It's Been Four Years

Castiel had officially been a student for a week, and he and Dean had settled in to their independent lifestyle pretty quickly. Dean had started work at a local garage the day after they moved to Cambridge, determined to be able to provide for the two of them without Castiel having to use his family's money.

Cas came home from a day of lectures, kicked his shoes off at the door and joined Dean in the kitchen, where he was cooking dinner. Dean's face lit up when he saw his boyfriend walk in.

"Afternoon! Good day of learning?"

Cas smiled; "yes... I've been invited to a get-together."

Dean chuckled; "a student get-together? You know they're full of drugs and sex, right?"

Cas chuckled too, pressing a quick kiss to Dean's cheek; "it's not that kind of get-together."

"You sure? I don't want to be bailing you out of jail when you're arrested for being drunk and disorderly and streaking down the high street."

"It's like you don't know me at all!"

"Oh I know you very well," Dean grinned, slipping his arms around his boyfriend's waist. Castiel hummed mindlessly, looking around the kitchen, still amazed it was all theirs.

"So do you think I should go?"

"God yeah! Go make some friends, Cas! I'd like their parents' numbers though, and ring me if you're planning a sleepover."

Castiel laughed, pulling out of Dean's arms; "I think you're taking your role as my protector too seriously."

"Nope. I promised your brother nothing would happen to you."

"Does that include having fun?"

"Only when it's had without me... So when is this party? Do you need a ride?"

"It's in the dorms. Tessa and Ava's room..."

Dean pretended to be shocked; "girls? Cas!"

"I met them in one of my required courses. Along with Victor, Garth, and Patrick - who's from Ireland."

"I'm so proud of you! Making friends!"

Cas smiled meekly; "it's about time, huh?"

"Long overdue, yes."

"What will you do tonight?"

"Well, now I'm cooking for one, I'm going to pig out to the Terminator movies. Good job I can eat enough to feed a small family, eh?"

Castiel let out a soft chuckle; "you could always refrigerate what's left over. You don't need to eat all of it."

"Don't be stupid. Now, what time time are you going over?"

**

The door swung open, Castiel was greeted by an average height girl with shoulder-length brown hair and a warm smile; "Castiel! We were beginning to think you weren't coming!"

Cas smiled back and let himself be ushered in to the dorm room; "I apologise. My partner got very clingy in the car. It's a rare occurrence for me to socialise by myself."

"Aww, that's sweet. You can tell us all about them."

She took his coat, offered him a drink and led him through to the living room where everyone else was gathered.

"Cas! You made it!" Garth grinned, holding up his beer. Ava moved up along the sofa and patted the space next to her.

"We were discussing our upbringings. Patrick came from a strictly Catholic family and got emancipated," Garth explained. Castiel nodded and glanced around at everyone.

"I'm from Jersey, just me and my dad," Tessa smiled; "everyone in the neighbourhood nicknamed him Death, because he was creepy looking."

Victor laughed; "is he creepy looking?"

"A little, yeah. And he's pretty intimidating; but he's my dad, and he's cool."

The six of them discussed their families and home lives - Castiel trying his best to skim over the details - before Ava brought up relationships.

"I don't know why I brought it up. It's always a sore spot for me," she sniffed, after attempting to tell everyone about her late boyfriend. Tessa smiled meekly and patted her arm.

"It's okay... Victor. You go first.!"

Victor smirked; "there's not much to tell. I've had my fair share of high-school relationships, lasting a month at most."

"Do you ever want to settle down? Have kids?"

"Sure, one day. But I'm not even 20 yet! I don't plan on a wife and kids for a long time..."

Tessa suddenly perked up; "Castiel! You're in a relationship, right?"

Cas smiled, blushing slightly as everyone focused on him; "I'll have been with Dean a year in October."

"You're gay?" Patrick asked. Cas shook his head.

"It's complicated, but I'm not gay... I'm asexual."

Ava suddenly squealed; "I know about that! I have a friend back home who's asexual! Are you homoromantic? She is!"

Cas shook his head again; "panromantic. Although everyone who knows me jsut says I'm Dean-sexual."

"That's cute," Tessa smiled; "is he your first?"

"Yes. He's... Wonderful. Very understanding. I'm a difficult partner, and he's very patient."

"Difficult how?" Garth pried. Castiel reached for his glass of water, taking a large gulp, before responding.

"I'm very... Well, I'm very frigid and awkward. I don't really... I'm not interested in sex. At all. And he is. But from the start he was just very patient; understanding when I didn't want him to hug me or kiss me."

"So you had like, massive boundaries?" Ava asked.

"Yes. And Dean respected them completely."

The girls "aww"ed. Victor frowned.

"So what does he... Do? Y'know... About..."

"He said he's content masturbating."

Everyone besides Patrick giggled.

"But, I gave him permission seek sexual gratification elsewhere if he so wishes."

"Tessa blanched; "you've letting him sleep with other people?"

"Yes," Cas replied calmly; "he doesn't tell me about what he does, obviously. But he has permission."

"Dude..."

Castiel shrugged; "we work..."

"So does that mean you're a virgin?" Victor asked. Both Tessa and Ava reached over and slapped a leg each.

"Victor! You don't have to answer that, Cas," Ava said, forcing a smile. Cas blushed.

"Well... I suppose with me technically being in a homosexual relationship, at what point would I lose my virginity?"

"Well... I suppose when you go all the way, but... Have you done stuff?"

"Sexual things? Yes."

"Not kissing and things, I mean-"

"-I know what you meant, and the answer's still yes."

Garth narrowed his eyes; "but you said-"

"-Yes. You see... I had... Issues with sex. On the one hand I didn't want it because I didn't care, but also because I was... Scared, I suppose. And I didn't want Dean to sleep with other people. I gave him permission but... So, with his help I tried to get over my issues with intimacy."

Ava smirked; "so it worked?"

"To an extent. Things have happened a few times. Nothing 'major' and all but one time was for his pleasure, not mine. But yes. Dean and I have been intimate. And it only happened because he is the most understanding human I've ever met. Her's a real saint... I don't know what I'd do without him."

Ava, Tessa, and even Garth "aww"ed.

"That's so romantic," Tessa sighed. Everyone took a moment to enjoy Cas' tale, before Patrick mused about a girl he left back in Ireland.