered headlong into Dean's stomach and plopped at his side. Which pretty much paralyzed Dean with…some kind of really strong emotion.
"It's a boy," Castiel said, sounding awed.
"It's touching me," Dean whispered.
The baby sneezed and fell asleep. Dean and Castiel stared at it silently for the next hour.
***************
"How about…Jake?" Sam suggested. Dean made a face. "Does he look like a Jake?"
They both turned to watch the baby snuggled into a wee ball between Castiel's feet. A pair of dark black eyes peered out of the ball.
"Okay, no. The things named him 'Bingo'."
The disgust on Dean's face deepened. "That's not even a real name." He began pacing. "Seth? Roger? Adam? William?" The baby chirruped and flattened even further to the ground. "Yeah, they do suck. Um…Bill?"
"Daniel?" Sam said.
"Jeffrey?"
"Carl?"
"Ted?"
"The child's name is Gabriel," Castiel broke in. The baby cheeped happily.
"Oh well," Sam said. "That makes sense."
Dean met Castiel's gaze and grinned. "Okay, Gabriel. That sounds good."
***************
The baby decided the only place in the entire world he could sleep comfortably was wedged between Dean and Castiel. Which made it nice and warm in the nest, but made finding time alone very difficult. Gabriel started crying if he wasn't within a wingslength or either Dean or Cas. Not even Sam was good enough, although Gabriel did like running headlong into Sam and bouncing off his sides or belly. He followed them everywhere, eating the food they gave him and slowly learning how to swim. The other chicks were too old to play with him and quite frankly, as far as Gabriel was concerned, any penguin who wasn't Dean or Castiel was beyond not worth noticing.
Two weeks after his hatching, Dean looked up from watching Gabriel try and scratch his own back to frown at Castiel. "I can't remember the last time we were alone."
Castiel matched his frown. "Oh. I can't either."
There was a brief pause and then Dean shrugged before pinning Gabriel with one wing so he could get at the itch himself. Who wanted to be alone anyway?
***************
Cas peeked around the edge of their nest.
"Are the boxes still there?" Dean asked.
"Cameras," Cas corrected. Sam taught him the word.
Dean scowled and flapped a wing at him. "If you were a girl, the things wouldn't keep watching us."
"If I were a girl, you'd wouldn't have kept watching me." Dean's scowl deepened.
***************
The only reason Dean let the things herd him into the moving box was because they'd brought Castiel too. He didn't want to leave Gabriel behind, but damned if he was going to let them steal Cas away again.
"Take care of him!" Dean called desperately back to Sam as the door to the enclosure shut. Luckily, Gabriel had learned a bit of independence recently and so only cocked his head and chirped with confusion when his parents disappeared.
"Dean?" Castiel squished in close beside Dean in the moving box. "What's going on?"
"I don't know, but stay close. I'll protect you," he said, rather bravely considering he was far smaller than the things.
A few short moments later, the box stopped moving and the penguins were coaxed out. Castiel peered at the red soft floor beneath his feet. "What…?"
A bunch of things began flashing lights in their face.
Dean blinked. "I think we're famous."
***************
Castiel waddled up to the mysterious small pile of fish at the front of their nest. "Where did they come from?" he asked worriedly.
Dean glanced to the hole in the wall where a thing wearing a red hat was taking their picture. "The things are being weird."
***************
Castiel flapped his good wing against Dean's side. His excitement was palpable and almost enough to ease Dean's irritation over being paraded past dozens of screaming things. He always worried that one of the small things would come flying out of the crowd and tackle Cas or Sam to the ground. Their screechy voices and feverish eyes made Dean nervous.
Castiel loved the parades.
Of course.
"The little things are just curious," Castiel chided him. "The big things won't let them attack us. You're too suspicious."
How Castiel could have survived being taken away from him without becoming suspicious of things was a wonder to Dean. But then Castiel was a far better bird than Dean ever thought about being.
"If they come after you, I'm going to peck their eyes out," he warned Castiel.
Castiel let out a small sigh.
"Very well."
Author: CloudyJenn
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairings: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Jess, Gabriel/Kali
Rating: R
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. I am making no profit from this fanfiction.
