Chapter 87.

Back at the bunker, Dean found Sam in the kitchen, going through the refrigerator. "Hey, Sam." he said.

"Hey." said Sam, "You want coffee?"

"No thanks. You could pass me a beer." said Dean.

Sam handed him one and took one for himself. He closed the refrigerator door and they sat at the table together. "Things go okay with Dad?" he asked.

"Anael told you why I went?"

"Yeah, not that I needed her to. I assumed it would happen soon. It did go okay?" the concern in his voice told Dean he had been worrying about it.

"It was fine." he said, then, knowing that wouldn't convince anyone, he said, "Mom and Dad are delighted."

"I thought they would be. Did you tell them how you and Anael got together?"

"No, I thought I should leave that part out. I'd appreciate it if you resisted any temptation to fill in the blanks."

"Hey, I had no plans to talk. I like to know what they do and don't know."

"They know I love her." said Dean.

Sam looked surprised, either that Dean had told them that much or that he was using the L word in front of Sam. "That's good." he said.

"They knew anyway. They knew I wouldn't mention her if she didn't matter. I told Jack about it too. I'm never sure how much he already knows."

"I wish I knew what to ask." said Sam.

"I'm telling the truth. It went well. You don't need to ask anything. I get it. You worry about me, but maybe now, you don't have to."

"Still gonna." said Sam, "Just like you still worry over me."

"I know. Don't ever think I'm not grateful."

A brief, awkward silence developed. To break it, Dean said, "Where's Anael?"

"Shopping with Eileen. Apparently, I'm superfluous."

"It's nothing to brag about, Sammy."

Sam grinned. "You're okay with it, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I think you're superfluous too. I'm fine with them shopping together. I encouraged her to do something with Eileen. I love that they're friends."

"Me too." said Sam, "They're very different people, but it seems to work."

"Well, technically, Anael isn't people at all."

Sam's brow furrowed. You still feel that way?"

"It's not a feeling, it's a fact and I'm fine with it. It's not like my relationships with people have been fantastically successful. In fact, I'm not sure I count as people either."

"I hate when you say things like that."

Dean felt bad. There was a lot to be said for not saying them. "Sorry. I hould shut up."

"That's not what I meant. I'm glad you can say this stuff now, I just wish you didn't feel it."

"Like it or not, I've kinda been messed up for a while. The things I've done, the stuff that happened to me, it all left marks and that means I have no chance of anything close to a normal life, but the corrupted hunter and the discontented angel … maybe they have a future together."

"You're not corrupted, Dean."

Dean smiled. "No, she can't see it either. Makes things good between us, you know. With her, I can pretend I'm the guy she thinks I am. I know it's not your kind of roleplay, but it works for us."

"What do you mean, my kind of roleplay?" said Sam.

"I know you have a Princess Leia outfit in your closet. I don't wanna speculate as to which of you wears it."

"What were you doing in the closet?" said Sam.

"Stealing your conditioner. Sometimes you forget to leave it in the shower room."

"No, sometimes I forget to hide it in the closet."

"I didn't tell anyone. I won't. You don't kink-shame me."

Sam looked at him seriously for a second. "You're not roleplaying a good person, Dean. You genuinely are one."

"She thinks so too. I respectfully disagree with both of you, but I love that you think it." He wasn't sure that was true. At times, he felt he had ton convince them of what they must already know, deep down, but their illusions about him were flattering and sometimes he just wanted to enjoy them.

"How was it, talking to Dad?" said Sam.

"Same as usual. Dad and I always got along and he thinks Anael's hot too."

Sam nodded, but with no hint of approval.

"What?" said Dean.

"It's okay. You can't help it. You've been very honest and then suddenly, the walls are going up again."

"No they're not. It's true. Dad and I ... "

"You really wanted to tell him, so you told him." said Sam, "And that's great, it really is, but are you seriously gonna tell me it was easy?"

Dean thought about it. He couldn't honestly say that. "Not easy, no, but telling them seemed important."

"And it was and I'm proud of you for doing it, but in your own way, you have more issues with Dad than I do."

Dean dropped the act completely. "Yeah, I do and I wan't sure what to say and even while saying it, I didn't know if I'd say it right and I think they're both happy, but I also wonder what Dad really thinks of me being with a monster."

"If she's not people, she's definitely not a monster." said Sam.

"Well, celestial, whatever. How much does he even know about angels?"

"Well, he's with Mom 24/7 and she knows them pretty well. What's bouncing around in your head right now?"

"Is it stupid that I need him to approve?"

"You don't. You never did."

"Your memory is getting worse."

"You didn't kill me, remember? And if Dad had said he hated the thought of you with an angel, there's no way you would have ditched her. Yeah, you want your family to support your relationship, but I promise, if we all hated it, you'd just dig your heels in harder."

"I don't know. Sometimes, even now, it feel like it would be easier to walk away."

"Maybe it would, but it's not what you want and it's not the right choice and you wouldn't be sending her places with my wife if you were seriously considering it."

"You credit me with a lot more intelligence than you should."

"I've been your shadow since we were kids. I know how clever you are and I know that everything you do is about building and protecting family. If you intended to end it, there's no way you would encourage Charlie, Jules and Eileen to get attached. Actually, if you were considering that, you'd never have told Mom and Dad."

Dean nodded. "You could be right."

"I always am," said Sam, "About you."

"By the way, Gabriel agrees with me that she should stay an angel."

"Mom and Dad don't?" said Sam.

"I don't think they have an opinion."

"The two most contentious hunters in history don't have an opinion?"

"I don't think they're in the top ten. You're worse than they are. If they had an opinion, they didn't express it."

"But Gabriel agrees with you and that's good enough for you?"

"Gabriel and Cas."

"The world's leading authorities on human relationships." said Sam with a solid side of sarcasm.

"Not a human relationship, remember."

"Anael is virtually completely human." said Sam and Dean had to admit that the events of the past few days strongly suggested that.

"Maybe," he said, "But I'm not."