5 - All I want for Christmas

Theseus beamed. Dean was ready to help him! Of course, Winchester! I'll message you this week and we'll make plans to meet in private to talk about it! I'm so glad to count you as my best friend, you know? Oh, come here!" He tried to trap Dean into a ribs-crushing hug. He was excessively demonstrative with his affection when drunk.

"Yeah yeah whatever you say bud-" Dean didn't manage to duck on time to avoid Theseus' tight bear hug and found himself almost suffocating, trapped between a pincer grip of two much-too-strong arms and a solid, muscled chest. "Carleen-! Please, help!", he wheezed, seeing her passing by not too far away.

Luckily enough Asterius was also in the vicinity, and was quick enough into reaching them and gently try to get Theseus' attention. "Theseus, I think Dean would like to breathe a little bit."

Carleen rushed to Dean's help along with Asterius, and couldn't help but chuckle when Dean was finally free. "Are you alright? He didn't break any of your ribs, did he?"

"ASTERIUS!" Theseus exclaimed before he beamed at his boyfriend and hugged him tight in turn. "Gods, I've missed you, where have you been," he mumbled, his face pressed against his torso.

"No, but he sure as hell tried to", Dean answered, his voice a little rough as he finally managed to breathe in some air. "What I know for sure is that your brother should be kept away from alcohol at parties forever", he added then, throwing a glare towards Theseus. Who was ignoring him by now, let's be honest.

Asterius was definitely built to withstand any kind of bone-crushing hug - including his own father's - so he merely chuckled and hugged his boyfriend back. "Right there", he answered, sounding infinitely amused. "Just on the other side of the room. But I've missed you too", he added to make him happy.

Carleen chuckled. "Oh come on, he's not that bad. He hasn't climbed on the roof, dived in the pool, or kissed anyone else than Asterius tonight." She paused, and squinted a bit. "He hasn't, has he."

Theseus was happy, indeed. He was left grinning against Asterius, before he looked up at him and smooched his snout. "Hey! What about we grab a few pals and hit the gym? Or! My rodeo training bull! I was to show it to you," he added with a wide smile.

"Yet", Dean added with a snort. "And are you kidding? I haven't heard anything else but Asterius here and Asterius there whenever Theseus opened his mouth - and any time I've seen him all over someone, it was definitely Asterius." He did pull half a smile at that, though. It was kind of cute in the end. 
If we don't take into consideration the awkward as hell sex talk.

Asterius felt himself flush. The rodeo training bull brought to his mind certain images of Theseus, back at Dionysus' party, that he preferred not to live back - mostly for his own sanity, let's be honest, and certainly not because he didn't want to. "I think we should stay here and wait midnight with all our friends", he ended up answering gently. "And you're drunk, my love. You shouldn't do any kind of exercise, or you'll end up sick."
Yes, he had called him love.

Carleen chuckled. "Welcome to my world. I probably know more about Asterius' whereabouts than my own boyfriend's." She rolled her eyes and threw a glance at Theseus and Asterius. She smiled at the Minotaur, and finally lead Dean away. "But at least Thee's letting you breathe these days!"

"Mh. You're right, Asterius. As always." Theseus felt all warm and fuzzy inside after having been called 'love', so he'd say yes to anything Asterius might ask of him. "Could we maybe sit down together? I'd like to go outside for a bit." He could use the privacy and fresh air for a bit.

Dean laughed. "Wow. That must be something", he observed as he let Carleen pull him around a little. His smile got a little more forced, and embarrassment (that had been momentarily forgotten) came back full force, coloring his cheeks. "Yeah, I don't know for how much he'll let me breathe", he murmured awkwardly. He looked around carefully before leaning in to whisper into her ear. "He's trapped me into giving him the talk. It's terrible. I wish I didn't say yes, but if I hadn't he would have probably started yelling about it even louder, and Castiel couldn't have fled far enough to save himself!"

Asterius smiled back at Carleen, gesturing for her not to worry - he'd keep Theseus at bay himself. "Sure. Some fresh air could do you nothing but good", he answered, offering him his arm so that he would stay upright.

