Cheeseburgers and Pie (Chapter 5)
Dean woke up slowly, dragging himself out of sleep with a groan and some strong willpower. Not enough willpower to open his eyes just yet, but he was pulling himself out of a food coma. He’d fallen asleep on top of his left arm and his right leg had slumped to the floor. Rolling over on his back to relieve the pressure in both his knee and numb arm, Dean groaned again louder. He always does this to himself on Thanksgiving. Every single time. Food hangovers are definitely worse than alcohol hangovers.
“Do you always rouse with this much difficulty?” Some gravely, far off voice was questioning him. Too damn early for questions. In reply he just groaned again. Then the voice snorted softly. That’s when reality snapped back. Oh, yeah. He was back at school, in his dorm, with his roommate. His roommate. Castiel! Slowly Dean’s mind worked its way out of the heavy fog that Dean traced back to the last couple pieces of pie he’d tried to stuff in last night. Or two nights ago. What day was it?
“What day is it?” Dean mumbled, functional arm coming up to cover his aching eyelids. He wasn’t sure if he’d taken a nap or slept through a whole day.
“It’s November twenty-fifth, Dean. At four o’clock in the afternoon.” Dean had spent enough time now with Castiel to know when he was teasing. To anyone else Castiel’s face was flat and his voice carefully monotone. Dean knew better. He lifted his arm and opened his eye just enough to reveal Castiel sitting cross-legged on his bed, wrapped up entirely in blankets with a book in his lap, staring at Dean. It’s his eyes that betray Castiel most of the time. Even from across the room Dean can see the flicker of humor in them. Then there’s the corner of Castiel’s mouth that always turns up a fraction of an inch whenever he thinks he’s being clever or teasing Dean about one of Dean’s many ‘interesting’ habits.
“Shut up.” Dean groans a final time as he pushes himself up into a sitting position. “You hungry?”
“Starved,” Dean knows Castiel isn’t actually feeling hungry, he never seems to be, only eating when Dean reminds him to. He thinks Castiel only does it to keep Dean from bothering him, but whatever. He’s not gonna let his friend starve because the idiot forgets to eat. Dean goes to his duffel and pulls out the containers of leftovers, laying them out on the floor one by one. Castiel put aside his book and slumped down onto the floor to join Dean, dragging a train of blankets with him. Dean slid the containers closer to Castiel and then stood to get the fork that he kept in his nightstand for late night pie. By the time he had turned around Castiel was already using pieces of turkey as a makeshift utensil to eat the mashed potatoes, biting off chunks of potato covered meat with ferocity then chasing it quickly with a pinch of cranberry sauce.
“When was the last time you ate?” Dean settled down across from Castiel and watched in amazement as Castiel barely came up for air in between bites.
“When did you leave?” Castiel managed around a mouthful of stuffing.
“Last Friday.” Dean barely managed to answer, too transfixed with watching Castiel’s nimble fingers gather up bits of each dish to put into his mouth, licking each finger clean after depositing the food in its proper place.
Castiel hums at that, obviously trying to remember. “I believe I ate the last of the ramen Wednesday.”
“Two days, Castiel! You haven’t eaten in two days!” Dean stopped watching him eat then and scooted closer, taking Castiel’s shoulder in one hand. “You can’t do that man, three square meals a day, at least! God if I hadn’t come back today how long would it have taken you to get up and find some food? You could have died!”
“Dean, be rational. The human body can survive up to four weeks without food with proper hydration. I was in no danger.” Castiel continued to eat as he said this, mumbling and dropping loose strings of turkey out of his mouth as he chewed around the words. Dean’s grip hardened and Castiel finally stopped to look at him. Dean was doing his best to make his eyes tell Castiel that no matter what survivorman bullshit Castiel was willing to go through, it worried Dean. Castiel was Dean’s only friend, he was closer than anyone outside of his small family had ever gotten. Dean couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. Castiel swallowed hard and gave a slow steady nod.
“Just shut up and eat, you freak.” Castiel leaned back against his bed and smiled at Dean through a mouthful of turkey. Dean rolled his eyes and gave Castiel’s knee a gentle shove with his boot. He let Castiel go through most of the meal in silence after that. That is until he started to slow down, that’s when Dean remembered that thing he needed to talk to Castiel about. The thing from last Friday.
