Standing Together

Chapter 27

A/N updated 4 times. Make sure you start at chapter 25

Castiel figures out that there's something going on when Dean pulls into that first Dunkin Donuts they passed on the way — the one he claimed was a bad one, but they go through it smoothly, again paying for the car behind them and telling Window Man to keep the change. If it's really not a bad one, why did they go passed so many Dunkin Donuts?

When they get home, Dean tells Castiel to stay right where he is, then grabs the Dunkin Donuts bag and runs inside. Castiel's too suspicious to be bored as he waits for him to come back. What's going on right now?

Dean comes back out to the driveway and opens the door for his fiancé. "Sorry about that. Come on."

Dean takes his hand and leads him inside, but instead of stopping in the kitchen to eat, Dean leads him to the living room.

"What are you —" Castiel cuts himself off with a gasp, slapping a hand over his mouth. "What? How did this get here?"

Dean just smiles proudly.

"Oh my god!" Castiel throws his arms around his fiancé, pulling him into an excited hug. He lets go pretty quickly, only to look again. "Dean, that's awesome!"

"How's that for a birthday gift?" Dean says with a grin.

"Oh my god," Castiel breathes. "How did a goddamn grand piano just suddenly show up in our house? How does that even happen?"

"I got some guys to agree to put it in when I bought it," Dean says. "I just wanted to keep you out of the house long enough for them to get it in and get out — and no, there aren't fifty billion horribly Dunkin Donuts by our house."

"But a piano?" Castiel says in disbelief. "What —?"

"I remember you mentioning once that you were learning to play, so..." Dean gestures to their new piano. "Now you can learn to play from here."

"Dean, that was over a year ago!" Castiel says. "How do you even remember that?"

"Well, you said it. How was I supposed to forget?"

Castiel pulls him into another hug. "This is the best birthday gift I've ever gotten. Thank you so much!"

After a quick kiss, Dean says, "I hoped you would like it. I wasn't quite sure what to get you, so... voilá?"

Castiel scoffs. "Hoped I'd like it? Dean, I love it!" He runs over and takes a seat on the piano bench, flipping the piano cover up. God, he hasn't used one of these in months. Does he even remember how to play?

But once he's played the first chord, it starts coming back to him, and he doesn't have a problem finishing the introduction before, "Once I rose above the noise and confusion."

"Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion," Dean joins in. He takes a seat on the couch across the room, joining the impromptu singalong for the duration of the song.

"God, I can't believe I remembered all that," Castiel says. "It's been ages. And I only messed up, like, seventeen times!"

Dean scoffs. "How did you mess up? It sounded fine."

"But it was really, really not fine," Castiel says. "I really don't know how to play piano — but now I can learn!"

He turns around to flash his fiancé a smile, only to see Dean has his phone pointed at him, videoing him. Castiel cocks his head in confusion. 

"What's that for?" Castiel asks, gesturing to the phone with a jerk of his head.

"I'm FaceTiming Lucifer," Dean says. "I have been since I ditched you in the car. I told him I'd do it 'cause he couldn't be here himself. Wait, hold up, I'm going to turn the volume up so he can talk." There's a pause, then Dean says, "You're all set."