Okay guys, I've decided to update early because I'm going to be gone all day tomorrow at the Wizard World convention!!! I'm going to be a crappily done redheads version of Fem! Dean Winchester, it's my first Cosplay so I'm excited. Just so you all know, the stuff I had going on at the time of the last chapter has severely died down; things are a LOT better than they were previously estimated to be. So yeah. I may be moving soon though... But honestly I'm up for it. It's been a year since last time we moved so we've not been here very long and other than a few close friends I'm honestly not very attached. But enough about that, time for the chapter!
I do NOT own Supernatural. I have no rights to Castiel and Dean. Please support Supernatural by going and watching an episode if you have not already. They can be found on Netflix or on the official CW web page.
Chapter 3
He Dreams Of Flying
It was Saturday morning, and Castiel lay in his bed in silence. He didn't want to get up, but he wanted to see Dean. He had been up almost all night last night pacing around, excited for today. He was tired, but still overall excited.
Over the past few days, Dean had managed to fall into Castiel's routine. He wasn't too pushy for information, he didn't force Cas to talk when he didn't want to, but they had a comfortable kind of familiarity that had developed naturally, and it was hard not to have fun when they were with each other. Castiel found himself looking forward to seeing Dean, despite his previous reluctance.
Dean didn't look like he was going anywhere anytime soon. Cas had originally thought that he'd get bored and go make friends with someone else, but it turned out that they actually had a little in common, so the conversation was always fresh and interesting. Castiel loved it when Dean would talk about mythology with him, it Was often the highlight of his day. Especially with how much Dean seemed to know. Cas was now intent on eventually meeting Sam, who apparently preferred to walk home from school rather than catch a ride in the impala. If Dean was this educated from just talking to him, he must be a literal genius about stuff like that.
Cas forced himself out of bed, emptying his backpack and only putting back in his science book and his library card.
As soon as he was done, he grabbed his towel and some clean underwear, heading to take a shower. Because he had extra time, he decided to preen his wings. After he got out, he went through his clothes, for once wearing a t-shirt and a vest, rather than a bulky sweater. After a moment of thought, he grabbed his blue tie and tightened it around his neck. Of course, he didn't know how to actually tie a tie, so it was a little off, but oh well.
After that, he fluffed up his hair, making it messy on purpose. He had no reason to fix it because it would just end up frazzled anyways, so he had no reason to try and make it look presentable. It's not like he cared what Dean thought.
Plus, he happened to know that Dean thought messy hair was cute.
He grabbed his trench coat and slung it on, grabbing his bag as he walked out the door. There was a pleasant breeze that carried to him as he started to briskly walk along on the sidewalk, enjoying the smell of grass and greenery as he did. It was still a little chilly at night, but the heat had gone up dramatically over the past few days, and flowers were starting to bloom everywhere. It made his walk very enjoyable, despite maybe being a little bit warm and multiple miles.
On the way there, he thought. The silence helped him to organize his feelings and shove them into neat little cabinets to be dealt with later. He closed his eyes and he was in a different place, a place that had snow on the ground so he didn't feel out of place wearing multiple layers.
Then, Dean was there. This had become the normal for his fantasies now; Dean had become part of what would make him happy. At first, when it was happening repeatedly, he was concerned. He was afraid that he would be letting Dean too close now, because he wanted him to be a part of his life. However, Castiel repressed the fear, convincing himself that it would all be fine. He buried it, because no matter what he said, he knew that he couldn't push Dean away again now, not unless something alarmingly dangerous happened. Dean was a part of his life now. Dean was his first real friend.
They were walking side by side, much like he was doing now, alone. The sun was setting over some mountains in the distance, and Castiel knew that they were headed to a quaint little pub that Ash would surely be running.
That was when Dean reached out and gently grabbed his hand, saving it from the chill of the air. Castile felt his cheeks go red, heating up his face. Dean leaned over to give him a light peck on the cheek.
Castiel snapped out of the fantasy, his cheeks now burning red. What was he doing, imagining that?! Dean was just a friend to him, Castiel didn't like him that way and he never would!
Castiel walked a little faster, ignoring the flutter of his heart from imaging Dean's lips on his cheek. He was acting like a love struck school girl, and he was none of those words.
