Dean sprints across the street and comes up slowly to her as to not scare her. “Hey, are you okay?”

The woman turns with tears filling her eyes and shakes her head. “I lost my brother’s dog. I was supposed to be watching him and he jumped out a window!” The woman bit back a sob and covered her face with her hands.

Furrowing his brow, Dean turned and searched the suburban area for any trace of a dog. “What’s the dog look like?”

“He’s a german shepherd. Still a puppy. I don’t know how he managed to get out the window! His name is...um…” The woman chuckled nervously. “His name is Burger.”

With a soft chuckle, Dean looked back into her eyes and tried to convey a reassuring smile. “I’ll help you find him, ma’am.”

“It’s Anna, and thank you.” She smiled back, the tears still teetering in her eyes, before turning and scanning around. “If you could go that way and I’ll go this way maybe one of us will see him. Meet back here either if you find the dog or maybe in a couple minutes?”

Dean nodded, not wasting much time before heading off to where she pointed. Admittedly, he really didn’t see his small walk turning into a hunt for a dog but he was glad to help. He remembered the dog Sam had brought home once, begging to keep him, only to have their father say it was too much responsibility. Which Dean decided had always been a wise decision but the look that woman had on her face, Dean was glad he never had to see it on Sam’s in the case that anything had happened to that dog if they had kept it.

“Here Burger!” Dean cupped his mouth and shouted down the street. It wasn’t busy so he didn’t get many strange looks.

Keeping his pace quick and his eyes sharp, Dean took a few twists and turns and found himself walking along a fence that bordered a park. Squinting against the sunlight he saw some dogs happily playing with their owners on the small hills. What got his attention though was a small german shepherd curled up under a picnic table. He almost didn’t believe his eyes until he saw the big ears and dark snout catching some sunlight.

Heaving a breath of relief he easily jumped over the fence and started to cautiously approach the scared puppy. When he got a couple feet away he was halted by a soft whine. Dean lowered himself into a crouch and held out an open palm toward Burger, who was now eyeing him.

“Hey, Burger, I’m Dean.” With every word he spoke he inched just a tad closer. “Anna is worried sick about you, boy.”

Burger lifted his head and tilted it. His big black eyes seemed to analyze Dean’s posture and face. After a few moments of silence between the two, Burger slowly started to scoot himself out and towards the man. He let out another soft whimper when he was only a couple inches from Dean’s hand. 

“That’s a good boy.” Taking a chance, Dean lowered his hand under Burger’s snout to let him sniff it. “I ain’t gonna hurt you.”

After smelling the offered hand, Burger yipped and crawled his way between Dean’s crouched legs. Letting out a short laugh, Dean began to run his fingers through the dog’s fur and rubbing against his skin. After a couple seconds of that he stood up and was surprised to see Burger stand up and at attention by his side. 

“You okay if I pick you up?” Dean asked even though he knew he wasn’t getting an answer. 

Scooping the dog up against his chest Dean snorted as a tongue swiped up his cheek. Turning back towards where he came from, he started the short walk toward where he was going to meet Anna. He wondered briefly, as he crossed the street with a ball of fur all but panting in his arms, if maybe he should get a dog.

He didn’t have much time to think more on it before Anna was sprinting toward him with a look of pure relief and happiness exuding from her. Dean didn’t have a chance to set the dog down before Anna was pulling him from his arms and cradling him to her chest.

“Oh my god! Thank you! Thank you so much! My brother is going to be home any minute and if he came home and Burger was missing he would be devastated!” Anna once sad tears turned to ones of happiness as she looked into Dean’s eyes with a grin wide enough to split her cheeks. “Please, let me pay you back somehow.”

Shaking his head, Dean rubbed at the back of his neck and thought about the leftovers and six pack waiting for him at home. “Don’t worry about it, ma’am. He’s a cute dog and I’m just glad he’s back to where he should be.”

Anna nodded, cooing at Burger before turning back to Dean again. “At least tell me your name.”

“Oh, uh, Dean. Dean Winchester.” Dean looked around to see he wasn’t far from his house. “And really, don’t worry about repaying me. I need to be getting home anyway.”

