A/N: Woah, so I had to cut this part down a LOT, but I hope you like it anyway, I initially wanted Heaven to be a much longer deal, I might post some extra bits of this part later on if any of you are interested. Anyway, here we are my lovelies, enjoy!
Cas lets go of Dean briefly, informing him in a solemn voice that he needs to confer with Gabriel before they continue their journey. Dean nods at him absently and drags Sam over to show him the flowerbed he'd helped their Mom plant in the front yard when he was just four years old.
"Gabriel, I'm concerned." Castiel says worriedly, and Gabriel rolls his eyes.
"Of course you are. Primary aspect of your personality I'm afraid li'l bro."
"My concern is that we will be discovered here by our brothers and sisters! I'm certain they will not take too kindly a view of us parading the intended vessels of our fallen brothers around on a backstage tour." Castiel practically spits at him, and Gabriel's eyes widen at his brother's ferocity.
"Look, if it makes you feel better we'll cut it a bit short." Gabriel consents, placing a calming hand on Castiel's shoulder. "We can split up maybe; I'm sure you won't mind having a bit of private time with Prince Charming over there."
Castiel immediately looks horrified, the blood draining from his face at the idea of him and Dean being forced to be alone up here, after everything that happened yesterday which they still haven't come to terms with. "No, wait Gabriel-"
"Sammykins!" Gabriel calls in a tone of voice that makes Sam glare, but start to make his way over anyway. Gabriel lowers his voice again, turning to Cas conspiratorially. "Meanwhile I'm gonna take Rapunzel someplace very quiet and-"
"What?" Sam interrupts them, sounding a little annoyed at being summoned like a dog. Quite rightly, Castiel thinks. He's rather sick of it himself.
Before Castiel can protest any further, Gabriel has explained to Sam that he is taking him on their first date – which makes Sam flush bright red and protest horribly of course, but obviously this has no effect on Gabriel – and then he is snapping his fingers and they're both gone.
Castiel is left in Dean's old front garden, his childhood house looming above them. He glances around for Dean, already more nervous than is reasonable. He spots him over by a strange looking contraption – the likes of which Castiel has never seen – it appears to be a length of rope attached to a tree, with the tyre of an automobile on the end. Castiel makes his way over.
"Did you um… make this?" Castiel asks, making Dean look up in surprise. He is holding the rope in one hand, his other spinning the tyre aimlessly in endless circles. "Is it some more of your childhood artwork?" Castiel flounders helplessly, he is trying to make sense of what he is seeing, and he noticed Dean's drawing in the hallway of his house earlier. "It's…lovely."
Dean is smiling when he looks up, and for a moment Castiel is pleased, he has complimented Dean's handiwork and it has made him happy. Then he realises Dean is laughing at him.
"Oh, man. Cas you're so adorable." Dean reaches out and shoves him in the shoulder, a playful gesture, Castiel has learned. "This isn't art," Dean chuckles again, moving round to stand next to Cas, "it's a swing. You know? Like, a toy for kids. You sit in here," Dean grins at Cas and begins to squeeze his legs through the hole in the tyre, sitting on the lip, "you take a running start," Dean's feet start to move quickly along the ground, propelling him forwards, "and then you swing!" Dean lifts his feet up high, letting the momentum of his propulsion send him rushing backwards, the breeze whipping past his smiling face.
For a moment, Castiel watches the Dean he knows disappear from sight, a laughing blonde boy taking his place, his green eyes sparkling in the sunshine. Then he blinks, and the little boy is gone.
"I see." Castiel smiles, because Dean is smiling, and that is what makes him happiest.
"Where'd the others go?" Dean asks, twisting himself around now so that the swing twirls him backwards in a magnificent flurry.
Castiel gulps, remembering the situation at hand. "I believe Gabriel said he wished to…" Castiel pauses, not wanting to let slip his brother's intentions and ruin the plan for both of them. "…show your brother something."
