While Dean was at work—he forgot he had taken Chuck's shift in exchange for some favour—Cas sat at home, catching up on his emails. Uncommonly, he had gotten his birthday off. Usually, days like birthdays, Christmas, and New Year's, he and Dean found themselves working.

It was just after two when the phone next to his laptop began to ring. He picked it up, not bothering to check the caller ID before answering.

"Happy birthday, baby bro!" the sound of Gabriel's voice cut over Castiel's greeting.

"Hello Gabriel," Cas sighed, but a smile pulled at his lips. He had already received a call from Lucifer, which had not gone so well since Cas' brother was too interested in joking about the fact that his youngest brother was now pushing thirty. Castiel reminded Lucifer that he was only twenty-eight. Even Sam had called. "How are you?"

"I should be asking you that, Cassie. Twenty-eight years ago today you pushed yourself out of our mother's-"

"You're vulgar," Cas interrupted and looked at the TV with a bored expression. He was used to Gabriel and Lucifer's lewd comments, but sometimes they got old.

"Hey," the older Novak protested, "I'm just stating how it is."

"You could be a little more discreet. Do that for the rest of the day-" he knew it wouldn't be the last time he heard from Gabe today "-and we'll call it my gift." He hadn't asked for anything—he never got anything useful. Michael usually gave him books, but they were on economics, ones he wasn't really interested in. Lucifer's gifts were usually things he passed off to Dean. Last year had been a set of wrenches. And Gabriel, well his gift were usually embarrassing and... Pornographic, to say the least.

"Hey!" Gabriel nearly shrieked, causing Cas to move the phone away from his ear. "That reminds me. I have your gift; you'll be getting it later today."

The youngest Novak cringed. "Gabe, I swear to God, if you got me another porn sub-"

His brother's laugh rang loudly through the receiver. "Aw, Cassie, Lucifer's right: you've been wound so tightly lately. What's wrong, Dean-o not giving it to you?"

Castiel groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. God, help him.

"Gabriel! I'm not-"

"All right. All right," the older Novak chuckled. Cas could practically see the smug look plastered onto his brother's face. "Look the real reason I called was-"

"To annoy me," Cas cut in with a deadpan tone.

"Hey! Look who made a joke. Gotta say, looks like we're rubbing off on you after all."

He rolled his eyes. Actually, it was Dean who was rubbing off on him, but he didn't bother to correct him. "Anyway. What was it you-"

"Oh yeah! You, me, lunch. I'm takin' you out for your birthday."

"Oh." Cas looked at the clock hanging off to the side of the TV. Damn, he really should have had lunch when he had a chance. He didn't want to go out with his brother. Knowing Gabriel, he'd probably drag Lucifer to lunch with them. "I have a lot of work to finish. There's also a load of-"

"Sure," Gabriel dragged out the word, obviously not buying his brother's excuse. "Dean's there isn't he?"

"No, Gabe. Dean's not-"

"Dean's not allowed to talk?" Gabriel's tone had gone flirty; he knew what he was doing. "Is he currently busy?"

"Gabe," Castiel said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, come on, Cassie." Gabriel snickered, enjoying his brother's reaction. God, it really was too easy. "Anyway, I'm taking you to that restaurant on Lexington. You know, that place I told you about, or was it Lucifer I was talking to?

Castiel sighed and sat back on the couch. There was no way he was getting out of this. When Lucifer had called, Cas had let it slip that he had nothing planned. Knowing his brothers, they probably had both conspired with each other.

"Do I really have to?" He knew it sounded a bit petulant, but he had just spent an afternoon with Gabe last week, and they had already gone out to lunch.

"Yes!" the other man exclaimed. "It's your birthday. And we-I-I-" Cas caught the slip, but decided to not to comment on it "-want to spoil my baby brother. We all know I have the money and no one to spend it on. There's only so much porn I can buy."

Castiel made a face of disgust. "How generous of you. And modest."

