Dean surprised Cas that Monday at breakfast.
"Angel... you know what I'd like to do?"
Cas looked up at him and raised his eyebrows. He knew Dean wasn't being ambiguous, but he just had to tease.
"Now? We will be late for work, Dean." he replied calmly.
Dean put his sandwich down, a smile tugging at his mouth.
"No. As much as I would like to do that too, I meant I would like to drive you to work."
Cas blanched and dropped his last bit of bread.
"Dean... you know what happened last week. Should we risk it?"
Quirking up on corner of his mouth sarcastically, Dean scoffed.
"Angel, we were housemates before boyfriends. Who knows that changed? I'm sure someone set her straight by now."
Cas bit his lip in doubt.
"Awe, please angel... it's a step in letting go for me. I wanna see if I can go there without breaking out in flop sweat." Dean plead, his green eyes wide and sincere.
At that, Cas gave in.
"But no kissing! Im not sure we should risk that."
Dean sighed and patted Cas' hand.
"Ok. I'll stay full on platonic. Just not yet, ok?" he teased.
Cas smiled and shook his head at his boyfriend before kissing him.
Dean let his hand slide around Cas' head and deepened the kiss.
When he pulled back, his fingers skimmed Cas' ear.
"Whoa... you gotta take those out, bud... Marley will go ape..."
Cas reached to his ear and chuckled.
"It's just the skull stud, a plain ring with a bat pendant and that silver fang... she'll be great." he smiled.
Dean chuckled too and took up his sandwich again.
"Sure thing, Cas. I can't bail you out, hotstuff. I got a Volvo waiting for me."
Cas grinned as he pulled out the earrings.
"Ooh, hot date! Should I get jealous?"
He loved teasing Dean a bit.
Throwing his head back, Dean laughed out loud.
And that was the way Cas loved to see him in the morning. Relaxed and laughing.
Before they got into Baby, Dean fixed Cas' tie.
"I don't know how you get it backwards every time, angel. It's creepy." he said, tugging at the wayward piece of cloth.
"No it is not. I have a gift. My ties will not succomb to straightness." Cas answered, deadpan, because he still felt the need to tease.
Dean doubled over, laughing.
"Oh Cas... ohohoh. You... you're amahahazihing. God, I lohohove you."
Once he recovered, he kissed Cas quick and got in the car.
"Dean... you know you don't have to..." Cas tried, but his love adamantly shook his head.
They sat in the car, just outside Nomed.
"No. I gotta, Cas. I'm trying to associate Nomed with you, not her. So I have to do this. She wouldn't let me enter the building, except for parties, where she could put me though my paces. I need to get myself over this bump in the troad, angel. Can't you see?"
Cas could and the trouble was that he normally wouldn't mind, but what if Lisa saw them, and she would carry out her threat?
"Cas... please. I promise I will act as if we really are just housemates, ok? No matter how much I want to tell the whole world I love you, I don't want to see you hurt."
Cas sighed.
"Ok then. Time to go in..."
Dean got out and unlike other times, he didn't walk around to open the door. Right. Just pals...
Cas hated it, but it was prudent for now.
He opened his own door and got out.
Dean thrust his hands in his jacket pockets with a neutral face.
When they passed Marley, Dean waved, but Cas ignored her.
He was still angry at her.
Dean stopped, just inside the reception area, and coughed.
Cas turned around, wondering what Dean was doing.
"I'll fix the Mark today, Cas. Promise. Just... might be tonight. Not sure what Bobby has lined up." Dean said, one corner of his mouth quirking up a bit.
Cas was stumped and his brain went in overdrive
'What is he on about? The Mark isn't bro...oh,' he suddenly realised. 'He is making a coverstory. Such a smart man!'
Clearing his throat, Cas answered that he was fine with it, and thanked Dean for dropping him off.
"No problem. See ya tonight, bud!" Dean cheerily replied, his green eyes twinkling.
Gods, but did Cas want to peck those perky lips.
Instead Cas smiled and waved his hand, before walking away.
Behind him he could hear his brother, saying 'Hi' to Dean, and asking him what he was doing there.
Cas' smile widened. He didn't know it, but Gabriel was helping their ruse along just perfectly.
Before he got in the elevator, he caught the last snippets of the conversation between the two most important guys in his life.
"...you settling in at your new home?" Gabriel asked nicely.
"Ok. Really. Your brother is nice, even if rarely there. Never had an easier housemate. Thanks for letting me know he needed a roommate." came Dean's reply.
If he hadn't had a pretence to uphold, Cas would have run back and hug his brother for asking exactly the right things.
Humming 'the Sleep' from Pantera, Cas got to his office and turned on his computer with a smile.