He walked a little faster, letting his mind wander to and fro as he approached the library. At about one thirty, he finally arrived. His walk had taken longer than he had expected, but at least he was still a little early, despite being exhausted from physical activity coupled with his lack of sleep.
He couldn't help but inhale deeply when he stepped into the mahogany doors, loving the scent of old books and paper. There was just a certain smell that you couldn't get from being anywhere but here, surrounded by shelves of knowledge and tales of adventure. It was all very hopeful, and one of Castiel's favorite places to be.
He walked back to the young adult section, figuring that it had been awhile since he read any fiction. These days he was focusing on Mythology, and it had left him missing reading stories of the impossible. One of his favorite stories was Harry Potter; he'd read the entire series twice.
He picked up a thick book, turning it a little to read the name printed on the spine. 'City of Bones.' He was fairly sure that this one had been made into a movie or was going to, and he'd heard some good reviews on it. So, he picked it up and walked over to one of the empty chairs, opening it up and beginning to read the story of a girl called Clair.
After a few minutes though, his exhaustion caught up with him. His eyes started to droop and he faltered when reading, and the lights in the room seemed to get dimmer. He figured that it couldn't hurt to rest his eyes for a few moments, so he tenderly set his book down next to him. He swung his feet up into the large chair and laid his head on the armrest.
It wasn't a minute later that he was sleeping like a baby.
A soft poke came to Castiel's side, and he bolted up to find himself staring right into the green eyes of Dean Winchester himself.
"Well hey there Cas. Feeling tired?" Dean teased, crouched besides Castiel's chair. Cas sat up, stretching to relieve his stiff muscles as he woke up. "I brought some food for us."
"I actually brought some apples too, if you want." Castiel offered, remembering that he had snuck a few in his bag before he headed out the door. Dean shook his head back and forth.
"What is with you and apples?" Dean asked, smiling. "You're practically a horse, you know that?"
"You callin me fat?" Castiel retaliated playfully, standing. Dean laughed but didn't respond to the accusation, gesturing for Cas to follow him as he moved back towards the front of the library.
On one of the many tables sat a fast food bag and a couple of astronomy books Dean had dug up.
Castel walked over, setting the 'City Of Bones' book off to the side while he did. His bag bumped his hip lightly with every step he took until he finally settled down in a chair, reaching into it and pulling out a couple of apples for him and Dean. Dean opened up the fast food bag and brought out a bacon cheeseburger and a medium fry, tossing the burger over to Cas and placing the fries between them before he grabbed a second burger for himself.
Most days Dean brought two burgers to lunch, and Cas brought two apples to share. Sometimes one of them would scrounge up something else too--a cinnamon roll or something like that-- and they'd share that, too. It just became routine after awhile.
"I figured we could spilt the fries, easier than getting two small ones." He said with a shrug. Castiel dug into his burger, smiling when the taste of artificial cheese overpowered his taste buds. It was a delectable flavor, well, to Castiel. A little overwhelming, but still nice.
He cut the flavor by reaching out and grabbing a couple fries, smiling at Dean.
Dean smiled back fondly as they ate in silence, and Cas pulled out a water bottle. He took a sip and placed it on the table. Dean, of course, immediately grabbed the thing and took a drink to himself, smiling playfully at Cas the entire time. He waited until Cas had swallowed his current bite and his lips were on the bottle again before he said anything.
"You know, that's technically an indirect kiss." He teased. Castiel almost spit out the water that he had drank, but he managed to keep it down and he swallowed it, coughing a bit.
"What?" He demanded, his eyes widening. Dean was wearing a sultry smirk.
"I said, that's technically an indirect kiss. Your lips touched where my lips touched." He clarified, gesturing towards the bottle. Cas sputtered, and Dean lazily leaned back and took another bite of his burger.
Castiel's face went as red as was humanly possible as he sunk down in his seat, and he felt butterflies start in his stomach. Of course, he didn't know why they were called butterflies; they felt more like a swarm of angry bees when he was right in front of the person that gave them to him.
"So?" He asked defiantly. Dean shrugged, but he caught Castiel's gaze, and suddenly his nonchalance was replaced by a look of curiosity.
"You have been kissed before, right?" Dean clarified, raising his eyebrows. Castiel shrugged and looked away, hoping that he could evade the question. "Right?"
"No." He sighed, slowly looking up to meet Dean's gaze. Dean's jaw dropped open, and he blinked a couple of times, sitting back in his chair.