Gabriel, next to Michael was the most successful out the four of them. Having finally graduated from medical school at Harvard, Gabriel moved to Chicago to do his surgeon residence in pediatrics. It was a bit shocking when his frivolous brother announced that he had gotten into Harvard's medical program on his first try. Dean had jokingly commented that he had expected Gabriel to go into something like reality TV. Joking that Gabe was into that "borderline sadistic entertainment", and was a "twisted little shit". After five years in Chicago, he had decided to move back to New York to complete his fellowship at Bellevue Hospital Center. He had just finished his first year and was on his second and final year.

Castiel exhaled loudly; he was probably going to regret this. "Fine. I'll meet you there in a bit. I have some things I need to finish up first."

"Like Dean?" Gabriel grinned devilishly, though Cas couldn't see, he assumed that's what his brother was doing. "Make sure Dean lets you-" Cas hit the 'end' button, cutting off whatever lewd remark he was about to say.

Gabriel looked down at his phone and chuckled. God, his brother was so easy to wind up. Almost too easy.

He was already sat at a table, waiting for Cas, which would probably be a half hour wait. The restaurant was filled with a low buzz from the few patrons that occupied tables around him. There was only about ten people, the lunch rush had almost died down.

Gabe was sipping his water, watching people walk by the window. People watching was boring, but it sure passed the time.

He glanced around the restaurant, looking for his waiter so he could order something else to drink. Movement at the door caught his eye and he glanced over towards it. A very tall and familiar figure walked in, making his way to the back of the restaurant.

"Well, well, well," Gabriel called out, leaning back in his chair and leering at the man just passing his table.

Sam Winchester stopped and looked behind him, seeing Gabriel Novak smirking at him. He hadn't seen the man in over a year, not since the last Fourth of July where Bobby had hosted a BBQ and invited Cas' family as well.

"Gabe?" The younger Winchester smiled and walked over to Gabe's table. Unlike Dean, Sam actually didn't mind the "spunky" man. "I thought you were in Chicago." It was weird seeing Cas' older brother sitting alone at a restaurant in New York. Out of all the ones to pick, Gabe chose the one he was meeting his friend at.

"Nah," Gabriel wave his hand dismissively, "Been back for a few months now." Technically it was a year, but who was keeping track? "Got a place on 35th."

Sam frowned. Out of all the times he talked to Cas, not once did he mention that his brother was back in New York. The same for Dean; Sam knew his brother wasn't the biggest fan of Gabe, so he assumed Dean hadn't been be overly pleased. They mentioned the older Novak being around, but they made it seem more like a visit than a permanent move.

"Really? Dean and Cas never said anything." Sam glanced around him as if he was looking for someone.

The older man shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, there wasn't much of an announcement. So, you're meeting someone?" He quirked an eyebrow and smirked. Sam seemed a little fidgety.

Sam turned his attention back to Gabe. "Uh, yeah. Just a friend from school. Actually-" Sam looked down at his watch and huffed "-he was supposed to meet me hear about fifteen minutes ago. I was running late."

"Looks like we're both being kept waiting. My brothers seem to like taking their sweet damn time as well."

The taller man chuckled and grinned. "Planning things with Andy is… Unpredictable."

"Maybe we should just have lunch. Teach our lunch dates a thing about being punctual." It was a joke, but a larger smile spread across Sam's face. Dean tolerated Gabe for Cas' sake, but Sam never had a real problem with the older man. In fact, Sam sometimes wished he was the Novak he saw more than Lucifer and Michael. Michael was just a dick, and Lucifer kind of creeped him out, though he was sure the middle Novak was… Harmless.

Sam opened his mouth to reply, but a loud voice cut off his reply.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" A shorter, frantic looking man with short brown hair came running into the restaurant, almost bumping into Sam.

Gabe arched an eyebrow as he watched Sam roll his eyes and shake his head while the man started sputtering out an explanation.

The seated man only caught a few spaced words; the man talked like he was going to have a panic attack. Gabe heard "car" and "gone" before Sam gripped the man—Andy he assumed and tried to calm the anxious man.

"Andy! Calm down. You're just working yourself up, again." Gabe didn't miss the slightly annoyed tone Sam spoke with.

"But it's my mom's car. And she's going to be-" Andy cut off and took a loud inhale. "Oh gosh. She's going to be pissed."

"Andy. Her car was towed. It wasn't like you dented it like last year. Look, I'll drive you down to the police station."

