"So, what, you don't want Dad to know?"
Dean pushed past Sam and ran a hand through his hair. "Of course I don't want Dad to know," he mumbled, "he'd pummel me. I told him I had a date but I said her name was Cassie." Sam smirked, rolling his eyes. Sam was completely fine with Dean being gay, but their Dad...not so much. When Dean had told him he was just 10. His dad had turned a nasty plum color and then proceeded to get...the belt. Dean still couldn't sit on anything too hard.
"So what do you want me to do, lie to him? Dean, you know I'm no good at keeping secrets."
"Which is why you'll be staying the hell away from Pops tonight, Sammy boy." He turned to face his younger brother, and smiled. "If you aren't near him, he can't third-degree you, and you won't have to lie. It's genius." Dean grinned wider, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Sam laughed, his hair rustling as he shook his head. He really needed a haircut.
"So, what time are you meeting him at The Roadhouse?" Sam asked, leaning against the door of Dean's room.
"Seven," sighed Dean, "And the movie starts at 8." He smiled again, lowering his eyes from Sam's face. He was going on a date, a real one. He knew it was going to be better this time, he could just feel it in his gut. He was still nervous, though. Cas was really open and a bit fast for him...who knows how far he'd want to go. And Dean sure as hell wasn't ready for that. Not yet. He'd only ever had make-out sessions behind the dugouts and once, with shiny-faced (now school scandal) Louis Harris, double handy's after lunch. Now that'd been a fun semester.
"Is Jo coming over again or is she leaving you to your own devices this time?" When Dean looked at Sam with shocked eyes, he chuckled. "Oh come on, Dean, you're my brother. You think I couldn't tell when you were getting all spruced up for Mr. Dandy?" Dean blushed and looked away while Sam cracked up.
"No, this time I think it'd be better if I just...acted like me." Dean squirmed a little, trying to seem comfortable. He'd never really had the problem of having to impress anyone. "You know, Dean the Fream."
"Aww, come on, man, you're not that bad." Dam walked over and sat next to him on his bed, clapping a hand on his knee. "I mean, you're a bit of a dork, but who isn't? I'll bet your little delinquent collects baseball cards or something, too." Dean smiled at that, beaming proudly as he thought of his own collection. But it slid off his face as he remembered the Cas at Petey's, the cool guy who danced too fast.
"What if he hates me?" Dean murmured, fiddling with his fingers.
"What's to hate?" Sam said, catching his eye. Dean gave a little smile. His brother was always there for him. Always had been, always would be. And he would be there for Sammy. Because God knows what kind of trouble that kid would get into later in life.
"So do you want just pie or would you like an actual meal this time around?" Dean looked up to see Cas smiling back down at him, and felt himself blush.
"Well, I hear you make a mean burger," he said, biting his lip as he held eye contact. This was like a contest, who would be more overwhelmed first. Cas chortled and turned back to the grill, throwing another meat pattie onto the sizzling surface.
"That I do, kid. Best in all of Lawrence, actually." Dean laughed and tucked his hands between his knees, mostly to stop himself chewing his nails, and looked around. He'd never really appreciated The Roadhouse before, even though he'd been there since he could walk. When he was younger, he didn't really care about the ambiance but when he turned 14 and a blue-eyed stranger started bussing tables, he found there wasn't much to look at anyways. There was dark wood everywhere, and lots of tables. It was bigger than he'd thought it was, the back reaching on for a while. The shiny stools at the bar were the only new-looking commodity, and even they had a bit of wear and tear on them.
"So, are we gonna talk about the weather or just sit and not talk? I recall that didn't work so well last time." Dean forced a laugh, and tried to think of a conversation topic.
"Why'd you move to Lawrence? I know you haven't lived here forever."
Cas leaned over the bar, sucking a breath through his teeth. Dean found himself staring at the older man's mouth as he thought of an answer, and had to shake his head to clear it when Cas started talking.
