Gasp! I was looking at my stories and I realized it's been over a month since I've updated this! That's 'cause I forgot...haha...the story that's usually updated when I update this one hasn't been updated recently, and I usually updated this story after I read that one, haha. But anywho, sorry for the wait! I hope to write chapter 11 soon, hopefully! Haha. And I warned you it was gonna start takin' a dark turn O.o teehee.

Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! They keep this story going like you wouldn't believe.

Onward!

Chapter Ten

Castiel was happily consumed with things at the moment, things being his boyfriend, who was currently kissing him with soft, pliable lips that were full of love and warmth. Castiel happily returned the kiss and wrapped his arms around Dean, pulling him close. Gabriel had left a few hours ago, and while he loved his cousin like a brother, it was nice that it was just him and Dean at the moment. Plus, they didn't have to worry about making too much noise or people interrupting them. Jimmy had gone out with Gabriel to visit Michael at the mall in the town over.

Which meant they had the whole house to themselves, but thus far, they had seemed pretty intent on staying in the bedroom. It had been Castiel who had started it, pouncing on Dean the moment he heard his brother's car pull away from the house, meaning they were really alone. Well, except for Soldier but he was positioned downstairs, probably chomping away on his food or his new bone or something. That meant Castiel could fully focus on what was in front of him at the moment.

Dean's tongue was warm and slippery inside of his mouth, but Castiel found that he rather enjoyed the feel. Lightly, he tugged at Dean's shirt, hinting at what he wanted, but Dean just chuckled and slid his hands up to run his fingers through Castiel's hair. It felt great, really, and there was a burning heat growing within him, making him somewhat breathless as he crushed his lips back against Dean's fiercely.

Skin brushed against skin and in that moment, Castiel lost himself but he didn't care. It had been a while since he and Dean had been able to be this close without worry of interruption and he was going to enjoy it. He tugged at Dean's shirt again, trying to give him a firmer hint at what he wanted, and Dean smirked, seemingly to finally agree with him as he stepped back somewhat and tugged the shirt away from his body, tossing it onto the ground. Happily, Castiel gazed at his boyfriend and then the two connected again, like burning embers in a passionate fire, their lips like warm magnets as they brushed together.

"Missed this," Castiel murmured, blushing faintly as he spoke the words into Dean's very inviting mouth.

"Same," Dean breathed back. "Cas…"

Castiel loved the way Dean spoke his name so lovingly, so affectionately and yet so full of need. They sank down on his bed, tangled in their web of love. Castiel's heart beat furiously in his chest. His body felt overly hot, but it wasn't a bad sensation, not at all. He especially loved the feel of Dean against him.

"How come I'm the only one shirtless?" Dean complained with a delicate, sly smile.

Castiel flushed and tore his shirt off as well, reconnecting with Dean as soon as possible. The brush of their bodies against each other was enough to have him moaning into Dean's mouth, which in turn only made him blush all the more. How was it that Dean was able to have this affect on him without even trying at all?

He put it up there as a part of Dean's wonderful uniqueness and his unbelievable ability to get him all hot and bothered.

Dean had left nearly an hour ago, and Castiel was sitting up in his room on his bed, a happy smile still plastered on his face despite the fact that he was alone and wasn't doing anything to be smiling about, just mostly staring at the wall. Being with Dean always left him happy, though.

The front door downstairs slammed open and then closed. Castiel flinched at the sound and then frowned as his parents began yelling at each other. He couldn't tell what they were saying, but their voices were loud, growing louder, and the anger in the words managed to travel all the way upstairs and through Castiel's closed door. He swallowed and immediately the smile fell from his lips. He chewed on his lower lip as he got to his feet and slowly moved toward his door, peering out somewhat.

"I can't believe you!" his mother shouted angrily from downstairs. He edged out of his room and down the hallway quietly, standing at the top of the stairs. Hearing them argue was horrible, but maybe if he understood exactly what they were arguing about, things would be better. Maybe then he would understand, because right now, he didn't. And it bothered him.

"Well, I can't believe you!" his father snapped back in response. "You're such a filthy whore!"

Castiel flinched.

"Bastard! How dare you!" his mother hissed venomously, and he had never heard her sound so angry in his entire life. "Why don't you just leave! Get the hell out of this house RIGHT NOW! GET OUT YOU BASTARD! GET. OUT!"

For a moment, there was a long silence. Castiel staggered back to his room and closed his door, taking shaky breaths as he scrubbed at his face and eyes, feeling wetness begin to gather there. He knew his parents were fighting, but it had never been like this before! What if they split up? They had seemed so perfect together for so long, and Castiel was used to them loving each other…but now, things were so different. It was almost like they hated each other.

And that scared him. Because they had loved each other so much…and if it had happened to them…then couldn't it happen with him and Dean?

He mentally flinched at the thought and picked up the phone in his room, dialing in the familiar number shakily, his fingers feeling somewhat numb due to his racing heart and pumping blood.

Pick up, pick up, pick up, please pick up, he thought as the phone rang and rang and rang.

