It turns out Castiel didn't have to worry about making arrangements for Sam. Dean had heard Mrs. Bradbury talking with him as the party wound down, inviting Samandriel over for a play date with Charlie. With assurances that Samandriel would be safe and home by eight, Castiel stopped by the classroom door to confirm their plans and get directions to one of Sam and Dean's favorite bar and grills.
And thus around six Dean found himself in the Impala with Sam in the passenger seat and a stomach full of unwelcome butterflies.
"Dean?"
"Yeah Sam?"
"…You wanna go inside in the near future?" Dean shook himself, pulling the keys out of the ignition and stepping out of the car.
"Yeah man, I'm starved," he quipped, as Sam joined him. Already Dean's eyes were peeled for Castiel's trademark tan coat. As they stood in the entryway of the restaurant, Sam was clearly in the same line of thinking.
"So where's this friend of yours?"he asked. Dean thought he put a funny emphasis on the word friend, but decided to let it slide as a familiar voice spoke up behind them.
"Hello…Dean." The name sounded unpracticed on Castiel's tongue, but Dean still cracked a grin as he turned to greet his favorite volunteer.
"Hey Castiel," Dean said, the new name equally strange and yet exciting in his mouth, "Glad you could make it. This is my baby brother Sam. Sam, this is Castiel, one of my favorite parents."
"Nice to meet you," Sam said, taking Castiel's hand in a strong shake.
"Likewise," Cas said, his voice low, "You seem far too tall to be Dean's 'baby brother'"
Sam smirked at Dean. "I like this guy already."
They got themselves a table and had a round of burgers ordered in just a few minutes. Sam and Castiel hit it off right away, once Cas got over his initial shyness. It turned out Cas, when he wasn't volunteering in Dean's room, was a translator for a major publishing company. They immediately fell into a friendly debate over ancient texts and the best translations. Dean, who had his masters in early childhood literacy, followed the conversation just fine, but was happy to see his brother finally have someone he could go full geek with, and didn't mind observing more than talking. Likewise, Castiel seemed eager to have a grown up conversation, though periodically he would look to Dean, as if to make sure he wasn't feeling excluded. If that gave Dean a warm feeling in his chest, well it was nobody's business but his.
"My main income comes from translating popular novels for international readers," Castiel confessed, in between bites of his burger, "If you've ever read any of Carver Edlund's books in Mandarin or Spanish, it's been my doing. The stories are tacky, but it allows me to work from home, which is perfect for me and Samandriel."
"How many languages do you actually speak?" Sam asked, eyes round.
"Fluently? Seven," Castiel admitted, "Though I'm conversational in about ten. I'm attempting to polish my Italian so that I can get more classic literature work."
"What kind of stuff are you aiming for?" Dean asked curiously as he stole one of Sam's fries, earning a glare.
"My highest aspiration is Dante," Cas confided, "I wish to provide the definitive twenty-first century English translation of The Inferno."
"Why not do the whole Divine Comedy?" Dean asked, and Sam looked at him in surprise, "What? I read. I probably studied more literature in college than you did."
"Maybe," Cas pondered, "It would be years of work. The project of a lifetime."
"I'm sure you'll get there," Dean said, causing Castiel to look down at his drink with a small smile.
There was something great about hearing Castiel (because he could call him Castiel now) talk about something that didn't involve arts and crafts projects. His eyes took on this glowing quality, not like 'lit up' but more like lit from deep within, like he was revealing some secret flame the burned at his core. And he was so goddamned modest. Dean just wanted to shake him and tell him how awesome he was.
Castiel looked down at his now empty soda. "I think I'll go ask the bartender for a glass of water," he declared, rising. He left, but not before giving Dean another warm smile.
"So how long's this been going on?" Dean was so content that he was unprepared for Sam's irritating skills of deduction.
"How long's what been going on?" Dean sipped his beer as he watched Castiel walk to the bar, barely paying attention to Sam's question.
"You and Mr. Tall Dark and Awkward." Dean nearly choked.
"Are you referring to Castiel, who, may I remind you, is one of my kids' guardian?" he asked pointedly.
"If that's the same trench coat wearing guy at the bar right now, upon whom you are, super obviously I might add, nursing an enormous crush," Sam said knowingly, "Then yeah. You've got it bad, dude."
