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Dean smiles sweetly, matching the sweet syrup covering the stack of heart-shaped pancakes he sets in front of Castiel. “You said ‘I love you’ for the first time a year ago today.”
Cas swallows a forkful before looking up at Dean. “No I didn’t. That wasn’t the first time.”
Dean freezes. He’s got one hand on the table and one on the back of the chair across from Cas, in the process of sitting down but not quite there. Cas can almost hear Dean’s brain short circuit. He has to stifle a laugh so he doesn’t choke on his new mouthful.
“What.”
Cas takes a moment to thoughtfully chew. Dean finally collapses onto his chair.
“It wasn’t the first time. I said ‘I love you’ when I was dying that - ”
“But you said ‘I love all of you’ right after,” Dean interrupts.
“True. But that first one was for you.” Cas steadies a slightly concerned gaze at Dean. “I thought you knew that.”
Dean just waves his hands in the air between them. “I, what? No, I - how could, huh? No.” His hands settle, one in his hair and the other gripping the table. “I thought. Well, what I always thought. We were family, so that’s all it was. Y’know.”
Cas reaches towards Dean, and Dean automatically reaches back. He holds one of Dean’s hands in both of his. “We were. We are family.” He traces his finger along Dean’s wedding band. “Now, especially. In the eyes of everyone important to us. The rest of our family.”
Dean softens. He brings his other hand to cover Cas’ own. “Yeah.”
Cas pats him and lets go. “Now that that’s settled, we can - ”
“Wait, wait, wait, it’s not settled. We haven’t had this discussion.” He points at Cas accusingly. “When did you know you loved me?”
Cas leans back in his chair and sighs. “Well, that’s a hard question. Looking back, I should have known much earlier, but in reality...I don’t think I really knew till I said it in that basement.”
Dean hits the table with his fist triumphantly. “So I was right! A year ago.”
Cas just smiles. “Okay, you’re right. Yes. A year.” He gets up, walks around the table and wraps his arms around Dean’s neck. He kisses the top of Dean’s head, then moves down to his cheek. Dean leans into it, as he always does. “Is this another anniversary we should celebrate?” Cas whispers into his ear.
With all the sincerity he can muster, Dean says, “I celebrate every time you say it.”
“Then I should say it more, shouldn’t I?”
“Yeah.”
“I love you, Dean.”
“I love you, too.”
Cas goes back to his place at the table and takes another bite of the pancakes Dean made for him. “These are great. I love you.”
Now that Cas is looking at him head on, he can see Dean’s blush. “All right, you don’t have to force it,” Dean chides.
Cas smiles. “I’m not. I love you.” And Cas knows Dean can’t deny the truth.
Dean shakes his head a little. “Whatever you say. I love you, too, you big sap.”
They finish their Spoken Love anniversary breakfast in companionable silence.