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"Cas, play twenty questions with me."
The angel looked up at Dean from where he lay on the couch, eyes already squinting, indicating to Dean he had no idea what the hunter was talking about.
Dean sighed and sat down on the chair next to the sofa, “Twenty questions. Its a game. One person thinks of any object, and the other has twenty questions to guess what that object is.”
Still squinting, Castiel asked, “Why?”
”Cause its fun, I’m bored, and Sam’s out for a burger run. Humor me.”
Castiel complied, shrugging his agreement and looking to Dean for instruction.
"Okay, you go first. I’m thinking of something. Ask away, but make sure to count your questions."
"Okay…. Is it a pointless game with an equally pointless resolution?"
"Okay, Sasstiel, do you wanna play or not?"
"Okay, okay," the angel sat up to look Dean in the eyes.
"No mind reading!" Dean added quickly, casting a suspicious look at the focused angel.
"Fine," Castiel lay back down, "Is it an animal?"
"In a sense."
"Is it a supernatural entity?"
"Yes," Dean said grudgingly.
"Is it an individual person."
"Yup."
"Do you know this person?"
"Yes."
"Is it a multidimensional wavelength of celestial intent?"
"…. Yes."
"Is it me?"
"Yes, yes, okay. My turn. Think of something you know-it-all, overachieving wavelength," Dean grumbled.
Castiel smiled lightly at the disgruntled man before taking a moment to think of something. After a minute, he said, “Okay.”
"Is it an animal?"
"No."
"Is it a food?"
"No."
"Mineral?"
"No."
"Object?!"
"No."
Dean sighed, “Is it something you feel?”
"Yes."
Dean thought for a moment, “Is it an emotion?”
"Yes."
"A human emotion?"
Castiel thought for a moment, “I guess its considered that, yes.”
Gazing at him, Dean continued, “Is it a good feeling?”
"Yes, very."
"Is it a sappy feeling?"
Castiel smiled slightly, “In your terms, yes.”
"Does it rhyme with dove?"
Cas sighed, submitting one final, “Yes,” and awaiting Dean’s defeating blow.
"… Can angels feel it?"
Castiel raised his eyebrows at the unexpected question, as it was obvious Dean knew what his word was. He gazed at the hunter through big blue eyes, searching his face for emotions. The man’s expression remained carefully interested as he returned Castiel’s look.
"Yes," he finally answered. Dean nodded and looked down at his hands.
"Do… Do you feel it?"
Cas felt the blush rising to his checks as he quickly averted his eyes from the slightly flustered Winchester and thought of how to answer. He had ‘no’ as an option, but that’d be lying completely. Besides, he did love. He loved his found family, he loved his friends. He loved bees, extensively for a short while. And also, Dean’s question didn’t imply anything about being IN love, so he deemed it safe.
"Yes."
He heard a quick breath escape Dean and waited silently for him to continue.
"Um… Do you feel it, ya know, towards someone?"
Castiel hung to his previous ruling, that he did indeed love his friends. He answered a quiet, “Yes,” even while every instinct told him to shout no. He noticed his eyes being slowly drawn towards Dean again, but didn’t look away even when he saw the reddening man glancing uncertainly at him. Finally their eyes locked and Castiel felt himself stop breathing for some reason.
"Towards… someone you know?"
Castiel nodded slightly, not trusting his own voice.
"Well?"
Another nod.
Dean licked his lips nervously, mouth opening for his final question, counting of said questions long forgotten, when suddenly the door rushed open.
The pair sat up immediately, head snapping to the doorway. Sam entered, a paper bag in one hand, a newspaper in the other.
”Oh, there you guys are,” he said, looking at them both. He held up the bag and looked at Dean, “I got your heart attack on a bun, and,” he lifted the newspaper, “a case.”
He glanced back an forth between the two, who sat silent and wide eyed, staring at the Winchester.
Sam gave them a weird look, “Everything okay?”
"Yeah," Dean said right away, throwing him a lazy half smile, "All’s good."
Sam stared at him for a moment, “Okay, so… Come on,” he gestured to the door, implying dinner in the library.
"Right, right," Dean stood along with Castiel and the pair started following Sam out of the room. The angel and hunter shared a quick glance. It only lasted a second, but Dean was startled by the sadness Castiel’s eyes held before he followed Deans brother through the doorway. He realized he almost just hit a very sensitive topic, one that Castiel might not have been ready to share.
Dean chastised himself for almost hurting Cas for his own damn curiosity. For his own damn hope. He followed suit and soon the three were seated in the library, Dean eating his burger, Sam talking about some definitely-our-sorta-thing deaths, and Cas listening intently.
Dean didn’t ask to play twenty questions again.