Archive of Our Own ^beta

Cas couldn’t help but stare. Those tight jeans, the way that tee shirt stretched across the mechanic’s chest as he hefted the new tire for Cas’ car, the hint of a tattoo that was showing under the edge of one sleeve, it was all incredibly…hot. He was standing in the lobby of the auto shop his car had gotten towed to after he’d blown a tire and ran off the road. Of course his spare had not been usable, so he’d had to call AAA to come rescue him. He wasn’t complaining though, not with a view like that to look at.

“Is the car almost ready, Dad?”

Cas tore his eyes away from the mechanic and looked down at his daughter Claire.

“I don’t know, sweetie. We have to be patient. Let’s just be thankful we weren’t hurt when it happened.” She sighed heavily and stuck out her lower lip in a pout.

“Is mom coming to get me?”

He’d been avoiding calling his daughter’s mother but if he didn’t have Claire to her house in the next hour she would be calling up with some not so choice words.

“I’ll call her, ok?”

She nodded and he motioned for her to go sit back down, which she did. He pulled out his phone and made the call. Needless to say his ex wasn’t happy about having to come get their daughter, but at least she understood. With that out of the way he stuck his phone back in his pocket and went back to staring.

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Dean had seen the car come in. It was a pretty simple fix, he thought at first. Just a blown tire, but that soon proved to not be the case. He was making mental notes of the things he needed to check after learning that the car had flown up over a curb before finally coming to a stop when he’d seen the car’s driver come walking in. It was all he could do not to drool. The man was gorgeous, with a head full of messy, chestnut hair and though it was hard to tell from this distance, he thought the man’s eyes were blue. And why was he wearing a button down and dress pants on a Sunday? Unless he’d been to church earlier. That was a possibility. But the child with him was most certainly not dressed for church. Dean was intrigued, to say the least. He was hyper aware of the way the man was standing by the door between the shop and the lobby watching him work. More than once he’d caught the man staring at his ass. Or at least, he hoped the man was looking at him. The little girl that was with the man was cute, and one of the first things Dean looked for was a wedding ring, but the man wasn’t wearing one. No tan line either. It didn’t mean anything, really, but he could hope.

A quick inspection revealed a crack in the frame. The car wasn’t going anywhere any time soon, and after forty minutes of working on the car he decided it was time to talk to the guy. There was a nervous fluttering in his stomach just thinking about getting close enough to hear the man’s voice. The man’s eyes widened when he saw Dean turn and start walking towards the lobby, and that gave Dean a bit of a confidence boost. Maybe the man was shy? It brought a smile to his face as he wondered whether he could make the man blush. As he pushed through the door, the man stepped back.

“Hey, Dean Winchester, nice to meet you.” He stuck out his hand and for a moment the man just looked at it, but then he reached out his own. Dean had a moment to admire those long, slender fingers before his own hand was grasped firmly and they were shaking.

“Hello, Dean. Castiel Novak. Most people call me Cas.”

Holy hell the man’s voice was incredible! Dean hadn’t heard a voice that deep before. His brain betrayed him and wandered off to imagine what kind of noises Cas could make in the bedroom…

“So, how bad did I mess up my car?” Cas was asking.

Reluctantly Dean released the man’s hand. “Well, for starters, how high was that curb you jumped? Because you cracked your front end. I’ve never seen anyone do that just jumping a curb before.”

Cas frowned. “The front end is cracked? The curb wasn’t that high. I wonder how…” Suddenly he cocked his lower jaw to the side and he frowned. “Well, fuck.”

Dean’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Excuse me?”

Cas’ eyes widened and he shook his head. “I’m sorry, I think I just figured out how the front end got cracked. The car’s been driving a little weird all week. Since I lent it to my brother to go see some friends out of town. He was acting weird when he returned it. I have a sneaky suspicion he has something to do with it.” He sighed deeply. “How much is this going to cost me?”

“Well, if you want me to do the work, I can work with a budget and we can get the car fixed up. There’s a bent axle too.” Dean explained. Cas winced.

“No, I don’t need a budget, I have the money. I just want assurance that you do not plan to overcharge me. I would compare pricing with other auto shops in the area, but yours comes highly recommended. I requested that it be towed here for that reason.”

Dean was proud of the honest and good reputation his shop had developed over the years.

“I don’t deliberately gouge my customers. I like for them to return for routine maintenance of their own free will. I promise my pricing will be fair.”

Cas nodded. “How long do you think it will take?”

“I can make it a priority. Three days?”

“Fuck.” Cas muttered again. Dean snorted. Hearing this beautiful man swear was oddly a turn on.

“Problem?” He asked.

“I suppose I’ll have to rent a car. I work all week and I have a surgery on Wednesday. I can’t miss it.” Cas had his hands on his hips as he looked off in the distance, no doubt running his entire itinerary through his head.

“Are you a doctor?” Dean asked. Cas nodded.

“Yes, a surgeon. My car is sort of my life blood. I need it for the emergency surgeries that I have to rush back to the hospital for.”

“I have a car you can use. I won’t charge you for it either.” Dean offered. Cas tilted his head, looking up at him with a curious expression.

“You would do that? Is that normal policy?”

“It’s whatever I want it to be, I own the place.” Dean’s tone was friendly, not in the least condescending.

“Well thank you, Mr. Winchester. I do appreciate your kindness. I promise not to let my brother borrow it.” The corners of Cas’ mouth twitched and Dean ended up laughing.

“You’re a funny man, Cas. I like that. Ok, so here’s what we’re looking at for cost…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the next twenty minutes he went over what he planned to do with Cas’ car, and exactly what the parts were going to cost. Cas listened carefully, making mental notes where needed, while trying not to stare too hard at Dean’s mouth as he talked. God, those lips…

“Do you have a way home tonight?” Dean looked around the empty lobby. “Where’s your little girl?”

“Oh, her mother came to pick her up. I didn’t know how long I’d be here and I was already running late to go drop Claire back off to her. So she came to get her.” Cas explained. So he wasn’t married, at least, not to Claire’s mother.

“Do you need a ride home? I’m closing up shop in about…” Dean pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked the time. “Five minutes actually. I can give you a lift. I will have to drop the loaner off to you tomorrow, or later tonight if you need it for tomorrow morning.”

Cas went over his schedule for the next day. “I have a consult at eleven, and an elective at two. Barring any emergencies, I think tomorrow morning would be fine as long as I can be out of my house by nine thirty. And yes, I could use a ride home if it’s not too much trouble. I don’t much like taking taxis.”

“Let me close up and we can get going.” Dean waited for the man to nod before he headed back into the garage. As though he were being pulled by an invisible string, Cas returned to the door where he watched Dean giving instructions to his employees before he started putting the tools he’d been using on Cas’ car away. When Dean bent over to pick up a wrench he felt his dick twitch with interest. Cas groaned and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. A few minutes later Dean was walking back towards the lobby and he backed up, feeling foolish for having watched the man putting tools away. Dean had a smile on his lips that just made the man even more attractive. As he stepped through the lobby door Cas dropped his eyes to the floor. If he kept staring he knew he’s soon creep the mechanic out.

“I’m just going to wash my hands and we can go, ok?”

Cas nodded, not trusting himself to speak without his voice cracking. He watched as Dean headed through another door, this one without a window (probably for the best, he felt like a stalker at this point), before dropping down into one of the chairs. He unbuttoned the cuffs on his dress shirt and rolled the sleeves up a bit. After a day like this he needed a stiff drink. Too bad he was out of anything worthwhile at his house. It would be a long walk to the bar he usually went to. The thought made him frown.

“Everything alright?” Dean had return and Cas jumped, startled by the man’s deep voice in the sudden stillness.

