When Dean got back into the station, there was still a guilty silence hanging in the air.
Charlie spoke up, but it was hushed. "Hey Dean. I'm sorry...Was Cas…I mean, you're still together, right?"
"Just about. We have a date tomorrow, and it's my last chance. If I fuck up, he says he'll leave. I don't blame him, to be fair, though."
"Well," Benny smiled, though it was still a bit forced, "we'd better help you make this the most amazing date in all of romantic history, huh, brother?"
That was yesterday, and Dean still had no ideas. Shit.
"You could always just go see a movie. I hear the new Batman's pretty good." Charlie sighed.
"Char, this is supposed to be the best date ever. How am I gonna top the last one with a movie?"
"Fine, the go bowling! I'm sorry, Dean, but although I'm happy for you, there's only so much I can listen to."
He sighed, and turned to the computer. The cursor blinked in the search bar, waiting impatiently for him to come up with an idea. Blink. Blink.
Lightning struck. He followed the whisper of the idea through his head. Yeah, that could work…
"I need to talk to Bobby real quick. Can you ask Ash if I can borrow his projector?"
"What're you planning?" Charlie smirked. He just winked, and sauntered in to Bobby's office.
Bobby was surprisingly easy to sway. Dean left the office fifteen minutes later, the keys to the precinct in his pocket. He pulled out his phone, and opened the chat with Castiel.
2:43- Hey Cas, r we still on 4 2nite?
Ash grinned at him knowingly, "I'll bring the projector to Charlie's at 6, yeah?"
Dean was about to reply when his phone buzzed in his hand.
2:46- Mr Winchester, the keys to your new place are ready to be collected. You can move in when you pick them up!
Shit. That was quick.
He'd put in an offer for a tiny studio place, a few blocks from the precinct. He hadn't expected it to be accepted, but the landlord had evidently taken pity on him. He wasn't too happy about that, but hey, whatever got him off of Charlie's couch. His new stuff, replaced by the insurance company, was being held in a nearby storage locker, as well as a slightly singed photo album.
"Yeah, Ash that's cool. Hey man, look!" He showed the other detective the address, and Ash whooped. The news quickly spread, and in a few minutes they were congratulating him on his no-longer-homelessness.
3:14- Hello Dean, sorry, I was on call. Yes, tonight is still on. When and where?
3:15- that's great Cas, everything OK? I'll pick u up urs, 7ish? I got a new place :)
3:16- That's wonderful, Dean! 7 is good, I'll text u my address. Everything's fine, thank u :)
Castiel didn't live too far away, which meant he had had time to prepare. At 6:35, everyone had gone home, and he'd gotten changed at Charlie's. He jumped into the Impala, checking that the projector, console, and discs were in the backseat. Then he set off to the address Cas had sent him.
The drive was easy, miraculously, and Castiel was waiting outside when he pulled up. "Hello Dean. Apparently I have a better TV to watch Dr. Sexy on, so Gabe saw fit to eject me from my own home. How are you?" the firefighter settled in the passenger seat, smiling at him.
"I'm great Cas, thanks. Ready?" When Cas nodded, they turned around, and drove back to the precinct.
"Why are we here, Dean?"
"It's a surprise. Here, unlock the door?" Dean offered him the key, picking up the box from the back. Cas nodded, and did so, holding it for Dean.
They wove through the office. It was eerie at night; completely empty of its usual chatter and commotion. "Uh, I'll meet you on the roof yeah?" He rested the box on Charlie's desk, picking up the three extension leads she'd left. He shoved one into the mains, switching it on, and tugged it as far as it would go up the stairs of the fire escape, then repeated it, slowly climbing the stairs. Castiel was up on the roof, standing awkwardly in the middle. Dean couldn't help the flip flop his stomach did when Cas turned and smiled at him, despite his evident confusion.
"What are we doing, Dean?"
Instead of answering, Dean gently dropped the box, plugging in the projector and pulling it as far as he could, firing up the console and handing Cas a controller.
"Ever play MarioKart on the side of a building?"
"I…I've never played it…"
"I can teach ya. But I won't go easy."
As it turned out, Castiel was a natural at MarioKart. Or he was cheating. How, Dean wasn't sure, but no human could get through Rainbow Road and only fall off twice.
"Yeah, OK, Cas, no need to rub it in." Dean grumbled when Cas won another race, pushing the tally to Dean, three, Cas, five. "First to seven."
"You said that last time, Dean. I'm beginning to think you're a glutton for punishment." Castiel smiled, but pressed Continue.
Dean actually one a few after that.
The score was six all. The deciding race. Dean cracked his back, and hunkered over his controller. Cas chuckled. "You know, the foreplay is nothing is you don't intend to finish first."
