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Castiel’s kisses are as unique as him, and as varied as the songs he listens to. Sometimes he kisses, needy and pleading, like a Smiths song, other times he’s slow and sensual like Siouxsie and the Banshees. His kisses are playful, laughing and nipping, joyous like the Ramones, and sometimes they’re wet and deep and filthy like Danzig’s lowest drawn out “whoa oh” on a Misfits album. Sometimes he kisses every inch of Dean’s body, lips and tongue and teeth, and fingers chasing after, and it’s dirtier than T. Rex and twice as hot. But Dean’s favorite kisses aren’t like music at all, they’re the kisses Cas gives him right as they struggle into wakefulness, and Cas does this thing like a purr of contentment, it rumbles deep from his chest right into Dean’s mouth, and it’s the exact same feeling as the one Dean got the first time John let him drive the Impala.
So Dean kisses Cas whenever he can, because this thing with Cas, it’s something he never believed he would really get to have, and Dean’s eating up this rainfall of love, and sex, and affection like it’s better than pie. Because as far as he’s concerned, it is. He’s not going to hide Cas away like he’s some dirty secret, hell no, he’s going to show Cas off like the prize he is.
Which is apparently super shocking to the people closest to the couple. In the early days of Dean and Cas, version 2.0 (now with added fucking!) both Charlie and Sam took Dean aside to express surprise at how comfortable Dean seemed to be with his newfound fluid sexuality. Which, A. not that newfound, and despite having Cas now, he’ll never regret that night with Aaron, because it helped him get here, and B. as he explained to both Sam and Charlie, he’s died multiple times, survived the Biblical Apocalypse, spent 40 years in hell and another in purgatory, his life has been such a long, strange trip, that worrying about what strangers think of him, not even anywhere on his list of concerns.
It’s like this, he’s got the present he’s wanted his entire life, this perfect. amazing gift. What sort of ungrateful ass would he be if he got hung up on how it came in different wrapping paper than the toys he played with before? And though they’ve slowed down on taking hunts, and have instead been working with Garth to delegate them to other hunters, they haven’t stopped completely. When every day could literally be your last, it’s in your best interest to live without regrets.
Which finds Dean and Cas today, taking a day trip to the Kansas State Fair with Sam and Charlie, and meeting Garth and Kevin there as well. Cas is excited, Dean has been telling him all about carnival food, and he’s already got a list of stuff to try (funnel cakes, cotton candy, corn dogs, actually pretty much anything deep fried and served on a stick). Dean is excited too, though he’s trying to hide it. He’s finally going to get to ride the ferris wheel with Cas, and though he won’t be scaling it ala Ryan Gosling in the Notebook, he still has a feeling it’s gonna be pretty romantic.
When they reach the fairgrounds in Hutchinson, and exit Baby, it’s a bit overwhelming. There are so many people, they’re everywhere, swarming like polite, midwestern locusts, and Dean and Cas and Sam are mostly acclimated to life in a secret hideout with just the three of them. Looking around at the crowd, it’s obvious that while Dean and Sam fit in, with their jeans and t shirts and flannel over-shirts even in the middle of summer, that Cas and Charlie both stick out like sore thumbs. Cas is wearing red plaid knee length shorts covered in zippers with black straps criss-crossing in the back, a white A-tank that clings to his slim torso, fabric sheer enough that you can see his nipple rings, the belly button piercing he got a few weeks back, and on his back the anti-possession tattoo flanked by two small wings between his shoulder blades. He’s wearing the orange Converse with no socks, and has a chain padlocked around his neck, resting in the hollow of his throat, nestled amongst a smattering of hickeys Dean sucked all over his neck and collar bones. He’s accessorized with the black studded leather cuff he wears on his wrist, studded belt and handcuffs through the front hoops, and a pair of gold framed aviator sunglasses. He has his nails done, black gel again, but his ring fingers are done in black and yellow stripes, like a bumblebee, something Cas explained is called an “accent nail.” His hair looks like a fucked out mess because it is a fucked out mess, as once Dean saw him in that outfit he insisted on a quickie before they left. Charlie is dressed in the Charlie version of summer casual, hair twisted up in princess Leia buns, wearing a pink My Little Pony tank top that’s obviously meant for little girls, the way it rides up her midriff. She’s paired it with a purple fuzzy faux fur mini skirt, and white vinyl go-go boots. Here in the middle of the heartland, she and Cas look like visitors from outer space.
Dean catches people staring, and grabs Cas’ hand in his while he gives the onlookers his best tough guy glare. They all look away, quickly.
They find Kevin and Garth at the gates, and all head in. The day is filled with games, and rides, salt and sweet and spicy foods, and lots and lots of Cas’ magic kisses. Sometimes people glare, or sneer, but Dean pays them no mind. At the water pistol shooting game he wins Cas a purple stuffed hippo, which Cas loves. At the booth where you pop balloons with darts Cas wins Dean a bandana covered with the Metallica logo. Dean ties it around his neck like a cowboy. There’s an old fashioned photobooth, where Dean and Cas take three strips of photos, the last photo showing only Dean in the frame, head thrown back, mouth open in a silent moan.
