Left Ajar
15x18 coda. dean’s pov and jack’s pov. angst, spoilers. wc: ~1.1k
[READ ON AO3]
“Dean, uh, I’m starting to get worried, man. I… I really need to know if you’re okay. I’ve called you like twenty times on all your cells, and you’re not…
Jack and I—we’re…well, we’re alive. We can meet you there, or—or I guess you and Cas could meet us over here? But I just need a text or something to know that you’re okay. I just, ah…
I need you alive, Dean.“
—
Jack didn’t have the full picture, only a fragment. That’s what Dean was now—just a piece of himself that was missing the rest.
That’s how they all were, without…Cas.
Sam had told him—after Dean first showed up and Jack had asked the dreaded question of “Where’s Cas?”—Sam had told him that it was better to keep his distance from Dean for now. That this time was different than the other times.
“He’s…almost at the end of his rope, Jack.” Sam had looked sad, the light in his eyes just barely there, a small flicker that needed tending to. He’d scratched at his face in thought.
“I’ve, uh, I’ve never seen him like this before. Dean—I don’t know how much more he can take. Not with Cas…”
Not with Cas gone.
That’s what Sam had meant to say.
Jack stares at the back of Dean’s head from the back seat of the impala. His expression is stony, Jack has seen it before—eyebrows drawn, lips pursed, eyes cold. It was the look Dean got when he was keeping something in. Or, more likely, keeping something from spilling out.
They stop at a gas station about three hours into the drive. Sam slides out of the passenger seat to fill up the tank. Dean only nods vaguely when Sam says he’s got snacks and drinks covered before slipping into the Gas-N-Sip.
Jack wants to say something. He wants to comfort. He knows Cas would comfort. So he takes a deep breath to start, and—
“Don’t.”
Jack frowns. “Don’t what?”
“Just—” Dean sighs. “I know what you want to say. I get it. I’m…”
He waits for Dean to finish.
“I just can’t right now,” he finally whispers.
Jack’s gaze cuts across to the rearview mirror, where, if he angles himself right, he can see Dean’s expression.
It takes another minute or two before Jack tries again. Softer, this time, to break the silence gently.
“I…don’t understand, Dean.”
When Dean lets the space be filled with quiet, Jack takes it as a sign to continue.
“I knew about Cas’ deal. He told me not to tell you or Sam, but…” Jack lets out a breath, working around his thoughts. “But Cas told me he was far from happy. I don’t understand what changed.”
Jack’s eyes are trained on the mirror.
Dean sits frozen to the spot, something like ice making a chill run down his spine and cool his blood.
For a moment he thinks that Billie is back. He even jerks a bit to look, when he feels the hold around his heart return. It’s so strong, so tight, that Dean caves forward a bit from the force of it.
Far from happy.
The grip twists, presses harder.
Christ, how had Dean let him think that? How had Dean let himself sink so far down into his own emotions that Cas had really thought…that Cas didn’t think he could have it.
Dean wasn’t exactly open, but he’d left Cas a key. A key that was always up for grabs, always ready to open Dean’s door and let everything come spilling out.
Somehow, Cas had used a bobby pin to force the door at the last possible moment. He’d said the words. He’d said ‘I love you.’ Cas had told him. Cas was strong and brave and true.
And Cas didn’t think that Dean felt it, too.
So the door was more jammed than open. It was stuck, and Dean was somewhere between feeling everything at once and feeling nothing at all.
Because Cas had taken it with him. The key—the stupid key. He took it with him to the Empty, it was swallowed by black inky tendrils along with the rest of him.
And now Dean was left ajar.
He blinks up slowly, sees Sam’s form through the windows of the Gas-N-Sip. He remembers Cas, in a blue uniform, fiddling with a slushie machine that he had no business tending to.
And he remembers Cas, with Dean’s arm slung around him, the confused look after Dean told him that he’d had fun being with him.
He remembers Cas, by the river in a place that was ugly and pure and theirs, in worn, dirty clothes. And Dean remembers that he hadn’t been happier to see anyone before—not in a place like that. Not after looking for so long.
He remembers Cas, the look on his face, the tilt of his head that had heartbreak written all over it, when Dean had forced himself to kick Cas out of the Bunker. He remembers watching Cas walk away. He remembers never wanting anything more than to have Cas stay. He remembers realizing that was all he ever wanted.
He remembers his anger. He remembers how it made Cas leave. He remembers the sound of Cas’ footsteps ascending the Bunker staircase, the sound of the door squealing to a shut behind him.
He remembers going back. Going back to the place that was theirs. He remembers how his knees ached after he stood from the ground, how his fingertips felt with the wet of his tears. He remembers relief, he remembers the key sliding into the lock. He remembers Cas withdrawing it. “I heard your prayer.” But you didn’t hear my truth.
