Chapter 6:

Balthazar officially hated chemistry.

He had thought their last class of every day was going to be their time together. Walk to class together, share inside jokes in knowing glances across the room, walk home together after the bell rang. But Dean had to barge in and ruin the whole deal.

Balthazar wanted to be happy for Cas, really, but he didn't understand how Cas couldn't see Dean for the two-timing player he was. He saw the way he flirted with Robin in first period, only to turn it around and flirt with Cas all through last. It was disgusting. It wasn't right. He was only going to break Cassie's heart, and who would be there to pick up the pieces? Balthazar would. He always was.

But Cas couldn't see it. He stared at Dean and smiled at him like he held the world, and Dean simply didn't deserve that kind of devotion from Cas. Castiel Novak was everything. He was kind and funny and he deserved nothing less than the best. And that wasn't Dean.

The bell rang and Cas walked with Dean into the hall. He turned and smiled when he saw Balthazar. "Hey, wrestling practice today. I'll see you later at Charlie's."

Balthazar nodded, forcing a smile. "See ya, Cas."

Cas waved to him and turned to walk in the opposite direction with Dean.

"Ready for me to pin your ass?" Dean asked, smirking.

Cas scoffed and looked at him, incredulous. "Says the one who was on the mat after thirty seconds at try-outs."

Dean grinned, shrugging. "I was goin' easy on ya. I didn't know you were the freakin' reigning champ. So not fair."

"Not my fault you couldn't handle it," Cas said, nudging his shoulder.

"Today's a new day," Dean told him. Cas couldn't figure out if his confidence was more amusing or arousing.

He shoved that thought into the back of his mind. Not arousing, Novak. Definitely not arousing.

When they got to the gym, the coach had them change into shorts and t-shirts.

After the coach's speech about the integrity of wrestling and all that, everyone split up into pairs, and Dean and Cas found themselves an empty mat. As it turned out, Dean had been going easy on him before. First round, he pinned him like it was nothing. Dean was strong and he wasn't as inexperienced as Cas had thought. It was very… amusing.

With a cocky grin, Dean stood and held his hand out for Cas after he tapped out. "Now who can't handle it?"

Determination flashed in Cas's eyes and he grabbed Dean's hand, pulling himself to his feet. "Let's go again."

"If you insist."

They got into position and circled around each other for a moment, waiting for an opening. When Dean went for it, Cas flipped him around and pinned him face down on the mat. Dean felt Cas leaning over him, holding his arms immobile, and he lost focus for a second. He could feel Cas's breath on his neck and he closed his eyes. The coach's whistle from across the room snapped him out of it and he rolled Cas over until he had him pinned on his back. Cas grunted and struggled but Dean had it. He tapped the mat.

"Told ya, today's a new day," Dean said with a grin, letting him up. "That's two-zero me."

"Looks like you might have some competition here, Cas," said the coach as he approached them. "Winchester, right?"

Dean looked up at the man and nodded. "Yes, sir. Dean Winchester."

"You've got talent, Dean," he said, clapping him on the shoulder before turning to the rest of the class and blowing his whistle loudly. "Alright boys, time for business! No more playtime."

For the rest of practice, Dean couldn't stop thinking about what the coach said. He'd never been good for much besides shooting up monsters and being bait and taking care of Sammy. But apparently he was pretty good at wrestling. Maybe he even had some talent. He could win the team a trophy and then what would his dad say? Maybe he'd tell him he'd done a good job. Maybe he'd even tell him he was proud.

Dean smiled at the thought. He was going to be the best damn wrestler this school had ever seen. That would show his dad.

As practice was wrapping up, Dean's focus was drawn to Cas. The boy was smiling and helping his opponent back to his feet. When coach called it a day, the boys flocked towards the locker rooms and Cas pulled his t-shirt off to wipe sweat from his face. Dean's swallowed thickly, licking his dry lips and watching the boy's fingers comb through his hair. Watching sweat drip down his chest, his stomach, and into the waistband of his shorts…

Dean choked on a breath and shook his head. Coming back to reality, he prayed his… excitement wasn't too visible through his shorts.

What the hell was that?

…

"Hey, Dean!" Dean startled at Cas's voice as the boy caught up with him outside the gym. He smiled at the boy, cursing the heat rising on his cheeks. He couldn't figure out this effect Cas seemed to have on him. "You heading back to Sonny's?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah, I've got some homework. You?"

