Dean comes back to the room alone with Sam's laptop under his arm. Talking with his brother had made him feel a lot better, enough to allow in the smallest bit of optimism. Optimism and Determination..
He closes the door and sees Cas awake and staring at the ceiling like he's contemplating the meaning of life or something equally heavy.
He darts his eyes quickly to Dean as he enters then returns them upward.
"You're back."
"You're up."
"I'm feeling more myself."
Dean stops and gets a shot of panic. "Still stranded though, right?"
"Yes it will be several days, as I said."
Dean nods and continues walking towards the tv.
Cas sits up. "Where is Sam?"
"Was kinda getting crowded in here. He got another room but he wants to talk to you later if it's alright."
"I doubt I'll be much of an opponent at the moment."
"I said talk, not fight. We worked it out. I.. explained some stuff to him."
Cas looks incredulous but Dean just smiles and grabs the two wires he'd brought with him.
"What are you doing?"
"Well you've got to be bored." Dean talks over his shoulder as he plugs them in behind the tv. He makes sure to lean over extra far to do it.. just to see. When he turns around, Cas' eyes were definitely lower and he's flush.
He swallows. "I am more patient than you, Dean. I can stand to lie quietly for longer than ten minutes at a time."
Dean rolls his eyes. "Thanks." He grabs the control and sits on the edge of the bed, finding the auxiliary channel.
"Dean, stop. I thought I made myself clear-"
Half turning to face him, Dean says "Yeah and I heard you. You don't want any of this hot body. Fine. But dammit Cas, we were friends.. as close as family. I'm not gonna let you just take off over the horizon and leave it this way." It had started out playful but ended gruff and too harsh.
Cas just frowns as if he wasn't sure what Dean was planning or trying to see the trick.
"Dean.."
"Please Cas, let's just sit here for a while and watch some tv, ok? You're grounded from any flight plans anyway. Let me just spend some time with you."
Dean sees him tilt his head and he has to turn away from the familiar gesture. He busies himself connecting the other end of the wires into the laptop. When Cas doesn't try to stop him again he adds, "Besides you're stuck here so it's not like you have much choice."
"You don't think so?"
Dean ignores the pulse in his dick that the challenging words give him. "So, uh anyway, Charlie said you remind her of Spock.. and before you even say it, I know you don't know who that is. I figure we'd start with some Star Trek, that way when.. if you ever see Charlie again you'll get what she's talking about."
He turns back to the laptop and hits play on the video file. He'd picked the new movie since they were short on time. Maybe if things went well he'd be able to introduce him to Shatner.. if they were at a better place one day. In the meantime, Dean was going to make it his mission to give him a crash course in the best movies had to offer. Maybe he'd pick up some of the references Dean is always quoting.
"You'll like Spock. He's sorta a kindred spirit." Dean smirks at the thought of Cas with pointy ears and angled eyebrows. "And the green-skinned Orion slave chick isn't half bad to look at either."
"Green-skinned?" Cas asks like he can't help his curiosity.
Dean grins, not facing him. "You'll see." He leans back on his elbows and watches from the end of the bed. Cas remains blank-faced up by the headboard. He's mostly quiet through the movie but Dean notices his eyes widen when Kirk gets busy with the half-naked green girl and feels him tense during the battle scenes.
The credits roll as Deans asks, "So what'd ya think?"
With no emotion Cas says, "I think we have watched a movie together and now it's done."
"Oh c'mon. You can enjoy it and I'll still respect you in the morning."
"Will you please leave me alone in peace now?"
"Do you need to rest?"
"No."
"So Ghostbusters or Back to the Future?"
Cas sighs, exasperated. "This will not change anything, Dean."
"Ghostbusters. Good choice."
Dean clicks on the next movie without another word. He hears Cas breathe out through his nose in annoyance behind him.
They're almost halfway through the movie when he hears, "You seem to have an obsession with green-skin."
Dean laughs and looks back at him. "Slimmer is a ghost that's made up of Ectoplasm. It's not skin. Pay attention. There will be a quiz."
Cas folds his arms and mutters about the ridiculousness of green ghosts but continues to watching.
Sam comes in with a takeout bag near the end. Dean looks between the two and gets up.
"Hey, I'm gonna grab a quick shower."
"But a giant marshmallow ghost is laying siege to the city."
Dean keeps a straight face but it's hard. "It's not a ghost. I'll explain when I get back."
