Without further ado, I present to you the conclusion of the tale! Stay tuned for an epilogue and outtakes though!
Chapter 19
To: SammyismyBFF
Mayday Mayday! Dean is camped outside Cas's room…as opposed to inside it.
To: Gaberoxmysox
WTF? Did you change your display name on my phone? You are not allowed to touch my phone.
To: SammyismyBFF
Y? Don't u think Gaberoxmysox has a nice ring to it? Ur 4getting we have a crisis here tho.
To: Gabesucks
Do you know what happened? Dean was acting weird today.
To: SammyismyBFF
I'm guessing Bela. Or ur dad. Or the fact that Cas's social skills plus Dean's stupidity equals a negative number.
To: Gabesucks
So, go find your brother and let him know Dean's a moron. Big surprise there, by the way. I'll go find mine and let him know Cas deserves an F in communication.
To: SammyismyBFF
K, but there's 1 prblm.
To: Gabesucks
What?
To: SammyismyBFF
I've lost him. And I might have stolen his phone earlier this afternoon so I could change his ringtone to Justin Bieber.
To: Gabereallysupersucks-a-lot
1. Never mind, I actually like this whole name changing idea. 2. Go find your stupid brother. If anyone can do it, you can.
To: SammyismyBFF
LuvU2 Sammy and will do. Over and out. Roger that?
To: SammyismyBFF
I said ROGER THAT?
To: SammyismyBFF
R u ignoring me?
To: SammyismyBFF
Sam!
Gabriel found Cas late that night on the beach. The idiot had taken his shoes off, rolled up his pant legs and was sitting waist-deep in the water, just letting the tide wash over him.
Gabriel shrugged. 'Well, if you can't beat them…' he thought to himself and kicked off his own shoes.
Cas didn't acknowledge him when he sat down. He stared straight ahead, like the ocean held all the answers he sought. Through the pale moonlight, Gabriel could see the waves reflect off his eyes like glass orbs instead of living flesh.
"You know you're totally creeping me out, right, Cas?" he said into the stillness. "This feels like the part of the movie where you drag me underwater and the search party finds only a single shoe the next day."
Castiel still didn't say anything but slowly turned to face Gabriel, his face an unreadable mask. They stared at each other for a long moment until Gabriel felt something suddenly grab his leg under the dark water.
There wasn't any point in pretending otherwise—he screamed.
Castiel cracked a grin and released him.
Gabriel clutched at his chest. "Good grief, Cas. Sometimes I forget you have a sense of humor. An evil sense of humor, sure, but it's still nice to know you're actually a Novak deep down."
"And, conversely, it's nice to know you still scream like a girl," his brother said in a distantly polite tone.
"Yeah," Gabriel admitted, "but a hot girl right? I don't scream like a fatty."
"You are so offensive."
"It's kind of my job description."
Castiel went back to staring out over the water.
"So, Cas, you want to tell me why I spent the entire night searching for you?"
Castiel raised an eyebrow. "The entire night? You know I love the beach."
"Well, I might have checked a couple candy shops, an ice-cream parlor and a strip club first. But that's beside the point—the point is that I spent the entire night searching for you, so you have to tell me what's up."
"I think I should leave for real this time. Dean is not ready for this…for us," he clarified and looked perfectly miserable while doing it.
"What happened?" Gabriel asked like he didn't already know. Like Dean hadn't already called him earlier in the evening after Sam found him and explained. "Was it that bitch Bela? Or John Winchester?"
His younger brother sighed and shook his head. "No, not really. Bela was just…being herself I suppose. I really doubt Dean, or anyone for that matter, has a lot of say in it when she decides she wants them."
"So what's the problem then?"
Castiel cupped the water on either side and let it spill through his fingers. "I don't date, Gabriel."
"Ahhh, yes, well that makes everything clear, thank you."
"What I mean to say is that people are disappointing. They make you think that you can hope, that you can plan for the future, that you can trust—and then they inevitably let you down. You end up wishing you were incapable of feeling all those good things in the first place just to save yourself from the pain of when it doesn't work out."
"That's kind of a rotten way to look at life, Cas. What if, instead of assuming the worst, you're about to get everything you've ever hoped for?"