"I'm going to study with Charlie and Balthazar," Cas told him. Their shoulders brushed as they walked and Dean really hoped that Cas would blame his flushed cheeks on the wrestling drills. "I'll be out until six or so. I was thinking… maybe we could play some more cards later? The other night kinda made me realize I don't have a clue what I'm doing." Cas laughed, embarrassed, and the only word Dean could think to describe it was adorable.

"Sure," Dean said, then cleared his throat when it came out a little too enthusiastic. "I mean, yeah… I, uh… Sure." Wow. Very smooth. Doing his best to school his features, he smirked at Cas. "If you're gonna learn, might as well learn from the best."

Cas squinted at him, smiling curiously. "How did you get so good at poker?"

Dean shrugged, a half smile tugging at his lips. "Ah, Cassie, I can't tell you all my secrets. What's the fun in that?"

Cas felt his cheeks heat up when Dean used the nickname. He was so used to it with Balthazar and Charlie, but Dean… Something about the way Dean said it. He couldn't put a word to exactly how it made him feel.

Dean's expression shifted into a frown, almost apologetic. "I, uh… I didn't mean- If the nickname is too much, I- I'm sorry…"

Cas laughed. "It's alright, Dean. I like it," he told him with a small smile.

Dean relaxed and his smile was back, which Cas noted in relief. "Good. That's, uh… that's good."

They walked to the end of the block before Cas paused. "I'm heading this way," he said, gesturing vaguely. "I'll see you later, Dean."

Dean nodded, clearing his throat. His hand fumbled awkwardly for a moment before settling on the back of his neck. "Yeah. See ya later, Cas."

They parted ways, Dean heading towards Sonny's and Cas heading to Charlie's house.

Cas never stopped smiling as he walked. He couldn't believe he'd wasted his time ignoring Dean when he could've been enjoying his friendship. Dean had such a nice smile, and an even nicer laugh. His eyes lit up and for a moment he didn't look so… weighed down. Cas could tell he carried some sort of weight on his shoulders, but he couldn't quite figure out what it was. But when he was around Cas, that weight seemed to disappear, or at least lighten a bit. It made Cas feel warm and giddy that he could chase Dean's demons away, even if just for a while.

Dean also got all flustered around him. Cas couldn't figure out why, but he did notice that he acted differently when others were around. He flirted with Robin like it was as easy as breathing, and he joked around with Benny, Chuck, and Ash like they'd been childhood buds. But for some reason, when he was talking to Cas, Dean's smooth and careful demeanor seemed to slip away.

The whole thing gave Cas a (very dangerous) sense of hope. Maybe Charlie was right. Maybe Dean did like him. And maybe Cas liked him back. And maybe Cas was getting way ahead of himself, but he felt giddy and jumpy and fluttery in a way he had never experienced and he actually liked it.

Cas was terrified. But he also hadn't felt this excited about anything for almost as long as he could remember.

At Charlie's house, Balthazar met him at the door to let him in. He chuckled softly when he saw the grin on Cas's face. "Damn, Cassie, I don't remember you loving wrestling practice so much."

Cas's cheeks burned a brighter red and he ducked his head, laughing bashfully. "Wrestling was fun. But that's not why I'm smiling."

"Oh yeah?" Balthazar smiled. Whatever made Cas happy, Balthazar couldn't possibly argue with it. "What's the dopey grin for, then?"

Cas kept his gaze on the floor as he followed Balthazar into the kitchen. "Dean," he said softly. His cheeks ached as his grin spread wider across his face.

Balthazar tried to keep his expression in check even as his heart sank. Why the hell was he smiling so much for Dean?

"I thought you guys weren't really talking," Balthazar said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

Cas sat across from him and bit his lip, still smiling. "We weren't. But we got coffee the other day and now… I don't know, it's like a switch flipped. It's different. He's different…"

Balthazar wrinkled his nose. He couldn't help it. He was about to say something he'd probably regret when Charlie came back from the bathroom.

"Who's different?" she asked.

Balthazar folded his arms over his chest and leaned back, working his jaw and trying to bite his tongue.

"Dean is," Cas told Charlie. "I… I think so, at least."

