Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Picture a wave in the ocean:

You can see it.

Measure its height.

Watch as the sunlight refracts when it passes through.

Then it crashes on the shore…

And is gone.

But the water is still there.

The wave was just a different way for the water to be for a while.

Chidi Anagonye -

The Good Place

( - - - - - indicate change of POV)

Castiel Novak's existence started out in darkness. For such a long time, he just accepted this as how things were meant to be…but it was so damn boring. And when he finally had enough, he stood up and found himself in a grassy field littered with stone pillars.

Nothing made sense, and when he tried to remember how he got there…it was all blank. So he laid back down and found a weird comfort in the darkness.

What Cas didn't understand was that when a person dies, their soul doesn't immediately leave the body. The soul is literally stitched to the flesh and takes a while to finally detach.

And the moment that release happened for Cas, he found himself yanked out of the darkness, flung forty-five miles south, and slammed into a rather large attic. It wasn't dark like the other place had been but still dusty and filled with boxes. And just as Cas had accepted his fate before…he figured this room was now it.

For decades, he existed in solitude in that attic, oddly content with only the occasional visit by a few curious crows. He would have still been stuck there had it not been for Gabriel Novak inheriting the house.

The Wesson Estate had been in the Novak family since 1920 when the previous owner had all but given it to them for free. Furniture, paintings, books, and much more had pre-filled the large house when James Novak II and his family moved into the mansion.

Throughout the decades that followed, sections of the house were renovated as each generation added its own flavor and style to the old bones. Even the acres of land around the house had evolved as new plants replaced others that had perished. Only a patch of Prairie Smoke flowers in the center remained from the original vegetation. The tiny blossoms resembled cotton candy swirls and added a vibrant splash of color to the garden.

It was September 18^th, 2008, at noon, when Gabriel Novak climbed into the attic and saw several stacks of boxes. With a curiosity far greater than any other Novak, Gabriel grabbed a box and said, “Fuck the rules!”, and spent the day sorting through it all.

A frightened Cas had stayed tightly pressed against the wall the entire time Gabe was there. He expected to be yelled at, but Gabriel hadn't even seemed to notice he existed. And when a box of leather-bound journals was opened, Cas felt a strange jolt of electricity shimmer down his spine. In the far recesses of his brain, a sliver of thought tried to regenerate to remind him why those books were important…but faded back to nothing.

Cas tried to pick up one of the journals, but like everything else in the attic, his hands passed right through it. He wondered why the intruder could touch and move things when he couldn't?! It did not seem at all fair.

Nor did it sit right when Cas saw the thief leaving the attic with the box of books. That was why, for the first time in almost a century, Cas left the attic to investigate. He followed Gabe into a room filled with other books and stood there watching as the journals were placed on a shelf.

Well, all but one. As Gabriel sat on the sofa and looked through it…something about this made Cas angry. He just had no idea why.

And if that wasn't bad enough, Gabe stopped halfway through the book and moaned, “Holy fuck! This entry is pure porn!”

Cas watched in horror as Gabriel laid the journal on the arm of the sofa and proceeded to pull out…how rude!

For the next ten minutes, Cas's poor eyes and ears were tortured by the sight and sound of the miscreant's self-enjoyment. Cas cringed as sticky fingers were wiped across the fabric of a throw pillow before the leather-bound book was shut and added to the shelf with the others.

This was just a taste of his new life with the house's current owner over the following thirteen years. Cas had come to know Gabriel Novak's name quite well, thanks to the countless men and women that screamed it out on a regular basis. Cas had witnessed every kink and crazy sex thing imaginable…even participated through possession a few times.

See, after two years of watching TV and movies, Castiel had come to realize that he was a ghost. Someone who had died but stuck around for unknown reasons. And thanks to the movie Ghost, he had learned how to possess Gabe like Patrick Swayze's character had done with Whoopi Goldberg's…but only for a handful of times, though.

Normally, Cas wasn't attracted to the dregs of society that followed Gabriel home, but a few of the men had caught Cas's attention over the years.

And oh! Sex was amazing! So worth how exhausted he felt after controlling Gabe's body. Yes, Cas didn't see himself while inside Gabriel's meat suit, but it still felt like it was his own body. And when he orgasmed…hell…his whole being glitched and shivered in delight.

On the numerous nights Cas had not taken part in the orgy of flesh, he would ghost away from the house to the forest area at the far end of the estate. There was just something about the spot that gave him the most peace. Whenever his weird existence or Gabe's raunch fests overwhelmed him, Cas could always spirit away to that circle of oaks, and it would instantly calm him.

This was where Cas escaped to on May 9^th, 2021, when he heard Gabe groaning and screaming nasty things from the master bedroom. Apparently, there was a new boy toy in the picture, and they were going at it like rabbits over wifi on something called Zoom…doing things Cas had no desire to know. At least none of the men ever lasted more than a few weeks with Gabe, so Cas was sure this latest fuck buddy wouldn't be any different.

As the moonlight filtered through the leaves of the swaying trees, Cas lay contently staring up at the stars. Thank goodness ghosts could not feel temperature like normal humans did. The humidity and heat of the early summer night did not even affect him in the least…nor the bugs and other crawly things slithering through his ghostly form as he sprawled out in the tall grass.

Constellations that had kept him company over the thirteen years of Gabe's residence twinkled hello again to Cas that night. As he stared up at the familiar sky, he often wondered why he and those stars were still around? Most TV shows and movies mentioned a ghost being stuck on earth because of some unfinished business, but Cas never sensed anything of the sort.

If anything, he just felt the faintest urge that there was something he was supposed to find…some tiny spark on the horizon. But until whatever it was showed up, Cas was more than content to lay in his favorite spot and enjoy life…well, existence.

Gabriel's hand slowly stroked his hard cock as he smirked at the naked man who filled the laptop screen. “Dear Mr. Winchester, I do believe you just lost the bet.”

“Yeah, yeah, Mr. Novak! I only lost because you're a sex fiend that can control yourself better!”

“Now, Sam, since I wasn't the one to lose it first, that means the next time we go to the movies you have to give me a blowjob.”

A blush stole across Sam's face, “Dammit, Gabriel! You already got us banned from the Plaza 6 and Cinema Twin in Lawrence. If we get caught at the Regal, it will be a forty-five-minute drive to the AMC in Kansas City!”

Gabe's hard cock was stroked a bit faster as memories of those epic nights replayed in his head. Life was too short to play by anyone's rules, and he was going to enjoy every last drop he could wring from it…or more likely suck out of it. “Maybe this time we'll be able to stay quiet, but until then…”

He waggled his cock towards the laptop's camera to get Sam's attention back to where it belonged, “…how about you help me get as messy as you already are, Mr. Winchester.”

- - - - -

Sam could not believe the shit Gabriel Novak got him to do. Not only over a Zoom call in the privacy of his own bedroom but also out in public! Like not even under a jacket! Anyone that knew Sam would be shocked how much his normally staid, boring lawyer-self was doing.

And yes, it was overwhelming at times, but Gabe had this way of making it all seem normal and so much fun! Even when they had been escorted out of those movie theaters, Sam had not felt embarrassed. Instead, he had felt more alive than he had his thirty-eight years of existence!

After so many years of dating duds and assholes, there was something about Gabriel Novak that made him have hope again. And for the next five minutes, as Gabe stroked away, Sam gladly and happily spewed out the dirtiest scenario of bending the sexy short-stack over a bench in Burcham Park.

Sam could see it clearly, and so could Gabe, who was yelling out obscenities mixed with Sam's name not long afterward.

The cum covered hand that Gabriel held close to the camera made Sam salivate for a taste. He groaned, “Gabe, please tell me that your work schedule isn't as crazy this week as it was last. I can't wait to spend some in-person time with you and finally get to see your house.”

A knowing grin stretched across Gabe's impish face, “Easy, Samsquatch. I already planned on inviting you over to my place tomorrow for your belated birthday dinner. Cooked by my own wittle hands.”

Sam watched then as Gabe brought that sticky hand up and licked off all the cum. Hell! It was like he could taste it on his own tongue. He moaned. “What the fuck have you done to me, Mr. Novak?! If I didn't have two court cases in the morning, I would ask to cum over tonight for a belated birthday gift.”

“Tsk…tsk, Mr. Winchester. Who said I'd let you cum over? You will just have to wait and be patient.” Gabe stood and slowly pulled up a pair of black boxer briefs and meanly covered up the softened cock. “Night, Sam.”

And just like that, the Zoom call was ended, and Sam was left sitting in his computer chair achy and alone. With a sigh, he turned off the laptop and picked up his clothes which were scattered around the room. His jeans, t-shirt, and boxers were then tossed into the dirty hamper as Sam made his way to the bathroom for a shower.

As the steamy, hot water rained down over his naked body, Sam contemplated jerking off but didn't. It would make tomorrow night with Gabe even better if he abstained until then.

Images of all they had done earlier that night replayed in his brain, though, so Sam really had to fight to keep from deviating from the plan. And when the slippery liquid soap only made matters worse, Sam quickly changed the hot water to cold.

Later as Sam slid into bed, he was able to focus more on his two court cases tomorrow rather than the tormenting delicious thoughts of Gabe, tongues licking, sticky skin, and cocks. For the first time in a long time, Sam fell asleep with hope and excitement for the future.

It wasn't until about five in the morning that the dream started. Not even a plotted movie-type-dream…more so just flickers of different images.

Over and over, Sam saw a faceless man dressed in doctor scrubs, a different dark-haired blue-eyed guy standing in a forest, a close up of those blue eyes staring, then those same blue eyes but in painting form. The white twinkle dotting each eye suddenly changed into stars in a night sky, and then the scene panned down to show flashes of two very naked bodies entwined. The lovers were lying under a canopy of swaying trees and stars engaged in the most intimate, steamy sex Sam had ever seen. It was a jumble of hands clasping together, hips rolling, then more full-body rubbing, and some shots of mouths gaping open in a prayer or a groan.

Sam woke up at that part feeling so damn horny and dazed. The sequence of images from the dream played like a looped gif in his head. If he wasn't trying to hold off on being naughty till his dinner date with Gabe, Sam would have happily slid his hand down and taken care of the hard cock pushing against the red fabric of his underwear.

He was glad that he would have a way to deal with all this longing and need before the day was done. Maybe he wouldn't even let Gabe start cooking their dinner till after taking the sexy short-stack to bed. Gabriel could be the main meal, and the actual food would be the dessert afterward.

Hell! Thinking about all the possibilities was only making matters worse for Sam, and he knew there was no going back to sleep now. Since he still had several hours before leaving for work, he decided to head out for a quick run.

When he returned to his place at the Oak Park Apartment building thirty minutes later, Sam headed to the bathroom and took an icicle of a shower. All that now stood in his way to get to Gabe's was just a few hours of prosecuting misdemeanors. Hopefully, by the end of the night, he'd experience the same amazing connection with Gabriel as he had seen between the two dream lovers.

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

Cas's morning was not starting off well. He had hoped for a quiet day around the house, but Gabe had thrown a monkey-wrench in those plans. Apparently, Gabriel had asked the latest boy-toy over for dinner. This usually was an innocuous way of saying, 'Let's fuck each other raw and scream so loud that Cas could almost hear us in his spot in the forest.'

Sigh.

As much as Cas loved his oasis of oaks, he hated having to escape there more times than not. After thirteen years of being on the prowl, Cas had assumed someone by now would have caught Gabe's long-term attention.

Granted, the date tonight did seem a bit promising. Gabriel had taken a long shower and was dressed nicer than Cas had seen in a long time. Usually, getting ready for a date consisted of a spritz of Axe body spray and ordering a few pizzas. And while waiting for the latest sex fiend to show, Gabe was even acting…nervous?! That was quite hardcore since Mr. Suave was usually bold and brash about everything.

Cas was a bit envious of Gabe for getting to experience that connection with another human being. Yes, over the years, Cas had possessed Gabriel to get some sexual release, but it always just left him empty. A yearning for something more poked around Cas's chest, but there was no way for him to pick up a freakn' pencil, let alone reach out and touch someone with his own hands.

But after a century of being a ghost and alone, Cas resigned himself to his lonely existence and tried to make it the best he could. It was just one more reason he hated hearing all the fun Gabe-the-man-whore-Novak and friends got up to.

This was why Cas once again quickly ghosted out of the house and slowly drifted to his favorite spot.

The canopy of swaying trees and fluffy white clouds greeted him fondly as Cas lay staring upward at the blue sky.

Not even two minutes later, Sam walked up to Gabe's front door and rang the doorbell. He was nervous as fuck but also so excited and ready for whatever the sexy short-stack had in store.

As he waited, a rather large crow landed on the porch railing to investigate. “Hey, buddy. Aren't you gorgeous!” Sam so wanted to touch the crow and pet it but, with it being wild, did not want to get pecked. Those dark eyes just seemed to stare at him, though, as if it knew something. “Do I pass the mark, sir?”

It almost appeared as if the bird nodded before scuttling around and flying off, which left Sam smiling as he turned back to the door. This was how Gabe found him and smiled back, misinterpreting the reason for Sam's grin.

The moment with the crow was forgotten, though, as Sam fought the caveman urge to potato-sack the sexy fucker and drag Gabriel up to the first bed he found. “Hey there, Mr. Novak.”

Gabe's smile broadened in return. “Hey, yourself, Sam. Come in.”

A delicious aroma wafted towards Sam the farther he followed Gabriel into the house. When they ended up in the kitchen, Sam was greeted by the sight of all his favorite foods laid out on the center island. A warm gushy feeling spread across his chest. “How did you…I barely mentioned all this on our first date.”

“Well, as that first date was in Messenger, I was able to go back and scroll through all we wrote that night. Do you like it, Sam?” Gabe asked hopefully.

A few soft kisses took place then before Sam answered, “Thank you, Gabriel. It's perfect.”

For the next hour, they sat on either side of the center island, enjoying each other's company and the amazing array of foods that Gabe had painstakingly prepared. Conversations were always easy between them, and even after the food was gone, they stayed there just talking about whatever came to mind.

After cleaning the dishes together, Gabe offered Sam a tour of the house. Knowing that the place was over several hundred years old, Sam was more than happy to hear all about it.

Gabe did not disappoint. “Apparently, the house was originally built by the Wesson family whose long-lost relatives came over on the Mayflower. It came into my family in 1920 when the owner just decided to abruptly leave and sold it to my great, great, great uncle James Novak II for a dollar. We don't even know why they picked James since he never heard of the Wessons. It was passed down through the generations then until my Uncle Ralph died and left it to me back in 2008.”

Sam followed Gabe around the huge house, asking questions as they went. They ended up outside the library where, according to Gabriel, over several hundred first editions lined the shelves.

But when the french doors leading into the room were opened, and Gabe flicked the light switch, it was not the first editions that caught Sam's eye. No, it was the very gigantic painting hanging on the wall that left him shaken and freaked out. It was the exact image he had seen in the dream down to those damn blue eyes!

He tried to act normal, but his voice quivered as he asked, “Wh…who is this?”

Gabe looked at the painting and shrugged, “Not a damn clue. The painting was one of the many items left in the attic after the original owner vamoosed. We were told not to mess with anything in the attic or the first editions but screw that! I thought it was cool and creepy, so I hung it up in here.”

Sam was glad there wasn't a desk or other furniture blocking his path to the painting. He got as close as he could and felt those blue eyes bore a hole right into his very soul.

He was mesmerized by the man captured in oil on the canvas. The colors of the painting were just as vibrant as they had probably been when first hung. There was no signature visible to look up, though, and Sam wished Gabe had more information on the painting and the man in it.

As Sam kept staring at the mystery man, Gabe moved closer and started kissing his neck from behind. Each kiss meant Gabriel had to stand on tip-toes to reach that high, which then caused their bodies to rub together. The sneaky hand that slithered around Sam's waist, plus the kisses, and those blue eyes, were enough of a spark to ignite the moment.

Since they had done plenty of sexual things in cars, movie theaters, and online together, there was no awkwardness at that moment when the night turned to more. They had both known dinner at Gabriel's would end up horizontal. A trail of clothing soon lay scattered from the library to Gabe's bedroom.

Between the images still scorched in Sam's brain from the dream lovers and the sheer delicious fuckery that was Gabriel Novak…mhmm…Sam was more than ready to feel Gabe's cock pushing deep inside. Something so damn hot having five-foot-eight Gabriel taking over and fucking Sam's six-foot-four into the mattress.

And hell! The mouth on that short fucker would even make Madonna blush! Sam loved every damn syllable that was spoken. It was no wonder that not long after, Sam was panting and moaning out profanities as he painted the sheets white.

Gabe's own orgasm filled Sam's happily abused ass soon after and had them both grinning like fiends.

Sam looked back over his shoulder at Gabriel, “Best belated birthday ever.”

Nibbling one of Sam's earlobes, Gabe grinned, “I aim to please, Samsquatch. And if you stayed over, I would be more than happy to wake up to you doing the same to me.”

That made Sam's cock twitch. “Get behind me, Satan! Don't tempt me like that when you know I have a full caseload tomorrow.”

“Oh, I can give you a full load too, Mr. Winchester.” The softened cock still inside Sam was pulled out only to get rammed back in. “You just need to stay.”

“Fuck! You do not play fair, Mr. Novak.”

“Damn right, I don't…”

SLAM!

SLAM!

SLAM!

“…and don't you forget it!” Gabe groaned.

A quick glance at the alarm clock on the nightstand showed Sam that it was only going on ten. Surely they could have one more round of play, and he could still get home in time for some decent sleep.

With that decision made, Sam pushed off Gabe's cock and laid on his back. His hands rested under his head as he commanded, “Get that mouth on my cock and get it ready for you to slide down.”

Gabriel moved quickly to straddle Sam's thighs before leaning down and doing as told. The sound of a well-trained mouth sucking cock quickly filled the room. Sam's hips bucked up with each rough drag of Gabriel's mouth, and soon his very hard cock was rubbing the back of the fucker's throat.

Hell! If Sam didn't want to see and feel Gabe slide down his cock, he would have lost it in the gulping mouth in seconds. As it was, he had to pry those wicked lips off to keep his sanity and from cumming. “Get on now!”

There was always something magical watching a willing partner sink down. The tight pressure of Gabe's un-stretched hole meeting and saying ah to Sam's saliva-coated cock was heavenly. The look on Gabriel's face as each inch pushed deeper and deeper inside was priceless. But oh! When every inch of Sam was finally surrounded by hot flesh, and then the rocking started…mhmm! Perfection!

Sam loved watching Gabe lose it on his cock, and was so fuckn' close to an orgasm of his own when those damn blue eyes from the dream played in technicolor in his head. His whole body glitched and spasmed then as his cum quickly coated the inside of Gabriel's ass. Was it wrong that this orgasm felt stronger than the first one? Or that it had been the image of the mystery man that made it so?

Riding the wave of the intense release, Sam didn't give one rip how it happened…just that it was fan-fucking-tastic while it did. When his breathing was back to normal and his cock empty of more cum, Sam pulled Gabe down for a kiss.

Gabriel moved off the sloppy cock and laid next to Sam on the bed, “Dammit, Sam, I would be a dried husk if you spent the weekend.”

“Is that an invitation, Mr. Novak?”

“Depends. Is that a yes, Mr. Winchester?”

They stared at one another for a few beats before cracking up and laughing.

Sam grinned goofily at Gabe, “If we both survive our crazy week at work, I am all yours this weekend.”

Gabriel pretended to write in the air, “Note to self: start drinking water now, so I am hydrated for the weekend.”

A chuckle escaped Sam's lips at that. “Dork.”

“Damn right, and proud of it!” Gabe then proceeded to spank Sam's ass, “Now get your derriere off my bed before I am tempted to not let you go.”

Sam knew it had to happen, but he was slow in leaving the bed. It had been such a long time since he had this type of banter and fun with a partner, and he did not take it for granted.

Since their clothes were scattered from the bed to the library, Sam was only clad in his boxers when he leaned down to kiss Gabe one last time. “See you tomorrow in messenger, brat.”

“You bet your sweet bippy!” Brown eyes stared longingly at Sam's boxer-covered area as Gabriel groaned. “And oh, how sweet it was! I will be tasting it all night.”

The sensation of his cock being engulfed in the heat of Gabe's mouth earlier sizzled in Sam's brain. “Damn it, Novak, stop making it harder for me to leave.”

“Harder indeed…mhmm,” Gabe moaned. “Hell, Samsquatch! You better run before I get off this bed and fuck you into the door jam!”

Being in a relationship with Gabriel Novak was like dating the author of the Karma Sutra. Sam almost stayed to get fucked into the door jam…but was somehow able to pull himself out of the room. He was so damn achy as each piece of his clothing was picked up from the discarded path.

When he got to the still opened library, Sam was so tempted to go back inside for one last glance of the painting. So he did.

He also quickly took out his cell phone and snapped a picture of the painting to do a Google image search when he got home. Not knowing if Gabe purposefully left the lights on, Sam didn't mess with anything when he left the room.

It was weird leaving the house without Gabriel there to close the door behind him. Sam made sure to turn the lock on the handle so, at least, it was mostly secure. As he walked to his car, Sam couldn't help but admire the gardens and large yard surrounding the mansion. It felt so peaceful there that it added to the hope Sam had of Gabe being the one.

From the forest at the edge of the property, Cas could see the faint glow of taillights as Gabriel's boy-toy left. He was relieved that he could go back home now without hearing anything sex-related. If he was lucky, Gabe would be passed out all satiated in the master bedroom, and Cas could have the roam of the house.

He was ghosting down the hallway by the library when he saw the french doors were open and the lights still on. Normally, the room was empty since Gabriel didn't read much and worked mostly in the living room…but he had occasionally found his crazy housemate watching porn in there.

As Cas headed inside the library he tried not to stare at the painting of himself on the wall since it always freaked him out.

That was something all the TV shows and movies got wrong. Ghost could see their reflection in mirrors and glass, and so imagine how crazy it would be to one day find a life-size painting of yourself hanging on a wall! It was creepy as hell hence why Cas avoided looking at it at all cost.

Nothing was out of place in the room, though, so Cas headed up to the attic. He would have turned off the lights and closed up had he had the ability to do so.

Across town, a freshly showered Sam lay naked on his bed, grinning a bit too big as he thought about the fun night with Gabe. Never before had Sam imagined spending the rest of his life with someone, but if things kept going smoothly with Gabriel, that might change.

Sam reached over to the nightstand and grabbed his phone. Whether he should have or not, he had made the picture of the painting his background and found himself once again staring into those blue eyes. Why did this painting call to him?! Who was this guy that kept invading his thoughts?

Being a lawyer was a good profession for Sam since he was super inquisitive about everything, and as a lawyer, you were told to dig deeper for the answers. This painting and the mystery man shown were just more puzzles to figure out. Maybe he could even spend some time in the Historical Society to see if the history of the Wesson house might bring to light some new clues.

As Sam pulled the sheet over him that night, he made plans to do just that the next time he had a day off. Maybe he could get Gabe to go with him during their upcoming weekend if they could pull themselves off the bed. His cock twitched at all the things he and Gabriel could dabble in from Friday night through Sunday. Dried husks indeed.

A grin and an achy hard cock stayed with Sam as he fell asleep.

At five o'clock in the morning, the same damn dream from the night before took over but with added images to the mix. The blue-eyed man was posing in one of the hallways of Gabe's house while some shadowy man captured his likeness on canvas. Then Sam also saw a brown-haired woman there laughing at something Mr. Blue eyes had said. Seeing the unknown artist write on the back of the canvas was the final image before Sam was once again woken up and left wondering what the fuck was going on.

He would have to peek behind the painting that weekend to find out if what he had seen in the dream was true. It was going to be a long four days till Friday!

Chapter Text

Chapter Three

And the next four days were just as long and insane as Sam expected. Between court and other paperwork, he came home drained and ready for sleep. Only his phone calls with Gabe kept him feeling human.

What had not helped was that each of those four days had arrived with that same dream…well, same beginning but with different endings. They were so detailed Sam started keeping a notepad by his bed to write them down each morning.

Monday morning, May 10^th: The first dream.

Tuesday morning, May 11^th: The main dream parts plus the scenes of Mr. Blue-eyes posing for the painting.

Wednesday morning, May 12^th: The main dream plus the mystery guy showing Mr. Blue-eyes a hidden passage in the library, which led to a secret room.

Thursday morning, May 13^th: The main dream and then seeing the faceless man laying naked on a bed in that hidden room while complaining to Mr. Blue-eyes about spending more time writing in journals than with him. With a smirk, Mr. Blue-eyes brought a weird pen over to the bed, wrote something on the faceless man from shoulder to feet, and then flipped him over to do the same down the backside. By the time the last punctuation was added, the faceless man had tossed the pen onto the floor and pulled Mr. Blue-eyes down for a kiss and more. The scene had faded then to another in a bathroom with a cage-looking shower. The two men had spent countless hours under the cooling water, scrubbing ink and other liquids off their bodies.

And then, on Friday morning, May 14^th, the usually benign dream took a dark, nightmarish turn. It was all the other dreams combined, but at the end, it focused on the painting of blue-eyes in all its technicolor beauty. Second by second, though, Sam saw the painting turn to grey as all the color dripped off the canvas until nothing but a black void remained.

He had woken up in a jolt feeling sick to his stomach with loss and longing to know what it meant. The dream had been so freaky and disconcerting that it lingered in Sam's mind all day long.

Thankfully Friday had been an easier workday, so he didn't have to be one hundred percent there for anything. Hopefully, spending the next few nights with Gabriel's warm body in bed with him would keep the dreams at bay.

Cas was torn. He had always held out hope that Gabe would settle down and only have one person around the house, but at the same time, it meant that that person would be AT THE HOUSE MORE! And with the relationship being so new, that would mean a lot of sex and more time Cas would have to ghost out to not hear things.

Sometimes Cas really wished he could just wander around the world like so many ghosts got to do on TV and in the movies. But no. Every time he tried to escape the estate's boundary, it was like in WandaVision when Vision tried to leave West View. Cas would get a few feet past the property line, and what felt like a huge rubber band kept getting tighter and tighter around his chest till he was snapped back into the library. It sucked.

The other issue Cas was dealing with was just how happy Gabe was with this new guy. It was one thing when it was just hookups, but seeing Gabriel's joy over having something more made Cas want more too. If only there was a website out there for the deceased. Maybe instead of Farmersonly.com, it would be Spiritsonly.com. That was definitely a silly pipe dream, though.

So as Gabe picked up around the house, Cas once again found himself heading to the edge of the yard for his beloved circle of oak trees. He hoped it could center him, but for some reason tonight, the calm and peace usually felt there was garbled up with a weird restlessness. The very air around him seemed charged with zings of extra electricity.

He tried to lay down and enjoy the trees swaying under the blue sky but to no avail. Instead, Cas spent the night pacing back and forth through the forest.

Rewind back five minutes, and Sam was finally parking his car in the driveway at Gabe's. He was filled to the brim with questions for Gabriel about the house and the painting. And he was also curious about the secret things he had seen in his dreams. Would the writing be on the back of the canvas? And was the hidden room truly tucked away in the library behind one of the shelves?

Sam ached to run to the library as soon as Gabe opened the door and let him in, but knew it would be weird and rude. That was why he let himself get bear-hugged and kissed as he tried to come up with a realistic plan.

Gabriel was bouncing like a puppy going to the park after the kiss ended. “Be prepared to be thoroughly accosted, Mr. Winchester. These last few days of not getting my way with you have been brutal.”

The energy pinging off the short-stack was infectious and allowed Sam to put aside his pondering and just be in the moment. “I know how you feel, Mr. Novak! I might cum the second your warm hand touches my cock.”

“Mhmmm! Want to find out, Samsquatch?” Gabe teased with a wicked twinkle in those whiskey-brown colored eyes.

Sam was about to say 'hell yes' when his stomach decided to intervene and grumbled quite loudly. He chuckled, “Well, maybe we better eat first and play after…unless you find belly noises a turn on.”

Ninety-eight-point-six-degree heat sizzled through Sam's shirt as Gabriel laid a hand on his stomach. “Naughty belly for making me wait to get my prize.”

If not for another rumble from his stomach, Sam would have picked Gabe up right there and found the nearest bed. “Fuck! We need to get off this damn porch and feed ourselves so we can have some much-deserved fun.”

“I do remember you promising to do all the cooking tonight…” Gabe stated while sliding fingers down to the waistband of Sam's jeans. “…or did you only mean in the bedroom?”

This boldness and forwardness were some of the many things about Gabriel Novak that Sam liked. “Oh, I will feed you both ways, brat. Now lead the way to the kitchen, and let's get my damn stomach to shut up.”

They decided on a simple brinner solution for supper, and soon Gabe was laying out all the necessary ingredients for Sam on the center island. The egg carton, an assortment of veggies, a container of bacon, and the bag of shredded hash browns promised a delicious meal once finished.

While the bacon and hash browns were cooking in the oven, Sam started to dice the veggies for the omelets. Gabriel was not really helping matters, though, as the runt mostly stood behind Sam and pretended to lean up to look over Sam's shoulder at the progress being made. Of course, the motion meant Gabe's whole front rubbed into Sam's back, and it was amazing that he didn't cut off a finger.

And when Sam moved over to the stove to make the omelets, Gabe went right along with him, brushing against his arm or squeezing a shoulder. It was more of a turn-on than a hardcore make-out session, and Sam was damn sure Gabriel knew this by the playful twinkle in the short stack's eyes.

A hardon was pressed against Sam's ass then as he carefully removed the tray of bacon and hash browns from the oven. Once everything was plated and their glasses filled, they sat across from each other at the kitchen island and dug into the delicious brinner.

“So, Samsquatch, how did court go today? Did you win?” Gabriel asked before biting off a piece of bacon.

Sam fiddled with his glass of ice tea, “Well, I won one, but the other was settled with a plea deal. I was just glad it was an easier day since I had a rough night with little sleep.”

“That sucks about not getting sleep. Were you stressed about the cases today, or did you eat something weird?”

“No.” Sam was hesitant to tell Gabe about all the dreams he had had concerning the blue-eyed man in the library painting. But he did want more information that Gabriel might have and would like to talk to someone about what it all meant. “I've had some crazy dreams lately.”

“Ohhhh sexy ones? Was I in them?” Gabe inquired hopefully.

Instantly, images of the two men making love under the stars flooded Sam's head, and he squirmed. “Uhh, yes and no. Is there anything else you know about the man in the painting?”

“The one in the library? What does he have to do with your dreams?”

Sam picked up a slice of bacon and crumbled it into smaller pieces. “He's been in them for some reason, and I don't know if it was a vision or just my brain making things up. Hence me asking if you have any information about him.”

Gabe shrugged, “As I said, I only found the painting hidden up in the attic with some other things. Just boxes of clothing, pictures, and a few journals.”

The thumping pace of Sam's heart increased as he stared over at Gabe. “You found journals?!”

“Yeah, about nine of them. I have them on one of the shelves in the library.” Gabriel picked up another piece of bacon, “I'll show you after we get done eating. It's been years since I looked at any of the journals, though, so I don't remember much of what is mentioned in them. Only thing that stuck in my brain was that there was a ton of hot guy-on-guy sex scenes mentioned.”

It was like a magnet was suddenly pulling on Sam to go and find them. He had to fight the sense of desperation with all his might not to, though. He was here to be with Gabe and not an unknown man and some journals.

Sam tried to eat a forkful of his omelet, but what had minutes earlier tasted delicious now could have been cardboard. It was so hard to finish all his food, but Sam knew that an empty plate meant getting to the library.

Across the island, Gabe was not having the same issues. “You are a great cook, Samshine. Now, if you can iron, I might have to keep you around.”

A smile stretched across Sam's face at that and helped him relax. “Well, I know how to iron, but I normally send my stuff out to get done professionally. Much cheaper than replacing ones I burn.”

Gabe let out an overly dramatic sigh while taking their plates to the sink, “I guess I'll just have to settle for semi-perfection then.”

They spent the next few minutes cleaning up the dinner mess before heading to the library to find the journals.

Sam was so nervous for some reason. He worried his dreams were true and that he'd been having weird visions of some man's life. And he also worried they wouldn't be true, and his brain was just that sadistic.

When Sam entered the library, he felt those blue eyes staring right at him. Well, it seemed that way anyway. Images of the one dream replayed where the actual sitting for the painting had taken place. It was so clear even days later and had felt like Sam had been there when it happened. It all made him feel very freaky.

Didn't help when he looked around the room and noticed the grouping of books from the dream about the hidden room. Surely it wasn't true…was it?!

Sam couldn't help himself and walked right over to that shelf and pulled on the 1907 first edition of The Lock and Key Library Classic Mystery and Detective Stories: Modern English.

And just like in his dream, the one section of bookshelves rumbled and opened inwardly like a door behind the leather sofa.

Sam stood there in shock.

Gabe stared at the opened passage and then back at Sam in similar shock, “How…how did you…I didn't even know this was here!”

That knowledge caused Sam's arms to break out in goosebumps. “What do you mean you didn't know about this? Your family has owned the house for over a century, and no one knew?”

“Umm, hello?! I just said we didn't.” Gabe moved over to the desk and pulled out a flashlight from the bottom drawer. “How did you know about it?”

“My dreams…I…uhh…saw someone doing what I did with that book and the passage opening.”

Gabriel shined the light into the darkened hallway. “Do you realize that whatever is in there has not been seen in over a hundred years?”

They moved the sofa away, slowly made their way into the narrow space, and followed it into a large room. Since no one had known of its existence when electricity had been added to the house, all they had was the small amount of illumination from the flashlight.

Gabe moved the light around and saw several Moroccan-style oil lanterns hanging on the walls. “I'm going to go get matches so we can brighten it up in here for further exploration.”

The flashlight was handed over to Sam then, and he jumped when the incandescent beam landed on a pair of blue eyes. Well, a painted pair. And it was not the only painting in the room either. Sam counted over twenty leaning against the walls and on easels. Every damn one of them was of the same blue-eyed man from his dreams and the library painting. Most were also quite naked.

When Gabriel returned, it took only minutes to light the seven oil lanterns and fill the room with a warm glow. “Thank goodness for oil not having a shelf life. These lanterns are gorgeous!”

Sam had to agree. There was a romance to the colors chosen for the glass, and the metal form was so exotic and unique. The seven lanterns cast a rosy hue around the room and made the painted flesh captured on all the canvas even more life-like.

“Damn, Samsquatch, someone was deeply in lust with this dude!” Gabe picked up one of the paintings leaning against the wall. “Look at the details! Dear lord, the guy was uncut and hung.”

It seemed almost sacrilegious to Sam to be looking at the intimate paintings. Like they had walked in on the two lovers in bed. “Maybe we shouldn't be in here.”

“Fuck that!” Gabe exclaimed. “These paintings would sell like hotcakes. My one friend is a trustee for the Spencer Museum of Art and would jump at the chance to show and sell paintings of this nature.”

That did not sit right with Sam for many reasons, “Gabe, these are clearly paintings between lovers. They should not be treated the same as paintings made for public view. Just seems wrong. If anything, we should burn them before letting other people see them.”

“Burn them?!” Gabe looked at Sam as if he was bonkers. “Fuck that! I'm getting the hot tub I've always wanted from the money these will make me.”

And just like that, a small crack in Sam's perception of Gabe formed. It left a sour feeling in his gut, and he just wanted to get out of the room before it could ruin the weekend. “I think the dust in here is bothering me, so I'm going to head back to the library.”

Gabe was snapping pictures of each painting and barely acknowledged Sam leaving. “Umm…Okay.”

The bright burst of the flash going off bounced into the hallway like lightning as Sam left. He was so tempted to close the doorway and trap Gabriel in there for some reason but didn't. Instead, he looked at the rest of the shelves for the nine journals Gabe had said would be there.

They were quite easy to spot since the journal covers were made of soft leather and not the typical hardbound look like the rest of the first editions gracing the shelves. And they eerily matched the ones Sam had seen in the dream with the pen and poem sex. It was all very overwhelming how many moments from those dreams had come true.

There were only eight, though. Sam was sure Gabe had mentioned nine. He looked around the other shelves but didn't find the missing one.

He carefully took the journals off the shelf and set them next to him on the sofa. The journals seemed to almost buzz in his hands as he ran fingers over all the spines.

Sam looked for any dates marked outside on the eight journals but found nothing. Thankfully, when Sam opened one of the front covers, he discovered not only the date but the name Castiel.

The goosebumps returned, and Sam was almost too afraid to read through the journals. It felt like his life would not be the same if he did.

To combat that weird feeling, Sam decided to just put the journals in chronological order and then go from there. There were three different sets of journals: tan, darker brown, and a reddish set. The missing journal was from the tan set and seemed to be the earliest of the nine.

Sam hoped Gabe would know where the missing journal was so he could read them in order. He carefully put all eight back on the shelf where he had found them then and waited for Gabriel.

Ten minutes later, Gabe came walking out of the passage talking on the phone to someone. “…yeah, I counted twenty-five finished pieces and five undone. Really? Damn! Maybe I can get a new car out of the deal as well. Yeah, just let me know when you're free to come over to check them out. Thanks, Julian. Bye.”

The urge to run into the room and steal away all those paintings was so strong in Sam. Like he had to protect them from the outside world. To distract himself from committing a felony, Sam turned to Gabe and asked, “Hey, I only saw eight journals. Do you know where the other one is?”

The dazed dollar signs left Gabriel's eyes at that, “Eight? No. I know I put all nine right there…oh shit!”

“What?”

Gabe grimaced, “A year ago, a buddy of mine asked if I would donate some of the first editions to a charity auction for the Boys and Girls Club over on Haskell Avenue. I agreed and let them pick pretty much whatever ones they wanted. They must have taken one of the journals.”

Sam was grimacing now too. “That sucks. Wonder if they would have a list of buyers. I would love to read through all of them in order.”

“Geesh, what's the difference if one is missing?” Gabe asked while closing the opened bookshelf. “There is still plenty to enjoy in the other journals.”

“Yeah, but it would be like watching Avenger's End Game without having seen all that happened before it.”

Gabriel straddled Sam's lap then and started kissing down his neck. “Screw the avengers and those dusty old journals. Actually, no, don't screw them…screw me instead. In fact, if you promise to fuck me into the mattress, I will let you take all eight of those damn books home with you.”

After so many years of not getting regular sex, it was intoxicating to have such a willing partner, and it took only a few rocking rubs of Gabriel's ass on Sam's lap to get the fires stoked. And then add in getting to take home the journals…SCORE! “Oh, that is a deal I can not pass up, Mr. Novak.”

Sam tossed Gabe off his lap onto the sofa, stood up, potato-sacked the sexy fucker over a shoulder, and marched them up to Gabriel's room for hours of fun.

The clock read ten when they lay panting on the mattress.

“You sure do keep a promise, Samshine!” A very sticky and sweaty Gabriel murmured happily on the messy bed while stroking a still hard cock. “I won't be able to sit for days.”

Even though Sam's body was fully satiated, something in his gut felt oddly empty. He pushed it away, though, and focused on nibbling down Gabe's salty neck, “Well, it's only fair then that I also not be able to sit for days.”

“Oh dear lord! See…dried husks indeed. Now flip over!” Gabe knelt on the bed as Sam complied and then playfully smacked the exposed cheeks. “Fuck ironing, Mr. Winchester! You are so damn perfect for me.”

Sam moaned into the mattress as he felt Gabe's sticky cock pressing against his tight hole. And yet as much as he enjoyed every second of being fucked raw, he constantly saw those paintings from the hidden room pass through his head. He should be able to just be in the moment with Gabriel, but it was those naked paintings that upped the sensations.

And when his cum made a mess on the sheets, Sam had been imagining Mr. Blue-eyes fucking him instead. He felt so damn guilty when Gabe's arm wrapped around his chest and pulled him back for a spooning cuddle.

As he tried to relax, Sam felt Gabriel's fingers brushing across his chest, tracing the scar there. It was the mark of his one and only time trying to be Superman and taking a foolish leap off the porch roof when he was nine. Sam had been lucky to get away with the small C-shaped scar caused by the sharp branches of the bush that had stopped his fall.

Sam attempted to settle back into Gabriel's warm embrace, but still, those blue eyes would not leave him alone.

Fuck! He was in so much trouble.

Cas was bored. It had been hours since he had ghosted away from the house so as not to hear the crazy monkey sex between Gabe and the latest boy-toy. Usually, the swaying of the trees and the star-filled sky was enough for him, but tonight he felt too restless.

“Maybe I can just peek into Gabe's room and see if they fell asleep. If so, then I can at least stay in the attic till morning.”

He made his way back to the house and saw no lights shining from inside. This made him hopeful. And when he ghosted into Gabe's bedroom and saw the two sleeping forms on the bed, Cas let out a sigh of relief. He tried to get a closer look at Gabriel's latest fuck-toy, but the room was too dark. The only new information he acquired was that the mystery man was taller than Gabe…not that that was so hard to do. Even Cas was three inches taller than the five-foot-eight sexual deviant.

Cas left them alone then and headed up to the attic to enjoy the now quiet house.

Sam was having another dream.

Same beginning as all the ones but then showing Mr. Blue-eyes and faceless man in that hidden room. This time instead of the outer library painting fading to black…all the other canvases did it too.

He jerked awake and almost panicked when he felt his body held down. It took several seconds to remember he was staying over at Gabe's and was being spooned. The same arms that had felt nice and loving before the dream only felt choking and constraining now.

Having to get free, Sam carefully wiggled out of the tight embrace and slid off the bed. It was endearing to see Gabe seek out his warmth and roll onto the spot Sam had just left. Not planning on staying awake, Sam took a quick trip to the bathroom and then crawled back in the bed on Gabe's side to have more space.

He couldn't fall asleep, though!

For several minutes he tried diligently but to no avail. So with sleep off the table, Sam quietly got up again, found his boxers on the floor, and headed down to the library to check out the journals.

Usually, he wasn't a scaredy-cat when it came to darkness, but there was something creepy about being in a different house. Sam turned on the hall light and then a few more downstairs on his way to the library.

Once there, he pulled the oldest journal from the shelf and got comfortable on the sofa. Being a tall man, the “oversized” piece of furniture was almost small for Sam. Which then caused his back to bump into the small table next to the sofa and tip it over.

The sound was muffled a bit by the thick carpet, so Sam hoped it had not woken up Gabe. As great as their naked fun had been, Sam just wanted alone time to read the journals.

He reverently opened the book to the first page of writing and was instantly transfixed. Gabriel had been correct in how steamy and detailed the entries were. One of the first things mentioned was a hot make-out session in a shed between Castiel and someone named Sam Wesson. Whoa…Sam?!

More goosebumps popped up on Sam's skin at seeing his own name on the page. Yes, there were millions of Sams and Samuels in the world, but throw in all the dreams and the hidden room…ugh!

Freaky!

It was also oddly hot to read all the intimate things written featuring his first name. And way too easy to picture himself with the journal's author Castiel. Way, way too easy.

Cas was almost at peace enough to get some rest when he heard a noise. Ghosts, of course, don't sleep, but they do enter into a state of semi-unconsciousness if still enough. Cas tried to write the sound off as Gabe dropping something when getting a drink in the kitchen, but…

Just to be safe, he decided to do a quick check around the house in case it had been a burglar. He found a whole lot of nothing and more nothing through the living room and kitchen, but there were some lights on…and that wasn't normal.

He headed to the library next and saw it was lit as well. It was probably just Gabe in there, unable to sleep. Heaven only knows the countless times Cas had walked in on Gabe staring at porn on the laptop and jerking off. Granted the new boy-toy had slept over and should take over for Gabriel's abused hand, but if not, Cas really didn't want to see anything.

He was about to head back to the attic when he heard someone murmur, “Holy hell! Who knew a tool shed could be so damn hot!”

That was so not Gabe's voice. And yet there was something oddly familiar which triggered a distant memory buried deep in Cas's head. He had to investigate and when he saw the man sitting on the sofa the world suddenly ground to a halt.

If a ghost could stop breathing…or breathe at all…Cas would have passed out from lack of oxygen at that moment. It was like someone had taken a key and opened a lock that Cas had no idea was on the door to his mind. Memories from over a century ago poured out into his brain, and he remembered everything!

Chapter Text

Chapter Four

Sunday, September 18 ^th , 1910

Sam Wesson quickly checked his pocket watch as he stopped in front of the next patient's room. A weary groan sounded in the busy hallway of Bell Memorial Hospital when he saw it was only going on noon, and he still had four hours left before he could head home. He regretted ever agreeing to cover Dr. Bacic's shift.

When Steve had asked Sam last week, it seemed like no big deal, but now the weather was gorgeous outside, and he was stuck here. Sam loved being a doctor and helping people heal, just not on a Sunday when he could be sitting on the porch with his mom enjoying a cold glass of ice tea.

Wishes and wants did not alter the fact that those four hours still remained, though, so Sam shoved it all away and made his way into the hospital room. He smiled warmly to the older man lying on the bed, “How are we doing today, Mr. Singer?”

“As good as I'm gonna be while stuck in this fool bed and forced to wear this hospital gown,” grumbled the annoyed man. ”If God wanted us to expose our ass every time we had to take a piss, he would not have clothed Adam and Eve after they fell.”

Sam chuckled at the typical begrudged response he got from this patient. “As much as I agree, imagine going to the bathroom and having to quickly unbutton clothing with those busted ribs? At least with the openness of the gown, you don't have to do much to take care of things.”

The older man glared at him, “You just had to make it all seem reasonable, didn't you! Couldn't let me have the fun of being peeved.”

It was entertaining sparring back and forth with Mr. Singer's sharp mind, and Sam was about to say something when a loud noise sounded outside. His curiosity had him walking over to the window to see what was going on.

The three-story hospital was surrounded by a ring of trees, and among the ones visible from that window, Sam saw a bare-chested man wielding an axe. The tan upper body was drool-worthy in itself but watching the arm muscles and shoulders ripple with each strike of the axe was…hell!

“What in holy purgatory is going on out there?!” Mr. Singer growled. “I thought hospitals were supposed to be a place to rest and heal.”

Sam saw that a few of the trees, including the one getting axed, were marked with orange x's and assumed they must be unhealthy. “Apparently, the hospital is thinning out some of the dead trees.”

As the ranting from the hospital bed continued, Sam just tuned it out and stared at the delicious sight outside. Ever since Sam had stepped foot in boarding school at the age of twelve, he knew he was not like most of his friends. They were always talking about this girl or that…and as much as Sam saw the same thing, he also noticed similar qualities in several guys.

And oh, when he caught sight of Professor Ketch at Medical School…Sam was always leaving the class with his books hiding an erection. But all those teacher/student fantasies did not hold a candle to how he felt staring at the worker with the axe. Sam had to somehow find a way to get out there and talk with the guy. If nothing else, he would hear the voice and get a close-up image to jerk off to tonight when he got home.

Sam turned away from the window then and made quick work checking Mr. Singer's taped-up ribs. The area around the bandages was still badly bruised and looked like someone had stained the skin with grape juice. “I think you should be able to head home in a few days if you're careful and follow everything we tell you to do.”

A grimace spread across the older man's face at the mention of being stuck in the hospital longer. “There's nothing you guys can do for me in here that the missus can't do for me back home.”

“Can she operate on you at a moment's notice if one of those shards from the broken ribs breaks off and punctures your lung?” Sam inquired, already knowing the answer.

Mr. Singer's lips pursed in annoyance, “There you go again, making sense when no one asked you to. Idjit!”

A smile spread across Sam's face, “See you tomorrow, sir. Nurse Meg will be around soon with your lunch.”

And that was when a brilliant idea came to Sam…it was lunchtime! He would just eat lunch outside today…and if he happened to get to say hi to a certain sexy bare-chested man…mhmm.

He made a beeline for the nurses' station to let Meg and Ruby know he was heading out for his thirty-minute break and then raced to the doctor's lounge on the first floor. His sack lunch was waiting in the icebox, to keep his chicken salad sandwich cold.

Sam usually talked to everyone he passed in the hallway, but not this time. He was on a mission, and it was imperative to get outside before the axe-wielding man left.

Walking over to the specific section of trees, Sam was mesmerized as the sun glistened off a shock of dark hair and almost made the worker's blue eyes glow.

The sweaty exposed skin was also sexier up close, and Sam found himself wanting to lick every inch of it. This was so not good.

Knowing his luck, the guy would be straight as an arrow and want nothing to do with the depravity Sam was imagining. As he walked up to the worker, Sam whispered to the universe, “Please let him have a sexy voice…please let him have a sexy voice.”

But when those blue eyes latched on to his hazel ones, Sam was left speechless.

“Can I help you with anything, sir?”

OH, DEAR LORD!!! Every damn syllable had been like a stroke of a hand on certain parts of Sam's anatomy. It should be illegal to have a voice like that and a body so perfect for sin. “Umm…I…Sam.”

A twinkle brightened those gorgeous eyes, “Hello, I Sam.”

Sam grimaced at how moronic he was acting. Where was the skilled surgeon? Where was the grown-ass man he usually behaved as? He scrubbed a hand down his face and re-focused. “Sorry, must be the heat. I am Sam Wesson. I'm a doctor and was checking on a patient on the second floor when I noticed you out here.”

“You noticed me, did you?”

“No…no, I meant noticed you cutting down the tree.”

The axe was swung softly upward letting the handle come to rest on the man's bare shoulder. “Yeah, the hospital hired me to take care of some of the dead trees. With how close they are to the building, there's a greater risk of one falling and causing damage.”

A rivulet of sweat beaded at the worker's temple, and Sam watched in awe as it slid down past the stubbled jaw and caressed a path down that deliciously thick neck. Sam didn't realize how intently he was staring until he bit his lower lip so hard he tasted blood.

Hell! Sam had to get away from the sweaty adonis before he became a babbling fool. “Well…uhh…good job. I…have to…umm…find a bench and sink my teeth into…,” he jerked the brown paper sack up so fast it whacked him in the eye. ”…my sandwich.”

A rumble of laughter parted the worker's sexy full lips, “You know you don't have to maim yourself on my account, I Sam. My name's Cas, and yes, I like men too.”

Jaw…ground…smack! Sam just gulped at the unusual forwardness of now-known-Cas. “Excuse me?”

“I think that sack hit you harder than I thought,” Cas teased, reaching out with the non-axe holding hand to rub a very warm thumb over the smacked eyelid. “We're on the same team, Dr. Sexy, and I wouldn't mind if you wanted to spend your lunchtime here with me.”

Sam looked like a floundering fish with how much his mouth was opening and closing while he tried to process everything. “I…uhh…I would like that, if okay.”

Cas rested the axe against a tree before reaching for a plaid shirt laying on the grass. The blue patterned fabric was soon spread out like a blanket, “You better sit on this since the grass is a little wet.”

It felt so intimate sitting on Cas's discarded shirt, but Sam did so anyways. He was trying hard not to think how the yard of fabric had earlier encased that naked chest and was now under his own ass. Sam took out half of his sandwich and stuffed a corner into his mouth to stop his brain from making things even more awkward.

A burst of warm air hit Sam as Cas plopped down on the plaid fabric next to him and held out a hand, “Since your ass is now touching my shirt, I think I deserve the other part of that sandwich.”

Sam loved the ballsy command and held out the demanded piece of food. “Hope you like chicken salad.”

Cas took a big bite and moaned, “Mhmm! Damn, this is good stuff!”

Sam was staring again and did not hear a word spoken. Everything about Cas seemed so pornographic, even the way those teeth sank into the soft bread and tugged the section into that nice big mouth.

Fingers were snapped before Sam's face as Cas pulled him back from la-la land. “Can you at least stop staring at my mouth long enough to tell me where you bought the sandwich?”

“Umm…I…I made it.”

“You made this chicken salad? Or you used bought stuff and made it into a sandwich?”

“All of it. I made it all.”

Cas looked impressed. “Well damn. So you're a doctor, and you can also cook…what other talents are you hiding?”

Sam, feeling more like himself, just grinned mischievously, “Wouldn't you like to know. A man's got to have some secrets. I think you owe me dinner if you want to find out any more of mine.”

Blue eyes lingered on that wicked smile, “Oh, feeling sassy suddenly, are we? Well, how about tonight? When do you get off work, I Sam?”

All Sam's bravado glitched and faltered as he hadn't really expected Cas to call him out on the dinner thing. He should have known by now that it would have happened, though. “Umm…I'm done about four o'clock.”

“Deal. You and me…tonight…wherever you want to go.”

Taking in Cas's threadbare trousers, the faded plaid shirt they were sitting on, and the wild unkempt dark hair had Sam assuming Cas didn't have much money. So he decided to choose a cheaper place to eat. “How about the Ladybird Diner?”

Somehow, though, Cas knew what Sam was thinking, “Don't be so fast to judge a person by what you see. Yes, next to your Brilliantine slicked hair and spotless uniform, I look like Big Foot after a thunderstorm…but I work outside for a living, and I'm not going to wear fancy shit. I wear ratty clothes so that if they get torn or stained, I won't have to cry over tossing them in the bin. Not that I should have to defend myself, but for your information, I happen to have a very padded bank account and barely any expenses. And I promise you that I can afford to fill your damn stomach up with any fancy food you want…so just pick an actual place where you would like to dine.”

Once again, Sam's cock was twitching at the growl behind Cas's matter-of-fact way of talking. “Sorry, sir, never meant to offend. How about we go to The Mad Greek? I have always wanted to try that place but never had the time to do so.”

“You want to go there?” Cas asked incredulously. “You really mean it or are you just trying to not pick something fancier?”

“Yes, I really mean it. I heard so many great reviews about the food there, and I think it would be a fun first date.”

“Well then…The Mad Greek it is, I Sam. And unless you're okay eating in your hospital garb, maybe you should give me your address so I can pick you up.”

Sam was in awe of how fast everything was moving. He hadn't been on a date with anyone, male or female, in forever. Well…forever being almost a year. Should he trust this bold stranger with his home address, though? Hell, or with his own self?! “4562 Finney Road.”

“Dang! That is all the way out in the countryside. Do they even have street lights there yet?”

“Well, before my father passed away, he had given a generous donation to the city council to help make sure we did.”

“Oh, so not just doctor money but rich parent money too. Sweet!” Cas teased.

“I guess I better not mention how many square feet the house is or that I own a cherry-red 1908 Ford Model S Roadster,” Sam proudly bragged in response.

“Damn! Well, with that car, why the hell am I picking you up in my beat-up auto buggy? You should be getting my ass from home for this hot date we have tonight.”

Sam couldn't wait to show off his car and find out where Cas lived. “I will gladly let you save gas. Where shall I pick up your posterior tonight?”

“When my mom passed, she left me a small house at 2108 Vermont street. It's not a mansion, but it has everything I need.”

“Well then, expect to see me at your place tonight by six. That should give me plenty of time to head home, change and get back to you.” Sam pulled out his pocket watch and grimaced when he saw his lunchtime was almost over. “Damn, that went fast.”

Cas stood up and held out a hand to help Sam do the same. And when their hands touched, it was like lightning bolts streaking across their flesh. It was definitely not something that either man could ignore, nor did they want to.

“Till tonight, Dr. Sexy.”

“See you then,” Sam murmured before reluctantly letting go of Cas's hand.

As he walked back to the hospital, Sam looked over his shoulder one last time. He had to chuckle as he caught Cas blatantly staring at his butt. Yeah, this was going to be a fun first date.

During the remaining hours left until freedom, Sam couldn't help but sneak peeks out the windows for any glimpse of Cas. A few times when he looked, he was pulled into the gravitational field of blue eyes staring right back at him.

Thankfully the universe was kind and seemed to speed up time for Sam. Soon he was dropping all his gear into his locker and walking out to find his car in the parking lot. The butterflies swarming around his gut were both nervous and excited over the upcoming date. Sam had a good feeling about Cas and hoped he would finally have someone in his life beyond friendship.

The fifty-minute drive to his house went by in a blur as Sam's brain was unsafely thinking more about Cas and tonight than watching the road. Not even the grand sight of the mansion-style home and the sprawling yard broke Sam from his musings. It wasn't until he had washed, changed, and walked back into the living room to check on his mother that Sam was able to focus on the present.

Being an only child, Sam had been named after his grandfather on his mother's side. The thing was…so was his mother. Samantha Elizabeth Smythe had shocked her parents by not being the boy they had hoped to have. But she turned out to be the daughter they dearly loved. Being a late-in-life miracle, her parents knew they'd probably not have another and agreed to name her after her father, Samuel Edwin Smythe. Granted, she usually used her middle name and went with Eliza…as Alexander Hamilton's wife had done. Supposedly, the family tree ran through that torrid branch in history…well, according to Nanna Smythe.

As much as Sam loved his mother, he was still too afraid to tell her he liked women and men. As open-minded as she was, Sam just wasn't sure that extended to his sexuality. He knew she loved him and hated hiding that aspect of himself, but for now, that was how it had to happen.

Eliza looked as elegant as always lounging on the sofa. Most people would have enjoyed the overstuffed furniture on a lazy Sunday afternoon for the sheer delight of doing so…but for her, it was the only way she could enjoy being out of her wheelchair.

The accident that had taken Sam's father, Geoffrey Robert Wesson, had left her paralyzed from the waist down. Sam had hired a housekeeper to help his mom and keep Eliza company during the day. With him working fifty minutes away at the hospital, it gave him peace of mind that she was being taken care of at home.

Similar hazel eyes looked warmly up at him, “Oh, thank goodness you are home, Sam. I was terribly bored. Margaret's been busy with wash all day and I've already ravaged that new book, The Phantom of the Opera, you bought me.”

Sam was always picking up first editions for his mom to enjoy. The shelves in the library were already jammed with books from all genres like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist, and the magical Oz books of L. Frank Baum.

“What about that book I brought home last Friday? The Lock and Key Collection of Detective Stories?”

“Finished it on Saturday.”

The knowledge rolling around his mom's brain had to be vast. “You could probably show Albert Einstein a thing or two with all you have read.”

A warm smile spread across Eliza's face at that, “Oh, to have such a brilliant man to converse with! I would be in heaven for sure.”

Sam suddenly felt so guilty for not staying home with his mom tonight. Yes, she was happy and content…and yes, Margaret loved her and took excellent care of her…but still. He almost thought about canceling his plans, but he hadn't gotten Cas's phone number, so there was no way of calling to explain. And it would be rude to not show up.

“Umm…mom, a friend of mine at the hospital asked if I would like to have dinner with her.”

A shrewd mom-look took over Eliza's face, “And who is this young lady?”

Having to come up with a name out of the blue had Sam scrambling. He knew his mom did not like Meg or Ruby and had often called them loose women, so they were out of the runnings. The only other face that came to mind was the new nurse that started last week…Eileen something. “Her name is Eileen, and she is new to the hospital. She asked if we could have dinner so she could pick my brains over things to help her at work.”

With a sigh of relief, Eliza smiled again. “Well then, don't let me keep you. I'll just have Margaret set up the projector and watch that Les Misèrables movie again.”

Sam had spared no cost when it came to his mother's happiness. Not that he had spent any of his own money since both his father and mother had more money than John D. Rockefeller. With his mom being paralyzed, Sam had purchased a 1906 Power’s Cameragraph No. 6, 35mm projector. And with some connections and enough money, he was able to obtain major motion-pictures, like Les Misèrables, that had only been in the theater a year ago.

He placed a kiss on his mom's cheek then before leaving. Her usual comment to drive safely followed him into the hallway.

The second Sam was on the road driving to Cas's house, all the excitement and nervousness returned ten-fold. He wanted tonight to go well so there could be more dates with the sexy landscaper.

“Oh, to get a taste of those lips.”

Sam swerved into the other empty lane as he squirmed in the driver's seat. Knowing first hand how dangerous driving was while distracted, he made himself focus only on the road and not the blue-eyed adonis he was picking up on Vermont street.

Thanks to speeding, Sam was parked behind a beat-up auto buggy in Cas's driveway not even thirty-five minutes later. It was still a gorgeous machine, even if it came from the same era as his grandfather.

