Dean inhaled, still surprised after almost a year in Purgatory at how cool the air was. He followed Benny briskly, glancing behind occasionally to look at Cas, who scanned the pale forest surroundings intently, his bright blue eyes giving no evidence to his nervousness. The trek through the woodland towards the portal had been a hard one, clashes with the dead trapped inside Purgatory frequent and exhausting, leaving the three edgy and ready to fight. Dean slowed his pace to walk beside the angel, who met his gaze quietly. Dean smirked at him, lending out his hand to grip Cas's shoulder, feeling it quiver beneath his touch.
"How's it going, Cas?" Dean asked, taking his hand off the angel.
"Better, I suppose," Cas responded after a pause, breathing a long awaited sigh. He felt more at ease to have the hunter beside him. "Being alone, it was never easy."
Dean looked away from the angel to a nearly unseen Benny, who didn't slow for his lagging partners.
"Yeah well, I missed you too," Dean breathed, amused, looking back at Cas. His eyes lingered on the angel, the dirt and unkempt beard hiding Cas's soft pale skin. Cas, who never seemed to look away from Dean, looked back at the staring hunter, his blue eyes flickering questionably at the green pair mirroring his.
"Dean?"
"What?"
"The vampire…"
"Benny."
"Can we really trust him?"
Dean paused, considering the question he had asked himself many times.
"We're gonna have to."
Cas looked at him expectantly, looking for more of an answer. Dean sighed silently, and wished the angel would leave it alone. They all wanted to get out of here, didn't they?
"Do you trust me, Cas?"
"Of course I do, Dean."
"Then listen to me," Dean said, stopping the both of them, gripping Cas's shoulders tight and looking him in the eyes. The angel stared back, the exhaustion in the usually alert blue gaze beginning to worry the hunter. "We're gonna make it out of this alright."
Cas didn't speak, and looked at the ground. Dean, disgruntled, let go of the angel's shoulders, awkwardly dropping his arms to his side. He continued to look at Cas as Benny slackened his pace and approached the pair, stopping a distance away, letting them speak in private.
"I'm tired, Dean," Cas said finally, defeated, and looked back up at the hunter.
"I know," Dean said, his chest suddenly tightening, "I am too."
Dean stood with the angel, looking down at him until Cas dropped his gaze again, embarrassed and suddenly interested in a stick near his foot. Benny, anxious because of the stall, approached and spoke quietly to Dean.
"I hate to break this moment up," Benny said, glancing at Cas. "But we got some ground to cover."
"We're stopping," Dean countered without a pause, looking around the clearing for softer ground. "We'll camp here for the night."
Cas looked back at Dean, who ignored the angel's relief, obviously touched by the consideration. Benny, meanwhile, stared at Dean in disbelief, looking him up and down with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"You know that's not a good idea," the vampire warned, looking Dean in the eyes to show his seriousness. "There's still light out, light we can use…"
"What we could use, Benny, is a breather," Dean retorted, patting the vampire on the back as he walked past, heading towards the shelter within the thick brush. "Even you."
Cas followed, looking Benny in the eye defiantly as he passed. Heaving a sigh, the vampire gave in and followed, knowing there was no way to sway the made-up mind and determination of the hunter. Unless you were an angel, Benny thought, smirking.
XXX
Night came without warning, like it always did. Moonlight, with no moon, shined through the forest ceiling, illuminating the three as they sat quietly in the cleared brush of their campsite. Benny, bored, sharpened a stick with his large blade, blowing the dust off the sharp point. Cas watched the night sky, breathing silently as he leaned against a crooked tree, occasionally glancing at Dean, who sometimes was already looking back. The hunter, flustered, would look away quickly, pretending to hear a noise or see a suspicious movement.
"Someone stinks," Benny declared finally with a loud exhale, the first to speak in almost an hour. He continued to work at the stick, looking accusingly at the other two, flicking his eyes between them. Dean, defensive, shrugged his shoulders and looked to Cas.
"That may be me," the angel admitted, looking down at himself. "Bathing wasn't my first priority when I was alone…"
Benny huffed, and gestured with the stick towards a gap in the trees, moving the point in a circle.
"There's a stream over there, not too far," the vampire informed, lowering the stick and looking to Dean, then back to Cas. "Go wash up, you're smelling up the place."
