Chapter 2: Just Two Grown Men, Helping Each Other Out
So Dean sets out on his task of teaching Cas how to be human. It's a little bit daunting, if he was being honest with himself. They weren't hunting yet, so Dean could devoted all the time he had when not taking care of Sammy to teaching Cas. Now Cas wasn't a baby, he could take care of himself. He'd watched humans for millennia, but he would need a little bit of help and Dean would be there for him.
It started out with cooking. At first, Dean had expected to be cleaning shit off the ceiling but surprisingly, Castiel had taken very well to cooking, which was more than he could say for himself because the first time he tried to make Sam scrambled eggs he'd ended up with a whole carton of eggs on the floor. Granted, he was only five when he attempted to cook. Castiel was looking at the massive amount of food he and Dean had just made with pride but also with a bit of curiosity. That's what he does; he looks at the world in a unique way that was… refreshing. Castiel had a certain innocence to him, always looking at the world with such curiosity and wonder. It was… cute. But being Dean Winchester and not a sissy like Sam Winchester, he would never admit to anyone. He barely even admitted his small man crush to himself, much less anyone else.
Driving was next. Dean was definitely apprehensive about this but Cas had begged and pleaded with those bright blue eyes and Dean couldn't say no. Damn. I need to stop letting him hang out with Sam. The morning they set out to drive, Dean had given Cas an extensive lesson on what to do and what not to do and ended with the threat that if anything happened to Baby, there will be a price to pay. They get into the Impala and begin the lessons. Castiel follows every instruction Dean gives him to the tee. All in all, it goes really well. The only thing is Cas drives really slow. He actually goes the speed limit. It's kind of annoying but Dean thinks it's the price he pays for Baby's safety.
Sleep. This wasn't an area of expertise for Dean. There were a lot of nights where thoughts, regrets, and hell, even fantasies kept him from slipping into the slow fade of darkness filled with nightmares, good dreams, or sometimes, if he was lucky, no dreams at all. But lately, there had been no nightmares at all, not since Cas decided that he would nest in Dean's room.
He tried. He really did. He tried to convince Castiel that he needed his own room but he had always received a "No. I will stay here. I will watch over you." And that was that, he guessed. Once Cas made up his mind, he was as stubborn as well…Dean himself. Castiel had chosen to sleep in the chair next to Dean's bed. Sure, the chair was comfy, but not comfy enough to snooze in. Although, Cas didn't sleep all that much. He mostly stayed awake, watching Dean or reading a book, then finally giving into sleep at ass o'clock in the morning and waking up in the most foul mood that Dean had ever seen and he'd grown up with Sam Winchester for God's sake, the king of bitch faces and unholy moods. This has to stop, Dean thought. He knew what he had to do. He didn't like it (he actually loved it, but he wasn't going to admit it.) As they prepared for bed that night, Cas had taken to the chair for literally a week and a half. Dean had stripped off his jeans and thrown on some comfy pajama pants and flung himself on his bed. He wriggled under the covers and opened them on the right side. "C'mere." He patted the empty space of bed next to him. Castiel looked up from the book his nose was shoved in. "Dean…" He tilted his head and gave him bitch face #37; the one Sam gives him when he's being an idiot. "Cas, come on. There's plenty of room over here, and you won't get your own bed so we might as well make some use of the space. It can't be too comfortable sleepin' in that chair." Cas got up without another word and shimmied under the covers with Dean. He sighed a happy sort of sigh but then something drifted over his face, a look akin to confusion and concern. "What's on your mind, Cas?" "It is nothing… just... what about your need for 'personal space'?" Ugh. Again with the stupid air quotes. "Well, Cas see, this is the one exception to that rule. 'Sides, the beds big 'nough for the two of us." Cas still looked concerned but soon, his eyes began to droop, as did Dean's. Soon they were both fast asleep.
When Dean woke up that morning, he felt a pleasant warmth. Instinctively, he moved toward the warmth. He opened his eyes lazily and blinked. Looking around, he blinked again. Holy shit! He was fucking tangled up with a sleeping Cas. He would never hear the end of it. Castiel was still asleep, his arm wrapped tight around Dean's waist and Dean's arm was wrapped around him! Oh God! But Dean couldn't bring himself to wake him up. He looked so peaceful and relaxed. Dean moved a bit, just a fraction of an inch to try to give himself a bit of air but Cas's eyes flew open. Castiel flew backward in order to detangle himself, in doing so, he fell off the bed. He quickly got to his feet and up righted himself. "I…um…I apologize for that. I will…um…go back to sleeping in the chair, if you would prefer," the ex-angel said, clearly embarrassed. Dean smiled. "Come back to bed, moron." Castiel's jaw practically fell to the floor. "Close your mouth. You're gonna catch flies in there. Get your ass over here." Without another word, Castiel stalked over to the bed and stiffly laid down next to Dean. Yeah, this could work. Definitely. And so, the routine started. Dean would come to bed, Cas would already be in there, reading a book or drawing. He would look up and smile at Dean, a secret smile. And they would go to sleep next to each other. Nothin' sexual about it. Just two grown men, helping each other out (Not in that way, dammit, stop thinking like that!). And if they woke up tangled up in each other's limbs (Dean refused to call it cuddling because that's not what that was!) in the morning, who was tellin'?
AN: Well hello again, loves. This took a helleva long time to write and I pretty much can only write at like one am. But as for next chapter (I think that will be the end but I don't know. It all kinda depends on where Dean and Cas want to go.), I've already got some things planned out and some written so hopefully, it will come together soon. See you next chapter!