A/N Sorry this took so long to post! Life took its toll, I'm afraid. Stupid reality. This chapter is a bit longer than the others to make up for it!
Castiel arrived early at work the following Friday. He was nervous about having lunch with his employees. He was anxious to make sure the event went off without a hitch. And he was positively buzzing at the prospect of seeing Dean again.
On the first two counts, Castiel needn't have worried. The very first 'Xaphan Motors' Hamburger Friday' was a roaring success. Cafeteria manager, Ellen Harvelle, who had faced Castiel so grimly the first time he had suggested the idea, was smiling and ribbing him good-naturedly.
"Quite the shindig, Mr Gregory. And it's real nice to see you down here again."
Castiel smiled at Ellen, whom he had very much come to admire. "Ellen, please call me Castiel. I can't thank you enough for organising such wonderful food on such short notice."
Ellen snorted, "You don't cook much do ya, Cas?"
Castiel's brows drew together. "How did you know?"
"Just a hunch," Ellen smiled and turned back to harass Jo and Ash who were serving lunch from the bain-marie.
After that, Bobby came up and gruffly thanked Castiel for the 'grub'.
"The guys and gals really appreciate it, and I think it makes a hell of a difference that you're here, sittin' side-by-side eating lunch with them too."
Castiel could only smile and nod at this. He swallowed thickly and Bobby seemed to understand that it wasn't that Castiel didn't want to say something back, he just couldn't. He'd never been particularly demonstrative and he was overwhelmed by how friendly and welcoming everybody was. Castiel had expected a degree of hostility, and he would have understood that, given the recent lay-offs.
But it seemed almost every single worker had come up to say hello and chat, or smile, or given Castiel a wave or a tip of the cap. One woman had even winked at him before adjusting her trucker cap and giving him the once-over. Uncommonly embarrassed, Castiel blushed a little and looked down at the burger sitting in front of him. His second of the day. Castiel wasn't just flattering Ellen, he genuinely found them delicious.
As Castiel sat there wondering if the kitchen had enough left-over for thirds, he felt someone settle in the seat next to his. He turned his head to see Dean smiling softly at him, green eyes tinted with gold.
Castiel spoke without thinking, voice low and pleased, "Dean, these make me…very happy."
Dean's smile grew broader and warmer and he nodded his head, "Geez, Cas, what are you now? The hamburglar?" he asked, teasingly.
Cas was smiling back, but he shook his head confusedly, "I don't understand that reference."
Dean hid a huff of laughter behind his hand and muttered something that sounded like, "adorable."
Just then, a bell clanged, signalling the end of lunch, and people began to file out of the cafeteria, some thanking Castiel on their way out and shaking his hand. Castiel thanked every one of them for coming and promised that this would be a weekly event.
"Just as long as we see your pretty face down here, boss," the lady in the trucker cap shook his hand and laughed uproariously.
"Be sure to come over and have a chat next time," Castiel smiled and waved at her as she headed out of the cafeteria with her friends. He turned back to see Dean leaning back in his seat, one elbow resting on the table.
"I'm impressed, Gregory," Dean said, with feigned seriousness.
Castiel threw his balled up napkin at Dean's head.
"Hey, we're supposed to be nurturing healthy employer/employee relations here, man," Dean said, picking up the burger Cas had left sitting on his plate.
"First, hands off my burger, Winchester, and second, that doesn't apply because you don't work under me."
"I could."
Castiel stilled. He felt like all the air had suddenly been sucked out of the room. Dean's eyes were still locked to his, but they had lost all sense of the humour of the situation. Dean's words had been delivered low and soft.
Castiel didn't know how long they stayed like that, their gaze growing hotter, until he could feel his ears burning. Suddenly, he knew that things between he and Dean were going to go beyond the professional and the idea aroused and excited him. Castiel squared his shoulders and looked pointedly at the burger Dean still held in his hand.
"Eat up, Dean. You're going to need your strength."
After lunch, Castiel had taken Dean through how the day had gone and introduced the rep to Ellen in the kitchen. Ellen had wanted to discuss a matter with Dean, so Castiel had withdrawn to his office. He was supposed to be finishing an invoices spreadsheet but found his thoughts drifting to Dean.
The chemistry between them was undeniable. Castiel had been attracted to people before, but, with Dean, it was just different. Castiel felt a familiar giddiness, of having a crush, or whatever you called it when it was two adult men and not two sixteen-year olds. But he also felt a kinship between them. Dean was passionate and forthright and idealistic. And that called to something in Castiel. Castiel had always been conservative, so sure of what was right and proper, and some of his feelings towards Dean were anything but.
Castiel ran a hand through his hair. It was in his nature to take stock, to analyse, and, with Dean, he found himself resisting that nature.
There was a knock on his door, "Come in," Castiel called.
It was Dean. He came in and closed the door behind himself. "Sorry," he said, "I would have had your secretary call through, but you don't seem to have one anymore." Dean took the guest chair at Castiel's desk.
Castiel smiled ruefully, "Yes, I had to let Crowley go yesterday. He was fairly efficient, but only when it suited him, I'm afraid," Castiel caught Dean's slight frown, "I assure you, Dean, his dismissal was all above board, he seemed to be expecting it actually."
Dean shook his head, "It's not that, it's just that I always thought he was a bit of a douche to be honest. He was pretty rude to Anna, that day we first met."
