#it’s focused on Dean/Cas

[caramel-cream50]

(it’s the episode Cas gets back from purgatory)

[youchangedmedestiel]

I'd find it interesting to see how Jack's dads would react to him having a love interest. Someone flirting with him. Someone asking him on a date.

How would Sam react?

How would Cas react?

How would Dean react?

[ardentpoop]

clicked into a D/C corner to study yet another questionable take abt the finale and my god the way these fans think about sam vs cas drives me NUUUUUUTS. or don’t think, in the case of sam.

at least it remains interesting to me that sam and cas are interchangeable as far as fandom is concerned, because everything around here happens in relation to dean and nothing else. like the role that D/C shippers elevate cas to is almost impressive, as is their need to strip sam’s role for parts. and then you also have S/D shippers completely refusing to incorporate cas into their analysis of the canon, which is just silly to me - he is part of the story, you can work with him.

anyway it is actually ludicrous to suggest as D/C shippers do that cas is indispensable to the narrative from anything else but a fanservice angle - you are talking about for the most part a tritagonist who was introduced as a supporting character, and it would benefit you to realize this. sam on the other hand was briefly the protagonist and more notably the deuteragonist (he and dean swapped places early on) and he happened to get demoted to a cas-tier character at the very end of the series in s14-15 - though dabb suddenly bumped sam back up to protagonist for the series finale to mirror the start of the series, which was understandably jarring for much of the audience after his original role had shrunk so much over the years to make room for dean’s. if you actually want to understand what this show is consistently “about” you really should try watching s1-s5 with a focus on sam and dean’s platonic relationship as opposed to with your nose in the dirt digging for truffles.

like I am not playing favorites when I discuss “the family hierarchy” (though sam is forever and proudly my favorite lmfao) I am commenting on the events as they actually unfolded.

[shallowseeker]

Dean’s grief on speedrun

How long was Cas dead, anyway?

I think they reunited around day 18-24 days ish. The scripts give us some clues. (Based on this post)

==Dean is grieving hard==

He’s not in denial, like Sam seems to be -> “Is he really dead?” “You know he is.”

And because Dean now knows Chuck & Amara, he’s not getting stuck in bargaining stage (his usual MO). There is no door of hope to leave ajar after the cosmic consequences are rendered. (Not even the symbolic going-through-the-motions kind that he never intends to open again.)

No, this time, Dean’s in the throes of an incredibly frightening, paralyzing despair (images).

This is partially due to the fact that he saw it coming, and he fought so hard. He resolved to avoid the looming, cosmic consequences, to “not let Cas walk away, not again (script).” Dean made up his mind to act to protect the, “everything he’s ever wanted (script).”

And still, everything went so wrong.

///

The grief, then, is different. It’s a despair born of crushed hopes and dreams. Not to mention, forgiveness and acceptance—as Dean got onboard to help Cas, regardless of his own misgivings, because Cas “had faith in the kid.” This time, he stood behind Cas when he asked, and it still went rotten.

After everyone dies, Dean pleads with God/Chuck. Chuck is the one who brought Cas back before and the only one who seems able to rebuild angels. He doesn’t answer.

Even though Dean had a special connection to Amara, the one who resurrected his burned-up, supposed-to-stay-dead mother, she doesn’t answer either.

This time, he knows they’re out there, perhaps even listening. And they’re not answering because Dean’s run out of free passes and miracles.

This time, that knowledge crushes him where he stands.

///

DAY 1-2 (Lost and Found)

13x01 starts in the twilight hours after the big Lucifer fight.

Dean takes a shot at Jack, and Jack flees.

Heaven and Hell hunt them relentlessly.

They retrieve Jack from North Cove police station.

An angel stabs Jack in the chest with an angel blade, and he seems astonished to be “fine.”

Sam and Dean take time to grieve and scatter ashes.

The funeral occurs that evening, and they quickly get on the road.