To be fair, Carleen too had drunk a bit, and although she still had her senses, well. She was much more prone to laughing.
So of course she burst out laughing when she registered that Dean had promised to give Theseus the talk.
"Oh, wow. I'm so sorry." No she wasn't, she was grinning. "But- thank you for your sacrifice. I bet Thee has no knowledge in that field and, well. It might be better for Asterius if he learns the theory on his own." She patted his shoulder. "Speaking of your roommate, I don't think he fled that far," she pointed out, gesturing to Cas who was leaning against a wall on his own.

Theseus clinged to Asterius' arm while they walked outside, and he guided him to a quiet spot in the gardens nearby, close to a pond. He grinned at Asterius as they walked close to a bench, actually facing his boyfriend instead of sitting down.
"Looks like I could kiss you to my heart's content here."

Dean rolled his eyes when Carleen started laughing at his disgraces - but he did smile a little bit. "Yeah, sure. I bet you're very sorry", he quipped at her sarcastically before he shrugged. "Well- Asterius is his first boyfriend, and I really don't think that this kind of stuff has ever been at the forefront of his priority list. So I seriously doubt he documented himself beforehand." He sighed, running a hand over his face. "It will be a nightmare." He perked up when Carleen pointed out that Castiel hadn't gone too far away. "Oh - well, I'd better get to him then. To explain the terrible scene he has witnessed before", he said. "Oh - thanks for saving me from your brother's clutches, by the way", he added on a second thought, shooting a smile at her.

Asterius snorted, huffing out a chuckle. "So this was your plan, then. Bringing me away from everyone else to kiss me breathless?", he observed. "Very clever." He didn't move, but he did gently rest his hands on Theseus' hips. "I am at your mercy." He briefly wondered if his boyfriend was still sober enough to put his amorous purposes into practice.

"No probs, shout if he comes back for you," Carleen replied with a grin, before she gently grabbed Dean's arm. "Say, before you go... Cas is your type, right? She threw a knowing glance at him. "It's not too hard to live with a hot guy?"

Theseus giggled and leaned against Asterius. "You're too tall for me to kiss you. How about you sit down? Then I can kiss you hot and deep," he almost growled, his own hands running on Asterius' back, before they settled on his ass for a bit.

Dean chuckled. "I'll do", he answered finger-pistoling at her - before his cheeks flushed a little bit again.
Damn it. Carleen really could see right through him, every time. But then again, why was he surprised? She was his best friend, and he too would have guessed that she would go for someone like Horknath even without knowing that they were dating.
He threw a hesitant, quick glance at Castiel. "Well... a bit", he confessed, even though he tried to dismiss just how difficult it was some times. "But I... don't even know if he's... you know." He scratched his neck. "I mean, I would totally ask, but I don't want him to feel uneasy. He's so reserved, all the time..."

Asterius let out a little, startled sound when Theseus' hands stopped their descent right on his ass - and he couldn't hide his fluster at his bold words.
As stated many times, a blush wouldn't show on him - but it was quite easy to guess when he was embarrassed by the way he'd lower his gaze and avoid looking at Theseus in the eye. "Hm. Sure", he finally managed to answer after clearing his throat, carefully sitting on the closer bench.
He hesitated before letting his hands also move from his boyfriend's hips to his ass.

Carleen made an understanding noise. "I could ask him, if you want," she said initially to tease Dean, before her expression softened. "Or I could ask Horknath. He's his best friend, so surely he woyod know, right? That way, it'll be less awkward if he turns out to be strictly straight."

Theseus let out a pleased hum when he felt Asterius' hands on his ass. He grinned at his boyfriend when he straddled his lap, and wrapped his arms around his neck. He didn't even wait before he chased his boyfriend's lips for that promised, hot and deep kiss he had been talking about.
His mind was a little clouded by alcohol still, and he was even more shameless than usual when it came to the pleased moans that escaped him at times.

