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Cas has lived for a very, very long time. He has seen the rise and fall of nations, genocides, creation, angels falling, wars with death everywhere, and so much more.
A year isn't really that long for him.
Dean thinks Cas needs to lighten up a bit.
"Cas, it's New Year's Eve! I know you've at least heard or seen the New York Ball Drop." Dean was in shock. There was absolutely no way that Cas had never even heard of the ball drop. He was alive when they had the first one! It'd be hard to observe humans if you can't see that almost all of them celebrate all of one night every year.
Cas cocked his head to the side. "My post wasn't to understand what humans did. I only had to know what you were doing."
Dean shook his head. "That's it. Sammy!"
After a minute, Sam stuck his head around the door frame and sighed. "What, Dean?"
"What are some traditions normal people do on New Year's Eve? Cas needs education." Sam did that little half smile he did when he was thinking that Dean was finally acting like himself again.
Dean rolled his eyes and made an impatient hand motion. "Uh, I dunno. Watch the ball drop, there's this parade thing called the Rose Bowl, I think there's some special meal to give you good luck, and get drunk. Oh, and there's New Year's resolutions, along with all of the performers before the ball drop."
He looked at Cas, smirking. "Ready for the human culture lesson?"
*~*
Cas peered into the kitchen where Dean was cooking. There were black eyed peas, cornbread, and ham. Dean was putting everything onto plates and filling glasses with sweet tea. He glanced over at Cas and smiled. "Mind helping me carry this to the table?"
Sam came in as they finished setting places. "Sweet tea?" Dean shrugged.
"Cas wanted some. We had some. I made it," he said. Sam smiled and nodded, glancing between them and taking a seat. "So Cas, go ahead. Dig in."
"Dean, you are aware that I still don't require food?" Cas asked even as his mouth watered over the smell.
He rolled his eyes. "Just cause you don't need it doesn't mean you don't like it. Eat the damn food, Cas."
*~*
"Wow Cas. How are you not drunk?" Dean stared in wonder as Cas downed beer after beer without even flinching; he must've drank 47 at least by now. Cas shrugged and downed another before answering.
"As an angel, I naturally have a higher tolerance of alcohol. It's harder for me to become intoxicated."
Dean looked toward the TV screen, currently playing another pop star of some kind. "Follow up question: how much will it take to get you drunk?"
Cas laughed, making Dean glance over quickly. "You can change the channel, Dean. The bad music isn't necessary, I'm sure. We'll just change back before midnight so we can see the ball drop."
He downed another beer, and another, until Dean remembered he was supposed to be doing something and started the search for good movies or TV shows or anything better than shitty pop music.
Sam came back in with the popcorn he was making and caught Dean staring at Cas, who was drinking his drinks with a small smile on his face.
"Is that popcorn, Sam?"
*~*
Sam plopped down in a comfy chair across from Dean at 10:03. "So, New Year's resolutions. Any ideas?"
Cas grew a thoughtful look. "This is something we want to get done in the year ahead, correct?" Dean nodded.
"I want to finally inspect the rest of the cars in the garage and explore the Bunker a bit more," Dean stated.
"Hmm... I kinda want to do more research this year." Same saw the look on Dean's face and said, "Oh shut up. I just don't want anything to catch us off guard to the point where we have no idea what we're dealing with. That's not a problem with you, is it?" Sam asked sarcastically.
Dean held his hands up in the sign for surrender. "What about you, Cas?"
Cas smiled at both of them. "I would like to start a garden and get a cat."
Dean blinked in surprise. "A cat?"
He nodded with a smile.
Sam and Dean looked at each other, Sam with a smile and Dean with a surprised face. "Go for it Cas. Just tell us when so we can all get things ready." Dean turned back to Sam.
"What are you doing?" he hissed in a whisper.
Sam shrugged. "Hey, if he wants to start a garden, we can get popular spell ingredients for free. I can get some vegetables, and you can get some nice hydrangeas."
Dean glared. "And the cat?"
"Why not?" Sam rolled his eyes. "It's his home too. If he wants a cat, he can get a cat. We'll just have to keep him or her away from you and hope you don't have too bad of an allergic reaction."
"Okay then." Dean turned to a still smiling Cas. "Give us some warning before you get the cat though, please."
Cas' smile grew before he went back to downing his drinks.
