July 2007

Lawrence, Kansas

"It's so much nicer out here than I remembered," Dean says over the crunching of his and Cas's footsteps on the gravel road. "I guess I've gotten used to the city."

"Would you move back here?" Cas asks. "Once you're older."

"Hell, I'd move within the next ten years if I thought I could." He looks over at Cas and nudges him with his shoulder. "Make more money, you."

Cas smiles and rolls his eyes. "I'm your boyfriend, not your bank."

Dean stops and looks at him very seriously. "You mean that's not what you're for? Well, I've been lied to."

This earns him another eye roll from Cas. Cas takes Dean's hand and pulls him until he starts walking again.

It doesn't take long before Dean can see his old house again.

"Jesus Christ, it looks the same as when we left it. 'For sale' sign and all. Do you think anyone's even lived here since then?"

Cas shrugs. "I'm not sure."

"I wouldn't say I miss the place, but that was a good stage of my life. I'd feel nostalgic, except I don't. Because I'm not that kind of guy."

"Of course not," Cas says, amused.

They walk a little farther down the road until they reach the bridge.

"It looks smaller than I remembered," Cas notes, looking over the edge at the water that runs out of the culvert.

"It does," Dean agrees. He steps down to the river bank and picks up a rock before skipping it through under the road. He offers one to Cas, who just shakes his head. "You never were any good at it anyway," Dean says as he tosses it. He steps back up to where Cas waits. "Why'd you wanna come here, Cas? I mean, I know it's where we met and all, but why now?"

Cas gives Dean a knowing smile that lasts just long enough to say everything. "I think you know why."

Dean stops dead and looks at him. "You—you mean—"

Cas takes a deep breath as he takes Dean's hands each in one of his and lowers himself to one knee. "I've thought a lot about what I wanted say at this moment. At one point I had everything written out so I wouldn't forget anything or mess something up. I was going to just…read it right off the paper if I had to. But then I read what I'd written and I realized…you already know everything I want to tell you. And I knew you wouldn't want to hear some long speech from me anyway, so…here I am, and I have no clue what to say." He laughs and he sounds almost choked up. Dean's just looking at him with admiration and love and not a hint of disbelief.

"Can I say yes before you ask?"

Cas laughs. "Dean Winchester, will you marry me?"

"Yes." Dean pulls Cas to his feet and kisses him, reveling in every movement of Cas's lips against his own because this—this is something he'll never forget. "Of course I will. I'm completely in love with you, you know."

"I know," Cas says. They're just a few inches apart and Dean can feel him fidget. "Did I—did I do everything right? Was that okay for a proposal?"

"Oh, Cas." Dean smiles and sets a hand against Cas's chest. "As far as I'm concerned, it was perfect."