“Hey, uh, Castiel?” Dean wasn’t ready to look up at Castiel yet so he glued his eyes to the ceiling and leaned his head back against the side of the bed. He heard Castiel’s hum of acknowledgement and swallowed the huge lump that had suddenly grown in his throat. “Thanks.”
“For what, Dean?” Dean could hear Castiel licking the last bits of whatever off of his fingers. It made Dean squirm slightly. How could he not know what I meant. God! He’s actually gonna make me say it. Asshole. Except Dean knew better by now, Castiel wasn’t average by any means. In any sense of the word. He probably had no clue how grateful Dean was that he didn’t catch an eyeful last week. So Dean just sighed heavily, working up the momentum to carry on.
“For Friday, in class, I uh, uh,” Dean couldn’t find the words. “Thanks for your uh, you know.” Dean was vaguely waving his hands around at the ceiling, trying to conjure up the words from thin air.
“My discretion?” Dean could almost hear the head tilt that went along with that but he wasn’t quite ready to face Castiel’s soul searching eyes. Instead he just nodded and grunted in confirmation. “You’re very welcome, Dean. Had I known you were in that particular class I would not have volunteered at all. I did not wish to cause any, tension, between us.”
“Yeah, uh, same.” Dean coughed out. A few more moments of silence pass before he hears Castiel yawn and stretch. Dean’s embarrassment has settled down so he drops his gaze from the extremely interesting ceiling tiles to his friend. Castiel’s blankets have shifted and are now completely off his chest, bunched together in his lap. “Uh, Castiel? Are you wearing pants?”
“No,” at that Castiel stands, loosely holding the blanket around his hips, looking disheveled and wilted. “Do you require the restroom?” Dean just shakes his head dumbly. “Good.” He closes the door and Dean drops his head in his hands. Naked? Really? The bathroom door clicks open and Castiel pops his head out. “Dean?”
“Hmm.” Dean answers, rolling his head to the side in frustration. Freaking naked.
“Is that pie?” Castiel nods his head towards the container sticking out of Dean’s duffel.
“Only if you put on some goddamn pants.” He hears Castiel huff and possibly murmur something about how the Romans didn’t wear pants and got to eat all the pie they wanted as he closes the door. Dean can’t help the smile that creeps up and wipes the frustration away. At least he had a blanket this time.
***
Two weeks after Thanksgiving break comes finals. That means for two weeks Dean does nothing but go to class and study his ass off. Castiel doesn’t seem to be in the same boat. He casually studies a few times a week. Most of the time he’s reading books with weird covers and foreign languages. Maybe one day Castiel will teach him a language. But not any time in the next two weeks. These next two weeks will determine if he even has a second semester to worry about personalized language lessons. If Dean doesn’t pass every single exam with a B or higher he can kiss most of his scholarships goodbye.
About halfway through the first week, Dean starts cramming in the library after dinner. A couple days after that, Castiel joins him in the library. Sitting across from him and studying his leather bound tomes. At first it annoys Dean, he feels like Castiel’s trying to keep an eye on him, which to be honest is completely and utterly ridiculous because Castiel is the one who can’t even remember to feed himself. As the days pass though, he finds it comforting, knowing that Castiel is there for him if he needs to ask a question or check an answer.
The night before his first exam, Dean skips the library. He doesn’t want to be freaking out in public. Castiel enters the dorm looking confused to find Dean pacing in front of his desk, muttering to himself.
“Dean?” Castiel’s tone conveys his concern clearly.
“I can’t do this Castiel, I’m gonna fail. I’m gonna lose my scholarships and I’m gonna go home and work in some chain garage like my dad. God, I love him but I don’t want that life. I wanna be my own man you know? Open my own business. I wanna restore cars, like I used to do when I was a kid. I can’t lose this Castiel!” Dean had not stopped pacing yet, so Castiel moves to block his path and place both of his hands firmly on Dean’s shoulders. Dean’s surprised at the strength in them, but then he remembers the night he met Castiel. This scrawny guy had carried at least three times his own body weight in here, it shouldn’t surprise Dean that Castiel can pin his feet to the floor.
“Dean, you need to relax.” Castiel says it slowly and calmly, keeping his eyes locked onto Dean’s. It immediately drains some of the tension out of his shoulders. “If I let you go, will you hold still?” Dean nods. “I have something for you.” Castiel walks over to his own desk and rummages through the top drawing, searching for something. Obviously finding whatever it is, Castiel folds his hands over it reverently and walks back to Dean who is still frozen in place. “Here,” Castiel almost whispers as he unfolds his hands to reveal a small rabbit’s foot key chain.
