A cold breeze blew in through the crack in the cheap motel's window. Castiel pulled his trench coat tighter around himself. He shivered, which gave him an odd feeling. It was an instinct he wasn't used to, like many of the things he was experiencing in his newfound human state. The cold was vaguely uncomfortable, but there was also something almost nice about it. It made him feel…alive. The crisp smell of dead leaves was also drifting in through the cracked window, and it was pleasant. It reminded him of a few of the heavens he had once enjoyed visiting. Autumn was a nice season, filled with chilly breezes, drifting red, orange, and yellow leaves, candles, and tea.

Sam was going to pick up pizza, beer, and pie. Well, hopefully pie. Dean had bet Cas ten dollars that he would forget the pie. Cas hoped that Sam would remember, not just because he was excited to try pie for the first time after Dean's glamorous description, but also because he didn't have very much money left from working at the Mini Mart.

Dean was interviewing a group of young college girls. He was posing as someone possibly interested in going to the college. He hadn't wanted to do the usual FBI disguise because he thought that the girls would be intimidate by that, whereas a peer they would be willing to share their story with. Sam and Cas had gone along to talk to them earlier, but Dean had insisted on going back alone for a second interview. He claimed that his brother and the former angel were both weird and awkward around girls, which Cas supposed was, after all, true.

The girls said they had seen their friend being stabbed by a mysterious figure in the dormitory's hall. They described him as wearing a white mask, and vanishing into thin air after pulling the bloody knife from their friend's heart. Dean had been gone awhile now, and Cas was starting to wonder if his friend hadn't been distracted by activities other than interrogation. All of the girls had been very pretty, and every one of them wore overly revealing outfits despite the autumnal chill in the air.

Cas had found that lust was very difficult to overcome as a human, and he'd attempted to make conversation with a few of the girls hoping to pique one of their interest. They either hadn't taken very well to him, or he had simply come off as friendly instead of flirty. According to Sam, the reason for this was that Cas said something about 'sharing a profound bond' with Dean, and they got the 'wrong idea.' Cas had no idea what that could mean.

Even if those girls didn't take to him, Cas was enjoying hunting with the Winchesters. He supposed that was an odd thing to think, seeing as they had the angel war, the demon war, and at this moment a white masked killer to worry about. He couldn't help feeling though, that despite the chaos of the world some things were as they should be. He was working with the two people that meant most to him in the entire universe. Team Free Will was hunting together. One high school drop out with a GED and six bucks to his name, an ex-blood junkie, and a fallen angel turned human. They were an odd group, but they had saved the world more than once, and Cas wouldn't be surprised if they managed it again.

He didn't really understand why Dean had wanted him to leave before, and it made him sad to think that maybe he wasn't completely welcome. Dean had been nothing but nice to him so far though, so maybe he had changed his mind. Before Cas could worry anymore about this, the door of the hotel room swung open.

Dean came in the door in a hurry, closing it behind him and rubbing his hands against his arms. He was grinning, confirming Cas' suspicions about his friend's inappropriate intent with the college girls. His face instantly switched to concern when he saw Cas sitting on the bed with his shoulders tight and his arms wrapped around himself.

"Hey Cas, you alright buddy?"

"Yes, I'm just a bit cold. It's not something I'm used to," Cas said gruffly. He rubbed his hands together, trying to create friction, but his fingers didn't really feel any less numb. Dean sat down on the bed beside his angel, or ex-angel now, taking one of Cas' hands in his own palm. Dean placed his other hand on top of Cas', and began to rub. It felt amazingly warm, and Dean's warm side pressed against his own helped as well.

"Yeah well, the cold isn't all bad," Dean said shrugging as he continued to rub. "It's a great excuse to cuddle." Dean placed Cas' now much warmer hand in his own lap, took the still cold hand, and began to rub that one as well.

Dean had placed Cas' hand very high up on his thigh, and there was a certain warmth coming from somewhere. Cas was careful to keep both his hands completely relaxed. Dean turned his head towards Cas, and their faces were so close that Cas could feel the hunter's warm breath.

"Cas, buddy…I'm really sorry about telling you to leave before. I shouldn't have done that."

"I understand," Castiel replied softly, although he didn't. They just sat there, looking at each other as Dean rubbed Cas' hand between his own. There were a few rather intense minutes of staring before the door opened again, and Sam came in.

"Hey guys," Sam said as he set down the pizza and two grocery bags on the table. He hesitated when he saw the positions of the former angel and his brother. "Should I go, or…" he trailed off awkwardly, running his hands through his silky auburn hair, as he often did.

"No," Dean said quickly, letting go of Cas' hand. Cas' other hand remained laying on his lap, though. Dean grinned at Sam. "Did you remember pie?" he asked.

"Actually, yeah," Sam said. "I-" Dean interrupted before Sam could finish.

"Damn it!" Dean muttered, fishing in his pocket. After a moment he pulled out a five and a one, and handed them to Cas. "Sorry man, this is all I have right now," he sighed. "I'll get you the rest later, I promise.

"Really?" Sam asked indignantly. "Seriously, guys?"

"I won't forget this, Dean," Cas said, pocketing the money. "Being human has taught me the value of money. Before, I always thought that humans were being so petty, but now that I understand thirst, hunger, the need for warm clothes-"

"Speaking of which, it's freezing in here," Sam interrupted, shivering and making sure that all the windows were closed. He was wearing a flannel jacket, which he hugged around his tall frame as he sat down on the other queen sized mattress, the one Dean and Cas weren't on.

"Yes, there's a crack in the window," Castiel stated, nodding to the window. "I don't mind it so much. The cold is an excuse to cuddle up." Sam snorted, unable to completely suppress a bout of laughter as he noted Dean and Cas' spots so close together on the bed, and Cas' hand in Dean's lap.

"Oh come on, man," Dean said. "I didn't mean it like-"

"Anyway, moving on," Sam interrupted his older brother who was muttering inaudibly something about 'people always taking things the wrong way.' "I did remember pie," Sam continued, ignoring Dean. "I got pumpkin pie sense it's almost Halloweeen, and..." he stood up and walked over to the table, pulling something out of one of the grocery bags. It was a stack of DVDs. "I thought we could watch some scary movies to celebrate the season."