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It was all the cat’s fault.
This was not supposed to happen. If his cat had been her normal, anti-social self the one time it actually mattered, then Cas wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with. He wouldn’t be busted up in the ER on a date gone very wrong waiting for his long-term, casual hook-up to pick up his keys to feed said only-an-jerk-when-its-convenient cat.
Balthazar and Meg should share the blame for forcing him to sign up for the damn app too.
Either way, Cas was so screwed.
It started eight months ago. Cas had spent all Saturday laying in bed in his blue bathrobe snuggling with his two cats. He had been peacefully reading one of his new books from the comfort of his own bed when his best friends called him up and tried to force him out of his serene apartment to distract him. They begged him to go to the bars with them and when Meg threatened to drag him out by his hair, what other choice did he have?
When he finally showed up, Balthazar and Meg reminded him exactly why he didn’t go out to begin with. They were putting the pressure on Cas to date or sleep around with any guy at the bar who would have him. Meg called his ex a string of well-deserved and nasty names crude enough to make a sailor blush. The truth was Cas wasn’t ready to expend energy meeting people in person. His former relationship may have sucked but four years still meant something.
That’s when Balthazar stole Cas’s phone and installed a dating app. Then, Cas wouldn’t have to meet people in person and he could block people at will. Meg set up his profile for him with pictures “hot enough to flip straight guys.” Balthazar told him to treat it like one of his trips. Exploring the wild to find potential partners instead of long lost dinosaurs. The paleontologist in Cas loved getting out there and exploring so this should have thrilled him too. Until Balthazar mentioned that the hard bone he was looking for would be very much alive this time.
Meg told him he just needed to swipe right if he was attracted to the person and the bios didn’t scream “I’m gonna murder you”.
He didn’t open the app until the following Saturday afternoon when the loneliness was particularly strong. The first five guys he swiped right on and matched with ended up pushing too much or sending unsolicited dick pics that Cas never asked for. He swiped for another hour before he came across the profile of Impala67 also known as Dean. His bio was straight forward. He was openly bisexual and looking for a fun time with either a guy or gal. He liked fast cars, bars, and hanging out with friends and family. Firmly no commitments/no strings attached but be a perfect gentleman during any casual hook-ups his bio claimed.
Cas already felt dirty from the hours of scrolling, swiping, and getting terrible messages that he almost force closed the app at the sight of something somewhat normal. He decided that’s exactly what he would do after looking at Dean’s pictures.
His brain immediately short-circuited at how attractive Dean was. Everything from his jawline to his boots was hot. Cas couldn’t tell if he was a dirty blonde or a very light brunette but either way he just wanted to run his hands through his hair. What really sold Cas though was Dean’s eyes. His gorgeous green eyes made the long-dead butterflies in his stomach flutter back to life. His fingertips swiped right before his brain caught up with him.
Imagine his own surprise when they matched and Dean popped into his inbox with, “You may be the paleontologist but I really dig you.”
The pun made Cas smile and soon enough Dean and Cas were deep in conversation. It felt too easy and too natural until the moment Dean invited him out for the night. He immediately typed in an excuse before remembering what Meg had said only a week before.
“You’re just looking for a hook-up, Clarence. Not a marriage. As long as he wraps it and isn’t too creepy, why not try to have a good time. The best way to get over an ex is by getting under someone else,” Meg said waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
Cas erased his message and decided to go for it. Trying to be safe though, Cas had a few stipulations before they got down and dirty.
They met at a public bar so Cas could make sure Dean wasn’t secretly a creep. They chatted over beers and free chips. Dean was easy to be around. He smiled when Cas stammered his way through introducing himself. He laughed at the few lame jokes Cas had prepared. He appeared genuinely interested in Cas’s work at the Museum. When Dean started talking about his work as an architect, Cas was surprised to find himself returning the sentiment. Some more beers later and Cas didn’t even have to think about whether he wanted to have hook-up with Dean.
