A/N: I do NOT own anything. Sorry 'bout cha.

So..I wrote like crazy today and cranked out another chapter! Woohoo! Actually, I had it done about 4 hours ago, but then life got crazy and I just now got the chance to post it. Soooo...here it is! Enjoy!

Chapter 5- Day 3 (Thursday)

Thursday started off like any other day. Dean woke from an amazing dream starring a certain blue-eyed angel, showered, changed and made his way to his favorite café where he was sure to bump into the same blue-eyed wonder. It had become kind of routine in the short span of time the two had known each other.

He got his coffee, having a short conversation with Cas before he realized he was running late for work and had to depart. He arrived at the shop five minutes early somehow, only to realize that Bobby hadn't gotten there yet. It was odd because usually Bobby beat him there.

Dean stepped out of his baby, took a long pull from his coffee and got to work on opening up shop. He had just gotten everything opened and ready to go when his workers started walking through the doors. Charlie was rather chipper for it being so early and Dean had to chuckle at her enthusiasm. It was refreshing seeing so much spunk in someone, especially at this hour.

He walked into the office he shared with Bobby and started reviewing the schedule for the day. He opened his laptop, checked his e-mails, placed some calls regarding parts that hadn't been ordered the day before. He was basically done with everything that needed to be taken care of that morning when a grumpy-looking Bobby marched into the office and plopped down behind his desk, coffee in hand.

"Late night, Bobby?" He chuckled lightly as Bobby grumbled under his breath, already knowing the answer. He went through the routine of recording which parts were ordered and which ones he hadn't gotten around to yet, deciding to leave that to Bobby so he could make his rounds in the shop before any customers arrived.

He was just finishing up his coffee as Jo practically ran through the door, huge smile fixed on her face. "Mornin', Jo. Why are you so chipper this morning?"

Jo just waved him off and went back into the locker rooms to set her stuff down for later. She appeared a few minutes later, smile still stamped where it had been. Dean chuckled, figuring she'd spill sooner or later.

The morning went rather slow. There wasn't much business until later on around eleven. About noon, Jo was constantly checking her phone. Dean didn't really care if his workers used their phones while they were working, he did it too. Just as long as they got their work done and weren't distracted by it.

He raised an eyebrow at her as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. The cut on his arm had healed enough to where he didn't need that stupid bandage and he sure was happy to not have to wear it.

"Where's the fire, Jo?" Her head whipped up and her eyes narrowed at him in confusion. "What?"

He chuckled, gesturing to her phone. "I said, 'Where's the fire?' You're typing away like crazy. What's up?"

She shoved her phone back in her pocket and waved it off. "Oh, it's nothing really. Just catching up with an old friend is all. Hey, speaking of which, you wanna catch some lunch on break? I know this great place and it's not expensive."

He raised his eyebrows questioningly, suddenly rather suspicious, but decided to play along. "Sure, why not. It's always an adventure with you."

She fist-pumped the air before returning to the car she was working on. It was a good half an hour later, at least, by the time they were able to pry themselves from their work and go on break. Dean popped his head into the office.

"Hey, Bobby, Jo and I are going for lunch. Want me to bring you back anything?" Bobby shook his head, too distracted by the paperwork in front of him. Dean smiled before turning to leave. He figured he'd bring him back something anyway. The man would thank him later when he was hungry and food-less.

They walked out of the shop together and towards his baby. They hopped in and Dean drove out of the parking lot. "So, where to?" Jo pulled out her phone, checking her texts.

"Um, take a right on University. Then a left on Palaski. It's not far." Dean nodded as he popped in a cassette and Bon Jovi's Dead or Alive started blasting through the speakers, making him smile and sing along.

Jo shook her head at Dean. "Bon Jovi? Really, Dean?" Dean looked at her and shrugged.

"What? Bon Jovi rocks. On occasion." She rolled her eyes but started singing along as well. Who could resist when it was playing so loud.

They arrived at the little restaurant a few minutes later and Dean pulled into a parking spot. Immediately he recognized a car parked a few spots over. "Hey, isn't that Gabe's car?"

Jo looked where he was looking and her smile widened. "It is! Maybe he and Sam are on a date. Oooh! Maybe he brought Cas with him! Let's go in and see if we can sit with them!"

Suddenly Dean had a sinking feeling that she had already known that Gabe would be here. He stared after her as she climbed out of the impala and started towards the building, impatiently looking back at him.

