"Ooh a Hot Tamale. Is she my birthday present from you, Cassie?" Gabe's eyes travel from Charlie's crimson hair to her shiny blue painted toenails donned in yellow sunflower printed sandals.
Castiel can hear Gabriel open the front door from where he's setting up his iPod in the living room. He closes his eyes and silently apologizes to his friend that she's been exposed to Gabriel's harassment yet again.
"Ew, Gabe. Hey, Castiel!" The ever-confident Charlie ignores the derogatory words and steps inside from the front patio and sidesteps Gabriel, calling out to Castiel.
"Hey, Charlie." Castiel appears from the living room on the right. He smiles and pulls her into a hug, letting his hand tenderly linger on her waist.
"One day, char, one day." Gabriel shuts the front door, swivels on his heel and heads for the kitchen. Most likely trying to take a bite out of his birthday cake early.
"C'mon. You can change in my room." Castiel says laughing. His hand resting on Charlie's waist moves to grasp her hand. He leads her over to the carpeted stairs to walk them both up to his room.
As soon as the door is shut Charlie strips off her shirt. Something that was not unusual between them due to Castiel's preference of guys and Charlie's preference of girls. Not to mention the fact that they've been best friends since they were three and were just generally completely comfortable around each other.
"So, who's even coming to this shindig?" A perplexed expression flashes across her face as she tries to figure out the many strings on her sister, Anna's bathing suit.
"Same people as always. Family, family friends." Castiel ties the strings hanging on Charlie's neck as she crouches in front of him. "I don't know how many times I can thank you for coming to these stupid family parties for me." He thinks back a couple weeks when Charlie had come to his rescue at the family dinner where his brother Michael was introducing his new girlfriend. Being an attendee of the dinner, Charlie noticed the escalating anger and tension between Michael and his twin brother. Quickly she faked a stomachache, claiming Castiel was her only way home. Instead of having to be a witness of a full-blown family fight, Castiel and Charlie drove around their town laughing about nonsense and listening to vapid music.
"What would you do without me? How's it look?" She places a hand on her hip and pops it out.
"I'd probably just stay in here avoiding all social interaction, bored as hell." His eyes scan the pink polka dotted bandeau top and matching bikini bottoms. "Looks cute. But, double knot the bottom strings tighter. I guarantee Gabe will make an attempt to undo them."
Doing as he says she makes a second knot and pulls tight.
"All righty. All ready to go?"
Castiel looks down at his red polo shirt and black swim trunks, frowning at the ketchup stain from his breakfast earlier on his shirt. Not again. You're hopeless, Castiel. He pulls the shirt over his head and throws it in his laundry basket. He flashes a smile towards Charlie. "Yep."
"So, does this mean Dean's coming?" Charlie dips a toe into the pool water to test the temperature.
"Jess said Sam invited him. But who knows?" Castiel knew. He knew Dean would go to anything his little brother invited him to. Not too mention Dean had, on several occasions, commented on how Chuck, Castiel's father, made the "best damn burgers on Heaven and Earth." There was no way he would be missing a Novak barbeque.
"So, if you dated your sister's husband's brother would that be weird?" Charlie tilts her head up and stares off in thought. "If you guys got married that would make your sister your sister-in-law. Or would it? Damn, that's confusing."
"I don't-" Castiel began, but was cut off by his mother calling him.
"Castiel, did you get the ice like I asked?"
"Yes, mom. I already put it in the buckets in addition to the drinks."
A soft smile spreads across his mother's lips. "Thank you, Castiel. Now where's your little brother?"
"I've no idea. Probably near the candy bar." Castiel's head nods towards the sliding doors that lead to the inside of their house.
"Cassie, Char get in the pool." Alfie, Castiel's four-year-old brother, calls out to them from the shallow end of the pool.
Castiel walks over to a large bucket overflowing with pool toys, happy for the distraction from Dean. Dean, Castiel's childhood crush ever since his sister, Jess, had brought over her boyfriend and his brother to the weekly family dinner. Eyes quickly skimming the toys, he finds Alfie's favorite superhero. With a toss an Iron Man decorated floatie floats on wind before smacking onto the water. Castiel dives into the circle of the floatie and tows it over to Alfie. Immediately, Alfie attaches himself to Castiel's back, tiny fingers clinging to his chest. "To the deep end!"
Charlie laughs from the pool deck and finally lowers herself into the pool from the ladder.
That was the last few minutes of calm around the pool before the party start time arrived and people arrived in droves. The Novaks just couldn't resist a large blowout for any occasion, and luckily their house was large enough to accommodate many people.
"Can we get out of here? I'm sweating more than a hooker in a Church in here." Charlie sticks out her tongue in a pant for added emphasis.
"But there's so many people in the pool." Castiel pouts, his social anxiety presenting its control over him again.