///

DAY 3 ish (The Rising Son)

In 13x02, they're still driving home from the funeral towards the bunker, "12 hours till we get home," and Sam convinces Dean to stop at a motel.

Addition: When they eat, Jack remarks that he's 3 days old. "3 days, 17 hours, and 42 minutes."

Over the course of this episode, per the script, 2 days pass.

They eat dinner, go to a tattoo parlor, meet up with Donatello, and stay overnight in the motel.

Heaven and Hell continue to hunt them relentlessly.

Sam, Dean, and Donatello debate nature vs nurture, with Dean and Donatello leaning towards nature.

Sam psycho-analyzes Dean and delivers euphemisms to Jack about Dean “wanting to protect everyone and getting his wires crossed,” but ultimately, he isn’t forthcoming to Jack about the reality of the situation. (That is, it was Lucifer that killed Cas, and Lucifer who pulled Mary into another world--that Dean's grieving!) These important details might've helped Jack to understand his situation with a lot more clarity and grace. This will cause Jack to cool towards Sam when Dean reveals the truth during an argument.

Demons find them the next morning.

In fact, Dean nearly dies against a common demon, getting cornered on a hotel bed, but he is saved at the last minute by Sam’s interference.

Jack, tricked by Asmodeus, nearly releases the Shadim.

They drive home.

Later, Jack freaks out about being impervious to stabbing. In his new bunker room, he laments, “What the hell am I? I can’t control… whatever this is. I will hurt someone.”

Dean tells him he will be Jack's executioner if Jack loses control.

At most, it's been only 5 days since everyone died.

///

DAY 5 ish (Patience)

13x03 picks up mere hours after they get home, and it covers 5 days total. So, that brings us to a decently solid total of 10-ish days when this episode finishes.

Dean can't bear to be in the bunker with mission-mode Sam and Jack, so he takes off on a hunt.

Clearly in no shape to hunt, Dean dies at the hands of a wraith (and so does Jody). They are both saved by Patience’s interference.

Dean tells Patience there’s no joy in this life. Only pain and death.

Sam and Dean have a huge fight about Jack, during which Dean accidentally gives Jack context to the situation (re: Cas’s death, Mary’s plight). This causes Jack, already exhausted by Sam’s well-meaning training regimen, to cool towards Sam the next morning.

Cas appears to awaken in The Empty on day 9 or 10.

///

DAY 10-11 ish (The Big Empty)

13x04 SEEMS like the very next morning, because Dean AND Jack are both still chilly towards Sam. The air is described as arctic, with Dean giving Sam a, "don't even try it, motherfucker," face. Jack accuses Sam of wanting to use him as an interdimensional can opener and "being just like Asmodeus," and Sam comes clean about the truth.

Sam pushes them all to go on a case together. Jack says he doesn’t want to go at first. Sam wants Jack to go with them for the express purpose of forcing Dean to be around him and warm up to him, which isn’t fair to Dean or Jack…not really.

This storyline covers the family therapy scene (great analysis), wherein an interesting attempt at therapy is made under dishonest constraints.

Dean, still clearly in no shape to hunt, is easily overtaken by the shifter and nearly dies. He is saved by Jack’s interference.

According to the script, 13x04 occurs over 4 days. Commentary//

That means that Dean thawed to Jack, after our total of a mere 14 days. By the end of this episode, they're on shaky terms, and by the beginning of 13x06, calling out to each other in a friendly manner, "How was the case?"

Jack "puts a dent in Dean's armor," per the script, even before he saves them with his powers. Dean is doing everything he can not to like Jack, and it’s clear from the script that he’s failing.

At the end of the episode, Dean tells Sam to absorb the weight of the hunting burden, because he’s got no hope left.

Cas appears to awaken in a field on day 14. Presumably, his ashes are in the middle of nowhere, and he starts walking.

///

DAY 14-20 ish? (Advanced Thanatology)

Here’s where it gets foggier.