Dean snorts and starts what seems to be a complicated process of trying to wriggle out of the tyre. "Yeah, right." He says, and Castiel steps forward slightly when he almost slips and falls out. "If you ask me, that creep's got the hots for my brother."
Castiel doesn't know what to do or say, so he stays quiet, instead choosing to assist Dean in getting out by slipping his hands under his armpits and pulling gently. He is free in an instant.
When Dean is back on his own two feet he looks a little scared, and Castiel drops his hands immediately. "Thanks, Cas." Dean says croakily, and his eyes flick about, not wanting to settle on the Angel in front of him, desperately trying to hold off this imminent conversation for a little while longer. "So. This is your place, huh?"
Castiel's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "…No, Dean. This was your childhood home."
Dean rolls his eyes. "Not what I mean, smartass. This is Heaven right? Where you grew up and stuff?"
Castiel licks his lips, pondering how to answer this peculiar question, and he doesn't notice Dean's eyes tracking the movement like his life depended on it. "Technically I didn't 'grow up' in the way you did; I was born as I am now, without this vessel of course." Dean nods distractedly, eyes fixed on his mouth. "But yes, I suppose… this is my home."
Dean smiles at that, and suddenly he is slinging an arm around Castiel's shoulders, grinning down at him, and Cas thinks he might melt from the sudden attention. Dean feels warm and secure; he hopes to God that Gabriel knows what he's doing because he's starting to think he'll die if he can't be wrapped in Dean's arms on a regular basis. "Great! That's what I mean. So, you got your own room or what?"
Dean realises too late how much this sounds like a come-on.
"Gabe get off!" Sam cries, batting the Archangel's hands away from his hair for the thousandth time. He is not looking forward to untangling however many braids Gabriel has managed to put in there later. "Where are we?!"
Gabriel looks around as if the place itself is only mildly interesting compared to what he has managed to grasp of Sam beneath his fingertips. "Heaven."
Sam closes his eyes and resists the urge to strangle him. "I know that. Where in Heaven?"
"My bit. Call it a hideyhole." Gabriel replies, striding out into the middle of his greatest secret, hammock still strung up where he'd left it, Jacuzzi still bubbling away. Sam looks a little uncomfortable, and shifts from foot to foot, looking around. "Fancy a dip?" Gabriel asks, nonchalant as anything, gesturing towards the hot tub sunk in the ground, steam twirling up in tendrils and disappearing into the sky.
Sam admonishes him with a look. "No, thankyou."
"Oh, come on." Gabriel says, grinning and sidling over to him. "I won't tell your big brother. I promise."
Sam splutters, and takes several steps backwards when he feels Gabriel's fingers start to tickle against the hem of his shirt, experimenting. "Why?" Sam practically yells, unable to keep quiet about this anymore, and hopes nobody can hear them in this place. "Why would you want to get me into a Jacuzzi? Why would you want to get me drunk and make me pole dance for you? Why would you want to save my life and nurse me back to health- WHY Gabriel?! It makes no friggin' sense!"
Gabriel is shocked for all of five seconds, and stares at Sam wordlessly. Then he grins again, and Sam's shoulders immediately slump. "I'll make you a deal." Memories stir in Sam's brain at these words. Memories of a drunken game they'd played wherein the prize had been information that seemed important at the time. "Join me in here…" Gabriel casually walks towards the Jacuzzi a few steps away, pulling off his shirt in one fluid motion; Sam finds it difficult to breathe suddenly. "…and I'll tell you anything you wanna know."
Sam averts his eyes as Gabriel gets slowly naked-er, trying to block the image from his mind before he can have any kind of reaction to it. Was this a reasonable deal? It's not like Gabriel is a demon after all; he's an Angel, a tricky one yeah, but an Angel nonetheless. And Sam is seriously sick of feeling so in the dark about everything.