"What? No!" Dean objected, "I don't have the hots for the guy! I admire him and …you know, his courage and stuff. It takes a lot to raise a kid by yourself."
Sam looked skeptical. "Uh huh," he said with a raised eyebrow, "Which is why you've been admiring his ass for this entire conversation." Dean reluctantly tore his eyes away from Castiel's admittedly admirable backside to glare at Sam.
"Mind your own business, bitch," he muttered, standing, "I'm gonna hit the head."
"Whatever you say," Sam shrugged, "Jerk."
When Dean returned from the men's room, he found Sam and Cas in deep conversation, and when he sat back down, both men looked at him with what Dean could only call admiration.
"What?" he asked.
"Sam was just telling me how you practically raised him by yourself," Castiel said, his voice soft. Dean blushed, looking at Sam, who just shrugged.
"It wasn't that big a deal," he deferred, with a grin, "It wasn't like I could just let the little moose starve."
"On the contrary, it was a very big deal," Castiel insisted, "It must have taken a lot of courage."
"Funny," Sam commented, "Earlier Dean was saying the same thing about you."
Castiel looked surprised. "Well yeah," Dean spoke up, "You're doing the same for Samandriel as I did for Sam. More even. I had a lot of people helping me out." God, he was going to kill Sam for that later. Castiel was blushing as furiously as Dean knew he was.
"I just hope my brother turns out as well as yours has," Castiel said modestly, looking down at the bright red tablecloth.
"Well that'll be tough," Dean said with a sigh, "Sam's a tough act to follow."
They both laughed as it was Sam's turn to blush.
"Really though," Dean continued, "Samandriel is a fantastic kid. You're doing better for him on your own than most kids get with two parents."
"A toast then," Castiel offered, raising his beer, "To raising excellent Sams."
"Damn straight," Dean agreed, clinking their glasses. Sam just shook his head, grinning widely.
"Aw, don't feel left out Sammy," Dean jibed, elbowing his brother playfully, "You'll get your chance."
"Maybe sooner than you think," Sam said with a coy smile. Dean nearly did a spit take.
"What?!" Dean exclaimed, "Did you- Is Jess-" Sam shook with laughter at the look on Dean's face.
"No! God no," he said, then, blushing, "But we've been talking a lot about how we both want to have a family someday. And I uh, well… I bought a ring last week." Dean's eyes widened and he slapped Sam on the back, grinning ear to ear.
"You lovesick bastard," he crowed, "That's freaking fantastic! Do you hear that Cas? I'm gonna be a brother-in-law!" Sam laughed, shushing him as Dean shouted in the middle of the restaurant.
"Dean, Dean settle down," he chided, "I haven't even asked her yet."
"Like she's gonna say no to you," Dean scoffed, "Handsome sasquatch that you are." He ruffled Sam's hair affectionately as Castiel chuckled at their antics.
"Yeah, well who knows," Sam shot back, "I've got this really annoying older brother who might scare her off."
"Ha! Please, I'm adorable," Dean laughed. Sam just shook his head.
"I can't wait 'til you find somebody of your own and I get to make fun of you," Sam pouted as Dean pointedly did not glance over at Castiel, "Though I imagine they'd have to practically chain you to the altar to keep you from bolting."
"Don't worry," Dean joked, "I'll get there. I might have to knock some skulls together on Capitol Hill first, of course."
"Why would you need to do that?" Castiel asked, head tilted in open curiosity. Dean felt a moment of panic. In his excitement for Sam, he had forgotten Cas didn't know about him. It was one thing to have a crush, but he didn't actually know if Cas was interested in men, or even how he would react towards Dean being gay in general. Sam blanched, looking at Dean anxiously.
"Dean I didn't mean-I mean I figured he already-" Sam stammered, handling his beer nervously.
"It's okay Sam," Dean said, then, steeling himself, he told Castiel, "Cas, I'm gay."
"I see," Castiel said, pausing to sip on his soda for what to Dean seemed like a millennium, "Well they tell me if Obama continues in his current policies we could have marriage equality within the next five years."
Dean released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "I'll drink to that," he quipped, tapping his bottle against Castiel's glass again before taking a long swig. Cas grinned, and even Sam smiled nervously. The tension had dissipated by the time Sam's phone went off a minute later, "Heat of the Moment" blaring from his jacket pocket.
