See, told you I'd update today!

Also I've noticed this story is a bit... cracky, in some form of the word.

I don't plan to change that.

*shrug*

Castiel was ignoring his calls. Not sending them to voicemail, just ignoring them. Dean took that as a good sign. Well, not good, but better than the alternative. He'd rather hear his voice, talk to him about what had happened, but that didn't seem to be a viable option at the moment.

And what had he meant by 'All the other conquests'? There were like, three, maybe. Oh sure, there had certainly been a few drunken one-night stands, and some girls had dropped straight to their knees in his dressing room, sucking him off without any warning, but he hadn't actually gone after any of those, and the other three he had chased had just been in it to say they had been with a rockstar. Not exactly what Dean wanted.

He wasn't a doll to toss around, to be carried around hooked on someones arm, just there to look pretty and make everyone else jealous. He was a human. He deserved respect. And so did Castiel.

James was well involved in the paper, and Dean couldn't be bothered trying to get any information from him, so he had retreated back to his room not much later after Castiel stormed out, and proceeded to pounce back onto the bed, burying himself in the covers, though it didn't make him feel any less lonely, the oversized bed reminding him just how alone he was. He continually flipped out his phone, flicking his fingers across the screen to send Castiel a text. He had given up on calling. For now, at least.

A few hours and a landslide of text messages later, Dean had decided to give it a rest, simply grabbing one of his pillows to curl around and fall asleep. It took a while to do so, however. The pillow could never be a replacement for the body he wanted beside him now.

His phone had been shaking in his pocket since the moment he had stepped out of the elevator, but he ignored them. He knew it was Dean, and he simply couldn't talk to him now. The conversation would take a while and its end would leave him even more confused in his feelings and emotions than he was now. Dean had seemed like a trustworthy guy, and genuinely sincere in his actions. He hadn't forced him to do anything last night, and that was new.

But maybe that's how he was with all of his chases. Maybe it was just his way of gaining Castiel's trust, making it seem like he cared just to test how well he could manipulate people with a few choice words spoken softly and gentle touches. Sure, Castiel would be a harder case to break, but he was a rockstar. He'd be able to gain control of the emotionally unstable college student in no time. Break his walls down just to force him to build them up even higher and thicker than before.

Castiel mentally smacked himself. Of course Dean was able to do that. He already had, in a way. Castiel couldn't get himself to ignore the man writing on his arm in the theater, his good looks shone even in the darkened theater, and he couldn't help himself. Of course he couldn't. Dean knew what he was doing straight from the beginning. Castiel had just been to naive to notice it was all just a game to him. All the words, and kisses, and touches, and cuddling- all a fucking lie.

He finally pulled out his phone, angrily shutting it off before shoving it back in his pocket. He couldn't deal with Dean and his bullshit right now. He could talk to him later, try to win him back at another time, but for now, Castiel wasn't interested. He had his own interests and life to deal with at the moment, particularly class.

Too bad it was useless. Castiel couldn't focus on anything, his mind racing with different theories and explanations for Dean wanting him, and for James telling him all of this.

He was so fucked.

Dean awoke a few hours later, feeling no better, and certainly not more rested. Just lonely. And cold. He shoved himself up on the bed, the duvet sliding down to about halfway up his abdomen, and he pulled it back up, yanking it hard enough to untuck it. He wrapped it around himself in bundles before sliding to the edge, stepping off the bed, the ends of the blanket dragging on the floor as he made his way to the bathroom.

James was gone, though his newspaper was still there. Not that Dean had any desire to speak with him at the moment, it surprised him. James never leaves anything behind. He stalked into the bathroom, dropping the blanket to use the toilet, and turn on the shower. He stared at the falling water, hand shooting out ever few seconds to test the temperature, though he was never quite satisfied, and the thought of standing for an extended period of time seemed exhausting. He sighed and shut it off, the water dribbling down to nothing but a few drops as he picked his blanket back up, along with a bottle of body wash. He walked back out into the main room in search of a bathtub, as if he thought he'd find one out elsewhere.

He didn't.

But he did find a jacuzzi.

He turned the temperature up on the oversized tub, leaving his soap bottle and blanket behind as he went back to his room to retrieve his cell phone, and then back to the bathroom to grab a towel. By the time he had made it back, the temperature of the hot tub had been deemed warm enough, though it was still increasing in heat. Dean shucked his sweatpants and boxers off, sliding into the steaming water. He let his body adjust before turning around to grab the body wash. He popped it open and poured a liberal amount into the water, flicking on the jets when he was satisfied with it.

He sat down, and watched the water slowly begin to froth, bubbles building themselves up, starting as nothing more than a flat, soapy sheen, but now towering in huge piles of shimmering white. Sorta like he and Cas' relationship. Dean slid his hand underneath them, reaching over to the side of the tub, clicking off the jets. The room was suddenly silent, the only noise being the soft pops of bubbles, barely making a sound as they disappeared.

