A/N 11/9- chapter five was reworked, so if you haven't read it within the past 2/3 days, I recommend doing so
Neither of them spoke for a moment.
"Let's just get this over with, okay, Sammy?"
"What?"
"Just tell me I'm a fag and you don't ever want to see me again," Dean said, throat tight. "I'd rather just get it over with." He braced himself.
"No," Sam said calmly.
"Please, Sam." He couldn't take it being drawn out. Hell, Dean wasn't sure if he could take it short and sweet. Not from Sam.
"No. Dean, what makes you think I'd say that? You're my brother. Why would I care if you like guys if it makes you happy?"
Dean stilled. "What?" He wasn't going to get his hopes up. He must've heard that wrong.
Sam sighed over the line. "Did you not hear what I said If guys make you happy, that's fine so long as you don't provide me with any details that'll make me have to get out the brain bleach.
"Are- are you serious?"
"Yes, Dean, of course I'm serious!"
It took a moment to soak in.
Sam… Sam… didn't care. He was okay with it.
"Well, uh, in that case, I should probably tell you that Cas isn't a she."
Dean could almost see Sam's eye roll. "Yeah, I worked that out for myself when you called earlier and told me. Did you think I didn't notice how you kept saying 'they' all the time?"
Of course Sam had noticed that. Nothing got past that kid.
"So, what is 'Cas' really short for?"
A small smile found its way onto Dean's face. "Castiel."
"Castiel." Sam repeated the name. "Am I going to get to meet him when I fly in?"
He was still flying in. Dean felt himself relax a little bit more.
"Maybe. Depends on if you're going to behave yourself."
"Jerk."
"Bitch."
They fell quiet again.
Sam broke the silence.
"I'm sorry, I've got to get ready for class, I'm going in early." A beat. "Thanks for telling me, Dean. Even if you were drunk."
"I wasn't drunk," Dean argued. "Just… slightly less than sober."
Sam huffed, amused. "You know I'm right."
"No, you're not."
"I'll call you back later."
"Alright. Bye." Dean ended the call and turned to Cas, still grinning. "He, uh, he's okay with it," he said. "With me, I mean."
"That's great, Dean," Cas said earnestly, giving Dean the small smile he reserved just for him. "I'm proud of you."
Dean's grin widened.
"He wants to meet you," he said.
"Oh?"
"I think he'll like you."
"I hope so," Cas said.
"Don't worry," Dean said. "You two'll probably team up against me within an hour of meeting each other."
"You really think that little of me?"
"You're blackmailing me, Cas."
"It wouldn't be blackmail if you would admit you were a nerd."
"I'm not admitting anything."
"So there's something to admit?"
"What? No, there's- shit." Dean sighed. "I walked right into that, didn't I?"
Cas nodded. "Yes, you did."
"Does Gabriel know you wear bee pajamas?" Dean asked, nonchalant.
"Gabriel gave me these for my birthday," Cas said. He gave Dean a knowing look. "You can't blackmail me with that."
"Dammit. When is your birthday?" Hopefully he hadn't missed it.
"September."
Good, he hadn't.
"By then, I'll have blackmail material for you," Dean decided.
Cas laughed, and god, it was beautiful.
"I highly doubt that," Cas said.
"Come on, it's not like you're an angel," Dean scoffed. "Right? You're not hiding a halo and harp anywhere in your apartment, are you?"
"I don't have a harp, Dean."
"I dunno. Maybe you do. I'll have to search your apartment to be sure."
"Did you just invite yourself over?"
"Is, uh, is that okay?" Dean felt himself go slightly pink. Dammit.
"I did do the same thing tonight. You're entitled. And always welcome in my apartment." Cas went a little pink. "I'm sorry I barged in," he added.
"Don't be sorry," Dean said, a bit more sharply than he meant to. He softened his tone. "I'm, uh, I'm glad you came, Cas. Thank you."
Cas looked up at Dean and their eyes met.
It looked like he wanted to say something. He didn't- Cas kept quiet, continuing to stare at Dean as though he was the world.
No one had ever looked like that at him before. Quite frankly, Dean wasn't sure how to respond.
He coughed awkwardly. "Well, er, I'm going to get some sleep."
The spell was broken; Cas made to stand up and leave. "Of course. I'm glad I could help, Dean."
