JoKir: A one-shot set after Castiel's falling. Enjoy!
Learning How To Kiss
After falling Castiel had to learn and relearn numerous things, things others took for granted of just knowing, of learning while they grew. Originally, Castiel hadn't taken to it well, refusing food, or more commonly, sleep, but he later took to certain aspects of life. Sure he preferred baths to showers, would always eat burger or macaroni and cheese before anything else and still jumped when an electrical appliance didn't do exactly what it was meant to. But he was adapting, slowly, at his own pace. Every couple of days Dean would try to teach him something new, whether it be as small as a new type of food or something as big as the new remote in the new hotel, and Castiel would hesitantly attempt to master it and unknowingly display the pride on his face when he finally learned it. The pattern continued, day in and day out until Castiel finally asked Dean to teach something he never would have expected. Or rather, it was relearning wasn't it?
Either way, it all branched from Castiel changing the channel one day. Usually, once his cartoons had finished, he would find something else to do - things like helping Sam with research or Dean with cleaning the weapons, a task he was becoming very good at. But today, since the case was over and Sam was still looking for a new one, there were no weapons to clean, no research to be done, and Castiel was avoiding his new learning task of the toaster. "Channel-surfing", as Dean had called it, seemed pretty nice at the time, he'd decided. Anything to get him away from the evil toasting appliance. He'd flicked past game shows after stopping on a few and deciding they were pretty boring, avoided all the infomercials because Dean didn't like them and landed himself on a re-run of Dr Sexy M.D. At that moment, an overly dramatic nurse was fighting with another overly dramatic nurse while a doctor was checking on a patient in the background. Castiel quickly discovered the fight between the two nurses was over the doctor in the background and which one deserved him more. As always, each thought they were the better one. Castiel snorted and shook his head, rising from the couch to find some macaroni and cheese.
Dean was in the kitchen, glaring at Sam's protein shakes on the corner of the long island bench. Castiel stepped around him, looking for his fry-pan. That's right; he had his own fry-pan, which he was pretty proud of. It was small enough to cook macaroni and cheese and take with them everywhere. Plus it had proved handy when Castiel had slammed it into the back of a thief's head, so Dean had allowed it to stay. Castiel hummed as he began making his macaroni and cheese, stirring it all together in his pan and putting it on the stove. Dean watched him from the corner of the kitchen.
"You're strange Cas," he chuckled, "don't let anyone tell you different." Castiel just hummed and nodded, having heard that line numerous times.
"I won't," he finally replied as he went searching for a bowl. His macaroni and cheese was nearly done. He fished a spoon out of the cutlery draw and stood ready as his pasta finished cooking. Then he emptied the pan into the bowl, washed the pan out and returned to Dr Sexy M.D.
Settling down on the couch with his food and the stupid remote control that wouldn't always work, Castiel took in the TV drama again. Right now, a new episode was starting and Dr Piccolo and Dr Sexy were walking down the hospital hallway, discussing something or other. Castiel began eating, focusing more on his delicious meal, which Sam would probably frown at if he knew, and less on the sitcom drama on TV. Finally, when he'd finished his awesome meal, he looked up, just in time to take in Dr Sexy and Dr Piccolo beginning to make-out. Castiel's stomach dropped. That was something he had to relearn right? Crap!
Castiel dropped his bowl and ran to the kitchen, grabbing onto Dean's shirt and his shaking hands a little. Of course the little former-angel barely shook Dean, but Dean responded all the same.
"Whoa Cas," he smiled. "What's wrong?" Castiel looked almost frantic with worry.
"Will I need to know how to kiss as a human?" he asked worriedly. Dean could only respond with a blank face, trying to compute Castiel's question.
"Will I need to know how Dean!" Castiel yelled, shaking Dean again. His worry gave him strength and he nearly threw Dean off his feet. Dean stopped him quickly and stared at him.
"I suppose so," Dean replied, confused as hell.
"Then there is another thing I have to relearn," Castiel sighed, letting go and biting on his lip. He started pacing the small kitchen, mumbling things to himself. Then he spun back to face Dean.
"You!" he cried happily.
"Me?" Dean asked, utterly confused. He almost felt like he needed to grab Castiel and shake him if he didn't start making sense.
"You can teach me!" Castiel smiled. "You can help me relearn kissing!" Castiel had grabbed Dean's shirt-sleeves again and looked so happy that the next words out of Dean's mouth were probably some of the hardest to say…
"No, Cas, I can't," he replied, trying to cross his arms while Castiel still clung to his sleeves. Castiel's expression dropped immediately.
"But Dean…"
"No, Cas…" Dean sighed. Castiel blinked a few times, then dropped his head and nodded.
"I understand." Suddenly the delicious macaroni and cheese in his stomach didn't feel as good. Castiel turned on his heal, past the TV and its sitcom without a second glance and curled up on his bed to wait the nausea out.
