"How about this? Are you ready for this?" Cas paused dramatically before revealing his potential name for their new kitten, who was curled up on Cas's lap. "Cat-stiel!"

Dean laughed at the suggestion. "Catstiel? Really?"

"Well, yeah! I love cheesy puns. Hey, what would you call a sobriety test for a lawyer?"

Dean shrugged. "I dunno. What?"

"A bar exam!"

Dean chuckled. "Wow. That was cheesy."

"Can't take credit for it, though. Read it online somewhere. Hey, how do billboards communicate with each other?"

"I dunno. How?"

"Sign language!" He delivered it dramatically, causing Dean to laugh. "Read that one on a Laffy Taffy wrapper."

"Wow. You're on fire, Cas."

"Yeah, but Dan isn't."

Dean chuckled. "Oh come on, man."

"Now that one, I came up with all on my own."

"Okay, okay, what about... Bee? Or... Rusty? Since she has a little bit of redhead. Or... Grace? I like Grace."

"Oh, Dean. You're so gracious." Cas punned yet again.

Dean laughed. "Seriously?"

"Hey, dating me will consist of bad puns, cuddling, cheesy movies, and long text messages." Cas grinned.

Dean kissed him on the temple. "I'll make a note of that." He murmured in Cas's ear.

Cas immediately began to blush. "Okay, okay, okay, let's name the kitten before my face explodes from blushing."

"Alright, how about Daisy? Because that's your favorite flower."

Cas smiled. "You're too thoughtful. But I don't know. This kitten will be stuck with this one name for the rest of her life, and I wanna make it perfect. Oh! What about Apple?"

"Ah, yes, because what says 'perfection' quite like the name Apple?" Dean asked sarcastically.

Cas pulled a slight bitchface. "Apple, because you're Peach and I'm Pumpkin. We are all beautiful fruits, Dean!"

Dean chuckled. "I like it. Is that what we're going with?"

Cas looked down at the kitten, who was sleeping soundly. He began scratching her behind the ear. "I dunno. I'm stuck between Apple and Daisy. I like them both."

"I'll support you either way."

Cas sighed, resting his head on Dean's shoulder. "Do you think we could dress her up for the Christmas party?"

Dean grinned. "I guess we could, yeah. What do you wanna dress her as?"

Cas shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe an elf. Or a tiny reindeer. Ooh! Maybe a snowman! Do you think an Olaf outfit would work?"

Dean chuckled. "I suppose it could."

Cas looked back down at the kitten. "Does she look more like a Daisy to you? Or more like an Apple?"

Dean kissed his cheek. "Do we really need to worry ourselves with names right now?" He whispered.

"Well what are we supposed to call her in the meantime?"

Dean shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I dunno. Cat-niss?" He grinned.

Cas scoffed. "Oh my god. Seriously?"

"Hey, you're not the only one with a pun or two up his sleeve."

"Let's just, for now, call her Kitty. Because I really can't decide between Apple and Daisy."

"Why not flip a coin?" Dean suggested.

"We can't just flip a coin to decide her fate!" Cas exclaimed.

"'Decide her fate'? Cas, it's just a name."

Cas scoffed. "Yeah, just a name. Easy for you to say. You've got a great name. Dean. You'd be singing a different tune if you had a name like Gilbert. Or... Filbert."

"Filbert?"

"Yeah. That's a name. I think."

Dean chuckled. "Just pick a name. It's not like she'll be mocked by the neighborhood cats for it. Mostly because there are no neighborhood cats."

Cas sighed deeply. "We'll call her Kitty until further notice."

"Fine." Dean smiled, thinking of a way to possibly get Cas's mind off things. "I wanna show you something."

Cas looked up to him. "What is it?"

"You'll see. It's a bit of a drive, but it's worth it."

Cas smiled small, wondering what Dean was up to. "Okay. Let's go then."

