Dean watched Cas that morning.
Not doing anything special. He woke up, rolled over, and suddenly found that Cas was pressed up against his chest. He felt his eyes glaze over in a mixture of love and affection, and he planted a small kiss to Cas's forehead. The low, flickering light from the stones shone off of his face, making him seem radiant.
Time itself seemed to stop, slowing down as Dean's eyes roamed Cas's face. The moment seemed infinite and fragile and Dean would give anything just to stay in it; just to watch Cas looking so peaceful, and feel as though none of his cares mattered. Because somehow, they would make it work. He couldn't imagine waking up next to anyone else.
Cas stirred, eyes fluttering as he turned towards Dean. Dean held his breath, staying as still as possible. He was half-hoping Castiel would wake up, and half-hoping that he'd stay asleep so that Dean could just watch him.
Not in, like, a creepy way. Dean wouldn't have watched him if he wasn't sure Cas was okay with it. It's not like he was sitting in a bush with a pair of goggles, they were sharing a bed. He just so happened to like looking at Cas.
And really, that's normal. Castiel was absolutely beautiful. A weird thought for Dean to have about a man, but one he knew to be true. Cas's jaw was chiseled, his lips full and slightly chapped, his eyelashes and nose and forehead and sex hair, all of it reminded Dean of one of those statues painstakingly sculpted by artists over years and eventually revered as having a likeness to the gods.
The best part of it was that Cas's insides matched. Castiel had taken what he'd been given in life and carved it, molded it, turned himself into something beautiful. Something that saw good in people who didn't deserve it, someone loyal and caring.
Dean didn't want to pressure Cas into leaving with him, but he really fucking hoped that he would.
Castiel stirred, snuggling closer into Dean's chest. Dean felt his heart give a wave of affection so strong it almost hurt; Castiel slowly looked up, tired eyes opening to stare into Dean's.
"Good morning, Angel. Up and Adam?" He questioned. Of course, more 'up' than 'Adam'. Adam tends to be forgotten.
"I prefer Down and Eve." Castiel grumbled, burying his face into Dean's neck and breathing out a sigh. Dean froze, not wanting to move and disturb Castiel and figuring he'd be done soon.
Of course, he wasn't done before Dean was half-hard.
"You know, I've given you a lot of hickeys and you have yet to give me one." Dean said, moving around a little so his neck was better exposed. Castiel pulled back, (to his disappointment), but his eyes were hungry.
"You've made an astounding observation. Would you like me to correct this problem?" He asked, eyes going to Dean's pale and unmarked skin. Dean shivered from the gaze, nodding his head.
"If you want to,sure." Dean said. He was almost certain Castiel could see his blush.
Castiel leaned forward, ghosting his breath along Dean's collarbone. His lips barely grazed the sensitive skin, and Dean was acutely aware of his movements. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Cas's lips latched onto a small area, beginning to suck and nip at his skin.
Dean let out a small moan, loving the feeling of being marked up. Cas sucked harder, and Dean's hand carded through his hair, giving a small and encouraging pull to it.
Castiel, satisfied with his work, pulled away to examine the dark spot across Dean's neck. He smiled, straightening up in pride. "This was a good idea. You should wake up before me more often." He teased, smiling at Dean. Dean felt like the moon itself was singing his praises.
Their laziness was short-lived, though. It wasn't long before Castiel was shuffling out of bed, leaving a cold spot along Dean's body where his had been providing warmth.
"Come on, stay in bed just a little longer. We don't have anything to do today." Dean argued, reaching out to stop Cas. Castiel rolled his eyes.
"Actually, we do have something I plan to do today. I want to show you some of our interactions with the few humans we do have contact with. Not to mention that I can hear your stomach growling from here," Cas said, at this point halfway across the room and continuing to walk out the door, "And if we lay in bed any longer we're going to end up spending all day there."
"That sounds good to me." Dean mumbled, looking down at his morning wood. Yeah, a day in bed with Cas, snuggling and fucking the daylights out of him, sounded like heaven right about then.
