he-flies-me-to-the-moon-and-back

[he-flies-me-to-the-moon-and-back]

Pothos & Crux

“No. I mean someplace special. Where d'ya always go?" Dean asks desperately.

"Saint & Second?"

"Is that a place for dates?"

"... sure?" Maria hesitantly agrees.

🌕 𝙷𝚎 𝙵𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝙼𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔 🌕 - 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟼

Dean is back to normal, much to Castiel's own happiness. Dean is no longer avoiding him unlike the past weekend, and he seems to be friendlier towards Castiel, more than the usual amount of affection that Dean always gives him for the past decade.

Castiel isn't complaining though.

Castiel is busy helping out Susie in the cafe on that Monday afternoon when suddenly he feels the vibration coming from his apron pocket. He immediately excuses himself to hide at the end of the coffee counter to check his phone.

It's a text message from Dean.

𝙲𝚊𝚜. 𝚆𝚊𝚗𝚗𝚊 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚋 𝚕𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚑 𝚝𝚘𝚐𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛?

Castiel chuckles at the adorableness Dean is visibly showing to him. Castiel loves the fact that Dean is embracing his feelings for him more freely, without judging himself for loving a man, yet alone his own best friend. A smile is plastered across Castiel's face. He immediately texts Dean back to answer his invitation. Then, he puts away his phone back into the pocket to resume his work.

Dean has received Castiel's reply.

He turns his upper body around while his lower body is planted on the ground, facing the customer who is picking flowers for her bouquet, to check the received text message.

𝚂𝚞𝚛𝚎. 𝙿𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚊 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎.

Dean subconsciously smiles after reading the text before his face scrunches up as it finally dawns on him. Where should we eat today? He tries to come up with a few viable options, but none seem to be an out-of-the-ordinary place for them to eat; not somewhere that they don't normally go. Pizzas, burgers, pastas - they had them too much to last a lifetime, not that Dean is grumbling about it. But today, he wants it a little different. Just to show his appreciation towards his best buddy. His loyal friend. His guardian angel.

He clicks his tongue in desperation which causes his customer to turn and glare at him out of annoyance. Dean quickly apologizes with a sincere smile as he puts away his phone. Then, he remembers something…

"Excuse me for a sec," he says politely to the lady and hurries to the counter where Maria is organizing a bouquet of pink roses. "Maria! Where d'ya normally have lunch with Noel?" he asks.

"Lunch?" Maria is bewildered by Dean's question since he never has asked her for any recommendations since day one he worked here. "At the burger joint down the street?"

"No. I mean someplace special. Where d'ya always go?" Dean asks desperately since he still needs to arrange the meetup location with Castiel soon.

"Saint & Second?"

"Is that a place for dates?"

"... sure?" Maria hesitantly agrees.

Upon hearing that, he quickly takes out his phone and starts typing the name of the restaurant while Maria is watching him with a pair of eagle eyes.

"You do know that it's ten minutes from here, right? Why do you wanna go there?" asks Maria curiously as she continues to stare at Dean who seems to forget that she exists in his space.

"What?" Dean averts his eyes from the phone screen to look back at Maria. Maria playfully cocks her eyebrows and scoffs. "Are you goin' on a date right now?" she asks cheekily . Dean only gives her a sheepish smile before proceeding to help his previous customer who is by now done choosing her flowers.

________

Castiel is waiting right outside the coffee shop patiently as requested by Dean himself earlier.

𝙸'𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚢𝚊 𝚞𝚙. 𝚆𝚊𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎.

That's the text message that Castiel got from Dean. Castiel has replied, "We can meet there, Dean. No need to pick me up," but Dean hasn't replied to that yet till now. So, Castiel is left with no choice but to just obey Dean's demand.

And not long afterwards, Castiel sees the black beauty that Dean still calls as Baby to this day comes rolling to the side of the road. Castiel can't help but chuckle silently once the reality of Dean picking him up for a lunch date has finally sunk in in his head. Unbelievable, he says in his heart as he makes his way to the Chevy Impala, shaking his head in amusement.

Dean is smiling broadly from the driver's seat. "Hey, gorgeous."

Castiel snorts, taking his place in the passenger seat and stares back at Dean. "Are you seriously gonna call me that from now on, Dean?" he asks. Dean shrugs nonchalantly and begins to drive off his Baby to their designated location for today's lunch.

________

The ambiance in the restaurant is lively with friends and coworkers chatting with each other while they are enjoying good lunch. Dean is relieved to spot a few couples having lunch earlier while he and Castiel were making their way to their table. Don't get him wrong. Dean feels a lot more confident seeing that not only those who are on a date are eating lunch there; since despite Dean wanted to have a proper lunch date with Castiel, he doesn't think he is ready to actually date Castiel just yet. Because of this, Dean can't stop smiling from ear to ear as he reads the menu.

"May I take your order?" asks the friendly waitress as she smiles at both Dean and Castiel. Dean is more than happy to learn that the restaurant serves American foods instead of weird European dishes. Another thing for him to be grateful of.

"I'll have Western Burger and Common Space Helles Lager," Dean replies with a smile and hands over the menu in his hand to the waitress. She thanks Dean before she turns to look at Castiel who is apparently struggling to make a choice. "What ya havin', Cas?" he asks in order to hasten Castiel a little.

"Maybe… I'll have Fried Chicken Sandwich, and… Alesmith Sublime Mexican Lager," Castiel finally makes his decision, much to Dean's relief. The little waitress thanks him as well, takes the menu from him, and begins to walk away from their table to put in their orders into the system, leaving Castiel and Dean alone at the table.

Castiel glances at Dean to see Dean's reaction of being alone with him in a public place, and Castiel notices that Dean is taking it quite calmly, unlike that other day. At least Dean smiles back at him whenever their eyes meet. He knows that Dean is comfortable in these moments.

Castiel decides to break the ice. "We could've just meet here, Dean. You didn't need to fetch me from the coffee shop."

"What? I thought ya needed a lift."

"You do still remember that I own a car, right?"

Dean glares softly at Castiel. "So?"

Castiel catches a hint of self-defense in Dean's tone. If he knows any better, this is the very tone that tells him to back off and stop arguing with Dean. And this indirectly just helps proven Castiel's own theory: Dean is bringing him over to a nice restaurant for an actual date. Castiel shakes his head and chuckles softly. Castiel finds this too adorable to just give up midway.

"So… it means that you don't have to drive around town just to pick me up when we can just meet here."

And as expected, Dean easily takes the bait. But what Castiel has failed to calculate when he made the move is what he was about to see.

