About time (Destiel AU)

Chapter 13

The next day Cas tried to keep quiet about his trip with Dean, but three minutes in to his first shift at the café he simply couldn't hold it in. 

"We're gonna try and make things work Charlie! Obviously it won't be easy but he said he's going to break up with Lisa and then we'll go from there." He blurted. 

"No way! That's crazy! I'm so pleased for you Cas, you deserve to be happy." Charlie grinned squeezing Cas' hand. "So how long do you think it'll take for him to sort things out with Lisa?" 

"I don't know, he said he'd call me." Cas sighed realising that once again he was resting all his hopes on a phone call from Dean Winchester. "God, do you think I'm being stupid, what if things don't work out." 

"I think you're in love Cas, so yeah, you're being stupid, but if you don't try to make things work, you'll never know how things could've gone and not knowing would be much worse than the heartbreak you'll feel if this goes wrong." 

I Cas nodded, Charlie was right once again, he was about to say so when she smirked. "Hot girl alert. I'm going in." She patted Cas' shoulder as she walked passed him to the pretty brunette behind the counter. 

Cas' phone was never more than a few feet away from him for the next few days. It was like a second limb. He checked it at least once every 10 minutes, and when he was working it was all he could think about. Eventually Cas grew disheartened. Dean told him he'd call, he wasn't imagining that. He could still conjure Dean's face in the front seat of the impala, the dim amber street light illuminating his face in an orange glow. He could still feel the warmth coursing through his veins after kissing Dean. The pounding of his heart at the thought of them finally dating. 

He didn't want to call Dean because he didn't want to seem pushy or rush him, clearly breaking up with Lisa would be messy. But after five painfully slow and painfully quiet days Cas gave in. He bit at his fingernail as the phone rang. It rang again and again but ultimately there was no answer. The call went to voicemail. 

"Hey Dean, um, I'm sure you're busy with... well everything, I'd just like to know what's going on... with us. Just call me back ok. Bye." 

Cas put the phone down and chucked it onto his bed. He then collapsed face down onto the bed and screamed into his pillows. He was well and truly in the palm of Dean's hand, and as per usual he was just waiting for Dean to make a fist.

Another two days of radio silence went by and Cas felt like he was slowly descending into madness. 

After a long shift at the restaurant Cas walked through the dark streets towards the subway. Suddenly he stopped. He glanced round at the high-rise towers and blinking lights and turned the other way. At first he walked slowly through the cool evening night, then picked up the pace until he was running. 

Dean's apartment was only a few blocks away and Cas arrived quickly. He leant against a streetlamp to catch his breath. Cas scanned the tall building to the windows of Dean's floor. There was a light on in the apartment and one window was slightly ajar. Someone was in. 

As Cas ascended the elevator his heart was pounding and his head felt fuzzy, he had to see Dean. He had to know that it wasn't all just a dream. He had to know that Dean meant what he'd said, that he really loved him the same way.    

He walked along the beige carpet towards Dean's apartment. He had flashes of the last time he and Dean stumbled along that hallway months ago, drunk, Dean fumbling for his keys. 

Cas raised his hand and knocked on the door lightly. Silence. Then he heard the door unlocking and slowly it opened.    

Dean appeared in the doorway. Cas smiled at the sight of him but Dean's face fell, his eyes a little glassy and his cheeks red.