Angeles

Cas wasn't sure how to react when Dean pulled the black sports car into a parking ramp.

"Will you tell me where we're going yet?" Cas questions as Dean puts the Impala in park.

Dean smirks at him. "Nope."

Dean races to Cas's door to open it for him, but the blue-eyed man is already stepping a foot on the pavement.

"I would've gotten your door for you," Dean pouted.

Cas stands and looks at him innocently. "Sorry."

Dean tries to bite back a smile, but it doesn't work. "Alright. But I'm opening it later."

Cas grins. "Deal." They start walking, Dean leading the way, Cas following Dean's lead at his side.

"Stairs or elevator?" Dean asks as they approach the doors.

"Stairs are fine," Cas answers simply.

Dean holds the door to the stairway and Cas starts descending. When he reaches the bottom, he holds the door open for Dean. He doesn't miss the way Dean blushes...or the way it makes his freckles stand out even more.

"So what do you like to do when you're not running the bookstore?" Dean asks. It seems more than just conversational. It seems as though Dean really is interested in what Cas does for leisure.

"Read, usually," Cas admits, shrugging one shoulder slightly. "I don't really do much. I'm actually pretty boring."

Dean chuckles. "You're not boring, Cas. Far from it."

Cas just shrugs again. "What about you? What do you do when you're not fixing up cars and singing in bars?"

"You just described my life perfectly," Dean teases. "No, I do stuff sometimes. It's usually just music and cars, but...I like other stuff."

"Like what?" Cas prods.

"Like movies. And I like to cook."

"What kind of movies do you like?"

Dean shrugs. "Pretty much anything. I like watching horror movies and laughing at how stupid the characters can be. I've seen every single Friday the 13th movie out there, including the new one."

"I'm not big on horror movies. They're too unrealistic."

"That's why they're funny!" Dean argues, his lips curved in a smile. "I swear, I am going to make you watch some horror movies. At least some of the classics. Oh, and Rubber. That one is beyond hilarious!"

"What's it about?" Cas tilted his head slightly to the side, reminding Dean of a curious puppy.

"It's about a tire that goes around killing people."

"A murderous tire? Really?" Cas can't help but laugh at that.

Dean laughs with him. Once his laughter subsides, he adds, "Seriously, though, what kinds of movies do you like?"

"Well, since you already know how big of a nerd I am..."

"You're not that bad," Dean counters.

Cas glares at him halfheartedly. "I like Star Wars. And Star Trek. And pretty much every nerdy series you can think of."

"So you won't make fun of me if I said that I've seen every Star Trek movie ever made?"

Cas chuckles. "I've seen them all, plus the series."

Dean smiles. "That's awesome. I bet you read all the Star Wars books, didn't you?"

"Yes. Actually, if there's ever a movie that I want to see, I see if there's a book it's based off of first. And if there is, I refuse the see the movie until I've finished the book."

"You sound like my brother. He won't watch any more Game of Thrones until he's finished the books."

"I've already read the books. And watched the show."

"That's Joffrey's a dick, huh?"

"Understatement."

Dean slows to a stop. "This is it." He gestures to the building in front of them.

"You brought me to Harvelle's?"

"Yeah." Dean rubs the back of his neck with his hand, suddenly self conscious. "Is that alright? We can go someplace else."

"No, it's perfect!" A huge grin comes across Cas's face, and Dean quickly reciprocates.

Dean opens the door to the pub for Cas, and then follows him in.

"Look what the cat dragged in!" A woman with brunette hair and a slight southern accent greeted Dean. She went over from the table she was wiping down and hugged him.

"Hey, Ellen," Dean greets, beaming. He pulls out of the hug and gestures to Cas. "This is Cas. My date for the evening."

"Hey, I'm Ellen," the woman greets, holding her hand out for Cas to shake.

"Cas," he repeats, taking her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well. Dean here hasn't shut up about you since last night."

Dean blushes. "And yet you still let me play here," he teases.

"Only because no one else will let your ass inside!" she jokes.

Cas watches the exchange in awe, and a hint of envy.

"Anyways," Ellen sighs, "I'll let you get to dinner."

"Thanks, Ellen," Dean calls after her as she walks over to the bar. Dean leads Cas to a booth in the corner, sliding in across from him. "Sorry," he says. "She's crazy, but she's family. Also, she scares the hell out me sometimes."

Cas chuckles, but it's forced. He hopes Dean doesn't notice.

"So, now that you've met my aunt, why don't you tell me about your family?" Dean adds.

Cas opens his mouth to say something, but the waiter steps up to the table.

"Hey, Dean," he greets. Cas notices a Louisiana accent. "The usual for ya, brother?"

"Yeah, thanks, Benny." Dean smiles at him before turning his attention back to Cas.

"And what about you?" Benny asks Cas.

"Um..I'll drink whatever Dean's drinking, and then I'll take a..." he glances down at the menu for a moment before continuing with, "...double bacon cheeseburger, no onion."

"Side of fries?"

"Yes, please."

Benny scribbles the order on his notepad. "Okay. I'll be right back with your drinks."

"Thanks, Benny," Dean says.

"Do you know everyone here?" Cas asks, trying to sound playful.

"Pretty much. That's kinda what happens when you perform here every week."

"Yeah, why did you bring me back here, anyways? I don't mind, I'm just curious."

