Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

*Dean/Cas*

May 12, 2024

Sundays were my only real days off. I owned two businesses and that meant needing to be present for most of the week, but Sundays were my days.

I woke up at nine and had my morning coffee before I even looked at my phone. Thankfully most of the messages were not from employees, but two were. I shot them both quick responses because they were just asking for days off. I called Sam back though because he had called at two am and sent a text asking if I was awake right after.

“Morning, what prompted the two am text, Sammy?”

He grunted, clearly not awake yet himself. “Yeah, it was nothing. I had a legal question about construction, but I found the answer before I crashed. I remembered after a few rings that you were probably asleep.”

“Two am, of course I was. I got home around midnight. I checked in on Benny at the restaurant.”

“How was he?”

“He was great, food was amazing. I checked on the books and they were fine. Giving him control over the Smokehouse was the best decision. It’s hard enough with the construction side of things.”

“You’re the crazy one who wanted to add to your businesses.”

“Ellen inspired me, what can I say? And you’re way too busy with law to do much.”

“Truth. Eileen complains I work too much, but she works as much as I do.”

“But you’re great for each other,” I said.

“You should get out more too, find the right one,” he said.

I snorted. “I’m good. After Lisa I just…”

“I know, Dean, it was a hard break up. Are you still talking to Ben?”

“Sometimes. It wasn’t his fault or anything, Lisa and I parted on good terms and we made sure he knew it wasn’t his fault. We just weren’t working.”

“Is he okay?”

“He is. So, any plans today?”

“Go back to sleep, since I went to bed a few hours ago. Eileen is already awake though. You?”

“My normal low-key day. I’ll hit the store sometime today and then get ready for the week. I’ve got two projects finishing up and doing final touches, and I see a new property on Tuesday.”

“If you need anything, let me know.”

“I will.”

We hung up and I finished my coffee and fixed a quick breakfast. I was low on many things and would need to go to the store.

Sam was right, I shouldn’t have invested in the restaurants, but I was a silent partner and Benny was the primary. Benny was a high school friend and had my back when I struggled starting my business, so when he called and needed help, I couldn’t say no. An infusion of money had helped him be above line and Ellen had helped him find good employees. A little advertising and the business was doing amazing. He’d already paid me back, but I chose to remain active and assist when he needed.

Last night that was the case, as he’d been missing some money and couldn’t find it. Turns out a number had been inverted in inventory; quick fix, but he’d been stressed, and I’d been able to help him find the error without causing him any more grief.

My primary business was renovations and construction. Winchester’s Remodeling was a company that was built on pride and ensuring our work was top quality. I hired local people who cared about their community. In addition to building from the ground up, I also bought and renovated worn down houses that needed love. Charlie was my designer and would choose colors and design options, and she worked for a local computer company as well. She was a computer whiz! Ellen, Bobby’s wife, was my real estate agent and would provide leads for new properties, and she often was the realtor that sold the finished products. Her daughter, Jo, was my foreman and was fair but tough.

My team had been together for years. We were all one big family. I’d met Lisa through the business and we’d been good together, but we drifted apart. Her son became mine and I loved them both, but unfortunately Lisa and I just weren’t meant to be a couple.

After a quick shower and changing into something presentable for the day, I headed to the store. I usually showed up at the local grocery store around the same time every Sunday; it was like a habit. But, while everyone saw it as a habit, I saw it more as a chance to maybe see the guy I’d seen a few times. He wasn’t always there, but sometimes he was.

One of these days I would get the courage to approach him, but I had no idea if he was into men. I was nearly done with my shopping when I saw him today. He wore black slacks and a white button up with a blue vest that drew out the blue of his eyes. His hair was combed, but the dark locks always looked like he’d just gotten out of bed.

He wasn’t getting much today, hardly ever did. I should go talk to him, but why would someone that beautiful ever give me a second look?

Instead I directed my buggy to the front and checked out. I’d just gotten home when Charlie called me.

“I asked if you were going to Pride this year and you’ve yet to respond to me.”

“Fuck, I knew I was forgetting something. Yes, I got your message and yes, I am going.”

“Are you bringing anyone?”

“No, just me.”

“What about Mr. Blue-Eyes at the store?” Her voice was taking on a sing-song tone, and I rolled my eyes.

“Not you too. Sam is pushing too but come on, I have no idea if he’s into men.”

“He looks at you!”

“He was also with a woman two weeks ago. She could be his girlfriend.”

“Or his friend, as I went with you a few weeks back and he was there. Come on, Dean. You’ll never know if you don’t at least ask him.”

“And make a complete ass of myself if he is with her? Or get myself knocked out because he’s some homophobe?”

She snorted. “He isn’t going to hit you. He doesn’t seem like a homophobe since he went through Alison’s line and she’s trans.”

That was true, he had chosen her line, and Alison also didn’t announce her status. Charlie only knew because she’d been at Pride the year before.

“Okay, he probably isn’t, but that doesn’t mean he would find me suitable or that he’s looking. He’s hot, but he may not be available.”

“But you’ll never know unless you ask.”

“Well, it won’t be today. I’ve already been to the store. He was there but I didn’t approach him.”

“Chicken.” She even made clucking noises!

“Don’t make me fire you, Bradbury.”

“You would never. You need me.”

“No clucking. But yes, I am going to Pride this year. Can you send me the dates or add it to my calendar?”

She huffed. “It’s been in your calendar for months. I’ve also made sure to clear your calendar for the weekend so you don’t schedule anything else.”

“Yes, Ma’am. I’ll check and then make sure nothing is scheduled.”

“Alright, see you tomorrow.”

She hung up, and I checked the calendar. She had marked it for June and now I knew I would be busy. I went ahead and started to clean up some. I also set up a meeting with Ellen on Tuesday about the new house.

But Blue Eyes stayed on my mind. Wondering, would he want to date me? Was he into men? I’d admit, I did catch him looking at me a few times, but neither of us made any effort to reach out. Perhaps he wanted me too? Maybe I needed to? Maybe Charlie was right, I was just being a chicken. Nonetheless, he stayed on my mind.

*Castiel*

Sunday was one of the few days during the school year where I got to sleep in, Saturday being the other day. Yet I was awake before the sun rose and couldn’t go back to sleep. Summer was coming up and I was going to need to find a summer job. I'd been applying for a few places, but nothing had panned out yet.

I’d been in this one bedroom hole in the wall apartment for a month, and while I’d been prioritizing furniture and a bed, an air mattress was the best I’d bothered with. Needing to ensure I could pay the rent was more important than a couch for me; no one would be coming here anyway.

A month ago my long-term boyfriend of five years had broken up with me, and it had been a nasty ending. I’d thought Inias loved me, that we were building a future, that we would be together forever. But then Meg, my coworker and friend, pointed out some things to me, such as his language and how he told me I wasn’t a good artist, wasn’t a good teacher, or that I was so dumb for choosing this career.

Meg pointed out that while I was okay with this, it was not okay. That he was being abusive in an emotional way. In looking back, he had always been that way, and he’d been distant in the relationship, treating me more like his roommate than boyfriend. He had never hit me though, something Meg was glad of. But she made me question things.

I’d confronted him and, well, he’d pretty much ended the relationship and told me I had a week to get out of his house. Apparently, he didn’t know how to be a gentleman or use better language. It sucked and it hurt so bad, but Meg helped me find this place and see that he probably didn’t love me anyway.

Meg was the only friend I had right now. She was a biology teacher in seventh grade, and my art room was across the hall from hers. She had heard Inias yelling at me about how shitty my job was, even though we were on the phone she still heard him. She sat me down during a lunch period and talked to me.

I’d done well not letting my students catch on or know that my personal life was spiraling out of control. Instead, I focused on them and tried to make them better at art or at least encourage them to try. Some didn’t care if they passed or not, but I at least tried to get them to.

I fixed myself a cup of coffee after getting up. About ten my phone rang and it was Meg. “Hello.”

“Hey, Clarence. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing? I’m not really sure. It hurts, but then I realize that we were just roommates like you said.”

“It’ll suck for a bit, but you know that green-eyed beauty at the grocery store could help with that.”

“Meg.”

“What? He’s hot and you're single.”

“He was also there with a redhead last week if you recall. He may not be into men at all.”

“Won’t know unless you ask, Clarence.”

I sighed. “I doubt it. But, anyway, I’ll be heading to the store soon to stock up my ramen noodle supply.”

“You’re going to turn into ramen noodles,” she huffed.

“They’re good.”

Truthfully, my grocery budget was pitiful because rent, lights, and water were more important at the moment.

“Get some vegetables this time and some meat because you need more than noodles.”

“I’ll think about it.”

She huffed. “Don’t think, get. Hey, did Erin actually show up to your class Friday?”

“He did, was he not in your class after mine?”

“No. It was weird because he likes biology. I’ll ask him tomorrow.”

“He was there and turned in another anime drawing that was really good. He’s improved.”

“He’s improved in my class also. Which was why it was weird he wasn’t there Friday. But it was the last class of the day, so that could be why.”

“Maybe, he did mention his Dad was getting him this weekend.”

“Alright, I’ll let you head to the store, I know it’s about your time anyway. Hopefully Mr. Green Eyes is there and if he is, approach him.”

“I’ll consider it.”

I could almost feel her eyes roll from over the phone. But we hung up, and I made my super short list. I had a bowl of cereal before I headed to the store. I did like to go around the same time because yes, Green Eyes was usually there around the same time.

The store was often just a chore, but the last few weeks I’d seen the green-eyed guy and damn, he looked good. Strong jaw line, the prettiest green eyes, and an ass I wanted to bite. But while I had caught him watching me once, he hadn’t come closer, and I wasn’t entirely sure of his orientation or if he was into men. I didn’t want to make an ass out of myself in front of him. He also seemed like a really great guy because he’d helped ladies get things off the top shelf, a child had thrown his toy and he’d gotten it for the mother, and he had even wrangled a toddler once when he got away from his mom.

But that didn’t mean he’d be interested in a teacher, in me. Inias had pointed out how boring I was, how my career path wasn’t ambitious. What if this guy also thought art was a dumb degree? I couldn’t risk that rejection right now, so I kept him at a distance.

Chapter Text

*Castiel*

School had been out for a week, and I was supremely bored. Finding a summer time job was not going well. The only plus to this week was that I’d gotten to actually talk to Green-Eyes on Sunday. He had run into my cart by accident while replying to a text message. It was a brief encounter where we basically apologized and moved on, but it had happened, and maybe in the future it would be better.

I had planned on just job hunting today, but Meg reminded me that our local pride parade would be today and, well, I needed to get out of this apartment. If I didn’t spend too much, I would be okay. I had a quick breakfast at home and then surveyed the various things I could wear. I chose a pair of black khaki shorts and the new shirt that Meg had bought for me. It was a beige t-shirt with Dudes Just Taste Better in rainbow colors. It was appropriate enough to wear even if kids were present.

I sent Meg a quick message to tell her I was going and then headed out. It was good that our apartment complex was a short walk to town, which saved on gas. The parade itself would be around one, which left me hours to walk and enjoy the atmosphere.

I’d been last year with Inias, but it hadn’t been that fun. He’d complained about the heat, the vendor prices, the fact that kids were present, and a host of other issues. I hadn’t found any of those things to be an issue, personally, but he had.

I walked down the street first, just viewing the various available vendors, food trucks, and decorations. The general vibe was so happy that it was infectious. There were bright colors everywhere I looked, from balloons to streamers to face paint on the little kids. People were drinking, eating, and dancing to the various music playing at the vendors’ tents.

The smells were also divine, from generic scents like hot dogs and hamburgers to mouth-watering scents from stews, chillies, or tacos. It made me hungry just thinking about the various options.

The vendors had an assortment of items available. Most were pride related such as flags, streamers, face painting, and clothing with various sayings. But some had more universal items that weren’t pride specific, probably for the people who were supporters/allies and not necessarily fitting one of the options.

I was aimlessly walking down the other side when I ran into someone.

“Shit, sorry!”

I looked up and bright green eyes were looking back at me. Dark tousled hair, and he was wearing a pair of black jeans and a black shirt with the bisexual flag across the chest.

“No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching…” His voice trailed off.

It was Green Eyes from the grocery store, but he wasn’t here alone. Fuck.

“It’s my fault, I was looking at the various vendor displays. Should be watching where I’m going.”

“Are you sure? I feel bad if it was my fault, Charlie here had me looking for her girlfriend because apparently she thinks I am ten feet tall and can see over everyone.”

“You can’t? Damn,” I said.

The redhead giggled beside him. “I’m Charlie, this is Dean. Now, I see my target and she’s waiting on me.”

She wiggled her brows and then she seemed to just vanish, leaving me with Dean.

“Hello, Dean. I’m Castiel, but most call me Cas.”

“Hello, Cas. Excuse Charlie, she's a little excited to be here today, and her girlfriend Stevie is way more excited.”

“Her girlfriend…she’s not yours?”

He chuckled. “No. I have the wrong bits for her. Charlie only goes one way. Uh..is that shirt true?”

“I can’t speak for everyone but yeah, for me, it is.”

He seemed unsure. “So you aren’t dating the dark haired lady that was at the store with you Sunday?”

“That’s Meg and no. She’s a coworker and a friend only. As Charlie would say, she has the wrong bits for me.”

“It seems I was abandoned. Would you mind if I kept you company?” he asked.

It was clear he was nervous and I couldn’t blame him because the butterflies were swarming in my stomach too.

“I wouldn’t mind at all.”

“So…before we collided, what were you doing?”

“Walking and looking, it seems you were looking for one person though.”

“I was. I’ll follow you now though.”

We began to walk in the direction he came, occasionally stopping to check out something at a vendor’s table. Conversation was kind of stilted, as I had no idea what to say to him. He was so gorgeous up close, and knowing that he apparently was into men was not helping my nerves. When we reached the end he suggested lunch and chose a random food truck, which turned out to be a taco truck.

“I do hope you like tacos,” he said.

“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like tacos,” I replied.

“What do you want?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

“We have a few minutes.”

I looked at the menu, and my brain was calculating costs and what I wanted versus what I could afford. The downside to vendors like these were costs were a bit higher. When we got to the window he ordered first and then looked at me.

“Can’t decide?”

“Everything looks so good and smells better. But, while the enchilada plate is calling to me, I think the tacos may be easier.” And cheaper.

He laughed. “He’ll take the enchilada plate and two tacos. Drinks for both of us.”

I started to object, but he handed over his card before I could even get the words out of my mouth. I hadn’t expected him to buy it as well!

“Dean.”

He smiled at me. “If I hadn’t run into you, I’d be stuck with Charlie and Stevie all day. I’d be subject to chick flicks and gushing. You’re saving me, man.”

“Even though I ran into you?”

“I ran into you first on Sunday.”

I had to concede there because he had. The guy behind the counter handed us our plates and drinks and we found a table nearby and sat down.

“These look amazing,” he said.

“Agreed. You got the steak, right?”

“I did, steak tacos. Those chicken ones look great too.”

I picked up one and held it out. “Trade a chicken for a steak?”

“You’re a genius. What do you do?”

I dipped my head, the compliment not being something I was used to. But, would he really want a teacher?! He handed over one of the steak tacos, while I tried to think of what to say.

“I teach seventh grade art at Lawrence Middle. Meg actually works with me there, she’s a biology teacher.”

“Man, that is awesome. I loved having art, it was a break from the mundane stuff. How long have you been teaching?”

“I’ve been teaching since 2016, starting as an assistant. In 2020 I got the current position. What about you?”

“I own a construction and remodeling company. Charlie works for me. I’m also a silent partner for a restaurant.”

I blinked. “And you call me a genius? I’m not sure I could do that.”

Damn, he was far out of my league! He owned his own company?! To keep myself from saying anything stupid I took a bite of the steak taco, which was fucking amazing. He’d already tried the chicken one and had mostly finished it. It grew quiet as we both focused on eating. The cheese quesadilla was perfectly cooked, the steak had a good flavor with hints of garlic and onion, and the chicken had a lemon pepper flavor that was so good.

“These are out of this world, I’m going to have to see if they’ll come to some job sites,” Dean said.

“That would be a good idea. I’m sure they would appreciate it.”

When we were finished, he checked the time. “Shit, the parade starts soon. We gotta find a suitable spot.”

We discarded the trash and then he took my hand with a light squeeze. I felt a flush of heat spread through me at the contact.

“I hope this is okay?” He indicated our hands.

I shyly smiled at him. “It’s okay.”

I let him guide me through the crowds and to the barrier near the street, where he gently pulled me against the barrier.

“Perfect spot. You can see them coming and going.”

“Been here before?”

“Several times.”

I turned to him and was amazed that he was so close.

*Dean*

I was thanking my lucky stars that Charlie had dragged me out so early in the day, otherwise I may not be standing here with Castiel. Granted, the moment I saw his shirt I felt a giddy feeling resonate within me. He was into men! He was also single!

He was quite shy, but his behavior seemed more nervous than scared, and I could relate. It’d been a long time since I’d courted another man. But his hand in mine felt normal, felt special, felt right.

I tightened my grip on his hand as he turned to me. “Is this your favorite spot for the parade?” he asked.

I nodded. “It is. I found it the second time I came here. I try to get somewhere around here each time. Have you been before?”

He huffed. “I have been, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I have today. The person I came with was…critical.”

He was being vague, but I could understand that he probably meant an ex. I tightened my grip on his hand for a brief moment.