Cas hesitated, glancing at the gap in the trees, and began to stand, struggling with the uneven ground beneath his feet. Dean watched him, following Cas with his eyes as the angel ventured away from the camp and towards the stream, soon hidden by the forest and out of the hunter's sight.
"Did we scout out the area?" Dean asked, trying to sound casual as he turned to look at Benny.
"The angel can handle himself," Benny reminded the hunter, looking like he wanted to roll his eyes. "He went almost a year without you, remember."
Dean did remember, and it had been hard to be separated from Cas. For all he had known at the time, the angel could have been dead.
"It's just nice to have him back, I guess," Dean said, shrugging nonchalantly. "I don't want to lose him again."
Benny looked at Dean, and smiled softly. A smile that seemed to know all, and Dean almost didn't like it.
"You look like you could use a shave," the vampire suddenly said, going back to his stick. "Go on, go keep an eye on him."
XXX
Although he didn't need to see the smug look on Benny's face, Dean didn't have to be asked twice to follow Cas to the stream. He would feel more at ease to know the angel wasn't in danger, and, hey, he could use a wash himself. Dried blood and dirt caked his face, and he didn't need a mirror to know he didn't look good. Or, at least, friendly. Not that he wanted to look friendly. In Purgatory, you wanted to look as unappealing as possible, whether for eating or for mingling.
The path to the stream through the patch of trees was simple, but farther than Dean had expected, or how Benny had made it seem. Slow rushing of water made its' way to the hunter's ears, drawing him closer and breaking from the trail, pushing his way through the whip-like branches of close-knit trees, springing the frustrated urge for him to turn back to the path. Scarce moonlight that seeped through the tall trees did little to help the hunter as he tripped upon suddenly reaching the stream's shore, falling on his face and breaking the calloused skin on his cheek.
"Son of a bitch," Dean cursed angrily, getting back on his hands and knees and rubbing his face, wincing. Great. Blood stained his hand, bright maroon under the light through the stream's clearing. Just great.
"Dean?"
Dean looked up at the sound of Cas's gravelly voice, still rubbing his face and just as quickly dropping his hand again at the sight of the angel.
Oh crap.
Cas, the water up to his shins, waded in the flowing steam, slightly turned to look at the hunter inquiringly, who stared at the naked angel. Dean stood quickly, turning his back to Cas and rubbing the grit from his hands nervously as his bloodied cheek blushed to an even darker shade of red. The hunter stood there, his eyes flickering in panic at the forest, as if looking for an escape route.
What the hell? Should he leave? Ignore what he just saw?
What he just enjoyed seeing—
Shut up.
What a body—
SHUT. UP.
"Dean?" Cas asked again, unaware to the hunter's dismay. The angel watched as Dean continued to face his body away from him, turning his head slightly to acknowledge Cas without looking at his exposed state.
"Do you mind, Cas?" the hunter asked desperately, his voice cracking from embarrassment.
"Oh," Cas understood, looking down at his bare body. "My apologies, Dean."
Dean heard the splashing of water, and assumed the angel was retrieving his clothes. The hunter's breathing hitched, and he was suddenly aware of his body shaking.
Needing.
God dammit.
"You good yet?" Dean asked, clearing his throat.
"Fine," Cas answered, and Dean detected a slight drawl of amusement in the angel's voice. The hunter cautiously turned back around to face Cas, and realized he still wasn't dressed. In fact, the angel had waded further into the stream, up to his neck and looking at Dean thoughtfully.
"Do you need something, Dean?"
"No…"
Yes.
"I mean, I just came to wash up…"
"Well, come in, there's room," Cas said, his eyes inviting.
"Uh..."
Fuck it.
Without giving himself time to think, Dean began to undress, setting his knife down close and working off his jacket, and then his shirt, sliding it off quickly and unevenly. Soon his boots, socks, and pants made their way onto his pile of clothes, and he was left with his boxer briefs, tattered and frail against the cold gust of wind the clearing let through, making his nipples harden. Dean hesitated, unsure about his final piece of cloth. Cas watched him with an unreadable expression, his eyes flickering in puzzlement at the hunter's stall.
Or was that anticipation?
Fuck it all to hell.
