"I want to thank my teachers, my mother, and my best friend Charlie," Castiel said into the microphone. It was the end of the school year and he had passed his final exams. He had his graduation in his hand and smiled to where his mother was sitting, knowing she'd take pictures of him. He didn't know what to say next. He wanted to thank one more person, but what was the point if he wasn't even there?
He fell silent for a moment and smiled through his pain. Charlie had been there for him, and he had to manage to stay strong till this day was over. He opened his mouth to say he was happy he graduated, but was interrupted by the door opening. He looked up and his breath hitched in his throat.
"CAS!"
Right there, was Dean Winchester. Dean fucking Winchester. "Congratulations Cas, I knew you could do it!" Dean yelled.
Castiel still didn't talk or move. This couldn't be real. But when he heard Charlie let out a scream behind him, he realized this was all very real. He took a deep breath and went on with his small speech.
"And I want to thank Dean for helping me going through this year, and for keeping his promise." Castiel smiled and the people clapped for him, still mumbling who that guy would be and what he was doing here.
As the other people all got their diploma, Castiel just stood there, looking at Dean. He could almost see the sparkles in the green eyes he had missed so much. He didn't hear anything of what the others said, he didn't even look at them, afraid that if he would look away, Dean would be gone.
Finally, everyone got their diploma and after throwing their hats in the air, they started to walk off the small stage they were standing on. He looked at his mother, who just smiled and waved him off. She'd be hugging him later, he first had to talk to Dean.
All the people around Castiel were hugging each other, laughing, crying, telling others goodbye, but he didn't care. His mind was blank, he had no idea what to do. Hug Dean? Kiss him? What if Dean just came to say hello before he had to leave again? But all his thoughts were forgotten when Dean wrapped his arms around him and hugged Castiel so tight, his spine could break.
But Castiel didn't care. He hugged Dean back as if his life depended on it, and closed his eyes, breathing in Deans scent. After almost 2 minutes, Dean started to pull way slightly. They heard laughing behind them and saw Charlie and Castiel's mother standing there. Castiel threw himself in his mother's arms, and in Charlie's not short after it.
"So you must be Dean," his mother said. She had never met Dean before, but he looked exactly like Castiel had described him to her.
"That I am," Dean replied nervously, not knowing if Castiel's mother was angry at him for leaving. Maybe Castiel had thrown a lie, maybe he had told the truth. His worries were gone when Castiel's mother smiled at him.
"I'm glad I can finally meet you. He made a good choice, I must say," she said, which caused Dean to blush. She laughed and said something to Castiel. He nodded and she walked away.
Soon, Charlie was leaving too, shouting she'd text him later, and Castiel and Dean were alone in the group of people.
"You wanna say goodbye to anyone here?" Dean asked. He hoped not, he wanted nothing more than to just have Castiel in his arms again. To his luck, Castiel shook his head and smiled.
"Let's just go, my mother said she will meet us at home. You are welcome to spend the rest of the day at my place. And of course Sam will be welcome too," he added when he saw Sam sitting in the Impala.
As soon as Sam noticed Dean and Castiel walking towards the car, he jumped out and gave Castiel a hug that was comparable with the one Dean had given. "I missed you," he whispered. "And I still have all the books you gave me." Castiel held him close, and smiled when he heard Sam say something else. "I'm okay with you and Dean together, I always saw you as a second brother. Thank you."
In the ride to Castiel's house, not much words were spoken. Castiel sat shotgun, holding Dean's hand. He had missed times like these so much. Dean was humming to some song on the radio, and castiel recognized it as one he had heard at Bobby's.
"I'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right, believing for so long
I'm all out of love, what am I without you
I can't be too late to say I was so wrong"
Both Castiel and Dean sang along, gripping each other's hand even more tightly. The lyrics seemed to fit perfectly with the situation they had been in while being apart from each other.
