The insistant buzzing of his phone finally made Castiël crack open an eye.
"Damnit, Gabriel..." he groaned as he saw the caller ID.
"What is it, Gabriel? You ran out of Jolly Ranchers?"
A mock gasp sounded on the other side.
"Castiël James Novak! Go wash your mouth! That is no joking matter!"
Too hung over and too sore from sleeping hunched on the sofa, Castiël rolled his eyes and then his shoulders.
"Serves you right for waking me up." he said bitterly.
"I'm sorry, mister Mopey. I got news for you. Dear old Dean-o is currently safe and sound at his surrogate Dad, and his brother is there too. So he is indeed safe. I talked to him, and for now he says he needs family. I think he definitely left that two-timing snake. Good, right?"
That news did perk Castiël up a bit.
"Yes, Gabriel. That's all very good news. Thank you. Now can you be the angel mom named you after, and let me die in peace?"
Gabriel chuckled softly, knowingly, and it annoyed the Hell out of Castiël.
"You're hung over, baby bro... You working tonight?"
Castiël let his head fall back on the back of the sofa.
"Oh no. Thank my lucky stars. No. I planned this very well. I told them I had a party, so I could get very drunk once I got home."
Gabriel sighed softly, and his tone changed dramatically.
"I'm so sorry Cassie. You were hurting every time, weren't you?"
Hardly surprised at how his brother always knew things, Castiël hummed an affirmative, rubbing his stinging eyes.
"Yes. But the good news is I have some time off now. Next shift is the 23rd. I can die and get revived before then, I hope. I am glad Nomed closes shop for Christmas."
While Gabriel hummed, Castiël heard faint clicking sounds.
"I will leave you to your texting and take a hot bath. Maybe drink some fluids. Non-alcoholic ones..."
Gabriel hummed again. "Ok baby bro. Maybe I will pop in on the 23rd. Get a drink from you. Strawberry daiquiri or something. Love you!"
He disconnected before Castiël could answer.
On the 23rd, Castiël pulled on his black bar t-shirt, skin tight jeans and put on his combat boots. He was actually looking forward to his shift. A chance to get out of thinking about Dean, and whether the man was ok. It was messing with him, big time.
He sang along to the music in his car, letting the familiar tones of 'Thunderstruck' get him in the right mindset.
When Castiël entered, Samandriël looked up from the cocktail he was making and smiled.
"Hello Castiël. How was the party?"
"Unexpectedly different, Samandriël. I'm still unsure if it was a good or bad different." Castiël answered.
Dropping his coat and belongings in the staff room, he rolled his shoulders, ready for a long night.
Somewhere around ten, Castiël was totally in his comfortzone. He was joking, mixing drinks with a fast and steady hand, when it happened.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed a wave for attention, and he turned.
Shock nailed him to the floor for a heartbeat.
Dean was sitting at the bar... his green eyes widened and a slight blush creeping up his freckled cheeks.
Forcing himself to move was the most difficult thing Castiël had ever done in this bar, especially when Dean licked his lips, that pink tip of his tongue darting out and leaving Dean's plush lips glistening.
Castiël gulped and finally walked over.
"Hello, Dean. What can I get you to drink?"
Dean looked a bit dazed, and Castiël wondered if he had been drinking before getting here. Oh well, if he didn't order anything too strong. He could get a beer or two.
"Yeah, ehm... I'd like a beer for now please." Dean answered in that gruff voice.
It seemed Castiël had caught him off guard. A satisfied smile tugged at Castiël's mouth as he asked the inevitable 'tap or bottle' question.
Watching Dean's adamsapple bob when he swallowed, Castiël cursed his luck. Of all the bars Dean could have picked...
He got Dean his tap beer and got back to work.
Ten minutes later, all was made clear when he heard his brother greet Dean jovially.
'Why you little... Gabriel! Stop this. Dean isn't gay, why set us up like this?'
He tried to ignore the pair, but Gabriel made it difficult.
Castiël just knew he was the topic of their conversation when Gabriel said something about bouncing a quarter off an ass. He always said stuff like that about Castiël's butt.
And usually Castiël didn't mind, but this was Dean Gabriel was waxing poetic to. His secret crush. One Castiël wanted to stay secret.