"Yeah. Okay." Andy nodded and hurried out the restaurant, probably thinking Sam was following.

"So, that's your friend?" Gabriel smirked and looked up at Sam. The man was certainly not the type of person he'd picture Sam to be friends with.

"He's not normally like this," Sam defended. "But he seems to have a knack at either losing or ruining his mom's car."

The older man snorted. "And he still drives his mom's car? How old is he?" Gabe teased, but Sam didn't seem too impressed, throwing the man a 'bitch face', as he heard Dean called is many times.

"It's cheaper. Anyway, looks like I'm not having lunch anytime soon. See you around, Gabe."

"See ya, kiddo." Gabe waved as Sam walked away. "Ugh! Finally!" Just as Sam walked out the building, another man walked through the door.

The man rolled his eyes and took the seat across from Gabriel. "Traffic." He shrugged.

"Mm-hmm," Gabriel hummed, not buying the excuse. "I swear, you're worse than Michael, Lucifer."

The day was busy—well, busy for everyone else but Dean. The officer was practically banging his head against the wall with boredom. Charlie had been with him earlier, but was moved to booking when Brooks went home sick. He had been stuck on desk duty, much to his dismay, and he wanted out of the stupid padded chair. He had finished all his paper-work and was now twiddling his thumbs, waiting for five o'clock to come. He wanted to go home and… Fuck. Today was Cas' birthday. He had remembered this morning, but the thought quickly slipped his mind when the 'birthday boy' remained asleep when he left for his shift.

"Looking a little lonely there, Dean," a young male officer teased. "Missing your partner today?" Ethan, the officer, smirked when Dean had moved his hand to flip him off but thought better of it when Crowley walked by. Like the man would care, but the older officer wasn't about to risk it. The staff sergeant was known for either being laid back or the king of hell; just depends on his mood for the day.

"Sorry, Snider. Charlie already beat you to that joke. So did Evans and Lucas." Dean leaned back in his chair lazily and gave a short huff of laughter.

The younger officer shrugged his shoulders and smirked. "Never said I was original." Ethan smirked and shrugged. He took a couple of steps backwards before turning around.

It was now just after noon, there wasn't anything that needed Dean's attention at the moment, which made it the perfect time to take his lunch break. Once again, he didn't pack anything to eat, and just settled on a bag of chips from the break room's vending machine. It would be enough to get him through the next five hours.

He returned to his desk a half hour later with a coffee in hand. He had just sat down at his desk when…

"Dean Winchester!" a sharp voice called loudly. Dean looked away from his computer to see Tessa walk out of Crowley's office. "Guess who just volunteered you to be my assistant."

Dean looked from the detective to Crowley's office. He could see the staff sergeant was on the phone, but like he had a sixth sense, his dark eyes met the officer's through the window. He smirked wickedly; he arched an eyebrow challengingly.

Dean broke the stare and turned his attention back to Tessa. He pushed his chair back and stood up, walking around the desk to the woman.

"Let's go." The detective led the way back to her desk, which was a mess of paper and stationery supplies. "This case just came up," Tessa explained and opened the folder she was holding. "It's been a bitch and I need help sorting through all off it."

"What about Rogers? Shouldn't he be helping you?" It wasn't unusual for a detective to take an officer to help them, but usually Tess and Rogers worked together. They were kind of an unofficial team.

"Detectives are very busy, Winchester." Tessa smirked crookedly. "We can't all help each other while we're working on our own cases," she explained as they walked up the stairs.

Dean chuckled and opened his mouth to make a witty retort, but was cut off by the woman.

"And I know you're very organized with your paperwork; Cas compliments you on it all the time." She gave him a teasing wink.

"Jeez, I'm so flattered." Dean gave a teasing smirk, which turned into a tight smile. He was organized at work; it was an atypical attribute he had, mostly because he could go weeks before he cleaned up around the apartment.

Tessa led the way to her desk, which was near the back of the room they were in. It was also the messiest. The detective's floor was nearly empty. There were only two other detectives, both much older than the other two officers.

Dean walked over to the desk. There were several file folders stacked to the left, and a few papers and photographs scattered over the wooden surface. He looked down at the various shots, each of a different piece of evidence. There were also a few of the three victims, lying dead on the cement floor of the building they were found in.