Warnings: None
Summary: Dean is a zoo Penguin. Castiel is the new Penguin from the actual real ocean.
Author's Notes: Posted here because twitlonger hates me and people expressed interest. Written in twitfic form. Enjoy!
"Okay, watch this," Dean said with a wink to…Greta or Geena…he couldn't remember. Whoever she was, she watched Dean take a flying leap off the cliff and slide down the side at breakneck speed. When he popped out of the water, Sam was frowning down at him. "She's not gonna lay your egg, dude."
Dean made a face as he waddled back up onto the ground. "Who says I wanted that?"
Sam started to answer, but Dean immediately got distracted by flapping his wings at the things honking and flashing lights at them. The things loved Dean. Especially the mini-things. And Dean loved them. Show-off.
"Everyone wants eggs, Dean." Personally, Sam had his eye on a cute little thing named Jess. Dean tap-danced to one side and continued to ignore him. Sam sighed. Dean would never be serious or, as Sam feared, happy.
***************
The things sometimes brought a new bird in. Like after Rufus died. Or when Madison got sick from eating those ashy white sticks. But this time, the new bird shows up for no reason at all. And she was fucking hot.
"Who's that?" Chuck whispered.
Dean gazed at her sleek black tail feathers. "No idea," he murmured. "But I'm gonna find out."
***************
"Don't stare, Dean. It's rude," Sam said after sidling up to him. "Why not? She's hot." Sam snorted and flapped one wing. "Dean, that's a guy." "What?" But then the new penguin circled to face them, revealing quite clearly….a dude. Dean had been perving on a dude. Crap.
Dean also immediately saw what Sam meant about not staring. The new bird's left wing is shriveled and half-mangled, as though he'd been viciously attacked. Dean's wings fluttered with distress he didn't understand. "What happened to him?"
"I don't know," Sam said sadly.
Dean hobbled over to the injured bird. To his dismay, the penguin was even more attractive up close. Probably because he smelled really good. Like frigid ocean air. "Hey new kid, what's with the wing?"
The bird blinked bright eyes at him and turned to dive off the cliff. Oops.
***************
The next time Dean saw the new bird again was at feeding time. The bird stared at the way Dean's friends greedily gobbled up the delicious fish the things gave them. He nearly asked him if he was okay when the bird did something that shocked Dean. He caught a fish, bit it in two, then waddled over to Jo to offer it. What. The. Hell. Either that bird was trying to mate a mated girl or he was from way outta town.
Dean couldn't remember a time when a bird gave up food for anything. Why should they when the things gave them all they want?
"Why'd you give that fish to Jo?"
The new bird cocked his head. "The female has a child," he said with a 'duh' tone. In a really throaty voice.
"Okay, but…what?"
"We must protect the young," he said. Oh. Right.
***************
"Where are you from?"
The bird folded his bad wing down, hiding it from Dean's view. "The ocean."
Awe filled Dean's chest. "The real ocean?"
The bird nodded. Wow. Just….wow.
***************
"The new bird is from the real ocean!" Dean whispered feverishly to Sam after the lights went away.
"Well, that's cool. He's…oh hey," Sam said, as the new bird suddenly showed up.
"I would like to sleep together for warmth," he announced to a slack-jawed Dean.
Dean dragged the new bird into a little alcove and scooted close to him. Warmth seeped into his feathers. He tucked his beak against the bird's neck. "What's your name anyway?" Dean asked, his voice muffled.
"Castiel," he says, rubbing his cheek on Dean's head.
***************
It wasn't long after they started always sleeping together that Castiel started bringing Dean gifts. Extra fish, rocks, bits of branches. Very obvious piles of mating gifts that made Dean's feathers ruffle.
"He's male," Sam said in confusion. "How will you have an egg?"
"Shut up. I don't know."
But Sam wasn't the only one who asked. The other birds whispered and stared and Castiel just merrily went along his way dragging his presents to Dean's side and Dean had no idea what to do.
***************
They were curled together one cold night when Dean ran the tip of one wing along Castiel's injured limb.
