Missing You

Chapter Eleven: Catching Up

Dean:

It felt good to have Cas as his wingman again. It has been way too long. He could feel each time those blue eyes fell on him and he would look back and smile, enjoying the blush that would creep across that pale face and make Cas smile even wider. "Let's do a real restaurant, just just a diner, ok?" Charlie asked from the backseat. Dean nodded. "Ok." A restaurant sounded good. He pulled into the parking lot of the first Applebee's he saw and they got out. Charlie raced ahead of them and was already inside before they even reached the doors. Cas looked over at Dean, his trademark confused expression on his face. "Is she always like this?" Dean chuckled. "This is nothing." By the time they got inside Charlie was already seated at a table and waving them over. "How did you get a table so fast?" Dean asked as he sat down across from her. "A little flirting goes a long way." She said in a cocky tone. Cas slid into the seat next to Dean since she had put her bag on the only other available chair. Their server arrived and set down menus in front of them before rambling off the specials. "Can I get you something to drink?" She asked. "Beer. Something American, just surprise me." Dean replied, not even looking up at her. "I'll have sweet tea if you have it." Cas said. "Oh, that sounds good, me too." Charlie added. The server nodded and left to get their drinks. Dean closed the menu and looked over at Cas. "Sweet tea? Really?" Cas smiled but his eyes were on his menu. "I like the taste." Dean smiled and shook his head. "So what are you doing at the school?" He asked. "I'm one of the janitors." Cas closed the menu and folded his hands on top of it. "Janitor, huh? Does it pay well?" Charlie asked. "I'm not sure what a janitor usually makes but I don't really make enough to get an apartment." He admitted. "Where are you living if you don't have an apartment Cas?" Dean asked. The idea that Cas might once again be homeless bothered him greatly. "I have a room at a local Men's Center. It's not so bad. I get to shower every day and I have the room all to myself." Cas dared to look up at Dean and immediately wished he hadn't. The mixture of pain and anger on his face was too much. "You're independent and that's awesome Cas. Besides, Chicago is terribly expensive to live in without like a dozen roommates." Charlie said, shooting Dean a warning look. He sat back and sighed. "I'm glad you're doing ok Cas. I really am." He said. Cas looked up at him again. "Are you doing ok Dean?" He asked. Dean chewed on his uppper lip as he nodded. "I'm better now." He smiled and watched Cas look away shyly again. When he looked over at Charlie he caught her eyeing the woman that was seating people. "Go get her." He gave her a wink and she smiled. "Oh, I will." She said. Their drinks were brought and Dean looked over at both of them drinking tea and shook his head. "Maybe I'll try one of those." Cas looked at him, eyes narrowed, a strange smile on his face. "Have you ever had sweet tea?" "Sure. Not in awhile, but I've had it." Dean was trying not to sound defensive. "Are you all ready to order?" Their server was asking. "I want a steak. Medium rare. Whatever potato you have is fine." Dean said to her. Cas elbowed him playfully. "No burger?" It was Dean's turn to blush. "Uh, I eat enough of those, so I'll pass this time." Cas looked up at the server and smiled politely. "I want to try your chicken alfredo please." "Blackbean salad." Charlie piped up when the server turned to her. "Didn't you eat enough black beans already?" Dean teased. "It's protein Dean." She said, rolling her eyes. "Black bean burgers are really good." Cas said. "Then you'd get along splendidly with her. That's what she ate yesterday. Sam and her were trying to convert me over to eating plants all of last week." Dean said as he balled up the paper from his straw and tossed it at her. "You need to eat more vegetables Dean. They're good for you." Cas said soberly. "I eat lettuce and tomato on my burgers." Dean complained. "And bacon. You also eat bacon on them." Cas reminded him. "Bacon is the food of the Gods." Dean said. Cas opened his mouth to argue but thought twice about it. "Tomatoes are fruit." He said instead. Dean was grinning as he took a sip of his beer. He was falling back into the familiar banter he had missed so much with Cas. By the time the food was arrived they were talking intimately and ended up sharing bites of food. Charlie finished her food and excused herself. Dean watched as she sauntered over to the woman by the door and started flirting. Cas was watching her too. "Charlie likes women?" He asked as he looked back at Dean. "Yeah, didn't I tell you that