Then it’s sunset, and Dean pulls Cas to the line for the ferris wheel so they can ride before it’s time for the fireworks. Cas lights up, and they reach the front of the line, only to have to wait for the next go around. Once it’s their turn, they squeeze into the seat and lower the bar. The carny makes sure it’s locked into place, then inches their seat up just a few feet the fill the next one. As the ride slowly fills, Dean throws his arm around Cas’ shoulders, and Cas starts stroking Dean’s thigh. By the time the ride is actually going they’re full on necking, seat lightly swaying with their motions. As the ride goes round the bottom Dean thinks he hears a commotion, but ignores it in favor of tilting his neck to give Cas better access in his quest to give Dean hickeys to match his own. The second time they reach the bottom Dean swears he hears someone say “Fucking faggots!” but Cas is palming him through his jeans and he has his tongue in Cas’ mouth so he ignores it. But then, on the third rotation he hears a voice that can’t be anyone but Kevin Tran saying “Oh yeah, why don’t you fucking come here and say that to my face!” and Dean pulls away at the same time Cas does and they both turn.
They can’t believe their eyes. Sam, Charlie, Kevin, and Garth are facing off against a group of eight guys, big burly biker types. The bikers are gesturing at the ferris wheel while shouting homophobic slurs, and Oh! Dean realizes, this is about us.
Dean isn’t really worried about Sammy, the guy took Gordon Walker’s vampire head off with his bare hands, he can fight some bikers at a state fair. But Dean is worried about Kevin, Garth, and Charlie. Both Kevin and Garth are pretty scrawny, and Charlie has already been hurt on the Winchester’s behalf, he won’t see it happen again. As soon as the ride stops and Cas and Dean get off they race to their friends, swerving and darting around people dawdling on the metal exit ramp from the ferris wheel.
They arrive just in time to see Charlie get up in the face of the biggest guy in the group, nearly as tall as Dean, and twice as wide, and she yells, “Yeah, well how about this ‘queer’ kicks your bigoted ass?!” and she fucking cold clocks the guy.
Everything goes very still, for just a moment, then it’s chaos. The guy Charlie punched stumbles a little, then yells “You little bitch!” and lunges for her, but is intercepted by Garth jumping on his fucking back. Sam, Dean, and Cas all end up swinging and punching, taking on two guys at once the each of them. Charlie grabs the last guy by his ratty ponytail, and yanks his head down to knee him in the face (“Self defense class, bitches!” she shouts, triumphant) and then Kevin pulls out a small can of pepper spray, likely courtesy of his mother, and pepper sprays the guy trying to buck Garth off his back, point blank in the eyes. At which point the off duty cops working security arrive, and escort both groups out of the gates, telling them to leave, and never come back.
Cas, Dean, Sam, and Charlie head for the Impala, and Kevin and Garth walk with them. Everyone is quiet on the walk, waiting for the adrenaline rush of the fight to pass, but when they reach the car, Dean leans up against it and pulls Cas to his side, tucked tight under his arm, he addresses their friends “So what happened back there?”
“Stupid rednecks running their mouths.” Charlie explains with a weary shrug.
“Well yeah, but that’s what they do. You guys didn’t have to defend us.”
Kevin speaks up, surprising Dean, “I know, but I didn’t like them talking about you like that. It’s not ok.”
Dean grins at the kid, who over time has come to feel like a second little brother, and Cas gives a smile as well, “Thank you, Kevin. All of you. It was incredibly kind of you to stand up for Dean and I, but I think I can speak for the both of us when I say that we don’t want you risking injury on our behalf.”
Garth scoffs, “We didn’t risk injury! Look at us, we’re fine!” which is true, the fight was over fast enough that the worst signs of it are a small splatter of blood on Cas’ shirt, Dean’s knuckles are split open just a little, and one of Charlie’s buns is falling out. Cas even managed to grab his hippo as they were being escorted out. Garth continues, “We kicked their asses!” which is less true, they held their own for sure, but the fight was broken up well before anyone could be declared a winner.
Sam laughs, and claps Garth on the back, “We sure did.”
Everyone bids their goodbyes, making Kevin and Garth promise to visit soon, and Dean, Cas, Sam, and Charlie pile in the Impala to return to the bunker.
At home they shower, clean Dean’s knuckles, head to their room and change into pajamas. Cas finds the perfect spot for his hippo, resting atop the bookshelf they brought up when Cas moved in, then he tacks the photobooth strips up on the wall, next to the headboard and above the nightstand. Once he’s done, Dean pulls him onto his lap, sitting on the bed.
“We’ve got some really amazing friends”
“That we do.” Cas agrees.
Cas notices a small cut on Dean’s temple that they managed to miss before, and he kisses it gently, like a benediction. This kiss isn’t like the Ramones, or the Smiths, it’s like Mary singing Dean to sleep, “Hey, Jude” in her tender voice. It’s a perfect kiss, so sweet it brings tears to Dean’s eyes, and he thinks that maybe he likes this kiss even more than the early morning kisses that rumble like the Impala.