Chapter Five: Peripeteia

Cas sat like that for quite some time, white as a ghost and completely, utterly silent, as Dean diverted his gaze, looking up at the ceiling, down at the floor, studying every picture in the room, as long as he wasn't looking at the priest sitting beside him. When sound finally overtook the silence, Dean almost jumped, almost like he'd expected the silence to linger forever. Cas cleared his throat, "Well Dean Winchester," he began, his voice shakier than he'd expected, "I have not the faintest shadow of an idea as to what is going on with you."

Dean just sighed. Yeah, join the friggin' club, he thought bitterly. Then, seeing the almost pained look that crossed the other man's face, Cas amended his previous statement, "But I promise I will do everything I can to figure it out. If I can save you, Dean, I swear I will do everything in my power to do just that."

The next few moments happened so quickly that Dean wasn't even sure exactly what happened until much later. He'd seen a flood gate of sorts just break in Cas's blue eyes, giving them a spark Dean interpreted as some mixture of determination, protectiveness, and something else, something that looked most decidedly like fascination, like the young priest was looking at the most interesting thing he had ever seen. At first, Dean thought he was simply captivated by the religious or psychological concepts of the man sitting before him in tattered jeans, heavy steel-toed boots, and a t-shirt whose color nearly matched the eyes of his companion, but then, something changed, something clicked. Some intrinsic, inexplicable fire ignited between them with such an intensity that Dean suddenly felt completely helpless, altogether at the mercy of the man sitting next to him.

And neither man consciously planned out what happened next, neither of them would ever have so much as dared to. The way emerald green eyes connected with sapphire blue, they shared a look that spoke volumes without a single audible word. It was as if both men wanted so badly to just initiate something more, to be something more, but both were afraid to start it, both feared exactly where it might go. And then Cas's arms were around Dean's waist and Cas was leaning back against the arm of the couch, pulling Dean down on him, sprawling the slightly larger man over himself like a blanket.

When their lips first met, both of their eyes were wide open, both too interested in seeing the other man's expression to bother with the expected gesture of closing them. However, as their lips danced together in the most perfect synchronization, Cas's azure eyes finally, finally fluttered shut. Dean's, on the other hand… well, they remained open for quite a while longer. He was so sure that if he closed them, this wouldn't be real anymore. He couldn't shake the thought that if he stopped watching, this wouldn't be happening, everything would just disintegrate like the fibers of a dream in the morning and he'd shoot up in his scratchy little bed, alone in his motel room, waking from the first good dream he'd had in weeks. Part of him just had to be sure it was happening, and another part just wanted to see it happen. However, when Cas's hands reached backward, bracing himself against the couch as his tongue moved out to press against Dean's lower lip, deepening the kiss, it was only a matter of seconds before Dean's eyes closed as well.

Dean wound one arm under the small of Castiel's back, supporting the way the other man was arching up into him as his other hand was winding its way through Cas's dark hair. Dean braced himself against Cas's warm body, ready for the shock of being pulled out of this. In his mind, it had to be another dream. It just had to be. But as he tightened against Cas, inadvertently grinding his hips downward and pressing him harder into the couch, the only jolt Dean received was that of Cas's hips bucking back up against his as his mouth opened slightly more and he let out this little moan that just made Dean crazy. So Dean deepened the kiss further, his tongue darting between Cas's lips, playing shapes across the inside of his mouth as Cas made more little noises of disbelief or pleasure or whatever. Dean didn't even care. As long as he kept hearing Cas, as long as he knew he was the one eliciting such a response from the other man, as long as this was real, he was happy. Ecstatic actually.

Then it was done. As quickly as it had been initiated, it was finished. The only difference was that although Dean had not the slightest inkling of an idea aboutwho started it, he was one hundred perfect positive that Cas had been the one stopping it. There was no question there; had it been up to Dean, they'd probably have been tangled up on that couch forever.

Cas's mouth dropped open as he pulled away. Wiggling his way out from under Dean, he was standing in a corner across the room within seconds, just standing there with his back to Dean, staring out the window of his little house like he was looking for any spy who might've caught them, completely just stayed put in his tossed-about position on Cas's couch, studying the priest's back for any sign of what he was feeling. He had to be feeling something, right?

When Cas finally spoke what seemed like an eternity later, his voice was little more than a shaky whisper, letting go of one single word. "Leave."

"Cas, I-" Dean began, watching Cas shiver as a sob wracked his frame.

"No, Dean. Leave. Now," Cas cut him off, still facing the window.

In a shocked fog, Dean simply did what Cas asked. He picked himself up off the couch, whose cushions were now misaligned as a shadow of what had just happened there, and walked out the door. He could feel Cas's eyes on him as he walked across the lawn back toward the church, but he didn't cast a single look backwards. It wouldn't have helped.

The web is getting a tad more tangled. I nearly considered ending the chapter in a more serendipitous state and leaving the last bit for the next chapter... But then I decided against that. In any case, another chapter shall hopefully be posted soon. Hope you enjoyed this!

A PART OF ME ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT YOU'D COME BACK. I just really really love that line. Oh Friday...

As always, opinions are much appreciated.