A few hours, a lot of food and quite a few drinks later, they made their way over to the living-room. Sam ended up on the big leather chair, leaving the sitting arrangements on the couch for the others to sort out. It didn't take all that much sorting, though. Ann gave up her place on the couch voluntarily, settling down on the floor and leaning into Charlie's legs. That left enough room for Dean to sit next to Charlie and Cas to sit next to Dean.
Charlie hit the play button on the remote and the first notes of A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving came on. Charlie watched that movie every year for Thanksgiving. Apparently she had done so since she was five. "Cause Charlies might be dorks but we stick together" was her explanation.
The guys weren't overwhelmed with the movie choice, but they knew Charlie and her traditions, so they humored her. It didn't take long before a peaceful quiet settled over them while they listened to the squeaky voices and jazz music. Ann smiled to herself and snuggled deeper into Charlie who softly stroked her hair for a little while, before settling back on the couch.
When Ann looked up the next time, somewhere in the middle of the movie, Dean had gotten assaulted from both sides, Charlie curled up against his right side and Cas softly snoring against his left.
Dean saw her raised eyebrows and shrugged. Ann gave him a sympathetic smile and shrugged, too. If he was ok with it, so was she.
As the credits rolled, movement above her indicated that Charlie was waking up. "Did I miss anything?"
"You made me watch the whole stupid cartoon movie and didn't even make it through the first 10 minutes yourself. I should be pissed", Dean chuckled. "Well, at least you served more than toast. Win for us. And you have more hair than Chuck, so that's a win for you."
Charlie yawned, and punched him lightly in the ribs. "How often do you think I've heard that one before?"
"Never?"
"Guess again."
"Uhh, ok, every year?"
"Closer. Just cause you've never been around for Thanksgiving, doesn't mean you're the first person on the planet to make Charlie Brown jokes." Charlie glanced over at Sam who had slumped down in his chair, to all appearances completely out. "How come you two made it over here this year anyway? Old man not going to be angry?"
"Oh yeah. Yeah, he will be angry." Dean's face never closed up faster than when talking about John Winchester.
But Charlie knew him long enough that she could push her point: "Why did you come then?"
"Charlie…"
"Dean…"
Dean also snuck a glance at Sam, whose huge frame was folded awkwardly into the chair. "You wanna know why?" he whispered furtively when he was sure Sam was out, bitterness creeping into the edge in his voice: "Because he told me the best memory he had, like the best memory ever, was of that one Thanksgiving when Dad took me on the road with him for a job and dropped Sam off at some random family. Sam didn't even know them, Charlie! He was there for like a week and never saw them again after, either. That's his best memory. How the fuck can I drag him back to the old man after he told me that? And Sam ain't gonna spend Thanksgiving without me. Cause that's not who he is. Cause he's gonna try to make it right. But he can't. So here we are."
"Shit", Charlie muttered softly. She laid her hand on Dean's: "But what about you, Dean? You work the family business, you gotta face your Dad about this."
"Yeah, nothing to be done about that. I got a fair amount of heat already. The aftermath won't be any prettier, I guess."
"Dean…" Worried blue eyes stared at Dean from the other side of the couch.
Dean sighed but he managed a reassuring smile for Castiel's sake: "It's alright, Cas. I'm used to taking his crap."
"That doesn't make it alright."
"Yeah, but it also ain't like I'm 12 anymore. He can spout bullshit but he can't beat me up like he used to."
Even Ann could see the change in Castiel. Big worried eyes drawing together, jawline clenching, spine straightening.
Quickly drawing his hand away from Charlie, Dean cupped it over Cas's fingers. "No need for that, Cas. No need to worry about me. It's going to be alright."
It was meant to be soothing but judging by Cas's snarl, it didn't help much.
"Don't think about John. Think about Sam," Dean nodded in Sam's direction, "he's had a good evening. He's going to have a good memory of this Thanksgiving. It's worth it, believe me."
Ann suppressed her smile. Dean could be such a macho asshole, but there were moments when you just wanted to hug him. She understood why Charlie was friends with him.
For a long moment, Castiel's eyes held on to a deep fire as if he wanted roast John Winchester in the pits of hell, but then he looked into Dean's pleading eyes and his expression softened. He looked down on Dean's hand where it cupped his.
Dean saw the movement and wanted to draw his hand away, but Cas caught it and laced his fingers through Dean's. "I swear, if he ever lays a finger on you, I'll kill him." His voice was a whole octave deeper than usual. There was no doubt he was serious about this.
"Why do you put up with John's shit anyway?" Charlie's voice was so quiet it got almost lost but it diverted enough attention that Dean and Cas could regroup.
Dean turned back to her. "Family. Before everything. That's actually one of the good things the old bastard's taught me."
A slightly choked noise from the armchair made them turn around. It looked suspiciously like Sam had been awake longer than just a few seconds, too, because he grimaced and blushed when suddenly all eyes were on him.
But Dean's voice was steady now and he held his brother's gaze: "The other good thing he taught me is that it is my job to take care of you, Sammy. Make sure you're safe. I'll do him one better and make sure you got a shot at the life you want, too. Make sure you're happy. Best as I can, anyway."
"Dean…" Sam had almost the same expression, Cas had had when he woke up. Only the pain was much stronger in Sam's eyes.
"It's alright, Sammy. It's what I do."
"But you don't have to." Sam shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, Dean. I'm grateful. And I sure as hell don't want to spend Thanksgiving with Dad. But – take care of yourself for once, Dean. Go and fuck Cas if that's what you want. Or take the time at least to figure out whether that is what you want. You know, do something that makes YOU happy."
They all held their breath when Sam dropped the f-word but Dean didn't even flinch. "I can't, Sammy." Then he turned around to Castiel: "I can't, Cas." Almost tenderly, he extracted his fingers out of Castiel's grasp. "I ain't stupid. And it ain't like I can't feel the pull. But I gotta keep it together. And this…" he drew a vague gesture in the air, "us, it doesn't feel very together to me. I'm sorry, Cas. I really am."
Worry was creasing Castiel's brow. Ann thought he looked like he wanted to hug Dean. Wanted to make it better by his pure physical presence. But instead he just shook his head. "You don't need to apologize, Dean. All I want is for you to be happy. I'll do what you ask of me. Even if you ask me to leave."
"Oh, the hell you will!" Sam shouted, apparently more forceful than he had planned to because he blushed a deep scarlet. He didn't back down, though. "You're one of the few good things Dean has going for himself. I'm not going to let him throw that away. And if I have to lock you in the bedroom for it, I will. No, Dean, I will." He interrupted when his brother opened his mouth to answer.
Dean held his hands up in defeat. "You might have noticed that I never said that, anyway." He turned to Castiel: "I didn't say that, Cas. I'd never say that."
Cas just watched Dean silently, his blue eyes so big and round and lost that something in Ann melted. She had no idea how Dean was not kissing Castiel right this second. She tried to catch Castiel's eyes, to urge him on. Maybe if he was the one making the first step here, things could still work out. But Cas kept his eyes on Dean's, never wavering.
"We're family. We need you, Cas. I need you." Dean was openly pleading with Castiel now. Saying what his inner censor would allow him to say. As safe as he could be while still telling Cas how much he meant to him.
A small smile spread on Castiel's face, transforming it into something as beautiful as a spring morning, even though the sadness lingered. "I love you, too, Dean", he replied simply.
"I didn't say that", Dean immediately protested.
"I know. But you wanted to." There was a mischievous gleam in Cas' eyes and a smile in his voice that Ann hadn't seen before.
And she understood that something had changed. That Castiel had understood something that he hadn't known before. And that it made him happy.