Dean parked the Impala on the parking in front of Grantsburg police station, where the car Sam came with was. They had chosen the same case by accident and meeting each other again so soon after their last break-up just made them feel awkward.
Dean turned the engine off and opened his mouth before closing it quickly. Sam seemed to wait a few seconds by courtesy, then he said:
- I'll send you a postcard.
- Yeah.
Sam got out of the Impala as Dean kept his gaze locked on the windshield. When his younger brother walked away whithout turning back, he gave in and jumped out of his seat.
- Hey !
Sam made a few more steps; he was hesitating to ignore Dean and run as far as possible from him. Finally, he stopped and turned around, his brow furrowed.
- Listen, that night where uh, where we... went on separate ways, began the elder, his hands tucked in his pockets as if to hide his disarray.
- You mean, that night where you fled ?
Dean stayed quiet for a moment, his jaw hanging, before swallowing the acid remark with an usual shrug.
- ... Fair enough. I was messed up. Kevin was dead and... I don't know what I was.
Sam nodded but did nothing else to encourage him to continue so he went on:
- Hell, maybe I still don't. But, uh... I know I took a piece of you in the process and for that... (He was shifting from one foot to the other, aware that his sentences were loosing coherence.) Someone changed the rules, man, you know ! What was right is wrong, and what's wrong is more wrong... I just know that when we work together...
- We split the crappiness.
Dean looked at him, grateful, and nodded.
- Yeah. So...
He wasn't brave enough to look into his little brother's eyes. In a completely different context, Sam would have laughed out loud; he looked like a shy teenager trying to ask the girl of his dreams to go with him to prom, but the moment, the times, didn't belong to laughter and carelessness.
- Ok.
Dean lifted his head, glad he had been able to read between the lines.
- Ok.
- Something's broken here, Dean !
- I know, I'm not saying that it's not- just saying that maybe we can put this stuff aside and go on-
- I don't think so. No, I wish, but... We don't see things the same way anymore. Our roles in this all thing.
Dean blinked several times in a row, puzzled.
- Back in that church ? Talking me out of boarding up Hell ? Or-or tricking me into letting Gadriel possess me ? I can't trust you ! Not the way I thought I could. Not the way I should be able to.
If it was still possible, Dean's heart broke. "That's it, he thought, I lost my own brother's trust." He let out a small laughter without joy, his emerald eyes filled with the tears he was trying to keep inside.
- Ok, look, whatever happened, we're family. Ok ?
- You say that like it's some sort of cure-all, like it can change the fact that everything that has ever gone wrong between us is because we're family !
- So what, we're not family now ?
- You wanna work ? Let's work. If you wanna be brothers... ?
Sam's lips pinched in a very eloquent wince. Dean couldn't believe his ears.
- Those are my terms: no more lies and before killing anyone or anything, we talk first !
- ... Ok.
Sam got back in the Impala, leaving there the car he had stolen anyway. Dean joined him after he had passed a hand on his undone face.
They didn't speak a word during the return back. Once they had arrived to the bunker, they took their bags out of the car and entered the underground complex, welcomed by Castiel:
- Hello, Sam. Dean ?! he exclaimed when he saw him behind his brother's imposing silhouette.
- Hey, Cass, Dean answered with a glint in his eyes.
The angel's interrogative gaze passed from one to the other, but Sam disappeared quickly into his room, letting them know tacitly he wasn't in the mood for a couple therapy lead by Castiel. Dean watched him leave then put his stuff down on the wooden table to go and grab a beer in the kitchen. He came back into the main room and sat across from Castiel, who was observing him, his hands laying flat on the board.
- So... Are Sam and you reconciled ?
Dean laughed slightly.
- We work together again, but according to him, we're not brothers anymore...
Castiel seemed not to understand until he took it in the figurative sense.
- I see. He will forgive you, eventually.
- I don't think so, I wouldn't, if I were him.
- But you did forgive me, said Castiel in a surprisingly comforting voice.
Dean stared at the angel's hand, which was resting on his. He threw a cautious glance to Castiel, and only met two big sapphire eyes that were overflowing with indulgence and...
- Sorry, apologized Castiel taking his hand off of him, I forgot to respect your "personal space".
- Nothing.