“Do you live around here?”

Nodding, Dean pointed toward his street. “Yeah, the green house down that way.” 

Anna turned and squinted. “Okay. Well thank you again. You saved my life today.”

Chuckling, Dean waved to her before starting his trek home. 

Only when he shut his door behind him and looked through the darkened rooms, he realized how lonely he really was and how today had been a really good day for a walk.

~

The microwave timer had just gone off when a loud knocking came from the front door. Dean quickly shot off his couch to pop open the microwave door before starting toward his door. It was a regular wednesday evening meaning there really wasn’t a reason for visitors which meant it was probably a salesperson.

Taking in a deep breath and running a hand through his hair, Dean pulled open the door with a smile pulled up on his lips. The smile quickly turned into his jaw dropping as probably the most handsome man he had ever seen was standing on his door mat with a bag of something good smelling held to his chest.

The dark haired man, with eyes so blue Dean felt as though he could drown in them given the chance, smiled widely and juggled the bag a little to reach his hand out between them. “Hello, I’m Castiel Novak and I heard from my sister that you saved her life the other day.”

It was almost comical how deep and serious that sentence was spoken and Dean knowing that he really didn’t save a life. Shaking himself mentally of the butterflies now swooping in circles in his stomach, he reached out and shook Castiel’s hand.

“Oh-um-the name’s Dean and I didn’t really-”

Releasing Dean’s hand Castiel laughed and shook his head slightly. “She told me that you found Burger. I wanted to thank you because although his name is beyond ridiculous he is a very important member of my family.”

Nodding, Dean swallowed thickly and willed himself to not swoon at the sound of his laughter, or the fact that this guy found him out just to thank him for finding a dog. “It was no trouble, really.”

“Maybe not,” Castiel grinned, “but I would still like to thank you. I didn’t know what to bring over so I grabbed some take out.”

Remembering the not-so-frozen dinner in his microwave, Dean’s lips turned up into a smile and he opened his door further with a gesture to come in. “Sounds awesome, Castiel.”

~

“Burger, down!” Castiel’s voice boomed through Dean’s house in the very very early hours of the morning. “Get that out of your mouth!”

Laughing loudly, Dean twisted his body on his bed to get a little more comfortable and to pull some muscles awake after sleep. He burrowed his face into his pillow and breathed in the scent of Castiel. Letting out a deep sigh of contentment, he wished more than anything that he could live forever in this moment.

But the moment was suddenly disrupted as two sets of paws land directly on his back. Dean yelped and twisted himself in his sheets to meet Burger’s eyes. The two didn’t move for a long moment before Dean swiftly gathered the dog up in his arms and rolled them so Dean was on his side with Burger burrowed against his chest.

“It’s too early, Burger, go back to sleep.” His rough morning voice spoke directly into the dog’s head.

Burger let out a soft yip before his tail slowed and he let himself relax in Dean’s hold. The two laid together and pretended to sleep until a pair of socked feet padded into the bedroom. Dean tried his hardest to keep his smile off his face when he felt the sheet shift and the bed dip. A hand gently caressed his cheek as two legs intertwined with his.

“You know, Dean, Burger and I really enjoy waking up here.” Castiel’s voice was the softest Dean ever remembered hearing it. “And going to sleep here. And eating here. And watching TV here…”

Popping open one eye, Dean smirked as he met his boyfriend’s loving stare. “Would the two of you enjoy living here?”

Castiel smiled and nodded. “We really would.”

Dean

       Swim lessons were always a fun break from lifeguarding. Not that he liked admitting it, but teaching the little kids was always a riot. They still found swimming and water an amazing experience so it was refreshing to see someone really enjoy the pool. Sammy used to come with on those days, just to play around and help the really struggling ones. But now Sammy was ‘Sam’ and ‘too old for that kid stuff’ so Dean would have to meet the new class all by himself.

