Chapter Text
When he heard the voice at his back, Dean experienced his first negative emotion since he’d died and gone to Heaven.
In contrast to how eager he’d been to turn around when he knew it was Sam standing behind him on the bridge, he was loathe to do so now.
“Dean,” a familiar voice uttered.
“Cass,” Dean acknowledged without moving. “What do you want?”
“As you’ve probably heard, Jack freed me from the Empty to help with the building of this new improved Heaven. When I...heard you had arrived, I waited, thinking that you might have searched me out, but when that didn’t happen, I decided to come to you. I was...eager to see you again. Dean.”
“Well, now that you’ve seen me, Dude, I’d rather you left before Sam comes outside,“ Dean replied curtly. He didn’t want the angel hanging around. It made him uncomfortable. The Winchesters’ life on Earth was over and Dean wanted those earthly adventures to remain in the past.
“I thought you would be more welcoming, Dean.”
When Dean did turn around, it was to observe a confused expression on the angel’s face.
“Well, you thought wrong, Cass. Sam and I prefer to be left alone. We’re still getting used to this new plane of existence, and we need time to adjust before looking for a social life.”
Dean wasn’t quite sure why he should feel so annoyed by Castiel showing up at their little cabin, though he knew that the angel’s declaration of love to him just before the Empty had dragged him off, was probably the principal reason.
Dean had stood unmoving, disconcerted by the words of praise and admiration Castiel had showered down on him, but what had shocked him most was the unequivocal declaration of romantic love towards him. A love Dean had never imagined nor considered.
He’d tried to be a friend to the angel, but no more nor less than to many others, such as Garth or Jody.
Never had it entered his mind that Castiel nurtured such feelings towards him and even if it had, Dean would only have felt embarrassed and uncomfortable, exactly how he was feeling right now.
“I’d like you to go, Cass. I don’t want Sam to see you.”
“But…I’m sure your brother would be happy to see me, Dean.”
“Maybe, but even here in Heaven, he’s mine to protect and I don’t want you near him. You made a grave error in saying what you did, for if you “love” me, then what do you feel for Sam...huh? Cos you see Cass, there’s only room in my heart for one person and that person is not and never will be you.
You dug this gulf between us with your own hands, now you’re going to have to live with the consequences. I’d like you to go now…and don’t come back.”
“Dean…”
“Now!” Dean’s voice was remorseless.
The angel tilted his head as if in acceptance, then vanished.
Just in time, Dean snorted when he heard Sam’s footsteps approaching, the wooden floor of the cabin creaking beneath his weight.
The angel had always been ambiguous and he’d hurt Sam more than once.
Heaven was a new life for himself and Sammy, and he didn’t want vestiges of their experiences on Earth to come back and bite them in the ass. Castiel was one of those vestiges.
Dean might have been more understanding if he hadn’t thrown the ‘ I love you ‘ crap at him, but the older Winchester was well aware from personal experience that ‘love’ could make you do the most outlandish of things, and a love-sick angel with his powers intact was a danger to have around, even in Heaven.
“I thought I heard voices,“ Sam said as he joined Dean outside on the deck.
“Na, it was only me going over the words of a song. I think I’m going to invest in a Karaoke, Sam. Singing along to the music was the only good thing I remember about being a demon.”
Sam grinned. “Then I’m going to have to find a spot to hang out when you start caterwauling.”
“Nuh...Uh,” Dean retorted clapping a possessive hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You’re going to have to suffer through it, maybe join in, for there’s no way I’m ever letting you out of my sight again.”
Sam rolled his eyes. ” We’re dead Dean. It’s not as if I can be killed again.”
“Yeah, well, we’re just getting acquainted with our new home, Sammy. Trust is good, but a healthy distrust is better!”
And with that, Dean launched into “Highway To Hell", his hands strumming on an air guitar, leaving Sam to shake his head in amusement at his sibling’s antics.