We Raced The Sunset (And We Almost Won) - Part Two

[slowsunrise]

Dean wasn't really doing anything special at the moment, but just stood on deck, his elbows against the gun whale as he stared into the distance without really looking. Maybe he had seemed innocent and non-suspecting, and maybe that was why Gabriel had snatched him at that point. Without further ado he dragged Dean to the fore of the ship and seated him on the deck.

He had a bottle in his hand and when he raised it, Dean almost thought he was about to hit him with it on his head and then dump him over board. Then instead, he put the bottle to his lips and took three deep gulps of the alcohol.

“I need to talk with you, Dean,” he said after drying the lingering drops off his lips with the back of his hands.

Dean raised his eye brows as he stared at Gabriel. Gabriel looked back in the same way, waiting to continue whatever was so important that the captain half-kidnapped Dean even if you couldn't get that far on the ship. Dean's mind raced on things Gabriel could say, but he didn't even come close to the truth.

“You know,” Gabriel said. “I'm not stupid. I see the looks you give Cassie, the looks he gives you.”

Dean froze at the words and he's almost afraid to look over at Gabriel. The pirate was calm, but that didn't do anything to heave Dean's uneasiness. It was like watching the calm before the storm when Gabriel took another swing of his bottle with no further words. Now it would only be seconds before the real torture begun with the end of the silence. Gabriel would maybe scream at him, or just cold-blooded state just how fucked up Dean was and how he should back the fuck away from the captain's cousin. Maybe Gabriel even would make him walk the plank or something. Dean still wasn't sure how far these pirates would go.

“Dean-o, relax... I'm not gonna shove a sword up your ass or something. The worst thing you can expect from me is a crude joke about how Castiel will be the one things there, but that's what you get for marrying into my family. Well, not marry per se, but you know what I mean.”

“Are you... Are you not going to say something? Do something?”

“Do you want my blessing to screw my cousin? Sure. Just do something already because, while the spectacle of the two of you pining away for each other was indeed very amusing at first, it's time for you to get your act together and get together. You know, kiss and fuck. Or maybe make sweet love if you prefer that. Just do something.”

Dean was baffled. It wasn't often he didn't have an answer for some one, and it happened surprisingly many times around Gabriel. Then again, the man wasn't really what you would call an average Joe.

“You're actually okay with this? I mean, it's kind of...”

“If you're going to rant about 'forbidden love' and all that to me, you're wasting your time, boy. If you hadn't noticed that yet, I'm kinda all about the forbidden things here on earth. They have a tendency to taste sweeter. And Dean, I have an confession to make.”

He paused long enough for Dean to raise an eye brow at the sudden silence, but he kept his trademark grin all the way until Dean simply just shrugged his shoulders.

“I have quite the sweet tooth”

They both burst out in quiet laughter, Dean still not quite sure just what had happened. He could actually say something to Castiel, tell him everything no matter how girly that was. And better yet. He could kiss him, he could touch him, he could... Oh god, why was he sitting here, wasting his time with Gabriel? His grin grew as he stood up, performing a mock salute to the captain.

“Well then, you'll have to excuse me, but I have somewhere better to be.”

“Dean? Just one thing,” Gabriel said and halted Dean. “You better not hurt him, because you know all those paranoid ideas you have about pirates? I can make them all come true, boy.”

* * *
Castiel was standing alone on deck, folding the roping into a neat pile. Heat filled Dean at the sight of the man and he hurried the last steps until he stood before him.

“Oh, hello there Dean.”

Castiel seemed surprised at Dean when he came rushing over at him, the doctor taking a step backwards. The small of his back hit the gun whale and he twitched a little, his head turning around for a second before his eyes were back fastened on Dean, ever so watchful. Dean himself stepped into Castiel's personal space like the other man had done so many times himself. He put a hand on the gun whale, leaning in towards Castiel.

“Dean, you...”

Dean found it effective to quiet Castiel down by pressing his lips against his. It was a short kiss, if one at all, but Dean could feel his heart beat faster than a galloping horse because this was the make or break situation. Despite what Gabriel had said, Castiel could very well freak out and even throw a punch or two.

Breaking the soft kiss, he leaned his forehead against Castiel's and looked into his eyes. The hands that had supported him earlier had found their way to Castiel's cheeks, his thumbs stroking gently.

“Please tell me that this okay, because if not, I think I need to jump into the sea and just swim until I find an deserted island and then live the rest of my life there, away from civilization. So please, please, tell me that I can kiss you?”

At first Castiel didn't say anything, but just stared up at him, wide-eyed. Dean could almost hint his own reflection in them. He tried to read an expression in them, anything more than the two of them just standing there, staring at each other. Dean wasn't sure he would be able to hold himself back much longer.

“Dean...,” was all Castiel could manage with a faint voice, not much more than a whisper. Then he closed his eyes and leaned in for yet another kiss.

His lips weren't as soft as a woman's, not with the crack caused by the constant exposure to wind and the slight, day-old stubble growing on his chin, but damn if this wasn't the best kiss Dean had ever had. Castiel had a hand in his short hair, struggling to get a grip.

Dean himself gripped at the lapels of Castiel's coat, pushing the garment off his shoulders. His breath puffed hot against Cas' lips and it felt like his gut was on fire and nothing was as important as this moment here and then. A groan was building up in the back of his throat and when Castiel tugged extra hard in his hair, he couldn't help but release it.