When they reached Castiel's house, his mother was waiting for them already. She welcomed them and said Castiel had to change his clothes. Dean and Sam stood downstairs, and he heard Dean and his mother talk softly.
His mother made dinner, lasagna and they all chatted and had a good time. After dinner, Dean and Castiel went upstairs while Sam had gotten a book to read. Castiel didn't know what was gonna happen. Was Dean leaving him again? Why did Dean want to talk to him in private?
They sat on Castiel's bed, no knowing how to act. It was silent for a minute, and then they started talking at the same time.
"Cas."
"Dean,"
They laughed. "Dean," Castiel started. "I just wanted to say that I don't mind if you can only be here for a short time, even if you have to leave in five minutes, I won't mind. I want you know how much I missed you and how happy I am to see you now. I will understand it, whatever you have to say. And I won't be mad." Dean just looked at him.
"Well, I am going to leave soon, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow," he said. Castiel felt his heart sink, but he didn't show it. He had said he would accept it and wouldn't be angry.
"But I wanted to ask you if you would like to come with me."
Wait what?
"remember in the garage, when I told you I was going to leave someday. Remember my letter, I promised I'd come back to get you. And now I did. I keep my promises, Cas."
What was happening?
"And I understand it if you don't want to come with us, Sammy and me. Because you're still only 17, and you have a goof life here."
Did Dean just ask him to come with them?
"but if you want to, I talked to your mother, and she is okay with it. She trusts me, and you."
Going away? With Dean? Just like he had always imagined?
"Cas?"
Seeing Dean every day? Wake up, knowing Dean would be there?
"Cas? Are you okay? I can.. I can always leave without you if you want, I can-"
"Dean"
"Cas I know it's a big thing to ask of you, you can think about it and-"
"Dean, shut up"
"O..kay?"
"Dean I was afraid of what you were gonna tell me, and I was so silent because I couldn't believe it. There is nothing I wanna do more than go with you. I just.. I already got accepted to Stanford, so that may give us some problems." Castiel still couldn't believe it.
Dean was silent for only a moment before he practically threw himself on Castiel, whispering how happy he was Castiel would go with them, and how Sam could go to Stanford after a few years, but most of all he told Castiel how much he had missed him. Suddenly, he pulled away and his face cot serious.
"I am so sorry for lying to you the entire time in the hospital, Cas. I feel so bad about it, but I just... I couldn't do anything else. It was for the best of both of us," he said. His face looked sad and guilty, but Castiel didn't even care about it. He had all he could wish for: Dean. Had he?
"Dean? Can I... can I kiss you?" Castiel asked, nervously. He didn't know what Dean would say. They hadn't done anything but hugging and talking yet, and the last time Dean had kissed him was in the hospital, his own secret goodbye to Castiel. But Deans face lighted up as if he had seen the sun after 4 months of darkness.
"I thought you would never ask! I didn't ask it, because I was afraid you didn't want me that way anymore and I-"
He was shut up by Castiel, who pressed his lips against Dean. It started soft, as a welcome back, but soon they were grasping each other's shirts, one hand around Castiel's waist, one hand around Dean's neck, another hand, cupping Castiel's jaw, hungry for each other.
They kissed like it was the last kiss they'd ever share, and within a minute they were just one big mess of tears, smiles, laughter, and most of all: sweetness. Because this was a kiss no one could steal from them. This kiss said "welcome back" as much as "I am never gonna let you go again".
After a while, they just laid on Castiel's bad, smiling, cuddling, and enjoying the feeling of being with the other again.
When they came back downstairs, the first thing Castiel did was giving his mother a big hug. "Thank you so much," he whispered in her ear. She was the one who had been raising him, she was the one who had been hearing all the stories about how much Castiel hated school, everything about Dean, she was the one who had said he should tell Dean their history when Dean "didn't remember" him. She had done so much for him, and yet, she still gave him this opportunity.