He remembers Cas, bloody and dying, looking Dean in the eyes when he told him “I love you.” When he dropped his gaze, told everyone else the same.
And Dean remembers Cas saying he was the cause of Cas’ change. He remembers the tears, tears he had never seen before, track down Cas’ cheeks. He remembers wanting to wipe them away. He remembers how it sounded like a prayer, how Cas praised his name. He remembers Cas confirming his goodbye. “Because it is,” he’d said. “I love you.”
He remembered the last words he ever heard, the last words that echoed in his mind: “Goodbye, Dean.”
Dean felt his heart sink again. Considers asking Sam to drive. Remembers Sam just lost the world.
So did he.
“Dean?” Jack asks. Dean meets his eyes in the mirror.
“What changed?” Dean repeats. He isn’t sure. Shakes his head a bit in thought.
“Nothing changed,” He decides. Dean sees Sam walking back towards the car, swallows hard to keep it contained, to keep his voice even. “That was the problem.”
—
tag list (ask to be added/removed):
@castiels-a-winchester @jellydeans @writtenmemxries @cestladean @randomblabbling @fluffiestlou @dreamnovak @weird-dorky-little-deana @bloodyhandprint @hunteriheroicii @friedchickenangelwings @galaxycastiel @destiel67 @destielle @dickspeightjrs @on-a-bender @organicpurplepants @casbelieves @boy-king @spacegirlstuff @seffersonjtarship @winchester-novak @professorerudite @squintingg @holmesemrys @imnotrevealingmyname @mishha @good-things-do-happen-dean @angxlsgrxce @casandeans
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5, 8, 15??
5. Who are your favourite Destiel tumblr accounts?
you of course :)) ok theres a lot: @joharvele @eccentriccas @heller-jensen @procrastinatingbisexual @gracefuldean @iheartcas @good-things-do-happen-dean @bloodyhandprint @casgirl @some-people-call-it-tragic @inacatastrophicmind @chaoticdean @dreamnovak @valleydean @rambleoncas @angelradi0 and so many more but my mind is blank i love all my mutuals
8. What is/are your favourite episode/s for Destiel?
12x10!!!!! 6x20, 5x03, 9x06, 8x08, 13x06 are all legendary too
15. Any fave headcanons, comments, or anything else you want to share about Deancas?
i actually always loved the dean doesnt know if cas loves like human so he won’t ever make the first move trope. and now jensen said yes you can have rights, so i feel very good right now
ask me about destiel
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15x18 coda. angst, sam’s pov. based off of @flowersforcas‘ post
“Dean…what happened?”
Even if it wasn’t for the bloody handprint on his shoulder, Sam would have known something was wrong just from Dean’s masked expression. There was naked truth there, somewhere underneath it all. Dean was doing exactly what Sam was—putting those feelings six feet under.
And he wouldn’t have asked if Dean hadn’t shown up by himself, if Cas were right there next to him. Because Dean was always alright if Cas was beside him. But now, where Cas aught to be, it just felt…empty.
Dean must have caught Sam staring at the jacket, because he frowned and looked down at himself, pulling the sleeve to get a better look.
Once he did, Dean froze.
“Where’s Cas?” Jack had to ask. Sam let out a breath, closed his eyes. His heart sank.
Not Dean, too.
It was enough for Sam to lose…to lose… but not Dean. Not…not after everything.
Sam wasn’t sure what to say. Dean wasn’t looking at his shirt any longer, but stood very still. His eyes were fixed on a point somewhere on the ground between them.
Sam took a few hesitant steps toward him, breaking into Dean’s space. When he was close enough, Dean looked up. His eyes glistened, but his mouth was pressed in a firm line.
Sam gave him a jerky nod, swallowed down some of the emotion that was bubbling up his throat like acid.
“We’ll get him back,” he promised. “We’ll get all of them back.”
-
tag list (ask to be added/removed):
@castiels-a-winchester ✧ @jellydeans ✧ @writtenmemxries ✧ @cestladean ✧ @randomblabbling ✧ @fluffiestlou ✧ @dreamnovak ✧ @weird-dorky-little-deana ✧ @bloodyhandprint ✧ @hunteriheroicii ✧ @friedchickenangelwings ✧ @galaxycastiel ✧ @destiel67 ✧ @destielle ✧ @dickspeightjrs ✧ @on-a-bender ✧ @organicpurplepants ✧ @casbelieves ✧ @boy-king ✧ @spacegirlstuff ✧ @seffersonjtarship ✧ @winchester-novak ✧ @professorerudite ✧ @squintingg✧ @holmesemrys ✧ @imnotrevealingmyname
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