"What the Hell is wrong with you?" Dean burst as he was dragged out of a bar where he was getting close with a couple of the female patrons. Out of nowhere, Castiel had shown up and yanked him out of there, making him feel like a child getting in trouble with his parent.

"After what I just saw you doing, you have the audacity to ask what is wrong with me?" Castiel asked incredulously as he yanked open the backseat door of the Impala. Dean raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Cas-"

"Shut up. Just shut up," Castiel's voice was rough as he invaded Dean's personal space. With a blink of his eyes, Dean found them in the backseat of the car, their body's pressing against each other. A rush of air escaped Dean's lips in surprise as Castiel grasped his wrists and pinned them against the cool leather of the seats interior. The angel's lips immediately latched onto the sensitive skin of his neck and Dean arched his back in suprise as feelings rushed through his veins with a soft groan. "Hm. I knew you'd like that. Your neck appears to be your erogenous zone. Most humans are the same."

"Cas, if you're to keep doing this, you need to stop talking like that," Dean fights the urge to roll his eyes, and is unable to continue with his ribbing as Castiel rips his shirt off and begins to suckle on the middle of his chest, slowly trailing downward. "O-Or you can do that..."

"I thought I told you to shut up," Castiel stands up and grasps some of Dean's locks tightly, tugging on them hard enough to get a small yelp. Smirking, he leans forward and crushes their lips together. Tongues fight for control while hands trail over different body parts. Clothing is shed onto the floor of the car and soon Castiel is pressing his bare skin against Dean's, shifting slightly to create light friction. Both men groan. "This is what it means to have a profound bond. Why I answer you more quickly than I would Sam."

"But you said that-"

"You really think I'd say the real reason in front of your brother?" Castiel raises an eyebrow and kisses Dean deeply, allowing his feelings to take over for once and go against his natural orders.

One month later...

"So, this is where the nest is?" Dean questioned as he and Castiel appeared at a large warehouse, old and decrepit, at the edge of an unused pier. Disappearances and deaths in the small Florida town pointed to a vampire infestation.

"Yes," Castiel turns to Dean, his face emotionless besides the sparkling blue eyes he just couldn't help gazing into, even at a time like this. "The minute it looks bad, I'm getting you out of there."

"Thanks for the confidence, Cas-"

"This is a fierce group of vampires. We can't afford to err."

"I nev-" Dean stops at the glare on Castiel's face and frowns, cocking back his pistol while holding a machete in the other. "Okay, okay. Let's go."

"Stay quiet," Castiel replies, walking towards the building with Dean right next to him. He knows of the job at hand, but ever since the night in the Impala and all the other nights over the past month, he has found it hard to concentrate when he's so close to the damaged man. He comes off as so rough and tough, but when they're intimate he's a completely different person. Passion and just the urgent need to feel loved comes from his soul in nearly frightening waves for anyone except the angel. He too, feels that way once in awhile, though it is conflicting and confusing. He shouldn't feel them so strongly, but something about Dean brings it out. He doesn't exactly know what to do about it, but he has a bad feeling it won't be something Dean nor himself will like. Grabbing Dean's arm, they are suddenly inside the warehouse, where the vampires are sleeping. Bags of blood and used bodies are strewn across the floor. Castiel pays no attention as he pulls out his own weapon - a sword he had been issued by the Lord Himself when Castiel was first appointed high warrior in Heaven. He glances over at Dean and nods as he pulls back the sleeve of his trenchcoat and slices the skin cleanly. Blood trickles heavily from the wound. "HEY! Assbutts! Who's hungry?"

"Sonofabitch..." Dean trails off as the vampires begin waking up. Fangs glisten in the faint glow of lightbulbs and growls become louder as they slowly approach the duo. He glances at Castiel, his eyes steely and determined. Turning back, he nearly gets his throat ripped out by a young female vampire as she lunged at him while distrated. Cursing loudly, he raised the machete and cleanly beheads her. This fuels the fire and soon they have a horde running at them. Without a second thought, he goes right in, swinging left and right. The angel is doing the same, albeit much more graceful than Dean could ever be as they make their way through, working to get to the alpha. In the end, piles of dead vampires stack behind Dean and Castiel as they approach the alpha along with his two strongest soldiers and recruiters.

"Well, well, well. Dean Winchester. I've heard a lot about you and your family. I think I even ran into your father, but that was back when you were a wee slip of a lad. Probably taking care of your little brother, no doubt. Such a shame. A childhood wasted," the tall, willowy blond man replied with a click of his tongue. The soldiers laughed coldly as Dean gripped hard on the handle of the machete.

"Shut your damn mouth. You know nothing about me or my family."

"Touchy, touchy," he turns to Castiel with a raised eyebrow. "I thought I had smelled your blood correctly, but I still can't believe it. An angel, right here in my humble abode."

"This abode is anything but humble. You slaughter innocent humans for your own self-indulgence."

