A/N: Happy New Year, everyone! If your previous year sucked, it's okay, you made it to this one. And this one doesn't have to be perfect. It may be heard, but that's okay, too. You'll get through it, and I will too. I love you, guys!
Sam, Dean, and Castiel were in the war room, waiting for the clock to strike midnight. They'd all been drinking, even Cas, which surprised Dean, but he wanted to do their traditions with them. They'd ordered a bunch of Chinese food, and kept eating more and more as the night wore on, and they talked and drinked. Dean had also gotten himself a copious amount of candy that he'd been nibbling on. He'd shared some of the candy with Cas, feeding it to him, even while anxiety bubbled in his stomach from Sam being with them, from witnessing this show of affection. Castiel hadn't liked the candy much, but he smiled from the gesture, a warm laugh emanating from his chest, and then Dean was smiling, forgetting all about how Sam might react, what he might be thinking.
"You know, I don't much understand this celebration," Castiel told Dean.
Sam shrugged from where he sat across the table. "We survived another year despite all the crap the universe gives us. What's not to celebrate?"
"But why is it such a big deal? Do other humans do it?"
"Oh yeah, plenty of humans do it," Dean answered. "It's huge. From my experience, most people have crappy years, so they drink to forget, and then it's the next year. They make New Year's resolutions that they'll never succeed at, they hate themselves about it, and then they move on."
Sam huffed and shook his head. "Dean, that's just you."
"Hey, I don't make New Year's resolutions," he said, pointing at his brother, beer bottle in hand.
"Dude, not everyone's lives suck, you know?"
He shrugged, and continued drinking.
Really, Dean wanted to get drunk because of what he was planning on doing at midnight. Maybe he could pull Castiel away to talk to him about it, so he wouldn't make a huge scene.
Time ticked on, dragging past 11:00, and Sam had started taking from Dean's candy. He was too tipsy to care.
Feeling so nervous his muscles were aching, Dean gave Castiel a look, and tilted his head backward towards the library. Hopefully Sam hadn't noticed.
Dean slapped the table, and announced, "Gotta take a bathroom break. Be right back."
Dean was out of the war room and almost out of the library into the hallway when he heard Castiel utter, words forced and awkward, "I have to go to the bathroom as well."
Sam must've given him an odd look because then the angel was rushing up behind him.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Not here. Come on."
They got to the hallway outside Dean's room, and Castiel started opening the door, already shrugging out of his coat. Dean grabbed his arm, and pulled him back into the hallway.
"No, no. We're not gonna leave Sam out there for a quickie. Besides, you last too long for a quickie to even work."
"Then what?"
Castiel was clearly confused about all of this, but his cheeks were reddenning, and he pressed Dean up against the wall, hands on either side of his head, lips seeking his. Dean met his warm mouth with his own, moaning into it, but then he tilted his head back, pulling away. Their noses brushed together, and then Castiel was kissing his jaw, down to his neck.
Dean lightly whacked him on the back of the head when he felt his teeth graze his skin, sending tingles throughout his body. "Hey, don't leave any marks," he exclaimed. "I just wanna talk to you."
"So talk," Castiel murmured, as he continued kissing.
Castiel was using his feet to spread Dean's legs apart, and was slotting his hips up against his own, making heat flush through him.
"So… there's this… mmm… There's this New Year's tradition."
"Mmm hmm."
"Wh-where partners kiss… at midnight."
"Mmm hmm."
Dean took ahold of Cas' face to pull his mouth away from his skin, and Castiel growled at him, clearly wanting him.
"Cas, are you even listening?"
"You want to kiss me at midnight," he said evenly, and then his lips were against Dean's again.
Dean let himself fall into it, leaning his hips against him, even lifting one leg up to wrap it around Cas' body to hold him close. Dean ran one hand through Castiel's hair, and then down to his neck, and then Castiel was hoisting him up, hands on his ass. Dean found himself moaning from his touch, but then he pulled away again.
"Look, what I'm saying is," he began, meeting Castiel's blue eyes, his stomach quivering when he saw how dilated his pupils were, "I want to do it out there. In the war room."
"In front of Sam?" Castiel questioned, clearly confused.
Dean shifted himself against him, but kept looking into his eyes. Most people would be afraid by having such a powerful entity staring so intently at them, as if they were trying to see their soul, but Dean felt warm, and safe from it, felt love.
"I want him to know. I want to celebrate this New Year properly, with you, with my brother. I don't want to hide anymore, and I know you don't want to."
"Are you sure?"
Dean leaned in, mouth open, and captured his lips with his. He worked Castiel's bottom lip between his teeth roughly, knowing the angel could take it, and then he was licking his lips. Castiel growled at him once more, and they were both breathing heavily. They brushed their noses together again, eyes closed now, just enjoying sharing their space.
"I'm sure. I love you, Castiel, and I want Sam to know it, too. You're special to me. I shouldn't have to hide that."
A quick kiss, and then Castiel said, "Alright."
He let Dean down, and Dean quickly sucked on his ear, hand teasingly finding his ass, and then they were walking back into the war room.
Sam was happily snacking on a Reese's as he asked, "What the hell was that?"
Dean shrugged, and Castiel looked at him before following suit.
Sam screwed up his face in amusement, but didn't say anything else about it.
They continued drinking, continued eating, and Dean found himself having to constantly pull his hands away from his mouth. He was so nervous he wanted to bite at his fingers. He eventually resigned to keeping the hand that wasn't at his beer bottle, tightly on his thigh, and Castiel had his hand over his underneath the table, thumb stroking soothingly.
They were waiting now for the alarm on Sam's phone to go off, letting them know it was the new year. Letting them know that they'd survived another year of crap, and horrifying evil.
Sam's alarm went off, and somehow he'd rigged it for the screen to play a clip of fireworks, bursting in red and blue and brilliant gold. Sam cheered, raising his beer bottle, and Dean could only stare, stomach tight with anxiety. Castiel's hand was on his face, turning him to him, and then Dean closed the space between them in a quick burst of motion, their mouths meeting.
Hands were on Dean's face, and he grasped at Castiel's wrist, his other hand on the back of his head, tilting it back to kiss him more deeply.
They pulled away, and for the moment, Castiel was all there was.
"Happy New Year, Castiel."
"Happy New Year, Dean."
Dean was pulled from the moment when he heard pleased clapping and cheering.
"What the hell?" he questioned, turning to his brother, completely shocked. "You're not… weirded out? Grossed out? Ready to disown me?"
Sam gave both of them a huge smile, took a sip of his beer, and then answered simply, "I knew."
He got up and came around the table, giving them each a hug, and wishing them a happy new year, which they returned, Dean still trying to process everything, sure his heart had stopped.
Sam pat him on the shoulder, and then squeezed.
"I'm happy for you, man."
Another pat, and then he was taking his seat again.
Now when Castiel and Dean held hands, they did so over the table.
The new year would most likely be yet another wave of endless crap, but at least Dean was starting it out with the people he loved.