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Dean and Castiel walked carefully into the cursed woods.
They hadn’t been able to narrow down what, exactly, was effecting the area. Sam stayed back at bunker to research further while Dean insisted on casing the area. Castiel automatically offered to accompany him.
Dean had initially attempted to dissuade him, saying Sam needed help with research more than Dean did. In reality, Dean only said that because he actually wanted Castiel to accompany him too much. He’d expended so much energy over the years repressing anything he may have felt for his best friend that it was second nature. Thus, his continued attempts to keep Cass at arms length.
They walked side by side through the trees. The first indication that something was… different… was the bioluminescent lights that suddenly floated around them in the dim evening light.
Dean looked around. “What…?”
“Plankton,” Castiel said, looking around them in wonder.
“Come again?” Dean asked, frowning at him. He lifted his arm and swished it through the air, a trail of blue light showed his arm’s progress.
“Bioluminescent plankton.”
“Like the Chum Bucket dude from Sponge Bob?” Castiel didn’t dignify that with a response. They continued through the plankton and deeper into the woods. “Whoa…” A group of large, mushroom cap shaped blobs floated through the air a few feet above them. They glowed similarly to the plankton. “… jellyfish?”
Farther up, a resonating… vocalization sounded. The two stared in awe as the massive bodies of humpback whales swam through the air between the treetops.
Dean leaned into Castiel’s side. “This is impossible…” The pod passed above them and they continued even farther into the forest.
Castiel started, grasping onto Dean’s wrist as something zipped by his face. “What?” He blinked as he realized what the little creature was. “A seahorse…”
“I saw a video online once of a seahorse giving birth,” Dean said. “It was bizarre. Every time it contracted, a bazillion teeny little seahorses shot out of it.” Castiel gave him a look he translated as ‘what-the-fuck?’ He shrugged, sheepish. A splash caught their attention. He led Cass towards it, adjusting his grip so their fingers laced together. “Is that…?”
“A sparrow,” Castiel said. They watched as the bird jumped out of the water and dove right back down in an elegant arch. Barely visible in the rapidly dimming light, more birds flapped their wings below the surface of the pool of water. “This is incredible.”
They stood, arms slipping around each other’s waists, taking in the amazing, impossible scenes around them.
“We should head back,” Dean said softly, pressing a light kiss to Castiel’s temple. “Before we run into a shark or something.”
Castiel huffed, grinning. “I wouldn’t let Bruce eat you,” he said, affectionately pressing his lips to Dean’s jaw. Dean wasn’t sure if he was making a reference to Finding Nemo or Jaws. “But we should inform Sam of what we found.”
The two headed back the way they came, arms pulling back, fingers laced together. They could still see the bloom of jellyfish in the distance. Their hands dropped to the side as they waded thought the plankton.
Castiel slipped into the passenger seat as Dean called Sam. He leaned against the Impala, fingers tracing his jaw as he relayed the information. He hung up, still touching the spot on his jaw that had radiated warmth when…
Wait…
—30—