Chapter Text
“I need some auditions, Liz,” you said over the phone to your agent, Elizabeth Haynes, as you paced around your apartment in Los Angeles. “I don’t care if it’s a 1-episode guest role or even a Lifetime movie of the week, anything would be better than this last part.”
You had just gotten word that the sitcom you were working on, Love by the Book , was being cancelled after one season. You actually considered yourself lucky that you didn’t have to do another one. The writing was actually pretty awful and you hated your character, but you had agreed to the role as a favor to your friend and co-star, Norah St. Germain, after the actress who portrayed your character in the pilot had suddenly quit.
“Well there is a pilot for Hallmark, and a couple of small movie roles… Wait, I actually did just get something that I think would suit you,” Liz said. You heard her clicking her computer mouse. “Ah, here it is. There’s a guest role on the upcoming season of Supernatural .”
“ Supernatural ? That monster hunting show?”
“Yeah, the one on the CW that films up in Vancouver. You’d be playing a hunter named Nikki Sutton for a two-episode arc.”
“Fine. Send me the info and set up an audition.”
You heard Liz typing, then your phone chimed with an alert. “Ok, it’s in your inbox. I’ll let you know when your audition is.”
“Great. Thanks.”
After you hung up you pulled up the information and script pages. Like Liz had said, you’d be auditioning for the role of Nikki Sutton, a hunter who would be meeting up with the main characters of the show to help hunt whatever monster they were pursuing.
You had never seen Supernatural but figured you might as well watch a few episodes in order to prepare for your audition.
You pulled up your Netflix account, pleased when you saw that Supernatural was available to stream.
You skipped through the first episode to get a feel for the show, then chose an episode at random. Lazarus Rising, you thought. Huh. Okay. Sounds interesting enough.
You studied the performances of the actors who played the hunters and began to formulate a character profile for your portrayal of Nikki. You left the episode on as you began to read over the script pages, looking back up as the roof of the barn that Dean Winchester and Bobby Singer were in started rattling and the lights exploded.
A guy wearing a black suit with a white dress shirt, blue tie and tan trench coat entered the barn. Hello there, you thought, intrigued. You continued watching as the shotgun rounds Dean and Bobby shot at him as he walked towards them had no effect.
Then you heard him speak.
“Oh my,” you said aloud. His voice was gravel laid over steel and you could feel the power in this guy’s performance as he pulled the knife that Dean stabbed him with out of his chest, stopped Bobby’s crowbar one-handed without even looking at him, worked some sort of mojo on Bobby to knock him out, then turned back to Dean, fixing the bluest eyes you’d ever seen on him.
You briefly wondered if he wore contacts before asking yourself out loud, “who is this guy?” at the same time Dean asked, “Who are you?”
“Castiel,” he answered.
You looked back at the script pages you had been sent. The scene you were reading for your audition was between Nikki, Dean, Sam, and… Castiel .
You grabbed your laptop and pulled up the IMDB page for Supernatural , scrolling down until you saw that Castiel was played by an actor named Misha Collins.
You saw that he had portrayed Castiel in a number of episodes and figured he must be a series regular. I’ll just watch a few more, you thought. Get a feel for the character since I’d have to be playing opposite him.
Over the next week you had binge-watched the entirety of seasons 4 & 5 and were as prepared as you possibly could be for your audition.
You took a cab to the studio and sat, waiting to be called. You waited as several other actresses rotated in and out until you were the last one left.
“Y/F/N Y/L/N?” a woman with a clipboard said.
You stood. “That’s me.”
“Hi, nice to meet you. Come with me,” she said.
She led you to a room where a white curtain hung on a wall. You stood on the mark on the floor and waited as the 5 people at the table in front of you stopped writing.
The woman at the end of the table looked up. “Okay, name and part you’re auditioning for?”
“I’m Y/F/N Y/L/N and I’m auditioning for the role of Nikki Sutton,” you said.
“Okay, begin when you’re ready.”
You cleared your throat and gave Nikki’s first line, playing off of the casting folks who were reading Sam, Dean and Castiel’s lines.
When you were done, the same woman who had spoken to you first nodded. “Okay, thank you. We’ll be in touch.”
