Next time came after a ghoul hunt. Cass still couldn't shoot but this time the gory parts had ended up on his jacket. He had been forced to shed the leather jacket and stick with the black shirt and red flannel he wore underneath. The Winchester fashion style was really sticking with him.
Dean had almost crashed the car into the diner trying to get into the parking lot quick enough. He had ran out of the car and even opened the car door for Cass to get out. Tonight was the day he finally got some action and put their newest member back in his place.
"Smell that Cass?" he asked when they walked in the door.
"Greasy, artery clogging diner food?" Sam offered.
"No, victory," Dean said.
"I highly doubt that victory smells like diner food," Cass said. Dean rolled his eyes at both of them and walked to a table while eyeing the prospects. It was the afternoon and the diner was half full with a nice buzz of conversation blanketing the room. It was a fairly big diner with two waitresses and a waiter along with one or two other babes. Nice, very nice.
"It think this will do very well," Dean said as he rubbed his hands in anticipation. They sat at a table and Cass scanned the room. Sam shook his head.
"I can't stand this," he said. "You two are shameless."
"Walk it off, Sammy. Why don't you try it for once?"
"Because I don't like mystery rashes and spit in my food," Sam said. "Look, there's farmer's market down the road. I'm just going to get a coffee and do some shopping. You guys can...do your thing."
"Girl," Dean scoffed. Sam stood up to leave while Cass was still looking. The bell tinkled to signal him leaving and Cass spotting his target.
"Him," Cass decided.
"Finally, took you long enough to..." The word slowly wormed its way into Dean's head. him...Him...HIM! HIM! "Him?" Dean repeated aloud. He followed Cass gaze to the waiter, not a bad looking guy or anything but still a guy.
"Is something the matter?" Cass asked.
"That's a dude!" Dean explained to Cass. Cass titled his head in that little, his blue eyes tinted with curiosity and confusion.
"I know," he said. "Why does that surprise you?" Dean stared at Cass in disbelief.
"I didn't even know you were into guys!" he whispered.
"As an angel I have no gender and therefore no sexual preference. Male or female makes no difference to me."
That made sense. Dean had always assumed that Cass's bond with his Jimmy suit made his a straight guy like Jimmy was. Then again, Jimmy was long gone and Cass had never really showed any attractions to girls before, only Meg but she was a demon. He had seen demons occupy both male and female vessels with a preference for one or the other but he supposed Meg could have just as easily been in a suit with a twig and nuts and Cass wouldn't have cared. But Cass having no preference was kind of...weird?...a little interesting, maybe...but definitely weird.
"Gender matters to me okay," Dean explained. "We aren't all neutral like you. And it probably matters to that waiter, too."
"Oh," Cass said. His voice sounded disappointed. The situation had turned very awkward and Cass sulking was not making it any better. Stupid former Angel and his confused feelings.
"Look Cass, I'm not saying you're a freak or anything," Dean tried to reassure him
"That's not why I'm disappointed," Cass admitted.
"We can just pick someone else, a girl," Dean promised as he tried to patch up the situation, but it was too late. Neither of them were in the mood and if they did it would be a sad half-hearted attempt.
"No," Cass decided. His eyes were averted and fixed on the table. Dean put his hand on Cass shoulder to comfort him.
"Come on Cass, lets just forget about it okay? Lets...umm...lets look for our next case," Dean suggested as he picked up the paper. Cass nodded and skimmed through the pages with a total void of enthusiasm. "Are you mad at me?" Dean asked. Cass shook his head, his shaggy black hair shaking from side to side. Dean alway had unexplainable urges to ruffles Cass's messy mane; it just looked so fluffy and soft.
"You didn't do anything wrong," he said quietly. Dean decided to drop the subject. Sam was the one who knew how to deal with emotions and feelings, not him.
It wasn't until Dean was halfway through the advertisement section of the paper that he realized they probably looked like they were having a freaking couples fight.
Neither of them discussed it afterwards and when Sam brought it up later Dean told him to,
"Shut up and mind your own business!" Which of course prompted him to think Cass had won but Sam said nothing further so neither Cass nor Dean could deny the claim.
On the way back they got a call from Garth about a potential case, which turned out to be a djinn. They killed it with little blood splatter this time and Cass didn't have to use a gun. But Dean resolved to spend some more time teaching him when they got home.