Dean's face changes to bitter in a split second, he's no longer smiling at Castiel, and he avoids making eye contact with Castiel altogether. And Castiel's heart skips a beat.

He has never seen Dean acting all lovable like this ever since he's known Dean. Hell. He's never seen Dean acting this way with Sam or even with Mary. And this new side of Dean is stirring all kinds of reactions in Castiel's brain and heart. He can feel his heart beating so fast that it's almost telling him to cut it out and let it free. Damn… Dean is dangerous…

Castiel immediately clears his throat to cover his elation and smiles warmly at Dean. His eyes silently wander across Dean's face, seeing every feature that elevates Dean's beauty and masculinity simultaneously in the most wondrous ways. Since Castiel is not just a common angel, he sees Dean's elegance in a more meticulous way. In his eyes, Dean glows like a sun, with his freckles mark his face like a constellation in the night sky. Castiel has never told Dean this, but in his eyes, Dean is the most beautiful creature ever created by God; and this is coming from a Seraph who was once an occupant of Heaven. That is the reason why Castiel doesn't mind watching Dean to sleep after all these years. He regards Dean as his own Crux. His personal brilliant night sky.

Dean notices Castiel staring at him with a sheepish smile on his face - and that gets him all riled up. "Whatcha smilin' at, ya son of a bitch?"

Castiel continues to chuckle under his breath without breaking his smile. He casually stares back at Dean and says, "You."

Dean frowns deeply - certainly not amused by Castiel's nonchalant answer when their foods have arrived at their table. Dean gives Castiel another stinky look before he mutters "Bitch" and begins to devour his burger.

[he-flies-me-to-the-moon-and-back]

All The Feelings Come to Life

There is Castiel, standing not too far from where Dean is - only in his towel, his hair is all dampened, and beads of water trickle down his half-naked body.

Dean couldn't take his eyes off Castiel. He unconsciously swallows down his saliva out of nervousness.

Fuck me … 

𝙷𝚎 𝙵𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝙼𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔 - 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 ５

It is finally the weekend. Dean is at home. He doesn't have shifts on Saturdays. And he's alone with Castiel in the apartment. Without a girlfriend. Alone with Castiel.

Dean feels awkward.

Since Leona broke up with him last Sunday, Dean was able to get through the week without getting weirded out by his new found feelings for Castiel since they don't see each other until dinner time every single day. Hence, Dean could keep it cool around Castiel when they are alone. But today …

Dean hardly hears the TV as his mind is solely focused on the fact that he and Castiel are stuck together for the rest of the day within the confinement of the apartment without Dean having to go out to meet anyone else other than Castiel.

It is 10AM and Dean hasn't seen Castiel yet for the day, but he is feeling nervous for unknown reasons. He keeps checking on Castiel's bedroom door in case that Castiel suddenly decided to come out and surprised him. Dean doesn't think that his racing heart can take the surprise well today.

Dean tries to calm his nerves down. He shifts his gaze to watch the Netflix one more time, and he succeeds this time around once a pretty lady appeared on his screen. Dean's body naturally relaxes on the couch as he continues watching the show alone in the living room.

"Dean." A voice echoes throughout the room, and Dean reflexively looks in that direction; and how he regrets doing so soon after.

There is Castiel, standing not too far from where Dean is - only in his towel, his hair is all dampened, and beads of water trickle down his half-naked body.

Dean couldn't take his eyes off Castiel. He unconsciously swallows down his saliva out of nervousness. Fuck me… Dean says in his head defeatedly amidst the confusion.

Castiel notices that Dean isn't responding to him although he is clearly staring at him at the moment. "Dean?" asks Castiel curiously before he slowly approaches Dean on the couch. "You alright, Dean?"

The reality slowly sinks in, and Dean finds himself facing Castiel, who is by now standing right in front of him. Dean almost croaks but immediately covers it up by clearing his throat. "'Sup?" he replies with pretense nonchalant in his tone.

"You alright? You hungry?" Castiel continues asking Dean to ensure his friend is okay. "Should I just cook breakfast for us?"

Dean cocks his eyebrows. "Ya wanna eat out?"

"If you're okay to go out." Castiel nods his head gently. "But we don't have to if you don't feel like it." Castiel keeps on nodding.

"Sure! I'll go and take a shower first." Dean literally jumps up off the couch and onto his feet before he scurries away into his own bedroom without looking at Castiel even once, leaving Castiel alone in the living room, still half naked in his towel.

________

Castiel glances over at Dean who remains silent as they drive to the nearest The Original Pancake House. Castiel tries to remember everything that has happened for the past week, trying to figure out why Dean is behaving like this today towards him. Since they briefly talked in the living room after Castiel got out of the shower, Dean hardly looks at him. His eyes are always shifty whenever Castiel talks to him. He dodges Castiel's hand contacts whenever he senses Castiel was about to touch him, even on the shoulder. Castiel tries to recall anything that may have caused the rift between him and Dean, but nothing comes to mind at all. Castiel is terribly puzzled by this riddle.

"We're here!" Dean says chirpily, causing Castiel to furrow his eyebrows even more deeply. What was that all about? Castiel asks to himself as he slowly unbuckles his seatbelt before getting out of the Impala. He keeps his eyes glaring at Dean at all times.

Dean is smiling. Why is he smiling if he's angry at me? Is he pretending to be happy right now? Castiel quietly follows Dean from behind as they enter the pancake house - instantly the smell of freshly baked pancakes hit their noses, momentarily makes Castiel forget about what he was baffled about in the first place.

"Let's sit here," Dean's voice interrupts Castiel's fantasy about the pancakes he's going to eat. Castiel obediently sits opposite to Dean after Dean has settled into his seat. "What're ya gonna have here, Cas?" Dean starts reading the menu out of habit despite he's going to order his favorite in the end.

Castiel slowly reads the menu. His eyes are scanning the menu up and down, but his thoughts are all about the unknown thing that is happening between him and Dean. He can't concentrate much with the choices of pancakes before his eyes, no matter how hungry he is right now.

"So? Whatcha havin', Cas?" Castiel looks up from the menu and sees Dean and a waiter are staring at him intensely.

"I'll …" Castiel's word trails off as he reads the menu one last time. "I'll just have what you have, Dean." He hands over the menu to the waiter with a bright smile on his face. The waiter excuses himself, and Dean and Castiel are left alone again, and Dean begins his silence act.

The pancake house is buzzing with people chatting left and right, and yet Castiel can only hear the deafening stillness between him and Dean. And Dean isn't even making any eye contacts with him. Nothing like the usual.

