Sam and Jess stood close together. They were in Sam's room, heads bent, whispering quietly to each other.
"So," Jess began, "you coping, knowing Cas is gonna propose?"
"It's about time," Sam answered. "It was unbearable before they were together."
"I can only imagine," Jess laughed.
Sam shook his head. "Wow," he said softly. "He's going to do it."
"Yeah."
They were silent for a long moment. Jess had her hand resting on Sam's arm, gently tapping her fingers. Sam looked like he might cry but he might laugh. "I..." he said. "Wow."
"Did you get hit with the sudden realization that Cas is going to do it?" Jess asked, suppressing a smiling. Sam nodded.
"Holy shit," he said softly.
"That describes it," she agreed. "Holy shit." Then her eyes widened comically, she started laughing to the point where her eyes were tearing up.
"Jess?" he asked, not as concerned as he was bemused.
"Oh my Lord," she choked out, wiping away a tear. "I'm sorry, I just... Deans brother-in-law is going to be Satan, his father-in-law is going to be freaking God! Family gatherings are going to be amazing!"
Sam snorted, the thought of a barbecue with the Angels of the Lord and God Himself was not as amusing as it was terrifying. Still, he could suppress a laugh. "That will be something," he said through laughter.
"Yeah," Jess said, pulling a straight face. "Yeah, that will be fun."
It was a anything but a mundane love, Cas thought as he gazed at Dean. Every ounce of the Angel was completely, irrevocably, in love with the man sitting in front of him. It was an emotion he wasn't used to, despite having felt it for a long time, an emotion his mind wasn't supposed to feel. It didn't make sense to him before God Himself told him that what he felt was what set him apart, made him special. It wasn't a flaw; it was a gift and one that he wouldn't trade for anything. Especially because of Dean.
The hunter was taking a large swallow of coffee at the moment so Cas simply watched him, smiling ever so slightly. Dean's Adams-apple bobbed as he swallowed, faint marks still on his neck from the previous night. Every second he spent with the human Cas felt himself falling deeper and deeper in love. The ring in his pocket pressed against his thigh, making his hands tap nervously.
Dean set his mug down, sighing as the warmth of the coffee left his throat. Between bites of egg he glanced across the table at the Angel who was just gazing at him, plate almost untouched. "You okay Cas?" Dean asked softly.
Cas started, as if he hadn't realized he had been staring. "I'm fine," he said, glancing away.
"Alright. You aren't going anywhere later, are you?" Dean asked.
"I'm taking a trip up to Heaven for a bit. Not long, I promise. Just need to talk with Gabe and Lucifer for a bit. Why do you ask?" Cas asked curiously.
"No reason," Dean said, glancing down quickly. "Just wondering."
Cas took a bite of his egg. "I won't be long," he said softly. "In Heaven, I mean. Just a few messes I need to clean up."
"Like what?"
"I screwed up Dean," Cas said, sighing heavily. "I took Lucifer. The Angel need, no, deserve an explanation."
"You didn't screw up," Dean said softly. "You did what you thought was the best."
"They don't see it like that."
"Explain then."
Cas began to talk, his words rolling like oceans, structured, beautiful in that odd, easy way voices were. Dean could listen to him talk for hours, listen to every word he said but at the same time concentrating purely on his tones. He wanted to sit there for as long as it took for Cas to describe every second of his long, long life, ride through the boring to the adventures. He wanted Cas to paint a picture so vivid that the images jumped out at him, that he felt the emotions Cas describes. Dean could sit there until the end of all times, just listening.
Sam stood outside the room, smiling to himself. Cas was talking softly to Dean, his eyes staring up at the ceiling and once and awhile down to Dean's face. His words faltering as he met the green gaze. Dean was leaning cleared a little bit, his mouth slightly open, eyes slowly blinking as Cas spoke, from his brothers posture- alert yet relaxed- Sam could tell just how much he was listening to the Angel. He had all his attention, the world could end and Sam doubted Dean would notice as long as Cas was there. It made Sam feeling like laughing, like shouting jubilantly, almost like crying because, fucking hell, his brother looked at Cas like like he'd hung the moon and stars and lit the sun.
Two hours later, Cas announced he was leaving to speak with his brothers and sisters. After a quick conversation with Dean, he kissed him gently and disappeared. Dean sat down with a resigned thump.
"You just gonna wait there until he comes back?" Sam asked teasingly. Jess had gone out shopping a half hour ago as the bunker had almost now food whatsoever. It was just him and Dean, just like old times.
"Shut it, Sam," Dean lightly snapped, matching tone.
"Dude, you are so whipped."
"Cause you aren't?"
Sam shrugged. "I have the right to remain silent."
"Bitch."
"Jerk," Sam shot back, grinning.
They sat silently for a moment then Dean spoke up. "Sammy?"
"Hmm?" Sam asked, setting his glass of water down and directing his attention away from his laptop.
"I, uh, I think I'm...gonna ask...Cas to...marry me." Dean ducked his head and Sam saw his ears were red.
Sam was thankful he hadn't take that sip of water. "You are?" he asked, forcing his voice to stay steady. "Do you...do you have a ring?"
"Not yet," Dean admitted. "You're really cool with this? It doesn't freak you out that your older brother's with an Angel of the Lord?"
Sam sighed and shut the computer. "We've been stabbed, dragged to Hell, pulled out, we've been possessed, we've been killed! So yeah, knowing your brothers screwing an Angel and now might marry said Angel is a bit weird but pales in comparison to, say, Cas being God, me loosing my soul, and you being a demon."
Dean sighed. "Okay," he said softly.
"Okay," Sam agreed.
"You know," Dean said, "I miss hunting a lot less than I thought I would."
"Yeah. It's weird, isn't it?" Sam set his laptop beside him. "But you're happy now, right?"
"Yeah," Dean said, smiling. For the first time, Sam got a good look at his brother. Dean wasn't lying, he was happier than Sam had ever seen him.
"Good," Sam said softly. "I am too."
Dean sat back. "Okay Sammy, what is it?"
Sam glanced over, startled. "What?"
"You're doing that thing," Dean said.
"What thing?" Sam asked, feeling his heart speed up.
"That thing you've been doing since you were little, where you act like...I dunno! It's just a thing you do when you're hiding something!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sam denied.
"Come on Sammy, I've known you since you were born. What are you hiding?" Dean leaned forward in his chair.
"Uh," Sam didn't know what to say. As if on cue, his phone starting to ring. "It's Jess," he said. "I'd better get that." He stood, putting the phone to his ear. "Yeah?"
Dean continued to sit, mind buzzing, trying to figure out what Sam had been hiding and coming up blank.
AN: So I'm thinking the proposal is going to be in the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed this so far!
