A/n: Well I hope no one was a huge fan of the flash backs because I skipped this one... Mostly because I couldn't think of one. Most of the flashbacks at least have a little bit to do with the surrounding characters or introduce new characters and really I didn't see a need for one before this chapter... again, I also just couldn't think of one. Either way the flashbacks are probably going to be few and far between from now on.
-Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love. There's nothing you can do that can't be done. Nothing you can sing that can't be sung. Nothing you can say but you can learn how to play the game. It's easy.-
Sam is surprised when he wakes up in the morning for a number of reasons.
First, he wakes up in his brother's bed.
Second, when he goes in the kitchen in search of his brother there is food everywhere and everything is a mess. Also his brother isn't there.
Third, when he does find his brother he is on the couch with Cas.
Sam can't really tell where his brother ends and Cas begins. They are a tangle of limbs and it is kind of adorable. So while they are asleep, Dean playing the part of the 'little spoon' while he and Cas cuddle, and Cas wrapping around Dean like an octopus, Sam goes back to his brother's room and grabs the man's camera. Then he comes back and takes a picture o the two. A soon as he does, though a blue eye slowly cracks open and Castiel grins, nuzzling the back of his human's head.
"Have a good night?" Sam asks and the dark haired man just smiles more, nuzzling along Dean's neck and lightly kissing the place where his neck and shoulder meet.
"Very good night," he mumbles against the sleeping man's soft skin.
Dean hums and smiles at the sensation, nuzzling the forearm under his head.
"So what did you two do in the kitchen last night?"
"We made strawberry muffins.
"Looks more like a mess to me… and were muffins really necessary with all the other food in there?"
"Your bother likes to cook."
"I noticed."
"Hmm… Morning, Sammy…"
Sam and Cas go quiet and look down at Dean who smiled goofily after saying good morning. After a moment he seems to realize where he is, though, because he springs off the couch like someone set fire to it and stands there, staring at Sam with his mouth agape. He looks down at Cas, then up to Sam. They are both just looking at him like he's crazy.
"This… Isn't what it looks like! He… Um… I… we…" he pauses and looks between them again then slumps and runs his hand over his face. "You know, don't you?" he mutters and Sam chuckles quietly.
"Yeah… I know," Sam laughs and Dean just pouts a bit then grumbles and head to the kitchen.
"Of course you know… Everyone knows. When did I come out of the closet? Where was I when everyone found out?" he asked, somewhat irritated that everyone seemed to know that he was gay but touched that no one really seemed to like him any less for it.
Castiel smiles and gets up, following Dean into the kitchen. While the taller man starts trying to gain access to his coffee maker, having accidently hidden it behind all of his baked goods, the shorter one wraps his arms around his waist and stretches rests his head on the other's shoulder. Dean blushes a bit and pauses in his quest for coffee to turn his head and look at Cas, eyes wide.
"What are you doing?" Dean asks, blinking a couple times.
"Didn't wanna stop holding you yet," the dark haired man mumbled sleepily in reply.
Dean blushes brightly but reluctantly wriggles out of Cas's grasp.
"Come on, now. You need to at least take me on one date before we start getting all domestic!" the man said, still blushing as he gives up on his coffee for now and starts filling up the dog bowls with food.
Despite his morning snuggle being rejected Cas just smiles and watches, sitting at the table with the strawberry tarts again and starting to nibble on one of them. Sam walked in and smiled some, sitting down with Cas and picking up a cookie.
"So, Cas, how long are you going to be with us this morning?" he asks and the man just shrugs a little.
"Not long. I actually have things to do today. Like plan a date for a beautiful man with the greenest eyes that I have ever seen," he said, watching from the corner of his eye as Dean blushes a bit and fumbles with the cup he is attempting to fill with milk.
No one can ever accuse Cas of not being bold…
-Well it's a big, big city and it's always the same. Can never be too pretty, tell me your name. Is it out of line if I were simply bold to say, "Would you be mine"? Because I may be a beggar and you may be the queen. I know I may be on a downer but I'm still ready to dream.-
Any boldness that Cas had while under Dean's roof is gone now that he's on top of it.
What do humans do on dates? Cats don't even have dates!
The cat mewls pitifully and paces watching Dean's drive way. He is waiting for the man to take the dogs for their walk so that he can get back inside and talk to Sam. As soon as he hears the dogs barking Cas races to the tree growing up beside the house, scrambles down it and then rushes to the front of the house. He watches the front door and as soon as there is an opening he squeezes through, dodging paws and feet. Dean is… startled.
He watches the black blur dart into the house and then down the hall to the bathroom where Sam is taking a shower. The cat's never just decided to come in the house like this before.
