Fic: Pie, Eggnog and Mistletoe Kisses
Title: Pie, Eggnog and Mistletoe Kisses
Author: hils
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3182
Summary: Castiel spends his first Christmas with the Winchesters and Bobby
Thanks to vichan for the beta
Written for dc_fireplace. I came up with the basic idea for this while queuing to meet Misha Collins with littlehollyleaf so I should thank both of them too. LOL! Thanks also to flickums who helped me plan it out in more detail
“Where are you going?”
Dean was fairly pleased with himself for managing not to let the car swerve into the other side of the road when Castiel suddenly appeared in the back seat. Or at least he was pleased until he realised that the reason he’d kept control was because he was used to the angel arriving unexpectedly, which was actually kind of disturbing.
“Damnit, Cas. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to put a bell on you.”
He said the words more for show than anything else, but Castiel looked contrite when Dean glanced in the mirror.
“My apologies, Dean. I would have called you but it’s not safe for you to speak on the phone while driving.”
He felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips but he pushed it back and opted a customary sigh and rolling of the eyes instead. “Dude, I talk on the phone while I’m driving all the time, and I’ve never crashed. Anyway, you could have called Sam.”
“Your brother is sleeping.”
Dean glanced over and sure enough he saw Sam slumped against the window, his breath misting the glass with every exhale. Dean didn’t even notice him drifting off.
“You know, the fact that you even knew that is kind of creepy. You tuned into Sam’s sleeping habits now?”
Castiel didn’t say anything for a moment but Dean could feel the angel’s eyes boring into the back of his neck as he drove, which made his skin prickle and a shiver ran down his spine.
“You haven’t answered my question,” Castiel finally said. “Are you on a hunt?”
Dean sighed. “Cas, do you even know what day it is?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“It’s Christmas Eve, dude. Isn’t Christmas supposed to be a big deal to you guys?”
He saw Castiel blink at him in the rear view mirror. “Christmas is a man-made festival, Dean. This date bears no resemblance to the date Christ was actually born. Your church simply chose it because there was already an existing feast at this time.”
Dean sighed, struck suddenly with the realisation of just how alike Cas and Sam were with their encyclopaedic knowledge. It was a thought he quickly pushed to one side. The last thing he needed to further fuck up his already messed up head was comparing the angel he sort of had the hots for with his brother.
“Anyway,” Castiel continued, oblivious to Dean’s inner turmoil, “I fail to see what this has got to do with anything. I have watched over you for many years and I know for a fact that you and your brother rarely mark the occasion.”
“Yeah, well, this is one of those rare occasions,” Dean shot back. “We need a break, okay? We’re heading to Bobby’s to spend the day with him.”
“The apocalypse won’t pause because you and your brother decided to take the day off.”
“Well, we need it, okay?” Dean snapped. Sometimes he forgot that Cas wasn’t human and didn’t take human needs and emotions into consideration. “After everything with Jo and Ellen we need it. Now you can either shut the hell up and come with us or you can get lost. I don’t care which.”
Dean knew it was a lie even as it came out of his mouth. He cared. He missed Cas when he wasn’t around, but he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with Castiel’s holy mission and his attitude. When no answer came from the back of the car Dean wondered for a moment whether Castiel had taken him literally and disappeared. Finally, though, he heard a sigh.
“What do you do at Christmas?” Castiel asked, sounding almost hesitant and a little unsure.
Dean shrugged. “Drink, eat my own body weight in food. The usual stuff. Honestly, Cas, you’ve been watching humanity for over two thousand years and you don’t know what people do at Christmas?”
He glanced in the mirror again and Castiel was gone. Okay, so maybe Christmas wasn’t his thing, after all.
* * *
They had almost reached Bobby’s when Sam woke up and Dean decided not to mention Castiel’s little visit. He really wanted his brother to be able to enjoy just one day of peace, and the last thing Dean needed was Sam worrying because Cas didn’t approve. He was still a little disappointed himself. He just started to think of Cas as one of his own and this just proved that the angel was never going to be fully part of their dysfunctional little family.
