Dean hates how Cas' job makes him come back home during the wee hours of the night. And it's always noon coffees, black for Dean and sweetened for Cas, that bid them goodbye every day.
"I will be home before midnight." Cas promises one spring Thursday. Just like he always does.
"And I'll be in bed." Dean answers. Just like he always does.
Cas smiles at Dean and kisses him quickly, a hurried motion to which Dean responds greedily, trying to slip his tongue in Cas' mouth and tasting sugar.
"Dean. I cannot be late for work again." Cas mumbles and pulls away. "We can continue our...intimacy tonight."
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." Dean teases, playing with Cas' backwards tie. "And I might be too tired."
The snort Cas does at that makes those three precious words linger on the tip of Dean's tongue. But he doesn't say them. He's never said them.
"Then I will wake you." Cas cups Dean's cheek before grabbing his briefcase and heading out. Dean slaps his ass playfully and Cas jumps, the front door slamming behind him and reminding Dean of just how much he hates that sound.
But Cas is doing this for him, working a god-awful job as an accountant, supporting Dean's decision to study at home so he can become a professor, all because he loves Dean. And that's all the incentive Dean needs to be able to let Cas go every day.
Dean wants to repay him. He feels as if he owes Cas too much. He wants to show Cas how much he cares for him. He wants Cas to know how much he really does love him too.
But Dean was never good at saying it, so he tries to prove it instead by getting something he knows would have a great deal of significance to his man: a promise ring.
Dean spends nearly five hours in various jewelry shops before finding the perfect one. It's silver, with a band of titanium running through the middle. The ring is pricey, but Dean feels proud for using his own hard earned money on it instead of pawning off of Sam.
When Dean points to the ring in the display, the red-headed saleswoman unlocks the box and hands it to him. Dean studies it thoughtfully even though he knows it's the one.
"I'll take it." He tell the saleswoman, who has the name Charlie printed on her name tag.
"Are you going to engrave something on it?" Charlie asks.
"Engrave?" Dean rubs the back of his neck.
"Yeah, something cheesy, like 'I love you more than I love my favorite fictional character'."
"Uh, yeah, sure. But I want it say," Dean pauses and thinks for a moment.
Dean stays up until 12:52am for Cas that night, but the front door stays closed. He holds the ring in his hand uncertainly, tracing the indentations on it with a finger, then gives up and stalks towards the bedroom. He flops down on the bed and places the ring carefully in the nightstand drawer before shutting the lamp off and clutching the blanket.
"Home before midnight, my ass." He mutters into the dark and faced Cas' side of the bed to pretend that Cas is there with him.
Dean dozes off a few minutes later, but jolts awake when he hears the front door creak open then close. There's the thud of Cas' briefcase falling to the floor carelessly, which means Cas had a bad day at work, but Dean, guilty as charged, can't find himself to feel pity.
The bedroom door cracks open quietly when the glowing clock reads 1:38am and Dean hears the soft unmistakable shuffle of Cas' footsteps. He peeks out from under the covers and Cas shuts the door, shrugging his trench coat off and letting it drop to the floor. He pulls the jacket off his arms and tosses it on the bed, where it lands atop Dean's exposed feet. Cas loosens the tie on his neck and throws it to the ground, kicking it over to the side. Then he unties his shoes and pulls his trousers down to his ankles, stepping out of both of them. His blue silk boxers are wrinkled, but Cas doesn't seem to care.
Dean watches Cas unbutton the cuffs on his wrists and then moving his nimble fingers swiftly down each button on his white shirt. Cas' bare chest reveals itself and Dean tightly closes his eyes, trying to keep his breathing at a normal pace so Cas won't know he's awake and a tad pissed.
There's the sounds of the shirt falling to the floor and Cas' leg hitting a chair as he clumsily makes his way towards the bed. Dean feels the mattress sink beneath him as Cas crawls onto Dean's side of the bed and then a kiss is pressed to his lips. Anger forgotten, Dean pulls Cas in closer, melting into his arms.
"My sincerest apologies, Dean. I was preoccupied with matters far less important than you." Cas murmurs against his lips, but Dean doesn't hear him.
The atmosphere goes from chaste to hot and heavy as Dean's tongue sneaks out to claim his prize. Dean licks Cas' mouth until it falls open in a gasp, and he rolls over on his back, tugging Cas with him. The duvet over Dean's legs somehow vanishes and Cas is kissing him back with the same fierceness. Dean runs his hands up and down Cas' thighs and Cas makes a low growling noise that goes straight to Dean's groin. Then Cas is straddling Dean's hips, knees on either side of Dean's chest, and tugs his hair, moving his mouth to Dean's neck where he leaves soft love bites on the sensitive skin.
