Caim, Part 3/3 (Epilogue)
back to part 2
Dean woke before the sun hit his face. That happened a lot these days. The routine of waking before dawn, to be ready to travel once the sun broke over the horizon, was hard to break. He was up before Sam most of the time, now.
He snagged a cold chunk of bread from yesterday’s loaf on his way out.
Walking in the woods, off the well-worn path, seemed to be the only thing that calmed him now. He missed that exploratory feeling, the simple pleasure of muscles working for hours. A simple goal, simple tasks along the way to accomplish it. Simple companionship.
He shut the thought down fast. He’d accomplished what he’d set out to do, and more - Michael had promised that he’d go ahead with his original plan, regardless of the ‘incident’ as he’d so tactfully called it. Specially trained mages and healers would be travelling through the kingdom before too long, teaching and mending as they went.
Dean scuffed a foot through the leaf litter. The sun was over the horizon. He needed to turn back if he didn’t want to make everyone worry.
Sam met him just as he was emerging from the woods, huge grin on his face. Morning people, Dean would just never understand. “Dean! I was just gonna come get you. We’ve got a visitor.”
“’Morning. Wait. Who?”
“You’ll see,” Sam said, with the look on his face that said I have a secret and I can’t wait to see your face when you figure it out.
They walked side-by-side back to the house, but when they reached the door Sam leaped in front to get through the door first. “We’re here!” Sam announced. Dean rolled his eyes at his brother’s theatrics, walking in amidst the usual clatter and bustle of a morning in the Winchester home.
Only to see Castiel standing wide-eyed in the corner, wings twitching nervously behind him. “Cas?” he blurted unthinkingly.
Castiel’s lips curled into a tiny smile. “Hello, Dean.”
“What are you doing here?”
Mary slapped him lightly upside the head, and Dean jumped. He’d nearly forgotten they weren’t alone. “Be polite,” she chided, moving past him to rescue the eggs from John.
“It’s okay,” Castiel said. “I’m here to teach magic.”
“Really? So you’re staying for a while?” Dean wanted to slap himself upside the head now. Way to sound needy.
But Castiel was smiling. “Yes. As long as there are still fae to be taught here.”
Dean could feel himself relaxing, feeling more like himself than he’d felt in weeks. “You sure you’re up for that?”
“I’m willing to accept the challenge.” They smiled at each other from across the room, and then breakfast was ready.
Sam, the wonderful little shit, made sure to shove the extra chair right in next to Dean’s.
With their bellies filled, Dean led Castiel out to the woods. It felt exactly right, now, to pace these paths with Castiel at his side, even without speaking. His hand ached to reach out and fold around Castiel's, to make this picture complete, but he stopped himself, unsure.
"So, you're really staying here," he said wonderingly. He couldn't seem to wrap his head around the idea.
"Yes, Dean, I'm staying," Cas replied, smile in his voice and his eyes. "I had actually wondered… could I ask a favor?"
"Sure, Cas, anything."
"I don't have anywhere to sleep for the night, and if it would be an imposition I'm sure I could find the nearest inn," Cas tripped over the words, uncharacteristically blundering, "but if it's not a problem - could I say here?"
"No! I mean, no, it's not a problem at all," Dean said, grinning widely. "Opposite of a problem."
Castiel sighed in relief. His wings flicked, casting off tension like it was water. "Thank you. I had hoped, but I wasn't sure of my welcome."
Dean grabbed his arm, pulling him to a halt. "You're always welcome here." He smoothed his hand down Cas' arm, reassuring, hesitating a moment longer before stepping closer and stroking a wing. Cas took a sharp breath, but pushed his wing into the touch, feathers warm and sleek under his fingers.
It's perfectly natural, then, to duck his head and press his lips to Cas', to bring his other hand up to his cheek. Cas' wings flared, Dean's hand slipping to bury in the soft down at the base, as Cas pressed into the kiss.
Around them their magic ran riot, flowers exploding into bloom, petals swirled in a breeze of their making. They didn't notice.