Dean perked up again. "You'd- really ask Horknath for me?", he asked, sounding hopeful. And opening in a grateful smile. "You'd be doing me a big favor", he added, sighing with relief. He was honestly still a little afraid of asking Castiel himself, and if Carleen had gone straight to him to ask about it, it could've looked a bit suspicious. "Thank you."

Asterius eagerly kissed Theseus back, holding him against his body and sprawling his hands over his back. He felt his head spin a little, and each and every sinful sound his boyfriend let out as they shared those messy, open-mouthed kisses made him let some deep moans of his own, making warmth pool in his guts, .
Well. Maybe a little lower than that. But nothing too bad for now, nothing he couldn't will away - for now, all he wanted was keeping on stealing every single breath Theseus could offer to him.

Carleen winked at Dean. "I'll try to be smooth about it, then I'll let you know. You should go back to Castiel, we'll probably join you two afterwards. I wouldn't want you two to be alone!"

Castiel was indeed looking around a bit, but since he didn't spot Horknath or Charlie he silently sipped his drink and checked his phone, hoping to see a message from his internet friend.
Who probably was busu having fun with friends, so he shouldn't bother him.

Theseus kept on kissing Asterius, and he'd probably make out with it until midnight if he could, let's be honest!

Dean smiled more openly at Carleen. "Sure! And, thank you again. We'll be there when you feel like joining us", he added, waving at his friend before walking towards Castiel.
Whose friendly internet Batman friend of course couldn't write to him right now.
Talk to him, though- "Hey", he said with a little smile - he hoped it looked at least a bit confident. "I, uh. I'm sorry about..." He gestured vaguely. "About Theseus just assuming things. Just because he knows about my preferences. I... I hope it didn't offend you." He really did, or he'd be forced to reevaluate his perception of Castiel.

Yes, yes they totally did make out until midnight stroke - or until some brave soul wouldn't go call them for the midnight toast.

Castiel smiled at Dean. "Don't worry. It was... Certainly unsettling, but I don't take offense. He didn't mean any." He seemed quite serious when he added, hesitantly at first, "So, I didn't quite catch it- how are babies not made?" He managed to keep his pokerface for two more seconds. And then he cracked a smile.

Meanwhile, Carleen went to find Horknath and hugged his arm as soon as she found him, whether he was chatting with some of his friends or alone. "Hey handsome", she whispered to him when she got his attention.

Dean stared blankly at him, eyes wide as if he couldn't believe his usually reserved, serious-looking friend - who at times could not understand his best puns for his own sake not even if he explained them - had just made a joke about that.
Then he grinned, a laugh escaping him as he bumped his fist against the other man's arm. "Oh shut up", he answered, still laughing. "You want to be a nurse, so I sure as hell don't have to explain stuff to you of all people, you smartass!" He did say that with affection, though.
Man, Cas really was a nice person. He almost felt bad for thinking he'd get offended at the assumptions Theseus had made!

Horknath had actually just finished chatting with a couple of Theseus' friends - about sports, probably - and was now filling up his plate with some of the appetizers that had been served for the party. He let out a startled, bashful chuckle when Carleen greeted him as she usually did, with a compliment.
A compliment to which he always reacted like a giggling idiot, without fail. "Hey", he greeted her back, leaning in to kiss her cheek. "You look like a princess even after hours standing up and chatting. I'm not surprised, but I am impressed."

Castiel held back a chuckle, and cleared his throat. "To be fair, my brother made that joke to me before, when I- genuinely enquired how things worked in his- 'ménage à trois'. I did not get the answer I was hoping for, and he teased me for days about even asking." There was still the hint of a smile on his face, but he'd rather forget about the thought of Gabriel having sex for the rest of his life. "But- it's nice of you, to lecture your friend in that field."

Carleen chuckled. "Oh, you have no idea just how wrecked I'll be tomorrow. But I've got a lot of training- you'll see how it's like, when I'll take you to one of my father's fashion shows." She slightly let go of his arm. "You know what? I'm actually hungry too. I'd go for a quickie." She kept a straight face until Horknatg caught up. Then, she'd definitely giggle merrily.