Castiel looked up, surprised.
Gabriel took a deep breath and decided to trust what Dean had told him earlier. "Listen, I will kill you in cold blood if you ever tell anyone I said anything this mushy, but, if you never let someone in, little brother, you'll never get to experience true happiness or love in life either. To get all that mind-blowing-totally-worth-it awesomeness, you have to embrace the possibility of real failure."
"You've been watching too much day-time television again, haven't you?"
Gabriel swatted him. "Probably, yes. I do love me some Oprah. But that doesn't mean it's not still true! Look, I'm not here to lie and say that Dean-o will never disappoint you, because, let's face it, he's Dean and he will. But, to be fair, you don't exactly have rainbows shooting out of your ass either. That's life. The great thing though, is that you'll love each other anyway because it's worth it in the end. Kinda like you and me, you know?"
Gabriel paused. "I'm well aware that my love life isn't an ideal example per se, but I like to think that I work at the relationships that count. I'm not sure if I'm destined to have a soul mate or whatever, but I have you. And Lucy, Michael and Zachariah," he added.
"I'm still scared."
"That's fine. Just don't let it stop you from living."
Castiel didn't say anything in reply, but a warm arm slid around Gabriel's shoulders and his brother scooted closer. They sat like that for an unending moment, together, watching the water meet the horizon.
It might have been five years or five minutes but eventually Castiel stood up and offered a hand to him. "Okay," was all he said, but Gabriel understood.
The following evening, they raced through the resort hallways and down a sandy trail to the beach.
"We slept the whole day! How did that happen? You were supposed to wake me up!" Castiel yelled over his shoulder. "Can't you tell time?"
"Yeah, my bad," Gabriel shouted lamely back.
They had returned to Gabriel's room as the sun was rising and had immediately passed out on his brother's queen-sized bed. Gabriel had mumbled something about having set an alarm and Castiel, half-asleep at the time, hadn't double-checked.
He looked back at his brother, who was huffing and puffing along the trail. "Move it, Gabe!" he cried, "We can't miss this."
Despite his current activity, Castiel was done running from his problems. He was not, nor ever would be, a coward. He needed a final answer from Dean and he was determined to get it. He would not give Dean the luxury of never having to make an actual decision about their relationship because he'd run away. Either way, he was going to get some sort of closure at the final elimination.
His stomach twisted in knots. They were more than twenty minutes late. He couldn't miss this—he couldn't miss his chance. Castiel sent a prayer heavenward that they hadn't started yet.
They sprinted down toward a gazebo that had been built at the end of a long dock. Constructed in a hexagonal shape, all but one side was crisscrossed in a thick lattice. The side facing the ocean however had been left open, and pink and orange hues reflected off the water in the fading light.
Castiel and Gabriel burst onto the scene and gasped for air.
"Made it! Didn't I tell you?" Gabriel wheezed and tried to offer Castiel a high-five. Castiel glared at him.
John Winchester grabbed Gabriel by the scruff of his purple collar. "And now that our ridiculously overpaid host is here, can we finally start the damn elimination?" he growled and gestured toward the various cameras that had been set up over the area. Obviously, John's mood hadn't improved in the time they spent apart. Castiel noted with interest that even Balthazar sat manning a wide-frame lens for the finale.
Green recording lights flashed and Castiel felt sure several of them were intentionally zoomed in on his sweaty complexion. He hadn't even had time to change out of the wrinkled slacks he'd worn last night in the water. He looked down guiltily at the salt streaks that lined the navy material.
Everyone else had already arrived and the other contestants, dressed in their best, stood impatiently in a line. Bela in particular shot him a scathing look as she assessed his bedhead and five o'clock shadow.
Castiel, via his intrinsic Dean-radar, felt the intensity of Dean's stare from across the gazebo. He looked down though and studied his shoes, like they held the secrets to the universe. Now that he was actually here, he wasn't quite ready to be rejected yet. It had been easy to convince himself that the honorable course of action was to show up for the ceremony, but it was much harder to actually live the experience.
Gabriel readjusted his white tie and flashed a less than apologetic smile at John, who glowered at him, his mouth a tight line of annoyance.