You left the studio, feeling hopeful about your performance.
It had been about a month since your audition when your phone rang. “Hey, Liz, what’s up?” you greeted your agent.
“Y/N, great news. The casting folks at the CW have offered you the role of Nikki Sutton on Supernatural , and not only that, but they were so impressed with your audition that they want to extend the role from two episodes to four!”
You were shocked. It had been so long since your audition that you were sure you hadn’t gotten the part. “Wow, that’s fantastic!”
“Your episodes start filming on October 28th, so they’ll need you up there on the 27th. I’ll send you your flight and hotel information.”
“Ok, thanks Liz. You’re the greatest, you know that?"
“Yeah, just remember to thank me when you win your first Emmy.”
You laughed. "You’ll be the first person on my list.”
Two months later, you stepped out of the makeup trailer and onto the Supernatural set for the first time. You looked around, unsure of where to go.
You were just about to head back inside to ask for directions to the set when you heard a voice off to your side. “Can I help you with something?”
You turned and were met with blue eyes that you had only seen on TV but had become so familiar with that you knew you could pick them out of a lineup. “Uhh…” Holy shit, he’s even more attractive in person, you thought, taking in the man in the suit and trench coat.
You must’ve been staring a bit too long because he tried again. “You look lost, I just thought...”
You blinked. His voice … it wasn’t gravelly at all. Instead it filled you with warmth and comfort.
You mentally shook your head. Get it together, Y/N. “Oh yeah, uh, sorry... I’m new and not exactly sure where I’m supposed to be going. I’m playing Nikki for the next few episodes.”
A bright grin bloomed on his face. “Well then, welcome to Supernatural.” He stuck out his hand for you to shake. “I’m Misha. I play Castiel.”
You took his hand. “Y/N. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too.” His touch lingered for a few moments before he let your hand go. “I’m heading to set anyway, so I’ll walk you there. It’s this way.”
“Thank you.”
You pulled Nikki’s leather jacket tighter as you walked, partly due to the cold Vancouver weather and partly due to nerves.
Misha apparently noticed because he suddenly stopped. “Here,” he said, shrugging out of the trench coat and placing it around your shoulders. “You look cold.”
“Oh, um, thanks,” you replied. You could feel your cheeks starting to heat up as you inhaled the subtle earthy scent of Misha’s cologne. “I’m not used to this kind of weather.”
“Oh? So where are you from?” Misha asked as you two resumed walking.
“I’m originally from (your hometown), but I’ve lived in L.A. for the past 15 years.”
You arrived at the barn that you would be filming in and you handed Misha his trench coat back. “Thanks for helping me keep warm,” you said with a gentle smile.
“You’re welcome,” Misha replied, opening the door for you after he pulled his coat back on. “After you.”
You stepped inside the barn and took a deep breath, trying to settle your nerves.
“Have you met Jared and Jensen yet?” Misha asked you.
You shook your head. “I think I've now met just about everyone on the cast & crew except for them.”
Misha chuckled. “Come on, I’ll introduce you.”
He placed a gentle hand on your back and guided you over to where the two actors you recognized as Sam and Dean stood. The two had been talking but stopped and turned when they saw you and Misha approach.
“Hey guys,” Misha said. “This is Y/N, she’s playing Nikki. Y/N, this is Jared and Jensen.”
“Hi, nice to meet you guys,” you said, giving them a small wave.
“You too,” Jared replied.
“Yeah, same,” Jensen added.
“Alright, let’s get this show on the road!” the director of the episode called out.
You ran through the scene a couple of times, then took your mark for your first scene as Nikki. You took a deep breath, letting the character settle into your bones.
The director looked at the screen in front of him. “Rolling! And… action!”
“You Winchesters, always poking your noses where they don't belong,” the vampire sneers. “Well this time it looks like you --”
Suddenly the vampire’s head is sliced off its neck.
The body falls to reveal a woman with (Y/E/C) eyes and (Y/H/C) hair wearing a white form-fitting t-shirt, black leather jacket, blue jeans, and sneakers. She grins at the trio as she lowers her machete. "Hey, boys. What's shakin'?"
Cas mutters to Sam, “I didn’t feel anything move, did you?”
