As Dean paced around the room, his boots felt heavier than usual. Or maybe he was just tired. Tired of being filled with worry, with grief, with love that he couldn't - wouldn't - let himself show.

The worn out man carried himself over to the chair, placing one leg on the seat to prop himself up. After all, he needed any support he could get. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the man he had been praying for. The man he needed. That torn-up, beige trench coat. The navy-blue tie that matched the eyes Dean knew so well.

"Dean," he said, in a raspy yet sincere tone. Before he could speak any further, Dean cut him off. "Where the hell have you been?" His voice was worn out. All he wanted was his best-friend back. He didn't want to play these games anymore. He wanted to play house, not monster hunters.

"Dean, I-" Cas's voice cracked as he spoke. Dean could tell something was wrong. The angel never sounded so upset before. The energy in the room was off, the air felt thick as he breathed, unsteadily at best. "What's wrong, Cas?" , he exclaimed. But the angel could not answer. He looked away quickly, not able to make eye contact with the man he had known for years. Was he ready for this? Who cares, he thought. It needs to be done.
"Oh for God's sake Cas, spit it out!", he cursed.

Cas picked up his head slowly, his actions almost calculated. He brought his glance to Dean. Before he spoke, he took a moment to take it all in. Those hazel-green eyes, that dirty-blonde hair, that perfectly chiseled face of the man he had thrown it all away for. Was he about to throw him away, too?

"Dean," he said a third time. "just listen to me. Let me talk, just for once". Dean responded in a hesitant nod. Thoughts of what his best-friend could say passed through his mind at a speed where he could not decipher any of them. He watched as those blue eyes he knew so well studied all of his being. When they finally met his own eyes, he could see they were glassy, almost like they were beginning to tear.

A moment of silence passed before he spoke, a moment that both men were secretly hoping would last forever. "Dean," he gulped. "You-…. You saved me, Dean." "Cas, don't do this"
"Just let me speak, Dean!" Dean let out a heavy sigh. His angel continued, shifting his eyes away from him to ease the tension in the room. "Everything I have ever done, Dean, has been for you. Even before I met you, it's like I was made for you. You were built into my wiring. I mean, c'mon, you heard what they said, every other version of me failed, for God's sake! In every life, I tried to save you," he paused, looking back up at Dean, "oh, how lucky I am to have succeeded in this one." Dean stepped off the chair, suddenly more awake than he had been in days. His chest tightened as he began to process what Cas was saying to him. He knew Cas was right. The moment he met him in that barn, it was like he found a piece of himself he didn't know he was missing. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks as the other man kept his gaze locked on him.

Cas looked at Dean intently, trying to figure out if what he said had gotten through his hard shell. He felt frazzled, his thoughts falling apart as he tried to piece them together to form a sentence. As he was losing himself in his own head, he noticed tears beginning to trickle down his cheeks. He could feel Dean's hazel eyes tracing his face, trying to unpack what he was thinking. He had no choice but to tell him.

Castiel took a step forward, placing his hand on Dean's shoulder in that same spot he held when he raised him from perdition all those years ago.

"I love you, Dean", he choked out. Tears continued to flow down his cheeks that began to form a smile.

The room stood still. Cas's entire being filled with anxiety as he was left to wonder what the other man was thinking.

Dean was the one to lose the staring contest. He instead brought his glance down to Cas's hand on his arm, and decided he would focus on the feeling of his grip while he tried to file through his thoughts.

Finally, after what felt like eternity, Dean brought his eyes back up to meet the angel's. When he did, the look on Cas's face broke him. Cas had put on that puppy-dog look of his. His eyes were filled with an eternity's worth of hope. Dean could sense the emotion flowing out of him, the feelings that he had been waiting to express for over 10 years now. As Dean watched the tears fall down his cheeks, his eyes began to water too. So many things he had not realized before quickly began to make sense. In the same way that meeting Cas had filled a hole in his life, hearing those three words filled the same shaped hole in his heart. For the first time in his life, they felt sincere. The anguished man finally knew what love felt like, and this was it.

"And I you, Cas". As Dean spoke these tender words, he could taste the salt on his lips. He did not realize just how much he had been crying.

For Cas, it was like he could finally let out a breath he had been holding in for so long. He looked up at the man he loved, trying to stop himself from breaking out into complete sobs. Before he could speak, Cas noticed Dean take a step even closer, keeping the eye contact. The space between them quickly faded away as Dean continued to move closer to him. Cas's mind went blank as Dean pressed his lips to his. The ecstatic angel could barely move. He had never been kissed before. Dean moved Cas's hand off of his shoulder and onto his waist as he placed his own hands around Cas's neck. Neither of them could taste the saltiness of their tears any longer as they were too focused on the sparking sensation that came with finally touching their lips to one another's. Dean let his fingers explore, traveling down the nape of his neck and slowly making their way to his tie. He began to untie it, yanking it slowly put fiercely at the same time, when—

"Woah, uh, I-" stammered Sam, entering the room. He stood in the doorway, not knowing what to say or what to do.

Dean quickly pulled away from Cas, but the angel's hands continued to linger. Dean swatted the wandering fingers away as soon as he noticed them.
"What was that for?" asked Cas, angrily.
"Shut the hell your mouth" Dean bit back.
"I didn't mean to interrupt your little honeymoon," laughed Sam, his cheeks glowing red.
For once in his life, the witty Dean had nothing to say. The three boys stood there in shock as they all took in what had really just happened. A small smile crept across Cas's face as he shot a glance at Dean. To his surpise, Dean shot one back. They all let out a chuckle. The lovers staring into each others eyes, captivated by each others grace. Sam staring at them staring at each other, fucking finally, he thought.

"Well, is this like, a thing now?" asked Sam from across the room.

"It's always been a thing," Cas quickly responded, "we just hadn't gotten up to that part of our story yet."