Charlie smiled at him. Her smile faltered a bit when she noticed Balthazar's demeanor. She could tell he was uncomfortable with the topic, but she had to be happy for Cas. Ugh, she hated secrets.

Taking a seat between the two boys, Charlie focused her attention on Cas and grinned. "So you took my advice," she said, a mix of excitement and 'I-told-you-so.' "I told you it would all be fine once you just talked to the guy."

"I wasn't going to," Cas admitted. "But since try-outs… We've just been talking and… I don't know, it's just been so easy. It's like we've known each other forever or something."

Balthazar's head snapped up at Cas's words, and his heart ached. Cas met Dean barey 3 weeks ago. Balthazar had known Cas since they were in preschool, and Dean got to waltz in acting like he knew everything? Bullshit. Balthazar knew Cas better than anyone else. No one could take that from them.

"That's great, Cassie," Charlie said, snapping Balthazar out of his thoughts.

"Yeah," Balthazar choked out. "That's good." Then, in a low mumble not really meant for anyone but himself, "Just don't get too attached."

But Cas heard him. His smile fell and Balthazar winced, kicking himself. "What do you mean, Bal?"

"Nothing," Balthazar shrugged, running a hand through his hair and sitting up. "Nothing at all. Let's study, shall we?"

…

After they finished studying, Balthazar walked Cas home like he always did. He knew Cas could take care of himself, but he always felt better seeing for himself that Cas made it home safe.

"Hey, Balth?"

"Yeah, Cas?" Balthazar met his eyes, which was a mistake.

"Why don't you like Dean?" Cas asked, and Balthazar hated that look because he could never lie to Cas when he stared at him with those deep, searching eyes.

"Cas, I…"

"I know you don't like him," Cas said, stubborn. "Don't deny it. What I don't understand is why."

Balthazar sighed and looked ahead of them as they walked. "It's not that I don't like him, per se," he started. "I guess I just worry about you is all."

Cas frowned, confused. "Why would you worry about me?"

"Because… you don't know him, Cas," he continued, trying to make Cas understand without having to say the words. "We don't know anything about him."

"I do," Cas said softly, frowning at the sidewalk. "But what's the harm in being his friend? We're just… talking."

"It's just that I know the type," Balthazar said, getting frustrated. Why couldn't Cas see it?

"What does that mean, Bal?" Cas asked again, almost pleading.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Cas!" Balthazar snapped, and they stopped walking. Cas looked at him, studying his face carefully.

"I can take care of myself," Cas said slowly. "What are you so worried about? Dean and I are just talking. We're friends."

"I just… he…" Balthazar couldn't form the words. It wasn't like he was jealous, he just saw through Dean's act. He didn't want his best friend to get hurt. That's all. "I just don't want you to get hurt," he repeated in a whisper, looking down at the ground.

Cas's expression softened into a sad smile and he put his hand on Balthazar's arm. "I'm okay, Bal. I promise. No one's hurting me."

Balthazar sighed and met his eyes again. "I… I'm sorry. I'm just so used to keeping you safe," he told Cas, a small smile tugging at his lips. Smirking, he added, "Someone's gotta look out for your dumbass self."

Cas laughed and punched his shoulder. "Rude," he said, smiling. Balthazar couldn't help but smile back. As long as Cas was smiling, Balthazar really couldn't complain about very much at all.

Dean was sitting up against his headboard, twirling his knife between his fingers, when he heard something outside. He pocketed his knife and padded over to the window to see Cas and Balthazar standing on the grass.

"See ya later, Cassie," the taller boy said, and Cas smiled and hugged him.

"Goodnight, Balthazar."

Dean's stomach twisted when Cas hugged Balthazar tightly and didn't let go for a long moment. He couldn't help but thing… He'd thought they were just friends, but what if…?

Dean shook the thought from his head and returned to his bed. He was back to twirling his knife when Cas walked in the room. Dean looked up and smiled at him, relieved when Cas smiled back.

"Hey, didn't hear ya come in," he said lightly, still moving the knife through his fingers gracefully.

Cas hummed in response and made his way to his bed with a yawn. "I just got back." He paused, discarding his shoes at the foot of the bed. He watched Dean for a moment, mesmerized by the movement of the knife and Dean's skilled fingers. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

Dean glanced at his hand and stopped, closing the knife and clutching it in his fist. He almost looked embarrassed, Cas thought, though he couldn't imagine why. It was a neat trick.