While Dean is staring after the cat, Cas is working on getting the bathroom door open. And when it swings open he slips in and stares at the shower, listening to Sam singing to himself. Cas' ears twitch and he mewls then pads forward and jumps through the shower curtain and under the spray with Sam. The cat just stares up at the giant of a man, getting an interesting view of his back side from this angle.
In a matter of moments Cas turns from a cat to a man and reaches out to tap Sam's shoulder.
"I require your assistance…"
Sam spins around, shocked.
"What the hell are you doing in here?" he cries, eyes wide as he grabs the shower curtain and attempts to wrap it around himself.
Cas opens his mouth to reply but pauses when he hears footsteps coming closer to the bathroom. He changes back into a cat just before Dean appears in the doorway and lets out a little mewl. Sam is just staring down at him, his eye twitching a little bit. The older Winchester chuckles quietly and grabs the towel on the sink that Sam had gotten for himself before getting into the shower.
"What's wrong, Sam? Getting shy just because the cat decides to shower with you?" he asks, leaning down into the shower and scooping the little black feline with the towel.
He bundles Cas up and smiles, happy to see his little friend again. The cat purrs quietly, lifting his head to press his damp head against the man's chin. Dean smiles brightly and gently rubs his chin against the top of the animal's small wet head and Sam just stares at them.
"What?" Dean asks, rubbing behind Cas' ears with the tips of his fingers.
"So is the cat hopping in the shower with you normal?" Sam asks, perking a brow. Dean shrugs.
"I've let him shower with me once or twice…" he says and Sam swears that Cas grins at that.
"You're weird…"
"Shut up and finish your shower, Sasquatch. I'm taking the dogs out," he says, looking down at the cat still bundled to his chest and purring. The man leaves his brother in the bathroom and leans down, kissing the top of Cas' head. "I'm glad you're back. Take care of Sam for me, yeah?"
He gently puts the cat down on the couch gathering up the dogs and their leashes again and then walking out the door. Cas stays on the couch, wrapped up in his towel. It has been a while since he has been with Dean as a cat and there are a few things he misses about it. He loves Dean's relaxed attitude around him when he is a cat. He likes the way his human always has his hands on him, stroking his fur or playfully tugging on his tail. The cat sighs quietly, crawling out of his towel then starting to lick the extra water out of his fur.
When Sam comes out he looks up at him then changes back into a man. Another thing he misses about being a cat is the fur. Fur is nice. It keeps him warm. For a moment Cas and Sam just stare at each other, one naked and the other now dressed.
"So what did you need my help with?" Sam asks, looking away from the other man as he arranges himself a bit and drapes the towel over his lap. He remembers a lecture he got from Sam about humans and decency and whatnot.
He doesn't get it and wouldn't have much of a problem with wandering around naked.
"What do humans do on dates? The closest cats get to that would be sharing the same dumpster when we are looking for food," he says, shifting a bit nervously. Sam just sighs and runs a hand through his hair.
"Well I guess normally humans just go out and have dinner or go to a movie. Go out and just have fun with each other," Sam says, earning a slightly confused look from Cas.
"You aren't helpful, Sam," he says, getting up and heading toward Dean's room. He pulls Sam's duffle bag out from under Dean's bed and picks through it for the clothes that belong to him.
He and Sam have a system.
They share a duffle bag. After Dean leaves for work Sam lets cats into the house. Cas changes, puts on his clothes, and then leaves. When he leaves work he goes to Dean's house while it is dark, changes back into a cat in the bushes beside it, and then while Dean is out with the dogs Sam picks up Cas' clothes and brings them back inside.
Cas hears Sam huff something about his helpfulness (or the lack of) and go outside, probably looking for Cas' clothes. The man sighs quietly as he tugs on a shirt and jeans. Maybe Ellen would be more help than Sam.
-The world is broken, halos fail to glisten. You try to make a difference but no one wants to listen.-
"Oh! I know! Why don't you-"
"If this involves more flowers and candles or a beach that we don't have I think you can stop right there," Ahs says, cutting off Jo who pouts at him.
Cas is sitting in Ellen's kitchen with Ash (who was kind enough to give him a ride) and Jo (who is having the time of her life suggesting ideas for Cas' date with Dean. Though, most of her suggestions seem to be things that she would like not him.)
"Horseback, riding?"
"At night?"
"I can't even ride…"
"I don't think Dean does, either."
Jo wrinkles her nose as her suggestion is once again shot down. The young woman drums her fingers on the table and stares into space, tilting her head to the side. Ash is quiet and Cas is resting his forehead on the table in defeat. He really wishes that Ellen had been here. However, she was elsewhere, not that Cas knew where elsewhere was.
