Dean slunk into Cas's room silently after soccer practice, skirting around the seriously oppressive silence that was radiating from the kitchen where Lucifer and some chick stood staring at each other.
That wasn't a dramatization either. They were literally standing across the island counter from each other, silently staring.
Lucifer was one of Castiel's older brothers, Dean didn't see much of them because of the large age difference, he mostly just saw Gabe, Anna and Aflie. He'd been around them briefly a few times, Michael less so seeing as he was off at college this year.
Lucifer was a senior this year; snarky and dry, but Dean could see the sort of heavy emotion that clung to him beneath the sass. There was something almost dangerous about Lucifer and Michael, but Dean was never quite able to figure out what that was exactly.
"Hey." He closed Cas's door behind him, dumping his soccer bag on the floor and sat down on the edge of his bed. "What's with the war-zone down there?"
Cas sighed and rolled his eyes as he closed the book he'd been reading for Seventh grade English. "They're extremely dramatic."
"Well, it is Lucifer, so..."
"Yes, but I feel like it's more Lilith than my brother. She's retched."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on here." Dean held up a hand to halt all speaking. "Your brother is dating a girl named Lilith?" He snorted, "Lucifer and Lilith. Luci and Lili. Come on, it's a little funny."
Cas rolled his eyes again, this time at Dean. "If you say so."
"Why is she retched?" Dean asked, moving himself into a comfortable position across Cas' bed, his body sore and tired from practice earlier.
Cas shrugged, fingering the pages of the book as he thought of a way to explain it to Dean. "She's just... manipulative and obsessive. She like, jumped through hoops to be with my brother, granted he set the terms for their relationship, but still it's like scary how much she's into him, y'know?"
"So, why are they fighting right now?" Dean found himself asking as he thought about the two teenagers downstairs not talking.
"Because Lilith caught Lucifer staring at Eve again."
"Who's Eve?" He realized that his voice had gone up into that gossipy register that Bela and Lisa's got when something scandalous happened.
"The girl my brother really wants to be with."
"This is so dramatic." Dean gushed, totally enraptured by the drama. "Why isn't he with her then? I need to know."
Cas chuckled a little at Dean's response to his brother's gossip. Dean would try and deny it, but he really did love a good story as much as the next person. His unrivaled interest in Doctor Sexy was more than enough evidence to that fact.
"Luci is... complicated." Cas phrased it delicately, because while his brother was more often than not an asshole with an attitude problem, he still loved him. "Him and Michael fight a lot and Dad puts a lot of strain on him to follow in his and Michael's footsteps. He comes across smirky and devil-may-care, but he isn't. He's got a lot of feelings and a lot of baggage packed up in that sarcastic package. Eve is just... nice and Lucifer isn't."
It seemed so sad when laid out simply like that. Dean almost felt bad for the guy.
"Did he like, even try with this Eve chick? Or, did she shoot him down?"
"No." Cas shook his head. "He knows she'll say no, so he hasn't even bothered. He's decided to stick it out with the easy option – Lilith – which is annoying and exhausting."
"Wow, your family has a lot of drama." Dean had moved on to the napping phase of the conversation, eyes closed, arms slung over his face as he listened to Cas who sat beside him.
Cas only nodded ruefully, even though Dean was no longer watching. "Yeah, pretty much."
"What are you doing?" Cas slurred, voice still wrecked from just waking up, wiping tiredly at his eyes.
Dean looked over his shoulder at Cas from where he was sitting by the window, looking down at the backyard. "I got up to pee and when I came back in, I saw your brother outside with a girl. I've been watching them ever since."
"What?" Cas launched himself from the bed and slid down next to Dean at the window.
Lucifer sat on the bench under the tree, shoulders all haunched and body bent slightly forward. A girl with hair just this side of strawberry sat beside him, angled toward him and nodding along to whatever he was saying.
"Who is that?" He whispered into the dark room. There was no need to whisper, the two below them couldn't hear anyway, but it felt right.
"Eve." Cas muttered, looking down at the scene below with furrowed brows.
"That's Eve?"
Dean's voice rose and snapped back to look down at the pair. When Cas was explaining it all earlier in the day, Dean hadn't really thought about what the other girl looked like, but seeing her now seated beside Cas' older brother, she did look nice and way out of Lucifer's league.
The girl, Eve, was pretty. Definitely different from Lilith – who had been too thin and very blonde with sharp blue eyes and a predatory smile. Eve was tall, with honey colored hair tinged with enough red that Dean might consider her strawberry, and skin so pale that the moon reflected off of it. She seemed nice, different from how he thought she'd be, and definitely too pure for someone like Lucifer.
They watched as Lucifer said something that had her leaning towards him, putting a hand on his shoulder to grasp his attention. He looked up, meeting her gaze. Neither of the older teens said anything for a few moments, they just stared at each other. Dean held his breath. Then, they both began leaning in and soon their lips met.
The kiss was sweet and soft and lasted only a handful of seconds before they pulled back and looked at each other once more. The look Lucifer gave her was full of conflicting emotions that neither of the boys could name, but at the same time the look was tender and warm. Dean felt like he was intruding on something very private, like this was a part of Lucifer's tarnished soul on full display as he took in the girl beside him. Because he was giving himself over to her, even the parts of himself that he hated. The moment was heavy.
Eve leaned in slowly, giving Lucifer time to back away if he wished, and gently brought her lips back to his, moving even closer to him. It seemed to spurn him into action, and he gripped her tightly in his arms, like he was afraid she would fly away. She seemed to melt into the embrace and soon their gentle kissing began to grow more frantic and Dean had to look away before the heated blush his face was now sporting radiated any further.
Cas looked enraptured by the sight, his big blue eyes wide focused as he took in the display. Dean tugged on his shirt, catching his attention. "Come on, Cas. Let's go back to bed."
Cas looked at Dean for a moment before returning his gaze back to where his older brother was giving his soul to the girl before him. After a few moments, Cas turned from the window and followed Dean back to bed. They were quiet, not sleeping and yet not speaking either. After a beat, Cas rolled from where he lay on his back to face Dean.
"Do you think he loves her?" Cas whispered gently, eyes wide and ernest. "It felt like he loves her."
Dean curled his legs up to his chest as he stared into Cas' eyes, shrugging. "Maybe. It certainly felt like something."
Cas played with the sleeves of his long-sleeved sleep shirt, eyes darting down away from Dean's. Not in a nervous way, more in a distracted one. "Do you think we'll ever be like that?"
"Like what?"
"Look at someone like they hold the key to salvation."
Dean looked back at Cas, those blue eyes almost glowing in the twilight, and he felt his heart beat a little faster in his chest. "I don't even know what that means." He whispered.
Cas shrugged, "Neither do I."
"Then why are you afraid of it?" He asked.
"I'm not."
They fell asleep not long after that, staring into each other's eyes and thinking about the intimate moment they'd witnessed prior and all that it could mean.
The eighth grade dance was coming up and it was stupid, Dean had decided.
Who really wanted to spend a few hours in a poorly decorated gym, dressed all "nice" and dance to shit music? Apparently everyone in his class.
Everyone was paring off like Noah's freaking Arc, smiling shyly at each other from across the hallway, talking excitedly any chance they got, even Charlie was involved! Dean just couldn't bring himself to care.
He stood at his locker, grabbing books and notebooks, shoving the things he needed into his backpack without real care. He was in the middle of running over his class schedule in his head and deciding if he needed his history notes when he felt a body beside him. "Hey, Cas."
"Dean." Cas responded in greeting.
He pulled out the last of his crap and turned to face his best friend. Cas was surveying the loud hallway around them with intense blue eyes, dark hair all unruly as it swept across his forehead. "What's up, Cas?"
