It was one of those days when the last place anyone wanted to be was at a coffee shop.

The weather was scorching hot outside and everyone was either swimming in the local pool or lying on the couch in their air-conditioned house.

Not Castiel Novak though. Castiel was forced to work a 9-5 shift. He'd somehow managed to keep himself busy; wiping down the tables and chairs seven times just to be safe. Though, by the time midday rolled around, Cas had only had one customer and he was certain he was going to steer into insanity if he kept up his current rate of boredom. At least he had the air-con to be thankful for. He sighed, propping himself up on the counter and pulling his phone out to commence a game of solitaire.

He'd only been playing for two minutes when he heard the shop door open and felt a blast of hot air leak through. He spun around – perhaps a bit too excitingly – just glad to finally have a customer.

What was perhaps even a greater shock than the sudden burst of hot air that rushed in was – well, he was sorry to have to put it this way – the hot man that walked so confidently into the shop. He was flanked by a tall man who went and sat at the tables while the attractive one came over to the counter and Cas found himself gaping like a teenage girl.

"Two ice coffees." The man said assertively, leaning his elbow on the counter.

Cas nodded, spinning away from the man because he knew if he stared at those freckle dusted cheeks for any longer, he would never be able to look away. He began to make their drinks. "You two must be pretty crazy to be out in weather like this." Castiel was a pretty shy guy and didn't usually spark conversation with his customers. At this point though, Castiel was pretty desperate for company. "What's bought you two out?"

The stranger shrugged and Cas noticed he was wearing a leather jacket despite the heat. He wasn't complaining though because – damn – that jacket sure did compliment the man's muscles. "Roadtripping. Don't exactly have much choice." And, damn it Castiel, stop looking at his muscles.

"Oh, right." Cas swallowed, focusing on making the drinks instead of staring at the attractive man. "Where you headed?"

"Virginia. So still a few states away." Castiel could see how unbothered the man was about the days driving he still had ahead of him and wondered how regularly he went on roadtrips like this. "I tell you, sharing a car with my giant of a brother over there on a stinking hot day like this is not pleasant." The man chuckled and Cas looked over at his brother who currently seemed pretty occupied in gazing out the window.

"Eh, I cannot imagine anything worse." Castiel shivered melodramatically. "I congratulate you. I'd never have the balls to brave a roadtrip with any of my brothers." He'd made the drinks now and slid them across the counter. "There you go."

The man looked over at his brother and then back at Cas with a smile, "Suppose he's family. He's all I've got." He picked up the drinks. "I'll be right back." He took his brother's drink over to him before returning, shuffling his hand awkwardly around in his jean pocket. "So – Castiel-" He nodded towards the name tag, "How much do I owe you?"

Castiel looked stupidly down at his name tag and then back up at the man. "Oh – um – don't worry about it. Honestly, it's on me."

"Oh, come on. I'm not letting a pretty boy like you give me iced coffee and not even give him a tip." He slid a ten dollar bill across the counter, "Spend that wisely, 'kay?"

Castiel hesitated, contemplating disputing but instead just reaching shyly out and taking the bill from the stranger. "Um, thank you."

The man was leaning heavily on the counter now, his eyes locked so firmly on Cas. And – oh damn – Cas could smell him. He smelt of leather and, jesus, it was hot. "Hey, so we're staying in town for the night. How would you feel about coming out for a drink with me, Castiel?"

Cas' eyes widened and he felt himself blush heavily as a result. "Really? You'd like that? I mean-" He shook his head, "I don't even know your name."

The man chuckled, pulling away from the counter and standing straight. Cas instantly missed his smell. "Dean. Dean Winchester."

Cas nodded, still aware that he was probably blushing as bright as a tomato by this point. "Okay. Alright." A smile broke across his face. "Well, in that case, I would love to accompany you tonight Dean."

"Great!" Dean mirrored his grin. "Sammy and I better be heading off now." He held his iced coffee up in a sign of gratitude, "See you tonight? Malcolm's at 10?"

"Yeah, sure thing." Castiel smiled, the excitement so evident in his face and, well, his cheeks. "And – thank you, Dean."

Dean batted him off, "Yeah, whatever. See you tonight pretty boy."

Castiel had never been one to dress up nice and make himself look all pretty but, well, he'd be a liar if he said that he didn't stand in front of the mirror for a good half an hour when he returned home from work. He frowned at what he saw and wondered what on earth it was that Dean saw.

He chose not to worry about it though and buttoned a clean shirt on to himself. He even went as far as to spray himself with perfume. Yes, perfume. Fucking men's perfume. That was so gay. Well, he was gay. So he supposed it appropriate.

Boy, when Cas saw that dark impala pull up outside the pub, he had never known such relief as that felt in that moment.

"You came." Was the first thing he said to Dean and cursed himself instantly, realizing what a horrible thing that had been to say, in more ways than one.

"Of course I did, idiot." Dean chuckled. He was still dressed in the same acquire he'd been wearing in the coffee shop but Castiel didn't mind.

Dean led Cas into the pub, taking his hand as he escorted him towards the bar. Cas smiled, happily allowing Dean to lead him through the crowded and sweaty bodies. Dean leaned over the bar, retrieving the bartender's attention before looking back at Cas. "What do you drink?"

