Are we?
Pairing:Dean Winchester/Castiel
Rating:M
Summary:Dean realises something shocking…
Disclaimer:I don't own any of the characters or character histories or places or anything except my own plot. I do not make a profit from these stories. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N: Working over Christmas sucks, I wrote this during my lunch break. Unbeta'd
It was a long day, what had started out as a simple hunt for a male djinn two towns over, had turned out to be a hunt for a whole family of monsters. Killing the male had been easy, but then facing not only the pissed off wife but also, four aggressive teenagers, had put them in a really tight spot. Luckily they had escaped with no injuries apart from a twisted ankle for Dean.
Now Dean finds himself on the couch in the bunker, his muscles aching from the adrenaline rush and his throbbing foot propped up on the table. Usually the drive back to the bunker brings him down from the high that killing a monster brings, but this time the trip was too short. He's had a shower to wash the disgusting djinn juice off himself and he is wrapped in his favourite robe, the one Sammy still insists on calling a 'dead guy robe'. Sam is in the kitchen, having graciously offered to make them burgers and Castiel is in the shower. Or so Dean thought. The mentioned ex-angel enters the room and leans against the back of the couch.
"Hey Cas, how are you feeling?" Dean asks, noting that his friend in dressed in a borrowed pair of his jeans and a faded AC/DC shirt that has been travelling with them since Dean was a teenager.
"I am… exhausted". The blue eyed man says as he settles himself on the couch next to Dean.
"I'm sorry man; some hunts can really take it out of you". Dean pats Cas' knee and the ex-angel leans into him, resting his head on the hunter's shoulder.
"I never realised that hunting would be this hard for humans, I can barely move without pain". Castiel mumbles sleepily.
"You are going to feel it tomorrow, trust me".
"It's going to get worse?" The blue eyes look up into green ones and Dean nods.
"It's going to the much worse, yes". The smaller man groans and buries his face in Dean's neck. The hunter smiles at him, memories drifting up in his mind.
The first few weeks after losing his grace the angel had struggled to make his way to the bunker and had arrived in a horrible state. His hair and beard long, his clothes filthy and all of him smelling like he'd spent a couple of nights in a dumpster, which as it turned out he had actually done. Dean's instincts had immediately kicked in and he'd taken up the role of caretaker for his friend. Having Castiel in the bunker had been like having a little brother again. Dean had spent a considerable amount of time teaching the angel how to be a normal human. Of course it wasn't all fun, things like bathing and eating regularly drove Dean up the wall since the ex-angel hardly regarded them as vital activities. Shaving had turned out to be greatest frustration; no matter how many times Dean showed his friend how it worked, the man always ended up looking like he'd been shaved by an angry werewolf. Dean had taken up assisting his friend with most of these mundane acts and they had grown incredibly comfortable with one another. So comfortable in fact that Dean had found himself excited to get up in the morning to help his friend shave, the two of them crowded in his tiny bathroom. Their sleeping situation had also turned out to be a problem, only two of the bedrooms had been cleared of files and artefacts, which resulted in the ex-angel sleeping on the couch. When he had started rising in the morning with groans and complaints of back pain it had seemed like a simple idea to Dean to offer his friend a spot in his bed; until they could clear out a room and buy a bed for him of course.
"Cas?" Dean frowns, his nostalgia broken by a thick nasal snore coming from the man leaning on his shoulder. Dean twists his head and notes that his friend is fast asleep.
"Hey, Castiel, wake up". Dean whispers but only gets a further groan from his friend. Dean sighs, clearly Castiel crashed very hard after the hunt and there is no way to get him awake now.
'I suppose I could carry him to bed' Dean thinks before remembering his busted ankle. He sighs again and reaches his arms around his friend.
"If I can't get you to the bed right now, at least I can get you to be a bit more comfortable". He mumbles as he pulls his unconscious friend into his lap. Castiel sighs in his sleep and bunches a handful of robe in his hands. Dean smiles down at him, slight stubble has grown on his face and Dean gently rubs his hand over it, feeling the hard bristles scratching his fingers.
Sam enters the room and clears his throat; Dean looks up from his ministrations and beams at the burger and beer his brother is carrying.
"Oh man, that is going to go down well". He takes the proffered plate from his brother, placing it on the arm rest of the couch before tucking the beer next to his thigh.
"I assume that Castiel will not be eating his burger now?" Sam asks, gesturing to the bundle on Dean's lap.
"Don't think he is going to be up any time soon". Dean says, absentmindedly running hands though the sleeping man's hair. Sam gives him a look that would almost be considered the bitch-face if it wasn't tinged with something Dean hasn't seen before heading back to the kitchen.