After one final glance in the side mirror, Sam got out of the car and walked to the porch. He didn't even get a chance to knock, though, as the door was opened to show a sparkling-fresh version of Cas. “Damn! You sure do clean up nice.”

Cas just gave Sam a look-over as well, “Not too shabby yourself, I Sam. I'm thankful you washed out that gunk from your hair.”

Sam self-consciously ran fingers through his un-Brilliantined hair as he followed Cas inside and shut the door. “Yeah, I have to use that stuff while at the hospital to maintain appearances. I hate it, though, and wash it out as soon as I get home each night.”

Fire and lava spilled across his skull then as Cas simply reached out to feel Sam's hair. If that was how it felt for a non-sexual touch, what would happen if Cas would…hell! Sam had to push those thoughts away so as not to tent his pants like some horny teenager. Even still, he couldn't help but lean into the touch.

Apparently, he was not the only one affected by the chemistry sparking between them as Sam watched a shaking pink tongue flicker across Cas's lips. Hazel-eyes stared longingly at that now-wet mouth as the wish to kiss them gripped Sam so strong.

A chuckle escaped those same lips before Cas said, “Fuck it!” AND KISSED SAM!

Just grabbed Sam's face and kissed him! Sam melted into the kiss and gave as good as he was getting. Cas was not only skilled with axes and trees but was the best kisser Sam had ever had.

Then suddenly, after only a few minutes, Cas broke away and ended the kiss leaving Sam breathless and pouty. “Come on, I Sam. I had a busy day at work, and I need fuel first. Then we can kiss some more for dessert.”

Sam just followed Cas to the car like an obedient puppy, but instead of getting into the driver's seat, he went to the passenger side.

Cas was just standing by the side of the car staring at him, “I will gladly drive if you want me to, but I've never handled a car this fast.”

And that's when Sam did something he hadn't done before…he tossed the car keys to Cas! No one…not even his parents, had ever driven a vehicle Sam owned.

“Are you sure?” Cas asked, seeing the shock in Sam's eyes.

“Yeah. I could use the break after driving so much tonight.”

Cas just shrugged and gleefully sat in the driver's side. “This may be the best night ever.”

The obvious joy emanating from Cas made Sam happy as well. And he was quite impressed with how smoothly the ride was to The Mad Greek. Even the parking job was done with ease. “You're a natural.”

Cas handed over the keys to Sam, “I always do everything as best I can.”

Sam just shook his head at the wicked man. “You need to stop being so damn sexy and saying things like that. It's 1910, and if I walk into the restaurant with a boner and you, we might get arrested.”

“But what a way to go, I Sam,” Cas whispered near Sam's ear.

Grandmother without her teeth…a slug crawling through the refuse heap…a putrid sore on Mrs. Thompson's shoulder! Whew! That did it! Sam was able to get rid of his erection before they walked through the front door.

As it was, they still got some questioning glances from other patrons as they sat in a booth together. Having known about his sexuality since the age of twelve, Sam was used to the looks and was able to act normal. Society might have laws against being with a man, but it didn't have the right to make him feel guilty about anything.

A waitress came over to their table and handed them menus, “Welcome to The Mad Greek. The specials tonight are our avgolemono soup and the stuffed grape leaves. What can I get you to drink?”

Sam was about to say a glass of ice tea, but Cas yanked the menu from his hands and returned it to the waitress.

Cas just sent her a charming smile and said, “We'll have raspberry ice tea and the three least ordered items on the menu.”

The tired woman just shrugged and headed to the kitchen to get the tea and place their order.

Sam didn't know if he was intrigued or pissed off that Cas made that decision for both of them. “How do you know we won't get something gross? I'd rather not puke on our first date.”

“Live a little, Sam,” was Cas's response. “You might discover something you never thought you would like.”

Part of Sam wanted to hate Cas at that moment…but another part knew he needed to be pushed out of his comfort zone, even when not comfortable while it happened.

Twenty minutes later, though, they were both cringing as the waitress placed three plates of nastiness on their table. The stewed lamb brains, fried sweet bread (which was the thymus gland and pancreas), and boiled lamb tongue were worse than either man had expected. The waitress tried to hang around long enough to watch them eat the disgusting food but was called away to another table.

Cas used a fork to poke at the tongue. “Okay, so maybe this wasn't the kind of restaurant to do this.”

Sam picked up a piece of the sweet bread and tried to smell it…he almost gagged. “'Live a little, Sam,' he said. 'You might like it,' he said.”

He watched in horror as Cas cut off a piece of the lamb tongue and ate it. Sam expected body shivers and maybe some vomiting, but Cas actually seemed to like it. “What does it taste like?”

Cas swallowed and cut off another piece. “A mixture of liver and mutton. Not bad, actually. Here try some.”

The fork was held up to Sam's mouth and pressed against the tightly closed pink flesh. Sam sniffed it, and when it didn't stink, he gave in and took a bite. He was a bit surprised that he did not hate it.

Was it something he would order again in his lifetime? No. But it was okay enough that he joined Cas in finishing what was left on the plate.

Now the lamb brain, at least, wasn't alone on the plate but was mixed in with some vegetables and a sauce. Almost in sync, Cas and Sam brought a spoonful up to their mouth. While Cas seemed okay with the unusual flavor…Sam had to use his napkin to spit it out.

“Ugh! That was like warm, spoiled cottage cheese.” Sam took a big sip of his tea to remove any remnants of the flavor.

As they stared at the sweetbread plate next, Cas prodded the gelatinous food with a fork. “Hmm, this one I am not sure about…it looks off.”

Well damn! If Cas was wondering about it that just meant vomit-ville for sure. But Cas was holding a forkful waiting for Sam to do the same, so he reluctantly lifted some to his lips. “You owe me ice cream if we survive this.”

Cas dinked their forks together, “Deal.”

The faces they both made had them laughing and choking on the disgusting stuff in their mouths.

Sam had already used his napkin before, so he had nothing to spit it out into. “Ihf I dhon ghed thif owt ohf my mowf I ahm gohna puc.”

Cas's napkin was quickly torn in two, and Sam was given half so they could politely spit out the sweetbread from their offended mouths. The remaining raspberry ice tea in their glasses was gulped down to clear the taste away.

“Well,” Cas said with a shrug, “two out of three ain't bad.”

“Only one out of three for me. And now you owe me ice cream!”

A wicked twinkle filled those blue-eyes, “Shall I order the three least bought flavors?”

Sam playfully glared at Cas, “No! N-O! Nadda…don't you dare!”

Cas flagged down the waitress then, and they each placed their ice cream order. They also had her take away the plates of nastiness after she refilled their drinks.

Chapter Text

Chapter Five

After leaving The Mad Greek, they returned to Cas's place to spend more time together in a safer setting. It was one thing to grab a meal at a restaurant, but there were not many places two men could be close without ending up in a jail cell…or worse.

Sam looked around the small living room taking everything in while Cas had gone into the kitchen for drinks. The whole house had a lived-in and loved atmosphere that just welcomed him with open arms.

A massive Victrola was the star-of-the-room and filled the space with music. The sound of Chopin's Nocturne in C sharp minor soothed Sam's nervousness about being alone with someone for the first time in over a year. The song was also romantic and made Cas's entrance holding two beer bottles like something from a motion picture.

“Hope you like Budweiser.” Cas handed Sam one of the brown bottles before sitting down next to him on the sofa.

Sam took a sip of the cold beer, “Mhmm. My parched mouth thanks you, kind sir.”

“Would you help me with an experiment, I Sam?” Cas asked as blue-eyes watched as the glass bottle was once again lifted to Sam's lips and his throat muscles undulated with each gulp.

The air was suddenly thick with electricity as Sam just nodded.

Cas took Sam's bottle and placed both on the glass coffee table. “See, I've often wondered if our mouths make the beer taste different. Like is the flavor in mine the same as in yours?”

Sam gulped as he watched Cas lean ever closer. “I…umm…I guess there is but one way to find out.”

A mere inch away, Cas paused, “Oh yeah? How would we do that?”

It was clear that Cas knew how but wanted to hear it from Sam. “We could kiss and find if it's so.”

The heat of Cas's breath could be felt on Sam's lips, “Do you want that, I Sam?”

“Yes.”

Warm hands moved then to cup Sam's face as their lips pressed together for the awaited kiss. Lava filled every limb of Sam as the lip-lock continued, and he wondered if this was how Adam and Eve must have felt in the garden at the beginning of time.

Sam was putty in Cas's hands and would have done anything asked of him at that moment. This was something Cas knew but did not take advantage of. It was actually Cas who broke the kiss first and moved away.

“You are too addictive for my peace of mind, I Sam. If I didn't want to get to know you better as a human being, I wouldn't let you go home tonight.”

It was refreshing to hear that Cas cared more about the future than just right now. Sam still wanted to straddle that sexy lap and make things happen, but he was also wanting something more profound. So whenever they did finally cross the line and fucked, it would mean more. “I agree completely, but wouldn't mind maybe one more kiss.”

Cas complied, and this one lasted much longer with the added fun of hands carefully roaming. It finally ended with a groan as Cas jumped off the sofa. “Dear lord, Sam, I think the devil could learn a thing or two about temptation from you.”

Sam just leaned back against the sofa and grinned, “Damn right he could.”

“So this is what I propose,” Cas said after a long swig of beer. “I like you. I want to know more about who Sam Wesson is before I fuck your brains out. But we are only humans and could fail so fast.”

Cas did a slow once-over of Sam's sprawled form on the sofa and lingered over the bulge behind the zipper. “Holy hell, how fast we could fail. So…I have two weeks left of work at the hospital, and maybe we should keep it no-touchy till then. That would give us fourteen days to get to know each other and see if we want to go farther with things.”

Lust, beer, and maybe the lamb tongue were all making Sam feel bolder and quite brave. He let his hand slowly slide down his chest and come to rest over his hard cock. “So let me get this straight…we keep things innocent over the next two weeks and then decide if we should do more?”

With a groan, Cas moved over and knelt between Sam's parted thighs, “Yes. So for the following fourteen days, we wouldn't do anything naughty like this…”

Sam was the one whimpering as Cas's face lowered and rubbed against his zipper. The heat sank in fast and made him even harder. “Fuck…yeah. Uhh…nothing like…like that.”

Cas then straddled Sam's lap and rubbed their crotches together. “Right, and definitely nothing like this either. Our two cocks should never ever evveerrr touch the entire time.”

“Umm…oh no. Never,” Sam said while storing away the tactile information of Cas on him for later that night when he jerked off.

The third kiss happened when Cas, still straddling Sam's lap, fused their lips together for one last growl of intimacy. Both men ached to say fuck it to everything and just race to Cas's bedroom but had the sense to know it would truly be better if they spent some time to learn more about each other.

When the kiss ended, Cas's forehead rested on Sam's, “We are going to combust in two weeks, aren't we?!”

“Like fireworks at the State Fair,” Sam replied.

“I think maybe it would be wise for tonight if we said goodnight.” Cas slid off Sam's lap and stood.

Sam nodded, “Yeah. Probably wise.”

They then walked to the front door, where Cas softly kissed the corner of Sam's mouth. “See you tomorrow at the hospital, Dr. Sexy.”

“People are going to think I'm nuts looking out the windows all day long.”

“That's nothing. I got to use a sharp object and not chop off parts of my body when I get distracted seeing you look at me from random windows.”

Sam couldn't help the smile that stretched ear to ear. “Night, Cas.”

“Night, I Sam.”

They both knew not to take their goodbyes to the porch since nosey neighbors could cause a lot of trouble, so Sam just headed right to his car and left.

The whole way home, that stupid grin remained, so much so that when he walked past the living room and his mom saw it, she asked, “What's that all about?”

Not expecting anyone to be up, Sam jumped. “What time is it? I thought for sure you would be in bed by now. Where's Margaret?”

“I couldn't sleep, so I told Margaret to leave me here so she could go fold some wash.” Eliza didn't let him distract her from the earlier question, though, and asked, “Now am I correct to guess that the date with Eileen went well?”

Guilt flickered through Sam at having to lie. “Uhh…yeah. It was a very enjoyable night.”

“Not too enjoyable, I hope!”

Flashes of all the kisses and more poured into his head, “Of course not, mother.”

“Well, I expect to meet this woman if you decide to go on more dates with her.”

Shit! Sam gave a non-committal shrug as he walked over to the large window and looked out to the garden below. Before the car accident that had taken his dad's life and his mom's mobility, she had spent hours in the garden making it beautiful. Nowadays, someone came in every two weeks to weed it, but it was in serious need of professional care. Cas kind of care.

“You know I think I'll hire a gardener to bring the yard back to its full glory.” Sam thought of all the naughty fun that could happen if Cas was around. They could easily sneak away to the edge of the yard and make out amongst the trees. “There's this landscaper that does work with the hospital who would be perfect for the job.”

Eliza ran a hand over her legs and sighed, “I don't regret much in what I lost, but I miss being able to work outside with all my beautiful flowers.”

Sam moved back over to his mom and kissed her cheek, “If I could give you new legs, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

“I'm just glad they didn't have to cut these off. My legs might not work, but at least they still look normal.”

The grandfather clock started chiming then. “Can I help you to your room, mom?”

Eliza nodded and waited as Sam closed the curtains and extinguished the oil lights.

He had no trouble picking her slight form up in his arms and setting her in the wooden wheelchair. Ever since the accident, they had to redo one of the rooms downstairs as her bedroom. It was just across the hall, and when they reached it, Margaret was there putting away the folded wash. After Sam carefully lifted his mom from the wheelchair and placed her on the bed, Margaret shooed him out of the room.

Once upstairs, Sam quickly stripped and slid under the covers. It was so extraordinary that the last time he had been lying there, he hadn't had one clue what the day would hold. Now everything seemed bigger and brighter as he had something to look forward to beyond work.

And because of all that, falling asleep did not come easy for Sam. Had he a phone in his room, he would have dialed Cas's number just to hear that sexy voice again. Having no desire to go all the way down to the living room to make the call, though, Sam just did his best to calm down.

The hardness of his cock did not help matters, nor did the memories of Cas's ass rubbing against it. So Sam quickly took hold of the shaft and stroked through all the erotic images from the night.

Many minutes later, when his hand was sticky and his cock spent, Sam was finally able to slink into slumber.

That he dreamed of Cas not stopping earlier and enjoying the sofa to the fullest…well, that was expected. And that he woke up with a raging hard-on was also a given. With Margaret and his mom already awake, Sam knew his best bet for privacy was to head to the bathroom.

At the hospital, Sam experienced his first shower and had instantly put in some calls to get one set up at the house. The American Standard Needle shower looked like a metal cage, but oh, was it better than sitting in dirty bathwater. It also gave him a room full of steam and sound to hide his own noises when cum mixed with water down the drain.

When Sam dried off, he could not help but notice the shower was just big enough for two and put it on a checklist of things to do with Cas if they made it past the two-week trial. Oh, how he and his cock hoped they did.

As he got ready to leave for work that day, Sam was just buzzing with excitement. He loved his job and always liked going, but this extra umph was Cas's influence. Everything about Sam felt different…his body, his mindset, even when he got to work the way the damn hospital looked, and how the patients acted. It was like Sam had been injected with a big metal syringe of pure glowing joy.

Even curmudgeonly Mr. Singer seemed to play off Sam's good mood when Sam went in to check on the cracked ribs. It took every ounce of strength in Sam's body to not look out the window while in there re-taping Bobby's bruised chest. Maybe it was silly, but Sam wanted to have the first glance of Cas to be in person when they shared their lunch. Also, a part of him was worried that the guy had been too good to be real, and if he looked out the window, there would be no sexy axe holder in sight.

So when noon finally came around, and he saw no signs of Cas outside the hospital, Sam's good mood tumbled. He found the same spot from yesterday and sat on the grass to eat his roast beef sandwich and wait for Cas to hopefully arrive.

During this time, Sam found himself not completely alone when a large black crow hopped ever closer to check him out. It was a beautiful bird, and Sam happily tore off part of his sandwich to keep it close. “Hey buddy, I wish I had my camera with me. You are quite the stunner.”

The crow almost seemed to smile at that and hopped a few steps closer. Sam had also brought sunflower seeds with him today and scattered some on the ground to the bird's delight. The urge to stroke the black feathers felt just as powerful for Sam as someone who wanted to pet a puppy.

“I guess if I must eat lunch alone, at least I have you to keep me company.”

“And what does that make me? Chopped liver?”

The sexy voice could belong to no one but Cas. Sam turned and saw the gorgeous man standing there with the glow of the afternoon sun all around. As stunning as the crow was, Cas was ten times as magnificent. Sam had to believe that if angels were real, this was what they would look like.

The ground right next to Sam was filled when Cas sat down. “Sorry about not being here earlier. Apparently, the food from last night did not agree with me, and I was up most last night with horrible stomach pains.”

The doctor in Sam instantly looked at Cas in patient mode to check for symptoms. There was some paleness to the normally tan skin and a little redness around the blue irises, but nothing too hardcore. “I am so glad you're feeling better. Surprisingly, I really didn't have any of those issues. Guess it pays to spit instead of swallow.”

He truly hadn't meant to say it in any way sexual, but when Cas started laughing, Sam instantly understood why. He grinned sheepishly, “Well, sometimes that is…hello, by the way.”

“Hello, I Sam.” Cas nodded over in the direction of the crow still hanging around. “Who's your buddy?”

Sam tossed another part of his sandwich to the hungry bird. “I haven't named him yet, but so far, he's been good company for lunch.”

Cas watched as the crow hopped around and pecked at the food offering. “I think he moves like this one guy I saw in a vaudeville act two years ago. Charlie Chaplin or something.”

The bird seemed to lift its head up at the name, and Sam and Cas shared smiles. Sam tossed another handful of seeds out and declared, “Well, there we have it. We dub thee, Charlie.”

Over the following two weeks, as Cas completed the thinning of the trees around the hospital, Charlie always showed up at lunchtime to keep them company. The crow had been a nice distraction from being alone and not able to touch or do more. And when Cas told Sam about the hospital's plan to kill the crow since it was sneaking into windows and stealing things, Sam decided to take Charlie home with him.

It was Sunday, October 2^nd, 1910, when Sam took a gold-metal birdcage out of the trunk of his car and headed to the lunch spot. He had planned everything to perfection and even asked to only work till noon that day. He had also come prepared with Charlie's favorite foods, and with Cas's help, they effortlessly got the crow into the cage.

Charlie seemed to know this outcome was better than dying and hadn't put up a fuss. After Cas and Sam finished their lunches, Sam carried Charlie in the cage to the backseat of the car and headed home.

Once there, Sam attached the cage's metal loop onto the hook of the sturdy stand in the living room. The window next to it opened easily, and this way, when Charlie wanted to go out, he could. Sam hoped the bird would choose to stay with him, but it was a wild creature, so it was up to Charlie.

Sam's mom was also instantly enchanted with the bird, and Charlie seemed to return the feeling. The bird cozied up to her and sat so patiently on her lap most of the afternoon. Charlie only left her company when flying outside to go to the bathroom or back to the cage for food.

That night, Sam was supposed to head into town and enjoy a meal Cas had prepared. It was the end of their two-week trial, and even though Sam had to cover a shift for Dr. Bacic later, he was excited at the possibility of sharing more than food and conversation with Cas.

Over the last two weeks, they had spent a handful of nights at Cas's but only being slightly naughty with kisses and small touches…just enough to satisfy and frustrate. This was also when Sam had pitched his idea to Cas of coming to work at the house. Knowing it would allow them more time together, Cas had readily agreed.

So with Charlie and Eliza cozy on the sofa, Sam felt very content as he headed out to the car and started the fifty-minute drive to Vermont Street. Once there, he parked in a different spot than last time. Cas had mentioned a nosey, religious neighbor who would happily call the police on them if not careful.

That's why this night, Sam parked two blocks away and walked back. Shame there wasn't a phone that could work no matter where a person was so that Sam could tell Cas to open the door for him. Thankfully Cas had kept watch around the time Sam had mentioned he'd arrive and quickly allowed him inside.

“How's Charlie handling his new digs?” Cas asked as they headed to the kitchen.

“If I didn't know better, I think Charlie has fallen in love with my mom as they are already fast friends.”

That made Cas smile. “Aww. That's wonderful. Can't wait to see him again when I start work at your place.”

With the two-week trial concluded, Sam was free to move over and wrap his arms around Cas's chest. “I can't wait to show you my favorite spot down at the edge of the property. There are all these massive trees there, and it's far enough away from the house that no one would see us.”

Cas leaned back against Sam, “So bark-burned backs and grass-stained butts are soon to be in our future.”

Sam's hand slid lower to cup Cas's cock, “Oh yes, and so many other friction burns from countless surfaces.”

“Oh yeah? Like which ones, I Sam?”

A kiss was placed on Cas's neck, “Well, that damn sofa of yours for sure since it has tortured me enough over these last two weeks. And then definitely your bed since I've imagined that more nights than I should have. Oh, and I also have a dire need to get your ass into my shower since I've sent so much cum down the drain because of you.”

Cas suddenly twisted around and slammed Sam into the kitchen wall. Blue eyes traveled up and down Sam's body then, “Well, I guess I better start hydrating, so I don't shrivel up like a mummy since I also have a few spots I have imagined fucking your sweet ass, Mr. Wesson.”

Sam was already in heaven when Cas had slammed him into the wall, but his cock twitched even more waiting to hear about these other places. “Mhmm, so where does your wicked mind want to ravage me, Mr. Novak?”

“Oh definitely over the kitchen sink, the counters, the table, and carefully while you cook supper at the stove.”

“Mhmm…yes, please!” Sam saw it all so clearly and couldn't wait. “So wish we had enough time tonight to cross off one of those spots, sir.”

Cas nipped Sam's right earlobe and tugged on it before letting it pop out. “We will work up to all that soon enough, but for now, supper first and then something tasty for my mouth to suck on afterward for dessert.”

Sam's cock tried to jump out of his pants at the thought of getting sucked into Cas's mouth. To feel the wet heat surround him while running his fingers through that dark hair…Nirvana! “Fuck! How about dessert first and then supper?”

This had Cas laughing. “Patience, I Sam. I would rather my stomach NOT growl at me when I enjoy my first taste of you. Now hush with all the sexy talk and go set the table for dinner.”

A smack of a hand on Sam's ass propelled him towards the cupboard where the dishes were stored. He loved it all but still teased, “Brat.”

As Sam laid out the plates and such, Cas carried out a bowl of mashed potatoes, another one of corn, and a platter with perfectly cooked salmon. A bottle of wine joined the spread, and the two men were able to sit and enjoy the delicious homemade meal.

At the first bite of the salmon, Sam was moaning. “Fuck, man! At least we won't starve since we can both cook. This is so good, Cas!”

The chef smiled proudly at the praise, “Thank you, kind sir. If I could get my hands on more fresh produce, I could blow your mind even more. The potatoes and corn came from the small garden I have in the back yard.”

“Well, I'm okay with you planting whatever you want in the garden at my place. When mom was able to, she loved fiddling with all that.” Sam shoveled a big forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth and savored the mixture of creaminess and chunks of un-skinned potatoes. “I haven't had homemade potatoes in a long time. Mom is on this no starch kick and won't let Margaret even touch a potato.”

“Damn that's rough. I don't know what I would do without fries, mashed potatoes, and even hash browns for breakfast.”

Sam was salivating at all the potato products. “Mhmm! Shredded hash browns are my favorite. I know what I want you to make the next time I'm here for dinner.”

Mischief twinkled in blue eyes as Cas mentioned, “The thing is, hash browns really need to be eaten in the morning to taste the best. So if you want me to cook some, you'll have to spend the night sometime soon.”

At hearing that invitation, a forkful of salmon was suddenly paused halfway to Sam's mouth. Spending the night at Cas's would definitely include hours of naked-fun time. His cock twitched and begged Sam to just toss all the dishes off the table and take Cas right then and there.

He didn't listen to it, though, and calmly…with shaky fingers…set his fork down. “I would like that very much.”

Cas laughed, “So damn polite. Had someone made that offer to me, I'd have tossed the food to the floor and had them on the dining room table.”

Sam glared down at his cocky cock, which twitched again as if mocking him for not listening to the same suggestion from it earlier. “Behave.”

“Umm, Sam?”

A red-faced Sam cringed as he looked over at Cas. “Umm…yeah?”

“Did…Did you just tell your cock to behave?”

“Maybe,” an embarrassed Sam murmured before shoving a pile of potatoes in his mouth.

The sound of a chair scraping the hardwood floor drew Sam's attention, and he gawked as Cas disappeared underneath the table. He wondered what was going on until a breath of hot air was felt on his zipper.

“Dear Sam's cock…please do NOT behave.”

Sam tightly gripped the table as he felt the aforementioned zipper being slowly tugged downward and then a hand sliding inside. And when Cas released the hard cock from its fabric prison, Sam was having trouble breathing. “Cas are you going to…fuck!”

The curse word came out just as Cas's warm mouth completely swallowed Sam's cock. Not one inch of flesh was showing, and it was so damn hot! Apparently, not only could Cas cut down trees, cook superbly but also gave the best head Sam ever had.

And just as he had fantasized in the kitchen earlier, Sam was reveling in the wet heat of Cas's mouth as his fingers tugged on dark hair. It had been so long since Sam had been intimate with anyone that he knew it was not going to take much for him to blow.

He tried everything to hold off as long as possible, but not even three minutes later, Sam had the opportunity to watch Cas gulping down his cum. It was a sight he would not soon forget.

As Sam wore a goofy grin and leaned back in the chair, Cas carefully tucked the spent cock back and closed the zipper. Sam watched then as Cas crawled out from under the table, sat back in the other chair, and proceeded to eat some salmon calm as day.

“Mhmm, salmon and Sam taste good together,” Cas said after swallowing the bite of fish. Blue eyes lasered onto hazel then, “Want to see what I mean, Mr. Wesson?”

Sam nodded and found himself standing up and moving around to the other side. The chair hadn't been pushed back closer to the table, so Sam was able to easily straddle Cas's lap and lean in for a kiss.

Hell! Salmon, cum, and Cas did taste so fuckn' fantastic together.

Sam was whimpering as Cas's hands grabbed his ass and yanked him closer. He rocked against the hard cock he was now fully on top of as the kiss continued. The food on the table was forgotten by this point.

When their lips finally did part, they were both wanting more. Sam's tongue licked across Cas's lower lip, “So how about I return the favor, Mr. Novak?”

“I will never say no to those lips wrapping around my cock, I Sam.”

Then Cas did something that had Sam gasping from more than just lust. Sam found himself standing next to the table and watching in shock as Cas actually tossed off all the food!! Just let it all crash to the floor without any thought of having to clean it up later.

And Sam just stared as Cas hopped up on the table and sat on the edge facing the chair. The reason was obvious, and Sam quickly sat down and dragged the chair closer till he was right at Cas's crotch.

It felt like Christmas morning getting to unzip the tight pants and pull out a very large uncut cock. Sam had always wanted to play with an uncircumcised man but had never gotten that lucky. The covering around the head was begging his tongue to slide between and lick the hidden skin…so he did.

The moan from Cas let Sam know he was on the right track and to continue. He loved having the tip of his tongue trapped between the foreskin and the head. His favorite part of any cock was the ridge connecting the top to the shaft, and getting to lick around it in such tight quarters was heavenly.

Sam moaned against the tantalizing flesh when he felt fingers digging into his skull.

“Fuck, Sam!” Cas's lust deepened voice bellowed around the room. “I promise that next time you can keep messing around with the foreskin as long as you want, but right now, I need your mouth as far down my shaft as it can go.”

The dirty command made Sam's brain glitch in delight. Still, it was with some reluctance that he unstuck his tongue from its new favorite hiding spot and did as told. Well tried since two inches of Cas's monster cock could not fit inside Sam's mouth without cutting off airflow from his throat. He'd have to practice breathing through his nose for next time.

“We'll work on that, I Sam,” Cas murmured as if knowing Sam's thoughts.

For now, Sam firmly wrapped a hand around those few inches of the shaft showing and sucked hard on the rest. Mhmm! One of the best flavors in the world would always be the taste of the soft flesh covering the steel of an erection. Sam loved hearing Cas's moans and dirty mumblings as he used all the tricks he liked receiving himself.

“Look at me, Sam,” Cas pleaded.

Instantly, hazel eyes looked up into blue as Sam complied.

And that was it. Cas started letting out curse after curse as the fingers gripping Sam's hair yanked hard and cum splashed from cock to throat.

The corners of Sam's mouth were sore, but oh, was he happy. He had missed all the intimacy and fun of being in a relationship. He would have suckled that spent cock all night if possible but released it to stand up and give Cas a kiss.

Not even Georges-Auguste Escoffier, the so-called king of chefs, could have created as great a taste as what Sam and Cas shared as the kiss continued. There was something so erotic being trusted enough to enter someone's mouth and share each other's flavors.

Cas nipped Sam's lower lip as the kiss ended. “You are very addictive, I Sam. Is there any possible chance that you could call off and stay with me tonight?”

The temptation to say…hell, more like scream…yes almost choked Sam. He glanced up at the cuckoo clock ticking away on the kitchen wall.

Sam grimaced seeing that it was almost seven. “Normally, I would be able to do so, but I switched shifts with Dr. Bacic so I could be home tomorrow when you start working. His shift goes from ten to seven, and I still need to get back to my place to grab a clean uniform.”

This information had Cas hopping off the table and slamming Sam into the dining room wall to plant a very delicious kiss on Sam's lips. The world and everything else faded to background noise as they just enjoyed the closeness.

Sam was still pressed to the wall gasping happily when Cas stepped back and broke the kiss. “What was that for?”

Cas cupped Sam's face with both hands, “That was for taking a shitty shift just to be around when I get to your place tomorrow.”

A sly smile spread across Sam's face, “Well, there is a high level of selfishness in my decision to be home tomorrow.”

“Yeah? And what is that, I Sam?”

“I so want to get you to those trees!”

“And have your wicked way with me?”

“Hell yes.”

“And what would it be…bark burn or grass stains?”

“Both,” Sam growled, feeling so turned on simply from thinking of it. “I would shove you against the closest tree once there, and then when I had enough of your lips, I see us laying naked in the tall grass.”

Cas moved closer again and rubbed their crotches together, “And who would get to sink in first?”

“I don't give a fuck about that…just as long as it happens.”

“Such a great answer, Mr. Wesson.”

Another kiss started that almost had them forget the tall grass and find the sofa.

Cas groaned against Sam's lips, “Fuck! Like I said…addictive.”

Sam ached to stay and continue till they were sweaty and satiated but knew he had to be responsible. “I had planned to stay for another hour, but maybe I should leave before I can't.”

“Probably very wise,” Cas agreed even while cupping Sam's hard cock.

“Get behind me, Lucifer!”

“No, not Lucifer…more like Casifer since it's more me being wicked than the devil making me do it. And I will gladly get behind you so I could grab those hips and sink inside your sexy ass.”

A whimper left Sam's lips at that, “Fuck! You so don't play fair.”

“I'll show you not fair, I Sam.” Cas grabbed Sam's hips and turned him around till his face was now plastered against the wall as Cas's clothed cock was rubbed against his ass.

Grandmother naked on the porch swing without her teeth…a slug crawling across the rubbish pile…a putrid sore on Mrs. Thompson's shoulder! Sam focused on the most unpleasant things to keep from giving in to the wicked gardener's nefarious plans. It worked but just barely.

He turned around in Cas's arms and placed one last kiss on those pouty lips, “I'm all yours to debauch and deflower tomorrow. Right now, though, I better get my ass home.”

Cas leaned down and whispered against Sam's ass, “Good night, Mr. Derriere. I promise to make all your dreams come true tomorrow.”

Sam was beaming with how crazy Cas behaved. It added a playful layer to their connection and made him fall even more for the sexy man. “Night, Cas.”

“Goodnight, I Sam.”

Tonight, since Sam had been there for a while, they decided it was better for him to sneak out the back door, just in case the neighbor lady was watching the front. He was then able to walk to the car without issue, and as he drove home, he said a thankful prayer to the universe for bringing Castiel Novak into his life.

Sam's mom was once again in the living room when he arrived, and she saw the smile plastered on his lips, “I assume your date with Eileen went well.”

The smile faltered at the mention of Eileen. “Uhh…yeah. It really did. Where's Charlie?”

Eliza pointed to the open window, “He hopped out about ten minutes ago.”

“How did the night go? How was he?”

“Wonderful. He is such a sweetheart. He just sat on my lap and let me pet him as I read.”

Sam was so happy that, in saving Charlie, he also found a companion for his mom. The grandfather clock started chiming eight times and reminded Sam that he had to get ready for work. “I am glad you and Charlie get along so well. I have to go take a shower and get dressed. I am not looking forward to another fifty-minute drive to the hospital.”

“Oh, that's right. That landscaper is coming tomorrow to work on the garden.”

Images of Cas filled Sam's head, and he had to fight the big grin wanting to overtake his face. “Yeah, he'll be here about eleven. I should be home in plenty of time.”

Just then, Charlie flew through the open window and landed on Eliza's shoulder. A dirty necklace dangled from the black beak and was dropped in her lap.

“Well, what do we have here, young man?” When Eliza lifted the necklace up for a closer look, she gasped. “Look! It's the necklace your dad gave me that I lost outside years ago.”

Sam remembered how much his mom had cried and fretted when the necklace had gotten lost. “Good boy, Charlie.”

Eliza gave the proud bird a few scritches. “Sam, could you just run to the kitchen real fast before you leave and get some grapes from the icebox? I think this necklace definitely deserves a tasty reward.”

As Sam did as asked, he was in awe over the sheer odds of Charlie finding that piece of jewelry. He was so glad he had been able to save the crow from imminent death at the hospital.

With the grapes delivered, Sam took a quick shower and re-dressed before heading back to the living room to say his goodbyes and leave for work. He wasn't looking forward to the late-night shift but, at least, it should be quiet with most of the patients sleeping.

That assumption was proven wrong not even an hour after he punched in, though. There was the drunk who passed out on the train tracks, a motorist whose lights stopped working and ran into a tree, and not one but two pregnant women rushed inside already in labor.

It was going on three o'clock in the morning when Sam was finally able to take a break and hide away in the doctor's lounge. The hospital coffee sucked, but it was better than falling asleep, so Sam drank several cups.

He was sipping on his fourth when Eileen Leahy walked into the room. The dark-haired woman looked just as tired as Sam and also made a beeline for the pot of coffee. He felt odd knowing this was the woman he had told his mom was his girlfriend.

Sam was just going to remain quiet, but Eileen sat on the chair next to his and smiled at him.

“You're Dr. Wesson, right? That was great work you did in surgery tonight, saving that stupid drunk's leg. Not that he deserved it.”

He smiled kindly at her praise and nodded in agreement about the patient he had kept from being an amputee. “It's like my mom always told me…you'll only get sorrows from the bottom of a bottle, and nothing good happens after midnight.”

Eileen laughed, “I think all moms have the same advice. I heard those sayings all the time growing up.”

“Yeah, I think once you have kids, some ancient being zaps all the mom knowledge into your head.”

“Ahhh…that makes complete sense,” she teased.

Sam found himself smiling, “Maybe we can ask the two new moms on rounds tonight if my hypothesis is true.”

“I dare you to actually ask them,” Eileen said as she smiled back.

And he did, to her amusement…and the confusion of the two women. Sam was blushing red when he and Eileen left the room. “Oh hell! I bet they think I'm a dunderhead and regret their choice of hospitals.”

“Well, I loved it! Made my night and helped this shitty shift end up being one of the best in a while.”

Sam was impressed that Eileen had so easily used a curse word. Most times women acted all prim and proper like curse words didn't even exist. “How much longer do you have till freedom?”

“Three hours and twenty-seven minutes.”

“Me too.” Sam was glad to have such a nice person around while covering the rest of Dr. Bacic's shift.

By the time they finally left the hospital at seven, the sky was turning lighter. Sam saw Eileen was just going to walk home, and he couldn't let that happen. Not only for safety's sake but also, what was the point of having a car if not to help someone with it? “Care for a ride?”

“Really? That would be lovely. Thank you, Dr. Wesson.”

“Please call me Sam. Dr. Wesson sounds so stuffy.”

“Okay, but only outside the hospital. I'm Eileen, by the way.”

Sam held out his hand to her, which she shook, “Well, Eileen, where shall I be driving you to this fine morning?”

“To the Oak Park Apartments over at 2008 Vermont Street.”

“Hey, that's really close to where my friend, Cas, lives.” Sam was in awe about it all as they walked to his car, and he held the passenger side door open for her.

Every cell in his body ached to stop at 2108 Vermont Street as they drove past it to the apartment building. And after making sure Eileen got inside safely, Sam decided to surprise Cas. He parked three blocks away this time and walked quickly to the back porch.

There was a light on inside, and Sam hoped that meant Cas was already awake. He knocked just loud enough to be heard but not too loud to get attention from neighbors. His heart was thumping with anticipation as he waited.

And when the door was opened, and a gorgeously rumpled, sleepy Castiel appeared, it took all Sam's willpower to just stand there and say, “Hey.”

“Sam? What time is it? Come in.”

Cas smelled so good as Sam passed by, “It's a little after seven. I was dropping a nurse off at the Oak Park Apartments down the way and decided I just had to come and say hi.”

“Which nurse?” Cas asked while leading Sam to the kitchen and making coffee.

“Eileen Leahy. She was at the hospital tonight, and when we left, she was going to walk home. I didn't feel safe letting her go off alone.”

That got Sam a kiss on the cheek, “So chivalrous.”

Sam blushed and leaned over for a real kiss.

It was too early for raging passions which was why the kiss was gentle and comforting. Sam didn't mind, though, since he was just happy to be there with Cas. The kiss ended with them both smiling.

Cas looked at the cuckoo clock and then at the tired doctor, “How about you go lay down for two hours. You have to be exhausted. I'll make sure to wake you up around nine so you can get back home in time to meet your new landscaper. I hear he's extremely handsome.”

Sam just gushed, “How are you so damn perfect?! I would love a nap, and if I promise to behave, would you keep me company, Mr. Novak?”

“Deal. I'll even let you be the big spoon, Mr. Wesson.”

The coffee making was put on pause then as Sam followed Cas to the bedroom. Everything about the house screamed comfort. And when Sam was able to lie down and wrap his arms around Cas it didn't take long before he was slipping off into a happy slumber.

Chapter Text

Chapter Six

Sam was dreaming of the Atlantic City Boardwalk in summer. He and Cas were lying across a large blanket on the sand listening to the symphony of the ocean waves. For some reason, Cas was wearing an old-timey lady's navy wool bathing gown while Sam was in a black and white striped suit. Even in the silliness of the scene, they made a handsome couple.

Charlie was there, as well, guarding the picnic basket at the end of the blanket. When thinking Sam and Cas weren't looking, the crazy bird tried to sneak into the container for some grapes.

Sam noticed, though, and clapped his hands to stop the thief, “No fruit till after lunch, young man.”

It almost seemed like Charlie pouted before hopping off the blanket and flying off in a huff.

“I swear that bird is a human that got hexed by a witch and turned into a crow,” Cas said, watching Charlie perform a few loops in the air.

Because it was a dream, no one was staring at the two men lying close together on the public beach. And when Sam pulled Cas over for a few languid minutes of kissing, he didn't have any concern about jail-time or worse. He could just enjoy the taste of Cas's lips on his own as they soaked in the summer sun.

A contented look softened Cas's face when the kiss ended. “Hey, Sam…”

Sam loved hearing his name spoken and felt like the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. “Yeah?”

“Sam! Hey, Sam?!”

It was weird. It was Cas's voice, but the words didn't match the motion of the lips speaking them. And then everything around Sam seemed to ripple like a pond when a rock skipped across the smooth surface.

“Come on, Sam! Time to wakey…wakey!”

In a flash, the beach scene dissolved to black and then to blinding light as Sam opened his eyes.

“There you are, I Sam.” A fully dressed Cas smiled down at him. “I wasn't sure I'd get you to wake up.”

“Wake up? What time is it?”

As if on cue, the cuckoo clock in the kitchen started squawking nine times. Sam couldn't believe he had been asleep that long. The dream of them at the ocean had seemed so damn real. How lovely it would be to have the freedom to go out in the world as a couple and not have to worry about being incarcerated for simply liking another guy. A small cloud of sadness darkened Sam's spirits at the injustice of it all.

Cas noticed the sudden change and tilted Sam's chin up, “What's all that about? Does waking up next to me not live up to your expectation?”

Sam covered Cas's hand with his own, “Waking up to you is heaven, Mr. Novak. I just had one of those dreams that makes you want to hold onto sleep a bit longer.”

“What happened in this amazing nocturnal moment? Were you Watson and Sherlock Holmes made several discoveries in your ass? A Study in Pink indeed.”

“Oh dear lord! A Study in…,” Sam started laughing so hard the bed shook. “And now I'm not going to be able to read that story without thinking of anuses. Thanks a lot, Mr. Novak.”

“So if not getting fucked by a hot sociopath, then what was the contents of your dream?”

“You had on a woman's bathing gown, and we were at the beach in Atlantic City.”

“Well, if we were out in public together, I would have to be dressed as a woman.”

Sam hadn't thought of it in that light. “Can you imagine if you could pass enough as a woman to go out and fool everyone?”

“If? If I could pass as a woman?” Cas almost seemed offended that Sam didn't think it was possible. “I'll have you know that my mom raised me in the theater as she was all her life. I know many tricks of the trade to create every kind of illusion. Even back in Shakespeare's time, when guys played all the female roles, they didn't look like men…they made themselves look like women. A corset with extra curves, a smooth shave, the right wig, and the perfect dress would fool even Pope Leo XIII.”

Images of Cas in a dress had Sam's cock stirring to life even if he didn't totally believe it was possible yet. “So you think you could really pass as a woman in an actual public setting?”

“Easily.”

If they would've had enough time right then, Sam would have made Cas prove it. Instead, he came up with the next best idea. “Okay, Mr. Novak. The hospital always forces the doctors to attend the Halloween fundraiser and a bring date. I was finishing my medical training when they held last year's soiree, but I have to show up this time around. I dare you to dress up and see if it can fool everyone.”

The normally brash Cas just stared at Sam in shock. “You…you want me to go to a hospital fundraiser as a woman? Aren't you afraid you'll get in trouble if we're found out?”

“What's it going to be, Mr. Novak?” Sam asked, challenging Cas's prior claim. “Either you can make yourself into the hottest woman around, or you can't.”

The light of battle darkened the blue of Cas's eyes to almost navy. “Oh, Mr. Wesson, it is so on. I will gladly accompany you to the hospital's Halloween fundraiser.”

Sam's cock was rock hard by now. “Just know that when we leave the party, I'm going to have my wicked way with you after I reverently push the dress up to your hips.”

“I expect nothing less, sir.”

As the air around them sizzled with delicious sexual tension, it would have been so easy to let clothing fly off and break in Cas's comfortable bed. If Sam's mom wasn't at home expecting him to show up before the new landscaper came, he would have been naked in no time.

“Push me off the bed, Cas, before I decide not to leave.”

Instead of shoving Sam to the floor, Cas climbed on top of him and rubbed their lower halves together. “What if I don't want to let you go either?”

It was heaven and hell wanting to stay but knowing they had to be responsible. Sam didn't want his mom to have a poor opinion of Cas. “Get thee behind me, Satan.

“Okay.” Cas moved off Sam, flipped him, and pressed into his back. “Like this, sir?”

Sam's ass wiggled back against the tempting cock, “You're making this so hard, Cas.”

A hand reached around and cupped Sam's cock through his pants as Cas leaned down to whisper, “Mhmm, it sure is hard, I Sam.”

That was the final sexy straw! Sam had to have a little bit more before they reigned things in and left. He turned around and nipped Cas's adam's apple, “We might not have the time to fuck, but I have the perfect solution to relieve some tension. I'm going to need you to drop those trousers to your knees, Mr. Novak.”

As Sam watched Cas comply, he also did the same with his own pants. Hell! Seeing their cocks pressed between their bodies was breathtaking. And then he reached down, wrapped his hand around both, and started stroking.

Cas pulled Sam's face over then and started a kiss that added even more heat to the moment. Being six-foot-four, Sam's hand was quite large, and he could easily get a nice tight grip on their cocks. He loved how his thumb would rub over the top of Cas's cock and feel the tip of the head poking out.

Sam let his thumb smear in the precum and then carefully pushed it under the foreskin till it was trapped against Cas's cock head. He was coming to understand that he might have a new kink as he wanted to shove something else past the covering. He wondered what it would feel like to push his own cock head into the snug space and have the warm foreskin cover over it?

“Do it!”

Blue eyes latched onto hazel as it seemed Cas had once again read Sam's mind. “Do…umm…what?”

“I want to see my foreskin bulging around the head of your cock.”

Sam carefully pushed back the extra skin till it couldn't go any further. He had heard it can be painful going too far, so he made sure to watch Cas's face for signs of discomfort. Seeing none, Sam pressed their cock heads together and watched as the released foreskin slowly closed over both. There was just enough skin to curl past the under ridge of Sam's cock…and fuck! It was soooooooo damn tight!

“Hell, Sam!” Cas's hand moved down and cupped around their joined cock heads. It was like some horny Chinese finger trap, but neither man wanted to get loose. “It almost feels the same as when you shove a cock inside a clenched hole. That delicious stretch and tightness almost make it feel like you can't breathe.”

It was like Cas could see in Sam's mind saying the exact words he was thinking. “Yes! I am torn between just staying like this for eternity…which I'd be so fine with…or having us grab each other's shaft and jerk off like this!”

“Fuck! Jerk off like this now!!.”

“Yes, sir.”

They each took a firm hold of the other's shaft and started a steady stroke. A kiss was initiated then with tongues touching, just as much as their lower appendages. Sam couldn't get enough of Cas's mouth.

It was so hard not to move his hips or just pounce on Cas and go all caveman. One tiny tug would dislodge their dicks, though, and that was not going to happen till after they were sweaty, sticky, and satiated.

Needing more growl, Sam's stroke got rougher and faster. Cas rewarded him with the sexiest noises and a tighter grip. He wondered if the stretched confines of the foreskin would hold all his cum, or would it drip out? Sam also vowed to someday get both their cocks in his mouth. What was the fun of being tall if he couldn't use it for a mouth full of naughty?!

“Sam…fuck…look at me!” Cas whimpered against Sam's lips.

Hazel eyes latched onto blue and…

“F…fuck…oh fuck!”

Warm cum splashed onto Sam's shaft and made Cas's fingers slick. Sam moved his hand over the bulge of their tucked cock heads and started stroking there. He knew Cas would be a bit sensitive so soon after cumming, but he couldn't help himself.

And it wasn't even four strokes later that Sam was the one gasping and sending curse words into the air. His cum did indeed quickly fill up the small space before pushing out and dripping down.

As with most men, both Sam and Cas just lay there wanting to blissfully pass out. They couldn't do that, though, since ten o'clock was coming closer, and Eliza was waiting for them at the house.

Sam brought his hand to his lips and licked off whoever's cum was on it. “Mhmm, best breakfast ever!.”

“Well, then have some more, I Sam.” Cas's sticky hand replaced Sam's and was thoroughly sucked and licked clean.

“Care to clean me up, Mr. Novak?” Sam pulled out his cock from Cas's foreskin, and cum gushed down like a waterfall. He waggled it at Cas and watched in lust as his offer was accepted.

He had planned on returning the favor, but Cas stopped him.

With a smirk, Cas said, “Trust me, you are going to love this.”

And then Sam watched in awe as Cas's body bent in half and the messy cock was sucked clean by its owner! “Holy hell!!! That is so fuckn' hot!”

Sam almost called home to say he had been detained at work when the self-sucking exposed Cas's pink clenched hole to perfection. “I have another item to be put on my to-do list for you. I want to fuck you while you do that and cum inside while you gulp down your own cum.”

Cas moaned around the cock before finally letting it pop out. “Yes, please. I would love a bird's eye view of your cock thrusting into my ass. And I also have an item I want to add to this to-do list, Mr. Wesson.”

“Oh yeah? What's that, Mr. Novak?”

“I want to suck on both our cocks till my belly is full of our mixed cum.”

Sam's whole body shook with lust as Cas mentioned the very thing he had thought about earlier. Damn, they were so perfect for each other! “How am I going to act normal around you when we get to my place? Mom and Margaret are going to see clear as day how much I want you.”

Cas grabbed Sam's ass with both hands, “As it should be, I Sam.”

“I wish, but they have no clue I like guys as well as women.”

“What?! How did you keep that under wraps?”

Sam shrugged, “I knew by twelve that I was different, but it wasn't till I was in medical school that I was honest with myself. I had a couple girlfriends growing up and felt enough passion with them to make the lie of being straight plausible. Had it not been the attraction I felt for Professor Arthur Ketch, I might have even married the woman that my father had picked out for me. A daughter of one of his business partners.”

“What was her name?”

“Lilith Hess. Mom can't stand her or her mother, Delores, but they still pay her visits every now and then, hoping to land me.”

Cas growled, “Well, your ass is off the market as of right now.”

“Oh yeah? So are you laying a claim to me, Mr. Novak?”

Sam watched as Cas moved lower and branded his inner thigh with a hickey. “Fuck!”

“There…marked and all mine.”

The oval patch of skin rapidly changed color to a purplish red, and Sam loved it! He wanted…no, needed to do the same to Cas. He perused all the available options and decided on the space right above Cas's right nipple.

“Fuck me!” Cas exclaimed as Sam latched on and didn't stop until a deep purple mark showed.

Sam traced the hickey with his thumb and growled, “Perfection.”

Seconds later, Sam found himself shoved off the bed and fell hard to the floor. His poor ass took the brunt of the contact, and as Sam rubbed the sore spot, he glared upward, “What the fuck, Cas?”

Cas smirked down at him, “Well, you did tell me to push you off the mattress earlier. Now go wash quickly in the tub so we can get to your place before your mom files a missing person report.”

“Aye, aye, sir.” Sam got to his feet and was almost out the door when he turned to ask, “Want to join me?”

With a raised eyebrow and a tilt of the head, Cas smirked, “Now who is embodying Satan, I Sam?! Get going, or I won't let you steal me away to that forest spot you mentioned.”

Yeah, getting Cas against a tree was worth far more than a few quick moments while taking a bath together. “I still claim a spot on our to-do list for naked-fun-time in your tub.”

“Oh hell yes.”

Sam had a comical walk to the bathroom with his pants dragging around his ankles. The reason the garment was not in its proper place made his hand feel awfully empty but had him grinning big.

Knowing he had a fifty-minute drive home, Sam hurried through stripping and doing a quick cleanse with the bar of Ivory soap. A few splashes later, he felt clean enough to get out of the tub and dry off. He hadn't messed with washing his hair because driving with a wet head was not fun. Yeah, the car had a cloth top, but the wind would always find ways inside.

And after all he and Cas had done together, there seemed no reason for modesty anymore, which was why a naked Sam just carried his clothes back to Cas's room. That the hungry gaze of those sexy eyes traveled slowly up and down his body…well, that was definitely a bonus.

The blue was almost all black by the time Cas moved over behind Sam and pressed against his damp backside. “Fuck! You make me feel like a sex fiend. I swear I am not normally this animalistic. There is just something about you, Sam Wesson, that makes me wish I was a vampire from Bram Stokers's Dracula. I have a serious urge to sink my damn teeth into your neck as I fuck you from behind.”

Sam let his hands move backward to wrap around Cas's waist. “I'd gladly let you suck me dry, Count Castiel.”

With a growl, Cas's canine teeth dragged up Sam's tempting neck but only softly latched on since it was sadly not a hickey safe zone. Even still, it was so fuckn' hot, and they both were more than ready to say yes if the other asked.

Sam reluctantly let go of Cas's warm body and stepped away. “Fuck, I think we are both Lucifer.” He turned around and leaned once more toward Cas to place a kiss on those tempting lips. “For my own sanity, I'm going to start heading to the house while you get ready. I can't wait to show you my home.”

Cas grabbed Sam's face in one hand and tilted it up to place a kiss on the neck in the same spot bitten earlier. “Mhmm, one of these days, I Sam.”

“Any of these days, Cas.”

The air between and around them was zinging with electricity, especially when Cas helped Sam slowly get redressed. After one more kiss, Sam reluctantly left, and with each step taken, it felt like a giant magnet was trying to yank him back to Cas. The ache in Sam's chest was even more painful when he snuck out the back door and walked the three blocks to his car.

The quietness of the drive home was very weird as well. Sam wished the car had a Victrola in it, so he could have some music to focus on. He couldn't imagine how they could make one that small, though, and a regular-sized player would make the car too heavy to drive. Such a shame.

The importance of staying focused while driving was put to the test when replays of moments with Cas kept trying to sneak into Sam's head. It didn't help that there weren't many cars on the road and that the ride was so mind-numbingly long. He only swerved out of his lane once when he had shifted in his seat, and the hickey Cas had sucked into his inner thigh started to ache.

Sam was so thankful when he was able to turn into his long driveway and safely put the car in park. He had seen too many bloodied and broken patients in his operating room who had not taken the responsibility of driving seriously.

“Where have you been?!” Eliza called out from her wheelchair on the front porch as soon as Sam got in sight.

“It was a crazy night at the hospital, and I had to drive Eileen home after our shifts ended,” Sam lied, hoping it sounded convincing.

With a hawk-eyed stare, Eliza searched Sam for signs of naughtiness and luckily found nothing. He let out a lungful of air that he hadn't known he was holding, “If it happens again, I promise to call you and let you know.”

He placed a soft kiss on her cheek before moving around to push her back into the house.

“So when is the landscaper supposed to arrive?” Eliza asked as they made their way to the living room.

“Should be here in about thirty minutes.” Sam lifted her out of the chair and carefully sat her on the sofa. “I can't wait for you to meet, Castiel. Such a smart, handy man. He did a great job around the hospital.”

Behind the sofa, curtains framed each side of the open window allowing Eliza a clear view of the unruly yard. “I can't wait to see the outside returned to its full glory. I know your father will be smiling down from heaven seeing it being taken care of.”

“Indeed he would.” Sam gulped down a sudden flood of loss. “So odd how many years have passed since the accident. Even now, it seems as if he would be walking into the living room.”

Eliza reached for the necklace she had on which Charlie had recovered. “I will miss him for the rest of my life. My only solace is meeting him again in heaven once God calls me home.”

Sam didn't want to think about not having his mom around. “Well, I hope that isn't for quite some time.”

She clasped his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze, “I keep telling God to let me remain on earth just long enough to see you happy and married to someone who loves you as much as I do.”

Cas's face was the first thing Sam saw, and he gushed. If only it was that easy for two men to marry. The way society was now, it would take centuries before love could simply be love, and anyone who wanted to could make a legal vow. Even still, Sam couldn't help imagining Cas coming down the aisle dressed in a white gown.

Unbeknownst to him, Sam's face was split in two by the biggest smile ever. His mom noticed, though, and assumed he was thinking of Eileen. “You really like her, don't you?”

The smile faltered for a second before Sam got control again. If not for Cas, maybe something could have actually happened with Eileen. She was so easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor. “I really do like her. And on top of being a wonderful human being, she is an excellent nurse.”

Hope showed in Eliza's eyes, “So might there be grand-babies in my near future?”

Once again, Sam saw Cas first at that thought, holding a blond-hair, blue-eyed baby girl. Ugh! It was mean how biology only let women create life. Sam would love to see Cas with a big round belly filled with their child and maybe get to enjoy some breastmilk fun as well.

He was so lost in his daydream that he never answered his mom's question. She took this as a good sign, though, thinking Sam was deep in thought over Eileen. “I'll assume that's a yes. Just not before a wedding, please.”

Sam came back out of his head at that, “Yes, ma'am.”

And as he looked out the window, Sam saw an auto buggy parked next to his car.

Cas was here!

Cas was about to be in the house!

Sam was buzzing with anticipation as the sound of the doorbell echoed into the room.

He had to make himself stand still and wait for Margaret to get the door. And when Cas and Charlie followed the housekeeper into the room, Sam had to dig his nails into his palm to keep from running over to them.

Cas looked so casual with Charlie perched on a shoulder, and the crow seemed right at home there too.

Eliza noticed and took it as a good sign about the landscaper. If Charlie felt so comfortable with the man, then this Castiel had to be a decent human being. “Welcome to our home, young man. I see you've met our adorable greeter.”

“Oh yes, ma'am. Mr. Charlie and I are already fast friends from his time at the hospital.”

The grin that made Sam's knees weak was sent then to his mom as Cas gave Charlie some neck scritches. The bird was in heaven and leaned into Cas's fingers. Sam totally understood that feeling and was a bit jealous.

“So you think you can work some magic on our garden, Castiel?”

“I look forward to it, Mrs. Wesson. I hope I can make it half as beautiful as I'm sure you had it when you were able to work on it.”

Charlie hopped off Cas's shoulder and flew over to Eliza's lap. She kissed the black-feathered head as the love for the crow showed clearly in her eyes, “Well, at least my legs are good for a resting area for this fella.”

As she played with Charlie, a small moment of eye contact happened between Sam and Cas. It might only have been a few seconds, but it was enough. Sam kept his voice as calm as possible as he said, “Let me show you around the yard, Mr. Novak.”

Cas was also trying hard to act normal, “Oh, thank you, Sam. I'd appreciate that.”

They headed towards the doorway and had to work hard not to have their arms press together. Sam ached to touch Cas and get some alone time.

“Make sure you come back here before you leave, Castiel,” Eliza called out. “I'll have Margaret make us some tea and cookies.”

Cas turned around and bowed in her direction, “I'd be honored, ma'am. Thank you.”

As Sam and Cas headed down the porch stairs, a very fancy 1908 Model I Lozier pulled up next to Cas's auto buggy. Sam grimaced as he saw the two female passengers in the backseat. He turned to Cas, “Remember that woman my dad wanted me to marry?”

“Lilith? Is that her?” Cas asked, watching the high-maintenance blond exit the car.

“Unfortunately, yes. And the older woman is her mom, Delores Hess.” Sam had a hard time saying her name without frowning. “The woman is evil personified. She spoils Lilith in ways that have ruined any chance for normalcy.”

A fake smile was plastered on Sam's face as the two women came closer. “Mrs. Hess. Lilith. What a pleasure seeing you today. Mom's in the living room, and I'm sure she will be delighted to see you.”

Delores cast a curious glance over to Cas before smiling at Sam. “I do hope we will get your lovely presence at lunch, Samuel. I'm sure Lilith would love to have someone her age to keep her company.”

Sam took Lilith's hand in his and placed a kiss on it. “Sadly, I have to show our new gardener around, or I'd be glad to enjoy a meal with you.”

A scowl turned the young woman's red lips ugly. Lilith turned to her mother, and they shared a look. In a huff, the women swept past Sam and Cas and stormed into the house.

“Well damn.” Cas stared at the now empty doorway with disgust. “How could your dad have ever thought that family was one you should join?”

“Right?! I never saw it either.”

Sam walked Cas to the tool shed then, and the second they were inside the small nine-by-nine-foot structure, Cas grabbed him and slammed Sam against the nearest wall.

“I've been wanting this ever since walking in the living room!” Cas kissed Sam with such hunger it had them both hard in seconds.

Knowing they could get away with a few kisses close to the house, but nothing more, they eventually broke apart.

Sam licked his lips, “Well, helllllllllooooo, Mr. Novak. Now that was the welcome I would have liked to receive earlier. It was so hard not to touch you.”

“Agreed. I felt like everything we ever did was written on my face for your mom to read.”

Sam was about to initiate another kiss when they heard footsteps coming closer to the shed and quickly moved far apart.

It was only Margaret who poked her head into the structure. “Sam, your mom could really use your help dealing with the Hess women. They never call ahead of time and expect a full meal too. I wish your mom would just tell them off once and for all.”