"Dean …" Castiel breaks the silence. Dean turns his head to look at Castiel.

"What?"

"Is there something wrong between us?"

"Wrong? Whaddya mean?" asks Dean.

"I mean… you're not talking much. You don't even look at me when you talk. You brushed off my hand when I wanted to pat your back. You're practically avoiding me right now."

Dean isn't saying anything back in response, leading to Castiel feeling more anxious about the unknown thing.

"Dean …"

Dean rubs his nape idly. "Cas… There's nothin' wrong goin' on between us, alright? Ya just bein' paranoid there," he says while flashing that goofy smile of his to Castiel. Again, Castiel doesn't buy into his act that easily.

"If there's something wrong, Dean, you need to tell me. If I did wrong to you, I'm sorry. But I do need to know why are you not talking to me much today?" Castiel begins to plead. Then, he starts to see Dean getting agitated. Dean's face has turned sour rapidly. Castiel predicts that Dean is going to blow up at anytime now.

"Dammit, Cas! What d'ya want me to say here, huh?!" Dean asks with a tone of annoyance in his voice.

Castiel is clearly taken aback by the sudden hostility from Dean, however mild it was. He bites his lips and then gets up off his seat. "I think I better let you be alone. I'll walk back home," he mumbles softly.

Out of reflex, Dean catches Castiel by the forearm, stopping Castiel from walking away, much to Castiel's surprise. Both of them are left dumbstruck by the turn of events, which causes Castiel to sit back down on his seat quietly.

No word is spoken for a good long minute afterwards. Castiel is too cautious to be meddling with Dean's thoughts, seeing the silence that has befallen between them yet again. Then, out of the blue, Dean sighs heavily and weakly nods his head. "Okay. I'll tell ya. It wasn't what ya did, Cas. It was more to - what - we talked about last Sunday night."

Castiel frowns deeply. "Last Sunday night? That night you and Leona broke up?"

"Yeah …" Dean answers slowly while rubbing the back of his neck. "It was about what she said to me that got me a lil'... weirded out right now." Dean continues explaining when he saw Castiel's scrunched up face, "We didn't break up because of somethin' Leona and I did, but more to somethin' that I was doin'."

Castiel is listening attentively to Dean's words, subconsciously staring at Dean with a piercing gaze. Dean manages to keep his composure and continues, "She said that I was… actually… havin' feelings for ya… more than I had for her…"

Feelings for me? Castiel bats his eyes a few times in order to make sure that he's not just hearing things coming out of Dean's mouth. That's what bothering him? Castiel can't help himself but rolls his eyes exasperatedly. Of course that's what bothers him the most. This is Dean we're talking about. Castiel accidentally lets out a light sigh.

"WHAT THE HECK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Castiel glances up just to see Dean's grave expression, to which Castiel does his signature tilting-the-head-slightly.

"What's supposed to mean?" he asks Dean back.

"THAT! I've told ya about -" Dean hesitates, "- things I was feelin', and ya fuckin' SIGHED?"

Castiel frowns deeply. "What? No, Dean. I wasn't sighing because of what you just told me."

"THEN? Why the fuck did ya sigh after I told ya about my feelings?"

"I sighed because you're unbelievable, Dean. Did you think I don't know about your feelings? I KNOW ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS FOR ME, DEAN. I know ALL about it for years now," Castiel replies sharply, blocking any other retaliation from Dean who is visibly ignorant about his own feelings.

Dean is baffled by the unexpected twist. "You what?"

"I know how you feel about me, Dean. I know everything about it. And because of that, I came to love you back. Everything that you love about me, I love about them as well in you. Like I've told you that night, I LOVE YOU."

Castiel stares at Dean earnestly. "I really do love you, Dean."

Dean does nothing but gawks at Castiel without a word. Castiel gives another sigh. He reaches out his hand to hold Dean's firmly yet gently. "So, since you know about it now, please stop acting weird around me. Just stop avoiding me at all costs. It doesn't change anything, Dean. I'm still your buddy ..."

Upon hearing that, Dean's lips slowly curl to form a soft smile. Castiel gives a deep sigh of relief. Thank Jack for that! He exclaims in his heart.

"Are we good now, Dean?" Castiel squeezes Dean's hand in his, and Dean continues to smile and nod.

"Yeah. We're good now," he replies. Castiel smiles back warmly before he lets go of Dean's hand. "And now, who wants some pancakes?!" Dean beams.

[he-flies-me-to-the-moon-and-back]

I love you, Dean

“D’ya LIKE Cas, Dean?”

Dean’s face changes rapidly. He scrunches up his whole face at this sudden accusation. “What? Whaddya mean by that? Of course I like him. He’s ma buddy.”

“I mean do you like like Cas? More than just yer buddy?”

𝙷𝚎 𝙵𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝙼𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙱𝚊𝚌𝚔 - 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟺

Dean couldn’t keep his promise with Leona, and Leona is far from happy with that turnout. Despite his promise, Dean still always checks the time on his watch and his phone while they are spending time together at her place. To make things worse, Dean doesn’t seem to be paying much attention to Leona after he spent an hour with her. He always appears to be all fidgety and nervous most of the time he is with her. Leona senses something fishy going on with her man.

“DEAN! Are ya even listenin’ to me right now?” says Leona loudly, causing a few heads in the restaurant to turn and gawk at them both.

Dean blurrily looks up from his phone to meet eyes with Leona - and that’s the last straw. Leona had it this time.

“If you’re too BUSY with your BUDDY -” she air-quotes the word “buddy” with an overflowing attitude, “- to pay attention to me, then I just wanna go home now.” She throws the napkin into her plate of untouched food and quickly walks off from their table, leaving Dean confused momentarily before he slowly begins to understand the whole situation.

He smiles sheepishly at the guests at the neighboring tables as he gets up from his seat. “Enjoy ya dinner, folks,” says Dean embarrassingly. He hurries to the cashier to pay up for their meals and walks out of the restaurant, trying to look for Leona. His eyes immediately spot Leona walking aggressively not too far from where he stands now.

“Dammit. Leona! Babe! Hold on!” he cries after her. Dean starts running towards her until he finally catches up with her. He grabs her by her arm and turns her around to face him. “Babe. Hold on a sec here. What’s the rush?”

Leona refuses to be obedient to Dean’s words this time around - she tries to get away from Dean as much as possible, yet his grip on her arm is secured enough to make her immobile right in front of him. Leona can’t find another way out of this but to face Dean properly.

“Let me go, Dean!”