Castiel felt a jab of jealousy at the mention of his sister. "Do you know Anna well?" he asked, aiming for nonchalance.
"Pretty well," Dean answered, "we dated once or twice, and we've worked a few negotiations and bargaining rounds together. She's a great lawyer. My brother, Sam, is at law school, and last summer she helped tutor him for one of his industrial law subjects."
"Anna was always one for helping others," Castiel said this without sarcasm, feeling a little guilty for being jealous of a sister he had done little to defend. Despite this, Castiel still managed to conjure up a little envy over the fact that Anna had dated Dean.
"She says you guys used to be close, when you were kids," Dean ventured.
Castiel sighed, "We probably were. I haven't seen her for a very long time," Castiel had a desire to be honest with the man standing in front of him, "If I'm truthful, I didn't do much to defend her to the rest of my family. When she left. I guess I felt she was abandoning us for her own selfish reasons, I feel bad for thinking of her like that."
Dean shrugged a shoulder, "Anna is great at what she does. And I think, from what she says sometimes, that she misses you. Might be worth getting back in touch, y'know?" Castiel nodded, Dean continued, "But I can kind of see where you're coming from too. Every Winchester I can name has been blue collar and union through and through, Sammy wants to be a tax lawyer. A tax lawyer for god's sake," Dean laughed, "At first, Dad and I weren't too happy about it, but we came around. And it makes Sam happy, weirdo nerd that he is."
Dean happily talked about Sam for a few minutes before asking Castiel about his own brothers and sisters. Castiel found himself telling Dean things he'd never told another soul. About how he loved his family, but sometimes resented them for relying on him to keep the business going.
They talked until the sun sat on the horizon.
"Dean," Castiel asked suddenly, "I hope they weren't expecting you back at work this afternoon."
Dean laughed, "It's ok, Cas, I took the rest of the afternoon off."
Castiel gave Dean a sceptical look, "Do you make this much effort for all the workers you represent?"
"Only for the ones with really good-looking bosses," and again, Dean's words had managed to make Castiel feel like a fish out of water. Like he couldn't breathe.
And the time for flirting and trading innuendoes is over, because Dean is getting up and coming around to Castiel's side of the desk.
Castiel's breathing is shallow his blue eyes are already open-wide with lust. Like he's been waiting for this all day. Or since the day he met Dean.
There is also lust in Dean's eyes. As he runs them over Castiel's face, down his chest and the place where Castiel's pants have tightened. Dean rested the tips of his fingers on Castiel's hairline, and ran a hand through the dark, tousled mess. Castiel just closed his eyes and moaned softly in his throat.
A few steps and Dean is straddling Castiel's lap, legs pressing into the sides of the chair seat and cloth-covered cock grinding into Castiel's. Dean uses his height advantage to press himself down hard against Castiel, grasping the other man's face and covering those lips with his own.
"Goddamit, Cas, needed this. Fucking need this."
Castiel's hands are on Dean's buttocks, pressing him closer, and Castiel lifts his hips in a desperate grind. He is responding to Dean's kiss as though he's drawing oxygen from the other man's lips.
They break the kiss with a gasp, their hips still clashing and twisting. Castiel burrows his forehead into Dean's shoulder and speaks, "Dean, I want to touch you. Take off your pants."
Such direct words but Castiel isn't a poet or a porn star and he couldn't think of a better way to get what he wanted, what he needed from Dean right now.
Rather than being put off by this, Dean seemed to approve, he shuddered and groaned before licking his way into Castiel's mouth again.
Dean hauled Castiel out of his seat, hands on Cas' arse manoeuvring the other man to stand in front of him. He rested his forehead against Castiel's and focussed on undoing Cas' fly. Dean pulled Castiel's pants and underwear to his ankles before undoing his own. Castiel kicked his feet free and pulled his shirt over his head. Dean followed suit, and soon, they were both gloriously naked.
For a moment, they stood, heaving chests pressed together. Castiel ducked his head and kissed Dean again, and this seemed to signal their hands to start moving again. Dean lifted Castiel so that he perched on the desk, the hard edge biting into the crease between the cheeks of his arse and his thighs. It's a wanton, delicious hurt and he relishes it as Dean's hand slides over their cocks, rubbing them together, spreading the pre-cum along their lengths.
Castiel thrusts into Dean's hand and keeps his forearms resting on Dean's shoulders. He loses himself to the sensation of being jerked off by a warm calloused hand, feeling Dean's plump and silky length alongside his own. Dean is muttering his name and Cas is kissing the side of Dean's neck. As they get closer to coming, Castiel drops his arms from Dean's shoulders and rests a palm on one of Dean's buttocks. Castiel runs the finger of his other hand over the cleft between Dean's cheeks.
One of Castiel's long, slender fingers runs underneath, to collect some of the pre-cum that has dripped on to Dean's thigh. He presses a slick fingertip to Dean's entrance, feeling the muscle clench and then slacken. Dean is moaning now, and working his hand faster. Castiel nuzzles Dean's nape and works his finger in further. He finds what he's looking for and Dean comes like a rocket. Breathing heavily, Dean uses the extra lubrication to jack Castiel off hard and fast, and Cas comes, Dean still pulsing around his finger.
Dean and Castiel rub against each other languorously as they come back down. Castiel is sleepy and Dean is panting like he's run a marathon, but he's smiling.
"Goddammit, Cas, what did you do to me?"
"I did say you'd need your strength," Castiel quips.
Dean just kisses him.