"What happened?"
Castiel didn't answer for so long that Dean nearly withdrew the question. But then Castiel drew a soft breath and the words began to quietly appear.
"I was swimming," Castiel said, beak close to Dean's shoulder, effectively hiding his face. "There were things there with black boxes and they watched us. I was with my brother. We swam too far away." His tone became flatter with each sentence. "A big fish attacked us and bit me. My brother told me to swim home." He paused for a very long time. Dean slid his wing around Castiel's shoulder.
"And then?"
"And then I did. I never saw him after that. I got back to the land, but only because a thing pulled me out. And they took me with them."
"That's…" Dean couldn't think of words for it. If he'd lost Sam like that, he wouldn't have survived. Not like Castiel. Odd brave Castiel who didn't care that the other birds mocked him and his mating rituals. Who showed up out of nowhere and claimed Dean for no apparent reason.
Dean pulled him tighter against his chest.
"Thanks for the presents," he muttered.
Castiel's head jerked up so he could see him. "You…accept my gifts?"
Dean shrugged.
"Yeah, whatever. Sure."
His brusque sentence earned him a gentle brush of a beak against his own. But as great as that was, Dean liked the joy that didn't leave Castiel's eyes for the rest of the night even better.
***************
The next morning at breakfast, Dean wrestled a oversized fish away from Victor, carried it to Castiel and plunked it down at his feet. Then he turned and scanned the silent bird crowd with a challenging glare. The shocked group watched in fascination as Castiel gobbled up every last bite of the offering, nearly choking himself in his haste. By the time he finished, the claim was official.
Dean was off the market.
***************
A few days later, Dean woke up alone and shivering. "Cas?" A pile of rocks surrounded him. "…what are you doing?"
Castiel waddled towards and dropped the rock he'd been carrying. "Building our nest."
Dean's stomach flipped. His very own real nest. So weird.
***************
Even working together, it took three long days of odd glances and increased visits from the things before their nest was built. It encompassed their old alcove as well as several feet around it, a cozy space large enough for an egg, should they get a hold of one.
"You know, we might not ever get an egg," Dean said.
Castiel gave him a beak rub. "I had nothing." He waddled into their nest and settled down. "And now I have this. I am not disappointed." Dean eagerly crowded in after him.
***************
Early the next morning, Dean was woken by a high-pitched squawk and desperate flapping. "Wha…what's wrong…Cas!"
One of the things had hold of his mate and was carrying him away, even as Cas flailed and bit at it. Dean charged the thing, attacking its feet with beak and wing. But it didn't matter. The thing went through the hole in the wall, back to where they took Madison when she was sick. And Rufus when he died. In a panic, Dean flung himself against the door, but the thing didn't return. Cas was gone.
***************
The things brought Dean food, but he didn't want it. Sam tried to cheer him up, but he didn't care. Dean laid at the center of his lonely nest and remembered exactly why mating was a bad idea.
***************
Castiel thought Dean was the handsomest penguin he'd ever seen. He was tall and his chest shone white as snow. He'd never cared that Dean was male. All he cared about was how being with Dean made him feel less alone. Made him stop missing Gabriel so much.
The things came to see Castiel every day. They poked and played with his bad wing. It hurt at first, but as time went by, Castiel began to notice that movement became easier. He could swim as well as the other birds. Finally, he was strong and worthy. And it was time to start gathering gifts for Dean.
The day Dean presented him with fish was the happiest of his life; the day they built their nest the second happiest. But both were immediately followed by the most frightening desolate times he'd ever known. The things took him away. Stole him right out of his nest and took him away from Dean. They put him in a terrifying white room and stuck sharp things in his side. No matter how much Castiel begged they did not take him back to his mate and by the time five light-and-darks passed, Castiel feared they never would.
The things honked all the time, but Castiel couldn't understand them. "I'm worried about Jensen," one said. "He won't eat. I think he's pining for Misha."
"Don't be ridiculous. Misha's only been here for a few weeks." Castiel chirped at them, but unfortunately, they couldn't understand him either.