He sighed before climbing out as well and jogging to catch up with her. They walked inside and immediately spotted Gabe and Cas sitting across the restaurant sitting at a table for four. Gabe looked up as the door opened and waved them over.

When they got closer, he yelled, "Hey guys! What in the world are you doing here? Slow at the shop today?"

Dean rolled his eyes, already suspecting that Gabe and Jo were in this together and had planned to meet up. He wasn't as slow as they thought.

"Nah, Jo wanted to go for lunch on break. Dragged me down here. Haven't the slightest clue why though." He shot a look at Jo, letting her know that he was onto her. She blushed slightly before shrugging as if to say, "What can you do?"

Gabe smiled, pulling out the chair next to him. "Join us! Plenty of room! And we can all catch up."

"We wouldn't want to intrude, would we, Jo?" Before he could finish his thought, Gabe jumped in. "No! Nonsense! You wouldn't be intruding at all. We were actually just talking about you lot." He sent a wink towards Cas who blushed slightly. He looked up at Dean with a look conveying that he had figured it out as well. They'd both been tricked into coming here for lunch, they just didn't know the full reason yet.

"It is quite alright, Dean. You both are more than welcome to join us." Jo squeaked in excitement and quickly took the seat next to Gabe, making Dean sit next to Cas.

"So, Dean-o, how are things at the shop?" Dean looked up at Gabe, still trying to figure out exactly their plan here.

"Things are going well actually. We've been getting a lot of business lately." Gabe nodded, somewhat distracted. "Good, good. Well, the more poor bastards who are mechanically ignorant the more business, right?"

Dean's brow furrowed, not quite sure how to answer that. Cas, thankfully, jumped in to save him. "That's not very nice, Gabe, calling yourself a poor bastard. We all know how inept you are when it comes to cars."

Gabe choked on his water, clearly not expecting that from his little brother. Dean burst into laughter and threw a smile Cas's way. They both sat there chuckling as Jo and Gabe exchanged a quick look, almost being missed by Dean. Almost.

Jo reached into her pocket as her phone started to go off. "Hello? Oh hey, Bobby. What? Oh yeah, that's fine. I'll be right there." She hung up the phone and looked sheepishly around the table. "Sorry, folks. Looks like I'll have to take a rain check on lunch. I guess the shop suddenly got swamped with customers and Bobby needs me to come back and help out the newbs. Have fun!"

She was standing and about to move away when Dean was about to get up. "Guess that means I'll be going back too." She pushed his shoulder down, forcing him back into his chair.

"No, no, you can stay. Bobby just needs one person and I'm not that hungry anyway." Dean's brow furrowed. "Jo, I drove. How are you going to get back to the shop?"

Suddenly Gabe's phone went off as well. "Heya, Samsquatch. Out of class early? Hm, yeah, that's fine. I'll be there in ten." He looked over at Dean and Jo as he ended the call. "I'll give Jo a lift back to the shop, Dean-o. Don't worry about it. That was your baby brother and he wants me to pick him up anyway. Car broke down or something. Who knows. Probably just an excuse to see my sexy ass. He does quite admire it, if I do say so myself."

Dean held his hands up. "Whoah there. I would really rather not know what my little brother admires. How about you keep that information to yourself."

Gabe rolled his eyes as he jumped up, grabbing Jo by the arm. "We'll see about that." Cas spoke up, "Wait, you drove as well, Gabriel. How am I going to get back to the school?"

"I'm sure Dean-o here can drive you. See you later, kids. Oh, and play nice. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He sent a wink in Cas' direction, causing him to blush, and they quickly moved away.

They both watched as they walked out of the restaurant and into the parking lot. Without turning to Cas, Dean said, "How long do you think it took them to come up with that?"

Cas shook his head. "I'm guessing a couple of days. I'm surprised it hasn't happened sooner."

Dean chuckled, finally looking back at Cas with a smile on his face. "I hope she realizes that I'm her boss and can make her life hell if I want to." Cas laughed and nodded, agreeing. "Yes, and I believe Gabe has forgotten that I live with him and am very capable of making it difficult to be at home."

They laughed and started to swap stories of what they could possibly do to the two of them to get back at them. They started throwing Sam and Bobby into the mix, knowing that they were in on whatever plan they were scheming.

