Golden Leaves and Apple Juice
Author's Note: This story just came to my mind yesterday. I have no idea why, maybe because the Easter weather this year reminds me more of fall than of spring. Happy Easter to all of you :-)
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Supernatural.
In fall, Dean always thought the golden leaves fit the colors of Castiel's blue eyes perfectly. It was a wonderful combination. Almost magical. Gold and blue. Grand and noble. He loved it.
This year was the fourth year since they had averted the Apocalypse. It had cost them dearly, many lives had been lost, but in the end mankind was saved and the Devil had been banished back to Hell. For Castiel, however, the doors of Heaven remained closed and he would never be allowed to return again. The angel had been suffering a lot from this. Human life was a mystery to him and even though his Grace was fading a little bit with every passing day, in his heart he would always remain what he was created as.
Dean turned his head just a little and met Castiel's eyes. Those deep blue eyes. He couldn't help but smile at him and his heart still seemed to stop for a second as the angel smiled back at him. Castiel had the most beautiful smile on Earth, Dean was sure about it. It was like the sun to him. Gentle, heartfelt and warming. Whenever that smile was thrown at him – and only at him – he couldn't help but feel like a thief for keeping the sun to himself. He liked being a thief.
Castiel had started smiling a few months after the Apocalypse had been stopped. Dean remembered the first time all too well. It had been during a hunt in Michigan. After Castiel had been cast out of Heaven he had decided to join the Winchester brothers in order to be of use and do something meaningful like saving people from evil. During that case in Michigan, they had managed to win Sherriff Ben George as their ally.
"Dude, can't you see I'm busy here?!", Dean had shouted at his brother one afternoon, "George just entered the room seeing Castiel popping in from nowhere. And just as I try to explain to him how a person can appear from thin air, Cas zaps us all to graveyard. Man, I'm feeling like Tony Nelson."
"Tony Nelson?" Castiel had asked with a questioning look.
"Yes, I'm Tony Nelson and you're Jeannie. Except for the harem clothes."
"Wait a minute," Sam had interrupted, "and what does that make me? Roger Healey?"
"Exactly. You're the comic relief."
And even though Castiel had not known what the brothers were talking about, a slight smile hat curved his lips and Dean had found himself staring at the angel with unbelieving eyes.
Back then it had been an unfamiliar sight, but by now Castiel was smiling a lot. Dean liked to think that it was because he was happy. On Earth. With him.
Their hands were loosely entwined as they were strolling down the avenue, huge trees lining the street on each side. The leaves were whirling down like thousands of golden raindrops. It was one of those last warm fall days so they had no jackets with them. Castiel was simply wearing a black hoodie and a crimson scarf around his neck. Dean had put on a checked shirt over his white t-shirt.
A cyclist rode past them. An elderly couple enjoyed the beautiful golden scenery on one of those benches next to the trees. Sometimes people gave them strange looks when they walked around holding hands. At first, Dean had hated it. He hated what they thought about Castiel and him. But by now he didn't care anymore. They didn't know he had an angel by his side. This relationship was everything to him and he liked to think of it as eternal. Sometimes a group of passing girls would gaze after them, quietly giggling or even squeeing. Dean didn't mind. The world should be jealous of him for he was the one who had Castiel by his side.
"What are you thinking about, Dean?" Castiel said in a gentle voice. "You're so silent."
"Would you believe me if I told you I was thinking about you?"
Castiel smiled back at him fondly. The sun.
Dean found it hard to imagine how he had managed to live all those years without that smile. Even since the day the Apocalypse was stopped it had taken them more than three years to find love. Three years in which they had taken each other for granted and never even thought about the possibility of a deeper relationship, at least not consciously. But as Castiel thawed out gradually, they realized how deep they were already in this. Now they've been a couple for five months. They had spent the summer together and Dean was already looking forward for winter to come. When they would spend the evening sitting on the carpet in front of the fireplace while outside the snow was falling through the icy air. Dean couldn't exactly tell why, but for him that idea had something highly erotic about it.
They returned back home. Home was a small house on the outskirts with a beautiful view to the lake and the forest. Dean had bought it during the summer, admittedly with one of his fake credit cards, but nobody seemed to care anyway. And they loved it there, both of them.
"I'll show you something which is perfect during fall" Dean said and made Castiel follow him into the kitchen. "Attention." He took a bottle of apple juice as well as two glasses from the cupboard. He filled each glass with juice and then took a little jar from the drawer. "Cinnamon" he explained and added a pinch to the juice. "And now you put it in the microwave. You'll see, that's delicious."
Castiel had watched him attentively. Sometimes, Dean thought, Castiel was just like a child. He was curious about all kinds of things and could get excited about the most trivial things. Other times, there was so much wisdom and dignity in his words Dean realized that the angel was actually the oldest being he had ever met. Dean liked both sides about Castiel. The latter made him feel safe and protected allowing him for once to be weak and vulnerable. The former intensified his instinct to protect what he loved most of all.
The microwave made a beep and Dean gave one of the glasses to Castiel. They went outside to the veranda sitting down closely to each other on a lounge chair enjoying the last warm rays of sunshine.
Castiel sipped at the juice.
"So, you like it?" Dean let his chin rest on Castiel's shoulder.
"I do."
"Good. It's sour and sweet at the same time. It warms you from the inside."
They sat there quietly for a while drinking the juice that shimmered golden in the sunlight like the leaves of the trees beyond the lake.
Two month ago today had been Castiel's birthday, Dean noticed suddenly. Well, it hadn't actually been his real birthday, but the day they set as his birthday, the fourth of September. It wasn't a special date, it had no significant meaning, was no anniversary of anything and that's why it was a fit date. Because this day should be Castiel's day and his alone, not some recycled memorial day. On September the third Dean had brought up that topic for the first time.
"Say, Cas, when's your birthday anyway?" he had asked the angel all of a sudden.
"I don't know" Castiel had replied.
"What do you mean, you don't know? You have to know when you were born."
"Angels aren't born, they are created."
"Created then, fine."
"I still don't know, Dean. It was before humans introduced their calendar."
For a moment Dean had remained quiet, but then nodded to himself. "Alright then. Tomorrow, September the fourth, that's your birthday from now on. Or… creationday."
"September the fourth."
"That's right. But you have to tell me how old you are."
"It's five thousand twenty four years."
Dean had swallowed at those words. "So we have an age difference of about 4990 years. I guess that's still within the scope of legality, huh." He had paused for a second. "But don't you expect me to buy candles for your birthday cake."
He had bought them anyway. Not five thousand twenty five, but still five hundred twenty five and lit them all over the living room. They had made love in the candlelight.
Dean took another sip of warm apple juice and snuggled closer against the angel.
"Are you cold?" Castiel asked and leaned back into his embrace.
"No, are you?"
"No, not yet."
Dean closed his eyes for a moment and felt the warm sun against his face. They said it would start raining by the end of the week. His glance fell on a bowl of strawberries that was still on the garden table. "Hey, almost forgot about the strawberries. Want one?"
Castiel put the empty glass aside. "Alright."
Dean took one bright red strawberry and held it to Castiel's mouth.
"Smells delicious" the angel said, bit off and their eyes met.
Dean didn't mean to seduce him with apple juice and strawberries, but it happened anyway.
They went up the stairs to the bedroom filled with the setting sun's golden light. Castiel kissed him as he laid back on the bed, Dean crawling over him.
"I love you" the angel whispered.
And as Dean looked down at him he saw the setting sun's golden light mirrored in Castiel's blue eyes. It fit their color so perfectly. Gold and blue. He loved it.