The Year of Redemption

Chapter 62: Like I'll Never Love You Again

Cas smiled. "I think you're going to like this one." Dean let him go and climbed off of his lap so Cas could stand up. Instead of going to the tree, though, he went to the kitchen.

Dean just sat on the blanket, listening to him open cupboards and try not to make any noise while getting plates out. The angel came back into the living room with a tray, some utensils, and two plates. He set it all down in front of Dean, laying out the plates and forks, then uncovering the tray.

Beneath the lid was a still-steaming, golden brown apple pie that filled the air with cinnamon, syrup, and apple scent. Dean's eyes widened, and he brought his face just above the pie, letting the steamy, Christmas-y, delicious aroma fill his nose. He looked back up at Cas. "You made this?" he asked incredulously.

The angel nodded proudly. "I scratched it... or something..." His face twisted into a confused expression.

It took Dean a second to figure out what Cas meant. "You made it... from scratch?" he demanded, bewildered.

"I picked the apples from New Zealand, I harvested wheat from your home state of Kansas and ground it into flour, I cut down sugar cane from Brazil, I mined salt from Ontario, I ground cinnamon from the bark of Cinnamomum verum trees in Sri Lanka, and I churned butter from milk I extracted from cows in some small farm in India. Then I baked it in the vicinity of the dying sun Sher 25."

Dean looked stupefied. "Are you serious?" he asked.

"Do you really think I could make all of that up?" Dean shrugged in response, staring at the pie. Cas could swear he was going to start drooling at any minute. "Are you going to eat it or just stare all night?" the angel asked.

"It's so pretty," Dean muttered. Castiel rolled his eyes and unceremoniously plunged a knife into the center of the pie, cutting to the edge and then repeating to create a perfect triangular slice. Then he just-as-unceremoniously scooped the slice out of the tray with the fork and knife and dumped it onto Dean's plate.

"Beautiful work," the hunter remarked sarcastically. Cas rolled his eyes and set the plate in front of Dean. Then he carved another smaller slice to dump onto his own plate.

Cas stared expectantly at Dean. "God, eat it already," he implored.

Dean picked up the fork and scooped some of the pie off the plate, then raised it to his lips. He glanced at Cas once more before putting it in his mouth. Then his eyes closed as he chewed slowly, savoring the taste of sugary apples and spice.

"Holy mother of pie," he exhaled after swallowing, then frantically scooped up another forkful and shoved it in his mouth as well. "This is the best thing I've ever tasted, Jesus fucking Christ," he muttered, his mouth full.

"Don't forget to breathe," Cas reminded him, taking a bite of his own slice. He cocked his head to the side, tasting it. "It's alright, I guess," he commented.

"Cas, this is the most delicious pie in the world," Dean asserted, cleaning his plate off completely. The angel grinned, sliding his own plate over to Dean. The hunter immediately started shoveling the slice into his mouth. He had one more slice after that, then leaned back against the couch, closing his eyes, licking his lips, and patting his stomach. "Damn," he remarked.

Cas smiled at him, then took the pie and dishes back to the kitchen. He sat down next to the hunter, wiping a drop of cinnamon-sugar syrup from the corner of Dean's mouth and another drop from his chin. "You sure know the way to a man's heart," Dean commented, still in a mini food coma.

"No," Cas said, "just yours." He looked at Dean warmly. God, he would do anything for this man. Anything to make him happy, to make him look as content as he did right now. The angel scooted closer and kissed Dean's arm, just below his T-shirt sleeve. "I'm glad you liked it," he mumbled, resting his head on the hunter's shoulder.