They ordered their lunch and were still laughing when it arrived at their table. Dean was glad that Jo and Gabe had been scheming. It gave him a chance to really get to know the guy who'd practically been the main topic in his mind that wasn't in a bar setting or for a couple of minutes in a crowded café. He rather enjoyed being with Cas. He thought that maybe he would feel awkward given the situation and barely knowing the guy, but he was oddly comfortable.

He normally didn't get comfortable around anyone for a while, which made this even more strange. Every time he was around Cas it seemed he had a smile on his face. He smiled more in the past few days then he had in the past month or so. Sure, he'd been satisfied before, but he'd never been really happy.

He'd been satisfied with his business, with how his job at the bar was going. He'd been satisfied with his living situation and with his friends. But he'd never been truly…happy. He hadn't woken up with a smile on his face like he had in this past week. He hadn't sung in the shower like he used to. He wouldn't whistle while he worked like he was getting into the habit of doing more and more.

He was just all-around happier. And he wasn't even dating the guy. They were only friends and yet his man was making him so much happier than he had been before he knew the guy existed.

They shared stories about what it was like living with their brothers. That was when they realized just how close they lived to each other. Dean had never gone over to Gabe's apartment, though Gabe was frequently at theirs. There was no reason for him to know where Gabe's apartment was. He and Sam had only been together for about three months now and hadn't had a reason to go over there. Until now that is.

They only lived about two blocks from each other with their favorite café smack-dab between the them. They also realized that they shared that in common, the café being their favorite.

It seems they had a lot in common, more than either though originally. They both lived with their brothers due to previous relationships, they were both quite passionate at what they did for a living, they both had homophobic fathers and quiet mothers. The list seemed to go on and on.

Cas shared his love for classic cars, which seemed to win him over instantly. Dean went on and on about how he'd inherited his baby '67 chevy impala from his father when he was sixteen and how he'd rebuilt her from the ground up several times.

When Cas asked why he'd had to keep rebuilding her, Dean looked down at the beer he was drinking. "She's been in a few accidents. A couple major ones too. The worst one happened a couple of years ago. I was on my way home from the shop one day, this was before I started at the Roadhouse. I was sitting at a stop light, waiting for it to turn green. I'd just dropped Jo off. Hell, I was still in view of her house so she saw the whole thing. I was on the phone with Sam too, so he about had a heart attack listening on the other end. The light turned green, so I went. The next thing I know glass was flying everywhere. Some guy driving a truck was texting, not paying attention. He hadn't noticed the light turn red and went right through it. Of course, he'd also been speeding. I guess he was running late for something, I was told later. He drove the impala through the intersection and slammed her into the cars waiting on the other side. It was a five-car accident with the impala smack in the middle. Thankfully, the brunt of the hit was just passed the driver's side door. Otherwise, I doubt I would have survived."

He paused for a long moment. Long enough to have Cas wondering if he had ended his story or if he was going to continue. He seemed that his mind was stuck back in the impala, back in that memory.

"I remember hearing the sounds of crunching metal, shattering glass. Then a car alarm going off somewhere kind of distant. I couldn't move. I heard Sam yelling my name through my phone, but I didn't know where it was. It'd fallen in the crash, slid out of reach. A minute later I heard Jo calling my name, yelling for someone to call 9-1-1. The impala was so totaled, the only way to get to me was to pry open the windshield. I remember feeling like I was somewhere else. Like, it was happening to me, but it wasn't at the same time. I could hear the sounds, hear the voices, but I couldn't feel anything. I kept thinking, 'Where's Sam? Is he okay?' And then the same about Jo. They were both still calling my name, so I guess some part of my brain thought they had been in the car too or something. I don't remember much after that. I must have passed out or something. I know I lost a lot of blood. Jo told me that when they finally got me out, I wasn't breathing. Four months later when I woke up, she told me I'd been in a coma. That was the only time I'd ever seen her cry. Sam had stopped going to school. I was told he stayed in the hospital room, rarely leaving. Jo said that the doctors had lost hope. That they were certain there had been too much brain damage from the collision. They had suggested taking me off life-support, but Sammy wouldn't have it. He refused to give up, said I would make it through. Hell, Mom and Dad had even given up. Dad had tried reasoning with Sammy, saying it was costing too much to keep me on life-support with there being no hope, that he needed to let go, move on. If it hadn't been for his damn stubbornness, I'd be dead right now."

A soft smile played at his lips as he looked up at Cas. "I never thought I'd see the day where I'd actually be thankful for that kid's stubbornness. He's like a damn moose. Stubborn as hell. Have you seen that kid in a debate? Damn. I've never known anyone that stubborn."

