So I got inspired by all the attention this was getting, and decided to do a part two! Think of it as a Fourth of July special :)
Brilliant colors splashed the darkening evening sky, turning the spectators' faces beneath them red, green, and gold. Castiel felt the explosions in his chest as he looked over to where Dean was sitting beside him, eyes lit up brightly with both the reflection of the magic in the sky, and with joy.
The unidentified feeling in his chest swelled, like it sometimes did in moments like this. Castiel had learned a lot about how to be human in the months since he had fallen, but the emotions tied to every little thing still baffled him at times.
Dean noticed Castiel looking at him, and nudged him with his elbow. You should be watching the show! he signed quickly. This sort of thing only comes around once a year.
Castiel felt his face heat up, and hoped fervently that it wasn't showing in the dark. He cast his gaze back up to the sky as directed, but it was only a few minutes before he found himself once again enraptured with the human beside him.
He didn't want Dean to think he wasn't enjoying the fireworks, so he was carefully sure to keep looking at the sky most of the time, but he kept sneaking glances at Dean when he thought he could get away with it.
In all of his time living as a warrior of God, Castiel had thought he'd seen all of the beauty there was to see in the world. He'd seen every single sunset and sunrise, every perfect storm, the rise and fall of every empire known.
And yet, none of it compared to what he'd seen during his time on Earth with the Winchesters.
Castiel didn't know how to explain what he felt. He supposed it was something similar to how Sam and Dean felt about each other, but not quite the same.
The feeling in his chest didn't waver once throughout the whole show, only grew. After the finale, they packed up the dusty picnic blanket they had dug out of Bobby's basement, and drove back to the salvage yard.
Throughout the whole drive, neither of them was able to stop smiling. Castiel knew he had to do something about the emotions blossoming between them. Heart beating wildly in his ears, he reached over to hold Dean's hand, waiting for the inevitable moment where Dean pulled his hand away, saying things like we can't and I like you, but not like that.
However, that didn't happen. To Castiel's surprise, Dean jumped, but after Castiel pulled away, scared he had crossed boundaries that weren't meant to be crossed, Dean reached over and linked their hands together himself.
Now Castiel could feel his pulse from his ears all the way down to his toes, his stomach clenching, but not in a bad way.
When they reached Bobby's house, Castiel pulled his hand away to get out of the car, sure that that would be the end of it, but was shocked when once again Dean grabbed his hand and lightly started swinging it as they walked to the back of the house, where Castiel could see firelight flickering faintly.
Bobby and Sam were sitting around the campfire, along with a woman Castiel had only gotten to know very recently. Jennifer—or as she liked to be called, Jenny— had apparently been a friend of Sam's at Stanford, who had moved back to Sioux Falls after graduating to be closer to her family. Sam had happened upon her while out grocery shopping, and had asked her to lunch. They had officially become a thing a month or so ago, and the rest, as they said, was history.
Castiel had rarely seen Sam as happy as he was when he was with Jenny, and he was glad that they had found each other.
If he sometimes wished that he and Dean could be like that, no one had to know.
Hey Cas, Sam signed, then reached over to hand him a stick and a marshmallow. Castiel knew what to do with these. He had become quite fond of the treat known as s'mores ever since he had first been introduced to them.
Dean had been overjoyed when he had realized that he was now responsible for teaching Castiel all the things that came with being human. Things that included campfires, and s'mores.
As they roasted their marshmallows, they made idle chatter, Sam, Jenny, Dean, and Bobby both signing and talking so that Castiel could be included. His heart warmed as he thought of just one of the many things the Winchesters and their extended family had done especially for him.
Dean's marshmallow caught aflame, much to Sam and Castiel's chagrin. Castiel preferred his just barely toasted. When Dean had incredulously asked him how he could possibly like raw marshmallows, Castiel hadn't said that it reminded him of angels' wings burning as they fell, and hellfire. He had just shrugged and said they tasted better that way.
Dean caught them looking at each other, and shook his head. "You two are so weird," he said while simultaneously signing. It was a skill that had taken some time to learn, but Dean had been persistent. Now he was signing like the best of them.
They talked for hours more as the fire slowly died down, and, one by one, they slowly drifted indoors. First Bobby, then Sam, and Jenny, until Dean and Castiel were left alone with only the dying embers for company.
Castiel decided to take the chance to talk about what was going on between the two of them. Before he could steel himself to, however, Dean beat him to it.
I've been thinking, lately, about us. About this… thing between us, whatever it is. And, Cas, this may ruin everything, but I can't hide this any longer… I think… I love you.
Castiel was unable to even think in his shock. It was as if Dean's words had flipped some switch in his head, causing only static to exist in its wake.
Cas? I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I thought you should know. He paused. Please say something.
"Is that what this feeling is? In my chest?" was all he could manage to say.
Dean gave a relieved laugh. Yeah, probably.
"I thought it was only me. Dean, does this mean… are we like Sam and Jenny?"
Dean signed slowly. I guess… if we want to be, we can be. It depends. Do you want to… be like Sam and Jenny?
When Castiel carefully nodded, Dean's smile was brighter than the fireworks lighting up the night sky.