When they did get back home it was two in the afternoon. Garth came out of the kitchen with a flower apron on, oven mitts on his hands, and spatula in his hand.
"Good you guys are home, there is something I wanted to discuss with you-"
"We are not getting a hot tub!" Dean repeated himself for the hundredth time. Garth was studying to become a Man of Letter. Together with Sam they were making progress in uncovering their training secrets and learning the trade. Dean had been reluctant at first but in the end Cass and Sam had ganged up on him again and he had caved. It was unwise to leave the fort unprotected but even worse it was unwise to leave Crowley unsupervised in the basement. So they took turns. When Garth wasn't with his "special" lady or with Kevin, he stayed and looked after the place when they went out to hunt.
Dean admitted that it was a pretty good choice. Garth could do what they couldn't and that was distribute the information they learned to other hunters. He was teaching Sam all his contacts so that Sam could do the same and between the two of them they made a good Bobby. Dean supposed that Gath was another reason they avoided 2014 Cass. With him around Dean had time to train Cass and Garth also kept them straight like Bobby did. He suspected that was the biggest reason future Dean had been such a douche, he had no Bobby around.
"That's actually not what I wanted to talk to you about but while we're on the subject, I was flipping through some catalogues-"
"No!" Dean shouted. "No hot tubs, no waterbeds, and for God sake-no bungee castle!"
"Yeah, I'm real sorry about that guys," Garth apologized. "My special lady's kid had an upcoming birthday and I needed to store it somewhere. I got rid of it yesterday though." Dean rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath about stupidity.
"What is it you wanted to discuss?" Sam asked.
"Crowley spat out a couple more names."
"Good," Sam said. They all wanted to get rid of all the demons but Sam was the most eager of them all, understandably so. "We'll get on those right away." He turned to walk out the door but Dean stopped him.
"I think you meant to say tomorrow," Dean corrected him. "I know you want to play gank-a-mole with the demons but we've been on the road for ten hours and need a break."
"The human body is very weak," Cass agreed. "I too am feeling it's limits."
"Shut up, Cass," Dean said. "You'll take what you're given and like it."
"But I do enjoy my humanity. There's food, soft beds, you, sex, warmth, showers, Sam, and hunting." Again Dean got that uneasy feeling when Cass mentioned 'sex.' But it also bothered him that sex came right after him in Cass's list, much more that it should have.
"Fine," Sam agreed. "We'll go tomorrow."
"About that," Garth interrupted. "Like I said my special lady's kid had a birthday coming up. I won't be here for a week."
"A week?" Dean asked. "Birthdays take like two seconds to celebrate!"
"Actually, they don't," Garth said. "At least mine don't. That reminds me, my birthday is in a few months and-"
"No birthday party!" Dean snapped. "You get a beer, some pie, and a new knife-that's it!" Dean walked into the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge only to discover the Earth shattering truth that they were out.
"We're out of beer!" he shouted.
"You drank it all," Sam called from the main room. Dean swore under his breath, he had.
"Who wants to do a supply run?" Dean asked as he fished around for a stray bottle.
"I'll go," Cass volunteered. Dean found a loose bottle of beer and walked back into the main room. Cass had already left and Garth and Sam were discussing Men of Letters stuff.
"That was fast," Dean marveled. Usually they had to practically force one another to go out for supplies.
"He said something about research," Sam said offhand. Dean's stomach did a belly roll. Cass did "research" when ever he went out to sleep with someone.
"Also Garth is leaving tonight so I'll hold down the fort and man the phones. Can you and Cass handle the demon?"
"Only one?" Dean asked.
"I already distributed the list among my contacts," Garth explained. "Only one couldn't be taken care of so I left that for you guys. I'm heading out to deal with one myself then I'm off to my kid's birthday party."
"Fine, me and Cass can take it no problem." Recently Sam was spending more and more time in the fort while Dean and Cass went out to hunt. Dean didn't mind but if Cass was going to spend more time in the field he needed to shoot better.
Garth nodded and got up to grab his bag along with a bunch of smiling colorful balloons.
"I'll see you guys around," Garth said cheerfully. "Now lets bring it in," he said with open arms. He gave them both a hug with they accepted stiffly and with as little physical contact as possible.
"See ya, Garth," Dean said.
"Be safe and have a great party," Sam said. Garh pretended to shoot them with a finger gun and left with balloons clouding his vision. Half of them ended getting popped when he tried to drag them through the heavy steel door. "Balls!" he swore.