“Dean,” Castiel rasped, and dear lord, his voice was even deeper than usual. Dean could not wait to see how far he would be able to take it. Castiel repeated his name a second later, bringing him back momentarily. “Dean, we can't do this. Not here.”

Dean was just about to choke up one of his lungs until he heard the last part of the sentence which caused reality to snap back at him. No one was there right now, but it would only be a second, a minute or maybe five before someone walked in on them. And there they stood: lips flushed, fists filled with each other and as out of breath as they just had been chased by the navy. They needed to find a more private and secluded spot and that was fast. Dean knew the risks but he wasn't a damned saint who could just walk away from something like that.

“The sick bay,” Castiel breathed out and Dean wasn't sure if it was a question or a command, but he wasn't about to complain at either one as he grabbed the sleeve of Castiel's half-discarded coat and dragged him through the door of the sick bay and onto the doctor's own bed.

* * *
“Did we really just do that?”

“Do you regret it?” Dean's voice was hesitant and he looked over at Castiel who rested beside him. His pale chest heaved several times before Castiel answered, but Dean was strangely fine with just watching and waiting.

“I suspect I should, but no, I do not regret anything. It should be all kinds of wrong, but this has not been anything but right. I just wished I had understood your intentions earlier.”

Dean had a feeling that they are bordering too far towards emotional talk by now, and instead he rolls over and lays his head on Castiel's torso. He angles his chin just right and places a kiss on the other man's cheek. He mumbles a short 'good', before Castiel arches his neck, claiming his still kiss swollen lips. Dean had lost count of how many times they had kissed just during these short hours, but there was going to be many, many more for sure. Castiel hummed into the kiss and Dean could feel the vibration through his chest and couldn't help but smile. This was actually happening.

Castiel's hair was soft as he carded his fingers through it when they broke the kiss. The doctor had closed his eyes and was leaning back against the pillow. It was a beautiful sight and Dean looked forward to seeing it when waking up every morning.

“I hope you know that this means that I'm staying on board, because there's no way you're getting rid of me that easy now. I'm going to cling to you like a freaking octopus, because when a Winchester wants something...”

“I hoped you'd say that,” Castiel smiled and opened his eyes again, looking straight through Dean. “Truth be told...”

He paused for a second and averted his eyes. Dean anted to reach out and tilt Castiel's chin back towards him, but decided against it. What ever it was that he had to say, the very thought of it made a faint blush creep up over the bridge of Castiel's nose. Dean was eager ears.

“I might have held you here a while longer than necessary. While your wound isn't fully healed, you could have left us a good while ago to continue your tending on the main land. Only, I didn't want you to leave. I am sorry, Dean.”

“You what?!”

“I am sorry,” Castiel repeated and he really did sound sincere. His gaze fell down to his hands resting on the covers and Dean could see his biting his lower lip from where he was laying. It took him a moment to find his words again.

“Hey, you, it's not like that. I'm just a bit surprised that you would do such a thing. But believe me, no hurt feelings. If you hadn't done it I would be in a bar somewhere no, trying to forget you or replace you with a bottle of rum. I would much rather be here, next to you on a moderately comfortable bed, so please believe me when I say that I don't have any hard feelings.”

Castiel's eyes left his hands at that, looking up at Dean. A soft smile sneaked onto Dean's lips at that because those eyes seemed to become bluer for every time he looked into them.

“I too am glad we ended up here, however it happened. I did not expect you to, well, kiss me when you walked up to me.”

“Uh, yeah, Gabriel knows,” Dean said after a moments hesitation. “He kind of... How do I say 'implied that he would hurt me if we didn't have sex' delicately? Apparently your cousin thinks of himself as a matchmaker and I bet he his grinning at this now, this very second.”

Castiel laughed at this and at that, their conversation was put on hold because Dean really needed to kiss Castiel after that. His lips tasted nothing like regret and he was more than glad that he was staying, staying for the soft movement of the pink lips against his and for the laugh that was causing it.

“Damn, I never want to stop doing that,” Dean sighed as they broke away. “I won't ever stop doing that.”

“We'll have to tell the rest of the crew too, I am afraid. I hope... I think that it won't be any trouble, but I am almost convinced that keeping a secret like this would be a bad idea. Generally, secrets do not fare well on this ship.”

“I guess so,” Dean admitted even if he still wasn't completely convinced.

* * *
Dean was nervous, and he felt like for once, he had earned that. This particular crew of pirates were less violence than others, but they were still pirates and only God and possibly Gabriel knew how they would react to the news soon presented to them. Gabriel had assured them that it would be fine, that it wouldn't be any fuss, but when Castiel too hesitated at that, Dean thought he was right in nervousness. After all, Cas was even a part of this so called dysfunctional family.

Gabriel had gathered everybody on deck and he stood on the levered poop deck by himself. Both Dean and Castiel stood leaning in the stair leading up there, their eyes shifting between the gathered crew and their captain. Castiel's hand found its way into Dean's behind his back and while it was totally not necessary it felt nice. If he was going to get his head smashed in while being repeatedly stabbed by about twenty cutlasses before they threw his corpse over board he might as well enjoy his last minutes alive. He squeezed Castiel's hand back.

