waywarddone | This is the dawning of the rest of our lives

"I'll explain it when I make it later, you can just watch me." Matty told Cas as he put an arm around him and gave him a reassuring half hug before he let go and unlocked the door. He held it open for Cas and then walked inside, kicking off his shoes. "I'm back, you better not have eaten that last slice of pie, I was saving it!"

Matty walked into the living room with Cas and he didn't realise that this was important to Cas or that it should be or what it truly meant so he just gestured vaguely to Cas. "Cas, Sammy. Sammy, that's Cas. Bobby! Hey! Cas is here."

Matty pointed at Sam and his boyfriend. "That's Sam and his friend, Harry."

"Boyfriend Harry," Sam corrected, with a roll of his eyes while he got up and held a hand out to Castiel.

Castiel looked up at Sam and shook the hand that was offered. This man was a lot smaller than all the stories Matty told of his little brother Sammy would have led him to believe. Unreasonably tall, really. "I'm Castiel. Hello, Samuel. It's nice to meet you. Matty talks about you a lot."

"Only the worst, I'm guessing. Nice meeting you too. I've bought your book as an e-book, I'll start it tonight." Sam smiled and then sat back down, while Castiel shook Bobby's hand, having walked over, and then Castiel went to Harry and held his hand out.

"Hello, boyfriend Harry. Do you like eggnog?" He was making conversation. "Matty will make some later. I will watch."

"Hello, Cas." Boyfriend Harry? Man, this hunk was so weird. Harry shook Castiel's hand with a small, amused smile. He bit back any teasing because he didn't want to be a total jerk. Yet. "Eggnog kind of grosses me out but I will be drinking some of the whiskey Bobby offered." It was pretty good, he was honestly surprised.

"Cas is eager for his first Die Hard experience. What about you, Harry?" See, Matty had learned, he even included Harry and asked things. He looked at Sam, almost looking at him like his brother should be proud.

"I'm mostly wondering if I'll be able to see Bruce Willis as hot or if he's 100% solidified in my head as an old dude." Harry confessed and that was honestly where his brainpower was going.

"I don't think he was ever really my type," Sam said honestly, "He's cool though, gotta give him that." Sam noticed Matty looking at him like that, idly wondering whether Matty expected to be fed a cookie every time he acknowledged Harry as a person. He knew better than to ask, Matty would never say no to a good cookie.

"It's Craig, the whiskey. I don't know if it'd be for you, Cas, but you could try." Bobby offered generously. "Matty's not getting any, he won't appreciate it properly."

"I only drink what Matty drinks. I am still getting used to alcohol." Now that it was no longer sinful. It still felt a little sinful at times.

"Then no whiskey. Honestly, the past few years, he's become a whiskey snob. Didn't used to matter what brand and now it's always the same, expensive stuff." Matty rolled his eyes as he dropped down on the couch and gestured for Castiel to sit anywhere he liked. "Pick a spot and chill, man. When we get a movie going, I'll grab us both a beer."

Matty did lean forward to eat a handful of chips, he always left food out right now. Just in case anyone got hungry or whatever.

"Craig is good stuff. It's one of the oldest distillery in Scotland, it's always imported - it's not cheap." Harry was impressed that Bobby went to the effort to import it. Well, Bobby or, more likely, Bobby's 'friend'.

"My friend's from around there, so he brings me the good stuff. At my age, you start to value quality." At least when it was so generously gifted to him. Honestly, it might have helped him off the path of being a severe alcoholic. Stuff like that wasn't just drunk the way he had drunk before. Always still sober enough to appreciate. Bobby took a sip now, then set the drink back down and checked his phone.

"Time for the movie?" Sam assumed it was, so he moved forward to get the DVD in and to make sure the television was in the right position. He was the biggest, seemed fair that he'd be the one to move furniture.

Castiel liked to sit right next to Matty, so that's where he was. Taking a chip and then looking at Harry. "Do you study at Stanford too?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm majoring in management science and engineering. The goal would be to go to the School of Business for my Masters but I don't know." He was basically as good as in because his father knew the program lead and nepotism was aggressive in these kind of academics but Harry wasn't sure how much he wanted to invest in running his dad's company. "My dad runs a company. It's tech, engineering, even some bioscience. The aim is for me to take over."

He looked at Sam and then smiled half heartedly. "I would have dropped out by now but I had a good motivation to stay."

"Okay, Die Hard time!" Matty swiftly diverted, not wanting to talk about college or how much Harry loved his brother. Getting up, he headed to the kitchen. "I'm grabbing beers. Anyone else?"

"I'll have one," Sam said, before also getting up so he could get something for Harry. He didn't think harry had eaten enough yet, so he went into the kitchen to get some cookies onto a plate. Sometimes Harry liked those, might as well give it a try.

