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Pancakes, bacon, sausage, home fries, fresh toast, and coffee. There was no better way to start off a morning. Sam's girly breakfast of an egg white omelet with veggies and whole wheat toast and milk couldn't even come close to comparing. Dean slapped his menu shut and shot the waitress a sunny smile. She smiled back at him, a light flush rising to her cheeks when he tossed in a wink for good measure. When she turned to walk away, she added an extra sway to her hips that strongly suggested he was going to end up with some extra bacon.
"Dude," Sam said.
Dean blinked and turned back to his brother, raising an eyebrow at the look on Sam's face. That was definitely a bitchface, although it hard to tell which. Probably wasn't about the food he'd ordered, since for the most part Sam had given up on lecturing him about his choices, so apparently Dean had done something else in the half an hour they had both been awake. He sighed inwardly as he pulled his coffee close, adding a little bit of sugar and giving it a slow stir.
"What?" he asked finally.
"I can't believe you're flirting with her."
"I wasn't flirting with her!"
"You so were," Sam said, bitchface getting even more prominent.
"Sam, I was not flirting," Dean said, rolling his eyes and taking a long drink of his coffee. "I just smiled. That's all."
"You also winked," Sam pointed out. "You winked and you smiled, Dean, that's flirting."
"I was being polite." And okay, maybe he sounded just a shade too defensive. But he didn't like what Sam was trying to imply. He couldn't help turning on the charm when it came to women. It was something he'd been perfecting since he was fourteen years old and he'd realized that a cute (or lascivious) smile could go a long way towards getting him what he wanted, whether that was extra bacon or information for a hunt or a quick stress relieving romp between the sheets. By now, it was practically second nature. However, that didn't mean it meant anything. It was harmless.
Sam shook his head slowly. "Sure," he said in a tone that made it very clear he highly doubted the innocence of his brother's actions. "I just never thought you'd be the kind of person to do that to Cas and Gabe."
"I didn't do anything," Dean snapped, annoyed now. "Maybe I was flirting a little. To tell you the truth, I don't even think about it now. But you know what, Sammy? I really resent the fact that you think I would. You know that I'm mated." He had to force himself to drop his voice to a quieter tone, not wanting to draw attention to their conversation, even though what he really wanted to do was yell until Sam got the message. "That's forever, and I wouldn't do anything to mess that up. Especially not over an extra side of bacon. I'm not that shallow."
For a long, tense moment, Sam just watched him. Then he sighed and said, "Okay, you're right. It's just weird to watch you flirt now. I'm still used to it going somewhere."
"Well, it's not," Dean said, scowling down at his coffee and giving it a particularly vicious stir this time around. Sometimes he was still amazed that Castiel and Gabriel had chosen him, out of all the humans and angels in the world. There was no way he would do anything to mess that up.
"Right," Sam said, and then he was quiet. The waitress came over with their food and a refill for Dean's coffee, apparently not noticing the tension. Sure enough, there was some extra sausage and bacon piled on the edge of Dean's plate. But he could barely bring himself to respond to the wink that the waitress gave him. Suddenly, he was seeing his encounters with women in a whole new light.
He stared down at his plate, wondering if either of his lovers had ever questioned his faithfulness to them. Or did they only know that he would never cheat on them because they could both see inside his head? Dean couldn't be sure, and it bothered him more than he wanted to admit. Maybe he should try to cut back on the whole flirting thing, except for on hunts where it was sometimes the extra edge they needed to get information. But at the same time, he was reluctant to do that. He liked flirting. He liked it when anyone, male or female, smiled at him or giggled at his jokes. He liked being liked, stupid as that sounded.
Of course, none of that was worth ruining his relationship for.
A lot less eager than before, he cut up one of his pancakes and poured enough syrup on top that Gabriel would've been proud. As he lifted a wedge to his mouth, Sam cleared his throat. Dean glanced up at him, realizing that his brother looked highly uncomfortable.