     They looked like a pretty good group so far, an awkward kid named Garth would wouldn’t stop talking, a quiet boy named Andy, a toothy grinned girl named Madison, a hyper kid named Ash who Dean had already had to pluck out of the air before he went careening into the water, and a very unhappy looking little girl named Meg who was glaring at the pool like it had personally insulted her. Meg had already cracked under Dean’s easy humor, but her scary parent, Alistair, was a different matter. He looked...hungry. Thankfully after the first lesson most parents go read in the lobby or work out on their own.

     There were supposed to be seven in this class, and after a very brisk handshake with an enthusiastic parent and a deep scowl from a tiny girl named Bela, Dean was wondering where the seventh was. A glance at the clock told him they were ten minutes behind schedule. He clapped his hands together to draw their attention.

     “Alright kids, which of you have gone swimming before?” All the hands raised, good.

     “Well, even if you have been in the water before, you probably didn’t think about the mechanics of swimming.” Dean smiled as the well worn spiel set in and he could see the kids getting excited.

     Well, one short but it would have to do.

  Castiel

       “Castiel, we’re late.” Samandriel complained, tugging on his hand.

     “I know, I know.” Castiel felt frazzled, shoving the car keys into his pocket then running the hand through the hair. A nervous habit. Traffic had been awful, there had been an accident and it took forever to get past.

     “Castiellll.” Samandriel’s lip budged out in a pout and he looked a second from a meltdown.

     “Samandriel, we’re right here. We are only fifteen minutes late, they had to do introductions and everything. It will be like missing the previews to a movie.”

     “Fine.” His voice was small and pitiful.

     The second they entered the pool area Samandriel dropped Castiel’s hand and bolted over to the group of parents and kids lined up on the pool edge, dipping their feet into the water. As he neared he heard Samandriel talking to he presumed was the instructor, hidden by the gaggle of parents.

     “Samandriel, huh? Cool name.” A voice intoned.

     “It’s an angel name. We’re all angels.” Samandriel answered, basking in the attention. Castiel felt awkward as he ‘sorry’-ed and ‘excuse me’-ed his way through the group.

     “Who all are angels?” The voice again.

     “My family. All my brother’s and sisters, we are all angels. Even though my brother doesn’t talk like one when we get stuck in traffic.”

     “Where is this brother of yours, I need someone to sign paperwork.”

     Castiel pushed past the final parent, and stopped dead. The guy looked up from where he was crouched to talk to Samandriel. His green eyes lit up.

     “So this is the brother with the name but not the mouth of an angel?”  Green-eyed boy said, grinning as he stood. His eyes flicked down to Castiel’s mouth and Castiel started to feel very uncomfortable.

     Castiel swallowed nervously before answering, “Castiel Novak. I have a tendency to use profanities in a very limited set of situations. Stupid drivers fall in that category.”

     “Dean Winchester. Well, hopefully paperwork is in the clear.” He handed Castiel a clip board.

     Castiel nodded awkwardly and walked to the side to fill out form and let the class continue. It was going to be a long half hour.

  Dean

       The kids went through the drill quickly, eager to learn. They went through kicking, front crawl, and backstroke. Dean couldn’t help but tease a bit when it was time to get in the water. He stripped his shirt slowly, tensing the muscles in his back and letting Cas get an eyeful. When he drove in the pool and surfaced he could see Cas glaring at the clipboard like it was the most important thing in the world.

     The class went too quickly. Dean would have liked to get Castiel back for that night some months ago, but not with all the students there. After they wrapped up, the parents started escorting their children to get changed and go. Dean treaded water for a second, wracking his brain for a reason to keep Castiel behind for some reason. Inspiration hit.

     “Hey Castiel, there is a problem with your paperwork.”

     Castiel’s eyes flashed to his, but his attention was diverted by an insistent Samandriel.

     “Castiel, I wanna go home. I’m tired.”

     “Why don’t you go get changed and Cas can fix this in the meantime.” Dean suggested, fighting a grin.

     Before Castiel could protest, Samandriel had grabbed his bag and was making his way to the locker room.

     The two spent a long second staring at eachother. Dean watched as a slow smile spread across the other boy’s face. Castiel slipped off his shoes and socks and obstinately sat down on the poolside and dangled his feet in the water.   

