Until the End | A Supernatural~Destiel Fic

Chapter 18

The next few weeks passed blissfully. The boys fell into the routine of a brilliant normalcy they didn't know they could afford.

Many mornings passed in which the only thing of concern on Dean's mind was what to have for breakfast.

Cas had picked up many skills around the bunker, such as cooking and cleaning.

He'd often spend hours on end just watching Sam or Dean, studying how humans worked and thought. It's not like he had much to do, anyways.

Dean went back to work, and Sam back to teaching. He often found himself bored, but it never concerned him...because people get bored, too, and he wanted to be normal.

Dean found a way to buy back Cas' car, seeing as he couldn't fly.

The first thing Cas did his first day alone was go for a drive. He'd recalled seeing both the Winchesters taking long car rides in an attempt to clear their heads, so Cas thought he'd give it a try.

And once he got going, there was no stopping him. He returned to the bunker one night with nothing but a scrap of paper and sheer terror in his eyes.

Dean, noticing this, filled with instant panic. "Cas?! Cas, what's wrong? What happened?!"

When Cas didn't respond, but instead moved the hand with the piece of paper slightly, Dean reluctantly reached to grab it.

He eyed it for only a few seconds before sighing and visibly relaxing. He stifled a chuckle before speaking. "Y-you got a speeding ticket?" he asked, a small smile playing at his lips.

"The man asked me a lot of questions, Dean. I didn't mean to get into trouble," Cas said.

Dean looked closer at the piece of paper in his hands. "Why were you going 95 in a school zone, Cas?"

Cas kept a steady glare at the ground and sighed shakily. "I wasn't going very fast at first, but...when I picked up the speed, I just..." He brought his eyes up to meet Dean's before continuing. "It was the closest I'd been to flying in long time."

Dean's gaze softened as he set the ticket down, and wrapped Castiel into a warm embrace.

He laughed lightly, recalling just how silly the situation was, before speaking. "I know adjusting must be hard for you...I won't pretend to know what it's like, because I don't." Dean released Cas from his grasp to look him in the eye, keeping a firm grasp on his shoudlers.

"It's gonna get better, I promise you. I would tell you that everything is gonna be okay, but I don't believe that. Everything can't be okay all of the time, that's just how the world is. But I swear to you that you, you Cas, you are gonna be okay. I'm sorry you have to leave a lot of your past behind you, but no one ever gets far if they're only looking back," and with a smile, Dean slid his hand down Cas' arm and grabbed his hand and kissed it, earning him a sincere grin.

That grin soon turned to worry as Castiel reached up to touch his face. "Dean, why are my cheeks warm? What's happening?"

Dean couldn't help but laugh for a moment at just how innocent Castiel was. It made him very happy. "You're blushing, Cas. It happens...don't worry."

Cas' expression softened and he continued to tell Dean about his day.

~

Cas should've known something was wrong when he woke up from a seemingly deep sleep.

At first he thought nothing of it. He was next to Dean, which made him smile. Everything seemed to be fine, except for one thing: he woke up. He woke up, which suggests that he fell asleep.

Angels do not sleep.

Even if he can't fly and the grace keeping him celestial wasn't his, he should not, under any circumstances, be able to sleep.

He sat for a while, debating whether or not to wake Dean up. This matter was rather important, but one glance at the sleeping hunter made Cas recall his hand.

It was hard for Dean to sleep in the first place, but after everything with the Mark and Castiel being "dead," right now all he needed was rest, and Cas didn't want to be the one cause of disturbing that.

So he sat, with Dean on his mind and worry in his heart.

When Dean finally did wake up, Cas had migrated to the main sitting room of the bunker. His eyes found the sleepy Dean emerging from the hall, yawning absentmindedly as he rubbed his eyes.

"Morning, Cas," he grinned, placing a gentle kiss to the top of Castiel's head.

"Good morning, Dean. Did you sleep well?" Castiel asked, making room for Dean to sit beside him. Dean sat down with a sigh and nodded.

Cas desperately wanted to talk to Dean about what had been troubling him, but seeing the way Dean was so worry-free these days, Castiel felt as if telling him would ruin that.

He couldn't do that to Dean. So he didn't.

That night, Cas was almost afraid to fall asleep. Dean had fallen asleep already, and was sofly snoring beside Cas, a limp arm draped over his waist.

Castiel wasn't by any means uncomfortable. Ever since he learned his feelings for Dean were requited, he loved nothing more than to be close to Dean.

But he soon found himself growing tired, which should have rose a red flag right then and there, but mental exhaustion got the best of him, and he was out like a light.

~
WAKE UP
        WAKE UP, CASTIEL
                THIS ISN'T REAL
                        NONE OF THIS IS REAL
                                YOU NEED TO WA-
~

Cas woke up panting, a fresh bead of sweat decorating his forehead. He couldn't see, but he was almost positive it was daytime, and that terrified him.

Suddenly, Cas could hear someone calling out. It was faint, like the sound was emerged underwater. Or was Castiel the one in water? He didn't know...which didn't help the fear aspect of everything.

The sound got louder, and Cas was filled with immense relief when he recognized the voice as Dean's.

"Cas! Wake up, please!" he yelled. As Cas' vision started to return, he saw the panicked look across Dean's face.

"D-Dean?" he questioned, still on edge.

Dean sighed loudly and brought Castiel into a hug. "What the hell happened to you?!"

Cas pulled back, trying to string words together to provide an explanation, but looking into Dean's eyes made him stop in his tracks.

The magnificent forest green eyes Castiel had come to adore were no longer green.

They were a vibrant blue, eliciting an electric and uneasy feeling. Castiel couldn't think straight. His head was pounding in his ears.

He rubbed his eyes in an attempt to wake himself, if he was still dreaming.

He wasn't, and when he opened them again, Dean looked even more concerned and, to Castiel's relief, his eyes were green again.

"Hello? Cas?! Can you hear me...are you alright?" Dean pursued.

Cas collected his thoughts and said, "I'm fine. Everything is...fine."

As he would soon come to find out, he had never tried to convince himself of a greater lie in all his existence.