"You've really never kissed anyone. As in, ever?" He questioned. Castiel got a little agitated, that was what he had just said, wasn't it?
"Yes, Dean." He said, frowning. Dean paused, still having the awestruck look stuck on his face like it was the most surprising thing he'd ever heard.
"Sorry." Dean said, sensing Castiel's annoyance with the subject, "I just figured that with how attractive you are you would've had girls and boys lining up."
"I've had people flirt with me before. I'm a little unapproachable though, in case you hadn't noticed." Castiel said, blushing even deeper. Dean had called him attractive. Actually, it had been one of the first times anyone had done so. After his first few rejections, the girls stopped bothering him and focused on more acquirable targets.
"Well I don't think so." Dean said, still looking perplexed. Castiel sat up a little straighter, waiting for Dean to drop the eye contact that they had. Their eyes stayed locked for a good five more seconds, slowly building tension before Dean finally broke away, the intensity of the stare getting to be too much.
"Alright, let's start working on this project." Castiel said, grabbing one of the books and opening it up to the table of contents. Dean leaned forward and looked at what Castiel was doing for a moment before he grabbed one of the books himself and started to leaf through it.
After a few minutes of concentrating, Dean interrupted the silence with a clear of his throat.
"You know, my little brother told me an old Cherokee legend about the Big Dipper." Dean said, leaning forward. Castiel looked up from the book, suddenly intrigued. Dean was leaning towards him over the table, and the room felt a lot smaller when he looked into Dean's eyes. It felt like it was just the two of them, and more than that, it felt a little bit magical, the sparkle in Dean's eyes. He was eager to tell the story, and Castiel was eager to listen.
Castiel shut his book, leaning over the table closer to Dean. Despite fighting to keep his expression neutral, he felt a small smile stretch itself across his face.
"Do tell." He urged, and Dean smiled in return.
"Well, I'm sure you know by now that the Cherokee held animals in great regard. More specifically, wolves and bears." Dean started. Castiel shook his head. He'd done a little bit of research on Cherokee before he transitioned to Asia. He hadn't done much research on the Indians, but he'd done enough to know that both wolves and bears were considered great and mighty creatures. Even creatures such as rabbits and squirrels were considered valuable. "Well, there was a bear that was continuously destroying one of their villages, and the people were suffering greatly because it took a lot of their food and stuff."
Castiel nodded his head again, letting Dean's gruff voice carry him along as he told the story. Castiel found himself enjoying listening to a story being told instead of reading it himself. Dean's voice was nice to listen to.
"So these four brothers decided that they were gonna go and hunt the thing, and save their village. They start tracking it, only to find out that it was a magic bear." Dean said. Castiel nodded his head eagerly, urging him to continue. "So, they knew that it still had to be killed, so they kept tracking it. They actually tracked it all the way up to the stars-- since it was magic or whatever, it could go there and lead them there, too. Well anyways, one of the brothers was fat and lazy, so he decided to go ahead and pretend that he had hurt his ankle so his other brothers would have to carry him, which would make the whole thing considerably more difficult but whatever, they weren't getting any closer to the thing anyways. So, they carried their brother and carried him, and eventually, the bear got tired and slowed down. Now since time apparently works differently in the cosmos, almost an entire year had passed back on earth.
"The one who had pretended to be injured got sick of being useless or something like that and he climbed out of his brother's arms, now fully energized. So, he lunged forward and killed the bear. They all feasted for a job well-done.
"However, they had forgotten that the bear was magic. As soon as they had picked all the meat off of it's bones, it came back. It ran away, and they started tracking it again. According to legend, the same thing has been happening over and over again ever since then in the stars. The ladle bottom is considered the bear, and the stars of the handle are considered to be the brothers." Dean finished.
Castiel clapped a little, impressed by Dean's story-telling capabilities.
"That's great." He laughed, smiling widely. Dean shrugged and straightened up a bit, looking smug. "We should incorporate that legend into our project somehow."
"I knew you'd like it." Dean teased, smiling again. Castiel shook his head back and forth before he pulled himself away from Dean, sitting down flat and opening the book again, reading random facts about the Big Dipper and other related constellations.
"So, do you have anything else you want to incorporate into the project?" Dean questioned after a moment of silence. Castiel slowly looked up from his book and shook his head, hearing in Dean's tone that he had a reason for asking.