But when Dean told Gabriel to shut up, his heart did stutter.
It sounded like Dean minded what Castiël felt. Oh he was such a pure soul!
Gabriel just chuckled and made things worse.
"What? I can say that. He doesn't mind. Besides, there's no rule that says a guy can't flirt with men."
Except, Castiël did mind, and he knew that his flirty brother had ulterior motives. He always had. Busying himself with orders, Castiël turned his back on the two and tuned them out.
Until Gabriel raised his voice that was.
Glancing over, Castiël caught his brother's wink and twinkly eyes. Oh no...
"Here I was, thinking you were so far in the closet that you discovered Narnia!" Gabriel exclaimed.
Castiël felt the blood rise to his ears. On one hand, he felt amazingly embarrased, on the other, he really wanted to know what Dean said next. So he kept working, but his attention was on the two men.
Dean didn't speak as loudly as Gabriel, so Castiël strained his ears to catch what he said.
"Ok. I'll bite. Why would you think that?" Dean asked, an amused quirk to his mouth.
Dean voiced Castiël's thoughts perfectly. Why on Earth would Gabriel think it, when Dean was so obviously straight and with Lisa?
"Cause, you muttonhead, you were all lovey-dovey with Lisa the octolady, but I caught you checking out Castiël's ass."
Castiël nearly choked on air. He was doomed. Dean would get up, throw his beer over Gabriel and leave his life forever.
He moved over to suss the situation, when Dean answered.
"The silent type, from accounting? Dark sexhair, always in a navyblue suit and backwards blue tie? Yeah... he has a great ass in that suit."
A lot of thoughts popped into Castiël's head at that.
'What? He didn't recognise me.. of course he didn't. First time you met as adults, you were wrapped up like a mummy and hoarse, because you were sick, and after that you kept a distance. He never saw you up close. He checked out my ass? He thinks it looks great. Oh my God!'
Catching his brother's smirk Castiël came to himself, just in time to get the order for that awfully sweet strawberry daiquiri.
Anger at Gabriel's blatant meddling rose and he cast Gabriel a dark look, before putting on his polite mask.
"Sure. Coming up." He turned to Dean, smile frozen in place. "You want another tap?"
"Yeah. That'd be great, thanks. And I'm sorry if my pal here made you uncomfortable. I'll tell him to can it." Dean said, his eyes sincere.
No anger could withstand that face, and Castiël felt his smile thaw, become real.
"That's ok. I'm used to it. He never knows when to quit." Castiël said, backing the last sentence up with some steel in his voice.
Of course his brother ignored him.
"You know me... and you love me." Gabriel said, quoting their oma (Dutch for granny) when she had been caught being mischievous.
Castiël smirked, told Gabriel to shut up and got them their drinks.
Glad it was his break, Castiël leaned against the ally wall of the bar. Tonight was a busy night and the presence of Dean and Gabriel didn't help. He bonkend his head against the wall and breathed in the cool nightair.
Gabriel's voice drifted to him on that same air and Castiël closed his eyes, trying to ignore it.
"I'll see when that cutie is working again, so we can come here and you can flirt with him."
Castiël blanched. 'Oh Hell no. Shut up Gabriel! Stay out of my lovelive!' he thought desperately, shrinking into the shadows so he wouldn't be seen.
"That'd be nice. I never looked twice at another guy in nearly a decade..." Dean's voice rumbled and Castiël wanted the Earth to open up and swallow him.
Gabriel's giggles cut through the night, forcing Castiël's eyes open.
"Yeah you have! Don't deny it! You look at Castiël's ass every time he walks by you."
Groaning internally, Castiël looked up at the cold stars, wishing he could disappear.
"Yeah That's true... but geez, that ass is just... wow!" came Dean's reply, making Castiël's heart stutter.
'Damnit, Gabriel Eric Novak! You're sooo getting your ass whooped by me!'
It was all Gabriel's fault, for meeting Dean here, today. He knew Castiël was working, damn him.
"God, Gabe... I'm running wild now... I just realised I have oggled the bartender all night, without shame. I'm bad!" Dean sounded astonished.
That was it. Not caring whether either man heard him, Castiël ran back inside.