Work Text:
"Are you sure you don’t want Cas to come and heal you up?" Dean asked for the millionth time. Charlie rolled her eyes at him, slightly annoyed by his constant questioning.
"I told you I’m fine Dean. Besides, a few cuts and scrapes can go a long way with the ladies, ya know what I mean?" she replied, winking. Dean did know what she meant. How many times had he used his injuries from the hunt to pick up a girl or two? Still, he felt terrible about hurting her. He wanted to make sure that she was okay.
"Are you sure?" he asked one more time. Charlie walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes. I’m sure," she said with a small smile. Dean pulled her in for a hug and let his chin rest on her head. After a few seconds, Charlie pulled back and looked up at Dean.
"Although, I would like to finally meet the guy. I have known you for how long now and I still haven’t." Dean smiled at that and before he could even form a prayer in his head, let alone out loud, Cas was standing in the bunker’s war room, hair disheveled and eyebrows furrowed.
"Hello, Dean."
Charlie jumped at his voice and peered around Dean’s body. She smiled brightly and practically ran over to him. Dean hung his head and tried not to laugh. Seeing Charlie smiling put Dean in a better mood and he worried less about her. She was his best friend and if he’d hurt her…well he didn’t want to think about it. Instead, he turned around and followed Charlie to where Cas was standing.
"Cas, Charlie. Charlie, Cas," he said, gesturing between the two of them.
"Hi!" Charlie said, sticking her hand out. Castiel looked down at it then back up at Charlie. He slowly took her hand in his and shook it up and down.
"Hello, Charlie. Nice to meet you," he replied and let her hand drop. Cas looked back to Dean, and he looked at him. Dean knew they did this a lot and although no one ever said anything about it, he knew it was a little strange. At first he just put it off as Cas being an angel and not understanding human interactions but then he noticed he only ever shared these looks with him. Not Sam, not Bobby. No one. Ever. It should put him off, he knew that, but it didn’t. He let it happen time and time again, never fully understanding why. Charlie cleared her throat loudly, causing Dean to break the eye contact and stare down at her.
"Okay, well I’m gonna go find Sam," she said cautiously, "You two..do whatever it is you do." She turned on her heels and walked down the hallway. When she was out of sight, Dean let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.
"Are you okay, Dean?" Cas asked.
"No Cas. No I’m not okay. This damned mark is getting out of control. Did you see her, Cas? I did that to her. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to last man.”
"We will figure this out, Dean. Me and Sam. We can do it." Dean studied Cas face. He was tired. There were bags under his eyes and his shoulders slouched just slightly. Dean wished that none of this had ever happened. He wished that they all lived normal lives and everything was okay. But these were the cards he was dealt and now he has to play them.
"And if you don’t? What then? The longer we sit here, the worse it gets. We are no closer to finding a cure than we were a month ago, Cas. We might just have to start thinking about -"
"No. I will not let you die Dean," Cas said, cutting him off.
"And I won’t keep hurting the people I care about!" he yelled. Cas’ face fell then, and Dean huffed out a breath. He turned and sat down in one of the many chairs surrounding the table. "I can’t hurt anyone else, Cas. I just can’t."
Charlie came bouncing into the room. She looked back and forth between the two and shrugged her shoulders. Walking over to them, she sat down in the chair next to Dean.
"Cas, Sam wants you. He has a question about some lore or something." He nodded at her and headed towards the library.
"So Dean," Charlie said once Cas was gone.
"Charlie?" he responded hesitantly.
"You gonna tap that or what?" Dean froze. Was he gonna what now? Charlie couldn’t be serious, could she? He didn’t say anything, just stared at her with a dumbfounded look on his face.
"Oh come one Dean. I knew you were a little slow at this stuff but really? You’re gonna deny that you love him?"
"Charlie, I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about," he said shaking his head.
"You are so dense! Dean Winchester you are in love with that boy and he loves you. If you don’t do anything about it, so help me god I will rip you a new one."
"Seriously Charlie. Where is all this coming from?" Dean felt like he was having an out of body experience. He’d spent so long trying to block out his feeling towards Cas and now he was being confronted by it, by Charlie of all people. So he continued to play dumb.
"Okay, I know Chuck stopped publishing books after No Rest for the Wicked but he didn’t stop writing them and you’re looking at the best computer hacker in this country. I know your thoughts, Dean. You can’t hide from me,” she said with a stern look on her face. Before Dean could respond however, Cas had reappeared in the war room looking disgruntled.
"Sam did not want me Charlie," he stated.
"Oh really? My bad. See ya guys later!" she said practically skipping out of the room. Castiel came to sit in the chair that Charlie had just vacated.
"What’s the matter Dean?" he asked softly. That’s the thing about Cas. No matter how hard Dean tried to put on a front and act like everything was okay, he always saw right through it.
"I don’t know man. Charlie thinks you love me," he said dejectedly. There was no going back now. He stole a glance at Cas’ face but saw nothing etched there.
"I do love you Dean," he said, matter-of-factly.
"No Cas. I mean like in love with me.”
”I know what you meant Dean. And she’s right.”
"It’s okay man. You don’t - Wait, what?" Dean didn’t know what he expected out of this conversation but it certainly wasn’t that.
"I love you, Dean. I thought that was obvious given all that I’ve done for you. And don’t worry, I have come to terms with the fact that you don’t love me a long time ago." Cas didn’t look sad about it. He looked like how he said, like he had accepted the fact and moved on.
"No wait. Cas I…I’m not," Dean couldn’t form his words properly. He was confused, his head hurt and his heart was beating a million times a minute inside his ribcage.
"What Dean?" Cas asked, tilted his head.
"I…uh. I love you, too," he whispered. He knew Cas could hear him though. The boys couldn’t see them, but Charlie and Sam were peaking their heads into the room. Sam breathed out a breathe at the confession.
"Atta boy," said Charlie, smiling brightly.