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“Dean!” Castiel shouted from the kitchen of their shared apartment.
It was the uneasiness in his voice that had Dean sprinting into the room. “Yeah?” he huffed as he made a mental note to do more cardio.
Cas cautiously held up a bundle of leafy green vegetable as if it could come to life at any second. “What’s this?”
Dean rolled his eyes. “It’s kale, genius. You love that stuff.”
“I know it’s kale,” Cas said slowly, exasperated, “but I didn’t buy it. How did it end up in our fridge?”
Dean sighed in resignation. “Sammy’s coming to visit for a few days while he’s on break from Stanford, and he’s always getting on me to eat more vegetables. So…” He gestured to the vegetable in Cas’s hand.
“You know you should actually be eating the vegetable and not just displaying it for him to see, right?” He put the kale back into the refrigerator and turned back to his friend. “When’s he supposed to get here again?”
“A little after 2. He’ll be settled in by the time you’re off work. Maybe we can grab some dinner together or something. I can’t wait for you to meet him.” Dean clapped his hands together excitedly. “Maybe we can hit up a club or a bar or something.”
Cas shook his head. “I highly doubt you two would like the kind of clubs or bars I go to.”
“I’m not taking my little brother to a gay bar!”
“You had fun last time,” Cas reasoned.
“That was the tequila’s fault,” Dean said defensively. He threw Cas’s apron at him. “Go make some overpriced coffee drinks and get back here by 5:30. Don’t let Meg talk you into working a double again!” he warned.
Cas shoved the apron into his backpack and wandered out the front door.
—-
A few hours later, Dean opened the door to see his little brother with duffel bag in hand. “Sammy!” He pulled his oversized brother into a bear hug. “Come on in!”
Sam stepped in and looked around. “This is so much nicer than the dorms at Stanford.”
“I’ll bet! The food is probably better too.” He held up a muffin as they made their way past the kitchen. “You hungry? My roommate brings back day-old pastries from the coffee shop he works at.”
Sam wrinkled his nose. “Do you have anything a little bit healthier?”
Dean shrugged. “There’s some kale and fruit and stuff in the fridge. Most of it’s Cas’s, but he won’t mind.”
“I can’t wait to meet him. You’re always going on about him.”
“I am not!” Dean denied.
“You’re always saying, ‘Cas this or Cas that.’ I barely got two steps in here before you brought up the pastries he brings home for you.”
Dean shook his head. “It ain’t like that, Sammy. He might be gay, but I most certainly am not.”
Sam raised an eyebrow but didn’t push the subject any further. “Well, since not all of us are in denial, I just want to say that I have a date tomorrow. His name is Clarence, and we’re going to the farmers’ market.”
“Wow.” Dean coughed to hide his surprise. “Good for you, Sammy. Not even in town for two minutes, and you’ve already got yourself a date.”
“We met at a coffee shop I stopped at on my way here. He’s a history buff like me, and he’s got these amazing blue eyes.”
“Well, Romeo, let’s get you set up on the futon, and you can tell me all about Blue Eyes.” Dean slung an arm around his brother and led him into the living room.
—-
It was close to 6 o’clock before Cas made it back to the apartment.
“Didn’t I say to be home by 5:30?” Dean called out from the living room. He looked at Sam at the other end of the couch and rolled his eyes dramatically.
“I heard you clearly this morning. I, however, did not agree to such terms,” Cas yelled back as he kicked off his shoes and dropped his backpack down in the hallway.
“You two sound like an old married couple,” Sam commented.
“Hurry up, and come meet my brother who thinks he has sense of humor!”
“Alright, I’m… Sam…” Cas stopped in his tracks.
“Clarence…”
“Clarence? No, Sammy, this is Cas.”
“No, this is the barista I met at the coffee shop earlier. His coworker called him Clarence.”
Cas wiped a hand down his face. “Ugh. Meg. She calls me that sometimes. She says I remind her of some angel in some movie because of my volunteer work.”
“‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’” Sam clarified. “So you’re Dean’s roommate.” He looked Castiel up and down, re-examining him.
“So you’re Dean’s brother.” Cas squinted before breaking into a smile. “It’s nice to meet you… again.”
Sam smiled back. “Likewise.”
Dean coughed awkwardly, looking between the two. “Why don’t we go and get some burgers?” He stood and grabbed his jacket, heading for the door before the other two had a chance to respond.
—-
Dinner was even more awkward for Dean with Sam and Cas trying and failing to be subtle with their flirting.
“So what kind of volunteer work do you do?” Sam asked, twirling the straw in his drink. He was sat in the booth opposite Cas and Dean.
Cas shrugged. “Whatever I can find time for, really. There’s the soup kitchen, the animal shelter, clean water project, meal deliveries…”
“Wow! You really are an angel!”
Cas shook his head and looked away, trying to hide a blush. “I don’t know about that.”
“And much better looking than Clarence too,” Sam added.
Dean rolled his eyes. He jabbed a fry into his ramekin of ketchup. “Yeah, yeah. He’s perfect. Pretty blue eyes, helps old ladies cross the street, always takes out the recycling, and always throws a blanket on me when I pass out on the couch.”