"Gotta love Garth," Dean said. He glanced at the clock. It was almost two-thirty on a thursday-Dr. Sexy would be on soon. "I'll be in my room...um...watching porn." Sam was too absorbed in his Men of Letters work to really care.
Cass arrived halfway through the second episode.
"Ooh, doctor, you naughty, naughty man," Dean said with a grin.
"I'm back," Cass said from Dean's doorway. Dean nearly fell out of his bed from surprised.
"Jeez, Cass, it's called knocking!"
"What are you watching?" he asked. Dean turned off the TV.
"Porn!"
"Okay...I got beer." Cass tossed a beer to Dean from his shopping bag. It had taken Cass a lot longer than necessary to get supplies and Dean tried not to dwell too much on it.
"Thanks," Dean said. Cass turned to leave but Dean noticed something in his hand. "What's that?" he asked.
"Nothing," Cass lied. Dean got off his bed and grabbed Cass hand and pried it open. It was a number, from Dylan. "Please tell my Dylan is a girl." Cass yanks his hand away.
"That," Cass said. "Is none of your concern," he finished smoothly. Dean watched him walk away in surprise. After his shock passed Dean chased after him.
"Cass!" he shouted. Cass turned on his heel to look at Dean.
"What?" Cass snapped. For a moment Dean froze. He had no idea what to say or why he was chasing Cass, it has just felt like the right thing to do.
"I...have to teach you to shoot," Dean said.
"Now?" Cass questioned.
"Anytime really, now is best." Cass set the supplies down on the main table.
"Okay." Cass wasn't an ignorant angel anymore, he knew that Dean was acting unusual and it wasn't just human behavior he couldn't understand. "You seem bothered," Cass commented as he followed him to the firing range.
"Don't do that," Dean complained.
"Do what?"
"Act like you're my therapist, you and Sam need to stop trying to get me to open up."
"It's healthy to share your feelings."
"It's not like you share all your feelings," Dean said. They had arrived at the shooting range.
"That is true," Cass said. He removed a handgun from the wall of weapons. "Somethings I do keep to myself." Dean's brow furrowed and he stared at Cass.
"Really?" he asked. "I thought you shared everything and anything. Isn't that your philosophy or something?"
"I've learned to distinguish what is healthy to get off my chest and what is..." his eyes flickered over Dean. "Harmful to others." Now Dean was kind of curious.
"Like what?" Cass walked over to the firing range and clicked the guns safety off. Dean knew that it wasn't a good idea to pry at Cass feelings, especially when he had a gun, but with an aim like Cass he'd probably miss Dean from even this distance.
"Well if I told you then there wouldn't be any point in having kept it a secret this long, now would it," Cass reasoned. He raised the gun and shot. The bullet didn't even graze the target.
"Your stance is all wrong," Dean complained. He grabbed Cass by the shoulders and pulled him more to the right. "Your legs should be farther apart too." Dean reached down to pull them apart but Cass stopped him.
"I think I can manage that part." Dean raised his hands in surrender. Cass still wasn't standing right and when he shot the bullet still missed the paper. Dean sighed and ran a hand over his face. He took the gun out of Cass hands, his fingers were really hot.
"First of all-you need to relax, okay," Dean lectured.
"I won't be relaxed out there," Cass countered.
"But we aren't out there right now, right now I just want for you to at least hit the paper. So stop being so tense, close your eyes." Cass looked at him suspiciously.
"I question your teaching methods."
"Just do it will ya!" Dean ordered. Cass sighed and closed his eyes. Dean couldn't remember if he ever looked at Cass's face without those big blue eye boring into his. He needed a shave, Dean observed. "Now relax your shoulders." Cass's shoulders fell a fraction of an inch but he still held a lot of tension. "More," Dean commanded.
"This is me relaxed." Dean shook his head and put his hands on Cass's shoulders-instantly he tensed up again. "God, Cass, would you relax!"
"I'm trying, its very difficult for me." Dean massaged Cass shoulders and Cass exhaled a long deep breath. "That feels nice," he said awkwardly. The tension slowly left his shoulders.
