Chapter 6. Life is like a tank of octopi
The next day, Sam found his brother cleaning guns at a table in the main room. Cas was sitting nearby, watching the pilot episode of Lost.
Sam sat at the table with Dean, absently picking up a gun to clean. "So...how are things going?"
"Good," Dean grinned, looking up at him.
"Are you two okay?"
"We're good," Dean kept grinning.
Sam nodded. "Are..."
"Cas and I are..." Dean hesitated, looking at Cas.
Cas turned back, glancing at the brothers, "Dean and I are fucking."
"Whoa," the brothers winced.
Cas shrugged, "That's what you told my brother."
"So you gotta make all the same mistakes I do?" Dean tossed back. "I guess if I jumped off a bridge you'd jump right after me?"
"Of course," Cas dead panned.
Dean gave Sam a helpless look and shook his head.
Sam just looked between them and laughed. "Okay, so you two are...dating."
"I've never actually been on a date," Cas mused.
"They're overrated," Dean said, assembling the clean gun, laying it on the table. "But I will take you on a date, I promise."
Cas grinned and Sam laughed. "This is so weird," Sam said lightly. "Not in a bad way. I'm actually so stoked for you two! It's just been so different for so long. I, uh, it must be pretty awesome being with an angel." Sam's cheeks blushed a bit.
Dean shrugged. "It is what it is. Wait til Crowley finds out." Dean laughed, shaking his head. "Dude made a million passes at me when I was a demon. He's gonna be jealous."
"Wow." Sam shook his head and laughed.
Dean narrowed his eyes at his brother. "You really never saw this coming?"
"Uh...no." Sam shrugged.
"So...you want me to cuff you to an angel so you can..."
"No, thank you!" Sam blushed.
"Like who? One like Hannah?" Dean pushed, grinning.
"No!"
"I think he was thinking of Gabriel."
Winchester jaws dropped and looked at Cas.
Dean turned back to his brother and grinned. "Huh."
"What." It was a challenge.
Dean nodded. "Ya know, we go about things a bass-ackwards, fucked up kinda way. We shoulda known. I mean, we are two good-lookin guys. We could never find what we were truly looking for, because we were lookin in the wrong damn place."
Sam nodded. "Do you think he likes me?"
"Very much," Cas grinned.
"Huh.." He thought a long moment, then stood to head for the kitchen and froze. "Oh, shit!"
Dean and Cas turned to look. Gabriel stood just inside the doorway, eating a candy bar. "Hello boys." His face was smirkish, but not the full Gabe's-playin-a-game-and-winning smirk.
Sam burned with a heavy blush.
"Gabriel!" Cas jumped up, coming closer to him. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong? I left this place in quite a tizzy yesterday. Had to see how my little brother was doing."
"I'm fine," Cas assured him.
Dean stood and approached the Angel slowly. "I'm really glad you're here," Dean said.
"I know," Gabe nodded, "I got your call."
Dean scratched the back of his neck nervously, looking at Sam and Cas. "I asked him to come."
"Why? It's a great risk to blow his hiding," Cas said.
"Well, I really needed to set things right. Gabe, I want you to know that how I acted yesterday, the things I said, they weren't really true. I had to let you know that I really do love your brother. Those handcuffs were a curse and a blessing. Because I could not run away I had to face my true feelings. Thank you for that."
Gabriel nodded. A wide devilish grin graced the angel's face. "I knew ya had it in ya, Dean-o! Glad I could help!"
Cas gave Dean a look of relief and love. It was one of the warmest looks anyone had ever given him.
Dean looked back at Gabriel. "I know you don't think I'm good enough for your brother, and I don't blame you. But I promise I will do my damnedest to keep him safe."
"Aw, now you just want to make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!" Gabriel truly grinned.
Dean blushed slightly, shoving his hands into his pockets and looking down.
"Well, I hate to eat and run!" Gabriel joked, tucking his empty candy bar wrapper into his pocket, "But I really do gotta run. Til next time!" He waved, winked at Sam and was gone.
Dean sighed and Cas came over to him.
"Thank you. You did not need to do that," Cas said softly.
"Yes, I did. The air needed to be cleared. That guy has messed with my life enough. It would be so much more awesome to have him as an ally than an enemy."
Cas stepped up to the hunter. Dean had really impressed him. "Thank you." He kissed him chastely.