“I once attended with someone like that. They were supposed to be a supporter but clearly weren’t. It’s crappy to be in such a happy place with someone who isn’t happy.”

“Agreed. It was a miserable experience,” he said.

I moved a little closer to him as the people began to crowd the barrier, getting ready for the parade. He didn’t seem uncomfortable that I was close, and eventually when the parade began I ended up right against his back, with my hands around him on the rail to keep others from squishing him. He didn’t make any moves to push me away or seem like he was uncomfortable.

“Cas? Are you okay with me being this close?”

He turned his head some, looking away from the float that was passing us from the local shelter. “You’re fine.”

His cheeks were flushed bright pink, and I was sure some was the sun but some was most likely a blush.

“I’m not sure I’d say I am the fine one here, but if I’m making you uncomfortable tell me.”

“I will. Oh! Look at that one!”

His gorgeous blue eyes had seen the newest float, one from Lawrence High. The high school team had gone all out with a huge rainbow and dozens of smaller ones. They were throwing out flags as well, and I caught one for him. I could feel my phone vibrating, but I ignored it until something hit the back of my head.

I turned and saw Charlie waving frantically and then pointing to her phone. I gave her a bitch face to rival my brother’s, and she smiled.

“Charlie apparently wants me to answer her text.”

“It’s okay if you need to.”

I got my phone and checked her message, which included a photo of Castiel and me and a bunch of question marks. I hit reply. Don’t interrupt, Bradbury. Thanks for the pic tho.

“Charlie wanted to send me this.”

I brought my phone around and showed him just the photo, not the messages. He smiled at the phone. “It’s a good photo. Perhaps I’ll let you send it to me,” he said.

That sounded promising. “Perhaps you’ll also let me take you to dinner one day?”

The pink of his cheeks seemed to get brighter. “Dean, are you asking me out on a date?”

“I am, yes.”

“I would love to,” he said.

I didn’t have time to object before he had my phone and was putting in a new contact, putting in Castiel Novak as the name. “You can send that picture to me and we can plan this date.”

“That would be wonderful.”

The rest of the parade was really nice, but I was on cloud nine that he had agreed to a date with me. I’d have to find a special place so that we could have an especially good time. He took some photos of the parade floats, and I took a few also. When the parade was over people moved away, and it gave Charlie a moment to get to us.

“I couldn’t get down here, it was too crowded,” she said.

“No problem. Charlie, this is Cas, he’s a teacher.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Cas. I’m his interior designer and computer whiz.”

Stevie was beside her, and she snorted. “I’m Stevie. Charlie’s girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you.”

“It’s nice to meet you both.”

“We’re headed to find some dinner, do you guys want to join us?” Charlie asked.

I looked at Cas. “Do you want dinner?”

“I could eat. It’s been a while.”

I chuckled. “We did the taco stand earlier today, any different recommendations?”

“There’s one on the other side that is serving up some banging soup, we had that earlier today,” Stevie said.

“There was one I considered before I ran into Dean. It was, um…seafood. They had fried shrimp and sushi, and I'm not sure if anyone has any allergies,” Cas said.

“I’m down with that, Charlie? Stevie?” I asked.

“Sounds good to us.”

I held his hand on the walk to the truck, even through ordering, and I paid for everyone. Like the taco truck, I tried one of his sauces and he tried one of mine. Charlie and Stevie just smiled, and I knew I was going to get shit later but I didn’t care. Cas seemed to love fried shrimp, and I would have to add it to my list of foods to make.

After dinner we split up again, and Cas and I walked around where I hadn’t been yet. We got ice cream at one of the stands and came to the part of the festival where live music was starting. I wasn’t familiar with the band playing, but the beat was pretty good.

I got his hand and pulled him to me. “Dance with me?”

“I have two left feet,” he said.

“Perfect, I have two right.”

He laughed. “If I step on your feet, that’s on you.”

I moved my hand to his waist and just swayed. The song was slow anyway, so it wasn’t like the jive or something! His hands moved to my biceps and he followed along. His eyes were magical, the soft glow from the setting sun and the softness of his features. He was gorgeous. Why would anyone leave him?!

“For someone with left feet you’re doing pretty good.”

“We’re swaying, my feet aren’t even moving.”

“The song is awesome. I may have to look them up.”

“They’re local actually. Rockafellers. I’m not familiar with the song, but a few of my students had it.”

“Might be worth looking them up.”

He took a tiny step forward and I tightened my grip. “I’ve had a good day, Cas, have you?”

“I have. It’s been great.”

As the music picked up some I did move us more, a little swaying and even a little dip that got me a tiny squeal from him from it being unexpected. But as the night began to wear on, the parade was winding down.

“Where did you park?”

He chuckled. “I walked here. I’m like four blocks up the road.”

“Well, I would not be a gentleman if I didn’t walk you home.”

“What about Charlie? Didn’t she ride with you?”

I shook my head. “No, she’s been gone for two hours. Stevie took her home.”

“You don’t have to walk me home, I'm sure you’re parked somewhere.”

“My baby is right there.”

I pointed to the black ‘67 Impala that was in a parking lot by itself now. He followed my point and then whistled. “Very nice.”

“How about I drive you a few blocks and be a gentleman still.”

He tilted his head to the side. “It’s really okay.”

I just shook my head. “I insist.”

I led him to the car and opened the door for him. He sighed but got in and, well, the drive was much too short, but I actually did walk him to his door.

“I’m thinking about dinner next Saturday? I can pick you up at five? I’m thinking tomorrow night but I’m not sure if you’d be available that quickly and, well, I didn’t ask about religious things.”

“I’m not very religious and tomorrow or Saturday is good.”

I tilted my head some. “Tomorrow then, five pm. I’ll pick you up.”

“I’ll be ready.”

I quickly placed a kiss on his right cheek and was rewarded by a real adorable blush that spread quickly.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Cas.”

His eyes cast down and there was this bashful smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

I waited until he was inside the apartment before I floated to the car. I didn’t remember much of the ride home either.

Chapter Text

*Castiel*

I had gone to bed the night before floating on cloud nine. It was, hands down, the best pride I had ever been too. Dean had been so nice and polite. He’d been a real gentleman and had made the whole day worth it.

Which made this morning even better because we had a date tonight. Yet I was also nervous about tonight because what if he turned out to be like Inias? Or Michael? I’d woken up early and since there was nothing for me to really do, I texted Meg.

Cas: So…pride went really well. I had a great time and Green Eyes was there.

I wasn’t sure if Meg was even awake yet; it was after nine, but that didn’t mean anything as she tended to sleep in. I fixed a bowl of cereal and when my phone pinged I assumed it was her. But the message wasn’t from Meg, and it was a new number. I smiled at the message and put “Dean” as the contact’s name.

Dean: Good Morning, Cas! I hope you slept well. Not sure if you’re even awake, but…do you like horror movies?

Cas: Good Morning, Dean. I did sleep well and I am awake. As for horror movies…it’s questionable.

Dean: Questionable how? There’s a new movie out, Tarot, that I’d like to see. But…not alone.

I re-read the message three times before it hit me that Dean was basically asking me to attend the movies with him.

Cas: I would like to see it with you, but be aware I may hide behind your shoulder for a majority of the movie.

Dean: haha - I’ll take the risk. But look up the previews pls. If it’s too much, we can choose something else. :)

I looked it up and while it did seem like it would be too much for me, there wasn’t anything else playing that even pinged my interest. So, I replied to his message.

Cas: Honestly, it may be too much (i’ll just hide!) but nothing else playing looks interesting.

Dean: Okay, So, is pick up at noon too early? Next showing is 1:30, we can grab snacks and drinks before the show and then get dinner afterwards.

Cas: Noon is fine.

Dean: I’ll see you then.

I laid the phone down and realized I did need a quick shower before he showed up, so I went ahead and showered and found some clean clothes. I opted for a pair of loose jeans and a grey and blue striped shirt. When I got my phone I had a message from Meg.

Meg: Hold up - Green Eyes? From the grocery store?!

Knowing she was awake, I called her instead. She answered on the second ring.

“What the hell happened during Pride?”

“So, I told you he ran into my buggy? I paid him back by running into him yesterday. We basically spent the whole of the day together. We watched the parade, had food, and danced.”

“Wait, you danced?!”

“Well, I swayed. But, he called it dancing. Aaannnddd…he’s picking me up in about thirty minutes for a movie and dinner.”

She squealed on the other end. “I told you he was checking you out. If you need me though, message me and I will bail you out. But it sounds like he was a gentleman and not an asshole.”

“He did seem like a gentleman. But Michael and Inias had been that way too.”

“Castiel Novak, they were both assholes and you deserve someone who will treat you right. If Green Eyes does that, maybe he’s your prince charming. But if you get out there today and he turns into some jackass, you call me. I will come kick his ass.”

“Dean. His name is Dean. I hope you’re right.”

“I am right. You let me know what happens during the day, even if it’s after you get home.”

“I will.”

When there was a light knock on my door the butterflies went crazy. “I gotta go. Bye.”

“Have a great time!”

I hung up and went to the door and was greeted by Dean in white blue jeans and a maroon colored shirt. He looked mouth watering in the white pants.

“Hello, Dean.”

“Hello, Cas. Are you ready?”

“I am.”

I got the keys from the hook and closed the door behind me; my wallet was already present.

“So, I checked a few theaters and found a movie that I hadn’t been able to watch in theaters and it’s not as bad as Tarot. The Mummy is a re-release, would you like to see that instead?” he asked.

I recalled that movie coming out and hadn’t really seen it, just snippets. “I’d like that. I may still hide though.”

We were walking toward the Impala when he looked at me. “Do you just not like horror type movies?”

“I don't like have nightmares or anything, but sometimes it’s too much. It can just make me feel a bit freaked out or down.”

“I get it. My little brother was great in most genres, but the really scary movies would give him nightmares.”

He skipped ahead and held the door open for me. Fuck, that was so different from what I’d experienced before. I slid into the passenger seat of the Impala again and this time I could really see how nice this car was. He took great care of her.

“You said this was a 1967 Impala? The interior is so nice, the leather isn’t even ripped.”

He slipped the seatbelt on. “I take good care of her. She was my dad’s car, passed to me when I was eighteen.”

“Have you always been into cars?”

“I considered mechanics as my job. I’ve always been good with tinkering with cars and fixing them. But I ended up going into construction instead. I still maintain my car and help friends when needed.”

“That’s very nice of you.” I paused. “You mentioned a little brother, is he super young or close in age?”

“I do have one brother, Sammy, but he prefers Sam. He’s a lawyer, and he’s four years younger than me. I sometimes feel like I raised him.”

“I didn’t have any siblings. Not many people were in my family. No aunts, uncles, or cousins.”

“My parents didn’t either, but family isn’t all about blood. Ellen, Charlie, and Bobby are all family to me but not my blood. Jo, Ellen’s daughter, is like a sister to me.”

“A few past relationships had family members, it was often overwhelming for me.”

He parked in the lot of the theater and looked at me with understanding. “Sometimes large families are hard to deal with. I sometimes wish I’d been a single kid myself.”

I chuckled. “Sometimes I wanted a large family. But it was nice to be doted on.”

He smiled and, before I could even think about opening my own door, he was there doing it for me. Even held his hand out so I could get out without issues. This was so new! We walked inside, and he held that hand the whole time.

I didn’t even have time to get my wallet before he’d paid for the movie tickets and then guided us to the concession stand.

“Popcorn is a must. Anything else you want?”

“Popcorn is fine, Dean.”

Yet he ordered the largest size they had, plus two king sized drinks, and then got candy too! “You know this will just make us need to pee?”

“We’ll go first.”

I wasn’t convinced that it would help, but I got the drinks while he got the rest and then we took turns at the bathroom, not wanting to take the food inside. We then headed to room ten and found seats in the center of the aisles.

He sat the popcorn down between us, and we lapsed into a conversation about Brenden Frasier and how far he’s come since this movie was made. He also let me know there were several others after this one, which I hadn’t known about.

A few times I reached for popcorn and came into contact with his hand, versus the warm soft puffs. He didn’t seem to care, and after steadily eating and talking for thirty minutes about some typical topics like hobbies we enjoyed, what part of our jobs we liked or hated, the lights finally dimmed.

“Are you done with the popcorn? If so, I’ll move it beside me.”

“Yes.”

He moved the bowl to the seat beside him and assured me if I wanted more to just ask him. We both ensured that our phones were off before the previews came on. Some seemed interesting, some not so much. There was a preview for a horror movie and I hadn’t expected it and heard the chuckle from my hiding spot behind his shoulder.

“I’ll protect you from the zombies,” Dean said.

“Embarrassing,” I mumbled.

He went to move his arm, causing me to sit up. He first moved the little arm divider, which confused me, but then his arm was behind me.

“Come on," he said.

Okay, I wasn’t stupid here. I had always wanted to have this type of cuddling during a movie but no one else had ever wanted to, so I felt an extra thrill as I scooted over and let him pull me in close. It’s how we stayed for the whole movie. It hadn’t been bad enough to need to hide my face, but just being this close to Dean was a good feeling.

“I have a feeling you don’t want to move,” he said.

I doubled that belief by snuggling down a bit more; the movie credits were still rolling, after all. “I am rather comfortable. But the gallon of soda is catching up.”

“Same.”

As comfortable as I was, I had to move, so we could both get up. He brought the popcorn with us, but the drinks were empty and the candy was gone. We took turns again at the bathroom and then headed outside to the heat.

*Dean*

Damn, I wish I’d been able to stay sitting there forever with him curled up under my arm. It was sweet and felt nice. I missed this part of dating, the getting to know each other and learning about the other person.

So far, he's been listening to me mostly. Once we got to the car and settled in I turned to him. “I know a few places in town with good seafood. Are you allergic to shellfish or anything?”

“No known allergies, just can’t cook it.”

“I’m pretty decent at cooking fish. Are you more in a Florida fish vibe or Louisiana?”

“Louisiana, gumbo is amazing.”

“Deal. It’s still a little early, but there’s a good park beside the restaurant. We may not have a heat stroke there.”

He frowned. “We may not.”

I drove there and parked. It was across the street from Benny's Gumbo Shack, one that Benny once owned but had sold long ago because of a bad investment. The new owners had bought him out and he had helped with the dishes. He still frequented them when he wanted comfort food. But we headed to the park first.

“I haven’t been here before, this is pretty.”

“Probably the best park in Lawrence. Not a lot of visitors, lots of shade.”

We found a bench to sit down at, overlooking the pond and the ducks in the distance. It was quiet for a moment before I turned to him.

“Why teaching? What drew you to art and then teaching?” I asked.

His hands fiddled with the end of his shirt for a moment. “I was always drawing, doodling, or working on some sketch or another. My parents had the fridge full of them, and there were some that were framed on the wall. My mom encouraged me to go into art school and maybe make some kind of career out of that.”

“You didn’t go that route though.”

“No, I didn’t. I liked the idea, but when I was in high school I noticed that some of my classmates used classes, art or shop, as an escape from their real lives. It gave me that break as well and I wanted to give that back. So, I went that route for college.”

“Do you still draw as well?”

“I sometimes still do. Most have been creating things for the students to copy. It’s hit or miss.”

“Any special students you wanted to keep up with?”

He turned to me with a brow raised. “What do you mean?”

I considered how I worded that and chuckled. “I mean, like is there a student that you saw a lot of potential in and just kinda kept up with to see if they become a big star.”

“Oh. There have been a few students whose work was incredible. But unfortunately I haven’t looked them up or anything. It almost feels a little weird.”

“Well, hopefully you find out somehow. Do you have any other hobbies?”

He leaned back some and seemed to be relaxing a bit. “Not really. I used to play a lot of video games but have pulled away from those. I wasn’t really great at them. I tend to read a lot; ebooks are very popular with me because I can read them anywhere. I did like woodshop in school but haven’t really done much with that. What about you? Any specific hobbies?”

I glanced across the lake. “Video games were a favorite for me too, but now it’s Larping. Charlie does live action role playing and I tend to join her when I can. There are several of us that do it actually. Pretend we’re knights. Sometimes Sam and I will run through his court cases if he can involve me, usually when he’s stumped. That isn’t something we do often because most are confidential.”

“Larping?” he asked.

“That’s the live action stuff. It’s almost like video games but in real life. They’re obviously fake swords and stuff, nothing that’s really lethal. You should come one weekend, even if you just observe.”

“I may have to, it sounds like it would be a good time. Charlie also seemed very nice yesterday.”

“She can be when she wants to be,” I said.

He chuckled. “I am sure she’s always nice.”

I rolled my eyes. “She’s already got you hooked and you haven’t even really been around her much. You mentioned your parents but nothing recent. Are they gone?”

His head dropped and he was quiet for too long, so I moved my hand over his. “It’s okay if you don’t want to discuss it.”

“Um, they both were killed in a car accident just after my graduation. A drunk driver hit them. The doctors told me they didn’t suffer, that it was instant. It still hurts like a bitch.”

I closed my hand around his. “Did you have someone with you then?”

“I did, but we broke up not long after that and it was amicable because we both knew it wasn’t going to last.”

“It’s good he was there.”

“He was, and he helped. But together we sucked.”

I chuckled. “It happens sometimes. I had a few relationships in high school that were like that. Lisa and I separated on good terms. Her son, who is not mine, still calls me sometimes.”

“Lisa?”

