“Yeah, well, I don’t care what you think.” Dean’s angry voice filled the library as he stomped through, making Sam squirm and glance up from the book he’d been trying to hide his massive frame behind. He’d been doing his best impression of nonsentient furniture while his brother and his angel argued, quietly turning pages and acting like he didn’t hear a word, figuring it was none of his business. It wasn’t easy to play dumb when the two of them were approaching yelling volumes, though.

Cas put his hand on Dean’s shoulder and hauled him to a stop, made him swing around to face him.  “Your life is more important than killing Abbadon,” Cas insisted, both with frustration and a wide-eyed sincerity that probably only an angel could pull off.

Sam winced even before Dean began to gear up, well aware the pleading words would only make his brother more angry.  The elder Winchester leaned in to Cas’s face, his own harsh and furious.  “You’re wrong, Cas. You’re wrong, and you can take that opinion and go fuck yourself with it.”

“Dean.” Sam was on his feet and interrupting before he’d even realized it, his indignation cleanly slicing through the argument.  “You can’t talk to him like that.”

The older hunter turned, jerky motions shouting pissed. His mouth was slightly open, ready to yell or bite, contrasting with the way Cas’s lips were thinly pressed together.  “Yeah?” Dean challenged, spreading his hands out mockingly.  “And why would that be, Sam?”

Sam scoffed, his face saying duh.  “Uh, because he’s your boyfriend?”

He got two pairs of eyes staring at him, Dean frozen still. Cas just stood there in his a-little-too-short, a-little-too-the-wrong-color trenchcoat, his arms hanging at his sides, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.  Silence.

Sam cleared his throat, shifted on his feet.  Maybe that was the wrong word.  “Partner?” he offered instead, gesturing at Cas with one hand.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Dean demanded.  His face was screwed up in some sort of disbelief, eyes almost narrowed shut.

Despite his objection, Sam was starting to regret turning his brother’s outrage onto himself.  Trying for a reasonable tone, his hands held out placatingly, he said, “I know you haven’t had many relationships, but it’s completely out of line for you to say things like that to your -”

“Stop!”  If Dean were a cat, his fur would have been standing on end. He quickly put distance between himself and Cas, waving his arms in the process. “We’re not… together, Sam, are you crazy?”

Sam’s head jerked back on his shoulders.  “What are you talking about? Of course you are.”

Cas looked at Dean; Dean looked at Cas, and then hastily looked away.  His face was flushed like Sam had actually never seen it before.  “I’m not gay,” Dean sputtered, somewhere between infuriated and offended.

“I’m not a man,” Cas said at a normal volume, though no one paid attention.

Sam sighed hugely, dropping his head back and staring up at the ceiling.  Sometimes he really wished Dean had gone to college.  “Of course you’re not gay, Dean,” he said as diplomatically as possible, making a mental note to give his brother a talk later about treating the word ‘gay’ like it was an insult.  “You’re bisexual.”

Dean continued to stare at him, looking dumbstruck.  Castiel tilted his head.

Sam waved his hand between the two.  “It’s obvious.  The way you two talk about each other, worry about each other, how far you go for each other…  Every time you look at each other it’s like you’re having sex with your clothes on.  Everyone can see it.”  Sam raised his eyebrow skeptically, hands planted on his hips.  “Are you really trying to tell me that you guys haven’t been together for years?”

Absolute silence met his calm and logical argument, and he watched as Dean and Cas slowly glanced at each other out of the corner of their eyes.

“I’m going for a drive,” Dean suddenly announced, spinning on his heel and all but running out of the library.

Both of Sam’s eyebrows shot up this time, climbing towards his hairline.  He looked over at Cas.

Cas telling Dean things he doesn't like to hear.