“Guys, gals and everybody else,” Gabriel started, his voice carrying over deck. Dean closed his eyes for a second, drawing in a deep breath. “I have some news. You know Dean by now. Kinda cranky guy, big scar, big heart and kinda girly face with too many freckles for his own good.”

Dean rolled his eyes at Gabriel, but then Castiel inched in towards him and whispered that his freckles were beautiful and with once the midget captain wasn't as annoying. He insulted Dean a little more for what Dean suspected was good measure before he got to the actual point.

“Well, it's time for him to join us officially. Welcome him to the family!”

A wild cheering broke out and Dean was glad he had picked at least a little remote place to stand because people seemed to flood his way. It was smiles all the way and pats on the back. He tried to grin back at them, and he was glad when Gabriel clapped his hands together to calm everybody down.

"Calm down you, he will still be around after I finish. I happen to have something else to say, so hold your horses because we are going to have more to celebrate soon enough. Like, Dean's reason to stay, that is if you don't count the near hero worship he holds for yours truly."

If there had been any time Dean wanted to strangle the man, it was now. An other option was bailing on the whole shebang and breaking Gabriel's promise that he would still be there when he had finished talking, if that in its turn ever happened. He did stay though, because he had promised Castiel. It didn't stop him from glaring at Gabriel who thankfully got the point.

"Guys, none of us really are the marrying kind, and that's fine by me. I have a taste for freedom and so be it. So no marriages coming up any time soon, but still, lets give Dean and Cas some kudos for not keeping it in their pants. I could give a speech about love right now, but screw that and say congrats to them instead. And while I'm at it: I know you guys and hardly think it's necessary, but the captain of this ship is fully behind this man fornicating with my cousin, well, not literary, but if any of you feel the need to say something negative, do it on main land, far away from here when you have left us."

The silence only lasted for a few seconds before the cheering begun again. Dean could hardly believe his ears and even less his eyes. They were all okay with this, with him and Cas, with two men. Gabriel's crew had surprised him many times, but this must have been the biggest one. Not one of them made a sour face or said something. It was all 'way to go's and 'nice's and the occasional indecent comment that made Castiel blush in a beautiful way.

Ellen was one of the few people who actually hugged him for real, but she did a proper job of it too. His ribs hurt, even if she did take care with his scar.

“It's good to hear that you boys finally got it together. And it's wonderful that you decided to stay with us. Welcome to the family!”

Dean smiled into her neck as he leaned into the hug, feeling the warmth of the embrace. Ellen was one of the people Dean loved most on board the ship, and if he would leave, he would sure miss her dearly. He was glad that he wouldn't have to now. Castiel was there when Ellen released him from his hug and then he got one of his own.

Dean only realized that he was smiling when his cheeks stared to hurt from grinning so wide. Castiel looked up at him and a smile spread on his face too as hi arms circled Dean's body in an embrace. Dean's hands found their way to Castiel's neck and the small of his back, pressing him closer into his body. Drawing in a deep breath of Castiel's scent, Dean closed his and burrowed his face further into Castiel's neck. He was so glad he wasn't leaving.

Later that night, Gabriel threw a party because that is what he does. It was as wild as the captain himself and lasted longer than the night. More and more alcohol was brought up from beneath deck and at some point in the small hours Dean was sure that the cargo couldn't be anything but bottles and bottles of liquor.

In the beginning, Dean stuck with Castiel like glue, never leaving his side. He kept glancing over his shoulder, but all there ever was was a drinking pirate. Dean himself took it easy with the alcohol in the beginning, still overly cautious. Castiel didn't mention it, but Dean could see it in his eyes that his behavior amused him. It made Dean eventually loosen up a bit and the rest, the alcohol took care of when he actually started drinking.

Numerous times he received patting on his backs and big wolf-like grins from what he supposed was now his crew mates. His family. It was still all too new, all too weird to think of them like that. Castiel was one thing because well, yeah. But a whole crew of pirates? He would have to ease in to it.

The night dragged on with drinking, laughs and songs, just as many as the bottles that kept on coming. Dean knew some of them as they had been popular among the sailors of his previous ships, but far more were unfamiliar and he didn't even bother trying to learn the lyrics. He just hummed along as good as he could, taking another swing of his bottle. The stars and a few lanterns lit the fest, but soon, dawn was starting to crack.

Dean wasn't sure how he wasn't asleep yet. The first beams of the sunrise was staring to break over the horizon and the stars slowly faded. The soft light felt good for Dean, now somewhere between drunk and hungover, and he looked over the water to where it met the red sky. Almost everybody else was asleep, either in their actual bunks, or just right there, on the deck, head propped up against a pile of ropes. He was alone, leaning on the gun whale.

Then a pair of lips were on his neck and Dean closed his eyes, not minding the beautiful view right now. Castiel's arms found their way around Dean's waist. It shouldn't be as easy to just lean back against his touch as it was, but Dean had left his regrets far behind him. Castiel stumbled a little then, stepping ever so slightly on Dean's foot.

“Sorry,” he mumbled as Dean turned around to kiss him. The morning sun shone on his lover, creating a halo of warm light.

“You're still drunk, man,” Dean laughed against his lips, licking the taste of rum off them.