*~*
"Sam! What's taking so long, the ball's about to drop!" Dean yelled so Sam would hear him in the bathroom. When he didn't get an answer, he immediately went alert. "Sam?" Dean walked the way to Sam's room and found him asleep on his bed.
Relaxing, he decided to let Sam sleep. Kid's had enough on his plate, deserves a little rest. Dean walked back to the living room where Cas was watching the door for him. "Is Sam okay?"
It was rare to see Cas' emotions so clearly. He'd known Cas for a long time, so of course he could read his emotions. It was different for Cas to show so openly what he was feeling. Apparently, when he was drunk, barriers were down. Cas was trying to be concerned, but he was so content and happy that a smile kept popping up on his face. His entire body was facing the TV, but his head was facing the door for Dean. He wondered why Cas always hid this.
"Sam's all good, he fell asleep. We'll wake him up at midnight. Let's watch them count down to the ball drop!" And with that Dean dropped himself next to Cas and watched the count down.
"Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" As the people all cheered, Cas noticed the time difference between them.
"Dean, this has been pointless. It isn't midnight here." Cas squinted his eyes and tilted his head. Dean could see the resemblance between him and a cat.
Dean couldn't help the laugh that slipped out. "That doesn't make it pointless. Look how much fun those people are having!"
On screen, people all over were kissing and cheering. The announcers were making jokes and laughing and Cas still looked confused.
"Dean, it might not have been pointless for the people in their time zone, we are not, and so this has been pointless."
"C'mon Cas! I know you've enjoyed this." Cas stayed silent but squinted more, which really just proved Dean's point. "Okay, okay, let's just play some games and wait until midnight. We could even make our own ball drop! What do ya say, Cas?"
Cas let the squinty scowl fade into a wide-eyed smile. "I think I'd like that Dean. Can we get some food, too?"
*~*
A tone played off Dean's phone, reminding him that it was 11:59. "Is that it, Dean?"
Looking over at Cas and their ball drop, he smiled. "Yeah Cas, its 11:59. You ready to make this happen?"
Their ball drop was rather last minute, so they made it out of a short pole, pipe cleaners, string, tape, and some fasteners. They had fastened the pole onto a workshop table, built the ball to fit around the pole, taped it together, made a type of pulley system using string, taped that together, and had just been trying it out when the alarm rang out.
Cas smiled and started slowly pulling it up while Dean counted out. "Thirty," had him halfway, and at "Ten," he looked and smiled at Dean before starting to yell out with him.
"Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!" Cas let go of the string and watched the ball drop to the table and bounce a bit. He glanced up in joy before stepping up and kissing Dean.
Dean stood shocked before pulling back a bit. "Uh Cas? What're you doing?"
Cas gave him a dopey smile. "Isn't this one of your traditions? I saw it on the television." Dean stood absolutely still.
"You don't have to do all the traditions, Cas. You don't have to do this one if you don't want to." He struggled not to pounce on Cas and kiss him and hold him and laugh and be happy, because Dean honestly couldn't stand himself if Cas wasn't completely sure that he wanted this. Hell, Dean wasn't even sure he wanted this! Or, at least, he wasn't sure until a few seconds ago.
Cas frowned. "No, no, no, no, I like this one. I think I like it better than the ball drop." He stopped to consider. "Yep. Better than the ball drop." And he surged forward again to kiss Dean. He missed, landing half on Dean's chin and made a confused noise. And Dean just couldn't stop the laugh that came out, and after the first one, he couldn't stop.
"Dean? Dean, why are you laughing? Dean?" Cas looked confused and a little hurt, so Dean stopped laughing. He kept the smile out, though.
He cupped Cas' face in his hands and kissed him softly before pulling back. "Happy New Year, Cas."
Cas smiled hesitantly, widening when he saw Dean was happy. "Happy New Year, Dean."
*~*
Sam waited in his room until well after midnight before venturing out to see if anything happened. What he came upon in the living room was Cas curled facing Dean and Dean curled towards Cas on the spacious couch.
Sam smiled and took a quick picture on his phone to use against them and sagged with relief against the doorway. He wasn't surprised it took Cas getting drunk and him being out of the way for this to happen, but he wished that it would've happened a lot sooner.
Dean and Cas had loved each other for years, but seeing as Dean was too oblivious and Cas didn't want to force him into this and eventually doubt whether it was real. Sam and Cas had long, deep conversations about Dean, and Sam couldn't be happier for them to finally be together.
As long as Dean and Cas kept the noise down, they wouldn't have any problems with Sam for a while.
The End