Cheeseburgers and Pie (Chapter 20)
Dean climbs slowly out of sleep the next morning, muscles still sore from the night before. He rolls over into the sun but finds the bed empty. He bolts upright in panic, but instantly calms when he sees Castiel brushing his teeth in the bathroom mirror. He grabs the sheets from the bed and pulls them around in a makeshift robe while padding over to the bathroom.
“Hey,” he says as he meets Castiel’s eye in the mirror. Oh God, stop being such a lame ass.
“Good morning, Dean.” Castiel smiles at him around his toothbrush. “I ordered breakfast up. It should be here soon.”
“Fantastic!” As if on cue, a loud knock on the door and a muffled ‘room service’ cut through the conversation. Dean bounds over to the door, nearly falling over his sheet to open it. He lets the young man wheel the cart in the room and then stoops for his wallet to tip him. The boy eyes Castiel and then Dean but shrugs as Dean slips him a ten and walks out quickly.
They eat breakfast together on the bed in silence. Castiel keeps looking up to stare at Dean like he needs to say something, but he always breaks his gaze and continues eating. Once Castiel is finished he piles his plate onto the cart and sits down across from Dean again.
“Dean, I need to make something clear.” Castiel says sternly, waiting for Dean to meet his gaze before continuing. “Last night was wonderful, and if this weekend has taught me anything it’s that I’ve missed you.” Dean smiles around a mouthful of pancakes and Castiel looks at him with sorrow in his eyes, “but I can’t be in a relationship with you.” Dean’s face falls and he swallows down his breakfast before looking out the window pointedly. “I just, I don’t have the time to devote to you. You don’t have the time for me either.” Dean turns and opens his mouth to protest but Castiel puts up a hand to stop him, “please, don’t make this harder than it needs to be. I’ve thought about it a lot and, with our careers the way they are it’s just not possible. And before you try to tell me you’ll move back to Kansas forget it. You aren’t going to uproot your life for me. And I can’t uproot my life for you. We had a good weekend so let’s not ruin it.”
Dean nods silently and drops his head to stare at the sheets. Castiel furrows his brow and bites in his bottom lip, trying desperately to stop himself from taking back his decision. Dean lifts his head and meets Castiel with a small, genuine smile. “I get it Cas.” Castiel heaves a heavy sigh of relief, “this past weekend has been the best I’ve had in a long time. I didn’t know what to expect when I first saw you, but you’ve given me more than I had hoped for. I won’t let you leave though until you make me a promise.”
“Whatever you ask, Dean.” Castiel says solemnly.
“You text me, keep in touch, whatever, just because you don’t have the time for a long distance relationship doesn’t mean you don’t have the time for a long distance friendship. And I mean, years from now who knows where we’ll be.”
Castiel smiles weakly, trying to push the thoughts of being with Dean years from now out of his mind. It would be years from now, and hanging on such a small hope won’t do either of them any good. Castiel doesn’t mention that though. He just nods and reaches for his jacket to get his phone. He has three new texts all from Balthazar:
Cassie, you sly devil I saw you leave with him. It’s okay I’ve already made other sleeping arrangements. Have fun, remember your promise - B
Okay, I’m dying to know, if you’re busy having sex don’t text back. - B
You devil! I’ll meet you outside the hotel in the morning. Don’t stay up all night. - B
Castiel rolls his eyes and sends a quick text telling Balthazar to be at the curb in a half hour. He proceeds to get dressed and turns to Dean, “you can shower if you’d like, otherwise I have to pack our things and get going. Would you drive us to the garage?”
“Yeah of course.” Dean says as he heads to the bathroom.
Castiel is packed and waiting by the end of the bed with Dean’s clothes laid out next to him. Dean smiles and pulls them on, not bothering to button his shirt all the way. They leave the room after Castiel checks it a final time and head down to the elevator. Balthazar is waiting for them at the curb with the Impala already pulled up, he shoots them both a knowing glance before taking his bag from Castiel and helping to pack the trunk.
The drive to the garage is silent, but Balthazar keeps making humming sounds and laughing to himself while Castiel stares at anything but Dean and Dean can’t stop glancing over towards Castiel. When they finally make it to the garage, Castiel’s rental car is pulled out front. Dean gets out and helps them pack up. Balthazar gets in quickly, leaving the other two standing in the parking lot. Dean takes a deep breath and grabs Castiel by his shirt and pulls him into a final kiss, soft and sweet. “Just, don’t forget me.” He whispers as he rests his head on Castiel’s forehead.
