#i've watched s12 long after it aired so i lost all the amazing ficlets/codas/canon divergent stuff that the fandom surely came up with

[dcforts]

[monday 10 - free choice: paradise]

Dean takes the last familiar turn and brings the car to a stop next to a semi-beat up truck.

He gets out and takes a moment to breathe in the clean air, smell the trees all around him and hear the distant sound of the ocean.

Every other week Dean drives up to North Cove and finds himself on the doorsteps of the little cottage James Novak rented for Kelly Kline.

It’s been two months since the birth.

There’s no one to welcome him but he knows that the rumble of his car has announced him already. He smiles to himself at the feeling of anticipation he’s got at seeing them.

He doesn’t take out the door key he’s got in his pocket though, he knows that at this time of the day, when the sun is low, Castiel and Jack will be at the back catching the last rays of the sun.

So he rounds the house and he’s not disappointed.

He spots Jack first. He’s grown again from the last time he’s been here. As a Nephilim, his growing time does not match the one of any other human. He now looks like a ten-year-old, has a big mop of blond hair, bright blue eyes and a crooked friendly smile. Right now he’s standing with his arms outstretched and a focused expression on his face. Floating in front of him there are two trembling leaves that he’s struggling to keep up in the air with the power of his mind.

Homework time then.

Jack must see him with the corner of his eyes because he looks up towards him, and as he shouts “Dean!” the leaves fall back at his feet. He doesn’t seem to care as he runs toward him to hug his waist.

“Hey, kid.” He greets him patting his hair. Turning his head on the side he can see Castiel sitting on the wooden steps between the stone pillars. He is watching them with a soft smile on his lips.

Dean has seen many things in his life, impossible things, extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime things, but if someone had told him - that first day at the barn and in the many bloody, gruesome battles that had followed that day - that the angel at his side would one day retire from the world to fulfil a promise made to a mother and raise a child everyone was scared of and everyone wanted to use, and that he would protect him and guide him and teach him good from evil, right from wrong, patience and love - he wouldn’t have believed that.

And yet there he is - and there they are.

“Look what Cas taught me,” says Jack and runs back to where he was standing.

Dean drops his bag on the porch and sits next to Castiel. He looks just as he’s always looked every time Dean had come to visit. He’s still got worry in his hands and the weight of past burdens on his shoulders, but the bags under his eyes have almost disappeared and his gaze is steady, clear, his presence solid. He knows what he’s doing, he has no doubts about where he’s supposed to be.

He looks good.

“Hey,” Dean says.

“You are early,” he greets him. 

Dean clicks his toungue and escapes his eyes to focus on Jack, feeling a little embarrassed. He shrugs, “Slow week. Plus, sunsets are cool here. Didn’t wanna miss it.”

“They are.”

“Dean, are you watching?” Jack calls.

“Yeah, kid, go ahead.”

Jack takes a deep breath and brings his hands forward, his fingers outstretched. Slowly one leaf raises from the ground by itself, soon followed by another one and again, a third.

Dean claps and whistles so obnoxiously than Castiel leans away and Jack laughs and loses his concentration.

The leaves fall on the ground but he stills bounces full of joy coming towards them. “Did you see that? Did you see?” he says, but he doesn’t give him time to reply. “Cas says that if I keep improving in a few weeks he will teach me how to heal!”

“Whoa, really? That’s awesome!” 

“Yes, but it’s enough for tonight,” Castiel says. “Go wash up while we set the table.”

“But - Dean just got here,” whines Jack.

“Yeah, and he is hungry,” says Dean laughing. “come on, after dinner I’ll show you what I brought.”

Jack gasps. “You brought movies? Star Wars?”

Dean winks. “You know it.”

Jack raises a fist. “Yes! And ice cream?”

“No. But you know what? Why don’t we all go get some tomorrow?”

Jack looks at Castiel who just nods.

“Yes!” he yells again beaming.

“Alright, but now go, it’s getting cold out here.”

Jack jogs up the steps and runs inside. “I’ll be right back!” he shouts taking the stairs two at the time.

Dean can see on Castiel’s face the same silly smile he’s probably got himself.

“I’m gonna miss this when he wakes up a teen.”

“Me too,” agrees Castiel. “Although all the energy he has now it’s a lot to deal with every day.”

Dean laughs at him. “That’s cause you’re old, Cas. Like old old.”

Castiel rolls his eyes.

“I can’t believe there was a time when I thought he could be anything but good,” keeps going Dean, throwing a look at the door behind them “You were right, Cas.”

“He’s making incredible progress. With each day he is stronger and more knowledgeable. I’ve never seen something like that.”

“Do you think he’ll be ready soon?”

“You mean, to leave this place?” Castiel sighs and gazes off into the distance. “I don’t like keeping him here either. It’s not right, I know. But I need to make sure that he’ll be able to protect himself from those that are looking for him.”

“Yeah, I get it. But you don’t have to worry that they’ll come find you. Me and Sam, we got ears everywhere. We got this.”

“I know you do.”

The sun is gone and the sky above them is striped of blues and pinks. Dean closes his eyes and imagines the aches of his body disappear - his back that hurts after twelve hours non-stop behind the wheel, the scar from last week’s hunt that hasn’t healed properly yet, the slight headache he’s got after sleeping on a cheap motel pillow.

It almost works.

It feels good, sitting there in the night breeze with Castiel by his side. He wants to say that he misses him, but doesn’t really know how or if he can. It’s not that they saw each other every day when things were good, and to be fair, when had thing ever been good in the first place? But his life with Sam and his visits here, they feel more and more like they are two separate things and he would love for them to become one.

It’s selfish but he says it anyway:

“Maybe you can come stay at the bunker. You know, after the next growth spurt. I know that we always have some drama going on but we can put up some extra warding, and we could help you. You and Jack. If you… if you wanted.”

“I’m sure Jack would like that,” Castiel says and then he looks at him and adds, “as much I would.”

A corner of his mouth goes up but it’s not a smile. His face says that he’s regretful and he too is holding something back. Dean has seen it before.

He can’t take it.

He slaps his tights, says “Alright” as he gets up and then holds out a hand for Castiel to grab.

“Come on, up. I wasn’t kidding, I’m really hungry.”

Castiel huffs a laugh and takes his hand.

“I’ll have you know, we are having vegetables tonight.”

Dean groans as he hauls him up but neither of them let go and they stay there, Castiel on a step up from Dean, their hands clasped together between them.

“Jack needs it.”

“You’re worse than Sam.”

“We have dessert.”

“Pie?”

Castiel sighs. “What else, to make you happy?”

Dean fears that the smile that has blossomed on his lips will cut his face in two.

He squeezes Castiel’s hand without really meaning to but when he feels him squeezing back, he uses that grip as leverage to lurch forward and plant a kiss on his lips.

He can’t take no more regrets, no more holding backs.

“Nothing,” he says and Castiel’s shocked expression immediatly melts into a smile.

When Castiel had first told him about Paradise on earth, he didn’t think he could ever understand.

Now though, he can almost see it too.

For the last time :( I’m participating in the spnstayathomechallenge by @bend-me-shape-me @pray4jensen @helianthus21

I wanted to say thank you so much for organizing this and for being so supportive and nice with your comments! I’ve read them all and I appreciate so much that you took the time to read and write such lovely things. Thank you!! Thank you to everyone else who liked, reblogged, commented. This was the first time for me and you made me feel very welcome and each week a little less scared to put myself out there. Thank you also to the ones who didn’t like what I wrote but did NOT tell me and just moved on. I appreciate that as well. Let’s hope for a next time cause I had a lot of fun <3