When Sam returned to the hotel room, the first thing he saw was Dean sitting at the table with a beer in hand. The second was Castiel curled up in the tightest ball possible on his bed. Something had happened, and he was going to find out what. He moved past Dean, dropped the groceries and possible cases on the kitchen island and went to Castiel's side. But he heard nothing from Castiel but slow sobbing breaths. Worried, he returned to Dean.
"Did you break the former-angel?" he asked. Dean looked up from his beer.
"Sam, not your business," he grunted.
"It is when he's crying in his sleep," Sam replied, a little too loudly. Castiel stirred and rolled over, tear-stained face now in sight. Dean flinched.
"He wanted me to teach him how to kiss…" Dean sighed. Sam shook his head.
"You never thought he may like you, or you may be the only one he trusts? Castiel is human now… I mean, he's always had feelings, but now they can get really hurt. And it's not like he can smite you for it, but really, is that face any better?" Sam sighed after his huge piece, then moved to put away the groceries.
"Just think about it," he sighed. "Either way, we're staying in town. Another case has cropped up." Dean looked up and nodded.
"What do you think it is?" he asked slowly, before downing the rest of his beer.
"Uh, ghost, I think," Sam replied. "But never mind that, fix the problem at home first." Dean glared at him. Sam shrugged.
"I'll go fill the Impala with gas," Sam began as he moved to the door. "If there is any more to this case, we'll need it." He gave one final glance at Castiel, stared meaningfully at Dean for a moment and then left, locking the door behind him. Once the Impala purred out of the parking lot, Dean scrubbed his face with his hand and walked over to Castiel.
"Cas? Hey, Cas…" Dean said as he shook the former angel awake. Castiel's too-blue eyes opened and blinked up at Dean before beginning to well with tears. Dean quickly wiped them away.
"No, none of that… Cas, why me?" Castiel just shook his head and tried to move away. Dean wouldn't let him. Instead, he lowered his head gently and momentarily pressed his lips to Castiel's. Then he moved back again, watching and waiting, Castiel's skin flushed a gentle pink as his mind caught up to what was happening. Slender hands reached up hesitantly and grasped Dean's shirt-sleeves. Dean's large hands cupped Castiel's face, then he lowered his head again. Just a gentle brush of lips, then another. Castiel gave a sweet little shiver, his eyes slipping closed. Dean closed his and finally dipped his head in for a full kiss. Castiel's eyes shot open as their lips fully connected but drifted shut moments later, his mouth responding to Dean's. It was slow and patient, and Dean didn't dare to admit it but... full of love. When they broke apart, they didn't move too far, noses still touching. Castiel was blinking up, almost innocently if it weren't for the playful glint in his too-blue cerulean eyes, and then he smiled.
Dean felt his heart catch in his chest at that breath-taking smile. He quickly covered it up with his own lips, feeling Castiel's smile creep into the second kiss, curving his lips just right. This one was a touch quicker than the last; Dean becoming more confident at kissing Castiel. Castiel was not going to push him away, in fact, he was pulling him closer. Closer and closer until they were both lying on the bed and Dean's arms were around Castiel and Castiel's hands were on Dean's shoulders and they melted together in a long, sweet kiss. They only broke when air was necessary.
"Can I keep you?" Castiel asked as he reached for another kiss. Dean responded and smiled against his lips. Castiel always did have a habit of claiming things. Dean moved up one of his shirt sleeves. Castiel's handprint, burnt permanently into Dean's skin… Castiel traced it for a moment or two before looking up at Dean when he finally said.
"Don't you own me already Cas?" Dean's eyes twinkled then. Castiel just kissed him in reply then curled into his chest. Dean held him close, dropping a few hesitant kisses on Castiel's dark hair. Castiel didn't seem to mind, so his filed it away for another time. It was as he was drifting in thought, Castiel in his arms, that he realized Castiel didn't need to really relearn much about kissing at all…
When Sam returned several hours later with gas in the Impala and a few more case notes and leads, he found Castiel curled up against Dean on the couch, the both of them watching some old kids cartoon he vaguely remember watching himself. Castiel was smiling his breath-taking smile that even Sam could appreciate and glancing up each time Dean dropped a kiss on his head.
"Should I take a photo?" Sam asked loudly. Dean jumped and held Castiel tighter.
"Oh, shut up Sam!" Dean snorted. Castiel just kissed Dean's cheek and settled down to watch TV. Sam took up residence in one of the armchairs, and when the relaxed cuteness returned, he snuck a few snapshots and sent them to Charlie.
"How did that happen?" she texted back. Sam stared at them for a moment, watching Dean steal a spoonful of Castiel's macaroni and cheese and the apology kiss on the forehead moments later. The smile that lit up Castiel's face moments later was picture worthy. Sam snuck another snapshot and with that one replied, "Macaroni and cheese and hotel TV." He looked up just in time for a hesitant kiss from Castiel to Dean. Sam had a feeling that if Castiel kissed anyone but Dean after this, he wouldn't be able to kiss right… these two were really made for each other.