Do not change the lock
"You keep hoping I'm gonna be back" chuckles Dean, throwing his leather jacket over the couch.
He looked around, the place looked exactly the same. The same old apartment with the same ridiculous couch.
"You always do" answered Castiel, coming out of the kitchen with two bottles of cold beer. He gave one to Dean without asking and sat down, throwing his head back and closing his eyes.
"You look tired man"
"You know how it is"
"Guess I do" answered Dean before sitting down by his side, reaching out to place a hand on Cas' knee.
The other man didn't react, he just kept on breathing steadily.
"Why are you here?" asked Castiel in a neutral voice.
Anyone else would feel unwanted, but Dean knew better.
"You know why"
"You are like a cat, feed him once and the damn thing will never leave"
"Lucky you love cats"
"I'm allergic" stated Cas, taking a sip of his beer.
Dean laughed openly at that, throwing a look at the door.
"Yet my key still works… told you man, you keep hoping I'm gonna be back".
"Wish I was wrong" shot Cas back, bitterly.
Dean looked at him, a grin on his lips "Do you know?"
The older man sighed in defeat before leaving his beer on the table.
"I'm tired Dean, it is four in the morning and I just finished my shift. What do you want?"
"You still a cop, then?" asked Dean, ignoring the question.
"You know I am"
"Thought you would leave that"
"We have talked about this" said Cas, covering his face with both hands in a tired gesture. "I won't quit… I can't quit. I would go insane"
"You are insane" pointed out Dean, finishing his cool beer. He sounded rather amused.
"That the reason you're here? To remind me?"
"You would miss me if I was gone"
"You are gone"
Dean hummed, looking at the picture near the bookcase. It showed both Dean and Castiel, some years younger, just fresh form the Academy.
"Those were good times" said Dean, giving Cas' knee a squeeze.
The other man didn't answer.
A few hours passed, both of them in silence till the ring of the pone startled them. Cas picked it up on the second ring.
"Morning" said a familiar voice.
"Hello, Sam" answered Castiel, eyeing Dean, who looked back at him with half a smile and mouthing 'say hi'.
Castiel didn't.
"Look man, I know is early but I was wondering if you're gonna come today".
"Of course" answred Castiel, feeling his throat go dry.
There was silence on the line, as if Castiel had just confied Sam's fears.
"Don't"
"What?" asked Cas, his voice breaking in that single word.
"Don't come… mom won't be able to see you and dad… damnit Cas, you know he has a gun and has been drinking all week. Don't make this harder, don't come"
A moment.
"You know I don't blame you" continued Sam, all too quickly, all to harshly.
"I know"
"Don't come"
"I won't"
The line went dead.
Castiel put the phone down, and felt Dean give his knee another friendly squeeze.
"I do blame you"
"Please Dean…" said Cas, his voice a pitiful whisper. He doubled over, head in his hands.
"I trusted you to keep my back during that shooting Cas"
"I know"
"You let them kill me" stated Dean, still looking at him with amusement in his beautiful green eyes.
"I know" said Castiel, eyes too dry to cry. Heart too broken to lie.
"Yet" said Dean, taking the old key from his jeans "my key still works. That's rather sick, man"
Castiel nodded.
Dean leaned closer, placing a chaste kiss on Cas' cheek while keeping a painfully tight hold on his knee.
"Told you, you keep hoping I'm gonna be back"