I nodded. “I’ve been bisexual my whole life. Lisa and I were together for a long time, but we kinda knew when it was over.”

“I don’t know why I didn’t connect that, considering you wore a bi-flag yesterday.”

“I’ve always known, and my father was cool with it. He also said my mother would have been. She died in a house fire when I was four and he died when I was 23, natural causes. Sammy and I think it was broken heart syndrome and also that he knew we’d be okay at that point.”

“I’m sorry,” he said.

I squeezed his hand again. “It’s fine.”

He turned his hand around and held mine. It was quiet for some time with us just sitting here, looking at one another.

“You have the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen,” I said.

I saw the blush rise into his cheeks. “Your green is vibrant and so pretty.”

I smiled at him. “Are you ready to get dinner now?”

“Yes. The smells are getting to me.”

We both laughed, but when I went to get up I noticed his shoe was untied and just kneeled down to tie it.

“Sorry, darling. I couldn’t let you trip over this.”

When I looked up after the tie was done, he had this unreadable expression on his face. But a dark blush was dusting his cheeks.

“Thank you, Dean.”

“You’re welcome.”

I got up and held my hand out for him to take and we then walked across the street to the restaurant. They sat us quickly and got us water, tea, and the menu.

“Wow, this is a big menu.”

“It is. But the gumbo is amazing, and any grilled fish is amazing. I’ve not had the stuff marked new though.”

We both compared a few dishes that were marked new. I tried one of the lemon grilled mahi mahi, and he went with a big bowl of gumbo. The whole restaurant smelled amazing with the various seasonings and smells.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been here. Has it been open for a long time?”

“Yeah, about nine years under the current owners. A friend of mine, Benny, owned it beforehand. Some bad deals made him sell and he helped the new owners with some of the dishes.”

“That’s nice of him. My cooking ability is a bit limited, but I can get by,” he said.

“I’m decent, but some things I can’t cook either. Burgers are my specialty.”

“Burgers are good at home.”

The conversation turned to what foods we generally enjoyed and then it was quiet as we ate our dinner.

“This gumbo is so good. I wish I could make this at home,” he said.

“If I recall, it’s the best I had ever tried. The Mahi Mahi is amazing.”

On a whim, I got a good piece and held it up to him. He hesitated for a moment before he leaned forward and I tracked the way his lips surrounded the piece of fish and then closed, sliding the fork back. I had no idea what came over me but fuck, that was a little hot.

“This is really good. It has a good lemon flavor but it’s not overpowering the subtle fish taste.”

“Agreed. What about the gumbo? Does it taste good?”

A moment later I was presented with a spoon full of the broth with various chunks of what could be shrimp. Well, I wouldn’t deny him the same view, and I watched his eyes as I took the bite. The flavor exploded on my tongue.

“Yeah, just as good as I remember.”

He just stared at my lips for a moment until he seemed to snap out of whatever place he went to. “It’s perfect. Um, do you come here often?”

“Sadly, no. Usually it’s with Benny.”

“Is he, um…” He trailed off and stuffed his mouth full with a large spoon of the gumbo.

I smiled. “Benny and I are friends. Nothing more and we have never been more than that.”

I saw the flush creep up. “It’s none of my business. I’m sorry.”

I moved my hand over his. “No, it’s fine. You deserve to know if I still see my exes. Lisa is the only one I sometimes see, and it’s usually because I am picking up or dropping Ben off. But honestly the last few years that’s tapered down because he’s getting older and she’s dating other men.”

“I’m sorry he’s pulling away.”

“I expected it, I can’t always be there. Do you see any of yours?”

“No. Good thing, too.”

I squeezed his hand before letting it go, and we lapsed into silence as we both ate the rest of our dinner. We were too full for desserts, and he seemed confused that the waiter brought me no bill, just a receipt to sign. I left a very generous tip as well because our waitress had been amazing at keeping the drinks full.

“How about a walk at the park?”

“I could use a walk,” he said.

We headed back to the park and just casually strolled on the concrete path around the lake. Sometime during the first trip I took his hand for something and just didn’t let it go, and he didn’t seem to mind. Truthfully, I missed this type of contact with others. Eventually we headed to the car and I took him back home. The sun had set already and he seemed so happy for the whole day, but he kinda deflated when we parked at his apartment.

I still walked him back to his door.

“You didn’t have to.”

“Oh, I did. Gentlemen walk their dates to their doors.”

“I appreciate it.”

I got his hands and held them. “I had a great time today, did you?”

He glanced down at our hands. “I did. I can say it’s the best date I’ve been on.”

“I set the bar high then, oh my. I’ll have to make sure the next one is even better. Assuming you’re willing to have a second one?”

“I would love a second date with you,” he said.

His eyes were shining, and I was so happy he wanted a second date! “I’ll get with my schedule and text you when, do you have any type of plans?”

“Not really. Unless Meg drags me somewhere.”

“If so, we can rearrange. I won’t take you from her.”

He leaned in a bit. “I wouldn’t mind, she can be a bit overwhelming at times.”

I chuckled. “Then we can interrupt her plans.”

It was an awkward moment. I really wanted to kiss him, but I wasn’t sure if that was the right time. I mean, we did just meet yesterday! So I leaned in and kissed his cheek.

“I will call, we can talk anytime.”

His face was flushed and had felt so warm against my lips. “Thank you, Dean.”

“You’re welcome.”

I remained there until he was inside the apartment and the door had shut, then I felt like skipping to my car. It was such a great day! I really couldn’t wait to see him again and already had a few places in mind for dinner or lunches or activities.

Chapter Text

*Castiel*

The alarm went off at five, but I was already awake and had been for a few hours. School had reconvened last week and this was week two, yet I was still adjusting to the time.

The last two months with Dean have been so good. He planned multiple dates. We had dinner often, visited museums, went to movies, and generally hung out and got to know one another better. He was so different though from what I was used to.

He didn't refrain from casual touches and loved holding my hand. He never asked or expected me to pay, and the two times I had was because I had beaten him to get the check or ordered before he arrived.

He was also very interested in my artwork and teaching and felt that art class was a valuable part of school. Something no one else I dated had believed.

Despite that, I couldn't bring myself to talk to him about the trouble I was having financially . My car had acted up and, while Dean had found me a great mechanic, it had cost me my rent money, so I hadn't been able to pay it. That was my second month and August hadn't been paid either. I had asked for extra classes at the school, but nothing had come up yet.

I'd cut everything I could and reduced dinners to basically whatever was cheap. Dean had commented only once about me losing weight, he had noticed that I had lost and had been concerned. He didn't know the best meals I had were with him. The rest were cheap and often just ramen noodles. Not even Meg knew about my financial problems.

I was in my classroom on time, had set up for the day's lesson, and was waiting for my first period class when my phone beeped. I looked down to a text message from Dean.

Dean: Good Morning sunshine! I know you're already at school but what did you plan for lunch today?

I sighed. I'd brought crackers, but I couldn't tell him that. He would worry.

Cas: Good Morning, Dean! I was thinking of just going someplace or having it delivered.

Dean: Hmm, sounds like a good plan. I'll probably be here until the sun sets. :/

His schedule had gotten tight because of the summer being busy, but he'd still found time for dates and hanging out. Now we had less time because I was confined here for eight hours Monday through Friday.

The kids began to stream in for the first period, and I got busy doing roll calls and introducing the new lesson. Today was introducing sketching and how to get your ideas down, then work on perfecting them later on.

It was easy to ignore how hungry you were when you were busy teaching kids. They always had questions or concerns or didn’t seem to grasp something. I was honestly wondering if this job was as stupid as Inias kept telling me. It was just the second week, but several students looked bored or uninterested in even being here. Maybe it was just me.

“Mr. Novak, can you look at this?” a student asked.

I didn’t know her name just yet, but I walked over anyway and glanced down at the sketch before her. “What do you think looks weird? Remember, this is just a sketch of your idea.”

“I’m trying to draw a wolf, but this doesn’t look like a wolf.”

She was right about that; the lines didn’t seem to resemble anything that could be canine related. So, I leaned down and did a basic shape sketch for her, then let her do the same thing. Her second attempt turned out much better and she smiled.

“Thank you, Mr. Novak!”

“You’re welcome. And remember, this is art class. I’m never aiming for perfection, I just want you all to try your best.”

“I know, my brother took your class last year and said you were awesome.”

I smiled at her. “I’m glad he thinks I’m awesome.”

As the morning wore on, I answered similar questions and spent some time with different students who asked about shading or figuring out what to draw because some didn’t know. Most of my classes began like this; I would see what the students were interested in and see where they were in regards to their abilities or knowledge.

As lunch approached the headache was starting and I really was debating about ordering out. As the last of my students filed out for lunch period I went to my desk, where my crackers were waiting for me with my bottle of water. I was just about to open them when there was a knock on the classroom door. I thought I was hearing things until I turned to the door and damn, it was like a ray of sunshine was there.

Dean was standing in my classroom door with a bag in one hand and a tray with two large cups in the other one.

“Dean? What are you doing here?”

I got up and moved to him, confused on why he was here. He hadn’t mentioned stopping by or given me any indication that he would ever visit me during school hours. We hadn’t even really discussed if he would be allowed to come here with all of the rules that the school had in place.

He smiled. “I figured since we couldn't see each other tonight that I would just swing by. I hope that's okay.”

“It is. Wait! Did you get a visitor's badge?” The school required any visitors to have a badge.

“I did. I even left my weapons at the door,” he joked.

We both laughed and he managed a hug without dropping anything and a sweet kiss to my cheek, causing my cheeks to flush.

“I brought lunch. Hope you haven't ordered anything yet.”

“I haven't.” I would not tell him that I hadn’t really planned to.

“Good. I came by that Chinese place we liked and got a to-go order. I'm sure at least one of these is filled with rice.”

We moved to my desk, and I cleaned off some space and he set it up. He had no idea what kind of angel he was right now. He opened things and dished out lunch.

“How was your morning?” He slid a plate filled with fried rice, teriyaki chicken, and grilled assorted vegetables to me as he asked.

“It wasn't bad. It's better now that you've come by.”

He smirked. “I'm glad it was good. Thanks for the ego booster too. I’m glad I made it better. No trouble with the kids?”

“I had one that seemed to space out, but once he got to drawing it was hard to stop him. Did you get that inspection you needed?”

“No. The county canceled again. I'm going by on my way back to the site and seeing why they keep canceling on me.”

I think the moment the rice hit my tongue I moaned, it tasted so good. Maybe it was because we hadn’t had fried rice in a few weeks. We lapsed into eating.

“Have you heard from Sam? I know you mentioned last week he hadn’t called you in a few days.”

He took a swallow of the tea and nodded. “Yeah, he called this morning. He’s been working a big case which he can’t tell me about, but he said he’d been doing a lot of late nights.”

“Big cases are both good and bad.”

He nodded. “I think this is a fraud case or something money related. But not sure.”

He’d just taken a big bite of the chicken, and sauce was all over his chin. I resisted at first before reaching over and wiping it away. He froze for a second, then his cheeks blushed. “Thanks.”

“No problem, you did that to me a few weeks back.”

“Seeing you blush is just cute though, I don’t look cute when I blush.”

“Yes, you do.”

His cheeks got darker and he shoved another spoon of rice into his mouth. I smirked, knowing I had him. After several minutes he glanced at me. “Are you teaching anything abstract this year?”

“I do have a lesson on abstract art. It’s usually taught mid-year. Why? You want to see if they’ll let you take it?”

“Maybe!”

We finished eating our lunch, and I was stuffed. I knew I’d want a nap after this but had several classes left. He packed up the leftovers and put them back in the bag.

“Take them with you, I won't be able to get them in the fridge for hours and the chicken will spoil before then.”

I had a fridge in my classroom, so that worked well. It would also be lunch tomorrow.

“Thank you, Dean.”

“No problem. May have to do this more often, I like the break. But I have to ask…Why is there a picture frame on your desk with no photo?”

I looked at the frame in question, a solid black one with no photo or anything. “I had a photo of my ex and me in there. I took it out when we broke up.”

He reached across the desk and picked up the frame, took it apart, and got a pen from the holder. I knew he was doing something, but I couldn’t see it until he placed it back.

“Dean, did you just…”

“Hey, my drawing skills suck. But stick figures I can do.”

Dean had drawn stick figures on the paper in it. He’d even drawn arrows and put our names to show which stick figure was which. I smiled at the photo and then at Dean.

“Thank you, it’s nice to have something in it. I'm surprised though that your phone hasn't blown up, given it's during the week.“

He shrugged and put the pen back up. “It's set to silent. If it's an emergency they would have kept calling. I'm with you and didn't want to spend it on my phone, especially considering that we didn't get much time last week with school and jobs.”

I blinked. Not a single previous relationship had cared about something like that, and I could feel the little prickle of tears in my eyes.

“Hey, what's wrong, sweetheart?”

“Previous guys wouldn't have cared.”

“Well, I'm not them and I do care. You agreed to have lunch with me, not with me and my phone.”

“That's very true. It was a very good lunch too.”

“Agreed. We could do this during the week if you’re okay with it. I can usually find some time around lunch when everyone stops to eat. It may be a good alternative to dinners given how busy my afternoons seem to be.”

“I would like that.”

Truthfully, even if lunch was just crackers and water, his company would be welcomed anytime. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on my cheek, which of course set them both on fire.

“I could really use seeing this blush daily too.”

“It’s your fault!”

His next kiss landed on my lips and, well, I could forgive him for causing the blush. The first time he’d kissed me had been a few weeks back after a date. A quick, chaste kiss to the lips. This one wasn’t as quick. I could feel his hands on my knees after a few moments, but the longer this kiss lasted the tighter my pants got.

The bell rang and both of us jumped a foot and cussed. It was a very painful reminder that I had a bunch of teenagers due any moment now and did not need awkward boners!

“I should probably head out, you’ll have the kids soon.”

“Yes, they should be coming at any moment actually.”

“I’ll see what my schedule looks like and let you know which days I think I can break away. Would the school mind?”

“Not as long as it’s not daily and you check in and out at the desk.”

“I will do that for sure.”

He tossed the trash and I put the take out container in the fridge, but kids were already coming in as he said his goodbye. His hug felt so nice, but it also felt like it lasted forever. Not that I was minding, but the kids might! I swear he kissed my cheek on purpose just to rile those kids up. I could hear the ooh’s from the kids. They would never let me live this down!

I was right too, the moment the class started the first question was if he was my boyfriend. I didn’t hide the fact that I was gay; every teacher and faculty member knew. There had also been that photo I’d removed and Dean had replaced. So, I didn’t lie to them. I told them he was my boyfriend. Which of course got more oohs and ahhs, but I directed us back to the lesson.

My next break brought Meg to my door. “Clarence.”

“Meg, I haven’t seen you today.”

“I was late this morning and showed up about the time my students did. But speaking of students, there is rumbling that your boyfriend was here.”

“Dean did come by, he brought lunch and we had a lunch date. Last week we didn’t see each other because of our schedules.”

She came over to the desk and sat down in the chair still there. “So, things with Dean are going well?”

“Yeah. He’s different in a really good way, but I’m still being cautious. I haven’t gone to his house or anything, all of our dates are outside the house.”

“I never seem to go into your house either!”

She didn’t need to know I hadn’t bothered to buy anything because I couldn’t. I didn’t think she wanted to hear my struggles since she lived in the same building and we virtually made the same amount. Somehow she was able to afford the place, while I was regretting my hasty decision to move.

“Well, we see each other here more than we do at home. I guess the kids are still talking about seeing him here?”

“Dude, you are the biggest thing since Susan and Mikey broke up.”

“Seriously?”

She nodded. “Someone said your empty frame changed too, did you put a photo in it finally?”

“No.”

I turned it around so she could see it and she laughed. “Did Dean do that?”

“He did. I’m tempted to leave it honestly. We have photos with each other, but I’m hesitant to print them out or anything.”

She laid her hand over mine. “It’s okay if you do, Cas. But do it when you're ready.”

“Thank you.”

She didn’t stay the whole period because she had a few things to get ready and so did I. I wondered though what would happen if Dean kept coming around. Would the students keep talking? Were all their talks positive? I wasn’t stupid, I had parents that were pissed that I had a photo of Inias and me. What would they say to Dean being here? Meg would straight up tell me not to worry about them, but I did because my license depended on not having complaints. Not that I had any now.

The leftovers from lunch were for tomorrow, so I didn’t bring them home. I didn’t usually bring things home to grade unless there were essays or something, which weren’t often. So, my afternoon was spent going over bank statements and bills to see what I could cut or not pay so I could cover the rent, but nothing could be done.

I eventually had my noodles. I was about to pass out when a text from Dean came up.

Dean: Inspection tomorrow - they had the wrong papers and I had to get them the right ones. Dumbasses.

Cas: Glad they got it fixed. I am apparently the talk of the school!

Dean: You are? How?

Cas: You. Students talk. According to Meg, we’re the talk of the school now.

Dean: Oh! I’ll have to try harder.

Cas: I think we’ve done enough, they also noticed the new picture.

Dean: I’ll work on my stick figures. I wanted you to know, I’m still at the house. Making sure it’ll pass the inspection. I’ll be heading home in about an hour but knew you’d be asleep by then.

Cas: I think your figures are perfect. Keep me updated if they pass. Yeah, I’m about to go now. That alarm is too early.

Dean: I’d have to cry if I had to get up as early as you.