It bothered him more than he cared to admit.
Bobby looked weary when they finally arrived. Kind of pissed off too.
“Hey, Bobby,” Dean said with as much cheer as he could muster. “What’s with the sour face? It’s Christmas!”
His eyes drifted over to the large table that filled Bobby’s dining room.
“Holy crap! Did you knock off Macy’s or something?”
The table was covered edge to edge. Not just in food (mostly pie, as Dean keenly observed) and booze, but with every kind of Christmas decoration he could imagine, from tinsel and weird plastic icicles all the way to glitter and actual bubble lights, which Dean hadn’t seen in years.
“Don’t look at me,” Bobby growled as Sam bustled past Dean and started poking through all the stuff. “This is your fault, boy.”
“Me?” Dean exclaimed. “Bobby, we just got here. How can this be-“
“Hello, Dean.”
He heard Castiel before he saw him, voice low and rough as the angel stepped out of the kitchen. Dean’s eyes drifted up and he let out a loud guffaw. “Dude, what the hell are you wearing?”
He heard Sam start to laugh behind him and the sound made him grin. It had been way too long since he’d heard his brother laugh, and it wasn’t as though either of them had had much to smile about recently.
Castiel frowned. “I don’t understand what’s so amusing. I thought it was customary to wear things like this at Christmas.”
His hand brushed the gold halo that was attached to a headband and hovered above his head attached to a small piece of wire. Dean hadn’t seen the angel look so embarrassed since the whole discussion about Castiel’s virginity they’d had, but he had to admit Castiel looked pretty damn adorable.
“No, don’t take it off,” he quickly said when Castiel reached for the headband with downcast eyes.
He realised that Bobby and Castiel were all looking at him in surprise. Sam was smirking in that annoying way when he knew something that Dean didn’t. Dean let out a nervous chuckle. “I mean it’s Christmas, right? The whole point is to look stupid.”
“Really?” Castiel asked. “Because I brought appropriate headwear for all of you.”
Before Dean could protest he had a Santa hat in his hand, Sam had been presented with a set of foam reindeer antlers and Bobby glared down at the green felt hat with elf ears like it was going to bite him.
“What the hell,” Dean muttered and put the hat on. Castiel flashed him a small smile and Sam shot him a knowing look before he beamed with delight and he put his antlers on as he started to rummage through the Christmas decorations.
“I need to be a lot more drunk before I wear this,” Bobby announced. “I’m gonna make the eggnog.”
He rolled his chair into the kitchen while Sam untangled the Christmas lights.
“Hey, Dean, come help me with these. If we’re gonna do Christmas we may as well do it right.”
Dean smiled at the almost childlike glee on Sam’s face. “Yeah, okay, Sammy. Let’s do this.”
* * *
“You’re really enjoying this aren’t you?” Dean asked as Sam handed him another ball for the tree. Castiel worked nearby on hanging some streamers, his face serious and focused intently on his task.
“Yeah,” Sam replied with a smile. “It’s nice. Almost feels like a normal Christmas, you know.”
Dean returned the smile and nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Hey, Cas, I never asked but where did you get all this stuff anyway? You rip off a department store or what?”
“Stealing is wrong, Dean,” Castiel replied with the air of someone who was trying to explain morality to a small child. “I paid for it.”
Sam blinked at him. “Uh, where did you get the money from?”
“I obtained the funds in a local pool hall. Dean taught me the game.”
Oh, hell, no. They were not going there. Really, not now.
Dean could pretty much hear the thoughts churning in Sam’s head as he took in the sheer amount of stuff Castiel had bought and worked out how much it must have cost.
“Uh…Cas? How many games did you play?”
And there was the question.
“Not many. Dean taught me how to. . .Dean, what was the word?”
He cleared his throat and glanced around for something to do. Anything that would take his attention away from the disappointed glare he knew Sam was shooting his way right now would do.
“Hustle?” Sam suggested.
“Yes,” Castiel agreed. “Dean taught me how to hustle and it didn’t take me long to win all the funds I required.”
“Dean. . .”
