"So, what," Benny says not long after the first hand begins, "is this gonna be a new thing? You're playing both sides now?"

"Nope; I'm a one-night-only special," Castiel replies.

"Unless you change your mind," Gabriel adds. "I mean, you know where to find us now. Maybe we'll re-hit it off so well that —"

"If you wanna come find me, you are more than welcome to," Castiel says. "But I kinda got a job and I'd be fired just for being here if anyone found out."

"I'm sure they wouldn't fire you —"

"I've been involved in investigations for at least three of you in just the last few months," Castiel interrupts. "Losing my job would be the least of my worries." That's obstruction, plain and simple, and he's sure the DA's office could drum up a few more charges if they tried. He would've cut off communication the first time Dean came to see him if he'd been any smarter.

"I'm sorry," Claire says, "is anyone else at all concerned that he knows where we live? You know, 'cause he could pretty much put us all in jail?"

The girl next to her — Kaia, Dean had introduced her; he's pretty sure Lucifer said that's her girlfriend? — shrugs, but he can tell she's thinking the same thing.

"Nah." Dean waves that off. "He's in too deep now."

CastieI shoots him a glare. He's right, but he doesn't have to say it. He'd rather no one else find out he lied to the Chief of Police herself to save Dean's ass.

"Ooh, now this is gossip I'd like to get my hands on," Claire remarks.

"You've already got your hands on it," another teen, Kevin, says. "He's supposed to be putting you in handcuffs, not beating you at poker."

That's not quite what Dean meant, but it's true nonetheless so he lets them go with it.

"Aw, hell yeah," Gabriel says. "Criminal Cas is back!"

"Just for tonight," Castiel reminds him. "Then I'm just a guy who knows a little more than he let on." Admittedly, that's still criminal, but it's not as bad as befriending murder suspects. He puts his cards facedown. "Fold."

"Off to a great start," Dean says teasingly.

"Like your hand is any better," Castiel says sarcastically. "You're so obviously bluffing, it's not even funny." He's not sure how he knows, but looking at him, he can just tell.

Dean snorts. "If that's what helps you sleep at night."

"Thanks, Cas!" Lucifer says cheerfully. "I think I'll raise just 'cause I want Dean to suffer." He slips a few chips into the pot.

"You're really just taking his word for it?" Claire says skeptically though she adds another chip nonetheless.

"He's Cas," Lucifer says with a shrug. "If anyone's gonna know when Dean's bullshitting us, it'll be the guy who's seen him, like, three times in the last 13 years." Though the words are sarcastic, he says them genuinely. Castiel can't help but wonder if his faith is misplaced. It has been 13 years, after all.

Dean is the dealer, so he puts out another card and everyone places their bets. Then he puts the last card down, and it's time for the final bets.

Dean puts his cards facedown on the table. "Fold."

"Hey, whaddya know, Cas was right," Gabriel says.

"I wasn't bluffing," Dean says indignantly. "I was just naively waiting for a card that was gonna help."

"You were bluffing," Gabriel says. "Accept it."

The only three left in the game are Lucifer, Claire, and Jack, and in the end, Jack wins with four sixes, so at least he's off to a good start. He takes the chips with a smile.

As Dean is shuffling the cards for another round, another conversation starts, this time thanks to Gabriel.

"So what've you been up to lately?" he asks his brother. "You know, besides breaking the law you're supposed to be enforcing."

Castiel ignores that. "Honestly, not much. Things are kinda boring, but I like that."

"Sounds lame," Dean says.

"It's great, actually," Castiel tells him, just a little bit defensive. "I get paid to hang out with my friend, and then I get to go home and watch TV or read a book or whatever."

"Again, lame," Claire says. "It's a miracle you haven't died of boredom yet."

Castiel shrugs. "I like it."

"That makes one person," Dean says. "Ante up."

Everyone puts a chip in the middle of the table, then Dean deals out the next round. Castiel takes a look at his cards. A king and a jack of spades. That could be promising if the rest of the cards are in his favor.

"You know," Gabriel says, "I'm really glad you got wrapped up in our shit again."

"It's putting me in a difficult situation," Castiel says, "but honestly, I kinda am, too."

"Of course you are," Dean says. "You get to see me again. What more could you ask for?"

Castiel picks up a chip and throws it at him. It almost hits him square in the face, but Dean catches it in one hand at the last second. He adds it to his pile of chips with a smile. Looks like Castiel isn't getting that one back.

Claire groans. "Will you two stop flirting?"

"That was not flirting," Castiel says immediately. All he did was throw a chunk of plastic at the guy. How is that flirting?

Lucifer pats him on the back with mock sympathy. "That was totally flirting."

Dean raises a hand. "I was flirting."

Castiel chucks another poker chip at him.

"And," Dean adds, picking it up and adding it to his pile, "apparently I'm getting paid to flirt, which is pretty cool if you ask me."

"You guys are so annoying," Claire mutters.

"I think it's cute," Jack says.

"And I think we should play some poker," Kevin says. "You know, because it's poker night."

"Fair point," Dean says. He flips over the first three cards. "And we're back."

