"I'm going to get the supplies. Be back in an hour or so," Sam said, as Dean tossed him the keys to the Impala.
"Be careful," Dean said from instinct.
"Thanks, man, but it's the grocery store. I think I can handle it," Sam said, grinning as he closed the motel door behind him.
"Dean, I cannot find him," Cas said suddenly from the bed.
"Who?" Dean asked.
"Waldo."
Cas sighed as he leaned closer to the book. Dean hid his smile.
Dean and Sam had been talking about how hard a ghoul they were hunting was to find, and Dean had mentioned it would be easier to find Waldo. Cas had been confused; he'd never heard of Waldo before. So the next time they had passed by a bookstore, Dean had run in to find a copy for Cas.
"Let me see," Dean said, sitting down next to Cas.
"Please," Cas said, angling the book toward Dean. He leaned forward, and had found him within a few minutes.
"How did you do that?" Cas asked incredulously.
"Sammy and I weren't allowed out of the room when dad went on a hunt. I think I have every Waldo book memorized," Dean said.
"I am sorry, Dean," Cas said.
"What for?" Dean asked.
"Your childhood. It was…tragic," Cas said.
Dean felt a familiar pull in his chest.
"Ah, hell, it wasn't that bad. Not normal, but not bad," he said, trying to convince Cas as well as himself.
"No, it was. But that doesn't matter anymore," Cas said, sitting up next to Dean. "You are safe now, and I will do my best to make sure you stay that way."
"Cas, man, that's…thank you. That means a lot," Dean said. The angel was still sitting very close to him, and Dean found that he didn't mind. Cas turned the page in the book.
"Let's find him again," he said, and Dean grinned. Sometimes, Cas could be so innocent.
They completed the book in record time together. Dean only had to help a few times; after a while, Cas had really gotten the hang of it. They found the last picture, and Cas closed the book, a look of triumph on his face.
"That is awesome," he said, and Dean laughed at his human vocabulary.
"You're starting to sound like one of us," Dean said, and Cas turned his big eyes to look at him.
"To be more like you would be an honor," Cas said with a tilt of his head.
"You really think that much of us?" Dean asked.
"I think that of both you and Sam, of course," Cas said. "But I must admit, I strive to be more like you. You are kind, generous, and brave, all characteristics to be admired."
"Damn," Dean said. "You better stop that, Cas, you'll make me blush. I'm just a normal guy with a weird-as-hell job."
"You are far from normal, and I mean that in the best possible way," Cas said, coming even closer to Dean.
"What do you mean?" Dean asked, wondering why he suddenly wanted to close the distance between himself and Cas.
"I pulled you from Hell. I put you back together. And I have been with you for years. I know your soul in nearly every way possible, and I know what it's made of. You are certainly special," Cas said.
"You think so? You're special yourself. Fallen angel, a damn good hunter, and our protector," Dean said, moving closer to Cas as he spoke. What was going on with him? Why did he feel this need, this pull, to be closer to Cas? Did he…did he want to kiss him?
Cas raised his hand and rested it lightly on Dean's back.
"I know why I fell," he said quietly. "And I think you do, too. Dean, I-"
"I'm back! Who wants a cheeseburger?" Sam said, flinging open the door. He froze at the sight of the two of them, Cas' hand on Dean's back, Dean leaned in close to Cas, and the look of two people who had been caught in an incredibly intimate discussion.
"Yeah, me. I'm starving," Dean said, standing to grab a burger out of the bag Sam had brought in. Cas stood too. Sam didn't know what to think, but he decided it would be best to not discuss the topic. There was a strained moment of silence, until Cas spoke.
"I found Waldo, Sam."
"That's-that's great, buddy. Look, it's getting kind of late. I think I'll take a shower and go to bed. Let me just put this stuff away first," Sam said.
He busied himself with packing the groceries into their bags, looking back at Cas and Dean occasionally. They seemed perfectly normal, talking about everyday things. But Sam could sense a difference. Something had happened while he had been gone, and though he didn't know for sure what it was, he thought he could guess.
Cas and Dean finished their burgers and Sam took a quick shower. Even though it was only 10:30 at night, he soon crawled into bed, dozing slightly.
"What is wrong with Sam?" Cas asked in a worried tone. He was unused to him going to bed so early in the evening.
"These past few cases have been difficult for him," Dean said in a whisper. "I'm not tired yet, and you don't need sleep. Want to go for a walk?"
"That sounds good," Cas nodded, and the two set to quietly putting on their shoes and jackets. They slipped quietly out the door, gently closing it behind them.