“A rabbit’s foot Castiel? I really don’t think that’s going to do all that much.” Dean looks down at the trinket in his friend’s palms skeptically.
“Please, Dean. Take it.” Castiel nudges his hands towards Dean and Dean accepts the gift, examining it closely as if he could see the secret that made it so special. “I’ve had it my entire life. My mother gave it to me on my first day of school. She told me that as long as I carried it, nothing bad would ever befall me.”
Dean understood. All the stupid joke Dean had lined up in his head for Castiel dissipated in an instant. He knew the little trinket had the same meaning to Castiel that Mary’s apron had to John. “Thank you.”
“She was right, nothing bad has ever happened to me while I was in possession of it. At least, nothing I could control. I want you to have it Dean. You need it far more than I.” Castiel pressed Dean’s hands together over the fuzzy little charm and gave him a small smile. Castiel’s eyes looked like they were brimmed with tears, but he dropped his hands from Dean’s and blinked quickly as he stepped away. Probably just a trick of the light.
“Thank you.” It was all Dean could say, but the look on Castiel’s face told Dean it was all he needed to say. Dean sat quietly on his bed the rest of the night, calmly going over his notes.
His exams didn’t loom over him like a giant thunderstorm after that. In fact his first day went so well that as soon as Castiel got back from his own exams Dean decided that it had been too long since they’d eaten at the diner. Castiel agreed as long as they got back at a reasonable hour.
“Don’t worry Cinderella, I’ll get you back before your coach turns into a pumpkin.” Dean teased as they walked to the Impala.
“I do not understand that reference, Dean.” Castiel said solemnly. Dean couldn’t help but laugh at that, which only made Castiel quirk his head in confusion, which in turn caused Dean to laugh even harder.
Dean spent the rest of their walk, car ride, and waiting time at the restaurant trying to explain the finer points of fairy tales. Castiel couldn’t grasp how they had always started out with their characters in extreme hardships and then through the course of a few pages found themselves such a clean solution. Dean gave up by the time their food arrived and they settled into a peaceful silence. Occasionally Castiel would bring up how a princess shouldn’t wait for her prince, she should go out and take him. Dean would only nod encouragingly in agreement. After their meals, as they waited for the check, Dean worked up enough courage to finally ask what he’d brought Castiel out here to ask.
Clearing his throat to bring Castiel’s eye onto his own, Dean took a deep breath and started. “Castiel, I was wondering, you don’t have plans for Christmas break do you?”
Castiel tilted his head and creased his brow like he always does when he’s deeply confused. “Dean, that’s an absurd question. You know I don’t have family.”
Smooth, Winchester. “I know, I know, I just, I didn’t know if you had met anyone in class or anything.” At this Castiel's brow creased further. “No, I mean, Look.” Another deep breath. “Would you possibly be interested in spending break with my family.” That last part came out all as one word and Castiel straightened his head and leaned in closer.
“I’m sorry?” He asked.
“Look, Cas, I just, I want you to come to my house over break. It’s gonna be too lonely up here by yourself. Plus, break is over four weeks, I can’t have you dying on me.” Dean’s palms were sweating and he desperately tried to wipe them off on his jeans without anyone noticing.
“What did you say?” Castiel's face was looking more shocked now than anything.
“I just, I wanted to know-”
“No, Dean, what did you call me?” Dean flushed, realizing just then that he had used the nickname he’d made up for Castiel not too long ago. Castiel read Dean’s face like a book and slowly, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Yes.”
It was Dean’s turn to be confused now, weren’t they just discussing the uninvited nickname? “Huh?”
“I’d be honored to spend Christmas with your family, Dean.” Dean let out a small sigh of relief and scrambled out of the booth.
“Great! I’ll let Dad and Sammy know!” Dean nearly ran over their waitress on the way to the pay phone, but that wasn’t important. The important thing was letting Dad know that they were going to have a guest for break, and that Castiel could eat as much as an elephant given the opportunity so his dad better be prepared.
By the time Dean got back from the phone Castiel had already paid both of the bills, Dean tried to protest but Castiel insisted, it was the least he could do after Dean’s generous invitation. They got back into their room with just enough time to do a quick round of studying before passing out one after the other.