“Oh, yes. I was just lamenting the lack of alcohol at my house. After the day I’ve had, I could use a drink.” Cas gave a short laugh, only meaning it to be a joke but Dean looked serious.

“Well, if you don’t mind getting a drink with a lowly mechanic, I know a great place.”

Cas looked up at him with genuine surprise before his expression turned thoughtful. “I do not see you that way at all, don’t knock yourself. But yes, if you aren’t busy, whiskey would be nice.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dean drove them to a saloon Cas had never even heard of before, but the moment they stepped through the front doors, he knew he already liked the place. The music was classic rock and the staff was friendly. He felt at ease as Dean directed them to a booth in the corner rather than up to the crowded bar.

“So you’re a surgeon? Any specialties?” Dean asked as they sat down.

“I work primarily with infants and children, but occasionally I take on teenagers. I correct deformities such as cleft palates, webbed fingers and toes, mostly, but sometimes I have more complicated cases, and I handle emergencies as well. Last week I dealt with a little girl that sustained sever dog bites to her hands and face. A wild dog attacked her. Her family lives out on a farm and dogs show up all the time to hunt their livestock. This one showed up and attacked his daughter as she was feeding the chickens. Owner shot the dog dead, so we were able to determine that it did not have rabies, but it had already mauled her pretty bad. And…I’m probably boring you.” Cas blushed and dropped his gaze to his hands which were folded on the table in front of him.

“On the contrary, I am fascinated. Most people I speak to, they want to discuss cars, food, or video games. This is the type of conversation I actually prefer. I just don’t get to have it very often. Tell me, is she going to be ok?” Dean was genuinely worried about this little girl he didn’t know.

“She will make a full recovery. Three hundred and nineteen stitches to close everything up, but I made each one tiny, so over time they should fade. By the time she reaches her teen years she should be able to hide most of the ones on her face with a bit of foundation.” Cas replied.

“That’s good to hear. I hate hearing about people that get hurt like that, especially children. And why can’t people take care of their pets? Had someone been properly caring for that dog, this never would have happened.” Dean said. Cas nodded in agreement.

“I agree, you’re absolutely right.”

The server came over to their table then.

“Whiskey, double.” Cas said.

“I’ll just have a beer, Blue Moon, tap if you have it.” Dean added. The man nodded and left.

“So you own the garage?” Cas asked as they waited for their drinks to be brought to them.

“I do. It was my dream to own my own shop. I actually own three, but this one was my first and I spend most of my time there.” Dean replied. Cas had to admit, he was impressed.

“My brother swears by your shop. I am sure you make a lot of business off of him.” He chuckled.

“Who is your brother?” Dean asked.

“Gabriel Novak. Drives a Mercedes? I believe this year alone you’ve replaced his radiator, all the tires, his transmission, and a host of other parts. He was borrowing my car last week because he drove his into a ditch. Again. Bent the alignment or something.” Cas replied. Dean broke out in laughter that was warm and rich. It brought a smile to Cas’ own lips.

“I take it you know my brother.”

“Yes, quite well actually. He’s been chasing after my younger brother for the last year. I was starting to think he was crashing his car on purpose, just so he could come in on the off chance of seeing Sam. My brother’s a lawyer but he stops by the shop a lot.” Dean was still laughing as the server delivered their drinks.

“Sounds like my brother. Let me guess, Sam is tall, rather serious?” Cas asked as he lifted his drink to his lips, smiling over the rim.

“Well, to me Sam is a goofball, but I know him better than anyone else. To those he doesn’t know well, I suppose he can appear serious and aloof. I’ve been telling Gabe since day one that my brother’s not gay, but he’s very persistent.” Dean was smiling still as he lifted his mug and took a sip.

“Gabe’s not gay either, he’s bi, but he’s definitely persistent.” Cas shook his head as he took a sip of his drink.

“Do me a favor? Don’t tell him I’m bi. He’s not my type, like…at all. I think I’d have to run screaming if he turned his attentions on me.” Dean snorted. Cas tampered down the thrill that coursed through him at that little confession and tried to retain his composure.

“You have my word.” He winked conspiratorially, smiling when Dean choked on the mouthful of beer he was trying to swallow. He wondered how he could hint that he was gay and VERY interested without seeming desperate.

“So how old is your little girl?” Dean asked once he stopped coughing.

“She’s ten.” Cas replied.

“Is she your only one?”

Cas nodded. Oh, there was his opening…

“Only time I ever slept with a woman and Claire was what happened. She’s the best thing to ever happen to me though. I don’t know what I’d do without her in my life.” He sipped casually at his drink while he watched Dean process what he had just said.

“She’s a pretty girl.” Dean said after a minute of silence.

“Thank you. Do you have children?”

“I don’t. I want kids, but haven’t found the right person. I helped raise my ex’s son for a few years and that was great. I still miss Ben. Not his mother though, but I do miss him.” Dean’s smile was slightly melancholy as he thought of the boy he hadn’t seen in three years now.

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out.” Cas told him. Dean shook his head and took another sip of his beer.

“I’m not. We realized we weren’t in love. I was sticking around for Ben, but she found someone new and so we split up. I just hope he’s treating Ben well.”

“Claire’s mother and I got drunk at a hospital party. I’d never been with a woman and she’d never been with a man. We hooked up, barely remembered it. She pulled me aside six weeks later to inform me that she was pregnant. We made the decision together to keep the baby since at that point in our lives we’d both been contemplating adoption. She’s a good mom. She’s married now and her wife is a very nice woman.” Cas explained.

“And you? Sorry if I’m being nosey, it’s a bad habit. You don’t have to answer that.” Dean stared into his beer but even in the low lighting Cas could see how flushed his cheeks were.

“No, not married, not involved with anyone.”

Dean had been aroused nearly the entire time they’d been sitting here and he was desperate to change the conversation before he made a huge mistake and asked his client out. He noticed the edge of what looked like black ink peeking out from under one rolled up sleeve.

“You have a tattoo?” He asked. Cas looked down at the arm in question.

“I have more than just one.” His tone was flirtier than he had meant but the way Dean’s pupils dilated just from that one little sentence was worth it.

“Oh…really?” The sudden change in Dean’s tone caught Cas off guard. He blinked and smiled, tilting his head to peer up at the mechanic through his lashes.

“I have thirteen, if you must know.”

He could tell Dean was dying to ask where they all were. He was much more interested in showing him. The man was showing a remarkable amount of restraint. He was gripping his half empty mug of beer so tightly his knuckles were white.

“What is that one?” Dean pointed at his arm again. Cas slid the sleeve a little higher to reveal the ink fully.

“It’s a caduceus.”

“Medical symbol, I recognize it.” Dean was itching to touch it, to run his fingers over that smooth skin but instead he kept both hands around his mug.

“It’s the staff of Hermes, the Greek Messenger God.” Cas explained.

“I know who Hermes is. I know that was his staff. I love Greek and Roman mythology.” Dean said, s. “That’s cool. Did you get it because it’s the symbol associated with medicine?”

“You would be accurate. My brother took me out the night I graduated medical school and paid for it.” He motioned towards Dean’s arm. The tattoo there was more visible now with the way he was leaning his elbows on the table, but only barely.

“Is that tribal?”

Dean slid the sleeve of his tee shirt up. “No, it’s Celtic. Thought it looked nice. I used to life weights in high school and when I flexed it looked awesome. I haven’t picked up a weight in almost twenty years now.” He laughed and dropped the sleeve again.

“Mmm, I have a couple I got in high school. One a friend did in his basement, it’s nothing special, but the other was a major one.” Cas said, though his lack of elaboration was driving Dean nuts.

“What is it?” He finally blurted. Cas’ smile was downright wicked.