Dean snorted - yeah, Castiel had probably already talked to him about Gabriel and his two boyfriends at some point. "Aw, that's not nice", he commented with a grin. "But I have to admit I wouldn't have resisted from joking about it too." His grin softened a little. "Well- Theseus is a giant dummy, and he's loud and all, but he's... he's well-meaning, I guess. I don't want him to try and get informations about how to get on the next level of intimacy with his first boyfriend on internet or something. It's better if he hears about it from someone who has some experience in the matter."

Horknath flushed violently at first, remembering what that word meant, and gaped at her for a couple of seconds before realizing and... well, pouting. "Oh you", he grumbled, clearly faking offense. "You're lucky you're very cute. And funny. And- oh, no. I'll never manage to get mad at you", he realized.

Castiel paused, his glass hanging midway towards his lips. He had a slight flush, that could easily go unnoticed. But it was there. "Oh. I didn't know you've had a boyfriend before. Or. Boyfriends." He paused awkwardly for a few seconds. "Or are you dating now?" The thought made his heart tight, but hey. Maybe Dean hadn't felt like bringing it up yet.

Carleen giggled some more and gently pushed him, before she too grabbed a plate to gather a few appetizers. "What would you even want to be mad about? I do intend on keeping you as my boyfriend for as long as I can, you know. I don't want to anger you." She smiled brightly at him.

Dean was kind of trained to feel the change in the air when he mentioned that he dated men too - and in this case it wasn't even the bad kind of change, because Castiel looked only a little embarrassed. But he still threw him a cautious look. "Yeah I've... had a couple boyfriends. Girlfriends as well, honestly. I'm... not strictly gay, but I like men. I'm not dating right now though, I mean - it's been some time." He bit his lower lip. Well - surely his friend wouldn't have a problem with this, right?

Horknath's gaze softened. "You couldn't even if you tried", he replied, affectionately brushing his fingers against her cheek. "And the feeling is mutual. I really want to keep you as my girlfriend for as long as I can."

Castiel nodded. He wasn't tense, but he shuffled a bit on his feet. He opened his mouth a few times, before he looked up at Dean. "How do you actually know about these kinds of preferences, or- lack of?" He had tried to ask Gabriel, but. His own explanations were rather foggy. And it had left him more confused about his own preferences than anything.

Carleen made a soft noise and smiled fondly at her boyfriend. "Let's sit down, so that I can kiss you, alright? And before we get all sweet and cuddly, there's something I need to ask you."

Dean blinked at him, looking a little perplexed at first. "... you mean how do you- understand who you like?", he asked, tentatively. "Well... that's a hard question. I think it works differently for each person, to be honest." He tried to think about how it had been for him, to explore his own sexuality. "I always found girls attractive. I wasn't sure about boys until I met this dude and. I don't know. It was more of a slow realization - that I not only enjoyed being around him like with all of my other friends, but that I yearned for something more." He scoffed, a little smile on his face. "I'm not even talking about sex, honestly. I just... really wanted to hold his hand, be close to him. Kiss him. It kind of went down like that for me." He smiled at Castiel. "Maybe you just need to meet the person that makes you feel that way. Until then, or even forever, it's more than alright not to know where you stand."

Horknath flushed, pleased by Carleen's suggestion for a kiss. "O-oh - alright", he answered, looking adorably eager as he got to the nearest chair to sit down. "But sure, ask away!"

Castiel nodded quietly. "I see." He forced a little smile, kind of awkward, but he liked Dean, and really considered him a friend by now. He quickly relaxed again. "Thank you for telling me. But that's- enlightening, to know that it's not necessarily a forwards thought." Holding hands, staying close. Kissing. He could think of two persons he'd like to do all of those things with. He looked down at Dean's hands for a bit, thoughtful.

Carleen sat down by Horknath's side. "Mmh how should I word it." Was there a smooth way to say 'hey my best friend likes your best friend, any chance he might say yes'?
"Say, regarding Castiel. I was wondering... Dean said he's never talked of dates with him and, well, they've been roommates for a while. Do you know if he might be interested in boys? Possibly... Tall, good-looking, with green eyes? And freckles." Yes, smooth.