Grabbing some clothes, he shuts the bathroom door. He hears the muffled sound of voices as he turns on the water. Hopefully they'll be able to reconcile. If anyone could, it's Sam. He's great with empathetic hallmark moments.
After his shower, Dean pulls on the baggie sleep shorts he found at the bottom of his duffel bag. Towel-drying his hair he considers for a moment before rolling the shirt he brought in up in the wet towel. Couldn't hurt.
When he walks out, the look Cas lets cross his face before he can close it off is worth it.
Cas busies himself with opening his burger in his lap, avoided Dean's obviously naked chest. "Your brother left food."
"Awesome, I'm starving."
He sits up by Cas at the headboard this time. Cas eyes him wearily but only takes a bite of his food. After chewing and swallowing, he says "Explain the Marshmallow Ghost now."
After they finish the second movie, Dean is yawning and clicks off the tv. They are both quiet while their eyes adjust and Dean finally says he needs sleep.
"How's the wounds?"
Cas lifts up his shirt to press at the bandages. "I believe they are steadily healing."
Dean gives him a devilish smile and Cas drops his short back, frowning.
"Were you just asking so that I would bare my chest?"
"Guilty. But I am glad you're doing better."
Cas looks away but Dean catches the twist of his lips.
"Well, see you in the morning."
Dean moves to Sam's old bed and stretches out on his back with hands behind his head. It's hard not to think about the angel only 10 feet away that he's done seriously sinful things with.
"Dean?"
"Yeah, Cas?"
"Are you planning to watch movies tomorrow as well?"
"Do you want to?"
"I thought my feelings on the matter were irrelevant."
Dean sighs. "You always have a choice, Cas. You know that better than anyone."
There's silence after that and Dean finally rolls onto his side. He's almost asleep when he hears a soft, "Goodnight, Dean."
If Dean had been awake, he would have seen Cas staring at him most of the night like he was trying to figure him out. But Dean slept soundly for a whole 5 and half hours, until the sun shone in through the curtains and woke him.
Rolling over, Dean sees Cas facing the ceiling again, bent arm behind his head. Squinting because his eyes refuse to take the harsh morning light yet he asks, "Get any sleep?"
"I don't need to anymore."
"Oh, well that's good, right?"
"Yes."
Dean sits up and twists his neck to loosen any kinks. "You wanna go get some breakfast? This place has a free one before 10am."
"You know it is unnecessary for me." He says watching Dean stretch before turning his eyes upward again.
"Bacon is necessary. Need to change clothes first?"
"This will be sufficient."
Dean was kinda happy Cas was still in his clothes. Some caveman-ish territorial throwback that he can't help reveling in just a little bit. And if Cas didn't have to sleep, he most likely didn't have to shower like the lowly humans anyway. Dean searched his bag for some clean clothes and goes into the bathroom to finish his morning necessities.
When he comes out, he waits while Cas takes slow steps around the room, hunching in on himself. After a few more minutes, his posture straightens and he stops holding his side.
"Ok so you wanna put your shoes back on?"
"No, this will be fine."
"Cas, you're barefoot."
"It's less confining. Do you not want your bacon?"
"Alright. Whatever."
They walk along the motels cement sidewalk until Dean pauses to beat on a door on the way and yell "Breakfast!" They continue walking until they find a room with a small kitchen. There's a several covered dishes laid out with coffee, juice and thank Chuck, bacon.
Cas was getting some odd looks from the few guests that had been tempted out of their rooms. His hair was sticking up from being in bed for 2 days and he had a little more stubble than usual. He was still in Dean's sweat pants, slung low on his hips despite the tied draw string, a faded Van Halen tshirt and no shoes. He looked rumpled and.. fucking hot. Dean kept getting preoccupied with the way the pants were resting on his hipbones as he pointed out things for Cas to add to his plate.
They sat at one of the picnic tables outside. Dean got a bit lost in watching Cas' mouth until he looked up from experimentally nipping on bacon.
"What?"
"I didn't say anything." Dean speared an egg and avoided his eyes.
Out of his peripheral, he caught Cas' head tilt and little satisfied smile. Dean squinted his eyes but now Cas was the one not meeting them.
"Did you just fucking read my mind?"
"Of course not, Dean." Cas says, almost convincingly except the way he's still not looking up. He seems very interested in poking at his eggs.
Dean focuses on when he'd given Cas a blowjob and tries to put as much sensory memory into the thought as possible. He was on his knees in the grass with Cas pushing down his throat. He'd just come and Cas was almost there. Dean thought he'd looked fierce and powerful. In control even as he was about to lose it. Fingers so tight in his hair. He was watching Cas' face above him. His eyes would clench as if in pain. Mouth dropping open. Breath hitching.
