Dean and Emily had everything ready to go with two weeks to spare before the wedding. Daffodils were just beginning to shoot up in the grass, and most mornings began with a sprinkling of dew. Cas had finished designing their cake, all that was left now was to make it for real.
Cas woke up one morning to find Dean missing from his side of the bed. It was early, as it always was when Cas woke up to go to the bakery. Cas rolled onto his back and lazily rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He considered staying in bed for a little while longer, but the clock on his nightstand and the bed growing cold convinced him otherwise. He got up, threw on some clothes, and left the room yawning widely.
Dean was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast for him, with Gracie sitting on the counter nearby, twitching her tail. He was humming quietly to himself and bobbing his head to his own tune. He didn't notice Cas come in, and the humming turned to singing. Softly, softly, so as not to disturb the quiet morning.
'Carry on my wayward son,' he sang, petting Gracie. 'There'll be peace when you are done.' He turned and spotted Cas watching him fondly. He faltered for a moment, then set aside the bacon he had been frying and held his hand out to Cas. 'Lay your weary head to rest,' he continued, dancing Cas around in a circle. 'Don't you cry no more.'
Cas hugged him close, breathing in his scent, then made him jump by breaking into the guitar solo directly in Dean's ear. He couldn't finish it, laughing too hard at Dean's expression, then grabbed his hands when a grin spread across his face.
'Good morning,' Cas said, once he had stopped laughing, and kissed Dean on the nose.
{Breakfast?} Dean asked, going back to the bacon.
'You bet. Why are you up so early, anyway?'
Dean smiled. {I couldn't sleep. I'm too excited to be married to you}
Cas laughed. {It's not for two weeks. I hope you can sleep between now and then}
{I will. It hit me last night}
{I see}
{Eggs?]
{Please}
They enjoyed their meal together, and Dean walked Cas to the bakery, holding his hand.
'Have a good day,' Cas murmured to Dean before he opened the bakery door.
Dean kissed him softly, then winked and left for work.
They continued this routine in the run up to the wedding, and Cas made meringues at the bakery to match his lightheartedness.
He closed the bakery a week before the wedding, propping the 'closed for a wedding' sign that Charlie had made him in the window. He stopped in front of the door for a while, looking up at the building. The next time he would be inside, he would be married. He shivered at the thought, but walked home.
Dean was already dressed for his bachelor party that night, and grinned at Cas when he came in. Two small, black velvet drawstring bags lay in the kitchen counter. {Are you ready?} Dean asked Cas, gesturing at the bags.
Cas sighed, but slipped off his ring and put it in one of the bags, while Dean did the same. His hand felt odd without it.
{I'm going to miss you} Cas signed.
Dean squeezed his hand, and tucked the bag with Cas's ring into his pocket.
{You don't have to go. You could stay with me}
Dean laughed. {If I go, it'll be even better when we walk up that aisle}
Cas sighed again. 'All right, I'll allow it.'
{You'll allow it?} Dean snorted. {I need your permission?}
{Of course you do}
Just then, there was a knock on the door, and Sam came in wearing large sunglasses and carrying a pink bundle in his arms. He tossed Dean his own pair of shades. 'Come on, nerd, let's go.'
{What is that?} Dean asked, putting on the sunglasses and pointing at the bundle in Sam's arms.
Sam grinned, and unravelled two, baby pink crop tops.
Dean took one and held it up to himself. {What do you think?}
{It suits you} Cas smiled.
'Come on, man, hurry up,' Sam said. 'We gotta go.'
'Don't mess him up too much,' Cas said anxiously. 'I prefer my fiancés in one piece.'
{Plural?} Dean signed, eyebrows raised.
'Yes, I have many, but you're my favourite.'
'Sorry, Cas, but he's gonna get wasted and it's gonna be awesome.'
Cas grabbed Dean's arms before he left with Sam. 'I love you. Be safe.'
Dean kissed him, drawing it out as long as possible before Sam got impatient. {See you in a week}
'Bye, Cas,' Sam called before shutting the front door behind them.
Cas flopped down on the couch and Gracie jumped up on to his lap. Though Dean didn't talk, the apartment was somehow quieter without his presence. He was dozing off on the couch with Gracie purring on his chest, when the front door burst open again.