I can't tell exactly when 13x05 picks up with respect to the previous episode, but it seems like only a little bit of time has passed.

I would say a week at most has passed, but possibly as little as a day or two, and the case itself, per the script, covers another 4 days.

However, if Cas awoke in The Empty on day 10, and woke in the field around day 14, I think I favor a shorter timeline here with some of the “days” being overlapping back story from the case itself.

Anyway, Jack has been making his way through Sam's DVDs, "Red Sonja, Beast Master, Beast Master II." Commentary//

Sam does not intuit why Dean is up late at night/early twilight hours, making a PB & J (analysis).

Sam tries to remedy Dean’s overwhelming grief by pushing breakfast beer and strip clubs toward him. Alcohol to numb the pain + sexy stuff as a distraction. Now more than ever, Dean seems to perform those only for Sam’s benefit. (It seems Sam did not pay attention to Mia Vallens's therapy, except as a means to validate his own motives for trying to save Mary. Ouch! Poor Sam!)

Sam is not great with empathy here, bless my neurodivergent man-child. He’s dealing with a loss of his own, of course, and he’s been shown to be an impatient, mission-motivated griever (analysis).

Anyway, he’s completely at sea with Dean’s powerful grief, and he seems tragically unaware of Dean's close calls/being off his game over the course of the last few hunts.

Sam, perhaps understandably, wants Dean to be there for him n’ Jack, as caretaker and comrade, but Dean is too mentally wounded to bear the weight of that expectation. (Btw, I don’t think Sam really “gets” the Cas thing till 15x09 The Trap: Sam’s future is symbolized by Eileen-as-hope (analysis) and Sam realizes Dean’s future is built around Cas-as-foundation.) Dean dies...again//

Dean attempts suicide.

He tells Billie he doesn’t matter.

After he revives, Dean tells Sam, “No. Sam, I’m not okay. I’m pretty far from okay… And I would take the hit… And now Mom and Cas… And I – I don’t know. I don’t know.”

This is an elegant parallel to season 7’s grieving Dean, about his not being able to “shake” what happened with Cas, and admitting, “he doesn’t know why.” (Cas is different. Cas has always been different.) In season 7, he also says, “I’ll do what I can,” in response to Sam telling him to get his head in the game and stay alive. Cas is a core wound in both scenarios.

///

==Death & resurrection==

So, that would bring our guesstimate to Cas reuniting with the boys around 20-24 days. So, at most a little over 3 weeks but possibly closer to 4, especially if the backstory timelines of actual “case days” overlap, like 13x05 potentially does.

I am reasonably certain Cas awakened in the field near day 14. I’d personally put the actual reunion at 18-20 ish days, and certainly not longer than a month. They reunite in early June, I think. Blackberries are a summer fruit, and there are wild blackberries in the field where Cas awakens.

Dean drives to Cas and meets up with him, "in the middle of nowhere," so it seems Cas's grave and subsequent walk to civilization was in quite a remote area.

///

Going back through this, I was pretty astounded how Dean kept dying or nearly dying in those days following Cas’s death. He was definitely in no state to be hunting.

(images from CSN, SPN wiki, fangirlism.com)

[agirlinthegalaxy]

I think that I'm always going to be irritated about the way that Supernatural handled Anna Milton. Genuinely, she was such a fascinating character and had so much potential that was just wasted. It doesn't help that her death was just another example of the way that Supernatural tortured, vilified, and murdered their female characters. I think that she held the potential to genuinely be one of the most fascinating characters on the show with one of the most interesting storylines (and dynamics with other characters), only for it to be wasted.

[fromxxthexxashes]

I get where the panic is coming from, but Ryan was definitely talking about his bond with Oliver in that clip.