The hunter was drinking his beer whithout being able to look away from the angel, who was still staring at him with an innocent smile on his broad lips. Sam arrived at this point and cleared his throat. They should have stayed staring at each other for longer than they had acknowledged; his long brown hair was dripping from the shower he had just taken and he said while drying them:
- Castiel, did you get anything on Gadriel or Metatron ?
- No, unfortunately. The angels factions seemed to have stopped fighting, everything is quiet. Too quiet. I thought that we could maybe find in the Men of Letter's archives some spell to summon an angel as we do for demons...
- Ok, so let's do it, Sam said before going into their giant library to take a pile of manuscripts.
Dean and Castiel did the same and they all worked until late in the evening, whithout finding anything.
Desperate, they settled in front of the TV with beers and sandwiches and watched the first program they found; a soap opera. Indeed, Valentine's Day would be next day and all channels were flooded with them.
Castiel, sitting next to Dean whereas Sam was sitting astride a chair, suddenly asked:
- What is "Valentine's Day" ?
The boys looked at him, astonished. Sam giggled:
- Wait, you're serious ?
- Of course I am. You humans have so many cultural feasts and various motives of celebration that I can't all remember them, he argued, embarrassed by his ignorance.
- It's the lovers feast, explained Dean. Normally, a girl offers chocolates to her crush and if the guy accepts them, it means that her love is reciprocal.
Castiel nodded, looking like he had sunk in his thoughts for a few minutes. All at once, he got up and smoothed his trenchcoat before annoucing:
- I'll investigate on my side.
- Ok, Castiel. Don't forget to keep an ear on radio-angel, Sam replied with a delay time.
- I always do.
He vanished in a wings flutter.
Dean and Sam remained silent. They watched the news, then Dean, exhausted, decided to go to bed. The hunter let himself drop on his memory-foam mattress, sighing:
- Damn, I missed you.
He took his pants and shirt off and fell asleep almost imediately.
In the middle of the night, when all the bunker was immersed in silence and darkness, Castiel appeared in Dean's bedroom and observed him for a while, a package in his hands. His gaze started by studying the hunter's relaxed face before following the profound line which was forming his spine down to the small of the back. There, his round cheeks were sloping gently upwards, then going down abruptly onto his muscled and thin-hair covered thighs. The sleeping silhouette of this man was definetely the most beautiful landscape the angel had ever witnessed.
He laid the packet whithout a noise on the bedside table, just between the lamp and his cell phone, then disappeared.
The next day, when Dean woke up, the first thing he saw was a light green rectangle a few inches from his face. He rolled on his side, groaning, still sleepy. He didn't want to wake up, he wanted to sleep forever. Sleep was so much better than death...
But his thoughts regained a sense and a form; this object wasn't there when he fell asleep last night, he was sure about it. So he sat at the side of his bed and opened the package, curious.
It was a box of cherry dark chocolates.
Dean frowned. Where did they come from ? They sure as hell couldn't come from Sam, so...
The solution hit him hard.
A wide smile burst on his lips and he didn't even try to hide his cheerfulness during the whole day he spent with Sam on research. He kept the box in the inside pocket of his jacket to hide it from his brother's inquisitive looks.
In the afternoon, Dean went out to buy some food for the supper, and when he came back with two bags full of supplies, he saw Castiel and Sam discussing in the living room. The angel avoided his look which confirmed his hypothesis. He put away everything he bought and joined them, sipping a beer.
- I don't know if that spell will work, Sam said, after all he's never been tested...
- It's our only chance to find Gadriel, Castiel answered, we have to try.
Dean took the box of chocolates out of his vest nonchalantly. Castiel freezed. Neither of them was listening to Sam anymore.
The hunter locked his green eyes on Castiel's while deposing a chocolate on his tongue, slowly. He savored the sweet and sour taste which was numbing his mouth and closed his eyes in a pleasure moan.
- Hey dudes, are you listening to me ? And Dean who gave you these chocolates ? Sam asked, slightly upset by their lack of attention.
- A very hot girl at the store, he answered with a smirk towards the angel whose breathing sped up.
- I see. And we, we were working while you were busy flirting, complained Sam.
He ate another chocolate, and Castiel couldn't stop staring at Dean's corners of mouth, browned by chocolate. He never thought he would find it attractive, but on him, it was. Occasionally, the hunter would throw him a seductive glance and his eyes would sparkle with mischief.
Castiel couldn't take it anymore. He was almost sure his whole body was shaking.
- Alright, I'll get those ingredients, but I don't know how much time it will take me to.
