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“You what?” Dean grumbled. “I pulled Castiel out of the empty. He’s in heaven.” Jack says like it was no big deal.
“And you didn’t think to tell us?” Dean said. “Well— I wanted to make sure the empty wasn’t after any of us for me pulling him out. And Castiel just got his garrisons and his wings back and he’s currently helping your friends settle back into the land of the living after being dead.”
“What?” Sam says, not believing what Jack said. Dean was also in disbelief. They had never gotten a lucky break like this and now they were getting it. “Yeah, I’m giving your friends a second chance because it isn’t fair that Chuck killed them off to fill his story. Meg, Charlie, Bela, Jo, Ellen, Ash, Kevin, Jessica—“
“Jess?” Sam says. “Yes. Castiel and Jessica should be here soon, actually. But I have heaven to attend to. So I can’t stay for long.” Jack says. Both Winchesters nod in understanding. “Yeah— okay. Thanks, Jack.” Sam says, not knowing what else to say. Jack left with that and now the brothers got to play the waiting game.
“Sam?” Speaking of, Jessica and Castiel had just walked into the bunker and Jessica said that when she saw him. “Jess!” The younger Winchester said happily, hugging her tightly. They kiss and it slowly gets rougher and more meaningful. Sam finally pulls away to look at the Moore. “Oh Jess— I’m so sorry. I should have told you about yellow eyes and hunting and—“ the one in question cut him off with a quick kiss before saying, “It’s okay, Sam.”
Dean and Castiel just looked at each other awkwardly, knowing the angel’s goodbye was definitely not platonic love. “I’ll give you guys some time. I’m going to help everyone else settle back in the land of the living.” Jack said before teleporting away.
Sam and Jess were all over each other, hugging and kissing, making up for 15 years of lost time. So to leave them be, Dean and Cas decided to give them time alone and reunite outside of the bunker.
The angel and the hunter stepped outside. “Dean, about my goodbye—“ Castiel started. “Don’t.” The Winchester cut him off. Cas fell silent and they got into the Impala. Dean put on music and started driving around, getting lost in his thoughts about Castiel’s goodbye.
“I always wondered, ever since I took that burden, that curse, I wondered what it could be? What my true happiness could even look like.”
Castiel is my true happiness. Dean thought. The hunter could not get that out of his head since Cas had died.
“Everything you have ever done, the good and the bad, you have done for love. You raised your little brother for love. You fought for this whole world for love. That is who you are.”
I tried to kill myself after Cas died. I did that for love. The Winchester thinks.
“You changed me, Dean.”
You changed me too, Castiel. god damnit Cas is right there why can’t he just say it?! He didn’t even say it to Cas when he was dying!
“I love you.” Why couldn’t he just say it back?! Instead, his dumbass just said, “Don’t do this, Cas.”
“Goodbye, Dean.”
“Dean! DEAN!” Castiel brings him back to the present. “Where are we going?” Cas asks. The hunter checks where they are.
It was a drive-in movie he took Charlie to one time to cool off and that’s where she helped him figure out he’s bisexual. The Winchester finds weird comfort in this place now because of the memories he made with the redhead. The time Dean figured out he was bisexual was not his only time here.
Charlie introduced him to this place after Dean had a panic attack and needed a break from hunting and life. So Charlie searched the area and they ended up watching The Wizard of Oz. Then the second time it was two movies playing on one night and it was the first two Harry Potter movies.
They continued going until they finished the Harry Potter franchise and then stopped going for a bit and a few months later, Bradbury died. Dean will have to bring the redhead back here since Jack brought her back to the land of the living.
Dean pulled Baby up to the front where you pay. It was twenty dollars for both him and Cas— ten dollars per person. The Outsiders: The Complete Novel is what’s playing tonight. “Want anything to eat, sunshine?” The Winchester asks. “I don’t eat.” The angel replies. “Sure you don’t need food but you've got a mouth. So do you want anything?”
“Technically I don’t have a mouth on my true form.”
“Cas.”