"Where to?" Dean asked, enjoying that they could speak normally again.
"There's a path over there through those trees," Cas said, pointing to their left.
Dean felt his hip to make sure he had his gun ready.
"A late night trip on a winding path in the woods? This is asking for trouble," he said, but he gave Cas a small smile to let him know he was teasing.
The two walked in silence for a bit, enjoying the quiet sounds of the woods around them. Dean had to admit, it was peaceful, especially for a man who was used to chaos. They stopped at a small bench on the path to rest their legs, and Dean couldn't help himself any longer.
"Cas, earlier, you said you knew why you had fallen from Heaven," he said.
"I do," Cas replied.
"And why was that?" Dean asked.
Cas fidgeted, a human trait he had adopted during his fall.
"Do you know the rules of Heaven? Between angels and humans?" Cas asked finally.
"Not really, other than the stuff Uriel said when he rebelled," Dean said honestly.
"We are supposed to love humans, and take care of them. But we aren't supposed to have deeper connections than that," Cas said. He noticed Dean looked confused. "I mean, we aren't supposed to fall in love with a human."
Oh. This was news to Dean. Cas had fallen in love with a human, and that caused his fall? He felt an uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. Was that jealousy?
"Then why aren't you with her now? I mean, the human you fell in love with. Or did the angels do something to her?" Dean asked.
"No, Dean, the human I love doesn't know I love them."
"So they made you fall because you felt love? How was that fair? You need to go find her, and tell her. Don't let them have made you fall for no reason," Dean said. It would hurt him if Cas left to go, but he wanted him to be happy more than anything.
"I think they believed we had gotten too close. And they were right. But it's too late to go back now. Too much has happened, and we will always have a profound bond," Cas said.
Wait…a profound bond. A light clicked on in Dean's head.
"Cas?" he asked, and Cas placed his hand on Dean's knee. "Is it me?"
Cas smiled up at the hunter.
"It has always been you, from the moment I saw your soul. I was going to fall the moment I pulled you."
Dean stared at Cas for a moment. This all sounded too good to be true.
"Wow. Hey, Cas, can you hold something for me real fast?" he asked, pulling a shiny object out of his pocket and dropping it in Cas' outstretched hand. He held his breath, waiting for a reaction.
"Silver, Dean? You really doubt it's me?" Cas said.
"I just needed to check, man."
"Do you need to do anything else to me? Stab me with a stake to see if I'm a trickster? Pour holy water on me to see if I'm possessed?" Cas asked, tilting his head.
"I can't be too careful," Dean said.
Cas sighed. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a flask. He opened the lid and poured the holy water in it all over his face.
"All me, I swear," Cas said, even though Dean still looked apprehensive. "Your grandfather's name was Sam. You drink about fifty drinks a week, and sleep less than four hours a night. When you were a child, your mom sang Hey Jude to you instead of a lullaby. And you have the most amazing green eyes I have ever seen."
Dean grinned like an idiot. Cas leaned forward to look him in the eyes.
"I love you, Dean. I always have, and I always will."
Cas' eyelashes had tiny droplets of holy water clinging to them. Dean reached up and brushed them away. How was he supposed to respond to this? How did he feel? He looked into Cas' blue eyes, alight with love and affection, and he knew right away.
"I love you too, Cas," he said. He leaned in and kissed Cas gently, grazing his cheek with his thumb.
The two broke apart finally, staring at each other. Dean felt lighter than air. This was a crazy world, full of monsters and demons, and more evil than he'd like to admit. But none of that mattered anymore. All that mattered was this. He and Cas walked back to the motel, enjoying the sounds of nature and holding hands. When they walked in the door, they found Sam awake and sitting up on the bed, looking at his laptop. He glanced at the two, who were still holding hands.
"It looks like we have a new case," he said, looking back down at the screen, unable to hide his smile. "And by the way, I knew this was going to happen."
Sam grinned up at Cas and Dean, who reluctantly let go of each other. Cas sat in a lumpy chair, and Dean walked to his brother.
"Shut up, Sam," Dean answered. "Tell me about this case."
Dean barely listened to the newest danger in their lives. He looked at his brother, absorbed in research for the case, and Cas, who was sitting quietly in his chair, a smile playing on his lips as their eyes met. Dean realized it didn't matter if he hadn't had a home growing up. He knew he had one now.
A/N: I hope you liked this! I love to write Destiel, so if any of you have suggestions you want written, leave it in the reviews or message me. I love to hear from you, so please review!