Cas: I sometimes want to.

For many reasons really, but yes, the alarm was one.

Dean: Sleep well and sweet dreams.

Cas: Sleep well, Dean.

I put the phone on charge and fell back into bed. I had no idea what this week would bring but hopefully the students would be good. Perhaps I would mix it up and have them do something abstract after this project was complete. I also wanted to consider some kind of clay work, but I needed to see about supplies. I wasn’t sure if the budget would allow for that; I’d have to submit a request.

I finally fell asleep wondering if I’d see Dean anymore this week.

Chapter Text

*Dean*
September 23, 2024

My day started off badly with an alarm that didn't go off, meaning it was Charlie who woke me up three hours past when I was supposed to be at the job site. I had rushed through a shower and didn't even bother to shave, just got dressed and had toast on the way to the site.

The inspector that was on the site waiting for me was not happy. I think it's why he failed the inspection on nitpicky shit. After all that, I had to face Charlie.

“What the hell, Dean? You know this was a key inspection and you show up late, looking like you just came from a stripper's house.”

I glanced down and sure enough, my button down was wrinkled…and was that mustard?! Fuck.

“My alarm didn't go off.”

“Clearly. But that's not all I'm mad about. You bailed on us again this weekend. You promised this weekend you would be there, maybe even bring Cas along.”

I was about to tell her that Cas and I had opted for the movies instead because he was still nervous around a lot of strangers when my name was screamed out. I turned, trying to figure out who had called me.

“Dean! Problem in the backyard!” the foreman yelled.

Charlie and I both ran toward the back yard; the only work going on there was the pool company. Yet I barely reached the backyard when I slid on mud. She stopped short, and thank God I didn't fall!

But there was a geyser of water shooting straight up, and the whole yard was flooded. The pool guy was in the green swamp and the few crew members were all scattered.

“I’ll shut off the water!” Charlie yelled. Moments later she was sprinting to the front.

All I could do was stand in the ankle deep mud with water raining down on my head.

So much for a quick fix.

When the water was turned off and the geyser had stopped, I moved.

“What happened?!”

“My guys were looking for the underground pipes and one said he hit something, a minute later we had a geyser,” he said.

He was Dimitri Fuentes, owner of Lawrence Pools and More. He was my go to guy for any type of pool or water feature.

“What pipe would have that much pressure?”

“Don’t know, but it’ll have to be fixed.”

“I’ll get in touch with a plumber,” Charlie said.

She was off and calling people before I had a chance. I turned back to Dimitri. ”So, what was wrong with the pool?”

He laughed. “Pipe was clogged up somewhere, which is why we were looking for them. But until this is cleaned up, there is not much I can do.”

“I know. I’ll give you a call when this is fixed.”

He and his guys packed up and I just stood here for a moment. I got my phone and brought up the photo of Cas and me from the weekend. Damn, I missed him, and I had just seen him this weekend. Seeing his smiling face brought one to my own and made me feel better.

“Plumber’s on the way, they’ll figure it out. It’ll cost though.”

“Of course it will.”

The rest of the day did not go any better. The plumber found the line easily, but it was a major repair and would cost thousands. While they were there, they also found another major issue that would take more time and money to fix. I was starting to regret buying this house, it had been nothing but trouble so far. The day dragged on, and by seven I was tired and dirty.

I just wanted to go home, shower, and call Cas. But Charlie was waiting by the truck and I groaned.

“Tomorrow?”

“Come on, Dean, I have given you all day. You promised.”

“We didn’t come down because Cas wasn’t sure about being there. He’s still really iffy about being around a large group. So we had dinner and a movie instead for his birthday, which was the eighteenth. I sent Benny a message saying we wouldn’t be there.”

“Benny never told me.”

“Maybe he didn’t get the message, but I did send it.”

“Is Cas okay?”

I sighed. “I’m not sure, Charlie. I haven’t heard from him today but it is not unusual during school hours. But, he’s…I can tell something is wrong and I can’t get him to tell me about it.”

“What do you mean?”

I pondered her question for a moment. “You remember when Ellen was sick and didn’t want us to know?”

“Yeah, they suspected cancer and she didn’t want us to worry.”

“I feel like that, where we all knew something was wrong but we didn’t know what. I feel like that with him, like there is a problem of some kind but I can’t pinpoint what that problem is.”

“Is the relationship okay?”

“As far as I can tell, yes. We smile and have fun, laugh. We don’t have a lot of serious conversations, but you know me.”

“Yeah, you don’t like those heavy conversations. But maybe it’s what he needs.”

“Maybe. I could send him a message and see if he wants to get dinner, but I need a shower for sure.”

“Yes, we both do.”

I was about to get my phone when it went off. “Perfect timing, that’s Cas’s ringtone.”

I opened it, but as my eyes scanned the words my world literally crashed down around me.

Cas: Thank you for the last three months, but I don’t think this is going to work. I’m sorry, but I’m breaking up with you.

Dean: Cas? What do you mean? What’s wrong? Let’s talk about this.

No response came and I ignored Charlie as I called him multiple times, each time going to voicemail.

“Dean!” Charlie yelled.

I looked at her through blurry eyes, barely able to think about what a shit day it had been and now this? A break up, out of blue, with no real reason why!

“What is wrong?”

“He…broke up with me.”

“What? Why?” she asked.

I shook my head. “I don’t know, he thanked me for the last few months but said it wouldn’t work. Charlie, what do I do?”

Her hands came to my shoulders and she squeezed me tightly. “Give him a few days and call him, maybe it was just a moment on his end.”

“I don’t want to lose him, Charlie.”

“I know, Dean. Listen, give him some space. Then reach out. But, you know if he’s done you can’t force this.”

“I know and I really hope it’s not over…but damn, through a text?!”

“I know. Go home and get cleaned up. I’ll come over and we’ll make dinner and play some games. It’s been a shitty day and this isn’t helping, but give him time. I know you want to rush over and beg and ask what’s going on, but Dean, you can’t do that right now.”

She was right, I wanted to shower and go straight to his apartment. But Charlie was right. I didn’t have a reason why he did this and I didn’t want to push him farther away. I would follow her advice.

“Give me like an hour and then pizza, beer, and video games. How is that?”

“Perfect. I’ll run home and then grab that on the way over.”

“Thanks, Charlie.”

She made sure I got in my car and I did as I told her, went home and showered. I smelled and still had mud in places mud shouldn’t be. As I waited for her I went through the photos of Cas and me. Did I do something wrong? Was I too overbearing? Did I say something wrong? Was this my fault?

I wanted so badly to just go to his apartment, to send another message and make him talk to me. But, I would follow Charlie’s advice. When she arrived she had two large pizzas and a twelve pack!

“It’ll be okay, Dean.”

I had to trust her. So I let her distract me with food, beer and video games. But as I laid in bed later the questions remained. I had no answers for them.

*Castiel*

My shit day started with being late. The alarm had gone off, but I had hit snooze too many times until I finally saw the actual time and realized I needed to get the fuck up! Being up late meant that I didn’t have time to get any type of breakfast before I was running out the door. Thankfully, I had leftovers in the classroom from Friday’s lunch with Dean.

I really hoped the day would go better once I got to the classroom, but that was not my luck.

I got there and realized that, because I had been in a rush to leave the house, I had forgotten at home the supplies I had picked up over the weekend for today’s lesson and couldn’t go back and get them. Therefore, I had to make a last minute change for the lesson. It sucked because the students were looking forward to this lesson and now I couldn’t do it today. I did promise to bring the supplies tomorrow though.

But that couldn’t be the only issue with the students, nope. Not today. Every single class had problems. From arguments about what the group was doing, to yelling or screaming matches between groups, my first and fifth class had students that were escorted to the principal's office because they had all out fights. Ones that weren’t just a slap, no, there was a punch, and because of that it required a trip to the principal and for their parents to be called.

I thought maybe, just maybe my lunch could be pleasant. That I could call or text with Dean while I ate. But nope, that wasn’t destined either. A new social studies teacher was present, and she showed up just a few moments after the lunch bell went off. Which meant I couldn’t reach out to Dean, which may have been a blessing in disguise.

I understood why she came to the classroom; she was a new teacher here and wanted to meet us all. She had gone to Meg’s classroom last week. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to know this new person, but I just wasn’t in the right frame of mind to even care right now. But I entertained her for the hour she was in the room. I wouldn’t be a rude ass just because I had no interest in talking to anyone right now.

Dean was a subject I avoided thinking about as much as I could. We had a fantastic weekend; we had lunches and dinners, saw a new park, and even rode out of town to a new restaurant. Yet I couldn’t help but think about the inevitable.

Arriving back at the apartment felt wrong somehow. Perhaps it was because there was a bright red note taped to the door, informing me I had until Saturday to vacate the property.

I’d gotten the notice at the first of the month, a bright red EVICTION notice that thankfully no one else had seen. I’d called the landlord, begged and offered to pay everything I had, but he wouldn’t budge. I’d then spent two weeks trying my hardest to find another place to live with no results. Nothing was affordable and without savings I couldn’t put down the deposit and first month's rent anyway.

I had no back up, no plan, and I couldn’t ask Meg or Dean…what would they think? In addition, I couldn’t pay them back even if they fronted me the money to start with. I’d be in the same boat without the paddles.

When I got home I sat down on the air mattress and reflected on everything.

Truth was I was broke. My bank account maybe had a little for a hotel night, but that would be it. Come Saturday, I would be homeless. After that, who knew what would happen. Would the school even keep me as a teacher with no address? Would they care?

It was ironic that this was exactly what Inias told me would happen when he kicked me out. That my career path would amount to nothing and I wouldn’t be able to ‘hack’ it in the real world without him or someone else. Here I was, proving him right. I wasn’t even out of his house a full six months before I was homeless and broke.

I wondered what Dean would think when he found out I was homeless. Would he think badly of me? Would he care? Would he be like Inias?

I really didn’t think he would be like Inias, after all the last three months have been wonderful. He treated me well. He was kind, listened, talked to me with respect, and he seemed to really care about me. Was it love? Maybe not yet, but I felt like it would lead that way.

Which is why I couldn’t continue with this relationship. Dean deserved a partner that wasn’t homeless, that wasn’t incapable of handling money, that wasn’t me. But fuck, he was so good to me that it was surreal to consider not being with him.

Hours passed. I went back and forth with it. I felt something real for Dean, I felt like we had a profound bond and I wasn’t sure if I could call it love or just a bond. Either way, he deserves someone better than me.

I finally got my phone and went to his name and then had to pause again. I should call him to break up with him, that was the better option in this scenario. To tell him that he should find someone else that was better than me. But if I called him and he asked me why…and he would ask me why, he would want a reason for the break up. Telling him that I was breaking up with him because I was a broke homeless man would not go over well. Dean was a fixer, and he would try to fix this. No, calling him was a bad idea and seeing him in person would be even worse because I couldn’t resist those eyes.

No, it was going to have to be a text.

I typed out a message, erased it, typed out another one, and kept repeating that multiple times before I settled on the words and finally hit send. I then laid the phone down and laid down myself.

Then I just cried. I could hear the phone going off, could hear it ringing. But I knew it was Dean and I knew I couldn’t answer because I would break. I’d broken up with the best man that I’d ever met.

Come Saturday I would be homeless. I couldn’t even tell Meg because I wasn’t sure what she would do or how she would handle it.

All I could do now was cry myself to sleep and hope the rest of the week went better.

Chapter Text

September 27, 2024
*Castiel*

My week had been much like Monday, shitty. The class did like the activity I had and it was a big hit, but the other days were crappy with lack of participation or bickering. Thankfully there were no more fights. Part of my bad mood was my fault because I was just depressed, scared, and lonely.

Normally, I tried to keep my personal problems out of my classroom. Not a single student here needed to deal with their teacher’s bullshit. In the classroom, I tried to focus solely on the lesson and not how I was dying inside, not how scared I was or how lonely.

Dean had reached out on Wednesday, sending me a few texts that asked if I could meet with him and saying that he wanted to talk this weekend. Pretty much begging me to meet and talk. But I couldn’t meet with him. I wanted to so badly, but I knew if I did I would spill the full story of what was going on with me. I couldn’t handle that disappointment.

I had gotten totes yesterday on the way home to put my belongings in so they were more organized in the car. It also meant I was limited on what I could bring with me. So, I had moved everything I had into the living room.

I was presently sitting in the middle of it all, trying to decide what was most important and what wasn’t. It was hard to decide what was more important. Clothes? Or the photos of my family? I was trying to bring all the sentimental things and all the requirements and was finding I didn’t have room for them all.

“Fuck.”

I rubbed my face again and tried to repack the box to include it, but nothing was working. I almost didn’t acknowledge the doorbell when it went off about eleven, as I’d barely heard it since I moved in. But the second time I looked up.

I wasn’t expecting anyone, and Meg should be in her class right now. Perhaps it was the landlord? Wrong apartment? I got up and went to the door, didn’t bother to check the peephole, just opened the door and then stood stunned.

Dean was standing on the other side of the door. He didn’t look angry, upset, or any indication that he was pissed off. But before I could stop him he was coming into the apartment.

“Look, I know you probably don’t want to see me and I get it. I couldn’t stay away another day. I can’t justify you breaking up with me and I thought we were doing very well and I know something was wrong, but you…”

His voice trailed off as his eyes landed on the red papers on the counter, the eviction notices. His head moved around and took in my life that was scattered across the floor and in the half packed totes.

What I expected was a judgy look, one that said I was a failure and couldn’t do shit right. A voice that was filled with hate as he berated me for not being able to pay the rent and everything else. Words that said how my career was pointless, that I could do better.

But when he looked at me all of that was absent. His face was soft, the worry lines in his forehead present. His eyes were soft and even looked a little extra moist. Was he about to cry?!

“Castiel, sweetheart. What is wrong? What is going on?” His voice held no contempt, no judgment, and his words were lined with concern.

But I needed that hard ass look! I needed those harsh words! I could get angry and shove down everything else. But this? No, this is why I wanted to avoid a face-to-face chat with Dean, because those soft features and concerned look were causing me to crumble.

My brain was firing off reasons for him to go because I couldn’t filter myself with that look of concern. Yet, words were coming out of my mouth as the tears were sliding down my cheeks. I had no idea what I was saying, and I wasn’t sure if Dean understood either.

Strong arms wrapped around me tightly and then I was pressed against his chest. “Sweetheart, calm down. It’s okay.”

My brain said that sounded too hard. Calm down? It wasn't possible. But his arms were still around me, holding me tightly, and when had my arms wrapped around him? My fingers were gripping his shirt tightly, holding him and not letting him move away, though he showed no signs that he wanted to.

“It’s okay. Just let it out.”

And I did. I let all the anger, stress, and frustration just boil over, and I cried. Dean was a saint; he stood here holding me tightly and telling me it would be okay. I could occasionally feel a hand move up or down my back, and sometimes I swore a kiss was pressed into my temple. But he mostly remained standing here, just holding me.

I had no idea how much time passed, but eventually I did calm down. The rapid firing of thoughts had slowed to one.

“How did you know I would be home?”

“I went to your classroom, but some woman was there today. I know that was a dick move, but I figured maybe I could get you to just talk to me or at least agree to meet after school. When you weren’t there, I went to Meg’s. She said you hadn’t come in and that she was worried about you. That you’d been acting off all week. She didn’t know about your break up text. I came here afterwards.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. You have no reason to apologize. I knew something was bothering you the last few weeks but I couldn’t pinpoint it and when I tried to ask, you didn’t bite. How about we move to the…is that an air mattress?”

“Yes.”

“How about we move there and you talk to me? I'm concerned here, Cas.”

“You deserve more.”

I felt his hand move, and his fingers gently lifted my chin to look at him. “None of that talk. We will talk about what’s going on with you and then we’ll talk about what we are.”

His hand was gentle on my lower back as he led me to the air mattress. We both took a seat and got adjusted. He looked around the totes, and I was sure he was deducting this was all I owned.

“Okay, talk to me. What’s going on?”

Where would I even start? I fiddled with the tail of my shirt, twisting it and then letting it go.

“Cas?”

“I don’t even know where to start.”

“How about…when did that eviction notice arrive? I know it wasn’t the last few days.”

“Beginning of the month. I called the landlord and begged but he wouldn’t budge.”

He shifted slightly. “And you didn’t tell me, why?”

I shook my head. “There was nothing you could do. Inias was right all along.”

“You’ve mentioned him multiple times and I know he’s an ex. But what does he have to do with this?”

My eyes roamed everywhere but his face. I couldn’t see his eyes. I couldn’t see the disappointment I knew would be in them right now.

“The last few months of our relationship were rocky at best. He kept telling me I couldn’t make it without him, that I needed him. The day he told me to get out, he said I couldn’t hack it, that I would be back by the end of the year, begging him to take me back. I’m not even gone six months and I’m clearly not hacking it. I can’t pay the rent without not paying something else.”

“Was that your plan? To go back to his doorstep?” Dean asked.

I could hear him thinking that I broke up with him to go back to Inias. I couldn’t blame him, as I hadn’t been single long when we started dating. Would Dean think of himself as a rebound? Was he rebound?

“No. But he’s right. I can’t do it. It’s like everything he said is right.”

He shifted a little. “What else did he say?”

“He said a lot of things. How my career path was stupid, how I couldn’t hack it in the real world, how I was a dumb teacher, that I could have done something better, among other things.”