He draws in a deep breath and strips off his shirt quickly, ignoring the burn of Gabriel's eyes boring into him as he stalks over to the Jacuzzi, telling himself it's worth it. "Don't look." Sam grumbles, and when he catches Gabriel's eye, the guy looks almost predatory, a grin splitting his face. "Gabriel! Don't look!"
Gabriel sighs and turns his face away, and Sam steals the opportunity to strip off the rest of his clothes, clambering into the warm cloudy water so fast he creates a mini tsunami wave. Sam's really glad about the opacity factor of this pool.
"I honestly cannot remember what we were talking about." Gabriel says, his face sincere. Sam is starting to squirm under the heat of Gabriel's gaze. He sinks further into the water, hiding himself from view.
"Uhm, you were going to tell me why you… err…" Sam begins, not quite sure how to finish that sentence. Suddenly this feels like a really bad idea.
"Like you so much?" Gabriel finishes for him, and before Sam can even squeak in protest, Gabriel is sidling closer, shimmying up beside him in the water. He gulps, looking down into Gabriel's hungry eyes. "Do you honestly need to ask that question?"
Gabriel's eyes rake over Sam's exposed chest in a very obvious fashion, making his cheeks burn. By now they are so close to touching Sam feels like he might scream. Whether it would be a scream of protest or not is a different matter completely. "Look, Gabriel I'm serious alright? You always seemed like you hated me! And Dean! Why are you suddenly acting like you wanna…"
"Get in your pants?" Gabriel finishes for him again, and another memory wakes in the back of Sam's mind, suddenly sending it all flooding back to him in full force. The bet, Gabriel confessing that he and Cas were plotting together… that he'd been after Sam from the start…
Gabriel has a knowing expression on his face when Sam's mind travels back to the present – and where did he get that glass of champagne from? Sam looks to his right and finds there is one waiting for him too. "Will you stop finishing my sentences?" Is all Sam can think of to say.
Gabriel raises one eyebrow and drains his flute. "I like you cause you're good, but also bad, and you get away with it," Gabriel says, and when he trails one finger down Sam's bare chest, Sam lets it happen for some reason, "you're all self-sacrificing and messed up, yet for some reason Dean gets all the pity," Gabriel continues, his eyes following his finger around the contours of Sam's pectoral muscles; "you're deadly and dangerous," Sam's breath hitches, "and good and smart," Sam grabs Gabriel's hand before it travels under the water, clutching it tightly, "and Sam," Gabriel says, his gaze sliding up to meet his again, a slow smirk spreading across his lips that Sam finds extremely distracting, "you're really, really hot."
Sam let's out a strangled sound and yanks him forwards by his arm, loving that he doesn't have to worry about hurting Gabriel even though he's so small. He crushes their lips together, frenzied suddenly, unable to control himself despite everything screaming at him, telling him this is probably a bad idea. It feels wild and dangerous to have Gabriel's tongue twining with his, to feel the warm, wet slide of his presumably naked body underneath his hands. The vaguely familiar fiery taste of Gabriel fills his senses, swallowing down any doubts he could have had. He doesn't resist when he feels the Angel climbing into his lap, straddling him, pushing him back against the edge of the pool and licking his way inside his mouth.
Sam has to break away a little, has to breathe because he barely knows what's happening, he is fleetingly reminded of his first kiss with Ruby, the loss of control, the exhilaration he felt, but in a flash it's gone, and it's only Gabriel, Gabriel mouthing an enthusiastic line of nibbling kisses along his jaw, sucking marks into the heat-softened skin of his neck until he's gasping and pulling him closer. He feels Gabriel's lips smiling against him, and it's wonderful.
"I don't have 'my own room' as you put it." Castiel says, and Dean blushes, chastising himself for such flirtatious phrasing. Why won't he put his damn trenchcoat back on? It was much easier for Dean to pretend he was hideous or covered in scales underneath it; now that he's strutting around in a so-white-it's-practically-see-through shirt that clings to his lithe little body, Dean isn't surprised he is unable to keep his flirting in check. "But this is where I like to come when I'm… home."
