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Their finished plates were stacked in the middle of the table. Used cutlery littered the topmost dish. The only plate to remain with food being Castiel’s as he was by far a slower eater than either of the Winchester brothers who always made a competition out of everything - even racing to finish their meals.
As Sam told both Dean and Castiel about his time as a Stanford University freshman, Dean leaned across the table to steal the extra fries of Castiel’s plate. The falling snow outside meant that they had the Denny’s mostly to themselves - despite the emptiness, the Winchesters were still just as loud as usual - their booming voices filling the warm room. Castiel couldn’t have been happier. This was all he ever needed, to be with his family - the comfort and familiarity of it helping calm him - helped to put distance between himself and madness which had been grad school.
“Oh!” Dean said suddenly, wiping his salt laden fingers on the napkin, “Cas, we got you something for Christmas!”
“Technically, Dean got something for you,” Sam refuted rolling his eyes. “I told him it was lame and I didn’t want any part in it.”
“Dude! Don’t be such a bitch,” Dean complained, kicking his brother under the table.
“Whatever it is, I am sure it’s lovely. But can we not discuss this now? You know how I feel about Christmas.” Castiel felt bad when he watched his best friends face fall and that excitement drain from his face.
“Uh yeah…” Dean looked down at the table and flipped his fork around. “Sure, Cas.”
“I know,” Cas offered. “Lets order one of all the pies they have here.” He threw the offer out there – knowing that pie was the key to making his green eyed friend smile again.
“You sure about that Cas? Dean’ll totally hog it all to himself if we only get once slice each.” Sam teased his older brother, laughing and ducking as a wadded up napkin was thrown at him.
“You’re right, Sam,” Castiel nodded in agreement. “We need at least two slices of everything.”
Dean rolled his eyes but Castiel could see him fighting a smile. Sam jumped up out of the booth to make their order, leaving Castiel and Dean alone at the table for the first time that evening.
Castiel leaned forward and put his hand out on the table, palm up. He curled his fingers, a silent request that made Dean rolled his eyes again, but still moved his own hand to intertwine their fingers.
“Shit Cas, your hands are freezing.”
“Well, maybe if my boyfriend would actually sit by me that could be fixed.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that Sammy slid in there as soon as he saw you!” Dean hissed.
“You haven’t told him have you,” The words came out harsher than he intended – the hurt he felt tinging the words..
Dean’s other hand moved where it tugged at the leather corded bracelet; the bracelet had been a gift from Dean at their high school graduation. Dean had learned how to make the leather bracelets while at the summer camp. His parents had sent Dean and Sammy every year following his tenth year. Castiel remembered how proud Dean had been of his work – still was. He’d even branded the bracelet with feathers - a nod to not only Castiel’s name - but the nickname Dean had called him for as long as he could remember.
“It’s not that I don’t want to tell him. We haven’t really had time to talk without Dad around.” Dean gave him a pleading look – begging with his eyes for Castiel to understand. And he does. He can’t really fault Dean for not saying anything – when he’s only told his roommate Gabriel.
Suddenly and without any warning – Dean pulled his hand away and Castiel felt its loss in his bones, echoing the movement and quickly pulling his own hand back to his lap.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sam approach the booth – but Instead of sliding in next to Castiel or taking the seat next to his brother, he grabbed a chair and straddled it at the edge of the table. Castiel tilts his head in question but Dean actually asked what he was doing.
“So get this,” Sam said, folding his arms across the back of the chair. “I’m at the only Denny’s in town with my big brother and his best friend at a quarter past midnight and it occurs to me that there are secrets happening. Secrets that – seriously – are a bit insulting. Especially coming from my brother.”
Castiel’s eyes widen when he realizes what Sam is talking about. “Sam we never–” he starts but Sam holds his hand up to stop his words.
“It’s cool, Cas. I know you would do whatever Dean asked you. And you would protect him at all costs. Which is actually really freaking awesome of you and that’s why I’ve always considering you like a brother.” Sam gives Castiel a genuine smile and he can see the honesty in the younger Winchester’s hazel eyes.
“What I am hurt about is why my big brother, my idol, my hero felt he needed to hide the fact that he finally got his head out of his ass and admitted his feelings to his best friend.” Sam turned his attention to Dean, and gave his brother a pointed look.
“What? How did you know?” Dean asked flustered – Castiel just rolled his eyes.
“Seriously? I was there at Rhonda Hurley’s party, Dean!”
Dean’s jaw hit the table as he gaped at his brother while Castiel’s eyebrows jumped. Both he and Dean had started attending Rhonda’s parties sophomore year. The party had been such a hit they’d became an annual event – everyone wanted to go to Rhonda’s parties.
“No,” Dean finally gained his composure and Castiel was confused. “The only one you could have gone to was our senior year.”
Sam nodded. “Yep. And I saw the two of you making out in the corner. More specifically I saw Cas practically eating you alive.” Sam glared playfully at Castiel. “Thanks for the therapy by the way.”
Castiel chuckled and shook his head. That was a common phrase between the two. It was never meant with malice, just something between two friends.
Dean groaned and slouched into the booth, his knees knocking into Castiel’s as he slumped.
“I don’t see what the big deal is, Dean.” Cas pointed out. “Clearly, Sam’s okay with us.”
Sam nodded and took a sip of his coffee. “I honestly thought you two were dating in high school.”
Cas shook his head. “We didn’t start dating until college.”
“Makes sense.”Sam nodded. “After all – you two did share a dorm and an apartment the whole time you went to Kansas University.”
