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Sorry, you have me confused with the other angel. You know, the one in the dirty trench coat who's in love with you.
— Balthazar to Dean.
Time moved differently for souls in Heaven since Jack became God. In the fifteen or twenty minutes Dean spent in Heaven following his death, Sam enjoyed a lifetime on Earth, marrying and raising a family. It was what he had always wanted for his little brother, a chance for happiness. There was a time when he thought he wanted that too but the Hunter life was too ingrained, all the way down to his bones. Once he had greeted Sam they had talked for a while, but eventually Sam moved on to find his new family as they reached the end of their time on Earth. Dean knew he would see Sam again soon, knew he would meet Sam's wife and the son they had named in Dean's honor, but the bond between them was no longer the same as it had been on Earth.
Sam had grown up. He had changed... in a good way. He had been happy, and Dean loved him all the more for seeing this change.
Hell had been the opposite to Heaven with a month on Earth equivalent to ten years in Hell. By the time Castiel grabbed him by the arm and pulled him from perdition he had been in Hell for forty years. He still remembered those decades and what he had become - broken and cold. He still recalled all the many ways he could torture a soul, having learned from the best. That darkness was a part of him now, or perhaps it had always been a part of him, fueling the anger that drove him to fight and keep on fighting.
He didn't need to fight anymore.
Dean gazed over towards the skyline, trying to enjoy this little bit of Heaven specially carved out for him, and found it wanting. He was not meant for a quiet existence. He had seen too much of the light and the dark. It existed inside him, pulling him in too many directions to find peace in this one small place. Other feelings and longings tore at his soul; things he had found harder and harder to deny while he lived, and now those feelings were starting to overwhelm him. Long denied feelings of want and need, honed on the battlefield, nurtured during those few moments of peace in between. Fear and courage, laughter and pain, too naive in some matters and yet too worldy-wise in others.
His thoughts turned instantly to Castiel, and he smiled as he felt a soft caress of warm air across his skin.
Dean glanced sideways with a smile, feeling a warmth at his shoulder blossoming in his heart and soul. "Hey, Cas."
"Dean."
He turned fully, reaching out as Castiel turned to face him, seeing the reflection of his own smile in Castiel's beautiful eyes. Raising a hand Dean hesitated for a moment before cupping Castiel's face, thumb brushing across a cheekbone as he searched Castiel's eyes for any confusion or discomfort, finding none. Instead Castiel raised his own hand to gently caress Dean's cheek in turn. Strange how easy it had been to find the courage to face a demon in battle, to go up against vampires and leviathans... and God himself, and yet he had been so afraid of this; this first brush of Castiel's lips against his, the first taste as lips parted to deepen the kiss.
It was heavenly, and like falling, and yet he knew Castiel would catch him. Trusted him. Allowed Heaven to reshape itself around them until they were falling naked onto a bed of moss, wrapped around each other as Dean let go of the last vestiges of his fear and allowed himself to be loved. Afterwards, as he basked in the glow of pleasure finally sated after all these years of wanting, he let his head drop, cushioned on Castiel's bare shoulder.
"You told me you love me... and I never said it back."
Castiel pressed a kiss against Dean's hair. "I'm here now."
Dean rolled and pushed up onto his elbows so he could look into Castiel's eyes.
"You changed me too," he said, calling back on Castiel's last words to him, remembering how cold and empty he had felt after those years in Hell. "I love you too."
Dean settled back down on Castiel's shoulder, still buzzing from the warmth of his lover's smile. Peace settled around them but Dean knew it was just a moment in time, already feeling the need to do something, to move, to... keep on fighting, protecting. He felt Castiel's arms tighten around him for a moment before, with a flurry of motion, they were both dressed, and both standing. Heaven had changed around them once more and they were in the corridor outside the room that had been created to be his small piece of forever; a room that already felt too constrictive after just a short time.
Castiel took Dean's hand and they walked slowly together, finally stepping into the vast hall where Chuck had liked to preside over Dean;s world and all the universes beyond, before he became bored with it all.
"Jack," Dean smiled and hugged him, savoring the memories both past and present.
Eventually Jack pulled back, still smiling gently, leaving one hand on Dean's shoulder, the other on Castiel's. "You'll never be at peace here, Dean. You need purpose." He looked across at Castiel, squeezing their shoulders before his hands dropped away. "Both of you."
He reached out again but this time he pressed a hand against each of them over the heart, eyes closing for a moment. Dean felt it. Felt something stirring deep inside, expanding outward until he felt as tall as the Chrysler building. He was filled with a power he had felt before, but this time it was a welcome part of him. With it came knowledge, deep and ancient.
"My new Archangels," Jack stated softly.
His body felt different and Dean knew Jack had changed him, stripping away the harder years, making this body a permanent host for him in Heaven, Hell, and all the places in between. He knew Chuck had done something similar to Castiel's host body when he promoted Castiel to a Seraphim. He felt younger, stronger and when he turned to face Castiel he could see similar joy in his startling blue eyes, for both of them. It was one hell of an upgrade.
Jack placed a hand on the shoulder of each of his new archangels. "Chuck created many universes before and after this one. So many even he lost count, but I can see them all. Some need only a gentle guiding hand, but others need your combined strength to find the right path."
For a moment Dean thought of Sam, but he knew Jack had a different plan for his brother, one that would give Sam all he needed and wanted in his afterlife. He would be happy and content and fulfilled, and that was all Dean had ever wanted for him. Dean smiled brightly, looking between Jack and Castiel; two beings he loved with every fiber of his heart and soul. He had fought beside Castiel for years as a human, a mortal, and now he could have eternity with him by his side, as his brother-in-arms, his partner, his best friend... and his lover.
It was all Dean ever wanted.
"So where do we start?"
END