"We can chill in the deep end. Its mostly children hanging out in the shallow end. Please?" Charlie flashes Castiel her ever persuasive smile.
Castiel looks out to the pool and sees younger cousins, siblings and only a couple parents floating around the stairs of the shallow end. He rolls his eyes and lets out a sigh. "Fine."
Charlie abruptly jumps out of the Jacuzzi, splashing water onto the pavement the couple step distance between diving board and Jacuzzi. She steps up on the diving board and does a rather graceful cannonball, water sloshing against the tiles on the side of the pool.
Slowly, Castiel rises from the Jacuzzi and lowers himself into the pool. Each inch that he lowered himself sent prickles of cold through the area of skin before acclimating to the new temperature, which was undeniably a much more comfortable temperature than the spa. After dunking his head in the water, he rises up with dripping hair. Through his hair he can see just the outline of the pool deck, his elbow finds a comfortable position on the side of the pool deck, keeping himself afloat in the water so he can push his wet hair back from his eyes.
Charlie swims over to him and mimics his position. "Oh, shit. Look who it is, Castiel. You're lover."
Castiel turns his head towards the sliding door. Sure enough Dean Winchester is entering his backyard.
Castiel groans, "He's not my lover. Ugh he's going to shamelessly flirt with me. Hide me." Castiel's eyes dart around the pool and found it would be rather difficult to be inconspicuous in a large body of clear water.
"Oh, psh. Like you don't love when he flirts with you. How long has this been going on anyways? And why are you two still not dating?"
"Um maybe because I'm 19 and he's 30. And maybe because his brother is married to my sister. And he's rude." Castiel keeps his head staring straight ahead in the opposite direction of where he had just seen Dean. Despite his words, Castiel was fully aware that Dean had only ever been too sweet to Cas aside from the joking.
"That's only eleven years. And well you guys wouldn't have to have two separate Christmases; it's all in the family then. That makes it sound weird…There is no actual relation between you two. And, Castiel, that's a lie he's really nice to you."
"Not when he's jokingly flirting with me."
"Hey, Cas." Castiel stills as he hears the voice from behind him. Slowly, he turns to find Dean bobbing up and down in the water, struggling to stay afloat.
Squinting his eyes, Castiel replies, "Hello, Dean." His eyes can't help but peer at Dean's chest. Despite being distorted by the waves of water, he can still clearly see the defined muscles. And damn his hair is wet and slicked back, and his eyelashes have tiny drops of water seemingly adhered to them shading bright green eyes. Something Castiel can't take his focus off of now. Dean blinks and the water droplets flutter off into the pool.
"Damn, you're looking fit. You been working out?" Dean reaches out and squeezes Castiel's bicep.
Quickly Castiel withdraws his arm away. The feel of Dean's hand on his arm is definitely welcome, but not when it's meant to embarrass Cas.
"Ew, Dean." Ducking his head under the water, Cas swims past a now smirking Dean.
Charlie shares a smile with Dean before following Castiel towards the shallow end of the pool.
"He does it just to get a rise out of me." Castiel drones on to Charlie, his eyes following Dean as he jumps out of the pool and walks over to the snack table. He thinks he could just sit there all day counting the freckles distinctly splayed across Dean's shoulders and back. Or perhaps count the number of drips of water dropping from his blue swim trunks onto the cement. He thinks he'll stick with counting ass cheeks. Two. And what a fine ass it is.
"I don't know. I think he genuinely likes you. You just give him the cold shoulder."
"I'm giving him the satisfaction he gets from taunting me. I need to not."
"Deannie!"
"Oh no." Castiel groans for the second time today.
"Who's that?" Charlie nods to the pretty brunette briskly walking over to the snack table.
"Bela."
"The one that tormented you throughout junior high?"
"Yes."
"Why is she here?"
"She's still one of Jessica's friends." The corners of Castiel's mouth draw down as he watches Bela stroking Dean's still glistening wet muscly arms. Faintly Justin Bieber's That Should Be Me starts playing in his head. "I'm betting they sleep together today."
"At a kid's party?"
"Oh she's shameless. She slept with my cousin at Jess's graduation. Did not need to hear those details from him the day after."
"Damn. You better make a move fast, Castiel. She's gunna take your man."
"She's closer in age to him. They'd make a decent couple." Castiel can feel his stomach twist in envy as he watches Bela share a pool chair with Dean. He clears his throat, "Are you hungry?"
Charlie gives Castiel a sympathetic look as she saw his expression. "Yeah, let's go get some hot dogs."
They clamber up the steps to the food table.
Splurt. Ketchup sputters out of the bottle onto Castiel's hotdog and fries.
"So, that's how you ended up with a ketchup stain earlier." Charlie laughs, handing him a napkin.