That night he had spent with Dean had been better than good. As Dean described it, it had been “awesome.”
It really had been. In the last few years of his relationship with Ishim, they never had sex that was half as satisfying and hot like he had with Dean that night. The last year they had barely had sex at all because Ishim had been working late when that really meant he was screwing his assistant. Memories of Dean in bed and at the bar had Cas on edge the rest of the week. Nothing Cas did could scratch the itch. Not getting on the app to look for a hookup (which he spent hours doing). Not masturbation. Nothing helped.
That’s exactly why when Dean texted him the following Saturday asking if Cas was awake at 11PM Cas responded he was free in less than three seconds. Dean asked if they could meet at Cas’s place this time since his brother was working on finals for graduate school.
When Dean knocked on Cas’s door, his bravado faltered. Maybe he wasn’t drunk enough (or at all) for this. Casual hook-ups had never been his style and this was the second time in the five months since his break-up he was going to have sex with a virtual stranger. Last time, beer had calmed his nerves and helped him loosen the reins a little.
“Want some of my famous hot chocolate?” Cas shot out when he opened the door. Snow flakes stuck to Dean’s long eye lashes from the December snowfall and Cas had never seen a man so beautiful.
Dean stepped inside to Cas’s warm apartment and said, “That’d be great, Cas.”
“Uh, please feel free to make yourself comfortable on the couch.”
Grabbing two mugs from his cupboard, Cas pulled out supplies to make hot chocolate. His hands were shaky and he didn’t know if he could do this.
“Woah hey, who’s your friend?”
Glancing over his shoulder, Cas saw one of his cats sitting on Dean’s lap. Cas could hear his purr from across the room and wasn’t shocked that his cat was bumping his head into Dean’s chin. He had forgotten to lock his cats in the bathroom like he would normally do when company came over.
His handsome orange cat was the friendliest guy in the world. He was missing half of his tail but that didn’t stop him from being adorable cat who caught Cas’s attention with a single picture on the shelter’s Facebook page. Then, he was a ten-year-old cat in early kidney failure which weakened his chances of adoption. It took less than five minutes to fall in love with his future cat because he was stupidly affectionate. He was also incredibly dumb and clumsy. The adoption counselor at the shelter even joked while signing the papers that orange cats would trade braincells for love but “Stray 845” apparently traded all of them to be the most affectionate cat alive. At sixteen-years-old, his cat had only grown more affectionate with age.
“That’s Ian Malcolm.”
“From Jurassic Park?”
“Yeah, surprised you knew that.”
“Can’t forget it. Jeff Goldblum in that open shirt was one of my first awakenings. That movie is a classic and I'm an expert at good classics.”
Cas smiled at the hot chocolate he was making. More of their first night together was making sense now. Dean had kept throwing out references Cas didn’t get. Dean would explain sometimes but more often than not said that Cas needed to get out more. Cas just needed to find the marshmallows to top it off the hot chocolate so they could drink up and then...Where did he put them again? Cas focused on the marshmallow search to keep his blushing face hidden.
“You have two cats?” Dean asked.
He assumed his other cat had darted from the other room into his bedroom. He’d definitely have to lock her in the room later if Dean was expected to leave here unscathed.
“Cats do better in pairs typically. They are great at keeping each other company when I’m away on digs and the cat sitter can only come for check-ins,” Cas said without looking up from the cupboard he was searching through.
“What’s your other cat’s name?
“Dr. Ellie Sattler.”
“That tracks. Ellie Sattler is a cute name.”
“Doctor. Her name is Dr. Ellie Sattler.”
“She have a PhD?”
“No, but I share mine with her if she guards the apartment and keeps me safe.”
“Does Ian Malcolm have a degree?”
“No, he’s just here for his good looks,” Cas deadpanned.
Dean laughed behind him which made Cas’s nerves calm down.