“I saved up my money my senior year. Six hundred dollars. Went to the best tattoo shop in town and sat through six agonizing sessions to get it. I’ll never do that again.”

“That doesn’t answer my question though.” Dean was liking this man more and more, and he was damn certain now that the good doctor was flirting.

“I know it doesn’t. Only people I deem worthy get to see that one.” Cas leaned back, stretching his arms out across the back of his seat. Dean caught the edge of another tattoo peeking out from his open shirt. Cas caught him staring and followed his gaze down.

“You’re a curious one, aren’t you.” He mused.

Dean’s smile was cheeky. “I usually get my curiosity satisfied.”

“Oh do you?” Cas laughed. Dean shrugged, sitting back, the smile still on his face.

“Ask me in the morning about this one and I’ll tell you.” Cas tapped the one on his shoulder that Dean had been staring at.

“Are you going to show it to me?” Dean cocked an eyebrow and yes, his dick was definitely on board with that idea. Cas seemed to consider it for a moment, even pursing his lips in thought. Dean wanted to grab him and kiss him, suck that lip between his teeth and lick into the other man’s mouth and….damn it, his dick was hard now, straining against the fabric of his jeans. When he shifted his weight he had to stifle a whimper. He was pretty sure the discomfort he currently felt was written all over his face and the way Cas was looking at him, he knew the man was on to him.

“If you’re nice, maybe I will.” Cas arched one brow as his tongue darted out to lick across his lower lip.

Fuck

Fuck

FUCK!!!!!

Dean was going to need a cold shower after this. He flashed the doctor his flirtiest smile, counting it as a victory when those beautiful blue orbs darkened.

“I look forward to it.”

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Dean had no idea how he managed to talk2 his dick into calming down by the time he had finished his beer, but he had, and as much as he wanted to just grab Cas and kiss him, he remained polite, though he didn’t stop flirting the entire way to the man’s house. Cas gave one last flirty smile before thanking him for the ride and exiting the car. Dean watched him walk up to his front door and disappear inside. Only then did he look at the house itself. He let out a low whistle. The place was nice, but he really didn’t expect anything less from a doctor. The drive back to his place was short and soon he was walking through his own front door. He had decided some one on one time with 5 Finger Sally was in order when his brother popped his head out of his room.

“Hey.” Sam greeted him.

“Hey.” He was going to leave it at that but he had to tell someone. “Guess what?”

Sam stepped all the way out of his room and leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. “What?”

“You know your suitor? Mr. Candy Pants that owns the bakery chain?” Dean asked. Sam frowned, his brow furrowing in annoyance.

“What about him?”

“Shut up, you know you like the attention.” Dean teased. Sam’s frown turned into a flat out scowl but he could see right through it. Deep down, Sam was flattered at the attention. Straight or not, people didn’t tell Sam often enough that he was gorgeous or hot, or…Dean shuddered thinking about it, sexy. Gabe was always saying it.

“So what about him?” Sam wanted to move on with the conversation.

“I met his brother today. Dude’s freaking gorgeous! I took him out for a drink after he brought his car in. Gabe screwed it up and it ended up causing the accident that happened today when Cas had his kid in the car with him. We got to talking and he’s super cool. He’s a doctor.”

“I take it you like him?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, but thinking about it now, he’s like way the hell out of my league.” Dean sighed.

“Oh shut up, he is not out of your league. If you like him, ask him out. Are you sure he’s into men?”

“Oh yeah. The way he was flirting? And the comment he made about his daughter.” Dean replied.

“Comment?” Sam inquired.

“Said the one time he ever slept with a woman, he was drunk at a hospital function. Got her pregnant. They had both wanted kids, so they decided to keep the baby. She’s ten now. Cute kid.” Dean explained.

“So he’s smart, sexy, family oriented, can flirt and hold his own against you, and you want to pass that up? You’d be a moron if you did.” Sam pushed off the wall and started down the hall to the kitchen. Dean frowned. Damn it if his brother wasn’t right.

“You want something to eat?” He asked.

“Heat me up some of that leftover pizza.” Dean called out. “I’m going to get out of these clothes and shower.”

“Yeah, ok.” Sam said.

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Dean ducked into his room and grabbed a clean pair of boxers as well as a pair of his pajama bottoms. He carried them to the bathroom and locked the door behind himself. Last thing he needed was Sam walking in for any reason and hearing him.

Quickly he stripped down and turned the water on. Once it was at a comfortable temperature, he slid under the stream, moaning at how good it felt. It took longer than just a few minutes to work all of the grease out from under his nails and out of his skin, but he managed it. As he did, his mind turned to Cas. Cas and his firm, lean body. The way his ass looked in those dress pants when he walked, or how his chest looked when his shirt pulled tight across it at the bar earlier. How hot it was when his tongue licked across his lower lip, teasingly. Dean was hard within minutes, groaning as he found the shower gel and poured some into his hand. The first few stroked drew ragged moans from him and he leaned against the back wall of the shower, closing his eyes as he mentally undressed Cas with his eyes. The doctor had thirteen tattoos. Thirteen! Dean was dying to know where they all were, and what they were of. His hand picked up speed as he thought of how amazing Cas would look naked, in his bed, that blissed out, post orgasm look on that gorgeous face. A few good twists of his wrist and Dean was coming, hot semen splattering against the opposite wall and spilling down his hand. He had managed to stay fairly quiet. Hopefully his brother wasn’t aware of what he was up to.

He finished off the shower by washing his hair, twice to get the oil out (when had he run his greasy fingers through it?) and then hurried to dry off and get dressed. As he slipped on his pajama pants his eyes wandered down his own bare chest where several of his own tattoos sat. Hmm, if Cas was up for it, maybe he’d do a little teasing of his own. He didn’t have thirteen, but had a few strategically placed ones that might make the doctor blush. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow morning.

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The following morning Dean woke early, dressing in tight jeans that would still be comfortable to move around the garage in, and a tee shirt that was maybe just a hair too snug so that his pecs stood out. If Cas wanted to play dirty, so would he. He styled his hair and shaved before grabbing his keys and starting for the kitchen. Hot doctor or not waiting for him, he needed coffee.

“You’re running late. Any particular reason?” Sam was sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper when Dean walked in. He looked up, one eyebrow arching in question as he took in his brother’s choice of clothing. Then slowly he smiled. “Oh…you’re going see the doctor this morning. What’s the matter, feeling a little under the weather?” He teased.

“Shup up, Bitch.” Dean grumbled on his way to the coffee pot. He grabbed his travel thermos and filled it.

“Ha ha ha!” Sam laughed and shook his head.

“When do you close on your house?” Dean asked, desperate to get his brother off the subject.

“Two weeks. Why, eager to get rid of me so soon?” Sam grinned.

“No, I wanted to know when I need to close up the shop so the guys and I can get you moved in.” Dean replied.

“They hand me the keys the Monday after Labor Day. That leaves me a couple of months to take my time unpacking. Maybe we can do Christmas at my house this year.” Sam suggested.

“That would be nice. Think you’ll be unpacked by then?”

Sam did a combination shrug and nod. “I think I will be? At least the main living areas will be. Maybe you could help so it goes faster?”

“Sure thing, Sammy. I gotta go, dropping off the rental. Can you swing by the shop at five and pick me up?” Dean started for the door.

