"You two dating now?" Dean asked, his head subconsciously moved to the beat of Black Sabbath's Iron Man that was playing on an old beat up radio. Castiel, Dean, Sam, Gabriel, Jo and Benny huddled around a bonfire on Benny's family farm. Benny wanted to have one last outdoor get-together before it became too cold.
"If you define dating as Sam cross examining me nightly then yes, we're dating." Gabriel said innocently. Everybody around the bonfire groaned at the innuendo while Sam just covered his face.
"What?" Gabriel looked around before a sly grin formed. "He also inspects my briefs…"
"God Gabe, stop!" Sam, face red from embarrassment, glared at the shorter man who just blew him a kiss.
Castiel leaned against Dean's shoulder, watching Sam and Gabe bicker back and forth acting as if no one was aware of Sam's hand on Gabriel's thigh under the blanket they were sharing. Castiel bit back a smile as he watched the soulmates. He was glad that they had seemed to form a connection and according to Balthazar, it had seemed to have taken root and would grow stronger with time.
Despite all of this, he still couldn't prevent the sting of jealous that God ordained that they were the rare individuals that would have each other through the lifetimes while Castiel would only have Dean for this one brief life.
Castiel shivered but it wasn't the late October wind that had invaded the backyard causing the fallen leaves to twirl around briefly in the air before floating back down to the ground that had made him shiver.
Dean's arms slipped around Castiel's waist, pulling him closer into his warmth.
"Are you okay?" he asked, green eyes glinting with concern. Castiel sighed and pushed his maudlin thoughts to the side and smiled up into Dean's freckled face.
"I'm fine, just a little chilly."
Dean leaned down to whisper into Castiel's ear. "If you need warmed up, we can sneak out to the Impala and we can…" Dean let the sentence trail off meaningfully.
Castiel rolled his eyes and elbowed him in the side, but a smile still managed to peek through.
Dean laughed lowly in Castiel's ear, goose bumps erupting over his skin as Dean's warm breath fanned over his ear and neck.
"Oh god, you two aren't going to have sex out here, are you?" Jo giggled from across the fire. "I don't want to see Dean because ewww, you're like a brother, but Cas on the other hand…"
The glow of the fire cast a golden hue over Jo's face as she sent a salacious look toward Castiel, wiggling her eyebrows. A laugh was literally squeezed out of Castiel as Dean's arm tightened around him.
"Go home, Jo. You're drunk." Dean growled causing the whole group to break out into laughter, Castiel included.
"Ah Dean, you're so adorable when your jealous." Jo cooed. Dean threw a marshmallow at her.
"Hey! Don't waste them!" Gabriel cried out as he tried to grab the bag from Dean.
"Gabe, you've already had a bag to yourself and we haven't even made s'mores yet." Sam laughed as he watched Gabriel and his brother all but wrestle for the bag.
"I'm pretty sure there won't be any s'mores if judging by all the empty wrappers in the bag where the chocolate was supposed to be in." Benny added dryly, sitting on the ground, leaning casually against one of the logs that were circling the bonfire.
Gabriel stopped his struggles for the marshmallows when five sets of eyes turned to him.
"Damn it Gabe, you ate all the chocolate?" Dean asked in disbelief.
"What? I couldn't resist. It was calling to me like Sam's big…"
"Stop!" Everybody yelled in unison.
Gabriel looked around innocently. "Something wrong with me saying Sam has a big heart?"
Castiel dipped his chin to hide his smile because he knew for once, Gabriel was actually being sincere. He couldn't see Sam's face clearly, but he was sure that the lawyer was blushing.
"Do you two have to be so sickening sweet? And don't think I'm not including you two in this." Jo pointed at Dean and Castiel. "There are still single people like me and Benny that have to suffer watching you."
"I don't think Benny will be single for much longer." Dean hinted.
"What!" Jo squawked, turning narrowed eyes at Benny.
"I have a date with Andrea next weekend." Benny shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal, but it was clear he was excited.
"Screw you, Lafitte. Can't believe you're abandoning me. Now I'm gonna have to deal with three couples. I'll turn into that spinster aunt with a houseful of cats." She groused, crossing her arms.
Castiel started to laugh, startling everybody around him since he tended to be the quiet one.
"What's that all about, honeybee?" Dean asked, eliciting a snort from Sam over the nickname.
"I simply applaud Gabe's ingenuity that he managed to shift the attention away from him and the chocolate."
Everybody's eyes turned back to Gabriel's guilty face.
"Damn it, Cas!" Gabriel exploded and glared in Castiel's direction. Castiel smirked, earning a chuckle from Dean.
"Deano, rein in your boyfriend." Gabriel pouted, but his lips trembled, fighting a smile.
