Hey there guys! I'm going to put a link to the tumblr post I made where you can vote on my next story at the end of the chapter. Please go and vote if you intend to read my next story; your opinion matters to me!
This chapter is pretty darn fast, but I figure I owe it to you guys since the last couple of updates were sort of slow.
It was all a bit overdone for Dean.
Not that he could complain; it wasn't his decision, and his brother looked pleased with it. Then again, his brother also looked absolutely scared out of his wits as Dean pulled him into his dressing room, shoving a tux into his hands. Sam was shaking.
"Dude, you've got to calm down." Dean says. His eyes scan the small room until he finally sees something that will help; alcohol. He saunters over to the small end table with the bottle sitting next to two cups, and pours a little bit into both. Honestly, with the tolerance they had built to alcohol over the years, they could probably drink the whole bottle before they even started to get buzzed, but he figures anything more than this isn't a good idea for the big day.
He walked over and holds a hand out, and Sam's eyes flicker to the drink. He looked like he was debating it for a few moments before he cracked and took the offering, downing everything Dean had poured in one quick swig. Dean followed in his footsteps, downing his own before plopping down in one of the two chairs available to the small room. Sam begins to pace, tux still slung over one of his arms.
"I know, I know, I really shouldn't be this worried. I mean, it's Jess, and this is what I've wanted for a long time-"
"Jess is a hell of a lot better than Ruby," Dean put in, just because he really fucking hated Sam's ex girlfriend. "Or your ex boyfriend the devil."
Sam glared at him briefly for interrupting, but decided that he would just keep up the monologue anyways. "So it's really stupid of me to be nervous, but... Dean, I'm sort of scared. This is pretty darn permanent, and after this it won't be easy to get along. We're out of the honeymoon phase in our relationship. I just- I don't want her to end up regretting this later. I don't want to end up regretting this later."
Sam finishes by slumping into the other chair, right next to Dean. As much as Dean freaking hates chick-flick moments, he feels like right now, one is necessary. Because his brother has come an awful long way in the last couple of years, and most of it he credits to having a good girl like Jess to tell him that it's okay he's not perfect. Dean knows more than anything else that Sam is ready for this- Ready to finally make a change for the better.
"Sammy." He says. He stands and turns to face his little brother before he crouches down, so he can look him in the eyes. "I want you to know something. Ever since you brought Jess home I've known that she was the one for you. I mean, when you look at her, you go full-on puppy eyes. It's kind of pathetic." Sam is smiling a little now, and the shaking has almost stopped. Dean received a playful hit in the arm, which he ignored. "You need someone like her, man. You worry that this isn't the right thing to do, but that's only because for once, you're doing something that's good for you. You deserve this. You deserve Jess. You love her."
Sam takes a deep breath and nods his head, eyes filling with affection for his brother. Dean stands up and offers Sam a hand, which his brother takes and uses to pull himself up. He pushes him behind a small, fan-like piece of wood and paper intended to give Sam privacy while he changes. Dean thinks it might be the funniest thing he's ever seen because Sam's entire face sticks out over it; it was clearly intended for somebody who was not a moose.
While Sam is changing, Dean thinks about his own words- Sam loved Jess. He'd been thinking more and more that he might- just might- be in love with Cas. And maybe his own words applied to him- Maybe he needed something that was good for him. Maybe Cas was good for him.
Jess is gorgeous as she slowly walks down the aisle. Dean sees from his position as the best man that Sam's eyes are tearing up. He feels overwhelmingly happy for his little brother.
He feels a small nudge at his side as Cas momentarily brushes against him- They decided that he could be up front with Dean, sort of as a second-best man. Cas and Sam had grown exceedingly close in the last few months, their relationship blooming quickly into a strong bond of mutual friendship that Dean tried his hardest to understand. Cas just seemed to fit well in their group.
Dean looks up, at the various snowflakes hanging from the ceiling reflecting a million tiny rainbows across the all-white room. Fake snow was everywhere; it really was a winter wonderland wedding. Heh, try saying that five times fast. Dean tore his eyes away just in time to see Jess walking up the alter, and the first few tears trickle feebly down Sam's face.