He didn’t need to see Sam’s disappointed glare. He heard it all in his brother’s voice.
“What?” he protested. “It was a precaution in case he needed something and we weren’t around.”
“Dude, you’re unbelievable.”
“It’s all right, Sam,” Castiel interrupted before Dean could come up with a halfway convincing defence. “Those men would only have used their money to purchase more alcohol.”
Dean couldn’t help but grin. “Atta boy, Cas. Conning people to save them. You’re awesome.”
Sam muttered something under his breath but he thankfully let the matter drop. Dean thanked the stars for perfect timing when Bobby came back in with a tray balanced on his lap. He noted with a smile that Bobby had replaced his cap with the elf hat that Castiel had given him. Oddly enough, it kind of suited him.
“You boys ready for some of Bobby’s Ballbreaking Eggnog?”
Dean’s eyes lit up. “Hell, yes! This is the best part of Christmas.”
“I thought you said food was the best part of Christmas,” Castiel commented with a frown.
Dean shrugged. “Food. Booze. It’s all good.”
He took one of the glasses from Bobby and took a healthy swig, coughing hard when the sudden burning sensation trickled down his throat.
“Hell, Bobby,” he gasped when he was finally able to speak again. “I think that’s your best batch yet.”
Sam sipped his a little more demurely, but he still wound up having to clear his throat when the drink hit him.
“You want some?” Bobby asked Castiel, offering him a glass.
“I’m not sure,” Castiel frowned. “I’ve never had eggnog before.”
“Oh, you gotta try it,” Dean insisted even though his voice was still hoarse from his own drink. “Bobby’s eggnog will put hair on your chest.”
Castiel regarded the offered glass with an air of mild suspicion. “Why would I desire extra body hair?”
“It’s just an expression,” Sam explained with an amused smile. “It won’t actually put hair on your chest.”
“Hey, I ain’t making any promises,” Bobby grunted. “Now are you drinking or what?”
Castiel finally took the glass and knocked back the contents in one gulp.
“It tastes. . .” He seemed to struggle for the right word and eventually decided on, “interesting.”
Dean stared at him. Castiel’s tolerance to alcohol shouldn’t come as a shock, especially after seeing him knock back a row of vodka shots like they were water, but it still impressed him.
“What?” Castiel asked when he noticed Dean’s eyes fixed on him.
Dean blinked and grinned, clapping him on the back like he was an old buddy rather than an angel of the lord. “Man, I shouldn’t have taught you to hustle pool. You’d have been way better at drinking contests.”
Sam sighed. “Dude, don’t corrupt him more than you already have.”
Dean simply smirked and ignored him, making a mental note to take Cas to a bar next time they had a few hours downtime. They could make a killing.
“Hey, I think we should have some pie,” he announced having decided that a change of subject would take Sam’s mind off any plans Dean might have to debase Castiel any further. He was grateful that the brothel hadn’t come up in conversation.
“What kind of pie do you want?” Bobby asked. “I think Cas brought every kind there is in the country.”
“Dean told me that part of Christmas involved eating his own body weight in food. I haven’t weighed my purchases but I believe they are approximate.”
Dean snorted. “You know, Cas, I think for once I’m kind of glad you took me so literally. Let’s have some apple. It’s the best one.”
Bobby grabbed the pie from the table. “I got it. You boys make yourselves comfortable.”
“You sure you don’t want some help?” Sam asked.
The glare he got in response would have sent most demons running for the hills. “Just because I’m stuck in this chair don’t mean I can’t serve up some pie without injuring myself. Now, get.”
They hurried into the living room and Dean took a seat on the couch. Sam hovered behind him. “You take the middle,” he said to Castiel. “You’re smaller than me.”
What the hell? Dean shot Sam a confused frown but his brother’s attention appeared to be focused entirely on Cas, who simply nodded his head and sat down so close to him that their shoulders were pressed together. Sam squeezed in at the end and looked faintly pleased with himself as he clicked on the TV. Dean had to admit that even though he was kind of squashed it felt nice having Cas and his brother close like this for the holidays, and if he felt a little warm where Castiel was pressed against him he didn’t mention it.