"Well then, I hope you're ready to face purgatory. We'll lay together when we get back from Jo's." Castiel said.
Dean paused, realization dawning. "Oh, right. You guys said you worked with Jo. Dude, that's awesome."
As much as he wanted to spend the day in bed with Castiel, going and hanging out with Jo with him sounded like it would be much more fun. He knew that she'd probably get them some alcohol, (he had been secretly wondering what kind of a drunk Cas was for the last few days) and complain about her trip.
"Yes, it is 'awesome'. Get up and take a shower. I'll have breakfast done by the time you're done." Castiel said, finally exiting the room and moving into the kitchen with a flourish.
Dean stared after him, excited that they would get the chance to spend this time together. In fact, he was grateful for every damn moment he had with Cas.
He stood up, feeling the burn and stretch of his muscles as he reached upwards. Time to go and take his morning shower.
Looking down at his still-hard cock, he frowned.
Well, apparently cold shower.
When they were done with breakfast, Castiel grabbed a bag out of the closet. It was stuffed full of something, an oddly purple-pink pollen spilling out of the edges.
Dean had the weird feeling that it was a little more than just regular pollen, but he decided not to ask.
"Hold this." Castiel said, flatly, shoving the bag into Dean's hands. Dean fumbled but managed to get a good hold on it, barely having any time to be annoyed before Castiel was scooping him into his arms.
"What am I, a cup holder now?" Dean asked, gesturing towards the small bag. Castiel shrugged, the corner of his lip twitching up into a smirk the way it does when he's amused.
"I'm not quite sure that's a cup. But don't worry, you're a very sexy cup holder." Castiel said, taking the few steps out the door.
As they began flying, the pollen began to leak out.
Dean smelled the air cautiously, getting a concentrated dose of what he could only describe as the most delicious scent he'd ever smelled. He groaned, tilting his head back and inhaling deeply. Castiel's grip on him tightened as he felt Dean's muscles go lax.
"Dude, something smells awesome." Dean said. The odd thing was, it smelled almost... familiar. Like he'd smelled the scent before somewhere, but never this strong. It almost reminded him of late nights at the bar, picking up women and eating greasy food from Ellen.
"That would be the pollen you're holding. We give some of it to Jo to put around her restaurant. It helps to attract customers and set up a personal feeling. It's tailored so that it will react pleasantly with the scent receptors of any human who smells it. I thought it might not work on you since you'd been shrank down, but..." Castiel trailed off.
Dean was having trouble not just face-planting into the thing. He wanted to just keep smelling it forever. He could sit and breathe in and out all day, happy with nothing but this.
It took almost too short of a time to get to Jo's house.
To his surprise, Jo was already outside. She sat splayed across a blanket, the sun shining on her face, reflecting off of her large fashion sunglasses. Some herbs sat beside her on the blanket, upon which she was lounging. Castiel flew him there and landed on the outskirts of the blanket, looking up at Jo and waiting for her to notice them.
He set Dean down after a few moments, standing him on his feet and taking the bag from Dean's hands. Dean clung onto it for a few seconds before letting go, frowning a little bit. Oh, well. He could always smell it when he next went into the roadhouse.
"Oh my god, Dean!" Suddenly came from above. Dean looked up to see that Jo had slipped her sunglasses up so they were resting on top of her head, and smiling down at him and Castiel. It was odd to see his friend from this angle; so tall and so... well, all together large. It was like looking up at Sam, except 100 times worse.
Dean suddenly thought about what it would be like to have to look up at Sam while he were this small, and he almost gave a shudder. Sam was already gigantic enough, and definitely didn't need the extra leg up. Dean thought that he might actually have a heart attack if he saw Sam.
"Hey, Jo!" He shouted back, shaking off his thoughts. Her beaming smile made him happy that she was here; he had missed her a lot more than he originally realized.
"Hey, pipsqueak." She teased, reaching out to push down on his hair with one finger. "Look who can give who noogies now?"