“Yeah, sure. I’ll be there.” Sam called out to him. Dean gave a wave as he walked out of the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The neighborhood Dean lived in was a nice one, with large expanses of lawn and pretty flower gardens in most of the front yards. It was quiet and family friendly, that was his reasoning behind buying it after he and Lisa split. He’d still had Ben heavy on his mind and had hoped he would find someone with kids, or someone he could have kids with to fill up the empty rooms, but so far he hadn’t. His last girlfriend had practically been allergic to the idea of kids and his last boyfriend had said he was too young to even start thinking about a family. The guy had been thirty. So Dean had lived there alone until Sam came to stay with him after his apartment lease ran out and he decided he wanted to join the land of home owners, and put in a bid on the house across the street from Dean’s. This was a pretty mixed area with at least three gay couples and several single parents, so no one really batted an eye at him. Plus, he was nice, always joining in on the festivities at block parties and cooking for his elderly neighbors when they fell ill. It filled the empty, gaping hole in his heart where the family he wanted should have been. He was thirty seven. At the beginning of the year he would be turning thirty eight, and he’d been losing hope of finding someone he liked enough to get serious with, let alone want a family with. He wondered if Cas was someone he could have that with or was flirting all they would do? It hurt his heart to think that and that stupid sense of melancholy he sometimes felt for no good reason seemed to drape down over him like a blanket, and he still hadn’t shrugged it off by the time he pulled into Cas’ driveway.

He climbed out of the car and stopped to look at it. He kept it in mind condition. It was a classic, a Chevy Bel-Air. Was it too old or uncool for a doctor to use? Would he instead be happier with a rental car? A Mercedes or BMW maybe? He drove a Subaru, so maybe this would, in fact seem like a luxury to him. Dean did have a preference for the classics after all.

He walked up the three steps to the brick patio and rang the bell. A moment later the door opened and Cas was standing there, a phone pressed to his ear and he motioned for Dean to come inside.

“No, reschedule her for next week Thursday. I have an opening at three. If she has the flu I don’t want her parents bringing her in. I have a new consult at four? Fine. When is the staff meeting again?” Cas was scheduling, Dean assumed with a secretary, and he motioned for Dean to close the door and follow him, which he did. The house was huge with cathedral ceilings and a massive brick fireplace that took up one entire wall of the living room. It was an open concept and when Cas turned right into the kitchen, Dean followed.

“Coffee?” Cas whispered.

“Black.” Dean nodded, keeping his voice low. He sat down at the marble island and watched as Cas moved around the kitchen, still setting up appointments as he poured the coffee.

“Alright, April, I will see you in a little while. Please print out my schedule for the rest of this week and next and put it on my desk before I get there.” He said. “Alright, goodbye.” He hung up the phone and stuffed it in his pocket.

“You’re a busy man.” Dean remarked.

“I am, but I balance it fairly well, I think. Unfortunately, the child I was doing the consult with this morning, she came down with swine flu. I do not wish to bring that home, so I am rescheduling the appointment. So I’m not in quite as big of a rush this morning.” Cas said as he set a cup of coffee down in front of Dean.

“Are you hungry? I haven’t eaten yet, and I hate the hospital food.”

“I didn’t eat.” Dean replied.

“Do you like blueberry muffins?” Cas asked.

“Love them. Did you make them?” Dean’s stomach rumbled loud enough for the other man to hear and Cas broke out in a grin.

“I did not, unfortunately. I can bake, I just didn’t make these. My brother did. I’m sure you’re aware he owns a chain of bakeries.” Cas took two plates from the cabinet before walking over to a pink box in the corner and taking out two massive muffins. He set one on each plate and carried them back over to the island.

“He mentioned it but I’ve never had the chance to stop in and try his wares. This is a muffin? It’s huge!” Dean gaped at the breakfast pastry as Cas slid it over to him.

“My brother does most things to excess. He sells these for four dollars apiece, but trust me, once you taste them you’ll see why they’re worth it.” He sat down with his own cup of coffee and muffin.

“You’re right, this is fantastic.” Dean said after swallowing his first bite.

“Our father used to say that Gabe’s dreams of owning his own bakery were silly and immature, but my brother pulls in about three million a year. My dad never made more than forty thousand a year. He has had to bite his tongue on that.” Cas said, chuckling. When he noticed how quiet Dean was, just picking at the muffin and sipping at his coffee he frowned.

“Is everything alright?”

Dean looked up, giving a quick smile that Cas could tell didn’t reach his eyes.

“I’m fine.”

Cas arched an eyebrow in obvious disbelief. “I don’t think I believe you.”

“No, really, I’m fine. Just have stuff on my mind lately. My brother’s been staying with me until the closing on his house and he’s moving out in a couple of weeks. He’ll be right across the street but…” Dean sighed. “Not wanting to unload on you. I’m sure you have better things to think about.”

“Stop that. I’m interested in what you have to say. I can understand loneliness. I only get my daughter every other weekend, and I won’t get her for longer than that until Christmas break. It’s my turn to have her this year. I live alone, and I’m regretting renting this place. It’s too big for one person. I don’t know what I was thinking when I took it. My brother and I lived together up until Claire was born. Her mother didn’t think it was a good idea having Gabe in the house with our child. She doesn’t approve of him, thinks he’s a bad influence. So he bought a house near the shop he has downtown. I end up kicking around here talking to the walls when I’m here alone.” Cas admitted.

“How come you don’t have a bigger family? Or am I overstepping my bounds again.” Dean bit down on his lower lip to prevent more questions from spilling out.

“It’s not that I don’t want a large family, it’s that I haven’t found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don’t do casual sex, so I avoid it entirely in hopes that someone worthwhile will come into my life. Most of the time men hear I have a kid and they run the other way.” Cas stuffed a piece of muffin in his mouth.

“I hear you. My last boyfriend, I brought up the idea of kids and he told me he was too young to even start thinking of starting a family. He was thirty. I knew I wanted a family of my own when I was twenty. We split not long after that.”

Cas nodded. “I have only been on a handful of dates since Claire was born, and I had one semiserious relationship about four years ago. But he wasn’t ready for commitment and I wasn’t in love, so I told him to leave. My daughter comes first before my own needs.”

“As well she should. I’m thinking it’s not in the cards for me, fatherhood. I want kids, but as much as I am in love with the idea of falling in love and having my own family, I think I’ll have to settle for spoiling my brother’s kids, when and if he has them. I hope he has kids, I’ll be a fantastic uncle.” Dean’s voice was wistful and it hurt Cas to hear him like that.

“Why do you think you won’t find love? I find you quite easy to talk to, and intelligent. Both are attractive qualities. They’re qualities I seek out in a partner.” Cas knew he was blushing hard but he wasn’t nearly as good at flirting as he pretended to be. When he dared to look up he saw Dean was smiling wide.

“What are you saying there, Cas?”

“I like you Dean. I’d like to take you out one night, for more than a beer. Dinner?” He added the last part quickly, wanting to make it clear that he wasn’t referring to sex, though the idea of sex with Dean was incredibly delicious.

“You want to take me to dinner? Ok, when?”

“How about this Friday?” Cas asked. Dean smiled wider and nodded.

“Friday works for me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He felt better after breakfast with Cas, and after he had the doctor drop him off at the shop, he spent the rest of the day in a good mood. He had made sure to exchange numbers with the doctor and it wasn’t until he was closing up for the day that he remembered Cas’ promise to show him the tattoo on his chest had not been fulfilled. Now he wanted to wait. He didn’t want to see it until Cas was ready to show them all to him. When Sam came walking into the garage he immediately noticed his brother’s good mood.

“What has you so happy?”

“I have a date Friday.” Dean replied, grinning.

“With the doctor?” Sam asked. Dean nodded.

“He told me likes me and then asked me to dinner. I can’t remember the last time someone asked me out. I’m always the one that does the asking.”

“Well, have fun. I hope it goes well. You ready to go?” Sam looked around but everyone was already gone for the night.

“Yeah, just give me a minute. This is Cas’ car, by the way.” Dean moved quickly to put away his tools away.

“Geez, he drives a Subaru?” Sam laughed.