"Just an old habit," Dean shrugged. "Helps me think."

Cas nodded. He didn't think he would get more of an answer on that. Yet another mystery from Dean's past. "So, you were going to teach me to play cards," he changed the subject with a grin.

"I did say that," Dean said, smiling and grabbing his deck of cards from the nightstand drawer. He sat cross-legged at the head of his bed and gestured for Cas to sit in the empty space across from him, to which Cas obliged. "Really it just comes down to practice. And learning how to read people."

Cas nodded. He could do that. He was pretty sure he was learning how to read Dean more and more. Maybe deciphering his poker face in actual poker would help him understand Dean a bit better outside the game.

Unfortunately, Cas was still terrible at poker. No matter how well he thought he could read Dean, he still didn't know what the hell he was doing.

Laughing, Dean gathered the cards up and started shuffling them. "I've never said this to anyone, but I think you may be a lost cause," he said, grinning when Cas glared at him. "And I don't usually teach poker, I just kick ass at poker."

"Maybe you're just a terrible teacher, then," Cas teased, smirking.

Dean laughed, shaking his head. "Maybe," he said. He smiled at Cas, momentarily pausing his card shuffling. He kinda loved that teasing glint in Cas's eyes, playful and mischievous.

Realizing he was staring, Dean blinked his eyes a few times and looked down at the cards, laughing softly. "So while you were doing your study group thing, Sonny suggested a day at the lake this weekend. It's probably the last bit of nice weather for the year."

"That sounds like fun," Cas said, smiling at the flush on Dean's cheeks. What was he being so damn bashful about?

"He mentioned Saturday," Dean added, swallowing and meeting Cas's eyes. Then it occurred to him. "Damn, I don't have a swimsuit," he said. "The lake is a lot less fun if I'm stuck on the beach the whole time…"

"I have an extra," Cas blurted out before he could stop himself. "You, uh… You can borrow it. If you want." Cas tried really hard not to think about Dean wearing his clothes. It made his stomach all fluttery and warm in a way he wasn't used to.

The thought of wearing Cas's clothes, his swim shorts no less, had Dean speechless for a solid minute. It felt… Well, Dean didn't really know what it felt like. He did know that it sent his stomach twisting up into knots; whether that was good or bad, he didn't know.

It's not a big deal, he told himself. They were friends, they wore about the same size of shorts, and Dean needed something to wear to the lake. It was innocent enough. Why wouldn't it be?

Realizing he'd gone silent, Dean cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly at Cas. "Thanks. Yeah, that's great."

"Great!" Cas exclaimed, grinning, and there was that twisting and tugging in Dean's gut again. Dean had really grown to love that smile. That bright, toothy, squinty-eyed grin that could only get more perfect when paired with that adorable laugh of his. Dean loved every bit of it. He especially loved being the cause of said smile and laugh. "Dean?"

Snapping out of his thoughts, Dean looked at Cas, wide-eyed. "Huh?"

Cas laughed, as if he knew what had Dean so distracted, damn him. "I said, do you want to try on the shorts, make sure they fit?"

Dean cursed the heat rising on his cheeks. Why was he like this?

"Um, sure," he said eloquently. "How 'bout tomorrow? I'm pretty beat."

"Oh," Cas said, looking at his alarm clock and frowning. "I guess it's getting pretty late."

At that moment, Dean turned to look when he heard the door open and saw the other boys walk in the room. It was about time for lights out.

"Hey, love birds," Benny drawled, smirking at the flustered looks on both their faces. "If you're talking wedding plans, may I suggest sunflowers?"

"Oh, I love sunflowers," Chuck chimed in. "One of the most underrated flowers if you ask me."

"Ha ha, boys," Dean said, rolling his eyes and shaking his head to hide his embarrassment. "Hilarious."

"It's part of my charm," Benny said with a cheeky grin.

Dean scoffed. "Whatever," he mumbled. He shed his shirt so he was wearing just his sweatpants, feeling an unexpected sense of disappointment set in when Cas wordlessly returned to his own bed. He frowned slightly as he laid down and pulled the blankets up to his waist.