“Whatever you recommend, I guess.” The angel says so Dean buys two Cokes and a whole lot of different candy. Castiel grabs a Milky Way and hesitates before eating it. “It’s gooey.” The Winchester chuckles, “That’s the point of the candy, sweetheart.”
“What’s this film about?” Cas asks. “Uh— this kid, Ponyboy, he lives in 1965 Tulsa. And he’s a poor kid along with his friends. And the rich kids hate the poor kids.” The freckled man says. “Why does money matter in who likes who?”
“You’re telling me. I have no clue why money matters. Humans are just like that sometimes.” The hunter states and they fall into comfortable silence as they wait for the movie to start. The Winchester breaks the silence, “So Cas… in the empty, you sleep. And when you sleep, you dream. What did you dream about?”
“In the empty, you dream of your biggest regrets and failures,” Cas says quietly.
“I dreamt about when I betrayed you and Sam by working with Crowley. I dreamt of when I became god… all of mine and Claire’s arguments… Jack dying… all the times I betrayed you… When Naomi tried to make me kill you… I dreamt a lot of Michael possessing you. When I betrayed heaven…” Castiel trails off. “So the empty isn’t empty,” Dean says. The angel does his adorable head tilt.
“It’s full. Full of regret and failure.” The hunter states. “I guess,” Cas replies. “Cas those weren’t failures. You were so desperate for a win you couldn’t see straight. And Sam and I have forgiven you for everything you did.” Dean wasn’t usually good at comforting but right now it was smooth as butter.
The movie starts and the two pay attention to it. After the movie ended, Castiel was the first to break the silence, “You remind me of Dally.” Dean chuckles, “Dallas?”
“You pretend to be tough but when it comes to everything and everyone. But when the one person you love gets hurt, you lose it all. You also remind me of Darry. Having to grow up too fast, taking care of your brother…” Cas trails off. “My favorite character is probably Two-bit,” Dean says, starting to drive. “Mine was Cherry. I liked her personality.”
The hunter shuffles through his mixtapes and puts a random one on. And it happened to be Watching Over Me by Radio Company. To be honest, he reminded the green-eyed man of himself and Castiel.
Didn't hear the strength within your words
And what they mean
“I’m sorry I didn’t say the L word back when you said goodbye.” The Winchester says. “Dean, I could read your mind and soul. I know you meant it.”
“Well, I should’ve said it!”
Dean parks the car on the side of the road before saying what he should’ve said. “Cas I should’ve said this earlier. I should’ve said it before you were even dying. Thank you for watching over me and Sam. You changed me too. I used to view the supernatural in white and black. But you made me see the grey areas. I thought that I’d never have any friends. Only family. It comes with hunting. But you proved that wrong. But then I proved myself right again because in 2017 when I lost you that time… I realized how hard life was with you being gone and Jack— I realized that I love you. And when you confessed I couldn’t even say it back.”
Castiel looks at the hunters lips and the one in question takes the chance to close the gap, kissing him. It takes a second for Cas to react but he does and kisses back. This was the green-eyed man’s first time kissing a guy so he was a bit nervous. But it was the angel’s first time kissing a guy as well. Castiel has chapped lips but Dean couldn’t care less, too lost in them.
They finally break away after the Winchester pulls away for a breath. Angels don’t need to breathe but humans do so the freckled man was out of breath. “Darlin’… you drive me crazy.”
“I love your accent. I loved rebuilding your vocal cords for that reason.” The Winchester chuckles, “What else did you like rebuilding?” Castiel thinks for a moment. He then continues, “Your freckles. All 528 of them.”
“You remember how many freckles I have?” The hunter asks with a chuckle. “I remember when the dinosaurs died I think it’s normal to remember all your freckles.”
The two men fall silent for a moment before the hunter breaks it. “I wish we could just… go back to the night we met. That was simpler in a weird way. Plus I’d have a retry with the whole “66 seals” thing.” Castiel chuckles and reconnects their lips which Dean happily agrees with.