“It’s actually one of the most solid cars on the road. I’m just glad he doesn’t drive a Bug, or one of those new-fangled piece of shit cars.” Dean felt defensive of Cas. Sam didn’t know him and didn’t have the right to judge him.

“Sorry, sorry. You’re right. I can’t really talk, I drove a Volvo for a few years myself.” Sam said.

“Damn right you did.” Dean tossed the last wrench in his tool box and wiped his hands on a rag. “I’m going to go wash my hands. Close the bay door and lock the door between here and the lobby, ok? I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

Sam nodded and Dean left to go wash his hands. He closed the doors and had just stepped into the lobby when he heard the bell over the door jingle, announcing someone coming in.

“We’re closed.” He said as he locked the door leading into the garage.

“I came to see you, Samsquatch. For once I’m not here to get my car worked on.” Gabe laughed. Sam sighed and turned to look at the man.

“Are you ever going to take a hint?”

Gabe rocked forward on the balls of his feet and smirked up at him. “N…ope!”

Dean walked into the lobby, pausing when he saw Gabe. “Please tell me you didn’t crash your car again.”

“No, no, no. I was just passing by on my way home and saw Sam’s car. Thought I’d stop in and say hello.” Gabe replied.

“And flirt.” Dean laughed.

“And flirt.” Gabe confirmed.

“Whatever. Get it out of your system already, I want to go home.” Dean rolled his eyes and went behind the desk to check the appointments for the next day.

Gabe turned his attention back to Sam but his eyes moved past him. “Hey, that’s my brother’s car.”

“You would be right. I’m surprised he hasn’t called you to yell at you yet. You borrowed his car last week? What exactly did you hit, because you almost killed your brother and your niece yesterday. He blew a tire driving her home and went up over a curb, but when I took a look I saw the frame was cracked and there’s a host of other crap way worse than what is consistent with just jumping a small curb. Then he mentioned that you were his brother, and that you had borrowed his car last week. I know how you drive, Gabe. Why would you fuck up your brother’s car? Especially know he has a child and depends on the safety of his vehicle to keep her safe?” Dean was glad to see Gabe look sufficiently shamed.

“Yeah, I’m an idiot, I admit it. I have to call him. He’s ok? Claire’s ok?”

“They’re fine. But you really should respect other peoples’ property.” Dean chastised.

Gabe dropped his eyes to the floor and nodded. “You’re right. Hey, send me the bill, I’ll cover the costs, ok? Don’t bill my brother.”

“You got it.” Dan said.

“Ok, well we need to get going, I’ll see you out.” Sam ushered Gabe towards the door.

“I’ll see you soon, gorgeous.” Gabe winked and Sam fought the urge to smirk.

“Yeah, ok sweet talker. Have a good night, Gabe.” He held the door for him.

“It would be sweeter if you’d finally agree to go to dinner with me.” Gabe made a point of brushing his hand across Sam’s chest as he stepped through the door and into the parking lot. Sam just shook his head and closed the door.

“Persistent little shit, isn’t he?” Dean chuckled as he came out from behind the counter.

“Yeah, he is.” Sam sighed. Dean cocked his head, observing the way his brother was staring out the door after where Gabe had gone.

“Do you…like him?”

Sam whipped his head around, his eyes wide.

“I’m not going to judge you, bro. I’d be stupid if I did. But if you like him, even a little, you should give him a chance.” Dean patted his brother on the shoulder as he opened the door and stepped outside. “Come on, I’ll make us burgers.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dating Cas was easy. He was easy to talk to, funny, and incredibly sweet. Their date Friday left Dean walking on air at the end of the night, and he had to ask Cas if he wanted to get together the next day. The next day turned into another date Sunday, and before Dean knew what was happening, he and Cas were beginning to get serious. He stepped back, found other things to do on the weekends that Cas had Claire, until one weekend he was invited over for dinner. It was his first time formally meeting the little girl and more than anything he wanted her to like him. If she didn’t, he was scared Cas would break things off with him.

And he was already in love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The night he was meeting Claire, he was a nervous wreck. He changed his clothes three times before finally settling on a shirt Cas had complimented him on several times, and what he liked to refer to as his ‘nice jeans’. As he got ready he told himself over and over that it was just dinner. Sam had already moved into his new house but he stopped by regularly to check on his brother, and this particular night he knew how nervous Dean was so he stopped by for moral support.

“She’s just a little girl. If she doesn’t like you, it’s not the end of the world, but I think she’s going to love you because Cas loves you. Besides, you’re great with kids. You formed a fantastic rapport with Ben, I know you will with Claire too.”

“But if she doesn’t? What if she hates me? What if Cas leaves me?” There was genuine fear in his words.

“Cas is a smart man. He knows you want to be a part of his life, and that you understand that his child comes first. He’s not stupid, he knows you’re the best thing to ever come into his life, aside from his daughter, and he’s not going to give you up easily. Not if he loves you even half as much as you love him.”

Those were words he needed to hear, to bolster himself as he started the drive to Cas’ house. He was shaking as he got out of the car but the moment the front door opened and he saw Cas, his fear melted away. Cas wanted him. He wanted Dean here, with his family.

“Hi, sweetheart.” Cas kissed him on the cheek as he did every time Dean came over.

“Hey.” Dean kissed him back as he closed the door behind him and followed Cas into the kitchen. “Where’s Claire?”

“In her room. I bought her a new video game and she’s been playing it most of the afternoon.” Cas replied as he bent over to check something in the oven.

“What game?”

“Mario Carts. She likes the racing games.” Cas pulled a roast out of the oven and set it in a trivet on the island. He looked up to see Dean standing nervously looking towards the stairs to the second floor.

“Dean, she knows about you, and she knows that you’re coming to dinner tonight.” He took his oven mitts off and laid them on the counter before walking over to Dean and wrapping his arms around his waist.

“Come, sit with me.” He took Dean by the hand and led him into the living room. The soft sounds of video game music filtered down the steps as they passed the stairs and headed for the couch. Cas sat down and tugged until Dean sat down with him.

“You’re scared of what she’s going to think, aren’t you?” He asked softly. Reluctantly Dean nodded.

“Cas…I-I love you. I know you probably don’t feel that way but-”

He was cut off by Cas’ mouth pressing against his own.

“I love you too, Dean, so, so much. And Claire will too. She’s more like me than her mother, you’ll see that soon. I know you’re a good man, and I’m not going to give you up, ok? So relax.” He moved closer, nuzzling against Dean’s cheek, making him smile.

“Ok. I’ll be cool, I promise.”

He leaned over to kiss Cas softly. They’d been dating three months now but so far they hadn’t done more than kiss. He didn’t want to push Cas to move faster than he was ready, and he wanted them to be truly serious before they took that step. Though he was at that point and had been for a little while now, he was leaving the ball in the other man’s court. Cas meant that much to him.

“Ewww.”

Cas smiled against Dean’s lips before turning to look at his daughter. Dean was blushing hard as he looked up at her.

“Claire, I want you to meet Dean. Dean, this is my daughter Claire.”

She shifted her weight and looked at her dad for a moment before turning eyes almost as blue as her father’s on Dean.

“Hi.”

“Hey.”

“Is dinner done?” She asked, looking at her dad again.

“Yeah, let me just check the potatoes.” Cas got up and came around the back of the couch to stand in front of his daughter. “Play nice.” He kissed the top of her head before heading to the kitchen. Dean expected awkward silence but instead she came around to sit down next to him on the couch.

“So my dad says you fix cars. I remember seeing you when we got towed. That’s your shop?” She asked.

“It is. I own three shops actually. “ He replied.

“Are you rich?”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Far from it, but I’m comfortable.”

