AN: Boom - this is the *last* update for this story. Thank you guys so much for reading and sticking with me and commenting and all that jazz ;) Couldn't have done it without you!

Also, apologies, but this isn't a super written out chapter or anything. It's just some ideas on where things would go from here. And sorry for the formatting - this site doesn't really allow the way I wrote it to show up well :/

The first week
- Well, obviously they spend the first week fucking like bunnies. Now that they're over their issues, they get to completely enjoy losing themselves in each other. It's great. All they do is eat, sleep, shower, and fuck (and sometimes they do the last two at the same time).
- I say a week because, well, Dean can't keep up with Cas' stamina. There's one night they're making out on the couch, some abandoned movie playing in the background. And it's just kissing with the occasional touch, but mostly just kissing for the sake of it. But eventually Cas' hands and tongue start exploring more, gently but firmly rutting against the older man.
- Dean lets it go on for a bit before he pulls back as far as the couch allows. Cas automatically moves to follow, but a hand on his chest keeps him.
- "Cas, Thomas, babe... I would love to, seriously I would, but I'm running on empty here. You gotta slow the pace down or your gonna give me a heart attack or something."
- Cas will blush because he's embarrassed he didn't think about it. And maybe he's a little upset that he missed out on all the years between where they could've been doing this the whole time. But then he remembers that he's in this for more than Dean's (fantastic, Adonic, gorgeous) body. He loves *Dean*, and maybe he should be focusing a little less on the physical. They need balance in this, just like everything else.
- And they find that balance, it just takes some time.

Meeting Sam
- Sam hasn't technically seen or talked to Cas since he found out he is in fact Cas. The next time they get a chance, he and Dean take a road trip out to Wyoming.
- It's supposed to be a surprise, but Sam must hear the Impala's engine because he's right there when they pull into the driveway. And he gives Cas a look for about two seconds before crushing him in a giant bear hug that pretty much lifts him off the ground.
- Cas meets Sam's wife and daughter. They've been filled in on all the details, but they're still awed to meet *the* Castiel that pulled Dean from hell. They talk and talk, Dean just beaming the whole time.
- (And who can blame him? His favorite people altogether in one place? Dream come true.)
- Sam confirms that when he first met Thomas, he had a weird feeling about him. There was something familiar about him, something that felt almost like deja vu but still just a little off from that. When he'd talked to Dean afterward, it had kind of fallen into place. Of course, he hadn't said half of that to either of them before now.
- "I didn't want to get your hopes up," he exclaims when Dean glares at him. Turning to Thomas, he adds, "And I didn't want to put any pressure on you to be someone you maybe didn't want to be."
- Which both he and Dean have to admit was pretty fair of him.
- Cas and Dean stop by for every Thanksgiving after that. Or some years, Sam's family will make the trek out to Lawrence. Either way, Thanksgiving is a Winchester affair.

Thomas' Family
- This is a little trickier.
- Besides his sister, no one in Thomas' family has any idea that Dean exists or that Thomas is even in a relationship. With his sister running interference, the two of them manage to ease their parents into the idea of it.
- They ignore their extended family for now. Thomas loves the, but he knows that if he can get his parents on board with it, the rest of them will follow.
- They decide on driving up to his parents' place for a long weekend, starting with a good home cooked meal to introduce everyone. His sister offers to do most of the cooking, but their dad helps out. Dean and Thomas bring some wine and a fresh baked pie.
- Dean is adorably nervous. He spends *hours* picking out an appropriate outfit. He ends up going with nice slacks, a blue button up shirt with a dark gray tie and a navy blazer. If it weren't for their plans to meet his *parents*, Thomas would indulge in taking full advantage of how beautiful Dean looks... but they wouldn't be out of the bed for days so he lets go of those plans with a sigh.
- ("How about an IOU?" Dean teases as he kisses the frown lines on Thomas' face.)
- (It's actually the calmest Dean is for the next ten hours.)
- He fidgets on the long drive over from their motel. Although his parents had offered to let them stay at the house, Thomas was very against it. "It's not because I think things will go poorly," he assures Dean. "It's just I'd rather not be sleeping next to my boyfriend with my *parents* two rooms over. Even if all we're doing is sleeping."
- (And let's face it, that's not all they'll be doing.)
- It's probably good that they warned his parents ahead of time about Dean's age, since they're still surprised a bit when they open their front door and see him. Dean's smile is just a touch too constipated rather than relaxed, but Thomas is confident that a glad or two of wine will relax him.
- His parents are saints, though, and do their best to withhold judgement. They politely ask questions about Dean - his family, his job, his place in Lawrence. Each new piece of information they take in, comment on appropriately, but it never leads into further conversation. It's all small talk, surface level discourse that at the end of the day is pretty meaningless. Sure, they've collected a bunch of facts about Dean, but they're not actually getting to *know* him.
- When his sister goes to get the main course, he sneaks a hand under the table to give Dean's hand a reassuring squeeze. The other man's hand is clammy, but the gesture earns him a shy smile. The first genuine smile from Dean all evening. Dean calms down considerably after that, not needing the wine anyway, and flips the tables by asking Thomas' parents a bunch of questions. About their life, sure, but mostly about Thomas' childhood.
- They seem a bit surprised at first, but apparently Thomas is a topic all parties involved are more than happy to talk about. (Except of course, Thomas himself, who is mortified by half of their stories. Especially once his sister comments on how hot Dean is and it's no wonder he caught Thomas' eye, he's fallen for every decent looking dirty blond with green eyes in the tri-county area. Dean looks annoyingly smug after hearing that.)
- Things go better after that. Everyone at ease, the dinner goes more naturally. By the end of the night, his parents are convinced that Dean's affection for their son is genuine and reluctantly give their blessing. They see how happy Thomas is, happier than they can remember ever seeing him, and just don't have it in them to stand in the way of that.
- And let's face it. Dean is about the same age as Thomas' dad. They have a lot in common. Once they take Thomas out of the equation (or maybe, it's more they acknowledge that Thomas is the common ground between them to build a foundation for friendship), they get along really well.
- While Sam's family might get Thanksgiving, Thomas' family takes over Christmas.

