I was watching this clip again before the episode… and I was already so happy that Dean hugs Cas back (when one of the promo pictures had initially made it seem as though the hug would be one-sided). But now I can’t explain how much I love this because, it’s not one-sided at all, in fact, in the first gif you can see that it’s actually Dean that initiates the hug, his arms swinging wider and upwards as he walks through the door. And his little smile when he sees Cas:
It gives Cas the go-ahead he’s waiting for to hug Dean as whole-heartedly as he needs. But what got me the most, and what actually brought me to tears, was Cas’s face.
I mean just look at it. Look at all the emotion written there, the pain and loneliness and then relief. I mean, it looks like he’s near tears as he squeezes his eyes shut tight. I’m not sure if anything can stand testament to the relationship they have more than the unguarded look on Cas’s face in that moment. And with his hand clenching tight around Dean’s back… Oh god, it’s in every move they make. The pat of Dean’s hand against his back. The lingering slides of their arms against each other. Pure and unadulterated. It’s just another reassurance that this truly is the greatest love story ever told.