The next two days were a blur for Dean. By the time he put his pencil down on his last exam his mind was already weeks ahead, planning out different days where he would show Castiel the best Christmas Lawrence had to offer.
Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Epilogue |
“Do you always rouse with this much difficulty?” Some gravely, far off voice was questioning him. Too damn early for questions. In reply he just groaned again. Then the voice snorted softly. That’s when reality snapped back. Oh, yeah. He was back at school, in his dorm, with his roommate. His roommate. Castiel! Slowly Dean’s mind worked its way out of the heavy fog that Dean traced back to the last couple pieces of pie he’d tried to stuff in last night. Or two nights ago. What day was it?
“What day is it?” Dean mumbled, functional arm coming up to cover his aching eyelids. He wasn’t sure if he’d taken a nap or slept through a whole day.
“It’s November twenty-fifth, Dean. At four o’clock in the afternoon.” Dean had spent enough time now with Castiel to know when he was teasing. To anyone else Castiel’s face was flat and his voice carefully monotone. Dean knew better. He lifted his arm and opened his eye just enough to reveal Castiel sitting cross-legged on his bed, wrapped up entirely in blankets with a book in his lap, staring at Dean. It’s his eyes that betray Castiel most of the time. Even from across the room Dean can see the flicker of humor in them. Then there’s the corner of Castiel’s mouth that always turns up a fraction of an inch whenever he thinks he’s being clever or teasing Dean about one of Dean’s many ‘interesting’ habits.
“Shut up.” Dean groans a final time as he pushes himself up into a sitting position. “You hungry?”
“Starved,” Dean knows Castiel isn’t actually feeling hungry, he never seems to be, only eating when Dean reminds him to. He thinks Castiel only does it to keep Dean from bothering him, but whatever. He’s not gonna let his friend starve because the idiot forgets to eat. Dean goes to his duffel and pulls out the containers of leftovers, laying them out on the floor one by one. Castiel put aside his book and slumped down onto the floor to join Dean, dragging a train of blankets with him. Dean slid the containers closer to Castiel and then stood to get the fork that he kept in his nightstand for late night pie. By the time he had turned around Castiel was already using pieces of turkey as a makeshift utensil to eat the mashed potatoes, biting off chunks of potato covered meat with ferocity then chasing it quickly with a pinch of cranberry sauce.
“When was the last time you ate?” Dean settled down across from Castiel and watched in amazement as Castiel barely came up for air in between bites.
“When did you leave?” Castiel managed around a mouthful of stuffing.
“Last Friday.” Dean barely managed to answer, too transfixed with watching Castiel’s nimble fingers gather up bits of each dish to put into his mouth, licking each finger clean after depositing the food in its proper place.
Castiel hums at that, obviously trying to remember. “I believe I ate the last of the ramen Wednesday.”
“Two days, Castiel! You haven’t eaten in two days!” Dean stopped watching him eat then and scooted closer, taking Castiel’s shoulder in one hand. “You can’t do that man, three square meals a day, at least! God if I hadn’t come back today how long would it have taken you to get up and find some food? You could have died!”
“Dean, be rational. The human body can survive up to four weeks without food with proper hydration. I was in no danger.” Castiel continued to eat as he said this, mumbling and dropping loose strings of turkey out of his mouth as he chewed around the words. Dean’s grip hardened and Castiel finally stopped to look at him. Dean was doing his best to make his eyes tell Castiel that no matter what survivorman bullshit Castiel was willing to go through, it worried Dean. Castiel was Dean’s only friend, he was closer than anyone outside of his small family had ever gotten. Dean couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. Castiel swallowed hard and gave a slow steady nod.
“Just shut up and eat, you freak.” Castiel leaned back against his bed and smiled at Dean through a mouthful of turkey. Dean rolled his eyes and gave Castiel’s knee a gentle shove with his boot. He let Castiel go through most of the meal in silence after that. That is until he started to slow down, that’s when Dean remembered that thing he needed to talk to Castiel about. The thing from last Friday.
“Hey, uh, Castiel?” Dean wasn’t ready to look up at Castiel yet so he glued his eyes to the ceiling and leaned his head back against the side of the bed. He heard Castiel’s hum of acknowledgement and swallowed the huge lump that had suddenly grown in his throat. “Thanks.”
