Lawrence, Kansas: Ten Months later.
It was one of those gorgeous Kansas spring days that the newscasters would declare perfect and lovely, and bemoan the fact that they didn't get this kind of weather all year long. The sun was shining, there was a fragrant breeze rustling the prairie grasses, and Dean Winchester was smiling big enough to split his face.
He swiped at a nonexistent spot on the black fender with a shop rag, grinning at his own reflection in the glossy paint.
This had been a long time coming.
First, he'd had to rebuild Winchester and Sons from the ground up. It had taken months, four to be exact, and Dean had been very afraid there wouldn't be any business to be had when he finally reopened.
He'd been happily proven wrong.
Business was booming.
Dean employed a staff of thirty now. Benny was still the shop foreman, but he now had an assistant of his own. Jo had her own secretary. Madison was in charge of the crew of mechanics. Garth oversaw the paint and body work guys. Ash still ran the website, but it was interactive now, and he also managed the merchandise end of things, doing all the graphic design for the t-shirts they couldn't seem to keep in stock. They'd also hired an upholsterer and did all their interior work in house now. There was a waiting list of over six months to get a car done, and people were more than willing to wait.
They had their own brand of wheels, with an amazing W&S logo in the center cap, and they'd just been featured in Hot Rodder Magazine. Chip Foose had filmed an episode of Overhaulin' at the shop, and that had brought another rush of business for Dean, and even more attention.
Balthazar had even convinced a fellow producer at the Discovery Channel to come meet Dean, and the man had been so impressed with the shop, and so amused at the way Dean and his crew acted around each other, that there was now a reality show in the works.
Dean was about to become an extremely rich man.
Add in celebrity clients like Michael Symon and Guy Fieri and life was looking good.
"Lookin' mighty fine there brotha," Benny drawled, coming to stand next to Dean. "Like she just rolled off the showroom floor."
And on to Dean's pet project.
It had been a long hard road, driving around the country with Cas at his side, rooting through salvage yards, hunting down parts and panels, and it had been extremely frustrating. He was never sure he would be able to do it, that maybe she was too far gone.
But slowly, all the pieces were obtained, the frame restored, and progress was made.
She was almost done when Dean had a personal setback and took a crowbar to her trunk lid, but Benny made some phone calls and found another one.
Yesterday, Dean and Garth had put the final clear coat on her, and she'd just been washed and waxed.
The sun danced along the lines and curves of her body and Dean felt like he was flying. She was back. His baby was back.
"Whatta waitin' for boss? Fire her up!" Ash grinned at Dean. His whole crew was standing in front of the shop, waiting to hear the Impala roar again.
Dean slid into the driver's seat with a huge grin and turned the key, and she roared to life instantly, throaty growl and ferocious rumble vibrating through the frame.
Jo leaned in through the driver's side window and handed Dean a cassette tape. "Ceremonial first song. Pop in side A and crank it!" She kissed him on the cheek as she pulled her head back out of the car.
Sliding the tape into the deck, a cheer went up from the crowd as the opening strains of Ramble On filled the car and the parking lot.
"That's what I'm talking about!" Dean yelled, as he revved the engine, the 327 responding with a mighty roar.
"Get on outta heah!" Benny hollered, and Dean slid the shifter into drive.
He left about three feet of rubber on the parking lot.
Castiel hauled the laundry basket up the stairs, smiling and whistling as he went.
He set the basket on the bed, put away his and Dean's laundry, then stripped the sheets, replacing them with the freshly laundered ones. He was using the 500-thread count Egyptian cotton set he'd bought them on his last trip to New York. They were pure white, soft and satiny, and Dean's absolute favorites.
After the bed was made, Castiel scrubbed their bathroom, and set out unlit candles all over the bedroom and bathroom.
It was a very special day, and he was going to turn it into a very special night.
Downstairs, he ran the vacuum and loaded the dishwasher, wiped the counters down, and pulled out the pans he would need for dinner.
It had been just about ten months since he moved in with Dean, and there was nothing he missed about his old loft. Dean's house was warmer and more comfortable than the loft had ever been. And, since the network had agreed, he didn't even need to fly to New York to film the show anymore. They'd just wrapped the first season recorded in Dean's home, and Castiel was hoping the public response would be positive because he liked filming here better than he'd ever liked the studio.