Dean looks around him, drinking in the spacious garden he is standing in hungrily. Cas's favourite place? His home? Dean wants to memorise every goddamn plant. ...For some reason. "It's…" Dean smiles, glancing back at Cas, who's looking a little apprehensive, perhaps worried that Dean won't like it. "…it's beautiful, Cas."
Cas smiles, and looks down at the grass beneath his shoes. "I didn't create it. It belongs to an autistic man; he is fond of flying kites."
Dean grins, and when he looks up at the startlingly bright sky, he thinks he can see a red kite in the distance. "He's got good taste. Can't wait to see what my Heaven ends up lookin' like."
Castiel's expression darkens and he strides over to Dean, grasping him by the shoulder – the same shoulder where a handprint mark is burnt onto his flesh, reminding Dean every day of who dragged him out of the darkest pits of Hell. "Dean, you are never to think such things." Castiel says, his face too close for Dean to be able to breathe properly. "I know you are put through too much, I hate it, I have already told you that I would do anything for you not to have to go through the pain that you do," Dean's eyebrows furrow, and he can only stand there, dumbfounded and trying not to think anything inappropriate while Cas lays into him, "but I am here, Dean. I am not going to leave you here alone; you will not end your life before it is time, I couldn't bear it."
Castiel's cosmically brilliant eyes bore into his for a few more seconds, and then he breaks his gaze, turning away from Dean and letting go, hiding his expression. "Cas, I didn't mean-"
"It's not of import." Castiel dismisses, but he is still turned away.
Dean's lips press together, suddenly infuriated and not sure why; he's just sick of not saying stuff, and he grabs Cas by the shoulder, spinning him back around so that they're face to face. "Is that why you're doing all this weirdo crap lately?"
Castiel stays quiet, but his face betrays him; there is a flicker of fear in his eyes, fear he's been caught out. "I don't know what you're-"
"Hanging round all the time, 'keeping promises' – what the hell was that about – getting me drunk and- and-"
Castiel's eyes widen in anticipation of the incoming accusation – is Dean going to say it out loud at last? Acknowledge their indiscretion? Neither one of them says anything; Dean's wildly gesturing hands are still suspended in mid-air. He's crowded into Cas's personal space in an attempt to intimidate the truth out of him, but it seems to have backfired, because all he can do now is remain in this strange limbo, caught again in Castiel's eyes.
Oh, fuck it, he thinks.
His arms come down from where they're hung limply in the air, wrapping around Castiel's neck like a possessive python. He drags Castiel forwards until their lips are finally touching, and he can taste Castiel's shock at the sudden change of events. He doesn't let up though, and revels in the feeling of remembering how the Angel's lips mould to his, so soft and so beautifully warm. He runs his fingers through the tresses of Cas's hair again, because he doesn't believe his own drink-addled memories; no one's hair can feel that soft, surely, but of course it does, and he knows he won't ever be able to let go.
It takes a few seconds, but eventually Cas seems to realise what is happening, and in that instant he lets out a whimper that sends blood rushing straight to Dean's groin. The Angel's hands slide up Dean's chest, his fingers twisting in the material of his shirt and pulling him closer, as if he's worried he will move away. He moves his lips with Dean's, trying to copy his movements, and Dean responds eagerly, opening Cas's mouth with his, and cupping the back of his head so he can push his tongue inside. He feels overcome with desire, suddenly needing everything of Cas right now, because he feels like he's waited years.
He forces himself to take a breath, to lean away from Cas a little, their foreheads touching, and staring, his pupils blown wide, into Cas's endless eyes. "Yeah... I don't really give a damn why you've been acting weird. Keep acting weird, Cas." He kisses him quickly. "Seriously, anytime."
Castiel can't seem to stop smiling – and if that isn't just the most kissable thing, then Dean will be damned.
