Things calmed down somehow. The big surprises stopped happening, and they got into a quiet routine.
Dean got used to being with Cas.
From time to time he drove him to work for some reason or other, and that went smoothly every time, apart from Marley's bitchfaces, but Dean grew up with Sam. Marley was patheticly bad at them.
The few times Dean saw Crowley, they greeted eachother with guarded respect, even if Crowley cast suspicious glances at Dean and Cas.

Months ticked by, and springtime came.
The weather turned beautiful and Dean decided that they needed a family BBQ.
He bought tons of meat, breadrolls, and even veggies, and Cas got beer and scotch cheap at the bar.
The sun was out, the bees in the back of the yard were buzzing, and life was great.
Dean threw a steak on the grill and cussed softly, otherwise Cis or Bobby would smack him upside the head.
This was too good to last. His gut rebelled against the whole day. Something was up, and his gut knew it.

"Dean... What's wrong?"
Cas stepped up to him, nibbling the back of his neck softly.
Knees turning to jelly, Dean hummed and leaned into Cas.
"I dunno, Honeybee. I'm afraid something will happen, and this all... it gets ripped from me."
Cas hugged him from behind and kissed his cheek, stubble scratching lightly.
"Of course not, Dean. I know we have things we don't agree on, but I would never let this go willingly... I'd valliantly fight for you. Oh! That reminds me! I invited a friend of mine, with her partner. Is that ok?"

Dean sighed blissfully at the scritchy kiss and hummed softly.
"A friend I haven't met yet? Sure. If she and her other half eat meat, plenty of that. Veggisaurian? Greens galore. Cas, angel, you know I welcome anyone."
Cas happily kissed his nose and turned to Sam, who wanted to know if he and Gabe should get more desserts.
As soon as Cas let go of him, Dean frowned at the grill.
His gut was still uneasy. The garden door opened and a very, very familiar redhead popped in.

"What's up bitche... what the actual Hell? Sam? Dean?! What?! What are you guys doing here?!"
Dean grinned widely as Sam let out a loud: "Charlie!" and scooped her in his massive arms.
Charlie was grinning just as widely and flung herself at Sam.
"You guys! Oh my God!" she squealed and hugged Sam tightly.
"Sam, let her go... I want my turn!" Dean grinned and spread his arms.
Charlie ran to him and hugged him too.
"Jesus, Dean... what the Hell are you doing here, man?"

Cas came over, smiling softly.
"Charlie, let my boyfriend go... you're smothering him."
Charlie squeaked and her eyes flashed from Cas to Dean and back.
"You're frikken kidding me! You're the new boyfriend?! Castiël... you nabbed my best friend!"
She snapped her head around, whipping Dean in the face with her red hair.
"Samuel William Winchester! Are you Gabriel's new guy?"
Sam blushed, but grinned.
"Guilty, Charlie." he chuckled, pulling Gabe close and kissing the man on his golden hair.
Her face lighting up in a devious grin, Charlie winked at Sam.
"You'll be good for him, Sam. Curb his more outrageous side."

Gabriel blushed, but smirked anyway.
"Shut up Bradbury. You know I can prank you. Cassie said you would bring someone?"
Clapping her hands to her mouth, Charlie turned around.
"Oh shit! I'm sorry babe! Come..." she babbled, as she ran towards a tall, beautifully tanned woman with long brown curls.
"Guys, meet Gilda. Gilda, this is Castiël, Gabriel, Sam and Dean."
Cas smiled warmly at Gilda and offered her a drink.
While he got it, Gabe curtesied to Gilda and winked at Charlie.
"Why, Bradbury, you never told me you caught an elf!" he quipped.
Gilda blushed as Charlie punched Gabe in the arm.

Rubbing his arm, Gabe turned to Sam.
"Sammykins... she hurt me!" he whined, only to get an unimpressed raised eyebrow from Sam.
"So? I can't help you. My Queen is free to punish those who gain her irk." Sam delivered with a deadpan.
Dean guffawed heartily at Gabriel's hurt face.
"Sorry, Gabe. Sammy is a Knight of Moondor..." he managed after a while.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him.
"Well, then as my incipient brother inlaw, you should defend my honour!" he breathed hoightily.
Sam and Dean folded over in laughter.
"Sorry, Dude. Dean is also mine." Charlie grinned. "It's good to be the Queen!"

Dramatically, Gabe pressed the back of his hand to his brow.
"Alas! Mine poor heart! My betrothed and his kin are all under the thumb of the fair Queen!"
He spotted Cas, coming back with Gilda's spritzer and lime.
"Castiël! Brother! Do not tell me thou hast fallen under the spell of the fair Queen too!"
Sam, Dean and Charlie all looked over to the blue eyed guy, eyes sparkling with mirth.
Cas smiled his crooked smile, turning Dean's insides to molten lava in the process.
"Fear not, my sibling... I will avenge thine honour and thine heart!"
With a flourish, he presented the drink to Gilda.
"Fair Elven creature... take this most potente potion, and be freed from the Queen's wily ways."

Flustered, and looking totally flabbergasted, Gilda took the glass.
"Er... Thanks? I guess?"
The whole group, except for Gilda, who nipped her drink, crumbled to the ground, laughing.
"Oh my God, Gabe! That was awesome! And Castiël! You have to become my bard! That was perfect!" Charlie gasped.
Seeing her girlfriend looking at them like they'd gone around the bend, she sobered.
"Gilda, hon, Sam and Dean are part of my entourage. Castiël and Gabriel not yet, but, guys, really... you gotta join now! You got this in the pocket!"

Castiël smirked at his brother, who licked his lips.
"Do I get to see my Sammoose in breeches?" Gabe asked.
Charlie grinned. "Skintight, leather. And chainmail. Dean too."
The Novak brothers sported identical, lustful grins.
"Count us in, oh Queen!" Gabe said, running his hand over Sam's backside.
"Hey! No hanky-panky!" Bobby shouted from the backporch.
Dean flashed him a grin and winked.
"Yes sir!"

Later that evening, when the sun had set, and fairylights were twinkling in the garden, Dean saw Gabe and Charlie huddled together.
The uneasy feeling in his gut tripled and he sipped his beer slowly.
"Dean... You'll burn a hole in their backs, dear."
Startled, Dean turned around.
"Sorry, oma. It's just... I'm not sure I trust them, huddled together like that."
Cis quirked an eyebrow at the pair and shrugged.
"Nothing you can do, liefje. If my Gabriel is on the warpath, better take cover. He tends to use a nuclear bomb to swat a fly."
Dean nodded, taking another pull from his bottle.
"I know... and Charlie, sweet, quirky, cooky Charlie... she is just that... a nuclear bomb. I pity the fly they want to swat."