"These are the pictures?" Dean asked, picking of a photo of a young male with, spread eagled, stab wound to the upper left side of his chest. Blood had soaked his shirt and formed a puddle around his side.

"Hmm?" Tessa looked up from the file she was flipping through. Her gaze went from Dean to the scattered photographs on the table. "Yeah. Why? Is there a problem?"

He shook his head. Was there a problem though? "Uh, no. Just the guy is… Well, he's certainly trying to make his mark." He wasn't sure if it had been a case he worked, or it could have just been a movie he watched. Sometimes fiction blurred into the reality of his job.

"Well, it doesn't look like anything more than another gang related shooting," Tessa sighed just as Dean spotted the picture of circle with a "T" like symbol that drew into a backwards looking "L". There was a triangle on the top of the circle and six smaller symbols surrounding it. Or were those letters? The photo itself was chilling, but what was more haunting was that it was drawn in blood.

"One of the victims also has that symbol carved into his chest." Tessa noticed Dean's fixation on the photograph and glanced over his shoulder to see which one it was.

Dean heard her, but didn't make any acknowledge of it. There was something familiar about the symbol, like he'd seen it before. It wasn't a past crime or Tessa would have made the connection already.

"Do you know what it is?" Maybe if he had a name he'd remember.

"No. We've been trying to figure that out, but nothing's come up." The defeat in Tessa's voice was obvious. This must have been what she was stressing over. Figuring out this symbol would certainly give them a lead or at least closer to a lead. "It could just be a gang sign. There's talks about a couple of them starting to make moves, but…" She held her hands up as if to say 'here we are' before placing them back on the table.

The thing looked like something Cas would have shown him. He's seen symbols like this before. He was sure about. But, was it Cas or what it a movie? It was most likely just his mind showing him what wanted than an actual memory. Still, he'd ask Castiel about it later.

"Okay, then." Tessa dropped her folder onto a file box, placed next to her desk. "Let's get started. This could take a while and I'd like to get out on time for once.

Dean took a seat in an unoccupied chair and looked up at Tessa. "Hey, you and I both. Ten hours behind a desk is enough for me." As if to make his point, he picked up a new folder and started looking through the contents.

Dean walked through the door to his condo a little before six. Castiel was stilling on the couch, reading something on his laptop.

"Hey," Dean greeted as he kicked off his boots. He was in a good mood. He had gotten his mind off the case on the drive home. Blasting some of his classics always helped. It was still there in the back of his mind, and he was almost half tempted to ask Cas if he remembered anything similar, but thought better of it. It's was Cas' birthday, the least he could do is not bother him with work.

Castiel glanced up and watched as Dean walk over to the recliner next to the couch. "Hey. How was work?"

Dean shrugged and lowered himself onto the black cushion. "Worked with Tessa. Can't really complain. Beats ten hours at a desk alone. Heard you went out with Gabriel," he commented; Sam had called him about his friend's car getting towed and mentioned how he had run into Cas' older brother.

"And Lucifer," Cas groaned. He hadn't actually expected to see his other brother there, and when he saw Lucifer sitting with Gabe, he was almost tempted to leave the restaurant, though he knew Gabriel would kill him if he did.

"Was it really that bad?" Dean quirked an eyebrow and chuckled. He understood Cas' reluctantly to hang out with his family. They could be overbearing at times when it came to their younger brother. Gabriel and Lucifer, had a tendency for cracking jokes at the most inconvenient time and had an inability to stay out of trouble. Still, they were Cas' brothers and spending two hours with them for lunch wasn't a huge chore. Maybe it was because he couldn't imagine having that relationship with Sam. He loved his brother so much that he would take a fucking bullet for him.

Castiel thought about it for a moment and sighed. "I guess not. It has been a while since I've seen Lucifer."

Dean hummed, but didn't respond beyond that. It was Cas' birthday and he had yet to acknowledge it. He woke up and left before his husband was up. Castiel didn't seem to care. They didn't make a big deal about gifts. They always bought each other one, but usually they didn't give it until their day was over and work was no longer the focus.