If he had shocked Dean by having two cats, that was nothing compared to the horror Cas felt when he turned around to see his tortoiseshell next to Dean on the couch and sniffing his outstretched hand.
Dr. Ellie Sattler was the exact opposite of Ian Malcolm. Cas had adopted her from the same shelter three years after Ian Malcolm. He met her while dropping off a donation of gently used toys and perusing the cats available for adoption. He felt bad leaving Ian Malcolm alone all day at work and when he was spending nights away with his boyfriend.
A little, terrified tortie drew his attention. She was slated for euthanasia and the adoption staff said she was almost feral due to her fear when Cas asked about her. Nobody could touch her. Cas wagged his fingers through the cage bar and she came up to sniff his finger before running away again. His heart broke and he decided to adopt her that day 3 years ago much to Ishim’s dislike. He knew what she should be named immediately and hoped she would aspire to be like the character. She got the “Woman inherits the earth part” right. She ruled the apartment with an iron fist.
It took 4 months for Dr. Ellie Sattler to approach Cas for attention. Before that, she hissed and kept her distance which had made Cas wonder if he had made a mistake. Ian Malcolm won her over the third day. She came to Cas slowly and Cas was happier everyday that he earned a little more of her affection.
She hated Ishim. Anytime his then-boyfriend had been over Cas had been forced to lock her in the laundry room when they stayed at his place. He should have known what kind of person Ishim was sooner. He thought he caught him trying to kick her once, but he said he was just shooing her away. She peed on his briefcase a few days later and that was the last time Ishim stayed over. She was the reason Cas and Ishim never moved in together.
Any unknown visitors were met with hisses and disdain which caused most to not bother trying to earn her affections. The guests who did try were met with swats with claws out and spatting. She tolerated Meg and ignored Balthazar because they would occasionally cat sit but she never approached them. If Meg brought treats, she let Meg pet her occasionally. Balthazar and Dr. Ellie Sattler had a mutual agreement on acceptable space distance. Cas loved his cat but sometimes she only liked him back depending on her mood. She didn’t like people other than Cas and that was okay. Cas loved her anway.
Yet, the moment Cas had frozen Dr. Ellie Sattler had thrust her head into Dean’s outstretched hand clearly asking for attention.
“She’s usually not that friendly. Go slow,” Cas said uneasily while praying his cat would not bite Dean.
Then, Dr. Ellie Sattler did something very unlike her. She turned around and let Dean scratch along her lower back. The universal sign for trust. Cas was flabbergasted.
“Are you a cat whisperer?”
“If I am, it’s a secret to even me. Never spent much time with cats before to be honest.”
Dr. Ellie Sattler continued her quest for affection. Even after Cas brought over the steaming mugs of peppermint hot chocolate, neither cat could be deterred by Cas trying to convince them to vacate the area. Both cats followed Cas and Dean to the bedroom door which they had to close in their cute litte faces.
After their second hook-up, which was just as spine-tingling as the first, Dean said goodbye to Cas with a kiss on the cheek. That sent another blush all the way up to the tips of his ears. Dean then bent down said goodbye Ian Malcolm and Dr. Ellie Sattler.
Cas felt the smallest crush forming in the back of his mind at the cute scene. He brushed it off because his likelihood seeing Dean again was slim to none and this was just his hormones running high after having sex. Dean had thanked him for the hook-up before stepping out the door. He even had gone on to say that he usually didn’t see the same person twice because he didn’t date but Cas was simply too “awesome” to miss out on. Dean rubbed his neck when he admitted that and looked confused by his own statement. Nothing left to say, Dean departed and Cas was left feeling weird.
It shocked and pleased Cas when Dean sent a text a few days later asking Cas to get a beer that upcoming Friday. Cas didn’t understand why Dean kept wanting to see him and have sex. Dean’s profile and Dean himself explicitly stated that he was only looking for casual sex. But Cas had fun both times with Dean so he stopped questioning Dean’s motives. Plus, the itch had returned and Cas needed to get laid. Dean was a good guy and Cas was basing that entire assumption on how much his cat liked Dean.
