[fic] "But, Honestly" - +/11
Title: Epilogue
Author: omnomster
Rating: PG
Genre: AU, Angst, Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Pairing: Dean/future!Cas
Spoilers: If you know what 2014!cas is like, you should be okay.
Warnings: None
Word Count: 767
Summary: Ten months later, Dean and Castiel were nestled in the tall grass of a field in the Kansas countryside.
Chapters: 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | +
Epilogue
Ten months later, Dean and Castiel were nestled in the tall grass of a field in the Kansas countryside. It was itchy and poked them at odd angles, but neither seemed to mind. They were staring up at the sky, so full of stars that it looked heavenly and surreal. Their sides were flush against one another, hands clasped. Cas would occasionally point at the dark canvas stretched above them, naming the constellations and smiling when Dean made up his own.
Castiel hadn’t touched alcohol in over four months; he’d broken down after a panic attack, and after tears and some yelling, Dean had helped him get through it. He hadn’t touched any drug since he’d told Meg he wanted out. Having gained weight, the sharp lines of his body were less piercing, though he was still much skinnier than he should have been. The young man had even managed to get a secretarial job for the company John Winchester worked for (who was surprisingly okay with their relationship, despite how awkward he was talking about) and helped Dean pay rent and other bills for the apartment. There were times that they thought they wouldn’t get everything paid, but somehow, they managed. He often thought about going back to college, too, but that would have to wait.
He didn’t see Gabriel as often as he would have liked. Though he’d graduated, the youngest Novak was still living with Michael until college began. However, he’d often lie and find an excuse to go visit his brother and the Winchesters for a few hours, and that always made Castiel happy. He hadn’t spoken to Raphael, who only communicated via birthday cards, it seemed. His family was pretty broken, really, but he had Dean, Sam, and Gabriel, and occasionally John when the man decided to visit.
It had been rough. There were many moments where he and Dean were both insecure, wanting to quit, but they had worked through all of them. It was awful at times, beautifully wonderful at others, and generally just nice. Castiel’s life was far from perfect, but most of the time, he was truly happy. The kind of happy that lasted, that seeped into his bones and left him with a feeling better than any drug could have given him.
His arm fell to his side, and he stared silently at sky, content with the summer breeze and music of chirping insects. Minutes passed, and soon Dean had rolled on top of him, blocking his view of the stars. He gave a playful frown, grumbling when soft lips were pressed against his.
“I’ve been thinking,” Dean began quietly, gently gripping the young man’s shoulders as he straddled him.
“That is a dangerous activity. You weren’t harmed, were you?” Castiel smirked, and it just earned him a sharp bite to the lip.
“I was going to say that I thought you should stick around, but I don’t know if I need another smartass in the house.”
“You’ve already asked that question, Dean. Remember? I haven’t been-”
The Winchester leaned in and kissed him again, shutting him up. It was slow and sensual, an unusual pace for Dean, though not entirely unheard of. Cas sighed quietly, then curiously looked up when the other pulled away.
“I meant, kind of, like, you know… Forever, or something,” the brunette mumbled, and even in the pale light of the moon and stars, Cas thought he could see a blush rising over the man’s cheeks. “Like, you’d live with me and we wouldn’t ever see anybody else, and we’d… Something like that.”
Castiel smiled and wrapped one arm around the man’s waist, the other coming up to cup his face. “Isn’t that what we’re already doing?”
“But I’m talking about the rest of our lives.”
The young man laughed quietly, thumb gently stroking the other’s cheek. “So, you’re essentially asking me to marry you. Is that it?”
He could actually feel Dean’s face heat up. “No! That’s not… I mean, I guess it’s sort of like that, but I didn’t…”
Pulling him down, Cas brought their lips together again, enjoying a languid, intimate kiss for several moments before pulling away. “Yes, Dean. I’d be more than happy to do that.”
Dean stumbled over his words, and finally just replied with a lame, “Okay.” He stayed on top of his lover, though, not moving from his spot as he stared at the other’s face. “I guess this means I love you, or whatever…”
Castiel just laughed and beamed up at him. “I guess this means I love you, too… Or whatever.”