“That would be lovely to see,” Sam said with a sigh. He didn't want to lose any time with Cas and especially didn't want to spend a second with those two mean women. But…sigh…if his mom sent Margaret out, it must be pretty bad. “I'll be up shortly after I discuss with Cas what we are looking to do in the yard.”

The relief in the housekeeper's eyes said it all. “Thank you, Sam. I'll make sure you get the largest piece of chocolate cake.”

Sam watched her walk back to the house before turning to frown at Cas. “I am so sorry about this. I hate that I have to miss one second of your company.”

That earned him another kiss and a hand rubbing below. “Mhmm, your mouth sure can say sweet things, I Sam.”

“Not only, though.” Sam cupped Cas's ass and brought their lower halves together. “I can be downright dirty when allowed.”

“And I look forward to finding this out later, Mr. Wesson.” Cas kissed the same spot on Sam's neck from earlier that morning. “Now go be a good son and rescue your mom from those evil bitches.”

“Are you going to work on the main garden area today?”

“I was planning to…why?”

A soft blush washed over Sam's face, “I might need to see you out the window while dealing with them.”

“Fuck! That is hotter than I would've ever expected.” Cas quickly shut the shed door and sauntered closer and closer to Sam. “Do you trust me?”

More turned on than afraid, Sam gulped. “Yes.”

In a flash, he was twisted and thrust face-first into the wall, allowing Cas to grind against Sam's backside. Warm lips rested against his ear then, “I'm going to give you a clear way to keep me on your mind.”

Cas's warm fingers slid down Sam's stomach to the waistband of his pants and methodically undid the button and zipper. As the material fell to the ground, the fear of getting caught heightened the carnality of it all.

With each gasp of breath, Sam's lungs were filled with wood-scented air. He didn't think Cas had meant to actually do any inserting, but at that moment, Sam was hard as a rock and wouldn't have said no.

And then kisses were placed on his nape and followed a straight line down his spine until coming to a stop in the middle of Sam's left butt cheek.

“Bite your lips, I Sam, so you don't scream,” Cas commanded.

Sam did so until he tasted blood and was glad he had because, seconds later, Cas's mouth latched on. It was too much, though, and caused Sam to cry out, “Fuck! Oh, fuck!”

For almost a whole damn minute, it continued with some wicked pressure of teeth as well. Sam was worried he'd lose it and have to head into the house with cum stains on his pants. And when Cas released the one cheek only to do the same to the other…Sam had to do everything in his power not to fall off the edge of orgasm.

Grandmother naked on the porch swing without her teeth…a slug crawling across the rubbish pile…a putrid sore on Mrs. Thompson's shoulder! Sam focused on the minute details of cleaning that sore, and thankfully…or not…he stayed in control till Cas stopped.

He leaned against the shed wall as his pants were pulled back up. Sam winced as the rough denim touched both hickeys and realized that had been Cas's diabolical plan. Now every time he sat down, he wouldn't be able to think of anything but Cas and that evil mouth.

“Lucifer indeed!” Sam said as he turned around and caught the proud look in those blue eyes.

Cas maniacally laughed, “I could probably teach him a few things. Especially when it comes to you, I Sam.”

“Ugh! I have to go. I'll come back out as soon as they leave.” Sam quickly kissed Cas's cheek before opening the shed door.

A warm palm took advantage of Sam leaving and landed with a smack against the left hickey.

“Fuck!” Sam was in heaven and hell at the pleasure-pain that Cas's hand caused.

“See you soon, Sam,” Cas teased while now softly rubbing the same cheek.

“Brat.”

“You know it!”

That Sam was grinning ear to ear as he walked to the house was beyond his control. He had never been so content and happy as he was at that moment.

Some of that fizzled when he walked into the living room and remembered what awaited him. And to make it worse, his mother had Margaret move her to the tuxedo-black Steinway grand piano, so now the only free seat for Sam was on the sofa with Lilith.

He tried to focus on the song his mother was playing, but when Lilith's hand slid onto Sam's thigh, it took everything in him not to pull away. At least as the music continued, he wasn't expected to make conversation.

It took a few more minutes, though, until Sam realized what piece his mom had chosen to play. It was the same damn song he had listened to that first night at Cas'. The Chopin's Nocturne in C sharp minor coming from the piano sounded just a good if not better than the orchestra version on the Victrola.

Sam's mom had always loved playing, and ever since he could sit on the bench, Sam had been taught by her to have a similar passion. Had she just sent him off to a piano teacher, it might not have stuck, but it was hard not to catch the same bug when joy radiated from his mom with each note.

After the accident and his father's death, Sam would often wake up to the sound of his mom playing. The doctors could do all the physical therapy for her body, but it was the piano that had healed her soul.

As the last note faded away, Eliza turned to smile at the others. Sam could tell it was the first moment she noticed he had come into the room. She sent him a small thankful grin, letting him know she hated having to bother him but that she was grateful he had come.

When Eliza noticed Lilith's hand on Sam's thigh, though, she decided to help him out. “Son, how about you show our guest your own skills at the piano.”

Sam jumped up so fast that Lilith slid into the now empty space on the sofa. Her nose flared with suppressed annoyance for a second before a smile hid it all.

He purposefully carried his mom back to the sofa to thwart any need to share the space with Miss Hess afterward. As Sam was walking back to the Steinway piano, Charlie flew through the opened window and landed on the back of the sofa.

The scream that came from Lilith was so loud it scared the poor crow. Charlie took to flight in a circle over their heads as Lilith and Mrs. Hess ran to the far corner to get away.

Delores yelled, “Sam find a broom and whack that hideous thing. This is why we had screens put on all our windows so nothing like that can get into the house.”

Sam didn't stand up to get anything but instead just whistled and waited till Charlie landed on his shoulder. “His name is Charlie, and he isn't hideous. Lilith just scared him when she screamed.”

Eliza was amused by the sight of the two women cowering in the corner and outraged over them wanting to harm her Charlie. “Do come back and sit down, ladies. He really is a sweetheart.”

Lilith and Delores carefully edged back to their seats but never took their eyes off the black bird.

Sam fought the urge to roll his eyes at their ridiculous behavior and turned back to the piano. He took a few minutes to think of what to play and decided on a fitting piece. The 1909 song Old Crow Rag was from the composer George Botsford and was quite a fun arrangement to play.

Even Charlie was enjoying it and hopped off Sam's shoulder and, to Eliza's delight, started strutting in time to the tune on the lid of the grand piano.

The fast-paced song had Sam's full attention, so much so that he never noticed Cas standing near the doorway to the living room. It was almost two minutes later when he did, and his fingers hit a wrong chord for the first time.

Now no one but Sam could see Cas due to the piano being near the entrance, so when he went from the snappy song to a slightly slower one, the others didn't think anything of it.

Just as with all the first edition books he bought his mom, Sam also picked up newly published sheet music. Let Me Call You Sweetheart was one of those brand new pieces and had only come out in April of that year.

The song was about love, and even though it was too soon to call what he had with Cas love, Sam cared deeply for the beautiful man. Oh, how he wished he had the balls to sing the lyrics, but at least he added them in his head.

I am dreaming Dear of you, day by day
.

Dreaming when the skies are blue, when they're gray;


When the silvery moonlight gleams, still I wander on in dreams,


In a land of love, it seems, just with you.

Let me call you "Sweetheart," I'm in love with you.


Let me hear you whisper that you love me too.


Keep the love-light glowing in your eyes so true.


Let me call you "Sweetheart," I'm in love with you.

Longing for you all the while, more and more.


Longing for the sunny smile, I adore
.

Birds are singing far and near, roses blooming everywhere.


You, alone, my heart can cheer; you, just you.

Let me call you "Sweetheart," I'm in love with you.


Let me hear you whisper that you love me too.


Keep the love-light glowing in your eyes so true.


Let me call you "Sweetheart," I'm in love with you.

Thankfully he had played the song many times for his mom and had it memorized so he could pretend to stare off into space while he actually kept eye contact with Cas till the last note sounded.

“Oh, Sam, I've never heard you play it like that before. I simply adored every second.”

Sam regretfully broke the stare with Cas to turn and smile at his teary-eyed mom, “I just really felt it today for some reason.”

Thinking Sam meant Lilith, Delores sent her daughter a smug look and urged the girl to sit next to Sam on the piano bench.

“I never heard that song before, Samuel. What is it called?”

Sam looked to the spot Cas had been standing but saw only empty space. It made him feel sad even though it was for the best since Lilith could now see over there. Charlie seemed to sense this and hopped on Sam's shoulder for a cuddle. “Umm…it's a brand new song called Let Me Call You Sweetheart.”

“I'll have to get Father to purchase a copy of it for me.”

When Lilith's hand slid around his arm, Sam fought the urge to cringe. He plastered on his best smile and was about to ask her what song she would like him to play when Margaret walked in announcing lunch was ready.

Sam gladly stood up and walked over to the window as if to set Charlie loose outside, but of course, it was more to see if Cas had gone out there. The sight of the dark-haired adonis minus a shirt was not something Sam had prepared for, and suddenly it was harder to breathe. The way the sun glistened off the tan skin was pure sin and made Sam want to follow the beads of sweat on their path downward.

“What are you looking at?” Lilith asked as she came over to investigate. When she saw the half-dressed man out in the garden, she frowned. “Isn't that the man you were with when we arrived? How dare he be in public view without a shirt on.”

Delores Hess walked over to the window and gasped in similar horror when she noticed the purple mark on Cas's chest, “Dear Lord, is that a hickey on his chest?! That is so barbaric and completely uncouth. I think you were hoodwinked into hiring that savage degenerate for a gardener, Eliza.”

Sam felt so bad for bringing this kind of attention to Cas. He hated how blown up the Hess women were making things. For goodness sake, it was hotter than hades outside, and why wouldn't Cas take off the shirt or have a hickey? Sam had often gone bare-chested when working in the yard. Besides, it wasn't like they lived in town with neighbors anywhere nearby.

Eliza felt the same way and had just enough of the rudeness from her two unwelcomed guests. “As I am sure neither one of you have ever picked up a shovel in your life, you wouldn't understand how much work goes into making a garden beautiful. If the man needs to take off his shirt, so be it. If your poor sensibilities are bothered by what you see…well, stop looking.”

The two Hess women gawked at the unheard-of-rebuke from the normally mild-mannered Eliza.

Once the shock wore off, the indignity of it had Delores's mouth contort into a sneer. “Oh, I see how it is, Eliza. A few hours in the garden and then rest of it in your bed.”

Sam would have laughed at the very idea had his mom not beat him to it.

As soon as the burst of mirth ended, though, Eliza sent the coldest look Delores's way. “Unlike you, I love my husband and have no desire to EVER be with anyone besides him. And yet, if I was so blessed to catch the eye of a wonderful man such as Castiel, I would be a very lucky lady indeed. Now, I think it is time for you two to leave.”

Delores looked murderous at being told to go. “Come along, Lilith, we have better things to do than being so mistreated.”

The blond looked at Sam, expecting him to be sad that she had to leave but only saw a relieved smile. Her beauty faded into an almost demonic fury at the slight. “I should have known better than to waste my time on someone so base and below me.”

Seconds later, the front door was slammed so hard behind the women that the walls in the living room shook. Eliza turned to Margaret with a playful twinkle, “Well, now I might be able to stomach the delicious lunch you prepared.”

The housekeeper smiled back, “It was a long time coming, Miss Eliza.”

Sam nodded in agreement, “I'm glad I won't have to deal with Lilith again.”

Eliza looked out the window at the two women stomping to their car and the poor driver trying to placate them. “I normally agreed with your father on most everything, but I often questioned him about picking that woman for you.”

Charlie then hopped from Sam's shoulder onto Eliza's lap and received some much-deserved neck scritches. “Such a good boy…yes, you are. Are you hungry, Charlie?”

They all laughed when it seemed as if the crow nodded.

“Okay, Margaret, you heard him. I think Charlie deserves one of the newly unclaimed plates of food.” Eliza looked over at Sam then, “Do you mind if we just have lunch in here now?”

Sam was all for it, especially since he'd be able to enjoy the gorgeous view of Cas working in the garden. “Maybe I'll take the other plate to Cas when we're done. I'm sure he'll be happy for something to eat.”

“Oh, how wonderful,” Margaret said at Sam's idea. “I always hate when we have to waste food. So it makes me very happy to know it will get used.” She headed out of the room then to get the food and wrap up one of the plates for Cas.

Sam had never eaten as quickly as he did when Margaret returned and handed him his lunch. It was so hard to act casual and not just shovel it all down to get out to see half-naked Cas in person. Sam squirmed, and the painful ache of the two ass-hickeys almost caused the plate of chocolate cake to fall off his lap.

Thankfully his mom was focused on feeding Charlie and didn't notice Sam's restlessness. As soon as the last forkful was in his mouth, Sam got up to leave, “I'm going to get Cas's food now and take it out to him. Do you want me to bring you anything back from the kitchen?”

Eliza just shook her head no, “I have everything I need right here. Make sure you get him some of the cold tea from the icebox. The poor man must be so hot working in this humidity.”

Sam headed to the kitchen expecting to find Margaret, but it was empty. He unwrapped the plate on the counter and was glad it was still warm. Sam searched for a serving tray and placed the food and a glass of ice tea on it. He then thought Cas might also like to have a jug of water, so he went to fill one up in the sink.

When he headed to the front door with the heavy tray, Margaret was just coming down the stairs and opened the door for him. “Bless you, m'lady,” he said as he carefully walked past her onto the porch.

The door was shut behind him, so Sam was able to stand there and stare a bit. Cas already had the main part of the garden weeded and was now trimming up the unruly plants. Sam was salivating at the tautness of the muscles in Cas's thighs as the sexy gardener squatted down in front of a rose bush.

The delicious round curve of Cas's ass begged for Sam to grab hold, and…fuck! He was in so much trouble.

To hide the erection straining at his zipper, Sam carried the full tray a bit lower. His cock only got even achier when Cas noticed him and sent the biggest grin Sam's way.

“Hello, handsome. Is all that for me?”

Sam could only nod as he quickly held out the tray and almost caused the glass of ice tea to tip over.

With Sam blocking the view from the living room, Cas reached out as if to take the tray but slid a hand underneath instead. “Is this for me as well, I Sam?”

The tray almost dropped at the unexpected touch, but Sam had been able to save it by holding it higher against his stomach. “Uh-huh.”

Something akin to wickedness glimmered in those blue eyes as Cas leaned closer and asked, “Do you have a hose for me to use, Mr. Wesson?”

A hose indeed. Sam didn't care what nickname was given to his cock as long as Cas was willing to let it water more than just a garden. “It's all yours, Mr. Novak.”

The fingers rubbing Sam's cock continued as Cas's other hand took the ice tea off the tray. Knowing perfectly well what it looked like, Cas slowly lifted the sweaty glass up and then gulped down all the liquid.

Sam was just mesmerized by those pink lips clinging to the edge of the glass and then opening to let the ice tea slide inside. He watched as Cas's throat undulated with each gulp and imagined those muscles doing the same for other reasons. Memories of the under-table blow job flooded back into Sam's brain, and he could almost feel the heat of Cas's mouth around his cock.

At that moment, he forgot he was holding the tray, and his hands loosened just enough that it toppled, spilling all its contents. The plate cracked in half as the food splashed around like rain. Then the ceramic jug of water also met its demise when it slammed into the hard ground and broke into a million wet shards. Luckily the tray stayed intact as it only hit a corner and bounced a foot away before wobbling to a stop.

Sam was mortified. He was acting like a teenager with a first crush and not a grown-ass man who was a doctor at a major hospital! He felt even worse when he saw a gash on Cas's forearm that had been under the tray when everything had happened. “Oh hell, Cas, I'm so sorry. Let me look at that.”

“It's not that bad.” Cas set the empty glass of ice tea on the fallen tray before sending a quick glance to the bloodied arm, “I barely even felt anything till you said it.”

Sam took hold of Cas's arm and lifted it up for a closer inspection. The cut wasn't horrible but would require a few stitches. Sam fought the urge to kiss it better and instead grabbed the cloth napkin from the ground and held it against the wound. “Come inside, and I'll have you sewn up in no time. Then I'll get Margaret to replace the lunch I dropped too.”

They left the mess of broken things for a later pick-up and headed inside. Sam led Cas to the living room and forced the wounded man to sit on the piano bench.

Eliza was worried when she saw the bloodied napkin, “Are you okay? What happened?”

Sam blushed as he fibbed a bit, “I wasn't watching where I was going and tripped on a rock. The tray with Cas's lunch and some drinks dropped, and a shard of the water jug sliced Cas's arm.”

Charlie flew from Eliza's lap over to Cas's shoulder and looked down at the minor injury as if trying to assess what could be done. Sam gave the concerned bird some scritches, “Watch over him, Charlie, while I go get my bag.”

The white napkin was turning redder when Sam returned with his supplies. He set the bag on the top of the piano and dug out a spool of sterilized catgut thread and a needle. A candle was lit to heat up the tip of the needle before threading the catgut through the eye. Without morphine to numb the pain or iodine to clean the wound, Sam had to improvise. He grabbed a bottle of 1901 Boundary Oak Blackhorse Whiskey and his mom's empty lunch plate.

The bloody napkin was removed and the damaged arm held over the plate. Sam sent an apologetic look to Cas and said, “This might sting.”

Trying not to curse in front of Sam's mom, Cas fought the pain of the alcohol hitting the open flesh. “Oh fuc…fun times! Holy Hel…Heaven! That was worse than the actual cut!”

Sam handed the bottle over, “You might want to take a few swigs of it too since the stitches are going to hurt even more.”

Cas did as told and then handed the whiskey back to Sam. The bottle and plate were then placed on the ground as Sam sat on the piano bench facing Cas. And as much as resting the damaged arm on his thigh was to stabilize the limb so it wouldn't shift, there was a sliver of sensuality with the feel of Cas's arm on the denim-covered skin.

The sexual tension just crackled in the air even though neither of the two men noticed.

Eliza did, though.

She sat on the sofa and watched their heads lean close together as Sam started the first push of the needle through Cas's flesh. Saw Sam's thumb rub softly in comfort when Cas gasped from the pain. Saw how their knees pressed together and their legs entwined without any awkwardness of strangers. There was an intimacy that she almost felt guilty for watching.

Was Sam a homosexual? If so, had he lied to her about dating Eileen? Why? Why wouldn't he just tell her? Did he think she would treat him differently? Were Cas and Sam together? If so, for how long? Those and so many other questions flew around Eliza's head while Sam finished stitching up Cas's arm.

Some more of the whiskey was poured over the wound before Sam dried it with the napkin. “There you go, kind sir. Good as new.”

Cas waved the stitched arm around, “I should still be able to work with this. Thanks, I Sam.”

Sam glanced at his mom after Cas's use of the nickname. She didn't seem shocked or curious, so he chose not to worry. Instead, he focused on re-sterilizing the needle and putting everything back in his bag. “I'll go find Margaret about your lunch now.”

Charlie hopped onto the piano from Cas's shoulder when Sam stood up to leave. The crow flew over to Eliza then and settled back on her lap.

She grinned down at the adorable bird, “You are so much better than any dog or cat.”

Cas smiled at them from the piano bench, “Oh, I definitely agree with that statement, Mrs. Wesson.”

“Do you have any pets, Castiel?”

“I had a stray cat come to my house every now and then, but I think someone took it in since I haven't seen it in weeks. With how much I work, it wouldn't be fair to leave an animal alone so long.”

Eliza pointed to the piano then, “Do you play any instruments? I love playing the piano and taught Sam everything he knows.”

“I heard him play earlier when I came in to use the restroom.” Cas turned toward the piano then and stroked the keys. “My mom was in the theater most of my life, and there was always music. She would teach me duets, and we would enjoy nights staying behind after a play and using the piano.”

Hearing Cas talking about his mother made Eliza like him even more. “So, what was your favorite four-hand piece to play?”

The corners of Cas's mouth lifted up in a soft smile, “Oh, I always had fun playing Emmanuel Chabrier's Souvenirs de Munich.”

Eliza knew that well and had taught Sam how to play it. “When my son returns, you two must play it for me. Are you better on top or the bottom?”

Blue eyes bugged out at that even though Cas realized she had meant the position on the piano and nothing more. “I can do both.”

“So can Sam.”

“What can I do?” Sam asked, walking back into the room with a plate of food for Cas.

Cas just grinned up at him, “Oh, your mom and I were talking about how you are good on the top and bottom. And how well you can switch to either when needed.”

Sam gulped, “Uh, excuse me?”

Eliza was oblivious to all the double entendres as she waved a hand in the air, “I think you would do best with this as the bottom.”

Both men couldn't help but giggle.

Cas just smirked, “I knew it. I guess I'll have to man up and be the top.”

Sam was sure he must have sucked in too many alcohol fumes and was drunk. “Can someone please explain what's going on? I am so lost.”

“When you left, we were talking about playing piano, and Cas mentioned that his mom had taught him how to play.” Eliza stroked Charlie's soft wing, “He told me his favorite piece was a four-hand from Chabrier.”

This was interesting news. As if Cas wasn't amazing enough…now Sam had to add piano maestro to the list. He set the plate of food on the piano's closed lid and asked, “Which one?”

“Souvenirs de Munich.”

“Impressive.”

Cas patted the piano bench, “I might be damaged, but I can still play just fine. Hop on, Sam.”

“I haven't done this in such a long time, I'm afraid I might be rusty.” Sam hadn't said it, meaning anything more than actual four-hand piano playing but had to chuckle when he heard how it sounded.

Cas was just beaming ear to ear, “That's okay, Sam. I promise to be gentle. In one…two…three…”

The room was filled with overlapping ribbons of melody as their hands flew over the keys and played in perfect sync. It wasn't hard to fall into the simple joy of the duet and fade off into their own world.

Eliza sat with Charlie on the sofa, transfixed not only by the beautiful music but by how well the two men worked together. She found herself smiling as they swayed almost in unison and tried to out flare the other. It was like one soul divided into two bodies, and she felt goosebumps flood her arms. They were glorious.

For the next eight minutes, the room was buzzing with electricity and pure joy. Even Charlie sat the stillest Eliza had ever seen on her lap. And when the piece was done, the two men laughed and congratulated each other.

She didn't want it to end, so she asked, “Cas do you know Schubert's Fantasie in F Minor?”

“Of course, love it.” Cas gave Sam a challenging wink, “Think you can keep up with me?”

“This time, I want to be on top,” Sam teased.

Cas stood up and pressed against the piano but didn't move away from the bench. “Well, have at it. Slide over.”

Sam's knees brushed the back of Cas's legs as he did as told. “Sit down, and let me show you how well I can top.”

“We shall see.” Cas took Sam's old spot and got in position. “Ready?”

“Bring it!”

The second their fingers hit the first notes, the two men were once again lost in competition and the music. They knew the song so well they were glaring at each other the whole time and never once looked down.

Eliza was so impressed at them both. It was already a tricky piece to play, let alone while not looking. By the end of the twenty minutes, she was in love with the notion of Sam and Cas. She loved how happy Sam looked and couldn't remember seeing him that joyful.

Charlie decided to get an even closer look and flew to the piano and perched on the edge of the lid to stare down at Sam and Cas's fingers.

As soon as the last note echoed from the piano, Sam was already asking, “You know Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D?”

Cas looked offended, “Do I know it? It was one of my mom's favorites. For this one, though, I insist on being the top.”

Sam laughed and stood up like Cas had done the last time, “Well then, get over here.”

And that was how it went for hours. The two guys just tried to one-up each other while Eliza and Charlie got to enjoy a concert. Around five o'clock, Margaret came in to announce supper, but Eliza just motioned her over to the sofa.

The song being played was Bach's Concerto for 2 Pianos in C-Major.

Margaret soon forgot all about the food getting cold in the dining room.

There was magic in the air, and the notes woven together by Sam and Cas were the spell's ingredients. The masterful magicians hadn't just enchanted the two women but Charlie as well. The crow had only left the room for a bathroom break in the nearby bush before flying right back to the piano.

It wasn't until the sky started getting dark that they realized how long they had been there. Margaret quickly moved around the room, lighting the oil lamps while muttering to herself about the pot roast drying out. She then took Cas's uneaten lunch plate back to the kitchen and worked on something new to replace dinner.

As Charlie flew out the window, Sam and Cas stood up and stretched their now aching arms and backs. Eliza was embarrassed but had to ask Sam to help her to her room real fast to use the bathroom. She never usually sat for that long without shifting to other spots in the room or her wheelchair.

And when everyone was re-settled, Margaret served up some cold ham and cheese sandwiches. After sharing so much through the music, a sense of camaraderie helped the conversation flow effortlessly.

The grandfather clock struck nine times when Cas finally stood up to leave. “I hate to go, but it's a long drive home. And since my lights aren't the brightest, it will take longer to get back to town. I just want to quickly pick up the broken things from earlier and water the plants before I go.”

Sam got up then too, “Cas, I'll pick everything up in the morning before work. Silly to try in the dark.”

“Okay, but I do still want to water the plants. Should have done it earlier, but that didn't happen.”

That was when something dawned on Sam. “Earlier in the garden, were you asking me if we owned a hose?”

Cas laughed, “Yes. I could tell you thought I was joking, so I didn't push it.”

No, more like rubbed it. Sam squirmed as he remembered. “Well, I actually just purchased one of those new Sphincter Grip Hoses.”

“The Hercules Brand? From over in London?” The landscaper in Cas was drooling over Sam having such an expensive hose. “Those things cost an arm and a leg, and that doesn't include the price to ship it over here!”

Sam forgot at times how most people couldn't just go out and buy whatever they wanted. He felt weird for having so much family money to do so. He never bought anything that wasn't needed, though. With the size of the yard, a hose was definitely a must and a necessary expense. “I saw an advertisement for it and made a call.”

“Want to go check it out?” Sam asked, already knowing the answer. “It works like a dream. Maybe one day, though, they will make something to stop the water flow when not in use. I've accidentally drenched myself many times.”

Before heading out with Sam, Cas walked over to the sofa and gave Eliza a hug. “Goodnight, sweet lady.”

She placed a kiss on Cas's cheek and smiled. “You made today one of the best days I've had in a long time, young man. Bless you for that, and make sure you drive home safely. Maybe Sam could even take you in his car. His lights are very bright.”

“Sure, I'd be happy to take you in my car,” Sam teased.

“Well, as long as you don't mind how dirty I am.” Cas lifted his arms as if to mean his messy clothes. “I wouldn't want to stain your seats.”

Sam loved the wordplay, “Well, that's what soap and water are for.”

“Okay. I accept. Now show me the hose.”

Crackle…sizzle…zing! The air once again was charged with lightning bolts sparking off the two men.

“Then it's settled,” Eliza said with a smile, oblivious to the double entendres behind Sam and Cas's words. “After you do the watering, Sam will drive you home, and you can leave your auto buggy here. I promise we won't keep you past sunset tomorrow.”

It had been easy to forget anyone else was in the room, but even more awkward when that other person was Sam's mom.

Sam broke eye contact with Cas and did his best to focus on her. “Since Charlie isn't back to keep you company, let me get Margaret to sit with you till I get home. Or do you want me to just take you to your room and help you get ready for bed now before I go?”

“I will be fine right here on my own. Margaret was only going to take care of the dishes.” Eliza glanced over to the open window. “Besides, I like waiting for Charlie to come back before heading to bed.”

Sam placed a kiss on his mom's cheek. “I promise to take Cas home and come right back. It should be an easy trip since most other drivers will be off the road this late at night.”

“Just don't rush and keep an eye out for deer.”

“Promise.”

As the two men walked out to the porch, Sam was excited to show Cas the hose set up. At the bottom of the steps was a panel that slid over to reveal the metal reel holding the hose. Another perk of too much money was the pretty modern water system running from a nearby creek to the house. Sam unraveled the long hose that would easily reach the main garden area and then opened the pipe to allow the water to flow out.

In under five seconds, water was coursing from the end of the hose, and Sam had to carefully hold it away not to get wet.

It was wild trying to walk in the dark, but they eventually got to the spot Cas had de-weeded earlier that day. They also had to be careful where they stepped so as not to get ceramic shards in the soles of their shoes.

Cas reached out for Sam to hand over the hose, but with how dark it was outside, Sam misjudged the location of Cas's hand. Cold water sprayed all over the front of Cas's shirt and pants. “Holy flying fuck! Are you trying to give me pneumonia, I Sam?!”

Sam was mortified, “I am so sorry! I told you it's crazy to control.”

“You should warn a guy when you are about to spray him with your hose,” Cas teased. “Which is why, Mr. Wesson, I'm telling you…to run.”

Suddenly Cas reached out and grabbed the hose from Sam's hands and drenched him.

Sam stood there freezing cold, just gawking at the laughing fiend. “Oh, it is so on!”

He tried to retake the hose back from Cas but slipped in a muddy patch and went splat! He used his sad plight to his advantage, though, by pretending to need a hand to get up. When Cas leaned over to help, Sam yanked hard and was soon not alone on the ground. He quickly took the hose away and got back up.

All this time, the water kept coming out of the hose and making a sloppy mess on the freshly weeded ground. Sam purposefully held the hose over Cas's crotch and laughed a bit too maniacally.

“Oh fuck! Shit! My stitches! I think I ripped them.” Cas was suddenly grabbing the cut arm and writhing in agony.

Sam felt like a horrible person since he had completely forgotten about the stitched arm. “Damn! I'm sorry, Cas.”

“It's…oh fuck…it's okay just help me up.” Cas held out the non-damaged arm for Sam to grab.

Being as gentle as possible while holding the hose away with his other hand, Sam helped Cas to stand. The poor guy was actually leaning on Sam to deal with the pain.

That was until Sam suddenly found himself minus the hose as Cas shoved the end down the back of Sam's shirt! Icy water poured over his spine and made his damn balls shrivel up and hide for warmth. “You fucker!”

Cas tried to run away but kept slipping on the wet ground. Sam did too, and after one last spray Cas's way, Sam wisely took the hose back to its home under the porch and turned off the water. Someone would have been seriously damaged had they continued.

Two very drenched, muddy men climbed into Sam's car next. They were freezing cold and about to be even more so when the wind hit them on the drive to Cas's place. But they were smiling and just too damn happy to care.

To keep warm, Cas cuddled as close as possible while still allowing Sam to safely operate the vehicle. They dried off fairly quickly, thanks to the warmth of the contact and the windy night. And when the lights in town started to speckle the horizon, they were able to move apart without contracting pneumonia.

Sam so wanted to stay at Cas's for a while and make out on the sofa, but he knew he had another fifty-minute drive back home and work in the morning. Oh, how he ached to lean over to the passenger seat and just kiss Cas. “I fuckn' hate this! A guy and a girl could sit in their car all night making out and maybe only get a slap on the wrist. We try it, and we risk jail time, getting beat up, or worse.”

Cas reached over to take Sam's hand. It was below sightline, so it seemed safe enough to do. “Hopefully, one day soon, it will be better. But thank you for an amazing day, I Sam. And thank you for working a shitty shift last night so you could be there today. I adore your house and had so much fun with your mom, Charlie, and Margaret. You are so lucky to have such a loving circle of people around you each day.”

Sam gave Cas's hand a squeeze, “I try very hard not to take it for granted. Thank you for knowing all those songs on the piano and making the day so damn fun. I haven't played that much in years!”

“It really was such a wonderful evening.” Cas's eyes got watery. “I wish my mom could have met you. She would have kidnapped you and loved you to bits.”

“How did she pass?”

“It was the weirdest thing. Mom was fine and was working on a set for an upcoming play and just dropped dead. The only thing that stuck out was she had complained of sharp pain around her temples, but that was it.” Cas starred off into the night sky as the sad memories all replayed. “I wouldn't wish it on anyone to have to find their loved one like that.”

A shiver ran up Sam's spine. He wished he could hug Cas, but it just wasn't safe. So instead, he squeezed Cas's hand. “I'm so sorry you had to deal with all that. I would have loved to have met her too. Can you imagine her and my mom on one piano and you and I on another?! We'd have so much fun.”

“Yeah, she would have loved doing that.”

They would have sat there longer, just prolonging the night, had the nosy neighbor across the way not peeked out of her living room curtains.

“And that's my cue,” Cas said with a sigh. “Night, I Sam. When should I expect you in the morning?”

“Umm…I'd say eight if that is okay. I have to get you back to the house and get ready for work by ten.”

“Eight it is.”

Sam watched as Cas got out and walked to the front door. He wanted to just stay the night so bad, but instead, he gripped the steering wheel as tight as he could. At least with how late it would be when he got home, eight o'clock wouldn't be too far away.

He waited until he saw the lights flicker on inside Cas's house before starting the trip back home. It was an easy ride since the roads were deserted, but he was tired when he finally pulled into the driveway and headed inside.

“Sam?!”

He walked to the living room and saw that his mom was still on the sofa petting Charlie. “Didn't Margaret come back?”

Eliza motioned for Sam to sit next to her. “Oh, she did, but I wanted to wait up for you.”

“Want me to carry you to your room?”

“In a little bit. I was actually wanting to talk to you about Eileen.”

Sam hated to lie, so he hoped she wouldn't ask too much. “Yes?”

“I want you to ask her over for dinner tomorrow if she isn't working.”

Jaw…floor…fuck! “Really?”

“Oh yes. I think it is high time I meet this amazing woman.”

Sam was so screwed. Did he confess the lie to his mom or lie more and say Eileen was working. “She really is a sweetheart, but I am not sure what her schedule is this week. I will check tomorrow when I head to the hospital.”

Eliza smiled, “Perfect. I'll have Margaret make some steak for supper. Try to call as soon as you know so we can prepare.”

Sam's smile was wobbly at best, “Sure.”

Charlie perched on Eliza's shoulder then as Sam lifted her up and carried her to her bedroom. With Margaret's help, she was settled snuggly under her comfortable blanket as Charlie slept on the pillow next to hers.

Eliza had enjoyed seeing Sam squirm a bit earlier when she had mentioned Eileen. She had decided that she needed to get Sam to open up about liking Cas. So she planned to also invite Cas for dinner. One of them was bound to slip up if she asked enough leading questions.

Life was too short to waste hiding. Every second she had had with her husband had been worth more than all the jewels in the world. She didn't want Sam missing out on a second of being with Cas because of thinking she'd oppose it. She might not fully understand, but she knew love was love no matter what body parts were involved. What she had witnessed tonight between Sam and Cas seemed just as strong as the love she still felt for her husband.

While Eliza drifted off to sleep, Chabrier's Souvenirs de Munich played on a loop in her head.

Chapter Text

Chapter Seven

As the sun rose on Tuesday, October 4^th, 1910, Sam was already awake for two reasons. One: he was excited about seeing Cas again, but two: He was nervous as fuck about having to talk to Eileen about dinner. She seemed very level-headed, so Sam was sure Eileen would understand, but what if she didn't appreciate being used as a fake girlfriend?

It was around seven o'clock when Sam started the drive to 2108 Vermont Street. It would be a tight morning having to get Cas to the house and then head back to the hospital by ten. All the complications were worth it, though, just to have more time with the sexy blue-eyed fiend.

And when he snuck onto the back porch, and the door opened up to reveal an almost naked Cas, Sam totally forgot all about the Eileen stuff…heck, he forgot everything!! Oh, how Sam's fingers ached to reach out and pull off the grey bath towel from around Cas's waist. “Good morning to me!”

“You're a bit early, I Sam. I only just got out of the tub.”

“Well then, apparently I was actually a bit too late,” Sam teased while imagining Cas in a steaming hot bubble bath.

They headed inside away from any possible prying eyes, and Sam followed Cas into the bedroom. He sat on the bed and admired the view as Cas nonchalantly dropped the bath towel. If they didn't have such a crazy schedule, Sam would've crawled over and had some uncut sausage for breakfast.

Sam pouted when pants and other articles of clothing soon covered Cas's naked form. “One of these days, we are going to hide away and just stay au naturel
all damn day.”

Cas came over and straddled Sam's lap, “You never did get my ass against a tree. We got distracted by besting each other on the piano.”

“Oh, to have the house to ourselves and do naughty things to you on that piano bench.”

“Like what, I Sam?”

“Mhmm, like me playing the piano while you straddled my lap and rode me till I filled you with cum.”

Cas started a nice slow rocking motion. “Does your mom ever go out on outings?”

“Not much. Ever since the car accident, she gets terrible headaches. She's always worried that we'll be stuck on the side of a road when one hits. As it is, she is usually in bed for days till the pain leaves.”

“Aww, poor lady,” Cas murmured while pressing kisses from Sam's neck to earlobe. “Headaches are horrible…I get them if I'm out in the heat too long.”

Sam placed a kiss on Cas's forehead, “Guess I just need to keep you locked inside. Remind me the next time we can get away together at the house to take you to the library and show you a secret passage.”

“Well, damn, I Sam!” Cas teased. “What would Margaret and Eliza say if they walked in and saw us naked in the library as you show me your…secret passage.”

This had Sam's whole body shaking with laughter and caused Cas to wobble around. “No…hahaha…not…hahaha…not MY secret passage. An actual secret passage behind the one bookshelf.”

Cas pretended to pout, “And here I thought I was going to get to fuck you against a wall of books.”

“No one said you couldn't,” Sam growled while imagining the shelves, full of first editions, rattling so much a few fell off. “The french doors do have shades and can be locked.”

“Mhmm, then that is a definite addition to our to-do list, I Sam. That and some naughty fun in this secret passage.”

Just the thought alone started off a round of kisses and roaming hands. They both knew how their time was short that morning, so they didn't let things go too far…but just barely.

Sam moaned as he reluctantly separated their lips. “Hell! If I didn't have to get to work, I think today would be the day we went the rest of the way.”

“You could call the hospital and pretend to be sick.”

“Get behind me, Satan,” Sam growled while playfully spanking Cas's backside. “Although, if I didn't have two surgeries, I might have actually called off.”

Cas stood up with a sigh, “Well, at least I'll get to see you when you come home. You can unwind with me down in those trees you always mention.”

A grimace contorted Sam's previously smiling lips, “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! I forgot!”

“What?”

“Mom cornered me last night about bringing Eileen home for dinner tonight. I don't remember if I told you, but I was using her as a ruse for the nights when I was out with you.”

Blue eyes twinkled with mischief and mirth, “Are you actually going to ask this Eileen to dinner? She might slap you across the face if you tell her everything.”

Sam just shook his head. “Nah. She is pretty down-to-earth. You would like her. I'm sure if I apologetically explain what happened, she would be okay.”

Cas then asked the elephant-in-the-room-question. “Even about dating me?”

“Hmm. True. I'm not sure how she feels about that.” Sam tried to think back to his conversations with Eileen, but they hadn't discussed anything serious, just general topics. “Well, I might have to lie a little bit, but I'll think of something plausible. Hate that I have to, though.”

“I know, but for now, it is better to be safe than fired.” Cas held out a hand to help Sam stand up. “Come on, I Sam. The day has to start so I can get your ass or mine against a lucky tree trunk after dinner.”

While Cas grabbed a few needed items, Sam waited by the back door. They then made a beeline for the car and started the fifty-minute drive to the Wesson House. Even though Sam was crunched for time and should be speeding, he just couldn't do it. Every extra second with Cas was so worth a lecture from his boss about being late.

And had Eliza not been sitting on the porch with Charlie when they pulled into the driveway, Sam would have been even later to work. During the drive, he had contemplated dragging Cas down to his favorite spot in the woods for a quick…or not so fast…kiss against a tree.

But alas, his mom and her bird were waiting, and Sam resigned himself to some Cas time later.

“Hello, boys,” Eliza said with a warm smile.

It was funny how both men walked up to her and placed a kiss on one of her cheeks. They had not planned to do it in sync, but it sure did make Eliza smile big.

“Now that was a wonderful hello.”

Sam was the one to push her wheelchair back into the house while Cas held the front door for them. Charlie just sat so daintily on her lap as if corvid royalty. Once in the living room, Charlie flew to Cas's shoulder when Sam transferred Eliza to the sofa.

Sadly, the chiming of the grandfather clock was a line in the sand for Sam. He still needed to get washed and ready to drive back to town for his shift. Sam never hated going to work as much as he did right now. The more time spent with Cas made any missed moments that much harder to bear. “Well, dear lovely people, I must bid you adieu.”

The want to march over to Cas and place a goodbye kiss on those sexy lips was painful to ignore, but somehow Sam was able to walk out of the room. He could feel a blue-eyed gaze on his back till he was out of sight.

It was like a red string now connected him to Cas, and no matter what he was doing while getting ready for work, Sam felt the tug. The pull only got tighter as he headed to the car and started driving to the hospital. Today's shift was going to feel like forever.

Back in the living room, Eliza was feeding Charlie some sunflower seeds as she looked out the window. Cas had left the room a few minutes after Sam disappeared upstairs, and when Sam had driven off, Eliza watched the gardener stop and stare at the man in the red car.

A smile tugged at her lips, as for the first time, Eliza felt Sam would be okay. “Oh Charlie, I can not wait till tonight when I get Sam to confess. I would love to see them together around the house more.”

As Sam passed Cas's house on the way to the hospital, he spotted Eileen and another woman walking a few blocks away. He watched as they suddenly ducked into a small, dark alley and…holy hell! Thankfully Sam was coming to a stop sign as he tried to process what he saw. Eileen and the mystery woman were kissing. Not passionately but with a familiarity that came from doing so many times before. As Sam watched the sweet kisses continue, he wondered if she was on the same team as himself and Cas?

The sudden loud honk of a car horn brought Sam out of his thoughts, and he found himself staring right into the scared gaze of Eileen. The car behind Sam's was getting annoyed that nothing was happening and honked again.

Sam's head was fuzzy as he started driving again. He would have to find Eileen during their shift and explain that he would not cause her any trouble because of what he had witnessed. She probably was freaking out, fearing that he'd report her to the higher-ups.

Maybe he should wait for her in the parking lot so she wouldn't have to worry. And that was exactly what he decided to do. The moment he saw Eileen, Sam made a beeline over to her.

The jovial happy nurse he had met the other night had been replaced with a frightened, frazzled woman. “Sam, let me explain what you saw…I…I was just…”

He held up a hand to stop her. “Eileen, it's okay. I didn't see anything but two beautiful human beings saying goodbye to each other.”

Tears spilled from her eyes, “Thank you, Sam. Not everyone would think the same.”

Sam looked around to make sure no one was around before leaning closer, “I understand…very much.”

Eileen beamed up at him, “Really? Oh, that is so wonderful! Most people don't know how hard it is to always have to hide parts of yourself.”

“It is so very hard!” Sam thought about his mom and dinner that night. It almost seemed like the universe was giving him the perfect opportunity to talk to Eileen about everything. He took out his pocket watch and saw he only had fifteen minutes till his shift started. That was definitely not enough time to explain things. Which was why he asked, “Would you like to eat lunch with me today?”

“That would be lovely, Sam.”

They made more specific arrangements as they headed into the hospital. Because they were so into their conversation, neither saw all the speculative glances sent their way from other nurses and doctors. By noon, word had spread that Dr. Wesson and Nurse Leahy were dating.

And when the two were spotted sitting out on the grounds eating lunch, the rumor seemed to gain more ground in reality. Then when they left together, and Sam offered to drive her home, everyone was smiling. Whispers of how cute they were together was the talk of the night shift staff.

Sam parked his car in a spot close to the entrance of Eileen's apartment building. He had meant to confess about everything during lunch but had chickened out. Instead, he had spent the time getting to know her better.

But now, as she got her things together to exit the car, Sam finally worked up all his courage. “Eileen, I have to make a confession.”

She laughed a bit, “Well, that sounds ominous and yet intriguing. Do tell.”

With both hands tightly gripping the steering wheel, Sam took a deep breath and began. “So, as I'm sure you can understand, it isn't easy to tell people that I also like men. Definitely not at the hospital, but especially tricky with my mom. I have recently met this amazing man, and we started hanging out, but I didn't want her to look at me differently. So…I…uhh…I fibbed about something to her.”

Eileen rubbed his shoulder with a knowing look. “Am I your imaginary girlfriend, Sam?”

He was amazed that she had guessed it. “Uhh…yeah.”

“I'm flattered.” She took his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “I don't know about you, but I've always been attracted to a person's insides more than specific body parts. I've had boyfriends that I loved with all my heart, as well as amazing girlfriends. The woman you saw me with was Celeste. I met her working in the hospital's cafeteria a few months ago, and we just clicked.”

Sam could see how much Eileen loved Celeste, and it made him think of Cas. “Yeah, I also met Cas at the hospital. He was the landscaper in charge of cutting down the dead trees. I saw him from the window of Mr. Singer's room and was instantly smitten.”

They were both grinning like idiots for a bit then until an older woman walked past the car and glared at them.

Eileen rolled her eyes at the old bitty. “Don't mind her. She is always outraged by anything outside her moral stance.” Turning back to Sam, she asked, “So how can I help you? Does your mom want to meet this mystery woman you are so in love with?”

Again, Eileen's ability to see into his head amazed Sam. It was almost as if she was the female version of Cas who could do the same. “Actually, yes. Every time she talked about finding someone, I would think of Cas and get this dumb grin on my face. So last night, she told me I MUST bring you to dinner tonight.”

“Hmm…do we know what's on the menu?”

Sam chuckled, “Nice, thick, expensive steak.”

Eileen was salivating at that. “Well damn! Celeste is working tonight, so I was only going to cook myself some eggs. Steak sounds so much better.”

“Soooooooo…is that a yes, Miss Leahy?”

She held out a hand for him to shake, “You have a deal, Mr. Wesson. Just give me ten minutes to go up and change.”

Sam was so grateful in many ways. Not only was Eileen a wonderful person, but she was also kind and a great friend. “I shall wait right here.”

He only got a few curious stares from people as he sat in the car, but nothing that made him worry. And when Eileen reappeared exactly ten minutes later in regular clothing, Sam was the one staring.

Both times he had driven her home, she had been wearing her nurse uniform, and apparently, it had not done her justice. Had Sam met her before Cas, he could see himself being intrigued.

“Will I do, Sam?”

He blinked as if she had heard his thoughts again, “Umm…what?”

Eileen just laughed, “Where were you? Am I dressed okay to impress your mom?”

Sam nodded in approval, “Very much so. She will adore you.”

“Well, if we pull this off, maybe you can play my pretend boyfriend for my parents. They are on my case to find a good man and give them grandbabies.”

“Deal.”

Sam carefully maneuvered out of the parking space and started the long drive home. The fifty minutes flew by thanks to Eileen's pleasant company. And when the headlights lit up the house, Sam couldn't believe it. He was so excited to have Eileen finally meet Cas and knew they'd get along splendidly.

Maybe they could even double date with her and Celeste and pretend to be two straight couples. Then they could enjoy so many places that were not same-sex friendly. Sam imagined getting to go to the local art museum with Cas, and it caused an ear-to-ear grin to break out on his face.

That smile was what his mom saw as Margaret walked him and Eileen into the living room.

Eliza felt completely baffled as she stared at the very real Eileen. And then Sam's obvious joy as he smiled at the lovely woman, confused Eliza even more. “So you must be the one making my son so happy these past few weeks. Welcome, my dear. So wonderful to finally meet you.”

Eileen walked over to the sofa and gave Sam's mom a hug. “I've heard so many wonderful things about you too, Mrs. Wesson. You have a great son.”

Sam was blushing, “Ah shucks!”

The ease of the conversation between Sam and Eileen rolled over to include his mom as well while they waited for dinner to be ready.

Eliza could not believe how much she already liked the young woman and was torn because she also liked Cas. Maybe Sam would need to move to Utah, where they allowed multiple people in a marriage.

Wanting to test out her theory about Cas and her son, Eliza asked, “Sam would you be a dear and go upstairs to let Cas know supper will be soon? The poor man was filthy when he came in from working all day in the yard. I told him he could use the shower to clean up and that some of your clothes might fit him.”

Could a brain fritz out and stop working? Sam was worried it might as he sat there, unable to think of anything but the fact Cas could be upstairs naked. Then another issue happened, and Sam had to wonder if the two women would notice the raging hardon pressing against the zipper of his pants.

Thankfully he was able to get up and quickly turn away from them. “I will go tell him right now and see if he needs help finding something that fits.”

Eileen giggled, and Sam knew exactly what she was thinking…fit indeed. He sent her a quick over-the-shoulder wink before heading upstairs.

The first stop Sam made was to the bathroom, with the slim hope Cas was still in there, but no. He then went to his room and saw the door was shut. When he knelt down to peek into the keyhole, he was greeted with the most delicious sight of his life so far.

Cas was sprawled naked on the bed and was jerking off with one of Sam's dirty shirts. Fuck, it was so damn hot to see…and hear since a few minutes later the sexy fiend was moaning Sam's name as cum splattered on the clutched shirt. And when that same garment was lifted to Cas's mouth and licked…Sam was in heaven. Lucky shirt.

“You just going to stand out there all night or come in, I Sam?”

Blue eyes were looking right through the keyhole at Sam. Well shit! Sam stood up and opened the bedroom door only enough to slide in before shutting and locking it. “What gave me away?”

Cas stood up and strolled over to Sam without a shred of self-consciousness. “Well, I might be seven years older than you, but my eyesight isn't so bad that I wouldn't notice an eyeball in the keyhole. And I could hear your heavy breathing.”

Sam instantly knelt down at Cas's feet and licked from balls to tip before sucking in the entire cock. He could still taste remnants of cum. Hell! How he wanted to kidnap Cas, forget about dinner, and head to the forest to have some fun.

When warm fingers dug through Sam's hair, he was seconds away from suggesting just that. It did not help matters when he looked up and saw those savage blue eyes looking at him as if he was the steak.

“Get thee behind me, Satan,” Cas moaned all the while pulling Sam closer. “We should really go. Your mom is going to send Margaret up here soon if we don't head downstairs.”

The cock in Sam's mouth was getting harder, though, and contradicted the notion of leaving just yet. It was dangerous and foolish, but also just what the doctor ordered…the doctor being Sam, of course. Knowing their time was very short, he pulled out all the tricks and soon was rewarded with a throat dripping with Cas's cum.

A soft purr of contentment came from Cas's grinning lips that only two back-to-back orgasms can give. “Sam Wesson, you are so very wonderfully wicked.”

Sam licked his lips and stood up, “Best pre-dinner snack ever! Now let's get you dressed. You have got to meet Eileen. You will love her.”

This had Cas's full attention, “Oh, so you told her everything, and she still agreed to come? How did that happen?”

The image of the two women kissing in the alley replayed in Sam's head. “Oh, a little birdie told me that maybe she played for both teams too.”

“No way? Really?”

Sam nodded, “Yep. She has a girlfriend named Celeste, who apparently is a great kisser.”

“Does Eileen know that you haven't told your mom yet?”

“Yeah. She knows everything.” Sam walked over to his closet and pulled out a pair of socks, trousers, and a shirt he thought might fit Cas. “Here. This should work.”

Cas easily caught the tossed clothes. They were a bit big but not by too much. “So, what does Eileen think of us?”

Sam sat on his bed as he watched Cas dress. “She was happy for me to have you. I can't tell you how amazing it was to talk to another human being about us. So much of my life is about hiding things.”

A fully dressed Cas moved over and placed a kiss on Sam's lips. “Well, I am very happy you have an ally in the hospital. Now let's go meet this amazing woman and get some steak.”

They walked at a slower pace to savor the last few minutes of alone time until they could see into the living room. Charlie had also made an appearance and was being scritched and adored while sitting with Eileen on the piano bench.

That the bird was loving every second of the added attention just made Sam like Eileen even more. “Be careful, or Charlie won't let you leave.”

Eileen placed a kiss on the bird's head, “I might actually try to sneak him out of here and keep him.”

Sam smiled over at Cas, “Mr. Novak, I would love to introduce you to this crazy bird lady, Eileen Leahy. One of the best nurses at Bell Memorial and possibly a pet thief.”

Cas shook her hand and gave Charlie a few scritches as well. “Nice to meet you, Eileen. So glad that Sam has someone as sweet as you around.”

She gazed up at Sam and smiled, “Best accidental meeting I ever had. So glad we both had worked that shi…horrible shift.”

A chuckle left Eliza's lips at the almost slipped curse word. “Eileen, my dear, an occasional curse word won't offend my ears. Especially when it better describes having to work through the night at a hospital.”

Pink spread across Eileen's cheeks, “I appreciate that Eliza, but my mom would whoop my…ass if I said the S-word around company. Granted, I did learn most of the inventive curses from my dad. Mom only gets on our case when we're in public, but does try to discourage me from doing it at all. As you can see…well hear…it didn't take, though.”

Cas smiled in understanding, “I grew up in the theater with my mom, and I heard all sorts of crazy curse words. Poor lady had the dickens of a time keeping me from repeating everything I heard. One time at church, the preacher had been talking about that donkey that speaks to Balaam, and I yelled out, 'The Bible called it an ass!'”

Margaret walked into the room to the sound of four different types of laughter. She had to wait several seconds while everyone calmed down again before she announced, “Supper is ready.”

Sam carried his mom to the dining room and set her down at the head of the table. Charlie flew in then and landed on a specially made perch next to Eliza's chair. Sam gave the crow a few scritches before sitting down next to Eileen and smiling across to Cas. “Wait till you taste these steaks! Margaret gets them perfectly medium-rare every time.”

“Let's say grace,” Eliza said as she held out her hands to Margaret and Eileen.

Eileen grabbed Sam's hand, and he reached across the table to grab Cas's right as Margaret held the left. They closed their eyes then and bowed their heads as Eliza started. “Heavenly Father, we thank thee for such wonderful company while we eat this hearty meal.”

Eliza opened her eyes mid-prayer to peek at Sam's hands. He was only holding Eileen's but was letting his thumb rub back and forth on Cas'. She smiled at the tell-tale sign of whom was really in Sam's heart. “…may your love flow around this table and make tonight a moment we will always remember. Amen.”

A round of amens joined hers before everyone tucked into their steak and wedge salad. In between bites, the conversation flowed while laughter often echoed in the air. They were having such fun that no one noticed how much time had passed or saw the sky fill with stars.

“…then Mrs. Thompson tried to bribe me with a Van Gogh so I wouldn't tell her husband that she had hit on me,” Sam said to the delight and awe of the others.

Cas leaned back, laughing so hard at the images of Sam being hit on by the naked eighty-year-old woman at the hospital. “I would have taken the painting. What did you do?”

Sam blushed, “I declined both offers and calmly helped her back into her hospital gown. Besides, it was just his work The Potato Eaters, and I only like his Starry Night. Now had she offered that one…”

Everyone cracked up at that.

Eliza was having a wonderful time with the house overflowing with life and energy. “Sam, you should show Cas and Eileen that copy you made of Starry Night.” She looked over at Cas, “You would not be able to tell the difference.”

Eileen punched Sam's shoulder, “Whoa! You can paint?! We definitely need to see what you can do.”

Cas nodded in agreement, “Heck yes! It was impressive enough with you being a doctor who could cook…so add kick-butt painter to the mix, and you are damn near perfection. Now if you can iron, even I might have to marry you.”

Sam felt all the air whoosh out of his lungs as his eyes latched onto blue. He wasn't worried about what his mom or Margaret were thinking with Cas saying stuff about marriage…no, he was just imaging a domesticated existence with Cas around twenty-four-seven.

The air crackled around the two as they fell into a world of their own. This left Eliza and Eileen there grinning big at the cuteness while Margaret finally had an ah-ha moment and smiled warmly too. Cas and Sam didn't know it yet, but they were surrounded by three women who would move heaven and earth to let them be together.

Eliza decided it was high time to bring things out in the light. “I would be very proud to have you as my son-in-law, Castiel. I've never met anyone who makes Sam as happy as you do.”

The two men's jaws dropped as they broke eye contact to stare at her. They also saw Margaret and Eileen smiling. Sam gulped, “Umm…what…what did you say?”

“We know, son,” Eliza said matter-of-factly.

Sam looked like a fish out of water, thanks to how many times his mouth opened and shut.

Eileen rubbed his arm understandingly, knowing what he must be dealing with. “You are so lucky, Sam. I would love for my parents to be this great about things.”

This had Eliza seeing Eileen in a new light. “Are you…?”

Eileen blushed and nodded. “Yeah. I think that's what drew me to Sam. Nice to have a kindred spirit around and get to feel normal.”

Everything was clicking into place for Eliza. “So, how did you two really meet?”

Sam gave his mom a sheepish grin, “Well, I would say it was Cas that enabled Eileen and myself to meet.”

The others stared across the table as if Cas had more to tell in the story, but their inquisitive gazes were only met with confusion, “Me? How so?”

“Okay, so maybe not personally, but had I not wanted to be home that first day Cas showed up, I wouldn't have switched shifts with Steve. And had I not been there that night when Eileen happened to have her break at the same time, we might still never have struck up a conversation.”

“Well then, I call that fate,” Eliza stated. “God knew you both needed a friend.”

Eileen looked around at all the new faces, “More than just one, I think.”

Cas reached across the table and squeezed her hand, “Definitely.”

Margaret then went to get the chocolate cake from the kitchen while Sam and Cas helped gather up the dishes. Eileen stayed behind to keep Eliza and Charlie company.

When the guys returned, Sam carried his mom to the living room and gently set her down on the sofa. Charlie had hopped off the perch onto Sam's shoulder for a free ride as well. Once everyone was settled, Margaret brought in plates of cake for dessert.

Before taking a bite, Eliza turned to Sam, “Why don't you go get a few of your paintings to show Cas and Eileen.”

He felt nervous about exposing that aspect of himself but was encouraged by the hopeful smiles from the two. “Fine, but I'm going to need Cas to help me carry the canvases.”

Sam had actually simply meant that, but when everyone in the room giggled, including Cas, he realized it had sounded like a ploy to get some alone time.

With his paintings stored in the library's hidden room, it would be a perfect spot for some quick kisses, so Sam decided to do what all their dirty brains already suspected.

Once the cake was gone, Cas and Sam headed out to the library. The scent of ink and paper enveloped them the second they passed through the french doors, and Sam took a nice deep breath, “Love that smell.”

Cas moved closer and placed a kiss on Sam's neck, “And I like this smell.”

And just like that, Sam almost forgot about anyone waiting for their return. “Hell, you make me want to be bad, Mr. Novak.”

“What did I do, Mr. Wesson?” Cas placed a soft kiss on Sam's adam's apple.

“That!”

“This?” Cas kissed lower into the v of Sam's shirt collar and lower still as each button was undone.

Sam just watched transfixed as Cas kept going till lips hit the zipper on his pants. The sight of Cas kneeling before him and gazing up was one of the sexiest sights ever. “Mhmm, you are so wicked, Mr. Novak.”

“Oh, this isn't at all wicked…yet.”

The metal button was popped free before the zipper was lowered, allowing Cas's warm breath to move closer to flesh. Sam couldn't help but reach out and grab a handful of dark hair as a kiss was placed on the bulge beneath the fabric. It was delicious enough to make him not care that they weren't alone in the house.

But the heat was suddenly gone, and a pouty Sam watched as Cas stood up without going further. When the zipper was pulled back up, and all the buttons from pants to sternum were re-fastened, Sam grumbled, “See…wicked.”

Cas just chuckled and kissed the pursed lips, “Quickies are all well and good, I Sam, but I'd rather be able to take my time. Now show me these paintings.”

With a sigh, Sam refocused on the task at hand and moved the beige damask empire-style sofa from in front of the massive wall of books. He knew how magical the next part would be, so he wanted Cas to do it. “Go over and pull on the1807 Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Volume II.”

He watched as Cas did as told and enjoyed hearing the gasp when the one section of shelves opened to reveal a hidden hallway. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“Fuck yes!” Cas lifted the book from the shelf and saw a simple metal mechanism attached to the bottom of the book. “That is so smart. This way, you can change the book with another if the secret got out.”