The third hook up turned into four. Then, pretty soon it was the eighth and then the twelfth in less than two months. Those little hormones Cas had felt had transformed for an absolutely pathetic reason. Cas was fully aware that he was “crushing” on Dean. It felt like a middle school crush in that it was all consuming. The reason had nothing to do with the sex.
Don’t get Cas wrong, Dean was great in bed. Mind-blowingly so in fact. It was toe-curling, mind-numbing, orgasmic bliss every time Dean and Cas collided and it didn’t matter where it happened. Sometimes it happened in the bathroom of the bar or in the back of Dean’s pristine car that he loved so much. More often than not though as time went on they were able to contain themselves until they got back to Cas’s apartment. Dean would always get right into the action quickly. He’d press Cas against the wall with a bruising kiss while his hands worked to unbuckle Cas’s belt or he would strip Cas quickly of his clothes the second they got into the bedroom before Cas had time to blink. On the rare occasion they didn’t go out beforehand and Dean was stopping by because one of them had sent a “You up?” text, the result was still the same.
But Dean wouldn’t do any of that until he said hi to his two newest best friends. He didn’t even have time to say hi to Cas because his cats were so demanding. Dr. Ellie Sattler in particular would scream like a banshee at Dean until he greeted her.
“Hey, how’s my best girl doing?” Dean would ask as Dr. Ellie Sattler twined herself around Dean’s leg with a purr that sounded like a jet plane engine. He would bend down to give both cats some affection and Dr. Ellie Sattler melted like butter in his palm of his hand. The greetings were growing longer and longer each time until one night Cas and Dean spent the first two hours of their booty call chatting on the floor of Cas’s apartment with a cat in each of their laps.
Sex wasn’t the reason for his crush. Cas caught feelings for his casual fuck buddy because he was nice to Cas’s unfriendly cat and the cat loved him back. How screwed up was that?
Four months in and Cas lost count of the number of times they had sex. They were spending more time together. Movies and beers were now appearing at his door the same time Dean was so sometimes they spent the early hours of the night helping Cas catch up on the classics and remakes Dean deemed important. They were getting out more too. They went to concerts, other museums, the local fair, the zoo, the aquarium, and were trying new restaurants before they inevitably ended up rolling around underneath Cas’s sheets. Dean started staying longer after sex too claiming Cas wore him out too much and he needed rest before he headed out. They would spend that time talking about nothing and everything.
One night, things shifted as they hung out on the couch and finished watching the newest Jurassic World movie Cas had yet to see. Dean looked over at Cas and studied him as the credits rolled and Cas talked about inaccuracies of dinosaur designs.
“Why did you become a paleontologist anyway?”
“Dinosaurs were so cool as a kid and it really made my ultra-conservative, bible-thumping parents mad. The more they tried to force the bible and creationism on me, the more often I came home from the book fair or library with dinosaur books. Sometimes when the house got to be too much, I would pretend that dinosaurs would eat them or whisk me away on a grand adventure. I wanted my imagination to be scientifically accurate so the more I imagined the more research I did. Once, my parents stole all my books but I just used my paper route money to buy more after telling them that I hoped a Argentinosaurus would crush them.”
“Even from a young age you liked rebelling and pissing your parents off.”
“It turned out to be good training for when I came out as gay and they disowned me. Haven't spoken to them since I was 18 and went off to college.”
The mood shifted then and Dean looked down at his hands that had been scratching Dr. Ellie Sattler, “I’m sorry, Cas.”
“Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything.”
Dean looked up and met Cas's eyes with a look he didn't recognize. It almost looked both sad and loving which couldn't be correct.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that. I can't imagine life without my parents. Sure, my dad had a tough time when I came out initially but mom smacked sense into him.You deserve the world Cas, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You are an amazing person.”