"Well, like I said earlier, I was going to buy you a drink after the show and get to know you better, but you had already left. I thought maybe we could kind of pick up where we left off."

Cas shakes his head, the corners of his chapped lips curved up slightly. "I'd rather we didn't. I could barely speak two words to you. And that was before I knew you were the entertainment for the night."

"Jeez, you saying 'entertainent' like that kinda makes me feel like a stripper," Dean ribs. "I just meant...I wanted to get to know you better here last night, but here tonight is just as good."

Cas smiles, looking down at the table. After a moment he raises his gaze to meet Dean's. "You're kind of a sap, you know that?"

"Shut up," Dean says warmly, a smile on his face.

Cas lets his gaze dart across the pub, and they land on Jo wiping down the bar, watching them, mild jealousy on her face. Cas turns back to Dean.

"I think the bartender has a crush on you," Cas muses.

Dean looks over at the bar. Jo smiles at him.

"Jo? Nah." Dean shakes his head, facing Cas again. "She's like a sister to me."

"She's staring at you."

Before Dean can say anything in response, Benny comes back with two beers. He sets them in front of Dean and Cas.

"Thank, man," Dean says.

"Sure thing, brother." The man tips an imaginary hat on his head before retreating back to the kitchen.

Dean grabs the bottle in front of him and takes a swig. Cas drinks at least a fourth of his in one go.

"Whoa, easy there," Dean advises. "Now I have nothing against too drunk men, but I was kinda hoping to get to know you first."

Cas blushes and nudges his beer away slightly with his knuckle.

"So you said Ellen is your aunt?" Cas asks, changing the subject.

"Pretty much. She's not blood, but as an old drunk one told me, 'family don't end in blood'. So, yeah, Ellen's family. Jo, too," Dean adds.

"Who else is in this family of yours?"

Dean leans forward, resting his elbows on the table with his hands folded in front of him. "Well, there's Sammy. He's my brother. Blood, actually. Our mom died in a house fire when we were little."

"I'm so sorry," Cas interjects.

"Thanks. It was a long time ago, but..."

"It still stings a little?"

Dean looks Cas in the eyes. "Yeah." He stares a moment longer before clearing his throat and reluctantly averting his gaze. "Anyway, after my mom died, our dad started traveling all over the country, trying to keep himself distracted. I don't really know what he was doing all that time, but we were never in the same place for more than a month. Well, until Sammy turned sixteen. He ran away while I was watching him. My dad was...pissed, to say the least. He sent me to find Sam and I did. I found him here two weeks later. He refused to go back to living on the road. So I convinced Dad to let me stay with him so that he could finish high school in one place. He graduated with honors, the little nerd, and went to Stanford Law."

"And what about you? Where did you go to school?" Cas asks, taking a small drink of his beer.

Dean looks down at the table. "I, uh, actually never finished high school. I dropped out so I could pick up some work to help pay for Sammy's school."

Cas stares at Dean until the other man looks up to meet his eyes.

"What?" Dean questions, suddenly self conscious.

There is nothing but admiration in Cas's eyes as he says, "That was very noble of you. Putting aside your own education so you could help your brother pursue his."

Dean shrugs. "He's my brother. I'd do anything for him."

Cas's eyes never leave Dean's face, even as Benny sets two plates on the table. Dean gives Benny a small thank you and picks up his burger, taking the first bite. Reluctantly, Cas follows suit.

"What about you?" Dean asks in between bites of burger. "What's your family like?"

Cas pauses while he swallows his bite. "I never knew my parents. My brothers raised me. Michael, mainly, acting as the father figure. Gabriel left for a while, but he came back after Michael got sick."

Dean nods, not sure how to respond. "So you're the youngest?"

Cas huffs a laugh. "That's your takeaway from the story?"

"It wasn't that much of a story," Dean defends, smiling. "That was a summery."

"Well, the rest is a tale for another time."

Dean's smile broadens. "So there'll be another time?"

Cas reciprocates Dean's grin. "Yeah, I think there will be." He takes another bite of cheeseburger. "This is amazing, by the way."

"Right?" Dean takes another bite of his own. "Best burgers in the state."

"Not the country?"

Dean chuckles. "Not quite. Those belong to this little seaside shack in Delaware that I went to when I was, like, eleven. But these are a very close second."

Cas smiles around his next bite.

When Dean cuts the engine on the Impala's engine in front of Cas's apartment building, Cas waits in his seat so Dean can open his door for him.

"You know you don't have to do that, right?" Cas says as he steps out.

"I know." Dean shrugs. "But I want to."

Cas smiles. He and Dean walk up to the main door of the building. He stops right outside the door and turns to face Dean.

"I had a really good time tonight."

Dean smiles. "So did I." Dean starts to lean in, but Cas clears his throat.

"Sorry," Cas apologizes. "I don't really kiss on the first date. Never really have."

"No, that's fine," Dean assures, biting his lip, making Cas reconsider his little rule. "I should apologize."

"It's alright, really. I just don't want to rush into things, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it. I've never done it before, but I get it. I will go as slow as you want. No pressure."

"I appreciate that."

"So...when can I see you again?"

"Pretty much anytime you come into the bookstore," Cas teases. "But no loitering."

Dean chuckles. "Well, I can always make sure that you get fed properly."

Cas grins. "I'll keep that in mind. Goodnight, Dean."

"Goodnight, Cas."