A/N: I think I need to stop putting song titles as my chapter titles.
Chapter Thirteen
"No Light, No Light"
Dean rolls over from the couch, finding the spot beside him empty. He quirks a brow as he shifts out of the couch. Immediately, he hears a door open and he walks in the direction of the door. He finds Castiel walking out of the door, drying his hair with a towel.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Castiel asks, seeing the state Dean was in.
Dean cracks a smile before he shakes his head slowly. "I just woke up," he answers, grabbing the towel from Castiel's hands and scrubbing his hair with it. "Do you need anything?" Dean asks. "I can make us something."
Castiel shakes his head slightly before he answers, "I've got to go to work."
Dean feigns a pout before he wraps his arms around Castiel's waist. He rests his head against Castiel's head. "Do you have to go?" he whispers.
Castiel sighs before he tries to push Dean off of him. "I do. Balthazar will kill me if I don't go," Castiel explains. "We still need to settle the issue of Foltern."
Dean groans irritably before he unwraps his arms from Castiel. "Can I see you tonight then?"
Castiel ponders for a moment before he says, "Can't. I've got to go to California to do a presentation. I won't be back until Thursday."
Dean mutters angrily, which causes Castiel to smile. He shuffles forward and kisses Dean's cheek. "I made pie yesterday. It's in the fridge."
Dean's mood changes considerably as he hears his favorite food and asks, "What flavor?"
"Apple," Castiel answers.
"You sure know how to please a man," Dean says, wrapping his arms around Castiel and planting chaste kisses on his lips.
Castiel blushes as Dean kisses him. With much effort, Castiel shrugs off Dean. "Dean, I mean it. I have to go. Please."
Dean grunts in annoyance as he releases Castiel. "Fine," he mutters.
"I'll see you on Thursday," Castiel says, slipping on his coat.
As Castiel approaches the door, Dean says, "I'll walk you out."
Castiel smiles as he waits for the other. They both walk down the stairs, avoiding the elevator just so they could prolong their time together. Once they reached the exist, Dean grabs Castiel again, planting kisses wherever they landed. Castiel chuckles softly as he tries to push away from Dean, failing in doing so. Castiel wraps his arms around Dean's neck and kisses Dean's lips, feeling the soft moisture of his lips.
Castiel breaks away from Dean, biting his lower lip. "I need to go," he says, saying goodbye to Dean before he walks out the door.
Dean watches him before he follows Castiel, grabbing his arm and kissing him again. Castiel was surprised when the other had kissed him. They were in public. Did Dean no longer care? The lightness in Castiel's chest grew heavy. Dean moves away from Castiel, staring down at him. "Call me when you arrive in California."
Castiel smiles faintly as he nods his head. "Okay," he answers. He gets a taxi and slides into the car, watching Dean's image before it disappeared as they turned a corner.
Dean sighs as he licks his lips, still feeling the traces of Castiel's mouth. He makes his way back inside the condo, going to his room.
Lisa was starstruck in her car as she watched the scene before her. Did Dean just kiss -? She had driven to Dean's condo to discuss their issues when she noticed Castiel walking out of the building with Dean. Her heart was heavy and each beat it made ached her chest. Lisa turned on the car, following the taxi Castiel was in. Tears streamed down her face as she remembered the event.
What could she do? What could she do? She was losing Dean. She was losing her soulmate to another. What could she do to make him fall in love with her again? Did Dean even love her to begin with? The thought seeped into Lisa's conscience, tormenting her.
By the time the taxi rolled to a stop by Castiel's home, Lisa's mental state was gone. Castiel had asked the taxi to wait for him until he returned.
Lisa parked the car, waiting in her seat. What was she going to do? She needed to do something. If not, she was going to lose him.
Castiel pulls off his clothes, looking for his uniform. He finds a white button down and goes to put it on when he finds a purple bruise on his shoulder. He scrunches his brows as he looks at himself in the mirror, seeing he was covered in purple bruises from neck to chest. Instantly, he's reminded of last night's events and the color in his cheeks return. They hadn't had sex though they were close to. Castiel was stripped to his boxers and when he looked up at Dean, he could have sworn he was going to take him by the look on his eyes. Castiel moves away from the mirror, trying to compose himself. He slips on his clothes and sets up his luggage.
Once he was done, Castiel goes down the stairs. The minute he opens the door, he finds Lisa in the doorway, tears rolling down her eyes. Castiel quirks a brow, surprised to see her state.
"Lisa, are you -"
"Are you happy?" she finally says. "You took Dean away from me and now he won't even bat an eye at me. Dean was supposed to be with me, Castiel! I can help him. I can do so much for him. He wasn't supposed to fall in love with you, Cas. You're a guy, that's the problem.
What exactly can you do for him, Castiel? You can't provide for him. You can't give him the one thing that he wants so desperately. He wants a family, Castiel. Children. You can't give him that. I have Ben and Dean loves him. I can give him children. We can be a family. And you're in the way of that. Tell me, Castiel, what can you provide for him? Huh? Just romance isn't going to be enough for Dean. So, please, stop it! Give him back to me," Lisa explains through violent sobs.