Then, Dean kissed him gently. His lips pressed against Cas’s chapped ones with extreme tenderness. That night, sex with Dean was much slower. Dean trailed kisses onto every inch of his skin. Up Cas’s inner thighs, down his spine, across his stomach. It felt like Dean was worshipping him. Dean took his time taking Cas apart. Cas came twice before Dean did. It was almost too intimate. It felt like they were making love. Cas had never in his entire life felt so cared for.
Cas had been too exhausted and still floating on his post-orgasm high when the bed shifted and Dean walked across the room. Fear and sadness gripped Cas that Dean was leaving after all of that until Dean opened the door ever so slightly to let the cats in. Ian Malcolm immediately ran and jumped up next to Cas.
Dr. Ellie Sattler followed Dean as he climbed back into bed. She forced herself into Dean’s arms and started purring immediately which made Dean laugh. With Sattler (Dean had started calling her) purring in Dean’s arms and Dean re-tangling their legs together, Dean fell asleep and stayed overnight for the first time.
Watching Dean fall asleep with Dr. Ellie Sattler made Cas happy. Too happy.
He was more than just crushing on Dean now. Cas was falling in love with the man. The man who he had started having affection for simply because he was nice to his cat. Dean was so much more than that though. He was thoughtful and generous. He cared about his younger brother’s education enough not to drag his hook-ups back to his apartment. Dean would open doors for Cas, share his food, and try to act like the gentleman he claimed to be. He always answered Cas’s calls or messages. Cas would have to fight to pay for their dinners or even his share of the food because Dean would insist on paying every time. Once when Cas forgot a jacket on one of their excursions, Dean gave him his so he wouldn’t be cold. He asked Cas’s opinion on movies so he would only bring over ones he thought Cas would like.
Beautiful Dean Winchester was perfect in every definition of the word. It was such a shame he didn’t date. Though Cas didn’t know how he would have time to even have other sex partners with how often Dean and Cas were together. If any of Dean’s other casual hook-ups were receiving this much attention in bed and beyond, then they were just as lucky as Cas felt. To be the center of Dean’s attention made Cas feel as powerful as the angel he was named after.
The months went on and every weekend as well as some weeknights were now spent at Cas’s apartment. Dean would come over Friday after work and spend most, if not the entire, weekend sleeping at Cas’s place. Sex was still there and still just as hot but sometimes they didn't even have sex before they went to sleep. Sometimes Dean would just ask for a kiss goodnight.
Their hangouts grew in numbers too. Cas got to meet Sam and his girlfriend Eileen who were now regulars when they went to get food or went out on the town. The more he grew to know Sam and Eileen the more Cas loved them. Dean wore Cas down about meeting his friends and Cas hesitantly introduced him to Balthazar and Meg. The look on Dean’s face when he found out that Balthazar and Meg were both crazy aerospace scientists who worked at the Museum with Cas after Meg took seven shots in a row made Cas laugh. Their circles started combine and Cas was weirded out when Meg and Eileen took a spa day together.
The straw that broke the camel’s back happened on a Friday night. Cas was preparing to give a lecture on one of the stages in the Museum when he saw a certain green-eyed man sneak into a seat in the back of the auditorium. Cas’s calm demeanor slipped and he felt nervous to give the lecture he had done hundreds of times before.
After the house lights went up and the final stragglers made their ways to other parts of the Museum, Dean found his way to the stage. He beamed with pride at Cas and gave him a hard kiss. Turns out, Dean was surprising Cas by picking him up from work for dinner and a movie after seeing Cas in action.
Or that had been the plan until Dean got called in for an emergency meeting with his team and a big name client. Dean insisted on dropping Cas off at his apartment despite it being completely out of the way of his firm. Dean gave Cas another kiss outside his apartment door.
“I’ll see you later, babe.”
