CHAPTER 1 – The Single and The Taken

"So, Cas…"

Castiel looks up from unpacking his trench coat and a few of his worn white shirts from his duffle bag. He stares at Dean without batting his eyes while he waits for the rest of the sentence from Dean.

Dean cocks his eyebrows casually once their eyes made contact before he continues putting away Castiel's stuff into a closet. "You okay movin' here? You like it here?"

Castiel frowns softly, trying to recall his short memories since they both got to Long Beach. "It is a nice city." He nods. "Lots of pizza places. Burger joints. Seafood." Castiel continues nodding his head as he puts away his clothes into a drawer.

Dean turns his body around slightly and he quietly watches Castiel doing his thing. He is trying to read Castiel's body language to make sure that his earlier answer wasn't an act. Then, Dean shrugs and proceeds to close the closet before he takes his place on the bed, sitting facing his friend who is still busying himself, unpacking.

"Ya know that ya don't need to stay here, right? I ain't forcin' ya," Dean tries to convince Castiel.

Castiel looks up again with squinted eyes. A clear confusion is being advertised on his scruffy face. "You're not forcing me, Dean. I WANT to stay here… if you want me."

Dean's lips naturally curl into a smile - he likes hearing this more convincing answer from Castiel. He clasps both his hands and rubs them together while his face is still smiling happily. "GREAT!" he unnecessarily exclaims, causing Castiel to stare at him confusedly.

"Great to have you here, buddy! I could use a buddy around since Sammy ain't livin' with us anymore."

Upon hearing that, Castiel immediately takes a seat next to Dean on the bed, and he keeps gawking at Dean with frowning look. "I wanted to ask you about that. Why didn't you just stay with Sam back in The Bunker? Or at least anywhere in Texas? Or Kansas City? You love Kansas more than anyone I've ever known." Castiel begins to look at Dean with a scrutinizing stare.

Dean is slightly taken aback by this sudden questioning from Castiel. He replies Castiel's gaze with a perplexed look. "What? I thought I give California a try. Like ya said, they got awesome pizzas and burger joints." Dean smirks brightly at the thought of all those pizzas and burgers he can have, believing that his argument might convince Castiel about his actual reason moving into Long Beach.

Unfortunately, Castiel doesn't buy that. "You hate California."

Dean pretends to be disgusted by Castiel's accusation. "I never said that!" he cries defensively.

Castiel rolls his eyes and starts to quote Dean, word by word, "The land of gridlock, Botox, overtaxing, underachieving, smell of sweaty desperation. I mean you can't breathe, beaches are toxic. You got dudes in skinny jeans wearing sunglasses inside. Image-obsessed narcissists."

Dean's face is clearly showing his shock over Castiel's rebuttal. "Dammit, Cas! Stop stalkin' me, ya dickbag!" Dean attempts to cover his nervousness by fidgeting around on the bed, which makes him look even guiltier than he was before. Castiel watches Dean's façade without a word.

Dean locks eyes again with Castiel. "Still... I didn't say I hate California there."

Castiel stares at Dean, unamused. "The only thing you like here is the yoga pants."

Dean finally realizes that he can no longer win this argument against an angel that has remembered all his quotes by heart. "Shut up," he protests.

Castiel can't help but chuckles a little. Something that he picked up from spending all those years with the Winchester brothers. "So…" his words trail off, "Can you just be honest? Tell me why we are settling down here?" Castiel cocks his eyebrows, gesturing Dean to honestly answer him this time around.

Dean's wall is still up although it is cracking here and there after hearing Castiel's plead. He laughs lightly as he comes up with a lame joke to divert their conversation away from the pressing issue.

"Settlin' down, huh? Now we're really like Bert and Ernie."

"Dean." Castiel's voice sounds urgent.

A loud sigh comes out from Dean's lips. "Alright. I'll tell ya. It's because of this girl I'm datin'…"

Castiel frowns. "A girl?"

"Yeah…" Dean rubs his nape nervously. "I met this girl the last time me and Sam went huntin'. She was a hunter as well back then. We got talkin' and we hit it off, nice and smooth." Dean gives his signature proud smirk. "So, one thing led to another… She's livin' in Long Beach, and I thought I just come down here to have a normal life with her."

Castiel feels his back being patted. He doesn't know the reason why he is being patted, but he is curious about another thing. "Then… why am I here?" Castiel shoots a confused stare at Dean.

Dean quickly reacts with a frown. "Why can't ya be here?"

"The last time I've checked, usually normal couple would move in together if they wanted to have normal relationship. Why don't you just move in together? I can just stay with Sam at The Bunker. Help him out."

Dean's face changes - the proud smirk he donned earlier has now vanished, replaced by a startled look. He shakes his head and gets up off the bed as he paces up and down the floor. His brain is trying to come up with an excuse to answer to Castiel's suggestion without giving any wrong signals.

