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“Dean?”
Castiel’s voice was as clear as day, and it punctured Dean’s very soul. It was something he hadn’t heard in a long, long time.
Cas, looking the same as he always had with his tan overcoat swaying in the gentle breeze, his black suit with the white shirt, and the blue tie. And those blue, blue eyes. And he smiled, and he was coming towards Dean across the old, wooden bridge they both stood upon that held them up above a plentiful river.
Birds sang in the conifers, and Dean thought he might cry.
Was this Heaven?
He’d died.
Of course he’d died. Everyone died. He was sure old age had taken him.
And… And there was his angel.
Suddenly, he ran to Cas, and Cas’ large, warm hands were holding his face.
“I never stopped,” Dean blurted out, words coming before he could barely think. There was too much to think. Castiel was in front of him, holding him! He was here ! “I never stopped trying to get you out. I swear, I swear on—on my life, m-my mother, Miracle the dog, whatever…”
All the pain of those lonely years, those long nights, flooded back, and he gripped Cas like he was going to disappear into darkness again.
Castiel caressed Dean’s face.
“Dean, it’s all right.” And then he raised an eyebrow. “Who’s Miracle?”
“I sort of got a dog.”
“I thought you hated dogs.”
“Things change.”
He was searching Castiel’s face, this close, seeing if he’d changed. Cas was doing the same. He had to be.
Would Cas still love who he was, after all this time? After everything? After failing him?
“Cas—” he tried to get out, breath hitching in his throat, chest aching.
“I never stopped either,” Castiel interrupted.
Dean frowned in confusion, his deepest of apologies cut short. “What?”
“I never stopped loving you.”
They pressed their foreheads together, Dean holding Cas tight. “Oh god, I never… I never stopped missing you, searching for you. Sammy… Sammy got so worried he almost made me see a shrink. I missed you, Cas. So much.”
“I missed you, too, Dean.”
Then they were hugging, Dean’s chin resting against Cas’ shoulder and he found that he was looking at the green of trees through a blurry sheen of tears.
When they pulled apart, there was no hesitation. Dean kissed Cas, and that broken heart that lived, beating pitifully in his chest, was healed. Years of pain, years of loss—gone. All gone.
Cas pulled away, and said, “Welcome to Heaven.”