They got in Dean's car and started driving, bringing the kitten with them. Cas wore Dean's black Green Day jacket since it was a bit nippy outside. He couldn't wait to see where they were going.

"How long until we get there?" He asked.

"About fifteen, twenty minutes, tops."

Cas nodded. "Where are we going?"

Dean grinned, glancing over at Cas. "It's a surprise."

"Well can you give me a hint?"

Dean chuckled. "Alright. It's, uh... it's open."

Now Cas was even more confused than before. "What, is it a store?"

Dean grinned. "You'll see."

Cas sighed. "Give me another hint! C'mon! Please, please, please!"

"The hint machine is out of order, please insert another quarter."

Cas grinned, leaning in so he could whisper in Dean's ear. "What if I insert something else?" He began to nibble Dean's earlobe, hoping he could seduce him into spilling the beans.

Dean was white knuckling the steering wheel now. "Cas. I'm literally about to wreck the car now. Just calm your tits."

Cas leaned back into his seat, sighing deeply. "What if I don't want to calm my tits?"

"We will get there soon, Cas. I promise, baby." He put a hand on Cas's knee.

"You know, you should have both hands on the wheel, Dean."

Dean grinned, messing with the radio. The station started playing a Fall Out Boy song they both recognized.

"I love this song!" Dean smiled, and he started singing along.

"I can move mountains,

I can work a miracle, work a miracle.

Oh, oh, keep you like an oath,

May nothing but death do us part."

Cas couldn't help but smile at Dean's display. It was quite the entertainment.

"She wants to dance like Uma Thurman,

Bury me till I confess.

She wants to dance like Uma Thurman,

And I can't get you out of my head.

The stench, the stench, of summer sex,

And CK eternity, oh hell yes.

Divide me down to the smallest I can be,

Put your, put you venom in me."

"C'mon, Cas! Sing it!" Dean smiled.

Cas chuckled and shook his head. "No, I'm good, you keep going though."

"You know the words, right?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"So sing it, baby! Come on!" Dean started singing again while Cas wasn't sure he felt like it.

"She wants to dance like Uma Thurman,

Bury me till I confess.

She wants to dance like Uma Thurman,

And I can't get you out of my head."

Cas decided, why not, it is Fall Out Boy.

"The blood, the blood, the blood of the lamb,

Is worth two lions, but here I am.

And I slept in last night's clothes and tomorrow's dreams,

But they're not quite what they seem!"

"Yeah! Sing your heart out!" Dean smiled.

"Although I'm not quite as good as you."

"What're you talking about? You're ten thousand times better than me!"

"That's insane, Dean!"

"Come on, come on, keep singing!"

"You'll find your way,

And may death find you alive.

Take me down the line,

In Gem City we turned the tide.

You'll find your way,

And may death find you alive.

Take me down the line,

In Gem City we turned the tide."

They continued singing until the song ended, and a Taylor Swift song started playing.

"Oh, listen to that, Dean. It's Tay-Tay." Cas laughed.

"Y'know, she ain't half bad."

Cas looked at him in confusion, his eyebrows knit together. "You like Taylor Swift?"

"Well, Shake It Off isn't so horrible."

Cas scoffed. "You are such a girl."

"Says the one holding a kitten in his lap!" Dean grinned.

"That you got for me!"

Dean could see he lost this argument. "Touché."

Cas sighed. "How long now?"

Dean chuckled softly. "Nearly there, Cas. Nearly there."

They spent the next ten minutes talking, laughing, and singing along to the radio. And they finally arrived to Dean's surprise.

"We're here." Dean grinned.

Cas sighed with relief. "Finally! Where the hell are we?"

Dean got out of the car. "You'll see." He closed his door and walked around to Cas's side, opening his door for him.

Cas smiled up at him, taking his seatbelt off. "Such a gentleman."

Dean held his hand out for Cas, who took it in his own, and helped him up. "I think you'll like our destination."

"Oh, will I?"

"Indeed you will, my dear."

