Chapter 21
"So, when is your next meeting with Castiel?" Sam smiles at his brother, who is currently sitting on the bed cleaning and sharpening his sword.
"I believe in a couple of days. Why do you ask?" Dean raises his head and looks at Sam.
"No, nothing, I'm just curious. And things are going well?"
Dean pauses and heaves a sigh. "At the moment, yes… but I am not sure how they will be in the future."
"What do you mean, Dean?" Sam turns around to face him.
"I mean that the weather is good at the moment and we can still meet in the forest, but winter is coming and it will bring snow. I have no desire to freeze my ass off or for Cas to turn into an icicle." Dean barks out a laugh.
Sam snorts. "Of course. And what is your plan? Don't tell me you are going to bring him to the castle."
Dean arches his brows and gapes at his brother. "Do you really think I am that stupid? That I would risk Cas' life by bringing him to the fortress?"
Sam understands that he has asked something foolish and shakes his head. "Of course you aren't, Dean, but love can make you do reckless things."
The older demon gets tensed. "Love? I don't know what you're talking about."
"You need to find a shelter for your meetings and… and… you know," Sam trails off, gesticulating fervently to try to communicate what he felt uncomfortable saying.
"Thank you for your wise advice. I wouldn't have guessed that by myself," Dean retorts sarcastically.
Sam just shakes his head once again. His brother is falling in love and can't even bring himself to admit it. In time he will understand, so Sam decides not to push him.
The younger demon wants to ask something when there is a loud croaking and knocking on Dean's window. But this is not the thing that surprises Sam. It's his brother's reaction. Dean jumps from his bed like he's been scalded and runs to the window.
"What the…" Sam mumbles when he sees his brother's ecstatic expression.
"I did not expect you so soon, birdie," Dean croons and lets the bird in. The raven hops in and stills on the window-sill. Its master stares into the bird's eyes and a wide grin spreads on his lips.
"Ooh, this is wonderful. Cas, you little bastard," Dean throws his head back and laughs out loud. Then he goes to the shelves in the corner and grabs a small clay jar, with which he returns to the bird.
"Eat," Dean tells the raven and takes a handful of grains from the jar.
The raven starts pecking, twitching his wings and making contented sounds. Sam shifts his gaze from the bird to his brother. "What's happening, Dean?" he asks finally.
The green-eyed demon hums happily and smacks his brother on the back. "Cas found a small hut in the grove near the river for our meetings. And guess what?" He winks at Sam. "I'll be checking it out tonight."
"Hmm…" is all Sam can say.
"Hope there is a bed as well," Dean mumbles to himself, but his brother still catches it and rolls his eyes.
"Please be careful, Dean. Alastair seems restless nowadays and I don't want you or that poor human to get into trouble. You know what'd happen then." Sam's worried expression breaks something in Dean's heart. He puts the jar on the window-sill and steps closer to his brother.
"Sammy, I promise you nothing will happen and Cas will be fine." He squeezes the younger demon's shoulder and gives him a reassuring smile.
"Alright," Sam sighs. "I need to go now. I need to find Ipos."
"Ipos? Why would you want to find him?" Dean narrows his eyes. Ipos is a demon who for a good amount of gold can get you anything, even impossible things.
"It's nothing. Recently I availed myself of his services and need to pay him for it." Sam walks to the chamber door, hoping that his brother will not see his paled face and will not ask any more questions.
"Alright. Whatever," Dean mumbles and turns to the raven as soon as Sam walks out of the room. He quickly writes a letter for his human lover and attaches it to the bird's leg. "Take it to Cas. I want him to know that I will be there tonight. At our usual meeting hour."
Castiel sits at the table and reads a book under a dim light from an oil lamp when he hears the clattering of hooves and a quiet neighing. He quickly closes the book and reaches the door. His right hand grips the hilt of his sword, just in case. With his heart beating in his throat, Castiel opens the door and walks into the darkness. His frown disappears when he sees Impala and the hooded figure on her back.
"Hello, Dean." Castiel smiles, relieved.
The hooded figure dismounts and reveals his face, the green eyes blazing with obvious longing in them.
"Good to see you, Cas," the deep voice says and in another instant the human finds himself wrapped up in those strong, gentle arms. Castiel grasps the sides of the demon's face and plants a burning kiss on his lips, more desperate and sensual than even he expected. "Likewise, Dean," he murmurs.
The demon spends a moment appreciating the human, but then reluctantly pulls his lips off the young man's neck to take a look at the hut behind them. There is a tiny smile on Dean's mouth, making his lips quiver. Castiel notices and asks, "Is there something funny?"
The demon lets out a small chuckle. "I see you've been busy trying to find a nest for us to survive this upcoming winter."
Castiel nuzzles his nose against Dean's ear. "Let's get inside and I will tell you how I found this hut."
"Give me a minute." The green-eyed creature turns to Impala and detaches something which looks like an amphora from her saddle. "You'll like it," the demon says firmly and follows the human as he tugs him towards the door.
"Wow, just look at it!" Dean exclaims when they get inside the hut. Castiel has cleaned the room, gotten rid of dust and cobwebs, and rearranged the furniture, and the room looks quite cozy and nice.
"Do you like it?" Castiel asks with a happy glint in his eyes.
"Of course I like it, Cas." Dean stops touching the bear skin covers on the bed. These are the new ones that Castiel has brought from home. He had thought that the old ones were not suitable and that… well, that Dean would not like it.
"What did you bring? What's in it?" Castiel looks at the amphora curiously.
