January 24th, 2064
Dean Winchester is 85 today. He is achy and tired all the time. He drinks a lot of coffee and eats a lot of burgers, because why the hell not? He's going to die soon anyway.
He pretends to not notice it when Cas smiles at him sadly, like he knows when it's going to happen. He pretends to be transfixed by the day's paper, because even though it's basically obsolete he still loves the smell of a good newspaper. It reminds him of his hunting days with Sammy.
In a way Dean is looking forward to dying; he'll get to see Sammy again. And it's not like he won't see Cas, he is an angel after all. And he'll be young again; he won't have to pretend that Cas is his son, and not his husband.
Today is no different than any of the other days this week. Cas hands him his coffee over his shoulder and kisses the top of his head (a new thing that was what tipped him off), Cas sits down next to him and Dean wraps his arm around the angel's waist. Cas rubs his hand over Dean's aching knee, Dean sighs but doesn't protest like he used to when Cas relieved him of his arthritis pain.
"Thanks hun." He takes a sip of his coffee, relishing at the spark it gives him. He perks up, straightening slightly. They spend the next couple of hours like this, cuddling on the couch while Dean reads the paper or while they watch TV.
Cas leaves the room when Dean falls asleep. He doesn't think he can actually be there when it happens. He knows he's not really losing him, he can just go up to Heaven with him, but it still hurts. He guesses it's just another humany thing that he's picked up being on Earth and being with Dean for so long. He feels loss now. Well that's what he thinks he's feeling anyway… and Dean isn't even gone yet. Not for another 7 minutes.
He felt something like this, not as strong though, when a Wendigo killed Sam in 2040. But Cas thinks what he had been feeling was grief for Dean's mourning. He told Dean he could take the pain away, Dean refused. He said it would be cheating. Would it be cheating if Cas followed Dean into Heaven? Was he supposed to stay on Earth and mourn Dean? Is that what he would want?
No, Dean wouldn't want that. He'd probably say something like "Angels are aloud to cheat" if Cas were to ask him. Even if Dean had told him not to follow him he eventually would. He couldn't imagine his life anymore without Dean.
At 5:47 pm on January 24th, 2064, dean Winchester died on the day he had been born 85 years earlier.
Castiel stood in their kitchen for 39 minutes after he felt the life leave his husband, crying silently to himself, before he followed him.
Dean woke with a gasp and a start. This wasn't his couch; he wasn't snuggled up to Cas.
"Oh," he thinks out loud. "I'm dead." He looks around him, his heart drops when he doesn't find Cas anywhere in sight. He catches sight of his hand out of the corner of his eye; only then does he realize that his hands are clear of liver spots. He runs a hand over his face; it is smooth if not a little stubbly, but no wrinkles.
He stands with ease; he feels 30 again. He begins to wander; he finds a path that leads him into a thick wood. He travels in the woods for a few minutes before it opens to a road. He finds the Impala there.
"Baby." He whispers through a smile. He runs over to her stopping short when someone appears beside her, leans on her. "Sammy." He runs as fast as he can, barreling into his kid brother.
"Hey, Dean." Sam says a little breathlessly. "Thought I'd find you here."
"I'm sorry Sammy, I'm so sorry."
"No, no, hey Dean stop." He pulls back. "We always knew we wouldn't live long. And honestly it's better up here." Dean searches the woods around them, searching.
"Yeah well," he sighs. "I won't believe that until Cas is here."
"So you and Cas?" Dean rolls his eyes at his little brother.
"Yes me and Cas." Sam lifts his hands in surrender.
"What year is it? I've lost count." Sam asks, switching the topic.
"2064." Sam's eyes bug slighty.
"Wow."
"Yeah." Dean feels guilty, he should have never lived this long, and probably wouldn't have if it weren't for Cas.
"85, that's unheard of for a hunter."
"You're telling me."
Sam motions to the Impala. "So," his face lights up. "What do you say we take her for a spin?" Dean pats his pocket; he hears the keys jingle and fishes them out. He smiles back at his brother.
"Let's." They get in the Impala. Dean drives, Sam complains about the music. 39 minutes after Dean died he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder as he drove through the streets of Heaven.
"There you are." Sam turns in his seat to get a look at Cas. Surprised to see a lack of trench coat.
"Nice to see you, Cas." Sam smacks him on the shoulder, he gets a half smile from the angel before Cas turns back to stare at Deans eyes in the rearview as he pulls over and puts the Impala in park. All three jump out of the car.
Dean wraps himself around his angel.
"I'm sorry I didn't follow you straight away. I wanted to feel it; I wanted to know what it would feel like to lose you. I did not find it pleasurable at all dean. It was in fact the opposite of pleasurable. I don't see how humans do it."
"What?"
"Live on after their loved ones die. I couldn't last an hour." Dean captures his angel's lips in a kiss, flipping Sam off when he makes gagging noises behind them.
"It's good to see you young again, Dean."
"It's just good to see you. For a minute there I didn't think you were going to follow." Cas smiles and shakes his head as if to say "don't be silly, I'll always follow."
"Forever remember?"
Dean remembers their promise of forever, he relishes in it knowing that it was true. He would be with Cas for forever. He would be with Sammy for forever.
"Forever." He assures.