Thomas' Sister
- It's agreed pretty early on that they won't tell Thomas' family about Cas. He worries that it would change how they look at him or make them feel that he cares about them less because they were such a small part of his life (in terms of the angel's entire lifespan, and he's afraid they wouldn't believe how much he cares about them and how monumentally important they are to him).
- And telling them about Cas goes hand in hand with telling them about hunting, and that's just too much. They're better off believing the lie Thomas told them about learning to be a mechanic with Dean and working on a novel on the side.
- ("You could actually write a novel, if you wanted to. Make you feel less guilty about lyin' to them."
"Yes, write a cheesy Romance novel about an angel who fell in love with a man."
"Cheesy? You calling our love story cheesy?"
"I am literally an angel of the lord who fell - *fell* fell - because I fell in love with a human."
"Stop saying fell."
"Then admit it's cheesy."
Dean sighs in exasperation. "It ain't cheesy. It's romantic as shit and you're not changing my mind on that." He points a finger at him in warning. "Do *not* tell Sam I said *any* of that.")
- They hesitate when it comes to Thomas' sister. She's certainly more open and would probably be able to handle the news. Dean refuses to offer an opinion, saying it's Thomas' family so it's Thomas' call, which is frustrating because he doesn't *want* to make the decision. So he puts it off for a while. Months, in fact.
- He'd completely forgotten the issue at all until they're hanging out with his family during July 4th. They're just lounging around on the grass, waiting for the fireworks to start, when Dean nudges him in the side. "Hey Cas, pass me the chips?"
- "Why did he just call you Cas?"
- Panic wells up inside him because oh god his hand is being forced what does he do what does he do-
- And without missing a beat, Dean just smiles and says, "Oh, cuz he's my Casanova."
- Dean will assure him later that his expression was "fucking priceless." But it does give him an excuse to call him both Thomas and Cas, so they count it as a win.
- Years more pass before he finally bites the bullet and tells his sister. He expects disbelief, at least a little, but she believes it word for word the first time she hears it. In the end, it's a relief to be able to share that part of himself with someone he loves. To further bridge the gap between Castiel and Thomas.
- I mean, she teases him about it, of course. But she's supportive. And when it comes to him and Dean, she just shrugs and says it makes sense. She always got a "profound bond" kind of vibe from them (well, the word she *actually* uses is "soulmaate" but Cas prefers the other term) and now she totally gets why.

Cas' Grace
- For the matter of Cas' grace, well, Dean's the one to bring it up. He keeps his face carefully neutral when he asks about it.
- "Do you know where it is?"
- He's getting the impression that this is an important topic to Dean, yet one that makes him uneasy. So Cas of course matches Dean's expression. "Yes."
- "Oh." There's long enough of a pause that Cas thinks that the conversation is over. "Do you uh-" Try as he might, Dean can't quite stop the nervous flush at the top of his ears. "Do you think you might uh... wanna get it back?"
- Cas has thought about this. Long and hard. He knows the answer, but he makes a show of thinking it over now. It's a show that's entirely for Dean's benefit. To demonstrate that it isn't a spontaneous, spur of the moment thing that he might go back on later. Very carefully he says, "No."
- And then he explains. That the deal he made with Heaven was only if he were human. If he gets his grace back, they might fold him back into things and he just really doesn't that. At all. Or maybe they'll decide to do something drastic, like tear it back out and make him start all over again as another newborn human. Or perhaps they'll finally realize that accommodating Castiel is no longer worth the effort and they'll just kill him outright.
- Dean's face grows more and more pained as Cas keeps talking, so he holds Dean's hand and keeps going. He's not finished explaining after all.
- Because though it might be nice to have his mojo back, he doesn't need it. His life is complete. He's not missing a piece of himself simply by lacking his grace.
- "Are you sure, Cas?" He's unconvinced, as always. He might be sure in Cas' love for him, but too many times had the angel chosen to leave him (no matter how temporarily) to do Heaven's bidding. There are old wounds there, ones even he hasn't outgrown. "It's basically your soul, right? Doesn't feel like your just... I don't know, missing a part of yourself?"
- Very deliberately, he takes Dean's hands into his own and looks him in the eyes. "I know what it's like to be missing a part of myself. I was missing you for twenty two years, Dean, so I'm quite intimately aware of the feeling. And my life - my *human* life here, with *you* - is just so whole that there's really no room left for anything else."
- Dean will deny crying a bit at that. At best he will acknowledge that there *may* have been a single man tear.