"Ready to go, boss-man," he saluted cheekily and winked at Sam who stood nervously by his father. John moved to stand by Dean and squeezed his shoulder. To the cameras, it probably looked like a show of support, but Dean cringed at the contact.
Gabriel grabbed a microphone from a technician. "Ladies and Gentlemen!" he gulped, still out of breath. "Welcome to finale of the third season of Single Ladies! I know my charming smile and sharp wit is unforgettable, but in case you need a reminder, I'm your host, Gabriel Novak.
"Okay, now for the fun stuff! Let's do a recap of the season, shall we? The final four stand before us tonight. Bela Talbot, Ruby Miner, Sarah Blake and Cas—"
"Wait." A quiet voice cut him off and Castiel finally, finally looked up at Dean. The man was staring right at him, like he knew he would be.
"Excuse me?" John Winchester rang out in the sudden silence. Everyone in the vicinity held his or her breath.
Dean stepped to the side, away from his father. "I don't need this, Dad," he gestured around him and his voice grew in strength. "I don't need a pointless ceremony to make the easiest choice I've ever made."
Sam's eyebrows shot straight up into his hairline and a wide smile started to stretch across Gabriel's face.
Dean shuddered and took a deep breath. He spoke rather quickly at first, but soon fell into a natural rhythm as he gained confidence. "This whole show is stupid. How can someone be expected to fall in love in front of a bunch of cameras? It's predictable and contrived."
He turned to face the cameras that still rolled. "This show has never been about me. It's been about image, reputation, and making a profit. If I picked one of these girls right now, it'd be a total lie and I'm done with that. I'm done lying to the cameras and I'm done lying to myself. So screw the TV ratings, because there's a couple things I need to do."
He walked over to Sarah, who stood with her mouth hanging open. Dean reached up and gently closed it. "Sarah, I'd be lying if I said I liked you as anything more than a friend. You should be with someone who loves you back." A tear trickled down Sarah's face and she looked over to Sam.
"And, hey," Dean added, "maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get a chance to like you as a sister-in-law someday," he said as Sam flushed ten shades of scarlet.
Dean moved on to Ruby. "Ruby, I hope we can part as friends as well. Friends who never see each other and send only a Christmas card once a year though. Or even friends who live in different countries if you'd be willing to move? But seriously, if I ever decide that I want to be with a super shallow gossip, you'll be first on my list."
Ruby tried to say something nasty in reply but nothing came out.
Dean chuckled to himself as he moved to stand in front of Bela, who had narrowed her eyes to tiny little slits. Her hands had been clenched into fists and her knuckles had gone white.
"And finally, Bela, don't think I didn't save the best for last. Because, as you've so often told me, you are, in fact, the best."
John Winchester opened his mouth in protest but, to Castiel's surprise, Balthazar slapped a hand over it and winked at Castiel.
"Listen, you idiot. Your son has something to say," he growled in a low voice and shoved John into the lattice.
Dean continued. "Only you and you alone, Bela, hold the title of the best conniving, manipulative and narcissistic bitch I've ever had the misfortune of meeting. I'd tell you to go jump off a cliff or play in traffic, but that would feel like letting you off the hook."
Bela slapped him and Dean grinned. "If that's the best you got, sweetheart, I'll take it."
"I was supposed to have you! That was our deal!" she appealed to John as the cameras turned his direction. Still bound by Balthazar, John shook his head a little too violently for anyone to believe he hadn't promised her that.
"I'm not anyone's to give away. You can't buy love," Dean retorted.
"You bastard," she hissed at him.
"Love you too, bitch," he said and motioned to Gabriel. Gabriel slung an arm around her waist and pushed her back toward the hotel.
"In case that tiny little brain of yours needs an interpretation," Gabriel smirked, "I believe you've just been eliminated, princess. Let go, fired, laid off—pick your choice of phrases there."
Bela let out a long scream as several of the cameramen rushed to escort her back to the hotel and hopefully onto an airplane. Ruby ran to catch up.
Dean laughed. "That was even better than I imagined. It's kind of freeing, this whole choosing thing."
