Dean did his best to be lead by the stumbling man to the family room. Gabriel probably would have fallen were Dean not there to support him. He was introduced to Uriel and Balthazar who stood on either side of a roaring fireplace, and was nearly dragged by the neck to be reintroduced to Anna who sat next to Gabriel's wife Rachel. Dean immediately decided that Rachel was some kind of Goddamn saint, she was gorgeous and seemed completely enamored, more power to her , Dean thought. On something that was a mix between a couch and a love-seat, Dean was now positioned snugly between Anna's finance Michael, and Gabriel.
The man scanned the room as boisterous conversation washed around him. Each Novak man was wearing some kind of odd Christmas sweater, and Michael wore a well pressed shirt and tie. The ladies wore simple, yet festive attire. Dean cracked a smile, thinking how perfect they'd all look in the picturesque room for the month of December as some kind of commercial painting fitted into one of those cheap calendars. Cas stood leaning against a book shelf, an empty glass on a pedestal table beside him, one in hand, his cheeks reddened by the alcohol and the glow of the fire. He could stare at that mans lean figure in a stupid Christmas sweater forever. Cas caught his gaze and gave a nervous smile before resuming a pensive look in the direction of the fire.
Dean listened to Michael and Gabriel bicker while practically leaning over him (despite his repeated offers to swap places with one of them) for at least an hour. Uriel and Balthazar talked to one another about who only knows what, while Anna and Rachel made girl plans for the week, everything from manicures to grocery shopping. Dean loved it. He was surrounded by people that accepted him like one of their own, nobody felt the need to entertain him, and he felt no need to put on any kind of "best behavior" performance. His heart hoped that he could find himself here, mashed between two dudes on an almost couch, like he was always meant to be here.
Dean missed the feel of home. Sammy was really all he had left, and with Jessica in the picture it felt like he was being left behind. Dean had always expected and hoped for that, he didn't want to feel like he was abandoning Sam for wanting his own life, but he wanted Sam happy. What would Sam think about all this? How soon would that conversation come?
"Dean?" Cas placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping him into the moment. "I'm going to head upstairs, you remember where the room is, right?"
"I'll go too, that car ride has me beat" he lied
"Are you sure?" Cas held his small glass with both hands, it was excruciatingly cute.
"You two love birds have a good night" Gabriel winked at Dean, giving Cas a decent slap on the back that nearly sent him into Dean's lap. Everyone was calling it a night, as it turned out. He and Cas were the last ones to leave the room, just behind Anna.
"Dean" Anna motioned for him to follow her. She walked to a closet at the bottom if the stairs and handed him an extra comforter.
"Thank you" Dean smiled, Anna put a hand on his shoulder before heading off to bed. Dean peered in at Ishmael still sleeping like a rock , on the way to the room .
Castiel was setting up camp on the floor.
"If anyone is sleeping on the floor it's me" Dean insisted.
"No, you're the guest" Cas said flatly.
"I take offense to that" Dean teased "look, it's a king sized bed, and we have our own blankets, I'm not opposed to sharing"
"Dean I really think-"
"Just get in the bed"
Cas sighed heavily as he gathered the bedding from the floor. Dean considered pajamas, but it was warm, and he did have his own blanket.