2 - Lucien, stop hitting on the newcomer!

Castiel let out a soft smile. "Thank you, Dean", he told him sincerely. He was really glad to have his friend here, even though with each passing moment, it pained him just a little more to realize how much he loved him.

Dean smiled gently to Castiel once again, then let out a cough when he realized he was staring a little too longingly to his protégé. Yes, protégé, goddamnit Dean! That's creepy! He got up from the bed, stretching. "I think I'll go take a shower before bed", he said.

Castiel nodded, and got up as well. "I'll show you to the bath- oh. You know where it is and how it works, don't you?" He asked, a bit embarrassed. Dean had practically lived here as long as himself, after all.

Dean laughed at Castiel's embarrassment. "I do. Don't worry", he added, fishing his shampoo, spare underwear and bathrobe from his bag. "I'll be quick. I don't want to stay naked too long in any place in this house - it scares me!" He winked at him and exited the room, closing the door back behind his shoulders.

Castiel held back a smile at Dean's last comment, but then sighed, and laid down on his bed for a while, staring at the ceiling. It had been a long, draining day, he thought to himself.

Dean did come back quick, as promised. Actually, worryingly quick. He slammed the door closed behind him, his face pale. He looked so out of himself he didn't even mind the fact that his robe was all half-opened, and he hadn't even dried up yet.
He looked like a hot mess, actually. A hot, distraught mess. He didn't move from the door, standing against it, frozen on the spot.

Castiel instantly straightened up on hiw bed, and eyed Dean with worry. And arous-WORRY. "What happened?!"

Dean actually needed a couple of minutes - in which he just stared at Castiel like a deer states at a car's headlights - before he could manage to ruffle his hair in a distressed way, and then stutter out something that sounded like "Your brother entered in the bathroom while I was stark naked and tried to grope my butt while I was scrambling out".

Castiel stood up, his expression grim with jealousy. Yes. Jealousy. "Lucien?" he asked, while he walked towards the door. He gently laid his hand on Dean's shoulder, in a way that let Dean know he wanted through.

Dean blinked. He kept his eyes on Castiel, frowning when he seemed to wish to get out of the room. He unconsciously did step aside, though. "Well, yes, of course", he answered then. "He caught me by surprise - I'd have socked him in the face", he added. Well, that wasntr the only issue - that guy was just... so creepy! He made him feel uneasy, and powerless against his antics. "... where are you going?"

"To talk to Lucien," Castiel replied grimly, while he opened the door and got out. Now, don't get it wrong. Lucien had been creeping him out since his childhood, and he had barely dared to stand up against him in his life because of that. However- his current jealousy, that anger twisting his guts was driving him all the way to his room, then to the bathroom where he would slam his fist repeatedly against the door if it turned out Lucien might still be in there.

And indeed, Lucien was still there, actually just busy brushing his teeth. He spat in the sink, glaring at the door - who had the nerve to slam on it like that? While he was inside, nonetheless! But in the end he did open it, and grinned when he saw just who was so impatient to get to him. "Look if it isn't little Cassie", he said in a mocking, sing-song voice. "Why that long face?" Yeah, as if he didn't know!

Castiel glared at him back, clenching his fists. "This is the last time you assaulted my guest," he muttered. "What kind of a- of an assbutt even does that! And don't tell me you just wanted the place- I'm pretty sure Dean knows how to lock the door." He was a bit unprepared for that anger fit of his, but he would not back down.

"The door was unlocked", Lucien shrugged, the grin plastered on his face taking a more evil shade. Yes, Castiel's fit had surprised him - his little brother was more on the quiet, awkward side -, but it was exactly what he wanted. "What's your point?", he asked, crossing his arms on his chest. "It's not like he is yours. You said it yourself, he is just a friend of yours, hm? If he doesn't want me to pay that kind of attention to him, too bad. He is hot and single, so I'll get on with it however I see fit. Deal with it, Cassie."

