WAVES [ dean x cas ]

Movie

"Alright," Dean says into the phone, "Tell Donna I say hi." Cas studies him and watches as his lips curve into a smile and his hand absentmindedly runs through his hair. He says a quick "G'bye," into the phone and hangs it up, setting it down on the table. Then he turns to Cas, face bright, and claps his hands together.

"Hello," Cas says. Dean chuckles and sits down on the bunker table, facing Cas' chair. "I don't understand why you didn't go with Sam. This hunt was probably important." Dean frowns and ruffles Cas' hair.

"And who says my best pal isn't important?" he asks. He's a little too cheery for Cas' liking.

"Dean," Cas cautiously says, "Are you alright?" Dean's animated face dips back into his normal, tired, worn out middle aged one that Cas has learned and loves, and he crosses his arms.

"Yeah, Cas, I'm friggin' stupendous. Why ask?" he points out. Cas gives him a sharp look and Dean sighs, pulling his legs up onto the table, leaning back on his hands. "Alright, I'll tell you what, I'm not okay. I basically ensured this entire Earth a horrible death because I love my brother too much, and then there's you, and I just— last times we've been alone it was either you hurting me or me telling you to leave or me trying to fucking kill you or you hurting me again, and that bugs me." Cas' face softens and he sees Dean look away, expression hardening.

"Let's go watch a movie," Cas says instead, trying to change the subject. Dean glances over at him, amusement and disbelief on his face, and he slides off the table, walking toward his bedroom, Cas following.

•••

"I don't get it," Cas says, head on Dean's shoulder. "Why is the clownfish befriending the mentally ill fish?" Dean chuckles and looks up from his phone.

"'Cause he's gotta find his son, Cas," Dean tells him. "Even though he doesn't like Dory at first, Marlin still follow her, because if she might even possibly know where Nemo is, he'll follow her no matter what." Cas glances up at Dean and back at the tv.

"So the movie is an analogy for you and I?" he asks. Dean makes some sort of awkward noise and sets his phone down on the bedside table.

"How the fuck are you relating a kid movie to us?" Dean chuckles.

"In a sense, I'm Nemo and you're Marlin. Only I'm much older than you — soul and vessel wise. Anyway, this is like when we killed the Leviathan, Dean. I was Nemo when I was crazy, and you were Marlin when you were yelling at me. You just wanted to ensure my safety." Dean wraps an arm around Cas' shoulders.

"And where does Dory come in here?" Dean asked, amused. Cas smiles.

"Benny," he says, "Benny is Dory." Cas feels Dean's body tense but he continues. "I knew how you felt about Benny, Dean. You didn't trust him when you met him. But he told you that he could help you find a way out with me. And you went with him. For me."

"Was the least I could've done," he says, voice rough. Cas looks up to see that his eyes are watering.

"Dean," he says, and that's all he says, because he doesn't have to say anymore.

"The Darkness," Dean begins, "It's gonna kill us all. Everybody's going to die because of me. And, um, I don't know if I'll get some time with you anymore before... the end.... but I just wanted to tell you that you're like, aside from Sam and Bobby, and maybe Lisa and Ben, you're the one thing that makes me feel like I'm at home."

"You're my home, Dean," Cas says and if that doesn't set Dean off then Cas doesn't know what did but the next thing he knows Dean's crying on his shoulder, clutching at his suit coat, and Cas is just resting his head on Dean's hair at it smells like cheap shampoo and sweat and he doesn't care.

"Cas," Dean rasps, and Cas doesn't say much more. He just grabs Dean's hand and kisses his knuckles and smiles because it's all going to be okay.

Marlin did find Nemo in the end of the movie and they lived happily ever after, you know.