By the time they made it back to the apartment, Dean and Sam were already there.

Charlie looked more pissed than teary now, which relieved Ann only for a second, seeing that her girlfriend was right in Dean's face and telling him off. Dean didn't look all too happy about it. Probably debating either punching her or bailing again.

Ann barged in before he could do any of these things. She wanted to prevent Cas from hearing any of this anyway. That would only upset him again and running after him once was enough for one night.

"You, mister", she walked up to them, tried to be inconspicuous about pushing her girlfriend out of the way of harm and poked Dean in the chest with her index finger, "you will apologize to Cas right now."

"Hey! Stop that, lady!"

She got her hand out of his reach before he could slap it away but kept glaring at him. "Go. Apologize. Now." She nodded her head in the direction of Castiel, who had stopped in the doorway.

Dean's face was tense and he was on the verge of answering something snide when he followed her line of sight and saw Cas who looked properly upset still. "Jesus", Dean muttered, closed his eyes for a second and rubbed his face with both hands. "Fine", he finally murmured, obviously giving in, even though his expression said: 'Why does it always have to be me?' He stepped past her: "I didn't mean it, Cas. You're my best friend so you already know that. There's no need to give me a hard time about it, alright?"

Castiel had his head at a slight angle now, an indication that he was listening intently and analyzing every word that was said.

"So – we good again?" Obviously extremely uncomfortable, Dean tried to cut the moment short by giving Cas a manly hug, but Cas side-stepped him.

"Not good enough", was his verdict. He didn't give Dean another glance, just walked past him: "I would enjoy some food now. Since I have been made to come back, food is the least you could offer."

That brought a groan from Dean and an angry snort from Charlie. Only Sam didn't seem annoyed, only puzzled as he was standing there with his arms wide open and helpless. "Guys? Seriously. Will someone tell me what is happening here?"

Charlie patted his arm on her way to the kitchen. "Your brother is being an assbutt and Cas is letting him know. Cas's word by the way, not mine."

"I never said that." Cas turned around all offended innocence before obviously remembering that he had indeed said that. "Not about Dean anyway", he concluded lamely.

Ann rolled her eyes. "Assbutt? Really? That's the best you could come up with?"

"That's what I said", Dean said smugly.

"Maybe I will say it about you after all", Castiel frowned.

"But then you'd have to apologize", Dean smirked.

Castiel thought about this. "Possibly correct. I won't do it anyway. I'm polite, Dean. Something you should think about trying out, too."

"Should I? I think I'm pretty damn polite."

"Guys? Some help with the food?" Charlie was getting impatient.

"Coming", Ann answered.

She and Sam were the only ones answering Charlie's call, though, Dean and Castiel already lost in a world of their own, debating the levels of politeness that Dean might or might not reach in his life.

Ann pressed the bowl with the mashed potatoes in Sam's hand and send him over to the living room. Then she turned back to Charlie: "God, these two need to hash this out or they're going to make us all crazy."

Charlie stared at the two of them for a second through the open kitchen door. "We could lock them in the bedroom and not let them out until they're over with it."

Ann crunched up her nose in disgust: "Lock them in OUR bedroom?"

"Lock whom in your bedroom?"

Ann blushed embarrassedly. She hadn't heard Sam come back. "No one."

"Guys, really. I'm grown up. You can talk to me."

Charlie sighed exasperatedly: "Your brother and Cas, you idjit."

"Since when is 'idjit' part of your vocabulary?"

"That is the only question you have about this, Sam Winchester? Really?" Charlie put her hands on her hips, all righteous indignation.

"Uh, Sam, why don't you to take the turkey over to the table? We can get the rest here." Ann tried to defuse the situation before her girlfriend accidentally started telling Sam what exactly she thought his brother and Cas would be doing when they locked the two in the bedroom. Charlie had an active imagination and oversharing was something she did frequently.

"Sam?"

But Sam was watching his brother and Castiel now, the two completely engrossed in their play-fight and oblivious to their audience. They looked so much like a couple that there was no way Sam wouldn't come to the same conclusion.

"Umm, sorry, man", Ann finally said, giving up the battle for Sam's innocence as lost. "But they are getting a little obnoxious, dancing around each other like this."

"Dean's not…"

"… getting it straight these days?" Charlie said bluntly.

"Charlie!" Ann scolded her.

"Oh, come on", Charlie rolled her eyes. "That was a good pun. Besides, see Dean smile even though Cas is telling him he's an ass? When does Dean ever smile? Let alone when being told off."

"That doesn't mean anything", Sam replied stubbornly.

"Oh, the blissful ignorance of the young", Charlie chuckled. "Here, turkey, table, now." She pressed the pan into Sam's hand and strode out towards the others: "Hey, stop bitching like an old married couple and help."

Short chapter, sorry about that. Please leave feedback! You know how it is, writers are the kind of monsters that live of comments yumm yumm.