"Hot dogs are bland without ketchup. It's not my fault the bottles are faulty. Dr. Pepper?"
Charlie nods and Castiel goes further down the line of tables to the beverage table. Reaching out to grab two cups, Castiel's hand meets with another, rough hand. Keeping his hand there for just a few seconds too long, he finally pulls his hand back.
"Here you go." Dean smiles handing him two cups.
"Thank you." Castiel grabs the Dr. Pepper bottle and starts pouring it in the red plastic cups. "Are you having fun with Bela?"
"Yeah, but between you and me she's a little handsy. Not sure I'm really into the whole PDA thing, you know?"
Castiel laughs, remembering Dean bringing Lisa, a former girlfriend, to a family gathering and them being all over each other. "If I'm not mistaken you usually reject her."
"Eh, I wasn't ever really feeling it with her before, but I don't know we've been talking recently…Is it weird to go out with your little brother's friends?"
"I wouldn't know. My closest younger sibling is twelve. That would be illegal…Wait is that why you usually stop her advances? You think it's weird to date your brother's acquaintances?"
"I mean there's one I've thought of making that exception for, but that's never really panned out. I'm not having any other luck right now, might as well make an attempt with Bela, right?"
"Yeah, you never know, you might make a really great couple."
"Well I better go bring her this lemonade. Good talking to you, Cas."
"Yeah, same to you, Dean."
"Where is my bubbly sugary drink?" Charlie bounces over to Cas, grabbing the cup waiting on the light blue tablecloth. She takes a sip. "Mmm. Where are we going to sit?"
"Ugh, did you see his toned muscles? I could just lick him up and down." Castiel is no longer pretending to dislike Dean in the safety of just Charlie's presence. He had mentioned his crush to Charlie several times. And after every conversation he had with Dean he would immediately text Charlie gushing about him, and this was no different.
"Castiel, buddy, you need to tap that."
"Charlie, if he were down, the things I would do to him…" Castiel lies back onto his bed looking up at the ceiling.
"So, why not go after him?" Charlie throws a dorito into her mouth and crunches on it.
"There's so many reasons. Firstly, he wouldn't want me. Secondly there's over a ten year difference. Thirdly his brother is married to my sister."
"Castiel, we've been over this. You're 19, he's 30. You're both adults. Do either of you really give a shit that your siblings are in-laws? And you know he wants you, stop saying that. I saw you two looking all gooey eyed at each other."
"He did mention he had liked one of Sam's acquaintances but I'm not really an acquaintance, I'm his brother-in-law. Who was it then?"
"He was talking about you dumbass. Who else would he be talking about? He was trying to tell you to go after him."
"Even if he was-"
"I don't want to hear it Castiel. Tomorrow we enact a plan for you to get Dean Winchester. And when you two are having your engagement party I full expect you to thank me for getting you two together."
"You don't even know if it's going to work. In fact, you don't even have a plan."
"I will, tomorrow. For now, we watch a movie, because I am exhausted."
"What movie should we watch?" Castiel rolls off his bed and browses his wall of DVDs. He dumps a handful of DVDs onto the floor in front of his bed.
Leaning over the edge of the bed, Charlie inspects the DVDs.
"Hmm. Winter Soldier. You can never go wrong with Scarlett Johansson."
Castiel pops the DVD out of its case and pushes it into his PlayStation. He takes a deep breath thankful that in the safety of his room they were away from the commotion of Gabe opening his presents.
"Shit my controller is in the guest room." Castiel gets up from his cross-legged position to go through the joined bathroom.
He searches for where Gabriel had hid it from him. For some reason this was a weekly occurrence of Gabriel stealing all of Castiel's controllers and remotes and scattering them around the empty guest room next door to him.
He bends down to check under the bed. He scoots farther under the king sized bed, thinking he saw the outline of the blue controller. As he was reaching out to grab it, he hears the door open and watches two sets of feet walk into the room and then disappear above the bed.
"Ah Dean, fuck." He hears Bela's voice followed by a moan. Moans and the sounds of clothing being taken off freeze Castiel to where he is hidden under the bed. His eyes slowly look up as he sees the bed dipping down and then going back up again.
His mouth forms an "Ew", but nothing comes out. He knows he has to get the fuck out of there. Slithering out from under the bed, he snakes his way to the bathroom door. In the darkness of the bathroom he opens the door to his bedroom and crawls in before shutting the door silently behind him.
"Oh God, Charlie. Fucking. Traumatized." Castiel takes a headfirst dive into his bed.
"Cas, what happened?" Charlie's voice oozes with concern for her friend currently groaning into the comforter.
"Dean. Bela. Fucking."
Charlie's eyes go wide. "You saw them having sex?"
Castiel nods his head in the bedding.
"Damn, this puts a little kink in our plan doesn't it?"