- Ok, Cass, see you.
Just before taking off, he saw Dean wink at him.
- He was acting strange, wasn't he ? Sam asked his brother.
- No, I don't think so, Dean answered, eating a third chocolate.
- And stop eating these, or you'll get an indigestion !
The elder raised his hands innocently and closed the box.
The rest of the afternoon passed slowly, too slowly for Dean. He was hoping that Castiel would visit him in his bedroom that night. "God, did that sound wrong..." the hunter mentally realised. He was gradually coming down his cloud nine, seized by doubts and anxieties which were dragging him back to the sad reality. Castiel couldn't love him ? He was the last man on earth to deserve such a devotion ! Besides, he was an angel. Well, he was an angel again, and he still didn't know how. And it was presaging nothing good...
But was there really another way to interpret the box of chocolates, especially after their talk from last night ? No. Suddenly, he remembered Balthazar's words: " Sorry, you have me confused with the other angel. You know, the one in the dirty trench coat who's in love with you ?". At that time, he thought the angel was only mocking him but the recent events tended to prove the opposite...
During the supper he had cooked lost in his thought, he kept quiet. Sam looked at him every now and then, a bit worried, but he didn't talk to him, either because he was still too pissed after him or because he knew what was going on.
They cleaned up the table and the dishes before saying "good night". Dean lay down on his bed, his arms crossed behind his head, feeling impatient and reluctant at the same time. When he was about to fall asleep, he heard a wings rustling. He turned the lamp on and found Castiel, standing motionless, his mouth slightly opened.
- Dean.
- Cass.
Dean got up and approached him.
- I... I don't know how to decipher your behaviour. You ate the chocolates in front of me, in a more than suggestive way, but... I don't now... I can't believe it, you have never...
The angel shrugged, speechless.
- I know. I've never shown you openly the least bit of affection, because I'm not like that. But... you count a lot for me. Like I already told you - and don't get used to it - : I need you.
Castiel's face lighted up like a sun and Dean found himself smiling too; he never thought his pitiful speech would have made him so happy.
The blue and green eyes left each other and fluttered absentmindedly towards the adverse lips. They kissed and fireworks seemed to explode beneath their closed eyelids. Pushed by a too long retained desire, they fell on the bed and pursued there their mutual exploration.
- Dean, I think I'm beginning to get what love is, Castiel murmured in his low voice, stroking the hunter's face.
- Me too, Dean answered, attracting the angel to him.
Their passionate kisses continued while Dean was taking his trenchcoat off with his free hand. Castiel in turn took off his shirt and T-shirt. Then he remained simply seated, straddling him, and ran his finger on his haled chest. He wanted to know everything about Dean, he wanted to count all his beauty spots, all his freckles, all his scars.
And Dean was watching him with stars in his eyes and a beam on his lips. Just the vision of Castiel sitting on his crotch would have been enough to bring him to seventh heaven if he didn't have more control. He felt like life had kicked him in the knee before offering him the most delicious pie.
But suddenly, the angel's gaze went left and he grabbed his forearm with his iron fist.
- Dean... What is this ?
The look on his face let him think that he already knew the answer.
- Oh, Cain gave me the Mark so I can use the First Blade to kill Abbadon.
The angel tightened his grip and could have break his bones if Dean had not let out a low-pitched whine.
- You idiot... Do you have any idea of the burden that comes with that mark ? asked Castiel angrily, yet stroking softly the arm he had hurt.
- All I know, is we have to kill Abbadon before she finds out a way to free Lucifer from the Cage, and incidentally, kill Gadriel, Metatron, Crowley, etcetera...
- Dean, that mark also endows you with immortality. Whoever tries to kill you will suffer seven times the same treatment according to the Bible.
Dean raised his eyebrows, surprised, then a wicked smile crossed his face.
- In this case, we are two to be immortal... And we have an eternity to fully understand love...
Castiel frowned.
- Love, maybe, but I think I will never understand you.
- That's part of my charm.
They laughed, but the game was over. Neither of them was ready to go further, so they just lay next to each other, entwined.
Both of them knew a lot more than what they dared to tell, and they could sense the future wasn't going to be good; after all, he was a Winchester, and he, a broken angel who had fallen for a mortal.
But that night, squeezed against each other, they felt like they could run the world.
I hope you liked it ! English is not my mother tongue, so if you did find any mistake let me know :-)