Dean slowly spun the full beer bottle on the table, trying to think about what all has happened in the last week.
Billie went after them...again...
Cas...
Cas...
Jack knocked Chuck down a few levels, so now He's running the show...
Sammy is happy cuz Eileen is back...
And...
Dean got up and left the bottle sweating a ring of condensation on the map. Sam and Eileen went on a vacation, because by Jack, they deserved it. And Dean, well, Dean was tired.
He just wanted to stay home for a bit, watch some TV, sleep in and not wake up to a case.
He needed a vacation, too. Or, more specifically, a stay-cation.
And guess who was with him...
Jack did right by all of them when He pulled Cas out of the Empty, no harm, no foul. After all, it had happened before when he was literally still a newborn. Cas appeared before them right after Jack vanished, and Sam thought he was going to have to make a run to the hospital because he thought his brother was having a stroke. Reunited, Sam got a call from Eileen, and, well, the past few days were nothing short of amazing. Something they could have only dreamed of.
But something was still eating at Dean.
He crept down the hallway, and heard that Cas was in the shower. He found it odd, an angel of the Lord partaking in such a human thing that was unnecessary for them, although Dean always wondered how the angels' vessels always stayed so clean and groomed well. He did notice that something was a little off about Cas. He was even more quiet than usual, and was closer to Dean than ever before, and that was saying something. He followed Dean around the bunker like a puppy. But Dean loved every minute of it. So, when Cas said he was going to take a shower, Dean played it off like it was a normal thing for them.
"Ok, Cas, don't hog up all the hot water!" Dean had shouted as the angel went down the hall.
He thought it had to do with the fact that maybe Cas just needed some relief from it all, to try to literally wash away the feeling of the Empty and what it was like there. Hard to imagine anything could be worse than Hell, but apparently there was.
Dean sank to the floor, and listened to the water fall onto the hard floor...and Cas moan in pleasure. He licked his lips. "Son of a bitch..." Dean ran a hand through his hair, figuring he would let it grow out a bit. When the water suddenly went off, Dean jumped up, not wanting to disturb Cas. He quickly tip-toed to his room and shut the door. Sitting on the bed, he told himself that Cas was ok, he just needed time.
They all did, after everything from just the past week.
Dean's mind went back to that day, because that day would always plague him, and he was so full of regret. It literally broke him...
But now he had a second chance...a chance to finally do right by Cas. After all, that little angel had already done so much for him and his family. Hell, Cas was just as much of a family as Sam and now Eileen was.
A knock on the door jolted him out of his head.
"Dean?" Cas' tired voice asked through the door.
"Hey, Cas!" Dean answered. "Come on in."
Cas entered the little room, Dean's room, and took a deep breath. Dean noticed how much smaller he was than himself, since Cas only had that suit and damn trench coat, Dean had offered to share his wardrobe. Cas looked good in plaid.
"Good shower, huh?" Dean asked, a mischievous smile on his face.
"I definitely missed that when I was...human, back then." Cas sighed.
"You ok?"
"I'll be fine, Dean. I'm sorry if I'm worrying you, it's just-"
"I know..." Dean held up a hand. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."
"Dean?" Cas shifted gears, and Dean was getting nervous. "About what happened, I...I didn't, offend you, did I?"
"What? No." Dean got up and stood right in front of the little angel. "Cas, I've been meaning to ask you about that, I..."
"Did I upset you?" Cas looked worried.
"Hey, Cas...wait..." Dean sucked it up, and just came right out. "It just...threw me off guard is all. I mean, we were trapped by Billie, then all of a sudden the Empty was coming after you, I...I panicked, but..." His eyes welled up with tears. "Cas, you saved my life...again, and again, and again...I..."
Cas took a breath. "I meant every word I said..." He bravely took his hand.
"I know you did..." Dean nodded. "And now that we're not going to get interrupted by any angry douchebags...Cas..."
"Yes, Dean?"
Dean took a breath as well. "I...I love you too."
Cas broke into a smile, then reeled it back in. "I..."
"I love you, Cas." Dean reiterated, making a note of how good it felt to finally say it. "I'm sorry I kept it bottled up all this time. You know I'm not good at stuff like this, and I'm sorry I-"
"Dean, please, you don't ever have to apologize to me..." Cas interrupted. "I love everything about you...all of you...from the moment I pulled your soul out of Hell, and, well, you know the rest..."
Dean instinctively turned behind him, making sure nothing was coming to get his angel again.
"And now you know, too..." Dean hugged Cas gently, as if he was a small child. Cas was frail, his vessel still holding on, but even after Jack saved him, there was something about him that made Dean extra careful around him.
Cas hummed happily, then placed his hand on Dean's shoulder, that shoulder, and Dean could have sworn a flash of heat raised it an inch.
"Dammit, Cas..." Dean laughed. "Are you just going to start pushing my buttons before the first date?"
"Whatever you want, Dean." Cas winked at him, and Dean kicked himself for waiting this long to finally be open and honest with himself and with Cas.
"I love you, Cas."
"I love you, Dean."
Dean, feeling much better about everything now, went in for a kiss, and Cas accepted without hesitation. When Dean realized what he was doing, he pulled back.
"Sorry, am I...moving too fast?"
"Dean, we've known each other for ten years..."
"Yeah, sorry I'm just stubborn..."
"I wouldn't have you any other way."