Bobby joined them a few minutes later, armed with pie, ice-cream and more eggnog.
Dean took a huge bite and let out a small sigh of pleasure. “Dude, I think this is the best pie I’ve ever had.”
Castiel nodded. “I got it from that diner in Fairview that you liked.”
“Seriously? Cas, you really are awesome.”
Sam let out an amused snort and grinned when Dean stared at him.
“Something funny, Sam?”
“No.”
Dean turned his attention back to the TV and smirked. “Hey look, Cas. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is on.”
“Is it an amusing film?” Castiel asked, frowning in confusion.
“Uh, depends how you look at it, I guess.”
They settled back, ate their pie and watched the movie. By the time the bell rang and Clarence got his wings Bobby had fallen asleep and Dean wasn’t far behind. Castiel felt warm against him and he could tell that the angel was just about as relaxed as he’d ever been.
“I’m gonna grab a beer,” Dean said quickly. He knew full well that if he didn’t move right away he would be in serious danger of falling asleep and snuggling with Castiel. There was no way that was happening, especially not in front of his brother.
“I’m good,” Sam replied sleepily. “I think I’m gonna head to bed soon.”
Dean nodded. “Cas? Beer?”
“No, thank you.”
Castiel’s voice was soft and so close to Dean’s ear that he could feel the hot puff of breath as he exhaled. Dean had never gotten out of a seat faster, earning him a confused look from both Sam and Castiel as he made a beeline for the kitchen. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and chugged most of it down in one go.
Damn, he really needed to get a grip.
He could hear Sam and Castiel talking softly together in the other room, voices hushed so they wouldn’t wake Bobby up he figured.
He reached for another beer, not quite ready to join them yet. This whole thing with Cas, not that there was a thing, was just getting too weird.
“Dean.”
He almost dropped his beer and Cas had the decency to look apologetic. Damn him and his ninja-like stealth.
“Oh, hey, Cas. You change your mind about the beer?”
Castiel shook his head. “No, I wished to speak to you away from your brother and Bobby.”
Okay, that did not sound good.
“Why? What’s up?”
Castiel stepped forward, coming up just shy of the personal space boundary that Dean had explained to him on more than one occasion.
“Sam has been telling me about another Christmas tradition,” Castiel said, eyes shining in the dim light of the kitchen. “He made it clear that this one was to be done when we were alone together.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sprig of mistletoe. He studied it for a moment, as though it could tell him all the answers to the world’s mysteries, just as long as he could figure out how to make it work. Then he held it over Dean’s head.
“Sam told me to do this and that you would explain the rest.”
Dean stood rooted to the spot, his eyes drifting upwards as he wondered whether to run, kill his brother or screw it and kiss the hell out of Castiel before blaming it on the booze. Castiel looked at him expectantly with a glimmer of hope in his eyes and Dean found himself unable to move.
He finally let out a nervous chuckle. “Hell, Cas, can’t you go and look it up on the internet or something?”
“No,” Castiel replied resolutely. “I want you to tell me.”
Yeah, this definitely ranked among the most awkward moments of his life, and that included the pink satin panties and the time he’d walked in on Sam watching porn.
He sighed and made a mental note to kill his brother later, or at least beat the shit out of him.
“Fine. Okay. It’s a tradition for couples to kiss under the mistletoe. I don’t even know why. That’s the sort of random crap Sam knows.” He cleared his throat. This was worse than the time he’d had to give Sam the talk on the birds and the bees. “Anyway, I think he was playing a joke on you. Don’t worry I’ll kick his ass and-“
Castiel’s lips covered his before he could finish his sentence and all thoughts of violence vanished from his head. He pulled Castiel closer, deepening the kiss and thanking every deity for giving him such an awesome brother.
He finally pulled back and Castiel flashed him a soft smile, eyes warm with love. “I think I’m starting to see why Christmas is such an appealing holiday.”
“It gets my vote,” Dean replied as he pulled Castiel in for another kiss.
“Merry Christmas, Dean.”
“Right back at you, Cas.”