at some point?" Dean couldn't help but stare into those blue eyes. "I don't believe so." Cas looked back at Charlie again with an amused expression. "She is really good at that." Dean chuckled. "Yes she is." Cas had turned toward him and had one elbow on the table, his hand hanging over the edge and Dean wanted so badly to take his hand, hold it close and never let it go. He wasn't sure how Cas would react to that. When he looked up he noticed Cas was watching him. "When do you plan to go back?" He asked. Dean shook his head slowly. "I don't have a set time. There's nothing waiting for me back there." His eyes were intense and Cas tilted his head to the side, peering up at him. "You've changed. You're...calmer." He observed. Dean had finished his beer so he grabbed Cas' tea and took a sip. "Wow that's sweet." He grimaced as he put it back. "I'm not running on pure rage anymore. Without the mark I don't really have much to get mad about these days." He stretched his left arm out, laying it across the back of Cas' chair, essentially trapping him in his seat, and putting himself even closer to him. Cas wasn't backing down though and he took that as a good sign. He had flirting with women down to a science, but a guy? This was a whole new ballpark, and he really had to work hard at it. "I need to get home." Cas said after a few minutes and Charlie still hadn't returned. Dean turned around in his seat to find her but she was nowhere to be seen. "Damn it Charlie." He muttered under his breath as he scanned the restaurant. When he looked back at Cas again there was a sad smile on his face. "What's the matter?" He asked. Cas shook his head. "I wanted you here for so long. I never thought you'd come. I thought you hated me as a human." His eyes were watery but he wasn't crying. Dean did reach out then, and took his hand. He half expected Cas to pull away but he didn't. "I could never hate you, do you understand that? Never. If you want me to stay, I'll stay." Cas nodded, his throat too tight with emotion to speak. "I have work in the morning. I have to go to bed." He finally managed to say. Dean nodded and flagged down their server. "Can I get the check please?" He asked. She nodded and left, returning a few minutes later with their bill. Dean paid and stood up. "What about Charlie?" Cas asked as they headed outside. "She'll text me when she's ready and I'll come back and get her." Dean replied as they started for the car. She'll be fine, trust me." As they stepped outside Cas reached over and took Dean's hand, pulling him to a stop. Dean turned to face him. "Dean, I have been struggling to understand all of the emotions that come with being human. I thought I learned them all the last time around, but I was wrong. Having you here, it is making me experience emotions I didn't realize I even could." Cas wasn't sure how to get the words out and the confused look on Dean's face told him he wasn't explaining it correctly. "Is that a bad thing? Did I upset you by coming here?" Dean asked. Cas' eyes went wide. "No! Quite the opposite! You've made me happier than I have been in a very, very long time." Dean's face relaxed and he smiled. Cas' heart melted seeing that. He had missed it so much. "Do you want to go back to the Men's Center?" Dean asked, realizing how that must sound. He didn't care. He didn't want to every be away from Cas again. "I have to or Fredrick will pick my lock and steal my socks again." Cas replied seriously. Dean couldn't help but laugh though. "Ok, then I'll drop you off. Tomorrow's Friday, do you work on the weekend?" He asked as they started walking to the car, still holding hands. "I work til six tomorrow but I'm off for the weekend." Cas replied. "Can I pick you up tomorrow? Maybe we can do dinner again or something." This felt oddly like he was asking Cas out on a date, but it felt like the direction he needed to go in if he was going to prove that he really was a changed man. They reached the car and Cas turned to face him, a smile on his face. "I would like that. And then maybe we could go back to your motel? It gets loud in the Center and I don't sleep well." Dean nodded. "Sure, of course." He unlocked the car and they got in, Cas reached over and took his hand again. They drove in comfortable silence, Cas speaking only to give directions and it wasn't long before they were pulling up in front of the Center. "I'll be outside at six to pick you up." Dean told him. Cas nodded. "Alright." He reluctantly let go of Dean's hand and slid over to the door to open it. Dean watched him go inside and wondered if he'd been a fool not to kiss him. A text from Charlie redirected his attention. It was time to go back up and pick up the female Don Juan.