The mattress shifted as he moved. “Cas, why did you send that text to me on Monday?”

“Why would you want to be with me? I can’t manage money, I’ll be lucky to have a job soon, I’m homeless after tomorrow. You deserve a boyfriend that is not me. One that isn’t homeless, one that’s good for you!”

Again the mattress shifted and this time his hands closed around mine. “Castiel, look at me.”

I couldn’t, I didn’t want to see the utter disappointment in his face, but one hand lifted my head gently. I didn’t see disappointment or even pity. I saw…love.

“Sweetheart, I want to be with you because you are smart, kind, funny, adorable, and yeah, you’re hot. You’re a great artist, a great teacher, and you fucking care about those kids.”

I raised a brow. “Homeless.”

He shook his head. “That does not make you less of a man or less desirable to me. It’s not even your fault. Inias kicked you out without warning, without proper notice, and you had to do what you could then. You’ve been so good for me. You brought sunshine to my dark little world and gave me a reason to look forward to the next day. I can’t help you without knowing the problem.”

“That’s just it, Dean. You shouldn’t have to help. I’m not a child, and I should know how to do this.”

His hand moved back to my hand and squeezed. “Sweetheart, all that is true. But sometimes we do need help. Sometimes, we need another person to help. Did you tell Meg about it? Anyone else you talk to?”

I shook my head. “She got me the place and I didn’t know if she had to stick her neck out to get me in. I don’t talk to anyone else.”

“No one?” he questioned.

“Meg and you. Sometimes the other coworkers but I don’t really tell them anything personal.”

He frowned. “Cas, you’ve been dealing with this alone?”

I could only nod. I actually wished he was screaming at me, yelling, or berating me, telling me how stupid I was. That’s what I expected, but that is not what he was doing at all. His eyes showed love, his voice was soft and low. He seemed concerned and upset. I was clearly not used to this kind of behavior.

“I didn’t want to seem incompetent to you,” I mumbled.

“Sweetheart, I would have never thought that about you. You are intelligent, you are brave, and you are so strong for dealing with this on your own. But I’m your boyfriend and I’m telling you that you don’t have to do this alone.”

“My boyfriend?”

He nodded. “Assuming you still want me to be.”

“I never wanted to send the text. I just didn’t think you’d want to be with me.”

“Well, I do. Now, you look very tired. Have you slept at all?”

I shrugged. “A few hours here and there.”

“Do you want to nap or talk?”

“Not much else to talk about.”

“There is, but I think a nap is best. You’ve been through the ringer the last hour and I need you to be alert and focused.”

I assumed I’d be lying there alone, but no, he laid down with me. I couldn’t deny that I wanted to be held so badly, and he did just that. His arms around me felt comforting.

“Calm down. I’m not leaving. When you wake up we’ll talk about options.”

He didn’t seem to be giving me much of a choice, so I laid my head on his arm and he tightened his grip. I thought for sure I would never go to sleep, but I fell asleep quickly.

I wasn’t asleep long, and when I woke up Dean was still here and we were still laying in the same position.

“Good timing, I was wondering how I was going to answer the door when lunch arrives.”

“Lunch?” I asked, confused.

“I assumed by the obscene amount of ramen packages that you wouldn’t have much in the fridge. So, I ordered lunch.”

“Oh…yeah, good assumption. Thank you for ordering lunch.”

He smiled. “Anytime.”

I didn’t really want to get up but my bladder said I needed to. While in the bathroom I heard the doorbell ring and when I came back there were two large pizzas on the counter with a 2-liter Dr. Pepper. He was getting plates and glasses. Most were items I had decided to just leave in the apartment, rather than trying to fit them into one of the totes.

“Lunch, then we figure this out.”

We had lunch right there in the kitchen and I was certain I was overeating, but he didn’t seem to care. He ate about as much as me.

“So, I haven’t seen anything beyond these two rooms.”

“Pretty much this and then a bedroom and bathroom. Not much.”

He did a short walk through. “Is this everything that you own?”

I nodded. “What few dishes are in here, I wouldn’t need them and figured I didn’t need to waste room.”

“I’m going out on a limb and assuming that Meg doesn’t know about this either? She didn’t mention it to me when I was there.”

“She doesn’t know.”

I didn’t expect the hug but damn, I was glad for it. He then covered the leftovers and finished his drink.

“Alright, I assume you’ve tried other apartment buildings?”

“I have, all over town. I either don’t have enough rental history or their monthly cost is higher than here. There is also the issue of deposits and first month’s rent.”

“What about rentals like houses, not apartments?”

“I’ve tried it all, Dean. I either can’t afford the monthly payment or even if I can, I don’t have the necessary funds to get in.”

“And Meg can’t let you crash with her?”

“She has a studio apartment at the end of this hallway. I’ve been inside and while she might agree for a few weeks, I don’t see it lasting long term.”

“I can see why you’ve been so down. That many negatives isn’t good.”

I shrugged. “I’m used to it.”

“Cas, be honest. If I hadn’t shown up, would you have gone back to him?”

I shook my head. “No, because going back would mean he was right and honestly, he’s moved on.”

“What do you mean?”

I shrugged, my shoulders feeling tight. “Within two weeks of me moving out I saw him and his new boyfriend while Meg and I were getting dinner. He either moved on really quickly, or I was too blind to see that this other guy was already in the picture.”

“What an asshole.”

“That’s what Inias Smithfield is.”

He nearly choked on a sip of drink. “Smithfield? Are you talking about the same people that own Smithfield Lumber?”

I glanced up at him. “Yeah, his father was running it before. Inias took over just before we got together. His father passed the reins and retired.”

“I can’t believe it. Those assholes.”

“Dean?” I asked.

“I bought materials from them for a house we did late last year. They weren’t the cheapest and we expected good materials and good quality. Not what we got. I and six other contracting companies are suing them for giving us bad materials.”

“I never got involved in their business, Inias kept most of it from me.”

“For good reasons most likely. I’m glad you wouldn’t go back, but why didn’t you come to my doorstep?”

“I didn’t think you’d want me,” I replied.

“Well, I do. And I think I have a solution, but I don’t think you’d want to do it.”

“Oh? What is it?”

“Move in with me,” he said.

I wanted to laugh but his face said he wasn’t kidding, this wasn’t a joke. Dean was actually asking me to move in with him.

“Dean…”

He held up his hands in surrender. “I know. We’ve only been a couple for three months and it’s too soon for that step. But Cas, you can’t live in your car. It’s not safe and it’s not healthy for you. Added, if it risks your job then that’s not a solution either. You’ve tried multiple things and it’s kind of a last ditch effort.”

“It is too soon, Dean. That’s…”

“Let me compromise then. My place has a pool house, it’s on the property and close to the main house, but it has everything you’d need. A bedroom, bathroom, full kitchen, and living area. You would have the privacy and space you want, without this burden. Added, you wouldn't technically be living with me.”

“You’d still be…”

He held his hand up to stop me. “If you insist then I will provide a lease with a set rent amount. But, Cas, I don’t require that. I just want to know that you are safe. I would say that I could rent you a house but right now none are done.”

He was offering a place to live, but it was close to him. Would it be the same as living with him? I should answer him but about the time I went to open my mouth the doorbell rang. A brief glance at the clock said it was most likely Meg. Dean went to the door before I could and answered, but it wasn’t Meg.

The landlord was there just to ask if I would be gone by tomorrow. Dean assured him the apartment would be empty and then shut the door in his face. I’d have never been brave enough to do that.

I wanted to ask Meg about this, to get her opinion on the matter. But I was an adult. Dean was offering me a place that would be mine; it was on his property but it wasn’t inside his house, and he would provide a lease.

When Dean turned back around he seemed mad at the landlord. “Remind me never to be like that asshole.”

My alternative was living in my car, giving up things I couldn’t ever replace. Pictures or heirlooms that belonged to my parents that I just couldn’t pack up or store anywhere.

“I’ll go with you. I’ll take your offer. Thank you, for everything.”

He smiled. “You can talk to Meg if you want, Cas. I know it’s a lot to ask.”

“Her answer won’t matter, whether she’s against it or for it. I don’t mind the car but I can’t lose my job and everything else. She doesn’t have room and I doubt the landlord will allow me to stay with her.”

He moved quickly, and the hug felt incredible. His arms were tight around me and it felt warm and safe.

“I drove my truck. Do you want to get the rest of this packed up and see if we can get you out tonight?”

“Yeah, that sounds good. Um…I’ve never been to your house before though.”

“I’m actually glad I knew where you lived.”

I smiled. “Me too.”

“Alright, Meg will probably show up soon. So, let’s get you packed up. You’ve done a lot already.”

I nodded. “I’ll need more totes.”

“Done. I’ll go grab a few more. Is there anything else you may need?”

“No. Maybe two or three totes? I didn’t get many because of my car.”

He gave me a quick kiss to the forehead. “I’ll be back.”

He headed out for them, and I started to pack up whatever I could. He wasn’t gone long before Meg knocked and I let her in.

“What the hell is going on?” She demanded.

I paused my packing long enough to give her the rundown. Again, I expected disappointment and other negative stuff like that, but I got sympathy instead. Hugs and then she started packing things into totes.

I blinked. I expected some epic meltdown, some long speech. “Meg? That’s all?”

She turned to me. “Clarence, you told me you weren’t sure if you could afford this place. But it was a quick fix. Do I think you should move into Dean’s place? No, I think it’s too soon. However, Dean has treated you right, and I’ve actually contacted a few people that know him and had nothing but good words to say about him. I think he can help you. That he can get you stable, get you a good budget going, and you can be happy.”

“You seriously checked him out?”

“After what that fucker Inias did to you, yes. As for the other fear you have, yes, I am disappointed that you felt you couldn’t come to me. But that seems to be a problem on my end too, that you didn’t feel like you could.”

“I was just afraid.”

“I know. Let’s get packing.”

By the time Dean got back to the apartment most was done. He and Meg shared pleasantries before we all finished packing and then moved them to my car and Dean’s truck. I didn’t even know he had a truck, but it was clearly his work truck.

The last bit was cleaning up, and that was done in no time. Meg went with me to return the keys and then I met Dean at the cars.

“Ready?”

“Yeah. I guess we can do that lease thing tomorrow?”

“We’re going to get you settled before we do anything.”

Dean texted me the address but I agreed to follow him as well. Before I got in the car I paused, saying my own little goodbye to this short ass chapter in my life. I was feeling hopeful though that the next chapter would be better, grateful and so very thankful that I had a man like Dean in my life now. I then got in and followed Dean.

Chapter Text

*Castiel*

September 27, 2024 - Continued

I followed Dean’s truck closely, not sure where exactly he lived. Usually Dean would pick me up at my place and then bring me back home. We had never come to his place and it was something that I liked about Dean, that he hadn’t pressured me to come home with him.

I was nervous though, unsure about this decision and not sure what to expect. I saw him turn into a sizable driveway and followed suit. He parked on the right side of the driveway and I pulled up on the left side of the double garage. The garage door looked like wood, but I was certain it wasn’t. The rest of the house was a single story, cream colored house. It ironically looked very inviting. I hadn’t seen much, but the lawn was cut and there were flower beds around the walkway to the front door.

Once I was parked I met him at the front of our cars.

“Welcome. The driveway does go around the side there, so it’ll be closer to the pool house if you prefer.”

I nodded toward the house. “I may. I like the outside.”

“Well, let’s head inside and I’ll show you around. Then we’ll go see your new space.”

I smiled at him. “I would like that.”

I followed him toward the front and noticed there were flower beds on both sides, leading up to a rather small porch and another wood look door. The porch was simple and bare of anything, but it wasn’t big enough to really sit there. He unlocked the door and held it open for me.

To the right of the front door was an obvious office area that was a disaster, he came around me as I was surveying the room.

“My office, it’s a disaster, I know.”

I lifted my hands in front of me. “I wasn’t going to say that, but it really is.”

He smiled. “Come on, this is the main living area and the kitchen is right there.”

I walked farther in and it was an open room, bright and airy. He pointed to an opening to the right side of the room.

“Laundry room, guest bedroom and bath, and then the master suite are all in there. You are welcome to go see them if you want.”

I did a quick peek into those areas, just to be familiar with where they were. Dean remained in the living room. The inside of his house was cozy and comfortable. The colors were beige, with pops of color in the pillows on the couch or the art work. There were big double doors leading outside to a patio both from his bedroom and the living area.

The furniture was over sized and looked very comfortable. I got that calming, comforting vibe from the whole house. I hadn’t felt that way at Inias or Micheal’s house, theirs had felt sterile and cold. This place though, is very inviting.

I knew that Charlie was his designer for the houses. “Did Charlie decorate or did you?”

He looked around. “Charlie did a lot of it, I have no concept of decorating. I apologize for the mess though.”

I gave it a once over and aside from a few stray pillows, it looked clean to me. “It doesn’t look bad, looks clean. She did a good job and I think it really does suit you.”

“She said she wanted a calm environment for me. I think she did a wonderful job. Let’s see the backyard.”

He proceeded through the double doors and I followed him onto the back porch, which spanned the whole back side of the house. There was a full kitchen to the right side and the left side held an outdoor sitting area with a fireplace in the corner.

“Why an outdoor fireplace?”

He shrugged. “When we renovated the house Charlie said the fireplace had to stay, I wanted to get rid of it.”

“Renovated? You didn’t buy this for you?”

He shook his head violently. “Lord, no. Way too much space for me, and the pool? Hardly ever use it. The yard is a good size.”

He had a large backyard with a pool. The back porch stepped down onto a concrete patio that surrounded the pool. Beyond that was more grass, and to the right sat a smaller building that had the same cream color and design as the main house. It even had a porch across the whole front side!

“It’s a nice yard, I agree. Is that the pool house you meant?”

“Yes, that would be your new place. Let’s go check it out.”

He reached for my hand but seemed to hesitate, so I took it. His shy little smile said he was grateful I hadn’t rejected the offer. We followed the path around to the little porch and he unlocked the door, letting us inside. He only let my hand go once we were inside, so I could freely move. The place looked small from the outside but actually was a decent size room. There was a sitting room with a fireplace and flat screen TV above it on the right, a decent sized kitchen to the left, and a small table. The sofa looked like the one inside the main house and looked super comfortable as well. I moved through and there was a bedroom with a dresser and a bed, as well as a full size bathroom with a laundry room between them.

“There’s a bed here?”

“Yep. Charlie stayed here for a few months while her place was being renovated. When she moved she left the bed.”

“This really is a tiny home. Are you sure it’s supposed to be a pool house?”

“It was marketed to be a pool house. But when I relist it I’ll market it as a guest suite.”

I moved to him and just hugged him. He reciprocated with a tight hug of his own.

“Thank you, Dean.”

“Anytime. You’ve had the whole tour so do you want to unpack or would you like me to make us dinner and then just unpack tomorrow?”

“I have a bag with some basics, the rest can wait until tomorrow. Wait, you cook?”

He laughed. “Yes, sweetheart. I do a mean burger and I think that’s what I am making you tonight. I’ve never had the chance to cook for you because I wasn’t sure how the invite would go. But know that you are welcome to join me for dinner anytime you want now.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

He just smiled. “You get your bag, I’ll start dinner.”

He laid the key on the little table in front of the window. “There is a second key, but I won’t ever use it unless you tell me to. This is your private space.”

He then walked out and headed to the main house. I blinked for a moment, as he was basically saying he would respect my privacy and not enter without consent. Something that not even Inias had done because I’d had a private office there, but often found he’d gone in and snooped around.

I went to my car and got the tote from the front seat. It had some clothes, my toiletries, and a few personal photos. I carried it back to the little house and to the bedroom, sitting it on the bed. There was a small closet that would hold the clothes I needed to hang up.

I unpacked the single tote, put the toiletries in the bathroom, and hung up a few clothing items. I sat the photo of my parents and me on the dresser for now. Satisfied, I headed to the main house, where Dean was on the back porch in the kitchen area.

He was humming along to a radio playing what I think was Led Zeppelin. He was even dancing a bit and I just watched. He seemed more relaxed, and I didn’t get the sense that he may just flip the script and turn into an asshole. I was really starting to believe that this was just who he was: a good man.

“If you’re being quiet on purpose…” he said.

“I was actually enjoying the show. But whatever you’re cooking smells delicious.”

“Burgers with roasted potato wedges.”

The smell was amazing, but it didn’t touch the taste of his burgers or the wedges. I swore I moaned as his eyebrow raised at me, yet he said nothing. Once we finished dinner he took the plates inside and came back with beers.

We moved to the sofa area overlooking the backyard. I wondered, though… “Did you live here with Lisa?”

Why I asked was beyond me. But he shook his head. “No, I came here afterwards. I moved into her house when we made that choice, so I moved out when we broke up. I had a room for Ben here, but while it’s still technically here it’s more of a general guest room now.”

“Did you want kids?”

He whistled. “Hitting the hard ones tonight, Cas.”

I smiled, shyly. “You talk about Ben a lot. Feels like you miss being Dad Dean.”

He took a few swallows of his beer. “I’ve considered it and more so when I was his dad. I think I do, but it also depends on my partner because I’d want to make sure that was something he wanted as well. So, do you want kids, Cas?”

I glanced at him. “I do. At least one. I never brought it up to Inias or anyone else though.”

He turned toward me, his knee brushing up against me. “Why not? You were with him for a long time.”