Their vows were short, but heartfelt and self-written. Dean thought that he'd never seen Sam as happy as when he scooped Jess into his bear-sized arms and gave her a long, meaningful kiss. He might just vomit from how hideously sweet it all is.
As they run down the aisle, Dean and the others start to disperse. A couple of people throw hand fulls of rice at them as they run by, and Dean grabs Cas and pulls him out the side door of the church so they can avoid the onslaught. They laugh as they run out to the front, Dean practically shoving Cas into the limo that waited to take them to the park.
They had decided to do wedding pictures the day of.
The park was covered in a white blanket of snow, so beautiful and pristine Dean almost hated to soil it by stepping in it. What had to be done had to be done, though, and he trudged through the four inches like he would any other day.
The first few pictures were just sickeningly sweet shots of Sam and Jess, kissing under a tree or Sam holding her bridal style. After that, they slowly started pulling in other people; Dean and the maid of honour, and then slowly adding more and more from there. Eventually, the picture had ten people in it, and then it was time to start getting just a little more creative- Dean was freezing by this time, mind you.
They had everyone pair up- Dean had immediately gone to the maid of honour, knowing that was how it was supposed to be, but Sam quickly paired up the maid of honour with another bride's maid, and told Dean he wanted him to stand by Cas.
After that picture was taken, things started to go downhill. Dean's not sure who did it, or how they got up the balls to, but a snowball flew through the air. Sam flinched as it hit the back of his head, and he turned, slowly and menacingly, towards the direction it came from. As his back was turned, Jess gathered up a huge ball of cold, wet snow and shoved it down the back of Sam's shirt, causing his body to contort in ways Dean hadn't realized possible. While he was doubled over laughing, he felt a snowball hit him, and straightened up.
He looked immediately over to see Cas smirking, looking too cocky for his own dang good. Dean let out a low growl as he stooped to the ground, hands digging into the white fluff to gather it into a ball. He wished he had gloves, but forced himself to ignore the sting as he patted the substance.
As he was preparing it, Cas ducked behind a tree. Dean rushed and curved himself behind it, but Cas had vanished into thin air. He spent about ten seconds being thoroughly confused before a massive chunk of ice was shoved down his shirt, and he was doing a pretty darn close impression of Sam earlier. Cas was laughing, and backing away from him.
Son of a bitch went around the tree same time as I did. Dean thought, un-tucking his shirt so he could finally shake out the cold snow. He slowly stalked forward and Cas stayed where he was, waiting for Dean to crouch down and make a snow ball.
"You're gonna pay for that." Dean promised. Castiel's grin faded as Dean stepped a little bit closer, wondering why he hadn't made the snowball yet. Cas was hit upside the head with one from somebody else, causing him to immediately look towards the direction it had come from. This gave Dean the perfect chance.
He lunged forward, grabbing Castiel's wrists as they both landed against the ground in a hard thud. Dean had the advantage of surprise and managed to get Cas entirely pinned against the cold snow for about five whole seconds, before he found himself being pushed into the snow himself. Cas's hands escaped his grip and mimicked it on his own wrists, pinning them above Dean's head. Dean thought it vaguely reminiscent of how things went in the bedroom the night before.
He feels himself heat up as Cas leans down, his body sliding seductively against his partner's. One of his hands moves to hold both of Dean's wrists, and Dean is jerked back to the reality of what's happening.
He started to buck and squirm, but to no avail. He cried out as a huge handfull of snow was pressed to his neck, getting into the small gap between skin and fabric. He squirmed for a long time, yelling and squeaking (in a totally manly way) as he tried to throw Cas off. The cold burned a little and he started to feel a little bit of the snow soak through his jacket and paint his skin with cold water. He finally relaxed as Cas's hand pulled away, giving up trying to get loose. Or, at least, that's what Cas thought.
As soon as Cas let his guard down he flipped their positions again, wrestling briefly as he struggled to regain control. He finally pinned the other to the ground and paused. He knew that if he tried to attack with snow, Cas would be panicked enough to gain the advantage in strength again. So, he only saw one other option. Luckily, it was just as appealing as the first.