     “Oh yes, tell me about this problem.” The sarcasm was thick in his voice.

     Dean pushed himself slightly out of the water to grab the clip board. He tapped the blank line. “See? No phone number. Do you not have a phone or just don’t want me to have your number?”

     Castiel blushed slightly, “I do not own a mobile phone.”

     “Really?” he tried to keep his tone light, “No electronic devices at all?”

     “No. Why?” Cas narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side. Thoroughly adorable.

     “So I can do...this.” Dean lunged and grabbed a leg and an arm around the other boy’s back before quickly dumping them both into the water.

     Castiel surfaced kicking and sputtering and making a mess of his hair as he tried to wipe water out of his hair. Dean laughed, keeping an arm around him to make sure he was still breathing.

     “Dean! I can’t swim, I could have drowned! You could have killed me!” Castiel glared at him but Dean couldn’t take it seriously as the boy stood waist deep and dripping.

     “I would have brought you back to life. I know mouth-to-mouth.” Dean placed the other hand on Cas’s hip, drawing him closer.

     “Do you?” Cas stared at his lips.

     “It was quite awhile ago. I might need a refresher.” Their head were close together, breaths intermingling.

     “Uh huh.” Cas’s voice had dropped to a whisper. Dean leaned forward, closing the distance. Abruptly Cas leaned back.

     “I’m pretty sure they have CPR dummies for that.”

     “You’re a dummy.” Dean shot back lamely, disappointment colouring his voice.

     “Wow, nice comeback. I really trust you with my life now.” But Cas was laughing and he was laughing at Dean and that just wouldn’t do. So Dean lunged forward and cut Cas’s laughter with a kiss and unceremoniously dunked them both underwater.

     Because it’s a lot harder to laugh underwater.

     A lot easier just to kiss.

  Castiel

       “Why are you all wet?”

     “Because, Samandriel, Dean Winchester is a dick.”

     “What situation is this? He wasn’t driving, why did you swear?”     

     “e to the 3x over 3.” He answered smoothly.

     “Wrong.” The boy smiled again and Castiel noticed he had green eyes.

     “Plus C.” Castiel quickly corrected his mistake.

     “I’ll tell you a secret.” He leaned down and Castiel could feel the warm breath against his skin, “I like Calculus too.”

“Get out of here,” The advisor said, “you’re going to scare away all our potential freshmen.”

     “Sure thing Ellen.” The boy patted her shoulder and made his way out the door, but paused for a second and let their eyes meet. “See ya next year Cas.” Then he was gone.

       It took four months and five fights until Castiel made it to KU for college.

     It took six weeks until he found the boy with freckles and green eyes.

     It was at a party Castiel never meant to go to but ended up at. A warm hand clapped over his shoulder and a loud voice yelled.

     “Hey! I see you finally found your way here! How is Calculus treating you?”

     Castiel grinned back at him, “I never forget to add a constant.”

     “Dean Winchester.” Dean stuck out his hand and they shook somewhat awkwardly.

     “Castiel Novak.”

     “I remember.”

     “How did you know my name?” That was one of the details that had bugged Castiel. Made him remember the boy.

     Dean laughed and slung an arm around him, dragging Castiel through the party, “A good magician never reveals his secret.”

       It stayed that way. On the night they moved in together. Just after their first kiss. On the day of Dean’s graduation. On the day of Cas’s graduation.

     Each time Castiel asked he got a smile and a refusal.

     It took seven years from the day they first met until Castiel had had enough.

     “No.”

     “What?” Dean’s voice was heartbroken.

     “Not until you tell me how you knew my name.” Cas crossed his arms.

     “Oh my god. Seriously?” A hush was falling around them.

     “Yes. Dead serious.”

     “You total dork, you were wearing a huge laminated name tag. Does this kill the air of mystery I was trying to preserve in our relationship?”

     Castiel laughed, “Well. That was anti-climatic.” He stood there for a long second, a bit underwhelmed but still happy.

     “So?” Dean asked, still bewildered.

     Castiel glanced down at him. “Fine.”

     “Fine?” Dean’s voice broke. “Fine. Fine what?”