Cas chuckled, thinking about what it would be like if he'd never gotten to know Dean, about how Sam would be if he'd lost his brother to that accident. He really didn't want to think about it.

"So what did the doctors say when you woke up suddenly?" Dean smiled and took a sip from his beer.

"They said it was a miracle. They had been certain that I was a goner. Of course, in front of the family they said they'd always held out hope, but you could see it in their eyes how shocked they were to see me awake. I don't know how many scans and tests they ran on me. Said there was no real brain damage, whatever the hell that means. For a few days after I woke up, I got a few things mixed up. Like, I thought I was the one in college and Sam was the one who had his own business, things like that. The doctors said it was surprising I didn't have more after affects. That's actually why I got the job at the Roadhouse. With me being in a coma for four months and Bobby the only one running the place, it became too much to handle for one person. It went downhill a bit, not his fault though. When I was able to get back to work, the shop just wasn't bringing in enough money. Jo's mom, Ellen, offered me the job at the Roadhouse, so I took it. Then I met Gabe. Of course, as soon as he met Sammy he was hitting on him left and right. That was back when he still thought he was straight though. He was engaged to a girl named Jess. Sweet girl, I liked her, but of course it didn't work out."

Cas nodded, taking everything Dean said in, letting it soak into his brain so he'd remember every detail. He didn't figure Dean was the type to really open up like this often, or at all really, so he was taking in everything while he could.

"So, what happened between Sam and Jess?" Dean smiled, thinking about the time when his little brother had claimed to be straight.

"She knew. She knew all along that he didn't quite play for that team. I think she figured that maybe she could persuade him to switch teams. I don't know for sure what the hell she was thinking. Hell, she even asked me one day if the kid was gay. I told her he wasn't out of the closet as far as I knew, but that's all I knew. He thought he was in love, so he proposed. I was happy for him, but I knew it wouldn't last. She was there for him the entire time I was in the coma, so I think that played a big part. A few months after I started at the bar, they came in for a drink. She saw the way he kept glancing over at Gabe. I guess that's when her suspicions were confirmed. A few days later, she returned his ring, packed her bags, and was gone. Haven't seen her since. He was a wreck when she left, of course, but he got over it. Still took him a while to finally come out and even then it took him a while to be comfortable enough to date someone. I think it helped that he knew I played for the same team."

Cas nodded, smiling. "I am sure it did. I know it helped that Gabe had already come out when I did. Of course, I came out at a much younger age, so I had to deal with juvenile high schoolers."

Dean nodded knowingly. "Oh, I know just how that is, believe me. I came out my sophomore year. Let's just say that the kids at my high school were a bit homophobic."

Cas winced. "I can see that. There was an incident my junior year where the other kids had an obsession with spray paint and lockers. It was not a fun semester."

Dean smiled, looking at Cas as he took a sip of his beer. "I was on the receiving end of one those one time. Let's just say they thought twice about it the next time." He glanced down at his watch and his eyes widened. "Holy shit, I should have been back at the shop half an hour ago. They're probably swamped. We should get going."

Cas nodded, finishing his drink and standing up. He was pulling out his wallet as Dean rolled his eyes. He walked over to the counter and paid for their meal, earning him an eye roll from Cas. They left the restaurant together and walked over to the impala. "Wow, this is your car, Dean? It looks this nice after being repeatedly rebuilt?"

Dean smiled lovingly at his baby, nodding. "She does. Perks of owning a mechanics shop and knowing what you're doing. This is my baby."

Cas smiled over at him and watching the pride that showed on Dean's face as he took in his car. Dean looked up to see Cas watching him and he blushed. He walked over to his door, opening it. "So, I'm taking you to the college?"

Cas emerged from his trance and moved to get into the car as well. He slid into his seat as he nodded. "Yes. I have one more class for the afternoon."

He nodded. "So how many classes do you teach?"

"I have six classes each week. One on Mondays and Wednesdays, two on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is rather nice since it gives me a three-day weekend and plenty of time to keep up with assignments."

Dean nodded, occasionally looking over at him. They made small talk, sharing the little details about their everyday lives until Dean pulled up into a parking spot in front of the college.

He looked over at Cas with a smile on his face. "Well, here we are." Cas nodded, wishing they had more time, but knowing it wasn't possible since they both had to go back to work.

"I had a nice time, Dean, even if it was conspired by our loved ones." Dean chuckled, nodding his head in agreement.