[shadystranger]

It's interesting how both destihellers' love for dean and cass' love for him are equally shallow and reductive. before cas dies, he tells dean that he's the world's most righteous man, practically flawless, flagrantly and conveniently ignoring the many questionable decisions dean has made so far—even if they stemmed from trauma, tunnel vision, or simply being human. cas overlooks dean's flaws and all the parts of him that can't be washed away/are not glisten clean and whatnot, like threatening a kid with a gun, because his love is as superficial as shit balls. this is also how destihellers approach dean: straight up erase all the parts of him that don't fit their idealized version of dean and call it a day.

this is the complete opposite of how sam loved dean. sam acknowledged that dean might have made mistakes, but despite everything—whether it was the circumstances, the trauma, or the surroundings or dean being a flawed human—he recognized that at his core, dean was nothing but a truly good man. he vouches for dean's goodness despite his potentially perceived badness. he loves him in the literal sense of unconditional love. and that's so much more raw and beautiful. his love was grounded in reality rather than idealized projections. to me, this makes the love from sam-adjacent fans feel more genuine and authentic, and I fuck with it so much more.

[angel-derangement]

hello. you seem to be a destiel god of sorts so i have a request. i watched the tv show when i was very young and i still love it because i watched it with my family. i've never understood the ship, though, and didn't know about it for years. i've seen the edges but i want the whole onion. i want to know what drove so many people completely insane. do you have any fic recs and/or meta posts that could help, or that are your favorites?

oh my god. No one has ever said this about me but thank you! I am happy to try to give you the whole onion.

@kbsd aka Katebushstandean’s seminal works on the subject: Somebody To Love AMV (how it started) & Strawberry Blonde AMV (how it ended)

THEE So Says The Sword by Komodobits - long fic (85k) and it’s technically an AU though it ends up being canon compliant. I literally cannot describe this to you. If someone were to ever file the serial numbers off a destiel fic, it would have to be this one.

But if you wanna know exactly why I specifically am insane about this, I would refer you to my own fic We Always Were But Never Knew It. (It’s short, 4k, not screen reader friendly sorry) Consider that the central premise of the themes of this fic are canon. Now think about how bizarre and fucked that is. yeahh.

there is more. There is a wellspring. I could give you more. But I have arbitrarily limited this to three dot points as an intro. I wish you well in this journey ❤️❤️

[a-vibing-potato]

Okay but... if someone wants to drop a fic rec for something similar to this? I wouldn't be mad.

mated pairs will often preen each other as part of their courtship or bonding activity

[knotboy-dean]

In my heart of hearts, Eric kripke introduces Misha Collins to The Boys AS Castiel the Angel from SupernaturalTM and it’s an entire episode dedicated to Cas trying to figure out where the fuck he is because it’s not his earth?? And there’s typical The Boys stuff happening in snippets in the background but we’re only focused on Cas trying to hunt whatever monster brought him here or find Sam and Dean for help or contact Jack/Heaven/other angels. He interacts with Soldier Boy and Jarpad’s characters but not once is it acknowledged that they’re played by the same actors as Sam and Dean -they do, however, have a moment where Cas is lamenting about Dean specifically (not even outright saying blunt stuff like “oh he’s the love of my life” but just like. Gushing about him being a good guy and how stubborn he is and funny etc etc) and Soldier Boy makes some kind of comment about always being shocked that being gay is more accepted now and they have uncomfortably long eye contact about it as SB is bathed in bisexual lighting in a bar or something and then never speak about it again. The episode ends with Cas finding out that none of this is real and it’s a fever dream he’s been placed in by the Empty to stop him from being annoying again. Eric Kripke himself plays the shadow this time. The last few minutes of the episode are Jensen Ackles, now playing Dean Winchester, tearing the empty apart to rescue Cas. The credits roll and at the very end, after everything has faded to black, Rob Benedict’s voice over says “Previously on Supernatural,” thus revealing a SPN season 16 revival.

[wormieapple]

OH MY GOD I CANT FIND THE POST BUT THE ONE ABT CAS’ FAVOURITE STIMS?????????? SLINKY

he would totally find deans faint rainbow slinky and be unwittingly obsessed with it. like just staring at it for hours without moving cause he forgot time exists. only slinky.

