Hey. I tend to write a little strangely, so my tenses change halfway through. It's deliberate, but I have a hard time keeping it in one style, so if you see any incontinuity, feel free to laugh at me. Hopefully, the mood I wanted to create is there. This has not been looked over by a beta and I go off on a lot of tangents. So, prepare yourself for filler information. :)
I know. I'm awesome.
Warning: This be pre-slash/slash. It's like.. on the edge of both of them.
Wordcount: 2,736
Disclaimer: I be not Eric Kripke, nor any entity involved with the CW.
Dean Winchester was relaxed.
Relaxed.
For once in his life, everything was okay. Hell, more than okay. Things were great. He was fine. Sam was fine. All together, they were tremendous, to put it in human terms.
The apocalypse was over. Sam was alright. The Great Wall of Sam had fallen, and Sam ended up getting through it, through the blinding pain and agony of remembering things so severely and purely awful. Sure, it required a few spells and maybe one or two healing sessions with a worried Castiel-worried only because previously Dean was begging him to help, practically distraught with concern and anger and all sorts of human emotions that Castiel didn't understand-but Sam was fine.
Dean was fine, had occasional flare-ups with his leg-it had been injured in the battle with Crowley and his goons and Dean probably wouldn't ever recover fully, but he could walk and run and hunt-so he was fine. Sam was fine; he revisited the magical world of memory-hell every so often, but it didn't render his brain into mush or physically incapacitate him. The memories just caused him to be sullen, dark, and moody for the rest of the day. The world was okay, generally.
There were still monsters out there, hiding, but Mother of All had been defeated-killed-and no more new baddies had surfaced after that. No new Jefferson Starships or brain lynching, psycho worms.
Crowley was destroyed. Successfully this time. By Castiel. Dean had prayed and prayed and prayed to him to do the right thing. The right thing that Castiel knew in his heart to be true. He prayed that Castiel wouldn't do the things he thought he felt he needed to do to overthrow Raphael and set about order in heaven. No, Dean prayed that Castiel would choose to do things the right way. Fight with honesty and pure intentions.
Of course, the eldest living Winchester didn't exactly convey the messages in such a nice way. His prayers were filled with curses and human references to old movies and rock bands that Castiel had no way of knowing what they meant exactly, but the message was clear and Castiel understood what Dean wanted to get across.
So, the world was okay. Heaven was okay. Dean and Sam were okay. This was good, but it didn't give the angel any reason to "pop down out of multidimensional celestial cloud sitting and into reality to visit for a chat," as Dean had put it once.
Castiel's brothers and sisters were confused as to why he visited so often, but it didn't matter. Castiel could care less if his comrades understood his reasoning. He had free will.
They all had free will. They could do what they wanted-within justification, of course.
The Angel of the Lord visited once every week. Visited once every week to similar white, sanded beaches and crystal blue-green oceans. The boys had decided that they wanted a break. A half a year, at most.
A break from the rest of the world. Sometimes, they brought Bobby along, but mostly it was just Sam and Dean together, relaxing without worry or strife.
Dean had wanted to stay a minimum of two months only. He wanted to get back on the hunt; it was the only thing he knew. Sam was sure that Dean didn't know how to relax or live. Sam had argued with his brother and they compromised on half a year traveling around the world in search for the perfect beach.
It had been two years since that argument. The world was still fine.
After every week, Castiel would "zap" them to another remote location. Be it an island, a coastline, or even the top of a mountain, Castiel would gladly take them anywhere. They deserved it. If they wanted to stay for another week longer, that was fine too. Castiel would always be back to take them somewhere else when they wanted to leave.
Bobby had once asked, gruffly and peering out from under his ratty old baseball cap, if he ever got tired or felt like he was a supercharged pack mule, carrying humans and toting them around the globe-and sometimes into different dimensions, but Bobby didn't need to know that.
In answer to his question, Castiel had stared blankly at him, eyes intense, and said no. They were alone so the angel admitted to the old, scruffy hunter that he would never get tired of the boys. He loved them. Cared for them.
And it was the truth.
The next time Castiel will appear unto Dean Winchester, it will be when the sun is setting and creating a fiery glow across the calm, blue-green ocean that surrounds the coast of the white sandy shores of a little island by Mexico. Castiel does not know the name of the island, but he figures it does not matter. There is no one inhabiting the island save the two Winchester boys, partially because they've jumped dimensions and partially because the island never existed in any previous time.