Cas shot up, scaring Gracie away. 'What?' he said groggily.
'It's time for your bachelor party!'
'Charlie?'
'Yeah, get up.'
Cas rubbed his eyes, the apartment was suddenly full. Alfie, Charlie, Emily, and Gabriel had let themselves in. 'You invited my mother to my bachelor party?'
'Don't be silly, I just came to drop something off.' She was holding a large cork board, and a plastic bag. 'It's pin the tail on your father.' She turned around the board to show them a blow-up photo of Charles, and held up the bag so they could see the devil's tail and moustaches inside.
Gabriel grabbed them from her. 'This is mine now,' he said. 'If you're lucky, I might let you play.'
'Thanks, Mom,' Cas said, getting up from the couch.
'I'll see you in a couple of days,' Emily said before she too left.
'I didn't think we were doing this,' Cas said.
'Please,' said Charlie, going into Cas's room to find him some clothes. 'As if I'd let you go without a bachelor party. Put these on.' She threw him his least ugly clothes, and pushed him into the bedroom.
He stopped for a moment to take a deep breath, and tuck the bag with Dean's ring in into the drawer of his bedside table. Charlie pounded on the door.
'Are you dressed yet?' she yelled.
'Hold on.' He yanked on his pants and sweater, just about getting them on before Charlie came in and pulled him out by his arm. 'Where are we going?'
'A bar.'
'Not the same one as Dean, I hope.'
'Don't worry, I coordinated with Sam.'
'Sam does love to coordinate.'
Charlie laughed, then chivvied them all out of the front door, locking it behind her.
Gabriel got things going straight away, buying a round of shots for them all, while Charlie set up the cork board in the private room Charlie had booked.
'I can't believe you're getting married before me,' Gabriel said to Cas. 'I'm the older brother.'
'You would never settle down,' Cas said, taking another shot. 'You're a free spirit or whatever you call it.'
'You never know, I could settle down.'
'Sure.'
'You laugh, but that Sam of Dean's one handsome dude.'
Cas inhaled sharply and choked. 'What?' he croaked.
Gabriel laughed. 'Relax, I'm kidding.'
'That's not funny.'
'I don't know, the look on your face was pretty funny.'
Cas rolled his eyes.
'He is handsome though,' Gabriel said thoughtfully. 'If the situation presented itself, I'm not saying I'd say no.'
Cas looked at Charlie in disbelief, who shrugged.
'Everyone's a little gay,' Charlie said.
'I'm not,' said Alfie.
'Really? You're telling me that there isn't one single guy you'd be tempted by?'
'I can't say I've ever thought about it.'
'That just means you need to drink more,' Gabriel said, passing him another shot.
Once they were all suitably drunk, they began playing the game, which Alfie won, but Cas got honourable mention when he managed to pin the devil's tail directly to Charles's forehead.
Charlie had food delivered to their room, and they were half way through one of the pizzas when there was a pounding on the door.
'This is the police, open up,' a voice called.
Cas dropped his slice of pizza in shock. 'What?'
'Oh no, the police!' Charlie exclaimed, gasping dramatically.
It took a moment for Cas to notice the tone of her voice, but his heart thumped when he did. 'Charlie...?' He glanced at Gabriel, who was not bothering to hide his sniggering.
Charlie jumped up and opened the door.
A man dressed in full police uniform came through the door. 'Has anyone seen a fugitive around here?' he said.
'That's him, officer, right there,' Charlie giggled, pointing at Cas.
Cas flushed deep red, frozen to his chair until Gabriel grabbed it and dragged it to the middle of the room with him still sitting on it.
Music started up and the man began to dance. Cas hid behind his hands, completely mortified, while the man stripped off one piece of clothing at a time.
Gabriel whooped and cheered, while Charlie and Alfie laughed. Cas drank all of their drinks until he was drunk enough to get into the music, and the man gyrating in front of him was blurry, which he suddenly found hilarious.
The man finished his dance and dropped his hat onto Cas's head, before wrapping himself in the robe he'd brought and exiting the room with a wink and a flourish of his plastic handcuffs.
Cas waited until he was sure the man was gone before rounding on Charlie, nearly falling out of his chair. 'You're dead to me,' he slurred, stealing the rest of her drink. 'You're disinvited from them wedding.'
