Dean stepped out of the shower into the hot, steam-filled bathroom, wrapping a towel around his waist. It felt good to rinse the salt water and excitement of the day from his hair and skin. It had been a long, wonderful day and he felt pleasantly exhausted.
He could hear the droning of the television in the other room as Sam and Cas waited for Dean to come join them. There were wrapping up the day with beer, popcorn and movies.
Cas's voice sounded muffled through the walls as he questioned Sam about the content of some commercial. Dean smiled as he heard what sounded like a slightly disgruntled Sam answer back.
A few days prior, Sam, Dean and Cas had heard rumors of missing children near a beach in South Carolina.
It had turned out that the assailant had been a kelpie which had somehow made its way to the states.
They had tracked the shape-shifting horse to a deserted beach where the children had last been seen, and came out of the scuffle with only a few injuries apiece.
It was yesterday after they had gotten back, and were cleaning up at the motel that Sam and Dean had reminisced about visits to the beach when they were younger, and their father had left them alone. Cas mentioned that he had never been swimming before, and Dean decided that they just couldn't stand for that.
"Really Cas?" He had said, baffled by how someone could live since the beginning of time and never swim in the ocean before. "You've never just relaxed at a beach before? You know, corndogs, and beach volleyball with all the half-dressed babes?"
Sam and Dean both laughed at the nonplused expression that had clouded the angel's face, and it was decided that they would stay one more day. Even hunters needed a break sometimes.
And they couldn't have chosen a more perfect day for it. The sun had shined bright and hot in the cloudless sky, and the clear water felt cool and soothing against their warm skin.
Much to the amusement of the Winchesters, they discovered that Castiel had never learned how to swim. Neither of them could stop laughing, much to the irritation of their celestial friend, as Cas bobbed around in the deep water, splashing a he tried to stay afloat. But it was hard not to laugh at such an all-powerful being failing at something so simple.
They had cheeseburgers for lunch at a small café on the beach, and stayed until most of the people had milled out and the sun was setting, bleeding a hazy, pink light over the sky. Dean couldn't remember the last time he had smiled that much.
After the sun had set and the stars began to be the only source of light, they had decided to call it a night, and headed back towards the Impala, though Dean and Cas had lagged behind, letting Sam walk ahead…
Dean wiped the fog off of the mirror in the motel bathroom, and gazed at his reflection.
He was a little surprised to notice how much sun he had gotten throughout the day. The subtle stretch of freckles that normally dusted the hunter's cheeks was suddenly much more prominent.
He had never particularly cared for having freckles. He remembered hating them when he was a kid.
Dean had almost forgotten the memory that was suddenly conjured up, connecting to the mixture of thoughts currently running through his head.
He wasn't even sure how he remembered such a specific memory from so long ago; he had only been a kid, after all.
Sammy was just a baby, and his mom and dad were still alive. They had spent the entire day at the beach, and came home content and exhausted. It was the first time Dean remembered getting freckles from the sun, and his little four year old self had just hated the friggin' things.
He recalled lying in bed complaining about it, as his mother brushed his hair back from his face, smiling fondly at him. Sammy was sound asleep in his crib.
He could still hear Mary's voice as though she were still standing right next to him.
"Do you know where freckles come from?" She had said in such a soothing voice. "They're angel kisses, Dean. It means you must have an angel up there watching over you."
Angel kisses.
Okay, so it was pretty damn corny, but the smile still wouldn't leave his face at the memory.
He closed his eyes and remembered the beach again, and the crashing waves, the sand under his feet, and the twilit sky. Sam was already back at the Impala, and Dean could feel the warmth of Cas's breath grazing his skin as their faces grew closer, his heart racing fast…
"Dean, are you almost done? We're going to start the movie without you if you don't hurry up." Sam called from the other room.
Dean jumped, startled by Sam's voice.
"Yeah, yeah, keep your panties on!" He snapped back. "I'm getting dressed."
He picked his clothes up off the floor, still grinning as he thought that maybe he could deal with having just a few more freckles.