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"Magnus!" Alec tries to rein in his husband. "Don't you always say that people need to find themselves at their own pace?"
He glances at Dean who looks at Magnus wide-eyed, mouth agape, totally lost for words.
"Yes, darling, but this ...," he throws his hands in the air out of complete bewilderment.
"Magnus," Alec tries it again, this time calmer. "It's none of our business."
Magnus leans in to Alec's ear and whispers, "It's just a few hours until Valentine's day. If we don't lend a hand, this disaster bi will break his angel's heart."
Alec straightens himself and smiles warmly - and a little fake - at Dean and Castiel who still look at Magnus, Dean in pure horror and Castiel in a mixture of panic and sadness. Alec - bitchy face Alec - wants to give the poor angel a hug and his fellow hunter a kick in the ass. But all in due time. First, he has to defuse the situation.
"Would you please excuse us for a minute? The view from the balcony is excellent," he says and when Castiel nods at him, he takes Magnus' hand and pulls him to their bedroom.
"What?" Magnus asks when the door closes behind them, playing innocent.
"You can't just ask two basically strangers how long they've been together, Magnus."
"Why not? They are obviously in love."
Alec sighs. His husband and the urge to turn everyone around him into happy couples. Okay. His success rate is fantastic, but if Alec recognises one thing then it is someone in the closet and Dean definitely gives off those vibes.
Alec is happy that Magnus pulled him out of this unhappy place, but he fears the freewheeling bisexual that is the love of his life might scare off the hunter instead of being a role model for him.
"I know," Alec says, "I feel it, too. But I think Dean needs someone who he can relate to and, love, I'm sorry, but I think this one should be me."
Magnus looks at him intensely for a long moment, then nods. "But I talk to the angel. We immortals must stick together."
Alec rolls his eyes. No, he won't think about that now. He doesn't want to ruin Valentine's day. Not again.
They walk out onto the balcony where the angel stands, hands on the balustrade, his eyes rooming over Brooklyn. Dean is sitting on the loveseat staring at his very interesting hands.
Alec clears his throat. "Dean, would you like to see my training room? Magnus really put a lot of effort into it. It's my pride and joy. We could spar a little if you like."
Dean looks at him for a second then gets up. "Sure, why not?"
They leave the other two men on the balcony. Magnus walks to Castiel who gives him a small smile.
"My apologies. I didn't mean to pry," Magnus starts.
Castiel's smile turns sad. "You aren't the first insinuating that we are a couple," Castiel says, "and you most definitely won't be the last."
Magnus nods in understanding. He knows the look of unrequited love and it is written all over the angel's face.
"You know, when I met my husband, for me it was love at first sight. He was beautiful and strategic which showed how smart he was. And then his smile. I thought I could die a very happy man when I first saw it."
Castiel nods. He feels his grace reaching out to Magnus' magic in trust and understanding. Poets might call it the meeting of kindred souls.
"When I first touched Dean's soul in hell, it was burning fiercely and bright. He was broken and yet perfect. He made me fall from heaven by just being himself. And his smile still can make me do crazy things the old me would never understand."
The air is heavy with spoken truths that are allowed to exist outside of Castiel's head for the first time.
"Why are you hurting yourself, my friend?"
Castiel gives him a genuine smile. "Because he's worth it, even if he thinks he isn't."
Magnus puts his hand on Castiel's and squeezes it lightly. "He knows - because of you. And if you let him love you, he will know it for certain until the end of his life."
They keep standing together like this in silence, watching the sun go down over New York.
"So, you and the magician?" Dean asks.
"Warlock, but yes. We're happily married for two years now."
"Two years. Wow! Married young, didn't you?"
Alec laughs. "You and me, we are both warriors, trained from an early age. We were adults long before others reached puberty."
Dean hums in agreement while studying the weapons hanging on the wall. He stops in front of a Kurdish knife and chuckles. "The first time I met Cass I stabbed him with one of those. Right into his heart. The bastard didn't even flinch." Dean's voice is way too soft for a story like this.
Alec chuckles. "That's an interesting way to conquer a man's heart. Although I stabbed Magnus too, metaphorically speaking. I nearly married a woman who I didn't love. And still, he came to show me I had a choice, that I could choose between who my parents wanted me to be and being happy with the man I loved."
"And you chose him?"
Alec smiles softly at the memory of their first kiss in front of the wedding guests and his bride who encouraged him to follow his heart.
"Yes. Turned out I didn't really need to choose after all. I mean, it wasn't plain sailing, but I have everything I ever dreamt of - the job I love and a man to come home to every day who understands me, who knows what I need, and is more than willing to give it to me. I've been miserable my whole life. I never thought that happiness could ever be in my cards. But guess what? I am blessed by the angels. You can find love in the strangest places."
Dean nods, running his hands over a shortsword. "I am blessed with an angel at my side," he muses, balancing on the thin line between truth and concealment. "My life before he walked into that barn is pale in comparison and I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without him by my side."
"Me neither," Alec says, "Magnus is the light that brightens up even my darkest nights."
Dean gives him a lopsided smile, his eyes speaking of longing and sadness.
"You know," Alec says, "I jumped right into the unknown when I kissed him in front of all those people. I could have lost everything. My family, my career. But I looked at him and knew that it would be worth it."
"I ...," Dean starts, but trails off.
