"You know, tomorrow's your birthday," Dean observes, looking at the boy sitting next to him on the couch.

"That would be true," Castiel says. "What about it?"

"Oh, I don't know," Dean says. "I never get to do fun things with you for your birthday. I was thinking we could change that tomorrow, go do something together."

Castiel sighs. "Dean, I would love to go do something with you tomorrow, but like this?" He gestures to himself. "I'm a mess. I'm very visibly a mess."

"What are you talking about?" Dean asks, twisting around so he's sitting on his knees, facing the boy. "You're not a mess, Cas. You're hot as fuck, even if you can't accept it."

"I'm not," Castiel insists. "I'm clearly a mess, and I don't want to risk anyone seeing me and getting pictures or whatever."

Dean scoffs. "Seriously? You're going to let a couple of dumbasses with cameras convince you to stay inside all day? On your birthday? I think not."

"Dean —"

"I think we should go out to eat and enjoy some great food and each other's company and ignore everyone else," Dean continues. "It'll be a great day."

"Dean, I said 'no,'" Castiel repeats firmly.

Dean sighs, head lolling back in exasperation. "Come on, Cas. I feel bad that we're the only ones who get to celebrate your birthday this year, 'cause everyone else is back in Sioux Falls. Let me do something special for you."

"I just don't really feel like celebrating my birthday this year," Castiel says.

Dean sighs. "Well, I'm going to feel like a really shitty boyfriend if I don't do something for you."

"That 'something' can be not celebrating my birthday," Castiel says.

"Why are you so anti-birthday this year?" Dean whines. "You're sucking the fun out of July."

Castiel's mind flashes back to that night; the screams, the blood, the bodies. So many people aren't going to make it to their birthday this year. Why should he get to celebrate his?

"Cas?" Dean waves a hand in front of his face. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Castiel says quickly.

Dean eyes him skeptically, but instead of pushing for an an explanation, he asks, "So if I throw you a surprise party, would that be okay?"

Castiel rolls his eyes. "No, Dean. I don't want to celebrate my birthday at all. Unless you just want to do something small together inside, then I'm going to pass."

Dean sighs dramatically. "Fine, be a buzzkill, but I'm going to make you have fun tomorrow if it kills me."

"Oh god, that's intense," Castiel says with a small laugh.

"Well, if you're going to ignore your birthday, I have to double-celebrate your birthday. And with your family at home, I'm really..." He counts them on his fingers, muttering under his breath, "Four brothers, plus Anna and Claire is six, and then it's Sam and Adam are eight, and Charlie makes ten because she's extra, and then twice for you and me..." He pauses, then asks, "What's the word for 'double' but, like, six times bigger?"

"I don't think there is a word for that," Castiel says.

"Well, whatever that word is, I'm that-word-celebrating your birthday this year, and you can't stop me," Dean says.

"Yay," Castiel deadpans.

"We've literally been stuck in the house watching the same four movies over and over for almost a month," Dean reminds him. "I refuse to let you kill our one excuse to actually do something fun."

"Well, I'm not leaving the house, so good luck," Castiel says.

"That doesn't change anything," Dean says confidently. "If I can't bring you to the fun, I'm going to bring the fun to you, but either way, you will go to bed tomorrow showered in more fun than you know what to do with."

Castiel raises an eyebrow, and he can't hide his amused smile at that. "Really? Well, now I really can't wait to see what you have planned."

"Heh, yeah, funny story," Dean says. "I have nothing planned. Literally nothing — well, not nothing nothing, but essentially nothing. But in 24 hours, expect that 'nothing' to become a really big something! Because I am the master planner, and I will think of something if it kills us both!" After a pause, he adds, "Well, actually, I think I'm gonna try to get us both out of here alive, but you get the point." Dean takes Castiel's hand, tapping his engagement ring with his thumb. "Tomorrow is your first birthday as an engaged man, and I will not let you down!"

Castiel chuckles. "If you had told me five years ago that I'd be engaged before I turned 23, I would have called you crazy."

"You call me crazy all the time anyway," Dean says, waving a hand dismissively. "Besides, 23 isn't too young to have your life together. You've managed it surprisingly well. Couple bazillion dollars in the bank, an annoying soon-to-be-husband constantly bothering you, and a giant golden award thingy on the kitchen counter."

"How much is a bazillion dollars?" Castiel asks, amused.

"Enough to buy a crap ton of Hershey kisses, that's for sure," Dean says.

"And do you honestly not know what that 'giant golden award thingy' is?" Castiel asks.

"It's a giant golden award thingy," Dean replies. "Why?"

Castiel shakes his head at the boy. "It's a Grammy, dumbass."

"That's your grandmother?" Dean asks in exaggerated shock. "God, imagine fuck—"

"And we're done here," Castiel interrupts, standing up to walk away.

Dean stands up as well, taking his hand quickly. "You can never escape me."

"Oh no. This is tragic," Castiel deadpans. "Whatever shall I do?"

"Oh, I know," Dean agrees. "That's so sad. Alexa, play 'Despacito.'"

"I swear to god, Dean, if I hear one electro-Spanish word come out of your speaker—" Castiel says, his voice a warning.

"Ah, I don't have anything with Alexa, don't worry," Dean says dismissively. "You know what I can do, though?"

Castiel cocks his head in confusion. "I'm both scared and interested to see where you're going with this."

"Hold on."

Dean jogs out of the room, returning a few moments later with his phone in his hand. He's giving it his full attention until he puts it on the table, and with a single tap, it starts playing the familiar song Castiel can't help but smile at.

"Kansas?"

Dean grins. "Kansas, baby!" He walks over and takes Castiel by the hand, pulling him into the middle of the room.

"What are you doing?" Castiel asks.

"Dancing, Cas." Dean wraps his arms around his fiancé's waist and pulls him close. "We're dancing."

Castiel smiles to himself and drapes his arms over Dean's shoulders. "You're so cheesy." He rests his head against his fiancé's chest. "I love it."

"I know you do," Dean replies.

There's a minute or so of silence between them, just the sound of Kansas' "Dust in the Wind" playing in the background as they sway back and forth, and Castiel can't wipe the smile off his face. It's just him and Dean, the love of his life, listening to his favorite childhood song.

But...

"Isn't this a little sad to dance to?" Castiel asks.

"Ah, good point," Dean agrees, letting go of his fiancé and walking back over to his phone. Castiel waits patiently as he scrolls through his music, then says, "So, obviously, most of my classic rock music is on the cassettes in the impala which means it's not on my phone, but I do have this."

He hits play, and the familiar soft guitar chord Castiel's grown to love in his long-standing Bon Jovi obsession plays as Dean walks back over, pulling him in again. Castiel puts his arms over Dean's shoulders, resting his head against Dean's chest, and sways back and forth again.

"How'd you know I like this song?" Castiel asks quietly.

"It's a Bon Jovi love song," Dean replies. "I figured it was right up your alley."

All Castiel says is, "Well, good call."

"Besides," Dean says, "I think it's a really fitting song." There's a brief pause as Dean waits for the right part to come, then sings along softly, "'Ask me how we've come this far. The answer's written in my eyes. Every time I look at you, baby I see something new, that takes me higher than before and makes me want you more." Dean presses a kiss to the top of his fiancé's head. "If there's one thing Bon Jovi did right, it was this song, because Cas, I'm all about loving you."