At the end of the fifth light-and-dark, a short blond thing that petted Castiel head so gently sat down beside him and began honking quietly. "Don't worry, sweetie. This won't hurt for long."
Then she made a sharp pain in his side and everything went dark.
***************
When Castiel next saw light, a thing was carrying him and it was cold. "Dean?" he mumbled. Were they taking him back to Dean? The thing set him on the frigid ground and then Castiel was alone. "Dean?" he honked mournfully.
This didn't look like their home; this looked like… "Castiel?"
Shocked numbed Castiel's mind. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.
"Gabriel?"
"Goddamn, Cas, I thought those big ugly things ate you!" Gabriel declared. Castiel just kept staring. "I've been worried sick."
More silence. Gabriel sniffed the air. "Did you accept fish while you were gone?" A leering grin appeared on his beak. "You sly sea lion, you."
Castiel suddenly sprang into action and waddled at full speed to Gabriel's side, throwing himself into his big brother's wings. "You were dead."
"Dead?" Gabriel closed his wings around Castiel's shoulders. "Moron. As if a stupid tooth fish could get me. I came back to shore, but you were gone. Where'd you go?"
Castiel thought of his warm nest and big arrogant wonderful mate.
"Home. I went home."
***************
Gabriel dragged Castiel back into the circle. His friends welcomed him warmly, especially Gabriel's mate, Kali, who wanted to organize an attack on the things on Castiel's behalf. It was good to see them, but Castiel missed Dean terribly.
"Alright, kid. Tell me all about this mate of yours," Gabriel said once the birds dispersed. Castiel didn't stop talking for the rest of the night.
***************
The next morning, Gabriel woke Castiel up with a kick to his side. "Wake up, kiddo."
Castiel looked up to see Gabriel and Kali grinning down at him. "What's going on?"
"We've been talking and we've got a plan." Gabriel practically glowed with smug anticipation. "It's time to get you back to Dean."
***************
"The things have been watching us," Gabriel explained. "A few light-and-darks after you left, one of them accidentally hurt Anna and they took her away."
Castiel's heart leapt. "So if I get hurt, they might take me home?"
“Geez, don't get maudlin, Cas. But the things are pretty easy to guilt into giving us fish." He clapped a wing on Castiel's head. "All we need to do is guilt them into much much more."
The first part of the plan involved the entire clan. They waited until they knew the things were watching and when Castiel padded into the circle, the other birds turned away from him. Shunning him, the one tainted by the things. Even though he knew it was an act, it still hurt to see his family and friends reject him, keep him out of the food and even push him around. But if it would help him get to Dean… Castiel would suffer anything.
The second part of the plan belonged only to Castiel and it would be difficult. His wing, though now misshaped, worked perfectly well. But the things didn't need to know that. He waited until they had a black box pointed towards him before crashing into the water and pretending to drown. It only took a few moments for the things to pull him out. Gabriel gave him an encouraging wing flap from across the circle. Success!
"Kali heard from Gordon that the things are getting the boxthing ready!" Gabriel said excitedly. "It worked!"
Castiel knew he should be nothing, but grateful and indeed, his heart throbbed with relief and anxiety to reach Dean. But…he did not want to lose Gabriel again. "Brother-"
"Hey." Gabriel curled his wing around Castiel's. "You be good, okay? Make sure and give those things a good show every night and make Dean treat you right."
"I wish…well, I wish…"
Gabriel waddled close enough to cover Castiel's feet with his own, like he always did when they were young and Castiel was frightened. "You don't belong in this world, kiddo. Not anymore. But I do. I'll miss ya though."
Castiel knew he was right. Gabriel belonged here with Kali and the egg they were sure to lay soon and Castiel belonged with Dean. But that didn't stop it from hurting. "I'll miss you too," he murmured as he hid his beak against Gabriel's chest.
***************
Dean tiptoed along the edge of the pool. The others were swimming, but he didn't feel like it. Not without Cas there swimming along beside him.
"They put you on their TV," Sam said when Dean puttered past him. His new mate, Jess, gave Dean a sympathetic look. "Yeah?"