Cas smiled, kissing Dean's nose. "You're so fudging sweet."

Dean returned the smile. "Well, aren't all peaches?"

Cas laughed. "I suppose they are."

Dean sighed happily. "You wanna see where we are now?"

"I'm dying to know, baby."

With Cas's hand still in his own, he lead him to a big black metal gate, beyond which was a mystery to Cas, as the view was obstructed by massive amounts of shrubbery. Dean looked around to make sure no one was looking, and opened the gate, clearing some shrubbery out of the way. He and Cas walked through the gate, Dean closing it behind him. Cas just stood there, staring in awe.

"Dean," He murmured. "This is... amazing."

Dean approached him from behind, wrapping his arms around Cas's waist, his chin resting on his right shoulder. "Told you you'd like it."

There was an open field beyond that gate, which must've stretched out for many acres. There was a big patch of daisies next to a small pond to the left, and a large willow tree off to the right. It was absolutely beautiful.

"Dean, how'd you find this place?"

"When me and Charlie were kids, we'd go out and explore. One day, we found this big ole gate, and I dared Charlie to go in. And, well, the rest is history."

"It's so beautiful." Cas kept smiling.

Dean kissed his neck. "Not quite as beautiful as the boy I'm here with."

Cas blushed immensely. "God, Dean, stop! I thought we covered this; I'm not beautiful!"

"We covered it. I just don't believe it." (A/N: A line spoken between me and my real life gf btw! ☺️ well, texted actually, but still!)

They sat beneath the willow tree, Cas resting his head on Dean's shoulder. He held the kitten in his lap as they took in the beautiful view. The reflection of the evening sun in the pond caused it to sparkle, the gentle breeze caused the daisies to blow in the wind, and the singing of the birds created an enlightening atmosphere that made Cas feel a little hopeful about his life. That maybe there was more to life than he anticipated. That the world contained a little beauty after all.

He scratched the kitten's back, listening to her purr. He loved this little kitten. He loved Dean, too, but in a different way. He loved Dean in a way that made it impossible to imagine his life any other way than with him by his side. To be with Dean was true bliss. The truest happiness.

"This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen." Cas smiled wistfully.

"It really is, isn't it?" Dean murmured, smiling small. "Quite fitting. The most beautiful boy in the most beautiful place in all the world."

Cas blushed, of course. "You've always got me blushing, Dean."

"Seems that way, doesn't it?"

There was a brief pause, until Dean thought of something. He began to check the pockets of his Green Day jacket, which caught Cas off guard.

"Dean, what are you doing?" He asked as Dean searched his right pocket.

"You'll see." Dean replied, finding what it was he was looking for.

"You say that a lot lately."

Dean took the pocketknife from his pocket and began carving something into the tree. Cas wasn't expecting a knife to be in his pocket.

"There was a knife in your pocket?" He asked.

"Yeah. It was... it was my dad's."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Cas murmured.

"Hey, it's fine. Don't worry about it." Dean replied. He was soon finished carving into the tree, and it made Cas smile.

"Oh, Dean. I love it."

It was a small heart, and carved inside was a simple D + C. It was a simple design, yet it meant so much. It was a beautiful symbol of their love, and a representation of its eternal flame.

Dean smiled, kissing Cas's cheek. He put the knife back in the jacket pocket, making sure the blade was secured within the handle.

"And, Dean?"

"Yes, Cas?"

"I've decided the kitten's name now."

Dean smiled. "Have you?"

"Yep. I'm almost 97 percent sure."

Dean chuckled softly. "What's her name then?"

"Apple. I really... sorta think I'm gonna go with Apple."

"You know you can't change her name, right? It's like the Sims; what you pick is what you get."

Cas scoffed, a grin on his face. "Right."

"So, Apple it is?"

Cas paused, finding himself uncertain. "Yeah. Apple it is."

Dean smiled, kissing the top of Cas's head. They remained silent for a moment, until that moment ended when Cas thought of something.