Cas was opening up to him more and more, and Dean was soaking it all in, but as soon as they weren't alone, his walls went up. Although, he couldn't really blame Cas for that. He did the same thing.

Maybe Dean just needed to make an effort to be more open, and Cas would reciprocate. A day at the lake, carefree and low pressure, sounded like the perfect time to give the whole open honesty thing a try.

…

Sonny woke the boys early on Saturday morning, about 8 a.m., and they loaded everything into the truck and left after breakfast. Dean was beyond excited. He'd never been able to do anything like this. Kayaks, water guns, PB&J sandwiches in a cooler for lunch… It was all so domestic and normal. Add that to the fact that he was doing all of it with friends? Actual, real, normal friends? Well the whole thing was damn near perfect.

(The only thing that would make it more perfect was if Sammy could also have this normal, happy life, but Dean didn't want to think about that right now. He was enjoying being a little selfish.)

Gordon had opted to stay home, a fact that both Dean and Cas were grateful for. Still, it was a tight fit with Benny sitting in the front seat and the other 4 boys crammed in the back seat of Sonny's truck. Dean sat between Cas and the door, with Chuck and Ash sitting on Cas's other side. As uncomfortable as the arrangement was, Dean couldn't complain much that he was damn near sitting in Cas's lap. Cas was warm and sturdy and Dean couldn't help but notice that this was the most physical contact they'd shared since the day they met. It was… well, Dean felt like he was going crazy, but it was nice.

Cas had one arm awkwardly draped over the back of the seat, very deliberately not around Dean's shoulders even though that would probably be more comfortable. He felt warm and buzzing everywhere that he and Dean were touching. It was all Cas could do not to grab him by the waist and tug him fully onto his lap and-

Wait, what? Cas suppressed a small, strangled noise, trying to steady his racing heart. Dean was his friend. He couldn't be thinking like that. If Dean knew, it would chase him away for sure…

"I didn't really take you for a contortionist," Dean said softly, glancing at him with a nervous smile. Ash and Chuck were too busy fighting for personal space to notice them.

Cas's eyes widened a bit and he cleared his throat. "Pardon?"

Dean laughed, breathless and barely there, and averted his gaze for a moment. He found the guts to look at Cas again and said, "Your arm. That, uh… doesn't look very comfortable."

"It's… I'm… I mean, it's… it's not," Cas finally managed with a sheepish smile.

Dean smiled at him and settled back against the seat a bit, watching him expectantly. Cas swallowed and inched his arm down until it was slung over Dean's shoulders. They stared at each other for a moment, smiling timidly, before Dean tore his gaze away and turned his head to look out the window at the passing trees.

Even as he looked away, though, he leaned back into Cas's chest. His shoulders relaxed and Cas, in a moment of bold bravery, wrapped his hand around Dean's bicep and squeezed ever so gently.

And if the other boys noticed, well, they simply decided that Dean and Cas deserved a moment of peace.

…

They reached the lake in about 20 minutes, and the boys hopped out of the truck almost before Sonny even came to a full stop.

Dean and Cas lingered for just a moment, neither of them quite ready to separate. After a minute, Dean reluctantly sat up, smiling at Cas. "Shall we?" he offered weakly.

Cas nodded and they climbed out of the truck, going to help Sonny unload the kayaks. There were two, and Benny called dibs on the first one before anyone could even think about it. While Ash and Chuck were fighting for the second seat, Dean laughed and looked at Cas, nodding towards the other kayak.

"Wanna help me get this thing in the water?" he asked, shedding his shirt and tossing it in the backseat of the truck.

"Uh, sure," Cas agreed, trying not to stare and failing. He followed Dean's lead, shedding his shirt and then grabbing one end of the kayak. They got the thing in the water and Dean climbed in enthusiastically. As Dean picked up the oars, he looked at Cas who was still standing on the sand.

"You comin' in?" he asked with a boyish smile.

Taking a deep breath, Cas nodded and followed Dean's lead once again. This was definitely a bad idea, he thought. But the grin on Dean's face when Cas joined him in the kayak made it really, really hard for him to care about anything else.

Dean handed Cas one of the oars and attempted to steer the boat away from the shore, but he was struggling. Cas laughed and pushed his oar through the water a few times until they were drifting on the gentle waves a few feet out from the beach.