The innuendo made Dean flinch, just as the race began. He drove straight off the road. "Fuck!"
Castiel barked in laughter, and rounded the first bend. He was in second, and got a blue shell. First place was his almost instantly. For now.
But Dean was catching up. After the little cloud-tortoise thing had dropped him onto the road, he surged forward, picking up a Bullet Bill powerup and dashing into third. Second. He was so close, but Castiel was still far ahead. They stayed like that for two laps.
Then Dean became desperate. His competitive streak flared, and he knew what he had to do. Shuffling closer to Cas, he leaned over…
And captured Castiel's lips with his own.
Then overbalanced, and fell on top of him.
They fit together like puzzle pieces, as cheesy as it sounded. The game lay forgotten, but the fireworks on the screen, which not only framed the situation perfectly, announced that somebody had won.
Castiel pulled away, and Dean moved. For a second, Castiel looked…troubled. Hurt? Confused? Something, something that Dean couldn't quite place, in his kiss-clouded brain.
"Uh…s-sorry." He looked back at the screen. "But I won."
"Cas blinked, as if only just remembering there was a game. "Did…did you only kiss me to win?"
"At first. Then it was fun." Dean smirked. Cas kicked him lightly.
"Impudence. Winner buys dinner, yes?" Castiel grinned. Dean made a show of rolling his eyes, then got up, offering Cas his hand and pulling him up.
"Sure. C'mon, help me pack up."
They packed up, stealing quick kisses and smiles as they did so. Dean left the box full of things on his desk to deal with tomorrow.
"I'll meet you in the car, I just have to use the bathroom."
"OK, it's the first door on the left sown there." Dean nodded towards the corridor and grinned, leaving for the car.
Castiel emerged a few minutes later, and Dean handed him a hotdog. "There was a food truck across the street, I got you this. Hope it's OK."
"It's wonderful, thank you Dean."
"Do you…Do you want to see my new place?"
"I'd like that."
"It's…cosy."
"Cas, it's tiny."
"I like it. It feels a species short though. Maybe you should get a cat."
Dean smirked. "I'm allergic."
Cas hummed. "Then we should break up." But then he turned and grinned at Dean, to show that he didn't really mean it. Dean chuckled once.
"Don't' joke about that."
"Sorry." Cas' face fell marginally, so Dean bumped him on the shoulder and pulled a funny face. Cas laughed.
"Hey, Cas?"
"Yes, Dean?"
"My brother and his girlfriend are coming into town in a few days; they're on holiday from college and they want to help me move my stuff in here, and I was wondering—"
"Yes, I'll help you."
"Uh…Thanks. But…Do you want to, y'know, go on a double date with them? I'm not one for stuffy posh 'meeting-the-family' type thing, but…"
"You want me to meet your family? That isn't too fast for you?"
"Well, it's only my annoying little brother…"
"…That's a lie, Dean. You think the world of your brother, I know you do. I'd be honoured to meet someone so important to you."
"…Cas?"
"Yes, Dean?"
"…Thanks."
Castiel smiled, and leant forward. Dean closed the gap.
Fear.
Dean flinched, and moved back. "You were scared. Just for a second, but you were, earlier, when I kissed you and won the game. Wh..why?"
A flurry of emotions battled in Cas's eyes and on his face. Confusion, fear, embarrassment, fear, guilt, fear. "I…I, uh…" Suddenly, he seemed to clog up. Freeze. His chest shook, and he hung his head.
"Cas, please. I'm not gonna…if this is about the stink bomb thing, I said I was sorry, and—"
"It's not. I should be apologising. It's not about you. I'm overreacting. It's fine. It's just…uh…I guess I have some stuff to work through. I guess…You're not the only one with, how did you put it…a 'tragic backstory'." He looked back to Dean, smiling. It was wholly forced, and Dean could tell. And it broke his heart.
"What…What happened? You can talk to me, you know that, right?"
"Yes, I know. Thank you, Dean, but it's in the past. No need to bring up old ghosts. I'll get over it."
"Cas, that's not—"
"Dean, I'm fine. Really. I…" Cas sighed, looking away again, "I should go. Gabe said he'd wait up, and it's getting late."
"Oh…Let me get my keys."
"No, Dean, I can get the bus."
"Cas, what kind of guy would I be if I just let you make your own way back home after a date I asked you on? C'mon, man, lemme drive."
Castiel seemed to consider his question for a few seconds, then nodded. "...Thank you."
They drove in silence, Castiel looking out of the passenger side window. He smiled at Dean as they pulled up outside of his home. "Thank you for tonight. It was nice, even if you did cheat in MarioKart."
Dean snorted. "You loved it."
"Sure, Dean. Call me when Sam arrives?"
"'Course. Bye, Cas."
"Goodbye, Dean."