Dean's thumb traced a line on Castiel's cheek, feeling the uneven surface of the night's stubble. The tip of Castiel's nose was read, as well as his lips. It could be from the chill the night had brought, but to be perfectly honest, intoxication was the more likely answer. Dean couldn't do anything but call it adorable, no matter how hard that nagged on his pride.

“So you say, so you say. If my memory serves me correct, you too were quite intoxicated last night so please do not call the kettle black, my dear pot.”

“Hey, I'm not the one with a problem with standing up. And wow, you do the word tango even when on a bender. I'm impressed, Cas.”

“I can assure you that you will be further impressed when I get you into bed in a few moments,” Castiel growled, his voice deep from the back of his throat.

His lips were on Dean's neck then, again, but with so much more force this time. Dean could still smell the lingering odor of the liquor, but that was soon overwhelmed by the sensation of Castiel's teeth finding their way to the sensitive skin under Dean's ear.

“And now dirty talk. What have I done to you?”

Dean's smirk didn't falter one bit on the way to the sick bay and the large bed that awaited them there.

* * *
It was a knocking on the door that startled them from their sleep and before the two of them had the chance to wake up properly, Gabriel burst through the door. His smile didn't falter one bit when the two men scrambled to cover themselves, trying in vain to look innocent. Had it been anyone else leaning against the door frame Dean would have shouted at them to leave and what if they had been doing something private? But this was Gabriel and such a comment would surely lead to nothing good.

“Wake up, you two! The sun is shining and it's a way too lovely day for you to stay in bed, no matter how delightful it is to discover the joys of sex. You've been in here long enough, so one last go if you make it a quick one, then get dressed and get out here. We have something to show you.”

Just as fast as he had some, their captain was gone again. Dean blinked once, twice, still not really comprehending all of this. Castiel only shook his head with a sigh.

“I am sorry,” he said. “I am used to him, so...”

Dean arched an eyebrow at that, hoping that Castiel wasn't used to Gabriel busting in on him while in bed with other men. Castiel saw his expression and shook his head again, this time more lively, all while smiling.

“Not like that, fool, and I know that you know it. Gabriel is just a special character, not always easy to get along with. He is family though, and I bet that he will stop bursting into our bedroom if we ask him not to.”

Dean knew that it probably wasn't true because even after just this short time with Gabriel he knew what kind of a man Castiel's cousin was. It didn't bother him as much as it ought to do though. Gabriel was who he was, family like Castiel said, and Dean had met many worse men during his days. Not wanting to start a long discussion now, he slipped out of the bed and into his pants with one last kiss instead. Gabriel had left the door open so they hurried to get dressed and up on deck only to see that they laid anchored not far from the shore.

It felt nice, reassuring to see the coast line again, despite its utter unfamiliarity. It was a thick line of green, unbroken. Dean had never been this far south himself, but he had heard about the jungles, the vast seas of trees and bushes where it was as easy to get lost as it was for a stone to sink. Still, he couldn't wait to stand on proper, solid ground again.

"What do you say, doc? Is he good enough to join the expedition?"

It was Gabriel's normally pestering voice, but Dean had learned to disguise the tang of softness in him, or at least he thought so. He wasn't completely sure when it came to anything involving Gabriel. Normally, he would just dismiss the captain despite his title, but this was actually a matter he cared about.

Castiel had been a mother hen when it came to Dean's injured back, not allowing him to do any heavy work at all. Dean was convinced that the physician was a bit too involved personally in this particular case and that he was fine, but when the day ended, Cas had the final saying.

Dean looked up from where he stood and Castiel already had his eyes fastened on him. It was a fond look the doctor was giving him, and Dean couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. His grin then widened when Castiel nodded, confirming that he was fit to be part of the group to hit the main land in search for the treasure.

"Thanks," he mumbled in Castiel's ear later when the both of them sat next to each other in the boat heading towards the coast. Castiel raised an eye brow and shook his head.

"Dean, do you really think that I would have let you come with if there had been any chance that you would get hurt? This isn't just me as a doctor but me as... It's about us too."

"Hey, knowing me, I would probably follow you anyway and this way you can keep an eye on me. And less strain for me now that I don't have to swim all the way to the beach. You should be happy."

Dean grinned widely, knowing Castiel's reaction.

“I don't know why I put you with you.”

Dean had several reasons he could offer Castiel, but for once, he was feeling like a nice guy and decided not to scar the other men in the boat for life. Also, while Gabriel had given Dean a clear light to go forth, he was unsure if the captain wanted to hear any details, not to mention what would happen if he did. So Dean just shrugged, but he kept his smile plastered to his face as they closed in on the shore line.

The moment the hull of the dinghy hit the beach, Dean jumped onto the sand and fell to his knees, the sand singled through his fingers as he buried his hands in it, welcoming the sensation of anything but wooden deck. Just seeing the coastline had been refreshing, but it was noting like being there and touching solid ground again.

Before he did anything more, Castiel stood beside him and helped him up. Dean gave a crooked smile before he brushed the sand off his pant legs. Castiel didn't say anything, but Dean knew from his expression that he was amused by Dean's behavior. It wasn't Dean's fault if he squeezed a little harder when his lover grabbed his hand and dragged him towards the line of trees along with the rest f the expedition.

