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Castiel was beautiful from the first moment Dean had seen him.
Dean wasn’t sure what he had been expecting when he climbed that dilapidated tower in the middle of that forest all those months ago, but it sure as hell wasn’t a man with black wings jutting out from his shoulders. The dark ink-black wings with violet underlays and tips were absolutely stunning and the fact that Dean was one of very few people who actually got to see them made a slight trill of exhilaration run down his spine every time he thought about them.
It had been nearly a year now since Sam, Cas, and Dean had arrived back in the capital and reunited Castiel with his real family. Almost a year since Cas had seen the lanterns up-close for the first time, all bright-eyed with wonder and excitement, and Dean was doing everything within his power to make sure the second time he got to see them was just as magical.
“You should kiss him.” Sam whispered, elbow nudging Dean in the side. Dean glared at him, mumbled something about getting two separate boats to watch the lantern celebration, and Sam rolled his eyes. “It’s been a whole year, Dean. Just kiss him already.”
“Shut up, Sammy.”
“I’m just saying that--”
“Shut. Up. Sammy.” Dean murmured through gritted teeth, “He’s a prince.”
“ And you’re the knight who rescued him from a tower. How much more cliche do you two need to get before you realize that’s in lo--” Dean’s hand clapped over his mouth, effectively silencing him before he could say the dreaded L word.
“Shh.”
Sam pried Dean’s hand from his face and sighed, letting the issue drop as Dean went on to explain his elaborate plan for the lantern celebration this year. None of which, Sam begrudgingly accepted, had anything to do with accepting his feelings for Castiel. Unless, well, Sam did something about it.
-----
Sam was supposed to have been at the dock at 6pm to help Dean set up the boat for tonight’s celebration, and yet it was not 7 o’clock with no signs of his meddling little brother. Which, if Dean knew anything, it was that an absent Sam usually meant trouble of some sort heading his way, so his nerves were already on edge when Cas arrived at 8. His wings were tucked away, though Dean could see the outline of them through his light coat as he helped him onto the boat.
“Is Sam not coming with us?” Cas asked and Dean shook his head.
“Apparently not.”
Castiel hummed in response and smiled as Dean wrapped a blanket around his shoulders. As Dean rowed them out to the middle of the lake with two lanterns tucked underneath his seat just minutes before they were supposed to release them. And just as he had hoped, Cas’ eyes were bright with excitement and the corners of his mouth were upturned in a small, content smile. Dean felt his heart ache with fondness as he carefully handed Cas his lantern and watched as he let it go just above the water’s surface. Dean let his own lantern go up above them, and chuckled as it met Cas’, floating up into the sky side-by-side.
Cas came to sit beside him, reaching the blanket over Dean’s shoulders to share the warmth, and they watched as hundreds of lanterns drifted by, lights reflecting off the water and shining in the night air like wandering lightning bugs. When Dean finally looks back down at Cas, he’s surprised to find him staring not at the lanterns, but at himself.
“Do I have pie on my face or something?” Dean asked, heart beating a little quicker in his chest as he noticed Cas’ eyes flickering between staring into his eyes and glancing at his lips.
“No. If you did, I’d have wiped it off for you.” Cas said plainly, and Dean chuckled nervously. Cas reached out, tentatively touching Dean’s cheek and pausing. When Dean didn’t react, he moved forward, gently pressing their lips together. He pulled back a few moments later and smiled big and goofy and Dean stayed very still. Cas looked back up at the sky, once again watching the lanterns.
“You--” Dean started, but then stopped.
“I’ve loved you for a long time, Dean,” Cas’ took Dean’s hand into his own and leaned against him, his head resting heavy on Dean’s shoulder, “Thank you.”
Dean took a deep breath, trying to will his heart to stop pounding, and pecked a soft kiss to Cas’ hair, “Anything for you, angel.” Cas squeezed Dean’s hand and they stayed in comfortable silence as the last lanterns floated off into the horizon.