“For what, Dean?” Dean could hear Castiel licking the last bits of whatever off of his fingers. It made Dean squirm slightly. How could he not know what I meant. God! He’s actually gonna make me say it. Asshole. Except Dean knew better by now, Castiel wasn’t average by any means. In any sense of the word. He probably had no clue how grateful Dean was that he didn’t catch an eyeful last week. So Dean just sighed heavily, working up the momentum to carry on.
“For Friday, in class, I uh, uh,” Dean couldn’t find the words. “Thanks for your uh, you know.” Dean was vaguely waving his hands around at the ceiling, trying to conjure up the words from thin air.
“My discretion?” Dean could almost hear the head tilt that went along with that but he wasn’t quite ready to face Castiel’s soul searching eyes. Instead he just nodded and grunted in confirmation. “You’re very welcome, Dean. Had I known you were in that particular class I would not have volunteered at all. I did not wish to cause any, tension, between us.”
“Yeah, uh, same.” Dean coughed out. A few more moments of silence pass before he hears Castiel yawn and stretch. Dean’s embarrassment has settled down so he drops his gaze from the extremely interesting ceiling tiles to his friend. Castiel’s blankets have shifted and are now completely off his chest, bunched together in his lap. “Uh, Castiel? Are you wearing pants?”
“No,” at that Castiel stands, loosely holding the blanket around his hips, looking disheveled and wilted. “Do you require the restroom?” Dean just shakes his head dumbly. “Good.” He closes the door and Dean drops his head in his hands. Naked? Really? The bathroom door clicks open and Castiel pops his head out. “Dean?”
“Hmm.” Dean answers, rolling his head to the side in frustration. Freaking naked.
“Is that pie?” Castiel nods his head towards the container sticking out of Dean’s duffel.
“Only if you put on some goddamn pants.” He hears Castiel huff and possibly murmur something about how the Romans didn’t wear pants and got to eat all the pie they wanted as he closes the door. Dean can’t help the smile that creeps up and wipes the frustration away. At least he had a blanket this time.
***
Two weeks after Thanksgiving break comes finals. That means for two weeks Dean does nothing but go to class and study his ass off. Castiel doesn’t seem to be in the same boat. He casually studies a few times a week. Most of the time he’s reading books with weird covers and foreign languages. Maybe one day Castiel will teach him a language. But not any time in the next two weeks. These next two weeks will determine if he even has a second semester to worry about personalized language lessons. If Dean doesn’t pass every single exam with a B or higher he can kiss most of his scholarships goodbye.
About halfway through the first week, Dean starts cramming in the library after dinner. A couple days after that, Castiel joins him in the library. Sitting across from him and studying his leather bound tomes. At first it annoys Dean, he feels like Castiel’s trying to keep an eye on him, which to be honest is completely and utterly ridiculous because Castiel is the one who can’t even remember to feed himself. As the days pass though, he finds it comforting, knowing that Castiel is there for him if he needs to ask a question or check an answer.
The night before his first exam, Dean skips the library. He doesn’t want to be freaking out in public. Castiel enters the dorm looking confused to find Dean pacing in front of his desk, muttering to himself.
“Dean?” Castiel’s tone conveys his concern clearly.
“I can’t do this Castiel, I’m gonna fail. I’m gonna lose my scholarships and I’m gonna go home and work in some chain garage like my dad. God, I love him but I don’t want that life. I wanna be my own man you know? Open my own business. I wanna restore cars, like I used to do when I was a kid. I can’t lose this Castiel!” Dean had not stopped pacing yet, so Castiel moves to block his path and place both of his hands firmly on Dean’s shoulders. Dean’s surprised at the strength in them, but then he remembers the night he met Castiel. This scrawny guy had carried at least three times his own body weight in here, it shouldn’t surprise Dean that Castiel can pin his feet to the floor.
“Dean, you need to relax.” Castiel says it slowly and calmly, keeping his eyes locked onto Dean’s. It immediately drains some of the tension out of his shoulders. “If I let you go, will you hold still?” Dean nods. “I have something for you.” Castiel walks over to his own desk and rummages through the top drawing, searching for something. Obviously finding whatever it is, Castiel folds his hands over it reverently and walks back to Dean who is still frozen in place. “Here,” Castiel almost whispers as he unfolds his hands to reveal a small rabbit’s foot key chain.
