Free Vacation

Fireworks

The evening wore on, everyone talking and having a wonderful time.  It was the most fun Dean had experienced with his friends in a long time.  Everyone was so relaxed and happy; it was wonderful.  Having Castiel at his side made things even better.  Charlie had finally stopped watching him, like she expected him to just suddenly snap, but Sam unfortunately had not.  Sam was partaking in the free-flowing alcohol, laughing and joking with everyone, and even doing a little teasing flirting with Gabe, but every now and then Dean would feel eyes on him.  Every single time it would be Sam, watching him with a mixture of concern and wariness, like Dean was a bomb just waiting to go off.  It was starting to get on his nerves.  Aside from that, they were getting along better than they had in years. 

Eventually Michael, Luc, and Hael made their way around, and they insisted on meeting Dean.  Michael and Luc did their best to embarrass their brother, but Dean simply kissed Castiel’s cheek and reassured him that it was alright.  He knew what it was like having siblings, and especially what it was like being the older brother.  It was his duty to pick on Sam, and he would do it to Adam too, if the kid was still in his life.  Hael, as the younger sibling like her brother, was much more polite and very sweet.  Dean found himself wondering, with the dark hair and bright blue eyes that both she and Castiel shared, whether those genes would be passed on to Castiel’s kids someday.  The man was absolutely stunning.  Any kids he produced would be just as beautiful.  It felt weird thinking such a thing as that, so Dean quickly chased the thought away.

At 11:30 Dean found himself pressed up against a wall around the corner from the common room, his arms around Castiel’s waist.  They were simply talking, enjoying a moment of peace amid all the activity.  It wasn’t that they hadn’t gotten plenty of alone time in the last few days, but that they could never get enough of it.  They talked about the dinner Castiel was planning to make them, and Dean promised to bring a pie for dessert.

“Can it be cherry?  That’s my favorite.”  Castiel turned those big blue eyes on him, and Dean was helpless against them.  How had he only met this man less than a week ago?  He just felt so comfortable with Castiel that it felt as though he’d known him a lifetime already.  Ten years with Benny and it had taken close to 2 years before he had felt that level of comfort.  Even then there had been a lingering feeling that he never really knew the real Benny, and considering he hid his mental illness from the man, he didn’t think Benny ever really knew him either.  He didn’t get that feeling from Castiel though. 

“I can definitely make cherry.  In fact, I’ll make 2.  One cherry, one apple.” 

Castiel smiled brightly at that.

“That sounds wonderful.  I am planning to make a roast, and I was thinking of garlic and rosemary roasted potatoes to go with it, and perhaps asparagus?”

“You’re making me hungry,”  Dean joked.  He licked his lips and pulled Cas a little closer.  “How does this sound.  We’ll do dinner at your place Sunday, and maybe Tuesday I can cook for you.”

“Yeah?  You want me to come over to your place?”  Castiel seemed extremely happy with his offer. 

“Yes, but I will admit, I’m sort of not comfortable right now in my own house.  I-I just want to get out of there but the place isn’t selling fast enough.  It’s where I lived with…”  Dean grimaced and turned his face away but a warm hand against his cheek directed his gaze back.

“I’m sure it’s a lovely house because it’s yours, but I don’t care about that.  It’s your home, and I feel honored that you would invite me into it.  I would be there for you, Dean, not old memories clinging to the corners like empty webs.”

And that was the first thing that anyone had said to him that made him think living in that house after Benny left wasn’t the most horrible thing in the world.