The burger tastes like pure heaven, the bacon and cheese and beef all perfectly prepared. By the time Sam returns with his own burger, minus the bacon of course, Dean has already consumed half of his own, carefully eating so as not to disturb his friend. Sam nods at him and pops open his laptop, he frowns as he looks at the screen.
"Seriously, Dean?" The full bitch-face turned on now.
"What?" Sam turns the laptop in his direction to show barely clad animated girls on the screen, several other tabs are open to similar sites.
"You could at least close them".
"Sorry, Sammy, I guess I forgot". Dean feels a blush form on his cheeks as he slips the last piece of burger into his mouth and passes the plate to the side table. His brother is browsing the internet in silence, still grumpy about the anime. Dean looks down at his lap full of Castiel, carefully reaching out to wipe a strand of hair out of his face.
This is when the realisation strikes, hitting harder than any monster has ever hit him before. He feels his eyes widen and the burger threatens to reappear as the thought sinks in. His heart races and blood pumps in his ears causing an almost deafening din. He looks around the room, as though wondering if some external force is causing it, but it's only the three of them in the room. His mouth goes dry and his palms clammy. He clears his throat thickly, hoping to get Sam's attention, to no avail.
"Sam?" Again, his younger brother does not seem to hear him, or perhaps he is ignoring him in favour of whatever is on the screen.
"Sammy?" Dean can hear the panic in his own voice, and he is sure that Sam can also as the long haired man looks up with concern.
"Yes Dean?" The older Winchester feels his courage give out.
"Never mind". Dean looks away from his brother as the younger one arches an eyebrow at him.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's not important". Dean blushes and looks down at his friend, only to find the blush deepening.
"It's obviously important or else you wouldn't be have asked… or looked like you are about to faint". Sam's full attention is focussed on Dean now. Dean takes a deep breath, steeling himself to ask the weirdest question he has ever asked.
"Do you think that, I mean… Cas and I…" Sam frowns at his brother; clearly he isn't making any sense.
"Come on Dean, spit it out". Sam is obviously amused by his anguish, which Dean fully intends on getting him back for.
"Are Cas and I dating?" Silence falls in the room, louder than the blood pulsing through Dean's ears.
"What?" Sam asks, as though he thinks Dean has suddenly lost all his mental capacities.
"Forget it, it was a stupid question". Dean turns away from his brother and can almost feel Sam's face soften even though he isn't looking at him.
"Sorry Dean, I wasn't being insensitive" Sam says and Dean looks back at him, "I'm just, shocked".
"Why?" Dean asks.
"It's just; did you really not know you were together?" Sam asks, the laptop completely forgotten.
"No…" Dean stares at his brother, who seems incredibly calm considering the huge revelation.
"Seriously Dean, with all the eye sex you two have been having over the years I am surprised you haven't realised this sooner".
"We don't have eye sex". Dean is incredulous at the insinuation.
'Or any kind of sex now that we are mentioning things we don't do' Dean pales when the thought slips into his mind. Sam is observing him, an amused smile on his face.
"Sure you don't". They are silent for some time, staring one another down. It is Dean who finally gives in.
"So, what do I do with this information?"
"Whatever you want Dean, it has been clear since day one that you are in love with Castiel, the only thing that has kept you back is the fact that he has a male vessel, but considering the amount of yaoi you try to hide behind regular hentai, I don't think that would be a problem right?"
"I don't…" Dean's denial is cut off.
"Dean, I know, you do use my laptop after all, and you never clear the history".
"Shit".
The man stirs in his lap and Dean looks down at sleepy blue eyes.
"Dean, are you guys fighting again?"
"No Cas, we are just talking". Dean has the almost uncontrollable urge to kiss his friend, those lips begging to be caressed by his own. He looks up at Sam and the younger Winchester gives him a nod. Letting out a breath he had not realised he was holding he leans down, pressing his lips against Castiel's. The ex-angel lets out a low moan, bringing his hand up to hold the hunter's head as they deepen the kiss. Dean feels like his lips are on fire, his skin burning and his heart thundering in his chest. He breaks the kiss and sees his surprised friend beneath him. Dean looks up; Sam vanished sometime during the kiss.
"Dean?"
"Hi Cas". Dean says sheepishly.
"What was that?"
"I think that was me letting you know that I… that I love you". Dean has never spoken those words to anyone before and the panic he felt earlier seizes him again. The blue eyed man pulls him down for another kiss, much quicker but more passionate than the first.
"Good, now I can let you know that I love you too".