"I better take this," he said, excusing himself.
"Don't worry, me and Cas will be just fine," Dean called after him, before turning back to find Castiel giving him a curious look.
"You keep calling me that," he observed, "'Cas'." He said the word carefully, like it was from a foreign language.
"Should I not?" Dean asked. There he was, getting too familiar again.
"No, no I quite like it," Castiel said quietly, "No one's ever called me that before." Dean felt a little flutter low in his belly.
"Can I ask you something?" Cas asked suddenly.
"Shoot."
"Your brother seemed quite uncomfortable talking about your sexuality," Castiel observed, "Is it a point of tension between you?" Castiel's ability to talk about taboo subjects with the air of someone discussing the weather should not have appealed to Dean as much as it did.
"Nah, he doesn't care," Dean said, "He's just afraid he'll get me into trouble at school."
"Because of me?"
"I guess." Dean sipped his water casually as Castiel examined him, brow furrowed in confusion.
"He forgot that you were one of my parents," Dean explained, "I'm uh, not really out at work."
"Sam fears that I would report you?" Cas asked, "Why would I do that?"
"Some people would. Some people, if they knew, well…there would be ugly implications. It's not easy to be gay and want to teach young kids," Dean admitted. Cas looked at him askance, huffing a laugh.
"We live in Kansas," the man said, "It's not easy to be gay and do anything. But you can't hide part of yourself away because you fear the judgment of others."
"Yeah that's real easy for you to say," Dean began.
"No," Castiel said, looking at him pointedly, "It's really not."
Oh. Oh. "You're…"
"Generally," Castiel admitted, "I was engaged to a woman for quite a long time, but she was…an exception. Since I've had Samandriel I haven't had occasion to really meet anyone. But if he asks me I won't hesitate to be honest with him."
"That's good," Dean said, nodding as he spotted Sam emerging from the lobby, "That's the way it should be."
Sam returned to the table with an apologetic look on his face.
"That was the office," he said, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair, "Apparently one of our more well known clients just got caught driving with a dubious blood alcohol level and its all hands on deck."
"That's fine Sammy," Dean answered, "But we came in one car."
Sam ran a hand over his face in irritation. "Damn I forgot," he said, "It's cool, I'll just call a cab and-"
Castiel spoke up with a soft hand on Dean's arm. "I have no objection to giving you a ride, if your brother needs the car," he offered, "If you're comfortable with that, of course."
Dean was momentarily distracted by the feeling of Cas' hand on his bare skin before he was able to answer. "Uh, yeah. Sure, that's fine I guess," Dean said, nodding as he tossed the keys of the Impala to Sam. Sam looked somewhat surprised.
"You put one scratch on her," Dean warned him, "And you'll be recommending me a good defense attorney from beyond the grave. Got it?"
Sam rolled his eyes, saying a polite goodbye to Castiel before making his way out of the restaurant, thoughts clearly already on the case at hand. Dean shook his head with a smirk before looking back to Cas, who, as usual, was staring at him intently.
"We should probably depart soon as well," Castiel informed him, "Mrs. Bradbury will be dropping off Samandriel at eight."
Dean nodded, before realizing Cas' hand was still on his arm. Castiel seemed to notice at the same moment, and quickly withdrew his hand as Dean waved the waiter down to ask for their check.
The ride home was filled with soft words and comfortable silence. Dean wasn't used to being the passenger, but he found that he liked the feeling more than he thought he would. Castiel was a quiet driver, his gaze fixed on the road, two hands on the wheel, but his posture was relaxed and his face was open. Dean watched him out of the corner of his eye, admiring the sharp lines of his profile and the strong grip of his hands. As they pulled up to the curb in front of Dean's apartment, Castiel turned to meet Dean's gaze.
"Dean," he began, "Thank you for inviting me out tonight. I can't remember the last time I ate a meal that didn't involve a highchair or children's menus."
"I'm glad you came," Dean answered him with a grin, "I'm sorry your only recent moment of adult socializing was with me and my dorky brother." A streetlight threw Castiel's features into sharp relief, making his skin glow gold in the fading evening light. Dean's mouth felt dry, all his humor not quite able to hide how mesmerized he was by Castiel's features.
"It was my pleasure to get to know you outside the classroom," Castiel insisted, "And to meet your brother. Wish him luck from me on his proposal."