Cas chuckled nervously, "Ah, coffee?" Again, he kicked himself. Why did he even try to joke? It was pathetic. The only person who ever laughed as his jokes was himself. "I mean, I don't really drink alcohol. So, surprise me."

Dean ordered them two drinks before looking at Cas and raising his eyebrow, "Wait, how old are you?"

Castiel shuffled awkwardly on his chair, his hand still held loosely in Dean's. "Um, twenty four. Why? How old are you?"

"Twenty-six." Dean shrugged. "Hey, at least this is legal. I was worried for a moment then that I'd bought an underage into a pub."

Castiel scrunched his nose in disgust. "Ew. An older man? That's revolting."

Dean chuckled and Cas noticed how he squeezed his hand slightly when he did. "You're funny, Cas."

"Oh yeah, comedian material right here." Cas rolled his eyes.

The bartender slid their drinks over the counter and Cas began to nervously sip on his beer. Dean suddenly turned so his whole body was facing Cas. "Okay, so I just need you to know that I'm going to be leaving again in the morning. I mean, I can take your number or something if you want. And we can save the sex part until later on tonight; we'll just drink for now if that's what you want."

Castiel almost choked on his drink. "What? Are you telling me this is a one-night stand?" He couldn't hide the anger in his voice. Castiel never got angry and it scared him that he was now. He didn't give Dean time to answer before he practically shouted, "And who are you to assume that I want to have sex with you? You give me a ten dollar bill at the shop and expect me to just follow you obediently like a fucking puppy? Your little play toy to give you sex or what else you goddamn want? You know what, screw you Dean!"

"Hey – Cas, no." Dean rested both his palms on Cas' knees, practically pinning him to the chair and making him look him in the eye. Damn it, those green eyes were so gorgeous. "That's not what I mean. I don't want this to be a one-night stand. I really don't. But, with my lifestyle, I don't exactly have much choice." He sighed, looking down at his lap, "We don't have to do anything tonight, okay? Here-" He reached over and grabbed a napkin, scribbling his number down on it. "I'll come back through here at some point, and maybe we can get into contact then?"

Cas ran his fingers thoughtfully over the edges of the inked napkin before eventually looking back up at Dean with sad eyes. "I like you Dean. A lot. I'm sorry I reacted like that. It's just, I don't want to have a great time with you tonight, to have you love me and touch me and then to say goodbye like it all meant nothing. I'm sorry, I just don't have the emotional strength to do that to myself."

Dean smiled sadly, "I understand. Trust me, I do." He sighed, picking the napkin back up and burying it in Cas' shirt pocket, "Look, keep that, okay? And you give me a call whenever you want. Maybe we can just start by talking on the phone, yeah?"

Cas nodded, patting the napkin against his chest and offering Dean a warm smile. He had never known a man to be so genuine, so loving and so…well, attractive, as the man before him. "Thank you, Dean." He paused before looking up at Dean with blushed cheeks, "Is this….is this an appropriate time to kiss you?"

Dean chuckled, "Now is as good as any other time."

"Good." Cas nodded, trying to settle his nerves as he pressed his hand to Dean's chest and closed the distance between them. Their lips slotted together so naturally and Cas was whimpering within seconds. He broke away pretty quickly but missed the warmth of Dean's wet lips on his as soon as he did.

"That was….nice." He smiled awkwardly.

Dean laughed, running his tongue over his lips. "You don't do this much do you?"

"Is it that obvious?" Cas winced.

Dean just laughed harder, reaching forward and pinching Cas' rosy cheeks between his fingers, "Yeah, your constant blushing gives it away a little bit."

This, of course, just made Cas blush even harder. He pouted melodramatically at Dean but didn't even bother arguing because he was still drowning in the ecstasy from having those sweet lips on his. He couldn't help wondering what it would feel like to have them on other parts of his body.

Cas had been slipping quickly into his thoughts and was glad when Dean snapped him out of them when he asked, "Could you text me in the morning though? I'd like to have your number too."

"Why wait until the morning?" Cas smiled, pulling out his phone and sending a text to the number Dean had provided him with. He blushed as he wrote it. The text read: 'Maybe sex tonight isn't such a bad idea'

Dean's phone vibrated and his face lit up when he read the message. He looked at Cas with those damn wide and loving eyes. "Are you sure?" He asked cautiously.

"Yes, Dean." Cas chuckled nervously. "I've never been more sure of something in my entire life." And it was true. Castiel had known from the very moment Dean walked into the coffee shop that there had been something special about the man. Sure, he'd been desperate for company. But he'd known, then and there, that he never wanted to let Dean Winchester slip away from him.

Dean nodded, seemingly assured by Cas' words. "Okay, come on, I'll drive you back to the hotel. We'll kick Sammy out, he'll understand."

Castiel chuckled. "Or, you know, we could go back to mine where there's a bed that doesn't have a mattress of bricks."

Dean thought about this for a while, looking at Cas with squinted eyes. "Do you live with anyone?"

"No." Cas grinned, "No one's gonna hear, if that's what you're worried about."

Dean laughed and Cas could tell just from that sound that – yes – the noisiness of their sex had been what Dean was worried about. "Aright. Your place it is then."

Dean paid for their drinks and made his way towards the exit, Cas rushing quickly up behind him and scooping his hand in his. There were so many things about this night that felt so wrong. But in this moment, nothing had ever felt so right.