"That'd be too fast, don't ya think? What if she's not the one for me? It'd be hell to move out," he calmly answers, despite Castiel can almost sense the nervousness that is visible on Dean's face.

"You never know, Dean. You need to give it a try to know if it'd work out." Castiel shrugs nonchalantly.

Dean glares as a response to Castiel. His face is now showing the bubbling anger that he is feeling in his chest. He subconsciously grabs Castiel's duffle bag and angrily takes out the remaining stuff in the bag onto the bed while Castiel keeps on watching.

"Whatever, man. Ya ass is stayin' here with me. That's final." Then, Dean leaves the room, leaving Castiel even more confused on his bed.

Dean's hand reaches out to the car keys. He turns around to look for Castiel. "Cas! Let's go now!"

Soon, Cas emerges from behind the wall, looking like his usual self with the beige trench coat and the same white shirt he always wears.

Dean squints with judgment. "Cas. Buddy. Ya seriously gonna wear trench coat? It's blazin' hot out there, man. Lose the coat, will ya?" Dean quickly but carefully takes the trench coat off Castiel's back. Castiel remains obedient as he stands there without any refutes.

"This is what I always wear, Dean."

"Don't get me wrong." Dean places the coat on the couch before he begins adjusting Castiel's shirt collar attentively. "Ya always look good in that coat. But…" Dean flashes a smile to Castiel. "Ya look like a bank accountant out for dinner. Not meeting a friend."

Castiel frowns his eyebrows. "She is not my friend, Dean. She is YOUR friend."

"So?"

Dean tugs Castiel's tie down to loosen it - pulls it off Castiel - throws it down onto the leather couch - unbutton the top buttons of Castiel's shirt. He takes a step back to have a better look of his angel friend, and an involuntary smirk appears on his lips.

"Man… Ya really look awesome now," he gives Castiel a sincere compliment.

Castiel looks down to take a look of his new look, which he only manages to see what he normally sees. "Thanks?"

Dean smiles widely as he slings his arm across Castiel's broad back. "Come on. We gotta go now. She's waitin'."

Dean and Castiel enter the crowded pizza place across their apartment where they'll be meeting Dean's new girl sooner or later. It is Friday night. The high time for young adults to meet up and catch up with their friends. Thus, making the duo the only scruffy male adults in the joint, excluding a group of men in their 50s who are having their boy's night out at the corner of the restaurant.

"Let's grab that table." Dean points at an empty table not too far from the kitchen's entrance. They both make their way to the table and settle down comfortably despite the atmosphere in the pizza place is loud and vibrant with chatters and laughter.

Dean puts both his hands on the table. He's smiling from ear to ear since they arrived at the pizza joint. I guess Dean is excited about this meeting very much, says Castiel in his mind.

"So, what do ya wanna eat, buddy? Beef pepperoni? Cheese? Vegetarian?" Dean skims the menu half-heartedly since he knows what he wants without having to read the menu properly.

"Beef pepperoni, please," Castiel politely answers, with his body leans forward slightly.

A waitress comes by their table with a warm smile. Dean replies a smile back to her, then he places their orders. The young lady jolts down everything expertly while at the same time giving Castiel a flirtatious look. Castiel is - as always - oblivious of the opposite gender's advancement, but Dean is taking pride in what is unfolding in front of him.

"Your friend is cute. He got a number?" asks the young waitress to Dean.

Dean takes a quick look at Castiel and smiles back at their waitress. "Thanks. Ya might wanna ask him yourself for his number."

The young girl shoots a flirty wink at Castiel before she walks away into the back kitchen. Castiel who witnessed the wink is left clueless. Dean, on the other hand, rolls his eyes in frustration.

"You're hopeless, man."

Castiel glances at Dean once Dean looks away. That bright smile is still on his face. It reminds Castiel those days when Dean and Sam, if not him included, saved the days from the supernatural attacks. Especially those rare days when Dean can have a way with the cases only because they strike his interest the best. Castiel beams softly as he continues to gaze at Dean. Castiel has always enjoyed watching Dean quietly, even when Dean is sleeping.

Suddenly...

"Leona!" Dean calls out a name, causing Castiel to snap back into reality. He turns around to see a beautiful young black lady, in her casual wear which makes her looks effortlessly beautiful, walking towards him and Dean.

Castiel, as a gentleman as he is, immediately gets up off his seat just to show her a good manner. He doesn't want to embarrass Dean in any ways possible. He can't stand the critics he might have to hear back in their apartment later on if he messed up this first meeting.

"Hi! I'm Leona," says the girl cheerfully while extending a hand towards Castiel. Castiel naturally takes her hand and gives a firm handshake. "Castiel," he says.

The girl keeps on smiling at Castiel and Dean as she takes a seat next to Dean. "Been waiting long?" she politely asks Dean. Dean shakes his head, and then, he looks at Castiel with a huge grin. "Meet my girl, Cas."

Castiel smiles warmly and nods his head lightly. "Nice to meet you, Leona."