Dean counted as he brushed his teeth. He couldn't quite recall where he had learned the trick from, probably a book somewhere, but he'd been doing it for forever. It gave him a private little thrill to watch his lips bubble up white like a mad dog. He'd always considered himself a scrapper and it made sense to him more than anything. If he were to be an animal, a mad dog would be about right.

He turned on the cold water and leaned his head down to spit, replacing the clean toothbrush in his mouth while he looked for the toothpaste cap. He didn't even have to look in the mirror before he saw Cas.

"Hey Cas," Dean said, trying to hide his joy at seeing Cas again. He kept his eyes to the reflection of the angel in the mirror in case he was dreaming again. He took the toothbrush out of the side of his mouth and let it slide into its special toothbrush cup with the toothpaste. "Wasn't sure when I'd see you again."

"I-I hadn't heard from you in awhile," Cas said with an edge to his voice. "I didn't know if I'd be welcome after everything-"

Dean turned, a smile forced onto his face, smirk wide enough that he felt like he was cracking his own jaw in half. "Of course you're welcome, you're family," he said with a sharp slap on Cas' shoulders.

Castiel followed Dean out of the private bathroom and down the hallway back to his room. "Dean-"

"No, no, let me show ya what we've got for ya here," Dean said with honest enthusiasm as he closed his bedroom door behind them and pointed to an empty half of the room. "I figured being an angel, a traditional mattress is out but I couldn't resist the memory foam. They were having a sale and-"

"Dean-"

"I got you a dresser. Sanded it myself and restained it. The last people who had it lived in this weird 80s hybrid purple and white color scheme but it got Sammy out of my hair and it was so awesome to go to Home Depot for a belt sander. You know how many types of belt sanders there are, Cas? There are maybe 500 kinds to choose from and they even send a catalog to your mailbox of all things-"

"That's nice Dean, but I really have to-"

"I made sure we got a set of stuff for you to eat off of. We thought we'd trade off on cookin' nights and that's fine by me as long as Sammy's not working himself to death-"

"DEAN!"

Dean turned slowly from where he'd been surveying Cas' half of the room. He let his arms linger at his side as he mentally went through his plans for a second time, looking up over Cas' hairline. "Don't say it. Anything but what I think you're gonna say."

"Dean-"

Dean looked down, his eyes quivering. "No."

"Dean," Cas said, softly this time and moving closer.

"Cas," Dean purred, "we've talked about this."

"Personal space," Cas said as he stopped a half an inch from where he normally would.

"Well, it's a start," Dean said, "now, before you say what you gotta say- I need you to hear some things first. Yeah, I know, I know, you wanna be all noble and bullshit. And sure, we're in danger. Blah. Blah. Blah. When aren't we? But if you think for a moment I'm not gonna fight ya tooth and nail on this, you're wrong."

"Don't make this harder than it has to be, Dean."

"You better bet your Skippy pb I'm gonna make this harder than it needs to be, Cas. You're my angel. You don't get to go anywhere without my say-so."

Cas closed the gap between the two, his lips turning white. "You think this is something I want?"

"You sure been actin' like it. I thought after everything we'd gone through, you wouldn't just give up like I didn't mean anything to ya. Like Sam didn't mean anything to ya."

Cas walked away, pacing, looking at his side of the room while Dean watched him. "It's nice, that you thought of me. But why?" Cas asked as he turned to face Dean from Dean's half of the room. "What if I'm more of a danger to you than a help?"

"That's bullshit and you know it."

"What if I put you or Sam in immediate danger and don't even know I'm doing it?"

"Talking from personal experience?"

Cas turned away again. "It's very nice. Very barren though."

"We thought-I thought- maybe you'd decorate it."

"I would have liked that, Dean."

Dean closed the gap between them, coming up close to Cas' ear. "Then stay," he whispered.

Cas shook his head. "I can't. I just couldn't go without saying goodbye."

"Don't say goodbye. Not you," Dean growled in Cas' ear.

"Even me," Castiel said, trying hard to not be unmoved.

Dean grabbed onto Cas' hand. "Then take me with you."

"You don't know what you're asking."

"You crazy sonofabitch, you know exactly what I'm asking."

Cas tried to take his hand out of Dean's grip to little success. Dean's hand was shaking. "Stop this, Dean. It's madness."

"Is it? This is the most maddening thing that's ever happened between us?"

"I thought we agreed-"

"You agreed. Benny ain't here."

"It was your idea," Cas stated, staring straight ahead while Dean moved to the other ear.

"I didn't hear no complaints."

"Why would I ever complain?"

"Then stay," Dean said as he slid his fingers up Cas' arms to Cas' shoulder. "Test out your mattress."

"No, Dean," Cas said with a faraway lilt to his voice. "I have to go."

"Stay," Dean said slowly, calmly, in the most seductive voice he had. "Stay for me."

Castiel turned, facing Dean and breathing hard. "Why? Why can't you just let me go?"

Dean shrugged a little. "Old habits are hard to break."

"You said once we were all broken."

"Yeah and I meant it," Cas said as he swallowed Cas' midsection with his arms, leaving Cas trapped in his embrace. "But maybe broken ain't such a bad thing. When we finally fit altogether."

"You've been planning this," Cas said, suddenly struck by the thought that Dean really was going to fight him tooth and nail, an angel- even one as close to leaving heaven as himself.

"You better your tuckus I've been planning this, Cas. My Cas," he purred. "Look at me, Cas."

Cas looked down and to the left and right, feverish. "No," he said, stumbling over the word.

"It's just us. Nobody listenin', nobody watching. Just you and me," Dean said. "Hey, look at me."

"Stop, please," Cas said with all reserves leaving his body.

He felt cold air as Dean scooted away. Cas felt the air leave his body and join all that was being sucked out of the room. "Then go. But don't come back."

"Yes, I-" Cas began to say.

Dean shook his head and Cas could see that he was near tears. "No, I don't wanna hear it. Not after everything. There ain't an explanation or an excuse that's gonna make up for breakin' your word, Cas. Just go. In fact, I'll leave. I'll make it easier on ya," Dean said as he went for the door.

His foot was out the door and his arms swinging free of the doorknob when Castiel tackled him to the ground. They tussled for a moment until Castiel lay sprawled out on top of
Dean, Dean grinning like a mad fool with an angry Castiel straddling him.

"You think this is a game?! You think this is easy?! I'm saving your life! I'm saving you!"

"But who saves you Cas?" Dean asked, his smile collapsing into nothingness, the lines on his forehead creasing into worry. "You're doin' the old Superman act on me but you're flyin' without a wire these days. For how long, huh? This could be your home. We could be your home. I could be your home."

"Stop this."

Dean squirmed one arm free, carressing Cas' cheek with the hand. "Soft. I like you better without the beard. But the thing I love most about you is your eyes, is what they see. How smart ya are behind them. My Cas."

Castiel leaned into the hand, letting the thumb carress his lips as he shut his eyes. "Don't ask me to stay."

"I can't do that and you know it," Dean whispered helplessly. "Please stay."

Castiel leaned down, kissing Dean on the lips lightly and then curling into the hunter, placing his head on Dean's chest, so he could hear Dean breathing. Dean's arms curled around Cas' frame and Dean spoke low to Cas, like a chant. "We'll make it okay, Cas. Everything will be okay."