p class="MsoNormal"span lang="EN-GB""Aaaaaalright! Are you guys up for some KARAOKE?!" The voice of the bar owner sounded obnoxiously loud through the speakers that hung above the table Sam, Dean and Cas had decided to take. They were in a bar somewhere in Nebraska. There'd been a few mysterious deaths around town, and they'd come there to investigate the case. Soon after arriving, it had turned out to be a crazy serial killer, and the police had already caught him. Sam didn't trust it though, and they'd decided to stay there for a few days, just to check if everything was alright. br / br / They'd checked in at a motel just outside of town, and after dinner Dean had insisted they'd go to a bar. Sam had protested, claiming he was tired, but Dean had persuaded him to come, and now they were standing by a table in the crowded bar. It turned out to be karaoke night. Sam and Cas both felt a little uncomfortable, but Dean was at ease and had insisted on getting them drinks, so it wasn't that bad. br / The crowd was now cheering, as the first (already drunk looking) victims of the karaoke guy climbed up on the stage. The first beats from 'Dancing Queen' started playing, and the girls began to sing. br / br / Sam rolled his eyes and took another sip from his beer, but Cas was staring with an intense look on his face at the stage. br / "What exactly is karaoke?" He asked, without taking his eyes of the scene. br / Dean looked up from his glass of whiskey. br / "Karaoke? It's, uhm…" He looked at Sam for / "It's performing a song without any of the original vocals," Sam / Cas had now turned his head towards the two / "Yeah! But you can only do it drunk," Dean grinned, ignoring Sam's look of disapproval. "And it has to be bad. You can't be a good karaoke singer."br / Cas nodded slowly. "Ah. I see." He moved his head towards the stage again, where a guy was now trying to sing along to Bohemian Rhapsody, but failing miserably. "It seems… enjoyable." br / Sam shot an alarming look at Dean, already seeing where this was going, but to his surprise his brother replied: "Yeah, it is. But we're not drunk enough, Cas."br / Cas frowned a little, lifting his beer bottle. "Then I reckon we need more beer."br / br / Dean laughed and slapped Cas on the shoulder. "You got it." Then he manoeuvred his way through the crowd, going to get them more drinks. br / "You really want to sing karaoke?" Sam asked Cas incredulous. br / "Yes," Cas said seriously. "Humans do it, and I am human now, and Dean wants to."br / Sam smiled. Dean wanted to. Of course. br / "Yeah, I eh, I understand Cas." Sam gave him a nod. "Just don't let Dean give you too much booze- we all remember how that ended the last time."br / The first time they'd given the newly human Cas alcohol, the night had ended in the bathroom of their motel, and Dean hadn't been the one who cleaned it all up. br / Cas opened his mouth to reply, but Dean had come back with a few shots in his hands, slamming them on the table. He grinned at Sam and / "Let's do this!"br / br / The night continued, and even though Sam had tried to stay easy on the alcohol, he hadn't succeeded as much as he'd wanted to. So when the karaoke guy told the bar it was time for the last song before midnight, he was the one who pushed his brother and Cas towards the stage. br / "This one's for you guys!" br / The two men stumbled upon the stage and stood there awkwardly as the karaoke guy asked them for their / "My… My name is Castiel-" Cas seemed a little confused, as if he couldn't quite remember how he'd ended up on that stage. br / "And I'm Dean," Dean said, half a smile on his face, making a few girls on the front row cheer. He didn't seem to notice, / "Alright, Dean and- Castiel? What song are they gonna sing!?" br / br / That was one when Sam decided to take on action. He'd come up with an idea. He gave the guy on stage a sign, and softly said what song he had in mind. br / Dean watched it happen on the stage, a somewhat suspicious feeling in the back of his mind, but he was distracted by Cas, who gave him a poke on the arm. br / "Dean, what are we supposed to do?" he whispered urgently, giving Dean an alarmed look. Dean, as always, was there to comfort Cas. br / "Just sing. You read the lines and just throw them out on the music and hope it's not too bad- you'll be okay, Cas." Dean gave him a smile. "I'm here too." br / "Aaaaand here we go!" The crowd went wild one again, and then it got really quiet, as the first notes to November Rain started to play. br / br / Dean immediately recognized the song and felt himself freeze. He'd expected an annoying pop song. He shot Sam a look, who was looking innocently at him from the side of the bar and gave him a thumbs up. The little-!br / Cas was up first, and he sung the first few lines, completely off key, voice trembling. br / em"When I look into your eyes, I can see a love restrained, but darling when I hold you, don't you know I feel the same?"/embr / The crowd cheered, and Cas cheeks flushed red when he realized what he'd just sung. Dean swallowed as his mic lit up, but unlike Castiel, he was familiar with the song. br / 'Screw it,' Dean thought, he could sing / em"'Cause nothing lasts forever and we both know hearts can change, and it's hard to hold a candle in the cold November rain…"br / br / /emTo Sam's surprise, Dean was pretty good. His low and gravelly voice sounded not half bad and he made the words his own as he sang. Cas continued, catching onto the melody now, still a bit hesitantly but better than his first / em"We've been through this such a long time, just trying to kill the pain, but lovers always come and lovers always go."br / /emCas' hands were shaking a little, but he felt more confident when Dean sent him a smile. br / em"And no one's really sure who's letting go today-"br / "Walking away-"br / "If we could take to time to lay it on the line, I could rest my head, just knowing that you were mine."br / /emThe whole bar was probably drunk by now, and they'd started to sing along to the two men on stage. Dean and Cas were both laughing, and had started to relax. They were standing closer together on stage now and Dean had started to put up quite a show, making Cas laugh. br / em"So if you want to love me, then darling don't refrain-"br / "Or I'll just end up walking in the cold November rain,"/em Cas finished the first part. br / br / Everyone applauded and cheered, Sam probably the loudest of them all, as the song continued. br / The hunter and the ex-angel were really enjoying themselves by now, and Dean was making all these extremely emotional faces to make Cas laugh as he sang his lines. br / em"And when your fears subside, and shadows still remain…"br / "I know that you can love me, when there's no one left to blame."