Side by Side
Castiel looks him straight in the eye, lips inches from his. “Dean, only you can do this.”
Dean swallows almost convulsively. “I might destroy the world,” he breathes, his eyes welling up with unshed tears, and Castiel lifts a hand to his face, cupping his cheek.
“I believe in you,” he says, voice soft, and Dean shivers. “I trust you, Dean,” he says. “You are the righteous man, you will not fail us.”
Dean closes his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheeks, falling onto Castiel’s fingers. “I don’t know if I can do this,” he says, voice so very soft. “I don’t know if I can do what needs to be done.”
Castiel’s soft fingers brush the wet trail away, thumb lingering as it caresses underneath Dean’s still closed eye.
“We will do this together, Dean,” he says, breath warm on his cheek. “I’m not going to leave you. We’ll see this through together.”
And Dean sees Cas-drugged out in the future, bloodied by the trickster, angry and defiant and always coming back to him-always coming back for him.
“I will not leave you, Dean,” Castiel repeats, and Dean nods shakily, and does one more thing the future-him had hidden from.
“Cas,” Dean whispers, eyes flickering open, hands finding purchase on the other’s wrinkled trench coat. “Thank you.” Castiel’s lips twitch up in an almost-smile. “Not just for the end-of-the-world help, but for…Cas…” he says, obviously struggling to find the words, and Castiel just blinks it away, leans his forehead forward so it’s resting against Dean’s.
“I know,” he says. “I know.”
“You know I love you, right?” Dean asks at last, voice rough and soft at the same time, and again Castiel manages that half-smile. He pulls back enough to press his lips softly against Dean’s.
“For old time’s sake,” he says, solemn and amused at the same time, and something warm flickers in Dean’s eyes as he looks at his angel.
“Save the world?” he asks, eyebrow quirking up, and Castiel inclines his head slightly.
“Save the world,” he agrees.
Dean swallows almost convulsively. “I might destroy the world,” he breathes, his eyes welling up with unshed tears, and Castiel lifts a hand to his face, cupping his cheek.
“I believe in you,” he says, voice soft, and Dean shivers. “I trust you, Dean,” he says. “You are the righteous man, you will not fail us.”
Dean closes his eyes, a tear slipping down his cheeks, falling onto Castiel’s fingers. “I don’t know if I can do this,” he says, voice so very soft. “I don’t know if I can do what needs to be done.”
Castiel’s soft fingers brush the wet trail away, thumb lingering as it caresses underneath Dean’s still closed eye.
“We will do this together, Dean,” he says, breath warm on his cheek. “I’m not going to leave you. We’ll see this through together.”
And Dean sees Cas-drugged out in the future, bloodied by the trickster, angry and defiant and always coming back to him-always coming back for him.
“I will not leave you, Dean,” Castiel repeats, and Dean nods shakily, and does one more thing the future-him had hidden from.
“Cas,” Dean whispers, eyes flickering open, hands finding purchase on the other’s wrinkled trench coat. “Thank you.” Castiel’s lips twitch up in an almost-smile. “Not just for the end-of-the-world help, but for…Cas…” he says, obviously struggling to find the words, and Castiel just blinks it away, leans his forehead forward so it’s resting against Dean’s.
“I know,” he says. “I know.”
“You know I love you, right?” Dean asks at last, voice rough and soft at the same time, and again Castiel manages that half-smile. He pulls back enough to press his lips softly against Dean’s.
“For old time’s sake,” he says, solemn and amused at the same time, and something warm flickers in Dean’s eyes as he looks at his angel.
“Save the world?” he asks, eyebrow quirking up, and Castiel inclines his head slightly.
“Save the world,” he agrees.