Moving back into the den, he quickly dusted all the furniture, smiling at the pictures lining the mantle. His favorite was the one of him and Dean in tuxes that had been taken almost a year ago in May at the Napa Food and Wine fest. They were both smiling, and that was the night Dean told Castiel he loved him. The picture next to it had been taken the day Castiel had officially moved in, they were standing on the front porch surrounded by boxes, and it had been about two weeks after Dean's impromptu Route 66 trip. Although most people wouldn't notice, Castiel could still see the pain in Dean's eyes.
They'd come so far since then.
After they'd found Dean in California, Sam and Castiel had brought him back, and found him a therapist, but it wasn't a quick cure, and there'd still been the debilitating nightmares, and Dean had struggled with the guilt and self-loathing, leading him to offer Castiel an out more than once, telling him that he didn't have to stay and that he'd understand if he didn't.
Things started to improve as construction progressed on Winchester and Sons. Then, once Dean realized he would indeed be able to restore the Impala, that the frame was still solid and that a few of the body panels had survived the heat, Dean's mental health took a definite upswing. He was smiling more, laughing a bit easier, and Castiel had watched him come back to himself. By January, and Dean's birthday, they were more in love than ever, and the loft finally sold, Castiel's place firmly cemented in Lawrence. It wasn't long after that and Castiel was looking for a place in Lawrence to open a new restaurant, a down home joint this time.
He wanted to prove to Dean beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was here to stay.
A familiar throaty growl sounded from the driveway and Castiel grinned. It had been a while since he'd heard that particular sound, but he knew what it was right away and quickly ran out to the porch.
Dean grinned at him from the driver's side of the Impala, face bright and happy and incredibly pleased.
"Want a ride, gorgeous?" he asked Castiel happily, green eyes sparkling in the late afternoon sun. Castiel returned the grin, and pulled the front door shut behind him.
"Let's go baby!" he smiled, dropping into the passenger seat, laughing loudly as Dean peeled rubber down the street.
Back at the house, Dean stood in his office, carefully sorting through the papers Sam had brought him earlier in the day.
This was a big step for him, and he was nervous about what he was getting ready to do. Dean wanted to spend the rest of his life with Cas, and this was the first step. He took a minute to ground himself, thinking about everything they'd been through in the past several months, all the therapy sessions, the nightmares, the times Dean would just completely fall apart. Cas was always there, always ready to comfort him, always providing the steady rock Dean needed. It hadn't been easy, not by any stretch of the imagination. Twice weekly therapy sessions had definitely helped, but Cas's love and gentle guidance had been the deciding factor, the piece of the puzzle that made Dean want to work harder to get well.
Hopefully, the papers in his hand would show Cas just how grateful Dean was.
He took a deep breath, then joined Cas in the kitchen. The other man was whistling, slicing strawberries into a bowl. Dean walked up behind him and kissed his neck.
"Got a minute?"
"Sure," Cas grinned and let Dean lead him to the kitchen table.
"I have some stuff I have to show you. Important stuff."
Cas sat at the table as Dean cleared his throat and pulled the first document from the pile.
"So um. I should have done this sooner, especially this one, but better late than never right?" He hands the document to Cas, "this is the deed for the house. It's got your name on it now too. So you own half the house." He grabs the next one, nervous and anxious to get through them all. "This one is the deed for the land and the building at Winchester and Sons. So you own half of that too. And this one gives you a portion of the business, along with me, Benny, and Jo. So you own part of Winchester and Sons now too."
Castiel looks through the papers and smiles. "This is amazing Dean."
"There's one more. This is the one I'm really happy about." He slides the last document across the table. It's a Kansas Department of Motor Vehicles title.
"Is this…is this for the Impala?" Cas asks quietly.
"Yup. Baby's half yours now too. Basically, everything I own is half yours."
Cas is quiet a moment longer, staring at the documents in his hands, then he looks up at Dean, his handsome face lit by a beautiful smile. "This is one hell of a commitment Winchester," he says huskily.
"You're worth it," Dean replies simply.
A moment later, he's got a lap full of handsome man kissing every inch of his face, whispering I love you into his ear.
When they finally come up for air, Castiel pulls Dean up from the table and drags him back into the kitchen.
"Help me cook?" he asks, and Dean nods happily, freckled cheeks dusted with a light blush.
His green eyes sweep the counter, taking in the ingredients Castiel's set out, recognition dawning as he spies the filets and the small pile of garlic on a cutting board.
"Is this?"
"Yup. It's our anniversary after all, I thought we should make the dishes that started it all." He nods in the direction of the garlic. "Want a mincing lesson for old times sake?" Castiel asks with a smirk.
"Oh, hell yeah."