"... If anyone in this house has any right to grope his ass, it should be me, not you!" Cas exploded, downright mad that Lucien just took the right to do things as he pleased. He did realize too late what he had said, but he held his brother's gaze, although his cheeks were burning." It's- time you began to respect your brothers and the people they care about."

Lucien's smile was downright mean now. "Ooh ~ little Cassie puts his nose out of his closet to throw a challenge to his older brother", he mocked him almost cruelly, squinting his eyes at him. "And to mark his territory ~ how frightening. What next, you're going to pee on him? Please. I bet he doesn't even think about you that way." Yes. Yes, he was a big bastard.

Castiel pressed his lips together, still holding Lucien's gaze. But his words had hurt him. "Good luck trying to find someone who'll actually stand you". He stepped back and slammed the door shut, only to rush back to his own room, fighting back tears of anger. Against Lucien and himself. For being unable to stand up to him.

Dean had finally managed to get into his old t-shirts and loose pants, ready to get to sleep. But with his best friend out there, facing the most dangerous of his brotgers alone, he couldn't. He felt terribly sick - should he have gone with him? He had been nervously fidgeting, worried sick about Castiel - worry that made him jump on his feet and get pale, seeing his protégé on the verge of tears as he came back in the room.
Yes. He knew perfectly well how Castiel looked like, when he was about to cry.
He rushed to him, grasping his shoulders. "Cas! What happened?"

Castiel lowered his gaze. "Nothing," he whispered, trying hard to calm down. He took a deep, shaking breath, and gently tried to push Dean away. Well, he intended to, at least. Because as soon as he pressed his hand against his torso, he froze, and thought back about Lucien's words. Painful, horrible, mean, yet... real facts. There was no way Dean would love him back the way he did. The man had seen him grow since he was a toddler, he probably saw him as nothing more than a little brother.
He gave in, and just laid his forehead against Dean's shoulder.

Dean blinked, and then wrapped his arms around Castiel, holding him tight against his chest. Oh God, how many times had he wished to be able to do that! So many, many times, during all those years in which he had been nothing more than a passive shadow. He actually dared to dip his fingers in his hair, rubbing his scalp while murmuring soothing words at him.
No. That was not the way he'd have comforted his younger brother.
Yes. Yes, maybe what he felt for Cas was... different. But there was no way he could even begin to think about it. What would have he thought? Looking at him growing up and suddenly getting tender and sweet with him like this? No. He would have fled. And thought that he was a fucking creep. He simply went on comforting him at his best, like he was already doing. Castiel probably thought of him as nothing more than an older brother anyway.

Castiel clenched his fingers tightly into the back of Dean's shirt, and finally chocked on a sob, his eyes tight shut. He tried to shush down Lucien's voice in his head, or even his own insecurities. What he only focused on, to soothe himself, was how warm, strong and sweet Dean felt against him.
After a good handful of minutes spent still, he finally dared to speak again. "I'm... I'm sorry," he whispered, finally pushing Dean away. "I'm an adult, I shouldn't be- Lucien shouldn't have such an impact on me anymore."

"Shh", Dean simply said, pulling Castiel back to his chest. He hugged him tight for another couple of seconds, then - a bit hesitantly - he let him go, gently pushing him away. "I know how he is. He is a dick, and you should never listen to him. Ok? Never. And I will always be here for you, whatever your stupid hellspawn of a brother says or does."

Castiel sniffed, and held back a joyless smile. "Yeah, I know. It's just so- frustrating." He ran his hands on his face, and took another deep breath. "... I'll wait a bit to go to the bathroom. I can't go there with him still being in, doing God knows what."

Dean faked a shiver. "I. Really don't want to know what he is doing right now." Then he smiled tentatively at Castiel. "Yeah, just... sit down a bit, okay? Hey, maybe I'll go fetch you a glass of water! God forbid there's actual beer in this house of the Lord", he said.

Castiel held back a smirk. "A beer. After dinner, and probably brushing your teeth?" He went for his bed, but stopped dead in his tracks, a doubt nagging at him. "... You do brush your teeth, don't you."