Dean let his body relax, though his eyes remained focused on the largest mound of bubbles. He paused for a moment before lifting his arm out of the water, smacking it straight down through the pile, causing a flattened crevasse to appear, nothing remaining in the place his arm had smacked through..

Still like their relationship.

Castiel was debating for a while. A long while. His phone was out and on, resting on his thigh, Dean's messages open as well as his keyboard, the blinking cursor seeming to urge him on in contacting the other.

Every time the screen went dark, Castiel would awaken it again, repeating the motion multiple times before steeling himself. The next time he turned the screen on, his fingers were flying across the digital letters, tapping out a message and sending it before he could even think twice about it.

Bzzt. Bzzt.

Dean opened his eyes, body tensing as he looked over to the buzzing object. Was it Cas? Please be Cas. Dean pushed on the seat he was on, gliding across the short path to where his phone was resting. He wiped his hands off on his towel before picking up his phone, sliding it open to the new messages.

Cas

I think we need to talk. 6:57p.m.

My place, or yours? 6:57p.m.

Dean blinked a few times at the messages, before quickly typing out a response.

Dean

My place, if that's alright. 6:59p.m.

Cas

Meet me at the front in… 10mins? 7:00p.m.

Dean made a face.

Dean

I'm sorta… nude. 7:00p.m.

I'll get James to give you his key. 7:01p.m.

Dean eyed his phone, waiting for a response from the other. He perked up when he saw a small bubble pop up, three dots inside symbolizing the other was typing, but it disappeared just as soon as it had popped up. It was another few minutes before the message finally buzzed into his messages.

Cas:

ok 7:06p.m.

Dean let out a breath of relief he was unaware he had been holding, and tapped out of Castiel's messages, scrolling to James' to tell him to give Castiel his key. He clicked the screen off after, slipping his upper half out of the water, leaning over the edge of the tub to grab his boxers. He slipped back into the water, pulling the loose cotton in with him, pulling the fabric over his legs. It felt strange, but it was better than Castiel coming in to him naked. He adjusted the shorts, forcing them to sit comfortably before turning on the jets once more, building the mounds of bubbles back up.

Castiel had just entered the hotel when he spotted James, who was standing off the center of the lobby, a few feet in front of the entrance to the elevator banks, a cocky, all-knowing smirk plastered on his face. Castiel held back a growl as he made his way over to the self-assured chauffeur.

"Why, what a surprise to see you, Castiel. Can't say I expected you back."

Castiel's eyes hardened. "This wouldn't be the first time you've been wrong."

"Oh. Snippy."

"Just give me the key."

James smirked, and slid his key out of his pocket, dangling it in his fingers. Castiel promptly snatched it from him, and tried to work his way around James to one of the elevators. He didn't get far before the other stopped him with an arm bar, but he was close enough to smack the up button. He sighed. "What do you want?"

"I'm just trying to help you, Castiel. I think y-"

"Well you know what?" Castiel snapped, shoving James hard enough to get to the elevator that he needed. "I don't want your help. I can take care of myself. I don't need jealous chauffeurs trying to sway my actions."

James glared. "Suit yourself. You're just going to get hurt."

The elevator dinged, the doors sliding open effortlessly as Castiel stepped into them. "We'll see about that."

Castiel dropped his over-confident act as the doors slid shut. He scanned the card and the elevator began to move. He leaned back against one of the shimmering gold bars. They looked new, and Castiel couldn't help but distract himself with them. He didn't want to think about what James had just said, about how much it affected him and only served to supply to his doubts about Dean. He didn't need that. He needed to decide for himself, needed to talk this out with Dean.

A soft ding alerted him the doors were opening, and he stepped out as soon as he could, walking down the stubby hall to the entrance of Dean's room, swiping the card to unlock the door. The miniature light on the scanner beeped green, and Castiel stepped in, scanning the room for Dean.

Was… was he in the bath?

"Cas?" A voice called from the tub, a head popping up over the mountains of bubbles, confirming Castiel's suspicions. Dean beaconed for Castiel to come over to him, and he did. He peered down at the man in the tub, and sent him a quizzical look.

"Are you… Are you naked?"

Dean chuckled and shook his head. "No, I've got on boxers."

"You bathe in your boxers?"

Another chuckle. "No, I put them on so you wouldn't feel uncomfortable."

Well that was sweet.

"Would you like to join me?"

Yes.

"I probably shouldn't."

Yes you should.

"Yes you should."

Told you so.