"There we go, much better!" Dean exclaimed. "Now take a couple of deep breaths." Dean regretted telling him that almost instantly. Cass lips moved slowly as he took long deep breaths and Dean found himself staring at them and wondering how many people Cass had kissed since he became human or if he kissed that guy he got the number from. He wondered if Cass had picked up kissing like he had picked up fighting or if he kissed like he fought, strong and fast. The girls Cass slept with always seemed pretty content and bubbly the next morning so Cass must have been a fast learner in that area as well. Maybe he'd be a fast learner with guys as well.
Stop it! Dean scolded himself mentally.
"Good, now open your eyes." Cass's lips were dry from taking deep breaths so he licked them. "Don't do that," Dean ordered. Cass looked at him in confusion.
"Do what?"
"Don't-nothing, don't worry about it. Just watch how I shoot and how I stand." Dean raised the gun to shoot and he could feel Cass's eyes roaming over his body, taking his his stance, his muscles, how far apart his legs were. It made Dean nervous but he had shot under more strenuous conditions before. He shot, and the bullet landed slightly off center.
"Your turn," Dean said. He handed the gun to Cass who was still looking Dean over. Dean snapped his fingers to gain Cass's attention. "Hey! I said its your turn." He handed the gun to Cass. Cass nodded and tried to mimic Dean's stance. It was still wrong. "No, like this."
Dean lined up beside Cass and pointed a finger gun at the target. Cass was directly behind Dean, and scooting forward slightly, close enough for Dean to feel his breath on the back of his own neck. Cass fingers cautiously reached out to touch Dean.
"Cass?" Dean asked.
"I'm just trying to learn the stance," Cass assured him. But that's definitely not what it felt like. Cass was running his hands down Dean's back and over his shoulders, feeling the muscles underneath, and making Dean feel very uncomfortable and a little hot. Cass seemed to be learning alright, but it was more like he was memorising Deans body. Like he wanted to learn every single inch of it. His hands slid softly down Dean's back, leaving chills in their wake. They went lower, and lower, towards Deans hips and Dean felt his neck turn red.
"Cass?" Dean asked again. Cass snapped his fingers away from Dean.
"Sorry," Cass apologised. Dean stepped away from Cass feeling flushed.
"No harm done," he said, his voice a little lower than usual. "So long as you learned something." Dean cleared his throat nervously-he felt hot. Cass tried to do the pose again. It was better this time but still a little off.
"You've got to...umm..." Dean didn't quite know how to explain properly and could find the words to say much of anything at the moment, so instead he decided to show him. "Do you mind if I just?..." the question trailed off but it's meaning was not lost on Cass.
"Alright," Cass agreed. He was looking fairly flustered himself. This lesson was not going the way Dean planned. Dean went behind Cass and raised his arm so it paralleled Cass's raised arm. They were dangerously close.
"Match me," Dean said softly. His words tickled Cass's ear. Cass lowered his arm to match Dean and their arms and knuckles brushed against each other. Dean licked his parched lips. Cass's hand felt as hot as Dean's did. "Your um...hips aren't right either. You have to square them off more." Dean placed a hand on Cass's lower body to shift him.
Damn it-Dean remembered do this very same thing to chicks he picked up at firing ranges.
Neither of them noticed Sam walk past the doorway and then double back to look confirm what he could believe was happening. Sam's jaw dropped. He stared them in disbelief. They were practically grinding against each other. Slowly, very slowly, and quietly, he backed out of the room the words "OH MY GOD!" escaped silently from his lips.
"Good," Dean said, his voice on the verge of cracking. "Now umm...now give it a try." He back away from Cass and missed the warmth almost instantly. Cass fired, and hit the target. It wasn't a bullseye or anything but he had wounded the paper person in the shoulder, which was progress.
"I shot it!" Cass shouted. He sounded like a child on Christmas. A huge smile crossed his face that made Dean shift awkwardly.
"Good job," Dean complimented him. "You just keep practicing and you'll be a pro in no time. I think you've got it from here." Dean couldn't stand to see Cass smile like that anymore. He hurried out of the room, nearly tripping over his own feet. He felt flushed and hot and needed a cold shower.
Cass was the one who was suppose to be gay, or bi, or whatever he was-not Dean. Dean liked chicks and boobs and the way Cass smiled at him-no! He was not attracted to Cass. This had been worse than when Dean had taught Cass hand to hand combat. Touching Cass was inevitable then and most of the time Cass ended up pinning Dean (which was embarrassing) but this time Dean had chosen to be in close proximity with Cass.
He needed to get laid. And quick.
