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The first time Dean gave Castiel a coin was outside of a Walmart in Topeka, Kansas. He had gone with Dean to get more salt, since the last hunt nearly cleaned them out, while Sam rested at the motel. Dean had suggested Sam be the bait, since he had the same hair as Shaggy from Scooby-Doo, and had been bruised all along his left side after the ghost launched him into the bedroom door Dean and Cas were waiting behind.
At Walmart, when Dean and Cas stepped out of the Impala, a tiny, silver coin was sitting next to the driver side's front tire. Dean had bent down, that midwestern sun shining on his hair, and picked it up.
Walking over to Castiel on the passenger's side, he said "Ha! Lucky coin. Heads up, Cas. "
Castiel had instantly snapped his head toward the sky behind him, expecting some deadly object to be flying his way, but instead heard a musical clink by his feet. He stared at the coin now sitting by his boot and heard Dean huff.
"You're supposed to catch it, genius."
Castiel's eyes lifted to Dean, now standing in front of the angel. "When you said, 'heads up,' I did not expect the flying object to be coming from you."
"Obviously, Spock."
Castiel didn't understand that reference but chose to keep looking at Dean rather than ask. He thought the sun shining on Dean's head looked like a halo and wanted him to stay still a little while longer. Dean, however, much to Castiel's annoyance, inclined his head toward the coin. To Castiel, he seemed to always be moving, never taking a moment to just be. It was one of the things he didn't like about Dean. Though, he must admit, that was a relatively short list.
When Castiel did not move, Dean crouched down once more. Bracing himself, Dean's hand wrapped around Castiel's shin as he picked up the coin. The angel froze. He wasn't sure this was a normal, human interaction between male friends— at least one that he had seen before, but he also wanted to make sure Dean did not fall. Dean had risen before he made up his mind.
Dean reached for Castiel's hand and placed the silver coin in his palm. "For you, buddy. To keep you safe." Castiel stared at the flattened thing as Dean walked toward the store, then quietly tucked it into the inner pocket of his coat.
Castiel hadn't known what kind of coin it was at the time. That sort of information never overlapped with his work in Heaven, but he secretly asked the cashier when Dean was unloading the bags of salt onto the checkout conveyer belt. Cas could tell it was a weird question by the face the woman made to him, but she said it was a dime, worth 10 cents. Castiel had simply nodded and tucked the coin back into his coat.
That was nearly four months ago. Since then, Dean had taken to giving any loose change he had to Castiel. Though now, Dean says he just doesn't want to litter his car with dirty coins. He doesn't try to hand them to the angel anymore, either. Instead, he reaches his hand into his coat pockets and drops the coins in. Castiel secretly does not like this. He thought it was just another way Dean found to move quickly. Always on the road, attracted to anything convenient; that was the hunter lifestyle, and it was so ingrained into Dean. Though the angel doesn't say anything, because he knows slowing down will make Dean feel guilty. Like he hasn't done enough.
Instead, Cas just makes sure to keep the change in his outside pockets. Easy for Dean to reach in or put to use. The dime from Walmart is the only coin he keeps in his inside pocket.