Project Reaper

20. Domestic Not-Quite-Bliss

The next day, Steve was the first Avenger to go socialize.

The only people awake were Dean and Castiel.

They were sitting and chatting over coffee.

"Dean, I-"

"I know you don't taste it but drink the goddamn bean water. It's warm and makes you feel good," Dean cut off Castiel, who raised his coffee to his lips, his face skeptical.

Steve walked out, announcing himself with, "Good morning, fellas."

Dean raised his steaming mug in a sort of 'good morning' before looking at his watch. "What brings you around at... 5:30?"

"Couldn't sleep anymore." Steve shrugged. "What about you?"

"I don't sleep," Castiel said quietly. He looked back at Dean. "It's good."

"You don't sleep?"

"Ah, I don't require it."

Steve hid a face in his own coffee, saying instead, "Well, alright then."

Dean just shrugged.

Castiel disappeared with a whoosh of air. Steve raised his eyebrows. "Does he do that often?"

"When he wants to go places. C'mon, sit, there's plenty of chairs. Besides, I won't bite. Unless asked."

He sat down, staring at Dean as what he said processed.

Dean laughed a bit. "Don't worry, it's a joke."

"Right." Steve looked around as Dean finished his coffee and leaned back to look at him. "Remind me what it is you guys do?"

"Right. How much has Ash told you?"

"Well, three years ago, Fury told us the 'dark things' we were told about as kids were real, and she mentioned something about...angels, demons, vengeful spirits?"

"Well, the thing is that if there's a monster, there's a good chance it's real."

"So you guys fight them?"

"Yeah."

"How'd you get this place?"

Dean rubbed his face. "Long story, this guy time travelled and found us, part of what was called the 'Men of Letters,' real pretentious hunter types, and we've been operating out of it since." 

Steve nodded. "What's Ash like?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...she hasn't told us much about herself, hell, Clint and Natasha were the only ones that knew you existed when the team first formed. She told us just enough to operate as a team, and I'm learning that I don't know my teammates as well as I thought."

"What do you want to know?"

"What do you think is important to know?"

"Well...her favorite food is pizza from this little place in Illinois, she likes watching movies...she likes cats...um...she likes to play guitar, but she doesn't do that unless she knows no one's around. She likes to listen to music, and she has this bad habit, well, we all kind of have it, this habit of not doing anything for herself until she knows for sure that no one needs or wants anything else from her."

"Is it alright if I ask about her vision? She seemed really shaken up by that."

Dean sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's her story to tell, but I'll say that we all have a lot we don't want to remember, or to see happen. We've all died at least once, and none of us want to relive that."