A/N: Turns out even writing fluff ain't a picnic. So, because I fell into the bear-trap that is real life, and left you all dangling for so long - here, have another chapter.

Another tedious day of heading back to Sam's place, the occasional shaft of sun creating bright reflections from the wet road. The good news was, they were almost there. Dean turned the radio down.

"Cas? What are you getting Sam for Christmas?"

Cas looked surprised under his red beanie. "I hadn't given it any thought." His lips pressed together as he gazed out the window, brow furrowed. He was clearly giving it thought now. Dean loved Cas' Serious Contemplation face. It kind of made him wish he had some mistletoe.

"Well, what are you giving me for Christmas?"

Cas turned and raised his eyebrows, making the beanie rise a little. The corners of his mouth curled up. "I think I give you quite enough as it is."

Dean smirked "Well then, put a gift tag on yourself and I'll unwrap you later."

"So the gift tag is what makes it different from any other day?" Dean felt Cas' hand slide up and down his thigh. He gave a pained sigh. "Seriously dude, we have to change the subject if I'm gonna keep driving safely." Cas laughed quietly, leaned over to kiss Dean on the cheek and squeezed his knee. "Very well."

"We'll stop before we get to Sam's and buy some gifts. And eggnog. And mistletoe…Where the hell do you buy mistletoe?"

-oOo-

Dean parked the Impala in the furthest corner of the department store parking lot. He wasn't risking any scratches and dents from shopping trolleys or those ridiculous urban SUVs. What could a soccer mom possibly do that needed a car that powerful? They strolled to the doors of the store where Dean gave Cas a list of people they were buying for.

"Okay. I'm going to shop, and you're going to shop, and we'll meet at the cash registers in half an hour, or when I lose the will to live - whichever comes first."

"Half an hour will be plenty of time. Who is 'Random'?" Cas frowned at his list, perplexed.

"That just means a gift for people who might turn up unexpectedly. Just get something generic, like a box of chocolates."

Cas nodded and gave Dean's shoulder a squeeze, aware of his aversion to shopping where pie wasn't involved. He strode into the store ahead of Dean.

A while later Dean was in the menswear section, hating himself while trying to decide if it was worse to get Cas underwear or an ugly sweater, when his phone rang. He turned the ugly sweater around trying to gauge if Cas would love it or hate it, while he answered Cas' call. "Hey. You finished already?"

"Yes. I'm waiting outside."

"We were supposed to meet at the registers."

"I didn't want you to see your gift."

Dean smiled to himself. "Okay, have it your way. I'll be out in a little while."

"Alright." Once upon a time Cas would have just hung up without acknowledging whether he had heard or agreed withDean's statement. Dean smiled dopily at his phone before putting it back in his pocket. He hung the sweater back up and headed to the jewellery and accessories section.

When he came out of the store, Dean was holding a large shopping bag and a carton of Southern Comfort eggnog.

"Here, you go and put this in the car." He handed Cas the keys and pressed the large bag and eggnog into his arms.

"Wait! Dean! Where are you going?"

Dean stopped part way into his stride and paused before saying, "…Getting... mistletoe?"

Cas frowned at Dean's evasiveness. "Florists, Dean. A girl in the store told me they sell it at florists."

"Excellent." Dean turned and strode off. Cas watched him for a moment, nonplussed, before juggling all of the items back to the car.

Eventually Dean arrived back, with a tiny sprig of mistletoe in hand. The interior of the car was cold. His reception from Cas was colder. Dean had been busy with more than just the mistletoe, and despite Cas' grumpiness - it was totally worth it.

-oOo-

Dean pressed the apartment number in the intercom and waited. Sam's tinny voice crackled from the speaker. "Dean! Come up!" There was a buzz and Dean pulled the security door open when he heard the click. Dean carried most of his and Castiel's luggage to try to get on Cas' good side again. Cas carried their recently purchased gifts and followed Dean up the stairs. Dean paused to grin down at Cas. "Enjoying the view?" Cas gazed at Dean, unimpressed. Dean sighed and continued up the stairs.