Dean took off the briefs, breathing in through his teeth and walking his way into the water hastily, not looking at Cas, who watched him closely. The hunter ignored the chill of the stream as it made its way up his legs as he ventured further in. Reaching his groin, he winced, but delved in more, hoping the searing cold would cool the heat that was so suddenly engulfing his privates, slowly beginning to harden. Cas was still watching him, and Dean kept his distance as he swam farther in, averting the angel's eyes as he tried to chuckle casually at the chill.
"Cold, ain't it?"
Smooth.
"Did you bring your blade?" Cas asked, cocking his head inquisitively at the hunter, whose eyes widened.
"H-Huh?"
"Your knife. In case we run into trouble?" Cas began to swim closer towards him, little by little, against the current. The angel's dark hair, wet, was plastered against his head, and he drew a hand through it, slicking it back without a thought. Dean, on the other hand, found the action overbearing, and he had no idea why.
"Uh… On the shore," Dean said after a pause, gesturing towards the pebbly beach. He looked away from Cas, screaming internally. Why was he being so weird? So they just saw each other naked, it didn't change anything...
Not that anything needed changing—
SHUT IT.
You shut it—
"Dean?"
Dean looked back to Cas, who was suddenly much closer than before, only a foot or so away from the hunter. The angel's blue gaze eyed him, concerned. Dean gulped. He felt Cas's leg brush his, pushed by the water current that now kept inching Cas nearer and nearer towards him.
"Yeah, Cas?"
"You're bleeding."
As if a cue, Dean suddenly felt the trail of blood against his cheek and now on his chin, dripping lazily into the clear water surrounding his neck.
"Here."
Cas cupped the cold water in his hand, bringing it up to Dean's face to drip on his wound. The hunter flinched, whether from the water's chill or the angel's gesture, he wasn't sure. He looked away apprehensively, watching the water below his face redden slightly from his blood as Cas looked at him closely, curious. He retrieved more water and continued to clean Dean's cheek, now cupping the hunter in his palm, rubbing the wound gently to clean it. Dean breathed raggedly, closing and opening his eyes at the comfort, his mouth agape.
This is too much.
Dean's member, resilient to the cold of the water, was hardening at the touch of Cas's hand to his face, and his eyes began to glaze. He couldn't stop it, any of it. All of his sensations, god damn them, were beginning to push him over the edge. He couldn't bear to look at Cas anymore, not if he wanted to remain rational, but he couldn't look away. Neither could Cas, who held the hunter's stare, giving no hints to his own thoughts. The angel's hand, though, seemed obvious in its intentions, rubbing Dean's face in a rhythmic motion, slowing to a seductive pace, smearing the forgotten blood.
Cas's eyes glanced at Dean's lips, unsure, and back up to the hunter's green eyes.
The angel's mouth parted slightly.
That was it.
"Cas?"
"Yes, Dean?"
Dean hesitated, inhaling silently through his nose, and swallowed. Cas's palm stopped stroking his cheek, resting as the angel looked longingly at him, waiting. He placed his thumb on the hunter's cheekbone, holding it there steadily, comforting him with his soothing grasp. Dean couldn't take it anymore, and unclenched his jaw to continue.
"Do you… Are we…?" Dean stumbled, his lips starting to quiver in uncertainty.
Cas didn't answer. Instead, his eyes narrowed hungrily, and he shifted his weight, leaning nearer towards Dean, who stayed still, unable to move. The angel tilted his head, bringing his mouth to Dean's ear, lowering his voice to a husky drag, hot breath against the hunter's face making him shiver.
"I missed you, Dean."
A hand began to drag against Dean's hip, moving slowly through the water, feeling him cautiously. The hunter gasped, startled, and Cas smirked as Dean began to unravel, cursing under his breath as the angel crept his hand closer towards his stiffened member, fingertips trailing along the way.
"Cas…"
Dean's heart was beating unapologetically, thumping in rhythm to his own heavy breaths as Cas began to grip him slowly, teasing him.
"Cas, please…"
The angel brushed his lips against Dean's earlobe, and the hunter felt an exploratory lick. Moaning, he grabbed Cas's free hand as it dropped from his cheek, tightening his grip around the wrist to steady himself. Suddenly, the angel too tightened his grip, smirking as Dean yelped in pleasure and, turning his head to meet Cas as the angel brought his mouth to the hunter's lip, scraping his teeth over the flaked skin.