"Why don't you get Sam to send Dean out to do something then you can cook him dinner, kick Sam out of the house, and then, when Dean comes home you can have a nice candle lit dinner with him!" she says, nodding in conviction. Cas lifts his head and sighs.
"I can't cook… "
"Well you're just pretty, damn useless, aren't ya?" Ash says getting a little glare from Cas.
Ash sighs after a moment and leans forward, resting his elbows on the table. He opens his mouth to speak only to be interrupted by Jo.
"I know-"
"Shut up with all your flowers and candles and shit," he says, making Jo glare at him. But he is busy looking at Cas so he doesn't really notice and if he does he doesn't seem to care. "Here's what you do. There's a field not far from his dad's house and there's this big, old oak tree out there, dam n thing is huge. Now, you get some of those little paper lanterns, string 'em up in a tree, get some burgers and fries or some sort of take out, take him out to the damn tree, spread a blanket on the ground. Then sit your asses down and eat and talk." Ash states, leaning back on his chair again and pushing it back on two legs then dropping his feet on the table.
Jo and Cas just look at him like he's grown a second head.
"That could actually work…" Jo says, pouting a little bit because she didn't think of the idea first. As revenge she slips her foot under one of the chair legs that are in the air and she pushes up just enough to unbalance her friend so that he goes tumbling to the floor with a loud cry of surprise and a thump.
Cas just peers over the edge of the table at Ash who seems just as content on the floor as he did in the chair, only he appears to be in a bit more pain now but he's not making any moves to get up. After a moment he sighs and pushes himself up and out of his chair.
"Thanks for the help… I guess I need to get going if I'm going to get all this set up," he says, sighing quietly.
"I want to come!" Jo says, bouncing out of her seat enthusiastically. There is a quiet groan from the floor and Ash starts pulling himself up as well.
"I might as well go too, make sure you two don't screw this up," he mutters, earning a smack to the back of his head, courtesy of Jo.
Cas can't help but smile.
-Tonight you're mine, completely; you give your love so sweetly. Tonight the light of love is in your eyes. But will you still love me, tomorrow?-
Cas grunts when he hits the ground with a solid, and painful wumph. This is not the first time he's managed to fall out of the damn oak tree that he, Sam, Ash, and Jo are decorating with round, paper lanterns. Over the course of the day he has decided that human bodies are not made for this sort of thing. Climbing was easy enough once he got the hang of it. Really it is a bit easier to climb now that he can grab onto branches instead o just claw his way up. However, falling… falling is something else, entirely.
Cas has discovered, unfortunately, that he can't orient himself while falling like he can when he's a cat. So this is about the fourth or fifth time that he has fallen off a low tree branch, only to land flat on his back. He sighs quietly, staring up at the sky. Climbing is easier. Balancing is not.
Jo's is the first face to obscure this all too familiar view of the sky, her head tilting to the side as she looks down at him. Sam joins next, leaning over him on his right. Ash never appears but Cas can hear him laughing in the background.
"That never gets old!" he crows, chuckling from his spot on the tree that he has managed to not fall from. Fuck you, Ash.
"Geeze, Cas. If you keep falling like that you're going to get seriously hurt," Jo says and Cas just rolls his eyes. Like he isn't already hurt from falling out of the fucking tree already.
The man groans quietly as he takes Sam's offered hand and lets the giant pull him up off the ground. He dusts himself off and frowns, glaring up at the tree as though it had offended him. Stupid trees. Stupid gravity. Stupid inability to orient one's self while falling through the air.
"You know I would think that you'd be better at this," Sam says, leaning down to whisper in Cas' ear as Jo goes back to the tree and starts climbing up the lower branches again. They only have a few more lanterns to go.
"Shut up, Winchester," Cas growls grumpily and Sam just chuckles.
The blue eyed man doesn't bother trying to get back up into the tree. He's gotten his last lantern hung up and turned on and he is tired of falling on his back every time he climbs up there. Sam doesn't go back up either, and they just stand there. Watching Jo finish with her lanterns and Ash is climbing out of the tree, standing back to look up at their handiwork.
Jo climbs down and then the four of them spread a rather large and worn patchwork quilt out on the ground, weighting down the corners with large, white rocks. Cas smiles, unable to stay mad about falling out of the tree when he thinks about his date with Dean. Looking back he thinks that all the falling was worth it.
"This is going to look so pretty once the sun goes down farther," Jo says, grinning from ear to ear.
"Yeah…" Cas says quietly before turning to look at Sam. "By the way, Gabriel is sitting with you tonight," the man states, not even flinching when Sam starts shouting.