Author: hils
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Rating: PG
Word Count: 3182
Summary: Castiel spends his first Christmas with the Winchesters and Bobby
Thanks to vichan for the beta
Written for dc_fireplace. I came up with the basic idea for this while queuing to meet Misha Collins with littlehollyleaf so I should thank both of them too. LOL! Thanks also to flickums who helped me plan it out in more detail
“Where are you going?”
Dean was fairly pleased with himself for managing not to let the car swerve into the other side of the road when Castiel suddenly appeared in the back seat. Or at least he was pleased until he realised that the reason he’d kept control was because he was used to the angel arriving unexpectedly, which was actually kind of disturbing.
“Damnit, Cas. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was going to put a bell on you.”
He said the words more for show than anything else, but Castiel looked contrite when Dean glanced in the mirror.
“My apologies, Dean. I would have called you but it’s not safe for you to speak on the phone while driving.”
He felt a smile tugging at the corners of his lips but he pushed it back and opted a customary sigh and rolling of the eyes instead. “Dude, I talk on the phone while I’m driving all the time, and I’ve never crashed. Anyway, you could have called Sam.”
“Your brother is sleeping.”
Dean glanced over and sure enough he saw Sam slumped against the window, his breath misting the glass with every exhale. Dean didn’t even notice him drifting off.
“You know, the fact that you even knew that is kind of creepy. You tuned into Sam’s sleeping habits now?”
Castiel didn’t say anything for a moment but Dean could feel the angel’s eyes boring into the back of his neck as he drove, which made his skin prickle and a shiver ran down his spine.
“You haven’t answered my question,” Castiel finally said. “Are you on a hunt?”
Dean sighed. “Cas, do you even know what day it is?”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“It’s Christmas Eve, dude. Isn’t Christmas supposed to be a big deal to you guys?”
He saw Castiel blink at him in the rear view mirror. “Christmas is a man-made festival, Dean. This date bears no resemblance to the date Christ was actually born. Your church simply chose it because there was already an existing feast at this time.”
Dean sighed, struck suddenly with the realisation of just how alike Cas and Sam were with their encyclopaedic knowledge. It was a thought he quickly pushed to one side. The last thing he needed to further fuck up his already messed up head was comparing the angel he sort of had the hots for with his brother.
“Anyway,” Castiel continued, oblivious to Dean’s inner turmoil, “I fail to see what this has got to do with anything. I have watched over you for many years and I know for a fact that you and your brother rarely mark the occasion.”
“Yeah, well, this is one of those rare occasions,” Dean shot back. “We need a break, okay? We’re heading to Bobby’s to spend the day with him.”
“The apocalypse won’t pause because you and your brother decided to take the day off.”
“Well, we need it, okay?” Dean snapped. Sometimes he forgot that Cas wasn’t human and didn’t take human needs and emotions into consideration. “After everything with Jo and Ellen we need it. Now you can either shut the hell up and come with us or you can get lost. I don’t care which.”
Dean knew it was a lie even as it came out of his mouth. He cared. He missed Cas when he wasn’t around, but he really wasn’t in the mood to deal with Castiel’s holy mission and his attitude. When no answer came from the back of the car Dean wondered for a moment whether Castiel had taken him literally and disappeared. Finally, though, he heard a sigh.
“What do you do at Christmas?” Castiel asked, sounding almost hesitant and a little unsure.
Dean shrugged. “Drink, eat my own body weight in food. The usual stuff. Honestly, Cas, you’ve been watching humanity for over two thousand years and you don’t know what people do at Christmas?”
He glanced in the mirror again and Castiel was gone. Okay, so maybe Christmas wasn’t his thing, after all.
* * *
They had almost reached Bobby’s when Sam woke up and Dean decided not to mention Castiel’s little visit. He really wanted his brother to be able to enjoy just one day of peace, and the last thing Dean needed was Sam worrying because Cas didn’t approve. He was still a little disappointed himself. He just started to think of Cas as one of his own and this just proved that the angel was never going to be fully part of their dysfunctional little family.
It bothered him more than he cared to admit.