“They didn’t understand how I could put up with twenty plus kids at a time. It wasn’t solely the pay they hated but also who I dealt with. I got the impression that they didn’t want kids. Michael actually said he didn’t want them.”

“I’ve been with one that said that. The guy before Lisa said he absolutely did not want children. Hated everything to do with them, didn’t even like his own nieces and nephews.”

“That’s sad,” I said.

“Was one of the reasons we didn’t last.”

It got quiet as we drank our beers. I enjoyed the backyard. It was definitely not what I expected, but it was calming.

“You okay, sweetheart? Look a little misty eyed there.”

I glanced down at the bottle in my hand. “It’s been a long time since I felt like I was home. For some reason, even though it hasn’t even been a day, I feel that now. Like I am home. I feel calm and like I am whole here, if that makes sense. I wondered if this would be another mistake because of moving so quickly, but I don’t think it will be. Even if some would say it is.”

His knee moved again and a few moments later his arm was behind me and he was pulling me in. “It does make sense to me. You’ve been stressed in that apartment for a while and this is a big relief to you. As for us, we don’t have to rush, Castiel. I hope that you coming here isn’t a mistake either and that we can work out for the long haul.” He pressed his lips against my temple. “If someone says this is a mistake without caring about listening, then they are wrong.”

I laid my head over onto his shoulder. “Thank you, Dean. For coming to the apartment today and for not just giving up on me.”

I felt his head lay on mine. “You’re worth fighting for, and I couldn’t give up without knowing for sure. Charlie kept trying to tell me to just give you time, but after my messages on Wednesday went unanswered, I couldn’t keep waiting.”

No one had ever told me I was worth fighting for. Micheal hadn’t fought for us, Inias hadn’t. Yet Dean, after just a few months, couldn’t leave without a fight. I wiped the tears away and snuggled up beside him. Dean tightened his grip around me.

We sat there on the couch and watched the sun sink below the horizon. Even after the sun set we just sat there in silence, enjoying just being there together.

“I should have invited you over sooner, this is very relaxing,” Dean said.

“Very much. My brain says I need to get in bed but I am very comfortable right now.”

“Tomorrow is Saturday, neither of us have to be up early.”

“So…you’re saying we can just keep sitting here?”

“Yep.” He popped the P a bit. “However, how about a bathroom break and I’ll get us another beer.”

“Deal.”

It didn’t take long for us both to hit the head and then get a fresh cold beer. I resumed my position snuggled up beside him with his arm draped behind me. This was something no one else had done, but in general Dean was unlike anyone else.

“Are you always so touchy and affectionate? I’ve noticed in the last few months you like physical contact.”

“Does it bother you or make you uncomfortable?” he asked, his voice laced with worry.

“No, it doesn’t bother me and you’ve never made me uncomfortable. I’m just not used to it. Wasn’t sure if it was just me and this is normal or if this was just you.”

“I’ve been told that I can be very affectionate in personal relationships. I can be in everyday ones as well, but it’s usually not in a romantic nature. Like, I’m not putting my hands on Charlie’s thigh or her butt, but I’ll hug her and rub her back if needed. You on the other hand, you are fair game.”

“Oh? Yet you haven’t taken advantage of that.”

He hummed. “Yet. We haven’t discussed much on the more intimate side. I wasn’t sure if those would be well received or not.”

The beer bottles were empty by now, sitting off to the side, and, well, I wanted him to be touching me. I’d wondered a few times, but at the same time it was a new relationship. Bottles aside, I took the chance and moved to straddle his lap, and by his wide eyed shocked expression I’d say he wasn’t expecting it.

“It would be well received. I’m not a hundred percent certain on the all the way option, but I would very much like your hands to be touching me.”

His hands moved to my legs, sliding up them, squeezing my thighs before he moved them around and slipped his fingers into the pockets of my jeans.

“You may regret that blanket permission, sweetheart. I’ve wanted to have my hands everywhere for some time now.”

I felt the blush creep across my skin but leaned in anyway. “If I ever feel uncomfortable, I will tell you. But I like the way you touch me.”

He chuckled and pulled me in for the long awaited kiss. I could feel his hands squeezing and pulling me closer. His lips moved from mine to my jaw then down to my neck. His hands moved out of my pockets and down a bit farther and damn, did I love it. I could feel myself just relax into the touch. I’d always wanted to be touched, to feel loved, but never had it.

“You just seem to have melted here, do you like to be touched that much?” he asked.

“It’s a nice feeling. I’m…not entirely used to it.”

His hands moved up under the back of my shirt, sliding his fingertips across my skin, which sent electrical pulses everywhere. If he thought I had melted before, I was surely done for now.

“So responsive. I'm going to enjoy laying you out in my bed, getting my hands on every inch of you, and finding the road map that makes you scream my name.”

“Dean!” I gasped. “You can't just say that!”

He chuckled. “Oh, I can say and do a lot more, but only when you're ready.”

There was a wink, and I was so not used to people wanting to do any of those things to me! My face felt like it was on fire and he just smiled when he saw the flaming red.

“I think you like the idea of being laid out. Can you see it? Laid out in the middle of my bed?”

Given his room was right over there and I had seen his room, “I can…”

“Take off each offending article of clothing, making sure to map each and every inch of skin that is exposed.”

His fingers seem to spread out over my back, caressing, and occasionally I would feel a fingernail gently scratch across my spine and could feel myself arch back into that sensation.

His lips moved across my jaw, down to my throat, and damn, I wanted this shirt off.

“Find all the little spots that drive you insane.”

He had found one, a spot on my neck that he seemed to attack, the feeling of his teeth barely scraping the skin sending shivers down my spine. I desperately wanted to tell him to just take me to his room…it was right there! I could see the bed from where we were sitting, inviting and open.

I could see him hovering over me, feeling his lips on my skin. Fuck!

Dean's right hand slipped down, pressing just enough that I could feel his fingers glide right down the crack of my ass. I was desperately holding onto him; the visions he was eliciting had me wanting so much more.

“Dean…” I didn't even know what else to say.

“Spend my time exploring until you're begging me for more. You would beg, wouldn't you, Cas?”

“Dean, please…”

He chuckled. “I knew you would.”

I felt like I was laying on that bed, naked, with him ready to devour me. How could anyone make me feel like that without even removing my shoes?!

I was so damn hard in these jeans that it was taking a lot of restraint to not just shove my hands between us. I was certain he was too, as occasionally I could feel a hard line against me.

“I'd have you beg, pleading with me for anything. Would you want me to open you up? Use my tongue to get you nice and wet for me? Or would you prefer my fingers first?” His hand that was just resting on my ass seemed to press into me more. “Let them slide in easily and find that magic spot. Have you screaming my name before I do anything else.”

His lips met mine at the same time his hand pressed firmly into me. It was a spot that I didn't know could be so good because the orgasm seemed to crash over me suddenly.

Had I yelled his name? I had no idea.

I know that I was very near boneless and blissed out, but I could still feel his lips every few moments on my cheek. Could feel one of his hands on my back and the other one on my ass.

“Back with me, sweetheart?”

“Barely,” I mumbled.

Both hands had moved to my back and were rubbing gently. However, the cooling sensation of cum was unpleasant. Wait…

“What…happened? I…”

One hand moved away, and I felt light pats to my ass. “It's called coming untouched, something I assume you've never experienced before.”

“Aside from the wet dreams as a teen, I didn't know it was possible. But..” Panic because he’d basically gotten me off, but I hadn’t done anything! I went to move but a hand to my shoulder stopped me with gentle pressure, and I laid my head back on his shoulder.

“You screaming out my name caused me to come untouched as well. I can feel you shaking though, so just stay here for a moment.”

Oh. Well, I wouldn’t deny that staying here was what I wanted. So, I did what he asked. After a little while I leaned back, slower this time though. Dean looked downright smug but there was still tenderness and care shown on his face.

“Do you do this with all the people you bring home?”

He shook his head. “Just you because you are special. I mean, I can keep describing things that I want to do to you if it would help.”

“Maybe later. I'm not sure I would survive another scenario.”

He brushed some of my hair away from my face. “I'm glad you're here. I know you're tired though and I'm sure you'd like to change.”

“I would definitely like to change.” The sensation of sticky cum was getting unbearable.

“Do you think you can get up?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Gonna sit first though because my left foot is asleep.”

He made sure I didn’t fall off the sofa and once I was sitting he took it upon himself to help rub the feeling back into my legs. The pins and needles feeling finally subsided.

“My sliding door will be unlocked if you need anything.”

I raised a brow. “Is that normal for you?”

“It is. It's a safe area, but I am also letting you know that if you need anything, I am available,” he reassured.

I smiled at him, grateful that he wanted me to feel safe and secure here. When we did finally get up, he walked me to the front door of my little house. I got a kiss goodnight and a tight hug.

“Sleep well, Sunshine.”

“I will. Sleep well, Dean.”

He smiled and waited until I was inside before he headed back to his own house. I felt so tired, but the first thing I did was change and clean myself up.

Laying down on a real bed felt weird at first, but a few shifts of positions found me the most comfortable one, and I was asleep in moments.

Back Next

Chapter Text

October 31, 2024
*Dean*

I hadn’t been awake long, but I had coffee ready and breakfast pastries heated up. Cas had taken a liking to the apple ones and I preferred the cherry. Based on the time he was running late, and I was about to call his phone when the door opened and he came in, looking disheveled. Hair a mess, clothes sort of wrinkled, and not quite the put together look. He still looked devastatingly handsome though, and I loved seeing him in my kitchen first thing in the morning.

“Morning, Sunshine.”

“Morning, Dean.”

I handed him his cup of coffee, complete with the cream and sugar. He smiled as he took the cup and drank some. “Thank you.”

“Running late, I see.”

“My alarm went off, but I think I turned it off instead of snoozing it.”

“It’s no problem. Pastry is portable.”

He nodded and grabbed it, then a quick kiss and he was off to work. It wasn’t until he was well on his way that I noticed his lunch bag sitting on the counter. Shit! I had packed it from leftovers last night but I knew I couldn’t keep it in my truck most of the morning, nor did I have time to drop it off before I had to meet Ellen.

Dean: Sweetheart, you left your lunch. No worries - I’ll bring you lunch today.

Cas: I knew I was forgetting something! Thank you, Dean. I’m at the school now.

Dean: I figured it was too late for you to turn around. You can take it tomorrow. See ya soon.

Cas: See ya soon!

I shot Ellen a text that I was on my way, sat the lunch in the fridge, and headed out.

It had been just over a month since Castiel moved into the guest house. The Sunday after he moved in he and I sat down and worked out a lease for him. Cas insisted that he contribute to the utilities as well, given the guest house was not separated from the main house. Since I had paid his previous landlord up, a percentage of the rent was also allocated to paying that back to me. He didn’t have to know my plan was to simply put his rent aside in a savings account for him; I didn’t need that money for anything and only accepted it because it made him feel better and more independent.

When we discussed budgets I learned that he had student loans, and those payments were high. So, I’d asked Sam and Charlie to look into it and see if anything could be done. Charlie was able to get some forgiven and lower his payments to something more manageable.

The best part of him being here, aside from being able to help financially, was that he was here. I could spend time with him and get to know him. We spent afternoons together talking, watching movies or shows, or just sitting on the porch watching the sunset. The weekends we had spent together or with Charlie. He’d attended the last LARPing event but wasn’t sure if he liked it yet. I’d tried to coordinate a weekend with Sam but his schedule was crazy.

Castiel hadn’t been thrilled when I dragged out the Halloween decorations right after he moved in. I’d questioned why and he’d informed me that his previous boyfriends had used the holiday to scare him all the damn time. He had no positive experiences with the holidays, not even in school as he was picked on all the time and worse during Halloween.

But he had agreed to let me buy him a costume so we could give out candy. He had liked the idea of giving out candy to kids as he often kept a bowl at work for that purpose too. I was hoping we could build some new, good memories for him around the holiday.

Ellen was waiting when I arrived and we both sat down with Jo and Charlie.

“What’s the status of each place?” I asked.

I then listened as Jo gave me a run down of the projects we had going on. A few were near completion now, and Charlie updated me on her progress with those. There were two houses that were around the 50% done mark and the three that hadn’t been started yet.

“Why is the house over near Cas’s school not started yet? It was due for a demo this week.”

“The guys we usually use were booked already, and the ones we hired didn’t show. Our normal crew has agreed to begin it first thing next week. It didn’t affect the time line much though, it gave Charlie and me time to really go through and make the plans and gave me a chance to order the beginning supplies we’d need. I shifted the crew to one of the other houses so we could be ahead.”

Ellen just smiled, and I followed her lead. “I knew I hired you for a reason.”

Jo smirked. “You hired me because I am the best.”

“I can’t even deny that.”

“So, Charlie said you weren’t coming later tonight. You and your beau got plans?” she asked.

Charlie and Ellen both snickered at her questions and I raised a brow. “In fact, I do have plans with Cas tonight. We’re giving out candy and then watching a movie. He’s…not crazy about this holiday.”

“He doesn’t like Halloween?” Jo asked.

She didn’t understand how anyone could feel that way. “Yeah, he had some bullies that used this holiday as a justification to scare him more and some prior exes that felt it was funny as hell to scare him at any opportunity. He’s been a bit on edge all month.”

“I hate the people he was around before,” Charlie said.

“Yeah, me too. Meg’s…different. But, she really is good for him. He finally sat her down and explained everything. She was a little concerned about him moving onto my property but agreed that she felt it was the best.”

“Haven’t met her yet,” Jo said.

“None of you have. She’s come over a few nights, but she and Cas weren’t like the hangout type even when they lived a hundred feet apart.”

“Has he met Sam?” Charlie asked.

“He has spoken to Sam over the phone and done a video call, but Sam’s been super busy with a case and it’s not local. So, he hasn’t been able to get here. He is planning to be over during Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

“He better be,” Ellen said.

We all knew Ellen would drive over and make Sam come home if he tried to ignore the holidays.

“Alright, let’s conclude this. I need to get lunch for my beau and get it for him during his lunch time.”

The second half of the meeting was going over budgets, making sure they were not going over and, if so, seeing if we could get it back on track. Once the meeting itself was done we split up. Jo headed to one of the houses, Charlie was going to make some final decisions design wise, and Ellen was going to re-run some competitive pricing for another house.

I went by our favorite Chinese place and got us plates. I then headed to the school, arriving early. I got through the security protocol in the front of the building pretty easily now, as the receptionist knew me. I had to wait outside his classroom though because he had ten minutes left.

When the bell rang I got flat against the wall and waited until all the students were out of his room before I slipped in.

“Hey, Sunshine.”

“Hello, Sweetie.”

I paused, a little shocked that Cas had not used my name but a pet name. I liked it. I smiled, sat the plates down, and gave him a kiss. “I brought lunch as promised. How was the morning?”

“It’s been really pleasant. The kids have drawn Halloween inspired things. I had a pop quiz planned but decided to do it tomorrow instead.”

I chuckled. “I won’t tell them.”

I was sitting the plates out when his phone vibrated on the desk and he sighed. “Cas?”

“It’s nothing, just this number has called several times but they never leave a message. I would say a prank but they called several days ago too.”

“Do you want me to call it back? See what it’s about?”

He regarded the phone as it vibrated again and then shook his head. “If they keep on then yes, but not right now. I’m hoping they leave a message because then I’d know who it is and what they want.”

“How many times have they called?”

“Today? That’s number four. In total, about ten including today’s.”

“That’s a lot of times, Cas.”

“Yeah, I’m hoping it’s just a prank or something.”

I didn’t like that he didn’t want to do anything about it, but I also thought he might be right. I got the rest of the sauces from the bag and we set out to eat, given he had just an hour. We were both deep into our plates when I heard someone enter the room. Cas was facing the door and looked very confused.

I assumed it was Meg or another teacher as most of the students were at lunch too. So, I was shocked when his ex-boyfriend Inias came up beside me. He was dressed in a suit, complete with a tie and shiny shoes. His hair was combed neatly and too long in my opinion.

“Castiel, have you forgotten how to use a phone since you moved out? I know you don’t have any friends, but come on. I’ve been calling you for three days. I know it’s your phone given that your voice is on the voicemail.”

Cas still looked confused, and he did try to answer but only got out the word “Why” before Inias jumped in. I mean, was I invisible? He thrust a paper at Cas, who barely caught it.

“I had the lawyer draw up the amount of rent you should have paid during our time living together. It’s quite the sum and I’m sure you’ll want to settle it quickly. However, I’m willing to not take any legal action if you come home. Move back in with me, it’s been lonely and I know that you aren’t at that apartment you moved into. So you have to be hotel hopping. I can’t find any evidence you rented a place.”

“Rent? What…?” Cas tried, but again he was cut off.

“You know what I’m talking about, you agreed but I never made you pay anything because this miserable job doesn’t pay worth a shit. Like I said, just come back home and we’ll forget all about it.”

Cas and I both were confused by his words, and I could feel myself starting to get angry. He was threatening to take legal action for unpaid rent but saying he wouldn’t if Cas “came home”? I was pretty sure that whatever allegations he had, he couldn’t prove.

Cas was also certain that Inias had moved on, seeing him with another man not long after their breakup. Cas got to say “I’m not” before being cut off again. He looked at me and shrugged, like surely I had become invisible to everyone but Cas since I arrived.

“Come now, give me the hotel name and room number. I’ll have everything moved back to our home before the end of the day. I miss you, Castiel. Let’s avoid this whole legal mess.”