“What?” Cas asked. Dean had called him babe.
“I’ll see you later. Probably won’t be until late tonight so don’t feel like you have to wait up. I would love to come inside and say hi to Sattler and Malcolm but if I did I would never leave.”
“Okay...”
With another kiss and a wink, Dean left Cas at a loss for words.
Cas needed to stop it. He was already too in love with Dean for it not to break his heart when Dean inevitably moved on to his next casual sexual encounter. Tonight proved that. That was how Cas wound up tipsy and spilling his guts out to Balthazar and Meg at 8pm in a random bougie bar Dean would not enjoy. Dean had said no dating but Cas had fallen for him anyway.
Balthazar rolled his eyes and gave Cas a scathing look, “So you fell in love with your ‘casual hook-up’ as you are calling it because he was nice to your cat? You haven’t come out for a night on the town in months with just your two best friends because you were too busy shacking up with him. Jesus Christ Cas, you really are hopeless.”
With a scowl on her face, Meg punched Balthazar in the arm hard. There was little doubt in Cas’s mind that there would definitely be a bruise tomorrow morning.
“So we all pegged Dean wrong, so what? Your options are letting me kick his ass for leading you on or getting back on that app and finding another man to get over Dean. Worked for Ishim, should work for your ‘crush’ on Dean. You want a relationship? Don’t fuck guys who say they don’t date.”
Cas took Meg’s advice and Monday morning he reinstalled the app after Dean left. He gave himself one last weekend of pretend with Dean before he would start getting over him. That Monday came too soon and Cas never wanted a goodbye kiss to last forever as much as he did in that moment. He changed his profile completely so he would lower the chances of meeting another Dean.
A week later he had a date to a professional baseball game with a guy named Ketch who seemed nice enough. He didn’t open with a pun like Dean had which was a slight disappoint. They didn’t text much leading up to the date. In fact, Ketch seemed a little snotty for his taste but Cas needed to get over Dean. That logic did nothing to quell the sense of wrongness about going on a date.
The date felt even more wrong because Dean had gone weirdly silent and fell off the map when he told him that he couldn’t go to a movie that Friday night because he had a date. Dean hung up the phone shortly after and stopped responding to Cas almost immediately
Maybe Dean finally went camping with Sam and Eileen since it was late summer and Sam had been begging him to go. The good big brother Dean was promised to take his fully-grown adult little brother on a long camping trip before the summer was through. Dean said Cas would be free to come if they went they last time they had talked about it but Dean must not have invited him knowing he was busy. That was what Cas was telling himself because why would Dean go so quiet otherwise.
Meeting Ketch outside the ballpark was nice enough. He was shorter than Cas expected. His hair and eyes were darker than Dean’s too. He was handsome but not as handsome as Dean. They made their way inside and stopped at the concession stand to get food for the game before heading to their seats. Ketch complained about everything from the price to the smells to the low quality of the American food. Cas tried to brush it off without thinking how much Dean would love all the food there.
Baseball was boring and Cas knew that before he came. That’s why he had never went to a baseball game to begin with. He would rather be at home with his cats and Dean watching a movie…
Cas stopped the thought in its tracks and turned to Ketch to learn more about him.
“So Ketch, what do you do for work?”
“I work on Wall Street. Those guys you see yelling in the movies wish they did as well as me. You?”
“I’m a paleontologist. I work for the science museum doing research and giving lectures to the public.”
“I never really got into dinosaurs or all that old stuff. Didn’t understand the hype. I don’t understand the internet's current fixation on animals. They are too messy and needy. Always been more of a logic and numbers guy myself.”
“Oh okay, so I take it you don’t like pets.”
“Not really, no. Why? Do you have some?”
Disappointed and thinking about Dean, Cas opened his mouth to reply as the crowd cheered near him. A sudden painful strike to the side of his head and Cas was out.
