Chapter Text
“Oh no you don’t, Buster!”
Dean cursed under his breath. A small but strong hand grabbed his under arm and spun him around. “Charlie…” he objected weakly. Charlie ignored him and pulled him along. If only he’d pretended to have a stomach bug this morning, but he’d pulled that last year too. Charlie would never forgive him if he tried it again, so he reluctantly followed.
From the opposite corner, he saw Meg enter the breakroom with a determined expression on her pixie-like face. She pulled someone along as well and Dean’s heart skipped a beat when the dark, mussed hair and blue eyes of Castiel Novak came into view. Cas. His co-worker and secret crush. The man that could stare into your soul with his incredible blue eyes and yet was so sweetly innocent he didn’t get most of the raunchy jokes that made up a lot of the office banter. Hell, when Meg once offered to rearrange the furniture, he had frowned, tilted his head in that cute, bird-like manner he had and said: “I’m sorry. Is that a flirtation?”
Cas looked as unhappy as Dean felt. His blue eyes didn’t sparkle and his pink, chapped lips were drawn slightly downward. He didn’t actively hang back, but his steps were reluctant. “Meg,” his gravelly voice was begging. “Please.”
Meg didn’t even look back at him. “Nope. Not while I am part of the team organising this thing, Clarence. Everyone takes part. Look.” She pointed straight at Dean. “Even the Ken-doll is here.” Dean could feel his neck, cheeks and ears heat up with a blush when Cas looked at them, sympathy written all over his face.
Charlie got to the middle of the room and let go of Dean’s arm. He came to a standstill between Garth and Benny. Benny’s blue eyes were sad. “I’m sorry, Brotha. I know you were banking on getting out of here before the whole shindig started.”
That had Garth give Dean a disappointed look. “Why would you want to do that? Isn’t Secret Santa fun? I know who I would want as my giftee…” He smiled and looked to the front of the room. Benny gave him a look that, hadn’t Dean been stressed about this whole ordeal, would have gotten him some lovely ammunition for teasing. Benny was so obviously carrying a little torch for the lanky IT guy, it was cute.
At the front of the crowd, Meg and Charlie stood with an open box, wrapped in Christmas gift wrapping paper. “Alright!” Charlie called out. “We have put the name of every co-worker on this floor in the box. Meg will walk around and everyone will draw a lot. Should you draw your own name, please put it back and draw a new lot. Gifts have to be within the budget of twentyfive dollars. It can be one big gift, or several smaller ones. As long as you stay within the budget. The week before Christmas is designated to giving gifts, because not everyone has a fulltime job.” Charlie glanced at Abby Sands and Naomi Drummond. “If you and your giftee are here on the day before Christmas, please give your gift then. Thank you and peace out!” Charlie gave a Vulcan salute and stepped aside.
Meg smirked as she walked to the first person. Dean could see Cas sidle towards the back and just as he tried to slip away, Meg called out to him without even looking away from the person drawing a lot. “Going somewhere, Clarence?” Cas froze and guiltily glanced back at her. She held the box out to Rowena, still not looking at him. “You haven’t gotten your lot yet. Get in line next to Benny please.”
Sheepishly, Cas did as she said. When Benny gave him a sympathetic smile, he tugged up one corner of his mouth. “It’s like she can sense me sometimes,” he muttered under his breath, making Benny chuckle. Garth glanced at him and Dean saw something there as well. If those two didn’t get together soon, he’d have to step in and arrange something.
Benny chuckled and patted Cas on the back. “Don’t be boudin’, Chief. It might be better than last year.” Dean cringed. Last year Cas had been the giftee for Zachariah, who had given him five sets of matching socks and kerchiefs. Cas never wore a kerchief before, but this year he had obviously strived to use each set as it was intended. Yet some days he would not wear a kerchief, which made Zachariah frown and ask awkward questions. Dean wanted to stab the guy in the face every time he did. Cas definitely appreciated the gifts, but he couldn’t always wear one of the sets. Sometimes every set was in the laundry or something. Zachariah tended to ignore those explanations and just looked offended that Cas wasn’t utilising his gifts.
Remembering the shitty gifts, Dean prayed to any deity listening that he would be the one drawing Cas’ name. There were so many awesome gifts that the nerdy, bee-loving guy could get. Zachariah just never took the time to look beyond what he saw. Dean got startled from his reminiscing by the irritable shaking of the nearly empty box in front of him. He sighed and dove his hand in. Crinkled paper brushed his fingers and he cringed. Sloppy folding. He didn’t like that. Then his fingers found the crisply folded edges of the next paper and he took it. That had to be a sign it was a good person to buy for, right? He opened the paper and licked his lips, his heart deciding that double time was a valid reaction to the seven letters on the slip of paper. Castiel.