(no subject)

[always_enduphere]

Dean feels unaccountably nervous when he walks the few feet to Castiel's door. He's been home a week now, and for the first time, finally feels past the need to sleep all day long. It'd been nice to do nothing but lie there and watch every season of Dr. Sexy from his bed, but Dean's sick of his plain white walls, sick of his sickbed. Sick of endless bowls of soup, too, however hilarious it is to make Cas do airplane over and over. Dean wants to see the sky, wants to eat a real meal again, and he wants to maybe make a few things right between them as he does it.

He shifts from foot to foot outside Castiel's door. His belt is set to a slot it hasn't seen in years, and Dean knows it only makes him look skinnier, but he tucks in his shirt, smoothing his hair for the third time since he combed it over. "Well," he says, "M'not getting any prettier," and knocks.

Comments

[godless_son]

Castiel does not receive visitors. His apartment is too spartan to entertain guests and lately, during the very rare occasion he is not already in Dean's apartment, Dean can simply yell for him through the wall.

He rises from his single chair, where he was contemplating reviewing Neil's movies once more before stepping to the door.

His eyes widen as it swings open and he takes in Dean, carefully dressed and looking exceptionally clean. "Dean," he murmurs, trying to sense anything amiss. "Are you alright? You're dressed, do you...do I need to take you somewhere?"

[always_enduphere]

"No, no," says Dean, head ducked against Castiel's even more intense than usual stare. He smooths a hand over his shirt and does his best not to shuffle, extending his left hand. In it is clutched a small pet's toy. It's not exactly flowers, but it's the best Dean has on hand.

"For Ernest. I bought it a while ago for Annie, but she never cottoned to it."

[godless_son]

"Thank you," Castiel breathes, face lighting up as he turns to find Ernest hiding behind the television stand. He carefully sets it down and backs up, grin stretching wider as a tiny, white paw comes out to bat at it.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Dean," he says, turning back to the door. "Do you want to come inside? I have no food or drink so..."

He trails off, realizing once again that he needs to get himself a couch. Or at least another chair.

[always_enduphere]

"No, I thought...you take a night off from being my nursemaid, I take a night off from being sick. Let me take you out."

He does shuffle then, standing awkwardly in Castiel's door with a hopeful smile. "My treat."

[godless_son]

"You want to take me out?" he asks slowly, more to sound it out than anything else. In all his conversations with Neil, with Kara, he had not really ever pictured Dean as the one to initiate anything. To really, truly want to pursue him.

"Are you taking me on a date?" he asks, equally hopeful and suddenly incredibly aware of the lube in his coat pocket.

[always_enduphere]

"I mean, yeah," says Dean, turning a shade of red he hasn't experienced since Rhonda Hurley made him put on her panties and do a dance. "Would that be okay? I didn't - " His face falls, suddenly. "Do you have plans?"

[godless_son]

"I would enjoy that," Castiel says softly, pressing his lips together as he fights the impulse to simply beam up at Dean.

"Do I need to fly us to wherever you were planning on going?" he asks, pausing before taking the liberty to place a hand on the small of Dean's back, leading him out of the apartment. "I don't want to cause you any digestive blockage."

[always_enduphere]

"No," Dean laughs, "Blockage is definitely not on the plan for tonight. I, uh..." He shrugs. "Turns out demon me leased an Impala. A 2010 model, just to be a dick, but I figure...might as well make use of it for the evening, before I trade it in for something less awful."

[godless_son]

"I have to admit, I have missed the sight of you driving," he says, fingers still curled into Dean's shirt as they make their way downstairs. "It is almost hilariously slow, but I always enjoyed the excuse to spend time with you. Also, after enough time, I came to appreciate the act of driving itself. I could understand what it was you liked about it."

[always_enduphere]

"You drove?" Dean asks, knees a little unsteady on the stairs, but he's not worried with that hand warm against his back. He reaches the stairwell door first and hurries to open it for Cas. "When was this?"

[godless_son]

"I had amnesia, once, and I lived as a human for a short amount of time," he admits, starting to recognize enough cues to realize he is being courted as a woman would.

It is...adorable, which hardly seems like something Dean would appreciate so he chooses to keep it to himself.

"I will tell you about it, sometime. It's all very hazy, very much like Jimmy's memories. They don't belong to me. But I remember driving and I think that came from my time with you."

[always_enduphere]

"Well, I'm glad to hear I was a good influence," says Dean with a small smile as he opens another door, this one to the world outside. He breathes in the late afternoon air with satisfaction, then fiddles in his pockets, finally finding a set of keys, one of which has a button he mashes with his thumb. There's an answering beep from a bright red car, and Dean sighs.