"I will," Dean said, "Hey, maybe you could give him some advice. You're experienced in that area, right?"
Castiel looked away. "I might not really be the best person for that," he muttered, and Dean kicked himself.
"Listen Cas, I didn't mean to-"
"It's fine," Castiel assured him, "Just…it's not a good memory yet. Someday it will be."
"Was it a bad breakup?" Dean asked before he could stop himself. He had to know what was making Castiel hurt in this way, though this was not the kind of memories he had wanted to leave Cas thinking about tonight.
"We didn't split up. Well, we were going to, I think. She," Cas swallowed, his voice rough, "She died before we really decided anything."
"Cas, I'm sorry-" Dean began, but Castiel waved him off.
"No, it's alright." Cas laughed, a soft quiet thing. "In actuality, Meg was not a very kind person. Three years later I suppose that it's alright to say that. And at the end we were fighting more than we weren't. But I loved her. Truly I did." Castiel grew quiet for a few moments, and Dean couldn't help but place a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. Cas let out a deep breath and looked at Dean gratefully.
"Anyway," he continued, "Six months later Samandriel was placed in my care, and I never looked back. I never looked anywhere, really. Or at anyone." Was the car getting smaller, or was Cas sitting a little closer to Dean than before? Did his eyes just flick down to Dean's mouth?
"Never?" Dean asked, his breath growing a little short, "In three years?"
"Never," Cas whispered, staring at Dean intently, "At least, not until recently." Suddenly the man was leaning in and Dean wasn't moving because all he could do in that moment was stare at Castiel's mouth and wonder if it would be dry or soft against his and then he didn't have to wonder anymore because Cas was kissing him and it turned out that somehow the answer was both. Dean sat stock still, his eyes wide in shock as Castiel's lips moved against his, which must have given him the impression that the feelings weren't mutual because he broke the kiss off suddenly, blushing deeply as he moved as far away from Dean as the small car space would allow.
"Oh my God I can't believe I just did that," Castiel babbled, "Please accept my apologies, Mr. Winchester, that was totally inappropriate-" Dean cut him off, using a hand on the back of Castiel's neck to pull their mouths together once more. Castiel froze against him for a moment, then melted, lips moving eagerly against Dean's. Dean didn't really know what he was doing, only that it felt startlingly, shockingly right. The kiss was sloppy, Dean winding his hands into Castiel's short hair as he felt the tentative stroke of the man's tongue along his bottom lip. He opened his mouth willingly under Castiel's prodding, quickly rewarded by the sweet slide of tongues and Castiel's hand gripping tight on his upper arm. His heart pounded in his chest as Castiel licked across the roof of his mouth before tangling their tongues again. Dean let Castiel have his way with him more another moment before pulling away with soft presses against Castiel's rough mouth. He touched their foreheads together like children sharing a secret, close enough that Dean could still feel the puff of Castiel's uneven breath hot against his face.
"I think," Dean said, voice husky, "Now you're really gonna have to start calling me Dean."
"Dean," Castiel breathed, pressing his lips against Dean's roughly, "Dean, Dean Dean…"
Dean groaned into the kiss, the sound rumbling deep in his chest as he tasted Castiel's mouth until they were both starving for air. This time it was Cas who broke contact, gasping, and Dean drew a shuddering breath as well.
"That," Cas said roughly, "Was even better than I had imagined." His hand moved up to span the width of Dean's face, brushing his thumb against Dean's bottom lip. Dean could only nod eagerly because holy fuck Castiel had imagined this ahead of time.
"Dammit Cas," Dean confessed, "I've wanted to do that since the day I met you."
"Dean," Castiel said, and Dean shivered at the sound of his name from Cas' lips, "We should have dinner."
"We just ate," Dean said, still mesmerized by Cas' mouth. Castiel laughed, kissing Dean, quick and light.
"I mean we should go out together. On a night besides this one."
Dean smacked himself on the forehead, laughing. "Oh," he said, "Right, yeah."
"Any thoughts on the matter?" Castiel traced the contours of Dean's jaw with his strong, slim fingers. Dean caught Cas' hand, kissing his knuckles lightly.
"Absolutely," Dean said, "Name the place and I'm there."
Castiel's smile lit up the dark driveway.