“What does that mean?” She tilted her head and peered up at him in a way that he had always thought was distinctly Cas. Until now.

“It means that I make enough money that I don’t have to worry about bills, and I save money up so I can go places and buy things for the people I care about.” He explained.

“Where do you like to go?”

“I’ve traveled all over. I used to go on road trips with my brother. We’ve been to The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, a mine in the Carolinas where we actually got to mine for real rubies, and lots of other places. We like to go looking for places that are supposed to be haunted, see if there’s anything really there.” He replied. Her eyes lit up at that.

“Did you ever find anything?”

He smiled and looked back towards the kitchen to see if Cas was coming back. He was still fussing over something at the stove. When he looked back at Claire he grinned wider.

“Ok, so one time…”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Claire peppered Dean with questions about his road trips, about cars, and then they got into a conversation about video games. Cas held his hand under the table, a soft smile on his lips as he listened to his boyfriend and daughter talking. It was more than he could have hoped for, them getting along, and he loved sitting back and listening to them. Dean clearly had a gift with children and knowing that this beautiful man was so good with his daughter confirmed what he had been thinking almost since the moment Dean had come into his life.

Dean was the one.

As dinner came to a close he got up and cleared the table, returning a few minutes later with new plates and a cherry pie. Dean’s face lit up at the sight of it.

“Babe…”

Cas smiled and set the pie on the table so he could cut it.

“Did you make this?” Dean asked as Cas slid the first piece onto his plate.

“I did. Gabe’s not the only on the family that can cook and bake.” Cas replied as he put a piece on Claire’s plate.

“Thank you, dad. It’s been a long time since you made pie.” She remarked as she picked up her fork.

“It’s Dean’s favorite.” Her father told her, smiling at his boyfriend.

“It’s mine too.” Claire grinned up at Dean. He realized he really liked this kid.

“Eat up, your mom will be here in a half hour.” Cas said.

“I thought she went home on Sundays?” Dean asked.

“I have a birthday party to go to tomorrow. My best friend is turning ten.” Claire told him.

“She decided to go home tonight rather than get up early tomorrow for me to drive her home.” Cas explained.

They ate their pie and while Claire went up to her room to gather her things, Dean helped load the dish washer. As Dean closed the door, Cas slid up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist.

“I want to talk to you about something.” He said softly. Dean stood up straight and turned around to look at him.

“Sure, what did you want to talk about?”

Cas pressed his body against Dean’s, pinning him against the counter. “I was hoping you would stay tonight.” He looked up and Dean felt the stirrings of arousal.

“I didn’t bring anything.” He said lamely.

“I bought a spare toothbrush, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Cas kissed his neck and Dean let his head fall back, his eyes slipping shut.

“Yeah, I’ll stay.” It came out almost as a moan but he nipped it quick as they heard Claire coming down the stairs. Cas walked into the living room as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Dean followed, hoping he didn’t look half as flustered as he felt.

“Will you be here for Christmas when I’m on break?” Claire asked him.

“I’ll be around, yes. I have to work but maybe you can come by the shop, meet the guys. If you like video games you’ll love my friend Charlie. She’s a gamer.” Dean told her.

“Cool! Can I go, dad? Can I go with Dean to his work?” She asked excitedly.

“Of course, as long as you behave and don’t touch anything he doesn’t give you permission to touch.” Her father replied.

“Don’t worry, among the many things I keep at work, there’s a fifty inch television with three game systems in the back. It helps the guys relax when they’re stressed out and they focus better when they’re done with their breaks.” Dean said.

“Cool!” She exclaimed.

The doorbell rang.

“Showtime.” Cas muttered, plastering on the most artificial smile Dean had ever seen as he opened the door.

“Cas.” The woman greeted with a short nod.

“Amelia.” He nodded in return. Her eyes drifted to Dean, one eyebrow rising.

“This is your boyfriend?” She asked.

“This is Dean, yes. Dean, meet Claire’s mother, Amelia.” Cas motioned between them. Dean stepped forward, offering his most charming smile as he held out his hand.

“Pleasure to meet you, Amelia.”

She gave a small smile as she shook his hand. “It’s very nice to meet you as well.”

“Dean is so cool, mom! He knows all about video games, and he has traveled all sorts of cool places! He has a brother like you do and dad, and…” Amelia’s smile widened as she ushered her daughter out the door.

“It would seem you have made quite the impression.” She said.

“She’s a great kid. I had a blast talking to her tonight.” Dean replied.

“Well, I guess we’ll be seeing more of you then. Have a nice evening, both of you.” She nodded politely and Cas closed the door behind her. He leaned back against it and looked at Dean.

“Would you like some wine? I need a glass.” He started for the kitchen, unbuttoning the cuffs on his dress shirt as he went and rolling them up.

“Amelia seems nice.” Dean said as he sat down at the island.

“She is. Her wife Heather is nice as well.” Cas set a glass of wine down in front of Dean.

“Thank you.” Dean said and took a sip. “This is probably one of the best wines I’ve ever had. Usually they’re too bitter or too dry.”

“I went on a wine tasting tour a few years ago and learned about the different kinds. Then I made notes of the ones I actually liked and bought a few bottles. I don’t drink it that often, but I figured tonight was special.” He came around the island, his own glass in hand and as Dean swiveled the barstool around the face him, Cas pushed his legs open so he could stand between them.

“I know you work Monday, but I don’t have any appointments until two. So you can wear me out, I’ll just enjoy sleeping in.” Cas’ voice got deeper and Dean put the glass down so he could use both hands to cup the man’s ass and pull him closer.

“So you want me to stay til Monday?” Dean asked.

“I would like you to, yes.” Cas caressed his jaw, rubbing the pad of his thumb gently over Dean’s cheek.

“I seriously didn’t bring anything. No change of clothes, nothing.”

“And why would you need clothes?” Cas asked, smiling wickedly. Dean let Cas take one more sip of wine before he plucked the glass from his hands and set it down.

“Come here.” Dean moved his arms up to circle around Cas’ waist and pull him forward until the man’s body was pressed against his own. His lips made their way to Cas’ neck, kissing and nipping down his throat, pulling the collar back a bit to continue down and along his collarbone. The appearance of ink made him pull back.

“Can I?” He asked, looking up, searching Cas’ face for permission.

“Of course. I did promise to show you that one a while back. I had forgotten though.”

“I realized it that afternoon, but by then I had decided I didn’t want to see it, not until the day I could see them all, and I didn’t want that unless I was certain what we had was real. I wasn’t just saying that earlier, Cas. I love you. I’m in love with you. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.” Dean was pouring his heart out here but he did so with the knowledge that Cas loved him in return.

“I know, Dean, and I love you too. How could I not fall in love with you?” Cas pulled back and reached out to take Dean’s hand, tugging until the man stood up.

“You are a patient man to have waited this long. You have no idea how much that means to me.” He said as he led Dean up the stairs. Dean had never been on the second floor and he looked around, taking in the pictures on the wall as Cas pulled him into one of the rooms. The picture sitting on the nightstand made Dean smile. It was taken by Charlie a month earlier when Dean had invited Cas over for Thanksgiving. Looking at it he could see in his own face how truly happy he was, and how in love he was already with Cas. He directed his attention to his boyfriend who was busy undoing his belt.

“Hold on there, cowboy. I have a few tattoos too, and I want to show them to you.” He said. “Sit down.”

Cas sat down on the edge of the bed and watched with obvious hunger as Dean kicked off his shoes and began undoing his pants. Slowly he slid them down, watching as Cas’ eyes grew bigger as he spotted the first tattoo. Winding up Dean’s left leg, from ankle to where it disappeared beneath the snug boxer briefs he wore, was the body of a dragon. The detail was incredible and Cas was dying to know where the head of the beast actually sat.

