A little over a year later…

Things are different, and things are the same.

Cas, Inias, and Hester do leave the big law firm to start their own. The only surprise there is that Sam insists that he go with them. Cas was right, it does mean longer hours, and sometimes they work nights, weekends, or holidays to keep things together. It also means less money, so Cas has to give up his fancy loft apartment.

That's all right with Dean, since it just makes sense that Cas moves in with him. It makes sense because, not only is it cheaper since Cas doesn't have to pay rent, it means that Dean is around to make sure he eats and his clothes are washed and all of the other shit that Cas just genuinely does not care about anymore now that he's doing something he loves.

Dean can't believe the change in Cas. He's not inherently different, but he's more… Cas. Instead of suits, he's always wearing jeans with holes in the knees (unbearably sexy) and novelty t-shirts he gets from God knows where (less hot, but not distractingly so). His hair is still crazy, but he wears his glasses out in public all the time, purely because he forgets they're on his nose or on his head in the excitement of whatever thing he's running out the door to complete. His sense of humor is still dry as hell, but it's more present, more apt to come out when Dean is least suspecting it and leave him in tears from laughter.

Dean still works at the bar and the garage, but things are different there, too.

Different mostly in that, under Dean's nose, Bobby and Ellen have been seeing one another, apparently for years. So they announce, a few days before Dean and Cas' two year anniversary, that they're going to go get married and retire somewhere warm. Since no one else knew they were together, either, it came as quite a shock.

Bobby has spoken very seriously to Dean about taking over ownership of the garage. Dean doesn't admit that he had tears in his eyes when he agreed, and Bobby doesn't mention it.

Ellen's giving the bar to Jo, who already knows how to run the damn place, so it's not like anything but paperwork needs to happen to make it official.

So, things are different, and things are the same.

Now, they're in the parking lot of the Roadhouse, seeing Bobby and Ellen off to whatever elopement they plan on (they haven't told any of them any details). Jo and Dean snuck out and scrawled (about to be) Just Married! on Bobby's old pickup, much to the old man's irritation and to their own delight.

Ellen is on her toes, pulling Dean down into a hug. "Love you, you big idiot," she murmurs.

He holds her tight. "Love you, too, Ellen."

"You take care of that boy of yours, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

She lets him go with one last pat, presses a kiss to Jo's cheek, and climbs into the passenger seat of the truck where Bobby is already waiting.

Cas comes to stand next to him, and Dean pulls him close with an arm around his waist, presses a kiss to his temple. "They look happy," Cas says thoughtfully.

"I think they are."

Cas sighs. "It does kind of a put a damper on my proposal plans, though. It's going to seem like I'm just following Bobby's lead."

Far from nervous, like he always thought he would be, Dean's just amused at the whine in Cas' voice (and giddy at the thought of a proposal). "You could always wait six months."

"Six months?!"

Dean presses his lips to Cas' ear. "Or you could ask me tonight, while we're sweaty and naked, and we'll keep it under wraps for a while." (Dean wants credit for not laughing at the unintended pun, god dammit.)

Cas' smile shatters Dean into a million pieces and puts him back together at the same time when he leans far enough away to look him in the eye. "Maybe we will, dearest," he murmurs, for Dean's ears alone.

P.S. (They totally do just that.)

- Feedback gets my motor running.
- Thanks for reading, friends. This was really just meant as a, "Oh god I've never written gay sex what do I do what do I do," exercise, so let me know if it was good!
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