Maybe later, Big Boy

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As the sun was setting it’s rays felt warmer and warmer, holding up to Dean’s skin, caressing him and telling him that despite the monsters outside everything was alright with the world. He was sitting low over the steps of a staircase, jacket in hand, letting every single fibre of his muscles thrive in the touch of the orb upfront.  

-Is this your sunset? -Dean’s attention got caught up by a set of steps coming to a halt by his side. -Can I join in?

Dean looked up and smiled. -Like you’d ask for permission to do a thing.

Gabriel shrugged mindlessly but stood still until Dean gestured him to join. He sat two steps above him.

-I like it, it’s very warm. Just like you.

Dean looked back at the archangel from his low point to snap a silly retort and felt his breath falter. While in rest, Gabriel’s eyes were wide open, not a single trace of the squinting eyes from the mask of mischief he was so used to carry,  looking at the sunset like it was the very first time he had ever seen one. His irises wide enough to have people mistake him for someone far younger than what he was. Locks of hair reflecting rays of sunlight, glowing, and moving gently with the wind. There was not a single adjective Dean could think of using about the vision in front of him at the moment that wouldn’t subtly include the concept of angelical in it.

The archangel turned his eyes back at him, shining gold embraced by a ring of darkness that only made his gaze more magnetic. 

-Something wrong Dean-o?

Before he even realized what he was doing, Dean had gone to grab Gabriel’s arm in a rush and woke up with a start.

The darkness of his bedroom held a huge contrast against the sunlight he had been witness to seconds ago. No sight of the archangel anywhere near.

Three days ago he had been sitting on that same bed with Gabriel, drinking a couple of beers and ranting about something stupid like whether it was too soon to consider Boku no Hero a classic or not. Dean had wanted to stay shut towards the bratty archangel but a knock on the door and a serving of Asgardian mead as a mild peace offering had done wonders on Gabriel’s favour.

Dean had been laughing so hard, like he hadn’t for such a long time. It had been so easy to get along with him, open up, talk about the things that neither Sam or Cas would understand. Which was the reason he had been so afraid of Cas letting him into his room, the idiot had already known where his most precious tapes and magazines were at.

But he was gone now. He would never walk into his room again.

Dean turned over to try and catch some more sleep, closing his eyes, trying hard to ignore the blurriness that suddenly covered the bright red numbers of his alarm clock. He didn’t know how long it took him but he finally fell back to sleep. And the dream came once more.

-Something wrong Dean-o?

Dean gulped in pain. Staring at the archangel, losing himself in his gaze. -You’re gone.

Gabriel smiled at him with an inquiring look, as if Dean had been saying nonsense -What are you talking about?

-You’re gone. You… you left us. Again. And this time I saw you die.

Tears began to stream on the hunter’s face.

-I saw you die.

Gabriel kept on smiling with his eyebrow shot up in wonder. Dean held his head down.

-This is just a dream.

-Is it a bad dream?

Dean felt himself drench in sadness.

-No…

-But?

-But it’s not real.

Silence fell between them for a while.

-If only… I just… I just wanted to talk with you more.

The archangel’s voice softened and rasped in response -Well… Maybe later, Big Boy.

The alarm clock jarred Dean up. There was no way of stopping his tears now.