Bubble Bath

Dean is awake early and making his way down to the bathroom, toiletries in hand and donned in his bath robe. It isn’t often that he gets to take advantage of the more simple things in life, like for example - bubble bath. Himself and Sam have agreed that they are going to lay low for a few weeks, so nothing is going to get in the way of his date with the luxurious bath tub in the far bathroom of the bunker.

Or so he thought...

When Dean opens the door, he comes face to face with Cas. The ex-angel is sat in his underwear on the edge of the tub and squeezing shower gelall over his dry skin. He freezes, bottle held above his head and looks at Dean as if he knows that he’s going to yell at him.

Dean bites back what he wants to say, he doesn’t yell. He tries not to show that he’s surprised by seeing Cas in his underwear, it’s not like he hasn’t seen him undressed before, but it’s different now, he’s no longer an angel in a trench coat but a person whose feelings and emotions are vastly different than what they used to be.

The bathroom is a mess, various bottles are scattered on the floor, a large pile of towels is bunched in the corner of the room and talcum powder is spilled by the sink. The two of them stare at each other until Dean sees the funny side of it and cracks a smile. He takes pity on Cas, he’s been struggling with his new found humanity and is obviously having some kind of trouble trying to do... well, do whatever it is that he’s doing.

He’s clearly an idiot.

Dean sets his things on the floor and closes the door behind him. He gently takes the shower gel out of Cas’ hand and sits on the edge of the seat.

“What are you trying to do, dude?”

Cas squints as a blob of strawberry pink soap falls from his forehead and runs down the side of his left eye. Dean sighs and grabs a facecloth and wipes it away.

“I tried to turn on the shower but I couldn’t work the dial,” he explains, letting Dean wipe his face.

“You have to push and twist it.”

“Oh. Well I decided to have a strip wash. I was following the directions on the bottle, it said to rub into the skin to lather-“

“You don’t need that much, dummy. How are you so confused about this? It can’t be the first time you’ve washed... by hand...” Cas frowns at him and then looks down at his hands and Dean realises that he’s spot on. “Ah, so it is the first time you’ve washed without your grace...”

Cas looks awkward and sighs. “Well, no but... Yes?” he admits. “The products and plumbing confuse me, but I can’t travel to a suitable river and there’s no sand.”

Dean blinks at him, now he’s the one confused. “Sand?...” He frowns. “Right, I get it, feathers...” he mutters. He has an image of Cas rolling around in the dessert, like a chinchilla would in a sand bath but brushes it away. Cas doesn’t look like he would appreciate Dean teasing him about his former angel state. Does Cas even have wings anymore? He hasn’t spoken to anyone about his new... humanity. It’s a bit of a worry but Dean isn’t going to push him. “Cas, it’s fine, you don’t need a river or- or sand,” Dean assures him. “I mean, no-one has ever shown you this stuff so it’s normal you’re a bit confused.” Cas looks at him disbelieving. “No, I mean it, Sam washed his hair with conditioner until he was eight, but that was because no-one had ever shown him the right way to do it.”

“But I thought conditioner was for your hair?” he asks, and Dean has to admit he looks adorable when so confused.

“Why don’t you get in the bath and I’ll help you,” he suggests and stands to turn on the taps. He guesses he’ll have to wait for his own relaxation time, he had never guessed Cas would be up so early, but he isn’t surprised because Cas hasn’t managed to create a sleep pattern yet.

Dean can’t believe that he’s doing this, he knows someone is going to have to teach Cas these things, but he had hoped that he would already know how to do such personal things... apparently not. He really hopes that his feelings for Cas won’t get in the way of this particular task, it would be selfish not to help him, after all, he’s pretty sure that Cas has shaving foam in his hair. Leaving him to stumble into these things may be funny, but it’s not really the best idea for someone who isn’t used to mortality. This morning he had to stop Cas from taking hot food out the oven with his bare hands - habits that are a millennia old are hard to break. He doesn’t mind helping him, in fact, he kind of likes the idea of seeing Cas experience different things first the first time as a human.

“You’ll help me?”

“Well someone’s gotta show you, you’ll probably end up killing yourself,” Dean grumbles.

“I hope not, I like it here.”

