Sleepover
Cas still stayed over at least once a week at the Winchester home, Dean had no idea if Cas still had the bad dreams but they never took the chance, when Cas was over it was their room and both of them were comfortable with it.
Cas was supposed to be at home all weekend so Dean decided to invite some friends over for a sleepover. Mary asked Sam if he wanted to have Cas over but Cas said that he wanted to spend time at home since his parents had just come home from a very long business trip.
Dean, Benny and Jo were all up in Dean’s room watching horror movies and teasing each other quietly so they wouldn’t wake anyone at 10pm, when the door bell rang.
Mary had been getting something to drink anyway and went to answer the door, Dean and his friends following in curiosity.
Mrs Novak was there, tears streaming down her face with a very sleepy looking Cas leaning on her.
“I'm so sorry, Mary. I know you were supposed to be off this weekend but my father has called from Italy, my mother has taken a turn. We have to go right away.”
“No worries, it’s no trouble. C’mere Cas.” Mary picked up the practically asleep ten year old. “Let me know.” Mary gave Mrs Novak a sympathetic look and a one armed hug and shut the door.
“Is Cas okay?” Dean asked.
“You three should be in bed.” Mary said sternly. “He’s just tired Dean, go to bed.”
Dean nodded but thought how he would explain to his friends that he let Cas share his very small single bed without it sounding weird.
“C’mon let’s go.” Jo tugged his arm and they went upstairs.
Dean listened to Cas and Mary downstairs and heard Cas crying.
“Guys, I’ll be back in a minute, I need some water. You want anything?”
“A beer.” Jo waggled her eyebrows.
“Your Mom would kill me.”
“Exactly.” She grinned wickedly.
Dean shook his head and ran downstairs.
Cas was sat on the couch in his stupid bee PJs, with some milk and hugging Mary.
“What’s going on?” Dean asked.
“Grandma is gonna go to Heaven.” Cas sniffed.
Dean frowned, he’d never known his Grandparents but he knew that Cas must feel pretty crappy; he squeezed in beside Cas and Mary and gave Cas a hug.
“It’ll be okay, it’s a ton of fun up there right?”
“But I'm gonna not see her.”
“Remember what Mom says? Angels are watching over you?”
“Yeah.” Cas sipped his milk and handed it to Dean so he could have some.
“When you go to Heaven, you turn into an angel so your Grandma is gonna be looking out for you. You can still talk to her, like sometimes you talk to God at your church.”
Cas nodded and Mary smiled at how gentle her oldest son was being.
“C’mon I’ll take you to bed.” Dean grabbed Cas’ hand and led him to his room.
“Guys, Cas is staying with us tonight, no more horror movies.” Dean announced.
“Aww not fair, why can’t he stay with Sam.” Jo whined.
“Cos Sam’s asleep.” Dean rolled his eyes.
“Where will he sleep? there aren’t any more sleeping bags.” Benny looked around the cramped room.
“Err we can both fit in my bed, right Cas?”
Cas nodded.
Benny and Jo looked at each other and immediately started laughing.
“Are you gay, brother?” Benny chuckled.
“Huh? No! I don’t even like him.”
“Listen, we don’t care if you are but little kids, that’s weird.” Jo scrunched her nose.
“I ain’t gay, Cas go sleep in the spare room.” Dean ordered.
“But...”
“Cas, go. You’re just a kid, we wanna stay up. Go away.” Dean almost yelled.
Cas’ eyes welled up.
“Don’t be a cry baby, Castiel. Get out.” Dean pushed Cas out of the room and turned back to his friends. “Texas Chainsaw anyone?”
Around 2am Benny and Jo were asleep and Dean hadn’t heard Cas shouting in his sleep. Maybe it was just a habit, maybe Cas didn’t really need anyone to sleep in the same bed anymore.
But Dean thought about what he’d said to Cas. He wasn’t even that mean with Sam.
He’d kicked the kid while he was down.
“Dammit Cas.” He whispered and grabbed his old Batman toy.
He crept across the landing and knocked on the spare bedroom door,
“Cas, It’s me. I'm coming in.”
Cas was a lump on the bed, breathing steadily, he was awake.
“Cas, you know I didn’t mean what I said right? It was dumb; it’s dumb that you believe it too.” Dean sighed.
“Then why did you say it?” Cas’ voice was muffled. “If you didn’t mean it then why did you say it?”
Dean shut the door and walked over to the bed and sat down, putting a hand on Cas’ back.
“I-I don’t know. I say stupid things without thinking about it don’t I? You take forever to think about something to say but I just say it, you know that.”
“So the first thing you thought to say was that you don’t like me? You said that you liked me the best.”
“You know I like you best, Cas.”
“Why do you like me?”
“I don’t know, I just do. I'm really sorry, buddy.” Dean tried to rub circles on Cas’ back but he jerked away.
Dean sighed and put the Batman toy on the pillow, then kissed the younger boys hair before leaving the room and going downstairs.
No way was he going to be able to climb over Benny and Jo a second time without waking them.
Dean lay on the couch with the spare blanket and tried to fall asleep; as he drifted off he heard the stairs creak and the living room door open.
There was a very quiet thud on the cabinet and a warm smaller body climbing under the blanket beside him.
Dean smiled and searched for Cas’ hand, squeezing it hard.
“I was an idiot, Cas.”
Cas nodded but squeezed back.
As Cas’ breathing started to get a heavy rhythm Dean let his eyes close,
“I like you because you’re way too old to be ten, I like you because you’re really smart, I remember when we went to yours and Sammy’s school show and you shouted your lines because we were right at the back and you wanted us to hear you, I like you because you really love cheeseburgers, I like you because you’re the best at running and at climbing trees, I like you because you have this big smile that you only do when I make you laugh and it’s really special. I just really like you, Cas. Nothing could change that. I swear to God.”
“Thank you, Dean.” Cas whispered sleepily.
“Get some sleep, Nerd.” Dean smiled and squeezed Cas’ hand.