Three
"I'll be back before the party, I promise." Sam had said.
That had been a damn lie.
Not an intentional one of course, but the actual hunt had taken him to the seediest part of town where he had spent the last hour and a half following the suspects. Supposedly a group of rogue vampires had made their way into Grantsburg, Wisconsin and decided it was home now. Citizens had been vanishing for months. Homeless people, mostly, but after a few children were taken the local police had issued a reward for anybody who had information.
There was no way Sam was going to cash in that reward.
The vampires also weren't the only reason he'd wanted to be in Grantsburg.
Sam clutched his bruised shoulder, his hand covered in vampire blood from where it had run down the machete, he'd used to behead them. He'd been thrown into a dumpster in the back alleyway he was currently walking down. The abandoned farm the vampires called home was ablaze in the distance and Sam had burned the machete along with it. After all, what was one more lost piece of equipment? They brothers had about five more in the Impala.
Sam slumped into the driver's seat, surprised nobody had messed with the car while he was gone, and wiped down his hand. He let out a deep sigh upon resting the back of his neck on the cool headrest and unlocked his phone to see a few missed messages.
One from Garth, whom he texted back and told that he would be there in the next few hours and would bring more beer.
The other two made him smile, and he answered as quickly as possible as he started up the car and drove to the meeting place.
-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-
When Sam entered the quiet bar, he ran a hand through his hair, and looked around for the person he'd promised to meet. The bartender solemnly cleaned glasses near the bar sink. The only other patrons were two old burly guys sitting and smoking in a booth.
Eileen Leahy sat at the far end of the bar, sipping on a whiskey drink.
"Should have known you were a whiskey girl." Sam said once Eileen could see him. He followed his sentence with some broken sign language, but she nodded in understanding.
"Born and raised." She chuckled, finished hers, and signaled to the bartender for another.
Sam ordered some domestic beer he'd never heard of and turned back to Eileen.
"So," she smirked. "I give you one little hint about where I'm going to be next and you take off running in that direction, also stealing my hunt in the process."
"Dean needed some TLC from a friend of ours whose an expert on the subject," Sam explained. "I was in the neighborhood and figured I'd ask you to get a drink."
"Does Dean know?" Eileen asked, causing a small jolt through Sam's stomach.
"Does he have to?" Sam replied.
Eileen gave him a look and sighed before returning to her drink.
"He already gave his opinion on how stupid and reckless I am for wanting something like this," Sam said. "I understand that the world is on the brink of ending once again, but maybe that means we need to try as best we can, but also find some time to be happy for once in our damn lives."
"To which you told you replied that he needed to take a look in the mirror," Eileen chuckled. "I recall, that's where this fight started."
"He's been dancing around Cas ever since the pair met," Sam took another swig of his beer. "I don't see how its any of his business what I get into."
Eileen smirked again and the two clanked glasses in a toast.
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The sun had already set by the time Sam and Eileen ended up in the backseat of the Impala. Both slightly buzzed and both sharing a moment of happiness they knew would be fleeting, but they were going to enjoy it, nonetheless.
Eileen's laugh was like a powerful wave sweeping over him. Sam broke into another smile when his foot accidentally kicked the radio and Led Zeppelin's Kashmir started through the speakers. Once Eileen climbed in his lap and the windows had begun to fog though, he barely heard the somber melody, and the neon lights cradled them in an electric embrace as they became one with one another for the first time in longer than either had wanted to wait.
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Dean wasn't usually one for parties, but Garth had certainly put on one hell of one for his family and friends.
The entire backyard was one giant fields of string lights and poles connecting them. Fireflies had found their way out from the nearby woods and twinkled along with the bulbs. A long white table filled to the brim with food sat beside the back door and children's laughter echoed through the air as soft indie music played in the background.
Garth's closest relatives congregated in small groups, talking about various subjects to which Dean had a lack of input, and others sat and ate while watching their kids play. Garth's daughter Gertie twirled with a ribbon toy and shot him the occasional smile.
"Are you doing alright Dean?" Castiel asked, taking a seat beside the hunter.
"Well the music could be better," Dean replied, joking. "Overall, I'm tired, but I think the effects are finally wearing off."
"That is good to hear," Castiel nodded and looked ahead of them at the gaggle of werewolf children. "They are certainly full of energy. Not much different than the human children I've witnessed."
"Don't you just wish you could go back to that level of innocence?" Dean asked.
"I am an angel of the Lord Dean," Castiel replied. "I was never made to remain innocent."
Flashes of images Dean would rather keep to himself went through his head and he grabbed his beer from the plastic table in between the pair.
"I had the weirdest dream the other night," Dean began and Castiel, trying not to show any strange emotions, shuffled in his chair.
"I dreamt about Hell again," Dean explained. "The weird part was that I saw you this time."
Castiel swallowed a lump in his throat and looked over at Dean.
"I saw you fighting for me in Hell," Dean continued. "With Balthazar and some strange dog and all the other angels that were forced to join you in your God ordered crusade."
"I wasn't forced to do anything," Castiel replied, perhaps a bit too strongly so he backed off and looked down at his folded hands in his lap.
"I volunteered for the task."
"Knowing you might die?" Dean asked.
"It was not any more dangerous than the situations you and Sam put yourselves in at least once every week."
