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Cas wakes to Dean already awake and wondering around the room. Windows thrown open and a lazy breeze floating though. He lays in silence watching the carefree way the hunter moves about the place. Finally having peace has done something for the way Dean holds himself. It's truly a sight to behold. One Cas wishes he would have seen more of in life.
"I know you're awake, sunshine." Dean says as he turns around from the closet. Cas smiles back "Hello, Dean".
Dean lays the tee shirt he was getting ready to put on, over the back of the chair by the bed. And crawls back in. "I thought we'd take baby for a spin today, if that's okay? Maybe take you to my favorite fishing spot, cast a line or two. Whatcha say, Cas?"
"Sounds lovely, Dean."
"Good. Get moving sunshine. And Cas, as much as I love it, lose the tax accountant get up today. Wear something of mine." Dean nods his back to the closet. Then gets up, grabs his shirt and heads out the room with a "We hit the road in 30!".
Cas looks at the coat on the back of the chair that sits near his side of the bed, and thinks maybe it's time to retire the angel look. Dean has been casually mentioning Cas wear his clothes since they settled in. So he picks Dean's worn Zeppelin shirt and a pair of black jeans. He foregoes the flannel. Never understanding the layers Dean favors.
When he arrives down stairs Dean is at the coffee pot, pouring them both a fresh cup. Cas likes that here, he can enjoy the simple things like coffee with Dean.
Dean looks up when Cas comes into the room, and does a double take up and down.
"This outfit acceptable?" Cas asks, arms spread wide. Dean can see the way the old zep shirt hugs Cas in all the right spots.
"Uh, Yeah. Yeah, Cas good choice. It uh, it looks good. Keep those jeans. They fit you nice."
"Okay, Dean."
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They hit the road after a quick breakfast. Cas gets the tape box from under the seat and shuffles though to find something for the ride. He doesn't recognize the unlabeled one, so he pops it in.
Guitar feels the air and Dean makes a aborted motion to shut it off, but before he can his own voice comes out the speakers;
"Listened to yesterday
Long before the way it has become
And it all came down to you"
"Dean, I didnt know you sing?" Cas says, looking at Dean.
"I, uh. I don't. Not really. But I thought I'd give it a shot. You know? We can turn it off. It's not good. And I know that. I definitely ain't no Robert Plant." He reaches over to kick the tape out and Cas stops him. "No, Dean. I want to hear it."
"Um, okay, Cas. Go ahead I guess." Dean shrugs. Trying to go for uninterested.
Cas reaches over and turns it up.
"In a world we can call our own
You'll find shelter darlin'
Where I'll always promise to
Never let it be
I don't want to be the one to say it's wrong
When the heavens open and a new day comes along
I know I would rather be together alone
In a big top circle and a world we can call our own
Yeah it's all our own"
The song comes to a end and Dean pops the tape out. He glances over at Cas, who's staring at him with this stunned look on his face. "What?" Dean snaps. "I told you it was bad. But you insisted."
"No, Dean. No. It was beautiful. When did you write that?" Cas asks.
"After, uh. After we got here. After you came to me."
"Is..is it about, us?" Cas asks hesitantly.
Dean pulls up to the lake, the one from that dream meeting all those years ago. And cuts the engine.
"I mean, yeah. I hoped this would be our own little corner of happiness. I hoped you would stay. Truly stay. I know I don't say it like I should. But I do love you, Cas. I have, for years." Dean pulls the keys from the ignition, "Let's go fish, Cas." And gets out before Cas can reply.
Cas gets out and follows Dean to the back of the Impala, she no longer houses a truck of hunters tools, but now gets used for mundane, every day things. They pull out all the fishing equipment in relative silence. Cas wants to ask if there's more on that tape.
They head down to the dock and set up their chairs and Dean pulls a few beers and bait from the cooler. "Now, do you know how to fish, Cas?"
"I know the theory. But I've never had the chance to fish." Cas says.
"Okay, so you take one of these night crawlers, and put it through the hook." Dean holds up the night crawler and threads it through the hook. "These are good for Bass and Walleye mostly. Bass love these things. I'm gonna start you with a closed face rod. Like this one. It's simpler to cast."
Dean hands Cas the pole, and baits his own, also closed face, so he can walk Cas through.
"Alright. So, I already have the line set where you need it. Just watch me, and make sure not to cross lines, then we will get tangled and no ones catching anything that way." Cas nods along at Dean's instructions, watching Dean intently. Dean casts his pole, sets the line and props his pole up in his chair. "Alright, sunshine. Cast away."