Castiel looked at him, those blue eyes intent on him and Dean suppressed a shiver. "The dance is friday."
"Yeah." Dean heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes, closing his locker and leaning back against it beside Cas. "So what?"
"I don't have a date."
"I'm sure Hannah would jump at the chance to go with you." Dean said distractedly as he fought with the zipper on his faded backpack.
Cas sighed, "I don't want to go with her. She's not really my type." He looked down and toyed the edges of the long sleeve shirt he was wearing. "Besides, she's liked me for so long, it'd feel wrong to lead her on now when I have no intention of following through."
"Who's Meg going with?"
"Some guy, I don't know his name."
Dean snorted, "Well, that's not shocking. You barely know anyone's name."
Castiel narrowed his eyes, "I know people's names."
Dean sighed and looked back at the crowded hallway before them. "Too bad we didn't think about going as a big group before everyone went and got dates."
"Are you still going with Lisa?"
He looked over to see Cas staring down the hallway where Balthazar was currently making out with some girl. He shrugged, even though Cas wasn't watching.
"Yeah. She asked, I said yes. I mean, I like Lisa, so that's whatever. I just hate this whole "dance" thing, why can't we all just celebrate moving on by going to someone's house and watching movies and getting drunk? Why do I have to dress fancy and dance to shit music in a sweaty gym for three hours?"
"It seems you feel quite passionately about this, Dean." Cas turned away from the Balthazar spectacle and faced Dean once more. "Why are you going if you hate it?"
Dean shrugged, "Because all our friends are going."
Cas gave him a lingering look, one that Dean matched, before being interrupted by the ringing bell and some of their friends walking up to them. Lisa sidled up next to him, cozying into his side and smiling up at him.
They were sort of dating now.
He'd had a crush on her for a couple years, so it was basically a score for him, but sometimes he felt bad about having a girlfriend when Cas didn't. He knew that dating Lisa meant he wouldn't be around as much, but he hoped that Cas would still accept his calls in the middle of the night and that they'd still stay up too late on saturday nights before Cas had to be up for church.
He didn't want things to change. He wanted everything to stay the same, but this just added. He liked the bonus of making out, really liked it, but not at the expense of ruining the group vibe. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.
He placed his arm around her shoulder as they all began to move as a group down the hall. He might've been touching Lisa, but his attention was once again on Cas, talking about their history project and the casting for the new Indiana Jones movie coming out. Everything was fine, everything was normal.
Dean stood in one of the upstairs guest bedrooms, attempting to tie Ash's bow-tie while the blonde drank from a bottle inside a paper bag. The boys had been sequestered into one of the guest rooms while the girls were all huddled in Bela's room, finishing up.
She had invited the lot over to get ready for the dance and take pictures at her freakishly large house. Their parents were all downstairs, schmoozing with one another while waiting for their children to descend.
Dean hated this. There was literally no part of him that was enjoying any of this.
He finished with Ash's hideous metallic and purple polka dotted tie and turned to see if anyone else needed help. Balthazar was lounging on the bed, talking with his date – Christopher, head of the JV Swim Team. Benny was sneaking sips of Ash's alcohol, Crowley sipping from his own flask, Kevin was seated on the ground finishing up a paper for some online course he was taking, and Garth was regaling a snoozing Victor with tales of smiley grandeur.
And Cas was leaning against the wall, taking it all in.
He had conceded on taking Hannah to the dance when she asked him as friends the other night, especially since they were the last two out of their group without dates.
He looked good, Dean decided.
Anna had helped them pick out their clothes and Gabe had driven them all to the mall, reveling in their discomfort and blatant misery. But, the blue and silver she'd forced Cas in looked good, brought out his eyes and pale complexion and dark hair. Anna had given him green, like he always got because of his eyes, but it was fine.
He moved to stand beside Cas, hands in the pockets of his dark grey dress pants. "Hey."
"Hey."
Dean looked over at him, while Cas was still looking over at their friends. "You ready for this shit show to end?"
Cas turned towards him then, that blank stoic look piercing Dean. "It's the eighth grade dance, Dean. We're not going to war."
Dean snorted, "Yeah, well, hopefully they'll play some Zepplinn or something and it'll ease my suffering."
Cas rolled his eyes, "I think the best you'll get is some Beatles, and that's only maybe."
And they both knew how he felt about that.
The door slammed open and Bela stood in her champagne gold gown – because there was no mistaking that thing for just a dress. "Ready, slags?"
Balthazar and Crowley snorted as everyone moved towards the door. The girls were all lined up in the hallway by the stairs, already taking pictures with each other.
Charlie was laughing with her date Gilda, both in short flirty dresses in different shades of blue. Meg was leaning against the wall looking both bored and bitchy – her usual resting bitch face – in a black tube dress. Victor's date, Sarah Blake, smiled in a longer burgundy dress that looked great with her dark hair, the same with Benny's date Tessa who was in royal blue. Garth's bubbly blonde date Donna stood in sunny yellow that matched her personality and Channing matched Kevin with shades of grey. The sort of gothic Lenore was in black lace, something Crowley did not match in his pristine suit. Hannah was in a modest white and Pamela was in slinky red.
Dean pioneered the downstairs movement, just wanting this to be over, strutting down the grand staircase to where all the parents were chatting and drinking. John noticed Dean from where he'd been pretending to listen to Lisa's dad talk about fishing and placed his hand on the back of Dean's neck when he got close enough.
"You all ready?"
Dean sighed, "Just about."
John smirked, knowing full well his son's feelings about the situation and reveling in his discomfort. Lisa's dad jumped in, snorting and nodding at Dean's comment. "Girls, right? Never ready on time, but at least they're pretty."
Dean couldn't help the face he made and sent to his dad, who subtly sent one back. Lisa's dad was the sort of old-school misogynist that didn't even realize he was one. He probably still thought women couldn't change their own tires. Poor Lisa for having to put up with that.
Everyone else made their descent and Dean was sent back up the staircase to get in line with everyone else, standing behind Lisa like it was freaking Prom. They took too many pictures in too many different positions until they were finally able to leave.
Dean, Lisa, Cas, Hannah, Charlie and Gilda all went in the Impala, since some of the other parent drivers decided slamming some back at the Talbot residence was more fun. Dean and Cas sat up in the front with his dad and the girls were all loaded in the back, talking over each other. Dean was grateful to feel the heat and weight of his father and Cas beside him.
The ride to the school wasn't long enough for Dean's liking, but once they pulled up in front of the gym and he saw everyone in their class mingling and taking pictures in their nice clothes, Dean could feel himself become a little less annoyed than he was a moment ago.
John let the out at the curb, the girls sliding out and so did Cas. John laid a hand on Dean's shoulder, stopping him from exiting the Impala. "I'll be back to pick you up at nine. Don't spike the punch and don't get anyone pregnant."
"Dad! Oh my god!"
John held up his hands, "I'm just saying."
"Goodbye, dad."
Dean slid out of the impala, slamming the heavy door in John's laughing face. Cas was standing with their large group, but was waiting for Dean. He bounded over to them, slinging his arm over Cas' shoulders and smiling at the other kids that joined them.
They moved into the gym, which was done up in cheesy streamers and balloons. Large round tables were set up around the room, one long buffet table pushed against the wall had drinks and food. The DJ booth was set up in the corner and everyone in their class was dancing to shit music and laughing.
Their group snagged a table on the side, away from the crowd, and Dean immediately took off for the food. He was hungry and he was going to fucking eat his weight in appetizers before he was forced to do anything else. Benny and Ash appeared at his side, stacking their plates high with food and giggling, Dean just rolled his eyes and waited for them.
