Work Text:
Once there was an Angel named Castiel. He was like any other Angel in the beginning, except for one thing. He started to wear a blue tie around his neck.
There was a righteous man named Dean that he had raised from perdition. Castiel liked Dean and Dean liked Castiel.
One day he asked him, “Why do you wear that blue tie all the time?”
“Because it is a part of my vessel,” lied Castiel. The truth was he couldn’t tell him because he didn’t know.
But Dean would keep asking anyway, “Why do you wear it?”
And Castiel started to reply, “It is not of import.”
Castiel and Dean rebelled against the forces of heaven and hell trying to stop the apocalypse. One day Castiel died, another he came back.
After Castiel came back, Dean said, “Now that you’re back you must tell me about the blue tie.”
“You still must wait,” said Castiel. “I will tell you when the right time comes.”
Years passed. Dean grew older and many times over did Castiel die again and again and again and again. Each time Dean would ask, each time Castiel would almost tell him.
One day Castiel made a deal. The Empty told him that he was dying. The tie became tight around his neck. Dean was by Castiel’s side in the end.
“Dean,” he said. “Now I will tell you about the blue tie. Untie it, and you will see why I could not tell you before.”
And to the pound of heartbeats and fists against the door Dean untied it.
“I love you.”
For a moment he could not recognize Castiel without the tie. Who was this stranger who loved him? Why hadn’t he seen him before? Dean found a moment too late that he loved him back.
And Castiel was swallowed whole.