"Well, why don't we go and see if we can find anything to give us some inspiration?" He offered, a hint of playfulness in his voice.
"What do you mean?" Castiel asked, slightly intrigued.
"Well, I mean that we should drive around a little bit. You wouldn't let me drive you home yesterday, after all." Dean teased.
It was true. Castiel had decided after some thought that he shouldn't ride with Dean every day, and he'd ridden the bus Wednesday and Friday.
Castiel thought it over. He had a relevant reason-- the project-- so it would be business. It wasn't like Dean was asking him on a date-- they would simply drive around, maybe make some stops, and get inspiration for the project. Which he desperately needed since his teacher had high hopes of him.
"Sure. Let's go check out these books and we'll hit the road." Castiel suggested, nodding his head. They grabbed their books-- both the ones on stars and the pleasure-reading book that Castiel had gotten, and walked up to the checkout.
Once they were done with that, Dean held the impala's passenger door open for Castiel, waiting for him to climb in and throw his stuff in the back.
As soon as they were both seated, (Castiel buckled up, mind you) Dean put the keys in and turned her on, the radio starting up with the car. The Eye of the Tiger was blaring out its tune while he started down the open road, passing house after house with picket white fences and children playing in the yard.
"So, Cas," Dean said, after about ten minutes of driving, "What do you think you want to be when you grow up?" Dean asked, trying to make small talk.
Castiel thought. He honestly hadn't put much thought into the future, preferring to stay focused on the present. It was a thought-provoking question, though. What did he want to do with his life?
Well, everyone was always telling him that he needed to make sure he was happy. So, he thought about what made him happy. Reading, writing occasionally, seeing new things. What did he think about when he closed his eyes? He dreamed of traveling around the world, finally out of his (metaphorical, of course,) cage. He wanted freedom and the ability to explore more than anything, and that was what he would look for in a job.
"I'm not really sure. Maybe I'll travel around the world and study folklore?" He said, making it sound like more of a question. He couldn't help but question it-- it was insane, hoping for a job like that. Not many people could go into that kind of a field and make enough money to survive. Chances were he would spend most of his life unemployed.
"That sounds nice. I always thought it would be fun to see the world." Dean commented, taking his eyes off of the road for a moment to look at Castiel.
"Well, what do you want to be when you grow up?" Castiel asked. Dean's slightly upturned lips changed into a frown. He turned away from Castiel and focused his eyes back on the road, clearing his throat.
"I'll probably just do something, I don't know right now. All I know is that I don't want to live behind a boring white picket fence." He mumbled, looking out towards the rows of seemingly perfect houses. "Well, at least not until I'm old."
"Yeah, I understand that." Castiel said, not going to push for more. He could tell that Dean didn't feel like sharing whatever was on his mind, and that was okay. Castiel would let him tell him when he was ready, or maybe even not at all.
They kept driving, and suddenly the scenery changed into some backwoods and a more familiar setting. Castiel narrowed his eyes, suspicion crawling in. Was... Was Dean taking him back to that stupid bar they had went to on Tuesday?
"Dean, are we going back to that bar?"
"Oh, you mean the roadhouse? Maybe." He said, smiling secretively. Castiel rolled his eyes as they pulled into the joint, and Dean got out in a flash to walk around and open Castiel's door.
Castiel stepped out, enjoying the pleasant spring breeze on his face. Dean walked up to the roadhouse and opened the doors again, stepping aside for Castiel to walk through first. Ash was working the counter, talking to a fair-haired blonde with low-riding jeans and light pink lipstick.
"Jo!" Dean called out, attracting the attention of both of them. Castiel looked around. There were a couple of other people in the place this time, and every so often someone would walk out of a door in the back room and give you a glimpse of a pool table.
"Hey, Dean!" Ash said, looking surprised. "You brought one back a second time! I'm proud of you, man. Finally starting to settle down." He teased.
"Oh, so this is that boy Dean brought in? He is kinda cute." Jo said, smiling. "Hi, I'm Jo." She introduced, holding out a hand for Castiel to shake. He tentatively reached out and took it, surprised by her firm and steady grab.
"Hey Ash, do you think you could make a chocolate milkshake up real quick?" Dean asked, throwing some money down on the counter. "Two straws?"
