for @acklesology ‘s winter/follower celebration: favorite character / cookies / jingle bells (frank sinatra version)
“I love those J-I-N-G-L-E bells! Oh, those holiday J-I-N-G-L-E bells! Oh, those happy J-I-N-G-L-E B-E-double-L S—”
Cas switched off the radio.
The scene could be perfect, almost: Christmas music spilling out of the kitchen, half-decorated cookies scattered across the counter, the sweet smell of sugary icing suffusing the air.
There should be someone else in the kitchen with Cas, singing along to Frank Sinatra and getting sprinkles everywhere but his cookies. Dean had promised he would get home from his work trip in time for Christmas, but then he had called while Cas was in the shower earlier and left a voicemail: his flight was delayed.
It could be worse, Cas figured. It was Christmas Eve, which meant that Dean would at least make it on Christmas Day, and the kitchen was a whole lot cleaner without his boyfriend in it.
But it could also be better.
The rest of the evening passed by in silence; Cas couldn’t bear to listen to any more Christmas music, and the apartment was way too empty without Dean’s ever-present chatter. Cas fell asleep earlier than he typically would have and slept fitfully. This past morning, he had been so eager for the day to come, but now he just wanted it to be over.
“Shhh, I think he’s still asleep—”
“Well, he won’t be if you keep talking so loudly.”
Cas cracked open his eyes at the sound of voices in the hallway. He could barely make out from the glowing numbers on his alarm clock that it was nearly two in the morning.
“Just go to sleep,” Cas now recognized that voice as Dean’s, “And he’ll wake up in the morning and be surprised to see you.”
“I’m gonna break my neck going back to the living room in the dark. Can’t we turn on a light?” That was a voice that Cas knew, too: his older brother Gabe.
Gabe, who supposedly hadn’t been able to convince his boss to give him time off for Christmas.
“You can’t turn on the light,” Dean argued, “That’ll wake Cas up.”
“He’s not that light of a sleeper—”
“Actually, I am.” Cas flipped on the hallway light and Dean and Gabe froze, staring at him.
Cas tilted his head. “I thought the earliest flight you could get was five this morning.”
“That was a...slight omission.” Dean elbowed Gabe. “My flight did get changed, but because I rescheduled it. I had to wait for Mr. Always Late here—”
“You wanna talk about being late—” Gabe cut himself off. “Geez, Cas, it’s great to see you. Sorry for lying about work. Your boyfriend here wanted to make it a surprise and everything.”
“It’s a good one.” All of Cas’s frustration and loneliness from the day had melted away. Now, the scene could be perfect, and soon enough it was: it was past midnight and Christmas already, so going back to bed was eschewed for sugar cookies and alcohol and Hallmark classics, and when Cas woke up on the couch at three in the afternoon, with Dean next to him and Gabe zonked out in an armchair, he decided that it was the best Christmas yet.