"I want a beer too, Matty. Thank you." Castiel smiled at his friend and then looked at Harry, nodding his head. "It sounds very interesting. If you want to take over. We can talk more about it later. Everyone always told me I should study something like this to make a lot of money. I don't need a lot of money." That was the conclusion he'd arrived on.

"I like your book," Bobby mentioned. Because, yes, he'd read it. "Nice dedication." He had read that too.

"Thank you. I'm working on a new book now. My schedule is less hectic than it was at Harvard." It left more time for writing."

"You were at Harvard? And you work here now? Huh. That's one hell of a switch." And a weird switch too. Who went from Harvard to whatever shitty third rate college they had here. "I bet you get a good income from publishing. I haven't read your book, I'm not much of a reader. I like comics."

Sam was the reader, not him. He always let Sam read and summarise while he played video games or vaped.

"I think you and Bobby are the smartest people I've ever been in a room with." And that included his dad, all those annoying scientists and business elites. Bobby was a fucking genius or something, he knew so many languages and read so many books. "I guess South Dakota just appeals to intellectuals who aren't good with people."

"I ain't even finished high school, sonny. There's just not much to do out here, especially nowadays for me." So Bobby had taken to reading. He wasn't sure how much that said about his intelligence. Bobby heard the boys talk in Spanish over in the kitchen, but it seemed subdued. Just a friendly talk then, they were probably figuring out snacks while doing some tender brother contact in whatever way they managed. He'd leave them to it.

"I like that I have more freedom here. Matty has taught me a lot about the value of personal freedom. It's actually inspired my next book, on the concept of free will." He was still looking for a good title. "I'm lacking in social intelligence at times, so apologies if I offend you. I'm learning, there are some gaps in my education in those aspects. Most of my family are dicks."

As Matty put it.

"You have to work hard to offend me, man. Just don't call me queer and we're cool. I don't exactly have thin skin and I don't care about your weird energy. You're hot so it's hard to really notice it sometimes." Like yeah, obviously Castiel was nuts, he talked like Rain man and he was crazy smart but half the time, he was just looking into those beautiful eyes and not caring.

"So you and Matty are close. Sounds like he's your best friend." He didn't know what to make of Matty still but Bobby and Sam kept assuring him that Matty was cool, just an idiot. Or Idjit. "You have a lot of boys nights out?"

What was that round here? Mechanical bull riding? Strip joints? Sad bars?

"Yes. Sometimes we go out. Often I visit him or he visits me. I like talking to him and I sleep better when he is close by." Castiel simply answered the question, entirely oblivious to how he might be coming across. "Matty and I share a profound bond. Ever since we first met. I don't mind what we do together, it's always a positive experience."

Bobby looked at Cas, who came across as a deeply emotional robot, and it amused him. For so many reasons. Smiling, he sipped his whiskey and then talked to Harry. "You should read the dedication in his book when you've got a minute, son. Think you'll enjoy it."

"Woah, you and Matty sound... close." Harry turned and looked at Bobby, raising an eyebrow before he leaned forward and took Sam's phone. He knew his passcode so he keyed it in and looked for the app that he wanted. With kindle open, he settled himself comfortably on the couch as Matty and Sam re-entered.

Beers were passed around, the movie started up and Harry opened the book he wanted, looking at the dedication. He read it twice and then looked up at Bobby. Oh. My. God.

Matty had a boyfriend. Harry laughed quietly and mouthed to Bobby 'no way'.

Edited 2024-10-14 19:34 (UTC)

There it was, the dedication.

I dedicate this book to Matteo Tenaz, who has taught me the worth of free thinking and feeling free and who continues to inspire me. The most selfless person I have ever met. The most important person in my life.

Bobby glanced Harry's way as he read it and then, yes, he finally just grinned at him and nodded. What else was there to say to that? Other than to gesture at Castiel and Matty, who sat next to each other and, yes, they were close enough to be touching.

Sam was oblivious and not surprised that Harry was using his phone. He often did. He had an arm around his boyfriend, but he was looking at the screen. He missed his boyfriend looking at boyfriend. He also missed the way Castiel was looking at Matty.

Bobby did not. Bobby was entertained.

Holy shit. Castiel was in love with Matty and fucking Matty was oblivious. And, interestingly, pretty accommodating. Harry had no idea how to process any of this but a certain smugness came over him as he clicked out of the book and set the phone aside. Oh yeah, he was going to tell Sam but for now, he had to study the gay.

For the rest of the movie, he watched Matty and Cas. The way they touched each other, the way they whispered to each other and that brief moment that Cas basically held his hand.

And all the while, Harry would look at Bobby and raise his eyebrows. Holy shit.

