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Castiel and Dean relaxed on their front porch, overlooking the lake in Washington. They were on a bench swing with Dean's head comfortably nestled in Castiel's lap. They watched fireflies sparkle over the lake in a companionable silence. They wanted to enjoy a few minutes of quiet because the following day they were closing their fishing shop for the season to return to Kansas. Sam's and Lexie's baby was due to arrive the following week, and they knew that things would be chaotic and noisy in the bunker with their entire family. Mary and Rowena were already there. Tabbris and Reya were returning from a hunt the next evening. Nobody knew when Jack and Gabriel would pop up. Although Castiel and Dean enjoyed being around their loud, exuberant family, they also longed for the serenity that they had found working together every day in their small business. Unlike the other fishing businesses in the area, they catered to the people who wanted the old-time fishing experience before there were computers, holographic projects, and soundwave analyzers that allowed people to know exactly where fish were. Their business boomed during the summer months and quieted down during the winter. The two liked the winter months best because they could relax and focus on each other. This year, however, they were going to spend the entire winter in Kansas with the rest of the family, so they could welcome the newest Winchester into the fold.
Castiel ran his fingers through Dean's hair as they watched the fireflies. Mist started rising from the water as the sun fell behind the mountains. The stars began to shine and shimmer in the sky.
Dean sighed, "Tomorrow, we'll leave this all behind."
"You miss Sam horribly, admit it."
"Of course, I do. We haven't seen the moose in a month. But, I've gotten used to the solitude."
Castiel pulled Dean's hand to his face to kiss it. "There won't be any solitude once the baby arrives. It's amazing the amount of destruction a small infant leaves in its wake."
"You still ever think about having kids, Cas?" Dean smiled up at Castiel.
"I have Jack. He's enough. However, I've always told you this was your decision. We will do whatever you'd like."
Dean chewed on his bottom lip for a second, "Nah, I think we're good. We can just spoil Sam's. Besides, you are right. If you want to come with me after I die, best not to make conflicted loyalties."
"I always want to follow you, Dean, wherever that journey takes us."
Castiel touched Dean's temple, frowning slightly at the silver highlights in his hair. Dean was getting older, while Castiel didn't. Castiel found it distressing, but he accepted there was nothing he could do about the natural aging process.
Dean noticed Castiel's reaction and smiled at him fondly, "When I'm in my seventies, everyone's going to think I'm so lucky to have such a hot, young husband."
Castiel looked at him straight-faced and said, "Don't they already think that?" A trace of a smirk edged up one corner of Castiel's mouth.
Dean shrugged slightly, "Yeah, pretty much."
Castiel looked out at the fireflies deep in thought, "I'm the lucky one, Dean."
"Actually, you're the smart one, Cas. You're the reason we have this. You saved the world."
Castiel snorted, "Pretty sure that both of us, as well as several others, played a role in that."
Dean sat up and looked at Castiel seriously, "I mean it. You saw the good in Jack. Without you going to bat for Jack, we'd never have had him to help us set everything right. Hell wouldn't be closed for business; Heaven would still be jacked up. You always had faith in Jack."
Castiel put an arm around Dean and pulled him close. "It was easy to have faith in Jack."
"I didn't. I wanted to make sure he wasn't born and then gank him after he was. If Sam hadn't stopped me, I don't know what would have happened." Dean sighed remorsefully.
Castiel scoffed, "You would have come to the right decision in the end, Dean, with or without me. You would never have forced Kelly to do something against her will. You are too good for that. Besides, like I said, it was easy for me."
"You had faith."
Castiel shook his head, "No, I saw the future."
"You saw paradise."
"Exactly."
Dean furrowed his brow, "But how did you know it was real?"
"He showed me a future I never knew I could have. It was nothing pulled from my subconscious; I knew it wasn't a trick."
Dean narrowed his eyes, "You said it was paradise. A world without pain or hunger or want. "
Castiel turned to face Dean and pulled both of his hands into his own. He gently said, "What I saw, Dean, was this. This moment. Here on the lake with the fireflies. Right as we are now."
Dean looked confused, "Then how did you know it was real?"
"If the world was in danger. If the world needed us. If there were things still threatening the world, we wouldn't be here enjoying our life. We'd be out there somewhere, fighting for the people who needed us. We would go down swinging during some apocalypse. I didn't expect this ending. I didn't know this was possible. But I knew the vision had to be real because I didn't know how much I wanted this until I saw it."
"But you never said anything?"
Castiel shrugged, "When you think you know destiny and how things should be, more often than not, you screw things up by trying to make it happen. Jack gave me faith, hope, dreams. It all kept going through my darkest times, when I was captured by Asmodeus, when I was in the Empty, on the plains during the Heavens Battle. I'm sorry I didn't share it, but I couldn't bear you not believing in it too."
Dean replied, "I don't deserve you, Cas. I never did. But I'm damned happy with the way life has turned out."
"You don't think you deserved to be saved?" Castiel smiled gently.
"We earned this, Cas. We both did."
"I agree. Now, lay back down and sleep. I want to spend the night out here on the porch."
Dean settled back down on the bench, with his head on Castiel's lap. As they watched the stars, Dean relaxed and drifted slowly off to sleep as Castiel rubbed his back in gentle circles. Castiel began to sing softly, "Carry on my wayward son. For there'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest. Don't you cry no more."