Cas had picked the chair beside him, which was unsurprising, and he was in some serious conversation with Hannah. Lisa was already mingling and dancing with her friends and the rest of their group was split up. Dean sat and started eating, listening to Cas and Hannah speak in mumbled monotone and watched their grade smile and bop to music.
He was happy to sit there and eat his free food, sipping on soda and ignoring everyone. That he could do, that he could handle. Eventually Lisa dragged him onto the dance floor, Dean didn't mind too much, though he put up a huffy exterior about it. He liked dancing and was pretty fluid in movement, quick on his feet and all that. At one point, a large group formed around them, made up of not only their friends, and Bela pulled him in the middle to dirty dance. They laughed their way through it, but the applause they got at the end made Dean seriously consider getting involved in the high school musical.
All in all, it wasn't as shit as he thought it'd be. It also wasn't exactly the time of his life either, but whatever. Somehow, Cas had even managed to bribe the DJ into playing You Shook Me All Night Long, which was amazing.
With the dance coming to a close, they made their way out of the sweaty gym and avoided the Yearbook club taking pictures of everyone exiting, to wait for his dad. The Impala was growling at the curb and Dean couldn't help the smile that over took him at the sight of his baby. John was teaching him how to fix her and maintain her, and Dean hoped that meant she'd be his once he got his license.
Balthazar snorted and threw an arm around Dean's shoulders, smirking. "Dean, it's a bit indecent the way you're staring at that car. Is there something you'd like to tell us?"
The others chuckled and ribbed him at the comment, but Dean – never one to be showed up – stepped out of Balthazar's hold and turned cockily toward them with his hands on his hips. "Actually, yes." He started dramatically. "Guys, I've thought about this a lot, and I'm sorry Lisa, but I've decided that it's time for me to be my true self and be with the love of my life." He walked over to the Impala and stroked the black paint fondly.
"I always knew you weren't entirely straight." Balthazar laughed.
"What can I say, I love my baby."
His friends howled in laughter as John rolled down the window and sighed. "Dean, stop petting the car and get in." It only made everyone laugh that much harder.
They split up into cars again, heading back to Bela's house. John didn't say anything through the loud chatter of the girls in the backseat and Dean felt like he'd just resigned himself to play chauffeur for the night.
They pulled up to Bela's house, the other parents and their cars void from the drive. Once again, Cas and the girls slid out, leaving Dean alone with his dad. John stopped him from leaving and used his "Marine Eyes" as him and Sam liked to call the look he sent down.
"No funny business at this sleepover, you got me?"
"Yes, dad."
"Call me if you need."
"Okay, dad." Dean sighed and slide out from the Impala, sticking his head through the window to quickly yell, "Love you." before dashing up the drive to meet everyone else inside.
Bela's parents were upstairs in their suite, not bothered by the large group of kids running ramped through their house. They all congregated in the large kitchen, Bela seated on the island counter, already shaking her martini, the others were munching on the food her parents had left out for them and sipping on drinks.
What Dean really wanted was to change out of these clothes, but he settled for a beer. He moved to lean against the counter that Cas was at, blue eyes watching the surroundings. Hannah was seated at the island counter, sipping a drink Bela had made for her and Lisa was laughing with Garth and Donna. They stood there quietly, watching their friends and sipping beers until Bela decided they should move into the living room and play a game.
Dean had taken it upon himself to suggest changing out of their clothes while the move was happening, so ten minutes later Dean sat on the living room floor in sleep pants and a band t-shirt. Everyone else had changed into similar clothes, except Bela who was in an honest to god silk negligee that left little to the imagination. He honestly didn't expect anything less from her thought.
They all had drinks and they were all seated in a circle, so it was easy for Bela to suggest Spin the Bottle. The group sort of groaned and laughed at the same time. Dean could feel the nervous excitement radiate through the group, which wasn't shocking considering they were a bunch of hormonal teenagers. Dean could vouch for being horny a good amount of the time and the thought of kissing anyone was exciting.
So, they all buckled down, inhibitions lowered and smiles on their faces as Bela spun the empty champagne bottle first and proceeded to kiss Meg like she was born to do it. Dean laughed along with the rest of them and sipped his beer, only mildly anxious about who it would land on. By the last round, everyone had practically kissed everyone else. Dean had kissed or been kissed by Bela, Balthazar, Charlie, Crowley, Lisa, Meg, Benny, and Donna. It was what it was, it was just some stupid game. Dean wasn't hesitant to kiss any of the people in the circle, they were his friends.
It was Cas' turn again, somehow he had managed to evade playing thus far, only going two rounds instead of the eight like everyone else, and kissing Meg and Charlie. He'd sporadically gotten up to get food or drinks, disappeared for twenty minutes only to return like nothing had happened. Dean has sent him looks, but Cas was studiously not looking his way, which was sort of bumming Dean out.
Meg was ribbing Cas in the side, pestering him until he leaned more into the circle and took another turn, eyes rolling. Cas grasped the bottle and spun it quickly, ignoring who it landed on in favor of taking a deep pull from his own bottle. Cas, they had found, had an amazingly high tolerance for alcohol, Dean was almost a little jealous.
The bottle spun and Dean watched it without any real thought of who it would land on. He was starting to get tired, his brain a little fuzzy around the edges, and zoned out a little as everyone joked and laughed around him. And then the bottle stopped, on him.
Well, okay.
All of their friends began oohing and ahhing, Cas finally looked at him with that dead stare. He just gave them all the finger and leaned in to kiss Cas. It was quick, the required fifteen seconds, and then it was over. Meg than took the bottle and spun, the thought of their kiss past everyone's minds.
But, Dean couldn't help but dwell on it for a minute. Cas was his best friend, his rock, his person. Dean honestly didn't know what he would've done the past two years if Cas hadn't been there for him. But Dean wouldn't lie and say that he hadn't thought about what Cas said last year when they caught Lucifer and Eve kissing in the moonlight and how that might apply to them.
Lisa was his girlfriend, he liked kissing her and talking with her and generally being around her. But, with Cas' lips firmly pressed against his own, Dean found that all the same things may just apply to Cas as well. Which was... interesting.
Cas wasn't looking his way anymore and Lisa was cozy against his side where he could feel her begin to doze off. He let those thoughts go for the time being and sipped his beer, content for now.
Dean laid on his bed, flipping through some car magazine Bobby had gotten his dad a subscription to for his birthday while Cas finished typing up a paper on the computer. Dean was sort of comforted by the familiarity of it all, because this was what they did practically every week. Whether it was at the Novak residence or Kate's house, Dean and Cas could usually be found together. Normally they would be wrapped up in each other watching Star Wars or Star Trek and eating too much popcorn, but seeing as it was a weeknight Dean had just gotten home from football practice and Cas followed him home to type up the paper he'd written while waiting for Dean to finish.
That in itself wasn't odd, seeing as Dean and Cas were known for being best friends. They're both sort of popular, Dean guessed, but in the sense that everyone knew who they were and people were always friendly to them.
But, they were popular for different reasons.
Dean was popular because he was cool – according to Charlie's analysis, anyway. He didn't play in to any high school stereotypes – he's not a jock, he's not a cool-guy, he wasn't the class clown – which apparently means he "defies the odds" or whatever. He was an athlete, yes; he gave off a devil-may-care attitude, sure; he was charming and funny, absolutely. But, he didn't really care about what their classmates thought of him. Charlie said once that he almost existed in his own little reality and everyone else was just guest starring. Dean wasn't entirely sure if that was meant to be a nice comment or not, but he'd take it.