The sun wasn't shining down on them as cruelly once they made it in under the protecting roof of the leaves, but the humidity was almost worse. It felt like stepping into a rain weather, only nothing moved. In only a matter of minutes, Dean's shirt was drenched, the fabric clinging to his chest and back.

He wasn't the only one suffering from the dampness of the tropical forest. Balthazar, Gabriel's first mate had as usual dressed up in fine garments, but layer after layer was eventually peeled off. As they walked, a trail of the man's clothing was left behind until the first mate, like the others, walked in a thin shirt, pants and boots. Both Castiel and Gabriel had left their heavier coats back at the ship, which had been the cleverest move. Gabriel especially had an almost inappropriate love for his red coat and there was no way he would have been able to discard it like Balthazar had done with his clothes.

The further they walked into the forest, the damper it got. The tools they carried: the shovels and hatchets, along with their weapons, seemed to grow heavier with every step they took. Dean tried to think of other things but his sore shoulders and his thirst. Castiel was walking in front of hi and as Dean observed the patterns his sweat-covered shirt created as it clung to his back and how the muscles underneath it worked, a whole different thirst was woken inside Dean.

He tore his eyes off Castiel then to look around himself instead, at the jungle now surrounding them completely. The heat that bothered the humans tracking forward didn't have the same effect of the jungle life. At first, he didn't see anything but the plants and trees, but they were more than enough to fill him with wonder. The colors gushed around them and at times if felt like walking through a rainbow. Dean could hardly name one of two of everything that grew along their path and he could only guess the names of the fantastic plants.

Some of them looked like trees did back home, but most of them seemed copied from a mad man's mind. There were lianas hanging down from crooked, black trees, tangling in each other and everything else. The man at the beginning of their procession had to use his cutlass to create a walkable path. Then there were the fruit trees, or at least that's what Dean thought they were. The tree's offspring helped creating the rainbow effect as the fruits hung heavy from the branches in every different shade of color, all of them seemingly ripe for picking. Dean didn't touch any of them though, after warnings from both Gabriel and Castiel. Many of the fruits were poisonous or needed to at least be prepared in some way before they became edible.

The first animals he saw was birds. Dean had grown up with birds like crows and pigeons, but he had been told about parrots. The captain on one of the ships he had previously served on had even captured such a bird on one of his travels to the south. He had kept it in a cage in his cabin and Dean had only seen it once. It had been a sickly pale with tired eyes and loose feathers all over, and to be perfectly honest, Dean had been disappointed. He had heard about the splendid feather gowns of the birds and that poor parrot wasn't meeting his expectations.

Dean rethought that now as the trees filled with curious birds that peered down at them. There were yellows, reds, greens, blues, pinks, purples and each and every combination of them and then some. Gabriel laughed at the look on Dean's face before he grabbed his hand palm up and sprinkled some crumbles from the rusks Ellen packed for them. He then told him to stand still and keep his hand outstretched. Almost immediately two, three of the parrots glided down to sit on his arm as if it was a tree branch, pecking on the crumbles he offered them. It hurt a little when their beaks scraped against his palm, but he was silent the whole time, too fascinated to utter a single noise. Then the birds flew back to the rest of their kin and the humans carried on.

As they penetrated deeper into the jungle, the more animals showed themselves. At first it was just the sound of them, monkeys screaming at each other and the soft thumps when they landed as they leaped from tree to tree like squirrels. The birds, now not only parrots, but every imaginable kind, were never quiet, the air vibrating with their chattering.

Then suddenly, as if a spell had been broken, the animals started to appear. The monkeys hung from their tails, observing the pirates below them. Dean looked up at them, intrigued, but also a bit uneasy with their almost human faces gazing down on them. The monkeys seemed equally interested in the humans and many of them followed them on their way from up in the trees.

They even saw a small flock of some deer-like animals, but even they didn't run at the sight of the intruders, even if they, unlike the parrots and monkeys, kept their distance.

“Have these animals never seen humans, or what's wrong with them?”

Gabriel fell some steps behind as to walk next to Dean and to answer his question. “It's possible, yeah. Pretty no living man from the civilization comes this far nowadays. The Spaniards has left these parts. But then again, I wouldn't bet on it. The natives, the tribes of Indians that roam these jungles isn't a legend. They have a friendship going on with these animals and whatnot, so maybe they wouldn't run.”

“There are Indians here?”

Just like with the parrots, Dean had heard about the Indians, but he would much rather meet a colorful bird than a Indian. If there was something he had learned from storytelling during his time at sea was that sailors lived and breathed exaggeration. It could be how many women they had bedded, how a simple work would could be transformed into a battle scar and how probably peaceful Indians turned into fearsome savages. Yet, one could never know just how much truth that was buried in a sailor's story.

“Yeah, but don't worry about it. We're not here to threaten them. Unlike us white men, they don't really care for treasures, but value nature higher. So, just kill what you need to eat and don't start any forest fires and I think we should be safe.”

Gabriel then proceeded to walk up to his spot in line, laving Dean alone with his now very vivid thoughts of Indians. He couldn't help but to keep throwing looks over his shoulder and into the bushes surrounding them. It was impossible to stop imagine Indians behind every tree trunk, observing each step he took. That any second they could attack them and probably kill them stone dead before any of them realized what was happening.

“Not far now,” Gabriel said after consulting with the map and a cheering broke out among the men. Their speed increased as they pushed aside lianas and leaves to make their way. Dean's mind left the thoughts of killer Indians, but only for the second before he heard the shout.