"Mm," Dean moans when Cas lightly nips at the spot behind Dean's ear that makes his nails leave harsh, red lines in Cas' back. Cas bites his neck in return, and then runs his tongue over the mark to sooth it. He kisses a trail to Dean's mouth, and Dean gets a little too handsy, running his hands down Cas' back and massaging circles onto his ass while enjoying the feel of the crinkled silk beneath his fingertips. Cas' tongue is in his mouth, searching, exploring, and it's a filthily, wonderful sensation.
Dean rocks his hips up, slipping a hand in between their stomachs and under the elastic band of Cas' boxers. Cas pants against his mouth when Dean wraps his callused fingers around Cas' length and jerks him torturously slow, precome making every stroke a slick movement that almost makes Cas' eyes roll to the back of his head in pleasure. He mimics Dean's actions and they rut against one another gracelessly while moaning each other's names. Dean's free hand curls up in Cas' hair as they fix their gazes on each other, trading sweaty and sloppy kisses to every inch of skin they can reach with their lips until the only sound that fills the room is of desperateness and need.
Then they're both coming, Cas' stomach heaving when he finally does and Dean biting into the flesh of Cas' shoulder. Cas lets out a cry, eyes fluttering, and his body falls in a heap on top of Dean's. They sit still for a moment, coming down from their high, until their erratic breathing disappears, and Cas peppers kisses to Dean's chest, muttering words he can't understand, but Dean is happy otherwise.
Dean doesn't know when Cas got up or when he came back, but wakes up when he feels Cas wiping his hands and thighs with a warm cloth that he leaves discarded on the carpeted floor. Dean feels a chaste kiss pressed to his forehead before Cas reaches down to pull the strewn blanket over their bodies.
Cas lays down and squirms on the bed trying to get comfortable. Then he noses his head under Dean's outstretched arm and wraps his own limbs around Dean's waist. It's cozy and Dean finds himself starting to drift off until Cas shifts again to tuck his head between the junction of Dean's neck and shoulder. A mop of brown, fluffy hair tickles Dean's nose and Cas tugs himself closer to Dean's body. Dean grunts, and even though he likes Cas laying there next to him post-coital, he appreciates his space.
Cas' breathing becomes even and Dean almost falls asleep again. Then Cas is twisting around and he presses his back against Dean's chest for warmth. Dean eases his arms around Cas and cradles the man in his arms, resting his chin on top of Cas' head and closes his eyes again.
Cas is still for not even two minutes when he turns over once more, tangling one leg up with both of Dean's. Dean makes a noise of annoyance, but is too tired to care.
"Dean." Cas says softly. Dean pretends not to hear.
"Dean!" Cas whispers again, more urgently this time. He rolls on his side to face Dean and Dean turns on his back.
"Huh." He grunts.
"Deaaan." Cas drags out his name, crawling on top of Dean's chest and bringing a hand over to trace his nose.
"Dean?"
"Yeah, Cas?"
"What?" Cas asks, narrowing his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows.
"What?" Dean blinks sleepily.
"What? Dean."
"What?!" Dean grabs Cas' wrist.
"I love you." Cas says. Dean stares at him and Cas cocks his head to the side.
"Go to sleep, Cas." Dean finally answers and lets his arm go, remembering why he was upset in the first place. Cas frowns and lifts himself off Dean's chest, rolling over and curling up into a ball on the edge of his side of the bed. Dean can see Cas quivering, struggling to fight back tears.
Dean stares at Cas' back before reaching over to the nightstand and pulling the drawer open. He takes out the silver band that has I may not believe in God, but you answer my prayers engraved on it. Dean had a whole speech planned out in his mind, but there's nothing he could say now that Cas doesn't already know.
"Cas." Dean nudges him with his knee, ring in hand. Cas doesn't answer. Dean inches his way over to Cas and sets the band on the pillow in front of the man's face. Cas hesitates a for a few seconds before grabbing the ring eagerly and slipping it onto his finger. He holds his left hand up to his eyes and squints in the dark to read the engraving. Then Cas twists to face Dean with a shy smile on his face and Dean leans in to kiss him, slow and sweet.
"I love you too."
Author's Note:
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. Any similarity to real events is purely coincidental.
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" belongs to James Howell.