"Touch me," Cas murmured into Dean's open mouth, bringing his cheek to the hunter's, scratching his face with his scraggly beard.
Dean groaned loudly again under the angel's touch, dropping his face from Cas's cheek to his neck, gnawing and kissing ferociously, letting his hand slide over the angel's waist, squeezing his hip to pull him closer, fingers gripping his ass. Cas moaned, aching for Dean to feel more of him.
"Touch me, Dean."
The hunter did as he was told, bringing his hand to Cas's hardened member and clasping it, thumbing the tip thoughtlessly. The angel jerked at the contact, splashing the water surrounding their bodies. Whimpering in delight and excitement, he pulled Dean's cock in harder, stronger strokes as the hunter fondled him, continuing to bite Cas's neck, moaning through his teeth. Their chests heaved against one another, each clawing the other with one hand and pleasuring with the second. Dean brought his face back up to Cas's and began to kiss him savagely, fighting his tongue into the angel's mouth, sliding and pushing against Cas's, who's rising pants drove Dean further mad. He never knew how much he wanted this.
"Dean," Cas moaned as he continued to build up, rubbing the other man eagerly, bucking his hips excitedly into his firm grip and leaning back to give the hunter a better angle. "This is-"
"So good," Dean panted as he pleasured the angel in return, trying not to think about how desperate the words sounded coming out of his mouth. Trying not to think about how great it felt.
Unknown to the hunter, Cas began to pull the two of them, entangled and all, towards the shore, guiding Dean with his tongue and hands. The angel couldn't bear to have anything between them, even the depth on the stream's water. With a final few heavy steps, and one foot tripping over a river stone, Dean fell hard on his back into the shallow water, grunting, and watching Cas as the angel was quickly upon him, dropping to his hands and knees to trap the hunter. Dean felt for more solid ground, dragging himself backwards towards the shore on his elbows and pushing with his feet, never leaving Cas's predatory gaze as the angel stayed close, crawling after him.
On the pebbly beach, Dean found himself fenced in by Cas, who looked down eagerly at him, planning his next movement. The hunter gazed up at him, unaware to the seconds as they slowed, the ringing in his ears blocking out any other thoughts besides Cas. His member ached from the loss of the angel's touch, and gripped his stomach expectantly, dripping precome as Dean waited for the lost in thought Cas to continue, giving his lips one final lick. He went to return his hand to Cas's throbbing cock, leaning up to bring his mouth to the angel's.
"Wait," Cas said suddenly, brushing Dean's hand away. Almost looking hurt, the hunter's confusion was just as quickly overtaken with a pleasured understanding as Cas began to nuzzle his chest, kissing and licking, giving each nipple a sensitive sweep with his nose. Dean hummed and closed his eyes, combing his hand through the angel's wet hair and gasping as Cas nipped him.
"Fuck, Cas," Dean purred, quivering as Cas trailed further down his body, leaving sloppy kisses and suck marks, dragging his teeth. The angel moaned in agreement, reaching the base of Dean's cock and hungrily licking his way back up to the leaking tip. In a movement he had the hunter's member in his mouth, swirling his tongue and hollowing his cheeks as he choked down the length. He tried not to smile as Dean jerked at the sudden warmth, tightening his grip on the angel's hair, his incoherent words coming out hitched with gasps. Encouraged, Castiel let his tongue rest beneath the hunter's member, pushing to give more pressure, licking the underlying vein. He felt Dean shake, gasping breathlessly.
"Oh fuck, Cas," the hunter continued to beg, unable to control his hips as they bucked into Cas's mouth. The angel resisted the urge to pleasure himself at the frantic sound of Dean's voice saying his name, focusing more on the slick taste of the hunter, the sensation of having him between his lips.
I want you, Cas thought, mouthing Dean's tip to make him understand, I want you NOW.
Dean understood fully, making a strained noise from the back of his throat at the pleasure. With a pop, Cas unhooked himself from Dean's member, giving the precome once final lick before making his way back up to the hunter's parted mouth. He pushed his tongue inside, bringing Dean back from over the edge. The hunter looked up at him, tasting himself, watching the angel closely as they kissed. Cas gazed back, his eyes narrowed determinedly. He broke away from the kiss to bite Dean's neck, careful to leave no more than a bruise. He hadn't forgotten how fragile humans were.