“Help me! Please, help me! Help!”

It was not an Indian's voice. It had spoken English, British even. And whoever was out there was in need of help. Images of the Indians made it back into Dean's mind and he grabbed the cutlass from his belt. He pushed aside the leaves on his side and as quickly as he could, he made it through the terrain. The man was still shouting for help and that was the only thing Dean focused on. The rest of the treasure hunting party followed him, but soon they lost track of him in the jungle. They too were screaming something, but Dean couldn't hear what.

Suddenly, the jungle ended when he took a step through a thick shrubbery and he found himself standing in front of a deep ravine. The mud and the grass beneath his soles were exchanged for sand and dirty pebbles, and they slid under Dean's boots. He had time to stop before the descent, but a few small stones did fall, leaving a soft echo behind.

Taking a deep breath and focusing on keeping the weight of his body on solid ground, he leaned forward, carefully gazing down the crack. Far, far down there, a river flowed but from here the water was hardly even the size of an average forest snake. A fall from such a height would surely kill a man. Which brought Dean to the second thing he saw in the gauge.

The man hung onto a rope for dear life, face turning paler even more for each time he looked down. There were a number of ropes and lines, all knotted together in a complicated system which Dean had never seen the like of before. The ropes crossed each other and in the middle of it all, a short, round man clung to one of them for his dear life. His face was red and he shouted up at Dean as soon as he saw him

“It was a trap, set by the bloody Indians! I walked to close to the treasure and I fell down here. Help me up!”

Looking to his left, Dean realized that indeed, there was the treasure they had been traveling for some odd weeks and days to lay their hands on. It just stood there, several chest filled to the brim with valuables. There were gold, silvers and jewels Dean didn't know the name of. They were crafted into beautiful shapes and when the sun hit those visible, their sparkle made Dean turn his face away, instead focusing on the dangling man again.

“Who exactly are you then? Are you after the treasure?”

“Well, my name is Crowley and I was born in Scotland with a loving mother and for God's sake, who cares? I'm more pissed than anything else. And yes, like any sane man, I wanted the treasure but I would rather live so if you get me out of here, I'm sure we can make a deal if you want it too. Now, there's a trigger to reverse the trap to your left, among the treasure. You can't miss it.”

“Right then,” Dean said as he took a hesitant step towards the treasure. A curse in what probably was Scottish was heard from the depth and Dean swallowed. He had no idea who the man was or how he had gotten to the same place as them. Maybe he had followed them or something. No matter, he couldn't let an, as far as he knew, innocent man die just because he lusted after the same treasure.

The stones crumbled under his soles as he strode forth and in the far distance, he could hear the shouts of Castiel and his other crew mates. He shouted for them to come join him, that he had found the treasure. It was a truly magnificent sight and Dean wondered just how much the whole collection was worth. Surely enough to provide for the whole ship for a long, long time. Yet, among all the valuables, he couldn't see anything that seemed to release the trap. He was just about to ask Crowley when he stepped on something hard and a snapping sound was heard, not very unlike that of a whip.

It all went so fast and Dean hardly had a chance to know what really was up and what really was down. All he knew was that he was falling and falling fast. Something was obviously wrong. He grabbed in the thin air and the breath escaped his lungs. He couldn't see anything but colors flashing before his eyes, the black over taking him.

Then his hand finally found something tangible and he grabbed a hold of it for dear life. The rope burned in his palm as he slid to a firm halt. His body wanted him to let go of the thing that hurt his hands so, but by sheer will, he hung onto the rope. He hardly dared to look down, but he need the confirmation that it really was true. Far down there, the river flowed, but the sound of the stream hardly made it up to the height Dean was hanging from.

He had walked straight into a trap. It didn't take many seconds before he realized that, that Crowley had betrayed him. Not that they had any obligation to be loyal, but its till stung. Dean had only been out to save the other man, but instead he had walked in what had probably been the second set-off of the trap. And here he was, hanging from one of the ropes criss-crossing the ravine with nothing below his feet but a free fall towards was pretty much certain death. The Winchester luck struck again.

When he looked up he could see Crowley crawl up on the opposite cliff side. The man brushed the dirt off his pant legs and when he saw Dean he gave him a mock salute. A grin was plastered to his face and Dean kicked the air in a futile attempt to just do something against it.

“I must thank you, Winchester. I never believed that someone would come to this god-forsaken part of the world, and especially never someone dumb enough to actually trust me and fall into the trap. It's a shame about the treasure, but I have other ways to get filthy rich. I am really thankful. Not that we will ever see each other again, but send the demons of hell kind regards from Anthony Crowley!”

“Fuck you, Crowley! I swear I will find you and...”

The very next moment, Castiel, Gabriel, Balthazar and the rest of the men burst out of the jungle. Just like Dean, the sudden change to gravel made them slow down a second, but that was enough for Crowley to run in the opposite direction. He probably had a ship waiting for him, or another mean to escape, but at this time, Dean had other things on his mind than harboring ill feelings for the bastard.

“Cas! Cas! Gabriel, fucking someone! Help!”

“Dean,” came the first tentative question from a voice he recognized as Castiel's. “Dean!”