She glares sharply at Dean, and Dean understands the hostility that is coming from her. He holds both her arms in his hands gently yet securely before he sighs deeply. “I’m sorry, babe. I’m really sorry for ma behavior tonight. I shouldn’t be playin’ with ma phone while we’re havin’ dinner together. Ma bad, and I admit it,” Dean apologizes earnestly to her.

Leona doesn’t buy that whole-heartedly. She starts to fish the answer she wants to hear out of Dean’s mouth. “Do ya LIKE Cas, Dean?”

Dean’s face changes rapidly. He scrunches up his whole face at this sudden accusation. “What? Whaddya mean by that? Of course I like him. He’s ma buddy.”

“I mean do you like like Cas? More than just yer buddy?”

Dean remains silent while his face continues to frown deeply as he stares at Leona straight in the eye. He feels attacked.

“Dean …” Her voice becomes gentler as she holds Dean’s hands firmly in hers. Her gaze has also become tamer than previously. “I’ve seen you, babe. I’ve seen ya ‘round him, and trust me when I say this… You glow whenever he’s ‘round.”

Dean’s lips quiver as he’s trying to say something, yet somehow it becomes inaudible due to his anxiety.

“You smile a lot. You laugh a lot. You seem very much happier with him than when you’re with me - and I don’t hate you for that. I only need to know now if you love him more than you love me. ‘Cause I don’t wanna be stuck in the middle of your confused feelings for him.”

Dean is rendered speechless as he tries to wrap his head around this new found discovery made by the woman he loves, and he doesn’t believe that Leona would lie to him when it comes to serious stuff like this.

Dean is puzzled. He feels a light dizziness in his head while his heart is pumping fast like a bullet train. Leona notices his body language. She kindly rubs Dean’s arm up and down to calm him down.

“Babe? Baby? I think you’re in love with Castiel. I know it can be confusing since ya ain’t gay, but… we can’t control our feelings when it comes to love,” she says.

She flashes a warm smile at him. “And love knows no boundaries, and it certainly doesn’t know gender, religion, et cetera.”

She squeezes Dean’s hands in hers tightly. “I think you need to acknowledge these feelings ya have for him before it’s too late.” She leans forward and tips her feet to allow her to plant a soft kiss on Dean’s cheek. Then, she smiles warmly.

“I love you, Dean Winchester. Goodbye,” Leona bids him one last time before she turns around and walks away.

________

Dean walks across the corridor towards his apartment with heavy foot. His brain is still wrecking over those words Leona has said to him about him and Castiel. He doesn’t know how to react to this. This is too much for him to handle in a night. This is too much for him to handle, period.

Dean slowly tries to unlock the door lock. His hand keeps on slipping from getting the key into the keyhole properly, causing a scratching noise to resonate throughout the empty corridor. Dean doesn’t realize that. He is completely blank in his head.

Then, the door makes a noise from the other side, and there he stands once the door is opened. “Dean?” he asks Dean worryingly. “You okay?”

Dean couldn’t respond anything but to keep on staring at Castiel. He scrutinizingly watches every feature on Castiel’s face to see if he can find the answer he’s been looking for for the past hour. He tries to put the puzzle pieces together while looking at Castiel, in hope that he can actually find closure to his heartache and headache right now.

“Dean …?” Dean snaps back to reality instantly, and finds himself and Castiel still standing at the door. He then slowly begins walking into the apartment and leaves Castiel to close the door behind them instead. Castiel slowly follows him from behind.

“You okay, Dean? You don’t look okay right now,” he comments.

Dean flops his whole body onto the leather couch. He sighs loudly with his eyes closed after he rested his head on the backrest. He’s feeling sluggish tonight for unknown reason.

Castiel worriedly sits next to Dean. He’s speechless on what to say to Dean that would be appropriate to Dean’s current condition. He can only silently gazes at Dean while his heart is troubled greatly.

Dean’s eyes flutter open and he blankly looks at the white ceiling of their apartment. He stays quiet for quite some time.

“Did ya ever loved a man, Cas?”

Castiel’s eyes shoot wide open. “Love a man? What do you mean?”

“I mean actually lovin’ a man - romantically.”

Castiel ponders for a second. “I don’t think I ever have. Why?”

Dean quiets down. His eyes are still locked onto the ceiling. “D’ya think ya can ever love a man, Cas?”

Castiel stares at Dean confusedly. “Do… I have to love a man right now?”

Dean glances over at Castiel. He quietly gazes at his angel buddy. “D’ya think ya can?”

Castiel’s head tilts slightly after hearing Dean’s sincere question. Naturally he puts his hand over Dean’s shoulders, scooting himself closer to Dean while their eyes are still locked in a soft gaze. Castiel smiles.

“I am still in love with one right now, if you ask me,” Castiel confesses.

Dean’s eyebrows furrow at Castiel’s words. “Ya what now?”

“I’ve always loved you, Dean. I’ve told you, right? Before The Empty sucked me in?”

Dean is silent. Only his eyes are asking a million questions at Castiel at the same time.

Castiel proceeds to explain, “My love for you is not like those humanly love and affection, Dean - you must’ve known that by now. I’ve saved you from Perdition, and we have been thru a lot together, and I do care for you tremendously. My love for you is the only reason why I still thrive to win in this lifetime of mine. I love you, and so I need to win for you.”

Dean listens carefully while his mind tries to learn every word that is spoken by Castiel. The room goes quiet again.

Castiel continues, “It is as simple and complicated as that. There’s no other way I can explain why I love you. I guess that’s why we share a more profound bond together.”

Dean slowly pulls himself forward in his seat, with his back hunched slightly next to Castiel. He brings his hand to Castiel’s back and pats that large back lightly. “Thanks, Cas. I appreciate that.”

Castiel nods and smiles warmly.

[he-flies-me-to-the-moon-and-back]

There’s Cas

“There’s nothin’ wrong goin’ on between us, babe. I was at home with Cas all the time. Ain’t cheatin’ on ya, if that’s what ya think,” Dean explains.

“Then? Why can’t you spend time with me in my apartment if you got nothing better to do?” asks Leona.

Nothin’ better to do? Dean asks himself the same question. It’s not like I’m wastin’ my time with Cas. We had fun. That’s definitely somethin’ better to do.

He Flies Me to the Moon and Back - Chapter 3

The last argument Dean and Castiel had over the idea of Castiel leaving him for LA once he’s hitched got Dean all wary and cautious around Castiel. It has been two weeks since that argument happened, and Dean is no longer away from their apartment for more than a day. Dean would always come back home before the day ends, even if he was spending his time with his girlfriend. He tries to keep Castiel company and entertained despite his busy schedule.