The sounds of a siren in the ambulance woke him up. He had an oxygen mask strapped over his face and the pain in his head was surreal. He felt like he had gotten hit by a bus.
At the hospital, a paramedic explained that Cas had been hit by foul ball when he hadn’t been paying attention. They were worried Cas would have a concussion or worse so they brought him to the emergency room when he got knocked out. Ketch had been grossed out by whole ordeal and left an unconscious Cas to the paramedics.
An hour later when Cas was able to get on his phone, Ketch had not called or texted to check on him. Cas was right about him being a pompous ass.
Then, the doctors told Cas they wanted to keep him overnight to monitor him for signs of a concussion or a brain bleed. After being discharged, he should not be left alone for at least a full day. They asked if he had a partner or friends he could stay with afterwards.
Cas called Meg who reminded him that both her and Balthazar were visiting NASA for the week in Florida. They wished they could come get him. After assuring his only two friends that he would be fine, Cas felt defeated. His cats would miss their evening feeding. Ian Malcolm needed to stay consistent due to his stage 3 kidney failure. That paired with the fact Dr. Ellie Sattler threw-up bile if she went too long between feedings from stress left Cas feeling guilty.
Dr. Ellie Sattler would never let anyone else through the door. His normal cat sitter was out of town too. Every option had been exhausted with the exception of one. As long as he hadn’t really left to camp or wasn't too busy doing whatever had made him go quiet, this was his last and only choice.
Unfortunately, Dean didn’t answer when Cas called. He even called a second time and asked Dean to call him back ASAP. His phone had been damaged when it fell out his pocket at the stadium and Cas hoped unrealistically that maybe that was the reason Dean wasn’t answering. That or he was in deep wilderness.
A concerned and sympathetic nurse offered to call from her cell. Dean picked up for her. The nurse explained what had happened at the baseball game. She smiled when she told Cas he would be there soon to pick up his keys.
Dean had his phone. He knew Cas had tried to call him. For the first time ever, Dean didn’t answer when he called. Cas’s heart broke a little more.
It was all the cat’s fault.
This was not supposed to happen. If his cat had been her normal, anti-social self the one time it actually mattered then Cas wouldn’t be in this situation to begin with. He wouldn’t be busted up in the ER on a date gone very wrong waiting for his long-term, casual hook-up to pick up his keys to feed said only-an-jerk-when-its-convenient cat.
Balthazar and Meg should share the blame for forcing him to sign up for the damn app too.
Either way, Cas was so screwed.
His mind kept replaying it all. If his cat had been an asshole to Dean, Cas wouldn't have developed a crush on Dean. If he hadn't developed a crush on Dean, then he wouldn't have fallen in love with him. If he wasn't in love with Dean, he would have never had gone on a date with a guy he barely knew trying to get over Dean. By Cas’s concussed logic, some of his problems were Stephen Spielberg's fault. Screw Jurassic Park and Jurassic World too. He was going to punch that animatronic T-rex in it's stupid face.
Less than 20 minutes later, a winded Dean burst into the ER. He made his way over to a light-headed Cas and demanded to know how he was doing. It took the reassurance of two nurses that Cas seemed to be doing alright despite how hard he had been hit. They reiterated were keeping him overnight before discharging him to someone who could spend the following day with him to monitor him. One of the nurses asked if it would Dean. Dean said he didn't know.
Cas and Dean didn’t say much when the nurses left. Cas pulled out his keys and handed it to Dean. Dean played with the shark keychain Dean had bought him when they went to the aquarium for a brief moment before saying goodbye. Two hours later, Dean sent him a picture of a happy Dr. Ellie Sattler and Ian Malcolm sitting on the couch with a text saying Dean would pick him up at 8AM like the doctors had wanted.