"Hey, uh, Cas, it's a bit dark for you to drive all the way home. If you'd like, you can take the couch, or, uh..." Dean wasn't sure how to finish that sentence.
Cas tilted his head to the side slightly and squinted at him. "Were you trying to invite me to sleep with you?"
"Just sleep," Dean said hurriedly. "I mean, we can definitely do more than sleep another time, if you want to, that is, but uh, it's a bit late."
Cas smiled. "I think I'll take you up on that offer."
"Which one?" Dean asked.
"Both," Cas said.
Despite what Gabriel would assume when he found out Cas had spent the night at Dean's, they just slept.
Cas didn't fall asleep right away- instead, he watched Dean.
When Dean eased into unconsciousness, the worry lines on his face smoothed and the taut muscles (Cas tried not to think about what those muscles could do) softened.
He was beautiful, Cas thought as he stared thoughtfully at Dean's face. He bet that if he could see more than just dark shapes, he would find it even more true.
Cas wasn't sure how long he watched Dean before he drifted off. All he knew was that he woke to a mattress shifting slightly and someone moving his arm.
Cas blinked open his eyes and squinted blearily at Dean, who appeared to be trying to extract himself from Cas, who had managed to ensnare Dean in a tangle of limbs.
Currently, Dean was trying to move Cas' arm from where it was thrown over his torso.
"Sorry," Cas mumbled. His face was awkwardly pressed into Dean's chest, muffling his words.
"Shit. Didn't mean to wake you up," Dean said apologetically. "And don't be sorry, it was cute. Wish I could have gotten a picture."
"Maybe another time." If Dean would just come back to bed, Cas could fall back asleep.
Dean grinned a bit at that. "It's my day off, I'm going to make breakfast. You want some?"
"Do you have coffee?"
"Depends, is it gonna wake you up?"
Cas mumbled an affirmative.
"Alright. Coffee it is, then. By the time I have it ready, you'd better be awake."
Cas nodded, and then closed his eyes again.
"Hey, Cas?"
"Hm?"
"I need to get up."
Oh. Right.
Cas adjusted himself so that Dean could move.
"Thanks. I'll be right back." Dean's weight shifted off the bed, and the sound of his footsteps faded as he went towards the kitchen.
The bed felt cold without Dean pressed in next to him. Cas pulled the blankets tighter around himself. He had almost fallen back asleep when there were returning footsteps and a click from somewhere behind him.
Cas huffed and rolled over to face Dean.
Dean was holding up his phone and smiling. "Morning, Sunshine."
Cas glared at him. "I was trying to sleep."
"Not anymore. Come on, I got some coffee for you in the kitchen."
Cas didn't move.
Dean got closer to the bed and leaned over to place a chaste kiss on Cas' lips. "You can have another after breakfast," he told him, then disappeared from the bedroom.
Grudgingly, Cas got out of Dean's bed and made his way to the kitchen.
Dean handed him a mug of coffee when he came in. "Benny made it. He's an expert, runs a coffee shop with his wife downtown."
"You're driving this early in the morning?" Cas asked.
"Nope. Benny and Andrea are a floor up. And it's eight, Cas. Not early in the morning."
"Oh." Cas took a sip from the mug. "This is good."
"Thought so. Eggs sound okay?" Dean said.
"Eggs sound good," Cas confirmed.
Despite the fact that Dean was making something simple as eggs, Cas could tell that Dean knew what he was doing. He bustled around the small workspace expertly, working quickly and precisely, all the while joking with Cas. The light from the window got caught in his hair, turning its edges to a vibrant gold, and made his freckles even more pronounced. He was beautiful.
Cas was still half asleep, but he knew, watching Dean, that he would be happy to wake up every morning like this. Wake up with Dean in his arms, watch Dean make breakfast, be with Dean. Everyday for the rest of his life.
I love him, Cas realized. He loved Dean Winchester.
The realization scared him. Of course it did. He had never been in love before. But so long as he had Dean to help him figure it out, Cas was willing to give himself up to it. Give himself up to Dean.
"Here." Dean tore Cas from his thoughts, setting a plate of food on the counter before him. "You should eat it before it gets cold, so no more staring off into space."
"I wasn't 'staring off into space,'" Cas said, making air quotes. "I was staring at you."
A faint blush appeared on Dean's cheeks. "Well, uh, I-" He cleared his throat. "We need to work on your air quotes."
We, Cas thought. He smiled.