Castiel nodded and noticed Dean’s silence. He sighed and looked at Sam. “I honestly don’t think Dean meant to keep this from you, Sam. He was more worried about what your father would say.”
“Seriously, Dean?” Sam’s disbelief was evident in his tone. “What? Did you think I was gonna go running to Dad about this?”
“Of course not,” Dean snapped and turned to stare out the window. Castiel sighed – he knew from experience that Dean was most likely going to shut down. Dean had never been comfortable with talking about his emotions – he was getting better at it – but this was too much. Thankfully there came a distraction then – in the form of waitress bringing them their slices of pie.
The three men sat quietly as she collected the empty dishes and refilled the three coffee cups. Sam asked for more of the loaded tater tots - and the waitress took off. Once she was out of earshot, Sam took a deep breath – he looked like he was preparing himself for a battle; a little dramatic possibly – but sometimes trying to discuss emotions with Dean was like that
“Listen Dean. I love you. And I know how happy you are with Cas. I hope that one day I can find someone that looks at me the way Cas he does when he looks at you,” he chuckled softly and Castiel smiled at that. “I’m not going to say anything to Mom and Dad because it’s not my business to tell them. But I think you should – I don’t think they’ll take it as bad as you’re thinking. Mom has always called Cas one of her boys and you might be surprised at how okay with this Dad would be.”
Castiel picked at his left over fries watching Dean as his jaw clenched. He knew his boyfriend and best friend well enough to know that despite Sam’s attempt to make Dean feel better, it wasn’t going to work.
“So,” Cas sat up in the booth, not missing the way Dean’s eyes flashed over to him before looking back at the snow falling on Baby. “Where’s this unnecessary gift from the Winchesters?”
Sam gave Castiel a grateful smile at the subject change but Dean sulked more.
“‘S dumb,” he muttered. “You wouldn’t like it.”
Castiel rolled his eyes and slid out of his side of the booth to move over to Dean’s. Sam slips into the vacated booth grabbing a fry off Cas’ plate.
Castiel stuck his hand in the pockets of Dean’s coat, reaching for the gift but also in an attempt to make the sulking man laugh. It worked as Dean chuckled and tried to squirm away from Cas.
“Cas,” Dean laughs a little harder. “We talked about this.” Castiel raises an eyebrow at him. “Personal space,” Dean finished with a fond smile.
Castiel had already achieved his goal though, the wrapped gift in his hand and pulled his hands out of Dean’s pockets. “You’re right. My apologies,” he the looked at Sam. “Sam, do you think Mary and John still have the guest room–” his words are cut off by Dean’s hand over his mouth.
“Ignore the brain surgeon, Sammy!” Dean said suddenly. “He’s the smartest dumb guy I know.”
Sam laughed and shook his head at their antics as Castiel licked Dean’s hand making him laugh.
“Seriously, Cas? You think that’s going to deter me from having my hand over your mouth?”
Castiel breathed heavily through his nose and pinched Dean’s hip making him yelp and pull away. “The hell, Cas?!”
Castiel just smirked and turning away from Dean to catch the smile their waitress gave them when she brought their food.
“That’s what you get,” he said simply, once she left and he started to tear apart the Sunday comics that were used as wrapping paper. What was in the paper made Castiel bust out laughing.
“I told you he would laugh!” Dean said smugly, watching his boyfriend with a wide smile and excited eyes.
Castiel couldn’t believe what he was looking at. It was so ridiculous that it was perfect and made him seriously contemplate getting a Christmas tree next year. Leave it to Dean -- because let's face it, this was all Dean even without Sam’s protests -- to find the tackiest Christmas ornament known to man, but for it to be perfect for Cas.
The ornament in question was a plastic replica of the human brain complete with brainstem. Not only was it a brain, but it was a brain with a Santa hat. Castiel shook his head, chuckling as he put the present down.
“Thank you, guys.” He said sincerely. “I actually love it.”
“But it’s hideous and you hate Christmas,” Sam pointed out in disbelief, tater tots speared to his fork, hung in midair as he pointed these facts out.
“I do. It’s the irony and meaning behind it that makes it perfect,” Cas explained.
Sam scrunched up his nose as Dean tucked into his pecan pie. “What?”
Castiel, still smiling, tucked the ornament into his coat pocket. “You know how I hate Christmas because it becomes more about the money than the meaning?” Sam nodded while stealing a fork full of pie from Dean, earning him a mouthful of ‘Dude!’ and a threat of being stabbed by his fork. “Well, a friend of ours used to call Dean and I Pinky and the Brain, never telling us who was which. ” Castiel smiled fondly at Dean who matched his smile and Sam made a gagging noise, earning another balled up napkin thrown at him.” We used to fight over who was who.”
“Well,” Castiel continued. “Before I left for grad school…”
Dean cut him off. “At the airport I asked him, So what are we gonna do tonight? And he responded with…”
“Same thing we do every night, Pinky. Try to take over the world,” Cas finished.
“So what,” Sam asked, wiping his mouth off. “Is that your ‘we’ll always have Paris’ moment?”
Dean nodded and Castiel laughed. “Yes, if chick-flicks were Dean’s thing, I suppose it is.”
“He loves chick-flicks,” Sam laughed at his brother who waggled his eyebrows at him while finishing off his pie.
Castiel only smiled and nodded his head in agreement.
The three of them spent the rest of their time filling up on loaded tater tots and pie, sharing laughs and stories. When the clock struck a little after two in the morning, the three decide to head out and Castiel finds a new Christmas tradition he wouldn’t mind doing every year.
Denny’s at midnight with his two best friends. Best. Present. Ever.