Dean doesn’t want Castiel to leave Long Beach. Not to his expense. He is afraid Castiel is going to reconsider his idea back whenever he feels like this place is no longer worthy to be staying. Dean is terrified of that outcome.

Hence, after he is done with his work shift at the florist (Dean thinks it’s a good front to covering up his true identity), Dean hurriedly grabs his bag from the back room of the store where staffs keep their belongings, and he goes back to the front store towards the flower bouquet displays. He looks around and expertly snatches a bouquet of calla lilies off the rack before he makes his way to the exit.

“Tell Brian I’ve paid for these,” says Dean as he opens the store entrance with his large body after he twirled around by the door, showing a big grin on his face to Maria, his co-worker who is now standing by the counter. “I’m out!” Maria chuckles and cries, “Okay!” before the door closes behind Dean.

With a bouquet of flowers in his hand, Dean walks on the pavement with light steps on his feet. He hums under his breath a merry tune. His lips are smiling from ear to ear. His face glows with happiness.

He can’t wait to be home.

He checks his wrist watch on his left hand and notices the time. He’s not home yet, he reminds himself. He takes out his phone from his jeans’ pocket and instantly pushes the call button on “Cass”. The phone rings a few times before there’s a click sound at the end of the line.

“Hello, Dean. What can I do for you?”

“Hey. Where ya at, Cas?”

“I’m at the park. Why?”

“Ya workin’?” Dean skillfully avoids himself from bumping into another man on the sidewalk before he decides to stand still against the glass window of a shop. He can’t be talking and walking on this crowded street at the same time.

“Yeah. I’m walking Sebastian’s dog. Why?”

“When are ya gonna be home?”

“Maybe in an hour or so? I’m gonna grab a few buns at the bakery. You want anything, Dean?”

“Nah. Don’t think I want buns today. What’s for dinner anyway?”

Dean can hear Castiel’s humming at the end of his line as he is thinking about a good answer to Dean’s question. “We ate burgers last night. Pizza two nights ago. So… spaghetti?”

“Sounds awesome. I’ll see ya at home.” Dean is about to hang up before he remembers something. “And DON’T LET THAT DOG STEER YA AWAY FROM YA PATH! We both know how that ended the other day.”

It is quiet at Castiel’s end. Dean knows that Castiel is trying his best not to sigh if not rolling his eyes at Dean’s sharp comment. “Alright, Dean.”

Dean smiles victoriously after hearing Castiel’s defeating answer. He can’t help but chuckles a little as he continues walking back home to their apartment.

________

Dean is humming to the song Eye of The Tiger while he gets off the elevator once he reached his floor. He keeps on humming and air-strumming the guitar with his eyes closed as he approaches the apartment when suddenly he hears a familiar voice.

“Dean …”

He immediately opens his eyes just to see Leona standing at the door to his apartment. Her arms are folded across her chest. Not a good sign in Dean’s opinion.

“Leona! What brings ya here?” he asks with genuine surprise in his tone.

“You?” Leona answers sassily - she is clearly dissatisfied about something that Dean has done.

Dean frowns. “Me?” He unlocks the door and lets Leona enter first before him. He closes the door behind them and follows Leona to the living room where she has seated herself on the leather couch, staring at Dean in an unamused manner. “What about me?” he continues to ask as he sits down next to her.

Leona glares softly at him before she begins to speak. “What happened, Dean? Why suddenly you’ve changed?”

“Changed? Me? Whadd’ya mean?” His eyebrows are now knitted closely to display his confusion.

Leona sighs deeply in order to calm herself down. She doesn’t want to accuse Dean of anything before she learns about everything she needs to know in regard of the issue between her and Dean. “We were good a month ago. You spent a lot of time with me back in my apartment. But then, suddenly… you just changed.”

Dean listens attentively to his girl’s words.

“You no longer sleeping in my apartment. You always wanna go back to this apartment urgently, as if there’s some emergency back in here – EVERY – SINGLE - DAY.” Leona takes a deep breath and lets out another big sigh. “I’m just saying that we ain’t spending time together much nowadays. Should I know something, Dean?” she asks earnestly while staring at Dean.

Dean becomes speechless as he’s being questioned by Leona. He doesn’t know what to say to her that wouldn’t come off like he’s clinging onto Castiel from leaving him alone. His brain tries to come up with a reasonable answer that can bury Leona’s suspicion while at the same time protecting his image.

He sighs lightly. “There’s nothin’ wrong goin’ on between us, babe. I was at home with Cas all the time. Ain’t cheatin’ on ya, if that’s what ya think.”

“Then? Why can’t you spend time with me in my apartment if you got nothing better to do?”

Nothin’ better to do? Dean asks himself the same question. It’s not like I’m wastin’ my time with Cas. We had fun. That’s definitely somethin’ better to do.

Luckily he doesn’t say that out loud. He glances at Leona and takes her hands into his, holding them firmly to convey his reassurance thru touch. “I’m just tryin’ to keep Cas happy, that’s all. He’s alone here, ya know. And he only have ME here in this big city. I can’t just leave him alone in this apartment.”

“Then what about making ME happy, Dean? Is my happiness doesn’t count to you?” Leona pleads with her eyes. Dean feels trapped.

“Leona …” he sighs. “I will try to spend time with ya more, alright? I’m sorry.” He leans over towards Leona and pecks her lips softly, trying to reassure her yet again. Leona is on the fence with Dean’s words - she’s not sure if she can rely on his promise in this case. But she eventually cracks a smile on her face and nods understandingly.

“Okay. I’ll be expecting YOU at my house tomorrow, mister.” She gives Dean a light kiss on his lips before she gets up off the couch, making her way to the door. “I’ll be going now. See ya later, babe,” she says as she opens the door. Then, her eyes catch the sight of the calla lilies bouquet. “Nice flowers,” she beams brightly before closing the door behind her.

Dean flashes a big, warm smile back at her as the door shuts. Instantly a deep sigh escapes his lips, feeling drained by the conversation he just had with his woman. “Damn,” he says, “I’m so damn exhausted right now.”

Suddenly, the door lock makes a clicking sound. Apparently someone is trying to unlock the door from the other side.

“IT AIN’T LOCKED, CAS,” Dean says loudly from where he’s seating.

Castiel emerges from behind the door. His face is frowning, as per usual. “Why didn’t you lock the door?”

Dean shoots Cas a dirty look. “I just got home, Cas. I forgot to lock the door.”

