Dean sat on the bench, head thrown back to soak up the sun. He and Sam had just put down a particularly nasty coven and decided to just take a few days to relax. Sam had gone off to a little coffee shop but Dean decided that he'd make the most of the weather and just chill in the Park. His eyes were shut, the world bathed in bright red and gold and Dean felt like he would melt. He could hear children playing and leaves rustling and maybe, if he stayed here long enough, he could forget just how fucked up the word was.

He let out a breath that spiralled up towards the blue sky. This was perfect. The only thing that could possibly make it better was-

"Hello Dean"

Dean bolted upright, peaceful mood gone. One hand was resting on his gun and only the timbre of the voice stopped him pulling it.

He turned to the source and found Castiel sitting just a bit too close, head turned towards Dean, inspecting him.

"Dammit Cas!" Dean snapped. "How many times man?"

Castiel tilted his head and squinted his eyes against the bright sun.

"I apologise Dean. It was not my intention to startle you"

"It never is" Dean mumbled "Whatever dude just let me back to my nap. It was relaxing"

He slowly relaxed back into the bench trying to ignore the gaze still focused on him

A quiet rustle as Cas settled himself was his only reply. Dean let him do whatever it was that angels even did with their free time. Probably human watching or something. Whatever. He needed his sleep.

Cas was indeed 'Human Watching', one human in particular. His gaze was focused on the man reclining beside him taking in the rare sight of Dean Winchester relaxing. He had melted into the bench with a slight smile and Castiel was captivated. In all his years as an angel (And there were a great many) He had never met a human soul as bright as Dean's.

The sun was at just the right height to shine on his face and it made all his freckles stand out. He knew how many were there, he knew every inch of this man's body, inside and out. He had literally built it from scratch. He recalled some woman from ages ago, telling her child that freckles were angel kisses. It was a human idiom that had stuck with him for some reason. It wasn't true of course, it was simply melanin but it amused him on some level, that humans could take something so insignificant and turn it into something beautiful.

A quick expression flitted across Dean's face too fast for human eyes to see. Luckily Castiel was not human and caught the relaxed grin for what it was. This was why Castiel could watch The Righteous Man for so long. Despite the hardships, his heart was so big that he was always feeling something. There was no end to the expressions. Castiel counted 700 one night on his usual bedside vigil.

His wings were itching and Cas gave into the urge to let them bask in the warm sun. It had been too long since he freed them simply for freedoms sake. He hoped that the noise of them unfurling hadn't woken the sleeping human beside him. Dean's breath hitched slightly but he was otherwise undisturbed. Spreading out his wings, Cas reclined back and shuffled them around until they were comfortable.

Some time later, perhaps hours, perhaps minutes, Dean woke up and shook his head to displace the grogginess. Without even needing to look, Dean felt eyes boring into him and noticed the angels face mere inches from his.

He bit out a "Dammit Cas" more for tradition than anything. God knows he was getting used to it. The head retracted and the sight of a sheepish angel shuffling himself down the bench had him throwing back his head in laughter. It wasn't his normal reaction but it just felt right. He was happy. Despite all the shit he'd faced, sitting here with an angel who looked like he'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, he was the happiest he'd been in a long while.

Castiel was starting to get huffy. Dean had yet to stop laughing at his plight and was wheezing as he threw his head back. Grumpily shaking out his feathers he began to scowl.

It took a while but Dean began to reign in his laughter bit by bit. Eventually he only emitted the occasional snort which then stopped altogether. He let out a deep breath.

"Cas" he said fondly, shaking his head "Don't ever change"

He had said it before but he meant it every single time. Vision of the drugged out and broken angel still plagued his nightmares and he never wanted to see it again. He wanted to keep this Cas, the Cas who, despite his best efforts, was hilariously reminiscent of a puppy sometimes. Cas wouldn't be Cas otherwise. Sometimes it was too easy to forget that the man sitting beside him was a celestial warrior since the dawn of time.