The drive home the next day was done in relative silence with the occasional squeak from the Impala’s vinyl seats interrupting. Dean cast a few glares and some worried glances at Cas. Cas couldn’t help but feel he had done something very wrong to make Dean so angry with him. Walking through his own front door brought relief and two happy cats. Soon enough though Dean was interrupting their heartfelt reunion with a reminder Cas should be resting in bed. Cas had been kept up all night by concerned staff and he felt like he was a little drunk and floating on a cloud from the lack of sleep.
“Thank you for coming to get me, Dean.”
“Yeah well, somebody had to. I tried to call Meg but she said she was out of town.”
That stung. Which is exactly why Cas had gone on the date in the first place. Dean didn’t want this part of a relationship and here Cas was forcing Dean to take care of him. Cas needed to start the grieving process and find someone who wanted to be there when Cas got smacked in the head with a baseball.
Cas dressed silently in his pajamas as Dean watched. He looked broody and unhappy. He hated this and Cas wished his emotions would go away faster. He silently wished he was alone even though every fiber of his being wished that Dean would hold him instead.
“How’d your date go anyway?” Dean asked as he tucked Cas into bed and refused to look at Cas in the face. There was pain in Dean's eyes when he spoke.
“Terribly. Almost happy to be hit in the head instead of suffer through more of it,” Cas said trying to lighten the mood.
Dean looked up angrily, “That’s not funny, Cas. You could have gotten seriously hurt or even died.”
“He said he didn’t like dinosaurs or cats, Dean.”
“I can see how that is a grievance worthy of a ball flying 95 miles per hour and hitting someone in the head. Too bad it was you though.”
“Dating is stupid anyway. You were right not to date anyone and only hook-up. I get it now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Dating. You don’t date. Maybe that’s what I should do. It didn’t work out with Ishim and I dated him for four years. Caught feelings for you even though you don’t want date me. Tried to go on a date with another guy and got hit in the head. Baseball is right too. Three strikes and you’re out.”
Cas knew he was rambling and when he finished he found Dean staring at him with confusion. Dean looked like he was evaluating Cas’s words as if Cas had said something that didn’t make a lick of sense. For all Cas knew in his exhausted state, it might not have.
“Cas, I want to date you.”
“You want to date me?”
“I’ve been trying to date you since the fourth of fifth time we hooked-up! Hell, I thought we were basically dating the last four months.”
“You told me the first time you came over that you didn’t date!”
“That was eight months ago in the middle of the night! Things changed!”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“I thought it was obvious.”
Cas was flabbergasted, “Well it wasn’t to me."
Dean crossed the room swiftly. He sat down on the bed and took Cas’s face in his hands. He traced the corner of Cas’s lip with his thumb and stared into his eyes. Cas’s stomach swooned at the touch and green eyes surrounded by gorgeous freckles. Cas was awake now and he was burning alive.
“Listen to me, Castiel. I introduced you to my family. I met your friends who threatened to kill me if I hurt you. And I believe they would. I spend every weekend and most nights in your apartment with you. I text you everyday and everynight. I love hearing you talk about things you are passionate about including your work. I love your cats like they are my own. Since I met you, I haven’t thought of or so much looked at another person. From the moment you said my name in that bar, I've been lost to you and only you.When you told me you were going on a date, I thought you were breaking up with me. I want to start or continue to date you or whatever this is as long as you'll let me. I fell hard for you, Cas, and I'm not about to lose you again. I love you and I want to date you."
"Dean, I love you too."
"Promise me you won't go on anymore dates while I’m dating you.”
“I never wanted to in the first place.”
“Then, you won’t mind if I do this.”
Dean leaned in and gave Cas a gentle kiss. As he pulled backward, Cas chased his lips. His head still hurt but it was worth it. Exhaustion hit Cas like a truck again but there was only one thing he wanted more than sleep.
“Rest now, we have plenty of time to do more of that later. I’m gonna change and grab the cats. We can hang out in bed the rest of the day. Just the four of us.”
Cas may have developed a crush because his casual hook-up was nice to his cat but falling in love with Dean Winchester was beyond his control.