“That’s impossible. Trust me, I’ve been trying for ten years.” Dean smiles softly and Castiel pulls him into a hug. Castiel gets in the car without turning back to face Dean and drives off, pointedly not looking back in the rearview, knowing that if he did he’d stop the car right there and go running back to Dean.
Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Epilogue |
“Hey,” he says as he meets Castiel’s eye in the mirror. Oh God, stop being such a lame ass.
“Good morning, Dean.” Castiel smiles at him around his toothbrush. “I ordered breakfast up. It should be here soon.”
“Fantastic!” As if on cue, a loud knock on the door and a muffled ‘room service’ cut through the conversation. Dean bounds over to the door, nearly falling over his sheet to open it. He lets the young man wheel the cart in the room and then stoops for his wallet to tip him. The boy eyes Castiel and then Dean but shrugs as Dean slips him a ten and walks out quickly.
They eat breakfast together on the bed in silence. Castiel keeps looking up to stare at Dean like he needs to say something, but he always breaks his gaze and continues eating. Once Castiel is finished he piles his plate onto the cart and sits down across from Dean again.
“Dean, I need to make something clear.” Castiel says sternly, waiting for Dean to meet his gaze before continuing. “Last night was wonderful, and if this weekend has taught me anything it’s that I’ve missed you.” Dean smiles around a mouthful of pancakes and Castiel looks at him with sorrow in his eyes, “but I can’t be in a relationship with you.” Dean’s face falls and he swallows down his breakfast before looking out the window pointedly. “I just, I don’t have the time to devote to you. You don’t have the time for me either.” Dean turns and opens his mouth to protest but Castiel puts up a hand to stop him, “please, don’t make this harder than it needs to be. I’ve thought about it a lot and, with our careers the way they are it’s just not possible. And before you try to tell me you’ll move back to Kansas forget it. You aren’t going to uproot your life for me. And I can’t uproot my life for you. We had a good weekend so let’s not ruin it.”
Dean nods silently and drops his head to stare at the sheets. Castiel furrows his brow and bites in his bottom lip, trying desperately to stop himself from taking back his decision. Dean lifts his head and meets Castiel with a small, genuine smile. “I get it Cas.” Castiel heaves a heavy sigh of relief, “this past weekend has been the best I’ve had in a long time. I didn’t know what to expect when I first saw you, but you’ve given me more than I had hoped for. I won’t let you leave though until you make me a promise.”
“Whatever you ask, Dean.” Castiel says solemnly.
“You text me, keep in touch, whatever, just because you don’t have the time for a long distance relationship doesn’t mean you don’t have the time for a long distance friendship. And I mean, years from now who knows where we’ll be.”
Castiel smiles weakly, trying to push the thoughts of being with Dean years from now out of his mind. It would be years from now, and hanging on such a small hope won’t do either of them any good. Castiel doesn’t mention that though. He just nods and reaches for his jacket to get his phone. He has three new texts all from Balthazar:
Cassie, you sly devil I saw you leave with him. It’s okay I’ve already made other sleeping arrangements. Have fun, remember your promise - B
Okay, I’m dying to know, if you’re busy having sex don’t text back. - B
You devil! I’ll meet you outside the hotel in the morning. Don’t stay up all night. - B
Castiel rolls his eyes and sends a quick text telling Balthazar to be at the curb in a half hour. He proceeds to get dressed and turns to Dean, “you can shower if you’d like, otherwise I have to pack our things and get going. Would you drive us to the garage?”
“Yeah of course.” Dean says as he heads to the bathroom.
Castiel is packed and waiting by the end of the bed with Dean’s clothes laid out next to him. Dean smiles and pulls them on, not bothering to button his shirt all the way. They leave the room after Castiel checks it a final time and head down to the elevator. Balthazar is waiting for them at the curb with the Impala already pulled up, he shoots them both a knowing glance before taking his bag from Castiel and helping to pack the trunk.
The drive to the garage is silent, but Balthazar keeps making humming sounds and laughing to himself while Castiel stares at anything but Dean and Dean can’t stop glancing over towards Castiel. When they finally make it to the garage, Castiel’s rental car is pulled out front. Dean gets out and helps them pack up. Balthazar gets in quickly, leaving the other two standing in the parking lot. Dean takes a deep breath and grabs Castiel by his shirt and pulls him into a final kiss, soft and sweet. “Just, don’t forget me.” He whispers as he rests his head on Castiel’s forehead.
“That’s impossible. Trust me, I’ve been trying for ten years.” Dean smiles softly and Castiel pulls him into a hug. Castiel gets in the car without turning back to face Dean and drives off, pointedly not looking back in the rearview, knowing that if he did he’d stop the car right there and go running back to Dean.
Chapters: Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Epilogue |