(Castiel knows this because he has seen it. He is desperate for these next few days to end because then he can leave and live in the moments shown to him. He wants it because it is a catalyst to something greater.)
Castiel will stand off to the side, gazing at the two boys until he is noticed. He will only be noticed when Sam announces he is going to go for a swim in the ocean. He will stand, turn to grab his towel, and spot the angel, giving him a slow, soft smile. Sam will glance back and forth between Dean and Castiel before winking at Castiel and running down to the waves.
Castiel will walk in deliberately long strides until he reaches the elder brother. The Angel of the Lord will rest a gentle hand on the shoulder of the relaxed, half-asleep hunter and he will almost ask if they would like to stay a few more days, but Castiel knows in his heart of hearts that the Winchesters are ready to return to their home dimension and stay with Bobby while they re-integrate themselves back into their former lives-saving people and hunting things, like their father taught them to do.
What Castiel's Father has taught him varies greatly from what the Winchesters have learned. Castiel's Father taught him how to be a gentle soul and to cherish things and marvel the beauty of even the tiniest speck of dust.
It was Castiel's older brothers who taught him how to be a warrior and how to protect the innocence of the human souls and the beauty of their Father's Creations. (Castiel is amazed at how Dean's soul is already so gentle and loving toward the ones he trusts. It comes naturally; he did not need to be taught.)
Castiel's brothers taught him how to function in a war, but Castiel's Father taught him how to love. And love he will. He loves the hunters before him, in more ways than one, in Dean's case. It has never been spoken, but Castiel knows that Dean, while sometimes oblivious, knows this too.
Someday, Castiel hopes that his Father will allow the angel to ascend with Dean into Heaven before his mortal days on earth are over. He does not think that he could bear the thought of Dean dying, whether it be of old age or an unfortunate occurrence of being in the wrong place at the right time.
Dean will look up at Castiel and wiggle his toes farther into the warm sand. He will be wearing ridiculously large sunglasses-the kind Castiel has seen before on the faces of many a teenage girl; the kind that take over half of their faces. Dean's are purple and he will claim that they match his swim trunks. They don't. Castiel does not have any reason as to why exactly Dean is wearing them, but he is and he seems happy, so that is all the reason the angel needs. With a laugh, Dean will grin widely and stand up, motioning for Castiel to follow him for a walk on the beach.
They will get halfway down to the waters where Sam is before Dean will notice that Castiel is still clothed. In everything.
Dean will shake his head, mutter something about tax accountants that Castiel will not register because he is too busy being distracted by the roar of the ocean, the feel of the warming breeze rolling over them, and the way the orange and red lights of the sunset make Dean seem like he's glowing as he stands in front of him and removes the large trench coat he is wearing.
Dean will work at sliding Castiel's thin, but firm arms out of his heavy trench coat. He will fling the garment away from them, back toward the place where they've been sitting. It wasn't wadded up, so the coat will flutter briefly to the left, soaring with the wind, before reaching nearly halfway to its intended destination. The elder Winchester will demand Castiel remove his fancy leather shoes and his socks-which gains another raucous bout of laughter because for some reason, Jimmy Novak's socks are colored with bright green and pink stripes.
They are both wearing silly things, Castiel will note and he will smile back at the hunter. But Castiel will remove them and Dean will unfasten the other man's backwards tie, flinging it into the ocean, which leaves Dean wearing his silly sunglasses. Dean will also unbutton his dress shirt and gently take off his suit jacket. While his white shirt quivers in the wind, Castiel will be so focused on Dean's face and his beauty that he will not take the time to be embarrassed at Dean reverently running his hand down Cas' chest and tummy. Eventually, Dean's hand will grasp Castiel's and they'll begin their walk down the sandy beach after the other brother makes sure that Sam is still okay.
They will not talk much during their walk, but their hands will remain clasped together. Dean will squeeze the angel's hand tightly every once in a while and Castiel will fear that the man he raised from perdition can hear his heavy heart beat because Castiel is afraid that Dean will let go and Cas never ever wants to let go.
When Dean squeezes his hand the angel's fears and doubts will be calmed and he will feel very much like he is flying. And he knows how to fly. He's got wings.