Charlie snorted. 'It wasn't my idea, unfortunately.'
'It was mine,' Alfie laughed. His face was red from the alcohol.
'Alfie!' Cas said incredulously, and Gabriel actually did fall out of his chair.
They ate a little more food, but Alfie tapped out early, the alcohol getting to him a little more than it did the others.
The night began to die down, and they decided to have a last drink before heading back to the apartment.
'Are you ready to be married?' Charlie asked Cas, slumping in her seat slightly.
Cas smiled and closed his eyes. 'More than I was ever ready for anything.'
'I'm so happy for you.'
'I miss him. I wish he was here.'
Charlie put an arm around his shoulders. 'You should have done what Dorothy and I did and had a joint party.'
'I know, but Sam insisted. He's always wanted to do this with Dean.'
'You're gonna see him soon.'
'I know. I still miss him.'
'Ugh, gag,' Gabriel complained.
'Rude, Gabriel,' Charlie said, wrinkling her face.
'Just think of it like this: you're not the only one that has to wait. I bet that he's missing that sweet ass right now.''
Cas made a disgusted sound. 'The most disturbing thing about that is that you think I'm a bottom.'
'You're not?' said Gabriel and Charlie.
'Wow, do neither of you know me? I'm offended.'
'Not sure if that's something I wanted to know,' said Gabriel.
'You started it.'
They drained the last of their drinks and made their way back to the apartment, holding each other up and laughing the whole way.
Charlie made them drink a glass of water before they all passed out; Charlie in the spare room and Gabriel on the couch.
Just before falling asleep, Cas texted Dean, I love you, though when he checked it the next morning, it just said Ilpbw yui, to which Dean had replied haha.
They spent the next day chatting quietly and nursing hangovers. Emily arrived in the evening with food, and to help get everything ready.
With two days to go, Emily and Charlie dragged Cas to the barbers.
'I like my hair,' Cas protested. 'And my beard.'
'We're not doing anything drastic,' Charlie said, pushing him down into the seat. 'We're just tidying you up a little.'
'I don't need tidying up,' Cas grumbled.
'No offense, but your beard is patchy, especially on this side here,' Charlie said, patting his right cheek.
'Fine.'
As much as he protested, Cas was actually pleased with the outcome. It was a lot neater and his beard seemed fuller.
'You're welcome,' Charlie said, rolling her eyes.
Once they were finished at the barber, he went back to the apartment and made everyone leave to visit Sam and Dean, so he could have so peace and quiet.
Gracie lay on the couch, purring softly, enjoying the quiet.
Cas poured himself a cup of coffee, and took the amount of time it took to drink it to decompress.Then he began on the wedding cake.
The cake itself was chocolate and vanilla marble. Cas swirled it carefully before putting the mixture into the cake pans he'd bought especially. He had thought about making it in the bakery, but it felt more personal to do it in the apartment, with just his own thoughts, and his own hands.
He let the cakes cool before he stacked them on top of each other. The traditional three tiers had seemed right to Cas, and he had spent a lot of time deciding on the exact sizes.
Once he was happy with the placement of the tiers, he began making the icing. It had taken a while, but he had eventually settled on a thin layer of royal icing, which he airbrushed with a hint of mint green food colouring. He smiled at what Charlie might say if she saw him using an airbrush. He had certainly come a long way in decorating.
He stopped for something to eat after he had finished airbrushing, and admired it while he ate.
The next step was adding little drops of buttercream at the base of each tier, all the way around like pearls.
Finally, he made some delicate, white flowers in gum paste and placed them in a line down one side of the cake. He topped the cake with one gumpaste sunflower, and one purple iris, using colours stronger than all the others on the cake.
He took several deep breaths when he finished it, pushing Gracie away. Reluctantly, he texted Emily to come and collect the cake, so she could store it at the venue.
'Oh, Castiel, it's beautiful,' Emily breathed when she came in, with the box Cas had made to fit.
'Thank you,' he said. He felt strangely drained now that it was finished. 'Be careful with it.'
'Of course.'
Cas helped her lower it into the box, and she tied a ribbon around it. 'You can send Charlie and Gabriel back, if you like.'
Emily smiled, and picked up the box. 'I'm proud of you, Castiel.'
'I'm proud of you too, Mom,' Cas said.
