When he came through the doors that Monday, he received a poisonous glare from Marley.
Thinking she was still pissed about his sudden visit to Gabriel during his time off, Cas ignored her and got to his office.
Work had piled up a bit during his vacation, but nothing a bit of hard work couldn't help.
He hung up his tan coat and jacket, rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

Come coffeebreak, Cas was pretty tied up in his work, and it took a grinning Gabriel to get him to even look up from his screen.
"Cassie... C'mon man. HR did not give you time off to have you work twice as hard on your very first day back. Live a little!"
Cas glared at him, but paused his work.
"Shut up, Gabriel. Go kiss a Moose..." he snarked, taking the cup from his brother.

Gabriel produced a smug little smile and sipped his own cup.
"Been there, done that little bro."
Cas chuckled around the lip of his cup.
"Yeah. I saw. Me and Dean. We both saw... So, does that mean you talked with Sam?"
Gabriel sighed theatrically and eyed the ceiling.
"Talked, kissed, made out some more... Yeah. We did, brother... we most definitely did."

Setting his coffee on bis desk, Cas turned to face his brother for real.
"I'm happy for you, Gabriel. I think Sam is a wonderful man, and you are perfect for eachother."
Gabriel smiled warmly.
"Aw. Thanks, Cassie. You know..."
Guessing where this would go, Cas cut him off.
"Thank you for the coffee, Gabriel, but I really need to catch up on this. Some of these figures have to be out by lunch."
Gabriel threw up his hands and left, mumbling something about that being why he worked maintenance.

Loath though he was to do it, Cas ate lunch at his desk.
He managed to get caught up with all his work around three, so for the midday coffeebreak, he finally left his office.
He'd just reached the coffee pot, when someone grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around.
Staring in the dark eyes of Lisa, Cas swallowed back his retort.
"Hello, Lisa. Did I cut in line?" he managed to sound normal, if surprised, but who wouldn't be?

Lisa glared at him, her mouth in a sneer.
"No. I just want to give you a warning. You get your filthy, faggot hands off my boyfriend, you queer, or else..." she hissed.
Cas blinked, thoughts going a mile a minute. Why wasn't there anyone in there right now?
"I...I don't know what you mean. Who..." he started asking, but Lisa pushed her lower arm against his adamsapple.
"Dean... you know him, don't you? I know you do... Lilith said she saw you at a bar, a few days back. You couldn't keep your eyes off him. Off of my guy... Don't let me hear you trying to get him to turn, you gay homewrecker. I'll cut off your balls and feed them to the dogs. Dean is mine. Got that? If I so much as hear that you looked at him, I'm telling everyone in this company that you're a filthy, gay piece of shit. Let's see how fast you'll get fired..."
Lisa gave a final push to his throat and stalked off, leaving Cas scared and flustered.

He tried to forget it, or reason it away.
Dean had chosen him, not Lisa, Dean had told Cas he loved him, he had been the first man Dean had ever had real sex with...
But still the encounter weighed on Cas, and he couldn't concentrate on his work.
He spat out a Dutch expletive and switched off his computer.
Grabbing his coat, he closed the blinds and locked his door.

"Cassie? Where are you..."
Of course Gabriel would see him leaving early.
Cas ignored him and made his way to the elevator.
"Cassie... Castiël! Talk to me..."
Cas got in the elevator and the doors shut in Gabriel's face.
Biting his lip, Cas took a detour and exited the building through the fire exit.

Once he was home, he dug up his 'Demons and Wizards' CD and set number 5 on a loop.
He stripped down to his slacks and shirt, throwing his tie on the sidetable when he slumped down on the sofa.
Everything Lisa had said, the threatening way she had stepped right in his personal space, it all kept coming around and around.
Cas grabbed a cushion and hugged it to his chest, knees pulled up like the scared little boy he felt he was.

His phone rang and he picked it up, knowing it was Gabriel, demanding answers.
"Hello Gabriel."
He tried to sound casual and unconcerned, just on the off chance his brother did not pick up on his mood.
"Can it, Cassie. Why the Hell did you leave before closing... is that? Crap. Cassie... what happened? Why are you suddenly so glum? Did you and Dean fight? Has he decided to date someone? What? Tell me, Cassie. I know that song... last time I heard it was when you thought Dean was going to do something stupid."
Cas bit his lip, unable to stop the tears from sliding silently down his cheeks.
"Nothing happened between Dean and I. Just... leave it be, Gabriel. I think I over did work today. I'll be fine tomorrow."
Without greeting, Cas hung up and burried his head in the cushion, sobbing quietly.

After a bit, his tears dried up and he just sat there, trembling slightly.
When his phone rang again, he didn't want to pick it up, sure it was his brother again.
But when it kept ringing, he pulled it towards him.
His heart stuttered, seeing Dean's name on the screen.
Had something happened? Was he hurt?
He picked up on the fifth ring.
"Dean? Is everything allright?"

Dean sounded casual and relaxed though.
"I'm ok, Cas. Just wanted to say I'll be home soon. Almost done here. Shall I take care of dinner?"
That would be great. Just the thought of cooking, made Cas want to puke.
"If you please could. I fear I might burn things today." he replied.
He tried to hide how tense his voice was, but apparently, Dean had a sixth sense.
"Did something happen, angel? You do sound tired..."
The worry in Dean's gruff voice, the nickname... Cas' heart constricted and he couldn't speak.

"Cas?" came Dean's voice from the speaker, clearly tensing up.
Cas tried. He tried to lie and tell his love that he was ok, but his voice litterally failed after a soft squeak.
Again Dean spoke and Cas could hear the love and worry, even through the metallic distortion of his phone.
"Ok then. I will see you soon. Burgers sound ok? I'll make them myself."
DAMNIT! The tears came flooding back and to hide his sobs, Cas turned the music up a notch.
"Cas... I'm leaving right now, ok. I'm done here." Dean said, a hint of steel in his voice.
Pulling out of the cushion, Cas managed a weak "Ok" before the line disconnected.