"Have you never been kayaking before?" he asked Dean with an amused smile. His eyes widened a bit when Dean shook his head sheepishly. "Wait, really? I definitely would've thought of you as the outdoorsy type."

Dean huffed out a soft laugh. "Well, that's not exactly untrue. But more in the hunting kinda way."

"Ohhh," Cas said in realization. "That makes sense. Well here, let me show you." He situated his double-sided oar across himself and began paddling farther from shore. "You just alternate strokes like this to move in a straight line. And keep it to one side to turn."

Dean watched carefully, a grin spreading across his face again. "Well that doesn't look too hard." He gave it a try, timing his strokes with Cas's, and then they were moving easily. Dean laughed happily. "Well would ya look at that?"

They continued paddling until they were pretty far out but still just in view of the others. After a few minutes, they gave it a rest and let the kayak rock with the gentle rhythm of the water. Cas turned around from the front seat to face Dean.

"You're a natural," he said, grinning, and Dean laughed.

"Yeah, looks that way," Dean said. "It's nice. It's… relaxing."

"A lot calmer than hunting, I would imagine," Cas said lightly.

Dean huffed out a surprised laugh. "You have no idea." He turned and strapped the oar to the back of the kayak, then leaned back against the side of the plastic vessel. "I never got to do anything like this as a kid," he admitted.

Cas looked at him carefully, slightly confused by the wistful look that the confession put on Dean's face. "Why's that?"

Dean shrugged. "Other stuff just kinda took priority. Family stuff." He glanced at Cas, saw him about to withdraw and not push any further, and before he could stop himself he continued, "My dad, he… Well, he always wanted me to go into the family business. It's all I've ever known. There wasn't really time for anything else."

"What does your dad do?" Cas asked, leaning in a bit closer to Dean, intrigued.

"He's…" Dean hesitated. "He's a mechanic. Taught me everything I know."

Cas nodded. He could understand pressure from a father at least. "Did you ever think of doing something else?"

"I…" Dean frowned. He couldn't ever admit just how much he'd thought of it. His dad would be so disappointed. But… he didn't think Cas would be. Maybe Cas would understand. "All the time," he said softly, for the first time in his life, and he closed his eyes to fight the damned tears that threatened to drown him. "I wish to god I could do something else."

Cas heard the crack in Dean's voice and it tugged at his heart painfully. "Well…" He frowned. He wanted to make Dean feel better, but he didn't really know how. Still, he wanted to try. "Well you're here now," he said carefully. "And he's not. Maybe you can finally do what makes you happy. You can do what you want to do with your life."

Dean opened his eyes, cursing the single tear that escaped down his cheek, and looked at Cas. "You really think so?" he asked shifting closer to Cas. No one had ever really bothered with what he wanted to do.

"Well, why not?" Cas shrugged, smiling softly. "What's stopping you if your dad isn't around?"

Dean let out a shaky breath and he couldn't take his eyes away from Cas. "I… I guess nothing," he said after a long moment. "Nothing at all."

Only then did the two boys realize just how close together they were. Their hands were a centimeter from touching and their faces were only inches apart. Cas couldn't breathe as Dean inched even closer…

And suddenly Dean pulled back, clearing his throat and not meeting Cas's eyes. "Uh, sorry," he murmured. "Personal space."

To hell with personal space, Cas thought, then chastised himself. Dean was right. That was… dangerous. A line Cas knew he couldn't uncross once he crossed it. "Right," he said, still watching Dean intently.

"Hey, uh…" Dean spoke hesitantly, running a hand through his hair and still not looking at Cas. "You, um… You too, ya know."

Cas frowned, confused. "What?"

"You could do what you want to do," Dean clarified. "What makes you happy. Just so ya know." Then, quietly, "He can't say a damn thing about what you do anymore."

"Yeah," Cas nodded, smiling sadly. "That's pretty good advice."

Dean chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, it is. Advice we both 'oughta take."

"Hey, you crazy kids, stop making out and get back over here!"

They both looked in the direction of Ash's voice and laughed.

"I guess we should see what he wants," Cas said.

