[Destiel] The Dadification of One Castiel Novak

Part 2

It takes a few weeks of research for Castiel to come up with some semblance of an answer to this nagging question of his. Why was his vessel aging, while other angels' were not? And the answer comes from a simple text that dealt with an angel who had fallen, not out of heaven, but in love. Castiel supposed it made sense. He had loved both Dean and Sam, and now Jack, fiercely. He had come to love this whole world, through that love. But if he were being honest with himself... It was more focused than that. More singular. It began long before Jack—it even began before he met Sam. Castiel had been in love, on some level, with Dean since he had laid a hand on him in Hell, all those years ago. Castiel hurriedly took Jimmy as a vessel just so he could speak with Dean, to continue exploring their profound bond. He rebelled from Heaven for Dean. He always came when Dean called. If there was ever an option between Dean and anything else; he always chose Dean. He loved Dean, he realized with a sharp clarity. And the reality wasn't that his vessel was simply aging—no, it was more than that.

Castiel gently closes the book, and places his hand overtop of it, wordlessly thanking it, as if it housed a divine voice that had spoken to him personally. He slides it back in its home on the library shelf, then sets off to find the root cause of all of this.

Dean is in his room, as he so often is. He hadn't grown up with a bedroom, Castiel knows, so perhaps he is attempting to make up for lost time, so to speak. Dean has nested. It's good.

Castiel knocks on the door, twice in quick succession.

"Come in." That familiar voice calls from within.

So Castiel obeys. The door creaks a little as Castiel swings it open. He steps inside, and carefully shuts the door behind him.

This seemed to pique Dean's attention, who had previously just been lounging on the bed with his laptop resting on his thighs. Castiel doesn't normally shut the door behind him, so when he does just that, it signals to Dean that there is something of import to discuss. Perhaps something not to be overheard by anyone besides the two of them. Dean closes the computer and sits up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed.

"What's up?" He asks.

"I figured it out." Castiel happily reports, though he's sure his face is still as solemn as ever. It took quite a bit to get him to emote.

Dean squints in confusion, "figured what out?"

"Why I'm aging." Castiel raises his brows, which probably causes more lines to appear. More than he had when he first took over Jimmy Novak's youthful, barely blemished body.

"Oh? Lay it on me, big guy." Dean spreads his arms out in front of him, like he's ready to receive something.

So Castiel 'lays it on him': "It's something I'm choosing."

"What? Really?" Dean smiles and frowns at the same time—this is a face Castiel knows well; it's Dean's confused face.

So Castiel nods, then clarifies, "I'm choosing to grow old with you."

This doesn't seem to alleviate Dean's confusion. In fact, if Castiel is correct, it only deepens. Only now he's flushed a healthy shade of pink. "You're choosing to grow old with me?" He echoes.

Oh, good. He understands.

"Why?" Dean asks.

Oh, he doesn't understand.

Castiel pauses a beat, unsure of how to properly explain it. He chastised himself for not bringing the book so he could simply show Dean his source. "An angel can choose to age alongside a human with whom they share a strong emotional connection with."

"Let me guess: like a profound bond?" Dean quirks a brow.

"Precisely." Castiel gives a small smile, proud of Dean for catching on so quickly after all.