Cas takes his time, and follows the same movements Dean made.
"Perfect, good cast angel. Now, I like tight line. Some people like bobbers, my line doesn't have a bobber, I put one on yours though. See it out there? Watch it. When it dips, snap back to hook your fish. And reel it in." Dean grabs his pole, sits down, reels it back in to tighten the line, and pats the chair next to him. "Sit down, Cas. Let the fish come to you."
They sit in comfortable silence for a while. Sipping their beers and enjoying the light breeze across the lake.
"How'd you learn to fish?" Cas asked. He didn't think that was something John would take the time to teach the boys. Didn't seem to took the time to teach them much that wasn't Hunt related.
"Bobby." Dean said shrugging. "He uh, he taught us to fish one summer, when dad left us with him for a few months, at this very lake. Well, not this one. The one on earth I guess. He was supposed to be teaching me how to make salt rounds and take us shooting. But he said fishing and hunting for my own food was just as important. Dad was pissed when he got back and found out we did more fishin then salt rounds." Dean chuckles and shakes his head.
"But, uh. Next spring we were stuck at another run down no tell motel, in the middle of some unknown little hick town. We were low on money, no real food. I didnt know what I was gonna do. Id already stolen from all the little stores in walkin distance and I didnt wanna risk doin that to much. But uh, anyways, I found two fishing poles on the curb one day on the walk home from whatever school we were in that week, and stole some tackle. Took sammy fishing. There was a big pond a few blocks from the hotel. He had a blast. Kept saying how it was the best day. But we weren't really getting any bites and I was stressed the whole trip. Worried if we didn't catch anything, how the hell I was gonna feed the kid. But Sam, he uh, he caught a pretty big catfish and a decent bass. We took those back to the room and I tried to cook it up.
I missed bones cleaning it. I over cooked the catfish. It was bad, man." Dean chuckles and looks down at the beer he's been holding. "But Sam, he sat there grinning like it was a five star dinner somewhere. Kid didn't know any better and I was just happy we both went to bed with full stomachs for once. That I didn't have to lie to the kid I ate already or I was full so he could have what I had on my plate." He takes a swig of his beer and stares out at the lake for a while.
"I tried to do right by Sam. And I never felt like I did right. I mean, kid got wrapped up with Ruby and I was the reason he was even back in the bullshit in the first place. But now? Man, I think I did okay. I just hope he's hold up with Eileen, actually getting the life he deserved since I'm not there holding him in the life." Dean reels the line in just a little and tries his best to avoid the looks Cas is giving him.
"Dean, look at me." Cas tries to catch Deans eye, but Dean stubbornly looks over the lake. Cas sighs. He knows Dean is listening though, so he pushes on. "You did great with Sam. He turned into a great man. And that was you. I wish you had better then you did. But you raised Sam and yourself. And you both turned out to be great men, heros even. I just wish that wasn't all on your shoulders."
"It is what it is. I did what I had to do. Besides, I didnt tell you all that so you'd try and inflate my ego... hey, looks like you got a bite." Dean says, pointing to the bobber that keeps dipping below the water. Cas grabs snaps the pole back the way Dean told him, and feels some resistance.
"Looks like you got him, reel him in now. Turn that little handle in and see what ya got."
Cas reels the fish in. Dean inspects it. "Good catch, angel. What's that, about 16 inches? 2 pounds? Good size big mouth. You wanna keep your first catch for dinner? Or ya gonna throw him back?"
Cas looks the fish over, Dean's pretty close in his assessment of size. He debates for a second and decides to keep it. "I think he will make a good dinner. I'll throw the next back."
Dean's face lights up. "I'll cook it...I'll even make sure to get all the bones this time!" He laughs.
Dean goes to the car for something to house Cas' catch until they head home later. They stay and fish till mid afternoon and decide to head back home, it's starting to warm up and the sun is beating down now.
As they pack the gear back in baby's trunk, Cas finally asks the question that's been floating around his head all morning. "Is there more songs on that tape?".
Dean stills as he's putting the last chair in the trunk. "Um. Yeah. A few more. Why?"
"Can we listen to them sometime?" Cas asks quietly.
"Sure, Cas. But not today, okay? Let's just get this fish home before you make friends with it and decide to keep it as a pet." Dean closes the trunk and heads to get in the Impala. "Come on sunshine. Get in." He pats the roof and gets in. Cas nods and joins Dean in the front seat. "I love you, Dean."
The Impala roars to life, Dean leans over, kisses Cas on the temple and says "I love you, too, Cas."