"Unless...-"

Dean sighed, still smiling. "Unless what?"

"Well... what about Sugar?"

"Sugar?"

"Yeah. Pumpkin and Peach with just a little bit of Sugar."

Dean had to admit, he liked the idea. It was sweet, no pun intended. And that's when he thought, why decide?

"How about this? Combine the two names, and make something like... Applesugar."

Cas smiled. "Or Sugarapple."

"Oh, I like it. Which one sounds better do you think?"

"Oh my god. More decisions." Cas sighed with exasperation.

Dean chuckled softly. "We don't have to worry about it now."

"Well good. I've had enough thinking for one day." He yawned, struggling to keep his eyes open. "It's making me tired."

"How can you be tired? You've slept for most of the day."

Cas grinned briefly, his eyelids fluttering closed. "I've been sleeping a lot more often lately."

Dean had a feeling it had something to do with his depression, but he dare not ask. He just wanted to be here, with his Pumpkin, in serene quiet, with nothing but the birds whistling their cheery tunes.

The wind suddenly picked up, sending a shiver down Dean's spine. Maybe he should've brought his own jacket, he realized.

"You cold?" Cas murmured, feeling Dean shudder.

"No, I'm good. Just as long as you're nice and warm." He kissed the top of Cas's head.

Cas smiled lazily, cuddling up closer to Dean, holding the kitten to his chest. "You're the sweetest. Like a... peach. Huh."

Dean smiled, wrapping his arm around Cas's shoulders. "And you're as sweet as pumpkin pie."

Cas smiled, humming with content. "What time is it?"

Dean glanced at his watch. "Almost eight. It's like 7:48."

"Maybe we should go and get something to eat."

"Yeah. Maybe we should."

"So... what are you hungry for?" Cas asked.

Dean grinned. "Would you like an honest answer to that?" He asked suggestively.

Cas scoffed. "Shut up, you know what I mean."

Dean chuckled softly. "I dunno. You up for Chinese?"

"How about sushi? I haven't had sushi in a while." Then he realized. "Oh. You and Lisa went out for sushi, didn't you?"

"We did. It's fine, though. It's not like she was that big a loss." And he decided to talk about what he wanted to talk about but felt like he couldn't. "Speaking of Lisa, I've been thinking... well, you don't want people finding out about... us yet, right?"

Cas opened his eyes. "Right." He spoke skeptically, wondering what Dean was talking about.

"Well... I feel like a good way of... doing that would be... y'know, fake girlfriends." He finished his sentence a bit sheepishly, a bit ashamed of himself for suggesting such a thing.

Cas sighed, having a feeling he'd say something like that. "Oh." Was all he said.

"You're not upset are you?"

"No, of course not. I just... I wish it was easier to... be ourselves. Y'know? I don't wanna hide."

Dean sighed lightly. "Neither do I, Cas. But you and I both know Devil's Kettle isn't the most open minded place. Why do you think Jo and Charlie are so discreet?"

"Oh my god. Are we gonna tell them? We should tell them! They should know at least, they're our best friends!"

"Maybe. But not right now. So... fake girlfriends. Do you think there's a girl you could fake date?"

Cas was very sure he had a girl in mind, but would asking Hannah out be the best idea? The girl he thought he liked at one point? He didn't think it best to entertain the thought, but she was the only girl he could think to ask.

"There might be a girl, yeah."

"Okay. I just hope Lisa will be willing to go out again, after I sorta... walked out on her last time. For you, actually."

Cas couldn't help but feel touched. He smiled up at Dean. "You walked out on her for me?"

Dean looked down at him. "Of course, baby. Anything for you, Cas."

"Just... promise not to get too attached, ya hear?"

"Trust me, there is no loving this girl. What about you? You're not gonna run away with your girl, right?"

"Never." Cas his his true feelings. He suddenly worried that he'd fall for Hannah, and leave Dean forever. Anything could happen with fake girlfriends. Just anything.