Sam just chuckles and goes to greet the new hunter, who is giving Dean a warm hug. “Sam and Dean Winchester, how the hell are you guys?”
"Hiya, Nikki."
Dean puts an arm around her and guides her towards Cas. “Cas, this is Nikki Sutton, one of the most badass hunters out there. Nikki, meet Castiel, our resident winged messenger of the Lord.”
Nikki appraises Cas. "I had heard that you guys had some help from on high, but I wasn't sure if I should believe it or not." Nikki sticks her hand out for Cas to shake. "It's nice to meet you."
Cas takes it. He squints and tilts his head. "Have we met before?"
Nikki shakes her head with a small laugh. "No, I think I'd have remembered meeting you. Unless you have some sort of 'Men In Black' memory wipey power or something."
Cas shrugs. "I am very powerful but memory alteration is not one of my gifts."
Sam interrupts. "So Nikki, what are you doing here?"
“I was in the area and caught wind of a possible vamp nest,” Nikki explains. "And it seems like I got here just in time, too."
She stoops down and wipes her blade on the dead vamp's shirt. "So how about you boys treat me to a drink as a thank-you and we'll catch up?"
Jared, Jensen, and Misha all made you feel welcome and you got over your ‘first-day-of-a-new-project’ jitters very quickly. You could see the camaraderie between the three men and they all worked to make you feel included.
After you had wrapped for the day, you headed back to your temporary trailer to wash the dirt and grime of filming off of yourself and change back into your normal clothes.
You exited your trailer and were headed back to the front of the lot to go back to your hotel when you heard Misha calling your name. “Y/N! Hey, wait up!”
You stopped and let him catch up to you. “Hey, Misha, what’s up?”
Misha rubbed the back of his neck. “Um, Jared, Jensen and I are gonna go have a few drinks later tonight and I -- I mean, we -- were wondering if you wanted to come with us? I mean, if you don’t already have plans, that is.”
You glanced over to where Jared and Jensen were watching the two of you. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to interrupt boys’ night.”
Misha shook his head. “Oh, it’s nothing like that. We just go out to this local bar and have a couple of drinks, very low-key. You wouldn’t be interrupting anything at all.”
You bit your lip. “If you’re sure…”
“I’m sure.” Misha smiled at you. “Please come?”
You couldn’t help but smile. “Well, since you asked so nicely, yeah, okay. I’d love to.”
“Great!” He named a bar that was near your hotel. “Eight o’clock?”
You nodded. “Sounds great. See you guys there.”
Later that evening, you were in your hotel room trying on yet another shirt to wear to go out when your phone rang with a FaceTime call.
"Norah, hey," you said as you sat on your bed with a huff.
"Y/N, hey! How was your first day of filming?"
"It was actually really good. My first scene was Nikki's introduction and the guys did their best to make me feel comfortable."
You paused. "Um, in fact Misha invited me to hang out with him and the guys tonight."
"WHAT?! Why didn't you lead with that? News that you're going out with a hot guy is important!"
"It's just drinks with him, Jared, and Jensen, it's not like he asked me out on a date or anything. I should just cancel." You groaned and flopped down on your bed. "Wait, I can't cancel. I don't have any of their numbers."
Norah raised an eyebrow. "How many outfits have you tried on?"
You glowered then eyed the mess on your hotel room floor. "Twelve."
Norah shook her head with a laugh. "Wear that red shirt I gave you for your birthday. It'll look nice but not overly dressy and won't seem like you're trying too hard."
You huffed out a breath. "Thanks, Nor."
"Text me after, ok?"
"Sure will. Love ya."
"Love you too."
You hung up and changed your shirt, then touched up your makeup and fixed your hair. You slipped your comfortable sneakers on and grabbed your ID, credit card, and room key before rushing out of the door.
"Shit, shit, shit," you muttered to yourself as you finally made it to the bar at 15 minutes past 8. You entered the crowded bar and spotted Jared, Jensen, and Misha sitting in a nearby booth, each with a beer in front of them. Jared and Jensen were talking animatedly while Misha absentmindedly peeled the label off of his seemingly untouched beer bottle.
You headed over.
Jensen noticed you first. "Y/N! You made it!"
