Standing Together

Chapter 144

A/N Tag yourself I'm me speed writing an entire chapter of a fic I've accidentally ignored for months just so I can scream about the new episodes of Supernatural at the end

"Happy birthday, Dean!"

Dean sighs dramatically. "How is it a happy birthday?"

Castiel cocks his head to the side, confused. "What do you mean?" They just got up. How did Dean's day get ruined already?

"I'm 27, Cas," Dean says. "I'm officially an old man. That's no reason to celebrate."

Castiel rolls his eyes. He wouldn't be too surprised if Dean actually does think he's an old man now, but he's decently sure his fiance is exaggerating how much it annoys him. "Well, c'mon, old man. We're celebrating anyway."

Dean groans. "I told you guys that I didn't want some big thing, so if you —"

"No, don't worry, there's no surprise party," Castiel assures him. "Just you, me, and Lucifer's household."

Dean pauses, thinking that over. "I mean, I do like those three..."

"C'mon," Castiel insists. "It'll be fun! I promise we won't watch Aladdin again."

"Won't watch Aladdin at Lucifer's house or won't watch Aladdin all day?" Dean asks, his interest piqued.

"I meant at Lucifer's house, but I'd be willing to have an Aladdin-free day if you go to Lucifer's," Castiel says.

"Deal," Dean says immediately. "Very much deal. The most deal of deals."

Castiel chuckles. "That's what I like to hear."

~~ squiggles brought to you by the fact that this is where I stopped writing months ago and I have no idea where the fuck this scene was actually going ~~

Lucifer's house looks normal.

Very normal.

Completely the same as it usually does.

It's suspicious.

Clearly, Castiel's not the only one thinking it, because as they pull up by the house, Dean asks, "Is it just me, or does it look like Lucifer actually listened when I said no party?"

"No, you definitely look right," Castiel agrees. He certainly hadn't expected that.

So they head to the door, which, as always, is unlocked for them. Dean puts his hand on the doorknob, but he hesitates before opening it -- a very dramatic hesitation, so Castiel can tell he's joking. Then he pushes the door open, and...

"I can't see," Dean whispers. "It's just latex, latex, and more latex."

Castiel chuckles. "Okay, wall of balloons. I probably should have seen that one coming."

"Do I hear the birthday boy?" Lucifer yells from god-knows-where.

"No!" Dean yells back.

Lucifer laughs. "Come on in!"

Dean glances at Castiel warily, then hits the balloons out of the way. It's a bit of a struggle, given that there have to be at least 100 of them. It's kind of funny how he did it, too — instead of getting helium balloons, he just blew up normal latex balloons and taped them to strings that are taped to the ceiling, with a solid six or seven balloons coming down on each string. Castiel has never known Lucifer to take the cheaper route, but he has known him to take the route with the most work, so this is definitely in character.

Finally, Dean decides to just crouch on the ground and crawl down the bottom, because the balloons aren't taped down there so the strings move more freely. Of course, that means Castiel also has to crawl on the floor to get inside what used to be his own house, which is definitely weird and he can't help but wonder how this became his life. Granted, with a brother like Lucifer...