Just A Bit Closer (Book Two)

In Which There Is A Trip And Battle Scars

{Dean's POV}

We were a couple hours into the drive when Cas groaned beside me.

"Dean," he whined, "this is boring. When are we going to be there?"

I rolled my eyes. "About an hour."

He slumped into his seat. "Ugh. Can't I just zap us there?"

"No, Cas. You can't just zap us there."

He slouched even further. "Whyyy?"

I sighed. He was being ridiculous. "Because you don't know where we're going," I stated.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him smile cutely. "But you could tell me." I'm pretty sure he batted his lashes, too.

"No, Cas. You can wait."

He slid down again. "Mph," he pouted.

I liked over at him and laughed. He was laying practically horizontal in his seat. "Cas, if you go down any further, you'll be pouting on the floor."

He turned to face me and stuck out his bottom lip, giving me puppy dog eyes. I shook my head, thinking, Oh great, my boyfriend is turning into my brother.

My eyes widened at my thought. Boyfriend. Cas is my boyfriend.

Casually slides in WaGL reference.

Cas must have seen me because he squinted at me, still in that awkward position. "What?"

"You're my boyfriend."

His eyebrows shot up. "Yeah? And?" he said, confused.

"Just hit me," I said, smiling. Cas took my hand and I laughed. "Please sit up."

His hand fell from my grip and he resumed his pouting. "Whyyy?"

"My goodness, I am dating a child."

We fell into silence until I saw the turnoff for our destination. I started to hum as I pulled into the gravel parking lot.

I switched off the engine and Cas's eyes met mine. "Are we here?"

I nodded and he frowned. "I thought we had an hour."

Shrugging, I said, "I lied."

He started to get up, but I covered his eyes with my hand. "I said it was a surprise. You have to wait." I pulled a blindfold from the back and slid it over his eyes. "Don't worry. This isn't 50 Shades of Grey."

"I don't understand that reference."

"Well, I hope not." I grabbed a bag from the back and opened his door, helping him out of the car.

"Can I look yet?"

I shook my head and smiled. "You know, Cas, for an angel so old, you sure are impatient."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not that old."

"Cas, the other day you told Sam you were thousands of years old."

"Fine. I'm old."

I grabbed his hand as we reached a set of stairs. "Careful," I said, gently.

Once we reached the bottom of the wooden stairs, I set our stuff down and turned Cas so he could see where we were.

"Can I look now?"

"Yes." I took his hand as he removed the blindfold.

He gasped and I smiled. "Is this?"

I nodded. "Our beach."

Tears started to pool in Cas's eyes. "Oh, Dean. I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

Without hesitation, Cas's lips collided with mine. I smiled as we kissed in the same spot as our first. Twenty-one years later, and I would still love the nerdy, blue eyed boy in glasses, even after he transformed into the awkward angel he is today. Maybe even more so.

I pulled away and Cas sighed. "Stupid humans have to breathe."

I chuckled at that. "Do you want to go into the water?"

Cas nodded and I picked up our belongings, carrying them to a changing room. I threw Cas a pair of swim trunks and disappeared behind the curtain.

When I came out, Cas was facing toward the ocean. As I walked toward him, I noticed two long, silvery scars running down his shoulder blades. I came up to his side and ran my finger down one. He shivered under my touch.

"What are these?" I asked, standing behind him and trailing my finger down to the bottom, almost to the small of his back.

Cas pursed his lips. "When I fell, my wings burned up, leaving bleeding wounds in their place. I had to get them stitched up and they healed, but now I have the ugly scars left over."

I kissed the top of one scar and smiled. "They're not ugly, they're you. And every part of you is beautiful. So, no, your scars are not ugly." I wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my lips to his shoulder. "Do all the other angels have them?"

"No. Most of them either have a new vessel or healed the one that had them after they returned to Heaven. I believe I'm the only one."

I smiled. "That makes them even better. You are the only angel with the scars and I love them."

"You love them?"

I nodded. "I love you, so I love them."

Cas turned in my arms and looked at my chest. "I'm not the only one with battle scars." He traced a few of the white lines on my chest, then my anti possession tattoo. He touched one above my heart. "What happened?"

"Two guys shot me and I died."

His hand trailed to a scar from a hellhound. "And here?"

"I died the first time."

"What about here?"

"Yeah."

He met my eyes. "How many times have you died?"

"Too many." I grinned down at Cas and he joined me. "Let's swim."

He nodded and we walked to the shore, lighter than moments before.