“Jesus Cas, you have some serious attachment issues.”
“What?!”
“We spent the whole day together, and we just left each other 20 minutes ago, and here you are, calling me as soon as you get home.”
Dean couldn't see Cas over the phone, but he knew, just knew, that that serious son of a bitch was rolling his eyes at him.
“No Dean,” Cas sighed, dragging his name out in an annoyed tone. “Obviously my family has been worried about me the whole day.”
Obviously, because normal families did that. Worry.
“Yeah, Cas, I mean, you mysteriously left at 5:30 in the morning, and didn't let them now that you were still alive until you dragged your sorry ass back home at 10:30 PM.”
Cas huffed and continued, “Anyway, they kept on asking questions, and so I just told them everything.”
Shit
And I was just getting to being his friend.
After they finished the pie at the hospital and the x rays came in — there was no piece of glass left, no surprise, the doctors probably already knew that but made him do the x ray so they could get a few more bucks off of him — they checked Dean out of the hospital with a rented wheelchair. A wheelchair that Cas made him use or he would never talk to him again, and that’s when Dean realized that Cas was an almightily dangerous control freak who was a powerful force that never lost. He had finally plopped into that damn wheelchair, because, hey, you can’t calm down a tornado.
They had then spent the whole day together, walking, or in Dean’s case, rolling, around town, and it honestly had been the most fun that Dean had ever had. They went into cafes, libraries, different kind of shops, and had sat on the park bench watching young children play in a totally non pedophilic way, even though they were getting many glares and weird looks thrown at them by mothers. The whole time, they had just talked. Dean had never met a person who he could talk to so easily, for hours without awkward silences or him getting bored. The latter was a major accomplishment, Sam always said that Dean had the shortest attention span in the history of short attention spans. Cas was just so interesting, and he hated realizing this, but Dean really really liked him. As a friend, of course. Dean had never enjoyed anyone’s company as much as he enjoyed Cas’s.
Cas told Dean about his college, and more about his family. He talked about how much he loved to read and loved that one vintage soul singer, Ed Sheeran. Dean had amused Cas with stupid stories of Sam when he was little, and had talked about Baby, a damn old but never the less beautiful 1967 Chevy Impala. He told him about his kind of music, which was about as old as his car, The Rolling Stones, Asia, Led Zeppelin. He talked about his job as a mechanic over at the garage. They discussed conspiracies, food, and Thursdays, among other things. The whole time, Dean never lost interest, and by the look on Cas’s face, he never did either.
That day had made him realize that Cas was something else.
So hearing that the Milton had told his family about Dean freaked Dean out. A lot.
I only got one day. Just one day.
I opened up to another human being and let Cas into my life, into my world, and here it is, ending that same day.
Serves me right.
I knew, damnit, I knew that letting someone in was a huge mistake.
Why did I let Cas in?!
“Dean stop panicking!”
“What?!” Dean half yelled, his voice unusually high, and well, panicked. “What are you talking about?! I’m not panicking!”
Cas spoke in his I’m so done with your bullshit Dean tone, “You’re literally sound like you're having an asthma attack.”
“Oh.” Dean took a deep breathe, calming himself down. Sam always told him he jumped to conclusions and freaked out a lot, and even though his little nerd brother was annoying and nagged Dean constantly, he was usually right.
Dean tried to keep his voice light free and casual, “How’d they take it?”
“They were mad —“
MY LIFE IS OVER
“— that I didn't tell them earlier”
Dean sighed, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. This was great! Cas’s family didn't mind! They were happy! Now his only problem was wondering why the hell he had thought the world was ending a few seconds ago when he thought the Miltons didn't like him. Chicks did that. He wasn't a chick. He was a strong independent white man who didn't need no Cas to make him feel good.
That being said, or rather, thought, Dean smiled a great big smile, genuinely happier than he had been in a while.
“That’s great Cas!””
“Yes, it is, and my parents are very excited to meet you. They want me to invite you over for dinner tomorrow.”
Dean’s eyebrows shot up, surprised.
Wow, I can’t believe they want to meet me.
This was all so foreign to him. Being friends, meeting families. He figured that this was a good time to start as ever.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
“So, what time should I be there?”
