"Ya know what Sam? We weren't half bad," Dean says to Sam as he sips his beer on the hood of the impala.
"Huh. Yeah, closing the gates of Hell. I'd say that's pretty good, Dean." Out of nowhere, Cas appears in front of them.
"Castiel, hey." Sam says.
"Hi Sam. Hello Dean. I'm here for, what you call, a goodbye."
Dean blankly stares at the ground, and takes another sip of beer, only glancing up at Cas for a moment. The light comes down on him, making him almost look like an angel. His deep blue eyes reflect the sun's rays, making them glisten with the innocence of man beaten one too many times. Sam gets up and, for the first time, hugs the angel. A quick, awkward, hug, but nonetheless, a hug.
"I, uh, I'll miss you Cas. We couldn't have done this without you."
"Sam, even though you made many mistakes, and started the apocalypse, and befriended a demon, I believe you closed the gates of hell, so uh, great job."
"Thanks cas," Sam replies, with a little less empathy. He gets into the passenger seat of the impala, leaving dean and cas to their goodbye. Dean puts down his empty beer bottle and walks up to Cas. It's amazing how this little angel, so much smaller than him, could hold so many secrets, could have been resurrected so many times. That little vessel has been cut and damaged in every way imaginable, held leviathans, and fell to Earth. If you look at him now, still in the same trench coat since the day Dean met Cas, you would never be able to tell the crap he went through and the things he's dealt with.
"Dean, thank you. You taught me how to be independent, make my own destiny, and to follow what I believe, although at times what I believed wasn't right, you were still always there for me."
"Alright Cas, no touchy-feely moment. We're family, that's what we're for."
It's quiet for a moment, and the world around them ceases. It's just them 2, staring into each others eyes, the feeling all too familiar. Looking into Cas's dark-rimmed, electric blue eyes, he felt as if they were a home. He could look into those eyes and feel like nothing could hurt him, trust him to be loyal, and that whatever went wrong, it will be okay because he will always be there.
"Hey, this isn't a goodbye, you got that? You'll come and visit me down on earth, right?" Dean says, breaking the moment.
Cas thinks back to when he was saying bye to Sam before throwing Lucifer into the cage, and Sam told Cas to "humor him." It's time to humor Dean.
"Of course Dean, I'll visit."
"And don't you dare forget about me, when you go become God or something, just remember me."
"Dean, I could never forget you. The righteous man I saved from hell."
"I, uh, I love you man," Dean mutters out.
Castiel swallows, almost looking like he is trying to fight back tears.
"I love you too Dean, and I'm sorry."
Before Dean gets a chance to ask what he's sorry for, They lean into each other. Their lips brush, and they kiss. It's a very gentle kiss, opposite of the one with Meg. A bolt of lightning rushes through Dean, feeling that spark for the first time in while. He can't help but want more.
Then, Cas is gone, along with all the memory of him. With the last touch of Dean, Cas erased all memory of himself from Sam and Dean like he had done with Lisa. His last memory of Dean is something he'll never forget, something beautiful. Castiel believes that this is best for the Winchesters, to rid them of all the supernatural.
Dean slides into the driver seat of the impala. "We did good, Sammy."
"What're we supposed to do now?" Sam replies
"We go live some normal, apple pie life... Ya know, maybe angels really are watching over us."
Dean turns on the radio. Carry on my wayward son, there'll be peace when you are done.
"Lay your weary head to rest!" Dean belches out.
"Come on Sam, it's Kansas!" Sam quietly starts to sing, but gets louder and louder, and now they're both singing. Dean stops to listen to Sam, but he has this empty feeling, like he's missing something, or a part of him is gone. He brushes it aside.
"Don't you cry no more!" Dean looks over towards Sam, and Sam does the same. They smile, knowing that this time, it's really going to be ok, that they really won.
2065
Cas hears a name he hasn't uttered in a long time on his "angel radio." "Dean Winchester has arrived." Dean's... Dead? Cas, more than anything wants to go visit him, but he doesn't. He can't.
2076
"Sam Winchester has arrived." Cas can't take it any longer. He enters Sam and Dean's heaven, watching as the two brothers embrace.
"C'mon Sam, what took you so long to get your ass up here?" Dean teased.
Cas, though not wanting to break the moment, intervenes.
"Dean," Cas says. As the word slips out of his mouth, the memories flood back, the good and the bad. How Dean taught him to be human, to feel. He remembers that last kiss and he desires another. He want's to feel his warmth and security again, along with the softness of his lips. Dean looks over towards Cas with empty eyes.
"And who are you?" Dean replies.
Cas takes in a huge breath. He looks down, desperate that Dean will remember, but he knows it's for the better that he doesn't. He just wants to hear his name called out by the hunter one more time. The man who taught him what family means, the man who refused to leave him in purgatory. When he first laid hands on you in Hell, he was lost! So what if he was? Because Dean helped show him the way.
"I'm...I'm no one." With that, Cas leaves Dean one last time.