She left, and after a while, Charlie and Gabriel came barreling back in.
'You didn't let us see the cake!' Charlie said indignantly.
'You'll see it,' Cas said. 'It needs to be refrigerated, you know that.'
Charlie tutted.
'You saw Dean?' Cas asked. 'How is he?'
'He's excited,' said Charlie.
'Does he have his suit?'
'Yes, he has his suit.'
'Are all the places set at the Hall? All the cards are out?'
'Ye-'
'What about the flowers? The florist is ready?'
'Cas-'
'Does the minister know about Dean?'
'Stop. You need to chill,' Charlie said firmly, grabbing him by the shoulders. 'Everything is ready to go. All you have to do now is marry the love of your life. You think you can manage that?'
Cas nodded and sank down into his recliner chair, running his hands through his hair.
Charlie knelt next to him. 'It's okay to be nervous. It's big.'
'I shouldn't be,' Cas said. 'I love Dean. I want to spend my life with him.'
'And if you just keep that in your head, then everything will be fine.'
Cas picked Gracie up and placed her in his lap, holding her close for comfort.
Charlie and Gabriel kept him distracted for the rest of the night, and much of the next day, but by the evening, he was sweaty, anxious mess.
'You have got to calm down,' Gabriel said to him. 'Go take a shower, beat one out if you have to, just do whatever you need to do.'
Cas stopped pacing and stared at him. 'Excuse me? Did you just tell me to-'
'As your older brother, yeah, I'm telling you to go jerk off.'
'That's disgusting,' Charlie frowned.
'As much as I appreciate it, I'm not going to do that,' Cas said. 'I will take a shower though.'
Cas disappeared into the bathroom, and Charlie threw Gabriel a disgusted look.
'What?'
'You're gross.'
'Oh, come on, I didn't mean it. It's just saying crazy stuff to make Cas calm down. I'm sure you've done it.'
Charlie unfolded her arms in surprise.
'I knew him before you knew him, remember.'
'Are you mad you're not in the wedding party?'
Gabriel grimaced. 'I'm a little sad about it, but I get it. His new family is more important to him, and that's fair.'
'I wouldn't say we're more important. He spent a long time trying to get over what happened, and you guys just turning up again didn't fix everything. You're doing really well so far, though. He wouldn't even talk about you for the first couple of years. Just left the room if I even brought it up.'
'I didn't know that.'
'Yeah. You're lucky he's so loving. If it had been me, I would have never forgiven you.' Charlie gave him a quick, sharp glare that suggested she still hadn't quite got there.
'I'm not surprised,' Gabriel grinned.
Cas seemed a lot calmer by the time he'd finished showering, but blushed when Gabriel gave him a knowing wink. He felt small and cold in his bed that night, one hand running up and down Dean's side of the bed, and the other holding Dean's ring. He kissed it and put it back in the drawer, then texted Dean.
I can't sleep. I miss you.
It took a moment for Dean's reply to come through.
Imagine you're in the Impala, it said. It's warm. The music's on, and I'm right there beside you.
Cas smiled, a glow in his chest spread through him. I love you. Goodnight.
See you tomorrow, Dean replied. I love you too.
Cas put away his phone and curled up. He was still nervous, but he was ready to see Dean again, so closed his eyes, and fell asleep thinking of Dean.
His eyes snapped open the next morning, his heart already racing. His suit hung on the back of the door and he stared at it for a moment, then jumped to his feet. He dashed to the bathroom and pounded on the door when he found it already occupied. 'Get out!' he yelled. 'Get out!'
'All right, jeez!' came Gabriel's muffled voice. He opened the door wrapped in a towel, dripping wet.
Cas pushed past him and slammed the door closed. Alone in the cool room, his chest constricted and he found it increasingly difficult to breathe. Too many emotions swirled inside him.
'Cas, are you okay?' Charlie called from the other side of the door.
Cas couldn't speak, but knocked twice on the door.
Charlie knocked back three times.
Even this small gesture made him feel slightly better, so he closed his eyes and thought of the Impala, of Dean's smell, and the sun shining through the windows.
Charlie waited five minutes before asking him again if he was all right. This time he knocked once, and forced his breathing into a regular pattern. Charlie opened the door, and reached out to touch his shoulder.