"Yeah, definitely. Will you be at the bar tonight?" Cas smiled, knowing that he would, in fact, be going to the bar tonight, but he wanted to see how Dean would react.

"I am not sure yet. It depends on how well-behaved my next class is, among other factors."

"Oh. Yeah, I can understand that. Well, I, uh…I hope you're able to make it." Cas's smile widened as Dean tripped over his words, sounding a bit disappointed at not knowing for sure if he would see Cas later.

He opened his door, stepped out, and shut it. Before he walked away, he leaned down through the open window and gave Dean a warm smile.

"Thank you for the ride, Dean." Before Dean could respond, he was already walking away towards campus. Dean smiled to himself, wondering if he would get to see him later. He hoped so.

Ten minutes later, he walked through the doors to the shop and was assaulted with questions the second he was through the door.

"Where the hell have you been? How was lunch? How's Cas? Did you drop him off at work?"

Dean held his hands in the air. "Whoah, slow down. One question at a time, Jo, jeeze. We lost track of time, that's why I'm late. Lunch was good, thank you very much. Cas is fine. And yes, I dropped him off at work. Now, do you want to tell me why the hell the four of you schemed for us to have lunch together? I'm perfectly capable of asking the dude out myself, you know."

Jo snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sure you are. If you were, you would have done it already. You've had plenty of opportunities and yet here you are. Still single. Now where's the fun in that?"

Dean walked through the shop and into the office, setting a bag filled with a burger and fries down on the desk in front of Bobby who looked up gratefully. "I don't want to rush anything, okay? We're both dealing with a lot of shit at the moment, if you hadn't noticed. He's dealing with that douche-wad, Jason, and his classes and I'm dealing with Henrickson and my dad. You really think it's a smart idea to get into a new relationship when there's already a lot going on? On both sides?"

Jo plopped herself down into the side in front of Dean's desk. "For one, his classes are a normal thing, he's used to dealing with them. And the Jason thing is new. Besides, he can't deal with that alone, you know that. He needs you for that one. You know, since you're the one who can actually scare the bastard off? For two, he can probably help you with your dad. Having someone there helps a lot, you know. And with Henrickson…likewise, he could probably help with that too. Boyfriends are good for relieving stress." She threw him a wink which earned her an eye roll.

Bobby looked over at the two as he ate his lunch. "You know, she's right, Dean. I've only met the guy once and it's obvious he's different. You know I'm always here for you, but you have to sack up and go for it. We can't do all your work for you, you know. Just get off your ass, quit your complainin' and go for it, ya idjit."

Dean looked between Bobby and Jo for a moment before looking away from either of them, lost in his own little world.

He'd never been so comfortable around someone in his entire life besides Sam and Jo. Even back in the impala when they were only making small talk, it was comfortable. Back at lunch he'd opened up to the guy and told him things he'd never told anyone, not even Sammy. Sam didn't know anything about the accident that the cops or the doctors had told him. He didn't know how much Dean knew or how long he'd been awake. They all thought he'd lost consciousness during that first collision. He hadn't even meant to tell the entire story, it'd just slipped out.

At first, he'd expected to find a look of pity on Cas's face when he'd told him. That's why he didn't tell anyone. He didn't want their pity. But when he'd looked up at Cas finally, there was empathy, not pity. There was understanding and kindness. All the things he hadn't been expecting to find. That's what had motivated him to keep talking, to finally let it all out. And it had felt so good to finally be able to tell someone about it.

That's when realization suddenly struck him. Cas really was different. He wasn't like the normal guys you found who were only interested in sex and having you as arm candy. He actually valued relationships and everything that came with them. He was kind, generous, thoughtful. He was passionate about what he did, caring, and strong-minded. He was everything that Dean needed in his life.

He turned back to Jo, finding that her and Bobby had been watching his inner turmoil. "Okay."

Her eyebrows came together in confusion. "Okay?"

He nodded, looking back and forth between the two of them before smiling and standing, heading towards the door. "You heard me. I said okay." He walked out into the garage and got started on a car that had just come in. He needed to keep his hands busy as he worked through a plan of his own to win over Cas's heart. He didn't know exactly how he was going to do it, but he knew that tonight was too early. He wouldn't have enough time to prepare since there was so much work to do at the shop.

Tomorrow, he thought, tomorrow I'm going to win him over.

What did you think about Day 3? Let me know! Review or send me a pm. Thanks! =)