The Year of Redemption

Chapter 49: You Are In Love

The angel came back that night, just like he'd promised. Dean was waiting in the living room, drinking a beer and pacing. At the end of one of his paces, just before he turned around, Cas appeared in front of him, as if he had calculated perfectly where Dean would be standing.

The hunter's face lit up. He leaned slightly forwards onto his toes and planted a kiss on Castiel's lips. Then he grabbed the angel's hand, dragging him towards the door. He finished off his beer and picked up another one from the end table, popping the top and handing it to Cas. Then he opened the front door and pulled the angel out. "Come on," he said excitedly.

Cas followed, compliant but confused. "Dean, where are we going?"

"You'll see," Dean teased, continuing to drag Castiel towards the Impala. He opened the passenger side door and gestured for Cas to get in. The angel glanced at him, but acquiesced, lowering himself into the car and taking a few swigs of the beer Dean had given him. Dean rushed to the driver's side and started the engine, looking sidelong at Cas and smirking just a bit.

The angel caught his eye. "Dean, what is all this?" he inquired. Cas had expected just another quiet night at the cabin, trying to lull Dean to sleep. The hunter was still exhausted, he was sure, but it didn't look like Dean was going to submit to any of that tonight. He was all wound up with energy instead.

The hunter turned his eyes towards the front windshield. He felt like he did owe Cas some sort of an explanation. Either that, or he really just had to get this off his chest. It had been weighing on his mind ever since the angel had come back, ever since Cas had basically saved him from himself.

"Cas, it's like..." he started, hesitantly. "You always take care of me, you know... Hell, I've lost count of the number of times." Dean's eyes moved to the angel's hand resting on the seat. "Let me take care of you for once." He glanced up at Cas tentatively. The angel was silent, motionless.

Without another word, Dean revved the engine and tore out of the driveway. He flew down the deserted two-lane road, taking it several miles up into the mountains, then he pulled off into a random unmarked turnout and shut down the engine. Cas looked at him skeptically, and Dean nodded towards his door. Castiel opened it and got out, leaning up against the Impala to wait for Dean.

The hunter's phone suddenly vibrated. Dean eyed it, flipping the phone open irritably. 'Text from Sandra,' it read on the display.

"Tell him," was all the message said.

Dean replied to the text quickly, feigning ignorance: "What??"

He glanced out the passenger window impatiently. Cas was still waiting there, without a care in the world. Dean rolled his eyes. A couple seconds later, his phone lit up again: "You haven't told him yet. Tell him."

Dean gazed out the front windshield and up towards the sky. He cursed the psychic under his breath, then looked at his phone again. "Some privacy, please?" he texted.

The reply came quick. "Sorry, your souls are just so loud in the universe. I'll try to tune them out. Now, go." Dean rolled his eyes and threw his phone on the seat of the Impala. He opened his door and joined Cas, who was still leaning against the car door and looking towards the sky, seeming lost in thought.

"What're you thinking about?" Dean asked, walking over and leaning against the car beside the angel.

Cas continued to stare at the night sky. "I was thinking about how much I enjoy viewing the stars with you," he replied honestly. The angel lowered his face to look at Dean. He could have sworn some of the stars had just fallen from the sky and planted themselves in the hunter's eyes.