Dean is a thief and Cas is the detective who has been chasing him for years. And Dean -- well, he’s getting older, slowing down. He’s not bouncing back from jumping out of second story windows like he used to. Those gaps between rooftops seem to stretch a little further than before.
Dean’s thinking about retiring. He has enough money. Sam’s long-since graduated from college and has a good job. The loans are all paid off.
The only thing stopping him is Cas.
Because if Dean quit, he’d never have a reason to see Cas again.
So he keeps going, longer than he should. He has to ice his knees every night. His back is so stiff, sometimes he lays on the floor to stretch it out.
It gets so bad that even Sam, who doesn’t entirely know what he does - but knows enough - pulls him aside one day and tells him, “You have to stop moonlighting as a superhero before it kills you.” Sam’s getting married, has a kid on the way. He plays dirty when he tells Dean, “You’re niece needs her uncle.”
So Dean decides on one last caper. It’s an easy job, taking back a piece of art from a rich guy’s house. He’s almost done. He’s deposited the art at the drop site, when he trips over the wing of a gargoyle and falls right off a roof into an alley not two blocks from the mansion.
He breaks his leg. The nerves scream. He feels on fire. He’s going to pass out. But he can’t. Not here. Not so close.
His niece needs him.
He shouldn’t have taken this job. Cas didn’t even show.
He stares up at the stars, bitterly, hating himself for his pride. Then the world goes dark.
When he wakes up again, he’s in the hospital. His legs are wrapped up and he’s tucked in. He lifts his hands, surprised when there’s no handcuffs. More so when he looks to his right, to a chair against the wall - to Cas, slouching and asleep.
Dean’s heart picks up speed and the monitor beeps in rhythm.
Cas startles awake. Dean freezes as Cas blinks a few times and focuses on him.
Dean doesn’t know what to do. Does Cas know who he is? What he does? He must, right? If he found Dean. If he saw his black clothes and his equipment - his lockpicks, his glass cutter. None of which Dean sees in the room.
“You’re safe,” Cas says, leaning forward. There’s a hint of a smile on his lips that Dean doesn’t understand.
Dean swallows. “Am I under arrest?”
Cas hums, “Did you want to be?”
“No.”
“Good.”
Dean frowns. He has no idea what is happening here.
“You have to quit,” Cas says. “That’s my only condition.”
“I... Huh?”
“It’s non-negotiable.”
“I have no idea what you are talking about Cas - er, Detective.” Dean clears his throat. “I am an upstanding citizen.” At Cas’s flat look, Dean amends, “Starting now.”
Cas drags his chair closer. “Promise?”
“Yeah.” Dean shrugs. “This was going to be my last shot anyway. I should have quit a long time ago.”
“Why didn’t you?” Cas is so close, within reach, chair pulled right up to the side of the bed. Dean could touch him, if he just...
“Don’t make me say it,” Dean says.
Cas’s lips twitch. Another smile. “Say what?”
Dean rolls his eyes. “Come on, Cas. You know I don’t... Well, how are we supposed to say goodbye?”
Nodding, Cas reaches out. He places his hand at the edge of the bed, so close to Dean’s, but not touching. “Maybe we don’t have to.”
“You just told me to quit.”
“Not that, Dean.”
Dean has an idea what he really means, but he’s not about to voice it and be wrong. “What do you mean, then?”
“Go on a date with me,” Cas says, so confident for a moment, before he falters, starts to pull back. “Not that... If you’d rather not, it’s fine. I’m not going to... You don’t have to.” He’s withdrawing his hand, and no. No.
Dean catches it, lacing their fingers together. His heart’s racing, the monitor betraying him, but Cas is smiling at him all sunshine and rainbows. It’s hard to be embarrassed when all he wants to do is finally kiss him.
“I caught you, Dean Winchester,” Cas says, leaning close.
And Dean smirks. “I think I caught you first, Detective Castiel.”
