Disclaimer: Not my boys, just my story,
Summary: When Castiel can't swim how far will he go to not disappoint Dean. Destiel.
Castiel shot a fleeting glance at Sam and Gabriel. They were walking slowly towards the motel door. Gabriel was giggling into Sam's shoulder, his face red from breath loss. Sam and Gabriel had categorized their relationship as 'dating' over a month ago. Castiel sighed, yes he was happy for his brother and friend but envious that his feeling to the one he loved could not also be pronounced. "Oh, Gabe!" Sam giggled and Castiel disappeared into the bathroom to seem like he hadn't been spying. "Hey Cas." Sam smiled brightly as Castiel exited from the washroom.
"Castiel, can I talk to you?" Gabriel motioned outside. Castiel nodded and hesitantly agreed. After a quick smile to Sam, the angel followed gingerly. "Where's Dean?" Castiel blushed and looked away.
"He is picking up dinner." Gabriel noticed white, cheap lawn chair and beckoned his brother over. After a few minutes of comfortable silence Gabriel broke it.
"Why don't you just tell Dean your feelings?" Castiel blushed, he didn't know how Gabriel knew. His brother rolled his eyes. "Everybody knows Cas. Even Dean does," Castiel's head shot up at that sentiment, "he loves you too Cas. The question is, do you love him enough to tell him."
"I do love him. A lot." Gabriel smiled and laid a hand on Castiel's arm. He squeezed gently.
"Then you need to tell him that." Castiel looked up and grinned. A bit reluctantly he agreed, then waited to find Dean.
Dean sauntered into the his and Cas' room. Sam and Gabriel were sharing a room (much to Dean's disgust) so that left him and the angel (not that he was complaining). Dean wasn't sure when his feelings changed, all he knew was that day Castiel meant more to him than 'just a friend'. He knew he could never tell Castiel that. He'd freak out and disappear on him. Dean glanced up when the powder room door opened. Castiel was wearing one of Dean's old t-shirts and sweat pants (both were a little big on him), he couldn't help the thought of how cute he looked. And yes he used the word cute.
Castiel, upon walking out, tripped over the hem of the pants. He stumbled forward and would've fallen, but Dean sprung onward. Castiel looked up, he was being held in Dean's arms. His face turned scarlet as Dean hesitantly released him. "You okay?" Castiel nodded, his neck turning the same as his face. Dean brushed a thumb over one of his cheeks, attempting to rid the red. Dean sighed, he couldn't hold it any longer. Seeing Castiel's shining face near his he decided to speak out, not caring of the consequences.
"We need to talk." Dean sat on the edge of one bed, Castiel on the other. The angel just stared at him, expression emotionless. "Look Cas, I've known you for a while and I feel that I need to...I feel like...I l-like you Cas. You're more than a friend to me...m-more important." After a few moments of silence Dean looked up, Castiel was still staring. Finally he spoke up, his voice was low.
"I understand that 'like' is a simple form of human endearment. In which I must say that I do not 'like' you." Dean's eyes burned as ashamed tears pricked the corners. He cleared his throat and let out a quick breath. He opened his mouth to say it was all a joke but Castiel wasn't done. "I do not 'like' you Dean, I love you." Dean's head shot up.
"Y-you love me?" His awestruck voice clenched the angels heart. He moved next to Dean and gently laid a hand over his. "I love you too." Castiel's eyes widened slightly before he broke into a grin. Dean smiled back. He leaned forward, then hesitated a few inches from Castiel's lips in case he wanted to pulled back. When he didn't Dean went all the way, pressing his lips lightly to the angels. He felt Castiel smile against his lips before pulling him deeper into the kiss. Dean pulled away after he needed air, he smile never flattening.
"I've waited so long to hear you say those words." Dean pulled Castiel into another kiss, before jerking him to his chest in a tight hug.
"I've wanted to tell you too." Dean murmured, holding him tighter. "I'm never letting you go." At that Castiel gripped him tighter.
"Never."
After they had dinner Castiel pulled Gabriel outside. Gabriel leaned against the Impala's hood a smug look on his face. "You told him." It wasn't a question but Castiel nodded anyhow.
"He said he loves me." Castiel smile was so bright it gave the sun a run for its money. Gabriel grin at him and chuckled.
"That's great Cas, I'm really happy for you," He laid a hand on his brothers shoulder. "I'm glad you finally got some sense in your head and told the guy already! Now all you've got to worry about is not screwing it up. Night bro, I've got my own Winchester to attend to." With a wink he was off, disappearing from the car. Castiel's smile flattered somewhat. What if he screwed it up?
Two weeks after Dean's confession the 'gang' was driving to Cape May Point, a small town in New Jersey where four guys all supposedly had heart attacks at the same time. It was six in the morning and the engine was revving. Sam and Gabriel were sitting in the back of the Impala, with Dean and Castiel in the front. Looking in the review mirror, Gabriel had his arm around Sam's shoulders. Sam's head was on his shoulder as his eyelids fluttered. The archangel was trying to get him to rest. "You guys sleep, it's gonna be sixteen hours anyway." Sam closed his eyes and Gabriel laid his head over his. Castiel was sitting only inches beside Dean and he flashed him a quick smile. He reached over and laced his fingers with Castiel's, the angel leaned into his arm. Dean brought their intertwined hands up and kissed Castiel's knuckles before returning them to his angels lap.