'I'm all right,' he said. 'Thank you.'
Charlie was already dressed, with her hair tied up in a loosely curled ponytail. 'Let's get you dressed,' she said warmly, taking his hand and leading him back to the his bedroom. She pushed him inside and waited for him in the living room.
Gabriel eventually came out of the spare room wearing his outfit: a bright magenta suit with a peacock feather pinned to the lapel. 'What was that about? The knocking?' he asked, smoothing back his hair.
Charlie shrugged. 'Just a code we had from back when he moved in with me. One for yes, two for no, three for understood. He hasn't needed it in a long time though. He must be really nervous.'
Gabriel looked surprised.
'What? I know him too.'
'Not well enough to know he's not a bottom, apparently,' Gabriel sniggered.
'These walls are not soundproof, I can hear you both,' came Cas's dismayed voice through the door.
'Sorry,' Charlie said sheepishly.
'All right, I'm coming out.'
'Again?' Gabriel said.
'Gabe, please, now is not the time,' Charlie chastised.
Cas opened the door and they both fell silent.
He had had his suit tailored, and it now fit perfectly. His hair had been combed as well as it could be, and he had even brushed his beard.
'That's what you're wearing?' Cas said, frowning at Gabriel.
'What, you don't like it?' Gabriel said, spinning on the spot.
Cas rolled his eyes. 'What do you think?' he asked Charlie, self-consciously adjusting his tie.
Charlie nodded. 'You look amazing,' she whispered, clasping her hands together and trying to stop the tears forming in her eyes. Her phone vibrated in her bag, and she hurriedly wiped her her cheeks. 'All right, the car is here. Time to go.'
Cas checked his pocket for Dean's ring, then reluctantly left the apartment.
They walked a little way up the street, where a car with white ribbons tied on was waiting.
Cas and Charlie climbed into the back seat, and Gabriel in the front with the driver.
Cas grabbed Charlie's hand and squeezed the whole way to the wedding hall that Emily had booked for them.
Cas climbed out of the car when they arrived, but froze once out, staring at the building.
Charlie squeezed his hand again. 'Come on, Cas,' she said encouragingly. 'Dean's right on the other side of that door, waiting for you.'
Cas nodded, and stepped up to the door. He paused one more time before pulling it open, to the small room before the actual hall.
Alfie and Sam were already inside wearing their matching suits, along with Jo, who was styled similarly to Charlie.
Cas didn't see any of them. All he could look at was Dean, in a suit of deep, rich red, with a small sunflower pinned to the front.
Dean's face softened and his mouth opened slightly when he saw Cas. He walked over and caressed Cas's cheek, then pinned a purple iris to Cas's suit.
Cas relaxed into Dean's touch, and his anxiety melted away.
'Are we ready?' Charlie asked, shooing Gabriel inside to take his seat.
Cas glanced at Dean, who nodded.
Charlie gave a thumbs up through the door, and put everyone into their places.
Music started inside and the double doors were pulled wide open.
Alfie and Jo walked in first, arms linked, then Sam and Charlie.
Dean gave Cas one last kiss on the cheek, then took his arm and led the way.
It was a small venue, just as Cas had asked.
Most of the people inside were from Dean's family, including Jody, Bobby, and Ellen. Jess was there too, with some other people Cas didn't recognise.
In the front row were what Cas thought was a few empty seats, but were actually occupied by some photo frames. Mary and John Winchester had a seat each, with more purple irises placed in front of Mary's photo.
Charles had his own seat too, though it was the photo of him that had been used at Cas's bachelor party, the devil's tail still attached to his forehead.
Emily was sitting next to it, dressed all in ivory with a huge, ornate hat, and tears rolling down her cheeks. Gabriel sat on her other side, with Dorothy throwing him irritated looks every time his peacock feather brushed against her.
Behind her sat Mrs Holden and Chase, along with most of the regulars from the bakery.
They reached the top, Charlie and Alfie moved to the right, and Sam and Jo to the left.
The minister was waiting for them, an older man with a warm smile.
Cas and Dean stopped before him, turned to face each other, and held each others' hands tightly.
'Ladies and gentlemen, friends and family,' he began. 'We are gathered here today to celebrate in the love shared by Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak.