"I know," Alec says. "It's scary. But life is too short for wasting a single second on fear. You and me, we fight monsters every day. A rogue vampire or werewolf can end us in a split second. I wouldn't want Magnus to mourn me without him knowing how much I loved him. Because he will live on and all that will be left will be the memories we made together."
Alec pats his hand on Dean's shoulder. "Come on. I'm pretty sure Magnus conjured us a festive dinner."
"Your husband can cook?"
"Only slightly better than I which means, not really, but his magic is very useful. Not only in the kitchen," Alec says and gives him a wink.
Dean feels the heat crawling its way from his neck to his cheeks.
"I'm pretty sure he could have just magicked this into two beds," Dean grouses, looking at the huge four-postered bed in the guest room.
"I don't sleep, Dean, you know that. I just came in because the two didn't seem ready to go to sleep and I didn't want to stay with that vampire. I know he is from a different breed, but he still kind of freaked me out."
Dean chuckles. "You could just smite him."
"Sure, our hosts would love that," Castiel deadpans.
Dean slips under the sheets and Castiel settles into an antique armchair, opening a book from Magnus' library. "You can put out the lights. I can read in the dark," Castiel says.
"Really? I didn't know that."
Castiel's lips curl into a sad smile. Dean hates those. Somehow it's always him who puts them on the angel's face. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Dean."
"Like what?"
Castiel shrugs his shoulders. "Why do you want to know?"
Dean pushes himself up and leans against the headboard. Castiel struggles to keep his eyes fixed on Dean's. He has no right to ogle him.
"Because you're my best friend, Cass, that's why."
"What if ...?" Castiel trails off in a long silence.
Dean swallows, feeling the change of atmosphere like a physical presence between them.
"What if?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper. Castiel shakes his head. "What if what, Cass?"
"What if I don't want to be your best friend?"
Dean's insides contract in one huge cramp and he feels like he needs to vomit. No. This can't be true! Did he push Castiel away for one too many times? Did he, seeing the happily married couple, realise that Dean is not worth waiting for?
"What ... what do you mean?" he presses around the heart in his mouth.
"What if I want more?"
Dean's heart is free falling from his mouth to somewhere in the pit of his guts. Did he understand him right?
"More?"
Castiel doesn't look at him. Why doesn't he look at him? If he is going to profess out loud what both of them were dancing around for a decade now, why can't he look at him?
"Dean." It sounds like a plea.
"I love you," Dean blurts out, panicking at his own courage.
Castiel's eyes grow wide. "What did you just say?"
Dean swallows again, throat tight and suddenly dry as the Sahara.
"I ..."
"Don't you dare and take it back now. I heard you, Dean Winchester, loud and clear. Not just mistakingly praying it. You said it."
"Wait a minute," Dean says, getting out of his stupor, "you knew?"
"But of course. You told me every night in purgatory. Not in these exact words, but you weren't exactly subtle."
"And you still pushed me into the portal!?" Anger flairs up in Dean's chest. It is old and very familiar. You're not worthy to be loved. Everyone leaves. It's you, Dean. No one can stay with your inner demons, the poisonous voice says.
"I deserved to be punished for what I had done. And you deserved to be happy, to live."
"Why did you never tell me?" Dean whispers.
"Because I knew you weren't ready to live it and simply knowing was enough. Just being around you is enough."
"Is it?" Dean asks, not caring that tears prickle in his eyes and his voice already turns wet.
"If that is all that you are able to give, yes, then it's enough," Castiel says and the truth laced around this confession takes Dean's breath away.
He stretches a hand out, not trusting his legs to carry him the few steps to the man he loves. Castiel raises and walks over until he can take Dean's hand into his own.
Dean pulls him down to sit on the bed and brushes his thumb over Castiel's cheek. "You stupid son of a bitch."
Cass smiles at him, the sadness in his eyes gone. "Is that a way to call the man you love?"
Dean chuckles. "Will have to get used to other names, I guess. Sweetheart?"
"That's what you're calling every waitress," Castiel says.
"Oh, is that how you're rolling? Okay. What about you kiss me, angel?"
And yes, it might just be the name of his species, but from Dean's lips at this exact moment, it sounds like so much more.
"Okay," Castiel says.
"Okay?" Dean chuckles.
"Yes." And Castiel leans in, the soft brush of lips and noses more beautiful than any galaxy Cass has seen come into existence. Fireworks? No human or angelic language could ever describe what it feels like to kiss his hunter and to be kissed by him.
"What do you think they are doing now?" Alec asks after Raphael is gone.
Magnus reaches out with his magic and smiles softly. "Stopping being two pining idiots. I feel a lot of chaotic gay/bi energy."
Alec grins. "I know a thing or two about that."
Magnus hums. "I know. It's the best."
He kisses Alec goodnight and cuddles into his side. "Do you think they invite us to their wedding?"
Alec chuckles. "Let them first come out to their friends and family. Not everyone needs to marry after three months."
"Wouldn't be surprised if they bested us. They are pining for a decade after all."
"Can you imagine that?" Alec asks.
"Yes."
"What do you mean, yes?"
"I would have waited for you too, Alexander."
Alec brushes his hand through Magnus' raven hair. "Good that you didn't have to," he says and presses a kiss on Magnus' temple. "Happy Valentine's day, my love."
Magnus smiles up at him. "Happy Valentine's day, darling."