Dean reached out and clapped Castiel on the shoulder. The startled jolt was kind of expected and wow, wasn't that a sad thing to think. That a guy was so unused to friendly contact that it still took him by surprise. Dean decided to leave his hand there a bit longer.

Dean had finally stopped laughing and Castiel's feathers were beginning to settle down before an unexpected weight took him by surprise. Instantly his survival instincts kicked in and he tensed up, wings flaring. The momentary embarrassment when he realised that it was just Dean faded to surprise and happiness as the hand remained.

Despite the heat from the sun, Dean's hand left him feeling warmed somehow. He shook out his wings and noticed the sideways glance Dean shot at him. Odd. Dean had never reacted to his wings before. Granted, he usually had them tucked against his back but surely he must have had them out at some time.

Cas racked his memory, apparently he hadn't. Sometimes he forgot that humans marvelled over wings. To him they were just another set of limbs. He moved one wing and saw the way Dean's eye tracked it. Definitely intrigued then

Dean was enjoying the sun and just watching the people around him walk by. It was a throwback habit to when he was a kid. He'd sit in the park keeping one eye on Sam while the other observed those who passed. At first he had been scrutinising them for any supernatural behaviour but after a fashion he began making up stories. Who they were, what they were doing and what sort of lives they led. Truthfully, he still did it now but only when Sam couldn't see. When he was younger, he'd imagined all the people to have happy lives and loving families, but now he was more realistic.

Dean had just spotted what he believed to be an overworked single father, when an odd flicker in the corner of his eye had him on high alert. Surreptitiously he glanced in the direction of the movement but saw nothing. Allowing his eye to wander back to the path in front he immediately caught another flicker, this one slower than the first. Again, he looked over but could see nothing.

Intrigued and wary, Dean began scanning the area with a hunter's eyes, looking for anything unusual. He spotted two shifty looking teenagers, some harried parents and a small dog making a break for freedom but nothing overly suspicious.

Frowning now and with a tense set to his shoulders, Dean turned to ask Castiel had he seen anything. Instead of the defensive reaction he was expecting though, the angel was remarkably nonchalant about the whole thing.

"I am serious Dean" he intoned "I did a scan of the area prior to my landing and nothing was out of the ordinary. Everyone here is exactly as it's supposed to be. I wouldn't permit you to rest here otherwise"

Here he paused and shuffled for a moment before continuing

"I do believe that what you are seeing are my wings"

He delivered this in such a calm tone that Dean found himself nodding along before the statement had sunk in.

When it did, he had to shake his head in disbelief.

"Your wings? Like, the extra appendages you have stuck to your back?"

Castiel gave him a dry look

"Yes Dean. Those 'Extra Appendages' that I possess as an angel. Those wings"

"How come?" Dean asked "They were shadows before and I'm damn sure that I haven't seen them in the meantime, so why now?"

"My wings exist in another dimension" Castiel answered and foreseeing the impending interruption continued

"Occasionally when I am relaxed enough, I can compress them enough that I can manifest them on this plane"

Dean looked confused. "But if they're manifested, how come there's no shadow? There was one in the barn for sure"

"I am not entirely sure of the reason but only natural flashes of light cause shadows. The reason you saw them that time was because I had conjured a temporary storm. Without it, you would not have believed me"

"But I can see them now?" Dean asked "Not completely but there's like, flashes or something in the air"

"It is as I explained before. Nature is the one thing capable of showcasing my wings. I suspect it has something to do with the essence of my true form but I cannot be certain"

Dean was silent as he processed what Castiel had just told him. Cas had wings. It was something he'd been aware of, but only in a distant sort of way. There was something about the angel's vessel that made it hard to accept that he was a celestial being.

He was just so ordinary sometimes. The trenchcoat, the inappropriate formal getup and the lack of pop culture didn't exactly lend itself to an ancient and powerful being. It was too easy to forget that Cas had been here since time began and would outlive Dean by a considerable amount.

"So" Dean began "In theory, if you stood out under the sun as it is here, I'd see your wings in their entirety?"