***********************************
January 21st, 7:00:52 PM
Dean arrived at Cas’s house with a promise to himself not to curse, and had left his leather jacket at his house so Cas’s family didn't think he was some kind of street thing or something. He had opted a simple button down and jeans would do, unless the Miltons were some kind of Bill Gates rich that Cas had failed to mention, and they expected him to come in designer clothing.
As he approached the door, squinting down at the address written on his palm to make sure it was the correct house, he realized after checking it was Cas’s house that was a cozy kind of house, a beautiful little cottage with so many marigolds planted on the sides that Dean calculated if he were to take one every day for his mom’s grave for a year, there still would be plenty.
His mom.
There were times like this when Dean especially wished that his mom were alive, that she could've prepped him on what to say and how to act, and canoodled him Oh my little boy’s growing up, meeting his soulmate’s parents already before he left. He wouldn't have minded his mom canoodling him at all. Not one bit.
Dean shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts, and moved on to another worry, as he stood there, staring at the cottage a few feet away from its door.
Damn, should’ve I gotten them something?
I don’t know, I’ve never done this before!
Dean wrung his hands nervously, glaring down at the marigolds once more.
Like flowers…..or…..wait, not flowers. That’s too romantic and soulmatey and Cas made it very clear he didn't want to go that far.
Aww what the hell
Tapping his foot in time to his pounding heart on the concrete, he slowly pressed one shaking finger to the doorbell and pushed it.
Ding dong
Cas opened the door in a few seconds, his expression the very definition of nervous, biting his right hand’s nails.
Dean immediately relaxed just looking at him.
The first thing he noticed was that Cas didn't have his ever present trench coat on, his mom had probably made him take it off or something, and Dean smirked at the mental image of someone other than the control freak standing in front of him telling him what to do.
Cas looked more human, wearing a simple sweater and jeans, barefoot. He stood nervously in the doorway, staring at the ground, and fiddling with his sweater with his hand he wasn't biting the nails off of.
Dean grinned faintly and looked down at his shoes, actually blushing like a chick Jesus Christ I need to get myself together, listening intently as Cas’s family yelled at each other in the background, a chorus of “Anna set the temperature a little higher on the stove love!” and “Mom cutting these stupid tomatoes is hella hard!” and his particular favorite, “I am a 46 year old grown man I can set the table without breaking anything!”
He heard Cas let out a little chuckle at that, and the mood shifted into something a little more comfortable.
“Come in” Cas gestured for Dean to do so, and Dean entered the house. It was beautiful, not particularly huge, not particularly small, but cozy, smelling like an assortment of spices, and, well, like family. It had a particular sense of home-ness to it, like it was lived in by people who loved each other and didn't fight or throw beer bottles at each other. Dean felt a pang of longing when he thought this, God, what would it be like to live in that kind of environment? He shook his head. Man, Cas didn't realize how good he had it.
“Hi!” a pretty petite girl with long red hair practically came flying towards Dean, getting an oof! out of him as she bombarded him with a huge hug.
For someone so skinny, the girl was strong, and Dean tentatively put a hand on her back and patted, awkwardly chucking. This couldn’t be anyone other than Anna.
She finally let go, letting him check to make sure his godamn guts were still in place. She stuck out her hand, her soft light brown eyes tinkling, a bright smile in place. “Hi!” she chirped again. “I’m Anna Milton, Cassy’s cooler older twin sister.”
Dean felt Cas sigh beside him, grumbling something about you’re only older by 2 minutes Anna God and Dean shook her hand, smiling. He wanted to make a good impression on Cas’s family.
“I’m Dean Winchester, nice to meet you.” Anna grinned even wider, inspecting Dean. She stepped back after she was done, nodding in approval, and let Cas’s parents take a look at him, who were standing in the doorway of the kitchen, beaming.
Cas’s mom came up first with her sweet face and beautiful flowing hair that was the same color as Cas, and pulled Dean into a hug that was warm and comforting, very motherly. Dean sighed and relaxed into the gesture, and when Cas’s mother let go she took his face in both hands. “I’m so glad Cassie met you” she told Dean, smiling from ear to ear. She retreated back, and his dad went up to Dean with the same expression, shaking his hand firmly, and said, winking, “Me too, he needs to get out of the house!” and Anna giggled.
