It was a smart move on my part to post the bonus chapter yesterday, as today's ended up being short due to school obligations (and writer's block). Hopefully these two chapters combined are enough to tide you over! Thank you to all of the reviewers and followers, who make my day. The story title is taken from Led Zeppelin's Fool in the Rain. This week's chapter title is taken from The Rain Song (also by Zeppelin, but at least I'm switching it up a bit!).
Ain't So Hard toRecognize
The next day, a Wednesday, started slowly, as if the sun was hesitant to rise. But hey, Dean couldn't blame it. He was content and comfortable and warm. He didn't want those feelings to end. Someone was wrapped around Dean, strong arms and legs cradling him and a stubbly chin resting upon his head. If this was a hookup, he found himself thinking, the sex must have been amazing. He hadn't felt like this in months. Hell, he hadn't felt like this in years. He burrowed closer to the man, burying his face in the solid chest and inhaling. Wait, what man? He opened his eyes slowly, raising them to the face beside him. Castiel. Had he… Had he slept with Cas? It was early, and his brain was hesitant to remember. Dean looked up and down himself, then Cas. Nope, fully clothed.
Dean's memory came back, piece by piece. No sex. Their movie marathon had lasted late into the night. They had fallen asleep beside each other. At some point during their slumber, they had gotten tangled up in an unknowing cuddle. Simple as that. Just a misunderstanding. This could happen between friends, right? Of course it could, he decided. He wasn't sure if he was disappointed or relieved.
As Dean mulled over the best way to sneak from the bed unnoticed, the man beside him stirred. Castiel lifted his arm away from Dean, stretching his arm above his head and yawning. For the time being, he was ignorant of Dean. Dean had but a moment before it turned very awkward, very fast. Blue eyes met green. Dean watched the emotions roll across the other man's face. Fear to confusion to understanding to embarrassment, all within the span of a second, barely a tick of the clock. They were close, so close.
They froze, neither sure how to diffuse the tension. Luckily they didn't have to.
"Am I interrupting something?"
Meg was propped against the door frame, holding two trays of breakfast. Without waiting for a reply she wandered in, setting the food on the cart beside Dean's bed.
Almost in unison, the two men shot apart, scooting to opposite ends of the bed. Castiel placed himself at the foot of the bed, not meeting either of his companions' eyes. Any other time, Dean would have been enamored by the obviously flustered Cas. I fucked up. You fucked up so bad, Winchester, Dean thought, internally scolding himself.
Meg plopped into a chair, grinning at the two blushing men.
"I thought you two would be hungry. If you ever left the bed, that is." She winked lasciviously, enjoyed the discomfort.
"It's not…" Dean struggled to explain as he ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Nothing happened, I swear. We were just… watching movies-"
"And we fell asleep!" Castiel interjected, attempting to clarify.
"Yeah, we fell asleep… Nothing happened."
Meg heaved a dramatic sigh, standing. "Well that's disappointing. I can't stand liars. I guess I'll have to find juicy gossip elsewhere. Have fun, you two." And with that she was gone, leaving them to stew in the silence.
Thanks for reading!