"What! I'm a grown man I don't need a baby sitter!" he says, glaring at Cas. Ash snorts quietly.
"The phone call last night says different," he points out and Sam ducks his head, looking down at the toes of his boots as a shamed blush spreads over his cheeks.
Cas reaches up to gently rub his hand over the young man's back.
"It isn't that we don't trust you… It is just that I don't want to have all of that falling I've just done go to waste because of Dean getting a phone call from the police again so that he can come get you out of jail," the young man says, gently, though he reprimands the young man with a sharp pinch to the side that makes Sam yelp.
Sam stops Jo form fussing at the two men, though, because even if he doesn't like it he knows that they're right.
-So fair thou art my bonnie lass, so deep in love, am I. But I never will prove false the bonnie lass I love. Till the stars fall from the sky my dear, till the stars fall from the sky.-
Dean is somewhat surprised when, at eight, Cas and Gabriel show up on his doorstep. His surprise is mostly because of Gabriel. He was expecting Cas.
"Uh… Hi?" he says to the blond who brushes past him and makes himself at home on the couch, beside Sam.
"Hey, Dean-o!" the man says, watching him for a moment before making a shooing motion with his hand. "What are you staring at get out."
Dean glowers a bit and starts to say something back when Castiel reaches out and grabs his wrist, giving a gentle tug. The taller man looks at the shorter who smiles sheepishly and holds up a plastic bag with containers of what smells like Chinese food in them.
"I thought Sam could use some company while I kidnap you for the night. Gabriel volunteered…" he says, and Dean calms a little bit, taking one more look at the two on the couch before Cas manages to drag him out of the house.
"Don't worry, Dean. I'll take good care of him," Gabriel calls as Cas closes the door and then starts to herd Dean toward the Impala.
"Come on, you're driving," he says with a smile, slipping ahead of the other man and moving up beside the passenger side door.
"Where are we going?" Dean asks, smiling some as he slides in behind the wheel.
"You know that field near your dad's house with the oak tree in it?"
Dean won't say that he's a little confused about the location of their date but he doesn't question it. He just nods and starts driving. The trip is silent, save for the music playing. Despite the lack of conversation it isn't awkward, though. And when Dean pulls off to the side of the road near the field and lets Cas lead him to the oak tree he is dumbstruck.
He and Sam used to play there a lot. They would climb trees and Dean can remember once he climbed up too high and wouldn't come down until Sam and Jo got John to come get him down. He's not fond of heights. The tree looks completely different now, though. The entire field does. The grass, most of it so tall that is brushes his hips and waist is bathed in moonlight but there is a circle of short cropped grass around the tree and it is bathed in warm, yellow light that is coming from the cream colored, paper orbs in the branches. The oak is ancient and beautiful; it looks like something out of a story book to Dean, with its thick, sprawling branches all covered in lights.
Dean just lets Cas lead him to the blanket and then he drops down beside the shorter man who is looking at him a little nervously now.
"Do you like it? I'll admit it wasn't my idea… I didn't really know what sort of thing you would enjoy so I started asking around… This is actually Ash's idea… Ash, Sam, and Jo helped me put the lanterns up," he laughed nervously. "You have no clue how many times I fell out of the damn tree trying to hang, them."
"You did this for me?" Dean asks and he feels a bit stupid after he asks because of course he did or else Cas wouldn't have brought him here.
"Yeah… Heh… If I knew then what I know now I probably would've gotten a ladder to climb so I could hang the lanterns without falling so much but I think it was worth it," he says sheepishly and Dean just looks at him and smiles.
"Thank you. Heh… No one's ever gone through this much trouble before…" he trails off and blushes just a bit. Cas smiles at that.
"You deserve it," the dark haired man says, quietly taking boxes of food out of the bag he'd brought. "I wasn't really sure what you'd like but Sam said it didn't really matter so long as you could eat it before it ate you… And, ya know, so long as they aren't cupcakes… Freak."
Dean laughs and shoves Cas playfully, muttering a quiet, "Shut up," before he opens up one of the cartons of food, finding lo mein noodles., much to his delight. Cas just smiles when Dean's face lights up at the sight of the noodles and opens a box of his own, then uses his fingers to pop a piece of sesame chicken into his mouth. He loves to see Dean smile.
-After tonight, who knows where we'll be tomorrow. What if we're never here again? After tonight, this will be a life time ago so let's stay up until the sky bleeds red.-
Later, when the food is gone and Dean groans as he lies on his back, staring up at the tree branches and paper lanterns Cas just sits beside his hip and smiles. He reaches out to run his hand over the other man's stomach, head cocking to the side.
