Dean walked back to the bar, Castiel following close behind him, cheeks still flushed red and puffy lipped. Dean had a grin plastered across his face.
They took up their seats at the bar as the tender came out from a door behind the bar carrying a crate full of liquor bottles.
"Feeling better partner?" he asked glancing over his shoulder at Castiel, unpacking bottles and setting them on the shelf in front of him.
"Yes... Thank you," Castiel replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as the tips of his ears flushed red with embarrassment.
"You looked a little sick, maybe stick with water," the bar tender chuckled to himself.
"Will do," Castiel smiled, glancing sideways up at Dean, who was smiling back.
"Perhaps we should head back now?" Dean suggested getting up from his seat, offering a hand to help Castiel from his.
Castiel nodded, following Dean out of the saloon to where they'd left their horses tied up.
They each got on the back of their respective horses and made off through the town leading to the main road back to the ranch.
Castiel headed straight up to the house as Dean finished putting away the horses into the stable, tossing them each a sugar cube before leaving.
He came inside and set down the sack of goods into the dining table, some of its contents spilling out.
Dean set about putting things away, wondering where Castiel had disappeared to.
The man hadn't been in the living room or kitchen when Dean walked through the door, so he figured he'd gone to the washroom or his bedroom.
It wasn't quite late enough for bed, and they still had to wait for some men to deliver a herd of sheep.
Dean was putting some produce away when Castiel came walking into the kitchen, clearing his throat to alert Dean to his presence.
"There you are," Dean smiled turning around to face Castiel.
He noticed Castiel had changed into different clothes, he wore a black and white checkered shirt, worn jeans but no boots.
"Everything okay?" Dean questioned looking up into Castiel's shimmering blue eyes.
"Yes, why wouldn't it be?" Castiel responded, confused by Dean's question.
Dean simply looked at him, somehow unable to voice the words he seemed to desperately want to say.
"Ah, about back at the bar... I clearly didn't mind, I believe I even returned the kiss, did I not?" Castiel spoke, seeming to understand what Dean was afraid to ask.
"As I mentioned before, I have grown quite lonely so perhaps something inside me just felt right about it..." Castiel continued, crossing the floor towards Dean, backing him up against the counter behind him.
Dean tried to respond to him, say the things he wanted to but Castiel cut him off with a kiss, bringing his hands up and resting them on Dean's hips.
Dean closed his eyes, his body reacting of its own accord as he sunk into Castiel's embrace. Kissing back with an unknown desperation, his hands going straight to Castiel's hips.
They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, drawn to each other like a moth to a flame. Bodies pressing perfectly together, lips slotting together as if made for one another.
Gabriel barking loudly somewhere outside the house drew them apart, heads turning to look at the front door in confusion.
Dean gently pushed Castiel away and made a beeline for the door, drawing a pistol from it's holster on his right hip.
He threw open the door and rushed outside, Castiel close behind him with his shotgun drawn in front of him.
Gabriel was nowhere to be seen, Dean was properly concerned now as he rushed down the porch steps. He held up his hand to stop Castiel from following him as he took off into a run towards the barn.
Dean ran inside, checking all the horses as he went, searching all over for signs of Gabriel. Shouting the dogs name as he went.
He ran towards the edge of the property, eyes scanning his surroundings with gun drawn at arms length. He spotted Gabriel at the gate leading into the property, barking his head off.
Dean's eyes followed to where Gabriel was looking and noticed two strangers on horseback surrounded by a small herd of sheep.
"Howdy, you must be from the stable in town..." Dean called as he approached the gate, getting Gabriel's attention. The dog came running over to him, still barking.
"We've been expecting y'all, c'mon now," Dean undid the chain keeping the gate shut and swung it open as the men herded the sheep inside.
"Take 'em up to the barn, follow me..." Dean instructed as he began walking back up towards the barn, Gabriel following and barking at the sheep as they went.
The men herded the sheep into the corral outside the barn, making sure every one of them went inside before turning their attention to Dean.
"Pleasure doing business with you, sir... Have a good evening," one of them spoke before taking off back down to the gate.
Dean followed them out and made sure to lock the gate back up before heading back up to the house, smiling when he spotted Castiel standing on the porch, shotgun still aimed.
"It's just me!" Dean called out as he came up to the house, Castiel swung the shotgun over his shoulder and smiled at Dean.
"It was those men bringing the sheep up from town, I had them herd the lot into the barn for the night," Dean explained as he joined Castiel on the porch, giving him a quick smile.
"How many did I get?" Castiel asked looking at Dean. He couldn't help but notice how green his eyes looked in the dying sunlight.
"I counted fifteen, Gabriel gave 'em a good scare," Dean chuckled shaking his head.
"Good, they're all there then... Thank you," Castiel replied with a smile, reaching out to shake Dean's hand.
A small twinge of electricity jolted between their palms, Dean's eyes staring up into Castiel's.
"Dinner?" Castiel suggested quickly letting go of Dean's hand, turning to walk into the house. Dean followed him inside, examining his hand as he went.
He reminded himself to question that feeling later, but first, dinner sounded really good all of a sudden.