Castiel and Dean both stilled at the comment. He looked over at Dean to find him staring back. Castiel never really thought of themselves as boyfriends even though he guessed they technically were. The word boyfriend didn't seem meaningful enough for how Castiel felt about Dean.
The same thought process must have been going through Dean's mind because a warm, calloused hand cupped the side of Castiel's face. Dean's face loomed over his, the firelight reflected in his eyes as his head started to lower, inching closer to Castiel's parted lips.
"Oh man, cool it on the eye porn guys!" Sam groaned.
Dean and Castiel pulled apart, the moment broken. Dean turned and scowled at his brother.
"Damn, I was really looking forward to s'mores. Oh well, guess we'll have to make do with these rum filled marshmallows I made. Had a feeling Shorty over there would eat the candy." Jo pulled out a container from the large picnic basket she brought to the bonfire.
"Hey, I resent that!" Gabriel grumbled before he made a lunge toward the container, but Dean beat him to it.
Castiel laughed as he watched the two men fight for the container, reaching in simultaneously grabbing as many of the marshmallows as they could.
Sam arched a brow toward Castiel. "I think we're going to have our hands full tonight with those two."
Castiel had a feeling that Sam was right.
"Come on, Dean, you just need to sleep it off." Castiel grunted as he maneuvered Dean's body into his apartment.
Sam's prediction ended up coming true. Dean and Gabriel consumed the entire container of rum soaked marshmallows and on top of what they drank afterwards, the drunken duo closed out the night singing around the bonfire much to the amusement of their perspective boyfriends and friends.
After Dean's rendition of Cherry Pie where he tried to grind up against a blushing Castiel who was trying to hide his erection from his new friends, figured it was time to get Dean home.
It took a while to convince Dean to let him drive the Impala, but he finally gave in. Well, more like passed out so the decision was out of his hands. In the end, Castiel just drove to his apartment since it was closer than Dean's house and now was straining with Dean's weight against his side.
"That was fun." Dean slurred as he leaned even more onto Castiel.
Castiel huffed. "Next time I'll make your brother carry your ass to bed. You're too heavy."
"You callin' me fat?" Even as drunk as he was, he still managed to sound indignant.
Castiel rolled his eyes and gave a sigh of relief when they made it to the bedroom. Castiel gave Dean a little push toward the bed where he was quickly falling back.
Of course he hadn't factored in that Dean refused to let go of him so he ended up landing on top of Dean's chest. Both men grunted at the impact.
Castiel sat up, straddling Dean's waist and stared down at him. "Get some rest."
Dean's hands clamped down on Castiel's thighs as he attempted to untangle himself from Dean's arms and legs.
"Answer me…you think I'm fat?" Dean's lower lip jutted out in a pout. Castiel tried hard to fight down his amusement. He leaned down and captured the lip with his teeth, tugging gently. Dean moaned and Castiel could feel a growing hardness underneath his ass.
"Don't be ridiculous. You're not fat, however…" He couldn't prevent the mischievous grin that split his face. "I find that I can't resist this…" Castiel ran his hand underneath Dean's shirt and caressed his stomach. It was one of the only spots on Dean that wasn't hard with muscle, but just slightly soft, most likely from having one too many slices of pie.
Dean frowned and tried to move Castiel's hand. "Don't play with my pudge." Dean grumbled, red staining his cheekbones.
Castiel leaned back and frowned. Dean was honestly embarrassed about his stomach. Dean was always so full of confidence and sexual energy, Castiel was shocked to find that Dean had insecurities of his own.
Castiel's eyes softened when Dean managed to shove Castiel's hand away and yank down his shirt. He turned his head away.
"Dean, look at me." Castiel had to fight a laugh when Dean childishly refused to meet his gaze.
"Dean…you are so incredibly beautiful to me, inside and out. I care more about what's going on in here," Castiel tapped Dean's chest, "than whether you have a six pack or not."
He could feel the tension leave Dean's body. Castiel leaned down again and whispered into Dean's ear. "Besides, your stomach feels so damn good when my dick's sliding against it when you're fucking me."
Dean's eyes were large, pupils rapidly overpowering green. "Fuck Cas, love when you talk dirty."
Castiel laughed low in his throat as he managed to finally untangle himself, getting off of Dean, much to Dean's protestation. He ignored the throbbing of his cock as he looked down at Dean sprawled out on his bed.
"Where you going? Come back." Dean whined.
"Go to sleep, Dean. I'll be in the living room."
"Don't I get a goodnight kiss?" Dean leaned up onto his elbows and gave Castiel an innocent look.
