ONCE UPON A DREAM

Ashamed (2/2)

~*~*~*~

Dean came back in the room and crossed his arms over his chest as the door clicked shut behind him. Cas was still standing where Dean had left him, and when the angel looked over, he wore something of a smirk on his face.

"That's a nasty trick, Cas."

A shuffle of cloth, and Castiel was in front of Dean. "Does it bother you?"

"Actually… It's a relief," he answered honestly. Sam knew and he didn't care, well, he said he didn't. Regardless, they were still brothers and Sam would accept him. Dean could have what he wanted. Blue eyes probed into him, stripping him bare. "You waiting for me to say you were right? That it wasn't a big deal?"

There was silence, and the man before him blinked.

Dean decided he was going to change tactics, because de didn't think he'd actually heard the last of it from Sam, no matter what the kid said.

"He's taking a walk." Dean took a step closer to his angel, closing what little gap Castiel had left between them. "I told him to take a few." Dean grabbed the loose blue tie around the man's neck, and pulled his face closer. "You agree?"

His lover's eyes darted down, and back up. "I do."

Dean smirked, and cast his own eyes across Cas' body. The angel had forced Dean's hand earlier, and he was tempted to withhold his lips, his hands, his everything and make the dark haired man ask for it.

Castiel's head twitched to the side as he leaned in closer to Dean, saying, "Surely you don't… Intend to retaliate in such a childish manner."

Dean watched Castiel's lips move, licked his own, and delighted in the fact that blue eyes darted down at the movement. He did his best to empty his mind and hummed out a quick, "Hmmm."

"Dean," Castiel started, but didn't get to finish. Dean's lips crushed whatever the angel had been about to say.

~*~*~*~

Sam was gone forty-five minutes. When he came back, he stopped and listened, his hand on the knob to their door.

There was laughter and… Noises. Noises that, unfortunately, he knew as his brother's.

His hand recoiled and he backed up with a frown on his face. He'd walked in on Dean before. Dean with a chick before. But if he ever, ever, walked in on Dean again… He might have to gouge his own eyes out.

Oh, God. He was thinking about it.

He might have to gouge his eyes out right now. He groaned and rubbed a hand across his face. He walked as far as he could without loosing sight of the hotel. He'd call later. Those weren't noises he wanted to hear again. Ever.

He shook his head as he walked.

Sam had been so caught up in himself and his 'destiny', that he'd been ignoring Dean in ways his brother had never ignored him. He didn't even notice his brother's choice in lover had altered drastically. Seriously, when did that happen? And wasn't Castiel breaking, like, a billion celestial laws?

But then again, religious text had been penned by man, and each penholder wrote with his own perspective. So maybe Dean and his angel lover were okay. Didn't mean Sam was.

A dude. His brother was in there… With a dude.

He shuddered a little bit and sat down on a bench outside of the hotel's main office. It seems as good a place as any to wait.

He didn't have to wait long. Castiel showed up before Sam, thankfully dressed, trench coat and all.

"I apologize." The dark haired man said. "I knew you were coming."

Sam had his arms across his chest, his head lowered slightly down. He rolled his eyes and sighed. After a moment hesitation he said, "I don't like it." and looked up at the angel.

"Dean said-"

"I know what I told Dean." Sam cut him off. He wanted to just rage at the man before him. Tell him it better not be a game, but Sam had meant what he'd, well, thought earlier. Dean deserved a little happiness. But Sam couldn't help but feel like it might all be some great, cosmic scheme to get on the eldest Winchester's good side. God knows they needed him.

Literally.

Dean's need of others was his second greatest weakness. His first was family.

Sam continued, "I want him to be happy, and if you're it, then fine. But I don't like it; I don't think you really love him. I mean, you… you're an angel, you can't feel, you can't love a human. So either you're faking it, or it's some sick, twisted order so you can gain Dean's trust." Castiel tilted his head to the side and Sam knew he was going to get some angel-fueled speech when he was finished, so he had to make his point. "I think… I do think you want to do right by Dean. And I'm grateful for everything you've done for him, pulling him out of Hell… all of it."

Castiel blinked at him, and Sam took a step closer. It was probably not the best idea, but… why start having those now?

He was not a foot away from the angel, and he wasn't sure but he thought the man smelled vaguely like his brother. He locked eyes with Castiel, injected as much venom as he could into his voice and said, "If you hurt him, I swear, I swear I will find a way to kill you. And it will be the most painful thing you could ever imagine."

The angel didn't move. He just stared at Sam with wide blue eyes and cocked his head to the side. "I believe you."

Sam's brows knit together. That hadn't been at all what he'd been expecting.

Castiel continued, "And I swear to you, that should he ever be hurt, I would find the… Thing responsible, and kill it." He stood taller. "This is no scheme, Sam. My brothers do not approve, and still I am here. And you're… Conjectures will not drive me away. I'm here for Dean."

Sam opened his mouth to speak, but the angel was already gone. He dug his palms into his eyes and put his elbows on his knees. Things were already so complicated and Dean having a… Romantic relationship with Castiel…

Sam sighed and stood up. He started the walk back to the room and shook his head.

Dean was happy. Happier than Sam had seen him a long, long time. And after what his older brother had been through, that wasn't nothing. It was everything.

Dean was happy.

Maybe it wouldn't last forever, or maybe it would, Sam didn't know. But for now it was enough. For now it had to be, because Sam didn't know how to get through to Dean.

He opened the door cautiously and poked his head in. Dean came out the bathroom; he pulled a shirt on over his head and smiled. "You hungry?"

Sam smiled a little. "Yeah."

Dean dangled the keys to the Impala. "Good." He brushed past Sam with a grin on his face.

He'd just have to stand by his brother, keep an eye on the angel and take some measure of happiness from the fact that Dean finally had something good going for himself.

So, I don't how much I like this, or how much like my original idea it came out like. But I wanted to finish it because it's the part two and it was keeping me from posting anything else in this story. So… Sorry for the obnoxious wait time.