“Yep.” Sam walked through the opening and felt along the right wall for the door. Once inside, he lit the oil lamps and stood back so Cas could get the full effect of seeing the space for the first time.

“This is amazing, Sam! So much bigger than I expected.”

Sam moved over and placed Cas's hand on his still hard cock, “I bet you say that to all the guys.”

Laughter echoed around the room and shook the hand that was cupping Sam's cock, “God, you are so damn cute!”

Cas used the same grip to push Sam back against the wall and moved between the parted thighs to press their bodies tightly together. “This room is definitely on our to-do list.”

Several minutes of kissing started, and they were both gasping for air by the time their lips moved apart. Sam smiled, “Why do you always slam me into walls, Mr. Novak?”

“It makes us even, I Sam.” Cas's hand came up to show how the top of their heads were in line. “This way, those few extra inches you have over me vanish.”

“Smart man.”

“Now before I defile this room, let's retrieve your paintings and get back to the safety of the living room.”

Sam had totally forgotten about the others waiting on them. He looked down at the erection tenting his pants. “Yeah, they won't know what we were up to in here.”

Cas moved one of Sam's hands over, “I'm in the same boat, I Sam. We just need to think of gross things to lower the sails.”

“Grandmother naked on the porch swing without her teeth…a slug crawling across the rubbish pile…a putrid sore on Mrs. Thompson's shoulder!” Sam murmured while counteracting it by rubbing Cas's cock.

“Now who's being wicked?” Cas scolded but didn't step away.

“Oh dear! I'd say you both were being very wicked indeed.” A wide-eyed Eileen said from the doorway.

Well, that sure deflated the situation fast. The two men moved away from each other, and Sam sent her an apologetic smile. “Sorry. Things just got a bit out of hand.”

She snickered, “Looked more like it was in your hand, Sam.”

Cas walked over and gave her a sideways hug, “Oh, I like this one. She's a keeper.”

Sam blushed as he quickly turned away and looked through the paintings leaning against the back wall. To keep the suspense of the reveal, Sam put two of his choices face-to-face and handed them to Cas, “Here are the ones for you to carry, but don't look.”

Eileen held out her hands, “Do I get some as well?”

Two more paintings were placed together and given to her to hold, “No peeking, young lady.”

She mock-saluted him with her free hand, “Aye, aye, sir!”

Sam just rolled his eyes but couldn't help the smile spreading across his face, “Dork.”

He then grabbed another set of paintings before the trio headed back out to the library.

Eileen was allowed to pull on the book this time and giggled when the shelf slid back into place. “That is so wonderful!! Do you know who set it up?”

“Well, if you look at the house from the side, you will see that it is a combination of the original house and a later addition. Hence why it appears longer instead of the typical wide mansion,” Sam mentioned as he and Cas set down their paintings and pushed the sofa back in place.

Sam motioned to the wall of books then, “Unlike most settlers, my ancestors who crossed over from Europe in the early 1600s came with money. They brought many of the first editions still here on the shelves, and the rest have been bought throughout the centuries following. I think the secret room was built around the Civil War time because we have family stories about slaves being hidden there as part of the underground railroad.”

The three friends then took the paintings and headed back to the living room. Eliza was feeding Charlie some sunflower seeds, and Margaret was off somewhere in the house. The paintings Cas and Eileen brought were placed against the legs of the piano bench, while Sam held onto his two and sat there.

“I was sure the room must have swallowed you whole,” Eliza teased.

Eileen was sitting in a chair next to Cas and whispered something that caused their laughter to fill the room.

Sam just watched the two with so much affection. He knew they'd get along.

Eliza was watching them as well and smiled just as big. She turned to Sam and asked, “Can you go get Margaret from the kitchen, please? She wanted to work on the dishes while you guys were gone.”

He quickly did as told and soon walked back into the room with the housekeeper in tow.

Once Margaret was settled, Eliza declared, “Okay, Samuel, you can start the show.”

With all eyes on him, Sam felt awkward as heck! He picked his copy of Van Gogh's Starry Night to show first. “Don't be too harsh since this is one of my first attempts at painting.”

Margaret and Eliza had seen most of his stuff before, so it was mostly Eileen and Cas's gasps that sounded once the canvas was turned.

“Wow, Sam! That's astounding!” Eileen exclaimed, moving closer for a better view. “Isn't the original over in some gallery in the Netherlands? How the heck did you ever get to see it?”

Sam was impressed that she knew so much about the painting, “Yes, the Oldenzeel gallery is in Rotterdam, Netherlands. I vacationed in Europe a few summers ago and was lucky enough to travel there to see the original painting. Mine does not do it justice.”

The painting was passed around and ended up in Cas's hands, “Such a shame Van Gogh had to die before he reached forty. So much talent gone too soon.”

Eliza nodded, “Imagine all the beautiful works of art he could have produced in the last twenty years since his death. Very sad indeed.”

Sam held up the next painting then, and two more gasps filled the room.

Eileen took the painting from his hands and held it up next to his mom's face. “It looks like you simply took her photograph!”

“Well, a much, much younger me,” Eliza said, staring at the painted portrait Sam had done for her years ago.

“Still as beautiful, though,” Cas praised to Eliza's delight.

The third painting Sam showed was a portrait of his parents. “This was one that I worked on after my dad died. Mom had this amazing photo of them gazing at one another, and I wanted to capture it in oil.”

Tears pooled in Eliza's eyes, “Oh, how I miss that man. He was the love of my life and will stay so till the day I die.”

Sam gave her the painting to hold, and she lovingly traced her husband's face, “I think this one will be going to my room tonight.”

The fourth painting was a self-portrait of Sam staring out from a mirror. “This one was me being bored and not knowing what else to paint. I like how I was able to capture the old wallpaper from my bedroom around the mirror and then all the reflection of the things around me.”

Cas took that one and smiled, “Well, I think this one will be going home with me tonight.”

Sam blushed, “Really? You would hang that up in your place?”

“Oh yes, I Sam. This one is going right in my room.”

They shared a few minutes of eye contact before remembering they were not alone.

When Sam picked up and turned the fifth canvas, Eileen gasped, “How do you have a painting of my dog, Maddy?”

Sam looked at the painting of his Sheepdog, Maximus. “This is actually my dog, Max, from when I was a boy.”

Eileen pointed out the distinct pattern on the dog's back, “It's uncanny how your dog and mine shared the same markings. Could I take this one home with me?”

“Sure you can.” Sam handed the canvas to her, and she almost looked like she wanted to hug it.

She kept staring at it as she sat down. “I can't wait to show my parents.”

Sam grabbed the final painting. “So this is another painting I copied from one of Van Gogh's after I visited the Oldenzeel gallery. He titled it Wheatfield with crows.”

This caught Charlie's attention, and the bird flew over to Sam's lap as if to study the painting. Sam lifted the canvas away as Charlie tried to peck at it. “No, sir, this isn't food. And you can not keep it either.”

The look Charlie gave him had Sam cracking up, “Sorry, Charlie.”

In a huff, the bird flew back to Eliza's lap, where she gave scritches in consolation, “Poor baby. Did the mean man not let you have your way?”

When the grandfather clock started chiming nine times, Cas turned to Eliza and teased, “Well, it would appear as if you lied last night.”

She giggled, “Well, it seems so. Darn. Looks like Sam will have to drive you home again.”

Cas pretended to grimace, “I guess I'll have to suffer through those fifty minutes of his company.”

Sam just shook his head and playfully mentioned, “Well then, maybe I'll only drive Miss Eileen home and leave you with your dim-lighted auto buggy.”

Of course he did no such thing, and after Margaret carefully wrapped each painting in butcher paper, Eileen and Cas hugged both older women goodbye.

Sam had moved Eliza to her wheelchair then so he could push her out to the porch. She hated to see them leave since the night had been so much fun. “We must do this more often now. I so enjoyed having you two with us tonight.”

Eliza and Margaret were bathed in the light shining out from the open door as they waved till the car disappeared from sight.

With the two paintings carefully stowed in the trunk of the car, Sam was extra careful driving back to town. The night sky was crystal clear, allowing the stars to glisten like diamonds around the bright moon.

The three friends didn't feel the need to ruin the quiet drive with a lot of chatter. Already they had a comfort level with each other to simply allow silence to flow around them.

Sam pulled into the parking lot of Eileen's apartment fifty minutes later and found the closest spot to the front entrance. Cas stayed in the car then as Sam walked Eileen and the sheepdog painting into the building.

“Thank you for this painting, Sam. And for a wonderful night.” Eileen stood on tiptoes and placed a kiss on his cheek. “See you at work, Mr. Wesson.”

He took her hand in his and brought it up to place a kiss on it, “Thank you for saving my butt even though mom made it not as necessary. I'll bring lunch for us next time.”

“Deal.”

He waited till she disappeared behind the closed stairwell door before heading back out to the car. Cas had moved to the front, and Sam had to fight the urge to kiss those sexy lips the second his butt hit the driver's seat. Instead, he focused on navigating out of the parking lot and getting to Cas's place ASAP.

Because he wanted to stay a bit, Sam parked the car a few blocks away from the house. It was harder to sneak around to the back porch with the painting, but they got inside without any issues. At least behind the locked door and closed curtains, they were free to just be two human beings who cared about each other.

While Cas got them drinks, Sam put some music on the Victrola and settled onto the sofa. He was starting to feel the tiredness of the long day and fought to keep his eyes open until Cas appeared holding out a cold bottle of soda. The Coca-cola was just what he needed, and the icy caffeine reinvigorated him from the very first sip.

“Don't you just like the shape of these bottles, I Sam?” Cas held up the iconic shaped glass container. “Not too big. Not too wide. Just the right size to fit in your…hand.”

Sam chuckled, knowing what Cas had really meant. “Put it on the to-do list, Mr. Novak. Two spots actually…one for a cold one and another for a bit warmer bottle.”

“How about a third spot, and I drink whatever I empty inside you.”

“Well, as the newspaper ads state, 'it is good till the last drop'.”

Cas's hand moved over to Sam's lap and started rubbing, “I know something else that fits that slogan.”

“Gonna finish what we started in the secret room, sir?” Sam inquired hopefully.

“I'm not sure I should, I Sam. It might make you too tired to drive home.”

Granted, Sam did get sleepy after a good orgasm, but that wasn't nothing a few cups of coffee couldn't cure. “After I fill your belly with cum you can fill mine with a cuppa joe.”

Cas slowly pulled off Sam's pants but left the underwear. “I want to try something.”

Sam really only wanted his cock past those sexy lips but was intrigued enough to wait to see what was on Cas's mind.

“I'm very glad you wore this fancy new style of unders tonight, I Sam.” Cas kissed across the hard bulge under the cotton fabric. “Had you worn the typical under-suit or gone naked, what I have planned wouldn't be as much fun.”

Often men in 1910 did go commando, but most wore versions of long johns as underwear. Sam was always too hot for that antiquated trend, but he had also needed more cushioning because of the ass hickeys. It was just another perk of having family money and the right connections that Sam could buy clothing from Europe that were not even heard of in the States yet. Hence his pair of loose cotton underwear. The garment even had a slit in the front for easy access when he got up in the middle of the night and had to pee.

He was very glad for that opening when Cas laid on top of him and slid a very hard cock inside it. Suddenly, new tactile sensations were added as their cocks rubbed together and brushed against the smooth cotton. And when Cas started thrusting like that…hell! Maybe Sam could live without sinking into Cas's mouth for one night.

And the fact that they hadn't gone all the way yet, wasn't for lack of desire. No, it was more about wanting to get to know each other better and having plenty of time to enjoy it. Right now, Sam still had a fifty-minute drive home and work in the morning, so this was definitely not the night to do more than a bit of naughty play.

Hands roamed, and lips moaned while pressed together in frantic hungry kisses. Necks and earlobes were nibbled, and nipples were nipped while Cas rutted against Sam through the slit in the underwear.

And when Sam arched up off the cushion and gasped out Cas's name, cum smeared against his stomach, Cas's cock, and into the cotton fabric. The slippery skin just added friction and wet heat to Cas's hard thrusts, and it wasn't long before Sam was coated with a mixture of both their cum. He was torn between wanting to slide a finger through the mess and lick it clean or keeping it there and letting it stiffen the fabric so he would feel it all the way home.

Cas collapsed on top of Sam and grinned against his neck, “I can't wait till you can spend the night.”

A very content Sam wrapped his arms around Cas, “Me too. I so don't want to have to drive home.”

That is when a wicked glint turned blue eyes to sapphire. Cas lifted up and straddled Sam's thighs. “What if I drove home with you, and you snuck me into your room? We could have all night and tomorrow morning. And then when you go to get me, we could park the car out of sight and make out for almost two hours.”

“Unless you are good at climbing a very tall oak tree to reach my bedroom window, it won't work. Mom has been staying up till I get home and often waits on the porch for me.”

“Oh, I am so good at climbing trees, I Sam.”

The rush of excitement of sharing his room with Cas all night and then getting more time together before work tomorrow had Sam's body buzzing. “Fuck, let's do it.”

A hungry kiss started then before Cas jumped off and gathered some needed things. As Sam waited, he walked through everything they would have to do to make it work. He would park a bit farther down the driveway to stay in the shadows so Cas could hide in the backseat till he and his mom headed inside. Then all Cas had to do was climb the tree, and whallah…Sam would have the beautiful man in bed with him. Perfection.

Cas quickly locked up before they snuck back to Sam's car. The drive home included plenty of roaming hands and several almost swerves into the other lane. Best fifty minutes ever!

And a few minutes from the house, Cas gave Sam a kiss before climbing into the back seat and hiding. Just like Sam suspected, when the headlights connected to the house, his mom was sitting on the porch swing waiting for him.

“How was the drive, Sam?” she asked as he made his way up to the porch and kissed her cheek.

“Hardly any other cars on the roads and plenty of fun conversations. Where's Charlie?”

She patted the swing, and Sam sat down next to her, “Oh, he flew off a few minutes before you came home. I suspect he has found other crow friends nearby.”

Eliza rested her head on his shoulder. “I'm so happy you also found some new friends, Sam.”

“Me too.”

“When do you have to go to work tomorrow?”

Sam grimaced, “Same as today, sadly. Wish I hadn't taken my vacation days back in July. Would love to have a week here helping Cas with the yard.”

“Well, next year, you will have that week to spend with Cas.”

“Do you think we will last that long?” he asked hopefully.

A gushy grin spread across Eliza's face, “Oh yes. I think he is the one, Sam.”

Sam shared a similar smile, “I think so too.”

He was just basking in the beauty of the crisp fall night and thoughts of Cas when Sam remembered the man in question was still waiting to exit the car. “Can I carry you inside?”

“That would be lovely, thank you.”

Sam easily picked his mom up and carried her inside. “Living room or bedroom?”

“Bedroom.”

Once Eliza was settled on the bed, Sam headed to the kitchen to let Margaret know. The older woman was washing dishes when he found her.

The smell of warm apple pie permeated the air and made Sam weak in the knees. “I took mom to her room. Now is there any possible way I can take a huge slice of pie with me for being such a good son?”

“Well, since I only made the two pies so the apples wouldn't go to waste, I will let you.”

The piece Margaret placed on the plate was almost a fourth of the one pie. She handed it to Sam with a fork, “Make sure you bring the dish back in the morning.”

A kiss was placed on her cheek, “Yes, ma'am. My stomach says thank you. Night, Margaret.”

“Night, Samuel.”

As Sam headed upstairs, he hoped Cas was already in his room. Yet when he looked around the bedroom, there was no sign of the sexy landscaper.

That's when a soft tapping was heard on the window, and Sam saw Cas sitting on the tree limb. The window had been locked!

He set the pie down and grinned sheepishly as he released the metal latch and pushed up the windowpane, “Sorry. Not used to having tree elves wanting to enter.”

With the ease and limberness of an acrobat, Cas climbed nimbly into the room. “Thank goodness you don't own a guard dog.”

“Nope, just a guard crow,” Sam teased as he went over to shut the bedroom door and lock it. “I'm all yours, Mr. Novak,” he declared as he turned back to Cas. “Have your wicked way with me.”

Cas sauntered over and proceeded to shove Sam against the closest wall. “I have plans for you and that pie, but first, I'm going to need you naked, I Sam.”

In ten seconds flat, Sam was down to his socks and underwear. The cotton fabric was a bit stuck to his lower stomach, and they both grinned when it crackled…leaving a cloud of dried cum floating down Sam's thigh.

The messy underwear soon pooled down by the socks and got kicked off. Cas's hands traveled from hip to chin to cup Sam's face and bring it closer for a kiss. There was something so erotic for Sam to be naked, and Cas still clothed. The roughness of the fabric against the skin just added to the hunger of the moment.

Cas nipped Sam's lower lip before asking, “How much do you like your sheets?”

Sam was leaning against the wall in a haze of lust and need, so he couldn't process the odd inquiry. “What?”

“Do…you…like…your…sheets?”

“My sheets? Like in bedsheets?”

“Yep.”

Sam looked past Cas's shoulder to the bed and saw plain white ones covering the king-sized mattress. “I think they are the cheap set Margaret puts on the bed when she washes the good ones. So they aren't anything special to me.”

He was suddenly cold and alone as Cas walked over and took off the sheet. The large rectangle of fabric was then folded twice and placed back on top of the bed.

“Get up on the sheet and lay on your back, I Sam,” Cas commanded.

Mhmm, Sam loved hearing that forceful sound in Cas's voice and did as told. The plate of pie was brought over then and placed on Sam's stomach.

“Don't touch,” growled Cas, who quickly stripped down to glorious naked skin and straddled Sam's thighs. “Know what's better than eating apple pie, I Sam?”

“What?” Sam watched as Cas dug into the slice of warm pie and smeared it all over Sam's chest.

“Eating apple pie off of you.”

More pie was scooped up in Cas's hand and transferred around Sam's shaft. The sticky fingers started sliding up and down, leaving pieces of apple and crust in their wake. Then another handful of pie was rubbed up Sam's neck until a crust-and-filling-coated thumb was pressed past Sam's lips.

“Suck.”

The taste of Cas's skin and the remnants of apple pie had Sam moaning around the thumb. His cock ached for any kind of friction, but Cas stayed low on his thighs. The last bit of the pie was removed from the plate and held in Cas's hand.

Sam lay there mesmerized as Cas slowly crawled upward and turned around only after that delicious uncut cock slid across his face. Cas placed a knee on either side of Sam's head then, and once on all fours, that damn dick dangled just out of reach of Sam's mouth.

This apparently was Cas's plan, and seconds later, that last handful of pie was smeared all over it and even shoved into the foreskin. “So here's the deal…you can't use your hands…only your mouth, I Sam. Once you get my dick spotless, I will shove it down your throat while I clean you. If you leave even a crumb, I will not do anything else…understand?”

“Hell yes, sir!”

It took all Sam's core muscles to lift his head off the bed and reach up to latch onto the foreskin-covered cock head. Cock always tasted wonderful but add apple pie to the mix, and it was the food of gods.

He focused on the outside first, and by the time he reached high enough to clean off the base of Cas's shaft, Sam's stomach and neck muscles were burning. He saved his favorite part for last not only because he didn't have to stretch as far.

Sam savored every damn second his tongue got to shove between the tight foreskin and Cas's cock head. He was extremely thorough, and when there was no trace of pie left, Sam pouted.

The second Sam's head hit the mattress, Cas did as promised and shoved the spotless cock all the way inside Sam's mouth till the precum dripping tip was pushing past Sam's uvula.

Of course, Cas cleaned Sam's pie-coated cock last, and Sam was fighting not to cum. He would have begged Cas to swallow every inch if he didn't have something hindering him from speaking. But oh! Sam could still moan when his cock did pass those sexy lips, and Cas started bobbing up and down.

Sam wanted to reach up and grab hold of Cas's ass but didn't since he had been told mouth only. And when Cas started to suck with the same fast rhythm as the cock fucking Sam's mouth…mhmm paradise! The corners of Sam's mouth were sore, but he didn't care. He was only focused on the wet heat around his cock and the hard flesh ramming down his throat.

Neither of them lasted much longer, though, and Cas was soon gagging Sam with cum. Several gulps later, it was Sam's turn to buck upward and give Cas some warm protein to swallow. He loved seeing cum dripping out of Cas's mouth and had such a need to taste himself.

Sam pushed Cas off him and quickly crawled on top till they were face-to-face. His eyes lingered on the streaks of white staining the corners of Cas's lips. He leaned down and licked his cum off from the pink flesh with a moan. “Hell, we taste good together.”

His lips moved to fully cover Cas's and a very flavorful kiss started. Each man savored the unique blending of their cum, saliva, and apples. They finally broke apart only for lack of oxygen.

Sam smiled down at Cas, whose face was flushed and eyes lust blown. “I will never be able to eat apple pie again without getting a boner because of all this.”

Cas grinned up at him, “Ditto, I Sam.”

They were both a bit loopy as they stood up and surveyed the folded sheet for any collateral damages. Nothing. They were impressed that they had been able to be so hardcore without making any mess.

“Well, at least now I won't have to worry what Margaret will think when she does my wash, “ Sam teased as he shook out the folded sheet and laid it back across the mattress.

Cas moved closer to Sam and started kissing his neck. Some pieces of the pie were still stuck there waiting to join Sam's cum in Cas's stomach. After swallowing the last smear, Cas nibbled on the nearby earlobe. “Mhmm, best dessert I've ever had.”

Sam did what he had wanted to do earlier and grabbed that sexy ass with both hands to pick up Cas. No wall shoving was needed this time to make them eye-to-eye.

Cas wasn't scrawny, but neither was Sam. Yet when Cas's legs suddenly wrapped around his waist, Sam stumbled a few feet backward.

Images of sliding inside while standing like this drove Sam wild, but he did not want their first time to be animalistic. He wanted to fully experience every second of pushing deeper. But that did not mean he wasn't up for more play. “You know Margaret's room is next to mom's on the first floor.”

Cas wiggled against Sam's cock, “That is a very weird thing to bring up with my ass in your hands.”

“No, no. I mentioned it because that means no one but you and I are on the second floor.” Sam lifted Cas a bit higher to get a better hold. “We could wash off the rest of the pie residue in the shower.”

Blue eyes turned mostly black as Cas growled, “Fuck yes!”

Sam carefully held onto Cas while walking to the door. “You are going to have to turn the lock, and the doorknob since my hands are otherwise occupied.”

Cas did as told, and soon Sam was moving them down the hall as quietly as possible. Once they were inside the bathroom, though, Sam had to put Cas down since his arms were burning.

“I've never been carried before like that, I Sam,” Cas said while walking around Sam's naked form and moving in to kiss a shoulder. “Now show me how this crazy contraption works.”

For the next fifteen minutes, Sam helped Cas enjoy the benefits of a shower and made sure they were both very, very clean. Soap, water, and cum mixed in the drain before the water was turned off, and two happy men walked back to Sam's room.

Sam locked his bedroom door before joining Cas on the mattress. He grinned as the apple pie scented top sheet covered their naked bodies. They faced each other, and Sam leaned forward to place a soft kiss on Cas's lips, “Best apple pie, best shower, and now best sleepover EVER!”

Cas draped a leg over Sam's and pressed closer, “Just wait, I Sam, this is only the beginning. I see a vast future before us just waiting to be enjoyed.”

Those words had Sam gushing, “Fuck! I want it all! Every damn day we can steal!”

More kisses commenced then until they couldn't stay awake and fell together into dreamland.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eight

Wednesday, October 5 ^th , 1910

Sam was having the best dream ever. He was swaying on a hammock, completely naked in the warm summer sun. He was lying on his stomach on the smooth fabric and couldn't help but rub his cock against it. The heat of the day turned the hammock into the perfect temperature, and Sam was in heaven.

With his breathing turning rapid fast, he closed his eyes and held nothing back. The friction of the rub and the feel of his naked ass bare to the world was the last coherent thought Sam had before…

“Oh fuck…oh…oh fuck…so so good.”

The fact that the words weren't only in dream form but had come out of Sam's real-world mouth was what woke him up. His first groggy vision was of twinkling blue eyes and Cas's laughter.

“Damn, I Sam. You made a mess!” Cas said, looking over a shoulder at him.

This was when Sam glanced down and saw his softening cock trapped like a hotdog between Cas's butt cheeks with cum sprayed all over Cas's lower back. Sam was mortified at what he had done while sleeping.

“I am soooooo sorry.”

Cas just shrugged, “I'm not. It was a crazy hot way to be woken up. Felt damn good too. Now, if only there was a way to clean up that mess you made. Hmmm…”

Sam knew exactly what to do and pushed until Cas's stomach met the mattress. He straddled the sexy calves and leaned down to lick off his own cum from Cas's flesh. “Mhmm, we taste so damn good together.”

Cas turned over and pulled Sam's face down, “Prove it.”

The kiss that started almost led to their first time had it not been for the knock at Sam's door.

“Sam?” Margaret's voice sounded through the unusually locked door. “Your mom wanted me to check that you were up and getting ready to pick up Cas.”

Sam nipped Cas's lower lip and whispered, “Oh, I'm up and very ready to pick you up.”

Then louder, he said, “Thanks, Margaret. I'm okay. I will be downstairs shortly.”

“Okay. I'll let your mom know.”

They waited till her footsteps faded before reluctantly getting out of bed. That they took a few minutes to appreciate the lighted view of their nakedness…well, that was unavoidable.

Oh, when they actually had time to really enjoy each other, the world was going to shake and be very, very sticky.

After they slowly got dressed, Sam pouted as Cas headed to the window. “One day, we'll be able to walk downstairs together.”

Cas sauntered back over and thoroughly kissed Sam, “One day, we won't have to leave the bed. Now get to the car so we can go make out in the backseat.”

“Yes, sir.”

Blue eyes darkened at those two words, and a growl escaped Cas's lips, “Fuck! I like you calling me sir, I Sam.”

There was a moment when their gazes locked that if either man had suggested going back to the bed, they would have run there. But with a sigh, Sam left instead and headed downstairs.

When he entered the living room, his mom and Charlie were eating breakfast on the sofa. He didn't want to know how Margaret had found enough worms to fill the small bowl in front of Charlie. Eliza's breakfast looked much more appealing and had Sam's stomach growling.

Eliza handed him a slice of her bacon. “Margaret heard you coming downstairs and went to get you a plate. Do you have time, or must you head out to get Cas?”

Sam had moved to the window while nibbling on the bacon and saw said man sneaking across the yard to the car. “I might just grab some biscuits and bacon to eat on the way.”

“No need, Sam,” Margaret said, carrying a basket covered with a cloth napkin. “I assumed you would want to get started on the day. I have biscuits, bacon, and a few fried egg sandwiches for you and Cas to share.”

He gladly took the basket of goodies and kissed Margaret's cheek, “Bless you, dear sweet lady.”

She giggled and shooed him away. “Just be careful driving. I swear I saw a rather large, wild animal racing across the garden a few minutes ago.”

The twinkle in Margaret's eyes as she sent a knowing look to Sam had him blushing. “Well…umm…yes, well…goodbye.”

“See you soon, son,” a clueless Eliza called out from the sofa as he and the basket quickly left the room.

Sam made a beeline out of the house to his car and placed the basket onto the empty passenger seat. He looked in the back and saw Cas smiling up at him from under a blanket, “We're lucky Margaret is such a good bean about things, or she could have told mother about you being here already.”

Cas grimaced, “Damn! And I thought I had done so well sneaking to the car. What did she say?”

“That she had seen some wild animal out in the yard earlier.” Sam slid into the driver's seat and laughed, “Wild indeed.”

The car revved to life, and soon the main house was out of sight allowing Cas to finally sit up. “Well, I Sam, if you find us a private place, I might just show you how wild I can be.”

A sharp left-hand turn had the car bumping and shaking as Sam drove off the road into a small dirt path heading into the forest. The car was put in park a minute later.

“Remember the patch of trees that I've been wanting to show you?” Sam asked as he grabbed the food basket and got out of the car.

“Of course I do.” Cas hopped out of the backseat. “Are you going to pop my forest cherry, Mr. Wesson?”

Sam held out his free hand for Cas to take and was rewarded with an instant spike of heat. “Definitely, Mr. Novak.”

In less than two minutes, they had woven their way through the trees till they arrived at Sam's favorite spot. It was something out of a fairy tale, like in Sleeping Beauty told to the Brothers Grimm by Charles Perrault.

A ring of tall trees circled a small pasture of green grass sprinkled with wildflowers. The massive oaks exuded a regal air as if they were knights surrounding King Arthur's round table. Behind it was a thick forest as far as the eye could see, and on the other side was the edge of the yard leading to Sam's place. From their vantage point, the house looked like a miniature from a model train display.

Even after twenty-eight years of growing up on the massive property, Sam always felt a shiver of awe running down his spine when he stood in the sacred circle of oaks. He set down the basket of food and turned to find Cas looking around with the same reverent expression. Sam smiled, “Told you it was amazing.”

“Amazing doesn't do all this justice, I Sam. This is how I would imagine the Garden of Eden to have been for Adam and Eve. As if God himself had taken steps in this grass during the cool of the evening.”

That Cas understood just how special the space was made Sam very happy. And as promised many times in the past, he put a hand on Cas's chest and shoved on it till flesh slammed into tree bark. “I think I remember there was going to be some making out happening now, Mr. Novak.”

“Well then, Mr. Wesson, what are you waiting for?”

The kiss that started was hungry and had both men growling for more. And when their legs got tired of standing, Cas and Sam slid down to lay in the tall green grass. The wind swayed around them, and a few curious animals snuck closer to see who had invaded their space…but the men didn't notice a thing.

They had started on their sides, and then Cas rolled them so that Sam was on the bottom. Sam loved Cas's weight pressing down on him. Loved the thighs gripping either side of his and loved when Cas leaned down to further a kiss that allowed their cocks to rub deliciously together. It added just the right amount of intensity to the make-out session without demanding anything more.

But then Cas's tongue slid past Sam's lips and ignited something primal deep within. Sam growled, flipped them over, and stared down at the lust-blown blue eyes, the pink flushed cheeks, the swollen plump lips, and the dark stubble on Cas's jaw. “My god, you are so beautiful.”

“Right back at yah, mister,” Cas returned before grabbing a handful of Sam's shirt to pull him down for another kiss.

That was how the largest chunk of their time passed and then ended with them shoulder to shoulder staring up at the blue sky to cool off.

Sam rolled back onto his side to smile down at Cas, “You make me want to play hooky from the hospital today…hell every day!”

Cas lifted up and placed a soft kiss on Sam's lips, “And I could stay right here with you for eternity too, I Sam.”

This was one of those moments that transcended simple sexual desires and felt way more intimate…as if one more section of their souls were stitched together. It still seemed way too soon to call it love, though, so they just wrapped their arms around each other and held on tight.

With their cutoff time coming soon, Cas placed a kiss against Sam's collarbone, “We better go. I don't want you late to work.”

Sam pouted against the top of Cas's head, “Stop being so logical.”

“No, I'm actually being quite selfish. If you're late, they might make you stay later, and then I would lose time with you tonight.”

Reluctantly, Sam loosened his hold and sat criss-crossed in the grass as Cas did the same. They dug into the basket of food Margaret had given Sam then, and as soon as the last sandwich was devoured, they trudged back to the car.

They were both quiet the entire time while Sam carefully reversed out onto the road and drove them back to the house. Once there, they made quick work of picking up the broken pieces from the garden and dumped it all into the garbage pail on the porch.

The grandfather clock started chiming nine times when Sam followed Cas inside and just happened to notice the grass stains all down the back of Cas's clothes. “Oh fuck! Do I have grass stains on me?”

Cas moved behind Sam and started laughing, “Umm…quite a bit.”

“Well, then we are so screwed since you do too. Ugh…we should've used that blanket from the car.”

With a nonchalant shrug, Cas just kept walking farther into the house, “Your mom and Margaret are going to have to get used to that happening, I Sam. I plan on having many such moments in our spot from now on.”

The confidence of Cas allowed Sam to calm down, and then the promise of more time down by the oaks had other issues start. “You make it seem so normal. I guess I just haven't been out there enough to fall into that same sense of safety.”

They paused by the staircase, and Cas took hold of Sam's hand, “We still have to be careful. Society isn't forgiving or accepting of what we have…yet. But you live far enough out of town, and your mom and Margaret are amazing, so I know they'd be okay with things. We could live freely within these walls and just have to hide out there for a few hours. I don't know about you, but that sounds damn near like heaven to me.”

“Me too.” Sam cupped Cas's face in his hands and leaned down for a kiss, not caring who might see.

From her position on the sofa petting Charlie, Eliza had a clear view of the two men kissing, and it made her heart gush. She had never seen Sam so in love with anyone before.

She gave Charlie a few scritches and smiled, “I think we'll soon be sharing the house with another person, my dear. What do you think?”

The black bird hopped around on her lap as if doing a happy dance and let out a very loud, “CAW!”

Out in the hallway, Cas and Sam jumped apart and turned to find Eliza and Charlie staring at them. They blushed and headed into the living room.

“Morning, mom.” Sam leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek.

She patted the sofa for Sam to sit, but he refused because his backside was covered in grass stains.

“Do I smell, Sam? Sit.”

Cas started laughing, and Charlie joined in mimicking the sound. “Your son is reluctant to ruin your sofa because we might have taken a small detour on the way here and have grass stains on our clothes.”

Eliza motioned for them to turn around and saw the green stains on both their backsides. “Well then, I guess there is only one thing to do. Sam is going to have to make an honest man of you, Castiel.”

The two men's jaws dropped.

Sam forgot all about the grass stains and plopped down onto the sofa, “I would be all for that, but I don't think Father Crowley would agree.”

“No, he would have a conniption fit for sure.” She gave Charlie a few more scritches, “Back in earlier cultures, though, most weddings happened when two individuals made a sacred pledge to one another. Even in Scotland, they have something called hand-fasting where the two lovers would bind their hands together and say a vow.”

Cas carefully leaned against the piano and sent a smoldering grin Sam's way, “So you going to make me an honest man, I Sam?”

The grin on Sam's face went from ear to ear, “Well, what if I want you to make an honest man of me, Mr. Novak?”

And just like that, Cas moved over and knelt on one knee in front of Sam. “My dear Samuel William Wesson, would you do me the honor of being mine till the day we die?”

Sam pretended to think about his answer, “So would this mean you like like me, sir?”

“Oh, most definitely, I Sam.”

Hazel eyes latched onto blue, “And I, you, Cas…till the day we die and far into eternity.”

Eliza squealed so loud it scared Charlie, who took off out the open living room window. “Oh dear…poor bird.”

Sam kissed Cas on the cheek before he stood and headed to the telephone. He called into the hospital then and pretended to be sick. “Yeah, I think I ate something bad. I've been puking all night long. Thanks, I hope so too.”

His mom just stared in shock at him when the phone was hung up. “You have never called off work before!”

Cas then walked to the phone and pretended to dial Sam's number. Eliza picked up on what was happening and giggled. She pretended to pick up a phone, “Hello?”

“Oh, hello, Mrs. Wesson. It's Cas. Is Sam around?”

She giggled more as she held out the invisible phone to the man in question.

Sam rolled his eyes but played along, “Yes, Mr. Novak? How may I help you?”

“Well, I think I ate something bad at supper, and I've been puking up all night long. I'm sorry, but I don't think I will be able to come over to work today.”

“Oh dear! Well, try to get plenty of fluids and stay in bed as much as possible.”

Blue eyes blazed into hazel, “Oh, I intend to…sir.”

Eliza was once again forgotten as the air crackled around the two men. It was rather funny, though, with them both holding a phone to their ear…real or imaginary. Knowing she was very much a third wheel, Eliza coughed rather loudly and commanded them to, “Get going. Just make sure you are presentable by lunchtime.”

Both men moved over and kissed her cheek before doing as told.

She let out a gushy happy sigh when she saw Sam take Cas's hand in his before they disappeared from her sight. “Oh, how sweet love can be.”

Eliza glanced at the many pictures around the room of her and her own love, Geoffrey. She closed her eyes and imagined him sitting beside her on the sofa, “Oh darling, how I miss you every day. How I wish ghosts were real and you could still be here with me. One day, my love, we will be able to embrace again.”

Her hand reached for the necklace Charlie had found, “You are always close to my heart, Mr. Wesson.”

When she looked out the living room window, Eliza noticed a dark shadow fast approaching. Seconds later, Charlie flew inside and landed on the back of the sofa. The crow cautiously moved closer as if afraid Eliza might scream again.

She held out her arm, and Charlie hopped on. “Little one, I am so sorry for scaring you earlier. How can I make it up to you?”

The smart bird hopped down onto the sofa cushion and toppled the throw pillow that hid a sack of sunflower seeds.

Eliza just adored Charlie even more, “Oh, such a clever bird! Yes, yes, fine. Bring me the bag, and I will let you have a handful.”

Charlie dragged the sack of seeds over to her, and she rewarded him with scritches. “So obedient, my darling. Here you go.” She took out a generous amount of sunflower seeds and enjoyed watching Charlie dance happily to her hand and enjoy the treat.

After grabbing the blanket from the car, Cas and Sam just strolled down the long yard till they reached the circle of oak trees. The grass where their bodies had rested before was still pressed down, and Sam laid the blanket over it. As they sat criss-crossed facing each other, Sam grabbed Cas's left hand with his left because that was the hand wedding rings were placed.

He was about to say something when Cas interrupted with, “Sam, I have an idea, but I'm not sure if you will find it too extreme.”

This definitely had Sam's attention, “Go on…”

Cas let go of Sam's hand and reached into a pocket to pull out a worn-looking Swiss army knife. “How do you feel about a blood oath? And also having a scar somewhere?”

The thought of merging in such a way with Cas thrilled Sam. “Yes! Let's do it but just not on my hands. Only because I have a few surgeries coming up this week, and I don't want to risk infection by having an open wound there.”

“Very reasonable.” Cas looked at Sam's body, trying to assess a good and safe spot. “Bingo! I know exactly where to do the cut.”

A hand was placed on Sam's shirt over his heart. He loved the idea so much and added another layer to it, “How about you put a C on me, and I can put an S on you?”

A growl escaped Cas's lips, “Fuck yes! We should get some salt to make sure it doesn't heal fully. I want to be able to look in the mirror and see the pink scar anytime I choose.”

Sam looked back at the house, which was soooooo very far away, and let out a playfully resigned sigh, “Fine. I will go back for some.”

This got him a few kisses and almost had them forget about the oath altogether. But once again, Cas was the reasonable one and moved away so Sam could get the salt.

Wanting to return as quick as possible, Sam raced up the yard to the house and snuck inside. Being a doctor, he felt compelled to grab some supplies to sterilize the blade. Sam then hurried back to Cas with a container of salt, the bottle of 1901 Boundary Oak Blackhorse Whiskey, and a box of matches.

Once the small knife was prepped, he handed it back to Cas. Sam took off his shirt then and braced himself for whatever pain would accompany the cut.

Cas's free hand slid up the naked flesh and pushed till Sam's back hit the blanket. “I need you to stay very still now, I Sam.”

This was easier said than done when Cas straddled Sam's thighs and purposefully started rubbing their crotches together. Not that Sam really minded but still teased, “You are not practicing safe surgical protocol, Mr. Novak.”

Another wicked wiggle happened before Cas leaned down with the whiskey bottle and kissed the soon-to-be-marked spot. “Hush it, Mr. Wesson, or I might just carve my full name onto this beautiful chest.”

Even though the idea of having C A S T I E L across his skin was lovely, Sam kept quiet as told. After a quick wash with the alcohol, the sharp tip of the blade broke through skin, causing Sam to bite his lower lip to deal with the pain.

And if the slicing hadn't hurt enough, when Cas poured the whiskey over the wound and then rubbed in a handful of salt, Sam was cursing up a storm, “Fuck! Fuck! FUCK!! That hurts so much more than I thought it would!”

Cas placed a kiss to the side of the salty, bloody C and then to Sam's lips. “Flesh of my flesh and marked as mine for all eternity.”

The intimacy and sacredness of the moment washed over Sam and pushed the pain aside. “My turn. Now get that shirt off, mister!”

They swapped positions then, and Sam was now straddling Cas's thighs while leaning down to kiss the purplish hickey and the soon-to-be-carved skin. A waterfall of the whiskey covered the same spot next, and Sam trailed his fingers across the wet skin, “Wonder if this is how Adam felt when Eve woke him up and he saw the ribcage scar that linked them together forever.”

As Sam carefully pressed the tip of the blade to the tan skin and broke through, Cas's colorful curses filled the air. There was a sexual component to marking someone as yours, and Cas also seemed to feel it since their hard cocks pressed tightly together while Sam finished the lower curve of the S.

His gaze then latched onto Cas's as Sam poured the whiskey and pressed a handful of salt into the bleeding wound, “Flesh of my flesh, and marked as mine for all eternity.”

Sam tossed the knife away from the blanket, wiped the salt from his hand, and then laid down next to Cas. Their touching hands entwined as they stared up at the beautiful cerulean sky through the ring of swaying trees.

Cas was the first to break the silence with a painful chuckle, “It still really hurts.”

“Fuck yes, it so does!” Sam said in agreement staring at the angry C on his chest. “I'm all about playing with pain during sex, but this might be a bit too much.”

They both turned to look at the other and cracked up. Several birds took flight at the loud laughter and it just added to the crazy humor of the moment.

Through the cacophony of bird squawks, Cas smiled over at Sam, “Fuck-n-A…I love you, I Sam!”

A warmth, not having anything to do with the sunlight shining down, engulfed Sam's entire body at finally hearing those words. He squeezed their hands together and smiled back. “I love you too, Cas…with all my heart.”

Cas rolled over, wincing with pain, and sealed the moment with a kiss. A warm breeze ruffled through their hair and across their naked chests as the languid lip contact continued. They were in no hurry to do anything else but that, and several delightful minutes passed in complete oblivion.

Then Cas pulled back and straddled Sam's lap, so their zippers now touched. Blue eyes gazed down into hazel as those wicked hips started a nice slow roll. “Should we make it official, I Sam? Say all the vows and…,” Cas patted the blanket, “…christen the wedding bed.”

Sam nodded before he reached out and popped the button on Cas's pants. “I, Samuel William Wesson…,” he slid down the zipper, “…take you, Castiel James Novak…,” the pants were pulled down past Cas's ass, “…to be my husband, to have and to…,” the freed hard cock was gripped tightly in Sam's hand, “…hold from this day forward.”

The firm grasp on Cas's cock never let up as Sam suddenly flipped them over till he was on top. “And I am yours for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer…,” He tugged off Cas's pants and then his own, “…in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do we part.”

Both exposed cocks were now nicely enveloped in Sam's warm hand and caused simultaneous moans. “This…,” Sam rubbed the tips of their cocks with his thumb before tucking the fleshy digit under Cas's foreskin. “…is my solemn vow.”

It was so decadent to be completely naked and surrounded by nature at that moment. Cas stroked up and down Sam's thighs and said, “And I, Castiel James Novak take you, Samuel William Wesson, to be my husband.”

“To have and to…,” those same hands moved higher to grip Sam's hickied ass cheeks, “…hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.”

Sam wasn't even paying attention to their cocks in his hand as he was mesmerized by the blue eyes staring up at him.

Cas's roaming hands moved up Sam's back and pulled him down till their lips were inches apart. “To love and to cherish you beyond whenever death tries to make us part. This…” a kiss was placed on Sam's lips, “…is my solemn vow.”

The hand around their cocks was removed as Sam cupped Cas's face. As their lips met again to finalize the age-old ritual, love surged through them and overshadowed the discomfort of their cuts.

A whimper escaped Sam, “How I wish we could sink into each other at the same time so we could be truly, and fully connected.”

“Would be lovely, I Sam,” Cas murmured before kissing down to Sam's neck. “But until that is possible, I'm more than happy to let you have first dibs on choosing what goes where.”

Sam didn't need much time to decide. He pushed Cas's legs back till knees hit chest and then leaned down to push two fingers past Cas's lips. “Get them wet for me.”

Cas lustfully sucked, and soon the saliva-coated flesh was rubbing the clenched hole. Sam then rubbed the tip of his cock against the slippery pink skin and slowly started to push forward. The best part of anal was the tightness of the rim during insertion, and Sam was happy for every damn second it took to get the head of his cock to pop inside.

“Fuck!” They both moaned at how fuckn' fantastic it felt to finally be joined.

With a growl against Cas's neck, Sam firmly shoved the rest of his cock forward until every inch was past the widened hole. He reveled in being surrounded by hot flesh and hearing Cas gasp.

Needing more, Sam slowly slid out all the way till only the head remained hidden and then quickly buried himself again.

“Mhmm, fuck yes! Love it, I Sam.” Cas's fingers were digging into Sam's hickied ass cheeks. “Hell yes! Make me yours not only in words but in action!”

Anything else Cas might have been about to say was muffled as Sam pressed their lips together for a hungry kiss while his hips started to slam. And when Cas's legs wrapped around him, Sam was in heaven!

They lay there entwined as the sound of their heavy breathing and the hard thumping of their bodies echoed in the breeze. Sam used a firm grip on Cas's shoulders to help maintain the fast pace.

It felt so damn good to pound into Cas till he couldn't get any deeper. The motion was so primal and made Sam want to grunt like a caveman and mark Cas's skin with a bite mark.

Almost as if knowing what Sam was thinking, Cas gasped, “Do it!”

That was how Sam's teeth sank into Cas's clavicle, and cum suddenly sprayed deep inside. The force of the orgasm caused Sam to glitch out, though, and he bit harder than he planned, which caused Cas to scream out:

“Sam, stop!”

The taste of blood was on his tongue when Sam released Cas and stared in horror at the vicious-looking bite mark. “Oh fuck! I am so sorry.”

Cas just clenched around Sam's softening cock and shrugged, “Nothing to apologize for, I Sam. It was hot as hell, even through the pain. But soon, I'm going to be as purple as an eggplant!”

Sam's laughter quickly turned to moans as more wicked clenches sent aftershocks rippling up and down his spine. He felt so euphoric and wanted to give Cas a chance to blow as well.

So he slid reluctantly out of his new favorite spot and straddled Cas's thighs. He looked hungrily down at the foreskin dripping with precum and knew he wanted his first time to be a slide down onto the beautiful, hard cock. He reached out and wrapped his hand around the shaft. “Can I ride you, Mr. Novak?”

“Who is this Mr. Novak you speak of, sir?” Cas asked.

Sam was confused, “You.”

“Ahhh, you would be in error, sir. See, that was my name when I was single.” Cas's hand covered Sam stroking fingers. “But I've just gotten married, sir, and that isn't my name anymore.”

A gushy grin spread across Sam's face, “Oh yeah? So what is your married name, sir?”

“Wovak, Castiel Wovak.”

It was such a perfect blend of their last names that Sam had to kiss the brilliant inventor senseless. “Mhmm! Fuck! Love it and you, Castiel Wovak!”

“Love you too, Samuel Wovak,” Cas growled. “Now get on your husband's cock and make me see stars!”

“Yes, sir!”

And oh! Holy hell! When gravity, with the help of some spit and a sticky precum-coated cock head, allowed Sam to experience his first assful of Cas…heaven!

Sam wasn't in control of his body from the second Cas's foreskin pulled back as the cock head passed Sam's rim and sunk inside. Each inch that disappeared after was just cherries and sprinkles on an already scrumptious sundae.

Sam took a few seconds to savor the sensation of being filled with Cas. It wasn't like Sam was a virgin when it came to anal, but not one of his former sexual encounters could ever measure up to making love.

Sam was so into his thoughts about finally getting Cas deep inside that he still hadn't moved. This was something Cas rectified with the firm grip on Sam's hips and a delicious upward thrust.

Several more ascending slams were added, and soon Sam was holding onto Cas's arms for dear life. Even with already having orgasmed, Sam was fast reaching the precipices of another one. As he was bounced on Cas's cock, Sam started a back and forth rocking motion, and it had both men a moaning mess.

The fire was building, and Sam was so close to falling into the flames. “Fuck! Can we stay like this for the next hundred years?”

SLAM!

SLAM!

“What? With you keeping my cock nice and warm in that sexy ass, I Sam?”

SLAM!

SLAM!

Sam growled out, “Oh hell yes! In my ass…in my hand…in my mouth…anywhere you so choose!”

He suddenly found himself flat on his back with Cas now on top. His legs were spread apart by Cas's thighs before Sam was squished between the blanket and his husband's lowered body.

Cas's lips moved from nipples to neck to ear. “So if I came home all sweaty and dirty from work, would you kneel between my legs and just suckle me if asked?”

Delicious images of doing that flooded Sam's cerebral cortex, “Fuck yes! Nothing better than holding your cock in my mouth for hours on end.”

“Oh, there are many things better than that, I Sam.”

“Mhmm! Like what?”

“Stand up, and I'll show you.”

Sam slid out from under Cas and did as commanded.

Cas stood up a bit more slowly and pushed Sam's back against the nearest tree. “Look what you do to me, Sam.”

Sam didn't have to be told to look since he was already staring…and drooling! “As it should be, Mr. Wovak! Mhmm!” He reached out and grabbed Cas's ass. “Oh, how I love the way you feel in my hands.”

Cas pulled out of the warm grip and turned Sam until he faced the tree trunk. Warm lips pressed against Sam's ear from behind then as Cas whispered, “Know what feels better?”

Yes, Sam knew but played dumb, “No, sir…what?”

SLAM!

When the hard cock was rammed all the way back in Sam's ass, it made his knees buckle. Mhmm! Nothing like being impaled on a thick hard cock.

Even the ragged tree bark scrapping into Sam's chest added to the pure animalistic moment. If he hadn't been so turned on, the pressure on the C-scar would have been more painful.

“Wrap those arms around the trunk, I Sam,” Cas growled.

He did as told and enjoyed the rough ride…his own cock like a rock now and smearing precum against the brown bark with each thrust.

And when Cas's hand slid around and started jerking Sam off, it felt like two live wires had touched. Sam's jaw dropped as his ability to think flew away, and his lungs required more air to function.

The need to also touch Cas meant Sam had to let go of the trunk to reach backward and take hold of those sexy thrusting hips. This new hand hold brought Cas's body against Sam's back, and suddenly the tone of everything shifted as the hard slams turned into wicked slow rolls.

In a crazy way, it was even more intense than a full onslaught, and everything around Sam and Cas faded away to black. At that moment, nothing but their two bodies and merged souls existed, and every breath, every touch, made the flames lick higher till they were burning together.

Cas whimpered against Sam's nape, “Oh fuck…I'm…I'm going to…fuck!”

Maybe he and Cas were the live wires touching since the second Sam heard how close Cas was to losing it, he felt a wave of need crash over him, and they jumped off the ledge together.

The forest was quiet except for their panting and racing heartbeats. As Cas's cum painted the pink flesh deep inside Sam and a milky white waterfall coated the tree bark, they just stood there reveling in the sensations.

Cas took a couple steps back then after kissing Sam on the shoulder.

With the loss of body heat behind him, Sam could feel the cool air on his gaping hole. He loved being messy and grinned as the trapped cum trickled down his inner thigh. He turned around, rested against the tree, and just took in the delicious sight of his scruffy, disheveled husband.

Sam felt damn lucky and overwhelmed with emotions that he had been able to find someone so wonderful. He strode over, took hold of Cas's face, and started a hungry kiss. Yes, yes, yes! This was something Sam could live with for the rest of his life!

They were so into the lip-lock that when Charlie landed on Sam's naked shoulder, the two men jumped apart and screamed bloody murder. The poor crow didn't understand why they had done that and flew off to a nearby tree branch.

“That was crazy!” Cas stared over at the annoyed bird and noticed something tied to Charlie's leg. The crow hopped around on the branch, not feeling too trusting of the guys yet.

With hands raised in a peaceful, non-threatening manner, Cas slowly moved closer and removed the small rolled note. Cas and Sam's laughter echoed around the forest as they read the message.

The loud racket was the final straw for Charlie, who flew back to the house in a huff.

Sam shook his head, “Only my mom would think to send a carrier crow to let us know lunch was ready.”

“The thing is we are so not presentable looking, I Sam.”

“Trust me, I know. We'll have to sneak up to the showers and wash up quickly.”

They shared one last lingering kiss before getting dressed and gathering all their things for the long trek back to the house. Once they were up the stairs, Sam leaned over the banister and called out, “We'll be down in fifteen minutes. Just washing up.”

Margaret walked out of the living room, “Just hurry up, or your food will be ice cold.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

That there was a little bit of play during the quick hot shower was something they couldn't help. Two mostly presentable men walked into the living room then and sat down at the small table Margaret had moved in front of the sofa.

Eliza gave them a once-over glance and nodded that they passed. Charlie glared at them nervously from her shoulder, and she wondered what the poor bird had seen down in the forest. “Have you ruined the innocence of my dear crow?”

Cas and Sam shared a smile as memories of all they had done under the oak trees replayed in their minds. Mhmm yes!

Sam tried very hard to taper down his grin but couldn't. “I'm sure Charlie has seen way worse.”

“And have you made honest men of each other?” Eliza asked, already sure of the answer.

Both men pulled on their shirt collars, revealing the C and S scars. The women gasped at the angry red lettering carved into Cas and Sam's chest.

Margaret leaned in for a closer look, “Oh dear, that is going to leave a scar.”

Eliza wouldn't have gone as far as breaking the skin but understood the importance of carving a clear, distinct claim on each other. “I think that was the purpose, Margaret.”

“Oh, I see.”

The tame version of their vow time in the woods was shared then while lunch was enjoyed. Eliza was quite certain that things had been a bit more naughty than said, but it was to be expected. Two people in love would always share a burning passion. She had had that kind of love with her husband and only hoped Sam and Cas could be as close.

“So when do you plan to move in, Cas?” she asked as Margaret handed out dessert.

Cas and Sam had talked about moving in together, but it took them by surprise to hear his mom flat out ask. Cas glanced over at Sam and then back to Eliza, “Well, ma'am, I would have to go through my house and figure out what I want to keep or get rid of, and then I could easily sell it. With so many new shops and such coming to Lawrence, my place is in prime housing territory. So maybe by Thanksgiving?”

The hope of a wonderful future with Cas warmed Sam's heart. “I would love to have you here with us by the holidays.”

Eliza nodded in agreement, “Will be lovely to have the house overflowing with life and love again.”

For the next few minutes, as dessert was enjoyed, they discussed what would be needed for Cas to permanently move into the Wesson house. The two men then helped Margaret with the dishes before saying goodbye. Cas followed behind Sam's car in the auto buggy as they drove back to 2108 Vermont street.

The second they were inside the house, Cas shoved Sam against the nearest wall and kissed him senseless. A large chunk of time passed before their lips broke contact with each other.

Sam grinned and placed a quick kiss on Cas's jaw, “I can't wait till we can just head up to my room when we want to be alone.”

Cas nipped Sam's lower lip, “Mhmm, yes. Will also be lovely to have the chance to sneak off to our spot in the forest whenever we want. And spend some more time together in that new-fangled shower.”

Images of their soapy bodies entwined under the sizzle of the hot water had Sam contemplating a whole lot of naughty fun. He cupped Cas's ass and ground their lower halves together.

“Oh, so does my husband want to have his wicked way with me?” Cas asked, enjoying the feel of their hard cocks rubbing.

“In every position and on every damn surface!”

That got Sam thoroughly kissed and stoked the already blazing fire of need and lust. It was the catalyst for the growl that burst from Sam and why he leaned down and potato-sacked his beautiful husband over a shoulder.

A shocked gasp left Cas, who now had an upside-down view of Sam's backside. “I've heard of being carried over the threshold but not like this!”

As Sam strode purposefully to the bedroom, a firm whack of a hand slapping Cas's ass sounded in the hall. The mattress squeaked loudly then as Cas was tossed onto it and Sam plopped down to the right.

Clothes were ripped off each other as the quest for nakedness suddenly seemed urgent. And when only skin showed, they pressed as close as possible. Lips locked, fingers roamed, and lower halves gyrated deliciously together.

“So how do you want me, I Sam?”

Sam was rolled onto his back as Cas straddled his thighs.

“Like this? Or…”

Their bodies twisted again until Sam was on top and Cas's legs were wrapped around his waist.

“…maybe like this?”

Wanting to watch Cas ride him, Sam flipped them once again till his back hit the mattress, and Cas was looking down at him. “This is what I want! I want to see you fall apart on my cock. I want to watch it disappear inside your tight ass and see my cum running down the shaft once I fill you up.”

Lust-blown blue eyes stared into hazel, “Hold on, Mr. Wovak.”

Sam watched as Cas leaned over to the nightstand and pulled out a small metal tin from the drawer. He was surprised to see it, since normally, Sam only saw it in the hospital. “Where did you get that?”

Cas held up the container of KY, “At the naughty store four blocks from the hospital, why?”

“We use that in the operating room as a surgical aid, and it comes in that very tin!”

“Hmm…well, I think you might have someone stealing it and selling it at the store since they had several on the shelf.”

The lid was twisted off, and a smear of the slick lubricant coated Cas's fingers and soon Sam's cock. The slippery material heated up quickly under the firm strokes, and with determination and gravity, it allowed Cas to slide down till pink rim kissed pubic hair.

“Fuck!” they both moaned out.

Sam dipped his fingers into the tin of KY and wrapped his hand around Cas's cock. “How about we lose consciousness together, Mr. Wovak?”

The metal container of lube was tossed onto the nightstand as Cas ground down on Sam's cock and roughly rocked back and forth. The tight hole clenched in perfection around the inserted flesh while Sam jerked off Cas in sync to the raunchy rhythm.

Their hungry gazes stayed locked the entire time, even when Cas arched backward and went all cowboy riding a bull. Sam loved watching but wanted a better view, so he used his free hand to hold up Cas's balls.

The visual of his dick being slammed down upon, plus the sensation of being engulfed in a fleshy tube of ninety-eight-degree heat, had Sam hovering right on the edge. He wanted Cas there with him and stepped up his stroke game on the uncut cock.

The droplets of precum racing down the back of his hand made Sam wish he was as flexible as Cas so he could lean down and lick it off. “When you blow, I want your cum all over my fingers. I'm going to clean off two with my tongue, but I also want to give you a taste. I love watching that dirty mouth sucking on my fingers and swallowing your own cum.”

“More, I Sam!” Cas groaned at the visuals produced by Sam's words. “I am so close!”

Even though he was in the same boat, Sam's hand stopped moving on Cas's dick and rested right under the ridge of the hidden cock head. When Sam slipped his thumb between the beautiful foreskin and the slick flesh, the bulge of the inserted digit had Cas's full attention.

“I wish my thumb was my tongue, Cas,” growled Sam. “I ache to shove as much of my pink flesh past this gorgeous foreskin as possible. But since I can't reach that far, I wonder how many fingers could fit? Think I could get all five covered by that perfect piece of flesh?”

“Do it!” Cas commanded while slamming down rough and raw on Sam's cock.

Sam massaged the warm balls with the other hand while using the thumb already pushed inside the foreskin to tug it further away. Then using Cas's own precum as lube, Sam pushed each finger inside and squeezed the spongy cock head. “Mhmm, I've never been as envious of my own fingers as I am now. I want this sticky skin blocking my damn throat as my breath tries to move past it!”

That was it for Cas! Soon curses filled the room as cum shot out of the tip, spraying all over Sam's palm. And if that wasn't hot enough, while riding into the orgasm sunset, Cas's delectable ass clenched Sam's cock so damn tight!

Sam needed more, though! So up popped the hand holding the balls to latch onto Cas's hip. The grip let him quickly roll their connected bodies over till Cas was pressed into the mattress, and Sam could fuck himself into oblivion…all the while, he made sure to protect his sticky palm for later enjoyment.

And when he was about to leap off the cliff and join Cas, Sam held his sloppy, cum coated palm against his mouth. The taste of Cas's release smeared into his lips and tongue while those blue eyes stared up at him was the final key to open the last lock.

More like a floodgate as cum soon flowed deep into Cas's ass. Sam's body glitched and shook, and he lost all ability to hold himself up…collapsing against Cas's chest.