[mincedpeaches]

I refuse to engage with the "they're taking the impala back to the lot for a movie" posting. On any other day I might. but november 5th? guys. there aint no way.

[kinky-cas]

i do think after dean and cas have had their fight, maybe the next morning, dean has one of those rare sparkling moments of parenting clarity where he can apply the rule of asking “what did my dad do in this situation?” and then just go and do the exact opposite of that.

so he finds a minute alone with jack and is like “hey kid. just so we’re clear, i’m pissed at your dad for keeping secrets, not for saving you. i’m glad we got you back. and we’re gonna find a way to make sure both of you stay with us. neither of you is getting taken by the void if i have anything to say about it.”

and then he claps a hand on jack’s shoulder and makes sure he’s looking at him and says “and i know he’s your dad and you love him, and he’s a great dad, but it wasn’t fair of him to ask you to keep that secret. that’s not on you to carry alone. i’m glad you told us, for his sake and for yours. capiche?”

*jack, glad for the support but a bit confused why dean’s being so serious about this* “capiche.”

and dean’s like “cool, want some lunch?” and they don’t talk about it further. and then years later jack hears the story about the exact circumstances of john’s death and is like ohhhh so that’s where that came from.

Jack should have tattled about the empty deal because the huge blowout fight Dean and Cas would have had about it would have been SO fun to watch for me personally.

Jack lets something slip (accidentally? on purpose? idk) when they're all in the library and Dean slowly turns to look at Cas.

"And when, exactly, were you planning on telling me—us about this?"

*Cas, jaw tensed* "I wasn't."

(at this point, Sam grabs Jack by the arm and starts backing out of the room)

"You weren't. Of course you weren't. Because secrets and deals always end so well for us."

"We have more important things to worry about right now, Dean. This isn't exactly pressing."

"A deal that could get you taken by an ancient eldritch force at any time isn't pressing?! "

*bitchy sigh* "At any time is a flagrant exaggeration. I wasn't exactly concerned about triggering it accidentally, or soon. It's hardly any of your business, anyways."

"None of my business? None of my business that you made a deal with some eldritch entity that has a personal grudge against you. A deal for your life, Cas!"

"I have full confidence in my ability to manage it, as I have been managing it, and the terms aren't impacting anyone else."

"Oh, because you think you keeping yourself miserable all the time is just a you problem, huh?"

"Definitionally, yes, it is a "me problem", Dean."

"Right, because you don't think the rest of us are at all impacted by knowing that if you're happy it'll literally kill you?"

"Well if things had gone as planned you wouldn't have had to know, would you?"

"Not knowing is worse! And besides, Jack still knew! You were going to let him carry that by himself? Did you ever consider what that kind of knowledge can do to a kid? What it would have done to him when the Empty did eventually take you? Because it sure doesn't seem like you had any plan to get out of the deal eventually!"

"Don't you dare make your issues with this about Jack. I won't apologize to you for saving his life, and frankly I don't understand why we're discussing this. The deal is already made, and I am not going to risk Jack's life by interfering with it now. I've been perfectly fine so far. This discussion is pointless."

"Pointless. Pointless? A discussion about the deal that's apparently just waiting to kill you is pointless?"

"I don't see what arguing about this will accomplish. It was my choice to offer my life in exchange for Jack's, and my "happiness" is certainly a more than worthwhile trade for his life and safety. Are you implying otherwise?"

"That is not what I meant and you know it. Of course I'm glad we have Jack back, that's not my point!"

"Then pray, tell, Dean, what is your point? Because as far as I can see it, the only purpose this discussion is serving is as totally unnecessary additional insurance against the Empty showing up right now."

"And what's that supposed to mean??"

*audible eyeroll* "I don't know, Dean, clearly I'm thrilled to be arguing with you right now—"

(this goes on for another 20 minutes, and ends with neither of them talking to each other for at least 3 days. and then we get to see dean being paranoid about cas being happy and guilty about cas NOT feeling happy all at once, and tying himself up into knots about it.)