Castiel laughed and leaned down. Before his lips even made it to Dean's, a hand clamped around the back of his neck and pulled him down the rest of the way.
He gasped at the assault of Dean's mouth against his own, the kiss open mouthed and dirty. When Dean finally released him, he was already starting to drift off to sleep.
"Good night." Dean sighed out with a smile on his face.
After catching his breath, Castiel was able to return the sentiment. He almost made it to the door when Dean spoke again.
"Love you, Cas." he mumbled out drowsily.
Castiel froze. "What did you just say?"
When there was only silence, Castiel turned around, but Dean was already asleep.
Dean woke up a few hours later, disoriented and thirsty. He blinked to see he was lying alone in Castiel's bed, the room still dark. The red glowing numbers on the digital clock on the night table showed that it was 4:37 in the morning. Dean groaned as he sat up, rubbing his face, feeling the stubble rasp against his palms.
Dean was never eating Jo's marshmallows again. It just wasn't worth the headache and fuzzy memory.
He managed to get up and padded into the living room to make his way to the kitchen for some water. Dean stopped when he saw a shirtless Castiel sitting at his piano, moonlight streaming in from the window, giving the man the appearance as if he was glowing. He sat on the bench rubbing his palms over his denim clad thighs, not touching the keys.
"Cas?" he whispered as Castiel looked up and scooted over to make room for Dean on the bench.
"You should be in bed." Castiel whispered into the stillness of the room.
"I woke up and you weren't there. I was lonely." Dean didn't normally speak so frankly about feelings, but he found with Castiel, he could.
Big blue eyes looked up and into his. "Do you remember last night?"
Dean just had snatches of dancing, Castiel dragging him into the apartment and the warm weight of Castiel on top of him. "I'm 'fraid I don't remember much. Hope I wasn't too much of a pain in the ass."
Dean caught a quick look of disappointment cross over Castiel's face before it was gone. "No, more than you usually are." Castiel shot him a little smile causing Dean to nudge him with his shoulder.
Castiel smiled more fully before looking down at his lap. Dean watched as Castiel's fingers flexed into the muscle of his thighs as if restraining himself.
"When's the last time you played?" Dean asked, pressing his body closer to Castiel's.
"Just before I came home from college to take care of my father." Castiel answered, voice so low, Dean had to strain to hear him. Then a little louder, "You should go back to sleep, Dean. You need your rest."
"Play something to help me sleep." Dean said impulsively, hoping he wasn't overstepping a boundary, but he wanted to hear Castiel play and push him past whatever was causing him to stop something he obviously loved.
Castiel looked back at Dean, expression pained. Dean immediately felt guilty for pushing him.
"Sorry Cas, you don't have to…"
"No, no, it's okay. I want to." Castiel's expression changed from pained to melancholy. He took a deep breath and placed his trembling fingers on the ivory keys.
The first notes were soft and faint but as he started to get used to playing again, they became a little stronger. Dean recognized the song as an old Cass Elliot song. Then Castiel did something Dean wasn't expecting. He started to sing.
Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me
Castiel sang softly, the husky sound of his voice washing over Dean. As Castiel sang the second line, Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you", Dean shivered when Castiel looked straight at him. Dean felt like something had shifted between them and Castiel was trying to tell him something that he wasn't quite ready to say.
Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me
Dean watched as Castiel's fingers became more confident on the keys as his voice gained strength, holding a wealth of emotions behind it. Dean wrapped his arm around Castiel's waist and scooted closer.
Stars fading but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
Just saying this
Castiel's voice cracked slightly on the word kiss as Dean leaned over and nuzzled his neck, placing soft kisses on the tender flesh of his throat. Dean relished the feel of the vibrations of Castiel's singing against his lips.
Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me
As the last note faded, Dean could feel Castiel's whole body trembling. Dean's breath caught in the back of his throat when Castiel turned to face him, his lashes wet with tears.
Dean didn't say anything only cupped Castiel's face in his hands and kissed him chastely, letting his thumbs swipe gently underneath his eyes. Castiel's breathing became erratic, his voice on the edge of a sob, but he reined it in at the last moment.
"Come to bed with me." Dean whispered. Castiel nodded mutely.
Dean gave him one last lingering kiss before taking Castiel's hand and leading him to the bedroom.
So very sorry about the long delay. On the upside though, I have the rest of the story pretty much planned out so hopefully there won't be much time between updates. However, this particular chapter was an added one because I wanted just one last fluffy chapter because unfortunately, the next few chapters, trouble's about to begin.
Oh, and the song is Dream a Little Dream of Me. Cass Elliot's version is my favorite. :)
Sorry I didn't reply to the reviews this time around, but they are very much appreciated and make me very happy! :) Thanks so much for reading!