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Retirement turns out to be for the birds. Sam is content taking online classes and volunteering at the animal shelter in Mankato. Dean can’t sit still and do nothing. So when Cas asks if they could turn a clearing on the grounds into a garden Dean jumps at it. A million trips to Menards, garden centers and back yard greenhouses and it’s finally looking like something. Dean starts to get restless as the end of the project seems near.
“So Cas- what’s next?” he asks when they share a beer in the cool evening air after putting the last part of the fence up. He has been enjoying the manual labor immensely, having the sweaty ex-angel by his side was just a bonus.
“Bees,” Cas says without any more clarification.
Turns out Cas was serious and two weeks later Dean’s installed the neat row of apiaries along the garden edge.
Cas even got a ridiculous beekeeper outfit and is happily collecting their first harvest of homegrown honey as Dean watches from the picnic table he built. He’s lost in thought as he watches Cas’ elegant hands work the honeycomb free. The guy looks so happy, it makes Dean smile.
Sam walks up with the pizza he picked up for dinner when he spots the two men in the garden where they are more often than not these days.
“Not the honey pot I pictured you ending up with, but can’t say I object.”
Dean chokes on his beer “What?!” he ends up coughing and unable to come up with a more articulate reply.
“Come on Dean. It’s obvious. I’m just saying - you guys make sense. I’m happy for you.” Sam says it so matter-of-factly like it’s not a big deal. Maybe it’s not.
Dean opens and closes his mouth a few times and then just stares over at Castiel who is now closing everything back up.
Dean reaches out for another beer from the six pack and walks over. “Hey hun, want a beer?”
Castiel blushes so deep he can see it through the veil but he takes the beer- fingers lingering on Dean’s for a second longer as they stare at each other. Sam’s laughter rings through the clearing.
Retirement is amazing.