Dean leaned down to slowly and carefully brush his lips across Cas's, light and teasing touches. He felt warm breath ghost over his lips and Cas's head leaned up, eager. Dean chuckled and finally gave in, pressing his lips fully against his partner's. The warmth soon spread all through his body as he melted into the kiss, lips parting as his tongue slipped out to trace Castiel's mouth.
It opened for Dean and their tongues mingled like it was the first time. Dean's hands slipped from Cas's wrists, and he propped himself up on his elbows. Cas's hands soon enough tangled in Dean's hair, pulling him closer. Dean vaguely registered the clicking of the camera through the chaos, and he suddenly knows for a fact he wants a copy of this one- everyone else in chaos and happiness around them and Dean and Cas, clinging to each other in the midst. Their own little paradise.
Dean pulls away reluctantly. Unfortunately, he does still have to breathe.
The reception is where it's really at, though.
The hall is grand and spacious, marble floors and chandeliers hung with Christmas tinsel. There are several pine trees put up against the walls, some dusted with fake snow and others with ornaments hanging from every limb. There's mistletoe hung in several doorways, and the large cake Sam and Jess picked out has iced snow flakes. Everything about it reminds Dean that it's Christmas eve.
The music is mainly Christmas-themed. Other than the first, which is Sam and Jess's song, and they dance beautifully. Dinner is divine, and Dean doesn't think he'll ever forget the toast Sam made.
He stood, clinking his fork on his wine glass. Everyone turned towards him, the chatter dying down as they all realized the groom had something to say.
"I would like to thank everyone for coming. But, I have something even more important to say." He said. There was a quiet murmer and Sam waited until it died down again. He looked down at Jessica, devotion clear in his eyes. "Thank you, for saying yes. Not just tonight. No, you've said yes so many more times than that- yes to being my girlfriend, yes to moving in, yes to the thought of spending the rest of your life with me is just one in the many. I feel like everything in my life has been leading up to this moment- the fact that I know I'm going to spend it all with you. Thank you." He said, emotionally. "So, a toast, to Jess. My beautiful wife."
Glasses clincked and conversation resumed, Sam and Jess giving each other meaningful stares. Dean wonders briefly if he ever looks that in love when he looks at Cas. He decides that the answer is probably yes, and stopped dwelling on it.
Dean's never really been one for dancing. He's never been formal. However, when Cas offered him a hand to White Christmas playing softly from the speakers, his heart jumped into his throat. He couldn't say no; in fact, he couldn't say anything. He just slipped his hand into Cas's warm, comforting one and allowed himself to be pulled up and swept off to a little corner, where they would actually have a little bit of privacy.
Cas pulled him close and began to awkwardly sway. He clearly looked like he didn't know what he was doing, exactly, but Dean wasn't much better off. Their dance was fumbled through, and Dean's surprised he even made it. He thought about calling it off and going back to sit down about halfway through, but the feeling of Cas pressed up against his chest somehow made it worth it.
Cas pulled away a little, as the song slowly ended. Dean watched his eyes as they flickered to Dean's lips briefly, and his tongue darted out to lick his own. That was enough of a sign for Dean, who eagerly pressed their lips together. Cas's hands slid into his jacket this time, grabbing at his shirt and pulling him closer. Dean thought yet again about how much Cas meant to him; how he couldn't imagine life without this anymore.
So, later in the evening, he scouted out the place. Cas was busy talking to some random dude from Sam's college, so he could do so without being seen. He walked out of the main room, seeing a grand staircase and a sign warning that he shouldn't go up it. He decided to disregard the sign and swept back into the room, eyes hunting for his lover.
Finally, he spotted Cas. He walked back over to him and grabbed his arm, slowly tugging him away from his conversational partner. It was only after Cas had been moved back an entire foot that he turned, looking at Dean curiously with that fucking adorable head-tilt thing he does.
"Sorry, I need to speak with him for a moment." Dean addressed the man Cas had been talking to. He cut off his story (Dean assumed Cas hadn't done much talking in the conversation; he hadn't even noticed when Dean had first started to pull Cas away and Cas preferred to listen anyways) and nodded in acknowledgment, simply turning and going to search for someone else.