Cas glances at the door and Dean alternately before he locks the door properly and joins Dean in the living room. “Well… You shouldn’t be forgetful. We might get robbed next time.” Castiel nods his head passionately. Dean rolls his eyes and shakes his head. “Alright. I’ll do that next time.” Then, he leans forward to reach for the flower bouquet.

“Here’s flowers for ya,” Dean says casually as he hands over the bouquet to Castiel, who naturally receives it into his hands. He steals a glance at Castiel to see the angel’s reaction. Since he sees nothing more he wanted to see from the smiling angel, he nonchalantly lies to cover his ass, “I got 'em for free. They almost gone bad.”

“Wow… Thanks, Dean. I love calla lilies,” Castiel responds gratefully while taking a whiff of the beautiful flowers. “Oh! I got you apple pies from the bakery.”

Dean smiles widely at that statement. “Awesome!”

[he-flies-me-to-the-moon-and-back]

City of Angels

“What? Ya want a family now, Cas?” Dean asks

Castiel frowns. “What makes you think that?”

“I dunno? You’re lookin’ at a kid chasin’ his father with a cheesy smile. Don’t lie and say ya ain’t feelin’ that way.”

“I’m an angel, Dean. What kind of family can I have?”

He Flies Me to the Moon and Back - Chapter 2

It has been three weeks since Castiel and Dean moved to Long Beach, California. The city that Castiel would never have guessed Dean would even prefer to live in, ever. “The beaches, man. Ya gotta live for the beaches here,” Dean once said to Castiel in the first week they moved from Kansas. And Castiel believes him when he said that. Of course the ladies please him very much.

Castiel likes it here, but he doesn’t feel like he belongs.

To Castiel, moving from Kansas to LBC, as it is more commonly known among the locals as Castiel likes to point out, wasn’t a big deal. Being a celestial entity for eons long would only mean that he has been staying from one place after another throughout his angel’s life. So, moving from Kansas to LBC is more like adapting from being cowboys and guns to hipsters and live bands. Unlike Dean Winchester…

Dean, who has never lived anywhere like Long Beach, had to transition himself into the local culture (which he still hates despite his claims.) It is nothing too drastic to changing his lumberjack look into a hipster lumberjack look. The food, the people, the surroundings - those are the things that Dean still has to learn a lot. Castiel notices that he grumbles almost every second of the day, yet he still tries his best to assimilate with the locals. Castiel gives him credits for that.

And it’s been awhile since Castiel last saw Dean. Perhaps it was two days ago. Castiel recollects his memories while watching the Netflix. Dean got home from work. Then he told me about his job and his day (“They got Korean tacos here. What the heck is Korean taco?”) Then he told me that he was going to stay with Leona for “a couple of days”. He asked me what I was having for dinner. I told him I’ll be getting some NY pizza from Milana’s. Then, he left. Castiel nods to himself after confirming the legitimacy of his story.

He takes a glimpse at the clock on his iPhone - it says “3.45PM”. Castiel shifts his eyes back to watch the Netflix, but he is feeling bored to the core. Not having Dean around is sure a buzzkill for him.

Castiel decided that he will go out this afternoon. He turns off the TV, gets up off the leather couch, heads back to his room to grab his wallet, then he walks out of the door, locking the door behind him, with the keys and his phone in his hand. Castiel continues walking to the elevator.

 ________

Castiel bought a latte from the coffee shop downstairs as he had decided to head to the beach instead. The lovely barista has already recognized Castiel, and even memorized his coffee order. Castiel likes how friendly the barista can be, since she keeps on leaving affectionate messages on his coffee cup, if not a phone number which she stated “Call me if you need anything.” Complete with a smiley face. So kind.

Castiel continues on with his mini adventure to the beach by walking by foot. The beach is located not too far from their apartment, and Castiel enjoys the beach the best among other places in LBC. He loves watching the kids playing around in the sand. He finds peace as he watches the dogs running around, catching waves as they crash onto the shore. He enjoys the scenery where people just take a short break from their busy life just to enjoy God’s creations. Castiel has always loved His creations from the very beginning of his life, as far as he can remember.

Castiel carefully walks on the pavement, trying to avoid the cyclists if not just another pedestrian. He is quick to say “Sorry” whenever he bumps into someone else on the sidewalk. Some may politely reply back to him, some may just smile, while others just move on as if nothing happened. Castiel doesn’t mind that at all.

His steps are precise yet slow. He is taking in the ambiance of spring season in LBC. The weather is warm enough for him to wear only his white shirt (Dean has given up all hopes in trying to make him wear anything else but his accountant-suit.) The sun is out. The sky color is brilliant blue. What’s there not to enjoy today? Castiel asks to himself. He can finally see the beach at the end of the street by now. Castiel smiles widely. His heart is contented.

________

Castiel is sitting comfortably in the sand on the beach, overlooking the serene sea where locals are swimming and having fun with their families and friends, when suddenly he feels someone sitting too closely next to him. He turns his head around. And there’s Dean, grinning like an idiot. “Hey there, sunshine!”

Cas frowns as he stares at Dean. “Hello, Dean.”

Dean leans into his arms planted into the sand behind him. “I knew you’d be here. Havin’ fun there, buddy?”

Castiel remains silent for awhile. His eyes are following a father carrying his four-year-old son to the shore. Castiel smiles. “I am enjoying myself here.” He nods.

Dean frowns before he glances over at what Castiel is watching, and that causes him to frown even further. “What? Ya want a family now, Cas?”

Castiel frowns. “What makes you think that?”

“I dunno? You’re lookin’ at a kid chasin’ his father with a cheesy smile. Don’t lie and say ya ain’t feelin’ that way.”

“I’m an angel, Dean. What kind of family can I have?”

“What? You’re sayin’ ya can’t have yer own family just because ya have wings?” Dean snorts in a sarcastic tone - not to Castiel’s amusement much.

“In case you have forgotten, I’ve kinda single-handedly ruined Jimmy Novak’s life and family. You think I can have a family of my own after that?” Castiel rolls his eyes frustratedly.

“Whatever, man.” Dean mindlessly watching the scenery before them. “Ya tried yer best…” he mutters under his breath.

Castiel looks over his shoulder to smile at Dean. “Thanks. How about you, Dean? Do you wanna have your own family? Now that you have Leona and you no longer have to save the world.”

Dean stays silent. “I dunno, Cas. Maybe… Just maybe… that me and Leona will end up together and have our own kids. I dunno. I don’t think about that much.”

“I guess you better think about that more. You look serious with Leona. I can see that myself.”

Dean purses his lips. “Ya think she’s the one?”