'It is a love forged in adversity, and made all the more beautiful by the obstacles they have faced together. For what are the truest versions of ourselves than those that live and love against all odds?
'Dean and Castiel come before us today to proclaim and seal their commitment to one another.
'Dean. Castiel. This commitment will not always be easy. You will need to be steadfast in your love and considerate in your compromise. What say you, Dean? Are you ready to be bonded in marriage to this man?'
Cas smiled at Dean, and Sam stepped forward, clearing his throat.
'For those of you that don't know me, my name is Sam. I'm Dean's brother and I'll be translating for him today.'
'Actually, Sam, that won't be necessary,' Dean announced.
A gasp ran around the room, and Cas gaped at him.
Of the few times that Cas had heard Dean speak, his voice was quiet and hoarse from lack of use, but this was different. Now he sounded clear and confident.
Sam smiled at him over Dean's shoulder.
Dean took a deep breath and held Cas's hands even tighter.
'Castiel,' he began, 'I'm not good with words, but I want you to know that I love you more than anything. You're beautiful in every way. You're my strength. You're the reason I found my voice.' Dean paused for a moment to catch his breath, his voice thick with emotion.
Cas had welled up and taken one of his hands away to cover his mouth.
'You could ask me a hundred times over if I was ready to be committed to you, and my answer will be yes every time. I love you, and I will always love you, no matter what.'
No one in the room had managed to contain their tears, and snuffles and tissues were passed around.
'Very well, Dean,' the minister smiled. 'And what say you, Castiel?'
'I- I- I should have gone first,' Cas stammered, earning an appreciative chuckle from the gathering.
Alfie tapped Cas on the shoulder and handed him a tissue.
'Thank you,' he muttered, wiping his eyes and handing the tissue back. He shook his hands out, then took Dean's again, catching his intense gaze and not looking away.
'Dean,' he said, clearing his throat. 'I have never met anyone as amazing as you. You're kind, strong, brilliant, and so brave. Braver than me by far. I feel safe when I am with you, and I want to make you feel the same. I am ready to be committed to you, Dean.'
'Very well, Castiel,' the minister said. 'Can we have the rings?'
Cas pulled the little black bag from his pocket, and Dean did the same. Cas passed the bag behind him to Charlie one he'd taken out the ring, while Dean passed his to Sam. Cas held out his left hand, which Dean took softly.
'With this ring, I do wed thee, Castiel. For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. I pledge my life and my love to thee, from this day until the end of my days.' His hand shook slightly as he slid the ring back onto Cas's ring finger.
Then it was Cas's turn. He took Dean's left hand, stroking it gently with his thumb as he did so.
'With this ring, I do wed thee, Dean. For better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health. I pledge my life and my love to thee, from this day until the end of my days.' He carefully slipped the ring into Dean's finger.
The minister smiled widely. 'By the power vested in me by the state of Oregon, I now pronounce you married. You may seal this commitment with a kiss.'
Cas flung his arms around Dean's neck and kissed him fiercely. Dean kissed him back just as fiercely, lifting him off his feet and spinning him around. Both of their faces were wet with tears, but neither cared.
Everyone jumped to their feet, clapping and cheering while Cas and Dean kissed. The photographer snapped several pictures of them before they reluctantly broke apart.
Dean grinned, grabbed Cas and pulled him back down the aisle, outside where the cars were waiting to take them to the reception venue.
Before they got to the cars, everyone gathered threw fistfuls of flower petals over them while the photographer clicked away with his camera. Cas and Dean kissed again to give him a shot.
They had a car to themselves, while everyone else piled into the others, and they sat quietly in the back seat together, taking it all in.
'You look amazing.'
Cas jumped at the sound of Dean's voice and looked at him in wonder.
Dean laughed, the irony of Cas being unable to speak at that moment was not lost on him. 'I've been practicing with Sam,' he said in response to Cas's unspoken question. 'I didn't know if I could do it until I saw you, though.'
'You're incredible,' Cas said breathlessly. 'Incredible.'
Dean blushed, but pressed his forehead to Cas's. 'I want this,' he whispered. 'I want to talk to you forever.'
'We've got the time,' Cas murmured back. 'However you want and whenever you want, I'll be there.'
The driver took them around the town while everyone else settled into the reception venue.
