~*~ Chapter Six ~*~
Dean and Castiel stood facing each other for quite some time. Their regrets seemed like a mile-wide chasm stretching endlessly before them even though they'd drifted to the point where only a few feet separated them.
Even though Dean had indicated that he should stay, Castiel expected to be rejected any moment. Dean couldn't really forgive him for leaving when he'd expressly told him not to. He knew that he had hurt Dean and while he could easily repair broken bones now and a variety of other ailments now he did not know how to go about repairing this type of damage.
Dean knew he should have never told Castiel not to come back. He wanted to fix things between them, but at the same time he was afraid that Castiel would disappear on him again any moment.
And so they stood at a silent impasse, both afraid to make the first move.
I've gotta say something. Any moment Jimmy will be back and Castiel will do his angel thing and then be on his way. "So…uh…do you uh…do you have to go back right after helping Jimmy?" Dean asked, eyes examining the floor like it was the most fascinating thing in all of creation.
"I do not believe so," Castiel answered thoughtfully. "I have not yet received a new assignment."
"What?! Then why the hell didn't you come back?" At Castiel's sharp glance, Dean blushed, "Oh right…sorry."
An awkward silence fell over them again, but Dean quickly rallied, "Will you stay?"
Before Castiel could answer Dean added, "If you can? I ... I miss you Cas."
With just a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth Castiel answered, "If I can."
Dean didn't know how it had happened. One moment he was standing a few feet away from Castiel, the next he was hugging him like there was no tomorrow.
Castiel stood stone still for a moment.
Dean imagined Castiel with the same horrified expression on his face as when Amelia had hugged him. He kept telling his arms to let Castiel go but apparently they had a mind of their own because they just hung on tighter, unwilling to let Castiel go.
You could say that Dean was surprised when Castiel suddenly hugged back so tightly that Dean nearly fell to the floor in shock…that is he would have if Castiel hadn't been holding him so tightly.
Dean wasn't really what you would call a hugger. The hugs he gave were few and far between, and never any that lasted more than a moment or two. The fact that this hug seemed to go on forever…Dean really didn't want to think about what that meant. He couldn't believe that he'd even admitted to missing Castiel. All this time he'd been pretending, lying to himself that he didn't miss anything of his life before.
Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit! Jimmy and Amelia will be back with Claire any second and I can't make myself let go. This is going to bring a whole new level of awkward.
"Cas?"
"Yes, Dean?"
"Maybe we should…you know…let go before they get back?"
"What do you mean?"
"Guys don't really hug."
"I do not understand."
"I just don't want to give them the wrong idea…especially with the whole dream thing."
"'Dream…thing?'"
"Jimmy's dreams."
"I thought James Novak was having nightmares and that was why he prayed for help?"
"Not exactly," Dean stepped back, breaking their embrace. He wasn't about to talk about those dreams while hugging another dude. He really didn't want to talk about those dreams at all.
"I do not understand. If they are not nightmares, why would he want to stop them so urgently that he would request help from both of us?"
Dean was saved, at least temporarily, from having to answer by the Novaks returning.
AN: Sorry for the short length and the long wait. The good news is I'm almost done with the next chapter. Please review ;-)