Aaron was surprised when Cas texted him and asked if he wanted to have lunch.
He had always liked the angel, and been very happy when it had turned out that he and Dean had mated, instead of his friend sacrificing his own happiness and watching Cas leave, but he'd always had the feeling that Cas didn't think much of him.
On the other hand, if he'd always slighted him for the reason Aaron believed, there was no need to ignore him now anymore.
Dean was good-looking, and smart, and funny. Aaron had no idea how he had agreed to go on a date with him in the first place, but here they were on their third, and everything was going well.
If only he could figure out why he wasn't as into the hot teacher as he should have been.
Oh, he definitely wanted to sleep with him (and if he felt a cringe at that, considering his chosen profession, he remembered his grandfather who'd told him "You like what you like, God understands that) but he was nowhere as ecstatic as he would have supposed himself to be after going out with Dean.
He found the answer the next morning.
He's spent the night, and the sex had been as fantastic as he had thought it'd be.
Dean was making coffee when he woke up, as if the guy wasn't perfect enough already, and he was actually considering having great morning sex when someone knocked on the door and Dean's face lit up.
He rushed to open it and an angel strolled in.
A literal angel.
Castiel, of course. Dean's best friend.
But, from the looks Dean was giving him –
Oh.
Thank God he wasn't that into Dean.
Self-preservation, maybe. Instinct.
Because there was no way this was going anywhere with Dean as smitten with Castiel as he was –
Aaron frowned when he realized. He didn't have a problem with them not getting together; he didn't have a problem being introduced to Cas, even though the angel seemed confused and wary of him; he didn't have a problem looking at someone who defied many things he had been raised to believe.
His problem was that he liked Dean. He genuinely liked Dean, and he wished him all the best.
And loving an angel...
Everyone knew.
Everyone knew what it meant.
Angels had to leave earth on their thirty-five birthday to find a mate in Heaven.
If Dean truly loved Cas – and Aaron, after a morning of watching them together, didn't doubt it – he would have to say goodbye eventually. And Dean was a man of strong emotions and affections. It wouldn't be easy for him.
So when Dean ended their – whatever it was supposed to be called a week later, Aaron proposed friendship with a smile on his face.
Right up to the date of Castiel's birthday, that was to mark their parting, Aaron had been worried and increasingly stupefied at Dean's insistence not tell his angel how he felt. For him, and everyone else, it was clear that Cas at least held him in very high regard; it was entirely possible that he reciprocated.
But Dean had been stubborn and Aaron had wondered if perhaps he should give Cas a hint; but the angel always seemed reluctant to speak to him.
That did nothing to stop him from being consumed with regret when he woke up on the morning after Cas had left. He tried to call Dean, but he didn't answer. He wasn't surprised.
He could barely concentrate that day, no matter how important what he was trying to learn was, no matter that he felt becoming a Rabi was not only his calling by the beliefs he had grown up with, but by the bond he had shared with his grandfather.
When his phone finally rang in the afternoon, he didn't pay attention to the glares thrown his way and stormed out to answer.
"Dean."
"Hey, Aaron. Saw you called."
Only Dean would manage to pretend that nothing had happened, that Cas hadn't left.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine. Hell, I'm great."
He was about to ask when Dean blurted out, "Cas stayed. We're... together."
He sounded awed, which in truth was close to what Aaron was feeling.
"You're... mated?"
It might have sounded strange, but Aaron would take his friend being angel-married over him being unhappy any day.
"How's Cas?"
It couldn't be easy for him. Angels didn't need to eat, or sleep; the transition must be difficult.
"He says he's cool with it."
"I'm sure he is" Aaron assured him. He knew Cas well enough to be sure that he wouldn't have stayed with Dean if that wasn't what he wanted.
"Yeah" Dean said, apparently still in a daze, "I guess so."
It was clear that Dean was barely capable of talking about anything else than Cas, so Aaron let him go on.
"And he says he's really happy and thought I would never reciprocate, can you believe that? He's been my best friend for years, how could he possibly believe I was alright with him going away?"
Aaron could have pointed out that Dean had refused to confess his feelings, but didn't. This was a happy day for Dean, Cas and all those who loved them; he was certainly not going to rain on his parade. So he allowed Dean to prattle on some more, gave his best wishes to Cas and hung up.
Since then, he'd seen Cas a few times, always in Dean's company, but now Cas wanted to meet him alone.
To be honest, he was curious as well as flattered.
Cas really hoped lunch would go well. Now that he had what he never thought he would, now that he was Dean's mate, now that he could be what he'd always wished to be, he hoped he could get along with all of Dean's friends; and it wasn't that he didn't like Aaron – on the contrary.
But there had always been something holding him back from being nice to him. Now, Cas could smile at his reasons.