“A rabbit’s foot Castiel? I really don’t think that’s going to do all that much.” Dean looks down at the trinket in his friend’s palms skeptically.
“Please, Dean. Take it.” Castiel nudges his hands towards Dean and Dean accepts the gift, examining it closely as if he could see the secret that made it so special. “I’ve had it my entire life. My mother gave it to me on my first day of school. She told me that as long as I carried it, nothing bad would ever befall me.”
Dean understood. All the stupid joke Dean had lined up in his head for Castiel dissipated in an instant. He knew the little trinket had the same meaning to Castiel that Mary’s apron had to John. “Thank you.”
“She was right, nothing bad has ever happened to me while I was in possession of it. At least, nothing I could control. I want you to have it Dean. You need it far more than I.” Castiel pressed Dean’s hands together over the fuzzy little charm and gave him a small smile. Castiel’s eyes looked like they were brimmed with tears, but he dropped his hands from Dean’s and blinked quickly as he stepped away. Probably just a trick of the light.
“Thank you.” It was all Dean could say, but the look on Castiel’s face told Dean it was all he needed to say. Dean sat quietly on his bed the rest of the night, calmly going over his notes.
His exams didn’t loom over him like a giant thunderstorm after that. In fact his first day went so well that as soon as Castiel got back from his own exams Dean decided that it had been too long since they’d eaten at the diner. Castiel agreed as long as they got back at a reasonable hour.
“Don’t worry Cinderella, I’ll get you back before your coach turns into a pumpkin.” Dean teased as they walked to the Impala.
“I do not understand that reference, Dean.” Castiel said solemnly. Dean couldn’t help but laugh at that, which only made Castiel quirk his head in confusion, which in turn caused Dean to laugh even harder.
Dean spent the rest of their walk, car ride, and waiting time at the restaurant trying to explain the finer points of fairy tales. Castiel couldn’t grasp how they had always started out with their characters in extreme hardships and then through the course of a few pages found themselves such a clean solution. Dean gave up by the time their food arrived and they settled into a peaceful silence. Occasionally Castiel would bring up how a princess shouldn’t wait for her prince, she should go out and take him. Dean would only nod encouragingly in agreement. After their meals, as they waited for the check, Dean worked up enough courage to finally ask what he’d brought Castiel out here to ask.
Clearing his throat to bring Castiel’s eye onto his own, Dean took a deep breath and started. “Castiel, I was wondering, you don’t have plans for Christmas break do you?”
Castiel tilted his head and creased his brow like he always does when he’s deeply confused. “Dean, that’s an absurd question. You know I don’t have family.”
Smooth, Winchester. “I know, I know, I just, I didn’t know if you had met anyone in class or anything.” At this Castiel's brow creased further. “No, I mean, Look.” Another deep breath. “Would you possibly be interested in spending break with my family.” That last part came out all as one word and Castiel straightened his head and leaned in closer.
“I’m sorry?” He asked.
“Look, Cas, I just, I want you to come to my house over break. It’s gonna be too lonely up here by yourself. Plus, break is over four weeks, I can’t have you dying on me.” Dean’s palms were sweating and he desperately tried to wipe them off on his jeans without anyone noticing.
“What did you say?” Castiel's face was looking more shocked now than anything.
“I just, I wanted to know-”
“No, Dean, what did you call me?” Dean flushed, realizing just then that he had used the nickname he’d made up for Castiel not too long ago. Castiel read Dean’s face like a book and slowly, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Yes.”
It was Dean’s turn to be confused now, weren’t they just discussing the uninvited nickname? “Huh?”
“I’d be honored to spend Christmas with your family, Dean.” Dean let out a small sigh of relief and scrambled out of the booth.
“Great! I’ll let Dad and Sammy know!” Dean nearly ran over their waitress on the way to the pay phone, but that wasn’t important. The important thing was letting Dad know that they were going to have a guest for break, and that Castiel could eat as much as an elephant given the opportunity so his dad better be prepared.
By the time Dean got back from the phone Castiel had already paid both of the bills, Dean tried to protest but Castiel insisted, it was the least he could do after Dean’s generous invitation. They got back into their room with just enough time to do a quick round of studying before passing out one after the other.
The next two days were a blur for Dean. By the time he put his pencil down on his last exam his mind was already weeks ahead, planning out different days where he would show Castiel the best Christmas Lawrence had to offer.
Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Epilogue |