Dean stares at him wide eyed. “I was joking Cas, jeeze, don’t be so morbid.” Dean checks the water, it seems fine, and as an afterthought he dumps some bubble bath in it and sloshes the water around. “Now come on, get in,” he says, standing and moving out of the man’s way. Cas climbs in, underwear still on and Dean tuts at his behaviour. “You’re supposed to be naked,” he explains and rolls his eyes. Cas nods and lifts his hips, shimmying out of his underwear and then drops the soaked material to the floor.

Dean feels heat flood his cheeks. “O...kay,” he says, voice squeaking slightly and avoids looking at Cas. He grabs the man’s wet underwear and dumps it in the sink. “You’ve wet the floor dumbass; you need to put a towel down because we don’t have a matt, or you’ll climb out and slip.” He grabs one from the corner and mops up the mess, he dumps that in the sink too and then lies another on the floor.

Unfortunately, Dean runs out of things to do after tidying Cas’ mess and then awkwardly sits on the edge of the tub. Cas doesn’t seem to understand modesty or maybe he’s just very comfortable around Dean, either way, Dean doesn’t want to take advantage of that. He looks anywhere but at Cas who starts trying to wash off all the soap that he had poured on himself, he ends up covered in bubbles.

“You’re never going to wash the soap off like that, you need to stop rubbing it.” He picks up the facecloth that he used earlier. He hesitates before he gently places it against Cas’ neck, he can’t help but feel a flood of affection for his friend, Cas is so trusting of him, and doesn’t move or resist as Dean starts to wipe the material over his skin. If anything he leans into it and Dean’s mouth goes dry.

He becomes mesmerised as he watches the bubbles wash from Cas’ tan skin; he doesn’t stop, he cleans his face and his chest, daring to go as low as his bellybutton but then retreats. He chooses to take Cas’ hand instead, he holds it up and laces their fingers together, rubbing the cloth down the length of his arm and feeling each firm muscle under the material.

It feels intimate.

Cas is watching him, it makes him grow warm, but he doesn’t dare to look up at him.

What is he doing?

He knows that he has crossed the line from friendship to something deeper; this isn’t something he should be doing, especially with Cas, but he feels a yearning that he hasn’t experienced in a long time.

He drops the cloth.

This is wrong, he was just thinking he didn’t want to take advantage of Cas’ innocent nature, and here he is, touching him and it doesn’t feel innocent, it feels intense and desire curls in Dean’s stomach.

“I’m sorry,” he gasps and finally looks up.

He expects Cas’ to be terrified, he expects to see the same scared expression he had witnessed in brothel but he doesn’t. Cas’ cheeks are flushed and his eyes are half hooded in arousal and he’s biting his lip. Cas is breathing heavily and he’s looking at Dean like he-

It terrifies him, he’s never seen Cas look like that before. He isn’t sure whether he wants to reach for Cas or run from him. He goes to stand and put some space between them but Cas interrupts his thoughts.

“I understand this isn’t normal for bathing,” Cas says, looking at him like he understands exactly what Dean was doing. “I won’t protest.” He reaches for Dean’s hand just as he starts to move away. Dean settles again, nervously leaning towards Cas, closer than before, balanced precariously. Dean lets Cas clasp their hands back together, the man’s skin is soft and wet, but his grip firm. “You touch me as if I’m your lover.” Cas whispers and a slow smile stretches across his face.

Dean’s heart feels like it’s going to beat out of his chest. He nods. “Yeah, I...” He isn’t sure how to justify his actions, but he realises he doesn’t have to. Cas isn’t exactly being discreet with his actions.

“I was worried that your feelings for me would differ now I am bound to this vessel.”

“You know?” Dean gasps, unable to stop himself. “You’ve known this whole time.”

Cas nods. “I was never in the position to act on it, but now I’m here I feel like I might be able to at least try... I mean, if you want to?”

Dean can’t quite believe what he’s hearing, he had come downstairs for a bath and now half an hour later he’s being propositioned by Cas who’s naked and in said bath. He isn’t sure what to say. For the first time in his life, Dean’s words are failing him.

“Dean?”

“Of course I want to, I want to share everything with you,” Dean admits, finding his voice. Cas seems pleased with his answer and gently pulls his hand, encouraging Dean to lean further forwards. Cas is so close that Dean can’t resist leaning that little bit closer so he can kiss him.

Dean squeaks as he falls ungracefully into the bathtub, flooding water over the floor and crushing Cas. The two look at each other surprised before Cas grins and then kisses him, his hands tug at Dean’s bathrobe, desperate to get it off.

Dean gets to have his nice bubble bath after all.