Cas on the other hand was cool and popular by association. The class liked him because his grumpy persona was hilarious and everyone in their graduating class made it their personal mission to get him up to date on pop-culture references. He was the class Vice President, second to Becky Rosen – who was aka the most intense person in America. He was in Sparring Club – something that he and Dean had joined on a whim this year because they thought it would be funny, but now they loved it. He worked the Library during study halls and often gave out free passes, because why not. He was smart and nice and sarcastic and funny.
And he was Dean's best friend.
Dean never thought he'd have a friend as close as he was to Cas. Because, he was close with Charlie and Benny, extremely tight with them. But, it didn't hold a candle to his relationship with Castiel.
Everyone was sort of aware of that and didn't really comment on it. It was sort of known that wherever Castiel or Dean was, the other wasn't far behind. Dean liked it that way, liked that he'd always have Cas to count on. It was... comforting.
Cas let out a small sigh and stood from the computer chair, stretching out his back with his arms held high over his head. Dean couldn't stop the small glance he sent Cas' way or the way his eyes roamed over the exposed skin the action had bared.
Dean wouldn't pretend he'd never looked when things like this occurred, or when they swam in the summer or changed after school. He wouldn't even pretend it was only Cas that he noticed, but he couldn't lie and say that he didn't like looking at Cas the most.
He shifted his eyes away before Cas could notice and looked back down at the magazine in his hands, flipping the page. Cas sighed and moved away from the desk, coming to stand near the window. "You finished?"
"Yeah."
Dean squinted at an article on detailing, reading it through before realizing that Cas still hadn't moved from the window and hadn't said anything in quite some time. He looked up and over at Cas who was staring out the window with a blank face, brows furrowed tightly.
"Dude, what's up?"
Cas' shoulders seemed to tense a bit before he turned back to face Dean fully. He looked determined, but nervous and it was really starting to freak Dean out. He'd never seen Cas look like this before, like he was about to lay some serious shit on him. Fuck, if Cas was about to go all Fault in our Stars or some shit on him, Dean was going to flip.
"Cas, come on. What the fuck is up?"
He got hostile when he was nervous, sue him.
"I..." Cas began nervously, still standing by the window. "I have to tell you something."
"Okay..." Dean trailed off, leaving room for Cas to fill in the very ominous blanks. But Cas just stood there, staring at him like he was about to have a panic attack and leave the room. "Dude, what?" He barked after minutes of staring and no words.
Castiel just stared at him, eyes a bit wide and his breathing just on this side of hyperventilation. "Castiel, just fucking spit it out!" He yelled, body tight and ready to jump from the bed at a moments notice. He normally didn't call Cas by his full name – too much of a mouthful, but he needed Cas to know how serious he was. If the fuck didn't come out with it, Dean was going to hit him.
"I'm gay." Cas sputtered.
Dean's brows furrowed at the words and his heart began to break at the expression on his best friend's face – like this was the moment Dean would decide the actual years of their friendship and bonding didn't matter. Like Dean would be disgusted, like Dean would hate him. It hurt more than he was willing to admit.
"Okay." Dean looked him over, brows still furrowed. "Did you like, murder someone in a fit of passion?" He asked and then his eyes darkened and he sat up. "Is someone threatening you? Is that why you didn't want to tell me? You're afraid I'm going to kick their ass, aren't you? Well, you better fucking believe I will, who is it, Cas? Is it that human garbage bag Trenton? I bet it's fucking Trenton. I'll beat his ass into the ground."
"What?" Cas asked confused, his face morphing from the worry and sadness that was actually painful to look at. "No."
Both of them settled once again, after they'd established that Cas was scared to tell Dean not because someone was bothering him or because of some fictitious rendezvous, but because of Dean's reaction. And that hurt, it did.
Dean was seated on the edge of the bed, looking up at Cas who was standing so still, waiting for Dean's reaction to his proclamation. Dean's eyes softened as they looked at the dark haired boy with the angel name, he shrugged, voice gentle.
"Cas, are you really that worried about me?"
Cas sighed, his eyes moving over the grooves in the hardwood of his bedroom floor. "I don't know. Maybe?"
"Dude, it's not that big of a deal." At that, Cas' eyes rose to meet his, hope blooming in the blue. "Everyone's a little gay, man. Of course I've seen a hot dude and was like, yes okay." He smirked, but it died quickly on his lips at his next thought. "Did you really think I'd leave you over your sexuality?"
Cas stepped forward then, it was clear in his eyes that his intent was to sit beside Dean and wash away those worries, but his own worry over the situation held him back. "No." Cas sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes. "I don't know. But, I don't want to loose you, Dean. I can't loose you, and I'm just so worried that this would cause us to drift apart."
"Why?" Dean had to ask. What had he ever done to indicate that he wouldn't be okay with this. "Charlie is gay. And Balthazar is whatever."
"Pansexual." Cas corrected immediately.
"Gabriel's that too, right?"
"Right."
"So," Dean looked at him pleadingly. "Tell me why you were so afraid I'd kick you to the curb."
"I just don't want things to change between us, and you're very... John Winchester sometimes." Cas said delicately.
For and instant, Dean felt the flash of anger at Cas saying his dad wasn't accepting, but he knew that wasn't what Cas had meant. Dean did emulate his dad – his very gruff, ex-marine, manly dad. He couldn't fault Cas for being afraid that something like this might effect Dean, but he was stupid for thinking it actually would.
"Yeah, well, not about this." Dean said definitively. "I don't care if you like guys, Cas. It doesn't change anything between us."
There was a whisper in the back of his mind that knew that wasn't completely true, but now was not the time to think about that. Not when Cas looked equal parts skeptical and hopeful.
"I don't want things to be weird between us, Dean."
Dean's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why would they be?"
Cas looked away from Dean's gaze, almost shy again. Which made Dean want to snort, because since when has Cas ever been shy? Socially graceless, maybe. But never shy.
"Because... we share beds and generally see each other undressed all the time." Cas finally said with a sigh after trying to grasp the words.
"Yeah, but I'm assuming that you've had these feelings your whole life, right? So, why would now be any different from yesterday when I didn't know?" Dean asked, brows raised and a smile tugging at his lips that spoke of him trying to get Cas to understand something the other boy just wasn't grasping. "It doesn't change anything." He said for a final time.
Cas' shoulders dropped from their defensive hunch and he looked about ready to fall. Dean stood immediately and gathered Cas into his arms, pulling the other boy into his embrace, just as Cas had done for him so many times after his mother died. Cas immediately buried his face in Dean's shoulder and his arms tightened around his waist. Dean just hugged him tighter around the shoulders and leaned his head on Cas'.
They were silent for a while, just holding each other, until Dean couldn't stand the emotion anymore and smirked as he asked, "So, I have a very important question that I need answered right away."
Cas didn't move from where his face was smushed into Dean's shoulder, but relied, "Shoot."
"Am I attractive to the gays, Cas? I need to know."
Cas pulled back in the embrace just enough to give Dean his signature deadpan look. "Yes, Dean. Everyone thinks you are attractive and it's super annoying."
Dean barked out a laugh and pulled Cas back into the hug, pulling him back in so hard that it caused them to fall back onto the bed, still holding each other. Dean just adjusted and laid there with Cas in his arms. They were quiet again, but of course that didn't last long with Dean in the room and he was once again the one to break the silence.
"I hope you know that there's very little that would ever make me think any less of you, Cas. And even less that would make me cut you out of my life."
He knew this conversation was quickly turning sappy and kind of chick-flick, but this was Castiel and Dean would let himself fall into a sentimental moment for him.
"I hope you know just how much you mean to me, Dean."
