Author's note:

Heya guys, thanks for reading. Sorry for the later update, things with school are getting a little crazy and my dad's going in for some major surgery for tumor removal so I've been kind of stressed out. If you could send a little love my way I'd appreciate it :)

In Between

"Cas," Dean followed the priest's footsteps easily enough, not really trying to be a nuisance or anything, but he had so many questions and Cas, who seemed to know where he was going perfectly, moved like the freaking wind. "Cas, hold up man. What the hell is going on? Why are we in heaven? How?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Castiel answered curtly though without his usual bitterness. It was odd, to see him in this lighting, it was so bright but not to the point of blinding. It was comfortable, like a soft glow on everything he could see. Castiel was no different; his pale skin illuminated like the angels Dean expected to see. Maybe he'd already seen one, maybe he was looking at one right in that moment. Cas glanced at him and the little way his eyes widened caught Dean off guard, Castiel's neutral expression snapped to surprised, pained, and 'I'm out of your league' in the span of a second. Dean had no idea what went through the priest's mind but he had a feeling if he asked he'd get a fist first.

"They want to meet you." Cas relinquished the information finally though Dean still didn't quite get it.

"Who?"

"The ones who made me a high priest of the faith, they're holy beings that have many names just like the place they reside. You can call them what you like."

"So… angels?" Dean asked, a little light in his eyes that suggested there might be a story behind the question.

"I… suppose. Though you may come across 'angels' in other worlds. I've noticed that they're becoming more frequent lately. A lot of things are changing on the mainline." Cas folded his arms behind his back as he stopped in front of what Dean perceived as a wall. "Do what I do." He instructed calmly before walking into and through what Dean thought was solid.

"Uh… alright then. Wow." He didn't have many words lined up to express half the things going through his mind. It had been a long and awful day already, he was exhausted and sore and ready to curl up and sleep, or at least he'd felt that way before getting to 'paradise'. Dean felt awake, alert, hell, he felt better than he had in years. Maybe that was just what the place did to him, or something. He had no idea anymore. Just a lot of questions, millions of questions.

Castiel strolled into the room and after a sweeping bow he lowered himself to the floor, on one knee he glanced back at Dean who was in awe of the view. Three beautifully cloaked beings stood across from them, though there was a significant distance in between. They glowed like everything else though much brighter, all with their faces mostly covered, the only skin showing was what could be seen around their eyes. "Dean," Cas whispered, catching his attention again.

"Hm?" Dean furrowed his brow when the priest nodded his head downward, at first unsure what he meant until he remembered the 'do what I do' instructions. "Oh. Right." He hadn't quite paid attention to every move so he dropped onto one knee beside Cas, the dark-haired male shaking his head and rolling his eyes at how graceless it all was.

"Holiness," He started after another pause of silence, "Why have you summoned us?"

"Because your partner needs to be sworn in." Dean heard the voice but could hardly believe it, it sounded so familiar and yet completely foreign. Beautiful though, absolutely beautiful. He smiled to himself, pretty much missing the point of that conversation. Sensory overload was kicking in, or was already settled in his brain.

Castiel looked over at him, that pained look returning and mixing with the blue in his eyes. Dean wished he knew why Castiel looked that way, why he only looked at him that way. "Dean," Cas spoke gingerly, "That's you. Step forward."

"Wait, what?" Dean snapped his head up toward the holy beings, "His partner? I'm his partner? How? Why?" He pulled himself to standing again and walked closer, the one in the center lifting its hand to him. Dean froze and watched the light formulating around the delicate limb extended his way, "Wait, hold on. I can't do what he does; I need to stay with my brother." His protests weren't heard, it seemed, as a soft chanting filled the room. "Hey! Listen to me!" Dean shouted but the weight of his anger was lost when he found himself floating mid-air, his clothing starting to shred off his body like it was made of silk and never really on him in the first place.

Castiel slowly rose, watching silently as he curled his bottom lip in. Dean's body was different than the one he'd known, it was stronger, the muscles were more prominent, he'd been able to eat properly. It was nice to see him healthier, to see his figure without the definition of his spine. Though in addition to that Cas had to keep his eyes away from the unseemly parts of Dean's body, focusing on the center of his back where a symbol started to burn its path. Dean's muscles flinched and flexed backward, his mouth open in a silent scream, face twisting to the pain. It was like being branded, Castiel remembered. The searing pain as his flesh lit up in holy fire, the outline and design of their symbol burning into him.

Dean squeezed his eyes shut as the pain subsided, slowly drifting away and fading as a smooth cloth slid up his back and over his skin. It was cool, felt brand new but like it was made for him. Carefully his eyelids lifted, his feet clad in combat boots touching down onto the reflective floor below him. He looked up bewildered then back at Castiel for an answer, not missing the soft expression of someone unsure on his face. "Cas?"

"Yes?" His voice was gentle, quiet and lost.

Of all the questions swarming in his head Dean couldn't help but ask just the one, "Are you okay?"

The way Castiel's eyes seemed to snap into focus again and how his breath hitched made Dean worry, "I'm fine. How are you feeling?"

"Surprisingly good," Dean looked down at himself for the first time to realize he was wearing the same styled outfit as Castiel, the long coat, tight-fitting pants, and the boots. "Whoa… So wait, is this a matching outfit or a uniform?"