Bobby looked weary when they finally arrived. Kind of pissed off too.
“Hey, Bobby,” Dean said with as much cheer as he could muster. “What’s with the sour face? It’s Christmas!”
His eyes drifted over to the large table that filled Bobby’s dining room.
“Holy crap! Did you knock off Macy’s or something?”
The table was covered edge to edge. Not just in food (mostly pie, as Dean keenly observed) and booze, but with every kind of Christmas decoration he could imagine, from tinsel and weird plastic icicles all the way to glitter and actual bubble lights, which Dean hadn’t seen in years.
“Don’t look at me,” Bobby growled as Sam bustled past Dean and started poking through all the stuff. “This is your fault, boy.”
“Me?” Dean exclaimed. “Bobby, we just got here. How can this be-“
“Hello, Dean.”
He heard Castiel before he saw him, voice low and rough as the angel stepped out of the kitchen. Dean’s eyes drifted up and he let out a loud guffaw. “Dude, what the hell are you wearing?”
He heard Sam start to laugh behind him and the sound made him grin. It had been way too long since he’d heard his brother laugh, and it wasn’t as though either of them had had much to smile about recently.
Castiel frowned. “I don’t understand what’s so amusing. I thought it was customary to wear things like this at Christmas.”
His hand brushed the gold halo that was attached to a headband and hovered above his head attached to a small piece of wire. Dean hadn’t seen the angel look so embarrassed since the whole discussion about Castiel’s virginity they’d had, but he had to admit Castiel looked pretty damn adorable.
“No, don’t take it off,” he quickly said when Castiel reached for the headband with downcast eyes.
He realised that Bobby and Castiel were all looking at him in surprise. Sam was smirking in that annoying way when he knew something that Dean didn’t. Dean let out a nervous chuckle. “I mean it’s Christmas, right? The whole point is to look stupid.”
“Really?” Castiel asked. “Because I brought appropriate headwear for all of you.”
Before Dean could protest he had a Santa hat in his hand, Sam had been presented with a set of foam reindeer antlers and Bobby glared down at the green felt hat with elf ears like it was going to bite him.
“What the hell,” Dean muttered and put the hat on. Castiel flashed him a small smile and Sam shot him a knowing look before he beamed with delight and he put his antlers on as he started to rummage through the Christmas decorations.
“I need to be a lot more drunk before I wear this,” Bobby announced. “I’m gonna make the eggnog.”
He rolled his chair into the kitchen while Sam untangled the Christmas lights.
“Hey, Dean, come help me with these. If we’re gonna do Christmas we may as well do it right.”
Dean smiled at the almost childlike glee on Sam’s face. “Yeah, okay, Sammy. Let’s do this.”
* * *
“You’re really enjoying this aren’t you?” Dean asked as Sam handed him another ball for the tree. Castiel worked nearby on hanging some streamers, his face serious and focused intently on his task.
“Yeah,” Sam replied with a smile. “It’s nice. Almost feels like a normal Christmas, you know.”
Dean returned the smile and nodded. “Yeah, I know.”
He glanced over his shoulder. “Hey, Cas, I never asked but where did you get all this stuff anyway? You rip off a department store or what?”
“Stealing is wrong, Dean,” Castiel replied with the air of someone who was trying to explain morality to a small child. “I paid for it.”
Sam blinked at him. “Uh, where did you get the money from?”
“I obtained the funds in a local pool hall. Dean taught me the game.”
Oh, hell, no. They were not going there. Really, not now.
Dean could pretty much hear the thoughts churning in Sam’s head as he took in the sheer amount of stuff Castiel had bought and worked out how much it must have cost.
“Uh…Cas? How many games did you play?”
And there was the question.
“Not many. Dean taught me how to. . .Dean, what was the word?”
He cleared his throat and glanced around for something to do. Anything that would take his attention away from the disappointed glare he knew Sam was shooting his way right now would do.
“Hustle?” Sam suggested.
“Yes,” Castiel agreed. “Dean taught me how to hustle and it didn’t take me long to win all the funds I required.”
“Dean. . .”