"Oh, come on. Are you going to complain about my food now?"
"No. If you want to give yourself a heart attack, that's your choice," Sam said. He had yet to touch his food. He cleared his throat several times before adding, "Um, so. So you know a couple weeks ago when we, um, ended up at that hotel. And you guys were in your room for, like, the whole week."
"Yeah," Dean said slowly, determinedly not blushing at the memory.
"And you know I had some company."
"I sure as hell didn't expect you to spend the whole time alone."
Sam just nodded. "I, um. Didn't tell you that. Um. I spent the week with Balthazar and Samandriel."
It turned out that hot coffee was really not fun to choke on. Dean spit most of it back onto his plate and started coughing up a storm. It felt like his throat was swelling up, which wasn't a bad thing because at least then his lungs wouldn't be able to get coughed out, but he still waved a hand for Sam to stay where he was. Sam was looking increasingly worried, right up to the point where a warm palm came down between Dean's shoulder blades. A familiar tingling spread through him, easing the cough and clearing his airway. He took a deep breath, swallowing and realizing that there was no more pain, though his throat still felt hoarse. He turned to see that Castiel was sitting beside him.
"Are you okay, Dean?" Castiel asked.
"Yeah," Dean said roughly, grimacing and coughing a bit more. "Thanks, Cas." He no longer questioned how the angel had known that he was in pain. Dean's shields weren't nearly as strong as those of his mates, and, in times of exhaustion or extreme emotion like fear, anger or pain, unless he really concentrated on keeping them in place, his shields would crumble away.
Castiel touched his plate with a deft finger, restoring the food back to its previous quality. "Perhaps you should stick to milk from now on, like Sam."
"Let's not go crazy. You don't want to be around me when I haven't had my coffee," Dean joked.
Castiel merely smiled at him, the affectionate look in his eyes speaking volumes about just how untrue that statement was, and Dean blushed as the angel leaned in to brush a sweet kiss across his mouth before vanishing. A quick glance around showed that no one was the wiser, the other occupants of the diner continuing on with their business as if someone hadn't just appeared and then disappeared. It was one of many perks of being mated to angels. He turned back to Sam just in time to see an odd expression on his brother's face, one that vanished almost too quickly for Dean to decipher.
Almost.
"Balthazar and Samandriel," Dean repeated through gritted teeth. He wasn't exactly thrilled with the idea of Sam being around any angels. Lucifer was still hell bent on trying to coax Sam into being his vessel, and Dean didn't trust any angels except the two that he was mated with. He didn't care that Castiel had been the one to introduce Balthazar and Samandriel (and Inias, Hester and Hannah, though Dean hadn't seen those three since) in the first place. They were still angels and that meant they were dicks.
Okay, maybe if pushed he could admit that Samandriel wasn't bad. That little angel was way too naive to be mixed up with Satan.
But Balthazar? Even if the guy wasn't working with Lucifer, he was a douchebag.
"Yes," Sam said testily, his anxiety bleeding away into defensiveness. "For your information, it was actually really nice. Balthazar was very informative about history, and Samandriel had lots of questions about the human world. Unlike you, he actually listened when I talked."
Dean shot him a flat look, refusing to believe that during the whole week there hadn't been even a little bit of inappropriate touching. "What the hell, man. Balthazar? Seriously? He's a dick!"
"Dean, you mated with Gabriel. He killed you over a hundred times. I don't really think you have a leg to stand on when it comes to judging."
"That's different. Gabriel apologized," Dean mumbled, trying very hard not to imagine his baby brother in a compromising position with those two. It was impossible. His mind kept inviting forth horrifying images. "Christ, Sammy. What are you thinking?"
"I was thinking that while I'm really happy for you, I'm tired of being left out when you flaunt Cas and Gabe in front of me," Sam snapped.