"Uniform." Cas replied, moving to his side and looking up at the celestials, he wasn't sure what to say to them. He finally had a partner, someone to work with, someone to spend the days with. And it was another Dean Winchester. Part of him felt giddy but the rest of him had to question the thought process that went behind all of it. What were they thinking, pairing him with Dean? After everything, how could they do this to him? It's like they expected he'd properly healed from the ordeal or something. And though he wished that were true, he couldn't say so without lying. 'Try to focus on the good, Castiel.' He told himself and glanced Dean over one more time, 'At least you won't be alone anymore.'

Dean glanced back to see Cas' gaze looking over his newly dressed form and raised an eyebrow at him, "What?"

"Looks good on you." Castiel was quick to answer; he knew he'd been caught so there was no point in trying to act as if he were doing anything other than checking Dean out.

"You have been Castiel's partner since before you were born, Dean Winchester." One of the celestials started to speak, the same one as before and Dean was wondering if maybe it was the only that did.

"Don't give me that destiny crap, I'm telling you I can't leave my brother." Dean crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze steady as he stared at the holy beings. "I don't care what-ow!" He glared over at Castiel who'd cracked him in the back of the head. "What'd you do that for?"

"You can't stay, Dean. Not after your abilities have woken." Cas' usual tone was back, bite and all.

"Why not?" He snapped right back, angling himself to face Cas better.

"Because the void creatures are drawn to us, it's part of being a high priest." The low growl of his voice would have sent a shiver through Dean if he weren't pissed off by it.

"I don't want to be a priest!"

"You don't get to choose!"

"Gentlemen," The room seemed to dim a little as the gentle voice washed over them again, "Do you understand what relies on you?"

"Yes." Castiel said without looking away from Dean, the venom on his tongue audible.

"No, and I don't care to know." Dean growled right back, mostly aimed at Castiel.

"If you don't help me," Castiel's anger was growing to the point that Dean thought he could hear it rumbling in the room. "Everyone will die. Everyone, you understand? That includes your best friend, that means Sam. Dean, if you don't leave your brother you'll lose your brother."

Dean fell silent, his face caving in as the thought hit him, and it hit hard. That wasn't much of a choice and from the sounds of it he had none. It wasn't fair; it was like blackmail on one of the highest forms, wasn't it? He furrowed his brow and glared toward the celestials, "Is that true?"

The silence continued until the middle one nodded, "Yes. I'm afraid it is, Dean. And I can't say how long it'll take, either."

"But…" Dean looked down and clenched his fists, his mind only able to think of one thing; what about Sam? "When do I have to go?"

"At your leisure, you may depart whenever you are ready."

'Like I'll ever be ready…' Dean headed back toward the doors, his heart deflated as he went, ignoring the sound of Castiel's footsteps behind him. Part of him knew he should be ecstatic for this; to be given an opportunity to help save something he hadn't known was in danger. But he just couldn't bring himself around to that way of thinking. Not after everything he'd gone through with Sam, promising to stay with him. Of course, saving his little brother's life came first, he could complain about the time he'd missed after that.

They descended the staircase after the gates, Dean falling in line behind Castiel, he had nothing to say and Cas seemed to be in the same kind of mood. The silence around them felt thick, the longer they went without talking the more Dean felt his blood boil. "You have something to say, right?" He finally spouted, watching his new partner's pace toward their exit.

Castiel stopped and glanced back at him, eyes sharp and cold. "People often need to lose something to realize it's value, but not you. You already know the value of your brother's life, you know it and still you'd want to stay home. Take it from someone who knows, Dean, it's much easier to go on knowing he's still alive somewhere, not a corpse you had to bury yourself."

Dean's brow furrowed together, he had expected something a little more insulting. "So… who did you lose?"

"My husband." Castiel stated simply, motioning for Dean to follow him through a hazy wall a little ways ahead of them. Dean's expression was frozen in shock at Castiel, and yet it all seemed to fit at the same time. He would have asked further but Castiel disappeared into the cloud, completely gone from Dean's view.

"Cas…" He felt an ache for the other man, his chest hurting a little as he ran into what he could only assume was safe. The wall was more like vapour though it felt like nothing. Dean's body lifted from where his footsteps fell, floating now and moving through something that felt ridiculously like what he thought space would always feel like. He didn't want to think he was in space but it was kind of fun to imagine it. Dean lifted his head to see Cas waiting for him before another cloudy space ahead. "How did he…" Dean wasn't sure if he could finish the sentence, not after seeing the way Castiel's eyes darted away from him.

"A demoni, just like the one that had Sam." He explained softly. "Back then I didn't know what was going on or what was wrong with him. The holy beings you just met saved my life… They uh…" Cas turned away, his intention to continue on and leave but Dean's hand on his shoulder stopped him. "They showed me how to use my power, by example." His voice was low, quiet and Dean could've sworn he heard a subtle shift of pain in there as well.

"They made you kill him?" He bit out, his own voice sounding hoarse just from the thought of it.

Castiel was quiet for a long moment after but he nodded finally, "Yes." The word was simple and it gave all the answers that Dean needed, but somehow it was stronger than that. He'd received a little bit of insight as to who Castiel was and the more he got to know the more he realized that he'd misjudged him. Neither said another word as they passed through the second haze, Dean wondering partially if this was any good for his health.