"Well, my parents...well, parent, I guess...He wasn't all that great. And I had too much adventure in my blood. I wanted to get out and do something with myself, but not like my brothers had. They'd moved on to big, ambitious stuff...I just wanted to see the world." Cas looked at Dean with a sad smile, and said, "So what about you, shortstack? What are you great life goals?"
Dean chuckled, looking away, trying to think of something. Whenever Cas talked it sorta clouded his brain, and made the connection from his head to his mouth go offline. "I guess...well, I mean, I don't wanna be a mechanic like my dad and uncle or anything, but I have no idea what I'd go for in college...maybe I could write?" He looked back to the bar and saw Cas smirking at him with raised eyebrows. He frowned. "What?"
"I dunno, I guess I expected Mr. Perfect to have a little more strive, y'know? Whatta ya do for money these days?"
"I work at the market with Chuck and Jo. My dad didn't want me working here because of Ash, he thinks he's funny in the head," he laughed, rubbing his hands on his jeans. He was starting to sweat at this whole interrogation process.
Cas turned back to the food, turning off the grill and shuffling everything onto plates. "So what," he started, walking out from behind the counter, "No big plans for the future? Maybe you be an accountant."
Dean shuddered at the thought, remembering his failing grades in math since grade school. "Don't think so."
"Well, you could always come with me."
Dean looked up as Cas placed his food in front of him, catching his eyes just before he turned around. There was no joking glint or beaming smile. Dean flushed and looked down at his food.
"Hehe..yeah, that would be fun, I guess. Seeing the world. Traveling. But it wouldn't be all that..."
"What?" Cas said playfully, sliding in across from Dean, stretching out in his half of the booth. "Safe? Steady? Stable? No, I don't guess it would be, kid. But I don't really like bein' all safe. It's boring." Cas laid his hands on the table, clasped, and leaned towards Dean. "Dont'cha think?"
Dean stuttered over his words, caught up in how Cas' lips were so dry-looking and yet soft and kissable. He could lean forward right now, and kiss him, and change everything, and turn everything upside down. But he didn't. Because he was Dean Winchester, and that just was not his style.
"That was AMAZING!" Dean sang as he skipped out of the cinema, his eyes wide with excitement. Cas followed, less exuberantly, and smiled indulgently. This was the first time he'd seen Dean so animated, and it was kinda cute. "Did you see the way he just pulled out that gun? And man, at the airport, I didn't know what was about to go down!" He laughed again and slowed down to match Cas' pace.
"It was a pretty swell movie, I'll say that." Cas smiled down at his date, and felt his heart melt as Dean looked up at him, a genuine spark of happiness in his green eyes. Cas reached down and took Dean's hand, and watched as the bubble of excitement popped to be replaced by something that looked like fear.
"I-I'm sorry, Cas, I don't.." he trailed off, pulling his hand free and tucking it away. Cas pursed his lips, nodding a little.
"It's okay, Dean, I get it. I mean, I know I'm not really 'boyfriend material' or whatever-"
"What? No! No, it's not that. It's just that," he dropped his voice to a whisper, leaning in, "if anyone saw us and told my old man, I'd be jerky by morning."
Cas' eyes widened a little, the disappointment fading away. "Oh, well..that's kinda crummy." He frowned a little, and Dean's expression softened.
"Cas, I really do like you, ya know. You're a cool guy, and all, I just don't wanna get my hide tanned for the next 5 years."
"Well, you're not a kid, Dean. I mean.." he struggled to find the right words, not wanting to offend the younger guy, "Couldn't you move out, or somethin'?"
Dean laughed, running a hand over his hair. "Nah, I have to look out for Sammy. My brother," he clarified when Cas looked confused. Cas nodded again, wanting to changed the subject. Before he could think of anything though, he felt Dean's fingers slip between his own. He looked up to see Dean staring back with wary eyes.
"There's nobody really around, anyways, right?"
Cas smiled, feeling a small blush creep up his cheeks. This was new. And he kinda liked it.
