Ready to Fall

Chapter Eight

In weeks to come, Castiel slots himself into Dean's life as if he's a piece Dean’s been missing without even realizing it. He helps Mary in the garden while Dean spends time with his dad at the garage, he does his fair share of household chores, and he spends just about as much time yakking Sam's ear off about this or that as he does cuddled up with Dean on the couch while they read or nap.

They go to the movies with Dean's friends and stay up late into the night gaming with Charlie- who has yet to beat Cas in Super Mario Kart- and even accompany Sam and Jess on a few more dates. They fall easily into the pattern of a couple who's been dating for at least as long as Dean and Castiel have known each other, and while they almost always fall asleep spooned around one another now, neither of them have vocally addressed what that means.

It's not like Dean hasn't entertained the idea of figuring out just what the hell he feels for his best friend, but each time the thought pops up, Dean reminds himself to relax and stomps down anything that even remotely resembles feelings.

It isn't until one surprisingly cool day, when he and Castiel are hiding out in the treehouse shooting the breeze and avoiding anything productive, that they come anywhere near addressing what's going on between them outside of what's supposed to be going on between them.

They're on the same bean bag again- Sam's bean bag gets very little use these days- but Dean is sprawled on his back while Castiel sits with his back pressed up against the wooden slats of the treehouse.  

The windows are open, the cool breeze ruffling Cas' hair and taking the edge off the otherwise unbearably hot summer.

"Hey, Cas?" Dean says, staring up at the ceiling. He's long since exhausted all the comic books that he left behind in the treehouse, and while he isn't typically against re-reading, he hasn't been able to find anything that suits his tastes enough to engross himself in. He isn't like Castiel, reading everything in sight.

"Yes, Dean?"

Dean licks his lips, trying to figure out a tactful way to word his question before just diving in. "I know you've never kissed anyone, but have you ever, you know, thought about it?"  He looks up at Castiel and watches as the other teen marks the place in his book and rests it in his lap, his lips pursed together in thought.

"Yes," he finally answers. "I've wondered what it would be like, of course, but it's not as if I sit around fantasizing about it all day."

"I wouldn't be worried if you did," Dean offers, flashing a smile up at Castiel. Castiel shakes his head, but returns the smile nonetheless.

"Why do you ask?"

Dean pushes himself into a sitting position so he can better see Castiel and shrugs. "I don't know," he replies. "I was just thinking maybe it'd be good for you to get some practice before you actually go out kissing people, you know?"

Castiel narrows his eyes. "I have no immediate plans to go out kissing people, Dean."

"Maybe not now, but in the future you could want to kiss someone, right? So what if someone who was pretty awesome and really adorable offered to let you practice with them, so that when it happens for real, you know what you're doing?"

Castiel looks down at his hands and Dean can practically see the wheels in the other teen's head turning. He's actually thinking it out and that's when Dean realizes Castiel is probably taking Dean's words literally.

"Me, Cas. I was talking about me," he finally reveals.

"You would teach me how to kiss?" Castiel questions, his words  slow and tentative, as if he's worried Dean is either joking or making fun of him.