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"You're taking him to Denny's?"
"What's wrong with Denny's?"
"Dean, it's your first date..."
"And? Denny's is great!"
"Yeah, if you're 12!"
Dean fixes him with a stony glare.
"Shut up, Sammy. He's my goddamn boyfriend; I'll take him where I want."
Sam scoffs and raises his hands in defeat.
"Alright. Take him on your weird late night date."
"You can't go to Denny's before 11. It's just not right."
Sam shakes his head.
"I'm going to bed."
"Bitch."
"Jerk."
Sam turns and walks down the hallway towards his room. Dean hears a gravelly voice behind him.
"Hello Dean."
Dean turns and sees quite possibly the most adorable (and also the sexiest) sight he's ever seen. Cas is wearing a blue button-up (it brings out his eyes) and dark jeans and he's obviously put something in his hair so it looks messy...but on purpose. He smiles shyly at Dean. Which is ridiculous. He's ridiculous. They're both ridiculous. And Dean wouldn't trade it for anything.
"Ready to go, Sunshine?" he asks, his cheeks reddening as he says it.
Cas smiles the most adorable smile in existence with the corner of his mouth and says,
"Yes, I think I am."
He follows Dean up the bunker stairs and into the garage where a squeaky clean Baby is waiting for them. They climb in, surrounded by comfortable silence. Before Dean starts the car Cas places something in his hand. It's the mixtape.
"I thought we could play it during the drive," he says, ducking his head a bit.
Dean swallows. Dammit he's not gonna fuckin cry before the date even starts.
"Uh, yeah, Cas. We can do that."
He puts the tape in the deck and presses play and lets the music settle his jittery nerves. He keeps his left hand on the wheel and lets his right fall between the two seats, an open invitation. Cas looks at his hand and back up at his face, silently questioning. Dean nods. Cas interlaces their fingers as the car pulls out of the garage. The music fills the companionable silence as Dean drives the 20 minutes to the restaurant. It's about 11:15pm when they get there. The crowd is just as weird and varied as it ever is at that time of night. There are high teenagers, ambiguously dangerous looking guys in suits, the works. And it has that same feel it always does, like a place out of time and space. An escape from whatever the outside world is currently throwing at you. It's funny, Dean thinks, that he would come here when he finally doesn't have anything to escape anymore. It's a nice feeling, to do something because you want it instead of because you need it. It feels especially nice when they sit down across from each other and their hands quickly find each other again on top of the table. He smiles at Cas and there's no ugly secrets behind it (finally).
"So, whaddya want? Waffles."
Cas makes a face.
"What? Got somethin' against breakfast for dinner?"
"Metatron made me order him waffles."
"Eugh. Okay, so no waffles. Why don't we just get all the appetizers and you can try everything, test out those new taste buds."
Cas smiles slowly.
"I think I'd like that."
Dean smiles back. This is disgusting. He's disgusting. He loves it. After they order their food and drinks Cas looks at him.
"Why did you want to come here? Why this place in particular?"
Dean shrugs.
"I dunno. I've always liked it since I was a kid."
Cas looks around, like he's surveying the landscape.
"It's very unique," he says after several seconds, his voice full of interest.
Dean frowns.
"Unique how?"
"I don't know what world this is, or if it's somehow between worlds."
Dean stares at him.
"What."
It's like if one of the portals to Apocalypse World wasn't just a rift; it was...an actual place. Stuck between dimensions."
"So you're saying Denny's is a portal."
Cas inclines his head.
"Yes, in a manner of speaking."
Dean chuckles to himself.
"Awesome."
Cas smiles slightly.
"I suppose it is."
His eyes meet Dean's and it's fuckin stupid but he's certain that in that moment, in that portal Denny's, he is happier than he's ever been in his life.