Remain Hidden (DESTIEL AU)

Chapter Fifteen

CW: mad angst, homophobic slurs, depression, panic attack, just a looooooot of angst sorry not sorry

The Braedens had been staying for a few days, and Dean was almost upset Gabriel wasn't around to prank the shit out of them like he usually did to their guests. He avoided Lisa for the most part, making up excuses about needing to work and only tolerating her presence whenever his dad was around.

He wasn't sure what John wanted from him when it came to Lisa, he just hoped it wasn't some marriage proposal or arrangement. Good god, if it was...Dean would never go through with it. Cas was the only person he wanted to be at the altar with, and Dean was determined to make that a reality.

So when John summoned Dean for a private talk, he knew exactly what was about to happen. The Braedens had been staying suspiciously longer than business affairs took to sort out, and Dean hadn't overlooked the subtle nudges John kept giving him towards Lisa.

"What do you think about Miss. Lisa?" John asked him over glasses of whiskey. Dean knew that while he had more liberty to say what he wanted, there was still a line to toe with his father. He couldn't tell him that he downright hated the lady for insulting his guard who he was supposed to have no emotional attachment to. So he just shrugged noncommittally.

"She's okay, I guess."

"Okay? She's literally called the Jewel of the South, Dean." John snorted.

"I dunno, she's just not my type." He mumbled, tossing back some of the whiskey to avoid saying anything further.

"She's an intelligent woman with good social standing." His father continued. "Her parents have experience in diplomacy and influence in the Southern frontiers. An...alliance with them would be beneficial."

"I'm sure I could form a strong friendship with them, Dad."

John sighed hard through his nose.

"That's not the kind of alliance I meant."

Dean knew exactly what he meant, he was just trying to prolong the inevitable.

"The strongest alliance we could forge would be marriage, Dean."

He knew they were coming, but that didn't make his body and mind scream in any less protest. He closed his eyes briefly to settle his thoughts.

"You're old enough to take the throne, and no King should rule without a Queen." John said. "Lisa—"

"I can't marry Lisa, Dad." Dean interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Why not?"

"'Cause I just can't. I can't marry someone I don't love."

"Your mother and I hated each other at first." John reminded him. "Love ain't gonna grow overnight, Dean."

"I'm never gonna learn to love her." Dean told him firmly. "Not like how you and mom did, not ever."

"And why's that?"

"Because she's self centered and arrogant!" Dean practically exploded. "She degraded our people, doesn't think her workers deserve breaks, insulted the Knights of Heaven—she called them mutants, Dad. She called our people peasants. In what world do you ever see me falling in love with someone who doesn't respect other people?"

Dean glared at his father, chest heaving from his angry outburst. John stared at him in shock and surprise, as this had been one of the very rare times his son actually spoke out against him. Dean didn't shrink away this time, still furious that Lisa had called Cas a mutant twice now and he wasn't able to stop her. His love for Castiel overpowered his fear of his father, and he stared down John's hard gaze.