"I guess. Though you know I'm only doing this for you. I swear that milkshake machine is like a death trap." He said, shaking his head. Dean smirked.
"You're a pal." He called as Ash walked back into the kitchen.
"So, this is really the second time you've brought him in?" Jo asked Dean, raising her eyebrow.
"Yes, it is. Why, do you want his picture now or something?" Dean said sarcastically, sitting down on the bar stool.
"To go or for here?" Was called from the kitchen.
"To go!" Dean responded simply. There were a couple of clangs from the kitchen, noises that spoke of disaster.
"I meant to do that." Ash said. Jo rolled her eyes.
"Seriously though," Jo said, turning to Castiel. "If he's taking you on a second date, he's serious about you. You should hold on to him."
"T-this isn't a date!" Castiel stuttered out, face turning red. Jo raised an eyebrow. "We're working together on a project for science, that's all."
"Well okay then, whatever you say." She said defensively. "Just remember what I said." She added with a wink. Dean groaned.
"Come on Jo, you're scaring the guy." Dean said. She shrugged and walked off to the kitchen, probably to make sure that Ash wasn't going to burn the place down.
A couple of minutes later he stumbled out with a large styrofoam cup, setting it down in front of Dean.
"Thanks Ash." He said, waving a little.
"No problem. Just stop by more often, Ellen misses you." He said. "I'm sick of hearing her complain about it."
Dean grabbed the milkshake and Castiel's hand, (Castiel's blush returning) leading them outside.
Dean's warm hand wrapping around Castiel's, their fingers intertwined, was probably one of the most memorable things Cas had ever felt. Despite the fact that he was self-conscious about his sweaty hands and there were butterflies in his stomach, there was a certain kind of emotional intimacy that he really liked. This was a way of saying that they'll be there for each other. Dean's way of telling him that he was cared for.
Castiel was expecting to be led back out to the car, but he felt a tug in another direction. Dean was pulling him off to the side, towards one of the stores by the roadhouse.
"Where are we going?" Castiel questioned, his brows furrowing. Dean smiled, tugging harder.
"You'll see." He said. He walked Castiel out to the very edge of the circle of stores, stoping in front of an old antique shop that looked like it hadn't been visited for years. There was a layer of dust around the window sill an if it hasn't been for the flashing red sign that declare the place to be open, he would have sworn it was shut down.
"Dean, what are we doing here?" Castiel mumbled, looking warily at the building. Dean laughed and tugged on his hand, urging him to follow. Castiel couldn't say no.
"This place is great for inspiration." He teased, walking in. Castiel was overwhelmed by the smell of mothballs and dust. He scanned the place, finding hundreds of old pots, vases and other assorted trinkets scattered around.
"Customers?" The question came from a small elderly woman sitting behind the counter, a book in her hand.
"We're just looking around for now." Dean clarified, leading Castiel back to the store.
They began to look around, picking up small trinkets here and there and Dean making terrible jokes. Castiel almost laughed at a few of them, but he didn't want to encourage it so he was able to keep himself contained for the most part.
Dean grabbed an old feather boa off the shelf, letting go of Castiel's hand. Castiel was a little disappointed at first, but Dean quickly fixed that. His other hand came to grab the other end of the boa, and led it over Castiel's head and around his waist. Castiel's eyes widened and his hands came up defensively before he was tugged towards Dean, eyes wide as his hands came to rest perfectly on Dean's shoulders, earning a laugh from the other.
"Well you're just a little eager now, aren't you?" Dean teased, putting his forehead against Castiel's. Cas found himself looking up into Dean's bright green eyes, full of enjoyment and happiness, and he smiled, too. He couldn't help it, Dean's happiness was just so contagious.
He felt his lips part a little bit as the look in Dean's eyes darkened, the warmth of their bodies mingling with only inches between them. Castiel felt his eyes half-close, in preparation for what he honestly didn't know.
Dean pulled away then, clearing his throat. Castiel felt a little bit disappointed as the feather boa was pulled off of his waist and placed delicately on the shelf, right next to a big and boxy looking thing.
Castiel looked at it for a moment before he stepped forward, picking it up and eyeing it. It had a camera lens, and a place to seemingly put in different, large film reels.
