Chapter 7

I'm sorry to say this, but this one is actually the last chapter. Sure, there would've been ways to continue it, plus your reviews gave me plenty of prompts how to, but... yeah well, I'd like to leave it like this. That being said, have fun!

When Dean returned to Cas' flat, the air was filled with the delicious fragrance of something freshly baked, and the sound of the radio playing in the background.

Dean dropped the key into the bowl beside the door and toed off his shoes. After losing the jacket as well, he followed the fragrance and the sound of rattling kitchen utensils to the small kitchen. He found Castiel, wearing an apron and standing in front of the oven with a half-finished cake sitting on the kitchen counter in front of him. Apparently, he had just begun to apply some powdered sugar – scratch that, it was pie Cas was making.

Fucking pie.

Cas had heard him approaching and looked shortly at him, shooting him a short smile. "Hey, Dean. Thought I'd make some pie for when you come back."

"Hey," Dean just said, watching in awe. "What made you think of pie?"

"Actually, I dreamed about it. Something about you and pie rang some bells, and because I like baking-"

"You like baking?"

"Yes, I do. I had to find some kind of hobby, you know. And cooking wasn't really my kind of thing, so I tried some pie recipes, and I found out that I'm not that bad at it. So I started to bring something to every meeting, pie or cake or some baked goods," Cas shrugged, smiling to himself.

Dean stared. He couldn't even begin to voice what he was feeling right now. All he knew was that it was no use denying it any more.

There was Cas, and he turned around, locking eyes with Dean and smiling happily, and the picture made Dean's stomach do somersaults and his heart jump to a way too fast pace.

"I've got great news," Dean said, voice notably shaken, although he'd rather liked to say something else.

"About Sam?" Cas asked, loosening the knots of the apron as he spoke.

"Yes," Dean nodded. "He's fine, and he'll return home in a few days. Guess who fixed his wall?"

Cas shrugged, stepping towards Dean because he was standing right beside the hooks on the wall. "Tell me," he said.

"Gabriel."

It took a few moments for Cas to process that. "Gabriel as in... the Gabriel? The archangel? I thought he was dead?"

Dean nodded. "Apparently, god gave him a second chance, as he did with you, too."

"You think so?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, then I better do something good with my second chance," Cas stated, looking deep into Dean's eyes as he stood merely inches away.

Dean didn't say anything, just looked and almost lost himself in the depth of those blue eyes, and smiled. Cas mirrored his expression, smiling widely and leaning even more into Dean's space. Without giving it much thought, Dean lifted his hands and placed them on Cas' waist, holding him in place. Not that Cas showed any intention of pulling away, but Dean just wanted to feel him under his hands, body warm and firm. He wore a plain black button-down and jeans, a different pair than the one he had slept in, and his hair was sticking up in weird angles. It was free of product and looking soft from being freshly washed. Dean wanted to run his fingers through it.

Then why didn't he just do it?

Cas seemed to have read his thoughts, because he leaned forward, against Dean's chest, tucking his head under Dean's chin. Dean let his hand stoke Castiel's back, up to his neck, and entangled his fingers in the soft hair on the back of Cas' head. Subsequently, he buried his nose in Cas' dark hair, breathing in the fragrance of fresh shampoo, something fruity, and of Cas.

The radio seemed to be haunted or something, because REO's 'Can't fight this feeling' was on.

He squeezed Castiel tight, and the other man returned it with both hands wrapped around his waist. Dean felt lightheaded and a little bit dizzy.

Cas had made pie. How could he be any more fucking perfect?

Dean's heart jumped at the thought. He knew that whatever he did, it would have consequences. He had never been in a relationship that lasted for longer than a few weeks. With Cas, and he knew this, it would be something for the long haul. He had never done this, he didn't know if he was able to handle it. Much less with another man on top.

Right then, Cas pulled back, leaning into his arms, big blue eyes looking up at Dean and taking his breath away.

It didn't matter, Dean decided. He would make this work, he would do whatever it took, because Cas was worth everything. They would make it work. Reaching around Cas' head, Dean brushed a single strand of hair off the other one's forehead, letting his palm slip down to cup his cheek. And unlike after lunch, Dean wasn't too chicken-shit and didn't run away.

Smiling softly, he bent down and brought their lips together, Cas meeting the movement halfway. Their first kiss, finally, and it was tentative and gentle and teasing, and Dean found himself smiling into it, felt how Castiel's lips were drawn into a smile as well. It was sweet, and perfect and Dean didn't want it to end.

When Cas leaned back in Dean's arms after quite a while, his smile was dazzling, and his lips still slightly wet. Dean quickly leaned forward to steal another kiss from those lips, which made Cas chuckle.

"You want some pie?" Cas asked, his voice deep and smooth and sending shivers done Dean's spine.

"I love pie," Dean answered. "But let me first ask you a question, Cas. If we leave this town, I mean, Sam and me and Gabriel as tag-along kid, would you like to come with us?"

Cas' smile was soft and loving when he reached up to cup Dean's face in his hands, letting his thumbs stroke softly over his cheekbones. "Dean, I'd follow you wherever you'd go, just to make up for what I did."

"Stop talking about it," Dean said cheekily and shut Cas up with another deep kiss.

After countless moments of breathless kissing, Dean swooped Cas up into his arms and set him down on a free spot on the kitchen counter. Cas lips were so soft under the touch of his tongue, he couldn't stop kissing him for a second. It seemed like it wasn't any different on Cas' part – he had wrapped his legs tightly around Dean's waist, clinging to him. Dean's hand ran through his hair, occasionally holding him in place that way to get the ideal angle to lick his way into Cas' mouth, along the row of his teeth and circle the tip of Cas' tongue with his own. The touch was still new and exciting, and so very good. Dean felt as giddy as a teenager in high school.

Reluctantly, Dean broke the kiss after another few minutes to gasp for air.

Cas laughed breathlessly. "I have to admit I thought you'd be too afraid to do this."

"What, kiss you?" Dean smiled and raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, admit to yourself that there is something more between us."

"Gabriel kinda kicked my ass to do it," Dean explained, "and then I come home and see you making pie for me -" he huffed out another laugh, too happy to form his thoughts into words.

"If I can make you happy so easily with baking pie for you, I'd make one every day," Cas retorted, smiling and leaving a short peck on Dean's lips.

"I'd get flabby. You wouldn't want that," Dean chuckled.

"Not with your lifestyle, Dean. Too busy with running from monsters to get fat."

"Hey! I don't run from monsters, I fight them!"

Cas laughed and kissed him once more. "So, what are we gonna do with the Leviathans?"

"We'll find a way. And we're four now, we'll figure something out. Even if we have to buy a whole cleaning company to get all the Borax we need."

"Maybe we could try throwing pie at them."

"Oh, nononono, no, Cas. That is no way to treat pie."

"Then let's just eat it?" Cas said with a nod towards the pie still sitting on the counter beside him.

"Okay, but I don't promise to leave my hands to myself." Because Dean wanted to touch Cas, everywhere, and never stop holding him and having him right here in his arms.

"You're not supposed to, Dean."

THE END.