"I need you, Dean." Cas licked his lover's collar bone, lowering his body to push his groin into the hunter's, rubbing skin against skin. Dean pushed back, gripping Cas's side tightly. "Please."
Dean flipped the angel over suddenly, forcing him on his back, pushing down with excitement as he devoured Cas's lips in agreement, crashing their teeth together. The angel moaned as the other man chewed his lip, moving his way down to nip his scraggly jaw, the friction of their combined stubble intoxicating them both.
"I like when you beg," Dean growled suddenly, breathing deeply against the angel's cheek, reaching his hand beneath him to caress Cas's cock, letting his fingers wander further down. "Do it again."
"Dean, I need..."
Cas gasped as he felt Dean brush his hole, teasing him. Giving a moan of want, the angel commanded more, urging Dean onward as he leaned into the touch. With a chuckle, the hunter abided, and Cas felt a slowly finger slide inside of him, wet from the stream's water. Cas cried out in desire, his hoarse wail primal, forgetful of his stance as a respectful angel.
"Dean…!"
"You like that, Cas? You want me inside you?"
"Please, yes, please Dean!"
Two fingers, stretching him. Cas didn't know if he could last, with the feeling of Dean inside him, talking dirty to him with an even deeper and ragged voice, burned after years of drinking. The hunter was biting him again, twitching his fingers magically, making Cas whine desperately. The angel shifted his body, fucking against Dean's fingers, eager to help his lover find his sweet spot. The rocks underneath him pressed his back painfully, unable to compete against the bliss of the hunter inside him.
"Dean, I...I'm going to…"
"No you're not."
The hunter slipped his fingers slowly out of Cas, and the angel whimpered at the loss. Dean kissed him encouragingly, beginning to rub himself as he lined up his dripping cock up with Cas's hole, spreading the precome to slicken himself.
"Not yet."
Instincts the angel never knew he had took over, raising his hips invitingly to give himself over to Dean. The hunter gave him his hand, looking Cas deep in the eye, licking his lips excitedly as he began to push forward, never breaking his gaze from the angel's. Cas gripped Dean's offered wrist as it clutched the ground beside them, pulling rocks and pebbles into its grasp.
Pushing gradually to ease the pressure, Dean slipped his tip in slowly, exhaling at the tightness of his angel. Cas gasped at the feeling, parting his mouth and leaning his head back, his eyes shut tight with a grimace.
"C-Cas?" the hunter asked with hitched pants, worried it might be too much. "You want me to stop?"
The grimace disappeared as the angel opened his eyes again, focusing, looking longingly at Dean. Looking through him.
"No."
Dean felt Cas's muscled legs wrap around him, pulling him down insistently, connecting the two like puzzle pieces. Both cried out in unison, locking eyes after the wave of pain and pleasure subdued, their chests heaving. Dean gazed down at his lover as he panted, surprised, and gave a small shaky laugh, lowering his mouth until their lips brushed. Cas seemed lost in Dean, looking up at the hunter thoughtfully, his blue eyes glowing with want.
Dean kissed him gently, pecking his lips and cheek as he began to roll his hips, pushing his length in and out of Cas's prostate, giving a small groan at the newfound feeling of another man. Their mouths parted again as Dean arched his back and tilted his hips forward, whispering 'Cas' over and over again, like he finally had a right to say it. Cas bit his lip as he watched Dean, the way the hunter's mouth parted, the clenching of his jaw, how beautiful his eyelashes were when he closed his eyes. He lifted himself, pushing back on Dean and leaning up to kiss him. The hunter returned the affection, opening his eyes at a sudden spark of pleasure and gasping into Cas's open mouth. His thrusts became stronger, encouraged as the angel began to moan as Dean found his sweet spot, angling himself to attack the bundle of nerves.
"Castiel," Dean whispered, bringing his lips to the angel's ear. "Castiel."
I could hear you, Cas wanted to say as he breathed deeply against the back of Dean's neck. I could always hear you pray.