Castiel hasn't played poker in a long time, so he's surprised when they finally reach the last round and he ends up with more chips than he started with. Huh. Maybe he should have cashed in. He could've made some good money tonight.

"Well, that settles it," Lucifer says. "Cas and Dean know each other too well."

Dean shrugs. "He's just not very good at bluffing."

"I had everyone else fooled every time, thank you very much," Castiel says indignantly.

Dean chuckles. "Good game, Cas."

"It sure was," Castiel says. He slides his cards across the table to him. "That was a lot of fun. I'm glad I stuck around."

Gabriel elbows him playfully. "You could always stay sticking around."

"Poker nights every week!" Lucifer adds.

Castiel shakes his head. "I've gotta get home." He pulls out his phone to check the time, then amends, "I should've gone home hours ago, actually." At this rate, it might be easier to pull an all-nighter than to suffer through tomorrow on just a few hours of sleep.

"Well, if you change your mind," Lucifer says, "next Thursday, seven o'clock. We'll be here." It's clear in his voice that he doesn't expect anything to come of that, but the fact that he offers anyway means a lot.

Before he leaves, he gives everyone their goodbyes. His brothers both get a tearful hug, followed quickly by a hug from a disheartened Jack. Mick gets a polite nod with his "goodbye," Benny barely gets a glance, and the teens just get a few words — an "it was nice to meet you" to Kaia and Kevin and a promptly ignored "it was nice to see you again" to Claire.

Everybody trickles out, and eventually, the only two remaining are Dean and Castiel. This might be his hardest goodbye, and in all honesty, he doesn't even know where to begin. After a few moments of awkwardness, CastieI holds out a hand.

Dean frowns. "Really? That's all I get?"

Castiel sighs and drops his hand. "I don't know. I just..." He runs a hand through his hair. "I don't want to make this harder than it has to be."

"Well, treating me like a new business partner is not the way to go about it," Dean says.

"Then how should I go about it?"

"I don't know," Dean admits. "I mean, does this even have to be 'goodbye' at all?"

"Dean..."

Dean takes his hands. "You can still stay. You're still one of us, you know. I think you proved that tonight."

"But I'm not," Castiel says quietly. "You guys will always have my heart, but I'm not one of you anymore and I can't pretend I am."

"If you were just pretending tonight, then you're a hell of an actor," Dean tells him.

"So much has changed, though," Castiel says. "We're not kids anymore. Hell, you pretty much have your own kids — one of which would probably kick me in the balls if she thought she could get away with it."

Dean shakes his head. "She's only like that because she feels like you abandoned her — abandoned us.*

"And I did," Castiel says. "And I would do it again because I'm not one of you. I'm on the other team now —"

"So we're Romeo and Juliet," Dean interrupts. "We can work with that."

"Dean, Romeo and Juliet died." CastieI pulls his hands back. "This is exact why I didn't want to come back tonight. We keep doing this same dance and it never seems to stick."

"Then maybe it's not supposed to stick," Dean says. "Maybe we're supposed to be together. Did you ever think of that?"

"The only way we're gonna be together is if you leave the Hunters behind," Castiel tells him. "I told you I'm not leaving my life behind. I have too much to lose."

"And you'd rather lose me," Dean finishes.

CastieI shrugs apologetically. At least it seems Dean feels the same way; he'd rather be with the Hunters than with Castiel. He's known that all along. He'd held out hope for a short while, but he's long since given up.

But then Dean surprises him.

"I don't know who I am if I'm not a Hunter," he admits. "This is all I've ever known."

"Then let me show you," Castiel says. He cups Dean's cheek in his hand. "I can help you get out. I've already had to figure it out; I can show you how." With a small smile, he adds, "You know, my apartment is big enough for two."

Dean smiles, too, and Castiel can see him thinking about it. He's so close. He just needs to say "yes."

CastieI presses a kiss to his lips. "Come home with me. You can make a life for yourself — a real life. A life with me."

Dean gives it a few more moments of thought, then shakes his head. He takes Castiel's hand off his cheek and lowers it, but he doesn't let go. "I don't think I can."

"You can," Castiel says firmly. "I know you, Dean, and I know you can do anything you put your mind to."

"But not this," he says. "I'm sorry."

CastieI feels tears welling up in his eyes. For a moment there, he really thought... But it was never going to happen. He supposes he should have known that from the beginning. But he couldn't help but think — but hope — there was a chance anyway.

"So this is goodbye?" Dean asks quietly. "The real goodbye?"

CastieI nods solemnly. "I guess so."

Dean squeezes his hand gently. "What if I take you up on half of your offer, then?"

CastieI tilts his head to the side, squinting. "What do you mean?"

"There's room in your apartment for two," Dean reminds him. "How about, just for tonight, I come home with you."

"Dean, I think it's a little late for sex —"

"Then we don't have sex," Dean says. "That's okay with me. I just..." He gives the other man a small smile. "It's been a long time since I've been able to spend the night with someone I love — someone I trust. It would mean a lot."

CastieI smiles. "Okay."