“That must have hurt.” He said, tearing his eyes away to look up at Dean’s face.

“You have no idea. I actually passed out when the guy was working on my inner thigh. Originally it was supposed to wind all the way up my body so that the dragon’s head sat on my shoulder, but he got to my groin and I said nope, I’m done with this one!” Dean exclaimed.

“And I thought mine was hellish to endure. No way could I have my inner thigh done. Do I get to see the rest?” Cas cocked one eyebrow and smiled seductively.

“In a minute. Hold your horses.” Dean kicked his pants off and turned so Cas could see the tattoo on the back of his calf.

“Hey, that’s the Impala!” Cas reached out to touch it.

“Sure is. That’s my baby.” Dean said proudly.

“Any others? I’m still curious about the dragon.” Cas stood up while Dean still had his back to him and wrapped his arms around the taller man, pulling Dean back against him.

“A couple.” Dean turned his head and Cas could see the smile that graced those perfect lips.

“Show me.”

Dean took a step away from Cas so he didn’t elbow him in the face as he tugged his shirt over his head. He heard the sharp intake of air before he saw the hungry look in his boyfriend’s eyes.

“You are absolutely stunning, sweetheart. I swear I could just stand here and look at you forever.” Cas purred as he ran his hands across Dean’s chest and stomach.

“What is this one?” His thumb brushed over the tattoo on the left side of Dean’s chest, where it sat just above his heart.

“It’s a protective symbol. My brother and I got matching ones when he turned eighteen.” Dean replied.

“I like it.” Cas scraped his nails lightly over Dean’s nipples, making him hiss. He reached for the boxers, dying to see the rest of the dragon tattoo but Dean moved out of his grasp.

“Uh, uh. Lost the shirt, handsome.” Dean said. There were twelve more tattoos that he was dying to see. Cas smiled in a way that made Dean’s blood burn with need, and he moved slow as he unbuttoned the shirt. Of course Cas would wear a sleeveless tee underneath. “Lose that one too, babe.” Dean instructed. Cas smiled wider as he dropped the dress shirt to the floor and then pulled the tee shirt over his head. Dean was on him in seconds.

“How the hell are you this damn gorgeous?” Dean growled as his hands roved hungrily over every exposed inch of flesh. He leaned in to kiss Cas, groaning when he was met push for pull and dragged back over to the bed.

Cas nudged him until he laid down and then climbed on top of him. Dean reached up to touch the tattoo of a set of baby’s feet that rested over Cas’ heart. Under the footprints was the name Claire Elizabeth Novak and her birthdate July 3rd, 2005 . He didn’t have to ask about that one, but the string of symbols that almost looked like words on the left side of his chest intrigued him, as did the Celtic knot that he had first noticed that night in the bar from where it sat on his right shoulder.

“What is this?” He asked, moving his hand over to the strange words.

“It’s Enochian. Basically it say ‘Be Who You Were Meant to Be’.” Cas replied.

“What’s Enochian?”

“It’s the language of the angels. I was named after one. My brother and I both were.” Cas explained.

“I was named after my grandmother.” Dean said rather matter-of-factly. Cas snorted.

“Well, I happen to like the name ‘Dean’. It suits you.”

“And the Celtic knot?” Dean couldn’t imagine that it took four sessions for that one, so where was the giant one hiding? So much skin still to explore…

“It’s for my heritage. I have Welsh in me, on my mother’s side. I wanted to honor my heritage, and I happen to really like the look of Celtic knots.” Cas touched the tattoo on his shoulder.

“I like that one.” Dean agreed but his hands were busy undoing Cas’ belt. He undid the pants and pushed them down. Cas obliged by sitting up enough that they slid pass his ass, and then he was kicking them off. There were more tattoos on his legs and Dean maneuvered him so that Cas was lying on his back and he was on top. He found a book quote on Cas’ left thigh, a simple black cat on his right ankle (that was his very first tattoo, a basement one his friend did his sophomore year of high school), more words written on his side in another language Dean was unfamiliar with.

“What does this say?”

“It’s a part of the original Hippocratic Oath. It says: “I swear by Apollo the physician, and Aesculapius the surgeon, likewise Hygeia and Panacea, and call all the gods and goddesses to witness, that I will observe and keep this underwritten oath, to the utmost of my power and judgment.”

The words were beautiful, liquid silk as they spilled from Cas’ mouth and Dean saw the appeal of having such words inked into the flesh.

He found a vaguely familiar symbol on Cas’ lower belly, just below the man’s belly button and when he tilted his head he realized it was a tribal tattoo of a dragon. There was another Celtic symbol on his right hip, a cross this time, and climbing up his right side, from hip almost to armpit was a large tree. Dean recognized it as the Tree of Life. So far he had counted nine tattoos. With a wicked grin he hooked his thumbs in Cas’ boxers and pulled them off. Three more tattoos greeted him. The word ‘Live’ was tattooed in an elegant font on his upper thigh, and right below that was…a Storm Trooper?

“Babe, what is this?” Dean laughed.

Cas grinned back at him. “What? I like Star Wars.”

The third tattoo wrapped around the outer part of Cas’ other thigh, a flock of birds in flight. He liked that one.

“I count twelve.” Dean said, going back over the ones he had seen so far. That meant the last one was on Cas’ back, and it must be huge for it to have taken so long to do.

“You’re right. I’ll show you the last one later.” Cas hooked his legs around Dean and flipped him onto his back once again. He grabbed the boxer briefs and tugged them off.

“Wow.” He marveled at the intricate detail in the dragon tattoo. The tattoo wound all the way up around Dean’s leg so that the Dragon’s head came to rest on his hip, mouth open, eyed a fiery orange to counter the emerald green of the beast’s scales. As impressive as the tattoo was, he was more interested in Dean himself at the moment. He reached past the prone man to open his nightstand drawer and fish out a bottle of lube.

“Did you plan this?” Dean asked, green eyes a lit with curiosity.

“Dean, I’ve wanted this pretty much since the first moment I laid eyes on you, but I didn’t actually start planning anything until last week. I knew you were special, but seeing you tonight with Claire, I know you’re the one, Dean. It’s crazy, I know we’ve only been dating a few months and we haven’t even slept together yet…”

“We’ll be remedying that one in about five minutes.” Dean said as he stroked his boyfriend’s thighs.

“Damn right we will be, but I have told you before, I don’t sleep with just anyone, and the fact that you had the patience to wait for me, and not push me into anything, that alone told you were the one I’ve been waiting my whole life for.” Cas’ words were tender and Dean felt the prickle of tears as they began to well up, blurring his vision. He swiped at them, turning his head away and sniffling.

“Stop that, I don’t want this getting sappy and then I’m a sobbing mess.” He joked. Cas shifted until he was lying comfortably on top of Dean.

“I love you, sweetheart. I just needed you to know how much.”

“I love you just as much.” Dean reached up, pulled Cas closer until their lips met. The kiss started off slow as Dean took his time licking his way into his boyfriend’s mouth. He wanted to flip Cas onto his back and gain control but when Cas’ hands came up to pin his own over his head, he gave in, letting the man have the control he wanted.

Cas had Dean’s wrists pinned above his head as his tongue explored every inch of Dean’s mouth. He shifted his hips, grinding down lightly and grinning when Dean gasped beneath him. His mouth moved from Dean’s down to his jaw and then his throat, slowly working further down until his tongue flicked across one nipple. Already feeling hypersensitive, Dean cried out from the stimuli. It tapered off into a whimper as Cas moved further down, kissing every inch of skin he could.

“I love all of these freckles.” He murmured.

“Cas…” Dean begged and pushed his hips up, begging for friction.