"Let me rephrase that," Dean said. "Knowing you might die for me."
"Fear is an emotion that never once overtook me during that fight," Castiel explained. "I could see miles down deep into Hell. I could see you lying there, being offered terrible choices, and complying with some of them simply to survive. I knew you weren't doing it for fun. For pleasure. So, when I grabbed your hand I didn't let go. I kept my promise to my superiors, but I had also made a promise to you that day."
"I'm touched." Dean said, in his usual tone when he wanted to deflect emotions.
The song suddenly changed, and the young werewolf girls gave an exalted shriek. Gertie and her friend ran over to where Dean and Castiel sat and tugged on their hands.
"You have to dance!" they cried out. "C'mon!"
Dean was about to protest, but he saw the innocent cutesy look in Gertie's eyes, coupled with the fact that so many other of Garth's guests were dancing, and he complied with a nervous smile.
"I don't really know what I'm doing kid." Dean admitted.
"Nobody does," Gertie shook her head and gave him a toothy smile as the two of them slowly spun around.
"Just dance!"
Castiel's partner was just as enthusiastic and even managed to get him to spin her around a few times, which produced a storm of giggles. She bowed in her dress and Castiel bowed his head.
The two girls shot each other a look and suddenly pushed Dean and Castiel into one another. Dean gave Gertie a look. Castiel simply looked embarrassed, but willing to comply.
"Dance!" the girls stood back and watched, arms crossed, with smug looks on their faces.
"I suppose we should comply." Castiel whispered to Dean, and before Dean could say anything, Castiel had cautiously slipped his hand into Dean's and the pair begun to move.
The song filled the air, the lyrics only familiar to Dean once he listened, and he snorted.
"What's funny?" Castiel asked.
"It's just ironic," Dean motioned to the speakers as he awkwardly moved with Castiel as the girls watched them like hawks.
"This song it…it's from a movie where-."
"Where what?" Castiel asked, looking Dean in the eyes, tiny specks of yellow were left, but they were fading.
"Where an angel gives up everything he knows because he…falls in love with a…human." Dean's voice trailed out at the end, realizing how deeply Castiel was staring into his eyes.
The angels deep blue eyes were an endless tunnel. One, Dean had to admit, he'd dreamt of never coming out the other side of. The singer's voice cried out with all the emotion he could muster when he'd wrote the song.
"And you can't fight the tears that aren't coming, or the moment of truth in your lies."
Dean felt a surge of emotion all of a sudden. All these feelings that had been kept at bay for so long, suddenly trying to surface like surfers in a breaking wave. His hand was sweaty in Castiel's but somehow his fingers wouldn't let go.
They separated before the end of the song, Dean rubbing at his arm and Castiel looking at the girls as they cried out in a chorus of lovey-dovey sounds. Garth shooed them off.
"Sorry about that," Garth rubbed at the back of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "They're at that age, you know."
"Where they start trying to give grown men heart attacks?" Dean thought.
"I had a wonderful time," Castiel smiled at the girls as they went. "So rarely do I get to participate in human activities."
"Back at you," Garth winked at Dean and walked off to join Bess at the back porch, where the family and friends had started to gather. Bess tapped at a microphone and handed it to Garth.
"Family, friends new and old, welcome," Garth said with a smile as Gertie bounced up and down at his feet. Bess held their two youngest, who reached for everything in sight.
"It's not often we get to do things like this," Garth continued. "What with the world going to sh—crap every other day. Everybody here in the same place. Especially two of my best friends Sam and Dean Winchester, who have done more for me and my family than I can ever repay."
Dean looked around at the mention of Sam's name and found him on the edge of the woods, watching carefully with a few other guests, and smiling and waving at Garth.
"Our lives are but a small drop in a large ocean," Garth continued, and Dean's heart skipped a beat at his words. It wasn't the first time he'd heard them lately. He looked over at Castiel, who was looking straight forward, unaware of Dean's gaze.
"Or so it seems," Garth smiled. "That's why it's important to remind those we love of their value in our lives. To gather with friends and family while we have the chance. To always remember how precious every second is."
Dean watched as Garth swallowed hard and looked him in the eyes. Dean sighed. He and Sam had previously warned him of the impending doom. Now he wished they hadn't. Garth looked like a scared dead man walking, even though he was trying hard not to show it.
"That's why I invite you to make the most of your time here tonight," Garth finished. "I'm immensely glad you all are here. Now, let's party!"
A chorus of whoops and what Dean suspected were howls filled the air and the music cut back in. Some Incubus song about wishing somebody were with you. The other guests seemed to love it. They cracked open beers and laughter rang loud once again.
Castiel looked as if he wanted to say something but walked away instead.
Dean almost did say something but thought better of it once he saw the angel leaving.
He bit his lip, turning his attention back to Sam, and hoping he hadn't seen much of the whole dancing fiasco from before, but Sam was gone too.
Dean felt his heart sink and reached for another beer.
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A/N: This is long overdue. Puppies are a lot of work. Mental health too. I will not give up on my stories though. They will be completed. Hope everybody enjoyed this chapter! See you in the next one soon!
Songs mentioned if anyone wants to check them out:
Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls
Wish You Were Here by Incubus