"Guess that's her. Look, let's not hold it against her, okay, she didn't mean to be leased by a demon, and she might be ugly, but she comes from a proud line, okay?"

[godless_son]

"I will keep that in mind," he says solemnly. It is, indeed, very red and Castiel feels a flare of grief that it is not Dean's impala.

"Are we eating at a diner? I have only eaten at diners and once at a McDonald's. I found it to be wholly unsanitary. And the meat had an unusually high organ content to be considered meat by any culinary standard."

[always_enduphere]

"We're not eating at a McDonald's," says Dean forcefully, opening the passenger door for Castiel. "Or anywhere with organs, that's - no."

He closes the door and enters from the driver's side, trying to settle in against the too firm hold of new leather. "There's a Sizzler a few blocks from here."

[godless_son]

Castiel cuts his eyes over as Dean opens his door, definitely the first time that has occurred but says nothing as he climbs in the car, wishing the bench seats of Dean's impala had carried over to this model.

It is going to be much more difficult to surreptitiously hold Dean's hand.

"I have never been to a Sizzler," he enthuses, shifting so he is not sitting directly on the tube of lubricant. "Thank you for taking me, in advance. I'm very, very pleased."

[always_enduphere]

"They've got steaks," Dean beams in answer. "I've only gone to one a few times, but they added these skillet things, it comes out all sizzling on cast iron and everything. It'll be nice."

Adjusting the rearview, Dean pulls into traffic for the first time in years, but his body seems to remember what to do just fine. "I think you'll like it."

[godless_son]

"I think it sounds very nice."

Castiel stares at Dean for a long moment, soaking in the small smile and the relaxed shoulders before creeping a hand over to rest on his leg. He would have gone for the hand, but he only has the one functioning arm and it seems dangerous.

"How are you feeling today, Dean? Your face has more color. You look...very good."

[always_enduphere]

"Yeah, I feel good," says Dean, color deepening in his cheeks for the easy pressure of Castiel's hand. "Not a hundred percent, but definitely better."

He waits his turn at the four way stop, pulling into a fortuitously open space right in from of the Sizzler. Putting the Impala into park, Dean twists in his seat, leaning in before he can think better of it to press dry lips to Castiel's cheek. "Thanks for, you know. Taking care of me for the last week."

[godless_son]

Castiel freezes at the touch of Dean's lips, fingers tightening their hold as he turns to look at him.

"It's been my pleasure, Dean," he says, eyes wide as he raises his hand, thumb stroking along the smattering of freckles across Dean's cheek. It feels incredibly indulgent to be allowed to look and touch like this. In a sudden burst of impulsiveness he leans in, capturing Dean's lips with his own.

"My apologies," he breathes. "That is not supposed to happen until the end of the date, as I understand."

[always_enduphere]

"I don't think those are hard and fast rules, Cas," Dean exhales, trying to process the novelty of being touched like this, every nerve in his body suddenly hardwired to the simple sweep of Castiel's fingers.

He clears his throat, the air in the car suddenly too close, and grins. "Haven't been on a date in decades, anyway, what do I care about rules? C'mon."

Yanking off his seatbelt with minimal wrestling around his cast, Dean gets out, running around to Castiel's side to get the door for him.

[godless_son]

Castiel stills, tracking Dean as he moves around the car, deciding this is part of the courting ritual. He nods his thanks as he climbs out of the car, suddenly wondering if he should have found different clothing for the date as Dean clearly picked out specialized clothes. He frowns a little and pats down his unruly hair, taking note of Dean's new hairstyle.

"Do you think I look appropriate for this restaurant?"

[always_enduphere]

"You look great, man," Dean replies. "It's not like it's a tablecloth kind of joint or anything." He heads right to the door, for once prevented opening it by the hostess, and asks for a table for two.

"Booth okay?" he asks Castiel.

[godless_son]

Castiel nods, peering around the restaurant as they are led to a comfortable looking booth. This is much different than the diners. It seems vastly cleaner and there is an abundance of food set up in trough form all along one side of the room.

He's still twisting around to look as he sits, head finally swiveling back around to Dean.

"This is much nicer than the diners, Dean. I think you made a very good choice."

[always_enduphere]

"Thanks," Dean beams back at him. He's nearly worn out just from the short journey, but he's sure that will change when he gets some proper food in him. "I've only been a few times, but it's always good."

He looks down at the little white plates between them. "You want salad bar?"

[godless_son]

"I have been informed that salads are good for both heart and colon health," he says, gathering the plates in one hand as he stands up, extending the other to Dean. He looks better than Castiel has seen in months but he still looks thin and tired.

"Apparently there is also an appetizer bar although everything on it seems to be a full meal. This place contains an abundance of food."