Five Seconds Later

Chapter One: The Crash

The dull purr of the '67 Impala's engines were the only thing that dared to interrupt the peaceful silence of the night as it drove along the highway, two of its three passengers fast asleep. The  car's headlights were white against the darkness, casting ominous shadows across the pavement below as it passed.

"Dean?" One of the aforementioned sleeping passengers, who had been curled up in the front seat, opened his eyes blearily. "Where are we?"

"Fifteen miles south of Kansas City," muttered the driver, setting his jaw sternly. An open and half empty bottle of beer was stowed away in the side of his door, the cap long lost beneath the seats of the Impala. The amulets and charms hung from the rear-view mirror swayed in tune with the engine as it continued to purr.

"Do you want to switch?" The man who had just woken up stretched his arms above his head, the long sleeves of his trench coat slipping down to his elbows. There was a moment of hesitation as Dean eyed his open bottle of beer and then focused back on the road. He tapped the brakes, and the car began to mutter as it slowed, cursing its driver.

"Sure." Dean pulled over to the shoulder of the road and parked the Impala, waiting for a moment before opening his door. The night was cool and calm, and there was something comforting in the quiet darkness. 

"Cas?" Dean whispered, lowering his voice as he rested his hand against the door handle. The other man nodded sleepily in response, rubbing his eyes. "Is Sam asleep?"

Cas glanced back at the other man, Sam, who was passed out on the leather seats in the back. He gave a slight nod, and turned to Dean. "Yes. Why?"

"There's something I have to tell you." Dean rubbed the edge of his jaw, his calloused hands oblivious to the unshaven stubble on his chin. He grabbed the bottle of beer from the side door and finally pulled the handle. "Let's switch seats first."

"Okay." Cas nodded passively, straightening his trench coat as he got out of the car. The two of them swapped seats, and Dean took a swig of his beer as soon as he was settled. The last dregs of it fell against his red plaid shirt, but they quickly faded into the fabric.

"I just wanted to say--" Dean began as the Impala rumbled back to life, shifting into gear and revving down the stretch of highway in front of them. Cas relaxed into the front seat, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to the distant, dulled tune of Bon Jovi on the car radio.

When a moment too many passed without warning, Cas glanced over at Dean, his angelic blue eyes sparkling in the darkness. "What were you saying?" he gently invited his friend, leaning his head back and rolling down the edge of his window so that a sharp gust of wind swept into the car and ruffled his almond-brown hair.

"I was saying—" Dean took another beer out of a cooler stashed next to the sleeping body of his brother, Sam, and popped off the cap with a deft motion. "I have to tell you something." He gazed off into the distance outside the car window, and Cas rolled his back up to keep the wind from waking Sam.

"What is it?" Cas replied patiently, a small smile creasing the edge of his lips. He was thankful that he had woken when he did – there was undoubtedly more empty bottles hidden in the backseat.

"I love you." Dean rubbed his face again, misty-eyed in his stupor. The small smile gradually grew, until Cas' face was entirely taken by joy.

"In a brotherly way, of course." Cas murmured apprehensively, patting Dean's arm with his free hand. In a surprise movement, Dean snatched up Cas' hand and held it, interlacing their fingers together.

"No." Dean took a long chug from the bottle. When he finished, he wiped his mouth shakily and gazed over at Cas. "You-you don't understand. I love you. Like really, really love you."

"You said this, just last month. We agreed it was on familial terms." Cas pulled his hand away and rested it against the steering wheel, confused. He knitted his eyebrows together and settled back in his seat silently.

"I said it wrong, it didn't... it didn't..." Dean groaned, rubbing his forehead. It was as though with each passing minute he became more intoxicated. Cas resisted the urge to snatch the rest of the bottle away, knowing very well that Dean would just grab another from the cooler.

"We can talk about it in the morning." Cas frowned, casting one last glance at the bottle. It would be so easy to snatch it away and have the real Dean back, the one that he had grown to love in his own way. He weighed the consequences, tilting his head back against the seat. After a moment, he took the risk - without any forewarning, he reached for the bottle. Dean was still holding it, but his eyes were half closed in his state of drunkenness and he was paying no attention. Cas couldn't just grab for the beer, in case Dean came to, so instead he turned toward his friend and focused on trying to sneak it away, oblivious to the road. It was only five seconds. What he didn't know was how much could change in that span of time.

The car kept going for a heartbeat the way it was supposed to, straight and fast down the narrow and otherwise empty stretch of highway. What an observant driver may have swerved around, the Impala inevitably hit. A man was standing silently in the heart of the road, his gaze was calm and he watched the oncoming car. Cas saw none of this until the car flipped. It only did so once, landing upside down on the cement and skidding several yards before grinding to a sickening stop. The road was once again silent, and the headlights of the Impala flickered out, leaving the dark to suffocate its visitors.