"I fucking hate you!" Dean shouted up, ducking and running away from her. She let out a laugh, throwing back her head and smiling as widely as possible.
"You were just telling me of your fondness for Jo days ago, Dean. What were your exact words? She was "like a sister to you"?" Castiel questioned, smirking. Dean made exaggerated cutting motions across his neck, and of course, Jo saw and heard everything.
"Awww, you've been talking about me! That's adorable, Dean!" She squealed, getting down on his level.
"Yes, he seems much more fond of you than he lets on." Castiel said pleasantly. Jo looked at Dean with affection in her eyes.
Castiel's hand slipped into Dean's, a casual movement. His other hand held out the bag of special pollen, but Jo's eyes were elsewhere. It was then that Dean realized that, while he had given her a lot of details about why he was staying longer and some about what Cas had showed him, he had yet to actually mention that he and Cas had ended up together.
Jo looked like she was processing things at a mile a minute, brain working furiously to try and come up with an explanation. Reaching none other than the correct one, her eyes narrowed.
She reached out and took the bag, stuffing it into her pocket without taking her eyes off the two of them for a second. Castiel seemed to not even notice the tension that was building between them, each one wanting the other to speak first. Dean squeezed Cas's hand, and he took a deep breath.
But Jo broke before he did. "So, Cas, is Dean really as terrible in bed as they say? Because you know, there are rumors all over the place-"
"Jo! Don't lie to him!" Dean shouted, finally releasing Cas's hand in favor of diving to try and cover up his ears. Castiel looked confused, eyebrows knitting together as he looked up at Jo.
"No, he's actually quite proficient with coitus. He has-"
Dean's hands moved from Cas's ears to his mouth, stopping him from saying any more. Jo was practically rolling at this point, laughing her ass off like Cas had just told the funniest joke in the world. Dean wasn't sure which one of them he hated more at that point. Okay, no, that wasn't true. It was still obviously Jo.
As soon as he moved his hands from Cas's mouth, Cas said, "She was joking, wasn't she?"
"Well normally, yes. But with Dean shrunk down, his penis is officially, literally, smaller than a tic-tak, so I'm going to milk this turn of events for everything it's worth." She said, sitting up straight, as though being a little shit brought her pride and honor. And, of course, it did. Because this was Jo, and she was cute enough that she could bat her eyelashes and get away with saying almost anything.
"Hey, look who's talking. You don't even have a penis." Dean retorted, because it's the only fucking thing his dumbass self could come up with. Jo thought on this for a moment, then shrugged, in a gesture of 'fair enough'.
A few moments of silence passed before she scooted a bundle of herbs towards Castiel. This bundle was much smaller than the ones they had gotten last time, and there were three more small bundles placed alongside them.
"Thank you, Jo. The others will be here soon, to pick up their share." Castiel confirmed, wings puffing up. Jo looked at him for a moment before her eyebrow raised.
"If you think you're gonna take those and then take off, you're sorely mistaken. I know for a fact that it's been too long since Dean's had any alcohol, what with you guys and your wine-only bullshit. I brought his favorite, and you two are gonna sit your asses down and tell me about how this thing happened." She teased. Dean knew she was serious to a certain extent, though. Jo had always wanted to hear every damn story he had, ever since they were kids.
Actually, he could really see her and Cas getting along. Cas had an interest in writing stories, and Jo would be more than happy to listen to some of his ideas and experiences. Maybe they could get to be good friends?
"Alright, then. I you have alcohol, though, Balthazar and Gabriel are going to want to stay when they get here." Castiel informed her, smiling a little bit. Jo shrugged it off, in a typical Jo-like fashion.
"They can have some, too. It's not like it'll take much to get you drunk." She said, reaching behind her.
What she came back with will never, ever leave Dean's brain. It's going to forever be ingrained in his mind, always there, like a scar on his psyche.
Jo Harvelle had brought out honest to Christ, miniature teacups for them to drink from.
"Oh, so I see you've been taking crazy lessons from a six year old?" Dean questioned.
