"Dean, are you sure about this?" I ask, and Dean grins.

"More than I ever have been about anything in my life. Cas, I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I will not let a homophobic, racist man like my father come in between us."

I smile, my cheeks warming as he kiss me softly on the lips. His lips dip down to the sensitive spot on my neck, and I let out a giggle.

"Did that satisfy your curiosity?" Dean purrs, and the nerves in my brain short out.

"Dean, we have to get everything ready!" 

What's the hurry?" He whispers, and his lips trail a fiery line down my neck to my collarbone, begging to go lower. I let out a sigh as his hands ghost down my sides and find their place on my hips, gently pushing me against the kitchen counter.

"Dean, we have to be on the plane at five and it's already 3:30." I say, but lose my train of thought when his lips meet mine again. He plants another kiss on my lips but listens, pulling away.

"Okay, fine. You're okay driving separately"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll meet you at Hannah's"

"I'll be there before you know it." Dean replies, placing a tender kiss on my forehead. I smile, grabbing my bags from off of the floor.

"I can't believe this is actually happening."

"I know, you'll have to think about honeymoon destinations while you wait for me." 

My face flushed red as I brush past Dean, heading towards the car. I take one more look around our apartment; the doorframe by the kitchen that is slightly destroyed after many late nights, the shelves that held the photos and memories of the last four years. A pang of sadness runs through my heart as I walk out to the car. We just wanted our relationship to be recognized, but because of John's hatred for the LBGTQ+ community, we're forced to leave under the dark of night just to live in peace. Setting the bags in the backseat, I close the door on the past. 

"Promise me you'll call when you're on your way to Hannah's?" I ask, and Dean smirks.

"What, you don't trust me?" He jokes, but I smack him on the shoulder.

"No, I don't trust your father. I don't trust that he won't find some way to try and convince you that what you're doing is wrong."

"Cas," Dean says, cupping my face in his hands. "I promise you, John will not be seeing me for the rest of his miserable life."

"But-"

"Nope. Now let's go before your sister comes up with different reasons why we're late."

"Okay, okay." I grab my keys and climb into the car, opening the window so I could say goodbye. "I love you, Dean Winchester."

"And I love you, Castiel Novak."

I gave him a final wave before driving off, watching until his figure got smaller and smaller to the point I couldn't even see him anymore. An uneasy feeling settled in the bottom of my stomach as we turned the corner. Why did I have a bad feeling about this?

            .........................................................................................................

"Cas, come on, you're going to be late." I hear Hannah, my sister, say from behind me.

"You've reached Dean Winchester's phone, sorry I couldn't answer your call-"

"Damn it, Dean, pick up your phone." I say, sitting down on the couch next to me.

"Cas-"

"Don't say it, Hannah, please. Dean wouldn't just ditch me, he promised-"

"I don't think he's coming, Cas." She responds, looking down at her phone. I shoot over to where she was standing, and my heart drops. I grab Hannah's phone out of her hands and dial Dean's number. It rings a few times before I heard the call click.

"Hannah, listen-"

"How could you? You promised."

"I leave for Iraq tomorrow, Cas, there is nothing I can do to stop it."

"No, there has to be a mistake, Dean, you knew we were leaving for weeks-"

"I was planning on telling you when we got to Manhattan, but I ..."

"You what, Dean? You thought that I would just be okay with you enlisting behind my back?" I ask incredulously. "How could you?"

"I think this is for the best, me not going with you." Dean replies, and I felt like I got sucker punched in the gut.

"...What?"

"I was eventually going to enlist, and you know it too."

"Dean, please, please don't do this." I say, and I feel my heart break into a million tiny pieces.

"I'm sorry, Cas, but I'm not coming."

"Please, Dean, I love you. Don't do this to me."

"I'm sorry." Click. I look at the phone screen, which read call disconnected. I felt the tears stream down my face as Hannah wraps her arms around my shoulders.

"How could he do this?" I whisper, and Hannah sighs.

"I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I told you this wasn't a good idea."

"I need to go. I don't need him, and he was right." I say, standing up and walking to the door. "Come on, Hannah. I have a plane to catch."

"But-"

"No. I'm getting on that plane, because I' getting out not this town, whether Dean is with me or not. I'm going to show him that I don't need him. That I'll be fine without him."

And that's exactly what I did.