As the movie came to an edge, Harry was relaxing against Sam, not watching the movie but watching the closet case mess across from him. "That was a good movie." It was mid. "What did you think, Cas?"

"I appreciate how John McClane talks to himself almost constantly. I also do that sometimes, it is good to see a hero have a similar way of conducting himself." Castiel could appreciate that. "I enjoyed it a lot more than Halloween. I find it less troubling. There was no moral conflict either, and it was seasonally appropriate."

"Yeah, I like it too," Sam said with a laugh, placing a kiss on the top of Harry's head, "You barely paid attention, I can tell. We'll have to pick something more up your alley one of those days."

"I watched it, I was just a little off focus." Because he just learned something amazing and had to analyse the entire time. "I guess it's also good to try new things. You try a lot of new things with Matty, huh?"

"He's got a lot of firsts, you know?" Matty informed Harry as he got up to grab another beer for Castiel. Harry smiled goofily. Holy shit.

"Yeah, a lot of firsts you two will have together." He looked at Castiel, knowing he'd never get it but he couldn't resist. "Any firsts left that you're really looking forward to?" Like making out? Losing his virginity? Marriage...

"It's the first time spending Christmas together. Matty told me that my current Christmas traditions are too sad, so I'll do it differently this year." With Matty, obviously. He smiled when Matty came back with the beer, taking it from him and loving when their fingers brushed. "There are a lot of things I've never done with anyone before."

Sam wasn't sure what was happening, but Harry seemed too happy and Bobby had his hat suspiciously low down, mostly hiding his face. What did he miss?

"So you two are having Christmas together?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Matty to see if he was embarrassed or awkward but not, he was smiling and put one hand on Cas's shoulder as he stood there, completely unaware.

"Yeah, otherwise he stays at home and prays or something. This year, he's coming to mine. I'll show him how you do Christmas. Then I'll cook. He'll finally experience the meat man's kitchen."

"... What?" Harry asked, unable to process how insane this was. "Woah." Fucking hell. "So Cas, you excited to eat some ... meat?" No, it was too easy.

"Yes. I've had his meat before." Castiel said it with a straight face as he, obviously, saw no reason not to. "You don't refuse any meat the meat man has for you."

Sam had a violent coughing fit all of a sudden, which was good. Distracted from Bobby snorting, because this was starting to be more than he could bear.

"I'm gonna go lie down or something," he announced, simply to have an excuse to leave before he had to laugh into the face of his Matty's incredibly weird courtship.

"Woah, hey, don't say it like that, man. Sounds weird." Matty rolled his eyes and then shook his head, gripping Cas a little tighter. "Grow up. You're just jealous you can't cook like me."

He didn't want them to tease Cas and he really hoped Cas didn't notice. Cas was often embarrassment proof so that was one of the big advantages of being his friend. "Hey, Cas, I'm gonna make Eggnog, do you want to come?"

"Another first." Harry said with an upbeat smile, looking at Castiel in amusement. "Lemme know how it goes."

"Yes, I do." Cas was completely oblivious, happily following Matty to make eggnog.

Sam's face was red from how hard he'd coughed and by the time he could breathe properly again, Bobby had left into his annex or whatever he called it. He looked at Harry and grinned, shaking his head. "You're bad."

That had been too funny. "He's probably on the spectrum, plus the weird upbringing, so don't make fun, yeah?"

"I'm not making fun of him. I like him. I'm just -- I can't help but poke at this. It's fascinating. I think they're dating." Harry admitted as he leaned forward and got Sam's phone, opening it up and clicking back into the book. He held the phone out to Sam, foreword showing. "This is from the book Cas wrote. The one you planned to read. Bobby told me about the forward."

He held his hands up in his own defence. "I wouldn't have really believed it until Bobby pointed it out. Honestly, part of the blame is on him."

"That's why he's hiding," Sam glanced in the direction of the door again, then he looked at his phone. Looked at the part Harry gestured to especially. Wow. His eyes wide, he shook his head. "I guess it's platonic..."

Had to be. No one was more no homo than Matty, no one was more eager to explore his heterosexuality. Although he had never been serious with a girl, too much of a player. "Maybe I should tell Matty though. In case he ought to let him down gently?"

"I think Matty knows, he just doesn't want to acknowledge it. You can force it to the forefront but I don't know. I think he's into Cas. When Cas got up to go to the bathroom and came back, your brother checked him out. Eye to dick level. It was wild. And he touches him a lot. A lot-lot. There's an energy." And it was hard to ignore, no matter how much of a homophobe Matty tried to be, it was there. The big, rainbow elephant in the room.

"What's more - I think Bobby thinks they're into each other." And Bobby knew Matty better than he did so it wasn't just his gay ass imagination.

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heydemon - 2024-10-14 20:30 (UTC) - Expand