mémoire

part onze

Dean felt his breath leave him in a rush. He hadn't actually been expecting Castiel to say it back, he'd just been expecting a small "I know," or some snarky remark.

Not a repetition.

He stared at Cas and slowly felt his lips pull up in a smile. "You... You love me too?"

"How could I not?" Castiel whispered, smiling as well. "You're adorable. You're irresistible, Dean. You care, for God's sake, so much about everyone around you. You're smart and funny. And, God," Cas paused, reaching out to cup Dean's cheek, "that smile could fuel the sun."

Dean felt his cheeks heat up and leaned forward, grabbing Castiel's jacket to pull him roughly so their lips collided. His arms slid around Castiel's neck as the kiss softened and a smile broke into the kiss when hands curled around Dean's hip and the back of his neck. They pulled away slowly after a bit, settling back into that comfortable silence. The couple looked out over the water, smiling and holding hands.

The silence wasn't really a silence, however. The silence carried their words in it, holding them there. It made them reluctant to leave their positions.

When they finally did leave, it was slow. They didn't want to leave the moment in the dust. Dean and Cas wandered around for a bit, walking as slow as they could, arms hooked together.

They didn't talk either.

It was a somber type of happiness that they were in. While they walked slowly, they both kept sneaking looks at each other. Every few times they would catch the other and grin, leaning in for a small kiss before starting to walk again.

Dean couldn't believe it. He was in love... Deeply in love. His hand tightened in his pocket as he pushed himself not to cry again. He glanced up at Cas again, still smiling. God, this guy was adorable. Castiel was still grinning, looking up at the sky. Dean's eyes wandered over the way Castiel's hair hung back slightly, off of his forehead. Mental note: Cas needs a slight haircut, Dean thought with a short laugh. Dean admired the straight nose, eyelashes, even the ears, of his boyfriend happily.

"Do you want to go out for a quick lunch before we have to head back to Lawrence?" Dean asked softly, still looking at Cas.

"Sure," was the reply along with a smile.

The rest of March and April flew by as well.

Spring break was spent at each other's houses, Sam having spent every possible minute with Jess as well.

Dean and Cas hadn't said 'I love you' since the day by the river.

May came quickly, and along with that came the summer. May meant Mother's Day, which Sam and Dean used to head down to the cemetery and visit their mother.

Mother's Day was always rough on them. They usually ended up sitting down beside the headstone, talking like she was sitting in front of them with a smile. Like it was a normal family occurrence, sitting by a grave and talking without talking to each other. It usually ended in one of them leaning against the other and crying, and that person was usually Sam. He'd never really known their mom, and he wanted to. He really wanted to.

Every Mother's Day, Dean described her to Sam. Sam deserved it, he really did, He deserved to know that both of their parents had once been amazing people and that their mother had been loving and happy once. The same went for their father.

It upset Dean, too, that Sam never got to see that. The most Sam saw of it was on family videos, where only one showed Sam, who was a baby at the time.

But Dean never failed to make Sam laugh when he said that he should get some damn credit on that day for raising Sam.

After he said that, sitting in front of the headstone marked Mary Winchester, he pulled his brother close and slung an arm over his shoulders, pressing a familial kiss in Sam's wind mussed hair.