He didn’t need to see Sam’s disappointed glare. He heard it all in his brother’s voice.
“What?” he protested. “It was a precaution in case he needed something and we weren’t around.”
“Dude, you’re unbelievable.”
“It’s all right, Sam,” Castiel interrupted before Dean could come up with a halfway convincing defence. “Those men would only have used their money to purchase more alcohol.”
Dean couldn’t help but grin. “Atta boy, Cas. Conning people to save them. You’re awesome.”
Sam muttered something under his breath but he thankfully let the matter drop. Dean thanked the stars for perfect timing when Bobby came back in with a tray balanced on his lap. He noted with a smile that Bobby had replaced his cap with the elf hat that Castiel had given him. Oddly enough, it kind of suited him.
“You boys ready for some of Bobby’s Ballbreaking Eggnog?”
Dean’s eyes lit up. “Hell, yes! This is the best part of Christmas.”
“I thought you said food was the best part of Christmas,” Castiel commented with a frown.
Dean shrugged. “Food. Booze. It’s all good.”
He took one of the glasses from Bobby and took a healthy swig, coughing hard when the sudden burning sensation trickled down his throat.
“Hell, Bobby,” he gasped when he was finally able to speak again. “I think that’s your best batch yet.”
Sam sipped his a little more demurely, but he still wound up having to clear his throat when the drink hit him.
“You want some?” Bobby asked Castiel, offering him a glass.
“I’m not sure,” Castiel frowned. “I’ve never had eggnog before.”
“Oh, you gotta try it,” Dean insisted even though his voice was still hoarse from his own drink. “Bobby’s eggnog will put hair on your chest.”
Castiel regarded the offered glass with an air of mild suspicion. “Why would I desire extra body hair?”
“It’s just an expression,” Sam explained with an amused smile. “It won’t actually put hair on your chest.”
“Hey, I ain’t making any promises,” Bobby grunted. “Now are you drinking or what?”
Castiel finally took the glass and knocked back the contents in one gulp.
“It tastes. . .” He seemed to struggle for the right word and eventually decided on, “interesting.”
Dean stared at him. Castiel’s tolerance to alcohol shouldn’t come as a shock, especially after seeing him knock back a row of vodka shots like they were water, but it still impressed him.
“What?” Castiel asked when he noticed Dean’s eyes fixed on him.
Dean blinked and grinned, clapping him on the back like he was an old buddy rather than an angel of the lord. “Man, I shouldn’t have taught you to hustle pool. You’d have been way better at drinking contests.”
Sam sighed. “Dude, don’t corrupt him more than you already have.”
Dean simply smirked and ignored him, making a mental note to take Cas to a bar next time they had a few hours downtime. They could make a killing.
“Hey, I think we should have some pie,” he announced having decided that a change of subject would take Sam’s mind off any plans Dean might have to debase Castiel any further. He was grateful that the brothel hadn’t come up in conversation.
“What kind of pie do you want?” Bobby asked. “I think Cas brought every kind there is in the country.”
“Dean told me that part of Christmas involved eating his own body weight in food. I haven’t weighed my purchases but I believe they are approximate.”
Dean snorted. “You know, Cas, I think for once I’m kind of glad you took me so literally. Let’s have some apple. It’s the best one.”
Bobby grabbed the pie from the table. “I got it. You boys make yourselves comfortable.”
“You sure you don’t want some help?” Sam asked.
The glare he got in response would have sent most demons running for the hills. “Just because I’m stuck in this chair don’t mean I can’t serve up some pie without injuring myself. Now, get.”
They hurried into the living room and Dean took a seat on the couch. Sam hovered behind him. “You take the middle,” he said to Castiel. “You’re smaller than me.”
What the hell? Dean shot Sam a confused frown but his brother’s attention appeared to be focused entirely on Cas, who simply nodded his head and sat down so close to him that their shoulders were pressed together. Sam squeezed in at the end and looked faintly pleased with himself as he clicked on the TV. Dean had to admit that even though he was kind of squashed it felt nice having Cas and his brother close like this for the holidays, and if he felt a little warm where Castiel was pressed against him he didn’t mention it.