“You think my eyes are pretty?” Castiel asked, not registering the sarcasm in Dean’s voice.
Dean swallowed the lump in his throat, averting his gaze from said eyes. “No. Of course not. Sam does.”
“Oh.” Cas looked away again. “I like your eyes too.”
Dean bit the inside of his cheek.
“So, Dean told me you were a social worker, not a barista.”
Cas pushed some peas around on his plate with his fork. “I am during the week. I’ve been picking up some shifts at the coffee shop to pay off my car.”
“Ah, the pimpmobile,” Dean said fondly. “A crappy ‘78 Continental Mark V.”
Castiel pouted. “You think it’s crappy?”
Sam smirked. “Eye of the beholder,” he said with a wink. “So you’re a social worker, a volunteer, and you make a mean cup of coffee. How are you still single?”
“He’d have to date first,” Dean scoffed.
“I date,” Cas said defensively.
Dean threw his arm around his friend playfully. “That one guy from the gym doesn’t count. I’m pretty sure he was trying to sell you a lifetime membership.”
“Just because I don’t tell you about the dates doesn’t mean they don’t happen,” Cas murmured.
Dean’s face fell. His arm dropped from Cas’s shoulder. “You go on dates without telling me?”
“You bring home girls without telling me. I only find out about them when I have to make an extra set of pancakes in the morning,” Cas countered.
“Yeah, but at least you find out about them,” Dean said, clearly hurt. “I’m just now hearing about these dates.”
“They’re nothing serious. I’d tell you if any of them were.”
“Yeah, like how you told me you’re going to the farmers’ market with Sammy here tomorrow. How serious is that?”
“Dean…” Sam warned.
Cas sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I didn’t know he was your brother when we made plans, but yes, we have a date tomorrow. I don’t know how serious it will be; we just met a few hours ago.”
“So do you take all your dates to the farmers’ market?”
“Dean…” Sam said again.
“No, I went and saw the latest Fast & Furious movie on my last date,” Cas answered meekly. He braced himself for Dean’s reaction.
“You said you were going to wait and see that with me!” Dean pushed himself out of the booth away from his friend. He dug into his wallet and threw a few bills down.
By the time he made it out of the diner, Sam had caught up with him. “Dude, what’s your problem?”
“Nothing. You should stay. Go ahead and start your date early.” He couldn’t keep the sarcasm from his voice.
“Does it bother you that I’m going on a date with Cas?”
“No,” Dean muttered unconvincingly. “He can date whoever he wants. Obviously.”
Sam decided to rephrase his question. “Does it bother you that he’s not going on a date with you?”
Dean’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “What? No! I’m not gay! I just wish he’d…” He shrugged, not quite sure how to continue. “I just wish… I dunno. Look, stay. Finish dinner with Cas. Have fun. I’ll take an Uber back to the apartment.”
Dean handed Sam the keys to the Impala and tapped away on his phone to find a ride.
“Dean…” Sam started, but his brother would not look up from his phone. “Fine, I’ll see you back at the apartment.”
—-
Dean hid in his room with a six pack of beer until the next morning. He had heard the lovebirds coming back much later than a typical dinner should take but decided to leave them to themselves.
He peeked his head out of his bedroom door a little after 10am to find Cas and Sam sipping coffee together but sitting on opposite ends of the couch.
“Hello, Dean,” Cas said, spotting his roommate from the corner of his eye.
Dean stepped out into the living room, running a hand through his hair. “Morning, guys. Um, how was your night?”
The two shared a look that Dean couldn’t decipher.
“It was fine,” Sam finally said.
“Yeah, fine,” Cas agreed.
“Just fine?” Dean questioned. He kept looking from one man to the other, trying to figure out what they weren’t telling him.
“We kissed,” Sam admitted. He didn’t seem as thrilled about it as Dean would imagine one would be after kissing Cas, not that he had imagined it before.
Cas let out a breath. “It was like kissing my brother, and believe me, I unfortunately know what that’s like.” He tilted his head and frowned. “Gabriel has never been one to turn down a dare.”
Dean bit his lip to keep from smiling. “Really? You two just seem like you have so much in common.” He tried to sound sympathetic.
Sam rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, well, after you told us so much about each other, it felt like we’ve known each other forever, every embarrassing story and awkward moment.”
“Yeah, I did not need the mental image of Sam peeing his pants during a road trip with your father as he kissed me in that very same car.” Cas shook his head sadly.
Dean slapped his leg as he laughed. “That’s an amazing story, isn’t it?”
Sam rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m off to the farmers’ market.”
“Really? You guys are still going?” Dean asked.
“No, I am. Cas’s friend Eileen is going to show me around.” Sam stood up and pulled the Impala keys from his pocket. “I’m taking the car. You two stay. Finish breakfast. Have fun.” He winked at Dean before leaving.
Dean poured himself a cup of coffee before joining Cas on the couch. He didn’t keep the same kind of distance Sam had done.
“So…” Dean started.
“So?” Cas raised an eyebrow as he waited for Dean to complete his thought.
Dean’s thumbs fiddled with the handle of his mug. “What are your plans now that your date’s a bust?”
Cas shrugged. “Do you want to go see the new John Wick movie?”
Dean grinned. “I thought you’d never ask.”