"Sweet, an old projector!" Dean said, taking it from Cas and looking at it from all angles. Cas looked back towards the place that he had found it, reaching in and finding a couple of dusty film reels lying on the counter. He picked them up, blowing off the dust.
"Our Solar System and Nosporatu?" He questioned. "Isn't that like one of the first horror films ever created?" He questioned. Dean nodded his head, popping open the body and looking at the mechanisms. He flinched, the corner of his mouth pulling into a frown.
"This is gonna take a little bit of fixing. I bet I could get it to work, though." He said thoughtfully, putting the cover back on.
Suddenly, lightning struck Castiel's brain.
"Dean! Dean, could you fix that in time for the science project?" He questioned, excitement flowing through him. Dean turned and cocked his head to the side, seemingly doing some time calculations.
"Well, it's not due for another month and three weeks, so probably." He said, shrugging. Castiel waved the Solar System film reel around, gesturing towards it.
"We could use this to put a solar system up on the ceiling of the class room! I bet he's never seen that before!" Castiel urged. Dean thought for a moment, nodding his head in agreement.
"Yeah, that's a pretty rad idea, Cas." He said. Castiel grabbed his wallet, checking the price. It was only twenty dollars, he had ten.
"So we'll split the cost 50/50." He offered. Dean nodded, handing Cas the projector and picking his milkshake back up (he had set it down to look at the projector).
They walked to the front of the store together, payed for the projector and were out the door, putting it into the trunk of the impala before climbing into the car. Castiel was smiling the whole time without even realizing it.
The projector was thrown in the back, and Cas and Dean climbed into the front seat of the impala.
"What now?" Castiel asked. Dean thought for a moment, not wanting to just let this end yet.
"I have an idea." He mumbled, starting up the car. Castiel rolled his eyes and shook his head. He knew that Dean wasn't going to tell him where they were going right now, so he wasn't even going to try and get it out of him. He just sat back and enjoyed the ride.
They rode through the back roads, the windows rolled down just enough to let in the scent of greenery and springtime, and Castiel found himself losing track of time. He found that he liked it, spending this time with Dean. He never thought before that silence could say so much more than words ever could.
This was friendship, in it's purest form.
Eventually, they pulled up in a grassy meadow, right before a drop off. Castiel's eyes widened when he saw the sheer size of the cliff. Dean pulled up close to it, and the sea stretched out, the sun swooping down to gently graze the waters. It was seven thirty by then, only thirty minutes until sunset.
"Why don't we watch the sunset, and then we take a couple of pictures of our constellation, for the project?" He asked. Castiel nodded his head.
Dean got out of the car, and Castiel's eyes followed him, swimming in confusion. If they were going to watch the sunset, shouldn't they do it in the car? It might get a little cold in the night air that was certain to come soon. They were, after all, in the northern part of California.
"What are you doing?" He yelled out the half-rolled down window. Dean looked back at him as he hopped onto the hood of the impala, leaning back against the windshield and letting out a sigh.
"Living. You should come and join me." He responded, chuckling a bit at his own quick-wit. Castiel opened the door and slowly walked around to the front of the impala, looking warily at Dean. "Well it's not gonna bite, you can sit on my baby's hood." Dean said, patting the seat next to him. Castiel awkwardly scrambled up, eventually managing to arrange himself in Dean's position, back slack against the windshield and feet lightly dangling a couple inches off the edge.
He closed his eyes, enjoying the sun radiating into his skin. It took him a moment to realize what was different.
The sun was on his arms. He had left his trench coat back in the impala.
He made a move to go and get it, but the gentle nudging of a hand at his own made him stop. He looked down to find that Dean was lightly nudging his hand with his own, baiting Castiel to take it.
Suddenly, the trench coat didn't seem so important anymore.
Castiel gave in. After all, Dean had grabbed his hand earlier, so he should be allowed to do the same, right?
Their fingers intertwined again, and Castiel felt his face heat up again.
Forgetting his trench coat, he scooted a little closer to Dean, closing his eyes and basking in the glow of the sun and the warmth of the body next to him. Dean scooted just a little bit closer, and Castiel found his head inclined to rest perfectly in the crook of Dean's neck. He gave a deep sigh of contentment as they both listened to the waves crash against rock and the seagulls crying out.