"Oh, this?" The demon stands behind the human, wrapping his arms around his waist. "It's red wine. I thought we needed to celebrate finding shelter." Dean's hand slides from the brunet's abdomen to his crotch and makes a few rubs.
Castiel throws his head back and digs his fingers into his lover's thighs. "Nghh… good idea."
"Which one? Bringing wine or what I'm doing?" the demon breathes into Castiel's ear, making the human shudder.
"Both… both are good." The blue-eyed man licks his lips and rubs his ass against Dean's half hardness.
The demon's chuckle fills the room and he possessively kisses the human. "I like seeing you fall apart under my touches. You should see yourself, how pretty you are then. Now, let's taste wine."
Dean sits on a bench with his back pressed to the edge of the table. His hands are grabbing the human's hips, digging his fingers into the fabric of Castiel's trousers. The brunet is straddling the demon's thighs, rutting against him in slow movements. He cannot tell what's to blame, demonic wine or Dean's heady scent, but the human's cheeks are flushed and his eyes sparkle like sapphires under the sun's rays.
Castiel can feel that he's tipsy, but he does not care. He pulls the amphora away from his lips, covering his lover's lips with his. Dean eagerly opens his mouth and chuckles as wine pours from Castiel's mouth into his. He barely manages to swallow as the human's tongue plunges in, trying to lick out the remaining drops of wine. The demon moans at the feeling; he's getting harder with each second.
"I've had enough," Dean growls and stands up, carrying the human towards the bed. "It's time to test how strong this bed is," he says, smirking. Castiel can't help himself and laughs too.
As it turns out, the bed is very strong and can withstand their naughty escapades. Both the human and the demon look wrecked and exhausted. Their clothes are carelessly scattered around the floor, while their owners are trying to catch their breath on the bed.
Seven hours are left 'til dawn. "Sleep, Cas. I'll wake you up in about two hours," Dean tells him and tugs him closer.
"Of course, if you do not fall asleep yourself," Castiel mumbles, half asleep.
"Don't worry. I won't," Dean huffs and ruffles the human's already disheveled hair. It's good that the brunet has longish hair. Good for sliding fingers in, and other purposes as well…
After four hours, Castiel wakes up with a start. He can feel Dean's warm body spooning him from behind, with his arms tightly around the human's waist. The young man cranes his neck and sees that the demon is in deep sleep, his breathing even and relaxed.
"Damn it," Castiel curses quietly and tries to wriggle out of the embrace when Dean lets out a growl and tightens his grip around his partner. The brunet does not want to wake him up and keeps trying to get away without doing so, but after much sweating and panting he gives up and decides to wake Dean.
"You need to get back to the fortress," Castiel tells the demon. "Only a couple of hours are left till sunrise."
"Fuck, how did I fall asleep?" Dean curses, jolting up and grabs his clothes.
"I'll go and see if it's safe outside." Castiel is already dressed, strapping his sword to the belt. Dean always teases him about it, telling him that his sword cannot kill a demon, but the blue-eyed man will not listen to him. It's like a body part to him and he will not go anywhere without it.
Castiel is still little bit drunk when he opens the door and walks out. He makes a few steps towards the river when a tall figure in a dark cloak with a hood steps in his way.
"Who are you?" Castiel unsheathes his sword, holding it, ready for a fight if the stranger attacks him.
"I do not think it's necessary for you to know that," comes an arrogant reply.
Castiel wants to say something sarcastic when he and the stranger both flinch as Dean's loud yell comes out of the hut: "Son of a bitch!" followed by a loud thud and a crashing.
"What did you do to him?" The stranger bellows and the air wave almost knocks Castiel over. In that moment, he understands that he is not facing a human, but before the young warrior does anything else, the creature unsheathes his sword and attacks him.
The sparks fly around as the two swords meet; clashing sounds of steel linger in the darkness of the night. Castiel knows that fighting a supernatural being with an ordinary sword is like poking a bear with a toothpick.
The creature growls in frustration, as he cannot defeat this mere mortal as easily as he expected, and decides to use his magic skills. He points his palm towards Castiel and a faint blue light bursts out of it, hitting the human in the chest. Castiel is thrown in the air and he thuds to the ground painfully in front of the hut, his bones almost crushing.
Castiel feels burning pain and groans. To his honor, he has not dropped the sword. He scrambles around, trying to get up. Meanwhile the attacker approaches him and before Castiel, already raised on hands and knees, can turn around, grabs his wrist, almost breaking it. The young man drops his weapon with a hiss. In the blink of an eye, a cold, sharp blade touches his throat and a hand yanks his head back.
The door of the hut opens and Dean freezes in the doorway: Castiel is standing on his knees with someone behind his back, grabbing his hair, and a sword threatening to cut his throat open.
"Run…" Castiel rasps, too exhausted to fight. Whatever magic the creature used surely affected him.
The word barely escapes the young man's mouth when the same blue light – but much brighter – bursts out of Dean's palm and strikes the attacker. The intruder flies a few feet in the air and falls to the ground like a cut tree. He does not move and has probably blacked out.
"Cas, are you alright?" Dean kneels before the human and wipes some blood off his split lip.
"I'm fine, Dean," the human assures him. "We need to check who he is. He is not human. I think it's a demon. Maybe someone followed you?"
Dean frowns, and does not answer straight away. He helps Castiel to his feet and they walk towards the motionless body lying on the ground.
The demon grabs the stranger's shoulder and turns him over. The hood is still covering his face and Dean decides to remove it. As he's pulling it back, the man comes to his senses and groans in pain.
As the hood is removed and the moon illuminates the stranger's face, Dean cannot suppress his shocked cry.
"Sam? What in underworld's name are you doing here?"