After seven hours of driving they were in Greensboro, North Carolina. They drove in silence except for the low hum of the radio; Sam spoke up. "Oh my god, Dean look its Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe!" Dean leaned forward from their spot at the red light and caught sight of the sign.
"Wow, that place is still running," Catching Castiel's confused look he continued, "we went there a few times when we were kids. Our dad took us and taught us how to swim here." Castiel smiled at his lovers happiness. "Hey why don't we take a day off? Go and swim."
"I'm in!" Gabriel shouted enthusiastically then turned to Sam. "What about you Sammy? That sound like fun?" Sam smiled and nodded his agreement.
"What about you Cassie? Please it'll be fun!" Castiel looked to Dean's hopeful expression and squeezed their still twined fingers gently.
"Of corse."
Castiel does not know how to swim. He looked around at the people jumping off boards and tumbling off giant twisting tubes and winced. Castiel would rather be anywhere but here, but Dean wanted to go. Castiel heeded Gabriel's warning, what if Castiel disappointed Dean and he messed their relationship up? The angel could not take that chance, which was why he was now in orange and white stripped 'trunks' and going to one of the only few things that scares him.
"Come on Cas!" Dean pulled on his arm over to a set of four white, long chairs. All they had were beach towels, their wallets and keys were back in the Impala. "Lets get in!" He pointed over to a high diving board, positioned over the twelve feet section of the pool. Sam and Gabriel moved to the high dive when they both did a flip into the water. Dean climbed next and did a 'cannon ball'. When Dean's head popped out of the water the three men started a splash war. Castiel looked down over the high dive, 'I shouldn't do this' he thought. But when he saw Dean's beckoning smile he knew he couldn't say no. Castiel closed his eyes and stood back to take a running jump.
He would have made it, he was so close. But when Castiel got to the end of the diving board he slipped on excess water and his head collided with hard plastic. Castiel hit the water and sunk. He looked around, thoughts and mind heavy. His body felt like it weighed ten thousand pounds, pulling the angel further into the blue cave. Black mixed with blue but Castiel could no longer comprehend what that meant. He closed his eyes and let the weight take over.
"Have you guys seen Cas?" Sam and Gabriel merely shrugged as Gabriel hit him with a splash of water before tackling him. Dean rolled his eyes and searched the others in the pool. There weren't many, twenty at the most in this end. Dean was about to get out to search the crowds when he felt it.
"Dean..." It wasn't spoken out load, but he head it none the less. The hunter immediately dove under water and opened his eyes to a horrid sight. Castiel was unconscious at the bottom of the pool. Castiel's name was lost to a furry of bubbles as Dean called to him before diving under. Dean wrapped on arm around his angels waist and used the other to propel them to the surface. Now above water Dean moved to the pool stairs. Checking the angel, he saw that he was still breathing. He wanted to help Castiel but knew he couldn't draw attention to themselves. There was a twelve year-old kid but the stairs wearing silver aviators. Dean yanked them off his face.
"Hey!" The kid turned an angry eye to him and the man in his arms. Dean slid them easily on Castiel's face.
"Don't worry kid you look better without them. Chicks dig green eyes." The kid huffed and stalked away. Dean lifted one of his angels arms around his shoulders and kept the other around his waist. He walked out of the park, making it look like he was walking with the angel not carrying his sleeping form. When the entrance was behind them Dean lifted Castiel, carting him bridal-style. At the Impala Dean laid Castiel across the back seats. Dean got in the drivers seat and sped off to the nearest hotel.
Castiel groggily opened his eyes, he blinked trying to figure out where he was. When he couldn't place it he shot up and glanced around alarmingly. "Whoa, hey! Cas calm down it's alright, it's okay. It's just me, you're safe." Castiel looked to Dean in front of him, trying to push Castiel back down to what he realized was a bed. They were in a motel room. When he was lying flat again, Dean brushed his fingers soothingly through his hair. Glancing down, Castiel noticed for the first time that he was in one of Dean's faded t-shirts and sweat pants.
"What happened?" Dean smiled warmly down at him and kept his fingers in his soft black locks.
"You got hit in the head from the driving board I think, I found you underwater." Castiel sighed, he would have to tell Dean. His expression turned into a frown.
"Dean, there is something I must tell you." Dean nodded then moved his fingers over his face, trying to erase the frown before replacing them. "I do not know how to swim. In fact I am terrified of water." It was a whisper, barley audible. But he stopped his movements and looked to his guilty angel.
"Then why did you agree to go? Jump off that high dive?" The concern for Castiel was still in his voice. He didn't like the idea of Castiel getting hurt doing something he was scared of. Castiel looked away from Dean, not meeting his eyes.
"I was going to mess it up. If I disappointed you it was going to mess up our relationship. I didn't want to...screw it up." Dean appalled that Castiel could think something like that. And the fact that it put him in danger...
"Cas listen to me. There is no way that you could ever mess up what we have. Not going swimming won't disappoint me. Look if something scares you, you need to tell me. If something is bothering you, you need to let me know so I can help. Cas it only matters who you are, and I love every part." Dean leaned down and placed a feather light kiss on Castiel's soft pink lips.
"Thank you Dean, I love you too." Castiel moved to sit up but winced at the unexpected shot of pain the radiated from his head.
"Hey, are you okay? Lay back down."Castiel obeyed but his gaze never left his lovers. "Never put yourself in danger again, got it?" Castiel looked sheepishly away. Dean's lips curled upwards, and he lent down to kiss Castiel's forehead affectionately. He ran a soothing hand through his hair.
"Got it."