Castiel smiles softly with a soft gaze. “I can see that you are happy with her, Dean. Isn’t that enough?”

Dean beams brightly. “Thanks, buddy.” He pats Castiel’s back to show his gratefulness.

“But I guess I would move away from here once you’ve settled down with Leona.” Castiel takes this moment to rest his back into his hands in the sand just like Dean.

Dean frowns deeply. “WHY?”

“Why what, Dean? You want me to stay here when you have your own family?” Castiel squints his eyes, feeling puzzled by Dean’s question. “Why?”

“WHY NOT?”

Castiel stares at him seriously. “What do you need me for? I think you better ask Sam to stay by your side, if that’s what you want. He is your brother after all.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Dean glares.

“It means what it’s supposed to mean, Dean. I’m not giving you double meanings here, if you must know.”

“Ya hate this place? Is that what ya tryin’ to say?”

“I never said that. I like it here. I love it here. Our neighbors are nice. Sara always cooks for us. Sebastian and Robert keep helping me out when I needed. Susie is sweet-”

“Susie?” Dean frowns deeply. “Who’s that?”

“The coffee lady at the coffee shop downstairs?”

“That coffee lady who likes ya?”

Castiel frowns. “She likes me?” Castiel tilts his head sideways. “What kind of... like?”

Dean stares blankly at Castiel before he bursts out laughing - his head is thrown backward, his hands are on his stomach. “Man… Ya sure are hopeless when it comes to love, Cas. Hopeless!” Dean shakes his head as he chuckles softly. “She likes ya, buddy. More than just a friendly like.”

Castiel faces forward. His eyebrows are still knitted together since he is still confused with this news. “No wonder she keeps on giving me her number…”

Dean chuckles and pats Castiel on the back. “Ya keep her number?”

“Of course I do. She said I can call her whenever I need help.”

Dean mischievously snickers under his breath. “Not that kinda help, Cas. Trust me.” He rubs Castiel’s back to calm his innocent friend down. “Anyway, I still don’t appreciate yer idea of movin’ away once I settled down. Why can’t ya just stay here with me?”

Castiel looks at Dean with gentle eyes. “I maybe gonna go travel around the world when that happens. And maybe settle down in Los Angeles.”

Dean stares in silence. “LA? Why LA?”

Castiel shrugs nonchalantly. “City of Angels perhaps?”

Dean chuckles at Castiel half-hearted answer. Then, he nods his head. “We can move there together, y’know,” Dean says softly, yet Castiel can hear every word clearly.

“You don’t wanna live here?” asks Castiel.

Now it’s Dean’s turn to shrug his shoulders. “Who knows, man? Who knows…”

Castiel slowly looks away from Dean to watch the wave crashing into the sand again. They both sit there silently.

[he-flies-me-to-the-moon-and-back]

The Single & The Taken

“Settlin’ down, huh? Now we’re really like Bert and Ernie,” says Dean.

“Dean.” Castiel’s voice sounds urgent.

A loud sigh comes out from Dean’s lips. “Alright. I’ll tell ya. It’s because of this girl I’m datin’…”

Castiel frowns. “A girl?”

He Flies Me to the Moon and Back - Chapter 1

“So, Cas…”

Castiel looks up from unpacking his trench coat and a few of his worn white shirts from his duffle bag. He stares at Dean without batting his eyes while he waits for the rest of the sentence from Dean.

Dean cocks his eyebrows casually once their eyes made contact before he continues putting away Castiel’s stuff into a closet. “You okay movin’ here? You like it here?”

Castiel frowns softly, trying to recall his short memories since they both got to Long Beach. “It is a nice city.” He nods. “Lots of pizza places. Burger joints. Seafood.” Castiel continues nodding his head as he puts away his clothes into a drawer.

Dean turns his body around slightly and he quietly watches Castiel doing his thing. He is trying to read Castiel’s body language to make sure that his earlier answer wasn’t an act. Then, Dean shrugs and proceeds to close the closet before he takes his place on the bed, sitting facing his friend who is still busying himself, unpacking.

“Ya know that ya don’t need to stay here, right? I ain’t forcin’ ya,” Dean tries to convince Castiel.

Castiel looks up again with squinted eyes. A clear confusion is being advertised on his scruffy face. “You’re not forcing me, Dean. I want to stay here… if you want me.”

Dean’s lips naturally curl into a smile - he likes hearing this more convincing answer from Castiel. He clasps both his hands and rubs them together while his face is still smiling happily. “Great!” he unnecessarily exclaims, causing Castiel to stare at him confusedly.

“Great to have you here, buddy! I could use a buddy around since Sammy ain't livin’ with us anymore.”

Upon hearing that, Castiel immediately takes a seat next to Dean on the bed, and he keeps gawking at Dean with frowning look. “I wanted to ask you about that. Why didn’t you just stay with Sam back in The Bunker? Or at least anywhere in Texas? Or Kansas City? You love Kansas more than anyone I’ve ever known.” Castiel begins to look at Dean with a scrutinizing stare.

Dean is slightly taken aback by this sudden questioning from Castiel. He replies Castiel’s gaze with a perplexed look. “What? I thought I give California a try. Like ya said, they got awesome pizzas and burger joints.” Dean smirks brightly at the thought of all those pizzas and burgers he can have, believing that his argument might convince Castiel about his actual reason moving into Long Beach.

Unfortunately, Castiel doesn’t buy that. “You hate California.”

Dean pretends to be disgusted by Castiel’s accusation. “I never said that!” he cries defensively.

Castiel rolls his eyes and starts to quote Dean, word by word, “The land of gridlock, Botox, overtaxing, underachieving, smell of sweaty desperation. I mean you can't breathe, beaches are toxic. You got dudes in skinny jeans wearing sunglasses inside. Image-obsessed narcissists.”

Dean’s face is clearly showing his shock over Castiel’s rebuttal. “Dammit, Cas. Stop stalkin’ me, ya dickbag.” Dean attempts to cover his nervousness by fidgeting around on the bed, which makes him look even guiltier than he was before. Castiel watches Dean’s façade without a word.

Dean locks eyes again with Castiel. “Still... I didn’t say I hate California there.”

Castiel stares at Dean, unamused. “The only thing you like here is the yoga pants.”

Dean finally realizes that he can no longer win this argument against an angel that has remembered all his quotes by heart. “Shut up,” he protests.

Castiel can’t help but chuckles a little. Something that he picked up from spending all those years with the Winchester brothers. “So…” his words trail off, “Can you just be honest? Tell me why we are settling down here?” Castiel cocks his eyebrows, gesturing Dean to honestly answer him this time around.