Cas gasps across the table from him. Dean smirked evilly when he saw his pink cheeks and widened pupils. When he bites his lip, looking suddenly overwhelmed, it gives Dean a shot of pride.
"You wanna know something, just ask. I'm an open book."
Dean innocently takes a bite of pancakes and licks syrup off the corner of his mouth as indecently as possible.
When Sam sets his tray of food down on the table next to Cas, he jumps.
"Hey, you alright, Cas?"
"Yes." Cas said, glaring off towards the parking lot.
As he pours cream into his coffee, Sam asks, "How you healing up?"
"I will be able to leave within a day." He says still looking away.
Sam flicks his eyes up to Dean then back to his food. Dean just sighs and puts his fork down.
"Nice shirt, by the way." And there's amusement in Sam's voice.
"It belongs to Dean."
"Yeah I figured." Sam reaches over and lays a folded map next to his brother's plate. When Dean raises his eyebrows, Sam nods.
"Cas, you done?"
"Yes."
"Then let's go."
After waving goodbye to Sam, Dean walks off towards the Impala. Cas follows behind. Once they're on the road a few minutes he asks, "Where are we going?"
"Not too far. Just a change of scenery."
Cas doesn't say anything else but looks out the window as they drive. Dean checks the folded map a few times with one hand on the steering wheel. About 40 minutes later, he curses as he stops abruptly then reverses to pull down a dirt road. They drive another 10 minutes before Dean slowly pulls off next to a dense collection of trees. He gets out and so does Cas.
Spinning around slowly, Cas asks, "Where are we?"
"Nowhere." Dean says smiling. "C'mon."
They walk off into the trees until they start to spread out. Dean stops and seems to choose a tree at random to sit against.
Cas frowns down at him. "I don't understand."
"Just sit down, will ya?"
He sits with legs stretched out in front of him and stiff like he's unsure of what Dean is doing.
"I thought you'd like to be outside for a while after being cooped up for so long."
Cas turns his head to look at him then out at the trees circling them.
"Thank you, Dean."
They enjoy the quiet for a long time. Not a sound of humanity within miles. Green leaves fall every once in a while with the breeze. Rain's coming but it's still a ways off. You can smell it in the air.
Dean opens his eyes and watches Cas who has his knees bent and is running fingers through the healthy thick grass. He can't help chuckling. "You remind me of… Him" He doesn't know if Cas would appreciate thinking of his Father as Chuck so he leaves that part out for now.
"Who?"
"God."
"How would I remind you of Him?"
"Well He graced me with a little one on one time before He sent me back."
"He spoke to you? What did He say?" He can hear the wonder in Cas' voice.
"A lot of stuff. We talked about Sam and .. you. I'm only here again because he thought.. well he did it for you. He seems to like you."
Cas' mouth is a little open, eyebrows knit as he takes in everything Dean just said. When Dean doesn't continue, he rests his head back against the tree and sighs.
After a moment.. "Tell me about your heaven, Dean."
Dean whole face lights up as he remembers. Smiling he says, "It was a lot like this. That first place you took me to fight. I think you said it was somewhere in Oregon?"
Cas' brow furrows but he doesn't turn towards Dean. "You mean it was a wilderness, like this?"
Dean grabs his face and makes him look at him. Cas is startled and they breathe too close to each other from a gasp away. His eyes settle on Cas' mouth then drag back up to meet his gaze.
"No. I mean it was that place."
Cas stares at him and the moment fills with potential. When he doesn't move forward, Dean releases his face and returns to his position of back to the tree, jaw clenching with anger now. Angry that Cas is fucking leaving tomorrow. Angry that everything always turns to shit and he can't help ruining anything good that he gets. Angry that they're both here and alive and Cas can't see past his goddamn-
Fingers are lacing with his on the ground. He looks at them in confusion and follows the arm up to Cas' face. He stares at him, like they've done countless times and gives him a small smile before turning back out to their secluded forest. Dean swallows and does as well.
Author's Note: Had to break up the last chapter or it would have been a mammoth beast and taken twice as long to get out. The next will be the last.. at least of the main story. Also, as someone who suffers from social anxiety.. I'm a firm believer that sitting inside and watching movies can cure most problems. Don't judge me. Hope you're enjoying more sugar and less angst. I'll try to reward you as best I can for enduring this long. (o:`,