He was bold, I’d give him that. He was also utterly clueless. For a full five minutes, I timed it, he would demand an answer, and as soon as Castiel tried to respond, he would cut him off. He would ask what hotel, what room number, where it was, and then not give him time to answer. He was also getting more irritated that Castiel wasn’t answering him. When it was his own fault!

Up until then Cas had been pretty much just glancing at me, but when he looked at me and I could see the tears in his eyes, I knew it was my clearance to stop this. I’d given Cas plenty of time, now it was mine. He was worried this asshole would actually sue him for something that he hadn’t agreed to and given his stance, Inias would win.

I laid my hand on Cas’s knee and squeezed, then got up. I put myself between Cas and Inias, making sure Cas got a good view of my ass. Inias’s eyes got wide, as clearly he’d paid no attention to the fact that someone else was in the room.

“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.

”I am Castiel’s current boyfriend. I don’t appreciate you interrupting our date. Nor do I appreciate the veiled threats of suing him or your inability to shut the fuck up so he could answer. Which he tried to, several times.”

He scoffed. “Boyfriend? He doesn’t know anyone else. Come on, Castiel, I need the information.”

Cas remained quiet this time, not even trying to answer. Inias tried to move around me, but I moved to block his view of Cas again.

”Here’s the deal, Inias. Yes, I know who you are. You file that lawsuit, you do whatever you need to. But, know that Cas will have a lawyer when it comes time and it will be one that you don’t want to face.”

He rolled his eyes. “No lawyer would go against me. Since you know who I am, you should know that my lawyer is a shark and would eat anyone he can afford alive.”

I smirked at him. “Winchester Law Firm just won a massive case against you, specifically Mr. Crowley. I don’t think they would mind representing Cas in another lawsuit.”

I heard Castiel try, and fail, to contain his chuckles. He had been there when Sam called and told me Crowley wiped the floor with his ‘shark’ of a lawyer.

”I have no idea how you knew that information.” His voice had risen in pitch, showing he was irritated. But he was trying to posture by squaring his shoulders, standing as straight as he could, and puffing out his chest.

I could take him on and would win easily. But not here in the school.

“I know the information because one of the lawsuits came from my business. I think it’s time you leave, and in case you haven’t figured it out, Castiel doesn’t want to return to your place. If you want to hear him say it, he will tell you himself, if you’d just shut up so he can.”

“Castiel?” he asked.

I felt Cas’s hands on my hips and he gently guided me to the side. “I’m not coming back to you. I saw you with your new boyfriend. I agree with my boyfriend though, file if you must but I will ask them to represent me and I am sure they will. I signed nothing stating I would pay for anything specific. I also have bank records to show that I did, in fact, help with utilities the entire four years.”

He seemed shocked that Cas had records, but he huffed and then stomped out of the room. I moved back to my seat and looked at Cas.

“Sweetheart? Are you okay?”

He paused for a moment, assessed. “Yes. Thank you for that. He’s always been the asshole who cuts people off even when he demands the answer.”

I leaned over and kissed him. “If I ever do that, just slap me.”

He chuckled. “You have never done that to me. You value what I say.”

“That I do. So, let’s finish lunch.”

I kept my right hand on his knee though as we finished. I wanted him to know I was here and that I was not going anywhere. He handled the trash when we were done and sat back down. We didn’t have long to chit chat, but just sitting with him settled the emotions that Inias had riled up in me. I noticed my little drawing on his desk, still in the frame, and smiled.

I stayed until the bell and then headed out. I started making calls the moment I was outside the door.

*Castiel*

I had to admit that I was so glad Dean had been here. I wouldn’t have known what to do with Inias, but he had. I also was terrified that he would sue me for some fabricated shit, but I had students the moment Dean left so I couldn’t dwell on that. I also had the memory of a very nice view of his ass to get me through.

The next two periods passed quickly with students drawing their best horror themed art, which in some cases I wondered if I should be alarmed. There was a free period for me to make plans, grade, or do other things, and I also had a small group of students who had a free period and used it to finish projects or do extra credit.

Normally they worked on their own, and today was the same. They came in, greeted me, and then got their individual works and set about their tasks.

I sat down and saw a new email in my personal inbox. I clicked on the subject line, “Re: Inias Whitehead”

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]

Good Evening Mr. Novak,
I spoke with Mr. D. Winchester today and want you to know that Winchester Law Firm will gladly represent you in any case that involves Mr. Whitehead. Mr. Fergus Crowley will be representing you, and his contact information is included at the end of this email.
Please, if Mr. Whitehead contacts you for any reason, direct him to Mr. Crowley. We recommend that any personal communication be through email, text, or written mail with copies sent to us. If you have any concerns or questions, Mr. Crowley or myself will gladly answer them.

Sincerely,
Samuel Winchester

At the end of the email Mr. Crowley’s information was present. The email was formal, and I was sure it was because Sam was sending it to me as a lawyer, not as Dean’s brother. I replied with a thank you email and a promise to alert Mr. Crowley if I got anything from him. Inias would have to be stupid to file, but then again he had just lost millions in that lawsuit.

“Mr. Novak?” a student asked.

I glanced up at Sarah. “Yes?”

“I have a question about my project, do you have a moment?”

“I do.”

I got up and went to her area where I answered her art question and then checked in on the other four students. These were extra credit projects mostly but sometimes it was because they needed to make up work. The rest of my school day went by pleasantly. I packed up my few things and was about to leave when Meg showed up at the door.

“Clarence, what are you doing tonight? Please tell me it’s not hiding out in that home of yours.”

“No, I want to be doing that though. Dean and I are giving out candy at his house. He's even bought me a costume.”

”Giving out candy is actually fun usually. I would ask if you’d want to go out but I'm pretty sure you aren’t up for that.”

“Meg, you know I hate this holiday.”

”I know. Anyway, have fun giving out candy and have Dean send me a picture of you dressed up. What did he get?”

“I have no idea. I’ll be sure to send one though.”

We walked to the parking lot together and I bid her farewell. I watched until Meg was in her car and then I got in mine and headed home.

Halloween had never been about candy for me. My parents feared razor blades and drugs too much for that. I had dressed up a few times in middle school, but it wasn't a huge deal.

Kids are ruthless though, and I was an easy target. From jump scares, to having things put in my locker or desk that jumped out at me, it made the whole week of Halloween hell for me. I often had anxiety over it, and it got a little better in high school, but then I met Michael. He loved Halloween and loved to scare people. I became a quick, easy target for him and the same for Inias. It made this my least favorite holiday. Halloween hadn’t always

I’d initially gotten better as an adult, but then Michael and Inias loved to torment me during the holiday. Random things jumping out, them jumping out at me with masks, or some other stupid bullshit. It just made the holiday bad for me and I didn’t like it. Dean seemed to think that he could change my mind, though, and he’d already shown me how unexpectedly wonderful so many things could be that I was hesitant to doubt him.

Dean had decorated the outside mostly, but nothing randomly went off or made sounds. He promised that Christmas would be much different, that it would be bright and happy. Based on the number of totes in his garage marked “X-mas” I had no doubt it would be.

I got home and got into comfy clothes, graded a few papers that I had left, and then headed to the main house. I had chosen to cook dinner since I would be home earlier. Baked chicken, green beans, and baked potatoes sounded good and it was ready when Dean walked into the front door.

I was terrified of what he had chosen for me to wear. Would it be sexy? Frumpy? Too much? I had seen some costumes during my own search that left very little to the imagination. I doubted he would choose those given we were handing out candy to little kids, though.

We sat down for dinner as soon as he was showered, having God knows what in his hair when he came in.

“You seem so nervous, it's going to be okay, Cas.”

“Just kids, right?”

“Yes, mostly little kids but sometimes I do have teenagers. Let’s go ahead and get changed. The kid’s show about dusk. You look nervous enough.”

“I’m afraid of some barely there costumes.”

He chuckled. “I considered one but since we’re not going to an adult party and are giving out candy to kids, I went with something that is covered.”

He put the plates in the sink and then got my hand and dragged me to the bedroom. He handed me the bag and smiled. “Take the bathroom, it won’t take me long.”

I took the bag from him and headed to the bathroom, and once there I pulled out the costume he had chosen. An angel. He had chosen an angel costume! It had a white robe that went to the floor, with a golden band at the waist and a golden shawl over the shoulder. It was perfect. I changed into the costume and got the shawl and band in place before walking out. If I was an angel, what was Dean?

He was standing by the bed wearing all black, and when he turned around even his eyes were black.

“Dean?”

“I’m a demon. I found these black contacts and it’s weird, but does it work?”

“It’s…definitely weird.”

“That fits you very well, my own angel. But those wings are for you as well.”

He indicated the bed and I looked, finding a set of white angel wings. They were easy to put on and the feathers barely touched the floor. They were white but had iridescent colors to them as well, especially when light hit them.

Dean was just staring at me, and I wondered if there was a problem. Then he smiled. “My angel.”

“Does it look good?”

“Oh, sweetheart, you look amazing.”

I could feel the slight blush in my cheeks. “You look really good in all black too, those tight jeans have to be new though.”

He smiled. “They’re new. Do you like them?”

I smirked. “I do.”

It took me a few moments to navigate out of the bedroom because of the wings. I know he took several photos.

“Can you send one to Meg? She asked me earlier.”

“I will. Kids should be out, let’s get to the candy giving!”

He grabbed two huge bags of candy and a bowl and we headed outside. I paused at the door though. “Dean, when did you…?”

“I got home a bit earlier, fixed this up.”

He had set up a little sitting area with a light and dark side, which clearly represented heaven and hell. It may not strike that cord to a bunch of five year olds, but I thought it was creative and thoughtful. We took our seats, and he had to adjust the wings to fit in the space. He then divided the candy. My side had the sweet candies while he had the more sour candies.

It really didn’t take long, and I didn’t think just giving out candy could be fun, but it was. Handing out candy to kids in adorable costumes was better than I ever imagined. It was good to get compliments too, about how I looked like a real angel. Dean had smirked and smiled and there had been light touches. When it was clear the kids were done, we headed back inside. He’d promised a movie that wouldn’t be super scary.

“Comfy clothes before the movie?”

“I kind of like the tight pants,” I mused.

His brow rose. “Really now?”

“But comfortable is better.”

He pulled me closer to him, his hands settled on my lower back, and he kissed me. “We don’t have to watch a movie if you don’t want, Angel. We can sit on the back porch or do whatever you want.”

“I think the movie is fine. Are you going to call me Angel now?”

“Maybe. Let me get out of these contacts at least.”

We did end up changing into more comfortable sleep clothes and then curling up on the sofa to watch the movie he chose. He had popcorn, soda, and beer ready as well as some leftover candy. The movie he chose was Happy Death Day.

Despite the not-so-scary scenes, I found myself curled up beside him with my head buried on his shoulder through most of it. Not that I minded his arm around me or the soft kisses to my forehead or temple.

Per our normal he walked me to my home and even did the customary goodnight kiss and hug before reminding me his door was open if I ever needed him.

Some part of me wanted to go beyond the kisses and hugs, but perhaps this was better. For now, at least…

Chapter Text

December 24, 2024

*Castiel*

I had no idea what time it was when I first opened my eyes. The room wasn’t dark anymore, but I didn’t make any movement to check the clock beside the bed. No, I was quite comfortable, and the steady up and down movement of Dean’s chest kept me lying here.

I’d officially moved my things inside the main house just after Halloween. A large storm had driven me inside to Dean’s bed and, well, I found that I slept better beside him. After a few weeks I’d given in and asked if I could just move in officially, and I swore his smile had lit up the entire room.

Thanksgiving had been a different experience for me. My parents and I had a very low-key type of holiday; we cooked a small meal at home and had our thanks. Michael and Inias had more family but the events seemed to be more along the lines of show up, eat, and separate after that.

Dean had hosted this year, and I swore twenty people or more showed up. Including Sam, who I finally got to meet in person. The amount of food was insane but somehow most was gone before everyone went home.I had to take a break though, because it got a bit overwhelming to me. No one seemed to mind that I needed to step out for a moment.

This year I had a lot to be thankful for. My number one was Dean. He had saved me from being homeless, helped me regain some control over my finances, and above all showed me that relationships aren’t supposed to be one sided. He was so different from everyone else that learning that affection and respect were normal was a curve ball to me.

The very next day, Dean had woken me up at the crack of dawn, and we had gone Christmas tree hunting. It was something I had never done. Being able to join Dean and learn how to pick the perfect tree, how to cut it down and load it up, had been an experience I wasn’t going to ever forget.

Likewise, getting the tree home and then spending the rest of the day helping him string lights from the top to the bottom, hanging various sized and shaped ornaments, and even decorating the house were more wonderful memories that I was thankful for.

Unfortunately, that was also the first day it snowed. It had been light at first, but it had gotten faster and thicker as time went on. Yesterday’s total was a few inches and today was supposed to be just as bad. I wasn’t sure what our plan was now.

“You are thinking too much,” Dean mumbled.

I turned my head to look up at him, and his green eyes were too bright to say he had just woken up. “Seems you were too.”

“About thirty minutes or so. But my bladder is not going to let me stay here much longer.”

I chuckled lightly. “Go. I probably should follow you.”

“Kinky.”

I shoved him playfully, then moved so he could get up, and I did wait until he was finished before I went to the bathroom myself. I then joined him in the kitchen where he was starting the coffee. He was frowning down at his phone though.

“Dean?”

“Sam made it to Bobby’s, but that’s on the other side of town.”

“Is he okay?”

“Yeah, he said it was hard to get there.”

Sam was driving in and was supposed to have been here yesterday, but the weather had delayed him. “When did he reach Bobby’s?”

“About an hour ago.”

He stepped to the sliding doors and then went to the front, coming back with the phone ringing.

“Hey, Dean.”

“Hey, Sam. Cas is here too. Look, I know you want to get here today but it may be safer to stay at Bobby’s tonight.”

“Are you sure it’s not safe, Dean?”

“Sammy, it’s not safe. It’s still snowing here and my driveway is covered again. I know we were supposed to go to Bobby’s today, but I don’t think we’ll make it. Weather says it ends today, then tomorrow is just cold. I’ll put the snow shoes on the truck and come get you tomorrow morning. I’ll even wait to open presents.”

“But…”

“Idjit! Listen to your brother. You can’t even get out of my driveway now because of the snow depth. Hang out with us today and you’ll be with Dean tomorrow,” Bobby’s gruff voice said.

“I hate to agree with them, but I think they’re right. Your car is like mine and I can’t get mine out.” I said.

He huffed. “Fine. But you owe me your Christmas breakfast!”

“I promise, I’ll do my normal when we get back,” Dean said. “Bobby, we’ll bring our stuff to you and Ellen tomorrow. I’ve already made arrangements with Charlie, Meg, and the crew.”

“Ok. Ellen and I will be looking forward to that. But be safe.”

“We will.”

He and Sam talked a little bit about the drive before they hung up.

“I’m sorry, Dean.”

He shook his head. “We haven’t always spent Christmas together. I’ll get him tomorrow, the snow tires are already on the truck.”

He hadn’t worked this week but had been working before then. School had gone to virtual for the last week before the break because of the weather. It just wasn’t safe for the buses to be on the road. But we were now out until after New Year’s.

“So, what’s this breakfast he mentioned?”

He laughed. “Sam has always loved my pancakes, and I’ve tried multiple times over the years to get creative. I managed to make a peppermint pancake once and he loved them. So, I usually make them for him. I tend to make an apple pie pancake for myself. Perhaps you should pick a flavor.”

“Or just have them both,” I quipped.

That got me another laugh and he started to pull things from the fridge. “Speaking of, how about breakfast?”

“Sounds good.”

He got the staples out with eggs and bacon. I fixed the toast and got some fruit cut up as well. We sat there in the kitchen to eat before both of us went to the back sliding door. The snow had covered up everything and looked really deep.

“Any idea how deep this is?”

“It’s about a foot or more, but with the wind there is snow drifts higher than that.”

“So, what do we do?” I asked.

“Everything is wrapped and ready. I do need to prepare some stuff ahead of time for dinner tomorrow, but that can be done later this afternoon. Is there anything you had in mind?”

“Could we watch classic Christmas movies? They’re generally short but I haven’t been able to watch them in years.”

His head tilted a bit. “Exes?”

I nodded. “They didn’t like them, they were too kid oriented.”

“I hate your exes more each day. We can certainly watch them because they are classics!”

We settled on the oversized sofa and he got them pulled up, apparently owning them already in digital format. Classics like Rudolf, Frosty, and others. It felt so much like home being here watching these movies with someone as excited to see them as I was. The movies weren’t long and when the second went off we took a break.

He chose the next movie, another Christmas themed one, but as we cuddled on the sofa my mind wasn’t on the movie. I hadn’t expected us to have the day to ourselves, I expected Sam to be here. But now that I was certain there would be no interruptions I wondered if I should surprise him with a gift that I wasn’t sure about.

Truthfully, we’d fooled around for weeks, with frottage or even use of our hands. I wanted to go beyond that. I wanted him to do what he’d described that night on the porch when he first brought me here.

But there was something else that I wanted to try, and I just wasn’t sure how it would go over. I felt the soft press of his lips against my temple and tilted my head up.

“I was wondering if you’d fallen asleep.”

“I’m still awake. Are you implying this movie is boring?”