Cas used the closeness to grab Sam's face and plant a growly kiss on his gasping pink lips. It was heaven!

“Fuck, that was amazing,” Sam murmured as he kissed down Cas's neck.

“Mhmm, yes it was, I Sam!” Cas purposefully clenched again around the still trapped sensitive cock, causing Sam to flop like a fish. Something that made Cas laugh maniacally, “What a wonderful way to pop my bed's cherry.”

Sam nipped at Cas's neck, “I plan on popping a lot of furniture cherries around this house before you move into mine!”

“Looking forward to it, I Sam.”

Not wanting to disconnect yet, they lay cuddled on the bed, just enjoying the closeness and letting their bodies recoup.

They were able to stay like that for over twenty minutes before the loud barking of the neighbor's stupid dog broke through the tranquil moment.

Cas placed a kiss on Sam's ruffled hair before pushing him over to the other side of the bed. “Well, I guess that's our cue to wash up and figure what we want later for supper. Now get your ass into that bathroom, I Sam, and fill up the tub.”

“Geesh! Only married a few hours, and you're already bossing me around!” Sam teased while sluggishly doing as commanded.

Cas followed and stood in the doorway, enjoying the sight of Sam bent over the tub. “Okay, so I might have another thing to add to our to-do list, I Sam.”

Sam wiggled his hips and pushed his ass up on purpose. “We could cross it off right here and now…sir.”

“Fuuuck!”

“Well, yes. That was the idea…sir!”

Blue eyes lingered on the hickied cheeks as Cas came over and cupped the warm flesh. “I think I should add some more purple to this lovely ass, I Sam.”

“Trying to turn me into an eggplant too, sir?”

WHACK!

The sound of Cas's hand spanking Sam's ass echoed around the small bathroom. Cas grinned as the red palm print overlayed the left hickey. “I'm okay with turning this ass nice and pink too, I Sam.”

Sam moaned, “Hell! You really don't want me to be able to sit, do you…sir?”

WHACK!

WHACK!

Cas's hand rubbed the two new handprints. “Every time you call me sir, I'm going to spank you, husband mine.”

It shouldn't turn Sam on to feel the pain radiating through his backside…but oh, it so did! “Sorry, sir. Should I stop, sir? Or should I keep going…sir?”

WHACK!

WHACK!

WHACK!

Sam was in painful bliss until Cas suddenly shoved him into the tub. Water poured over the edge, splashing onto the tiled floor as Sam sat upright and pushed the wet hair from his eyes. His sore bottom now rested against the hard floor of the bathtub. “Ohhh, you are so wicked, Mr. Wovak!”

Cas just smirked while turning off the faucet, “Never said I wasn't, brat. Now scooch forward, I Sam, I'm not done with your ass yet.”

Whimpers left Sam with each forward slide as his pink aching cheeks made contact with the ceramic surface.

As soon as Cas was settled behind him, Sam was lifted up, and his poor posterior was cushioned by Cas's thighs. He leaned back against his husband's chest and let out a contented sigh, “Ahhh…now this is heaven.”

“Not quite, I Sam.” Cas's cock was suggestively rubbed against Sam's crack. “What would truly make this moment amazing would be you pushing that tight hole onto this hard cock you caused.”

“Gladly, sir.” Sam carefully stood up and turned in extreme slow motion so Cas could…

WHACK!

WHACK!

A grin stretched ear-to-ear as his butt cheeks screamed out once more with two new handprints. Hell yes! Heaven indeed. Hazel eyes found lust-blown blue eyes glaring up at them when Sam rotated and was now facing Cas.

Thank goodness the tub was wide enough that Sam's knees had enough room on the outside of Cas's thighs when he knelt back down. He leaned forward and placed a hungry kiss on his husband's lips.

A moan joined the kiss when Cas firmly grabbed ahold of Sam's pink cheeks. The burn of the spanked flesh felt so damn good and made Sam's cock even harder. “Fuck, Cas! I want your hands to stay there while I ride your cock.”

“What? Like this?” Cas squeezed even harder.

Sam arched backward, which only exasperated the sensation of the tight hold. “Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Yes, just like that.” He reached under and lined Cas's cock up with his waiting hole. The spread cheeks helped the head pop past the rim, and then the water provided the slickness needed to push all the way down.

“Grab that bar of soap, I Sam,” Cas gruffly commanded. “And while I fuck you, I want you to wash that dirty cock of yours. You are not allowed to stop till I cum deep inside you.”

The hands on Sam's cheeks yanked him up and slammed him back down as he reached over for the Ivory soap.

SLAM!

The milky white rectangle felt heavy in his hand as he pushed it under the water and did as told.

SLAM!

Sam started squirming the second the bar brushed skin, “I'm not going to last long like this!”

SLAM!

SLAM!

Cas stopped thrusting to stretch up to nip Sam's adam's apple. “Who said you had to last long, I Sam?”

SLAM!

Sam whimpered as the soap rubbed deliciously against the bottom ridge of his cock head, “You did. You told me not to stop till you came deep inside me.”

SLAM!

SLAM!

SLAM!

“Mhmm! Well, don't worry since…”

SLAM!

SLAM!

Cas's eyelids clamped shut, and the wicked grip on Sam's cheeks tightened even more as curses filled the bathroom.

Sam loved hearing those sexy words as his ass was coated with warm sticky cum. Added to all that, the bar of soap was just small enough now to allow him to wrap his fingers around his cock and stroke faster.

And when blissed-out blue eyes latched onto hazel, Sam lost it. Cum swirled into the soapy water as Sam gasped for breath and crumpled down to rest his head on Cas's shoulder.

Once he could think clearly again, Sam slid off Cas's softened cock and rested against the other side of the tub. “Best damn day EVER!”

“Oh hell yes, I Sam!” Cas reached under the water and picked up the puny sliver of soap. “Damn, man! Your cock is probably the cleanest thing in the neighborhood.”

Sam took a nice long slow look at his submerged husband, “Mhmm…well, it won't be for long after we get done with supper.”

“Oh yeah? And how do you plan to defile me next, I Sam?”

“Maybe this time, I'll be the one throwing everything off the dining room table and having my wicked way with you.”

Cas crawled over and straddled Sam's lap, “I look forward to it…sir.”

Sam had to laugh at how Cas's ass had been kept out of the water on purpose.

WHACK!

A growly kiss followed the hard spank, and if they weren't so hungry and their skin not so pruney, they would have played some more in the tub. Then after a quick wash, they got out and slowly dried each other off as the soapy water and cum swirled down the drain.

A still naked Cas pressed against Sam's back and placed a kiss on his neck. “So what are you hungry for, I Sam?”

Sam wiggled his ass, “You always, but if it needs to be food, then how about we have a breakfast night?”

Cas laughed, “You just want me to make hash browns. I see how it is!”

“Darn! You figured out my nefarious plan!” Sam turned his head to kiss Cas. “Marry and then maim just for some hash browns.”

Warm fingers reached around to stroke Sam's C-scar before tracing over the S-scar. “Worth it!”

Sam turned in Cas's arms, and a very delectable kiss started. When their lips parted, Sam pouted, “Do we have to get dressed?”

“Nope. I personally would enjoy seeing you walking around in the buff.” Cas grabbed Sam's ass and squeezed. “Mhmm, perfection.”

Most of the soreness had left the spanked cheeks, so Sam moaned more than grimaced at the firm grasp. “Let's hurry up with supper, Mr. Wovak, because my clean cock definitely wants some more time in your mouth…and ass.”

“Hey, have you heard of the author Thomas Hardy?”

“Well, that was quite random…and yes. Mom has many of his works, and I've read a few. Why?”

Cas's hold on Sam's ass softened, and the fingers soon roamed up and down his back. “One of my all-time favorite books is his Tess of the d'Urbervilles. I thought maybe after supper, we could spend some time on the sofa with me suckling this spotless cock of yours while you read to me.”

Sam groaned at the images those words created. “Fuck yes! Come on! This is going to be the fastest dinner in history!”

“Yes…sir.”

The hand Sam arched toward Cas's ass only hit air as Cas raced away. “Ohhhh! Diabolical!”

Their laughter echoed around as the chase ensued. Cas knew the place better, so there was definitely an advantage, but Sam had a longer stride.

An almost grab happened in the hallway, and then a shoulder touch by the Victrola. It wasn't until Sam had Cas cornered in the kitchen that the gleam of victory overtook hazel eyes.

“Gotcha, Cas. You might as well just turn around and assume the position.” Sam held up his right hand and flexed the fingers. “My palm is itching to say hello to that sexy ass of yours.”

Cas pressed tightly to the counter, “Can't let you do that…sir!”

“Oh…oh! That's three now!”

“Three?”

“One for the sir in the bathroom, another for running away, and a third for this second sir.”

An evil grin stretched across Cas's face. “Well…sir…you will have to add three more spanks to that total.”

The adrenaline was coursing again through Sam as he asked, “The fourth spanking I get, but what will cause the other two?”

Cas slowly walked over to Sam, leaned down, and placed a kiss on Sam's belly button. “For this…sir”

One second, Cas was in front of Sam, and then the next, the fiend had used the sneaky bent-over-form to duck under Sam's arm.

“Ohhhhhh!” Sam was so turned on with the ingenuity of his husband as he watched Cas dash down the hallway to the bedroom and shut the door. And as he suspected, when he got there, the lock had been engaged.

He rattled the doorknob before kneeling down to peek into the keyhole. “I'm going to turn your tan cheeks bright pink once I get my hand on you, Castiel James Wovak.”

Suddenly Cas's face showed on the other side of the keyhole, “Ah, I must be in serious trouble if you used my whole name…sir.”

“Seven!! That makes seven!”

The way Cas chuckled worried Sam. “You might as well go make super…sir…because I'm not unlocking the door until you do. Your hand is way bigger than mine, I Sam.”

There was one thing Cas hadn't planned on, though, and that was how Sam was pretty good at picking locks. Every now and then, a patient would freak out and lock themselves in their hospital room. With it often being a matter of life and death, there wasn't time to track down the janitor who had the keys. So the doctors and nurses had come up with alternative ways to get into the rooms.

The lock on Cas's door was pretty standard, and hopefully, Sam could find something in the kitchen to use. When he came up empty-handed, though, Sam had another brilliant idea. Thankfully the house was only one story, and he knew Cas never usually locked the windows.

The next issue was to find something to wear now when he headed outside since his clothes were still in the bedroom.

Luckily in the living room, there was a pile of laundry Cas had not put away yet. The shirt and pants were snug on Sam's taller frame, but at least all the buttons were able to close. Now he just had to sneak out the back door and get the bedroom window open before Cas could do anything to stop him.

Sam knew he would have to mask the creak of the door, so he turned on the Victrola. When he set the needle down at the halfway point on the record, though, he practically jumped out of his skin as loud, boisterous sound poured into the room.

Apparently, Cas had been listening to Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il trovatore, and Sam just happened to hit near the beginning of the Anvil Chorus. Fate was definitely on his side since he couldn't have picked a better song to conceal sound.

The part with the anvils being hit rang out with vigor, allowing Sam to easily open and shut the back door without detection.

When he got to the bedroom window, Sam carefully peeked inside for Cas's whereabouts. Good! The brat was staring through the keyhole, trying to figure out what Sam was up to with the loud music.

Sam slowly lifted the windowpane just enough to allow him space to crawl inside. The music was still quite loud even behind the shut bedroom door, and Cas never stood a chance.

In seconds, a naked Cas was potato-sacked over Sam's shoulder. “Now, how many spanks was it that I owed you?”

Cas gulped, “Uh…eight.”

WHACK!

“For calling me sir in the bathroom.”

WHACK!

“For running away.”

WHACK!

WHACK!

WHACK!

“For the three sirs in the kitchen.”

WHACK!

“For running away…again!”

WHACK!

WHACK!

“And two more for the sirs behind the locked door, brat.”

Sam set Cas down by the bedroom mirror so they could enjoy the overlaying handprints on the two pink cheeks. “That shouldn't be hot, but it really is.”

Cas pressed tentative fingers to the cheeks and grimaced, “It was hotter when it was YOUR ass, I Sam. Now, how about we make a pact for no more spanking tonight.”

“Deal. Besides,” Sam flexed his sore hand, “my palm is throbbing.”

“Har, har! Your poor hand. Whereas, I don't think I will be able to wear pants for a week,” grumbled Cas.

With a villainous eyebrow wiggle, Sam teased, “I would be okay with that.”

“I bet you would.”

Sam moved over and knelt behind Cas and placed soft kisses all around the sore ass. “My humblest apologies, dear posterior. Although I do blame your owner for being so sassy and running away. Had he stopped in the bathroom, you would only have two of my handprints marking you.”

Cas couldn't help but smile at all that, “Stop being so damn cute, I Sam. Now go close…and lock…the window, get out of my damn clothes, and let's make supper.”

After doing as told, a naked Sam followed Cas to the kitchen. They let the music play on the Victrola, and an angelic female voice rippled through the air. She was singing in Italian, and although the story behind the song was dire and dark, it still sounded beautiful.

La fiamma scoppietta!

La folla sfrenata corre a quel fuoco,

i loro volti tutti felici!

Grida di gioia risuonano intorno;

circondata da assassini,

una donna si fa avanti!

sinistro, splendente sui volti orribili,

la fiamma spettrale sale, sale verso il cielo!

La fiamma scoppietta!

La vittima arriva,

vestito di nero, scarmigliato, scalzo!

Si leva un feroce grido di morte,

la sua eco si ripete di collina in collina!

Sinistro, splendente

As the opera continued, Sam and Cas worked together in perfect sync. Even when they had to move around each other, it was like watching an elegantly choreographed waltz. And when the omelets, hash browns, pancakes, and bacon were cooked and plated, the two chefs carried everything to the dining room table.

The end of side A finished right before they sat, and Cas went to flip the record over. Act four started with an aria titl ed D'amor sull'ali rosee or Of love on rosy wings .

Instead of sitting across from each other, Sam and Cas sat near a corner of the table. Cas leaned more to the left, though, thanks to the right cheek aching the worst. “Ugh, I Sam! Why didn't you evenly disperse the spanks, so each side got four?”

“Well, as you were potato-sacked over my shoulder, it meant one cheek was easier to reach.” Sam scooped up a forkful of shredded hashbrowns and shoved it in his mouth. “Mhmm, so good!”

“Glad you like 'em, I Sam.” Cas cut through a stack of butter-soaked pancakes. “You know I'm going to have to suckle you tonight while lying on my left. You better be good at holding a book in one hand because I'm going to expect you to lovingly massage my achy cheek with the other.”

Sam did a once over of his sexy lopsided husband, “Oh, I will gladly do that.”

Cas unconsciously squirmed from the heated glance and cursed as the right cheek grazed the wooden seat. “FUCK! FUCK! And TITS! Between the hickeys, the scar, the bite mark, and now my sore backside, I think you're trying to make it so I can't get out of bed.”

“Mhmm, I would be okay with that!”

The air zinged with lust, and Cas had to focus on not squirming. “Eat your freakn' food, brat! We need to get to the soft sofa ASAP!”

“Yes, s…”

“DON'T SAY IT!”

Sam chuckled and grinned sheepishly, “Oops! Sorry.”

“Yeah, yeah! Lucifer indeed.”

An hour later, as the record scratched to an end, Sam and Cas were standing by the sink taking care of the dinner dishes. Once everything was cleaned and put away, Cas got the worn copy of Tess of the d'Urbervilles and a leather journal from the bedside table while Sam dealt with the Victrola.

“Here.” Cas handed both books and a pen to Sam before sitting down on the sofa next to him. “I thought before we played that we could make an entry in my journal about what we did today. Would be wonderful to document it on the same day it happened.”

Sam was all for that idea and opened the journal to the next blank page. “Humor me for a second.” He took the pen and drew a quick little tree with a black bird on one of the branches. He grinned over to Cas, “I will never forget mom sending Charlie down with that note. And now it is also documented in your journal.”

Once the ink was dry, Cas lovingly traced the tree and bird that Sam had drawn. “What a perfect addition, I Sam.” Cas carefully then wrote about the vow they had made and how they had marked each other with the C and S-shaped scars. “There. Now when we are old and grey, we can look back at this page and remember it all.”

“I look forward to that day, Cas.” Sam leaned over and placed a loving kiss on his husband's lips.

Cas pulled back first and looked down at the empty space at the top of the vow page. “Hmmm…I have a crazy idea, but I'm not sure you will agree to it, I Sam.”

“Oh dear! Now what, Mr. Wovak?”

“What would you say if we made this journal entry even more personal?”

Sam was a bit nervous since the last time Cas had wanted to make the moment more was how the C-shaped scar had ended up on his chest. “How would we do that, husband mine?”

Cas grinned sheepishly at Sam, “Weeeellllll, maybe by signing it in our blood and maybe putting our fingerprints on it too.”

Knowing it would be cool to come back to this entry and see all that, Sam let out a sigh. “Fine. Just don't cut my fingers, hands, or arms.”

“Yay!” Cas raced into the kitchen and came back with a small plate. “We can make a small puddle of each of our blood on this plate to work with.”

The same pocket knife used in the vow was prepped for this time too. Cas nicked Sam an inch below the C-scar and held the plate under to capture the blood. Sam did the same to Cas, and soon two rusty pools of blood rested on the white plate.

Cas then went and found an old fountain pen that could pull in the “red ink” and make it easier for both men to sign the page. Then between the two names, Cas pressed a blood-dipped thumb to the paper.

Sam did the same, and without trying, the two overlapping fingerprints looked like a morbid heart. “How cool is that?!”

“So freakn' cool, I Sam.” Cas moved the plate, journal, and pen to the coffee table near the stack of laundry and leaned in for another kiss.

When they finally broke apart, Cas laid across the sofa for the evening's second part of fun.

Sam loved seeing Cas's face resting on his lap and could have stared into those beautiful blue eyes all night long. With his free hand, Sam stroked through Cas's disheveled dark hair, “I want a thousand years filled with days like today.”

“Ditto, I Sam.” A kiss was placed against Sam's cock head. “Today has been practically perfect!”

This had Sam laughing and moaning, “Let me guess…if not for the sore ass cheeks, it would have been one hundred percent perfect?”

Cas leaned closer and sucked in Sam's cock. “Yefh, shir. Yho ahr corecft!”

“Fuuuucck! You talking around my cock shouldn't be hot, but mhmm…it is!” Sam was mesmerized by the sight of those plump pink lips firmly suctioned to the base of his shaft. “How am I supposed to read when I'm engulfed in the wet heat of your mouth?!”

“Youh bwetthr, Ih Shm. Ohr Ih whil juft sthop ahn gho tah bhed.”

Sam couldn't help but squirm as the hot air slinked around his cock with each word Cas spoke. He felt his softened cock harden and take up more space in the wicked mouth. “Dear Lord! Fine! But if I stammer, it isn't my fault!”

He let go of Cas's hair and opened the book to where an old Coca-Cola newspaper ad acted as a bookmark. Once the yellowed piece of paper was set on the sofa arm, Sam kept his promise and moved his free hand down to softly massage the sore right cheek. It helped his sanity that Cas was only suckling, which basically meant holding the cock inside but doing nothing more.

“Okay. Here we go. Chapter Nineteen…”

For the next thirty minutes, Sam read out loud about the tale of Tess. The poor woman had such a complicated life, and he couldn't believe how strong she stayed through it all. History was easy to romanticize for those that hadn't had to live through it.