The pebbles below him began to shift out from underneath his back, pushed away as Dean continued to thrust into him, groaning, trying to steady himself as he bit lightly on Cas's shoulder. The angel looked at the blurry stars above him through glazed eyes as he listened to Dean, feeling the hunter inside him as he dug his nails into his firm back. He began to clench and unclench around Dean, feeling the intensity at which he was steadily climbing, listening to his moans begin to blend with Dean's. The hunter replaced his teeth on Cas's shoulder with passionate kisses, feeling the angel shiver under his hot breath as he lead a trail of wet pecks against his neck to his mouth. Cas kissed his cut cheek, rubbing the dried scratch gently as it grazed his nose. The angel could feel his hips begin to sore, and almost smiled at how good the ache felt.
"Do you trust me, Cas?" Dean asked breathlessly, slowing his pace, his eyes closed and forehead pressed against Cas's. His pants were hoarse, eager as he began to reach his breaking point.
"Yes," Cas answered without a pause, his voice ragged and desperate. He held the hunter as close as he possibly could, rocking back and forth the rhythm of their need. Of course I do, Dean.
"I've got you," Dean murmured, increasing his pace again. Their moans mingled, mixing with the sound of rubbing skin, clinking of pushed rocks, the current of the water flowing past. "I'll," Dean gasped, hitching his breath. "I'll get you there."
A new sort of pleasure deep inside Cas began to bloom at those words, and the angel felt safer than he ever had in that past year, alone and hiding in the vast Purgatory forest. He gripped Dean tighter, trying to pull him closer than he already was, relishing the feeling of sweat in place of blood. Dean was reciting his name again, a quiet chant, under his breath and almost oblivious to himself saying it.
With a series of small grunts, the hunter began to climax, driving back and forth with Cas's abiding hips, and Cas never loved hearing his name so much. His throbbing member between them, a sudden feeling of absolute perfection began to overpower Cas, stronger than any past pleasure. Cas needed to let the feeling out, he needed to yell it. Quietly, then louder, he began to say Dean's name in return. With a whisper, a mumble, a shout, blanketed in want, Cas climaxed. With that, and one final thrust, Dean followed him, his mouth ajar in a silent cry of pleasure as he came, his eyes shut tightly. His body giving in, the hunter lowered himself onto Cas, moving aside to lie next to him, keeping the angel close in his grip.
Savoring the high, and holding one another as they caught their breath, Dean stared at Cas in wonderment, rolling himself onto his side to look at the angel, his eyes closed halfway in exhaustion. Cas gazed back at him with a turned head, looking unusually satisfied, bright eyes reflecting the faint clearing light. Dean paused, watching Cas, waiting. He hadn't planned this far, and was suddenly anxious. What happened now?
"Dean?"
"Yeah, Cas?"
"Can we do that again?"
Dean could barely talk, but found himself laughing, letting out deep chuckles as he brought his arm to cover his eyes, rolling back onto his back, his stomach rippling. Maybe it was the panicked feeling that he just had sex with his friend, really good sex, or maybe in relief that Cas had enjoyed it too, but he couldn't stop smiling, and lifted his hand to caress Cas, sliding his hand over the angel and pulling him closer. Cas looked at him inquiringly, but felt himself begin to smile too, liking the sound of Dean's giggling.
"Glad you liked it," Dean said, letting out one last exasperated laugh.
Cas hummed pleasantly, resting his cheek against Dean's chest, letting his fingers wander gently over the hunter's skin. Dean shifted his weight for him, ignoring the hard rocks beneath his back, and wrapped his arm around Cas's shoulder.
"Will Benny come looking for us?" Cas asked, amused.
Dean rubbed his mouth, hiding an embarrassed smile.
"I forgot about Benny. I forgot about Purgatory."
Cas stiffened, realizing he too had forgotten where they were. He tightened his grip on the hunter, never wanting to let him go.
"Thank you, Dean."
Dean looked at him, his green eyes flickering questionably at the angel, who gazed back, realizing he loved that shade of green.
"For what?"
"For finding me." For staying.
"I wasn't going to leave without you, Cas."
"I know."
Cas sounded hesitant, unsure. Dean leaned close to kiss him, receiving a peck in return, a tired smile on the angel's lips. He looked more certain now, and Dean smiled back, looking Cas in the eye.
"We're gonna make it, you hear me? All of us."
"I know, Dean."
The hunter's gaze became fiery at his promise, looking through Cas, past all the evil that surrounded them. He was going to protect him, and he was going to get him out of here, no matter what. That was Dean Winchester, a friend, a protector.
My protector.
Dean would save him.
I know.