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The bar smells like alcohol and desperation, like most bars do, with an added hint of loneliness mixed with sadness and a pinch of worry. This one is entirely average, and doing a very good job of it. Nothing about it would stand out in anyone’s mind; the tables, jukebox, bar, and patrons are wholly, completely, unequivocally ordinary. Which is exactly why Dean chose it.
This is Cas’ first time at an actual bar while human, so Dean is being very careful in his observation of the ex-angel. As in, no-Cas-you-cannot-have-more-than-two-beers careful, bordering on no-stop-talking-to-other-people-they-might-be-dangerous careful, almost reaching Cas-go-wait-in-the-car careful.
But, sadly, Dean had promised Sam that he’d teach Castiel how to function in society correctly, so when Sam went to the library, Dean dragged Cas’ trench-coated ass down to the local bar and set up in a corner booth, watching the angel’s attempts at conversation with a hawklike attentiveness. Cas is currently talking to the bartender, a rounded woman with black hair in a bun, exchanging small talk and obviously forgetting that he’s supposed to be bringing Dean a beer. Dean sighs and slumps down in his seat, giving up on having much fun.
Cas returns, lacking any alcohol whatsoever, with a smile on his face. Dean can’t help but smile back. Castiel’s smiles are so rare, ever since the angels fell.
“Have fun with the bartender?” Dean asks.
Cas nods enthusiastically. “She was telling me about the robins. They’re loud enough in the mornings to wake her up, so she doesn’t use an alarm clock. She said that they wake her up every morning before the sun even rises.”
Dean laughs at that. Trust in Cas to get excited about birds.
There’s a slightly awkward beat of silence.
“So, I was thinking. Since you’re a human now, you’re going to need to know how to talk to people. As in, how to talk to women,” Dean says slowly, almost nervously. Or men, he adds silently, because of course the great Dean Winchester can talk to both excellently. It’s actually almost the same technique.
“Okay,” Cas agrees hesitantly. Dean tries for a grin.
“Awesome,” he says, and leans forward so he can talk to Cas without being overheard. “You have to compliment them. It doesn’t matter who you’re hitting on, they like to be complimented. But don’t be creepy about it. Stick to their hair, maybe, because that’s not creepy. And if they want you to back off, back off.”
“That’s common sense,” Cas points out, and Dean doesn’t pause to tell him that for some douchebags, it isn’t.
“Anyway. Stay out of their personal space. Ask if you can buy them a drink. If they say yes, don’t be cheap when you buy it. That’s just tacky. Get them whatever you’re having, unless they ask for something particular. If they say no, leave them alone. And don’t hit on their friends. Basically, find something that interests you both and talk about it. It’s pretty straightforward.”
“Got it,” Cas says, but Dean doesn’t think he looks like he does. He sighs and runs a hand down his face, having finished his entire speech. He actually doesn’t have many tips for wooing strangers. He just goes with whatever feels right at the time, and if it works then yay, and if not then oh well.
“Alright. Why don’t you try it?” he prompts, and Castiel looks scared.
“I suppose…” he says, and Dean gives him a thumbs-up. Cas stands and heads off to talk to a woman sitting alone in the corner. Dean watches him carefully, prepared to intervene if it goes horribly wrong. But the woman smiles at Cas and waves a hand for him to sit at her table, and begins talking to him. Castiel, excellent listener that he is, smiles at her and listens to whatever she’s saying. It seems to be going well.
Dean finds himself wanting to go over there and steal Cas away from her. Not that she isn’t “good enough for him,” because she probably is. Unless she’s a murderer or a vampire, she’s probably good enough for most people. And she’s pretty, too. Not drop-dead gorgeous, but more on the plain side. It’s a subtle kind of pretty, the kind most people possess and don’t actually acknowledge. She’s laughing and smiling and seems genuinely interested in Castiel.
Dean doesn’t know why he wants to go after Cas. Cas can take care of himself. Even as a human, he’s badass. Eons of training in the heavenly garrison will make you an expert at basically every type of combat, as Dean has found out. (He still has the bruises in the shape of Castiel’s fingers on the back of his neck. That was the last time he tried to teach Cas hand-to-hand.)
The woman puts her hand on Cas’ shoulder, and Dean realizes what he’s feeling.
Dean Winchester is jealous.
He denies it, of course. There’s no reason to be jealous over a nice lady talking to his friend. None at all. But when Cas grins at her, actually grins, the jealously flares. He pushes it down and resorts to downing the rest of his half-empty beer.
At the table in the corner, Castiel is saying something to the woman. She blinks at him a few times before laughing and shaking her head. Cas smiles at her and Dean bites his lip. Then Cas says something else and she replies and oh no, they’re having a conversation. A real conversation, and Dean is intensely jealous of her. It should he him making Cas smile and laugh like that. It should be him saying things that make Cas happy.
A sudden realization strikes him like a ton of bricks with the word moron painted on the side of each one.
So. Dean likes Cas. He likes-likes Cas.
Well. He didn’t see that one coming.
(Except he kinda did.)
When he looks up, Cas has left the woman and is coming back over to Dean’s table. Dean blushes and looks down, trying very hard to avoid Castiel’s gaze. He doesn’t really want to make eye contact now.
“I talked to her like you told me to,” Cas says, sliding into the booth. He’s smiling, and it’s cute. Dean wonders how he didn’t see this before. “Her name was Marla. She was very nice. She told me about her cats. And then her girlfriend called, and she had to go help her paint their new apartment.”
Dean thinks that’s ironic. He doesn’t say so.
“Did you have fun talking to her?” he asks instead.
“I did,” Cas confirms, and Dean’s heart sinks a little. He tells himself that it’s good for Cas to have fun with other people. “But, it’s more fun talking to you.”
Dean’s heart rises from the floor it had sunk to a second ago. “Really? Why?”
“Because, you’re interesting. And you already know everything important about me.” Cas blushes and looks down, and Dean thinks that maybe he’s not the only one with slightly un-platonic feelings for a friend.
Dean shakes his head and laughs. “You’re sappy, man.”
“Maybe,” Cas allows, still blushing.
Dean gets up the courage and kisses him. After about a fifth of a second, Cas kisses back. Dean, utterly shocked that this is even happening, pulls back. “Um.”
Cas rolls his eyes and looks slightly angry. “It took you long enough. Now get back over here.”
So Dean kisses him again.