Dean's life after defeating Chuck is mostly good. If only Cas hadn't taken off again on some kind of angel business. And if only Dean could stop having nightmares about Cas with tears in his eyes as he's swallowed up by black goo.
When Cas fights his way out of the Empty and comes back home, he expects things to be awkward with Dean after his confession, but he's not prepared for a Dean who acts as if Cas's latest death never happened at all.
“Cas, don’t do this.”
Dean wakes up with a start. The Dean Cave is dark, the movie long since ended.
“What the hell?” he rasps.
The dream won’t leave his head. A relentless pounding, Cas smiling beatifically, tears streaming down his face, saying words that Dean’s longed to hear, but no, not like this. The wall opening, something black coming through…
He feels almost sick. Hastily, he shoves the last few pieces of popcorn into his mouth to settle his stomach. There’s no beer to wash it down. The empty bottle, which he’d left upright, now lies on its side on the floor, the last few drops soaking into the rug.
Dean’s no stranger to nightmares. How could he be, with all the things he’s seen and done? But this isn’t an ordinary nightmare. There are too many horrors in his past for his subconscious to need to dream up new ones. And this—this never happened.
“What the hell?” he repeats.
Cas is safe, he reminds himself. He’s safe. He’s fine. Sure, he’s off with his angel buddies, but he’s a big boy. He can take care of himself.
Dean pulls out his phone. 2:43 a.m. Long after polite calling hours, but then Cas is an angel. He doesn’t sleep. The phone rings and rings, and then Cas’s voice comes over the line—the message Dean made him record in Dodge City, on their first case after Lucifer had killed him. Dean had been thrilled to have him back, and even more thrilled to hear him dryly repeat, “Howdy, partner. Leave a message,” even as he rolled his eyes.
The memory still makes Dean smirk a little, even as his heart drops to get the recording. But it’s fine, he reminds himself. Cas probably doesn’t get a signal in Heaven, or wherever he is.
He leaves a message. “Hey, Cas. This is Dean. Just checking in. I—we haven’t heard from you in a while, buddy. I had to watch Raiders on my own, and it wasn’t the same. So, uh, get your ass home soon, take a real vacation, ‘cause you deserve it, and I miss you. We all miss you, I mean. But, I—Yeah. Get home, or give me a call at least...”