Dean woke before the sun hit his face. That happened a lot these days. The routine of waking before dawn, to be ready to travel once the sun broke over the horizon, was hard to break. He was up before Sam most of the time, now.
He snagged a cold chunk of bread from yesterday’s loaf on his way out.
Walking in the woods, off the well-worn path, seemed to be the only thing that calmed him now. He missed that exploratory feeling, the simple pleasure of muscles working for hours. A simple goal, simple tasks along the way to accomplish it. Simple companionship.
He shut the thought down fast. He’d accomplished what he’d set out to do, and more - Michael had promised that he’d go ahead with his original plan, regardless of the ‘incident’ as he’d so tactfully called it. Specially trained mages and healers would be travelling through the kingdom before too long, teaching and mending as they went.
Dean scuffed a foot through the leaf litter. The sun was over the horizon. He needed to turn back if he didn’t want to make everyone worry.
Sam met him just as he was emerging from the woods, huge grin on his face. Morning people, Dean would just never understand. “Dean! I was just gonna come get you. We’ve got a visitor.”
“’Morning. Wait. Who?”
“You’ll see,” Sam said, with the look on his face that said I have a secret and I can’t wait to see your face when you figure it out.
They walked side-by-side back to the house, but when they reached the door Sam leaped in front to get through the door first. “We’re here!” Sam announced. Dean rolled his eyes at his brother’s theatrics, walking in amidst the usual clatter and bustle of a morning in the Winchester home.
Only to see Castiel standing wide-eyed in the corner, wings twitching nervously behind him. “Cas?” he blurted unthinkingly.
Castiel’s lips curled into a tiny smile. “Hello, Dean.”
“What are you doing here?”
Mary slapped him lightly upside the head, and Dean jumped. He’d nearly forgotten they weren’t alone. “Be polite,” she chided, moving past him to rescue the eggs from John.
“It’s okay,” Castiel said. “I’m here to teach magic.”
“Really? So you’re staying for a while?” Dean wanted to slap himself upside the head now. Way to sound needy.
But Castiel was smiling. “Yes. As long as there are still fae to be taught here.”
Dean could feel himself relaxing, feeling more like himself than he’d felt in weeks. “You sure you’re up for that?”
“I’m willing to accept the challenge.” They smiled at each other from across the room, and then breakfast was ready.
Sam, the wonderful little shit, made sure to shove the extra chair right in next to Dean’s.
With their bellies filled, Dean led Castiel out to the woods. It felt exactly right, now, to pace these paths with Castiel at his side, even without speaking. His hand ached to reach out and fold around Castiel's, to make this picture complete, but he stopped himself, unsure.
"So, you're really staying here," he said wonderingly. He couldn't seem to wrap his head around the idea.
"Yes, Dean, I'm staying," Cas replied, smile in his voice and his eyes. "I had actually wondered… could I ask a favor?"
"Sure, Cas, anything."
"I don't have anywhere to sleep for the night, and if it would be an imposition I'm sure I could find the nearest inn," Cas tripped over the words, uncharacteristically blundering, "but if it's not a problem - could I say here?"
"No! I mean, no, it's not a problem at all," Dean said, grinning widely. "Opposite of a problem."
Castiel sighed in relief. His wings flicked, casting off tension like it was water. "Thank you. I had hoped, but I wasn't sure of my welcome."
Dean grabbed his arm, pulling him to a halt. "You're always welcome here." He smoothed his hand down Cas' arm, reassuring, hesitating a moment longer before stepping closer and stroking a wing. Cas took a sharp breath, but pushed his wing into the touch, feathers warm and sleek under his fingers.
It's perfectly natural, then, to duck his head and press his lips to Cas', to bring his other hand up to his cheek. Cas' wings flared, Dean's hand slipping to bury in the soft down at the base, as Cas pressed into the kiss.
Around them their magic ran riot, flowers exploding into bloom, petals swirled in a breeze of their making. They didn't notice.