Dean loved Cas’s family.
As Dean wistfully watched the other 3 Miltons get back in the kitchen to continue frantically trying to get dinner ready, Mom where the heckadoo do we keep the cutting board?!, Dean heard Cas hum quietly beside him, and then he nudged Dean, gesturing towards the stairs. “Come along, I’ll show you my room.” Dean nodded and followed Cas up the stairs.
*****************
Damn
The first thing he saw were books, and then more books, and more books. As he stared at Cas’s room in amazement, he realized practically all the things in Cas’s room were books. He had three gigantic bookshelves, tall and wide, lining the walls, each with at least 100 books in each.
The bookshelves took up three of the 4 walls, and a bed and desk, with a laptop on top of it, were on the 4th one.
Cas,” he gasped in shock,” you have a huge ass library in here!”
“Oh,” Cas replied, surprised too, like he had just realized how many freaking books he had in here. “I….um….like to read.”
“Yeah you told me that!” Dean breathed, still in awe,”I just…I didn't realize…I…holy shit!”
There were all kinds of books in here Dean saw, as he ran his fingers through the spines of them all. Old classics such as Harry Potter, history books, medical journals, law books, biographies, conspiracy theory books, hell, there was even a weird book called, “The Joys of Gay Sex”.
Dean did a double take when he spotted that one.
“Uh…….Cas?” he took the book out of the shelf, handing it to the other boy.
“Oh. That.” Cas turned beet red. “Anna gave me that after finding out about you.”
Dean stared for a moment, taking it all in.
And then he laughed. Damn hard. For a really long time.
Cas, at first, had seem surprised, but then had slowly joined in, until they were both laughing so hard their stomachs hurt and they couldn’t breathe.
Dean loved this, laughing with Cas in his room over a ridiculous book his sister had given him. He had never shared a joke with someone, laughed over something with someone other than Sam. Whenever someone attempted to be his friend, he never let them, pushing their conversation starters and silly jokes away with a polite nod and smile.
It felt good.
Anna knocked on the door, opening it, and Dean and Cas stopped laughing just in time for Dean to see her eye catch the book’s title, and throw her head back laughing just like Cas did, and had been doing not 5 seconds ago.
“Oh ya!” she giggled, “That.”
She told them dinner was ready, and they went downstairs for pasta and garlic bread, the chopped tomatoes and spices in the pasta tasting heavenly.
As they all sat down, and began to eat after saying Grace (something told him Cas’s family was very religious), they ate in small talk about the weather, Dean’s hobbies, and when Cas bought up his interest in cars, a long discussion on the engines of different cars between Dean and Mr. Milton while the others listened in remote disinterest.
Dean noticed that Cas was acting damn quiet and shy, not at all like the Cas who just yesterday had threatened him for refusing to sit in a wheelchair and had been talking for hours with animated hand gestures and facial expressions in a park bench.
He realized it was because of the presence of his family.
Or maybe he’s only like that with me…………..?
Dean rolled his eyes at himself for thinking that thought.
Don’t get your hopes up too high, Winchester. Not yet.
After many compliments about the pasta and jokes bought to them with the courtesy of Anna, there was a comfortable silence.
“So Dean,” Cas’s dad started, “what are you studying?”
Damnit
This was the one question he was trying to avoid.
“Oh, um….” Dean turned to Cas for help, but the other boy just rubbed at his neck furiously, frowning at the ground whilst picking at his nails. He did that a lot, Dean noted. He needed to stop, or Cas would have to end up having to have some sort of surgery to get a mountain of his nails out of his stomach or something. There was an awkward silence as Dean full on just glared at Cas for him to explain, or help, or something, but that son of a bitch just stared at the floor, his face as red as the tomato his fork currently had stabbed in its hold.
“Well, I’m not,” Dean took a deep breath. This was it, wasn't it? When he told the truth, his whole chance with Cas’s family was gone. “I’m not……studying anything.”
“Oh?” Mr. Milton raised his eyebrows.
“I dropped out when I was 17. I work as a mechanic now”
“Oh!” Cas’s dad said, his voice unnaturally high, the way people’s usually are when you can tell they’re judging you. Mrs. Milton and Anna dropped their gazes to their shoes just like Cas did when he was uncomfortable or nervous, their faces expressionless.
