Chapter 1: I've been driving all night

"We could have been flying," Cas mumbled as he tried to stretch his muscles. He didn't think driving nine hours to visit his family was necessary. Long road trips made him cranky and he needed all his strength to face those people. Usually he drinks on the plane in order mentally prepare him for "family time." But of course Dean didn't like flying so they had to drive in "baby". (Dean's beloved impala.)

It was Dean's idea to meet the "in-laws" (as he called them). Or as their friend Charlie put it, "to introduce the outlaw to the in-laws." However, it was Cas who picked the date, he made sure to choose a time when all his siblings would be at home, partly for moral support and partly so that Dean would not have a lot of face time with his parents.

Cas felt slightly guilty that his boyfriend (of nearly three years) had never met his family. But Cas knew the meeting would not end well. It wasn't that he was ashamed of Dean, if anything he was ashamed of his parents, or how they would treat someone like Dean.

To say his family was rich was an understatement. To say his family were a bunched of "assbutts" was a huge understatement. They weren't particularly trilled (another understatement) about Cas's so called "life style choice" but they accepted it none the less. He had no doubt that they would have no problem accepting any boyfriend that either came from the right social circles, was a legacy or had a ton of money.

Even though Dean had none of these things, he was one of the best men Cas had ever met. Dean didn't like to admit it but he was kind, selfless and extremely loyal. (It also didn't hurt that he was extremely good looking.) Sometimes Cas didn't know why someone so perfect wanted to be with him. He was too scared to ask, so he would be with Dean as long as he was foolish enough to keep Cas around.

He knew his parents wouldn't see Dean for the angel he truly was; instead they would see a struggling mechanic who attended night school and squatted at Cas' apartment distracting him from his studies. They didn't know what an inspiration Dean was. Dean's dad died during his first year of university. He had to quit so that he could take care of his younger brother.

So that's why he was doing this, for Dean and because he couldn't keep making excuses (he already used them all, his favorite excuse was "we can't go there you'll be allergic to the cat") for not take Dean to Cas' personal house of horrors.

In Cas' opinion, being forced to spend time with people just because you shared DNA was unjust.

Dean turned his head towards the passenger seat, "Yes, princess. I heard you the first three hundred times. I told you to fly if you wanted to fly. But I ain't climbing in one of those things."

Cas sighed, honestly he found Dean's fear of flying kind of cute. "Are you nervous?" Cas asked, trying to mask his own doubts.

Dean smiled, "No, I'm terrified. They don't exactly sound like the Brady bunch."

"I am not familiar with that reference," Cas said, he frowned slightly. "But I told you that their opinion won't change my feelings towards you."

"Yea, I know but still I want to make a good impression. Let me test my knowledge of the Novaks. Your dad's name is Chuck, your mom…"

"Step-mom," Cas corrected him.

"Right, step-mom, Naomi, only married your Dad for his money. Money and status he inherited from his father. Your father is a writer, judging from the story you made me read he isn't a good one and if I remember correctly in her spare time Naomi makes coats out of puppies."

Cas chuckled, "I got that reference, but she's allergic to dogs. I think Naomi's hobby is making everyone around her miserable, especially Anna."

"Anna's your spoilt little sister. Just finished high school, taking a year of to "find herself" and your older brother Gabriel travels the world doing everything and everyone." Dean said, smirking. He seemed more relaxed.

"And everyone will be there this weekend in order to welcome home your brother Michael who was somewhere in Africa building houses for the poor or something like that".

"You forgot to mention Honeybee," Cas said as he tried to keep the smile on Dean's face.

Dean raised an eyebrow, "You know Honeybee is a strange name for a cat."

"Don't laugh at me, they wouldn't allow me to get real honeybees so I made do with what I had," Cas explained.

"I'm not laughing at you, I think it's sweet. You can sleep if you want, I promise to wake you when we get to the mansion," as Dean spoke he gave Cas a wink.

Cas rolled eyes and put his head back. As he drifted to sleep he prayed that this week wouldn't end in tears.