The sun painted the landscape a million different shades of orange and pink, making the sky look like a smeary pastel drawing. Slowly, ever so slowly, orange and pink faded into purple and blue, and eventually, the sun had finally sunk into the ocean. They looked up at the sky as the stars shyly slipped out into the cloak of night.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Dean asked, looking up at the stars. Castiel glanced upwards, eyes glued to the huge black slate and admiring the little white imperfections that were their stars.
"I suppose so." He said, though he knew that he was fooling himself. He thought that they were beautiful too.
"You know, some people say that we're made of star dust. Maybe that's why we're so drawn to the sky?" Dean mused, looking around. There were a few clouds in a couple of places, but it was mainly clear out.
"What do you mean, drawn to the sky?" Castiel said, moving his eyes from above to Dean. He saw Dean's brow furrow as he struggled with the words to explain it. Castiel waited patiently for his answer.
"I mean, we've always thought of it as the heavens, perfection, the best place to be. We built planes and hot air balloons and we have dreams about flying, we're fascinated with its beauty. So, maybe that's because some part of us wants to be up there, because that's where home was. Maybe we're all just a little homesick." Dean suggested. Castiel paused, suddenly feeling self-conscious about his wings. He felt them practically flutter in excitement at the mention of flying, and he wished yet again that he would be normal.
"Maybe. I don't think flying would be that great, though." Castiel mumbled. "I mean, what's so fun about being in the air?" He questioned. Dean just shrugged in response.
"I'm not sure. All I know is that I kinda want to be there." Dean said, giving a gentle squeeze to Castiel's hand. Castiel shook his head in understanding.
It wasn't long before it was cold, and Castiel was in short sleeves. As much as he wanted to stay like that forever, he knew that he had to get his jacket soon. So, he sighed and sat up, moving his head off of Dean's shoulder.
"I have to go and get my trench coat, I left it in the car." He mumbled.
"You can take my jacket if you want." Dean said. Before Castiel could object, he added, "I'm a little warm with it on anyways."
"Well, if you're really not going to use it..." Castiel said, reaching out slowly to take it from him. He draped the piece of green fabric over his torso, suddenly overwhelmed by how much it smelled like Dean. He inhaled deeply, leather and cinnamon and something else he couldn't identify. He opened his eyes to stare lazily into Dean's for a moment before he leaned forward to rest his head on Dean's shoulder, snuggling into his body warmth despite how warm it already was in Dean's jacket. Their hands were still gripping each other's tightly, eyes tilted upwards.
Soon though, they had to stop. As all good things come to an end, Castiel knew that he needed to get home, and it was still a long drive.
So they both slid off of the impala, walking around to the side doors and opening their own, climbing in. The car hummed to life and the radio started to play 'Livin' On A Prayer', one of Castiel's favorites out of what he had heard so far.
Soon, the night scenery and the soothing ride were too much on Castiel. His eyes drifted shut and he dozed off, breathing steadily as his head bounced against the window whenever they hit a rough patch of road.
"Cas, Cas." Was being whispered in his ear when he came to again, and he slowly opened his eyes to see Dean, who was much too close for comfort.
Castiel's eyes snapped open and he cleared his throat, smiling awkwardly at Dean, who leaned away.
"You fell asleep. We're at your house now." Dean whispered. Castiel peered out the window to see his house in the night, and he heard the telltale chirping of crickets from their too-tall grass. He nodded his head.
"Thank you for everything, I had a nice time today." Castiel announced, smiling.
"Anytime." Dean said, looking down at his feet before slowly looking up towards Castiel again. His jaw was set and his eyes looked determined, and Castiel knew that something was coming.
Dean leaned forward slowly, his eyes closing as he approached, and his lips gently pressed against Castiel's cheek. Cas felt his face turn red again as Dean pulled away, clearing his throat.
"I had fun too. We should do it again sometime." Dean urged, nodding his head.
"Yeah, definitely." Castiel mumbled, still trying to get over the shock of Dean kissing him. The butterflies in his stomach seemed to be singing, and he smiled.
He climbed out of the car, retrieving his backpack from the back and waving to Dean goodbye as he walked up the sidewalk to his house, risking one last glimpse towards the car as he shut the door behind him.
Castiel's father was passed out drunk, so Cas paid him no mind as he walked back to his room, before dropping his book bag and looking in the mirror, staring at himself in disbelief.
His hand raised to slowly and softly touch the place where Dean's lips had been.