Dean Winchester loved the outdoors. The freedom, the disconnect from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. And seeing the wild animals – even in just shades of grey – was a definite plus.

He tried to take a week every summer to get away, to take off into the great outdoors and get away from humanity. He loved his family, but they drove him nuts – especially since Sam had found his truemate and they were sickeningly happy.

And really, how Sam could be happy with such a snarky, candy-loving, lazy man was beyond Dean. But then, he didn't have to live with Gabriel, so it didn't really matter what he thought.

This time for his getaway, Dean had decided to trek up to Illinois, to a 4-H park he had seen online when searching for new campgrounds. So far, he couldn't complain. It was the perfect place to relax and not have to listen to his family harp about him finding a mate.

It wasn't even like Dean could hurry it along. He had one mate – one person in the entire world who would bring color to him and make his heart whole.

Yeah, good luck rushing that.

So Dean took these solitary trips to random backwoods parks and preserves to get away from the pressure. He just didn't expect to find what he was escaping from.

Two days in to his adventure, Dean was dicking around in a lake he had come across. He'd tossed his clothes onto a low tree limb and had taken his time washing off, moving on to simply floating on his back and even chasing some fish. After wearing himself out, he'd moved back onto the shore and flopped onto the grassy ground to dry off.

And he'd fallen asleep.

Some time later, he came awake to a snuffling sound near his ear. Gusts of hot air washed over his bare skin, sending shivers down his spine. The naked man blinked and lazily threw a hand up to push whatever it was away. In his half-asleep state, he thought it was his brother's dog.

It was not.

A low growl pierced the air. Dean froze, his heart stopping for a moment before leaping into overdrive. He turned his head slowly, cautiously, to get a look at the animal currently displeased with him.

It was a wolf. Of course it was a freaking wolf. It was huge, too. Its dark fur looked incredibly silky, but the large white teeth bared at him also looked incredibly large. Dean took all of this in before his gaze drifted up to meet the creature's eyes.

He knew it was stupid – knew that looking a predator in the eyes could come across as a challenge – but he just couldn't help himself. He met the wolf's gaze for a split second – long enough to take in the light shade – before his vision blurred and whited out. Unable to help himself, Dean cried out as his eyes began to burn. He pressed the heel of his hand against them, forgetting all about the large animal standing a mere foot away.

Finally, the ache began to recede. After a few more moments, Dean hesitantly opened his eyes. He stared at the sky above him, unable to believe his sight.

Blue . The sky was blue! Which, duh, he already knew that intellectually. But he was seeing it for the first time in real color. He took the time to look around, taking in the green of the trees, the colors of the different flowers and weeds, even a few birds, before he realized... the wolf!

His breath sucking in on a gasp, Dean's head jerked around to find the wolf laying on the ground beside him, shaking its head and blinking its large eyes. It seemed to Dean that, as the wolf looked around, its own eyes widened at whatever it saw. It finally turned its gaze to Dean's and time seemed to stand still.

Where before the creature's eyes had only appeared as a lighter shade of grey, now they were incredibly blue. Dean couldn't find the words to describe them, could only think of one word to even try – beautiful.

The wolf stared back, its head titled to the side. After a tense moment, the thing seemed to grin at Dean and launched itself at him.

Dean yelped and brought his hands up to protect his throat from being ripped out, but his hands met fur as the wolf pushed Dean down and started nuzzling him. It rubbed its massive head all over the human's head and upper chest. Dean lay there, not wanting to piss the thing off.

Finally, the wolf backed off and stared at him, tail wagging and ears perked up.

It took Dean a few minutes to process, but when he finally realized that he had just found his mate, he paled.

"Son of a bitch. You have got to be fucking kidding me. I'm mated to a fucking animal."

A growl coming from said animal had Dean freezing. The wolf stepped over Dean, laying one paw on his chest, and looked the human in the eye as its form seemed to shimmer.

Between one moment and the next, the wolf was gone. In its place crouched a man. With lightly tanned skin, jet black hair, and piercing blue eyes, Dean couldn't deny that the guy was attractive. There was just one problem.

"What the fuck?! You were just a wolf! How the– What the hell are you?" Dean demanded.

"I am a shifter. My name is Castiel. And it seems that I am your mate."

"Huh. Mate. How about that." Dean dropped his head back to the ground, quietly enjoying the feel of his mate's large hand on his bare chest. The warmth coming from the appendage seemed to seep into the rest of his body, lulling him into a daze. A long while later, he opened eyes he didn't remember closing to find his mate cuddled up to his side in wolf form once more. Grateful for the added warmth, Dean grinned and carded his fingers through the silky fur.

"Cas?" he asked quietly.

A furry ear twitched and the wolf turned to face him, tilting his head as though prodding Dean to continue.

"Will you come home with me?"

A moment later, Dean had a lap full of grinning Cas. "I would love to. Where do you live?"

"In Kansas. Little town called Lawrence."

Castiel blinked at him for a moment before laughing out loud. "What are the odds?" he mused mostly to himself. To Dean, he said, "My brother, Gabriel, found his mate in Lawrence."

"You've got to be shitting me. He's your brother?! He's mated to my brother!"

Castiel laughed again. "Small world. It will be good to be around pack again. I've been on my own for a long time."

Sobering, Dean pulled the naked man closer. "You don't have to be alone anymore," he promised.

With a kiss, he sealed their bond and their fates. When he finally broke the kiss and pulled away to gasp for air, he said breathlessly, "Let's go home."

Castiel was only too happy to agree.