"Perhaps" Castiel allowed "But it is more likely that you will only see glimpses of them, perhaps their outline if you are lucky"

Castiel watched as Dean rubbed his hands on his knees and shuffled on the bench as though some internal conflict was taking place. Frowning, he fought the urge to look into Dean's mind. It would be helpful but he knew how much Dean valued his privacy. Resigned to just waiting until Dean chose to speak, Cas turned his gaze skywards.

He was startled out of his thoughts as Dean spoke

"Can I see them?" he asked "But if it's some sort of private, angels only thing it's totally cool man"

Castiel tilted his head at Dean's outburst and he felt himself flush. Sure Dean was intrigued but Cas was one of his only friends. He thought he'd have more impulse control.

His sudden urge to see the wings was new. Dean had never given it much thought before but he was insanely interested now. It would be nice to see the wings in a more, peaceful, manner than he had seen before. But what if Cas was offended by his request?

Thankfully for Dean before his mini freak out could go off the rails and hurtle downwards along his last train of thought Cas spoke

"Why would it be a private thing Dean? It would be like showing someone your arms. They are just limbs"

Dean shook his head "Sorry. I just assumed. Angel etiquette isn't exactly well known. Hell before you, I didn't even know they existed"

Castiel squinted his eyes in a manner that seemed like he was puzzling out the mystery of humanity before sliding off the bench.

He really didn't understand Dean's fascination. His wings were average by angel standards. He was somewhat fond of the blue that shone on his pinions but if Dean wanted to see impressive wings, he should consult Balthazar. Or Gabriel, though Cas could see the reason Dean may not want to do that.

He moved away from the spotted shade offered by the leafy tree and out into the bright sun. Closing his eyes, he turned his back to Dean and rolled his shoulders, unfurling his wings as he did so. Stretching them felt nice, even in this confined dimension. It had been far too long since he cared for them. Usually another angel would take care of them but that was impossible given recent circumstances. He felt the kinks unknotting and smiled.

Dean was still in disbelief that not only was his request not a big deal, but Cas was actually letting him see his wings. Dean watched eagerly as Cas turned his back and rolled his shoulders. Glints and shimmers were already appearing and they spread out and the sheer size of them had his mouth falling open. He knew Cas' true form was big but for some reason, it had never occurred to him that his wings would reflect that.

Out and out they spread and wow. They were freaking massive. Looking at the tips Dean estimated maybe 17 feet at least.

His eyes flicked around the place trying to take in as much as he could. Cas was right. He couldn't see clearly defined wings but every so often, a ray of light would try to pass through them but bend as it hit and skitter across the surface. As they did so they created a momentary glint in the air as a section of feathers caught the light. If asked to describe what exactly was happening later on, Dean wouldn't be able to reply. It was like a mirage or a huge heat haze shimmering in the air. Unlike a haze though, the shimmers occasionally took on a blue tint. The whole effect was completely bizarre. Dean was in awe.

Cas could feel Dean's admiration from where he was standing and preened under the praise. It was rare that his wings garnered such positive attention.

"Jesus Cas, they're beautiful"

Cas lazily opened one eye scrutinising Dean with an intense stare. He was relaxed in a way that he couldn't remember being before. Here, with his wings extended, soaking up the sun and with the admiration of his best friend, he could almost forget what was happening out in the world.

For a brief moment he felt... Again Cas had to reach into his memory banks to locate the right emotion and finally placed it as contentment. He was content. Cas hummed, that had a nice ring to it.

Dean heard Cas hum and his eyes flickered from the wings to observe the rest of him. He took in the way the sun played across Cas's ever present trench coat and showed up the brown highlights in his hair. Standing there with a slight smile on his face and with one eye closed, Cas looked more peaceful than Dean had ever seen before.

He imagined that Cas had felt something like this back in heaven when it was less screwed up, if it had ever been less screwed up.

It was an odd contrast Dean thought. Cas looked almost human which was completely at odds with the massive glimmering blurs behind him. It was a sight so pure that Dean knew he would treasure it for dark nights when the weight on his shoulders felt particularly heavy.