Dean had taught him a lot since they met a little over three years ago. Castiel would always be thankful for everything he had shown him, and he would remember his friend long after he and everyone he knew was gone.
His wings bristled. Contemplating Dean's demise was never pleasant to him, especially when he was on his way to see him.
He had spent the last week in Heaven, his superior Zachariah keeping him busy at all times.
He believed he disapproved of him visiting earth so often; in fact, he had spent more than half his time there in the last year.
But earth was just so fascinating. Plants, animals, humans –
Dean.
He was incredibly thankful that he had met Dean, that he had spoken to him when he'd been standing in that Laundromat, rather confused.
He smiled, remembering that day. Right from the first moment, there had been something different about the gorgeous human who'd been the first to speak to him.
In a way, he'd always known.
His clothes didn't require washing, his Grace taking care of it, and it was just so fascinating what humans had invented to fulfil their needs.
"Hey, you need help?" a kind voice interrupted his musings.
He looked to his right and saw a beautiful human.
"Hello" he said, having studied humans enough to know that this was the correct form of greeting. "I am Castiel."
The human looked bemused, but then he couldn't be sure; as much as he admired humanity, it was still new to him.
"Dean Winchester. Pleased to meet you."
"Hello, Dean." He decided it would be best to greet this human specifically, just to make sure.
The man was grinning at him so he apparently had done the right thing.
"You're something else. So, what is an angel of the Lord doing in a Laundromat?"
"It is my first visit on earth. I was... fascinated" he admitted.
"Right. You don't need to wash your clothes. So you just turned 25?"
Cas nodded.
"Me too. You got any questions? Want to see the sites?"
"That is very nice of you."
"Nah, man, I was only going to do my laundry anyway, and you'd be doing me the favour, really –I just got my degree in Angelology and have never met one."
Cas had heard about humans who were fascinated by angels, and he had always sympathized.
"I would be happy to answer any questions you have" he assured Dean. He wanted the first human who'd talked to him to like him.
Dean beamed. "Great. So – first things first. We gotta introduce you to pie."
Back then, he didn't understand his new friend's obsession, but found the taste pleasing regardless.
He left for Heaven with a phone number in his pocket and the knowledge that he would see Dean again.
Ever since then, they had been best friends.
Yet he had never understood why he would always, inevitably, with the whole world to explore, fly straight to Kansas.
Until that day.
There was a man in Dean's apartment. A man it was obvious Dean had had intercourse with.
Something dark and unpleasant settled in his stomach, and in one moment, he knew why he spent so much time on earth, why he wanted to be near Dean as often as possible.
He loved Dean. He wanted him to be his mate.
But Dean could never desire him like this. Dean liked the attentions of various other humans, one night stands. He wouldn't settle for an angel. They weren't even the same species.
Cas knew what would happen if, by some miracle, Dean chose him as his mate. But he had never been close to his family, and no one had ever made him feel like Dean did. He would give up his immortality in a heartbeat if it meant being with Dean.
"Hello" the man said, staring at Cas' wings.
"Cas, this is Aaron" Dean introduced them, obviously uncomfortable.
"Hello" Cas greeted him politely.
Aaron nodded. "Hi – sorry. I've just never seen an angel up close. Dean mentioned you, of course."
It shouldn't have made him so happy that Dean had talked about him, but he did.
The conversation was stilted, unnatural. Not like his visits usually went. He left soon, his heart burning with desire that would never be fulfilled.
Cas watched Dean move around in the kitchen, preparing dinner.
"So you're meeting up with Aaron tomorrow?"
"Yes" he confirmed. Dean wouldn't have time to have lunch with him due to his schedule.
"I just didn't think –" Dean broke off.
Cas smiled and extended a wing so that it was resting against Dean's side. "I want to get to know your friends properly" he murmured. "I never let myself before."
Dean came up to him and kissed him. "Alright then. Just don't let him tell you about his last birthday when we got drunk and sang karaoke."
He had missed so much when he had to return to Heaven regularly. No more. Cas kissed his mate and didn't let him go until Cas protested that he didn't want dinner to burn.
The next day, he and Aaron met up. The other man was clearly happy to see Cas, so he was probably not the only one looking for a fresh start.
And thankfully Aaron was not one to beat around the bush.
"So we are done with the jealousy, right?"
Cas blushed.
"I am reasonably sure that it will not be jealous of you in the near future."
"Good."
It was surprisingly easy to talk to him after that.
Halfway through the meal, Aaron asked, "Are you still looking for a job?"
Cas nodded.
"Well, I know we would be very happy if you could hold a lecture about angels at the Seminary. You know, like you do in Dean's school."
"How do they even know – "
Aaron shrugged. "You two got quite the media coverage, and a few of the guys know I'm friends with Dean."
And so Cas returned home and told Dean that he might have found a job after all that night.
And if there was anything better than being Dean's mate, it was building their lives together piece by piece.