Sam had read this book before when his mom had recommended it, so he knew what was about to happen in chapter twenty-three. Even with his voice hoarse from reading out loud for so long, Sam kept going just to reach his favorite part:

~~~~~ “'It was Sunday morning; the milking was done; the outdoor milkers had gone home. Tess and the other three were dressing themselves rapidly, the whole bevy having agreed to go together to Mellstock Church, which lay some three or four miles distant from the dairy-house. She had now been two months at Talbothays, and this was her first excursion.

All the preceding afternoon and night, heavy thunderstorms had hissed down upon the meads, and washed some of the hay into the river; but this morning, the sun shone out all the more brilliantly for the deluge, and the air was balmy and clear.

The crooked lane leading from their own parish to Mellstock ran along the lowest levels in a portion of its length, and when the girls reached the most depressed spot, they found that the result of the rain had been to flood the lane over-shoe to a distance of some fifty yards. This would have been no serious hindrance on a week-day; they would have clicked through it in their high pattens and boots quite unconcerned; but on this day of vanity, this Sun’s-day, when flesh went forth to coquet with flesh while hypocritically affecting business with spiritual things; on this occasion for wearing their white stockings and thin shoes, and their pink, white, and lilac gowns, on which every mud spot would be visible, the pool was an awkward impediment. They could hear the church-bell calling—as yet nearly a mile off.

While the women stood clinging to the bank, they heard a splashing round the bend of the road, and presently appeared Angel Clare, advancing along the lane towards them through the water.

Four hearts gave a big throb simultaneously.

This morning, Angel had observed the girls from a long distance, though they had been so occupied with their difficulties of passage as not to notice him. He knew that the water had risen at that spot, and that it would quite check their progress. So he had hastened on, with a dim idea of how he could help them—one of them in particular.

He came beneath them in the water, which did not rise over his long boots. “Are you trying to get to church? If so, I’ll carry you through the pool—every Jill of you.”

The whole four flushed as if one heart beat through them.

“I think you can’t, sir,” said Marian.

“It is the only way for you to get past. Stand still and put your arms round my shoulders. Now! Hold on.”

After Angel got the other three women across, Tess could see them standing as he had placed them on the next rising ground. It was now her turn. She paltered with him at the last moment.

“I may be able to clim’ along the bank perhaps—I can clim’ better than they. You must be so tired, Mr. Clare!”

“No, no, Tess,” said he quickly. And almost before she was aware, she was seated in his arms and resting against his shoulder.

“Three Leahs to get one Rachel,” he whispered.

“They are better women than I,” she replied, magnanimously sticking to her resolve.

“Not to me,” said Angel.

He saw her grow warm at this; and they went some steps in silence.

“I hope I am not too heavy?” she said timidly.

“O no. You are like an undulating billow warmed by the sun. And all this fluff of muslin about you is the froth.”

“It is very pretty—if I seem like that to you.”

“Do you know that I have undergone three-quarters of this labour entirely for the sake of the fourth?”'  ~~~~~~

Sam laughed, “Damn, that is smooth! I don't think I could have carried all those ladies over like that.”

Cas's mouth popped off Sam's semi-hard cock and teased, “Not even to save me, I Sam?”

“I don't know…you did make my shoulder ache when I potato-sacked you earlier. Would I get to kiss you once we waded across the water?”

Pretending to be shocked, Cas gasped, “Why how forward of you, Mr. Wovak! My mother has made me promise to keep all my kisses for my future husband.”

“Ahh, but don't you know, dear sir, that I plan to be that very thing quite soon? Therefore, you wouldn't be going against your mother's wise wishes…just lending me an early kiss.”

“Dang!” Cas chuckled at that line of bull. “And you said Angel was smooth, I Sam. Trying to fool a poor virgin to lose my virtue.”

Sam wiggled his eyebrows and sported a devilish grin. “The two hickeys on my ass, the one on my inner thigh, and my gaping hole from the bath earlier are proof your virtue has sailed, Mr. Wovak.”

“Mhmm, oh fuck has it ever!” Cas dragged Sam's face down for a growly kiss, and the book was soon tumbling down to the ground. Neither of them heard it hit the floor as hands joined in the sofa fun.

They were gasping when the kiss ended.

Cas nipped Sam's jaw, “I really think you should stay over tonight, I Sam. Besides, I did make you hash browns, so you kind of owe me a sleepover for them.”

Sam started a nice slow stroke on Cas's hard cock, “Hmm, your logic does seem sound, and I could still make it home tomorrow in time to get ready for work.”

“So is that a yes, Mr. Wovak?”

A kiss was placed on Cas's hopeful lips. “It's an almost yes. I just need to use your phone to call home and see if mom or Margaret need me tonight.”

Cas sat up quickly, causing Sam's hand to release its hold. “Well, what are you waiting for, I Sam. Get in the kitchen and make that call. Then we can head to bed and not sleep.”

“Yes…umm…Cas.”

They shared a grin knowing Sam had been about to say sir as they headed together into the other room.

Sam quickly dialed his home number, and Margaret picked up after a few rings.

“Hello, Wesson residence…how may I help you?”

“Hey, Margaret. It's Sam. I was thinking about staying over at Cas's tonight but wanted to make sure you and mom would be okay.”

“We should be fine, Sam, but thanks for calling so we know. Eliza had me set up the movie projector, and we're about to watch that Wizard of Oz movie that has L. Frank Baum making an appearance in it. She loves when the author can be so involved.”

“Oh, yeah, I remember that one. It had been so amazing to see what he looked like. I bet he had a blast getting to see his creation come to life around him.”

“I'm sure. Well, I shall let you go, Sam. Will we see you tomorrow morning before work, or is Cas just going to drive here on his own?”

Sam did a once-over look of his sexy naked husband, “Oh, I'll drag him along with me.”

Margaret giggled, “Well, I'll have breakfast ready when you two get home. Bye, Sam.”

“Bye, sweet lady.”

Sam hung up the phone and turned to Cas, who was leaning against the same counter from the recent chase. Sam raised his arms and wigged his hips, “Okay, Cas, I'm all yours. Have at me.”

“Mhmm, come here, I Sam,” Cas murmured while hopping up to sit on the counter. A small grimace followed as the still slightly sore cheek made contact with the hard surface.

Doing as told, Sam moved between Cas's parted legs and stroked up and down the thighs. “I'm here. Now what, mister?”

“Nothing. Just wanted to kiss you some more.”

And that's exactly what they did. Only the sudden noise of the cuckoo clock squawking ten times interrupted their lip-lock fun.

Sam nipped Cas's earlobe and groaned, “How about we take this to that very comfortable bed, husband mine?”

Cas squirmed at the delicious sensation of Sam's breath slinking into the ear canal. “I'd have you carry me there, but you'd have to grab my ass to do so…and that ain't happening.”

“Hey, you were the one that ran away. You have no one to blame but yourself, Mr. Wovak.”

“Yeah, yeah! You're just lucky that I don't lock my windows. Everything would have been different if I had.”

To save his pouty husband's poor posterior, Sam slipped a hand under Cas's thighs and moved the other to wrap around mid-chest. “See! Where there's a will, there's a way.”

Cas helped by holding onto Sam's neck and enjoyed the ride to the bedroom. “I still can't believe how easily you can carry me! Who knew doctors could have such strong arms.”

Sam tossed Cas onto the bed and then laid down on the empty space. “I could get used to this each night too.”

“Ditto, I Sam.” Cas draped a leg over Sam's thighs. “So much fun sharing my bed with you.”

More soft kisses transpired as they huddled closer together. And just like that, between their shared body heat, the comfy bed, the high-octave activities of the day, plus the plush pillows cradling their heads …all their remaining energy seemed to drain away.

A sluggish Sam slid a hand down to cradle Cas's cock, “I had thought I'd ravage you when we got here, but that might have to wait till morning.”

Cas scooched closer, pulled the blanket around them, and cupped Sam's cock. “Promises…promises, Mr. Wovak.”

Sam just smiled and pressed a kiss to the top of Cas's head, “Mhmm, more like a guarantee. Just wait till morning, mister. I plan on waking you with my cock.”

Cas grunted against Sam's warm neck, trying to keep eyelids open but failing, “Go to sleep, crazy man. My ass looks forward to tomorrow and all your nefarious plans.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Nine

Thursday, October 6 ^th , 1910

The sound of birds chirping out the window greeted Sam when he woke up. A shit-faced grin stretched from ear-to-ear when he found he was spooning the back of Cas rather tightly. Didn't take long for his cock to rise and shine, and Sam began getting ready to fulfill his bedtime promise to Cas.

Not wanting to wake the sleeping man just yet, Sam carefully reached over to the nightstand to grab the tin of KY. The lid had fallen off when Cas had tossed it over there yesterday, so Sam was able to easily grab a dollop of the lubricant and smear it all over his cock.

He then slowly moved his slicked fingers to rub them between Cas's crack. After making sure his sexy husband was still fast asleep, Sam lined up his cock to Cas's clenched rim and pushed. Centimeter by agonizing centimeter was slowly pressed forward till the base of Sam's shaft said hello to the pink hole.

Sam just laid there and enjoyed the heat now surrounding his cock, as well as the knowledge that Cas had not woken up yet. But…

SLAM!

…oh…

SLAM!

…Cas was about to!

SLAM!

SLAM!

Cas gasped awake, and suddenly foggy blue eyes tried to focus on Sam.

SLAM!

SLAM!

“Oh fuck, Sam!” Cas groaned out as Sam pummeled away.

A wicked smile spread across Sam's face, “I always…”

SLAM!

“…keep…”

SLAM!

“…my…”

SLAM!

SLAM!

“…promises!” growled Sam, before biting into the back of Cas's right shoulder with a caveman ferocity.

SLAM!

SLAM!

Sam's hand was grabbed and moved to Cas's morning wood with a plea of, “Please, Sam! Fuck! I…I just need your hand around my dick.”

SLAM!

SLAM!

The hand that had been taken was the one slicked with lube, and with every thrust of Sam's cock deep inside Cas's ass, the slippery fingers easily slid up and down the gripped shaft.

SLAM!

SLAM!

SLAM!

This wasn't some slow, languid lovemaking…

SLAM!

SLAM!

No, this was two men waking up…

SLAM!

… wanting each other…

SLAM!

…and just going for it.

SLAM!

SLAM!

Sam's teeth were still sunk into Cas's shoulder, and the urge to mark Cas as his own was so strong. Soon suction was added to produce the most hardcore hickey known to man as every strand of DNA swimming in his cells snarled out, “MINE!”

SLAM!

SLAM!

SLAM!

SLAM!

“Oh fuck! Oh fuck!” Sam's whole body seized up as a tidal wave of an orgasm barreled through. He was whimpering and gasping against Cas's back, trying just to hold onto consciousness.

And when Cas's hand wrapped around Sam's on the uncut cock and started jerking off with it…aftershocks hit and sent goosebumps from head to toe.

Sam lay there semi-unconscious as Cas rode his fist and made a mess all over the mattress.

“Mhmm, good morning, by the way, I Sam,” murmured Cas, feeling satisfied and well fucked while sucking cum off Sam's warm fingers.

Sam kissed the dark purple bruise on Cas's shoulder. “Good fuckn' morning indeed.”

When Sam and Cas arrived back at the Wesson house around eight and walked into the living room, Eliza was happy her room was on the first floor. Their lips were swollen, and it looked like Cas was walking with a limp.

Yes, yes. Happy for a downstairs bedroom and very thick floors that didn't let sound through when Cas came to stay. Ugh! Poor choice of words. “I assume you slept well, boys.”

Two huge grins and a shared loving look answered her inquiry. The emotions were so intense they made her miss her husband even more.

As if sensing her sadness, Charlie flew in the open window and landed on her shoulder. Eliza gave the sweet crow scritches, “Oh Charlie, good morning to you as well.”

Sam moved closer to give the bird scritches too before hugging his mom, “I have to get going, but I should be home about six.”

He walked back to Cas then and, with no hesitation, planted a very thorough kiss on his husband's lips. “Mhmm, that should get me through the next few hours without you, Mr. Wovak.”

“Wovak?” Eliza asked, not knowing if she had heard correctly since she thought Cas's last name was Novak.

Cas playfully nipped Sam's lower lip before smiling over at Eliza to explain. “Yesterday, when we made our vows, we came up with a mixture of our last names. W of Wesson and ovak of Novak. Of course it can't be legally changed, but to us, it will be.”

“Mr. Samuel and Castiel Wovak. I like it!” Eliza smiled, “We'll have to get a portrait of you two painted. I'd say you could do it Sam, but that would be tricky to keep the pose and paint it. It wouldn't be like looking at yourself in a mirror.”

Intrigued by the idea, Sam asked, “Do we still have that Pullman Camera that father purchased? We could have Margaret take our photo, and then I could paint from that.”

“I'll have her look around for it.”

Sam gave Cas one last hug. “See you tonight, Mr. Wovak.”

With a wink and a smirk, Cas murmured, “Drive safe…sir.”

That three-letter word would never be the same after yesterday's chase and bathtub fun. Ohhhh, if Sam didn't have to get to work! He couldn't stop himself from playfully patting Cas's ass and whispering, “Brat!”

“Your brat, I Sam,” Cas whispered right back.

It was painful to leave, but Sam reluctantly headed upstairs to get ready for work and then trudged out to the car. After everything that happened with Cas yesterday and this morning, the fifty-minute drive to the hospital seemed endless. Granted, Sam did have a bank full of family money and could feasibly quit his job to stay home with Cas, but he loved healing people…saving lives. Just maybe not as much today.

Throughout his morning shift, Sam was entirely oblivious to the fact that everyone was staring at him. He didn't know how much he glowed and that people assumed it was because of his relationship with Eileen.

The woman in question came into the doctor's lounge at lunchtime and sat next to him. “I've had so many people asking me if we are engaged and a few if I was pregnant. What's going on?”

Sam laughed, “Oh, I forgot the whole hospital thinks we're an item. So what do you think? One boy and two girls?”

Eileen whacked him on the arm, “Don't encourage it, mister. Besides, with my family's history of twins, it would be more like two boys or two girls.”

Since they were the only people in the room, Sam felt safe enough to let her know about the real reason he was so happy. “Yesterday, Cas and I said vows to each other. My mom told me I needed to make an honest man of him if we were going to be kissing and such.”

“Wow! You are so damn lucky to have a mom who accepts things.”

“Oh, I know it! She practically said Cas could move in right away.”

“I wish I could even tell my parents about Celeste,” Eileen said wistfully. “They keep after me about bringing home a good boy and giving them some grandchildren.”

“You know, I read about the strides made in artificial insemination.” Sam wiggled his eyebrows at her, “You and Celeste could have a child, and maybe it would make your parents okay with things.”

She rolled her eyes at him, “Are you offering your services, Mr. Wesson?”

Sam sat there amazed at how odd it was to hear his own name even though Wovak had only come about a day ago. Instead of explaining the new name change to her, Sam just shrugged. “If I could help you be the amazing mom I know you would be and let you and Celeste have the freedom to be in love around your parents…give me a cup right now. I'll just pop into the bathroom and get things started.”

A gushy grin spread across Eileen's face, “You would seriously do that, wouldn't you?”

He nudged her shoulder with his own, “In a heartbeat. This world needs as many loving moms as it can get.”

She wrapped her hand around his arm and leaned her head against his shoulder, “You are a wonderful man, Sam Wesson. And since this world needs more awesome dads too, I offer you the same gift back.”

Sam laughed, “You plan on going into the bathroom and jerking off into a cup?”

Eileen rolled her eyes at him again, “Har. Har. You know what I mean.”

“I do. And I would be honored.” Sam placed a kiss on her cheek and grinned impishly, “Wanna see something cool?”

“Oh dear…not sure.”

Sam undid a few buttons on his shirt and showed her the C carved into his chest. “Cas did this, and I put an S on his chest as part of a blood pact during our vows.”

She carefully traced the raised wound, “I bet that had to hurt. Still, it is quite romantic to be marked as his.”

“Hell yes to both.” Sam refastened the buttons. “We also…”

He immediately stopped talking when Dr. Bacic walked into the room.

Steve looked at the physical closeness of Sam and Eileen and grinned, “Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt your lunchtime snacking?”

Knowing that Dr. Bacic was one of the good guys, Sam just took a throw pillow from the sofa and tossed it at Steve's head. “And would you leave if you had?”

“Heck, no! It's my lunch break, and my ass is going to be planted in here for the next thirty minutes.”

Since there was no privacy now to keep talking, Eileen let go of her grip on Sam's arm and went to get her food from the fridge. And for the remainder of Sam and Eileen's lunch break, they enjoyed a light-hearted conversation with Dr. Bacic.

That the couple left the doctor's lounge together only fueled the rumor mill, and the whole hospital was buzzing. Given the way society handled same-sex relations, Sam and Eileen gladly played along with the assumptions. Sucked that they had to, but what else could they do? How sad, though, that most people were okay with her being pregnant more than they would be about Eileen liking women.

And when Sam walked her out after their shifts ended, his boss even congratulated them on how cute they looked together. The fact was, if not for Celeste and Cas, Eileen and Sam would have made an amazing couple. They shared many of the same ideas on life and were genuinely attracted to each other.

“I think we should name our first set of twin girls, Claire and Luna.” Eileen teased on the ride to her apartment.

Sam sent her a curious look, “Are those family names?”

She shook her head no. “It's one of my new favorite pieces of music, Clair de Lune by Debussy. Have you heard it?”

“Oh…oh, okay. Yeah, I know that one. It's the third movement of Debussy's Suite bergamasque.”

Eileen beamed, “How wonderful that you know it!”

“I can also play it on the piano. I'm always scouring the market for new sheet music for mom, and I buy anything that catches my fancy.”

“Oh, I am going to have to hear this!” She turned to face him and declared, “I am officially inviting myself over soon for a private concert.”

Sam laughed at her cheekiness. He parked the car at the entrance to her apartment and took hold of her hand. He placed a kiss on the back of it, “I accept your invitation to my place to hear me play Clair de Lune, and I'll even throw in a free dinner for you and Celeste.”

“Deal.” With a grin, she tugged on his shirt collar and exposed the welted C, “But I'm sure that does not apply to tonight or for a while since you and your husband will be going to bed quite early.”

“Ohhhhh yeah!” Sam felt completely at ease around her and was grateful to have such a wonderful friend to talk to. “I'll let you know as soon as I can keep my hands off Castiel long enough for company.”

She giggled, “So damn cute! Thanks for the ride home, Sam. Tell everyone I said hello.”

“Will do, my dear.”

Sam waited till she was safely inside before starting the drive home. The long and winding road seemed just as endless tonight as it had that morning, but only because he couldn't get home soon enough.

And when he pulled into the driveway and saw a very bare-chested, sweaty Cas working in the garden…damn! His cock got so hard it almost brushed the bottom of the steering wheel.

The setting sun's colorful rays rippled across the carved S on those tan pectoral muscles as Sam got out and walked over to the sexy fiend. The closer he got, Sam also appreciated all the various shades of hickeys and bite marks still marking his husband's flesh. “Hello, Mr. Wovak.”

Blue eyes looked like glistening gems in the fading light of day when Cas looked over at Sam. “Welcome home, I Sam. How was work?”

Sam glanced at the house to see if they had an audience and saw only darkened windows. He grabbed Cas's wrist and dragged the gorgeous gardener down to their spot at the edge of the yard.

Cas was shoved then against the nearest tree trunk before Sam leaned in for a much-awaited kiss. It was like coming home and being set ablaze at the same time when their lips moved together and tongues slipped inside. Sam could have stayed there all night long, just kissing and inhaling the delectable scent of earth and warm flesh.

The only thing that stopped them from doing that was knowing that Margaret would kick their butts if they weren't at the house in time for supper.

With a groan, Sam reluctantly stepped away. He never wished to have a portable camera in his pants pocket as in that moment seeing a thoroughly kissed, bare-chested Cas leaning against the oak tree. “I'll have to paint you like this when I get free time. You're so very handsome, Mr. Wovak.”

“Right back at yah, I Sam.” Cas did a once over of Sam from head to shoes. “If we could make babies, they'd be insanely beautiful.”

Sam chuckled at the mention of children as he remembered the conversation with Eileen. “Well, according to everyone at the hospital, Eileen has already beat you to being impregnated by me. Although she did mention that twins run in the family, so I might have my hands full.”

“What the crap?! Do you work in a place of healing or rumors?” Cas pushed off the tree and started a slow walk back with Sam to the house. “Besides, who says I'm carrying your children, Mr. Wovak? Maybe I'm the one that knocks you up.”

Sam took Cas's hand and laid it on his flat stomach before moving it lower to rest on the hard cock. “You already gave me something. It will be delivered in a few hours when I get you alone in our room.”

Warm fingers squeezed the bulge in Sam's pants for a few seconds before Cas's hand was removed, “I look forward to it, I Sam. I do need to go home and get a few things if I plan on staying here for an extended period of time.”

“And do you plan to do that?”

Cas grabbed Sam's wrist and turned him till they were face to face, “I'm all yours, I Sam. Wherever you want me…for however long you want me.”

Sam cupped Cas's stubbly jaw and brought their lips closer till almost touching. “My heart is yours. My body is yours. My house is yours. Forever and even beyond. If I had my way, you would stay here from tonight onward. Would love to wake up to the sight of your face each morning.”

The kiss that started was just as soft and gushy as Sam's words, and Cas reveled in both. “Mhmm, maybe I could see if Eileen would want to move into my place since I plan on playing house with you from now on.”

It was such a great idea except for one thing. “What about your noisy neighbor? I would hate Eileen and Celeste to have to deal with her.”

Cas waved Sam's concern away, “For some reason, two women can get away with living together more than two men. If they need a background story, they can always tell people they're sisters. I would even let most of the furniture there for them and only take things that were more personal to me.”

Sam couldn't wait to ask Eileen about it at work tomorrow. “I think they would love that. Not having to pay rent each month and just covering the few household expenses.”

“Would be nice to know the house was going to someone who would love it as much as I have.”

They then headed inside, discussing plans to move stuff from Cas's to Sam's. When they saw that the living room was empty, they walked to the dining room and were caught off guard by the two women yelling:

“Surprise!”

Sam took notice of the fancy lace cloth, the good silver candlesticks, and the feast of all his and Cas's favorite foods. Plus, in the middle of the dining table was a three-layer wedding cake.

Eliza smiled from her wooden wheelchair, “We thought you guys deserved a wedding reception.”

Cas leaned in for a closer look at the two figures on top of the cake, “How did you find two male toppers?”

Margaret beamed at Cas for noticing, “We had a few people over the years want to hold their wedding out in the yard, and I just took the male from two of the sets we had held on to.”

“It's perfect, Margaret,” Sam said, walking over to her and giving her a bear hug. “Thank you.”

“Always welcome, Sam.” Margaret hugged him back. “Now, let's dig into the food before it gets cold.”

Supper was a fun few hours filled with good food and easy conversation. Sam also shared a hilarious retelling of the rumors from the hospital.

“Oh, I just adore the names, Claire and Luna,” Eliza said when Sam mentioned Eileen's choices.

Margaret took another spoonful of the homemade tapioca pudding, “Would you ever take her up on the offer to carry your children? If she would be willing to have two pregnancies, you could both father one of the babies.”

Everyone had a few seconds of imagining what those lucky human beings would look like. Each version was a bit different, but all loved fully.

Eliza looked at Cas's dark hair, “Oh, how lovely would it be to have a little girl with your hair and those blue eyes.”

“Actually, I was very blonde when I was a child,” Cas explained. “It wasn't till I was in my teens when it started to darken.”

Sam could see the little girl so clearly. Beautifully long golden blond hair and startling blue eyes like her dad. “Well, that would be Claire, but what would Luna look like if I was her sperm donor?”

A gushy smile spread across Cas's face, “Well, I've seen younger pictures of you and your mom, and you were also both blond as children. So little Luna could be just as blond as her sister Claire, but instead of blue eyes, she would have your hazel.”

“Oh, now I shall never hear Clair de Lune without seeing those two little girls,” declared Eliza, already in love with her imaginary grandchildren.

Once dinner was finished, Margaret handed Sam a large cake knife, “Go on. This is a wedding reception, and your mom and I want the full experience.”

Sam and Cas stood up and moved the three-tiered cake to the end of the table. Cas's hand covered Sam's then as two slices of cake were cut and held on napkins. Both men had no plans of sweetly feeding their piece to the other, and as soon as the knife was resting on the table, they slammed the cake into each other's face.

Eliza and Margaret were laughing and cheering for the two messy men to, “KISS! KISS!”

So they did and enjoyed a cake-flavored lip-lock that was quite tasty. Margaret then handed them clean napkins to wipe off the remaining icing and cake bits.

And as Sam sat there surrounded by such love and happiness, he looked forward to many more years of it. Yes, life was very good indeed.

Chapter Text

Chapter Ten

Over the following years together, the love between Cas and Sam only grew and strengthened. And even though they never went through with having children with Eileen, they did end up the loving dads of a fur baby.

Miracle, a sandy-colored terrier mix, had been a stray that had wandered onto the hospital grounds without a collar and in ragged condition.

For privacy's sake, Eileen and Sam had started eating lunch outside, and the puppy had come closer to them for food. Sam had asked Eileen if she wanted the dog, but since Celeste was allergic, she sadly declined.

Sam was a bit afraid of how Charlie would take to the dog, but he should have known the crazy crow would defy all concerns. The two animals became fast friends and roamed around the property for hours on end.

Miracle was fiercely loyal and Sam felt safer having the dog at the house to protect his mom and Margaret whenever he and Cas weren't around for work reasons or when they double dated with Eileen and Celeste. The four friends would pretended Sam and Eileen were a couple and Cas and Celeste.

It sucked not to have complete freedom out in public, but at least everyone got along, and it just worked. For safety sake, the two couples had come up with a specific phrase to use if they picked up on bad vibes from someone. They had all heard some scary tales of violence toward same-sex couples and weren't going to risk it. With the mere mention of how Celeste was missing her childhood hometown of Poughkeepsie, Florida they would know to be careful and leave. Thankfully, though, they hadn't had to use it yet.

They did take advantage of how awesome Sam's mom was about things and had often hung out at the house. There had been many evenings filled with piano music, good food, card games, and hours of laughter. Even when they spent time at Cas's old place now fully transformed into Eileen and Celeste's home, it was always a great time.

And because of the girls not having a mortgage or rent, Celeste was able to afford nursing school. By the summer of 1915 she was officially working side by side with Sam and Eileen at the hospital.

The fun and games came to a screeching halt, though, when in 1916 the noise of war boomed loudly overseas. Celeste was adamant about wanting to go over to help out in any way she could. Of course Eileen choose to go with her.

Sam and Cas made sure the bills were paid so the two courageous women didn't have to worry about anything back home. Several overseas postcards arrived at the Wesson house that year mostly with only one or two sentences to let everyone know Celeste and Eileen were okay.

Sadly, though, in January of 1917 a telegraph arrived from Eileen saying Celeste had been helping to evacuate a bombed building downtown when it was hit again.

Celeste had died in the hospital from her wounds and Eileen had the horrible task of bringing the body home to Kansas. With Celeste having no other family to help with expenses, Sam and Cas had helped Eileen pay for Celeste's funeral, burial plot, and headstone. The plot was a double one so that Eileen could be buried with the love of her life when that time came.

For the first few months after, Sam and Cas worried Eileen would break to pieces so they had made sure one of them stayed with her at night. They then helped her sell Cas's old place and find a smaller house in town when the memories of Celeste were too much for her to stay.

The friendship between Sam, Cas, and Eileen only strengthened through it all, and the trio spent many nights together at the Wesson house. Eliza and Margaret loved having the house so full of life and happiness. Thankfully both Sam and Cas were way over the legal age when the WWI draft began so they never had to fight. Between the war and the influenza pandemic it was a crazy few years all around but they survived.

That was why Sam was overcome with gratitude as he left the hospital on the evening of Wednesday, September 17th, 1919. Not a day went by that he didn't count his blessings or take anything for granted.

Tomorrow would be nine years since that fateful day when Sam had first met Cas outside of the hospital. Seemed impossible that so many years could have gone by in a blink of an eye, but he couldn't wait for Cas's hair to turn grey and see wrinkles crinkle that still tan skin.

Eliza and Margaret had purposefully decided to visit Margaret's sister in Wichita for a few days to let Sam and Cas have the house to themselves. Sam had just covered a double shift to get Thursday and Friday off so he and Cas could savor having an empty house without any time restraints.

Cas had dinner ready when Sam arrived home, and after enjoying all the delicious food, they headed to their spot among the circle of oaks. Slow, languid, soul-connected lovemaking happened on a blanket in the tall grass, and soon their whimpers and moans filled the night air.

Afterward, they both laid on their backs contently staring over at each other. A gushy grin spread across Sam's face as he took in every lovely detail of his husband. “Even after nine years, Cas, you still look just as hot as the first day we met. This moment tonight at our spot is definitely on my list of top five memories with you.”

Cas's fingers trailed down Sam's cheek, “Oh yeah? What are your top two? I know which ones are mine.”

“Do tell.”

“Number one will always be when we made our vows and initialed each other here amongst the oaks.” Cas traced the C-shaped scar still clearly seen on Sam's chest. “And the second one would be the night of the 1910 Halloween party at the hospital. When I went with you as Eileen's cousin.”

Sam moaned as memories of Cas dressed as a woman flooded his brain.

“Mhmm, yes!” Sam was still replaying key moments from that night. “That is definitely in my top three memories. I would have never believed you could pose so completely as a woman until you came down the stairs in full female glory.”

Cas rolled towards Sam till their chests touched, “I told you I had skills from growing up in the theater. Even your boss pinched my ass, thinking I was a free female available for some fun.”

Sam pulled Cas fully on top of him, “That had been the last straw for me. If anyone was going to pinch your sexy ass…it was going to be me.”

“And, oh fuck, did you ever!”

“Oh yeah! I think we ruined the innocence of many forest creatures that night.” Sam slid his hands up Cas's thighs in the same manner he had done near a decade ago. “I can still feel that dress in my hands as I pinned you to the tree and fucked you senseless.”

Cas rocked their lower halves together, “Mhmm, I remember my wig falling off and how the back of the dress was shredded by the time we were done.”

A portrait of Cas in that dress was now stashed in the secret room behind the library bookshelf. “Fuck, we need to find that dress in the attic and enjoy it again.”

“Deal. Now, what are your top two memories from the last nine years, I Sam?”

Sam's fingers trailed up and down Cas's back, “Well, of course, my top spot goes to the vow made here. And the second slot would definitely go to that one night in the secret room when I got on your case about writing in those damn journals.”

“Oh, nice one!” Cas pretended to write across Sam's collar bone. “That is definitely my number three. Remember how jealous you had been of me spending more time writing about us in the journals and not enough time with you?”

“You're still always filling those journals up! I'm surprised you only have nine of them and not a hundred.”

Kisses followed on the skin Cas's finger had scrawled on, “I write small…as you know…and those journals have a ton of pages.”

Sam remembered well just how neat and small Cas could write. After he had playfully scolded Cas about the journals, his sexy husband had brought the fountain pen over to where Sam was lying. Cas had proceeded to fill Sam's skin from shoulder to ankle with Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Bells.

That was over six hundred words that Cas's brain had stored away and captured on Sam's flesh. “I still can't believe you memorized that crazy poem.”

Cas just grinned, “I also knew another one…remember?!”

Oh, Sam definitely remembered that. “I had been so impressed with The Bells that I asked if you also knew The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes.”

“And I told you to flip over and find out.”

They gushed a bit at the wonderfully hot memory.

Sam was rock hard from reliving that night in words and thoughts. “Do you recall how long it took us to scrub all that ink off my body?”

“Mhmm, yes!” Cas started a chain of kisses down Sam's neck. “We were in the shower till the hot water ran out. But that wasn't all because of the ink removal.”

Oh, the things they had done in that shower! Sam groaned, remembering it all. “God bless Elizabeth Montgomery for using The Highwayman as the second poem Anne recites at the hotel in Anne of Green Gables.”

Blue eyes, filled with awe and love, latched onto hazel, “I can't believe you remembered that was how I had heard of the poem.”

“Oh, trust me, Cas, that night is seared into my brain for all eternity.”

A cool gust of wind passed over their naked bodies, and they both shivered. Sam grimaced, “I don't think we'll be able to stay out tonight without catching pneumonia. Maybe we should head back to the house, and I can bend you over the piano.”

Cas's cock twitched at that, “Fuck yes! Let's do it! We'll just have to lock Miracle and Charlie in the dining room for a bit. I'm okay with voyeurism, but two animals watching us is not my idea of naked-fun-time.”

Sam laughed, “Agreed. I'm sure Margaret has some snacks we could give them for their troubles.”

They gathered all their stuff and then walked back to the house in full naked glory. They did get a look from Charlie when he saw them sans clothing, but they were too intent on piano fun to care.

Of course, Miracle was easier to corral in the dining room than Charlie, but Cas had found Eliza's stash of unshelled peanuts and scattered several handfuls across the table. Soon the doors were shut, and the two men were making a beeline for the living room.

“We'll have to shine up the piano once we're done, so we don't get yelled at,” Sam said as he carefully sat on the closed lid facing Cas on the piano bench. He wiggled his hard cock in his husband's face, “I think you should suckle this while playing the first song we did together all those years ago.”

Seconds later, the sounds of Chabrier's Souvenirs de Munich filled the room minus Sam's half. He scooted closer to the edge of the lid to help Cas reach his hard cock, and soon, the flesh was swallowed and engulfed in delicious heat. With every key pounded, Cas's body and mouth jerked, and Sam was in heaven.

But not wanting to lose it down Cas's throat, Sam pushed those tempting lips off and hopped down the side. He then moved behind the piano bench and pressed his body against Cas's back. “Mhmm, we feel so good together! Now here is what I want you to do, Mr. Wovak.”

Cas leaned back against Sam's body and moaned, “Yes?”

“You are going to move this bench so you can bend over the piano with your cock resting on the keys. And not only will we make music while I fuck your brains out, but your cum with spray the ivory. Then every time we sit down to play for someone, we will have this new memory to think about.”

Sam stepped away then so Cas could do as told. The view of Cas's naked body sprawled against the piano with cock tickling the ivories was forever burned into Sam's brain. He knew what painting of his sexy husband he'd be doing next.

He leaned down, spread the cheeks wide, and spit on the clenched rim. Cas loved when he did that and let out the dirtiest moan as Sam leaned down once more for another time. The now shiny hole just begged him to press his cock against it and enjoy.

So he did.

If Sam had had a recording device, he would have made sure to capture the chaotic symphony of their bodies slamming together. Their heavy breathing and the sound of skin-on-skin contact soon joined in, and for the rest of his life, Sam would remember their impromptu concerto.

And like any great piece of music, when the final crescendo hit and Sam's cum filled Cas's ass, it was majestic in its perfection. The only thing to add to the greatness of the moment was when Cas sprinkled in some curses before screaming out Sam's name and turning the piano keys even whiter.

They stood there trying to catch their breath, feeling so overwhelmingly happy. It wasn't the first time Sam and Cas had defiled the piano or the living room, but having an empty house to themselves was always lovely.

When the sound of loud pecking came from the direction of the closed dining room, though, they knew it was time to let the animals loose before Charlie put a hole in the door.

Sam went to let the dog and crow out while Cas cleaned off the piano.

The look Charlie gave Sam had him cracking up. “Sorry, sir. We don't get the house to ourselves much. Thank you for taking one for the team.”

In a huff, the crow flew right past Sam's head and out the living room window. Miracle was a bit more clueless, though, and had been happy with her bone. Sam just left the door open then, for when the dog decided to finally leave.

He headed back to Cas and was greeted with the sight and sound of his naked husband playing the piano again. Clair de Lune haunted the living room and gave Sam goosebumps. It had become one of their favorites after Eileen mentioned it all those years ago. She was always humming it ever since…

Sam felt sorrow wash over him, thinking about how Eileen had lost Celeste. He and Cas had made sure to invite Eileen over as much as possible and even bought her a cat for companionship. They had also encouraged her to date again, but she never did. Celeste had been the love of her life, and no one since had compared.

As Sam looked at his beautiful husband of nine years, he totally understood that sentiment. He would be adrift without Cas around and hoped he never had to experience that kind of loss.

With all that on his mind, Sam just wanted to hold tight to Cas and the love they shared. He sat down next to his husband and scooted close enough so that their arms touched before joining in on the song.

Love-filled blue eyes glanced over to hazel, “We sure do make beautiful music together, I Sam.”

A gushy grin took over Sam's face, “We sure do, Mr. Wovak.”

For the next hour, they just enjoyed the freedom to play piano in the buff and simply be two humans on earth, in Lawrence, Kansas, in a living room, and in love.

Then after letting the dog outside a bit and locking up, Sam and Cas walked hand-in-hand up to their bedroom and made love all through the night.

Chapter Text

Chapter Eleven

*** This chapter includes mention of hardcore loss and intense grief. ***

*** Cas is a ghost, so that means he had to die…this is how that and situations around it happened. ***

Thursday, October 2 ^nd , 1919

The week leading up to Sam and Cas's ninth wedding anniversary found Sam working the night shift at the hospital. He had thought ahead and requested time off on Saturday and Sunday but would have to work Friday night which was okay but still sucked. He had complained about it on Monday during lunch break, and Dr. Bacic decided to help out. Steve offered to cover Sam's Friday night shift if Sam would switch for Steve's Friday morning. Sam readily agreed.

The crazy part was he would be working his Thursday night shift and then have to stay on at the hospital to cover Steve's Friday morning one. Even though it was not uncommon for nurses and doctors to pull double shifts, it definitely required a copious amount of coffee.

When four o'clock hit on Thursday, October 2^nd, Sam was so not ready for the twenty-two-hour shift. He just focused on having the long weekend free to enjoy his husband and celebrate their nine years together. Thankfully there were no surgeries scheduled for Thursday or Friday, so all that lay between now and freedom was getting through rounds and if any emergencies popped up.

Sam looked forward to being together with Cas at their spot tomorrow night and taking full advantage of the unusually warm weather. Now all he had to do was tell his family he was leaving for work and start the fifty-minute drive to the hospital.

Eliza and Margaret were found in the living room with Charlie and Miracle watching the movie adaptation of Anne of Green Gables starring Mary Miles Minter as Anne and Paul Kelley as Gilbert.

Sam stood in the hallway watching as Anne smashed a small chalkboard over Gilbert's head for calling her Carrots. Poor guy. At least Gil eventually wins her heart, and they live happily ever after. It truly was a great fictional romance but nothing compared to his and Cas's real-life one.

The movie made Sam remember that night in the secret room with Cas writing The Highwayman poem on his skin. He could still feel the tip of the pen pressing against his back and buttocks…mhmm, it had been heaven!

Sam squirmed as he tried to stave off the erection all those memories wanted to bring forth. Sporting a hardon was not how he wanted to say hello and goodbye to his mom. He repeated his trusted mantra in hopes it would help. Grandmother naked on the porch swing without her teeth…a slug crawling across the rubbish pile…a putrid sore on Mrs. Thompson's shoulder!

Once under control, he walked into the living room and gave his mom a huge hug. “I'm off to the hospital to cover mine and Steve's shifts. See you tomorrow night.”

Eliza placed a kiss on his cheek, “Drive safe. I love you very much, Sam.”

“Love you too, mom.”

Sam waved to Margaret on his way back out, “Take good care of her for me.”

“Always, Sam. See you tomorrow.”

He went outside to the garden then, where Cas was working on cutting down some of the plants to prepare for winter and planting a few new ones as well. Every time Sam's gaze rested on his husband, he was always overwhelmed with love, lust, and just awe that he had such an angel in his life.

The world seemed wide open now, and everything had more meaning to it. Sam was especially looking forward to Christmas this year since he had started on the portrait of him and Cas from the picture Margaret had taken. It was hard to find time to sneak into the hidden room to work on it, but he knew the finished piece would be worth every second. Soon the portrait would hang next to his parents' painting in the living room, and Sam was sure Cas would love it!

Sam walked over to his beautiful husband and pouted, “I have to vamoose, Mr. Wovak, but I plan to take full advantage of you on Friday night. So drink plenty of water and get some rest.”

Cas placed the un-potted Prairie Smoke flower into its new garden home before standing up and walking over to Sam. “Oh, I look forward to that, husband mine.”

When their lips pressed together for a lingering kiss, it made them both feel complete. They were truly two halves of one whole. Sam hated that he had to leave, but he wanted the long weekend with Cas. He stepped away, breaking the kiss with a promise of, “See you tomorrow night, sexy man.”

A grimace replaced the grin sent Sam's way as Cas's eyelids quickly closed to deal with a throbbing headache. “Speaking of needing hydration, I probably shouldn't have been out here so long without eating or drinking anything since morning.”

Sam moved closer and massaged Cas's temples, “Promise me you'll head inside and at least get some water. I love all the beautiful changes you've made to the garden, but I love you more and want you healthy.”

Cas gave him a mock salute, “Yes, sir!”

For the sassy answer, Sam playful smacked Cas's bum. “Brat.”

Such fierce love and lust blazed out of blue eyes, “Your brat, I Sam.”

“Damn right! Mine!”

Ohhhhh, if Sam wasn't a responsible person, he would have blown off work and then blown Cas. “Who needs to worry about the devil with you around causing so much temptation.”

Cas smirked, “Look who's talking, mister! I was innocently planting flowers when you got all up in my face with kisses and naughty promises.”

And yet, Sam still stood there NOT leaving for work. Every atom in his body begged him to stay…but no. With one more kiss, Sam took a few steps away, “See you in twenty-four hours, Mr. Wovak. Love you, Cas.”

“Love you back, I Sam.”

Each step away from Cas to the car was extremely painful for Sam. He kept reminding himself of the wonderful three days they'd have together and how it would be worth it in the end.

Even with going a bit over the speed limit, Sam was still a few minutes late once he finally punched in at the hospital. Usually, he was early or on time, so no one got on his case about being tardy. Also, with how busy it was at the hospital, they were just happy to have an extra doctor on hand.

Sam was glad once rounds were done for the night and most of the in-house patients were asleep. And he was also thankful that it was a busy night in the ER, so it made the time go faster.

Then about nine o'clock Friday morning, Eileen joined the fun. By that point, Sam was relying on a lot of coffee to keep him going. Although, Eileen's laughter and joy for life did more to boost his energy than all the caffeine coursing through his veins.

And as always, she was his go-to nurse while covering the shift for Dr. Bacic. It was encouraged not just because they worked well together but also because everyone still believed they were a couple. Eileen loved pretending since it kept people from hitting on her, and Sam didn't mind because it kept him and Cas safe.

When lunchtime arrived, Sam was very grateful to sneak a thirty-minute nap in the doctor's lounge. Rest was definitely needed more than food by that time, and he wanted to be ready for tonight when he got home. It would be horrible to do this double shift only to conk out later and lose precious time with Cas.

Eileen then came to wake Sam once his break was over, and they headed back into the fray.

The clock chimed twice, waking Eliza up from her afternoon nap on the sofa. Margaret had prepared such a hearty stew for lunch it had lulled Eliza into comfortable sleepiness.

She looked around for Charlie, but the crow was still out flying around. Eliza loved that Charlie had that freedom and yet still chose to come back to her. Granted, both she and Charlie moved a bit slower nowadays. It seemed crazy that he had been with them for over nine years now.

Between Charlie and Miracle, Eliza was a very content human being. They both loved cuddling with her and letting her pet them when she had a Jonah day.

And how lucky she was to have such a wonderful son-in-law who adored her Sam. Cas had been a ray of sunshine throughout these last nine years. There was so much positive energy and happiness whenever Cas was there. Then also, add Eileen to the mix, and Eliza's life was practically perfect in every way.

Such a shame Celeste's life was cut so short. Eileen had been devastated, and Eliza had often invited her over just to make sure the poor girl was eating. Eileen truly was the daughter she never had.

Margaret walked into the living room then and broke into Eliza's thoughts. “We are out of a few things, so I thought I'd drive into town and do a small grocery run. Will you be okay for a few hours?”

“No worries, my dear. Cas is right outside if I need any help, and Charlie will be back soon to keep me company.”

“Oh, I also let Miracle out, so she wouldn't bother you about potty time,” Margaret mentioned as she picked up a blanket and tucked it around Eliza's legs. “I'll get Cas to let her back in when she's ready.”

Eliza nodded and watched Margaret head out. She listened as the front door was opened and shut, and then after a few seconds of muffled voices, Sam's old car sputtered to life. He had replaced his 1908 Ford Model S Roadster for a faster car a couple months ago and had given the other one to Margaret to use.

Looking out the opened living room window, Eliza saw the car drive away and Cas diligently working in the garden. Her amazing son-in-law had an emerald thumb when it came to plants and took such great care of the yard that everyone raved about it. It truly was fate that Sam had met Cas all those years ago outside the hospital. God had known how much they needed Cas in their lives, and she would forever be grateful.

The bright fall sun started to bother her eyes, so Eliza turned away and picked up the latest book Sam had bought her. It was an early copy of the soon-to-be-released Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting. With all the books Sam acquired over the years, the book store workers always gave him the inside scoop on the latest bestseller.

And even though Doctor Dolittle was written for children, Eliza enjoyed the concept of a person being able to talk to animals. After nine years with Charlie, she felt like they also had a shared language. Charlie was definitely proof that crows were among the smartest birds in God's creation.

Eliza opened to the scrap of lace she was using as a bookmark and allowed herself to sink back into the story.

It was around when Doctor Dolittle's sister leaves in a huff over the crocodile that had taken residence in the house when a frantic Charlie flew in through the open window. He was cawing like crazy and pecking at her sleeve. It was as if he was trying to get her to go out the window with him.

When she glanced outside to find out what was going on, Eliza gasped in horror! Cas was sprawled on the ground by the garden, not moving! She quickly reached for the house phone and called the hospital to get Sam, but he was in emergency surgery and couldn't come to the phone. She told the operator what was going on, and he promised to let Sam know and send an ambulance right away.

Filled with fear and frustration, Eliza slammed down the phone and stared once more out the window. Cas hadn't budged, and she knew she could not just sit there and do nothing. “Of all days for Margaret to not be home!”

Eliza pushed her useless legs off the sofa and let the momentum pull her down to the ground. She crawled over to her wooden wheelchair and tried to drag herself up onto the seat but couldn't. Her body was just too heavy, and her arms were not strong enough.

Now that the wheelchair was no longer an option, she mustered whatever strength she had left and started crawling out to the hallway. Her arms were already burning, even before she passed the stairs and saw the front entrance.

By the time she got near the door, Eliza's heart was pounding a mile a minute in her chest while her lungs labored to catch a breath. And it was only once there that she realized what the next hurdle of getting to Cas would be. How was she going to be able to reach the doorknob?!

She had no feeling from her waist down and, therefore, no ability to get high enough to open the damn door. She had never felt as cursed as she did at that moment.

Over and over, she strained and stretched to reach the doorknob but with no luck. Her whole body was aching, and her poor heart was working twice as hard. Her nails even left scratch marks on the bottom of the wooden door as she tried to claw her way upward.

Eliza's heart hammered loudly behind her ribs as she kept trying to find a way to open the damn door. As she reached again for the knob, she suddenly felt her throat close up, and she couldn't catch her breath. Her chest felt like someone had tightened a corset to the breaking point before everything burst and faded to black.

Now, Charlie had flown back to Cas when Eliza had started crawling to the door and had just returned to figure out why she wasn't out there yet. When he saw her still form by the front door, he hopped around her, trying to get her attention, but she didn't stir. He even tried pecking at her hands and face, but nothing. Sensing something wasn't right with his beloved master, Charlie pushed himself under her lifeless hand and cuddled close.

Sam had just finished closing the incision in the small boy's chest when Eileen raced into the operating room. She had clearly been crying, and Sam's stomach dropped. He let his surgical assistant take over and headed out to the hall with Eileen.

“What's wrong?”

She started sobbing even more and could barely get out a whispered, “Your mom called saying something happened to Cas. An ambulance just left for your house.”

Fuck! Sam's mind was a chaotic swirl of a lack of sleep, caffeine, and terror as he raced out of the hospital and sped home. With ambulances being bulky clunkers, he knew his 1919 Austro-Daimler Prince Harry could reach eighty-five miles per hour and get him there much sooner. And indeed, at that speed, he flew right past the dilapidated ambulance and arrived at the house in record time.

He ran over to the garden where Cas was lying, and all his medical training flew out the window as he gathered his husband into his arms. The fact that the flesh was colder than it should have been didn't bode well, and Sam was sobbing when he saw how dull the normally vibrant blue eyes looked.

“No, no, no! Cas come on! You can't do this!” Sam rocked the lifeless body as if the motion would bring Cas back. In a frenzy bordering on insanity, he laid the body on the ground and tried every resuscitation trick he had learned from medical school. Nothing worked.

And then the soul-crushing guilt cascaded over him as he hugged Cas to him. “Why did I take that extra shift at the hospital today? I already had off Saturday and Sunday. If only I had just been content with having those two days with you, I would have been here with you. I could have saved you!!”

Sam was drowning in grief, anger, and despair when the ambulance finally arrived. It took the workers almost ten minutes to get Sam to release Cas's body. He had wanted to ride in the ambulance but wasn't allowed due to some asinine policy.

Without thought to let his mom know what was going on, Sam got back into his car and followed the ambulance to the hospital. By now, everyone there had heard about Dr. Wesson's friend, Cas, and once they saw Sam's crazed appearance knew it had been too late. Eileen tried to hug him, but it was like hugging a totem pole since he was just so numb.

She went with him to the morgue when Cas's body was wheeled in on the gurney. Dr. Mick Davies met them there and tried to get Sam to wait outside during the autopsy, but Sam refused and stayed the entire time.

When everything seemed normal, though, Mick asked Sam for permission to check the brain for anything that might have caused the unexpected death. That was when Sam remembered what Cas had said about how his mom had died. The headache Cas had experienced on Thursday suddenly took on a more dire significance.

“Check for bleeding on the brain,” Sam said without any inflection in his voice.

And low and behold, there was swelling and bleeding when they looked at Cas's brain. Mick sewed the body back together then and was filling out the paperwork when another nurse raced into the room in tears.

Sam's whole existence shattered when she told him about Margaret coming home and finding his mom dead by the front door. He slumped to the ground and would have just laid there comatose had it not been for Eileen sitting next to him and resting his head in her lap.

For thirty minutes, they sat there, only to get back up when another gurney was rolled into the morgue. And there, side by side lay the lifeless bodies of Sam's mom and Cas. Both were just dull fleshy shells with no spark of life left inside.

Eileen tried to get Sam to leave, but he refused and didn't even flinch when Mick cut into his mom's chest and discovered she had had a heart attack. With Eliza found near the front door, Sam could only assume she had tried to help Cas. The guilt of not being home almost choked Sam, and he would have crumbled again to the ground if not for the strong arms hugging him to Eileen's warm chest.

“Come on, Sam. You need to get out of here.”

This time he obeyed, and somehow they made their way to the doctor's lounge. She once more had him lay across the sofa and rest his head on her lap as she tried to comfort him by stroking his hair.

“I can't go back to that house!” Sam felt his stomach lurch at the thought of going anywhere near the place. “I should have been there! They shouldn't have died…let alone both dying without someone there when they passed!”

“Shh…don't go there, Sam.” Eileen wasn't going to let him self-implode. “They would not want you to tear yourself apart like that.”

Sam knew she was right but couldn't push the dark clouds away. He just stared at the opposite wall, oblivious to her soft fingers in his hair, as the last moments with Cas and his mom replayed in his brain.

That was when a whole new wave of fresh hell crashed over him. His entire body tensed as tears fell down his cheeks. “I'm never going to be able to kiss him again. Feel his arms around me or hear him call me I Sam. I'll never see her on the sofa smiling at me or hear her tell me she loves me. Oh fuck! Charlie! Miracle?!”

“Shh…it's okay, Sam. I'm sure Margaret is taking care of them.”

The thought of Margaret having to be stuck in that house, when he himself didn't want to be, made him sad. “She shouldn't have to grieve and deal with all this alone, either. I just can't go back there.”

Eileen stroked through his hair with one hand and held his hand with the other. “How about I drive you to my place, and then I'll go up there and check on her?”

Hazel eyes glanced up into brown and, for the first time since everything happened, Sam really took notice of her. “Thank you. You are such an amazing friend.”

She smiled warmly down at him, “Just returning the favor, Sam. You, Cas, Margaret, and your mom were there for me when I lost Celeste. So I'm happy to help however I can.”

Sam groaned in pain as he realized once again, “OH GOD! They're gone! They're gone! They're gone!”

Eileen started humming Clair de Lune as she rocked him like a baby. She had meant it to comfort him, but it only made him think of her losing Celeste and having to be alone the last two years.

He had to get out of there but needed to say goodbye first! So Sam returned to the morgue and fought a wave of nausea at seeing the two bodies. He walked over to Cas and placed a final kiss on his husband's cold lips. “Oh god, how much I love you. Thank you for nine wonderful years, Cas. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

As he moved over to his mom, Sam brushed a strand of silvery hair off her pale face. “Tell Dad I said hello. Love you both so, so very much.”

He kissed Eliza's icy cheek and then turned to Eileen. Sam tossed her his car keys and said, “Let's go.”

During the first year of their friendship, Sam and Cas had given Eileen and Celeste driving lessons, and they had passed the test with flying colors. Cas had given them the Auto Buggy since Sam had insisted on getting Cas a bigger vehicle to help transport things for work.

So the ride to Eileen's place went very smoothly and without incident. Sam had total trust in her ability to drive his car and zoned out the entire way there. He was glad her home had no trace of Cas in it, and he felt a huge sense of relief just being away from the hospital and the chaos.

Eileen helped Sam to the sofa. “I'll make you something to eat first, and then I'll head up to Margaret.”

Sam waved her concern away, “I couldn't eat anything if I tried. I'd much rather get drunk than have a full belly.”

Knowing that wasn't the answer, Eileen was glad there was no alcohol in the house. “Sorry, Sam. The house and I are clean, so you'll have to settle for some soothing tea.”

“No thanks. I'll survive.” Sam pulled the blanket off the back of the sofa and covered himself with it.

Eileen hated leaving him alone, but at least he didn't seem reckless or suicidal. “I'll be back as quick as I can. Call the house if you need anything. I'll pick something up for supper on my way back.”

A grunt of acknowledgment was all she got from under the blanket. She placed a kiss on the region where Sam's head was before leaving. “Stay strong, my friend.”

The only way Sam stayed strong over the next few weeks was with the love and friendship of Margaret and Eileen. There was so much to be done for the two funerals and burials. Sam had stayed at Eileen's the whole time and hadn't returned home even once. There was nothing back there for him now.

And with Eileen's help, he had picked out the perfect headstone for his mom and Cas. It was a marble sculpture of a woman leaning against a piano with a small crow sitting on the top. The woman side replaced the plain tombstone that had been on his parents' burial plot, and the piano side now rested over the neighboring plot for him and Cas. Sam had used their married name for the engraving and hoped Cas approved.

There was also the matter of following his mother's wishes for some of the items at the house. The main one was that she had promised to give the piano to the hospital to sell or keep as they saw fit. And as for the house, well, Sam had offered it to Margaret first, but she also couldn't stand being there after losing Eliza. Instead, she went to live with her sister over in Wichita, and Sam made sure to visit her often.

So after six months of being empty, Sam decided to find Cas's nearest relative and offer it to them. He tracked down an uncle in Tennessee and, as the family had fallen on hard times, they had jumped at the chance to own a home. Sam just had four stipulations for them to follow:

One - They weren't allowed to touch anything in the attic. Eileen had gone back and had boxed up all his and Cas's stuff and stored them in the massive attic. This included the journals and a few pieces of art hanging around the house that Sam had painted. Eileen had wanted to keep the painting of Cas that had hung in the library but followed Sam's orders and added it to the other stuff in the attic.

Two - They were not allowed to sell or remove any of the first editions in the library. This would help keep the secret room hidden. He couldn't bear to see all the paintings of Cas that were there, and it felt too intimate to let Eileen see them either.

Three - They couldn't remove the Prairie Smoke Flowers in the garden or do anything to the ring of trees at the edge of the property. The flowers were the last thing Cas had planted, and even though Sam would never lay eyes on them again, the oak trees had to stay.

Four - They couldn't harm any crow that came onto the property. When Eileen had gone back to box things up, she had tried to find Charlie. The poor crow had flown away when Margaret had opened the front door the day Eliza had died. Eileen had hoped the bird would be near the house but saw nothing.

She had done a quick sweep of the forest at the edge of the property, and that was when she found him. Charlie was sitting proudly on a branch next to a smaller crow and a nest with eggs. The female didn't know Eileen as Charlie did, so its protective instincts revved into high gear, and it menacingly spread its jet black wings to their full width.

It had been a glorious sight to see, even with the unusual pigmentation defect on the right wing. Eileen marveled at the small circle of white that stood out amongst the black. Knowing that Charlie was now in a mated pair and would soon be a daddy, Eileen just left him in the forest.

Of course, James Novak II had readily agreed to follow the four rules, and Sam handed over the keys to the fully furnished house. The Novaks were so thankful for the house that he knew they would take care of it as it deserved.

As soon as the Wesson property legally changed ownership with a one-dollar sale, Sam began looking for a place to call his own. He was grateful to Eileen for letting him stay with her, but the neighbors had been talking about them not being married, and he didn't want to ruin her reputation.

He found a small place on the edge of town and bought it after showing it to Eileen and Margaret to get their seal of approval. There was also a guest bedroom for when either woman wanted to visit. It might not be as grand as his old house, but it was his…only his.

Now when Sam had initially moved in with Eileen at her place, Miracle had come with him. The poor dog kept looking for Cas, Eliza, and Charlie but soon got used to it just being Sam, Eileen, and her cat, Banshee. With Sam's hectic schedule at the hospital, though, he wasn't sure how he would handle the dog at his new place. Eileen didn't have as many hours as he did, so she happily mentioned that Miracle could stay with her.

And just like during the months since Cas and Eliza's death, Eileen still kept after Sam to go out and not hide away at home. She made sure he went to the movies and out with friends.

Sam had seen more films that summer than in his entire thirty-eight years of existence. Movies like Brewster's Millions, Seven Years Bad Luck , and A Yankee in King Arthur's Court allowed Sam to forget things for a few moments while sitting next to Eileen in the darkened theater. And the taste of the Oh Henry and Charleston Chew candy bars became linked to the moviegoing experience.

Eileen also made Sam go on walks on the weekend and even to her grandmother's on Sundays. There was always a table full of food for them to dig into and a story to be shared. Sam's waistline grew a few inches thicker, even though Mildred still thought he was too skinny.

And it was Eileen who was the one that had sobered him up on countless nights when the loss of his mom and Cas still felt too much to bear. She never judged him during or after and just made sure he had a healthy breakfast waiting for him when he crawled downstairs.

They would sit around the table and just lovingly reminisce over memories and moments shared with Eliza, Cas, and Celeste. Time never made the pain any less, but it did allow the remembering to have a more golden hue.

It really wasn't an exaggeration to say that Eileen Leahy saved Sam Wesson's life. So when she showed up at his house in a huff on Sunday, November 7 ^th , 1920, asking him to go with her to a family thing on Thanksgiving…of course, he said yes.

With Padraic and Maura Leahy living in Kansas City, it meant Eileen and Sam spent an hour in the car on the 25th to get there from Lawrence.

There was food lining all the tables which were set up around the house, as well as booze aplenty. Eileen's mom made sure their plates were full, and her father made sure to top off their cups. They both had a healthy buzz going before long, and by the end of the day, they were quite tipsy.

Because of that, and also not wanting to drive home in the dark, Sam asked if they could sleep over. Her parents were fine with that and gave him the guest room next to Eileen's.

When everyone had headed home, and Maura and Padraic had gone to bed, Sam and Eileen sat on the sofa by the living room fireplace talking.

She patted her belly and grimaced, “I'm not going to fit into my uniform next week when we go back to work.”

They often sat together, and it had become second nature for her legs to be across Sam's lap. Tonight was no different as Sam unconsciously stroked her ankles. “Same here. I've eaten more today than I have all November. What was that one dish your uncle brought?”

“Oh, that's called Coddle. It's basically a toss-every-leftover-in-a-pot kind of stew.”

“It was really good. Makes me want to hire one of those new-fangled airplanes and fly over to Ireland to explore all the crazy cuisine.”

“Or…,” Eileen rolled her eyes at him, “…you could just ask me to make you the same food and save so much time and money. I would be so nervous going up in one of those rickety machines.”

The grandfather clock by the front door started chiming ten times then and signaled that it was time to head to bed. Sam took their glasses out to the kitchen while Eileen took care of the fire.

Sam playfully nudged her shoulder with his as they headed up the stairs, “Thanks for inviting me here. I had a good day.”

Her arm wrapped casually around his waist and gave it a squeeze, “Thanks for keeping me company and sane. I had a wonderful day as well.”

Their cheeks were a bit flushed from the amount of alcohol still swimming around their bodies as they came to a stop at Eileen's bedroom. She leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Sam's cheek, “Night, Mr. Wesson.”

As they stood there, moonlight poured over them from her bedroom window, and Sam was suddenly transfixed by her beauty. He had always recognized that Eileen was a very pretty woman, but something was different that night. Something that made him gently cup her face in his hands and place a kiss on her lips.

It was…nice.

So he extended the kiss a few more minutes.

And then something happened that Sam never expected. His body, which had been dormant since Cas's death, suddenly started coming back to life. A craving to experience more begged him to keep the kiss going and get permission for other things.

Eileen was just as breathless as Sam when the kiss ended, and the look in her eyes was promising. His fingers caressed her cheek as he asked, “Can I stay with you tonight?”

She gulped even as her gaze flickered over his lips. “Are you certain this is what you really want, Sam? I care so much about you and have wanted you for a while now. So my answer will be yes…as long as you're sure.”

Her words slowly sank in, and such a surge of wonder filled Sam. This independent, powerful, amazing woman liked him…wanted him. How was he so blessed to have had two such extraordinary individuals care about him?

The loss of Cas sliced through him at that thought, but Sam pushed it aside. The truth of the moment was that Cas was not coming back, and life was still moving forward. Why shouldn't he allow something to happen with Eileen? They had been friends for over ten years, and she had been there for him and Cas so many times.

And beyond all that…something about it felt right. Like Cas approved and was giving Sam peace about it all. He ran his fingers through her soft, brown hair and leaned down for another kiss. “I'm sure.”

The door was shut and locked behind them as she led him to her bed. And the moment wasn't some flesh-grabbing event but more sacred. They both understood the gravity of crossing the line from friend to lover.

With every piece of clothing removed, every caress of fingers on flesh, and with every kiss shared…the past merged into an exhilarating present.

Eileen moaned quietly against Sam's lips as their bodies fully connected, and then whimpered many heartbeats later as Sam came deep inside. Her own orgasm soon chased his causing her to bite her lip not to scream out and wake her parents.

As they lay in each other arms, satiated and content, Sam kissed up her neck and felt…happy. Maybe the future wasn't so bleak after all.

Christmas and New Year's Eve came and went then as Sam and Eileen got to know each other as more than just friends. And when Eileen caught a bug in February, Sam took off work a few days to help her get better. Poor thing was throwing up and having an awful time. It wasn't until the third day of this happening that Sam started having suspicions that Eileen might be pregnant.

The idea terrified and thrilled him at the same time. He discussed the possibility of it with her, and Eileen had her own ah-ha moment. She mentioned how sporadic her menstrual cycle had been but had chalked it up to being busy at work and spending time with Sam.

They were both very reasonable people and, thanks to Cas's influence on their lives, they didn't care what society thought about raising a child out of wedlock. The mention of getting married only came up because they had been tip-toeing down that path anyway, so what was a few months earlier?

With Sam's family money plus his salary as a doctor, he offered to give Eileen the wedding of her dreams. Whatever she wanted, he was ready to say yes. But she had never fancied a wedding ceremony and hated being the center of attention. All she wanted was to have her parents, grandmother, Margaret, and Sam there.

So on the last day of February, Maura and Padraic Leahy watched their daughter marry Sam in the hospital's small chapel. Father Solomon, who had baptized Eileen when she was just a baby, was the minister for the ceremony.

Only Eileen and Sam knew another person was in attendance at the wedding. As much as they didn't care about what society thought…they both knew her parents and Father Solomon would not be happy. Hence them staying hush on the pregnancy.

But with March turning to April and then May, they couldn't hide it anymore. Eileen's stomach was huge!

Now in 1921, most women never went to the doctors while pregnant, but Sam made sure to keep an eye on things. He had a spare stethoscope at home and was trying to listen for a heartbeat when he heard two. Eileen's family did have a history of twins, so it wasn't too much of a shock when those two heartbeats stayed and strengthened.

Sam felt so bad for Eileen being pregnant during the heat of June, July, and August…but she prevailed. They had figured out that conception must have happened that first night back on Thanksgiving, which meant she could go into labor at any time.

As content and excited as Sam was with his new life, the fact that Cas's birthday was close made him sad. Eileen was so good for him, though, and understood. She never tried to push Cas out of Sam's heart or mind, just as he never did with Celeste in hers. Instead, they always honored and remembered Cas and Celeste in all aspects of their life together.

It was truly serendipitous that the twins chose to enter the world at three o'clock on Saturday, August 20^th, 1921. To Sam, with the twins born on Cas's birthday, it felt like one more way Cas was giving him the okay to have a second chance at happiness.

A tired but proud Eileen held their baby girl while Sam held their little boy. She smiled tiredly up at him and asked, “As I wait for that ancient being to zap all the mom knowledge into my head, what do you think of Claire Eliza Wesson for this cutie and Jack Castiel Wesson for our son?”

At that moment, Sam fell a bit more in love with her. Eileen had not only remembered something they had joked about over ten years ago but also had given Claire his mom's name and was going to let him carry on Cas's name as well. “I love it. But how about Claire Eliza Celeste? That way, neither one of them will be forgotten and can live on in some small way.”

Tears pooled in Eileen's eyes at that, “Thank you, Sam. I would love that.”

Over the following years, Sam and Eileen grew closer as they watched their children grow and thrive. And they made sure that Jack and Claire knew that love was love, and it came in many different styles. It definitely was not a thought society shared, but it was important to Sam and Eileen to be true to who they were. They would often share warm memories of Cas and Celeste with the twins to keep their memory alive.

And when brown hair turned to silvery-white, Sam was now not only a husband and father…thanks to Jack, he was a grandpa. Even though his body ached and didn't work as well as he would like, Sam was happy with how his life had gone. Every now and then, he wished he would have kept the stuff of Cas's from their time together, but there was no going back. Life was now, and he planned to stay as present as possible.

With a thankful spirit and a grateful heart, Sam lived to be ninety-two before the lights went out. All the mourning of his family never reached him as he found himself young again up in heaven. He had expected Cas to be waiting for him and was a bit disappointed when it didn't happen.

For several days, or whatever it was up there, Sam kept expecting Cas to show…but nothing. After a while, he wondered if he was supposed to actually go find Cas. So he started searching high and low for his blue-eyed husband. For what seemed like decades, not a stone in heaven was left unturned…and before long, all of heaven's occupants had heard of the name Castiel.

Now normally, when someone dies and goes to heaven, they're content to just exist there. So God…or Chuck as he liked to be called…never really had to pay attention to any one human. That was until Sam Wesson showed up. The guy was a serious thorn in Chuck's side and would not leave well enough alone! Every damn day it was always about finding this Castiel, and it was driving Chuck mad!

Especially knowing Cas was not in heaven but still stuck on Earth. So to get some peace and quiet, Chuck found Sam and offered him a deal. “I'll give you one chance to find your Castiel and help him cross over. If you can't make it happen, I want you to promise to let it and Cas go the next time you come up here.”

Sam was all for this but had some concerns. “How will I know where to find him?”

“True love always finds a way. Now, do we have a deal?”

“Yes.”

And just like that, Sam was surrounded by a blinding light and flung back to Earth.

The next thing he knew, he was a baby looking up as the doctor exclaimed, “It's a boy.”

Then after a wash and a snip of the umbilical cord, he was swaddled in a warm blanket and handed to a tired blond woman.

The dark-haired man standing next to the bed had tears in his eyes. “Oh Mary, he's perfect. You did wonderful, babe. What should we name him?”

Mary smiled, “I think we'll give him my dad's name and call him Samuel.”

The baby was handed to the dark-haired man, who placed a soft kiss on Sam's forehead. “Welcome to the planet, Samuel Winchester. My name is John, and I am so happy to be your dad. Just wait till you meet your older brother, Dean. He will absolutely adore you.”

So it was that on May 2, 1983, every memory Sam had of his past, including his deal with Chuck, slowly faded away.

Chapter Text

( - - - - - indicate change of POV)

Chapter Twelve

May 15 ^th , 2021

Cas stood in the library drowning in decades of memories while staring at a man who looked exactly like his Sam. What the fuck was going on?

He remembered being out in the garden planting more Prairie Smoke flowers when Charlie had landed on his shoulder. They had had a silly conversation about what the bird does when gone, and Cas had turned to smile at Charlie when the sun moved past the clouds and blinded him.

A throbbing pain had shot across Cas's forehead as his eyelids slammed shut. The darkness helped quell the nauseous rolling in his gut, and he decided it was time to take a break. He had turned to start walking to the house, but the next thing he knew, he was horizontal on the grass while Charlie squawked and pecked at him.

Cas remembered being unable to move or speak as another burst of pain had radiated around his head, and everything had flashed to black. The next memory was being in the darkness of the casket.

Now over a century later, he was in the same room as his Sam's doppelganger. Maybe it was fate's way of giving Cas a second chance.

It was while Cas had been deep in thought that this Sam's gasp caught his attention. Cas stepped closer to see what was going on and saw the page in the journal containing the wedding blood oath.

On the page was the date of the oath, along with Sam and Cas's names, written in blood. Next to the rusty signatures was a heart formed by their overlapping, bloody fingerprints. It was at the mention of the carved initials that had Sam gasping.

“What's going on here?!” Sam said, putting the journal down and running a finger over the C-shaped scar caused by falling onto the bush. The journal was picked back up and paged through for some answers.

If Cas's ghost heart had been mortal, it would have been beating out of his chest. Why did this Sam have his Sam's scar?!! The scar…the face…the eyes…hell, even the same hair!

“Sam? What are you doing?” a sleepy, naked Gabriel asked from the doorway before walking through Cas.

Hazel eyes, just like in Cas's memories, looked up, “Couldn't sleep, so I came down here to read through the journals.”

JOURNALS!!! Holy fuck! Cas realized the journals Gabriel had been jerking off to all those years ago had been his!!! That was NOT okay.

Gabriel stood in front of Sam, took the journal away, threw it onto the sofa, and straddled Sam's lap. “What is so big about those stupid journals, Samshine? If you need porn…I'm all yours.”

HELL NO! It had been one thing when this Sam-look-a-like was just Gabe's newest faceless boy-toy but now, remembering everything, there was no way Cas could let anything happen.

This was why he came up with the radical plan to possess Gabe again. If anyone was going to get some action from this Sam, it was Cas. And as soon as Cas slipped into the short runt's meat suit, it was game on. He slid down to his knees, tugged Sam's cock out of the boxers, and immediately sucked it all the way down.

Cas pulled out every stop he knew his Sam liked and low-and-behold this Sam started reacting to it all too.

Fuck! What was going on?!

Oh hell! Even when this Sam arched back against the sofa and lost it down Cas's throat, it was exactly like all the countless times he got his Sam to cum.

And oddly enough, this Sam tasted just like his Sam. Hell, how he missed that taste. Cas needed more, and for the rest of the day, he made sure to fully enjoy this second chance.

It was around five o'clock, after another round of fun in the shower, that Sam Winchester flopped onto Gabe's bed squeaky clean and blissed out. “What the hell has gotten into you, Gabriel? Ever since you found me in the library, you've been so intense and insatiable!”