Cas' reply came after a short while and Dean could practically feel the emotion in his words. And Dean did know, he had always known.
"Have you told your family?" He asks instead of replying to Cas' comment. Because he couldn't reply to it, he just... couldn't.
Cas just sighs and shakes his head. "No."
"Are you worried?"
Cas is silent for a moment before speaking. "Yes and no. I'm not worried that they would kick me out or that they won't love me anymore. I'm just worried that they'll be disappointed in me, which I can't help but feel like would be worse."
Dean just smoothed a hand down Cas' arm, gently soothing him like'd he'd done to Sammy and Adam as babies. It seemed to work a little. "I don't think they'll be disappointed in you, Cas. I mean, I know you guys are all church-y or whatever, but you're their kid. Your mom loves you, she's not going to feel differently towards you because of that."
Cas just sighed, "I hope you are right, Dean."
They watched movies after that and didn't bring it up again, Cas seemed to let the anxiety melt away and Dean let that count as a win.
By the time Tenth Grade rolled around, no one really cared that Cas was gay. Including his family. Mostly.
Because, seriously, if they could deal with Gabriel's sexcapades, they could deal with Cas being very much a good little virgin that liked dudes. At least Cas wasn't sloring around all over the place like another one of their sons.
Mr. Novak had always been sort of distant and absent, so he didn't really treat Cas any different than he had before – the guy was hardly around anyway with the amount of traveling he did for work. Naomi had just looked at him with that cold stare and sighed – she came around, without the crushing disappointment Cas had been expecting, but not without a few uncomfortable moments. Anna and Gabe just smiled, because they were Anna and Gabe and didn't give a shit.
Lucifer had stared deep into Cas' eyes, running a hand through his younger brother's hair lovingly before slapping his cheek and walking away. It was the most confusing reaction Cas had gotten, and yet the one that seemed to mean the most.
Michael... well, Michael was a dick.
Dean wasn't exactly sure what had transpired between him and Cas, and Cas was studiously not telling him, but Dean knew it'd been bad. Castiel and Michael didn't speak anymore, Dean was glad.
When Cas had told their friends, Meg just scoffed and rolled her eyes, telling him that she'd known since the fourth grade. Charlie squealed and Balthazar gave him a list of boys he'd already slept with in the school. The rest of them didn't care. At all. Even Hannah who only looked mildly disappointed that Cas was now forever off-limits.
No one really talked about it or thought about it, it was old news.
Except Dean.
Dean thought about it.
Annoyingly enough, Dean often found himself wondering if Cas thought he was attractive. It was stupid and sort of inappropriate considering their very well established friendship, and Dean's very on-again off-again relationship with not only Lisa, but Cassie. Oh, and the fact that he was straight. Supposedly.
And yet, none of that mattered because he wondered if Cas looked at him when they were near naked, and if he recalled those memories late at night in the safety of his own room and got off to images of Dean.
Dean wouldn't lie and say that he'd never gotten off to the thought of Cas, because he for sure had. Those wide blue eyes all full of fire and emotion, that fucking mouth, his leanly muscled body... of course Dean had. He thought about kissing Cas sometimes, about just pushing him back into a wall and ruining all other kisses for him. He thought about Cas pinning him against the wall and ruining him for anyone else. He didn't really think about that though.
He was absolutely aware that thoughts like those very much meant that Dean was a little less than straight then he had originally intended to be. But, the idea of liking boys and girls didn't scare him as much as he thought it might. So, by Tenth Grade, Dean was a little more than certain that he was bisexual.
None of that made thinking about Cas in that way any better though. Cas was his best friend. And Dean was currently sort of dating Cassie again, so yeah.
Of course, that all meant jack-shit come friday night.
Cas had a date.
Like, a real date with another person of the human race.
Dean sort of expected to feel emotions when Cas told him upon Dean walking into his room after soccer practice, but all he felt was humor about the situation. The thought of Castiel going on a freaking date was just too funny.
So Dean just casually lounged on Cas' bed as he freaked out while tearing apart his wardrobe. Dean was sure he had some buried feeling about the whole thing, but he just couldn't help but feel genuinely unworried about it. Matthew was head of the Chess Team for christ's sakes, how amazing could this dude be? Dean was un-phased.
He was lying on Cas' bed with a book, watching him change clothes for the third time and growl in frustration. He'd showered after practice, but he still sort of smelled and now he was sort of wishing he'd went home before coming over here, cause now he was stinking up Cas' bed. He laid the book on his chest, head propped up by the thirty pillows Cas has on his bed and casually looks at what Castiel is doing.
Cas was currently glaring at himself in the mirror on the closet door, hands on his hips, deep frown on his lips. Dean couldn't hold back the snort of laughter if he tried.
"Oh my god, Cas, it's not that dramatic, just pick out a fucking outfit."
Cas turned his glare from himself to Dean and stared him through the mirror. It was a little something they liked to call his "Seraph" gaze, all intense and thunderous, and Dean couldn't help the small dip of arousal in his stomach at the sight.
"Clearly I'm having trouble in that area, Dean."
Dean made no indication to move from his spot. "Why didn't you ask like, any of our friends to help you, then? You didn't even tell anyone you had a date and now you're stuck with me sassing at you."
Cas pinched the bridge of his nose and stared up at the heavens like it was their fault for gracing him with Dean Winchester. Dean just scoffed, he should be so goddamn lucky.
"What's wrong with what you're wearing?"
Cas looked down at his outfit and Dean ran over it with his gaze. He looked normal in a button up and tight trousers that weren't necessarily dress pants, but not exactly jeans either. Dean didn't see the problem.
"I wore this to school."
"Oh-kay..." Dean asked, not seeing the point.
"I'm not sure if this is acceptable date attire."
Dean looked him over again, trying to see if anything would jump out at him, but then he just sighed and settled back into the pillows. "I don't know, dude. I wear flannel everyday, so you're barking up the wrong tree with me. But, I think you look fine."
Cas just rolled his eyes and went back to glaring at himself in the mirror.
"Besides," Dean continued, picking up his book. "Matthew's on the chess team and dresses like a Nirvana music video. The kid doesn't have any right to lay it on you." Dean flipped a page in his book before having an afterthought. "I don't really think anyone's really laying it on him either, if you know what I mean." Dean snickered.
Cas seemed to tense at that, looking back at Dean through the mirror with slightly wider eyes than before. "No one's ever laid it on me either, Dean. I have zero practical experience. What if he wants to kiss me?"
Dean put the book down again, feeling something pulse through him at Cas' words, but forced himself not to acknowledge what it was. "That's not absolutely true, you've kissed people before."
Cas rolled his eyes and turned to face Dean as he scoffed. "Yeah, you, Meg, and Charlie during Spin the Bottle when we were twelve. That doesn't count, Dean."
So Dean sat up, put the closed book beside him, and looked at Cas intently without really thinking anything through before the words left his mouth.
"So, come here and kiss me right now and get it out of the way."
Cas looked too thunderstruck to have an emotion cross his face at Dean's words. "What?"
Dean rolled his eyes and scooted to the end of the bed. "You heard me, Cas. Come here and kiss me and then it'll be over and you'll have nothing to worry about. Stop staring at me like that, Cas."
Cas moved from the closet to stand in front of Dean, squinting down at him, trying to assess if Dean was being serious or not. But, Dean was being serious. If this was something Cas was worried about, Dean could actually do something to ease that worry. It seemed like a no-brainer to him, but that might honestly be because his brain was turned off at the moment.
Cas is just staring down at him as he was all but laid out on Cas' bed, looking up at him with his big green eyes and honest expression, and saying, "Kiss me, Cas."