"...True. But I've been doing it for hundreds of years. No one has stopped me."

"Until now."

"You know, your father had the same confidence. It nearly turned him into one of us. I'd suggest you take a step back before I finish with you what I started with him."

"Nice threat, really, but I don't think so," Dean takes a step forward and before he could react, a soldier was standing behind him, his own weapon at his throat.

"Let him go," Castiel orders, his own sword poised and ready to strike.

"Or what? By the time you react, your precious Winchester will either be one of us, or our snack," the blond snaps his fingers and Dean cries out as the razor sharp blade goes across his neck in a thin, shallow cut, bringing blood. Castiel watches as their fangs appear again and knew it was only a matter of time. He turns back to the alpha and nods.

"Have it your way," closing his eyes, Castiel disappears, causing Dean's heart to sink.

"Wh-where did he go?" the other soldier questioned. The one holding Dean was about to reply when a swishing sound filled the air and he watched in horror as the head of his partner rolled to his feet.

"Master-" A gurgling sound escaped his lips as the blade of the sword pushed through the middle of his throat, barely missing Dean who wrenches out of his grasp, machete back in his hand as both vampires fall onto the floor. He looks up at the alpha and grins.

"Guess you messed with the wrong angel, bitch."

"You insolent hunter, I'll rip you to pieces, and your damned angel!" the alpha stood up from his chair and strode towards Dean, fangs sharp and ready to bite. Before Dean could react, a hand was around his throat and he was lifted into the air.

"C-C-CAS!" was all he could force out as the steel cold hand constricted his windpipe. Blackness started to creep into his vision as the vampire laughed.

"Looks like he left you, just like everybody else does. One would think you'd be used to that by now."

"Go to Hell," he whispered, eyes rolling into the back of his head.

"Oh, I think you of all people know what that's like, and that's where you're going after I'm done with you."

"I don't think so," a cold, emotionless voice answered behind them. With another slice through the air, Dean was dropped onto the floor, coughing and gasping for air as his vision cleared enough to see the tall body crumple into a heap, headless.

"Cas..."

"I'm here, Dean. I didn't leave," fingertips press against his forehead and he begins to breathe easier. "I'm sorry, but I had to wait for the perfect moment to kill him."

"Perfect moment? Good thing you didn't wait until my face turned blue!"

"It was a chance I had to take. I almost didn't do it."

"What?"

"I... I care about you. Seeing you get hurt... I didn't enjoy that. I wanted to kill those bastards right then. But I knew they would kill you before I could kill them."

"You care about me?" the words were trying to wrap around Dean's head, but he couldn't comprehend it quick enough, and he could see it when Castiel frowned.

"Why is it that you don't think you're worth saving? Or that no one should care about you? A lot of people care about you, Dean."

"I don't know. I'm fucked up, Cas."

"We are all 'fucked up', as you call it, one way or another."

"But-"

"Come on. We've got to leave," Castiel helps Dean to his feet and, pressing his forehead again, they leave the warehouse in a rush of air.

"That was a close call," Dean replied, dusting himself off as he and Castiel zapped from a hunt back to the motel. Sam was out, doing God knows what, but at the moment, Dean seemed to be more worried about the look on the angel's face. He reaches out tentatively, to cup his cheek and flinches when it was pushed away. Castiel strides over to the window without a word. He stares outside into the darkness for quite some time. Dean doesn't understand the change from the warehouse to now, for it felt like a mere instant they were gone. For the angel, it was actually quite a few minutes, and it was enough to think about what he needs to do compared to what he wants to do.

"Too close. Much too close. I was reckless and hasty in my decisions."

"The job still got done."

"It can't happen again. I've forgotten my place and my purpose."

"Cas…" His name is all Dean can muster as Castiel walks from the window, to stand right in front of him. Even now, personal space is not an option.

"I can't do this, Dean. I…" He trails off, his electric blue eyes locking with the deep green ones of the oldest Winchester. "I risk too much for you. If it goes too far, I won't be able to do what I was created to do. I'm a warrior. I fight for Heaven."

"So, that's it? Fuck me, dump me, see you later, I'm off to fight the holy war?" Dean's voice, rough and raspy, was thick with emotion. "Damnit, Cas, you started this and this is how you end it?"

"You're damaged, Dean. None of that is my fault. That was from the choices you made in life. I pulled you from the depths of Hell and I will never regret that. But I can't be around you," Castiel's voice, normally emotionless, actually broke quietly enough that Dean had to wonder if he had imagined it or not. He turns away, closing his eyes tightly. "Not the way you want me to be."

"You said we were all fucked up in some ways, and now you're holding it against me?" he watches as Castiel takes a step farther. "Don't you dare leave, you sonofabitch," the threatening tone wasn't nearly as intimidating as Dean wanted to as tears came to his eyes.

"I have to," without another word, Castiel disappeared with the sound of rustling feathers and a soft wind that caressed Dean's stubbly cheek.