/embr / They worked their way through the song, but at some point, Dean realized he wasn't singing it for the crowd anymore. He was singing it for Cas. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe their profound bond, but somehow, they seemed to be the only two people in the / /emSo maybe that was why Cas had did / Maybe it was because it felt so private, that he'd reached out his hand, grabbing Dean by his shirt, pulling him against him as he pressed his lips on his. br / And maybe that was why Dean had responded, cupping Cas' face in his hand, microphone still in the other. br / But nothing lasts forever, and when the crowd started to scream and cheer, Dean realized where he was again, and what he was / br / He pulled himself away and stared at Cas in shock, who had a similar look on his face. br / Dean dropped his mic, causing it to make a high pitching sound that made the people in the bar press their hands against their ears. Dean rushed off the stage and out of the bar in the distraction, leaving behind a terrified Cas and a shocked Sam. br / The karaoke guy seemed a bit flabbergasted too as he fixed Dean's mic and tried to calm down the crowd. Cas had gotten away from the stage and was looking around a bit bewildered, not sure where to go. br / Sam quickly headed over towards him and grabbed his arm. br / "Hey, Cas. Calm down, buddy." br / Cas' blue eyes looked panicked, but he didn't resist when Sam lead him towards their table in the back, where it was a little more quiet. br / br / "Cas. Calm down. Here, drink this-" Sam handed him a glass of water and Cas took it willingly. br / When he was finished, he put it down on the table and was quiet for a long time before he said:br / "I suppose I have 'screwed up', as you may say." br / Sam let out a small laugh. br / "Well- I- I don't know, man. He- he kissed you back, you know." Sam shrugged at him. br / "Yes. Before he fled the bar!" Cas' voice started to sound a bit panicky again. br / "Yeah, but Cas- you were making out in front of a lot of people. I think that's what bothered him, more than the kiss itself." br / Cas didn't look convinced, and stared sadly at his hands. br / Sam felt sorry for his friend. It was kind of his fault too, after all. br / "Hey… Why don't you go talk to him? He's probably just outside." Sam patted Cas' arm. "It'll be okay, Cas. Trust me. I know my brother." He smiled. br / Cas nodded, still a bit hesitant, but he did get up to go outside. br / br / Dean Winchester was sitting on the sidewalk outside of the bar. The parking lot was deserted, and the silence and cold air were welcome distractions from what had just happened / He'd screwed up. br / Dean liked- well, okay, loved, Cas. That was for sure. There'd been a lot of times when Dean had thought about just telling him, but he'd never really done so. And now they'd kissed, which had been very pleasant, and Dean had screwed it up. br / What if Cas didn't want to speak to him again? br / They'd been drunk after all, though Dean felt pretty sobered up now. br / He shouldn't have run away, but panic had gotten the best of him, realizing he was making out with an ex-angel of the lord in front of a bar full of people, and he'd ran away. br / Dean sighed, his head resting on one hand. He wasn't sure what to do now. He wanted to just take the Impala and drive away, to think about this another time, but he couldn't let Sam and Cas walk back to the motel. br / Then a voice got his / br / "Dean?"br / Cas was standing on the sidewalk behind Dean, not sure what to do next. Dean's body stiffened, and Cas felt worry rising in his stomach. He took a deep breath, and sat down next to Dean. They were both / "Dean-" Cas tried to start, biting his lip nervously. "Dean, I'm sorry."br / Dean looked up at that, confused. "You're sorry?" br / "Yes. Terribly. I- I shouldn't have… kissed you, I don't know why I did it, I-"br / "No, Cas, stop!" Dean turned towards him, frowning. "Don't be sorry. I'm the one who should be sorry."br / "What? No. I was the one who-" br / "Yeah, and I was the one who ran away," Dean interrupted him. "And I shouldn't have. 'Cause- I- I was glad. That you. You know. Kissed me." Dean's voice trailed off, sounding a bit nervous. br / "Oh," Cas said, perplexed. br / "Yeah."br / "So- should we-"br / "Yeah." Dean cleared his throat. "Um, yeah. If- if you-" br / Cas had turned his head too, and suddenly they were really close / "Oh," Dean / Cas gave him a small smile. br / Dean watched as Cas closed his eyes and slowly leaned in on him, brushing his soft lips over Dean' / Oh. br / Dean sighed happily, and pulled Cas a little closer, as they continued their kiss. br / Cas tasted like beer and Dean felt his stubble and it was all very pleasant and warm. br / br / After a while, Dean felt something cold drip down his neck, and Cas had felt the same, because he hesitantly pulled / It had started raining- real November / "Well, it won't last forever," Cas said, trying to sound serious, but unable to hide the smile in his / Dean laughed out loud, feeling all light hearted and giddy, and pulled Cas closer to give him a kiss on his head, as they sat there in the rain, holding each other warm. br / "Man, you sure make it easy to love you," Dean said, / "Is that a compliment?"br / Dean laughed again. "Yeah, it sure is. I love you, Cas." br / Cas' eyes lightened up even more. "I love you too, Dean."br / "Yeah, I know."br / br / That's how Sam found them later that evening, sitting together on the sidewalk, kissing in the November rain. br / !- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-br / !-[endif]-/span/p