Sam knew more about the thing world than Dean. He could even understand some of their honking. "Yeah, it's a big story. About how they didn't think…" He paused, obviously uncomfortable.
"What?" Dean snapped.
"Didn't think you could really mate with another male."
Rage boiled through Dean's body, down to the tip of each black and white feather. "Fuck them. Fuck those stupid fucking things!" Jess chirped softly and settled in next to him, offering him warmth and comfort. Which Dean appreciated, but…it just wasn't the same as Cas. "I hate them," he muttered.
"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Me too."
***************
The next morning, the things set up a great deal of their boxes outside the birds' enclosure. A bunch of things in long pants and dresses stand in front of the boxes, holding sticks to their faces and honking into them.
"What's going on?" Dean asked the group at breakfast.
Jo shrugged and pulled her daughter Cara closer against her side. "I don't know, but I wish they'd stop. They're scaring everyone."
Sam padded over from his nest, concern written on his face. "I can't tell what's going on. They're talking too fast. They keep saying Jensen and Misha over and over."
"Who the hell is-" But Dean's word were cut off when the hole in the back of their enclosure opened and a thing walked through. The things along the fence all began honking excitedly as that thing stepped aside and crouched down, beckoning to something still inside the hole.
"What's going on?" Dean demanded, marching over towards the hole with a rush of righteous indignation. "You better…" A small ball of white and black burst through the hole and crashed into Dean's side, knocking him to the ground. "What the-" A smell washed over Dean. The scent of icy ocean air and crystal blue water and home.
"Dean! Dean!" The things cooed and honked and flashed lights at them, but Dean didn't care. Not one bit. Not with Cas shouting at him and rubbing his beak against Dean's and trembling with happiness. "Cas? I don't…what's…Cas! What happened?"
"It was awful and Gabriel helped and Dean, I was gone so long, I hated it, are you okay? Is our nest okay?" Castiel babbled and all Dean could do was laugh.
The first thing Dean did was drag Castiel away from the things, the other birds and especially those boxes. He tucked them as far into their nest as possible and proceeded to show Castiel just how much he'd missed him.
***************
"Stupid things," he muttered against Castiel's cheek. "Keeping you in here until they all go the fuck away."
Castiel sighed happily. "That's sounds acceptable."
***************
When Dean squeezed back into their nest, he found Castiel hovering over an egg. A perfect beautiful little egg.
"What…the hell happened?" he demanded.
"I don't know!" Castiel said, wings flapping nervously. "I came back from swimming and one of the things put this egg here!" They both stared at it.
"What do we do with it?" Dean whispered.
Castiel straightened his back with sudden determination. "Go get more twigs and rocks," he said as he carefully snuggled up close to the egg. "I'll keep it warm."
For a moment, Dean could nothing more than stare at his weird little mate curled up around a totally random and amazing little egg. Then Castiel glared up at him. "Now, Dean." Dean snapped into action.
***************
Sam tilted his head so far to one side that Dean thought it might actually tumble off his body.
"But…but where did it come from?"
"The things brought-" Dean started to say, but Castiel's feathers bunched up and he hissed softly. "It's ours. It's not a thing egg."
Dean snapped his beak shut. Castiel had become rather sensitive about the egg.
"I don't think things lay eggs," Sam said. At Castiel's dark glare, he hurried to add, "It's a very beautiful egg."
***************
Dean padded up to Castiel and rubbed his beak against him in a familiar purposeful way. But instead of cooing or shivering or any of his normal responses, Castiel pulled back and gave Dean a stern look. "Not in front of the egg."
Dean recognized that tone. Without a word, he spun around and marched out of their nest.
"Where are you going?"
"To see if Sam will egg-sit!" Dean called back.
***************
Dean ultimately decided to blame it on the egg. Being that the egg showed up out of nowhere, both were understandably worried that it would disappear before it hatched. Which led to a rather tense nest, as one might imagine. Even when Dean convinced Sam to egg-sit, neither of them really relaxed until they were back at the nest and resting comfortably atop the egg. So that was probably why Castiel snapped when he saw Dean joking around with Bela that morning. They'd entertained a brief flirtation before Castiel showed up and sometimes Dean thought she forgot he had a mate. Although in this case, they really were just teasing each other.