John Winchester let out a muffled yell and Dean turned to his father. "Dad, regardless of the deal you made or even how you feel about me after this, I still love you and I want you to know that. But I have to live my own life. Did you know I don't even like politics?"
John looked furious. It probably would have been more intimidating if his eyebrows weren't still missing.
Dean turned to the cameras. "Confession: I didn't vote last year. I don't stinking care what corrupt politicians are on the ballet. I plan on voting when someone worthy of office finally runs. Right now, for the record, I'm not entirely sure that includes my dad."
He shook his head and continued. "So, as Gabriel started to say, let's recap. I did not fall in love on a dating television show. Surprise."
Castiel felt his stomach sink and wondered why he was still standing there. He looked for an exit.
"I fell in love before the show even started."
Castiel jerked up in surprise and found Dean matching his gaze. He forgot how to take a breath.
"I fell in love the first time I saw this man one night in L.A. I used to think that I would take months, even years to fall in love, but all it took was a second."
He walked slowly over to Castiel, like he was trying not to spook him. "Castiel Novak, regardless of how you feel about me after last night, you deserve to know that I love you. I love you with all my heart, soul and mind. Maybe even more that bacon cheeseburgers and the Impala combined."
He stood there in shock. Dean's green eyes drifted over his face like he was hoping for an answer but Castiel's vocal cords didn't seem to be functioning.
Dean continued anyway and his voice shook a little. "What you said to me on the plane—you were right. You deserve so many things I want to give you, but the first thing you deserve is an apology.
"I should have kissed you the first night I saw you at that mixer and cancelled the whole stupid show. It's been only you from day one and I'm sorry it took me so long to understand what I want. Choosing you should have been the easiest choice I've ever made."
Dean looked back to where Sam, Sarah and Gabriel stood together. "It took the help of some friends—yes, even you, Gabe—to realize what an easy choice it actually was."
He grabbed Castiel's hand. "Look, Cas, I may be a slow learner, but I know what I want now and I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt, that what I want is you. I want the whole deal; the handholding, the public kisses, even the movie nights where I bring home some lame action flick and you fall asleep on my shoulder. I want 'until death do us part'"
Castiel was pretty sure he stopped breathing a long time ago and wondered why he wasn't passed out on the ground. Dean took a deep breath and got down on one knee.
"So, Castiel Novak, in front of our friends, family and the whole world, I'd like to ask you to be mine. I realize that you may want nothing to do with me, but I know I'll regret if forever if I let you slip away. Will you marry me?"
Dean pulled a tiny black box from his pocket and flipped it open to reveal a delicate gold band.
Castiel tried to get his vocal cords to work. It was probably important that he answer a question like this, his brain thought numbly. He coughed instead.
Gabriel walked over and slapped him on the back. "Give him a second," he said to an anxious Dean, "he's about as emotionally constipated as you are."
Castiel threw his brother a glare but suddenly realized he could speak again.
"Yes," he croaked. "Yes, absolutely."
Dean's face lit up and he stood so Castiel could rush into his arms. Castiel cupped his face with both palms.
"I love you too, Dean. So much."
At that, Dean swept him in for a much overdue kiss and Castiel melted inside. He didn't hear Sam, Sarah and Gabriel burst into applause or see Balthazar clock John Winchester as he moved to intervene. He missed excited buzz of the camera crew and Becky trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. There was only Dean, Dean who had said he loved him.
If a person could burst from happiness, Castiel might have exploded then and there. As it was, he could barely keep kissing Dean because of the smile that stretched across his face.
"What's so funny?" Dean mumbled into his neck as he squeezed him tighter.
"Maybe you didn't, but I found true love on a dating show," he grinned back. "What are the chances?"
"Not a clue, but I can tell you the chances of you and me heading back to the hotel and living happily ever after," Dean said and tugged Castiel away from the celebration. "How do you feel about one-hundred percent?"
So there you go! Ahhh I'm a sucker for a happy endings! A wedding epilogue to come!
If this story made you smile, please leave a review. I want to celebrate actually completing a story with you! I didn't think I would be able to stay interested this long!
Love you all so so so so much. Definitely more than cheeseburgers and the Impala. Combined.