A/N: Ugh Dean and Cas give me so many feels. Don't have much to say except that I'm only expecting one or two more chapters so be prepared. Hope you like it!

The ride to Seattle was otherwise uneventful. They made a few stops, caught different buses, trains, or, once, a cab. They caught sleep where they could, usually pressed up next to each other. Neither of them talked about it when they woke up. They arrived in Seattle early in the morning, around 7. The roads were damp with the rain that must have passed through the night before. As usual, Dean grabbed the luggage from the rack above their heads and they made their way to a payphone in the train station. Castiel's cell phone had died and he needed to know where Balthazar was staying. Keeping it short, he got the necessary information and the two men set off. Castiel had suggested they call for a cab but Dean just shook his head and said he'd rather walk. It would be bit of journey but Castiel wasn't sure he wanted to say goodbye quite yet.

They found a park a few blocks away from Balthazar's hotel. Without speaking, they both turned onto one of the paths that branched off from the sidewalk. Dean still had his duffle over his shoulder and was dragging Castiel's suitcase behind him, the wheels getting caught on the occasional bump or branch. Castiel had reached for it when he'd stepped off the train earlier but Dean had just shaken his head and said, "It's fine, I got it." They walked slowly in a companionable silence, shoulders bumping occasionally. Sometimes one of them would comment on a bird or a plant or another person walking in the park. They had stopped on a bridge over a river that ran through the middle of park when Castiel spoke up.

"What do you have against marriage?" There was an emotion he couldn't decipher coursing through him.

"Why tie yourself down to someone who's just going to wind up leaving?" Dean asked from his spot next to Castiel. Their arms were pressed together as they leant against the railing, looking over the water.

"What happened?" Castiel asked. Dean's reaction couldn't have come from anything but experience.

"You know the bar I work at, right?" Dean asked. Castiel just nodded. "Well, it wasn't just me and Sammy in the beginning. My girlfriend at the time, Lisa, my buddy," his voice hardened at the word, "Gordon, and me, we started her up. Sam was still in college at the time. We had just started up and business was good. A lot of the former customers from back when Ellen owned the place came back. I thought it was perfect. I figured the only thing that'd make it better was finally settling down. I still had my mom's old wedding ring. I went all out, the fancy clothes, a big extravagant dinner, and she said yes. I was so happy."

Dean sighed and stopped talking for a few minutes. Castiel leaned into him a little, letting Dean know he was listening.

"It was about a month later," Dean started again. "I had gone out for a couple days to visit Sam down at Stanford. He was on spring break and I figured I could leave the bar in Lisa and Gordon's hands for a little while. I got in late on Sunday night. I wasn't supposed to be back until the next morning but I managed to avoid a lot of traffic. I knew something was wrong when I walked in. It was quiet, which was normal because it was almost eleven at night and we used to close pretty early on Sunday nights. I tried to ignore the feeling as I walked to our bedroom. They were both in there, just sleeping, thank god. I didn't shout or anything, just dropped my bag. The noise woke both of them up and they both started scrambling for clothes and words. Lisa came up to me and started telling me how sorry she was but I couldn't listen to her. I'd trusted her, trusted both of them, and they did this. Kicked 'em both out that night and bought out their shares of the company. Realized then that no one's gonna stick around except family. Sam tried coming back early but I made his stay in California and finish his degree. I kept her afloat for a few years without any problems. Sam came back a few months after they left and it's just been the two of us since. She's still got the ring," Dean added quietly.

Castiel grabbed Dean's hand without thinking and interlaced their fingers. He squeezed Dean's hand softly before letting it just rest there on the railing. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"'S not your fault," Dean said, almost as quietly, and gave Castiel's hand a quick squeeze before letting go and grabbing their bags once more, making his way to the other side of the bridge. "C'mon, let's get you to that hotel. I've had enough chick-flick moments for one day," he said with a smile.

"You should get it back from her, Dean," Castiel said softly. Dean just shrugged a little but Castiel could tell his mind was spinning.

Once they reached the hotel, Castiel used a phone in the lobby to call him. He wasn't there at the moment but he promised to hurry back. Castiel walked back over to where Dean was standing.

"How much do I owe you?" Castiel asked, not knowing what else to say. "There's an ATM over there. I could…" he trailed off, watching those green eyes as some emotion he couldn't identify swept through them.

"Forget about it," Dean said softly.

"Really? It's not a problem."

"Do you still have that coin we flipped for the bed?" Dean asked.

"I believe so," Castiel said as he pulled it out. He had set it aside in his wallet after Dean had given it back. Castiel handed it over to Dean.

"Consider us even," the other man said as he pocketed the coin.

They just stood there for a few minutes, green eyes staring into blue, neither man knowing what to say.

"Cas-" Dean started just as another voice sounded from across the lobby. They both turned as Balthazar shouted, "Castiel!"

Castiel walked over to him slowly, not wanting to leave Dean's side but not having any logical reason to stay. Balthazar threw his arms around Castiel's waist as soon as they were close enough.

"I missed you," the blond man whispered in his ear. Castiel pulled away enough to look at his partner's face and told him, "And I you." He couldn't help his eyes wandering back to where Dean was still standing.

"No, Castiel, I really missed you. And I was thinking," Balthazar said as he slowly sank to one knee and pulled out a box, "Marry me?"

Other people in the lobby had pulled out cell phones and cameras. Castiel was frozen in place. The moment he'd been dreaming about and he couldn't bring himself to answer. He turned his head a little, looking towards where he and Dean had been standing just minutes before, only to find the spot empty and the door swinging closed.

He turned back to Balthazar and said, "Yes, of course." There were cheers and hugging and congratulations from all those strangers but all Castiel could think about was the smell of old leather car seats, a warm bed, and the feeling of flannel against his cheek.