"Let's just go out for some fast food. I could go for a burger. I think there's a Wendy's nearby."

Cas nodded. "Yeah. That sounds good."

They got in Dean's car and started driving to Wendy's. Cas just stared out the window, getting lost in thought as he held the kitten in his lap.

He had a habit of picturing impossible scenarios, that mostly involved different fandoms, like Doctor Who or Sherlock, where he'd imagine himself in their world. Lately, it's been mostly Buffy The Vampire Slayer. He loved that show. Just another something he and Dean could relate to.

He imagined himself in Spike's crypt, mostly. Spike was his favorite. It used to be Giles, until Spike came along. Now Giles was simply his favorite human. He could relate to Giles in a way. Every now and then, he just wanted to sit down and read a good book. But lately he could never find the time.

It seemed as though he began picturing Spike's crypt quite intensely, until he realized he dozed off when Dean woke him up. He felt Dean's hand on his shoulder and he looked over at him.

"I'm up." He mumbled.

Dean grinned. "We're here. What do you want?"

Cas yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Just... something with bacon on it."

"Good choice."

Dean ordered two Baconators with a side of fries. He asked Cas what he wanted to drink, to which he responded with a simple Coke, same as Dean. They ordered one large, and would get two straws so they could split it.

"Okay, we'll eat, then you have to take me home," Cas instructed. "We have school tomorrow."

"So?" Was Dean's simple response.

Cas sighed. "Dean-"

"C'mon, Cas. I don't wanna sleep alone tonight." He held Cas's hand in his own, bringing it to his lips and planting a kiss on it. "Pretty please?"

"The physical appearance of the please makes no difference."

Dean just kept staring at him with his big green doey eyes, persuading him without a word.

Cas sighed deeply. "Fine. I'll stay with you for one more night."

This made Dean smile. "I'm fine with that arrangement."

"Y'know, it's occurred to me that we haven't really been apart that much since you came over Friday night. Remember? You climbed through my window.

Dean chuckled softly. "Oh yeah. Good times."

They got their food, and they pulled into a parking space to eat. They took their two straws and eventually managed to get them both in the straw hole. (Okay, dirty minds, feel free to make yourselves known.)

They took a sip out of their straws, smiling at each other. It was the little moments that made them truly happy. The little moments together like now, or out by the willow tree. Simply being together.

"Do you think I should call Gabe, let him know I'll be out?" Cas asked softly.

"Well, that depends. Do you think he'd really notice you're gone?"

Cas thought about that for a moment. "Good point."

Dean smiled and fed him one of his fries. "You're so damn cute."

"Yeah well you're cuter." Cas smiled back.

This sort of romantic banter went on for a while, until they soon finished eating and headed to Dean's place. It wasn't long before they arrived, and they headed inside to Dean's bedroom, Cas putting the kitten in the floor.

He took off Dean's jacket, leaving it at the end of the bed, laying down and trying to relax. It was then that he realized his bones were aching like crazy.

"Ugh, god." He groaned into the pillow.

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"My body hurts, Dean."

Dean leaned down and started rubbing his shoulders. "How's that?"

"Oh, yeah." Cas replied breathily.

Dean grinned, continuing his massage. He could spoil Cas like this forever, pampering him like royalty. Anything to make him happy.

"Dean?" Cas spoke up after a while.

"Yes, Pumpkin?" Dean replied.

"We should sleep now."

"Hmm, you sure?" Dean grinned.

"We have school tomorrow. Sleep."

Dean sighed, still smiling. "As you wish, my dear."

"Oh! And do you think the kitten can sleep in the bed with us?" He asked.

"Not a problem."

"Good. I don't trust her on the floor all alone. She's too tiny."

Dean smiled, picking the kitten up off the floor and setting her next to Cas. "Anything else?"

"Just cuddle with me and tell me goodnight."

Dean turned out the light, laying beside Cas and holding his body close to him, whispering in his ear, "Goodnight, Cas my angel."