Castiel's face appeared over the edge. He must be laying on his stomach since his face was too close to the ground and thus the crack for Dean's liking. Castiel tried to reach down and attempted to grab the ropes Dean was hanging from, but to no avail.

“Dean,” Castiel breathed, his voice dropping even deeper than usual. “Dean, please.”

There wasn't anything Dean could do to humor his lover's pleas but continue to hang onto the rope for his dear life. He could feel its rough surface burning through the skin of his palm and he grit his teeth. He slipped, ever so little, once in a while, but no matter how little it was, he was sliding towards his doom in the shape of a very deep swan dive.

“Cas...”

“Dean, we're going to get you up from there, don't worry. Just, just, hang on, well, I guess I don't have to tell you that. Just stay calm, Dean. But really, how the hell did you end up down there?”

It was Gabriel now and Dean caught a glimpse of him peering over Castiel's head and down towards Dean.

“Don't go near the treasure. There's some kind of trap that swings you out here. There was a.... There was a man down here and he told he that he would get up if I loosened something there and I'm not even sure. It all went so fast. Shit, my head is still spinning and I don't know how long I can hang on here. But just, don't walk into the fucking trap. Cas, can you hear me?”

Castiel must have heard him because almost immediately he responded with a question of his own. “Did he make it? The man you mentioned, did he fall or did he get up?”

Castiel stood up at that and Dean craned his neck to be able to see him, but the angle and the depth of the ravine made that impossible. He had an uneasy feeling from the tone in Castiel's voice and he clenched his muscles in a futile attempt to drag himself further up so he could see Cas. Groaning, he gave up his tries and settled for not falling headlong towards his death.

Still, the sound of lowered voices and boots that shuffled back and forth in the gravel above him didn't help his uneasiness. Not even a 'hey' that echoed quite a bit in the crack attracted their attention. He couldn't hear what they were saying up on the plateau, but it was obvious fro their voices that Castiel and Gabriel was arguing about something. Dean guessed that while he probably wouldn't like it, he would probably find out what they were fighting about soon.

“I am not letting you do that, Cas,” Gabriel suddenly burst out loud enough for Dean to hear it too. “Dean, please tell my idiot cousin that he isn't allowed to do that!”

“Do what?”

He was finally permitted into the conversation again, but just as he had foreseen, he didn't like it one bit. Gabriel was their captain and that gave him a certain power to deliver orders from the top of the chain. If Gabriel couldn't stop Castiel from doing whatever he planned to do, Dean would probably fail too. And the fact that Gabriel said no in the first place didn't feel good. This was the man who threw parties every other night and let two of his men to have an open love affair on board. Gabriel give any orders because he enjoyed the power of being able to do so. If and when he actually gave a proper order it was because of good reasons and one ought to listen and obey.

“We can get you up the same way you fell in,” Gabriel told him. “If someone releases the trap the same way you did. And Cas. Cas volunteered.”

“Cas, I will never let you do that, understand? I will never fucking forgive you if you do. Every damned day from now on I will blame myself for your death if you do that, everyday and I won't ever, ever forgive you. And you know what? If you get me out of here by replacing me with yourself, I'll just do the same thing. I'll get back down here if you're here. An infinite loop of the two of us saving each other whilst falling, is that what you want? You're no getting it, 'cause You Are Staying Up THERE!”

His breathing was already heavy from the physical strain of clinging onto the rope and the shouting didn't help him with that. He closed his eyes in an attempt to not imagine Castiel in his current position, but it was hard, oh so hard. Ever since the pirate hunter's ship had been sighted, Dean had carried with him the nagging feeling of what would happen if Castiel were to be hurt or die under Dean's watch. They had been mere friends the first time, no matter Dean's crush, but now there really wasn't a chance in Hell that he would let Castiel sacrifice himself for Dean's sake.

Once again, he tried to pull himself up, but his arms just shook with the effort with no result. He cursed more than the whole crew of pirates did during one day in less than a minute and then blinked away the tears he refused to acknowledge. He was about to die, but rather he than Cas so at least something good came out of it all.

“Cas?!”

“Dean, I can not leave you down there,” Castiel said as his head appeared over the edge again. His mouth was a tight line and the look he gave Dean was a given sign that he wasn't giving up just yet. “I do not care what you think, but I am not leaving you down there!”

Dean himself would rather not be left down there, but there really wasn't any other option. Then again, he was probably supposed to have died when Lucifer attacked his ship. If you looked at it that way, he had been given several extra weeks to live. Now, that wasn't the longest time span a man could wish for, but what weeks it had been.

Above him, they had returned to talking with murmuring voices, all too quiet for Dean to hear anything but the occasional odd phrase that really didn't make any sense when it stood alone. There were talking about cutting the ropes, or pulling Dean up with the help of lianas, but all the ideas were dismissed after further thinking and observation of the trap. After a while, Dean tuned out the talk. He looked down into the great abyss, his throat getting dry. His arms were shaking now and he could feel sweat dripping from his forehead and between his shoulder blades. He wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer.

He tried to breath calm, keeping it slow and with a rhythm. The height didn't decrease any, not even in his mind but at least his shaking calmed a little with his breathing. He forced himself to look down, because if he was going to die, he might as well do it with the little honor he still had. Biting his lips, he closed his eyes as he wondered whether he ought to hold on as long as he was able to, or if he just should let go of it all without drawing it out.