“Well, you clearly aren’t paying attention since it’s been paused for well over ten minutes.”

I blinked, and sure enough the movie was still and not playing. “Did you pause it for a reason?”

“I was trying to determine if you were asleep. Clearly you aren’t, but you also seem to be a few miles away.”

“Sorry.”

“No need to apologize.”

He started the movie back again and I tried to pay attention, but my mind kept coming back to the item I bought a few weeks ago, the fact we were alone, and how desperately I wanted to ask. By the time the movie ended I had decided that I wanted to do this.

“Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Dean looked confused but nodded and sat back on the sofa.

I went to our room and to the back of the closet where I’d hidden the box. Once the box was in my hand though, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go through with it.

I finally steeled my nerves and took out the single item in the box. It was essentially a pair of underwear, but it had a black band across the top and then a white faux fur section, then red satin that became a thong in the back. The front also had two little bells dead center.

I also got the red robe I’d gotten; Dean had seen the robe but not the underwear. It took just a few minutes to change from my flannel pj’s to the one item and the robe. I was nervous as I walked back to the living room.

Dean was still sitting in the same spot, relaxed back and waiting. His brow raised when he saw the robe and probably when he noted my pants were gone.

“Did you get too hot? I can turn the heat down some.”

I moved to be standing in front of him. “No. Not too hot yet.”

I saw his tongue dart out and across his lips. “Yet?”

“I am disappointed that Sam can’t be here. However, I am glad that it’s just us.”

“I’m starting to think I am glad too.”

“Would you like to unwrap an early present?”

His brow rose. “Hm, that depends. Is it wrapped up in fabric or paper? Because I am wondering exactly what you have on under that robe.”

I hadn't really planned much, but there was something I wanted to ask for. But Dean slid to the edge of the sofa and reached for my hands, pulling me gently a little closer. I stepped closer and let him pull on the robe’s belt.

I heard his slight gasp as the front fell open and felt his fingertips slide across my waist, moving the robes more.

“Red is a good color on you.” His eyes lifted to mine and I almost stopped breathing. “Tell me, Castiel, what is your goal here? Because there are a lot of tantalizing ideas running through my head.”

“You said if I ever wanted to try something, you'd be amenable. I have something I would like to try.”

“I did say that and I meant it. So, what do you want to try?”

I was distracted by his hands on my waist, his thumbs just sliding back and forth. The way he was looking at me, the softness in his eyes, and the seriousness of him focusing solely on me and wanting to listen to me.

“I've considered it before but never trusted them like I do you. I would like to try…I mean if you're okay with it, I'd like to maybe…”

Asking for what I want sounded easy, but fuck, it wasn't. I wasn't used to asking for anything, wasn't used to being able to or having someone that would listen.

Dean leaned in and placed a soft kiss on my abdomen. “It's okay to ask. Whatever you want.”

“Spanking. I…I've heard a lot and I never trusted them.”

“Mmm, my sweet angel wants to be spanked? Is that all?”

“Yes and no. You remember the first night I was here? On the back porch, the things you said.”

“We said a lot of things, but I'm going to assume you meant the ones about putting you in the middle of the bed?”

“Yes. I want that. Everything.”

“Fuck, Cas, that's very doable. You even saved me the steps of getting clothes off. But that first request, I assume you've never had that done to you before?”

“Only as a child, never in this context.”

He slid back on the sofa, adjusting himself a bit before looking up with a heated expression.

“Take the robe off. Then you can lie down right here across my lap.”

He moved a pillow to either side and fuck, I was so nervous. But I slipped the robe off slowly, letting it slide down to the floor before I stepped to the side. Dean still didn't know this was a thong, not until I had stretched myself across his lap and I heard the little gasp.

“Jesus, I should have moved my hands around. I may need to persuade you to wear these more often.”

I could feel the blush creep into my face at his words. “For you, I would wear them.”

He hummed. “I could always find others as well. Only fair, you did find my panties.”

I turned my head to see him and found him smiling. “I did. I rather enjoyed the little show you gave too.”

I had panicked until he told me they were his and that sometimes he wore them. I was more shocked when he showed up to my job and I got a sneak peek of the green lace underneath the jeans he'd worn that day.

His left hand came up to the waistband, but instead of going down he moved it up, lightly following my spine.

“You're tense. Are you sure you want to try this?”

“Yes, I'm sure. It's just…”

“It's new. I'm not going to aim to make this nice ass the same crimson as this very nice thong. But, sweetheart, if it gets to be too much or you don't like it at all, use the stop light system.”

“Stop light system?” I asked. I knew what they were but wasn’t sure how they could translate to this particular scenario.

“Yes. If you’re good to go, green. If things are getting too intense and you need a break, yellow. But, if you wish to stop all activity immediately because it’s too much, red. Alternatively, you could choose a safe word as well. Something you’ll say if you are done and cannot continue.”

Oh. Well, the stop light system made sense in that context. Safe word though? Why would I need that? But I trusted Dean and he did seem to be more experienced in this area.

“Honey bees for a safe word and, Dean, what if you don’t like this?”

A hand came to rest on my bare ass and squeezed a little. “I don't think I'll have a problem. Are you ready though?”

I took a moment, assessed myself and how I felt. I was nervous, which was expected. But I was also excited. “Yes.”

I expected him to jump right in, but instead the hand already on my ass just moved across my ass, sometimes dipping down to the bottom or my upper thigh. I was almost to the point of asking him to move along when the first pop came to the right side. I gasped, but it honestly didn't hurt that much.

His hand smoothed over the same area before a second pop came to the left side. Again, it stung a bit but not much. The sound the spanks made wasn't bad either. Two more landed before his hand just smoothed over the skin and that didn't even hurt. It felt good, a pleasant sort of tingle. I could feel how turned on he was becoming, the growing erection nudging my side. I could also feel my own erection nudging at his thighs.

“Still with me?” Dean asked.

“Muhum, doesn't really hurt. More…stings.”

I couldn’t even rate the pain as being above tolerable. I was sure I could handle way more.

“I’m not using my full strength. After all, I don’t want to hurt you. Just make this feel good for you.”

It was hard to describe how it made me feel. The pops were mildly stingy but not painful. But I felt his hand slip down between my legs and nudge at the perineum area, and fuck, that slight pressure felt amazing.

“Dean…” It came out more as a moan than a plea.

I heard a slight chuckle. “What would you like? Are you still green?”

“More. Just more.”

His hand smoothed over the sore skin. “Mmm, this is a nice shade of pink, but you didn’t answer my question.”

“Green, yes. I’m green.”

Two more pops landed one on each side. “Are you ready to go to the bedroom now?”

“Yes, please.”

“Can you get up?”

“Maybe.”

I pushed up but nearly toppled off the couch. Thankfully Dean had been quick and able to keep me on the sofa. He helped me and made sure I was stable sitting up and then standing. He then led me to the bedroom.

“Go ahead and lay down, get comfortable. Keep this on though.”

His fingers had traced the band of the Santa underwear. I giggled a bit and then crawled onto the bed and laid down. Dean had stepped out of the room for a moment while I got myself comfortable. I had my eyes closed when he came back into the room, but I felt the bed shift as he crawled onto it.

“Now, that was a sight to see. Walking in to you laid out, mostly naked on our bed. Nothing but this pair of red satin underwear. I’m definitely finding more of these. Are you still comfortable with your plan of going all the way?”

“Yes, Dean. I want that.”

He moved up, placing kisses along my abdomen, chest, and then finally my lips. “Good. I want that too. Still want that little porch fantasy?”

“Please. I could see it, feel it that night.”

“Remember, if anything becomes too much just say honey bees.”

“I don’t think I’ll need to, but I’ll keep it in mind.”

He started with the kisses and went through our shared fantasy step by step, and by the time he was finished he had collapsed on top of me. Both of us were a mess of sweat, cum, and lube. I was convinced that right here was where I belonged.

I’d never known that sex could be this damn good. Both physically and emotionally. I knew what was missing now from the previous encounters. The physical side was okay, not near what Dean had done to me. But the emotional aspect to this was way better.

I felt when he shifted a bit. “Don’t move, I’m going to get a wash rag for you.”

“I can’t move even if I wanted to.”

He kissed me. “I’ll be right back.”

I watched him walk to the bathroom, pretty sure the little wiggle was for my benefit. He returned several moments later with a warm wash rag and proceeded to clean me up. He was gentle where he needed to be and once I was sure he cleaned me up as much as he could he tapped my side.

“Can you flip over for me?”

I raised a brow but did as he asked, slightly confused when he started to rub my ass cheeks. “Dean?”

“That moment you were riding me, I thought I came down a little hard. I did. I can see the marks, and this will help with those and the ones beforehand.”

I had to admit it felt very nice to be taken care of after sex, but his consistent rubbing was making me sleepy. When he was content he moved back beside me and covered us both up. I didn’t even ask, just cuddled up with him.

I was a little confused when I smelled chocolate, but cracking my eyes open I saw a Hershey piece in front of me.

“Dean?”

“I know you want to sleep, but can you have some juice and chocolate first?”

I nodded and let him feed me pieces of chocolate and hold the juice until he seemed content. He then covered us both up. His arm was around me and I felt so damn content here.

“Thank you, Dean.”

“For?” he asked.

“Everything. But especially this.”

“Anytime. Can I assume by the screams you enjoyed our first time?”

I slid my hand across his abdomen and snuggled closer. “Yes.”

“Did it live up to the little story I gave months ago?”

“More than.”

“How are you feeling overall?”

“Sore, sleepy.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll let you nap. I’ll reapply that cream after a shower though later.”

It was hard to keep my eyes open because I was tired, and muscles hurt that I didn’t even know could hurt during or after sex. I have no idea how long I was out though; the windows still showed light so it wasn’t too late. I could feel Dean’s hand on my back still, with his thumb moving slightly.

I blinked and tilted my head up. “Did you fall asleep?”

He smiled. “You napped for about an hour, but I was content to lay here and just hold you.”

“Sap.”

“Only when you’re around,” he quipped.

I scooted up some and readjusted my position some. “Still sore, how is that possible?”

“Are you referring to your ass, hole, or just in general?”

“In general. There’s a sore muscle in my thigh that has never hurt before.”

He giggled. “How about a warm shower and if that muscle still bothers you, I’ll massage it.”

“I thought you had to prep stuff?”

His lips landed on my forehead. “I have all afternoon and most of the night to do that. I’ll take care of you and then we’ll do that.”

Getting up was difficult but the hot water was nice. Dean giving me a bath and making sure I was clean was better, but I made sure to repay the favor as well. After we were clean and dry he had me lay back down where he reapplied the cream and that naggy muscle he handled too.

“You’ve been quiet.”

His hands were massaging the back of my thigh, kneading that muscle.

“I’ve…never had anyone do this.”

“What? Take care of you after sex?”

I nodded and looked back at him. “Yeah, they were not interested in cuddles or anything. But you? You cleaned me up, medicated my sore ass, cuddled with me, made me eat and drink something. I’m not that innocent or naive, Dean, I know about BDSM and this is aftercare.”

“Honestly, I’d do this even if it was just straight sex. It’s what a good partner does. But yes, I am doing aftercare. You deserve it. Now, how is this feeling?”

“Much better, thank you.”

He popped my ass lightly and I hissed. “Lie here a moment and I’ll get you some pajamas.”

I watched him move around and let him even dress me as best he could before I got up. “What exactly do you need to do in the kitchen?”

“It’s mostly just cutting up the items I’ll need. Like celery, potatoes, and stuff. It’s really not that much. You can certainly help.”

“I will.”

“Let’s fix food first because while the candy was nice, I am hungry now.”

I laughed, but we did fix sandwiches before we dove into cutting up vegetables and fruits for the next day. Once the prep work was done we curled up on the sofa to catch a few more movies. Dean talked to Sam late and assured him we would be coming to get him the next day.

At some point we just sat quietly in front of the tree, watching the lights twinkle, before we headed to bed.

The next morning we did go get Sam. It took an hour to get there because of road conditions. We spent some time with Bobby, Ellen, and Jo before coming back home. Dean fixed his pancakes when we got back and then we opened presents.

It was the first time since my parents died that I was truly excited about presents. Dean or Sam hadn’t gotten me expensive jewelry I’d never wear or expensive clothing that felt stiff and unforgiving. No, I got clothes that were comfortable, soft, and would definitely be worn. Books on bees because Dean had learned I’d wanted to have a hive some day, and a new briefcase from Sam.

It was a perfect Christmas when we got to both fix dinner and sit down for dinner as a family.

Chapter Text

*Dean/Cas*
December 31, 2024

It was a bit late when I woke up but Cas was sprawled over me anyway, so even awake I didn’t get up. It was surreal that I started this year off single and not thinking I was missing anything. But I would be finishing the year with a boyfriend and knowing that I had been missing so much.

Christmas had been perfect despite not spending it with a lot of family because it had snowed so much. Not that it mattered much, as they would be over tonight for dinner, presents, and partying into the New Year.

Cas finally lifted his head to peek at me, and it was clear he still wasn’t fully awake yet.

“Good Morning, sunshine.”

He groaned. “Morning. Sam not up?”

I chuckled. “He’s probably been up but I haven’t gotten out of bed yet. Turns out, laying here was more fun.”

“Sap. But I can’t blame you. Any plans for the day?”

“None. We went to the store yesterday and got everything we needed. Fireworks are being held and we can generally see them from the back yard. The people we didn’t see for Christmas will be here by five.”

“Are we doing the same Christmas type dinner?”

“Nah, we’re doing something different, a little more simple.”

“Then I can just stay here?”

“Sure, but I will need to go piss soon.”

“Speaking of…”

I laughed but it did motivate us both to get up and get moving. Sam was already up and already showered and dressed.

“I just fixed a bowl of cereal, but I’ve already been for a short run.”

“Short run? Was that a mile or six?” I asked.

Cas chuckled. “My guess would be six.”

“It was four miles, but it was good,” he replied.

“I can’t believe you ran when it was cold as hell. But I guess that is the nerdy side of you.”

He just smiled, but Cas and I fixed a quick breakfast ourselves. I liked when I could come up behind him and wrap my arms around him.

“Oatmeal?”

He leaned back onto me. “Yes, I figured you would need a good breakfast if you were going to be cooking.”

“The pies take the longest but not that long.”

I laid my head on his shoulder and just watched as he stirred the oatmeal, adding a little cream at the end and a touch of cinnamon. I loved it the way he made it. He even served it into bowls for us.

“You two are just…adorably cute,” Sam said.

“When are you going to find someone, Sammy?”

“I’ve got options, Dean. I’m just getting in the firm so I can now kind of focus on finding someone.”

“Looking forward to the wedding invitation.”

Sam gave me his famous bitch face number 2 and I focused on eating my oatmeal and thinking about what I could do now. Cas would help me for sure.

“Hey, Dean. Why did you clear out your office?”

“Oh! It’ll be mine and Cas’s future office. His more than mine really. But I needed to clean the room, and we’re going to do some painting first.”

“Nice. I thought you were going to sell this place though?”

I saw Cas’s face blush a little. “I think I talked him into keeping this place.”

“Really?”

“Yes. It really is perfect. I can use the pool this summer and it’s close to my job. It’s also big enough that when you come for a visit we have a room or even a guest house for you.”

“Wow, he has it all figured out.”

“It’s a good spot and when it was just me it was too much. Now, it’s not. But that means we both want to make some changes.”

“Like the office.”

“Exactly,” we said.

Sam shook his head and went back to his book. It was one that Bobby had given him for Christmas and how he was mostly done with it already was beyond me. Once Cas and I finished breakfast we got showers and changed. It was now usually joint showers, which were way more fun than solo ones.

I think the best part was watching him talking with Sam while I was slicing up peaches for the pies. Sam had gotten along with my previous partners, but this felt different. He and Cas had this ability to talk about law and about art, finding shared ground despite being polar opposites. It seemed like Sam and previous ones didn’t have that much in common.

They would be the two most important people in my life and them getting along was a good sign.

Charlie and Meg showed up around two, and by five Bobby, Ellen, and Jo also appeared. Sometimes my normal crew members came over but they were all busy with their families this year. Cas seemed to get along with everyone. Around four we spread out and got to open presents that we hadn’t been able to open earlier due to the weather and then it was dinner time.

It was about ten til midnight when we went outside to the far end of the yard and settled in. Counting down to midnight hadn’t felt this great in years.

Meg and Charlie were the loudest ones counting down. I was too focused on Cas to care.

At midnight he leaned in and kissed me. “I love you, Dean. I know you may not be able to say that yet, but I wanted you to know.”

I pulled him back in. “I love you, Castiel.”

His smile was more radiant than the fireworks in the distance. Knowing that he loved me made me so glad that I had attended Pride and that I’d run into him and been brave - and stubborn - enough to hold onto the best thing that had ever happened to me.

*Castiel*

The day had been perfect, from waking up cuddled up to Dean, to making breakfast together, and even to spending time with his family and Meg. It was surprisingly perfect that I had started the year thinking Inias was the one and ended the year with someone I was certain was the one.

At midnight during our kiss I had to say it. I had to tell him I loved him. But I didn’t expect the words in return, and the fact that he said them back almost made me cry.

I was so glad that I had let Dean sweep me off my feet and show me what a true boyfriend is supposed to be like, show me what a good relationship is. I hoped that we never broke up, and somehow I knew deep down inside that we never would–that we were meant to be here together for all the years to come.