Jack wiped his brow and leaned back, reaching for the bottle of water he had close at hand. American midwest summers were nothing to joke about, especially after getting so used to Cardiff. He’d stripped down to his undershirt and looked down at his current project.
Something had been buried here, maybe a hundred years ago. He was out here digging it up, but even getting an early start the sweat trickled down the back of his neck and the humidity filled his lungs. At least it was under some trees, if it werefully out in the sun he’d have had to come here at midnight.
He checked his wrist strap and saw he was getting close to… whatever it was. Alien, he knew that much. And not that big. With any luck he could sort it out and get it cataloged in no time. Of course if it had been buried this deep, it probably wasn’t going to be that easy.
Picking up the shovel again, he dug in and turned over another bit of dirt. Suddenly, something cold, wet and solid hit him in the back of the head. He spun around, only to take another one to the chest.
“Cas?” The angel was watching him with amusement in his eyes, slinging another snowball with unerring accuracy.
“How the…” Jack bent to try and return fire, but the snow was was already melted. A fourth one hit his shoulder and exploded, spraying droplets of cold.
“That’s it.” Jack used the shovel to knock aside the next one and scrambled out of the hole, going for Castiel’s ankles.
Cas danced aside, another snowball landing in Jack’s hair. Jack shook his head and rolled to his feet, grinning as he faced Castiel, looking for an opening. Cas weighed another snowball in his hand and as Jack lurched for him he darted forward and dropped it down the back of his tucked-in shirt.
Jack swore and yanked up his shirt, cold water running down his back. “I give,” he groaned wringing out his now soaked t-shirt. “Nice to see you, too.”
Castiel wrapped his arms around him from behind, kissing Jack’s scruffy cheek. “I did say I’d come help you.”
“Some help,” muttered Jack, with an eyeroll, still grinning.
“More than you know,” said Cas, “look.”
Jack turned and saw that where the snow had soaked had soaked into the ground, something small had appeared. He checked the reading, then bent and picked it up. “It’s a seed.”
“Yes. Planted, but not compatible with Earth, so it never grew.” Castiel opened his hand for it.
Jack dropped it into his palm. “If you knew that, why did you let me dig it up?”
“I wasn’t fully certain until you got closer to it. It’s home planet is cold, which is why it reacted to the snow.”
Jack shook his head. “Colder than here in the winter? I’m sorry for anyone who lives there.”
“The species that lives there would find this planet to be far too extreme in its temperatures and generally far too warm.” The seed vanished into Castiel’s pocket.
“I know, there’s a million worlds out there.” Jack looked wistfully up at the cloudless blue sky before looking back at Castiel. “I take it the snowballs were to encourage it to show itself.”
“And you did need some cooling down.” There was the smallest breeze as invisible wings fanned Jack.
“Well it wouldn’t be the first time I got a snow stuffed down my clothes. You got any more of that lying around?”
Castiel produced another snowball and balanced it in his palm.
“Good,” said Jack, snatching him from him, taking a step back, and lobbing it against Castiel’s chest.
Castiel blinked and looked down at himself. “You are aware that I do not feel temperatures as you do.”
“Yep,” said Jack brightly. “Just needed a little payback.”
Shaking his head, Castiel had that little smile that meant ’Humans’. Jack stepped forward and kissed him. “Well, since we’re done here and you don’t feel the heat or the cold, you can fill in the hole. I’m going back to the motel. Air conditioning was a wonderful invention.”
“Very well, Jack. I will be along presently.”
Jack got into his truck, knowing that he’d have time for a fast shower before the angel got back. And not nearly enough time to get dressed.
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