Dean turned back to look at him again remembered why he'd been refusing to look at Cas for the last minute or so. In spite of his efforts, his focus was drawn to Cas's bare chest, spattered with shining water droplets that made trails from his shoulders to his abdomen. Even as he attempted to meet Cas's gaze again, his attention fixed on Cas's lips. They looked soft and warm and Dean thought that if the other boys assumed they were making out maybe he'd give the people what they wanted…

"Dean," Cas insisted, bringing Dean's train of thought to an abrupt stop. "Come on, help me get this thing back to shore."

Dean nodded, choking out a cough that sounded something like 'yeah, sure,' and grabbed his oar.

They made their way towards the other boys and as soon as they were within striking distance, they were met by a squirt gun attack like none that anyone had ever witnessed before. Ash, Benny, and Chuck were all piled into the kayak, armed with water pistols and going absolutely nuts.

"Aha, take that!" Ash exclaimed triumphantly.

"You'll never take our ship, you dirty pirates!" Chuck cried.

"ATTACK!" Benny yelled.

"Son of a bitch," Dean muttered, covering his face and looking at Cas with a grin. "It's an ambush."

"Surrender or die!" Cas announced with determination. "Victory will be ours!"

Dean laughed and leaned forward, grabbing Cas's shoulder. "And how exactly are we going to do that?"

"Follow my lead," Cas told him with a grin. "If we can get in close I can take them all down."

"Aye aye, captain!" Dean exclaimed, laughing like he was a little boy again.

"You'll never take me alive!" Ash cried out, voice cracking at the end.

Dean and Cas maneuvered their kayak until it was nearly parallel to the other one, and Cas stood up and caught the boys' ship with his oar. With just the right angle, he yanked the oar down and the kayak tipped upside down, along with its brave crew.

"Told you," Cas said, grinning at Dean as they both erupted in uncontrollable laughter.

"You fuckers," Benny said, popping out of the water and glaring at them. "That's cheating."

Cas shrugged. "All is fair in love and war."

"Damn straight," Dean agreed.

Dean and Cas pulled the kayak up onto shore, then Dean started wading into the water. "Up for a swim?" he asked Cas with a cocky smile. On the inside he was still kinda freaking out, but he didn't let it show. "It's only cold until you go numb."

Cas laughed, rolling his eyes and following Dean into the water.

"'Atta boy, Cassie!" Benny hollered, whistling at him.

Cas ignored him and swam out to where Dean was treading water. Benny waved them off and helped Ash get their kayak flipped over.

"Hey," Dean said, smiling at Cas.

"Hey," Cas replied, returning the smile. "Your right, it is cold."

Dean laughed. "I could warm you up if you want," he said flirtatiously, without really thinking about it.

Cas's eyes widened and he stumbled over his words for a moment, staring at Dean. That's when Dean realized what he'd said.

"Sorry, I-"

"No, it's okay, I…" Cas trailed off, laughing bashfully. "I mean…"

Dean smiled and shook his head. "Look, I hate awkward," he said. "I like being friends. I don't wanna mess that up. So how 'bout we agree to keep the chick flick moments to a minimum?"

Cas didn't say anything for a while. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to agree to that. Just because he never knew how to respond, didn't mean he didn't like the way he felt when Dean flirted with him, even accidentally. Still… if Dean didn't want that, then Cas would respect it. If it meant they could still be friends, he could be okay with that.

"Agreed," he said, nodding shakily. "No more awkward."

"Well, alright then," Dean replied, grinning. He got a mischievous glint in his eyes and before Cas could process what that meant he was taking a wall of water to the face. After he finished spluttering and wiping water out of his eyes, he laughed and shook his head.

"Oh, is that so?" he asked, smirking at Dean and splashing him back.

"This is war now," Dean told him with a laugh, and soon enough they were both giggling and splashing water at each other mercilessly.

Despite his insistence that they avoid cheesy chick flick moments, Dean knew that Cas made him feel something different. He knew Cas was special and now that he had him close, he couldn't imagine losing him because he went and screwed up like he always did. And hell, if he was being honest, he regretted pulling away when they were on the kayak and they almost… well, whatever. But he couldn't risk pushing Cas away.

Though he still didn't know why that was, he did know one thing: he was in trouble. He was in a deep, sparkling blue ocean of trouble that, really, far too closely resembled the color of Cas's eyes. And Dean could only keep himself afloat for so long.