Haha sorry it's been so long! I really wanted to finish Green Eyes :D And I did. So yay! My computer is being mean and messing up :( But oh well I guess. Uhhhh this chapter is kinda short and full of fluff...O.o I guess that's what mood I was in, lol. Anywho, thanks for all the reviews so far, and please continue to leave them!

Onward!

Chapter Thirteen

Dean had said everything was good between them, but sometimes Castiel couldn't help but wonder. It had been three days since he'd gone to Dean's, desperate to fix whatever it was he'd done when he was drunk, three days since he'd shown up at Dean's house listening to Dean and his father argue. To this day he still didn't know what they'd been shouting about - Dean had immediately clammed up on the subject and had changed topic quickly, as though eager to leave the matter behind, and Castiel was going to respect his wishes…especially when it already seemed as though he was on uneven, shaky ground with his boyfriend as it was. He just wished he'd never gotten drunk, and that they could go back to how they had been before.

Dean wasn't really treating him any different - he was still kind and loving, and the two talked every evening on the phone if they couldn't see each other during the day, but it just felt like he was more guarded now, maybe a little distant, and Castiel knew, on some level, that it was all his fault. If only he knew what he'd done when he was drunk…but Dean wouldn't tell him.

Maybe, a part of his mind whispered, Dean's behavior had nothing to do with him. Maybe it had something to do with the argument John and Dean had been having when Castiel had shown up at the house, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was a mixture of both - his stupid, drunken mistake, whatever it was, and the argument that had taken place between the two Winchesters. Castiel wished he knew, but unfortunately, Dean wasn't willing to talk about it, and he didn't want to upset him or anger him further by asking about it a lot. So he kept quiet on the matter, wanting to just be there and show Dean how sorry he was and how much the green-eyed man meant to him each time they were together.

Currently, though, Castiel was alone. He was in his room. His father had left the night he'd gone out and had gotten drunk, and he hadn't returned yet. He wanted to worry - maybe on some level he was - but really, he was almost relieved that his father was out of the house. That meant there was less shouting. His mother seemed almost happy for the first time in a long time, more like her old self, and while Castiel loved his father dearly, part of him was glad that he'd left. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his father - it was just that the house was no longer so angry and tension-filled. He no longer woke in the middle of the night to loud shouts coming from the hallway or downstairs. He no longer had to listen to those harsh words spat between his parents when they thought no one was listening. He not longer had to watch them pretend that everything was okay, when clearly it wasn't. And that was good - the fact that his mother seemed at peace, finally. Life in the house was better now, but he did hope his father returned soon…so he could at least see him again.

Soldier was currently running around in his room, full of energy. He had a torn up tennis ball that he kept picking up and throwing through the air. It smacked against the ground with a dull thud and then bounced up a little, causing the dog to wag his tail happily. He was easily satisfied, after all. Sometimes Castiel wished human life could be so simple. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and he was left with much confusion and many jumbled thoughts.

"Good boy," Castiel mumbled as the dog brought the ball to him and dropped it in his open and waiting hand. His fingers curled around the ball, feeling the dampness caused by Soldier's saliva, and then tossed it lightly to the other side of the room. It bounced slightly off the wall and rolled toward his desk. The dog hopped at it happily, pouncing like a kitten with a ball of yarn. Gabriel had kittens once - the family cat, Smokey, had wound up being a female and had shown up after weeks of being missing with newborn kittens, carrying them into the house one by one. Castiel could still remember the little round balls of pink and small tufts of fur, their ears laid flat against their heads, their eyes closed and their mewls high and squeaky.

Soldier barked at him, wagging his tail as he sat before him expectantly. Castiel frowned.

"What?" he asked, reaching out to scratch Soldier behind the ear. "You've got your ball. What do you want now?"

Soldier happily licked at his hand, showing his affection. Castiel sighed and smiled at the dog. He shook his head and lay back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Dean should have been getting off work any moment now. Castiel really wanted to talk to him and spend time together, at least for a little while. He was suffering from what he'd dubbed to be 'Dean-less-ness'. That was all he could come up with, anyway.

I just hope everything is really okay between us, he thought with a heavy sigh, struggling to not let his fears get the best of him. He wasn't sure what he'd do if things weren't okay between them. He didn't know how to fix what he couldn't remember.

Why couldn't he remember? Why had he gotten drunk? Who knew he was such a damn lightweight?

Well…none of that mattered, because the fact of the matter was that he'd done something stupid and wrong while intoxicated, something he couldn't remember but nevertheless felt guilty about. He wanted to fix it so badly, but didn't know what to do or how to go about doing so. How could he fix it if he didn't know what to fix?

I'm really sorry for whatever I did. He hoped Dean knew that. Surely he did, right? He had said things were okay between them, that he wasn't mad, but sometimes Castiel still wondered. Sitting up slowly, he glanced at his clock and then grabbed his phone, dialing in the familiar number.

