The Angel Next Door

|THIRTEEN| The Starry Impala

I knocked on Cas's front door at 8:00 p.m.
I let out a deep breath as I waited for him to answer the door.
I hope he's not busy...
The front door opened, but instead of Cas, it's his mom.
"Hello, is Cas home?" I asked, politely as possible.
She smiled at me, gesturing for me to come inside.
"Yes, he's in the shower right now though. What do you need?" She asked, closing the door once I stepped inside.
"I was just wondering if he wanted to come star gazing with me." I explained, excitement rising inside me.
Her face lit up, a grin spreading onto her lips. "Oh, that's so romantic!"
My eyes widened, taken back when she said the word 'romantic.'
She must have noticed my expression, so she explained. "Oh, yeah. I know that you two are dating. Cas first came out to me when he was younger." She waved it off like it was no big deal.
"He won't stop talking about you either! I swear that kid can go on and on sometimes."
I nodded, feeling my face heat up. C'mon Cas, please don't tell me you tell her everything we do...
"Hey, Dean." A familiar voice greeted behind me.
I turned around, seeing a bright eyes Castiel standing at the bottom of the stairs.
"Not that I mind, but why are you here?" He asked, taking a step towards me.
I tried to stay calm, but with his damp hair folded over his forehead and those bright blue eyes staring innocently at me; It was making it difficult.
I shrugged, taking his hand in mine. "I'm going to surprise you."
A huge smile spread onto his face. "Okay," he said, shyly.
He walked to the door, and I opened it for him, smiling.
"You two be safe now!" His mother called after us before walking towards the front door.
"We will," I responded, giving her a reassuring nod.
"Where are we going?" Cas asked once we were inside the Impala.
"You'll see when we get there," I said, driving down the road to the special spot I discovered a few weeks ago.
Cas fussed in his seat the whole ride, constantly asking when we will arrive.
"If you ask one more time, you will get no kisses from me," I threatened trying to be serious, but I couldn't help the smile that was plastered on my face.
He pouted, folding his arms over his chest. "But, Deannnn."
"Shush," I insisted, turning into an open field.
Cas peered out the window, looking up at the dark night sky.
"Here," I said, putting the car in park.
He glanced at me, his eyes wide with wonder.
I opened the car door for him, as I got out two beers from the back seat.
"Shhh," I hushed as I handed one to him. He graciously accepted it, twisting off the cap and taking a gulp.
We both lied on the hood of the Impala listening to the faint sound of music and enjoying the view of twinkling stars.
"So, you've been living in Wisconsin for, what, a little over a year and you've never been here before?" I asked, taking a swig of my beer.
"Nope. I don't get out much I guess," he laughed.
The sound of his laugh caused my insides to feel bubbly and warm, and I don't think it was from the beer.
"I have a question," Cas said suddenly, turning his head to look at me.
"What's that, Cas?" I asked, turning my head slightly.
"How come you never talk about your mom? Or whenever I ask about her, you avoid the subject?"
I clenched my teeth, sitting up on the hood.
I swirled around the remaining beer in the bottle, trying to think of a way to talk around the subject.
"Please," Cas persisted, sitting up next to me. "You can tell me."
I let out a deep sigh, closing my eyes. He deserves to know, doesn't he?
"When I was young," I began, my voice cracking. "Our old house burned to the ground. My brother and I got out okay. But my mom... was still inside." I paused, taking in a sharp breath. "My dad kept telling us how he tried to get her out. But, he couldn't. I don't think anyone could have saved her."
I cleared my throat, glancing at Cas for a moment. His eyes were sad, sympathy covering his features. I looked away, the sight of him making it more difficult to tell my story.
"Sammy barely remembers her, but I do. She was the only piece of normal I had left, and it was destroyed." I swallowed back the emerging tears, letting out a shaky breath. "Maybe that's why I love you so much. You are the normal I've been missing my whole life."
Cas remained silent, gently taking my hand in his.
"Don't leave me," I whispered weakly, cringing at how weak I was sounding.
"I won't," he replied, softly.
I cleared my throat again, squeezing his hand.
"That's why we move around so much, I think it's because we want to run away from the past. But you can never really out run what's apart of you, can you?" I lightly shook my head, images of my mother floating into my mind.
"I miss her," I said, looking up at the night sky, pushing tears away.
"It's okay," Cas reassured me, lightly touching my face with his hand, making me look into his eyes.
"I know," I whispered, falling into his touch.
And I did know, I would always know when I was with him.