Sam and Charlie were waiting for them when they arrived. Both of them still had the remnants of tears on their faces, and both reached out to embrace Cas and Dean.
'You did it,' Sam said, squeezing Dean so tightly he grunted. Then he reached out and hugged Cas too. 'Welcome to the family, man.'
'Ready to go in?' Charlie asked, and they noticed she had a microphone in her hand.
'I could eat,' Dean said, causing Charlie to look at him as though he'd grown an extra head.
She opened the door ahead of them, and let Sam in before switching the microphone on and holding it up. 'All right, everyone,' she said into it. 'Let me introduce, for the first time, the Winchesters!'
There was more clapping and cheering, and Dean gave Cas a shocked stare. 'Really?' he said.
Cas smiled. 'You're not the only one with surprises. Besides, Castiel Winchester has a nice ring to it, don't you think?'
Dean nodded fervently.
They went up to the top table, passing by the cake as they went.
'You did a good job on that,' Dean murmured, staring at it.
'Thank you.'
Everyone was already in their seats, in front of the placecards neatly laid out.
The top table was reserved for the wedding party: Cas, Dean, Sam, Charlie, Alfie, and Jo, with extra spaces for Dorothy and Jess.
Gabriel and Emily had been sat at the same table with Ellen, Bobby and Jody, and Cas wished he could hear the conversation from their table. It would be interesting if nothing else.
Cas didn't pay much attention to what food was served to them, instead looking around at the beautifully decorated reception room.
Again, it was small, and a lot of it was dedicated to a dance floor which he was certain would see good use. All the tables had centrepieces comprised of purple irises and one single sunflower in the middle. Each of the chairs had purple ribbons tied around them, and the tables were draped in crisp white tablecloths, and grey ribbons pinned around the edges.
'You like it?' Dean asked. His voice had gotten quieter now, and slightly less confident, but his eyes and the set of his jaw showed his determination to continue.
'I love it,' Cas said, turning back to face him. 'It's perfect.'
Dean grinned and stuffed some food into his mouth.
'You've got gravy on you,' Cas laughed, wiping Dean's face with a napkin.
They cut the cake together, making sure that they got the slice with the iris and sunflower on, then let everyone else help themselves. Everyone sat back down with their slice of cake, and a glass of champagne. Once everyone had finished eating, Sam got to his feet with the microphone in his hand.
Charlie tapped on her glass with a spoon to get everyone's attention.
'Thank you,' Sam said once everyone had looked up. 'Hello again, everyone. Before I start, I just want to say a big congratulations to Dean and Cas, for managing to pull together the weirdest family I've ever seen. Seriously, Gabriel, what the hell are you wearing?'
'We're brothers-in-law now, Sam, you're stuck with me forever,' Gabriel hollered.
'Don't think that's how that works, Gabe, but good effort.'
Gabriel winked at him.
'We're all a little crazy in here,' Sam continued. 'But seeing Dean and Cas together makes it worth putting up with even Gabriel.
'I've been fortunate enough to watch their relationship develop from the beginning. From the very moment Dean laid eyes on Cas, I could tell that something special was happening, no matter how much they tried to hide it. Which they did. They were bad at that. Even when Dean came home wearing Cas's clothes, they tried to deny it. I understand why, of course, I just would have preferred it if either of them were not completely terrible at lying. Honestly, sometimes I would forget that I wasn't supposed to know and nearly let it slip.'
'It's not like you're any better at lying,' Jess called from her seat, making Sam blush.
'Very true,' he chuckled. 'In all seriousness, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that Dean and Cas are perfect for each other. They complement each other in just the right ways, and challenge each other to be better every day. I, for one, will always be grateful to Cas for helping my brother speak. All I've ever wanted is for him to be happy, and it's clear to me that Cas is exactly the right person to make that happen.'
Dean rubbed his mouth, his eyes watering again.
'So thank you so much, Cas. I could not imagine someone else as a better fit for our family than you, and I am proud to call you my brother-in-law.'
'Thank you, Sam,' Cas mumbled.
'I look at you both sitting here, and I just know you're going to have an amazing marriage, and I wish you a lifetime of love and happiness.' He raised his glass to them, and switched off the microphone before Dean stood up to hug him.
Everyone at the tables clapped for Sam's speech.