"Yeah?" came Dean's voice after several brief rings.

"Hey…I'm not interrupting you, am I?" Castiel asked.

"Nah, I was just on my way home. Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Obviously he'd caught onto the tone of Castiel's voice. It was amazing, really, how well Dean seemed to know him. No, Castiel mentally corrected - how well they seemed to know each other.

"I'm good," Castiel told him. "How are you today, Dean?"

"Pretty good, I guess," Dean sighed. "Long day. I'm ready for a hot shower. Are you hungry? We could go out to eat or something, if you want. I mean, we don't have to, but-"

"I'd love to," Castiel said, cutting him off with a smile even though he knew Dean couldn't see it. Hopefully he could hear it in his voice, though. "When?"

"I'll be there in about ten minutes, is that enough time?"

"Sure," Castiel told him. "Just let me get dressed - Soldier tackled me earlier and got dirt all over my clothes."

"I always knew you were dirty at heart," Dean said with a small snicker, and Castiel was so relieved to hear him acting normally after so long of being more distant and guarded. Maybe that meant things really were okay between them. He hoped so, anyway.

"Whatever," he said. "I'll talk to you then - love you."

"You too," Dean said, and then hung up.

Castiel smiled down at the dog. "I'm going out with Dean and you have to stay here." He couldn't help but stick his tongue out, smirking at the way Soldier wagged his tail at the sound of Dean's name. He obviously knew had gotten him and saved him, who had given him to Castiel. He stood and stretching, yawning, before he raided his closet for the seemingly perfect clothes to wear, at least for now.

He couldn't wait to go out with Dean today. It had been a while - days - since the two of them had seen each other face-to-face, and Castiel was having hidden urges to hold him close and kiss him, just like he always wanted to. His dreams were proof enough of that. The thought made him smirk and release and faint chuckle that echoed quietly through the room.

Dean arrived soon enough. Soldier heard his car before Castiel did, and happily bounced toward the window, peering out as Dean pulled up along the curb. Castiel allowed his hand to glide softly along the top of Soldier's head before he exited his room, leaving his door open for Soldier to follow after him if he pleased. But his dog seemed content to watch from the window, a silent observer.

No one was home at the moment - his mother was working and he honestly wasn't sure where Jimmy was. He left the house, locked it up behind him, and then smiled as he made his way toward Dean's car. Dean smiled in return, his green eyes glistening brightly. "Hey," Castiel said as he slid into the passenger seat and buckled his seat belt.

"Hey yourself," Dean said, pulling away from the curb. "Did you find some clean clothes, you dirty boy?"

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and I'm not dirty."

"Yeah right."

"Takes one to know one."

Dean smirked. "Touché." He paused. "Where do you want to eat?"

"Wherever." He was just happy to be with Dean for the time being, no matter how sappy that might have sounded - it was what he was feeling, and more than anyone, he liked to be honest with his feelings. Some people called it wearing their heart on their sleeve, or something like that, but to him it was just the way he was.

"Milkshakes, then," Dean said, winking at him.

Castiel smiled. "I can live with that." He could really probably live with anything so long as things were okay between them, so long as he'd fixed what he'd done. And so long as Dean was by his side.

Stop that before Dean asks if you're a girl again and starts to relentlessly call you Cassie or Cassandra, Castiel said with a hidden scowl, refusing to let it overtake his face because Dean, who wasn't part of the conversation in his mind, would only think he was upset or something, and he wasn't. He didn't want his boyfriend to jump to conclusions when things were going so well today, better than they had in a while now. And Castiel was completely happy with that. He knew there was probably some things Dean wasn't sharing - such as what he and John had been arguing about and what he'd done when he was drunk - but he wasn't going to press the matter, wanting Dean to feel comfortable. He knew Dean would tell him when he was ready, just as he'd done before when he'd admitted what Justin had done, and how he came across the bruises and cuts that he'd shown up with various times. Castiel sighed as he thought back on the memory, and settled more into his chair, looking for comfort. Right now, the feel of Dean's arms around him would be nice, but unfortunately, Dean was driving and so that most likely wouldn't happen, not if they didn't want to risk wrecking.

So he settled for just watching Dean instead. Dean seemed to really feel at home in the Impala. His head bounced lightly to the rhythm of the music playing quietly in the background, just a small noise to occupy the empty space between them. His fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel in time with the drumbeat. His eyes were open wide and bright, his expression seemingly open and happy.

"Take a picture," Dean said suddenly.

Castiel blushed and Dean smirked at him. "Sorry…"

"Nah, I know I'm awesome," Dean said, nodding to himself as though it was a known fact or something. "But you know what?"

Castiel paused, thinking. "What?" he asked innocently.

Dean grinned widely at him, making him feel oh-so-warm inside. "You're not so bad yourself."

Thanks again for reading! Sorry it's short and fluffy, haha. Please continue to review!

~Muffy the Dough Slayer~