An hour later, they're sitting as close together as possible at the kitchen table, feeding each other off of one plate, things getting decidedly hotter with each bite, lips meeting often between bits of steak and risotto, an entire bottle of wine gone, and another on the way.
Dean finally gets off of his own chair and plops himself into Castiel's lap, the chair groaning loudly in protest.
"We should go upstairs," he growls in Castiel's ear.
"Mmm. I like that idea. But I have something else planned for you tonight."
"Oh yeah? What?"
"The episode we filmed one year ago today. Ash helped me set up a screen out back, and we're going to cuddle up and watch it, then we can go to bed. I made dessert after all."
"Same stuff as last year? The zabaglione?"
"Yes."
"Yummy."
"Go outside, I'll be out in a moment."
"Ok." Dean pulls himself off of Castiel's lap, smiling back at him as he heads through the kitchen and the den, disappearing through the back door.
Castiel waits, standing just out of Dean's line of sight at the den window. He watches as Dean takes in the backyard. He's gone all out, ordered a new chaise lounge for tonight, a big one that's about the size of a queen size bed. There's about sixteen pillows piled on it, and some Indian-print throw blankets. Jo helped him put fairy lights and white Chinese lanterns in the trees, and there's a bottle of champagne chilling in a stand. A white sheet strung between two trees makes the stand-in movie screen.
Dean is looking around, surprised at the opulence, and looks like he's about to come back into the house, so Castiel uses the remote for the video player and presses play.
He's got about five minutes to change.
This isn't his backyard.
It's like something out of a Martha Stewart ad, twinkly lights and candles, champagne chilling, and a brand spanking new piece of furniture that looks like an outdoor bed. There's a sheet hanging between two of the trees, and Dean's about to head back in and ask Cas what's going on when the video starts.
"Hello, I'm Castiel Novak, chef and host of Food Network's A Little Taste of Heaven. We're coming to you today from the Lawrence, Kansas home of Dean Winchester."
Dean smiles as he sits on the chaise, admiring the handsome man on the screen as he walks across the front lawn in his crisp white shirt and sexy mussed hair, remembering that day fondly. Who knew it would turn out like this?
"Dean won a contest to have me come to his home and cook a romantic meal for two. Dean was supposed to have a date come over but he didn't, so he asked me to stay."
The hell? He didn't remember this part from when he'd first seen this episode.
"I can't tell you how glad I am that he didn't have a date. We spent the evening talking, then made love for the first time."
Dean's eyes widened. Ok, that was definitely not on the original episode.
"Over the next few weeks, we got to know each other better, both in New York and Kansas. It didn't take long for me to realize I was in love with Dean. I think I may have actually fallen in love at first sight. That's never happened to me before."
Dean's hand slipped over his mouth.
"I took him to Napa, and we had a wonderful time. We danced together, then went back to our room and made love. Dean told me he loved me that night. I didn't think I could feel any happier. Then I almost lost him, I said something stupid and he ran. I was so scared it was over."
His vision blurred, tears filling his eyes.
"I apologized, and he accepted, but other things in his life sent him into a very dark period. I did everything I could to convince him I loved him, and between me and his family, Dean learned to forgive himself for things in his past that he couldn't change. Over the last few months, I've watched him heal, and grow, and through it all, I've fallen more and more in love with him."
Cas on screen smiled, blue eyes twinkling.
"I will love him for the rest of my life. And I'm hoping that by the end of this episode, Dean will have agreed to marry me."
Dean gasped, staring at the screen as tears ran down his cheeks. There was a noise beside him in the grass, and he turned to see Cas standing there, gorgeous in his tux. His jaw dropped, and Dean stood, eyes wide, as Cas moved closer and dropped on one knee.
"Oh my god," Dean whispered, as Cas reached up and took his hand. He can't stop the tears that are falling faster now, but he's not sad, not at all, he's so damn happy he's sure his heart is about to explode.
"Dean, I love you, I love you more than I can even put into words, and there's nothing in this world that would make me happier than marrying you. So what do you say? Will you be my husband?"
He sniffles loudly, and Cas chuckles. "Yeah, Cas, I'll marry you. Of course I'll marry you."
The other man grins, and slips a thin silver band on Dean's left hand. "I was hoping you'd say that." He gets to his feet and pulls Dean in for a heated kiss.
"What else would I say?" Dean asks with a grin. "The answer was pretty obvious to me."
"Good," Cas says, kissing him again. "I love you, Dean."
"I love you too, Cas, I love you so much."
