Carry on After

7

Castiel whips his head around with a shocked look as he recognizes the hand around his wrist.

"Dean-"

"No. Shut up."

To say Cas was taken aback would be an understatement. Dean had never told Castiel to 'shut up' before, and the angel didn't know what to think about it.

"...what?"

"Shut up, and let me explain... please." The stern in his eyes turned sympathetic, and Cas nodded. The grip on Castiel's wrist eased up and traveled down with hesitance. Dean was now holding Castiel's hand softly. Cas's lips parted and he looked up into Dean's eyes.

"I... as I was saying, I had a lot of time to think about what happened and what you said... I want you to know that it meant a lot to me." Dean then looked up from the ground, when he saw the angel, he had a worried/fond look in his stare. Dean quickly departed from the other's gaze bashfully as his cheeks grew pink, he cleared his throat and continued.

"Since the moment I met you, in that barn, I knew you were special. I knew that we would become close one day. And maybe that was because you saved me... or you were kind to me and Sam, but whatever," Dean slowly placed his other hand over Castiel's, now holding the angel's hand with two of his own.

"I've marked that you were unusual since the start, and I like that about you." He smiled and laughed, now forming tears as he gazed at Cas. "You're like family to me Cas... like a brother,"

Cas looked down and closed his eyes with a hard swallow, as a single tear falls down his cheek...