Hearing a name not his own irked Cas, but he came up with a way to fix that. With him wearing Gabe's meat suit, it meant his words moved through Gabriel's voice box and therefore sounded spot on. Cas towel-dried Gabe's dirty blond hair, “Maybe it's those journals that got me so hot. How about we role-play, and you can be that Sam Wesson guy while I pretend to be Castiel.”

Hazel eyes turned mostly black as lust dilated Sam's pupils. “Fuck yes…just let me recover, and I'm all up for that idea.”

“Recover?” Cas laughed, “I think your cock has had enough attention, I Sam. It's my turn now, and I want to recreate that scene in Castiel's dining room when Sam got his first taste.”

“What did you call me?”

Cas realized he had used his nickname for his Sam, “Oh, I was already getting into character. That was Castiel's nickname for Sam Wesson.”

“Oh…hey! Wait a minute!” Sam looked over in confusion. “You told me you didn't remember much from the journals except the hot sex scenes. How do you now know names, nicknames, and the dining room moment?”

Hmm…Cas thought Gabriel would have retained more information from reading through the journals. Having to come up with a quick explanation he said, “Okay so maybe I fibbed because I knew you'd ask additional questions had I mentioned more. I just wanted to be in the moment with you and not talking about some old books. Sorry.”

There, that sounded enough like something Gabe would have said. Now would Sam buy it?

“You know me so well,” Sam replied looking a bit guilty. “If you would've told me that you remembered things from the journals I would have grilled you all through dinner. So I understand why you did what you did. Sucks…but I get it.”

Sam got off the bed and held out a hand, “Still up for some dining room fun, Mr. Wovak?”

Were ghost goosebumps a thing? Cas swore he felt some pop up over his arms when he heard their shared last name…whoa! When he looked down at Gabriel's skin, actual goosebumps were showing! Interesting.

He took the extended hand and followed his husband's sexy doppelganger downstairs. This Sam was following the journal, but Cas had the actual memories to fall back on. Shame Gabriel was circumcised, but it would still be fucking wonderful to re-live his first blow job with his Sam.

With how short Gabe was, it was odd how the legs dangled over the side of the table when Cas hopped up. But oh, when this Sam pulled closer on the chair and played along…mhmm…hell yes! Cas closed Gabriel's eyelids to fully enjoy the moment without letting present things ruin it.

And when this Sam wrapped fingers around the cock head and pretended to lick past the foreskin, as mentioned in the journal, it was close enough to the real feel and had Cas moaning even more.

Just like a century ago, Cas dug his fingers in Sam's hair and ordered, “Fuck, I Sam! I promise that next time you can keep messing around with the foreskin as long as you want, but right now, I need your mouth as far down my shaft as it can go.”

Unlike in the past, this Sam could easily swallow all of Gabe's cock, which was much smaller than Cas's. But just like the original, this Sam had skills, and Cas was right on the edge in minutes.

“Look at me, Sam,” Cas pleaded, and instantly, hazel eyes looked up in complete compliance.

And that was it. Cas started letting out curse after curse as the fingers gripping Sam's hair yanked hard and cum splashed from cock to throat.

Cas watched as Sam licked the cum from those plump lips and wanted to lick them too. He pulled Sam up for a kiss and loved their mixed flavors. “Mhmm, I Sam. We taste so damn good together.”

A sheepish grin spread across Sam's flushed face, “I know it might sound odd but, ever since this morning in the library…well…I swear you taste different…better, actually.”

That had Cas grinning ear to ear…well, through Gabriel. “Trust me, there's more where that came from.”

Sam pressed a kiss to Gabe's neck, “Remember how you said we'd end up as dried husks by the end of the weekend? I think you were correct!”

A ripple of discontent shimmered down Cas's spine because he did not remember since it hadn't been him that had that conversation with Sam. He felt himself slipping out of Gabe's body but shoved back inside. No! He needed to stay in Gabriel till Sam left, and then he'd figure out how to break them up.

“Sure do, Sam.” Cas lied before leaning forward for another kiss, “Now how about you suckle me while we veg out on the sofa? You can't dry out if you drink plenty of fluids.”

“Wicked man!”

Cas stared up into the face of his past and was suddenly overwhelmed with emotions. “Your wicked man, I Sam. Always.”

“You called me it again.”

“What?”

“I Sam. You called me I Sam.”

“Too weird?”

“Actually…I like it.”

Cas smiled, “Good because I think it has stuck. Plan to hear it a lot over the rest of the weekend. Now let's see to that living room sofa.”

After a quick trip to the kitchen for snacks, Cas and Sam enjoyed a fun night watching TV. Cas hated being trapped in Gabe's body, but it did allow him the ability to pretend he and his Sam were just spending a night at home together.

While cuddled together on the sofa, Cas introduced Sam to Good Omens on Amazon Prime and enjoyed some suckling. It was a great series, but he really wanted Sam to see the scene when Aziraphale was disincorporated and possessed Madame Tracy's body. “Can you imagine hopping into someone like that, I Sam?”

Sam hit pause on the remote and released Gabriel's cock, “I'm still stuck on the fact that the lady playing Madame Tracy is the same woman who was Rita Skeeter in Harry Potter!”

“Oh yes,” Cas agreed. “Crazy how different the roles are. I'm still amazed at Sergeant Shagwell being the prim-and-proper brother on Better Call Saul. Talk about two completely different characters.”

“Wait a minute!” Sam looked at him with incredulous suspicion, “You always told me you hated Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. You even refused to watch it with me when I had mentioned it.”

Well shit! Cas forgot how much Gabe had hated the two shows. It was why he had often possessed Gabriel at bedtime so he could binge it while Gabe slept. “You caught me. I've been a bad, bad boy, I Sam. How ever shall you punish me?”

Sam kissed up Gabe's neck and nipped an earlobe, “Mhmm, maybe I should tie you up in that secret room we found.”

Secret room?! Holy fuck! The room behind the library shelves! The paintings! Cas was overwhelmed by memories and a need to see it all again. “I did lie to you about watching the shows…only fitting I am thoroughly punished.”

“Well then, Mr. Novak…be a good boy and head over to the library while I find those handcuffs of yours up in the nightstand.”

Cas hated that Sam knew so much about Gabriel's dirty things. If not for the need to see the room and all the paintings, Cas would have suggested something else. “Yes, sir.”

It was strange to walk through the same house where he had been a naive ghost for all these years and now realize the significance of everything. From out of Gabe's eyes, Cas really saw his surroundings and took in all the changes made from when he had been alive a hundred years ago. And for the first time, he noticed the portrait his Sam had painted of Eliza and Charlie in the hallway leading to the library.

How much he missed Eliza's warm heart and smile. Sam's mom had always treated Cas like a son and made every day such a delight to be alive. And oh dear, Charlie! The mischievous bird sat proudly on its mistress's shoulder in the painting with the naughty twinkle captured so perfectly in its eyes.

Oh wow! Cas just realized that the bird that used to visit him in the attic when he first found himself tied there could have been Charlie…or the crow's offspring.

Cas was still in the hallway staring up at the painting when Sam caught up to him.

“I thought I told you to get your sexy ass into the secret room, Gabriel.”

Tearing his gaze from the painting, Cas gushed at Sam's attempt at showing dominance. “Sorry, sir, got sidetracked with this portrait of your mo…one of the original homeowner's relatives.”

Sam looked at the painting, “Do you know who she was? And what is up with that crow?”

Blue eyes stayed locked on Sam's face to watch the reaction as he explained, “Her name was Eliza Wesson. She was the mother of Sam Wesson who painted this portrait of her. They owned the house before it fell into Gab…my family's hands.”

“Why? Why would they just give up the house like that?”

Cas wondered the same thing. “The only thing I can think is that maybe when Castiel died, it was too much for the Wessons, so they moved.”

“And the crow? Why was it in this portrait?”

With no regard to the rules of touching paintings, Cas reached out and traced around the image of Charlie. “That was Eliza's pet crow, Charlie. Sam and Cas had rescued it from being killed at the hospital where they had met.”

Hazel eyes glared over at Gabe because of all the new information, “I thought you told me you didn't know much about the original owners? And now you have detailed info of this painting and lied not only about knowing what's in the journals, but also watching those two shows? What's going on, Gabriel?”

Shit! It was so hard to remember that Gabe wouldn't know about the history of the house or the Wesson family. But maybe, all this could be the catalyst in breaking Gabriel and Sam up.

Well, later at least. Right now, Cas was having too much fun with this Sam and didn't want to ruin it with fighting. “The stuff about Eliza and Charlie was in the journals. And as for the shows…well, I only started watching them to prove you wrong but found out they were pretty great. I was just too embarrassed to tell you. Forgive me?”

Apparently, Cas had been convincing enough as Sam let out a sigh and nodded. “Fine! You're forgiven…but now I have to punish you thricely, Mr. Novak.”

Sparks flew between them, and Cas was so ready to see what this Sam had in mind. “If you must…sir.”

A groan of unadulterated lust escaped from Sam at the use of sir. “Library! Now!”

They made a beeline to the room, and Cas found the Locke and Key book right away. The shelving rumbled open, and they were walking down the dark hallway to the room as soon as they could fit through the opening.

As this Sam went around lighting the oil lamps, Cas was frozen in the doorway as all of his Sam's paintings emerged from the darkness. Each one captured a moment from their past.

Oh man! The piano! Cas saw the painting of himself leaning naked against the beautiful black Steinway. He wondered what had happened to it? Maybe when Eliza and Sam moved away, they took it with them.

Sorrow at not having those two wonderful people in his life anymore wrapped around Cas's shoulders like a weighted blanket. He ached to find out what happened to them and where they ended up.

“Are you still planning on selling the paintings?”

Cas turned to see Sam staring at him. Sell the painting? WTF! Gabe had planned on selling these paintings?! Hell no! “Umm…I've had a change of heart. These are way too intimate to show the public.”

That got a huge sigh of relief from Sam, “Thank goodness! I was going to risk committing a felony stealing them if you had still planned to sell.”

Another gushy smile took over Cas's…well, Gabe's face. “You would have done that to keep them safe?”

Sam nodded, “I just felt the two lovers deserved that courtesy. If it had been me who painted those pictures of you…well, I'd want them kept private.”

The more this Sam talked, the more Cas truly believed in reincarnation. Maybe God had given them a second chance because of the way Cas had died. It was a romantic idea, even if probably not at all true.

And Cas wasn't foolish enough to believe he'd have the chance to be with this look-a-like Sam beyond this weekend. So he might as well milk the time left for all the memories he could have.

This was why Cas sauntered over to Sam and slowly kissed downward from shoulder to hip. “Now, what was it that you mentioned about me needing to be punished, I Sam?”

A weird look took over those hazel eyes, though, and Sam didn't immediately play along. “I…uhh…I want to try something else instead. I'll be right back…lay down on your stomach over there in that corner.”

Cas was in awe how this Sam had pointed to the same spot where the old bed had been. He did as told while Sam left the room and returned with…a fountain pen?

A sheepish, lopsided grin appeared before Sam explained, “After this amazing time with you…I feel safe enough to let you know about all the dreams I've been having. I know I mentioned earlier about seeing the blue-eyed man from the library painting, but I saw other moments too.”

Goosebumps sent chills through Cas hearing how this Sam had had more dreams about him. Cas turned over onto his back to look up at Sam, “What other moments?”

“I had a dream about Castiel writing poems over Sam Wesson's body in here. Saw it clear as day.”

That was it! Cas was almost certain this man had to be the reincarnation of his Sam. “What…what poems did you see?”

A blush spread across Sam's cheeks, “Well, that's why I went to get the fountain pen…I have this strong need to see if I can remember them both while writing it out on you.”

“Do it!” Cas commanded as lust coursed through him, causing Gabe's cock to get erect.

It was trippy and erotic as hell to watch Sam straddle his legs and start writing out…Edgar Allan Poe's The Bells?!!

How was this possible?! “Surely you read this poem and knew it before seeing it in the dreams, right?!”

“That's the thing! I didn't even know the poem existed till I saw it in the dream. That and the one from the backside.”

Cas gulped, “Uhh…which one went on the back?”

“Some gruesome romance called The Highwayman.”

Holy fuck! Surely only his Sam would have that knowledge, right? Maybe fate had given his Sam back to him.

Cas reached up and pulled Sam down for a hungry kiss. “I didn't find that poem gruesome. Wouldn't it be so romantic to know even death could not keep two soulmates apart? Would you wait for me if I died, I Sam?”

The idea seemed to freak Sam out, though, and Cas was soon alone on the floor. Sam was pressed against the far wall, just staring at him. “Don't say stuff like that, Gabe.”

The mention of Gabriel made Cas cringe. He wanted Sam to see HIM, not some pervy distant relative of his!! “I apologize. Didn't mean to get so morbid.”

“It's okay,” Sam said weakly, still nervously looking around the room. “Umm…can we get out of here? I…something is making me feel nauseous all of a sudden.”

“Of course.” Cas stood up and smiled down at the half-finished poem across Gabriel's chest. “You do have nice penmanship, Sam,” Cas teased as they walked out into the library.

They then closed up the shelf and moved the sofa back before returning to the living room. Sam was still a bit off, so Cas decided to help. He pushed Sam down onto the sofa and sat on the floor between the now parted legs.

“I think it's my turn to suckle your tasty cock, I Sam.” Cas rubbed his face against the hardening cock and took a few deep breathes, enjoying the scintillating scent. “Mhmm! Well, how about we binge Breaking Bad while I suckle.”

Sam looked longingly at Gabe's plump pink lips, “I don't know if I can last long with your mouth around my cock and the on-screen chemistry between Walter White and Jessie Pinkman.”

Another face rub happened as Cas murmured against the hard cock, “Well, let's find out just how long you can last.”

A whimper echoed into the quiet room as Cas enclosed Sam's cock in his mouth. Just rested his head against a warm thigh and suckled as Sam pulled up Netflix on the TV and started episode one of Breaking Bad.

Cas could stay there all night holding Sam's cock in his mouth.

Often in the past, Cas and his Sam would spend nights together like this as the other person read out loud from the latest book they had started. His Sam would have enjoyed all the TV and streaming content available nowadays.

And Cas suckled from the first shot of Walter White standing in those tidy-whites out in the desert till the moment Walter showed up at Jessie's place saying, 'You know the business…I know the chemistry.'

It seemed this Sam was turned on with the interaction between Walter and Jessie since Cas felt a slow thrusting start. And when Walter started to undress out in the desert in front of Jessie…there was no more suckling but instead just full-on face-fucking. Not that Cas minded at all, especially when Sam started moaning and cum sprayed down Cas's throat.

“Oh hell, Gabe! That was so fuckn' good!”

Well fuck! If that didn't just sour the damn moment! Cas had forgotten he was still wearing Gabe's meat suit while the fun had been happening. The lights flickered a bit as Cas couldn't contain the jealousy and the unfairness of things.

The hard cock he had been about to tell this Sam to sink down upon fizzled to a flaccid state, as did Cas's enjoyment of watching Breaking Bad. “How about we go crash up on the bed. I think our full day of fuckery has finally drained me.”

Having no idea of what was going on, Sam just turned off the TV and followed 'Gabriel' upstairs. As they cuddled close in the darkness on Gabe's bed, Cas was able once more to pretend it truly was just him and his Sam.

“Mhmm…jusssst waaait til morninnng, misssster,” a sleepy Sam slurred out. “I plan onnn wakinnnng you up wittttth my coooock.”

Jolts of lightning exploded through Cas's ghostly form as a past memory rippled to the surface of when his Sam had said something similar back on vow night. He snuggled against this Sam's chest, more than happy to be someone's little spoon again. “I look forward to it, I Sam.”

With Cas still possessing Gabe, he was able to truly fall asleep and even dream. Something he wished he couldn't do when a shitty nightmare started. Cas was out in the old garden, being rocked in his distraught husband's arms as Sam sobbed over him saying, “No, no no, Cas! Come on! You can't do this!”

It was weird how Cas was able to look at the scene from a distance as Sam laid the body on the ground and tried every resuscitation trick learned from medical school. Nothing worked.

And then Cas could see the soul-crushing guilt cascaded over Sam's face, “Why had I taken the extra shift at the hospital today? I already had off Saturday and Sunday. If only I had just been content with having those two days with you, I would have been here with you. I could have saved you!!”

Soon the ambulance arrived, and Cas watched as it took the workers almost ten minutes to get Sam to release his body to them.

It was while his Sam raced behind the ambulance that Cas woke up. He turned around in Sam Winchester's arms and looked at the beautiful sleeping man. He traced the C-shaped scar on this Sam's chest and suddenly felt such despondency.

What the fuck was he doing?! He couldn't and didn't want to possess Gabe for the rest of this Sam's life, and that was the only way Cas could have a happy ever after. He was wise enough to know that, after a while of seeing Gabriel's reflection and hearing Sam call out the wrong name, it would make him go mental and fritz out like a vengeful spirit.

Sam deserved better, and so did Gabe. Granted, Gabriel was planning on selling the paintings in the secret room, but that wasn't enough to warrant taking over someone's life.

Cas knew that once he ghosted out of the body, Gabe would have no memory of anything that had happened. The poor guy would just experience a blacked-out skip of time.

Between the sorrow of the dream, which Cas assumed was probably a buried memory of what his Sam had done when finding Cas dead in the garden and this sudden guilty conscious…Cas ghosted out of Gabriel and headed back to the attic.

- - - - -

Right before Cas slipped out, though, Sam had woken up and saw it happen. He assumed it was just a trick of his sleepy brain and fell back asleep. That he entered into a dream with the journal's Castiel possessing Madam Tracy instead of Aziraphale and Sam was Crowley wanting a taste…well that was simply hot.

Chapter Text

Chapter Thirteen

Sunday, May 16 ^th , 2021

Sam woke up feeling on top of the world until it dawned on him why. All night long, he dreamt about being with the blue-eyed journal owner in various TV shows, such as on Wanda Vision. Not Gabe at all…just Castiel. Here he was spending the weekend with Gabriel and practically fucking like rabbits, so why would he dream about a guy from a set of old journals and some paintings?

He was contemplating all of this when Gabe woke up with a gasp and stared at Sam in horror. “Umm…Sam? How did we get up to my room?”

Sam thought Gabriel was just being silly and teased, “With our legs.”

Gabe jumped off the bed and started pacing back and forth. “We were in the library, and the last thing I remember was you reading those journals. Then nothing!”

“What a minute!” Sam ran fingers through his hair as he tried to process what Gabriel was saying. “You don't remember anything since then? We've been highly active all Saturday.”

Looking down, Gabe noticed the poem and other tell-tale signs confirming Sam's words. “Oh fuck! It happened again!”

“What happened?”

“I used to blackout and then would wake up with no memory. The last time was years ago, though, so why did it start up again now?”

That was when Sam remembered what he had seen earlier. Goosebumps popped up all over his arms. “I woke up earlier and…well…I would have sworn I saw…,” Sam felt so odd even speaking it out loud. Surely, it couldn't have been what he was thinking.

Gabe slid back in bed, “What did you see?”

Feeling completely foolish, “…I could have sworn it looked like a man-shaped mist coming out of your body.”

“Like a ghost?” Gabriel's eyes almost bugged out of the sockets. “Holy fuck! Maybe the stories are true!”

This had Sam's full attention, “What stories?”

Gabe's hands shook while nervously fiddling with the edge of the sheet. “My dad always said this house was haunted. He mentioned going up into the attic just to peek even though it was against the rules, and while there saw a crow sitting by the window as if talking to someone.”

Sam remembered the crow that greeted him last Monday and wondered if it had been real now or connected to this ghost story. “There was a crow on the porch before you opened up the door that night when you made my birthday dinner. It had a white spot on one wing. It seemed so real but are you saying it wasn't?”

“Oh, that thing! Stupid bird!” Gabriel pointed over to the bedroom window, “Dumb crow is always pecking at the glass while I'm trying to sleep. One of these days I'm going to go Elmer Fudd on its ass and shoot the damn thing. Fuck the stupid rules!”

Annnnd another crack in Sam's perception of Gabe appeared at that. Just like with the paintings, some odd sense of needing to protect the crow rang out from deep inside.

Sam also wondered who he had spent the last twenty-four hours with, if not Gabriel? He realized something else, though, and to double-check, asked, “So are you still planning on selling those paintings in the hidden room?”

“Fuck yes, I am! I already have the fire-red Ferrari in mind I'm going to spend the money on once the paintings sell.”

Sam, trying not to show his displeasure, faked a smile while he planned to commit theft. One way or another, those paintings were not being sold.

Then it hit Sam that Gabe wasn't the one who watched Breaking Bad or Better Call Saul…heck, maybe not even Good Omens! To test this, he asked, “Wasn't it romantic when Crowley kept those books safe for Aziraphale?”

Gabriel looked at Sam like he had lost it, “Well, that was random, but if it's something from that show on Amazon, then I have no clue. Looked stupid, and I cannot stand Michael Sheen! Gave me the creeps when he played Aro in Twilight.”

Crack…crack…crack! Sam held back a frown. “So still not going to watch Breaking Bad with me either?”

“Hell no! GAG!”

Sam felt guilty for suddenly wishing the entity that had possessed Gabe Saturday would come back permanently. He wondered who it had been? Only two people would care about the paintings and know so many details from the journals. Sam needed to find out more about the history of the house and its former owner.

Thankfully, he had a light work week coming up, so maybe he could spend time at the Lawrence Historical Society and get some answers. And then, if he could get his hands on the list of buyers that purchased the first editions from the Boys and Girls Club, he could also find out who had the other journal.

Sam felt bad that his thirst to start digging far outweighed his desire to spend Sunday with Gabriel. So much so that he pushed it all aside and focused solely on the sexy short stack, who before yesterday had been a big deal. “How about we start the day with a nice hot shower?”

Instead of the resounding yes that normally would have happened, Gabe almost seemed repulsed at the idea. “The thing is, when I wake up from one of these blackouts, I feel really weird. Would it be okay if we cut the weekend short? I'm just not…” Gabriel shivered, “…yeah, I just need to regroup.”

Was it wrong that Sam felt relieved? “Of course, it would be okay. I'm a bit freaked out too.”

“Thanks, Samshine. Oh, and there's a box in the kitchen for the journals if you still want to take them home with you.”

That's right! Gabe had offered to let him take the journals! Sam leaned over to place a thank-you kiss on Gabriel's cheek but was blocked by a hand.

“I understand and appreciate the gesture, Samsquatch, but…uhh…yeah, can't.” Gabe just pulled the covers higher with no plans to leave the bed. “Just lock the door when you leave and take anything you want from the fridge if you're hungry. Sorry about being such an ass, but…”

“No, I understand.” Sam stood up and gathered all his stuff before escaping to the bathroom for a much-needed shower. Gabe was asleep when he got done, and Sam quietly left the room and went downstairs.

He took Gabriel up on the food offer and ate a sandwich before finding the box for the journals and heading to the library. The eight books easily fit into the cardboard container with enough space to put his stuff on top.

Before he left, Sam decided he had to do something to hinder Gabe from getting to the paintings. He'd rather not go to jail trying to take the artwork from the hidden room, but he could at least dismantle the mechanism that allowed the bookshelf to open. And that is exactly what he did. Sam even moved the Lock & Key book to another shelf, hoping to confuse Gabriel as much as possible.

Sam took the box of journals then and was passing the Castiel painting when he remembered the dream where he saw the artist signing the back of it. He set the box down, moved over to the massive frame, and carefully tilted it away from the wall. And there, on the lower corner of the canvas, in elegant cursive was written C.J.W. by S.W.W. “Ah, so lover, homeowner, doctor, and also artist extraordinaire. Good for you, Mr. Wesson.”

The frame was carefully put back before Sam picked up the box of journals and headed to his car. He couldn't wait to get home and read more about Castiel and Sam Wesson's relationship.

Ever since Cas had ghosted out of Gabe's body earlier, he had hidden away in the attic. He didn't trust himself to be around when Gabe and Sam woke up and started playing. Even just thinking about the possibility made him full of rage.

Cas was sulking in the attic when he heard the sound of a car engine revving to life. He moved to the window and saw Sam leaving. A sense of relief flooded him, knowing that for whatever reason, there would be no more hanky-panky going on today.

While on the way to check on Gabriel, that same rubber-band-like tension that Cas had felt years ago started pulling on him. And before Cas could question why, he found himself flying through the wall of the attic and landing smack in the back seat of Sam Winchester's car!

What the fuck?! Cas had tried countless times to leave the property, so why was he suddenly able to do so now?

That was when he saw the journals in the box next to him and realized his spirit must somehow be tied to them. Maybe the blood from the wedding oath page or some other DNA splotches were the culprit. Either way, Cas was caustically excited to be going home with Sam.

It was the first time in over a hundred years that he had left the property and what he was seeing was vastly different from the Lawrence, Kansas he had lived in a century ago.

Yes, he had watched plenty of TV over the time since Gabriel freed him from the attic, but that had been behind a dark veil. Now, with his memories restored, it was like a blind man seeing again, and he could not get enough. Which was why Cas carefully slid into Sam Winchester's body and drove over to 2108 Vermont Street to see if his old house was still there.

It was, but also different in appearance. Even the neighborhood around it had modernized and changed beyond recognition.

Cas was standing on the sidewalk leading to the porch, just taking it all in, when the front door opened. An older woman peeked out and asked, “Can I help you, mister?”

He turned to smile at her and had to bite back a gasp at how much she looked like Eliza Wesson. “I'm sorry if I bothered you, ma'am. I'm doing some ancestry research and found out that one of my relatives used to live here back in the early 1900s.”

“Well, must have been before 1910 since my great grandmother Eileen Wesson had moved in.”

Goosebumps and butterflies overtook Cas's arms and gut. “My great, great, great uncle was Castiel Novak. I had heard he had given her the house around that time, but I thought she had sold it a few years later.”

That he knew that specific piece of information seemed to calm the older woman's worries. “Yes, that is true. When her friend Celeste had died, Eileen moved into a new place in town. And when she got married to Sam Wesson…”

Blue eyes widened at that new piece of information. So Sam and Eileen had gotten together after Cas had passed away.

“…so once the house was back on the market, my grandfather, Jack, and his twin sister Claire bought it and lived in it. Ever since then, it has passed down through the generations.”

A gushy grin spread across Cas's face at hearing Sam and Eileen had had their twins after all. “How cool that this house has held so many memories for your family and mine. In a journal of Castiel's, he mentioned being friends with Sam and Eileen. He also wrote about Sam's mom and a crow she had as a pet but didn't mention what happened to them.”

The look of sorrow that crossed over the older woman's face did not bode well. “Such a sad story. Apparently, Eliza had died of a sudden heart attack. They found her by the front door. As far as I know of the crow, Charlie, I think the name was, it had started a family in the woods by the property, so Eileen let it stay there.”

Cas felt sick to his stomach as he pieced together why Eliza had been so close to the front door. She had tried to come out and save him that fateful day. It also meant Sam had lost two people in one day. “That had to be so hard on Sam. Is that why they stopped living at the house?”

The older woman nodded, “Yeah. My mother mentioned that Sam hadn't even been able to go back to the house at all after that day. He had had Eileen clean it out and then gave it to…well, I guess your relative.”

Hell, it was so much to unpack, and Cas was a bit loopy trying to do just that. He smiled as calmly as he could at her, “Thank you so much, ma'am. I had been wondering about it all for a long time now.”

“How about you come in, and I'll get you some lemonade. If you're interested, I have a huge scrapbook of old photos going back to Eileen and Sam's wedding day.”

Knowing that Sam Winchester had originally planned to be at Gabe's all day and had nothing pressing to get to, Cas readily agreed and followed her into his old home. It was very trippy to step into rooms that had at one time been his sanctuary but looked nothing like what he remembered.

That was until they got into the kitchen, and he saw the old cuckoo clock still hanging in the same spot on the wall. He had to laugh, and when the woman turned to see why, he explained, “In Castiel's journals, he mentioned that clock. Apparently, his grandfather made it for his mom as a housewarming gift. So cool to see it in person.”

The lady walked over to the wooden clock with a new appreciation, “I never heard that story. It was here when we moved in, so I just assumed it belonged to my Uncle Simon. He had moved out at the beginning of 1982 after his poor wife died in childbirth. I can't wait to tell my husband about the clock's origins. He really loves that kind of stuff.”

She motioned for Cas to sit at the small table as she got him a tall glass of lemonade. It tasted so good even if through Sam Winchester's taste buds, “Delicious. Thanks, ma'am.”

“You're very welcome…oh, actually, I just realized we never got properly introduced. I'm Eliza Sparks.”

Cas's mind was blown that this woman who looked like his Eliza had her name! He was drawing a blank but knew he couldn't say Sam or Cas…so the only other name that came to him was his uncle's name. “I'm James Novak, ma'am. Sorry for not introducing myself earlier.”

“Well, James, nice to meet you.” They shook hands then. She didn't sit down, though, “I'm going to get that scrapbook, and I even have a copy of my family tree that my husband had made for me last Christmas.”

While she was gone, Cas tried to stare at the cuckoo clock as if it could transport him back to his century…like that movie with Christopher Reeves, Somewhere in Time.

Nothing happened, of course, but it had been worth a shot.

Even still, Cas was able to go back in time during the next several hours as Eliza Sparks happily paged through her family's scrapbook. Cas had asked to take a few snapshots with his phone, and she gladly agreed. Thank goodness he had possessed Gabe enough times to know how to work Sam's cell phone.

Granted, Cas wouldn't be able to keep the pictures on it after leaving Sam's body, but he'd have them to look at for a bit when he left. He had loved seeing the wedding photo of Eileen and Sam. She had always been such a wonderful friend, and it was fitting that they got together. And when Mrs. Sparks showed Cas the twins' birth certificates, it made him smile even bigger noticing that the date matched his own birthday. Perfection!

And the pièce de résistance was when Eliza Sparks laid the massive Wesson family tree across the table. Cas was enraptured seeing how many souls came to be because Sam and Eileen got together. It was magnificent!

Eliza Sparks ran a finger across the typed Wesson on top of the paper. “My husband is working on my dad's tree now. His last name is Jackson as you can see right there.” She pointed right above her name.

Luna Wesson was this Eliza's mom's name. Cas suddenly remembered the after-dinner conversation when Sam had mentioned that Eileen had wanted to name her children Claire and Luna after her favorite song Clair de Lune. Fate might have given Eileen only half that, but the Luna eventually arrived.

“This is so fascinating,” Cas said, smiling over to Eliza. “This is just a handful of your family, and it fills this whole large page. AND only goes back to the late 1800s! Imagine everyone on the tree since the beginning of time?! Amazing! I wish I had something like this for the Novaks.”

“Well, my Dan used that Ancestry.com to make it.” She carefully rolled the paper up and put it back in the protective tube. “Have you ever watched that show on PBS called Finding Your Roots?”

Cas had indeed seen several episodes of that show on nights when he possessed Gabe's body. “Love that show! I wish they had taught history in school the way they do on it. Henry Gates Jr. is such a fun host. I could watch that show all day.”

Eliza was grinning ear-to-ear at having found a kindred soul. “Agreed! Most nights, Dan and I watch stuff like that or those home-renovation shows like HomeTown.”

For a few brief seconds, it felt like Cas was back in time, sitting in the living room with his Eliza Wesson having one of their chats. The pain of how she died and of missing her crashed over Cas, and he had to fight not to grip his chest to deal with the heartache.

He did his best to smile, “I also like that Nate & Jeremiah show and Good Bones.”

“Aren't Nate and Jeremiah the cutest couple?!” she asked. “I love how far society has come to let people just love each other no matter the body parts involved.”

Cas had to take a slow deep breath to stop the tears from falling as this Eliza just kept reminding him of his. “I agree wholeheartedly. I thought it was so amazing to see some same-sex couples on your tree. Looks like your family was a very loving one.”

Eliza nodded, “Oh yes. I remember Grandpa Jack always mentioning how his mom and dad made sure to instill in him and Claire to be open to all kinds of love.”

It warmed Cas's heart to hear that Sam and Eileen had taught their children well and that their open-hearted love had flowed down throughout the generations. He flipped back to the picture of Eileen and Sam holding the newborn twins, “So amazing. I'm so glad I stopped by today.”

Eliza placed a hand over his and gave it a squeeze, “Me too. Just talking about them with you makes them come back alive.”

Cas couldn't help staring at her, noticing how much she looked like Eliza Wesson. “You should go up to the old Wesson house on Finney road. There are several paintings of your relatives hanging all over the place. Just don't freak out when you see the one showing your namesake. It's crazy how much you look like her.”

Clearly, this was news to her, “Do you think the owner will let me in to see them?”

“Gabe? Yeah, he is pretty decent that way. Got a pen? I can give you his number.”

She quickly got up and grabbed a notepad and pen from the counter. “Oh, Dan is going to flip!”

Cas wrote down the number and handed the paper back to her. “He has an answering machine, so if he doesn't pick up, just leave a message.”

Thank goodness Gabe also had a cousin named James, so it would line up if Eliza Sparks called and gave the fake name Cas had given her.

When the cuckoo clock started to squawk, Cas and Eliza stared at it in shock. They had been talking for almost three hours.

“Oh dear!” Eliza exclaimed as she checked the time on her wristwatch. “I was supposed to pick up my daughter Lori from work ten minutes ago.”

As if on cue, the house phone rang, and it was her daughter finding out what was going on.

Cas stood up to leave and stretched his…well, Sam's body. “I'm sorry that I made you late, Eliza.”

“Fiddlesticks!” She waved away his concern and came over to give him a warm hug. “The last three hours have been magical, and you've made my day. It was fate you showed up when you did.”

Not wanting to leave but knowing he had to, Cas said goodbye and walked out with her. He waved from behind the driver's seat as Eliza drove away to get her daughter.

With no idea where Sam actually lived, Cas had to pull out the guy's wallet and find the address. “Whoa! How amazing!”

He was surprised to see that this Sam lived at the same Oak Park Apartments where Eileen and Celeste had lived. Luckily it wasn't too far away, so Cas was able to carefully drive there and let himself and the journals inside.

Knowing he soon had to vacate Sam's body, Cas decided to look through all the pictures he had taken one last time. So as he sat on Sam's sofa, he tapped away on the phone till the wedding photo filled the screen. He zoomed in then on just his Sam and felt his heart thump. Even all these years later, his love for Sam Wesson was just as strong.

It was a bit shocking that Eliza Sparks had not thought anything about how James looked a lot like her great grandfather.

Cas got up and went to the bathroom to look in the mirror. He held up the phone next to Sam Winchester's face and was in awe of how close the two men looked. It was uncanny! Then somehow added to that, this Sam had entered Gabriel Novak's life…AND got into Sam Wesson's old house?! Insanity! Wonderfully so!

Not wanting to give up the freedom to touch just yet, Cas roamed around Sam's place, looking at everything. When he went into the bedroom, he noticed a small black grand piano music box on the dresser across from the bed. It bore a remarkable resemblance to the Steinway from the Wesson house all those years ago.

Curiosity made Cas walk towards it and turned the wind-up key till it didn't budge. He expected to hear some modern song when he lifted the lid, but boy was he wrong.

Instead, Cas just stood there transfixed while Chabrier's Souvenirs de Munich filled the air. It had been the first song he and his Sam had played on the piano that night when the hose incident occurred.

“How is this possible?!” Cas wished he could ask Sam Winchester why this song? Why a grand piano music box? There were just so many questions!

All the what-ifs made Cas feel fatigued, so he decided to exit Sam for a bit. To help Sam with the loss of time, Cas turned on the living room TV and selected the Netflix app. He then searched for Breaking Bad and chose the second episode of the first season. It was the one after the episode, which they had watched last night while Cas had possessed Gabe.

He then positioned Sam as if sleeping on the sofa and ghosted out. This time, though, he did not leave the room. Instead, Cas just sat next to the sleeping man and waited.

It was about fifteen minutes later when Sam awakened and sprang up in a panic. “What the fuck?! How the hell did I get here?!”

As Cas sat there watching the slightly humorous freak-out, he wished Sam had memories of what had happened. He would have enjoyed talking with someone about everything he had learned from Eliza Sparks today.

“Wait a minute!” Sam exclaimed, finally noticing which episode of Breaking Bad was playing on the TV. “Castiel?! Are you here? Did you do all this? Did you possess me like you did Gabe?”

Cas just sat there gaping at Sam. Well, this was interesting! The guy was way smarter than Gabriel.

Oh, how Cas wished he could push something off the table or say something. The only way he could “talk” was sliding back in Sam and turning on Good Omens on Prime to the scene with Aziraphale possessing Madam Tracy.

Sam's body swayed as Cas left this time, and when Sam saw what was now playing on the TV there wasn't another freak-out. Instead, there was intrigue and a smile. “This is so freaking cool! Not the blacking out but being able to reach back in history with a ghost that lived over a hundred years ago. Do you think if I wrote a list of questions that you could take me over and answer them?”

Whoa! Cas never thought to do that before. He slid into Sam and quickly found a yellow legal pad and a pen. He wrote, 'Yeah, that should work. What do you want to know, Sam?'

Cas was more careful leaving this time, so Sam didn't even budge.

“Holy fuck!” An excited Sam Winchester stared at the notepad and the words written on it. “This is so damn cool! Can you tell me what we did after leaving Gabe's?”

Guess he was going to get to talk to Sam about the stuff he learned from Eliza after all. When Cas took over again, he started to write it all down, but it was too much. So instead, he found a recording app on Sam's phone and just spoke about everything that had happened.

Feeling playful, Cas laid the phone on the notepad and wrote a big PLAY ME! under it before ghosting out.

When Sam did as told, and the recording started, it was weird hearing Cas speaking through Sam's voice. “This is crazy! It's me but not me. So the lady today looked like that one from the hallway painting? How freaky! Especially with you having known the original Eliza. I'm sorry you had to hear about all that from a stranger. Was it hard to hear about your Sam marrying that Eileen lady after you died?”

Cas so wished there was a way to talk with this Sam without using possession. That was when he got an idea, and instead of ghosting into Sam, Cas pushed himself into the TV's circuits. It was painful with the electricity coursing through but bearable. “Hey, Sam. Can you hear me?”

Sam was just staring wide-eyed at the flickering flat screen as Cas's voice floated out from the speakers. “That is so freaking cool!!! Do you think you could do the same thing with my phone? It would be so much easier taking you places if you were mobile.”

The TV screen stopped fritzing out as Cas left and focused on Sam's phone. It felt a bit confining, but at least there wasn't that sharp tang of the electricity. “Can you hear me now?”

The use of the old Verizon slogan had Sam laughing. “This is going to be so much fun! Can you do things with the phone besides talking? Why haven't you ever tried this before? Hell, I'd have done this right away just to be able to speak to someone.”

Cas found that he could Matrix stuff on Sam's phone. It was literally like the movie where all those numbers cascaded around. Still not answering Sam's questions, Cas found the trash can and moved the photos from Eliza's scrapbook back to the gallery. “Here are some pictures from the lady today. I had deleted it, not knowing you'd be able to put two-and-two together and realize it was me.”

It felt weird when Sam lifted the phone to hold it and slid a finger across the glass to scroll through the pictures.

When the wedding photo came up on the screen, Sam gasped out, “Fuck, that guy looks just like me!”

Apparently, Cas could still emote while inside the phone and felt the smile spread across his face. “Yeah. Freaky, isn't it?! It was your uncanny resemblance that night in the library that had broken through whatever walls in my head and allowed my memories to return. That goes along with your question about why I hadn't tried this before…I simply never had a desire to. Hell, I never even contemplated the possibility, nor did I have any urge to talk to Gabriel.”

That had Sam cracking up, “A bit much, isn't he? I cannot imagine being stuck in a house watching all his exploits.”

Right after those words were spoken, Sam's face paled, “Oh fuck! You were there when he and I…oh hell, that is so embarrassing.”

Even though Sam couldn't see it, Cas shrugged, “Actually, I never did. I usually left the house and hung out in the forest till you were done. I might have enjoyed a bit of voyeurism in the past, but it gets tiresome after a while.”

“Ohhhhh, so you really did possess Gabe and fuck some of the guys he had over?!”

Cas laughed, “I did indeed. Not proud of it but, even as a ghost, a guy has needs.”

Sam was quiet for a few seconds, “So, uhh…was that you yesterday after Gabe came down to the library? I only ask because it was…different.”

Normally, Cas didn't have to deal with the consequences of possession since the guys he had fucked while in Gabriel had been one-nighters and never came around again. He suddenly felt like a creep, though, for all he did to Sam. “I could lie or try to justify what happened, but I won't. It was wrong of me to do that to you. It was just with all my memories drowning me and you looking like my Sam…I couldn't let Gabe touch you. And I just wanted that connection to my Sam again…even if stolen through you. I'm sorry.”

Leaning back against the sofa, Sam stared once again at the picture of Sam Wesson and Eileen. “Thank you for apologizing and owning up to it. If I'm honest, I think I knew something was off. Because as great as my time with Gabe has been, there was just something extra this weekend. I guess it explains why he tasted different.”

A shiver of jealousy coursed through Cas and made the phone's screen flash. He calmed himself down when he realized what had happened. “Sorry about that. Still having trouble with you being with him. I know you're not my Sam, but there was the scar issue and then even things you mentioned seeing in those dreams you had. I mean that you knew the two poems we had used that night with the pen…so wild!”

“You want to hear something even wilder?” Sam asked.

“Go for it.”

“I saw this Eileen lady in one of the dreams. Like it was spot on her!”

Cas was still amazed how similar this Sam was to his own and wondered if Sam Winchester could be related to the Wessons? “What do you know about your family tree, Sam?”

“Not much. My mom's maiden name was Mary Campbell, and my dad is John Winchester. I know mom's parents were Samuel and Deanne Campbell. My dad's parents were Henry and Millie Winchester. Both were only children, as were their parents, so not many branches to explore.”

There was no way such a spot-on doppelganger could exist without some Wesson DNA in the mix. “Sam, I think you should pay your parents a visit and see if they know of any Wessons in the family. We could even go to the Historical Society and do some digging. Eliza Sparks mentioned her husband, Dan, used some website called Ancestry.com to make her family tree.”

Hazel eyes sparked with an idea, and Sam took the phone and Cas to the bedroom. The laptop was fired up seconds later, and in under five minutes, Sam had ordered a DNA kit from Ancestry.com. “This is the quickest way of finding out if I have any Wesson in my family tree. If Eliza's DNA is on file…when I get my results back, I'll match with her.”

Cas was impressed with Sam's quick thinking. “That is brilliant! If I was corporeal, I'd give you a high five right now.”

Sam's hand playfully tapped the screen, “There you go.”

Laughter echoed out of the phone speakers at that, and Cas felt happier than he had in all the last one hundred years. It made him miss his Sam, though, but at least he had a pretty cool substitute. “How about we re-start season one of Breaking Bad? I have been dying to talk about this show ever since I possessed Gabe to watch it.”

“Sure. Sounds like a plan.” Sam carried the phone back to the sofa and set it on the arm with the screen facing the TV. “This work for you? Can you see okay?”

Even though Cas would rather be out of the phone and just in ghost form, he was more than willing to deal with being stuffed in it to be able to converse again. “It's heaven, Sam. Thanks.”

For the next three hours, they had a blast talking about the show and enjoying it all over again. There was something special about sharing a similar passion, even if it was a show about making meth to pay for lung cancer.

Sam had to work in the morning, or they would have watched more. It felt a bit awkward as the phone was laid on the dresser while Sam went through getting ready for bed. Cas tried not to look but couldn't help himself. Even beyond the fact that this Sam looked like his, this Sam was still a beautiful man.

“How do you want to handle this, Castiel?” Sam asked once fully ready to go to sleep. “I'm going to have to charge the phone, and I'm not sure how that will affect you. You could ghost out and sleep on the sofa if you want. Well, if you sleep.”

It was nice to have someone care enough about his well-being. Cas hadn't had that in such a long time. “I would appreciate that, Sam. But could I ask you one question before I head out there?”

“Sure. Anything.”

Even though Sam couldn't see it, Cas pointed to the music box. “Where did you get that grand piano music box?”

Sam moved over and picked up the small knick-knack. “My mom actually gave this to me. Guess it was a family heirloom on her side, and she thought I would like it.”

“And do you? Like it?”

“The piano is cute, but what sold it for me was the melody it plays.” Sam lifted the lid, and the music started. “There is something so beautiful about this, but I could never figure out a way to know the name.”

“Chabrier's Souvenirs de Munich,” Cas replied. “I only know that because my Sam and Eliza had a similar piano at their house…well, Gabe's house now. And one of the first pieces of music that Sam and I played was that very song.”

Hazel eyes widened in shock, “No way?! This song?!”

“Yup.”

Sam raced to the laptop and clicked away till Youtube filled the screen. A quick search found many videos of Souvenirs de Munich. The one chosen was performed by Debora Tempestini and Mattia Fusi, and soon the song filled the room.

Hearing it being played in four-hand made it even more special for Cas. The music box version was tinny and small compared with the musicians giving it their all on the two grand pianos. Cas sighed, “Oh, to be able to play the piano again. We would spend hours some nights just trying to best each other while entertaining Eliza.”

A look of awe was plastered across Sam's face at hearing Cas talk so nonchalantly about the past. “I still can't wrap my head around how I'm talking to not only a ghost but one that is over a hundred-year-old.”

Cas had to agree and felt just as amazed. “Like Eliza Sparks said today, I have to believe in fate after all this. I am so glad you took my journals here, and I was finally allowed to leave the property. This has been such a blessing.”

A blush spread across Sam's cheek at the mention of the journals belonging to Cas. “I'm sorry for reading through your journals back at Gabe's. It seemed so harmless-looking through them before I knew the author was still around.”

A snort echoed out of the phone, “Better than what Gabriel did with them!”

Sam cringed, “Eww. I can only imagine! That would be so weird to see someone…yeah…to your stuff.”

“Well, at least back when it happened, I didn't know they belonged to me,” Cas explained. “I felt odd, but I just didn't know why. It was only after you jolted my memories back that I realized what I had unknowingly witnessed all those years ago. So yeah…thanks for taking my journals away from there.”

“Very welcomed, Cas.”

A tired silence followed, and both men knew it was time to say goodnight. Neither wanted to, though.

Sam picked up the phone and took it over to the nightstand where the charger was waiting. “See you in the morning, Cas. If you want, you can come with me to work. I have a few court cases, and then we can go to the Historical Society and do some digging. I'll bring my earphones so you can talk with me while there.”

That made Cas happy. “Thanks, Sam. Sounds like a plan. Goodnight.”

And with that, Cas ghosted out of the phone and was happy to stretch out again. It sucked not being able to talk anymore, but Sam was still staring around the nightstand area as if able to see Cas.

“Oh, and I'm not sure if you know this, Cas, but one of your journals got sold at a charity thing,” Sam mentioned. “I also want to do some digging to find out who bought it and get it back for you.”

Cas had to respond to that, so he jumped back into the phone, “No, I didn't realize one was missing. I would appreciate finding it. Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

“Goodnight again, Sam. Thanks for an amazing day.”

“Ditto. Night, Cas.”

Cas ghosted out of the phone once more and left the room. With all the actions of the day, then possessing Sam several times, plus his time inside the TV and the phone…Cas was very fatigued. So when he laid on the sofa to rest, it was not long before he was deep into unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

Chapter Fourteen

Over the next week, while Sam and Cas waited for the DNA kit to arrive, they had more fun together than either thought possible. After so many years alone, it was like being reborn for Cas, and it was as if history had come alive and was sleeping on the sofa for Sam.

With a few tests before work on Monday morning, they had figured out the journal linked to Cas was the one that mentioned the wedding and the scars. It just made the blood oath even more special for Cas and allowed him to go anywhere as long as Sam brought that journal.

Sam did the bare minimum of what was expected of him at work that week, which allowed them to spend the rest of the time looking for the buyer of the missing journal and working on their Ancestry.com family trees.

Both Sam and Cas had been surprised to discover that Gabe's cousin, Jimmy Novak, had been the one to purchase the journal. Then with only a few clicks on Sam's work computer, they had a phone number and address to check out in Kansas City.

They tried to call but only reached a voicemail that wasn't set up and didn't allow messages. If they couldn't contact Jimmy through the phone, they planned to take a short trip to Kansas City this weekend. One way or another, they were getting that journal back.

And after work that Friday, when they got back to Sam's place, the DNA kit was waiting. Sam raced inside to get started, and soon Cas's laughter filled the room as Sam tried to fill the spit tube. It was hard to spit in between laughing, but eventually, Sam hit the line and screwed on the lid.

After a quick trip to the post office to drop off the labeled box, they spent the night eating pizza …Sam let Cas possess him for a few slices…and watching more Breaking Bad. By now, they were on the last season, and the shit was hitting the fan left and right for Walter White.

It was while the boy on the bicycle showed up, after the methylamine heist, that Sam's phone rang and jolted Cas so much he was forced to exit the device.

Sam looked at the screen and groaned, “Dammit! It's Gabe.”

Cas felt the cold fingers of jealousy try to grip at his chest, but he pushed it away. After the past week, Cas knew things were not golden between Sam and Gabriel.

It was sweet of Sam to hit the speaker button so Cas could hear both sides of the conversation.

“Hey, Gabe. What's up? How has your week been?”

“Dreadful, Samsquatch! After Sunday, I've been out of it. The boss man even called me into his office to find out what was going on with me. Like I could tell the douchebag that I had been possessed by some damn ghost.”

Sam looked over to the empty side of the sofa where Cas was sitting, “That would have been a fun conversation.”

“Yeah…no! I would have been fired for sure. I just told him my boyfriend fucked me into the mattress too many times, but I would recover soon.”

A blush spread across Sam's face, “You didn't?!”

Gabe's laughter answered that before the, “No, Samshine, I didn't say that. I just said I was coming down with a cold or something. Now on to more interesting things…I wondered if you could stay over again this weekend and I could make up for last time. And by that, I mean fuck you into the mattress…or the sofa…or the kitchen table…or counters.”

There were actual sparks zinging around the air since Cas couldn't contain his emotions. Sam felt it and oddly did not get concerned…instead smiled a bit. “Sounds like a full weekend, but I already have plans. Sorry.”

Cas let out a sigh of relief, and the sparking stopped.

“What do you mean you already have plans?” an annoyed Gabriel asked, not used to Sam saying no. “You never do anything on the weekends.”

“I'm actually taking a trip to Kansas City on Saturday. Might even stay over to Sunday depending on how things go.”

“Kansas City?! What the fuck is in Kansas City?”

“The lost journal.”

Silence.

“Are you telling me that you're blowing off a weekend with me to go to Kansas City to find a stupid journal that belongs to some dead guy?!”

Cas watched Sam just shrug and seem not at all concerned about how angry Gabe sounded.

“That is exactly what I'm telling you.”

Gabriel's furious pacing was heard clear as day through the phone, “Well fuck that! I'm not going to compete with some dead dude from a hundred years ago. Make up your fuckn' mind, Sam! Either you want a flesh-and-blood me, or you don't. This is getting so fucking ridiculous! I wish I never showed you those damn journals!!”

The first time Cas saw Sam Winchester get angry was after that rant, and…mhmm! It was a huge turn-on.

Sam gripped the phone tighter, “What's ridiculous is you getting so weird about all this. So what if I want to find out about your relative's past. Millions of people do it, or Ancestry.com would not be in business. And as for giving me a fuckn' ultimatum…well then…screw you! Because if I have to choose, then I choose the dead guy.”

The string of curses that came from Gabe after that even shocked Cas. Some colorful phrases about what Sam could do with the journals were then added before Gabriel abruptly ended the call.

Trying to make the moment not so heavy, Cas jumped back into the phone and joked, “I don't think all eight journals will fit in your ass without some major stretching and a lot of lube.”

That got a small smile from Sam, but there was still sadness in those hazel eyes. “I'm not totally upset about breaking up with Gabe, but it had been nice having someone. I think I'm going to miss the loss of that more than the actual man.”

“I'm sorry, Sam. I never meant to cause you any harm or sorrow.”

Sam just shrugged, “Even before last Saturday, cracks had been forming. I guess I'd been milking it for whatever I could, knowing the end result wouldn't be me with Gabe. I'm glad you possessed him because it showed me what I was missing out on. A relationship should be more about liking the same things and not only sex.”

Cas was about to say something when the phone rang again and jolted him out. He saw Sam wearily look at the screen to see who was calling and let out a sigh when it just said, Mom. Once again, the phone was put on speaker for Cas's sake, and he appreciated it very much.

“Hey, mom, how are you and dad enjoying the beach?”

“Hi, honey. Well, I was loving it, but your dad just kept grumbling about sand in the wrong places and missing his sports.”

Sam laughed, “So everything is like normal.”

“Yes. Also, why we are coming home tonight instead of Monday. We're actually at a gas station near Lawrence. Dad is pumping the gas, and I thought I'd check in with you. How are things going with that new guy…was it Gabe?”

“Wellllll…funny you should ask.”

Mary sighed, knowing what that probably meant, “So not the forever one you had hoped.”

“No, but we had some fun at least.”

“Sometimes that's the way things go, Sam. Some people are in your life for the long haul, and some are like waves on the beach. Crashing into the sand and usually there to bring a few shells into your life.”

Sam nodded even though she couldn't see it, “A bit oceany, but I know what you mean. And I did get a few fun shells from meeting Gabe. I found out we might be related to the original owner of Gabriel's house, Sam Wesson.”

Cas assumed the phone had cut out when there was silence for several seconds. Even Sam wondered and asked, “Mom? You still there?”

“Uhh…yeah, Sam. So why do you think we have ties to the Wessons?”

“Well, I look just like the guy. I saw a picture of the other Sam, and we could be twins. Surely that must mean some Wesson DNA runs in our family.”

The sound of a car door opening came through the speakers.

“The damn price of gas is insane! It's like I can either fill the Impala's tank or buy four pizzas! That's just not right.”

“Hey, John, could you do me a favor and get me some snacks?” Mary asked.

A few choice curse words were mumbled before John asked, “And you couldn't have told me this earlier? What do you want?”

“Well, a bag of those pretzels I like and some ginger ale. My stomach is all wonky.”

The sound of the car door creaking open and slamming shut sounded then.

“Umm…Sam? Can I ask you a favor?”

Not thinking anything of it, Sam just nodded, “Sure. What?”

“Can you not mention being related to Wessons around your dad.”

Silence fell around the living room as the thought that had been brewing in Cas's brain began to take shape in Sam's. “Why?”

More silence followed before Mary softly said, “Just promise me, and I'll try to come over tonight and explain.”

“I promise.”

“Thank you. I'll call you before I come. Love you, Sam.”

“Love you too.”

When Sam hit the end button, Cas immediately slipped back into the phone, “You don't think she…”

“Well, what else can it mean? If it's not some dark family past on the Campbell side dealing with a Wesson…the only reason mom wouldn't want me saying anything is if she did something that dad shouldn't know about.”

As if the night couldn't get any wilder! First, Gabe called and broke things off with Sam and now possible paternity bombshells. “Damn, Sam! And we thought Walter White had it rough.”

Sam snorted with dark humor at that, “Tell me about it. Guess I might not need the DNA test results to prove anything.”

Cas hated that he couldn't be physically present to give Sam a hug. “Well, let's hope for some dark family secret instead.”

Frustration radiated from Sam, who grabbed the phone and jumped up. “How about we find ourselves a liquor store…and drink it!”

“Sounds like something I would say, Sam,” Cas teased. “Instead of driving anywhere like this, how about just placing an order for stuff to be delivered?”

“No…I need to do something, or my brain is going to burst from overthinking.”

And that was when Cas got an idea. “How about I help and take over so you can black it all out till she shows up?”

That actually got a look of utter relief from Sam. “THAT! Please!”

Seconds later, Cas went from the phone into Sam and felt the tension leave the flesh. Maybe he couldn't hug the guy, but at least he could do this and give Sam some freedom from thinking.

Knowing that the screenshot of the Wesson family tree Cas had taken while at Eliza's wasn't good enough to adequately see the names, Cas decided to call her up and ask for an actual digital copy. It would fill in the time till Mary called and help them figure out who might be Sam's relative if things went south.

“Hello?”

Cas had a moment of sadness hearing present-day Eliza's voice. Oh, to actually be on the phone with Eliza Wesson. How he missed her.

“Hello, anyone there?”

Shit! “Sorry, Eliza. It's…C…James Novak.”

“Oh, hello! How's the ancestral digging going?”

Cas sat on the sofa and put Sam's phone on speaker, “That's actually what I'm calling about. One of my friends, Sam Winchester, might have ties to the Wessons. He got one of those DNA kits tonight and sent it off.”

The older woman squealed in delight at that news, “How fascinating. I can't wait to see if we match on the site.”

“I know I took a pic of your family tree, but I couldn't really enlarge it to show him. Would you be okay with sending me a digital copy of it?”

“Oh sure thing, honey. Dan has a copy on the computer. I'll have him send it right over. What's the email?”

Cas gave her Sam's email, and they talked about things for a few more minutes till her email showed up.

“Thanks, Eliza. I appreciate it.”

“You're very welcome, honey. Have a great night.”

“You too. Bye.”

Looking over the page, Cas saw that only two Wesson men were the right age if Mary had cheated. They were Eliza Sparks's uncles Luke and S.J. Wesson. And as Luke was still married, Cas really hoped it would be S.J. since that guy's wife died back in 1982.

Cas could see how it might have happened. S.J. might have been missing his wife and looking to be with someone. And apparently, Sam's dad had not been the best person, so maybe Mary had a slip-up. Cas couldn't help but be excited by what Mary might reveal about Sam's true origin story.

The sheer possibility that Sam Winchester could be tied to his Sam was…incredible!! The crazy odds of it all lining up would take an act of God himself!

Knowing that Mary said she'd call before coming over, Cas decided to take Sam for a walk. Was it weird having to carry the damn journal to leave? Yes, very much so, but it was better than being stuck on one property for a hundred years. So carrying a journal was paradise in comparison.

Not even three blocks away, though, Sam's cell phone rang. It was Mary, letting Sam know that she would be there shortly to talk. So instead of walking further forward, Cas turned around and headed home.

Hmm…home. After only a week, it was funny how staying at Sam's truly felt that way. It helped that Cas had a lot of freedom there and that Sam Winchester was extremely kind to him. Even though Cas was a ghost and could only talk through a phone, Sam treated him like he was just a normal human being.

As soon as the door was locked behind him, Cas set Sam's body on the sofa and ghosted back to the phone. The longer he took over someone, the longer it took them to come back from the blackout. Hence why it took almost ten minutes for Sam's eyes to open and focus on the cell phone.

“Well, Cas, I'm glad to be back, but that means my mom must be on her way here, which isn't something I'm looking forward to. Thank you, though, for those moments of nothingness. I feel better.”

“You're always welcome, Sam. And remember, I am here even if you can't physically see me.”

Sam let out a sigh, “I don't mean to whine, but I really wish I could see you. It's like having a friend who lives across the ocean and can only talk to me through technology. And even then, this is worse because for someone say in England to talk to someone in America they can at least use Messenger, Skype, or Zoom to see each other.”

Cas felt the same way and completely understood. “I was almost contemplating possessing Gabe again, but no. Maybe when we meet that Jimmy Novak about the journals, he will be cool enough to let me try.”

“Would be awesome. Wonder what…”

Sam stopped when a knock on the door was heard. “Ugh, she's here!”

“Good Luck, Sam.”

Cas felt so helpless as he ghosted out of the phone. At least he would have a bit more freedom of movement during her visit. Unless Sam introduced him to Mary, there wasn't any need for Cas to talk until after she left.

Now, Cas had never met Mary before, but he could tell she was feeling nervous as she kept fidgeting even after sitting down.

By this point, Sam refused to pussy foot around the matter and said, “Just tell me the truth…good, bad, or ugly.”

Cas watched as Mary got up and walked into Sam's room, only to return with the piano music box.

She set it on the coffee table and sat back down. “Things with your father haven't always been easy. He can be narcissistic in ways and very stubborn. It was worse when we first got married. His dad was old school coming from a military background, and even with your dad being a marine…it changes a person.”

Apparently, all this was nothing new to Sam since Cas didn't notice any signs of shock or awe.

Mary pushed a stray strand of curly blond hair behind her ear, “So we had a lot of struggles. Your dad was bitter that he was stuck in a garage fixing cars. He felt like he deserved more and came home in a foul mood most of the time. He also drank way too much, and by the time Dean was born, I was contemplating leaving him for good.”

Standing up, Mary walked around the back of the chair and traced the stitches, “So one night at the end of July 1982, I just needed a night out. My parents took Dean for me, and while John was out at the bar with his buddies, I went to the theater to watch that E.T. movie. I didn't want to sit in the back of the room, knowing that was where the couples made out…and I didn't want to sit all the way up front and strain my neck. So I sat exactly in the middle and just happened to sit next to this guy about my age. He was quiet at first, but we soon started talking. He was a widower who had lost his wife during childbirth. He was so easy to talk to and the total opposite of your father. He even let me share his popcorn and went out to buy me a soda. It felt nice to be normal, and for a few hours, I was just Mary.”

As soon as she said the wife had died in childbirth, Cas knew exactly which one of Eliza's uncles it had been. S.J. Wesson. Not that it made it okay, but at least the guy hadn't been married too.

A soft, wistful smile tilted Mary's lips upward. “After the movie was over, he asked me to keep him company for dinner. I knew I should say no and explain about being married, but I didn't. I never laughed so much in my entire life as I did that night. I didn't know you could be around someone without them having mood swings at the drop of a hat. Simon was sweet and funny and just made me feel…alive. I really didn't have any plans on doing more with him except a bit of conversation. Then after we finished eating, he asked me to walk in the park with him and enjoy the warm summer night. I knew what was waiting for me at home and how John got when drunk, so I wasn't looking forward to it. That's why I agreed to the walk, and halfway through, we started holding hands. It was warm, comforting, and so very nice. We kept getting closer, and soon Simon slid his hand around my waist and I, his. People would walk past us smiling like we were some cute couple. I let my head rest on his upper arm and enjoyed the illusion.”

She sat back down and stared at the carpet, “We walked till the sun started setting and all these gorgeous pink and orange hues washed over us and everything around us. It was magical. I looked up at him as we shared a smile, and our eyes never looked away. I felt his hand gently cupping my face, and it was so soft and warm. Simon's thumb slid over my lower lip, and I felt like the most beautiful woman in existence. 'May I kiss you, Mary?' he asked. Asked! And I knew if I said no, he would have respected that answer and not bitched and moaned. So I nodded yes and let him kiss me.”

Mary looked over at Sam, who hadn't really moved or said anything so far. “You have to understand that all I knew was your father since high school. And before him, as much as my father loved me, Samuel Campbell was just as gruff. I never quite lived up to the son he had always hoped to have. I just wanted one night to feel worthy and loved. Simon gave me that, and even now, while I look at you, I am not sorry. That night at his house will always be one of my most cherished memories. And yet, even though I knew a few women your dad cheated on me with, I still felt guilty afterward. Not sorry for doing it but guilty. Simon noticed and guessed why. I didn't tell him everything, just that John and I were struggling but trying to make it work for Dean's sake. As much as I ached to stay and never go back home, we said our goodbyes, and Simon drove me back to get my car.”

Picking up the piano music box, Mary turned the wind-up key and lifted the lid. “I remember Simon humming this tune on the walk in the park. I wasn't used to anything beyond classic rock, so it was a sweet melody. Stuck in my head for weeks afterward. Then one day, a package came for me in the mail. John was off at the bar, and Dean was taking a nap. When I opened the box, the piano was inside along with a note from Simon.”

Mary set the music box down on the coffee table and let it continue to play. The letter in question was then pulled from her pocket and gently unfolded before being read out loud:

~~“'Dear Mary, I know things can't be different between us, and I truly hope things work out for you and John. This music box belonged to my grandfather and was given to my dad, who then passed it down to me. My grandma Eileen, had bought it for grandpa Sam one Christmas since he was always humming that song or playing it on the upright piano. I have fond memories of sitting with Grandpa Sam as he tried to teach the song to me, but I was not coordinated enough to play with two hands. He never got angry, though. I just wanted to give you something of me in thanks for giving me back that spark of happiness that had faded since Sally's death. If you ever want or need an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on, I will be here.'”~~

As Mary refolded the letter and placed it back into her pocket, the music box suddenly stopped. And without the song playing, the room got pin-drop quiet till she started speaking again. “Simon had written his phone number on the bottom of the letter, but I never called him. Not even when I found out that I was pregnant. Yes, before and after that night, I had been with John, but I knew. I never said anything and let John assume the baby was his. He was so happy to be a dad again. He started trying to drink less and was so attentive to me throughout the pregnancy. Our marriage started becoming what I always hoped it would be. And when you were born, there wasn't a prouder man on the planet. The second he laid eyes on you…oh! He was smitten. And yes, things have never been peaches and cream, but he has been so much better. I don't ever plan on telling him about that night or about Simon. And I would hope you can understand now and help me keep this between us.”

Cas was impressed with how well Sam was handling everything. He still wished he could be there physically and rub Sam's back in a comforting way.

Sam slid over to the other side of the sofa closer to Mary. “Dean had mentioned how different things had been before I was born. Even now, dad and I bump heads over things, so I understand how easily situations could have led you to Simon's arms. I am actually surprised you chose to come back to dad. And that you never held it over his head or used it to hurt him just shows how much you love him. You've always been a great mom, and I promise to keep this between us.”

That got Sam a huge hug from Mary. “Thank you, baby. I would love to hear the results of the test you took. I've often wondered whatever happened to Simon.”

“Do you think I look like him?”

Mary nodded, “Oh yes. You have his kind eyes and his hair coloring. I was glad my dad also had brown hair, so it could be explained.”

She glanced at her wristwatch and sighed, “I better get going. I told your dad I wanted to pick up some things from the grocery store. Love you, Sam.”

Sam hugged her tightly. “Love you too, mom.”

Cas was left alone in the apartment then, as Sam walked Mary down to her car. It was freaky to think about how Sam Winchester was Sam Wesson's great-grandson. He hoped Simon was still alive so he and Sam could uncover more about Eileen and Sam's life. Maybe Simon would have other pictures. That would be very lovely indeed.

Sam returned soon after, and Cas quickly popped back into the cell phone. “How are you doing, Sam?”

“Well, given the circumstances, I'm impressed with how okay I feel. But if you are still open to drinking that liquor store, I'm good to go.”

Cas laughed, “Oh dear. I would be fine with that if we weren't planning to drive to Kansas City tomorrow. Granted, I could take over and get us there, but I haven't been on a highway…well, ever! So we'd probably end up horribly lost.”

That got a small smile from Sam. “I would like to be horribly lost right now. Do you think you can do your take-over thing all night tonight? I just need to disconnect a bit and not be allowed to overthink.”

All night in Sam's body? “If you truly want me to, Sam.”

“Yes, please.” Sam took the phone to the bedroom and set it on the nightstand. “I just need a quick shower, and then I'll be ready.”

Cas was nervous but wanted to help Sam out more, so he ghosted out of the phone and just sat on the bed as calmly as possible till Sam returned.

It didn't help matters when a boxer-only-wearing Sam, all fresh from the shower, walked back into the room and also sat on the edge of the bed. If ghosts could be seen, Cas would've had to hide the erection he was sporting.

Sam playfully fell back on the bed and sprawled out, “Okay, Cas, I'm all yours. Have at it.”

Of course, those words were said for possession and nothing else, but still, Cas's jaw hit the floor. It reminded him of when his Sam had said the same thing back on vow night after the bathtub fun, the spanking chase, and all the suckling that had taken place on the sofa. Both moments merged, and Cas's confused cock didn't know what it should do.

Oh hell! This was going to be…gulp…interesting.

Ghosting back to the nightstand, Cas hopped into the phone. “Goodnight, Sam. When should I wake you up in the morning?”

“Well, probably about six o'clock so we can get a jump on the drive to Kansas City before too much traffic fills the road.”

“Okay. Six it is.”

Cas moved out of the phone then and slipped into Sam. He smiled as all the tension instantly left Sam's body. It was nice to be able to help out in that way. He wished someone could just as easily do the same for him.

As he lay there staring up at the ceiling through Sam's eyes, Cas replayed everything Mary Winchester had mentioned earlier. That he replaced her with himself and Simon with Sam…well screw it…he was enjoying it.

He fell into unconsciousness around the time dream-Sam took his hand at the park. The rest of the tale was delivered in 4K technicolor as the hours of the night passed. And as much as Mary had glossed over the details of her night at Simon's, Cas's dream was very extended and graphic.

So much so that when the alarm went off at six o'clock, Cas's hand was resting against a very erect cock. And in the haze of waking up, he forgot that he was in Sam's body and started stroking the firm, warm flesh like any guy would.

Images of the dream flashed through his groggy grey matter as his hand moved faster over the thick shaft. Precum dripped down from the head and added some delicious slipperiness which just increased the sensations zinging around in Cas.

It wasn't until Cas let out a moan when the orgasm hit, and instead of his own voice heard Sam's that he realized what had just happened. Fuck!

All the calm and bliss of the moment blazed away as guilt and embarrassment took their place. Cas immediately ghosted out of Sam's body and moved into the phone. All he could do now was wait for Sam to wake up so he could explain.

It was like he had raped Sam while sleeping, and it seemed so damn wrong. Cas enjoyed staying here, but he'd totally understand if Sam would ask him to leave after this.

It took almost thirty minutes for Sam to wake up since Cas had been in possession all night. Hazel eyes glanced right at the phone, and the screen soon reflected Sam grinning big. “Dang! If you taking over has me waking up feeling this refreshed, maybe we should do it every night.”

Sam went to stretch, and the hand that had been wrapped around the now softened cock moved upward. Cas could tell the exact moment the fingers touched the sticky skin on Sam's stomach. Ugh!

“Umm…Cas? Why is there cum on me?”

“So…apparently, when the alarm went off this morning, I was sleepy enough to not realize I was in your body. And well, I…yeah…I am sooooooooo sorry.”

Silence filled the room for almost a whole minute as Sam processed what Cas had implied. “Well, I can't say I'm one hundred percent okay with that, but I can understand how it happened. Must have been an incredible wet dream.”

If ghosts could be seen, Cas's cheeks would have been tomato red. Some dream indeed. “Yeah, guess whatever makes up my ghostly self took advantage of having the capabilities of your brain to entertain it.”

As Sam sat up and pushed away the sheets, Cas couldn't help stare at the wet patch of skin right near the belly button. If this Sam had been his Sam, Cas would have been on his knees in seconds, licking it all off and making more.

“Well, as it seems I now require a shower, I will be right back.” Sam grabbed some clothes for the day and headed into the bathroom.

Cas called out, “I'll be in the living room when you get out.”

“Sounds good.”

The sound of falling water soon filled the air as Cas left the phone and headed to the other room. He hoped the move would stop his perverted ghost brain from going further down the let's-have-our-wicked-way-with-Sam rabbit hole.

So it was when a clad-only-in-a-low-almost-falling-off-towel Sam walked out ten minutes later, Cas was cursing the heavens. Whoever was up there was not helping his situation down here! Why the fuck did Sam take clothes to the bathroom if not to get dressed in there?!

And then, to make matters worse, the wet, mostly naked man sat on the sofa next to Cas! Yep, ghost erection in three…two…there it was! Shit! At least the phone wasn't brought out, so Cas didn't have to make conversation.

“We'll leave about seven. That will give me about fifteen minutes to get dressed and grab some breakfast,” Sam said in Cas's direction, only to realize about the phone still being in the bedroom. “Sorry, I've gotten so used to just having you around. I forget you need the phone to talk back.”

Cas got a too-good-of-a-view of just how low that towel was hanging when Sam went to retrieve the phone. The two inches of butt crack smirked at him as if knowing what he was dealing with.

He remembered a saying his Sam would always recite to keep the blood flow from going below. Grandmother naked on the porch swing without her teeth…a slug crawling across the rubbish pile…a putrid sore on Mrs. Thompson's shoulder!

That, plus a fully clothed Sam Winchester walking out of the bedroom, helped calm things down. Cas was grateful and felt more in control when sliding into the phone. “Good morning, Sam.”

“Morning, Cas,” Sam returned with a warm smile. “Just let me grab some breakfast and coffee before we start our journey.”

Ten minutes later, the front door was shut and locked as Sam carried the box of journals and Cas in the phone out to the car. The journals went on the backseat while Sam set the phone on the passenger side and even teasingly buckled it in.

If Cas's face would have been visible, Sam would have seen an eye roll over that. “The phone is going to go flying no matter how much you restrain it over here. Might as well just shove it into the cup holder.”

Sam frowned, “Seems wrong, but okay.”

The phone was placed into the hole sideways, and now all Cas could see was Sam. Yeah, that was not going to bode well for the hour-ish-long drive.

But just like with his Sam…Cas soon found himself deep in a lively conversation with Sam Winchester that took his mind off anything else and ate through the time.

Both men were astonished when Jimmy Novak's street was suddenly in view.

After the car was parked in front of the correct mailbox, Sam grinned down at the phone. “Geesh, Cas! I need you driving shotgun all the time to help make the time fly like that.”