Dean saw the hesitancy written across Cas' face, like he wanted to, but was totally afraid to. So, Dean did what he did best and pushed him. "Come on, just kiss me." When he got nothing once again, he leaned forward and pushed further – baiting him like a schoolyard bully. "Kiss me, Castiel."
And Cas did.
He leaned down on the bed and placed his lips against Dean's chastely. Pulling back with a blush, he didn't get far before Dean grabed him by the back of the neck and held him hovering above where Dean sat.
"Eh, not bad." Dean bit out, his breathing just a little more harsh that it would be normally. "But that was super I'm locked away in a tower and wear a chastity belt." Cas rolled his eyes, cheeks heating, but Dean held him in place. "Let's see if we can get it a bit more Teenage Dream."
He pulled Cas back in by his neck and Dean quickly took over the kiss. It was slow and intense, his tongue making its way into Cas' mouth. He nipped gently at Cas' lower lip and tugged, soothing it with his tongue.
Cas was left breathless by the kiss when they parted, eyes staring directly into Dean's, a look of awe and wonder and curiosity in his gaze.
It was a perfect fucking kiss and when they parted, it was a little more than obvious that it wasn't the greatest idea Dean's ever had since they were both clearly effected by it. Dean cleared his throat and was instantly back to being what Cas and Sam liked to call "Bad Boy Winchester" – smirky and not really meeting Cas' eyes.
Dean watched Cas finish getting ready and then he went home before Matthew was set to arrive, not wanting to awkwardly play older brother when Cas had enough of those as it was. The monster erection pressing against his zipper was also a major factor in the decision, but he was at least attempting to keep it classy so he went with the first reason.
Cas watched him leave and waited for Matthew. He went on the date, the short kiss he shared with Matthew at the end of it paled in comparison to one with Dean up in his bedroom, and by then it was officially cemented – he's actually in love with Dean Winchester.
When Garth had suggested they do something for Balthazar's upcoming birthday, they all tentatively agreed. It wasn't that they didn't want to celebrate Balth's birthday, it was just that the celebrations always tended to... get out of hand.
Like, last year, he wanted to go camping.
It seemed innocent enough, so they all agreed and camped out in the woods behind Balth's house. That of course ended with a weird Blair Witch naked moon dance moment, Garth getting poison ivy on his dick, Tessa with a tic in her ass, and Donna almost drowning in the pool.
So, to say they were all a little hesitant was an understatement. But – somehow – Balthazar was one of their close friends and they couldn't deny the snobby prat on his birthday, so when Bela had informed them that the coming weekend they'd be going "out" for the celebration Dean was curious and filled with dread on what that actually meant.
They met up that friday night at Bela's house – which for some reason become their usual group activity house, even though Balthazar's was just as big and his parents just as gone. The drinks had already started Hannah and Kevin being their DDs for the night, when Crowley gathered them all around the countertop and pulled out a cigar box from his peacoat and dumped it. Fake IDs for all of them sat on the counter and Dean sighed. This was going to be worse than last year, he could already tell.
"We're going out tonight, bitches." Bela smirked as she dinged her champagne glass to get their attention. "And because we're celebrating his birthday, Balthazar gets to choose the venue. No one bows out." She added as a threat at the end.
"God fucking help me." Dean looked up at the ceiling.
"Shut up, Winchester, you're going." Bela draped her arm across his shoulders and Dean pretended that he didn't notice both Cassie and Lisa glaring at her. It was best to avoid both of them for the rest of the night. Which, shouldn't be hard, seeing as they hated him right about now. It was to be expected.
He'd been on and off with both Lisa and Cassie since like, seventh grade. He'd technically dated Cassie first, but he'd always liked Lisa more. He'd taken Lisa to the eighth grade dance and Cassie didn't speak to them for six months. Then, him and Lisa broke up for whatever reason and he started back up with Cassie. It was an endless cycle, until the last time.
Last year, during Cas' whole first date debacle, he'd told Cassie that he'd let Cas use him as a practice dummy and she hadn't taken it well. She'd accused him of lying and saying that he'd really kissed Lisa and that he was only telling her to appease his own guilt. She'd broken up with him and said it was for good.
He'd been on again with Lisa after that, but he worked the whole summer trying to help his dad save up for college and Lisa got mad that he was barely around. And apparently when he was around, he was with Cas or his brothers, and that he didn't seem to care that she was flirting with college guys to get his attention. They'd been off since july and Dean wasn't sure if he had the intention of going back to either of them.
God, being in a relationship was so fucking dramatic.
"So where are we going?" He asked, inspecting the fake ID as he sipped at his beer.
A club, clearly, why else would they need the IDs.
"Dungeons&Dragons." Balthazar smirked from where he sat on the counter looking down at them all.
"Come on." Dean groaned as Benny let out a belly laugh and Charlie squealed beside Gilda and Dorothy.
Dungeons&Dragons was one of the most popular clubs in Kansas City right now. It was comic book themed and the walls were lined with old school pinball machines and eighties arcade games, the drinks were named after nerdy pop-culture characters, and the upstairs was an actual Comics and Collectibles shop.
On that level – Dean was totally into it. But, it was the other aspect of the club that made Dean groan.
It was open to everyone twenty-one and over, but for whatever reason it's prime demographic seemed to be the gays. Just a bunch of hot gay guys all sweaty and dancing, and Dean wasn't sure if he could handle all that.
He was now in eleventh grade and officially positive that he was of the bisexual nature. He literally couldn't look at Cas shirtless and not get hard. It was physically impossible.
He guessed what he was most worried about was Cas getting drunk and dancing all up on him and then Dean would just... combust? He wasn't sure. Even though that scenario was the actual least likely to happen, it still worried him. Cas was his pal and his friend and most of the time they were just guys being dudes, he also wasn't deluded enough to think that just because Cas was gay meant that Dean was his type.
All in all, he didn't want to embarrass himself and maybe potentially ruin the way things were with his best friend.
He took a deep pull from his beer.
"Aww," Balthazar jumped off the counter and sauntered over to Dean, wrapping his arm around Dean's shoulders just as Bela had a moment prior. Dean swore they were siblings in another life, or twins separated a birth in this one. "What? Is Dean Winchester worried about his fragile masculinity?"
Dean scoffed and rolled his eyes, shrugging out of Balthazar's hold. "Please. I'm very confident in my sexuality, thank you very much."
Balthazar narrowed his gaze at him, a wicked smirk on his lips. "And what kind of sexuality would that be again?"
Dean just smiled, "Pie-sexual."
Their friends laughed and everyone grabbed their IDs, finishing up their drinks and split into cars. Everyone was super lying to their parents about what was going down tonight, but Dean had pretty much told John the truth about it. His dad wasn't exactly happy that they were spending the night in Kansas City, but Dean promised to call and check in when he woke up. He didn't tell his dad that they were going to a club and staying at some swank-ass hotel, but then again, Dean was pretty sure John didn't want to know.
The official story was that they were spending the night at Bela's, like they did most weekends. Some kids told their parents they were going to Kansas City with Balthazar's family for his birthday, and then there was Kevin who totally just lied and said he was staying over Charlie's to study. Because Charlie was the only one who'd managed to charm Mrs. Tran completely.
Dean slid into the Impala – which John let him borrow for the weekend with a very stern look – Cas, Benny, Charlie, Gilda, and Dorthy all cramming in as well. Dean wasn't sure who was going in what car, but he didn't really care seeing as Hannah and Kevin were driving the others. Balthazar had originally wanted to rent a freaking limo but there was no way Dean was going to be stranded forty-five minutes away without a car.