"Tic-tak penis." She reminded him, grabbing the hard liquor and pouring it into a cup. Dean shrugged, because as much as he totally knew how to use it, well... She was right. Hey, he knew what would make him feel better. Alcohol!
Jo set the cup down softly on the blanket. Dean moved forward, noticing that the cup itself would probably hold about the equivalent of a gallon in it. He leaned down and tried to take a sip without making a mess, but quickly discovered that in his current position, that wasn't really possible. So, after a few seconds, he gave up and let it get all over his face. Actually, it was pretty funny.
Cas raised an eyebrow when Dean pulled away, watching him distastefully. "I'm not kissing you with your face covered in that."
"Oh, come on, Cas! Getting drunk on a kiss isn't just an expression anymore!" He teased, walking forward to wrap his arms around Cas. Cas struggled, (and, if Dean and Cas were both being honest with themselves, they knew Cas could have gotten away had he actually wanted to) pulling away from Dean, wings flaring out.
"You two are so cute! I should take pictures. You're like little, weird ken dolls." She teased. Castiel looked at her in confusion, head tilted to the side.
"I'm not sure why you've suddenly forgotten our names, but "Ken" isn't a suitable substitution." Castiel put in. Jo looked at him blankly for a second before she started laughing, shaking her head and eventually just shaking in general, no noise coming out of her mouth as she laughed. Castiel smirked a little and shot a glance at Dean out of the corner of his eye. Obviously, the joke had been purposeful.
Eventually, she stopped. By that time, Dean had managed to cover Cas's neck and face in sloppy, alcohol-esque kisses, Castiel shooting him vaguely annoyed (and yet somehow, still affectionate) looks the entire time.
Finally, Cas turned and let Dean kiss him on the lips. Dean melted, smiling against Cas's lips. He had less reserve than usual about doing so; the alcohol had already began to make him feel fuzzy, less of a facade was being put on. He didn't care how 'girly' it sounded. He loved Cas.
Suddenly, he got sad. Because, Cas might be leaving soon. Cas could be gone, and he would barely get to see him, and if things came right down to it, Cas might have to fight against his friends in a war he didn't want any part of. And all of that together? Just sort of made Dean want to curl up in a ball and cry for a little while. Of course, there wasn't enough alcohol in the world to make Dean randomly burst into tears in front of Jo.
And tipsy is just tipsy. Dean may have just chugged four shots worth, but he did have a high tolerance.
"GUYS!" Came the joyful cry from behind them. Sadness forgotten, Dean turned toward the sound, seeing Anna flying towards them.
Behind her lagged Balthazar and Gabriel, who both lit up as soon as they spotted the alcohol. The three of them landed softly onto the blanket Jo had spread out, and she grabbed her miniature tea set, pouring them some hard alcohol and setting it down in front of them.
Balthazar and Gabriel had one cup between them. They shared a look, challenge sparkling in their eyes momentarily. As soon as they had silently communicated what was to be done, they both moved to dunk their heads into the alcohol, shaking around in it.
They emerged a few seconds later, hair flipping back and stray droplets landing on the other three as they pulled out of the bucket. Gabriel let out a loud, jovial laugh, winking at Balthazar, who was still trying to rub the alcohol away from his eyes.
Which, in all honestly, is why doing that was a dumbass idea that he should have thought through. But, he didn't, because when your best friend is Gabriel, there isn't usually enough time to think things through.
Dean watched all of this with an amused sense of joy, glad that his friends seemed to be having fun. He turned to Anna, who was sitting down with her feet crossed. Her eyes sparkled as she looked up to Jo in wonder, smiling like an idiot.
"I've never gotten the chance to really talk to you. Dean's nice, but he's... Dean." She said, partially teasing. Dean pretended to look wounded. "I'd like to get the chance to know you, if you'd like to talk. I think you'll be much more informative when it comes to human culture."
Jo shrugged, looking down. She laughed a little, eyes sparkling, and she looked back to Anna. "Yeah, Dean's not exactly the most cultured person, is he?"