Cas nodded even though Sam couldn't see, “Agreed. That was the fastest hour ever.”

Sam got out and opened up the backseat door to place the phone carefully on top of the box of journals. With a bump of the hip then, Sam shut the door and let out a nervous sigh. “Well, here's hoping this goes well and the guy will be understanding.”

When a gasp left Sam's mouth a few seconds later, Cas looked up to find hazel eyes staring bug-eyed at the house. “What's going on, Sam?”

“I don't know, but I swear I've been here before.”

Cas glanced at the house, but nothing about it leapt out at him from the past. “You should ask Jimmy about the house's history. Perhaps you saw it in one of your dreams from a memory my Sam had after I was gone.”

“Yeah, that's probably where I saw it. I'll have to do that.” Sam walked the rest of the way to the front door and rang the bell.

When the door opened, both Sam and Cas's jaw dropped. If Cas hadn't been a gardener and instead had spent his life indoors as an accountant, then he would have been Jimmy Novak's identical twin. The guy was just a pale, skinnier version of Castiel! It was beyond freaky.

“Yes? How may I help you?”

Holy hell! Sam glanced down at the phone as if looking at Cas and shared the same thought. Even Jimmy's voice sounded the same. What the fuck was all this about?!

Luckily Sam was able to get refocused and smiled. “I'm Sam Winchester, and I'm trying to track down a journal that had been purchased at a charity auction awhile ago.”

Blue eyes the same shade as Cas's widened as if seeing Sam for the first time. “Oh wow! You look just like him!”

“Like who?”

Instead of answering, Jimmy just took a step back and motioned for Sam to come inside.

Cas was looking around, filled with curiosity as they walked through to the living room. He saw Sam pale again when the fireplace came into view. How Cas wished he could talk and find out what was going on.

As it was, he and Sam were suddenly alone as Jimmy left the room and came back with the lost tan journal. The cover was lifted, and Jimmy handed an old photo to Sam.

“Holy fuck!” Sam exclaimed while looking at the couple captured on the creased scrap of photo paper. And then, written on the back was the faded names of Sam and Castiel above the date 1910.

Jimmy just smiled and nodded, “I know, right?! Freaky to see our doppelgangers in a photo. I never expected to find anything at the auction. So it was crazy when I not only found a journal with the last name of Novak inside but then discovered this picture folded in it as well.

Sam glanced at the phone and made a fateful decision knowing Cas had to be freaking out as well. The phone was held out towards Jimmy, “Now try to keep an open mind about what you're about to hear. Castiel, say hello.”

“Hello, Jimmy.”

The journal was dropped as Jimmy jumped up and moved as far away as possible. “What the fuck?! How is my voice coming from your phone, and why did you call him Castiel?”

Having had a week to get used to it all, Sam just smiled, “It's a bit of a long story, and I think you'd be more comfortable sitting to hear it.”

Jimmy inched closer and sat right against the arm of the sofa.

Sam placed the phone on the cushion between them, “I think you can explain it all better, Cas.”

As calmly as possible Cas said, “Jimmy, I'm sure you read the entire journal by now and that there's something in it only the author or someone tied to it would know. Ask me anything.”

“Umm…oh hell, this is so weird to be hearing my voice…okay, so the journal deals mainly with Castiel Novak's past and the first two weeks after meeting Samuel Wesson. Where did they go on their first real date, and what did they eat.”

Cas was about to answer that but was cut off by Sam.

“…The Mad Greek was the place…,” Sam said, seeming just as shocked to know it as Jimmy and Cas were.

Goosebumps covered Cas's arms as he stared at Sam and filled in the rest, “We had the three least ordered items on the menu. We liked the lamb tongue, but I was the only one to swallow the lamb brains and the sweetbread. Sam spit both out.”

Trying to deal with the shock and awe of the moment had clearly fried Jimmy's brain. “Whoa! So you're telling me that I'm not talking to a living person on the other end of this phone call? That this is Castiel…THE Castiel Novak from my journal? The journal that was written over a hundred years ago?!!!”

Sam just nodded in the same overwhelming sense of awe. “Yes. Apparently, your cousin Gabe had broken some house rules and went into the attic where he found these journals. Once they left the attic, Cas was able to leave too. He came home with me when I was given the journals last Sunday.”

“A hundred-year-old ghost who sounds like me is possessing this phone?” Jimmy asked, pointing to Sam's phone.

“Yes.”

“And my stupid cousin Gabriel let it loose at the house, and someone who looks just like the Sam Wesson from the journals just happened to show up there?”

Sam and Cas both laughingly answered, “Yes.”

Jimmy tried to take it all in and was clearly not doing too well. “And I thought I'd freak you out by showing you the picture! Geesh! Was I ever the fuck wrong. So, Castiel, that would mean we're related?”

From the phone, Cas chuckled, “Yes, sir. Your great, great whatever namesake James Novak II was the brother of my mom, Rebecca Novak.”

“Insanity!” Jimmy just kept blinking as everything tried to get processed. “But wait?! How did your journals get in the attic before my family was given the house? Wait…did you live in the house with Sam Wesson?”

Sam picked up the box containing the other eight journals. “Well, I'd let you read through these to understand, but you might get a wee bit embarrassed with their author being right here. Apparently, Cas was very detailed about recording things with Sam Wesson. Isn't that right, Castiel?”

Cas laughed, “Hey, I only wrote it for me and my Sam to see. I thought when we got old and grey, we could re-live it all with those details.”

Jimmy sat criss-crossed on the sofa then and picked up the phone. “So give me the cliff notes since I've been dying to know what happened to you past the first journal.”

For the next hour, Cas went from that first fateful meeting at the hospital to the last minutes he could remember out in the garden. Both Jimmy and Sam were riveted on every word and had tears falling by the end.

“…so I didn't know anything till I saw this Sam in the library at Gabe's.” Cas's voice was a bit gruff after all that talking. “Then my memories came crashing back. Last Sunday, when Sam took the journals, I possessed him and visited my old house on Vermont Street in Lawrence. The sweet old lady who lives there, Eliza Sparks, is a relative of the Wessons. She filled me in on what happened, but even she didn't know about Castiel's connection to Sam Wesson. She only knew that Sam's mom had had a heart attack near the front door. I think knowing Eliza Wesson, she had done everything possible to help me. Poor Sam lost his mom and me on the same damn day. I'm just glad Eileen Leahy was there to help him deal with it all.”

Jimmy jumped up and stared down at the phone in his hand, “What was Eileen's last name?”

“Leahy.”

Sam was handed the phone as Jimmy made a mad dash out of the room and returned with a yellowed envelope.

“I found this in a box up in the attic when I moved here. Look at the address and names.”

Seeing the return address for the Oak Park Apartments in Lawrence on the 1910 postmarked envelope had Sam gasping out, “How?! That's where I live?!”

And then under the names, Padraic and Maura Leahy was Jimmy's address. Inside the envelope was a folded-up letter, which Jimmy handed to Sam to read:

~~“Dear mom and dad, I've started work at Bell Memorial, and so far, I'm loving it. I've met so many wonderful people there and have already made some friends. My best friend is a funny redhead who helps in the cafeteria. Celeste brings so much joy to me during my long hours at the hospital. She mentioned that she was looking for a roommate to help with rent and asked if I would come live with her. Of course, I asked around about her first, and when everyone only had nice things to say, I let her know I would gladly move in. The money I save is helping me build up a nice nest egg. Oh, and I also got to assist one of the doctors a few nights ago in surgery. Apparently, the patient had been drunk and passed out on a train track. Lucky for him, Dr. Wesson did an amazing job, and the man didn't have to lose any limbs. It was worth all those years it took to become a nurse on a night like that one when I can help heal someone. Well, I have to go and get some wash done. I miss you both dearly and promise to try to make it home soon. Love your devoted daughter, Eileen.”~~

It was Sam and Cas's turn to be dumbstruck as Jimmy had been earlier. Sam just stared at the envelope, “So this house belonged to Eileen's parents, and I somehow live in the same damn apartment building that she did? And then…wow…this letter shows not only her first meetings with Celeste but also Sam Wesson?! It's so cool and amazing, but…what the fuck?!”

Jimmy smiled, “I know, right?! Fuckn' crazy, man! It's safe to say that you guys have made my day…hell, more like my whole week!”

Cas knew they found a kindred spirit in Jimmy, and for the next few minutes, Sam and Cas filled Jimmy in on the rest of the stuff. When they talked about Gabriel's intention to sell the paintings from the secret room, Jimmy was livid.

“I don't know what you ever saw in Gabe, Sam! I haven't seen him since we were teenagers, and I'm happy to keep it that way. He was impulsive and so self-satisfying and apparently hasn't grown out of that. Gabriel always had this mindset that with a snap of his fingers, we would all fall in line with whatever he had planned.”

Sam shrugged, “He had some good moments. I think I needed that chaotic energy which he exudes to pull me out of the dullness my life had become.”

The week with Sam had helped tamper down the spark of jealousy Cas felt when Gabe was mentioned. So this time, Cas only felt the tiniest sliver of emotion, which he could easily push away. He teased, “Well, your life is definitely not dull anymore, Sam.”

They all laughed at that truth.

Jimmy moved closer to the phone then, “Cas, I wondered if you'd let me experience being possessed? I've always been curious what it would be like, but until today never had a benevolent spirit with who I could attempt it.”

Cas was fine with the idea and ghosted from the phone over to Jimmy's body.

It wasn't the same, though, as the times he had spent in Gabe or Sam. Normally, when someone gets possessed, they fade away, but that didn't happen this time.

Somehow, Cas found himself physically sharing the space with Jimmy's spirit. It was like that meme with the three spider-men pointing as he and Jimmy stared in awe at each other.

Sam had the fun of seeing the body go a bit psycho, as both men spoke through the meat suit's mouth.

“How is this possible, Castiel?” An excited but freaked out Jimmy asked.

“No clue. Everyone else I ever possessed went night-night once I slipped in, so this is new for me too.”

Of course, being inquisitive and curious, Sam asked, “Can you both move the body?”

Cas motioned for Jimmy to try first, and seconds later, Sam watched as the body did the floss dance. Cas was unfamiliar with that one, though, so he made the body do the Charleston.

“This is so freakn' cool!” Sam exclaimed. “You guys are so lucky! I wish I could have stayed conscious when Cas took over.”

Cas was suddenly overwhelmed by what he could do while possessing Jimmy. “Hell, I could go anywhere and not have to use the phone to hear my own voice in a face that looks like mine! That hasn't happened since…hell…a hundred years ago!”

Jimmy totally understood and was just as excited to try the weird arrangement out more. “So let's do it. Let's go somewhere and enjoy the day.”

That was why by dinner time, the three men had: seen a movie, explored the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and even did a round of golf at the country club where Jimmy was a member.

They had picked up pizza and some beer on the way back to the house and enjoyed dinner while watching episodes of the original series of Star Trek through Amazon Prime.

Cas had asked Jimmy to tell him if being possessed got too tiring, but Jimmy was just as energetic now as when they left that morning.

“How are you handling all this so well?” Cas asked after the next episode started.

“Dunno,” Jimmy said with a shrug. “I've always been a bit off compared to everyone else, so maybe this is my superpower.”

Sam was also impressed, “Can you shut down if you wanted to?”

“Hmm…” Clearly, it was something Jimmy hadn't paid much thought to. “Let's find out, shall we.”

It was like the warmth of a light bulb had flickered off, leaving Cas oddly empty inside the body. “He did it! He isn't in here!”

And then whoosh, the spark returned as Jimmy made a grin stretch from ear-to-ear. “That was wild! I'm going to do it again, but I want you to go into a different room so when I come back, I get to enjoy a freak-out.”

Cas continued the grin and threw in an eye roll, “You're crazy but okay.”

Sam laughed as Cas moved the body into the coat closet and shut the door.

A few seconds later, a rather loud “Holy fuck!” sounded from within.

A grinning Jimmy walked out of the closet and sat back down with Sam on the sofa, “Well, that would be the best way to play hide and seek with someone. My brain is still trying to process how I got in that closet!”

Cas laughed, “That's exactly how I felt when I woke up as a ghost for the first time. I had zero memories to work with, and everything was pitch black. Took me forever to realize I could move. And because I had no clue what a cemetery was, when I finally sat up, I just saw a field with fancy stones in it.”

A gasp suddenly escaped Sam's pale face and had both Jimmy and Cas's complete attention.

“Your headstone was a statue of a lady leaning against a piano with a crow on top.”

Chapter Text

Chapter Fifteen

Whoa! Through Jimmy's eyes, Cas stared at Sam in shock. “How did you know about the headstone over my grave? I've never told you about that.”

Sam looked visibly shaken, “I just saw it in a flash while you were talking. That was the first time I ever saw it too. And…oh nothing…never mind.”

Both Jimmy and Cas blurted out, “No, say it!!”

Their combined voices echoed like a roar around the room as Sam got up and started pacing in front of the fireplace. “I…I saw something else to do with the headstone. Sam Wesson had picked it out because the lady reminded him of his mom and the piano side was for you…and him!”

Both Cas and Jimmy's jaws dropped at that detailed information. Cas was the first to be able to speak, “Are you telling me that my Sam's body is next to mine at that cemetery? That Eileen let him be buried with me when he passed?”

Sam Winchester nodded. “I…I think she is also buried nearby. I saw their children, Jack and Claire, standing at a spot next to yours.”

That's when Cas remembered the tombstone he and his Sam had bought for Eileen when Celeste had died. “Well, guess Eileen got to spend eternity with her first love too.”

Several seconds of silence filled the living room until Jimmy called out, “Okay! I say we need to take a road trip to that cemetery!”

The moment those words were spoken, Cas was in complete agreement since he needed to know for sure what had happened. “Hell yes! I'm all in for a road trip!”

As it was already almost eight, the three decided to head out in the morning. Jimmy had quickly offered to let them have one of the guest bedrooms so they could just stay there that night. Since they didn't have to drive to a hotel now, the three guys picked out their favorite episodes from Star Trek: The Original Series and binged watch them till bedtime.

After locking up and turning off all the lights, Cas had ghosted out of Jimmy and back into the phone…something that had felt oddly empty for both look-a-like Novaks. The phone was picked up then by Sam as Jimmy led them upstairs.

But when they got closer to the guest room, Sam froze in place again and paled even more than before. “Holy fuck! Eileen and Sam stayed in here. But back then, it had been her room.”

It was odd for Cas how hearing that didn't bother him. It was still bizarre, though, to walk into the room and almost feel the tentacles of so much history reaching out from the walls.

Sam was really freaking out with all the almost psychic shit happening. “What's going on with me, guys? This is stuff I didn't dream about! It is just zapping into my brain and so detailed as if I lived it!”

Jimmy moved closer and took a good look at Sam. There was no judgment showing only intrigue, “Hmm. Could be a past life situation.”

As Cas stared at Sam from the phone, the pieces of the puzzle were slowly fitting together. “That would make so much sense! He knows more than anyone but my Sam would. If only we could be sure.”

“Well, there is one way we can find out,” Jimmy mentioned before motioning for them to go back downstairs.

Cas watched as Jimmy grabbed a house phone and dialed. The speaker button was hit then, so they could all hear the full conversation.

“Hello, James, my darling,” a very Scottish female voice purred from the phone. “Did you finally come to your senses and want to join me tonight for my…book club?”

Jimmy just laughed, “No, Rowena. I know how crazy your seances can get, and I'm not going to piss off some angry spirit just to have a few laughs.”

“Oh, poo, you spoilsport. A girl's got to have some fun after three hundred years spinning on this damn planet.”

Sam's eyes got wide, “Uhh…did she just say three hundred years?”

“Ohhhhhh, fresh meat,” Rowena said as a lion about to get a thick juicy steak. “Who's your friend, James? Is he as delicious on the eyes as he is on my ears?”

There was clearly a long and deep friendship between the two as Jimmy let out an exasperated sigh. “Claws out, Red. He doesn't swing for your team. He actually just broke free from Gabriel's clutches.”

In a blink, the occupancy of the living room went from three men to three men and a lady. Rowena didn't seem at all fazed by somehow poofing from one location to this one, but it sure freaked out Cas and Sam.

Jimmy cracked up at the shock and horror on their faces, “Relax, guys. She might be a witch, but she's as harmless as a kitten.”

The redhead walked more like a jaguar around Sam, “Oh, he is a tall drink of gin, isn't he? Don't believe James, Samuel, I can still bite…if asked.”

A blush spread across Sam's face, and yet again, Cas found he didn't feel anger or jealousy over Rowena's actions. Actually, it was quite amusing. “I like you,” he said with a smile even though no one could see through the phone.

Rowena snatched the phone from Sam's hands and turned it around in hers. “Interesting. I would have never thought to use a cell phone as a conduit for a ghost. Who are you, deary? And why do you and James share the same voice?”

Testing out a theory, Cas ghosted out of the phone and stood facing her in full-on ghost form. “I look like him too. I'm Castiel Novak.”

The greenest eyes stared right at him as Rowena took his outstretched hand and shook it! Actually shook it where it felt like flesh on flesh! “Hello, Castiel. By the way, you are much more handsome than James.”

“Hey now!” Jimmy complained.

“What, deary? I can't help that it's true.” Rowena turned to look from Cas and a still freaked out Sam. “Ahh…I see. Is this why you called me, James?”

“Yep. Look at this!”

The photo from the journal was handed to her then.

“Oh, I think this is cause for some storytelling.” Rowena moved to the sofa and patted both cushions next to hers. “Come on, boys, I want to hear all about it.”

Sam sat on the left while Jimmy went to sit on the right, but she shook her head no. “This spot is for Castiel.”

They all laughed as Jimmy grumbled over to the other chair while Cas sat down. A very condensed version of everything was shared then, and Rowena drank it all in with only a few 'oh my' and 'oh dear'.

Once they were done, she turned to Sam and asked, “Would you like to find out if you did exist in a previous lifetime?”

Sam gulped, “Well yes and no. It's freaky as hell to even contemplate, but if it's true, then I would like to know.”

Rowena placed her hands on both sides of Sam's face and closed her eyes. For almost three minutes, the room was pin-drop silent as she searched through Sam's very DNA for the answers.

A smile stretched the dark-red lips as she opened her eyes. “I know the truth…question is do you want to, Samuel?”

Of course, Jimmy started chanting, “Do it! Do it!”

Cas, on the other hand, was not sure how to feel. Was she saying that Sam Winchester was actually his Sam Wesson from the past?! Was that why things just clicked between them?

“Okay. Show me,” Sam said, not really expecting it to be true.

A gasp left Sam's lips seconds later as memory after memory returned. Years and decades of them! There was stuff not seen in the journals, plus everything with Eileen, and then all the time up in heaven with Chuck.

Once Rowena was done, Sam just sat there in a daze, “Holy fuck!”

Rowena grinned knowingly, “Oh yeah, he is definitely Samuel Wesson reincarnate. Apparently, he pissed off God so much he was sent back with a second chance at finding Castiel.”

Cas couldn't believe it! He wanted to…but hell! He was sitting there as shocked and silent as Sam while they both tried to absorb what it all meant.

“Dude! How annoying must you be to piss off God?!” Jimmy teased, not as affected like the other two men.

A blush spread across Sam's cheeks, “I…I wouldn't stop searching for Cas.”

Warmth and love flooded through Cas's ghost heart at that. Hell! How much he wished he could be human right now. It never sucked as much being a spirit as it did at that moment. The sheer fact alone that he had to squeeze into the damn phone just to respond…grrr! “Thank you, Sam, for not giving up. I wish I could have been there to welcome you home.”

“Me too, Cas.” Sam picked up the phone and sighed. “This is like the end scene of freakn' Romeo and Juliet! I was clueless, and you got your memories back…and now, I'm back and still can't have you here except in audio-form. Fuck Chuck!”

Rowena chuckled, “Now boys, I can't be the only one to see the solution?! Surely you've all seen the movie Ghost with Patrick Swayze?”

They both had, but still, it didn't sink in what she meant until Jimmy groaned and whined, “No! Come on, Red, I am not playing Whoopi Goldberg!”

Cas was suddenly feeling all buzzy at the possibility of possessing Jimmy to touch Sam. “Please…please, just for one hug and kiss?”

“Come on, James, do be a doll,” Rowena purred with a wicked grin. “Surely you wouldn't hinder true love?”

Sam was the only one not to push Jimmy for anything. “Guys, we can't ask it of him. And besides, it wouldn't be the same. Yes, he looks sooooooo much like Cas, but I would know. I wish there was a way to get my Cas back.”

“Welllll…there might be a way,” Rowena replied. “I might have been fiddling around with a resurrection spell, but I haven't tested it out yet. Can only use this kind of magic once before the powers to be close the loopholes.”

Jimmy jumped up and glared at her, “Hold the fuck up, Red?! You were going to let me get possessed and watch me kiss Sam while you had this other option available?!”

She just smirked, “Oh hell yes! It would have been hot!”

“Oh, there goes your birthday gift, your Christmas gift, and all your Halloween candy for the next five years, young lady!”

Sam and Cas would have normally laughed at the banter between Jimmy and Rowena, but they were fixated more on the possibility of being together for real.

“It won't harm Cas, will it?” asked Sam. “Like, say if it doesn't work for some reason, I won't lose him in ghost form?

Rowena rolled her eyes, “Please, don't insult me, Samuel. I do not make spells that fail. And there is no pain involved in the ritual…it just requires Castiel to take a bath.”

“A bath?!” Cas asked, not understanding how that would bring him back.

With a bored sigh, Rowena explained how it would work as if talking to toddlers, “Castiel will go into the water and fully submerge himself. I will then sprinkle some special herbs into the tub, and when I speak the incantation, it will bring him back in corporeal form. Right as rain…fresh as a daisy. Castiel Novak 2.0.”

Sam looked into the phone screen, “As I'm not the one having to go through it all, I will leave it up to you, Cas. What do you think?”

Cas laughed, “What do I think?! Fuck! I've been waiting over a hundred years to find you, I Sam. I'm all in! Hell, let's do it right now!”

Rowena held up her hands, though, to calm down the hyper-anticipation. “Yes, we could easily do it here tonight, but it would work better if we headed to the cemetery where Castiel's bones are buried.

“Road Trip! Road Trip!” Jimmy chanted! “I call shotgun!”

An exasperated sigh left Rowena, “James, have you forgotten that I am a witch and a damn good one at that?! I can easily poof us all there in seconds. No need for a car ride.”

“Spoilsport!” groused Jimmy. “Can we at least get some ice cream on the way back?”

“I don't think Samuel and Castiel are going to want our company afterward,” Rowena explained. “But ice cream does sound lovely, so after we leave them to enjoy each other, we'll go get some.”

Cas didn't understand why no one else saw the elephant in the room. “But what about the bathtub? How are we going to get that to the cemetery?”

With a snap of her fingers, an old-fashioned claw-foot tub appeared by the fireplace, already filled with water and bubbles. Another snap, and it was gone. “You were saying?”

“Well damn!” Cas was very impressed. “Okay then…my apologies, ma'am.”

She smiled over at the phone in Sam's hand, “Oh and FYI, James, go pick out an outfit for Castiel to wear since I'm pretty sure he's going to emerge naked.”

Jimmy smirked, “I don't think Sam will mind, and it isn't anything I haven't seen in the mirror.”

A cackle of laughter escaped Rowena's ruby-colored lips. “Oh, deary, there is quite a LARGE uncut difference. No wee pickle like yours.”

“Excuse me?!” The button on Jimmy's jeans was undone, and the zipper pulled down. “I may be circumcised, but I do not have a wee pickle, Red!”

Rowena froze the indignant goofball from showing them all the sausage and bits, “No need to pull out the ruler, James. Now be a lamb and do as told.”

After being released, Jimmy grumbled the whole time while walking out of the room to get the clothing.

“Samuel, grab the journal tied to Castiel, and as soon as James comes back, we can get started.”

A still bewildered Sam did as told and waited with the journal and phone in hand for Jimmy's return.

Rowena then poofed the rest of the journals out to Sam's car and transported both to the curb in front of the cemetery. By the time she came back, Jimmy had a bag with the clothes in, and she was able to take them all to the Oak Hill Cemetery at 1605 Oak Hill Avenue in Lawrence.

She immediately started speaking spells to keep them from getting caught, “Protego Maxima…Fianto Duri…Repello Inimicum.”

A mist settled around Jimmy, Sam, and Cas's ghost form, as they followed Rowena to the gravesite. The stone piano was easy to spot amongst the smaller tombstones and definitely showed its age.

And there, next to Cas's engraved name on the piano, was Sam's…both with the last name of Wovak. Sam had thought of everything.

Sam knelt down and traced the engraved letters, “So how does this work, Rowena? I guess Chuck put my soul into a new body and birthed me into John and Mary Winchester's family?”

“Yes, Samuel. And he somehow figured out how to make you part of the Wesson lineage to boot. Quite ingenious, actually.”

She snapped her fingers, and the same claw-foot tub appeared a few feet away from the stone piano. The warm water sent steam up into the cool night air. “Okay, boys, let's get this show on the road. Castiel, please sit in the tub and make sure you are fully submerged.”

Thank goodness Rowena could see Cas in ghost form, so she knew exactly when he did as commanded. She pulled a pouch out from thin air and dumped its contents over the water. The herbs and other ingredients for the resurrection spell obscured Cas's view from below.

“Samuel and James, please come stand on either side of the tub while I recite the ritual's incantation.”

As soon as the two men were in place, Rowena stretched out her hands towards the water and said, “Mortuum oritur…Rutum revertitur…Ex spiritum incarnatum est…Oriatur et educatur…Oriatur et educatur.”

The words roughly translate to Dead rise…Quickly return…The spirit incarnate…Rises and withdrawn…Rises and withdrawn.

Cas expected sparks to fly or a ball of bright light to fill the cemetery, but instead, it was as if the saturation of his body went from dull to intense. Within seconds of the last syllable, Cas couldn't see through his body anymore and suddenly felt cold. The ghostly ability to be ambivalent to weather was gone, and he was shivering when he stood up and the chilly night air attacked his drenched corporeal form.

Sam was right there in seconds, wrapping Cas in a tight, warm embrace without a single care about getting wet. “Fuck! It worked! You're really here with me!!”

Cas just smiled and returned the welcoming hug, “Just took over a century but so worth it!”

“Dang, Red!” Jimmy said, oblivious and not moved by the lovers' reunion. “You weren't joking about the size of his junk! I'm feeling a bit emasculated and jealous!”

Rowena smirked, “I wouldn't lie about such things, James.”

The tub under Cas quickly vanished as she snapped it away. His feet sank into the long tendrils of the grass and sent a shiver up his spine. He turned to Jimmy, who was still staring, “I'll take the clothing now. I'd rather not die of hypothermia before I get a chance to live again.”

Jimmy held out the bag but took a few steps back when Cas reached for it. Which forced Cas to move out of Sam's warm hug and made him turn to face his evil doppelganger. This was the very reason why Jimmy had done it, so now Cas was full-frontal for similar blue eyes to behold.

“You guys ever think about having a threesome?” Jimmy asked half-jokingly but more serious while gawking at the uncut beauty between Cas's legs.

Before Cas or Sam could shoot the idea down, Rowena poofed the clothes from Jimmy's hands to Cas's and then took hold of Jimmy's right ear to drag the pouting man away. “They don't need your pickle in the mix, Mr. Novak. Now let's let them alone and go get some ice cream.”

“Hey, wait!” Sam called out while running towards them before they poofed away. “Do you think you could transport us somewhere else before you go?”

As if reading Sam's mind, a gushy grin stretched across Rowena's ruby lips. “Of course I can, Samuel, but what are you going to do about Gabriel?”

Cas realized Sam wanted to take him back to their trees at the edge of Gabe's house. He looked over at Rowena with big puppy dog eyes and pleaded, “Do you think you could work some magic to give us time there without getting caught by Gabriel?”

Turning to Jimmy, Rowena chuckled wickedly, “My dear, I think you are on your own for ice cream.”

She turned to Sam then and winked, “I'll also get those painting out of the secret room for you guys. I'll put them in your place after I get done enjoying some library fun with Gabriel. I've previously had a taste of that feisty fiend so I know exactly how to keep him…occupied. That should give you plenty of time to spend with Castiel at your spot.”

“Ewww…not with my cousin!” Jimmy grimaced at the very thought! “Come on, Red! You deserve better…but whatever…you be you. Dammit! Now with those images polluting my brain, you have officially put me off getting ice cream.”

Sam and Cas were more thankful than grossed out, though, and placed a kiss on Rowena's cheek. Then with a snap of her fingers, she poofed the two lovers and their car over to the circle of oaks.

Jimmy was sent back home next before Rowena took herself to the front porch of Gabe's house. This was not her first time riding the short-stack rodeo, and all she had to do when the door opened was smile.

“Rowena MacLeod, you are just what the doctor ordered.” Gabriel potato-sacked her over a shoulder and slammed the door behind them.

As she enjoyed the upside-down view of Gabe's perfectly plump posterior, Rowena just chuckled and thought, This is way too easy!

While the library sofa was being defiled…the past and present converged at the end of the yard. It was a very sacred moment for Sam and Cas, but at the same time, filled with a century's worth of hunger and need.

“Fuck!” Cas groaned against Sam's lips while pinned against one of the oak trees. “I'm so glad you pissed off a cosmic entity until he sent you back to find me, I Sam.”

Sam nipped Cas's lower lip and sucked on it for a few seconds before letting it loose. “Mhmm, ditto. Apparently, persistence does pay off. Well, that and knowing a three-hundred-year-old witch.”

Their naked bodies were pressed tightly together to create enough heat to stem off the chilly night air. A trail of clothing lay strewn across the forest floor like an arrow from the entrance path to the bullseye of trees.

Sam dragged Cas down to the grass and softly kissed the S scar still engraved in Cas's chest. “It feels just like yesterday we were here sharing our top two memories.”

Cas rolled them so he was lying on top of Sam, and could kiss from neck to the C scar. “By the way, how did you get this identical scar, I Sam?”

“I blame Christopher Reeves. He made Superman seem way too cool. And I blame my brother, Dean, who egged me on to see if I could fly off the porch roof when I was nine. I was lucky to get away with only the small C-shaped scar when I landed on an enormous bush.”

Feeling overwhelmed himself, Cas knew Sam had to be reeling from everything that had happened today. “Is it weird having two sets of memories?”

Warm hands grabbed Cas's thighs and pulled till Cas was sitting right below Sam's hard cock. “It's like playing a four-handed piano piece. The lower notes are my Sam Wesson memories, whereas the higher notes are memories from my time as Sam Winchester. Somehow they are blending together to make one symphony of linear memories.”

“Mhmm, we merge beautifully together too, I Sam.” Cas grabbed both their cocks and started a nice slow stroke. After years of un-meaningful possession-based touching, having the ability to feel, taste, and move things while in his own body was intoxicating…especially when Cas got to do all those things to his Sam.

He leaned down and initiated a new kiss while their cocks were trapped between their bodies and his hand. It was just as intimate as insertion and just as delicious.

The stroking sound of Cas's fingers seemed so loud in the quiet forest. Only the caw-cawing of some distant crows joined in as the trees swayed around the reunited lovers and the stars twinkled merrily in the inky sky.

It was like their first time being intimate all over again…and the flames, which had always burned brightly, soon ignited in a fury. Heaven had nothing on this moment together, surrounded by the ring of mighty oaks as Cas's lips pulled away to move lower and gasp against Sam's warm throat. “Hell, I Sam! I can't get enough of you!”

The same desire blazed in hazel eyes as Sam rolled them over and pushed Cas's hand away from their cocks. “Let me help you with that, mister.”

Cas laid in the billowing grass and watched as Sam lifted up just enough till Cas's sticky cock was kissing the pink rim. And ohhhhhhh…when the downward pressure started and he could feel Sam's tight opening slowly stretch around the tip of his cock!!! Fuck!

Added to that amazing sensation was the visual of how blissed out Sam looked while sinking down. The mouth that Cas had just been kissing was now forming a wicked O as heat…ninety-eight-degree heat…surrounded Cas's cock and had his eyes rolling back in his head.

As great as it had been to possess Gabe and be with Sam Winchester last Saturday, it was not even in the same universe as being in his own body and merging with his fully-remembering Sam.

All thoughts flew from Cas's head, though, the second the rocking back and forth began. Blue eyes latched onto hazel, and nothing else existed as their bodies fucked and their souls entwined.

Sam's cock swayed around with each hip roll, and Cas watched as a droplet of precum smeared into his stomach. Fuck he wanted to taste it! That was when something he had promised Sam all those years ago came to the forefront of Cas's brain and made him grin wickedly.

Cas lifted his knees and let his lower half raise off the ground till only his upper back and shoulders rested in the grass. This, of course, shoved Sam forward and lined the wanted cock right with Cas's hungry lips.

A guttural groan sounded as Sam's palms now rested on the grass above Cas's head, “Fuck me! Yes! Oh fuck, Cas, do it!”

So with his cock still buried deep in Sam's ass, Cas rolled a bit more till he could swallow the entire cock. Mhmm, heaven indeed!

Once Sam got over the shock and awe of everything, the rough backward thrusting started. Cas didn't even have to move his head as the motion pulled and pushed Sam's cock in and out of his mouth. All he had to do was suck…and mhmm…suck, he did. And nibbled…and licked!

It was raunchy.

It was overwhelming.

It was fucking fantastic.

And it wasn't something that would allow either man to hold off and make their orgasms wait. Nope. Within five minutes of Sam's cock sinking into Cas's mouth, cum was coating hidden pink flesh in both holes. Even the distant crows got silent as Sam's curses and groans filled the night air.

Cas let Sam's spent cock leave his mouth. “Fuck, how I've missed you, I Sam!”

Sam lifted off of Cas's cock and slid down till they were face to face. “Ditto.”

Several languid kisses followed as they reveled in the aftermath of it all.

It wasn't until the wind intensified and Cas and Sam started to shiver that they decided to take the fun back to the apartment.

They picked up their icy clothes off the ground and got dressed as they headed to the car.

Having just gotten the ability to touch restored, Cas disregarded the traffic laws and left his seatbelt off so he could sit closer to Sam. Kisses and caresses filled the ride home as he took full advantage of his fingers…not that Sam minded at all.

Even though it was way past midnight, more naked fun took place on the sofa once they showered and settled in for the night. Soon, Walter White and Jessie Pinkman arguing from the TV merged with more curses and delicious noises.

Afterward, Cas sat on the sofa while Sam lay across it. Cas loved stroking through the shoulder-length brown hair and feeling the weight of Sam's head resting on his lap. He felt happy and calm enough to finally ask more about the past.

“Sam, what happened that day when I died? How did you end up with Eileen? What was it like becoming a dad?”

Sam was also in a happier place, thanks to getting Cas back, which helped ease the pain of that tragic day over a century ago. “At the time, it was horrible. Had it not been for Eileen, I would have killed myself…whether just by grief or by my own hand. I had been in surgery when Eileen came to tell me about you, and we were in the morgue when we found out about mom. Margaret had found her by the front door. I think it was like you said, she had crawled from the living room to try to get out and help you. She loved you so much.”

Cas felt his eyes watering at hearing Sam agree with his own conclusion about Eliza's death. “Such an amazing woman. Wish Rowena could bring her back too. I miss her so much.”

“Amazing how I looked at that painting of her and Charlie and didn't recognize them.” Sam let out a frustrated sigh, “I hate that Gabriel is living in that house. It was one thing when I found your closest relative to stay there, but that James was nothing like Gabe.”

Twirling a strand of Sam's brown hair, Cas couldn't help but smile. “He is something, for sure. Yet without Gabriel, we would not be here. Sad to say, but we owe him.”

A grimace spread across Sam's face at that truth, “The crazy thing is that I really thought Gabe might be the one. I hadn't synced with anyone before him, and I felt hopeful. Then I saw your painting, and the wheels started in motion. Little by little, my attention shifted to you even before I knew you existed beyond the journals, my dreams, and in painted form.”

Cas could kick himself as he remembered always ghosting away from the house when Gabriel's newest boy-toy had come over. “If I had just stayed in the house to catch a glimpse of you sooner, all of this might have happened earlier. I would head to our circle of oaks whenever I needed a safe zone or to think…I just didn't know why.”

Sam placed a kiss on Cas's arm, “Our trees. I missed them the most afterward but even thinking of going near any memory of you was like being stabbed. It would have made it real…if that makes sense. Would have made missing you finite. I just couldn't handle seeing our spaces with only me there.”

“How did things transition to Eileen?” Cas asked without anything but curiosity.

A soft smile stretched across Sam's mouth. “She was a gift I never expected. She made sure that I ate, bathed, and didn't drink myself to death. She made me go to so many movies and just kept me living. We had all been such good friends already, and with the shared loss of our loved ones…we had a bond that turned into more. Remember how when we got to Jimmy's house, I knew I had been there before?”

Cas nodded. “Fireplace or the bedroom?”

Sam grinned, “It was Thanksgiving 1920, and I was just going as moral support for Eileen. Her parents were always on her case about getting married…having kids. Lovely couple, really. Her mom made sure we were well fed, and her father made sure our glass never emptied. Suffice it to say, we were quite tipsy by the end of the night and decided to stay over. I had just walked Eileen up to her room, and an unexpected kiss happened. It felt…nice. After a year of not having you…it was nice to feel nice. We really weren't thinking that night, and she got pregnant.”

A chuckle escaped Cas's lips, “Damn! Some fast swimmers you got there, I Sam. Were you guys freaking out? I saw on Eliza Sparks's family tree that you named the twins, Jack and Claire.”

Sam sat criss-crossed on the sofa facing Cas. “We had planned on Claire and Luna, but we got a surprise when it was fraternal twins instead. Jack was a family name on Eileen's side. Did the family tree mention middle names? I don't remember seeing that on the digital copy you showed me.”

Cas just shook his head, “Nope. Just first and last names and some dates.”

Sam took hold of Cas's hand and traced the lines across the palm, “Eileen was so amazing, Cas. She understood how much I still loved you because she was still deeply in love with Celeste as well. She never pushed me to forget you and never got jealous of your memory. We got along so well because of that shared loss, and when Jack was born, she gave me the wonderful gift of his middle name being Castiel.”

A gasp sounded as Cas's eyes pooled with tears. “Fuck! Really?”

“Oh yes. We also gave Claire the middle names of Eliza Celeste, and over the years, we were very open with the twins about things. They knew we both had loved other people in the past, and that love was love no matter what body parts were involved.”

That got Sam kissed and quite thoroughly.

The lip-lock would have still been going had it not been for the sound of Sam's phone ringing. A picture of a certain red-headed witch showed on the screen with the words PICK UP!

Sam laughed against Cas's lips before doing as told and put the call on speaker. “Hey, Rowena.”

“Hello, Samuel. Have you and Castiel had your fill of each other yet, or should I call back in the morning?”

“Well, you did interrupt a very nice kiss, but I shall forgive you,” Sam teased. “How did it go with Gabriel?”

“He was a ravenous beast, but I tamed him. Now, Samuel, are you and Castiel naked, or is it safe to poof over?”

Both men took nice, long, admiring glances over the other's very naked body.

A chuckle echoed from the phone, “Naked it is. How about you boys get covered so I can come over and tell you all the news.”

Cas smiled even though she couldn't see, “Give us five minutes.”

Sam leaned over and placed a hungry kiss on Cas's lips before murmuring, “Make that twenty.”

“Oh dear. Fine. Twenty it is. And Samuel…”

“Yes, Rowena?”

“Spray some air freshener around the apartment before I arrive.”

Cas pressed his nose against Sam's shoulder and took a long sliding sniff up to under the chin, “I think it smells lovely in here.”

Another kiss started, and an exasperated sigh left the phone. “Heavens to Merlin! It's like two wee rabbits just finding their bits for the first time.”

Laughter broke through the kiss, and they moved apart, grinning.

“We promise to behave…in twenty minutes,” Sam answered.

“See you then, boys.”

The call ended, and Sam focused back on Cas, “So what can we get up to for the next fifteen minutes before we have to get dressed?”

Cas stood up and held out a hand for Sam to take. “I think we really, really need another shower.”

“Ahhhh, good idea.”

“Do you remember that old shower at my house?” Sam asked as they waited in the bathroom for the water to heat up.

“Mhmm! Yes!” Cas closed his eyes and recalled many magical moments in that American Standard Needle shower. “I do miss all those bars. They were so great for holding onto and as a footrest. Not much to hold onto in these modern tubs.”

Sam reached around, grabbed Cas's ass, and slammed their bodies together, “Well, that isn't entirely true.”

“Fuck! Maybe we should have told Rowena an hour.”

It was with luck that they made it into the tub without an accident as a fierce kiss started.

Sam shoved Cas face-first into the tiled wall then and nipped an earlobe from behind, “I think it's my turn to play.”

Cas groaned under the spray of hot water as his ass was suddenly impaled by a wet cock. “Fuck me!”

Another evil chuckle sounded by the same ear as Sam growled, “Oh, I shall.”

Two squeaky-clean satiated clothed men were sitting on the sofa when Rowena poofed into the apple-cinnamon scented apartment at the agreed-upon twenty-minute mark. She took in their wet hair and goofy grins, and rolled her eyes, “Well, I guess it's to be expected.”

With a snap of her fingers, the living room walls were covered with the paintings from the hidden room. Sam and Cas jumped up at the sudden change of decoration.

It had been one thing to see them in the dim lighting of the secret room, but to see them in full glory on lighted walls…breathtaking.

Sam moved over and gave Rowena a bear hug, “Thank you…thank you…thank you!”

“I wouldn't suppose you'd let me keep one for my troubles?” Rowena teased with a sliver of hopefulness.

Cas sent a look to Sam and saw the same thing in those hazel eyes. They both trusted her enough to actually say, “Yes.”

Emerald eyes got wide at that, “Well, bust my big gold-plated bollocks! I'm honored, boys.”

She walked around perusing each canvas until she got to the piano one. “May I?”

Sam came over and stared at the painting, “Nice choice. I remember that day. It's a good thing grand pianos have sturdy legs.”

Not typically embarrassed about his body, Cas still found himself blushing, “Geesh! I'm dying with you guys talking about them, so what would it have been like had Gabe sold them before you poofed them away?! Can you imagine?! A whole room filled with people at the Spencer Museum of Art gawking at my bits and bobs!”

Without thinking, both Sam and Rowena blurted out, “I would have been drooling!”

Cas just rolled his eyes at the grinning goofs, “Well still, thanks for rescuing them and protecting my virtue.”

Rowena eyed a few purplish hickeys adorning his neck, “Oh darling, I think that ship has sailed.”

Sam bumped shoulders with her, “Good one. And very, very true.”

Sparks crackled in the air as Cas and Sam locked gazes and remembered just how his virtue had sailed.

“Annnndd on that note, I think I shall leave.” She snapped her fingers, and the piano painting vanished from the wall. “Don't be strangers, boys.”

Just like that, Sam and Cas were suddenly alone in the living room.

Sam blinked a few times, “It's going to take a while to get used to her doing that!”

“Agreed.” Cas had seen a lot over the past century as a ghost, but the whole witchy stuff was still shocking.

It was while thinking about all things Rowena that Cas noticed an unfinished painting he hadn't seen before. The image used matched the photo that Jimmy had shown them.

Cas had recognized the picture right away that day, but with how fast things had happened, he never had the chance to explain. “When did you work on this one, I Sam?”

Sam moved over to the painting in question and smiled warmly up at the half-done copy of the picture Margaret had taken of them. “It was going to be a Christmas gift to you back in 1919. I had often snuck into the hidden room to work on it.”

Cas placed a kiss on Sam's lips, “I love it. I would have loved seeing it hang in the living room next to your parents' portrait.”

“Maybe I'll try to finish it one of these days. So glad Jimmy had been the person to buy the journal and that we were able to get the photo back.”

“Agreed.” Cas refocused his attention on Sam then and sauntered closer. “Now about my sailed virtue…”

“Yes?”

Cas kept walking forward till Sam's back hit the wall and their lips were a breath apart. “I seem to remember eons ago you wanting to fuck me senseless while I swallowed my own cum.”

Sam playfully gasped, “Why, sir! My innocent ears! How dare you suggest such a filthy deed.”

A very Frank-n-furter grin stretched from ear-to-ear on Cas's face. “Oh, I promise it won't be filthy as I plan on swallowing every last drop.”

“Prove it!” Sam moaned as the images produced from Cas's words overtook the silliness.

Cas motioned for Sam to follow and marched into the bedroom. After quickly stripping down to just skin, Cas fell onto the mattress with his feet touching the pillows. His flexible body was then contorted until his knees were on either side of his head, which put his ass and cock in the perfect position for playtime.

Cas spanked his own ass cheeks and smirked. “Okay, I Sam, I'm all yours…sir.”

A gushy grin softened Sam's face at those words, “All mine indeed.”

Chapter Text

Epilogue

Friday, August 20^th, 2021

“It's nothing, Sam, don't worry about it,” Cas bravely said even though the blood flowing from his sliced palm seemed pretty bad. “Just slap on a bandage, and I'll be right as rain in no time.”

Sam pressed the kitchen towel to the open wound, “We are taking you to the ER to get this checked. It's going to need stitches.”

The day had started out very nicely as Sam had found Cas at the kitchen sink washing dishes and moved closer till they were pressed together front to back. It had been a steamy few minutes of making out until Cas's hand slipped into the soapy water and found the sharp steak knife from dinner last night.

Cas rolled his eyes as Sam ushered him out to the car like a piece of fine china. “You are being utterly ridiculous, Sam. Not like my hand fell off or something! Why can't you just stitch it up here? I'd rather not spend my birthday stuck in the ER.”

“Hush it!” Sam commanded while clicking Cas's seatbelt into place. “Besides, it's been quite a long time since I did any doctor things, and I don't feel confident enough to try.

Thanks to Sam's speeding, the ride to Lawrence Memorial Hospital was done in half the time it should have taken.

Several ambulances were blocking the road to the ER, so Sam had to park the car by the hospital's main entrance instead. With a firm hold on Cas's undamaged arm, Sam quickly ushered him inside.

The spacious lobby was all white like most hospitals, but the air was filled with piano music. Cas looked around with the expectation of seeing someone sitting at a piano but saw nothing.

Sam's hold on Cas's arm was trying to drag him in the opposite direction from the music, but he wasn't having it and pulled away. “Don't you hear that?”

“Yes, I hear it, but you getting medical treatment on your hand is more important right now.” Sam took a firmer hold on Cas's arm then, “We will search for the music after your hand gets stitched up.”

Appeased with the promise of a future hunt, Cas let himself be dragged to the ER.

Four hours later, they were still waiting for Cas to be called. Their seats were right next to the admittance desk, and over the last two hundred and forty minutes, they had heard so many stories.

Sam was having a hard time not being able to help all the people. Cas had been watching the restlessness increase with each passing hour. With his good hand, he reached out to stop the bouncing knee, “You miss being a doctor, don't you?”

“The longer we sit here, yes.”

Cas's fingers traced over the seam of Sam's jeans, “Maybe you could go back to medical school.”

Sam took hold of the wandering hand, “I've actually been thinking about that. I have a feeling there is a lot more for me to learn since the last time I graduated.”

“Just a wee bit.”

“Castiel Novak?” A nurse in navy scrubs yelled into the crowded room.

Cas stood up and motioned that it was him, “Can my boyfriend come back with me?”

The woman smiled at the two men but shook her head no. “Sorry, guys. The ER is so full right now we are asking friends and loved ones to stay out here.”

Sam placed a quick kiss on Cas's pouty lips, “I will be right here when you get fixed. Now go get that hand taken care of.”

Another quick kiss happened then before Cas followed the smiling nurse into the ER.

An hour later, Cas walked back into the waiting room with fourteen stitches holding his palm together under a thick layer of gauze.

Thankfully, a healthy amount of painkillers had been injected into the hand, and Cas felt nothing. As he made his way over to Sam, Cas wiggled the bandaged hand, “I feel like Mayor Ned McDood in Horton Hears a Who when his hands went all squirrelly.”

Sam laughed, “It's not that floppy, Cas.”

They were walking back into the hospital's main lobby when they heard the piano music again.

“Remember, you promised to let me find out where that is coming from.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sam said with an eye roll. “We've been here enough for one day, so let's just go ask the lady behind the desk before we spend too much time searching.”

The silver-haired woman smiled warmly at them, “How may I help you?”

Cas pointed into the air, “Where is this music coming from? Is it a Sirius XM channel, or do you actually have someone playing the piano?”

Gladys…as the woman's name tag stated…had been asked that question a million times. Even still, she smiled warmly at them and explained, “Well, it's a little bit of both. If you go down the hall to the right, you will arrive at the cafeteria. They rigged a piano there with a cd player, so it sounds like it's coming from the piano.”

Sam and Cas thanked her for the information and headed to the right. They were a bit disappointed that the first part of the cafeteria was only food stations and fridges. The sign at the entrance to the sitting area said No Entrance Without Purchase, so they each grabbed an omelet from the all-day breakfast section.

The styrofoam container in Cas's good hand almost fell to the floor, though, when they entered the other room and saw the piano in question. “Is that…”

Sam was just as shocked, “That's mom's grand piano. She had donated it to the Bell Memorial, but when that hospital closed they had auctioned it off for charity. Last I knew, one of the retired doctors…I think his name was Howard or Harris…had bought it. Wonder how it ended up here, though?”

They moved closer to the still gorgeous black Steinway and saw the golden plaque attached to the music stand. It read: Presented to Lawrence Memorial Hospital in loving memory of Dr. Richard J. Harris. With Eternal Love, Maggie, Daniel, Emma, Alan, and Jim.

Sam leaned over and whispered, “I wish we could claim it and take it home.”

Cas chuckled, “'Excuse me, hospital CEO? This piano, which has been in this and the Bell Memorial Hospital for well over a century, actually belongs to me. In fact, if you look under the piano, you'll see my initials S.W. there. I carved them into the wood when I was a boy back in 1892.' And then the guy would stare at you and say, 'Well, you look darn good for being over a hundred, sir.'”

“Can you imagine!” Sam ached to reach out and touch the shiny black piano. “We could woo the crowd with some four-hand piano playing.”

Pointing to the metal posts and thick rope surrounding the instrument, Cas just shook his head, “Nope. We will just have to save up and buy our own baby grand.”

They headed to a booth near the piano and tucked into their unwanted but delicious omelets. Between bites, Sam mentioned, “It was nice of Rowena to help us get you legally alive with SSN, birth certificate, and driver's license so you could restart your landscaping business.”

“Well, I guess if you know a three-hundred-year-old witch, you can bypass all the government red tape for documentation.” Cas took a sip of his drink. “I don't think Uncle Sam would have believed me about being recently resurrected.”

It had been three months since that fateful night at the Oak Hill Cemetery, and still, Sam would reach out and make sure Cas was really there. Hence why Sam stroked Cas's bandaged arm as they finished their food. “As much as I would have enjoyed experimenting with ghost sex, I'm glad you are fully corporeal. Much nicer to cuddle with a warm body on a lazy Saturday morning.”

“Oh, that reminds me…Eliza Sparks wants us over for dinner this Saturday.”

Sam smiled, “Don't you mean my cousin/great-granddaughter, Eliza?”

Cas laughed, “Oh, that is so trippy. I'm just glad she accepted that excuse you gave her when you showed up looking like the James Novak who had drunk lemonade and discussed family trees with her.”

“Oh yeah,” Sam nodded. “I was so nervous she'd toss us out, but thank goodness for the hush-hush nature of affairs and her understanding me trying to find out more of my “family” before I said anything.”

It had been a month after the cemetery fun when Sam's DNA results had come back. The nationality lined up with what they had found out about Mary and Simon. It was very clear that Simon was Sam's father since Eliza had shown up as a cousin. There had not been a trace of Winchester in the mix, which was still wild to believe. It hadn't changed how Sam saw John or Dean, but it did expand the horizon on what constituted a family.

And when Eliza had set up a meeting with Simon a few weeks later, it had been awkward but amazing. The man was so much like Sam it was insane, and all those traits that never fit in with John Winchester shone brightly from the Wesson side. Anyone who saw Simon and Sam together would totally believe they were father and son. Overall, it had been a very fruitful meeting and began a bi-weekly tradition for Simon and Sam to meet up on Mondays for lunch.

When Sam had told Mary about everything, she was happy to hear how well Simon was doing. Mary loved John with all her heart, but Simon would always be a cherished memory from her past.

Back in the present, Sam and Cas had finished all their food and were just sitting in the hospital's cafeteria enjoying the piano music when Cas's phone rang.

Rowena McLeod's name appeared on the screen, along with a cheeky photo of the redhead. Cas couldn't help but smile as he hit accept, “What's up, my dear?”

“How would you and Sam like to have the Wesson house back?”

Cas placed the phone on the table and hit the speaker button so Sam could hear. “Say that again, please?”

“How would you boys like to have the Wesson house back?”

Sam leaned closer, “We'd love that, but Gabe didn't seem to be leaving anytime soon.”

A peal of wicked laughter echoed from the phone, “Let's just say between breaking up with you, finding that all the paintings were missing in the hidden room, and maybe a wee bit of witchy persuasion…well, Gabriel's desire to be 'trapped in a stuffy stupid house' withered. And since Jimmy was the next in line, he wanted me to offer it to you guys. It would still stay in the Novak family, but as long as Jimmy was alive, it would be all yours.”

Cas and Sam were buzzing with the possibility of having the house back.

“Well, boys?”

“Hell yes!” They both blurted out at the same time.

“Wonderful. I will let James know. Oh, and Happy Birthday, Cas.”

“Thanks, Rowena.”

“I've left something at Sam's for you. Bye, boys.”

Cas put the phone back into his pocket and smiled across the table to Sam, “Besides the stitches, this is turning out to be an awesome birthday.”

“Well, let's get back home and restart the day…minus dangerous silverware in the sink.” Sam's knee brushed Cas's under the table.

“And again, I say hell yes!”

They tossed the styrofoam containers into the trash and walked over to the piano. After a few photos of the hidden initials and a quick video to capture the music, they made their way out to the car and headed home.

“I wonder what Rowena got me,” Cas mused as Sam unlocked the door to their apartment.

“I wouldn't put it past her to get you something naughty.” Sam pushed open the door and flipped the light switch.

Cas's jaw hit the ground when the darkened room was fully lit, and he saw the shiny, black upright Steinway piano. “It's freakn' beautiful!”

Sam sat on the bench and motioned for Cas to do the same. “Shall we?”

“Umm, did you forget something?” Cas waved the bandaged hand in front of Sam's face. “And I've just noticed something, Mr. Winchester! It seems that both first times I sat down at a piano with you were after being maimed…by you.”

The memory of their very first time on Eliza's baby grand after Sam had dropped the tray and cut Cas's arm played through both their brains. Sam just grinned, “That first time was not my fault either! You were so damn hot, all bare-chested and dripping in sweat.”

“Excuses, excuses, I Sam.”

Sam's shoulder nudged Cas', “Think you can play the top part of Souvenirs de Munich one-handed?”

“Let's find out, shall we?”

It wasn't perfect, but they had fun trying. After the song ended, Cas sent a quick thank you text to Rowena for the gift.

Seconds later, the redheaded witch poofed into the room and was lying across the top of the black Steinway like a sexy lounge singer. “Hello, boys.”

They both jumped at her sudden appearance.

Cas placed a hand over his heart, “Geesh, first you bring me back to life, and then you kill me! Make up your mind, Red.”

She just grinned, “Oh posh, Cassie. If the last three months doing the horizontal snake dance with Samuel hasn't stopped your ticker…me showing up all dazzling on your birthday gift won't off you.”

Poof!

In a snap, Rowena went from the top of the piano to between them on the bench. This meant that half their butt cheeks were now off the wooden seat, but at least they hadn't fallen.

“So did I do amazing for your birthday, my wee angel?”

Cas placed a kiss on her cheek, “It is THE MOST perfect gift, Rowena. Thank you.”

“When I pulled back Samuel's memories, I had seen all the times you guys spent with that baby grand and knew it would be spot on.”

Sam blushed, “All the times…everything?”

Rowena purred, “Mhmm, oh yes! That is why I chose that specific painting to keep.”

Cas squirmed, remembering so many wonderful memories with the baby grand. “You ever been bent over an instrument, Rowena?”

“Well, there was that one time Mozart bent me over his harpsichord…”

The guys knew her well enough to suspect she was probably telling the truth.

Poof!

One second, Rowena was sitting between them on the bench, and the next, she was leaning against the side of the piano, holding out a house key to Sam. “James says welcome home.”

Sam held the key as if it was made out of 24k gold. “I still can't believe we get to live in my old house.”

Rowena held her fingers together in a pre-snap position, “Just make sure you invite James and me over for dinner as soon as you're settled.”

Poof!

And just like that, Cas and Sam were alone again.

Cas started playing random notes on the piano with his good hand, “I personally think it would be fitting if a doctor lived in the Wesson house again. You know the University of Kansas has a great medical school.”

Sam joined in, and soon, their combined notes filled the room with a beautiful melody. “Will be tricky balancing school while keeping my lawyer job to help pay the bills.”

“Dr. Sam Winchester…,” Cas crossed his hand over Sam's to reach a low note, “…has a nice ring to it.”

“Know what else has a good ring to it?” Sam asked, taking hold of the roaming hand.

The now silent room seemed to buzz as Cas asked, “What's that, I Sam?”

“Mr. Castiel James Winchester.”

Cas turned to face Sam with a smoldering grin, “So you going to make an honest man of me, I Sam?”

The smile on Sam's face went from ear to ear as Cas said the same thing from all those years ago, “Castiel James Novak, would you do me the honor of being mine…again?”

Cas pretended to think about his answer, “So would this mean you like like me, Mr. Winchester?”

“Oh, most definitely, Mr. Novak.”

Blue eyes latched onto hazel, “And I, you, Sam…till the day we die and forever after.”

And once they were settled into the Wesson house and Sam started with medical school, they did get married in their circle of oaks. Rowena, Jimmy, Mary, John, and Dean had gathered to watch the couple tie the knot on Wednesday, October 5^th, 2022…forty-thousand nine hundred and eight days from their first wedding in 1910. They also made sure to record the ceremony to show Eliza and Simon later.

John Winchester had gotten ordained online to officiate the ceremony and stood proud as could be in front of the happy couple. “What amazing scenery to be immersed in on this special day. As Sam's dad, I'm so happy to know he found a good soulmate to spend this life with. Castiel, we have come to love you just as much as Sam and look forward to making more memories with you as a part of our family.”

Cas was about to speak when a large, spotted crow swooped out of the trees and landed on his shoulder. Sam recognized the bird from earlier, “Hey buddy. Nice of you to join the party.”

Both Cas and Sam gave the bird scritches, which it loved to the amusement and awe of the others. Cas knew this had to be one of Charlie's descendants and found it fitting to have the bird there for such a monumental day. “You are more than welcome to stay, sir.”

The crow seemed to nod and remained on Cas's shoulder throughout the rest of the ceremony.

After the rings were exchanged, John smiled even bigger. “I am so damn proud to pronounce you ball-and-chained like the rest of us. Now everyone make some noise for Sam and Castiel Winchester.”

Cheers and whoops filled the space which scared off the spotted crow and a few others from the nearby trees.

The reception was held at the house then and was a fun time of food, friends, and family. Only crazy moment had been seeing Jimmy and Dean flirting with each other. To each their own, but since Jimmy looked just like Cas, it would be a bit odd if anything came from it.

And when everyone finally left, and the newlyweds had the house to themselves, Cas pulled Sam into his arms for a hungry kiss. “Mhmm! I could easily enjoy a lifetime of that, I Sam.”

Sam nipped Cas's lower lip, “Me too. Now, husband, where shall you deflower me on our 2.0 wedding night?”

Cas kept a tight hold on Sam and kissed downward from chin to collar bone. “Hmm…the hidden room would be fun, but so would our spot out in the trees.”

“Well, thanks to it being seventy degrees outside in October, the oak circle is a strong contender.” Sam's hands roamed and caressed, “It would be fitting since that was where you popped my wedded cherry all those years ago.”

“Deal.” Cas smirked and then said, “First one there gets to pick what we do.”

Without waiting for Sam to okay the idea, Cas raced out the front door.

“You brat!” Sam tried to catch up and overtake the sneak but couldn't.

Once inside the circle of oaks, the two out-of-breath lovers collapsed in the tall grass and held on tight. Heartbeats were thumping, and sweat slicked their soon naked skin as they shared gasps of air with each kiss.

Cas cupped Sam's face in both hands and growled, “Fuck, how I love you, I Sam!”

“Ditto, Cas! I love you so damn much! Here's to another hundred years!

The years that followed were indeed filled with so much love that it overflowed onto everyone around them.

And instead of trying for children of their own, Sam and Cas decided to adopt older kids who would have been lost in the system since they were beyond the cute phase. Kate and Alexander Newton were thirteen when they moved into the Wesson house. The fraternal twins were guarded but soon understood how much Sam and Cas cared and were the real deal.

That Christmas, a shelter dog was thrown into the mix as well and was the perfect addition to the tight-knit family. Kate gave the Australian Shepherd the name Riot, and it was very fitting. The two-month-old puppy was extremely hyper but very happy to finally be out of the shelter and with a forever family.

And as the years passed, there was high school and then college graduations for the twins and medical school for Sam.

Through it all, Kate and Alex not only had the Winchesters and Wessons in their extended family, but Aunt Rowena and Uncle Jimmy were also constants in their lives.

And during the next few decades, silver-haired Sam and Cas welcomed several grandchildren and even some grandpuppies into their happy existence as well.

Apparently, Riot had gotten loose and found a stray for some doggie fun. The older dog had had a rough pregnancy but was a happy momma when her litter was finally not dragging down on her from inside. Sam and Cas had kept two of the puppies and had enough friends to adopt the others.

The Wesson house was constantly filled with life and love…and oh! Sam and Cas enjoyed every second.

It wasn't until Cas turned eighty-nine that the lights finally went out behind those still beautiful blue eyes. Sam also had some health issues, and as it was with most soulmates, he passed within weeks of Cas's death.

This time, when Sam walked toward the pearly gates, he was greeted with a bear hug from Cas. They held onto each other tightly and enjoyed being young again without any aches or pains.

And when a carbon copy of the Wesson House suddenly appeared in the distance, the two men raced down the long yard to their favorite spot among the oaks.

From the front porch, Eliza, Geoffrey, Margaret, Eileen, Celeste, Jack, Claire, and Charlie watched as the lovers disappeared into the forest.

Further in the distance, Chuck and Jimmy Novak stood together watching it all unfold.

Jimmy's dark good looks rippled away to reveal a grinning blond angel named Balthazar. “You did real good with this one, sir.”

A smug smile stretched across Chuck's face. “I know. They don't always end with a rusty nail and a crappy old-man wig.”

“What?”

Chuck couldn't help but laugh at the angel's confusion. “Never mind.”

THE END

Chapter Text

Chapter One

In this chapter, I mentioned how Cas learned to possess Gabriel by watching Patrick Swayze in the movie Ghost. Here is a link to that part. **Spoiler moment if you haven’t seen the movie yet**

Sam takes over Oda Mae .

I adore Gabriel. I like how perverted he can be and how he plays by his own rules. Of course he would be the one to get the ball rolling.

Chapter Two

The image used for the painting in the library was always a favorite of mine. I was trying to find the actual article that was used…but had no luck.

Chapter Three

Another spoiler moment if you haven’t seen WandaVision yet. In this chapter, I mentioned how Cas felt like Vision escaping Westview when trying to leave the property. Here is a link to watch that moment in WandaVision.

Vision Trying to Leave .

The Spencer Museum of Art is a real place in Kansas. I enjoy digging deep into the area I’m using for a story and including actual locations. Oh how much I’d enjoy traveling to Lawrence and seeing it all in person. Here is the link to the museum’s website.

Spencer Museum of Art .

Most fans of Supernatural adore the French Mistake episode. I always liked Sam's lock and key moment which is why I sprinkled it throughout the story, and also found an actual book with that as the title. Here are links to the Lock and Key moment in French Mistake and a link to the book if you are interested.

French Mistake moment .

Lock & Key Book .

Chapter Four

Bell Memorial Hospital, Lady Bird Diner, and Mad Greek are all real places in Kansas. Also, the address for the Wesson House was picked from a Google Maps search. Mostly because of its closeness to Lawrence and having the same appearance of the estate that I saw in my head.

If you didn’t pick up on how the names I used for Sam Wesson’s parents line up with the show…let me fill you in. Smythe is just a fancy way of Smith…so Sam’s mom is Samantha Smith. That is also the name of the actor that plays Mary on the show. In the same light, I used a fancy version of Jeffrey = Geofrey for Sam’s dad. I enjoyed the idea of history repeating and wanted to keep them as his parents.

I was blessed to have an amazing artist, ncdover1285, join in on this story. In this chapter, you saw her awesome picture of Cas's eyes. It's been so much fun working with her and squealing everytime she sent me something new to stare at. Here are some links so you can find her other work.

ncdover1285 Tumblr .

ncdover1285 AO3 .

Chapter Five

Here is the music they are listening to at Cas's house.

Chopin’s Nocturne in C Sharp Minor .

I have always loved Crows, so I knew I wanted one to hang out with Cas as a ghost. So when Cas didn’t show up for lunch and Sam was alone, I was like this would be a great moment for the crow’s introduction. And I always wanted to have a pet crow named Charlie…but because I had plans for Charlie “Celeste” Bradbury, I needed to find another person named that to use. Hence Cas mentioning Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin was doing Vaudeville around 1910, which was an awesome find since I was trying to keep everything correct for the time period. I do own two cockatiels, and they loooove scritches. They will sit on my finger and bow their heads to get some. So having Charlie around, I knew I had to give him plenty of scritches too. It is a way of showing a bird some love.

We also see in this chapter, how Sam gets to see Cas's uncut cock. I write only out of my actual experiences…especially with sex scenes, so I am very much Sam when it comes to uncut cocks. The foreskin is soooooo much fun to play with!!! Everything Sam does and thinks about doing with Cas's cock is just from my experience enjoying a certain uncut cock. I’ve always wanted to include one in a story, but it never worked out…till now. Enjoy.

In this chapter, we see Cas's cuckoo clock, and there is an interesting story about where that image came from. I got a certain drawing from ncdover1285 and really wanted an actual image of the cuckoo clock to put alongside it. So I scoured google for almost a whole day to find one that spoke to me. I found one and had it all ready to put in the story. Then the next day, I just happened to put on the movie Jack and the Cuckoo Clock Heart just for fun. In it, the main character was born on the coldest day on Earth. His heart was frozen, so it had to get replaced with a clock. Well, I adore this movie and have seen it a billion times. And when I saw the cuckoo clock used, I was like THAT IS CAS'S CLOCK!!! And it was fate that I found a clear straight-on image of it for me to screenshot. Here are links for my favorite song in the movie and the trailer.

Flamme à lunettes .

Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart trailer .

When I saw ncdover1285's version of Charlie, I was instantly in love. I had found a boring stock photo of what I saw, but she captured Charlie's soul. And when I replaced the stock photo with her artwork of him…perfection. One of the many reasons I enjoy working with Big Bangs and the amazing artists that give their time to add beauty to our stories. So if you haven't checked out ncdover1285's other work, here are the links again.

ncdover1285 Tumblr .

ncdover1285 AO3 .

Chapter Six

Cas shows off his ability to self-suck, and Sam is enthralled. Any Misha fans know this is actually something Misha can do. If you didn’t know this, then here is a video on Youtube to enjoy. Misha’s character in Nip/Tuck tells us…and shows us his gift lol.

Misha in Nip Tuck .

In this chapter, Sam dreamt of himself and Cas at the beach. I got the inspiration for the beach image from Sweeney Todd during the By The Sea song.

Sweeney Todd By the Sea .

And although the Sherlock Holmes book title was Study in Scarlett…they called it a Study in Pink on the BBC version. Here is where I chose to use an author’s right to fudge a bit.

In this chapter, we are also introduced to the grand piano at the Wesson House. This was not originally part of the story. It was with sadness that around the time I signed up for the 2021 Sastiel Big Bang that my dad happened to go to the hospital. It was there, in the lobby, where they had a black Steinway grand piano. They had a cd player attached to it with realistic piano music playing. If not for my dad having to be in the hospital, A LOT OF this story would be different. Much of the main plot came from moments there.

The Piano Video .

In this chapter, there is a lot of music mentioned. Here are links to each so you can enjoy it as well.

1909 Old Crow Rag by George Botsford .

Emmanuel Chabier’s - Souvenir de Munich .

Schubert’s - Fantasie in F Minor .

Mozart’s - Sonata for Two Pianos in D .

Bach’s - Concerto for Two Pianos in C Major .

1910 Let Me Call You Sweetheart - music by Leo Friedman and lyrics by Beth Slater Whitson .

(Lucas & Arthur Jussen are the reason I included four-hand piano in the story. I was searching for songs and came across them…the two brothers were mesmerizing!! I actually had them on repeat as I wrote the piano parts for the story. Here is a link to their Youtube page

Lucas & Arthur Jussen Videos .

You might wonder if it is possible to play as much piano as Sam and Cass did after the accident…yes, yes, it is. I personally know this and just recently saw a story about Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé's (opera singer) first meeting. She had thought he wouldn't be serious about music but soon found she was wrong. She told someone, "People think of Freddie only as a rock singer, but he was a great musician, a very modest one. Over dinner at his home one night, I told him that I love Chopin's Impromptu. He just sat at the piano and played it to me. We played and sang together until 6 o'clock in the morning."

Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Caballé - Barcelona .

Chapter Seven

I also often enjoy mixing food with playtime. Nothing like the taste of your favorite dessert on skin. And even with the mention of the Coke bottle…you can have fun with anything. THE KEY IS TRUST! Unless you really trust the person you are with to not hurt you, please don’t do things. But oh, when you meet that person who does care and is open to anything…heaven! And even still, you have to make sure to be careful. One of my favorite movie scenes mixing food with sex is from 9 1/2 weeks.

Food Scene 9 ½ weeks .

Chapter Eight

Something that drives me batty is the one, two, three insertion of fingers before anal that you read in soooo many fanfictions. In real life, it 98% of the time NEVER HAPPENS. The whole idea and yum of anal is the tightness of insertion. You have to go a bit slow at first, but mhmm…that is SOOOOOOOO good. There’s nothing like it! Now, if you do anal for a while, you may be able to go faster and harder…also yum. I mention this because I just don't want someone to try anal and expect their partner to do the three-finger thing and be unprepared if they don't. Xoxo!! And spit is used a lot because sometimes you are not around lube…and take it from personal experience, it is so raunchy and fun to have them bend down and spit on your hole. Again, you need to trust your partner not to hurt you. Also, suckling is sooooooo much fun. I could fall asleep suckling EVERY NIGHT or do so watching TV always. It’s one of my favorite things to do lol. And countertop playtime is fun as well because it evens out differences in height and allows for standing between thigh moments…yum!

In this chapter, Cas has Sam read Tess of the D’urbervilles while he suckles. I heard about this book when I read Fifty Shades of Grey and immediately searched it out. I bought the book, and it was so good. Then I found the 1998 movie version of the story and it is soooooo wow! Definitely the best version out there. Here is a link to the lake scene mentioned.

Angel carries Tess .

During Cas and Sam’s spank fun…Sam plays Anvil Chorus to hide the noise of sneaking outside. It’s such a great piece of music!!! I could listen to it on repeat for hours!

Giuseppe Verdi - Il Trovatore - Anvil Chorus .

Chapter Nine

In this chapter, Sam wakes Cas up with thrusting. First off, the key to all fun sex is TRUST! You have to trust your partner so you can fully enjoy things. AND OMG!!!! Waking up to your partner fucking you is…SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! I can’t tell you enough how much fun it is!!! Giving and taking lol…yum!! And when they can actually not wake you up till all the way inside…again I say SOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!!! Fuck how I like it! Awww memories lol.

Eileen’s favorite new song is a well-known song that was even featured in Twilight. Such a wonderful melody and I was so glad it was around in 1910. Well worth the listen.

Debussy - Clair de Lune .

In this chapter, Margaret uses two groom cake toppers for Sam and Cas's wedding cake. I will always see the x-rated version of this from Shameless in my mind.

Gallavich Cake Topper .

Chapter Ten

When I was in high school, I was odd. I liked memorizing things for the heck of it. One of those was the poem The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe. I happened to come across it and was instantly enthralled. The powerful cadence behind the wording is fantastic and so much fun to verbalize. So when I had the poem idea for my story, I wanted to use this one…but didn’t know if the date would line up. I WAS SOOOOO happy when it was out before 1910, and I could use it! Here's a link to a video that captures the magic and madness of the poem. And a link to the words if you want to memorize it too.

FOUNDERS - "The Bells" .

"The Bells" poem by Edgar Allan Poe .

The other poem Cas writes on Sam’s back is The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes. I first heard it in the 1987 TV Mini-Series version of Anne of Avonlea (the sequel to Anne of Green Gables). There was a moment when Anne traveled to a hotel to take part in a poetry reading, and she chose this poem. In the books, though, this wasn’t the one used, BUT the poem was around by 1910. Therefore, I used it since it is technically in a version of Anne of Green Gables AND is one of my favorites. Once again, I adored it soooo much I wanted to memorize it…so I did. Then I recorded myself reading it (with sound effects) and used Charles Mikolaycak’s 1983 illustrations to make a video. Here is the link to that on Youtube and the book version mentioned.

lPoRv2e4's The Highwayman .

The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes, Charles Mikolaycak .

Chapter Eleven

Eliza mentions having Jonah Days and how Charlie and Miracle helped her get through. It is a phrase I heard/read again in Anne of Avonlea (the sequel to Anne of Green Gables). In Chapter 12, Anne is a teacher at a private school and had a really bad day. She runs homes in tears, just feeling down. The woman who had adopted her, Marilla, finds her and comforts her. Anne has always been dramatic and told Marilla she was having a Jonah Day. In the Bible, Jonah was a prophet sent to preach about God, but in fear, he boarded a ship in the opposite direction. Jonah was tossed into the ocean by his fellow shipmates when a bad storm came, since they blamed his disobedience for it. A whale swallowed him and then spit him out on a barren island. Suffice it to say he was having a very bad day…a Jonah day.

And even after countless editing and re-reading of this chapter…I still sob each time. I adore Cas, but it wasn’t until I started this chapter that I knew Eliza would die too. So when that knowledge sunk in, I felt like Karen Eiffel in Stranger than Fiction when **spoiler moment** she was typing Harold’s death scene…well, minus the cigs lol! But I knew that Eliza wouldn't sit still when Cas was in trouble. She would do everything she could to get out there to be with him. So even though it was painful…her death has a beauty to it. She loved Cas so much that she was willing to risk everything for him. Here is the scene in the movie that I mentioned above. **Spoiler moment if you haven’t seen the movie yet**.

Stranger Than Fiction Scene .

Chapter Twelve