Dean’s wall is still up although it is cracking here and there after hearing Castiel’s plead. He laughs lightly as he comes up with a lame joke to divert their conversation away from the pressing issue.

“Settlin’ down, huh? Now we’re really like Bert and Ernie.”

“Dean.” Castiel’s voice sounds urgent.

A loud sigh comes out from Dean’s lips. “Alright. I’ll tell ya. It’s because of this girl I’m datin’…”

Castiel frowns. “A girl?”

“Yeah…” Dean rubs his nape nervously. “I met this girl the last time me and Sam went huntin’. She was a hunter as well back then. We got talkin’ and we hit it off, nice and smooth.” Dean gives his signature proud smirk. “So, one thing led to another… She’s livin’ in Long Beach, and I thought I just come down here to have a normal life with her.”

Castiel feels his back being patted. He doesn’t know the reason why he is being patted, but he is curious about another thing. “Then… why am I here?” Castiel shoots a confused stare at Dean.

Dean quickly reacts with a frown. “Why can’t ya be here?”

“The last time I’ve checked, usually normal couple would move in together if they wanted to have normal relationship. Why don’t you just move in together? I can just stay with Sam at The Bunker. Help him out.”

Dean’s face changes - the proud smirk he donned earlier has now vanished, replaced by a startled look. He shakes his head and gets up off the bed as he paces up and down the floor. His brain is trying to come up with an excuse to answer to Castiel’s suggestion without giving any wrong signals.

“That’d be too fast, don’t ya think? What if she’s not the one for me? It’d be hell to move out,” he calmly answers, despite Castiel can almost sense the nervousness that is visible on Dean’s face.

“You never know, Dean. You need to give it a try to know if it’d work out.” Castiel shrugs nonchalantly.

Dean glares as a response to Castiel. His face is now showing the bubbling anger that he is feeling in his chest. He subconsciously grabs Castiel’s duffle bag and angrily takes out the remaining stuff in the bag onto the bed while Castiel keeps on watching.

“Whatever, man. Ya ass is stayin’ here with me. That’s final.” Then, Dean leaves the room, leaving Castiel even more confused on his bed.

-----

Dean’s hand reaches out to the car keys. He turns around to look for Castiel. “Cas! Let’s go now!”

Soon, Cas emerges from behind the wall, looking like his usual self with the beige trench coat and the same white shirt he always wears.

Dean squints with judgment. “Cas. Buddy. Ya seriously gonna wear trench coat? It’s blazin’ hot out there, man. Lose the coat, will ya?” Dean quickly but carefully takes the trench coat off Castiel’s back. Castiel remains obedient as he stands there without any refutes.

“This is what I always wear, Dean.”

“Don’t get me wrong.” Dean places the coat on the couch before he begins adjusting Castiel’s shirt collar attentively. “Ya always look good in that coat. But…” Dean flashes a smile to Castiel. “Ya look like a bank accountant out for dinner. Not meeting a friend.”

Castiel frowns his eyebrows. “She is not my friend, Dean. She is your friend.”

“So?”

Dean tugs Castiel’s tie down to loosen it - pulls it off Castiel - throws it down onto the leather couch - unbutton the top buttons of Castiel’s shirt. He takes a step back to have a better look of his angel friend, and an involuntary smirk appears on his lips.

“Man… Ya really look awesome now,” he gives Castiel a sincere compliment.

Castiel looks down to take a look of his new look, which he only manages to see what he normally sees. “Thanks?”

Dean smiles widely as he slings his arm across Castiel’s broad back. “Come on. We gotta go now. She’s waitin’.”

-----

Dean and Castiel enter the crowded pizza place across their apartment where they’ll be meeting Dean’s new girl sooner or later. It is Friday night. The high time for young adults to meet up and catch up with their friends. Thus, making the duo the only scruffy male adults in the joint, excluding a group of men in their 50s who are having their boy’s night out at the corner of the restaurant.

“Let’s grab that table.” Dean points at an empty table not too far from the kitchen’s entrance. They both make their way to the table and settle down comfortably despite the atmosphere in the pizza place is loud and vibrant with chatters and laughter.

Dean puts both his hands on the table. He’s smiling from ear to ear since they arrived at the pizza joint. I guess Dean is excited about this meeting very much, says Castiel in his mind.

“So, what do ya wanna eat, buddy? Beef pepperoni? Cheese? Vegetarian?” Dean skims the menu half-heartedly since he knows what he wants without having to read the menu properly.

“Beef pepperoni, please,” Castiel politely answers, with his body leans forward slightly.

A waitress comes by their table with a warm smile. Dean replies a smile back to her, then he places their orders. The young lady jolts down everything expertly while at the same time giving Castiel a flirtatious look. Castiel is - as always - oblivious of the opposite gender’s advancement, but Dean is taking pride in what is unfolding in front of him. 

“Your friend is cute. He got a number?” asks the young waitress to Dean.

Dean takes a quick look at Castiel and smiles back at their waitress. “Thanks. Ya might wanna ask him yourself for his number.”

The young girl shoots a flirty wink at Castiel before she walks away into the back kitchen. Castiel who witnessed the wink is left clueless. Dean, on the other hand, rolls his eyes in frustration.

“You’re hopeless, man.”

Castiel glances at Dean once Dean looks away. That bright smile is still on his face. It reminds Castiel those days when Dean and Sam, if not him included, saved the days from the supernatural attacks. Especially those rare days when Dean can have a way with the cases only because they strike his interest the best. Castiel beams softly as he continues to gaze at Dean. Castiel has always enjoyed watching Dean quietly, even when Dean is sleeping.

Suddenly...

“Leona!” Dean calls out a name, causing Castiel to snap back into reality. He turns around to see a beautiful young black lady, in her casual wear which makes her looks effortlessly beautiful, walking towards him and Dean.

Castiel, as a gentleman as he is, immediately gets up off his seat just to show her a good manner. He doesn’t want to embarrass Dean in any ways possible. He can’t stand the critics he might have to hear back in their apartment later on if he messed up this first meeting.

“Hi! I’m Leona,” says the girl cheerfully while extending a hand towards Castiel. Castiel naturally takes her hand and gives a firm handshake. “Castiel,” he says.

The girl keeps on smiling at Castiel and Dean as she takes a seat next to Dean. “Been waiting long?” she politely asks Dean. Dean shakes his head, and then, he looks at Castiel with a huge grin. “Meet my girl, Cas.”

Castiel smiles warmly and nods his head lightly. “Nice to meet you, Leona.”