Benny and Charlie karaoked the whole way there to every song that came on the pop radio station, Dean grumbled the whole time about letting Benny sit up front and touching the radio. He needed a drink.
The swank hotel valet their cars and Balthazar checked them in with his fake ID and his platinum card. The two suites were connecting and each had two king size beds in each room, plus a fold out couch and a reclining chair, it was easy enough to fit them all. Dean thought this was all a bit excessive for someone's seventeenth birthday, but Balthazar simply claimed that in Europe seventeen was of legal age and he'd do something just as extravagant for his eighteenth.
They all changed into their going out wear – not all of them, Dean certainly didn't – and popped open the alcohol from the mini fridge that probably cost an arm and a leg.
Bela, Balthazar, Gilda and Tess wouldn't let Dean leave the room without taking off the flannel beneath his dad's old leather jacket, he'd fussed but they won the fight. They wouldn't let Cas leave without taking off his trench coat, and they made Hannah change her outfit completely. Garth and Ash they claimed were lost causes.
The walk to the club wasn't far, about a block and very doable drunk. Dean made sure to document the surroundings anyway, just like his dad had taught him. Never too careful.
Dean had to admit that the club was cool. Even with the multicolored lights and the terrible music on high volume. There was Star Wars and Star Trek paraphernalia all over, as well as other incredibly well known and kinda geeky pop-culture references.
They all congregated around the bar, there were a few of them lined along the walls of the club, and he was sure there were more on the other levels as well. Each level seemed to have a theme, but Dean was pretty content to stay in the space themed one. Han Solo was a beautiful sight indeed.
Everyone was either doing shots or drinking some girly cocktail drink – Garth literally had no shame. Dean did a few shots and sipped at Charlie and Meg's amazingly named drinks – Charlie had gotten the Captain Mal which was Firefly and lemonade over ice; and Meg had gotten the Ripley which was bourbon, ruby port, and maple syrup – but Dean stuck with a beer for now.
After everyone had gotten their drinks, some went to check out the different levels and what wonders they held. Cas, Charlie, Ash, and a few others stayed in the space level with Dean, but they were all dancing. Well, not Cas. Cas didn't dance apparently.
For some reason, Dean felt like he should've known that and yet he looked shocked when Cas answered why he wasn't out there with, "I don't dance, Dean."
"Since when?" Dean asked, shocked.
Cas just squinted at him and quirked a brow – whoa, Dean, calm down. "Have you ever seen me dance?"
Dean thought about it and, no. He'd actually never seen Cas dance, which was a shame. Cas just rolled his eyes when Dean said so and ordered another drink, some weirdly colored thing called the H.A.L. 9000.
Dean was content to lean against the bar next to Cas and watch everyone dance for a while. Until he noticed the appreciative stares they were earning and the flirty smiles sent their way that Dean didn't think twice about sending back until he remembered where he was and who he was with.
Then, he turned around and ordered a Solo – which, yes, was a fucking Han Solo themed drink – and chugged half of it in one go. He realized only after he put the half empty glass down that his throat was fucking burning, his vision had started to blur a little, that the Solo was made up of vodka, gin, triple sec, bourbon whiskey, sweet and sour, and 101 whiskey. He was so fucked.
He finished the rest of his drink slower, but the effect had already set in and by the time he ordered another, he let Charlie and Gilda pull him out onto the dance floor where some of their friends were.
Dean could dance. He proven that in fifth grade during the Peter Pan, he'd proven that when he went as Magic Mike for Halloween this year and learned the Pony dance to impress everyone – Cas – but it was different dancing in a crowd of other people.
He danced in the group and drank his Solo and totally ignored the way Cas' eyes tracked his movements from where he stood against the bar. He looked like he'd just gotten out of work and came for a drink with this button up and fitted trousers and sex hair and fucking stubble. Cas looked older than all of them and while no one really thought he was twenty-one, he at least looked older than seventeen.
Dean just wanted to grab that wild hair and lick that jaw as Cas pounded into him – okay, Winchester, time to cut you off.
He turned away from watching Cas and instead listened to Charlie butcher song after song as they danced to really shitty music. At some point his drink was gone and he went to the closest bar to order another, and by the time that one was gone, some guy had offered to buy him one.
He was blonde and tall and pretty, not at all Dean's type, but whatever. He listened to... Mason? No, that didn't sound right. Miguel? Shit, he couldn't remember this guy's name for the life of him. But, Miguel had bought him a drink and asked him questions and stared at his mouth and Dean found the whole thing so ridiculous that he just went along with it, until he heard his name being called.
Cas had realized he hadn't seen Dean in quite some time and looked around for him. He'd finally spotted him at the other bar, laughing while telling some story animatedly as a blonde hunk stood beside him and watched the way Dean's mouth moved. He felt irrationally jealous and possessive of Dean – who was very much not his, but he couldn't help the way he felt about him.
"Dean." He all but shouted over the loud music, cutting through whatever nonsense was flowing out of Dean's mouth.
Dean turned at his name and smiled when his gaze landed on Cas. "Cas!" His best friend Cas. He slid his arm around Cas' shoulders, the drink the blonde guy bought him in his other hand. "I was just telling..."
He squinted at the blonde dude, trying to recall his name. "Morgan."
"Right, Morgan! I was just telling Morgan here about that time we all jumped off Bela's balcony into the pool and how Garth was so scared he pissed himself in mid-air."
The blonde – Morgan – didn't seem at all interested in the things coming out of Dean's mouth and was probably much more intrigued by the things that could go in it. Castiel glared at Morgan and wrapped his arm around Dean's waist, pulling him away from the much older blonde.
"Oh, I guess we're going now. Thanks for the drink, Miguel!" Dean smiled at Cas and didn't remove his arm from Cas' shoulders, so Cas didn't remove his arm from around Dean. "He bought me a drink and kept asking me to tell him stories."
"That's because he liked watching your lips move and was probably hoping he'd get to put his cock between them later." Cas ground out.
A shiver went through Dean at Cas' words and the images they brought up. But, it wasn't the random blonde he saw when he looked up, it was Cas. And that, well, that was just too much for his inebriated state to handle.
"Woah-ho-ho." Dean laughed out. "Somebody drank a little more than usual. You don't usually talk like that, Sailor."
"Well, when in Rome, right?" Cas bit out sarcastically and looked at Dean with that stoic face of his. Dean just wanted to kiss it.
Nope, that was not something he wanted to do to his best friend in the whole wide world. Not at all.
"Where is everyone?" He asked instead of can I lick your face? which was much more creepy and not at all appropriate. "And what time is it?"
"I don't know the location of everyone, but I believe Charlie, Ash, Gilda, Dorothy, and Meg are all still down here." Then Cas reached into his pocket for his phone and Dean had to stifle the moan that threatened to escape at the feeling of Cas' hand so close to his aching cock. "Going on two." Cas said once he'd extracted the phone and then proceeded to put it back.
Dean didn't say anything as they moved through the crowd of dancing people to find some of their friends. Dean realized that they were still practically clinging to each other, but didn't do anything or remove himself from where he was practically plastered to Castiel's side. They came up upon Meg and Charlie, Gilda and Dorothy dancing with some other girls beside them. Dean took another sip of the drink Jordan had bought him.
"How many of those have you had." Meg asked him with a smirk and narrowed eyes, not really commenting on the fact that him and Cas were draped over one another, but at the same time definitely commenting on it in her own way.
Dean shrugged, "Five? I think."
Charlie's eyes went wide and looked at Dean a little astonished, Meg snorted. "If you have another one of those, you'll probably die. He's cut off, Clarence." She said to Cas seriously.