"Yeah?" Dean whispered quietly, sounding shaken and tired all in one. Worry sparked with him but all he wanted at that moment was to get out of there.

"Can you please come get me?" he murmured guiltily into the phone.

"Cas, I…right now is a really bad time, I'm sorry, I-" Dean stammered apologetically, sounding guilty himself.

"Please."

"Cas, I'm sorry, I'm really tied up right now and I can't-"

Castiel's worry and desperation to get out of there turned into anger when he realized Dean wasn't going to be coming to pick him up. It was irrational but he couldn't stop it, could only growl, "Fine," and then hang up the phone without waiting for a response. He tugged on a jacket and ran out of his room and down the stairs. His parents were in the living room so he moved toward the kitchen, struggling to ignore their snarling voices as they ignored his presence.

"You're such a hypocrite!" his mother was screaming.

"Like you're one to talk!" his father shouted back.

After a moment of brief hesitation, Castiel grabbed a couple of bottles of his father's beer and tucked them away in the large pockets of his jacket, knowing that he would need something to rid himself of whatever it was he feeling inside at the moment. Besides, it wasn't like he was driving, right? He thought he deserved a little release, some time to forget, and this would help him achieve that. It worked for his father, didn't it? So why not for him?

He had never tried alcohol of any kind before, and he knew it was wrong to want to use it now. But he was old enough, right? He knew plenty of people who had started drinking as young as fifteen, and he was older than that. In a few years he would be twenty-one and it would be legal.

Besides, as he told himself, he wasn't going to get drunk or anything. He was just going to try and forget.

Just enough to forget.

He ran out of the house, wanting to escape.

It had been two hours since Castiel had called. Dean felt guilty about not being able to go get him, even when Cas had begged him to, but the police had been there discussing how they were going to handle the whole 'Jimmy being murdered and the Winchesters possibly having to be relocated' situation, and he hadn't been able to leave, that much had been clear.

He called Cas's place as soon as possible, though, already climbing into his car. He would make up for not being able to get him earlier. He would.

At first, it seemed like no one was going to answer. But then Castiel's mom did.

"Hello?" she asked tiredly, seemingly worn out. Dean knew what that felt like.

"Is Cas there? It's Dean," he told her.

"Oh, um…" There was a pause. "I think he left. He…I think he saw us fighting and…he took off. I'm sure he'll be back later, though, if-"

"Thanks," he said, cutting her off as he hung up, growling to himself.

He had to find Cas and hopefully make things right. It wasn't his fault he hadn't been able to leave, though, right? But then again, Cas was more important than some conversation about relocating. He should have just left to get Castiel anyway, conversation and police or not.

He had to apologize.

Castiel wasn't sure where he was, exactly. His mind felt all fuzzy and unclear from the alcohol, which was making him feel kind of fuzzy and warm inside, he had to admit. He staggered along the street, unsure as to where he was going or why, only knowing that he needed to keep moving for the time being.

Being angry with Dean for not coming to get him was stupid. He had just hung up on him after growling at him, and he felt guilty about it now. He went down an alley and took another deep guzzle of the frothy liquid he carried with him. He'd already emptied three bottles, but who was counting? It was strangely addictive after a while.

Ha, addictive. Hmm. Castiel cracked a dizzy smile. The world around him felt hazy and unreal, which was strange. Was this why his father seemed to enjoy it so much?

"Cas?" a familiar voice asked as someone stopped and backed up so they were looking down the alley at him. Their voice sounded familiar but not the voice he really wanted to hear, which was Dean's. He looked up at the sound and saw Aeron from Drama Club watching him with a frown. "Is everything okay? What's wrong?" Aeron moved toward him slowly. "Castiel?"

"Mmm," he mumbled, grinning stupidly in response, just happy to not be alone at the moment. He stood and stumbled forward. Aeron grabbed his arm as though to steady him.

"Are you…" Aeron wrinkled his nose. "Drunk? You are, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Castiel agreed with a goofy smile, leaning forward somewhat, his vision blurred. He knew what and who he wanted, in his heart, but his hazed mind couldn't quite tell the difference.

Dean drove around town, searching for Castiel, but he wasn't finding him anywhere. It was really starting to worry him. What if something happened while Cas was out? What if he wasn't in his right state of mind because of his parents' fight? It would all be Dean's fault for not coming to get him earlier. He would be to blame if something happened, and he prayed it didn't.

"C'mon, Cas, where are you?" he murmured to himself, talking to himself like an insane person. He scrubbed a hand over his face as he stopped at a light.

That was when he turned his head a little and saw Castiel and Aeron standing down an alley. Cas looked more than a little unsteady on his feet and Aeron just seemed confused. Dean swallowed and quickly parked the Impala a little ways away in the first available parking spot, and then ran back toward the opening of the alley.

And then he stopped, his eyes wide as he stared.

Castiel was kissing Aeron.

Cas was kissing Aeron. Not the other way around.

Cas was kissing Aeron.

I really hope the characters aren't too far off? lol I just know that wanting to escape can change your judgement on things...but anyway! Thanks so much for reading! Hopefully I update soon! Please continue to review! Thanks again!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~