"I am so sorry I'm late," you said as you reached the table. "I had decided to walk here from the hotel and realized after about six blocks that I was headed in the wrong direction."
"It's no problem, right guys?" Jared said. "So Y/N, what's your preference? First round's on me."
You answered as you shrugged your coat off and took a seat in the open space next to Misha.
Jared nodded. "Be right back."
A minute later, Jensen's phone rang. "That's Dani, I better take it."
He also exited the booth, leaving you and Misha alone.
Those blue eyes that set your heart aflutter looked over at you. "I'm glad you could make it," Misha said with a soft smile.
You cringed. "Again, I'm so sorry I'm late. I wanted to text you and let you know I was still coming but I realized I don't have any of your cell numbers."
"Oh, well--"
"Alright, here you go," Jared interrupted as he returned with your drink. "Where'd Jensen go?"
"Daneel called," Misha replied.
"That reminds me, I should check on Gen," Jared said. "One second."
He pulled out his phone and sent off a text message before repocketing it. "My wife's pregnant with our first kid," he explained. "A boy."
"Aww, congrats," you replied before taking a sip of your drink. "When's she due?"
"March."
"Good luck to you both."
"Thanks."
Jensen walked back up to the table. "What'd I miss?"
"Nothing, just telling Y/N here about my impending parenthood. How's Dani?"
"She's good. Just got a break from filming so she decided to see what I was up to."
"Your wife's an actress?" you asked. "Do I know her?"
"Uh, I dunno, Daneel Harris?"
You shook your head. "No, I don't think I've worked with her before."
"Jared's wife is an actress too. Genevieve Cortese?"
You shook your head again. "No, sorry."
"She uh, she played Ruby on the show," Jared added.
"Wait, you're married to Ruby in real life? That's so adorable."
"What about you?" Misha asked casually. "Married? Kids?"
You shook your head. "Nope, I'm single as a pringle. What about you?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "No, not married, not seeing anyone."
"So have you ever watched the show?" Jared asked.
You definitely didn't want to admit to having binged-watched all of the episodes with Misha in them to his face, so you shrugged. "A few episodes."
"Who's your favorite character?"
"Oh, I couldn't decide."
Jensen tapped his beer bottle on the table. "Alright, time for another round."
Two hours and several more rounds of drinks later, you were all ready to call it a night. "Thanks for inviting me out tonight, guys, but I'm gonna head out," you said.
"Yeah, I think I will too," Misha added.
Jared and Jensen each gave you a brief hug. "Thanks for coming out," Jensen said.
“See you on Monday,” Jared added.
“Thanks for the invite,” you replied. “See you Monday.”
"Night, guys," Misha added. “Have a good weekend.”
You and Misha headed outside together. "Want to split a cab?" Misha asked.
You shook your head. "I'm just gonna walk, it's really not far when I actually know where I'm going."
"I'll walk you then," Misha offered. "I'd feel better knowing you got back to your hotel safely."
Your heart fluttered. "Yeah, okay."
Misha gestured in the direction of your hotel. "Shall we?"
You walked along together in a peaceful silence, enjoying the cool, crisp October night and soon you arrived back at your hotel. "Well, this is me," you said as you two entered the lobby. "Thanks for walking me back. I realize it was probably kinda dumb for me to be walking around a strange city alone at night, especially after I'd been drinking."
Misha shrugged. "This is a pretty safe area but you can never be too careful."
You shuffled your feet. "I had a lot of fun tonight."
Misha smiled. "Me too. You should hang out with us again, especially since you're going to be around for a couple of months."
"I'd like that."
Misha hesitated. "Oh, hey, uh, you said you didn't have our cell numbers to let us know you were running late, so how about I give you mine just in case you ever need it?"
"Okay."
You pulled up a new contact and handed Misha your phone. "Here, put your number in."
Misha entered his number and handed the phone back to you.
You quickly sent him a text message. "There, now you have mine too. So I'll... see you on Monday?"
Misha nodded. "Yeah, see you Monday."
"Night."
"Good night, Y/N."
You watched as Misha left then headed up to your room.
You pulled out your phone to text Norah and smiled when you had a response from Misha.
You sighed. It didn't seem like your crush was going to go away any time soon.