Out of the corner of his eye, Cas saw a man sneak into the DJ booth on the dance floor, then give Charlie a thumbs up. Dean saw it too, got to his feet, and came around the table to stand in front of Cas. The first few notes of 'As Time Goes By' played over the speakers, and Dean held out his hand.
'May I have this dance?' Dean said.
Cas nodded, and followed Dean onto the dance floor. He forgot everyone else as they danced, leaning into Dean's chest and allowing him to revolve them both on the spot. One hand rested at Dean's waist, and the other loosely gripped in Dean's hand.
It wasn't until the song ended that Cas realised they had been joined on the dance floor by several other couples, and Mrs Holden and Chase.
Dean kissed Cas again, softly this time, savouring every second.
The music picked up and more people came to dance.
A few songs later, Cas had to stop and get something to drink. He and Dean joined Sam at the bar. Whilst there, the photographer came up to them to tell them he was done for the night.
'I'll email your mom over the edits when I'm done, but something tells me she'll need a hand with it.'
'I'll get her to let Charlie have access,' Cas said, sipping on his fresh glass of champagne.
'Cool. I got some real good shots of you guys looking at each other.'
'Yeah, they do that a lot,' said Sam, draining the remains of his glass.
'In my opinion, they're the ones I'd get framed, but it's up to you guys.'
'Thank you for your time,' Cas said. 'It was nice to meet you.'
'No problem. It was a good wedding. I'll be in touch.'
The photographer left, and Cas and Dean drank a little more, and danced a little more. Later into the night, they sat down together at an empty table near the edge of the dance floor.
'Are you all right?' Cas asked Dean.
Dean smiled at him. 'I'm great.'
{Are you sure?}
Dean rolled his eyes and grabbed Cas's hands. 'I'm sure.'
'You don't have to do this,' Cas said earnestly. 'You can still use it if you need to.'
Dean let go of Cas's hands. {I'll use it if I need it, I promise}
{You're doing so well. You don't need to push it}
'I want to.'
'As long as you know I support you no matter what.'
'I know.'
Cas leaned his head on Dean's shoulder, and they sat there for a time, watching everyone enjoying themselves, until Emily came over to them with an envelope in her hands.
'I have a gift for you.'
'Mom, you already-'
'No, this was paid for by your father. This is a gift from me.' She handed them the envelope. 'It's your honeymoon. That Sam fellow told me that you didn't have one. I had to think outside the box a little, since you don't like to fly, Dean, but I think you'll both enjoy it.'
Cas opened the envelope to find a map with a route drawn on it, a cheque, and two passes to Blisswood Bed and Breakfast.
'It's in Texas,' Emily said. 'But I thought Dean might enjoy the challenge.'
'What do you think? Can you drive all the way to Texas?'
Dean grinned. 'Oh, absolutely.'
Emily smiled widely. 'Good. I've marked all the places you're staying at along the way, all paid for, and the cheque is for gas money. It should be sufficient.'
'Mom, you really didn't have to do this.'
'Nonsense. Alfie and I will take care of the bakery, and I've already cleared it with Dean's work. They were quite supportive.'
'I don't know what to say.'
'Don't say anything. Just take the envelope and have a good honeymoon.'
'We will,' Cas said. 'Thank you.'
Emily bent down and kissed both of them on the forehead, then walked away, pinning another moustache to Charles as she went.
Finally, the night was over, and Dean and Cas got the last car back to the apartment.
It felt as though it had been days since he had been home, and for Dean it had been.
Everything was quiet but for Gracie's purring, and they stopped by the door for a moment in silence.
Dean pulled Cas close to himself, running his hand through Cas's hair. 'What do you say we go take these off, Mr Winchester?' he said eventually, with a sly grin.
'I think that's a great idea, Mr Winchester,' Cas laughed, already unbuttoning his suit.
They packed in a hurry the next morning, put food out for Gracie, and instructions on the kitchen counter for Alfie and Emily.
They dragged their bags out to the Impala, and Cas laughed when he saw it. Tin cans had been tied to the back, as long as a banner that said 'Just Married'. He jumped into the passenger side, and Dean into the driver's.
Dean shoved a cap onto his head, and passed Cas some sunglasses. 'Ready?'
'Always.'
Dean revved the car loudly, then took off down the street and out of town, the tin cans rattling loudly behind them.