Dean nodded slowly, continuing, “I work in the garage south of Panther Creek. It’s, uh, it’s called ‘Revved Up’”
Cas cleared his throat beside him.
Oh so now he decides to say something
“Dean’s working quite hard to pay for his brother to attend Harvard Law school out of his own pocket, Dad.”
Dean saw Cas’s family’s attitude change damn quickly after Cas spoke. They sat straighter, gazed at him with a little more respect, more admiration.
“Dean!” Mrs. Milton gasped, her tone shocked. “That’s so……”
“Hella rad” Anna finished, nodding and winking at Dean. “I like you 12 out of 9 dolphins.”
Cas let out a awkward, breathy laugh.
Everyone moved on, as if e nothing had happened
*****************
They all played poker after dinner— Cas was amazing at it, Dean soon found out, which wasn't surprising due to his powerful and unwavering poker faces. They all lost pretty bad, but Anna was the one who was completely conquered by everyone, because she had the most expressive face. Dean could tell exactly what hand she had just by looking at her face.
Dean was so so sure that he was going to finally beat that son of a bitch Cas as he smirked, looking straight at him. The Winchester revealed his cards, fanning them out on the carpet proudly.
“Full house.” Dean looked up, cocking his head in triumphal.
Cas kept his winning poker face as he showed his cards the same way other boy had done, fanned out on the carpet. His family and Dean looked at his set with mouths hanging open in shock.
Cas lifted his head, looking at everyone in the eye with a faint smile on his lips.
“Royal flush.”
Godamn
**************************
January 21st, 9:06:42 PM
Sam put his arm around Jess as they were sitting on his bed, kissing her beautiful long blonde curls. She grinned, leaning closer to him whilst resting her head on his chest.
This is so great
Sam’s timer had gone off when they were only 15, and his heart fluttered even now, thinking of seeing Jess for the first time 2 years later, as they watched some romantic comedy that she had picked out.
They were in the middle of the scene where the main characters finally meet when Sam heard the door creak, opening, and a second later, closing faintly. Jess turned to him, confused.
Sam shook his head reassuring her, “It’s just Dean. He’s back from his soulmate’s house.”
“Dean met his soulmate?!” Jess sat up straight in surprise. “That’s so sweet!”
Sam grinned, nodding. “Yeah, but his soulmate’s a guy, which brings in more internal conflict for Dean. He has to cope with actually having a person get close to him first.”
“Well, I’m sure that —“
Crash!
The couple both gasped, jumping in shock. Jess whipped her head around to look at Sam with wide eyes.
“Sam!” she whispered. “What the hell was that?!”
The Winchester shook his head in fear, his heart pounding a thump per millisecond. Sam paused the film, waiting in silence for another sound, as his soulmate clutched his hand tight.
He turned to her, whispering as well. “It sounded like glass.”
Jess slowly nodded, terrified.
Oh God, this is like the beginning of a horror movie.
He gestured for Jess to stay right there, and told her, “I’ll be right back, alright?”
His soulmate nodded once, her eyes as big as the sun.
“Be careful,” she muttered, pecking him on the lips.
Sam let out a nervous breathy laugh. “I’ll be fine.”
He grabbed the baseball bat his brother and him kept in their rooms just in case, and both hands gripped on the bat tightly, he tentatively walked towards Dean’s room, keeping his steps minimal and light. The door was ajar, the light open, and Sam heard shuffling from it. He flattened his back to the wall right of the doorway, his bat held high. Sam saw the glass lamp that the intruder that smashed on the floor out of the corner of his eye, and squeezed his eyes tight, readying himself to fight.
There are only two possibilities right now.
It’s a burglar, and I hit him once on the head to knock him out, then I call the cops and Dean.
Or it’s Dean, and I beat the shit out of him 10 times harder than I would’ve the burglar for scaring us like that.
Sam took in a huge breath, and ran in through the door with his baseball bat ready to hit someone.
When he saw who it was, he dropped his bat in shock.
The intruder had obviously been rummaging through Dean’s bedside drawer, as he was holding a huge wad of cash in his hand. In fact, that wad of cash was all of the money Sam and Dean had saved up for Sam’s college.
“Dad?!”