“I finally get to have you, Dean. I’m not rushing.” There was a warning there that Dean heard clearly. He went limp against the mattress, waiting to see what Cas had planned next.

“I’m going to let go of your hands. Can you keep them exactly where I have them now?” Cas asked. Dean nodded eagerly as Cas moved lower still. The grip on his wrists disappeared so he grabbed his left wrist with his right hand and kept them where they were.

Cas kissed his way across Dean’s chest and stomach, leaving little marks that he paused periodically to admire. Dean was perfect with his sun kissed skin, even in the winter months, and soft skin. When he reached the leaking cock in front of him he looked up to see Dean practically trembling with anticipation. He licked up the underside of Dean’s shaft, watching as the man moaned and dropped his head back against the pillows. The gasp the man gave when he swallowed him down was porn worthy and he nearly burst at the sound of it. Soft whines and whimpers were slipping more and more frequently from Dean’s lips as Cas’ mouth moved faster. He could feel how tense the man was getting though and pulled off with a pop.

“Ok, sweetheart, I’ll let you know now, I like to top. We stop here if that’s an issue for you.”

Dean shook his head and before Cas could say anything else, his boyfriend was rolling onto his stomach. He chuckled and ran his hands down the smooth planes of his boyfriend’s back. More freckles were scattered across his shoulders and down his back, and there was another tattoo.

“Were you military?” He asked.

“My dad was a Marine. I got that to honor him. His name is under it, though the handwriting is atrocious. I need to get that one fixed eventually.”

Cas talked as he grabbed the lube. “When is the last time you got tested?”

“I got tested right after Lisa and I split because she was cheating, but I got tested again three months ago too. I-I haven’t slept with anyone since her.” Dean added the last part softly. It felt taboo to mention previous lovers when he was naked with his current partner. Cas’ hands were warm against his back as they slid down to cup his ass.

“When you met me?”

“About three weeks after. I knew I was serious about you and that if we ever reached this point, I wanted to be sure I was clean.” Dean turned his head so he could look back at Cas.

“Shit…” Cas murmured. Dean had been that committed that early on.

“Real romantic.” Dean teased, smiling at him.

“Sorry. I, uh haven’t been sexually active since the last guy I dated. The hospital requires me to be tested regularly and my last one was three weeks ago. I’m clean.” Cas gave Dean’s ass a firm squeeze. How many fantasies he had entertained about this ass and what it would feel like to sink deep inside its warmth. His cock throbbed with anticipation.

“You want to go bareback, is that what you’re asking?” Dean looked back at him again.

“If that’s alright with you. I don’t think I’ve trusted anyone enough to want to. Last time I didn’t…my daughter was created. And I honestly don’t remember much, I was so drunk I was numb.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about getting me pregnant.” Dean grinned and Cas laughed with him for a moment before his blue eyes darkened, gaining that hungry look again as he grabbed the lube and tore off the seal.

“God I’ve been dreaming about this moment.”

“Make it so I can’t walk tomorrow.” Dean begged. Cas bit down on his lower lip as he poured some of the viscous fluid into his hand. Dean had a way of talking that turned him on so much he was afraid he might come just from hearing the man speak. He moved the lube around until it warmed enough that it wouldn’t shock Dean, and then he was slowly circling the man’s rim. Another filthy moan escaped those perfect lips followed by a surprised cry as he slipped one finger in. He nipped at the tender flesh under his free hand as he slipped a second finger in and began working to loosen Dean’s muscles. It didn’t take long before he had a third finger in. He crooked his fingers and Dean literally screamed as Cas brushed against his prostate. Cas smiled, thrilled at the reactions he was pulling from the man he loved.

“’S good, babe, I’m ready.” Dean grunted. Cas withdrew his fingers and reached for one of the pillows as pushed up on his knees. He pushed the pillow under Dean’s hips.

“Are you comfortable?” He asked. Dean nodded and looked back again through hooded eyes.

Cas moved forward, grabbing Dean’s hips and getting in position. He grabbed the lube and poured some more in his hand.

“Ohhh…” He moaned as he spread the slick fluid over his own length. Saying he was eager to be inside Dean was an understatement. Carefully he began pressing in.

“F-fuck!” Dean hissed. It had been ages since he had bottomed and it burned but Cas was doing his best not to hurt him. He appreciated that. When Cas finally bottomed out he let out the breath he’d been holding in a sharp exhale.

“Are you ok?” Cas’ voice was strained. Dean knew he was close.

“I’m good. Just give me a minute to adjust.” He steadied his breathing and after a minute he nodded. “It’s ok. Move.”

Cas pulled almost all the way out before sliding forward again in one smooth movement.

“God you feel soooo good….” He moaned as he bent over Dean and wrapped his arms around his chest, continuing his slow, fluid movements. As he began to speed up the pace of his thrusts he focused on the sounds his boyfriend was making, using them as his cue to move faster or go slower. When he shifted his hips and hit Dean’s prostate a scream erupted from the man’s throat and Cas made it his goal to nail that sweet spot on every thrust. He slid a hand underneath Dean and gripped his cock.

“Fuck!” Dean shouted as Cas pulled him up as he started to pound into him, pumping his hand in time with his own thrusts. It was only a few minutes later that Dean was shouting Cas’ name as his orgasm hit. His body tensed so tight even his toes curled. Cas let out a shout of his own as he came, his hand slowing as his thrusts slowed. When Dean went limp, collapsing onto the mattress, Cas slumped with him, panting hard and trying to catch his breath. As the wetness underneath him became uncomfortable, Dean groaned and Cas carefully pulled out, rolling off of Dean and onto the mattress next to him.

“That was absolutely awesome.” Dean said as he used the sheet to wipe the come from his chest. He moved closer, crowding up against Cas and throwing an arm and a leg over him.

“I agree. I’m not done, mind you, but I need a nap.” Cas chuckled.

“Mmmm, and a shower.” Dean murmured.

“Do I get to see that last tattoo? I think I deserve it.” Dean smiled at him and Cas turned on his side to face him, leaning close to kiss him softly.

“You certainly do. Sit up a moment.”

Dean was tired but he did manage to sit up. Cas sat up and turned around, putting his back to Dean.

“Holy…wow…that’s incredible!” He traced the wings that took up Cas’ entire back, from waist to neck, and down each arm to his elbow. Big, beautiful, perfectly detailed wings.

“Is this for your name?” He asked.

“Yes.”

“It suits you.” Dean said as he placed a tender kiss against one shoulder.

They laid down again, Cas flat on his back and Dean curling around him. His hip brushed against the wet sheets and he shuddered.

“I want to change the sheets but I fear we’ll just have to change them again later.” Cas turned to look at Dean, winking at him. Dean laughed and leaned up to kiss him softly.

“Towels. That’s the magic word. Much easier for cleanup.” Dean nestled his head against Cas’ chest. He had to agree, a nap sounded fabulous right at that moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

By the time Dean walked into work Monday, he was limping but he had a huge smile on his face, and everyone noticed. By Christmas they had a drawer in one another’s bedrooms. By Dean’s birthday, Cas had a key to Dean’s house and a spare key to the Impala, something Dean had never trusted anyone but Sam with. By summer Cas’ lease on the house was up and after having a discussion with Amelia about where he and Dean stood, he moved into Dean’s house. He liked it better anyway. So did Claire. By the following Christmas Dean had an engagement ring on his finger and the wedding was planned for the following spring. Two years later they were adopting their first baby, a little sister for Claire. Dean added another tattoo on their fifth wedding anniversary, his husband’s name over his heart. They adopted their second child that year too, a little boy.

And to think, a car accident and some tattoos were what brought them together.

Oh, and Sam lives across the street still. With his husband Gabe.