It wasn't long before Cas was pulled into the merriment, no matter how much he thought it was a waste of time. After all, he was getting a little bit antsy here; he felt like he was being watched, but by who, he didn't know.
Maybe that was just a part of this, now? He would always feel like no matter what he did, there was someone waiting to jump out from behind a bush and yell that they'd caught him being a disloyal soldier? Well, whether the fear was warranted or paranoia, either way he couldn't bring himself to talk about it.
Everyone else was having so much fun. They were laughing and drinking and joking, and he loved it. He found himself wishing that they had done this before, even with just Jo. All they could have learned if they would have just been willing to give it a chance, how close he felt to Jo even with just these hours in her presence...
Suddenly, something occurred to him.
Even though he would miss his friends while he was gone, he would always have them like this. Dean could still set up a phone out in the small house, he could visit as often as possible, he could still have his friends.
How even now, he was afraid to let go. How messed up it was that he couldn't even hang out with his friends properly because he was afraid that he was doing something wrong by having fun. It may hurt, it may be hell, to tear apart the rules and everything he's ever been taught to do, but that was what was best. That would be healthy for him in the long run.
Staying here and slowly withering away because the love of his life was gone? That wouldn't be healthy.
Castiel looked over at Dean, smiling and laughing at something Balthazar had said. It was probably some kind of joke, something discountable. But to Cas, seeing Dean's face so glazed over with happiness and euphoria was something he would never forget. Because Dean Winchester looked so beautiful in that moment.
Like a puzzle piece clicking into place, his final decision was made.
"I'm coming with you." He said, suddenly. His voice echoed, and the other conversations stopped abruptly. Castiel soon found everyone's eyes trained on him. Their faces were expectant, and he knew he was going to have to explain what he was talking about. "To the human world. I'm going."
"You can do that?" Jo questioned, right at the same time Dean launched himself at Cas.
Cas fell over in surprise, Dean's arms wrapping around Cas's neck. He was laughing jovially, cheeks blushing beautifully under the effects of alcohol. The sun was much lower on the horizon than Cas had remembered; the lighting seemed to be perfect. Dean placed a warm and tender kiss on his lips, ignoring obscene noises from Balthazar and a wolf whistle from Gabriel.
Or at least, Castiel thought he had been ignoring them. When he opened his eyes after the kiss, he found that Dean had actually been giving the two the middle finger the entire time.
Dean climbed off of him, brushing his clothes off. He reached down and grabbed Cas's hand, helping him up off of the blanket. Anna was there immediately, throwing arms around him and hugging him tight. Castiel hugged her back, even if only slightly.
"If it's worth anything, Castiel, I think you're making the right choice." She said, speaking softly against his ear. Castiel let out a small hum of acknowledgment. He already knew what she would think; Anna always seemed to know what was best for him. She'd been a good friend to him for a long while.
But now? It was time to make different friends. It was time to branch out and explore the world. It was time to, metaphorically, spread his wings and soar. He would be emerged in a new culture with new ideas, values, traditions, everything he'd ever dreamed of. He would miss his friends, yes, but he'd also never be bored.
Gabriel and Balthazar both got their hugs in, squeezing him tight and holding on just a little longer than necessary. Even if they acted like idiots sometimes, they were still Castiel's friends, and he was going to miss every one of them dearly.
The day wore on with merriment and joy from all of them, laughing and hugging and getting drunk off their asses. Castiel was louder than he usually was; breaking out of his shell a little bit more, getting used to finally letting himself have some fun. He participated in conversations, rather than just listening.
The night fell before long, and goodbyes were said. Anna agreed to take Balthazar and Gabirel (currently falling all over each other) home along with the herbs, leaving Dean and Cas free to go home.
"I can get some of those, Anna." Castiel protested. Anna looked over to him with her eyebrows raised, looking critical.
"I don't think you can, Castiel. You and Dean still have to get fitted for formal wear. You have to go to the fae ball, remember?" She reminded him. Castiel almost groaned.