“Wait, that might actually work.”

Dean's head snapped up but still all he could see were the cliff walls and the blue sky above them. It was Gabriel who had spoke the words, but Dean wasn't sure that meant anything. The only way someone could get him up was by replacing him, and that wasn't happening, thank you very much.

“Gabriel, what do you think you're doing this time?”

Before Dean got an answer to his question, an object flew past his face. He could feel the wind against his cheek as it passed, but it was long gone down the great fall before he could turn his head towards it. Another thing flew past him and hit his foot on its way down. It was hard, made of metal, and Dean groaned deep back in his throat in pain. After yet another curse, it all started to dawn for Dean what they are doing up on the ground.

“Gabriel, please don't tell me you're doing what I think you are doing. Gabriel, Castiel, that's just foolish, come on. Oh, you can't be serious...”

The later part was added when a full-loaded chest tumbled down, opening its lid during the fall. Treasure spilled out from it, creating a rain of gold and silver and jewels spraying down the ravine. Nothing more hit Dean, which was lucky because it must have weighted quite a bit. Another chest flew down towards the river deep below and Dean started to think that Gabriel was much madder than he had thought.

As the third chest was tipped over the edge, Dean could feel a tug in the rope. At first he thought that the chest had hit it and that the rope was going to snap, causing him to follow the gold. Then he started to hoist upwards and with every piece of treasure that passed him, he got closer to the edge and his salvation.

“You, my dear sir,” Dean breathed as he finally could let go of the rope and instead grab Castiel's waiting hands. “are a fucking lunatic.”

“Well, of course I am,” Gabriel only laughed as an answer as he looked down on Dean on the ground. “All the best are a little messed up. But if I were a sane man, you'd still be hanging from a rope or falling to your death, so lets be a little fair shall we?”

Dean just laughed with him as he looked up at the sky. It was an odd, yet wonderful feeling to see the sky spreading out over him, now not limited by the cliff walls. It didn't take long before his vision was obscured once again, but this time, Dean had no objections what so ever. Castiel leaned over him and soon his lips met with Dean. It was a soft kiss, a delicate one, yet Dean could feel the pressure behind it. Castiel's hands gripped his shoulders through his shirt so tight he could feel his nails digging into his skin, even through the fabric.

“If you ever, ever pull a trick like that again, Dean, I swear I will... I will... I will hurt you,” Castiel mumbled into his neck and apparently he had already earned up to that because Castiel's fist met Dean's chest. It wasn't with any force to talk about and it only caused Dean to smile wider when his fingers tangled in Castiel's hair, pulling him in for another kiss. Cas pushed against his chest again, but Dean just pulled him closer, shutting his eyes as he let the pure feeling of Castiel and just being alive take over.

* * *
While the men prepared the dinghy for their return to the ship, Dean pulled Gabriel to the side of the beach. Gabriel looked questioning at him, wondering what he wanted at a time like this. Dean then forced himself to take a deep breath because he needed to clear some things up.

“Not that I'm not grateful or anything, but why? With the treasure you could have spent the rest of you days lazying around on a veranda with a drink in your hand and a woman on your arm. I just don't understand why you gave up all that just for... for...”

“Just for you,” Gabriel supplied, but he didn't seem too thrilled about it. It didn't get any better when Dean breathed out an 'yeah'.

“Dean. Dean-o. I am going to forgive you just this once for a comment like that, because you're obviously still in some kind of shock or something.”

He took a step closer to Dean, looking up at him and straight into his eyes. They were strong-willed and seemed to penetrate even Dean's mind, and it was very clear that the captain didn't consider this a laughing matter.

“Look, a fortune can be measured in gold and jewels and other valuables like those in that treasure, but a life can't. No money can bring someone back from the dead. Like any moderately sane person, I don't like loosing people. But, Dean, if you ask one more time why I saved you life instead of grabbing that bloody treasure, I swear that I will personally feed the sharks your remains with a silver spoon. Understand now?”

Dean opened his mouth and yet not a sound escaped him. He closed it again, before repeatedly opening it, this time with his jaw hanging slack. Gabriel smirked at him, the wolf grin seemingly broadening by the second. He patted Dean's shoulder before nodding towards the approaching Castiel and with a mumbled 'That's what I though', he walked away.

Dean's jaw was still hanging loose when Castiel walked up to him, a question about it hanging from his lips. Dean straightened his back, but still wouldn't look away from Gabriel's back as it walked further away.

“Did my cousin threaten you again?”

“I'm not sure actually,” Dean said, finally snapping his gaze away from the captain. “I think so. All I did was to ask why he chose me over the treasure.”

This time it was Castiel's turn to be quiet and just look at Dean.

“Please tell me that you are joking. You did not say something like that to Gabriel. Are you just incapable of believing in your self-worth, or is there something else that is wrong with you? You deserve to be saved, Dean Winchester, no matter how big of a moron you are. I am not going to lecture you, but for God, or somebody else sake, do know that I love you enough to put the world on second place. No matter how embarrassing you think it is.”

“You're going to be the death of me, you know,” Dean sighed as he shook his head. Not true to his words, his arms found their way around Castiel's body, drawing smiles from both the men.

“Actually, Dean. I suspect that what I am doing counts as the opposite.”

The End

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