"There are angels watching over you." as a boy he believed it, after the fire he sneered at it, and now he knew it.

More than watching over him most pursued him, some despised him, and one kept him safe from all the rest.

"Cas. Please tell me you didn't sit there all night and watch me sleep." Dean groaned, voice still heavy from sleep.

Castiel's (or rather Jimmy's) blue eyes flickered out of pensive thought and into life. His dark head tilted as his face worked itself into a mild expression of confusion "of course not."

Dean sighed and rolled over to check on Sammy. Still out. "Good. No twilight shit."

"Not all night." rumbled Cas. Looking for all the world like he believed that his behavior wasn't all kinds of crazy.

"Freaky, Cas, that's just friggin' freaky." Dean punched his pillow, wishing he it bothered him anywhere near as much as it should that he was being watched in his sleep by some guy.

He looked up, and Castiel looked only mildly attentive. This scolding would likely register as well as the personal space lectures Dean had been forced to repeat every few times they met up. The angel didn't even bother to look sheepish. He just kept on looking serious, and sincere. Dean imagined that he was probably wearing that same damn face when God took him out of the packaging.

"Cas, you can't just watch people when they sleep. It's not cute or romantic... It's creepy, invasive and kinda, well kinda rapey."

Now Cas looked up his eyes filled with hurt. "I would never hurt you Dean." Cas' gruff voice softer, so much more quiet, like the time he had realized Dean believed himself not worth saving.

Dean instantly regretted his choice of words "Kay, Cas, I didn't mean it like that." Dean rumpled his hair "it just unnerving, you know? To wake up and know that someone was staring at you while you're..."

"Vulnerable?"

Dean nodded fighting a yawn.

"No. I don't know the feeling." Cas frowned "I don't sleep. You do, and Zachariah has already used that to his advantage. THAT makes me feel Vulnerable."

Dean sat up and looked hard at his friend, the angel that rebelled for him. "What do you mean?"

Cas returned his gaze, and dean tried not to be overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of the blue. He shifted uncomfortably. Cas was just a little too much of everything Dean didn't normally admit to... appreciating. "Dean, Zachariah is not a foe to be trifled with, and you are not a friend I want to lose." the angel fumbled absentmindedly with his tie "I just need to know that you are safe."

Dean could only sit and stare as the only angel to come to bat for humanity, for him, sat so helplessly across from him. The angel's broad shoulders were visibly trembling. Dean didn't want to admit his fears even to himself, but the sight of his heavenly ally, so seemingly invincible made so weak by the fear of what his brothers might do put a vice around his gut. He almost actually prayed that Cas wouldn't see how badly the odds they faced wore away at him. "Well it's still freaky," Cas opened his mouth to argue, but Dean steamrolled right over him "at least come lie down or something, so you're not hovering and shit."

Dean rolled on to his side both so that the angel had room to lay down and he could hide from the questions he was sure lingered on the angel's face.

The thin motel mattress shifted as Castiel settled in next to him.

Dean squeezed his eyes shut tight, and refused to acknowledge how relieved he was that Cas was close at hand.

Before he drifted off he did manage to smile.

Apparently the angel watching over him tonight wouldn't even take off his trench coat in bed.