"How's the wife?" she said.
"Hotter than you ever thought about being," Dean retorted.
She grinned and flipped a wing at him. "Can't believe you're having an egg. That poor kid won't know up from down."
Dean smacked at her wing and stepped on her foot. "You leave my egg outta this, wench." So yes. At that moment, with Dean's feet covering Bela's and their wings intertwined…it looked bad. Really bad. But Dean still felt he didn't deserve to be pushed over the ledge without warning. All he heard as he fell was Castiel's angry growling and Bela's muffled laughter. It was going to be a long day.
***************
Dean crept towards the nest. The last he'd seen of him, Cas was stomping away from the ledge and throwing dirty looks over his shoulder back at him. Dean wasn't sure how to handle the situation. Part of him wanted to smack Cas around for thinking he'd ever even look at Bela like that. But another, not insignificant part, wanted to do whatever necessary to stop being in trouble.
"Cas?"
Castiel looked up from the egg. "Dean." He waddled over, moving even more slowly than Dean had and carefully sank down, laying his cheek against Dean's chest. "I would like to blame the egg."
Dean rubbed his beak against the top of Castiel's head. "Fine by me."
***************
Dean was awakened by a hard wingflap to the head. "Ngh?"
"It's hatching!" Castiel shouted. "The egg is hatching!" It took everything in him not to faint dead away.
By the time the baby finished utterly destroyed its egg, Dean and Castiel were the proud new parents of a tiny bumbling ball of gray fur. It tottered headlong into Dean's stomach and plopped at his side. Which pretty much paralyzed Dean with…some kind of really strong emotion.
"It's a boy," Castiel said, sounding awed.
"It's touching me," Dean whispered.
The baby sneezed and fell asleep. Dean and Castiel stared at it silently for the next hour.
***************
"How about…Jake?" Sam suggested. Dean made a face. "Does he look like a Jake?"
They both turned to watch the baby snuggled into a wee ball between Castiel's feet. A pair of dark black eyes peered out of the ball.
"Okay, no. The things named him 'Bingo'."
The disgust on Dean's face deepened. "That's not even a real name." He began pacing. "Seth? Roger? Adam? William?" The baby chirruped and flattened even further to the ground. "Yeah, they do suck. Um…Bill?"
"Daniel?" Sam said.
"Jeffrey?"
"Carl?"
"Ted?"
"The child's name is Gabriel," Castiel broke in. The baby cheeped happily.
"Oh well," Sam said. "That makes sense."
Dean met Castiel's gaze and grinned. "Okay, Gabriel. That sounds good."
***************
The baby decided the only place in the entire world he could sleep comfortably was wedged between Dean and Castiel. Which made it nice and warm in the nest, but made finding time alone very difficult. Gabriel started crying if he wasn't within a wingslength or either Dean or Cas. Not even Sam was good enough, although Gabriel did like running headlong into Sam and bouncing off his sides or belly. He followed them everywhere, eating the food they gave him and slowly learning how to swim. The other chicks were too old to play with him and quite frankly, as far as Gabriel was concerned, any penguin who wasn't Dean or Castiel was beyond not worth noticing.
Two weeks after his hatching, Dean looked up from watching Gabriel try and scratch his own back to frown at Castiel. "I can't remember the last time we were alone."
Castiel matched his frown. "Oh. I can't either."
There was a brief pause and then Dean shrugged before pinning Gabriel with one wing so he could get at the itch himself. Who wanted to be alone anyway?
***************
Cas peeked around the edge of their nest.
"Are the boxes still there?" Dean asked.
"Cameras," Cas corrected. Sam taught him the word.
Dean scowled and flapped a wing at him. "If you were a girl, the things wouldn't keep watching us."
"If I were a girl, you'd wouldn't have kept watching me." Dean's scowl deepened.
***************
The only reason Dean let the things herd him into the moving box was because they'd brought Castiel too. He didn't want to leave Gabriel behind, but damned if he was going to let them steal Cas away again.
