Standing Together

Chapter 24

"You know, tomorrow's your birthday," Dean observes, looking at the boy sitting next to him on the couch.

"That would be true," Castiel says. "What about it?"

"Oh, I don't know," Dean says. "I never get to do fun things with you for your birthday. I was thinking we could change that tomorrow, go do something together."

Castiel sighs. "Dean, I would love to go do something with you tomorrow, but like this?" He gestures to himself. "I'm a mess. I'm very visibly a mess."

"What are you talking about?" Dean asks, twisting around so he's sitting on his knees, facing the boy. "You're not a mess, Cas. You're hot as fuck, even if you can't accept it."

"I'm not," Castiel insists. "I'm clearly a mess, and I don't want to risk anyone seeing me and getting pictures or whatever."

Dean scoffs. "Seriously? You're going to let a couple of dumbasses with cameras convince you to stay inside all day? On your birthday? I think not."

"Dean —"

"I think we should go out to eat and enjoy some great food and each other's company and ignore everyone else," Dean continues. "It'll be a great day."

"Dean, I said 'no,'" Castiel repeats firmly.

Dean sighs, head lolling back in exasperation. "Come on, Cas. I feel bad that we're the only ones who get to celebrate your birthday this year, 'cause everyone else is back in Sioux Falls. Let me do something special for you."

"I just don't really feel like celebrating my birthday this year," Castiel says.

Dean sighs. "Well, I'm going to feel like a really shitty boyfriend if I don't do something for you."

"That 'something' can be not celebrating my birthday," Castiel says.

"Why are you so anti-birthday this year?" Dean whines. "You're sucking the fun out of July."

Castiel's mind flashes back to that night; the screams, the blood, the bodies. So many people aren't going to make it to their birthday this year. Why should he get to celebrate his?

"Cas?" Dean waves a hand in front of his face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Castiel says quickly.

Dean eyes him skeptically, but instead of pushing for an an explanation, he asks, "So if I throw you a surprise party, would that be okay?"

Castiel rolls his eyes. "No, Dean. I don't want to celebrate my birthday at all. Unless you just want to do something small together inside, then I'm going to pass."

Dean sighs dramatically. "Fine, be a buzzkill, but I'm going to make you have fun tomorrow if it kills me."

"Oh god, that's intense," Castiel says with a small laugh.

"Well, if you're going to ignore your birthday, I have to double-celebrate your birthday. And with your family at home, I'm really..." He counts them on his fingers, muttering under his breath, "Four brothers, plus Anna and Claire is six, and then it's Sam and Adam are eight, and Charlie makes ten because she's extra, and then twice for you and me..." He pauses, then asks, "What's the word for 'double' but, like, six times bigger?"

"I don't think there is a word for that," Castiel says.

"Well, whatever that word is, I'm that-word-celebrating your birthday this year, and you can't stop me," Dean says.

"Yay," Castiel deadpans.

"We've literally been stuck in the house watching the same four movies over and over for almost a month," Dean reminds him. "I refuse to let you kill our one excuse to actually do something fun."