"Flaunt?" Dean repeated, stung. That was the exact opposite of what he tried to do. There was a reason that he tried not to be very physically affectionate with his mates when anyone was around, but especially Sam. And that was damned hard, because sometimes after an especially rough hunt or a bad night's sleep, all he wanted to do was cuddle. He'd never told his brother that he had tried to get Castiel and Gabriel to pick him instead, but now he wondered if maybe he should have.
Sam deflated. "I didn't mean it like that, Dean. I just - the only angel interested in me is, like you said, trying to wear me to the prom. And I'm sick of it. I want a relationship. I want what you have."
That definitely struck a chord, sending Dean all the way back to Sam's terrible twos. The word "mine" was definitely a favorite of little Sam's, and for about a solid eight months nothing had belonged to Dean. It didn't matter what it was, Sam wanted it whether it was good for him or not. He took a deep breath, pushing those thoughts away, and stood up. "I get it, Sammy."
"Dean, wait -"
He ignored Sam, leaving his brother and his mostly untouched meal behind as he walked towards the door of the diner. The waitress tossed him a cheerful wave, but Dean barely noticed. The sun hit him in the face when he stepped outside, but that wasn't the only reason he was walking blind. He moved forward anyway, blinking hard, and tripped when the edge of the sidewalk suddenly disappeared. Hands caught him before he could hit the ground, easily lifting him back up.
"Thanks Cas," Dean muttered, letting the angel support his weight for the moment. He was suddenly so fucking tired he didn't even feel like he could stand. He rested his forehead against Castiel's collarbone, breathing in the faint scent. A warm, familiar weight came around his shoulders, and he could tell without looking that he was surrounded in Castiel's wings. Not that he would have been able to see anything but a faint outline unless Castiel chose to show them, and he wouldn't since they were in public.
"What's wrong?" Castiel asked quietly, his lips brushing against the crown of Dean's head as he spoke.
"What's right?" Dean countered. It was hard to believe that an hour ago, the most difficult decision in his life was whether he should get chocolate chips in his pancakes or not. Now, he was torn between wondering if his habit of flirting was hurting his relationship, worrying about Sam getting into something serious with dicks just because he was jealous, and hurt that Sam thought he'd been flaunting what he had. Sometimes he wasn't sure why he even bothered to try. It would be so much easier if he just laid down somewhere and gave up.
Castiel's arms tightened fractionally around him, the only warning Dean got before they were flying. He swallowed back a yelp and clutched harder at Castiel, the momentary disorientation fading as quickly as it had come. Still, he didn't lift his head even when he felt two more hands on his shoulders, sliding down his arms and to his hips. Gabriel stepped close enough that Dean could feel the coolness coming from him all up and down his back, and it felt blissful to be trapped between them: Castiel running hot and Gabriel a few degrees cooler. He sighed, sagging between the two of them, trusting that they would be able to hold him up with no problems.
"Someone's had a hard morning," Gabriel noted, placing a gentle kiss against the back of Dean's neck. "Having a squabble with your brother, Princess?"
Dean sighed. "Sammy's been hitting on Samandriel and Balthazar. Or vice versa. I don't know which, and frankly I don't want to."
The lips against the base of his neck paused briefly. "Those three? Really? Interesting."
"Not interesting. Creepy."
"Creepy?" Castiel repeated. "Why?"
"Because."
"Because...." Gabriel prompted when the silence dragged on and it became obvious Dean wasn't going to offer anything else. He shifted his right hand and started to tickle Dean's belly. "Come on, sweetheart, use your words."
Dean squeaked, trying to get away from the light tickling, but it was pretty much impossible to escape when he was caged in by arms and wings. And it didn't seem like Castiel was inclined to help him. He squirmed uselessly for several seconds, biting his lip to keep from laughing, until finally it had to stop or he was going to piss himself. Desperate, he blurted out, "'Cause Balthazar is a dick and I don't trust any other angels and I don't think it's what Sam really wants! Oh fuck, Gabe, please stop!"