An errant cloud passed over the sun just then causing the wings to disappear from view and Cas opened his eyes. Still smiling, he wandered back to the bench and flopped down beside Dean.

"I like the sun" Cas decided sounding relaxed . "I always thought it was nothing special, just a ball of combusting gas like the others out there but it's really quite pleasant"

He leaned back and closed his eyes again to better enjoy the sounds of humanity around him. How his siblings could dislike humans was beyond him. Sure they had bad points, they were selfish, they killed often and hated freely but they also had many good ones.

They were curious, always seeking the secrets of the universe and their capacity for love, faith and for hope never ceased to amaze him. He could see why Anna chose to fall and it scared him. What if he one day did that, willingly cut himself off from heaven and have a life on earth. Live maybe fifty or sixty years before succumbing to death?

A mumble from Dean had him opening his eyes and turning his head. Dean looked at the ground briefly before meeting his eyes.

"Thanks Cas" he said murmured. "Your wings, well, they were awesome man, and I mean awesome in the literal sense here"

Cas shook out his wings proudly and Dean laughed at the ensuing rustle.

"I take it that wasn't the tree then?" he asked jokingly

Cas ducked his head embarrassedly and almost flinched when Dean let his hand fall on his shoulder.

"It's cool Cas, don't sweat it. It's kinda neat really"

The sun came out again and Dean let his head fall back smirking as he heard the rustle of wings as Cas made the most of the sunlight. Soaking up the sounds of normalcy he fell into a doze, relishing the rare peace.

Castiel was still smiling over Dean's comment when the sun came out again. He noticed Dean resume the position he was in before Cas's arrival.

He rearranged his wings so the sun would hit them and returned to watching humanity. A slight pressure on his shoulder had him tensing for a fight but a sideways glance had him relaxing again almost immediately.

Dean's head had fallen onto Castiel's shoulder and he was snoring slightly. The angel was filled with pride that Dean Winchester of all people had deemed him a person worthy of trust.

Almost on instinct, his right wing reacted to Dean's presence and curved around him protectively. Dean shifted and his worry lines faded. Smiling now, Castiel turned his head and closed his eyes to enjoy the peace.

If Castiel did choose to fall and ended up in heaven when he was dead, he was pretty damn sure that this would be his.

Sam finished up his coffee and closed his laptop stretching as he did so. It was rare he got a chance to use the laptop for something other than research so he savoured it whenever he could.

A quick check of his phone showed no text from Dean so Sam shrugged. He was pretty sure he passed a park on the way here. It would be nice to soak up to sun for a bit

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Sam set off. When he reached the park, he paused to take it all in. It was a small bit overgrown but that only added to its charm. It felt more natural somehow.

Strolling along the path passing in and out of the shade of trees, he almost felt normal for once. It was a shame that he and Dean were on the road so much. Days like this where they could simply relax were rare but he didn't doubt that Dean would be hustling pool tonight. Hunting wasn't exactly a restful or lucrative business.

Sam sighed bitterly. You couldn't escape it. No matter how far you ran or how well you hid, something would always turn up and drag you back in. Sam was resigned now but saw no point in dwelling on it. Lingering over the 'could haves' and 'might have beens' only led to sadness. Sam had long ago learned to make the best of a bad situation and just get on with it. He didn't have to be thrilled, he just had to deal with it.

He was just passing by a bench when something caught his eye. At first, he didn't pay it any attention but as his eyes caught up with his brain, he hastily backtracked.

There, on the bench, was his big bad brother asleep on a soldier of God. And if the dark stain on Cas' trenchcoat was anything to go by, drooling too.

Cas was no better looking with a blissed out look and smiling as his head rested on Dean's.

Acting fast, Sam pulled out his phone and took several pictures. It was a sweet scene but he never passed up an opportunity for potential blackmail.

He took in the peaceful tableau once more before walking on. He had considered waking them but decided against it. Dean hadn't slept properly in far too long and Cas was smiling for once.

Sam walked away, a broad smile of his own fixed firmly on his face. Today was definitely a good day.