Castiel's expression wavers as he stares at Lisa. What can he do for Dean, exactly? The weight in his chest increased, aching his body with each beat. He shakes his head as he moves past the sobbing Lisa, entering the taxi. It took a moment before Castiel told the driver to take him to his work.
Dean had waited all day, waiting for Castiel to call that he landed. But the call never came. All the times the Winchester dialed Castiel, it would take him straight to voice mail. Unable to reach Castiel, Dean called Balthazar. It was Balthazar who had to tell Dean that Castiel had landed two hours ago.
During the two days Castiel was away, Dean tried to desperately reach him. But he never made a connection each time. By the time it was Thursday, Dean was nervous. He was afraid that Castiel had gotten into an accident or was angry at him for some unknown reason. The moment Balthazar called saying he was at home already, Dean grabbed his keys and went to Castiel's house.
Dean saw the lights were off, making him think Castiel was out. But he finds himself getting out of the car. He rifles through his keys, finding the key that opened Castiel's door, something Balthazar had given to Dean. Dean makes his way inside, closing the door behind him gently. He hears noises coming from upstairs.
Castiel stumbles out of the bathroom, having taken a shower. He hears his name being called out and turns to find Dean at the bottom of the staircase. How the hell did he get inside? Balthazar. Castiel made a mental note to murder his cousin.
"Cas, I've been calling you since the day you left," Dean says, staring up at Castiel. "Why didn't you answer my calls?"
Castiel finds it hard to meet the other's gaze and shifts his attention to the floor. He bites his bottom lip before he answers, "I didn't find the time."
Dean tsks as he shakes his head. "Bull," Dean replies. "You had the time to answer Balthazar's calls. Cas, what's the matter?"
Castiel hesitates as he stares into Dean's eyes. His expression wavers and he looks like he's going to cry. "Fine," Castiel finally says, voice hoarse. "Can't you take a hint, Dean?"
"What?" Dean asks, confusion sinking in.
"I'm done. I can't take you, Dean. You are the most annoying and selfish person I have ever met. And I can't keep lying and pretending that we're a happy couple. Because you know what? I realized that if you pick me at the end of the trial, I have to live with you. That's the last thing I want," Castiel explains, heart aching with each fable he fed Dean.
"Cas," Dean says, unbelieving the other's words.
"No, stop! You know what I can't stand about you, Dean? Your loyalty to your brother. Sam has taken everything you wanted. And you let him. And you have the audacity to call him your brother after all he's done. You should have let him stay with Ruby. He didn't deserve Jess. Because of Sam, you had to sacrifice so much. And it's not fair. But you know what sickens me the most? Your desperation to see the best out of people. You sacrifice your happiness and all else at the expense of everyone else's," Castiel continues. "And I can't be with someone like that. I don't need you. So, just go away and leave me alone. Go with Lisa and have loads of children. Have a family."
Dean stares up at Castiel, chest hurting from the other's response. So, this whole time was one sided? He couldn't believe it. Dean didn't want to believe it. He met Castiel's gaze and realized it couldn't be true. "Bull shit," Dean finally answers. Dean makes his way up the stairs. "I don't know who put you up to it. But I know exactly what you're doing. And it's not going to work, Cas. Because I know this for sure, you would never let someone have their way with you unless you didn't feel the same way," Dean explains, stopping before Castiel.
Castiel stares at Dean, taking a few steps back until he runs into the wall. His heart hammers in his ribcage as the other approaches. He didn't buy the lie? Apart of him was grateful that he didn't believe him, but the other part thought of Lisa.
"Dean, we can't continue this any longer," Castiel says, in a last minute effort.
"Why not?" he asks.
"Because the trial. Lisa," Castiel answers weakly.
Dean shakes his head slowly. "I choose you, Cas. I'm going to call Lisa and talk about this with her because I can't imagine being with another person other than you. Cas, between Lisa and I, there's nothing there anymore. I just don't feel the same about her anymore."
Castiel avoids the other's gaze. Dean tries to get Castiel's attention but fails in doing so. "But you and Lisa would have a family, Dean," Castiel answers.
Dean rolls his eyes, starting to get annoyed. "Sure, we would have a family. But if there's no connection, then what's the point of a family?" Dean answers, grabbing Castiel's chin and forcing him to look at him.
Dean sees the confusion in Castiel's eyes. Why was he resisting him all of a sudden? Was he afraid? Dean didn't understand it. But he wanted Castiel to understand. "Cas, I love you," Dean says.
He said it. The words he had longed to hear all his life and his soulmate uttered them like it was easy in doing so. Castiel sighs softly as he meets Dean's gaze.
Dean runs a hand across Castiel's bottom lip before he leans in and kisses him. A tear rolls down from Castiel's cheek as he wraps an arm around Dean's neck.
A/N:
So, what questions would you like to be answered by the end of the story?