A giant wave will come splashing up to the shore, drenching the bottoms to the knees of Castiel's slacks. The man beside him will be okay because he will be wearing dark green swim shorts, so he will be fine with the water and getting wet, but Castiel's pants will be wet. They will both look at each other before bursting into laughter.
The sandy haired man will bend down and roll up Castiel's trousers for him. Castiel will catch Dean's face in his strong hands. The other man will lock eyes with the angel before breaking the contact and staring at the suddenly so human angel before him. Castiel's shirt is open, he is wet, and he will look so beautiful to the hunter.
Dean will stand, Castiel's hands still on him, and their lips will finally touch together for the first time.
The sun will continue to sink down over the horizon, but the warmth from the sun will remain. The wind will still be blowing and the waves will still be crashing. After their kiss, they will keep up a steady stream of chatter, as if suddenly, all the quiet tension from the atmosphere has left.
They will talk about everything and they will talk about nothing at all. Everything important- how they feel, how they want their lives to go, what's happening. They will talk about the little things- how Dean thinks that Castiel looks "damn fine" without the coat and tie, Castiel's hesitance to ask why Dean is wearing giant purple sunglasses, the sand, the wind, the sounds of the locusts as they chirp away.
The moon will be risen high in the sky and Dean will be so focused on telling the story of how the future Castiel of a different time that will never come to be was so silly and popped pills like they were candy that when the angel beside him erupts into laughter he is startled and trips over a jagged, broken seashell. It will end up scraping the bottom of his foot and while it is not even half as bad as some of the injuries Dean has gotten over the years, Castiel becomes worried.
Dean will stare at his foot for a while, a sharp grimace painting his features, not because of the cut itself, but because of the sand stuck in it.
Castiel will place two fingers at the top of the wound and run them down to the bottom, using his Grace to seal the two ends together and purge the cut from the stinging sand. Dean will thank him, shyly because he's never really thanked his angel for healing him before, and then hastily claim that it still hurts and he will not be walking back on his own.
He will make to grab Castiel's arm so he can lean closer to him, a covert way at saying that he enjoys the physical contact, but Castiel will push him away. A brief second will pass where all is quiet.
"I will carry you home," Castiel will say and he will delight in the very prominent blush that comes to the man's face.
Before the hunter can reply, Castiel will have scooped Dean up and situated him so that the man was being carried on his back, nestled between the feathered wings that also reside there. Castiel believes this is what one calls a 'piggy back ride.' It sounds vaguely dirty, but neither of them will mention it. Dean will only tighten his grip around Castiel's neck and lay his head down on the angel's shoulder.
Neither of them will mention that they could have easily flown there within a few seconds. Dean will be comfortable and Castiel will enjoy the closeness and the intimacy that carrying Dean entails.
Instead of two pair of footprints in the sand, there will be only one set and Castiel will not know why he is noticing this, but he is. Dean will murmur a quiet 'love you,' against his neck and Castiel will suddenly know that if he replies, it would be okay. His Grace will thrum and his wings will stretch out when Castiel does reply in earnest truth.
"And I, you, Dean Winchester."
He will not be sure if he is heard because Sam will spot them and yell out a hello which causes Dean to scramble out of Castiel's hold. For a very small second, Castiel feels the loss of the warmth of Dean's tender soul, but it will not matter, for Dean will slip his calloused hand into his, squeezing it once more and he will start a conversation with his brother.
A few minutes later, two fingers will be pressed to each of the boys foreheads and they will find themselves in Bobby's house.
Sam and Dean will grin at each other and say goodnight. They will part ways at the end of the hall upstairs, into two separate rooms so that they can each have their privacy. It will feel weird because they've been together in the same room nearly all their lives, but it will be acceptable.
Castiel will help Dean put away their things and they will change out of their beach-wear. They will wrap themselves in each other's arms after they show themselves to Bobby. Dean will fall asleep and Castiel will watch over him.
Castiel likes this future that he has been made to see. He knows that the future has many different outcomes, but this one is his favorite. And if all goes well, this is what will happen. He Grace is thrumming with anticipation at being connected with a soul so bright. Castiel's heart is swelling with many emotions-some he cannot describe.
He wants something good for himself and he wants to be worthy of Dean Winchester. He is. That is okay.
Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed. :)
.Hobster.