Sam cleared his throat. "That was...awesome!" Sam said, looking excited.
"Jeez, I was keepin it G rated for you, Sammy," Dean quirked.
"Not the kissing, the forming a possible alliance with a freakin archangel!"
"Yeah, yeah," Dean nodded. "Welcome to Dean 2.0. Mending fences and not being a dick in general."
Sam strode over to Cas, shoving Dean aside a step and wrapping the Angel in a bear-hug. "Thanks, Cas. You and Dean are," he stepped back, a hand on Castiel's shoulder, "pretty damn awesome!"
"Thank you, Sam," Cas smiled.
Dean stood with his arms out. "I go and be nice and what do I get? Shoved to the side! He stands there and gets a hug!"
"Aw," Sam grinned, "you want a hug, Dean-o?" Dean swatted, but Sam captured him in a tight hug and even kissed him on the head. "I love you most, Dean-o!"
"Shuddup!" Dean squirmed, then hugged him back fiercely. "Love you too, Moose."
Late that night, Dean woke to an empty bed. He sat up. Where the hell was Cas?
His initial thought was Cas had left. No warning. Like he had done to him countless times.
He squeezed his eyes shut and took a breath. Maybe he was still here.
He got out of bed and started looking.
Cas stood at the large aquarium, watching the magnificent pair of octopi. The motor hummed softly and the water bubbled. He grinned, liking this new spot. The soft blue light covered his skin and all else was quiet.
A small sigh of relief tickled at his ear. Cas turned, seeing Dean across the room. A look of relief was quickly covered by a sleepy smile. His hair was messy and he wore soft pajama pants and a thin white t-shirt, nearly matching Castiel.
"Whatcha doin?" Dean said softly, coming to him.
"Just watching." Cas hugged him warmly and Dean moved behind him, arms wrapped around his waist, both watching the two graceful creatures.
"They remind me of us. Before."
Dean watched, taking in the slow sweep of their many legs, intertwining, holding, releasing. Their thick, curling legs were mesmerizing.
"The blue one must be you," Dean grinned, nuzzling into Castiel's neck.
The blue one puffed its legs out, pulling in and moved closer to the other, which was a pale green.
"All the blue and green legs, the way they move, is what makes me think of us," Cas said.
The blue octopus settled onto the floor of the tank in a little puff of dust. The men watched as its color shifted slowly from blue to brown. The green one settled similarly nearby, turning to brown. Soon enough, they reached toward each other, curling a tentacle to the other.
"Aw," Dean grinned.
Cas turned in Dean's arms, wrapping his arms around Dean's neck.
"A lot of things happen here. On earth. Hard things. Bad things. Distracting things. But I want you to know that...if you'll have me, this is how we will spend eternity. Together."
Dean looked into Castiel's loving blue eyes. "Wow." It was a stupid word next to the beauty of Castiel's.
Cas grinned. "Yes. It is...wowing."
Dean grinned but his grin faded. "Unless I end up in hell again."
Cas kissed him. "I will come for you."
Dean nodded. "Do you think the darkness could take me somewhere you couldn't go?"
"Never," Cas said firmly. "I will always find you."
"And what if you are the one killed. Or taken," Dean worried aloud.
"Then...find Gabriel. He will help."
Dean nodded, kissing his truly cosmic love. It was mind-blowing.
Dean lifted Cas, Cas wrapping his legs around his waist. "Come to bed with me, you little bastard."
They both giggled, heading back to bed.
The next morning, the three men sat in the impala, Dean Revving her engine to life. Dean had an unstoppable smile on his handsome face.
Sam, grouchy from being demoted to the backseat, rolled his eyes at his brother.
"What's the matter, Sammy?" Dean grinned.
"Why are you so happy? We are headed out to a case, not a friggin party."
"Life is good, Sammy!" Dean hollered, shoving a tape into the tape deck. "The sun came up today, I'm in love, and I'm on the road with my bitch, my bastard, and my baby!"
Cas whacked his arm, Sam whacked the back of his head, and they both said, "Jerk."
Dean shook it off, slipped his sunglasses on and took Castiel's hand in his. Smile unflappable, road open, and heart full.
Author Note: Thanks SO much for reading! I do not not own and did not create any characters from supernatural. Hope this wasn't too fluffy, but damn, these boys deserve some good moments!