[zepskies]

STRESS RELIEF

Pairing: Dean Winchester x Fem!Reader

Summary: You’ve learned many ways to relieve the weight on Dean's shoulders. This is just one of them.

AN: Have I really not written for Dean since May? Here’s a drabble requested by @jollyhunter for the 5K Celebration. Here you go, my lovely! 💜

This is kind of a companion piece to a fic called Rest, and partially inspired by @nocturnalandflawed who recently left me such a kind reblog comment on that drabble.

Word Count: 640

Tags/Warnings: Set in season 11 (the Casifer plot). Angst, hurt/comfort, hint of spice, fluff (my usual cocktail lol)

Dean lets his cell phone clatter on the table with an angry huff.

The motel room boasts a small two-seater breakfast nook, with a convenient view of the sketchy-ass parking lot.

You watch him out of the corner of your eye while you wipe the remnants of mascara from your face in the bathroom mirror. Unlike him, you’re freshly showered and changed into your normal clothes.

He still has on most of his FBI suit, sans jacket. You’re pleasantly surprised to see the tie still on though. You like a well-dressed man, even if Dean just considers it a costume.

“What does Sam got?” you ask, stepping barefoot out of the steamy bathroom.

“A whole lot of nothing,” he replies, a deeper, gravel pitch to his tone. It’s edged with frustration in every syllable. “This lead’s a bust. This town’s a dusty backwoods hole. Lucifer’s in the fucking wind wearing Cas to the prom, and we got nothing!”

Dean almost cringes at the sound of his own voice rebounding off the walls. Thin walls.

He swipes a hand roughly over his face, then rubs his eyes, as if he can wipe away days and weeks of missed sleep, subpar road food, and guilt.

"Sorry," he says.

You heave a small sigh. Your frustration and upset prickle under your skin too, but you still go to him. Your hands slide over his shoulders from behind, dragging your thumbs with certain pressure over taught muscles.

A short groan catches in his throat. On some reflex, he resists the gentle touch, denying himself the small pleasure.

“We’re gonna find Cas, and we’ll figure this out, the same way we always do. Just need to keep digging,” you say.

Dean rolls his neck and blows out a breath. Your fingers find hardened clusters of tension between his neck and shoulder blades, even the plain of muscle down his back. You begin to work through them, one by one.

When you find a particularly solid knot, Dean’s shoulders coil tighter at the pain. He groans. You wince in sympathy.

“Ah, baby,” you murmur. “Have you ever had a massage?”

He snorts. “Do the Magic Fingers at the Motel 6 count?”

A bubble of laughter fills your chest, but it comes out quieter. You’re focused entirely on what you’re doing, and you’re only satisfied when the firm line of Dean’s frame loosens, bit by weighty bit.

He unwinds his tie and sighs. His lips hint at amusement when your hands come around to undo a few buttons of his dress shirt, then work their way underneath the fabric, sliding back up his chest over warm skin. He almost wants to grab your hand and give you a grateful squeeze, but then you might stop.

He lets you keep going. Your touch is gentle, but purposeful. Almost always is.

Your fingers eventually wind up in his hair to massage his aching head. His eyes fall closed, almost without him realizing.

“Jesus,” he mutters.

“You’re not the only one who’s good with their hands,” you tease.

He smirks. “Oh, I’ve known that for a while, sweetheart.”

You bite into your lower lip, but you remain concentrated. Finally he tips his head back, more relaxed and giving into your ministrations. You let your fingers drag out of his hair, and you wrap your arms loosely around his neck, his head pillowed by your breasts.

Best damn cushions in the world, he likes to tease.

He latches onto your wrist and brings your hand to his lips, gifting a meaningful kiss.

“Thanks,” he says. His voice is calmer, steadier. 

You press a lingering kiss to his scruffy, stubbly cheek, feeling the rasp against your lips.