Charlie poked him in the shoulder, eyes still wide. "How are you even still standing right now? You should be passed out already. How does your metabolism work?" She poked him in the abs and he swatted her hand away from his black shirt.
Meg just smirked and leaned against Charlie, wrapping her arm around the red head's shoulders. "He's not, Ginger Spice. Clarence is the only thing keeping him upright."
"He is not. I'm fine!"
"Then why are you holding onto him so tight, Deano?" She snarked.
"Because he's warm, and very cozy." Dean answered matter-of-factly and downed the rest of his drink.
Charlie and Meg just laughed and Cas rolled his eyes. "Dean, we're going back to the hotel now."
"Okay, Cas."
Charlie and Meg just laughed harder. Charlie pulled out her phone to text the group chat and let them know that Dean and Cas were going back.
"Looks like Tessa, Victor, Kevin and Hannah all went back already. Try and save us room on your bed!"
Cas nodded at Charlie's request, knowing that if one of the king bed's were still open, they'd have to save half of it for Charlie and Meg, and whoever else could fit. Dean just followed Cas out, the cool night air slapping him almost and waking him up a little, but he was tired and happy to be going back to the room. His arm was still around Cas and Cas' arm was still around him, but he liked it. He also liked how people looked at them on the street, like they were a couple walking home.
God, this alcohol was a bad idea.
They got to the hotel in one piece and released themselves from each other's grasp once they got to the elevator and Cas was convinced that Dean wasn't going to fall on his face. Dean was talking, because Dean was a chatty drunk – either affectionate or visceral were the only two ways Dean Winchester did inebriated – but he had no idea what he was actually saying.
They made it to the room, the only light on was in the bathroom, which just afforded whoever was entering little light to see. Kevin was asleep on the reclining chair, but that was it. The others must've been in the adjoining room, the door to it was open but Dean didn't care. He shrugged off his jacket and shirt, stepped out of his jeans, and pulled on basketball shorts from his backpack.
He slipped into one of the beds, sighing at the cool sheets and the softest mattress he'd ever been on according to his very not sober mind. He snuggled in and opened his eyes to see Cas stripping down, that lightly tanned skin on full display, those fucking hipbones that haunted his dreams.
He rolled over before his big mouth got any ideas.
He closed his eyes and waited for Cas, who shuffled in under the covers in a t-shirt and boxers. Dean had been sleeping beside Cas since they were eleven and wasted no time turning his head to face Cas. He looked at the dark blue eyes of his best friend, pupils a little blown from the alcohol, as he was sure his were too, those perfect lips and that messy head of hair.
"You're pretty cute, Cas." He whispered.
It was true, but there was a part of Dean that would be embarrassed by saying it in the morning.
"Thank you, Dean."
"What, you're not going to compliment me back? Some friend you are." Dean teased.
But, Cas wasn't teasing back. Normally Castiel would roll his eyes or give a very subtle quirk to his eyebrows and stoically answer Dean. Cas didn't do any of that. He just looked honestly into Dean's eyes with his own and replied.
"You're very handsome."
A smile bloomed over Dean's lips and he gave a look that said, I know. He let his eyes brush over Cas' lips and couldn't stop the question from coming out of his mouth.
"That thing you said earlier, about my lips, were you being serious?"
Cas' eyes dragged down to his lips, lingering for a moment before slowly crawling back up to his eyes. "Yes." He said unblinkingly.
Dean had wanted to kiss Cas before. Hell, he practically spent the better part of puberty pretending he didn't. But, he'd never wanted to kiss Cas as much as he did right now.
It would be so easy, all he'd have to do is lean over and that was it. There was nothing stopping him, nothing at all. Except the heart beat in his ears and the fleeting thought that it wasn't right. Instead he let his eyes drift closed and whispered a goodnight.
At some point Charlie and Meg had gotten back to the hotel because Dean had been very much asleep, snoring and all, when he felt a shove to his shoulder that startled him awake and whispers telling him to scoot over. He wasn't conscious enough to do anything than what the shover had demanded and scooted over right into the warm and waiting arms beside him. He buried his head in Cas' chest and wrapped an arm around Cas' waist, Cas just wrapped an arm around Dean and fell back asleep.
He woke up in the morning to giggles and a massive headache and Charlie standing over him like she had so many years before. Only this time her it was her phone instead of a polaroid and the fact that they weren't eleven.
Both him and Cas were practically wrapped around each other, but Dean was comfortable and his head hurt, so he wasn't moving no matter how much Meg sniggered beside them.
"Charlie at least be useful and get me some water and a gun."
Charlie rolled her eyes and walked towards the edge of the bed, jumping down, the movement causing Dean's head to throb. "Okay, jeez, don't be such a baby."
Dean closed his eyes for a moment and let himself be comforted by Cas' embrace and the warmth from his body. Charlie came back all too quickly with a bottle of water and some pills. Dean attempted to sit up and extract himself from Cas, but he just tightened his arms around Dean. He could hear Charlie and Meg snickering and unwound himself from Cas' arms. He sat up and took the water and pills from Charlie, downing them before leaning back against the headboard and rubbing his eyes.
It was still relatively dark in the room thanks to the curtains still being drawn, thank god. Meg was sitting on the edge of their bed with her back against the headboard, eating a bowl of cereal. Her hair was a mess of tumbles and waves, and her dark makeup was smeared a bit around her eyes. Charlie looked tired, but pleased, her hair up in some haphazard bun on the top of her head. Kevin was scrolling on his phone, the blanket pulled up to his chin, and Benny, Ash, and Garth were all still passed out on the other bed. Dorothy and Gilda were laying on the pull out couch, chuckling quietly over the pictures they had taken last night, Donna asleep beside them.
"Holy shit." Dean murmured, holding his head in his hands.
"Yeah, I'm surprised you even woke up at all, Deano." Meg said in between mouthfuls of cereal. "Benny and I had a bet going that you'd be dead."
"I feel dead."
"Well you drank five glasses of basically rat poison and who knows what else. Those Solos did you in, man."
Dean rested his head against the headboard with his eyes closed and willed the throbbing to subside. "The name lead me astray."
Charlie snorted, "Not everyone could handle Han Solo."
Dean looked down at Cas still asleep beside him and then to the rest of the room. "Is everyone else awake?"
"Only Bela, Crowley, and Balthazar, but that's because they're pretty much use to ingesting cyanide on a regular basis." Charlie answered. "They're down getting brunch."
Dean nodded, then looked at Meg's cereal. "Where'd you get that?" He didn't think the mini-fridge would be stocking breakfast items.
"I ordered it." She shrugged. "What?" She asked at Dean's questioning look. "It's going on his card, the one without a fucking limit, what do I care?"
Dean rolled his eyes, "It's his birthday."
"So?" Meg scoffed. "We went along with his crazy party plan, the least he could do is buy me some cereal."
Dean snorted and shook his head, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the headboard. He was content to just sit here for a while as his headache went down and wait for the rest of his friends to wake up. All in all, the night could've been worse, he supposed.
Of course, the lingering thoughts of Cas didn't subside as he woke up and Dean recognized that his friends weren't as blind to it as he'd originally thought. He knew that he needed to do something about it, like maybe have a fucking chat with Cas about how much he felt for him and that he'd be so okay with fucking him into next week. But, he was scared.
Scared of what Cas would say, scared that it wouldn't work out and that he'd loose his best friend, scared about a lot of things. He'd rather have Cas as his friend than not at all.
Now wasn't the time, he could feel that. But, maybe soon.
He opened his eyes and grabbed the bowl from Meg's hands, ignoring her squawk of indignation, and ate some of her cereal while Charlie chuckled.