They spend the evening curled together on the big chaise in the backyard. They eat dessert, drink champagne, and watch the actual episode, and Dean laughs at how awkward he looks, both of them amused at the obvious sexual tension.
It's blissful in the backyard, the April night cool, but they're warm and snuggled together under the pretty throw blankets.
"So, you're about to become a very rich man, my love. What are you going to do with all that money?" Castiel asks, as he runs his fingers across Dean's cheek. They've long since shut the video player off, and it's dark, the yard lit only by the fairy lights and lanterns, and the tiny candles that are slowly burning themselves out.
"I don't need or want it," Dean replies, "but I'll put a good chunk of it in trust for Ben. I think I'd like to put the rest of it into veteran's programs, like Wounded Warrior."
"That's my man. Always putting others first."
Dean blushes. "I make enough from the shop. I don't need the money."
"I know, baby. I think what you want to do is amazing." Castiel kisses the tip of his nose. "I'm going to make you so happy, Dean."
"You already do, Cas. I love you so much."
He kisses Dean then, soft at first, just a light press of lips, but Dean responds passionately, yanking Castiel's head closer with a hand behind his neck, tongue demanding entrance, and they're both being swept away.
"We should take this upstairs," Castiel groans, as Dean attacks his neck, his hand wandering down to the fly of the tuxedo pants.
"Why? We have a privacy fence and an asston of trees. You bought us this awesome new outdoor bed. I say we break it in."
Castiel chuckles, and gives in, his hands sweeping up Dean's back, yanking hard on his lover's t-shirt, and Dean helps him pull it off.
It takes a little longer to get him out of the tux, and then he happily pulls Dean's jeans off, and they're naked, pressed against each other under the warmth of the throw blankets, Castiel admiring the play of candle and fairy light on the planes of Dean's gorgeous face. His eyes are just a thin band of grass green now, pupils completely lust-blown.
"I want you," Castiel growls, pulling Dean in for a kiss, feeling Dean push his erection into his hip, "I want you on your back screaming my name."
"Fuck that's hot," Dean moans.
"That's the idea." Castiel ducks his head under the blanket, enjoying the hard squirm Dean does when his lips find his nipple. Castiel has learned, in the past year, that he can make Dean fall apart just by playing with his nipples, which are extremely sensitive, far more sensitive than any man he's ever been with.
He sucks the nub into his mouth, swirling his tongue around as Dean groans above him, squirming and arching his back, amazing little sounds tumbling from his mouth. Castiel bites down, increasing his suction, and Dean grabs his shoulders, fingers tightening, and that might be the part Castiel loves the most.
Trailing his tongue across Dean's chest, he finds the other nipple, and sucks that one in, repeating the process. Dean's starting to sweat now, his body trembling with pleasure, and Castiel smiles to himself, reaching under a pillow for the bottle of lube he stashed there earlier, just in case.
He continues his path down Dean's torso, nipping and kissing, bypassing the other man's rock hard interest, gently spreading Dean's legs as he goes. He trails his tongue along his inner thighs, distracting Dean while he lubes his fingers.
There's an excitement to their lovemaking, the first time they've ever done this in the backyard, out in the open, (because there was that time in the Impala after all) there's almost an illicitness to it, and it's fueling Castiel's libido, knowing that Dean is staring at an inky sky full of stars while he's busy in between his legs.
He takes Dean in his mouth, hears the other man gasp, whisper his name into the night air, and Castiel slides a lubed finger inside him.
"Ohfuckohfuckohfuck," Dean murmurs. "Feels so good," and his hand finds Castiel's hair.
One of the thousand and one things he loves about Dean is that sex never seems to get old for him. Dean gets just as excited as he did the first time, and it's very alluring, it makes Castiel feel so powerful that he can take Dean apart like this.
It's not long before he's sliding back up the bed, taking in Dean's wrecked face as he slides in, Dean arching helplessly into his chest, hanging on for dear life as Castiel thrusts in and out, clinging tightly as he says his name over and over, hands joined, frantic kisses exchanged, and it seem like only a moment before they both tumble over the edge, Dean with a shout, Castiel with a growl, and they collapse into each other, waiting out their racing hearts.
Dean snuggles into him, as they both lay on their backs watching the stars.
"I love you," Castiel whispers into his sweaty hair.
"I love you, too," Dean whispers back, tightening his grip around Castiel's waist, twisting his body to hide his face in his shoulder.
They fall asleep this way, happy, in love, and content, wrapped around each other in the cool April night.