The Soul Burns Brighter Than The Sun

Chapter 5: Goddamn Snake

Weeks later, while Dean's burying the corpse of a vampire, it occurs to him that his life is fucking strange. There's an angel in love with him, who also wants to tie him up and fuck him. Said angel sprouted a soul from the love he has for Dean, and also, the angel's surrogate son is God.

Cas also digs the graves faster than any of them can, even if he doesn't understand why they have to. "One of the many carrion-feeders in the area will find them and eat the remains of the vampires. Burying them is unnecessary. In fact, there is a mother grizzly bear and her two cubs less than five miles away. She'll be able to smell the blood shortly, and her family will come–Oh! Her three cubs. I didn't sense the third one, she's smaller than the others."

"Cas, just dig the grave will ya?"

"It's wasteful."

"Dude."

"Fine." Cas cedes, stabbing his shovel through the dirt with his soul-juice strength. "But I'll let you know, I'm feeling something about this."

"That's great, Cas." Dean rolls his eyes, and then rolls the corpse of the rather fat vampire into the grave Cas dug.

Cas stands up straight, turning his face towards the sun. He lets it shine on his face for a few beats, soaking in the light. He's wearing a shirt Eileen bought for him at some stupid store in Georgia that has "DILF: Damn, I Love Freedom" across the front. It had become a whole thing. It's not like they were even in July anymore. They were at the end of August and Cas clearly didn't get the joke. Cas had no idea what DILF actually meant either. He did, though, smile at Eileen when she jokingly gave it to him. I did fight very hard for my free will from my superiors. Thank you Eileen .

Dean didn't have the heart to tell him what he was wearing.

"The feeling is indignation." Cas finishes finally, after a minute of literal soul searching. "Can I take one corpse to the Grizzly mother's family?"

"Fine, Cas."

"Thank you, Dean."

They finish burying the beheaded vampires into their shallow graves by the cabin they had set up as their safehouse, and Dean and Cas drive down the dirt road out of the forest.

Once they get on the main road, Cas lets out a sigh of relief. "Ah, they found the corpse I left for them. I had only put it a mile downwind, and they made excellent time."

"That's nice."

"They'll be starting the process of hyperphagia soon, which is when they eat and drink non-stop to put on weight for hibernation. That third cub seemed very small and I worry that the other two must be eating more than their fair share."

Instead of heading back home, Dean drives them to Southern Idaho, where –according to Sam– there's been something killing hikers along Blue Crest Trail during the month of September.

During the drive, Dean listens to Cas's weird rambles, and Cas hums while Dean sings off key. It's a gentle balance. Sometimes, Cas uses six syllable words to describe some kind of behavior in some obscure animal, and Dean has to ask him questions, but Cas assures him that these are normal questions and that Dean's not stupid despite what he thinks. Sometimes, Dean plays songs that Cas doesn't know or understand, and so Dean will rewind the cassette and play it again for him, so they can listen better to the lyrics instead of Dean's subpar vocals.

Dean avoids playing Led Zeppelin around him, and Cas doesn't bring it up.

Cas avoids talking about their actual problems, and Dean doesn't bring it up.

A gentle balance.

Dean stops at a gas station just outside the sheriff's office so they can change into their Fed suits. What Dean really wants is a shower, he's got dirt under his nails, dried sweat on his neck, and he would just love to scrub the long drive feeling off. He makes do by splashing water from the dirty sink on his face and the back of his neck. Dean's had plenty of "gas station showers" before, growing up on the road and all, so he's used to it, but it doesn't mean he doesn't miss the bunker's water pressure. Drying his hands on a paper towel and after checking himself in the cracked mirror, he emerges from the men's room, changed into his monkey suit.