"Take care of him!" Dean called desperately back to Sam as the door to the enclosure shut. Luckily, Gabriel had learned a bit of independence recently and so only cocked his head and chirped with confusion when his parents disappeared.
"Dean?" Castiel squished in close beside Dean in the moving box. "What's going on?"
"I don't know, but stay close. I'll protect you," he said, rather bravely considering he was far smaller than the things.
A few short moments later, the box stopped moving and the penguins were coaxed out. Castiel peered at the red soft floor beneath his feet. "What…?"
A bunch of things began flashing lights in their face.
Dean blinked. "I think we're famous."
***************
Castiel waddled up to the mysterious small pile of fish at the front of their nest. "Where did they come from?" he asked worriedly.
Dean glanced to the hole in the wall where a thing wearing a red hat was taking their picture. "The things are being weird."
***************
Castiel flapped his good wing against Dean's side. His excitement was palpable and almost enough to ease Dean's irritation over being paraded past dozens of screaming things. He always worried that one of the small things would come flying out of the crowd and tackle Cas or Sam to the ground. Their screechy voices and feverish eyes made Dean nervous.
Castiel loved the parades.
Of course.
"The little things are just curious," Castiel chided him. "The big things won't let them attack us. You're too suspicious."
How Castiel could have survived being taken away from him without becoming suspicious of things was a wonder to Dean. But then Castiel was a far better bird than Dean ever thought about being.
"If they come after you, I'm going to peck their eyes out," he warned Castiel.
Castiel let out a small sigh.
"Very well."
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Date: 2012-03-11 07:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 11:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 07:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 11:40 pm (UTC)but thank you!
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Date: 2012-03-11 07:11 pm (UTC)I've been craving for Penguin!DeanCas ever since my friend and I went to the zoo together and started shipping all the animals as DeanCas (hush, don't judge me).
I loved the terminology the penguins used ;u; I kinda died at "thing egg"
Was this inspired by the two gay penguins in the Toronto zoo (who were separated and forced to mate with females hmph but at least now soon to be reunited)?
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Date: 2012-03-11 11:42 pm (UTC)It was sort of inspired by that and sort of just because I keep turning Dean and Cas into animals and I like penguins and a lot of people on my twitter like penguins, so yeah.
Thank you!
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Date: 2012-03-11 07:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 11:42 pm (UTC)thanks!
Date: 2012-03-11 07:22 pm (UTC)Re: thanks!
Date: 2012-03-11 11:43 pm (UTC)Thank you!
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Date: 2012-03-11 07:59 pm (UTC)Love it so hard!
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Date: 2012-03-11 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 08:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 11:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 08:35 pm (UTC)I miss Gabe =(
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Date: 2012-03-11 11:44 pm (UTC)Thank you!
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Date: 2012-03-11 08:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 11:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 09:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 11:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 09:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 11:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 11:47 pm (UTC)Thank you!
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Date: 2012-03-11 11:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-11 11:47 pm (UTC)Thank you!
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Date: 2012-03-11 11:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-13 09:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-22 10:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-24 12:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-03-25 02:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-03 09:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-04-07 03:28 am (UTC)And i love that its still wingfic! lol :)
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Date: 2012-07-02 10:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-03 03:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-08-10 02:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-10-22 05:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-16 03:31 am (UTC)Penguins a the Denmark Zoo
Date: 2013-01-08 07:47 am (UTC)http://now.msn.com/gay-penguins-in-denmark-adopt-baby-chick
Seems you are psychic! It is Supernatural after all!
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Date: 2013-05-07 09:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-05-20 04:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-09-22 03:59 am (UTC)This is seriously awesome!
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Date: 2014-05-02 10:42 pm (UTC)Absolutely fantastic work!
Date: 2014-10-15 07:06 am (UTC)And I've got to say I smiled and giggled through the entire story. It's absolutely brilliant. Sheer creative genius. I could see Dean and Cas... you captured their voices so perfectly! It was just a delight to see the penguin's view of the things and the small things! This story was absolutely adorable, poignant, funny, just awesome... truly a tour de force!
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Date: 2015-04-15 12:27 pm (UTC)