The sun was making a magnificent exit in the west.
"Show off."
There was barely a ripple on the surface of the water as Dean threw out his line yet again.
After securing the last fishing pole, he opened the cooler, picked out a cold one and twisted the lid off. He guzzled it down, the cool beer soothing his barely parched throat.
"Hello, Dean."
Cas showed up out of the blue as per his usual MO and planted himself in Dean's personal space.
Anybody else and Dean would have given them the beat down of the century. But for some reason, when it came to Cas, Dean's personal space bubble was much, much smaller.
"Beer?" Dean gestured towards the cooler.
"Yes, please." Cas took the beer Dean handed him and proceeded to sip it.
By now, Dean knew not to say anything about how Cas drank his beer. If he mentioned it, Cas would simply mention how he didn't like Dean's eating habits. Specifically his habit of talking with his mouth full of food.
Sometimes Dean thought Cas spent too much time with Sam.
Dean leaned forward a bit and checked on his fishing lines.
He liked these fishing trips with Cas. The serenity is a complete contrast to the rest of his life. He enjoyed not having any responsibilities or duties.
It was just him and Cas and the sunset and the fishing poles and the beer.
Sometimes they talk. But he has no problem if they just sit together silently.
Castiel made sure he was invisible to Dean. There was no reason to alarm him. Castiel used to enjoy a particular autistic man's heaven until Dean.
Now he went to Dean's whenever he wants a break from Heaven's business. Castiel enjoyed his job. Dean had been correct to label him Holy Tax Accountant. There may not be any taxes in Heaven but his job now was comparable to an accountant's on Earth.
That Dean chose this as his heaven was not a surprise to Castiel. Castiel had walked in enough of Dean's dreams that he knew this one was one of his favourites. What had surprised him was the addition of Dream-Castiel.
Castiel watched as Dean and Dream-Castiel drank their beer in silence.
Something about being around Dean still worked to calm him down. To use a human phrase, something he'd retained most ferociously, it was a soul-deep calm that erased all his tensions and worries. A peace that he hadn't had for all of his existence. Until Dean.
"Sir, Joshua has summoned you to the Garden."
"I'll be right there."
Castiel soaked in the peaceful ambience for an instant longer then materialized in the Garden.
"It's time, Castiel." Joshua intoned.
"I'm not ready."
"I understand. However, as always, His will be done."
Castiel nodded.
God in his infinite wisdom, and infuriating ways, had put Castiel in charge of the new Apocalypse.
Castiel didn't want to make the same mess he had made with the Leviathan. And he didn't want a repeat of the mess he'd inherited from Michael either.
After the debacle that was Michael's Apocalypse, God had, as Dean would say, reset the switch.
Which meant that all the programming and reprogramming and re-reprogramming that Naomi and her ilk had perpetrated on the so-called rebels had been erased.
With their memories restored, it had taken a large portion of Castiel' time to convince the angels to revert back to their original jobs, protecting God's creations.
With Michael and Lucifer in The Cage, God had appointed Castiel as Archangel and left him in charge of this realm.
The new Apocalypse would be a test, not only of the humans and the demons and the angels, but also of Castiel.
As Dean would say, there were so many ways to fuck this up. And Castiel had done a lot of that in the past.
He materialized in Dean's heaven again, this time allowing Dean to sense his presence.
"Do you have to go?" Dean grimaced.
"Yes. It cannot be avoided." Castiel looked at Dean's soul and saw the peace there.
"Will you come back?"
"Whenever I can." Castiel promised.
"Don't forget."
"I won't. Wherever I'll be, you'll always be more than a memory."
Dean smiled.
Castiel hugged him and immersed himself in Dean for some undefined amount of time. Abruptly releasing him, he straightened Dean's collar and smiled at him once before walking off. He never turned around.
Castiel materialized in his office.
"Barney."
"Sir."
"Summon all the department heads."
"Yes, Sir."
"Let me know when they've all arrived."
"Yes, Sir."
Castiel sat in his chair and allowed himself to remember Dean as he'd known him on Earth. Loving son and brother. Loyal friend. Passionate lover. That is what he would be fighting for.
"Sir, the department heads are all assembled in the board room."
"Show time." Castiel murmured to himself as he materialized in the board room.