"But really, Dean, you're the one that complains more about my family than I do. And you question why I am hesitant about going out to lunch with them?" Castiel wasn't mad, he was just interested. He never asked before and now that the topic had be broached, it was the perfect timing.

Dean shrugged. "I dunno. They're your family, Cas. In-laws are supposed to hate each other, but they're your brothers."

"Not everyone has a relationship like you and Sam. Michael wasn't like you when he took guardianship of us. He was an 'authoritarian' guardian. You always say he walks like he has a stick up his ass."

Back in high school, one thing that Dean and Cas they had in common was a crummy childhood. Dean had lost his mom when he was four, and John hadn't been there for them much after that, forcing Dean to take on the role of raising Sam. Sure, they had Bobby's help, but Dean did most of it before the day Bobby finally said enough. Cas' story had been slightly different. His dad had never been in the picture; he ran off shortly before Cas was born. And his mother, much like Dean's, had passed away. But unlike Dean's, his mother died when he was twelve. Since Michael had been eighteen, it was either guardianship or to let his younger brothers move to group homes.

Castiel figured he should be more lenient on Michael. Taking on three younger siblings, while he himself had just turned eighteen was not something most teenagers faced. It was a hard adjustment, especially when they went from practically no rules to a seven o'clock curfew in less than a week.

"And I don't hate your family, so your excuse for your opinion on my family is invalid."

Castiel gave Dean a challenging look. "It's my birthday, in case you've forgotten." His husband still had yet to make any type of acknowledgement of the significance of the day. "I'd be grateful if we could talk about something I actually want to talk about."

Dean just shrugged. "Whatever you want, hon." He arched his eyebrows and gave a lopsided smile. It annoyed Cas when he used the endearment, mainly because he was not using it affectionately.

Without a word, Castiel got up from the couch and walked towards their bedroom, brushing his hand over Dean's shoulder.

He didn't have to wait long before he heard Dean follow him. He just reached the bathroom when a weight pressed him against the wall.

"Finally…" The man trailed off when he saw the taunting smile on Dean's face.

"Didn't get to wish you a happy birthday," Dean mumbled, moving his face closer to Cas'. Their lips connected in a sloppy kiss before Dean pulled away, moving to his husband's neck. "'Bout time I did."

"De-an," Castiel's voice rose at the end when Dean licked along the length of his neck. He wiggled against the taller man's body, trying to gain leverage.

"C'mon, Cas," he mumbled against his neck, lips ghosting over skin. "Don't you want your gift?"

He chuckled when Cas shivered and made a half-hearted attempt to pull away. He quickly wrapped his hand around the back of his husband's neck, pulling his head back. Castiel let out a small groan, quickly cut off by Dean's lips.

"Thought so," Dean mumbled again, as he moved his lips up to Cas' ear, chuckling darkly when his husband whimpered.

Dean tugged Cas' pants down along with his boxers just enough to free his hardened cock.

Castiel hissed as the cool air hit his sensitive flesh.

"Dean," the younger man groaned. The man's only response was a dangerous smirk before sinking to his knees. It's been a while since he's seen that look on Dean. Heat ad passion burning in his eyes. Without any warning, he took Cas into his mouth.

The man threw his head back, moaning out a 'fuck'.

Dean's mouth was wet and warm around him. He bobbed his head, swirling his tongue around the leaking head, lapping up the pre-come.

"Shit." Cas' hand flew to Dean's hair, tugging on the short strands, keeping his husband from pulling away. He began to rock his hips, begging for more.

Dean responded eagerly, running his tongue along the length. He moaned around the shaft, sending vibrations up Cas' spine.

"D-Dean," Cas gasped and tried to pull away. He enjoyed the attention his husband was giving him, but right now, he was more interested in feeling his dick inside him. It'd been almost two weeks; sue him. Plus, it was his birthday. He was going to be the one calling the shots.

"What?" Dean looked up at Cas with confusion. His lips were slightly swollen, and Cas let out a pitiful whine at the sight.

"Bed," was all he gasped as he pulled Dean up by the shoulders.

They stumbled back into the bedroom, only pulling away from the kiss to take a breath. Cas moved his head down, latching his lips onto Dean's neck and began to suck lightly.