"Gabriel, enough," Castiel scolded, gripping Gabriel's wrist when he didn't immediately obey. Dean gasped for breath, his skin still tingling from the assault, and tried to regain his equilibrium as Castiel added, "Dean, I understand your apprehension about Balthazar and Samandriel. I know that trust doesn't come easily to you or your brother. But I don't think either one of them would approach Sam unless their interests were honorable."
"Not everyone's like you, Cas," Dean said, twitching when Gabriel pulled his hand free. Fortunately, though the hand settled back over his belly, there was no more tickling forthcoming.
"Why do you think it's not what Sam wants?" Gabriel asked, apparently more intrigued by the conversation than in teasing. "And I want an answer. Don't think Cassie will protect you forever."
"Asshole," Dean said under his breath, fully aware that both of them would hear, and felt the rumble of Castiel's chuckle under his cheek. "I just... Sammy said that I... he said I rub it in his face, what I have. With you. Even I didn't mean to. So I think he's just lonely. He wants someone to be with, but an angel isn't the right answer."
"You don't know that," Castiel pointed out.
"But you said it's forever!" Dean protested, finally lifting his head, looking between his angels.
"It is," Gabriel said immediately, concern flickering in his eyes. "It is forever, Princess, you know that."
"Then that's why it won't work for Sam. All I heard about when we were kids was how much he wanted the white picket fence life. He finally got that when he left for Stanford, and I dragged him back into this. Do you know what he told me the first time we left that apartment? That he could only come with me for two days because he had to be back for an interview. Two days. That somehow turned into... into this nightmare. Sam's only hunting because he has to. The second the Apocalypse is over, he's going to run right back to Stanford so he can resume his normal life. I don't think there's much room for angels in that scenario."
The torrent of words stopped only because Dean forced himself to shut up. He wanted to keep going. He wanted to say that he hated the idea of Sam going back to university, because the last time that happened Sam had cut off all contact between them. They might be on the brink of hell on Earth right now, but it was an excuse to spend time with his brother. And he wanted to say that that he was terrified Sam would follow his example and then regret it, or worse end up resenting Dean even more because of it, and that he hated himself for driving Sam to that point - but he hated himself even more because he didn't feel guilty about it, because he wouldn't have traded his mates for anything.
Both angels were quiet for a couple of minutes, which Dean appreciated if only because it gave him a chance to pull himself together a little. It was Gabriel who finally spoke, rubbing soothing circles on Dean's stomach as he said, "That was a long time ago. Sam hasn't been at Stanford in years. Maybe he's gained a different perspective in that time. Maybe he hasn't. But I do think that your brother is smart enough to understand what it means to mate with angels."
"I will speak to him," Castiel said before Dean had the chance to respond. "Though I expect that Balthazar and Samandriel will talk to him as well, I don't mind sitting Sam down and explaining the situation to him in detail if that will set your mind at ease. Then, at least Sam will be in a position to make an informed decision."
"And it will be only his decision," Gabriel said pointedly. "You can't control what he does. Just because he's jealous doesn't mean you're somehow at fault."
"He said -"
"I don't care what he said. I'm telling you what's true, and that's that you've never flaunted anything in front of your brother. If he's jealous, that's his issue to deal with. If he decides to mate with Balthazar and Samandriel, that's his choice. If he later decides that he's not happy with that, as long as you made sure that he had the whole story going in, that's all you can do. Sam's a grown man."
Dean frowned at the ground. Logically, Gabriel was probably right. But it was a lot harder to convince himself of that. He'd spent so long looking after Sam that it was second nature now. "But what if -"
"But what if you drive yourself crazy worrying about things you can't change?" Gabriel asked wryly, yelping when Dean drove an elbow backwards into his gut.
"Dean, Gabriel is right. You have to let Sam make his own decisions," Castiel said, rolling his eyes. "Even though it's difficult for you to do that."
"I hate it when you gang up on me," Dean grumbled.
Gabriel laughed. "More like you hate it when we make sense."
