Hold Me While My World Falls

Chapter Nine

"So, Dean, tell us a little about yourself." Hannah smiled supportively, taking a bite of green bean casserole.

"What would you like to know?" Dean asked, nervously twirling his fork on his plate. Castiel nudged him under the table and let his shoulder rest against Dean's.

"How about we start with what you do for a living?" Hannah suggested.

He took a breath, trying to calm the butterflies furiously beating their wings inside of him. "I work on the heating and cooling systems for Perrigo. On really hot days, I have to go up on the roof. People are constantly complaining about the temperature; my radio goes off all the time."

Hannah nodded, her chin on the hand holding her fork. She looked down to take another bite of food. "That sounds tiring."

"It is," Dean replied. "I come home a lot with sore muscles. My back usually hurts the most." He saw Castiel look at him in slight concern, but shrugged, telling him silently, "it's nothing, I'm fine."

Castiel could tell that was a lie, but he put it off for later conversation.

Chuck, who was sitting at the end of the long mahogany table, believed it was time to get a bit more personal. "How did you two meet?" He smiled as his wife looked over at him with sparkling eyes. 

"Dean's dog, Jo, ran out of his house this past November with his wallet." Castiel began. "He was shouting like a maniac. 'Stop that dog!'" Castiel laughed along with his family. Dean couldn't help but chuckle at how Castiel had seen him the first day. "I was out for a morning jog, so I tackled her and Dean got his wallet back. Then he invited me inside for a little new-neighbor chat. He doesn't know this, but I may have had feelings for him right then." Castiel gave Dean an abashed smile.

He'd never admit it, but Dean's heart melted.

"Awe, that's so cute!" Anna had this half- adoring and half-insane look on her face.

A true Fangirl.

"It is." Everyone at the table turned their gaze to Dean, not even Castiel expecting him to say that. "And, um, you know, here we are." He stuttered, trying to focus only on Castiel and avoiding the million eyes on him.

Castiel gave him a reassuring smile, along with a little thumbs up.

Gabriel snickered. "Luci, look at these two. Remember when our boyfriends were that sappy?" Lucifer and Gabriel both gave their boyfriends a shit eating grin. The other two men stuck their tongues out.

"Oh, shut your trap, you're still my bitch." Crowley retorted to Lucifer, who simply raised a brow competitively.  Crowley looked away quickly. Lucifer smirked, knowing what that look did to him.

Gabriel just continued to snicker, until his boyfriend, Micheal, shut him up with a kiss.

Dean leaned over to Castiel. "I like your family."

Castiel beamed back at him.

Dean forgot to breathe for a moment, then composed himself and leaned back.

Castiel smirked inwardly, grabbing his hand beneath the table, which he suspected was left there because Dean actually wanted Castiel to take it. 

Dean jumped slightly. He looked over at Castiel and rolled his eyes at the cocky expression on his face. 

"Where am I sleeping tonight, by the way?" Dean asked as Castiel led him upstairs, passing a clock that read eleven.

Castiel smiled softly, like a girl who'd just been asked to prom by her longtime crush. "I was actually thinking, if it's alright with you, maybe we could sleep in the same bed."