"Cas what are-?" Dean's breath caught in his throat when Cas scraped his teeth over the sensitive skin. He chuckled and licked up Dean's neck to his ear, curling his tongue over the sensitive skin.

"Just enjoying myself," Cas mumbled, but was pushed back by Dean.

"Tonight is my turn," he warned dangerously. He reached for the hem of Cas' t-shirt, pulling it up and over his head before he could protest. His hands went to Castiel's pants, pushing them the rest of the way down.

He quickly freed himself of his own clothes, smirking when he caught Cas watching him lustfully.

"Like what you see?" he teased and kissed him hungrily before pushing him back against the bed. He crawled over his husband predatorily, smirking when Cas' breath hitched as he ghosted his lips over his.

He reached into the nightstand and grabbed the bottle of lube. He quickly slicked up his fingers and pressed one to Cas' hole. He slipped it in gently, waiting a bit before working in a second and then third.

The younger man was moaning and gasping. Dean was stroking his prostate with every second thrust, but it still wasn't enough.

He made a growl in the back of his throat, which got his message across apparently. Without warning, Dean pulled his fingers out, leaving Cas empty and worked up.

Cas wanted to cry out in frustration, but was silenced when heard the cap of the bottle pop open and then felt the blunt head of Dean's slickened cock pressed against his hole.

Dean pushed forward, groaning as Castiel's grip on his shoulders tightened. He waited until Cas practically grunted his name to start moving.

"Oh, fuck," Cas gasped as Dean snapped his hips up, striking his prostate directly. The pace Dean set was hard and rough. Both men were panting and sweating. "D-Dean." Castiel's nails were digging into his husband's shoulder blades.

"Fucking gorgeous," Dean marvelled, mostly to himself. The words caught Cas off guard, but before he could comment, Dean shifted his hips and all previous thoughts flew out the window.

His thrusts were hard and deep, grazing over Cas' prostate almost every time. He was panting hard, letting out puffs of hot air against Cas' neck.

His hips rocked in time to Dean's thrusts. His left hand moved from its place on Dean's back to his cock, but his hand was batted away. Dean's own large, warm hand wrapped around his length, pumping him closer to his release.

"Shit. D-Dean. Gonna—oh fuck." Cas tipped his head back, revealing more of the perfectly unmarked skin of his neck.

Dean placed a kiss to the pulse point before whispering in his ear. "Come for me, Cas."

With a sharp gasp, Cas came over Dean's hand. He panted out Dean's name, which sounded closely like a prayer. It only took a few more thrusts before Dean's own orgasm washed over him.

He waited until his body settled down before rolling off of Cas, still staying close enough that their arms brushed against each other.

They were quite for a few minutes. Both just laid on the bed, listening to each other's slowing breathing. There was movement on Dean's side, but Cas still stared up at the ceiling fan, which, they should really turn on.

"Happy birthday." Dean's voice was soft and a little hoarse. He propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at Cas' face. "Cas," he added when Castiel turned, a small smile pulled at his lips.

"Was that my only present?" he cheekily asked, his smile spreading wider when Dean rolled his eyes.

He cupped the younger man's cheek and pressed a lingering kiss to his lips. "I would say 'yes', just to see what you would have to say about that. But," he paused and smirked, "I'd be lying."

The dark haired man's eyebrows raised in interest. He was a little shocked that Dean actually got him something. Last month he had told him to not bother with a gift, so he was curious as to what could have gotten him.

"Why don't we clean up and then I'll give it to you." Dean lightly traced patterns on Cas arm and kissed him softly one more time before moving off the bed.

Castiel stayed in their room a moment longer, a little puzzled by his husband's behaviour. Yes, it was his birthday, but they usually weren't this affectionate. It was nice, but it made him nervous. Dean usually acted clingy or copy of his former self when he needed something or was having a difficult time. He wanted to ask questions, but at the same time, he craved this Dean. The Dean who wasn't snapping at him for forgetting to pick up eggs at the grocery store even though he got all the other things on his list. He wanted them to be good again.

This was his birthday. He was allowed to be selfish, so he was going to enjoy Dean's sudden change in behaviour. Maybe, if he was lucky, he'll stay this way for a while. Maybe they could talk.