"Eat enough?" he teases. The amount of food that Dean managed to put away is just a bit surprising.
Dean blushes a little and lightly bats at Cas' hand. "Shut up," he muttered.
Cas just smiled and moved to lean over Dean, tilting his head to the side. "And if I don't shut up?" he asks, smiling when the man under him leans up and catches his lips in a soft kiss.
"I'll shut you up," Dean says with a shrug.
"I think I like you shutting me up," Cas says with a grin.
Dean just blushes a little bit and hums, laying back down on his back and pillowing his head with his hands. Cas doesn't move, just continues leaning over his date, watching him with bright, half lidded blue eyes. They stay like that for a little while, one staring up at the sky, peeking out between leaves and tree branches, and the other watching him. Slowly, Cas lies down beside the other man, looking up at the leaves, branches, and sky.
"So why did you become a bartender," he asks, turning his head to watch Dean again.
Dean just smiles a little.
"I wanted to help people, lend an ear to the guys that go in there? Someone trying to drink their problems away needs a person to talk to, sometimes, ya know?" he says, not looking at Cas as he says it, though.
The other man smiles some and shakes his head, reaching up to run his fingers through Dean's short hair. "Always helping people," he says softly. "Who takes care of Dean?"
"I take care of myself just fine," Dean huffs, glancing at Cas who smiles a little more.
"What if someone else wants to take care of you?" the man asks, making Dean perk a brow and smile some.
"Wow, one date and you already want to take care of me?" he snorts, grinning when Cas blushes a little and shrugs his shoulders.
"You have a problem with that?" he asks softly and Dean's smile falters for a moment.
"Kinda rushing it aren't you?" the man asks quietly, sounding a bit worried. He likes Cas and all but he's not really ready to say he loves him and that's where it looks like this is heading to him.
"I'm not asking you to love me, Dean. I'm just asking if you'd take a chance and see if you can," he says softly, moving forward and halting any protests that the other man might have with a kiss.
Dean gasps quietly and Cas takes the opportunity to slip his tongue into the other man's mouth, gently tracing the tip of his tongue over the roof of his mouth and making the green eyed, beauty shiver. Cas cradles Dean's jaw with his hand and gently rubs his thumb along his cheek as he nips at his upper lip. When they break apart the blue eyed man smiles softly and presses his forehead against the brunette's.
"Just take a chance on me?" he whispers softly, nuzzling Dean's nose with his own.
"A…Alright," Dean says, voice equally as quiet before he leans forward for another kiss that Cas eagerly gives.
-If you change your mind, I'm the first in line. Honey I'm still free, take a chance on me. If you need me, let me know, I'm gonna be around. If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down, if you're all alone when the pretty birds have flown, honey I'm still free. Take a chance on me. Gonna do my very best, and it ain't no lie. If you put me to the test, if you let me try…-
Word travels fast in small towns.
No matter how hard you try to keep it to yourself someone will always be listening in like it is there business to make sure that everyone knows everything about everyone. So what with Sam, Ash, Jo, and Gabriel, in on Cas' plans tonight it's no surprise that someone overheard something and spread the word to someone. And word spreads like wildfire. Especially when it is about someone as well liked as Dean Winchester or someone as new and somewhat mysterious as Cas. After all no one really knows anything about him and they are eager to latch on to any little tidbit they can get about him.
The tip of a cigarette flares in the darkness as a man standing in the tall grass, far enough away so that the warm glow of the lanterns can't reach him. He blows smoke out of his nose and frowns as he watches the two men talking and exchanging kisses.
The man snarls and drops his cancer stick on the ground then grinds it into the ground with his boot.
Not everyone is as happy about what they hear as others are.
-I've got sunshine on a cloudy day. When it's cold outside I've got the month of may. Well, I guess you say, what can make me feel this way? My girl, my girl, my girl, talkin' 'bout, my girl.-
A/n: Whew! Long chapter and lots of songs. Alright the lyrics used for line breaks in this chapter are from the following songs: All You Need is Love, by The Beatles. Whistle For The Choir, by The Fratellis. Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever), by Muse. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, by Carole King. The Turtle Dove Song, as preformed by Elysium494. Ours, by The Bravery. Take a Chance on Me, by ABBA. My Girl, by The Temptations.
The Turtle Dove song is, as far as I know an old folk song and I wasn't really able to find out who made up the lyrics. However, the version of the song that I used for the lyrics is on YouTube. So here is the link.. Just take out the spaces if you want to hear it: h t t p : / www . youtube . com / watch? v = EEx _ Kyur4hc