“One of these days you’re gonna blow a fuse,” you say.

A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth.

“I don’t know. I think you handle me just fine.”

AN: 😘💜

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[artinventor]

I find it very insane that in the scene where ishim tells dean if he uses the angel banishing sigil it will blast away every angel in the room and that it might kill cas because he was injured, dean’s choices were either to risk the possibly of cas dying or get killed himself. Because what else was there for him to do? Ishim was walking over there fully intending on killing dean and dean didn’t know that sam had come back when he made the decision. He fully chose death instead of getting cas killed.

Season 12 does a lot of hinting toward cas’ death in the season finale with the amount of very close calls with death he has throughout the season and how many times the subject of facing consequences is brought up in relation to cas. While this whole side of the plot is mainly focused on cas, this particular instance hints at dean’s side of it and kinda foreshadows the beginning of season 13 with how dean would rather die than have cas dead.

[kerryweaverlesbian]

Inspired by this post by @psychogirlfiend

To humans the inside of a microwave when it’s on is nothing special, just a glimpse into the spinning plate inside. Castiel knows this, because he was briefly human himself. Repowered, however, able to watch the interplay of radiation on fixed surfaces with focused attention, Cas has found that observing the reheating of a deflated burrito is equivalently interesting to watching fish at the aquarium, or birds at a feeder. This is why he almost lets Dean dislocate his own wrist.

“Ow! Jesus Christ, Cas!” Dean cries out from behind him, attracting Cas’s attention enough to turn from the microwave, and Cas belatedly registers that there had been a pull on his shoulder. Dean is cradling and rubbing his hand protectively, but he stretches it forward immediately when Cas reaches for it and heals it. “You’re addicted to that microwave. Did you even hear a word I was saying to you?”

Cas thinks. “Something about…ghouls?” 

“Yeah, they’re taking over Tampa, we’re heading out in 20. Man, that hurt like a bitch.”

“My apologies. I was distracted. I suppose this burrito will need to be ‘to-go’.” Cas goes to turn back to the microwave, but Dean stills him with a touch. He’s got a calculating expression as he scans over Castiel, the same as he gets as when he’s processing clues on a case. “Dean?”

Dean doesn’t reply, but he pushes Cas’s hip, directing him to stand flat against the counter, and follows him, close. Castiel’s pulse starts thudding in his ears. Dean takes Cas’s shoulder in hand and shakes him, then lifts his whole slack arm to do the same with that. Before Cas can latch onto the crazy idea that Dean’s going to entwine their hands, Dean drops his arm and takes hold of Cas’s chin. The idea of whatever Dean is going to do with him are only getting crazier: he can’t stop his gaze from sticking to Dean’s pink, partially open mouth. 

“Dean?” Cas asks again, shocking himself with the slight quiver in his voice, but again he is ignored. Dean tugs down with his fingers then pushes up with his thumb, getting Cas to open and close his mouth like a puppet at his will. It takes a lot of effort not to whimper at the thought, Dean using his body like a toy. Dean’s grip changes, and his thumb brushes lightly over Cas’s bottom lip in a casual sweep. His other hand firmly grabs the knot of Cas’s tie, and he draws Cas forwards with both holds, stepping back as he does until Cas has to stumble to not fall over. Cas is on the verge of knocking Dean’s hands aside and diving in for the kiss himself when Dean suddenly smirks, pats his cheek and lets him go completely, leaving Cas to straighten himself up a beat later.

“Huh. Interesting,” is all Dean says, grin spreading big all over his face, then spins on his heel and walk out, calling back over his shoulder, “You coming, Cas?”

He’s out the door before Cas can respond with a “yes”, correctly assuming his obedience.  The microwave beeps loudly behind him, knocking him out of his confused, fuzzy stillness. He packs the burrito in a bag, and follows in Dean’s footsteps in the direction of the garage. Anywhere Dean wants him, that’s where he wants to be.