That night, they sat around the table, talking for hours, catching up. Dean told them how he, his dad and Sammy had been going to yet another town, Sam going to school, Dean had just searched for a job, knowing he wouldn't go to school anyways. He sounded like he always did when he talked about Sam: proud as if it was his own son.
Castiel told them how school had been when Dean was gone, how glad Bobby had been with Castiel's help. He had been doing a really good job in the garage. He also told how much it had saddened him how less people had realized Dean was gone. It was as if he never even existed.
They decided it was the best for them to stay a few days in this town before moving out. They had to pack bags, plan out their route and say goodbye to a few people.
At 3am, Sam had fallen asleep against Dean, snoring lightly. Dean smiled and picked him up like it was nothing. He had probably done this many times before. Dean put Sam on the couch, pulled of Sam's shoes and got a blanket to cover him. When he was done, he looked at Castiel and his mother.
"You can both sleep in Castiel's room, I will be there when Sam wakes up," she just said. Dean thanked her and they went upstairs. They lied in bed, and right before Castiel went to sleep, Dean shook him awake. "I got something important to say," he said.
Was this a good or a bad thing?
Dean pulled Castiel even closer, so that their foreheads touched. Blue met green, and both stared for a minute into each other's before Dean finally said something.
"I love you."
The next days all of them were busy, Dean, Castiel and Sam went to Bobby. The old man was happy to see them again, and understood Castiel went with Dean. "I know you'd be leaving once you'd go to college, so I'm not surprised actually," he said. "good to see you back again, boys. Be safe and maybe I'll see you again someday." He hugged Dean and Sam tightly, and Castiel right after that.
They also went to Charlie, who, apparently went to the same college as Castiel, and had decided to move into the same town as well. "I still need someone to check out the booty for me!" she joked, but they all knew Charlie and Castiel had been such good friends, they'd not leave each other that easy.
After 3 days of packing and organizing everything, they were finally ready to go. Dean had spotted a small apartment they could live in, and Castiel's mother said she and Bobby would pay for Castiel's college and Sam's school. How Dean had gotten the money was something he hadn't told, and Castiel didn't know if he was ever going to tell it. But he was okay with it, Dean was smart and he knew what was wrong or right.
After a few hugs and a lot of tears with Castiel's mother, they got into the Impala and drove away as the sun set. Castiel always thought it as cliché: driving into a sunset, in a car with someone you love was something that only happened in books and movies. Yet, he sat there in the Impala with Dean, and Sam, driving into the sunset.
"Can I make actual friends now?" Sam asked after a while. Dean raised his eyebrow.
"Why of course Sammy, you always could!" he answered. Sam said nothing and looked out of the window.
"I only made friends so I wouldn't be alone all the time. Someone with no friends gets bullied, and I didn't want you worrying over me more than you already did," he finally answered after a few minutes of silence. "You did things for me no one else ever does with their siblings. I know dad drank, and I know why I was at Bobby's so much. I just didn't want you to worry so I acted like I didn't know anything."
It was silent and both Dean and Castiel thought about what Sam just said when he started talking again.
"I'm happy we're leaving. I will miss that town, and I will miss Bobby for sure, but I am happy I can make real friends now, and I am happy I have 2 brothers who love me and care for me."
That kid is smart, Castiel thought. Sam would do great in school.
Dean dealt with this "chick-flick"-situation as he always did, and as Sam and Castiel knew he would. He put in a tape and once the music started, all three of them sang along, driving with the people they loved, ready to start a new life with less trouble and more time for love.
"Carry on my wayward son
There'll be peace when you are done
Lay your weary head to rest
Don't you cry no more"
A/N As I promised: a happy ending for you. It is 4.30am (look how much i do for you!), and I am so tired, but also so happy. i wanna thank y'all so much for reading this and the positive support. It really meant a lot to me, and I hope you like the ending this way.
I am currently writing about 3 other fanfics, so I will be publishing more in the future.
Again, thanks so much, and I hope this was okay for my first fanfic :D
- Luci