Safe and Sound (A Destiel AU) (Completed)

Chapter XIX

Wednesday, June 22, 2016
1 Week, 4 Days Left

Dean sat there, behind the wheel of the Impala. Cas sat next to him, but he wasn't like that Cas  that Dean remembered. He had longer hair, which stuck up in some places. His face was tan and he was a healthy weight, no longer the sickly pale he was normally. It was strange, but, seeing him healthy was comforting.

Dean glanced up in the rearview mirror. "Still don't see why I have to sit back here." Sam complained, having to sit in the middle and stretch his legs out from being so tall.

"I would gladly sit back there instead, but we're going to pick Gabriel up from work. You'd want to sit back there with your boyfriend, right?" Cas asked, looking back. He wore his favorite tan trenchcoat, completed with the blue tie on his white shirt. Since when were Gabriel and Sam dating? Dean was happy for them, of course, but he hadn't remembered them dating. 

Dean glanced back to the road, as they turned onto a road lined with trees. The windows were rolled down as they sped on. He noticed something sitting on his left hand. A golden band, one that was certainly not there before.

This is a dream. 

Suddenly, he remembered the hospital, remembered he was still dying. It was almost as if this was caused by Crowley, a commercial, almost. "Say Yes, Look At This Future!" Obviously not, that kind of thing would only happen in stories. 

But, unlike most dreams where he'd try to wake up now that he's aware, he decided to stay in this dream land for a little longer. Dean ran his fingers through his —fiancé's , husband's?— hair, and smiled. Cas frowned playfully, and tried to smooth it back down. "Come on, Cas, it was cute like that." Dean said, trying to make it stick up again.

Safe and Sound started playing. Dean playfully rolled his eyes as Cas started singing along. Was he always this good at singing, or is it just the dream? He tried not to think about it too much, just keep driving along, enjoying the ride.

A door closed, startling Dean awake from his dream.

He was back in the same four hospital room walls, with the same uncomfortable bed and same harsh white lighting above. A empty feeling in his stomach. He wished he could close his eyes and return to the dream that he had, but no. He had to live through reality.

He waited for a nurse to come in, who was to feed him lunch. Dean asked the nurse for a ride up to room 1832. He still memorised the number, he saw it on a sign almost every day, on the wooden door to Cas' room.

Dean knocked on the door, then opened it softly. "Hey, Cas." He said, his voice weak and hoarse. Dean coughed, silently, in case if Cas was still sleeping. He was not, thankfully, but he looked like he wish he was. His hair was a mess, and he rested on the bed, partially curled into a ball. The only reason Dean knew he was awake is he saw Cas' blue eyes looking back at him.

"Hello, Dean." Cas responded, and Dean wheeled into his room. He arrived at Cas' bed, and lifted himself up so he could lay down. Cas smiled, and snuggled closer.

They rested there intertwined on Cas' bed, covered by the light gray comforter, unwilling to do much more. A light sheet of clouds hung over they sky. The kind of clouds that let just enough light through to know that it's not going to storm, only cover the world in a thin blanket of gray.

Cas' head rested on Dean's shoulder. Dean made sure to pull him close. There was a glass of water sitting on the table, empty aside from an ice cube still unmelted.

Dean closed his eyes for a second, not long enough to fall asleep. He didn't want to dream, as nice as that dream was, he didn't want to wake up and feel worse. In that dream, he could do many things. He felt as if he could have done anything, unlike now. Now, he couldn't even walk.