"You've been right like, three times. Don't get used to it," Dean said. He still didn't like the thought of Sam with Balthazar and, to a lesser degree, Samandriel. He twisted around, looking at Gabriel with his best puppy eyes. "Will you look into Balthazar and Samandriel for me? Please? I just - I need to know that they're okay."
It wasn't that he didn't trust Castiel's judgment. But he also knew that Castiel was intensely loyal to those he considered friends, and it was obvious that he was pretty close to the few angels he'd brought around. And this was Dean's baby brother. Even if he had his doubts about whether this was what Sam wanted, Gabriel and Castiel were right: it wasn't his decision to make.
However, that didn't mean he couldn't do a background check, and who better to do that than an archangel?
It never ceased to be amusing to see how quickly Gabriel melted. "Of course."
"Thanks," Dean said softly, smiling shyly. It might have been amusing, but it was also a little rattling to see how much of an effect he could have on such powerful beings. Of course, it probably helped that he had such high quality flirting skills.
Castiel griped his chin before he could let his head drop, pulling his head around. "I was listening to your conversation with Sam before I appeared to you," the angel told him. "Sam is wrong. You are cute when you flirt, and it does not bother us."
Dean sputtered, his cheeks flushing. "What? I am not cute!"
"Yes, you are," Gabriel said, smirking. "You preen under the attention like a cute little kitten. Maybe that's what I should start calling you from now on. Though I am partial to Princess. Or hey, Cassie, that's a great nickname for you to use."
"Kitten," Castiel mused, looking down at Dean with a wicked grin. "I like it. It suits you."
"It does not!"
"I beg to differ, Kitten."
"I hate you both."
--
Three days later, Dean was sitting on the bed in their motel room putting his shoes when Sam walked in. For a moment, the two brothers just looked at each other. They hadn't really talked since that breakfast, though Gabriel had come to Dean just that morning and told him that Balthazar and Samandriel checked out. Apparently Balthazar really was just an annoying douche, because he was firmly on the side of "stop the Apocalypse from destroying the Earth".
"I saw Cas," Sam said randomly, sounding a little awkward. "He, um, told me a few things."
"Did he?"
"Yeah. Look, Dean..." Sam blew out his breath in a sigh and crossed his arms. "I didn't mean to make it sound like I think you would cheat on Cas and Gabriel. I don't, especially now. And I'm sorry I blindsided you about Balthazar and Samandriel. I should have come up with a better way to tell you. I wasn't thinking."
"If that's what you want, I'm happy for you," said Dean. He'd repeated those words in the mirror until he felt he could say them with a reasonable measure of honesty. The practice must have paid off, because Sam relaxed and smiled at him.
"I don't know yet. We're nowhere near that point. Now that Cas explained everything, I definitely have some stuff to think about. Right now, I just like spending time with people who know what's going on. And if I get a little casual sex here and there -"
"Oh god, Sammy, I do not want to hear about that," Dean moaned, clapping his hands to his ears.
Sam laughed at him. "Consider it payback for all those times I walked in on your naked ass."
Dean glared at him, but he found it hard to be angry. Sam definitely looked happier than he had in weeks, if not months. Clearly the sex was a good source of stress relief, if nothing else, particularly since Dean knew exactly how much of a relief it was to be able to really let go. When you were with an angel, never mind two, you knew nothing could touch you. You were 100% safe. And that was freeing in a way neither he nor Sam were used to.
"Just take it slow," he opted to say instead, standing up and grabbing his bag.
"I will, though maybe not by your standards."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Dude, you and Cas danced around each other for like two years before he and Gabe finally jumped you. If it had been up to you, you'd still be single."
"You know, it's a hell of a long walk to the next town."
Sam grinned smugly. "I have angel express of my own now, remember?"
"As if that could ever replace Baby!" Dean exclaimed, insulted by the idea. "That's it, just for that you are walking."
His brother just laughed, and when the Impala drove out of the parking lot twenty minutes later, Sam was right there in the passenger's seat where he belonged.