Dean pulls Cas's arm insistently, and Cas finally unfreezes, following him. Dean walked them through the crowd, dodging dancers and merrymakers, the smell of egg nog and ginger bread swirling through the air. He finally made it to the corridor and pushed Cas out of the room, following behind.
"Dean, what are you doing?" Cas finally asked. Dean smiled and shook his head, grabbing Castiel's hand and pulling him toward the grand staircase. The sound of their steps echoed as their feet hit the floor, the party seeming a million miles away in this place. Dean unlatched the velvet rope with the "DO NOT ENTER" sign on it and waved Castiel through. Castiel paused, eyes flickering to the sign. Dean almost thought he was going to try and talk him out of it, but Cas gave a deep sigh and said, "Why do I let you drag me into things like this?"
"Come on, nothing will happen." Dean teased him, as he stepped across the invisible line between where they were allowed to be and where they were not. Dean followed him and put back the rope, leaving no signs that the property had been altered. He grabbed Cas's hand again and trudged up the stairs, finding the eery quiet to be a little bit calming. If they were going to get caught, they would hear it way before it happened.
He pulled him a little faster, deciding on a whim to go right once they reached the top. As he turned, he spotted a glass door at the end of the hall, leading out to a small balcony, where the snow was still soft and fresh. He pushed through the curtains and pulled the door open, stopping to let Cas out first like the gentleman he was.
He stepped out onto the balcony and leaned against the railing next to Cas, eyes drifting to the sky. He scanned the stars, thinking that they were just a little bit brighter that night than they usually were. He was about to make the comment to Cas when he felt a warm hand wrap around his own and he looked over into eyes full of affection. Emotions rose up like a tidal wave and almost choked him even as the crisp air filled his lungs.
He thought about how much he and Cas had come through. Damn, it was a lot. They had been gaming partners to friends to partners to even more; Dean dared venture to call them soul mates. Everything with them had just seemed to click nicely into place, like a puzzle piece finally coming to rest in it's own home. He felt his mouth go dry as he gathered up all of his courage, courage to say what had been on his mind for some time now.
"I love you." He choked out, quietly. Cas smiled.
"I know." He responded back, and Dean would be damned if he wasn't glad in that moment that he'd shown Cas Star Wars. Because he was about to have a nerdgasm and Cas just looked so smug for the moment after that Dean almost forgot to be disappointed that he didn't say it back until he did. "And I love you, too."
"Cas," Dean said slowly. He was about to suggest something he'd never done with anyone before. It seemed a little fast to him, too, with them having only just known each other for six months, but still. He knew that it was the right thing to do. "How would you feel about moving in with me?"
"I think I would enjoy that. We should start tomorrow." Cas said, smiling just the smallest bit. Dean felt his heart being stolen for what felt like the thousandth time.
"You know, that's a great idea. And to celebrate, we're going on a road trip. I have the twenty sixth through the thirtieth off. How about we drive as far as we can go, in whatever direction we want, before we have to start going to your SCA crap?" Dean propositions. Cas nods his head.
"I'm up for it if you are." He provides. "Though I'm afraid I make terrible driving company on long trips."
"As long as you don't complain about my music, it'll be fine." Dean assured, clapping Cas on the shoulder. They both turned to go back inside, feet crunching against the snow again as they walk along towards the door. They both pause underneath it, Dean looking up. Cas followed his eyes, and he smiled just a little wider as he realized what was dangling above them.
Dean kisses him with all of the passion and want and emotion of their first kiss- the same wonder and shock and awe going through him. Cas's hands are just as eager as they run through his hair, and his leg is hot as it hikes up to grip his hip. He lets out a small moan, hands eagerly grabbing at any part of Cas he can touch.
They pull away again, and Dean feels like he's never going to get used to this.
He pulled Cas out of their own private corner and back to the party, warm and fuzzy and deciding he needed to do at least eight shots before he could prove himself manly again after all that affection.
NOTE FROM PRESENT-DAY ME: Firstly, you owe this chapter being put out today to a very kind reviewer who left a long review that I thought deserved a reward. Secondly, if you would like to view the poll and tell me anything about my stories, you still can. Go to my tumblr (mysticmoonhigh) and then copy and paste this onto the end: post/94144012911/okay-so-i-really-need-to-know-which-fanfic-to-do