Sam whipped open the door before Dean could even knock. He held the door open grinning as Dean and Cas came in. "Here, put your stuff down over there." Sam motioned to a corner in the main lounge area they had just entered. From here they could see into the ugly, Nixon-era kitchen which joined onto the lounge, and the three doors all leading directly from the compact lounge: the bathroom, bedroom and guest room. It was tiny, but it was enough. Unfortunately it meant you always had to go through the lounge to get to the bathroom, but the rent was reasonable so Sam felt he could live with it. There wasn't a lot of natural light since the apartment was in one of the older buildings, surrounded by taller, newer buildings that blocked out the light, but Sam spent a lot of time outside the apartment anyway, so he was content.

"Have a drink." He brought a glass for each of them. "Holy water?" Dean questioned. "Just drink it, Dean." Dean shrugged and drank it. "You gonna test us with a silver blade next?"

Sam shrugged back at him. "Can't be too careful. Things aren't always what they seem. You know that."

Dean toed back the corner of the rug in the middle of the floor to reveal a painted Devil's Trap under it. He smiled and sat on the couch, putting his feet up on the old chest that served as a coffee table. "Ah!" he sighed, "Home, sweet home. There's nothing like a Winchester Welcome."

Sam corrected him. "Winchester's don't "welcome" people. You have to cross the threshold on your own steam, without invitation."

Cas looked around the room. "There are no decorations."

"Yeah… I thought you might like to help with that…" Sam glanced at Dean questioningly.

Dean grinned. "Awesome. You got a tree?" Sam blushed. "…Yes." He went to his room where they could hear rustling, thumping and the occasional swearing.

Dean turned to Cas while they had some privacy. He patted the sofa cushion beside him. "Cas, you can't stay mad at me. I'm sorry I took so long, okay?" Cas stared at him for a moment, then came and sat next to Dean stiffly. Dean quickly confessed, "I had to get some final gift stuff in secret. I couldn't let you come with me." Cas sighed tiredly and loosened his shoulders a little. "You could have told me." He leaned against Dean.

"I wanted it to be a surprise." Dean inhaled against Cas' shock of hair and exhaled with a satisfied hum. "Are we okay?"

Cas turned to face Dean and rubbed Dean's belly as if he was a cat. "Yes, Dean. We're okay." He kissed Dean's lips with smiling eyes. "We were okay while I was still mad at you."

Sam came back with a medium sized box. He opened it and pulled out something opalescent, white and fluffy. He pulled out an X-shaped stand with a cord attached to it. Then he pulled out the white, fluffy thing that looked like a magic fairy duster and pressed something at its base. There was a rustly "fwhump" and the small fibre optic tree opened like an umbrella as its branches sprang out. He plugged it into its stand and looked hopefully at Cas and Dean, who looked respectively fascinated and horrified.

"That. Is not a tree."

Sam ignored Dean and switched the tree on. The tiny optic fibres in its branches began to cycle through a glowing rainbow of colours, reflecting from the opalescent fake foliage.

"It's very pretty." Cas conceded.

Sam convinced Cas that making their own tree ornaments would be more in keeping with the holiday spirit. Dean accused him of penny pinching, which Sam admitted was probably the case.

After a few generous tumblers of 'seasoned' eggnog, which Cas declared to be too rich for him, Dean thought to ask, "Where is everyone? Are they coming?"

Sam waved a hand vaguely and expansively. "Not yet. Christmas Day. They're coming Christmas Day."

"Uh huh." Dean nodded sagely. Cas was threading multi-colored popcorn to garland the small tree with. "You've both had too much eggnog," he observed. "Nuh-uh," Sam denied, before declaring he was going to bed. He stumbled off to brush his teeth.

"Cas, d'you wanna go to bed?" Dean smirked, wiggling his eyebrows in what he thought was an enticing manner. Cas' mouth curled into a fond smile. "I'm finding this garland-making very soothing."

Dean's brows converged in confusion. "Is that a yes or no?"

Cas stretched his back and sighed comfortably. "In a little while, Dean. Go and get ready for bed."

Dean grinned. "'Kay." He leaned over from his seat to kiss Cas and nearly fell on him. Cas caught him and chuckled. "You're very endearing, when you're not being infuriating." Dean grinned complacently and licked his way clumsily into Cas' mouth. He tasted like nutmeg and alcohol and lowered inhibitions. Cas decided he'd better escort Dean to bed after all.