Of course he remembered. He just didn't want to think about how many people he was going to be forced to talk to, while simultaneously waiting for the perfect time to corner Uriel and get him to agree to let Cas go with Dean. Which, in and of itself, wasn't going to be easy.
But all of that felt like it was far away. Probably because he was avoiding thought on the subject, but, well...
"You're right." He agreed, reluctantly. He looked at Dean, who was a little tipsy, but not enough for concern. "Good luck keeping them from flying into trees."
"Good luck keeping Dean's hands out of your pants on the way home." She shot back. Castiel stared at her blankly, refusing to acknowledge what she had said. Because, no, Dean wouldn't do that while he was flying. But, yes, it would probably happen as soon as they got through the front door.
"I hope you guys have a good time. See you in a few days, Dean. No more delays, either! My mom already has to bake Bobby three apple pies to get you a longer vacation." Jo teased him. Dean rolled his eyes, waving goodbye. "I hope to see you with him, Cas. The guys will love you."
Castiel nodded, smiling pleasantly. He didn't know who "the guys" were, but he imagined he'd like them, too, once he got to know them. It sounded like he had a lot to figure out about the human world.
He'd let himself have this, if just for now. He wouldn't focus on the unknown, but rather on the great adventure for which he would be embarking. Entirely emerging himself into a foreign culture, exploring everything it had to offer, and learning about himself along the way.
It was the most cliché thing he'd ever thought, according to the books he'd read, but he was okay with cliché. Sometimes, cliché can be rewarding.
He scooped Dean up, listening to Jo's delighted laughter from behind him.
"She's going to make fun of me for being carried like this for months." Dean complained quietly, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I hope you know I'm going to make fun of you for being carried like that for months!" Jo put in, yelling as Cas sped away. Dean flipped her the bird, but Cas honestly doubted that she had seen it with how fast he was flying and how far away they were already. Despite this, Dean looked satisfied.
"You know, that was a lot of fun. Do you guys talk to Jo a lot?" Dean questioned, threading his fingers absentmindedly through Cas's hair. Cas tried to ignore it, keeping focused on flying.
"No, no we hadn't. But I'm glad we started to. She's a nice girl."
"Yeah, when she's not being a pain in my ass." Dean teased, going back to rubbing his fingers through Cas's thick locks. Cas let out a sound of contentment, leaning into the wandering fingers.
Cas's eyes closed briefly as Dean gave his hair a small pull, starting to stir a fire in his veins. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to open them, intent on getting there without crashing. He knew that if he showed any signs of being affected by what Dean was doing, Dean would be relentless.
Unfortunately, ignoring it didn't make the problem go away.
Dean leaned forward, his lips tenderly latching onto Cas's neck. He licked at the skin there, causing a shiver to go up Cas's spine at the sensation.
"Dean, I need to concentrate on flying."
"I trust you." Dean said, nuzzling against Cas's neck more. Castiel didn't respond, simultaneously wishing he would latch on again and wishing he would leave it until they got home. Okay, so he was leaning towards wanting Dean's lips on him right that minute.
Dean latched on, nipping at the skin and sucking, deep and desiring, letting out small noises of pleasure as he did. Castiel had to give himself credit; he didn't run into anything, nor did he let out the loud moan that threatened to escape his slightly parted lips. He panted, feeling Dean's tongue tease at the skin as he continued sucking, darkening his mark there.
Darkening his mark on Castiel, which was hot as fuck.
As soon as their home was in sight, Cas sped up. He flapped his wings harder, landing on the porch. He opened the door immediately, walking straight in. Dean squirmed, expecting to be dropped onto the floor, but Castiel held fast to him.
"Hey, what are you-" Dean started. Castiel ignored him, walking to the couch.
He plopped down and sat, Dean snug in his lap.
"Dude, come on-" Dean started. He cut off as Cas's lips latched onto his neck, imitating what he did earlier.
Yeah, both of them could tell that it would end up a late night.