West Coast

Chapter Twenty-nine

Time passes, sometimes slowly, and sometimes all at once.

Cas's OCD flared up for a few weeks, in which he kept count of how much salt Dean consumed, down to the gram, and was compelled to check all the appliances and light switches before bed again.

Dean was patient, smiling lightly while Cas planned out his low sodium meals, and rode it out, with Penny's help.

Then, they settled back into their lives. Once Dean's six weeks were up, and all the kittens had found their new homes, they had Grace spayed, and bought her her very own collar. It was blue with a bell, so she couldn't chase the birds in the garden.

Cas started volunteering at the hospital, and the constant tide of children in and out meant he rarely had to remember names, but he enjoyed his crafts lessons with them anyway. He started with one hour on a Wednesday, then gradually progressed until he was doing three sessions a week. The children were always happy to see him. He brought them colour and hope, telling them all about his illness and how much better he was doing. They always listened, enraptured, and they always had fun showing off their various scars and stories.

Cas nearly always came home covered in glitter and paint, and sometimes with little gifts for Dean from the kids.

Dean took charge of the garage, shaking things up in a way that was uniquely him. He still personally worked on Ketch's cars, but the rest were assigned evenly. Ketch made good on his word and fired Dean's manager Andy, then left well enough alone, knowing better than to get in Dean's way, as far as the shop was concerned.

They finally went on their date. Dean knocked on the front door wearing a suit, his hair combed back, and handed Cas a rose with a goofy smile on his face. They went for dinner, and danced to the music even though no one else was.

The seasons changed again, turning everything orange, then brown, then frosty grey and white.

Cas made Dean wear a hat to work when it was cold, and Cas let his hair grow messily again, seeing how much Dean liked it.

They celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas at Sam's, so they could watch Mary squeal at her presents.

Cas wobbled slightly on Christmas morning, when he woke up in an unfamiliar bed, and didn't recognise Sam when he went out into the corridor, but Dean sat at his side, calming him through his panic. The rest of the day went off without a hitch, and Cas made Dean wear his Christmas hat all day.

They celebrated Dean making it to another birthday, both with Sam and Jess, and privately in their own bedroom.

Mary's very first birthday came around, and they threw a small party, with a tiny cupcake and a singular candle. Dean started taking pictures again, and made sure to capture Mary blowing it out while Sam held her thick, blonde curls out of her face.

Cas framed the photo he'd taken of Dean's silhouette in Hawaii, and Dean framed one of Cas, asleep on the couch with Hoagie in his arms.

Dean asked Cas to paint him like one of his French girls, and Cas was more than happy to oblige. They hid that painting where no one else would find it.

Daffodils came with the spring, and Cas at last found his routine with the bees. Jody still helped him out every now and again, but his confidence returned. The shed with his equipment became lively again, and more jars of honey appeared. He even started a brand new hive, when one of his existing ones split. He and Dean were in the garden when the swarm appeared. Dean practically sprinted back into the house, and beckoned for Cas to join him.

Instead, Cas calmly went for a bucket, and coaxed the swarm inside, where they waited for him to set up the spare box he had in the shed. He gave Dean a thumbs up from the bottom of the garden, and Dean stared at him through the window in disbelief.