Bobby joined them a few minutes later, armed with pie, ice-cream and more eggnog.
Dean took a huge bite and let out a small sigh of pleasure. “Dude, I think this is the best pie I’ve ever had.”
Castiel nodded. “I got it from that diner in Fairview that you liked.”
“Seriously? Cas, you really are awesome.”
Sam let out an amused snort and grinned when Dean stared at him.
“Something funny, Sam?”
“No.”
Dean turned his attention back to the TV and smirked. “Hey look, Cas. ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is on.”
“Is it an amusing film?” Castiel asked, frowning in confusion.
“Uh, depends how you look at it, I guess.”
They settled back, ate their pie and watched the movie. By the time the bell rang and Clarence got his wings Bobby had fallen asleep and Dean wasn’t far behind. Castiel felt warm against him and he could tell that the angel was just about as relaxed as he’d ever been.
“I’m gonna grab a beer,” Dean said quickly. He knew full well that if he didn’t move right away he would be in serious danger of falling asleep and snuggling with Castiel. There was no way that was happening, especially not in front of his brother.
“I’m good,” Sam replied sleepily. “I think I’m gonna head to bed soon.”
Dean nodded. “Cas? Beer?”
“No, thank you.”
Castiel’s voice was soft and so close to Dean’s ear that he could feel the hot puff of breath as he exhaled. Dean had never gotten out of a seat faster, earning him a confused look from both Sam and Castiel as he made a beeline for the kitchen. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and chugged most of it down in one go.
Damn, he really needed to get a grip.
He could hear Sam and Castiel talking softly together in the other room, voices hushed so they wouldn’t wake Bobby up he figured.
He reached for another beer, not quite ready to join them yet. This whole thing with Cas, not that there was a thing, was just getting too weird.
“Dean.”
He almost dropped his beer and Cas had the decency to look apologetic. Damn him and his ninja-like stealth.
“Oh, hey, Cas. You change your mind about the beer?”
Castiel shook his head. “No, I wished to speak to you away from your brother and Bobby.”
Okay, that did not sound good.
“Why? What’s up?”
Castiel stepped forward, coming up just shy of the personal space boundary that Dean had explained to him on more than one occasion.
“Sam has been telling me about another Christmas tradition,” Castiel said, eyes shining in the dim light of the kitchen. “He made it clear that this one was to be done when we were alone together.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small sprig of mistletoe. He studied it for a moment, as though it could tell him all the answers to the world’s mysteries, just as long as he could figure out how to make it work. Then he held it over Dean’s head.
“Sam told me to do this and that you would explain the rest.”
Dean stood rooted to the spot, his eyes drifting upwards as he wondered whether to run, kill his brother or screw it and kiss the hell out of Castiel before blaming it on the booze. Castiel looked at him expectantly with a glimmer of hope in his eyes and Dean found himself unable to move.
He finally let out a nervous chuckle. “Hell, Cas, can’t you go and look it up on the internet or something?”
“No,” Castiel replied resolutely. “I want you to tell me.”
Yeah, this definitely ranked among the most awkward moments of his life, and that included the pink satin panties and the time he’d walked in on Sam watching porn.
He sighed and made a mental note to kill his brother later, or at least beat the shit out of him.
“Fine. Okay. It’s a tradition for couples to kiss under the mistletoe. I don’t even know why. That’s the sort of random crap Sam knows.” He cleared his throat. This was worse than the time he’d had to give Sam the talk on the birds and the bees. “Anyway, I think he was playing a joke on you. Don’t worry I’ll kick his ass and-“
Castiel’s lips covered his before he could finish his sentence and all thoughts of violence vanished from his head. He pulled Castiel closer, deepening the kiss and thanking every deity for giving him such an awesome brother.
He finally pulled back and Castiel flashed him a soft smile, eyes warm with love. “I think I’m starting to see why Christmas is such an appealing holiday.”
“It gets my vote,” Dean replied as he pulled Castiel in for another kiss.
“Merry Christmas, Dean.”
“Right back at you, Cas.”