Castiel rolled his eyes at his own thoughts, promptly reminding himself to can it as he responded with an "Okay." before peeling off his shirt and pants, down to his boxers. He hopped in to the tub, hissing at the heat, though he adjusted easily. He turned to Dean. "So…"

"So…"

Silence. Castiel sat himself down on the bench adjacent to Dean, shifting a bit to still face him. More silence.

"So what was this morning about?"

There it is.

"I… It was nothing."

Dean pulled a face, which Castiel decided to label 'Are you fucking kidding me'

"Yeah, okay. That's not utter bullshit." Castiel sighed, and Dean continued. "Seriously. Everything was fine, you left to go to the bathroom and came back all… pissed. Was it cause I made fun of your hair? 'Cause I was just joking around Cas. I did-"

Castiel tuned out. Seriously? Fucking seriously?

"Dean," Castiel interrupted, stopping Dean's slew of tangled together words. "It's none of that. I just… Had a lapse of judgement."

"Yeah, but what spurred it?"

Well fuck. "I just…" Shit shit shit shit shit "I just saw James, standing there with coffee and this knowing fucking smirk and I just… I imagined he had seen this so many times, and then I began to imagine how many other people have been in the same place as I was in that moment, and I felt… betrayed?"

Dean didn't look like he believed a word of that. "You saw James? Did he say anything to you?"

"Nope."

Yeah, great answer, Sherlock. Not obvious at all.

Dean's eyes narrowed. "Castiel. What did he say to you?"

"Nothing!" he insisted, perhaps a bit to strongly. He was kinda shit at lying to Dean.

"Bull fucking shit! Castiel, answer me."

No. Nope. No. You can't force me to do anything, you attractive, manipulating, assh-

"He told me I was just a toy to you. That you do this with everybody, and that the only way I was different was that you actually had to put in effort and chase me to get me."

Dean's eyes narrowed even farther, rivaling Castiel's glare from that morning, and he immediately slid from his seat, floating over to Castiel, sitting way closer than was necessary.

"And you believed him?"

"I didn't have much of a reason not to. Dean, I've known you for… what, three? Four days? I don't know much more about you aside from the fact that you have a reputation as a womanizing rockstar. How would you expect me to act?"

"I wouldn't want you to run out on me, Cas," Dean replied, eyes softening throughout Castiel's speech. "I'd want you to come talk to me, let me explain why you don't need to worry about me doing… What James said I would do to you. I'm not that kind of man, Cas. I hope you realize that."

"I just don't know what to believe," Castiel replied, dropping his head down, attempting to stare through the soapy, distorted water at his hands.

Dean was having none of that. Another hand was placed on his thigh as Dean shifted, then the original was gone, returning under his chin, cupping it with his finger and thumb, tilting it up. Castiel's eyes snapped up with the movement, and they locked on Dean's, which were a lot closer than Castiel had thought.

"Believe me," Dean muttered, voice barely above a whisper. And then he was moving in, and Castiel was responding, their lips locking together without a second thought. And it felt good.

Castiel had to physically restrain himself from sliding closer to Dean, deepening the kiss like he wanted to so bad, but this was Dean's opportunity to show he meant what he said, and Castiel wasn't going to take that from him.

Dean took full advantage of that. His hand remained solidly on his thigh, only moving to the other one to shift Castiel into his lap, rotating him to lock him into the corner of the hot tub. His hand slid from under Castiel's chin, sliding his fingers through the dark hair, taking advantage of Castiel being higher up than him to deepen the kiss.

Castiel slid his hands out of the water, sliding them up Dean's chest and neck, bringing both to cup his face as he whimpered into this kiss. And then Dean pulled away. Castiel pouted.

"Do you trust me?" Dean asked, voice husky, his thumb rubbing circles into the side of Castiel's thigh.

Did he? Did Castiel trust Dean? This whole day had been a cluster fuck of feelings, and thoughts, and emotions, and fuck it all if Castiel didn't say he wasn't a little lost in translation. But one look into Dean's eyes told him he wasn't lying, not straight out. Castiel wasn't just a plaything for him to fuck around with. Dean obviously wanted to make the most of their time left, which was dwindling down day by day at a pace Castiel couldn't stand. But what was he to the singer, really? What did Dean want from him? Could he provide it?

Castiel stroked Dean's cheekbones lightly, the pads of his thumbs running over the smooth, freckled skin as the other's eyes drifted shut. Castiel's lips curled up at that, and before he could stop himself, he was leaning in again, locking his lips with Dean's gently yet solidly, muttering his response on the way in.

"I'm starting to."

I feel you should know I had this at exactly 2,900 words last night, and I was SO PROUD at that, but then I added a sentence and that fucked it up and I was angry at myself for a moment.

Anyway, probably another chapter tomorrow, or maybe even tonight 'cause why the fuck not?

As always, let me know what you think! I love hearing your thoughts on it. It makes me all happy inside!

:D